Who: Grog and Nora Valkyrie When: Early August, before he dreamed. Where: A cafe What: Nora shows Grog her hammer. Rating/Warnings: Low/None Status: Complete!
Grog smiled as he stepped into the cafe, looking around for Nora. He was early because that was what he did, really, always. But he also was curious, unable to think, and wanting to believe what that nice woman had told him. He carried his messenger bag on his hip, the strap across his chest, as he stepped into line, still looking around. A few minutes later, he had his coffee and a couple of danishes, and was looking for Nora in earnest.
Hopefully, they would meet, talk and she could show him the hammer, and his mind would be blown.
***
Nora was in a bit of a rush. She’d been afraid to bring the hammer on the bus, so she had to walk to the cafe from her place. After realizing she was running a little late, she picked up the pace. By the time she reached the cafe, she was a little breathless, and nervous that she might have missed the guy she was meeting. Internet guy. Nice internet guy. She glanced around, wondering which one he was.
***
“Nora?” Grog rose, comparing the young woman to a picture he had blown up from the Valarnet. He chuckled, for he had been just feet away and rising, he was nearly face to face with her. “I’m Grog Strongjaw. Nice to meet you face to face.” he offered her his hand in greeting.
Afterward, he waved at the table he had been sitting at, which was tucked into the wall a little. “Join me?”
***
Nora perked up a little at the sound of her name, then shook the other man’s hand. Grog Strongjaw. Sounded like he should have been a dwarf with a battleax. But Nora wasn’t judging! It was an awesome name!
“It’s nice to meet you, Grog!” She said, releasing his hand. “Yeah! Let’s sit.” She brought her hammer with her, the massive hammer/gun. It was wrapped up and folded in on itself, so it looked almost like a skinny, pink-and-silver drum under her arm than anything else.
“So, tell me about this chicken salad?” Nora beamed.
***
“Nice to meet you, too.” He smiled to her, and eyes the thing, then grinned at her. “It is the most amazing chicken salad ever. It is filled with chickeny bits and eggy bits and a crisp sauce and it is very yummy.”
He grinned at her wider.
“Want to try some?”
***
“Heck yes I do.” Nora said. She settled into the booth, Magnhild resting on the seat beside her. “I just happened to arrive this afternoon with a huge appetite. So let’s get it going.”
***
Grog ordered the food, and sat back, grinning at her as she spoke. “While we wait for it to be delivered, How’ve you been?” It would not take long, he knew, but he was curious about this strange woman. “Hammer working okay?”
***
“Pretty good! I mean, I’m getting used to this Dreaming business, which is totally crazy and awesome at the same time.” Nora gave a nose-crinkling grin. “Yes! I mean, I haven’t had much chance to use it so far…”
She glanced over at the man opposite her. “Do you have Dreams? What are they about?”
***
Grog smiled and listened, then spoke as she asked him about dreams. “Just started them. In them, I’m this goliath creature, a giant being with a little less up in the brain, and bald. In a barbarian horde that wanders around. Only my dream self is a touch more compassionate than the rest of them, and saved a guy, a small gnome, who was being beaten up and got beaten up bad in turn. My second dream showed that my dream self survived due to the gnome’s relative, a cleric to some god or other, coming and healing him. It’s pretty crazy.”
He smiled at her.
***
“A barbarian horde, huh?” Nora asked, listening with rapt attention. “And a gnome. Sounds like you live in World of Warcraft world or something.” She liked stuff that was full of fantasy and magic, orcs and trolls. It was an escape to think about being Frodo and Sam on the way up Mount Doom, or Harry and Hermione getting their letter to Hogwarts. Nora suspected her Dreams were a lot like that--or would be, to someone on the outside. Battling Grim and hunting monsters. And her hammer was pretty fantastic, wasn’t it?
“So, you’re a healer?”
***
“Me? No. The gnome’s granddaughter was. She healed him, and me, as well. She was and is a mighty one, despite being so small.” He slipped slightly into his dream self’s accent for a moment, then shook his head and was back.
“And yes, the whole thing is like some epic fantasy story. But me, I’m more of a barbarian fighter, i think, in the dreams.”
***
“That’s super cool! I mean, I’d love to be a witch or a wizard or something, but being a barbarian sounds pretty awesome, too!” She patted her hand on the hammer sitting beside her on the bench. “I’m good with this, though. This is pretty much all I’ve ever wanted!”
***
“Yeah? That looks amazing. I know Dream me would love something like that. I’ve always been more of a scholar, myself, right, but in my dreams, scholarship is far from my dream self’s mind.” He nodded and smiled, settling back, enjoying the visit.
“Thanks for meeting me. I can always use more friends.”