Burning!

Oh man, did that suck!

Okay, so, when I got into the ocean to help fight off the sea serpents, there were these little buggers chewing on the hull of the ship. I had to freeze the water around the hull to keep the ship from sinking and it trapped the little buggers there.

Hal and the gun users on the boat were having a hell of a time trying to damage the serpent. I made sure these sea-based titanspawn knew who was the real master of the ocean. I summoned up something from a dark place inside me and let loose with a whirlpool of ice shards and slashed the serpent to ribbons. The other one got the hell out after that.

That lefts us to deal with the boat. Hal and I stripped away the ice and got the little creatures free. They looked like octopi with baby heads... weird shit. They fled as soon as the were loose, so nothing to worry about. On the inside, Andrew and the werewolves were tacking down the holes the creatures chewed.

Then things got hot. Real hot. We were getting close to the island and some sort of defense lit us up and started to burn the ship and boil the ocean. Like burning ants with a magnifying glass. I was getting boiled in my armor.

Claire came to the rescue, though. She found a shield in the hold and I don't know how she figured this out, but she carried it to the deck and shouted to Avalon that we were bringing Arthur's corpse. Then it gave us a shroud. Weird. But cool.

So, we landed in a little boathouse and got off the boat.. which was beginning to shake. Claire stayed onboard and was reading the back of the shield. Then the boat was absorbed into the shield and Claire was dropped right into the water. I guess that solves how we get Arthur to his final destination.

Hal wants to stop and plan, but we just don't have the time.  I think Kennedy mentioned that the temple we need to get to was what nearly burned us to death, I have to double check. Lexi is doing her music thing which could provide answers, too. We need to keep moving, we're in enemy territory and they may know we're here. Things are only going to be harder from here on out.

Into the Mist

Allies were gathered, supplies stowed, and everyone made ready. Mannanan gave us a good luck speech before we sailed away from Ireland heading towards Avalon.

It took us nearly the whole time we had to avoid Altair to get the ship seaworthy again. Ken got some of her werewolf pals to come and we rejoined with the boy band (Hal's Einherjar).

Andrew was pacing around and getting himself worked up. I guess I can't blame him. Everyone else seems to be on much better terms with their divine parent than I am. Heck, even Lexi has at least MET Aphrodite. Anyway, Ken gave him some encouraging words and I started him on the right direction for his books: Finding out where Thoth is being kept.

We had a bit of banter that I really want to share:
Claire had taken the wheel and was wearing a pirate hat (yeah, I know). She was complaining that she needed a sword and Lexi said, "If you wanted a sword then you should be dating a girl." to which Claire replied, "At least my lover doesn't run on batteries." That was hysterical.

Anyway, we finally sailed into this supernatural mist. Yeah. Mists of Avalon, the organization being called MIST. Someone deserves a good swatting for that. The stuff was thick and pliable, really weird.

Then some weird fish started chewing on the hull and a big sea serpent started swimming around the boat. Hal and I took the fight to the water. Now I can put my whole "daughter of a sea god" thing to good use.

On the Eve of Battle

A lot has happened in the last few hours. Hopefully I can keep my thoughts organized. It's all only now beginning to sink in.

First, I got out of the shower and found that I'd grown... by like... a foot. I'm as tall as Claire. This means that the pull of Utgard-Loki is getting stronger. It has me pretty frightened. But, we have no time to devote to curing me.

Claire gave me some spare clothes I could fit into, then we had a sit-down with Odin and Manannan. Some bombshells were dropped; Ragnarok, the Norse End-of-the-World is on the horizon. This coming winter will be Fimbulvinter, the "Final Winter". He says Jotunheim will taint the world. I'm afraid that's when Utgard-Loki will try to claim me as a servant.

That wasn't the end of the bad news. Andrew, who'd been brought back to us, revealed why he'd run off. He was trying to get back to MIST because he knew his dad, the God Thoth, was in trouble. All the things were laid out: The Yazata claimed MIST and Thoth in order to make sure Ragnarok happens, despite Odin's efforts. Odin assured us that he had a way around Ragnarok, but needed more time.

That gave us two options: Assault MIST to free Thoth because he could help give us that time, or, more directly, travel to a mountain where the Yazata held a relic that let them control the Titan of Time. I brought it to a vote. We unanimously decided to go after Thoth.

Manannan offered some help. We headed into a rainbow portal and into a bubble of air deep beneath the ocean. I started getting pretty giddy. Daughter of an Ocean God and whatnot. The beauty of the deep sea is indescribable. In this pocket of air was was a wrecked ship. More bombshells: This was the ship that was lost while carrying King Arthur's (a Scion) remains to Avalon. Avalon being the island were MIST was set up. Because the ship is destined to carry Arthur to Avalon, we can use it to get back to the island without drawing attention to ourselves.

I feel pretty profoundly affected by this. I mean... carrying the remains of King Arthur back to Avalon, completing a voyage that began well over a thousand years ago. It's amazing. Though it's not as simple as that, the ship sank for a reason. Manannan transported us and the boat to a drydock and we have to repair the ship. Good thing mom taught me about building canoes and maintaining boats, I can really be a great help here.

Then Manannan left us with one last comment, that we need to make peace with our mortal lives. We're going to battle and we may not come back. I've had several brushes with death already, but those hit me by surprise. It's different going into a situation where even a God warns you that you will likely die. Hal and I have a lot of durability, but I worry for Lexi and Andrew. No one is going to get killed while I still breathe.

I have some things to do and I need to get them done fast. We only have a few days before Altair is able to track us again and I intend to be on the way to Avalon before then. I have to call my mothers and talk to them. No doubt Kyria will wish me a glorious battle. I don't know how Indigo will react, she's been around a long time, but I've still been like a real daughter to her.

Then there's Bryn. I'm going to write a letter and ask Odin to deliver it for me. I don't have any time, Odin will be leaving soon and I'm not sure what to say. I may never know her reaction to the ring I made her, I may never see her again.... I'll think of something.

And Claire... she's been there for me in a lot of ways. She'll tell me we'll be fine. We'll kick a lot of ass and be home in time for lunch. I don't want to sound like I'm being fatalistic, but I can't take the risk of leaving things unsaid....
I think I know how King Leonidas felt, marching to battle against the Persians.

