Clarice is working with portals (lostinexile) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-07-30 01:01:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, clarice ferguson (blink), illyana rasputin (magik), thor odinson |
It's called the Tallus.
Who: Clarice and Thor,also Illyana
What: Meetings of old friends, and then the tallus shows up
When: Recently
Where: a cafe
status: complete
Rating: PG-13ish
Thor smiled as he stepped up to approach Clarice. The cafe, a nice place to meet, was as always a little busy. He approached his friend and hugged her close, not shy of it at all. “Hello, my friend.”
He eyed her with warmth and welcome.
Clarice hugged him tight, then let go and grinned at him. “Hey you. It’s been way too long. We need to get out more.”
“We should. I’ve fond memories of talking to you, and of the Hollywood sign.” His eyes danced at her. “How have you been?”
He gestured to a nearby table, her favored drink from their last time’s meeting waiting there with his own.
“Oh, I haven’t had this in awhile..” Clarice picked up the drink as she sank into the seat with unconscious grave. “I’ve been...well not as good as I’d like, but not as bad as it could be.” She smiled wryly. “The theater is doing well. Things are mostly good at home. I’ve just been getting repeats of my bad dreams. I don’t know if you saw my network post or not. I did do it kind of late in the evening. On purpose. But I needed to get it out. I’m usually...very secretive about that sort of thing.” She was pretty grateful only one person had responded, actually.
Thor nodded to her, and his eyes darkened, and he nodded. Dark dreams are not so good. Not so fun. “I didn’t, I fear. I was out of town for some large part of this last month, and missed a lot of the network activity. I’m sorry.”
He captured one of her hands, and hmmed. “That bad a dream, to bring such a post?”
“Just a repeat of the worse ones. I... well I decided to just share my dream life story, minus one or two details too personal to share,” Clarice shrugged a shoulder. She’d started with the Slave Pen,minus the Sugarman, and worked her way to the last of her dreams. “I decided I couldn’t keep it in any more. It wasn’t healthy.
Thor nodded.”More than likely a good choice. I’m sorry it drags out dark memories.” He squeezed her hand, and nodded. “You are as brave now as you have ever been, to my eyes.”
“I’ll get over it.” Clarice smiled at him. The next words came as a surprise even to her. “I feel like I don’t belong, sometimes. Or maybe I just miss the people from my dreams. I don’t know. I’m not a leader here, their lives don’t hinge on my orders...I thought I’d be happy without that pressure. I don’t know if I am. I just know I miss them. I have good friends, here, a wonderful lover...”
“Then perhaps the time has come to seek out who you are. Many cultures believe in vision quests, quests for personal meaning. If you are not who you were in your dreams, then maybe it is time to truly seek out who you are here.” He nodded to her.
“It is sometimes not easy to reconcile the two worlds.”
“The scary part is I’d have to do that alone. I don’t entirely mind. It might help me accept some things that I’ve been in denial about...” The more she thought about it the more she liked the idea.
Thor smiled. “But remember this. You are never truly alone, and if you ever need, no matter when or where, you merely need call my name, and aid will come.” He nodded and lightning crackled across his eyes for a moment, as thunder rolled in a clear sky, and was gone.
There were days she wished she’d... you know... But they were pretty rare, and she was proud of herself for ignoring rampant hormones. She wasn’t sure she could have remained his friend if they had had sex. “It’s a great thing, that. I don’t deserve it.”
Thor had thought of that. He knew he could still be her friend, but he knew many woman could not hold that line. “Yes you do. You are my friend, and have been so through some interesting times. You were there for me in a darker hour, Clarice, and I shall never forget it.” He nodded to her, eyes warm.
“I’ll be there whenever you need it. If you just need to talk, or whatever. It’s … good to have someone to lay it out on.” Clarice smiled at him. “Because some things you can’t always share with your partner.”
“Very true.” Thor smiled to her. “Sometimes, you need a best friend who is not your significant other.” He knew this well.
“Exactly! It’s why I don’t really get that jealous when Illyana flirts with Kitty. They’re close, but I know I’m safe.” She winked at him.
