Saint Seiya Zone @cadejospruebas - Tumblr Blog

Jul 26, 2022

Asgard Academy

Year 3: Part I

[ Index ]

xxxxxxxxx

"Before we go, let's go in real quick to tell Ma and Pa."

Fenrir immediately blushed, but followed her inside without skipping a beat. Embla was reading the newspaper while Reynir eyed the scrambled eggs. "What happened, sweetheart, didya forget something?"

"Yeah, to tell you Fenrir and I are dating now."

Reynir turned off the stove before walking up to Fenrir and offering his hand. He was positively beaming. "A fine young man, no doubt."

Embla pinched Fenrir's cheek gently. "Oh, sweetheart, that’s great news to start the day! I need to call your siblings to tell them."

Artica was also beaming, her cheeks flushed. "Alright. We're heading out."

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

After getting their new helix piercings (two black surgical stainless-steel hoops) into place, they wandered for a bit until they reached the capital’s central park, which was more akin to a giant garden. Artica found them a nice, secluded spot next to a large pond, which was still in the process of thawing. They were sitting in front of one another, their faces very close. The simple intimacy of that gesture gave Fenrir goosebumps.

"There are two ways to kiss, I guess,” she said, returning to the conversation they had earlier. “One like last night, just gently…"

He was not entirely listening, thinking precisely of the kiss she gave him before they fell asleep. It had felt so warm… Her lips were pink, bright, and soft. Ignoring they were moving because she was still talking, Fenrir leaned forward and pressed his own on hers. Artica immediately froze, completely flustered. This was not their first kiss, as stated, but definitely the first one Fenrir gave her on the lips.

He pulled away with an embarrassed smile. "Like that?"

She nodded in silence, feeling her chest tightened. His eyes looked particularly bright right now, with the shy blush on his cheeks making it more evident. Artica leaned into him, touching foreheads. Their feelings flutter for a bit, happy to finally do so at unison.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

The Black was busy putting away materials used during class when she noticed Levina was still in her seat, staring out the window. Even though Malik had insisted on giving her a thorough breakdown of the current state of affairs regarding the Asgardian National Football team, she had barely acknowledged his ramblings, preferring to stay silent. Artica had a vague idea why, but decided to leave her undisturbed. Levina was probably not in the mood to deal with her anyway.

“Congratulations on your relationship, Ms Reynirdóttir,” the Blue suddenly said, turning to her.

What a perfectly awkward way to start this terribly awkward conversation.

“Are you angry, my lady?”

"I am discouraged, yes, that all my efforts led nowhere," Levina replied. "Yet I knew the challenges. I knew you were around."

Artica gave her a lopsided smile. "Pardon?"

"Neither of you saw it, it seems, but I did. Mr Sannfridsson did too, I believe. A premonition of deeper affection, if anything."

The Black let out a nervous cough, unsure of what to say. Levina always spoke in an elaborate manner, everything going through Artica’s head sounded silly in comparison.

“True, I didn’t think much of it when I befriended him. Even so, I wouldn’t say your efforts led nowhere, my lady. Feelings are unfixed little bastards, but they make your heart stronger.”

“Stronger? Why would that be?”

Artica took Malik’s seat, staring at the whiteboard. “Well, sometimes we are attracted to people who have less-than-desirable aspects. Maybe they are self-centered, or lack confidence, or are just physically unattractive. Our heart grows stronger when we are able to see beyond that and appreciate them as a whole, rather than the sum of the individual aspects.”

“You do know you are implying we learn to ignore negative aspects?”

“Ignoring them doesn’t make your heart stronger. Understanding them does. After you do, the feeling changes. It may go from reproach to sympathy, for example. Besides, you speak as if your actions had no impact, but you helped the kid from up north feel less like an outsider by going to the Street Market, and the theater, and the arcade.”

“No, you are mistaken; he suggested the arcade. I am not particularly proficient at such activities, you see, and found it rather underwhelming.”

The Black nodded. “In any case, your feelings had an impact on him, even if not the desired one.”

“How would he know? I never said them out loud, and there is no point now.”

“A poet (1) once wrote that ‘unsaid sentences do not mean unfelt emotions’. If you choose to state those feelings, I’ve no issue. If you’d rather keep them to yourself, they’re still valid.”

