asgardchrysalis | GOD CURSE: SIGYN'S HOLIDAY SCAVENGER HUNT

Entry tags:

GOD CURSE: SIGYN'S HOLIDAY SCAVENGER HUNT

Who: anyone!
What: xmas curses 4 everyone
When: December 25th - December 31st
Where: Outside all Godhause temples.
Warnings: Please tag any appropriate threads!
Notes: Please see this post for more details!

( To say that the snowstorm dampened Sigyn's spirits would be an understatement, negative emotion compounded by her impatience and impulse in reacting to it. What's done is done, however, and she hasn't ever made sitting in thoughts of the past a habit. The present and future hold much more importance, which begs the question: what can she do to make today as good a day as it can be? What adventure can she set forth for others in order to truly amplify her spirits and rejuvenate her confidence in who she is -- more aptly, who she would like to be?

The idea that springs forth requires quite a bit of magic and some quick decision-making, but once she completes one project, the next seem to roll out much more easily. She'd discovered something interesting about some Wanderers: this holiday tradition they have of decorating and merriment. She's not solidly aware of the details, which make explain the wild magic that seeps accidentally into each thing she creates.

What are they exactly? Large trees -- some more...well, trees, than others; attached are baubles and gifts that she thinks fall in line with the spirit of what this day is supposed to be (as far as she knows). )

❧ curse descriptions.

❧ ODIN
( Outside Raven's Garðr now stands a 20 foot tall lemon tree. The scent of it is very pungent, magically so, but perhaps that's to be expected from the sheer volume of lemons hanging from its boughs. While some are real lemons, others are clear and shining, made of a yellow quartz that only makes the limbs bend lower. Interspersed are Wanderer ornaments, that when picked will contain yellow marigolds. )

CURSE: Interacting with this tree will immediately leave an unbearable taste of lemon in your mouth. Not just the flavor, but the sour feeling as well. No matter what you eat or how many times you scrape at your tongue, the sour feeling of the fruit refuses to leave.

❧ NJORD
( Instead of being a traditional tree, the offering left outside of Finnalaun is basically nothing more than a 4 foot wide log sticking out of the ground and extending upwards of 40 feet into the sky. With no branches, the adornments are inserted into hollowed out holes in the side of the "tree," covered with sliding slats that can move up to reveal what's inside. In those without Wanderer ornaments, filled with blue hydrangeas upon being plucked, exist blue orbs that feel solid to the touch but that have no obvious permanence. When their doors are opened, the orbs are quick to try and float away into the air, so they must be caught quickly! )

CURSE: Anything you say is rhythmic, perhaps even in a melody or rhythm that you aren’t familiar with. The more you talk, the more theatrical and loud your conversations become.

❧ SKADI
( Steina Lysa's Wanderer ornaments will be filled with large canna lily's, with other decorative baubles adoring the tree. These are spiked, but hollow and contain a wispy coloured smoke that changes based on the person whose possession it's currently in; on the tree, they remain a dazzling orange until removed. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this holiday setup, though, is Skadi's tree type. Instead of being something natural, it's been pulled directly from a child's drawing; a physical manifestation of juvenile art in 3D, large black lines included. )

CURSE: Your whole body changes shade based on your current emotion; you’re basically a human mood ring. This curse lasts one day.

❧ SIGYN
( Sigyn has saved the more traditional looking tree for herself, and thus Teitr Morginn gets a large fir, typical and basically bland in every way -- except. Instead of traditional ornaments (though her Wanderer ornaments are still there, containing large sprigs of holly when taken), this fir tree is covered in orbs of corn. They can be cooked and eaten, but otherwise are eternal and impossible to damage. As an aside, there's also the smell of fresh baked cake emanating from the tree, mysteriously. )

CURSE: Every half hour you're awake, you randomly blurt out one random fact about yourself or a true feeling that you hold.

❧ TYR
( Fagna Heima receives a smaller version of an angel oak tree. Wanderer ornaments (filled with poinsettias) hang from wreathes places around thinner branches. These wreathes are made from shocking red flames, though they contain no heat. They can be removed from the tree if you're patient enough to walk them forward to the ends of the winding branches they hang from. )

CURSE: Your throat immediately feels hoarse, and you lose the ability to speak. Communication is still possible via the network, but any attempt to talk physically damages your throat (may require healing if many attempts are made).

