[PP-F09] Cooking with Friends! {Freyd, Mina, and Elora}

[Elora 0]

As the trio began their meal, Elora attempted to mimic Mina's "itadakimasu".

"... you butchered that so badly that the auto-translator couldn't pick it up."

"Donkey... what?" 

"Eat a donkey mass? Is that not how you say it? Eek i docki MASS --", she tried again, pronouncing each syllable as if she was chewing on glass. After several seconds of making strange faces and guttural demon noises, she eventually muttered, "How do you say your vowels so softly?"

With a wave of her hand, she ushered the conversation forward. 

Elora was partial to their hostess's logic. As angsty and futile as the 'don't trust anyone' bit was, it held a fair deal of truth. On the contrary, she'd also made many more allies than enemies in this reality. Maybe SAO carried a greater sense of mutual respect, or at the very least, a different pecking order. The conversation moved to the topic of a song. She couldn't say she was familiar with it. 

"Declan was pretty fond of it...", Mina seemed to reminisce. Was. Expressions gave way to understanding, a painful indication that she had lost someone permanently, not through a dramatic breakup. Elora could only imagine her grief. For as reckless as she'd been in her fledgling days, she scarcely came close to death. Such a shitty thing to happen. Maybe she'd assumed too much. The person could have died from any manner of things: old age, a perilous fall, a potato chip down the wrong pipe. Curiosity kindled her imagination, but she knew better than to prod into such sensitive details. So instead, Elora observed her assessment of Freyd.

"At first I thought he was just a Gemini clone that Freyd had following him around,", declared, Mina, "he certainly wouldn't have been the first~" 

"Wait.  What --", Freyd had begun.

"Who was the first--?", she asked at exactly the same time. What first seemed to be a rhetorical quip was actually an earnest inquiry. Mina had a way about her that implied an aged knowledge. With how many people she seemed to know, maybe Elora could learn a thing or two about all the things she'd slept through.

"Who do you know that has a gemini clone following them around?", Freyd swiftly insisted.

[tricolor_mina 0]

Violet's expression changed to one of mild amusement at the unintentional parroting.  It was cute, in a way. "It's something that became a trend after the shenanigans with the shadow." she said idly, looking over at Akane. "Rosa started getting reports from people who had recently completed the quest after what went down, something about people being followed by someone who never seemed to have the same face. A faceless, nameless ghost that chases and chases." she leaned on her left hand, her eyes darkening slightly.

"Gemini do usually follow the player around, but only on the floor that you can challenge them on." Akane had returned, a few sheets of screen-paper having replaced the newspaper. "Some of them seem to have... glitched for a lack of a better word. All the ones that got glitched have a strangely... melty way of revealing themselves. Happened to mine, actually, so It's definitely a real scenario... whether or not its actually the Gemini mob is another thing." The pictures all showed players who had engaged against their gemini's, the figures who resembled them looking horrific with what looked like black ichor leaking from their eyes and mouths, the irises of the gemini a soulless pitch-black in color.

it was mildly disturbing, to say the least.

"So it's less one person, than multiple... and we aren't fully sure they happen to be a gemini." she said idly, fiddling with her spoon, "I'd suggest getting someone from Firm Anima to look into it when you get the chance, its rather strange after all. But we aren't here to talk about that - and before you say anything about it being a possibility, I physically don't think that's what Montjoy is, so all three of you can calm down." her eyes narrowed as her gaze drifted to the completely stilled shadows. it looked like nothing was rendering properly with how still they were.

[Freyd 0]

"I...err...your information may be slightly incomplete,"  Freyd added, deliberately turning his attention back to his plate.  "I've seen gemini on other floors.  Many other floors, actually.  And many, many, MANY gemini.  A whole forest full of the things.  I even saw one claw its way out of a player once... oh! Twice, actually."  Poking randomly at his meal, as if trying to distract himself from the topic, he swiftly shoveled in a mouthful to prevent himself from saying anything more.

"So, if Montjoy's not a gemini, then what do you suppose he is?  Simmone's mirror revealed him as Takeshi - I mean, other world me - though I'd figured that much out long before."  Stirring the pieces on his plate, one might have assumed he was shuffling chess pieces around.  "He's been a thorn, or conscience, in my side for ages now.  But, though I rarely admit it, he gave me some good advice."  A warm and friendly smile beamed Elora's way.  He'd never have befriended her, or more honestly let her befriend him without the shadow's urging.  She'd led him towards his humanity in more ways than he could ever fully express.  The other shadows resumed their normal dance about the room, save Montjoy himself, whose silhouette stood frozen against the wall behind Freyd with hands tucked casually in pants pockets as if listening for Mina's answer.

