)(( None Can Hide From the Will of the Gods, Part II )( A Log ))(

[Arcadia Caughey]

thor had told arcadia that she could come to asgard at her leisure. and arcadia certainly had means to get there without aid of a god. that was how it came to pass that the child of nature had made her way to the gardens unnoticed by any. for who would notice a wayward wind and think of it as anything more than that when the cycle of the year was moving towards the weather that commonly bore such cold winds. she had been in the garden for a short while now. how long can't be said, but it was long enough that upon the tree that was the energy center of this kingdom there grew the prized apples of the gods once more. from the number that had sprouted, it was obvious that arcadia had channeled an awful lot of energy through her and into this task - as if she did thus so that she didn't have to return 'anytime soon'. convinced she hadn't been spotted or noticed, arcadia was about to shift back to wind form and sneak her way back out of asgard when one of the other plants called to her. it seemed to have suffered a trampling, by an animal or a god it was hard to tell. many of its branches were broken, and part of it was uprooted. it was a cry that arcadia could not ignore, which is why she was sneaking her way over to said plant. today she wore black pants and a dark grey dress over top with rounded collar and slightly puffed sleeves and high waist, and her long black sweatercoat. hair up in two messy buns, it was mostly its usual indigo black but there were some chunky streaks of blonde - more evidence of how much energy she'd channeled to make those apples grow, causing her true appearance to start to leak out.

Silly lady, thinking she can use a tool of the Thunder god in his own kingdom without him noticing something was amiss? of course not. so the Elder god did go walking from his bed chambers. dressed in his comfortable tunic. pants and boots. no helmet, no hammer, and no armor. the god made his way for the gardens, entering their gates carefully. and brows went up seeing Arcadia there. "By Odin's Ravens...Arcadia?"

did he hear the swear uttered under her breath when she was discovered? at least he wouldn't see the grimace, for her back was thankfully turned when his scent reached her nose at the same instant his words had reached her ears. if only this plant hadn't cried out to her, she would have 'escaped' undetected. if only, if only. but this was arcadia. so despite her inner feelings on the appearance of thor, on the outside she was a calm, measured lass as always. a smooth turn to face him, and her voice contained its usual even, melodic quality as she said in the most natural fashion at her disposal, "this plant's injured. i'll have it fixed up proper soon enough." what was unspoken in her words was that once she had the plant fixed up she would be on her merry way. as she spoke to the god, her violet eyes rested on him with the same poise as came with the rest of her. nodding her head to him as she turned back around to face the plant in question she added, "i trust you're well, and that i didn't disturb y' from some other task."

Thor's eyes wandered the gardens as he continued to walk deeper into their midst. Eyeing the great tree, bearing its golden apples once again. A small smile on his lips. "Thank you Arcadia, I do believe the Garden greatly anticipates your care... You interrupted nothing for it is that the Gods too must rest... I trust you are also well..."

her head might not be turned obviously in that direction, but out of the corner of her eye she could see thor looking at the apple-bearing tree. "i hope the number o' fruits suit the aims o' your gods, as requested. donald is a dear companion o' mine, thor. i trust y' know that full well without me havin' t' mention it, so i also trust you'll understand i was less than pleased t' find that he was made messenger o' this Kingdom." it was certainly not an answer about whether or not she was well, but as arcadia knelt in front of the injured plant, fingers reaching up to very gingerly brush her fingertips over the most severely damaged areas, she felt her words the far more pressing matter. "i'll not come here again, if the message be placed in donald's lips t' be delivered."

It was not often you'd see a god surprised so Arcadia better take a mental photo. "I do know. Donald thinks very highly of you Arcadia. and I respect the companionship the two of you share. but believe when i say that I had nothing to do with Donald's reluctant couriorship. for, as you may well know, I stand as a man who is very capable of delivering his own messages should the need arrive for such."

