Freyd

Their conversation slowed and eventually stilled, both just looking at each other and their respective cups. Both likely also empty. "Come on. Old Pete's quest isn't far from here. It will help you wrap up the last of First Lessons chain and give you a bit more EXP under your belt. Gaining levels is never a bad thing." Leading them from Snips and Snails back through Marv's gate and out into the fields beyond, he veered off in the direction of Tolbana. Boars milled around in the background, doing their thing. The occasional bit of NPC traffic on the road made the place seem more

"Violence doesn't always cooperate with efforts to avoid it. There are no deadlier opponents in this game than our fellow players who have chosen to prey upon or turn against their own. I'm glad to hear that you've managed to dodge it so far, but don't bet on it continuing indefinitely. If nothing else, at least be prepared." "Life and death... can we really say we have a right to decide it for anybody...?" “Absolutely: for ourselves. If someone decides they want to kill me, and I decide that’s not okay, I will take whatever steps are necessary to oppose them, up to and including

"Heh. Back then I couldn't hurt a fly. Wouldn't was another story. Now I can. What's changes is whether or not I would, or will, and under what circumstances." He stopped to sip at his tea. "My name appears twice on the monument across that plaza. Two names writ side by side, who'd cornered Astreya while she and I were aiding a lost NPC maiden in a cavern. They had us trapped but hadn't realized that I was also there. I could have tried to stun them, I suppose, but both were already tagged as player killers and it wasn't as though they were going to announce their strength - this was

Heartened to hear that his mysterious counterpart was alright, Freyd found himself forced to admit that he knew very little about her. "She actually gave me my very first weapon. It literally fell out of the sky just as I set foot beyond the gates of the first city. Nearly sliced off all the toes on my left side actually." His voice was both joking and nostalgic. "She later recognized it and said she'd dropped or lost it somewhere, but refused to accept its return. She's kinda funny that way, isn't she? We ran some weird Easter-bunny infested horror show of a dungeon together once

"Stalker?" Freyd practically roared with laughter at that one. "Yeah. Right. Sure. No offence to take there at all!" Actually, she wasn't far off from the truth. Freyd's life in SAO had become akin to the role of a spider at the centre of its web, tracking and hunting across a field of its own crafting. Ironic that the role of an information broker could be so similar. The biggest difference was his willingness to get his hands dirty. Even there, it was about choosing when to do so visibly, or not. "Two years changes a lot, depending on how they are spent. I've seen a l

Freyd's smile deepened as he watched Oji's reactions. The telltale signs of a non-gamer trapped in an unfamiliar universe. It was charming, in its own way, but could also be faked. "If you're a healer in search of bodyguards and allies to take this beast down, would it not be more prudent to find them before coming all the way out here? Have you not considered joining a guild? No offense, friend, but healers need allies. A mercenary medic would be a tough gig, and you don't strike me as the type." Freyd drew his hand back and crossed it with the other over his chest, leaning back

"No, never." A wry grin spread across the Whisper's face. Koga knew the banter game well. An eyepatch materialized out of thin air while Freyd's cowl flattened itself to his head and became a black bandana instead. "Is this better?" "Please! I must insist. Time is short." "Relax, Slim Jim," he said to the ever-agitated sailor, giving him a casual two-fingered salute. "And yes, we'll be borrowing your uncle dinghy. Thanks for offering." The NPC's mouth stalled, as if struggling to maintain its pre-empted script and programming. "Go practice your archery or something, in case

Freyd felt like he was missing some important queue to comfort Elora, but he didn't know the words. These were unfamiliar steps, and he never really learned to dance, or even carry a tune. She was also difficult to read. Or was she? Maybe he needed to just learn a new language. It wouldn't be the first time, would it? A hand gently placed on her shoulder. Fleeting only. Was it comforting? He wasn't sure. "I think you've both proven your mettle, Katoka. Let's hope none of us ever have to face that sort of situation again." Memories flooded back. So many faces in the water. So

