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[banished-to.livejournal.com]

Eventually, of course, the door appears. It would, in the end. She knew that much, at least.

Eventually it appears, she stands, and she opens it.

While the ceiling in Milliways is high, defying physics enough to allow all heights of heads, contain rafters, and yet have people living above it, the door is not so changeable. At least not for her.

She ducks to enter the bar, so the first thing that is seen would be blond braids that trail on the ground with how deeply she must bow to get through the door. She would force her way through even if she had to scrape clothing off to do so.

One hand, her gloved hand, holds loosely what looks like a toy against the height and width of the fully-grown goddess of the damned. A toy sword, until the eye finally convinces the mind that she is, in fact, fifteen feet tall.

As she straightens, she looks around in attempt to understand, to learn, to find out how long it has been within. To see if she still recognizes the faces.

Comments

[latino_menace]

Whether he's recognised or not, there's a face that recognises her. And he's standing and walking towards her, with some trepidation because he doesn't like being forgotten. But he wants to see her again. It's only been a week or so and the relief of that is making him grin, but nervously...

'Hel?'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

Random right behind him, of course, minus the trepidation and minus the walking, passing him easily and grabbing Ramon's wrist to yank him along as he makes a shameless beeline for her.

"You're back!"

[banished-to.livejournal.com]

She doesn't say anything, she's out of the habit of talking for the sake of words, but she kneels down and pulls them both into her arms (Random to the left, Ramon to the right) and hugs them without shame. After a long moment she speaks, the soprano of her voice rusty with combination of severe overuse followed by ages of under-use,

"I am...and you're still here."

[latino_menace]

He glances at Random, unsure of whether to tell her. But then mutters, 'Only been a week or so, for us. How long have you been gone?'

He's not sure he really wants to know.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

He's meets Ramon's eyes, but doesn't say anything. Just hugs her as best as possible.

And generally feels short.

[banished-to.livejournal.com]

He is short. Stupidly short. So is Ramon, really.

She loves them anyway, and doesn't answer. Not in words. She, reluctantly and slowly, lets go. In the letting-go she holds her left hand out to Ramon, letting him see, and then take, the sword she holds.

She doesn't feel the need to tell him what the sword is. The barely contained feel of violence and doom should speak for itself.

[latino_menace]

He takes it with wide and eyes and a slowly spreading grin. Yes, he can feel the violence and doom...and he loves it.

'Jesus...' He looks up at her with something like awe. 'You made it.'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

Random... isn't sure what to think.

And isn't going to look at it's Pattern until he's somewhere he can comfortably pass out.

But he does nod.

"It's so dark."

[banished-to.livejournal.com]

"It is mine."

Her voice is soft, and for Random first. She's dark too. Grim, and dark, and rather more dead inside than when she left. Still Hel, but...more the Hel that the gods expected. Then she turns to Ramon,

"I told you that I would."

[latino_menace]

'You did.' He drags his eyes off the weapon, already utterly in love with it. 'Thank you. It's beautiful.'

Yes, that's the sound of a grown man utterly floored. He grins up at her. 'We missed you. Couldn't believe that you couldn't take the card with you - Random still has it though.'

And he reaches into his pocket. 'And this. If you still want it.'

He's holding the jaguar tooth. He looks a bit shy about it actually, as though she might have forgotten that.

[banished-to.livejournal.com]

"I want it."

She says, voice tight and hand already reaching out for it,

"The card too, if I still may. I missed you. It was a long time."

She's wearing the bracelet, the necklace as well. The necklace is more of a thin gold choker now, and the bracelet had to be let out, but she is wearing them.

And then she hugs them both again, still not having stood.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Here."

His hands fumble for the card, pulling it out of his pocket and offering it up one handed, other side pinned by the embrace.

"Of course you can have it. And I'm still here, whenever you need. Good to have you back, Hel."

[latino_menace]

He places it in her hand with a grin and then hugs her himself, so glad that she finally got back safe.

'Come on, you have to come and have a drink with us. Please?'

[lyra_silver]

A human woman of about seventeen, accompanied by a small red-gold animal, notices Hel. Actually, the pine marten notices her first, and whispers something to Lyra.

Lyra's tall for a human, perhaps 5'8". Of course, the fifteen-foot goddess dwarfs her, but Lyra faces Hel without fear. "Hello. I'm Lyra Silvertongue, and this is my daemon Pantalaimon." The animal nods his head up at Hel.

[banished-to.livejournal.com]

Hel dwarfs almost everything, and most of the last far-too-long has been spent with actual Dwarves.

"Hello."

She murmurs after a moment or two of silence. Nothing personal, she's just gotten out of the habit of speech,

"I am Hel."

[lyra_silver]

"That's an unusual name," Lyra says. "I like it, but maybe it needs another description, or an epithet, like my name Silvertongue that my friend Iorek gave me."

[banished-to.livejournal.com]

"It is my name."

As the words come, so does amusement,

"And, in my world, it means enough on its own. If you wish titles, I have those as well."

[lyra_silver]

"That's all right. As long as it means something," Lyra says. "Will you sit down? I don't know what kind of being you are or what you eat, but I'm going to order some chocolatl if you'd like any."

[banished-to.livejournal.com]

"I enjoy that."

She says with a faint smile,

"I am the goddess of the damned, in my universe."

Which is why her name, all by itself, is enough for everyone. She gives the chairs a dubious look and settles on the floor instead.

[lyra_silver]

Lyra orders chocolatl from a passing waitrat. The rat brings back two mugs, human-sized and goddess-sized.

"Oh, like Gracious Wings! She's a harpy I met once, who saved my life, and she watches over the souls of the dead and makes sure they go to the right place. I'm sure you do your job well, like she does."

[banished-to.livejournal.com]

"I do not send them on."

She says quietly,

"I keep the ones that Asgard refuses. Not all of the dead, simply the damned."

She shrugs about doing a good job. Perhaps she does. It is for a use, in the end.

[lyra_silver]

"I see." Lyra's beam fades to a polite smile. "Do they stay there always?"

[banished-to.livejournal.com]

"No. We will not stay there always."

She doesn't look at the door, because she doesn't want it to exist,

"Eventually there will be war. They will fight for me, I will fight against gods which throw us away."

[lyra_silver]

Lyra and Pantalaimon have seen wars waged for the freedom of the dead, and for emancipation from an unjust deity.

"Then I wish you--"

"--We both wish you--" puts in Pantalaimon.

"The very best of luck." Lyra raises her chocolatl in a solemn toast.

[banished-to.livejournal.com]

"Thank you."

She raises hers as well, smiling with the working half of her mouth,

"It is a long time to wait, but I am content that it will happen in the end."