MARCH INTRO MINGLE

[asgardmods]

Who: Newbies and anyone who wishes to greet them!
What: Getting used to the city
When: Days 411 and forward.
Where: Anywhere in town!
Rating: PG-13 tops! If it gets worse, move to a private log please.

[Please include your location and the IC day (ex. Day 411 - this can be found in the schedule) in your top-level comment or your subject line when starting a thread! It can be any welcome hall, major attraction, or just out an about in any district. For newbies making a top-level thread, you may include your character's name/canon/house in your subject line if you'd like, to make housemates easy to find! :) If a God is needed or wanted, please ping the mods and depending on availability we might be able to throw them in where asked.

Also, keep an eye on the event schedule for February! If you're ICly introing during an event, make sure you take that into account. Thank you!

Have fun!]

Comments

Alana Bloom / Day 414+415 / Freya

[guestlectures]

Late afternoon 414, between Gladsheim palace and the houses in Freya.

[She'd been doing fine until she saw someone fly overhead. Fly. That had startled Alana, made her quickly check to see if anyone else in the street had noticed anything. There was no reaction from anyone.

Alana sat herself on a nearby bench and put her face in her hands, taking a few calming breaths. She was overreacting because of what had happened back home. All she needed was to rest, and some kind of assurance that she wasn't losing her mind.

Some kind of food wouldn't have been unwelcome either.]




All day 415, various places

[In a much better frame of mind than the one she'd arrived in, Alana explores this extremely improbable city. The map in her hands instantly gives her away as a newcomer to anyone who might want to help (or take advantage).

Unlike yesterday she looks more curious than overwhelmed, but there are times when she thinks no one is watching her that she'll frown to herself- more than a little concerned for her sanity. Alana has always trusted what she can see and experience, but right now she's not so sure.

She makes a particular effort to get to Odin's Library, Gefion Park, and the hospital. ]

414

[palebee]

"Doing alright, there?"

It's softly-spoken, just loud enough to cut through Asgard's ambient clutter. Albus peers down over the tops of his lenses, his smile not unkind as he shifts a brown paper bag between his arms. As bags go, it's remarkably ordinary, it might have almost walked out of a far more earthly five-and-dime. The faint smell of warm dough wafts out onto the chill air.

"Can be a bit overwhelming, can't it."

A mild comment, as he slings around to sit (a respectful distance) beside Alana on the bench. He doesn't know her face -- new, likely, from the week and her repose. Still, the city has a weight to it, an accumulated weariness that bears down uneasily at times upon every set of shoulders.

[guestlectures]

The odds are that everyone brought here likely has the same reaction as she's having now doesn't make Alana feel any better about not being in control of herself in front of strangers. She sits up straighter, pleased that at least she's kept from crying.

"When I told myself today couldn't get any harder, I really wasn't expecting to be this wrong."

She brushes her hair out of her face and gives the stranger a rather weak smile.

[palebee]

He laughs at that, a small, rueful thing.

"Ah, but just think how right you'll be from now on," Rifling in the bag, he comes up with a soft pretzel, offering it over. "Care for some? They had a two-for-one, and it'll only go to the pigeons otherwise. They're spoiled enough."

His expression sobers, looking over to meet her eyes.

"What's hardest about it?"

414

[proudofwhatiam]

[It's all a bit to take in, isn't it? Especially if you aren't used to things like people flying. Evy's lucky in that she had her first, strange oh, dear God, magic is real moment before she arrived in Asgard, but she's well aware not everyone is.

And so, when she sees an unfamiliar woman sitting on a bench, her head in her hands, she stops. It's only right to check in, isn't it? The streets are filled with new Travelers at the moment, and more than a few of them end up needing a bit of help.]

Excuse me, miss--are you all right?

[guestlectures]

Yes, sorry- [Alana takes a moment to run her thumb under her eyes before answering. She's not crying- but she was emotionally exhausted even before she got here and the shock hasn't helped.]

Just a little overwhelmed, [and she looks up, her smile more than a little forced.] It's been a long day and I guess I'm more tired than I thought I was.

[proudofwhatiam]

No need to apologize. [It doesn't affect her, really, the sight of a woman overwhelmed. But if she can help a bit, she will.

She takes a seat on the bench.] It's rather a lot to take in. Have you just arrived?

shouts loud words in your general direction. 414!

[valardohaeris]

[ It's not that Arya lurks around the place looking for the last of her family members to appear, because she definitely doesn't. She just so happens to be in the general vicinity with the perfect view for new arrivals every day for the last half a week. Complete coincidence, honest.