❧ HEIMDALL
( A large mushroom-like tree stands outside of Hlíf Drengr, and it spins quickly despite its roots being housed comfortably in the ground. Hanging from the clustered branches are various long objects, or collections of long objects: paper clip chains, popcorn strings, jump ropes, belts so long they'd basically be impossible to be worn. The important magical item is a strand of holiday lights made from an unbelievably strong vine, blinking lights made with an incredibly glistening rock material. They blink and change colour periodically, from soft pastels to more vibrant holiday colours. All swinging tendrils operate as if they have a mind of their own, though they don't act maliciously. Attached to the end of some swinging strands are the Wanderer ornaments, containing ranunculus when removed. )

CURSE: Once you're out of reach of the tree, all objects touched by your hands for one day immediately fall to ash OR explode into flower petals (of your choice). Humans, plants and magical objects are exempt.

❧ MIMIR
( Taka Ráðs' tree, at a distance, appears to be a typical cherry blossom tree. Upon further inspection, one will notice that instead of flower petals, the blossoms on this tree are made up of hundreds of small spheres, floating around the tree without any sort of attachment. Occasionally, the small spheres detach and burst upon coming into contact with the ground, or perhaps even you!, leaving a cloud of pink haze and strong cherry scent. Tied to smaller branches are small purses, made with shimmering fabric. Inside are small chocolates, though whether or not they taste good is a roulette game. Some may be sweet, with a few that are indescribably decadent. Others may taste like something much more unsavory -- from sweaty socks, to dumpster sludge. Wanderer ornaments on this tree are filled with clematis flowers when retrieved. )

CURSE: You forget everything about one other Wanderer (OOC choice) for one day (feel free to pick an acquaintance CR to escape something too traumatic or just play something awkward).

❧ HONIR
( The tree outside of Flakkaheim is a medium-sized wisteria, though the tendrils strobe and blink, especially in the light of the setting sun when the whole tree is illuminated in a purple glow. The ambient lighting is accompanied by melodic tinkling and clinking, made possible by the ornate pens attached to the ends of the wisteria strands, gradating to a crystal clear, icicle point. They offer a much clunkier noise when they bang against the Wanderer ornaments, which bloom into a china aster when plucked. )

CURSE: Your touch leaves a glowing imprint, and can include objects, the ground, even people. Clothes/shoes do not mitigate this. Lasts for one day.

❧ FRIGG
( In Frigg, Báðum Hǫndum has received a large tree that would otherwise look like any other that could be found in Asgard. The distinctive feature of this tree is that the outer branches are wrapped in a protective, thick shroud of spider silk, though the originating bugs are mysteriously missing. The silk is very fibrous, not easily broken though simple to move. Once you breach the wrapping, you'll find an ecosystem of movement flitting about. Small green butterflies blend in with the bright leaves, moving and flying about in between the Wanderer ornaments, which will bloom with white lotus flowers once retrieved. When touched, the butterflies freeze and fall, transforming into bejewelled pins. )

CURSE: Your hands shrink to a fourth of their typical size. Otherwise, they’re fully functional.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Since arriving in Asgard, there's been a heavy hand of nostalgia attached to, well, nearly everything here for Kol. Being in the presence (however short-lived, and long-between) of the Gods he'd worshiped as a child has both humbled him, and brought back the feeling of needing to participate in a religion he'd left behind long ago, in another lifetime. So, finding him at Tyr's temple (or any of the others, for that matter) isn't the most unusual thing. Tyr is the easiest, and the one that makes most sense to leave offerings for given their alignment, but he does make strides to not completely play favorites, either.

Still. Today, it's Fagna Heima he's headed to and-- well, he never quite makes it inside because the large oak covered in various, poinsettia-filled baubles and wreaths of flame catch his attention. He might have ignored them entirely, if not for the shining glint of one in particular that bore his name in crisp, looping letters. He supposes the flames must be magical, because the tree itself doesn't seem to be catching fire at all. He tilts his head a bit to one side, and reaches toward it, letting his fingers slide against the flickering flame wreath. There's no heat to it at all and that brings a delighted smirk to his face, a soft chuckle escaping him and he reaches just a bit further to grasp the bauble with his name.

