Bad Luck Blues [Freyja]

THE CITY OF LIGHT
A small café perched on the far edge of the city, seagulls crowding near the small tables setup outside. A lone patron sat, the steam of his coffee lost between faint wisps of cloud and the morning sunlight. An employee stood behind the counter, thumbing through their tablet - noticeably irritated by their single customer.

The pop of the digital keyboard droned for minutes, Lukas repeatedly cursing under his breath - a combination of his inability to date and pinpricks from the twice shattered screen. Exasperated fingers dropped away, a faint clatter as the phone was flipped on it's face. The man massaged his temple as he slumped forward, drawing fingers together as he pinched the bridge of his nose. A sharp exhale, and he sat back up, a frown as he reached for the cup of coffee across from him.

His expression soured as he took a sip, closing his eyes tight as he slowly put it back down. "Cold." he seethed under his breath, knuckles tightening as he slowly exhaled. His hand clasped and unclasped, wordlessly mouthing in meditation. Lukas' eyes slowly opened as he stood, pocketing his phone as he picked up the cup, walking back towards the café.

Silently, Lukas placed the cup on the counter, nodding - again, silently - as he turned sharply on his heel. Stepping forward, his eyes slid shut; blinking before he found himself tripping over a gull, landing on his hands and knees. A twitch of his wrist, his arm instinctively rising up as one of the gulls took to the skies, it's feathers cutting in half in mid-air. A clench of his jaw, and he'd stop himself - slowly exhaling as he stood up, kicking aggressively at the birds as he did.

A glance back at the shopkeeper, who's eyes quickly averted Lukas' - now wiping himself down. It took a moment for him to process the bystander, a blank stare followed by an indignant guffaw. "You saw nothing."

To become accustomed to a new location so far from one's element may have seemed like the height of difficulty but to the undisputed head of the Solheim family, adaptability was one of her strong suits. An air of professionalism and grace had allowed her to quickly blend in with her peers, allowing her to plant her roots within this innovative cityscape that she now called home.

Choosing the position of coordinator in the Sternritter Division, Freyja decidedly settled into a role of leadership as if it were second nature. The maiden of war had only ever known conflict in her life, yet remained unfazed towards the unexpected events that sought to crush her spirits.

To be certain, her natural desire was performing her duty and setting out on missions to establish her loyalty and gain a proper knowledge of the peers she'd be joining in battle. Of course, there were no particular missions of note that couldn't be handled by the everyday soldat.

As such, Freyja was left with no choice other than to spend another day studying and observing the City of Lights. Each day she spent here was but another reminder that not everything ought to revolve around the battlefield.

Even so, the war maiden was still adamant about her carrying out her objective, of offering her blade to the Vandenreich's cause. Memories of sharing the battlefield with her fellow quincy on volunteer missions crossed the woman's mind as she traversed the City of Lights, coming across the small café perched at the far edge of the city. An observational glance was cast in Lukas direction as noticed the young man swinging his feet at the seagulls out of frustration.

There was a familiarity in his countenance but she could not yet place it from her current distance and decided to order a morning beverage through the phone as she approached Lukas with the intent of striking up a conversation.

"Aggressive as always, I see, Lukas."

THE CITY OF LIGHT
A twist of expression, the immediate annoyance apparent before it was shuffled away, hidden beneath some form of complacency. "Mm. Good to see you too, Freyja." his voice snide, before choking back an exasperated sigh. "I mean that." he reiterated, sincere in tone as he stood straight.

There hadn't been many familiar faces. Not for the lack of effort, but Lukas was aware of his own stigma. There was no blame for anyone who didn't want to speak to him, and he kicked himself for it more often than not. A frown still stiffened on his lip, pointing a thumb back at the café.

"Wouldn't recommend them, if you're looking for coffee." he commented, still obviously frustrated by his encounter with the rats of the sky. How long has it been? The past few years were tough to remember, various shades of black merged in one.

He wasn't fully aware of when they had met or how at this point, but the idea of the memory was pleasant enough. No terrible sense of dread - but he still presumed something of his more recent endeavors would taint the encounter. A steady eye watched for any reaction, although he doubted much from someone with her reputation.