Levina let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose with both annoyance and contemplation. “Either way, that is two Academy years that I will not get back in that sense.”

“Hmm, I don’t know, my lady. I feel like I’m having a premonition right now,” Artica replied, picking up her things. She waved goodbye as she passed the senior at the door.

‘What is the hold up, Levina? Are we not going to the theater?’ Vaike signed, a little concerned.

‘Yes. My apologies. I got held up by an unfixed little bastard. Shall we go?’

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

"Can I ask for a favor?"

"Always."

"Would you consider…" Fenrir began, brushing her bangs away with his fingers. "...not covering your face this time?"

"I don't… want to embarass-"

He stopped her by joining their foreheads. "We promised, right?"

She closed her eyes. "Yes, to be kinder to ourselves…"

"Then please don't say, or think, you’re embarrassing. You’re not, and I don’t think that, in any way."

"W-will do."

"Thank you," Fenrir leaned close and kissed her right on the scarred cheek. His golden gaze was fixed on hers. "I just really like to see your face brighten up when we go to the hunting gear shop, you know?"

On their way home, at the train station, he noticed Artica’s hands were quite cold, trembling slightly even though she was wearing both a sweater and a scarf. Without thinking too much about it, Fenrir took off his fur-trimmed coat and slid it on her shoulders. She turned around with concern, which he immediately dismissed.

“The north gets way colder at this time of year, okay? It’s fine.”

“This’ll have to do until the train arrives.”

Artica took off her gray hand-knitted scarf and wrapped it around his neck, before wrapping her arms around him as well. Fenrir hugged her back with a kiss, both shamelessly hoping it was delayed.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

"This is my partner, Artica," the boy said, carefully curating his words, tone, and body language. "I would appreciate it if you give her a warm welcome to the city manor of the Northern Wolf."

XXXX and his four staff members side-eyed each other. Some were mildly surprised; some were deeply annoyed. Eleven uneventful years had passed where no outsider had set foot in their manors without previous, carefully calculated planning.

XXXX had never considered the whiny, sad child under his care to be of interest to someone, much less enter a formal relationship with them. Sure, they'd seen the girl here and there, but considering her appearance, it was difficult to imagine why the boy would want her around.

In any case, she was a small bump in XXXX's overarching plan. As long as she witnessed nothing that would make her complain to other, more dangerous parties, there should be no issues. After all, the boy didn't expect anything from them, so there was nothing to mess up.

Just a few more months to go until their scheme was complete. Largely ignoring her, just like they had largely ignored him for over a decade, should be a walk in the park.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

“May I ask something personal, sir?”

“You don’t need to call me ‘sir’, my lady. My own name is more than enough.”

“There is no need for you to use formal language with me either… Sannfrid,” Karianne said, a little nervously. Even though she and Bud had been partners for over a year, being alone with his father had been a rare occurrence.

They managed to squeeze in a small celebration in Rúri’s schedule, between her Coming of Age ceremony and a well-deserved vacation. Karianne came over to help Bud take some of the decorations to the Viking Tiger city manor, and found herself drinking coffee with Sannfrid while the older twin changed clothes.

“If it is not too nosy of me, would you tell me how you met Artica’s parents?”

The man scratched his chin. “Huh, what an unusual question…”

Karianne said nothing, sipping her coffee in silence.

“After deciding to adopt, I went to every workshop, read every book, and volunteered for every activity the Adoption Center had to offer. I memorized everything, determined to give this baby boy the best life possible from day 1… but by day 3, I felt miserable.”

Sannfrid stared melancholically into his cup.

“Whenever he was not nursing, he was crying. I think Bud went to sleep out of exhaustion, not actual need. Even I knew that was unhealthy, but I just couldn’t figure it out…! So, on day 3, we went to the park. I was sitting by the lake (he was still wailing in his stroller), thinking if maybe it’d been a mistake; dreading that I’d deluded myself into believing I was actually a good choice for the kid, when I saw a couple walking by. The man had a sleeping baby drooling over his shoulder, just a few months older than my own… I swallowed all my pride, walked up to them and asked ‘How’d you do that?’”

The girl with magenta eyes raised her eyebrows.

“You can imagine the puzzled look on Reynir’s face,” Sannfrid laughed. “Embla didn’t even say anything, she just went over to the stroller and removed a few of the million blankets I wrapped around Bud. He immediately started to calm down. I was stupefied. They later explained this was their third child, so they had it more or less figured out… To answer your question, I met them because I had a baby boy and I didn’t know how to take care of him.”

