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Astrid Hakansson ([info]sassy_valkyrie) wrote in [info]heureuxlake,
@ 2025-01-09 21:28:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:Δ threads, → astrid hakansson, → cole winthrop, → delilah ridley, → kate ridley, → shannon ridley, → tori gomez, ∞ 2001: 01, ◦ sunny's bar & club

RP: Thursday Night Karaoke
Who: Open to all!
What: Thursday Night Karaoke
When: Thursday, August 15, 2000
Where: Sunny’s
Warnings: Tag your headers!
Completion Status: In progress


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Re: Astrid + Cole
[info]sassy_valkyrie
2025-01-11 10:12 pm UTC (link)
Astrid chuckled softly, her gaze flicking down to Connor with an unmistakable fondness before returning to Cole. “Everywhere? I guess that makes sense.” And it also put Cole’s situation in perspective for her. Diabetes was one thing – and something Astrid didn’t know more than the average person about – but diabetes to a degree where you needed a dog around the clock to detect when you were in danger of crashing due to low blood sugar levels? That was a scary thought. Nevertheless, it was a relief to hear and see that Cole had gotten the help he needed. “I think he might be the smartest in the room. But I’m definitely biased.”

His response to her pose earned a grin, and she gave him a mock thoughtful look. “Hmm, good point. I supposed you don’t need anything from me… yet,” she teased lightly, the emphasis on the last word was paired with a playful wink. As he returned her hug, she held on for just a moment longer than usual. It was grounding, in a way so different from the way Michael grounded her, simply because Cole’s spark was the same as her own. She recognized the truth in his words. Even though Tarrytown had been home for a while, and with Michael even more so, it still felt like coming home when she went to see her dad in Phoenicia, even though it hadn’t felt like that when she had actually lived there. “That’s probably because ‘home’ has its own magic,” she said softly as she let go of him. “Even if it’s the same old chaos, there’s something about it that feels right once you’ve been away.”

When he gave her the go-ahead, her face lit up with a genuine smile, and she crouched down, moving slowly as she extended her hand toward Connor, letting him sniff her fingers first. “Hey there, handsome,” she murmured, her voice soft but warm, as if speaking to an old friend. “You and I are going to get along just fine, I think.”

Standing back up, she glanced at Cole, her expression a mix of curiosity and affection. “He really is something, Cole. I think you’ve got the most adorable one here,” she said, motioning to Connor with a nod before reaching for her drink. “So, how are you really holding up? I mean, jumping back into all of this – Tarrytown, old friends, karaoke night, it’s a lot, and don’t even get me started on the influx of people that’s shown up while you’ve been gone. And if it’s too much, I’ll go easy on you and not make you sing tonight,” she added with a smirk, her teasing tone light but her gaze searching, offering him the space to be honest if he wanted to.

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Astrid + Cole
[info]clearmoon
2025-01-21 10:26 pm UTC (link)
"Yup. No more moshpits and active building sites for me," Cole joked. Fortunately, karaoke was about the extent of the live music he'd been into, so not being able to take Connor with him to watch thrash metal wasn't really a hardship. "You saying my dog is smarter than me, Hakansson?" Letting Astrid spend her attention on Connor, he stepped closer to the bar to order himself a beer. "You might be right." His grades had never been particularly exciting, but if he was the least educated person employed at the hospital, he certainly wasn't the least street smart.

That energy in Astrid's soul was something he hadn't felt in too long, not having bumped into any Norse demigods while he'd been away from Tarrytown. Máni had still paid his annual visits, but there was a difference in intensity between another mortal half-divine and a fully-fledged god. "Chaos is right. I'm home two seconds and Jase is being cryptic about pregnant women living in his guest room." It had never occurred to Cole when he'd left that he'd be gone long enough for an entire pregnancy to happen.

Connor stayed mostly still, tail thumping periodically against the floor as he absorbed everything he could about this new member of Cole's circle. "Get used to that, buddy," Cole warned, smirking, "there's gonna be a lot of women wanting to meet you." He'd already met Jase, of course, but he'd have to get to know Ash and maybe Heidi before too long, not to mention Cole's new roomie.

The question didn't totally surprise him, but he shrugged it off. "I'm really holding up," he insisted. "Just cause I had to learn the difference between hypoglycaemic and hyperglycaemic doesn't mean I'm having an episode every five minutes." He'd mostly got it under control just with injections and monitoring his blood sugar, but the working weird hours threw a spanner into the works. "It was either get a dog or find a nine-to-five. What would you have picked?" he teased. As for not making him sing, Cole raised an eyebrow. "And mortally offend Ash? I know you can take her, but no thanks. She'll pout at me forever."

