(D2, EM, Open) Walking to school

[Laura Dawson/Enrage]

Laura walked to school same as any other day except for the second day in a row her friend Jake wasn't walking along side her talking about some book or newspaper article he had just read. She walked with her head down and her Tori Amor was blaring from her headphones that were draped around her neck.

[Astrid Hansen]

With her head down, plus the music, plus Astrids natural ability to be very quiet when she wanted to be, there was a good chance Laura would not notice she'd gained someone walking with her until the eventual tap on the side of the head.

Red eyes would meet Laura if or when she turned to look at the other person. Astrid wasn't wearing a jacket, and her blue short top and black shorts would look unusually small in what was still not the warmest weather. She'd styled her hair slightly differently today also.

"Yo."

[Laura Dawson/Enrage]

Laura jumped slightly at the touch but the pink hair could only be one person. She stopped and turned off her music.

"Hey Astrid, good morning, how's it going?"

She seemed strangely energetic, almost excited rather than her usual glum attitude.

[Astrid Hansen]

There was a small tilt of the head.

"I am well. You seem very bright and full of energy today, is music a battery or do you have good things happening?"

[Laura Dawson/Enrage]

"Umm well yeah music usually takes me to a better place but I actually have plans for after school for once." She said with a smile. "By the way you hair looks awesome, it did yesterday too but I forgot to say anything because of our...little friends." She said looking around suspiciously.

[Astrid Hansen]

"They won't be around here" Astrid said with a small laugh "it's too far from home. But having plans is good. What are the plans? Anything fun?"

[Laura Dawson/Enrage]

"Umm...well about that. How exactly do you think we were able to see those things yesterday? Like, specifically do you think it was just luck or is there something special about us?"

[Astrid Hansen]

"I never really considered it. I just assumed it chose us as it sensed we were trustable" Astrid offered with a shrug "it is far from the strangest thing I have witnessed, and I enjoyed studying mythology at home. You have reason to think otherwise?"

[Laura Dawson/Enrage]

"No, I guess not." She said lying badly as she reflexively covered her left wrist.

"You're probably right, it's just crazy to think that at least some of the myths are real. Like, does that mean Dragons are or were real? What about the Medusa or shapechangers? Are aliens real? I mean I probably sound crazy but you know what I mean right?"

[Astrid Hansen]

"Is there a reason for them not to exist? I have a talking skull" Astrid tilted her head "I've seen other strange things in the last six months also."

[Laura Dawson/Enrage]

Laura stopped.

"You have a what?"

Laura looked around and the pulled Astrid off the main street and towards an alley. "Come here, follow me." Once they were out of general line of sight she stopped and asked again.

"You have a what?"

[Astrid Hansen]

Astrid was caught surprised, and she was pulled along to an alleyway. Just nodding and following until Laura turned to face her.

"A talking skull. Well, it's currently a ring but it was a skull when I found it. She claims to be a woman called Ada who spoke with the gods and was murdered by vikings over a thousand years ago."

There was a shrug.

"I had no reason to disbelieve her but I have found nothing to accept her claims as fact either, there is rarely any mention of people plundered by the Vikings."

[Laura Dawson/Enrage]

Laura was stunned and took a moment to process what she was told. Slowly she started to smile and pulled her sleeve back and showed off her bracelet.

"This is Ahn'Gr, he's a cosmic protector from the galactic core who got separated from his people and crash landed here. His people ride on comets and we're pretty sure he was riding on Halley's Comet when it passed by in 1910."

[Astrid Hansen]

Astrid studied the bracelet.

"I see...so an alien fragment. Interesting. Does he allow you to communicate with his people also?"

She reached over to take her bag off, taking out the ring from the pocket inside the main part of the bag.

"Ada does not talk often, at least not to me. She speaks more with Hel."

[Laura Dawson/Enrage]

"No, his people communicate via emotional links and he is cut off from them. He talks to me though and he can talk because of me when we merge. It's weird, he doesn't have a face or a mouth, I call him a he because of how deep his voice is but his race doesn't really have genders I guess."

She studied the ring and it's glow.

"Just like the others, what the hell is going on in this town. Hel? Like, the person or the place?"

[Astrid Hansen]

"Merge?"

There was a thoughtful pause before a "hmm, I see...it is no mere coincidence after all that I was brought here. As for your question...both, I suppose. Hel, daughter of Loki and queen and goddess of Niflheimr, the Underworld. Although their version of the underworld or hell does not align with the modern Christianity version."

[Laura Dawson/Enrage]

"Uhh yeah, do you two not merge? I mean, He is mostly in control of things. He basically encases me in something like stone but I am still in there and can hear and talk. From the inside it's like being in a sleeping bag that you pulled over your head. Wow this is great, the cool foreign exchange girl is a superhero too."

[Astrid Hansen]

"It is not merging, it is more...mm, how to say. I suppose takeover?" Astrid shrugged "Hel is powerful and unwilling to compromise, but limited in the time she can spend on the mortal plane as she puts it."

[Laura Dawson/Enrage]

"So is Hel like... evil? Or is this another case of all women in history are bad? You say she is powerful, how powerful are we talking here?"

[Astrid Hansen]

"Not evil, although she does not like people. As for how powerful, she is the child of a god and the queen of the underworld and I am a 15 year old girl. Compared to me she is extremely powerful" Astrid frowned "I do not believe she intends to hurt anyone though. She is more interested in shepherding the dead and helping the lingering ones move on."