A Lover's Spat

We've all been pretty subdued the past couple of days. Hal's been brooding. I've been brooding. This setback has shaken all of us. Morale is down, prides are injured, and things are at an all time low.

I got to vent some of my feelings to Claire, when she checked in on me. She did a lot to make me feel better. We had what was probably our first serious talk. If you know Claire, you know she's always a firebrand of cussing and aggression and snark. This was the first time I ever saw her so... level, so serious. It was kind of eerie. She took me out on the town and we hit a few bars and saw some sites. Made me feel much better.

We all got together outside Manannan's house, but no one was much in the mood for talking. I tried to get things going, but we got interrupted by one of Claire's half-siblings (I think? Theres an awful lot of kids running around here that share resemblances between Claire and Kenny). Speaking of Kenny, she looks like she's still pissed. So much so she was walking around in wolf-form (she can do that now) and talking through a younger sibling. That got on Hal's nerves.

Anyway, we were asked to find a horse creature called Kelpie that the kid managed to let get away. We didn't get very far when we saw Odin arrive. Friggen Odin! You know, it didn't occur to me at the time but, since I'm sort of courting Bryn, does that mean I just met her dad, too? (Bryn's fine, by the way. I asked. She's apparently pretty pissed).

So, we wandered up to Odin, welcomed him and he and Manannan sat down and puffed on some pipes and played smoke-wars with each other. While the Gods amused themselves with smoke creatures/objects, they listened in on our thoughts about what was going on. Thaaaaaats when things got ugly.

In the middle of brainstorming, Kenny called out Hal on his tendency to shut down ideas that disagree with his world-view. Specifically ideas that come from Kenny that don't include demonizing all the Yazata. We all did the awkward "stare at the drink" bit to avoid getting caught in the argument. Cripes, even Odin spoke up and suggested we take the conversation indoors to let the pair argue with each other.

So, we're taking a moment to reorganize our thoughts about what's going on. Not having any information is bad. Claire suggested we go back after Klein in Germany, but I don't think he's even there anymore. Heck, the Yazata probably tipped him off to us after we got away.

Alongside trying to get evidence of the real corruption is giving something our avenging angel hunter can focus on instead of me. Though he seems convinced of his rightness that I don't see how it's possible. Though, one of the Gods suggested it, so the idea must have a chance.

I.... ugh... I feel off. My body aches and my clothes feel tight. I'm going to excuse myself for a shower, help me clear my head a bit.

-----

Um.... I think we've got a problem... my clothes don't fit.

Downtime in Dublin

Dublin is a very pretty place.
I hope I get a chance to wander around a bit. Take in the sights. Let my mind wander. Right now we're staying at a little retreat out by where the Grand Canal feeds into the ocean. Oh, did I mention we're also staying with Claire's dad? Yep, we're being hosted by Manannan Mac Lir. Pretty cool, huh?

Hal's keeping to himself right now. I think Kenny's mad at him. That, and that Yazata bastard did something when he gave a self-righteous speech, as we made our escape, that seems to have effected Hal as well.

I guess I should talk about how we got out of that mess, huh?
Well, long story short, Hal scooped me up and made for the hills as Altair chased us. Then Manannan showed up and pulled our bacon out of the fryer.

Yep.

You know, I saw Dublin Castle in some photos online. I do have a disposable camera that I had in my pocket. Maybe I'll make it a point to check it out, if I get a chance. Though my other camera got left in Germany.. as well as a good section of my clothes.

Oh hell. I'm just trying to avoid writing about what's really going on in my my mind.

You see, the escape from Altair (not the guy from that game) wasn't all that simple. I guess when I smashed that big gem back in Alaska, I... absorbed... the essence of Utgard-Loki. Now I've been corrupted. I'm a potential minion of the Titans.

Is that what drove me to do what I did? I don't think I'm suicidal. I want to live. But... we were way out of our league. This guy was more than capable of destroying the lot of us, but he called me out, specifically. He wanted me. He'd leave everyone alone if I went with him to be "purified by fire". I couldn't put everyone at risk for my own safety. Better that just one of us dies so that the others can live, right?

I was scared, sure, but I just couldn't let this "Kill all the sinners" guy kill them. Not when I could stop it.

Hal and Claire disagreed (Not surprising).

I'm strong, but when Hal get a grip on me, to keep me from leaping down to the foyer, I couldn't get out of it.

I'm feeling pretty depressed. Hal gave me a sanctimonious "Never give up on yourself." line before heading off. He can go fuck himself. The last thing I need is to be preached at. I'm a fucking walking liability now. All because I got fucking stupid and did something I shouldn't have.

I'm also worried about Brynhildr. I gave her a gift before we left for Germany and now... I wonder if I'll never know how she reacted to it. It's eating at my mind that I so greatly admire the Valkyrie, but she might be dead now, for all I know. I'm just glad that Claire isn't the jealous type and more than willing to share.

I'm grateful for Claire. I really am. She's been someone for me to lean on. To be friends with. To be close to when we could all die on the next mission. Next mission. I guess we're on our own now, aren't we? MIST has been taken control of by the Yazata. Why? What could they gain by... controlling... The passes! The network of Touchstones around the world....

I'll have to bring this up to the group, though... fuck... I just want to be alone and sulk, right now.

Dammit, someone's knocking on my door. It's probably Claire...

Backstabbing Bastards

Andrew took off on us.

I'm not sure why. His note said things were happening and he was going to MIST HQ to look for his dad. I'd give him the benefit of the doubt if it weren't for the fact that, not long after he sped off, we got jumped by a hit-squad dressed in MIST gear.

Hal and I focused on disarming them, I think we were thinking on the same wavelength: that this was a case of mistaken identity. My shockwave attack (that I suddenly learned I could do. This becoming a goddess thing is really weird) sent a number of them sprawling. Lexi used her hotness powers (or whatever it was) to make the fight stop.

At least we got to question them, though Claire was very agitated (you'd think that all the girl-sex would take that edge off her personality). They started going on about how we're to be liquidated, an order from the higher-ups, and Bryn is being relieved of her position (through force or decree, I don't know, and it makes me worried). We've been totally set up, but then they started going out about us being under the influence of Utgard-Loki. Specifically, me. The fuck are they on about? More over the group kept dodging the question. What's going on?

