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Hey. This is Jack. Sorry about earlier. I don't know exactly what happened but I'd like to. Can I meet you someplace? Just me, you pick the location. Trying to figure out what went wrong.
The reply comes after 20 minutes of nothing:
fine. coffee place on [address] is open late. Ur buy.
Perfect. Appreciate it. See you there.
Sure enough, once Johnny can arrange an Uber to someplace close to the location, he walks the rest of the way. Did he bring someone else and get them settled in a McDonalds with a refillable soda and an extra pack of AA batteries? Probably. But he didn't say exactly where he was headed after, either. Playing all the bases, he is. So when he arrives? He arrives alone, in his longcoat, thumbs hooked into his pockets, glancing around for the living brownstone also known as Sturm.
She's in a corner booth and as the only person in the diner sans Johnny, she's easy to spot - not that she'd be very hard to spot in a crowd either.
She's wearing the same thing she'd had on earlier - and it looks like rather than going home she went out and picked up a gig if the suspect red stain on the tank top, and the freshly bruised knuckles are any indication. She nods at Johnny when he comes in, a deep scowl never leaving her face as she watches him cross over to the table.
He makes his way over to her booth and rests his fingertips on the back of the seat opposite her. "Is it alright if I sit? I- figure it is, but I'm erring on the side of polite."
She quirks an eyebrow, wordlessly gesturing to the seat across the table from her.
He slips down into the seat with a smile, bearing the brunt of that scowl without a apparent issue. "So- I didn't catch everything. Clearly, you and Sigrun did not get on well. Can I ask why that's the case for you? I'm gonna ask her, too, but you deserve to get to say what happened."
Sturm grunts in response, reaching for the beat up mug of coffee she'd ordered just before Johnny arrived. She holds it by the rim because her meaty fingers don't really fit the handle super well, and she takes a sip.
"Just a bad feeling. Couldn't explain it." She shrugs. "Not a big fan of all that fuckin' runic nonsense she was wearing, though. Only ever see the worst kinda assholes with that bullshit on their skin and clothes. Bad sign even if the bad feeling wasn't there."
Vorpal listens and nods, unsure what exactly all that indicates, but offers gently, "Those assholes stole that from the original culture that created it. She wears it because she's reclaiming it- both from the assholes you know, and the asshole that hurt her bad enough to change her. Some of the stuff she wears is anti-fascist. Specifically not in line with that sort of person. Did-" Vorpal squints faintly, puzzling things through. "... did you call her that kind of asshole?"
"It's okay if you did, I'm just feeling out what went wrong. You're the kind of person she oughtta like. I'm trying to figure out why she didn't. And help you figure out the same."
"Well I don't know shit about reclaiming shit." Sturm takes another sip of coffee, voice a low growl. "... but I've only ever - both here, and There - seen those symbols associated with bad shit. So forgive me, but if some asshole dressed like an asshole calls me a fuckin' asshole? I'm gonna point out how stupid that is."
Vorpal frowns, then leans in abruptly, as if he's caught something in Sturm's words. "Wait, hold up- let me reverse that question. Did she call you one of that specific flavor of asshole? That could be important."
"It's more complicated than that." The frost giant's brow furrows, and she looks absolutely fucking exhausted to be dredging this up so soon. "That shit was just the match. The room was a powder keg from the moment we locked eyes - and she didn't accuse me of being a racist shitheel, just called into question the fact that I wasn't. Like the only reason I'd be fuckin' upset was if I were some kinda fuckin' fascist."
"Okay." Vorpal offers quickly, focused and listening. "So- can you just confirm for me, she basically immediately had to question whether you were a fascist, just on sight alone? Like we're not talking "had some spirited political debate and THEN hit that point" but just "hold up, who are you and are you a fascist"?" The question is offered gently. He believes what she's saying, just asking for confirmation.
"Well. Not immediately. We squared up, first." She shrugs. "I was uncomfortable the moment I saw her - like I said, though, I couldn't place it. Practically saw red at first, but I wasn't going to bring politics into it - even tho I'd noticed all rune shit."
