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tarithenurse · 8 days ago

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Inhuman

Fandom: MCU Pairing: Loki x fem!reader, Stucky, more (some canon, some not). Word count: 1359. Contents: The bait is set. A/N: Any questions are welcome. Please comment and like and reblog. Let me know if you want a tag.

Chapter 63

... Loki’s PoV ...

Loki knows that [Y/N] has hardly closed her eyes this night, she has been far too preoccupied with the fate of her friends and allies. Despite the many attempts at distracting the young woman, her heart and mind has been far adrift, and it is a relief when the hour is nigh. Both inside the Chitauri vessel, Loki has had to conceal himself, and as the options are limited, he is now standing in the small compartment that functions as a latrine. Even in Nidavellir would the facilities be better. At least he had a chance to hide the parcel somewhere else.

The muffled sounds of [Y/N] and Thanos reach him, too faint to hear the meaning of the words, and Loki prays to everything he can think of that she will be successful in her charade. A deep, mechanical growl followed by shaking and rumbling from deep within the belly of the machinery startles him. By Bor and Buri! The room tips, forcing him to brace against the walls of the cramped place before the distinct feeling of acceleration slides him sideways. Out in the cockpit, the woman is cheering briefly, before presumably closing the communications channel.

“You can come out now!”

Pushing out from the hiding spot, Loki feels like half the outer layer of the wall is sticking to his hands and clothes. On the other side of the cockpit’s window, the cloud-layer already gives way to a startling bright blue sky that curves softly as a reminder that this planet is a globe unlike Asgard. Old Asgard. As opposed to his brother, the once-a-prince has no illusions that they must find their own faith. Asgard cannot be rebuild in the shadow of an existing power. No, they will have to leave Midgard and find a home they truly can call their own.

“Wow…look at that…”

[Y/N]’s eyes are fixed at darkness ahead and above is growing, revealing it’s treasure trove of stars and planets. A few golden and silver flecks has turned her eyes into something beyond the world she comes from as she stares at the infinity.

Nudging her gently to her feet, Loki takes the place behind the controls. “Allow me.”

He maneuvers the small ship in a wide lazy arc, allowing them to see everything in a circle, before plotting in the course in the navigation system and the automated pilot takes over. Looking up at [Y/N], he recognizes her awe.

“You like what you see?”

She nods, still enchanted by the vastness of space. “It’s…beautiful.”

“It begs to be explored, does it not?”

The woman’s facial expression speaks volumes. Shaking her head, she suddenly pins him with a sharp look. “Why aren’t we weightless?”

“Artificial gravity,” he shrugs, “most ships have them nowadays.”

“Huh.” Something playful flutters across her face. “Can it be turned off?”

Not the course of dialogue I had anticipated. “Probably…but why would you?”

“Always wanted to know what it’s like to fly.”

… Reader’s PoV ...

Surprisingly, Loki had complied and turned off the gravity. Somewhere behind them, the Earth is drifting away, but you are drifting weightlessly around while the stars surround you and for a moment, just a short moment, things don’t feel so bad. Even the Asgardian seems to be enjoying himself as he floats elegantly as if dancing to unheard music.

Tugging your arms close, you send yourself into a pirouette across the cockpit, landing you head down at the dashboard, fingers gripping the back of the chair above you. Or beneath? Everything is relative. Curling up, your toes find a solid surface to push off of and once more you travel the expanse from one end to the other, this time in stomach-fluttering backwards somersaults, the braid tugging at your skull as it’s caught up in the centrifugal force.

Oh, this is too fast.

Limbs flailing wide, you try to slow down even as you brace for impact with the steely wall. An uncompromising arm around your waist stops you short, still upside down in midair resulting in a view of Loki’s pelvis. Instinctively, you grab hold to stabilize yourself and avoid a collision. Palms cradling the jaunty hipbones and fingers stretching towards his backside and you are overly aware that the man responds to the touch. Not again. Pushing off, you are able to get to the wall and right yourself.

“Sorry ‘bout that.”

“There is nothing to forgive…”

Some of the initial enjoyment has gone, been replaced by a lot of unspoken somethings and no weightlessness can chase that away. This is going to be a looooong trip.

… …

Below the spacecraft lies a dusty moon, its rocks and jagged mountains a shimmering grey. There are no signs of life on the barren surface, and you feel a bubbling nervousness grip your lungs. What if something went wrong on their way here? Next to you, Loki is dialing instruments and pressing buttons before flipping the little silvery switch above.

“The heroes have arrived.” The tip of his index finger is pressing down hard on the coms button.

A second that feels like an hour passes after he lets go, giving them time to study the thin silvery shell of the atmosphere.

“And what are we then? The back-up dancers?” Tony drawls.

“If only,” the Asgardian mutters softly to you before pushing the button again. “Ready to proceed?”

His question is answered with a loud pop hailing the arrival of Kurt, the mellow teleporting mutant. He nods quietly at you while waiting for Loki to reset the coms before flashing him out of there, leaving you behind.

Feeling more alone than ever, you seat yourself in front of the illuminated dash and you have to take several breaths before your hand is steady enough to flip the switch and press the button down.

“Lord Thanos?” Please, don’t hear the shaking in my voice.

A soft buzz tickles the airwaves before the deep voice of the titan rumbles out of hidden speakers. “I hear you, traitor of the Avengers.” The image on the screen flickers with static disturbance.

Hesitating for a moment to determine if there is a hidden accusation, you respond warily. “It’s what they deserve. I’m far from Earth now. As far as I can tell it should be possible to meet on the surface.”

“And you have come alone?”

“No one followed me, I’m sure of it.” Technically that’s not a lie.

“Coordinates, now.” He is used to getting want he wants without even asking.

“Tell me how to land this machine first.” It’s a bold demand, but necessary if you want to be able to lure him to the surface.

It turns out to be just as simple to land the spacecraft as it had been to take flight. Guiding it close to the surface and slowing down makes a button flash brightly, when it’s pushed, the automated landing system takes over and settles the metallic contraption gently on the dusty ground.

Next problem is relaying the chain of symbols that indicate the position, but with a controlled pattern formation across her forearm, even that problem is solved.

“I will be with you shortly.”

… Loki’s PoV ...

The various Midgardians and the ragtag band of alleged Guardians have been busy and Loki is almost impressed with the result. Without the use of magic, they have managed to establish a barrier shielding anyone beneath from view and the registration by any sensors. It is of no use as a ward against attacks, however the main purpose is to prevent detection until Thanos has landed.

A high pitch droning signals the landing of the spy vessel in the distance, and the solitary figure of [Y/N] emerges. Standing tall, it’s impossible to tell her state of mind. Her friends are already moving to greet her where she stands, but as sharp warning from the furry maniacal Rocket stops them dead. From out of nowhere, a massive necrocraft has materialized, lowing itself onto a ridge in the horizon, yet still dwarfing anything else…including the lone woman.