"aye. y' did have nothin' t' do with it." a casual musing, with an underlying implication, perhaps. her time with adrian had allowed her to learn much about the life of a lord, and adrian was one who devoted his time doggedly to making sure that what went on in his province went on with his blessing or knowledge. so for thor to say he had nothing to do with the matter....well, was his king of this kingdom or not? after she spoke those airy words, she bent forward so that each of her palms were pressed flat to the ground. head titled back, so she could look upward at the sky, and the wind around her picked up as she channeled the energies through her, and into the plant. while it would take a few minutes for the plant to return to its full health, that it was improving was something that could be seen immediately. "do y' mean to say that you or asgard have no need for me?" what a loaded question that was. without the benefit of being able to look at her directly to gauge what the effect of possible answers could be.

"Indeed, and my Dear Sister has been made to pay for her brazen behavior…" and then when she asked the question Thor said nothing for a moment. "Asgard will always need those who wish to serve her. you stand as the only since Idunn who has been able to breath life into the golden apples. Such is an amazing feat in the eyes of all who dwell within these walls..."

arcadia said nothing right away. she heard him, there was no doubt of that, but she wished to put her complete focus to her task now that it had begun. as the energy shot into her from above, arcadia pressed her fingertips into the earth, nails scratching into the dirt. she had half a mind to dig deeper, bury her hands entirely. the urge to root herself here was strong, just as strong as it had been the first day she was here. it was a desire she didn't allow herself to indulge in, and instead she tried to sigh it out of her as the plant continued to mend and restore itself to its former splendor thanks to what she gave to it. as the task was near complete, arcadia rubbed her palms greedily against the earth. her violet eyes on said earth, and not him, as she asked her question. "so your theory has changed then. y' no longer believe i am she."

"What I believe is irrelevant...I might believe you are a great many things, but unless you yourself believe such is so... then it simply is not." Thor has thought about that entire subject long and hard. and that was his final outcome. a thought which he felt was a good way to put things.

"bullocks." scoffed by her, in a tone filled with dry disbelief. fingers pressed downward, rolling against the grass and dirt like she was massaging it. the gesture had no healing benefit for the earth, it filled her with both an itch and a satisfaction. she willed herself to cease, however, before she found herself rolling in the dirt and finding and inconspicuous place to plant herself here for indulgence. she stood instead, not bothering to brush her hands off as she turned to face him. instead her arms were crossed over her chest as she set her steely violet eyes upon him. "if i chose t' sharpen and run y' through with a branch, y' could deny that such was not so all y' wished but it would still be so."

"I do not mean it as such... I merely mean to say that I can say until the coming of Ragnarok that I believe you are Idunn and that your rightful place is here, in Asgard... but I cannot force that being upon you... if you do not believe that you are she... then you simply are not..."

arcadia's jaw was tensely set as she weathered that response from him. there was a moment when she questioned if she should be so brazen as to say her next words. she chose to because she felt they were the truth, and needed to be spoken. "then y' are no king. instead a coward, placin' such a decision on the shoulders o' one who obviously doesn't wish t' bear it. bein' instead a bit o' flotsam, allowin' yourself t' have the power o' truth stolen from you by...who?" arcadia uncrossed her arms to gesture downward, as if to doubtfully indicate herself. "the god o' thunder, the loudest voice o' nature, and yet how y' quieted when i raised m' voice t' you. dropped the subject, soothed the situation like aloe, and for what? your bloody relation t' come naggin' at donald t' made demands o' me anyway that would only further root me to this place. you do have knowledge that no other on this rock does, aye? you are the one who could - if y' weren't so busy tryin' t' tiptoe around those who cast an angry eye at you - give the true answer, aye? and yet y' stand here handin' me logical tommyrot." she probably shouldn't have been so bold. but...once she made the decision to speak what she felt was truth boy did that all come tumbling out.

