[ussbansheec] Living in the World
- From: Andy Maluhia <CaptainAndy@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: ussbansheec@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 13 May 2008 04:28:36 -0400
_Living in The World
_by Magni Asgardson, Samantha & Franklin Richards, Max the Receptionist.
& a spot by Kevin MacDonnell
/
"To live in this world, you must be able to do three things: to love
what is mortal; to hold it against your bones knowing your own life
depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it
go"--Mary Oliver
/
Never when he was working at making his chain mail and never when he was
working at something else that required any sort of precision, Magni
never drank anything remotely intoxicating when he might possibly break
something he worked hard at. He'd learned that lesson watching one of
his babysitters when he was a small child though Volstaag was also not
remiss in teaching the god prince that there was nothing wrong in a
drink afterward in celebration or when a man simply wanted a drink. To
that day, Magni preferred mead over any other hard drink though decent
beer or ale could be appreciated in a pinch. Someone, the gods bless
them, had seen fit to stock a supply of good quality mead (though of
course it wasn't Asgardian) at the Avengers' Mansion, just in case he
should drop by and want a drink. Cap and the others had yet to decide
if his membership would be accepted but Tony was still quite the
hospitable host. He was on the wagon but he could appreciate another
man's preference of drink.
That was why Magni spent the afternoon sitting on the roof of the
mansion, slowly drinking enough mead to put an average sized Human in
the hospital. For him, it simply gave him a slight buzz and the
melancholy it always did. The skyline of New York City, as seen from
that vantage point, was nothing like looking out over Asgard with his
father or the Warriors Three but it made him home sick. It made him
wonder, think about how he was the last of them all.
"Ah but home is where the heart is," he said with a sigh, downing the
last dregs of the leather bottle of mead. That made him just about
smile. He knew where his heart was. It lay with a strong beautiful
woman who made him happy, who knew him for what he was and accepted it.
Just thinking about Sam shone a bit of light into his internal gloom so
Magni made a decision. If anyone had been watching him all afternoon,
they might have thought a drunk had finally decided to jump and end it
all. Instead, Magni leapt from the roof in a free fall, enjoying the
rush of air against his face as he fell, landing in a perfect roll
before standing upright. He was brushing off bits of grass and dirt
before he realized he had an audience. Jarvis' nephew was gaping at him
from an open first floor window.
"Nice one, sir," Kevin said with a cheery wave. "I didn't think you
could fly."
"I can't," he said with a soft hmmph. Like his father, he needed
Mjolnir's help. "I do fall really well though." He sketched the teen a
showy bow, unable to resist the boy's sheer enthusiasm for all things
meta and otherwise. "Do me a favor if you remember, Kevin. Thank your
uncle and Mr. Stark for stocking the mead. It was excellent stuff."
Knowing Kevin would do just that, Magni's long legged stride took him
toward the Baxter Building. It was a short walk but it was long enough
to pull him back toward his mead induced gloom. Of course he needed
Mjolnir to fly. He was his father's son. the only other of the Aesir
worthy to wield the mighty hammer. "Other," he hmmped as he approached
the building. "You ought to say only now, fool."
"Will Master Redhead be dropping by this afternoon?" Franklin teased his
sister as he draped himself on her desk, watching her take notes on the
paper she'd been sent from one of the committees on interplanetary
rights. She'd told him it was to do with metas as well, but she was the
brains so he left it to her.
Sam flicked her eyes up to meet her brother's and smirked tightly, even
as her cheeks flushed a little. "If you mean Magni, I'm not expecting
him. We're not joined at the hip."
"Good," Franklin snorted then leaned over and flicked her display off,
"but you're still taking a break."
Huffing, she sat back and glared. "I've got to get this summarised and
back to the committee, I'm doing a presentation on it in two days."
"Note the important word in that sentence: two. Not today, not
tomorrow, the day *after* tomorrow," he said with a wave of a finger.
"In which case, you're coming with me to get ice cream then we're gonna
see if Uncle Johnny's got any good new movies."