She doesn't really introduce herself to people as they arrive - honestly, they probably wouldn't want her of all people running Asgard 101 - but Alana catches her eye. She's not sure what exactly it is, but something about the reaction dragged up some semblance of sympathy from her. Enough at least, that she walks up and stands beside her for a moment before clearing her throat. ]

You get used to it. [ Helpful advice there. ] Just wait until you find out what you can do.

[ Which is....even more helpful. ]

8D returns the loud words with singing and flowers

[guestlectures]

[Alana had asked and been told what her power was supposed to be. Whether she accepted that as something she was now able to do was a different question entirely. Until she'd seen the man flying she'd presumed that whoever was behind the kidnappings was some sort of madman.]

It'd be hard to be less used to things than I am now. [It's not funny at all, but she laughs a little as she wipes under her eyes (coping mechanism, her training helpfully supplies).

Alana looks up and she's shocked yet again when she find herself talking to a child.] You were brought here too?

[valardohaeris]

[ Arya shrugs, a lazy little jerk of the shoulders that could indicate anything from 'I don't know' to 'I don't care enough to phrase a response'. In this situation though, it's more of an acknowledgement of the craziness of this place than anything else. She tugs at the bottom of her sleeves slightly, still stubbornly wearing the fraying shirt she'd left Westeros in despite the fact that it falls apart more and more with each wash, and finally drops to sit a little way from Alana.

There's still a decent distance between them, because Arya is nothing if not distrustful of strangers, but they're on the same bench at least. That's practically a friendship bracelet. ]

It gets weirder. But so do you. [ Another of the same shrugs follow, and when Alana delivers her own question she looks distinctly more uncomfortable, but after a little fidgeting she nods. ] It's not so bad. People try to kill each other less. Sometimes there are family here. maybe you know someone?

415, the hospital!

[galvanist]

[Whale works at the hospital. And so, today he's lounging around in the entrance, on his lunch break, enjoying a sandwich when Alana walks in. She...well, he wouldn't lie, she was very attractive. So, after wiping his face to make sure that he didn't have any peanut butter on it, he straightened his tie and walked over to her, giving her a winning smile.]

Hey, [he said, with a nod.] Looking for somebody here in particular or just exploring the city? [because, attractive as she was, he didn't recognize her. And Whale thought that he had a pretty good bead on all the attractive women in the city.]

[guestlectures]

[The minute she'd seen the hospital on the map Alana had been determined to get there. Ostensibly to get more information about Asgard, but on a subconscious level Alana trusted hospitals. She knew how they worked, and she trusted most people worked in them. It was the same reason she'd planned to visit the library.

Hospitals and libraries were fairly similar, wherever you went. This one was no different, down to the pleasant doctor who'd given her the once over before hurrying over to greet her.]

Both. [Alana extended a hand in greeting, her smile genuine.] Hi, Dr. Alana Bloom. I was brought here yesterday.

[galvanist]

Dr. Whale, [he responds, taking Alana's hand.] Pleasure to meet you, Dr. Bloom. If I may ask, what's your speciality?

[No matter her answer, he knew that he would be pleased. She was a woman of science, something that he easily appreciated more than this magic mumbo jumbo that he was stuck with.]

414

[sufferably]

( he's used to the people in baldr's house flying overhead, by now, but he's never going to be fully comfortable with the sight. every time one passes him, he has to suppress an involuntary shudder. today, he's less successful that usual, spends a moment rooted to the spot and scowling at himself.

he notices alana a moment later, can understand the sentiment well enough. )

You doing alright, there?

[guestlectures]

Yes, I'm- I just- [She pauses, taking a moment to compose herself before looking up.

Her smile is a little forced, but she appreciates the concern shown by a complete stranger.] I think I've had one too many surprises today.

415

[unnaturallygreen]

[Elphaba is, as usual, at Odin's Library. In fact, she's just leaving with her prize (Oz: A Comprehensive History of the Land of Oz, which in her opinion mistakes myths for actual history one too many times) when she sees Alana, coming up the stairs. Out of courtesy, she steps aside, and continues on her way, careful to keep her eyes on the stairs.

She's highly aware, of course, that her green skin is likely to pull Alana's attention to her, so once she reaches the bottom of the steps she turns and tips her hat up to the other woman.]

New here, aren't you? [A smile, somewhat sardonic.] It's somewhat obvious. When did you arrive?

[guestlectures]

[It had been hard to not stare, and Alana had thought she'd done well, passing the woman with green skin on the stairs. Not well enough, apparently.

She stops and turns, meeting the woman's eyes.]

Yesterday afternoon. [A brief pause.] I apologise for staring, that was rude of me, new or not.

