[PP-24] Contrasts in the Perfection of Gardens and Time

[Freyd 0]

He'd had his ass handed to him, and was completely ecstatic about it.  Even as @Astreyacalled false foul, with a lilt of playful laughter in the distance, he waved himself off the field of battle with unusually nonchalant grace.  Thanks and praise were given freely to the victor and those who had setup this mashup in the first place.  His ribs still hurt.  Not from the impact of @Baldur's specialized toys, but sheer laughter at the absurdity of the battle before them.  It was just puerile fun, of a kind the man they called the Whisper never allowed himself, yet so desperately needed.

Grabbing a platter and loading it up with a ridiculous assortment of food, he bantered amiably with all he encountered, whether he knew them or not.  That was the entire point.  How many years had they been trapped here?  What tolls had they all paid to endure.  To be bested by the Valley Girl?  He should be furious with himself, but didn't care a whit about any of it.  Tensions on the front lines were fracturing its unity.  It had never been more obvious how fragile they had all become.  Any chances of escape from this madhouse world would go with it.  

So, let there be noise and festivity.  Let fools runs free and kings and councilors be granted status as jesters for a day.  Maybe a Whisper could do the same, just for once?

"Cordelia?!"  He blinked, astonished to find before him the heroine he'd last encountered on the outskirts of Coral during the Sundered Spire invasions.  "Wow!  I haven't seen you in ages!  Where have you been hiding?"  Genuinely happy to see her, Freyd admittedly barely knew the woman, but she and @Mari had likely saved his life that day, as he'd run headlong, alone into danger.  Never underestimate the value of allies.  Ever more true for friends.  And though he and Mari had shared difficult struggles in the aftermath, they'd come to some sort of complicated respect.  She'd even opened up a little, in her own way.  So tired, she always was.  But the noise of the crowd made conversation impossible.  Nodding to the nearby balcony, he urged Cordelia to the party's fringe, where a more reasonable level of loud would actually permit them to hear each other.

@Cordelia

***

Freyd | HP: 1080/1080 | EN: 142/142 | DMG: 24 | MIT: 78 | EVA: 2 | ACC: 4 | BH: 59 | LD: 5 | AA | BLGT: 32 | P.V.O | REC: 8 | STK: 40

Full Stats:

Spoiler

Freyd,
Level: 32
Paragon Level: 102
HP: 1080/1080
EN: 142/142

Stats:
Damage: 24
Mitigation: 78
Evasion: 2
Accuracy: 4
Battle Healing: 59
Loot Dice: 5
AA
BLGT: 32
P.V.O
REC: 8
STK: 40

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: The Thing Behind All Lies (T4 MA | AA | Stk | Blgt | PV (O) )
Armor: Fallen Angel Garb (T4 LA | Mit 2 | Rec 2)
Misc: Fight O'er Flight (T4 Trinket - ACC 2 | EVA 2)

Custom Skill:


Skills:
Martial Arts R5
Battle Healing R5
Light Armor R5
Searching R4
Charge
Energist
Quick Change
Extended Mod Limit

Active Mods:
Night Vision
Tracking
Meticulous
Untraceable

Inactive Mods:

Addons:
Ferocity
Precision
Resolve
Reveal
Stamina

Active Extra Skills:
Disguise
Survival
Forgotten King’s Authority
Hiding R5

Inactive Extra Skills:
Meditation
Brawler
Photosynthesize

Battle Ready Inventory:
Teleport Crystals x7
Mass HP Rec [Inst] (+30*T HP) x7
Mass HP Rec [Inst] (+30*T HP) x7
Crystal of Divine Light (Reusable) x1
Rhino's Horn (Reusable) x1
Hmr.Pk: Samael's Pride x1

Housing Buffs:
Rested: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat
Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down)
Working: +2 EXP per crafting attempt
Filling: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot.
Item Stash: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot
Delicious: Turn 3 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Feast. A Feast contains 6 portions of the food items sacrificed.
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Skylight (Searching): +1 Rank to the Searching skill.
Angler: +1 material gained when fishing
Advanced Training: +10% Exp to a thread. Limit one use per month [0/1]
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll
Decor [Potted Tanabata Bamboo Tree]: This buff affects the player and their choice of up to two party members.

Guild Hall Buffs:
Lucrative: Reduce LD needed for Salvage by 5 (10+ for Alchemist crystals, 6+ for everything else). +2 EXP per craft. Rank 9 crafters receive +1 crafting attempt per day. Rank 10 crafters receive +2 crafting attempts per day.
Col Deposit: +5% bonus col from last-hit monster kills and +10% bonus col from treasure chests.

