#ragna blade

[pkettles]

ragna blade = coolest spell ever

[ahb-writes]

Book Review: ‘Slayers’ Collector’s Edition #3

Slayers Volumes 7-9 Collector's Edition (Slayers, 3) by Hajime Kanzaka, Rui Araizumi, Elizabeth Ellis

adventure

fantasy

magecraft

magic

swords and sorcery

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The fascinating. The powerful. The corrupt.

Each shadowy entity wreaking havoc on this mortal plane has manufactured an array of ignoble philosophies to justify its dark deeds. Some of these philosophies are brutish and rudimentary (e.g., demons are creatures of ill omen, who feed off the ill intentions of others), and some philosophies are dangerously, monstrously complex (e.g., demons vying to reduce all existence to nothingness, for only in nothingness is there true calm). And yet, through it all, a tiny sorceress with a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, might be the only person capable of keeping everyone in check.

SLAYERS Omnibus v3 includes the bookend chapters to the novel series' first major arc. This collection delivers all of the good stuff: strange and incredible spellcasting; clever but not over-the-top magecraft lore; villains who get their comeuppance; and new characters with plenty of issues all their own.

In book seven, Gaav's Challenge, readers are treated to a plethora of entertaining narrative elements, some of which regrettably snare very little time on the page. Lina and the gang trudge toward Dragon's Peak, at the edge of the Kaltaart Mountains, to access a remnant of the Claire Bible. The mythos surrounding the Claire Bible is immense, but filters into readers' purview with somewhat less flair than in the anime, but the reasoning is valid (e.g., there are other access points).

Conceptually, the Claire Bible is remarkable. In execution, however, it's wildly underused. The notion of a body of knowledge stored on a blithely accessible plane of reality, hoarded by those who have no use for it? The Claire Bible is a great example of how fantasy storytelling is both parallel to, and a paradox of, the real world's social, cultural, and political machinations. Lina, of course, is a genius, and she's keen to use it to figure out the universe's darkest magic ("I'm afraid I'm not an enlightened enough being to just roll over and die for something I don't yet understand," page 76).

This book is stuffed with a lot of action and a lot of lore. The fight at Dragon's Peak includes several full-demons, a revelation or two concerning Xellos's true nature, and a deliberate broadening of the novel series' narrative scope. Of the last of these, stepping onto the stage are Hellmaster (Fibrizo) and Chaos Dragon (Gaav), two of Ruby-Eye's five high-ranking demon servants. These are two seriously bad dudes with massive power at their disposal. For readers, the orientation and allegiance of each high-ranking demon is muddled (but assiduous note-taking might resolve this in due time). The good news at this point is that Kanzaka, the author, is dead serious about narrative continuity. Of less good news, this book has plenty of character dynamics that are easy for readers to lose track of (e.g., Amelia almost dies; Gaav isn't an egotistical villain on the lam, he's a sympathetic anti-hero).

In book eight, King of the Phantom City, it's back to Sairaag. Fibrizo artificially resurrects the City of Magic and craters Flagoon (ancient tree) in the process. His baiting of Lina, Zelgadis, Amelia, and also Sylphiel to tread into his so-called Hellpalace, of the City of the Dead, is typical villain stuff. And Fibrizo's snatching up of Gourry, as a hostage, makes the story's climax intuitively time-contingent. But as fans of the franchise likely already know, Fibrizo's ambitions are much, much darker.

The balance between books seven and eight is okay in the moment, but upon reflection, feels slightly off. Book seven is packed with information and intrigue; book eight, essentially, is the open-ended struggle to apply that knowledge. One imagines these volumes were slightly more difficult to consume, on their own, during their original printing.

In any case, book eight is a treat, insofar as spellcasting goes. Lina intuits the limitations of the powers of the higher-ranking demons, she discerns the network of power-sharing that enables her to cast certain dark magic, and lastly and most importantly, she learns the truth about the Lord of Nightmares. Lina does, in fact, "cast the perfected giga slave" (page 204). Controlling it, of course, is another matter entirely. Fibrizo's end is not to be missed.

Altogether, the book's conclusion is excellent, and lacks the fun but romanticized version the anime pulled together. Lina is a pragmatic character, but she's not so stubborn as to ignore what she learned from the matron of chaos firsthand.

Book nine, The Mystic Sword of Bezeld, begins a new story arc. Notably, the novel series pivots in a direction one might have wondered about for years considering the apparent fate of Gorun Nova, the Sword of Light. In the previous book, Fibrizo zapped the magical blade back to the astral plane.

The challenge this time around? Lina is blunt: "Gourry and I were presently on a quest to find him a new magical monster-carver," because, as she notes to the man himself, "I'm not getting a half-decent night's sleep until I find you a half-decent magical sword" (pages 218, 220).

Here, the story shifts onto a lighter beat and reduces the core cast down to Lina and Gourry. The slower pace feels good. And the stripped-down emphasis on characters fighting for one another, rather than fighting to save the whole planet, roots the novel in familiar territory. Sure, there are assassins clad in black. Sure, there are mysterious swords-for-hire hunting for the same treasure as Lina and Gourry. But the scope and scale are manageable.

And when the story is manageable, the worldbuilding can finally breathe again. Losing the Sword of Light gives Lina, as narrator, permission to chat about all of the other fantasy blades that populate the world (and possible swipe for Gourry): the Blast Sword, the Bless Blade, the Red Dragon Sword, the Elemekia Blade, the Dark Lord's Hungry Bone Staff, Ceifeed's Flare Dragon Sword (pages 209, 217). The idea that readers could spend the next few volumes sword-hunting with these two idiots, getting into trouble and feuding all of the way, sounds like an absolute blessing.

But as fate would have it, Lina gets in the way of someone else's carefully laid plans (again). For the umpteenth time, Lina barges in on a high-level demon's plan-in-action, decides she can't quite let things be, and resolves to fight her way through. Granted, the young woman has zero interest in fighting off a "hyperdemon" smothered with the curse of Raugnut Rushavna, but what's a woman to do? When an assassin is transformed by a demonic curse, and is then simultaneously possessed by a demon, the end result is a constantly regenerating creature of death and destruction.

SLAYERS Omnibus v3 is solidly entertaining. The author's increased focus on continuity gives the story a genuine sense of fated consequences (e.g., when a high-ranking demon dies, spellcasters can no longer call upon their power). Further, the book's higher emphasis on character mythology really shows, and portends greater revelations down the line (e.g., if Xellos is a creation of Greater Beast (Zellas Metallium), then who are the priests and generals to the other five servants of Ruby-Eye?). And some facets of the story are just too fun to ignore. Like how Lina's super-powerful big sister is known as "Knight of Ceifeed," but is stuck waiting tables back home. Or how Gourry, apparently, has a sixth sense for sniffing out demons. (Except, he's just too simple-minded to actually do anything about it. Twice in this collection, the guy just goes with the flow.)

The balance between what the narrative reaps and sows isn't perfect, but in reading these three books all at once, one finds the disparity is minimal. Reading about the wicked intensity Lina feels when weighing the ragna blade in her hands never fails to send a chill down one's spine, and the absolute shock of a double-Dragon-Slave still makes one giddy, but alas, there's always more story to tell.

❯ ❯ Light-Novel Reviews || ahb writes on Good Reads

[thekawaiifanart]

So my headcanon is that druid spells are casted in druidic. And because im a weeb for a certain 90s fantasy adventure anime that only 5 people seem to remember, my character makes these long winded incantations that most of the party does not understand lol

This incantation is modeled after the Ragna Blade from Slayers. Feel free to use it in your own games if you want

Incantation below:

Sword of the blazing heat

Free yourself from Nature's bonds

Become one with my power

One with my body

And let us walk the path of destruction together!

Power that shall burn all the fools who stand in my way!

FLAME BLADE!

[drachenheld]

why haven’t you answered MY DMS RAGNA

[ljaesch]

HIDIVE Announces English Dubs Coming in Winter 2024

HIDIVE has announced the English dubs that will be streaming on its service during the Winter 2024 anime season. THE DEMON SWORD MASTER OF EXCALIBUR ACADEMY Release Date: TBA Release Schedule: Weekly Synopsis: Leonis Death Magnus, an undead sorcerer and powerful Dark Lord, entered magical stasis during a climactic battle one thousand years ago. When he awakens, he finds a beautiful silver-haired…

[kentrix11]

YU-GI-OH (The card game) seems to have made girl Ragna the Bloodedge, Diabellstarr.