"Mm." Jack rubbed at his forehead a moment. "I've seen her get tense around others, before, but never flat-out square up immediately. I got a question for you, or- a litmus test, I guess. Based on what you're saying about all those runes. I'm gonna say a word. Can you tell me how it makes you feel? Are you down for that?"
Sturm takes a deep breath. She peers at Vorpal through heavy-lidded eyes while trying to determine what he's getting out of this little chat. "Go for it," Sturm grunts, exhaling as she reaches out for the warmth of her coffee mug again.
Vorpal gently reaches to stop her picking up the coffee. "Wait until after the word. Just in case."
He waits a beat.
"Jötunn."
"I know what I fuckin' look like," she grunts, looking even more dour if that were possible - though the corner of her mouth definitely twitched in the pause between their words. " ... or maybe I should say that I know what I am - but I don't see why that matters."
Vorpal nods and pushes her coffee cup into her hand now that he's not concerned about her reaction. "Okay. So that word, you know. But the runes, they're just- ambiguous. You know of them, but not what each means. You bristled same as she did when you saw her, do I remember that right?"
"I can explain why I asked, but not until you finish your coffee. We should take a walk. Glitch is a few blocks away. I didn't tell him where I was going, but I did tell him I was coming to see you and he wanted to see you. He feels awful about everything. Wanted to see you and try for something closer to pleasant. If you're up for it. I can tell you what I'm thinking once we start walking- either to go see him, or just get some air if you're not in the mood to see him just yet."
She stares into her drink - it's half empty at this point. Her face is a mask as she listens to Vorpal talk, nodding along to signal the fact that she's still listening - though she does flag down the waitress that's covering their section of the floor with a wave before then pointing at her cup, and then hooking a thumb over her shoulder.
"I get that you're all real tight, but I'm still fuckin' sour about getting dragged into a fuckin' shitshow without any backup," she drains the last of her coffee in time for the server to bring over a to-go cup of coffee - and a lid. "... but fuck it. Let's go get him, I guess."
"I mean. That's fair. In Glitch's defense. He wasn't expecting a shit show. Like- you're exactly the sort of person Sigrun would usually delight in meeting, save for one detail I'll point out on the walk, and there's no real way he coulda predicted how all that would go down. I wouldn'ta. I don't think this was anyone's fault, exactly."
Sturm pops the lid onto her styrofoam cup, and then stands up from the table. She sighs. "Might not have been at first, but that doesn't make what went down right." Beat. "Let's get out of here, then. I'm eager to hear what you have to say."
Vorpal nods. "I'm agreed. Shouldn't have gone down that way. C'mon." He leads the way outside.
The slender Torrent has sharper senses than any being really has any right having, and uses them to make sure there's nobody near enough to overhear their lowkept conversation.
"So. You know a foreign word that very specifically applies to frost giants, but don't know the runes specifically, just recognize them and associate them with Bad Things, specifically There. You ran into someone wearing them, someone who spent time There working for the people that probably left you feeling that they're Bad Things- and you both bristled when you saw each other. Are you sorta following where I'm going? I'm not trying to speak in riddles, but as careful as I'm being, neither do I want to say something I wouldn't want overheard."
She follows Vorpal put onto the street, quietly looming over him - though he's tall enough to stand a better chance than most people that stand close to the giant.
"Don't worry about me following - I get what you're saying." Her voice is a low, rumbling growl. "Well, I didn't know what it meant. I just recognized- err... Strongly identified with it when I read the word once in a book." Beat. "You're probably not wrong, though. The thought crossed both of our minds at the time, I think - I'm just confused about it. I can't remember shit from then all the time. That's not new. This is just the first time that not-remembering has happened so suddenly and violently."
He moves comfortably in her shadow. It's not something that bothers him. "Cool. That's all I think that was. That question? That was her terrified that something from There caught back up. She wanted to know if you were Theirs still, or your own person, I'd bet. She's headed towards similar questions before, but never needed to ask- she's never met anyone else from where she came from."