"A Coward? You have some gall to speak such unfounded things. I sought only to not rob you of the life you have. such is not my place. No, it is not I who stands as coward Arcadia Caughey. it is you, you whom sought many great lengths to disprove what is was I said. ran and hid in denial of what words I thought to be true... You do not wish to carry the burden of serving Asgard. That much is clear... I have spoken. You know what I think to be true... it is your choice Arcadia to decide whether or not you wish to believe it and accept what is before you as one who belongs within it." Thor kept his tone steady. not raising it, stating it all flatly. eyes unwavering from her own

"Do not with t' carry the burden?!" She was incredulous and her tone had broken its calm to wear a hint of bite. "Do I need t' be stuffin' one o' those apples on that tree up your arse for you t' recognize the service I did today as I was bid t' do? While I don't much fancy that she used Donald as her courier, at least your sister doesn't seem t' have your issue with makin' one's will known. Do y' have the faintest idea of where I was raised, and the method o' me rearin'? I know little o' your pantheon, the duties they must perform, and their daily obligations on this rock and down below. So if you be wishin' me to carry any part of 'the burden', you'll need t' be doin' more than just crossin' your fingers and wishin' real hard for it. you'll need to school me on what this is all about, and you'll need t' be speakin' more than just 'i think' when it comes who I might be. because to me 'i think' carries with it the followin' finish: i might be wrong. And as y' didn't give me proof t' sway the breeze in either direction, I think I was quite justified in seekin' out others to either prove or disprove what you vaguely said. I am quite obviously turnin' t' you for answers, and all you've done thus far is hold a metaphoric lookin' glass t' my face with the attitude of 'figure it out yourself'. Well m' sorry if that's a method o' leadership that I don't fancy because it's a long way off from any who helped t' make me who I am today." She stood tall and held her ground, to be sure. Standing nearly chest to chest with him, she held her chin high so that her violet eyes could sink their intense gaze into his as she spoke every word.

Thor's Jaw was set when she spoke but he listened. and he listened well. speaking carefully when he spoke again after a short nod. "It was my mistake to say such as I did Arcadia. While it is my purpose to ensure this land and those within it are kept safe and happy. I thought not to allow my own curiosity to force servitude upon one whom so serves the world below so greatly. Furthermore, it was Donald's wish that I not ask such of you... There are not many requests I can grant him. But I saw this as one i could attempt to honor... It is True Arcadia, that I believe you to be the goddess Idunn... And though I would not demand service from you... Allow me to answer your questions... will you join me?" Motioning towards the exit of the garden.

[...to be continued...]

[Arcadia Caughey]

When he mentioned Donald, Arcadia's eyes dropped. Her entire demeanor changed in an instant. What had been a brazen challenging spirit in one instant folded inward the next, more akin to her usual reserved demeanor. She even took a step back, and there was something deeply mixed in her somber expression. She remembered how Donald reacted when she told him what Thor had said about her possibly being connected to Asgard, his reaction had nearly cracked her heart she felt so awful for him in that moment. "I don't wish t' cause Donald pain," she said that very quietly, violet gaze on the grass they both stood on. But she did start towards the exit as the thunder god indicated. If he hadn't mentioned Donald, this would have been a very different moment and she would have insisted on staying on territory she felt gave her the advantage.

"Nor do I... Donald is solely responsible for all of us being alive today... such is the reason I allow him to walk the earth as often as he does..." When they walked he kept the pace slow. taking the scenic route back to the throne room. it was a bit of a walk. "You spoke of having questions... would you still like them answered? Know that I've no intention forcing servitude to Asgard upon you in any instance."

Arcadia kept pace with him without even thinking about it. She had a keen gift for following the rhythms of others, whether it be through walking or in other activities. The scenery was not something that held her attention, however. Largely her eyes remained on the ground in front of her, and a large part of Arcadia's focus was inward. Which is why Thor's question would linger in quiet for a stretch of time, before she woke from her thoughts. "Aye. Aye, I would." A pause. "Thank you." Awkwardly spoken. Because that's exactly how she felt. She didn't know exactly what to feel or what was appropriate to feel in this moment. It was definitely unchartered territory for her.

"I will answer any to the best of my ability... what would you like to know about this land?" The scenery was nothing more to him either, he lived here afterall and this was more for her benefit then it was for his own. some people didn't like to talk while standing still and perhaps she was one of those people.