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Re: Astrid + Cole
[info]sassy_valkyrie
2025-01-23 09:16 pm UTC (link)
Astrid chuckled at Cole’s response, shaking her head as she took a sip of her drink. “You know, it does sound like something I’d say, doesn’t it?” she admitted, her lips twitching into a teasing smirk. “But, you have to admit… he is the one that lets you know when you haven’t taken good enough care of yourself, so… I’m just saying’.” She shot him a warm, amused smile. She would never call Cole stupid. Maybe he wasn’t book smart, well, neither was she, but he wasn’t stupid. Far from it. Teasing him, however, when he had the most adorable companion with him, that was fair game.

Her gaze drifted briefly to Connor, her expression softening at the sight of the dog’s thumping tail. “And anyway, he’s clearly not the only charming one in this duo. You’ve got competition there, though.” She winked, leaning back against the bar as she listened to him talk about Jase and… “Pregnant women?” she asked, her eyebrows shooting up. “Is he running a baby factory or something to have more than one pregnant woman living in his guest room? Or, I don’t know, starting a shelter?”

Her gaze flicked back to him, studying his face as he brushed off her question. She’d expected the shrug – Cole was good at keeping things light when it came to his own challenges – but the smirk that followed told her he wasn’t entirely dodging. “Nine-to-five would’ve driven you crazy,” she said with a grin. “Good call on the dog though. He seems like better company than most people I’ve met, and that’s saying something.” She set her drink down and crossed her arms lightly over her chest, her expression softening into something more thoughtful. “But seriously, I’m glad you’re doing okay. And I mean that. Not just the ‘I can manage’ version, but actually okay.” Her eyes searched his for a moment, and then her lips curved back into a teasing grin. “But if you’re about to get up there and sing, you better have practiced while you were away. I’ve got high expectations, and Ash or no Ash, I will heckle you if you miss a note.” Astrid’s smirk widened, her eyes glinting with playful challenge. Her tone was teasing, but no matter what, she would always have his back.

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Astrid + Cole
[info]clearmoon
2025-01-24 06:46 pm UTC (link)
Cole hadn't thought about it quite that way, brows drawing down at the thought of Connor as another nurse fussing over him. On a purely logical level, he appreciated all the help they'd given him over his brief stay in hospital. On an emotional level, he never wanted to be that helpless again. "Excuse me," he muttered, stripping out of his outdoor jacket to show off some of the muscle he'd built back up in his arms, "I take extremely good care of myself."

His mood lightened as Astrid's teasing moved to how charming Connor was. "Good thing we come as a package deal, then, isn't it?" He'd yet to quite figure out the mechanics of hooking up while he had a dog in tow, but he'd asked the guys running the programme to make sure it was possible. "I honestly don't know," he answered. "Maybe he was just teasing me like I deserve." He had vanished off the face of the planet, he was due some payback from his older cousin. "I can imagine Jase starting a shelter all too easily."

A nine-to-five really would've made Cole feel way too hemmed in. Strangely, shifts he didn't get to decide felt a lot less like demands. "Can't picture myself working in an office," he agreed, "and I couldn't retrain as a PT if it meant stealing work from you." He was teasing, definitely not patient enough of a teacher to handle Astrid's job, even if the gym environment and being able to set his own hours was appealing.

He'd never been a note-perfect singer in his life, but he also didn't care, so he was happy to go along with Astrid's teasing. "I'm thinking Boys are Back in Town might be appropriate. Unless you've got any better ideas."

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Re: Astrid + Cole
[info]sassy_valkyrie
2025-01-24 11:13 pm UTC (link)
Astrid’s grin widened as Cole shrugged out of his jacket, her gaze lingering just long enough to make a point. “Not bad, Winthrop,” she teased, arching a brow. “Okay, alright, I’ll give you that, but only because you’ve clearly been putting in the work.” She winked, her tone playful, though there was a genuine warmth behind her words. Cole had always been solid, but seeing him having regained his confidence and the energy he (now) seemed to have been lacking earlier? That was something she could appreciate.

