Chương 1109: Day One Thousand One Hundred And Seven

Dear Diary, Sometimes, when I'm dealing with folks like the Fates or the Norns, I really wish I could remember that old movie quote better. Or, y'know, remember what movie it was from. So many good flicks about fighting against destiny. Against Fate. I don't even remember what movie it was from, but there's a scene that sticks with me, where somebody carves the words 'no fate' into a picnic table. Weird, that I'd remember that scene but not what movie it's from.

Then again, I've never been certain how much of my old memories came across to the here and now with me. Maybe I used to remember that flick, but the bullet through my brain blew it out. Or maybe I didn't think about it much, because back then I definitely both firmly believed I didn't have any kind of fate that controlled my destiny, yet also knew down in my bones that my fate was to be shot in the street somewhere. Which... I guess I wasn't in the street, so there's that.

But I think somehow the Fates and I are antithetical, at least as I understand Fate. Then again, it depends on who you ask, on which legends you believe, on what you think the role of Fate is.

Like, from what I remember of that fuckin' brick of a mythology book, where the Moirai were weavers, creating some kind of big assed tapestry across all of time and space, which meant they ultimately had some kind of control over the Souls and actions of the people in that tapestry, the Norns always seemed more like caretakers.

Yeah, they ensured that cause followed effect and shit like that, which could lead somebody into believing in a deterministic universe, but just making sure John de Lancie isn't deciding whether shit falls down or up isn't the same as playing with each and every person on the planet like it's some kind of massive scale RTS game. Also, Fate seems kinda antithetical to Agency, and at the end of the day that's still my core Value, I think.

Wait, I just remembered one, from that Will Ferrell movie, where he says 'destiny isn't the path given to us, but the path we choose'. Which, I guess, kinda brings Fate and Agency back into line, maybe, if we're talking about the kind of Fates who just make sure Fuck Around is followed by Find Out. At any rate, when Skuld and Dad dropped that bomb on me about the Fates, I blinked a little, then turned to Skuld.

"So why were you looking like you wanted to hide behind Yggdrasil, but weren't sure that would provide hard cover against whatever hate or heat was coming at you?" She shuddered once more.

"Because whoever or whatever destroyed the Moirai was enraged beyond the capacity for any kind of rational differentiation between them and us," she nodded to her sisters.

"I felt them die. I think the only reason I didn't was that the force arrayed against them couldn't tell if I was Atropos or Clotho."

"I mean, you're not really either, right? You're... You represent the future. In the pictures I've seen, Clotho's the youngest looking, but she's the beginning, not the end. Atropos is sort of future like, but she's not really the future, she's the end of the line. Also, she's old as shit." Skuld chuckled, then laughed aloud.

"I'd tell her you said that, but I don't think I'm going to be socializing with the Moirai in the future. Just in case."

"Did you before?" She shrugged.

"Not really, so no big loss, I suppose." At that everybody went quiet for a bit, so I asked, "So... Anything else you guys can tell me?" Urd stepped forward, pulling Skuld back behind her, between herself and Verthandi.

"Can? Perhaps. Should? Likely not. Which is why will? No, we will not." It took me a second to get my fuckin' tentacles to settle the fuck down, because for whatever reason somebody straight up telling me no set off some kind of anger at defiance. Which, again, Agency, that's them employing theirs, which meant my petulant bitch fit could take all the seats it needed. When I did, I nodded to them.

"Well, you guys have been as helpful as you can be. Thanks for that, and be sure to let me know if there's anything I can do to return the favor." Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Urd shook her head.

"This has not been a favor, but a fulfillment of the pact made with the All Father long ago." I shrugged.

"Still. You guys helped me. I don't forget when somebody does that. Also, from the chats Skuld and I had back when I was de-petrifying my brother, she's good people. So the offer stands; if you need something, let me know, and I'll do what I can." Verthandi stepped forward.

"We accept your thanks, and will keep your offer in mind, but now is the time when we must return to our duties, and you to yours." Yeah, I could take a hint when it's on a three by five card stapled to my forehead so the message dangles in front of my eyes. I nodded, then stepped to the Courtyard at the Homestead. Before he collapsed back to himself, I turned and hugged Loki.