"Many things have changed since the raid," he added, hesitantly and laced with coy ambiguity.  "I can definitely have a few people look into those figures you mentioned and see what can be found.  If there are any more of Shadow's minions on the loose, we'll put a stop to it.  At least the Sundered Spire seems to have finally been fully quashed.  They've given us no more trouble since Lun'Rael's second fall."

Edited November 22, 2023 by Freyd

[Elora 0]

"It's something that became a trend after the shenanigans with the shadow.", began Mina. 

Of course it was., she huffed knowingly. Elora could feel her spine slide down in her seat as the pink-haired player went on to describe reports from her intel. How was it that this game always managed to invent more fucked up and even creepier things to torment them with on a day-to-day basis? What was next? A personal manifestation of her worst fears programmed to pop into her vicinity at the start of every morning? 

"...Some of them seem to have... glitched for a lack of a better word.", Akame had reentered the conversation. "All the ones that got glitched have a strangely... melty way of revealing themselves."

"Glitch or not, that doesn't sound like the most threatening thing.", Elora stated matter-of-factly, "There's certainly greater things to worry about than oozy mobs." On second thought, that doesn't sound the most ideal.

"So it's less one person, than multiple... and we aren't fully sure they happen to be a gemini."

Disappointing.

"I...err...your information may be slightly incomplete,", Freyd prefaced a list of his accounts before asking, "...So, if Montjoy's not a gemini, then what do you suppose he is?"

Maybe Elora was dim for not recognizing the importance of uncovering the shadowy counterpart's identity. I guess knowing what he is would make it easier to stop him., she reasoned. Wait...are we trying to stop him?, came a reevaluation, Are we trying to get rid of him? Why else would it matter? Does Freyd want to know just for the sake of knowing?  By now, her face had scrunched into a state of speculation. Swirling vapors of synthetic steam rose up from her stagnant stew, reminding her of the exchange she should probably be involved with.

"...If there are any more of Shadow's minions on the loose, we'll put a stop to it.", insured Freyd, "At least the Sundered Spire seems to have finally been fully quashed.  They've given us no more trouble since Lun'Rael's second fall."

Lun'Rael? Should she have been familiar with that as well? "If it's not Shadow, it'll be something else --", Elora started with eyes faced forward, "I don't think we're ever meant to destroy everything that's here." The observation wasn't meant to be pessimistic, just practical.

[tricolor_mina 0]

at Freyd's comment on her intel being incomplete, violet shrugged. "Well, with most of our network down after Rikers got almost demolished... none of us really have a whole lot of up to date information." she sighed, shaking her head in disappointment. "I'll probably bug you later for all of the details, but I'd much rather avoid mixing business with pleasure, ne?"

Violet looked over at Elora with a bemused expression. "Those things get a bit more terrifying when they appear in groups of 5 or more." she took a few more bites of stew, frowning "Even a sweet little rabbit can be terrifying if it comes in a horde, and it suddenly has a set of sharp little teeth... and a taste for a players flesh. Never underestimate anything, or you'll be risking not only your life, but the lives of those around you. Just some simple food for thought, ne?"

Violet tilted her head at Freyd when he explained his thoughts on what he thought Montjoy was, letting out a soft laugh. "Well, Montjoy is a part of you, or at the very least, he mimics a part of you." she carefully played around with her fork, her gaze drifting to her friend's shadow. "Have you ever wished you could understand how other people can feel, how they tick? I know you're aware of how Montjoy behaves... but have you put any thought into what he could represent..?" The shadowy presence seemed to be just as even-tempered... but instead of being energetic and somewhat erratic, Montjoy seemed to be a gentle, calm presence with a meticulously rational thought process.

"A Mirror  of your heart, Someone you saw in a mirror that reflects one's self..." violet's visible eye twinkled as she turned back to Freyd, a gentle smile crossing her face. "You should probably keep focusing on understanding why you have him, and not how you can get rid of him. At the bare minimum, he isn't malicious towards you. If anything, he's been nothing but helpful from what you've told me about him, and from what I've personally witnessed."

her eye turned towards Elora, her smile fading slightly. "And I would appreciate being able to hear your thoughts on the matter as well, seeing as you were around during his first appearance. Perhaps that may shine a better light on it?"

