MONGER

a glutton for war

AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION IS WHAT CARRIES HER APPEARANCE. for fernando does not recognize freya for who she is. here, surrounded by cellophane masks, she is just another covered by smoke and veil. such attractiveness severs the connection between her and her name—a trait he never attributed to her on the basis of her other labels taking precedence.

when she comes around once more, to steal his attention by her lonesome, alcohol tempers both caution and patience.

“indeed.”

he tilts his champagne flute in her direction. left to hang. open for a clink.

“should it prove reasonable.”

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
freya morningstar

MONGER

a glutton for war

GLASS TOUCHES WITH A RESOUNDING CLINK. a symbolic ring for the puzzle pieces to shatter into complete disarray.

proud of his own disguise, a cover that omits his most defining feature, he assumes their anonymity is reciprocated. for her to ask and expect an honest answer would require both his recognition and vice versa. something he doubts.

he blinks behind the shield of white clothe.

“do you know who i am?”

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
freya morningstar

MONGER

a glutton for war

HOW OMINIOUS. even her speaking patterns elude him. wherein he is as obvious as his vocabulary, freya remains mystique. a better look at her dress of choice only makes that decision harder. in the same vein of Eva Morales and MATIAS SILPH wearing a gown to match their patrons, who does he know what would champion the scales of a sandslash?

“no one worships me,” he corrects with a click of his tongue. “anyone within arms reach knows better to spare me anything but pity.”

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
freya morningstar

MONGER

a glutton for war

“FINE.”

fernando accepts with little protest. the whimsical nature of her request preys on a long night. a whirlwind of inconsequential conversation that result in a prompt exit. the dance with iseult babineaux, the conversation with Naomi Sato, even the ‘Elisabeth Fiorelli debacle’—prime reminders that he is truly alone.

a person who finds solace in strangers rather than esteemed company. a floater without stability. a martyr who walks the path of ‘doing the right thing’ at the cost of ‘saying the wrong words’.

and now he faces someone who walks that fine line.

“wager your heart.”

he look at his glass. at the very bottom that refracts off colored light and sparse bubble.

“forget who we are—what we were—and share the night with me.”

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
freya morningstar

MONGER

a glutton for war

“HM.”

that in itself tells him a little bit about her. not enough to warrant a guess, but enough to slash through a couple suspects on his list. those who’ve sworn off fernando make up a decent handful. a chance guess at Katherine Fairburne is eliminated outright.

he takes her offer but lets it warm in his hand. the empty one is sidelined on the table next to him. subtle and forgotten.

“what makes you question our friendship?”

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
freya morningstar

MONGER

a glutton for war

OBSCURITY KEEPS THE GAME FRESH. she has his curiosity by the hook and he has no intention of letting go. silence flounders at the end of her line, focused on his own contemplation. that question alone should be enough to angle out a surplus of hoenn’s people.

how many people has he wronged? the answer is four to five, max. but consider for a moment how many people think or feel that they’ve been wronged? that opens up a single digit answer well into the hundreds.

“so you abandoned me,” is more a guess than question. “did i hold it against you?”

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
freya morningstar

MONGER

a glutton for war

“OH?”

her distaste spins an interesting perspective. her answer however doesn’t narrow down his answers in the slightest. it’s expected though, her answer that is.

his behavior is predictable and her assumption rings true. the problem people have is understand him. which is why he’s so hard to read, supposedly. once they get past that, fernando is just as formulaic as anyone else.

“what else am i supposed to derive of someone who didn't stand by me?”

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
freya morningstar