nextgen_asgard:

The Great Hall of Odin is awash with people and noise. The fallen heroes have been honored and it was now time to celebrate their victory. It was also time to celebrate the acts of courage and bravery in the heat of battle. Mead flowed freely and the tables were pregnant with food of all kinds.

Stories about the recent battle were exchanged as well as stories of previous battles. Songs passed down through time were sung as well as new ones.

The air was light and merry and it was a festive time in Asgard.

shield_maiden:

Odin's Great Hall was almost silent. The gathered crowd waited for Thor, current ruler of Asgard while Odin slept, to speak. They were gathered to honor their fallen warriors. The battle had cost many lives and it was only fitting and proper those lost lives were honored.

Svalin stood next the throne and next to her father as Princess of Asgard. She was uncomfortable standing in front of so many people and as the princess. She was a warrior born and had a warrior's heart, not some speech maker. Barking out orders or yelling battle cries were more her style and easier to do.

Her father looked at her and nodded once.

She swallowed against the lump in her throat and looked out at the assembled warriors, her people. It was so hard to stand before them and talk about the ones that she had failed. The ones that had died because of her actions and her disregard of her duty. By Odin's beard this was hard. Her hand shook and she nearly dropped the goblet of mead she held.

"When mine father said I wast to speak to all of thee today, I didst not know what I would say. I wast scared to stand before you all and speak for I art much better with sword and shield than with words." Her voice started out a little shaky, but got stronger the more she spoke.

"Today I doth not stand before you as a princess of Asgard nor as a warrior. Today I stand /with/ you as a daughter of Asgard and the words I now speak art from mine heart."

She took a deep breath to steady herself.

"Sons and daughters of Asgard, we art not here to celebrate victory with food and drink. We art not here to sing songs of our prowess in battle. We art /not/ here for us. Today we do not mourn the loss of our sisters and brothers, but today we honor them. We honor their strength, their bravery, their unparalleled courage, and their sacrifice for Asgard.

Mine father hath tried to teach me and mine siblings humility as his father had taught him, but naught hath made me more humble than to see our sisters and brothers standing up in battle against an enemy that outnumbered them. I wast deeply humbled to see them do their duty to Asgard and to pay the ultimate price for the home and people they loved."

Another deep breath to steady herself. Tears clouded her eyes and she blinked them back.

"We feel the painful loss of our fallen brothers and sisters, but we must take comfort in knowing that they art now in Valhalla with the honored slain. They hath been reunited with our brothers and sisters that hath fallen in battle before them. Take heart brothers and sisters, for one day we shall be reunited with them, whether it be in Valhalla to wait until the final days or at the end of times in the final battle when we once again fight side by side with our honored brothers and sisters.

Honor their memory and their sacrifice each day by celebrating and appreciating the life they have given you by giving theirs. We must not let them slip from our memories or our hearts."

She raised the goblet in her hand.

"Raise your drinks and voices to our honored fallen brothers and sisters and keep their memories alive until the end of times."

She looked out at the people before her and then a quick glance over at her father. "To our fallen brothers and sisters. May you rest well in Valhalla until we see all of thee again in the final battle."

Svalin poured a little of the mead on the floor as an offering and then took a long drink of mead.

quitethecharmer:

He'd been gone a very very long time. Not so long by the standards of Asgardians, or even by the standards of many of Midgard, but for Vincent Amorason Richardsson, having half his blood of mortal stock and only eighteen years to walk the worlds, a very long time indeed.

The Golden Realm was largely unchanging, even in the aftermath of such battle. It's architecture, the palpable hum of magic and divinity, the ever-present sensation of metal and beasts of war. It was almost suffocating, for one used to the ever-changing city of New York. It was a comfort to him to have Asleif accompanying him as he ventured out into it again, finally released from custody by the healers. The experience was humbling. For those who noticed him at all, he seemed to be regarded with a mixture of confusion and wariness. His form was frail by comparison to others, even if others could not 'sense' his mixed heritage. Frailty was not something that was allowed to thrive in Asgard, even among the ranks of mages rather than warriors.

He kept his head high as he walked alongside her. If anyone had anything to say to him, they held it for now. He seemed to be able to go about his business unmolested. All the better, for there were a precious few individuals he wished to visit while he was here, for however long he was here.

eagleofthebow:

Aridis was thinking over all that had happened. There was much to think about. Fate had much in store for them and theirs and much of it was unexpected. She had always thought that it would be Svalin or Aslief that would end up in the position that the All-Father had said was to be hers if everything went the way Aridis expected it would.

