A/N
Hey! Been a hot minute since chapter 2 came out, thought I'd stop by for a little.
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Things you should know going in.
-The character Heith is in this chapter, she is a person introduced (To my knowledge) in Volume 17, but doesn't play a major role in it, so I'm not spoiling anything by using her character.
-Here's her description from meth Wiki - Heith has long light red hair tied in two ponytails. She is a beautiful girl but has dead-looking eyes due to being constantly exhausted from doing her work. She usually wears a red and white apron dress, which bears the Freya Familia emblem on her shoulder, and looks similar to a nurse outfit.
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Enjoy my random bullshit!
4,763 Words in total.
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It had been a long walk down to the Seventeenth floor, going on Eighteenth.
To Bell's right was Lili and Welf. Along with them, or more accurately, they hitched a ride down with the Andhrímnir Division of Freya Familia, this healing centered branch of the Familia being led by none other than Heith Velvet who was also at the head of the pack. They had diversified their possible missions late, with Bell's entrance into the Familia a few months ago, they had more time to do various things, like improve their equipment, take on more interesting jobs, and most importantly, sleep.
Right now, Bell and his party were headed down to the Eighteenth Floor as pack mules for medical equipment necessary in healing the Loki Familia's injured. Apparently they had enough concerns for a contract to be sent up, suffering several poisoned and otherwise injured members in it's ranks.
For Bell, it wasn't his first time down this far, having come through with Mia about a week ago now. But Lili and Welf were experiencing this for the first time and trying their best to take in all the sights, especially the 'Great Wall of Lamentation' which Lili found especially fascinating.
The two were only growing more happy with their choice to join the Andhrímnir on their mission.
As they came to the Floor Eighteen passageway, Bell could see his two companions get a bit peeved at the loss of such beautiful scenery, now replaced by a bland and dark hallway downward.
But they were once again met with a sight that could blinded one with its beauty, Floor Eighteen, the Under Resort.
Bell on the other hand was just happy to see the end of him carrying this box, Loki Familia members having been stationed at the floor entrance to greet them, camp not being too far away.
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The entirety of the Eighteenth was open, unlike the winding pathways and tunnels above, you could see anything and everything within reason from the cliffs lining the floor.
The foliage was unique to this place of Genkai, and this place alone. Everything from the trees, shrubs, and even fruit were part of the dungeon itself. It wasn't as though some random botanist showed up and planted a bunch of seeds at some point.
And along this point, efforts had been made to bring the plants, especially trees, out of the dungeon. However, they would always die without fail, leading to the conclusion that the plant life within the dungeon were their own category of monster or something else along those lines.
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As Bell set his crate down, he could feel the stares of several behind him. Standing upright, he turned but found everyone to be going about their business in a normal, non perverse manner. Bell still got the willies on occasion, he wasn't sure if they knew he could feel people looking at him, but he almost wished they did so it would stop already.
"Bell Cranel."
He smiled bitterly, standing upright and facing the new arrival.
"Finn Deimne."
They stood, glaring daggers at one another.
Things were not tense between Familias as they might be if Freya and Loki were top dogs, but that didn't mean there were no personal dramas between individuals of each faction.
"So you finally made it to Floor Eighteen, congratulations!" The pallum exclaimed in mock joy.
"I was actually here the other day, sorry." Bell gave a genuine smile, the type he knew Finn hated with a passion.
"Quite pitiful still, an old man trying to be an adventurer!" Finn called.
Bell smiled, leaning over to better look down on the pallum. "And who's still trying to play hero again? Little boy."
Gareth appeared, now performing the dangerous task of holding Finn back while Bell simply grinned at the short person.
After a few moments Bell looked around, slightly relieved that there was no other pallum present, that pallum being Lili. He didn't make a habit of belittling those looked to as icons when someone who saw them as such was present.
But if that person wasn't there, free game.
He was about to open his mouth, when Riveria showed herself.
"What in the name of- Bell?!" She noticed him.
He nodded to her, the high elf not having expected to see him all the way down here when only two months into being an adventurer.