"She loves you a great deal." Thor smiled. Hs nodded. "I talked to her recently. She did not stop talking to you all the while."
That made Clarice’s skin flare pinker. “Yeah? What did she say?” She poked him in the arm. “Share, Thor.”
“She talked about how cute you are, and how much she loves you, and the expressions you get when you are indignant, embarrassed, and concentrating. Apparently those are her favorites apart from the one you make when you orgasm.” Thor had no problem telling Clarice that, since he had been told it.
Embarrassed and indignant were the expressions that crossed Clarice’s face just then, and she folded her arms and looked amused-yet-annoyed. “Silly woman. She should know when she gets flustered she’s the most adorable person alive.”
Thor laughed. “That is between the two of you. I managed to distract her before she continued her rhapsody on how much she adored the way you held her and the look of your chest...” He chuckled.
She looked down at her chest. “One thing I’m not self-conscious about, really. Still worry about my skin, sometimes, but nowhere near the way I used to. Thanks in part to you.”
Thor eyed her chest, then nodded. He was married, not dead. He could admire, even if he still thought Natasha was the hottest thing on the Earth, a small part of him knew this was mostly subjective. Okay, partially so, anyway. “Good. You are a beautiful woman and if I have helped at all for you to feel that, then I am glad.” It did him good to know he had helped at all.
Clarice gave him a wink, and didn’t really mind. It was a little funny, actually. She’d practically invited him to look. “Do you know a good place to get a ring?”
Thor smiled at her, and nodded at the wink and the look on her face. They were perhaps far better as friends. and he was glad to know her and have her around. “I do, in fact. I am working with a metalcrafter, and he is making me a ring or two, and I could be persuaded to have him make you one as well.” He smirked. “It would be one of three in all the world like it. Or four, if you want one for yourself as well.” Made of Uru metal.
"I kind of want something with an old Russian motif...but I don't want you to go out of your way, or anything like that." Clarice shook her head. She rubbed at her arm as it started to itch. "Although..."
He smirked at her. “It should be possible. Do you have any ideas as to specifics?” He was willing to help a friend, any time.
“I’m afraid I don’t really know enough about Russia. But some kind of..design for the ...thing that holds the gem? And some kind of gem common to Russia. It doesn’t have to be rare, just associated.” She rubbed a hand over the top of her head.
There was a flash of light, and then an object appeared on her right wrist. Gold and larger than most watches, there was a gigantic red gem or crystal centered on it. Clarice looked at it with familiar horror.
“No..oh no...not this. Don’t you even...” She blinked it away, and it reappeared a moment later.
Thor did what Thor would do, and grabbed hold of it, then, to see if he could break it off of her with Godly strength. “What is it?”
"It's called the Tallus. It's the...communications device from my dreams. Where all our orders came from! It's like a shackle." The tallus creaked, but didn't seem to budge. "It's got a magic all it's own..."
“Damn it.” He swore and then concentrated. and a jolt stabbed into the thing, attuned to Clarice so it could not hurt her. “Then we had best call on the magical to get rid of it.” He glanced at her and then spoke the name. “Illyana?”
Clarice tried to blink it away, and this time it appeared on her left wrist. She sounded a little panicked. "I'm not going back. I won't go back. Not even to see my friends."
“Then call Illyana and I will do my best to make sure it doesn’t hurt you or anyone else.:” And his Godly aspect rolled over him, as the lights dimmed, and Mjolnir appeared in his other hand as he held the Tallus and her wrist in the other and brought Mjolnir closer to the device.
Clarice reached for her phone to text Illyana, even as she seriously considered removing her entire arm.
Mjolnir touched the other thing, the metal and he willed it to strike, to send all it’s power against the bracelet, to try to stop it.
Even so, Ilyana was humming as she did dishes, clad in her boy-shorts and big t-shirt, dancing as she did so, her phone nearby..
The Tallus flashed away. This time it seemed to be gone, but before Clarice could let out a breath, it returned. She texted furiously. She wondered if it was a new Tallus.