She has the gag wanted poster

Their main weapon is a blade and their side weapon is a scythe (both also seem to use the scythe at critical moments, Ragna in his Astral Finish and Diabellstarr using it to kill the Snake Eyes).

Both can summon the heads of monsters to maul their enemies using their magic.

She also has Ragna's general actitud towards bounty hunters of "Who cares get lost", along with taking a weird cute creature with them (Diabellstar taking the Snake Eyes little....uh, idk what the hell it is, and Ragna taking the biological weapon catgirl...well she kinda just followed him but still).

In between this and Vanquish Soul having a Susano'o looking character I gotta assume the card team has someone that really likes Blazblue.

[panette]

lina inverse yuri i will manifest you into existence

[flipping through my notes] okay so the lord of nightmares is a woman... and the ragna blade and giga slave are the lord of nightmares. therefore when lina casts either of these she is holding a woman in her hands this is yuri being possessed by LON is also yuri. in fact, what could be more yuri than a woman having another woman inside her

[samyueeeeru]

気になったから描いてみたくなっちった

ε（イプシロン）ラグ姉さんとムラクモ武器をとってみなーってやってるやつ✍️

εNo.5 "Ragna=the=Bloodedge"

＆

Ragna"Get your wepon if you can." with Murakumo blade.

Thank you for favorite,reblog and request!

[nkn0va]

Blazeblue request: If your ok with it, can you write relationship headcannons for F!Ragna and a M!S/O?

Thankfully Ragna's got protag privileges when it comes to fanart. Whitehorse made the banner completely impromptu, the absolute madlad.

Also fun fact, did you know that Ragna is an actual name that's originally feminine? It's a Scandinavian name so you probably won't actually meet anyone with it. In Blazblue's case though, it's likely a reference to Ragnarok in Norse Mythology.

-Poor Ragna has absolutely no romantic experience. Growing up in a church and then being raised by an anthropomorphic cat whose wife was yeeted into the great beyond will do that to you.

-She's extremely hesitant to let you join her when she goes out to destroy the cauldrons, she can't afford to risk losing anyone else she cares about.

-She does eventually relent and let you join. At least that way she can keep you close to her, which may be for the better considering the target likely to be on your back by proxy of hers.

-On the bright side though, you can think of it as a way of travelling, getting to see the world outside of wherever you were born and Jubei's "abode", if you can even call it that. Try bringing this up to Ragna though, and you'll only get a scoff in return. Half amused, half annoyed.

-She's definitely got a bit of tsundere-ness in her like her brother. She'll chew you out when you do something dangerous, it's how she expresses her worry. She doesn't really know how to worry like a normal girlfriend.

-Speaking of Jin though, you're gonna have to deal with his never-ending jealousy/rage when you happen to meet him. There's no avoiding it. He can target Ragna all he likes but if he dares point his blade in your general direction she is going to pound his ass straight back to the Azure.

-She's extremely protective in general, she'll often patrol around the area where you set up camp for the night to make sure nothing is there, aggressive wildlife, scouting NOL soldiers, or otherwise.

-There aren't a lot of chances for intimacy, the kind that's normal for two people dating. When the opportunity does come around though, Ragna can actually be surprisingly soft. It's around you that she can finally relax and not have to worry about putting on the tough attitude.

-It's in moments like those where you realize she really isn't all that aggressive by nature. She has to be if she wants to protect the people important to her, and you're no exception. In fact, you're really the only person that gets to see her be vulnerable like this.

-Of course you're both going to face endless teasing about your relationship. Rachel, Jubei, Kokonoe, and Kagura in particular are all going to give you varying degrees of shit.

-Rachel's going to ask you what made you fall for such a "lowly, unladylike creature" with a shit-eating grin on her face, much to Ragna's chagrin, while on the other end of the spectrum Jubei's just going to playfully tease you two like a dad watching his kid in a relationship. He won't give you the ol' warning about breaking her heart spiel, it's not needed with Ragna of all women. If you cross her she'll fuck you up herself.

-Your relationship with Ragna is really the only semblance of normalcy she has left in her life. You're her tether to reality, a comforting presence that keeps her sanity from truly slipping. Though of course she probably won't be saying this out loud.

-She'll be damned before she lets the NOL, Sector Seven, or God forbid Terumi get their filthy hands on you. You're the only person who can truly see her for who she really is deep down, past the sardonic, hotheaded exterior.

-When she takes control of the Master Unit, you're the one at the forefront of her mind above everyone else that she creates the new world for. Deep down her heart is breaking at the fact that you can never see each other again, and that you'll never even remember her and all the shit you had to go through together. Even at the fact that in the new world you'll probably find someone else.

-But...that's fine. Ragna knew what she was signing up for, and she knows it needs to be done. For the people she loves. No matter how much it hurts.

[meowmeow-motherfucker]

Covenant- Chapter 11

Summary: With the five year anniversary of the attack on New York approaching, Odin and Fury come to the agreement that an arranged marriage between Asgard and Earth would show good faith toward all future interactions. When Odin refuses Jane’s candidacy, Agent Coulson is tasked with finding a suitable wife for the prince of Asgard.

Pairing: Loki x OFC Claire Fisher

Word count: 14k (prepare drinks and snackies as always)

Chapter warnings: honeymooning, smut, fluff, flirting, unintended voyeurism, author's irresponsible use of cliffhangers, angst, hurt with no comfort

Taglist: @lokisgoodgirl @gigglingtiggerv2 @icytrickster17 @mysteriouslyfriedjellyfish @lokislilkitten @justjoanne242 @amlocked @ddmariegirl @mags-04-blog @sharris8 @meepycheep @iamlokisgloriouspurpose @the-fantasy-loving-angel @jaidenhawke @smolvenger @ladymischief11

Please let me know if you'd like to be added to the taglist! Thanks for coming along on this journey with me!

Read it on AO3 here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51197938/chapters/129363727

Ragna was delighted to stay on as the princess’ personal servant. She liked to think the new princess and she had grown close over the past several weeks, at least as close as a servant could hope to be to their betters.

She walked toward the newlyweds chambers, shoulder to shoulder with the prince’s personal servant, Astrid. Astrid had served the prince since boyhood, and had served the queen before him. Astrid enjoyed one of the highest staff positions within the palace, below only the personal servants of the king, queen, and crown prince. Now, Ragna ranked just below her, and she couldn’t believe her luck. She’d expected to go back to her regular duties now that the princess was wed, but the Midgardian had taken her by surprise by keeping her and the rest of her assigned staff and moving them up the ranks with her.

During yesterday’s proceedings, Ragna had prepared for the princess’ arrival in the princes chambers under Astrid’s direction, and had set up ‘the game plan’ as the princess called it- her lewd outfit meant to seduce the prince. Ragna hoped it had achieved the intended effect.

