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(Continued from Part 1)
*
Danielle nods thoughtfully, accepting the metaphor. "It's a very… peculiar stepping stone," she decides. After a few moments, she relaxes and follows Amanda towards the weirdly-normal house. A moment later, and Brightwind clops along as well, tail flicking back and forth restlessly. "More of your magic, then? Wish I could've introduced you to Black Eagle. He would've loved all of this."
*
"Mm? Oh, getting here? Yes. It was a teleportation spell," she explains. "Except instead of moving us from one part of Earth to another, it took us from one dimension to another." She gestures with a hand to their surroundings. "I wouldn't be too put off by this. It's pretty mundane for this place. The Winding Way changes its look pretty frequently." They get to the house without incident, just like Amanda promised. "See? No problems." She frowns then, considering the door, and then Brightwind. "Hm."
*
The horse stares right back at Amanda, as if daring her to suggest he try to squeeze through a normal door. Danielle gives him another thump and tsks, "Manners, you big lump." She looks over the house again, considering, "He could stay outside, if it's okay to open one of those windows?" It's a practical suggestion, which strikes even the down-to-earth Cheyenne as amusing. Practical suggestions in a magical otherworld, regarding the comforts of her immortal magical pegasus.
*
"Well. It's not a normal house. …at least I don't think so. The house changes sometimes too." It opens as soon as Amanda touches the doorknob, and she peers around the first room quickly. "Yep. No furniture or carpet." She gestures with her hands and they glow blue a moment, before the door widens. "Here. Let's get us all inside." Just to be safe. She wouldn't let anyone or thing hurt her guests if she can help it, and generally the Way is safe, but…
*
Danielle steps inside when invited, then sidles quickly out of the way when the opening expands. She doesn't seem put off by magic, but she knows enough to be cautious around it. Brightwind is a little more dubious, whickering quietly at the threshold, taking his time inspecting the larger door and the floor inside the strange house. Finally, he takes a cautious step, then another, wings slightly braced as though expecting the floor to give way under his weight.
"Forgive me if this sounds rude, but it sounds like you aren't entirely sure how this.. Winding Way? is going to behave. Is that.. normal?"
*
Amanda flushes, embarrassed. "Well. I've noticed patterns, and things seem to hapen on certain days, but…" It's like the comment has deflated Amanda. Her posture sinks a little. "Honestly, I'm… not as advanced in my training as I probably should be. I've been self-taught for a few years now."
*
Danielle laughs, not unkindly, as she pivots on one foot to look around the strange house in a strange place. "Don't be too hard on yourself, Amanda. Look at this place. Look at what you've done just this morning… If this is you 'still in training', I can't even imagine what you'll be able to do as a master of your.. art? gift? Magic?" She grins warmly as she pads back towards the other woman, "Look, seriously, my grandfather, Black Eagle, spent his entire life mastering the old ways of our people. And he would've still insisted he had more to learn."
*
Amanda seems to brighten a little at those words. "Thanks," she murmurs. "Oh. Um. Sorry there's no furniture. That seems to be random too. There's… probably something wherever the kitchen is. Usually food and the like in there too." Once Brightwind is inside, she makes sure to close the door. Again, just in case. You never know what's out there.
*
"Oy, lump, behave yourself," Danielle calls teasingly at Brightwind, who's cautiously exploring the large main room, sniffing the floor and walls. Despite his size, he does seem to move with uncanny grace and care. "Let's see what else your house of mystery has, then. And I imagine you might have a question or two, hmm?" As she talks, the Cheyenne wanders through a connecting door, glancing left and right, then moving leftwards down the hallway.
*
"What, about the winged horse?" Amanda shrugs, smiling some. "I figured if you wanted to tell me, you would. I'm perfectly capable of accepting that Brightwind exists and leaving it at that." She did learn about various magic animals, once upon a time when she had a teacher. She follows at Dani's heels, thinking the door will lead to the kitchen, but no. Just a long hallway.
