kittyluna45

Through the Doors of our hearts - Finished

Katalina

"Send the water girl to look for a moat. Alright. I think we can do that. C'mon Christopher." Katalina could feel the cold, and moved to tug out a jacket out of her pack. She tugged it on and shuddered a bit. She could tolerate the cold ocean when she had been at her home, but that had been different. Her body was use to that cold. This? Ugh. Snow was stupid. Frozen water did her no good, and it never felt the same as her beautiful ocean.

"So, uh... if there is a moat, what are we going to do?" Christopher was tugging on a coat, but while he did, his little flute never left his hand. Katalina found it odd that he always had the flute with him, but she had heard whispers that it never ended well when it was taken away from Christopher.

"What Sumi said. Find a way around it. There has to be a bridge somewhere, but if worst comes to worst, I'm sure we can ask Alexander for some help? He looked more than happy to climb up and jump from the castle earlier. Ugh... heights." Katalina shuddered at that. Katalina preferred the ocean, it's depth, it's comforting embrace. Heights? No way. She had never been the kid climbing up the trees. She had been the one diving into the pool.

"Alright..." Christopher shrugged at that as the two started walking towards the castle. Katalina zipped up her jacket and shuddered a bit more. Oh god... was it just her imagination, but was it getting colder the closer they got to the castle.

---

Astrid

As the temperature started to drop, Astrid was at first not affected. She had been near Helheim a few times. The frozen land of the dead... where poor souls went if they could not go to one of the other afterlives. After a few minutes, Astrid reassessed her situation. It was getting colder, and she was not use to the cold that well. She tugged out a lovely wool coat, one that she had stitched a rune in (purely for her own pleasure.) She buttoned it up and looked to Sumi.

"So, the front gate huh? The direct approach for you and I? Alright, I guess we will see how that works out for us."

Through the Doors of our hearts - Finished

Astrid

Astrid went relatively quiet as Kade and Sumi spoke. Sumi was the leader of this quest, as Eleanor and Kade had said, so she would listen. She was a bit surprised that Sumi wanted Astrid to go with her, but she didn't question it. It sounded like Sumi had an idea of what she was doing, and that comforted Astrid. She had always looked to her head Valkyrie for guidance and orders, especially when the lady Freya had not been around, which was most of the time. She was busy with other tasks, even if she was the one that helped assign new Valkyrie's to where they would be the most useful.

The thought of her Lady as well as her fellow Valkyries made her a bid sad. Of course, as the blast of wind almost knocked her over, she squeaked a bit as she tried to regain her balance. She blushed as she looked up at Sumi, hoping that little moment would pass without remark. "So, what shall we do? We're trying to find a path to the top of the castle, yes? Then we're going to jump from it? Okay then." She frowned at that. She was okay with heights, but usually she knew she'd be fine if she fell. If she died here and now... it would end poorly for her.

---

Katalina

"Alright, I can work with Christopher." Katalina was aware that some of the other students had issues with Christopher, partly because where he had gone. Many boys went to other worlds, or their homes, to find adventure. To be a pirate, to explore the world. Christopher... had went to Maripose. What she knew about Maripose was that it was like a big Dios los Muertos painting.

The wind did not affect the girl from under the water. She was use to fighting the currents, so she firmly stood her ground as the wind whipped around, and looked around. "I think someone does not like that we're here. We should be quick. Where do you want our groups to go?"

Through the Doors of our hearts - Finished

Katalina

"What you never learned the first rule of anything? Always look up. No one expects things to be up. Of course... your world everything is already up yes?" Katalina laughed a bit at that as she started to head towards the opening and let Astrid's hand go. "Not a door. Okay, good to know." She sighed at that and then went to walk through the doorway.

Kade had warned them... oh sweet gods. The smell of the ocean, the feeling of gills... she swore she could feel the webbing between her fingers again. Oh, to be so close, she wanted to dive headfirst back into the ocean, to go back to swimming. She made sure to keep pushing herself forward, each step renewing her sense of faith and purpose as she walked through the doorway. As they stood before the castle, she frowned a bit at that. She didn't like the idea of fairy castles or being near them. She looked herself over and realized that it had only been for a moment, as she didn't have gills, or webbed hands for swimming.

"So we're here? In the in-between?" Katalina looked around and then looked up at Kade and then to Sumi and Hannah.

---

Astrid

"Ah, that is standard. I was told never to eat most of the food from other realms... just from Valhalla... or... Midgar." Astrid sighed a bit at that and then looked over at Kade. She watched as the others slipped through the trees and then went to slip through the trees as well. When Katalina had pointed them out, she saw the two trees, so thankfully she knew where to go.

The smell of honey filled the air, and she swore she could hear the chatter of the Hall, as well as she felt her strength returning. However the moment was over when she saw the castle and then... they had gotten wet yes, but now they were dry. She could feel her strength, and then realized she could almost feel the feeling of death again. Valkeries were those that guided those that died in battle to the after world. Oh... the feeling ached for a moment, as she wanted to help those souls, but she did not have her true powers back.