Before I could get an explanation of that accusation, some bright glowing asshole flew into the main area and started talking like an avenging angel sent to purge the darkness. In the mood I'm in, I'm not going to put up with this BS. It's an obvious set-up and I feel like cracking some skulls.

Asserting Dominance

With Kreiger dead and the land mystically bound to Kennedy, there was only one thing left to do: Make the other werewolves fall into line. Hal and the rest of us probably talked a bit more than we should have, since it was Kenny's show, but they did call out this other guy, Steiner, who is now in charge of Kreiger's company.

Asshole made a big show of being a sexist pig. Not a smart move, especially then. In that clearing, basking in the light of the full moon... I felt warmer.... wilder.... stronger. I snapped at that fucker and my armor got a lot thicker, startling him. Made sure that dick knew who was in charge.

I got a good look at myself later, I looked like a Hoplite crossed with a Knight. Pretty badass.

Anyway, Andrew, being the clever duck that he is (duck... bird... Thoth... I'm funny) worked out a deal to have him go through the meeting with Amir Kline and get the information we need. We don't even need to be personally involved. Pretty slick.

After that, we all went to the hotel and maybe the fight got my blood pumping or the moonlight got to me, but I was feeling frisky.  Oh yeah, stuff happened.

The next day, Claire and I just hung out in our room, talked about stuff, and I got my painting done. I'm trying to make sure I have little things to remember my adventures... Claire's looking over my shoulder and tells me I've already talked about that.

Well, I'm not sure what's going on, I think we're waiting for word from Leger, Kennedy's werewolf second in command (and a real dick. Seriously, he threatened to ARREST us if we killed anyone when the fight was over. What the fuck? Really? Not to mention a jail isn't going to hold half of us.). I... oh god I can hear Hal and Kenny going at it again... in the shower no less...

I'm going to distract myself with getting some thoughts typed down on here... having better senses can suck sometimes.

So, I've been thinking about this whole situation. Hal seems happy to cast suspicion on Bryn about shoddy intelligence, but I think he's mistaken. She wouldn't be put in charge of MIST if she wasn't trustworthy, right? No, I'm beginning to think our recon gaffs are because of the hole we're trying to plug.

Alaska was... kinda different. We were sent in BECAUSE the recon was shoddy. That agents kept getting killed. Hal wonders why Bryn didn't walk in with a full squad of Valkyries at the start. Maybe I should have him read some books on military tactics. You don't commit your forces to battle when you don't know the makeup of the enemy. Not to mention, a full squad of Valks would have tipped off the titan goons faster than our presence.

Here, on the other hand, we should have known more. Part of the problem is this mission is one of those cloak and dagger, counter-espionage, internal affairs jobs. Chances are, the only one who even knows the real intent of the mission is Bryn. Our story for being here was to investigate the murders, which, by extension, ended up involving the werewolves. If Klein ends up being a part of the hole in MIST, then that's probably a good indicator that information about this region was under-researched.

This whole thing kinda makes me worried. I mean, aren't we all supposed to be on the same side? The Gods and their allies against the Titans? Oh, no. I just had a terrible thought. What if this goes deeper than a vindictive pantheon undermining MIST? What if the traitors are working for the titans?

......

I just heard Andrew's motorcycle take off. What the hell?

So Much for the Big Plan

Mother used to tell me: "A plan never survives contact with the enemy."

I last night hammered that lesson home.

We had planned to retreat several miles southeast to the cliffs of some large lakes. To force a confrontation on our terms. To give us some sort of tactical advantage with the terrain.

Turns out, Krieger had his own plans.

As we neared the meeting place, my mirror in the sky (Which is still a cool trick) let me know just how many damn werewolves we were up against. To say we were out numbered would be like saying "Lexi is pretty." The duel started right then and there, we couldn't retreat. We were penned in on all sides.

Kenny nearly took that fucker, Kreieger's head off with one shot of her rifle. After that he nearly killed her, fortunatly, she transformed and took the fucker down. Hal, myself, and the rest of us were busy battling off the pack, which rushed us when the duel started.

The whole thing was over in seconds, once Kenny dropped Krieger, Lexi did something with her sax that made every werewolf either break and run or drop to the ground. I think she somehow made her sax sound like a dog whistle. Which is both really brilliant and kinda hilarious. Hey, it worked.

So, Kenny finished off Kreiger, making him a sacrifice to the land, then this wood nymph showed up out of this big sacred tree. She hauled Kenny into herself in some sort of binding ritual that scared the shit out of the lot of us, but Kenny was released okay.

There's just one big problem, now.

Kreiger's dead, and we still haven't gotten the information about MIST's mole.

Fuck.

Battle Plans

Kennedy is now a werewolf and, as I suspected, bound to Krieger. Oh, she can still fight him, but it will take all of her willpower to do it, because her body won't want to. Bastard. Hal's pretty pissed, though he acts like it's all a personal attack against him. The guy is positively clingy.

He and I took verbal snipes at each other while Kenny was recovering from her change. I think I managed to crack that exterior or something, because he began to joke back at me. I didn't know he had it in him. I thought he was all "srs bznis".

So, Kenny is wolfing (ha!) down plates of food while we talk strategy. At this point, I've given up. No idea is good enough and nobody is willing to commit to a plan.

Tactics wise, Kreiger has home-turf advantage AND he has a leg up on Kenny in the duel. He's been a werewolf far longer than her and he's got their little blood bond working in his favor. The obvious solution is to turn his overconfidence against him and strike when his guard drops. If there was a way to silver Kenny's claws without hurting her, I'd consider doing that before the duel starts. Anything we can do to give her an advantage Krieger won't see coming.

As to what the rest of us do, it's agreed we'll hafta deal with Krieger's closest supporters, those who wont bow to Kenny when she wins (and she will, dammit). Now, we're running around in circles trying to come up with a plan and I'm just getting tired of it. If what we've dealt with so far is a sign of how the rest are, we'll have no problem turning them into goo.

We need to strike when the time is right, though.

And no one can decide on what that time should be.

We are so boned....

A Duel and a Goddess

So, that werewolf that decided to make Claire a chewtoy? Yeah, I cut the bastard in half. IN HALF! They should be scared of me now. :D

So, here's what happened next: Kennedy challenged Krieger for leadership of the pack. It's pretty badass, but... a little bit more than dangerous. I mean, for what we learned so far, Krieger already violates their traditions, so how can we expect him to honor any agreements we make?