Scents of the Wild:
Kumatetsu Statue: +1 Base Damage for a thread

Wedding Ring:

 

[Cordelia 0]

Cordelia, the poor girl, nearly jumped out of her pants when a familiar-unfamiliar voice called out her name, surprising her since it was hard to even hear her own thoughts in the cheering crowd. 

"Ah..." Cordelia nervously trailed off nervously eyes, darting around in a panic before landing on Freyd again, lingering for a few seconds before lighting up in recognition. "Right! Freyd, was it?" she asked, praying to whatever higher being above that she was thinking of the right person. Nothing would embarrass her more than screwing up someone's name right in front of them. Still, even with her hesitance, a lingering voice in her head told her she was right, for how could she forget the night of Tanabata and the strange boy she met on the very same night? The event in general was hard for her to recall, but it would be hard to forget the grand battle she had shared with this boy and Mari below the canopy of towering tree giants. 

Once the had shuffled to the outskirts of the crowd, she finally found an opportunity to speak. "Likewise, it's good seeing you again," she said with a smile, happy to see a face she recognized amongst all of the strangers. "Where I've been hiding?" Cordelia echoed, dropping a sweat as she rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Well uh, here I guess." She gestured around the room with a shrug. "Baldur is a dear friend and mentor of mine, so when I needed a place to stay, he offered his estate. Since then, I haven't actively gone out to do combat or anything, so that probably explains why you haven't seen me out and about," the girl bit out with a sigh, along with a disgruntled look. With the update and her life blowing up, it all seemed overwhelming and too soon to get back in the swing of things. Now, however, she could only attribute this behavior to negligence. Leeching off of Baldur for the rest of her time was an idea she did not want to entertain, and the sooner she could get back on her feet the better.

"I'll get up and running in no time though, I can assure you that. I think all of this is just because of a big burn out," is what she ended up saying. She paused for a few seconds to let him to respond before firing the good ol' ice breaker question at him: "So, what about you? How have you been?"

dem stats:

 

Spoiler

[ LVL: 31 PGN: 28 | HP: 760 | EN: 110/110 | 23 DMG | 30 MIT | 4 ACC | 3 EVA | 41 Vamp(DEF) | 16 HLY | ABS. ACC ]

 

[Freyd 0]

"Baldur?  A mentor of yours? No shit?"  He seemed truly surprised, but pleasantly so.  "Given what I saw you and Mari do against those crystalline behemoths, I figured you both for Frontliners from the start; no disrespect to @Baldur.  He's as fine a swordsman and leader as can be found in Aincrad, but you never struck me as the type to belong in anyone else's shadow."  Chuckles followed an outstretched hand suggested they might find themselves suitably comfortable seating at a nearby balcony facing away from the dojo towards the manicured serenity of the estate's outer grounds.

"He and I have met in passing a few times, and more recently had the pleasure of fighting side by side in the floor twenty-six raid.  Actually, we held an improvised campfire chat for a couple of other players just ahead of the battle.  I was impressed by his principles and sincerity.  @Kogaand @Hirruboth looked like they needed it."  

Placing the tray of goodies he'd been hauling around on a small table, he promptly filled two small tea cups, starting by offering her the first.  The same followed for the assortment of snacks he'd collected, not having really planned how he was going to stuff so much food down his own gob.

"Quite a bit has happened since Tanabata."  His eyes continued smiling for the sake of appearances, but layers seemed present beyond his words.  "Most of my time has been devoted to Firm Anima and my duties in the guild.  It's been... hectic, I suppose."

A small, lanky creature with wide azure eyes slinked out from behind him and started sniffing at the snacks before pulling back.  It's body was inky black and made of pure shadow, warbling against existence as it sought other potential for sustenance.  Freyd ran a hand down the thing's neck before summoning a bowl that seemed to be filled with fog and placing it upon the stone pavers for her enjoyment.

[Cordelia 0]

"Is that so surprising?" Cordelia asked, brows arching up in amusement. She hummed, nodding along almost bashfully as he went on to explain why he was so surprised in the first place. "As much as I'm flattered, it's not like I was strong from the get go," she huffed, lips tugging up into a crooked smile. "We all start from somewhere, yes? I met him long before I was even close to frontline level, and I undoubtedly owe a lot of my skill to him. Even then, I never once thought I was in his shadow. I am my own person and I can say the same about Baldur," she explained, much to her own surprise. Since when did she get all sappy and wise? Surely this was all of Baldur's doing! The old man was rubbing off on her a little too much. 