*
"Well, there's pegasus, and there's a certain breed of pegasus," Danielle explains as she wanders a little further down the hallway, peeking into .. closet.. closet.. Hmmmm. "If I were a kitchen…." she muses, rather enjoying the chance to explore. "Anyway, Brightwind is a creature of Asgard. He and his brothers are the mounts and companions of the Valkyries."
*
"Asgard?" Amanda asks, frowning. "What's Asgard?" Totally unfamiliar with that place, she is. Maybe that was going to be a future lesson that she missed out on? "Not on Earth, obviously…" Hm, another closet. "Ah, the last door, of course…"
*
Dani pauses at the last door, considering how best to explain. "Asgard is … the realm of the Norse gods. Odin, Thor, Freya, Hela. Near as I can figure out, it's another dimension, connected to Earth somehow. The parts I saw kinda reminded me of the American Plains and the Rockies." She pulls the door open and politely gestures to let Amanda go through first. "You would not believe how large and generally .. gorgeous Asgardians tend to be. Men and women both."
*
Amanda has no idea what Dani means by the 'Rockies'. But she accepts that the place is very Earth-like. And despite herself, she giggles a little (immaturely) as Dani confesses that both the men and women are attractive. "Oh, okay," she says, trying desperately to think of something better to say than that. "…so why were you there?"
*
"I'm still not entirely sure," Danielle admits, her smile fading a little. "I was in Colorado, doing a bit of …" Her voice gets slightly flat before she pauses, then clears her throat and finishes, "A bit of hunting. I had a mishap, and fell asleep inside a cave. When I woke up, I was in Asgard, sprawled out on the grass, with Brightwind slobbering on my hair. One thing led to another, I ended up joining the Valkyrior. Couple years later, I came back to Earth. Found out not as much time passed here as it had there." Yeah. She's glossing over a /lot/, possibly out of consideration for her hostess' mental wellbeing.
*
Amanda does not take it, however, as Dani looking to gloss over information. At least not anything important. She just assumes Dani is skipping to the important bits. "I've heard time passes differently in some places. It was mentioned in some of my mother's texts." At the door, she raps two knuckles against the wood. Somehow, to her ear, it must sound different. "This should be it," she confirms. "Did you want to do the honours?"
*
Danielle eyes the latest door cautiously, then nods and pushes it open. "If there's a giant squid in here, I'm going to be unhappy, Amanda," she observves before stepping through. "NEar as I can tell, I was away from Earth only a few months. Found myself not far from Denver, so… Not real sure how that works, but Brightwind came home with me. The rest is far less exciting."
*
Amanda eyes Danielle. "Do I really look like someone who keeps a giant squid in a kitchen?" Hopefully not, but you never know, right? The door opens and…. nothing happens inside. It's a regular kitchen, despite it being inside such a bizarre house. "As for the showing up in Denver…" She shrugs and smiles. "Magic?" She knows - or can guess at - the reaction Dani is going to give her. "No, really. Cities are a sort of focal point. It is easier to send someone to a city than a random point in the wilderness."
*
Dani grunts thoughtfully at the suggestion of magic. "I would've thought the other way around, but that shows what I know about magic. Which isn't much." Relaxing at the refreshingly normal kitchen, she immediately heads to investigate cabinets, hoping for something vaguely tea-ish. "Black Eagle always preferred the feel of 'natural' magic.. kept away from cities and people as much as he could. Though he was also a cranky old man on his best days, so that could've just been his excuse to be all… hermit-y."
*
Amanda considers her answer for a moment. "Perhaps I misspoke," she admits. A brief frown touches her features. "For some kinds of magic, cities are easier to get to. The connect to people, monuments, landmarks.." It's a heck of a lot easier for her to teleport to a place that has known landmarks, especially if she's seen them. There is likely tea of some kind in the various cupboards. Probably food too, because the Winding Way always seems to provide when Amanda needs it.
*
Tea! Check. Kettle, check. Water somehow, check. Danielle hums absently as she busies herself with making tea. "City-magic… Different kinds of magic for different kinds of people, then? I'm not sure if that's more reassuring or less, but I doubt any of the powerful magic users in Asgard have the slightest clue about this Winding Way of yours. And I know Black Eagle definitely didn't. I think he might've liked it, actually."