A graceful smile would form on the woman's lips as she gazed at Lukas. A soft click of the thumb would cancel her order as she approached him, to observe his appearance and ascertain that he was indeed someone she was familiar with. Volunteer missions had seen Freyja share the battlefield with many quincy, from those who choose to be freelancers to those who fought for the Vandenreich. He was a veteran who had spent his fair share of time within the Vandenreich while Freyja - for a time - decided to fight for them on a mission by mission basis. It wasn't until now that she had decided to join them in the official sense.

Her eyes would survey the area temporarily before she redirected her azure gaze towards the silver-haired male.

"To know my name still occupies a place in your memory humbles me. When we last met, I was but a volunteer assisting you on a mission. My rank is now that of a coordinator in the Sternritter. It is a pleasure to meet you again. Concerning the quality of coffee, if you wish to taste something more desirable, I know of a fine pastry shop that serves a fine array of beverages that might suit your pallet."

As usual, Freyja was nothing but formal and composed in her tone, genuinely committed to assisting the young man in finding a better cup of coffee while they caught up on the past.

THE CITY OF LIGHT
A half scowl attempted a coup, killed in its crib before his face would twitch. A bite against the edge of his tongue, instead - a now lost, pointlessly scathing outburst twirling in his head. Indiscriminate rage underneath his skin, taught with hunger and hurt pride. "It's easier to remember names when enough of them die." he part mumbled in reply, tilting his head back and forth in tempo with the latter half.

Between the risks of a Todgestalten, War, and whatever else happens to kill people, Lukas' lack of human interaction was, truthfully, not entirely his own fault. It offered no comfort.

"Welcome to the Vandreich. Belated as it may be." a tinge of friendliness as he offered his left hand. "You seemed capable." he lied, some internal passing of a conscience forced silent. Assuming she shook his hand or not, he'd nod to her suggestion of a pastry shop, gesturing with his hand for her to lead.

"I could eat," he continued to comment, "How far?" He'd fall in with whatever pace the woman took, hand balling into a fist as it fell to his side.

To an individual of lesser mettle, Luka's grim statement would have elicited a sorrowful expression. To the maiden of war - the notion of death was a commonplace phenomenon. His words were acknowledged with a solemn nod. He was correct. From her standpoint, it would've been foolish to tell him otherwise. Conflict was a principle law of this universe. Indeed, there was no scenario where an army ever retained all of it's soldiers; Whether they died on a mission or the battlefield itself, the casualty of war was inevitable.

No doubt, these thoughts could only belong to one with an inhuman viewpoint such as her own. This too, she acknowledged. Freyja had long since lost her ability to grieve properly. She was the unwavering sword; Emotions held no position in the heart of a woman bound by her duty. Retaining some sense of humanity was the only thing that kept her from losing her sense of self, from losing the ability to adapt to a world where others wore emotions on their sleeves.

Gazing at Lukas with calm azure eyes, her expression remained as composed and unperturbed as always. Extending her hand to shake his own, she would walk in the opposite direction; the pastry shop she spoke of was only a few meters away. A short-lived walk would be enough to reach it.

"To be anything less than capable would be a dishonor. In any case, the pastry shop is only a light stride or two away. We should be there rather shortly, doubly so if you wish to use Hirenkyaku. Time is a precious commodity, after all. Most of our conversation can be held there."

THE CITY OF LIGHT
Major creeps. The faintest sweat on the back of his neck, eye narrowing as she turned away. A foot forward, reishi tightening before it kicked, a dash to follow. Lukas' heel stamped down, forcing himself to stop a distance away from the café, walking the rest of the distance. Harder to control than he'd like to admit.

A corner-store bakery, bustling with business. Elbowing into a decently long - but fast moving - line behind Freyja. His eyes narrowed to focus on the menu in front of them, a frustrated click of his tongue following. "So," a half whisper to the woman in front of him, "What's good here?'

An expectant glance drew his gaze from the store, locking eyes with Freyja, if only for a moment. Whatever she responded, he would reply the same - "Cool, thanks." - and peek at his phone. No notifications. A frown slipped across his face, before looking up to the cashier; a fake-cheer resonating from somewhere deep within. "Yeah just give me whatever she ordered." he'd point with a thumb, to the so-tilted Maiden of War.