23. Friendship Progression <Interlude>

Watching over Orario from the top of Babel sat a goddess and an immortal mortal. Dropping a million Valis pouch I front of her Freya all but demanded, "You claim to be dead, yet here you are still with a beating heart. Explain" Freya didn't want to beat around the bush on this subject, if what the girl said proved to be complete nonsense she would clip her wings herself. Looking at the bag of money before her Marlet could only shrug her shoulders and continue drinking the milkshake like drink she had, "I never said I was dead Lady Freya, I only claimed to have died." Seeing no further discussion on the subject coming up Freya dropped another million before her, thinking that more money would make her loosen up more. Marlet on shook her head and looked at the goddess before her, as though taking the hint she dropped 2 more bags and scowled at the girl, "don't push me further girl. Ottar can break just as many bones as the number of Valis I'm offering up to you." Releasing a tired sigh at the goddess's angle Marlet only patted the space next to her indicating for Freya to sit next to her.

"You haven't had many friends before, have you?" only to receive an angry scowl from Freya. "People, be they gods or mortals, only ever want something from you for themselves or want you for themselves. Take you for example, you're pretty and exotic. How many gods do you think would want to experiment with someone who has wings? I can already imagine Ishtar setting up small scenarios where her girls are also wearing wings during business hours" this comment made Marlet flinch, "yet it's never truly enough, how many want a taste of the real thing." Freya let that sentence hang in the air, the goddess waiting for validation and the girl not wanting to admit it. Getting annoyed with the silence Freya decided to answer the question "no girl, I don't have any friends. There are allies, enemies and spectators." For some reason Freya was getting angry the more she explained and Marlet could see some divinity leak out of Freya as her emotional control slipped slightly.

"That sounds a little lonely to me" she quietly muttered but in her hyper awareness Freya had heard it and regaining her dignity she sat straight, "don't you dare pity me. I don't want or need anything from you." This caused Marlet to shake her head and suddenly asked "do you want to touch my wings?"

Completely blindsided, Freya only responded with a "what?" Having repeated the question again and unfurling her wings to their full length Marlet continued, "I've been told that they're very soft but I don't feel it at all? Do you want to feel them?" This time Freya could only sigh in resignation and rub her brow. "If I touch your wings, will you tell me what you meant when you said you died?" Freya did not want the conversation to diverge from her main goal. "Mhmm" Marlet rubbed her non existent beard, "it might make me more inclined to share that particular story" internally Marlet was cheering at cracking the stubborn shell around Freya.

She sat closer to Marlet and extended her hand, feeling the soft feathers and the way they connected to her appendages Freya fell into a sort of trance. To Marlet it was as though she was being groomed, nothing too weird about it. If Freya asked her to braid her hair it would be almost the same thing.

Realising she was caught up in the moment Freya hastily retracted her hand and her poise of nobility returned, "they are indeed soft." Very happy with the response she had gotten Marlet proceeded to pluck one of her longer feathers and put it into the goddess's hand. As Freya looked up another feather had already replaced the lost one and Marlet didn't even seem to notice. "You can keep that for now" Marley had a smile on her face, "for a small price."

'And there it was. She wanted something from her so she gave a gift before hand to butter her up' where the thoughts going through the goddess's mind. "What am I to you? An enemy, ally or spectator?" Marlet finished with a small smirk seeing the goddess scowl at her request.

With those as her final words Marlet took off in the Twilight Manor's direction leaving the goddess to contemplate her words.