“I did not expect that to be the answer. Somehow, I thought you knew each other from before.”

“Not really, no. I’ve seen them around, as we lived in the same part of town, but never really talked to them until that day. And well, after that, we spoke every day! With time, we even took turns babysitting the kids, and the family of two that I had hoped for expanded to seven in the blink of an eye.”

Karianne smiled. “Was it hard to manage them?”

“Bud and Artica? Yeah, absolute gremlins those two. He stole her toys, she gulped down his food, they both got jealous when we picked up the other,” the man sighed. “It was only after they started going to school that they sorta calmed down, and stuck together more… Is there a reason you ask?”

“Ah… When Syd told us about his brother, I could not help wondering what kind of life that boy had lived until now. Sometimes, my mind (and my gaze) would wander towards him, asking myself what his family life was like,” she explained with a hand gesture. “Over the next few months, it became clear that part of it was right there in class with me. Then I had the chance to meet the rest of you and well… I am just grateful.”

Sannfrid put his hand on hers. “I’m grateful too; all I ever wanted was for him to be happy. I think that so far, we are all helping him do just that.”

When Bud entered the room, both his partner and his father seemed to rub a tear away before facing him with a bright smile.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Last summer was great. For the first time in his life, Fenrir had friends to enjoy it with, and thoroughly invested every possible second of his break having fun with them. He had hoped this summer would be even better, now that he had somehow managed to get a partner.

They had done all kinds of things, and visited all kinds of places, both in group and by themselves. They even managed to buy tickets to the concert they were looking forward to! It required standing three hours in line, but it was worth it.

This, however, was his favorite part of the day: taking a nap.

Fenrir woke up first, and immediately wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth. In front of him, Artica was facing his way, asleep. Her right hand was on his left, and he couldn’t help giving it a soft squeeze. One of her eyes half-opened, shining bright silver in the dark.

“Hm? Did I oversleep again?” she asked drowsily.

“No, but it’s around the time you wanted to wake up,” he replied quietly.

Artica rolled to the left, right into his arms. “A shame, I wouldn’t mind staying like this a little longer…”

He wouldn’t mind staying like this forever. Fenrir hugged her tight, taking in the fruity perfume. After all, since they had started dating, he noticed he slept better during their naps than at night, by himself. For understandable reasons, Artica didn’t spend whole nights with him (yet), but when she did decide to leave late, he knew he would rest better without fail.

He sheepishly wondered if this is how his parents felt when they were dating.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

"What is it?"

"N-nightmare. Can I s-sleep here tonight?"

"No," the man replied at once, his hand on the door handle. "Stop being so needy."

The child wasn't crying, but his eyes were already irritated. "There was a bear… Father’s and Moth-"

"I don't care. Go back to your room."

He didn't move from the spot, tears now running down his cheeks. "Please."

"Did I fucking stutter, boy? No. I can’t believe they left such a whiny boy behind. Not very good parents at all."

“Not true! They w-were the bestest!” the child cried back, sniffing loudly.

“They either taught you to be strong, or weak. Which is it?”

Confused and hurt, the child returned to his bedroom without another word. That was the last time he ever asked his guardian for some kind of support.

Many years ago, just a month after turning six.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Another endless argument with XXXX regarding some stupid shit that neither actually cared about. Holed up in his room, Fenrir expected it to be one of those nights where he would pretend to be dead and forget everything and everyone, listening to music above the recommended volume level in the dark. It was a miracle, honestly, that he heard the knocking on the glass door.

Artica was outside with an aggravated look on her face. “Is everything okay? Are you okay?”

“What are you doing here?”

“I’d just thought I’d return the books you lent me, but I heard the yelling, I was worried… Are you okay?”

Fenrir didn’t have the strength to pretend. “No, I’m not. I-”

He choked on his words.

“I feel so miserable and powerless, like it’s always raining on me… I miss the mountains, where I could find peace, even if I was unwanted at that house too,” Fenrir was on the verge of tears. “I'm not by myself anymore, so why do I feel so alone?”

Artica put her bag down and embraced him with a caring, gentle hug. “It’s alright. I’m here with you. You aren’t alone."

