#Rune Forsyth

[foreversnightmare]

It seems so ridicous to have such petty argument's in a battle, but who is she to judge how a human reacts? Miss "Wouldve ended the world for her brother" certainly cant. Freyja had used her shield as a way to balance herself while the earth was shaking, She ws wondering if it was even worth attack such a creature until she felt the chilling blast of ice magic breeze past her.

"Lady Freyja, I've provided you an opening. I trust you to take full advantage of it."

Freyja looked back at where Julia was and gave her a small smile before quickly turning to give her attention to the monster, her hands squeezed the throat of the axe-handle

Freyja 10/10HP misses and critically hits a Alligatorid Husk 44/50 HP with Brave Axe Roll: 9(-4), 16(-4) = 3 damage!

Despite feeling the axe strike against the enemy.. she notices it did really do much against it, perhaps its armor is just to much for her to be able to break through normally, the frozen creature trembles beneath her hit as it slowly thaws out "You are truly putting in the work Julia, I doubt we would be able to hit this thing without you."

you, me and our trusty friend the light rune (team 15 silver round)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 8.25

Holidays

American Oil Discovery Day (Pennsylvania)

Apocynum Day (French Republic)

Aromatic Visibility Day

Australian South Sea Islander Recognition Day (Australia)

Battle Of Blair Mountain Anniversary Day

Clio Asteroid Day

English Channel Swim Day

Gene Simmons Day

Great American Duck Day

The Great Moon Hoax Day

Healthy Lifestyle Day

Honorable Artillery Company Day (UK)

International Day of the Hairstylist

International Redhead Day

Kiss and Make Up Day

Lake Sevan Day (Armenia)

Liberation of Paris Day (Paris, France)

National Don't Utter a Word Day

National Park Service Founders Day

National Poetry Day (New Zealand)

National Second-Hand Wardrobe Day

National Tech-Voc Day (Philippines)

Nils Lofgren Day

Pops Staples Day (Chicago, Illinois)

Private Eye Day

Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day

Second-Hand Wardrobe Day

Soldier's Day (Brazil)

Songun (North Korea)

South Sea Islander Recognition Day (Australia)

Tim Burton Day

Wizard of Oz Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Feast of the Green Corn

Instant Ramen Day (Japan)

National Banana Split Day

National Lamington Day

National Whiskey Sour Day

Independence & Related Days

Belarus (from USSR, 1991)

Constitution Day (Paraguay)

Iloilo City Charter Day (Philippines)

New Orleans (Founded; 1718)

Parva Domus Magna Quies (Declared; 1878) [unrecognized]

Uruguay (from Brazil, 1825)

4th & Last Sunday in August

Burning Man begins (Nevada) [8.27 thru 9.4]

Family Day (Tennessee) [Last Sunday]

Go Topless Day [ website ] [Sunday nearest 26th] (Also 8.24)

International Bereaved Father’s Day [Last Sunday]

Miner’s Day (USSR) [Last Sunday]

National Faith HIV/AIDS Awareness Day [Last Sunday]

National Fantasy Football Draft Day [Last Sunday]

Notting Hill Carnival begins (UK) [Sunday before Last Monday]

Plague Sunday (Gloucestershire, UK) [Last Sunday]

Pony Express Day [Last Sunday]

Sacrifice Our Wants For Other’s Needs Sunday [Sunday of Be Kind to Humankind Week]

Seven For Sunday [Every Sunday]

Social Justice Sunday [Last Sunday]

Soothing Sunday [4th Sunday of Each Month]

Spud Sunday [4th Sunday of Each Month]

Souper Sunday [Last Sunday of Each Month]

Sultry Sunday [Last Sunday of Each Month]

Sundae Sunday [Every Sunday]

Sunday Funday [Every Sunday]

World Kitchen Garden Day [4th Sunday]

Weekly Holidays beginning August 25 (4th Full Week of August)

Be Kind to Humankind Week (thru 8.31)

Brake Safety Week (thru 8.31)

Contact Lens Health Week [4th Week]

National Composites Week [Last Week]

World Water Week (thru 8.29)

Festivals Beginning August 25, 2024

Bloemencorso Blankenberge (Blankenberge, Belgium)

Burning Man (Black Rock City, Nevada) [thru 9.2]

California Restaurant Show (Los Angeles, California) [thru 8.27]

Coffee Fest Los Angeles (Los Angeles, California) [thru 8.27]

Detroit Bourbon & Blues Festival (Detroit, Michigan)

Georgia VegFest (Atlanta, Georgia)

Notting Hill Carnival (London, United Kingdom) [thru 8.26]

Nutty Pie Contest, at the Alaska State Fair (Palmer, Alaska)

Peach Festival (Grafton, Illinois)

Sharq Taronalari International Music Festival (Samarkand, Uzbekistan) [thru 8.30]

Taste of Huntington Beach (Huntington Beach, California)

Terptown Throwdown (Boston, Massachusetts)

Feast Days

Æbbe of Coldingham (Christian; Saint)

Aredius (Christian; Saint)

Bret Harte (Writerism)

Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo (Artology)

Conté (Positivist; Saint)

Daniel Hulet (Artology)

Discovery of the Runes (Norse)

Dorothea Tanning (Artology)

Duke (Price Charming’s Horse; Muppetism)

Ebba (a.k.a. Tabbs; Christian; Saint)

Frederick Forsyth (Writerism)

Ganesh Chaturthi (a.k.a. Vinayaka Chaturthi; India)

Genesius of Arles (Christian; Saint)

Genesius of Rome (Christian; Saint)

Ginés de la Jara (a.k.a. Genesius of Cartagena; Christian; Saint)

George Stubbs (Artology)

Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato (Artology)

Gregory of Utrecht (Christian; Saint)

Heliogabalus Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Horus Nativity (Ancient Egypt)

Ian Falconer (Artology)

Jacob Maris (Artology)

Joan Antide-Thouret (Christian; Saint & Virgin)

Joseph of Calasanz (Christian; Saint)

Leonard Bernstein (Humanism)

Louis IX of France (Christian; Saint)

Ludovicus Baba (Christian; Blessed)

Ludovicus Sasada (Christian; Blessed)

Luis Sotelo (Christian; Blessed)

Maelrubha (Celtic Book of Days)

Martin Amis (Writerism)

Mary Michaela Desmaisieres (Christian; Saint & Virgin)

Menas of Constantinople (Christian; Saint)

Michael Kaluta (Artology)

Miguel de Carvalho (Christian; Blessed)

Opiconsivia (Roman festival to Ops, goddess of fertility & abundance)

Patricia of Naples (Christian; Saint)

Pedro Vásquez, Blessed (Christian; Saint)

Rumpleskunkskin’s Bride Escapes to Heerwigoland (Fairy Celebration; Shamanism)

Thomas de Cantilupe (a.k.a. of Hereford; Christian; Saint)

Walt Kelly (Artology)

Whiskey Sour Day (Pastafarian)

Hindu Calendar Holidays [Begins at Sundown Day Before]

Krishna Janmashtami (a.k.a. Krishnashtami, Janmashtami, or Gokulashtami)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [34 of 53]

Premieres

Advance and Be Mechanized (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1967)

And Justice For All, by Metallica (Album; 1988)

Barnacle Bill (Betty Boop Cartoon; 1930)

Beerfest (Film; 2006)

Bertie the Brain (Video Game; 1950)

Born to Run, by Bruce Springsteen (Album; 1975)

Boston, by Boston (Album; 1976)

Bring It On (Film; 2000)

Carrotblanca (WB LT Cartoon; 1995)

Cheese Chasers (WB MM Cartoon; 1951)

Desperado (Film; 1995)

Electric Ladyland Studio (Recording Studio; 1970)

The Golden West (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1939)

Graceland, by Paul Simon (Album; 1986)

Grand Uproar (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1933)

Humboldt's Gift, by Saul Bellow (Novel; 1975)

Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers (WB TV Cartoon; 1992)

Laughable Loves, by Milan Kundera (Short Stories; 1969)

Leap!, a.k.a. Ballerina (Animated Film; 2017)

Madame Bovary (Film; 1949)

Miracle on 34th Street, by Valentine Davies (Novel; 1947)

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, by Lauryn Hill (Album; 1998)

Mutt ’n’ Bones (Phantasies Cartoon; 1944)

My So-Called Life (TV Series; 1994)

The Pink Tail Fly (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1965)

The Pique Poquette of Paris (The Inspector Cartoon; 1966)

Raw! Raw! Rooster! (WB LT Cartoon; 1956)

Samurai!, by Saburo Sakai (Autobiography; 1957)

Solid Ivory (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1947)

Swing Shift Cinderella (Tex Avery MGM Cartoon; 1945)

The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo (Children’s Book; 2003)

The Thief and the Cobbler (Animated Film; 1995)

The Wizard of Oz (Film; 1939)

Wrecking Ball, by Miley Cyrus (Song; 2013)

Today’s Name Days

Elvira, Josef, Ludwig, Patricia (Austria)

Grgur, Josip, Ljudevit (Croatia)

Radim (Czech Republic)

Ludvig (Denmark)

Tauno, Tunne (Estonia)

Loviisa (Finland)

Louis (France)

Ebba, Elvira, Ludwig (Germany)

Bartholomeos, Titos (Greece)

Lajos, Patrícia (Hungary)

Ludovico, Luigi (Italy)

Ivonna, Ludis, Ludvigs (Latvia)

Liucija, Liudas, Liudvikas, Mangailas, Mangailė (Lithuania)

Louise, Lovise, Ludvig (Norway)

Gaudencjusz, Gaudenty, Grzegorz, Ludwik, Luiza, Michał, Sieciesław (Poland)

Ľudovít (Slovakia)

Ginés, José, Luis, Patricia (Spain)

Louise, Lovisa (Sweden)

Dorcas, Lanard, Lennie, Lenny, Leonard, Leonardo, Tabatha, Tabitha (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 238 of 2024; 128 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of Week 34 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Coll (Hazel) [Day 23 of 28]

Chinese: Month 7 (Ren-Shen), Day 22 (Xin-You)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 21 Av 5784

Islamic: 19 Safar 1446

J Cal: 28 Purple; Sevenday [28 of 30]

Julian: 12 August 2024

Moon: 58%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 13 Gutenberg (9th Month) [Conté]

Runic Half Month: Rad (Motion) [Day 3 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 67 of 94)

Week: 4th Full Week of August

Zodiac: Virgo (Day 4 of 32)

[brookston]

Holidays 8.25

Holidays

American Oil Discovery Day (Pennsylvania)

Apocynum Day (French Republic)

Aromatic Visibility Day

Australian South Sea Islander Recognition Day (Australia)

Battle Of Blair Mountain Anniversary Day

Clio Asteroid Day

English Channel Swim Day

Gene Simmons Day

Great American Duck Day

The Great Moon Hoax Day

Healthy Lifestyle Day

Honorable Artillery Company Day (UK)

International Day of the Hairstylist

International Redhead Day

Kiss and Make Up Day

Lake Sevan Day (Armenia)

