closed to starters;

[inlaid]

who: bryn zethir, taako taaco, loki, thor odinson, kára styrdóttir
what: bryn returns to riverview
when: this week
where: taako's house, bryn and thor's house
warnings: will updated as needed

[ooc: see below for starters ♥]

Comments

taako;

[inlaid]

[Bryn could perhaps be excused for not heading straight home. It's not that she doesn't want to see Thor again, because she does, it's just that she knows once she sees him it will probably be a while before she has a chance to check up on her other friends. So, the first moment she gets a chance to hit the road she heads straight to Taako's home.

She probably doesn't look terribly different from when he last saw her. Still short, still dark-haired, and still subtly armed even for a walk through the city. It's been eight months for her since she left, compared to Riverview's three. If she's aged any more in that time it doesn't show. There's just a sort of weariness and sense of relief that hovers around her as she drops her dufflebag to the ground and knocks on the front door.

It had been her fear once she left that she'd never make it back. Each week she spent back home in Askoupur had been one filled with tension and worry that perhaps years would pass before she would pass through the portal again. It's hard to think of words to describe how she feels now, standing on Taako's doorstep knowing that the life she'd thought she'd had to abandon is there to recapture once more. And when the door opens, Bryn's face splits with a wide smile.]

Hey, it's ya girl.

[spellslots]

[The wards around Taako's house are complicated, a mess of his own, Lup's, Lucretia's, and he wouldn't be surprised if Loki had tossed something up at some point, but they don't change very often. He makes exceptions as they're needed and rarely revokes access, so Bryn doesn't have any trouble getting inside. The minor trouble is that on Taako's end, the little ping he gets feels familiar, except that can't be right.

He's maybe a bit apprehensive as he opens the door, but it fades away instantly, replaced with a grin.]

What the fuck.

[It's not really a question, since he's too busy pulling her into a hug for her to answer.

Taako's not a hugger, but he's missed Bryn.]

[inlaid]

[It's weird and horribly cliche, but she hadn't realized just how much she'd missed Taako until she saw him standing in the doorway. Just like that, her heart swelled and somehow her wide smile stretched wider at his response.

If she had an answer for him, it's muffled against his shoulder as he pulls her into a hug and Bryn returns it with a tight squeeze. Deities, it feels good to see him again, and just for good measure she gives him another squeeze before pulling back.]

Careful, if I didn't know any better I'd say you were happy to see me again.

[spellslots]

[As soon as Bryn pulls back from the hug, Taako gently frames her face in his hands, almost like he's studying her, looking for the subtle differences that might clue him in to how long she's been gone.]

If you tell anyone they won't believe it.

[There's no real reason to continue his masquerade about not giving a shit, but it's habit at this point.]

You coming in or is this a drive-by before you go bone your boyfriend?

[He knows her.]

[inlaid]

[Bryn responds with a soft snort and lets the elf cup her face and study it to his heart's content. Aside from looking a little less vibrant than before, and perhaps a little thinner, she seems about the same. Maybe closer to how she was when they first met than when she left.]

I'm coming in before going to bone my boyfriend.

[It's a drive-by, but that doesn't mean they can't go inside for a little bit and go through the basics in some semblance of comfort.]

Seemed smarter to come visit you for a bit before disappearing for a day or three instead of doing the reverse, unless you don't have time right now?

[spellslots]

[Taako presses a kiss to Bryn's forehead before releasing her and stepping back to usher her inside. It's nice that she's staying for a little bit, because the fact she's back is a whole lot of emotions to deal with and he'd like to have a few moments for that.]

I've always got time for you, bubbale. You want tea, coffee, something a little stronger?

[She seems more tired than he remembers, but he knows that what she went back to wasn't easy.]

[inlaid]

[For the last four months, Bryn's mother kissed her forehead every morning before Bryn left for debriefings with the Council and various members of the Twelve. Each morning doing so because it might be the day that Bryn would end up back in Riverview. There was just no knowing. Being greeted with a kiss to the forehead made her feel like she'd come full circle. A good bye and a greeting. The end of one chapter of her life and the start of another.]

Let's start with tea with a splash of something stronger in it.

[She heads inside at Taako's prompting and heads for the soft couch where she's used to flopping whenever she comes over.]

Do you want to start with me or you?

loki;

[inlaid]

[Bryn would have liked to spend the day with Taako to catch up and settle back into their friendship. A few drinks, some crappy movie or a night out on the town sounded fabulous. Still, she knew that there was time enough for that later, and as anxious as she'd been to see Taako, she was equally anxious to see Thor. Her initial focus upon return to Teru had been getting back across the border to Askoupur to save her father. The memory cannister had shown her what would happen if she remained absent, if she wasn't there to prevent his untimely death. However, once all had been resolved, her thoughts drifted back frequently to Riverview and the Asgardian she'd left behind.

While her thoughts had not always been with him upon her return to Askoupur, her heart had never left. For eight long months she'd missed him and hoped desperately that each day would be the one when she found herself back in the quarantine and standing on the front doorstep to the house they'd picked together. As she does now.