414

[granddevil]

[ Satan has flight as well, but he doesn't use it. Not because it's not useful, but because he is only at level 2 and that's more levitation than actual flight. In any case, he is not particularly hard to miss; 12 large wings (2 on his head, 8 on his back and 2 on his ankles) follow him around and if anyone was to look closely, Satan has breasts under his white formal suit, even though he sort of looks male.

he is passing by the woman, noting her distress.

Lucifer is not a nice person. He looks like he is, might even sound gentle, but it amuses him greatly to see someone stressing (and having a mental breakdown). That's why he approaches Alana. ]

Too much to take in?

[guestlectures]

One shock too many. [She doesn't look up immediately, giving herself time to compose herself before facing the stranger who's stopped to check on her.]

It's going to be a while before I get used- [She looks up and stops again, not completely able to process what she's seeing. This cannot be real- her mind rebels against the fact that she is looking at a man with wings growing out of his back.]

414, Freya

[doveprincess]

[Sansa is in the kitchen, preparing a food basket for her wounded brother. She watches the beautiful woman who comes in, looking a bit lost. She seems hungry too, and looks at the pile of sandwiches she made. Robb and Jon can devour it, but, they surely won't notice if she spares a couple for a newcomer, right?]

My Lady, would you like one of these? [She offers Alana a roast beef sandwich with cheese and some greens to go with it.]

[guestlectures]

[More than a little lost, Alana is surprised and relieved to have found somewhere with food at last.]

Thank you, yes. [She starts fishing in her pocket for the currency she'd been given on her arrival.] How much are they?

415 - outside the hospital

[infomodder]

It wasn't an odd sight for Will Graham to roam the streets of Sigyn with a dog in tow. It would have been a little stranger back home, a mutt following at his heels through the halls of the Academy, but these were streets, and leaving the dogs in his room all the time wasn't something he could really stomach. They deserved to be out when they wanted to be, and not just to take care of business. They deserved the fresh air and the space and the sunshine, just the same as anyone or anything else. What was an odd sight for him is someone he knew, and for it to be her, of all people? Oh, he's thought of what would happen if others he knew showed up. Lecter? He had tried to make plans and they had all been destroyed as pointless. The other one he'd thought the most about showing her vulture self was Freddie Lounds, and with time, what was remembered...he had hated the idea of her more than anyone else, considering she could do the most damage to both him and Abigail and there was nothing he could really say against her to make anyone believe otherwise. She wasn't a threat to anyone but two people; warning against her would be stooping to gossip. She was a "journalist" but she hadn't killed (not directly, though he was as much at fault as she was, even if he had been against the idea) or helped anyone hide bodies. As far as Will knew.

It was obviously her, had to be her. He knew her voice and her body, could recognize her in any outfit, dress or pants or boots or whatever else. It wasn't anything obscene, he just knew her. That little voice in his head was thinking that for him, talking about how did he know her that well, how could he look at the way clothes fitted her and think, yes, that was Alana Bloom? The more Lecter's voice spoke about her, insinuating those old romantic overtures, the angrier he got. Yes, he'd had thoughts, but Lecter saying them and adding onto them in that voice, so clear he felt he could turn around and see him standing right behind him, smug and clean and immaculately dressed, the more determined he was to say nothing, to not make himself known. Not yet, and her turning into the hospital gave him a real reason to just walk back to his room and pretend he'd seen nothing at all.

That would be easy. It would be easier to sit himself down on a bench not too far from the hospital doors and wait, the off-white little dog (twenty pounds wasn't so little, no, but he wasn't huge, either) sitting right next to him. The wonderful thing about his issues with lost time and the fact that his clocks were still looking awfully terrible was that he could wait twenty minutes or six hours and not be bothered by it all. He wouldn't grow impatient. He wouldn't get up and barge right in. No, if Alana Bloom went into the hospital perfectly fine, she would come out that same way. Some people might have found hospitals terrifying and to be avoided at all costs, but she was a doctor. There might have been some sort of comfort there for her, and if she went to see what sort of jobs were offered, that was justification enough.

That he'd been going there himself was ignored. That he was going to visit his own doctor got pushed aside. That he was rather certain his doctor was in there? He swallowed that down, riding on the hope that oaths still meant things. Meant everything. Weren't to be broken accept for the right reasons.

Waiting for her to come out was one thing entirely. Waiting for her to move far enough along that he could come up behind her, steps quiet, dog at his heels—if his voice didn't give him away, if his face and hair (having been properly cut this time) and the obvious need for a shave wasn't enough, there was that dog. Yes, this was Will Graham, same as he was back home. There was no clearing of his throat this time, no quick request for her not to scream. She might not remember. That might have not happened for her. Perhaps, when she turned and saw him, she'd see him. She wouldn't see him with a knife or a gun or with Cassie Boyle's body mounted on a stag head behind him. Was that feathered stag of his dreams and hallucinations behind him? No, he wouldn't look. She wouldn't see it. If all went well, she wouldn't see those deaths he was blamed for.