All they can do now is wait for her signal.

#fanfiction #mcu #reader insert #Inhuman #x reader #loki laufeyson #avengers #marvel #marvel cinematic universe #fanfic #writing #x you #x fem!reader #x y/n #series

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boysofprogress · 3 months ago

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crossover verse ideas that probably suck because i was formulating these at like 1 AM :

mcu :

a fledgling idea , but i already previously discussed how much viktor's arc and ideals fit with dr. doom. i've got to do proper research to flesh out this idea and viktor-ify it ( it's been years since i've seen fantastic four ). i mean come on tho , they even have the same name ! a hivemind robot army !

for jayce , i had this idea of him being like , an asgardian weaponsmith ? perhaps even apprenticed under the dwarves of nidavellir ? the fact that he makes hammers immediately made me think of thor and this is how we got here. and that's where the idea ends , really , but i just think he's gosh darn cool.

pac rim :

viktor and jayce are scientists under the ppdc. they could just be gottlieb and geiszler , because they literally just are , but as much as i prefer the first movie to the second , i think they're of the latter era. of course , to gain any notoriety , you have to work with the jaeger program , so i'm imagining jayce probably developed some incredible anti-kaiju tech early in his career and now oversees the department that researches and develops it. but being dear friends with viktor , he helps with his research as well. probably looking the technology the precursors use to code and clone the kaiju. perhaps hoping to use it for medical purposes ? like , growing limbs , tissue , organs etc. viktor needs more funding , jayce is always promising to help get it , but any research not focused on the jaeger program is relegated to the back-burner. viktor's frustrated , his desperation to unlock this thing deeply personal , and ... man , he should really stop injecting himself with that refined kaiju blue stuff singed showed him how to make to defer his illness.

monsterverse :

very similar to the above ( i love kaiju movies ) , jayce and viktor are monarch scientists doing more or less the same thing in their pac rim verse. instead of anti-titan tech though , jayce probably boosted his career by developing some kind of tracking technology or something. they're looking into the regenerative properties the titans seem to possess ( particularly mothra's egg laying resurrection ). viktor's still injecting himself with things he shouldn't. it's a great time.

bg3 ( can crossover with any forgotten realms muses tho ) :

and now my favorite. jayce and viktor are artificers from baldur's gate. they were instrumental in helping gortash develop the groundwork he would use to create the steel watchers. meant to be helpers , more like bernard in nature , they were both dismayed when gortash revealed his real plan and vocally objected to using their technology to do so. so ... gortash sent them to moonrise , tadpoled them , and hoped to use this to control them. naturally , it all backfired when they wound up on the nautilus, crash landed on the beach , and found their way to the emerald grove.

viktor and jayce will properly join the party once you save the tieflings. if you don't ... you'll have to kill them or go your separate ways. if you let them go , you will find them dead in the shadowcursed lands after they were turned away from last light by jaheira. while i think viktor could be convinced to prioritize survival , jayce would not be able to let the deaths of the tieflings go. ANYWAYS , once they're in your camp , they share a tent , and can either be romanced separately or together.

#✎ ੈ˳ [ viktor voice ] i have a hexstrap — ooc.#i am so excited abt these

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magnusmodig · 1 year ago

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— on the nine realms ; a general study of asgard .

aka vi's world-building reference .

The following details are what I consider to be canon for the Nine Realms. This is primarily based on what we know from the MCU, some minor spinoffs (the thor video game comes to mind), concept art + screenplays and some inspirations pulled from the marvel comics (no particular runs just in general)

It's what I'll be referencing when Thor speaks of the Nine Realms, specific planets within them, and Asgard.

THE NINE REALMS (general.)

The following are all the known realms under Asgardian Protection (pulled from the MCU.) Technically there are 10 realms but only 9 if you don't count Asgard.

Asgard || A flat planet also known as 'the realm eternal' . Home of the Asgardians . Asgard resides in its own pocket dimension in deep space and can only be accessed by wormholes. The center of Yggdrasil .

Vanaheim || Sister planet to Asgard . Where the Vanir (sister species) live . Also where skraelings, some breeds of trolls, and mire giants live . (hc : frigga's homeland.) Where hogun is from.

Alfheim || Home of the Light Elves . Highly magically inclined . To the north live the Falligrians and Falligar the Behemoth .

Svartalflheim/Harudheen || Home of the Dark Elves . Once prosperous, Svartalfheim and its surrounding planets have been completely corrupted by Dark Matter . The Dark Elves (and all other life) are now extinct, with a barren land destroyed by war and the Aether (reality stone) .

Muspelheim || Realm of fire. Where Surtur lives. Various Infernir live here . (Infernir also known as Fire Demons and Fire Giants.) Home to The Infernal Forge and a material called "Scabrite" . Scabrite makes up all Muspelheim's armor and weapons . It can absorb incredible amounts of heat .

Niflheim || A realm of the mists and cold . Helheim exists within the depths of Niflheim . Notoriously, Niflheim's legends say that the spirits of the dishonorable dead and the damned travel the dense fogs there . Hela was banished to Helheim, sealed in the Cave of Ages .

Jotunheim || Realm of the Frost Giants and eternal ice and snow . Led by King Laufey . A portion of Jotunheim was destroyed by Loki during the events of "Thor" (2011) .

Nidavellir || A small planet built around a neutron star . Where King Eitri and the dwarves live. The birthplace of urdu metal and its enchanted objects and weapons, including the Infinity Gauntlet, Gungnir, Mjolnir and Stormbreaker .

Midgard || A realm surrounded by its own solar system with 8 other planets. The main inhabitants of Midgard reside on Earth . Home of the Avengers and Jane Foster. A known host of a wellspring of the 'water of sights' that is connected to the Nornns.

Nornheim/Urðarbrunnr || Presumably: a realm connected to the nornns/water of sights, that is inhabited by other beings beyond the nornns , such as rock trolls. (it's implied the nornns themselves are kept to the waters and are semi-supernatural beings.) Filled with forests , swamps , and large mountains .

ASGARD (overview.)

A flat planet with a top side and a bottom side. Topside features various biomes including but not limited to: forests, mountains and cliffs, deep mines and cave systems, jungles, beaches, and small deserts. The bottom plane of Asgard is host to large crystal structures. (hc: mined and utilized as energy sources and magic storage for spells, weapons, and various other mechanisms throughout Asgard.)

Has day and night cycles, an atmosphere, and various weather patterns. Yearly consists of two (and a half) seasons. Its primary two are summer and spring. (Summer has warm days and evenings/nights that result in easily-melting flingsnö , or a light and powdery falling snow.) Spring (Asgard's longest season), is most hallmarked by its near-perpetual twilight hours. Asgard also exhibits some signs of the beginning of fall, which presumably a farmer's season of rest, but Asgard itself does not experience cold snaps or winters.