"I wonder who left these," he muses quietly to himself as he angles the trinket off the tree finally. Once it's actually off the branch and in his hand, there's an instant twinge in the back of his throat. He frowns and turns the ornament over in his hand, a frown etching across his features.

He glances up and wonders if he might find someone else around who would know more of what's going on.

[ Maybe Chizuru should have figured by now that things are often not as they seem in this place - or that they tend to come with a little something extra.

But she didn't. And all the interesting decorations definitely were speaking to Chizuru, so she just couldn't resist taking one. It was pure luck of the draw that got her to pick something from Heimdall's tree first - or maybe bad luck of the draw in this case, since ever since she took one of the decorations from there, she hasn't been having a great day. Random objects around the Godhaus she lives in, cooking utensils, food-- everything has been falling apart the moment she touches it. It's startling, and moreover upsetting to a degree that she doesn't even realise why it's happening yet.

Instead it's just making her feel like a weird monster more than anything else.

So Chizuru can be found around the city, but looking rather downcast for a chance. She may be lost in thought, standing around and staring sadly at nothing - not even noticing familiar faces passing by - or sitting somewhere with her face buried in her hands.

Maybe you want to check up on her if you spot her like that? ]

❰ lalli, meanwhile, is on his way back to his house from honir's tree - but he doesn't make it far. he's not one to pay much mind to the ambient negative emotions of others, but a second glance at this particular despondent girl (or what he can see of her, face in her hands like that) brings a click of recognition.

he lets out a long sigh through his nose, stopping in his tracks to turn and skulk in her direction. a toe dips out to kick weakly at hers. ❱

What's wrong with you? ❰ not a great start, but his tone is significantly less harsh than his words, for what that's worth? ❱

[ Maybe it's for the best that he made that weak slight kick, otherwise she may not even have noticed him being there despite him speaking up. She's just that lost in her own - not too particularly positive on this day - thoughts.

But now she does look up at him, showing her face. There's a hint of something vaguely red in her eyes, like she's been crying. ]

Oh.. [ She almost says it's nothing, but that's probably not too believable when she's looking like this, huh. ] I.. I think there's something wrong with me. I mean, really wrong.

❰ yeah. he picked up on that part. part of him wants to just... repeat his question, but more slowly in case that helps.

luckily, that won't be necessary. ❱

Which tree'd you touch? ❰ that's what this has to be - a tree curse. lalli got one, himself. he's wearing gloves at this very moment so he stops turning everything he touches into some sort of obnoxious glowing beacon. ❱

Edited 2020-01-06 04:34 (UTC)

..

[ Her gaze turns a little more surprised when he says that, although it's mostly still just very troubled. But his question does imply that what's wrong with her is due to the trees, right? ]

The one in Heimdall's district. Why..?

❰ ooc: so i'm coming off hiatus and dropping basically all of my old threads - i just wanted to apologize for tagging in and then disappearing! i'd love to leap on this cr again going forward, i just dropped the ball this time ahaha... ha. ❱

[He can't quite remember if he had plans for later or not. Either way, consider them canceled. He's going to lock himself in his room with the kittens and never come out again.

...Or at least until he returns to normal, for pity's sake. Anyone who does try to get in touch with him is going to get one typo-ridden text in response.]

ffeeling a litle under the weath er
w!e can talk later!

[ reynir is deeply charmed by the decorated trees that appear around asgard districts on the 25th, and spends the next few days making a trip to each of them to collect a small bauble to mark the occasion.

he notices that strange things happen every time he does this, of course, though he's not entirely certain of the connection until his third collected bauble, but they're only little things, really, and it doesn't seem right to skip any one god's tree over another, now that he's gotten started. ]

tyr.

[ for such an exciteable guy, reynir is plenty patient in sliding the flame wreath from tyr's tree, driven by his fascination over the cool flames in his hands. it's that fascination that has him distracted enough not to bother looking behind him as he retreats backwards from the base of the tree with his new prize, and he bumps lightly into someone behind him.

in a moment, he's spinning on his heels and opening his mouth to apologize, only for a pained, grating noise to escape from his throat instead. his brow furrows, and he opens his mouth to try again, but no sound escapes at all this time, though if the way one of his hands flies up to grab at his throat is any indication it probably still hurt as much as the first attempt sounded. ]

mimir/closed to close cr.