Hal has had a similar thought and plans on watching Krieger and his flunkies like a hawk.

Hal... Hal has me pissed off. Every time a mission turns out to be harder than initially advertised, he blames Bryn, like she has it in for us. We live dangerous fucking lives, what does he expect to happen? Since when is any of this supposed to be EASY? I mean, take the events in Alaska, when Bryn showed up with an army. Hal got all suspicious, but I mean, you don't commit forces to battle unless you know the makeup of the battlefield.

Maybe it's because I was trained for this sort of thing that I can see it in ways he doesn't?
Anyway, I'm getting off track.

So, it was agreed that Ken would be bitten and turned into a werewolf so she could face Krieger. Turns out, her mother wasn't very happy. Yeah, when we got back to the hotel, The Morrigan was waiting to chew Kenny a new one. I've NEVER seen her look that scared.

We had a chat with this AMAZING hottie who turned out to be a girl named Rhiannon and, not only is she Kenny's other mother (Is it me, or is there a lot of girl/girl going on around us?) but is also Claire's half-sister. She.. didn't take that well. I had to calm the poor girl down. She's mad that her father never told her about having other family.

Come to think of it, I wonder if I have any other half-siblings. It's not like my old man has even so much as MET me, yet...

I don't wanna think about this, I'm going to bed... out of habbit... I'm still not tired...

This child of a god thing really wares on you.

Hunter and Hunted

I fucked up....
I totally fucked up...

My mistake got someone else hurt.

Bryn warned me of this, and it doesn't feel good. It's not like I charged off into battle or anything. I was trying to be careful. Claire got hurt and it was my fault.
I'm pampering my girlfriend as an elaborate "I'm sorry." She's sleeping right now, so I'm getting this filled out (which is also why the last journal was so short. She can be a demanding woman.).

So, yeah, Wener Kreiger "ambushed us" as we got into the castle grounds. He tried to play the suave Sean Connery angle and we tried to play innocent. Though, he saw right through our ruse. He took a special interest in Lexi (and who wouldn't?) and tried to cart her off alone to "show her around".

Thing is, the reinactment is some sort of hunt. Usually animals, Kreiger claimed, though he dropped the word "Scion" in there. He also tried to relieve me of my axe (hidden in a guitar in a guitar case) and separate Ken from her wolf (who didn't like Krieger one bit). We talked our way out of that, but Claire let me know that we'd become surrounded.

After we got away from Krieger it became obvious that we weren't going to be allowed to leave. I got my axe out and we ducked inside a nearby building. I blessed my axe with silver and did the same for Lexi's dagger. Kenny told us the building wasn't secure enough for a siege and we decided to head for the basement and make a break for it through what (we hoped) would be a secret passage.

Then I tripped. Me. My divine ichor makes me capable of balancing on a wire in a hurricane, but I still managed to trip over my own damn feet.

I stumbled into Claire and at that moment, a werewolf burst into the room from the back and bit Claire in the leg like a chew-toy. Then more werewolves started breaking down the front door and....

I have to cut this short. Claire just woke up and she wants more attention.
At least I'm getting plenty of sex out of this, as well, so it's not a total loss.

Barking up a Tree

So, another night passed with no sex....
I'm beginning to think I'm going to have to just ambush Claire and pull her into my room, or something.

Anyway, we all got together this morning and discussed the plans. Another attack had happened last night (I wanted to go check things out, but noooooo, can't listen to the crazy greek chick... I think Claire is rubbing off on me.). During our planning, Andrew mentioned that the people that Kline was dealing with, that Kreiger company, are behind the attacks. Fan-fucking-tastic.

After a lot of discussion, it was decided that us girls would go to the castle and spy on the meeting while the boys would go investigate the latest murder. Hal insisted on sending one of his guys with us who knew German. Claire got royally pissed off and shouted them down on the matter.

I took the chance, as we headed to the castle, to snap some photos and I noticed that the city had this constant motif of a horseman and a wolf. I told Lexi to ask about it, since the locals looked... suspicious of us. Lexi talked up this cute university student and we learned a lot from her. Long story short, the place has had a lot of werewolf attacks over the years and it seems tied into the Kreiger family.

We finally got into the castle... and were surprised by Kreiger!

Sorry, you don't get to find out what happened, yet. Been a long day and I need a rest.

Jahwol!

You know, not needing to sleep every few weeks has its advantages and disadvantages. On the up side, I can get a lot more done during the hours I would normally be sleeping. On the downside, when the time comes to hurry up and wait, there's not a lot to do.

Good thing I brought my art supplies with me.

Right now, were in Germany. Actually, a small free-state inside Germany. We're in Thuringia, near the Wartburg Castle. It's really quite pretty here. It's a shame we're here on such serious business. Maybe our cover as documentary filmmakers will give me a chance to see the sights. I didn't take the time in Alaska.

Everyone who needs to sleep (Lexi) has gone to bed. I'm taking a break from my watercolors to update from Claire's laptop. Claire is flipping through the late-night German TV. Mostly weird programs and soft-core porn. We're waiting for Kenny to show up. She was on a job for her pantheon and we could really use her tracking skills.

So, why are we in Germany? Well, we've got a double mission, of sorts. We need to get the ball rolling on an investigation. Apparently there's a traitor (or traitors) inside MIST. Many of the thralls in Alaska were armed with MIST issue weaponry (so that's where all the munitions came from). So, we're here to confirm that a MIST agent (a guy named Klein) is meeting with a German arms-dealer named Werner Krieger.

In addition to our... surveillance, I guess, is we have to investigate what the local papers are calling "Wolf Attacks". I don't know about you, but I've never heard of any wolf that attacks cars (unless it's the size of the Valkyrie's wolves...) or pulls people into trees. We're suspecting werewolves, though, now that I think about it, isn't there some sort of big wolf that the Norse deal with? Not the Fenris wolf, smaller ones. Hm... maybe I'll bring that up tomorrow.

Either way, we have to check that out and deal with it. That's why we need Kenny, she's got the most wilderness experience of all of us.

