Today has been spent with Vaska - most of the day, in fact. Both look to be enjoying themselves quite a bit.
(It's probably not a good thing that he looks happier here, now, than he has with Freya - at least for the last while)
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PUT YOUR BEARD IN MY MOUTH

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Noah Kahan
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@fracturedodr
Today has been spent with Vaska - most of the day, in fact. Both look to be enjoying themselves quite a bit.
(It's probably not a good thing that he looks happier here, now, than he has with Freya - at least for the last while)
He's passing in front of a store when the thought hits him - coming to a dead stop right in front of the display window when he catches sight of jewelery and accessories and hair ornaments and something about it snatches his mind up and holds it tight.
Staring at the hair ornaments, the thought comes unbidden - long hair done up with a tie. Naturally, the only long-haired woman he knows and speaks to with any regularity is Freya - and frankly, the idea of his long haired goddess putting her hair up makes something in him think, yes.
Makes him think that it should be already.
Makes him go inside, and begin to browse.
Freya would look nice with her hair up. He's only ever seen it down, after all.
...Her hair is light colored. Her outfit is typically dark. Bell imagines either shade would work, but at the same time, he can't help but think it should be light colored. Something blueish. Usually he sees red on her if it's any color, but blue would look so nice sat against her hair.
Not a bright blue, he thinks to himself, browsing through the options. Something light, soft - something gentle that'll stand out but not yell.
Eventually, he goes with a hair tie that's... probably simpler than the Executives would prefer. The way they talk about her, Bell gets the feeling they'd refuse to get her anything but the best, but Bell stands by his thinking that Freya is, perhaps, tired of being worshipped.
They treat her like a goddess.
But what if she wants to be treated like a person?
...He spies a hair tie made with a carved flower; iridecent silvery-blue and teal, with hints of yellow if the light hits it right - smaller beads (glass, he thinks, it's not expensive enough to be pure gemstone) trailing down a thin dangling chain.
It's pretty.
It's not the level of perfect he'd imagine the executives would bother with.
He gets it anyway.
It would look nice on her.
He's not getting involved in any of this.
He's gonna take a falchion and a pair of daggers out back and practice with them, and then he's gonna maybe read a book, and then he'll maybe ask Freya if there's anything she wants him to sneak her next time he goes out to town.
"Lady Hestia looks at me weird too, which is kinda funny since she's the one that broke in and tried to kidnap me."
"People in the city still look at me funny sometimes. I wish they wouldn't. Noone else gets weird stares."
"...Maybe Vaska would be willing to tell me what I'm doing wrong in a way that doesn't make me feel like I'm gonna be murdered in my sleep..."
Oh! Oh, had she left during the conversation?
Looking around, it appeared she had - maybe she'd taken advantage of their distraction to have a day to herself. Good for her, he thought quietly, privately, and in minor fear of being subject to another horrible set of fights against the executives.
"S-see? She doesn't... want an attendant. Surely it's fine if she goes out alone once or twice...? She might even be happier if she gets a day out by herself sometimes!" They seemed awfully panicked though...
"Does she... get in trouble a lot?" He dares to add, looking between the executives nervously.
"You really are an idiot, aren't you? Why she wanted you, I don't think I'll ever understand."
"This is why I can't stand new stupid members like you--"
"Guys. Now Hogni's left."
"GODDAMMIT--!!"
Maybe because I treat her like a person and not a gemstone in a case, he thinks. Again, quietly. Privately. To himself. Because he's not so foolish enough to say that where the executives can hear him and kill him over and over until satisfied.
"...Not like she doesn't have plenty of worshipers already." His traitorous mouth muttered. But oh, Hogni had gone too? Chasing after Freya, no doubt. He sighed, looking in the direction of the door.
"The rest of you are gonna run after her too, aren't you." Barely a question - of course they were. It seemed they could barely conceive of leaving her alone, when she left the grounds. "I still say she'd be happier if you let her go places without being watched all the time... It sounds exhausting."
Oh. That... made sense. But still-
"But what if she doesn't like it when you do that...? It's..." His voice is small. He doesn't like being stared at like this by so many people at once. Not with those expressions. "...a little smothering, isn't it...?"
That's not the point.
They all understood with great severity what the other members of her Familia often overlooked. While oftentimes she was kept away from others out of their own selfish desires, her ability to charm could topple nations if it fit her whims.
Allen opened his mouth to snap at Bell, but the pink haired Heith entered, looking a little confused.
"Doesn't lady Freya usually have an attendant when she goes out?"
"""--!!!!!!"""
Oh! Oh, had she left during the conversation?
Looking around, it appeared she had - maybe she'd taken advantage of their distraction to have a day to herself. Good for her, he thought quietly, privately, and in minor fear of being subject to another horrible set of fights against the executives.
"S-see? She doesn't... want an attendant. Surely it's fine if she goes out alone once or twice...? She might even be happier if she gets a day out by herself sometimes!" They seemed awfully panicked though...
"Does she... get in trouble a lot?" He dares to add, looking between the executives nervously.
"You little brat--"
"No?? We don't care of Lady Freya is weak or not."
"Such a fine and precious jewel...should be kept out of reach of grubby, slimy, dirt-laden hands."
Oh. That... made sense. But still-
"But what if she doesn't like it when you do that...? It's..." His voice is small. He doesn't like being stared at like this by so many people at once. Not with those expressions. "...a little smothering, isn't it...?"
Freya! She's here!
And she seems to be in a good mood. And wants to go out.
"...Why not just let her go out? She's strong enough to go on her own. She'll be okay." The fuss about her being attended at all times is something he'll never quite understand.
"You're right, Bell. They should let me go out."
STARES OF DISAPPROVAL--
Wince.
"...I just mean... isn't it... kinda like saying she's weak? If you say she's gotta have somebody with her all the time?"
Freya! She's here!
And she seems to be in a good mood. And wants to go out.
"...Why not just let her go out? She's strong enough to go on her own. She'll be okay." The fuss about her being attended at all times is something he'll never quite understand.
"...I still remember how to dance." He does a few practice twirls- "I-it's. Been a while, but, I remember it clearly enough~ For all Lady Freya messed with my memories, it was all pretty one-to-one, so the dancing didn't really go anywhere.
I'm almost disappointed she didn't try to make anything new, but... I guess it was just easier to fool me if it all was just painted-over versions of the real thing. It'd feel less obvious if she drew her picture over a puzzle that already existed, rather than carving out a new piece entirely."
Agitated, hostile, Bell noises-
He sees that message and is filled with a peculiar mix of emotions, mostly leaning towards 'how dare you' at this point in time.
Loud! Loud and sudden!
Wakefulness is abruptly shoved into him and Bell jumps - jolting and falling from the couch to the floor with a thud.
Well he was certainly sure it was real now!
Scratch that. He slowly tumbles into wakefulness, bleary and not quite fully aware yet - and just.
Stares.
He's honestly not quite sure what he's staring at, or if he's even actually awake.
Hogni's fingers are in Hedin's mouth.
He cannot begin to fathom why.
And so he says nothing. Just. Stares.
...Just napping on a couch... Sprawled out, dead to the world. Loose and relaxed and calm.
He doesn't look like he's about to wake up any time soon.
"... ...Lady Freya is way better than a lot of the other Gods out there..." His voice is quiet, but thorny.