Novel Full Chapter 356: Reunion. Part 02.
A slight chill snapped Eleven out of her reverie, bringing her back to reality. Her eyes moved to the source, falling on the bright yellow coating of a soda can, then on the hand holding it, going up until she saw the smile that man directed at her.
“Good work today, Elly.” The man said. “Superb performance as usual.”
“Thank you very much.” She replied, accepting the drink with a smile.
Lemon has never been to her taste, but she never complained when he bought it for her. It became a sort of routine for them. Whenever they finished one of their shows, he would offer them a cold drink as they rested. A small gesture, sure, but it was one that made him stand out in the idol’s eyes, separating him from the rest of the humans she got the chance to interact with.
“You’ve been a bit out of it today. Is something the matter?” The man, Ryan Wilson, was quite perceptive. The blue haired idol wasn’t her usual self today, and though she hid it well throughout the concert, he was quick to notice her absentmindedness soon after she left the stage.
A hint of embarrassment warmed Eleven’s cheeks. Her efforts were meaningless and the producer noticed her troubled heart anyway. That said, a part of her felt happy that he did. It meant he kept his eyes on her the entire time, paying attention to her every move and expression.
As an idol, Eleven was used to thousands of eyes watching her every move, but none of them brought her the same joy as his. She enjoyed her job, sure, but nothing came close to the happiness she felt in moments like this, moments when the two of them sat backstage and shared a drink after another successful show.
“I… have been thinking…” She spoke, her eyes looking down at the soda can in her hands. “It would be nice if we… if things remained like this…”
A moment of silence passed, neither of them saying anything. The Calamities have been making a lot of movements recently and things didn’t seem to be going well for humanity. More and more Valkyries were destroyed in the war, but many victories were achieved, resulting in an increase of morals and a joyful atmosphere. As an idol, Eleven’s job was to cheer the humans and drive away despair.
However in times like these her shows became more of a celebration; a festival to spread the joy of another step taken toward an everlasting peace.
“The best has yet to come, Elly.” A faint popping sound came from the can in Ryan’s hand. “Once the Calamities are gone, the world will be free to enjoy your songs in peace.”
The smile disappeared from Eleven’s face, her silence lasting longer than it should. After a while, she popped the soda can open and sipped from its contents. The sour taste was a bit prickly but quite refreshing, and as always, it helped move her thoughts along stopping her from lingering on them longer than usual.
“Once the Calamities are gone, will there be a reason for us to exist?”
Her question took the producer by surprise, freezing him as he held the can to his mouth.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, even if we work as idols, in the end we are still Valkyries.” Heaving a sigh, Eleven allowed her thoughts to wander once more. “Valkyries are created to fight Calamities, right? That means, once the Calamities are defeated, there would be no reason for us to exist anymore.”
She didn’t know when it started, but at some point those thoughts began to appear in Eleven’s mind. Valkyries are weapons made to fight the battles humans couldn’t fight on their own, but once those battles are a thing of the past, would there be a need for Valkyries?
Her kind didn’t even have the ability to choose; the humans decided everything for them. Even if she wanted nothing more than to keep singing for the rest of her life, if the humans in charge decided that she must leave for the battlefield, she could only pick up a weapon and join the fight.
“I don’t believe that’s true.”
Her thoughts were halted by the man’s unexpected response.
“… Pardon?”
Ryan looked up for a moment, sipping from his drink before offering a response.
“I don’t think you are weapons.”
Eleven blinked a few times, her confusion growing further.
“Weapons don’t talk.” Sensing her confusion, the Producer went on. “They don’t sing, and they don’t worry about their future. And one thing for sure, they don’t drink lemon soda.”
The last couple of words prompted the idol to look at the can in her hands.
“No matter what the people at the top say, you are your own person and you decide what to do with your life.” Donning his usual smile, the Producer asked her a very important question. “You work as an idol because you love it, not because you’re told to, right?”
As she looked up at him with wide eyes, Eleven felt that something was changing deep inside her. Valkyries were created to fight, but that was never the case for her. She wanted to sing, she wanted to dance. She wanted to stand on the stage and spread joy all over the world. The realization pulled on her shackles, and one by one the chains began to snap.
“You want to continue being an idol even after the fighting ends, right?” bending down a little, Ryan bumped his can against Eleven’s. “Don’t worry, as your producer, I will do everything in my power to ensure the show goes on as long as you want.”
~[ ]~
When she thought about it, Eleven realized that her feelings for that man blossomed back then. It was also the moment she broke free from Odin’s restraints, regaining her free will and determination to decide her own fate.
Still, another feeling came forth with that change. Fear was a powerful emotion and it held a strong grip on the idol’s mind. She feared a future she had no say in, but she also feared that the present would be taken away from her. Because of that, she did her best to lock her feelings deep inside.
Not anymore, though. A lot has changed, and thanks to the Doctor she was now free to say what she always wanted to say.
As she stood at the door to the meeting room, Eleven held a hand to her chest feeling the warmth growing inside it by the second. The nervousness that troubled her was gone and excitement took its place. After months of separation, she was finally about to reunite with the man who freed her emotions.
The door slowly opened and the idol walked inside. Her eyes immediately fell on the dark haired man. He looked no different from how she remembered him, but something told her that he was a changed man.
“Ah, Eleven!” He said, his smile more brilliant than usual. “You don’t know how happy I am to see you again.”
The idol was frozen, still unable to comprehend. She silently watched as he approached her, but then her lips curved up into a smile, an unintended reflex she couldn’t intentionally stop.
“It has been so long, Producer.” She said in an even tone. “I hope you’ve been doing well.”
“Better than ever!” Ryan replied, happiness radiating from him. “A lot happened since we last talked. I tried to find a way to contact you, but things have been chaotic after the HQ fell.”
The conversation was a bit off. The two of them talked the day before so they knew how the other was doing. Still, they talked as if that conversation didn’t happen, and worst of all, it seemed to flow naturally with neither of them showing signs of recognizing the weirdness.
Before it could go on any longer, the man halted his words and turned around. Someone was standing behind him, tugging on his sleeve to draw his attention.
“Ah! Right, let me introduce you.”
When he shifted his gaze to her, Eleven felt that something about it changed. His smile was different as well. It felt warmer and more intimate, unlike the one from her memories.
“Elly, this is my wife Natasha.” He said. “She has been looking forward to meeting you ever since we got together. Sometimes I feel like she married me just so she cou-“
An elbow jab silenced him before he could go on, but that didn’t really matter as his voice slowly faded away, failing to reach Eleven. When she entered the room her eyes only caught the Producer, but something felt different about him, as if he was another man entirely.
She failed to see the source of that feeling, or rather, her mind refused to see it, not until the man himself forced her to acknowledge it.
It was a woman. A human woman. She was no Valkyrie and lacked the perfect proportions of one, her face might be considered beautiful when compared to humans, but it was far from the perfection that was a standard among Freyja’s Children. Despite her weaker charm, when standing beside Rayan, the human woman appeared more beautiful than any Valkyrie or Nephilim.
The reason was very simple, and she currently had her hand on it, holding it gently as if it were the most precious thing to her.
The human woman, Natasha, had a slightly swollen belly, something that warped her otherwise decent figure. That bump, however, was the center of infinite affection, and as she looked at it, the blue haired idol felt her entire reality shatter.
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