On a side note: Everyone's been giving me odd looks. Lexi, Andrew, Hal... now Claire... what's going on? Claire asked me if I was feeling alright, but I'm fine. I just want to be left alone with my art right now. Is that so wrong?

Internal Correspondence

[[The following is a memo from within the MIST Department. Cindy and the Band are unaware of the monitoring]]

MEMO: LISTENING DEVICE #471

CALL TRANSCRIPT

TIME: 6/2/11 13:42HRS

LOCATION: APARTMENT – CINDY FISHER

PERSONS: CINDY FISHER, INDIGO (FOSTER MOTHER)

[Receiver Lifting]

CINDY: Hey, mom?

INDIGO: Hello? Cindy? Cindy! It's good to hear you, sweetie. How's everything at MIST? Did you find it ok? Settling in all right?

CINDY: Yeah, it's pretty nice here. We even went on a mission already. It involved Alaska, Wendigos, Giants and a dragon!

INDIGO: A dragon? That's exciting. I don't think your mother's ever faced off against a dragon yet. You'll have to tell her how it went. Was it a fire-breathing one or just a land-lizard? Did it charge at you?

CINDY: Actually, it was kinda chained to a wall. It was an offspring of... n..Nidhogg. So, I don't think breathing fire was involved.

INDIGO: Oh. [SHORT PAUSE FOLLOWED BY A CHUCKLE] No matter. You still faced one.

CINDY: In a manner of speaking. Anyway, that's not why I wanted to talk to you. I... need some advice...."

INDIGO: Advice? What's wrong,sweetie?

CINDY: Well... um... I've met someone... two someones, actually...

INDIGO: That's good, dear! I told you that you'd make friends.

CINDY: Mom, that's the point. I'm feeling conflicted about these two. I like them both and I want to persue relationships with them both, but I don't know what to do!

INDIGO: Then... why not just chase both of them? Life is far too short to just limit yourself, Honey. Why, your mother and I have an open, honest relationship and we're quite content as it is!

CINDY: Well... I just wasn't sure what they might think. One is okay with it but the other.... I don't know how she might feel. She's had... rough relationships in the past.

INDIGO: You can never go wrong with the truth when it comes to matters of the heart, Cindy. The frolics of a nymph's life aren't for everyone, and not everyone is willing to share. You may have to choose if one of these two lasses asks it.

CINDY: [SIGH] That's kind of what I'm afraid of. I mean, I really like them both...

INDIGO: Anyone can like anyone, dear.

CINDY: So, what do I do?

INDIGO: [SIGH] I'd say ask your mother, but she'd go on about conquests and declarations... it'd be a mess. [PAUSE] You've only been there a short while, and dear, you're still settling into your heritage. I would advise that you don't make any decision. Just... have fun, sweetie, and let things fall where they will.

CINDY: Alright, mom. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, then. Sound good?"

INDIGO: That sounds perfect. Look, dear, if you're already... connecting with one of them, then go with it! There's no need to trouble yourself with someone who you may like but, that's all there is.

CINDY: I haven't gone that far. Just one date. The other, I'm not sure where I stand. I've made my intentions clear, but she seems so... closed off.

INDIGO: Well, your mother was closed off for a long while, but that changed. [GIGGLE] Don't stress yourself over it, dear. Life's meant to enjoy, not to worry.

CINDY: Alright. Thanks, mom.

INDIGO: Not a problem, dear. Anything else?

CINDY: Hmm... nothing else, really.

TRANSCRIPT APPENDED. REMAINDER OF CALL DOES NOT CONTAIN SENSITIVE INFORMATION.

CONTINUE MONITORING.

----END---

Dinner and a Movie

Last night I payed Claire a little visit. We never set a time for our date so I just showed up in this sexy blue dress I have and with a small bouquet of flowers. I think I caught her blushing when I gave them to her. ^_^
By the way, her place was kind of a mess, though I really wasn't surprised. She had these cute nintendo jammies on when she answered the door, too.

I took her to this authentic Italian restaurant down the street. Being on the MIST island it is REALLY authentic, like, real Italian mythic creatures running the place. It was pretty nice. I ordered this shrimp scampi that was DIVINE! I got to be a little sneaky and had Claire try some, then got an indirect kiss out of the fork. ;)

The dinner wasn't all flirts and fun, though. Claire picked up on my attraction to Brynhildr when she came up in conversation and grilled it out of me. Before I was really ready I had to confess it to Claire and ask the hard questions. Claire said she was okay with me going after Bryn, but also wanted to see how things between me and her would go (trying to get me to take naked photos of Bryn was in the conditions, but I refused to do that!). I honestly didn't expect Claire would be willing to share her girlfriend, honestly.

So, we spent the dinner talking about our lives and where we grew up and what we're into. I found out Claire is a Brooklyn girl (which explains SO much!) and really likes Japanese food. Sometime we should go to a sushi place run by the Japanese pantheon, but we agreed to go to the beach next time (So looking forward to seeing Claire in a bathing suit. Rowr!).

Afterward, we went back to my apartment. Claire picked "36th Chamber of Shaolin" from my DVD collection and I made us some popcorn. We spent the movie cuddling and munching. We probably could have, but ended up not going the whole way on our first date. So, I kissed Claire goodnight and she went home.

She was a lot of fun to go out with and I felt a bit more like myself. She's surprisingly easy to talk to and not judgmental at all. I do hope things go somewhere.

Ooop, phone's ringing. Mom must be returning my call.

A Chat with a Valkyrie

So, you remember how I said I was developing a thing for the Director? Yeah it's totally a thing. At least, I think it's a thing. I don't know, I.... let me talk about what happened today.

Back in the caves under Whittier, Graback had called the Director "Brynhildr". I may not be strong on Norse myth, but even I know that name. She's the head of the Valkyries! So, I read a little more of those legends when I got back to MIST (not a lot, mind you, I didn't want to seem like a creeper) and she had a pretty rough time of things. Betrayal. Heartache. It's kindof a mess.

So, today it was nice and hot and the island MIST is situated on in this... Terra Incognito... err Incognita (I need to get better at this stuff) is surrounded by this amazing ocean. So, I gathered up some beach stuff and some clam-digging gear and went to the beach.