They stayed like that for a while. She rubbed his back gently, wishing nothing more than the wisdom to help him. “Would you come with me?”

“Where to?”

“You'll see when we get there. Why don’t you bring your music player? Oh, and a blanket. It’ll be really cold at this time of night.”

Not really sure what was going on, but hungry from someone’s attention, Fenrir did as she asked. They left quietly, and started a 30 min walk into the woods. Artica held his hand the whole time, guiding him through the wilderness he hadn’t explored yet. Before he realized it, they reached the summit of one of the nearby hills; there was a clearing with a spectacular view of the sky. And what a view, with an electric green flowing gently into the night.

“Beautiful, right?” Artica said, inviting him to sit next to her. “I know they're common enough, but there's something about the Norðrljós (2)…”

Fenrir sat down, staring at the sky. She pulled the blanket out of her bag and covered them both, then huddled close to him. Artica rested her head on his shoulder. “I hope, at the very least, you find some peace and company here…”

Fenrir leaned his head on hers, feeling a little better. Like a wound which was still open, but had stopped bleeding. He took out his music player and offered her an earphone.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Okay, he’d done this before, so it shouldn’t be a problem, right? Still, as the new Karate Captain, Bud could’ve done him a solid and gotten someone else for this. Fenrir eyed the Year 2 student he was supposed to have the exhibition match against.

His name was Mime, from the House of the Singing Eagle, and was in the same two clubs as Syd; Music and Karate. He had pale orange hair, and deep red eyes but despite those harmless looks, Fenrir had noticed it was quite difficult to anticipate his moves. He was not particularly confident in winning this match.

Right now, though, he had other concerns, like the untamable lock of hair on his forehead that never stayed put! It was taking forever for it to grow long enough to be combed back with the rest of his hair, and Fenrir was running out of options to keep it back. That was, however, until a voice spoke right behind him.

“You really need to get a headband or something,” Artica observed, fiddling with the end of her braid.

“Oh! I thought you were still in the Archery exhibition... Yeah, I should, but it’s no use now.”

“I wrapped up as quickly as I could,” she said, finally pulling something out of it and reaching towards him to pin the lock neatly against the rest of his hair with a bobby pin. “There.”

Their faces were so close, he could feel the warmth of her body. A whistle rang in their ears, indicating the end of the first exhibition match, and this tiny moment of intimacy.

“I’ll get going.”

“No, wait!” Fenrir said, grabbing her hand. “Can I… Can I have a good luck kiss?”

“You don’t need good luck,” Artica replied before leaning in smoothly. “But you can have the kiss anyway.”

Bud gave them a moment before clearing his throat. “Alright, alright, that’s plenty of luck from you. Move along.”

As Artica was walking away, she bumped into someone coming into the changing rooms. It was one of the fencing members; specifically, the one that always wore a green handkerchief on their arm during matches.

“My apologies, my l- Rú-?!”

The older twin had barely turned around when Artica got snatched into the changing room. The door slammed shut loudly.

“You can tell absolutely NO ONE. Is that understood?” the Blue said the moment Artica opened her mouth.

The Black was taken aback. “Wha-? Why not?”

“I do not wish others to know this truth, and that should be enough to do as I ask.”

“But you’re the Green Knight!”

“The what now?”

“The Green Knight!” Artica repeated, pointing at the handkerchief. “The mysterious fencing club member that never removes their headgear during matches!”

“Now you know why. Please.”

The Black nodded, somewhat startled to remember that no matter how long you’ve been friends with someone, there is always a side of them that is unknown to you.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

"Congratulations! You are going to be a father!" Karianne announced, and almost everyone at the table struggled to not spit their drinks.

Bud frowned slightly at the other’s reaction. His partner brought a box from the next room and presented it to him with a smile. After removing the lid, Bud picked up its contents

"Oh, thank the gods it is a kitten," Syd said, still a little pale.

"Of course it is a kitten, dear, what are you even saying," Karianne replied with a dismissive gesture.

"I knew it was; K's been talking about this for weeks. I'm guessing Dad finally confirmed he's not allergic?"

"Certainly, darling. I would never make a move before ensuring his safety and consent."

Rúri, immediately smitten with the creature, extended one finger to rub its tiny head. "Does it have a name?"

Bud and Karianne looked at each other. She spoke first. "It is not my kitten, so I only have a suggestion."

