where the wild things are

Desma had just secured her shield to her exposed side facing the mouth of the alley when she heard him. Her hands tightened on her shield and her body went rigid as she looked up at him. 

How had she missed him? 

“Resting,” The Amazon replied, trying not to sound sharp or cold. For all she knew, he could be like her, or even worse. Her years of wandering have taught her to be compassionate after all. 

Adjusting slightly to where her weapons would be more accessible if she needed them, she turned the question back around on him. “Do you normally reside in alleyways?”

It isn’t necessarily wise to sneak up on someone with a sword — judging from its state, she’s probably efficient at wielding it, enough to be a threat — but in his defense, he was there first and, well, he never intended to sneak anywhere. It just kind of happened that way.   ❛   RESTING,  ❜   he echoes, sounding more like a parrot than the proud, messenger crow he once was. But finding out that he was right all along makes for a happy Huginn.    ❛   ME?   ❜     He shrugs — a simple, nonchalant lifting of one shoulder.    ❛    WHEN I WANT TO GET AWAY FROM THAT.   ❜   He gestures toward the mouth of the alley, where most of the activity is currently taking place. With that many people rushing to get here and there, accidents are bound to happen.    ❛   THE ALLEYWAY SEEMS THE SAFEST BET — UNLESS YOU HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTION.   ❜

“Useless worries, don’t you think?” Ki-Woong cocked an eyebrow, giving one of the many bottles a curious sniff - before returning it to the bin. “But there has to be an easier way to get your message out there.” This from the ailuran who knew very little about mortal doings. “This thing doesn’t seem capable of holding a decent-sized letter.”

❛   — WHY DO YOU SAY THAT?   ❜   Huginn gazes at the other male, not exactly offended to have his questions relegated to useless worries — but he isn’t happy either; he’s somewhere in between.   ❛   IF THERE IS, I HAVEN’T FOUND IT YET,  ❜   he mutters, a look of displeasure briefly flickering across his face before his expression shifts once more — into a thoughtful frown.   ❛   I THOUGHT THE SAME. IT’S JUST SO ... TINY, WITH NO DEPTH TO IT. UNLESS THE GODS HAVE CHARMED IT TO APPEAR THAT WAY,  ❜

    —— messages in a BOTTLE; how old school. “the bottle should already come equipped with pre-written instructions,” mani disclosed in a conspiratorial whisper, one eyebrow arched high, practically disappearing into his hairline. “but off the top of my head … never?” it would take years for the recipient to gain access to it — and that didn’t take into account the possibility of the damn thing losing its way. it happened. “personally, i’d go with express mail … or better yet, email. less hassle that way.”

❛   — IN THE BOTTLE OR ...?  ❜   Placing the bottle back where he initially got it from, Huginn crosses his arms and ponders the stranger’s helpful words — well, they would have been helpful if he knew what he was talking about.   ❛   I SHOULD PROBABLY THINK OF A DIFFERENT METHOD THEN. ❜   He bites back a groan of irritation — there goes the one hope, outside of the norm, he has of reaching Muninn. Sure, they can communicate telepathically, but he thought it might be interesting to try something new ... surprise him a bit. 

“If there is, you’d most likely find it typed in indescribably tiny letters somewhere on the bottle,” Apollo INTERJECTS and reaches for a bottle himself, an amused grin curving his lips at the seriousness the other male displays while studying the bottle. “Oh, give it about a month,” he adds, striving to emulate his seriousness but unfortunately coming up SHORT due to his inability to stifle his grin. “And if you haven’t heard anything by then, better check with the authorities — who knows what could have happened to that poor recipient?”

❛   — WHERE?  ❜   He asks, squinting at the various words printed across the bottle — it says nothing about any such requirements.  ❛  I DON’T SEE IT.  ❜   Unless the male — he doesn’t give off the feeling of a human; maybe god? — doesn’t mean anything by his words and is simply poking fun at his inquiry.  ❛   A MONTH SEEMS TOO SHORT. IT USED TO TAKE US A FEW WEEKS, AT LEAST, TO FLY AROUND THE WORLD.  ❜   Always in search of new information to give Odin.   ❛   AND NOTHING’S HAPPENED TO ODIN.  ❜   Hopefully, but since he hasn’t heard from him since their capture all those years ago, he’s beginning to doubt himself.   ❛   HE’S THE ALLFATHER.  ❜

