08 ◐ Video

[helsmaiden]

[Leah sits on the bed which she never uses, using magic to hold up the device (as may be evident from the slight greenish tint around the edges) while holding in her hands a small, icy heart on a chain.]

I do not understand the purpose of this curse. Am I meant to feel ashamed that my heart is so cold and small? Are the cracks I see within representative of heartbreak? Once again, this City baffles me.

Comments

video:

[charring]

The City's running on a theme again. It's February. Valentines day is coming.

[This is dumb.]

video:

[helsmaiden]

Valentine's Day? Another mortal holiday, like Christmas?

Re: video:

[charring]

Yeah. It's one I don't do much for because I think it's kind of stupid.

video:

[helsmaiden]

Stupid? How? What is the purpose of Valentine's Day?

Re: video:

[charring]

People use that one day to show they care about someone by giving them flowers or candy or cards that express their feelings. They spend loads of money on these things for just that one day.

I think it's stupid because if there's someone you care about, you should show them a little more often than just the one day.

video:

[helsmaiden]

I agree. When you care about someone, you are meant to show them all the time. [Or not at all, as the case may be...]

Re: video:

[charring]

Exactly. Because who knows what'll happen to them.

video:

[helsmaiden]

Or to you.

Re: video:

[charring]

Exactly. Make every day count, if you can.

video;

[friggmagnet]

Yours is kind of nice, man. Way easier to get around anyway.

[Axl turns his camera around to show two large, bright red hearts beating away like race horses on his nightstand.]

I don't know if mine need a box or something?

video;

[helsmaiden]

Why do you have two?

video;

[friggmagnet]

Oh, there was like the prophecy thing, before I turned into Odin you know? That I would have two hearts because I've got one immortal one and one god one or something. I've got an arrow tip in my chest that's like the second one but I guess this place is taking it literally.

video;

[helsmaiden]

I see. They do look... cumbersome.

video;

[friggmagnet]

Yeah man. Yours is like, pretty and shit.

Were you alright during the big riot? I know loads of people got hurt.

video;

[helsmaiden]

[She would resent her heart being compared to shit, but she's fairly certain it is merely an expression.]

I watched from a distance.

video;

[friggmagnet]

That's good. I wouldn't want you to get hurt or anything.

Re: video;

[helsmaiden]

I can protect myself.

video;

[friggmagnet]

Yeah I know. But it's sort of my job to make sure you lot are all right.

video;

[helsmaiden]

Your job as Odin?

video;

[friggmagnet]

Yeah, I reckon so.

I mean, I know I'm not your Odin or anything but I still feel like that sometimes.

video;

[helsmaiden]

You should know I am not one of Odin's subjects. Not yours, nor any other.

video;

[friggmagnet]

Am I still allowed to want you to be safe anyway?

Re: video;

[helsmaiden]

[After a pause, like she really has to think about it,]

Yes.

Re: video;

[friggmagnet]

Sweet.

Action:

[doeswhathewants]

[Peering over her shoulder.]

Looks like a diamond.

Action:

[helsmaiden]

[Ugh, Loki! Get away from her heart! She slips the chain over her head and tucks the heart away.]

Well it is not one.

Action

[doeswhathewants]

[But Leah, he just wants to touch it.]

Leah, I won't break it. [Grabbing her around the waist.] I promise.

Action

[helsmaiden]

[She struggles against his hold for a moment before relenting.]

Fine. You may look. [She pulls it back out. It seems slightly wetter and smaller than before.]

Action

[doeswhathewants]

[His grip on her tightens, then relaxes.]

Leah...is it melting?

Action

[helsmaiden]

What? [She stares at the heart. The small cracks within seem to have gotten wider.]

What do we do?

Action

[doeswhathewants]

It's cold, yes? Put it in the freezer. See if that helps.

[He unwraps himself from Leah and rises, ushering her to the kitchen and flinging open the door of the freezer.]

Action

[helsmaiden]

[She follows, placing her heart in the freezer and closing the door almost all the way, staring at it through the crack.]

Action

[doeswhathewants]

Has it ceased melting? [Trying to look into the freezer around her head, then over it, then giving up.]

Action

[helsmaiden]

I cannot tell. Perhaps we'd best leave it for a while. [Except she seems too nervous to move.]

Action

[doeswhathewants]

We ought to stay and watch, in case it gets worse.

action

[helsmaiden]

Very well. [She peers into the freezer. Suddenly something occurs to her.]

Do you have a cursed heart as well?

Action

[doeswhathewants]

Yes.

Uh. If yours melts, you can have half of mine?

Action

[helsmaiden]

[Somehow relieved by the prospect, Leah turns back to the freezer.]

I think... I think it's smaller! Does that look smaller to you?

[infernoandhearth]

It's very pretty.

Perhaps you ought to take it, instead, in terms of Serrure's heritage.

[helsmaiden]

It reminds me of home. Of the snows of Helheim.

[infernoandhearth]

Then if your home has snow, it might as well be a metaphor for that.