He'd never come by to see Sam unannounced but Magni had enough sense to
remember the receptionist's name. The nervous looking young man at the
desk was named Max and Max seemed to be rather busy as Magni
approached. It almost reminded him of the chief engineer's yeoman on
what used to be his ship. "Max," Magni began with as diplomatic a smile
as he could muster, albeit a mead laced smile, "I'm sorry to interrupt
but is Miss Richards in?
"Well... she is... but she told me she's busy," Max said carefully. He
cringed a little as the scent of mead hit his face. He hadn't worked
with Ms Richards when she was still with her last boyfriend but he
always read the gossip columns so he knew the guy was a drunk. All the
staff here were very fond of Ms Richards and her new boyfriend being a
drunk too was not going to go down well. "Come back tomorrow."
Magni hmmphed softly then shook his head, mentally shaking himself for
expecting she'd just magically be there and not as busy as he knew she
could be. "Suppose I should have called first," he said with a broad
shouldered shrug. "If you'd be kind enough to let her know I stopped
by, Max, I'd appreciate it. I've got my comm or, failing that, I'll be
heading back to Mr. Stark's place."
"Um..." Max just looked at him for a moment and then sighed. "Look,
sir, no offence but I'm not going to do that if you're going to come
here smelling of alcohol." Max stared up at the huge man and wondered
how many pieces he'd end up in when the guy pounded him into the
ground. He'd heard the stories about what Ms Richards' last boyfriend
had done to one of the security guards at the end and he really didn't
want to end up like that but Ms Richards was so nice and she treated
them all so well that if it was a choice between being pounded and
letting the guy pound on her, he'd take it every time.
Magni was very rarely surprised by what people said to him but Max's
comment took him aback. "Max, I am most assuredly not guilty of the
Human sin of public drunkenness. I just spent half the day up on a rook
enjoying some scenery and something that reminds me of a place that no
longer exists," he said slowly, choosing his words carefully though he
wasn't sure why. Sky blue eyes held the smaller man's gaze steadily.
"I'm sorry if you think otherwise but I'm no thug."
"But you are drunk, sir," Max insisted, "and the last drunk that was
allowed up to Ms Richards' room who wasn't a member of the family put
her in hospital for over a month. I'm really sorry, sir, but I can't
let you up there."
Sam sighed as her brother ushered her into the elevator and leaned
against the wall. She folded her arms under her breasts and simply
stared at him. "I'm busy."
"But you love me," Franklin added with a grin as he joined her and
leaned on the wall as well.
"Only mildly."
"Actually, I'm far from drunk, Max, but all I did was ask you to leave
the lady a message," Magni said, holding his hands in a slight shrugging
gesture. "I'm on my way now but I would appreciate it if the message
was given."
"No," Max said firmly. "Sorry. I simply won't." The little man puffed
himself up and stared hostilely.
Franklin laughed at his sister then went to the edge of the glass
elevator, staring down at the foyer. "Hey, isn't that the redhaired
lover-boy now?"
Sam instantly blushed and padded to peer down. "You know very well it's
Magni." Then she frowned at how Max was standing. "What's got Max all
hissy though?"
"Max, you'd have made a fine captain's yeoman," Magni said with a snort,
shaking his head as he turned to go. He let out a sigh as he walked
away. So much for feeling a bit at home, he grumbled mentally.
Certainly he was irritated but no where near the level of irritation
that caused him to throw large objects. Where he was at that point in
time was the level that made him walk away. It was easier. "I'll call
her later," he said aloud, almost to himself.
"He's leaving..." Sam actually gaped as she watched Magni turn his back
and start for the door. Her heart hit her stomach and she couldn't
quite breathe for just a moment, her fingers pressed to the glass. It
was silly but just for a moment she felt trapped, almost feeling like
the girl who'd let so many men walk all over her.
"Probably just pissed at Max," Franklin said with a smile, trying to
lighten the mood. "You know most folks walk off shaking their heads the
first time they meet the guy."
The second the doors opened, Sam stepped out carefully, watching Magni's
back at the far doors. "Hey, Magni!" she called, frowning.
That bit of femininity stopped Magni in his tracks at the door.
Allowing an elderly lady to step around him, he turned around slowly, a
careful smile on his face. He walked toward her slowly, one hand held
out. "A lovely sight for sore eyes, Samantha," he said with a kiss on
her cheek.
