To The Future!

Freyja was quiet for a while, which was understandable. Not everyone saw the world as Hannah did in such simple terms when it came to romantic intentions. The gender mattered nothing to her, after all.

"Well, of course it is" Hannah commented after Freyja finally spoke, about how her family was mostly focused on male and female pairings. "It is a lot of work to have two women gestate a baby together. Much better to just let biology do the work for you" Hannah would state, taking a bite of her sliced up steak. "Indeed, that is where the old stigma on homosexuality comes from. Society has only just gotten out of the need for generational workers, as the cosmic timeline goes. So they used a bit of social manipulation to encourage you to do your part and have children"

Hannah would then look up and give Frejya a nod.

"Likewise, I am happy to be your friend regardless of how it turns courtship-wise"

Freyja displayed a pleasant smile as she nodded her head softly, pleased to know where the woman stood and where her position was in all of this. To be certain, Freyja had found their friendship to be somewhat insightful so far. There was no need to compromise anything in her eyes and the war valkyrie was pleased to know that she had taken her words in stride. In truth, Freyja didn't exactly view herself in a grand enough light to be counted as one's romantic partner. There were so many things she knew in life and yet so many others that made her feel as though she were a fish on dry land, longing to return to the sea.

"Indeed, I have certainly found our first outing together as friends to be quite enjoyable. It is my sincere hope that we can maintain success and continue to see eye to eye on most matters.

"Mmm. But especially most. It is worrying if you agree on everything with another person. That does not happen naturally, so you should question what is going on if you find yourself agreeing on everything. Maybe you subconsciously wish for their approval. Maybe they are manipulationg themselves or you to ensure that you agree on everything to better appear an attractive and engaging friend.

If you can think of a person you have never argued with at all, even lightly, then you should look deeper into the relationship between you and them"

Hannah's advice held a firm degree of merit. Hers were wise words that certainly resonated with the regal woman who desired to learn valuable lessons about those within one's inner circle. They were beneficial pieces of info.

Moving forward, if Freyja aimed for companionship from others, she would have to always possess a level of awareness towards those who were merely aiming to earn her favor and those who longed to form a true bond.

In truth, Freyja had always relied on her wits in battle and study. Forming bonds with peers was alien to her, a concept she never considered... until now. The Valkyrie's subconscious may have played a factor, of course. A life of loss had made an already difficult path even more tenuous but she could no longer allow that to define her.

She was surrounded by strong men and women. Indeed, those worth their weight in gold - a collection of skilled warriors who could even outmatch her on the battlefield. Even the woman standing before her was a prime example of an individual who could defend themselves at a moment's notice. After all, she was a Shinigami capable of defying common laws through the esoteric applications of Kido. A formidable warrior indeed...

"Wise words, Hannah. There is something to be valued about those who will challenge your point of view and from those realms of interaction, growth is cultivated. I welcome the idea of those who are willing to hold me accountable as much as I am them. It is why I have slowly but surely been aiming to step outside the shell I've built for myself... over the last few years."

"Don't step too quickly. We are immortal, Frejya, we can take our time. I've personally only just gotten over everything that kept me inside, but I want to take it slowly. Take it gently, with people who will support you" Hannah replied, finishing the steak and taking a partake of her wine. She burned out the alcoholic content with her Sun's Judgement before taking a sip, so it didn't lay her out immediately.

"We don't build shells for the fun of it, there is always a reason. So don't push to hard against that reason"

"Of course. As with all things in life, everything is a process. There is no particular desire to charge through this path in one fell swoop, let alone push against the reason I've established my guard to begin with. Patience is a virtue, one I rarely take for granted with matters such as these. Even so, I find myself filled with an odd sense of excitable curiosity towards what this path may present to me." Freyja would take a sip of her own wine before she finished off the rest of her delectable cuisine.

"Our appetites are properly sated. What else might you desire to do now, Hannah?"

And accept some things are just broken beyond repair

Hannah didn't voice that last bit, not wanting to distress her new friend. Instead, she let her wilder impulses go and see how it went. Freyja was a little not switched on on that front, but maybe a bit of encouragement over the days will help. So stepping forward and placing her hand on Frejya's hand. Ahh, but then she decided to take it slow and ease Frejya into this, so reined herself in.

"We should go see some fireworks. It's getting dark, so we will be able to see them clearly" Hannah exclaimed, nodding softly. Didn't matter that there were no fireworks displays on right now. She could make her own.

Freyja would nod softly as Hannah placed her hand atop her own, an act she didn't pay any particular heed to. Freyja felt comfortable with Hannah, so this action was viewed as something she welcomed with open arms, even if a part of her now wondered how the woman wished to explore things and where they would go from hereon. Fireworks would be a welcome sight, she supposed, rising from her chair and grasping the woman's hand as she guided her to the ideal location where plenty of fireworks could be witnessed soaring amidst the skies. At the moment, there were no firework to be viewed on display. It was to be expected, of course, considering those who were currently present. There were only a few civilians right now, none of them seeming to possess the standard-grade skill of a beginner quincy.

"Hm... There are no fireworks on display so far. It seems we've arrived earlier than expected."

"Worry not, I am about to fix that" Hannah exclaimed. It was good practice for long range, high scope usage of her Anima Mea anyway, so she didn't begrudge it at all. Reaching out into the sky, she would push Wind and Heat, purifying the oxygen so it would combust in a a shaft. Climbing upwards, sparkling and crackling, the air would explode in a ball of fire. Small explosions that triggered each other gave the illusion similar to fireworks, rather than one big boom that didn't quite nail it, and risked people below with the intense heat and shockwave.

"How's that?" Hannah asked, weaving a few more fireworks to go off, getting creative and manipulating the light absorption to change the colour.

"Much better."

Her expression was may have told a different story compared to her words but Freyja truly was captivated by the dazzling display unfolding before her eyes. The exploding ball of fire triggered a series of smaller explosions as bright pillars of lights filled the night sky. It was truly an impressive display of Hannah's esoteric mastery---a lovely sight to behold. Turning towards the crowd, Freyja would observe the women and children clapping their hands in awe.

"Even those a few meters away from us are impressed. Of course, I wouldn't expect anything less from a mastered practitioner of Kido."