Liberation of Paris Day (Paris, France)

National Don't Utter a Word Day

National Park Service Founders Day

National Poetry Day (New Zealand)

National Second-Hand Wardrobe Day

National Tech-Voc Day (Philippines)

Nils Lofgren Day

Pops Staples Day (Chicago, Illinois)

Private Eye Day

Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day

Second-Hand Wardrobe Day

Soldier's Day (Brazil)

Songun (North Korea)

South Sea Islander Recognition Day (Australia)

Tim Burton Day

Wizard of Oz Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Feast of the Green Corn

Instant Ramen Day (Japan)

National Banana Split Day

National Lamington Day

National Whiskey Sour Day

Independence & Related Days

Belarus (from USSR, 1991)

Constitution Day (Paraguay)

Iloilo City Charter Day (Philippines)

New Orleans (Founded; 1718)

Parva Domus Magna Quies (Declared; 1878) [unrecognized]

Uruguay (from Brazil, 1825)

4th & Last Sunday in August

Burning Man begins (Nevada) [8.27 thru 9.4]

Family Day (Tennessee) [Last Sunday]

Go Topless Day [ website ] [Sunday nearest 26th] (Also 8.24)

International Bereaved Father’s Day [Last Sunday]

Miner’s Day (USSR) [Last Sunday]

National Faith HIV/AIDS Awareness Day [Last Sunday]

National Fantasy Football Draft Day [Last Sunday]

Notting Hill Carnival begins (UK) [Sunday before Last Monday]

Plague Sunday (Gloucestershire, UK) [Last Sunday]

Pony Express Day [Last Sunday]

Sacrifice Our Wants For Other’s Needs Sunday [Sunday of Be Kind to Humankind Week]

Seven For Sunday [Every Sunday]

Social Justice Sunday [Last Sunday]

Soothing Sunday [4th Sunday of Each Month]

Spud Sunday [4th Sunday of Each Month]

Souper Sunday [Last Sunday of Each Month]

Sultry Sunday [Last Sunday of Each Month]

Sundae Sunday [Every Sunday]

Sunday Funday [Every Sunday]

World Kitchen Garden Day [4th Sunday]

Weekly Holidays beginning August 25 (4th Full Week of August)

Be Kind to Humankind Week (thru 8.31)

Brake Safety Week (thru 8.31)

Contact Lens Health Week [4th Week]

National Composites Week [Last Week]

World Water Week (thru 8.29)

Festivals Beginning August 25, 2024

Bloemencorso Blankenberge (Blankenberge, Belgium)

Burning Man (Black Rock City, Nevada) [thru 9.2]

California Restaurant Show (Los Angeles, California) [thru 8.27]

Coffee Fest Los Angeles (Los Angeles, California) [thru 8.27]

Detroit Bourbon & Blues Festival (Detroit, Michigan)

Georgia VegFest (Atlanta, Georgia)

Notting Hill Carnival (London, United Kingdom) [thru 8.26]

Nutty Pie Contest, at the Alaska State Fair (Palmer, Alaska)

Peach Festival (Grafton, Illinois)

Sharq Taronalari International Music Festival (Samarkand, Uzbekistan) [thru 8.30]

Taste of Huntington Beach (Huntington Beach, California)

Terptown Throwdown (Boston, Massachusetts)

Feast Days

Æbbe of Coldingham (Christian; Saint)

Aredius (Christian; Saint)

Bret Harte (Writerism)

Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo (Artology)

Conté (Positivist; Saint)

Daniel Hulet (Artology)

Discovery of the Runes (Norse)

Dorothea Tanning (Artology)

Duke (Price Charming’s Horse; Muppetism)

Ebba (a.k.a. Tabbs; Christian; Saint)

Frederick Forsyth (Writerism)

Ganesh Chaturthi (a.k.a. Vinayaka Chaturthi; India)

Genesius of Arles (Christian; Saint)

Genesius of Rome (Christian; Saint)

Ginés de la Jara (a.k.a. Genesius of Cartagena; Christian; Saint)

George Stubbs (Artology)

Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato (Artology)

Gregory of Utrecht (Christian; Saint)

Heliogabalus Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Horus Nativity (Ancient Egypt)

Ian Falconer (Artology)

Jacob Maris (Artology)

Joan Antide-Thouret (Christian; Saint & Virgin)

Joseph of Calasanz (Christian; Saint)

Leonard Bernstein (Humanism)

Louis IX of France (Christian; Saint)

Ludovicus Baba (Christian; Blessed)

Ludovicus Sasada (Christian; Blessed)

Luis Sotelo (Christian; Blessed)

Maelrubha (Celtic Book of Days)

Martin Amis (Writerism)

Mary Michaela Desmaisieres (Christian; Saint & Virgin)

Menas of Constantinople (Christian; Saint)

Michael Kaluta (Artology)

Miguel de Carvalho (Christian; Blessed)

Opiconsivia (Roman festival to Ops, goddess of fertility & abundance)

Patricia of Naples (Christian; Saint)

Pedro Vásquez, Blessed (Christian; Saint)

Rumpleskunkskin’s Bride Escapes to Heerwigoland (Fairy Celebration; Shamanism)

Thomas de Cantilupe (a.k.a. of Hereford; Christian; Saint)

Walt Kelly (Artology)

Whiskey Sour Day (Pastafarian)

Hindu Calendar Holidays [Begins at Sundown Day Before]

Krishna Janmashtami (a.k.a. Krishnashtami, Janmashtami, or Gokulashtami)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [34 of 53]

Premieres

Advance and Be Mechanized (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1967)

And Justice For All, by Metallica (Album; 1988)

Barnacle Bill (Betty Boop Cartoon; 1930)

Beerfest (Film; 2006)

Bertie the Brain (Video Game; 1950)

Born to Run, by Bruce Springsteen (Album; 1975)

Boston, by Boston (Album; 1976)

Bring It On (Film; 2000)

Carrotblanca (WB LT Cartoon; 1995)

Cheese Chasers (WB MM Cartoon; 1951)

Desperado (Film; 1995)

Electric Ladyland Studio (Recording Studio; 1970)

The Golden West (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1939)

Graceland, by Paul Simon (Album; 1986)

Grand Uproar (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1933)

Humboldt's Gift, by Saul Bellow (Novel; 1975)

Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers (WB TV Cartoon; 1992)

Laughable Loves, by Milan Kundera (Short Stories; 1969)

Leap!, a.k.a. Ballerina (Animated Film; 2017)

Madame Bovary (Film; 1949)

Miracle on 34th Street, by Valentine Davies (Novel; 1947)

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, by Lauryn Hill (Album; 1998)

Mutt ’n’ Bones (Phantasies Cartoon; 1944)

My So-Called Life (TV Series; 1994)

The Pink Tail Fly (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1965)

The Pique Poquette of Paris (The Inspector Cartoon; 1966)

Raw! Raw! Rooster! (WB LT Cartoon; 1956)

Samurai!, by Saburo Sakai (Autobiography; 1957)

Solid Ivory (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1947)

Swing Shift Cinderella (Tex Avery MGM Cartoon; 1945)

The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo (Children’s Book; 2003)

The Thief and the Cobbler (Animated Film; 1995)

The Wizard of Oz (Film; 1939)

Wrecking Ball, by Miley Cyrus (Song; 2013)

Today’s Name Days

Elvira, Josef, Ludwig, Patricia (Austria)

Grgur, Josip, Ljudevit (Croatia)

Radim (Czech Republic)

Ludvig (Denmark)

Tauno, Tunne (Estonia)

Loviisa (Finland)

Louis (France)

Ebba, Elvira, Ludwig (Germany)

Bartholomeos, Titos (Greece)

Lajos, Patrícia (Hungary)

Ludovico, Luigi (Italy)

Ivonna, Ludis, Ludvigs (Latvia)

Liucija, Liudas, Liudvikas, Mangailas, Mangailė (Lithuania)

Louise, Lovise, Ludvig (Norway)

Gaudencjusz, Gaudenty, Grzegorz, Ludwik, Luiza, Michał, Sieciesław (Poland)

Ľudovít (Slovakia)

Ginés, José, Luis, Patricia (Spain)

Louise, Lovisa (Sweden)

Dorcas, Lanard, Lennie, Lenny, Leonard, Leonardo, Tabatha, Tabitha (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 238 of 2024; 128 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of Week 34 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Coll (Hazel) [Day 23 of 28]

Chinese: Month 7 (Ren-Shen), Day 22 (Xin-You)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 21 Av 5784

Islamic: 19 Safar 1446

J Cal: 28 Purple; Sevenday [28 of 30]

Julian: 12 August 2024

Moon: 58%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 13 Gutenberg (9th Month) [Conté]

Runic Half Month: Rad (Motion) [Day 3 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 67 of 94)

Week: 4th Full Week of August

Zodiac: Virgo (Day 4 of 32)

[spaceexp]

Swarm details energetic coupling

ESA - SWARM Mission logo. 15 February 2018 The Sun bathes our planet in the light and heat it needs to sustain life, but it also bombards us with dangerous charged particles in solar wind. Our magnetic field largely shields from this onslaught, but like many a relationship, it’s somewhat complicated. Thanks to ESA’s Swarm mission the nature of this Earth–Sun coupling has been revealed in more detail than ever before.

Earth's protective shield

Earth’s magnetic field is like a huge bubble, protecting us from cosmic radiation and charged particles carried by powerful winds that escape the Sun’s gravitational pull and sweep across the Solar System. The trio of Swarm satellites were launched in 2013 to improve our understanding of how the field is generated and how it protects us from this barrage of charged particles. Since our magnetic field is generated mainly by an ocean of liquid iron that makes up the planet’s outer core, it resembles a bar magnet with field lines emerging from near the poles. The field is highly conductive and carries charged particles that flow along these field lines, giving rise to field-aligned currents.

Aurora borealis

Carrying up to 1 TW of electrical power – about six times the amount of energy produced every year by wind turbines in Europe – these currents are the dominant form of energy transfer between the magnetosphere and ionosphere. The shimmering green and purple light displays of the auroras in the skies above the polar regions are a visible manifestation of energy and particles travelling along magnetic field lines. The theory about the exchange and momentum between solar wind and our magnetic field actually goes back more than 100 years, and more recently the Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Electrodynamics Response Experiment satellite network has allowed scientists to study large-scale field-aligned currents.

However, the Swarm mission is leading to exciting new wave of discoveries. A new paper explores the dynamics of this energetic coupling across different spatial scales – and finds that it’s all in the detail. Ryan McGranaghan from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory said, “We have a good understanding of how these currents exchange energy between the ionosphere and the magnetosphere at large scales so we assumed that smaller-scale currents behaved in the same way, but carried proportionally less energy.” “Swarm has allowed us to effectively zoom in on these smaller currents and we see that, under certain conditions, this is not the case. “Our findings show that these smaller currents carry significant energy and that their relationship with the larger currents is very complex. Moreover, large and small currents affect the magnetosphere–ionosphere differently.”