As always, the kiss warmed her down to her toes, but then the smell hit
her and she had to take a step back. "Did someone pour their drink down
you, Magni? You smell positively pickled."
"Now, now, I may have learned how to drink mead from my babysitters but
I am a lot neater at it than they ever were," he said with just a bit of
defensiveness. "Nor am I drunk. I just had some mead while taking in
the skyline from a different vantage point."
She touched his cheek and kept her frown. "How much did you drink,
Magni? I thought most people drink socially... I don't drink though...
so I don't really know."
"The whole bottle," he said simply, holding his hands apart from mid
chest to waist. "Considering my size, it was just enough for a fuzzy
buzz. In an ordinary mortal, it'd probably knock them cold. What's the
matter?"
"The whole bottle..." She stared into his eyes as she tried to work out
what to say. "You've got better stamina than the last man I saw drink a
whole bottle. He ended up unconscious on the floor." But not before he
knocked me cold first, she thought.
Franklin shot Max a worried look, he really didn't like his sister's
soft voice and deep frown. "We were just going for movies and
munchies. Wanna come, Magni?"
"I'm Asgardian, Samantha. We're made of stern stuff and raised on mead
from an early age," Magni explained, feeling as though he were missing
something completely. "I, ah, might like that, Franklin, considering I
came here looking for company but..." He kept his eyes on Sam and the
gaze in them was sad. "I get the feeling I'm not quite welcomed."
Her frown deepened even more and she slid her arms around his neck.
"You're welcome, Magni. I just don't like the smell of alcohol. I
haven't since..."
Max wasn't sure he could stand it much longer. The man was drunk and Ms
Richards was still touching him. His cheeks were flushed and he was
shaking a little. He opened his mouth to say something but Franklin
saved him.
"Since that fuck put you in hospital, sis," he growled. "Since he beat
you un-fucking-conscious. Since me and Dad and Uncle Johnny had to
carry you into that ER then sat there waiting while you were in surgery
for ten hours. Ten fucking hours."
Each time Franklin swore, Sam flinched, but when he finished she turned
in Magni's arms and glared at her brother. "Y'know, I think I
remember. But Magni's not like that."
"Oh no," Magni said softly, his embrace tightening slightly, as if he
could defend her from something long past. "No, never." His hands
stroked her hair reflexively, as much to comfort her from that old pain
as to calm his own anger at his inability to do anything about it.
"Franklin, when I went out to lunch with Samantha, she told me some bad
things had happened and that they were, unfortunately, plastered all
over the gossip rags. I don't read that sort of trash and I never
will. That means I also didn't read back issues and old news, simply
out of respect for your sister." He looked away from the smaller man to
peer into Samantha's eyes. "I had no idea, Samantha. Really."
Her first smile touched her lips as Sam stared into his eyes. "I
believe you. You're just the kind of honest man who'd never invade even
the illusion of privacy." And she loved him for it, for just that moment.
He kissed Sam's forehead then Magni settled his eyes back on Franklin.
"And I get the feeling that the little guy at the desk would have given
me the same speech, Franklin. That's why I was leaving."
"All the staff are protective of the family," Franklin said simply, his
eyes still blazing with remembered fury. "They're part of our lives,
part of the family, and they all love Sam."
"So do I," Magni said softly. "Samantha, I really did come here for
company since I was feeling homesick and lost. Mead makes that worse.
I can only promise not to ever come by after I've had anything to drink
which I'm telling you on my father's name is not that often."
"If you ever get that feeling again, come find me," she said softly, "or
just come here. I'll give you the codes, come up to my rooms, stay and
know you have a home here if you want it."
"That's sweet of you," he said simply. "I promise I won't abuse the
invitation and I expect you to kick my ass if I do. You, too, Franklin."
Letting out a snort of laughter, Franklin glanced at Max's furious eyes
and burst into giggles. "Man, I don't think I'll have to. I think Max
and the rest of the staff will have you out an your ass if you even
breathe funny."
"Loyalty in staff is something to be treasured. I had that
when...Asgard still stood. After that, well, I honestly think my crews
were afraid of me," Magni admitted though he offered a slight smirk.
