2019-07-12 - To Bathe In Moonlight

Summary:

Fenris takes Astryd to Japan

Log Info:

Storyteller: None
Date: Fri Jul 12 08:14:49 2019
Location: 74-36 62nd Street

Related Logs

None

Theme Song

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fenrisastryd

Mount Fuji is the tallest peak in Japan, an active volcano and a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, but… not usually at night. Tonight it's misty. The cloud cover around the mountain is quite thick and the snow crunches on the ground at this height.

Through the mist stalks a great black wolf. He's had to wait for the moon to come out for this particular meeting and it is indeed high in the sky.

"Where's your raven, wolf?" A voice comes from behind him.

"Tsuku-yomi. Where's your rabbit?"


The raven in question is perched on the branch of a nearby tree, watching the big black wolf as he stalks through the mist. She knows they have to wait for the moon and talking at this point isn't helpful. So she keeps her counsel. Of course, the fact that she's not particularly well has a lot to do with that.

When the voice comes, the bird takes wing and glides gracefully down to land on the wolfs back. "I am here …" she says in that squawky tone the bird has. "Greetings Great Lord."


"Astryd." The moon god says. He looks like a respectable Japanese man with long unbound hair in a suit. It's quite a juxtaposition. "I'd say you're looking well but you are not. What is it you wish? Inari had told me you wanted to meet."

"We do. Astryd was wounded fighting against a group of people trying to start an apocalypse and she has a mark that lingers. I was hoping you would look at it."

The asian man nods and holds a hand out. "Come, raven. Let me see you by the light of the moon."


The raven hesitates as Tsuku-yomi gestures, her talons digging into Fenris' back for the moment. They'd agreed they'd call in markers but spend one on her …

She launches into the air, transforming into the tall, stern, blonde that many are familiar with. A blonde that looks tired and drain - the vitality slowly being bled from her. "It was Balors light that I took. A beam that had aimed for Baldur or Hod." She explains.

There's still grace to her movement as she takes the asian mans hand and steps into the moonlight. "What do you require of me, Lord?"


"At the moment, only that you hold still. I will know more in a moment." The Japanese gods are always very polite. Formal, but polite. Astryd can feel the supernatural gaze focus on her. Fenris transforms and stands off to the side by a few feet.

"Yes, I see the marking on her. You are right to be concerned by this. This is no mere gaelic gaes though you may still wish to speak to them. This comes from Outside."

Fenris growls slightly. Outside. Outside the nine worlds. And thus, largely outside fate. It means that those who wished to start the apocalypse were dealing with very dangerous allies.


Holding still should be something that comes easy to the blonde but it doesn't, not as tired as she is, but she manages. The gaze is unpleasant but not entirely uncomfortable - still she's happy when its over. "May I move, Lord?" The Raven is polite at the least and he is helping them, after all.

"Peace, my heart. They seek to anger you by wielding me as a weapon." She murmurs to the Old Wolf. Yes, she's worked that much out but not how they've already gone. How long will she keep calming him like this? How long before she encourages him to act on those impulses? "Outside? Like the ones who sit above in shadow or others?"

"We should have expected something, Fenris. We fight against your Fate but many will prosper when it comes to be. The question I have though are the Celts who did this allies of that influence or mere tools?"


"You may." The moon god says as the light fades. He walks a short distance to sit down on a tree stump and looks thoughtful.

"It isn't corruptive. But it is alterative. It intends to change and weaken the subject though I suspect you already know that. What you may not know is that I have seen something like this, long long before."

"You have?" Fenris cants his head.

"Yes. The day the sun went dark and my sister hid herself."


Astryd moves to Fenris side when she's released and slips her arm through Fenris, drawing strength from his frame as they talk.

"We did, yes. Even if I hadn't been experiencing it to the degree that I am, Fenris doused me in cold snow to divine that." At least she's not lost her sense of humour. The next thing he says though, draws a frown from the blonde.