She knows that the house is still keyed to open to her, even though she's been gone for months. That sort of magic doesn't fade, and Thor would have no reason to revoke her access. Still, she doesn't know what might have changed in the last few months for him. She doesn't know if anything changed at all, but having been the one to leave...it seems better to stand there and knock instead, and hope that he'll be glad to see her once more.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ Since Thor fell sick, Loki has kept a close eye. And when he collapsed, Loki immediately spirited him away to his house and stayed there. He hasn't let any of Thor's friends visit. He doesn't want them here and he suspects they were the reason Thor fell sick to begin with. When the wards tingle, Loki rises to his feet, sharp and taunt before he notices who it is. ]

Bryn?

[inlaid]

[Loki isn't the person she expects to see opening the door, but she's not surprised in the least. Why wouldn't Loki be visiting the house? She greets the much taller Asgardian with a wide smile.]

In the flesh. I made it back just today...it's good to see you.

[And it really is. Perhaps she and Loki are not particularly close but she considers him a friend, not just Thor's brother, and he's sort of trolled her before which more or less counts as a form of affection, doesn't it?]

You're doing well, I hope?

[dothelokimotion]

I am fine. Your timing is . . . [ Loki trails off, glancing at Thor. ]

It could be better.

[ He straightens himself, adjusting his clothes, making himself look more presentable. ]

[inlaid]

[Well now, isn't this...odd. Alarming.

Bryn glances down to the large bag at her feet, wondering if she'll need to drag it back to Taako's after all. Somewhat stiffer, smile not quite so bright anymore, she looks Loki in the eyes, searching for some sign of what the problem is.]

My timing would have been better if I hadn't had to leave at all. Would he not want to see me?

[Should she go?]

[dothelokimotion]

[ He blinks before realizing what conclusion she reached. ]

Ah, no. I'm most certain he'd be most pleased to see you again. But there seems to be an epidemic occurring in the city. Thor is currently unconscious due to it.

thor;

[inlaid]

[This wasn't how she pictured her reunion with Thor.

It's been two days since she showed up on the doorstop and rather than spending them rolling around with him in bed, she's been sitting next to it instead, keeping an eye on him while he lies there comatose. Truthfully she hadn't expected that Thor would be susceptible to illness, not like this, but from what she's gathered on the network it isn't strictly biological in nature so much as technological and magical. Lacking expertise in any of these areas, Bryn has been forced to simply sit by and hope that he recovers on his own somehow.

It had been frustrating to learn that even upon regaining her powers in Teru, what healing gifts she had did nothing for Thor. At best, what water spells she'd learned made it easier to keep him clean rather than force her to try and lift him and roll him around for a sponge bath, but it seemed a paltry silver lining. What good was the magic she had if it couldn't heal the man she loved?

During her second afternoon on sickbed watch, Bryn wakes up from a nap beside him and yawns. As expected, Thor doesn't look any different from when she dozed off, but with a wrinkle of her nose she reaches out and pokes his cheek.]

You know, this is ruining what I'd expected to be a dramatic and romantic reunion, Thor Odinson.

[worldsaway]

[Thor hadn't expected to be susceptible to illness, either. As such, he made no attempts to protect himself and suffered for it. By the time he realised he was falling ill, he was too far gone to do anything about it.

He doesn't remember much beyond the morning, he remembers feeling feverish and a few blurry faces looking panicked. After that, he can't recall anything. He wakes with a start when Bryn pokes him, the customary loud yell escapes his lips and he looks wild eyed around his room.

He has no idea how he got here, let alone how long he's been here. When he hears Bryn speak, twists around quickly to look at her with the same disorientated expression on his face. His brows furrow, trying to process the concept of her being here on top of everything else is proving difficult.

Thor lets out an exasperated grunt, twisting back to lie flat on his back so he can stare up at the ceiling.]

I'm ruining it by hallucinating.

[inlaid]

[Bryn half-jumps back when Thor wakes with a yell. He's a large man and those sudden movements have her startled after the last few days of peaceful slumbering. She looks at Thor wide-eyed, shocked, and watches him move and twist around and stare at her as if he isn't...really seeing her.

Can't comprehend her being there.

And then he flops back onto the bed and calls her a hallucination and Bryn barks out a laugh. The temptation to screw with him is there, never one to at least not consider taking advantage of a situation like this, but she's too happy to see him awake and moving to be too cruel.]

If Loki were here right now I suppose that could be the case. You won't know for sure though unless you try something.

[Come on, Thor, show Bryn just how much you've recovered by sitting up again and trying to focus on something.]

[worldsaway]

[As Thor regains focus, he begins to feel more and more certain that Bryn is actually in the room with him right now. It's difficult to comprehend it when he's spent so much time in what felt like deep sleep, but he's wide awake and more well rested than he's been in years.

She makes a fair point, he needs to try something. When she mentions Loki, the gears in his mind turn. The only sure fire way to really know if someone is there.. It's simple.

Thor shifts, reaching for a throw pillow and doing just that with it. He throws it gently at her middle, watching to see if it flies through her.]

