Tuesday, September 20, 2011

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.

Friday, September 16, 2011

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.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

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?

Monday, September 5, 2011

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---

Sunday, September 4, 2011

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.

Friday, September 2, 2011

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.