Betterman

Lyrics are by Eddie Vedder, prose is by Hobie McCombs

The tower of Bilkskirnir stood high against the night skyline.

"Waitin', watchin' the clock, it's four o'clock, it's got to stop
Tell him, take no more, she practices her speech"

Peorth knew it was coming to this. She wasn't sure how he'd react, but

sooner or later he was going to find out. And she preferred sooner.

That she had to wait up all night was even more frustrating. By habit, he

had always been late, staying out with the Einherjar, drinking and feasting

in the great Hall. And that was when he happened to be in Heaven which had

grown to be a rare occasion. Most of the time, they were apart, she maintaining

the Earth Assistance Center and him seeking glory and reckless battle, wandering the other worlds.

"As he opens the door, she rolls over...
Pretends to sleep as he looks her over"

Magni, god of strength eventually opened the heavy door to his bedchamber. He turned

on the bedside lamp and rubbed his eyes as he saw a small form, laying in his huge bed.

"Peorth?" he blinked a few times. "What is this? Why are you masquerading as a child?"

"She lies and says she's in love with him, can't find a better man...
She dreams in color, she dreams in red, can't find a better man..."

Peorth sat up in bed and squinted, trying to adjust to the light. "So glad to

see you too, cheri. I heard you were back and you haven't called on me."

Magni stared at her with cold blue eyes as if she were a stranger, not his on and

off again paramour. "Is this a game to appear as a child? Change back, babe."

Can't find a better man

"Can't find a better man
Ohh… "

She glared at him. "I cannot."

"Why?" he sought explanation.

"A demon put a temporal spell on me," she replied sullenly.

"Talkin' to herself, there's no one else who needs to know...
She tells herself, oh...
Memories back when she was bold and strong
And waiting for the world to come along..."

"And no one else can cure you?" the son of Thor asked incredulous.

So much for understanding and being able to lean on him. God of strength?

In a pig's eye!

"They're working on it, but so far it's hopeless."

"Who is this demon?" Magni's features grew angry. He looked imposing with long

wild blonde hair and goatee. His arms were muscle on muscle on a seven foot body.

"I'll force the fiend to restore you!"

"The Underworld will have already pronounced sentence upon him. He was a renegade

who hacked into Yggdrasil," she informed him.

"Swears she knew it, now she swears he's gone
She lies and says she's in love with him, can't find a better man..."

"So in the meantime, you're cursed like this?" he asked.

Peorth nodded. She wanted to seek comfort in his arms, have him hold her and

say everything would be alright. Yet, Magni did not see the lover with whom he

had a tempestuous relationship. He only saw a little girl and dealing with children

was not his strong suit.

"She dreams in color, she dreams in red, can't find a better man...
She lies and says she still loves him, can't find a better man..."

"I ask that you retire to one of the guest chambers. I will have one of my mother's

hand maidens attend to you," he stated, barely looking at her.

The last thing she wanted was to be alone. Peorth needed comfort in someone she

felt close to. Everyone had laughed at and made fun of her appearance. He seemed

repulsed by it.

"She dreams in color, she dreams in red, can't find a better man...
Can't find a better man
Yeah..."

Peorth headed out of his bed chamber and went down the hall then down

a grand staircase. She chose to return to her own estate, sadness in her eyes and

heart.

"She loved him, yeah...she don't want to leave this way
She feeds him, yeah...that's why she'll be back again"

Magni sighed to himself as he got into bed. He didn't know how to deal with such

an odd twist of events. If she had been "herself", it would have been another one

of those "hold onto the bedpost lovemaking" sessions.

He felt that he was the only god who could satisfy he and that was why she remained with him.

"Can't find a better man
Can't find a better...man...
Ohh...ohh...
Uh huh...
Ohh... "

Peorth curled up in her canopy bed, crying herself to sleep. It angered her that she

was getting so bent out of shape over him. She thought of Keiichi and how lucky that

darn Belldandy was too have him. Maybe, just