"He's going to turn on me no doubt. Even if peacefully, he'll still do it." She chuckles. "You know I actually wish he wouldn't do it peacefully then at least he'd show some guts for once."
"Ah but ja I'll tell you too in time I guess. Or maybe you'll find out. Who knows?"
She gestures towards Dutch, the barkeep, to bring her the usual. Water, nothing more, nothing less.
"Don't misunderstand me , Matthias. I missed you. One of the few people I'll ever say that about honestly. And that's exactly why I'm curious. I was pretty worried. You didn't let us-.. didn't let me, know what was going on."
The sudden outburst shocks Angel, her mouth falling open. She starts to give a response, but Matthias' polite reply and telling off of Freya calms her a bit.
The now empty bottle in her hand, however, shatters in her grip. "Verdammt. Athena is right. I need to work more on my anger." Reaching into a pocket, she pulls out some cloth and wraps it around her bleeding hand. "I guess the rumors of the witch of frankfurt are completely true." Angel's tone of voice makes it seem like she said a similarly sounding, but offensive, word instead of witch.
"Freya." Zillich protested, shaking his head. "Do not say such things. We are comrades, there will be no fighting between us."
Upon finishing the sentence Matthias' attention is drawn by the sound of glass shattering and when he turns around he sees the lady that was staring at him and Freya wrapping her hand in a bandage. He raises his hand and waves to someone at the back of the bar.
A tall security guard with short hair wearing the standard Bundschuh uniform approaches Angel. The guard says
"Frau, please conduct yourself. We don't appreciate our property being broken." before returning to his post.
"I am glad to hear that Freya." Matthias says with warmth in his voice, before starting the next sentence with some hesitation "I- I have retraced my steps. I needed to do a few things."
"No need to over-react. Just a little accident." she waves to the guard. Piling up the broken glass, she moves it out of the way.
A few minutes later, the bar door opens and a tall redhead walks in, dressed similarly to Angel. Getting a cup of tea and a glass of soda from the bar, she walks over and sits opposite of Angel. "What did i tell you about being more careful with your temper?" she says, pointing to Angel's hand. "Now drink your soda and calm down. The locals dont seem very perky for fervent revolutionaries." Angel nods. "Something has got the 'Witch of Frakfurt' angry."
Freya gives glances at the two visitors, but doesn't say anything. Which might actually be even scarier: She doesn't even bother to curse at them!
She turns back to Zillich. "Everyone needs to do 'some things' every now and then. Not everyone has dedicated his life to a hard struggle against his government though. It's not just tough, it also brings along some responsibility."
She moves to sit straight again and looks Zillich straight into the eye. "As for the other issue. Don't worry, I got a backup plan at the ready. I'll be fine and if the movement believes I am no longer needed than I'll accept that."
Finishing her drink, Angel looks at Athena. "I guess its my turn for the patrol. Stay here and enjoy yourself, though knowing you you'll probably end up falling asleep in here." she says with a chuckle.
"And who do you think spends all her time fixing what your bad luck breaks?" Athena says, acting a little childish. "Be sure to tell me what happens when you return." Angel nods. "Sure, sure. Though i know you'll laugh if my 'jinx' strikes again." Angel gets up and leaves the bar, while Athena waves to the bartender for another drink.
"Ja, that is what I'm saying." Matthias says cheerfully "Being an outcast and never being able to return to anyone from your previous life is hard on some people."
He pauses and starts tapping his fingers to the relaxed rhythm of guitar coming from the bar speakers, the Rheinland Ale in his glass reaching the half-way point.
"Even the toughest jobs allow for breaks, nein? It makes the employees sharper. Do not hold it against them."
Matthias raises his eyebrows as if he had just realised something and starts patting his jacket down and searching through his pockets. Still rifling through his pockets, he starts saying "During my abscence, while I was passing through Zoner space I noticed this trader on one of the plan- Ah!" He stops mid sentence and pulls out a brooch. It is a small, minimalistic, silvery piece of jewelry crafted in the shape of a quill, with barely readable engravings carved on its shaft.
"All this talk of backup plans and not being needed. Mein Gott, Freya." He says as he hands it over. "We remember people who have done a lot for our party and you certainly are one of them. Let this always remind you of the fact." He smiles.
"See? I am already revealing what I have been doing." He says as he starts laughing.
Freya was taken by surprise completely. She was't used to getting gifts. In fact she might not have gotten anything since she joined the Bundschuh many years ago. Being the epitome of the Rheinlandish work mentality she had almost forgotten what appreciation felt like.
"W-what is this?" She stuttered. Her cheeks turned red. "H-how did you? Why?"
She looked at the brooch Matthias had given to her, then enclosed it firmly with both her hands and held it close against her body. She smiled... she actually smiled. No grinning or smirking, but an honest, genuine smile. "It's beautiful, Matthias. Thank you so much."
"Some cultures call it a gift. Don't worry about it."
Matthias looked pleased by Freya's reaction as it was not necessarily the one he had anticipated. He took a second to enjoy the moment and cast a look outside while taking another sip from the now almost drained glass of Rheinland Ale.
"As I have said, you have done a lot for the Armee and the party. This is a small token of appreciation for keeping the flame burning while I was gone." His voice trailed off a bit before resuming his thought. "Amongst fighting these- these Corsair raids, Rheinwehr patrols, Wilde incursions and such it is easy to forget that we all need some rest. Easy to forget we're humans with individual needs, rather than machines for war."
He turned to face her again and smiled.
"I am glad you like it."
"Thank you so much, Matthias." She looked down. "Now I feel a bit guilty that I don't have anything to give you in return. After all, you've done just as much for the party as me."
She gestured to the bartender. "Well, I'll at least buy you another drink. That's the least I can do."
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