As Dustin shifted from passionate volunteer to baking bribe artist, Freyd stifled a smile. The boy was eager but also seemed to swivel at every shift in the wind. Adorable, impulsive innocence paired with power over life and death: the power of a player in a game of souls. It amused that he ghosts were killable one instant, then dead meant dead again an instant later. Maybe that only applied if they weren't mostly dead. Things for more complicated from there. Chipper, bubbly Astreya faltered, if only momentarily. What lay under all that confetti and behind the pompoms? Some athlete

"My future? Heh. Good question." An honest, wistful smile as he pondered the possibilities, his thumb absent-mindedly rubbing the edge of his steaming cup as his eyes followed the vapours to a place of infinite possibilities. "So much of what I do is focused around broad goals: keep my guild safe; keep myself current on happenings around the castle; help train up and coming new adventurers, preparing to aid the front lines; prepare for and join the assault on the next floor boss, when the time comes, etc." 'Keep internal threats at bay,' he added in his private thoughts. Freyd's true

"Are you Oji?" An elderly with thick leathery skin and enough wrinkles to make a Shar Pei blush slowly hobbled up beside him. It was slow arduous process to wait while he struggled to lift the flesh flaps from his bald brow up high enough to witness the reveal of a pair of shiny grey eyes. They seemed friendly and jovial, which was more than could be said for most of Home. The settlement was little more than a refugee camp, cobbled together behind the towering Bastion Wall and nestled against the very edge of an otherwise wasteland of a floor. The locals were a rough, salt-of-the-earth so

A dark-hooded face pressed itself against the glass, peering into the shop, sniffing like some scent-addled puppy at the prospect of more honey cakes. Freya had created a monster - a bigger, hungrier monster, at least. Wrestling with the latch, Freyd finally made it inside, the door giving way suddenly and spilling him inside with unexpected gusto. "Why do I keep forgetting that this place is here, on this floor? Though I don't think I've ever actually placed a formal order before. Seems only fitting to do so. You've fed me so many of the damned, delectable things that I'd probably

Snips and Snails was a popular resto-bar not far off the main square of the Town of Beginnings. Freyd frequently visited the place to refill his coffee reserves, especially while on his way to one of his irregular visits to Marv or to catch up on the latest round of additions to the Monument of Life. One was far more macabre than the other. Oda, the owner, was an older fellow, which typically meant someone in their thirties around this place. Few older adults were drawn to the appeal of new games like SAO with quite the same zeal and urgency as the teenagers and young adults who filled out

"Lady Ladira?! Wha... wha.... how... is this possible?" The aging, balding attendant's face blanched at the sight of the approaching false Freyd, who'd spent enough time studying Simmoné to pull of a half decent courtesan schtick when he needed to. A subtle shift in stance, hand placed on hip as he kept closing the distance, combined with carefree laughter that rang between the local sculptures and topiary with a certain arrogant amusement. "Please! Please! I've heard the rumours, and you should take better care than to listen to such poppycock! I'm absolutely fine, my dear." The m

Floor sixteen could only mean one thing. Greybeard's crew were up to no good again. Craning his head back beneath his cowl until it cracked, Freyd wondered how psychosomatic the algorithms were that even enabled such a thing, let alone make him feel better by doing it. Hopefully, this time, he wouldn't have to get shot out of a cannon or accidentally and indirectly set a party member on fire. "Nahhh. It'll be fine." The gekko perched on the rock beside him gave an eerie and decidedly skeptical look. Maybe the rum had already kicked in, even though it couldn't and he didn't hav

A light chuckle as he read the message, feet dangling of a minaret's rooftop that used to house several dozen flying simians with ridiculous little circus outfits and hats. He despised the hats most of all. They made the mobs look like angry bellhops. Lium was just beginning to realize the consequences of his actions. There would be many more, but he would learn them all, painfully, over time. It had been a personal choice, seemingly frivolously made. The cowl just shook. It wouldn't be an easy road, if he ever chose to try to redeem himself in the eyes of Cardinal. Few were harsher in

Time to make a custom sword art: AoE Shift (Base x20, including shift bonus) +x5 (May only be used after a natural MD9-10 had successfully landed against you the previous turn.) Result: [x25] CSA-FREYD (26 + [2* targets] EN | AOE | All shadows are as one, and none are safe from their wrath when ire stirs in their darkness. When using this sword art, Freyd manipulates all shadows around him to duplicate his attack, with devastating and unexpected effectiveness. May only be used after a natural MD9-10 had successfully landed against you the previous turn. (Cost of AoE Shift in