[ mimir's tree is full of little shimmery fabric bags of sweet chocolate treats, and reynir might find himself lingering at the base of this tree long after he's collected the beautiful ornament from its branches, sampling each new chocolate he comes across with childish delight. ]

honir.

[ it takes reynir a good few minutes to notice that anything has changed after departing from honir's tree with his newest ornament, and truly it's only because he has his familiar out at the time, padding along placidly beside him, that he even notices at all.

or, more accurately, his familiar notices the steady path of glowing footprints that reynir has left behind him and barks softly to direct reynir's own attention that them. reynir blinks slowly and stairs down at the glowing footprints with open astonishment. ]

Oh. [ he says softly, wonderingly. ] It's almost... beautiful, isn't it?

wildcard.

[ reynir makes a stop at every tree at some point during the week, so if there's a curse you'd like to play out i didn't put here, feel free to toss something else at me and i'll roll with it! ]

[ Reynir's moment of wonder is absolutely going to be spoiled by a diminutive Finnish woman waving with one hand and holding something in the other, and trotting up to him, footprints likewise glowing in her wake. ]

Reynir, your footprints - So you touched Honir's tree too! [ She doesn't seem too troubled by the glowing. ] I had to touch it! There was a thing with my name on it so it must've been for me and so I took it and then things started glowing when I touched them! [ She reveals the ornament and the flower within she grabbed from the tree in her other hand, the bauble having an almost otherworldly look to it on account of Tuuri's glow touch. ] Isn't this neat?

[ the truth of the matter, of course, is that tuuri's presence could never spoil anything. and in fact, reynir's expression lights up almost as if he himself is glowing, rather than the things he touches. ]

Oh, is it the tree that made this happen? That's strange, I wonder why they made them do that.

[ almost unbidden, his hand reaches out towards the ornament she's holding out between them, drawn in by the glow. his hand stops just short of actually touching it though. ]

It's very beautiful.

❰ lalli, for his own part, is scouting. that's what this is - it may not be in the woods this time, but between his own glowing touch and rhys's refreshing silence, it seems like a potent bit of magic surrounds each of these suspicious new trees. it's important to find out what sort - not firsthand, but by observation - in case any of them are actually dangerous.

he's in luck(?) with mimir's. the flaming red hair is visible almost as far off as the tree itself, and he pulls up a couple of yards behind reynir (he hasn't yet figured out the radius of effect, better safe than sorry) to say, ❱ Dunno if you should eat that.

[ reynir hadn't noticed the scout approaching in his distraction with the tree and it's ornamentation, and why would he, considering passing by unseen was one of the more important requirements for his job in the first place?

still, he's not exactly expecting to be attacked, and lalli's tone seems generally non-confrontational, so while reynir does visibly startle as he turns to stare wide eyed at his newest company, he relaxes quickly enough after that. he flashes a vague smile at lalli, perfectly friendly but still managing somehow to communicated a complete lack of personal connection in his expression at the same time. ]

Oh, it should be fine, shouldn't it? These are from the gods, aren't they?

❰ well. that certainly was an especially stupid smile. it puts lalli on edge - maybe the opposite of the intended reaction, but he masks it well.

'they're from the gods, aren't they?' ❱ So is this. ❰ wrapping one hand around the opposite wrist, he shows the icelander the newfound glowing print it leaves. and if that's not enough? ❱ There's some girl crying in Heimdall because everything she touches turns into dirt.

skadi;

[after he's (carefully!) removed one spiked ball from skadi's tree, klaus can't help the surprised noise he lets out when it turns a brilliant pink, both hands cupping it gently while he examines the roseburst of color. unbeknownst to him, that's the color he's going to be cursed with once he retreats with his new prize, so perhaps that moment is whenever your character happens to stumble across him—

or throughout the day, he can be found wandering around and collecting other items, ill-fated with color-shifting skin, which usually has him cursing, accompanied by a brief,] Sorry, [then it's followed by an annoyed sigh.] Guess I got jinxed.

tyr;

[fire has always, unsurprisingly, been eye-catching for klaus. being able to pick it up and not get burned thrills him in a way it shouldn't, let's be real, yet it won't last long the moment it dawns on him that his voice isn't working.

he opens his mouth, attempting to say something about how he should probably be on fire right now, but no words come out. a blink, followed by a second one, then before a third can come, he shifts the wreath somewhat and momentarily stops walking backward. dragging the thing off the tree isn't too difficult, he isn't worried about that at all, though not having his voice is...