“That goes without saying,” she muttered, fancying herself knowledgeable in the art of accurate guesses. When she looked at someone, it didn’t take her long to determine their personality, thus separating the sourpusses from the optimists. And even though her accuracy was at ninty-three percent, she was still confident in her ability to clearly differentiate between the two. “It’s easy to lose oneself in indisposition - easier still to give up than plow ahead, as man was meant to … ” A nasty habit to fall into - and just as hard to break. “As much as I can,” Artemis continued with a sheepish shrug. It wasn’t her place to lecture - since she hadn’t fully adapted to her circumstances yet - but something, several somethings, had to be said. Better to be cautious than careless, since - without some form of adaptivity - survival became that much harder.

Ah! But if there was no in between, then what did that make her? Stop, she mentally chastised herself. You’re starting to sound just like one of those sourpusses. “Then I suppose that makes me one,” she answered, forcing a smile … because, well, she wasn’t feeling much like a goddess these days.

So little miss goddess isn’t finding life as easy as she used to. It makes sense, given what’s been done to them. But she seems to be holding up well enough, all things considered. Maybe he ought to take a few pages out of her book ... Nah.  ❛  BUT WOULDN’T YOU SAY IT’S ALSO EXHAUSTING? THAT’S WHAT SOME MORTALS SAY ABOUT ANGER. ❜  He isn’t exactly familiar with that feeling, so he can’t offer his own opinion on the subject, having not yet experienced anything strong enough to break through this mold of confusion and intrigue — is it wrong for one’s intrigue to be piqued while experiencing an unfamiliar situation like this one?   ❛  HUH. SOMETHING TELLS ME YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE A LOT MORE ADAPTING TO DO.  ❜   

it doesn’t SURPRISE him at all when huginn answers his question before the words even have the chance to leave his lips. they’ve been together long enough that such actions are expected; more than that, they’re anticipated — when the day comes that they fail to completely and utterly understand one another through nothing but eye contact and a mind link, one of them will have died … because that’s the only way a failure of that caliber would have occurred. there’s an even higher chance of one following the other into the afterlife, considering how closely BONDED they are. but such dark thoughts have no place in their current conversation.

❛   a high?  ❜   a line, one of deep contemplation, begins to form between his thick, dark blond brows as he absently LEANS into the gentle but fleeting caress, a low humming, melodious in nature, erupting from his throat at the contact. it’s been so long since he felt the urge to sing, the avian trait a troublesome thing. as a bird, even a shamanic spirit, behavior classified as avian can be seen as normal. but as a man? it takes on a strange cast, making one wish to avoid it. and yet huginn isn’t the type to push him away for instinctively falling into the same pattern as before when he was muninn the bird and not muninn the man. but then huginn suffers from the same problem, which in turn gives them yet another thing to bond over. perhaps that’s why their bond is so strong. their situations are identical, and they understand one another so well that they could probably switch bodies and still manage to live similarly as the other — with none the wiser.   

❛   i wonder if this purported high is the same … i can’t deny a sort of curiosity to find out for myself.  ❜  cats may be thought to be curious creatures, but birds aren’t all that far behind on the curiosity meter.  ❛   am i wrong to assume you feel the same way?  ❜   waiting only until after huginn touches the tip of his nose with his own, muninn nips affectionately at the other raven’s bottom lip, unashamed to admit he’s not above feeling attraction for his avian companion.

❛   hm,   ❜   he adds after a moment, holding the other male’s gaze.  ❛   we could — but not now. maybe later?  ❜   when he’s feeling up to having an adventure beyond what his thoughts have already begun to concoct with the direction his mind has gone in.

He isn’t surprised to see the deep lines of concentration fanning out from the other raven’s eyes — Muninn was always considered the overthinker between the two of them, the only one, aside from Odin, truly capable of keeping Huginn in line.    ❛    THEIR WORD, NOT MINE,   ❜   he makes sure to point out with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. It’s not as though the word itself is an important factor in their decision to copulate. Nothing is more important than Muninn’s compliance. If this is something he’s curious enough to try, then Huginn absolutely refuses to stand in the way of his desires. But he supposes he’s also at fault for permitting such curiosity and want to cling to him — impossible as they are to shake free of.    ❛    HERE, IN PUBLIC?   ❜   He asks, only half-serious. His body may be human, but he doesn’t possess their delicate sensibilities; voyeurism and indecent exposure may seem like a serious offense to most, but Huginn doesn’t see it that way. He is first and foremost a raven, and as such, he believes that gives him leeway to do as he wants. 