Her posture seemed to stiffen, back straight, arms down at her sides. She bowed further than he thought necessary (Which was at all).
"It is an honor to have you with us Sir Bell!" She spewed her typical elven niceties, something he was becoming all too acquainted with ever since his existence made it to the front page of 'The Iris Observer', the largest city newspaper.
"Lady Riveria." She looked up to him with the faintest traces of anticipation. "Please stop."
"Of course!" Riviera was quick to stand up again.
Bell could already tell she didn't get the full message.
"No, stop with all the formal stuff."
"Uh… Wouldn't that be inappropriate…?" The princess asked.
Lefiya popped her head out of the closest tent. "Hypocrite." She whispered, gone before either of them could turn to her.
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Bell had to say, Heith was quite pleasant to be around, at least, when she was preoccupied with her work, and not him.
"Get me some fresh gloves."
Bell did as ordered, ripping open a new bag of medical gloves for her. Though any extreme injuries were already healed by the party and especially Riveria, who was clearly watching him from off to the side. But still, there were more than a few injuries that Heith needed to assess, lest the Loki Familia have missed something minor that could lead to long term complications.
He slapped the gloves down in her waiting hand as she settled beside the next patient.
She started to pull them on. "What's the thermometer say?"
Heith was, again, the leader of the Andhrímnir, a division of Freya Familia built around healing. She along with others were unendingly grateful for his arrival, the majority of which spent their days healing injuries caused by the brutal training of pre-Bell Folkvangr.
"Temperature is normal." He read off.
"Are there any irregularities?" She took a quick listen to his heart with a stethoscope pulled from around her neck.
"Not that I see." Bell responded.
It was unfortunate to Bell that such serious and likable people were also swept up in the pursuit of 'Lady Freya's grandchildren', he felt that this may have robbed him of a few genuine friends. Though moments like these gave him some insight as to what he was truly missing out on.
"Riveria!" Heith called.
Bell could hear her fall over from surprise.
"Ye-Yes!" She responded, getting up.
"What were his symptoms?" Heith asked as Riveria approach.
"Ah, he was experiencing nausea, dizziness, bloating and inevitably crippling pains in and around his core. Do you know what might have caused this?" The princess was obviously concerned.
It took a moment for Heith to respond. "I think… I think he needs his gallbladder out."
Both Bell and Riveria looked on for a second.
"H-How serious is this?" Riveria asked with mild panic.
Heith started pulling her gloves off, standing. "Not very, gallbladder aren't necessary to the human body, though he'll need to recover somewhere more appropriate."
"Ann! Sullivan!" The lead medical practitioner called to the closest two on her team. "Prep a surgical suite, now!"
They both hurried to their tasks, it was rather relieving to Bell and Riveria that Heith was so calm.
"Are you certain he'll be okay?!" The princess asked again.
"Ah, well, Bell?" Heith looked over to him, him now up from kneeling.
"Y-Yes!"
"When do you have a free day?" Bell was confused, but given the circumstances…
"Tomorrow... I think."
Heith smiled. "Good, it's a date!" The light red haired woman smiled sweetly to him, then turned to head off towards surgery.
"Wha-?!" Both Bell and the now fuming Riveria were shocked.
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Heith knew it was somewhat underhanded to use a situation like that to get closer with Bell, but it worked after all. Riveria had forgotten of her worry for her patient, now just upset that a fast one was pulled under her nose.
Heith finished washing her hands and arms, the specially created liquid purifying her hands of foreign bacteria that would contaminate the patient. She turned, another of her team ready and waiting, sliding the gloves over her hands, forearms and apron sleeves.
She'd forgone the normal old style nurses outfit for one more suited to surgery.
The curtain was pulled for her, hands outstretched just ahead of herself to keep clean.
The table with it's patient was directly ahead. There were two others waiting for her, one was Sullivan, and the other was Suzzi, a woman Heith had performed dozens of more pressing operations with. The three were surrounded by a box of white sheet curtains giving them complete privacy.
She got to the table side. "Let's get this started."
She was thankful this could only happen once to a person, surgery was never something to look forward to.
