Damn

Well, that mead hall wasn't one of our enemies' tricks, though it could have come at a better time. My father has really inappropriate timing, despite his claims otherwise. God, that... did not go well.

So, Loki shows up to have a "Father+Daughter Sit-Down Dinner" with me... right when we need to be doing something rather important. I typically don't go into exactly what was said, but... well, life is going to be much harder now... though I'm through giving a shit about my safety.

Aren says, "Fine, if only to get this over with so I can rejoin my companions." She sits down at the table.

"Are you sure that's what you want?"  His tone is mild, and his expression gives no deeper insight as to what he might mean.  Though he does pick up a pitcher, silently offering to poor her a horn full of mead.

It didn't take long for him to start feeding me this bullshit. Trying to make me doubt myself, my companions, and what I was doing. All under the guise of "Fatherly Advice". All the while ignoring my comments about New York about to be devoured by the orb.

"It never ends, you know."

Aren says, "It...?"

"How have the others treated you?  Alanna, Morgan, Tetsuko..."

Aren says, "Tetsuko's warmed up to me, but... Alanna and Moira...."

"Alanna and Moira what?"

"They've been pretty mean spirited... Alanna especially."

"Yes, rather judgemental.  And you saw how Alanna acted towards me, as well."

Aren says, "Well, you ARE her wife's ex."

"And I'm Loki, the Lie-Smith.  That terrible, untrustworthy fellow  who'll doom us all."  He doesn't bother to hide the hints of bitterness creeping into his tone.  "Don't you think ~that~ had something to do with it?"

I get it, ever since the myth of Ragnarok was penned, Loki's been cast as the bad-guy in everything from Marvel Comics to bad fan-fiction. This boils down to his bruised ego talking. Confronting him about his expectations of me only yielded vague answers about how he wanted me to "be able to see the truth." Like he wanted me to turn on my companions or something. Well, I let him know exactly how I felt.

Aren is silent as she composes her response, then she fixes him with a hard look, "You know, this is why nobody trusts you. You sit there and anguish over your fate and the fate of your kind, but what do you do? You show up before I have to confront a powerful agent of the titans to tell me that my existance is doomed to being on the recieiving end of abuse just because you decided to knock up some random mortal." she stands up, pushing her chair over in the process, "Send me back, NOW. No matter what you say, I have an obligation to help those I'm traveling with to save one of the largest cities on the planet. I care about the mortal stock I came from, I grew up in the dregs of society and I'm not going to let your centuries of bitterness keep me from doing what's right."

I touched a nerve.

The fire roars in the hearth as Loki surges to his feet.  His face a mask of anger as the heat in the room becomes suddenly suffocating.  "Have you forgotten who you are dealing with?!  What I know, the patterns I've seen, what I'm capable of?!"

Aren glares at him, "Go ahead, threaten me with your godly powers because I insulted you. You don't give a shit about the world, only your own pride. Otherwise, you'd be here to truely help me, rather than make me doubt the people around me."

He seems to grow larger in your view, even as the surroundings...flicker, almost, maybe.  It happens to quickly to be sure.  "Don't care, you think I don't care?!  If I didn't care you'd still be a street rat running around Europe, set to be trapped with the rest of the world!"

"Then get out of my way and let me do what I have to!"

"You think you can just insult me, ~me~ and demand to waltz away!"   His voice continuing to grow in volume...even as the surroundings flicker again.

Aren snarls, "You're goddamn right I do! You know why? Because I don't give a shit what happens to me! I'm not scared of YOU or ANYTHING!"

Then I found myself snapping out of a trance, back in the Empire State Building's lobby, just seconds before Vincent snapped out of his and then shortly Tetsuko did, too. I guess several divine entities decided that moment was a good time to speak to us.

There's going to be no repairing what I said to my father, but he doesn't get to come into the picture after 20 some years of me living alone, growing up alone, and acting like I owe him anything. He probably doesn't even care about whoever the woman was he got pregnant, she was probably a fling to satisfy his urges.

No, I've always been on my own, and that's only now beginning to change, and I'm not going to let anyone take that from me. I like having Tetsuko around and as much at Moira and Alanna drove me up a wall, I genuinly find myself missing them. Even Vincent, who I've only just met, is a welcome addition to my life. I won't abandon anyone when they need me for something as petty as my pride.