"You mind if I tell her? I think it'll go a long way towards smoothing that over. She wasn't much happier than you were after all that. And take it from someone who knows- having someone who knows, even a little, what you went through There... it's priceless."
Sturm is dead silent while Vorpal speaks. She's silent even for a little while after he stops. The giant breathes another heavy sigh - her breath freezing in the cool night air.
"I'm sure it is." This time, when she speaks, her voice is very soft. "... but I think..." Her brow furrows as she trails away. "I think I do mind, actually."
That pulls a glance from the other Elemental. He tips his head, but nods. "Okay. Before I start asking questions, unless you tell me you changed your mind, I'm gonna hold that answer as no thanks. That said," he continues, guiding their progress towards the McDonalds where the game boi has been supplied with Game Boy, fuel for the Game Boy and fuel for the game boi. "-could I ask why? Sharing that- it'd go a long way towards fixing things, and besides probably earn you a pretty staunch ally."
Glitch warms a booth at the plasticine restaurant easily, the remnants of a plate of fries and nuggets in front of him. He's clutching a small black plastic Gameboy and seems absorbed in it, but looks up as soon as the two approach.
The creases in her brow deepen even further as Sturm considers the answer, frowning all the while. Her hands make their way onto her jacket pockets, and she runs a thumb over a hidden object there. "Not sure." That's all she says until the pair reaches the door. She opens it - and ducks under the door-frame - finally finishing the thought. "No... it's because of how it went down." Beat. "If your crew had swooped in and beat the shit out of me, I could probably swing that, because I know how to deal with getting my ass kicked."
She follows towards Glitch's booth, her voice adopting the growl-y quality again. "Wasn't like that, though. Wasn't a fair fight."
Vorpal's eyeshines drift when her hands move, but he doesn't call it out. He slips in behind her and nods, sighing. "Yeah. I get it. Like- I'm the same way. If I lost a fight? I could buy that. But if someone cheated me out of even trying?" He grimaces. "... I get it. Like, I know, for a fact, she probably thinks she was being kind, but... I get it. Whassup, Glitch?" He calls out, grinning at his motleymate.
Glitch is not grinning right now, not even for Vorpal. He looks up at Sturm and frowns, fidgeting uncomfortably before looking back down at the videogame in his hands. Looking rather small. "Hey. I'm...sorry. I thought I was helping." He huffs out. His eyes return to Sturm as he shuts the game off and tucks it away, pushing a carton of lukewarm fries towards her. "You don't owe me shit. I just wanted to apologize before you left town or whatever."
"We're square." She slides into the empty booth, leaving the two smaller people to share a side. Besides, she's not a very cuddly person anyway. She does, however, take some fries and toss them into that terrible maw of hers. "Not goin' anywhere, either. Lived here when I was a kid - and I've got family business, so you're just gonna have to deal with me for a while longer."
Vorpal slides in beside the squirt of a Sprite, nodding. "Not your fault. Pretty sure it wasn't anyone's fault, though it got handled pretty rough. Everyone meant more or less well, just- real lousy circumstances. So don't beat yourself up, Glitch. I woulda done the same damn thing."
Glitch scowls at Vorpal briefly, as if being told to not beat himself up was a challenge. But he sighs and relents. "I'm just...pissed off at the whole thing and I have nobody to be pissed off at. Except myself, and maybe Sigrun for flipping out. But she had a good reason to flip out. And if I got mad at her she'd fucking beat me up and make me feel bad." He ducks his head to sip at some diet cola. "So...you got a theory, Jack? On what the fuck happened, other than me deciding to help out again?"
Sturm has a mouthful of fries, and she quirks a brow at Jack - clearly waiting for him to answer the question.
Jack nods and pulls his phone out. They're in a populated building again, and this should make things pretty clear anyhow. He pulls up a webpage and slides his phone to Glitch to read. "That's what we were talking about. The bit about being in opposition, that's where we think this all went to shit. We brought a mountain lion to a dog park."
