The First Person: Lost & Confused (Worm/God of War: Ragnarok (Spoilers!))

[Cobalt Mandragor]

(Note, depending on which character is present, the POV will change.)

(Bolded lines means they're being said by multiple people at once. Though there are some exceptions depending on a person's reaction and context.)

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I find myself coming too, an unusual sensation, how long has it been since I've last slept? Several hundred years I suppose but that fleeting thought is neither here nor there. The sky, above me, rather than the sprawling golden tapestry threads or the water-bubble containing our home is a gray cloudy sky, a small bit of blue peeking through to tell me that it is the day-time.

My brows furrow, hands clenching as I try to remember what I was doing last. Enjoying the story of Kratos, turning from that of Sparta to of Midgard reach its conclusion and then...?

Nothing.

Hmph, how annoying, it appears that someone is trying to write a story. Didn't they know that she and her sisters were the readers? Ugh, very well, she could play at being an actor.

The unusual brickwork catches her attention next, nothing of the Nine Realms held a similar make, nor anything from the other realms but I'll figure out the architectural culture of this place later. As I start to place myself back in a seated position I note I am between two of these buildings and that I am not the only getting rudely awoken here.

A red-haired human? No, not human, something in the shape of one in a purple leather coat, shirt, and pants of some unusual make stirs from up the ground getting seated in a manner much similar to mine. His bright green eyes flicker open and look to me... they dawn on recognition, it appears he knows me as much as I know him~

I speak first-

"Ah hell."

A pained sigh escapes my lips as a sigh escapes his... I palm my face, he palms his face. I hide a smirk, he hides a grimace.

"Oh my fucking god."

I let a breath as if I'm going to say another swear, as he lets out a breath as if he was going to say another swear.

"Please no- stop- for goodness sake- ahhh!"

I leap upwards to my feet on the stone surface just as he does the same, my arms latching onto his shoulders as his latch onto mine. My smirk widens into a grin as he adopts a pained look, closing his eyes and then nodding. "Okay..."

He speaks first...

"Look, I know this is your thing but there are more important matters right now, like figuring out where we are and what's going on."

I look at him for a long moment, he does make a good point. Well, it'd be better if I wasn't me but I can see the way things are going. I should stick by him for now, don't want to split up the perspectives right away and all that.

Also...

My hand points to the left, to the end of the alleyway as I shout out, "holy crap is that a cape?!"

"Holy crap is that a cape!?" A man with his... phone out pointed at her. Honestly, no sense of self-preservation from what she was seeing and such a gauche way to out ourselves. Oh wait, I bow towards the human and start to walk towards them hands beginning to form an incantation-

A hand grabs my arm, and I look over to the one known as Keith with a muted scowl-

"What do you think you're doing?"

I hold up a hand with an annoyed 'could you not?' expression. He knows enough to guess what I was going to do, scramble the human's mind with an illusion to make him forget or something similar, I've plenty of tricks you know. His eyes close for a moment before opening them back up again, "look, that one sentence tells me everything I need to know about this place we don't need to be making random enemies everywhere. Just let the civilians be... even if they can be stupid."

I look between the two, the human hearing this lifts his arms in surrender and starts backing away as I speak up, "ey sorry, I know when I'm not wanted."

"Ey sorry, I know when I'm not wanted." He hurries to leave quickly after that, tapping something on his phone, probably about to send a thread to that PHO or whatever.

We both paused for a moment, turning our eyes to one another before beginning to walk out of the alleyway. His were heavy, thumping with purpose, mine were excited splashing against the water from yesterday's rain. This, this was going to be fun I could tell, never thought I'd get to be out in the world like this... like them but this was a challenge that I would overcome!

I exit out of the alleyway, revealing a massive sprawling town, no city. Such a sight in the memories of Keith and the human did not do such scenes justice, there certainly weren't any places like this in her memory nor others from before. A laugh bubbled up out of her throat, Urðr and Verðandi would be so jealous of her if they could see where she was now.

Keith glanced towards me as I laughed and I spun around to look at him, grinning widely. He shook his head but said nothing as he looked around as well.

"Now where are we?"

I believe we are Downtown? Humming to myself as many of the metal carriages, sorry, cars passed us by on the street. There were also many humans as well on the sidewalks with us, as they noted my presence they whispered amongst themselves, 'cape!' 'Cape!' They whispered, I whispered first, 'cape!' 'Cape!'

None dared stop our approach however and I was content to skip along their memories along with my... companion? Foil? Restraint? Companion, let's go with companion even as he looked so out of sorts from the attention. I did nod to him with a considering expression, he was right that scrambling that first human's thoughts would be trouble... mainly because than she'd have to scramble an entire city as well much more difficult without sufficient preparation.

"I would've rather try and find information first before effectively unmasking ourselves... but you follow the sound of your own horn don't you?"

Keith's expression became very, very dry as I spoke up first. What? He should just stop copying me, a giggle escapes my throat, I can't help it!

I mutter underneath my breath, "oh for fucks sake."

Keith pauses and then points over to a random person, a older woman in a suit meant for more high-class work who was trying to walk away.

"Hey, do you know where we are miss?"

She stops, other people stop as well as they note the peculiarities in our little duo play out and looks between us two as if we were going to bite her. I don't do that! Well, I didn't before... might start now. I snootily say towards Keith.

"Er, don't worry about her, it's just a thing she does."

How dare he, implying that I'm copying others, they should learn to speak for themselves! Finally though the woman musters up the courage to speak just as I give out directions.

"You're in Brockton City Downtown, the PRT building is 20 minutes north of here."

Keith looks like he is in physical agony as I've replied to him first and the woman is now sporting a very troubled set of raised eyebrows at my response. Keith waves her goodbye and quickly starts walking in said direction, which is a straight-line effectively, go me! I skip alongside him, whistling an old tune... well old tune for here I think.

Oh my gosh, I forgot, there's going to be so much new music to listen too! I loved that about the bards.

We travel in silence for a couple minutes, I sneak glances towards Keith just as he's sneaking them towards me and then he looks away as if someone had snapped his neck once he realizes I'm looking back at him. He grumbles, I chuckle...

Yeah this is going to be fun, but, oh, wait.

I tap my companion on the shoulder and he finally turns to glance at me without wanting to turn instantly back probably because of embarrassment, "what?" I open my mouth to reply-

"Console, this is Miss Militia, permission to interact with unknown parahumans?"

Unlike before there was no response to my words but I could sense Keith's apprehension as I leaned into and whispered into his ear scandalously, "Permission granted~"

Not but a second later approaching out of a dispersing crowd on the sidewalk was a dark-haired brown-skinned woman in both colorful and yet camouflaged attire. A weapon was out at her side coated in a black and green blur of energy that was currently a baton at the moment but from what I had gathered it could change into just about anything that wasn't directly magical.

Hmmm, nothing so harmful but it had its uses I guess.

My mouth moved first, "a bit strange for you two to be without masks on-" My words are cut off.

"A bit strange for you two to be without masks on-" Miss Militia's eyes widen as she repeats me. Keith on the otherhand merely groans as if he was shot and facepalms very loudly.

Huh, maybe he thinks its going to be a long day apparently?

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(My brain upon first seeing Skuld: "Hmm, yes, smug cute, you will now obsess over this character that was only part of a single five minute scene, good luck.')

(Keith is in-fact an SI, yes, based around a jumpchain I once did... except not broken OP.)