Our star’s turbulent surface

Colin Forsyth from University College London noted, “Since electric currents around Earth can interfere with navigation and telecommunication systems, this is an important discovery. “It also gives us a greater understanding of how the Sun and Earth are linked and how this coupling can ultimately add energy to our atmosphere. “This new knowledge can be used to improve models so that we can better understand, and therefore, ultimately, prepare for the potential consequences of solar storms.” ESA’s Swarm mission manager, Rune Floberghagen, added, “Since the beginning of the mission we have carried out projects to address the energy exchange between the magnetosphere, ionosphere and the thermosphere.

Swarm constellation

"But what we are witnessing now is nothing short of a complete overhaul of the understanding of how Earth responds to and interacts with output from the Sun. “In fact, this scientific investigation is becoming a fundamental pillar for the extended Swarm mission, precisely because it is breaking new ground and at the same time has strong societal relevance. We now wish to explore this potential of Swarm to the fullest.”  Related links: Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Electrodynamics Response Experiment: http://ampere.jhuapl.edu/ Journal of Geophysical Research: A comprehensive Analysis of Multiscale Field-Aligned Currents: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2017JA024742/pdf ESA's Swarm: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/Swarm Images, Text, Credits: ESA/ATG medialab/Sherwin Calaluan/DTU Space/ROB. Greetings, Orbiter.ch Full article

[helplesslyfictional]

Loki Fanfiction - Remember the Old Ways, Chapter 8 - “Control”

Author’s Note: So sorry for the wait, friends! The word count for this is 7648, the longest chapter so far, but I felt like I needed to fit all this in! Phew! Hard to believe at the beginning I was using 2500 as my go-to chapter word count, huh? I hope you like it!

Chapter Summary: Loki has a busy day ahead, which gets busier when Sophia proposes an interesting idea. Pairings: None! These stories are focused on family relationships.

What characters, then?   Loki, Thor, Odin, Frigga, OCs [Sophia]

When? Pre-Thor 2011: From Asgard to Earth, will go through Thor 2011 Chapter Warnings: Mature themes, emotional trauma and abuse, anxiety

Taglist: @loki-the-fox; @i-am-loki-and-now-i-speak-up; @trickster-grrrl; @deviantredhead; @mylokabrennauniverse; @leanmeanand-green; @juliabohemian; @latent-thoughts; @lucianalight; @nox-th-lk-sf; @be-a-snake-stab-your-brother; @myart-reviews Please let me know if you would like to be added/removed from tags and I’m more than happy to do so!

AO3 story link; Wattpad; Promo/Master Post

tumblr: Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 / Chapter 7

Frigga was spinning an enchantment when Loki visited the next day. The gentle winter sun cooled the golden details of her workspace. It was a comforting, familiar spot, as she’d taught him how to use magic here. On a low pedestal sat a jeweled necklace, its surface being mapped by spells his mother was casting, a web of enchantment spiraling above to capture and place them in exactly the right spot.

She smiled at him fondly as he came in. “Loki! It must be a special day - you’ve been so hard to find lately.”

Loki gave her a small smile as he sat on a stool. He had spent the night free of nightmares, but as he woke up this morning, Thor’s words had came back to him in a rush.

He wanted to tell her, so badly. On some level, he craved the love it would bring. A level of doting and attention that was so often given to his brother. The attempt in any way to try and make up for ‘lost time.’

But he couldn’t break Thor’s trust, not now. And in many ways, he didn’t want his mother to experience such sorrow. It was a short enough time that even a year from now the shock would be no different.

Loki rested his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands. “What are you doing, Mother?”

She looked at him in amusement as she cast a spell into the web of enchantment, tugging and pulling, adding a rune here and there, before settling it into the network that would be bound inside the jewel. “Well, Lady Forsythe is convinced that another member of the nobility is trying to ensorcel her.”

“Oh, is that so,” Loki said, a grin crossing his face. Lady Forsythe was well known for her off-the-wall beliefs.

“Yes,” said his mother, tying on a thread of magic. “And though I believe that it’s yet another one of her stories, when she came to me for help, I would not turn from my duties as both a queen and...confidant, as unwilling as I might be.”

“Oh - oh no, Mother, tell me this is not for her.”

Frigga stopped, meeting his eyes. “Of course it is.” A mischievous smile crossed her face. “It’s to create a mental ward, nothing more.”

“Of course,” said Loki, leaning back and crossing his arms. “And if it should happen to do anything else, then it’s just…”

“It’s just an accident,” she finished. “A woman can make mistakes, can’t she?”

“A sorceress of your caliber? Mother, I’d be astonished you’d miss something.”

She narrowed her eyes in false anger, then gave him a knowing smile. “I’m adding in a few things to perhaps...reduce her fears, but, I hope, not reduce her love of ridiculousness.”

“It’d be a shame to lose that in the court,” he said acerbically.

“It would.”

Loki frowned as he considered the situation. “Why wouldn’t she just have a sorcerer create those wards every few days?”

“Well, that would take effort, darling.”

“And...won’t the wards stop working if she takes off the stone?”

Frigga gave another laugh. “Of course, but you can’t expect her to put this much thought into such a request.”

“No,” he said, starting to be annoyed. “Clearly she’d rather waste your time instead.”

“Loki,” said Frigga with a sigh, “I cannot begrudge her something like this, it’s expected of me.”

“And she’ll do what for you, exactly?”

She stopped once more and looked at him seriously. “She’ll be loyal, Loki, you know that. Why do you even have to ask?”

“It seems very little in comparison to what you give her,” Loki responded. It seemed like this was always the case with his mother. She strove to create harmony even when there was cause for strife. When there should be a cause for anger, she instead would attempt to accommodate rather than fix the problem.

Once Loki had seen this as a beacon of diplomatic strength from her. But over the years, as he watched her buckle under the demands of others, he instead got angry on her behalf. He could only act on it in secret - sometimes he did so.

In this case, it was not going to be worth the effort.

She continued to work, her gown moving gently as she walked around the pedestal. “Did you have something you needed, Loki?” she asked.

“No, Mother,” he replied, “I simply wanted to see you before the council meeting.”

In some ways he hoped that she would ask him about his policy proposal, even though it didn’t exist. Perhaps she would remember.

“Oh,” she said distractedly, letting the conversation drop.

She hadn’t.

On the way to the council meeting, Loki was buried in his thoughts when he felt Sophia’s feelings once more, this time a feeling of surprise.

“Oh!” he heard, and turning, he saw her craning her neck to look at the ceiling in the hallway where they were.

Loki glanced both ways. They were alone for now, but not for long. Either a guard or a palace occupant would certainly walk by.

“I don’t have time,” he said quietly, striding quickly toward her. “I can’t talk.”

“I just needed to get out of the house,” Sophia said, turning towards him. “I’m sorry, I can go if you need.” He could sense she was hiding frustration and anger, and he realized that probably she needed a distraction.

Loki gave her a smile, trying to swallow his own frustration at the inconvenience. “I’m going to a council meeting. If you keep quiet, and don’t...try...anything, you can come.”

Sophia perked up at this. “I’d love to learn more about Asgardian politics,” she said, and he felt her getting excited.

Footsteps sounded down the hallway. Giving her a glance, he motioned for her to follow as he continued his way to the council chambers.

After they arrived, Sophia walked slowly around the chamber, careful to avoid touching people as Loki stood in front of his seat, waiting for King Odin. The other council members were speaking with one another, ignoring him as usual, so he kept an eye on Sophia’s movements. She would stop occasionally and listen intently to a conversation before ambling on. She moved back toward the wall as King Odin entered, his golden cloak sweeping behind him as he moved swiftly to his seat.

The Council sat when the king did, and the meeting began. Members were not allowed to eat until Odin did, so the food went untouched at the start. Usually Loki’s attention would drift, but watching Sophia take in information whilst knowing her feelings made for an interesting experience.

Whenever she glanced at King Odin, for example, he felt her become afraid. She didn’t stare at him at all, instead seeming quite uncomfortable. She had mentioned that her father grew angry, like his, and wondered if she felt his fear when he was around Odin. Did their feelings echo off one another, amplifying one another? He hadn’t seen her memories, but was he reacting based upon them or his own? The more he thought about their connection, the more questions he had.

Relations with Vanaheim were fine, as usual, although a rash of violence had broken out between a clan and its neighbors, one that had happened consistently for hundreds of years. No military intervention was needed yet, as Asgard’s forces stationed there were handling it. However, Loki wouldn’t be surprised if Thor and his friends would be called upon to handle some of the more pressing battles.

He wouldn’t mind going along himself if it meant Sophia could see Thor and him in battle. She would enjoy it, surely.

Other updates were standard: crime was minimal, the funds of the crown were stable with emergency supply, training of new Einharjar was underway. The thing that differentiated this meeting from most was the councillors’ preparations for Thor’s coronation, which would draw a number of dignitaries and significant crowds.

It was hard to comprehend Thor ascending to the throne when, he felt, Thor still needed to learn to both curb his impulses and temper his desires with wisdom. Hopefully his plan would show Thor’s need for further experience. He’d put things in place a few months ago, so there was nothing to do now but wait.

After the meeting ended, Loki’s eyes widened as his father motioned for him to come near. He couldn’t even remember the last time this happened. Had he noticed something? Was his distraction evident? He’d made sure to try and follow his usual routine during the meeting. If Odin had seen Sophia, he surely would’ve done something immediately.

“Yes, Father?” Loki asked as he approached, tensing subconsciously. Sophia moved closer, ostensibly to hear what they were saying, but kept a respectful distance despite not physically being present.

Odin’s face was, as ever, inscrutable as he stood, leaning on Gungnir slightly. “My son, do you remember why I asked you to attend these meetings?”

Loki pursed his lips. “Of course, to learn the roles of advisers and the affairs of the Nine Realms.”

Odin nodded. “Yes, and while you’ve attended almost faithfully, your absence for the past weeks was barely noticeable.”

Loki frowned, internalizing the implication. While he didn’t contribute to the meetings, he had at least been present. What more did his father expect now? “What would you have me do?”

“Well, anything would be a start at least.”

Loki realized his father was trying to make a joke and forced a smile. “Yes,” he said, “I understand.”

He didn’t quite understand what was being asked of him, but he’d learned a long time ago not to try and get to the heart of the matter. It would frustrate his father unduly and bring his wrath upon him.

Odin nodded, turning to leave, and Loki realized the conversation was over. “Thank you,” he said to his father’s back. As the council members dispersed, Loki turned around, giving Sophia a look of frustration. Smiling, she followed him back to his chambers without saying a word.

Upon shutting the doors, he leaned against them and sighed, trying to release the tension that had built up from just spending a few moments with his father. When he opened his eyes, Sophia was sitting on a stool, looking at him almost expectantly. “What?” he asked.

“You were extremely anxious when you spoke with King Odin,” she said. “More so than any other point during the meeting.”

He frowned, pushing himself off the doors. “I’m aware of this,” he said, “and you weren’t entirely calm yourself just looking at him. So I don’t think you’re one to judge.”

