#hati is probably asleep

[loreensdarling]

Oh my, I finally finished writing this. No idea how to format Tumblr but here's a link to my first ever post on AO3!! Honestly don't think it'll get any hits, but eh

Warnings: 3000 something words??, Eye of sion!!!! Sabine and Shin beat the living shit out of each other, get drunk and sleep together (I don't mean sex, I mean in a bed), they're lesbians

Sabine was sitting in her "cell" behind shut doors, leaned against the hard wall behind her. Her eyes were shut, it would seem as if she was sleeping, but she was wide awake. In her hand she held a small and flat silvery flask. It was opened and the smell that came from it was pretty distinct.

It was alcohol. Of course it was. It wasn't exactly like Sabine liked to drown her sorrows, but she always carried a flask of a strong Mandalorian liquor with her, for situations like this. Too often had she gotten herself stuck up in situations like this and there was nothing better to do when she was stuck behind bars temporarily.

The purple haired woman hoped to eventually just fall asleep. She'd check the ship out tomorrow, maybe she would find a training room where she could spar in her free time. Or maybe a canteen. Anything to kill time on this damn hyperspace ring would be great.

She had been sitting here for what felt like hours. At first she'd stared into nothing. Did some reflection, as Skoll had suggested. It only brought her to the conclusion that she really was the worst candidate to be a Jedi. She couldn't even save her Master. Ahsoka was dead because of her.

When she couldn't stand the thought anymore, she'd tried pacing up and down in this tiny room. It didn't last for long. Sabine hated to be in small rooms. It made her feel jittery and nauseous. She didn't want to be in small rooms unless she could distract herself, get busy with something, whether that be a piece of tech to take apart or something for her to paint. Something to fiddle with was also a great option.

When the short-lived pacing started to drive Sabine insane, she growled in frustration, sitting back down and leaning her back against the cold wall behind her. She reached into her bag that she had gotten to keep after Skoll and Morgan had removed anything weapon-like from it and pulled out a small, silvery flask. While she was here and had nothing to do, she could very well just get drunk and eventually fall asleep.

So here she sat, flask in her hand, leaving a few minutes between every swallow of liquor. It was strong, so she took her damn time with it. That was at least until the door suddenly opened with a hiss.

Sabine opened her eyes, eyeing the person who was standing in the door. It was Shin Hati, the dark side apprentice that had stabbed her only weeks before. The woman who seemed to follow her everywhere, the woman she encountered in her dreams.

She furrowed her eyebrows, waiting for Shin to open her mouth and say something as she just stood there in the doorway, glaring at Sabine. "Fight. Now.", she finally said, a slight accent peaking in her rough voice that Sabine couldn't quite pin down or identify. It sent shivers down her spine, and she chuckled.

"No.", the purple haired woman replied with snark, her lips curling into a smirk. She didn't feel like fighting right now. She just wanted to sit and numb her thoughts momentarily. The strong liquor helped, although Sabine wasn't drunk yet by far. She had Mandalorian tolerance. She could drink all night and still stand, and probably still fight just as good.

Shin breathed out noticeably enraged when Sabine replied snarkily, her icy blue eyes staring back into Sabine's soft brown eyes. "Yes.", she demanded through gritted teeth.

The Mandalorian took some time to reply, taking in Shins appearance. Her bleached, white hair, the dark roots. The wrapped padawan braid that laid across her shoulder. The usual Grey tunic that she wore. It was dirty and ragged. And Shin herself looked to be dirty and exhausted, her eye bags dark and prominent even though it was covered by her smudged smoky makeup. It seemed like she had gotten no rest as well.

"You look like you need sleep. Not a fight.", Sabine then remarked, screwing her flask close and tugging it away as she sat up. "Don't think a fight is the best idea for either of us, right now.", she made clear.

Shin was still standing in the door, hands balled to fists as she glared at Sabine. How dare she say something like that? It threw the white haired woman off entirely. Sabine watching her, making observations, and those observations being correct.

Shin wanted a fight, she needed a fight to get her head clear. Ironically she needed to get her head clear from the person sitting in this cell. And what better way to get over her than to beat her up, Shin thought. If Sabines face was all mashed up, she could impossibly think about the Mandalorian and how pretty she was in her armor, with the short hair, her gorgeous brown eyes that Shin could get lost in for hours-

Shin growled, sounding like a feral, wounded animal as she suddenly launched forwards with claws and teeth. She needed this fight and she would get it. Without hesitation she threw a punch at Sabine, who barely managed to dodge.

The purple haired Mandalorian had moved back wide eyed, scrambling off the bench to avoid a well placed punch towards her jaw. "What the fuck!", she hissed, pushing Shin away when she jumped at her again. "Stop that! I told you I'm not up-", again, she dodged a punch.

Shin was like a feral animal, all claws and teeth, rough punches, rough like the lines of her face, the shape of her body. The shape of her body that had become so familiar to Sabine over the weeks they had fought, even if it was hidden by robes before and still, right now.

Shin moved back for a second, only to drop her cloak for free movement, before jumping forwards again, landing a hard punch towards Sabines jaw. "Fight back!", she hissed, as Sabines head snapped back. The Mandalorian hissed in pain, her eyes filling with rage.

Shin grinned successfully when now Sabine launched forwards, kicking towards her ribs, and throwing punches. She'd finally managed to push the other woman's buttons, but if she'd eventually regret it would be another question.

The two women fought in the small room, teeth and claws, biting and kicking, punching each other like they were each other's biggest enemy. And they were, weren't they? They'd fight until the end. Exhaustion, in this case.

Eventually, Sabine managed to overpower Shin, pressing her to the floor. She'd caught her wrists with her own hands, sitting on her lower abdomen to push her down. She intensely stared at the woman lying beneath her, who was glaring up at her, her icy blue eyes boring into Sabines deep brown ones as Sabine glared down at her.

"Stop it.", she hissed out of breath as Shin struggled to get free beneath her. She looked rough. Bruises were now forming on her sharp cheekbones, and probably all across her body, as they were on Sabines body as well. They were both panting, exhausted from the fight, both adorned with bruises and scratch marks, they had thrown everything at each other like feral animals.

In the end, Sabine had probably needed to get something out as well. She felt better now than she had wallowing in self pity. And Shin was visibly more at ease as well, although still tense with her enemy pinning her down. "Get off me.", she commanded sharply.

Sabine raised a teasing eyebrow. "Oh, first you attack me, now you want me off?", she scoffed, leaning closer. "No. I don't trust you.", she said, hovering over Shins face.

She had not missed the blush that was creeping up on Shins cheeks, the longer she glared up at her. Her glance switched between Sabines lips and her eyes, her own lips parting just slightly as her breath hitched.

Unconsciously, Sabine shifted closer, until their lips were only centimeters apart. She could feel Shins breathing on her lips, as she stared up at her, her usually icy blue eyes clouded over with something else. Desire. The thing that was mirrored in her own eyes.

Sabines breath hitched and her eyes widened and suddenly she snapped back, clearing her throat. There was a blush creeping up her neck and cheeks and she quickly turned away, letting go of Shin and getting off her.

Shin sat up quickly, her usually pale cheeks a bright red. She let her hair fall into her face immediately as she scrambled to her feet, her thoughts racing, fast.

Sabine cleared her throat again, unsure of how to react, what to do or say. After a few moments passed and Shin still hadn't run away like Sabine expected, she hesitantly looked up to look at the blonde.

Shin was standing there, staring at Sabine. Her hands were balled to fists, she was tense, but seemed to be like in a trance. Her eyes were switching between looking at Sabine and staring at her lips, as she was absentmindedly biting her own lips.

Sabine felt a blush creep up her neck and cheeks again, as she stared back at Shin for a second, before reaching back into her bag, pulling out the flask again. She twisted it in her hand for a second, unsure, before reaching it towards Shin, offering. "Do you want some?"

Shins eyes widened, as she snapped out of it. Her pale cheeks immediately flushed red and she looked away, letting her hair cover her face. "What-" "It's booze. Mandalorian booze. It's pretty strong, I always take some with me for... Unfortunate situations.", the Mandalorian explained, tilting her head to the side, her purple hair falling into her face.

Before she could react and push her short hair out of her face, Shin reached out and gently pushed the hair aside. She immediately pulled her hand back, blushing furiously, while Sabine just stared back at her, eyes widened.

Now it was Shins turn to clear her throat, as she reached out for the flask, taking it from Sabine and tilting it in her hand. "Why?", she asked. Why was the Mandalorian offering her a drink? Alcohol, on top of that. Baylan wasn't a fan of alcohol.

