| A Goddess and a Gypsy | |||||
| |||||
| What: Sif meets Gabriel for the first time, again. This time in his Catiana persona. They strike up a conversation and end up making a date for a girls' day at the spa. | |||||
{{{logtext}}}
The past week had been, for the Goddess, something she'd much rather erase. A trip to Hela's realm would have been a walk in the park comparatively. Dressed in her leathers, armor, helm and sword, she makes her way down the sidewalk.
If it's possible, she actually looks... Exhausted. In every sense of the word. There's a cell phone held to her ear as she walks. "Nay, Hilda. I shall be there in only a few moments. His typical order as well as the fresh muffins will be quite enough. Thank you."
The little jingle-jangle of tiny silver bells precedes Catiana as she comes into Traditions. Its early in the morning and at the moment she just wants some coffee and pastries and since the muffins here were delicious last time she's back. Walking up to the counter she doesn't stop to look at the menu instead just ordering exactly what she came for, "Good morning> Can I have two chocolate chip muffins, as fresh as possible, please. And your largest cup of coffee, with a splash of milk and lots of sugar?" Then she turns around to see how many and what kind of customers are in today.
It's not long after Catiana enters that Sif steps into the shop. While the barista behind the counter smiles and fills Cat's order, Hilda comes out carrying what Sif had called in for moments ago. "Lady Sif," is said in greeting with obvious concern. Sif just smiles. "It's fine, my Lady." She reaches out to take the order and place a few gold pieces in the woman's hand. "Thank you for this."
Catiana takes her plate and pays for the order, then suddenly remembers she forgot something, "Oh, and can I have a large glass of milk too, please?" She pulls out a little more cash to pay for that as well then turns to look at Sif. After examining her closely for a moment she decides the woman needs someone to talk to. But people don't normally talk to strangers for no reason so instead she says, "Good morning. Would you like your palm read while you have your coffee?"
A brow is arched at Catiana and Hilda simple smiles. She pats the Goddess on the cheek and then turns and goes back to the kitchen. This leaves Sif looking at Cat curiously for a moment before she gives a small shrug of her shoulders. "I see no harm in it." She motions to a nearby seat and steps towards it.
Catiana brings her food along with her and once at the table takes a moment to take the top off her first muffin. She looks at it with a slight moue of disappointment and mutters something about no steam to herself before going back to smiling, "But they're still really fresh." After she's taken a dainty bite of the body of the muffin itself she smiles over at Sif, "Have you ever had your palm read before?"
"It's been quite a while, I'm afraid." A couple thousand years. "The best place in Soho." Of course, she might be more than a little biased on the matter but... "These days, I'm not so sure I want to know what's there though...."
Catiana motions with her fingers for Sif to offer her hand, "Well, it hasn't changed in quite a while so you should know how it works then. I need your dominant hand please. As for knowing what there... Well, knowledge is a tool and how good or bad it is depends on how you use it. But I will be happy to keep information to myself if you tell me the kind of things you'd rather not know about." With the hand that's not making 'gimme' motions she breaks another dainty little piece of muffin and puts it in her mouth.
The problem is... Sif doesn't have a dominant hand so, she gives Cat her right one. "No. Tell me what you see. I can hardly handle the information in any way if I don't have all of it." She sighs softly, those words seeming to hold more meaning than just what's being said. With her free hand, she reaches for her mocha, studies it a moment and then pushes it away. Catiana takes Sif's hand in both of her's and tilts it gently this way and that, tests the flexibility of her thumb and her hand in general. After examining her hand for a few long moments she starts talking, working her way from generalities to specifics as she goes through the heart line, the life line, head, and fate lines. Her reading focuses more on personality traits and general moods rather than the traditional 'prediction' of the future, although she includes a few vague, broad predictions because, well, its expected. Towards the end she adds,"One thing is clear, you haven't been having the best of times lately. But don't worry, things will improve as long as you keep a positive attitude."
