kore_logs | from the land of the ice and snow ❆

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from the land of the ice and snow ❆

Who: Meja, & open
What: A Valkyrie wakes up in the Cape. A tiny storm brews and then, suddenly, vanishes.
Where: The woods, park, and town.
When: Day 103

All at once, the lack of a presence is both painfully overwhelming and difficult to comprehend. It's as though something more important than gravity, yet more difficult to see than the wind, is gone. The disconnect is sudden, and she can't seem to remember falling asleep. Yet here she is, in woods she doesn't recognize with something around her wrist that... is entirely unfamiliar. She doesn't own any electronics; they don't like traveling between Realms. What's more, this one talks. "We hope you enjoy your stay." Meja blinks, fighting for consciousness. She doesn't sleep, why is this difficult? And then, as she staggers to her feet, it comes to her.

She can't feel Yggdrasil anymore.

The source of her second lease on life is missing. How is that even possible? Meja turns to the tree she's leaning on and presses her ear against the trunk. Yes, she can feel this tree. It's healthy (though grumpy — something about a burning incident), but it's not connected to Yggdrasil. Somehow, even waking up in a strange forest, with a technological wristband, is less unnerving than suddenly being away from the entity that holds the Nine Realms together. Is this some sort of pocket realm? Perhaps it's a trick by the Dökkálfar, and she isn't in her right mind to sense Yggdrasil at all.

A rumble interrupts her thoughts, and suddenly she realizes that her confusion and tension have whipped up a tiny storm of sorts, darkening the sky around this part of the woods. Though the droplets on her face make her feel less alienated, she holds up her hand. Small glints of light, making soft noises like distant cries, shine from her gloved hand as she disperses the storm. It clears in a matter of minutes, restoring sunlight to the forest once more.

Muninn is missing as well, she notices. Surely her raven friend would be the most disgruntled at being separated from the World Tree. He would be unable to seek out his brother for their immature little bouts of insults, which she'd come to understand as their way of touching bases.

"Muninn?" she calls, loudly, but only silence greets her. She's still feeling rather groggy, unintentionally strengthening her Norwegian accent. "This isn't funny, dumming... And it's not my new home."

Still without an answer, Meja sighs. She has all of her belongings, at least. Sweeping the hood from her head, she keeps her white cloak unglamoured — for now — and proceeds through the woods. She keeps her weapons sheathed, but also keeps her senses on alert for anything else in the woods. At first, all it gets her is the scuffle of running hares. But as she walks, she slowly makes out a small number of buildings through a large expanse of what seems to be a park. A town?

She takes a deep breath, still comfortably inside of the woods, and runs a gloved hand through her short platinum-blond hair. Time to see where I am. She's more nervous about it than she'd like, but the buildings she can see are of a style that she... hasn't laid eyes on in a long, long time.

On the other hand, she'll learn nothing in the woods. So, slowly, she proceeds forward.

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It's hard not to see how she carries herself, but Sam just marks it down on his mental list. It's good to know who can hold their own in combat, and even knowing a thing or two can help when a situation is dire.

If she approached aggressively, he'd probably be on edge, but just because someone has weapons doesn't make them an enemy right off. He tries not to hold to the 'shoot first ask questions later' philosophy, though sometimes it does have to be followed. Not now, though. Not when she seems to be just as lost as he still feels.

"Hold on, that was you?" He looks vaguely impressed. That sounds like something right up there with angel mojo. "Didn't disrupt anything I know of. Just sudden, that's all."

Still looking sheepish, and used to being upfront about it, Meja nods. "I was a little... confused."

She figures that's not a strange thing, at all, here. But it seems that no harm had been done, which is good. Looking at Sam, she notices that he, too, has one of the devices around the wrist. It seems to be a theme, around here. The Valkyrie glances toward town, wondering what the real purpose of them is — trackers, perhaps? It's been such a very long time since she's had to think, or worry, about technology.

"I sort of... just woke up here."