He preferred if Shin kept her head free from substances, always ready to go. If she was intoxicated, she couldn't fight. Therefore, Shin had rarely tried alcohol before. Her tolerance wasn't the best, either. She looked at the flask, suspiciously. "If you're trying to poison me-", she started, but was stopped by laughter from Sabine.

"It's a peace offering, di'kut, why would I want to poison you? Who would be my company on this ship then?", Sabine chuckled, slightly tilting her head. "Besides, you saw me drinking from the same flask when you came in and I haven't dropped dead yet, have I?", she raised an eyebrow and Shin shook her head.

The blonde had furrowed her eyebrows when Sabine suddenly called her something, presumably, Mandalorian. It didn't sound mean, even though Shin had never heard the word before. Looking down at the flask, eyebrows still furrowed, she opened it and smelled it.

She looked back up with widened eyes. It smelled very strong. "Are you serious?", she asked the purple haired Mandalorian, who had sat back down on the bench and was watching her with an amused look on her face. Sabine nodded. "Mhm. It's good."

The woman on the bench cocked her head to the side slightly. "You don't have to, if you don't want to. I'm not forcing you to get drunk with me.", she clarified. Sabine wouldn't force Shin to anything. It was a peace offer, and if Shin would take it was up to her.

Hesitantly, Shin looked between the shut door and Sabine, before dropping her cloak and sitting on the bench next to her. Without the cloak, she suddenly seemed much smaller, her shoulders slouched for once as she pulled her knees up to her chest, to tuck them under her chin. She stared at the flask for another moment, before unscrewing it and taking a sip.

Sabine raised an eyebrow and waited, her head turned towards the younger woman next to her. A moment later Shin pulled a disgusted face, almost coughing the alcohol back up. "Oh, this is disgusting. Why are you drinking this?", she complained.

Sabine chuckled. "It's strong. And it's familiar... So it helps. It doesn't have to taste good, it just needs to be effective.", she shrugged. She was more or less used to the taste. Also, since she knew this stuff, she knew her tolerance could take much more than this one flask. But could Shin take more, she asked herself when she was handed the flask back.

Sabine took a sip as well, feeling the familiar, strong taste wash down her throat. She sighed. "You know, this is much better than us trying to kill each other. I like this.", she admitted. Maybe she liked Shin, as well. But she wasn't ready to admit that just yet. So she just sat in silence and reached the flask back to Shin, just watching the woman next to her and observing quietly.

Shin was gorgeous. Her sharp cheekbones, the little moles in her face and her bone white hair that fell into her face. Of course Sabine had noticed all this before, she just didn't have time to admire all of it yet. Admire Shin. Not that she wanted to, she told herself.

To distract from the fact that every single time the other woman was around, her heart sped up, beat a little faster.

To distract from how her thoughts raced whenever she noticed herself staring at Shins lips, and how her breath quickened just a little bit.

To distract from the thoughts and dreams she had about Shin ever since the other woman had stabbed her.

Sitting in silence, Sabine watched Shin, who slowly took another sip and frowned. The liquor was really strong and to her, it tasted disgusting. But Shin still wanted it, she too was caged up on this ship and frustrated. Alone with her thoughts. Reaching the flask back to Sabine, she laid her head on top of her knees and arms.

Hunched and balled up like this, she looked much smaller and more vulnerable, especially without her cloak that she usually had around her shoulders. Her head was turned towards Sabine, her usually clear blue eyes already clouded by intoxication as she watched the purple haired Mandalorian closely.

Sabine gazed right back at her as she took another sip. She sighed. The flask was almost empty, only a few more sips left. "Well, there's not much left. Guess we're going to have to face reality soon.", she chuckled dryly, sarcastically.

"Mhm…", Shin responded, seemingly tired, her head still resting on her knees. She blinked. She felt a little dizzy, out of her body. Sure, the Mandalorian liquor was strong, but Shin didn't anticipate it to knock her out so quickly, even with her low tolerance. "Shit.", she mumbled, as she watched Sabine take another sip, just like that. "Is your tolerance in the heavens?", she asked with exasperation.

"I'm Mandalorian, Kurs'kaded, we have a very high tolerance.", Sabine chuckled, leaning closer to Shin teasingly. "Don't tell me two sips of this stuff are taking you out already. Is your tolerance that low?", she raised an eyebrow as she leaned even closer, almost touching noses with Shin.

Shin blushed hard, quickly shaking her head as good as she could, still leaning on her knees. "No!", she responded defensively, but it was clear that she was intoxicated.

"You're drunk.", Sabine stated, clearly amused. She was still nose to nose with a blushing Shin. She found it adorable, if she was being honest with herself. Shin looked cute like this, balled up and blushing at her.

Sabine chuckled, before pulling back slightly." You're drunk.", she stated again. "You're quite cute like this. When you're not trying to murder me, I mean, that's when you look very cute.", she commented without thinking about it.

Shin immediately blushed furiously. "You think I'm cute?", she asked, not entirely sure if Sabine actually meant it. "... You know I could kick your ass at any given second.", she threatened, but her mouth curled into a soft grin. No, she wouldn't kick Sabine's ass. Not when Sabine looked so kissable right now…

Shin sighed. "You're a dumbass. I want to kiss you so badly.", she admitted, still blinking up at the Mandalorian slowly. Drunk thoughts were honest thoughts, and in Shin's case right now, they were secret desires she'd been pushing back ever since she'd stabbed Sabine and Sabine had still swung out at her after that.

Sabine's eyes widened and she nervously combed her fingers through her purple hair, trying to hide the furious blush that was creeping up on her cheeks as well. "Well, what are you waiting for, Kurs'kaded?", she asked, leaning forwards again.

The dark Jedi only hesitated for a second, before lifting her head and softly pressing her lips to the Mandalorians. The kiss was innocent and sweet, the faint taste of alcohol lingering on both of their lips. Shin sighed softly, reaching out and cupping Sabine's cheek, pulling her closer. Sabine let her, leaning into the kiss.

They only broke apart a few moments later, both drawing in a deep breath.

Shin's pupils were big, bigger than usual. Her mind was blown, her lips stood open slightly. She'd wanted to kiss Sabine for so long and now she finally got to experience the Mandalorians lips. And she finally had to admit to herself that the fleeting crush she had on the purple haired woman was more than just a simple crush. Her hand was still on Sabine's cheek, brushing her thumb over her cheekbone softly.

"Kriff. Sabine Wren, I might actually be in love with you.", she announced wide-eyed, coming to a crushing realization. She didn't know why it had taken her alcohol to realize it. It had been so painfully obvious the entire time, but Shin was an oblivious dumbass.

Sabine pulled back slightly, her hand finding Shin's on her cheek. She wound her fingers around the other woman's hand ever so gently, holding it. "You really mean that?", she whispered, firmly looking into the eyes of the woman sitting across the bench, watching her closely. She had the urge to reach out and push Shin's bone-white hair out of her face. Her Shin.

Shin nodded slowly. "I mean it.", she whispered, honestly. Her feelings were so strong, they were beginning to overwhelm her. Shin was tired, drunk and tired, and she just wanted to take a nap right now. But not without Sabine, Sabine, who was her favourite person in the entire world. No, she was her entire world.

"I love you too, Kurs'kaded", Sabine responded softly, finally reaching out to brush the Jedis white hair out of her face, gently. "You look tired…", she then remarked, concerned.

Shin nodded, sleepily. "I think I need a nap…", she responded to Sabine's concern, her heart filling with a warm, fuzzy feeling. Love. Yes, it was love. Love, Love, Love. The word repeated in her head, over and over, as she reached out for Sabine.

Sabine reached out as well, pulling Shin closer as Shin untucked her knees from under her chin, instead tucking herself into Sabine's side, cuddling up to her without a second thought. It felt natural, like a wolf conquering its moon. She was the wolf, Sabine the moon. Her moon.

Sabine smiled softly as the dark side apprentice tucked herself into her side. She gently brushed her fingers through her soft, bone white hair, humming softly.

[ask-the-amph-greater-universe]

Chapter will probably whine about how he feels bad when he accidentally falls asleep in the other world. Gets like actual sleep. He does like this world though. Teen solar flare is nice, and so are all the others. Surely they can extend the time? So they don't accidentally fall asleep anywhere? (Chapters basically awake mentally when he goes to his dreamland. So there's a difference between the darkness of actual sleep and then going to dreamland.)

