1st † [ Open ]

[blue_sophia]

Who:  Malice and YOU
When:  December 13th, Monday
Where:  Various places, see below
What:  Gathering information—and her bearings—and maybe making a few enemies friends along the way.
Warnings:  Some talk of injuries, maybe attempted violence, but this is tame, otherwise.

i.  Lilac District

There's a girl clad in furs and mail who's standing in front of Unit Four with a look of utter contempt.  Of course she's new, of course she's not exactly sure what to make of this…generosity.  If she'd been spared this much kindness in her youth she'd have no need of it but there are far more pressing matters to attend to than a past she'd left behind.  Namely, her Diviner's missing.  Her wings are missing.  And it's clear as the snow-white landscape that she's nowhere near Heaven's Gate anymore.

So she takes a deep breath and steps back, wincing a little when the wound at her side flares up, though it remains unseen from the bulk of her clothing.  But she fishes out that compact she'd received upon arrival, and with an entirely businesslike air she thrusts it at the nearest passerby.

"What is the meaning of this?"

ii.  Training Grounds

It doesn't take her long to find what she's been looking for.  She's been supplied with a spear, at least, though its weight is nothing like the Skadi had been.  Heavier, actually, but the sooner she gets some practice with it, the better.

Her wound still burns, but it will heal in its own time—she doesn't trust the lot of these people, but they should be of some use to her for the time being.  Her armor feels heavy though, and her shoulders ache, but she bites her lip and bears it as she approaches, spear in hand but not threateningly, indicating the grounds.

"Well?" A cocky little smile.  "Too scared to fight?"

iii.  The Fluffy Duckling

It's not that she particularly cares for any drink, but that—from experience—places like these often contain valuable information, whether overheard or otherwise coaxed from some hapless denizen.  She doesn't plan on doing anything violent at the moment, really, though she does have a tankard of mead on hand (and it's the only thing that godsdamned bartender would serve her).

She makes no attempt to be friendly, either, though she does nod to the one occupying the empty seat next to her.  "They don't serve anything good in here," she says by way of greeting, though she otherwise remains nonchalant.

Comments

[gordianknots]

Amusing is hardly the world I would employ in the matter, all things considered, nor would I take that attitude. The issue of this place is a shared problem, and thus your concerns are the same of the rest of the populace.

[blue_sophia]

Calm down a little, then. How is this— [ She pulls out her compact and snaps it open, smiling all the while as it sings and pukes out glitter. ] —for amusement? It seems we're taken a bit lightly. [ But getting proven wrong would be just as useful… ]

[gordianknots]

[eyebrow raise] Has anyone actually explained your present circumstances?

[blue_sophia]

Well enough, unless you're planning to add to it? But try to relax, I didn't say I wasn't going to help with…this problem.

[gordianknots]

I can hardly do that if I don't know what information you are already aware of.

And frankly, it shouldn't be done here. Walls have ears and such.

[blue_sophia]

We're trapped and forced to become who we're not. [ And it's her turn to raise an eyebrow, indicating if that was all? ] As to everything else—if this thing— [ So much disdain for the pink sparkly compact. ] —is the only thing that can keep secrets from our captors…

[gordianknots]

You really did get the bare basics then. Whoever you spoke to didn't go into details then - shame on them for it. As for the communication thing, well--

[with that, Waver heads towards the door, pausing at the entrance and looking at Malice to see if she's going to follow]

[blue_sophia]

I've found that some things are better left to experience. [ Said as she takes his cue and follows after him, though not without shooting a glare at the bartender first.

But once she approaches the entrance, she settles back into a more genial expression. ] Where to? I tire of places like these.

[gordianknots]

Under certain circumstances, I'd encourage that attitude, but not here.

[and he's out, down the path, shoving hands into his coat pockets] Just keep moving, it ensures that no one overhears extent - or else it gives us time to notice if we're being followed.