The older twin, perfectly aware she usually gave food-related names to everything, felt the need to ask. "Yes?"

"'Espresso'! As he is small and black."

Her purebred competition horse was called 'Mac n' Cheese Kariannesson the Third', so this was an improvement. Bud nodded. "I will take that into consideration, K. Thanks for the little guy. Would you take a pic of us?"

Karianne grabbed her camera and immediately obliged. The resulting polaroid showed him carrying what looked like a black hole, as the kitten showed no recognizable features besides its bright eyes.

Bud stared at the picture and suddenly remembered reading an article about pigments and coatings. "I'm gonna call you Vanta (3)."

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

“You’re being so mysterious about this gift!” she said, covering her eyes. “Waiting for everyone else to leave and all that.”

Artica heard him open the cardboard cylinder Vaito had brought with him to the birthday lunch and then presumably unfurl its contents to set them on the table.

“Okay, you can open your eyes now.”

There were two things in front of her; one was a small, dark purple box, and the other a poster-sized, coat of arms-styled illustration of a massive stag facing forward atop of a rocky hill, with the night sky behind it, and a bright full moon strategically positioned between its antlers. Artica was speechless.

He then opened the box and showed her the content; a thin, silver choker in the shape of antlers.

“Fenrir… this is too much.”

“Too much what, exactly?” he asked, a little startled. “You don’t like them?”

“I do like them. I love them! But it’s… too much for me…” Artica replied, fidgeting with the corner of the poster. “Anything simple would’ve been fine, I’m a sim-”

“Yeah, I know, you always say that… but I wanted to get stuff that was beyond things you like, something that is meaningful to you personally. Stags seem to be it, yes? So a choker, which reflects the majesty of their antlers, and a custom coat of arms, that showcases their strength. Both qualities you share with them, in my humble, unbiased opinion.”

Sheepishly, the Black went to him and hugged him tight. “Thank you. I really do love them.”

She then turned around and pointed to the poster. “What about the moon, though?”

“What about it?”

“Why? Isn’t heraldry super intentional, with all bits contributing to an overall meaning or reference?”

Fenrir cupped her cheeks with his hands. “It represents your big, beautiful, bright, silver eyes; they are like the full moon on a clear, winter night.”

"Wow, that was a very cool answer. You nobles always know what to say."

He remembered the first time she said that to him, and couldn't help smiling. So much had happened since, and yet, Fenrir hoped it was just the beginning. After a few moments of gazing into each other’s eyes, they kissed.

Embla, who was watching TV with Reynir in the living room chuckled lightly. “Woah, he pulled that one off really well.”

“I know, right? Even I felt flattered, and he wasn’t talking about my silver eyes.”

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Her therapist had been thoroughly impressed during their latest session, when Artica reached out and petted the dog’s head for a bit. It had been a medium-sized one, though, unlike who she was petting now.

"Who would've thought a wolf would help me get over my fear of dogs?" Artica said while scratching Ging's chin.

Fenrir froze on the spot, the color drained from his face. "Wh-what did you just say?"

"Oh, c'mon, did you really think I believed he was a Saarloos Wolfdog?"

He made several non-descriptive hand gestures, but said nothing. Artica let Ging rest his head on her shoulder.

"I've gone hunting with Pa and B since I was a kid. You really thought I couldn't tell?"

"I- Well, you never said anything."

"The day I met him, I told you he looked one-of-a-kind… You casually shrugged it off."

Fenrir nodded vaguely. "I didn't say he was a dog that time, just that it was unlikely there was a dog like him in Central Asgard…"

Artica gave him that one. "In any case, if he really was your pet, you'd be a terrible dog owner."

"What? Why?"

"He has exactly one bowl, and for water only. You don't feed him, or walk him."

"Of course I don't, he's a wolf. Ging doesn't need any of that from me."

"My point exactly," Artica replied, victorious.

After a while, they returned to Artica’s house for lunch. As she was sweeping, the Black raised her voice. “Hey, Fenrir?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you really not want to do anything else on your birthday besides the Coming of Age ceremony?”

The Blue, who was washing the dishes, spoke without turning to her. “Uhh, I don’t know… Why? Do you have something in mind?”

“No, not really, but I mean, if you want, we can put something together. It doesn’t have to be super elaborate. At what time is the thing at the Palace?”