—

Bana agrees. Saying that seems like a reasonable request. He will get rid of Hati soon. Hati snarls that he will find them. Blacklisting won't stop him he. He'll find some way to break the firewall(?). Bana tells him to shut up. It's his own goddamn fault for being so heartless.

Sköll is immediately surprised. They were expecting a welcome, this is a bit much of a welcome. They take the child mindlessly because of daycare protocols settling in. It does take them a bit to figure out what type of child they have. When they realize they make a very confused, surprise, happy face. He observes the others curiously. Given that there's no blood moon or lunar in his world they are unknown to him. He lets Leiðr look at everyone a little bit. Although they are of course silent inside of his head. Sköll asks if this is their whole family.

Would KE adopt characters like Chapter or hell even Leiðr?

I think they did adopt Chapter actually, didn’t they? I feel like they did. They’ll take Leior (I do not have that letter in my keyboard), too.

[total-fandom-tr45h]

yo Viking AU!! I am absolute love with the tattoo choices, more Skoll and Hati imagery with Sun and Moon, yes please~ I gotta ask, how do two animatronics end up in a Viking settlement? - @clxckwork-sun-n-moon

Hehe, glad you asked >:3

I probably have posted this on here before, but I honestly can't remember- if I did, i didn't tag it well and can't find it amongst my four hundred something posts so here!

The Metal Vikingr

“In two days time, two metal men will appear. Welcome them into the clan, and train them to be warriors. These metal men will save your clan.”

It wasn’t uncommon for you to receive prophecies in your dreams. You had been blessed by the gods from a young age, and practiced seiðr to assist your clan. What confused you was the mention of ‘metal men’. How could that be possible? You would just have to find out.

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

“Vǫlva!”

You had been enjoying a moment of quiet when a man from the village came running up the hill to your humble little house on the outskirts of the village. His name was Asmund, a drengr and one of the few people who would just sit and talk with you, not expecting you to use your magic or give a prophecy. The two of you had grown up together, Asmund’s father even treating you like his own daughter. When you were gifted your magical abilities, Asmund was the only one who didn’t fear you, staying by your side as you struggled with the prophecies that constantly flooded your minds and haunted your dreams. 

“Asmund, to what do I owe the pleasure?” You smiled softly at him, a soft red hue encroaching on his face as he stared at you a moment before shaking his head, remembering why he was here. 

“Strange creatures have washed up on shore, father told me to get you.” 

Right on schedule.

You sighed softly and stood up, stretching before walking over to Asmund. “Let’s go. I believe I know what you’re talking about.” You started walking down the hill, humming a tune while Asmund jogged to catch up with you. “You know what they are? Are they part of a prophecy or something?” He asked, tilting his head in curiosity. You nodded, looking at the shoreline to see a crowd of people gathered around something next to the docks. 

You picked up your pace, speed-walking through the village, nodding in greetings to those who said hello. You made your way to the group and cleared your throat, causing them to look at you and hastily move to make a path for you through them. What you saw laying on the rocky shore of the river was something you never thought could exist.

Two tall, lanky metal men lay side by side on the ground, water lapping at them gently. One was coloured like the day, yellows and golds decorating his strange figure. He wore strange pants decorated with red and yellow stripes, frills around his neck and waist, and ribbons on his wrists. Adorning his head was a crown of spikes, reminding you of the rays of the sun. His face had a crescent shape on it, one side a different shade of yellow than the other, and his mouth was slightly agape, eyes closed as if asleep. 

The other one looked almost identical, but was decorated like the night, dark blues and greys covering his body. He dressed similar to his counterpart, but his pants were blue with stars on them, a matching cap of sorts affixed to his head. The crescent of his face was two drastically different colors, one half being blackened while the other was a light grey, reminiscent of a crescent moon. He too looked like he was asleep, almost peaceful. 

You looked over at the spectral crow that had alighted on the dock, and nodded your head towards the metal men as you spoke. “Are these the prophesied ones?” The crow slowly nodded its head before taking off with a caw, flying out of your sight. You clapped your hands together and turned to the crowd, looking between all of them. “I need some help bringing them to my home, please.” There were hushed whispers between the people, and Asmund stepped forward to help along with a few other reluctant men. 

It took 6 of the strongest warriors to carry the metal men to your little home, three for each as they seemed to weigh quite a bit despite being so thin. You instructed the men to bring them into your home, and they obliged, propping the two up against a wall next to a basket of herbs you had just dried. After waving the men away, you began to inspect the two, poking and prodding their supposed sleeping forms.

Their outer ‘shell’ was actually soft, feeling almost like skin, but cold to the touch. Their faces felt the same, and you wondered just how they worked when a strange sound came from the sun-themed one as you were inspecting the moon one. You jolted and stood up, taking a step back and holding your breath. Slowly, the metal man began to move, fingers twitching and sun rays rotating around his head slowly as he opened his eyes, their soft blue glowing like a candle in the dimness of your home. 

It took him a few seconds to get his bearings, but once he did he jumped up, causing you to yelp in surprise as he began pacing around, hands tugging at the rays adorning his head while he rambled. He spoke in English, and you gave a silent prayer to Freyja for your gift of language, otherwise you wouldn’t have been able to understand him.

“O-oh no, oh no! This is not good, no no no, not good! Oh gosh, what’s going on…” 

You stood there, watching him and not noticing the other one stirring, opening his eyes and looking at his counterpart before speaking. 

 “Sun, where the hell are we?”

He asked, standing and halting ‘Sun’, placing his hands on the others shoulders. ‘Sun’ shook, looking around the room nervously as he began to fiddle with his fingers. 

“I-I don’t know, Moon- oh! H-hello!”

His eyes landed on you and he gave you a nervous smile, ‘Moon’ looking at you as well, eyeing you skeptically. You smiled back, hiding your own nervousness as you took a step towards the two, holding your hands out in a peaceful gesture. “Hello. Please, do not be alarmed. You are in Norway, in my village. You are safe.” It felt weird to speak English, not used to it since you hardly ever needed to. Your assurances seemed to only slightly calm ‘Sun’, and ‘Moon’ let go of the others shoulders to cross his arms and stare at you.

“Why should we believe you? How did we get here in the first place? Did you kidnap us?”

He squinted his red eyes at you, almost causing you to shudder under their intensity. “I have no clue how you got here, you were found on the shore of the river. I had you brought here to my home. Whether you believe me or not is up to you, but not believing me will make things very difficult for all of us.” You lowered your arms, putting one hand on your hip as you jutted it out to the side. (Ooh, sassy)

You stared at them for a moment before shrugging and turning away, beginning to sort through a small pile of herbs that sat on the table behind you. You heard them whisper between themselves before they went silent again. A few seconds later you felt a tapping on your shoulder, and you turned around to see ‘Sun’ tapping his pointer fingers together nervously. “U-um, we have decided that w-we believe you. Do you know by chance why we are here, though?” He asked, his voice wavering like a frightened child. 

You smiled softly, setting down the herbs you had in your hands and turned to face him. “As a matter of fact, I do. You were sent here to help protect my clan, or so the prophecy said.” You put your hands on your hips, looking between the two of them. ”Now, what are your names? I’m yðvarr náli, but you may call me vǫlva.” You watched as they looked at each other before looking back at you. 

“I-I’m Sun, and this is my brother Moon. What, um… language do you keep using? I don’t recognize it.”

You blinked at Sun, confused. “What do you mean? It’s Norse.” 

Sun frowned, and Moon sighed. “Old Norse, of course. We’ve been sent back in time. That’s just great!” 

The lunar ‘man’ threw his arms into the air in exasperation, and his brother turned to him, panicking. “T-time travel?! B-but that should be impossible!” 

Your eyes wandered from the blabbering of Sun to your doorway, where a spectral cat walked through the door. “Freyja, good to see you. I have a question.” The cat sat down and curled its tail over its paws, then nodded. “Is there such a thing as traveling through time?” The cat pondered for a moment before nodding slowly. 

“Who are you talking to?”

You looked up at Moon, who was watching you curiously. You looked back to the cat, only to see it had vanished. “Oh, nobody really.” 

He scowled at you, crossing his arms. “Uh huh, there was something in the room that you were talking to, but it’s gone now. What was it?” 

You groaned, sitting on a little stool that was nearby. “Sit, this may take a while.” The two obliged, sitting on the floor near you, looking at you almost like the children from the village did when they came to listen to your stories. 

It had been midday when you started your explanation, and it took until dusk to finish, the two telling you a bit about themselves in the process. “Wow…. you can use magic… that’s so cool!” Sun remarked, his eyes glowing brighter in the low light of your home. 