The posted guards outside the prince and princess’ chambers opened the double doors as the two women approached. Ragna tended to the fire as Astrid entered the bed chamber, stoking it back to a roaring blaze.

~~~~

Loki and Claire were woken abruptly when Astrid came to retrieve them a short time after they’d fallen asleep. It was unclear how long the newlyweds had slept, but it had not been long enough for either of them.

“Gods, Astrid, why?” Loki complained, burying his face between Claire's shoulder blades when Astrid opened the curtains and set the room ablaze with early morning light.

“Good morning, Your Majesties! Tis time for breakfast! Come, come!” The elder woman cheered.

“Oh god, she's a morning person,” Claire groaned, shielding her eyes in the crook of his arm. “Loki, do something.”

“I'll yell at her later...” Loki mumbled tiredly. His voice was groggy and rough from sleep, which was just rude and absolutely did not make Claire’s lady parts perk up with interest. God, how many times did we fuck last night and I’m still horny?

“You'll do no such thing, my lord,” Astrid laughed. “Now come along, the entire palace is waiting! We must get you bathed and dressed!”

“Faen…” Loki grumbled. “Very well. Would you like the first bath, darling?” he asked, his breath tickling her neck and making her squirm.

“We can share one if you want. Save water and whatnot.” Claire replied, giving him a mischievous look when she opened her eyes.

“Indeed. Conservation is of the utmost importance. Astrid, we’ll bathe together.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Astrid disappeared into the bathroom and the newlyweds wove their limbs together. Claire was trying to tame Loki’s wild curly hair as he teased the tender flesh between her thighs. Astrid had just started the water when Ragna stepped into the room.

“Good morning, Your Majesties,” she curtsied. “The queen has arrived.”

“Norns,” Loki grumbled, dropping his hand from Claire’s core, where he’d just begun to tease her sensitive bud. “Already?”

“She wishes to help the princess get dressed.”

“Well, um…” How exactly did one tell the queen to get lost? Claire’s budding hopes of riding Loki in the bath might as well be moved to the ‘to-be-done-later’ list. She looked up at her new husband and shrugged. “I got nothing.”

“Please let the queen know we are not yet ready,” Loki answered for Claire. “Perhaps she could have some tea while we bathe?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Ragna curtsied again before leaving the room as quietly as she’d entered.

“So are you going first or am I?” Claire asked.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Loki scoffed, resting his head in his hand as he reclined regally onto his pillow. His fingers plucked at her pebbled nipple delicately, teasing the nub with the pad of his thumb as he turned toward her. “I was already set on enjoying you again, and my mother’s arrival will not sway me. Unless of course...you object?” he challenged, looking down at her with a grin. Claire returned the grin as Astrid returned to usher them into the bath. “We will not require assistance, Astrid,” Loki announced before the older woman could speak. “Please see to my mother.”

“Of course, Your Majesties.” Astrid curtsied and left to help Ragna, leaving Claire and Loki alone once again.

“Shall we?” Loki asked. He climbed out of bed after her, hands caressing along the silken expanse of her curves as she rose onto her tiptoes and stretched. He pressed a kiss to the curve of her neck, arms winding around her middle as she leaned back. “Are you well?”

“Fantastic. C’mon, let’s get cleaned up.” Claire linked their hands, gifting him a delectable view of her backside as she led him toward the bathroom. Loki closed the door behind them, pulling her back and lifting her in his arms. Claire’s legs wrapped around his waist as he pushed her back against the door, drawing him in for a heated kiss. Claire whimpered into his mouth as the heated column of flesh between his legs pressed against her slick entrance. She canted her hips in search of friction, fingers digging into his scalp as she angled herself to rub against him. Loki’s breath was punched from his lungs as his cock slipped between her folds, warm and wet and perfect. Claire’s hands moved to his shoulders as he reached between them, enjoying the choked, desperate sound she made as he smacked her sensitive clit with the head of his cock.

Claire’s train of thought derailed as Loki pushed inside, words failing as he pinned her against the door. Her thighs trembled as he draped her legs over his forearms, nails digging into his shoulders as he bottomed out. Loki closed the gap between them to claim her lips, grinding against her to make her whine. He flexed his hips, withdrawing from her tight heat.

Every nerve in Claire’s body sizzled as he sank deep inside her, the ridges and veins of his cock stroking her velvet walls. Claire whined, the hard muscles of his body cradling her as she writhed against him.

“Gods, you are- hng- delightful,” Loki grunted, jaw clenching tight as her movements sent a spark of pleasure up his spine. “So- responsive.” he growled, torturing them both with slow pumps of his hips.

“Faster- fuck- please…” Claire pleaded, her desperate words trailing off into a high moan.

“Careful darling or we’ll be caught,” Loki teased, ramping up his rhythm. “We don’t want that, do we?” he asked, punctuating his question with a fast stroke. Claire cried out, clinging to him like a koala as she buried her face in his shoulder. Every stroke caressed deep inside her, setting her blood ablaze as she watched him tunnel in and out of her dripping cunt.

“Loki!” Claire barely recognized her voice as her body clenched, early ripples of orgasm taking root.

“I shall never tire of hearing you beg for me,” Loki said breathlessly. He trailed his large hand from her hip to her clit, groaning as she clenched around him when he began stroking the sensitive nub. “Come, little wife,” he pleaded in her ear, sinking his teeth into the tender flesh of her neck. “Come.”

Claire’s body spasmed under his touch, back bowing as pleasure overrode everything else. Loki held her gaze through it all, keeping her upright with steady hands as she rocked her hips against his. He adored it all already; the curl of her long lashes as her eyes slipped closed, the sting of her nails in his back, the fluttering of her velvet walls as she shuddered around him. Loki chuckled, pressing a kiss to her temple as her iron grip went lax. Claire nuzzled against him, wrapping her arms around his torso and squeezing him with her thick thighs.

“Shall we to the bath?” he asked, hefting her in his arms. Claire gasped as the movement caused his cock to move inside her, nipping at Loki’s neck as a fresh wave of pleasure ran up her spine. Loki took the stone steps slowly as he walked into the bath, easing down onto the stone bench. He took special care with her legs, massaging her thighs as he relaxed against the high wall of the bath. Claire slumped against him, dotting weak kisses along his shoulder. Loki rubbed her arms, a fond smile playing on his lips as he watched her. “Are you back with me?”

“Gimme- more.” Claire murmured. She shifted in his lap, planting her feet on the bench beneath her. She traced her palms up his long arms to his neck, pressing her chest against his as she cupped his face and leaned in to kiss him. His hard cock stirred inside her, Loki’s breath puffing against her lips as she began to ride him. He groaned deep in his throat, his head falling back as his fingertips dug into her thighs. “It’s your turn.” Claire rode him hard, raising up until the very tip of his shaft remained inside her before sinking back down to the root. Loki squirmed beneath her, breathless pants escaping him as she watched him come undone.

Loki began to buck, teeth gritted as he fucked her with abandon. His fingertips dug into her skin, sure to leave fresh marks. Claire could only hang on for the ride, arms around his neck and face buried against his chest. Her nipples grazed against his flesh with every thrust of his hips, sending her even closer to the edge.

“Du er...helt- perfekt,” Loki grunted. “Faen!” his body jerked, his hips slamming into hers as he tumbled over the edge. He sucked in a lungful of damp air, his heart racing as water splashed onto the tile outside the tub noisily. Claire captured his lips, swiveling her hips and making him gasp. Loki rested his forehead against hers, trailing his fingers over her clit and making her shiver.

“We should probably get cleaned up,” Claire chuckled. “But we are definitely doing that again.”

“Hmm- yes,” Loki agreed, hissing as she lifted herself off of him. Loki pulled her beneath him, protecting her head with his arm atop the tile. He traced his fingers through her folds, swallowing her gasp as he kissed her. “I do regret I’m not able to watch my spend drip out of you.”

“You are obsessed,” Claire giggled. “How are you obsessed already?”

“it is a delectable sight,” Loki sighed, slipping two fingers inside her to feel the mess they’d created together. “One I shall endeavor to see as often as possible.”

~~~~

“Good morning darlings!” Frigga said cheerfully when they finally joined her in the sitting room. She looked radiant as always as she got to her feet, impeccably dressed in a lush blue gown with her hair coiffed and perfect. Claire felt severely under dressed in the plush robe Loki had put around her shoulders. Feeling a little cold out of the warm water, she sought warmth against Loki’s solid form, wilting when his arm curled around her waist. “Come, let’s get you dressed and ready! The feast and your guests await you.”

“Didn’t we just have a feast last night?” Claire asked.

“Must you be so cheerful, Mother?” Loki complained from beside her.

“Of course! It is a beautiful day, my son is wed and I now have a daughter. Now come along; everyone is eager to see you open your gifts!” Frigga said cheerfully.

“Wait, what?” Claire rubbed her tired eyes with the back of her hand. Between the bath and the orgasms, she just wanted to go back to sleep.

“It’s time to open your gifts, sweeting,” Frigga said patiently, carding her fingers through Claire’s wet hair. “Remember?”

“Can we tell them I’m sick?” Claire asked hopefully as Frigga followed her and Loki into the bedroom. The motherly affection felt really nice and it was definitely not making her feel feelings. “Or really, really hungover?”

“You didn’t drink anything last night,” Loki replied from his side of the room. Somehow he was now awake and functional, the jerk. Claire turned to glare at him as he disappeared behind the dressing partition thing with Astrid, and she was distracted by the marks she’d left on his flesh. She couldn’t remember during which round she’d put them there. “But even if you had, we still must make an appearance.”

“Riiiiiight, what was I thinking? Thor is basically a frat boy; of course this place would be like one big frat party.”