[blue_sophia]

Fair enough. [ Flippantly, but it'll ward off some suspicion. But she keeps an eye out while they move, all the same—she knows what it's like to hide in the shadows, and knows how it's done. ] You'll need someone who can fight, I take it? They seem to encourage that well enough around here.

[gordianknots]

Oh, the Powers that Be desire utter compliance around here. Everyone else wants a fight, be it psychological or physical.

[He snorts, watching breath condense in the cold air]

So, what do you know so far? I'm certain that the historical on-goings weren't accounted for, and I find context is always useful.

[blue_sophia]

[ She'll deign to avoid mentioning the weapons provided her as part of her denizen, but that last statement does bring her to pause. ]

Not much apart from what I've already said—beyond the matter of those rulers. They're godlike, I gather. [ A rueful smile. ] I don't take kindly to those.

[gordianknots]

That's not a bad way to think of them, actually. They're a little pantheon to be certain, and the behaviour definitely matches up to most groups of gods.

But, to the point. I'll gather that someone explained the idea of becoming a different person from myth, folklore, whatever, to you, causing memory loss and physical changes in the process. It's done by throwing the entire place into absurd situations either physically or psychologically, so that everyone is pushed to their limit before a change happens. It can be big and showy - like the most recent thing where they decided to show everyone how their assigned character perished on the island - or ridiculous, like jamming up everyone's language translators and having people catch turkeys in order to get the translation capabilities back.

[blue_sophia]

[ She'd been having an agreeable time of it too, though her expression darkens by the end of it. Physical and psychological torture she can handle, but presented in such a comical way…

So that compact had only been the first of her problems, but this? This is more irritating than dangerous, and that makes it…worse. ]

Hard to imagine. [ After a while. Not easy to properly articulate how she might feel about the whole thing. But she quirks an eyebrow at Waver, grasping at the first question that comes to mind. ] And how have you managed to keep enough of your own being to warn me about this?

[gordianknots]

I haven't been around here very long, and I've been attempting to function as an archive to keep history straight and everyone's memories accessible, so long as I'm given copies of what they are.

[he shrugs, picks a random path past some of the houses and keeps walking] Most people have their minds about them, they just explain the situation differently.

[blue_sophia]

[ A scholar…that's pretty useful, actually. There's only so much research she herself can do on the fly.

Fly. Yep. This isn't a good day for her at all. ] Then you see my difficulty here. Some of the ones I've spoken to are already… [ annoying ] unreliable.

[gordianknots]

Unreliable in what way?

Also, may I ask what story was foisted upon you here?

[blue_sophia]

It's a cultural thing. [ Kept purposefully vague because this isn't the time to say that they're annoying. Or irritating. Or that she wants to punch most everyone here in the face, yep.

So she'll just slip on over to the other question then— ] Much like the story I've been left with. They say I'm to be a woman called Byrnhildr, with a poor rendition of my own world's legends.

[gordianknots]

[A cultural thing. Sure. He'll go with that. But oh, the Wagner opera and a real life equal thereof? He's listening.]

Where do the differences lie?

[blue_sophia]

[ If only she's even aware of that—"cultural thing," indeed. ] I know not who this Brynhildr is but the only Asgard I know of is my…home. [ Yeah, let's go with that. ]

[gordianknots]

[At this point, Waver's thinking his new life mantra should be I hate the second magic I hate the second magic I hate the second magic.]

You're going to have to elaborate on home then

[blue_sophia]

I'd prefer not to. [ And that's the nicest way she'll put it. Too many Issues with her past and all that. ] How exactly will it help us now?

[gordianknots]

Easy - it will explain where the disconnect between your home and the legend of Brynhildr lies.

[blue_sophia]

[ That makes her pause then, suspicious. ]

It is the home of the gods, had they still been alive.

[gordianknots]

[Could you be any more vague? Waver just stares at her, hoping she'll get the message to keep speaking.]