There was a knock at the door, and you stood up, stretching before walking over and opening the door to see Asmund standing there. “Asmund, come in! I’d like you to meet the two you’ll be helping to train into fine drengr like yourself.” You ushered the young man in, practically pulling him through the door into the warmth of your home. 

Asmund stood frozen, staring at the two animatronics, as they had told you they were called, sitting on the floor of your house, taking up quite a bit of room as they were so large. “Asmund, this is Sun and Moon.” 

You gestured to each respectively, and they both nodded their heads at him. Asmund blinked a few times before clearing his throat. “Ahem, um, nice to meet you…? I’m Asmund.” The man seemed uncomfortable, to say the least. 

”This is Asmund, my childhood friend and one of the people who are going to train you.” You explained to Sun and Moon, seeing as they didn’t understand him.

You’ll have to fix the language barrier issue before they start training. 

Asmund grabbed your arm, dragging you outside, the sky painted with the coming night sky, stars just barely visible. “Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, you don’t know what they’re capable of-” He began berating you, but you just lifted your hand, making him shut up. 

“Asmund, with all due respect, I know what I’m doing. And for you to not have faith in my decision is to not have faith in the gods, so I suggest you be quiet and help.” 

You snapped, already irritated with his behavior. Asmund looked at you like a wounded puppy before nodding and hanging his head in shame.

You sighed and gave Asmund a pat on his broad shoulder, then looked up at the darkening night sky. “You should go home, Asmund. It’s getting dark. I will see you tomorrow.” You removed your hand and turned, heading back into your house where Sun and Moon were waiting, standing over your table where you had been sorting herbs earlier. 

“Alright, sorry about that. Is there anything I can get to make you two more comfortable?” You asked, standing behind them. The two seemed to jolt slightly, turning around quickly to face you. Sun looked ashamed, while Moon was donning a deadpan expression. 

“Oh, n-no thanks! We’ll be perfectly fine for the night, yup! Although…” Sun spoke up, but trailed off at the end of his sentence. You were about to ask what the matter was when a loud chime echoed through your home, coming from Sun.

[BATTERY LOW. RECHARGE IMMEDIATELY.] 

Sun hid his face in his hands, seemingly embarrassed while Moon chuckled. You tilted your head, not quite understanding what was going on. Moon crouched down to your eye level, his soft chuckling trailing off as he spoke. “I know you don’t have electricity, but do you have anything to eat?” 

You blinked a few times, still not quite understanding but you nodded, shuffling over to where you kept your food. You grabbed a few things, then brought them over to where Sun was now sitting, still hiding his face. 

“Here, I brought you food. Eat while I get beds ready for you two.” You set down the food, which both of them begin to eat immediately. You turn and head to another part of your home, gathering some bedding while trying to think of a place to set it up for them, finally deciding on a spot near the door. 

You hummed as you set up their beds, lost in your thoughts when you felt something touch your shoulder. “Yes?” You asked, not even turning around to see who it was. After all, with your abilities and ties to the gods, it wasn't uncommon to get visits from strange beings.

“Uh, we’re done…. let us do that.” Sun’s voice spoke up from behind you, and you waved him off, continuing with your work. 

“No, you’re my guests, it’s the least I can do.” You finished making the beds and stepped back, turning to see that both Sun and Moon had been standing there, watching the entire time. “There! I’d suggest you get some rest or whatever, tomorrow is a big day for you.” 

The two looked at each other with slight concern on their features, but you just grinned up at them. Moon shuffled over to one of the beds, sitting down before sprawling out. The mass of pelts and blankets were too small for his large form, and the sight made you snicker. “So, what are we doing tomorrow then?” Sun asked, pulling your attention back to the sunny robot. 

“Tomorrow, I will teach you two my language.” You said, reaching up to give Sun a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “Nothing to be worried about. Now, off to bed with you! I wake up at first light, so you will be too.” 

Sun sat down on the makeshift bed next to his brother, who seemed to already be asleep. You smiled at them one last time before extinguishing all the lights in your home, save for one candle you used to navigate to your own bed. Curling up under your blankets, you let out a small sigh before allowing your eyes to close and slumber take over.

[muthary]

Apprentice Questionnaire: Diorbhail

Find the original questionnaire here. Answers to 4, 25, 26, 27, and 28 are here and here. Under a cut because this is still pretty lengthy!

1. Where is their favorite place to hang out in Vesuvia? Why?

They enjoy anywhere they can take a long nap, or just sit and think. Mostly at home, in their room. They’ve fallen asleep in a forest or two, even. They just enjoy the quiet, and sounds they’re used to constitute as that. They also appreciate consistent vibes, since they’re sensitive to shifts in energy, so being in their room lets their aura bounce back at them. The forest has a similar effect.

2. How does your apprentice feel when they are called a witch? (Offended? Shrugs it off? Likes it?)

It’s what they refer to themself as. Culturally, the term magician  or sorceress doesn’t feel right. So they aren’t particularly incensed when someone else refers to them as such, but when someone says it with the intent of it being an insult? Diorbhail isn’t exactly sure why, but they feel the need to bolt. They have a hard time feeling safe in that sort of situation. Looking at you, Valerius.

3. Do they have a familiar? Why did you choose that animal? How did they meet?

They do, but they were separated from him when the came to Vesuvia. That, and Diorbhail doesn’t consider him so much as a familiar as they do consider him just family. He’s a direwolf named Fenrir who Diorbhail found, along with rest of his orphaned siblings, when wandering the forest behind their childhood home. From then on out, Diorbhail tried their best to take care of them, and when they inevitably outgrew them, the wolves began taking care of them with Fenrir being their closest companion. Neither of them knew what a familiar was!

I chose a dire wolf (and a pack of them, at that), because Diorbhail’s design and abilities were somewhat based off of the Úlfhéðnar and Beserkers of old Norse tales. The wolves themselves are based off of (you got it) Fenrir, as well as Skoll, Hati, Geri, and Freki. There’s also a unique dynamic I thought would be nice for Diorbhail! Fenrir and his siblings represent the most wild parts about Diorbhail, the parts that have stuck around through all their life and make up a huge part of their personality. 

5. What is their opinion of each of the courtiers?

Valerius

Surprisingly, they don’t hold Valerius with the most contempt they could. Granted, he’s a conniving bastard who drenched them in wine when he first met them after trying to continuously embarrass them in front of Nadia, but they don’t consider him a threat. They never did. They forgave him in the Hierophant’s realm because they figured, for all the show and condescension, he was probably just a fool in a man’s shoes. They wouldn’t play chess with him, though. They don’t have that much patience.

Vlastomil

Diorbhail can’t stand to be around him for too long. He reminds them of the worms he love to chitter on about, slimy and wriggly. They don’t have an in-depth opinion about him because they try not to get into situations where they have to be around him.

Valdemar

He makes them incredibly uncomfortable. Diorbhail has a special relationship with death in that they don’t fear it all too much (it’s pain that terrifies them), since their beliefs are very Norse in origin (Ragnarok and the Völuspá and all that). But Valdemar, and the way they treat death like a trivial joke, something for them to toy with, to bring pain to others with... they hate it. They make Diorbhail incredibly uneasy, if not entirely disgusted. They find Valdemar terribly disrespectful.

Vulgora

Obnoxious. Diorbhail doesn’t care for their bloodthirsty attitude that has no end. They roll their eyes every time Vulgora yells about fighting. Diorbhail is waiting for the day Vulgora attempts to turn their wrath on them; Diorbhail is getting more and more ready to put Vulgora in their place with each passing day.

Volta

Diorbhail enjoys Volta the most. She’s meek and adorable in a scuttling, sniveling, baby-ish sort of way.  Diorbhail never thought Volta was up to no good, not like the other courtiers. They particularly enjoyed it when Volta lit up at the sight of those tiny sandwiches they brought her during the Masquerade, even if they did feel bad about why they brought those snacks in the first place. Diorbhail sympathizes a lot with Volta, and her constant, insatiable hunger brought on by her... condition. They know too well what starvation feels like, and what it can do to someone.

6. What did they do while at the clinic?

Diorbhail, for the most part, offered immediate comfort. They brewed tea, crushed aromatic herbs, and lit various resins to ease the pains and aches of the patients. They weren’t patient enough to sit and toil over possible cures, not like Julian. They wanted to learn, but the patients and their immediate needs always took precedence, especially the elderly and the young. Diorbhail often sat and listened to the old-timers, who they knew simply wanted an ear for the night, and the patient company. They’d tuck in the younglings and recite to them stories from their youth. Often, they’d end up falling asleep with the children leaning on them. And with Julian always tucked away into his office, it’s no wonder they got sick. 