“I’m not judging, I was observing,” she said evenly. “And I did as you asked during the council, so there’s no reason to be upset.”

“I’m not upset,” Loki responded, going and pouring himself a goblet of wine.

“Yes, you are, I can feel it.”

Damn this connection. “Fine. I am,” he said, annoyed, “but you’re not helping by ‘observing’ me. At all.”

Sophia pursed her lips, and he could tell she was going to say something else, but had decided against it. “Very well,” she said. “I shouldn’t let your mood diminish how interesting the meeting was to me.”

“I’m glad you got something out of it,” said Loki wryly, electing to pace instead of sitting.

“So you think the council’s boring, then? Why?” asked Sophia, crossing her arms.

“It’s generally the same, or the council members will talk about the most inane topics, such as…” he searched for a good example. “Such as the color of new armor for the Einharjar.” Catching her confused expression, he explained they were the elite fighters of their army.

“But you understand why something like that is important, right?” she asked.

“Of course,” Loki answered, annoyed, “I’m not stupid. Someone needs to work out these types of things.”

Sophia narrowed her eyes. “Aren’t these councils where the primary decisions about policies originate?”

“Of course.”

“Then something like the color of Einharjar armor must be important enough to be discussed with, or at least in front of, the king, ostensibly.” Loki nodded, taking a deep drink. “There’s many reasons that could be the case. Minute details such as that can carry a far-reaching impact, particularly diplomatically. If Vanaheim is your key ally, then the cultural significance of armor to them as well as Asgard would need to be considered.”

Though Loki knew the importance of intercultural communication and cues, he hadn’t heard it applied in such a manner. “Why should I then be concerned about it - shouldn’t someone else knowledgeable make that decision?”

“Why would any decisions be made by the king at all, if that was the case?” asked Sophia. “If you leave decisions up to your councillors, doesn’t that make you obsolete?”

Loki leaned up against a pillar, looking at Sophia in amusement. “You didn’t just study relations between nations, did you? You studied governance.”

She shrugged. “You have to understand how governments function in order to understand how they communicate. Without that, how could a diplomat seek to influence it?”

Shaking his head, Loki leaned his head back. “Still, you’re speaking as though I will be king. An unlikely scenario, in my case.”

“I suppose if you’re immortal then the line of succession isn’t as important. Assuming that, of course, your monarchy follows the same patterns as others.”

“Well,” Loki responded wryly, “don’t go spreading this around Midgard, but we are, in fact, mortal. We age, and we die eventually, either through battle or the eventual failing of our bodies. Immortality is the perception we receive for our comparatively long lifespans.”

“Ah,” said Sophia, “Now it makes sense. Then wouldn’t you simply be next in line if anything were to happen to Thor?”

“Of course, but Thor is...Thor. Practically invincible, though often foolhardy and hot-headed.”

“Alright, but for the sake of argument, let’s say that Thor is out of the picture and you have to assume the kingship.” Loki nodded as she continued. “Would you keep the same council?”

“Probably, until I found people to replace them.”

“Then such meetings, and your policies, would likely be the same as your father’s.”

Loki frowned, swirling the wine in his goblet. “I would probably change things, but I’m unsure how I’d go about it. What is your point with all this?”

“Then you’d need people you can rely on to assist you and implement your vision. Who do you rely on aside from Thor?”

Loki wrestled with the thought. He wouldn’t trust the Warriors Three or Heimdall, and definitely none of the nobility. Lady Sif perhaps, but she was headstrong and didn’t often understand him. That left him with no one except himself. He looked at her, fully aware of the likely direction of the conversation, which took Sophia dangerously close to sounding like his father.

“That’s what I thought - I’m like you in far too many ways. It’s easiest to rely on myself because when I let myself down, it’s not a surprise.”

Ah. It was surprising the ways she was similar to him, yet so different. “So you’re saying that I should go out and make friends.”

Sophia rolled her eyes. “You make it sound like stupid advice I’d get from Mom and Dad.”

“That’s because it’s exactly what my parents would say.”

She rubbed her forehead in frustration. “Look, they wouldn’t have to be friends, really. Not even allies. Just people who might care enough to stand by your side.”

“And why are you concerned about this?” Loki asked, narrowing his eyes. “About a possible future that probably won’t happen?”

“Because if you want to get your father interested in what you’re doing, you have to become interesting to him,” she said, and he felt a stab of her sadness. “If you show you’re interested in stepping up to the challenge, he might take you...a little more seriously.”

He considered this. He’d always acted on a variety of ways to get noticed, but this was a different approach than he’d considered. Actually doing what his parents wanted?

What a novel idea. Perhaps he should do that policy proposal.

“Look, I see your point,” he finally said, “But doing what they want of me will just show my parents that they can control me further, which isn’t the point of this… hypothetical.”

“Not necessarily,” she said, folding her arms and thinking carefully. “You’d be getting a lot out of it. Potential recognition and allies, for one. And, most importantly, you can assert your ability to control what’s going on instead of being, effectively, an outsider in your own government.”

Loki blinked. “Why are you helping me?” he asked, furrowing his brow. “Why is this even a priority for you? For an Asgardian a galaxy away?”

Sophia snorted with laughter. “Well, first, I literally have nothing better to do. Second, I actually have the knowledge to be able to brainstorm with you on this, as opposed to...say … discussing magic. And third, because maybe, just maybe, I kind of care about how you feel.”

“Oh,” he said teasingly, “So your benefit is that I feel better, and so over this connection your mood improves as a result. I see how it is.”

She rolled her eyes, saying nothing, but he sensed annoyance. Though he thought it was an amusing jab, he realized she was looking for something else. “I apologize,” he said, not wanting to let the moment pass without making it right. “I do appreciate that you’re trying to help me.”

Looking down, she pursed her lips. “I know you’re incredibly smart… you’re a god. The god of tricks, I mean, you’ve got to be brilliant to pull that stuff off. I don’t mean to speak down to you, I’m just trying to help.”

“I know,” he said softly, coming a little closer. If she was Thor, he would have hugged her.

But she wasn’t.

Perhaps she sensed his feelings, since she looked up and gave him a little smile. “In any case,” she said, “where would you start if you were interested in starting now?”

“Now?” he said with a laugh. “Why now?”

“Why not? We don’t know how long this connection is going to last, and I want to see you try it.”

Alright, he’d play along. Overall the exercise seemed worthwhile. Loki tapped his fingers on his leg, thinking. “If I were to start immediately, I’d work with some of Thor’s friends who seem amenable to me. He’ll be dining with them tonight, in fact, as he typically does weekly. I do have an open invitation, but I don’t typically feel...comfortable around his friends.” Because they ridicule me, he wanted to say, but didn’t feel like disclosing that much information.

“What would you do there if you went?”

He shrugged. “Dine, chat, drink. Perhaps a drinking game or two.”

“Hm, tough to have a good conversation that way, if you already know one another.”

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Yes! I’m surprised you feel the same way. The conversation usually revolves around the same topics.”

“Back when I had my own place, before all this... shit... started happening, people would ask me to bring games to their parties since I had a good collection. Do Asgardians have games?” she asked, getting up and stretching.

Loki rolled his eyes. “Of course we have games, what civilization doesn’t have games?”

“I can’t think of one,” said Sophia, smiling, “but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one out there.”

“They probably wouldn’t begrudge some matches of Bloody Secrets,” he said, grinning at her shocked response. “It’s just what it’s called. Soldiers carry dice with them on the battlefield and bet with whatever they like, even just using rocks. Everyone knows how to play, really.” It was a decent idea. Even if it didn’t win anyone’s affection, it would at least show a willingness for him to engage with Thor’s social circles, something he’d need when he would be his brother’s advisor.

“There’s only one problem with that idea,” he said, clasping his hands behind his back as he paced. “Thor’s used to me cheating.”

“Why does that not surprise me,” Sophia said with a grin. “The god of mischief...cheating? Shocking.”

“It may or may not be part of the reason I have that title,” Loki said, going over to a set of shelves and pulling out a small golden cup engraved with knotwork. Lifting it to draw Sophia’s attention, he came over to a nearby end table. Shaking the dice in the cup, he slapped it down on the table, revealing the six-sided dice. “One result,” he said, holding out his fingers and twitching them only slightly. The cast illusion changed the die to a more favorable mix.

“Another,” he said. He smiled as he felt Sophia trying to contain her glee. It was most likely her first time really seeing magic in action. He couldn’t help but show off, changing them one more time.

“I can see why you would cheat,” she said, smiling widely. “The only way I could really cheat was by convincing my brother the rules were different, and that only worked for a little while.”

Loki laughed, dispelling the illusion. “I did that a few times as well,” he said, “but he figured that one out pretty quickly. Thor may sometimes make poor decisions, but he’s smart.”

“What if you promised not to cheat and actually followed through?” Sophia asked.

“Uh,” he said, shaking his head, “I may have already tried that with Thor - and cheated anyways. And...gotten caught the fourth time.”

She squeezed her eyes shut as she laughed. “But not with his friends?”

Loki thought carefully. “You’re right, not with his friends at all. Perhaps they might be willing to give me a chance, so to speak.”

Sophia gasped, clasping her face. “I have a great idea!” she said, squirming with excitement. As she told him, he initially protested, but then it grew on him.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Loki walked into Volstagg’s feasting hall to the surprise of those present. Thor’s eyes widened as he came in and sat down. “Brother, I’m… glad you came,” he said. Once his surprise abated, he grinned and gestured to the seat next to him.

Unbeknownst to them, they had another visitor - Sophia, who stood across the room observing the proceedings with an amused smile. They’d tested earlier if their connection included Thor by passing him in the hallways, with Loki even pulling him aside and asking Thor if he’d seen Sophia. He didn’t appear to notice her, so her presence was in the clear.

Fandral crossed his arms, sizing up Loki. “I hope you’ve come with more interesting news for Thor,” he said, “although last time he was gone for quite a while.”

“I’m afraid not, Fandral,” Loki replied, stretching his arms. “Though I hate to disappoint.”

Lady Sif spoke to a servant, gesturing to an empty spot at the table, then turned to Loki. “We were actually expecting Lord Forsetti to arrive,” she said quietly, “Just so you are aware.”

Loki smiled at her tensely. “Thank you, Lady Sif.” He wasn’t certain if that was meant as information or intended to offend - he’d have to see.

Due to Volstagg’s constant appetite, they started before Lord Forsetti arrived. His sharp face was outlined by a clean, short goatee, his olive skin flushed from the walk there. “I apologize for my lateness,” he said, giving a polite bow. “I wasn’t aware both of you would be here,” he said, addressing the princes.

“Neither did I,” said Thor, “but it’s a pleasant surprise.” As Loki glanced at his brother, he was taken aback to see he seemed sincere.

Their discussion was limited, generally centered around Volstagg’s home life, Lord Forsetti’s work with the justice system in Asgard, and Lady Sif’s fight to keep away Lord Nassi’s proposals. Loki decided to bring up what he’d learned during the council - that Clan Vidfavne was once more on the move on Vanaheim.