Suzzi brought over the small metal tray of tools, all soaked and boiled in the same decontamination fluid before getting dried off.
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Bell sat with his stomach filled with butterflies, not knowing what to expect come the arrival of his company for the day.
It was hell come his arrival back to the surface. Bell had tried his best to keep this date a secret. But unfortunately, Heith didn't get that memo, spouting all day and night about her date with him to anyone who'd listen.
That unfortunately meant Freya also heard of this development. Needless to say, he didn't enjoy the 'talk' she'd had with him for 'every eventuality of a date between a young boy and girl'. He blushed just thinking about it. 'I'm 2,300 years old for crying out loud!'
"Bell!"
He jumped where he sat, that being on a bench at central plaza. In fact, he was so startled that he ended up standing from the bench, causing Heith to take a step back in her own surprise.
"Are you okay?" She called.
"Ye-" Bell turned to her. "Yeah…"
Heith was already a beautiful woman, boasting notable assets both front and back, alongside her natural light red hair. But instead of her usual red and white nursing outfit, she wore what he could make out as a long red skirt under a long and puffy grey winter jacket.
"H-Hi Bell."
"Egh, Hi!" He spouted in slight embarrassment from both her appearance and his being surprised.
She smiled.
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As it had been for several weeks now, the snow covered Orario was a sight all of its own, the roads were peacefully quiet with adventurers already below in the dungeon, many other people not wanting to venture out without a worthy cause. It felt almost magical to walk in the day, the snow sitting around two inches high on both the ground and the hibernating tree branches, absorbing sound, and giving a softer tone to the world.
The only thing the trio could hear from around the street corner was the sound of the snow beneath their feet and Heith's faint laughter from a good ways ahead of their hiding spot.
"L-Lady Riveria, isn't it too cold to be spying on Sir Bell?" Lefiya asked.
"Never." The princess shut Lefiya's argument down without looking away from the now smiling couple.
"I like him too, my Lady, but this is a little overboard…" Alicia commented from Lefiya's side, both shorter girls trying to warm themselves by rubbing their arms.
"We follow." No room for argument was left by the princess.
The two girls sighed.
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"So how long we doing this for?" Mia called out from behind Freya, who was peeking over a solid railing at the two now setting off towards their destination.
Mia and Horn were both in comically large snow coats, Freya in a fuzzy white coat with a beanie hat she'd made herself.
"As long as the date lasts!" Freya smiled ear to ear.
"This seems like an invasion of privacy." Horn spoke from beside Mia, mildly upset it was Heith with Bell and not herself.
"It's a mothers duty!"
"No it's not!" Both women shouted at their goddess.
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"So, how's work been recently?" Came Bell.
"It's been fine, the most exciting thing to happen recently was that gallbladder surgery. You?"
"Nothing much, it was nice seeing Welf so excited to get new ores from the resort, it was kind of a special occasion for him." Bell took a calming breath, glad the ice had been broken, if only for a moment.
The faint sound of their footsteps were only just loud enough to be heard as the snow muffled their movements. Bell smiled alongside his companion, more than happy to spend time with a person he considered reliable and friendly.
"Is there anything you're especially in the mood for?" Bell asked, now a good distance down South-West Main.
"Mmm, maybe something warm, stew?" She glanced over to Bell, a light smile shared between them as they contemplated their choices.
He wore light clothes, nothing more than necessary for the climate. A near brown beige coat came over his shoulders and down to his upper thighs, of course not buttoned, his signature black shirt and pants visible, the shirt also a turtleneck, with a set of lesser used dark brown boots. Around his neck was a light green scarf, one which he'd never pick for himself, but his mother, Freya, had knitted it for him, so he felt compelled to use it when not in the dungeon.
Bell became momentarily lost in thought, but eventually came back. "I'd say we should go to Mia's, but there's no telling if she'd be open."
Heith grunted her understanding.
"Perhaps 'The Mountain Wharf', or 'The Square Table', either will probably have something along those lines."
Heith thought for a second, the only being her soft hum, and the snow beneath their feet.
"Which one's closer?"