Once they regain their memories, they can’t say they regret what they did.

7. What are their tasks around the shop? What can they make?

They were the main clerk, since Asra would handle the readings and then... nap.  The shop was owned by their aunt so it was known for Southern remedies and folk magic, and they were able to harmlessly do whatever wild magic they knew without lifting to many brows-- old magic is niche enough where no one would care to question it, just so long as it worked. Diorbhail did a lot of plant-based spells, charms, tinctures, tonics, potions, etc etc. Other than that sort of work, generally, they were in charge of regular cleaning (energy and plain dust), placing new charms and barriers, and rebalancing the building. Making dinner and tea also fell on them quite often too, but they didn’t mind.

8. Describe their daily routine (wake up, chores, tasks, visiting who, etc)

They sleep very soundly, but don’t go to bed on time, so their nights often extend into the early morning. They usually wake up around nine or ten, having bathed the night before with handmade soaps and oils. Their hair usually only gets styled every couple days since their braids and plaits are meant to hold up to a great amount of activity. Makeup is usually done through quick glamours that take no time at all to do. They wear a lot of layers, but getting dress doesn’t take as much time as hair does. Breakfast is usually a glass of water with lemon and an omelette with rosemary and basil. Sometimes they’ll splurge and eat some fruit!

They usually leave chores for the night, so they’ll head straight down to the front end of the shop and open up for the day. Lunch breaks mean restocking whatever’s out at the marketplace and stopping for some pumpkin bread. They don’t visit many people aside from the baker! They’ll head back to the shop after an hour, usually, and keep going until a little after sunset, at which point they’ll close, bathe, eat supper, and stay up reading/writing in their grimoire. They pray before they go to bed and set a saucer of cream and a slice of that day’s bread out on their windowsill before retiring.

9. What Major Arcana would they be closest to? Is their a Minor Arcana card that suits them more?

The Major Arcana they associate with the most is The Empress. She symbolizes an older entity, the mother of the earth, and brings the recycling of energy at her most tempestuous. Diorbhail has a lifelong association and dependence on nature at it’s most raw, and so they feel incredibly drawn to the Empress. As for the Minor Arcana, it would probably be the Seven of Cups.

10. Describe their magical abilities. What are they best at? Worst?

Diorbhail’s magic is terribly unrefined and often reigned in by sheer force of will and intense visualization, and a good metaphor for it is probably just successfully breaking in a stallion. Old magic is a lot of this, and is often because those who practice it are more in tune to natural energies that created magic in the first place. Diorbhail is most in tune with the earth in terms of elements, and they incorporate herbs, woods, flowers, stones, and bones into their magic. They happen to be adept at protective charms, divination, summoning, and offensive spells. They aren’t as good as transmutations or spells that require precise steps. They find it hard to focus on that sort of thing!

11. How do they get along with all the animals in the game? (Faust, Malak, Chandra, Pepi, Inanna, Camio, Melchior and Mercedes)

Faust

Excellently, of course! Diorbhail loves it when Faust decides to wrap around them and hitch a ride. Diorbhail is incredibly patient with her and Asra often finds Kai hunched over their work as Faust slithers all over them-- through their hair, under their draping clothes, and loosely about their neck. Diorbhail hardly doesn’t flinch when she decides to flop on top of their head after trying to reach a higher shelf or beam, or when Faust pokes their lips with her snout because she can’t hold steady as she tries to investigate the scent of lunch coming from their mouth. When the Devil took Faust, Diorbhail immediately dove for the deal after he promised to release Faust if they did-- they couldn’t stand to see her hurt, ever.

Malak

An odd relationship characterized by wordless interactions and an odd degree of trust that developed out of nowhere. Diorbhail naturally communicates well with certain types of animals well enough without having to work for it-- dogs and corvids, for example (a nod to Odin and his accompanying animals, Geri and Freki, and Hugin and Munin). They like to offer trinkets they find, or pieces of bread they have, to Malak. They spy the intelligence in his fathomless eyes, and the old soul in them is convinced that Malak could be a divine messenger. They’ll often spot him and beckon him over so that he may perch on their shoulder-- Malak’s weight comforts them, as well as the usefulness that comes with having his extra pair of eyes with them while they trek more dangerous parts of Vesuvia-- or anywhere, really.

Chandra

Diorbhail doesn’t have a particular opinion on Chandra. They know she exists, but they don’t... care too much. Honestly, Diorbhail thinks Chandra is pretty for an owl, but a little too... fancy, I suppose? Not like the owls they know, that's for sure.

Pepi

Well enough. Diorbhail is more of a dog person for obvious reasons, but they coo to Pepi to ask if they can pet her. They’re always a little downtrodden if they get ignored by the little cat. They do think she’s cute, though.

Camio

Camio is Diorbhail’s least favorite. He's nice to look at but annoying. They rarely curse at an animals, but they’ll make the exception for Camio. It doesn’t help that Camio is obviously just like a certain someone who also grates on Diorbhail’s nerves.

Melchior and Mercedes

After the first night when Diorbhail forced these two into turning tail and submitting with just their stare, they have a touch and go relationship with Mercedes and Melchior. They, too, remind Diorbhail of the odious Lucio, but not enough to make them wrinkle their nose when they come snuffling around. They’ll give those pups the pomegranates they desire though, and smiles when the hop around before tearing into the fruit.

12. Did they have a certain opinion about the palace and court before the events of the game? Did it change?

They were intimidated by the concept of visiting, but mostly they weren’t the most avid fan of the palace and court. They can’t stand those in higher classes who do nothing to help those whose heads they trample just by existing, and before knowing the situation with Nadia and her courtiers, they assumed Nadia and her court were no-good snobs who weren’t able to look much further than their own noses. That held true for some of the courtiers, but they were happy to learn that Nadia was much different from their preconceived notions on her.

13. How do they feel about traveling in the realms? (Nervous? Excited? Other?)

They’ve been traveling between the veil for a while. Their home country is also inhabited by otherworldly spirits and beings, the Aos Sí, and they've been in close contact with these beings ever since they could walk. They’re also spiritually sensitive and can see souls of the departed, whether on this side or the other of the hedge that separates the living from the dead, so, no, they don’t have many feelings regarding traveling realms. It’s just something they do sometimes, with Asra or not.

14. Where is their least favorite place in Vesuvia? Why?

The dungeons. The echoes of lives lost, not at to the plague, but to Valdemar’s careless hand, is suffocating and makes their lungs feel like they’re about to pop. Those energies make their entire body hurt and their head go fuzzy-- it’s the worst they felt since they died. They’ve barely managed to hold back tears down there. At least the Lazaret lacks a roof.

15. How did your apprentice feel about Asra leaving all the time? Taking care of them?

They aren’t happy when he leaves, but they don’t think that they’re too important that they should bring it up to them. They figure he probably has important things to do that aren’t any of their business. It doesn’t help how lonely they feel, though-- they are a pack animal at heart. But, at the same time, sometimes Asra can stifle them with how much he dotes. They try to steer him in the direction of a reasonable middle ground, and that usually means that they give him as much attention as their emotional capacity allows for that day.

16. Name one thing your apprentice wants to see happen, or say to someone.

They want to find to find a mutual belonging with Muriel. They resonate with him already-- he’s similar to how they once were when they were first revived. To how they were when they were younger. Sort of like how they are now. They feel drawn to him but with no way to properly express that to him, they just hope one day he’ll catch on.

17. What is the outcome you see happening for your apprentice and their significant other?

Visiting their home country. Meeting their foster family. Finally setting old demons straight after they regain all of their memory and then settling down in a quiet cottage, out of the city and back in the wilds that they love. Maybe one day with a little family of their own and a reputation as the people of the wood who will never turn out a weary traveler. 

18. What would drive your apprentice so far as to strike a bargain?

Losing the few people that they’ve allowed close to them, those who they truly love platonically or otherwise. That would truly break Diorbhail and drive them to take any means necessary to right what they perceive as a wrong, or put them out of their own misery. Or, if they believe that it would prevent harm from coming to their loved ones altogether, then they’ll dive to sacrifice their own well-being.

19. At this point in the game, do they care more about recovering the rest of their memories or living as they are now?

They want to remember. There’s always a gnawing at the back of their head, and they know they can be better if they just remember. They’re sick of feeling helpless because they only have three years worth of memories, most of them being of Asra and the shop. It’s no way to live, for Diorbhail. They probably won’t think this way for very much longer, however.