Adaptivity was the way of life for most creatures. Those who failed to adapt would also, ultimately, fail to survive the ever changing world, completely overtaken by situations and circumstances that were unavoidable and dangerous in their own right. “In a way,” Artemis replied softly, reflecting on her previous words in an attempt to decipher their meaning to the exact letter. “We can sit here and bemoan our fate, but what does that change? Nothing. Our circumstances are still the same.” No matter how much they might wish otherwise. “So naturally, the next step is to figure out a way to make do - turn a negative into a positive.” It was a lot harder than it sounded, but the best things in life often were.

“Not like who? The mortals?” That offhanded comment from him was a pretty big indicator of his non-human status as well. “That’s because I’m not … But, well, considering what has been done, I might as well be.”

It’s remarkable how easy it is to refuse to change a mindset that has had centuries to evolve into its present state. Bemoaning their fate may not change their circumstances for the better, but that in itself isn’t enough to turn most people against complaints. It’s much easier to whine and bitch about your problems than it is to ascertain a plausible solution to the actual problem.  ❛  SOUNDS EASY — BET IT ISN’T.  ❜  Nothing in life ever is, according to some humans who can’t be bothered to take that negative and run it as positive.  ❛  HAVE YOU ADAPTED?  ❜

finding COMFORT in the other raven’s presence, muninn unconsciously rubs his cheek against huginn’s, the thick spread of bristles tickling his skin. it reminds him a little of odin’s beard — just not as thick or as full.  ❛  all she wants is for her husband to pay her the attention he so readily gives their neighbor.  ❜  he DISCLOSES calmly, as if reciting the words directly from a passage in a book. 

that particular thought is the most prevalent one in the human’s mind. but at least he no longer has to listen to her sniveling voice. huginn has made sure of that.  ❛  do you think love and sex are really all that great to have so many humans constantly obsessing over them?  ❜  animals mate, true enough, but that’s one function they were never EQUIPPED with. it isn’t necessary for shamanic spirits to engage in mating rituals, and as a result, they aren’t saddled with the chore of continuing their species. 

and it must be a chore, since so many humans find fault in it.

❛   and you left me behind?   ❜   he BLOWS out a soft breath of disappointment but then shakes his head, already over it.   ❛   there’s a lot of human contraptions here  —  contraptions that give off the impression of flying. there’s even a whole park dedicated to them. i wonder if the humans had help building them. it almost seems too impossible of a job for them to undertake alone.  ❜

Growing up together, practically entwined — almost as though they’re one entity — Huginn has always viewed Muninn as his other half. You can’t have one without the other. And even now that they’ve been given these human bodies to do with as they please, he still sees the other half — of his beating heart, perhaps even his soul — whenever he looks at Muninn. They were originally an extension of Odin, their thought patterns identical to the point that they knew what the other was thinking and feeling without having to say a word. And this new existence forced on them — not quite human but not quite shamanic spirit either — doesn’t change that or the connection they’ve always shared. 

So naturally, before Muninn can even bring up the topic of love and sex, he’s already mentally configuring the best answer to give him, one that will satisfy them both. Because as creatures with bodies designed to mate, it’s bound to happen sooner or later.

❛    I HEAR THE EXPERIENCE IS COMPARABLE TO A HIGH — CAN’T SAY I AGREE OR DISAGREE, SINCE THE ONLY HIGH I’M EVEN REMOTELY FAMILIAR WITH COMES WITH WINGS AND A FRIENDLY GAME OF CATCH-ME-IF-YOU-CAN,   ❜   They used to play that often whenever Odin sent them on errands. Lightly brushing the tips of his fingers against the other raven’s cheek, Huginn moves back just enough to take a gander at the expression on his long-time companion’s face. He has a feeling there’s more than just dubiousness behind Muninn’s comment.   ❛   WE COULD GIVE IT A TRY IF YOU’RE THAT CURIOUS.   ❜    The idea itself holds a certain appeal. The closeness of the act — and its intimacy —  is homogeneous to their bond. If it manages to bring them even closer, then all the better.