well, is it really worth it? and does it matter if he's already touched the damn thing? fuck me raw, klaus thinks, this would be my luck. he rolls his eyes, considers the wreath again before eventually deciding he's come this far, why should he stop now?

catch him cheating it off the rest of the way, though. magic likely shouldn't be wasted with telekinesis when he's plenty tall enough; he's just flustered and pissy about not being able to talk, that's all.]

honir;

[and there's no way klaus can resist those fancy as hell pens. for once, he only takes a single one, figuring other people should be allowed a chance first before he decides to take more. while he's darting off with it though, the fool ends up tripping over his own feet, sending the item flying, it landing some feet away and he barely catching himself on his hands and knees.]

Sonuvabitch, [comes out underneath his breath. once he's upright, he brushes the snow from his fingers, eyebrows lifting consideringly when the greenish-tinted flakes drop into the white mess below.] Woah, what the hell?

[perhaps it's silly, maybe even childish to do so, but klaus looks at his hands, glances at the snow then leans forward, planting tattooed palms against an undisturbed spot of snow. withdrawing with a laugh afterward once it, too, turns viridescent underneath his touch.] Okay, not gonna lie, this one's kinda cool.

wildcard;

[ooc: or hit me with something of your own! others i'm interested in are sigyn, heimdall and mimir. c:]

( This ornament collection scheme isn't really up Emil's alley, but he is interested in collecting this ornament that supposedly has his name on it. It's not until he actually gets there that he's immediately invested in retrieving a wreath; despite his magic being half fire-based, it's not very often that he actually gets to see flames out in the wild, and it's always exciting. It's a blessing he has gloves on, though after grabbing at one of the easier to grasp decorations, Emil soon discovers that he can't feel the heat through the thick leather.

It takes a while to find the wreath that has his own ornament hanging off, and it's unluckily on one of the higher branches. Being on the admittedly shorter side, it looks like a bit of a lost cause -- until he notices Klaus also there, using his much more presently useful magic to float off a wreath of his own. This is fortuitous, since he can just ask his friend to do the work for him.

Except he finds upon approach that while opening his mouth is possible, the ability to push out noise is suddenly the opposite. Maybe his voice just caught, he'll try again -- no, nothing, and that strain proves to create a pain deep in his throat. He chokes, and even then no sound escapes.

So instead of calling to Klaus, he approaches and tugs at whatever ridiculous outfit he's somehow become accustomed to. Once his attention is gained, Emil points to his mouth and throat area before creating an 'X' with his hands, face confused and somewhat alarmed. )

[on any normal day, the footsteps would've immediately caught his attention. the anger lingering at the back of his thoughts is overpowering though, dampening all other noise aside from the irritated buzzing. like a disturbed hive of bees, waiting to sting anyone that comes within reach.

how fortunate, it's emil who disturbs him. just as he's about to finish sliding the wreath free, there's a tug at his coat, making him turn toward the swede, an eyebrow raised with curiosity. aw shit. he's already touched the stupid things on the ridiculous tree, hasn't he? his brow furrows with agitation, a silent sigh passing his lips as he abandons his gift once more and turns toward his friend, watching him gesture.

without really thinking about it, klaus reaches out, takes hold of the arm emil's using and tugs it between them. his index and middle fingertips drag across emil's palm, slowly spelling out, ‘tree’ and ‘cursed.’ which might be a bit overdramatic, so it's par for the course when it comes to him, but it's not entirely untrue, either.]

( His arm is tugged, and at first Emil is confused. Then his hand is traced across, and he finally gets it. This isn't the kind of nonverbal communication he's used to, though it's very straight to the point. The first word doesn't quite compute; he hadn't quite gotten the activity until the second word, which is obvious enough.

Figures. That's the source of everything else weird here. It's also worth noting that Klaus also seems afflicted by this specific curse, so it's the tree. Got it. Everything clicks into place.

Emil shrugs with a frustrated huff, giving one more attempt to talk that just comes out a wordless wheeze, clutching his throat afterwards. It feels like there's absolutely no moisture past his mouth, and every swallow just evaporates once it reaches his uvula. And now it's like there are deep cracks running downwards, like dirt in a drought. It's not even like he thought it would work, but the stubborn need to speak wins over everything else.

