Summary:Sigyn and Loki host a small thanksgiving gathering Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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Sigyn has been cooking for the past couple days, all so that the day of she can just relax and play hostess. The food is laid out, people are free to drop in whenever, her concession to the American holiday is that there is a turkey and a pumpkin pie… Also roast, stew, a half dozen kinds of bread, and a mix of Asgardian and Midgardian dishes. Now she's able to just relax with something she has poured into a small wineglass… and given that half of the wineglass has her as relaxed as a horn of Asgardian Mead, her husband might have some questions as to what else she's been turning her domestic skills to.
Sif arrives … somewhat promptly, wearing what is perhaps a nicer version of her preferred Midgardian attire. Her jacket, boots, and jeans all seem pretty much the same, but instead of a plain t-shirt, she's wearing a button-up blouse in a deep teal color. Her sword and shield are at her back as usual, and she's carrying four decent-sized boxes with a logo on top from a patisserie. Leaving her weapons by the door, she sets the boxes on one corner of the food-laden table, closest to the pumpkin pie.
"Prince Loki, Princess Sigyn, thank you again for the invitation. I hope you have had a pleasant day thus far." For her own part, she was rather baffled by this Midgardian holiday that not everyone appears to be observing.
As for Loki he's probably been getting on Sigyn's nerves a bit with his consant attempts at stealing treats from the kitchen. Ah well, at least she didn't banish him from the room yet, she's EARNED that drink she's enjoying. Loki is dressed in an emerald green silken shirt and black slacks and shoes. It is fairly simple, but definitely a few steps up from what he usually wears around the living area, but they're expecting guests.
When Lady Sif arrives, she'd find that there's a sword rack right next to the umbrella holder, and the coat rack. "Hello, Lady Sif, welcome." Loki grins and nods. "Oh MY day has been splendid."
Sigyn smiles at Sif, "Welcome… Now that the first guest has arrived, I can stop chasing Loki away from the food." Her eyes sparkle with amusement, "Of course, that will ruin half his fun since he he no longer has to try and steal it." Sigyn is wearing a green sweater and an ankle-length skirt. It's not cold in the apartment by Asgardian standards, but the modern idea that you should heat the house in winter to feel like a summer's afternoon has never caught on with Sigyn. "We are not going to stand on formality, today… I looked over Midgardian customs for the day and just…" She shakes her head in bafflement. "Food, family, and friends. I would rather stick with that." Football? Black Friday? The Westminster dog show?!? Midgardians are baffling.
After offering Loki a raised eyebrow at his somewhat gleeful reply, Sif smiles in faint amusement when Sigyn notes that she can stop chasing her husband away from the food. "Everything looks and smells splendid, Your Highness. I can see why Prince Loki was trying to sneak samples." And she isn't in any way surprised, either. She can remember Loki having sweet-talked little treats from the palace kitchen on more than one occasion.
Starting light and serving a plate of turkey, roast, and a few other savory looking choices on top of bread rashers, she's just settling into a chair with her food and a tankard of mead and idly wondering when the others will be arriving.
It is true that half the fun is the stealing of things, but he's a Trickster, that sort of thing is sort of niche for him, right in his wheelhouse. "Lady Sif, while we are here for this holiday feasting, please, you can call me Loki. Do please dispense with the titles, mm?" Of course HE called /her/ Lady Sif. Consistency? What's that?
Then he escorts her in, and moves around to Sigyn's side. "Okay, you've got me curious, what is it that you're drinking, my wife?"
She knew it would be like catnip to him too.
Loki preps a plate of food himself, and with Asgardian appetites it would likely horrify most Midgardians to see what constitutes 'light eating'.
"Really Fenris! I don't know why you pulled me away." That's Astryd voice carrying into the abode as the couple approach. Astryd is not dressed to visit, that much is clear - the leather hunters vest and sturdy trousers give some indication as to where she's been.
Not on Midgard, most likely. "But you did say we would return to the Dwarves when we're done. I still have to pay them for the blasting rod they made us."
What on earth did she promise them as payment?
"Hello? Prince Loki, Princess Sigyn?"