Thankfully, her situation has been as explained as it can be. Now she just has the slightly awkward predicament of... living here, potentially for a while, until an escape can be made.

Sam gives her a sympathetic look. By now, he's realized that everyone who is pulled here can come from any kind of universe.

It's not a fact that's fully settled with him yet, but he can tell she doesn't exactly hail from his home town. "I think that's the typical arrival for everyone. Wake up, confusion fogging the brain. It takes a few days for it to really sink in."

Pushing himself up, he stands, resting a hand on the table so he can put some weight on it. It's easier to be steady. He holds his other hand out for a handshake, though belatedly he wonders if that's a common greeting where she's from. No matter, he gives her a tired smile regardless.

"My name is Sam Winchester. I just got here myself a few days ago."

It's very common. Most of the Valkyrie either greeted with a salute, or a handshake; it depends on ranking, and how strict both parties are. Meja was plucked from a life of being a lone wolf, and she's not terribly fond of being in a position of authority. Which is precisely why, she thinks, the universe chose to place her third in command of the Valkyrie. The Norn have a twisted sense of humor. She doesn't mind authority, and she can carry it well now — but it's not something she jumps on, exactly.

Luckily for Sam, Meja shakes his hand firmly but not with the crunching strength that Ingibjörg, her 'superior', does. And she holds off even more when she makes note of his... apparent condition, taking note of his visible symptoms. Sam doesn't look all that healthy.

"It's nice to meet you, Sam. My name is Meja," she introduces, giving him a friendly smile. Though she can't quite keep the concern out of it. It's in her nature to look after others; she's been doing it for seven hundred years, and a little more, now. "Forgive the intrusion, but are you well?"

Sitting back down, he looks slightly resigned. It's nothing against Meja at all, especially since they just met, but he really must look like absolutely run over crap if strangers are commenting on it now.

"It's all right, Meja. I'm good enough, better than I was actually." He says this with confidence, but he doesn't feel so confident about it. Sure, he's been able to sit up straight for most of the day and he hasn't conked out or had super violent coughing fits that result in blood, but he can guess at the coma he'll drop in to once he does settle down and sleep.

"Can't help wishing our hosts would have taken care of it before dropping me off here."

It's true enough, and that would have been way too easy, wouldn't it? He knows he'll have to find a way to take care of this soon, but for now he's okay with sucking it up.

"Did you notice your new device?" He holds up his arm, tapping the communicator on his wrist. "It's something everyone has around here. Accesses a network so you can talk to others, make announcements, anything like that. Handy, but it's been on the fritz since I arrived a few days ago."

"Yes, that would have been kinder of them. I don't mean to imply that you look awful," she adds. "It's my job, you might say, to notice if people aren't looking well." Soldiers sometimes do stupid things when injured, like fight when it's better to let someone else do it for them. "If you'd like, I might be able to help."

Meja can't know what he's thinking, but she does smile slightly at the shift in his expression. From his appearance alone, she can't tell what's wrong. But whatever it is, it definitely seems to be aggravating muscle tissue, which is never particularly fun. She glances toward the town before sitting down in the seat opposite Sam. It'll help the faint feeling in her head to rest for a moment or two, off her feet.

"Yes, I did notice. I also noticed the fact that I can't take it off," she comments. While it might be useful, she's not appreciative of the fact that she's stuck with it. She hopes it doesn't mind lightning. Or maybe it does, and it will fall off... "Is yours the same way?"

"It's fine, don't worry." Though her offer is tempting. He gives her a considering look. "Out of curiosity, what is it you can do to help?"

He might even let her, because anything's better than feeling like this all the time. It helps to know what she would try to do, and he's assuming it's not just your average band aid.

"It is. Kind of like a welcoming gift. There's a network here you can post to, talk to the others if you want to. Seems a little spotty right now, but I think that's connected with the power issues we've been having."