"You mean the day your sister turned her back to you and won't ever lay eyes on you?" Because that's … got implication for the two of them. "Please tell me what you know…"


Fenris says, "I did yes. Best place to find pure water." Fenris says mildly."

"Not in New York it isn't." Tsuku-Yomi smiles lightly.

"No… though that is also a dark day. I mean the day that she hid in a cave and refused to come out. Legend has it that we moved her by placing a mirror and showing her own likeness. The truth though is that she one day had a strange mark on her arm. A mark that felt very much like that. Over time - a very short time - she became withdrawn and despondent and eventually would not come forth at all. Whatever it was, it had altered her nature from kind and cheerful to morose and dark. Literally, in her case."

"


"I did yes. Best place to find pure water." Fenris says mildly."

"Not in New York it isn't." Tsuku-Yomi smiles lightly.

"No… though that is also a dark day. I mean the day that she hid in a cave and refused to come out. Legend has it that we moved her by placing a mirror and showing her own likeness. The truth though is that she one day had a strange mark on her arm. A mark that felt very much like that. Over time - a very short time - she became withdrawn and despondent and eventually would not come forth at all. Whatever it was, it had altered her nature from kind and cheerful to morose and dark. Literally, in her case."


"We were in our new holiday home in Norway…" Astryd smirks. She's toying with buying the villa they stayed in. Not that Fenris knows that. He's got a birthday coming up.

"Oh. I … should have known that." The blonde sounds concerned that she didn't. "What … did you do? I … don't want that to happen to me. Do you know what the mark was and how did you heal you?"


"New Holiday home?" Fenris chuckles and looks back at Astryd. But he is paying attention to the story. Tsuku-yomi may have a clue as to how to fix it. Or who is behind it.

"That happened a long time a go did it not?"

"Yes. Thousands of years, Fenris. The mark was one not unlike yours. It was over her heart. How she got it we are not sure but it appeared shortly after she had gone down to the underworld to visit Izanami."

Fenris frowns. The underworld…

"In the end we had to compel Mikaboshi to aid us. Which he did, but in the process of burning it out of her she became very sensitive to my light. And, centuries later, she would banish me from her presence because of it."


"Mmmhmm. You've a birthday coming up and what does a poor Raven buy a Wolf who has everything" Astryd smiles, nudging Fenris as she leans against him. She's not liking this story, not one little bit but it have a clue to their, her, problem in it.

"Mine … " Astryd frowns. Her mark had come as a result of Balor's light, yes? She's sure of that. It couldn't have anything to do with the other … Or could it?

"How did you compel him?" She swallows, liking this story less and less. "I will not fade from my Lords light or his darkness. I will not allow it. It took me a millenia to find him once I was exiled, I will not be parted from him again."

And who do they speak to? Mikaboshi? Unlikely. The Morrigan perhaps?


"An amusing mortal?" Fenris jokes though the situation is quite serious. And from the sounds of it will only get worse the longer we wait.

"He was not then as mad as he is now. We came down in force and by persuasion and threats brought him up. I would not advise that now." The moon god says.

"We need a being of death and darkness." Fenris murmurs. "And I can think of one who probably fits the bill but… she does not much like you, Astryd."

Oh. Her.


"That's something else I could do, though I'm finding amusing ones are difficult to find." It's the best she can do, as she wraps her arms around Fenris' waist. She doesn't like this, not at all.

"Do you think he poisoned his treatment to separate you?" Astryd is somewhat paranoid, it seems. She snorts though at Fenris' next comment "Sedna will not help me, Fenris. Not even under threat of force. She's never forgiven for my trespass, even though it was for her own good."

"We need someone else. Sedna will happily see me cursed."


"Is there another being of death and darkness you'd like to talk to?" Fenris says canting his head. "We might be able to persuade her. And by we I mean mostly me. Let me try to speak to her." The Old Wolf at least knows where he can find her and Sedna isn't likely to attack him on sight.

