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mochie85 · 14 days ago

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mans was so caught up in the 😘 that he forgot to function! 🤣

love it!

Follow the Crow - Chapter Twenty Four

Pairing: Norse Mythology Loki + OFC + OMC

Tags: Love triangle / Romantasy / Norse Mythology AU / Shapeshifting / Magic Realism

Warnings: none really, mostly fluff unless you have an extreme fear of heights.

Length: 2.6k

Summary: In which we discover where Sy has taken Dee and explore her new talents a little further.

Chapter List

Full Master List of all works

The cave was empty when she woke and Dee was sure she should have felt more alarmed. But a few lingering flames still licked at the charred logs in the fire pit, eliminating the last of the chill from the air and the bedding swaddled around her carried Sy’s reassuring scent. For a moment she was tempted to snuggle back under the covers, close her eyes and pretend the day hadn’t started yet, but the shrill whistle from a kettle, strung over the flames, argued loudly against that decision.

Giving a soft huff of defeat she wormed her way out of the warm, soft nest and padded across the uneven floor to the firepit. The set up was basic in design and it was simple enough to swing the kettle away from the flames. As she did so, she noticed a couple of mugs and a canister on a low ledge. Popping the lid she gave the contents an experiment sniff and deemed the coffee fresh enough to risk making herself a mug. She debated pouring the second; clearly Sy hadn’t been gone that long but she had no idea when he’d be back.

Selecting a lovingly carved rocking chair, she curled her feet under her and gazed up at the ragged ceiling. The last ragged remnants of red-tinged sunlight filtering down from the cave mouth above told her she’d slept through the entire day, but she felt little urge to make the most of the remaining light and explore any further.

The firelight was much more pleasant, she decided, adding another couple of logs to the pit. It still generated sound in her head, but unlike that relentless note from her cell, this was more of a soft melody gently playing behind her thoughts. Closing her eyes she rocked in time to the song of the flames and let the unfamiliar sense of peace wash over her.

A heavy thump, followed by an unexpected gust of wind from the cave mouth broke into her drifting thoughts, and Dee blinked as Sy lowered himself through the entrance. In one hand he held a thick sweater and in the other, a small cloth bag. Careful not to drop either, he picked his way down the steep incline into the cave. Once he’d reached the almost level floor, he gave himself a brisk shake like a dog, dislodging the last flecks of snow from his hair and shoulders, dropped the bag next to the fire and pulled on the sweater. Holding his hands out to the flames he moved closer and gave a sigh of relief.

“You kept the fire going,” he said, giving her a grateful smile. “I was worried it might have gone out.” He winced, and ran his fingers through his hair. “I didn’t mean to be gone that long, but the village was further away than I remembered.” He pulled a face. “Or I’m not quite as fast through the air as I used to be.”

“There’s a village?”

“Yes, in the valley on the other side of the forest. I brought breakfast!” Glancing back over his shoulder at the fast darkening sunset staining the sky he shrugged, “Or possibly dinner. But food at least. Are you hungry?” Dee’s stomach growled loudly before she had the chance to answer and he chuckled. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Starving,” she admitted, recovering the bag from where he’d dropped it and rooting through its contents, “what did you bring?”

“I didn’t want to be gone too long, in case you woke up, so I just grabbed the basics: knekkebrød, brunost and raspberry jam.”

Dee stared at the rich, brown cheese with suspicion. “Cheese and jam?”

Ignoring her scepticism, he began layering slices of the cheese onto the crispbreads and topping with the sticky fruit preserve. “Trust me, you’ll love it. Sweet and salty, a bit like you.”

“Hey!” Thumping his arm in mock outrage, she accepted the first heavily laden slice and took a hesitant bite. Flavour exploded over her tongue and her eyes widened. “Oh my god,” she mumbled around the mouthful.

“Told you it was good.”

“Good! This is amazing.” Devouring the first slice in a matter of seconds, she greedily reached for a second.

Sy watched her with a soft smile on his face. “It is,” he agreed, reaching over to collect a crumb from the corner of her mouth, sucking his thumb clean before helping himself to a slice of his own.

Dee froze with the slice of cracker halfway to her mouth, the intimacy of the gesture impossible to ignore. She swallowed hard, unsure if she wanted to lean into the moment or back away.

Giving her a sidelong glance, Sy gracefully avoided any potential awkwardness by moving across to the opposite chair, its frame creaking beneath his weight. Dee released the breath she’d been holding, her relief tinged with just a hint of disappointment. In an attempt to hide her confusion, she flashed him a quick smile and took another bite. A comfortable silence settled over them as they both gave their full attention to food before them.

Breakfast consumed, Dee wrapped her hands around her second mug of coffee and stared at her fingers. The indigo shade was darkest over her nails, lightening to a pale lavender as it ran up and over her wrists. A shadow in the corner of the cave caught her eye and she twitched an experimental finger towards it. It gave a shiver as if responding to a caress and curled a little higher up the wall.

Sy blew on his coffee before asking, “Are you getting used to it yet?”

Nodding slowly she turned her hand over, staring at her lifeline, inked deeply into her palm. “I think so. I guess you can get used to anything, given enough time, but…” she trailed off, her teeth sinking into her lower lip.

“But what?”

Unable to meet his gaze, she stared into her mug as if it contained the answers to all her questions. “Am I evil?” she whispered.

“What? No!” Setting down his cup on the edge of the fire pit, he pulled her chair around to face him. “Why would you say that?”

Dee swallowed hard, twisting her face away from his intense gaze. “Loki called me Shadowspawn. And that was before…”

“So?”

She blinked and met his eyes for the first time. “You think I’m Shadowspawn?”

“Maybe. Why does that bother you?”

“I’m sorry? You don't think that’s a big deal?!”

“Not really.” He cocked his head to one side. “Do you even know what it means?”

Dee shuffled her feet. “Well no, not exactly, but…but the way he said it… it didn’t sound good. And a thing spawned from the shadows filled with darkness and evil…”

“Whoa!!” He grabbed her hands and held them against his chest. “I will say this again, because you clearly weren’t listening the first time. You are not evil nor are you filled with darkness.”

Unable to meet his gaze she stared at their intertwined fingers instead, but the contrast between them was so stark she had to close her eyes against the tears she could feel threatening to spill down her cheeks.

Sy waited a moment for her to respond and then rubbed his thumb against the back of her hand. “You may well be touched by the shadow, perhaps filled with it or even created by it. But that doesn’t change who you are, who you have always been. Nobody is born entirely good or entirely evil. You get to choose that for yourself. And yes, you are different now. Changed. With new powers you didn’t have before. But how you use them is up to you.”

Dee choked back a sob. “But the only thing my powers seem good for is running away.”

He cocked his head to one side. “They may have enhanced your ability to run, but you still get to pick the direction.”

Unwilling to let him comfort her, Dee pulled away and hunched her shoulders. Hiding her hands within her sleeves she shook her head. “But shadows are bad.”

“Are they?”

Her gaze skittered to the darkest corner of the cave. “Ever notice that whenever there are monsters, they always appear from the shadows?”

“You could look at it a different way,” he said, folding his arms and keeping his tone brisk. “Maybe the shadows are keeping the monsters at bay. Protecting you from them, keeping you safe.”

She sniffed and rubbed her nose on the back of her sleeve covered hand. “Not doing a very good job. The monsters always seem to break free.”

His face scrunched as he shook his head. “But you don’t see all the monsters that don’t make it through the shadow. All the times that the shadow wins and keeps them out.”

She frowned, meeting his gaze with narrowed eyes. “So you’re telling me there are even more monsters out there? Monsters I’m not even aware of?”

Smile tinged with a little sadness he shrugged one shoulder. “There are always more monsters.”

“Not making me feel better!”

He laughed at her expression and pulled her into a hug, long arms looping around her waist as he lifted her out of the rocking chair. “Dee. Do you know the single thing that shadows rely on for their entire existence?”

Her frown deepened. “No. What?”

“Light. Without light, shadows cannot exist. And you, my darling girl, are filled with light.”

Muffled into his shoulder, her words were almost inaudible. “Then why do I feel stronger when I’m in the darkness?”