“Doesn’t surprise me,” Fandral said. “They’ve a warlike nature, I don’t know if they could keep the peace if they tried. True warriors at heart.”

“It doesn’t change the fact that innocent Vanir are dying because of it,” Lady Sif responded with a sharp glance.

Thor leaned back, finished with his meal. “They certainly must be stopped.”

Hogun, who usually kept silent, finally spoke up. “It is never easy with Clan Vidfavne. They fight to the end - always. Down to the last man.” Hogun was the most closely tied with his clan back on Vanaheim, often returning to deal with matters there himself. Fandral and Volstagg had wholly embraced life on Asgard once they were made citizens.

“Do you know why they started pillaging?” Loki asked him, leaning forward.

Hogun looked at Loki, his face revealing little emotion. “The stories are varied and come from a time before ours. But they say that Clan Vidfavne was nearly wiped out by a rival clan. Vidfavne was able to exact revenge but were far more merciful in sparing their rivals. However, their rivals saw this as weakness, attacked, and nearly destroyed them completely. Since then, that is the reason they have struck first at others.”

Lord Forsetti sat back, holding a goblet. “My understanding is that it’s a slightly different story.”

Hogun gave a nod. “These are merely the stories, not necessarily the truth.”

“When looking at this conflict,” Forsetti said slowly, “I found that what they’re pillaging is more indicative of the reasons behind it.”

“What? Gold? Riches?” asked Fandral with a laugh. “It’s always the same. Greed.”

Loki noticed that a look of annoyance flitted across Lord Forsetti’s face. “No,” he said, “what they’re taking is food and water stores.”

“That’s ridiculous,” said Volstagg. “Food and clean water haven’t been a problem for an age.”

Thor frowned, leaning on one side in his chair. “Volstagg is right, Vanaheim’s not had an issue with this. Why would they be taking such basic resources?”

“I’m unsure,” Forsetti said with a frown. “I’ve heard this from my time in the justice system on Vanaheim before I started working here. We’d have to be present in the area to find out more about the situation.”

Loki rubbed his palm absent-mindedly. “Why don’t we find out more about it?” he asked, glancing at Thor.

“That’s what our soldiers do, Loki,” Thor said quixotically. “You know that.”

“Do they?” Loki said pointedly. “I doubt villagers really want to share information with a soldier.”

Those at the table exchanged glances, with the exception of Lord Forsetti, who seemed to regard him with thought.

Fandral swiftly changed the subject, and the conversation resumed as normal. Thor gave Loki a couple of strange looks during its course, which Loki hoped didn’t mean his brother thought his behavior odd.

Finally, the appropriate moment arrived as they were flush from alcohol, and Loki brought out his golden cup, rolling around the dice and slamming it down on the table with a smile.

Thor groaned. “Oh no, Loki, I know you cheat. Please, friends, don’t disappoint yourselves.”

He grinned. “I’m not going to cheat!”

Lady Sif laughed. “And how will we know?”

“I guess you’ll have to play to find out,” said Loki, smirking.

Volstagg grinned, pulling aside a servant, who returned with a set of six cups and dice. They were passed around, and Lord Forsetti in particularly looked pleased. “I haven’t played this game in a long while,” he said. “I missed the sound of dice, I must say.”

“I’m quite good at Bloody Secrets,” Lady Sif said, “I always walk away with something, at least.”

Volstagg shook his head, counting up his dice. “I’m terrible at it, so please, friends, don’t take advantage of me.”

“Isn’t that the point of the game?” said Fandral, looking at him with mischief in his eyes.

Thor took his cup slowly, looking at Loki suspiciously. “No cheating,” he said.

“None,” Loki said, stealing a glance over to Sophia.

“Swear it,” Thor said, squinting at him.

“I swear,” Loki said, glancing towards Lord Forsetti, who was grinning in amusement.

With that, they began.

Loki’s first roll was terrible; he opted out of bidding immediately. Others at the table were surprised, but Loki shrugged. He wasn’t going to bet if there wasn’t even a chance.

Hogun won, a rare smile crossing his face as he collected his gold earnings. As he checked his dice for the second round, Loki was secretly pleased to see one of the highest possible sets. Internally, he congratulated himself, and with a smile at Sophia, cast an illusion, masking the dice to show a lower set. Cheating is only cheating if you do it to win.

Sophia’s idea was strange, but brilliant - to cheat at dice to lose spectacularly, not to win. “If you lose badly,” she’d told him, “you could gain two things - sympathy from people who see your bad luck, and good feelings from those who win at your expense.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” he had retorted. “They already think I’m weak in comparison to my brother. Losing would only perpetuate that image.”

“Then what would you stand to lose by doing it?” she’d asked deviously, raising an eyebrow.

This time he bet high and, when forced to show his hand by Thor, tried to look upset when he revealed his dice. There were gasps around the table, and Thor grinned. “Well, brother, perhaps your luck has run out.”

“We’ll see,” Loki said, smiling and shaking his dice once more.

With each round, he worked to surprise them, bidding high, then low, then abstaining at just the right points to keep their attention. With each round, some, in particular Lady Sif and Lord Forsetti, kept rooting for him. “Maybe next time!” Sif would say with encouragement as she raked in her gold.

But as it went on, those around the table found it more incredulous. “No, Loki!” Fandral cried out, “How is it possible to have such poor luck?”

Thor found the whole situation hilarious, slapping the table as he laughed each time. In some ways, Loki found the exercise worth it simply for that reason.

Sophia was giggling herself; it was hard for him to keep a mask of sheepish frustration without cracking a smile.

Finally, Lord Forsetti groaned. “I think I need to leave before I lose more gold and Loki keeps reinforcing his bad luck!”

The others agreed, and with that, the evening was ended. Volstagg gave Loki a clap on the back, saying next time he might do better. As they lingered in conversation, Loki edged his way toward Lord Forsetti, who was putting on his cloak and gloves.

Forsetti looked up at him, smiling. “You’ll have to be careful, no doubt word of your luck will mean you’re invited to many games that will rob the treasury of its gold!”

“No doubt,” Loki said. “It was pleasant to see you this evening.”

“Ah, well, when I was invited, I couldn’t turn it down. It’s certainly a more pleasurable activity than hunting.”

Loki frowned. He hadn’t known how Lord Forsetti started hunting with Thor, but he was under the impression that Lord Forsetti loved it. “I beg your pardon?”

“Well,” Forsetti said, his drunkenness showing a little bit, “to tell you the truth…” he dropped his voice lower. “I despise the whole affair. The blood, the killing of the animals. The fear in its eyes.” He shook his head, looking towards the others. “But when Thor asked me, I could not turn him down.”

“I understand,” said Loki. The only thing he really enjoyed about it was both riding in the fresh air and spending time with his brother. “Perhaps we can work on spending evenings together instead.”

“Of course.” Forsetti straightened his cloak and bowed to him and Thor before departing.

Loki waited for his brother, who came to him after saying his farewells. “Well, Loki,” Thor said, “Your idea of playing a game was a good one.”

“Hm, good for everyone else, I think.”

Thor grinned. It wasn’t until they were out in the street that Thor stopped, moving in front of Loki.

Loki frowned. What was he wanting? Had he caught him cheating? He was being incredibly careful with his casting to make sure no one saw.

“Was she there?” Thor asked, crossing his arms.

“Who, Lady Sif?” he asked innocently. Was he talking about Sophia?

“No, you know - Sophia.”

Sophia was still with Loki, though she’d kept quiet and out of the way. She looked at Loki questioningly.

“I asked you earlier if she’d contacted you,” Loki said. “What makes you think she was present at the dinner?”

Thor reached up to rub his neck. “I just - “ he shook his head. “Maybe it’s just the alcohol speaking. It’s stupid.”

“At this point, we can’t consider anything to be stupid, Thor. Remember that feeling that started everything the first day? You dismissed that as well. So what is it?”

“I don’t know if this makes sense, but I know you read more than I do.”

“I do,” said Loki, “but you also know it’s not my favorite activity.”

“Well, I’m talking about reading about other people’s experiences. I think I’ve heard people talk about this, but I didn’t recognize it until yesterday. I thought it was an odd feeling until she vanished, and it was gone. Now I’ve been feeling it again, since you arrived this evening.”

“What kind of feeling?” Loki asked, crossing his arms.

“It wasn’t until it was gone that it...its absence made me realize what I’ve been feeling… well, for as long as I can remember, really.” He shook his head. “It sounds stupid, but it was like I was missing something. That I was never...whole. Then when she was here, it felt like I was whole for the first time, and when she left…” He sucked in his breath, letting it out slowly. “It was like I noticed that emptiness for the first time, defined by what had been taken.” Making his hand into a fist, he planted it on his abdomen. “I felt it here, I think. Tonight and earlier today, when you were asking about her. Both the fullness and the emptiness.”

Dropping his hand, he looked at Loki’s frown, then down at the ground. “It’s a poor explanation, I know. But I’ve felt whole this evening once again, and brother - it’s almost intoxicating after what feels like a famine.”

Loki had never heard Thor talk like this, aside from the past few days. He’d never felt complete? His brother - Thor - who had everything, had been missing something? Wasn’t completion what the poems and stories said about love - romantic love? Thor didn’t seem to have that air about him. Loki had seen Thor have crushes before, and this looked nothing like that.

Loki looked at Sophia, who nodded, saying, “You should tell him.”

But Loki wanted to make sure about something first. “Thor, you’re not talking about romantic love, correct? You’re not feeling… attracted to Sophia, are you?” Please, by all that was beloved, let that not be the case. If Sophia was their sister, it would be most awkward.

“What?” Thor looked at him, confused. “No, of course not. Why would you think that?”

Loki scrutinized Thor’s face. “I simply wanted to cross out something off the list of feelings, that’s all.” He sighed. “Yes, Sophia is here, and was with me earlier today.”

Thor’s eyes widened as he scanned the area. “How come I can’t see her?”

Loki shrugged. “Perhaps it’s because she’s not linked directly at you. Honestly, this whole business is confusing.”

Sophia walked over to Thor, touching his arm once more. He tensed, but this time didn’t jump away when he saw her. “Hi,” he said, smiling down at her.

“Hi,” she responded, patting his arm. She was so short in comparison to them. “That was really sweet, what you were saying.” Loki tried to bury any feelings of jealousy so that Sophia wouldn’t notice it. Sophia already seemed at ease with Thor, who seemed equally comfortable. They’d spoken for hours and he didn’t feel that way with her yet.

Loki rolled his eyes in response to her comment. “He was talking about a howling feeling of emptiness, Sophia, not rainbows.”

She turned, narrowing her eyes at him. “Hey, and he said I was helping. It’s a nice thing to say about someone.”

“Yeah, Loki,” Thor said sarcastically, “It was nice.”

Loki held up his hands. “I just was the butt of several jokes for an evening, can I get a break?” At this, Sophia smiled softly at him and mouthed ‘Sorry.’