“Kindly refrain from mentioning my brother in my bed chamber, dearest.” Loki groused from behind the screen.

“Eat me.” Claire muttered as she opened her armoire. Loki gave no response, but she did hear him drop something. Frigga contained a polite laugh behind her hand as Loki muttered about having already done that.

Kill me.

“Shall I help you choose something to wear?” Frigga asked eagerly, smoothly steering away from the discussion of Claire and Loki’s budding sex life. It was obvious she was excited to have a girl in the family, and Claire, having lost her mother at an early age, was equally excited to have a mother again.

“Yes please. There are so many choices, I wouldn’t know where to start.” Claire said gratefully as Ragna opened the armoire for them. Frigga smiled, joining Claire to peruse her massive wardrobe. Together they began thumbing through the offerings in the armoire. Claire felt paralyzed with indecision- this would be her first appearance as an actual-factual princess, and she needed to look just right. Which dress would send the best message? This one? That one? Frigga gave her a polite smile, obviously wishing she would pick something. Claire lingered on one dress: a floor-length gown made from silk and tulle with barely-there coverings for her arms. It was a beautiful purple-to-white ombre, with a sizable diamond brooch on the belt. “What about this one?”

“It will do nicely,” Frigga smiled, taking the dress from her. She gestured for Claire to step behind the dressing curtain, following after her along with Ragna. “Tomorrow, your servants will help you dress and fix your hair. I wanted to help this morning and officially welcome you into our family.”

“Thank you.”

“Are you ready yet?” Loki complained from beyond the screen, the smirk evident in his voice.

“Perfection takes time, dearest,” Frigga replied calmly, winking at Claire before a warm green glow washed over her and Claire found herself fully dressed and ready with every hair in place. “All set.”

~~~~

They’d been feasting and drinking for hours. Their guests were getting rowdy waiting for them to open gifts, and the newlyweds were getting bored. Well fed and comfortable in their plush seats at the head of the great hall, Claire could feel herself growing more tired by the second. Movement over by the pile of gifts they had yet to open caught her attention.

“Loki? Why is that box moving?” Claire asked, leaning over into her new husband’s space. Loki glanced over toward the gifts, smiling in amusement as he spied the ornate box holding the gift he’d purchased for her shaking.

“It would seem your gift is rather impatient,” Loki quipped, smiling when Claire looked at him in disbelief. “Perhaps you should open my gifts first.”

“May I?” Claire asked eagerly, waiting for Ragna to hand her the box. The green and gold wrapping paper had a slight shimmer, and a delightful texture similar to velvet, with small circles in the fabric that were darker and lighter weight like lace. Claire thought it odd, but it made sense when she lifted the lid off the box, coming face to face with an adorable black and white kitten. “Oh my god,” she giggled in disbelief. The small kitten bore typical tuxedo coloring, the white of its tiny chest already absurdly fluffy. It’s rounded dark face held vivid blue eyes and was topped with pert ears already bearing small tufts of black fur. “Hi cutie.” Claire ran the back of her finger down the kittens chest, cooing at the softness. The kitten watched her pet down to its white belly, head swiveling back and forth excitedly as she tickled the patch of white on its belly.

“She is a skogkatt, or Norwegian Forest Cat as Midgardians call them. It is tradition for men to give their new wives a kitten in honor of Freyja,” Loki explained, gesturing politely toward one of the women watching them open their gifts. “It is meant to bring good fortune to our new household.”

“I love her,” Claire gushed, picking up the kitten to snuggle her to her chest. “Look at her little white socks!” she clutched the kitten with adoration, the kitten purring loudly as she nuzzled against Claire’s face. “She’s adorable, thank you.” she glanced over at Loki as the kitten settled against her neck.

“What shall you call her?” Loki asked indulgently. A cloud of kitten fur obscured the lower half of Claire’s face, but it pleased him to no end that she cherished his gift.

“Mochi,” Claire declared. “It’s a popular dessert on Earth.” she snickered at Loki’s confused face. Mochi chirped as Claire stroked her little head, sniffing along Claire’s wrist and up her arm.

“I have one other gift for you.” Loki gestured for another box to be brought forth. Tucking Mochi into her side, Claire opened the ornate wooden box to reveal the pearl handled knives she’d admired on their first outing to the marketplace. A gasp escaped her as she fingered the delicate swirls of the metalwork.

“You didn’t,” she beamed. “Loki, these are beautiful!” she gave one a quick flip in her hand, admiring the perfect balance of the blade.

“They are beautifully crafted. I remembered how much you admired them.”

“Thank you so much.” Mochi reached out a tiny paw to inspect the knife, and Claire allowed her to sniff the handle before tucking it back inside the box. Not to be deterred, Mochi reached up to paw at Claire’s face.

“You’re quite welcome.” Loki seemed rather proud of himself as he watched Claire dot Mochi’s tiny forehead with kisses.

“I hope you like what I got you.” Claire grinned, watching as her gifts to Loki were brought up. Loki grinned as he spied a box matching the one he’d given her. Claire had also gifted him a set of knives, plated in gold and inlaid with glistening emeralds. They were beautifully balanced, and he was eager to test them out. Tucking the knives back inside their velvet lined box, he set his sights upon the second box.

Nestled inside was a series of seven hardcover books. Loki slipped the first book from its slot to inspect it. The front cover bore artwork of a boy on a broom, hand outstretched to capture a golden orb. In the background stood the turrets of a castle opposite a bank of trees and a unicorn.

“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” he murmured. The synopsis on the back sounded a bit...juvenile, if he was honest, but he found himself wanting to read it all the same. “What is this?”

“That is the Harry Potter series, from Earth,” Claire replied, smooshing Mochi’s little fluffy cheeks as she spoke. “It’s one of my favorites, and I hope you’ll like it too.”

“It looks promising,” Loki replied. “I’ll start reading it right away.”

Astrid set Claire’s gifts to Loki aside as Ragna took the knives from Claire. She offered to take Mochi as well, but Claire refused to let the small kitten go. Mochi had taken up space in the cradle of Claire’s arms, her little head pressed against Claire as she purred. Her tiny paws were kneading Claire’s flesh, mini claws pricking gently at her skin as her white whiskers twitched.

Loki watched the scene with affection, pleased that Claire adored the kitten he’d chosen. Her fingers stroked the kittens soft fur, eyes full of love as she watched the kitten stretch.

“Shall I open the other gifts darling? You seem quite content as you are.”

“Please?” Claire glanced up, smiling when Mochi nuzzled at her hand, tiny pink tongue darting out to lick her finger. “I don’t think she’ll let me put her down.” she giggled.

“Of course.” Loki gestured to Astrid to begin bringing him gifts to open.

~~~~

An hour later, the pile of gifts around them had grown significantly. Aside from their gifts to each other, they had been gifted: several skeins of yarn (hand-woven by the Asgardian equivalent of nuns, and very rare in color, according to Frigga), an ancient Nordic sword from the British museum, and a multitude of treasures from other countries. Claire had never seen such fancy jewels up close, and suddenly she had her own small collection of priceless bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and even tiaras. The llama they received from Thor had been trotted in and swiftly back out when it shat on the floor and attempted to take food from a shiek’s plate.

Anja, Steve and Bucky gifted them a guide to healthy relationships and a cast iron skillet set. Bruce and Darcy gave them an assortment of date night kits and a scratch-off travel map of Earth. Tony, to Pepper’s utter mortification, had thrown in an assortment of sex toys (including a set of dice and handcuffs) with her tasteful and expensive collection of wine, candles, and massage oils.

As things began to wind down and the gifts were put aside to be cataloged, Claire handed Mochi off to Loki. The kitten promptly took to pawing at her new father’s nose, which he allowed with a grimace.

They would be leaving for their honeymoon in just a short while, which meant all of their guests were leaving. There were several she wished to speak to one last time, but at the moment there was only one person she wanted to see.

“Phil!” familiar arms closed around her as she barreled into him, his comforting scent filling her nose as she buried her face in his shoulder.

“How are you?” Phil asked. Claire was feeling uncharacteristically emotional at the moment. Her eyes began to burn as the reality sunk in- everyone was leaving her behind.

“The crown has no comment.” Claire opted for snark instead of vulnerability. Phil pulled back from their hug to look at her with concern.

“Was it bad?”

“Phil!”