"Tell me, you remembered the haunch of boar we cooked up?"
It's possible that Astryd is getting slightly more wild.
"Because you promised Aurora that we'd visit for Thanksgiving and Sigyn might be upset if we also didn't drop by here. That's why. And yes…" Fenris waves the haunch. "It's right here."
There's a foil wrapped boar haunch in one arm and what… very much looks like a trophy in the other. WHY Fenris is carrying that is a good question. But it's got a rider on a horse with a lasso so… yes.
Sigyn laughs and tries to hold her wineglass away from Loki. Like that will help. "Oh… I've been experimenting… I started with one of my meads, then distilled and enchanted it… and enchanted the still, for that matter. I've got a couple casks aging now, I think give it half a century it will be better, but this is mine…" Oh like -that- is going to stop Loki. Especially since half a glass already has her cheeks flushed.
Then Astryd and Fenris arrive, and she is distracted for just a moment. "Greetings, please come in and help yourself… I've been cooking for a while, so there should be plenty for everyone." Thankfully, the table is very solid oak, modern particle board would likely collapse under a meal like this.
Sif is caught mid-bite into the rasher of roast (meaning a pile of roast on top of a thick slice of hearty bread) when Astryd and Fenris arrive, and thus doesn't see that trophy right away. It doesn't help that she's now also eyeing Sigyn's wineglass curiously.
Her eyes close for a moment as she savors the meat — the butcher's tavern near the Embassy is good, but not truly Asgardian in flavors. This, this is like a taste of home.
"Mm," she says in greeting to the couple, then after she's swallowed the bite of food she adds, "Astryd, Fenris, good to see you h—"
And after a solid second of staring at the trophy, she looks at the couple. "Dare I ask?"
Just before he goes to get the door he rather efficiently steals Sigyn's proto-uber-whiskey, he's a VERY talented thief after all. With a smug grin he downs it, and then he /gasps/. The look on his face is priceless, and he actually needs a moment to catch his breath after downing that tiny little sip of a drink. Fanning himself, his dismay turns to absolute /glee/. "Oh. Hod would LOVE this, Sigyn. We'll have to give him the raw stuff, he'll love it."
A little unsteady for the first few steps, he stops half way to the door, then returns to Sigyn and gives her her glass back before he -actually- answers the door. "Hello, Fenrir…welcome, Lady Astryd." He motions them in.
And then he sees the trophy, and wonders at it. Of course Sif actually sort of asks about it.
He'll take the boar to Sigyn, she knows where to put it, he doesn't want to mess with her table setup.
Well, he DOES, but she'd possibly pout, and this is not a night for pouting.
"Oh, we did, didn't we…" Astryd answers as she offers a smile to the other Asgardians. "There's a new litter of cubs to meet in the Pack as well." the Pack, Fenris' descendents from Aurora, the North Wind. Astryd is always pleased to go and visit them.
"Dare you ask? The trophy?" Astryd's smile grows wider. "Have a look at the plaque on it, that will say everything." Indeed, there is a plaque on the trophy - Lady Sif, 2019 Champion.
"You must ask Sif to tell you about our exciting day at the Rodeo." The blonde says to the other two in the room. "I think she enjoyed that more than roller skating with me." Probably not.
The Valkyr busies herself collecting plates and filling them. One for her and one for Fenris. "Thank you for the invitation, Princess Sigyn. It is much appreciated."
"My heart, we must remember to mention Betty and what we've asked her to do for us…"
"And just Astryd, Prince Loki." there's little ladylike about her.
2019 Steer Wrestling Exhibition Champion, is what it says. Steer Wrestling. Fenris simply hands the (large) trophy to Sif. "Here. The organizers sent that for you." Why exactly Sif has a Steer Wrestling trophy is a question for Sif to answer.
"Anyway. Hello Loki. Sigyn. Sif." Fenris says as he sniffs. Mmmm. Food smells quite good. "I hope we aren't too lat- ah yes. Betty." The Old Wolf gestures to Astryd. She can cover that, if she likes.