Once she's done she leans back a little bit while she takes a sip from her coffee and another bit from her muffin. "Well, how'd I do?"
Sif listens to all of this with a smile. When the young woman is done, silver-blue eyes lift to the girl. Where they had been shining and somewhat brought last time one of Cat's persona's saw her, they're rather dull at the moment. "Not too bad over all," is answered honestly.
She sighs softly and leans back in her seat. "Keeping a positive attitude is far easier said than done these days for me, I fear." Which is so unlike the Goddess. "My emotions haven't been under the best control."
Catiana tilts her head a bit to the side as she starts working on nibbling her muffin top. Between nibbles she asks, "And why is that. Forgive me if I misinterpret what I've seen but it seems to me you have a strong will and a passion for life, which usually leads to a positive attitude towards life in general. Has something that big happened lately to make you so... out of control?"
For several seconds, all Sif does is look at the girl. "What you ask has a very long history behind the answer... I will... Condense as much as possible." She sits back, letting her eyes drift out the window. "I was born over twenty-five hundred years ago. I grew up in the realm known as Asgard. I am the Lady Sif, Goddess of War. I am betrothed to the Crown Prince, Thor. I worked hard to prove myself a skilled and capable warrior. Thor is... my very best friend. The other half of my soul. I left Asgard and came here for him."
She pauses to gather her thoughts. "I have made wonderful friends here, some as close as family. There was a battle recently where I fell much sooner than I should have. I feel as though... I have failed Thor and Asgard. I am Thor's sword, Asgard's shield... It took one arrow and a hit from a troll to take me down..." The story isn't over but from the way her eyes fill with tears, the Goddess needs a moment to compose herself.
Catiana gives Sif her moment, sitting quietly and drinking hercoffee while she waits. The only thing she does besides that is slide the plate with her second muffin towards Sif and says in a low voice and with a very gentle smile, "Chocolate always helps. Have some of mine."
"I cannot help but feel... Unworthy of both Thor and the titles given to me." The first tear trickles, unnoticed, down Sif's cheek. The muffin is eyed for a moment before a bite is taken and with a faint smile, Sif adds, "Thank you."
"Shortly after that battle, Thor faced off with Jotuns, Frost Giants, here on Midgard. He was injured. Their touch is..." She gives a shake of her head. "He had no intention of telling me. At least, not then. I was there though and it would have taken so little for him to tell me... To let me tend to him..." Another tear and the Goddess' voice cracks.
"For over two thousand years we have been betrothed... I am starting to fear we'll never wed..." Her eyes slip shut and she sniffles lightly. "I... Do not understand what I am doing wrong. I don't... know how to show him that I'm not only a warrior but a woman madly in love with him... That I need to be both and I need him.... I need him to need me just half as much as I do him."
Then there's the first sob. "How am I to make him see that I -feel- beyond what a warrior does? That without him, I am nothing? That I love him for the man he is, not his power or his crown... And I need the same love in return."
Catiana digs into the little drawstring purse she carries and pulls out a small, bright red square. That she unfolds, and unfolds, and unfolds, and unfolds to then finally pass Sif a handkerchief that is /almost/ big enough to be the a table cloth for the small table they're sitting at.
She gives the goddess a moment before saying, "I have a... unique insight on men and I can tell you one things for sure, Lady Sif. God or mortal, as long as its a male, their stupid and with skulls about as thick as the Great Wall of China. If he's still with you after millennia, girlfriend, I don't think you have too much to worry about. But you might want to /tell/ him these things. And tell him you're tired of waiting for the actual wedding." Then she adds a little, evil grin to the conversation along with, "And one trick that typically works, put him on a 'diet'. And I'm not talking about food."
Then she takes another moment to drink the last of her coffee before it goes cold before finishing her little speech with, "As for the titles, you have them for a reason. To quote Rocky Balboa: "The world is a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it aint about how hard you hit. Its about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward."
