#aa!fenrir

[asgard-segun-elcadejos]

Asgard Academy

Year 3: Part II

[ Index ]

xxxxxxxxx

“What do you believe your duty as a Lord is going to be?”

Fenrir slightly narrowed his eyes, appalled. He didn’t know, that’s why he asked for this meeting in the first place. “I lack a proper answer, my Lord.”

“That is fine, but you must have some idea, yes? Something you read, or heard, about what people in our position do?”

“Uhm…”

Lady Paulfrid was deeply intrigued by his hesitation. This subject was usually hammered into heirs’ skulls the moment they were able to understand responsibilities and yet, Fenrir had absolutely no clue. It was one thing to be unaware of certain details, but to lack grasp of the subject core… When her daughter talked about the circus Syd made to get Fenrir to come to celebrate the twins' birthday, Lady Paulfrid thought it was due to strict guardians yet…

Something was amiss in the Northern Wolf; she could see it now. Judging by the slight frown in Lord Ulrich’s face, it seemed he had arrived at a similar conclusion, and with that lightning speed calculation of his, a mental list of things that needed review after this meeting was probably underway.

Lord Baldrek was aware his equals were slightly tuned out of their meeting, so he tried to keep Fenrir’s focus on him. “Let us start with the basics. Do you know why there is such a thing as ‘nobles’ and ‘commoners’ in Asgard?”

“Yes,” the boy replied, relieved to finally know what to say. “Noble bloodlines are descendants of the God Warriors of legend. Our coat of arms represent the divine power granted to each warrior during battle, or so they say. Lands and other assets were distributed by the Asgardian Princess of the time as a reward for the warriors’ courage.”

“Good! You got most of it, so well done.”

“Hm? What did I miss, my Lord?”

“The assets were rewards, that much is true, but the lands are responsibilities.”

“Are?”

Lord Ulrich snapped out of his contemplation and intervened. “You have noticed there are families with larger plots of land, yes? Yours being one of them?”

Fenrir nodded, not particularly sure why that was important.

“Every citizen of Asgard is a subject of the Winged Crown, and that is quite the number of people. It would be unfair to expect one person, the Princess, to be able to meet all their needs by herself, yes?”

The boy nodded again.

“So, when the ancient wars were concluded, the God Warriors were rewarded for their courage, and then given a final responsibility: ‘Protect Asgard’,” Lord Ulrich explained, his magenta eyes fixed on Fenrir.

“My Lord, you just said the wars were concluded by that time, so what else was there to protect?”

"Certainly," Lady Paulfrid snapped her fingers and nodded, satisfied to see the young lord was paying attention. “If the wars were over, what ‘Asgard’ was left that needed protection?”

The three Heads of House patiently waited for Fenrir to think about it. After a few minutes of contemplation, he dared to provide an answer. “The people?”

“Very well done, young lord!” Lord Baldrek said with a smile. “The people are Asgard, and as descendants of the God Warriors of legend, it is our duty to protect them. That is why nobles are distributed all over the Principality, instead of centralized in one region. When water is scarce, when bridges collapse, when nature strikes! We are to oversee their wellbeing.”

The corner of Fenrir’s mouth tightened a bit. “Is that not something the local and main governments do already? Would we not be interfering?”

Even Lord Ulrich raised his eyebrows at his quick evaluation. Lady Paulfrid had already decided she liked the boy and wished they had personally met sooner. “Two hands, connected to the same body. Local governments follow procedures to the letter, as they should, but are rarely able to report real-time problems and concerns from the people. The Heads of House assist the Winged Crown with that. Unfortunately, I cannot claim all Heads of House give this duty the same level of priority, but it is our responsibility. Failure to comply has… significant consequences.”

“Our reports are provided quarterly, usually to the Princess herself, unless a more pressing matter requires immediate attention. You are already familiar with Her Majesty, it should not be hard,” Lord Ulrich said with a dismissive hand gesture. “Be thorough. Audiences with Princess Mother Göndul were kept brief, in consideration for her health, but Her Majesty Princess Hilda will want every possible detail, no matter how unimportant it appears to be.”

“She has always been fierce, that one,” Lady Paulfrid sipped from her teacup. “Asgard will go through many more changes now that she is the ruling Princess. We must help her, young lord.”

Fenrir nodded; his chest tight. He was nervous just thinking about it, but also somehow excited to be part of something bigger than himself. “Yes, my Lady, I will do everything I can.”

“Just remember; there is no need to do so alone,” Lord Baldrek pointed out with a gentle smile. “You might be the Northern Wolf, but there are others in the North with the same responsibility, so reach out to them and form strong, lasting bonds.”

“The Howling Hellhound’s heir graduated last year, yes?”

“No, that was the middle child, Ulrich, keep up,” Lady Paulfrid corrected him with a frown, not even aware she missed his title. “Truly, how can you forget? We saw him the other day with his mother!”

“I cannot keep track of all of them, Paulfrid, give me a break! And you said ‘middle child’, so there are three in total?”

“Yes! Utgard (the heir), and his sisters, Vaike and-“

“Lady Vaike?” Fenrir interrupted, and immediately cleared his throat. “Apologies. I do know Lady Vaike; she was at the northern regional entry exam as a volunteer. We also spoke a few times at the Academy.”

“’Spoke’? Is she not-?”

“Ulrich.”

“Fine, fine, fine, fine. Figurative speech, I understand.”

“As I was saying,” Lord Baldrek cut in, and the other two seemed slightly embarrassed he had to do so at all. “Reach out. Not only to other nobles in the north. If you are ever struggling, and feel we might be able to help, please ask.”

“Do not expect me to go to Northern Asgard, though. It is so far from the west-”

Lady Paulfrid didn’t even have to say anything; Lord Ulrich stopped talking on his own, but not without glaring at her. Lord Baldrek let out a quiet chuckle; their dynamic had been like these for years now.

“Form strong, lasting bonds, young lord. That is what truly makes a difference.”

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Fenrir had often thought about that meeting with the Heads of House back in winter, especially after the university admission exams started. Once he was given the title of Lord, the general outline of his life would change, well before that of others around him.

Someone plopped down right next to him, and Fenrir couldn’t help giving him a good scratch on the back. “Hey, Ging!”

The wolf’s ears perked up as he licked the boy's ear. Fenrir stared at him for a while, remembering how much he’d cried during his last day in the mountains, saying goodbye to the only friend he’d ever had, and then see him in Central Asgard a week later. Fenrir knew Ging had a pack, so it was baffling to know the wolf just left it to follow him. He couldn’t help wondering if sticking to a similar path as everyone else would be the right choice, given the circumstances.

Maybe I should consider following his example for once.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Everything was going as planned. Legal requests were in the middle of being processed. All money transfers had been done in low amounts, at random times of the month, for the past three years to avoid raising suspicions. Even the land purchasing had gone well, without hiccups of any kind.

When the time was right, they would all fuck off to their well-deserved early retirement homes and no one would know any better, but until then, it was just a matter of keeping a low profile.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

“Artica can stay at my house…” Fenrir cleared his throat, making nervous hand gestures. “I-If that is alright with you, of course!”

Reynir and Embla contemplated the suggestion.

“Yeah, that seems reasonable,” her father said, scratching his chin. “The storm’s to hit precisely on the weekend we're not home.”

“It would be best if you weren’t by yourself, sweetheart,” Embla agreed, rubbing her daughter’s shoulder. “It’s not too much trouble, I hope?”

“Not at all!” Fenrir replied at once. “I would also feel better if... I was with her at that time…”

Artica gave him a small smile and hugged him. “I would like that too…”

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

“Would you, uhm…” he started, quickly turning red all over. “Would you like to use this room, or… or mine?”

“Yours?”

Fenrir made nervous hand gestures. “I-If you want!”

Artica nodded. He then skipped the room they usually napped in and went over to a door made of dark wood. The crest of the Northern Wolf hung on it in bright metal, and under that Fenrir’s name in beautiful handwriting (unlikely his own). He gestured for her to enter as he opened the door.

She noticed that, for a noble’s room, it wasn’t particularly over-the-top. The bed was large, and the furniture well made, but nothing as extravagant as what Artica had seen at the Viking Tiger family manor. There was a desk near the sliding window doors, and Ging was looking at them from across the yard. What really caught her eye was a small hand-knitted wolf doll on the nightstand. She immediately picked it up.

“You kept it all this time?”

“Yeah. At first, I wasn’t sure why, but in hindsight, it was because you gave it to me.”

His partner curled her lips in a smile. “Well, technically, Vaito gave them to us after I beat him in tic tac toe.”

“Bah, why are you ruining my poor flirting attempt? You have yours too, I saw it on your bookshelf this morning.”

“Yeah, it’s next to the books you gave me for my birthday…” Artica replied, her chest all warm.

As the day went on, the sky got darker and darker. Fenrir tried his best to cover his bases and by the time the storm broke, they were both tucked in his bed. Curtains had been drawn so she wouldn’t see the lightning, and Fenrir’s biggest, best noise-canceling headphones covered her ears, playing music without lyrics, to prevent her from hearing the thunder.

They cuddled next to each other as they read books to pass time, and even though he fell asleep first, Fenrir’s arm never unwrapped from her waist. After carefully confirming the thunder had ceased, Artica turned the music player off, gathered both of their books, and quietly pushed them to the side. Afraid she would wake him if she moved too much, Artica gingerly kissed his cheek and then rested her head on his chest, ready for a good night’s sleep.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Next morning, she was surprised to find herself alone in bed. Artica stretched widely in the middle of a yawn and was about to take a shower when the door opened, and Fenrir popped in. “Breakfast’s ready!”

They went to the kitchen, where two plates with three waffles each, apple juice, and toast were waiting. She looked around curiously, noting there was no one else around.

The way her eyes fixed on the waffles made him a little nervous. “They’re good, I promise!”

She immediately cut off a piece and ate it. “Mmm! Delicious!”

It was only after returning to his room that she felt comfortable asking. “They were really good! You make’em often?”

“Yeah, every now and then. This is the first time I made so many, though.”

She mentally reviewed a few other instances when she’d noticed Fenrir doing something that wasn’t expected of his status (like washing dishes), and now that Artica had been inside his house a few times, it was starting to make sense why.

“Do you always make your own food? They don’t make servings for you?”

Fenrir raised his eyebrows. “Not exactly… Food is made for XXXX, and if I want some, I must eat with him. Years ago, I decided he could fuck off with that shitty arrangement, so I eat when I want. If there’s leftovers, great, if not, I can manage.”

“...Is it the same for everything else?” Artica asked, aware everyone in that manor seemed to avoid her whenever she came over. It surely couldn’t be like that when she wasn’t around, right?

“Sort of. They do laundry and general housekeeping. I take care of my bedroom, and the one you use, though. Don’t like them touching my things… Is there a reason you ask?”

She suddenly went very still, with an awkward smile. “S-sorry, I’m being nosy, aren’t I? This isn’t my business at all. It just seems like… no one is ever around you here.”

“Well, that’s true,” Fenrir agreed with a slight shrug. “It’s been like that for years; it doesn’t bother me anymore.”

Years? Anymore? These fuckers…!

Artica pulled him into a hug and let out a sigh. "We’re all now with you, whenever you need us."

Fenrir froze in silence, somewhat startled. He was so used to that lifestyle that it never occurred to him that it would, or could, change. He couldn't help hugging back a little tighter.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Rúri, Syd, Karianne, and Fenrir arrived earlier at the music pub and were having a drink as they waited for the last two.

“So~? Are you excited to finally receive your title during your Coming of Age ceremony?” Rúri asked with a smile. “It will be a big day!”

“A little… but mostly worried. Even though it’s less than a month away, I haven’t received any further instructions about it. One would think the logistics need reviewing, yes?”

The other three eyed each other, and then back at Fenrir with a slightly confused expression. “What do you mean? The House needs to officially reach out to the Palace, not the other way around. After all, in your case, it is not mandatory for the title to be awarded on the day you turn eighteen.”

“It’s not, but…” he stopped mid-sentence, the sudden realization dawning on him. He crushed the glass in his hand and, before anyone could stop him, stormed out of the pub. Syd excused himself from the ladies’ presence and followed him outside.

“You need to get that wound cleaned,” he said, offering his handkerchief. Fenrir did not take it.

“I can’t fucking believe these bastards…!”

Syd allowed him a few minutes of silent venting. Then, without prompting, Fenrir spilled it out.

“I was always told the Palace would do everything, so haven’t given it a second thought. And now I’m thinking about all the family assets and such. I can’t touch them until I am given my title, but I see now…”

“That those bastards wanted to give themselves more time to leech off your family’s wealth?”

Fenrir stared at him with a piercing, aggressive gaze. Then, relaxing his stance a bit, closed his eyes. “My parents would be so disappointed…”

“Well, if I may, there is a reason the Academy emphasizes networking, my lord,” he said, cleaning up the blood from his hand. “You never know when an acquaintance might come in handy.”

Fenrir noticed a rather unusual look in his eyes. There was willingness to help, but also to strike back. “Shall we discuss this further…?”

“Yes, we shall, and then, I’d like to contact Valhalla Palace. I believe I was invited for a cup of tea…”

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

The knocking was becoming unbearable. Who in their right mind was so eager to show up on Friday evening? XXXX opened the door with a sour look on his face and was met with a crowd of youngsters. Noble youngsters. All of them were carrying large packages.

A tall boy with sharp eyes flashed a smile. “Good evening! We have come to congratulate Lord Fenrir on his new title!”

XXXX decided to play the fool. “My lord, what a surprise! Yet there seems to be a misunderstanding. His Coming of Age ceremony, and the rightful title that it will bestow him with, has not occurred.”

“Is that not a surprise, Your Majesty? I was sure we all took part in it!” the boy said out loud, doing a deep bow towards the last person in the crowd. All the other teenagers did the same, clearing her way to the door. The man could not believe his eyes.

“A surprise indeed,” Hilda replied with fake shock. There was a very dangerous smile on her lips. “I do believe I personally bestowed him with his title on the eighth day of the current month, when he turned exactly eighteen years old.”

“W-what?” a clumsy, out-of-etiquette reply came out of his mouth. He covered it immediately, thinking hard about what to do. Two sets of footsteps came from inside of the house towards him. XXXX was horrified to see Fenrir fully dressed in one of his best outfits, with an unmistakable raven wings brooch pinned to his chest. The obnoxious scarred girl was right behind him.