Sigyn pouts, "That was my drink… and I don't know if Hod would -survive- it without his full Asgardian abilities." She pauses, remembering her last meeting with Hod. "He'll probably want two bottles." When Loki hands it to her, she accepts the boar, getting it settled on the table. She grins at the story, "Sif and you went to a Rodeo? Tell me about it. I'm not familiar with that Midgardian pasttime." She gets a plate of food for herself, then steals a piece of Loki's plate. Because.
Sigyn peers curiously, "What about Betty? We've been working with her and her magic, but well… she's new and raw at it, and until it settles down and she gets a proper handle on it, I can't promise much on that front. Midgardian mages are so impatient… perhaps it's because their lives are so short."
Sif is still (very slowly) learning to read Midgardian English, but one of the first things she was taught was how to recognize her name. And that is definitely on the trophy. She sighs, takes a fortifying swig of her mead, then tries to explain.
"Astryd was insistent on introducing me to a wider range of Midgardian culture, and took me to a … an arena where Midgardians were competing in feats of skill on horseback and with controlling large creatures known as 'steer' using bare hands and ropes to avoid injuring the creatures." She looks at the Valkyr squarely. "I was NOT informed that she had entered me in a competition to subdue a steer physically after chasing it on horseback. But, we managed it, and I was given the gelded steed they'd acquired for me as a gift."
And she'd THOUGHT that was the end of it.
"The usual horses the Midgardians use, Sigyn, they are as small as hounds, and nearly as agile."
"She does have a proper reverence for books, however." Loki admits about Betty Brant. "I think she'll serve you well, son." A smile. "She definitely has devotion down pat." He looks curious then. "You've given her a task? I hope it will be a FUN one." He adds. He actually is familiar with Rodeos, he's not competed in any, but he has been on Midgard more than he's been on Asgard, which is telling.
He grins at Sigyn as she pouts about her drink, then the smile fades a bit. "He is greatly diminished." He admits about Hod. "Still, given a few decades to season, it would make for a potent and tasty drink I think."
Loki has the sudden image of Sif grabbing a steer by the horns and wrasslin' it! He laughs at the story about the unwarned entry. "Well, at least you won something. Now you have a memento for your room at the embassy."
"I *am* insistent and it's nice to have someone to do things with. Fenris … we have to be concerned about harming things or triggering … you know what." Astryd answers. And clearly Sif has measured up as a 'companion in arms'.
She might note that Fenris doesn't seem to dissuade Astryd in that either.
"The rodeo was glorious, Loki and Sigyn. I felt so … alive."
Even if the steers tried to kill them.
"Betty. Yes. We knew she was learning magic from you, so we gave her a gift - a way of saying of thankyou for a job she'd done for us. A blasting wand, dwarven wrought, that she can use to focus castings. I thought it might help."
"We've asked her, along with Sif - though Sif is not aware of this yet, to visit the Morrigan as Fenris' emmisary…" There's a look to Fenris to finish the story.
As to impatient though? "Midgardians are impatient. They don't have the time we do and they know it. And yet, I find, despite all that they often find solutions that we will never find."
"The Morrigan may have knowledge of something that is in the dead's keeping but my relationships with some of that pantheon are strained and while they aren't strained with her, I wouldn't want to get into a brawl in her underworld."
Fenris gives Astryd a mild look and then turns back to the other three. "Yes, I think she will do well which is why I have entrusted her with a number of tasks."
He pauses as conversation turns to Hod. "Anything that has a chance of pickling his liver is something he'll appreciate. Not that he will tell you that. Hod, like other pickles, has only grown more sour with age. At any rate you should have a care Sigyn or Astryd might try to rope you into the next rodeo."
Fenris doesn't mind her rodeo-ing. It means she's not doing something ELSE even more foolhardy and dangerous.
Loki gets a rather serious look. "I hope you haven't mislaid the Godkiller again by the way. We may need it in the near future."
Sigyn nods, "They're inventive, part of why my husband finds them so entertaining. As long as I've lived here, I don't think I truly understand them, but they are fascinating as long as one doesn't get attached." Old pain flashes behind her eyes, "They don't live long enough for lasting attachment, despite their other virtues."
