The first thought that crossed Iðavöllr's mind as she gazed out on the snow covered landscape in front of her was that she was very much not in Destiny City.
The second was that, maybe there was something to her looking like some kind of extra out of Arendelle, given the frigidness of the air.
She shivered, despite the layers, glad that she'd had the foresight to at least bring a pair of gloves with her as she fumbled them awkwardly onto her hands - and whilst they weren't really that big a help, they were at least some sort of layer between her and the air and made Iðavöllr feel a little better.
"Stay close to..." she started, as brown eyes glanced down and towards her four-pawed companion - who was the reason why she was here (wherever here was) and not tucked up in her apartment with her hot drink of choice, before thinking better of it as she reached down and scooped up the tabby bobtailed talking cat who had turned up one day in her apartment after her cousin had left to go back to the UK temporarily and settled said cat on her shoulder–
And who still turned up in her apartment periodically even though Arian was back in Destiny City and her apartment building had a very well publicised no pets policy.
"I can walk."
Iðavöllr huffed a little at her companion's comment, even as she trudged her way forward and towards the mass that she could see just up ahead in the distance and slightly hidden by snow-covered trees - which she was hoping was a building of some sort.
"We should stay together" she pointed out, because she really didn't really want to end up having a conversation with her cousin that started 'Sorry, I lost the talking cat that seems to like hanging out with you...'.
Up close, the snow-covered trees looked almost like fir trees and the scent of them made Iðavöllr think of Christmas and Christmas trees - albeit lacking the needle shed of the Christmas trees back in Destiny City.
Her lips quirked up in a small smile, despite herself, because whilst it was only the start of November, as in literally the start of November, the trees made her feel somewhat nostalgic - even if the silence of her surroundings was perhaps a tad eerie.
Not that she would admit to it - at least not out loud.
Iðavöllr could admit however that she was glad that the talking cat had pretty much badgered her into coming out here however - even if it had meant that she had ended up spending her evening sitting on an abandoned park bench and trying to 'meditate', albeit badly, whilst mentally mourning for the quiet and cosy evening that she'd had planned.
And whilst there was no way that she would admit it to the cat, but Iðavöllr had felt like an idiot whilst doing so.
Not that Liryn had listened when she had suggested that she didn't think that it was working out and that perhaps they could try again on another night, one that was perhaps a little warmer - instead she had been subjected to an unimpressed stare and the cat had somehow managed to feel even heavier on her lap, and...
Her thoughts trailed off as she stepped out of the cover of the trees and startled sound of surprise escaped her lips as brown eyes caught sight of what appeared to a garden of frozen flowers.
Okay so perhaps it had once been a garden, but now the flowers seemed to have taken over everything in a wild tangle of frozen green top with a fragile star of white–
And despite everything it was.. There was beauty in it - beauty and something also glimmering amongst the flowers.
Iðavöllr reached down with a small frown, gloved fingers curving around the item and scooping it up as she straightened, brown eyes startled as she took in the ring that she now held in her hand–
And whilst she was by no stretch of the imagination a jeweller, or even into making jewellery as her cousin was, she had eyes and could see that the ring was beautiful - beautiful and most likely very expensive.
"I see that you've found my ring."
And perhaps Iðavöllr shouldn't have been surprised, after all she lived in Destiny City where weird was practically seasonal and she was in the company of a talking cat.
It didn't stop her from making a yelping sound - one that she would very much have to deny if she was ever called on it.
"I'm sorry..."
And on turning Iðavöllr could see that there was a woman garbed similarly to her behind her, her long blue hair caught up in pig tails.
"I didn't mean to startle you, it's just that it's been a while since the hall of Iðavöllr has had visitors - much less a mauvian visitor."
And on turning Iðavöllr could see that there was a woman garbed similarly to her behind her, her long blue hair caught up in pig tails.
The woman's gaze was kind but firm as she stared at her, Iðavöllr belatedly realising that the woman in front of her was not corporal, that her shoes neither made foot prints on the ground nor did they bend the unruly flowers.
"But you're not really a visitor are you Iðavöllr?" And whilst it was phrased as one it wasn't a question - not really.
"I..." And Iðavöllr had no idea of how to answer that, because how did one answer someone that appeared to be some sort of ghost?
She turned her head slightly to glance helplessly at Liryn, her gloved hand still holding onto the ring - because she had no idea of the etiquette that applied to talking ghosts and maybe - just maybe the talking cat would have a better idea of how to deal with this.
Maybe, she realised, but unlikely given the way that he was purring away.
Iðavöllr looked back at the ghostly lady - a ghostly lady that was still there. Still standing atop the flowers and still looking at her.
"Won't you come into the hall?"
And as Iðavöllr eyes followed the direction that the ghost was pointing to she realised that the other was pointing to a building that was just up ahead and past the wild garden of frosted flowers.
"It's not as it once was," and for a moment the ghost's voice sounded sad, "But it can get cold outside" another kind smile "And I think you may have questions?" And once again it was a question that was not really a question.
The ghost stepped forward and whilst a part of her found herself questioning herself for doing so, it didn't stop Iðavöllr from finding herself following after the ghost anyway.
-- 1157 words --