"I hope so, otherwise it doesn't seem as useful as it could be," she says, thoughtfully, considering how best to answer his question. And why would their captors want them communicating so easily? Is it related to all of the cameras? She hasn't been here that long, but Meja's already noticed the fact that she can't go far without seeing another one.

She considers his outward symptoms for a moment before she answers. "I can use magic to heal wounds. It's — not like other magic I can do. It's sort of like bending my own life force and giving it to someone else. Using it, I can close open wounds and that sort of thing. But I can also use it to soothe more — aggravated problems. It sort of dulls the pain, you might say, when there are trickier problems that don't require outright healing. It helps my comrades get out of a fight, when they're too injured to go on."

Valkyrie can't deal with magical ailments, like curses, but dulling the pain of a curse and allowing a Valkyrie the chance to get to a proper healer — that's something they can do. Meja's done it many times, though less than most. But that has everything to do with sudden promotions that are out of her power; she's had less time in the medic rank than everyone else.

His fingers itch to jot all this down, all this talk of magic. He's seen miracles happen, watched Castiel bring someone back from the dead, so he figures he's seen it all when it comes to healing a person's body.

That doesn't mean he isn't fascinated, because he absolutely is. It seems a little rude to dig out a pencil and start writing, though, since it's not an interview. They're just having a conversation. He'll save it for later.

"Sounds like it's useful to have, especially in a pinch." Shifting his weight, he rests an arm on the table, studying her. "Doesn't that drain some of your own energy, though? It seems like using your own life force for something like that would wear you out pretty quick."

'A pinch' is exactly what it's for, but Meja's used her energy for a great many things other than battlefield wounds. As she's now offering. Meja nods at the question, running a hand idly through her short hair. "It does. The more severe the wound, the more energy required and the wearier I feel afterward. But using it is what it's there for," she adds, shrugging. "I've never not been able to function afterward, and the energy returns to me within a day. It's not as draining as... traditional magic is."

Sam wonders if what she considers traditional magic is similar to the magic he's come across. Most of it has been pretty dark, honestly, but that just comes with the job. Wouldn't need hunters if witches and vampires and demons behaved themselves.

He is curious, though, about how it works. It makes sense to him, using her own energy to give someone else the energy to heal, and he wonders how it would feel. Painful?

Regardless, it's still interesting, and an especially useful ability to have in a place with few medical supplies.

"I might have to get with you later sometime, maybe let you try it out. See if it can knock this stuff out of me." He makes it sound like something as simple as a cold, but if he does go to her about healing he would be sure to disclose full details on what's going on. "I'm good for now. Better than I have been, believe it or not. Maybe the air's good for me."

He gives her a half smile. "In the meantime, if you've got any questions I can try to help out. Everyone around here is pretty good about that, actually, so even if I don't have the answer we can find someone who does."

There's a pause, and a slight frown. "Except we don't know how we got here, why we're here, or who did this."

"I do hear that fresh air does wonders for one's health."

Not that it really applies to her anymore, as she doesn't need to breathe. Meja chuckles quietly at his frown and admittance, shrugging her shoulders. In truth, she doesn't have too many more questions than that. Everyone here seems quite helpful, though, and that's a good thing. If you're trapped, it's better to be trapped with good company.

She considers. "Well. Other than that... What do people do here?"

"From what I know, people mostly try to help each other out. We've got different groups that focus on different tasks - like the group that sticks to hunting, keeping us stocked up on food."

Not that Sam's had a chance to really get involved, he'd be more of a hindrance in this state. He can't just do nothing though, which is why he's been furiously at work jotting things down - observations, facts and what have you.

"Seems like everyone just waits for the next bit disaster, I guess. Not much else we can do, especially when we don't know who exactly is in charge."

Meja sighs quietly, almost too softly to hear. Valkyrie are called when there's a fight, or for recon, or guarding something. Sitting around and tinkering with things, that's going to take some getting used to. So is worrying about what's going on back home.

"Then I'll try to help as much as I can."

Though given the fact that she doesn't need to eat or sleep, she hopes tedium won't settle in.