“I just want to know you’re okay,” Phil held up his hands in surrender. “Please don’t ever tell me details.”

“I wasn’t planning on it,” Claire glanced back toward the high table. Mochi had given up on fighting Loki and curled her tiny body under his chin. Loki was saying something unintelligible to her as his long fingers smoothed her fur. It was adorable. “So when do you go back home?”

“Well, I don’t have to go right away. The queen invited me to stay until you get back.”

“I’ll be gone for an entire month,” Claire scoffed. “Since when do you take that kind of time off?”

“Since my only family married a blood-thirsty space prince,” Phil muttered. “I wanted to at least be close by, in case you need me.”

“Phil…” Claire pulled him into another hug to hide the tears threatening in her eyes. Married life was turning her soft already. “I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yes,” Claire laughed. “You should go home and get some work done. You can come back any time.”

“Oh god.”

“What?”

“Nothing, it just occurred to me you could be pregnant the next time I see you.”

“I won’t be.” Claire shook her head.

“You don’t know that-”

“Yes, I do. Be cool about it please; we’re keeping it on the DL.”

“Is that...wise?”

“Please,” Claire scoffed. “We have literal ages. Now go home, you nerd. I’ll see you when I get back, right?”

“Of course,” Phil agreed. “I love you, or whatever.” he added teasingly. When Claire had first started living with him, it had taken her months to open up, and longer still to tell him she loved him.

“Oh my god, shut up,” Claire laughed. “I love you, or whatever.”

“Alright, go on, shoo. Go be a princess and say goodbye to your other guests.” Phil ushered her to the swarm of people milling about.

“Bye Uncle Phil,” Claire smiled. “Anja!” she waved her new friend down, waving over her shoulder at Phil as she vanished into the crowd.

“Your Highness,” Anja curtsied perfectly. “Congratulations on your lovely start. You have quite a collection already.”

“Oh, yes, everything is so nice! I think the cat is the most surprising, although the ancient sword is very cool.”

“Can you imagine stabbing someone with a sword that old? Wouldn’t the blade just...disintegrate?” Anja pondered.

“Probably,” Claire snickered. The two women shared a laugh over the thought. “So why the cast iron?” Claire asked. “Not that I don’t appreciate it but...why?”

“You never know when you’ll need to set someone straight.” Anja said cryptically, offering a small smile.

“What are you suggesting?”

“Nothing! But you know, if he starts acting up,” Anja shrugged. “Worked for my first husband.”

“You hit him?”

“Just once.”

“Wait- which one is your first husband? I know you said you got a two-fer but...one of them had to go first, right? How do you keep them straight?” Claire gasped. “Did you crochet them matching ‘Thing 1’ and ‘Thing 2’ sweaters?!”

“No,” Anja laughed. “But if I did, they would be ‘Thing 2’ and ‘Thing 3’.”

“Did you kill your first husband with a cast iron skillet?” Claire asked suspiciously.

“Wrong again!” Anja sighed wistfully. “It was rather romantic actually. We were at war, any day could have been our last…” she sighed again. “Sometimes people do absolutely batshit insane things for love,” she glanced up at Loki and Mochi, who’d by now wrapped the entirety of her little body around his neck and was watching with rapt attention as Loki gently wound her long tail around his finger. “But you knew that, didn’t you? Congrats again.” Anja grinned, winking at Claire as she left to rejoin her husbands.

Once they had made the rounds, Claire and Loki (and Mochi) were ushered to a more private room to sign the official treaty. Two copies were created- one to travel to Earth, and one to be locked in the vaults of Asgard.

“No darling, not on the parchment, please,” Loki said gently as he plucked Mochi from the table. Mochi complained of course, but it wouldn’t do for official documents to be besmirched with tiny paw prints. “After you.” Loki gestured for Claire to sign first, passing Mochi to her after she had signed both documents. Loki signed both parchments with a flourish, and they were quickly ushered outside to a waiting carriage, where Frigga and Thor waited to wish them farewell. Loki set Mochi just inside, creating a barrier with his seidr to keep her contained.

Hugs were exchanged and tears were shed (by Frigga), and then they were off. As they traversed the streets, crowds of people waved them off. Claire was still getting used to that, but she did open the window and wave back.

“So! What should we do to pass the time?” she asked as she settled back into her seat. The carriage interior was plush, and large enough they could each stretch out on their respective bench seats. Mochi had already claimed a spot by the far window, her fluffy body curled into a tiny ball as she dozed.

Four days later

The newlyweds were packed together beneath the blankets like sardines, taking up only a fraction of the large bed. Limbs wound together as they breathed in sync, both exhausted from their travels but desperate to keep contact. The ink on their marriage contract had barely dried before they had departed the palace, leaving the city behind to make their way to a remote mountaintop cottage where they would spend their honeymoon.

Before they could get there, however, they had to traverse the realm, stopping at family estate after family estate to be hosted by various wealthy families along the way. Many of the families had been in attendance at the wedding itself, and had only arrived home shortly before the newlyweds did.

Four days they had traveled north, and four homes they had stayed in. Though they were far less opulent than the palace, the homes were stately and elegant, and the families spared no expense in hosting the prince and princess royal.

Since their chamber doors closed behind them on their first night as a married couple, Claire and Loki could barely keep their hands off each other. Now that they were allowed to act on their desires, all their fierce arguing translated rather effortlessly into molten passion that signaled the beginning of something truly wonderful.

~~~~

Loki woke, already hard and aching, when Claire began to press kisses across the span of his shoulders. He groaned at the feel of her breasts pressing against his back, the tantalizing tease of her fingers as she pulled him closer bringing back the memory of her hands in other places.

“Loki...” she pleaded against his skin, her feather soft kisses lingering on his shoulder blade. “Want you.” One of her hands found his cock, fingers wrapping around the heated column of flesh and making him shudder in her grasp.

“Oh gods,” he panted, rolling his hips and hissing as she worked him slowly. “If we had more time...”

“We can sleep in the carriage.” Claire murmured, moving his dark curls aside to plaster slow, tantalizing kisses along his neck.

“We are guests...” Loki protested. “We shouldn't.” It was a weak argument, one that he’d made and lost at their previous stops in their journey.

“Okay,” Claire gave his shoulder another kiss, her hand trailing up his stomach and across his chest before she pulled away. Loki felt her roll over and settle back into the lush bedding, sighing with satisfaction as she got comfortable in her new position. Loki's dick throbbed angrily. Already his skin missed the feel of her hands, the heat of her kisses. His mind made up, he followed her, pressing against her back from head to toe. Claire groaned sleepily as his hands began to explore her body, fingers finding nipples as he pressed his groin against the curve of her ass. He repeated her actions, laving heated kisses across her shoulder and up her neck, groaning against her skin when she rolled her hips back into him. “So tired,” she complained, voice muffled by her pillow. “But god damn I want you to fuck me. Please.” She keened when his hand trailed down to her hip, kneading the flesh and coaxing her to press back against him more. She opened her legs, resting one atop his so he could more easily access her core.

“You will need to be quiet,” he murmured, dotting the heated flesh of her neck with kisses as he rubbed his cock against her folds. “Can you do that?” She was so wet he slid inside easily, and he smiled at the breathless whimper that escaped her. “Poor little wife, you were desperate, weren’t you?” Loki chuckled as he pressed as deep as he could. Already he could feel the tightening in his belly. This woman would be the end of him.

“I told you,” His new wife slurred, her walls clenching around him as his fingers toyed with her nipple. “Ah! Please...”

“Hush, my darling. We wouldn't want our hosts to know what we're up to, now would we?” He asked, rolling his hips into her slowly. His free hand circled her hips, pressing against her belly where his cock bulged. He exhaled against her skin, feeling his cock move inside her as she moved her hips impatiently.

“Loki, move,” she pleaded. Loki’s chuckle gave way to a groan when he obeyed, stroking her inner walls as he rolled his hips. A gush of arousal pooled between them, Loki’s thick cock squelching as he moved his hips with purpose. “I don’t think I can be quiet-” her words melted into a sob of pleasure as his cock stroked her g-spot. Loki adjusted the angle of the arm beneath her, long fingers covering her mouth. Claire grabbed at his arm with both hands, clutching him like a lifeline as each slow and steady thrust sent her higher and higher.

“Yes,” Loki gasped as her fingernails dug into his forearm. The walls of her plush heat were clenching around him, her body coiling tight like a spring as he pushed her toward the edge. “That's it,” he praised. “Mark me. I am yours, as you are mine.” He saw her eyes roll back as her body convulsed around him, and the choked noise that escaped from behind the hand he had over her mouth scorched him. He followed her over the edge, taking the flesh of her shoulder between his teeth to keep silent. She reached behind him to run her fingers through his hair, and he moved his arm to embrace her, leaving a line of kisses along her neck. “Are you alright?”

“Mm-hmm,” Claire nodded, her eyes beginning to droop with sleep. “I could fall asleep right here.” Claire groaned softly as she shifted beneath him. Loki huffed in amusement, smoothing her hair and kissing the soft skin it had covered.

“Is that so? With my cock still inside your cunt?” he smiled against her slick skin.

“I like it.”

“Really. I had no idea.” Loki snickered.

“Shhhhhh. Sleeping.” Claire pulled his arm tighter around her, wiggling deeper into his embrace and making him grunt. He nuzzled into the space between her shoulders, his lips leaving lazy kisses against the heated skin as she twined their fingers together. Sated and content, sleep took no time in reclaiming them both.