“Do either of you have that feeling as well?” asked Thor. “I’m assuming you didn’t, Loki, since I had to explain it.” Loki nodded in agreement.

Sophia stopped, considering what he’d said. “There’s been a lot of stimulation from these visits,” she said. “It’s hard to be paying attention to something like that in addition to the feelings from Loki, and the sights and sounds of simply being present. I thought the good feelings I’ve been having was just the pleasure of being around other people, but if I pay attention, that might be the case.” She paused. “I certainly have been resoundingly lonely my whole life, but I thought everyone felt that way.”

Loki pursed his lips. “My understanding is that many people have a feeling of fulfilment from their daily lives. But I also - I also have been lonely my whole life.”

Thor looked at him with a confused expression. “Really, Loki? I suppose, now that I think about it, it makes sense. But you’ve never mentioned it.”

“Neither have you, brother. It’s a topic that tends to destroy conversation.”

“At least that’s one thing we all have in common, then,” Thor said with a small smile.  

“That - that’s not a good thing,” Sophia said.

“You’ll get used to it,” Loki responded. “He’s annoyingly optimistic.”

Thor smiled, turning to continue on. Sophia was thinking hard as she walked at a brisk pace to keep up with the brothers. “It seems odd to me that - and don’t take this the wrong way, Loki - I’m able to connect with Thor in a different manner than we do.”

“It doesn’t seem to be that different,” Thor said. “Feeling emotions and so on, right?”

Loki tilted his head even as he walked. “She’s not communicating with you - although perhaps we should examine if she could connect with you instead of me. This seems to take effort, though. Initiation.”

Sophia nodded. “With you, Thor, it was just - “ she snapped her fingers, “ - instant. And it’s not just emotions, I’ve seen some of your thoughts as well, remember.”

Thor shook his head. “I don’t recall. We discussed a lot of things in there, and that wasn’t at the forefront of my mind. But that doesn’t happen with Loki?”

“No, not right now. Have you seen any of my thoughts?” she asked.

Loki halted as Thor stopped and considered this. “I don’t believe so,” he said. “But much like you, I’ve had a lot on my mind. It could have been in passing.”

“Why not test it?” Sophia said, taking a couple steps back.

Loki smiled. More experimentation. A girl after his own heart. “What are you thinking, Sophia?”

She crossed her arms. “I’ll think of an emotional memory. Thor’s vision was emotional, so maybe that’s the reason I saw it.”

Thor frowned, looking at Loki. “So I’ll just...wait?” Loki nodded at him.

Sophia closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Loki felt her nervousness at first, then increasing intent as a frown crossed her face. Then a wall of deep, gut-wrenching fear and horror hit him.

And with it, one of his own memories came forward. The first time in battle that he’d realized he might not make it out. He’d been separated from their soldiers, isolated and surrounded by beasts, who knew no rational thought. Around him lay the bodies of soldiers who’d fought and died with no hope of return. His magical energies had run low after such a long battle, so, ever so briefly, he realized he might never see his family, or Asgard, again. And the thought was terrifying.

As Loki’s attention returned to the present, he heard Thor breathing heavily. The feeling faded and shifted to sadness as Loki looked at Sophia, whose head was hung low. She was definitely crying.

This time, without hesitation, Loki walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. Sophia leaned into him, shaking a little as she wiped her face quickly, trying to stop her tears.

“You didn’t need something that emotional,” Loki said softly.

“Those are the types of emotions I’m used to,” she said in response.

Thor was looking at them both, his eyes distant. “I saw it,” he said. “I - saw it, Sophia. Please banish if from your mind, and I hope you never have to remember it again.”

Loki thought he would come over as well to at least show some measure of kindness, but Thor turned and walked further down the road, stopping to wait for them.

Shooting Thor an annoyed look, Loki rubbed Sophia’s back. She seemed to be feeling a little better. “Are you going to be alright?” he asked.

“No,” she said matter-of-factly, pulling away. “Not tonight, I don’t think.” She looked at Thor, pursing her lips, then back at Loki. “I shouldn’t have done that, not after a long day like today. I just thought I’d try one more thing.”

“You’re curious, like me,” said Loki. “We just have to be careful not to overreach. It’s late, however - quite late - you should probably get some sleep.”

She gave him a small smile, but there was a weariness showing behind it. “That usually makes things better.” She pulled away to go, but hesitated.

He felt a stab of fear again, but it was different. Guessing what it was, Loki met her eyes. “You’re afraid of feeling alone tonight, aren’t you.” She nodded. Glancing at Thor, Loki stepped closer and lowered his voice. “If it becomes overwhelming, just let me know. You can visit or I can, whatever you need.” He looked at her, trying to impress his seriousness. “Don’t be afraid to ask, Sophia.”

She reached out and took his hand. “Thank you,” she said, giving him a nod. Then, after another glance at Thor, she vanished.

Loki turned, striding over to his brother angrily. “What was that?” he hissed. “She shows you something personal, and you don’t even… do anything? She was hurt, you idiot.”

“I know,” Thor said, frustrated. “I didn’t know what to do, and you were already doing something, so. I thought that was enough.”

“You didn’t know what - “ Loki pinched the bridge of his nose. “By the Norns, she could be our sister. She has a connection with you, Thor, you have to be willing to cultivate that.”

“I don’t have to do anything,” Thor said firmly. “Look, I won’t deny that things are strange around her. But we don’t know who she is.”

“That - that’s what you’re concerned about right now. You were just talking about how she made you feel whole!”

“I know what I said. That doesn’t mean we should just open up our lives to her. We’re princes of Asgard, I’m about to be coronated, Loki. Suddenly we’re dealing with a woman who has access to every aspect of our lives and makes me feel like I need her.”

“You find an antidote to your feelings of loneliness and you’re looking at keeping her at a arm’s distance, is that what I’m hearing you say?” Loki said incredulously.

Thor shook his head. “I shouldn’t have said anything about it, I should’ve just kept my mouth shut.”

“Thor, we are consistently experiencing an unexplainable phenomena daily, that’s bringing - dare I say it - joy to my life, and fulfillment to yours, and yet you’re pushing it away? Why? Is it what she showed you?”

Thor closed his eyes. “No, it wasn’t.” He brushed a hair back over his ear in annoyance. “She showed me a vehicle burning with many innocent people inside.”

Loki tried to understand what he was hearing. “She never mentioned anything like that, really. She’s struggled during her life, but she didn’t speak of anything that made her feel that way.”

“Well, she must have seen it somewhere,” Thor said. “It simply concerns me that she can control me in such a manner.”

“Control?” Loki said incredulously. “She doesn’t seem like…”

“Oh, Loki, she is very much the type. You both seem to have traits in common, like being shy but observant. Quiet but smart. And she took over your body, did she not?”

“Yes, but you’re suggesting she has ulterior motives in this entire endeavor. Osk is the one who connected us - why would you think that Sophia has any ill will?”

“I don’t, but I’m saying she can in the future. She’s not one of us, Loki. She doesn’t understand our people like we do. If she disagrees with something, she might try and force her desires upon us.”

Loki frowned, trying to follow his brother’s logic. “Thor, this doesn’t make sense to me. At all.”

“That’s because you’re using your heart, not your head,” said Thor, pointing to his forehead. “If you’re going to be by my side, I need to know you’re going to be with me, not her.”

Loki wished to protest, but Thor seemed to be certain at this point, and liable to get angry if he tried to reason further with him. “Of course, brother,” he said placatingly, trying to think of a better way to reason with him.

[photodustorg]

ROBERT ALBAZI: DIE SONNE

When did the star dissolve, or was it captured by the sequence of squares and squares and circles, circles?

‘Paris 7AM’ Elizabeth Bishop

.

Earlier this year, Runes: Photography and Decipherment was exhibited in a small room at the Centre for Contemporary Photography in Melbourne. Curated by Australian artist Justine Varga and art historian Geoffrey Batchen, the exhibition included mid-19th-century daguerreotypes and calotypes; NASA satellite photographs; abstract, colour-field works using expired photo paper; and the digital code of a scanned heliograph. The result of complex processes, many of these works bore traces of their making: a strip of static interrupting part of a satellite image of the moon, represented the moment the satellite hit the moon’s surface; and the Rothko-like bruises of black and white in a print by Alison Rossiter were the result of developing expired and un-exposed film. 

In The Birth of Tragedy, Nietzsche writes: ‘the problem of science cannot be recognised within the context of science’. To understand the ways in which science uses imagination and invention in its pursuit of truth, one must, according to Nietzsche, ‘see science under the lens of the artist’. As Varga and Batchen note in the exhibition catalogue, the works in Runes are ‘all indexical traces of specific phenomena or actions’, but for me their true interest lay in their poetic potential. A NASA image from 1964, for instance, resembling a chewed patch of monochrome pixels (in fact a picture of the heat patterns in the outer gaseous layers of the sun), made me think about filaments of gas turning through the sun’s corona, rising like long hair underwater.

.

American amateur astronomer Lewis Rutherfurd’s 1870 photograph of the sun, Die Sonne, manages, as Varga and Batchen write, ‘to reduce a gigantic sphere of flaming gases to a perfectly circular and therefore comprehensible abstraction’. Looking at the pale yellow disc, however, I couldn’t help but feel underwhelmed. It was far more interesting to imagine Rutherfurd taking the photograph. 

I imagine Rutherfurd opening the back door of his house, and, while standing in the doorway, calling out to his wife Margaret that he’d be back in the late evening. Perhaps he never spoke to his wife like this, and would instead leave the house without talking to her in the stern and childish manner of those men who, when offended or confronted (often by their partners), go for long, solitary walks. If Rutherfurd did leave in this way, his walk was short—through the garden and into his private observatory built, with the money inherited from Margaret’s family, in 1856. Once inside, he might have sat in a wide, wooden chair, tapping his foot on the ground and absentmindedly scratching the surface of a black button on his waistcoat while thinking about Margaret, star clusters and the Pleiades rising like smoke. At some point, Rutherfurd would have stood up and walked slowly to his large telescope. Before preparing a glass plate, he might have held his slightly smaller right eye to the lens and seen the point of a leaf, a section of wing, flick of sky, and sun. Rutherfurd’s slightly smaller right eye would shake as light moved through the iris. Sunlight would stain Rutherfurd’s eye. And, after lifting it from the lens, straightening his posture, and turning to look at one of the grey walls of the observatory, he would see, for a few moments, bruises of light against the surface, like those we see, flaring for a moment, whenever we close our eyes.

Notes

Elizabeth Bishop, ‘Paris 7AM’ (1946) from Poems, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 2011, 28.

Justine Varga and Geoffrey Batchen, Runes: Photography and Decipherment exhibition catalogue, 2, 9.

Friedrich Nietzsche, ‘Attempt at a Self-Criticism’ in The Birth of Tragedy, trans. Shaun Whiteside, Penguin Books, London, 1993, 4, 5.