With that last conscious attempt out of the way, he points a finger upward, towards his own ornament and the wreath attached. He'd like to at least get what he came for if he's going to be cursed, and Klaus is the man to do it. )

[in klaus's defense, he would've attempted using sign language of some sort (which he doesn't know much of himself), but he figured emil wouldn't understand it. thus, the idea came along, somewhat a blast from the past considering the last time he'd done this, his jaw had been broken.

best way to describe it, too. everything's just fucking cursed most times here on asgard; not always but usually? picking up something without knowing what it could do leads to hexes.

klaus's expression falters slightly, eyebrows knitting, his own mouth opening to say something as well, except he stops when emil's attempt only comes out as an uncomfortable-sounding rasp. out of instinct, he reaches up from emil's wrist, puts the hand around his mouth and shakes his head. a silent attempt at conveying ‘don't’ since fighting seems to make it worse. if this motor-mouth is telling someone they shouldn't talk, they probably shouldn't.

you Tried though, pal. slowly tilting his head back, the other wreath gets spared a thoughtful glance then he nods. yeah, sure, floating that one down too won't be a problem. or hopefully not, anyway?]

( Nonverbal communication is something Emil thinks he's quite adept at, but even when it was a necessity for him...well, he talked all the way through it like his words would matter anyway. To speak is so instinctual, but when Klaus places his hand over his own mouth, it settles into him that he must focus on repressing the urge.

He sighs, defeated, then nods back at Klaus when he understands what Emil wants. It's a relief that they're able to communicate this much, but it's also not as if this has been very complicated so far.

Maybe this will put this to the test: Emil is curious about how long this has lasted with his friend, so he points to his throat once he's sure he's got Klaus' attention again. Then he extends his right arm upward next to his extend left, before slowly lower the latter to his side; it's an imitation of clock hands. Once he reaches the 12:15 mark, he lowers his other arm, gesturing quizzically. Emil doesn't know that they've basically been inflicted about the same amount of time, but he'll die if he finds out this lasts hours. )

[good choice, since he wouldn't want emil to damage his vocal cords any more than they might already be. sure, he'd have no trouble simply healing him up, but why do that when it can just be avoided altogether?

while klaus understands how frustrating it is, it won't do them any good to get too upset, especially when there's nothing they're able to do about it. so, his attention upturns, the bracelet on his left arm glowing as he raises his hand and begins floating the wreath further out on the tree branch. might as well get emil's down first, that way he can go about his business or whatever it was he was doing before.

from the corner of his eye, he watches emil gesture and move around, head faintly tipping, considering. it's not difficult to figure out, he's mostly wondering why emil wants to know the time— oh, wait, is he asking how long he'll be voiceless? shit, he hasn't got an answer for that. with an exasperated look and a silent sigh, his shoulders lift then he shakes his head afterward because sorry, but he hasn't got any idea.]

A. Outside Tyrhaus

[ To say that Rhys is instantly wary of any ideas the gods have, after their little 'scavenger hunt' and Skadi's zoo, is an understatement. Simply, he doesn't trust them to have ideas that don't end badly, whether it's intentional or not.

Even so, curiosity wins over, and he hunts down his own ornament regardless of the distrust.

And immediately his throat starts hurting, and when he tries to express his annoyance, there's first a wheezing, hoarse hey, and then nothing.

What he does manage is a quiet groaning sound. Feel free to check on him.

After that, he'll spend a little while trying to discourage everyone else from grabbing an ornament without actually being able to tell them why he's suddenly rushing over and batting their hands away. ]

B. Wildcard

[ Just a good ol' wildcard.

He'll return to SSSS house eventually so feel free to meet him there, housemates. ]

❰ this.... might be the first time lalli has been in the same room with rhys for more than 60 seconds without some sort of stupid remark. in fact, it dawns on lalli that rhys hasn't said a single word to him since he got back.

it earns a sidelong glance, warily intrigued. then he turns back to his notebook (scouting report, he's reviewing what he knows about the glowing sap to explain why everything he touch is now glowing the same way... including said notebook) for a few more lines of skimming.

then another glance at rhys. ❱

What's wrong with you?