The corners of her eyes crinkled at the positive comments about her sensei, even if she'd like to butt in with a few embarrassing facts about him. She had plenty of those, but alas, she'd save them for now, because who knows when Baldur is going to pop out of nowhere? "His determination to rally up people under one unifying force surely is admirable, I agree. It makes me happy knowing he's changing lives for the better." The thought itself was a little bittersweet the more Cordelia thought about it. Her mentor was out there doing his best to ensure the safety of the players while she had been stuck sulking in his estate. Perhaps she should ask to tag along on his next venture out...

"Quite a lot, indeed," she'd murmur, graciously taking a cup of tea with a nod before bringing it to her lips. Firm Anima, yes, she's heard of that name from somewhere before. If she recalled correctly, it was the guild that butt-sniffer Raidou started. Cordelia sighed, shaking her head. Of course he would be working his members to the bone. "Take your time, Freyd," Cordelia said with an all too knowing look as she lowered her cup. "I'm sure a guild like that won't burn down if you just take a few days off. If you keep it up like that, you'll end up like me in no time." Her scolding fell under the guise of a joke, but even the duncest of dunces could tell what she really meant.

Her words came to a pause, the sight of Freyd's familiar nearly causing her to unsheathe her katana from its scabbard before she hesitated. "Interesting familiar you got there," she would say unevenly once she relaxed back into her seat. It wasn't the weirdest familiar she had ever seen by far, but the eerie foggy essence of it reminded her a little too much of an unwelcomed face. 

 

[Freyd 0]

"Is that so surprising?" 

"A little."  A coy, almost sheepish smile crept up the edges of an otherwise plain and forgettable face.  "Things were so hectic last time that we never really got a chance to meet.  Plus, I was a total paranoid wreck at the time, so..."  A waved hand dismissed his past self as casually as one might a pesky gnat.  It seemed so long ago now, and part of him would be glad to forget himself from that time.

"As much as I'm flattered, it's not like I was strong from the get go." 

"Hah!  You haven't looked at yourself from the eyes of a fledgling player in a while, have you?  You and Mari were virtual goddesses in my eyes.  And, so very human too."  His gaze drifted to the horizon as his mood seemed to shift and become more subdued.  There was so much history beyond those first moments in the woods.  He wondered if Mari had every conveyed their tale, but doubted it, and it was probably for the best.  Not his finest hour, but formative.

 "We all start from somewhere, yes? I met him long before I was even close to frontline level, and I undoubtedly owe a lot of my skill to him. Even then, I never once thought I was in his shadow. I am my own person and I can say the same about Baldur." 

The smile returned, quickly concealed by the timely delivery of some bit of pastry to his lips. Baldur's influence was unabashed in its influence over her, or perhaps just compatible with her underlying nature.  It could easily be both.  Time might tell.

"His determination to rally up people under one unifying force surely is admirable, I agree. It makes me happy knowing he's changing lives for the better." 

"I'm honestly surprised that his principles have held up, and not gotten him killed."  It was meant as a compliment, but Freyd's raw candor could be abrasive.  His social skills were also sorely underdeveloped and prone to miss-stepping when he lowered his guard, which he so rarely did.  "But that's Baldur's hangup, and doesn't need to be yours.  So where does that leave you?

"Take your time, Freyd.  I'm sure a guild like that won't burn down if you just take a few days off. If you keep it up like that, you'll end up like me in no time." 

Weariness was plain as day on his face, but also, unexpectedly, was joy.  

"I took all the time in the world and ended up nowhere.  Now I run, endlessly, as if I'm chasing to catch up with all the things I had missed.  Don't tell me you're not at least a little tired of sitting idle here, and following Baldur's rules.  I respect the man's dedication, but he's also handcuffed himself with his codes and traditions.  Something tells me that, while you see value in them, part of you longs to experience more.  Call it a hunch."  

Chuckling clashed against the lean breeze blowing up from the coast, adding a bit of salt to the air.  He hated it when things went stale, and Cordelia's reaction proved far more refreshing than the rowdy noise of the tournament.

"Persistence," he explained, by way of revealing his familiar's name.  "A shadow mongoose is a wily creature, and easily underestimated.  She's taught me many valuable lessons.  Maybe she was meant to be my sensei?"

[Cordelia 0]

Cordelia pondered a little bit at that. "I s'pose that's true," she'd say out loud with a far off look on her face as she reminisced about the night. She guessed she really didn't know Freyd all that well, because as hard as she was trying to remember, she was still drawing blanks whenever she tried to pin point anything about him. "I'm glad we're able to meet under better circumstances this time then. We all have our moments like that, but it's nice to see you're doing better." 