"Square Table"
"There." Heith smiled to him, looking dead into his eyes.
He couldn't help the small flutter in his heart, her light red hair wasn't in it's usual pair of ponytails, instead hanging freely down her back. Allowing the rare chance to see her blue-grey eyes. He'd heard about how they looked dead from those who'd seen them before, but, at this moment, they looked the most alive of anyone in Orario.
He had to look away quickly. "Okay, it's settled."
She giggled at his reaction, an absolutely beautiful sound, again, making his heart flutter.
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"Where are they going?!" Freya called in an unnecessary whisper, being a whole street's length away from the duo.
"Square Table." Mia answered, the only one with hearing capable of catching the name.
Freya turned to her captain, flashing a smile and thumbs up, before standing and taking her first few steps out into the street, Bell and Heith now having turned off it.
The goddess stopped, slowly turning back to her captain and assistant now standing to follow.
"Where exactly is Square Table?"
They both sighed with agitation.
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Riveria was currently crouch-walking along the far side roof beside Bell and his date, Lefiya and Alicia trailing just behind and in much worse shape.
"I-In case you've forgotten, Lady Riveria." Alicia whispered over the roof to the trio's leader. "We can't make these jumps as easily as you!" She hissed out.
"But they're on the move!" The princess countered.
"What does that change?!" Lefiya wheezed out, wanting to be back at the manner drinking hot cocoa with Ais.
"Just hang on till we get wherever they're heading!"
A duet of annoyed groans called out in response.
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Heith had just sat down, Bell pushing her chair in with her coat draped across his arm. The table had four chairs at it, and as the name suggested, they were each at one of the four square tables sides. Bell laid both his and her coats across one chair to the side, along with his scarf, before taking a seat across from her.
The menus were already laid out at all four seats, so Bell and Heith looked over their own menus in silence.
Heith wore a well fitting jean jacket with her long red skirt. She had pulled her hair over her left shoulder while sitting, not wanting it to be caught on any part of the chair.
The dining room was pleasant and warm in both temperature and aesthetic. The walls were a tall dark brown painted drywall, reaching up some twelve feet to a log cabin style ceiling, complete with cross beams below it for support. The floor was made of a smoother flooring wood just one or two shades lighter than the ceiling. To their side was a window out into the street.
Inside this room was around twelve tables, a counter that had access behind it to the kitchen, and two other tables with patrons also going about their days in whatever way they saw fit.
Bell didn't say anything when the obviously stalking Riveria, Lefiya, and Alicia came in and got seated the furthest away they could manage. It was mildly annoying to him.
If he was going to go out with someone, he'd at least like some privacy.
At least Freya, Mia, and Horn were across the street in the neighboring bookstore.
Bell sighed as he closed the menu, already having decided on his order before Riveria had thought to open hers over yonder.
"You've decided?" Heith called over her menu.
"Yeah, do you have any ideas for yourself?"
"Ah, two actually." She looked back down to the pages of names and descriptions.
"Which?" Bell reopened his own.
"The, uh- the Classic Beef Stew and the White Bean Stew."
She pondered a few more moments.
"...Which sounds better to you?" She asked Bell.
"It's your food, I'm just paying."
She pouted, Bell now feeling Freya burn an unhappy hole in his head.
"Ah- Do you want me to decide for you?" He grinned sheepishly.
Heith looked back up enough for him to see her still pouting.
"Alright." Bell resigned to his fate. "Call it."
He readied a gold coin, on one side was an eight pointed star representing the eight main roads to Babel, the other side having the Guild siguele. This gold coin was otherwise known as a valis, and was set and ready to be flipped over Bell's thumb.
She let out a small bit of her anticipation. "Ah- Heads for the Beef!"
The coin went up a short height, a small metallic ring echoing, then landed back in his hand.
"Tails." Bell announced, having revealed the coin to her and himself.
Just in time for the waitress to arrive with her pen and paper, Bell smiled a bit as he looked into her eyes, which were still on the coin.
After a moment, Bell took the initiative. "Yes, two Classic Beef Stews please."
Heith looked up in surprise as the waitresses' pen scribbled out the order.