Asgard boasts a vast series of waterfalls, rivers, and fjords, though all ultimately lead to, and end in, the Sea of Space. The central city is built around and above these waterways.

The Bifrost spans from the Palace of Valskjalf to Himinbjorg, the Bifrost's observatory. This bridge spans the broad length of the Sea of Space, and reveals the cosmos of space the farther out towards the observatory one travels.

Asgard has 1 sun (that orbits around Asgard perpendicularly), 2 (stationary) moons that can be seen during the day.

Asgard's main colors are red and gold. Its main symbol is the celtic triquetra (sometimes also referred to as the trinity knot.)

Asgard uses all forms of viking art styles, but its main three consist of: Jellinge Style, Mammen Style, and especially Urnes Style .

ASGARD (places.)

Locations in Asgard (based on the 1960s comics - present comics. Not comic or mcu accurate obvsly but i'm taking liberties and referencing what I can within reason.)

Valaskjalf - (hc'd) name of the city of Asgard. It houses the Royal Palace of Valaskjalf where Thor + co live. The palace gardens are run by the Queen of Asgard (currently: Frigga) and are called Fólkvangr. Within the great city of Valaskjalf is the Hall of Science, within which is a great ash tree representing Yggdrasil, and acting as an observatory of the Nine Realms.

Himinbjorg - Heimdall's observatory, which can only work upon use of Hofund, an uru-made sword wielded by Heimdall.

The Sea of Space - the name of the sea that stretches from the Asgardian fjords and out into the void of space (also synonymous with "the void of Yggdrasil".)

Gundershelm - the mining region of Asgard. From here can be found the descent into the crystal caves beneath Asgard, known as the Glade of Crystals. A series of waterfalls and great fjord surrounds this place. The crystals begin to form even outside of the mouth of the mining caves descending down. Hence the name 'glade' of crystals, as the fjord looks something like an open patch in a field of snow from above and afar. Therein also lies the Amethyst Cavern and Boulder Road (which is said to span all the way past Varinheim into Skornheim. The trek can be dangerous due to how long it is, and its intense heat.) One of the more popular mines, the "Mines of Andvari" also is here in Gundershelm.

Varinheim - the mountainous area of Asgard, where the asgardian wolves dwell, amongst other hazardous beasts. Varinheim is where the Trials of Virtue (an Asgardian 'coming of age' trial) is held. It is often filled with mists from the snowy peaks far overhead, and the more uncommonly traveled lands are referred to by commoners as the 'land of the lost'. Hreidmar's Hol is deep within the land of the lost, which is a mysterious valley Asgardians dare not pass into for long. Here there is a strange old man called Hardol who is an ancient healer.

Ringsfjord - a merchant town nestled in one of Valakjalf's fjords. It's a place where the finest smithies and weapons makers make their shops, as well as magical enchanters. Legends have it that four enchanter brothers named Brona, Enrakt, Forsung and Magnir lived in Ringsjford, and that Brona was one of the first Asgardians to discover the rifts between realms. (One of which was named 'Brona's Barrier'.) But Brona's discoveries had long since been lost to time, especially after the creation of the Bifrost (until Loki, an equally adept sorcerer, was able to rediscover the passageways between realms for himself). Their forge is called "Forge of the Sons of Ivaldi" and boasts some of the finest asgardian-made weapons in the city.

Skornheim - another old and magic-rife land that's filled to the brim with danger. Including but not limited to; dense swamp-woods, quicksand, spiny plants (called 'nightmare plants'). The most important point of interest here is Skornheim's Stronghold which is a surviving ruin from the first battles against Surtur.

Gymirsgard - west of Skornheim. To reach Gymirsgard, one would have to traverse through the dense forest/swamps and brave the threat of unusually large water-dragons the likes of the fabled Jormangundir.

#( headcanon . ) — glory to the man who toils for his land . may it ever prosper .#( asgard world-building . ) — to bridge and river . forest and waterfall . orchard . sea and sky .#personals do not reblog.#(😘 love u guys tho)#saved hcs

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darthkvznblogs · 5 months ago

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Since the Asgardians are more godly than Phase 1 MCU, what of the other Realms? Are they more magical or still aliens advanced enough that the difference is negligible?

Definitely more magical; of the Nine Realms, only Vanaheim and Nidavellir have “tech” like Earth (and it’s more accurately magic that emulates tech in looks and function). The other realms are purely magical!

#ask box #anon ask #kryptonverse #let’s not even get into the magnus chase conundrum #can’t wait to get into that clusterfuck :D #(not being sarcastic here i’m actually excited)

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annachum · 2 years ago

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Asgard has kunling aka Nordic herding calls

Vanaheim has throat singing

Nidavellir got yodeling

Alfheim got fairy dust signing

Jotunheim has frost signing and calling ( similarly with mountain calling, rlly )

Svartalfheim has SHADOW SIGNING AND COMMUNICATIONS

All these methods are amongst popular methods to communicate with their peoples in those 6 realms in far away

Lol imagine

Thor, Hogun, Sigyn and Hildegund one time have to communicate from far away

Thor bellowing out a kunling

Then Hogun starts throat singing

Hildegund ( Volstagg's wife whom I HC is from Nidavellir and a mountain/shield dwarf ) starts yodeling

And then Sigyn starts doing a Light Elven sign language like dance in the air and then signs several signs via her pink fairy dust

Thor's Avenger mates then watched this be and be like : ' ?!?!?!?!🤩🤩🤩🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯👏👏👏🤯🤯 '

#asgard #vanaheim #nidavellir #alfheim #jotunheim #svartalfheim #mcu nine realms #light elves #dwarves #frost giants #dark elves #mcu hcs

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trashywormeateroffics · 2 years ago

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The right universe.

Summary: After Y/N's life turns upside down, she's full of grief. Somehow, one day, she manages to travel to the MCU, where she meets her favorite characters, including a certain god who seems willing to establish a friendship with her. Suddenly she's enwrapped in this new world, where everything she loved in a screen is now reality. How will she react? Will she be able to deal with the ghosts that haunt her? Or will she let them consume her? Will she be open to accept the love she is offered? Read to find out!

Read this on AO3!

Category: F/M.

Relationships: Loki/reader.

Characters: Wanda Maximoff, Pietro Maximoff, Sam Wilson (Marvel), James “Bucky” Barnes, Vision (Marvel), Tony Stark, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Stephen Strange, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Bruce Banner, Thor (Marvel), Clint Barton, Steve Rogers, Peter Parker, other minor appearances of other characters but these are the main ones, Pepper Potts, Loki (Marvel).

Additional tags: Loki/reader - Freeform, Avenger Loki (Marvel), Loki & Tony Stark Friendship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Fluffyfest, Slow Burn, Friends to lovers, Mutual Pining, Pining a lot because we love to suffer, Domestic Avengers, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark is a parental figure, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Everyone is a good bro, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, y/n, After Infinity War but no one died and the purple bitch was defeated, Missions, Y/N is a universe traveler, Grief, Therapy, Protective Loki (Marvel), Loki in love.