She did not want it for a moment. She could not change fate though. To do so would to risk ruin.

Thinking all of this over she began to fix herself a mug of tea. She had grown fond of the way the mortals brewed it and found some of the more fragrant blends were most enjoyable.

nextgen_asgard:

An eerie calm fell over Asgard for a few brief moments. The forces of dark were outside of the shield over the city and were still. Inside the Asgardian warriors waited for the moment when the shield would come down and the battle would start. They were warriors, men and women, caught in an endless struggle against the dark forces that were camped outside the walls.

This would be another battle in an almost endless series of battles. Two forces locked in a constant struggle until the day the last battle came and all would be decided. Today was not the day of that last battle, but it was a day of battle.

The warriors inside the shield had taken up their proper places and waited for the shield to come down. The warriors armed with swords, shields, axes and other weapons were on foot and horseback. Beserkers waited to unleash uncontrolled fury upon their enemies. Magic users stood perched upon high battlements waiting to unleash their spells upon the enemy. Archers also lined the battlements, waiting to rain a storm of arrows upon their foes. Valkyries waited to take to the air to strike at their enemies from above. The battle commanders paced the upper battlements looking out at the forces, dark and light, below them.

Everything was still. Man, woman, horse and enemy. Not even a breeze blew.

The shield came down and chaos erupted.

circle_of_seven:

Asgard had seen a rare period of peace. That peace was about to be shattered. Dark forces gathered in a far corner of the realm. Trolls, dark elves and giants fathered their forces and prepared for an assault on the city and the cursed Asgardians.

Soon the city would fall and Asgard would be theirs to rule.

Alfun looked at the assembled troops and smiled. They would make a great distraction. Alfrun knew they wouldn’t succeed in defeating the Asgardians and taking the city. Countless times they have tried and failed. The Asgardians always won.
Until today. The troops were a distraction until the real weapon could be brought onto the battlefield. With the two, the Asgardians would fall. This would be their Ragnarok. The final battle for them.

Alfrun ran her fingers lovingly over the parchment. How very nice of that dwarf to give her this wonderful piece of parchment. With it she could bring about the downfall of Odin, Thor and the rest of Asgard. Then she, Alfun daughter of Eisa and granddaughter of Loki, would sit upon the throne of Asgard as queen.

“Send them!” she said. “I have to start the ritual.”

Treg grunted and then bellowed orders. The troops started moving.

shield_maiden:

Svalin was always a bit disorientated after one of Asleif's teleportation spells. She shook off the nauseous feeling and looked around. This was the realm of the Celtic gods, but more importantly the lair of Manawydan. Somewhere inside one of the buildings up ahead, her sister was being held prisoner.

Svalin hoped they had arrived before the wedding.

She drew her sword and readied her shield.

"For Asgard!" she yelled and held her sword aloft. Talking was not an option at this point.

sydney_ashcroft:

It was a perfect winter day to be out and about in Los Angeles. The sun was bright and the air was a very mild seventy two degrees and more importantly, Zoey was in school for the day. It was perfect for shopping and Syd wasn't going to pass the opportunity up.

With her substantial increase in salary she could afford to treat herself to some new clothes. She asked if anyone wanted to go along and Aridis had taken her up on the offer. Syd also called her sister Bryn because if anyone loved to go clothes shopping it was Bryn. The woman lived for clothes.

Right now they were taking a break and grabbing a bite to eat. It wasn't anywhere fancy, far from it, but Pink's did have the best hot dogs in the entire city. Possibly the United States. Syd worked on a chili cheese dog as they sat outside at one of the tables.

nextgen_deviant:

The brides were clad in white and lined up in front of the altar. A semi-circle of priests stood behind the brides and were chanting. The magic in the air became more powerful as the priests chanted. A small circle appeared in the air before the brides and started to get bigger.

Standing behind the priests was a large group of deviants. They were witnessing the rebirth of their god into the mortal realm. It was an honor and privilege to be witness to this historic moment.

ohu_amane:

It's early Christmas morning.

Sleeping on the living room floor are Ohu and Zoey. Several cookies remain on a platter on the coffee table nearby. One half-eaten cookie lies on the floor. A glass lies on the floor, with a puddle of now-warm milk around it.

A hand-made doll that looks like nothing so much as Aslief is tucked under Zoey's arm, while another that looks like Yoda is tucked under Ohu's.