"Kay! That'll be out momentarily." The cheery woman took the menus from the table, then turned to make her way across the room to the elven trio.
Heith waited till she'd left to speak up. "But-"
"You looked very upset with the result." Bell smiled, having cut her off.
As she took in his words, her face seemed to go the slightest bit pink, looking down at her now empty hands, wishing she still had the menu to hide behind.
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Horn watched on from beside Freya in the bookstore window while Mia looked through a cookbook on a nearby shelf with vigur.
Horn couldn't help but glare at Heith, wishing over and over to be the one in the chair receiving that much attention from her goddesses son. Meanwhile, Freya looked on in absolute glee, ecstatic about how well Bell's first date was going.
The goddess knew full well that Bell had noticed them, he'd long since told her of his ability to feel people's eyes staring. But that only made it all the more adorable to her, knowing he was putting in so much effort to make today feel special for his date across the table.
Mia was now at the counter, putting down a few valis in exchange for the book, both for herself and to shut the clerk up about them being in here without a purchase.
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Riveria's knee was bouncing with anxiety, she did not like how much they were smiling at each other, even less when she'd blush from whatever it was that he'd done after flipping that coin. If it weren't for her pride as an elf and royalty, she may very well have gone over and sat at the table with them to stop this whole situation.
"Lady Riveria, did you decide on an order yet?" Lefiya called her back to reality.
"Eh- ah, well… I forgot to look…"
Alicia facepalmed, Lefiya sighing, soon asking the waitress to come back in a minute or two.
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The Classic Beef Stew was as expected, beef stew, off the top of his head, Bell could make out a variety of ingredients that made up the dish… or bowl.
-beef broth
-tomato paste
-cubed beef chucks
-potatoes
-chopped onion
-peeled and cut carrots
-peas
-stalks celery
-minced cloves garlic
And, as much as Bell enjoyed the food, he had to say, Heith made quite the adorable face while eating her first few bites, her hands curling up with the mild pleasure the warm food brought.
"So you like it?" Bell asked, clearly knowing the answer.
She seemed to be embarrassed by her outward expressions, looking back down at her lap.
"Ah- No! I didn't mean that in a bad way, just… You looked rather… cute..."
Though Bell was too busy looking down at his own lap from shame, Heith couldn't help but blush again from his words, marking the second time since they sat down.
Freya was up against the bookstores window in excitement from the, in her mind, young love blooming.
Over time, they slowly finished their meals, both finding some common ground to talk about over their lunch. Mostly, though gross to anyone but these two, injuries they'd seen over their time in either combat area's or the dungeon and Familia training.
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Soon enough time came for the bill to be paid.
Everything was going as expected, Bell had fished a small pouch from his belt, and was now rifling through to get the necessary coins.
Until his finger slid across something that didn't quite feel like the gold material typically seen from valis. As his index and middle finger grasped it, he nearly pulled it out, until his mind figured out what it most likely was.
Bell was a little flustered now, pushed it out of the way, then got the rest of the valis needed.
Before long, the boy and girl were on their way.
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The snow was once again crunching beneath their feet, and not only that, but some of the first adventurers were leaving the dungeon for the day, the air now filled with various other crunches that broke from him and his dates' regular pattern.
Heith was back in her tall grey puffy jacket, Bell in his light brown coat and light green scarf. The most notable change was how she held onto his arm while he made no moves to stop her.
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Riveria still trailed behind the two, even as the slight winds came in from the west.
"L-Lady Riveria! Please! Let's go home already!" Lefiya wailed from just behind the princess.
Alicia grabbed onto Riveria's sleeve, stopping her relentless pursuit.
"Riveria, stop this now." A sturdy look came from deep inside to meet the relentless drive of the high elf.
"..." Riveria was for the first time, actually considering their arguments.
They continued to stare.
"F-Fine." Riveria gave up, only realizing how cold it truly was. "Let's hurry back!"
It was only then that the princess realized they were over half way to Folkvangr from Babel, the Twilight Mansion at the far side of the superstructure.
