un: ragnvaldr | video

[devowr]

[A pretty man with red hair and a thick grey fur shawl around his shoulders appears, seeming hesitant for a moment. He understands that this is how it works, having seen it before. Still. It’s new to him. ]

Good evening. [For those who speak English or its interdimensional equivalents will hear a thick Scandinavian accent. His voice is clear and confident, and he offers a warm smile to the camera.]

Though the snow and creature-rearing has kept us busy and indoors these past weeks, there is no reason we cannot get to know one another. Afterall, must we wait until spring to match-make? So much idle time, so much plentiful food… I think we should all become better acquainted.

My name is Ragnvaldr, the qualities that make me a good husband include hunting, fishing, wood-chopping, and leather making. Also, I am literate.

Comments

un: castiel

[messenger]

Are you seriously looking for a... wife in this place?

[ he's read some of the other conversations. ]

[devowr]

[Yet another man, and this one seems to not even want to be helpful. Still, Ragnvaldr is a man of exceptionally good humor.]

Perhaps it is a ridiculous notion to you. But there’s no saying how long we may be here, nor any guarantee on our own lives.

Should I not live freely?

[What’s it to you, is what he might ask if he were less mannerly. ]

[messenger]

You should at least ask Aurora if she'll allow you to have children, or if it's possible to go leaving to another world once all is said and done.

But really, the population of adult women is approximately... one tenth of the overall population.

You may struggle to find a partner.

[ js ]

[devowr]

…Do I truly need permission for such a thing? Will Aurora attempt to claim ownership of my own children?

[And those numbers are dismal, but-]

I’ve never shied from competition.

[messenger]

Either Echo, or Aurora, is capable of controlling our biological processes. [ he thinks back to the race, and how those who had powers, himself included, were curtailed in only very specific instances. he couldn't sit in the driver's seat of the car without temporarily becoming mortal. ] Which means they may keep us from being able, if they don't desire us to have them. Or, yes, they could just take them.

It's only a guess, though. I don't think many people here are interested in having children in the first place. The missions are often dangerous, and it's mandatory to participate. Who would take care of the infant? Would you leave them to the helper bots?

[devowr]

They hold us hostage put a curse on my testicles. Or this is a distinct possibility.

[Ragnvaldr crosses his arms and thinks about it.]

Dangerous missions? All I’ve heard about or seen has been playing house… or playing dress up in a library. The threat of death is no different here than it would be otherwise. By my measure, this place is much safer and more plentiful than from whence I came. I would be a fool to not attempt to take advantage of this.

[messenger]

Something terrible happened before you arrived. It was before I arrived, as well, but it's the reason that the recent missions have been... softer. However, even in this time, one of the islands was infested with monsters that were attacking the dragon that roosts there. Dangerous spirits masquerading as loved ones wandered freely during Samhain. And just around the winter solstice a beast captured and kidnapped many.

[ he says all this with an expressionless face and an unwavering stare. ]

And there's the being called Im'mari. It broke the barrier and infected Aurora. It nearly destroyed the city. Aurora was saved and Im'mari pushed back, but... as far as I'm aware, it's still alive. Out past the barrier. Or... other members of its species are.

In any case, don't expect the missions to remain this way indefinitely.

[ the barrier was broken once. it can be broken again. ]

[devowr]

Is that so? So our jailers are limited in their control as well.

[What does all of this mean?]

What are we truly meant to be doing here? I thought it was just about proving our worth.

[messenger]

We don't know. It's possible that all of this has been orchestrated. [ including those incidental dangers they've faced, like the spirits, and the krampus, and im'mari. ] We have no way to confirm anything they've told us — Including whether our worlds are actually in any danger.

[devowr]

It is believable enough to me. I don’t know about your world, but ours was on a precipice. War, disease, the rise and fall of new gods in the shadow of the old ones. I cannot imagine it holding together forever.

[He swirls all of that around in his mind like a cooking stew.]

What of where you come from? Do you believe it yourself?

[messenger]

My world was on the brink of apocalypse, but a single world's death is nothing to the universe.

[devowr]

[You can’t just be saying this to a medieval man. It was bad enough that he was here, grappling with it all. ]

It sounds as if it may have some correlation, don’t you think?

[messenger]

No.

[ sorry, ragnvaldr. ]

I know the exact manner and means of my apocalypse, and it had nothing to do with any of this.

[ he sighs and rubs his hand over his eyes, weary. god may want them to duke it out amongst themselves, but what point would there be to an apocalypse they can't even see, sudden and unavoidable? there's no possible way that his father wouldn't have known about all this.

it's even less likely he'd leave it to some other god. ]

[devowr]

…That’s interesting information for someone to have. Why do you have it?

[This other guy just seemed put out about it, rather than worried. How strange.]

[messenger]

It's nothing good.

[ he admits, looking somehow both wry and shame faced. he's a terrible angel, and maybe he always was.

still, he's learned he shouldn't blab all his sectets right out in the open like this. ]

But you should speak with Aurora. I may not trust her, but she does seem to answer what questions she can. And if you do have a child, perhaps she can help you keep it safe.