12331/Resonants: Alfheim Side Story Pt. 2

Resonants: Alfheim Side Story Pt. 2
Date of Scene:	07 August 2022
Location:	Alfheim, Fortress Featherwine
Synopsis:	The team compare notes after a few days work.
Cast of Characters:	Sif, Zatanna Zatara, Thor
Tinyplot:	Resonants

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Sif has posed:
The dinner had been magnificent. The visitors had regrouped in the dining hall, able to socialize with many of the residents of this amazing realm. Everything one could imagine, and a few things that were suprisingly actually food though they didn't appear to be, were offered. The experience was once in a lifetime. Well, if they had only stayed the one night. But they had been here for two such meals now and it was simply astonishing.

Now the dinner was over though, allowing them to wander as they chose. Some opted for the library. Others wanted to explore. Sif? She simply wanted some time away from the careful choices of words and phrasing required when exposed to so many of the fae.

She was dressed in an Alfheim gown in red and white with silver accents, though she did have a belt and dagger at her waist. She wasn't going anywhere without a weapon. She headed back for the chambers they were sharing. Once inside, she settled down at one of the chairs near the windows, glancing out to the exterior and considering the conversation during dinner.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
    The Prince of Thorns had escorted Lara on one courtly arm, and Zatanna on the other into the Hall. Silence fell on the diners closest to the door where they entered. Twenty pairs of eyes had examined them. Had they found them wanting?
    The magician straightened her back and subtly lifted her chin and marched beside their escort as if she was a Queen of a vast realm.

Course after amusing course had followed with entremets and sorbets to cleanse the palette. It would be easy to leave the table on your knees or carried out in the arms of a companion. Not at all the recommended course of action for someone from Midgard, like herself, considering the consequences of a misspoken word. Even knowing how to pace herself, Zatanna was all too happy to leave the Hall.

    Too full of fae foods and wines, Zatanna enters the common room and sprawls in a chair.

    "If you say something courtly to me, Sif, I will scream," she says, tiredly, rubbing her face. Sitting up, she regards the Asgardian, "How goes Alfheim for you?"

Sif has posed:
That earns a laugh from Sif. She turns to look at Zatanna, giving a negative shake of her head. "You are safe. I tired of word games as well. Thus my seeking refuge back in our chambers."

She had chosen to remain in the main room instead of off in her bedroom, showing she was not adverse to the company of their own group. It was just the elves that she needed to avoid for a time. Maybe a few hours.

"I spent my time with their guard. Their skills are impressive. Some of their physical feats I can only imagine require magic. They would be enjoyable to battle." Which is quite the compliment from her.

"How goes the research?"

Thor has posed:
    During the events and the festivities there were points when Thor was scarce. At times he was seen with a group of the noble Sidhe, at other times he was in the company of good Queen Aelsa, but he did not have the time to spend with the others as they pursued their investigations and research. Though after the dinner of this night he had managed to return, walking down the hall with an easy step.
    He was wearing Asgardian finery though the color crimson was more prominent than before with his boots still black and his cloak a brilliant white, not his usual choice of colors but perhaps affected for one reason or another. The door opened before him and in he stepped, sparing a nod for the footman near. At the least here they were clearly not under guard and the unarmed elf was there primarily to serve them. And perhaps spy a little. But mainly serve!
    "Ah, Sif. Zatanna. Good to see you." In he walks, undoing the clasp of his cloak and sweeping it smoothly over the back of a chair and leaving it there for now as he takes a deep breath and /drops/ into one of the reinforced chairs. It takes much to render Thor with that exasperated look on his face as he looks across the room, then smiles wanly to each of them.
    "Alfheim is a unique place." Ever words of kindness.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
The magician nods, looking up at Thor from under raised eyebrows and nods with yet another sigh, "This magic realm is...indeed unique." She shoves the train of her sparkling silver gown out of the way with a slippered foot and rises to unclasp the heavy blue mantle set with silver stars clustering at its hem and put it over a nearby chair. It will be the last time she makes something in velvet.