20. Would they be up for another Masquerade despite all that has happened? New outfit theme?

So long as they don’t have to keep running between rooms, then yes. With a quiet corner, good food, and night sky full of lights, they’d be perfectly content. As for their outfit, they’d probably go in a costume tied to their ancestry, and to the general theme of a ram, the star they were born under and the face of one of their gods.

21. What is their first reaction seeing their LI cry?

Initially, they’d hesitate to get close. Their first thought is to think of what they would like their LI to do, if the situation was reversed, but that’ll get tossed quickly in favor of Diorbhail rushing over to hug their LI. They wipe their LI’s tears and whisper affirmations and comforting things. This always ends with Diorbhail acting as a big spoon and running their fingers through their LI’s hair, and eventually falling asleep there.

22. Are they scared of what they have learned? Of the powers they have developed?

Not at all. Maybe of what may happen if the wrong people learn about what they could do, but they’re never afraid of themself. For them, each new ability is one more means with which to protect their family and help those in need.

23. Do they like snow? Have they seen it before?

Given that their home country is very nearly always covered in snow, yes, they have seen it before, but no, they aren’t particularly fond of it. They associate it with terrible things from their childhood, and doesn’t make for a very hospitable environment once it falls thick enough.

24. A magic lamp is found in the shop, and a genie inside gives them three wishes. What are they?

Diorbhail would send that genie right back inside for later use. They have no clue what they’d wish for until they needed it. No wishes for wealth, love, or fame. They’d probably tote the lamp around until they found themself in a pickle and used the genie as a get-out-of-jail-free card. Like wishing the Devil would forget about merging the realms and take a nap.

[tweetybites]

10.12

I think I have struggled with love a long time ago, and didn't want to find a new one. I thought, I take a role as Jan in this roleplay world only to waste my lonely time. Having a lover was out of question. Meeting you wasn't planned.

I started my 2020 with a broken heart. Expecting something from others was the lasting I wanted to do. And yet, I did it and I was the one who got hurt. "Enough is enough. I don't want to feel like this again." I said it to myself.

At the beginning of October, I played as Minjoo and really wanted to meet Thai friends. It was kinda hard when you haven't found one of them, then you won't find any. And then I saw your tweet in international base, our first encounter. You are different than any Bright I met (I met some of them in my other Korean acc and they were kinda cold). "Oh he is kind."

At the beginning of November, I came back to that account (yeah it only lasted for a week in October and then I was gone) I changed my faceclaim as Jan. I stumbled on your tweet again and talk to you. The tweet was about lemon. We talked again since then.

((Ini teks yang aku tulis terus gak ke save semua. Sakit hati:( ))

But as the days passed, we get to know each other. We were talking all night. When we talked again, I would like to hear more about your interest. When we talked again, I found myself feel comfortable around you.

Out of sudden you were the notification I was always waiting for. My heart skips a beat, everytime we talk. We don't even have the same interest and probably have different opinions regarding many things, but talking with you was so much fun. The often we talk, the more I want to learn about you; knowing how your day was going, how you talked about your cats, your colleagues behaviour, and another things about you. I felt something I shouldn't have, and I got anxious because of that.

My friend who saw my tweets which replied yours, teased me "You finally found your Bright!" I laughed awkwardly, saying "I wdon't want to fall in love with him."

As much as I want to be with you, but falling for you was something unexpected. And I thought you already gave your heart to someone else.

Different opinions were coming from my friends, "Just enjoy it", "Take a step back", "Find another one". I was going to step back, to give us some space. But you were a great company, I always feel delightful when I'm with you. That's why I choose to enjoy the moment to have someone like you around me.

When December was going to come, you told me you are going to confess something. You said I should promise you that I wouldn't be mad because of it. I actually thought you were going to cut me off. But it came to my surprise, you were confessing your feelings to me! I'm still laughing to my answer.

Never thought that you would have the same feeling as mine. I was over-joyed, maybe I should share some nasi kuning to my neighbours. Becanda, sayang.

Since then, I fall in love with you again and again. You become to be more sweet, caring and cheesy. And the most unexpected is, when you start talking in bahasa Indonesia and call me "Sayang". I swear my heart wasn't ready for that. We promised to take it easy. We would walk baby steps together.

Tenth of December, you asked me to not sleep before 12 pm. I thought you just want to talk, like we normally do. My eyes couldn't take it anymore and I fell asleep like for 5 minutes, and you were still busy with your cats. It was 11.53 pm , I was going to bid a goodnight, but suddenly there was a notification of you mentioning me in of your tweet.

I thought you were joking when you said you are going to ask me out in 10th Dec. I was sleepy and become fully awake out of sudden. I looked like a crazy person, smiling from ear to ear and giggles like K. I really didn't expect it to be THAT day. And, 10 December, become as one of our important date.

We are getting to know each other. You are stubborn funny guy, a smart one, and caring one. A cat person. Someone who looks after his health. Someone who tells his opinion without making the other party feel intimidated. Someone who likes classical books and poems. Someone who is over heels with EXO and Queen. Someone who I told about my days, who was the first person (as in relationship) I ever called as sayang! Who keep calling Win a baby, but get 18+ with Jan. Someone who become one part of my life now.

And I want to know more about you. And I want you to know about me, too. I don't want to think about the future, but like you said,

I love you, sayang. ♡

[cargopantsman]

Werewolves of Stockholm. Awooooo!

