Loki’s expression is beatifically innocent as he lifts his gaze from the laptop monitor which sports a tiny sticker of an ouroboros.
“Oh, what? Whatever did I do?” he chimes, saccharinely.
Tony tries, he really does, to look stern and not give in to the soft, innocent look, but damn it all, it’s as bad as when Peter starts throwing around those soft brown puppy eyes of his. He almost always caves to them, and he’s sure they’re both aware of it – Loki most certainly so, though Peter does seem to be learning it as well.
With an exasperated sigh, he sits next to his lover, leaning in to press an affectionate kiss to his jaw. “You’re as bad as Peter with those looks. Fine, just don’t get caught. Or get me put on yet another watchlist. That’s the last thing I need while trying to get the Accords nullified.”
With another kiss, closer to the corner of the god’s mouth, he murmurs quietly, “Or is this just your way of trying to make sure I provide you with more ‘suitable distractions’?”
“How dare you impugn my honor by suggesting that I, I, ever have ulterior motives?” Loki purrs.
He turns and snatches a kiss from the corner of Tony’s mouth, a sharp bite to mark his territory over the lips from which such witticisms spew.
“Act like that and I’ll hack one of your powerful friends and then force you to choose between them and me, incorrigible brat that I am, but nobody you have ever known is more beautiful, so you see, you’re at an impasse. Make love to me this instant, and I shall consider abandoning my allegedly wicked ways.”
–not because she frightens him, how could she, when her thick plait of hair is strawberries and clean sunshine, when her arms are safety, when her hands no matter the cleanliness bear the slight stains of various dyes and potions and worlds opened unto him when everyone he knew was fair and robust and gregarious and out of his reach, worlds that became his own, a merry mischief that begat his own, Norn stones and chants and the ancient magpie’s cry that is now his own, no–
because he reveres her time alone to forecast the future and to meditate. Because he reveres her.
“If it is an inconvenient time, I can return later, mama,” he assures her, with a warmth spared only for the august queen before him. “The matter is not pressing, only a new spell I have developed, that I believe you would enjoy.”
The wolf approaches the grains that feed its kills, fondly.
The soft crackling of the fireplace and the ambient bubbling of the cauldron are all that break the silence as warm eyes gaze into the turbulent depths of her youngest’s face.
[ a fleeting memory, but cherished. hefty rolls of thunder and driving rain and a warm body in her lap, curled against her chest, her hair hiding him nearly from view. the fire crackled peacefully as she chanted a calming spell, her clear tones ringing around the stone in an ethereal chorus seemingly multiplied despite the single voice.
another memory. jet hair splayed across the paleness of a pillow, a young face far too careworn even in sleep. this time, as her hand brushed against his forehead, settling a lock of hair, the ivory skin briefly flashed cerulean, her own magick dispelling his illusion. taunting her. this is not your child. not the fruit of your loins. a peace-child, a mere cuckoo’s egg, and yet you raise it as your own. you would bleed for him. die for him, exchange the very essence of your being to give this child life. the queen did not return from the depths of her chambers for three days after that. when she did, her animosity towards the Alfodir was tangible.
BY THE NORNS THEMSELVES, if Odin thought for one MOMENTshe was going to treat this child any different than the fruit of their union…
WOE BETIDE HIM. ]
“MAGPIE MINN,”
something seems to shake the Almodir from a stupor, drawing up to her utmost height, an aura of power glimmering faintly around her, a life-giving-wheat-gold as she smiles softly.
“You are never an interruption.”
–had she not always kept this philosophy with this child so desperate for love, for a family… for a mother? had she not always no matter what the circumstances, made it utterly clear that this fragile one, this soul so desperately in need of nurture was welcome in her chambers, her study, her HEART?
the soft murmur falls from her lips as she extends a dry-ink-blotted hand towards him.
“Come, show me what your mind-thoughts have borne.”
All Loki has ever known of his mother is that embrace limitless and omnipresent as water; clean water from the chilliest spring, meant to threaten Loki’s enemies with silky sweetness; or warm sudsy bathwater, meant to wash away the filth and the wounds of living; or driving rain, or the exhilarating rebirth of rising mists. Loki is as water, because Frigga is as water.
And memories of hiding in a warm blond plait, listening to a chorus of song from a single mouth, or kisses on the brow or the cheek when still encased in the warm cocoon of slumber, are still as fresh today as when Loki was a wild changeling.
“Well, I think I have finally mastered a way for us to appear to shift form, yet it is only an illusion, as ever when we cast illusisons, but this time, the illusions remain ostensibly solid.”
He lopes toward her, with a cautious gait that speaks in no way of mistrust toward his mother, but rather, toward existing. Such is the natural side effect of being penalized all one’s life, for living.
Snowy hands reach forward, conjuring a live mouse, and its double, and Loki dangles each carefully, gently, by the tail.
“They even respond to physical stimuli such as an embrace or a weapon wound. Fairly soon, I believe I shall be able to manufacture appropriate viscera, such as blood, when the illusion calls for such a response to external stimuli. Here, feel. I doubt you can tell the difference between the real rodent that I have summoned from another place, and the one that I have conjured from thin air.”