“What an honor, Your Majesty, esteemed lords and ladies, that you would come all this way for me,” he said in a loud voice. His piercing golden gaze was digging into XXXX like a hungry wolf. “I humbly accept your congratulations.”

Hilda came closer. The smile left her lips, and a menacing expression took its place.

“The Winged Crown has been informed of crimes towards the heir of the Northern Wolf. Illegal property acquisitions, unauthorized money transfers, even appropriation of Crown-awarded assets to third parties! Unthinkable actions that will have regrettable consequences for those who committed them. You will be going to trial first, XXXX, son of XXX, and fake guardian to Lord Fenrir for twelve years.”

Man and teenagers alike were speechless. As students, they had only experienced the gentlest of Hilda’s sides, and seeing her now commanded a new level of respect from all of them. Two of Hilda’s Skjaldmö escorts (1) came to take the man away soon after. Fenrir was about to summon XXXX’s staff members when he realized they had all fled the manor the moment Hilda showed up. The Princess of Asgard confirmed that it was already being handled by other members of her escort.

Finally, after tying all other loose ends to prevent any more problems, Fenrir was able to take a deep breath. Hilda assured him his family manor in the mountains had already received a timely visit from the Skjaldmö and would await his return on the morrow. Soon after, she excused herself and left with the rest of the crowd. Fenrir turned to Artica and hugged her, spinning on the spot.

“Would you come with me to the mountains tomorrow?”

“Really?”

“Yes, please, I don’t want to go by myself.”

She nodded and after a quick visit home to gather her things, returned to the Northern Wolf’s city manor. They were only visiting for the weekend, after all, so there was no need to pack much.

Next morning, they took the first train to Northern Asgard, and were surprised to find it was practically empty. As it usually happened whenever she was on longer train rides, Artica fell asleep. Fenrir let her rest her head on his lap, letting his mind wander back to the day he turned eighteen.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Lady Paulfrid, Lord Ulrich, and Lord Baldrek had all gladly accepted the Northern Wolf’s request to take part in the Coming of Age/Title Bestowing ceremony. At Karianne’s insistence, they had also exploited an obscure loophole within etiquette in which heirs were allowed to assist as part of their preparation to assume their titles in the future. Fenrir was not entirely sure how Lord Baldrek had managed to justify the presence of both of his sons, but in the end, he was glad to see all those familiar faces right there with him.

Artica, to his right, was wearing an off-shoulder white-and-green striped blouse with a white skirt that reached just under her knees, a cute handkerchief tied around her neck, and her hair pinned in a high bun. Fenrir had donned one of his best suits; a double-breasted Egyptian blue one with a white cotton shirt, and a subtle wolf-patterned grey tie that matched the color of his hair. Ever since they’d laid eyes on each other, they’d been blushing uncontrollably.

Everyone else was also wearing their best outfit, from hair accessories to shoes. After all, it wasn’t every day that you got to meet with the Princess of Asgard. Ironically, Hilda herself was wearing a simple sky-blue gown with some fine, subtle jewelry, yet managed to outshine them all with presence alone.

She invited them to take a seat as a group of youngsters entered the Throne Room and settled themselves close to the window. The Heads of House eyed each other with intrigued, but eager expressions. Fenrir recognized Mime playing the lyre while Hagen (the heir to the Flaming Stallion) hit a shamanic drum and Freyja started to sing. Behind them, a boy with dark, blue hair was playing the stråkharpa (2) masterfully, even though his eyes were fixed on the girl providing additional vocals to Freyja’s voice.

Towards the middle of the song, the Crown Princess approached Fenrir and offered her hand, inviting him to dance, which caught him terribly off guard. He vaguely knew the steps thanks to visiting the Jólablót festivals in Central Asgard but couldn’t really say he was prepared to dance them with Freyja as a partner.

Hilda started to clap along with the song, which everyone followed, and when they least expected it, Freyja pulled Artica from her seat and right into Fenrir, taking her place. Ready to die of embarrassment, but excited nonetheless, she fell into rhythm without skipping a beat with the biggest smile on her face and Fenrir couldn’t help doing the same. A minute later, the song was over, and after polite appraisal from their audience, the youngsters all bowed before leaving.

Freyja returned with the Black Iron Lance and presented it to her sister. While Fenrir and Hilda each recited their parts of the loyalty oath, they pricked their thumbs with the tip of the lance and pressed them against the small raven wings brooch that she then promptly pinned to his chest.

“Rise now, Fenrir, Lord of the Northern Wolf.”

After a short congratulatory session from everyone, he was led to a smaller room by Hilda, where two cups of black tea and some pastries were waiting for them. She removed the medallion around her neck and took a sip from her cup. “A wonderful ceremony, my Lord. Congratulations once again.”

“Thank you kindly, Your Majesty. I-I did not expect music.”

Hilda’s lips curled into a smile. “Traditionally, there is none… but Freyja came to me with a suggestion for my very first Title Bestowing ceremony and I could not help lending an ear to it. After all, it was a great opportunity for Mime, Hagen, Frodi, and Lyfia to perform together with her. I do hope it was to your liking.”

“Absolutely, it was fabulous. Her Royal Highness has a lovely voice…!” Fenrir replied with a nod. “Hopefully I was not too bad of a dance partner, though. Not really my strength.”

The Princess couldn’t help letting out a loud, hearty, not etiquette-appropriate laugh at his words.

“Pardon me, my Lord, I am not, in any way, ridiculing you. It is just that my dear sister is such an unconventional young girl; she comes up with the most whimsical schemes, dear gods. May they grant her that spark for the rest of her life. People worry she lacks ambition, but I beg to differ. If something were to happen to me, I am certain Freyja would know exactly what to do...”

Fenrir smiled but said nothing, somewhat surprised to see such a different side to the usually serene, composed young woman who ruled the Asgardian Principality. He was taking a bite from a pastry when Hilda spoke again.

“Will you go celebrate after this, my Lord?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. We will have a small dinner. Art- Miss Reynirdóttir will cook baby back pork ribs. I am told they are superb.”

“Ah, yes, your partner!”

He couldn’t hide the awkward smile on his lips. “Y-yes.”

“Now that I graduated, dear Freyja fills me in with the news. Congratulations,” Hilda said with a smile, but then changed to a more serious tone. “Now, let us discuss this business about your former guardians…”

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Fenrir's mouth was watering, remembering how good the ribs had tasted, when the train started to slow down. He gently woke Artica up and got off the train the moment the doors opened. Breathing in the familiarity, the Lord took her hand and guided her to another, smaller train station, where they hopped into the line that got them all the way into the wilderness.

With the mountains to their backs and the thick winter forests on their left, the road finally showed them the Northern Wolf family manor. Artica noticed that, unlike the Viking Tiger one, this one was built to withstand the elements first, and look fancy second. At the gates, two women who clearly belonged to the Skjaldmö greeted and allowed them to pass, but it was the man sweeping the entrance that really caught Fenrir’s eyes. He was tall, with graying brown hair and a well-kept beard.

Fenrir sprinted to the entrance, not believing his eyes. “Hlífolfr? Is that really you?”

“Young Master!” he replied, startled, catching him in a hug. “I mean, my Lord, how have you grown! I-!”

They stared at each other for a few moments, like if they could still not believe the other was really there. Hlífolfr was the first to break the spell. “A-and who may you be?

“A pleasure! Artica Reynirdóttir."

“She’s my partner.”

“My lady, welcome to the family manor of the Northern Wolf,” Hlífolfr greeted with a bow.

Artica made nervous gestures with her hands, shaking her head. “Oh, no, I’m not a noble, there is no need to address me like that.”

“That’s beside the point. If you are important to my Lord, you deserve all courtesy from me, my lady.”

Her cheeks flushed, but she said no more. Fenrir looked around eagerly. “Is… Is Mildred here?”

At Hlífolfr’s nod, he entered the house in a flash, and a few seconds later, heartwarming laughter echoed through its halls. The man guided Artica to the kitchen, where a woman was enthusiastically embracing the young Lord.

“Artica! This is Mildred! Hlífolfr’s wife! They used to work with my parents!” Fenrir explained, delighted to be in their company again. He let out a short sigh. “How I wished you'd stayed…”

Mildred, a short, middle-aged woman with a stocky build and beautiful deep green eyes, immediately took his hand and raised it to her forehead. She was shaking. “We tried, my Lord. By the gods that we did try! But those… those scheming vipers…!”

“The moment we realized what had happened, Mildred and I started doing the paperwork. We had worked with my Lord and Lady for many years by then, even before the Young Master was born. The values of the Northern Wolf were ingrained in us as much as they had been ingrained in him. Plus, we already had children of our own, all the requirements would be fulfilled without issue. However…”

Hlífolfr paused, letting out a deep, regretful sigh.

“We are not, and would never be, his blood relatives, and that is exactly how XXXX and his brother got custody over him. At the time, Asgardian law valued blood ties above everything else, no matter how distant, and so they neatly swept him away from our reach.”

This was the first time Fenrir had ever heard about this. About how he could’ve grown up with people that truly cared about him. “Did you really… apply to be my guardians?”

“Yes, my Lord!” Mildred replied between sobs. “And when that request was denied, we pleaded to that awful man and his brother, doing our best to be rehired, but they would not allow it. Even befriending the new staff proved impossible, none would give us more than a polite nod! We tried so hard, so hard to stay with you but those two leeches played their cards too well.”

“They dismissed everyone; I remember now… Hired four new people then, and four others when we moved to the central region.”

“Someone from Valhalla Palace contacted us a week ago. Said they saw our names in the old paperwork and briefly explained what would happen to XXXX and his brother in the coming days. Wanted to know if we would be interested, at least until my Lord was settled, in returning to the Northern Wolf.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Fenrir whispered, hugging them again. “Thank you for caring, even after all these years.”

Sensing this was a subject that required a much deeper conversation, but not at this particular time, the woman dried her eyes with one hand. “Have you had breakfast, my Lord? My lady?”

Artica tried to clarify the matter to her too, but just like her husband, Mildred paid her no mind. The Black then rolled her eyes. “We had a snack on the way here.”

“That’s a ‘no’, then.”

A full bowl of steaming porridge with sugar, cinnamon, berries, and nuts was soon after placed before them, and for a moment, they all got a chance to just enjoy the then and there, together.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Mildred volunteered to give Artica a tour of the family manor grounds while Fenrir and Hlífolfr went over a ton of paperwork XXXX had either neglected or altered for his personal benefit. It was not the most exciting part of their reunion, and was starting to show in Fenrir’s unamused face, so the man took the opportunity to change the subject.

“Forgive my curiosity, my Lord. Do you enjoy your time at the Academy?”

Fenrir looked up from the documents, eager to distract himself for a bit. “I do! I’ve met many gentle people, whose kindness will stay with me forever. Some at the Academy, some outside of it.”

“Including my lady?”

“We’re classmates. She’s in the scholarship program. A ‘Black’, as they call them,” he explained. “Because of their uniform, not due to ill intent.”

Hlífolfr seemed genuinely surprised. “Is that so? I do not recall a scholarship program when your Lord Father and Lady Mother attended the Academy. How times change.”

“Really? I got lucky, then. I might have missed meeting her otherwise.”

Hlífolfr said nothing else, a warm smile on his face.

Sunday afternoon eventually rolled in, which meant it was time to return to Central Asgard. Hlífolfr waved goodbye from the platform to his Lord, the young lady, and his wife, as Mildred would be coming to the city manor now that XXXX and his staff were finally out of it.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Results for the university admission exams were now available, and everyone was relieved to know they had achieved a good enough grade to enroll in their preferred options. Sadly, this meant both Syd and Rúri would be studying abroad for a few years, so they would only see them during breaks.

“Well, at least we four can still hang out while going to university, right?” Bud said, looking at Karianne, Artica, and Fenrir.

“Certainly, you can expect to see even more of me then!” his partner answered.

Artica and Fenrir both gave him a silent nod, each for a different reason. It was not until after class and club activities were over, and they were on their way home, that Artica touched the subject again.

“Hey, about what we were discussing earlier with everyone… I’m not going to university right after graduation. I wanted to tell you first.”

Fenrir didn’t seem particularly surprised, but said nothing, so Artica continued.

“I’d like to join Pa’s Hunting Party for a while, at least a year, to save some money for uni and help him and Ma out a bit.”

“Didn’t Bud say as Black Academy graduates, you automatically qualify for a full scholarship at local universities?”

“Yeah, and that’s super helpful! I just… wanna have a back-up, you know? In case anything happens, I’d like to know there’s something I can fall back to if needed. Something I prepared myself.”

He nodded. “I’d still want to help if something happens, but I get what you mean. I also… won’t be going to university immediately.”

Unlike him, Artica was truly shocked by this. “No? Why?”

“I want to return to the mountains and learn more about the region, their needs and struggles. The Heads of House said we exist to protect Asgard, and the people are Asgard. I don’t know how things were when my parents were alive, but I know for sure the people were the least of XXXX's problems (if he even thought about them at all). The Northern Wolf should make up for lost time.”

“Spoken like a true Lord. I’m sure your parents are proud to hear that.”

“Thanks…” Fenrir replied sheepishly, and then started fidgeting with the end of his sleeves. “I know you’ll visit your siblings in the Neighboring Kingdom for a few days after graduation, but I was wondering if… if you’d like to spend a few weeks in the mountains with me? Maybe before you start working with your dad?”

“I’d love that!” Artica replied with a big smile, her eyes wide in anticipation. “We can visit all the places you mentioned last time! Oh, and maybe go hunting? Or just hiking, it’s okay. I’m excited already!”

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Paolo and Ritva had been joking around while helping their ladies get ready for the Graduation Masquerade. They were finishing up to go get ready themselves, when Karianne noticed how quiet Artica had been during the make-up session, waiting for her turn. “Is there something on your mind, sweetie?”

The Black gave her a lopsided smile. “All this while, I’ve been trying to figure out how to fix up the scar with make-up, but I don’t think it can be done.”

The Blue got up so suddenly, Paolo stepped back in surprise. “Excuse me? No, no, no. You have it all wrong!”

Artica was pushed down to another seat and the light redirected towards her. “Make-up is not for ‘fixing’, it’s for ‘emphasizing’! Some scar to outshine your bright silver eyes? Not on my watch! Paolo, please bring me my things!”

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

The great hall had been beautifully decorated with colorful banners, each with the coat of arms of the many nobles graduating that day.