[ It's not that Rhys had necessarily been intending to stay here. Him and Lalli aren't exactly close, and it's still kind of weird to be in this house when he wasn't exactly officially invited, even if it's obvious by now he's not unwelcome.

But he feels a little lost, and apparently hovers there long enough for Lalli to notice. He starts, and opens his mouth to say something, but. Nope. Still nothing.

He grimaces in frustration, and reaches into the pocket of his jacket to pull out his stupid ornament and shake it as ... some kind of explanation. ]

❰ his eyes fall on the ornament and he can't help it - his next exhale is a near-silent snort. ❱

Suits you, ❰ he says, a mild note of humor in his voice. it goes dry as he grabs his bare arm with his hand, then holds it up to show the glowing handprint it left. see? he's cursed too. ❱

[ Wow. Rude.

He glances down at the glowing handprint, and stares at it for a few seconds. What the hell kind of bullshit is that? Why can't things just be normal around here?

Maybe he should just bury the hatchet here, but instead he's going to do the very mature act of sticking his tongue out. ]

Edited 2020-01-09 18:55 (UTC)

[much to klaus's misfortune, the discolored skin he's been cursed with after picking up skadi's ornament has been lasting a lot longer than he'd anticipated. for the most part, it isn't so bad, he stays in the normal blues, greens and sometimes offshoots to purple, all things he's used to feeling. doesn't mind other people seeing, either.

but when he pokes his head around the doorway to the kitchen and spots rhys, his immediate reaction is glancing toward the hand he's got propped on the frame, which is bleeding into a vibrant, rosy shade of red. then he yanks back into the room, stumbles backward a couple paces, tries everything in his power to ignore the sudden color shift and goes back to the food he'd been prepping.

if he's favored, perhaps rhys will go right on by without noticing who it was. we all know klaus's luck isn't that good, though there's still a chance it could be mistaken for some kinda plant shenanigans.]

[ Maybe Rhys doesn't know who it is, but he sees enough to catch his attention. The flash of bright colour in the corner of his vision, gone as quickly as it showed up. That, together with the sound of someone moving and the smell of food draws him towards the kitchen.

And there's Klaus, looking like ... Something. A coloured lamp?

Once again he finds himself trying to speak, ask just what is going on, and his throat protests it. He does manage a frustrated sigh, and walks over to check what Klaus is cooking. And take a closer look at his skin because what the hell. ]

[today must be an extra special day, seeing as how he's actually risking cooking something on the stovetop. chicken stirfry to be exact and it's actually coming together alright, too. (nevermind the few burnt pieces that'll need picking out later—

or his stupid skin, which just keeps turning pinker.)

hearing the sigh isn't as easy, but the footsteps draw klaus's attention, make him glance over once rhys is close enough to see his skin better.] Hey, [greeted casually, as if he's not looking like some indigo-pink tie-dye sunburst. then he sighs,] Before you ask, I got cursed by one of those damn ornaments.

[ Yeah, that checks out. He makes a sympathetic grimace, and then slumps against the counter with a huff.

Not having a voice sucks. ]

[it sure does! klaus can symphatize, too. twice now, he's been left voiceless, although the first time, he was twelve and had gotten his jaw wired shut.

setting aside the spoon he's using, he reaches out, takes rhys's flesh hand.] Try this, [then he lifts his other hand, draws a pink fingertip over his friend's palm and spells out, “see?” before letting go again.]

[ Uhhh.

He stares at his palm for a few seconds, pretty unsure because, honestly, that seems like a hassle. But he takes Klaus's hand in his metal one, to try it.

Rly?

Can't really say anything substantial this way. Honestly, texting over the bracelet would look ridiculous but be way more efficient. ]

[holy shit, did rhys actually just use chat speak to communicate with him? that shouldn't be as cute as it is; makes klaus grin, far too amused for his own good.

he nods with affirmation,] Really, really. [however, his attention averts from where rhys is holding his hand to the bracelet on his opposite arm, which he lifts and shakes slightly. the idea hasn't been lost on him, he's just always looking for any reason to be a tactile little shit, of course.]

Could use these, too? Or, if you don't want that, I'm sure I have a pen and paper around here somewhere.

[ LOOK. Hands aren't big. Chat speak is efficient.

Also squinting at that grin.

He huffs, and taps the crystal on the bracelet to bring up the screen. Then he opens an empty document and types in a grumpy message: ]

The gods are stupid.