Sy was silent for a few seconds and then got to his feet, lifting her with ease. “Come on,” he said, setting her down and taking a step towards the entrance. “I want to show you something.” He held out his hand. “Something else that is stronger and more vibrant in the darkness.” One large hand wrapped around hers he towed her firmly towards the mouth of the cave above them.

The clouds and mist which had hidden the view during their arrival had disappeared and as she emerged from the cave, Dee could see a snow-filled valley beneath them, sparkling in the moonlight. A string of lights, most likely from a road, wound its way between the trees disappearing towards a small glow in the distance. She gasped, her breath turning into a delicate plume of mist. “Where are we?”

“Norway.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“It is, but it’s not what I wanted to show you.” He raised a finger. “Look up there.”

Dee followed the direction he was pointing and her mouth fell open. The wide sky above them rippled and danced: swathes of blue and green glowing bright against the night. “Oh my god,” she whispered.

“Aurora Borealis. The Northern Lights.” He squinted upwards. “It’s been a few years since I last saw them, but they always take my breath away.”

She blinked, struggling to find the right words. “It’s like the sky is playing music.”

Sy took her hands. “Want to dance?”

A smile stretched across her face and she leaned closer, squeezing his fingers. “Sure.”

His wings unfurled with a soft thump and Dee took a step back in surprise. “You mean, up there?”

“Closer to the music.”

“Won’t it be cold?”

“Absolutely. But it’s about ten below zero down here and I don’t see you shivering. So I don’t think a little cold is going to bother you.”

Her gaze dropped to her bare arms where she’d pushed back the sleeves of her fleece in excitement. Dee could feel the chill wind passing over her skin, but there was no corresponding sense of cold, no shivers, not even a hint of goosebumps. “I don’t feel the cold,” she murmured. A lopsided grin curled her lips. “I do have super powers!”

Sy pulled her back into his arms. “You do! Now you just need to decide if you’re going to use them for good or for evil.”

Biting her lip, she threw him a look from under her lashes. “I’d like to use them for dancing. Does that sound like good or evil?”

His words had a little more growl to them as he slid his hands to her waist. “That sounds good to me. Very good indeed.” Face hovering above hers, he smiled. “Dance with me, Dee.”

Her smile now threatening to split her face, she nodded vigorously. “Yes! Yes please.” Standing on tiptoe, she laced her fingers behind his neck.

There was a soft whoosh of feathers as her feet lifted from the ground and a shiver of excitement rippled through her.

Wrapped securely in his arms and standing on his feet, like a toddler dancing at her first grown up party, Dee laughed as he spun, swooped and dipped them through the air, the bright colours shimmying around them.

“Hold out your hand,” he said, “I want to show you something.”

Aware of their altitude, Dee hestated, unwilling to release her grip on his shoulders.

“It’s alright, I’ve got you, you’re safe. Go on!”

One glance down was enough to confirm all her worst fears about the altitude they’d reached, the ground barely visible beneath them. Dee screwed her eyes closed and had to swallow hard before she was able to unclench her fingers from the deathgrip she held on his shoulder. Biting her lip to stop it quivering, she stretched out her hand and held her breath.

Instantly, a sharp charge, like static electricity, zipped up her arm and her eyes snapped open. Around them, the swirling colours shifted, their pattern changing as every strand now streamed through the air and converged on her fingertips like lightning drawn to a conductor.

The purple hue of her hands faded into blue and then green, slowly rotating through the colour wheel until it reached a brilliant, golden yellow.

“What’s happening?” she gasped, her skin tingling from the light show currently playing out around them and through them.

“I told you. You don’t just attract the dark and the shadows Dee. You are so much more!”

It was the strangest sensation, the colours playfully shimmering around them and sinking through her skin. It was like being filled to the brim with pure joy and a giggle bubbled from her lips creating new sparks of light in the multihued air.

Suddenly feeling stronger and more powerful than she had in her life, she turned her head and without thinking, pressed her lips against his in gratitude.

Sy remained motionless for a few seconds, then one hand slid up her spine to cup the back of her head, gently tilting her face and the kiss deepened.

A rainbow of colour exploded behind her eyes, stilling her thoughts and bathing her whole body in radiant silence. Fingers stroking the soft hair at the nape of his neck sent rippling jolts of excitement spiraling up her arms and a host of brightly hued butterflies burst into life and fluttered through her chest. Eyes closed, she smiled into the kiss as her stomach flipped with that faux sense of falling you sometimes get in dreams.

Wait! Not faux falling… actual falling!! The wind tearing past her face pricked tears from her eyes as she snatched her lips from his and whipped her head around. Terrified, she watched the ground rushing up to meet them. Just as she dragged in enough breath to scream, Sy’s eyes snapped open and his wings stretched out, battling the air and halting their descent.

“Sorry,” he said, pulling an embarrassed face. “Forgot to fly.”

Next Chapter

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mochie85 · 14 days ago

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side quest: Linc and Amelie 🥰❤️‍🔥

I love the lore and world-building you created. It's genius!!!!

Follow the Crow - Chapter Twenty Three

Pairing: Norse Mythology Loki + OFC + OMC

Tags: Love triangle / Romantasy / Norse Mythology AU / Shapeshifting / Magic Realism

Warnings: Violence / child endangerment / Massive plot download / very bad language / extreme liberties taken with accepted mythology

Length: 4.4k

Summary: In which Loki is forced to explain the true purpose of Manaz and the Jericho division.

Chapter List

Full Master List of all works

A/N: It has been pointed out to me, entirely correctly, that my original tags for this production are now woefully inadequate. Therefore, I have retagged chapters for clarity (as I see it at the moment - it may change)

Shouts and screams echoed down the corridor, dragging Loki from his much needed sleep. Reluctant to open his eyes and allow yet another day to begin he groaned and ran a hand over the fresh dressing wrapped around his chest. His wound had stopped bleeding. That should have made him feel better. But the echo of remembered pain lingered. Pressing his fingers to the long healed scar he sighed. The situation might have improved, but was far from resolved.

The problem was, he had no idea what to do next.

The noise outside his rooms grew louder and impossible to ignore, making the decision for him.

With a grunt of annoyance he pushed himself upright and swung his legs out of bed. Something which sounded old and probably valuable shattered against a nearby wall. Cursing under his breath he pulled on a robe and threw open the door.

“Edwin!” he roared.

Seconds later his white faced assistant appeared around the corner. “Sir.”

“What in the Norns is going on?”

“It is Ms Dubois.”

“Amelie?” Now that her name had been mentioned, within the cacophony he could make out a shrill, feminine wail.

“Yes Sir.”

“Is she not in her rooms?” Her voice might be piercing, but surely he wouldn’t be able to hear it all the way over here?

“No, Sir.”

“Why in the Hel not?”

Edwin swallowed hard. “At your instruction, I relaxed the security measures on both Ms Dubois and Ms Thorne last night.”

Loki groaned and rubbed a hand over his eyes. He did have a vague recollection of giving that order. But somewhere between the blood loss sustained and the amount of wine he’d consumed afterwards, his memories of the previous evening were sketchy at best. “Yes, yes. Of course.” The shouting grew louder and his frown deepened. “Where did she go?”

“The Jericho wing.”

Loki ground to a halt and swung around. “She’s inside Jericho? What in Bor’s name is she doing there?”

“Not…not inside exactly. Not yet. More the corridor leading to…”

“Edwin!”

“There was a new recruit being brought in this morning. It was last minute and the boy was… Well, he was in a considerable state of distress.”

Closing his eyes, Loki shook his head. “It woke her?”

“Yes Sir. And one can only assume she went to investigate the noise.”

“It sounds like she is the one making the noise.”

“I think she was concerned with what she found and tried to intervene…”

Before the final words had left Edwin’s lips, Loki was sprinting down the corridor. A blur of green enveloped him, transforming into clothing between one stride and the next.

Rounding the corner he was confronted with the sight of Linc Mulvany hauling the howling and shrieking red head into the air.

“Put her down!” Loki roared at the exact same moment Amelie sank her teeth in the Linc’s battle scarred forearm.

Teeth clenched, Linc glowered at him. “I really wouldn’t recommend that, Sir. Right now I’m the only thing between her and that door. And we both know what will happen if she gets inside.”

Forced to acknowledge the truth in that statement Loki changed tack. Raising his hands, he addressed the struggling figure in Linc’s arms. “Amelie. Listen to me. You need to calm down.”