Rúri, Karianne and Artica were in the middle of avid chit chat with some of their classmates when their partners arrived. Judging by Fenrir’s annoyed expression, the twins had likely been teasing him all the way there, so he didn’t really see Artica until they were practically face to face. He raised his eyebrows with a silly smile, reaching out to her.

“You look spectacular!” Fenrir exclaimed. Her off-shoulder midnight blue dress had light-catching details originating from the waist, which matched the color of her eyes. He felt butterflies in his stomach seeing the antler choker glinting around her neck. “Like a dream!”

Artica scoffed, covering her mouth with one hand. Fenrir himself looked every part the noble he was born as, with his deep blue suit and the Northern Wolf embroidered over his heart. The raven wings-shaped brooch that confirmed him as a full Lord was pinned to one of the jacket’s flaps.

“My Lord, but you look so handsome! Surely, you broke a few hearts on your way here!”

A furious blush took over his face. Fenrir turned to greet their other classmates, complimenting their outfits and accessories. In all honesty, everyone looked their very best, and it felt like stepping into one of those elaborate theater plays.

‘Lady Vaike! What a pleasure to see you here tonight,’ he signed, spotting her in conversation with the heir of the Crystal Wyrm; the one who had skipped a whole grade a few years back.

‘Good evening, my Lord. Such a refined look you are sporting tonight!’ she replied, giggling at this embarrassed smile. ‘My brother is looking forward to working with you during the summer.’

‘Oh? Are you sneaking out with someone else while your partner goes on vacation?’ Karianne interrupted with an evil grin.

‘She jests!’ Fenrir immediately clarified. ‘Please disregard her comment, she is teasing me. We mean no disrespect towards your brother.’

There was a mischievous smile on both of their faces. 'Oh? Is that what that is all about?'

At Fenrir's confused, slightly anxious stare, the girl with magenta eyes laughed. 'You may not know, my Lord, but we were together in the Equestrian club. Vaike is also fond of teasing.'

He let out a relieved, tormented sigh. ‘My ladies, you might be the end of me.’

A few minutes later, one of the photographers approached him and politely requested some of his time for the formal portraits. After all, Fenrir was the only one with an actual title, and etiquette demanded he should go first. It did surprise him, though, that the young woman asked if he had a partner with whom he would like to get a portrait and with a stupid smile, he nodded.

The last photograph was of both wearing the half-masks, and at the sight of it, Rúri couldn’t help sighing.

“A lovely portrait! Almost like that old fairytale, yes? The one of the Wolf King and the Great Stag?”

“Oh, I loved that one!” Levina chimed in, making hand gestures as she spoke. “A tale of star-crossed lovers.”

Both Fenrir and Vaike stared at her at once, clearly bewildered.

‘Star-crossed? What in the Nine Realms could you be talking about, Levina?’

“Yes, what are you talking about?” Fenrir echoed.

“Is that not what it is? The Great Stag dies in the end after leaving the Herd to be with the Wolf King. An allegory; abandoning one’s sacred duties for personal interests.”

“What? She absolutely does not die! She is reborn as the Wolf Queen, and lives on as one of the Pack! An allegory to stay true to your own heart!”

“This might be one of those instances with regional variants for the same tale?” Alberich, the heir of the Crystal Wyrm, politely intervened. “My ladies Rúri and Levina are from the western and southern regions, yes? While my Lord and lady are from the North. Perhaps the answer lies in the east?”

They followed his gaze towards the twins and Artica, who were chatting with Hejne, Paolo, and Ritva (formally invited to the masquerade by their respective long-time friends). At his gentle tug, Artica turned to Fenrir with a puzzled look. “No, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that fairytale…?”

“Well,” he said out loud. “Allow me to tell you the true, unaltered version, then.”

Delicious food was had, romantic ballads were waltzed, and less etiquette-approved tunes were played as the night went on. A truly delightful evening that didn’t stop there. After changing to more comfortable outfits, a big group of graduates and their guests continued the celebration in town.

Their time at the Academy was now over, but that only meant a new chapter was about to commence.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Kalervo kept his promise, and during the two weeks Artica was with them, he made sure they all visited as many corners of the Neighboring Kingdom as possible.

Meanwhile, back in the Northern Wolf family manor, Fenrir had been busy reviewing the house from top to bottom. After extensive talks with Hlífolfr and Mildred, he had the awful realization that a lot of things were missing. Family portraits, engraved plaques, and even photo albums. Some had shown up in the storage rooms; mostly those related to his grandparents and those before them. The funny part is that pretty much everything related to his parents had been locked up in the master bedroom, of all places.

Fenrir remembered XXXX saying that, since it would still be years until he became Lord, there was no point in using the master bedroom. Even now, he considered it was a reasonable decision, but now that the condition had been met, it was time to check it out. Hlífolfr gave him the keys so Fenrir could do it himself, and for the first time in more than a decade, the great oak doors of the master bedroom opened with a groan.

They pulled the curtains and opened the windows to let light and air into the room. There were dust covers on all the furniture, but more interesting than that, there were several different objects on top of them. More specifically, family portraits, engraved plaques, and even photo albums. Hlífolfr took it upon himself to carefully check all corners of the room, inside the closets, within the drawers, and even under the bed. To his own surprise, pretty much everything he had flagged as missing was found there.

Of all those items, Fenrir immediately clung to an old, framed photograph of his parents. Lady Ingrid looked regal with her golden hair combed back and two long, thin braids flanking her neck. Her bright green eyes contrasted well with her pink dress. At her side, Lord Ylfingr sat with a slightly awkward, but clearly pleased smile, wearing simple hunting leathers. His eyes and hair like Fenrir’s own, just maybe a shade paler. And between them, fussing, a joyful child. Him. Fenrir’s heart broke a little bit, but in a good way.

It took him a while to finally leave it in his room and help Hlífolfr relocate everything else in the rest of the house. After finishing, they closed the doors to the master bedroom, without locking them. At long last, a Lord had returned to the Northern Wolf, and hopefully, there would never be such a long absence ever again.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

The first few days were spent exploring the northern wilderness. Fenrir had been very excited to show her all the hidden spots Ging had shown him years ago. Today, however, they were right around the corner of the family manor. In that quiet grove, there was a stone carving very similar to the Northern Wolf’s family crest; with two wolves and two swords. Small stone plaques with names engraved on them crowded around it.

They brought a small bouquet of Winter Roses and laid them next to the newest of those plaques, set more than ten years ago. Artica fixed her gaze on the names with a solemn expression. Fenrir got on his knees, grabbed a worn-down wooden carving and replaced it with a new, but still oddly shaped one. He noticed her looking at it.

“It’s a charm. To keep bears away.”

“... Bears?”

Fenrir stood there in silence, realizing she had never asked him about it, and clearly hadn’t asked anyone else either. He cleared his throat to quietly explain the specifics of his parents' accident. When he finished, Artica let out a deep sigh, hugged him, and ruffled his hair. No words passed between them, but there was no need.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

“Chocolate chip cookies,” she answered at once. “I mean, he likes chocolate in general, but that’s like the one thing he’ll gobble up any day.”

Mildred scratched the notepad as she took notes. “And for holidays? Does he like decorations, either putting them up himself or just having them around?”

Artica rubbed her chin, thinking hard. “You’re gonna have to ask him that one. He’s helped my folks put up decorations, but because the city manor was never decorated, I don’t know if Fenrir actually likes it.”

“What?”

Hlífolfr popped into the living room at her words, bewildered. “Did those oafs truly sour out so much?”

She was silent for a moment, and then took a deep breath.

“I’m really sorry. From what I can tell, Fenrir never lacked food, shelter, or clothing, but he was never given any warmth. No pats on the head, no hugs… No holiday enjoyment…”

“That’s preposterous! Every single one required full decoration, especially after he turned two! Holiday dishes, seasonal clothing, the whole thing! My Lord had us all working on it weeks in advance!”

Artica couldn’t help letting out a sad chuckle, imagining everyone working so hard for a child that probably didn’t even understand holidays yet. “It’s clear to me he was deeply loved during those times. I do think Fenrir truly missed them, and you, all those years.”

The man closed his eyes in contemplation, or maybe just to not let a colorful insult out loud (towards XXXX and his brother). Mildred was more visibly upset and proceeded to add something to her notes, underlining a few words aggressively. She pointed at her husband with the pencil in her hand.

“We missed some time, but we did promise. ‘Like our sixth’.”

“‘LIKE OUR SIXTH!” he echoed passionately, and left the room once more, to their guest’s puzzlement.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Two weeks were not enough. Not now that everything that had been dented was finally bending back into shape. They’d hiked around the mountains to their heart’s content, hunted in the nearby forests, wandered around the main Northern cities, and even taken a dip in the chilly, still-thawing waterfall, but…

The final morning arrived. Since there was no need to wake up early, Artica and Fenrir both slept in. They cuddled for a while, unsure when the next time would be.

“It’s gonna be lonely after today…”

“Very, yeah…”

Artica caressed his check. “Hey, uhm. This is gonna sound off, but it has to come out. If, while we’re apart, you find someone else that makes you feel like this… I’ll understand.”

He frowned, a heavy weight suddenly in his chest. “What? No! I don’t want that.”

“Me neither, but if I’m gonna be hunting with Pa for a year, it feels selfish not to say it.”

“I’m a little hurt about this.”

“I’m sorry. I just don’t want you to feel… constrained. You’re gonna grow so much in these upcoming months! Learn a bunch of stuff, meet a lotta new people now that you’re a Lord, and back in the mountains.”

“You too. Roaming around with the Hunting Party, you’ll see every corner of Asgard! Eat unfamiliar food, sleep in a different place every day. More than the Silver-eyed Hawk, you’ll become a fully-fledged Huntress!”

A weak laugh followed a tight hug. At last, they got out of bed, had a hearty breakfast, and traveled all the way back to the northern region’s main train station.

Mildred and her husband gave her some homemade cookies for the trip back home, along with a hug and their best wishes. “May your adventures be rewarding, my lady. We hope to see you back soon.”

Fenrir and Artica then locked into a silent, tight hug, trying to memorize everything about the other's presence before letting go. As the announcement for the departure was being blasted through the speakers, Artica then pulled Fenrir into a kiss, a few tears threatening to run down her cheeks.

“Take care, okay? I know Mildred and Hlífolfr’ll take good care of you, but you gotta do the same. Don’t rush the Lord thing, no one’s expecting you to be at 100% just yet. Ask the other Heads of House for help, if you need to! And… And…”

“I’ll miss you terribly too,” Fenrir replied, wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes. “I’m sure you’ll be perfectly safe by yourself, and with the Hunting Party, but just in case…”

He slipped an oddly shaped wooden charm into her pocket and picked her up in a hug. This time, he kissed her. “Be well, kjæreste. I can't wait to see you again.”

Artica waved enthusiastically as she got on the train. “Be well, kjæreste, and see you soon.”

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

The year was long, and somewhat lonely. They wrote letters whenever they knew it was going to be hard to call but rearranged their schedules to guarantee they saw each other for holidays and birthdays. Otherwise, Artica spent most of her time traveling around Asgard with her father’s Hunting Party, while Fenrir worked diligently to learn and better understand the northern region with the help of Utgard, the heir of the Howling Hellhound.

Utgard was a few years older, but much more mature and solemn. He seemed to speak only when necessary, yet it was always helpful insight for the situation at hand. With Utgard’s help, Fenrir got around several small towns, introducing himself and getting to know the locals. Some seemed surprised there was still such a thing as the Lord of the Northern Wolf, while others disregarded him almost instantly. It was Utgard who suggested focusing on those individuals first. Challenging as it began, it was the wise choice, and gave Fenrir a large amount of learning opportunities. At the very least, he now knew who lived where, and what their concerns were.

Back at the Northern Wolf’s, a few new faces joined the staff to better assist the managing of both family and city manor. Hlífolfr and Mildred’s second daughter and their oldest grandchild were learning the ropes, both curious and excited to finally meet Fenrir. The teenager seemed fascinated with him, constantly following him around, trying to be useful. Fenrir didn’t find it unpleasant, just a little awkward.

Artica did her best to visit, but it was infrequent and difficult to plan. Fenrir sent word whenever he went down to the central region in hopes of at least meeting up with Bud and Karianne. Packages and letters routinely came and went, something always on its way to a new location. It was the expectation of getting one of these, along with successfully coordinated meetups, that kept both working hard during that long year.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

It was just her luck that today was a moonless night, so you couldn’t really see shit unless you walked right on the street. That’s precisely what the traveler was avoiding though, because they’d spot her well before she got to her destination. After a while of clowning around the treeline, she finally reached the side of the manor and was about to climb through a window when sudden rustling made her backpedal at lightspeed.

“Who are you? What do you think you are doing on Lord Fenrir’s property at this time of night?”

The traveler turned around with a puzzled smile. The young man talking to her was certainly new, as she couldn’t recall his face from a previous visit.

“I’m the, uh... Huntress,” she said, hoping that would ring a bell somewhere.

It did not.

“If that is true, you are too early. The game for tomorrow’s event is to be fresh, hunted on the same day as per my Lord’s request. You were to arrive tomorrow.”

That much is true, she thought to herself. “My bad. Always on the move, sometimes schedules shift a tad.”

He let out an annoyed sigh, signaling to follow. Finding this too hilarious, she played along and went after him.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Fenrir lazily drifted from the hall to the kitchen, where they were already busy.

“A morning beverage, my Lord?”

“Yes, a hot one, please.”

“Hot chocolate?”

Fenrir, rubbing the sleep off his right eye, nodded. “Mhm, fantastic, thank you.”

“With marshmallows on top, or plain?”

“Marshmallows, yes. I would like that.”

“I would like that too.”

It was exactly there and then, after hearing that phrase, that he realized what was happening. Fenrir immediately sprinted towards the person taking out the milk out of the fridge and held her tight, to the delight of Mildred and her daughter.

“What are you doing here already? I thought you were coming after noon!”

“Surprise! Came last night on the late evening train.”

“What! Why didn’t you come to see me?”

“I was too early. For the hunt, I mean. Very rude of me, making the staff ready a simple room for the night, but no harm done, we got good game for today’s event, my Lord.”

Fenrir, still holding onto her, turned to Mildred. The older woman chuckled. “Vilhelm was not here the last time my lady visited, my Lord. He stuck with protocol.”

“Oh, c’mon, he’s been here long enough. How could he not know who she is?”

