Who: Padmé and Freya What: Tea time When: A few days after this conversation Where: Padmé's place Status: Complete Rating: Green
Padmé had really enjoyed her conversation with Freya, and looked forward to more. Since being introduced to the Network, she’d found her social circle expanding quickly. Ever since she bought her business, her social life had rapidly dwindled. Sure, she was friendly with lots of people, especially fellow surfers and beach bums, but never to the point where she invited them to her home. The odd party was enough for her so the fact that she was actually reaching out? That was new.
As promised, Padmé had gone out and bought everything she needed for a decent tea. There was a fresh pot of lemon and ginger tea to go with the scones, clotted cream and fruit tarts. There were, of course, cucumber sandwiches, and small vegetable pasties. She’d forgotten to ask if her guest had any dietary considerations (rookie mistake) so Padmé safely assumed that vegetarian was the best way to go.
When everything was ready, she glanced at the clock. Her guest should arrive any minute.
Freya could certainly use making more friends. She wasn’t unfriendly, far from it, she just hadn’t reached out to people as much as she otherwise might. As it was, it was nice to look forward to tea with a new acquaintance, hopefully one that could become a friend. If she were honest with herself, she was lonely, she just didn’t show it.
Now, Freya knew that she could be a little imposing just based on the fact that she was extremely tall. She was over six feet tall, so she liked softening her height with how she dressed and wore her hair. There was also the added fact that she had two large, feathered wings on her back, but she put a spell on them to make them invisible to others when she went out in public. So after getting ready, she made her way to Padmé’s place. She was slightly early, mostly just so she could take a little extra time to ensure she had the right place.
She was on time by the time she knocked on Padmé’s door, confident that she’d found the place well enough. She was still learning where things were in Orange County, but she was getting better about it.
Instead of calling out for her to come in, Padme walked to the door and opened it. And looked up. A long way up. Being 5’2” (and a half, thank you very much), she was used to feeling tiny but Freya was much taller than she’d expected.
“Hey,” Padme said with a wide smile. “Come on in! I hope you found the place okay.” She stepped aside and motioned her guest to enter. The apartment was a one bedroom space, sparesly decorated with only her surfboards and a few family portraits adorning the walls. It was a nice, neutral colour with an open concept kitchen that seamlessly transitioned into the living room. Instead of a dining table, there was an island where food was normally served, but for today, Padme had set up a spot in the living room, so that they could sit at ease and conversate.
“Thanks for coming over. I’ve been looking forward to this. My week has been so busy, I think that if I talk about flowers or plate patterns one more time, my brain might explode.”
Likewise, Freya hadn’t anticipated Padmé being as short as she was. Freya was used to looming over most people, but this was a kind of comical height difference. There was a foot height difference between them. But she smiled warmly at the other woman.
“Thank you, I did. I left early just to ensure I did find it. Orange County can be like navigating a jungle sometimes.” Freya quipped as she stepped inside the apartment. It was a nice place, she could appreciate the aesthetic even though she tended to prefer something more home-y. And perhaps more plants being around, but that was just Freya’s love of being in the garden.
“I promise I won’t make you talk about flowers or plate patterns today. But I’ve been looking forward to this as well. I’ve been a little more caught up in research of late, I sometimes forget what it’s like to be around people.” Not entirely, though. Freya had good social skills. She just wasn’t the type who went out a lot.
Padme had to laugh at that. “The pitfalls of loving what you do,” she said with a knowing smile. There were some nights where she just played on the internet, trying to find a special locale or a new restaurant or anything that might give her clients an edge with their weddings. After all, the rich did love to top each other, especially where weddings were concerned.
Motioning to the set up in the living room, Padme led the way. “I think when we were talking earlier, you were researching Norse magics, and their history, right? Have you gotten any further in that? I have to confess, I tried to google, but I kept getting distracted with pictures of Thor.” She was joking, even if it was slightly true. The man had a lovely chest.