Photo credits

Runes: Photography and Decipherment, install shot, Centre for Contemporary Photography, 2018. Photo: J. Forsyth.*

Lewis Rutherfurd (USA 1816–1892), Die Sonne [The Sun], 22 September 1870, albumen photograph, 38.0 x 30.0 cm (frame), collection of Geoffrey Batchen, Wellington. 

* Works, from left to right:

Lewis Rutherfurd (USA 1816–1892), Die Sonne [The Sun], 22 September 1870, albumen photograph, 38.0 x 30.0 cm (frame), collection of Geoffrey Batchen, Wellington;

NASA (USA), Associated Wire Press Photo: ‘Polar Caps’ found on Sun: A computerized picture of the sun’s corona, or outer gaseous layer, which was made by the OSO 7 satellite and released by NASA, 3 December 1971, gelatin silver photograph, 19.0 x 26.5 cm (image), collection of Geoffrey Batchen, Wellington;

Man Ray (USA/France/USA/France 1890–1976), La Voie Lactée [The Milky Way], 1973, gelatin silver photograph (signed and dated), 15.5 x 26.0 cm (image), 27.1 x 37.2 cm (frame), collection of Justine Varga, Sydney;

Marion Hardman (Australia b. 1951), Untitled (from the Bonnet Hill series), c.1977, gelatin silver photograph, 45.7 x 45.7 cm (frame), collection of Geoffrey Batchen, Wellington;

NASA (USA), Associated Wire Press Photo: Target for Surveyor 7: Mountainous area around the crater Tycho, one of the roughest spots on the moon (taken by the Lunar Orbiter V spacecraft), August 1967 gelatin silver photograph, 38.7 x 34.7 cm (frame), collection of Justine Varga, Sydney;

Thomas Barrow (USA b. 1938), Untitled (from the Cancellations series), 1975, gelatin silver photograph, 27.94 x 35.56 cm (image), 42.0 x 52.3 cm (frame), collection of Geoffrey Batchen, Wellington;

Alison Rossiter (USA b. 1953), Velox T4, expiry date October 1, 1940, 2008, unique gelatin silver photograph, 20.2 x 25.3 cm, collection of Geoffrey Batchen, Wellington;

Anne Ferran (Australia b. 1949), Untitled, 1985, gelatin silver photograph, 41.5 x 33.8 cm (frame), collection of Geoffrey Batchen, Wellington;

Justine Varga (Australia b. 1984), Untitled, 2014–15, chromagenic photograph, 25.0 x 21.0 cm, collection of Geoffrey Batchen, Wellington.

Bio

Robert Albazi is a Melbourne-based writer. His work has appeared in the Seventh Gallery Emerging Writer’s Program, un Extended, Art + Climate = Change, and other publications. In 2016, he was assistant editor for the Lisa Radford anthology Aesthetic nonsense makes commonsense, thanks x, published by Surpllus.

Please consider following PHOTODUST on Twitter and Instagram.

[cathypoetflower]

HUSK#6

Victoria, Australia

An all black and white edition of the magazine, featuring a wonderful artist in profile: Basak Savcigil and writers: Anne Casey, Jillian Mardin, Bryn Fortey, Anna Forsyth, Kate McDonald, Valli Poole, Rob Schackne, Cathy Flower Poet for Life, Don Wentworth and Anne Walsh. 

Valli Poole started Blank Rune Press in 2012. This small press is dedicated to producing desirable handmade chapbooks in small print runs of 40-50 copies.

To order a copy of Husk#6 contact Valli Poole:

https://www.facebook.com/blankrunepress/

https://www.facebook.com/valli.poole

[scifrey]

The forth and final book in the Accidental Turn Series is out TOMORROW! 

Have you pre-ordered your copy yet?

Forsyth Turn had no desire to be a hero, but that’s what he became. Bevel Dom spent his whole life telling stories, never realizing he was part of one of the most popular ones of all time. Kintyre Turn never thought he could be more than a wandering hero with a sword, until he reinvented himself as a compassionate Lord and kind father. And Lucy Piper never believed that magic, quests, or The Tales of Kintyre Turn truly existed; but they do, and they shaped her life in ways she never could have foreseen.

J.M. Frey never expected her meta-fantasy novel about the relationship between author and fan, creator and creation, to become the sweeping, multi-book adventure that Readers have to come to enjoy; but just like her characters, this path has taken her to wondrous places she never could have anticipated.

Now, fans can hear from the author herself. Offering insight and behind-the-scenes commentary on the events that happened both on and off the page—and a brand-new exclusive novella—Frey invites readers to return to the world of Hain one last time, and discover The Accidental Turn that launched a series.

PRE-ORDER TODAY! GET IT TUESDAY, JULY 3, 2018!

Not sure where to start with the series? Head over to Last Homely Market, the Fussy Librarian, or Book Barbarian, sign up for thier mailing lists, and get book one in the series - The Untold Tale  - for free on July 3rd!

@yaliteraturebookshelf​ @alexandrapblog​ @etienne-rune​

[foreversnightmare]

their last battle couldnt have been more chaotic if it wanted too- but that is in the past now, as they face their new foe. She narrows her eyes as she realizes that where they are at now, this thing could easily strike her down if given the chance.

Freyja raises her axe to lay over her shoulder thinking of what she could do before the soft voice called her name. "Julia..." to see her standing after last round... at least she knows now if something goes terribly wrong, their "death" is not perminate. Seeing what Julia offers, she gives the girl a small smile and a brisk nod "I apprecate it, take a step back.. Let me see what how much I can actually do."

Freyja 10/10HP attack Titanus twice! with Brave Axe (Axebreaker activates!) Rolls: 13 (-4) (17 + 2: Pavise activates!) = 1 Rolls: 19 (-4) (11 + 2: Pavise activates!) = 1.5

It doesnt help this THING is so... large that it almost imtimidating to someone like her.. she finds it underving

Titanus 12.5/15 HP counters with Runesword (Axebreaker activates!) Roll: 5 (+4) Freyja is protected by Light Rune! Sesshoseki activates! [Titanus 10.5/15 HP HP] Titanus 10.5/15 HP follows up and counters with Runesword (Axebreaker activates!) Roll: 15 (+4) Freyja is protected by Light Rune! -0, Freyja 10/10HP] Sesshoseki activates! [Titanus 8.5/15 HP HP]

She hasnt done much actual damage... at least not the type of damage that she wishes she had done "Thank you Julia, that protection saved my life" the goddess gave the girl a small bow.

you, me and our trusty friend the light rune (team 15 silver round)

[venalier]

julia speaks up again, but this time her voice is small and pained — and despite her caution, caeldori can't help but glance back in surprise. her and forsyth . . . ( the two with healing magic, it strikes her ); both of them struggling so much as to stand.

but they're not down. and as long as that's the case, they could tend to each other, can't they? and already she can see some of julia's innately granted magic working to soothe over the worst of her condition. still, even in the middle of a fight like this, the sky knight can sense it'd be ungracious to ask them to push themselves. and what is she to do but go along with it when julia's magic is already closing over her again, making the choice for her?

personal ideas or no, caeldori gives her a look of reassurance. after all, it's not like she couldn't pull it off.

"all right, if that's what you want. i'll give it everything i've got."

CAELDORI crits ALLIGATORID HUSK with SWORD OF THE SINEATER. ( 8 ) ALLIGATORID HUSK 14/50. ALLIGATORID HUSK crits CAELDORI with DEATH. ( RESONANCE activates! ) ( 15 ) CAELDORI is protected by LIGHT RUNE! ALLIGATORID HUSK 13/50.

again kadrian's blade resounds true, ringing through her mind with its gluttony; the beast has no eyes — caeldori realizes this suddenly as the point plunges into the length of its grey snout with a sickening crunch of either hide or bone. and this time she pushes her weight into it, trusting julia and her magic—

though when the stench of death hits, she nearly recoils still, reflexes urging self-preservation; but she fights it. the light rune flickers but doesn't give.

CAELDORI crits ALLIGATORID HUSK with SWORD OF THE SINEATER. ( 7 ) ALLIGATORID HUSK 8/50. POISON STRIKE activates! ALLIGATORID HUSK 7/50. CAELDORI takes damage from TOXIC POISON. CAELDORI 8/10.

"haagh!!" ripping the blade free in a wide arc, she lets momentum take it in a full-weight slash with everything she can give from hips to shoulders to wrists, cleaving a spurting fissure down the center of the alligator's long head. black ichor erupts, thick with decay as though whatever fueled its body from the inside had rotted long ago, and as thick pieces of hide slough and flay in the beast's horrible thrashing amidst the muck, caeldori retreats a few steps, breathing hard. the sword hums and gleams, its magenta eye and line brighter than before.

her mind jumps faster than she can articulate. "professor!" he'd had the ability lady azura did; with his help, she could finish this, but it had to be fast before the monster recovered. "i need an opening!"

　´ ✱ ‾‾‾‾　@rafent ・

you, me and our trusty friend the light rune (team 15 silver round)

[nagargent]

She doubts she'll ever get used to the sensation of dark magic, clawing it's way through her veins and twisting, turning in her blood. The pain is almost unbearable, Julia grits her teeth, trying to stay conscious and upright on her feet. She stumbles forward, lurching in the throes of death, seeking the light once more.

Alligatorid Husk 21/50 HP attacks Julia 10/10 with Death. Roll d20+2: 19+2 = 21! Critical hit! -9 damage. Julia has 1/10 HP remaining. Alligatorid Husk has 20/50 HP remaining.

Then she comes up for air, gasping for breath, in pain but alive and aware of her surroundings none the less. Outlasting the beast seemed far easier said than done as she limps closer to her allies. A stiff breeze could probably knock her over and her chest aches with every breath. What's worst of all is she's not the only one in such a sorry state. They can't last much longer but maybe there's another way.

"I-- I think we need to burst it down. We're in no position to outlast it," Julia interjects, preparing to cast Physic once more. To keep Forsyth by their side a little longer, though she doubts it will do much good unless they act swiftly and decisively. "We simply can't out heal the damage it's inflicting upon us. But... oh, it's risky.

Julia 1/10 HP casts Physic on Forsyth 1/10 HP. Roll d20: 12 +4 HP restored. Forsyth has 5/10 HP remaining.

"Oh Caeldori, I'm so sorry. The last thing I want to do is pressure you but," the talisman reacts to her once again, lighting up around them. A seal of protection that might just be their salvation. "I don't think anyone else can overwhelm this monster. It's not on you alone, we're by your side."

"You should be safe again. Just... give it your best shot, okay? Whatever comes our way, we'll deal with is as a team. You have my utmost faith and admiration."