Mildred shrugged, smiling, and got back to work. Her grandson had made it sound like a grand affair, but it was just dinner for the six of them. They shared mead and anecdotes over the delicious, northern-styled dishes, recounting their adventures for the last year. Artica was overjoyed to hear everything Fenrir had been up to while she was gone and was taken by surprise when Hlífolfr asked her about university.

“Are you excited to go back to Central Asgard, my lady?”

“Yeah, sure! Got almost everything, just need to find a place to stay.”

Fenrir raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Well, y’know, the original plan was for Bud and me to rent in Central Asgard and be flatmates, but then I decided to take a sabbatical… And Syd's studying in Finland, so the Lord and Lady of the Viking Tiger asked Bud if he’d hold the fort in the city manor while they do their stuff in the Eastern region… The moment I get back, I gotta go searching…”

The conversation moved on, but not in Fenrir’s mind. He sat on it until the night before returning to the central region. She finally finished getting everything in her bag and turned around to find Fenrir standing around awkwardly.

“And if I asked you to be my flatmate?”

He rubbed his neck furiously, staring straight at the room’s wooden floor. Artica raised her eyebrows with a lopsided smile. “But what about the Northern Wolf’s city manor? Who would hold the fort there?”

“We would. I don’t mean the ‘flat’ part, just the ‘mate’ part. You can stay with me, if you like…”

“Oh,” she gasped, putting the pieces together. “I’d like that! If you’d have me…”

They both shared a smile.

“Don’t worry. I’m getting a part-time job.”

“There's no rent to pay.”

“I mean, that’s very generous. It’s just that I need to get money from somewhere; really doubt I’ll get a chance to go hunting with the team during semesters, so I’m still getting one. Also, I’m helping around the house, you can’t stop me.”

Fenrir nodded, reassured that she understood his point. He vaguely eyed her belongings. “Maybe this way I’ll get my favorite hoodie back.”

“Your favorite hoodie?”

“Yeah, someone borrowed it a few years ago and seems determined to keep it.”

“What an asshole! Which hoodie is it?”

“That one right there,” Fenrir said, pointing at her bag.

Artica didn’t even bat an eyelash. “Huh, there seems to be a misunderstanding, my lord. That’s my favorite hoodie.”

“It has ‘F. Y.’ written on the tag!”

"Yeah. 'For You'."

Her shit-eating grin was so smug, Fenrir couldn't help groaning. "Why do you want it, anyway? It's got like four paint stains on one sleeve."

"It means a lot to me; reminds me of that time when I was deeply scared, and you went outta your way to keep me company. I didn’t know it was your favorite, but I’m not sorry for keeping it all this time… Besides, you haven’t been too keen on giving me back my scarf, even though Polar made one just for you."

Fenrir scoffed. “Entirely different situation. I must hold onto it, so you keep coming back.”

Artica walked up to him so suddenly, Fenrir instinctively took a few steps back and bumped into the wall. She smoothly leaned in until their noses touched. “Don’t be silly. I’d keep coming back just to make sure you’re truly happy back in the mountains, and never feel awkward ever again…”

He immediately remembered the previous time she’d said that and couldn’t help choking up a bit. A few minutes passed of them quietly embracing before finally going to bed. Together.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

There was an awkward silence.

“I’m going back to Central Asgard today,” Fenrir said, kneeling in front of him. “You followed me back last time, and I’m not complaining! But now, I’d like you to promise you’ll stay here. At home, with your pack…”

Ging sat before him, looking particularly big and fluffy, but also solemn.

“Return fully to them with the unconditional love you shared with me. Oh, Ging, I love you so much,” he whispered, burying his face in the silver fur like he had done a million times before. A few tears ran down his cheeks. “I’m just so happy I met you. You’ve stuck with me for so long, I don’t know where I’d be if you hadn’t popped out of the forest that day, so many years ago...”

Fenrir clumsily rubbed his face clean with a smile.

“I’ll be okay, I have a pack now too… But I’ll come visit, so don’t worry about feeling lonely! And later, when I graduate, I’ll come back for good, so we can hang out again.”

The wolf gently licked his ear, and then rested his large head on Fenrir’s shoulder. He immediately hugged back.

“Thanks for everything.”

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

What a nice morning.

The sky was clear, and the breeze was fresh, but everything else seemed to double-down on it. Returning to Central Asgard knowing that the vibe all around him had changed made all the difference in the world. His heart no longer felt heavy in his chest, and hopefully, that would remain so for a long time.

Bud and Karianne came to meet them at the station, loudly celebrating their return, and welcoming the new faces as well. The train ride to their side of town was lively with jokes, and teasing, and overall catching up. When they finally got to the Northern Wolf’s city manor, a hooded young man around their age sat on a bike, waiting.

“Oh, yeah! I told Visa you were returning today. I’m guessing he’s sending his regards. How’s it going?” Bud took the paper bag and fist-bumped him right away.

The delivery guy shrugged, his voice a low grunt. “Same ol’, same ol’. New friends?”

“Ol’ for me, new for you. Wanna hang out a bit while they settle?”

“Nah, Visa already has work for me. Some other time, we can meet properly.”

The young man got on his bike again, silently nodding as a goodbye. A sudden gust blew right over them, and his hood got knocked off. Fenrir barely had time to register a curiously big shadow (tattoo? make-up? scar?) over the left side of his face. He immediately pulled the hood back over his head and went on his way.

Hlífolfr unlocked the gate, opened the door, and waited patiently for everyone else to go inside. The last two were Artica and Fenrir, who seemed suddenly frozen into place.

“Please do come in, my lady,” Mildred invited her. “You are my Lord’s most esteemed guest, for as long as we may have you.”

A little awkwardly, Artica crossed the city manor’s door threshold. The Lord of the Northern Wolf followed right behind her, and it was only then, looking at those familiar, kind faces around him, that Fenrir had a realization.

After so many years, he had finally found the home he’d always longed for.

 XXXXXXXXX

(1) Skjaldmö: Shield-maidens https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shield-maiden

(2) Tail-hair harp: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talharpa

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Members of the Up Helly Aa Jarl Squad set fire to a replica Viking ship in Shetland. :: [Robert Scott Horton]

* * * *

“But the attitude that Viking society held up as the ideal one was a heroic stoicism. In the words of archaeologist Neil Price, "The outcome of our actions, our fate, is already decided and therefore does not matter. What is important is the manner of our conduct as we go to meet it." You couldn't change what was going to happen to you, but you could at least face it with honor and dignity. The best death was to go down fighting, preferably with a smile on your lips. Life is precarious by nature, but this was especially true in the Viking Age, which made this fatalism, and stoicism in the face of it, especially poignant. The model of this ideal was Odin's amassing an army in Valhalla in preparation for Ragnarok. He knew that Fenrir, "the wolf", was going to murder him one way or another. Perhaps on some level he hoped that by gathering all of the best warriors to fight alongside him, he could prevent the inevitable. But deep down he knew that his struggle was hopeless - yet he determined to struggle just the same, and to die in the most radiant blaze of glory he could muster.”

― Daniel McCoy, The Viking Spirit: An Introduction to Norse Mythology and Religion

[animedogoftheday]

Today’s anime dog of the day is:

Fenrir from Aa! Megami-sama! (2005)

[tempest-toss]

Polycule members!

Fenrir "Four" Lycan - The Embodiment of Nature from a pantheon long-gone. This buff werewolf-deer deity is a fearsome fighter with an even bigger heart and even bigger cult of werewolves. This is practically his blog; you all know about Four :P

Shuichi "Two" Ouma - The Embodiment of Deception from a pantheon long-gone. A kitsune with a history of lying, can you really trust this violet-haired man? Remember to watch your step lest he burns you!

Pixel "Ten" Matrix - The newest addition, He is a former MTF made into the tenth seat of the council. With the ability to enter the digital world and armed with memes, he's a modern blessing and spice to the polycule's life.

Dr. Benjamin Kondraki - The first publicly known polycule member. King of the boooterflies. He tends to take aa back step when it comes to the polycule's public times, but he sometimes emerges to give his gruff two-cents

Dr. Wondertainment - Once a founding member of the Foundation, he used his abilities as a reality bender to create toys and sweets to bring joy to children across the world. Father of the Little Misters and Three. Talks in rainbow.

Ambrose - The chef and owner of the GOI Ambroe Restaurants. Sweet, calm, and considerate, he loves to cook and reach out to help those in need. Made into a werewolf. Talks in red

Nikos - A lifter from the Snapdragon Smugglers. He caught feelings for Four after being trapped with him for a few hours. They began to date secretly thanks to their animal forms. Extremely loyal but not the most friendly.

Cinder - A satyr and former overseer to the Foundation. Not much is known about him as he has yet to make a public appearance. Perhaps you can reach out on the DeepWoods blog?

Victor Jekyll - A Victorian Ghost that was a former overseer. Polite and courteous, he is a lover who cares deeply about his partners. Feasts on souls, and can shift into a hulking corrupt beast should he not be fed. Talks fully in blue

King Slime - A former overseer turned into an anthropomorphic slime royal after coming into contact with a cursed relic. Currently separated from the rest of the polycule, but that could all change. Restored to his former glory thanks to reality benders and Dr. Monahan.

Easter Bunny - The exact entity you're thinking of, except more anthropomorphic. Not much is known about him, except that he comes yearly and Four misses him dearly.

Samuel- Formerly a kidnapped young adult anomalized into being an aquatic monster by the Troupe of Shadows, he is now eager to finally indulge in the love he had for the man that didn't see him as a freak.

Lazarus - Formerly SCP-6132 "The Death Doctor" as well as the Troupe of Shadows' "Embalmer". This tall Plague Doctor is just as obsessed with death as he is with being a good husband. While he is a bit power-hungry, it is clear that he deeply cares for everyone.

Dallas Richter - A hippie flower child that was transformed into a werewolf during the events of The Call. Chill and chipper, he's eager to prove himself as a positive force and a great father.

B██ Ki██ - hmm.. it seems that another partner is in the future, but plot involving the West Virginia Bug Committee needs to progress before he's revealed.

[luvsavos]

(AA) hey, Mr. Martin, if you’re still doing oc asks, you mind if I ask some more? I literally know nothing (or, if I do, it’s very little) about them, and I figured you’d like to talk about them more too! So…for Lord Naasfilrah, 23? (As a god, I imagine he’s above our morals) and 29 for Shara? (What does a Shara Ishvalada even EAT?…I wonder…🤔)

i WILL get to the rest of my asks either later tonight or sometime tomorrow BUT i am in an oc mood so this one gets a special exception jgjgjv

oc ask meme!

23: Is your character morally gray or black or white?

naas is.... pretty damn morally gray; he definitely isn't as "true evil" as his brother, but he also sure as fuck isn't a saint by any means. he's very much the type that he WILL get done what he wants to by any means, no matter the consequences---though he is acutely aware of his role as destroyer, and he doesn't take nearly as much twisted pride in it as alaakiilah does; destruction as a necessary evil, is the way he sees himself. while he absolutely does not care about mortal life being caught in the crossfire of his actions, he is mindful of the world itself and tries to limit the amount of damage done to it.

29: What would be your character's favorite food?

you have NO idea how excited this specific question makes me because it's actually one of my favourite aspects of shara; hot chocolate! while their natural diet would probably be something more like absorbing energy from the earth itself via their wings (and maybe tail), they've taken a liking to hot chocolate specifically thanks to my friend @wolfoflyngvi 's oc, fenrir, who's one of the few people to genuinely consider shara a friend<3 they can fairly frequently be seen with some when in their mortal form, and they especially like it with marshmallows. they also just like marshmallows in general a lot too, they're especially fascinated by the tiny ones

[kehideni]

Smite was really a god-sent ba dum tiss, i mean it made me wanna draw again.

For some reason i can't make screenshots tho, so that's a bummer i had no reference.

My top 3 gods' fav skin that i got and i use.

Dragon's Rage Kukulkan

Heretic Cernunnos

and i forgot the name of Fenrir's skin. :V

Didn't feel like finishing or going further than simple skitch but aa... anyway here's the song i listened to:

[ghostbloomxo]

More YuGiOh stuff, because that’s mainly what I’ll be posting for right now.

Kashtira Deck: February 2023 (Post Photon Hypernova)

This is the current build I am playing IRL, it’s an early rough draft so changes will be made in the future.

Main Deck: (41)

Monsters: (21)

Kashtira Fenrir x3

Kashtira Unicorn x3

Kashtira Riseheart x3

Kashtira Ogre x1

Scareclaw Kashtira x1

Tearlaments Kashtira x1

Astral Kuriboh x3

Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring x3

Dimension Shifter x3

Spells: (12)

Pressured Planet Wraitsoth x3

Kashtiratheosis x3

Kashtira Birth x3

Sacred Sword of Seven Stars x2

Terraforming x1

Traps: (8)

Infinite Impermanence x3

Lightforce Sword x3

Kashtira Preparations x1

Kashtira Big Bang x1

Extra Deck: (15)

Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack x1

Number 11: Big Eye x1

Red-Eyes Flare Metal Dragon x1

Number 89: Diablosis the Mind Hacker x2

Divine Arsenal-AA Zeus - Sky Thunder x1

Number F0: Utopic Future x1

Number F0: Utopic Draco Future x1

Kashtira Shanghai-Ira x2

Kashtira Arise-Heart x2

Bujinki Ahashima x1

Aussa the Earth Charmer, Immovable x1

Black Luster Soldier - Soldier of Chaos x1

[berrymeter]

For the blorbo ask game... Phoenix wright ace attorney and some guy from dragon age. Fenrir? Fenris? It's the only dragon age guy I know of. Also I don't think real people can be blorbos but if they could jayus from one of the K-pop groups starting with o would be

yeah real ppl aren't blorbos but i get where ur coming from. phoenix is my blorbo... hmm... i suppose he is my blorbo a little? i have blorbo-er blorbos from ace attorney though 🤔. but u could argue all of the (good) aa characters are my blorbos. fenris is a good one although he is not my blorbo yet the fact he shares a VA with biggs is severely influencing my liking of him. i think he's cool.

[hxpeincarnate-a]

↳   act. //   @blodblomma

―『 ♣ 』   she stiffened at the command, ears twitching while a growl rumbled in her chest. Sure, she was barely able to stand straight - her balance off and she found herself constantly leaning against the wall only to snap to being alert moments later. That was the life of a god after all - a god who had too much on their hands. 

It was her duty to protect the people and here she was, needing a nap. 