"What happens when you try to... walk out? Do you know?"

Crossing his arms, Sam frowns the tiniest bit. His information has only been based on what others have tried, so even though he believes them it's hard to imagine what trying to leave is actually like.

"There's apparently some kind of barrier around this place. Just outside the woods, but I don't know specifics." He rubs the back of his neck as he answers. "Talked to a few people around here who I know from back home, and they aren't the kind who can usually be locked down like this. Their powers should be beyond whatever is keeping us here, but..."

And he gives a helpless little shrug. Angels caged in can never be a good thing, and is something that makes him slightly nervous about who is keeping them there. Powerful mojo at work.

"A barrier..."

Meja absorbs that for a moment, thinking of the runic circle that had kept Fenrir in his prison for so long. She has no idea how to gauge the powers of an angel, of course, not having seen any other than flight, but if they're anything like the gods... Well. That's one hell of a frightening barrier.

"That explains why I can't sense anything too far away," she murmurs, contemplative. Is it the barrier that's preventing her connection to Yggdrasil, then? "The people who are holding us here must be... quite capable."

"Yeah. Kind of scary, actually, how capable they are."

He's looking toward the woods, as if he can see the barrier that way. He knows he can't, but it doesn't stop Sam from trying it every now and then. Focusing back on Meja, he gives her a tired smile.

"It's not the best news. Cooling our heels until something happens is about all we can do. Apparently things do happen occasionally. We had an attack recently. Some kind of monster, out in the water. It wasn't pretty."

Not that he witnessed the event personally, but the aftermath was definitely a good indication of how things went.

"Mm," Meja says, nodding, "someone told me about the Kraken, yes. If it is a Kraken. Then again... a squid large to grab people, Kraken, what's the difference, really."

It's a joke, mostly, and she smiles. She's tangled with them twice before. Three times is three times too many, if she has any say in the matter.

Usually she doesn't.

It makes him wonder what kind of world she comes from, where a sea monster or Kraken doesn't seem to really phase her quite like it did him. Then again, he should be past the point of phasing - but he isn't. Sometimes, he's still surprised by the stuff they see.

"Sounds like you've got some experience there." He doesn't ask for details, though. If she feels like telling, then she will. Sam's sure she's got enough on her mind with arriving here. "That's something we can definitely use."

"My experience?" Quietly, she hopes that it won't come that much in handy. But she chuckles. "If it seems useful, I'll be happy to supply whatever information I can, of course. Kraken seem to attack mostly because of being territorial, but, well." She shrugs. "They also seem rather cranky, if I'm to be honest."

Octopus and squid were supposed to be very intelligent. It stood to reason that an ancient relative might be, too.

"It's been a... long while since I've seen one. I've been thankful of that fact."

"Hopefully we don't see our local one again. At least for a while."

It would have been a little cool to see it, but Sam's okay knowing it's out there. He won't be taking a swim out in that water, that's for damn sure.

"If we do, it's a good thing we've got you around. You could probably give us a few pointers." He might not know her history, but having more fighters among them gives them power in numbers. That's always a bonus.

"I'm sure you want to get moving, take a look around this place." At least, that's what he wanted to do when he showed up. It had been a little difficult at the time, but he still managed. With some help. "I'm always around if you've got a question. Might not be a veteran around here, but I've got a good grasp on the workings of this place."

Meja offers her hand again as she stands up, nodding. She should find her way toward the house that she's supposed to be living in. Even if she decides not to make too much use of it, she should still make a note of where it is.

"Thank you, Sam. That's very kind. Likewise, if you ever need help, or healing."

He also stands, reaching out to clasp her hand and shake it.

"I'll remember that, Meja. Sorry you've been dragged into our little cage here." If he had his way, nobody else would be taken from their home and brought here. There isn't much he can do about that, obviously. "It's a small town, we'll probably run into each other a lot around here. Take care."

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from the land of the ice and snow ❆

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