“Around noon, I think? I have yet to hear more from them.”

“How about a small dinner, then?” Bud interrupted, coming back from taking out the trash. “Artica can do her famous baby back pork ribs.”

Fenrir immediately turned around at the sound of that. “You can?”

She raised her eyebrows, a hint of pink in her cheeks. “If you want, yeah. They’re nothing special, though, so don’t think it’s a super fancy recipe or something.”

“But it’s good.”

“Yeah?”

“Very,” replied Bud with a cocky smile. “Meat falls right off the bone.”

Fenrir’s mouth started watering. He turned to her. “Would… Would you cook that, if we have a small dinner for my birthday?”

Artica didn’t have a reason to decline, but the puppy eyes he gave her would’ve been too powerful to even try. “Yeah, no problem! I’ll get everything going while you are the Ceremony-”

“What? No, you’re coming too. I didn’t tell you?”

“NO?”

“Traditionally, there must be at least two Heads of House present who agree one is worthy of the title-”

Bud snorted. “And you’ve got three. Piece of cake.”

“No. I mean, I don’t know. A very humble request was extended to the Viking Tiger, Celestial Horses, and Guarding Swan, but I completely understand if they decline.”

Artica gave the twin a look when he snorted again.

“And as the Lord-to-be, I am allowed to bring one or two guests to the Ceremony so I would be really, really happy if you would attend.”

Puppy eyes again. Artica seemed all troubled, and for a moment, Fenrir thought she would just say no, but the concern that came out of her mouth was regarding an entirely different matter.

“Shit, I don’t have anything to wear to an event with the fucking Princess of Asgard!” she muttered, frowning.

Embla, who had been folding clean laundry in the living room, entered the kitchen a few minutes later. “We couldn’t help overhearing. Don’t worry about that, sweetheart. I know just the person to ask.”

As she said that, Reynir handed her the phone, from which a voice was speaking. “Yes, Mother?”

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

“What are you dressed as?”

They shared a smirk.

“I am the Big Bad Wolf,” Fenrir answered, adjusting the ears on his head.

“And I am the Huntress,” Artica added, turning around to show her bow strapped to her back.

“That’s actually pretty clever. You are just missing a Red Riding Hood,” Rúri said with an impressed look on her face.

“Oh, we have one,” the Black said, nudging him to pull back his fur-trimmed coat and show a small hand-knitted doll strapped to his belt.

“Did you four managed to get all the costumes you wanted for the Vetrnaetr carnival (4)?”

“OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!” an imperative voice ordered as Karianne appeared round the corner wearing a deep red dress with elaborated heart patterns on the shoulders and sleeves. The twins were right behind her, arguing about something.

“No. We had them made for the occasion,” Rúri answered, adjusting the cat ears on the bright purple wig. She was blinking more often than usual. “These contact lenses, though, I cannot seem to get used to them.”

Her usually blue eyes now showed electric pink. It was easier to appreciate the Alice in Wonderland theme they were sporting once Syd (March Hare), Bud (Mad Hatter), and Karianne (Queen of Hearts) finally met up with them.

“Onwards, dear subjects, to the sign-up table first, and then the ale stalls!” Karianne indicated to her friends.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

“As you know, your graduation ceremony will take place at the end of the school year, during the morning. It will include a speech, and the delivery of your graduation diplomas. Besides your school uniform and the commemorative pin (design is not final), there are no other dress code requirements.”

Their overseer cleared their throat before continuing.

“In the evening, the masquerade will honor and celebrate your achievements in these past three years. Just as the ceremony, it will be held in the Academy’s Great Hall. This event requires formal clothing (those of you considering dresses should keep the length above your knee or longer). Dinner will be s-“

A hand shot up, preventing her from moving on.

“Yes?”

“Professor, you described it as a ‘masquerade’. Would you please explain further?”

“Ah, indeed, it seems I was about to skip that. Thank you, Heimrik. Yes, it is tradition for the graduates to wear a half-mask that covers the upper portion of their faces. For regular tuition students, the masks are to represent the sigil in their House’s coat of arms. For scholarship students, you are free to choose a symbol from Asgardian culture and/or wildlife, as long as it does not overlap with one of your classmates’ coat of arms.”

“Does that mean we have cat privileges?” Bud whispered into his brother’s ear. The younger twin repressed a laugh.