“Exactly,” Freya responded with a smile. Of course, once she got on the trail of something she wanted to know more about, Freya kept at it until she hit a dead end or sated her thirst for knowledge. Though she’d also been keeping more to herself the past few years, ever since her son had died and she’d gone through a divorce. But those were things she held very close to her chest and didn’t talk about. Working tended to keep her from focusing on the pain she still felt.
Following Padmé to the living room, she nodded a bit. “Yes, a little at least. It’s sometimes hard to find concrete evidence the Vikings themselves left behind in regards to their culture that wasn’t heresay or something. But I am making some progress.” Freya did chuckle softly at the comment about Thor. “Yes, Thor can be distracting. There is a Thor here, have you met him?”
Freya may not have thought much about the potential for romance since her marriage, but Thor was definitely easy on the eyes, she had to say.
Of course there was a Thor. Why wouldn’t there be a Thor? Padme simply smiled and shook her head. “No, I haven’t had the chance to meet him. I’m glad you warned me though -- I would hate to meet him and have nothing more than drool come out of my mouth.”
Curling up on her arm chair, feet tucked under her, she poured both of them a cup of tea. The scent of lemon and ginger wafted through the air. Padme hoped Freya liked it. “That’s so interesting about the lack of evidence, when really, you’d think there would be plenty. I mean, their influences are world-wide. I think I remember reading a few years ago about how the Vikings even landed in Canada. I mean, that would explain all that red hair on the East Coast, I guess.”
“You’re welcome. He is rather nice on the eyes, I must admit.” Despite her lack of interest in anyone since her son had died, Freya could definitely admit Thor was attractive. “He’s also very kind, so you won’t have to worry about him being vain or full of himself or anything like that.”
Freya took a seat and made herself comfortable. “Part of the lack of evidence stems from the Vikings didn’t always write things down. They had their runic language that we find things written in, but they are usually short passages. Before the 11th Century, most written documents we have about the Vikings were written by people who lived outside of Scandinavia, and were often highly unflattering descriptions of them. Which was in part warranted as the Vikings were known to be brutal when they went on raids. It wasn’t until Christians began to introduce Latin and the Latin alphabet into Scandinavia in the 11th Century when we get written accounts of the Vikings from themselves.”
“History is written by the winners,” Padme mused, tapping her fingers on the teacup. “So it would make sense that we have only a warped perspective of them. Wow, see, this is the type of history I like -- the kind you can discuss. When you’re given nothing but linear facts with no real context..” She made a face. “Things were probably simpler back then as well. Sometimes, I wonder how I would manage if I was transported back in time. Would I become a vegetarian? Because I definitely don’t know how to hunt, so there goes milk, butter, meat, fur... I barely know how to sew a button.” Padme giggled, her eyes twinkling. “I’d be really hungry, naked and cold. A Viking would be very much appreciated.”
“Precisely. Christians did bring good things with them, such as a written language that could more easily depict the Vikings and their culture and beliefs. But one could argue about cultural genocide, which did happen. Though some people simply took Christianity and combined it with their pagan beliefs” Freya took a moment to look over the available food. She was an omnivore, but she also tried to maintain a healthy diet.
“That is actually something not a lot of people know, the Vikings were actually very skilled farmers. They hunted, of course, and went on raids and all of that, but they did a lot of farming. They were definitely more technologically advanced than many people give them credit for. And as you said before, they did sail to North America centuries before Christopher Columbus ever did. They had settlements in North America. Though as with their contact with people in Britain, their encounters with Native Americans weren’t always peaceful.”
Padmé was soaking this all in. Freya was so eloquent and was obviously a very intelligent woman. The fact she was happily sharing all this knowledge with no sense of condescension made it that much more enjoyable. “I think it’s safe to say that no one’s encounter with Native Americans was peaceful. We’re still dealing with the very real effects of colonisation and racism, even lateral violence as a direct result of policies created to break apart communities and peoples.”
