Freyd

Freyd scrunched his face up beneath his cowl, watching the player perform a cursory examination. Was he seriously going to sleep in a graveyard where things were rumoured to mysteriously perish? That was either ballsy, oblivious, or just plain dumb, but he honestly couldn't tell which. About to stand and challenge the man, he barely managed to cry out a warning as the ancient willow against which the stranger reclined suddenly lurched and opened a wizened face upon its trunk. A deep, angry scowl mimicked the downward swoop of weeping branches upon its haggard face. "Watch out!"

"I know what you can be like, even when you do have your beauty sleep," Freyd countered, chuckling under his breath and expecting to be hit by some form of food from across the table. He'd take a shot at catching it in his mouth if it came to that. Freya's cooking had improved enough to totally make it worthwhile, and her generosity deserved thanks. Today, that would be delivered in the form of playful banter, reinforced the moment she had finished her scowl and left the room. "Totally a couple," Freyd replied to Kodo, deadpan, the moment she was gone. "But she's not ready to hear it

[wibbly-wobbly liquid time applied] "I still owe you for that ass smack, Freyd!" "Promises, promises," he taunted back, blue eyes twinkling with a hefty mien of mischief. "Pretty sure I was the one who took the whoopin' - and thanks for that, by the way. Everyone should be so fortunate. Maybe you should take it out on your next opponent?" A tilt and wink, combined with a wicked smile, then he was back in motion. Even defeat had its privileges, if spun correctly. Truth was that he was glad to have been beaten, especially after discovering the final prize of the tournament.

"Montjoy, Freyd, Takeshi," he replied to Gaius, appreciating the man's confusion. "They’re all just different masks worn behind the same face. But, since the game labels things as Freyd everywhere, it’s probably best to just stick with that moniker. We are, after all, still just 'me.'" Taking Nisa's meaning, Freyd reached down, touching his hand to the grassy ground swaying at their feet and pulling. Such was the nature of this world that it abided a native's request. Instead of torn green blades, Freyd pulled his shadow from the ground and bade it stand at his side, silently agitate

"Of course, of course," Freyd said, offering @Morningstar a short bow. "If you'll excuse me, @Jomei, I was looking for someone specific whom I'd heard was here tonight: a fragile soul with a big heart who puts it on the line far too often for his own good. He needs people, though he's very unlikely to know it. Us loners are stupid like that." Offering quick thanks for the conversation, he made his way through the crowd in search of his original quarry. A bit of short snark beneath black hair and slung into a monochromatic track suit caught his ear and his eye as she headed towar

"He cared about you very much," Freyd said, the emotion in his voice striking a fiercer stunning blow than his fists had only moments earlier. "He cared about everyone. Too much so, perhaps. But I believe that he saw the same suffering in you that he endured within himself, and with it the need to protect you above so many others. Can you honestly fault him for that? I mean, I can, but I've always been an ass about these things. And yet..." Reaching into his right pocket, he pulled out a pair of dark-framed spectacles of very familiar shape and size, holding them aloft and wiping th

"Morningstar? Like the heavy ball thingy on a stick, with the spikes? That should be easy to remember." Freyd grinned as he spoke, offering the man a friendly nod. "And I know what it's like to run solo. Did that for a long time myself. It makes you better appreciate the benefits of allies having your back when things go sideway, because things always go sideways." A few other familiar faces popped up near the back of the crowd, drawing his attention. "Come find me, when you're both ready to hit the wilds again, or if you need to gear up. I haven't stretched my legs on a decent qu

"Completely understandable," he said replying to Jomei. "Though I'm not sure I agree with your take on the tournament. This thing isn't about skill at all, or even a contest of wills. It's an expression of pure human spirit - of the chaos and passions we all carry in our hearts. It's not about winning or what who can claim what victory for themselves. It's about what we can give back to each other: motivation, comradery, community. Who knows, maybe a few might even find love?" He offered them a smile, as if waxing philosophical was the greatest treasure in the world. "That's the tr

The last drizzling drops stopped just as the sun crept over the horizon, sweeping the sky clear of clouds with its magnificent radiance. Freyd had never quite see anything like it. Cumulonimbus shriveled like deflating balloons, vanishing to give way to hue of fuchsia, fading to orange and gold before the azure plane took hold over the skies. Few took the time to find a proper vantage point from where to witness this regular occurrence. Floor eight's foliage and forest canopy obscured the transition from the ground. Finding a sufficiently solid perch had been the issue and taken some effo

Freyd grinned to wide as Freya tugged him around that he couldn't keep from laughing. "Hey! They're attached, okay!" Flopping clumsily into his assigned chair, he pulled the plate closer and took in the aroma for only a half-second before diving in. "Did she lead you here the same way," he added for Kodo's benefit. "Those are really good, by the way." A thumb jabbed towards the sausages on both their plates. "But don't tell her I said so, or we'll have to pay double for every portion from now on. She can be prickly about these things." Grabbing a roll mere moments aft

Thread Summary: 11615 words / 30 = 387*5= 1935*Tier Xena receives: 2235 EXP (Word Count [1935*1] + Quest [300]) 400 col (400 [1 page]) A Familiar of your choice (within guidelines). Unlocks the <<Training Your Friend>> Quest Freyd receives: 27090 EXP (Word Count [1935*14]) 4063 col ( [Laurel, +15% of EXP as col]) - given to Xena

Lifting the battered doll, Freyd showed the name written on it, proceeding to explain. "Those kids are smart. Hiding is a choice, and worthless once you've already been caught. Sakura had the good sense to disable the mod, giving us a chance to find their position. They're on floor 15, not far out from Lhasri and heading west towards Palden Glacier. Revenge is best served cold? Dude might be taking things a little too literally. But they seem to still be on the move, so we may have time, and also be in luck. If Tyson had half a brain, he'd have already brought them to a dungeon o