*
When the water is in the kettle, Amanda helpfully casts a spell (warning Dani first, of course) to make the water boil - as though it was really on a heater. Slow and steady. "You don't think they'd know?" she asks, frowning. "Hm. I never really thought the Winding Way was easy to overlook."
*
Danielle watches the water boiling on its own with understandable curiosity. For a few moments, anyway. It /is/ just boiling water. So she hunts down some mugs, then leans back against the countertop, arms folded as she studies Amanda. "Honestly, I think it's probably a good thing that they aren't aware. Most of them that I've met, even the nicest and noblest and prettiest, tend to be drawn towards increasing their own strength and power. And their nasty types are even more nasty than most humans I've run into, and you don't want to be constantly shooing them away."
*
There's something oddly… relieving, knowing people who were once hailed as Gods could possibly be so… human. "That's no different than anyone out there," she says, nodding to the outside. She means on Earth, of course, but well… they're not on Earth at the moment, are they?
*
Danielle grins and nods her agreement, "They're a lot stronger and tougher and everything, but yes, they can be as silly or petty or selfish or nice or charming as any of us mere mortals. My Sisters.. the Valkyries.. They gossiped and laughed and flirted and fussed and fought and got jealous and sarcastic and everything, as easily as any of the girls I've ever gone to school with. Just with amazing accents and occasionally pretentious flourishes of speech."
*
Amanda lifts her eyebrows. "I… don't think I can picture Valkyries flirting and gossiping." Of course, what little she knows about the idea of Valkyries can fit into a shot glass. So what does she know? "How many… sisters do you have, exactly?" she wonders. Curious. "Because that could be a lot… gossiping and laughing."
*
"A few dozen. It's hard to be precise, since there's always several small groups out and about all over the realm," Dani reflects, then smiles as the kettle whistles. She finishes preparing the tea, then brings both mugs to the table, offering one to Amanda. "Valkyries are fierce warriors, even aside from their appointed duties. When there's time to relax, that ferocity.. that ..mm. Passion? It finds other .. outlets." She sips from her mug, her cheeks a shade darker. "What's the saying? 'Work hard, play hard'?"
*
Amanda studies Dani's blushing expression for a long moment before she accepts the mug. Almost like she's trying to decipher it. "I think that is how it goes," she confirms, nodding. "I have heard a few others use it since we moved to this side of the ocean."
*
Danielle mmms at the tea, closing her eyes as it warms her bones. "This is very good," she observes after a few moments, then opens her eyes and quirks a little smile at the other woman. "In fairness, most people in the City use that saying as some sort of permission to get drunk or stoned or bounce from bed to bed to bed. As if merely working hard entitles them to shameless hedonism."
*
"I wouldn't know," Amanda murmurs. "I don't stay in the city much. Usually don't live the Way or the circus." Safer. Places she knows. "I only go into the city to learn the layout and get groceries, most times," she explains. "The friends I've made lately have come to see me."
*
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with that," Danielle assures. "I like to explore and figure out where everything is, but trust me, I know exactly how unnerving and huge the city feels. Some people thrive on it, but .. well, this is why I slip away in the mornings to take care of my horse. A little bit of peace and quiet to start the day off." Pause. "Aside from those twerps who didn't count on getting their butts kicked by two 'helpless wee girls', hm?"
*
Amanda flashes a fierce grin. "They're just lucky I did not change them into rabbits to teach them a lesson," she insists. Although, if pressed, she may confess she hasn't -quite- learned transmogrification that well. She can control arcane energy and the elements themselves pretty easily, and shapeshifting her own body, sure, that comes easily enough. But someone else? Not yet. She lifts her mug and tips her head at Dani. "To us wee girls, then," she says.
*
Danielle grins and returns the toast, lightly clinking her mug to Amanda's. "To us wee girls!" She takes another happy sip, then mmms, "I could've scared them off, but… I try not to do that unless I have to. It'd be like using a cannon to hunt mice."