How pitiful. 

“ I didn’t ask for your opinion, wolfy. “ The words slipped like a hiss as she dug into her pockets. A young child in looks she might be assumed to be, but the soul was old and only had a craving for the whiskey hidden in a potion flask somewhere deep down in the shadows of the abyss known as her hoodie pocket. It took a few moments but soon fangs were biting down on the cork  to yank it off before downing the amber liquid inside. It had a bite - her reaction was clear enough that she hadn’t been expecting it all too much either, with a cough and shoulders twitching as she drank it all ‘till the last drip. 

“ ‘sides. You’re not my parent - so why the fuck do you care? You were talking all big shit ‘bout being a killer for hire a few minutes ‘go and now all the sudden you care ‘bout some misfit brat who got in your way? Sheesh, the god slayers of these days ‘ave really gone to shit haven’t they? “ 

She huffed, a green flicker of flame leaving fanged maw as red strands stuck to the sweat on her forehead. “ Go fuck yourself. I don’t need anyone to care, sure as hell not you. “ 

[rainydayhogwartsimagines]

Why am I always here when you ask for requests ;/ I saw Lupin tho! So, maybe in the war, Remus and reader are fighting, and Greyback attacks reader in his wolf form, which makes her a werewolf, and Lupin is super conflicted bc he doesn't want her to suffer like him, but he has no choice but to help her through after the war? I luv u so so so much 🥺👉🏻👈🏻

The war was raging around you. Horrified screams, blasts of light and dirt surrounded you as you stood back to back with your bestfriends. Sirius and Remus. You were the only Marauders left, fighting long and hard as you made attempts to help anyone you could. You already saved Fred and Remus twice, telling both of them to run like hell. Fred listened, Remus did not. You were still going strong until Remus was called to help Mcgonagall. Remus told Sirius to remain with you, and he did. But neither of you accounted for Fenrir Greyback. 

Remus caught a glimpse of him, freezing up as he ran back over. Greyback leapt towards Remus and you slammed him out of the way, your neck being bitten as you released a pained bloodcurdling scream. Bill Weasley saved your group with Tonks, charming the werewolf to death. “She’s been bitten” Tonks said, lifting you into her arms. Remus scurried over, looking at you panicked. “She’s losing blood--” “We have to get her to the medics!” Bill said, tearing the flannel shirt and using it as a makeshift bandage as the group ran. The war seemed to freeze the second the Great Hall doors closed, it being used as a makeshift medical unit. “We need a medic!” Tonks yelled, the group of Weasleys seeing you in Bill’s arms. “no.” Harry whimpered, looking at you. “Fucking Greyback came from nowhere!” Sirius said as a medic ran over. “Oh no...” The woman breathed. “Is she dying?” Bill asked. “...The wolf saliva is in the wound, its already closing... I’m afraid she’s...” Remus’s eyes went wide. “I’m afraid she’s a werewolf.” She said. Sirius let out a sigh, closing his eyes and turning away. Remus looked at you as you coughed up blood. “The wound is still very much open... I need towels and alcohol.” The medic said to another student. They nodded and ran off, Remus sitting with the Wealseys. 

“Will she be okay?” Fred asked. “Not if she’s a werewolf.” Remus said. “She will live Remus. We’ll show her how.” Sirius assured. “She shouldn’t have to learn this. I should’ve reacted quicker or-- or done something-- God I should’ve kept her safe!” Remus said anxiously. “Right now she needs you. You’re the only one who can show red tail how to do this.” Sirius said. Remus looked at you, remembering all the times you helped him. You were amongst the group that became animagus to keep him safe. You were a fox, always ensuring that he’d go after you if he couldn’t keep down the Wolf’s bane potion. You were slick though, always being able to get away before Remus could actually get to you. 

The group assisted in more fighting, the war coming to a screeching halt when Harry died. Remus was a mess, feeling as if he just lost a son. He watched Harry fall out of Hagrid’s arms and the battle soon resumed, Remus bolting to the Great Hall to ensure that you’d be safe from the battle. He found Bellatrix making an attempt on a medic’s life before he witnessed Neville jab the Gryffindor sword into the woman from behind. “Not my cousin you bitch.” He huffed, looking her in the eyes as he yanked the sword out and she toppled over. You were still unconscious, but safe and that’s what mattered. Sirius and Remus both sat with you as the sun came up and news coursed through the remnants of the school that Harry had won. 

You suddenly gasped for air, bolting forward and Remus held you close. “The war-- We-- we have to fight!” you breathed. “Love, it’s over.” Sirius said. “What?” You asked, panic in your eyes. “We won Y/n... We did it, it’s over.” Remus said. You bursted into tears, sobbing with relief into Remus’s tweed jacket, him holding you tighter. “I-I saw them..” You breathed. “What?” Sirius asked. “James and-and Lily... I-I saw them.” you said making the men exchange a look. “They... They said that they knew we could do it if we just kept fighting.” You sobbed. Remus closed his eyes, resting his chin on your head. Harry booked it, along with most of the Weasleys when they saw you awake, engulfing you in a group hug. You smiled through the tears, holding them all close. “You all made it.” You breathed. “Couldn’t leave you hanging now could we?” George said, smacking your shoulder with a smile. You chuckled and Remus looked at you worried. “Y/n... Your bite it--” “I know...” You assured. “This won’t be easy.” He said. “I know.” You assured.

He wasn’t joking. In the next couple of days you were having the strangest tendencies. “Remus, did you crave raw meat when you were first bitten?” You whined, sitting on a stool in Sirius’s home as Remus washed dishes. “Uhm... Yeah I think so... I was pretty young so I don’t really recall what it was like during the beginning.” Remus admitted. “How old were you when you...” You paused, realizing usually when you asked questions like this in the past, Remus seemed uncomfortable. Remus however turned to you. “I was five.” He answered. “That young?” You breathed. “By the very same werewolf that attacked you.” He admitted. Your eyes widened. “That’s why you froze.” You realized. He nodded with a sad look. He put his hands on the sides of the sink. “If I had just reacted sooner...” He said with a breath. You looked at him. “Rem...” you said, holding his hand. Normally he was so scared of touch. He treated his ailment like leprosy, afraid that his touch would leave anyone afflicted. But right now he was holding your hand, looking at you with this nearly pained expression. “I am okay.” You said softly. “You won’t be in aa few days though--” “We will cross that bridge once we get to it.” You assured, placing your other hand on his cheek. He placed his other hand on yours, the warmth making you smile. “Did you know that you now are basically a walking heater? Werewolves can naturally heat their bodies up.” Remus said. You chuckled. “I remember in our third year, our trip to Hogsmeade when I got too cold and you gave me your scarf.” You laughed. He smiled. “I never got that back, by the way.” Remus reminded. You chuckled and looked in his eyes. “Why were me and you always so... Connected?” He asked. “I trust you... And I like to think you always trusted me--” “I did-- do-- I do.” He said. You smiled at him, caressing his cheek lightly with your thumb. He swallowed, looking in your eyes. He pressed a kiss to your lips, holding you close.

You heard someone clear their throat and you both parted, seeing your friend in the door way. “It only took about... Twenty or so years but I’ll be damned.” Sirius said, sipping a cup of coffee with a smug look. “How long have you been standing there?” Remus asked, still keeping a hand on your waist. “Five minutes-- Wait how am I guilty here-- This is my house!” Sirius pointed out making you laugh. Remus smiled at you and you looked down. “Promise you’re going to help me every step of the way?” You asked, squeezing his hand lightly for comfort. He pressed a kiss to your forehead making you smile. “Every step.”

Taglist: @amhyeah @newtaholic-staygold @bbeauttyybbx @fleurho @yodeadxss @mariah-can-dream

[rotten-patty]

I just finished my Ace Combat Xperience. And it was glorious.

Last two missions took a total of about 5 hours, easily the most difficult.

The former was a massive naval battle. The tankiness of the ships went well with the one-shotting Surface-Air Missiles. The chip damage from the AA guns also was a problem as it stacked up badly. I ended up having to change my whole approach, and managed to survive with 97% damage.

The latter was FENRIR. Four of them. Basically the best planes in the game, with randomly toggled invisibility during the first 3 minutes of the mission, surprising tankiness, quite literally unmatchable speed and handling that made my crappy little starting plane basically a joke. Not to mention that due to my mission path it also had improved AI since they were commanded by an ace pilot squadron.

So I cheesed them. Figured out how to fly to make them joust me head on. And that was that. It was still hard, but more manageable, and frankly the only way I could have actually won.

And it felt good.

This game was part of my childhood. And I conquered it through and through. It was a fun nostalgic experience, both slightly frustrating as well as very fruitful in learning the series’ mechanics, I feel.

And since I may or may not have promised it, I will *try* to bring together some arts for the thing. Since the player character pilot is always faceless and nameless (save for a call sign) I’mma just try and have fun. Hopefully.

[asgard-segun-elcadejos]

Asgard Academy

Year 3: Part I

[ Index ]

xxxxxxxxx

"Before we go, let's go in real quick to tell Ma and Pa."

Fenrir immediately blushed but followed her inside without skipping a beat. Embla was reading the newspaper while Reynir eyed the scrambled eggs. "What happened, sweetheart, didya forget something?"

"Yeah, to tell you Fenrir and I are dating now."

Reynir turned off the stove before walking up to Fenrir and offering his hand. He was positively beaming. "A fine young man, no doubt."

Embla pinched Fenrir's cheek gently. "Oh, sweetheart, that’s great news to start the day! I need to call your siblings to tell them."

Artica was also beaming, her cheeks flushed. "Alright. We're heading out."

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

After getting their new helix piercings (two black surgical stainless-steel hoops) into place, they wandered for a bit until they reached the capital’s central park, which was more akin to a giant garden. Artica found them a nice, secluded spot next to a large pond, which was still in the process of thawing. They were sitting in front of one another, their faces very close. The simple intimacy of that gesture gave Fenrir goosebumps.

"There’re two ways to kiss, I guess,” she said, returning to the conversation they had earlier. “One like last night, just gently…"

He was not entirely listening, thinking precisely of the kiss she gave him before they fell asleep. It had felt so warm… Her lips were pink, bright, and soft. Ignoring they were moving because she was still talking, Fenrir leaned forward and pressed his own on hers. Artica immediately froze, completely flustered. This was not their first kiss, as stated, but definitely the first one Fenrir gave her on the lips.

He pulled away with an embarrassed smile. "Like that?"

She nodded in silence, feeling her chest tightened. His eyes looked particularly bright right now, with the shy blush on his cheeks making it more evident. Artica leaned into him, touching foreheads. Their feelings flutter for a bit, happy to finally do so openly.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

The Black was busy putting away materials used during class when she noticed Levina was still in her seat, staring out the window. Even though Malik had insisted on giving her a thorough breakdown of the current situation regarding the Asgardian National Football team, she had barely acknowledged his ramblings, preferring to stay silent. Artica had a vague idea why but decided to leave her undisturbed. Levina was probably not in the mood to deal with her anyway.

“Congratulations on your relationship, Miss Reynirdóttir,” the Blue suddenly said, turning to her.

What a perfectly awkward way to start this terribly awkward conversation.

“Are you angry, my lady?”

"I am discouraged, yes, that all my efforts led nowhere," Levina replied. "Yet I knew the challenges. I knew you were around."

Artica gave her a lopsided smile. "Pardon?"

"Neither of you saw it, it seems, but I did. Mister Sannfridsson did too, I believe. A premonition of deeper affection, if anything."

The Black let out a nervous cough, unsure of what to say. Levina always spoke in an elaborate manner, everything going through Artica’s head sounded silly in comparison.

“True, I didn’t think much of it when I befriended him. Even so, I wouldn’t say your efforts led nowhere, my lady. Feelings are unfixed little bastards, but they make your heart stronger.”

“Stronger? Why would that be?”

Artica took Malik’s seat, staring at the whiteboard. “Well, sometimes we feel attracted to people who have less-than-desirable aspects. Maybe they are self-centered, or lack confidence, or are just physically unattractive. Our heart grows stronger when we can see beyond that and appreciate them as a whole, rather than the sum of the individual aspects.”

“You do know you are implying we learn to ignore negative aspects?”

“Ignoring them doesn’t make your heart stronger. Understanding them does. After you do, the feeling changes. It may go from reproach to sympathy, for example. Besides, you speak as if your actions had no impact, but you helped the kid from up north feel less like an outsider by going to the Street Market, and the theater, and the arcade.”

“No, you are mistaken; he suggested the arcade. I am not particularly proficient at such activities, you see, and found it rather underwhelming.”

The Black nodded. “In any case, your feelings had an impact on him, even if not the desired one.”

“How would he know? I never said them out loud, and there is no point now.”

“A poet (1) once wrote that ‘unsaid sentences do not mean unfelt emotions’. If you choose to state those feelings, I’ve no issue. If you’d rather keep them to yourself, they’re still valid.”

Levina let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose with both annoyance and contemplation. “Either way, that is two Academy years that I will not get back in that sense.”

“Hmm, I don’t know, my lady. I feel like I’m having a premonition right now,” Artica replied, picking up her things. She waved goodbye as she passed the senior at the door.

‘What is the hold up, Levina? Are we not going to the theater?’ Vaike signed, a little concerned.

‘Yes. My apologies. I got held up by an unfixed little bastard. Shall we go?’

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

"Can I ask for a favor?"

"Always."

"Would you consider…" Fenrir began, brushing her bangs away. "...not covering your face this time?"

"I don't… want to embarass-"

He stopped her by joining their foreheads. "We promised, right?"

She closed her eyes. "Yes, to be kinder to ourselves…"

"Then please don't say, or think, you’re embarrassing. You’re not, and I don’t think that, in any way."

"W-will do."

"Thank you," Fenrir leaned close and kissed her right on the scarred cheek. His golden gaze was fixed on hers. "I just really like to see your face brighten up when we go to the hunting gear shop, y’know?"

Later, on their way home, he noticed Artica’s hands were quite cold, trembling slightly even though she was wearing both a sweater and a scarf. Since there was no wind blowing on the train platform, Fenrir took off his fur-trimmed coat and slid it on her shoulders. She turned around with concern, which he immediately dismissed.

“The north gets way colder at this time of year, okay? It’s fine.”

Artica took off her gray hand-knitted scarf and wrapped it around his neck, before wrapping her arms around him as well. “This’ll have to do until the train arrives.”