"I...." His question had stumped Arcadia, which was rare. "...don't know." She felt so foolish as she admitted that, folding her arms rather tightly across her chest. "It wasn't me habit to wander among more populated areas until a few years back, but once I did it was quite obvious t' me that the rest o' the folk walkin' about had a rather different upbringin' than I did. I was raised up t' serve what the Elders o' my homeland called the greater good, because o' the specific familial line I was born to..." It was one step further than that, even, but she didn't think that was important at the moment. "Did...I suppose I don't understand how you and your folk...happen. Were y' born, as I was born? And if y' were born as the rest o' your people are, how is it that you're all trapped in human vessels? Is that t' your advantage somehow, or a punishment o' some sort....and even regardless o' that, I was born o' me Mum and Da as any mortal child is, and yet you're sayin' that m' one of your stock..."

Thor offered a nod at her questions and thought for a moment about his response. "We are indeed born as most living creatures... Though i will say that your upbringing is not dissimilar to that of those raised in Asgard... Those who are born are raised in a manner to be taught their place among the community. As that is simply who we are. it's part of our being.... We where not always trapped as such... In the beginning it was only I who was bound to a human's spirit... recently, the events of Regnarok have trapped the others as such..."

"It's part o' my bein' too." Murmured quietly. But when she realized that may have been too vague a comment, her eyes shot up and she clarified hurredly, "the legacy o' me family, I meant. Not..." she waved her hand around, to indicate Asgard. But then she felt guilty for making that distinction, as if she'd just spoke an untruth. There was something she should mention to him, she knew that, but she just couldn't bring herself to yet. Instead, another question. "A punishment then, Ragnarok? Is there no way o' freein' you from your - " She stopped in her tracks then. Because she remembered what Donald had told her what he feared/believed. That if Thor didn't need him as a vessel anymore, he would cease to be. She couldn't bring herself to finish the question.

"Ragnarok, is nary a punishment. it is the end of days, a great war between Asgard and the vanir, the dark, evil residents of the nine realms... It brings the end in order to bring about a rebirth... It is a cycle that has... did repeat itself since the beginning of time... though no longer. with the final death of the Allfather, the cycle has been broken. No longer will the cycle repeat itself...we are in essence, free."

"Free but trapped in mortal hosts." She couldn't help it. The words flew off her lips because the irony was so great. "Are y' glad for it? That the cycle is broken despite the cost?" The cost of his father, she meant. She had lost her father too, after all, in the name of the cause. Not only that, but she and Archer had the power to break the cycle of one of the larger burdens of the legacy. Thus far, they chose to continue carrying the burden. In a way, she wanted to see what Thor said regarding his matter to see if she and her brother were making the correct choice.

"indeed, though we are only trapped until freed. as per the cost of such freedom. My heart does indeed grieve for the loss of my father. But his death, though terrible has brought forth to our kind an ability to live without fear of death... And allows us to continue on, to serve as we where meant to ... I suppose you could say I am glad for it yes..."

"D' you have means t' talk to your Da?" Arcadia was finding so many similarities existed between her upbringing and the ways of her homeland and Thor and his, she figured it was a possibility. "Sometimes that makes his loss harder t' bear, that there are means of callin' me father t' me. Because it takes a great deal o' energy, and cannot be done too often. It's like danglin' a promise in front o' someone's eyes and then wiskin' it away on the wind." Why was she speaking about her feelings about her father and his death? Arcadia clammed up rather quickly, even pursing her lips together momentarily to ensure nothing else spilled out.

"There are ways yes... Though, I often attempt to avoid such. as I seek not to interrupt the fate bestowed upon him. There are ways that we might offer to assist you should you desire to speak to your father more often then you are able. parentage is greatly venerated in Asgard..." truth, part of the reason his last name was Odinson. such was rather common in Asgard, well among the males really.

"Aye." It was said just so he knew that she'd heard his offer. It was something to think about. But she was already hitting a roadblock. "Y' have t' understand....I was givin' a very strict upbrinin' and there are a great number o' rules that are t' be followed t' the letter in the name o' servin' the cause and preventin' oneself t' bein' swayed by selfish desires..." It was her way of saying that accepting the help of Asgard in order to speak with her father would go against how she was raised to serve. "The ancestral line is the foundation of our power and duty." She added that, in response to how parentage was venerated in Asgard. "It seems we have more in common between us that I could ever have imagined, though the place and time o' our birth differs greatly." A pause, and then she added, "You and your gods....are eternal, aye?" Eternal sounded like a more polite word than immortal.