Her eyes flicked to Connor, then back to Cole, her smirk tuning – if possible – even more playful. “Well, I think he may be the best wingman you’ve ever had,” she chuckled. “I mean, he’s a better ice breaker than a fancy car, and you don’t have to strip down to flex just to catch someone’s attention. Just… take him to the park, and the girls’ll flock around you.” Straightening up, she shook her head. “Honestly? With everything that’s been going on in Tarrytown just this past year, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was running some underground shelter. If you don’t recognize most of the people around you, well, then you’re like everybody else, because it’s insane how many’s moved to town.” Even with her summons seemingly having shot up, this past year it seemed to her that no matter what time it was, there was always some party or event happening, and more often than not, she would meet someone new to the area.

“Stealing work from me?” she repeated, feigning shock as she placed a hand over her heart. “Cole, I’m touched. But let’s be real here. You couldn’t handle my clients.” Her grin turned mischievous at the thought of Cole trying to deal with Sofia Angelov, or Frankie, a newer addition to her client group. “They’d eat you alive and demand seconds.” She tilted her head, giving him a once-over. “I think you’re better suited for that guard job you got there, and then you can come work out with the rest of us in your free time, for your own sake, and no-one else’s.”

At his song suggestion, she laughed outright, the sound light and genuine. “Boys are Back in Town? Oh, that’s almost too perfect.” She paused, a glint of mischief in her eyes. “But if you’re taking requests, how about something else that’s a little too on-the-nose, like… Brown Sugar or… Pour Some Sugar on Me? Ooooor, if you want to try out Connor’s skills as a wingman, why not “Me and You and a Dog Named Boo</i>?” With a smile that was almost too innocently sweet, she took a gentle sip of her drink. “Just saying.”

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Astrid + Cole
[info]clearmoon
2025-01-25 10:26 am UTC (link)
More than anything else, it had been a relief to be able to push through a whole workout again, and Cole had gone a little giddy with it. "I figured I had to try bouldering, given I was living in Boulder," he admitted. Heidi had inspired him, but the activity worked well for his frame, as well as allowing him to push himself knowing there were safety precautions in place. "You got any new tricks up your sleeve?"

Cole had actually taken Connor out to the park during the training they'd shared, and Astrid wasn't wrong. "Guys too," he informed her, grinning. His interests didn't lean in that direction, so he'd had to turn them away, but it entertained him how well it had worked. "What the fuck has been happening that a shelter full of pregnant women doesn't seem weird?" he asked. Jase had given him very few straight answers, but his mom had been a lot more forthcoming, at least about family gossip. Which still left all of the rest of town.

He laughed, holding up his hands in surrender. "And this is why I'm not coming for you and your army of gym bunnies," he agreed. He might be able to knock a few bros heads together, but the ambitious driven type would find him far too insubstantial. As Astrid said, he was better off working security, and he genuinely loved it. "Guard with a guard dog now," he teased, amused by the idea of Connor in the role that ought to belong to some ferocious Rottweiler. "But I'll come be eye candy for you and your clients any time you want."

At first, he honestly couldn't think what else would be on-the-nose except a song about returning: until Astrid started naming songs with 'sugar' in the title. "You're on!" He wouldn't ruin the surprise by telling her which song, though. "But before I go talk to Ash, tell me what's been going on with you."

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Re: Astrid + Cole
[info]sassy_valkyrie
2025-01-28 08:50 pm UTC (link)
Astrid’s grin widened as Cole mentioned bouldering, her brows lifting in curiosity. “Bouldering? That’s impressive,” she said, her tone laced with genuine admiration. “I mean, I’d expect nothing less from you, but still. That’s not exactly easy.” She tilted her head thoughtfully, her smirk turning playful. “As for new tricks, hmm… well, I don’t remember if I added a bit of kickboxing before or after you left, but I’ve been trying out some parkour-inspired training. Also, I’ve spent a lot of time in Valhalla these past six months, well, Fólkvangr, too, but there’s been a lot of sparring with Einherjar.” There was a glint of mischief in her eyes as she added, “Might even surprise you if we spar again.”

Her eyebrows arched at his comment about guys approaching him at the park, and she let out a laugh. “See? Connor’s the ultimate equalizer. Doesn’t matter who you’re into; everyone loves a good boy with a wagging tail. Next, you’ll have the single moms lining up.” She shook her head, still chuckling, before leaning back against the bar. “And as for Tarrytown… honestly? This past year has been wild. People showing up out of nowhere, others vanishing just as quickly. I know, happens all the time, but it has kicked up to an insane rate. Jase might not be running an official shelter, but he’s not the only one who’s been pulling some surprises. I mean, there’s been someone spreading magic during parties, and it feels so much like Freyja’s, only it’s not, but it, well, let’s just say that Ram’s masquerade garden party birthday became a voyeur’s paradise.” Of course, that was probably also what had given her and Michael the final nudge they had needed. “Town’s turned into a magnet for the weird and wonderful… and the not-so-wonderful, I think.”