Óðinn's relationship with wolves is a love-hate relationship. By his sides in Valhalla are his two wolves, Geri and Freki ("the ravenous" and "the greedy"). He feeds them the meat from his table and they join him on hunts. On the other hand there is Fenrir, the giant wolf, son of Loki, that will be Óðinn's ultimate demise. From the very start of Fenrir's life Óðinn is figuring out how to keep the wolf at bay, literally. Óðinn, as a war-god, is also tied to berserkers, particularly the úlfheðnar ("wolf"-"jacket of fur or skin"). "[Óðinn's] men went without their mailcoats and were mad as hounds or wolves, bit their shields...they slew men, but neither fire nor iron had effect upon them." [Davidson, Hilda R.E. (1978). Shape Changing in Old Norse Sagas] When Sigi is banished from his home for murdering Breði, he is called "varg í véum." “Literally 'a wolf in holy places', an expression normally used of a man who slays another in a hallowed place or sanctuary (e.g. at an assembly), and is forthwith declared a 'wolf', ...Vargr without further qualification is also used in the general sense of 'outlaw' and is equivalent to the term skógarmaðr (i.e. 'wood-man'), the outcast from society who roams the forests, the like of wolves, and with them to be hunted down and slain.” [R. G. Finch (1965). The Saga of the Volsungs] Which is not just being dramatic. After certain conditions are met, a skógarmaðr “could be killed or wounded with impunity.” [J.L. Byock (1993) Feud in the Icelandic Saga] Óðinn is not just a patron deity of kingship, but in these and other stories where he is often portrayed as the ragged wanderer, he has a fondness for the vagabond, the hermit, the person living outside the bounds of normal society. The “lone wolf” so to speak. Óðinn takes Sigi far away from "[Sigi's] father's home" and outfits him with men and ships. Sigi raids, plunders, conquers, and builds a kingdom. For some time the family line continues on in a place of stable(ish) power. Sigi, Rerir, and Volsung know kingship. Sigmund though ends up with no family aside from his twin sister (stuck married to King Siggeir) and he himself becomes a skógarmaðr, a woods-man. He is not an outlaw as such, but having to be believed dead in enemy territory he certainly takes on the role of a wolf that must remain outside of human society. The parallels go so forth that he builds an "underground retreat" or a den in the woods. Sinfjötli (Fitela in Old English) comes onto the scene next. "The name probably means 'he of the ash- (literally 'cinder') gold fetter', and is this a kenning for 'wolf', [Finch, 1965] From Zoega, "fjöturr (gen. fjöturs and fjötrar, pl. fjötrar), m. (1) fetter, shackle (setja e-n í fjötur)" wherein the wolf kenning echoes Fenrir. After Sinfjötli passes Sigmund's test "For some summers they roved far and wide through the forest and killed people for plunder," in true outlaw fashion, becoming bandits, the wolves that prey. This is taken further still when one day they come upon a cabin in the woods. Within they found two men with heavy gold rings upon them, sleeping with wolf-skins hanging above. Sigmund and Sinfjötli put on the wolf skins and become wolves themselves. This ties in with the úlfheðnar class of berserker, but in a strange inversion. The úlfheðnar are described as being (mostly) in the form of men, but behaving wild and feral like wolves. Sigmund and Sinfjötli take on the form of wolves but still behave (mostly) like men. Here we see two parts, of many, of the Norse concept of a human self; the hamr and hugr, being interchanged. Hugr is the human capacity for thought (wherein Óðinn's raven Huginn get his name) and the hamr is described as the outward form of a person, literally 'skin' or 'shape.' One that can practice shape-shifting is called hamrammr, which by definition is (1) able to change one’s shape; (2) seized with warlike fury (berserks-gangr). [Zoega] There's evidently a strong link between shape-shifting and loss of one's wits (hamstoli). Traditionally, the úlfheðnar maintain their human shape, their hamr, though in dressing in wolfskins they 'exchange' their minds, their hugn, with those of their feral namesakes. Sigmund and Sinfjötli, for the most part, retain their hugr, their munr, but their hamr has taken the form of wolves. Much of the lore of shape-shifting in northern traditions involve the hamr of course. Taking a step back to Sigmund and his brothers ordeal in the forest with the she-wolf, we learn that said wolf is a shape-shifting witch. It is witches, who would ride out as night-hags, who could project their hugn out with its own hamr. “This is prevalent in the Norse stories; there is never any transformation with a complete disappearance of the ordinary body- some part is always left behind.” [Catharina Raudvere (1996) The Concept of the Goddess] It could be figured not far-fetched that Siggeir's mother; the she-wolf which devoured Sigmund's brothers, may not have even left her bed when she was out in wolf form and instead seemed to have passed away when Sigmund killed her 'projected hamr.' For instance 'Óðinn could transform his shape: his body would lie as if dead, or asleep; but then he would be in shape of a fish, or worm, or bird, or beast, and be off in a twinkling to distant lands upon his own or other people's business.' [Samuel Laing (1844) The Heimskringla, by Snorri Sturluson] It’s curious then, as to whether Sinfjötli and Sigmund had left anything behind. Or if that their transformation was brought about not by some innate magical ability on their part but instead by an artifact (the wolf skins) they were wholly trapped in the hamr of a wolf. Either way, they are trapped in these wolfskins for ten days before they are able regain their human forms, at which point they soon throw the skins into a fire and “they should trouble no one again.” This episode gives us the last two males of the Volsung patrilineal line running around as two wolves, which strengthens the Óðinnic themes of the Volsungs as though it could be Geri and Freki terrorizing Siggeir’s lands. This also lends some imagery as to just how powerful these Volsungs are. The pair take down seven men hunting them in one encounter. In another, Sinfjötli alone kills eleven men (though not without taking injury himself). It should be noted that there is a “lone wolf” theme here as well. Wolves, when exiled from a pack can often meet up and work together, sometimes forming their own packs, but at times just having a partner in survival. Lone wolves also tend to be much more fierce and aggressive than wolves in an established pack due to the increased challenges they face in surviving without a social and tactical structure to support them. Wolves in medieval Germanic societies were also greatly feared and ruthlessly hunted. This is part of why some berserkers chose the wolf over the bear. The úlfheðnar’s association with Óðinn, in attempting to tap into the ferocity and cunning of the wolf, more exemplified the fury, and the trickery, of Glad Of War, compared to the ‘typical' “bear-shirt” which more emulates the raw power and brute force of a bear and more aligned with Thor in that regard. Fenrir and Garm, Freki and Geri, Sköll and Hati, Sigmund and Sinfjötli. All deeply mixed up Óðinn, all portrayed as dangerous and fearsome beasts, all playing a role in dramatically changing the world.

[overthefjords]

danmarks-styrke​:

“I will, huh?” Mathias murmured, handing his suitcase over to his husband with practised ease. He rolled his eyes when Aleks called the Tesla to them, tilting his head to his husband. “I very well could’ve walked, hon.” He said, taking a long sip of his coffee. “Are the boys at the house?”

But, it was nice to have the car brought to him, Mathias opening up the door and glancing down into the passenger’s seat with a small grin. Ever the romantic, Aleks was. “You’re cute.” Mathias chuckled, leaning into the car to set his coffee down before scooping up the flowers, the cinnamon rolls, and Skoll. “Where did you find this baby Skoll?” Mathias laughed, looking over to Aleks before getting into the car. “I love him! Thank you, Aleks. These are wonderful.”

Easily fitting the suitcase into the trunk, Aleks shut it with a snap. He moved to climb into the driver's seat, smiling as Matti got himself situated with a lap full of goodies. When Mathias had told him to go to sleep last night, Aleks begrudgingly had attempted before giving up an hour later, where he then proceeded to order the flowers and the plush Skoll to be picked up in the morning.

"I couldn't fall asleep and ended up finding him with a matching Hati," Aleks said, giving Mathias a smile and a kiss on the cheek. His expression grew soft at the thanks, leaning to lightly tuck a strand of hair back under the Dane's beanie. "I wanted to. I know that whatever went down over there, it probably wasn't fun if Alfred and Kyle are wanting to throw a party over it being said and done."

With everything settled, Aleks pulled away from the curb and began their journey back home.

[thedopesloth]

THE WORLD STILL HAVE MANY GOOD PEOPLE.

So, a few days ago, to be exact on Wednesday, May 8th 2019, morning around 7.15am, i was on my way to Pagoh. had to drive early because i had morning class. that moment, i was so happy listening to music (and singing to) to deny the fact that i wish i was still fast asleep on my bed at home. Then, suddenly, on the slow traffic "sszzup" bergesel dngn the car next to mine, which is the aunt's car. felt like, my heart just stopped beating for a sec— Shit not again!

and yep, the emergency light from her car lights up so i slowly goes to her lane and drove behind her car. she stopped in the middle of the traffic, thought it wasnt a brilliant idea. i mean, its in the middle of the road, anything could happen. Not wanting to make the case even worse so, i rolled down my window and gave hand sign to stop at the side of the road. so, she moved and i followed her behind. im no newbie in accidents lol can say, i can handle things myself now. it seemed like she didnt wanna stop, i could just take over her car and left but my parents raised me good enough for me not to do so. i gave her high beam then she stopped. Since i was in rush, came out of the car and she did too, and the first thing i said was "sorry", the aunt seemed clueless bout what just happened, terkejut kot, so i said "boleh tak saya tinggalkan nombor, and we'll just settle things through phone sbb saya in rush to class, minta maaf" and the makcik take a quick look at my car and hers and said, "ni tak kemek, gesel je ni, ok ada kertas?". rushed to my car and took out my pencil case and a cut of paper i tore from the assigment sheets i need to submit that day!!! thats all i have.

alot of mistakes the makcik made that could resulted her paying for the accident herself. if it was someone else maybe. (1)she didnt even ask for my ic or anything, and only phone number? i could give her anyone else phone number (2)not taking any picture from the accident. i could just twist the accident, manada witness. (3) no nothing. takda apa apa assurance, no photo, no photo of my driving license or ic taken. kalau i was a licenseless driver.. banyakla to list out. but above all, i have many chances to escape but what would that made me? plus the makcik has a similar look to my mom (sis tak sampai hati nak buat jahat, mcm buat jahat kat mak sendiri pulak).

long story short, so she gave her number and i gave her mine and ayah's. then, we took a seperate paths. it was so quick, nothing really fond. sbb for me its just scratches, no dent, semua boleh settle la. tapi, ye la i have to own up to my mistake and be responsible. so as soon as i have arrived to class, i MESSAGED her OKAY!! sangat noob and she replied on whatsapp terus. kau tngk aku yng noob sbnrnya bukan makcik tu. so, through whatsapp we settled things nicely la. nasib acik tu bukan the gelabah gelabah one, and bukan jenis nak mengeruhkan lagi keadaan, so everything settled smoothly. asked her living area and suggested her to send her car to our trusted workshop since its near her living area. then dah set apa semua, pagi smlm i bangun tidur around 12pm sbb lepas sahur pukul 4am tidur (DAHLA AKU TERTINGGAL SUBH ASTARGHFIRULLAH!!!) and got a ws notification. terkejut sis, tiba tiba wehh. i s2g, sis nangis sikit sbb baiknya acik ni, i mean, she could just make me pay, no problem, i understand its my mistake tapi... :")))) so thats all about it. i guess its true, kindness do bring you somewhere in this life, maybe, not necessarily all the time but it does benefit u in some ways. im just so thankful to Allah and to the makcik for the mercy. this is probably the berkat from my family's deed to anyone and not mine. im no nice, not even close.. i dont deserve this sort of thing. but anyways, im thankful, that its settled now. so i can just focus on my finals, hell lots of assignments, projects havent finished. aku rasa mati pun belum tentu habisla semua ni haa takpela student life mmng mcm ni kot. and another is, i feel like a grown up sbb 98% was settled by myself, only a little help from my brother, dealing with the workshop.