[inlaid]

[It's an odd sort of relief to see the way his expression changes and gains intelligence as he wakes up more and begins to think and process. The grogginess seems to fade before her eyes as he considers what she's said, and then reaches for a pillow.

Bryn remains perfectly still as he throws it, letting it hit her body and tumble down in front of her. An errant feather flies out at the time of impact and she reaches out to brush it away, only to push it into her hair instead. Smile widening on her face she puts the pillow aside as she shifts up the bed to lay alongside him. Her arm drapes over his middle as it has so many times before, and a leg follows as she leans in to press her forehead to his.]

Are you convinced?

[It's not the first time that she's curled up against him like this since her return, but it's the first time since he's been awake and it's remarkable how different it feels. How much better it feels when he's awake once more.]

[worldsaway]

[Although all evidence is pointing to an obvious conclusion, Thor still seems perplexed. He watches Bryn carefully, almost suspiciously, he doesn't move a muscle when she settles in beside him until he can feel her forehead against him.

Then he lets himself breathe, starting with a long exhale of air as if he thinks it will ground him. He leans his forehead back against hers, shutting his eye for a second before he opens them back up again and focuses on hers.]

Yes.

[He answers, softly. Hand moving to cup her cheek, he shifts so he can press their lips together.]

[valr]

[Kara isn't one to fuss. This situation is strange but she isn't worried for Thor. Her faith may have been knocked around by this place, but not enough for her to ever believe an illness could truly fell the Odinson.

So she still works, still hunts, still ensures that there's food for herself and Val (and Loki, who seems to have taken up residence, who she expects to stay until Thor is well). What she isn't considering is visitors. She knows that Thor has many friends but she suspects that Loki would turn most of them away, so returning from work to find a strange woman in the living room is... unusual.

Kara stops walking as she eyes the woman, running through a few quick scenarios in her head before arriving on the one that seems most likely.]

Bryn?

[She isn't Asgardian, that's obvious but she was able to enter the house which means she's either included on the wards, or Loki let her in. Both of those options suggest someone who's close to Thor.

That means one person.]

[inlaid]

[Bryn glances up at the sound of her name from another woman. She knows that there are two other people living in the house, but Bryn already knows what Val looks like, which leaves Kara, who really she only knows by name.

Sitting up from the couch, she offers the other woman a tentative smile, questioning.]

That's me. You're Kara?

[It would have been nice for Thor to be awake to introduce them, but she's not incapable of managing the task for herself.

Even if the situation is a little weird. She and Thor picked out this home together...and she understands why he didn't want to live in it alone after she left. Still, now there are four people there and Bryn...has no objections to the other women living there.

It's just a little odd, another mental adjustment she has to make from what she expected to come back to.]

[valr]

Yes.

[Kara has dealt with a lot of situations in her long life, but very few of them involve living in a house, so this is... new, for her. Bryn has been gone for a few months, but not so long that Thor has stopped missing her. And Val and Kara haven't been in the house for enough time for it to feel like home, to them.

So:]

We'll leave, once he's awake.

[She's speaking for Val here when maybe she shouldn't, but Kara can't imagine Bryn wants two strangers in her house. SHe just isn't ready to go while Thor's in the state he's in.]

[inlaid]

[She understands why the woman offers, but Bryn shakes her head at once. There's no hesitation on her part, no reason for Kara to think that Bryn might have doubts about her decision.]

There's no reason for that. You were invited to live here, and my being back doesn't change anything on that front.

[Bryn gestures to a couch cushion opposite hers, and turns to draw her feet up onto her own cushion, comfortable as can be.]

He probably would have invited you even if I never left. [She gives her a small shrug.] Which means, the way I see it, we have three months to catch up on.

[valr]

[Kara hesitates for a moment, both over what Bryn said and the offer to sit, but she decides they can discuss living arrangements once Thor is awake. For all she knows, he may want them gone himself, to have some privacy with Bryn, which she'd understand.

For now, she unclips the holster from the back of her belt and lays it on the coffee table. Normally she'd wait until in her room, but she wants to make some kind of gesture to Bryn, and removing her weapon seems like a way to do it. Then she sits, a little stiff, but that isn't unusual for her.]

I don't know if Thor spoke of me beyond my name, but I am from an Earth where he and Loki are gods, among the others. [True gods, not... whatever they are in their own world.] I am a valkyrja, I serve my gods.

[She doesn't quite mean to be so formal, it just happens when she's trying to make a good impression.]

[inlaid]

[Bryn's gaze flicks over to the holster as Kara lays it on the coffee table, but makes no move to disarm herself. The bracelet she wears never leaves her wrist, though it's not visibly a weapon at the moment so she hopes that it amounts to the same thing. She's armed but not armed. Bryn crosses her legs in front of her instead, putting herself in a position where it would be hard to get up quickly.

Kara's explanation is met with a nod of understanding.]

I assume you serve in ways that have nothing to do with tending to temples or performing holy rites?

[Because, you know, the holster.]