If only because she knows that she's very likely to lose.

"It's possible that he did such a thing but… I think it was more likely the price paid for my curing of her. I was willing to pay anything. And I did. Magic… always takes its price."

Fenris knows that. So does Astryd. Its one of the more important pieces of wisdom for those who dabble in the arcane.


"Hel." Astryd answers succinctly. That she'd speak to an Asgardian before Sedna speaks volumes. "The Morrigan." Given her time, she'll find a couple of others as well. Perhaps not all with quite the same purview but all better than the Inuit goddess in her books. "I don't like it, Fenris."

His Raven can be stubborn, he knows that. It's rare that she shows that side of herself. One of them stubborn is usually enough.

Tsuku-Yomi gets her attention though and Astryd looks even less happier than before. "Do you think the price was worth it?"

Yes, she knows. Doesn't mean she likes it and it doesn't mean that she and Fenris might not quarrel about it. Later.


"I do." Tsuku-yomi says sadly. "Without it, my sister would not be the sister I love. And the world would be poorer without its sun. That does not mean though that I do not dearly wish the price had been less painful."

Fenris thinks about the options that Astryd lists. "Hel is definitely out of the question. The Morrigan might help, as might Anubis but I do not really think we want to draw much attention to this. Sedna isn't well known in the mortal world right now. She will not be very watched. It's safer to approach her."

For… some definitions of safe.


"Does she?" That's direct and not entirely like Astryd as she releases her grip on Fenris and starts pacing. "The loss of her brother and her love?" It's a price that Tsuku-yomi paid, but so did his sister. Astryd isn't sure she's prepared for that.

"Is there anything else you can tell us, Lord?" The blonde holds the other discussion till she can get Fenris alone. He may well be right, but that doesn't mean she won't argue or extract some promises from him.

And is anything truly safe?


"I've not been able to ask." The moon god says simply. In any other being that might sound pained but the Amatsukami are good at… controlling their displays of emotion. It's something they spend a lot of time doing to be perfectly honest.

"Only that we never did discover who was behind it. I have my suspicions but they have never been confirmed. Whatever you do, be very, very careful."

Fenris nods. "We will be."


Maybe Astryd will try to ask. No, she won't - she admits that to herself even as the thought forms. "Who do you suspect, Lord? Don't worry, I won't will not go and confront them. Not without strong evidence at least." And she'll try to ensure that Fenris doesn't either.

"And yes, we'll be careful." As careful as they ever are. When they get the answer to her question, she suspects they'll be on their way.


"Izanami. Amaterasu had recently returned from a visit and Izanami is something of a… bitter and difficult woman. If she did not do it, something in the underworld is very likely to have and she would have known. Little goes on in her domain that she does not know of."

Fenris takes that in. Izanami is not someone to be trifled with and he does not intend to start trifling now. "Thank you for your help, Tsuku-Yomi."

"You are welcome. Perhaps, if you should chance to meet my sister again, let her know I send my regards."

It's honestly a little bit sad.


There's a name that keeps repeating in Astryd's head as Tsuku-Yomi shares his story. Tammuz. Could he have done this to her? She doesn't know. The Valkyrie has many acquaintances and a number of them don't like her very much, so there's that.

"My thanks, Lord. And should I see your sister, I will pass on your wishes to her." It's sad. It's tragic. Is this how she and Fenris will end up?

"Come, my heart, take us home." The blonde makes the request. Not drawing near to her Wolf.


Had Tammuz arranged that as revenge for the theft of the bow? Had he wanted to get back at Fenris for taking her from his 'punishment'? It's possible. The God-Wolf's wrath is legendary but a deity scorned enough might not care.

Fenris turns and opens a Way for them both. "Take care, Lord of the Moon." He says as he gestures for Astryd to come.

"Thank you Astryd. I hope you are able to find a cure that does not take so much from you." Tsuku Yomi says.

"And take care, Ender of Worlds."


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