Dont get me wrong, not that im afraid to let my parents know, i just dont want them to be worried, its just a minor problem. plus, im big enough to pay for my own mistake. my parents have spent so much on me, countless minor accidents, car maintenance, speeding summons (which dah reach up to rm1800!) im not exaggerating. so i decided, ill pay by myself this time but still, i update things to my parents. my mom insisted to pay but nahh i said what i said. and yep, the end—MAY12th 2019

[loreensdarling]

I'M WRITING A ONESHOT?? And it's WolfWren on the Eye of Scion! Long story short, they beat each other up, get drunk together and then sleep together (in a bunk). Here's a little snippet! I might upload this to Ao3, if I figure out how uploading works, there!

Leave me some feedback! I'm not a native English speaker, so I'm unsure if this is okay or not. :D

Sabine had been sitting in this room for what felt like hours. At first she'd stared into nothing. Did some reflection, as Skoll had suggested. It only brought her to the conclusion that she really was the worst candidate to be a Jedi. She couldn't even save her Master. Ahsoka was dead because of her.

When she couldn't stand the thought anymore, she'd tried pacing up and down in this tiny room. It didn't last for long. Sabine hated to be in small rooms. It made her feel jittery and nauseous. She didn't want to be in small rooms unless she could distract herself, get busy with something, whether that be a piece of tech to take apart or something for her to paint. Something to fiddle with was also a great option.

When the short-lived pacing started to drive Sabine insane, she growled in frustration, sitting back down and leaning her back against the cold wall behind her. She reached into her bag that she had gotten to keep after Skoll and Morgan had removed anything weapon-like from it and pulled out a small, silvery flask. While she was here and had nothing to do, she could very well just get drunk and eventually fall asleep.

So here she sat, flask in her hand, leaving a few minutes between every swallow of liquor. It was strong, so she took her damn time with it. That was at least until the door suddenly opened with a hiss.

Sabine opened her eyes, eyeing the person who was standing in the door. It was Shin Hati, the dark side apprentice that had stabbed her only weeks before. The woman who seemed to follow her everywhere, the woman she encountered in her dreams.

She furrowed her eyebrows, waiting for Shin to open her mouth and say something as she just stood there in the doorway, glaring at Sabine. "Fight. Now.", she finally said, a slight accent peaking in her rough voice that Sabine couldn't quote pin down and identify. It sent shivers down her spine, and she chuckled.

"No.", the purple haired woman replied with snark, her lips curling into a smirk. She didn't feel like fighting right now. She just wanted to sit and numb her thoughts momentarily. The strong liquor helped, although Sabine wasn't drunk yet by far. She had Mandalorian tolerance. She could drink all night and still stand, and probably still fight just as good.

Shin breathed out noticeably when Sabine replied snarkily, her icy blue eyes staring back into Sabines soft brown eyes. "Yes.", she demanded through gritted teeth.

The Mandalorian took some time to reply, taking in Shins appearance. Her bleached, white hair, the dark roots. The wrapped padawan braid that laid across her shoulder. The usual Grey tunic that she wore. It was dirty and ragged. And Shin herself looked to be dirty and exhausted, her eye bags dark and prominent even though they were covered by her smudged smoky makeup. It seemed like she had gotten no rest as well.

"You look like you need sleep. Not a fight.", Sabine then remarked, screwing her flask close and tugging it away as she sat up. "Don't think a fight is the best idea for either of us, right now.", she made clear.

Shin was still standing in the door, hands balled to fists as she glared at Sabine. How dare she say something like that? It threw the white haired woman off entirely. Sabine watching her, making observations, and those observations being correct.

Shin wanted a fight, she needed a fight to get her head clear. Ironically she needed to get her head clear from the person sitting in this cell. And what better way to get over her than to beat her up, Shin thought. If Sabines face was all mashed up, she could impossibly think about the Mandalorian and how pretty she was in her armor, with the short hair, her gorgeous brown eyes that Shin could get lost in for hours-

Shin growled, sounding like a feral, wounded animal as she suddenly launched forwards with claws and teeth. She needed this fight and she would get it. Without hesitation she threw a punch at Sabine, who barely managed to dodge.

[zyaazydane]

As time lapses among us living, it was your sense of presence that made anything around me stay still. A bundle of people in the room but it was you who caught  my attention. Funny how one can see through one’s self insecurity to something pure and divine that I view it as “naturally wonderful” From the time I laid my eyes on you,  I knew it would be the happiest and saddest moments of my life; happy to know you are finally mine to being happy to see you happy with someone else. I admit, I was scared. I took the risk. But damn it, I’m so glad I took the step forward to having the privilege to be part of your life which in this case, at least I was. I miss you. If I could say this to you directly I swear you would miss me too. But fuck it, your lips would someday be kissing her instead. I smile slightly for you bcs you’re happy, and I do it slightly jsyk bcs that happiness is no longer with me but with someone else. 

It sucks. I’m so scared of letting you go, bcs once you leave my life would be empty. I’m living, with all those shreds of memories you’ve given me and the one that I can never forget was just your pretty little smile each time you show out your canines. I’m trying all day everyday to mend my broken pieces, fixing every angles of the dented ends wishing I was actually an engineer who rectifies impaired engines. Screw me, it just doesn’t work. Deep down I want to wake up to you every morning and just look at you in the eyes, saying how much I love you. I fell in love with the way we fall asleep, slowly and then all at once. You always knew exactly what I needed to hear and when I needed to hear it. “We’re doing great” , “it’s all good”, “stay through every fights” and many more of your significant words that I miss. And at those time when I’m really grieving, with just a simple “sayang” you would just melt the fuck out of me. You knew me better than I knew myself. And sometimes I regret falling for you for now its too late bcs everytime I fall you’re not here to help me up. In fact right now you’re probably just pretending that what happens to me makes no difference to your existence. 

September 7th, 2015. On my birthday. We had a terrible fight a few days before, and once we patched up that night, I felt as if the whole universe wasn’t on our side. I had real tears on my birthday and that’s why the year after  all I feel on that date was pain. This paragraph that you wrote me:

“You know, life is not a fairy tale and stuff. I’m wishing my life with you could be perfect but perfection doesn’t exist, We have to be tested. You had to go, distance separates us. But we keep coming back together like magnets bcs we love each other so much. We thrive through the imperfections, the hardship. Together. Btw “all I want” is playing right now. The reason I wanted to leave, was bcs I can’t. Its too painful. It hurts so much. More than I can bear. Rn I’m crying. Why. Why is life like this, why me? Iloveyou. I really do. But maybe I opened my heart too much. I became like you, hold on to memories. Feel more. Love more. Remembering all the dates. The moments. And ofcourse we will hurt more. Pain, it demands to be felt. Things are illogical. Love, is never rational. Torture, haih. Idk. You, sayang. You are very special. You gave me the true meaning of love really. And I know forever I can never ever find someone like you. I know I’m not much, but I wish I ain’t this weak. I don’t want you to leave. Kawan semua cakap, “Sabar baraq” , “Sado kan hati” , “Russia? Jauh tu pishang kau baraq” Everytime they say that, I can’t even smile. I look, and stare. No choice for me pun. We’ve come so far. If you didn’t have to go Russia, I would have married you. Earlier. Tapi ni dah makin lama. You get to chase your dreams. Kalau betul your dream is me, you wouldn’t go. But then you want to. So go. And what about my dream? All crushed. Didn’t see this coming. I can’t. Rasa mcm nak mati jugak. Shouldn’t have let anyone in my heart, cause everyone just break them. You go. Pergi lah. Chase your dream. I relakan”

It all makes sense now. Whatever that happened a few days back when I was away. What ever your best friend told me that night, it made sense. Tho I can say how much I hate you right now, that subtle part of me can’t love you lesser. And today, I bled. Simply its my nature, when I’m broken I indulge into more pain. Put myself to the worse kind of a agony, bleed and wish I would just perish. The reason I’m demoralized tonight, was purely bcs of me myself, who doesn’t know how to HEAL despite being taught till the rod shattered into pieces. That’s how rough it is.