“Please make sure to fill out the survey you were given at the start of today’s meeting by the end of the week, so we can make the order for the half-masks as soon as possible.”

Once again, Heimrik’s hand shot up. “Professor, are we allowed to invite non-Academy students to the masquerade and, if so, do they require a half-mask as well?”

“Yes, you may invite one person who is not a graduate nor an Academy student, and yes, they do. In your survey, you will find a checkbox option for ‘external guests’. A more generic, but still tasteful mask will be created for them.”

The meeting continued with a deep dive on food, decoration, and music, among other topics. Overall, it seemed graduation day was going to be quite the event.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Ever since she won the tournament, Artica’s popularity has understandably increased.

At the Academy, she had been selected as the new Archery Captain, and students felt the need to high-five her frequently, chanting ‘Silver-Eyed Hawk’ whenever they spotted her in the halls. As they wandered around the city, people would randomly walk up to them and ask for a few words.

This had boosted Artica’s confidence greatly. Fenrir was happy for her, truly, but couldn’t help feeling annoyed at the frequent interruptions. The Street Market was probably the most tedious of all places, with so many people packed in the same narrow streets. Some even had the gall to flirt with her, even though their helix piercings were clearly visible!

“They only talk to you because of the tournament, you know?” Fenrir said after she politely turned down the most recent of those attempts.

“Excuse me?”

“You know it’s true. Before, they wouldn’t even give you a second glance.”

“What?”

“What! It’s the truth! People have fancies like that!”

“What is wrong with you?” she asked, visibly irritated.

Even though her hands had curled into fists, Artica just took a deep breath and started walking towards the plaza, where they would meet up with the twins and their partners. Fenrir followed her closely, both now exchanging heated words and escalating the matter, to the point where people around them started staring, intrigued by the lover's quarrel.

“I don’t even understand why you’re suddenly bothered by this. Are you jealous?”

“No! And it's not sudden! We can’t have peace and quiet anywhere now! You think I like being stared at all the time?”

Artica stopped dead in her tracks. His words flew right at her like a dagger, and landed between her shoulder blades.

Fenrir didn’t even notice; his train of thought was somewhere else. “Obviously not!”

“That’s a lot of shit for someone who spends all their fucking time at someone else’s house!” she spat angrily, turning around. “Can’t even have some peace and quiet in my own home!”

That dagger lodged itself in Fenrir’s heart, and was the only thing that prevented him from saying anything else.

“Hey, hey, that’s enough,” Syd suddenly intervened, pulling Artica’s arm. Neither had noticed they’d reached the plaza, nor that their friends had heard most of their exchange.

“I’m outta here,” Fenrir declared, pulling the hood of his fur-trimmed coat over his head and walking away.

She too departed soon after, politely declining Rúri’s invitation to come with them to a nearby coffee shop.

“I have never heard her like that,” Karianne said, 20 minutes later, sipping her tea. “Arguing, I mean. I have seen her angry, but never arguing.”

“That’s because Artica dislikes arguing,” Bud replied. His black coffee remained untouched. “She would rather return to the subject later with her head cool but whatever sparked that hit her too close to home, I guess.”

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Artica collapsed on her bed, covering her face with a pillow. “Obviously, even Fenrir’s fed up with it. I’m the one stuck with this scar for the rest of my life. Why did I think it wasn’t going to be an issue?”

Just a 20-minute walk away, Fenrir was sitting alone in his room, all curtains closed, and listening to music in the dark at a higher volume than recommended.

“I am jealous; I should've just admitted it. Why can’t I think before I speak like a normal person? And… She’s right, I’m always invading someone else’s home because I don’t have one.”

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

“Pa.”

Reynir was already aware something was wrong because Artica returned earlier than expected, and immediately went to her room without saying a word. However, this was his third child, and he had already learned the hard way that it was better to wait for her to come to him, rather than asking questions at the wrong time.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“Do you prefer how I looked before the bite?”

“There is nothing wrong with how you look now. I don’t miss your face without the scar.”

Her eyes filled with tears. “I do.”

You try getting your face bitten the week before joining the single, most pompous academic institution in Asgard, at sixteen! Polar had yelled over the phone when he tried to ease her worries.