“He’s a child!” she spat, lashing out with one foot and catching Linc in the shin.

“Child?” Loki’s question was aimed at Linc.

He grunted and shifted the wriggling figure in his arms onto one hip, trying to capture both her flailing hands in one of his. Returning Loki’s questioning look, he shrugged. “New recruit. He’s only eleven. We barely got to him in time.”

“You’re monsters!” Wrenching one hand free she lashed out at Linc’s face, her nails slashing across his cheek.

Linc jerked his head back out of her reach and glared at Loki, “A little help here, Sir?”

Snapping out of his fugue state, Loki gave himself a shake and moved closer. Pressing his thumb between Amelie’s brows he whispered, “Sleep.”

Linc breathed a sigh of relief as she slumped in his arms. “Thank you.” He rolled his broad shoulders and his brows knit together in a dark frown. “What the hell was she doing wandering around unsupervised?”

Loki winced. “That was my fault. I lifted the restrictions on her rooms but failed to put alternative security measures in place.”

“For God’s sake! What were you thinking?”

Bristling at the man’s tone, Loki pulled himself to his full height. “I needed to gain her trust and as you might remember, you gain trust by showing trust.”

“Really? And how’s that working out for you?”

Loki pulled a hand down his face. “I didn’t anticipate this scenario. I hoped I’d have a chance to explain before…”

“Before she came face to face with our furry reality?”

“Something like that.” He cocked his head to one side, shifting his attention properly to the man in front of him. “You’re bleeding.”

Linc winced and raised his fingers to the deep scratch running down the side of his face. “I’ll survive.” Glancing down at the sleeping woman in his arms he chuckled and shook his head. “Got to hand it to her, she fought harder than the boy.”

“Never thought the day would come when I’d see you struggling to contain one tiny woman.”

“She’s feisty for such a little thing.” A muscle twitched in his cheek. “I was trying not to damage her.”

“You did well.” Holding out his arms, Loki stepped forward. “Give her to me, I’ll deal with her.” Linc seemed oddly reluctant to release his cargo and Loki raised one eyebrow. “Don’t you have a new recruit to handle?”

Suddenly seeming uncomfortable, Linc thrust the sleeping woman into Loki’s arms and stepped back with a growl. “When she wakes up, perhaps you could have a little chat about which areas are off limits to civilians,” he muttered in an annoyed tone as he spun on his heel.

Amelie weighed next to nothing, hanging limp from his arms. Loki was surprised she’d managed to do any damage at all to Linc. Clearly she’d caught the man off guard. Nodding his thanks, he turned away. “I will. And please have one of your staff send me a copy of the file on our latest recruit. I’d like to have that before she wakes and starts howling questions.”

Fingers poised over the security panel, Linc hunched his shoulders and glanced back at Loki. “Could you let her know that I never intended to hurt her. I was just trying to prevent…” his gaze returned to the reinforced door in front of him, “worse.”

“I’ll make sure she understands.” Loki hesitated. “And I apologise, I should have been clearer with her about which areas were off limits. I was not myself yesterday.”

Flexing his fingers, Linc rubbed at the bite mark on his arm. “No harm done,” he muttered.

As the heavy door swung shut behind Linc, Loki lingered in the hallway, debating his next move. He could return Amelie to her quarters and leave her to sleep for another few hours, but that would only delay the essential conversation which needed to take place and would make explanations far more difficult. But if he woke her now, with the adrenaline still coursing through her system, her response to anything he had to say was likely to be volatile.

Better to get it over with, he decided, but did take the precaution of transporting them both back to his main office, thankful for both the sense of familiar territory and the additional soundproofing it provided.

If he’d been hoping she’d be over-awed by the grandeur of the room, he was disappointed. Amelie was on her feet the moment he lifted the spell, standing on the seat of the armchair so she could glare at him eye to eye while she yelled every curse from her considerable vocabulary.

Loki waited until she ran out of breath and then asked quietly, “You know who I am?”

Perhaps surprised by the softly spoken question, she glared up at him in defiant silence. Loki held her gaze and waited. Eventually she capitulated with the merest nod.

“More importantly, you accept who I am?” This time the silence was deafening and her lip curled into a sneer. Loki cut to the chase. “I am Loki of Asgard–”

Amelie interrupted him with an exaggerated eye roll, “Lord of Lies, God of Mischief and Trickery and the last person in this realm or any other that I would trust.”

Loki smiled, sensing the opening he’d been waiting for. “So you accept there are other realms?”

Her teeth snapped together with an audible click of annoyance. Content to let the ensuing silence stretch out, Loki leaned back against his desk and waited. Finally she balled her hands into fists around her skirt and nodded. “Yes, I accept there are nine realms and dark space which separates them.

“Yggdrasil.”

Her jaw set in a mutinous line. “The Inbetween.”

Loki shrugged one shoulder, content to let that point slide. “Names matter not.”

“No, actions matter!” she snarled, jumping to her feet. “And what you were doing to that boy was inhumane!”

“The boy is fine, he will be looked after.”

“Why should I believe a word you say?” she howled. “I want to see him with my own eyes!”

Loki took a slow breath. “Here’s what’s going to happen.” To emphasise that he was the one in charge, he flicked his fingers, taking Amelie’s legs out from under her and dropping her with a solid thud onto the leather padded seat of the armchair. “I am going to give you a brief history lesson–” He raised one warning finger as she opened her mouth to argue. “And after that, I will take you to see the boy.”

Amelie finally seemed to accept that she wasn’t really in a position to be making demands and slumped back in her seat with a growl and folded her arms. “Fine. Talk.”

Rubbing his thumb against his lips, Loki debated where to start. A sad smile curled the corner of his mouth as he remembered his mother’s advice: Do at least try to start at the beginning, dearest! Nodding to himself he cleared his throat. “When the worlds were young, all were infused with magic. It varied from realm to realm, but Asgard and Midgard were very similar in their talents. Both drew from nature as their primary source: The plants, the weather and the animal life. This meant that our key abilities were witchcraft and shapeshifting–”

“I’m sure this would be fascinating to someone, but what’s your point?”

“My point is, while Asgard celebrated and venerated those born with magical ability, on Midgard–”

“Earth.”

He closed his eyes and attempted to summon patience and calm. “On Earth, you have always treated those individuals with suspicion, if not outright hostility.”

“That’s a wild generalisation!”

His own temper frayed in response, sharpening his tone. “You set fire to anyone even suspected of having a gift!”

“That was a long time ago,” Amelie muttered.

Loki took a breath “And yet its legacy lingers. Over the centuries the magics drained from this world, leaving you unprotected and hopelessly unprepared for the battle which now rages.”

Amelie fell silent again, but her angry gaze never left his face. Loki ran his fingers through his braids and continued, “Ragnarok is happening, whether this realm chooses to acknowledge it or not. And if something is not done about the state of your defenses, then Midgard will be ground to dust beneath the boot of Fenris.”

“Your son!” she pointed out with no small amount of satisfaction.

Loki closed his eyes and nodded. “Yes. My son.”

“Then why don’t you fuck off back to Asgard, or wherever it is you come from, so you can sort out your bastard offspring and leave us in peace!”

“Asgard is gone.” Even saying those words aloud sent a knife of pain through his heart. They had fought so hard, but in the end nothing could be saved. His own attempts had been too little and too late.

Amelie opened her mouth, but no words emerged and Loki could see the colour draining from her cheeks. Moderating his tone into something warmer he moved closer and dropped into a crouch. “That is why I am here. That is why this place was built. The aim of the Manaz Institute was to rekindle those lost abilities on Mid… on Earth,” he corrected himself “To give this realm a fighting chance. But we are running out of time. Asgard and Vanaheim have already been lost: Jotunheim and Alfheim are hanging on by a thread: Muspelheim and Svartalfheim didn’t even contest his advance.”

“And the others?” Face chalk white, her voice was little more than whisper.

“There really are no others. Hel wins in any war, regardless of the victor–all the more souls to claim. And Niflmeim has no souls to defend her lands. Midgard, Earth if you wish, is the last stand. Fenris is coming for this realm and if he prevails, all life will be lost.”

She swallowed hard and he could see her rage dissipating. “Is it working?” she asked “The Manaz Project?”

