356/Cait and Heidi Meet

Cait and Heidi Meet
Date of Scene:	08 March 2020
Location:	Asgard
Synopsis:	Heidi and Sif meet Caitlin at the stables in Asgard
Cast of Characters:	Caitlin Fairchild, Heidi Ingerdottir, Sif

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Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Asgard is a place right out of the realm of fantasy, and Caitlin never tires of visiting. It's a rare human who sees the golden city more than once, let alone one who visits the enchanted realms as a welcome guest and ally.

It helps that Caitlin brings a lot of baked goods for the friends she makes there.

With Sif temporarily indisposed by her duties, Caitlin's left to her own devices. Most know Caitlin as a human visitor, not a resident, though they're quite polite about barring off areas of the castle she's not permitted to visit. The tall redhead blends in with Asgardians quite well (perhaps for the first time in her life), though she's fractionally taller than even Thor or Sif as far as scale goes.

Her hair's done up in complex red braids and plaits that wrap around her brow and hang to her neck, with little golden leaves (plucked from a tree that bears such odd leaves, even) tucked into it. Her dress is quite modest and fits the fashion of the realm: arbor green, worn over a cream-colored bodice with puffy sleeves. It exposes just an inch of skin below her collarbones, and the ankles of soft leather boots.

The redhead's meandering path leads her to the palace stables. Calling them 'stables' is accurate only in the barest sense of the term; the lodging for the palace horses is absolutely palatial. She comes well-armed, too, with a knapsack of mushy apples from the kitchen. Sleipnir, of course, has his own paddock and well-removed from the rest of the horse population. Others, built on a scale comparable to Clydesdales, nicker at Caitlin and the scent of the apples in her wake.

It's the sight of silver and gunmetal grey that piques Caitlin's curiousity, though, and she starts a cautious path towards the far edge of the stables where the Valkyrie keep their steeds while visiting the Golden City.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"If you ask nicely, I'll tell you which ones will let you get close."

The voice comes from a flaxen-haired Asgardian leaning against one of the stable walls. She's not dressed in armor, nor even something more exotic or outstanding. It's a simple grey tunic over tan leggings. Her hair, plaited into braids around her head, has slowly become a bit more loose, and there's even a piece of straw stuck in there. She pushes herself off the wall and moves closer, doing her best to get a solid impression of the woman.

While Heidi is protective of her equine wards, she is also incredibly proud of them. The chance to show off is immensely appealing. "Heidi," she offers by way of her name. She hasn't said much... but her warm smile speaks /words/.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin yelps and immediately tries to catch the sound behind the palm of her hand. An abashed look crosses her face, but it's replaced by a smile at Heidi's friendly expression. "Golly, I'm sorry," Caitlin says quickly. "I didn't realize anyone was working back here."

The blonde's casual mien seems to work wonders at relaxing Caitlin's jangling nerves, and she opens the sack in her hand and offers an examination of the goods like it's proof of her good intent.

"I don't really know much about horses, 'cept not to fall off of them much," she admits. "I've only been out riding a couple times. Si-- Lady Sif said I might feel better about it if I brought apples. Is that ok?" she inquires tentatively. "I don't mean to be a bother. Or really if I'm even allowed here," she admits. "I'm Caitlin. Caitlin Fairchild, I'm just one of Lady Sif's guests. I'm not anyone important," she hastens to clarify.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
Heidi laughs, putting out a hand to try and calm Caitlin. "Whoa friend, I did not mean to startle you." She listens to Caitlin talk, instantly catching on to two things particular things first. The first is the use of the word 'golly', and the second is the mention of Sif. "AH!" She sounds rather excited.

"You are a friend of Lady Sif's and you /certainly/ aren't from here." It's not said in a chiding way, more of an excited statement. "Anyone who knows Lady Sif is certainly a friend of mine. I have great admiration for Lady Sif." She pauses, her tone turning serious. "I have found, truth be told, that the people who say they aren't important are the most /interesting/." She begins towards the back of the stables, gesturing for Caitlin to follow.