Now What?

The final Tengu was dealt with pretty quickly. I'd had enough of getting knocked around and feeling useless and I unleashed something in me to freeze the Tengu in place with confusion. Tetsuko quickly dispatched it.

Our new companion, Vincent, looks and sounds like he belongs in the early 90s Pro-Wrestling scene. Loud, boisterous, show-boating... yeah (I think Tetsuko got protective of me.. not sure what that was about). At least he can hold himself in a fight. I'm going to need training if I want to do more than flail about in embarassment.

We headed for the Empire State building and ran into roadblocks along the way. Tetsuko carried me on her back so we could keep up with Vincent's gravity-defying jumps, and we took the rooftops around the roadblocks. When we got to the doors the svartalfar confronted us again.

Threats were exchanged and I insulted his love-making skills. Oh yeah, I cut him good on that. He tried to get one in back at me, but his attempt sucked. I feel a bit vindicated, but I made sure he knew that I'd take him down.

He disappeared when Vincent went to swing at him. So, we went inside and all of a sudden I found myself in a norse-style mead hall with the table set for two. Tetsuko and Vincent were no longer near me. I'm not going to play along with these damned illusory games.

Urban Jungle

I seem to have this unfortunate ability to loose my clothes at times when I'd rather stay clothed. Mercifully, I can make a new set appear in an instant, but it's still humiliating.

Tetsuko and I climbed Yggdrasil up into Central Park of New York City. I'm still a bit sore. With no idea where to start looking for our support and no clue where the svartalfar would strike, I consulted the bones. I got a prophecy that told me that the svartalfar would enact his ritual from atop the highest point in the city. As to where to find our new companion.... it didn't help much, so we trusted to Fate to guide us and we did cross paths with him.

He was being chased by three Tengu at the time, however.

We joined battle and I made a fool of myself, again, unable to land a single strike, and I was also knocked from my clothing during the fight. Yeah, great way to make a first impression. Tetsuko, being the warrior that she is, was able to dispatch most of the Tengu. Now we have to explain to this new member what we've been through and whats going on before we have our final confrontation with the svartalfar.

I need a vacation... someplace warm...

Family Bonding

We all set out into the bleakness of Erebus.

Not pleasant.

Neither was the storm that overtook us. Purple clouds and strange lighting. Inside the storm we were attacked by strange walking dead. I managed to stick close to Tetsuko and we plunged ahead as we fought them off. Well... she fought them off. I can't swing a sword to save my life.

We heard a voice calling out to us and we stumbled towards it and into Nifilheim. We'd become separated from the Irish girls and were welcomed to the Norse underworld by my nephew. Yeah, I guess I have a nephew. Hjaeld, he called himself. Though I think he caught himself from using his old name. Growing up an orphan and then finding a bunch of lost relatives is a very weird experience. First a father, then a nephew, now a sister.

Hjaeld made a fire for Tetsuko to keep warm and we were taken to Helheim, the abode of Hel, my half-sister (no pun intended and I'm sure she'd probably flay me if she thought I was making a joke at her expenese). I guess this also makes me kin with Fenris and Jormungandr, too. And even Odin for that matter. Once we got shown inside we had to cross a low pool of blood. God that was nasty, we were up to our chests in blood when my sister, sitting on a throne up on a dias started to address us.

I pleaded our case as best I could, with Tetsuko filling in the gaps. We found out that that damned svartalfar (and even Hel knew about my... indiscretion... with him) had perfected his ritual and was targeting New York city. Worse, I found out why we were deposited outside the Titan's prison: because we were inside it. I think the towns that got sent there are lost, and we have to stop the next ritual.

Hel showed us to the roots of Yggdrasil, the World Tree and told us to climb in order to get back to "Midgard" and stop the svartalfar's plans. We should have help from another child of Amaterasu when we get there. I hate to admit it, but I'm going to miss having Alanna and  Moira around when the final showdown happens.

Not in Kansas Anymore

I had a talk with Tetsuko. She apologized for how she'd been acting. I guess seeing me react to Alanna's barbs made her realize something. I'm not sure I can figure the girl out, sometimes, but she's taken to calling me -chan so I guess that's a step in the right direction. She's also starting to teach me Japanese, which is nice.