*
"That's usualy why I don't like to throw magic at regular people," Amanda explains. "Except to defend myself or others. Not to go after people aggressively." Which is yet another reason she did not transform those boys into something unpleasant. She flops down into a chair, using her right foot to bring a second chair closer to herself. In case Dani wants to sit.
*
Danielle accepts the tacit invitation, settling in the second chair. "That's the right approach, as far as I'm concerned. Just enough to make the other side back down or leave.." She swirls her mug slowly, then admits, "Restraint does not come naturally to me. There's a part of me that /wants/ to react aggressively, to teach people like that a lesson they won't forget."
*
Amanda nods understandingly. That was her mother's way of thinking. She doesn't say it outright. Instead, "… I can understand that. It's tempting, right? But the problem I see with that… they slink away and come back later. If you just flex enough to scare them off, so nobody gets hurt, they don't have revenge on their minds."
*
"Hn," grunts the Cheyenne, eyeing Amanda a moment with a slight little smile. "Pretty /and/ smart.. Are you sure you're single?" She's teasing. Mostly. Probably.
*
She blushes brightly, /definitely/ not used to such attention. Suddenly, the contents of her mug are very, very interesting. "I.. well.. um." She swallows hard and blushes again, adding to the depth of the red on her cheeks. "Yes," she finally says. "I'm sure."
*
Danielle sips her own tea, hiding her smile even if her eyes linger a bit more on that bright blush. "When we first met, I'd thought perhaps that Marie-Ange and you……." She trails off for a moment, then resumes easily, "I hope you'll forgive me if I just say.. whoever you end up with is going to be one very.. very lucky man." She pauses for just long enough, then: "Or woman." Sip.
*
"Us? Oh, ah.." Still blushing, Amanda shakes her head. "I.. hadn't given it much thought," she admits. "There was always keeping the Circus safe.."
*
A smart hunter knows when to ease off a little, lest the prey get spooked. Danielle sips her tea and relaxes in the chair, not pressing the issue. Restraint, not aggressiveness.. "A very important and worthwhile goal, that. Not just the animals, the whole Circus means a lot to you. I saw a couple of little kids with huge eyes, last time I was there. They were just drinking it all in, like it was the most magical place in the world."
*
Amanda relaxes, though she's still blushing. "…because Marie-Ange believes in the cards," she explains. She knows even if there was something between them, Marie would never do it without the cards' say so. "She won't do anything without consulting them first." Talk of the circus does in fact, relax her further. "It is," she explains. "When everyone comes together to put on the best show…"
*
Runes, bones, omens, cards… Danielle is no disciple of magic, but she's seen too much already in her life to discount the importance of such tools, or the affect they have on others. Rather than focusing on Marie-Ange, Dani stays on track with the Circus itself: "I've only visited… I haven't actually seen a full show start to finish yet. I imagine there's a lot of pieces that have to fit together just right, yeah? You've all been together for a long time, too?"
*
"Since after the war," she explains. "My mother and I joined when I was three." She hasn't mentioned her mother much, has she? "Well, if you have time maybe we should go see one of the main performances, then," she suggests, almost.. shyly? "I don't have to do my part tonight, unless I want to. It's my day off."
*
Danielle smiles. No mug in the way this time, no guarded half-grin. She smiles. At Amanda. "I'd like that. If you think you can put up with a barrage of silly questions about how it all works." Hey, how often does one get to watch a show with one of the stars?
*
"Well…. I don't know if I can explain the biology of an elephant and a bear and tigers and lions to you.." She laughs softly, the red slowly fading, and her eyes sparkling as she looks at Dani. "We might have to find someone from the zoo for that."
*
Danielle pretends to look crestfallen, but then brightens, "So we do the Circus today, we go to the zoo next time? That sounds fair to me…" Wait, did she just wrangle two dates for the price of one? Nah, surely not. But her own eyes dance as she grins back at Amanda.
*
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