The Website? [1]
A Jötunn, some times anglicized as Jotun (pronounced yōtən), plural: jötnar or Jotnar, is a giant in Norse mythology, a member of a race of nature spirits with superhuman strength, described as...
Glitch glances at the phone. "Wikia? Come on, Jack, Wikipedia's better than..." He stops and reads the article, then frowns. And frowns. He hands the phone over to Sturm and smears a pixellated palm over his face. Face, palm. "I brought a fucking boss mob to a Player," he mutters to himself. "Uuuuuuuugh."
Sturm nods, swallowing her mouthful of fries with a gulp. "I got the summary version from Jack on the way over." The corners of her mouth sink into a frown as her eyes find the picture of the ugly giant on the little screen. Nobody likes playing the heavy, right? "... it's fine, though. You didn't know what was about to happen, so I'm not going to hold it against you."
Jack offers quietly, "That's not you, remember. Just what someone tried to make you be." He takes his phone back and tucks it away. "But yeah. Nobody knew what was about to go down. I'd even met you before and I didn't clock that connection until we talked about it after the fact. But... yeah, you get it."
"Yeah, I guess." Sturm fixes Vorpal a look - deciding whether or not to explain that, no, she has always a big violent obstacle. She remembers exactly what he had been doing the night when they met for the first time, and elects to keep quiet on the matter of her past history altogether. She looks back down at the table. "I think I have a different answer for you, though. From earlier." Woo! Subject change.
Vorpal looks right back. He's something of an expert on actively deciding what you want to be, whether she knows it or not, and- as someone who was A God and then decided to be A Person again- he's pretty confident when he says that's not who she has to be. Her next comment, though, surprises him a touch and he lifts his eyebrows. "Oh? That sounds like good news. What's the new answer?"
Glitch takes a hit from his vape right inside the McDonald's to adjust his mood, closing his eyes as he sucks in the hit, then managing to puff it straight upwards. A mother of 7 at a nearby table looks over wearily, clearly disgusted but too tired to do anything about it. He sighs and relaxes, putting the vape away and turning his attention back to Sturm to hear this next bit.
"Yeah," she shrugs before reaching for the last of the fries - but holding off on eating then until she's finished talking. "You can tell her, I guess - but I'm not going to give shit a third chance to go south..." Beat. "I'd like a fair fight, too. Win or lose, I can't see the issue we have getting worked out any other way. That was where it was born, and that's the only place it's going to die." Then she devours the handful of fries in one go, tipping the little carton up to get all the salt out, and then washing it down with a sip from her styrofoam coffee cup.
Vorpal nods slow- and then chuckles, nodding a little more enthusiastically. "Yeah, that sounds about right. Okay. I'll share that. I think she'll respect the hell out of that response." He rubs at his chin a moment, then just nods once more. "Thanks. For meeting up. Didn't have to. Must have felt risky, and I appreciate that you did it anyway."
"Yeah, well..." Her mouth is still full of food. "You seemed alright - and I like your little twink friend just fine, too - so I figured I'd give you a shot at trying to figure shit out." Sturm takes another drink of coffee before starting to sidle out of the grease-caked McDonald's booth. "Anyhow, I've gotta go see a guy about not leaving his door unlocked at night. See you two around?"
She won't leave leave until everyone's said whatever they need to say, but she's outtie 5000 as soon as it goes quiet.
Glitch nods solemnly, slurping at his cola. He realizes what he's been called a moment later, cheeks blushing, eyebrows raising, but Sturm is already on her way out.
He'll take that one. More than fair enough after all the nonsense and troubles. Lifting a hand, he waves the newly met Jotun off.
Turning to Vorpal, he says: "So how pissed at me is Sigrun?"
"The vote of confidence is appreciated. You and your unlocked door have a good night- we'll catch you another time." Vorpal's already grinning before Glitch starts to blush. And then she's gone, and it's just them, and there's that question. "I'm thinking we should go ask her ourselves. C'mon. Let's take a walk."
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