>> Help
>> something stuck to my wrist
Thor swore, and continued trying, bending his will, and drawing his power in, as the lights went dimmer.
Illyana snatched up her phone, read the lines and then vanished, white light swallowing her. The next moment, she appeared in the cafe, sword in hand, eyes bright, still clad as she had been, and next to Clarice. She stared down at the item. “What the hells is that?”
She kissed Clarice, as she stared.
"It's called the Tallus." Clarice grit her teeth as the wrist device seemed to warp and twist under the powerful onslaught from Thor. It sparked, burning Clarice's arm, but she ignored it. "Don't stop."
Thor brought up Mjolnir as he lifted her arm and pressed it against it. Even as she spoke, Illyana brought up her soulsword and pressed the tip against the other side. “Let go.” Her voice was almost husky with menace and her face contorted as power flowed through her and through the sword, against the Tallus. She reached out for Clarice’s hand, even as THor did for her other hand, and they stood, three united against that thing that held her fiance hostage.
Clarice closed her eyes and willed all of her power into sending the Tallus away. Anywhere away from here. She let their weapons charge through her. When she blinked the Tallus away the building they were in shook, glasses and windows rattling, thunder crashing outside.
And this time, the Tallus did not return.
She sank back into the booth and let out a frazzled laugh.
Thor sighed and let his power fade, once more looking normal, and sank next to her and Illyana, short of breathe suddenly, joined them, at Clarice’s side. Then stared at Thor. “Oh.”
Thor blinked and raised a hand as he felt something hit his shirt, and realized... his nose was bleeding, just a little. He stared. “Huhn.”
“I hope it’s gone,” Clarice said, looking at Thor worriedly. “When..dealing with the Crystal Palace and the Tallus, it’s...not...it’s outside time. The whole thing is outside time.”
Thor nodded, pressed a napkin to his nose, then nodded. Hm. “Then we need someone who knows time. And space. I do not know any such myself, I fear.”
Illyana shook her head and snuggled close to Clarice. the after effects leaving her cold.
Clarice put her arms around Illyana and squeezing her tightly. “I can’t think of anyone off hand. Just my own experiences and for most of that we weren’t even in control. Even when we were in control we didn’t fully understand it. Time itself is so messed up that even when we fixed a timeline it would alter the very history of the palace, too. And I’m linked to that place. This only proves it. It’ll call me back eventually.”
She swallowed. She’d just have to face it eventually. “But I won’t let it keep me when that happens.”
“If we must face that it will bring you back, then we must be ready for that and make sure you do not go back alone.” Illyana nodded, eyes fierce as she sat up.”And then we bring it down around it’s ears.”
Thor nodded. “If it be war, then we must needs be ready to wage it.” He put a gentle hand on Clarice’s shoulder.
Clarice wasn't sure if she'd call it a war. Could you war with a place? A physical representation of time? The beings there maybe, if there were anyway, though the 'bugs' had been relatively benign. She shuddered inwardly at the idea Proteus or Hyperion might somehow be in charge.
"We can't destroy it. I don't know what the consequences would be of destroying the one place where all universes meet. We could snuff out whole realities. This one. The ones we dream about. Who knows? I just want to be free of it." She leaned into Thor’s touch.
Illyana smiled, hmming. “Are we sure that is what it is?” Maybe it was only one joining of one group, and if so, maybe it could be... shifted. Maybe. She hmmed more as she snuggled against Clarice, and incidentally, against Thor. Thor had shifted, and now hugged them both, gently. “Then we must make you free, Clarice. Somehow.”
"If anyone could do it, I think you both could," she murmured closing her eyes with a sigh. She wasn't sure what she'd have done if they hadn't been there. Ported her arm off, maybe. “Thanks.”
Illyana smiled softly and kissed Clarice’s nose, then nodded. “What else are we to do, love? We care.” And Thor nodded, giving them both a hug then. Then he grinned. “I suggest we get real food, and then I can see you two home, the leisurely way, yes?”
“That sounds good to me!” Clarice nuzzled them both. She was lucky. Very, very lucky to have friends like these.