They sleep a deep, exhausted sleep.

old_saint_nick:

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.

Christmas Day is a Christian holiday, it's true, but it also has become increasingly secular. It is an opportunity for love, charity, and goodwill, even in Los Angeles, arguably the most superficial city in the country.

There is some debate within mystical circles if there is indeed such a creature as the embodiment of Christmas Giving known as Santa Claus. But whether or not there is such a being, the spirit of giving itself is very real, be it incarnated in a fat man in a red suit or not.

Throughout this small blue planet of Earth, people have brought trees into their homes, decorated them with lights and ornaments, and placed them in locations of honor. Stockings have been placed on the chimneys. And gifts have been placed under the tree.

Some are looking forward more to the receiving than the giving. But for many, it is the act of giving which warms them, which fills them with the holiday spirit.

Each person, in their own way, becomes a part of this spirit of giving. Each person, in their own way, becomes Santa Claus.

The Defenders Manor has been decked out with lights, as has most of the grounds. Ohu has made hanging lighting a top priority, and every tree on the grounds -- including the palm trees -- is well lit with multi-colored lights. Despite the warm location, Ohu has made sure that there's plenty of snow on the grounds, too, with a bit of magic. As for the gods themselves, and their mortal keepers...

nextgen_deviant:

It was time to bring Set back into the world and bring about a new age for the Earth. Mammals would no longer be the dominant species and humans, those foul evolved apes, will be slaves once more. Slaves like they used to be before the accursed Celestials wiped out most of the deviants and lizard men.

The priests knew what needed to be done. One of the special deviants, those modified to better fight for Set, would accompany them and take the brides into custody. Teleporting was much easier now that Set’s influence in the world was getting stronger. The priests did it now with very little effort.

The priests teleported in near the brides, they were marked and easy to find now, and once they were alone, a small spell was cast and the bride went unconscious. The priest’s escort picked her up and the trio teleported back to Lemuria.
It had only taken a matter of moments to retrieve all seven brides.

Once they were back in Lemuria, the brides had been dressed in white dresses and cloaks and prepared for the coming of their lord Set. They were then arranged around the serpent crown and the ritual began.

ohu_amane:

Halloween was incredible, of course, but Ohu is having a hard time thinking of a better holiday than Thanksgiving. There is food! And there's more food! And then dessert... and all kinds of more food.

Ohu has been very careful not to eat all the food as he helped cook dinner and dessert for the Defenders, and worked hard to make certain everything was ready. This would be a feast fit for gods and their favored friends. After everything that Sydney did for the main course, it was the least he could do to make certain dessert was taken care of.

"Dessert is served!" he declares to the base as he places the last pie on the table.

nextgen_misc:

All Hallow's Eve, or Halloween as it has been come to be called, is a popular holiday with children and adults alike. It is a holiday that had its roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain or Summer's End. Samhain celebrated the end of the "lighter half" of the year and the beginning of the "darker half".

On this evening the barriers between this world and the Otherworld were believed to be thin and the spirits, good and bad, of the dead could pass through. The spirits of the family's ancestors were welcomed in while evil and bad spirits were warded off by the wearing of masks and costumes. The costumes and masks disguised one as a harmful spirit and avoided harm from others.

It was also a harvest celebration and time to take stock of food stores for the winter. Livestock were slaughtered and the meat prepared for storage. It was the final harvest of the year and the crops were then stored for the winter. Celebrations included bonfires and tales of the family's ancestors.

It was a celebration of the dead and of the harvest.

Today we dress up in scary and not so scary costumes and masks and go door to door for candy or attend costume parties. It is a night for revelry, pranks and fun.

In Los Angeles and Hollywood it could be said that every day was like Halloween. People were always dressed up and most were costumes. On Halloween just about everyone dressed up, not just the normal ones.

sydney_ashcroft:

Movies and curled up on the couch with her daughter was a great way to spend a Saturday night in Syd's book. Dinner for Syd and Zoey consisted of pizza (cheese of course) and soda (it was a treat since they hadn't had movie night in awhile) and a huge bowl of popcorn with lots of extra butter on it.

Movie night started with Beauty and the Beast, which was Zoey's all time favorite movie, and moved on to Monsters vs. Aliens. Syd hadn't the chance to take Zoey to see it in the theater, so as soon as it came out on DVD she purchased it and they planned a movie night. It was a cute movie and Syd had the feeling they would be watching it many times in the near future since Zoey enjoyed it so much.