[alright, fine, that's a rather fair point. also, what is it? he's just smiling here, that's all.

for once, anyway.

klaus scans the message, snorts then briefly turns back to the stove, stirring what's in the pan so it won't get too dark while they're... communicating.] Careful, they might hear you. See you? [he shrugs.] Seems like there could be more than one trickster among them.

[ Fine. Smiling is okay.

With a grimace, he leans against the counter and ... well, sulks, essentially. He's sulking. ]

[aw, gee, he's so cute when he's upset.]

It'll be okay, it only lasts for a day. [after shifting to peck the side of rhys's head, klaus carefully spoons up some of the stir-fry, turns to offer it to him.] Try this for me? Maybe it'll make you feel better.

[ Not cute. How dare you.

And, frankly, even a day is too long. But he will accept the stir-fry, picking at it for a couple of seconds before taking a bite. It's ... good, and his posture does straighten a little, the lines of his scowl smoothing. ]

[just accept the compliment omg

okay, okay, he's gotta admit, seeing rhys's expression soften and his demeanor lift slightly makes him smile.] Well, you aren't spitting it out, [he chuckles, adding a beat later,] or foaming at the mouth. [which is a joke and holy shit, he prays he doesn't need to remind him of that.]

[ No.

He huffs, and jabs Klaus lightly in the side with an elbow. Dumbass. ]

Oomph.

[klaus lowers his free hand, rubs the spot where rhys's elbow had hit him.] Wow, rude. See if I feed you again.

[ Not for the first time he forgets that he can't talk, and opens his mouth to retort but nothing comes out. His throat protests painfully.

He manages not to make any kind of grimace at it, though, and instead sticks his tongue out. ]

[and to no one's surprise, klaus just smiles like an ass when rhys attempts arguing but has completely forgotten he's a mute. poor rhys, stuck with this prick who's getting his jollies out of watching him struggle.

as soon as he sticks his tongue out, the already too-wide grin on klaus's face broadens then he reaches out, tries catching rhys's tongue between his thumb and forefinger.] You planning on using that?

[ Excuse you?? No grabbing his tongue.

At least, he would've liked to prevent that, but by the time he realises that's where Klaus's fingers are going it's too late. Who even grabs someone's tongue?? This fucking weirdo.

He bats at Klaus's arm, as he tries to pull his tongue back into his mouth. ]

[too late, he's already gone for it—

and succeeded apparently??? holy shit, this is the first time he's been quick enough to catch someone. thanks for the brief ego-stroke there, rhys. ~~also, i'm the fucking weirdo that's done this, too.~~

in spite of himself, klaus lets his arm be smacked away, fingertips rubbing together then wiping on the hem of his shirt with a chuckle.] Yeah, didn't think so.

[ He may not be able to speak, but he can huff as much as he wants to. Which is precisely what he does, before he grabs his plate of food and goes to actually sit down.

Prick. ]

[with the cooking done, he shuts the stove's burner off, sticks his tongue out after rhys turns away from him then picks out a couple vegetables that he eats straight from the pan.

yeah and??? the prick is still totally going to follow rhys and sit beside him anyhow.]

[ Fine.

He actually won't make a face about it either. Klaus is obviously free to sit wherever he wants.

Now if only Rhys wasn't forcibly mute and the silent treatment would have any effect.

Oh well. ]

[for what it's worth, at least klaus keeps his own mouth shut after he's sitting next to rhys. he shifts, puts a little extra space between them just so he can crisscross his legs then leans partway against rhys's shoulder. his silence doesn't last nearly as long as it should, though.]

I lost my voice, too.

[before he'd realized it was some kinda stupid god curse from the wreath he'd plucked off the tree. much to their luck, it seems to only last three hours.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

GOD CURSE: SIGYN'S HOLIDAY SCAVENGER HUNT

{Tongue tied, can't speak, bound to the failure of sound » Fagna Heima/Tyr's district, 12/25 » OTA

ota, anywhere in the city

he's the least helpful and i'm sorry

fhjgdfjk an Attempt Was Made

it sure was

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tinyhands mcbonesy, ota

reynir arnason | ota

Honir | Let's be glow buddies

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mimir.

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klaus hargreeves ☂ ota

( tyr )

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Rhys // OTA

B.

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b

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