“Yes. It is slower than I would like. But the lost magics are starting to re-emerge. However, each success brings with it new challenges.”

At her frown, he got to his feet. “Come, let me take you to the boy and you can see those challenges in action.” He held out his hand and after a brief pause she slid her fingers into his palm and let him draw her to her feet.

Maintaining a firm hold on her hand, Loki gave a haphazard guided tour of the areas they passed, randomly pointing out the main highlights as they swept past each new door or archway.

“The corridor on your right leads to the main Manaz administration department and the various branches it contains.”

Amelie scurried to keep up with him. “Branches?”

“You have the Wiccan branch, primarily concerned with spells and potions in one section and divination in the other. And then there is the Psi Branch which houses everything to do with Psychokinesis, Pyromancy, Telepathy, Empathy and Psychometry.”

“Psychometry?”

“The power to perceive the residual information of an object and or person.” He paused to glance down at the pale woman by his side. “A team that is very excited to meet your friend Ms Thorne.”

As they turned the corner, Loki ground to a halt. Pulling Amelie around in front of him, he crouched down until they were eye level. “Amelie, I need to understand, I am more than happy for you to explore the Manaz side of our operation. You can ask any questions you have from anyone you meet, most will be thrilled to talk your ear off about their personal specialism. You are also free to wander the grounds. But the other side of the building, anywhere from this point onwards is off limits.”

Amelie’s eyes drifted past him, to the heavy door at the end of the corridor and she frowned. “This is where we were earlier. This is where they took that boy!”

“Yes, this is the Jericho Division and it is not safe for visitors.”

“But that’s where they were taking him?”

“Yes it was.”

“Why?”

He straightened and lifted one shoulder. “I think it will be easier to understand if you see for yourself.”

Taking a spiral staircase, off to one side, Loki guided her into a viewing gallery which ran along the length of a large, heavily secured space, half the size of a football pitch. Beneath them in the padded room, two wolves battled for dominance. Amelie flinched as the smaller animal lunged forward, its jaws snapping together on thin air as its adversary danced neatly out of the way.

“What is this?” she asked. “Where is that poor boy?”

Loki nodded to the snarling wolf. “That is the boy. The smaller one with the reddish, brown fur.”

“I-I don’t understand? He was a child?”

“And now he’s a wolf.”

The older, slightly greying beast suddenly lunged forward, his sheer bulk flipping the smaller animal through the air and onto its back. Without hesitation, he pressed his advantage, heavy jaws closing around the throat of his prey.

Amelie hammered on the soundproof glass. “Stop him! He’s hurting him!”

Capturing her hands and drawing her away from the window Loki shook his head. “No he isn’t. It may look violent but he is simply cutting off his air. Once the boy passes out he’ll revert to his human form. Speed is of the essence. The first shift is the most dangerous and it’s imperative that we bring him back from it as quickly as possible. And depriving him of oxygen is the swiftest way to ensure that happens. The alternative is to drug him unconscious, but we’re had bad experiences in the past when we’ve thrown chemicals into the mix.”

“Can’t they just leave him to calm down on his own? He’s terrified!”

“Yes, he is.” He sighed and plucked at his cuffs. “And this is what we try to avoid.” At her mystified expression he raised a helpless hand. “The first time someone shapeshifts is always traumatic and terrifying. If the individual is alone when it happens, without support and guidance…” he hesitated. “Many die during that first shift. Some are driven mad but most lose control and are unable to shift back, living out the rest of their lives as their chosen animal.”

A small hand flew to her mouth. “That’s awful!”

“It is, but it’s still not the worst that can happen.”

“There is something worse than death, madness or a total loss of humanity?”

“Yes. Far worse. Fenris has been making incursions into this realm. Snatching potential shifters before we can reach them and dragging them into the Inbetween, where he forces the change upon them. Once that happens, there is no going back. The change is locked in and the victim becomes another eager slave to his army.”

Amelie swallowed hard, her furious gaze alternating between his face and the scene being enacted below them. Her jaw worked, but no sound emerged. Taking her silence as agreement, Loki continued, “The aim of the Jericho Project is to find potential shape-shifters before their first shift. So we can explain what is going to happen and support them through the process. It makes it easier on the individual and more controllable.”

“Doesn’t look any easier!” she snapped as the smaller wolf slumped to the ground unconscious.

Loki glanced down at the file in his hands. “This took us by surprise. We’d identified the boy as a potential shifter, but we weren’t expecting him to come into his powers for another couple of years. It normally hits with puberty. So we had him under watch, but we hadn’t engaged with him yet. It was a mistake but, contrary to your beliefs, we prefer not to drag children through our doors unless we have to.”

Amelie folded her arms and glared at him, but some of the rage was fading from her tone. “What happened? What went wrong?”

“Random chance. Potential shapeshifters, particularly those who’s totem animal is nocturnal, tend to sleep badly. The boy was restless and went for a walk. It’s a healthy way for shifters to deal with sleep issues, but in this instance…” Loki paused, selecting his words with care. “...he was attacked.”

“He was mugged?”

Choosing not to confirm nor deny that statement, Loki continued, “The rush of adrenaline triggered his first change. Our team was on him in moments, but the change was already underway, so they had no alternative other than to bring him in.”

Leaning her palms against the glass, she shook her head. “What happens now?”

“We’ll keep him warm while he sleeps, ensuring he remains hydrated…”

“And when he wakes?”

“He will be scared, possibly violent, it can vary. We’ll make sure there is someone with him, who can talk to him and will explain what is going on, when he’s ready to listen. Once he’s calmed, we’ll introduce him to other members of the team. The most important thing is for him to understand he’s not alone. Thankfully, wolves are pack animals, which makes the process easier on everyone.”

In the room below, the boy had been wrapped in a large blanket and propped up against the padded wall. A woman with dark hair, just starting to grey at the temples, squatted beside him, a reassuring arm around his shoulders, supporting his weight.

“Who is she?”

“That’s Dela, she is one of our team leaders and she’s good with new recruits, particularly the young ones. They tend to find her less intimidating.”

“Less intimidating than him, you mean.” Amelie nodded to the far side of the room, where the formerly grey wolf had now reverted to his familiar human form and was pulling a t-shirt over his massive shoulders. As he turned towards their window, it was still possible to make out the scratch marks on his cheeks, although they had already faded to a pale pink against his tanned skin.

Amelie gave a grunt of disappointment. “I thought I managed to do more damage than that to his pretty face.”

“One of the benefits of shapeshifting is a highly improved healing rate.” Loki chuckled softly, “Although I’ve never heard anyone describe Linc as pretty before.”

Cheeks colouring, Amelie tore her gaze away from the man below. “I was being sarcastic!”

“Of course you were,” he murmured in response, trying to hide his smile.

More people entered the room, some changing to their wolf form and dropping low to the ground before belly crawling slowly towards the boy, others joining Dela by his side and offering smiles of encouragement and soft touches of support.

Groping for a change of topic Amelie asked, “Are they all wolves?”

Loki shrugged, “Not all. We have a few big cats and the occasional falcon or eagle but here–unlike Asgard, where shapeshifters run the gamut of all animal life–over ninety five percent of your shifters are wolves.”

Rather than seeming overwhelmed by the new faces and creatures surrounding him, the boy grew braver and the colour returned to his face. When he got to his feet, the pack of wolves milled around him, nudging him with their muzzles or rolling over onto their back, begging for belly rubs. A giggle drifted through the air as he dropped to his knees and obliged.

“That was quick,” Amelie said, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

“Like calls to like. He will feel the pull of the pack, even if he doesn’t understand it fully. Sometimes it’s easier with children, they can be more accepting of their strange new reality.”

“What will happen to him?”

“He will be given the same choice as every other recruit who comes through our doors: he can join Jericho right now and we will take over his education in both shapeshifting and other more mundane but legally required subjects, or he can be cuffed and allowed to return to his family.”

“Cuffed?”

“A simple silver bracelet that only we can remove: one which is imbued with enough magic to stop him shifting. If he wants to, he can live out his entire life without ever shifting again and over time may forget this ever happened.”

A frown creased her brow. “What do most people choose?”