"We are... Thanks in part to the Apples of the Golden Tree of Idunn. they assist in sustaining us. it is as the Olympians and their ambrosia... I understand Arcadia the strictness of your upbringing, My Father was himself a rather firm parent... All things came with a task, which brought a lesson learned from such... " He looked over at her as they walked." You also stand as eternal do you not?"

"M' parents were killed when I was six-years-old. The Elders raised me up. Their strictness came with no paternal affection t' balance the harshness and high level of expectations out." That was simply fact, and it was told to Thor with the utmost of calm and poise, as was Arcadia's way. When he asked that question of her, Arcadia nearly grimaced, but she kept the act in check. How ironic, that he should ask that when she had been trying to push herself to confess what happened to be the answer to that very question. "After the accident...I had reason t' suspect as much. It was more than the fact I stopped agin'. I no longer caught ill, no matter how many sick patients I treated or how harsh the elements were. And then, one day, I was attacked by vagabonds who were seeking to rob me, and did though m' sure they were not pleased with the spoils as I was raised t' scorn money and materialistic ways. They left me with injuries that surely should have killed me, but death did not come. Healing did, without me callin' down the energies or speakin' a single word. Somethin' within that I did not bid simply took over, and mended me up as if I had never been attacked in the first place. This was long before the vampire who attacked me gave me his blood, so it was not because of that race's regenerative capability. In fact...." here is where she hesitated. And had to push herself to speak her next words. "Despite the blood, I can call on that force within to take command back o' me body and....it snuffs out the demon blood for a time. This is somethin' that should not be possible." And yet, it was. For her.

"Interesting..." Thor said with a musing nod. it was true that he healed much faster then any other living thing, of course that was provided that something could actually succeed in harming him. which was nearly just as hard. but, it was interesting for him to hear that of her history. "I am sorry to hear of your loss... as well as the treatment offered to you as a child..." He said nothing more about her ability to heal. he didn't want her upset or to feel at all pressured to serve.

"For somethin' that's interestin' ye certainly had precious little to say about it." Quintessential Arcadia, calling a spade a spade. With a sly purse of her lips, Arcadia turned for the first time to cast her violet eyes up at Thor. Her brow arched slightly, she clearly had an expectant look about her. After a beat, she beckoned him to be silent a moment longer by holding up one finger, and she shared the following anecdote rather dryly. "Though I was a wee lass, I'll never forget a certain sayin' o' me Da's," partially because he said it to her to this day. "He said that if one came across a giant pile o' waste and tried t' defy it by settin' the dinner table over it and pluggin' up all nostrils with lavendar that even if one couldn't see the shit and couldn't smell the shit, this didn't negate the fact that the shit still existed." Perhaps Thor would catch her meaning.

Thor couldnt help but crack a smile at that. stopping in his walking and turning to face her." Your father sounded like he was a great and wise man, far beyond his years... As I said I will not force servitude to Asgard upon you, but that does not change the fact that I believe beyond any thought of doubt that you carry within you the essence of Goddess Idunn... there has shown to be insurmountable evidence to show this."

[. . .to be continued. . .]

[Arcadia Caughey]

He stopped walking and so did she. "He is." Her father. What Thor said was a statement she could certainly agree with. "I want you t' explain this t' me. The insurmountable evidence y' see, surely that extends beyond apples and the growth I encourage in this land, aye? And....carryin' the essence o' this goddess within me, what does...what does that mean for me? Is she goin' t' take me over, take control o' me body and mind? Is she goin' to .... am I goin' t' disappear?" She wasn't sure if she wanted to ask that last question, but...it was a fear of Donald's so surely it wasn't far off for her to fear the same.

" I don't know... Never have we seen what has happened to you... I don't know how it is the relationship you carry with the Goddess... or if it is that you yourself are the goddess, and growing as you have. simply grew into who you are with her... I have thought long upon it, and that is the best thought i have come up with... that Idunn had become awakened, but without the guidance offered by other Asgardians. you simply grew to live life as you always have... Truth Arcadia, I believe that where Idunn to assert herself within you, it would have already happened."