Her grin returned as he surrendered to her earlier jab about gym clients, and she rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “An army of gym bunnies,” she repeated with a chuckle. “I kinda like it. I mean, Astrid’s Army of Gym Bunnies has a nice ring to it.” Even if she wouldn’t classify any of her clients as a gym bunny. “And hey, I think your ‘guard with a guard dog’ routine fits perfectly. You’ll probably have the actual gym bunnies swooning before they even hit the treadmill.” She took a sip of her drink before adding, “and trust me, you’d be excellent eye candy. I’ll let you know if I ever need encouragement for someone disheartened.”

At his agreement to take on one of the “sugar” songs, her grin turned triumphant, though the hint of mystery in his response made her narrow her eyes at him. “Fine, keep me guessing,” she chuckled.

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Re: Astrid + Cole
[info]sassy_valkyrie
2025-01-28 08:50 pm UTC (link)
When he asked about her, though, her expression softened, the playful edge giving way to something quieter, more thoughtful, tender almost, yet with the haunted look of the increasingly harder collections she had carried out. “I…” she started, her eyebrows drawing together as she tried to figure out how to sum up the past couple of years. “I’m not even sure where to start, Cole,” she admitted looking up at him. “I mean, I’m not even sure I understand half of it myself, but… from the start? Freyja gave me this for my birthday,” she pulled the small, gold teardrop that hung from her necklace out and showed it to Cole. “That was her way of saying that The One for me was now in the world,” and that sent me in a tailspin… so much so that I actually fled back to Phoenicia for a week after the most amazing man kissed me after I’d spent three months worried about making a move because he was…” She chuckled, the flush of an unusual shyness heated her cheeks as she looked down. “I can’t even explain, other than he’s Michael, he’s a Greek demigod and he teaches music at the high school, and everything with him has been so unlike anything else I’ve ever tried. And the collections this past year has just been… more and more they just get to me. I mean, the brutality, the unfairness, the whole situation that the warriors I’m collecting are victims who fought back, in suburbia, thousands of miles from an actual battlefield. And I don’t know if they’re actually getting harder or if it’s because of Michael, that I have started dreading seeing that Rune appear, because I never feel ready to go…” her voice tapered off, and not for the first time she felt that handing in her swan cloak might be the right thing to do, but doing so felt like a betrayal of a promise she had made to Ram and Joe. She couldn’t do it. Not just yet.

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Astrid + Cole
[info]clearmoon
2025-02-04 06:25 pm UTC (link)
Cole had assumed that Tarrytown was carrying on as normal without him. Oh, he'd known that people might get into or end relationships, that was part of life, but that the people he cared for had gone through life-changing things like pregnancy and finding 'The One' was a lot more to deal with than he'd expected. "Isn't that... nice?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. A soulmate certainly wasn't something he was looking for, but if his dad wanted to come down and tell him there was one he couldn't deny that he'd be curious. "Why the tailspin?"

Astrid's description of Michael wasn't clearing things up, but her detour into her collections made it easier to understand why she didn't sound happy about it. "Would an actual battlefield be better?" he asked. Cole might not be military, but in his line of work he knew a lot of veterans. "If war was ever honourable and fair and civilised, it hasn't been since 1914. And that's a big 'if'." He wasn't convinced that collections from an actual battlefield would leave Astrid's heart any lighter.

He reached out to give her shoulder a squeeze. Regardless of what type of collection it was, or how involved Michael was in her feelings, that dread was entirely explicable. "I'm guessing you can't just take a break?"

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Re: Astrid + Cole
[info]sassy_valkyrie
2025-02-08 09:28 pm UTC (link)
Astrid huffed out a soft laugh at Cole’s raised eyebrow, shaking her head slightly. “Nice,” she echoed, her lips quirking wryly. “Yeah, I guess it’s supposed to be. Like… the ultimate cosmic reassurance, right? ‘The One’ is out there, pre-packaged and waiting, just add existential dread.” She shrugged, trying to keep the tone light, but her fingers fidgeted slightly with the pendant resting against her chest. “The tailspin was more about what it meant. You spend your life, thinking you’re in control, making your own choices, like the choice to continue eating Idunn’s apples, and then BAM! Goddes-given destiny wrapped in gold. It felt like a verdict, not a gift. And there was someone else, too, at the time, so how could I possibly pick? And what if it was neither of them? But that didn’t feel right either. Add to that the whole being immortal while staying in Odin’s service, and knowing that you ‘The One’ is mortal….”