[Freyd 0]

Could he do it?  Was it actually even possible for him to let down his guard, even for a single moment?  If there were people with whom ever he'd consider it, two of them were sitting with him now.  Akame was an issue.  He didn't know or trust the man in the slightest, and the fellow seemed quite keen to keep it that way.  The best he managed was to actually show that he was considering it.  That, alone, was a monumental achievement.  Turning to gaze at Montjoy as Mina spoke her theories... or questions.  It was a nice trick, and one he often used himself.  Twice he half-turned, tempted to redirect and obfuscate, but couldn't.  Both times, words melted away in his mouth like a tasty au jou, savoury and seasoned to perfection to capture one's palate; too tempting to pull oneself away.

"A mirror of the heart?" There was no disbelief.  Freyd actually sounded like he was questioning himself more than anything.  Repeating the words didn't make them compute any better, but the idea had definitely landed  its tender hooks.  Haltingly turning away to look at Elora instead, confusion and doubt were plain upon his face, but over what was unclear.  A quick flinching of his brow settled it.  Freyd was uncertain - a feat so rare that he could probably count its instances on a single hand without having to sprout any fictional bonus digits.

"I mean... he's damnably inconvenient in his timing, but...I'm not even sure that I get what you mean."  There it was.  Never show weakness, he'd always been told, then told himself.  Never show doubt.  Never hesitate.  Always have an answer... except he didn't, and wouldn't layer on another in a series of infinite veils forever cast around him... like a cowl.  To do so felt like a betrayal.  He would not betray his friends.

Even to keep a vow?

A haunting thought.

"How do you both do it," he asked, sounding winded without apparent reason.  ''Deal with overwhelming tides of emotion, I mean.  I've always just smothered everything down... so far down."  Without thinking or realizing it, Freyd had placed a hand over Elora's.  His head tilting for greater scrutiny upon noticing that Montjoy had moved the same way.  Could the puppet move the master?  What a terrifying prospect, especially to someone... something... like him.  When Mina turned to ask Elora her opinions on the matter, all he could do was look on strangely, like a lost puppy, which is precisely what he was when it came to this particular topic.

Edited March 20 by Freyd

[Elora 0]

 "Even a sweet little rabbit can be terrifying if it comes in a horde, and it suddenly has a set of sharp little teeth... and a taste for a players flesh."

The example evoked imagery of a certain white-haired rabbit devouring regiments of soldiers near the maw of a cave. So the legends are true., she considered with an especially cautious slurp of soup.

Mina and Freyd continued their deliberation on Montjoy. "...Have you ever wished you could understand how other people can feel, how they tick? I know you're aware of how Montjoy behaves... but have you put any thought into what he could represent..?", the former had questioned

Elora leaned back in her seat as thoughts whirred to entertain the idea. Seems unnecessarily complicated, analyzing it all like that. Wouldn't it be self-evident? She found her eyes drifting to those in the room. Yep, everyone's hurt in some way. Or at least -- that's probably safe to assume. Should I really be assuming more than that?

By now, she had interlocked gazes with the infamous Montjoy.

"And I would appreciate being able to hear your thoughts on the matter as well, seeing as you were around during his first appearance.", Mina appended as if on-cue.

"Oh, his first? Hadn't realized", she admitted with a nervous shift, "Uhh -- well at first, I didn't trust him -- something about how patronizing he seemed, stuck up and all too put together." The elven player spared a moment to temper herself. How would I place it?, she blinked as memories began to reconstruct that day. "I'd say he feels like the foil to Freyd, but that's quite right. He shared a lot more, but makes less sense. Well, actually -- they both make sense in different ways." Rambling again. "I don't know.", she muttered as a hand combed through the fringes of her bangs, "I only know as much as they tell me. I trust that that's enough."

Montjoy seems to be more emotional, I guess. He at least acted like he was better at saying his feelings than Freyd did. But Freyd was always better at showing his feelings. It felt like steam would escape her ears if she willed her gears to turn any faster.

"How do you both do it,", her partner soon wondered,  ''Deal with overwhelming tides of emotion, I mean.  I've always just smothered everything down... so far down."

"You cry.", Elora stated surely, before her thoughts could even catch up. "Sometimes scream, sometimes hurt others -- then yourself." Her hand had constricted around Freyd's. For a split second, her glance had met with Mina's before darting to the table-setting in front of her. "There are certain waves too large to sail over, and when you meet them, they overturn you. Dealing with emotion...is in destroying every part of yourself. Her pointed ears twitched as an analogy came to mind. "Like Roman concrete -- we're built to heal in the wake of adversity. The fractures that rack us aren't our weakness, they're a formula to make us stronger."