video; @sif (Thor 3 spoilers)

[fiercestwarrior]

[ Sif is... not overly used to public speaking, unless you count rousing yells to fire soldiers up for battle, or perhaps the occasional drunken rant about something or other. Hence she looks more than a little stiff on camera, unsure how to address a crowd of unknown size that she can't even see. ]

Greetings, I am Lady Sif of Asgard.

[ Regardless of what happened to her home, that is how she will always refer to herself. ]

I am a member of the Perimeter Guard, and I am currently in need of sparring partners. Those of you who know what it means to be an asgardian will know what that says about my physique and how it might compare to your own abilities.

To those of you not familiar, suffice it to say that my people live for a long time, and I have spent most of my years training for battle. It requires a great deal of force to harm me, though blades will fare better than blunt instruments. As for my strength, it is quite considerable, though I could not say what that would mean in relative terms.

If you think yourself up to the challenge, I would be grateful if you would make yourself known.

Thank you.

Comments

[nostalgiabomb]

Yeah? Anything worth sharing?

[fiercestwarrior]

Are you asking me to tell you a war story?

[ She'll do it, she's just making sure. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ His grin goes hidden, considering he’s not currently on camera, but it’s obvious enough in his voice. ]

I miiiight be?

[ He likes hearing that kind of stuff, honestly. It’s a lot like watching Saturday morning cartoons, with heroes being badass and awesome. ]

I’ve gotta figure you’ve got plenty, considering what an illustrious warrior you are.

[fiercestwarrior]

[ He is actually reminding her a little of Volstagg's children right now, which of course comes with a stomach-clenching moment of remembering that she doesn't know if those little ones made it out of Asgard alive.

But she sets that aside for now, because that pain is always with her and will be for as long as she is here. She just has to keep living all the same. ]

I do, so choosing which one to tell is not the easiest thing.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter would bristle at being compared to a child, but truthfully, it’s a pretty obvious line to draw. ]

How ‘bout starting with your favorite one? Or the most recent.

[fiercestwarrior]

[ She hums a little in thought, but for some reason or other a memory rises to the surface, and she makes her choice. ]

Ah, now I have it. Tell me, Star Lord, have your travels ever taken you to Sajekhf?

[ Prime keysmash place name right there. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He pauses for a second, trying to think if he’s been there.

It sounds familiar? But then again, after a point, any planet or station or planetoid or whatever that hovers on the edge of his sphere of knowledge kind of sounds the same. What he settles on is an uncertain sort of uncertain, ]

It... rings a bell?

But no, I haven’t been. What happened there?

[fiercestwarrior]

The planet was divided into many kingdoms, and they were all constantly at war with one another. This was hundreds of years ago now, so things have changed quite a bit since then.

[ She shifts around a little in her seat to get more comfortable, since this is going to take a while.

She doesn't consider herself to be a particularly good storyteller, but she'll do her best. ]

One of these kingdoms reached out to Asgard, asking to be taken under its protection. Odin did not wish to get involved without knowing more, so he sent a diplomatic emissary there along with an escort of five warriors. I was one of them.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Ah, okay, the description fails to ring that bell anymore. He definitely hasn’t heard of this place – or at least, the history of it doesn’t sound familiar. Then again, he rarely delves into the history of most places he goes to, unless it’s really important or if he’s curious. Like figuring out why a planet was completely abandoned, or why the rulers were such giant douchebags. ]

I’m guessin’ this particular kingdom wasn’t on the up and up?

[fiercestwarrior]

If I told you, it would be getting ahead of the story.

[ Said with a gently teasing tone of voice. ]

I remember seeing the capital city from one of the surrounding hills. It was built very much like a maze, and it gave us all pause to think how easy it would be to get lost in such a place.

A guide met us at one of the gates, and took us through the city. It was a vast place, quite magnificent in its own way. We were brought to the palace that lay at the very center, and there we got to meet the king.

He welcomed us, offered us food and drink, and then he and the emissary sat down to negotiate.

As it turned out, he did not simply seek Asgard's protection, he wanted us aid an invasion.

[ So yes, of course his guess had been correct. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter, naturally, responds to that bit of teasing with an overblown, ]

Ugh.

[ But he says it in good humor. Apparently Peter likes asking for stories, but sitting patiently through them is another matter entirely. He dutifully waits, though, letting Sif spin the story, and when she reaches that last bit, Peter says smugly, ]

Called it.

[ Never mind that that was clearly the point of the story. Just let Sif talk, Quill. Jeez. ]

What’d you guys say?

[fiercestwarrior]

[ The interruptions are a actually a good way for her to gather her thoughts a little, so she doesn't mind at all. ]

We said that Asgard were willing to give protection against invading forces, but no more than that. The king appeared to understand, and that night there was a feast held in our honor.

Me and one of the other warriors were not at that feast, however, because we had been set on guarding the emissary's sleeping quarters to ensure that nothing was tampered with while she was away.

This is what saved our lives. The emissary and the other three warriors all perished at that feast, but me and Haldor, that was the warrior with me, were able to get away when attackers came for us. We had to climb down the palace wall, Haldor with a side badly burned from a blaster rifle.

The city really was a maze, and it took us two full weeks to fight our way out of it and get to the bifrost site. Haldor kept telling me to leave him behind, but I refused.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Oh, jeez. That took a turn, and Peter winces a little, though it goes hidden without the benefit of a camera. He probably should’ve expected that, but despite his efforts to the contrary, Peter tends to be optimistic, more often than not, and he was expecting some story where everything turned out fine and no one got hurt and Sif was a badass, the end. ]

Shit. Two weeks? That sucks.

[ Eloquence, thy name is Peter Quill. ]

Was that Haldor guy okay once you made it back?

[fiercestwarrior]

We often got lost, and at other times simply had to hide because we were facing forces too great to fight our way through.

[ She does have some of those more optimistic tales to tell as well, but most of the time when you are in a situation where you have to be a hero, it is because something has gone very, very wrong. ]

Haldor was well enough that he made me promise to dance with him at the next feast I attended, or he would not let the healers see to him.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter snorts out a laugh at that – probably something undignified, but, that's never really concerned him in the first place. ]

Sounds like a guy I would've gotten along with. Glad it had a kinda happy ending, at least.

Did you guys go in and kick that kingdom's ass, though?

[fiercestwarrior]

We did.

[ Which also isn't really a very pretty tale, because once the monarch was dethroned it left the kingdom wide open to its enemies and it was ravaged by many attacks. ]

I believe it became a republic, once the dust finally settled. And at the victory feast, I did dance with Haldor.

[ In case he was wondering. ]

I do think you would have liked him.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Yeah, the political realities never really occur to Peter. Mostly he's in it for the explosions and stuff, the action hero endings where justice is swiftly served and the bad guys get their just rewards. ]

What's Asgardian dancing like, anyway? 'Cause I imagine you guys just kinda, like, wrestle or fist-fight or something.

[fiercestwarrior]

[ Sif has a fairly black and white view of things a lot of the time as well, but you don't live as long as she has without picking up on some of the shades of grey.

His question makes her chuckle, though she can certainly see where he would have gotten that idea of Asgardian dancing from. ]

Sometimes we do. It depends on the occasion.