MASTERLIST OF THE STORY

Chapter 55: The dagger of death.

“Guys, this might sound very stupid but… has any of you watched Lucifer the tv show?”

Everyone stayed silent and she took that as a no.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Natasha asked.

“I might have a plan.”

“What kind of plan?” Steve asked.

“I'm gonna tell it to you and you're gonna think I'm insane but then you're going to realize that it's actually brilliant.”

“Okay, Y/L/N. Spill it.”

“We use a ship to go to Nidavellir. There we forge the dagger of death, then we come back here, and here comes the tricky part.” She said, raising her index finger. “One of us has to die.”

“What?!” Everyone exclaimed, alarmed.

“Just temporarily!” She said, raising her hands in defense.

“Y/N, what the hell are you talking about?”

“There's an episode of Lucifer where he has to retrieve something from hell, and so he dies by someone shocking him and then someone bringing back in the same way.”

“Are you insane? No, let me rephrase that. You are insane.” Wanda told her.

“I knew you would say that, but it's the only way. This is a world threatening event, Thanos like.”

“Y/N, what's your plan? Who even dies?” Steve asked her, unbelieving.

“That's the thing…” Everyone narrowed their eyes. “I do.”

“No way in hell. No pun intended.” Tony said.

“Y/N, you are not killing yourself.” Loki told her firmly.

“Loki, I love you and I hear you, but I'm going to do it.” He looked at her and he knew she would do it anyway. So he thought of the next best idea.

“Fine, then I will go with you.”

“Guys! No one is dying.” Tony said, but Y/N and Loki were not listening.

“Listen, everyone, Steve.” She began, looking at him. “If anyone has a better plan, then we execute it, but no one seems to have something better so… this is it.”

“Y/N, what if you guys die? What if you don't come back?” Wanda asked her, frowning.

“We will come back, it will work. Guys, you've pulled off crazier things, I've seen you do it.” She told them trying to sound encouraging, but the mood had turned grim.

“Alright,” Steve said, “Y/N is right. It's our only way.”

“Thank you, Steve.”

“Just… we need to be careful. We can't afford to lose our resident lunatic.”

“Hey!” She slapped his arm.

And so they began planning the details and preparing themselves for the next war.

————————————-

After the meeting, Thor, Loki and Y/N headed to New Asgard, where they were to meet Valkyrie and ask her to borrow her ship.

“Your Princes!” She said as soon as they got out of the quinjet. “And my favorite not mortal.”

“Val!” Y/N exclaimed and went to hug her. The other one just patted her head like a dog, not used to physical affection but still in need of it.

“My Queen,” Thor bowed his head, “we come to ask you a favor.”

“Ask away.” She told him as she had her arm wrapped around Y/N's shoulders. “Just no sexual favors please, I've run out of those.”

“What? No.” Y/N told her, frowning. “We need to borrow your ship.”

“My ship? What for?”

“A war is coming and we must go to Nidavellir to forge a deadly weapon.” Loki told her, very seriously. Valkyrie laughed loudly.

“A war? Against who?”

“My sister.”

—————————————

“So, she's evil and wants to kill you?” Valkyrie asked after Y/N told her the whole story. “Geez, wonder why that sounds familiar…” She said looking at the both Asgardian brothers.

“Yeah, pretty much.” Y/N said, her lips in a tight line.

“And your plan is to forge the dagger of death in Nidavellir and then die temporarily to go to hell and convince Hela, the person who caused Ragnarok and is just as evil, or even more, as your sister, to enchant it?”

“Y-yeah.” She nodded. “In my defense, I watch a lot of tv.”

The warrior laughed and shook her head. Then she looked at Y/N and saw that she was serious, so she shrugged.

“You are insane but… what's another life threatening plan gonna do? Actually kill me?”

“Yes!” Y/N exclaimed, lifting her fists in the air, knowing that she had been convinced.

“But… I am coming with you. You are gonna need someone who knows how to drive my ship properly, not like these two brutes.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Excuse you?” The both brothers said at the same time, making the two women laugh. After the laughter died down and everyone sobered up Thor spoke up.

“Then it is settled. Us four will go to Nidavellir.”

————————————

“Are you sure about this?” Natasha asked her, worry etched onto her face.

“I am Nat, this is our only way.”

“Just… be careful, alright? Don't do anything stupid.”

“I probably will but… nothing too stupid.” She said, making the redhead laugh.

“Lady Y/N, let's go!” Thor called from the ship.

Everyone gathered at the garden of the compound to say goodbye to the two Asgardian brothers, Y/N and Valkyrie as they were to be headed to Nidavellir.

“Kid! Be careful.”

“Yes Tony, I will be. I'm going to space, how cool is that?!” She whisper-yelled and the billionaire let out a loud laugh.

“Very cool.” He told her, still smiling. Then he squeezed her shoulders and gave her a nod.

“Darling, we must go.”

“Right. Well everyone, I'll be back. Let's hope.” She crossed her fingers and everyone looked at her disapprovingly.

“Y/N!” Steve scolded.

“I'm joking. Jesus!” She held up her hands. “Alright, bye!”

“Bye!” Everyone waved their hands as she got on the ship and until it disappeared into the sky they didn't stop.

—————————————

“Alright, one minute for the jump.” Valkyrie said, making Y/N's stomach turn.

Yes, she had traveled universes and fought bad guys and had been kidnapped, but she had never traveled to space. Would she puke her guts out? Would her head explode?

“Darling,” she looked at Loki. “Are you alright?”

“Peachy. Great. Yes.” He looked amused.

“Are you nervous?”

“Ha!” She laughed exaggeratedly. “I'm not.”

“Alright.”

They stayed in silence for a moment, but when the jump began, Y/N grabbed Loki's hands tightly. He didn't say anything, but smiled as he tightened his grip on her hand.

———————————-

When it came into view, everyone gasped. Recovered from its former destruction by the hand of the titan, Nidavellir had once again risen from the ashes. Now not only dwarves lived there but beings from all the realms, beings who worked and lived there, helping their leader, Eitri.

Thor, Valkyrie, Loki and Y/N got out of the ship and approached him.

“Thor!” He exclaimed with joy, as everyone did when they saw the blond Asgardian.

“Eitri! How have you been?”

“Better, better. And you?”

“Great!” Thor bellowed in his usual positive Thor fashion.

“So, what brings you here? Don't tell me you need another hammer!”

“No, no. We need to forge something else.”

“Like what?”

“A dagger of death.” Y/N joined the conversation, finally leaving her spot next to Valkyrie and Loki and walking forward to face the dwarf.

“A dagger of death?” He asked her, frowning.

“Yes. A dagger of death.”

“That is impossible, I cannot help you.”

“Why not?”