“Almost everyone chooses to go home. Initially. But they all come back. Some after a matter of days. Others it takes a little longer.” He returned his attention to the boy in question, who was now roughhousing with the wolf pack. “He’s young, he may choose to remain with his family for years, but at some point that sense that something is missing will become too much and he’ll return.”

That answer, along with the clear evidence that the boy was unharmed, drained the last of the fight from her and a small smile graced her lips as she leaned closer to the window to watch them play. Then she chewed on her lower lip as another question occurred to her and she turned her head to face him. “But why are they all wolves?”

“I’m sorry?”

“You said ninety-five percent of the shapeshifters here are wolves. Doesn’t that strike you as odd?”

“It might be a natural quirk of this realm, you have solid lore around werewolves stretching back centuries.” He shifted his weight. “But it might have been a side effect of my interference.” At her questioning look he shrugged. “I was integral in the establishment of the Jericho Initiative and very hands-on at the beginning.” He raised his palms. “My animal is also a wolf. It’s possible that I tipped the scales in that direction.”

“Oh!” She frowned. “Is that a problem?”

“Lack of variety is always a problem. But wolves make a good fighting force. Brave, strong and utterly dedicated to their pack.” He shrugged and managed a weak smile. “Could be worse. If it had been left to Sy, we’d be overrun with corvids instead and they make a lot more noise. Not to mention, mess.”

She blinked up at him in surprise. “Sy? He’s part of this?”

“He was. Before he got locked into his crow form, he was in charge of the Jericho Project.”

Her face processed that new information and then her brows knitted together. “He came to see me last night. He said he was going to help Dee.”

Loki’s jaw tightened but he nodded. “Yes. He is also very good with new recruits, helping them come to terms with their new abilities. And that’s what she needs right now. Sy has the ability to always find the bright side of any situation.”

“He is relentlessly optimistic.”

A smile twitched the corner of his mouth. “Annoyingly so at times.”

“And you let him? He’s with her now?”

His smile faded. “Yes. They are together.”

Reaching out for the first time, she squeezed his hand. “Thank you.”

Next Chapter

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mochie85 · 14 days ago

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i ship her with both of them! like a trip to Paris...

Follow the Crow - Chapter Twenty Two

Pairing: Norse Mythology Loki + OFC + OMC

Tags: Love triangle / Romantasy / Norse Mythology AU / Shapeshifting / Magic Realism

Warnings: None at all, pure fluff to welcome in the New Year

Length: 2.6k

Summary: In which Sy comes to Dee's rescue

Chapter List

Full Master List of all works

A/N: Happy New Year to all my gorgeous moots! Good news, I finally know where this is headed. Bad news.... we have a loooong way to go.

Curled in a ball against the constant, invasive light, Dee whimpered into the soft bedding and tried to ignore the grenade of noise lodged in her head. Gentle, golden light glowed from the walls, the ceiling and the floor, eliminating every last shadow and encasing her in a soft, radiant cocoon. It didn’t burn where it touched her–and for that she was grateful–but it did seem to generate its own sound, a single tone resonating through her like a finger circling the rim of a wine glass. Although the volume and pitch never changed, the intensity steadily increased until every fibre of her body vibrated in response.

Exhausted from the constant onslaught to her senses, and just as she was starting to fear she might shatter beneath that one, relentless note, the merciless light suddenly dimmed and the noise vanished so suddenly her ears throbbed in response. Soothing darkness settled over her and she surrendered to the silent embrace, sinking into it like a warm, welcoming bath. Too tired to fight the hypnotic caress of the shadows, she floated on the cusp of this realm and next, suspended weightless between the two. All it would take was an exhalation and she could shed her unwieldy body and become one with the shadow; she could vanish through that divide, hiding deep in the Inbetween where no one would ever be able to find her. Her lips parted around a sigh, releasing the bonds of her corporeal self that kept her chained to this world. Eyes closed she felt the fabric of her body dissolving into mist.

A single word rippled through the darkness, disturbing her thoughts.

“Dee.”

She frowned. Was the voice real or had she imagined it? Was it her subconscious dredging up an echo of the past? The word repeated, louder now and tinged with concern. Slowly she started to gather the scattered threads of consciousness and piece herself back together. Breath returned to her body, bringing with it a heaviness and the weight of memory. She couldn’t slip into the darkness and vanish. There were people who needed her, people who relied on her and she couldn’t run away again.

Not this time.

“Dee!” The voice was clearer. Familiar. She recognised the tone and inflection.

Her voice cracked as she tried to use it for the first time. His name, a barely recognisable croak. Wetting her lips she tried again. “Sy?”

Heavy thuds followed, then the sound of splintering wood and the grate of metal against stone. Lifting herself from the embrace of the shadow, Dee turned her head in time to see the door forced open and a large, dark figure filling the space it had left. Moonlight filtered through the window, catching his features and the air fled her lungs in a rush of relief.

“Sy!” Renewed energy flowed through her limbs, but the effort it took to raise herself into a sitting position left her breathless.

Large hands closed gently over her shoulders, holding her upright as her strength returned. Sy waited until she lifted her eyes to his and then squeezed lightly. “Come on, we need to get you out of here.”

An instant later, the reassuring grip vanished and Dee swayed as Sy leapt to his feet.

A sudden blur of movement followed as he grabbed hold of the lintel above the window casement and swung his feet up in front of him, lashing out at the mullioned glass with his heels. It took him three attempts, but eventually the age weakened casement gave way and the leaded glass panes plummeted into the darkness.

Dee flinched at the shattering crash a few seconds later as it hit the flagstones below the turret. “What are you doing!”

Sy shrugged, dusting his hands. “We need an exit route and I don’t think they’re going to let us walk out the front door.”

Things were moving faster than Dee’s brain could follow and she shook her head. “Where are we going?”

The muscles in Sy’s shoulders flexed as he lifted himself onto the ledge and peered out into the night. “Somewhere quiet. With more natural lighting. And fewer guards.”

“What about Amelie and Liv?”

“They’re fine, just worried about you.” He dropped back to the floor and crouched beside her bed. “I checked on both of them. I promise you they are okay and they understand why we need to leave.”

“But Loki…”

At the mention of his name, Sy growled softly. “Loki needs to get over himself.”

“Won’t this just make everything worse? Shouldn’t I try to talk to him?”

“Right now he’s barely listening to anyone. We need to give him space to pull his head out of his ass and we need to find you the space to breathe and come to terms with recent…” he tilted his head to one side, as if hoping to dislodge the right word from somewhere in his brain. “...events.”

She shook her head. “I-I shouldn’t run. Not again. Not this time.”

A smile stretched across his face. “Darling, we’re not going to run.” He held out his hand. “We’re going to fly!”

“Fly?” she repeated, her sluggish brain unable to process the suggestion.

His smile now a broad grin, he pulled her to her feet. “Yes, fly.” He chuckled softly. “I promised you wings and feathers and I always keep my promises.” Not waiting for her response, he stripped off his shirt, wadded it into a ball and chucked it onto the bed. Even in the darkness Dee could clearly see the tattoo running over his shoulder and down his arm. That felt reassuringly familiar and she traced the edge with her fingertip. Feathers. He’d promised to show her feathers.

His skin shivered beneath her touch and he leaned down to press a quick, hard kiss against her lips.

Electricity zipped down her spine and she blinked in surprise. “What was that for?”

“Just for luck,” he said, vaulting lightly back up onto the window ledge.

“Why do we need luck?”

Pulling a face, he cricked his neck to one side. “It’s been a while since I’ve done this. And the casement is too narrow to get my wings out first, so they will need to unfurl during the drop.”

Her stomach plummeted at that statement. “The drop! How far are we going to be dropping?”

Sy leaned out of the shattered window and peered downwards. “About eight stories.” As her expression grew more panicked, he waved a hand. “I’m sure we won’t be falling that far. I’ll get us airborne before we get as far as the second floor, hopefully.”

Voice now a shrill squeak, she backed away. “Hopefully!”

“Cummon, you trust me, right?”

At her inability to articulate any response, his expression became one of wounded outrage. “I’m hurt!”

“If you fuck this up, we’re both going to be hurt, probably killed.”

His face relaxed back into an easy smile. “I’m not going to fuck this up. I used to do this all the time back before…” he trailed off, a sad expression drifting across his features.

“Back before you were permanently stuck as a crow.”

“Yes.”