Her voice hitched into a bashful laugh at the compliment, cheeks slightly flushing in amusement. "That's actually really nice to hear. I have to admit, I remember feeling that way whenever I would catch a few frontliners doing their magic back then, so I get where you're coming from," she mused, stretching her arms above her head as she barked out another laugh. "It's not too much different from being a newbie you know, being a frontliner and all. We still have no idea what we're doing half of the time." At least for her it was. Cordelia hoped she didn't sound like a total idiot from saying that because they were unfortunately true in her case. 

"I'm honestly surprised that his principles have held up, and not gotten him killed." 

Her eyes widened just a fraction. This man had either the biggest balls in Aincrad to be dissing Baldur to her face or he was just... extremely oblivious to his own words. She was just going to assume it was the latter because so far, he's seemed like a pretty decent guy who would hold no grudge against her mentor. He probably wasn't that stupid either. 

"He is a stubborn one," she'd huff eventually, bringing her cup of tea in for another sip before she chuckled. "Scarily so sometimes, but he knows what he's doing," Cordelia would say with the utmost confidence... which was quickly extinguished with the next question. "Me?" Her words seemed to fall short as she wracked through her brain for a feasible answer. "Frankly, I'm not quite sure." Her shoulders rose up into a shrug as she gave him a sheepish smile. "Though if you think Baldur is reckless, you have no idea what I used to be like on the field," Cordelia snorted, rolling her eyes playfully as if she still wouldn't be as stupid as she once was. 

Cordelia raised a brow at his accusation. Maybe she had really underestimated this guy after all. "I'm impressed, you'd be quite right-" she paused, leaning slightly closer before she winked, "- if it were only couple months ago." She leaned back, relaxing into her seat again before smiling to herself. "To put it simply Freyd, I'm tired. Very tired. So am I to blame for just wanting to simply ground myself for a little while, even if I have to endure Baldur's oh-so-dreadful rules?" Cordelia murmured with a teasing lilt in her voice, gaze straying away from the boy before settling on her lap. "I do miss it though; the thrill of battle is quite addicting," she'd say in a much smaller voice, a longing one. "I just need some time, that's all."

"A fitting name," she'd comment, staring quizzically at the malformed animal(?) before giggling. "Familiars tend to bring out a side of us we didn't know we had," Cordelia replied fondly. "Believe me, I know."

Edited February 11, 2022 by Cordelia

[Freyd 0]

Freyd’s lip curled into an impish smile as his hidden test had found purchase.  How much pride did Cordelia have in her master’s prowess he had wondered.  A flare of the eyes.  The urge to come to his defense evident in the brief flaring of nostrils, but controlled and concealed behind a cup.  Not a fool.  That was good to know, and spoke well of her and Baldur’s teachings.

A flicker of concern washed over his face, as she leaned forward to tease.  It was so subtle that most people might have missed it.  

Tired.

Freyd held his breath, caught in the throes of memory for a moment, before releasing it with a certain unspecified heaviness.

“Mari used to say that.  More and more, as I recall, until she finally withdrew altogether.  So many regrets.  So many burdens and mistakes.”  It was hard to tell whether he was speaking of the orange-haired woman or himself.  His eyes sought the water in the distance, as if avoiding Cordelia’s.  "We had our challenges, but I miss her."

Reaching out a finger, Persi looked at it askance for a moment, then up at him with doubt.  The man’s gaze shifted down upon her with fondness, so she accepted and nuzzled the extended digit in a rare display of affection that seemed to lighten his mood again.

“I saw you greeting everyone as they arrived.  Very dutiful.  But do you not intend to participate in the contest?”
 

[Cordelia 0]

Her breath hitched at the sudden mention of Mari again, which left her feeling a bit more melancholy than she would've liked. "Maybe Mari rubbed off a little too hard on me then," Cordelia replied lightheartedly, a fond smile on her face as she remembered the fiery spirit of her old friend. "She was a woman of many troubles. I knew that much," she said quietly, not missing the tone behind his words. Briefly, her gaze flickered over to read Freyd's face, eventually huffing in defeat when she realized he was avoiding eye contact. People are weird. 

