Alice Kennedy (rosemary_thyme) wrote in paxletalelogs, @ 2017-04-11 17:38:00 |
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Entry tags: | freyr, uke mochi |
Hear my song. People won't you listen now? Sing along.
Who: Uke Mochi and Freyr
What: The Norse God attends dinner at the Shinto Goddess’s home
Where: Uke Mochi’s home.
When: A long, long time ago
Uke Mochi had not been in her dwelling since she died. Well, perhaps that was incorrect. She had been there, right there, right on the thatched floor. Her body decayed there, the seeds and grasses consumed it and sprouted life from her cold corpse. But she was only dimly aware then of what was happening. She felt it, the growth in her skin and organs, the sprouting of leaves and lengthening strips of grass coming from her belly. But she couldn’t do anything, she didn’t have the mind to, she didn’t have the strength.
Then everything faded away until now. She stood in the doorway of her little home and it was still as it was back then. The hearth was still warm, a flicking fire still was waiting to cook the rice and fish, but she was not the woman she was so many years before. Instead, she was what she had become, a woman of woven leaves and grass, a creature filled with seeds that blinked eyelashes of grass, and she knew she shouldn’t have returned to the scene of the crime.
Moving closer to the fire and the table that stood within, she noted the preparation for the meal. Even the fish were still fresh. Outside of the entry, there was the sound of a step and Uke Mochi looked up, fear was still capable of filling her despite that her makings were of plants, and she allowed herself to disperse.
Falling into a pile of wheat, rice, and grass, she lay on the floor, hoping that Tsukuyomi no Mikoto had not returned nor would be able to figure that she was the pile of grain.
The footfalls continued to approach; warmth and light followed with them, filling the small hut. A tall, broad-shouldered man entered the building. His skin was deeply tanned from the sun; his beard and hair were dark, but shot through here and there with coppery strands. His burnished gaze swept the room, seeking the presence he could feel but not see.
"Hello?" He paused just inside the doorway. His chin raised, his nostrils flaring as he smelled the comforts of hearth and home. "I don't mean to intrude, but I've come a long way. If you can spare a meal for a weary traveler, it would be appreciated."
The grass and wheat stirred, as if a breeze brushed over them, but there was no answer. Uke Mochi remained in pieces on the floor of her home but her curiosity was there. She noticed the man with the brightness he wore and it reminded her of Amaterasu. His brilliance made her heart ache and she wanted to come together, to speak with him, because surely someone who wore the same glow as her friend would be trustworthy. Still, she waited, wondering what he would do.
He hummed a noncommittal sound, shifting his weight from one bare foot to the other. His teeth worrying at his lip, he cast one final look around the little home. Others of his kin would have invited themselves in; they would have feasted at someone else's expense, and encouraged him to do the same. But he was alone, and he was not such a poor guest as they. He nodded to the seemingly empty room, and merely turned to go.
“Don’t go,” a soft voice requested. The grain and seed came to life, lifting from the ground and becoming a small whirlwind that formed into a hand, one that reached out and requested he remain. From the wrist of the hand, the long stems of rice and grass knit together to become an arm which joined a quickly developing shoulder. Everything from the floor quivered and quickly rejoined, magnetized by some unseen force to become the form of a woman. Her hair long wheat and grass, her body thin but feminine. She stood beside the dwindling fire with her hand still outstretched when the development of her body settled. “You are welcome here, traveler. Please remain.”
The voice had been so quiet, and yet it had stopped him mid-stride. He turned to face his host, amber eyes widening almost imperceptibly as he took in the sight of her. For a moment he remained quiet and still. Then he nodded, a warm smile brightening his face, erasing any hint of confusion. "I thank you," he said, inclining his head. He stepped back into the home, hands folded neatly before him, unsure what the proper manner of greeting might be in this strange place. "I am Freyr of the Vanir, lord of Álfheim. I am making my way back home, and whatever hospitality you see fit to extend would be much appreciated."
Uke Mochi nodded, her hands coming together and worrying at one another nervously. She looked around her dwelling, her woven lips turning into a frown. “I have water,” she offered, moving towards a little clay jar and lifting it with her herbal fingers. She turned back to the man, obviously nervous but not necessarily from him. His brilliance was a comfort as it was before, but she was shy of what she had become and uncertain that what she had to offer would be of interest. “And I can make jasmine tea, if you would like. There is also food, but that may take some time, but I would be happy to provide.”
"Jasmine tea sounds excellent." He nodded, smiling still; it was clear he wanted to move closer, but he read her discomfort well enough, and remained where he was. "And I'm in no hurry. Can I help you with the food? Or something else?" His head canted slightly, bright eyes studying her. "Is something troubling you?"
Uke Mochi opened her mouth, ready to speak, but thought better of it. She turned, instead, to prepare the tea and set it over the fire. Pushing the embers and adding a log brought the little flame more to life and soon the glow was steady, the heat comforting. It made Uke Mochi feel a little better and more prepared to speak to the stranger. Turning to him, she waved toward a bench, offering him a seat. “You do not know Tsukuyomi no Mikoto, do you? You glow too brightly for his darker ways.”
As he moved to the bench, he thought carefully on this name. It sounded like none he had known before, whether in the halls of the Aesir and Vanir or in the long span of his travels. He shook his head, his hands coming to rest on his lean, golden-brown thighs.
"I am not familiar with him," he said. "What manner of being is he?"
