[Mutant X] Reasons to Live
- From: Andy Maluhia <CaptainAndy@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: mutantx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2007 14:52:27 -0400
_Reasons to Live
_by Magni Asgardson & Vanir Wagner
Tinkling, the clink of glassware and then the dull metallic clang of
what sounded like cookware. Those were sounds Magni did not expect to
wake him from a sound sleep. The very fact that he was hearing them
meant two things. The first was that there was concrete evidence that
he was no longer in Starfleet and master of his own ship. While that
seriously disturbed him, the second thing was actually more disturbing.
What the hell was somebody doing in his house? With the stealth of a
trained Asgardian warrior, he slipped silently from under the bed linens
and padded barefoot down the short hall, his right hand closed tightly
around the handle of a broad sword. As he crept closer, Magni raised
the sword, prepared to strike. What he was not prepared for was to have
a pair of familiar bright yellow eyes peer at him curiously over the top
of a pair of glasses.
"You..." he sputtered, the sword still poised to strike. "What
are...how...Vanir, damn it, what are you doing in my kitchen?"
"Ach, so very eloquent," came the reply as the owner of the yellow eyes
went back to what he'd been doing. He looked back briefly, apparently
unconcerned with the sword, those eyes gauging Magni's appearance with a
smirk. "And go put on some clothing, man. I refuse to have a
conversation with a man if he isn't dressed."
"Are you crazy?" Magni demanded. "I could have killed you!"
"Ja, could have but didn't so go get dressed," Vanir said, making
shooing motions and completely ignoring the sword poised to kill him.
Shaking his head, Magni turned around to do just that. It was, on the
surface, really fairly stupid to be attacking somebody when you weren't
properly dressed. He knew there was clothing in the closet and dresser,
though, so it was quick work to pull on underwear, a pair of well-worn
jeans, and a loose fitting sweatshirt. He was so rattled by his
friend's appearance that he didn't even bother to shower.
"Are you insane?" he demanded without preamble as he reentered the
kitchen. He thumped both hands on the counter and looked Vanir right in
the eyes. "Is this some new thing where you just walk or, knowing you,
teleport into people's homes and...what /are/ you doing? Cooking?"
"No, mein freund, only in your house and, ja, I'm making breakfast,"
came the serene reply. Vanir put down the fork he held so that he could
give the other man his complete attention. "And you, the man who
apparently tossed a starship completely to the other side of the
quadrant, you are asking me if /I'm/ insane? Ach, go get coffee and sit
down."
"Oh, you heard about that, eh?" Magni asked as he went to the brewer
sitting on the counter. Even as he wondered where the machine came
from, he said, "I take it Gabriel called you?"
"Of course he called, you fool. From the way he was talking, I assume
there are a lot of angry people looking for you," Vanir told him. He
put down the cooking utensils he held and looked up at his long time
friend. "And he was worried about you, Magni." He rested a strong blue
hand on Magni's arm. "I'm worried about you."
With a heartfelt groan of frustration, Magni dropped into one of the
kitchen chairs and laced his hands through his long auburn hair. "I've
come to the realization that there's no place in this life for somebody
like me. Even being one of the Aesir is useless to me, Vanir. What
good is being a god if I can't use my power? What good is any of it if
I can't help her?"
Vanir left the cooking prep so that he could sit opposite his friend.
Fifty years of friendship lay between them. When they'd met, Vanir was
seventeen as was Magni, relatively. They'd become fast friends, just
about brothers, but now Vanir was closing on seventy. He didn't have to
ask who the 'her' in question was. He'd spent forty of those fifty
years carefully not discussing that subject, walking a fine line between
two dear friends. "I wondered," he said quietly, "how long it would be
before this happened you know."
"All I wanted to do was help her, Vanir. You know, last night I met
your daughter's boyfriend and I managed to help his family out. Me,
Vanir--Magni of Asgard, not some damned Starfleet stuffed suit," Magni
said in all earnestness.
"I know, Maria told me. She also said to give you a kiss 'just because'
but excuse me if I don't," the older man said wryly but then he
sobered. "You know me, mein freund, you know I believe in your power
even if I don't believe in your divinity. Never have you ever abused
that power so I cannot fault you for being angry with that admiral. I
can't say either that I disagree with you wanting to do more but..."
"But what?" The red haired man waved a finger at his friend. "Don't
give me that mature adult tone, bud. Say what you're going to say."
"Alright but consider yourself warned." Vanir looked at him curiously.
"Don't you think tossing a ship like that was a bit of an overreaction?"
"It was the last straw, Vanir, my last nerve," came the retort.
"Ja, ja, I know Magni. Calm yourself. As I said, I wondered how long
this would take. God be praised for the heartiness of mutant genes but
facts are facts. Rosemarin is older than you now. So am I, mein
freund. We will die one day."
Magni skewered him with a glare. "Thanks for telling me something I
already knew. I am Aesir, the only one of my kind left. Can't I at
least make the lives of the people I care about better while they're
with me? Is that so bad?"
One warm blue hand patted a fair one. "No, it isn't s bad, Magni, and
that is why I'm here and why Gabriel was so worried. I came to make
sure you were alright and to see what I could do to help."
"So you made breakfast and almost got that blue head of yours lopped
off?" Magni asked, a smile finally creasing his face.
"Ja, you fool, because I'm hungry. Too long in Starfleet for you so I
bought food in. So, what we are going to do is eat and figure how to
get you on with the rest of life." Vanir smiled at his friend. "And it
is a very good life."
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