Arcadia was giving the man a look like he had eighteen heads and each of them were yodeling a different tune. "So you're sayin' that I....just....am? That since the accident I've been..." Arcadia's hands were now holding either side of her head. As if she was afraid her brain was about to leak out or her head explode from trying to wrap herself around this concept. "But I look nothin' like..." She couldn't finish that sentence. Knowing full well her appearance had changed after the accident. "But I...but all I do differently is serve the greater good by followin' Nature's...will. Ohhhhh, bullocks. The lot o' you here also serve the greater good." She spoke that in a flat-toned realization. "The same ideals...so many similarities, there was precious little in me t' be changed." She looked a bit paler than normal. White-faced, more like a ghost than a vampire. If she weren't a vampire, the shock would surely have manifested in getting sick all over the nice walkway. As it was she just slid her hands down her face to hold each of her cheeks, and she looked a bit dazed.

when one stands as a goddess, keeper of Gardens and bringer of life to the plants of Asgard, one must naturally extend that reach to what is around them Arcadia... " he reached forth to place a hand on her shoulder. offering a reassuring squeeze. "you are who you've grown to be through your experiences in life... There is nothing Arcadia, not even Asgard or anything within its walls that can take that from you."

She looked rather uncertain. Not specifically about what he said to her, that she doubted the validity, but she didn't know what to say or do. This was uncharted territory for Arcadia, and when it came to such territory in social situations she was quite lost and it usually showed. "I...suppose so...." she agreed slowly. Unsure of where to put her gaze. On his face, the ground...the hand on his shoulder...now the color was starting to come back, specifically in her cheeks as they flushed with her sheepish embarrassment. "I......" she trailed off. "So......" Again. A swallow, and she cleared her throat, and she drew herself up tall and tried to get a hold of herself. "So what exactly happens next, then?" It was a very rare moment - Arcadia was having trouble meeting Thor's gaze when she asked her question.

Thor motioned to the empty dwelling they where standing in front of. "What happens next is up to you... that is Idunn's dwelling... as it stood when Asgard fell... Perhaps it is you might take a few moments before returning home. in order to get to know her... I think you'll find you two share a great deal in common.... following that...you stand as a woman with her own free will... you are free to do as you like." did he stop their walk here on purpose? who could tell when you hung out with gods.

Thank goodness Arcadia had the sense not to let her eyes bug right out of her head, or else it surely would have happened. Her head snapped to stare at where he indicated, before she looked back at him with a slight narrow to her eyes. "That...ah." Words once more escaped her. It was one thing to be told that she was someone she didn't realize - considering she'd had to deal two fractures to her personality it was a rather simple thing to swallow. But to be shown the dwelling of someone who wasn't her before but was somehow her now in this life...it was a cross between a gravestone and a museum, this dwelling. "Here, with....so close t' other folk?" That was certainly something she and Idunn did not share in common. Arcadia had a nasty little habit of finding hidden places to make her true dwelling that were tucked away from the rest of whatever community she was part of at the time. She moved with care, as if she was afraid that stepping inside the actual dwelling would be the release of something inside of her that could never be undone. She toed the line of the doorway, gazing in to see what commonalties Thor spoke of were inside.

the inside was not unlike how Arcadia decorated things, lots of plants. though there where other things too, Idunn seemed to have no problem occupying herself with other hobbies. "We are Asgardians Arcadia, you will find our brothers and sisters are a rather close knit community... I believe you will find your continued presence here a very uplifting experience for you..." The room wasn't at all unattractive. there was a large extravagant harp in a single corner as well as what looked like an easy chair next to a book shelf. which itself was full of books. ivy covered the walls, holding up magically luminescent lights the bed itself was rather plain, broken in, but well loved and looked rather comfortable.