Fenrir hugged her back with a kiss, and both shamelessly hoped it was delayed.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

"This is my partner, Artica," the boy said, carefully curating his words, tone, and body language. "I would appreciate it if you gave her a warm welcome to the city manor of the Northern Wolf."

XXXX and his four staff members side-eyed each other. Some were mildly surprised; some were deeply annoyed. Eleven uneventful years had passed where no outsider had set foot in their manors without previous, carefully calculated planning.

XXXX had never considered the whiny, sad child under his care to be of interest to someone, much less enter a formal relationship with them. Sure, they'd seen the girl here and there, but considering her appearance, it was difficult to imagine why the boy would want her around.

In any case, she was a small bump in XXXX's overarching plan. As long as she witnessed nothing that would make her complain to other, more dangerous parties, there should be no issues. After all, the boy didn't expect anything from them, so there was nothing to mess up.

Just a few more months to go until their scheme was complete. Largely ignoring her, just like they had largely ignored him for over a decade, would be a walk in the park.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

“May I ask something personal, sir?”

“You don’t need to call me ‘sir’, my lady. My own name is more than enough.”

“There is no need for you to use formal language with me either… Sannfrid,” Karianne said, a little nervous. Even though she and Bud had been partners for over a year, being alone with his father had been a rare occurrence.

They managed to squeeze in a small celebration in Rúri’s schedule, between her Coming of Age ceremony and a well-deserved vacation. Karianne came over to help Bud take some of the decorations to the Viking Tiger city manor and found herself drinking coffee with Sannfrid while the older twin changed clothes.

“If it is not too nosy of me, would you tell me how you met Artica’s parents?”

The man scratched his chin. “Huh, what an unusual question…”

Karianne said nothing, sipping her coffee in silence.

“After deciding to adopt, I went to every workshop, read every book, and volunteered for every activity the Adoption Center had to offer. I memorized everything, determined to give this baby boy the best life possible from day 1… but by day 3, I felt miserable.”

Sannfrid stared melancholically into his cup.

“Whenever he was not nursing, he was crying. I think Bud went to sleep out of exhaustion, not actual need. Even I knew that was unhealthy, but I just couldn’t figure it out…! So, on day 3, we went to the park. I was sitting by the lake (he was still wailing in his stroller), thinking if maybe it’d been a mistake; dreading that I’d deluded myself into believing I was actually a good choice for the kid, when I saw a couple walking by. The man had a sleeping baby drooling over his shoulder, just a few months older than my own… I swallowed all my pride, walked up to them and asked ‘How’d you do that?’”

The girl with magenta eyes raised her eyebrows.

“You can imagine the puzzled look on Reynir’s face,” Sannfrid laughed. “Embla didn’t even say anything, she just went over to the stroller and removed a few of the million blankets I wrapped around Bud. He immediately started to calm down. I was stupefied. They later explained this was their third child, so they had it more or less figured out… To answer your question, I met them because I had a baby boy, and I didn’t know how to take care of him.”

“I did not expect that to be the answer. Somehow, I thought you knew each other from before.”

“Not really, no. I’ve seen them around, as we lived in the same part of town, but never really talked to them until that day. And well, after that, we spoke every day! With time, we even took turns babysitting the kids, and the family of two that I had hoped for expanded to seven in the blink of an eye.”

Karianne smiled. “Was it hard to manage them?”

“Bud and Artica? Yeah, absolute gremlins those two. He stole her toys, she gulped down his food, they both got jealous when we picked the other up,” the man sighed. “It was only after they started going to school that they sorta calmed down, and stuck together more… Is there a reason you ask?”

“Ah… When Syd told us about his brother, I could not help wondering what kind of life that boy had lived until now. Sometimes, my mind (and my gaze) would wander towards him, asking myself what his family life was like,” she explained with a hand gesture. “Over the next few months, it became clear that part of it was right there in class with me. Then I had the chance to meet the rest of you and well… I am just grateful.”

Sannfrid put his hand on hers. “I’m grateful too; all I ever wanted was for him to be happy. I think that so far, we’re all helping him do just that.”

When Bud entered the room, both his partner and his father seemed to rub a tear away before facing him with a bright smile.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Last summer was great. For the first time in his life, Fenrir had friends to enjoy it with, and thoroughly invested every second of his break having fun with them. He had hoped this summer would be even better, now that he had somehow managed to get a partner.

They’d done all kinds of things, and visited all kinds of places, both in group and by themselves. They even managed to buy tickets to the concert they were looking forward to! The three hours in line had been definitely worth it.

This, however, was his favorite part of the day: taking a nap.

Fenrir woke up first, and immediately wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth. In front of him, Artica was facing his way, asleep. Her right hand was on his left, and he couldn’t help giving it a soft squeeze. One of her eyes half-opened, shining bright in the dark.

“Hm? Did I oversleep again?” she asked drowsily.

“No, but it’s around the time you wanted to wake up.”

Artica rolled to the left, right into his arms. “A shame, I wouldn’t mind staying like this a little longer…”

He wouldn’t mind staying like this forever. Fenrir hugged her tight, taking in the fruity perfume. After all, since they had started dating, he noticed he slept better during their naps than at night, by himself. For understandable reasons, Artica didn’t spend whole nights with him (yet), but when she did decide to leave late, he knew he would rest better without fail.

He sheepishly wondered if this is how his parents felt when they were dating.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

"What is it?"

"N-nightmare. Can I s-sleep here tonight?"

"No," the man replied at once, his hand on the door handle. "Stop being so needy."

The child wasn't crying, but his eyes were already irritated. "There was a bear… Papa’s and Mam-"

"I don't care. Go back to your room."

He didn't move from the spot, tears now running down his cheeks. "Please."

"Did I fucking stutter, boy? No. I can’t believe they left such a whiny boy behind. Not very good parents at all."

“Not true! They w-were the bestest!” the child cried back, sniffing loudly.

“They either taught you to be strong, or weak. Which is it?”

Confused and hurt, the child returned to his bedroom without another word. That was the last time he ever asked his guardian for any kind of support.

Many years ago, just a month after turning six.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Another endless argument with XXXX regarding some stupid shit that neither truly cared about. Holed up in his room, Fenrir expected it to be one of those nights where he would pretend to be dead and forget everything and everyone, listening to music above the recommended volume level in the dark. It was a miracle, honestly, that he heard the knocking on the glass door.

Artica was outside with an aggravated look on her face. “Is everything okay? Are you okay?”

“What are you doing here?”

“I’d just thought I’d return the books you lent me, but I heard the yelling, I was worried… Are you okay?”

Fenrir didn’t have the strength to pretend. “No, I’m not. I-”

He choked on his words.

“I feel so miserable and powerless, like it’s always raining on me… I miss the mountains, where I could find peace, even if I was unwanted at that house too,” Fenrir was on the verge of tears. “I'm not by myself anymore, so why do I feel so alone?”

Artica put her bag down and embraced him with a caring, gentle hug.  “It’s alright. I’m here with you. You aren’t alone."

They stayed like that for a while. She rubbed his back gently, wishing nothing more than the wisdom to help him. “Would you come with me?”

“Where to?”

“You'll see when we get there. Why don’t you bring your music player? Oh, and a blanket. It’ll be really cold at this time of night.”

Not sure what was going on, but hungry from someone’s attention, Fenrir did as she asked. They left quietly and started a thirty-minute walk into the woods. Artica held his hand the whole time, guiding him through the wilderness he hadn’t explored yet. Before Fenrir realized it, they reached the summit of one of the nearby hills; there was a clearing with a spectacular view of the sky. And what a view, with an electric green flowing gently into the night.

“Beautiful, right?” Artica said, inviting him to sit next to her. “I know they're common enough, but there's something about the Norðrljós (2)…”

Fenrir sat down, staring at the sky. She pulled the blanket out of her bag and covered them both, then huddled close to him. Artica rested her head on his shoulder. “I hope that, at the very least, you find some peace and company here…”

Fenrir leaned his head on hers, feeling a little better. Like a wound which was still open but had stopped bleeding. He took out his music player and offered her an earphone.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Okay, he’d done this before, so it shouldn’t be a problem, right? Still, as the new Karate Captain, Bud could’ve done him a solid and gotten someone else for this. Fenrir eyed the Year 2 student he was supposed to have the exhibition match against.

His name was Mime, from the House of the Singing Eagle, and was in the same two clubs as Syd: Music and Karate. He had pale orange hair and deep red eyes, but despite those harmless looks, Fenrir had noticed it was quite difficult to anticipate his moves. He was not particularly confident in winning this match.

Right now, though, he had other concerns, like the untamable lock of hair on his forehead that never stayed put! It was taking forever for it to grow long enough to be combed back with the rest of his hair, and Fenrir was running out of options to keep it back. That was, until a voice spoke right behind him.

“You really need to get a headband or something,” Artica observed, fiddling with the end of her braid.

“Oh! I thought you were still in the Archery exhibition... Yeah, I should, but it’s no use now.”

“I wrapped up as quickly as I could,” she said, finally pulling something out of it and reaching towards him to pin the lock neatly against the rest of his hair with a bobby pin. “There.”

Their faces were so close, he could feel the warmth of her body. A whistle rang in their ears, indicating the end of the first exhibition match, and this tiny moment of intimacy.

“I’ll get going.”

“No, wait!” Fenrir said, grabbing her hand. “Can I… Can I have a good luck kiss?”

“You don’t need good luck,” Artica replied before leaning in smoothly. “But you can have the kiss anyway.”

Bud gave them a moment before clearing his throat. “Alright, alright, that’s plenty of luck from you. Move along.”

As Artica was walking away, she bumped into someone coming into the changing rooms. It was one of the fencing members; specifically, the one that always wore a green handkerchief on their arm during matches.

“My apologies, my l- Rú-?!”

The older twin had barely turned around when Artica got snatched into the changing room. The door slammed shut loudly.

“You can tell absolutely NO ONE. Is that understood?” the Blue said the moment Artica opened her mouth.

The Black was taken aback. “Wha-? Why not?”

“I do not wish others to know this truth, and that should be enough to do as I ask.”

“But you’re the Green Knight!”

“The what now?”

“The Green Knight!” Artica repeated, pointing at the handkerchief. “The mysterious fencing club member that never removes their headgear during matches!”

“Now you know why. Please.”

The Black nodded, somewhat startled to remember that no matter how long you’ve been friends with someone, there is always a side of them that is unknown to you.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

"Congratulations! You are going to be a father!" Karianne announced, and almost everyone at the table struggled to not spit their drinks.

Bud frowned slightly at the other’s reaction. His partner brought a box from the next room and presented it to him with a smile. After removing the lid, Bud picked up its contents

"Oh, thank the gods it is a kitten," Syd said, still a little pale.

"Of course it is a kitten, dear, what are you even saying," Karianne replied with a dismissive gesture.

"I knew it was; K's been talking about this for weeks. I'm guessing Dad finally confirmed he's not allergic?"

"Certainly, darling. I would never make a move before ensuring his safety and consent."

Rúri, immediately smitten with the creature, extended one finger to rub its tiny head. "Does it have a name?"

Bud and Karianne looked at each other. She spoke first. "It is not my kitten, so I only have a suggestion."

The older twin, perfectly aware she usually gave food-related names to everything, felt the need to ask. "Yes?"

"'Espresso'! As he is small and black."

Her purebred competition horse was called 'Mac n' Cheese Kariannesson the Third', so this was an improvement. Bud nodded. "I’ll take that into consideration, K. Thanks for the little guy. Would you take a pic of us?"

Karianne grabbed her camera and immediately obliged. The resulting polaroid showed him carrying what looked like a black hole, as the kitten showed no recognizable features besides its bright eyes.

Bud stared at the picture and suddenly remembered reading an article about pigments and coatings. "I'm gonna call you Vanta (3)."

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

“You’re being so mysterious about this gift!” she said, covering her eyes. “Waiting for everyone else to leave and all that.”

Artica heard him open the cardboard cylinder Vaito brought with him to the birthday lunch and then presumably unfurl its contents to set them on the table.

“Okay, you can open your eyes now.”

There were two things in front of her; one was a small, dark purple box, and the other a poster-sized, coat of arms-styled illustration of a massive stag facing forward atop of a rocky hill, with the night sky behind it, and a bright full moon strategically positioned between its antlers. Artica was speechless.

He then opened the box and showed her the content; a thin, silver choker in the shape of antlers.

“Fenrir… this is too much.”

“Too much what, exactly?” he asked, a little startled. “You don’t like them?”

“I do like them. I love’em! But it’s… too much for me…” Artica replied, fidgeting with the corner of the poster. “Anything simple would’ve been fine, I’m a sim-”

“Yeah, I know, you always say that… but I wanted to get stuff that was beyond things you like, something that is meaningful to you. Stags seem to be it, yes? So, a choker, which reflects the majesty of their antlers, and a custom coat of arms, that showcases their strength. Both qualities you share with them, in my humble, unbiased opinion.”

Sheepishly, the Black went to him and hugged him tight. “Thank you. I really do love’em.”

She then turned around and pointed to the poster. “What about the moon, though?”

“What about it?”

“Why? Isn’t heraldry super intentional, with all bits contributing to an overall meaning or reference?”

Fenrir cupped her cheeks with his hands. “It represents your big, beautiful, bright, silver eyes; they are like the full moon on a clear, winter night.”

"Wow, that was a very cool answer. You nobles always know what to say."

He remembered the first time she said that to him and couldn't help smiling. So much had happened since, and yet, Fenrir hoped it was just the beginning. After a few moments of gazing into each other’s eyes, they kissed.

Embla, who was watching TV with Reynir in the living room chuckled lightly. “Woah, he pulled that one off really well.”

“I know, right? Even I felt flattered, and he wasn’t talking about my silver eyes.”

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Her therapist had been thoroughly impressed during their latest session, when Artica reached out and petted the dog’s head for a bit. It had been a medium-sized one, though, unlike who she was petting now.

"Who would've thought a wolf would help me get over my fear of dogs?" Artica said while scratching Ging's chin.

Fenrir froze on the spot, the color drained from his face. "Wh-what did you just say?"

"Oh, c'mon, did you really think I believed he was a Saarloos Wolfdog?"

He made several non-descriptive hand gestures, but said nothing. Artica let Ging rest his head on her shoulder.

"I've gone hunting with Pa and B since I was a kid. You really thought I couldn't tell?"

"I- Well, you never said anything."

"The day I met him, I told you he looked one-of-a-kind… You casually shrugged it off."