When I got there, I saw a bunch of the Valkyries playing volley ball (and damn to they look good). I recognized a few from Whittier and waved hello. I then heard Brynhildr's voice coming from a cabana. So, I decided to check in on her. She was still working. Reading files and that sort of thing.

She greeted me and I sat down to talk with her. She kept calling me "Ms. Fisher" the whole time. Insisting she called me by my first name didn't work. I tried talking to her about who she was. I wanted to know more about her. Stuff that the legends don't say. I didn't get very far, she's a very closed off person. I suggested she let her hair down and blow off some steam, by joining me for some clam diving. She gave me a look and I bet I turned beet red when I realized the innuendo I made.

Fortunately, that cracked the ice a bit. Apparently I'm not the only one of our little band to make a pass at her (OMG! WHO!?). Then the conversation turned to Fate. She told me how it can force you to do things you'd never do or loose your free will because a story would be better a certain way. It really scared me. However, she spoke like it was personal experience, like the events in her legend weren't of her own will. I wanted to understand more about why she was so closed off, so I asked about it. It may have been too much too soon. I could tell it was painful to talk about and I changed the subject.

I didn't change it fast enough. I made a comment about learning more about mythology and I got a good dressing down for my behavior while on the Alaska mission. That kinda hurt. I plead my case with her, explaining how I just... get into the moment and don't think ahead, and how I wish I was strong and unphazable like her.

Maybe I got through to Bryn. I don't know. She took me out of the office and we walked down the beach, out of earshot of the other Valkyries. She gave me a little talk that made me feel better. She explained my actions were because I'm young and I can't be blamed for that. She also told me to "Balance valor with caution and not only will [I] be able to meet all the challenges before [me], but [I] will enrich [my] legend, and [myself] far better than simply headlong dives to whatever comes [my] way."

That made me feel a lot better, and hey, I got her to laugh when I mentioned getting taken out by Ives, the Wendigo. We talked a little longer, mostly about how the men in her pantheon don't think women can make "proper warriors". That's a rant for another day. So, I left after that, and now I'm here.

I really like Brynhildr. She's got a lot to offer and she... she seems so cold sometimes, like she's still grieving over events that happened so long ago. There's a lot to like and I hope she finds things to like in me...

And this is where I get confused: I also like Claire.

Claire is fun and funny and just a delight to be around. I've got a date with her this week and I'm scared I'll really start liking her, too.
I'm going to call my mom after the date and ask her about this. I mean, I've been in non-exclusive dating relationships before, but I didn't feel this way about any of them.
Maybe I'm thinking too much about this. I mean, the date with Claire may end with us just as friends....

Negotiating with a Dragon

So, yeah, I'm still a little surprised over the final leg in our underground adventures. Between us and the exit was a dragon. Well, not so much between us, but it was in the big chamber we had to pass through. Apparently the dragon had some sort of connection to Hal's pantheon through it's parent dragon. So he and Andrew decided to talk to it.

From what I heard them talking about, it seemed that Rigvar imprisoned the dragon, who's name was Gar... Grab.... Graback, down there. Why, we have no idea, but it seemed pretty happy that we killed Rigvar. Hal wanted to free Graback and nobody could really decide.

We weren't sure we could break the chains that bound Graback, because they were also powered by Utgard-Loki's essence. Though, Graback mentioned that that same power could free him. Claire suggested hitting one of the essence stones we had against the chains. Nobody seemed pleased with the idea, though I thought it was fine.

While we debated, Kennedy had her own talk with Graback. Apparently he knew (or at least knew of) her sister. I didn't even know she had a sister! I wonder if she's a full sister or a half sister? I mean, if the legends about my father are to be believed, I probably have a ton of half-siblings running around. (Seriously, look up Poseidon's list of lovers, it's a good mile long. Dad sure got around...)

Anyway, I got frustrated. The guys kept talking like they would come back after researching, but honestly, I didn't think that was going to happen. I mean, we had no guarantee we'd be allowed back. Or that something bad wouldn't happen, or that the entrances wouldn't collapse. And so on. And we had a solution right there. So, I dropped that smelly troll (I'd been hanging on to him while Hal and Andrew talked to Graback) and I went to smash the rock on the chains.

Hal wanted to be the big man and do it himself. I know he meant well, but I'm not some weak little girl who needs the man to do the dangerous thing for her. So, I smashed the rock. Things felt... weird. I got overpowered with this ice coldness and I heard laughter in my head, then the cold went away.

Hal then broke Graback's chains free and the dragon decided to wait to gather up his strength before leaving. I guess being on such a powerful being's good side is a nice feather in the cap. So, we got back to the surface after and the Director called the mission a success.

So, now we have some free time and I'm going to enjoy it. I need to call mom, I'm feeling confused about a few things and I have a date with Claire I need to get ready for. I'll update as I go, and see if I can come up with a way to write entries while on the mission. Maybe I'll start carrying a little notebook with me.

Adventures Under the Mountain, Part 2

So, once we'd gotten our rest, we discussed what to do next. Y'see, the Valkyries that the Director brought were holding the line against the rest of Rigvar's frost giants and we had to get out. I wanted to fight our way out with the Valkyries, but the Director decided that, those of us who took the gems of Utgard-Loki essence were too important. I must have looked upset, because she assured me there would be plenty of battle on the way out (what can I say? I want to put mom's training through it's paces).

I'm kinda taking a shine to the Director, by the way. I mean, she's strong, and poised, and beautiful... arg... I feel conflicted. I mean, I really like Claire, she's a lot of fun... but I kinda like the director to... maybe momma Indigo can offer some advice on the matter, she's experienced with this sort of thing, right? Though, is it really a good idea to develop feelings for your boss? This is complicated stuff...

I'll worry about that later. Hal and Lexi pooled their abilities to find a good way out. We took a side tunnel and Claire did this thing where the pulled stars down into her hand and made a web across the tunnel behind us. It was pretty cool. I wonder what other things we'll all be able to do. Maybe I should start researching this stuff?

Anyway, we made our way along, but we knew we had something in the tunnels ahead of us. Turned out to be some trolls trying to annoy us to death with falling rocks, pit traps, and other things. Never did any damage, but boy was it aggravating. Hal snuck forward on the ceiling (yeah, he can fly, BTW) and death from above'd the bastards. Lexi sounded mad, I think she was trying to stop them with her charm-fu but we ran in, weapons swinging. The one I took on tried to run and I put my axe into it's back. It was a damn good throw. :)

I got an Earth channeling stone finger trophy out of it. Kinda ugly, but maybe I can do something with it. A pendant, maybe? Or a bracelet setting? I'll think about it.