But if she did, what then? Could he lie? Would he lie and risk that coming out later whenever Abigail found out she was here, too? Would Abigail even tell her that much?

"Feeling unstable yet?"

He watched, his focus narrowed right down to her and only her. How her body moved, how her face changed when she turned, because she had to turn. She had to know him, she had to recognize him, she was strong enough to face him and not run away. He believed that much, believed in her more than he believed in just about anyone else.

It would be nice to have that belief rewarded. It would be nice for her to see him and be filled with joy at having her friend in this situation with her. It was what he wanted, but that would be nice. Nice things had been difficult to come by before he'd been dragged here. That was him hoping, and hope hadn't worked out so well.

What he didn't want was her to be afraid of him. He stood relaxed, hands stuffed in his pockets, but seeking eye contact if he could get it. Will Graham, the guy she walked through a field talking about dogs and coyotes and was mostly comfortable with. That was what he looked like, what he was aiming to look like. Easier with the bullet wound in his shoulder and busted hand completely healed.

Whatever she knew (or thought she knew), he'd have to work with it, and quickly. A design crafted without much time, but could do it. He would do it, even if that voice encouraging him to lie and lie and lie was one he generally shoved aside and ignored.

Now, if things went the way he didn't want them to? It wasn't him obeying Lecter so much as...agreeing with his own thoughts that just came from the wrong mouth. Or so he'd spin it in order to feel stable.

[guestlectures]

Will Graham was here. In the city.

That was all the information she'd been able to get out of Doctor Whale. He'd been far more intersted in talking about her or himself- but Alana had to admit she'd only been paying partial attention to everything that followed that part of the conversation. Will Graham was in the city, and she needed to find him, in case-

In case what? Last night, her first night in this absurd and improbable city, after she'd had exhausted herself making plans and convincing herself that she would survive here, Alana had fallen asleep thinking about the situation back home, trying to resolve the facts into something that made even the remotest sense. It seemed surreal now, the memory of sitting in that FBI interview chamber, putting a man she knew through the basic psych evaluations.

Will Graham was not a killer. Alana knew this in her bones. She'd worked with and studied killers all her life and when she looked into his eyes there was nothing there to show that he could do what had been done to the copycat's victims. There was nothing in his behavior that had ever made her concerned for anything other than his stability after the incident with Garret Jacob Hobbs. An instability she'd never have expected to turn to murder.

Sigyn district, doctor Whale had said. Alana checked her map. How hard could it be to find one man in a city this size? Even if Will Graham wasn't just another ordinary man.

How not ordinary was he? How did deep his differences run? How disconnected had he become working for Jack? What had made him draw the clock like that? How had this happened?

She was distracted enough that the familiar voice comes completely out of the blue- startling her and making her drop the map in surprise as she turned. And there he was. Will Graham. In the flesh, with a dog at his heels. She met his eyes, mouth opening in surprise.

Osbervations streamed through her mind in the blink of an eye as she stared at him, frozen. He's had a haircut. He needs a shave. The dog is one she doesn't recognise. He looks more lucid than he did when she last saw him. Does he look more stable? It's hard to tell. He still doesn't look like a killer.

Another second ticked by. Alana realised she was staring wordlessly at him.

"Oh my god- Will." Impulsively she surged forward to hug him. Her doubt and fear of what is wrong with him being overridden by shock and exhaustion and the need to affirm again the fact that this place is real and that she isn't the one hallucinating things.

Will Graham was not a stable person by most definitions, but he was here. In that moment, it was enough.

414

[needsnoheadsman]

[Robb, similarly, is on his way to Freya, his stump hidden from view in a pocket. It's taken him some time, fine, but he's outside now, no thanks to some people, and he's slowly settling back into a routine of sorts. It also helps that there's a new crop of arrivals, apparently, and if he's anxiously checking the Palace every morning or so for someone, anyone he cares for, well, that's something best kept quiet.

Grey Wind is trailing behind him as always, a grey wolf that occasionally growls at someone. It speaks volumes about how used they both are to the city now that when someone from Baldr flies overhead, neither even flinches anymore.

Robb does, however, notice a woman on a bench, her face in her hands--one of the newest arrivals, definitely--and he walks forward till he's in front of her.]

Are you all right, my lady? [says the scruffy sixteen-year-old with one hand in a pocket and a wolf trailing behind him.]

[guestlectures]

[Alana is more embarassed than anything to be found so out of character by a teenage. She hurriedly sits up straighter, trying to smile just a little.]

Yes- I'm fine, thank you. It's been kind of a long day.