Anyway, the Irish girls got back with some volunteers and we began the ritual. It was a lengthy bloodletting ceremony and I led it. I was mostly flying by what felt right and what I knew of old lore. And it worked. Sort of...

We were enveloped in blackness and found ourselves in Erebus; the massive gray plain in the center of the underworld. Yeah, we were right next to the shattered prison of the Titans. That was a bit scary. Worse, though, it's not just us Scions in the underworld: the mortals came with us and there's no sign of the town.

At Alanna's suggestion I cast the bones and I was granted a real vision this time. I saw three possibilities: We cross the plain and end up in either Yomi, Nifilheim, or... I forget the name of the third. Alanna knew what it was. Either way, once we make it out of any of those underworlds, we meet a massive stone figure.

We're all at a loss, right now. We don't know if we should set out or wait or what. I'm going to ask Moira if she can use her mystical abilities to grant us some insight so we can figure out our next course of action.

AAARRGG!

I find myself wondering just why the hell my father grouped me up with these people.

Am I undergoing some test of patience? To see how long I can endure the verbal snipes from people I'm supposed to be calling my comrades? Is this in object lesson in how the Aesir feel about him?

I'm pacing around the top of the mountain we appeared in, helping Hiroku, the Scion of Hatchiman we rescued, plot out the method of a ritual we're going to try to hopefully get us and the town home. Tetsuko is standing nearby, keeping guard, though she keeps glancing at me.

I know what she's thinking. It's not hard to figure out what manner of things she was saying whenever the subject of the svartalfar comes up. It's probably the Japanese equivalent of "whore". She gives me dirty looks whenever that comes up. Alanna doesn't even have the courtesy to hide her comments behind a language I don't speak. Moira seems to be the only one who isn't out to make me feel unwanted.

Long story short, we had Hiroku use his powers of Psychopomp (finding places, going between worlds, ferrying the spirits of the dead) to lead us back to the mountain and to a spot where the connection between this world and the real world is strong. We started to spitball ideas when Alanna decided to let me know that she holds me responsible for the mess we're in.

Yes, it all comes down to the fact that I was getting fucked when the girls rushed in to bail me out. Never mind that I was in there alone. Never mind that I was inches from blowing my cover. Never mind my life was on the line. Noooo. All I was after (apparently) was some svartalfar cock.

Then she gives me this speech essentially laying blame on me for dumping the town in HER lap, like it's HER sole responsibility to make sure the people survive. That if she doesn't she might as well let her mother sacrifice her. There's a reason I'm venting here, because that just sounded like the biggest pile of selfish bullshit I've ever heard.

I'm furious, right now, I can hardly think straight. Though I think I've made up my mind: I'm seeing this thing through to the end, I wont abandon anyone, but once this crisis is over, I'm gone.

Tetsuko is approaching me.

Great... now what?

Going Underground... Again

I need to find out if theres some way to increase my power reserves, changing form is really taxing. So much so that I could have really used it. It would have been handy to change into something big and unbelievable. I guess I should explain.

When we gathered back together, Alanna and I had gathered material for going underground (I can't tell you how tired I am of going down into dark holes in the earth) and we were faced with a crowd of scared and confused mortals. The girls (Well, Moira and Alanna) insisted I tell a big fat lie to lull everyone into a sense of false security. Ugh, just because I'm the Lie-Smith's daughter doesn't mean I enjoy misleading people.

Anyway, I told a fair approximation of the truth. I told the crowd who we were, what happened, and what we needed to do... with no divine influence on my words. Proof was needed, so I started ice skate across the pavement. That helped. Then Alanna took over, giving orders, while Moira and I divided up the gathered people. Alanna also grabbed a few that stepped forward to lead and gave them instructions.

With the townsfolk doing what they needed to last a few days in this Terra Incognita, we went back to the dome and headed undergound. We encountered some giant, but cute, ferrets. The led us to their master, a Scion of Hatchiman, that had been imprisoned. We let Tetsuko talk to him. I don't think we learned much that was useful, he'd ended up trapped there in a similar manner as us.

Fortunately, we learned that the two tengu we killed were the only guards, so we should have free-run of the base we're now in. Hopefully we can find this "Stormy Key" that my vision spoke of. Then, maybe, we can find a way home.