Lexi did get to do her charm thing on one troll, who led us down a slightly safer path out... except that it led through a dragon's lair! I was so pumped to fight a dragon, but nobody was down with that idea. It's like something out of fantasy! Fight the dragon, get the girl, save the day! I want that! But then, trouble started.

Ya see, Lexi's divine hotness made that troll fall madly in love with her and wanted her for a wife. Reasoning with it wasn't working. Somehow, it got to figuring out it had been tricked and started to get loud. Hal grabbed it and we began a debate about saving or killing it. I wanted to get rid of the thing. I mean, it's a troll. Sure, it helped us, but that wasn't exactly free will, there. Given the chance, it would try to kill us.

So, I tried to kill it. Lexi wasn't happy with that and stunned me with her beauty. I was kinda mad at her for doing that, but she wanted to deal with it herself. So, she gave this big speech to send the creature on its way.

I need to pull the group aside and have a talk about what to do with prisoners, in the future, so this doesn't come up again. I think all that noise woke up the dragon.

Next Time: Part 3, Meddling in the Affairs of Dragons

Adventures Under the Mountain

Strap yourselves in, because this is going to be a long one.

So, I hadn't been at MIST very long before I got grouped up with a bunch of other Scions (apparently that's what people like us are called) and sent on a mission. Heck, we didn't even have time to get acquainted! The MIST Director (who is a hot blond, herself, I might add) sent us to Whittier, Alaska to find out why the MIST crews stopped reporting. Apparently another team had gone in and went missing, too.

Now, naturally, being from Florida, I prepared for cold weather. Well, what no one told me is that Alaska is still warm this time of year! The gang got some good laughs out of it. >.<

So, we took a ferry out of MIST (It exist in a sort of "space between spaces" sort of way. Don't think about it too hard.) and landed us on a ferry south of Whittier. I also got to meet Hal's buddies then, too. They looked like a bunch of military vets. though not in the grizzled old soldier, sort of way. More like, still young, but have seen some shit.

We rented some 4 seater trucks and drove the rest of the way. When we got there, the city wasn't exactly brimming with people. I think someone said the population is only a little over a hundred. So there was this big abandoned building where we started our investigation.

It was kinda creepy in there, but we didn't have time to think about that. Our noisy entry (Hal's buddies breached the door SWAT style) attracted a bunch of misshapen goons down on us. I got roughed up a bit, but we took them down, easy enough.

A little bit more searching of the building had us find a room that I really didn't want to go inside. I mean, when you see a hardened military guy vomit from what he sees, you get second thoughts. I was filled in later that the place was a charnel house of human bodies stacked like meat for the cooking.

Hal told me he spoke with a ghost of one of the missing MIST agents... guh, it's making me sick to think about this part. This guy, Ives, was forcing the captives to... ugh... EAT each other. I'm told that cannibalism in these parts is what makes people become creatures called Wendigos.

We were ready to leave, but Andrew had some owls do some scouting for us and reported to him about the mining camps. Apparently the other agents of the Titans (ancient big-bad-evil-guys) had enthralled the workers and were making them dig into the mountain, instead of rebuild the city. I was ready to go kick some ass, but Andrew stopped us. I don't know what he did, but he found out Ives was still in the building.

So, we went down to the lower floor and were confronted with this long hallway. Perfect for an ambush. I decided to play the bait and called out Ives for a fight. I... wasn't expecting a giant Wendigo to come bursting out of the wall. All I remember is a lot of pain and blacking out.

I woke up outside. The team had killed Ives (the Wendigo) and called in medical support for me and Lexi. She got punched around pretty bad. Oddly, that's where Claire and me began to bond. She had helped treat my wounds in the building and was still harping on me for getting nearly killed. I made a few lewd jokes about her having her fingers inside me. She seemed to enjoy that humor.

So, the Director showed up with a woman named Idun (there are so many hotties working for MIST, it's crazy!) who gave me this pink stuff to drink. Healed me right up. I still felt like I'd been at a club all night, but it was pretty cool. I wonder if we can get some of that for the next mission?

The director told us Ives wasn't really dead and he'd come back if we didn't... boil his heart and drink it. At least a wendigo's heart is a block of ice. Still we all took a drink and my GOD. It was like... liquid nitrogen, going down! I felt a lot faster and overall stronger, afterward, though.

Andrew had learned other things about what was going on. I... only half listened... ehehe... something about an alliance between this Frost Giant leader, Utgard-Loki and someone called Ang... angry... (*searches again*) Angrboda. Okay, I'm not up on Norse myth, just greek, don't kill me.

We were making plans when a bunch of explosions went off and caused a landslide to come down at us. We fled to the cars and bolted for the edge of town. One got clear, the one I was in got half buried, bet we were okay. The third... well... that had most of Hal's friends inside and it got crushed. He took it pretty hard, understandably. Though, he said something about them being in Valhalla and that they could be brought back. I do know that much about Norse myth that those guys must have been the Glorious Dead. Huh.

So, we dug out the truck and met back up with the others. We didn't have a lot of options so we had to hoof-it back into Whittier and up the mountain. We knew about the different dig sites, we just had to find the right one. I did this thing, by looking at the moon and brushing it off and I could see the surrounding area (Don't ask me how I knew I could do that... I just did. Being a Scion is weird). I found the camp, and while we debated about what to do, I found another one nearby. We decided to steal some cars and rig them with explosives.

Then the fun part came! We drove those cars right into their camp and blew up some stuff! It was awesome. We kicked some giant ass for a bit, but then... I happen to notice the fire spreading to an ammo crate. I yelled for everyone to get clear, I even tried to knock a giant onto the crate... didn't work. I blacked out again. I remember a boom, and pain.

I wasn't out long (thank god), and woke up fully healed... in the middle of a big fire! So, yeah..  my clothes got burned away. I didn't notice until Lexi called attention to it. Hal lost his clothes (Nope, I'm not telling you what I got to see) and Claire was reduced to her kevlar vest and daisy dukes (rowr!). A lot of eyeballing occurred.