Skill(s) Being Dropped: R5 Light Armor Mod(s)/Addon(s)/Shift(s) Being Dropped: Resolve, Meticulous SP Incurred Towards Limit: 30 SP Refunded: 40 Cost: 30,000 col

A knock on the shop door, followed moments later by a twisting of the knob and poking of a cowled head just inside the frame. "NIGHT?" Freyd wandered cautiously into the shop, wary that other patrons might be around and not wishing to touch on sensitive subject matter with open ears nearby, or else half-expecting to be jumped by some woman in a white, hooded outfit. He still wasn't sure what was going on there, and hadn't had a chance to follow up, but his visit wasn't about that. "I saw you and Koga leaving Baldur's place in a hurry, back at the tournament. Something looked to

1. Upgrading the following item to Demonic quality, using one Demonic Shard to add 1 slot of EVA: Night Shades (T3 Perfect Trinket – ACC 3) Identification ID: #166287 (Made by Raidou) | Obtained by Freyd: http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/19822-guild-member-gear/?do=findComment&comment=622069 A black ebonweave mask and bandana set with a slightly hawkish style. They are terribly comfortable to wear and make the wearer’s intention inconceivable. Becomes: Night Shades (T3 Demonic Trinket – ACC 3 | EVA 1) Upgrade ID: 205436 A black ebonweave mask and bandana set with

A polite knock on the door before entry. Freyd entered slowly, making sure to remove his footwear and respect the cleanliness of the shop and particulars of its owner. Courtesies went a long way. The cowl came down as well. Another rare sign of respect from the Whisper. "I'm afraid that progress carries a price, dearest little sister. All this sneaking around has caused me to rekindle skills I thought lost after the confrontation with Shadow and the flood. Even this flexible wear has become cumbersome as a result. It simply wouldn't do to have a whisper squeak while he sneaks. Per

"Oy! Loverboy!" Blonde, brawny and exceedingly Scottish, Quip burst into Koga's shop without so much as a knock or ring of a bell. The hardware was probably just too afraid of abuse and let her in without a challenge. Big green eyes sparkling, she strode over to the nearest counter, pulling various items off and tossing them to the floor to make some room before dropping a pair of matching breast plates harshly in their place. "Bet ye haven't forgotten aboot me! Ah wis cleaning oot Freyd's god-forsaken excuse fur a shop th' ither day 'n' fun some thing that keeked lik' thay micht ramm

Thunder cracked in the distance, along with muted cries and monkey-squawks. Bursts of light high in the air first seemed like fireworks, until the truth became more apparent. They were mobs. Dozens upon dozens of mobs, being smashed like confetti cakes all about the aerial perches of the witch's tower. Feminine shrieks filled the air with outrage, but to no avail. Freyd had promised to cull the hazard, and was living up to his word. The witch would simply have to live with it, because he'd offer her no other choice. If she pushed, she'd just join their ranks, in the last charge of the m

Discord. Tension. Dark emotions and cross-wired intentions. Freyd hadn't actually expected Dustin to follow through, but the end result was exactly what he had hoped. The man known as the Whisper in Shadows was as slippery as he was unpredictable, and already two steps ahead of Nari by the time she uttered her threats. Gaze locked forward, Freyd's form shimmered and wavered as they entered the formal grounds. If he'd heard her words, he made no overt reaction. Gone was the edgy darklord-wear, shed like a pixel-thin layer of skin and replaced by something much grander and more suitable to

Freyd watched the man move from one stage of grief to the next. It was progress, albeit measured in baby steps. Feeling nothing was natural progression on the reset from only feeling self-destructive. "Eventually, and gradually, we will need to help him course-correct from feeling nothing back towards feeling something. Right now, all he can manage is anger and sorrow. He needs to be numb for a while and then start to see in others what he has lost in himself. We can help him, separately, but if we keep coming at him in pairs he will eventually come to resent us for pressuring him.