Get into the scene here:
The late-night moon cloaks itself in darkness, waning among the stars. Its appearance knows no equal: not even the sun can be seen in such terrifyingly divine detail. Similarly, the personification of the moon departs from his chariot, stepping lightly from powerline to powerline.
The moon never shines upon its body for fear of illuminating he who wishes to remain hidden—well, hidden until the midnight hour in which he shall make his rounds among shadows. For Mani, this is his primordial routine as the ruler of the night.
As he slides on ropes and wires, his mind runs over the coronation and this so-called "show" he and his sister were to put on. The queen expected the constellations to aid the subject matter, but the stars are just as powerful as divine entities. Why should they be treated like circus animals? Then again...perhaps this wasn't about the stars, but...about natural gods. What if the stars are merely a front to possessing the clowns for this show? Two mimes expected to keep their mouths shut and entertain the Alfather's lineage.
His fists clench at the thought. For as long as he can remember, the natural gods were seen as beings below the higher-ups. After all, natural gods are not made of sexual reproduction, but as physical embodiments of pre-existing objects. Consequently, beings like Thor and Loki are made specifically to wield abilities bestowed upon them. In other words, the natural gods are truly anything but natural, making them seem weaker and less valuable.
With that in mind, Mani wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. It would explain why the Alfather was okay with it...and why Frigga was so set on asking Sol instead of Mani. As much as he loves his sister, she's not always the brightest star in the sky (ironically enough). It's almost too perfect of a setup, and Mani doesn't appreciate being played like a pan flute.
He grumbles to himself, pacing along the powerlines. If he could go back in time, there's no way they would be going. Now, he feels stuck between a rock and a hard place...something about what his sister said makes his anger soften. She's always been one to party about like a drunken peacock, so her wanting to attend a party is far from uncommon. Yet she wants to go this one, among gods—traitors. Manipulators cause needless suffering and destruction for their own entertainment. It's practically ironic to consider those of Muspelheim the monsters of all the nine realms. It's simply not true considering almost all of them are murdered needlessly by the supposed "future king", Thor.
It makes no sense to him why she'd suddenly become so interested in something so...so-...he has no words. It's not often he finds himself angry normally being a patient god, but this...this feels wrong. Dirty...
But could he honestly deny something so simple as this to his sister? She wants to fit in and who is he to blame her for such feelings? As gut-wrenching as it might be, he truly has no choice in this. And that in itself is enough to make the tint of the moon itself shine a golden glint of irritation and fear. Was he being too careful? Could this truly all be just a hurtful joke? He can only hope...
Among his thoughts, the sound of cries catches his attention. He pauses, glancing around to locate something moving under a nearby tarp. His eyes narrow and he approaches it, bending down to remove the tarp, revealing a small cage with a rabbit caught in it, its hind legs caught in the door and bleeding.
Mani, being Mani, obviously, uses his hands to break the damn thing with ease. Like a toothpick. He then takes the bunny from between the remains, setting it in his lap and petting it with subtle soft movements as to calm it down. Against his better judgment, he looks at the poor thing's legs.
It's once pure white fur has been stained in its own blood, causing a bloodied damp color. From the amount of blood, Mani has two options...but night is far from a deity of life. He moves one of his hands down to pet the poor thing's head. It closes its eyes, making small noises and shaking from the pain.
Mani spares little hesitation in putting two fingers on the rabbit's head before quickly twisting it, killing the pained little one without so much as a blink.
He brings it to his chest, petting it gently while mumbling softly.
"ᛁᚾ ᛞᚨᚱᚴᚾᛖᛋᛋ ᛟᚠ ᚾᛁᚷᚺᛏ, ᛞᛟ ᛏᚺᚤ ᛈᚨᛋᛋ ᛁᚾ ᛈᛖᚨᚲᛖ. ᚾᛟ ᛈᚨᛁᚾ ᛏᛟ ᛖᛪᛈᚱᛖᛋᛋ—ᚷᛟᛟᛞᚾᛁᚷᚺᛏ..."
He sighs before getting up again and using the shadows to aid in his venture towards a pack of timber wolves, locating a pregnant female and dropping the carcass in front of her before going about his way once more. Call it mercy, call it cruel: the night is no stranger to the lives that end in its wake. No matter the realm, no matter the people: it's always the same.
"..Maybe that's the issue" he mumbles with a small sigh.
From Midgard to Vanaheim, the night shifts over the sky in Mani's usual trot back to Asgard, the last realm of his visit. He arrives home just in time to notice Sol taking off to begin her cycle. A smile tugs at his lips before faltering to a yawn, praying time will pass slowly enough for him to get out all of his anxiety on the event.
...even if Sol is counting done the seconds.
(Sorry for the Shorter chapter)
END OF CHAPTER
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Ecliptic
FantasyThe tale of two siblings who escape their angelic and hypocritical realm by "blending in" on Midgard. However, even with such beautiful disguises, it seems someone might be on to them. To remain hidden, the sun must be covered by the moon...even i...
