Orb post - morning on the 10th (intro)

[fridgetothefire]

[Her hair is frazzled – enough to suggest that she’s lost, stressed, vulnerable; not enough to make her ugly, unsympathetically bedraggled. She wants to look innocent, harmless, deserving of good will. She ducks her head, smiles shyly. The view behind her is lovely, a wide blue sky and a distant view from the river. She's outside on one of the castle towers, perched nimbly on the edge of the wall.]

I can barely believe all this is happening. I mean – last thing I knew my brother was off to college, and now I’m in some kind of magic kingdom?

[Her disbelief isn’t too strident, just a little shaken, good-naturedly self-deprecating about her own adjustment.]

It’s probably not as different as it seems right now. I mean, human nature is the same everywhere, right?

[A smile, as though that's a good thing. There. She’s established herself as sensible and open-minded. People from a world similar to hers will think she's normal enough, thanks to the lie about college. Even better, if there's anyone here who looks down on humans like mutants do, maybe some of them will be arrogant enough and offended enough at being lumped together with them to reveal themselves by correcting her assumption.]

Comments

[sorcerous]

[ Somewhat mollified. :|

Now she can see what he's doing -- he lifts the saddlebag he's packed and ties it to a dark, dappled horse. The horse makes a little restless neigh; he soothes her, with a touch. ]

And, if it matters so, I was swaddled, once upon a time.

[fridgetothefire]

I guess it doesn't, really.

So, do gods go to different worlds whenever they please?

[Still being so impressed, totally.]

[sorcerous]

[ The horse goes skittish at the sound of Anya's voice, and Loki presses his cheek to her neck, hushing her. There is genuine care there; he is good with horses, and he is fond of this one. ]

There are ways. Not all gods know them, and not all gods may use them.

[fridgetothefire]

[She tries to speak more softly, in a soothing cadence she half remembers from rocking the twins to sleep when they were little.]

Are there stories of you here too?

[Her tone isn't quite adoring - more genuinely interested.]

[sorcerous]

No, not here... though there are those who know of me.

[ He shoots her a grateful look. ]

She is high-strung; difficult to tame, but ever-so-swift.

[fridgetothefire]

[Part of her wonders why a god needs to ride a horse anyway - but more of her thinks it would be wonderful. Who wouldn't?]

Looks like she likes you.

I haven't seen horses in -

[since before the fire]

- since I was very small.

[sorcerous]

A horse's adoration is simpler even than a man's, and a man's is not so complicated.

Are you a knight? A princess, or prince? The palace is generous with their stables.

[fridgetothefire]

[She shakes her head.]

I'm just a sage.

[she laughs]

Kind of ridiculous, isn't it? Me, supposed to give advice. I guess they forgot to make a 'wicked stepsister' category.

[SHE HIDES HER PAIN WITH LAUGHING. SHE'S LAUGHING IT TOTALLY DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING, OKAY.]

[sorcerous]

[ No; Loki heard that, the note of pain. He knows what he thought, in the beginning, that they called him hero because they had not the words for monster. They saw what they wanted to see, and he wanted them to see true.

How wrong he was. ]

Then, sage, what advice would you have for a sorcerer on his way to meet the kingdom's dread foe?

[fridgetothefire]

You don't call them yours.

[There's no judgement - she's only just got here herself. It's an observation.]

You should - there are different ways to see things. You should consider your words well too, because those you call will come.

[she frowns. what.]

Uh. I'm new at this? I think I'm still a little loopy from the trip.

[sorcerous]

Words worth remembering.

And I do not call them mine because they are not yet mine. If you know the tales, then you know Loki is not always on the side of good.

[fridgetothefire]

Is anybody?

Always, I mean.

[No, actually, she means is anybody truly good ever, but she mostly hides the bitterness.]

[sorcerous]

So you are not so innocent after all.

[fridgetothefire]

I'm friendly, not blind.

[sorcerous]

You are false.

[ He doesn't say this as though there's anything particularly wrong with that. ]

[fridgetothefire]

[Well. She really didn't expect lying to the master to work all that long.]

...to the core.

[It's quiet, a little strained, a tiny bit relieved, too. Mostly just...matter-of-fact. She barely knows who she is if she's not pretending, she's been lying to everyone so long.]

[sorcerous]

Liars and witches...

[ How many, here, have more in common with him than with Sif or Thor?

Food for thought. ]

Tell me your name, then, false girl.

[fridgetothefire]

[A breath, a moment of habit when she considers a dozen aliases, but then -]

Anya Lehnsherr.

[Declared, strong and sure, daring anyone to doubt her. The exact truth, with no evasions or nicknames, in its entirety, if only because her father would have beaten her bloody for giving her real name to a stranger.]

[sorcerous]

May we meet again, Anya.

[ He mounts the horse, having led her outside the stables during this conversation.

Everything is deserted. People are still hung over from the night's festivities. ]

[fridgetothefire]

We will.

Good luck, with the kingdom's enemies.

[It can't hurt for a sage to say that, right? She hopes it doesn't.]

[sorcerous]

And to you, with the kingdom.

[ He waves a hand, and returns the orb to inactivity, ending the conversation. ]