Of all the things that hung over his teenage daughter's head, this was the one he disliked the most. There was no easy way to fix it, physically or emotionally, and sometimes the only thing that felt right was holding her in his arms and gently rubbing her back.

"Sweetheart. Whatever happened today will pass, okay? And while it does, we'll be right here with you."

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Class was uncomfortable as hell.

This year they ended up all in the same row, which was great, but right now, Syd wished his seat was not exactly between Fenrir and Artica. They weren't hostile or snappy at each other, like Bud and Karianne occasionally were, but it felt just as bad.

It was gloomy, awkward, and quiet; like sitting between two tombstones. During lunch, Fenrir would go elsewhere while Artica ate with the rest in complete silence. After speaking with them individually, it was clear they were not actually angry at each other, but deeply aggravated, and too embarrassed to talk about it.

“Just apologize, if you believe it’s necessary,” Bud had told her.

“Of course it’s necessary! I said something horrible to him! I just… don’t want to argue again.”

“Then don’t. Apologize for what you said, and if he starts to argue, tell’im what you used to tell me. ‘We can’t have a conversation in that tone. Come find me when you’re ready to talk’. It always worked.”

Artica hugged him close, thankful for his support.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

“What if I fucked up real bad?”

“I think we both know that is a given in this case,” Syd replied. “However, no matter what you have done, an apology is always the first step to sort matters out.”

“I was talking about other people, you know? About how they’re fair-weather friends because she’s the current tournament winner… but it came out wrong, as usual. After replaying it in my head, I realized it sounded like I was talking about her…”

“Then tell her that. Apologize, and explain yourself. I am sure she’s eager to understand, and to resolve this.”

“Thanks for hearing me out,” Fenrir said, bumping Syd’s shoulder with his fist.

x+x+x+x+x+x+x

Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry You don't know how lovely you are I had to find you Tell you I need you Tell you I set you apart (5)

The concert was packed, as expected. Everyone was singing along with the band, raising their colorful lights in the air in what looked like a sky full of stars.

Even though they bought tickets with seats, none of them were there. Both Artica and Fenrir were walking around, trying to find the other. He replayed his apology in his head over and over, trying to make sure he didn't miss anything. She rearranged her words every few minutes, frequently worrying it was not enough to convey the full extent of how sorry she felt.

Tell me your secrets And ask me your questions Oh, let's go back to the start

Eventually, they found each other. He had the gray scarf wrapped around his neck, while she had the hoodie’s arms around hers. They thought the same thing: ‘If this is it, I should return this, and if it's not, I want them to remember how much they mean to me.’

Nobody said it was easy It's such a shame for us to part Nobody said it was easy No one ever said it would be this hard

The music, the crowd, the lights. Everything suddenly went silent, and only they existed in the world. Those few seconds felt like entire centuries, and without fully realizing when, they ran to embrace each other. Tears ran down their faces as their gazes met.

Artica spoke first. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for getting mad and not paying attention to what you were trying to say."

“I’m sorry because I always blurt things out right away, and can’t take a moment to make it clear,” he replied, holding her tight. “I didn’t mean that about you. I was an asshole.”

“I didn’t mean my words either. I know why your house is not your home, and I’m sorry for being an asshole.”

They joined their foreheads, quietly sobbing in relief.

“You know I don’t mind your scar, right? That time I said it was one of my favorite things about you, I meant that. I still do.”

Artica leaned into his hand as he cupped her left cheek, closing her eyes.

“Thank you for saying that…” she paused, and then opened her eyes again. “We all gladly welcome you in our home, anytime, because now it’s yours too, no matter what happens between us.”

Fenrir let himself shed a few more tears. “Thank you for saying that, and for letting me into your home. It’s the first one I’ve ever had.”

Tell me you love me Come back and haunt me Oh, and I rush to the start

The rest of the concert was exactly what they hoped it would be; a wonderful, enjoyable time with their kjæreste.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(1) Tyler Knott Gregson

(2) “Northern Lights” in Icelandic.

(3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vantablack

(4) Vetrnaetr: “Winter nights”. The end of the harvest season (end of October), which meant that it was time to use the meat of the farm animals and start hunting. It’s also a night to reflect and honour ancestors, as well as the goddess Hela. The veil between the worlds is thinner during this night. https://winternightsfestival.com/about-vetrnaetr/

(5) The Scientist, by Coldplay

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