Title: Welcome to Valhalla (leave your sanity at the door)
Fandom: Original
Warnings / Spoilers: Spoilers galore of ... Norse mythology! * Giggles *
Summary: Having lived so many centuries, so many fucking - you get bored of it. Tell that to Loki.
Notes: My attempt at Nanowrimo 2009, a bit of madness, the same inconsistencies and a pinch of Norse mythology. I decided to do in October and was not sure where would the shots of the novel (which it sounds nice, BTW) and did not know if a serious plot and / or elaborate or something more satirical. Al final resulta obvio por cuál me he decidido. Llegué a más de las 23,000 palabras durante el mes, colgaré sólo el prólogo que no vaya a ser que alguno considere que mis paranoias valen algo y las plagie o algo peor.
_________
“…así que como castigo, los dioses transformaron a Váli en un lobo gigantesco que se volvió contra su propio hermano, matándolo y descuartizándolo sin piedad. Luego usaron las vísceras frescas del recién fallecido para atar a Loki a tres enormes bloques de piedra, transformando las ataduras en hierro y colocando una serpiente venenosa sobre su cabeza de modo que la ponzoña de ésta goteara sobre su cara incesantemente. Legend has it that the beautiful Sigyn sits beside him and collects the venom in a wooden bowl, but when it fills is mandated to dispose of the poison that falls on Loki's face. The agony is so terrible that trembles removing the foundations of the earth. His punishment will last until the twilight of the gods ... "
And that, presumably, should be the end of history suspended pending the end of the world that never ceases to manifest, especially in these times no catastrophe frightening because there is always the certainty that one will worse. It could be a perfect ending and yet is only a stormy start, because when a punishment so methodical finally ends is when you start the uncertainty of freedom.
One of the many advantages of being a mythological god and having lived one another millennium, is that Loki can boast of having seen everything on the creation (and slightly beyond, in fact), having visited places unimaginable and if one day write their memoirs, occupy several volumes encyclopedic, or for these periods occupy at least half of a high-capacity hard disk.
lied, stolen, deceived and misled kings, vagabonds and prostitutes without distinction. Invoked demons, chatted with vampires, werewolves fled hungry and played poker until dawn with mortals. Seen empires fall, the discovery of new worlds, scientific developments, wars, truces, treaties APZ, epidemics, deaths and births. Has been transported in a rickety wooden vessel to a late-model convertible. The big downside of all this, of course, is that after having lived so many things, one after another in a vicious cycle and infinite, one ends up bored quickly.
That was how the beginning of the XXI century surprised him in Oslo, began living there in a fit of nostalgia for some "five? Four? years ago and the first few months were fine. Nothing like cold weather to do feel just like home. But the days passed, the bars (and casinos) in the city not infinite as they seem on first impressions and it was only a matter of time to be bored, feeling out of place no matter where they were found.
So one day, decided it was time to change air, at least for a weekend and let fate take charge of their destiny. Your lucky dart landed in London just one stop as specific as that he could not ignore it and took the first plane (first class, non-stop) due to their impromptu vacation.
wore a couple of decades without setting foot in London but only a few hours were enough to know that had not changed much in all this time unless his memory began to fail. The architecture of the city and women roaming the streets were still keeping the same features, same look stately and the same blond hair that sway gently in the cold winter breeze. At the end of the first night ended with a bottle of whiskey on top of Tower Bridge, admiring the nightscape of the city and scolded himself for not having the mood to roam around the bars.
was the first night in London, and an unexpected blast filled his lungs with a faint aroma, which was hardly distinguishable between traces of smog and humidity, but so characteristic that caught his attention immediately.
all beings he met throughout his life issued a distinctive smell, over the years (centuries) Loki learned to classify one by one. The demons, ghosts and sometimes with a bad character, give off a smell of sulfur and alcohol, very sharp for your taste. Celestial bodies (the children of father) are pure frankincense and cinnamon, which can stifle even the most devout believer. Vampires suck blood to dry, smelly and rotten, but instead the werewolves are a mixture of fresh blood and wet mud.
Humans, bookmarks, are a very characteristic mixture of sweat and spices, the aroma of the fatal. For years, while still living in Asgard, keeping distance watching them very curious to see how they could manage to survive with some simple ingenuity and subtlety, looked amazed how they got to sweep people off their congeners with simple weapons made of metal torches with fire company perish. The aroma is almost always constant, not too different from one mortal to another, unless it is special. Therefore
acknowledged that delicate blend of vanilla and peppermint, even from that height. Instinctively he closed his eyes, concentrating in the aroma a bit more, so it was easier to imagine the tiny silhouette walking down the streets of the city and who has something in a hurry because it goes back to an appointment, rushing over to get lost in the crowd and was briefly I thought it might be fleeing from his presence.
spoke the smile at the thought of the woman who had detected easily evoking his black hair, her slender body and those big blue eyes that probably got him the occasional admirer. To be a human was not so bad, but Loki always prefer blondes. Christine Jones. Vanilla and mint. A medium to its fullest extent.