Folding her arms, she gave him a level stare. “And remind me… how long were you trapped in that spell?”

His mouth opened and closed a couple of times, before he managed to say, “You know what, there are some answers that really aren’t helpful.”

“Not reassuring!” she yelped.

Ignoring her protest, he reached down, grabbed her around the waist and pulled her up into his lap. “Dee, listen to me. I can promise you two things. One, I will do everything in my power to keep you safe and two: In approximately three minutes, an entire platoon of armed guards is going to arrive and drag you out of here. And they will be considerably less polite than me.”

Her eyes flew to the half open door. It was probably her imagination, but she could almost hear the sound of heavy boots on the stone stairwell. Swallowing hard, she turned back to Sy and nodded. “Okay.”

“Okay?” he repeated. “Are you sure?”

“No. Definitely not sure. But I agree the other option is worse.”

“Good enough.” Pulling her closer, he wrapped her arms around his neck and tucked her face against his chest. “Hang on tight,” he whispered, cupping the back of her head as he rolled them sideways out of the window.

Then they were falling. Dee screamed into his shoulder as the air rushed past her face. Just when she was certain they were about to meet the cold flagstones beneath, there was a soft whump and an instant later she felt herself being dragged free from gravity’s deadly embrace. Another whump and she could sense them lifting through the air. Summoning the last of her bravery, she cracked one eye open in time to see the third storey windows drifting through her field of vision. Seconds later they were above the rooftops and still climbing.

Shifting her gaze from where the ground was rapidly falling away beneath them, she turned her head and was met with a warm reassuring smile.

“Told you we’d be fine and look…” he nodded to one side, “feathers!”

Dee followed his gesture and her eyes widened. He’d promised her feathers, but this was so much more. Two broad, glossy wings arced out from behind his shoulders, at least four meters in span and densely thatched with ink black feathers, each as long as her arm. Wriggling a hand free, she pressed her palm to one long quill. It felt warm beneath her fingers, strength vibrating along its length as it cut through the air, driving them forwards. Stunned into silence, her mouth fell open.

“Are you okay?” he asked. “I know it’s a lot to take in.”

Nodding rapidly Dee smiled for the first time. “Yes, I’m good. Better than good. This is incredible!”

“Want to turn around and get a better look?”

Peering over her shoulder at the disappearing landscape so far below, Dee flinched and quickly reversed the manoeuvre.

Squinting up at him, one eye barely open she shook her head. “I think I prefer the view from this angle. Never been that good with heights.”

“Definitely the better view for me too.” He replied, dipping his face to press his forehead against hers. “But don’t worry about the height. Flying is a lot like swimming. Once you know how, it really doesn’t matter how deep the water is beneath you.”

“I’m not very good at swimming either.”

“Meh, me neither. But I am very good at flying. You are safe, I swear.”

As if to demonstrate that promise, he tightened his arms around her and soared in a lazy spiral, gradually climbing towards the clouds. Wrapped within that protective circle, Dee felt herself start to relax.

The glow from the city vanished into the distance behind them and darkness skimmed over her skin like a soothing caress. The night air contained a chill, the bite becoming more pronounced as they flew further north, but Dee barely felt it. Snuggled against Sy’s chest she closed her eyes. His muscles flexed with every beat of his wings and that rhythm, combined with the slow, steady beat of his heart beneath her cheek, lulled her towards sleep.

Their landing was so soft she didn’t even stir until Sy shifted her in his arms. Blinking awake she glanced around, but a solid curtain of mist and cloud hid any clues as to where they were.

“We’re here,” Sy whispered, as she lifted her head.

“And where exactly is here?”

“You’ll see.”

He picked his way carefully along the rocky ledge and the frosted cloud gave way to a craggy cliff wall. Closer inspection revealed a deep fissure, hewn into the rock. Sy shifted her weight to one hip as he navigated their way through the narrow entrance. Surefooted in the solid darkness, he carried her down the almost vertical drop into the cave below. Despite the lack of light, Dee had no problems making out the small cavern and the few pieces of furniture it contained: a table, a couple of chairs and a dresser. Hand carved wood gleamed as if freshly polished, but there was a heaviness to the air that spoke of many years of absence.

On the far side of the natural chamber was a raised pallet, heaped with blankets and furs. It was possibly the most inviting sight she could have wished for and as soon as Sy set her on her feet, she stumbled towards it with a moan of gratitude.

Half buried under the mountain of bedding, she wriggled her face free and smiled up at him.

“This is perfect!”

Rummaging through a drawer of clothing, Sy glanced back over his shoulder. “I thought you might like it.”

With a happy sigh she curled up in the centre and then a thought struck her. “It’s a nest! You built a nest.”

Sy chuckled, pulling a faded sweatshirt over his head. “Ingrained habit, I suppose.”

She gave another sigh, heavy eyelids closing. “It’s comfy.”

“I’ll just get the fire going and then I’ll join you.”

Pouting, she threw him her best lost puppy expression. “Do we have to have light? We can both see without it. And the darkness is nice.”

He stooped to drop a kiss onto the top of her head. “We’re up in the mountains and at this time of year, the weather is glacial. Plus I haven’t been here in a while, so we need to drive the chill out of the rock. Don’t worry, you’ll like the firelight, it moves.”

The rasp of a flint threw sparks into the darkness and a few seconds later bright flames were licking at the kindling in the fire pit. Dee watched a tendril of smoke curling up towards the natural chimney in the rock ceiling above. He was right, this kind of light was different and she rolled onto her back to watch the shadows dancing across the walls.

“How long is a while?” she asked around a yawn.

His face fell. “Too long. Not just years. Decades.”

A puzzled frown creased her brow and she ran her fingers through the fur of the throw. “But it’s so clean and dry. Wouldn’t the furniture have rotted away?”

“Loki placed an enchantment to protect it. He knew I’d be back, eventually.”

Dee came upright so fast her head swam. “Loki knows about this place?”

“Of course. He helped me build it.”

“Won’t he come looking for us?”

Sy shook his head. “No. He knows we’ll come back, when we’re ready.”

“But he’ll be so angry that we escaped.” Her chin dropped and in a quiet voice she added. “He’ll think I ran away again.”

A strong arm wrapped around her shoulders as Sy settled onto the makeshift bed next to her. “As I said before, we didn’t run, we flew. And we didn’t exactly escape, he let us go.”

“What?”

“Do you really think he’d have left you unguarded, with the light turned off, if he wasn’t expecting us to slip away?”

“So he won’t be angry?”

He grinned, dropping a kiss onto the tip of her nose. “He won’t be angry, I promise. But I warn you, I will get grumpy if I don’t get some sleep! It was a long flight and I’m shockingly out of practice.” Sliding beneath the blankets he stretched out one arm in invitation. This time Dee needed no further convincing, curling into the crook of his shoulder with her head resting on his broad chest.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

His voice already mussed with sleep he pulled her closer. “Sleep now, thank me tomorrow,” he muttered into her hair.

Dee closed her eyes and did just that.

Next Chapter

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mochie85 · 17 days ago

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@mochie85 You are now another year older and wise. Another year to spend with those you love whether it be as a friend, family member, partner or more. Another year to spend writing Loki fanfictions that delight the community. Another year spent gaining new fans due to your breathtaking writing. Another year to embrace who you are to grow. For no matter how much time passes you will continue to grow. Whether it be in little ways or big ways. For birthdays are not just a sign of getting older, but a sign of growth. Ones that should be spent amongst those you love, as I hope yours was spent. Or at the very least spent indulging in what you love. Whether it spending time with loved ones, re-watching Loki content through movies, Disney Plus, or through purely YouTube clips (how I consumed Loki), writing, reading, or doing something else entirely. Thus with this another year has come to pass as you grow older and wise. Another year to spend loving those you love and indulging in things you love. I hope next year will be as fruitful for you as this one was. With many good things to come for you and those you love.

awe my darling! I'm so sorry for not getting back to you sooner. I've been away all weekend. And to come back to tumblr with such a heartfelt message means the world to me. 🥹

I've had a rough year and a rough couple of weeks. You have no idea how much your message has impacted me. I'm truly blessed to have you as a friend. Thank you so much for your love and support. Your messages have always been so positive and encouraging. 😍

I really hope i can get back to writing and reading soon. With all the love in my heart, Thank You 😘

#izz my birfday yall #answering asks #birthday #amazing mustuals #fantastic friends

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mochie85 · 21 days ago

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BABE! I AM SO SORRY I MISSED YOUR BIRTHDAY! 😭😭😭

I love you and I hope you had an amazing day! You deserve only the best love ❤️❤️❤️❤️

No need to be sorry. I'm just so happy for the greeting. 🤗 I appreciate the love! I did have an amazing day. Thank you so much.

