New Hope [Completed]

[tenshinomakai.livejournal.com]

Character(s): Urd, open!
Content: Urd opens up her temporary relief shop to all!
Setting: Across the street from The Cheap Prayer.
Time: Week 24, all day!
Warnings: None.
Note: This log will be done via "party style" threading! Come in and make your own thread to get Urd's attention, or join into someone else's thread. It's all good!

Praetoris was playing dirty. Though Urd put on a casual, unaffected mood on the network, she was just as annoyed and insulted by this new attitude toward the visitors as anyone else. When it came to dressing "inappropriately," the goddess took it to a new level in a way that even modern-minded individuals would deem a little too sexy. She never minded much; she enjoyed finding new and colorful ways to show off both her style and her body. She was a goddess! You had to instill a certain amount of awe in people!

Her favorite tea shop had been adamant in not serving her and as a result, she had broken most of their cups in a fit of frustration. Really, they'd been lucky she hadn't set fire to the whole place! But once her temper had cooled and she had a clear mind, Urd admitted that fighting back had to be done in a better way. A smarter way.

Thankfully, poorer natives of the city weren't so quick to judge them. She'd always had a good relationship with the gypsies, in part due to her continued business with them (she had to get her ingredients for her potions somewhere). It didn't take much to strike a deal with them for her new plan: they'd supply her what she needed and she, in turn, would make sure the majority of the money the visitors had would go to them. Urd didn't need money, of course. Even if she wasn't a divine being, she had a djinn on her side!

Now the goddess floated in a reclined position in the middle of her shop, hands held out in front of her. Rich cloth and strings of beads flew up to the walls and windows, rags wiped the tables and floors on their own and merchandise of nearly every kind arranged themselves onto shelves and tables. She could have done it all by hand, but manual labor did not sit well with Urd.

Out front, a large embroidered banner read, "New Hope."

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[tenshinomakai.livejournal.com]

A dress flew across the shop. This was promptly joined by a teddy bear, a string of beads, three books, another dress and a powdered wig. Rather than landing on the floor like gravity would dictate, the items rotated around in a circle before arranging themselves on a nearby display shelf.

"What do you think?" Urd's voice came from behind Kida. The goddess was floating in place, leaning forward with her arms crossed as she gazed critically at the finished display. "The teddy bear just kind of ruins it, don't you think?"

[crystalchamber.livejournal.com]

The very last thing Kida expected was for various inanimate objects to come flying towards her. She took up a defensive stance immediately, ready to lash out if need be. She moved to the side, relaxing her stance as the items settled. She cocked her head curiously, reaching out to touch a dress with the same caution as one would a potentially-hot stove burner.

At the voice Kida flinched slightly before turning around in a hurry. Her face was one of disbelief, wide-eyed and dumbstruck. She noted the woman's lack of contact with the ground. "How are you floating? Who are you and where do you call home?" The dark skin, white hair and blue facial markings all rang true of her people. The woman's facial structure was a little different, however, and the tattoos were either not of her people or done by an inexperienced artist unfamiliar with the meanings.

[tenshinomakai.livejournal.com]

Urd stared back at Kida, a mild smile on her face. "Ooh, you get right to business, don't you?" She held up her fingers, counting down each question she answered. "I'm a goddess; my name is Urd and I'm from the seventh dimension, otherwise known as Heaven." Still hovering in the air, she moved closer to Kida, moving around the woman to take stock of her appearance, even going so far as to touch her earring and the hem of her odd wrapped skirt.

"So who are you? You have great style, I'll tell you that much right now."

[crystalchamber.livejournal.com]

"You are from the heavens?" Kida blinked, remembering her culture's legends. Long ago, a great blue star came down from the heavens and filled the world of Atlantis with light. Understanding the legend so much more now, she wondered if this goddess might have a connection to the Heart of Atlantis. After all, her resemblance to her people was noteworthy.

Most people would move back a few steps after someone moved that close to them. Kida, however, had a personal bubble much smaller than most due to her culture. That, coupled with her intense curiosity, resulted only in her leaning back slightly at times out of surprise. After a moment's hesitation, Kida replied.

"If you refer to my clothing, the city's inhabitants seem to disagree. I am Kidagakash. Many prefer to call me Kida."