She shifted, letting his words about battlefields sink in, her gaze dropping to the rim of her glass. “No,” she admitted softly, “I don’t think it would be better. You’re right, war hasn’t been fair or noble for a long time. Maybe ever.” Her fingers traced the condensation on the glass absentmindedly. “But there’s something about suburbia, you know? Soccer fields, convenience stores, front porches with holiday decorations… it feels like violent deaths shouldn’t belong there. But they do. It just feels enhanced, when you have to collect the soul of a thirteen year old girl, who was only holding her weapon when she died, because the glass figurine she used to defend her younger siblings from an abusive stepfather, broke and embedded itself into her hand… and you’re surrounded by manicured lawns and white picket fences.” She sighed. “Maybe that’s the part that gets to me. The contrast. The fragility of it all. The fact that it keeps me away from Michael who, unlike me, doesn’t have an option for living eternally.”

When he reached out and squeezed her shoulder, she managed a small, grateful smile, the warmth of his gesture grounding her. She shook her head slightly at his question. “Not really. Valkyries don’t get PTO.” There was a faint attempt at humor in her voice, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It’s not like I can just… hand in my cloak and take a sabbatical. It’s part of me. It’s how I’ve lived more than half of my life. The Rune shows up when it shows up, whether I’m ready or not.” She glanced at him, her smile softening. “But having someone to come back to… friends… Michael… it makes it easier. Even if it makes leaving harder… and I am always, always terrified of what I might bring home with me.”

She paused for a beat, then added, “It’s why I’m glad you’re back, Cole. You’re part of that ‘coming back to’ thing, too. “She gave his hand a quick, appreciative squeeze before pulling back slightly, her grin returning with a more familiar, playful edge. “Now, enough of this sappy crap. Go pick your song. I need to know just how bad you’re going to butcher Def Leppard.”

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Astrid + Cole
[info]clearmoon
2025-02-09 11:34 am UTC (link)
It was a lot of catching-up to do very fast; he had to take Astrid at her word that 'The One' was mortal, not sure how she knew that, but it hardly seemed worth doubting when she was so sure. "Okay, that sucks," he agreed. Presumably 'The One' meant just one, and then the rest of an immortal life without them. "It doesn't mean nobody else will ever be good, though. Just that nobody else will ever be the best." He shrugged, trying to think of a decent comparison. "The Bills are the best NFL team, but I still enjoy watching the Chiefs play the Dolphins, you know?"

Yeah, he could see how picket fences and teenage girls were worse than dusty landscapes and enlisted soldiers. "It would still be part of you if you stopped." Something like that, even if it was in the past, would always shape you. "You just can't let it be all of you." That would drive anyone less than 100 per cent divine crazy. "Sounds like Michael helps with that and doesn't, all at once." He raised his eyebrows at her. "Not worrying about my health is how I lived all of my life until two years ago. Sometimes things change, Hakansson. How would you live if you weren't a Valkyrie?"

After a sombre nod, his expression lightened too. "I'll be even more distracting to come back to with this one." He glanced down at here Connor was still bright-eyed and taking in everything that happened around him. "And at least let me finish my drink before I get up there!"

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Re: Astrid + Cole
[info]sassy_valkyrie
2025-02-09 08:47 pm UTC (link)
Astrid snorted at his NFL comparison, shaking her head with an amused smirk. “Did you really just compare soulmates to football teams, Winthrop?” She gave him a playful nudge with her elbow. “That might be the most ‘you’ thing you’ve ever said. But… fair point. I mean, it’s a shitty point, but technically fair.”

She let his words about not letting the Valkyrie role be all of her sink in, her smile softening slightly, because it was pretty much what she and Michael had talked about, wasn’t it? She still wasn’t sure she could continue, but she didn’t feel now was the right time to hang up the cloak… which reminded her she needed to check in with Ram and Joe soon, just to hear if they had come up with a solution. Until then, it felt wrong for her to give up this special connection she had to the dead, on the off-chance that maybe, just maybe, it could help Joe… one way or the other. “Yeah, Michael helps with that. And yeah, sometimes he makes it worse, though not on purpose, simply by… existing. Like… he makes me want things I never thought I’d care about, which is both amazing and infuriating.” She gave a half-laugh, rubbing the back of her neck. “But you’re right. Things change. I just… I’ve been a Valkyrie longer than I’ve done anything else. It’s what… I don’t know. If I wasn’t that…” She paused, genuinely considering it for a beat. “I don’t know. Maybe I’d open a gym called ‘Astrid’s Army of Gym Bunnies’. Train suburban moms to throw punches and deadlift their minivans.” Yes, she was joking, but what she had just told Cole about the teenaged girl she had collected, a small voice in the back of her mind asked if training girls and women in a safe environment, how to not just feel, but get strong, and how to defend themselves, wasn’t a worthy reason to hand back her swan cloak?