“Odin forbade us from creating any weapon that could kill the gods… so Hela would never be able to use it.”

“Eitri,” Thor began, “I understand what you are saying, but Odin is gone and so is Hela.”

“Still, I cannot break an oath.”

“Not even if the universe depended on it?”

“Not even if the universe depended on it.”

Y/N huffed.

“Listen sir, we are gonna get that dagger, whether you want us to or not.”

“I beg your pardon, young lady?”

“The name is Astrid Freyjadottir.” Eitri widened his eyes.

“Astrid Freyjadottir, you are a legend.”

Y/N looked at Loki frowning and he shrugged, communicating with her without words. She looked at the dwarf and stood straight.

“Yes? Well, if I am such a legend, give us the dagger. Please.” She said the last word as an afterthought.

“But-”

“No, I am the daughter of the völva and I command you to forge the dagger of death. Right now.” She told him firmly. Eitri sighed and bowed his head.

“As you wish.”

———————————-

“We got it!” Y/N jumped up and down as they got into the ship. Loki smiled at her giddiness.

“You did, Astrid of Asgard.” She began to feel herself grow hot from embarrassment.

“I- We all did.”

“Right, not mortal. Whatever you say.” Valkyrie told her as she settled herself on the captain's seat.

“Alright, my friends! Let's go back!”

—————————————

“Alright, part two of the plan.” Steve said, hesitant. “You… die.” He told Y/N and Loki.

“Yeah!” She said. “Let's do this!” Loki looked at her, horrified.

“Let's not get too excited.” Natasha told her, almost in a scolding manner.

“Sorry.”

“Alright,” Steve began again, “let's go over it one more time.”

#loki x reader #loki x y/n #loki x you #avengers x reader #loki fanfiction #mcu x reader #loki x yn #loki odinson x reader #loki angst #loki fluff

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amandaoftherosemire · 2 years ago

Text

Second Sight -- Part Sixteen

Fandom: Marvel Avengers AU/MCU AU

Pairing: Loki Odinson X fem!Reader

Characters: Loki Odinson, ONBC Audra the Merchant

Author: @amandaoftherosemire

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 5,456

Format: Series WIP

Warnings: Language, intimidation,

Summary: Able to see through Loki’s magic no matter what spells he weaves, he continues his quest to discover the source of your mysterious talents. In the meantime, he obtains a gift for you.

A/N: The muse is upon me! I swear, it started raining and the little forest swamp creature that lives in my soul started singing and dancing and plot bunnies are bouncing all over The Rosemire right now. I am being very good, and mostly staying on task, and I will continue to do so. Let us hope that the weather stays bad so I can keep writing. 😊

<<Part Fifteen here

Second Sight Part Sixteen

“Iron?!” Loki was almost shouting, trying to hide his fear in strident irritation. He sneered down at the cube in his hand with disdain, fighting the urge to throw it across the room. Instead, he turned that sneer on you, though his eyes worried over your pale face and trembling hands. “This has to be some kind of joke.”

You looked up from your spot on the couch where you’d collapsed when he’d placed the new item in your hand. The cube had fallen immediately to the floor when you’d jerked away in pain, leaving behind a square of red, raw skin on your palm where the metal had brushed against you. Annoyed by the vague accusation on his face, you shot back with as much venom as you could muster, though the fading weakness that had grabbed you when you took the metal cube left you still breathless, “Well, it’s clearly not all iron, just this shit.”

Loki’s brows furrowed in concentration, wondering if this was why it had taken so long for him to discover the source of the necklace’s danger to you. “What do you mean?”

“I live in New York.” You took a deep breath and sat up, the strength coming back to both your spine and your voice the longer you were away from the shockingly painful cube. You looked at your hand, somewhat surprised that the cold of the metal had done so much damage with so little contact. “Steel is everywhere. If iron from Earth did this to me, I would have noticed.”

Loki considered that as he placed the cube back on his desk, resisting the impulse to rush to your side to stroke and cuddle. The paleness of your face, the suddenness with which you’d lost both your color and your balance when he’d placed the cube in your hand was still fresh in his mind. Despite the cold fear that had settled into the pit of his stomach at the sight, his knee-jerk fear of the vulnerability kept him in place.

But when he turned back to see you looking at your own still trembling hands, he couldn’t stop himself from crossing to sit next to you. Sliding his arm behind your back, he placed his hand on your hip and pulled you close, needing to cradle your delicate form against him. You leaned into him, resting your head on his shoulder, and his heart fluttered in reaction to the trust you so clearly placed in him, whether he deserved it or not.

“This was iron mined on Nidavellir,” he said softly, his voice low and thoughtful, as he settled back into the sofa with you snuggled close. “I wonder if iron from any other worlds would have the same effect, or if it’s specific to iron from that realm.”

You’d gotten your strength back quickly after Loki had taken the cube from you, but at his words you felt tired. “More tests?” You sighed the question as you leaned more heavily against him, already anticipating more boredom and possibly more of the terrifying lethargy. To your consternation, the discovery that it was something so very mundane only added to the mystery.

“Darling, the Dwarves’ metalwork is fairly common on Asgard. If Nidavellir iron is dangerous to you, I need to know before I take you there.” Loki smiled at the waspish edge to your tone as his arm tightened around you. He answered gently, as he could also hear the exhaustion under the frustration. “I need all possible information.”

“More tests.” You tried not to express any of the whining that was echoing in your mind, but some petulance leaked out. Loki tried and failed to hide the indulgence he felt in response. He would never describe you as ill-tempered or given to complaint, especially when he considered all you'd endured at his hands, and with surprising aplomb. Which is why he found you so unexpectedly adorable in this irritable humor.

“Y/N.” He said your name with a wealth of amused affection, his tone golden with devotion. In response to the warmth you heard there, you lifted your head to look into emerald eyes that blazed with love. His free hand came up to cup your cheek, his thumb brushing over the line of your jaw with an aching reverence that brought tears to your throat. “You’re the most important person in the universe to me. I will do whatever I must to keep you safe by my side.” His head dipped, his mouth closing over yours in a kiss rich with both adoration and passion. When he lifted his head, those bright green eyes were dark with desire, though his mouth twisted wryly. “Even annoy you to no end, if that is what must be done.”

Your heart was racing as you laughed, the rush of warmth accompanied by the rest of your strength returning to you. Grinning wickedly, you pushed him back against the couch and threw your leg over his lap in one smooth move until you were straddling him, your hands sliding around his chest. Once there, you snuggled in close, sighing in contentment when his arms came up to wrap securely around you. Loki rested his cheek on the top of your head and held you tight against him, needing the comfort as much as you clearly did.

Once you'd taken a minute to rest on the even ebb and flow of his breath as you pulled yourself together, you lifted up to smile wryly into his face. The sight of your eyes, deep and dark with love, caught and held Loki once again, squeezed his heart in a vise of joy. "Dearest one," he murmured, his voice an ache, "don't you know you're my salvation?"