~~~~

Claire was beyond relieved when they finally arrived at the cottage at the end of their fifth day of travel. For all their advancements, Asgard had clearly never heard of high-speed rail, and she had quite a few words for the idiots who either A) hadn’t thought of it or B) had thought of it and decided nahh, we don’t need that.

But all her bitterness evaporated when Loki helped her out of the carriage and she got her first unobstructed view of the place.

“This is a remote mountaintop cottage?” she glanced to Loki, then back at the cottage. ‘Small fortress’ seemed more appropriate. There was a moat, for fucks sake. “I swear to Christ if there are alligators in there, I will get back in that carriage and leave.”

“I wouldn’t have expected you to be frightened of alligators.” Loki scoffed.

“I have seen those things eat people and I do not want to fuck with them; are there alligators, yes or no?” Claire squealed as Loki hefted her into his arms in a bridal carry.

“Yes,” he replied. “But take comfort in knowing they’ll eat me before they eat you.”

“Somehow I don’t feel better. Mochi!” the cat chirped as she chased a mouse across the drawbridge. Loki carried her across easily, letting her cling to him as they walked across.

“There, see? No alligators.” Claire narrowed her eyes at her new husband as he set her on her feet.

“Are there any alligators at all?”

“None whatsoever,” Loki admitted shamelessly. “It was impossible to resist teasing you.”

“You ass,” Claire shoved at him playfully. “That was mean.”

“God of mischief,” Loki shrugged. “Shall I give you a tour?” he asked suggestively.

“That depends, are there alligators on the tour?” Claire shrieked with laughter when Loki tugged her close and pulled her in for a kiss, nibbling at her bottom lip.

“Only me, I’m afraid. There are a number of guards, and Astrid and Ragna of course, but only I am allowed to bite you.”

“You’re still an ass.” Claire laughed as he wove their fingers together.

“But I’m yours.” Loki winked, leading her through the front door. Commotion could be heard at the end of the long hallway, and they followed the hall until it opened into a large common room, dominated by a large fireplace. Ragna stood at the fireplace, trying to start a fire in the hearth.

Long tables flanked the fireplace, with large double doors leading off beside the fireplace. To the right, a wall of tall windows flooded the room with natural light. Grey flagstones sat just beyond the double doors, a lovely patio area with benches and large flower pots. Off toward the left, Claire could just make out the shimmer of clear water.

“There’s a pool?!” Claire screeched excitedly, fingers soaking up the warmth from the outdoors as she pressed against the glass.

“Of course?” Loki chuckled. “There is also a library upstairs.” He gestured toward the stairs to their right. He led her upstairs to the landing, showing her the various rooms that branched off. There were two bedrooms with luxurious en suites, as well as a sitting room.

The library was magnificent. Hidden behind double doors, the bookshelves took up the entirety of the walls from floor to ceiling, with plush reading couches and a chandelier to give flickering candle light. A sliding ladder caught Claire’s eye, and her giddiness bubbled over as she climbed in to inspect the top shelves.

“Hey look, I’m taller than you.” she laughed, turning on the ladder to taunt her husband. Loki snorted, stepping closer to press flush against her.

“Do not get used to it,” he murmured, hands resting on the ladder by her hips as she brushed his hair out of his face. “You are quite short.”

“I am considered tall, thank you.”

“Yet you’re still shorter than me,” Loki grinned. “Ladder notwithstanding.” He grabbed her by waist when she jumped on him, winding her arms around his neck. The small of her back pressed against the couch when he kissed her soundly.

That was the start of Claire’s list of places she wanted to fuck Loki. The balcony outside the library quickly joined the list when they went out to enjoy the view.

~~~~

The next day

Claire woke in increments, her brain registering sensations before anything else. Comforting warmth. Sheets soft as could be. A strong arm holding her against hard muscles. She stretched out in Loki's grasp, her stiff limbs protesting against the movement after so long. Loki's arm tightened around her middle, pulling her into his chest. The cold tip of his nose nuzzled into her shoulder blades before he sighed in his sleep and was still once more. Claire yawned, burrowing deeper into the warmth they'd created before letting sleep take her again.

Some time later she opened her eyes, blinking against the blinding sun. Clearly Astrid had already been in the room to open the curtains and stoke the fire. Slow, steady breaths came from behind her, and Claire glanced over her shoulder at her new husband who was still fast asleep. Claire smiled fondly, briefly considering rolling over to face him before deciding she was content where she was.

“Are you going to roll over or just think about it?” Green eyes opened, his crooked smile making her belly flip.

“I didn't want to wake you,” Claire bit her lip as his hand sank further down her belly, fingertips grazing the ticklish skin at her hips. She turned to her other side, his hand coming to rest on her hip. The pad of his thumb drew lazy circles on her skin as she settled against him. “Hi.” Loki gave an amused huff as both his eyes opened again.

“Hello.” He lifted his elbow, creating space for her and inviting her closer. Claire slipped her arm beneath his and scooted closer, gliding her hand along the smooth skin of his back as she pressed her face into his chest. Deft fingers caressed her skin, trailing up her spine and setting her nerves ablaze. The sweet heat of desire ignited in her belly, making her shiver. His throaty chuckle rumbled deep in his chest as he tucked her against him, his head settling above hers on the pillow. Claire stretched, nestling against his chest as she let her eyes close. She was still so tired.

The hand she’d splayed on his back began to feel cold, exposed to the air in the room. Claire shifted the blanket so it covered his exposed skin and her hand.

“What was that for?” Loki murmured in the space between them.

“Didn't want you to get cold.” Claire said softly, her voice rough with sleep.

“Oh my darling,” Loki chuckled. “I don't get cold.”

“Oh,” Claire murmured, her voice muffled against his skin. “Okay baby.”

“Why do you call me that?” Loki asked softly. “I am not an infant.”

“I know that,” Claire laughed softly. “It's a term of endearment we use on Earth.”

“You call the people you care for infants?”

“I don't know why,” Claire giggled. “Do you not like it? I can call you something else.”

“Ordinarily I would not, but from you...I don't mind. Call me whatever you like, my darling.”

“I like when you call me that,” Claire murmured.

“Darling?”

“Yours.”

~~~~

Their first full day at the cottage was quiet and peaceful. Birds had nested outside the windows of their bedroom, and their cheerful song provided a lovely soundtrack to wake up to. They shared a late breakfast in the great hall by the fire before setting up camp in the library. Astrid brought them a light lunch to share, and sent them off with a basket of food when they left to explore the woods.

The afternoon heat chased them even under the canopy of trees, forcing them to relax in the shade beneath a tree. Loki spread a blanket on the soft grass, opening the basket to pull out snacks. Loki nearly dropped the container of strawberries in his hand when Claire’s blouse landed in his lap.

“Help me out of my pants?” she offered when he glanced over. “They’re stuck.” Loki swallowed the bite of strawberry in his mouth, eyes raking across her form as he fumbled over his words.

“Are they?” he asked, tongue lapping the sweet juice from his thumb before he set the berries aside. Her bare foot planted on his chest stopped him from attacking her. “Is that meant to stop me?”

“Noooo,” Claire giggled as he kissed the swell of her calf, fingers digging into the meat of her thigh before he pulled her closer. “You’re overdressed.”