The slinking fey form of the Trickster God meanders through the halls of New Asgard, with its dearly crude lumber stave architecture, and its novice frescoes of the Norns and the Gods painted directly onto the timber.
But Loki is looking for his most troublesome child, who is sure, left to his own wily devices, to be defacing those very frescoes.
“Ragni, I seeeee youuu.”
His eyes glow a brilliant lime-gold, the hue of his Seidhrs, with a spell catching the aura of his most raucous child, who seems to have his elder brother’s boisterousness matched with his own icnonoclasm.
“I see you behind that barrel and I shall snatch you up… !”
Thor was a victim of Odin’s abuse and brainwashing too, so maybe try not to blame him for thinking Loki was beyond hope because when a parent you’ve been raised to trust tells you that, you’re inclined to believe them
“Thor was a victim of Odin’s abuse and brainwashing too”
AHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Yeah, because being the golden child that everyone loves totally isthe same as being the scapegoat outcast whose father literally said his birthright was to die and then locked him in the dungeons for what was meant to be the rest of his life with no content with the outside world.
*snort*
Sure, Thor was totally abused too xD
Not all abuse follows the same pattern and no one is saying Thor was abused to the same degree as Loki was.
Let’s look at the 3rd child, Hela, because her abuse has most in common with Thor. Odin seemed to treat her well and judging from the friezes she uncovered, they seem to show she was respected by Asgard, ruling at Odin’s side. She was given the same weapon as Thor and raised to be a warmonger than Odin could unleash on his enemies.
But he had moulded her into a mass murderer. Do you doubt that doing that to a child is abusive?
It doesn’t excuse what she did, just as Loki’s abuse doesn’t excuse what he did, but it does help you understand why these things happened.
As for Thor, he basically got the Hela-lite treatment. He was raised to love war and fighting, he was even raised to be a cold-blooded killer (just look what he did on Jotunheim), just not to the same degree that Hela was.
Neither Thor and Hela were raised to have introspection, given the ability to question their actions, thoughts, or beliefs.
And when they did what they had been raised to do (wage war) but without Odin’s permission, both were banished.
None of his children were raised with their best interests at heart. Rather, they were turned into what Odin wanted them to be. He viewed them as extensions of himself that he could do what he wanted with, rather than as people in their own right.
Nothing about this is healthy parenting. Nothing about this raises well-rounded adults. He has damaged all his children via the emotional abuse used to turn them into what he wanted them to be.
Thor was able to overcome his abuse and become a wise, rounded adult (well, ish. He succeeded as long as you ignore the BS that was Ragnarok).
Although it wasn’t shown onscreen, Loki seems to have taken strides too, not to overcome the abuse perse, but to become his own person, who he wants to be rather than who Odin wanted him to be, or a rebellion against who Odin wanted him to be.
Some of Odin’s children received different kinds and different levels of abuse, but they were all abused.
To say to your children “both of you are meant to be kings”, then piting them against eachother, teaching them that frostgiants are monsters while keeping the secret that one of his sons is one of those monsters (“I only wanted to protect you from the truth” is bullshit, he wanted to spare himself of the consequences of Loki knowing the truth) is manipulation at least and emotional abuse at most. Treating your children differently and favouring Thor, which enabled everyone to treat Loki as inferior is abusive, Thor is eligible for the Throne cause he’s the “first born”, so is not like Loki can’t be king because of what he is but he’s second in line of succession but it always seemed like Loki just wasn’t worthy of the Throne. Another thing, besides the fact Odin lied about Hela and decided to bring it up right before she’s released, she too wielded Mijolnir, and told her and Thor that only the worthy can summon it…worthy according to who? He also neglected to tel him he already was powerful, the hammer just helps him focus it, so essentially he gave Thor and Hela a tool that also works as a LEASH for Odin to control them, and when that leash no longer works, he takes it from them and casts them out. Is not the fact Hela was killing, is not the fact Thor went on a Rampage on Jotunheim, is not the fact Loki attacked earth, because Odin was too a murderer and conqueror, he simply punished them for disobedience, and all of his children got wildly different treatments…he locked up Hela god knows where and ERRASED her from existence, nobody knew who she was or what she and Odin had done. Thor’s punishment seemed the one that made more sense, cause it was to teach him a lesson, which he learned and returned with his hammer. Loki on the other hand, attacked a city (under someone’s orders, did he even bother to ask Loki anything about it??) and Odin had him sentenced to death and instead locked him up in a dungeon, also to be forgotten. A bit much, for a father, uh?
I want it clear that I hardcore agree that Thor was also mistreated by Odin. I do blame Thor for certain events of emotional and physical coercion of Loki, but not for one minute do I believe Thor escaped Odin unscathed. I’ve written about this extensively so send an ask if you want links to the bigger conversation.
This is why while I would basically die for Loki, I do not identify as an apologist. Loki is not blameless and Thor’s life is not charmed. It is not that simple.
icyxmischief 