Returning to the throng after an entertaining side bar conversation with Cordelia, Freyd melded into the crowd. It was a rare a special treat for someone who regularly consigned himself to the shadows to mingle so openly with other players. It should have felt awkward, and usually did. But not today. Today, it was elating, like lifting a weighted blanket from your shoulders after it had nearly suffocated you. A quick wave and nod were made to @Calrexas he passed him and @Snowemerging from the kitchens. A quizzical look at the Ultramarine Knight played tauntingly at whatever the two o

While his partner was busy going all goo-goo eyes for the cuddly kitty, Freyd was very keenly aware of the number size and potential stats of the increasingly agitated mobs rousing themselves to anger all around them. Xena didn't have nearly enough treats for a group of this size, and while he could carve his way out, there was no way to do so without her taking a potentially fatal hit. "Oh, for the love of..." Wrapping his arm around her and the cub, Freyd's eyes fell into darkness and sought the gypsy through shadows. Timing would be key. He sprang just as the tigers pounced, th

Freyd simply stared back. If the man wanted to play chicken, he'd picked the wrong adversary. Freyd had once outlasted the glue on a wall poster in high school, glaring at the thing out of sheer boredom as his teacher drone on endlessly about something or other. It might have been chemistry. The poster had smiling people on it who looked like they were peddling something concealed in the pockets of their crisp, white lab coats. There was nothing aggressive about Freyd's manner. His sipped at his steaming drink and stretched, lounging casually in his seat while waiting for the other man m

Freyd climbed down, skipping every other rung on the way down and making a show of tapping invisible buttons and twisting virtual interfaces visible only to his private HUD before opening the hatch at the bottom of the well. It was crowded and deliberately uncomfortable. The place was never meant for visitors of any kind. Mina would be the first to ever gain access to his sanctum, and he wasn't entirely keen on the prospect, but it beat having this sort of conversation outdoors. The hatch, built into the side of the shaft, looked like the type on might use to seal a submarine compartment,

A shimmer and flurry of shadow washed over him as his appearance shifted and changed. Gone was his armor and signature outfit of charcoals, greys and gloomy blacks. In their stead came a simple blue Henley and set of beige slacks paired with sandals to better deal with the beach. His face was the same, but more at ease than she was used to seeing. Only the glasses were new, yet seemed very familiar. Pulling up a patch of sand by her side, Freyd plunked himself down with relaxed ease and took a moment to absorb the scenery. His sights focused heavily on the farthest horizons of the see, a

"What's with the cat features, anyway? I mean, they kinda suit you, but it's surprisingly not a common thing to see in Aincrad." Wandering blindly through the underbrush of a tiger-infested jungle hoping to steal one of their babies didn't seem like a terribly great plan, but he'd tried worse. Spotting a bit of spoor and then some paw prints in the damp, loamy soil, he was about to mention them when he looked up to see Xena trying to force-feed a tiger cub something from the gypsy's bag of pseudo Scooby-snacks. Freyd's gob snapped shut, eyes widening at the gathered streak of tigers

A new floor meant new information to be gathered, quests to be done and puzzles to be solved. Most importantly, it meant that O&I needed to get their butts in gear and get a lay of the land. Freyd had already traveled to Ronbaru to sneak a peak and ensure that they wouldn't be running afoul of weird taboos or special floor conditions that could cause trouble. So far, everything seemed fairly mundane - maybe even a little too much so. This 'Lapis Society' had all the markings of a stonemason's-style super conspiracy, and warranted a bit of extra scrutiny. After making a few clandestine

Her response didn't seem to phase him in the slightest. The man had a self-animating puddle of shadow-stuff as his own familiar and had seen everything from parasitic puddings to rock golems, to ice spirits as familiars. Heck, he'd even helped people acquire more than a few such beasties. This was going to be a cinch by comparison. "Right. Oversized, super-fluffy tabby cat in need of a manicure. Gotcha. Shouldn't be too hard to find." Her own catlike features were actually a greater source of intrigue. Aincrad had all manner of vanity items to help players hide or modify thei

The grey drizzle of rain drowned out a seemingly infinite swirling maelstrom of possibilities and responsibilities, converging on the Whisper like moths to the last surviving flame. Sitting on the ramparts of the Bastion Wall Shrine of floor nineteen, Freyd surveyed the desolate plains commonly referred to as The Forbidden Lands, beyond. Few players came here anymore. There were few mobs and resources, and only a handful of quests even referenced this place, let alone required interaction with it. It was a wasteland in every sense of the word. Only one feature made it notable. Ki'Reion m

Taking her hand to stand felt really weird, given her short stature, but Freyd didn't want to insult her by refusing. Instead, he rose and flipped his cowl back up into position. Persi sat on a nearby branch, watching them with the same disturbing stare as some peeping Tom anthropologist. "What is it we're looking for, anyway?" Xena hadn't really shared much in the way of details regarding what type of familiar she preferred. "I'm guessing that it's some sort of cat, yanno, because ears." He pointed to the top of her head as evidence of her fetish, and the source of his assumptions.

He smiled back at her with that sort of smile a friend gives you when you know you're being silly, but you're feeling self-conscious and that's okay because it's what friends are for. "Yes, Freyja. We are still friends, and I am still Freyd." He sighed and rubbed his eyes, in the same manner Raidou did when he removed his glasses. Freyd never wore any in this world, though he did in the other. Some habits were just too hard to break. "You and I have seen a lot of weird shit together. We've lived through a lot of it. What you saw and heard in there was the little voice that