Pushing that thought aside, she flashed him a grin, and reached down to scritch Connor behind the ear, deliberately shifting the mood. “But you’re right, having you back helps, too. You and this furry distraction of yours.” She looked adoringly at Conner before looking back at Cole. “Alright, I guess you can finish your drink, just no backing out, Winthrop, and then I need you to change the topic for me, because, in here these days?” She said gesturing to her own head with a flutter of her fingers. “Is a scary vortex of emotions, battle plans, filthy thoughts about a hot music teacher, training schedules, and meal plans.”

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Astrid + Cole
[info]clearmoon
2025-02-11 04:54 pm UTC (link)
"Hey!" Cole objected. "I am more committed to my NFL team than I have ever been to any woman." Given who his parents were, Cole defaulted to a belief in the more unproven supernatural things like soulmates, he just had absolutely no idea what that would look like for him. "If it sounded like a shitty point, I must not have said it right." Genuinely, he'd been trying to be reassuring, however much he'd failed. "Even if only one thing can ever be the best, all the second-best shit is still pretty fucking good, right? It won't ever be the same, but it's not like your whole world is going to plunge into darkness forever." He gave her a look that plainly hoped he'd made himself clearer this time around.

He huffed, pretending impatience with her incomplete sentences. "Figure out what comes after 'If I wasn't that then'," he suggested. "I don't mean right now." Taking half a step back, he gave her an assessing sort of gaze. "You've got at least another three months of drama in you before it drives you crazy," he teased. "You don't need to make any decisions until at least my birthday." He grinned, well aware she didn't actually measure her time according to his happy returns. "Drop the 'gym bunnies' and just call them Astrid's Army," he advised. "Way cooler. You could invent your own martial art." Astrid had the skills to do so. "Or settle down and become a suburban mom. Or both!" As if to show her all the possibilities open to her, he spread one hand out wide.

"When have I ever backed out of karaoke?" he demanded. "Obviously, when I come back the topic will be how amazing I am, and also how many people were watching me. If you're all loved up with The One then the least you can do is be my wingwoman." He was kidding, not quite ready to handle the complications that Connor introduced to the prospect of taking someone to bed for the night. Besides, he didn't even have a bed right now. Jase wouldn't care, but Cole preferred to figure it all out in a place he was paying rent towards.

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Re: Astrid + Cole
[info]sassy_valkyrie
2025-02-15 04:45 pm UTC (link)
Astrid let out a short breath – not quite a laugh, not quite a sigh – as she considered Cole’s words. He wasn’t wrong. As much as the idea of The One had thrown her for a loop when she first received Freyja’s gift, she’d long since accepted that Michael was it for her. The certainty of it had settled into her bones, and deeper yet into her heart, even if the reality of what it meant was still something she was coming to terms with.

“I think that’s what scared me the most at first,” she admitted, swirling the remaining liquid in her glass. “Not just knowing it was him, but what it meant. That there wouldn’t be anyone like him, ever again. That no matter what happens, he’s it.” She huffed a soft laugh, shaking her head. “But you’re right. Just because nothing else will be the best doesn’t mean it won’t be good. It’s just… when you know you’re going to outlive the best thing that’s ever happened to you, it changes how you look at time.”

It wasn’t regret, not anymore. Just an awareness – on that made her want to hold onto every second she had with Michael. And that was what made leaving so damn hard. Then again, if she chose to hang up her swan cloak, then everything would be different.

At Cole’s teasing about figuring out what came after Valkyrie, she smirked, shaking her head. “Oh yeah, I’ll just slot that in between my meal prep and existential dread,” she quipped. But the idea wasn’t a bad one. If she walked away from collecting, she’d need something else. She had too much energy – too much purpose – to just stop.

When he suggested Astrid’s Army as a name, she let out a bark of laughter. “Yeah, no, thanks,” she said, grinning. “That’s how I get put on a watchlist. I’d rather not have the FBI show up at my gym thinking I’m training a militia.” She tapped a thoughtful finger against her glass, her grin softening. “But the idea? Not bad. Helping people, especially girls and women, learn how to fight back? That’s worth doing, isn’t it?” Hanging up her swan cloak meant that she wouldn’t be collecting souls forever, but maybe she could make a difference before violence ever got that far?