[tenshinomakai.livejournal.com]

Urd floated backwards, reclining in a comfortable position as she listened closely. "The city inhabitants can't form their own opinions without someone else telling them what to think, so put them out of your mind," she replied, waving a dismissive hand at the very thought. She then put her finger to the side of her mouth, smiling. "Kidagakash. I don't know the origin, but it seems like a name that has a lot of power to it. I hope you don't mind if I call you Kida as well, though."

She was no less curious about Kida than she was of Urd. The similarity in their appearance was extraordinary, to say the least. And the marking on her cheek...what significance did it have?

[crystalchamber.livejournal.com]

The Atlantean raised an eyebrow when Urd said it sounded as if her name had power. Perhaps she truly is a goddess... Yet she does not seem to have connections to Spirits as we have imagined... With a smile, Kida replied, "I do not mind. ...Though if these people are so simple, I wonder if they can be influenced by those like us." Though I am no goddess... The queen then wondered if her connection to the Crystal would become important in relation to this goddess. Still, she didn't care to divulge anything to be on the safe side.

"Tell me. I know the Romans and Greeks believed in a pantheon of Gods and Goddesses. Are you one of them?" Kida gave a respectful bow, but did not drop to her knees as she would for anything in her own religion. "What are you the goddess of?"

[tenshinomakai.livejournal.com]

Urd tilted her head, bemused at Kida's formal-sounding manner of speech, punctuated by a bow. "Oh...no, not one of them," she chuckled, waving her hand again. "I'm the Norn of the Past and Administrator of Yggdrassil, which is the heavenly computer that maintains and controls all life. I also like to think of myself as a goddess of love." At this she winked, lips curved into a smirk. "You won't find mention of my kind in any mythology books, however. There may be tales that are similar, but the gods of my dimension don't make a habit out of staying on the mortal plane for long. It imbalances reality."

She floated forward again, wrapping her arm over Kida's shoulders. "But enough about me. Tell me, are you human? You have such a similar energy signature to humans but something seems different about you. Here, come sit down. Do you drink?" As she spoke, she gently but firmly tried to corral Kida towards the counter where two chairs were waiting.

*Hardcore fail*

[crystalchamber.livejournal.com]

Kida stared blankly as Urd euplained. When she finally replied, she cocked her head and shoulders and pit a hand on her hip. "Judging by your manner of dress, you seem suited for it for a goddess of love. As for the rest... Forgive me, I know not of those terms. And no, I have not seen any goddess like you ever depicted.

When touched, Kida raised her brow. Few here had personal boundaries as small as she had, thus something else that piqued her interest. Still, there seemed to be something strange. Besides the fact she was speaking to a goddess. "I prefer not to," she replied, knowing the implication of the word "drink." "It clouds the senses." Kida took a seat, and continued. "And I am human. But you are a goddess, could you not tell I was? And what is an energy signature?"

[tenshinomakai.livejournal.com]

Urd put a hand behind her head, swinging her hip outward. "Yes, I admit, I love the way I dress. But don't worry, you don't need to understand. All you need to know is that I'm powerful and I'm on your side." She gently nudged Kida into a chair and moved around her to the counter in front. "An energy signature is a sort of...aura that my kind can sense. Every living thing has it. And actually, some non-living things, too."

As Urd spoke, she propped her hip onto the counter and set about pouring herself some strong smelling alcohol into a small, bowl-shaped cup. "While you may be human, you certainly are unlike any human I've seen. Perhaps you're from a different dimension. There's a lot of that going around..." She took a sip from her cup and sighed in contentment.

"Now, then. I think I've answered enough questions about myself. Why don't you tell me a little something about you?"

[crystalchamber.livejournal.com]

The initial reply was a raised brow. "What one needs to know is not always what they should know." There was a distinct little lilt in her voice that expressed her curiosity well. "In time, I would be honored if you could teach me more." She took a seat at Urd's nudge. "What non-living things would have an aura?" she inquired.

"A different dimension? I do not understand."

Kida cocked her head yet again. This was certainly an odd Goddess indeed. "I am uncertain where to start. ...I take an interest in the world outside of my own, but until recently, I have been unable to learn about other cultures. My love has been teaching me to read, so I have learned a great many things since."

[tenshinomakai.livejournal.com]

"Mmm~? A scholar, are we?" Urd murmured, lowering her cup to watch Kida with a shrewd eye and a mild smile. "You'll love it here, then. I mean, outside of the whole natives hating and fearing us and a shadowy cabal trying to take us down and manipulating us for their amusement." This last bit was said flatly as she seemed to stare into nothing, a scowl on her face. But she blinked and her expression was back to the same mildly amused and interested smile.