Gently, you leaned forward to kiss him again, sinking in to heat and softness with a hum of pleasure. "Sweet talker,” you answered against his mouth, making his grin flash at you, quick and wild.

Fortunately, the tests took far less time than you'd been dreading. Loki had been satisfied when the only samples of iron to cause such a terrifying reaction were from Nidavellir, even after he'd had you test another twenty or so more. He'd brought you a sampling from all the realms he thought he might want to visit with you and no others caused the sapping weakness or closing darkness. Unfortunately, this meant that Loki also had to make certain that you weren't weak to anything else from Nidavellir. If not for Loki's clever additions to the game you devised, you'd have lost all patience with him.

Finally, finally, Loki professed himself satisfied that Nidavellir iron seemed to be the only substance that caused a reaction. He'd brought you every substance mined from that dying star that he could get his hands on, and none had affected you as the iron did. All of the samples that had any Nidavellir iron continued to weaken you as soon as it came in contact with your skin, but only iron did so.

He kept testing, however, worried he was missing something, because Eirtri did not allow free access to the rarest materials used by his smiths. Loki had not yet thought of a way to get a sample of their rarest and most powerful mineral, but you weren't likely to come in contact with it. As long as his brother and Mjolnir stayed away from Asgard, you should be safe, but if Thor returned, he knew he'd have bigger problems than your reaction to Uru. Regardless, he knew you'd have to risk it, because he could think of nothing more to check.

Once he’d done all he could to assure himself of your general safety, the two of you left his sanctuary to attend to real life. You went back to Earth to go through a normal few days, going to work, having lunch with Emily, restocking your refrigerator, etc. Loki also returned to his routine, though his mundanities were politics and court intrigue. On top of the routine of ruling, there had been rumblings of discontent in some of the other realms. His attention had been entirely on you of late, and he had plenty of Asgardian problems he’d been ignoring for too long already.

He knew he should be focusing on those problems, those rumblings, instead of his favorite obsession, but there were still questions to be asked and answers to be sought. Those questions and their answers were why he found himself back on Alfheim, skulking a few feet away from the entrance to an alley, his mind clear and his blood cold, as he waited for your merchant friend to pass by. He hoped to collect both information and something that would make you smile.

Sometimes, you smiled slow and lovely, and your face would light up with love and astonished gratitude and his heart would pound in wild delight at the sight of you. He wanted a gift that would set off that beautiful expression and had devised a way to obtain it, and perhaps some information on the metals of Nidavellir he didn’t already know.

Loki had infinite patience when on the hunt, but he was having to fight boredom by the time the merchant came walking down the street, their gait quick and eyes scanning for threats. Loki smiled a little, familiar with prey that he'd already roughed up a little. Good.

Scaring someone into doing what he wanted was always easier if they were already afraid of him.

In a flash of movement, Loki's arm snaked out and he grabbed the merchant by the collar, dragging them into the shadows of the alleyway. They yelped in surprised alarm as Loki shimmered into sight, cloaked in the illusion he'd worn when purchasing the necklace he carried in his pocket. For now, he smiled broadly at the gawking person he'd backed against smooth cream-colored stone.

"We have to stop meeting like this." Loki tried joking a little, though he didn't give the other being room to dart away. The merchant was gasping in terror, and he wasn't interested in them being so afraid this early in the negotiations. He wanted them scared, not pissing themself.

“No." The word was firm despite the fear widening their eyes and trembling around their mouth. "No. No. No." Every word was punctuated by a shake of the head, either in denial of the sight of Loki grinning fiercely in their face or a preemptive denial of whatever it was he wanted. "Not you again," they stated as though their insistence would make it so.

Loki tried for charming, expecting the chilly welcome. He smiled pleasantly, trying to hit somewhere between somewhat dangerous and somewhat threatening. "Me again."

"I’ve told you everything, I swear!" Their eyes darted in all directions as they sought the best avenue for a getaway. They started inching sideways towards the alley entrance, retreat paramount in their mind. They wanted nothing to do with the Asgardian, had had more than enough already.

Loki immediately noticed the merchant trying to leave and placed one hand on the wall next to their head, leaning in to cut off any escape while still appearing casual and minimally threatening. "Relax, merchant." Loki released the fistful of the merchant's shirt he still held and smoothed the fabric. "I’m here as a patron, not a brute." He smiled, wide and winning, and tilted his head quizzically. "Did you ever tell me your name?"

The other being was breathing quickly, both from the startlement of being yanked so unceremoniously into the alleyway and the sight of the person who did so. Though Loki wore another form, he'd shown them his true nature on their last meeting. "Audra," they answered automatically, then shook their head, impatient to get away from him, "but I do not need any further business from you, sir. Excuse me." With cold eyes and a smooth expression, the merchant attempted to duck under Loki's arm to flee the scene.

He smiled inwardly, amused by the other being's attempts to leave. Moving quickly, he dropped his arm and blocked their way once again. "Please, Audra, you must hear my offer before you refuse." They shot him as vicious a glare as they were capable, the ethereal beauty that marked the inhabitants of Alfheim blunting much of the effect. Audra the Merchant didn't do menacing very well. Loki, the God of Mischief, did. "And since I have had to go to immense trouble due to your oversight, it’s really the least you can do."

"My oversight?!" Audra drew themself up to their fullest height, eye to eye with Loki and angry enough to stand up to Loki's attempt to bully them. "How dare you?!"

"The bauble you sold me was made with steel based on Nidavellir iron." Loki's voice was as hard as that steel as he made the statement, accusation hanging on every word. On the next question, his voice went smooth as silk, the tone he used when about to pull a knife. "Why did you not warn my lady of the risk?"

Perhaps, if he'd been speaking as himself, the merchant would have cowered in terror, his reputation doing much of the heavy lifting. As it was, Audra had been in trade for a very long time, and Loki was not the first creature to hold a weapon on them. "How is that relevant?" They asked the question with insulted confusion. "Only the Fair Folk are so sensitive to the Dwarves' metals! I might have concerned myself if your lady had the endless eyes of the Folk, but you’re both clearly Asgardian!" By the time they were done, they were gesturing in agitation, the next thing to fury in their culture.

Loki barely noticed, too distracted by the unexpected blow the merchant had just delivered. The Folk! He felt the information hit him with the impact of a fist to the face. He’d never considered such an answer. The Folk had been seen nowhere in several centuries and nowhere near Midgard in many more centuries than Loki had been alive. The very idea seemed impossible, and yet he couldn’t deny that it would explain much about you.

There was no way you knew, however. Loki didn’t trust easily, but he trusted that you would have told him had you simply been one of the Fair Folk hiding on Earth. At this point in your relationship, he could be certain of that much at least. If this was the answer to your spectacular abilities, it was only a small part of the larger mystery.