"You're in luck, because /I'm/ not going to kick you out."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"Thank you," Caitlin says gratefully-- and means it! She falls into step with a careful deference for the blonde girl's expertise. The high praise for Sif brings a pink to the tips of Caitlin's ears, and she tucks a whorl of red hair away to try and hide it. "I don't-- I didn't mean it like I was name-dropping," she clarifies, hastily. "She invited me to visit and see things here. I'm from Ea-- Midgard. She and Lord Thor have been there a lot lately and have done some great things for us. I've never been to Asgard before and she said it'd be a good learning experience for me. She's teaching me swordfighting. I'm not very good at it," Caitlin confesses. "But I guess Asgardians do that for centuries. I've only been at it a few weeks."

Realizing she's babbling, Caitlin clenches her jaw shut to keep the words from slipping out again, and uplifts her chin at the stables. "So, um, why is this area sectioned off? Are the horses here being kept aside for some special reason, or are they like the royal paddock?"

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"Mmm, you certainly /are/ from Midgard. If you were Asgardian, you would be very proud of being Lady Sif's friend and not mind sharing it. I have noticed Midgardians are not fond of 'bragging'. I am not entirely certain that Midgard understands what it's like to rejoice in what you have and want to share that happiness with others," Heidi has certainly been thinking of that one a lot. "Lady Sif is a friend of mine. She has fought many battles with me. Never feel ashamed to tell people you are her friend, be proud of it."

She continues to lead the way. "I have been to Midgard a lot lately. I am learning many things and meeting many new friends. I will say, the food is very good. So different." As she guides the redhead in, she glances towards the pegasi. "These are the winged horses that the Valkyrie ride. I train them myself. I am told that most Midgardians have never seen them." She looks at the stalls. "Third one on the right over there... she'll eat an apple, if you offer it to you. She's the friendliest."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin pinks a bit at Heidi's firm affirmation, but nods understandingly at the instruction. When the magnificent beasts come into full view, though, Caitlin comes to a full stop with her eyes wide as dinner plates. "Oh my gosh," she exhales.

"I've heard of them, but I never--" She steps tremulously closer, encouraged by Heidi's words, and digs an apple out of the bag. It's quite a tentative movement to present it to the horse, balanced on Caitlin's palm. It doesn't look like the redhead's very afraid of the flying equines, but she is clearly quite worried about the propriety of interacting with the magnificent beasts.

"You /train/ them?" she inquires of Heidi. "H-how do you even start with that? I can barely figure out how to stay on top of the ones that don't even fly," she confesses.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
Heidi grins. "The first time I saw a Valkyrie flying on one, I was twelve. One look and I had to be near them." She looks at Caitlin, giving her a nod of her head as if to encourage her to do just that, interact with the majestic beast in front of her. "I've been training them for hundreds of years now. Started when I was young, just working here, and eventually I began to train them. Now that is what I do... when I'm not fighting for Asgard to become a Valkyrie."

The tale is there to give full context to the confidence in her words when she explains riding them. "Well, first you get the regular ones, try those out, get your balance and, most importantly, learn to read what the horse is telling you. Understand them. That becomes important later for flying because the horse needs to read you back. It's a bond, a relationship."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin gives Heidi an envious look. "The Valkyrie look so... glamorous," she admits. "I mean, everyone does, here," she amends, hastily. "But everything about them is just so incredible. I don't even know a whole lot about what they do," she confesses. When the pegasi starts eating the apple, Caitlin giggles breathlessly but holds obligingly still. It ears her a whickering nuzzle and she rewards the beast in turn with a gentle brush along its muzzle.

"I mean, we have myths," she clarifies for Heidi. "Choosers of the fallen, daughters of Odin, all that. But I met Brunnhilde once or twice, and she's never mentioned King Odin being her father, so I'm guessing that's more of, um, like, a titular thing?" she hazards.