"There's no shortage of people from different worlds, as you've probably already found out. And the library, of course, has all kind of books from apparently different worlds as well." She took another drink from her cup and leaned back. "So why haven't you been able to learn about other cultures?"

[crystalchamber.livejournal.com]

Kida chuckled. "A scholar I am not, but my love, Milo, is." However, the amusement was expelled with a sigh. "And the natives' opinions have not been lost on me," she said, her voice having dropped in pitch to mirror her lack of amusement. "I cannot even buy proper attire so that I can adhere to the dress code." She leaned an arm on the counter.

But Kida nodded about other worlds. Indeed, it had been quite a source of interest for her. As for the library... Kida frowned slightly. She looked away when Urd made her inquiry. Her expression was one of sad memories, but the pause was actually because she had to choose her words carefully. "It is for the same reason I have difficulty visiting the library. Until recently, I could not read." And this much was true. Kida, though she was a weak reader in English, could however read and write in her own tongue with ease, now.

[tenshinomakai.livejournal.com]

Urd watched Kida thoughtfully. After a moment, she set her now empty cup to the side and slid gracefully off the table. "Ah, but you're starting to read now, and that's more than a lot of people who've come through those gates can say," she said with a gentle smile. "Not much of a reader myself, but you might find some kindred spirits here to help you. If you wanted."

She held up a finger and grinned. "I can't help you with that, not that you asked, but I can help you with that first bit." She turned and walked through the shop as she continued to speak. "The natives' opinion is stupid. Can't believe they're asking hot ladies like us to cover up, it's..." The rest of her words were muffled as she disappeared behind a tall rack of clothes.

There was a moment of silence before Urd's voice was heard once more, this time behind Kida. "Here we are! Boring clothing for archaic rules." The goddess sighed, dropping a bundle of Victorian-style dresses in Kida's lap. "And you have such lovely skin, too. Do you moisturize?" She leaned forward, her face inches away from Kida as she smirked.

"I bet this 'Milo' guy likes how you dress, huh?"

[crystalchamber.livejournal.com]

"Perhaps. I believe first it would be best if I learned how to properly use the journal I have." Kida pulled out her journal and gestured with it. "With it's ability to capture my speech and read for me, I can check my own efforts after reading for myself." She smiled at Urd with a look of curiosity. "And I believe exploring this strange castle will also help me with this. Though trapped far from home, it does provide many opportunities to learn."

"Hot ladies?" Kida cocked her head and shoulders, misunderstanding the slang entirely and displaying an expression to match.

"Moisturize?" Kida asked. "I do not understand. ...I drink plenty of water, if that is what you mean." Atlanteans lived a blessed life with their crystals keeping them healthy along with youthful. The queen, inquisitive as ever, pawed through the collection in her lap after her inquiry.

Finally, some of what Urd had been talking about began to sink in, thanks to context. She gave a slight shrug with a smile. "In Milo's culture, bare arms and legs are apparently very unusual for women." She went back to looking through the dresses while she spoke. "I do not understand why that would be so attractive. We are a practical people depending on our role. What do I show that is indecent?"

Kida pulled up a few dresses to herself before settling on one in particular she seemed to enjoy. (http://gallery.nen.gov.uk/gallery_images/0708/0000/0098/victorian_blue_skirtbodice_mid.jpg) "Since I am certain mere silk leaves and twigs are worthless to one who knows better, how might I pay you for this?"

[tenshinomakai.livejournal.com]

Urd opened her mouth to explain what she'd meant by hot ladies, but closed it a second later. Clearly, she'd have to take some time to introduce a variety of topics to Kida at a later date, including why Milo would find her current mode of dress...appealing.

She smiled and gathered the rest of the dresses up. "That'll be enough, for now. I need to pay my suppliers. But I may need something from you in the future." She turned, her hooded gaze still watching Kida from the corner of her eye as she moved away. "If I need your help later, I hope you'll remember this day."

[crystalchamber.livejournal.com]

Kida cocked her head, furrowing her brows when Urd stopped short of answering her questions.

"What is enough?" She blinked as Urd moved away, realizing what she meant. The woman gave the goddess a courteous bow with a smile. "Then I hope I shall be able to repay you for such kindness. Thank you." With a smile, she carefully folded the dress over her arm and turned. At the entrance, she paused, looking back inside for a moment, then looking around to note the store's location.

Though she may not be Atlantean, outsiders should still stick together.