Fenrir nodded vaguely. "I didn't say he was a dog that time, just that it was unlikely there was a dog like him in Central Asgard…"

Artica gave him that one. "In any case, if he really was your pet, you'd be a terrible dog owner."

"What? Why?"

"He has exactly one bowl, and for water only. You don't feed him or walk him."

"Of course I don't, he's a wolf! Ging doesn't need any of that from me."

"My point exactly," Artica replied, victorious.

After a while, they returned to Artica’s house for lunch. As she was sweeping, the Black raised her voice. “Hey, Fenrir?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you really not want to do anything else on your birthday besides the Coming of Age ceremony?”

The Blue, who was washing the dishes, spoke without turning to her. “Uhh, I dunno… Why? Do you have something in mind?”

“No, not really, but I mean, if you want, we can put something together. It doesn’t have to be very elaborate. At what time is the thing at the Palace?”

“Around noon, I think? I have yet to hear more from them.”

“How about a small dinner, then?” Bud interrupted, coming back from taking out the trash. “Artica can do her famous baby back pork ribs.”

Fenrir immediately turned around at the sound of that. “You can?”

She raised her eyebrows, a hint of pink in her cheeks. “If you want, yeah. They’re nothing special, though, so don’t think it’s a super fancy recipe or something.”

“But it’s good.”

“Yeah?”

“Very,” replied Bud with a cocky smile. “Meat falls right off the bone.”

Fenrir’s mouth started watering. He turned to her. “Would… Would you cook that, if we have a small dinner for my birthday?”

Artica didn’t have a reason to decline, but the puppy eyes he gave her would’ve been too powerful to even try. “Yeah, no problem! I’ll get everything going while you are at the Ceremony-”

“What? No, you’re coming too. I didn’t tell you?”

“NO?”

“Traditionally, there must be at least two Heads of House present who agree one is worthy of the title-”

Bud snorted. “And you’ve got three. Piece of cake.”

“No- I mean, I don’t know. A very humble request was extended to the Viking Tiger, Celestial Horses, and Guarding Swan, but I completely understand if they decline.”

Artica gave the twin a look when he snorted again.

“And as the Lord-to-be, I am allowed to bring one or two guests to the Ceremony so I would be really, really happy if you would attend.”

Puppy eyes again. Artica seemed all troubled, and for a moment, Fenrir thought she would just say no, but the concern that came out of her mouth was regarding an entirely different matter.

“Shit, I don’t have anything to wear to an event with the fucking Princess of Asgard!” she muttered, frowning.

Embla, who had been folding clean laundry in the living room, entered the kitchen a few minutes later. “We couldn’t help overhearing. Don’t worry about that, sweetheart. I know just the person to ask.”

As she said that, Reynir handed her the phone, from which a voice was speaking. “Yes, Mother?”

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

“What are you dressed as?”

They shared a smirk.

“I am the Big Bad Wolf,” Fenrir answered, adjusting the ears on his head.

“And I am the Huntress,” Artica added, turning around to show her bow strapped to her back.

“That is quite clever. You are just missing a Red Riding Hood,” Rúri said with an impressed look on her face.

“Oh, we have one,” the Black said, nudging him to pull back his fur-trimmed coat and show a small hand-knitted doll strapped to his belt.

“Did you four manage to get all the costumes you wanted for the Vetrnaetr carnival (4)?”

“OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!” an imperative voice ordered as Karianne appeared round the corner wearing a deep red dress with elaborated heart patterns on the shoulders and sleeves. The twins were right behind her, arguing about something.

“No. We had them made for the occasion,” Rúri answered, adjusting the cat ears on the bright purple wig. She was blinking more often than usual. “These contact lenses, though, I cannot seem to get used to them.”

Her usually blue eyes now showed electric pink. It was easier to appreciate the Alice in Wonderland theme they were sporting once Syd (March Hare), Bud (Mad Hatter), and Karianne (Queen of Hearts) finally met up with them.

“Onwards, dear subjects, to the sign-up table first, and then the ale stalls!” Karianne indicated to her friends.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

“As you know, your graduation ceremony will take place at the end of the school year, during the morning. It will include a speech, and the delivery of your graduation diplomas. Besides your school uniform and the commemorative pin (design is not final), there are no other dress code requirements.”

Their overseer cleared their throat before continuing.

“In the evening, the masquerade will honor and celebrate your achievements in these past three years. Just as the ceremony, it will be held in the Academy’s Great Hall. This event requires formal clothing (those of you considering dresses should keep the length no shorter than your knees). Dinner will be s-“

A hand shot up, preventing her from moving on.

“Yes?”

“Professor, you described it as a ‘masquerade’. Would you please explain further?”

“Ah, it seems I was about to skip that. Thank you, Heimrik. Yes, it is tradition for the graduates to wear a half-mask that covers the upper portion of their faces. Those of you with a family crest, your masks are to represent the sigil in the coat of arms. For the rest of you, you are free to choose a symbol from Asgardian culture and/or wildlife, as long as it does not overlap with one of your classmates’ family crests.”

“Does that mean we have cat privileges?” Bud whispered into his brother’s ear. The younger twin repressed a laugh.

“Please make sure to fill out the survey you were given at the start of today’s meeting by the end of the week, so we can send in the order for the half-masks as soon as possible.”

Once again, Heimrik’s hand shot up. “Professor, are we allowed to invite non-Academy students to the masquerade and, if so, do they require a half-mask as well?”

“Yes, you may invite one person who is not a graduate nor an Academy student, and yes, they do. In your survey, you will find a checkbox option for ‘external guests’. A more generic, but still tasteful mask will be crafted for them.”

The meeting continued with a deep dive on food, decoration, and music, among other topics. Overall, it seemed graduation day was going to be quite the event.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Ever since she won the tournament, Artica’s popularity has understandably increased.

At the Academy, she had been selected as the new Archery Captain, and students felt the need to high-five her frequently, chanting ‘Silver-Eyed Hawk’ whenever they spotted her in the halls. Even as they wandered around the city, people would randomly walk up to them and ask for a few words.

This had boosted Artica’s confidence greatly. Fenrir was happy for her, truly, but couldn’t help feeling annoyed at the frequent interruptions. The Street Market was probably the most tedious of all places, with so many people packed in the same narrow streets. Some even had the gall to flirt with her, even though their helix piercings were clearly visible!

“They only talk to you because of the tournament, you know?” Fenrir said after she politely turned down the most recent of those attempts.

“Excuse me?”

“You know it’s true. Before, they wouldn’t even give you a second glance.”

“What?”

“What! It’s the truth! People have fancies like that!”

“What’s wrong with you?” she asked, visibly irritated.

Even though her hands had curled into fists, Artica just took a deep breath and started walking towards the plaza, where they would meet up with their friends. Fenrir followed her closely, both now exchanging heated words and escalating the matter, to the point where people around them started staring, intrigued by the lover's quarrel.

“I don’t even understand why you’re suddenly bothered by this. Are you jealous?”

“No! And it's not sudden! We can’t have peace and quiet anywhere now! You think I like being stared at all the time?”

Artica stopped dead in her tracks. His words flew right at her like a dagger and landed between her shoulder blades.

Fenrir didn’t even notice; his train of thought was somewhere else. “Obviously not!”

“That’s a lot of shit to say for someone who spends all their fucking time at someone else’s house!” she spat angrily, turning around. “Can’t even have some peace and quiet in my own home!”

That dagger lodged itself in Fenrir’s heart and was the only thing that prevented him from saying anything else.

“Hey, hey, that is enough,” Syd suddenly intervened, pulling Artica’s arm. Neither had noticed they’d reached the plaza, nor that their friends had heard most of their exchange.

“I’m outta here,” Fenrir declared, pulling the hood of his fur-trimmed coat over his head and walking away.

She too departed soon after, politely declining Rúri’s invitation to come with them to a nearby coffee shop.

“I have never heard her like that,” Karianne said, twenty minutes later, sipping her tea. “Arguing, I mean. I have seen her angry, but never arguing.”

“That’s because Artica dislikes arguing,” Bud replied. His black coffee remained untouched. “She’d rather return to the subject later with her head cool but whatever sparked that hit her too close to home, I guess.”

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Artica collapsed on her bed, covering her face with a pillow. “Obviously, even Fenrir’s fed up with it. I’m the one stuck with this scar for the rest of my life. Why did I think it wasn’t going to be an issue?”

Just a twenty-minute walk away, Fenrir was sitting alone in his room, all curtains closed, and listening to music in the dark at a higher volume than recommended.

“I am jealous; I should've just admitted it. Why can’t I think before I speak like a normal person? And… She’s right, I’m always invading someone else’s home because I don’t have one.”

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

“Pa.”

Reynir already knew something was wrong because Artica returned earlier than expected, and immediately went to her room without saying a word. However, this was his third child, and he’d already learned the hard way that it was better to wait for her to come to him, rather than asking questions at the wrong time.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“Do you prefer how I looked before the bite?”

“There’s nothing wrong with how you look now. I don’t miss your face without the scar.”

Her eyes filled with tears. “I do.”

You try getting your face bitten the week before joining the single, most pompous academic institution in Asgard, at sixteen! Polar had yelled over the phone when he tried to ease her worries.

Of all the things that hung over his teenage daughter's head, this was the one he disliked the most. There was no easy way to fix it, physically or emotionally, and sometimes the only thing that felt right was holding her in his arms and gently rubbing her back.

"Sweetheart. Whatever happened today will pass, okay? And while it does, we'll be right here with you."

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Class was uncomfortable as hell.

This year they ended up all in the same row, which was great, but right now, Syd wished his seat was not exactly between Fenrir and Artica. They weren't hostile or snappy at each other, like Bud and Karianne occasionally were, but it felt just as bad.

It was gloomy, awkward, and quiet; like sitting between two tombstones. During lunch, Fenrir would go elsewhere while Artica ate with the rest in complete silence. After speaking with them individually, it was clear they were not actually angry at each other, but deeply aggravated, and too embarrassed to talk about it.

“Just apologize, if you believe it’s necessary,” Bud had told her.

“Of course it’s necessary! I said something horrible to him! I just… don’t want to argue again.”

“Then don’t. Apologize for what you said, and if he starts to argue, tell’im what you used to tell me. ‘We can’t have a conversation in that tone. Come find me when you’re ready to talk’. It always worked.”

Artica hugged him close, thankful for his support.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

“What if I fucked up real bad?”

“I think we both know that is a given in this case,” Syd replied. “However, no matter what you have done, an apology is always the first step to sort matters out.”

“I was talking about other people, you know? About how they’re fair-weather friends because she’s the current tournament winner… but it came out wrong, as usual. After replaying it in my head, I realized it sounded like I was talking about her…”

“Then tell her that. Apologize, and explain yourself. I am sure she is eager to understand, and to resolve this.”

“Thanks for hearing me out,” Fenrir said, bumping Syd’s shoulder with his fist.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry You don't know how lovely you are I had to find you Tell you I need you Tell you I set you apart (5)

The concert was packed, as expected. Everyone was singing along with the band, raising their colorful lights in the air in what looked like a sky full of stars.

Even though they’d bought tickets with seats, none of them were there. Both Artica and Fenrir were walking around, trying to find the other. He replayed his apology in his head over and over, trying to make sure he didn't miss anything. She rearranged her words every few minutes, frequently worrying it was not enough to convey the full extent of how sorry she felt.

Tell me your secrets And ask me your questions Oh, let's go back to the start

Eventually, they found each other. He had the gray scarf wrapped around his neck, while she had the hoodie’s arms around hers. They thought the same thing: ‘If this is it, I should return this, and if it's not, I want them to remember how much they mean to me.’

Nobody said it was easy It's such a shame for us to part Nobody said it was easy No one ever said it would be this hard

The music, the crowd, the lights. Everything suddenly went silent, and only they existed in the world. Those few seconds felt like entire centuries, and without fully realizing it, they ran to embrace each other. Tears ran down their faces as their gazes met.

Artica spoke first. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for getting mad and not paying attention to what you were trying to say."

“I’m sorry because I always blurt things out right away, and can’t take a moment to make it clear,” he replied, holding her tight. “I didn’t mean that about you. I was an asshole.”

“I didn’t mean my words either. I know why your house is not your home, and I’m sorry for being an asshole.”

They joined their foreheads, quietly sobbing in relief.

“You know I don’t mind your scar, right? That time I said it was one of my favorite things about you, I meant that. I still do.”

Artica leaned into his hand as he cupped her left cheek, closing her eyes.

“Thanks for saying that…” she paused, and then opened her eyes again. “We all gladly welcome you in our home, anytime, because now it’s yours too, no matter what happens between us.”

Fenrir let himself shed a few more tears. “Thanks for saying that, and for letting me into your home. It’s the first one I’ve ever had.”

Tell me you love me Come back and haunt me Oh, and I rush to the start

The rest of the concert was exactly what they hoped it would be; a wonderful, enjoyable time with their kjæreste.

 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(1) Tyler Knott Gregson

(2) “Northern Lights” in Icelandic.

(3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vantablack

(4) Vetrnaetr: “Winter nights”. The end of the harvest season (end of October), which meant that it was time to use the meat of the farm animals and start hunting. It’s also a night to reflect and honour ancestors, as well as the goddess Hela. The veil between the worlds is thinner during this night. https://winternightsfestival.com/about-vetrnaetr/

(5) The Scientist, by Coldplay

[keytreeygg-blog]

【soldout】*fenrir* 欧神話に登場する、魔獣フェンリルをモチーフにしたアミュレット（お守り）ストラップです。ラグナロク（神々の黄昏）の時、最高神オーディンを飲み込んだとされるフェンリルは、大きな変容・変革の象徴とも言えるでしょう。 力強いクリスタルを多く使用しているので、男性へのプレゼントにもおすすめです♪ 【金の月の狼】 □ムーンストーンAA 8mm □タイガーアイ 6mm □レッドタイガーアイ 6mm ※タイガーアイを加熱処理したものです。色落ちはいたしません。 □スモーキークォーツ 6mm □スモーキーシトリン 6mm ※スモーキークォーツを放射線処理したものです。色落ちはいたしません。 □ガーネット 4mm □クリアクォーツ　ミラーボールカット 4mm ＊シルバーチャーム、ストラップパーツ、スエードリボン 縦約12〜3cm（ストラップ部分、リボン部分含む） 【蒼の月の狼】 □ムーンストーンAA 8mm □ホークスアイ 6mm □カヤナイトAA 6mm □ブルーアベンチュリン 6mm □ラブラドライトAAA 4mm □クリアクォーツ　ミラーボールカット 4mm ＊シルバーチャーム、ストラップパーツ、スエードリボン 縦約12〜3cm（ストラップ部分、リボン部分含む）

[kristeristerin]

WIP!