"I've never done well with close knit." Said quietly as she glanced over her shoulder at Thor, before she turned to face the room once more. It wasn't just the death of her parents, it was the rules of the Elders that kept Arcadia at a distance from others. When the accident happened, the confusion and shame she felt over it just made that gulf wider and wider. Slowly, she inched forward into the room. Though nothing catastrophic happened when she entered it, she didn't seem to relax. The harp was an exquisite instrument, but Arcadia had no schooling in music and paid it no mind. True to her nature she moved towards the plants. The ivy, in particular. Stepping up close to it, she ran her fingers over the leaves. They livened up immediately, fluttering at her touch. She said something to the ivy softly, leaning it and nuzzling it with her cheek. The ivy met her halfway, the vine pulling forward to return the nuzzle.

"You're not required to dwell within Asgard's walls, of course you are free to should you desire such... Perhaps with time you will grow to change your stance on 'close knit.'... " a nod, watching her get to know the plants. "I am going to return to my chambers... Be Well Sister... Asgard would surely throw a feast in your honor, in order to welcome you home..."

Thank god for that. Arcadia would have spun into a panicked protest if Thor said she was required to, because this was obviously a great distance from where she chose to dwell, with Adrian. "It's not a stance, it's simply how I was raised." Also softly spoken as she drew away from the ivy, realizing that her behavior was perhaps a bit 'intimate' to be seen by him. What must he think of her, watching her nuzzle plants like that? She extended her hand to continue giving the vines affection. When he called her Sister, that's what made her entirely pause. She turned around to face him, her expression a complicated mixture. Finally she recovered herself, smoothing that look out to one of those infamous wry little purses of her lips. "That's certainly somethin' you've been wishin' to say for months, aye?" A slight lift of her brow. Sister. She remembered their first conversation where he'd probed her lineage and circumstances. "It's right kind o' Asgard, but...m' not very good at bein' the center o' attention. Not t' mention I'm don't have a very good banquet appetite, y' might remember..."

He tried not to smile. it was true, he was looking forward to being able to say that for a while now. and not have her flip out upon him again about it."Indeed, perhaps that is so, but one could never know for certain..." good way to not seem at all too eager. of course to her last thing. "I understand that Arcadia, but as you know, our Chef has ability to create a menu tailored specifically to your tastes... I also understand that you may not enjoy being the center of attention, but It would do amazing for morale, if you at the very least attended for a small while."

"Y' could know for certain. Y' don't seem t' me a man plagued by vagary or uncertainty..." Arcadia was officially yanking Thor's chain, in her understated, stoic way. She did deadpan humor rather well - so well that much of the time it went over people's heads, too subtle and dry. "M' not feedin' on anythin' in front o' a banquet hall full o' people." That was very firmly stated by her, utterly resolute. Of course she'd confessed to him earlier that she could draw on what was within when needed to stifle the vampire in her and on those occasions she could face the day and dine just fine....but why would she remind him of that when she was trying to get out of having a large occasion in her favor? She made a face, and looked like she was fighting a childish pout. "A small occasion," she reluctantly agreed. "That's in conjunction with the Solstice. The holly and evergreens can be gathered and properly adorned...." If she could make it about the holiday instead of her in some way, it would give her ease. She was such a social mess.

"What is it donald says about old dogs and their tricks?" shoulders rolled in a shrug. before he went on. "I'll not require you to, I am only saying that it is an option. and I believe that may be manageable... I shall see to it that enough is gathered. The children have been desiring a task they are able to perform..." And thor smiled again." I am off now Arcadia ... welcome home." a respectful bow offered to her before taking a start back to his room."

There were children? She wondered if her surprise was foolish. Thor had said himself that that he was a boy once, born just as any other. Perhaps it was the notion that new gods were still born that baffled her. The Powers that her homeland deferred to were in place through the Ages, as far as she knew, and had not changed or birthed new Powers. "Gods give y' good evenin'." Lucky for her Thor had already exited by the time she grimaced, realizing what a nincompoop thing that was to say to a good. "Idiot," she muttered to herself, with a briefly scolding countenance though she had not a looking glass in front of her to see her own expression. Speaking of looking glasses, as Arcadia stood alone in the abandoned room of this goddess, she wondered if she would be brave enough to place one of her portals here. That was a decision for another day, however. For today, she would simply remain long enough to tend to the plants and ivy.

[ end of log! ]

[Sponsored content]