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"Hurry-hurry!" Freya chanted as Mia carried her, Horn just behind.
"You ain't light as a feather ya know!" Mia shouted back.
The trio were high tailing it past Bell and Heith by rooftop, trying to get back in time for Freya to greet her oh-so beloved son after his first date.
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You would need to be blind to not see their clear and strong smiles as they watched the ground, walking together as they reached the front gate of Folkvangr.
Bell shifted his head up, taking a look at the sky and it's accumulating clouds, the purple magic lamps turning on and illuminating the streets due to the overcast, night not coming for a few more hours though.
Heith spoke, but sounded rather timid. "Th-Thank you for coming today." She quickly looked to her boots.
He looked back at her. "Of course."
"S-Sorry if you had other things to do, I know this was selfish of me, especially the way I went about asking you."
He smiled. "You have no reason to be sorry, as a matter of fact, I enjoyed our date quite a lot."
She looked up, finding him looking back with a soft smile.
"You've worked to the bone for years now, it's only right that you get to take a breather."
Snow started to fall.
He couldn't look away, light red hair still over her left shoulder, blue-grey eyes staring back as the snow around her was illuminated by the purple lights.
A few larger snowflakes got caught in her hair.
She couldn't look away, and neither could he, as both their hearts seemed to pick up speed.
"..."
Then the gate began opening.
They were both stolen from the moment by a loud stone scraping noise, the two losing their little moment together.
"Bell!" Freya chirped happily from the now open gate, Mia right behind her.
Bell and Heith looked at her with surprise, and slightly pink faces.
Freya took a moment to observe them, before a playful smile crossed her. "Did I interrupt something?"
Bell became a shade of red now. "N-No!"
Freya's smile only grew, sensing his lie.
Heith began to speed walk, passing her goddess and captain without so much as a glance, too fascinated with the snowy ground ahead as she stepped past and into the compound.
The goddess only giggled with joy as she did, the girl getting more and more red with each step.
Freya was not prepared, however, for Bell to quickly follow in her footsteps, not paying her any mind, much to Mia's sudden amusement.
"B-Bell?! Wait!" She tried to run after him, but the snow was making the cleared walkways slick, so she couldn't keep up.
Mia only belly laughed as she followed.
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Eventually, Bell had returned to his room in the back building of Folkvangr. He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling with his legs hanging off the side, trying to piece together what was about to happen in his final moments with Heith.
Until Freya banged on his locked door.
"Bell?!" she was muffled. "Bell, I'm sorry! Please don't be mad!"
He sat up, an angry expression crossing him, then he remembered something from earlier.
The snow elf fished the money pouch from his belt, pulling at the string.
It didn't take long to find the small rapper with a note glued to the side.
'Please be safe! -Love, Mom.'
He was baffled by the note attached to a condom. He just sat there in complete shock, honestly having not expected goddess Freya to have done something like this.
And also, 'What kind of brute did she take me for anyways?!'
Before long, Bell's door slammed open, scaring the woman and captain behind it as Bell emerged with anger across his features.
"Explain Freya."
They both shrunk and for the same reason as well.
Bell had been a part of the Familia for several months now, and by all accounts, he had not called the goddess by name since his first month living here.
He was pissed.
"Whatever do you-"
Freya was cut off as he held the note and condom up for both to see.
Almost instantly, Mia went from flight to fight, swapping from Freya's side to Bell's.
Bell's mentor screamed at the shorter goddess. "THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU, YOU CRAZY GODDESS?!"
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A/N
Hope this was good, I tried my best, but inevitably I am limited by my own capabilities.
Though, I do hope my few jokes in and around this chapter landed.
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I got to be honest, I've wanted to write Heith in more detail since finding out about her and adding her little cameo in the main series. Deal with it.
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Oh, and obviously don't recreate that recipe for Classic Beef Stew, as I cut out a good amount of the ingredients that Bell wouldn't be able to just identify from a glance and a couple spoonfuls.
If you do want the recipe I used as reference, it was from , just search 'Best-Ever Beef Stew' and it should be the first result.
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Thank you all for reading, I hope you all have a great week!