Julia casts Light Rune on Caeldori. Renewal activates. Julia recovers 2 HP. Julia has 3/10 HP remaining.

you, me and our trusty friend the light rune (team 15 silver round)

[venalier]

right on the heels of her warning, another one rings out in julia's smaller voice — the ground? caeldori's body moves on its own, product of a lifetime of training and of birth into war.

one seismic overturn of the darkness around them; heart in her throat, she wishes sorely she had belle. no. this was an arena, a trial; she'd prove herself worthy enough in her own right, without a mount to help her.

another quake; caeldori tastes a bitter tang on her tongue from biting her lip in concentration. legs tremble faintly when she lands again, but she is death-defyingly in one piece, with such exhilaration than she feels lighter than air for it even as her own vulnerability beats at the fore of her heart, hot on her skin and rice paper-thin against this monster's magic.

the others, too, are rallying: a relief, however hesitant and unsure, in the wake of the previous fight's disastrous start. their praise and fragile hopes encircle julia, flitting between them like a lilac moth, casting magic and granting boons. caeldori can understand her strategy; it's a precarious one, requiring foolproof precision and with her abilities at its center, but it's a strong one if they can see it through.

but it does require each of them. her spells, forsyth's healing, rafal's rejuvenation, and herself and freyja on the front line.

"mm," she agrees quickly with a nod, both hands folding about the sword's hilt as the shield of the light rune encloses over her. "just need me to hit it as hard as i can, right? stand back." brave, she'd called her? it makes caeldori smile. i am my father's daughter, after all. and on top of that, it makes a little more sense now, why this sword is in her hands for this battle, before she'd even known the enemies they'd face. she'd gotten a sense of it when it'd struck that titanus again and again, as if it'd found its own mark each time independent of her, needing only her arms to guide it. the sword of the sineater. kadrian's fabled weapon, ferreting out darkness and consuming it. if she was going to be honest though, she wasn't much of a swordmaster here.

really, it was wielding her.

CAELDORI crits ALLIGATORID HUSK with SWORD OF THE SINEATER ( 11 ). ALLIGATORID HUSK 27/50 HP. ALLIGATORID HUSK counters with DEATH ( 7 ). ( RESONANCE activates! ALLIGATORID HUSK 26/50 HP ) CAELDORI is protected by LIGHT RUNE. CAELDORI misses ALLIGATORID HUSK with SWORD OF THE SINEATER ( 0 ). POISON STRIKE activates! ALLIGATORID HUSK 25/50 HP. CAELDORI takes damage from TOXIC POISON! CAELDORI 9/10 HP.

needle-like blade cleaves through strange flesh — its consistency unlike that of any human or creature she's ever felt before, and toxin bubbles in the wake of muscle and sinew. tangled teeth snap as the beast twists around and she lurches back, feeling rancid breath billow inches from her face; the stench of death, rotting and stale, corrodes at the barrier that holds true, but in her instinct to dodge, she'd misplaced her footing and follow-up swing misguides. the sword pulses at though in admonishment for her mistake.

but the brief exchange had hardly been useless. already, the reptilian monster looks much worse for wear than before.

"i think there's— it takes up its own life when it casts magic!" she calls while hurriedly backpedals out of immediate harm's range, keeping her eye focused and stance ready, sensing more impending retaliation to come soon. "if we put our focus on outlasting it, it should take care of itself sooner than later."

you, me and our trusty friend the light rune (team 15 silver round)

[nagargent]

"I won't squander this chance, sir. I promise." Truly, Julia has no intention of doing so. She has a plan in mind, one that should allow her to keep her allies safer and take advantage of the Titanus before them. Yet the battle progresses at such chaotic pace that before she's even certain of her next move, the metallic behemoth has been replaced by a reptilian husk, snapping it's jaws in her direction.

Rafal's tone is pointed, barbed at the edges and cold but she'd hesitate to describe his words as unkind. It isn't her place to pry but she wonders what hardened his heart so. Hopes in her heart that even if they don't leave here as friends, that he comes to understand her care and consideration is genuine.

Unfortunately, she goes and let's him down. Not just him but the kind and generous Sir Forsyth, who so readily took her under his wing.

Julia casts Physic on Forsyth. Roll d20: 1! 1 HP Restored. Forsyth has 6.5/10 HP remaining.

"Sir! Please, step back," Julia implores him as she rushes closer to him. She casts Physic before she makes it to his side and perhaps that's where she goes so wrong. Her spell finds its mark at least but her focus falters. It's weak, pathetic really - barely doing anything to help the knight who had gone out of his way to try and protect her. "I'm sorry. That's not nearly enough. Let's-- let us both retreat to the backlines for now."

Alligatorid Husk 48/50 HP takes 1 damage from Toxic Poison Alligatorid Husk 47/50 HP takes 1 damage from Psychopomp Roll d5:2. Forsyth 6.5/10 HP is targeted by Psychopomp and loses 1 HP Alligatorid Husk 46/50 HP remaining Forsyth 5.5/10 HP remaining

The beasts strange, umbral magic saps Forsyth of what little strength she'd managed to restore to him. Julia makes a point of stepping directly in front of him, one hand reaching behind her and rested on his forearm. With neither shield nor sword in hand - not even a tome or spell prepared, there's little she can hope to do right now, other than take a hit for him. Her gaze focuses upon the Alligator-shaped monster, watching for it's next move. The beast itself seems to pulse with, sing with dark magic. It doesn't look interested in attacking them, instead staring at the toxic swamp below it's feet. Then she feels it, an ever so gentle rumble beneath her feet.

"Quick! Everyone get down," shouting is so foreign to her that it physically hurts. Her voice manages to carry far enough to alert Caeldori, Freyja and Rafal, even if it doesn't quite sound like her own at such volume. "The earth itself is about to attack!"

Her instincts prove timely - it takes Freyja, encased in armour longest to get to the floor but the Light Rune Julia granted to her works it's magic.

Alligatorid Husk 46/50 HP casts Quake. Resonance activates. Roll ul 5d20: 10 (light rune), 8(-2), 1(-2), 2, 5(-6): 0 damage to party! Alligatorid Husk has 45/50 HP remaining Outnumbered activates Alligatorid Husk 45/50 HP casts Quake. Resonance activates. Roll ul 5d20: 5, 4(-2), 8(-2) 15, 11(-6): Rafal is hit and takes 5 damage. Alligatorid Husk has 44/50 HP remaining Rafal has 5/10 HP remaining

For a moment they can breathe again, some amongst their number rushing to their feet. Julia moves hesitantly, uncertain of why she feels so fearful. Then the earth begins to shake again, throwing them all to and fro. It's only powerful, fell magic that could tear the earth itself asunder. They're lucky, for the most part, having already braced for the last quake. Yet the ground rages, spits and screams so violently that Rafal ends up far worse for wear because of it.

"Sir Forsyth? Could you please heal him?" She's aware of the animosity brewing between the pair, realises that this might not be what Forsyth wants to do. But it may heal the wound that has been formed between them too, help them at least respect each other as allies. Her tone is kept soft, so as to not be overheard by anyone but her knight in... well, not shining armour but the robes of the clergy. "I understand that's he's prickly but his actions speak to a far kinder nature than his words may suggest. I think both of you want to see us thrive. Even if you are much nicer about it!"

Julia giggles, sharing a light hearted moment with Forsyth. They're rare in such chaos and rather fleeting but worth cherishing all the same. She turns and makes her way to Rafal's side, wishing she could heal him right here and now. It's a natural reaction, she thinks, to seeing someone in need. But if she does, then no one will heal Sir Forsyth, their foe will still rampage - it will do them no benefit in the long run. So Julia clears her head, focuses on how best to keep everyone as safe and well as can be. If she can stop the beast in it's tracks and Rafal so permits, she could act again to heal or cast her protection rune upon one of their own.

"Professor Rafal, sir? I'm terribly sorry. I wasted the last opportunity you gave me. But victory is closest to our grasp if all five of us stand tall together. I have an idea but I'll be needing your support to make it happen." He's intimidating but her resolve is steadfast and she refuses to falter. A warm, friendly man he is not but she is certain he will be persuaded by reason. That like her, he'd rather none of them fall today. "I'll use this staff to try and Freeze the beast. If you're willing to aid me, I can heal Sir Forsyth and cast my protection spell again. I've already petitioned him to take care of your wounds."

"Watch my back. I'll show you what I can really do."

Julia casts Freeze on Alligatorid Husk. Roll d20-4: 15-4 = 11! Hit. Alligatorid Husk is Frozen until next hit.

Resolute and with renewed purpose, Julia trusts in herself. Believes in her own abilities and spellcraft. This time, her magic shines, following her will as it hits her target, pinning the husk in place.

"Lady Freyja, I've provided you an opening. I trust you to take full advantage of it." The smile on her face can't be restrained as she turns out and calls to her ally. Her eyes meet Rafal's for a moment and she nods, freshly assured of herself and her contribution to their team. Hopefully he'd feel the same way and place his faith in her one more.

you, me and our trusty friend the light rune (team 15 silver round)

[viridescent-lance]

Forsyth awakens in a large, near-empty space, clad in the robes of a bishop with light magic itching at his fingers. Julia shares this, Freyja once again is heavily armored, Caeldori dons her typical swordswoman's attire, and Rafal is a...dancer? Serves him right, perhaps the arena is trying to teach him a lesson or two.

Their opponent is...something, a large, animated suit or armor with a dangerous-looking sword and towering shield. It seems nigh-impossible to get past its defenses, but Caeldori, imbued with the protective powers of Julia's Light Rune, dives in faster than the eye can see like a woman possessed, her sword hacking mercilessly until the monster falls to its knees, some sort of toxic sludge spewing from its innards.

"Caeldori!" Forsyth tries for a healing spell, but the magic refuses; he has not been granted relief from poison this round. He turns to face the monster rising from the ruins of the previous one, the many-toothed beast that snarls toward his ally. Quickly, he steadies himself, chanting words he does not quite understand as magic gathers at his fingertips.

Forsyth 10/10HP crits Alligatorid Husk 50/50 HP with Valaura [Roll: 12 (-4) autocrit, -1, Alligatorid Husk 49/50 HP]

...and hardly scratches its hide. It is annoyed, yes, lets out a strange growl of pain and sets its sights on him. But it hardly seems daunted, and Forsyth barely has time to react as it sends its own magic hurtling toward him.

Alligatorid Husk 49/50 HP counters with Death (Resonance activates!) [Roll: 10 (+4 -2), -4.5, Forsyth 5.5/10HP, Alligatorid Husk 48/50 HP]

Forsyth is knocked backwards, barely on his feet; this opponent is strong, not even needing to use its hulking form to batter them. It stumbles a little, damaged by its own onslaught about as much as Forsyth's spell had scathed it. This will be a war of attrition, and between Rafal's oh-so-helpful dancing and he and Julia's healing spells, they can make it. They have to.

Forsyth 5.5/10HP follows up and misses Alligatorid Husk 48/50 HP with Valaura [Roll: 1 (-4), -0, Alligatorid Husk 48/50 HP]

Forsyth's unsteadiness proves costly, and his spell flies wide of the foe by a clean margin. He just knows that dastardly white-haired man will have a comment for him, and frustration builds knowing he was distracted by his venomous tone towards Julia. Still, he stands tall, steeling himself and allowing his confidence to remain outwardly intact.

"You've got this, Julia!"

@nagargent

you, me and our trusty friend the light rune (team 15 silver round)