At his declaration that he never backed out of karaoke, she arched a brow, smirking. “I respect the commitment. And fine, I’ll be your wingwoman. So you go up there, give it your all, and then we’ll make a battleplan for how to find the woman of your dreams. Plan?”

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Astrid + Cole
[info]clearmoon
2025-02-16 09:20 am UTC (link)
Cole had never been immortal, nor had any shot at it. What little he could tell from meeting his dad and stories of the other gods was that they handled romance in just as many different ways as humans did. Máni had genuine affection for Tricia, but he neither wanted nor needed to spend any more time with her. "I would've thought starting to eat the apples would've changed how you look at time already," Cole pointed out. "You know what they say, the only constant is change and we're human enough to adapt to that."

He laughed, following it with a swig of his drink. "Replace the existential dread," he recommended. "It's not useful. Any time you find yourself freaking out about time, distract yourself by thinking of what you'd do if you weren't." It was as neat a piece of advice as Cole could give for a situation he could never truly wrap his head around.

Rolling his eyes, he nudged Astrid with his shoulder. "They're not going to think you're training a militia. People use military names all the fucking time for much stupider shit. If the Salvation Army are okay, I think you'll be just fine." Watching her look turn thoughtful, Cole nodded. "It's worth doing. I bet there's some women's shelters nearby you could team up with, offering them classes or demonstrations." Even Tarrytown wasn't completely safe from that kind of societal problem - but at least there was a little more help available than in some parts of the world. "And I've got the numbers of a dozen bouncers - men and women - who might want to help." You saw some shit working security, Cole didn't doubt he could find a team of people who'd just love to teach those women who watched their drunken partners with wary eyes what to do about it.

Cole wasn't looking for 'the woman of his dreams'. He didn't even know what that would be. "Let's start with the woman of right now. You wouldn't believe how long it's been; I need to get back into practice."

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Re: Astrid + Cole
[info]sassy_valkyrie
2025-02-16 06:23 pm UTC (link)
Astrid huffed out a soft laugh, shaking her head. “You’d think, right?” she mused, swirling the last remnants of her drink. “But there’s a difference between knowing you have all the time in the world and knowing that the most important person in it doesn’t.” She tilted her head, giving Cole a wry look. “Besides, I was twenty-five when I started eating the apples, and barely six years of that hardly makes me look young for my age.” Her smirk softened as she let out a breath. “But you’re right. We adapt. We always do.”

His suggestion to replace existential dread with something useful earned him an amused snort. “If it were that easy, I’d have done it already. In my defense, it’s only been since May, so… I’m still learning.” Her lips curved into a teasing smirk. “Still… getting used to it, I think, and I think you’ve simply returned while I was right in the middle of figuring out what to do.”

She nudged him back when he rolled his eyes at her militia joke, smirking as he made his case. “Okay, fine, you might have a point. But if I end up on some government watchlist, I’m blaming you.” His next words, though, made her pause, the teasing glint in her eyes shifting into something more thoughtful. Women’s shelters. It was an obvious connection, but she hadn’t considered it in the same way before. Training women in general, giving them a safe space to work out and get fit? Yeah, that had always appealed to her. But actively helping those who needed it most? That hit different. “That’s… actually a really good idea,” she admitted, glancing at him with something close to admiration. “You know, for a guy who claims not to be interested in getting involved in other people’s shit, you sure do have some great ideas for how to do it. Of course, then I’d definitely need a different name than Astrid’s Army. It’d need to be something completely innocuous, but that’s… not now.”

She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “Go up there, sing the hell out of it, and we’ll find you a sweet beginner-level romance to get you back on track, okay?”

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Astrid + Cole
[info]clearmoon
2025-02-16 10:23 pm UTC (link)
"So focus on the time he has got," Cole suggested, not convinced that most people wanted all the time in the world. Even if you could keep all your loved ones with you, eternity was just too fucking long. "And then you adapt after. Find some other people who've been through it." Cole wouldn't be around, but he knew of several longer-lived people in Tarrytown who might have thoughts.

Cole raised an eyebrow. "Maybe you would have, but plenty of people don't do the obvious easy thing." They overthought, convincing themselves first one way then another. Cole had seen it up close. "Sometimes you need the asshole friend to come in and tell you point blank." He waved a hand at himself, happy to take on the role of friendly, forthright asshole. "But fine, you can get used to it for a while. Just not as long as two years or I get to start mocking you."