Reaching over, she grabbed a cucumber sandwich and started to nibble on it. “Sorry,” she said sheepishly. “I used to do protests in college -- surprise! -- and while I haven’t really participated in the activism scene, it’s still in me.” She leaned back in her chair and smile. “I should really get back into it one day.” Especially now that she had those Dreams of being royalty. Queens should look out for their people. “What else do you do, when you’re not studying or researching?”
“That is the sad and terrible truth. So much needless blood and senseless death and destroying the culture of the Native Americans.” There was genuine sadness in her voice. Freya hated senseless death and racism and everything else that was related to both of those things. She picked up one of the cucumber sandwiches and she took a bite of it.
“It’s fine, I think activism is definitely needed in the world. Especially with the political climate we currently live in.” Freya herself wasn’t huge into activism, but she did do some now and then when she was especially moved to it, and wasn’t otherwise involved in her work. At the question, she had to smile. “I admit I’m rather uninteresting. When I’m not studying or researching, I work in my garden. I love plants and flowers and have always had a green thumb. I also like to read. Basically I tend to be quiet and reserved. What about yourself? What do you do when you aren’t working?”
“You have me jealous, Freya! I have the opposite of a green thumb. I’m pretty sure I’m genetically incapable of growing anything that requires regular attention. I always wanted to, but well, you can only plant so many seeds and see nothing before you realize your talents are better suited elsewhere.” She grinned and finished her sandwich, chewing thoughtfully before continuing. “I actually define myself as a surfer, but without the bum lifestyle.”
Padme motioned to the boards on her wall. Sometimes they were up, sometimes they were in the closet, but since she hadn’t been able to get out on the water in a while, they were currently on display, as if reminding her that she hadn’t used them recently. “It’s basically the only reason I got a job in the first place -- to afford my hobby. I mean, I’ll never be a professional, but there’s nothing quite like being on top of a wave, riding the swell down…” She smiled widely. “Love it. It’s probably why I’ll never leave California.”
“Sadly, gardening is not something every is adept at. But that is okay, everyone has their own strengths.” Freya said with a gentle chuckle. She well knew some people couldn’t get anything to grow, she had some siblings like that, but Freya had always found comfort in cultivating plants. She listened closely as Padme spoke of surfing. That certainly sounded like quite the exciting hobby. She glanced at the surf boards on the wall.
“Surfing would be quite exhilarating, I must confess. It must be quite freeing, in a way, so ride the waves like that.” She picked up her tea and sipped it. It was a very good tea, in her opinion. “Are you from California originally, or did you grow up elsewhere?” She wasn’t certain that the comment on never leaving California was confirmation that Padme had grown up here, so the polite thing was to ask! She also shifted a little, making herself a little more comfortable. She didn’t lean back against the back of the chair because of her wings, which weren’t visible at the current moment. Freya hadn’t yet learned how to comfortably sit in chairs with the giant wings on her back just yet, but she would adjust as time went on.
“Born and raised in California,” Padme said proudly. “My father, he’s a military man, and I guess my mother made it very clear that she was not going to raise children on army bases. My mother’s family is from California as well, so there were times when he was stationed elsewhere and we just stayed here. I always loved the beach, I could sit on the sand for hours, looking at the surfers, and just...wishing. I didn’t have the guts to try it out myself until I was in university, but once I did?” She gave a wide smile. “I never looked back. I have to say, it’s one of my passions. I don’t think there’s anything a good ride can’t fix.” She paused for a moment before giggling. “Oh wow, that sounded dirty. I’m so sorry! I guess I’m still thinking of Thor.” That set off another burst of giggles and a cheeky wink.
Freya wasn’t from a military family, but she could understand that one wouldn’t want to move frequently with a family. Of course, her father had fought in Vietnam, grandfather had been in World War II, but they’d been drafted and hadn’t stayed in the military once their service was done. It wasn’t the same as Padme’s experience.
She had to laugh at the unintentional dirty comment, as well as the comment on Thor, and she grinned. “I can’t blame you on that, Thor is quite the attractive man.” She took another sip of her tea. “At any rate, once you find something that ignites your passion like that, it would be more than difficult to move somewhere where you couldn’t pursue it anymore.”
