2013.07.13 - Shards of Betrayal - Alibi

"Compensation is not an issue. The friendship between us compensates me far more than you might realize." offers Brynn. "I wonder if you might be able to arrange a meeting for me though, between myself and Brunhilde. I still need to apologize to her for the mistaken identity issues in the past." She smirks a bit, "But, I suppose I should go ride the rainbow if I wish to get started right away, yes?"

A bright laugh comes from Sif. "Thor or Loki would be best suited to arrange such a meeting. Brunhilde is... Not my biggest fan."

There's a small wave of her hand. "There is no need to rush off. Enjoy your mead and tell me of how things are on Midgard. I would kill for a mocha."

There is a flash of green light, and a portal opens in the Trickster's usual corner. A glimpse through the portal reveals a lush nighttime jungle just before a large, sleek, black panther with green eyes leaps through and lands silently on the carpet. As far as panther's go, this one is /huge/, and the beast lazily looks around the apartment as the portal snaps closed.

Well, kill for it eh? That might be worth an experiment. Brynn stares down into her mead for a long moment, eyes glowing yellow as she starts to work. Even the flash of light doesn't distract one who is literally looking at the molecular structure of her drink. For the moment, she is silent...

Sif watches Brynn a moment, brow arched. Right until that flash of green light draws her attention. Her head snaps around and she does a double take before blinking. "Well now..."

She studies the very large cat a moment bedore her eyes narrow in contemplation. "Loki?"

The panther looks up at the sound of Loki's name being called, and starts to pad forward towards the two women, eyes narrowing slightly as the beast licks it's lips. It comes to a stop, just outside of reach and blinks lazily. ***Am I intruding?*** comes the soft touch of Loki's mind, tinged with a bit of tiredness, and more than a little bit of triumph and amusement.

Oddly, the mind so intently focused (that would be Brynn's) is like, a steel trap for mental abilities. It's not that she is consciously defending, it's that if she is not consciously -opening- it, her mind is always a psi bastion. Such is the way of the Eternals. That's how they come back from death itself, total psi-control of the self. However, soon... a pungeant (sp?) odor emenates from her glass, and her hands glow for a moment, until steam rises from the cup. Then she holds it out towards the Queen, the scent of cafe' mocha unmistakeable. No words yet, just a raised brow as she looks towards the cat.

The tiredness she hears in Loki's 'voice' causes the Goddess to frown slightly as she absently reaches for the cup and murmurs her thanks to the woman at her side. **Of course not. You are always welcome here. Is all well?**

A sip of the drink is taken, again, rather absently and Sif startles before smiling brightly. "Oh that's perfect. Thank you!" Her eyes slide towards the woman and she smiles. "And thank you for meeting with me. I shall let you take your leave so you may return now."

Brynn nods, places a fist over her heart and bows. "Of course." She straightens, eyes the cat once more and then makes her way out of the room.

With a faint shimmer, almost like a heat ripple, Loki returns to his human form, and plops into the seat vacated by Brynn. "Fare well." he offers half-heartedly as the woman leaves.

"South America has some extensive, and quite exquisite plant life, dear Sister. I shall have to take you one day. I've spent the last week scouring the jungle for a rare flower, and return triumphant!" the Trickster says, a huge smile crossing his face.

Without thought nor hesitation, Sif sets the mocha aside and walks over to pour Loki a tankard of mead. It's held out to him and the Goddess tilts her head. "I would be quite delighted to accompany you, of course. I am curious though... What was so special about this flower that you would go hunting for it in a place that I am led to understand is unbearably hot?"

Only once Loki takes his drink, assuming he does, does Sif collect her own and take a seat next to him. "You don't have to answer, of course. I certainly don't mean to pry."

Loki accepts the drink with a nod of his head, and takes deep drink. He wipes his chin with the back of his arm, letting out a satisfied sigh before he answers the question. "What is so special, is that it grows no where else in the world, save along the base of a cliff, where it is showered constantly by the ever present mists of a nearby waterfall. It's petals are so soft and delicate, even disrupting the mist fall can damage them. The flower, when exposed to water, runs through an entire rainbow of colors, over and over in an almost hypnotic pattern, and I belive that perhaps it is formed from a shard of the rainbow bridge bonding with the seed of a local flower. It's....fascinating."

Sif tilts her head as she listens to the explaination. When it gets to the part concerning the Bifrost shard, her eyes all but bug out cartoon style. "A shard of the Bifrost? That's not possible. How would a shard of the Rainbow Bridge have ended up here upon Midgard?" Clearly, she's disturbed by the news and while she tries to hide it behind a sip of her mocha, it reflects in her eyes. "Are you certain?"

Loki shakes his head as he answers. "No, I am not certain. However, when my brother destroyed the bifrost, shards were scattered all through the realms. I need to run further tests on the flower first, but for some reason...I can't shake the feeling that I've done this already."