“You’re on top of a bench” The girl tilted her head up so dark eyes landed on him, flicking up and down his form before raising her brows. She could tell from scent alone that he wasn’t human. He lacked that sweet allure that always drew her in. Consumed her every thought. Her gaze fell once she was bored of him, landing back on the bag she was rummaging through “What the hell do you expect?. Grow wings and fly or go hang out on the roof of one of those stupidly tall hotels. I’m sure the view from there would be much better”

❛   SO?   ❜   The word tumbles out of his mouth, as if purely on instinct, his tone both nonchalant and matter-of-factly as he gazes unblinkingly at the girl. It’s obvious from her scent and her demeanor — aura too — that she isn’t human. But instead of inquiring about her species, he distracts himself by the uplifting thought of growing wings and flying away. To be able to take to the skies again ... What a swell idea.  ❛  THAT SOUNDS LIKE AN AWFUL LOT OF WORK TO ME,   ❜   he says, quite serious. Walking all the way to one of those stupidly tall hotels and taking the elevator — or gods forbid, the stairs — all the way to the roof sounds like too much work for someone who doesn’t like the thought of walking for an extended period of time. Only something he feels is important enough to overcome his short attention span can get him moving like that, but otherwise — forget about it.   ❛   I WAS KIND OF HOPING STORES WOULD SELL WING ATTACHMENTS THAT ACTUALLY WORK, BUT SO FAR NO LUCK.   ❜    He has a hard time making sense of wings that are used purely for display as it is. What’s the point of having them if they can’t help you fly?

leaning back into huginn’s loose embrace, muninn allows his eyes to drift closed, content in the peacefulness the other raven’s presence brings, but when he feels the gentle press of lips against his skin, his eyes POP open to reveal stark surprise. he’s no stranger to huginn’s affection, spending most of his time flying through the skies of midgard with him by his side, but a raven’s wingspan away — but that was as a shamanic spirit. human affection is marginally different.

❛  for the time being  ❜  he ANSWERS dispiritedly, crossing his arms as he tilts his head back to regard huginn with complacency, indifferent to the prospect of falling prey to their irritating, yammering voices again.  ❛  where’ve you been?  ❜

It comes easy to him, this interesting thing called human affection — the only thing about being a human that does. But Muninn’s reaction to his chaste kiss wrings an amused chuckle from lips that produce more sounds than a beak is capable of making.  

❛   POINTLESS DRIVEL,  ❜   he remarks with an irritated shake of his head, indifferent to the looks their embrace draws — some judgmental, some curious. Humans and their useless, trivial thoughts ... When will they learn to suppress them?

No wonder poor Muninn’s head hurts all the time.

Placing his chin in the crook of Muninn’s neck, Huginn presses even closer to him, relishing this nice feeling of companionship. 

❛   OH, I’VE BEEN HERE AND THERE. THIS CITY’S INTERESTING.  ❜   It’s interesting enough to warrant a thorough exploration.  ❛   THEY HAVE THIS RIDICULOUSLY TALL, HUMAN CONTRAPTION THAT MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE FLYING. IT'S AMAZING.  ❜   The sensation one undergoes as they soar through the air always is.

Just as she was leaving the crowded shop, bag in hand, Artemis noticed the man perched on top of the bench, balancing on the back of it without trouble. Finding the sight strange enough to comment on, she slowly made her way toward him, small, curious smile in place. “Perhaps that’s why mortals often convene at the tops of hills and mountains —  for a better view,” she answered, thinking only of offering helpful commentary on the subject, and shrugged. “One must make do with what one is given.”

Huginn eyes the approaching woman with an aloofness born of his lack of interest in her regard or helpfulness.  ❛   IS THAT WHAT IT MEANS TO ADAPT?   ❜   Grimacing at the thought of having no choice but to buckle under the weight of what the humans have so greedily and stupidly subjected him to, he offers her a tight-lipped frown of his own, the corners curled down to convey his budding curiosity.   ❛    YOU’RE NOT LIKE THEM ... YOU’RE MORE.   ❜   She gave off an aura like Mani’s, his only shred of evidence to the possibility of her carrying an old soul — much older than most of mankind.