Padmé nodded whole-heartedly. "Oh, absolutely. I wouldn't have the opportunities I have now if I'd grown up in say, Missouri or Idaho. I don't think there's many surfers over there," she teased before getting serious again. "I am grateful that I have both a hobby I love, and a career I love. I never thought I'd be planning weddings but hey, we all have to make money somehow. On the plus side, I get to wear beautiful dresses and shop for shoes, so really, it's a win-win all around."
"It would be interesting to see statistics on that," Freya mused. Of course, anyone anywhere could get into any hobby. Someone from the desert could have a passionate hobby for skiing, for example. "And I very much agree. Not everyone has a career they love, so the fact that you do is a very good thing. Though I can't really say I'm all that into shopping, but I can understand why people would love to shop for things." Freya wasn't all that into fashion or shoes. Then again, part of her job she spent on excavations and digging in the dirt, so wearing fancy clothes or shoes were out of the question there. She tended to dress more practical in her day-to-day life, not just for her job.
Padme looked slightly embarrassed. "I have a slight shopping addiction," she admitted. "But I spend so much time at events, weddings, galas...and it just 'wouldn’t do to be seen in the same clothes'." Her imitation of her mother was always spot on. " That's one of the downsides -- rich people are annoying and shallow and unfortunately have long memories. They’d remember if I reused an outfit." She rolled her eyes. "Have you heard of The Princess Project? I donate a lot of dresses that way."
"That makes sense. Certainly a good thing to avoid such scrutiny wherever possible." Freya didn't hold it against Padme, or anyone, really. Everyone had their own likes and requirements where work was concerned. So it made sense. "No, I haven't heard of the Princess Project. But I assume by the name that dresses go to a good cause there." Charity was something that Freya could get behind without hesitation. She had immense compassion, and part of her was certain that if she hadn't been so taken by archaeology that she might've gone into some line of work having to do with helping people who had pretty much nothing. She hated seeing people go without food because they had no money, and things of that nature.
“Yes, it’s for girls who can’t afford prom dresses so they are given dresses, makeovers...there’s one in Los Angeles, but I like the one in San Diego, and when I’m able, I like to go and volunteer. It’s pretty fun. You should come with me sometime! It’s usually in the spring, and I like to make a trip out of it. I usually go by myself, but road trips are always better with other people.” Padme smiled. “I feel like we could do a trip without killing each other. I know we just met, but I’m an excellent judge of character.”
“What do you do when you volunteer?” Freya was curious on the matter. She enjoyed helping others where she could, and enjoyed doing things for a good cause even more. And giving girls prom dresses and a makeover to make their prom special? That sounded like a good way to spend time. Freya smiled at Padme’s last comment. “I just may have to join you. Though you are correct, road trips are better when taking them with other people. I feel comfortable around you as well, so I doubt that we’ll be at each other’s throats.” She added with some humor in her tone.
“You can do so much! You’re basically a style consultant, personal shopper, accessory associate, fairy godmother -- whatever the girls want. It’s about them, and their moment, and some of them never thought they could get there. Plus,” she said grinning, “going to San Diego also gives me the opportunity to surf Black’s Beach and La Jolla. Anything for a wave!”
“Fairy godmother, you say? I think that’s something I could handle.” Freya said with a smile. She felt that she could handle teenagers. She’d lost her son a few years prior, and she’d never really gotten over it. Being around young children was especially difficult for her, but teenagers? She felt that would be okay without her needing to take a few moments for herself while there to deal with her emotions. “Ah, I see how it is, anything for a wave!” She teased with a wink, insinuating that Padme chose San Diego specifically for the beach and doing charity on the side rather than the other way around.
“I’ll keep you posted with my travel dates,” Padme said with a nod, like that had just settled it.
“Now. Eat and tell me more about this magic thing! I’m dying to know all about it.” She snuggled into her chair, and wrapped her hands around her mug again. This was going to be a good visit, she knew it, and the beginning of a great friendship.