Though the idea of a rodeo makes her laugh, "I've ridden Midgardian horses before. They're cute, even the ones that think they want to kill you." Sigyn grins at the memory, untamed horses don't deal well with a person just standing there and… refusing to be injured or trampled. "Most Midgardian animals are cute little things. I'm quite miffed that they're hunting so many to the brink of extinction." And if Loki's not careful, he'll end up with a pride or two of Lions on one of his estates. Sigyn considers them adorable kitties.
She frowns at the mention of the Morrigan, "I've never dealt with her, but I've never had a problem with any of that pantheon. I'm considered of little interest and even less threat." This doesn't bother Sigyn, it is what it is, and she's safer like that. Since their marriage, she's not given two bits for what anyone other than Loki thinks of her. "If I can help prepare Betty for this task, I would be glad to."
Sif nods along as Astryd explains about Betty, knowing the pair had given her a task. But very clearly she had no been aware of being tasked with accompanying the Midgardian to speak with the Morrigan. "She will need proper armor, then." It's still makes her cringe to think about how horribly unprepared the woman was when they accompanied Hod to acquire that gemstone.
"Speaking of Midgardians, should we try the treats that I was advised to purchase for this?" She indicates the boxes. "Apparently these are highly prized, so much so they are considered French." Whatever that means.
"Humans're like mayflies, only better." Loki observes. "Short lived, but so very swift to change as a result. Endlessly entertaining." PLUS - they don't remember like Asgardians do, so the chance of a millenium spanning blood feud /isn't/, they just don't think on that scale. He listens to the outline of the task at hand, and then his brow furrows as he steals a bit off of Sigyn's plate like she did off his. "So…if the tasked are Sif and Betty Brant how will they get there? I don't think I've ever insulted the Morrigan, if you need my help it is yours. For the sake of family, and of my student, I will be honored to aid in this."
He laughs softly at Sif's suggestion of proper armor. "I don't think she knows how to wear it, though perhaps a shield, those are pretty easy to learn."
And then even more laughter. "Oh, well, if they're French we MUST sample such delicacies."
"It's a little complicated." Astryd begins to explain, following on from Fenris almost seamlessly. It's clear they've been together for a long time. "Do you remember, Sif, when the Finder told you she wanted a Valkyrs Feather? I know where to find one. I gave one to a warrior called Eoghan, a long time ago."
There's a fond note in her voice, though the blonde does lean against Fenris as she speaks. "He passed to the Morrigans care and took the momento with him. It is he that Betty, and you and whoever else you may wish to take, is to request and then beseech from him, the Feather for a while."
"I know how to get there, of course. However, both of us feel that it will better if an emissary were to go. Not quite as threatening as the Walking Apocalypse and/or his Raven."
"That is where you two come in." Astryd turns cool grey eyes to the others. "Betty will need to learn the magic to open and walk the Underways." Not portalling or teleporting, but walking the Underways.
"If only so that she isn't stranded there if things go wrong." Fenris isn't opposed to Loki and Sigyn going with Betty and Sif but this is definitely something that she should learn for her own safety.
"It can be worth it Sigyn. Both Astryd and I have spent a lot of time around mortals, getting attached to them." This is one reason that there is such a thing as a 'werewolf'. Not the only reason by a long shot but one of them.
"The brevity of their lives teaches them to value the time that they have, and it is a good lesson for Asgard to learn. Many things are less permanent than we." And even Asgardians… can fall.
Looking at Sif and her boxes Fenris takes one to open it and take a bite of what is inside. French? The French make some wonderful desserts.
Then again, they also eat snails.
Sigyn says quietly, "I… I've made the mistake of getting attached to mortals before. It still hurts." Her eyes flash then, something even darker in their usual stormy-sea blue. "I don't let go easy… and it is even harder for me to forgive. I… not again. Not any time soon."
Sigyn welcomes the distraction of the pastry. "Oh, thank you, Sif." She takes one of the pale brown ones from the third box. Hopefully chocolate or coffee flavored. "Even if I do not venture into the Underways with her, there are things I can do to help Betty find her way back. But I shall have to think on it, and see how things are going with another Midgardian I'm helping. Some idiot magus triggered a latent enchantment, and the poor woman is stuck as a cat!" Sigyn laughs softly. "I had to work very hard not to call her cute or otherwise offend her dignity. But Midgardian cats are so tiny!"