Within moments
finally decided, and with a big jump left his comfortable private balcony and fell to the streets again in just a matter of seconds. He followed the smell to a cluster of people who seemed to move at their pace. He strode through the crowd settled large, across a tide of people threatened to keep him from his goal, but Loki continued its steady pace, following the traces of vanilla and mint that fluttered through the air, as an old wolf who smells strongly of first snow of the season.
- What is it you want, Loki? Because I hoped it was not me, as any medium that claims to be, Christine had detected his presence and within moments had stopped his way to meet it with his arms crossed, just inches from him and watching him as he scolds a young child. Loki frowned, he was made the victim specialist for these issues and chose to shrug, with a half smile.
"We have not seen for ten years, sweetheart. I expected a better reception you know? I did not know you were here on vacation ... -
Suddenly Christine's eyes hardened, his lips and held his gaze, penetrating and proud. Loki was silent, but the gesture seemed so unlike her that immediately recalled the first time he saw so long ago, she and her mother were helping a family to get rid of a nasty poltergeist had undesirable tenant at his home in Kentucky (not relevant, but always amused that name) and he was passing through America because the new world was to culminate in his new playground. Loki continued their presence when she was alone in a park, she turned to him, looking very curious and timidly asked who he was and what he wanted exactly. "You do not look like nothing I've ever met" were his exact words and he burst out laughing before formally submitted. At that time Christine was quite inexperienced and curious, they did not fail to ask questions, besides its powers were widely dispersed and, if putting surface, her hair was much shorter than now.
"It was only five years, Loki, and you know that for ten or five do not mean much but I did not throw more wrinkles than necessary, as it appeared, the glint of hardness in his eyes vanished. Relax your shoulders, gesturing carefree and cocked her head, seemed to look at the other side of the street, looking from time to time the traffic light was still red for pedestrians. Loki was placed
a su lado, mirando descuidadamente los carros pasar frente a ellos.
—Me disculpo, no nos vemos desde hace cinco años, guapa. En todo caso sí esperaba un mejor recibimiento, ¿no se te antoja una cena para ponernos al día? Te aseguro que no te vas a aburrir— soltó una carcajada, al tiempo que hacía un rápido resumen mental de los últimos cinco (que en realidad parecían diez) años.
En verdad sí había mucho qué contar, incluso para sus parámetros.
—Lamento desechar tu invitación, pero tengo otras cosas que hacer— ella se encogió de hombros resuelta y empezó a caminar por el cruce peatonal, ahora que la luz was green. Loki only left a couple of seconds to run before the step to achieve speed. Christine really did not seem interested in his presence, and he began to be offended by such indifference. Not every day is a mythological god walking the streets, even in this time of apocalyptic air.
"Come on, you can not deny that at least have some curiosity to know what happened to me ... - had barely reached the other side of the street and Christine let something like an incredulous chuckle. He frowned as not quite understand it, human females were strange and that he had lived with Sigyn for a couple of centuries, so I was taught at female stubbornness.
"You're still as egocentric as I remembered it, Loki. Do not take it so personal, really I have other things to do, but if you want tomorrow or we can meet for dinner somewhere nearby. Best after tomorrow because first I have to deliver material in the office, and only for dinner Loki, I warn you ... - Christine frowned after imposing the conditions, pointing with his finger in a gesture that was meant to be threatening and that he only it was funny.
"At least I can say by whom you are rejecting me, nice. Now do not give me that your husband is waiting in his love nest because yes I do not think so, "he said almost without thinking. Not because it was strange that in five years Christine had gotten a fun guy with whom or why not, who share an apartment. It was just that I knew from experience that the mediums had to complete their relationships. Christine
remained static, staring at him and his blue eyes seemed to pierce at times, as if the question had been an insult. What? Does a widow and had committed an imprudence? Loki's mouth was suddenly dry and quite similar to guilt in his stomach. So long (years, decades could be) engaging in small talk only with mortals had made him forget how vulnerable they were to emotions. Only then asked what would a girl like her living so far from his family, because unless his memory failed, all Jones lived in the new continent and doubted they would have made a massive move. What did Christine here, then?
"I have no husband, and both know you care. But I promised my son to come early today, and I intend not know how to get children when you do not keep the promises ... - said it resigned as speaker of the weather. Before Loki could recover from his astonishment, she had already given him a few pats on the shoulder, waving condescending and starting to walk again, without looking back but really we can go out for coffee one of these days, if you're still in the city-
singing of Christine's voice echoing in his head continued long after she disappeared after the next block. Now, he said, were five years that seemed ten.