It was just a little past nine pm and Zoey was asleep next to Syd. Syd looked down at her daughter and smiled. Cuddling with her daughter was always a good thing. Syd was dozing as Independence Day just started.

quitethecharmer:

Vincent, having returned from breakfast from Andrea and cleaned himself up to face the remainder of the day, waited in the lobby of the Baxter Building. It was still a few minutes before he was to meet Asleif, but he felt it best to be prepared. She might not view the movies they were going to see as their intended genre, but they should prove reasonably entertaining. The gap in years between their productions should also well illustrate the pace at which mortals make advancements in their crafts. He was rather looking forward to the outing, but was prepared to cut it short if she made any misunderstandings about the 'just friends' arrangement.

nextgen_misc:

The sun was starting to sink on the Western horizon and into the Pacific Ocean as another day was ending. A few miles south of 1800 Palos Verdes Drive the ground erupted in a spray of dirt. One by one soldiers came forth from the ground. Some were Spartans, some were Roman legionnaires, and some were Norsemen. A total of three thousand eventually stood in the dying light. They moved into formation and started marching.

ohu_amane:

Ohu is in the living room, playing one of the latest games. And he's grinning widely even as Zoey is trouncing him completely.

He doesn't think it would be fair to use his magic to beat her. And he's used to using cheats when playing these games, so he's finding that, using his natural talent, he's utterly inept.

But this doesn't stop him from enjoying the game with little people in go-carts, with occasional turtle shells floating around.

He waves the controller about. "Look out! Here I come! ...oh, wait. I'm going backwards now. You just lapped me again."

godlierthanthou:

Further adventures with the Defenders had been reasonably minor and her siblings (and Ohu for that matter) had largely not bothered her in some time.  She'd gotten some small pleasures by venturing out and playing small tricks on mortals by tricking them with illusions or minor magics, but that was the extent of her excitement.

To put it bluntly, she was bored.  And perhaps, though she would never admit it to anyone, more than a little bit lonely.  On some small level, she envied the companionship her siblings shared, though she thought little of their lifestyle choices, her brother in particular.

Fortunately, there was one with whom she could spend time with.  One who's company she would even enjoy.  She did have her needs, after all, even if she was not as obvious as Ardis or Halbjorn  (consorting with that arrogant fire-haired mortal!  The thought of it!).

Vincent Amorason, offspring of her one-time teacher, and rather attractive, for one who was only half-Asgardian.  Yes.  Now was indeed the time to pursue a further... liason.

Traveling across the country to th Baxter Building in New York was a simple enough spell for her.  In one moment, she vanished from the Defenders' headuqarters in California and in the next she had reappeared in the living room of the Fantastic Four's portion of the Baxter Building.



"An impressive display of teleportation," a voice said.  "Though I would hope this is not part of an attack."

Asleif turned, finding herself facing a dark-haired girl.  No, not a girl.  She could sense no thoughts, no life from her.  Some sort of golem or clockwork contrivance then.  Quite obvious, in hindsight.  Vincent could and most certainly would have created servants for himself.  "Hardly," she said.  "I art here to see Vincent.  Fetch him for me."

The golem continued to stare at her, its gaze less unnatural than she would have expected.  "I have sent a message to his laboratory," the thing said.  "He should arrive soon."

Asleif nodded, but said nothing. One did not thank a candle for lighting, or a knife for cutting, after all.

sydney_ashcroft:

School shopping with a very opinionated five-year-old was an experience Sydney would like to forget, mutant power aside. It had been a constant battle for the past three hours. Zoey loved being out and loved going shopping, it was just her taste in clothes. Everything the child picked out had been black. It wasn't any place strange where she picked up her taste in fashion, but did everything have to be black?

It just made school shopping VERY difficult.

In the end most of Zoey's clothes were black, but Syd had managed to get the child to agree on some clothes with other colors in them.

Syd sighed as the front door closed behind her. She dropped the numerous bags she carried in the foyer. First something cold to drink, then she'd come back and grab the bags to put the clothes away. This year Syd had bought her at least double what they had bought last year. It was nice to have a good paying job and to be able to provide for her daughter. Zoey's birthday was in a week and Syd would be able to make it the best birthday of Zoey's life. She just had to find time to go shopping without Zoey.

She made her way into the kitchen in search of that cold drink.

ohu_amane:

Ohu sighs happily as he drops a bag of groceries on the counter and begins to unpack it.