"Thanks, Dad." He hefted Aisling and I up and hugged us, strong enough not to notice our weight, gentle enough I didn't worry in the slightest about Aisling between us.

"You are always welcome to my help, Daughter." Then he set us on the ground and disappeared back to his cave, where Mom no doubt waited with several days worth of torture lined up. Not to mention several days worth of pent up post torture activities. Good to know that the entire 'attraction stops once you've been married a while' is so much bullshit. When I got inside, it was to find a whole assed buffet set up on the table in the middle of the room.

Not just one of Marie's 'many variations on a theme', but the genuine 'at least a dozen entrees, plus two dozen different appetizers, not to mention half a dozen desserts'.

"Hey everybody, we're home!" That got me an absolute smorgasbord of responses, from Anise, Felicia, and Jack charging at me cheering, to Isnomi, Alex, and Davey being a little more reserved, to Isadora smiling and waving as she continued the serious business of shoveling in calories. Mashed potatoes, I think. Of course when Anise got to me she jumped up, barely giving me time to catch her with the arm opposite Aisling, then used that extra height to boost herself up and yell.

"Mama's home! Time for cake!" Marie stepped into the Dining Room from the Kitchen, shaking her head and saying, "No." Before Anise could properly get her pout on, I jostled her so she looked at me, at which point I asked, "have you finished dinner yet? At least a solid helping of meat and veg?" Her lip shot out anyhow, but she admitted.

"No... Not yet." I smiled and gave her a quick squeeze.

"So get your protein, get your vitamins, and make sure all your sibs have eaten theirs too. Once we're sure everybody's gotten some proper nutrition in them, then we'll have cake." I looked at Marie as I said that last, but she just smiled and nodded. Of course, given a mission, Anise leapt away and started loading up a plate from the buffet. Three scoops of protein for each one of not, but I wasn't gonna push too hard either way on that.

Our kits needed more protein, our Fae less, as long as none of them were showing signs of malnutrition everything else was negotiable. Almost like Anise had to negotiate with Isnomi to let her go when she tried to rush the Menace's dinner. Yeah, I could have intervened, but Anise had been being bossy, and Menace wasn't dragging things out, just chewing enough to taste stuff. Funny what lessons stick with kids.

Once all our kids had gotten enough to eat, and Isadora convinced Menace to let Anise up by the simple expedient of straight up lifting both of them, Marie brought out the cake. So weird, listening to one of our musical quartet sing to the rest, what with Garde, Calliope, and Erato all standing next to the cake getting ready to each blow out one of the four candles. Isadora set Anise next to the fourth, with Menace perched on her shoulder overseeing the goings on.

Not to much in the way of presents, sadly, because while I'd intended to do a little 'shopping', the whole thing with the Norns had preempted that. Which ought to teach me to get shit done when I think of it rather than putting a pin in it, but will more likely lead to me beating myself up about not doing that. On the other hand, the presents the kits received from Conrad were both surprisingly simple yet sweet. He'd made them hats. Okay, 'hats' wasn't quite right.

Anise got a helmet, one with holes for her ears and some kind of clear protector over her eyes. Garde's hat also had earholes, but unlike Anise's helmet, hers was an actual hat, a broad brimmed, simplistic black thing that reminded me of the chick from the old Gaiman comic. Calliope and Erato's hats didn't have earholes, but they were really less 'hats' than 'laurel wreaths'. Okay, maybe flower crowns, only very likely made out of shit more durable than normal flowers.

Not that I could tell with Erato's crown of roses. Okay, there were some round white flowers with spiky stamen in there too, but mostly I noticed the roses, especially the fragrance of them when she danced over to show me. Calliope's was where I got the laurel wreath idea, because that was the general shape, but instead of some kind of faux plant material, hers was made of what looked to be ivory, gold, and deep purple velvet.

Of course the kits pounced on him, first Anise, then the others, smothering him with hugs and thanks. Which, when he looked at me like he didn't know what to do, reminded me that he was in fact shorter than me, and four enthusiastic kits, even four of the smaller ones, probably outweighed him at least two to one. Maybe four to one, honestly. So I stepped over and rescued him.

"What do you say, girls?"

"Thank you, Brother Conrad!" I swear I saw his eyes sparkle a little at that. Almost like he wasn't faking it.