She looked around and bit her lip a bit. "So... we're here?"

Through the Doors of our hearts - Finished

Astrid

Astrid tucked the little bottle and syringe case away into her bag and thanked Kade for it. Sure, they might be gone for only a week, but she was still cautious. If she even missed one dose, it could be bad for her. So, making sure she had everything in her bag, and headed outside with the rest of the little group. She had passed on the hug from Eleanor, mostly because she did not know the older woman that well, and hugs were sometimes... awkward. Give her a good thump on the back from a warrior any day, but hugs? Scary. She did notice that Katalina partook in a hug from the older woman, and muttered something to her.

She followed Kade as he lead the group and gasped a bit as the rain was coming down from every angle. She moved with quick movements, while she noticed that Katalina seemed to be savoring the rain, letting it drench her as much as possible. Apparently, the girl did not mind the idea of getting ill... Astrid's train of thought smashed when Kade spoke up and then frowned. "Interwoven trees? How can anyone tell the difference in this woods?" She squinted her eyes a bit as it looked like every tree looked the same to her.

---

Katalina

Katalina decided to swipe the knife, and tucked it into a holder in her boots. Why she had a knife holster in her boots? That was a secret to her only. She regrouped with the others, and took a hug from Eleanor before whispering something to the older woman. "Sorry about the knife." She pulled away before Eleanor could question her, and followed the others out to the woods.

The former mermaid, as that was the best word to equate to what she had been before in her opinion since humans didn't have the right vocal chords to say the word, relished the rain as it fell on her skin. Sure, it wasn't the ocean but it worked for the moment. She was well aware that she was dawdling as they headed to the woods, but she did made sure not to dally too long. In the woods, she heard Astrid remark that it was hard to tell the difference, but to Katalina...

"How can you miss it? It's right there." She pointed to the arch of trees that interwove at the top, just as Kade had said. "Can you not see it?" Astrid's shaking head confirmed that yes, she could not see it, and she was irritated by that. "Weird. I wonder why I can?" Katalina took Astrid's hand to guide her towards the trees.

Through the Doors of our hearts - Finished

Astrid

"Thank you!" Astrid dashed off to her room, or was about to, when she realized that it was still dark. She muttered a soft apology as she picked up a candle and then went to head to her room. She sighed a bit as she headed to her room, thinking about how this quest should be. Of course, she had been on quests to bring heroes back to Valhalla.

She went to her room, and gently picked up her spear. She ran her hand along the pole for a bit and then she found a soft knot in the wooden shaft. With a press, the magic rune was activated that shrunk the spear down to a more travel friendly size. She gently strung it around her neck, feeling the point against her sternum. That cold metal against her body reminded her that she was armed, and that she was protected.

She then grabbed a rough looking sack out of her still unpacked suitcase and started roughly shoving clothing into the sack, as well as... oh shit. She mentally cursed and then went to run back down the stairs to find Kade. "Uh... Kade... when I arrived my parents handed over something to Eleanor... I'll need it for the quest."

---

Katalina

"Cool. Thanks Eleanor." Katalina ran up to her room by memory alone, and tugged some clothing haphazardly into a little mermaid backpack. (The irony was not lost on her. It had been something that Hannah had given her when she asked for a backpack. Katalina had just stared at the other girl for a moment before walking off.) She wasn't sure what kind of weapon to grab, if she was going to grab one. She did make sure to gently pack up her shell, wrapping it with the most tender care, which she wasn't giving to anything else.

Katalina had been trained to use a trident when she had been in her world. It was the most effective weapon for under water fighting. They didn't have guns in that world, which made sense, and they also didn't really do sword fights under the water. It was stupid to try to swing things around like that in the water.

Maybe a knife? Would Eleanor be pissed if she took one of the knives from the kitchen?

Through the Doors of our hearts - Finished

Astrid

"The squirrel is... not someone you want to meet. He's larger than... most dogs, and his bark is worse than his bite. But if we don't have time... then where are we going to go? The Fairies then?" Astrid felt herself being a little disappointed by not being able to use The World Tree. It would be the closest she could get to home, without being invited back inside. She was sure that it was so close... but fairies. She had not really dealt with fairies before.

Elves, dwarves, demigods, yes. Gods too. Fairies were not a... thing in Valhalla. She knew they did exist, but she had not met any herself. However, she did notice the reaction Kade had about talking about fairies. Not 'his' fairies? She had a feeling that he had some history with them, but it was not the time to ask.

---

Katalina

"I don't like trees myself, so I'm okay with going somewhere else. But Eleanor, if we're heading out now, pretty much, shouldn't we go pack? I mean, yeah the lights are still out, but we can go in a group with a candle or something? I'm sure Astrid wants her weapon, and I want my shell." Katalina sighed as she looked over their little group and sighed a bit. She knew Kade didn't want to deal with the fairies but if they didn't have any options, they would have to deal with them.