"I miss her too. We were never close enough for me to know her whole story, but I'd like to think we were still good friends." Cordelia didn't like the words that came out; it was insinuating that she would never see Mari again. The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth and an even bitter feeling in her gut. It's no doubt a feeling she figured she'll probably have to get used to, but to begin with Mari of all people felt like a punch to the face. "Though," she began, huffing out a humorless laugh, "I don't think you'll need to worry about that happening to me. Promise. I won't let it happen." Baldur would probably drag me back kicking and screaming even if I did anyway. 

Cordelia pondered around his question for a few seconds before shrugging helplessly. "I have no reason to," she said simply. "The reward means little to me, and I'd hate to be the one who ended up with it. It'd be much better in the hands of someone who would know what to do with it." Her gaze drifted over towards the room where the tournament was being held, an unreadable expression on her face before the corners of her mouth tugged up into a sheepish smile. "People can get awfully competitive in events like these, and I don't think my poor heart could handle that at the moment," Cordelia sighed dramatically, knuckles pressed against her cheek as she leaned her elbow against the table. She looked back at Freyd, and her smile only grew wider. "So what about you? Are you in the same boat?"

[Freyd 0]

"My experiences with Mari were... complex.  I can honestly say, given her reputation, that I'm surprised that I never got stabbed." Freyd looked disappointed.  "She had such great potential to be a leader among players, but I wonder if too many burnt bridges and too much baggage had simply worn her down.  Wherever she is, now, I wish her well and hope that she's found some manner of peace, and sleep to match."  Mari had certainly been unique, in her attitude and stubbornness as much as her capacity for caring.  It was the latter that had kept her going, but the toll would seem to have proven to be too much.  Thoughts drifted to a humble cottage in the frozen landscape on floor four, a field of small marker stones laid out nearby, serving as constant reminders of the woman's guilty past.  She'd made her own bed, but also chosen to try to make amends.  So much wasted strength.

"I'm glad to hear that you do not intend to fade into the sunset.  This place needs capable heroes and inspiring figures to keep the rest of us motivated to reach the top of the castle.  Progress may seem slow, but at least it has resumed.  We'd become stagnant.  Tired.  Troubled.  It's why events like this are so important.  Baldur was wise to set this up.  Thank you for helping him accomplish it."

Freyd laughed as Cordelia described her reasoning for not participating in the tournament, simmering down to a smile beneath eyes filled with concern.  

"What makes your heart so heavy and forlorn?  I've seen you fight.  You're more than capable enough.  Though I didn't even realize what the final prize was when I arrived.  Persi tricked me into it, fooling me into thinking that familiars could sign up.  I really just came to please her, and pieced everything else together after I got here.  Fortunately, I was trounced in the first round.  My ego is more relieved than bruised.  Goodness knows that I wouldn't have the slightest clue what to do on a date, should the moment ever come."

Clearing his throat, Freyd's eyes drifted to the ground as if avoiding something.  Fingers fidgeted with the edge of unfamiliar clothes while his mind focused on the image of a copper rose turned beautiful by verdigris.

"Let's just say that I'm not much of a people person, though I suspect that you already knew that."

[Cordelia 0]

"I'm not the inspiring type, you know. That's more of Baldur's shtick," she said with a long sigh as she palmed the hem of her clothes again sheepishly. She was just a girl with a bird and a sword, but she guessed that people will take hope from almost anything nowadays. Even now, with a leader like Baldur as her teacher, her life has never felt more bleak, so she supposes she can sympathize. 

"My drive to fight has been near impenetrable since I first stepped foot in this game, but I guess even the warrior's spirit wanes over time," she would say quietly, a far off look in her eyes before she pulled back again with a smile. "I can't tell if I hate it or relieved, but don't worry, I've still got plenty of fight left in me... just maybe not for occasions such as this." Cordelia would look back towards the direction of the tournament, a somewhat longing gaze on her face. She wasn't ready just yet... but soon. 

"Persi, huh..." the woman echoed, feeling the name on her tongue before inevitably drawing a blank. Yet another name she has no face for. She'll have to ask around later. Turning her attention back to Freyd, she'd give a devious yet knowing smile. "You know, that kind of stuff comes a lot easier than you think; what to do on a date, I mean. Not everyone is a natural at it, but if you think real hard, you'll figure it out. Trust me, I used to be in the same boat." Perhaps she wasn't exactly the best person to be giving love advice of all things, but she could tell the poor man was struggling, and what kind of person would she be just to leave him like that?

Cordelia took his sudden silence as a sign of bashfulness, or perhaps she had been reading this whole conversation wrong? Even with their little one on ones, Cordelia still found herself stumped by Freyd. Not quite unpredictable as he was 

 

IM NOT DONE BUT IM TOO LAZY TO PUT THIS IN A DOC :]