Once we stopped ogling each other (okay, I did most of the ogling) we went into the mine. Oh, I forgot to mention, this is when we thought Andrew was dead, because we couldn't find him. We found our way into this big feasting hall meant for giants and the gate we were looking for. As well as a couple other giants and this guy with white hair and black skin.

That was Rigvar, the guy in charge. Well, in the blink of an eye, Claire shot him and Hal nearly punched his head off. In fact, he tore it off after. Andrew had managed to steal a MIST uniform and sneak in, so while we were dealing with Rigvar, he was trying to seal the gate.

The two giant guards were scared and made for the exit, only to run into the spears of a team of valkyries and the Director (she's earning a lot of Cool Points). I rushed to help Andrew with the Gate. We had to pry these crystals out that were made from Utgard-Loki's essence, or something. I pried out one, Andrew another, and Hall the third.

Before we did that, Ugard-Loki himself appeared in the gate, not happy with us. He even called Andrew by name! I've never been so cold in my life! We closed the gate and kept big bad from coming through. Thankfully, the Director had some spare uniforms she could give us, though, by that point, the only think keeping me "decent" was the silver second-skin I had.

We had a moment to take a breather, and... things happened. Kenny and Hal got to talking and were sharing a flask. I could tell they were checking each other out. While Claire and I... we got a bit naughty. We egged each other into a date and she made a "pics or it didn't happen" about my earlier nudity. I answered by doing a little strip... which she took photos of on her phone. I guess I got caught in the moment? It's a bit weird to look back on and talk about it. Oh well, Claire is too much fun. ^^

Wow, this was long and I'm not done yet. Time for a new entry!

Next Time: Part 2, Getting Trolled by Trolls

The Rest of the Band

Time to give you my thoughts about the people I'm kicking ass and taking names with! Since we're called a "band" I'm going to include some joke positions. :D

Lexi Archer - Lexi is GORGEOUS! Like, you have no idea. Supermodels? Celebrities? They've got NOTHING on her. Her mom is Aphrodite and it SHOWS. She's really shy and stuff, she tends to hide when the rest of us start fighting. I can tell it frustrates her (if the time she blinded me is any indicator), but I just don't see how you can trust anything a titanspawn says or does. Still, if she gets over her shyness, I think she could really be something.
Position: Sax (She's amazingly good with this. Apparently she can learn things by playing it.)

Hal North - The guy is BIG. Like, linebacker big. He says it's because of the yotunboot.... *does a google search* sorry, jotunblood (Giant's Blood?). I told Claire he could make some strong kids, and if he wasn't getting close with Kenny, I'd consider him if I ever wanted kids. Anyway, he hasn't told me much about where he comes from, but we regularly compete against each other in the gym. He's been super serious about kicking the crap out of anyone who hurts his friends. Just a big softy, really.
Position: Drummer, he likes to hit things... with his fist... in the face.

Claire McKenzie - You ever read about those firey red-heads who can look amazing while kicking your ass? Yeah, we've got two of those and Claire is one of them. Her divine father is Man...Mannannannan.... (*searches*) Manannan Mac Lir (There's a mouthful!). She's so much fun! I don't think she liked me much, at first, 'cause I like to charge in, while she's the sneaky-sneaky type. That's changed now. See, she and I have this thing were we egg each other on with lewd comments and verbal barbs... that ended up in us scheduling a date, when we got out of the mountain (more on that later).
Position: Synth Boards (She's always on her laptop and seems to have a knack for tech. I think she could manage that.)

Kennedy Nic Branagain - The other hot, redheaded irish girl on the team. Where Claire is fire in brimstone, Kenny is cold as ice. Calm, collected, and a hell of a shot. Her mother is someone called The Morrigan. Kenny hasn't told me much about herself, either, but then, she's not really talkative... accept with Hal. She must like 'em big. (hehehe) She does have the CUTEST little wolf following her around, though. She wears this military looking stuff so maybe that's what she did.
Position: Erm... Bass? I donno. O.O

Andrew Zehuti - You ever see that guy on the news who's always digging up stuff? Yeah, that guy. Yes, he's a child of a God, too. Thoth, to be exact. Andrew I probably understand the least. He's really smart and seems to pick up on a lot of things we missed. Heck, he managed to infiltrate the mountain while the rest of us thought he was dead! He's a pretty stand-up guy, though. Good to have around.
Position: Songwriter?

Me: LEAD GUITAR!

Next Time: Under the Mountain

First Entry

So, after I got back to my apartment at MIST I called up my mom and told her all about my grand adventures under a mountain. She insisted I start a journal blog like others in my "Band" as she called it. Could we be a band? Lexi is amazing with her saxophone. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

I think the best way to start this is by talking about myself. I'm Cindy Fisher, I was raised in South Florida by two wonderful women who were my adopted parents. I was always very sporty in school, but I loved to make jewelry and do other arts and crafts stuff, too. All in all, fairly average. Or, so I thought.

Come to find out, I'm the daughter of a Greek God (now all those lessons in fighting and mythology make sense). My father is Poseidon, God of the Sea, which I can totally see now, since my big passion is swimming, diving and jet skiing. Apparently my birth mother was killed by a creature called a titanspawn and he took me to my foster mothers to have them raise me.

The one who taught me all I know about fighting and athletics was Kyria Greico. I thought she was just an ex-body builder with Italian heritage. Turns out she's an Amazon. A real, honest-to-God Amazon. When I found out what I was she gave me this awesome axe that had been in her family for generations!

My other mother, Indigo, was actually a sea nymph! She was the one who helped nurture my artistic side. I love to paint and I'm damn good at making jewelry, if I do say so myself. I should see if anyone else in the gang wants me to make something for them.

So, long story short, this girl, Ellen, shows up at our door to recruit me for something called MIST. Turns out her mother is Artemis, by the way (She had the coolest silver moon pendant to give me, too!). Apparently MIST is some sort of supernatural FBI/CIA thingy. I also found out that it's sponsored by the other pantheons (there are OTHER pantheons! OMG!). It sounded really awesome and my mothers told me it would be the best for me, so I accepted.

I've got other things to talk about; my team and the adventure we had, so I'll break those up into other entries. Stay tuned!

Next Time: Thoughts on the Band