    "It is good to see you, as well, sir." She pauses, considering her words, fast becoming second nature in this realm. "And the Queen?"


Gesturing to a nearby desk piled with books of all sizes, "The research goes apace. We had help from the Librarian. Have you met her yet?"

Sif has posed:
There is no stopping her laugh at the way Thor phrased that. "Unique. Very well put. Your diplomacy is ever showing." Because she probably wouldn't have been so generous in her assessment.

Sif does smirk a bit at the question from Zatanna, in regards to the Queen. Some amusement there that she isn't going to explain. "Pardon. I feel I must change. I will be back in a moment."

She quickly stands and moves toward her room though she leaves the door cracked to allow for her to continue in the conversation. "I cannot say that I have been to the library nor met the librarian. Was she able to offer some suggestions?"

Thor has posed:
    "The Queen is well," Thor offers as he glances over at Sif then he takes a deep breath and seems to settle even further into his chair, mayhap even slouching a little. He then leeeeans over and reaches for the nearby bottle, twisting it off the cart and pulling it closer and into his lap where he works at the curious glass stopper. After a moment of fiddling he pulls it free and drinks a little bit from the phial, no glasses for some reason.
    Another deep breath as he looks across toward the door where Sif has retreated to then back to Zatanna, "I have heard the library here is quite remarkable. Though, I am sure you will not be surprised, I have never been." Which is understandable as he takes another sip from his glass.
    "Have you discovered anything of use for us?"

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
    It comes as no surprise that Thor has not graced the library with his presence. Zatanna laughs under her breath, glad for a moment of lightness and someone not as self-satisfied as the Elves. A rare moment for the Asgardian, perhaps, or he needs an unguarded moment as well.

    "It is not where your strengths lie," she says diplomatically and goes to a side table to pour herself a glass of water. Just water.

Her glance follows Thor's toward Sif's rooms. "The elves know how to celebrate. I believe we are all doing the best we can. We have ideas that we would like to present to the others, to you. But there are still things to be researched. Lara and I both had similar ideas."

    After returning to her seat and arranging the train around her feet, she continues, "We had thought stepping stones made from an object or statue might serve. I would prefer stone and wonder if there is stone of a magical nature that could resonate in the two realms."

Sif has posed:
It isn't long before Sif joins them again. Now she is dressed in a simple tunic and a pair of breeches. She did put on socks but no shoes. The tunic is white with some silver embroidery about the neckline and hem. The breeches are a deep red as to be almost black. The socks were black. Because simple was best where socks were concerned. The belt and dagger were still at her waist, on the outside of the tunic which was long.

She returned to the table by the window, tucking a foot up on the seat as she regarded the pair of them. "Do you feel a stone would have some level of importance to both realms? Perhaps one from Midgard stone in a prominant place or of some historical significance?" she asked curiously.

Thor has posed:
    Answering though likely the question was meant for both of them, Thor imparts his wisdom. "She likely will know, I imagine she'll have a feel for the inherent... correctness of whatever artifact we come upon." Which then has him turning to smile across the way to Zatanna, "Is that not so?"
    Clearly someone has been studying his Magical Incantations for Dummies book.
    He then takes another drink from his phial, lifting it afterward to look at the liquor as if trying to recognize what it is. Which might have been a good idea before he started drinking. "I believe what is important is the story connected to whatever we so choose, the weight of history upon it, and its significance to the tales of both worlds." He flares one hand, "Though what crosses that threshold is hard to tell. And is something with more import a better choice or can it just be of some import?"

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
"
    "Lara spoke of a statue that was brought here from Midgard to this realm by Odin. The statue of a dire wolf," the magician looks from Thor to Sif, then back to Thor. "A ravening wolf may not be the most apt subject to use for a portal of peace. Will it carry a resonance of war and anger? That remains to be seen but, to answer your question, Sif, it is something that has existed in the two realms so that may be enough."

    With a dissatisfied air, she turns her palms upward, "It will have to be seen and felt and tested."