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mochie85 · 21 days ago

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"A perfectly wrapped present" just for meeee. Haha. 😭 How funny the universe was trying to send me a cute message on my bday yesterday as I was watching what my boys were up to...

#loki #spiderman #captain america

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mochie85 · 21 days ago

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🎉Happy Birthday!!!🥳

I hope your day is wonderful!

Awe my love...

Thank you so much! It was wonderful. I had a great day and I appreciate the warm greeting. 😊

#izz my birfday yall #answeing asks #amazing mutuals #fantastic friends

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mochie85 · 22 days ago

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On this day: April 8, 2022

Language of Flowers - Cherry Blossoms

The Language of Flowers Masterlist Complete Masterlist

Summary: You've never really had a good birthday. That's why you stopped celebrating it years ago. But this year will be different, right? A/N: To celebrate my birthday today, I wrote two new one-shots for my LoF series. I hope you like them! There's a fluffy one and a smutty one. Pairing: Loki x OC Reader Word count: Over 3k Warnings: Fluff, birthday fluff, slight angst.

You stopped celebrating your birthday years ago when it turned into an excuse for people to drink and get wasted on your dime. Then, later into adulthood, it was a bunch of people trying to one-up each other at your party. Everybody talks on and on about how great their life is and their net worth. It was always disappointing. Adult birthdays have been nothing but upsetting and lackluster, to say the least. So you stopped celebrating it years ago. You didn’t have anyone to celebrate it with anyway until Loki came into your life this year.

Loki had been gone for the past two weeks on a mission. He promised to be back in time for your birthday dinner tomorrow night. You made reservations for the two of you at the new restaurant downtown weeks in advance.

“Why don’t you want to celebrate your birthday?” He asked over the phone.

“There’s no point if you’re not here to celebrate it with me. Besides it’s just a reminder that I’m getting older and more irrelevant.”

“You are not irrelevant! I’m so sorry that I won’t be there, darling. I tried to hurry but this blasted mission is taking a lot longer than I anticipated.” He groaned into the phone.

“I’ll make it up to you when I come home. We’ll go anywhere you want. I’ll take you to that new restaurant. If you’d like,” Loki tried to apologize.

“No, love. Just come home soon. And safe. That’s all I ask.”

“Will do, flower. And when I come home, I promise, you will have my undivided attention.”

“I’ll hold you to it, Laufeyson.”

“I hope you do.” He said in a heady voice. You giggled at the phone, wishing to all the gods that he was here with you. “I’ve missed that sound terribly,” he sighed. “I’ll let you get back to sleep. I’m sorry I called so late. Goodnight, love.”

“Goodnight babe. Oh, and Loki…”

“Yes, darling?”

“I’m wearing your shirt with nothing underneath it!” you said in a sultry voice and hung up. Let that fester in his head for a little while, you thought with a little victory smirk. You crashed back onto your bed, frustration coloring your face.

“Birthday curse strikes again!” You said pointing into the air. You drifted back off to sleep, expecting a horrible birthday when morning comes.

You woke up to the loud buzz on your intercom. With a yawn, you walked up to the monitor and pressed the talk button. “Whoever this is, you better have a good excuse or some really good food if you’re waking me up this early on a Saturday!” you said still half asleep.

“Uh…It’s GrubHub here. I have coffee and a bagel for you.”

“I didn’t order GrubHub.” You were just about to leave and blame the birthday curse for waking you up so early in the morning when the delivery guy said, “Uh, someone name Loki ordered it. For your address.” You buzzed him in, meeting him halfway down the stairs. He handed you a white paper bag, a cup of coffee, and some dahlias. Then he ran back outside.

“Thank you. You yelled out to him.” Slightly confused. He just waved back at you as he left your building.

Back in your apartment, you opened the bag to find warm blueberry bagels smeared with cream cheese. “I can’t possibly eat both of these by myself.” Did Loki order this a while ago for the two of us and forgot to cancel it? You held up the dahlias and with it came a note with his neat script.

I’m sorry I can’t be there with you to start your day. I’ll see you soon, flower. In the meantime, eat up. You’ll need all your energy for today.

So he didn’t forget to cancel. He just ordered it. You started sipping your coffee first. You picked at the bagel, taking small bites. What could possibly happen today that requires this much food for you to eat? You were putting the leftovers away when your comms buzzed again.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me, Bailey. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOSS!!!!!” she squealed. “Let me up.” You buzzed her in, and she found you putting your dahlia in a vase. “You should add this one to it too.” She handed you another dahlia with a note attached.

Follow Bailey. Do as she says.

“Do I have to?” you said aloud.

“Turn the note around,” Bailey said with a smug grin.

Yes! Be a good girl and follow directions.

You bit your lip at the note. Even miles apart he could still give you butterflies.

“Ok! Come on. Dress comfortably and let’s go.” Bailey said grabbing the other bagel and taking a bite. She pushed you to your room to get changed.

“What are you two planning? And how much did he bribe you with?” You yelled from inside your closet.

“I’m not telling you. And he promised to take Sam’s recon mission next week so we could celebrate our anniversary.”

“Awe. Bails. That’s awfully nice of Loki. I wish he told me about it though.”

“It would’ve ruined the surprise if he did.” Then it dawned on you.

“Loki’s home isn’t he?! How long have you guys been planning this?”

“He’s not home. Why would you think he was home? Even if he was home, we planned this weeks in advance. Like you said.”

“So he planned all this weeks ago? He planned not to spend the day with me?” Wow. Maybe he didn’t want to celebrate your birthday with you. Oh Birthday Curse, you reliable old friend. Always bringing the gift of despair.

Tears came down your eyes as you buttoned your jeans. You hadn’t realized that Bailey saw you through the reflection on your vanity.

“Oh, honey. No. No, he wanted to spend the day with you. Really! He planned to do all of this with you, but couldn’t. So he called me late last night and asked me to do this until he got back. It killed him he couldn’t come back in time.” She said giving you a tight hug. “You’ll see each other soon. I promise.”

“You’re right. You’re right!” you said, wiping your tears away. “I’ve just never had a good birthday. And I guess I got my hopes up a little.”

“Ya. I remember some of your more recent ones.” Bailey said, making a face. “But this year will be different. Ok?” She comforted you and you nodded your head giving her another hug.

“Thanks, Bailey. You’re the best friend anyone could have.”

“Yeah. Remember that next week when you and Loki are apart because he’s taking over Sam’s recon mission, m’kay? Ok! Let’s go.”

The first stop on your not-cursed birthday was your favorite bubble tea shop. You always loved their iced teas and macarons. You and Bailey got slushies with extra boba, trading whenever you guys wanted to taste something different.

Next, you stopped by an old bookstore that had rare and hard-to-find first editions. You came here every once in a while to see what new books the shopkeeper had curated in his travels around the world.

After that, you two had lunch at one of the restaurants at Bergdorf’s. It was an odd place to have lunch. You never expressed any interest to go trying it out. You didn’t even know that Bergdorf’s had a restaurant. You always thought it was just a very upscale department store.

“Let’s look around some, while we’re here,” Bailey said.

“I knew there was a reason why you wanted to come and have lunch here.”

“Ya. You caught me. I love to go shopping.” She said giving you finger guns. Bailey dragged you to the evening dresses and started pulling things out. “What do you think I should wear next week for our anniversary?” She asked you putting a dress against her body. You looked at the rack next to you and pulled out a red velvet cocktail dress.

“This will have him wrapped around your finger.” You said handing it to her.

“Ooh, I like that one. Here, I’ll try this one on and you can try this one.” She handed you a dark green, off-the-shoulder chiffon dress and headed inside a changing room. Not giving you any time to argue. After several minutes. You both met in the hallway of the fitting room, looking at each other up and down.

