[choose your own adventure log] I am Death, none can excel

[coldeternity]

Who: Hela and you!
What: The Queen of the Dead comes to New Moore
When: Various and sundry times
Where: Various and sundry places
WARNING: please be advised that Hela is someone who has gone toe to toe with Odin and Thor and is perfectly willing to use magic or violence. If you need to reach me about this for any reason you can find me at ohmygodbees.

Adventure A: Arrival

The arrival of the dread Hela does not come without warning; a few seconds warning, maybe, to feel the temperature in the park plummet to cold and clammy, and stay there. She's the proverbial tall and dark, taller than anyone should have a right to be, clad in black and green armor, and for the few moments it takes her to grasp her situation everything is dead silent.

"Who dares?!" The righteous shriek of indignity, louder than any human could scream, the temperature dropping dangerously and the air hard to breathe. But of course, there's no one there who could be called the culprit. Or is there?


Adventure B: Magic

There's a light display somewhere just beyond the city limits, violent neon green lightning arcing up towards the sky and skittering over the barrier. Hela has a lot of power to bring to bear, and yet no matter what spell she tries nothing seems to work. The portals flash and glow, but refuse to open to Hel; her magic can map the boundaries, but not break whatever wards remain in place.

But she has a lot of power, and nothing but patience. She can stand here for a day and a night and longer, if she has been, trying an eternity's worth of tricks. And if it seems she takes no immediate notice for anyone who might investigate, well. The power to ward herself still functions as it should.


Adventure C: The Search, aka. The Noir Woman

When power fails- when you can't get what you want for yourself- there's no shame in taking the resourceful route and finding someone to do it for you. Hela has a guise for going about among mortals that would make Sam Spade weak at the knees- a dress cut down to her hips, sleeveless and tight, and the sort of large and fancy hat that would make any Southern belle jealous with envy. She can't recognize the magic or the work, but surely someone else can. In the offices of the city hall, the hospital, down to the last bar she can find, lying in wait or walking in like she owns the place; sooner or later, someone will heed, and someone will talk, and she will know who to make pay.

Comments

A!

[4asgard]

Strange realm, still no sword, still no sight of really huge monsters either. There's a determined look on Balder's face when he enters the areas outside the city. Even without a sword he knows how to face an enemy.

But when the temperature drops and the atmosphere begins to resemble something awfully cold, something awfully...dead, Balder can feel the hairs in his neck standing up. Suddenly its also hard to breathe.

Then the scream comes. A voice he recognizes and one he really does not like to hear. He inches away and moves to hide behind a tree, watching as the queen of the dead makes her entrance.

"By Odin's..." he mutters to himself.
Its really a bad day to not have a sword with him.

[coldeternity]

Hela comes with sword in hand, a vengeful specter on the warpath for someone to smite, someone to hold accountable. She has a duty that must continue, no matter what, and interruptions in her duty pose a great and terrible risk to Hel, to death, and to her plans. No one will carry on in her stead; there has always been her, and her alone, and no one but her will ever give a thought to it.

It's only her paranoia that allows her to focus on her surroundings, and catch the small mutter of his breath. Without it, in her fury, she might have never known he was ever there, too absorbed in her wrath to spare a thought for who might be around; if she had never thought that the culprit might be nearby, slim though the chance may be.

"You," she breathes, menacing and surprised all at once. Balder already belongs to her, so what can he be doing here, among these trees, cast out from her realm without her permission. The difficulties of recognizing the voice, without the face. "How did you leave Hel? I did not summon you!"

[4asgard]

Balder takes a couple of steps back. He refuses to give in to the fear that is growing inside of him.

"I have never been in Hel. You are mistaken, Hela."

He keeps his voice firm and confident, his posture straight.

"I am very much alive, as you can see."

[coldeternity]

Odin's festering eye socket, she does not have time or patience for a young boy's posturing. Not in the least bit. Once his reckless boldness might have been amusing, or a cause to goad him into further foolishness, depending on her mood. Now, it just grates.

"The Queen of the Dead does not make mistakes. Life is fleeting, and narrow. Everyone comes to Hel in the end. This is certain and inevitable. From where I stand, so many already have. And you, Balder, son of Odin, you are a return visitor."