"and it was even for good reason at times. I know my last captain
before I made captain was. Poor Colin..."
"Oh and dude, you scare my sister and the staff'll be the last of your
worries," Franklin added after Magni offered that last up.
"Franklin, I really can take care of myself now," Sam said with a deep
sigh. "It's not like I'm completely weaponless."
"Ah, man, no, it wasn't anything like that. Long before I had my one
great temper fit, I apparently acquired a reputation as being a bit
unstable, all because I can fight with an axe better than most Klingons
can use a bat'leth." The memory of that particular incident made him
smile slightly but he thought better of mentioning the blood wine that
was consumed afterwards. He hugged Sam slightly. "As I told this fine
lady here, they find me amusing."
"Just so we know," Franklin smirked. "No need to hurt you if you're
taking care of her."
"Yeah, because I'm totally incapable of taking care of myself," Sam said
with a derisive sniff.
"I never underestimate a person simply for being female, Samantha, you
know that," Magni told her, tapping her nose playfully even as he wished
the mead wasn't so strong scented. He wanted to kiss her but he
wouldn't do it with the drink on his breath. She might pull away and he
didn't think he could take that. "My grandmother was a goddess and you
don't underestimate a woman after growing up under Frigga's eyes."
"Then the story we've been told about you meeting the wrong end of
Rosie's fist can't be true," Franklin said, his eyes twinkling.
Blue eyes darkened briefly. "Ancient history, relatively speaking,"
Magni grumbled. "I got what I deserved and it was a very long time ago."
"For a guy who's going to live forever?" Franklin asked innocently, his
whole face radiating sweetness and light.
"And here I thought you were almost as smart as your father," Magni
snorted. "I said 'relatively', Franklin. It was a long time ago as
were so many other things. It was before you were even born."
Franklin shrugged one shoulder. "Maybe I'm smarter than he is. He's a
naturally trusting kind of a guy. I'm really not. I think you're a
nice guy but if you come in here smelling like that again, my opinion
can always be reassessed."
Sam flushed from her position in Magni's arms but she could see the
worry in her brother's eyes so she didn't make a point of telling him
off. She could always thwap him for it later. "Why don't I take Magni
up to my apartment and you can go see if Uncle Johnny's got any good
movies to steal while I make popcorn?"
Magni's stare at Franklin was cold. Even if he did understand the other
man's reasoning, it didn't mean he hadn't gotten the point or that he
didn't feel bad for having upset Sam. She was the only reason he didn't
say anything further on the matter. He was still welcomed. She hadn't
asked him to leave. "I don't think anyone in Starfleet ever watched
movies," he said eventually, his arm still curled around Sam. "Very
boring people that way."
"Then we'll start with the classics, Casablanca and Key Largo," Sam
said, steering Magni away from her glaring brother and their
receptionist. "While Franklin goes and gets more then relearns his
manners, we'll settle in for some film noir."
"I don't think Franklin trusts me, Samantha," Magni said quietly as they
moved away from her brother. "I understand why now but..." He held up
his free hand in a bit of frustration, letting it drop to his side
heavily. "I can only promise you that I will never smell or taste of
alcohol around you again, unless you know about it."
"It's fine," she said, her voice only hitching a little despite the
tattoo her heart was playing against the inside of her chest. "I'm just
uncomfortable with alcohol. I don't want you tiptoeing around me,
Magni. I don't want you to feel like you can't be comfortable just
because of experiences I've had in the past."
"It isn't fine. I can tell you're still upset and it's with good
reason. I'll take this as a reminder to never drink alone. Makes me
think too damned much." He leaned to kiss her forehead, smiling
slightly as the whiskers from his freshly trimmed beard brushed her soft
skin. "I think my lady goddess deserves that and more."
"If you get lonely, Magni, come find me," she said as she laid her head
against his chest once they were inside the elevator. Her arms wrapped
around his waist and she settled in.
He would never have admitted it to many people. She just knew. His
arms went around her, simply to hold her close and know she cared.