"If you can talk about it, I mean. I don't mean to pry into state secrets."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"I have been training a very long time to be a Valkyrie, they certainly do have an appeal to them, don't they? It's a lot of hard work, but there is beauty in that. When you see a Valkyrie you know what she has done to get there." Heidi grins, though she listens to Caitlin's words as she moves to one of the other pegasi, reaching out to pet the creature's head.

"I have found that stories, /myths/, are often passed down over many generations. There are always people who get confused as numbers of people in battles and names and locations and by the time it gets to you the story may have changed five times." She nods a bit. "That and there's also the fact that I think Asgardians treat language differently. In Midgard, when you say you are someone's daughter, you mean you are the blood of this person. It is also true in Asgard, but to the Valkyrie who fight for Asgard, you are also a daughter of your realm, and by extension, its leader. It is more of a way to say 'chosen'." She suddenly laughs. "There are so many Midgardian things I have to learn. What was that phrase you said earlier... 'golly'?"

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin's ears turn pink at Heidi's question. "O-oh, it's just something I picked up somewhere," she explains, lamely. "I just-- it's like a polite way to say I'm surprised or happy," she explains.

It's technically a euphemism for cursing but Caitlin's clearly not going to divert into -that- particular line of etymological analysis.

"I guess that's the downside of the All-Speak," she amends, shifting the topic away from her Iowa slang. "It's not quite perfect. I know sometimes Prince Thor is on about somethi--" she glances over her shoulder as if suddenly worried he's lurking nearby. "--he's on about something," she continues, lowering her voice, "and I am /dying/ with laughter because he has no idea how his words sound. Mr. Stark-- he's one of Prince Thor's friends-- he's got a whole laundry list of things Thor says but doesn't mean. They're /terrible/, like you just know they're supposed to be, y'know, cheeky or dirty, but Prince Thor-- he really doesn't ever -mean- that sort of thing."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"Oh! Well, if that is what it means then I will certainly have to use it while on Midgard. There are certainly situations in which I have found myself surprised or happy," Heidi seems pleased. Vocabulary! Soon she'll have to see what Midgardian poetry is like. Spoken... word or something? "There are some things that gain a meaning by being used. I suppose that the word 'friend' might not have the same connotation to others as it does to me." She does, after all, like the wordplay. Maybe she'll write a poem full of Midgard slang.

"It does sound like you have a great many friends, Caitlin. Or at least know a great many people."

Sif has posed:
There comes the sound of muffled clattering from outside in the yard, beyond the stables, where the ground is flat cobblestone for ease of cleaning. Heidi, at least, might recognize it as hooves landing and coming to a spritely, high-stepping trot that circles about once. There's a musical chime of armor against itself and then, not many more seconds later, in comes the Lady Sif herself. Her dark hair is loose and windblown, a little wild, but somehow completely appropriate given she'd clearly been out traveling on her pegasus Typhon. The stallion whickers and rustles his wings as she leads him into the stables proper.

The Valkyrie's eyes light up and both Heidi and Caitlin are given what amounts to potentially a megawatt smile. "Ah! Hail, Lady Heidi, Lady Caitlin! Well met." Typhon tosses his head once not necessarily in greeting, but in a stance of 'DO NOT TOUCH ME, I AM ALL THAT IS MERCILESS AND UNKIND IN THIS WORLD, NEIGH'. "I trust you have been amusing yourself well, Lady Caitlin, in my absence? I do apologize again. When the Courts of Vanaheim requested my presence, I could not say no." Pausing before the pegasus stallion's door, she works to unlatch it with one hand, still keeping a firm grip on his reins close to his chin.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
A warm and sincere smile works across Caitlin's face at Heidi's implied praise. "I've been really lucky," she says, with a modest shrug and shy sort of expression.