The trickster takes another drink, before he titls his head thoughtfully. His tongue gets pressed between his lips as the man thinks, and then once more the trickster shakes his head. "It's the oddest feeling. De ja vous is a new feeling for me."

And the blinking begins. "THat you've run tests on the Bifrost already? Or that you've run tests on a flower already?" What? She has no clue what he uses for his magic. Might be worthwhile to actually learn a little about it one of these days.

A sigh is given, the mocha is once more set aside and Sif stands to pour herself a glass of mead. "If there are pieces of the Rainbow Bridge scattered about the Nine Realms... They must be recovered. Such things cannot be left to be found or to fall into the hands of those who may misuse it. The Rainbow Bridge is..." She stops and looks over at Loki. "You know all of this however. I apologize."

"That is what is most confusing. I can sense the magic of the Rainbow bridge. I heard of this flower from a...." Loki starts, and then trails off with a grin. "Well, lets just call him a local business man. And it took me nearly a week to find this flower, and while it does faintly feel like the bifrost, it's only the barest sliver. I've been looking everywhere I can think of, with all my ability...and there should be shards all over. Random scatterings in random patterns."

Loki takes another drink of his mead and drains the glass before contining. "I can't shake the feeling that I've searched for the shards already...or I've tested their effects on living things....or I've....I don't know. I do not forget such things easilly. This concerns me more than I would care to admit."

"And if you had to hazard a guess as to what possessing a shard of the bridge would do? I will admit that I am too unfamiliar with magic to understand it's workings and capabilities." A long drink of her mead is taken before she reaches out to refill Loki's own tankard. "And how would we go about finding them? Assuming it's possible without the All-Father..."

"Well...in theroy? If one had a large enough chunk of the bridge, once could use the residual magic to open portals to the nine realms with relative ease. Hence, my desire to gather a few of them. Not that I have trouble making portals, but having a back-up has proven prudant more than once." Loki explains, accepting the refill with another nod and smile.

"As for finding them....I've looked. Normally I can sense the magic of the bifrost being activiated from nearly anywhere in the realm. Finding a shard of that magic while the bridge is not in use should have been easy. And yet...I found nothing."

Sif's eyes slip closed and she sighs. "I was afraid you'd say something like that." The bridge of her nose is pinched and she sits back down, the folds of the gown hiding the baby bump that was apparent as she was standing. "I need you to return to Asgard with me and see if you can sense anything there... Or will being that close to the Bifrost itself make such impossible?" She's going to kill Thor. Why does he never think ahead!?

"I can make the attempt from Asgard, but you surmise correctly that the actual Bifrost will make finding the echoes of the Bifrost most difficult. But both your brother, and mine, should be warned of the possible danger." Loki says, staring into the depths of his mead as he swirls his cup around.

"I should probably return to Eldred and search from there. If I can attune the realm to the resonances of a shard, I might be able to detect them before they have a chance to be used for any mischief."

"I fear it may be too late. There are Jotuns getting in to Asgard where they should not be able to. Appearing randomly and without warning. There's no pattern to it that I have been able to discern. No reason for such randomness. It's chaotic and..." She's huffs, clearly frustrated. "Yet they make no move on the Palace itself..."

"Distractions..." Loki whispers softly, looking alarmed and rising smoothly from the couch. It's perhaps an unsconscious thing, but his clothing ripples and the Prince is dressed in his battle garb, sword at his hip. "Attacks on Asgard, the All-Father asleep, and me wandering the jungle looking for a flower like a fool."

Loki paces for a moment, body ready and eager to leap into battle in defense of his home, and yet his mind hesitates. "And I'll likely be blamed for this, and I doubt the Aesir are eager to see me among their ranks."

Sif stands as Loki shifts. The whisper wasn't missed. "I thought the same. They're thinning our ranks. Trying to confuse us."

"It matters not. Thor and I rule. You have been welcomed home and I dare any to defy that." There's that protective fierceness. "And I see how no blame for this can be laid at your feet, my brother." A hand is run through her hair, only to get caught on her braid for the umpteenth time which, as always, causes her to curse loudly. "Asgard is your home. You have every right to be there."

"There is an ocean between defy and welcome, Sister." Loki comments dryly. He does stop his pacing however, and looks thoughtful once again. "I need to return to Eldred to collect a few things, and then I shall be off to Asgard, wether she likes it or not. You...should go stay with a friend, Sister. If the Jotun are indeed using shards of the Bifrost, then they can appear anywhere that the bridge can reach. Including here."

Sif nods her head. "I will recall Brynn and bring Ulrik. They, on top of the guards I have, will be enough when I return to Asgard." She walks over to offer Loki a hug. "Please be careful, Loki. I would see no injury come to thee. Be safe, Brother." She releases him and steps back, giving him room to take his leave. "I shall be returning to Asgard immediately. I must speak with Thor and Heimdall as well as Brunhilde. I shall see you there."