Vidar was kicking himself. He had spent too long in Asgard and hadn’t called on his girlfriend. He hadn’t meant to stay home for as long as he had. Things just kept coming up. There was the family and the issue that had sprung up in his Hall. He would bet that she was extremely pissed off at him. If she wasn’t, then he had been more invested in their relationship than she was.

( Read more... )

The place was packed, which was how it was supposed to be. There were costumes everywhere... also exactly how it was supposed to be. Because it was Halloween. It was also Chicago and Americans went all crazy for the holiday. On top of that, it was Thirsty Thursday, something everyone in the American Midwest was familiar with. Professional drinkers, this lot, and Ninkasi loved them for it. Most of the costumed were immortal in some way, not just gods but nymphs and the like as well, but she was clearly allowing an occasional mortal in as well. There were rules outside to her bouncers for screening them properly.

Shortly, the specialty taps would be opened and her private brews would begin to flow. Which is what, she was sure, Kratos was hoping and/or waiting for. ( Wherever he was. )

It was only June but Frigg was well into designing and planning -and in some cases starting, her Yule gifts. Most everything she did on her own. When she wanted wool, she went and examined the fiber and purchased it on her own. She would clean, card, dye and spin it all herself. No matter the modern conveniences and advances there was something incredibly satisfying in knowing that she had done it all herself. It somehow meant more to know that it was crafted with love from beginning to end. And she never accepted help. Not when it was a gift.

So her handmaidens didn't even offer assistance anymore when their Queen got that determined look in her eye.

Most of the land surrounding Fensalir was marshy and unsuitable for draping the freshly dyed wet roving she had in a basket on each hip over. If a wind caught it and it fell into the marsh... well if it was before the fiber had dried properly to set the dye it could ruin everything she'd done so far. Or worse... ( it would felt. )

After his meeting with his brother, Vidar realized that he needed to get a date of his own. He just would wait until after Valentine’s Day for his. He had sent Hermod to Philotes with a note asking her if she would like to go out with him. Without Bragi and Idun setting them up. Hermod had muttered something about Vidar getting a cell phone. Vidar thought that was a bit silly. ( If he had a phone, he would be expected to talk on it. )

Tyr was worried.

Not about his brother, which is what he really should have been worried about. Bragi's continued disappearance was certainly on his mind, but it was another matter that had him currently concerned.

( He'd asked Harmonia out. )

It was rare this time of year that he was able to sit down and put his feet up on the tasseled hassock in his study. Which was why, as he settled into the cushy plumpness of his red velvet chair, Santa began mentally reviewing his to-do list for today. Did he really have time to enjoy his peppermint hot cocoa, or had he forgotten something that would require his attention?

( The List )

Leaving the mixer had been a step. A step away from madness. A step onto a very dark, lonely road. Idun knew that Tyr had approached her at the party. He had done what he could to quiet her worries. Phobetor had offered his assistance. But words were worthless. Without the god of words, what good could they possibly do? Someone needed to act. Someone needed to do something. Idun could take as many steps down this road as possible, but it wasn't enough to walk. She needed to do more. She needed to figure out who could possibly want to harm her husband. Getting up from the sand, starting to feel again, had been monumental in the moment, but now they seemed like trivial, childish accomplishments. So what if she no longer needed to hallucinate in order to remember to breathe and eat and brush her hair. None of that was getting her any closer to her husband.

( The more evident that became, the more fire filled her heart. )

Lottie had been to Asgard to visit Idun a billion times. Well, maybe not a full billion. But at least a million, certainly. Trips to her friend's home, to bake, to watch My Little Pony, to show off a new outfit, to ask for advice, to see Idun for a myriad of reasons, had been regular and frequent. But this time was different. This time was special. ( This time she was going to be introduced to Idun's husband. )

OOC note: Posting order is Odin, Frigg, Hermod, Tyr, Bragi, Vidar

He sat with all the appearance of patience, slowly sipping a mug of mead. To anyone passing by, Odin would look as if he hadn't a care in the world. On the inside, however, his mind was racing and he felt just a bit nervous.

( There was every possibility this would not go as well as he hoped. )

Even though he had not actually seen many of them in ages, Bragi's family trailed the end of his thoughts like the last scarf in a magician's sleeve. He missed them terribly. That alone hadn't quite pushed him to seek them out more. It wasn't his family's fault but after everything had exploded in on itself, Asgard had started reminding Bragi more and more of cheap grape juice. The kind that tasted good when you started drinking it, but left the bad aftertaste of overly ripe grapes on your tongue forever afterwards. Overly ripe grapes that were almost raisins, but not quite. Bragi thought it best to stay away from that unless he was summoned. He figured if they wanted him, they'd call.

( That morning though, Bragi had decided it was time to seek his brothers out. )

She hadn't intended to find a Scandinavian festival. In fact, she hadn't been looking for any sort of festival at all. Sigyn was, nominally, looking for a furniture store that had promised the chairs that she was seeking at a cheap price. While she wasn't terribly concerned about money, there was a principle involved: she was not paying twice what she thought things were worth just because somebody was trying to make more of a profit than they deserved. So she'd come all the way to Astoria, Oregon, just for this particular store.

And because sitting in Minnesota waiting for her husband to come home ( was driving her nuts. )

He could have been just a regular guy, sitting on the white sandy beach in California, watching his dogs bound around in the surf. The dogs were big, but against the might of the ocean, they appeared to be just puppies to him. He smiled as he watched them. He'd been playing too, earlier, but they'd soon forgotten about him in the face of the waves and each other.

Now he was just enjoying the view of the water and the feel of the sun on his back.

It was time. Time to go out and see what the family has been up to. Vidar had no idea how long it had been since he had last seen his father or brothers. He never was good at keeping track of time. There wasn’t much need for it when he was at home or off climbing somewhere. But he was aware that it had been a long time.

( He had to think of where to start )