Caitlin turns and beams at Sif when the raven-haired warrior returns to the stables. Remembering her manners, though, she does bob a quick and polite curtsey when Sif joins the two of them. It's far from servile flattery and clearly an effort to try and accomodate the stricter rules of propriety that Asgardian court decor sometimes demands.

Typhon, however, gets offered a sweeet and slightly mushy apple from the kitchen. Caitlin has adopted a singular and effective tactic long ago for disarming high-strung individuals: blatant and frequent bribery with baked goods and treats. Stands to reason it should work with a flightly (haha) horse.

"No apology needed," Caitlin promises Sif. "Hei-- Lady Heidi has been super polite and let me wander around the stables a bit. I'm not underfoot, I promise," she adds, hastily. "And I stayed out of the royal apartments like you asked. I did almost get lost but I found the kitchens. I guess I'm making apple tart tonight, for some reason." She blinksly owlishly. "I'm still not sure how I got roped into that, but it seemed rude to say 'no'."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
Heidi's face is aglow with warmth. "Good, it is wonderful to hear that you have so many good people in your life." She brightens more (if that were possible) when she hears the familiar voice of Sif. "Ah! Lady Sif!" She turns her attention towards the Valkyrie, she makes sure that no assistance is needed on her part to help with Thypon before she looks back to Caitlin.

"Lady Caitlin has been the one keeping /me/ company here. She has very kindly explained to me some Midgardian slang. I am certain I shall be able to make good use of it."

Sif has posed:
"Typho -- must you -- " splutters Sif as the pegasus suddenly turns his head across her viewing space and blocks it entirely with the broad pate of his cheek. It takes her a moment to shoving to push his head out of her personal space and in that time, Typhon is absolutely enjoying that slightly mealy apple with crunches and happy little fruit-drools at one corner of his mouth. "Ah, I see," she mutters before getting the door open. He goes in easily enough, especially after being mollified with the apple, and then turns to walk back in order to lean his head over the door. Sif fusses with his head tack as she glances over at the others, still wearing a curl of a smile.

"Remember that you are not obligated to make any food for anyone, Lady Caitlin, though the kitchen staff will gladly enjoy your aid as well as an opportunity to introduce new flavors and recipes to the Court. Though, tell me, what slang did you teach?" Her pale eyes flicker from Caitlin to Heidi and back, working at the small metal belting keeping the halter in place on Typhon's skull without need to look at it.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin's ears pink a bit at the question-- and the firm, assertive praise from the two Asgardians. "It's not really -slang-," she mumbles. "No one outside of Iowa talks like that, anyway. It's rude to use profanity," she points out. "I mean, you never hear Captain America swearing," she points out. Shoulders wiggle in an uneven shrug.

"A-anyway, um, I mentioned needing some apples for Typhon," she clarifies, and reaches over to offer him a palmrub on his muzzle. "And I said, um, something about they'd be good for baking, and then the chef said if I wanted to bake something, I could, and then-- I don't know, things just kind of kept spiralling and I think he was a little sore at me about it, 'cause he told me to make something with the old apples since I like them so much."

She gives the other women a helpless look.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"Swearing and slang are not always the same." Heidi then pauses. "Unless you are implying that the word is a /swear/." Is it a swear? She's now unsure. She'll have to be sure to get the syntax right. Caitlin has somehow turned the literary part of her brain on and she's now very distracted. "Due to Lady Caitlin's mildly confusing words, I am unsure if I am about to swear at you, Lady Sif. Do not be offended, it is merely a demonstration."

She straightens herself up, like an actor before a performance, turning her attention fully to Sif for a moment before looking completely shocked and surprised /while/ looking happy. "Golly!"

Sif has posed:
Thankfully, Sif's back is turned as she hears Caitlin point out the state of Captain America's golden tongue. Her eyebrows lift -- that's not //quite// true, given what she's heard told by her fellow Asgardians, but the Valkyrie has no heart to ruin the man's reputation. Let his blue-streaks in Gaelic be sotto-voce and unknown yet.