You could easily be one of the many people on Earth to belong to their extended bloodline, but their power would be so diluted as to be imperceptible, if any had made it through the millennia intact at all. The things about you that made you stand out from the rest of your people, however, had many things in common with what little he knew of the Folk, starting with your exceptional eyes.

The merchant was starting to look at Loki strangely, wondering what had left him silent in shock. He shook himself out of the trance into which he'd fallen, forcing his racing thoughts aside, determined to explore the idea further when he had leisure, and focused on the deal he was attempting to strike.

"Nevertheless," he said with soft menace, "my lady was harmed." He smiled with cold amusement at the sight of the other person swallowing quickly, trying to hide their fear. "And you can make it up to her by exchanging the necklace for one that will not irritate her skin."

Audra narrowed their eyes in dark suspicion, but they felt a stir of hope at the thought that they could perhaps bargain a truce with the persistent Asgardian. "Will that rid me of you once and for all?"

Loki smiled fully, only barely concealing his triumph. Negotiations had begun. He’d have what he wanted soon enough. "Once my lady is safe and satisfied, you'll never see me again."

Audra's eyes were a deep, dark blue, like a shaded pond in an ancient forest. Despite their serene beauty, the distrust in their gaze was chilling. They answered Loki slowly, doubt in every word. "There's no harm in listening, I suppose." Mostly, they were looking for the shortest way out of this situation with a minimum of violence, especially to them. "Did you have any particular piece in mind?"

Loki smiled widely, certain now that he would have what he wanted before the end of the conversation. All he had to do was offer more than the merchant expected, make them feel churlish for refusing. "I have the necklace you sold me. I will happily return it," with that, Loki pulled the necklace from his pocket and offered it to Audra with a grin designed to charm, "AND add its price again to that I already paid." Audra reached out automatically and allowed Loki to drop the pendant into their palm. "In return, your siblings will make my lady a replica of this necklace, without ANY metals from Nidavellir."

Audra looked down at the pendant, noting all of the places where the offending steel had been used. Mostly their siblings had used the steel in places of joining and in the chain, steel made from Nidavellir iron stronger and more flexible than other steels. The changes should be easily made. "That's it?" they asked, afraid to believe that it would be this easy to get rid of Loki.

"That's all." Loki shrugged and said, by way of explanation for his behavior, "My lady truly does love the necklace, was heartbroken that she could not wear it."

Audra could easily believe that the Asgardian would go to such lengths to please you. His vehemence on their last meeting had made that apparent. They weren't certain about much when it came to the two of you, but your genuine love for one another was crystal clear. Even before you’d been threatened, Loki had watched you with eyes that burned with desire, had watched all others with eyes that burned with warning. His possessive, protective aura had wrapped around you and told anyone who could see you that he would be excessively dangerous in your defense. It was no surprise that he would go to unreasonable effort and expense to give you whatever you wanted.

"And if we make your lady happy, you'll go away forever?"

"I’ll never show my face on Alfheim ever again."

The god and the merchant stared each other down for a long moment. Loki was trying to hide that he already knew what their answer was, even if they did not. They would agree, sooner or later, Loki was confident of that. Audra was searching his face for deception, a lifetime of barter and trade with the many peoples of the galaxy helping them to discern such things in many situations. Still, it made sense to take precautions. "I must discuss this with my siblings." They wanted time and space to think about whether they wanted to be any further involved with such a vicious creature. "Come to my stall tomorrow and I will give you my answer."

They stretched out the hand still holding the necklace, not wanting to take it when an agreement had not yet been reached, but Loki refused with a shake of his head. "Keep it," he said, more than happy to be amenable now that he could see it would be most effective at getting him what he wanted. "As a show of good faith."

Audra kept their eyes narrowed on his as they attempted to uncover any hidden layers to Loki's meaning. Warily, they nodded shortly and pulled their hand back to drop the necklace into their satchel. Loki could see they were about to try to make a break for it, so he threw one last concession on the pile to manipulate the other being into agreeing to help him.

"I would beg your pardon for my behavior both today and on our last meeting." Loki shrugged and stepped back, giving the merchant plenty of room to leave. "I hope you'll forgive my rudeness, and that we can come to an agreement."

Audra edged toward the alley entrance as they cautiously looked Loki over. "You are very fond of the lady," they said neutrally, not wanting to provoke him before their escape was complete. The light that seemed to beam out of Loki's face stopped them in their tracks.

The merchant's words had hit Loki as so unbelievably absurd that he couldn't help but laugh. The word "fond" was so banal, so trivial a word for what he felt for you, the heights he'd scale for you, the depths to which he'd sink. Whether he wanted it or not, his face lit up with the glory of what lived inside him for you, if only for an instant. An instant was all that was needed to soften Audra's resentment a little.

"Indeed," Loki replied, his face and voice still warm from laughter and that instant of pure honesty that had raced across his face. "I am very fond of my lady."

Audra had made it to the street without a movement from Loki and they relaxed a little with the relief that it appeared they were going to finally get away from him. They paused a moment to smile wanly back in his direction, hoping that some minor pleasantness would ensure their escape. "I will try to remember that when your knife at my throat comes to mind." They sighed a little, reluctantly, but willing to give in a little to put this particular transaction behind them. "I am likely to suggest my siblings take the commission, for your lady's sake."

Loki didn't do a great job of hiding his triumph, but it was enough that Audra opted to overlook it rather than rescind their agreement. Whatever made it through to his face, his insides burned with a gloating exultation. Still, he didn't have the new necklace in hand yet, and so he carefully modulated his voice as he answered. "Your understanding is deeply appreciated."

The next day, Loki leaned on Audra's stall and watched the people in the square flit to and fro. The merchant's siblings had promised to have the replacement necklace returned before Audra closed for the day, so Loki had opted to wait and watch, collecting information while he loitered.

"Tell me something, friend," he said as he casually watched the eyes that flicked toward him and then quickly away. Another customer had just moved on from Audra's wares without purchasing anything, and he got the feeling he was interfering in their business. Since he wasn't himself, he wondered why. "What’s being said about Asgard in the other realms?"

Audra's eyes flicked toward him, then to the recent customer's retreating back. Their voice stripped of all emotion, they answered slowly. "I don’t know what you mean."

Loki started to wheedle, trying to cajole the information from them, wondering why they didn't want to share. "Come now." He grinned winningly and lowered his voice, his lean in exuding a warm conspiratorial camaraderie. "Even I’ve heard whispers. You’re in the middle of the flow of gossip."

Audra looked at him out of the side of their eye, carefully weighing his insistence against his casual attitude. They wondered if he was afraid of something and if so, what he was afraid of. "What’s your interest, friend?" They dropped the last word a little drolly, caught between a cross of insult and amusement at his familiar and studiously relaxed demeanor.

"I'm interested in anything that may be a danger to my lady." Loki gave the merchant a glance dripping with condescending dismay. "You know that."