"Diet...?" Sif has to think about this a moment before she chuckles. "Thor and I do not... There is no need to put him on a diet seeing as how there has been no feasting for him to indulge in."
She sighs softly, taking the handkerchief, she wipes away the tears and smiles faintly. "Thor is... Emotions aren't..." How do you politely say that Thor doesn't talk about feelings?? "We have spoken of the wedding. It is not time..." And one can hear the heartbreak that accompanies that last statement.
A drink of her mocha is finally taken before she runs a hand through her hair. "My emotions must be kept heavily in check. It does not become me," she almost sounds as if she's quoting someone there, "to lose control in such a manner."
Catiana arches an eyebrow then shakes her head, "Bullshit. I can get on the bandwagon if you're talking about controlling your emotions at times. But they're there and they have to be acknowledged and dealt with or sooner or later you'll /truly/ loose control. And probably at the worst of times. As for the wedding... Its clearly important to you. You know your situation better than I do but unless there's a really good reason not to do it I would say to push it." She grins, a finger toying absently with one big, golden hoop earring as she adds, "Its the 21st Century girlfriend. Taking care of your man's needs is OK, but you've gotta take care of you own too. Its not just a man's world anymore."
Sif can't help but chuckle. "But I am not from this realm and one day, Thor and I will have to return to Asgard to rule. Our realm is... Far different from yours." She gives a small but genuine smile. "Thor is the Guardian of Midgard. This realm must come first. I would never ask to be put before it." Though, just once, she'd like to be. She'd like to feel... important to him for more than her sword. "As for my emotions... There are others that must come before me. Thor, Eddie, Billy... The people of this realm... I cannot properly care for and protect them if I cannot keep myself under control."
Catiana thinks about this for a moment then give Sif a half smile, "Let's put it this way. You've got all these people that are counting on you to take care of them. The question is, who's going to do it when you go gaga thanks to all those pent up emotions?" Not much more to say, now the goddess just has to think and come to her own conclusions. But the half smile turns into a grin as she gets an idea, "Do you know what a girl's day out is? And have you ever been to a spa?"
A brow arches up at Catiana before the Goddess shakes her head. "I cannot say that I do. Or have." There's true curiosity in her voice. "I cannot stray too far from the apartment, however. When Thor is well enough, we must return to Asgard to inform the Allfather that Jotuns had invaded Midgard. Only my sword can return us."
Catiana rubs her hands together and smiles slyly, "I think that's exactly what you need then. And you don't have to go far at all, there's a few perfectly good spas right here in Soho... How about you get a hold of one or two female friends you trust and who's company you enjoy. We'll make reservations for tomorrow or the day after." She holds up a warning finger as she adds, "But here's the rules: You'll be close so you can keep from stressing if anyone needs you, all it'll take is a phone call. /But/ you have to leave strict instructions that no one can call you unless its a real emergency. Its not worth it otherwise."
At the mention of female friends, Sif frowns slightly. "That's... Not quite possible, I fear. I do not have female friends." At least, none that aren't 'children' that she feels the need to protect. "I have never truly gotten along well with women." Especially the women where she comes from!
Catiana shrugs, "Well, you at least have one now. And I guess its just the two of us then. Can you follow my rules thought?" As she waits for the answer she takes up her almost forgotten milk and drinks a little of it, leaving behind a milk mustache when she puts down the glass.
There's a nod of her head. "I believe I can, yes. I will speak with Thor and see when he wishes to return to Asgard." Her eyes then widen. "Actually, there is one other female I would bring along. She is much like me."
Catiana finishes her milk, wipes her lips off with a napkin then grins, "Great! Then I'll meet both of you here at 9:00am in two days time? I'll make reservations and if for some reason you can't make it after all we'll just call and cancel."
Sif smiles and nods. "I'll let Brynn know and speak with Thor. If he is healed and we have returned from Asgard by then, we will be there. I admit that my curiosity is now piqued and yet, I have the feeling you will not be giving away any secrets as to what the day will hold..."