I was tagged by the very talented and ridiculously sweet @nauticalparamour to talk about my current WIPs…Thanks for tagging me, Dear!

Bound to the Light [Hermione Granger x Remus Lupin]

My first successful multichapter! This is a story about what you will do for someone your love, and each character shows it in a different way. One is willing to leave the only way of life she’s ever known. One is willing to put aside his reservations and help a society that wants nothing more than to see him dead. One is willing to learn to accept himself for what he does, not what he is. At the end of the day are they willing to give up enough to change the outcome of the war?

> Werewolf!Hermione,  Parent!Fenrir AU

Ferocity [Hermione Granger x Antonin Dolohov]

This one is still heavily in the planning stages. I feel like this story is going to be aa lot more complex than I originally thought. When Hermione ends up carrying the child of the Dark Lord she finds herself in the center of a new prophecy and on the run from the dark and light sides. Escaping, she is taken in by the underground resistance and finds that the people who make up the resistance aren't who she’d imagined. When it’s found that there is a mole in the ranks, Hermione is sent off to a remote part of Russia with just her two protectors for company. She immediately finds a friend in Reuben Yaxley, but can she ever get on with the stoic Russian man that has previously tried to kill her not once, but twice? And what happens when Hermione decides the only way to provide a life for her baby is to end the war herself?

> Post-Hogwarts AU, Enemies to Lovers, Hermione is a bad ass, Order/Dumbledore/Weasley bashing, This fic will be full of rare pairs <3

Bound to You [Fenrir Greyback x Calia Malfoy (OC)]

I am unsure if this is going to be a one-shot or a short multi-chapter yet. What I do know is this fic is going to show how Fenrir and Calia came to be. It’ll cover her relationship with her family and her betrothed and their reactions to her leaving them behind for Fenrir.  If it’s a one shot it’ll end at their bonding, but a multi-chapter will end with Calia finding tiny Hermione in the woods.

> Prequel to Bound to the Light, Romance with some drama

Kiss is all better [Hermione Granger x Draco Malfoy]

I actually have this one shot completely written, it just needs more editing. This is a tragic story about a man’s reaction to losing the love of his life.

> Super sad tearjerker

Her Gilded Cage (Name pending)  [Hermione Granger x Fenrir Greyback]

This is an idea that has been in the back of my mind for a while, but I haven’t done much with. It’s going to be an AU where Albus Dumbledore is the king of the great Kingdom of Hogsmeade. When the Dark Kind Voldemort, from the Kingdom of Knockturn, begins attacking them King Dumbledore seeks the help of a pack of werewolves from the nearby woods. In order to secure the help, he gives his only daughter’s hand in marriage to the leader of the wolves. Hermione is not impressed by being used as a bargaining tool and makes it known to both her father and new husband. What she doesn’t expect is her new husband to open her eyes to the world she didn’t know existed.

> Kingdom AU?, Werewolves, Drama with a whole lot of Romance.

Lightning Round:

Unnamed: Dudley/Hermione - When traveling after the final battle, Hermione meets who she thinks is the perfect guy for her. They have a wonderful month long relationship but he breaks it off when his family finds out she's a witch. Heartbroken, Hermione returns to the wizarding world, only to find out she’s pregnant. Imagine her surprise when 3 years later she shows up to Harry’s home for Christmas, only to find herself face to face with the father of her child, Harry’s cousin Dudley.  

Unnamed: Dramione/Hansy- Draco and Harry are sent Into the future to live for a week. Nothing is as they'd expect.

Unnamed: Harry x Hermione - After becoming very close during their time alone while hunting Horcruxes Hermione expects after the final battle she and Harry will be together. She finds herself heartbroken when he declares his feelings for Ginny. Taking the first job she can in an attempt to escape her heartbreak, Hermione soon relocates to France. Through the years she remains very close with Ron, and is ecstatic when he asks her to stand as one of his “Best Men”, that is until she finds out who she’ll have to be standing beside. Can she put aside old feelings for her best friend’s big day, or will Harry show her that he’s realized the mistake he’s made? And where does Draco Malfoy fit into all of this?

 Please, please, please let me know which ideas are your favorites! <3 :D

Not tagging anyone, but feel free to do this yourself! :D If you do tag me! I want to see what everyone has coming up <3

[allcheatscodes]

ace combat joint assault psp

http://allcheatscodes.com/ace-combat-joint-assault-psp/

ace combat joint assault psp

Ace Combat: Joint Assault cheats & more for PSP (PSP)

Cheats

Unlockables

Hints

Easter Eggs

Glitches

Guides

Get the updated and latest Ace Combat: Joint Assault cheats, unlockables, codes, hints, Easter eggs, glitches, tricks, tips, hacks, downloads, guides, hints, FAQs, walkthroughs, and more for PSP (PSP). AllCheatsCodes.com has all the codes you need to win every game you play!

Use the links above or scroll down to see all the PSP cheats we have available for Ace Combat: Joint Assault.

Genre: Simulation, Flight Combat Sim

Developer: Unknown

Publisher: Namco Bandai Games

ESRB Rating: Teen

Release Date: August 31, 2010

Hints

More Planes The Better

To unlock more jets when you finish the game, play the game more times and finish without doing free missions – it will also unlock the tuning parts and emblems.

Cheats

Currently we have no cheats or codes for Ace Combat: Joint Assault yet. If you have any unlockables please feel free to submit. We will include them in the next post update and help the fellow gamers. Remeber to mention game name while submiting new codes.

Unlockables

Unlockable Wing Accessories

Adv. A-Balancetab : Destroy ace named “Timeline” in mission 13.

Adv. Actuator : Destroy ace named “Osaka” in mission 3 at Ace difficulty.

Adv. B. Wing Body : Destroy ace named “Balalaika” in mission 5A at Ace difficulty.

Adv. Balancetab : Destroy ace named “Gizmo” in mission 9 at Hard difficulty (2nd playthrough).

Adv. Sweep Wing : Destroy ace named “Hayate” in mission 17 at Hard difficulty (2nd playthrough).

Adv. Trimtab : Destroy ace named “Buzzard” in mission 10.

Air Gripper : Destroy ace named “Balalaika” in mission 5A or “Jolly” in mission 5B.

Extra Airbrake : Destroy ace named “Balalaika” in mission 5A or “Jolly” in mission 5B.

Extra Canard : Destroy ace named “Sphinx” in mission 6 at Hard difficulty (2nd playthrough).

Extra Elron : Destroy ace named “Vulcan” in mission 21A.

Extra Hardpoint : Destroy ace named “Garnet” in mission 21B at Hard difficulty (2nd playthrough) or “Timeline” in mission 13 at Ace difficulty.

Extra Ladder : Destroy ace named “Balalaika” in mission 5A or “Jolly” in mission 5B.

Extra V Canard : Destroy ace named “Express” in mission 18 at Hard difficulty (2nd playthrough).

Sylph Wing : Destroy ace named “Strigon”, “Gryphus1”, “Garm1”, “Wardog”, “Zipang”, “Yellow 13”, “Mobius1”, “Dision”, “Z.O.E”, and “Phoenix” in mission SP2.

Thornback Fin : Destroy ace named “Watercress” in mission 1 at Hard difficulty (2nd playthrough).

Single-Player Medal List

Armament Specialist : Unlock all aircrafts, colors, weapons, parts, and emblems.

Bronze Ace : Destroy 200 enemies.

Bronze Medal of Excellence : Clear all missions with S-Rank in Normal difficulty.

Conqueror : Finish campaign with longest path (18 missions).

Expert Marksman : Destroy 50 enemies with machine gun.

Ghost Hunter : Destroy 20 Spiridus or Orgoi.

Gold Ace : Destroy 1000 enemies.

Gold Medal of Excellence : Clear all missions with S-Rank in Ace difficulty.

Guardian of London : Clear mission 12A or 12B with S-Rank in Normal difficulty or above.

Guardian of San Fransisco : Clear mission 21A or 21B with S-Rank in Normal difficulty or above.

Guardian of Tokyo : Clear mission 5A or 5B with S-Rank in Normal difficulty or above.

Legendary Wings : Win 20 missions with A6M5 Zero or F6F-5 Hellcat.

Marksman : Destroy 5 enemies with machine gun.

Sharpshooter : Destroy 15 enemies with machine gun.

Silver Ace : Destroy 500 enemies.

Silver Medal of Excellence : Clear all missions with S-Rank in Hard difficulty.

Swift Hunter : Finish campaign with shortest path (16 missions).

Wolf Hunter : Shoot down 50 Varcolacs.

Unlockable Engine Parts

Adv. Turbo Engine : Destroy ace named “Offside” in mission 12A.

Bullet Engine : Destroy ace named “Bloodstone” in mission 14 at Hard difficulty (2nd playthrough).

C-Cycle Engine : Destroy ace named “Lily” in mission 20 at Hard difficulty (2nd playthrough).

Caudal Engine : Destroy ace named “Buzzword” in mission 10 at Hard difficulty (2nd playthrough).

Hayabusa Engine : Destroy ace named “Hengel” in mission 8 at Hard difficulty (2nd playthrough).

Hydra Engine : Destroy ace named “Dandelion” in mission SP1.

Light Engine : Destroy ace named “Nightowl” in mission 15 or Flight Time achievement 06:40.

Mercury Engine : Destroy ace named “Zircon” in mission 7 at Ace difficulty.

Minotaur Engine : Destroy ace named “Express” in mission 18.

RAMJet Engine : Destroy ace named “Element” in mission 16 at Hard difficulty (2nd playthrough).

Rocket Motor MOD Engine : Destroy ace named “Lily” in mission 20.

SCRAMJet Engine : Destroy ace named “Timeline” in mission 13 at Hard difficulty (2nd playthrough).

Turbo Engine : Destroy ace named “Sphinx” in mission 6.

Turbo RAMJet Engine : Destroy ace named “Kraken” in mission 11 at Hard difficulty (2nd playthrough).

Uranus Engine : Destroy ace named “Gizmo” in mission 9 at Ace difficulty.

Unlockable Avionics

AAM Jammer : Destroy ace named “Hayate” in mission 17.

ACE’s Amulet : Destroy ace named “Garnet” in mission 21B or “Vulcan” in mission 21A at Hard difficulty (2nd playthrough).

Adv. FCS : Destroy ace named “Sphinx” in mission 6 at Ace difficulty.

Adv. SA Radar : Destroy ace named “Mr. 8” in mission 12B or “Katana” in mission 2 at Ace difficulty.

AMFD : Destroy ace named “Watercress” in mission 1 at Ace difficulty.

Argus : Destroy ace named “Element” in mission 16 at Ace difficulty.

Earth Shaker : Destroy ace named “Bloodstone” in mission 14 at Ace difficulty.

Emergency APS : Destroy ace named “Hengel” in mission 8.

Fenrir ECMS : Destroy ace named “Kraken” in mission 11 at Ace difficulty.

GAF-1 Type AA : Destroy ace named “Lily” in mission 20 at Ace difficulty.

GAF-1 Type AS : Destroy ace named “Nightowl” in mission 15 at Ace difficulty or Flight Time achievement 10:00.

GAF-1 Type HS : Destroy ace named “Kelpie” in mission 19 at Ace difficulty.

Hawk Eye : Destroy ace named “Osaka” in mission 3 at Hard difficulty (2nd playthrough).

Raven : Destroy ace named “Balalaika” in mission 5A or “Jolly” in mission 5B.

Salamander : Destroy ace named “Kelpie” in mission 19.

Sniper OS : Destroy ace named “Mr. 8” in mission 12B at Hard difficulty (2nd playthrough) or “Offside” in mission 12A at Ace difficulty.

Terra Hammer : Destroy ace named “Zircon” in mission 7.

Tracer : Destroy ace named “Balalaika” in mission 5A at Hard difficulty (2nd playthrough).

Unlockable Armor

Adv. Titanium Armor : Destroy ace named “Nightowl” in mission 15 at Hard difficulty (2nd playthrough) or Flight Time achievement 08:20.

Anti-Ground Armor : Destroy ace named “Offside” in mission 12A at Hard difficulty (2nd playthrough).

Beatle Armor : Destroy ace named “Balalaika” in mission 5A or “Jolly” in mission 5B.

Ceramic Armor : Destroy ace named “Gizmo” in mission 9.

CFRP Conversion : Destroy ace named “Bloodstone” in mission 14.

Composite Armor : Destroy ace named “Kelpie” in mission 19 at Hard difficulty (2nd playthrough).

DA Armor : Destroy ace named “Vulcan” in mission 21A at Ace difficulty.

Diffusion Coat : Destroy ace named “Hayate” in mission 17 at Ace difficulty.

Extra Hardpoint : Destroy ace named “Jolly” in mission 5B at Hard difficulty (2nd playthrough) or “Hengel” in mission 8 at Ace difficulty.

Light Armor : Destroy ace named “Zircon” in mission 7 at Hard difficulty (2nd playthrough).

NERA Armor : Destroy ace named “Element” in mission 16.

RAM Coat : Destroy ace named “Katana” in mission 2 at Hard difficulty (2nd playthrough).

Scale Armor : Destroy ace named “Kraken” in mission 11.

TiAl Armor : Destroy ace named “Buzzard” in mission 10 at Ace difficulty.

Titanium Armor : Destroy ace named “Onyx” in mission 4 at Hard difficulty (2nd playthrough).

Easter eggs

Currently we have no easter eggs for Ace Combat: Joint Assault yet. If you have any unlockables please feel free to submit. We will include them in the next post update and help the fellow gamers. Remeber to mention game name while submiting new codes.

Glitches

Currently we have no glitches for Ace Combat: Joint Assault yet. If you have any unlockables please feel free to submit. We will include them in the next post update and help the fellow gamers. Remeber to mention game name while submiting new codes.

Guides

Currently we have no guides or FAQs for Ace Combat: Joint Assault yet. If you have any unlockables please feel free to submit. We will include them in the next post update and help the fellow gamers. Remeber to mention game name while submiting new codes.

[asgard-segun-elcadejos]

Year 1: Part IV

Asgard Academy | Original post