"Well! That was quite an adventure retrieving groceries, was it not, Syd?" He smiles to his shopping companion. "Purchasing groceries doesn't always involve armed robbers in the store, nor a naked prophet running through the streets, nearly causing accidents, to warn us of a 'clothing armadeggon.'" He grins. "I suppose we are just lucky. Though he seemed to be unaware that Armageddon isn't an event, but a location..."

team_mascot:

Summer vacation was about half over and Mom had yet to take her to Disneyland. It was the one big thing they did each year and Zoey wasn’t going to let the summer go by without going to Disneyland. This year it could even be more fun. She knew her new friends had never been there. They hadn’t been anywhere on Earth which was really weird. She also knew that Ohu would love Disneyland. It was the happiest place on Earth after all and Ohu was always happy. He’d fit right in. Maybe Asleif would smile if she went to Disneyland.

A plan began to form in her mind. It was probably even better than her last plan and that one had been awesome. Zoey couldn’t wait to tell her friends at school about the fighting and how Svalin and Aridis beat up the knights. Even the dragon wasn’t scary now. She bet the kids in her class had never seen a real dragon before or a flying horse for that matter.

Thinking of flying horses, Zoey had to remember to grab some carrots and sugar cubes for Tryggvi and take it down to him. The two dogs got treats all the time because they were allowed inside and their treats were kept in the cabinet near the sink in the kitchen. It was Zoey’s job to make sure they had fresh water and to give them a treat every evening at six. She liked the dogs. They were nice and they liked to play and they made her giggle when they licked her face. They licked her face a lot.

Right. Disneyland. Mom had said they would go and Zoey would make sure they did go. She wanted to bring her new friends with them.

Zoey looked up from her book (not having read any of it in the past five minutes) and looked at her mom who was sitting across from her reading a book. Mom always set time aside each day for the two of them to read. Today they were in the library where it was quieter than the rest of the house. Zoey was still amazed she now lived in such a big house. It was A LOT bigger than their last house.

“Mom?”

ngmastersofevil:

The attack on the Young Avengers had been successful. The Stark girl, the Rogers boy and the Rhodes girl were all successfully taken. Temujin would be along shortly to pick up the Starkling. Hadelinde would deal with the Rhodes girl and the Rogers boy would be executed. It had been a good day and was about to get better.

Egghead had set everything up in Times Square while Hadelinde and the others retrieved the three young Avengers.

Hadelinde and the rest arrived right after their successful attack on the Avengers. She dropped the Rogers kid in the middle of the hovering platform and turned toward the crowd in the streets below. Enforcer held the Stark girl. Stark would have a front row seat at her brother's execution. Frenzy held the Rhodes girl. Hadelinde would deal with her after this.

"Attention world," she said, her voice amplified by a small device attached to the neck of her suit. The event was also being transmitted around the world via satellite thanks to Egghead.

"Years ago Captain America killed my father. Today justice will be served as his son pays for his crime."

Hadelinde motioned for Enforcer to ready the Rogers kid. Egghead had constructed a modern guillotine. Hadelinde had always been a fan of be-headings.

sydney_ashcroft:

Zoey had a plan. It was a good plan. No. It was a great plan. No. It wasn't just a plan. It was THE Plan. The plan of all plans. She just had to find a way to get it done.

The idea came when she saw her...Mom called them housemates...but they were really her friends.... Very tall and very strong friends. She was the only girl in her class who had a friend who could lift a boulder and throw it very far. Zoey had watched Svalin and Halbjorn do it. It was awesome!

She couldn't wait to go back to school to tell her classmates about her newest friends. None of them had friends like she did. Maybe Asleif would go to school with her one day and show Zoey's classmates real magic. Not the stupid kind that Jessica had at her birthday party. Zoey had totally seen the man hiding things in his hands and sleeves. The man was lame compared to Asleif.

The fireworks on the Fourth of July were just awesome. Totally awesome. She was glad she had the idea to ask Asleif to make fireworks.

Idea. The idea for today and for The Plan came to her while she watched Svalin practicing with a sword. A REAL sword and not some lame fake one. Svalin had one, so did Aridis and Halbjorn. Asleif didn't seem to like them for some reason. Zoey thought they were really cool and Mom had said she was not allowed to touch them. Ever. She wondered what Mom had against swords. Svalin said that she had a sword when she was Zoey's age. She wanted one too.