Sif watches curiously as the others take macarons from the boxes. She knows what flavors they are, and is curious to see how the others react. For herself, she reaches for the one of the soft yellow ones in box #3.
"I will do what I can to ensure that Betty is as safe as possible on this task." Even if it means adjusting her own armor to fit the blonde Midgardian. They're not too dissimilar in stature, so it shouldn't be overly difficult.
"You said a Midgardian was turned into a cat? What ridiculousness." She bites into her chosen treat and blinks in pleased surprise. Lemon, both sweet and sharp.
"I've lived mortals for many years at a time." Astryd agrees, looking up to Fenris with a smile. "When our paths meant we had to travel apart for a time, often one would catch our eyes." And they stayed with that one mortal for years, in Astryd's case, until they aged and passed on.
She has grandchildren out there, she knows that but she doesn't know who or where they are.
"Will you see to getting Betty armoured, Sif? Or shall we take a trip to the Dwarves with her?" That might be fun. A bit of drinking. A bit of wrestling. Just the way Astryd likes it… well now. She hadn't been like that until recently.
Astryd absently takes a treat from the fourth box, not really looking at what it is. She's thinking.
"That sounds… amusing." Fenris chuckles quietly. He bites down on the caramel-y treat and then fishes out another one. "These are quite good Sif." He'll have to find out where she got them. He might want some at home.
"I certainly understand not wanting the pain, Sigyn." The Old Wolf nods. But he has found it worthwhile. The companionship and even love these mortals can offer is not something that is found anywhere else. Even his Raven loves him differently than a midgardian woman.
"In any case I will leave Betty in your capable hands." Part of his not providing for everything is indeed making sure she makes the connections to be able to do it without him. Because sometimes… Fenris might not be available.
Sigyn nods to Sif, "Loki found it quite amusing. We could talk to her with Allspeak, but… not amusing enough to help her. I'm more willing to exert myself without immediate gain." Not that there might not be long term gain, allies are useful things, but it's a roll of the dice. It may come to naught.
Sigyn nibbles at her macaroon, before trying a second one of a different color. "You need to give me the name of this bakery, Sif." And really, this is what she wanted for this day. Food. Friends. Family. Eating, talking about the little things as much as the big ones. It's something Sigyn and Loki have both missed with their frequent times in exile, and just the chance to sit here with the others is enough to make Sigyn smile.
These macaron things are excellent. Sif is now very glad she listened to the Midgardian's advice. Deciding to be a bit more adventurous, she reaches for the green one in box #2.
"Perhaps taking Betty to be outfitted by the dwarves would be for the best," she admits to Astryd. "There are no other female warriors on Midgard currently, and I am not entirely certain that my own armor would fit her properly." She's not spent much time at all on Midgard, so the expressions of loss she's seeing from the others are mildly concerning, especially as she can't truly comprehend them herself.
"If she is to represent my Lord, she will have the best." Astryd states, with another look to Fenris that is full of warmth. Biting into the macaroon, the blondes brows rise in surprise. "Oh, these are good. I thought mine were good but these …" yes, they'll try these again.
"I understand she's had some basic self defense training. I will offer more however." It's been decided. "Thank you for agreeing to aid her, Sigyn."
There's a canine chuff from the doorway and a gravelly "Grandfather, Astryd …"
Standing there is a huge wolf with a curly coat.
"… Grandmother sends her regards and advises The Pack is gathering for the presentation now…."
"Ah. That's our cue." Fenris says, nodding to Cuan. "Sigyn this is Cuan, my grandson and Astryd's faithful steed. We'll introduce you more formally later but for now we should be going."
With a polite bow - and a pause to swipe some more macrons - Fenris heads out, following his flying progeny.
Sigyn smiles at the sight of the huge wolf. No, Fenris is not her son, but he's Loki's… and if this wolf calls Fenris 'grandfather' then he's of Loki's line. "Swift travels to you all, and thank you for coming by."