The corner of Audra's lips twitched, and they flicked an eyebrow in acknowledgement. Loki could see that he had finally begun to charm them, that they were giving in and letting him pull them in the direction he wanted them to go. He had gone to extra effort, but he had wanted the merchant fully invested in making certain you were satisfied with the gift. It was important to him that you want for nothing in his power to give you, that nothing but the best grace his dark bride.

"There are rumors," Audra answered, figuring they might as well gossip as long as the Asgardian was going to chase away all their customers. Something about this Asgardian seemed dangerous even if he personally hadn't threatened one’s life, and he only made it worse by trying to seem harmless. "There always are. Sometimes, they're even true." They laughed a little, remembering the tale that Prince Thor had renounced the throne for the love of a Midgardian woman. They'd been certain that was the tallest of tall tales, but they'd had it confirmed a dozen times over. "I've heard it said that since the death of dear Queen Frigga, and less dear Prince Loki, there is no song left in Asgard. Other whispers are wilder, that Odin is no longer on Asgard, and that with Thor and Heimdall gone, the throne and all the realms are vulnerable."

Loki felt his body run cold as he disconnected from everything but his survival instincts. When most threatened, he set feeling aside, turned his back on sentiment, because to give into feeling was to invite destruction. He deliberately considered the situation, weighing his words with utmost care before speaking, afraid to give anything away. This was all information he would need to consider when he had time and space in which to do so. He would focus on collecting as much data as he could in the meantime, as Audra had already been a fount of knowledge, clueing him in to several unknown threats.

"Interesting," he said slowly, as though he were seriously considering the possibility and not cursing himself for being too easily distracted by a pair of pretty eyes. That they were the deepest, most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen didn't excuse his negligence. “I can tell you,” he continued in a devil's advocate tone, "Odin is there. I’ve seen him."

Audra shrugged, uninterested in debating the point. They were merely sharing the information they had acquired, not taking any particular side. It seemed unfathomable that anyone could being posing as Odin, the difficulty of the task alone making it implausible, but there were oddities here and there that left those on the fringes, those with no love for Asgard or her King, with a plethora of questions and no way to find the answers. "There have been problems on other realms that Odin would have attended to in another time. That he does not invites speculation."

Loki had to concede the point, but he could hardly explain. Whereas he could mimic his father’s form, use illusions to give the surface impression of Odin, he did not have Odin’s powers and could not ride out in battle pretending to be his father. He had opted to create the illusion of deep sadness and exhaustion brought about by grief in order to make broaching the subject uncomfortable for any who tried. So far, it had worked to help him avoid questions, but rumors had evidently festered.

“Who is this supposed impostor?” Loki was personally pleased with the timbre he’d managed to place on the words, just a touch of casual curiosity without any emotion that might attract attention. He glanced around the marketplace as though the conversation was only partially holding his interest.

“There’s very little agreement on that subject.” Audra smiled widely at a couple with bright pink skin walking by and began rearranging the bracelets on their bed of fine black velvet, hoping the movement would catch the light and their eyes. “If Loki were alive, he’d be the most likely suspect.”

Loki barked out a laugh at this, well-prepared for his own name to enter the conversation sooner or later. Frankly, he’d have been insulted if it hadn’t. Still, prepared meant the laugh came out as a kind of dark, resentful amusement. He didn’t need Audra wondering why he’d be proud of being the first person anyone thought of when mischief was afoot.

“Perhaps he is alive, and no one noticed,” he shot back recklessly, his smile wicked and his posture mocking. “That seems a very Loki thing to do.”

Audra tilted a conspiratorial glance his way before turning to the couple whose eyes they’d caught with the shimmering bracelets. “Doesn’t it?” They replied in a low voice as the couple browsed, but stayed close in case they could make a sale. “But years of quiet melancholy? No mischief? No tricks? No conquest? That doesn’t fit.”

With that Audra stepped away to take care of the Krylorians, only returning after they’d sold them two bracelets, a choker, and a tiara. They were much more relaxed when they came back to where Loki was lounging, watching the people pass by, listening to their conversations. “What are they saying on Asgard?” They asked the question as they slid onto a stool in the corner of the stall.

Loki braced an arm on the counter and leaned in to confide softly, “That Odin has fallen into melancholy since the death of the Queen, that he is tired of death and war.” He saw the sympathy that passed over the merchant’s face and knew this story would find its way into the world through them. “That without Thor or Heimdall, Odin is the only one standing as our protector.”

He told Audra the truth, certain they had already heard what he was sharing. Loki occasionally moved invisibly amongst his people, collecting gossip as he’d done here. A habit he’d picked up in his youth, he’d found it immensely useful in all his mischief, and especially so after he’d started impersonating his father.

Audra sighed, worried for the Nine Realms if Odin was weakened. It didn’t seem possible, but he’d lost so much in such a short time, it also felt inevitable. As they spoke, they spotted one of their siblings coming their way and a smile began to bloom on their face despite the worry in the words. “That seems more precarious than it used to.”

Loki scowled internally, annoyed to hear the sentiment but both unable and unwilling to retort. He opted, instead, to echo the merchant’s words back to them. “Doesn't it?”

After a couple of quick, civilly pleasant introductions, Loki was fully satisfied to find the pendant a perfect copy of the original and, based on the lightness of the piece in comparison, stripped of any iron at all. The siblings had replaced all of the metal with pure Alfheim metals and alloys. The substitutions had been an incredibly simple thing, and the siblings had been able to make the new necklace in only a matter of hours.

“Well, now.” Loki grinned at Audra and bowed deeply, excited to get back to you with his surprise. He’d had a great deal of fun threatening and manipulating, but it was time he moved on. “It has been a pleasure doing business with you. As per our agreement, I will never do so again.” Straightening up from the bow, he grinned wickedly. “Enjoy your me-free existence, friend.”

Audra acknowledged the well wishes with a regal nod, their lips twitching in amusement. They’d started to enjoy Loki, against their will. “Thank you, I will.” As he turned to leave, they called out, one last concession. “Give my best to your lady!”

He shot them one last grin and then, to Audra’s consternation, he appeared to disappear into the crowd. No matter how they strained, they couldn’t see where he went, as though he’d vanished into thin air.

Once he'd exhausted the probabilities and then the less-than-probabilities, Loki set about adding extra layers of protection to you, in addition to the shields he'd already placed in your wedding ring. He also took the replacement pendant and added a couple dozen spells to keep you hidden, shielded, and dangerous when threatened. He hadn't told you what each spell on the pendant did, but several spells were designed to react offensively should anyone dare to threaten a hair on your head. You'd given yourself to him, as he'd given himself to you; he would protect what was his with any nasty trick at his disposal.

When he could think of nothing else, could find no further layers of protection to add to the blankets already shielding you, he stopped preparing you for the wider universe and set about preparing the wider universe for you.

Part Seventeen here>>

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