A gentle hmm issued from the woman’s throat. “He is the moon, essentially. But a man just as you. He… he is dangerous when he is displeased. He…” The woman paused and raised a hand made of leaves of grass to touch her neck. She shook her head and turned back to the fire and placed the clay teapot now filled with water amongst the flames.
Changing the subject, she began to speak in a quiet voice as she gazed into the fire. “I was frightened you were as cruel. I may make you fish, if you would like, there’s fresh fish on the table.”
"If you wouldn't mind," he said.
He sat, thoughtful, watching her move. She had a surprising grace given her component parts; even around the fire, she moved with an elegance Freyr would not have expected. "The only moon I know is called Máni," he said. "He not cruel, nor even unkind. He even plays with the children who annoy him endlessly." He smiled at the thought. "I am sorry that your moon is not so."
She smiled at that and lifted a fish, moving it to a board and pulling free a knife to fillet it. “You’re kind,” Uke Mochi observed with a small smile. “But why are you here? I know nothing of this Máni and your name is not familiar. I feel you must be far from home.”
She looked up, small seeds that made her pupils focused on Freyr and the knife in her hand paused, fish guts leaked from the cut in the fish onto the board.
"I must be," Freyr agreed. "I travel widely and often, but this is the first time I have seen this place, or anyone like you. To tell the truth, I'm pleased to know Yggdrasil contains worlds I had not known. It's good to be pleasantly surprised, even after all these long years."
He smiled at her, content for a moment to watch her work. "What do you call this place, and your people?"
“I, and those around me, are yaoyorozu no kami. We and this place are everywhere. Is not yours?” It wasn’t an accusation nor said in annoyance, but pure curiosity. Her voice was soft, calming and comforting, and barely as loud as the clipping of the knife against the board and through the fish. With ease, the grain woman took away the bone of the fish and dusted the meat with salt. Closing the fish and wrapping it with seaweed, she moved to the fire and placed the two fish in amongst the embers. “It’s as if two worlds have collided, though I am certain that is not unheard of. Is the land unfamiliar? The dwellings, the trees, the sea so close?”
"The sea I know," Freyr said. "But not the rest. I have a ship, Skíðblaðnir, and I sail often, though your particular shores are new to me. Our dwellings are much longer and wider than this, built of stone and wood and turf… great halls for feasting and entertainment. These dwellings seem more intimate. They are quite beautiful, in a way I have not seen before.
"I would hope you find beauty in my home as well. You are very welcome, should you ever find yourself there. Do be wary of Loki, though. He can be unkind to guests and kin alike."
Uke Mochi’s smile was soft, her heart warmed by all that the man had said. Her mind wandered to the idea of traveling, how lovely that would be, but her smile quivered by the name of Loki. “Who is this Loki? Is he cruel?”
"He is," Freyr said, without hesitation. "And he calls his cruelty 'jest,' as though we cannot tell the difference. But we are mindful of him, more so than we have been in the past. I do not mean to cause alarm. Only wariness." He smiled again, shaking his dark locks and changing the subject. "But I would know more of you and your kin. Am I the first outsider to reach this place?"
“The first that I’ve met,” Uke Mochi replied, moving away from the man to squat by the fire. “I...have not been here for some time, I feel. The length of days escapes me.” She paused, wondering if she should continue and explain to Freyr her circumstances, but felt it better to move on. “But I have visited other lands. A place with a different structure than here. The trees were different, the air… it was all foreign to me but suddenly, with the blink of an eye, I was there. Attending the after party of some wedding and accompanied by another being whom I never met. Someone from another people who I was not familiar with. Eris.”
Using tongs, she lifted the fish from the flames and placed them onto the table. They steamed and their scent was strong. The salt and herbs having roasted within the wrapped fish until it was perfected. But she left the fish there, allowing it to cool a little before unwrapping it for her guest. She wondered, as she returned to sitting near Freyr, if she herself could eat.
Freyr leaned forward, breathing in the savory scent. "Eris," he said, his tongue touching one corner of his lingering smile. "I do not know this name, either. But it would seem that these… interminglings… are not isolated incidents. Would you agree?" Delicately, Freyr picked meat from the bones of the fish. He let it sit on the seaweed, steaming and carrying a wealth of delicious smells up to him. "What you describe… that is how it happened to me, more or less. I was sailing on familiar seas, and then I found your shore. Perhaps whatever liminal spaces existed between us are not as strong as they once were."
He popped a bite of fish into his mouth, immediately making a quiet, satisfied sound. "This is delicious," he said, nodding. "But yes. This could be good, this new back and forth. At least, I hope it will be so."
Uke Mochi grinned, if you could call the formation and knitting of her grass made face to be a grin. “It may be nice. Eris was an odd creature but she seemed thoughtful all the same and she lended advice. I wouldn’t mind to see her again. And you, I would be sad if I were not to see you again.” She looked at the half eaten fish and her smile faded slightly, but was still there and honest. “It has been quite some time since I hosted someone to a dinner at my home.”
Her visitor swallowed his next bite of fish before answering. "One would never know," he said. "Your hospitality has been very welcome. I'm certain I'll get to return the favor someday." He sucked seasonings from his tanned fingertips, grinning pleasantly up at his host. "I believe I will see you again. I truly do. But until then, let us enjoy one another's company while we still have it. You can tell me more of your home while I finish this wonderful meal, and after, I will tell you more of mine.."
Uke Mochi gave a slow nod, her smile remaining all the while. “There is no better way to spend an evening than with good company and good tea.” She reached for the teapot and refilled Freyr’s cup and dared to get one of her own.