Snorting, he shook his head. "This isn't 'getting involved'. This is just shooting the shit with a friend, and I'm always happy to do that." His expression stretched into a grin, hint of his old cockiness in the tilt of his lips. "Odds are six to five you don't listen to a word I say anyway," he teased, not really believing it. Astrid would listen. Whether she would actually take any of his thoughts to heart remained to be seen.

'Sweet' and 'romance' were not at all what Cole thought he was looking for. "Don't tell me this 'The One' thing has turned you into someone who can't help me get laid unless it's going to involve rose petals and chocolate-covered strawberries," he huffed.

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Re: Astrid + Cole
[info]sassy_valkyrie
2025-02-20 08:21 pm UTC (link)
Astrid let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head. “You know, Cole, for someone who’s never been immortal, you sure have a lot of advice on the subject,” she teased, her eyes glinting with amusement. “But you’re right. Focusing on the time we have is… well…” She smiled. “That’s what I’m doing, and…” She stopped herself, before her thoughts would take her on yet another detour. “I collected the soul of a Valkyrie the night before Freyja gave me this. She had… she’d been given a tear as well, and when she met him, she handed in her cloak. The way she spoke, Cole, it was amazing. She’d had this amazing life with the man that was for her. They’d started a family, and they’d had nearly eighty years together.” Looking up at him, meeting his gaze straight on she nodded. “I’m not scared of that. And honestly? I can’t tell you what scares me in all of this, other than letting Freyja down, because yes, I’m freaking out over it, because it’s big, so maybe I’m just venting. It is a big step, but not one I’m not willing to take, just… not right now, but that doesn’t have anything to do with Michael. It has to do with a promise I made to a… well, a friend.” Joe was a friend, right? Well, Ram was her friend, there was no doubt about that. “But that is a complicated story that I’m not even sure I can tell you about, because it’s not my story to tell. What I can say, though, is that if it comes to it, they’ll need all the help they can get, and what if it fails because I’m no longer a Valkyrie?” Even if the chances of her being able to help out with anything other than emotional support, the thought that her creating that distance to the gods could jeopardize Joe’s chance of breaking his curse made her sick to her stomach.

She raised an eyebrow at his self-proclaimed role as the “asshole friend,” a grateful smirk tugging at her lips. “If I take two years to figure this out, you have my full permission to mock me relentlessly,” she chuckled. “Like I said, I think I’m just… freaking out about that first step.

At his huff about “The One” turning her into a hopeless romantic, she laughed outright. “Please. Just because I’ve found my person doesn’t mean I’ve gone soft. But you’ve been out of the game for a while, so I figured you needed something gentle and special.” Her eyes were dancing with mirth. “But, hey, if you really want to load on the weights and go full-out one nighter, then I’m sure we can find you someone here who appreciates you… unique charm.”

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Astrid + Cole
[info]clearmoon
2025-02-20 09:38 pm UTC (link)
Cole shrugged, toying with Connor's lead. "Not much point me sitting here and saying 'Wow, Astrid, I don't know'. Even if I'm 100 per cent wrong about all of it, at least I gave you something to correct. Besides, you're immortal, but you're still younger than me!" It would be different trying to give advice to Bea. Which wasn't to say that Cole wouldn't; what he'd said about the uselessness of saying nothing still held. Frankly, in Astrid's position, Cole might've refused to hand in his cloak out of pure contrariness - at least for a little while. Given she was worrying about letting Freyja down, it didn't seem to be Astrid's motivation. When her story diverted off into something about a friend that she couldn't tell him, Cole huffed. "For right now, I'm going to assume that's not just an excuse." Mostly because he didn't think he had another long, complicated story about immortality and the supernatural and souls in him tonight. "Have you talked to them about needing to make a decision?"

Smirking back, Cole pointed out, "We both know I'll mock you relentlessly anyway." Mock wasn't really the right word, it was more giving people a hard time, usually with good motives. At least, for the people Cole actually liked, and Astrid was one of those.

"We are on very different wavelengths," he informed her. "You think being out of the game means I need something special, whereas I think being out of it means I need something absolutely meaningless that I can't fuck up and can't fuck me up too badly." Special was for other people. If Cole got a friend out of it, he considered that a one-night-stand well spent. "Okay, I'm going to go talk to Ash. How much you want to bet that she guilts me into a second song before I've even told her what my first one is?"

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