“So I am.” Loki discarded his clothing swiftly, the strawberries abandoned as Claire wrapped her arms around him.

~~~~

Claire and Loki lay chest to chest on the blanket, sharing the strawberries as they basked naked in the shade.

“What convinced you to stay?” Loki asked softly as he fed Claire a strawberry. Claire savored the sweet, tart taste as she licked the juice from her lower lip.

“Besides the promise of this?” She ran an appreciative hand down his bare torso. Loki chuckled, sucking the strawberry juices from his fingers.

“Surely it was more than just me,” he trailed the backs of his fingers along her smooth curves. “As much as I would like to think it was.”

“You were a big part,” Claire replied sincerely as she turned to face him. “You going back to prison wouldn’t have been right. But I also think-” she poked him in the chest. “You deserve better than what you've been given,” She grabbed his chin between two fingers, pulling him down to kiss him slowly. “And I'd like to see you get it,” She murmured against his lips. An image of the pair of them bringing Asgard to its knees made Loki hum in pleasure. How was this delectable creature even real? “And I have to admit, the scary dog privilege is tops.” Claire sighed as she plucked a strawberry from the bowl. “Scary dog privilege?” Loki snorted. Claire giggled beside him, sharing a mischievous look.

“It's a silly saying we have back home. It means that people are less likely to mess with you if you have someone with you who looks scary. Or an actual scary dog.”

“I see,” Loki thought it was a strange thing, but most things Claire told him seemed strange. He took the bite of strawberry she offered, licking her fingers clean just to see the heat in her eyes. “Are you planning something devious?”

“Most likely. I kiiiinda have some unfinished business on Earth that I'd like to take care of,” Claire admitted sheepishly. “But with Odin's rule about only going back to earth once a year, I don't know that I'll be able to pull it off.”

“What sort of mischief are you up to, little wife?”

“I'll tell you about it someday,” Claire promised. “There’s no sense dwelling on it now.”

“Very well, I won't press you,” Loki offered her the last strawberry, holding it stead while she took a bite. “We should return. We’ve been gone for some time.”

“But it’s so nice having you all to myself.”

“It is,” Loki kissed her soundly, fingers doing their best to tame her wild hair. “But if we’re gone too long, someone will come looking, and then I shall be forced to commit murder when they see you naked.”

“I bet you offer to commit murder for all the girls.” Claire snickered as she pulled her pants back into place.

“I do not,” Loki scoffed. “I don’t care about them. I care about you.”

“You big softy,” Claire teased, squeezing him against her. “I’m telling everyone when we get back.”

“Don’t you dare!” Loki gasped. “I will have you know, madam, that I have a fearsome reputation to uphold.”

“Oooo I’m scared.”

“You should be,” Loki kissed her again, letting her turn him onto his back as he buried his hands in her hair. His groan morphed into a startled squawk when she began to tickle him, leaving him stuck on his back like a beetle as he came to his senses. Claire snagged her blouse from the blanket beside him and jumped to her feet. “Hey!” he shot up, spotting Claire’s naked back streaking through the greenery as she sped off.

“Catch me if you can! Last one back is a rotten egg!” she called gaily, her laughter evaporating like rain as she grew further away.

“What in Bor’s name…” Loki used his seidr to clothe himself, haphazardly shoving the blanket into the basket before tearing off after her. She wouldn’t escape so easily.

~~~~

The following day the skies opened and wind rattled the windows. Claire and Loki spent the day in the library, curled up together on the couch as they read.

~~~~

“What shall we do today?” Loki asked, his voice thick with sleep as he pulled her closer within the thicket of blankets.

“Hmm, I vote we stay here.”

“All day?” Loki chuckled, nuzzling against her cheek. “I hate to bear bad news, my darling, but if we wish to enjoy supper we need to replenish our stores.”

“Meaning what, exactly?”

“It means you’re going to have your first Asgardian hunt.”

They set off with a small group of the guards, armed with bows and arrows. Though Loki teased her, Claire successfully took down a small number of pheasants and a wild hog. Loki secured a stag, which along with the hog was being carried back to the cottage by the guards as he and Claire carried back the pheasants in a small sack.

“We can clean up in the outdoor bathing area,” Loki said as the cottage came into view. The idea of getting clean greatly appealed to Claire. They’d been out in the heat and the mud, thanks to yesterday’s rain, and she felt sticky and gross and tired. “It is just outside the great hall, beside the pool.”

“Join me?” Claire offered.

“In a moment,” Loki promised, tipping her chin up with a dirty finger so he could kiss her. “Our harvest needs to be recorded.”

“Don’t take too long, okay?”

“Of course.” another swift kiss to her lips and they parted ways, Loki disappearing inside while Claire sought the bathing area. She eyed the pool longingly as she passed it, finally coming across a stall with wooden walls. Stepping inside, Claire was delighted to see a shower. It was simple metal piping above a concrete slab floor with a drain and a bench, but a shower nonetheless!

Claire had just stepped under the spray when she heard familiar footsteps outside.

“Loki?”

“How are you my darling?” he asked gently. Claire did a quick assessment- her body was sore, both from the hunt and his attentions from this morning, but the hot water was already doing wonders.

“I’m fine.”

“Are you in any pain?” Loki asked as she wet her hair.

“No, I promise. I’m sore, but a good sore.” The door opened just enough for Loki to squeeze inside, the latch falling closed with a metallic clink. Loki looked exhausted as he began to strip, his filthy clothes joining hers on the bench. Claire turned away to scrub her face and lather her hair.

“It is strange.” he murmured softly as he followed the droplets of water on her skin with his eyes.

“What is?” Claire asked over her shoulder, hands wringing suds from her sodden hair.

“Just as you received a talk that was no doubt horrific before our nuptials, so did I,” Loki explained. “Thor was smug, of course. Smitten is not a word oft used to describe me, but he deemed it apt. Odin, however, spoke only of duty.”

“Eugh.” Claire cringed. Loki’s throaty laugh filled the steamy air.

“Indeed,” he agreed, his eyes roaming the planes of her back as his fingers ached to touch. Blue eyes beckoned him forward when she glanced at him over her shoulder. “This does not feel like duty.” His hands slid easily along her wet flesh as he pressed his chest against her back, holding her to him as he pressed his lips to her moistened neck.

“No it does not,” Claire sighed as she let her head fall back on his shoulder. His hardened cock pressed urgently against her ass, her pussy calling out for attention as his fingers roamed her wet flesh. “You’re distracting me again.”

“I am powerless to resist,” Loki’s tongue chased a water droplet along the seam of her neck, lips and teeth sealing around the flesh to tease a mark. “I beg forgiveness.”

“No you don’t!” Claire laughed, adoring the glide of his skin against hers. She reached between them, fingers wrapping around his heated length and making him groan. “You want to fuck me again.”

“I fear addiction is on the horizon,” warm breath caressed moist skin as Loki pressed a series of kisses along her neck. “I do so love when you fall apart for me.”

“I know you do,” Claire chuckled. “Are we gonna talk about your secret breeding kink?”

“Who said anything about ‘secret’?” Loki teased, fingers ghosting across her nipple and making her gasp. “I’ve long harbored a desire to fuck a woman full and see her grow round with my child. But not just any woman, of course. She had to be perfect,” one hand flattened over her belly, teasing the edge of the dark curls between her thighs. The other toyed with her nipple as she leaned against him, back bowing to press more fully into his hand. “And you. Are. Perfect.”

“I’ve thought about it too.” Blue eyes opened to meet his heated gaze. Loki’s brows rose in surprise.

“Have you?” he asked lowly, his eyes following the movement of her throat as she swallowed.

“More recently than usual,” Claire admitted. “Not that I’m ready-”

“Of course not,” Loki agreed hastily. “We agreed to wait.”

“Yes,” Claire said hurriedly. “But just...you know...I like the idea.”

“I look forward to it,” Loki nipped at her earlobe, his large hands grabbing handfuls of her plump buttocks as she giggled. “I shall stop distracting you and let you get clean.”

“How kind of you,” Claire snickered as Loki brought both her hands up to press soft kisses to her knuckles. “I do need my hands in order to do that.”

“Apologies, my lady,” Loki chuckled, making a show of releasing her hands. “Please, continue.” his heated gaze trailed over her wet body as she scrubbed herself clean with the sponge.

“You know how we agreed that men from Earth generally suck?” Claire’s words pulled him from his appreciation.

“Yes?”

“They’re very...dishonest. They say what they want to get what they want. You, on the other hand-”

“I am direct.”

“I was going to say earnest. You mean the things you say, and I appreciate that about you.”

“Everyone is always so surprised to learn that I do not lie,” Loki shook his head. “I merely can tell when they are told.”

“I didn’t say I was surprised, hot stuff. Just that I appreciate you,” Claire replied. “You have no reason to lie to me, just as I have no reason to lie to you.”

“Because you’ve already gotten everything you wanted?” Loki teased. Claire smiled as he stepped under the spray with her.

“Something like that.”