Typhon's tack is hung off to one side of his stall and Sif returns to scratch behind his jawline until his eyes go dozy. Caitlin isn't even threatened with a flare of nostrils; he knows her as Apple-Bringer now, and she ranks high in his books. "Show them your mastery of the apple-tarts and the chef will regret taking offense to your enthusiasm," she murmurs to Caitlin with a firm now. However, Heidi has her attention now and the young Asgardian receives a nod.

"I am forewarned," she acknowledges of the incoming word and readies herself. It is, in fact, 'golly'. The Aesir warrior blinks. "Golly," she repeats before glancing over at Caitlin. "...is that construed as a word of swearing elsewhere on Midgard? I have heard Captain America say that a time or two."

But then...then arrives a flittering blur of a shadow. A small green bird with golden-tipped feathers glides into the stable, perching on a wood post. It blinks small black eyes at the trio of women before it turns to fluffing wings. Its small beak takes to preening tiny rounded green chest feathers. There is a strange judging quality to its attention upon the women before it takes to looking around the stables. The wee avian glides down to land closer to Sif, on the top of a saddle, and stares at her. Sif stares back, bemused at the boldness of the round ball of feathers. It looks around again, as if insulted by the surroundings. As such, it then promptly poops on the saddle, dips its tail, and flies off in a shimmer of magic. Sif lets out a short sigh and folds her arms, glaring in its general direction of disappearance.

"//Really now,//," the Valkyrie mutters.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin shrugs at the barrage of questions. It's pretty clear she's getting worried that she is mishandling this whole aspect of cultural sharing, and the expression manifests as an uneasy one.

"I-it's not a swear," Caitlin protests. "It's me /not/ swearing. But it sounds silly to say 'I'm so surprised', but-- oh gosh, just nevermind," she mumbles, and hugs her stomach a little defensively.

So she's not quite looking when the bird arrives-- it's only noticed in the silence after the question and when Caitlin realizes the other two women are staring at the bird. It defecates, manages to deliver an affronted look, and then flies off, leaving Sif looking vaguely insulted and leaving Caitlin thoroughly befuddled.

"Uh.. does that happen a lot around here?" she asks nervously.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"Oh, does Captain America use it? Then perhaps I shall sound much more Midgardian with its use. Not that anyone would mistake /me/ for a Midgardian. I am not very good at 'blending'." Heidi glances towards the bird, blinking for a moment and then laughing. She's pretty sure she knows what that was. "It sounds as if you were given a present there," she giggles behind a hand.

As Caitlin insists it's not a swear, Heidi nods. "Very well, I shall be sure to use it appropriately. I should learn more of these..."

Sif has posed:
"No, it does not happen often." Sif does give Heidi a flat look, but it lacks much of its baleful sharpness. "I would prefer to not accept that particular gift. Thankfully," and the Valkyrie reaches out to wipe her hand along the saddle and showcase its perfectly clean state to both of the other women present. " -- it was but an illusion. I believe we are having too much fun for someone else to tolerate."

There's an amused glint in her pale eyes even if her smile barely shows. "But let me see what other Midgardian words or sayings I have learned over the years..." Typhon turns in his stall to work at munching his collection of dried feed as Sif ponders. "I have been fond of this saying for some number of decades: 'too high for his nut'. This and the extension the word you recently learned, Lady Heidi, in 'golly-gee-willickers'. It is especially gratifying when said drily."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"Let him be jealous of our fun. /Everyone/ should be jealous of our fun," Heidi grins as she looks at the other two. She takes in the suggestions of new terms to use and her brow furrows as she begins to think the proper uses of them. "Golly-gee-willickers, he's too high for his nut?"

There's a long pause, too long. "Do you think I could write poetry with these?"