Sif has posed:
"This makes sense." Like it mattered what Sif thought in regards to magical resonance within items from the realms. She realized the silliness of her weighing in as soon as she said it and chuckled softly, shaking her head. "I am so out of my element in these matters. Far better at 'go get that' or 'defend'. Simple things." Not that she isn't intelligent. For she certainly is. She just preferred the more simple things in life.

"A dire wolf does not automatically denote negativity. It would be dependent on the story behind it likely. But I leave this to you with the sense of such things."

She rose to go examine the liquors and settled on some honey mead which she poured into a glass. Then she retired back to her seat as she sipped.

Thor has posed:
    "A statue brought here by Odin from Midgard?" That causes Thor's brow to rise with a curious tilt of his head. He gives a single nod as he looks thoughtful, fingertips lightly rapping upon the arm of his chair as he spares a look toward Sif as if to see if she had heard of such before. Then he's looking back toward Zatanna and uncurls a hand in her direction, "That could well work, might be best also to see ultimately who claims hold of it. Who will we be indebted to for its use and what price they might ask."
    Though as Sif passes he leans forward, "Oh that looks good." Then pushes himself to his feet to go lurking through the small glass holder for the many phials, clinking and clanking as he moves piece by piece until he finds one of a reasonably suitable color as Sif's. He turns back, "Anything else of interest to report?"

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
"The history of the statue will count for a lot. A demon caught in stone and brought here for safekeeping? Then we do not want to free it."

She mirrors Thor's gesture, uncurling a hand, acknowledging his words, "Who has it in their keeping? And would we be in their debt."

She holds up a finger, "Perhaps not if it serves Alfheim. But here I defer to Thor and his knowledge of this realm and their people." The hint of a smile touches her lips as she looks at the Thunderer. "You know how her Highness would consider these matters."

Sif has posed:
Sif sips her mead as she watches Thor sifting through the various liquids until he finally settles on the correct one. Though now she is admittedly curious about what had been in his original bottle. The fact he had been drinking from the bottle instead of a glass had perfectly shown how his day had gone, to someone who knew him well. Maybe even those who didn't.

But at the question from Zatanna, Sif couldn't stop herself. The mischief was back in her eyes. A hint of a smirk playing at her lips though she was trying her damndest to keep her expression neutral.

"Yes, I believe you will be the best to tell us how the Queen feels."

Thor has posed:
    At Sif's comment Thor meekly clears his throat and looks down, then back up to meet the War-Goddess' gaze with a steady one of his own, eyebrow quirked.
    "Ahem."
    "It would depend," Thor says succinctly. "How much the owner of the artifact would wish to have the crown indebted to it. Queen Aelsa could order them, but then that could raise the ire around the court." The tall Asgardian looks thoughtful as his gaze distances past Zatanna while he ponders, "And if it was important enough to them they might even refuse the request, accepting the ignominy if it were more important to them."
    He shakes his head, "Yet I do not know the lay of the land of this court fully. Every time we visit there are new individuals in power, sometimes even a new Queen. It can be difficult to keep track."
    Having said that he tilts the new phial back and takes a sip of the honeyed mead, then looks askance toward Sif as if she personally disappointed him, though only for a moment as he lifts the glass and says, "We've had better, have we not?"

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Looking pleased with herself, Zatanna returns to the table of bottles that Thor had riffled through, picking up bottles and holding them to the light. "Can I get you anything, Sif?" She offers, holding up a phial.

    "I hope I can sleep tonight. I don't want to lay awake trying to plot out how to broach the subject with the Queen."

Sif has posed:
"No, thank you," Sif says to Zatanna, since she still has plenty of liquid in her glass. She was far too amused at Thor's expense. But honestly, he had teased her just as much in previous trips to this realm. So it was truly deserved.

At his words, she has to literally bite her tongue. "Better?" Because as any good Midgarian would say, her mind went right to the gutter.

Then it sinks in that he was meaning the liquor. "Oh! Yes! Well, it can't all be Asgardian. Though Midgard has some pleasant surprises as well."