"Sumi, do we still have supplies in the closet? I think that not all of us have... y'know, weapons or something if we need those?" She looked over at Eleanor, as she was sure that the woman would disapprove of them taking weapons, but she doubted that Astrid would leave without her spear, as she seemed rather attached to it.

Through the Doors of our hearts - Finished

Katalina

Before she knew what she was doing, Katalina had her hand up in the air, and then Sumi was announcing that she'd be going on a quest with Alexander, Astrid, Hannah, Christopher and Kade. "So... what is even going on and what is the Index Line?" She asked softly as she looked over to Kade, but she was soon interrupted by another voice before anyone else could answer.

Astrid

As Kade brought up the in-betweens she gasped and bounced a bit. "The Tree! I could find it!!" She shouted excitedly and looked over at Kade.

The boy Astrid had been told was Christopher cocked his head to the side, and paused a bit. "The Tree?"

"Yggdrasil! The world tree! It connects the nine realms, including this one. Midgard. It also connects to all the worlds around... besides the nine realms. Is that one of the in-betweens you mean?" Astrid seemed to sparkle as she talked about the Tree. Of course, one of the branches lead to her home. Valhalla. She wouldn't intrude without AllFather's permission, but it would be so close to home. She was already going to be on this quest, so why not offer up a solution for where they could go. It was an in-between, and what's what they needed, yes?

"Sorry, just we uh... it could be a good starting point. I think I know where the Door is. If I remember right, Boston."

Through the Doors of our hearts - Finished

Astrid

Astrid looked up at Alexander and paused. As Eleanore explained that it was a micro-storm, she raised her eyebrow at that. "A localized micro-storm over this house?" She then looked to Alexander as Eleanore asked them both to check on the younger ones. "Alright, Miss Eleanor." She sighed a bit as she looked over at the little ones and headed over that way.

As she went to check on the oldest of them, she looked at Alexander. "Do you buy that? It's just coincidence that this storm is brewing now?" She asked softly as she looked over at him. "Also, uh, hi again. Sorry we did not get to speak more earlier. Thank you for the hoodie." She smiled softly as she looked at the youngest of them.

She was about to say something when Eleanor said a word that caused Astrid's hand to shoot up. "I volunteer! I volunteer for this quest!" She shot up eagerly, and paused for a moment, blushing as she realized she had just made a fool of herself in front of a cute boy, and everyone else there.

Through the Doors of our hearts - Finished

Astrid

Astrid let out a squeak as there was a crash of thunder, a flash of lightning, and then the lights went out. Kade put his hand gently on Astrid's shoulder. "It's alright. We already agreed to go to the dining room and you were going to head that way. I should check on the others, but I'll lead you there." His southern twang came out harder in that moment, as he removed his hand. "Sorry, hope that was okay."

"That was fine. That's acceptable. I don't mind touches." Astrid said softly and sighed a bit as she moved to the dining room. She could see that the tables had been pushed aside, and there were piles of blankets and pillows there. Astrid saw that Katalina was helping with the tables and moved over to help her. Eventually, the whole dining room was cleared out for a big space. Of course as the other students filed in, it was clear to Astrid that not many boys were there as there were girls.

As she finished clearing the table her cell phone beeped with a weather alert. Her parents had insisted on her having a cell phone, just in case. She pulled the thin piece of technology out of her back pocked and looked at the screen. They were alerting them to the storm. It was getting bigger and...

"Hey um..." Astrid spotted Eleanore and walked over to her. "Miss West... Eleanore... this is saying the story is localized. To just the house and the area around it." She pointed it out on the screen and frowned a bit. "Is that normal?" She asked softly, as she was trying not to alert anyone else to what was going on.

Heroes of Olympus: the Next Age of Heroes

Marco DePaulo

Location: Pegasi Stable
Mentioned: The Athena Kids, @Kirah

"Good. I only pester because I do care about you." Marco smiled a bit as Greg walked off and then went to put the pegasus back in his pen. He heard the sound and frowned a bit as he heard the 'laughter.' "Oh I hope you're not laughing because you threw my brother off... I'm gonna ask Kiera to talk to you later. Though..." Marco was sure that the daughter of Poseidon also had a lot on her mind. Thing had seemed a bit different about Kiera since he had arrived back at the camp a few days ago. Of course after Rosie's little prophecy, no one was feeling quite their usual self.

As his other siblings arrived back at the stables, Marco looked over at them. "Hey, I want to have a cabin meeting later today. Pass it on. However, I want to talk to either Zoey, Brynn or Ericka or Alannah first. We're going to be be participating tonight." At the collective groan of his siblings, he rolled his eyes. He heard them grumbling about their looks, their nails, or how boring Capture the flag was. "C'mon guys. We will be participating. The other team has the Hermes cabin and Ares cabin... we need to show them that we're not all surface."

"Alright. Before or after dinner?" Grace asked as she look at Marco.

"Before. Now go get some breakfast before you head off to your activities. I'm gonna go find Em before I give more riding lessons for a bit."