"That's what I was doing," he said softly, fingers playing lightly with
her hair. "There are so few things here on Earth for me after being
away so long. You're the one grounding me, Samantha. I could never
hurt you. I wouldn't pity anyone who did. Call me a thug for it but
there wouldn't have been much to put in jail of anyone who did."
"With the last one, there wasn't. It took hours of reconstructive
surgery to put him back together once Uncle Johnny and Franklin got
their hands on him. They almost went to jail over it," she said softly.
"Men after my own heart, Samantha. I meant what I said when we had
lunch. I know I can be a real pain in the ass and thick skulled but
tell me if I'm being stupid. Put me in my place if I need it." He let
out a sigh. "I wouldn't hurt you for the keys to Asgard, Samantha."
"I know," she whispered as she lifted up her hand to brush lightly at
his cheek. "You haven't kissed me though."
He offered her a slight smirk. "As you, your brother, and Mad Max
pointed out, I smell of alcohol rather strongly," he said, a thumb
brushing her lips. "I don't want to scare you."
"I don't scare easily," she breathed, kissing his thumb lightly as it
passed over her lips.
He bent his head more than slightly then hmmphed softly before picking
her up. Holding her against him, he kissed her, gently at first then
more insistantly. "I came here because I wanted a bit of home,
Samantha. Told myself that even if I don't live here that home is where
the heart is."
She wrapped her arms around his neck and held onto him tightly. The
taste of the mead was sweet and sickly on her tongue but his breath
wasn't rank with it, not nearly as bad as others she'd kissed when
they'd drank. "Move in," she said impulsively then grinned. "If you're
getting really lonely and you want a home, have mine."
He blinked then, to his own surprise, he felt his face warm.
"Seriously?" Magni asked, sounding for all the world like a small, lost
boy. "I'd like that, I really would, but it would have to pass muster
with your parents. I want them to be okay with it."
"We'll ask them when you come for Sunday lunch," she said cheerfully as
she dropped to the floor. The elevator stopped and they wandered out,
into her apartment, so neat and carefully decorated.
A full fledged grin spread across Magni's face and he picked Sam up by
the waist, swinging her in a circle just once before setting her on her
feet. "My pleasure," he said brightly. "And I will lift the
restriction spell on Bilskinir so that you'll be able to go there even
if I'm not there. It's only right."
"You know I've never liked the idea of you stuck up there all alone,
just brooding with no human contact," she said with a small sigh.
"I think too much when I'm there, probably because it reminds me of
home. Getting out of the Fleet was good in a way but it's brought back
some hard things to deal with," he said with a sigh.
"Hard but you don't have to deal with them alone any more if you don't
want to," she said as she lead him to her sofa and pulled him down to
sit next to her.
"Gods but I love you and especially for that," Magni said as he hugged
her again. "You make me feel completely normal."
"You are normal, Magni," Sam said firmly, "even smelling of mead and
pissing my receptionist off, you're absolutely normal to me."
"Then maybe I should say you make me feel like I belong," he said
happily. "Being out in the world when you're the equivalent of a teen
is notthe same as being a full grown adult. Then it was an adventure.
Now..." He shrugged broad shoulders. "Now I'm done being, as Cap said,
the god who wanted to play mortal. You, my lovely Samantha, are telling
me that's fine: me, bad manners and all."
"All I want is who you are, Magni," she said softly. "I don't want you
to change, not really. If you ever think that, just tell me, okay?"
"Ah, you're a good woman, Samantha," he said with a smile. "It's hard
to change when you're as old as I am but I'm not beyond redemption. I'd
try just about anything you asked of me."
"But I'd never ask you to change," she insisted. "Not unless you count
asking you to spend your life with me, or the small percentage of your
life that I'm alive for anyway." She offered him a small, sad kind of
smile. "You know it hasn't escaped my notice that you're immortal and
I'm really not."
"Mine either and thinking about that future is like a small knife in my
heart but..." He took a deep breath and tilted her chin up easily with
one finger. "But I would rather that than never to have been with you.
Even my father had a mortal love for a while though I think that was a
mutually ceased relationship. You'll grow old, Samantha. You won't
look as you do now but you will never be anything less than beautiful to
me."
Other related posts:
- » [ussbansheec] Living in the World