“Bailey, you look drop-dead gorgeous!” the dress fit all her curves. Her face lit up as she saw herself in the mirror. “Ya, that’s the one, Bails. You should get it.”

“I think I will. Are you getting that dress you have on?! You look amazing in it! Like a princess!” You laughed at her exclamation. “No. I don’t have a reason to buy it. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”

“Do you need a reason? It looks amazing on you! That’s the only reason you need!”

“I cannot take you shopping anymore.” You laughed.

“You love shopping with me, admit it! Ok, let’s change. I wanna hit the men’s department next.”

“What for?”

“I…wanna buy Sam a gift.” She said smiling.

“O…kay…” Something was up.

“Hey! Remember what the card said? ‘Be a good girl and follow directions!’” Something was definitely up.

Looking through the men’s department, brought heartache and wonder at the same time. You imagined Loki in some of the more finer tuxedos they had on the mannequins.

Then you remembered that he wasn’t here for your special day today. You stopped and looked at a particular velvet suit jacket. All black, with black slacks and a button-down shirt. You ran your fingers down the lapels feeling the softness of the velvet on your fingertips.

“Hey what do you think of this cologne?” Bailey said next to you. You sniffed the sprayer only to make a face.

“Uck. It reminds me of my uncle when he tries to hide the fact that he’s been smoking.”

“Ok. That’s a definite ‘no.’ What about this one?”

“Better. Smells like clean…linen? Sam might like it.”

“Hmm. What about this one?” Bailey handed you the bottle. When you sniffed it, it reminded you of Loki. Those early days when he was your Phantom and nothing more. He flooded your senses back then. You could hear his deep voice. Feel his gentle touch. Smell his floral, woodsy cologne. You even got to taste his lips that one time you were bold enough to kiss him. The only thing you couldn’t do was see him because he cloaked himself in seidr.

“I like this one.” You said with a smile.

“Hmm. Maybe I’ll get the second one.”

“Ya, I’m sure Sam would love it.”

“Ok. One more stop and then you’re free of me I promise.” Bailey dragged you across the floor to the beauty salon. Beauty salon?! Bergdorf’s really is your one-stop-shop, isn’t it?

“Hi. Bailey Hamada for three o’clock.” Bailey said to the clerk.

“Right this way Miss Hamada.” The clerk said leading you two to private chairs in the back of the salon.

“Bailey. When did you make appointments? And what exactly are we doing at a salon?”

“I made this weeks ago. Surprise! It’s my birthday gift to you. Whatever you want done, babes. Hair makeup, nails. My treat!”

“Bailey. This is too much. I can’t have you spending your money on me like this.”

“Hun, like you said, I’m the best friend anyone could ever have. And I intend to keep that title. Plus, if it weren’t for you I would never have had my dream job. And I would never have met Sam. This is the least I could do. So sit down. Be a good girl and follow directions! She’ll have everything.” She said the last part to the aesthetician. After one hour for your nails, two for your hair, and half an hour for your makeup, you were both ready to go home.

“Before we go, you should put this on. Here are some matching shoes.” Bailey said, handing you the dress you tried on earlier with black pumps.

“Bailey, please tell me you didn’t buy this dress.”

“I didn’t buy the dress.”

“So what is it doing in my hand?”

“I didn’t buy the dress.” She said smiling. “My work here is done. Happy Birthday, babes. I'll see you Monday." She gave you a crushing hug and led you outside. "Come on. There’s a car waiting for you.”

You waved goodbye to Bailey. A flutter of excitement in your stomach. You had an inkling of what was happening but didn't get your hopes up because of the Birthday Curse. You stepped inside the waiting town car. The chauffeur had closed the door and greeted you with another dahlia and a note.

I cannot wait to finally have you in my arms darling girl. Happy Birthday!

He’s home! I knew it! The excitement started to build inside you. So many questions running through your mind. More importantly, where is he and why isn’t he with you? The chauffeur dropped you off in front of Stark Tower. You looked back at him confused. All the chauffeur did was point to the elevators with his hand.

You called the elevator from the lobby, your heels making a sharp noise on the tile floors. Where do I go? Should I go to the Avenger’s floor? Or to my office? You had turned your back to ask the chauffeur again when the elevator doors opened.

As soon as you turned to step onto the lift, you were met by your very handsome, very well-dressed, “Loki?” He looked at you with that stare that always takes your breath away. His sharp blue-green eyes took in the beauty before him. He let out a stifled breath and smiled as he held out his hand to you, inviting you in. As soon as you walked on and held his hand, he pulled you into his embrace and kissed you passionately on your lips.

You melted into his arms. He was home, safe. He kissed you with no regard to where you were or who might get on with the two of you. He opened your lips with his and he tasted your honeyed kiss that he’s been dreaming about for the past two weeks. You brushed your hands up to his hair, pulling him closer to you when something clicked in your head.

You ran your hands down his suit jacket again and felt the soft plush of velvet on your fingers. You took a sharp lungful of air and smelled the woodsy cologne from earlier today. You broke the kiss, smiling. “Have you been spying on me the whole day?” you asked him suspiciously.

“Yes…and no,” Loki said laughing. “I had Bailey take note of everything you liked today. Everything you touched or mentioned. The suit, the cologne. This dress, which you look ravishing in, by the way, flower. That first edition from that bookstore. Those macarons from the café. They’re upstairs waiting for you to open them.” He said with a proud grin.

“Loki! I don’t need all this. I just wanted to spend the day with you.”

“I know, darling. I wanted your birthday to be perfect! Just the way you like it. You said you’ve never had a good birthday. So I wanted to give you one. The perfect birthday. Chosen by you.” You kissed him fervidly for all the trouble he’s gone through.

“When did you get back?” you asked him.

“Only a couple of hours ago.” The doors opened to your office floor. As soon as you stepped out, you were greeted by roses everywhere. Loki had decorated your entire office! Soft petals were falling from the ceiling, making the entire room smell like a garden.

In the middle of the floor was a picnic basket with champagne and small macarons. Candles were lit all around giving the room a warm yellow glow. He led you further inside as he twirled you and wrapped his arms around you.

“A couple of hours? When did you have time to do all of this?!” you said as you twirled around, kicking up rose petals in your path.

“I brought dinner and it’s waiting for us over there if you’re ready. But I don’t want to let go of you just yet,” he said slowly swaying you to an unheard song.

“I’m perfectly content right here.” You said as you wrapped your hands around his neck.

“Did you have a good day, flower?”

“Yes. Even better now that you’re here.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there this morning, love.” You shook your head forgiving him. “How can I make it up to you? How can I make your birthday even better?”

“Loki. I’m fine.”

“How about chocolates from Paris?” Loki snapped his fingers and a box of delectable chocolates appeared on the table. You gave him a confused look. “Cherry Blossoms from Tokyo?” He snapped again and the roses in your office turned into cherry trees with branches that snaked their way through your ceiling. Sakuras rained down flowering your hair. “Or how about light spheres harvested by elves from Vanaheim?” He snapped again and small bubble-like spheres floated everywhere. You were amazed at his seidr. You giggled as you reached out to touch one expecting it to pop, but instead affixed itself to your finger.

“There it is. The sound I’ve missed most of all.” He held you closer, resting his forehead on yours.

“All I want for my birthday is a kiss from a certain Asgardian prince who also happens to be the god of mischief.” You said. Loki snapped his fingers and in place of his well-fitted black suit, was his royal Asgardian armor. Green and black leather with a flowing cape and his golden helmet atop his head.

You blushed at his noble attire. He was so handsome. Anyone else would’ve looked outlandish and crazy. But on Loki, it looked assertive and dominant. You couldn’t hold back the embarrassing girl-like giggle that escaped your mouth.

“I’ve never heard that giggle before,” Loki said deviously.

“No. NO! And you never will again!”

“Is this what does it for you pet?” He asked connivingly. He grabbed you closer to his embrace. You couldn’t help the wide grin growing on your face.

He kissed you gently. He opened more of your mouth and let himself in. He let out a small moan and you quickly got lost in the passion of his kiss.

“Best present ever!” You said as you regained your breath.

“Happy Birthday, my love!”

⬅️Chapter 7: Dahlias | One-Shot: Calla Lilies | Series Masterlist➡️

LoF Taglist: @lokiprompts @huntress-artemiss @dreamyrainywhispers

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