To The Future!

"I don't see you as anything, I am blind"

The ever present need to make jokes about her state of being invaded even this serious moment, and Hannah gave a coy and teasing smile to make sure that Frejya knew it was indeed a joke.

"But, to answer seriously. I don't know. There are some people who are open to the possibility and so people who reject it completely. I want to know if you are the latter or the former, so I know how to act and engage in the future"

Freyja would chuckle softly as she took a moderate sip of water from her cup, observing the woman in quiet contemplation. There was a vague nature to her words. The communication felt unclear, the words muddled.

To someone who had a habit of being dense towards certain matters, this was somewhat difficult for her to interpret. What did she want out of this? To know if she was open to the possibility of dating her? A true mystery, to be certain. In any case, this was a meeting between friends. That didn't feel important now.

She wasn't familiar with romance. She had never been in a relationship with anyone and even when the thought was presented, when there were those who aimed to court her, the type of meetings set up by her family, she never found anyone of an entirely suitable disposition.

'Truth be told, I don't know where I fall between those two. I didn't find the act offensive but neither did it elicit any particular emotion outside of confusion. The only forms of flirtation I've experienced have come in the form of courtship. To those who've desired to marry me, be it for their lineage and pride or finding me to be a suitable wife, I've never paid any particular focus towards any of them. As such, I've no answer to properly give at the moment."

Glad she had gotten a positive reaction from the joke, Hannah would listen to Freyja, nodding softly as she took part in her own water. It was a decent enough answer, and one that actually did well for Hannah.

"Well, neutrality is not negativity. If you don't know either way, then it is best to carry on with the path so you might eventually develop and opinion on either side of the fence" Hannah would nod, thinking her wisdom was super cool and solid. She just hoped Frejya would think that way too.

"With no precedence to go by, I suppose you are correct. From my own point of view, I can neither tell that you are wrong or incorrect. As you are a friend whom I believe would not steer me wrong, I view it as wise advice to ruminate on." Freyja would order herself a plate of spaghetti, finding it to be a meal suitable to her pallet. Her ever observant gaze would remain on Hannah as she continued speaking.

"Helle has told me that I ought to find friends who I can support as they support me. In that sense, this has been a profound experience so far. I'm... impressed I can operate as well as I have now. I suppose the next skill to work on is humor and learning to read the lines of others..."

"You've never been nor had another person been neutral about anything in your life?" Hannah asked, a raised eyebrow. "Romance is just another part of life, it doesn't need putting on a pedestal or otherwise raising above anything. It is not a special trait nor pursuit"

Hannah would order herself a Well-Done steak, and look back to Freyja.

"I don't like the social pressure put on romantic interaction. It's part of a reason why there are so many people that are not doing it these days. There is so much focus and so much emphasis on it all. It ruins what should be private, and personal"

As if recognizing that she had made an error in elaborating on her position in the matter, Freya would softly shake her head. To be a neutral party within most matters tended to be her go-to strategy. It allowed her to look at things from a well-rounded perspective, erasing any bias towards multiple situations. In truth, her lack of precedence comment was geared towards romance and her the level of receptiveness towards flirtatious advances.

"My apologies. The path of neutrality is a welcomed approach, one I find quite agreeable as it regards most matters. To be sure, I was speaking on my inexperience with romance, the pursuit of affection... and how I ought to approach it. As such, I can only work from the experience of others and their own knowledge. My knowledge is elementary at most."

"Ahh" Hannah said, just looking for a moment and then staring down at the food that came. How awkward to miss the context entirely.

"Well, on that front I have no precedent either. I am just trying to see what clicks. But, I can take the lead if you prefer? I'll do things, you'll voice opinion of them, I'll do new things. It will be good that we both know I am not trying to be pushy or vindictive, so things you are vehemently against can just be voiced as such. It's not a malicious act until done the second time"

Freyja would tilt her head in curiosity as the plate of spaghetti set down in front of her. Grabbing a fork, she would roll her fork around a few times, wrapping the noodles around her utensil as she brought them to her mouth. What was Hannah's aim here? Freyja could not help but ponder on that single question as she enjoyed her meal.

It all trickled back to that one question, one that Hannah chose to avoid. The noblewoman was arguably inexperienced with this and lacked certainty as to whether it's something she desired to pursue. Of course, there was a reason why questions existed and so, Freyja would ask again what she meant and how she viewed this friendship.

"Trying to see if things click would imply you desire to court me yourself, Hannah. I posed the question to you before but it seemed to be brushed off with a jest. What is your intent here? Do you wish for something other than friendship in the future?"

"I can't say for certain that I do want to court you. There is a chance we are incompatable, that we wish different things and desire the mirrored truth of another. And if we are compatable, then maybe I might just prefer you as a friend rather than a romantic partner. I couldn't say either way right now, and that is why I want to try and see what happens.

If you are against the very idea of courtship regardless of our relative compatability, then it would be helpful to tell me now so I can stop making attempts towards seeing how we work together on that front"

Hannah would edge the knife with a thin wind, aiding it's slicing capacity so that she cut the steak like butter.

"I can only approach interaction the way I approach Kido, for I know no other way. And the way I approach Kido is to learn it's intricate ins and outs before making any move to go further"

Freyja contemplated the woman's words in silence. This was unfamiliar territory. Courtship between a man and a woman was the traditional practice within her family and it's respective members. There were no women who held desire for other women in her family. Solheim women commonly shared the path of a traditional marriage - one between a man and a woman. From there, the roles usually varied.

Those who were remarkable in skill and class would never have to bow their knee to the men and were viewed as the matriarchs of the families they created. There was no position with which a man could question them, either. If they were equals, well, Freyja assumed they found ways to coexist regardless of position.

Born from parents who had excelled and positioned themselves at the top of their expansive family, Freyja was born into power and stood at the helm of all matters concerning the Solheim bloodline, with the elders supporting and asking for her judgement. It was a heavy weight to bear, to be a judge and jury at the age of twenty-five.

Even so, Freyja wondered about what it would mean to be courted by Hannah. To be certain, she was struggling to see why this was viewed as process of trial and error. Reflecting on how the woman had never lived an ideal life, Freyja crossed her legs, a soft sigh escaping her lips.

"A process of trial and error, then. Even though I've made strides towards stepping out of my comfort zone, the idea of being courted by a woman is unfamiliar territory for me, a concept almost alien in nature. Honoring my lineage has always been my ideal aim in life, and our tradition has always been between men and women, courtship or otherwise, to bolster our bloodline for future generations."

Freyja had balanced the scale between her own joy and the joy of those who she called her people, her pride and joy. Was it a balance that others would find agreeable? Perhaps not. Hannah was certainly welcome to express her opinion on that matter.

"Even so, I still value what our friendship can be, even if you find my answer or the path I've chosen unsatisfactory."