Right. The idea. Mom had taken her out to dinner to a place with swords and horses once. Middle Times or something like that. Zoey knew it would be a great place to take her new friends. They would love it. They had to.

She ran and asked Mom if they could go. Mom said yes, but Zoey had to ask the others if they wanted to go. Mom went on about how she couldn't talk or speak for others. Zoey only heard the first part of it.

She skipped around the grounds looking for Asleif or any of the others.

nextgen_misc:

"When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

Across the great nation of the United States of America people everywhere celebrate the freedoms that they enjoy, the history, government, and traditions of the United States with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, political speeches and ceremonies, and various other public and private events.

nextgen_misc:

It had taken a little effort and a lot of talking and explaining, but the Asgardians, Ohu and Griffen O'Niell were moving to California. They were going to act as the Avengers' west coast team and would go by the name of The Defenders. Their headquarters would be at the former West Coast Avengers base Avengers' Compound located at 1800 Palos Verdes Drive just outside of LA.

The 15 acre estate featured one main building, five bungalows, garage, hangar, tennis courts and a private beach. It would be a good base for the Defenders and keep the collateral damage out of city.

Today was moving-in day.

quitethecharmer:

"Well then, Lady Asleif.." Vincent held the door for her as they exited The Met as it was closing. Thanks to his own carefully mapped route through the exhibits, and both of them being a rather quick study, they'd made it through nearly every gallery in the building. "..are you somewhat intrigued by the mortals of this world and their works now?" He escorted her down the stairs in front of the museum.

For his part, Vincent always enjoyed his visits here. The hall of weapons and armor always particularly held his fascination, as did the Egyptian temple reconstruction. He had something of a fixation on items of war and power.

godlierthanthou:

Asleif, frankly, had had more than enough of being cooped up at the Avengers Mansion with not only her siblings, but that ridiculous red-haired mortal girl and the rest of the so-called "Young Avengers."   And while they were not technically supposed to venture forth, when had she ever let that stop her before?

So, first using a simple spell to teleport herself outside, and then a second to adopt proper mortal guise (at least to the eyes of any weak-willed mortal), she had set about into the city.

Strange city, truly.  Fascinating, in its own way.  Very unlike the Golden Realm.  Here, there were wretched lost souls amidst spires of glory and audacity.  Contradictions everywhere she looked.

At a mortal shop, a mortal had asked if he could buy her something called "coffee."  She had accepted, largely out of curiosity.  He had been rather upset when she had walked away after excepting the drink, but a fiery gaze had sent him fleeing in the other direction, terrors conjured up in his mind enough to dispel any further conversation.

And so she sat and sipped, dipping briefly into mortal minds  to scan their thoughts.  Truly strange creatures.

shield_maiden:

Teleporting was always disconcerting and disorientating. One moment they were in Oklahoma and the next they were in New York City right outside of the Avengers mansion.

Tryggvi reared and pawed at the air. Svalin put a hand on his neck and tried to calm him down. "Easy! Calm down Tryggvi! Please."

A second after their arrival the alarm started sounding.

ohu_amane:

Ohu Amane means "Sees Danger" in Twi, the modern language of the Ashanti, and the name is quite appropriate. The eldest son of Anansi, Ohu was gifted with the ability to see danger. He used this power to help save his father from a giant river monster (with a little help from his siblings, he supposes). He knows when there's serious trouble.

But he's never had a chance to really explore the realms of mortals before. He's always been kept at home, in the realm of the Ashanti gods. Which was boring. His father being the keeper of all stories, Ohu has heard all the stories from the mortal realms, and he finds them fascinating. Of course, these days, there are more stories coming into his father's realm than ever before -- a person can't keep up! So Ohu finally convinced his father to let him come to the mortal realm*, accompanied by other gods, the children of Asgardians.

This should be a most exciting expedition! They've already shown up in Oklahoma, surrounded by wheat. If they can just find a cornfield, he's sure there will be evil there. There's always evil in cornfields in the stories.

But the field gives way to a road, and Ohu, the guide for his friend Asgardians, choses a way and begins walking it. They are heading for New York, and certainly all roads must lead to New York eventually.

The occasional car or truck passing by, Ohu leads them down the road, over two bridges, and into the city apparently named "Kingfisher." Around them, the populace gives the gods strange looks.

"You see, my friends? I have lead us to a place where we may acquire transportation to the glorious city of New York!"

*If, by "convinced his father," one means, "ran away without telling him."