~~~~

“Loki?” Claire murmured in the dark, knowing full well that her husband was still awake.

“Hmm?” Loki cracked an eye from his pillow to look at her.

“What does it feel like?” Claire asked as she turned toward him, pulling the covers up to her chin. “Your magic.”

“My seidr?” Loki murmured sleepily. “It’s a sort of tingling sensation.”

“Like pins and needles, when your foot falls asleep?” Claire asked.

“Yes…but no. Here,” Loki said, lifting his hand to show her. Claire reached out and flattened her palm against his in the darkness. His hand dwarfed hers, his long slender fingers extending past hers and his palm completely covering her own. She could see a faint green glow coming from his hand and feel the soothing heat against her skin. “Feel that?” he asked softly, making his seidr slowly caress its way down her arm.

“Yeah…that’s really-” Claire giggled, fidgeting wildly as his seidr grazed her side. “Stop, that tickles!” she protested, laughing harder as the sensation found her most sensitive patch of skin.

“Something wrong, darling?”

“You ass!” Claire slapped him on the shoulder as he laughed. “You’re doing that on purpose!”

“Yes I am,” he shot her a shameless grin. “What’s that phrase you’re so fond of? ‘Sorry, not sorry.’”

“Quit stealing my catch phrases.” Claire grumped, shoving him onto his back. Loki chuckled as he let himself be pushed.

“Slytherin,” Loki reminded her as she straddled his lap. “Are you certain I’m not a Ravenclaw?” his hands came to rest on her thighs as she leaned over him, rocking her hips against his and making him gasp. Claire noted his reaction with satisfaction, a sly smirk on her face.

“Loki, we’ve been through this. Your mother is a Ravenclaw. You and I are certified Slytherins.”

“And what of Thor?” Loki goaded, his eyes falling half-closed as she ran appreciative hands up his chest.

“Thor? Please,” Claire scoffed as she leaned over him, her long hair falling in a curtain around them. “He’s such a Gryffindor. The lamest of the lame.” That earned her a low laugh and his fingers in her hair, anchoring her mouth to his as he kissed her possessively. Her brain made its usual note of surprise at how soft his hair was when she mirrored his actions, letting him turn her onto her back and nestle his hips between her thighs. He clutched her possessively as he dropped his weight on her, his body pinning hers into the bed. She could feel every inch of him, pressed against her as intimately as he was, and damn did she want him.

~~~~

“Have you ever had a lap dance?” Claire asked one afternoon. They were lounging by the pool, both of them practically naked as they basked in the sun. Loki was consumed by a book while Claire dozed on a settee. She’d been awake for some time, just watching him read. The clean lines of muscle glistening in the sunlight, the way the afternoon heat brought a flush to his cheeks, the veins in his arm as he propped up his sharp-enough-to-cut-glass jaw in his large hand. Remembering the feel of those hands had Claire squeezing her thighs together.

“I’m not familiar with that style of dance,” Loki replied absently. “Is it common on Midgard?”

“Very. Want me to show you?” Something in her tone made Loki glance up. Meeting her mischievous gaze, Loki was compelled to close his book. He set his copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone aside and leaned forward in his chair.

“Please,” he asked. “Are the steps difficult?”

“Not very, but you don’t have any.”

“It is a dance and yet I have no steps?”

“Yep. Just stay right where you are, mischief,” she winked at him. “I’ll be right back.” Intrigued, Loki’s eyes followed her pert behind until she disappeared inside. He settled back into his seat to wait, eyes falling closed as all manner of possibilities filled his head.

“Did you fall asleep, old man?” Claire scoffed when she returned.

“Of course not,” Loki replied with eyes still closed. “I was just imagining…” he trailed off when he opened his eyes to see her standing in front of him, clad in black lace lingerie. His mouth went dry as his eyes caressed her curves, all thoughts disappearing when he spied the string of pearls between her thighs.

“Imagining?” Claire prompted, smiling when he gave no response. “Did you want to see the back?” she asked knowingly. Loki swallowed, desperately trying to form words.

“Please,” Claire giggled, drawing her long hair over her shoulder before she turned. Loki groaned with want at the sight, fingers itching to work between the ribbon work decorating the sheer black lace concealing her body from him. Not one to deny himself his desires, Loki did just that. He wove his finger in between the criss-crossing satin ribbon at her lower back. Claire laughed as he tugged her closer, a squeak of giddy surprise escaping her as she let herself be pulled. His other hand wrapped around her thighs, squeezing the soft skin as his mouth latched onto the delicate curve of her hip. “What are the pearls for?” he asked, eyes fixated on the colorful artwork on her skin.

“Sensation- oh!” Loki heard her fingers move against the glass tabletop, felt her legs begin to tremble as he rubbed a knuckle along the string of pearls between her thighs. He could feel her body responding to him already, the tantalizing wetness growing slick behind the thin fabric of her panties. “Did you still want...the dance?” she managed to ask.

Oh the dance! How he longed to simply sit enraptured by her performance, watching her perfect body move in all its glory. Orchestrated destruction meant for him and him alone. The possessive beast in his belly reared its ugly head, demanding sacrifice. Yes, he wanted the dance.

“What does one do during these...dances?” He released his hold on her, allowing her to collect herself. Loki’s eyes darted from her ass to her breasts as she turned to face him.

“Well, in the strip clubs on Earth, you’re not allowed to touch the dancers. But I don’t have that rule.” One small foot stepped between his thigh and the arm of the chair as she climbed into his lap. She surged her hips forward, pressing her lithe body against his.

“Have you given lap dances before?” Loki blurted, his attention focused on her lace-clad breasts as she thrust them in his face. She was everywhere- he could smell her perfume and the sweat on her skin, feel her hands on his chest and her thighs as they clenched against his. To think that mortal men could simply pay for such an experience-

“Just once, for a job.” Claire replied, hands coming to rest on his shoulders as she lowered her core onto his thighs. She rotated her hips, forcing a gasp from him and making his fingers dig into her ass cheeks. “He was not nearly as attractive as you are.” she muttered as she leaned back, letting him see all of her body on display for him. The metal of her piercings sparkled in the sunlight and his mouth watered. Claire’s hips rolled, the pearls kneading along his aching cock and making his thighs shake. She did it again, drawing a ragged moan from his lips.

“Is-that so?” Claire rose up to press against him from navel to nose, fingers brushing his hair back from his face, blue eyes piercing through him as she met his gaze.

“Tell me I’m lying.” she challenged, a small smile teasing her full lips.

“You’re not,” Claire giggled as she leaned in to kiss him. Loki’s hands settled on her hips, bucking against her to torment her with the pearls in turn. She gasped into his mouth as the pearls teased her clit, her fingers digging into his shoulders with a moan. “I must...admit…”

“What?”

“I’m glad I am not the poor rube on Midgard you danced for.”

“Why’s that?” Claire asked, letting her head fall back as another whirl of her hips teased her with the outline of his cock. Loki sank his teeth into her neck as strong arms anchored her over his lap.

“Because unlike him, I can touch you,” he nipped at her ear lobe, fingers toying with the pearls in between them. “Lean back and let your husband see you,” He kept her steady as she obeyed, leaning back onto the table on her elbows. He drew her panties to the side to expose the wet and needy flesh beneath. “Gods, woman, you are magnificent.” he praised. His thumb dipped within her folds before it found her clit, working tight circles around the bud and making her whine.

“Loki,” she pleaded, hips following the motion of his thumb. “Don’t tease. That’s my job.”

“Forgive me,” Loki murmured as he worked two thick fingers into her pussy. Her head fell back as she moaned, her juices coating the digits as her legs quivered. His thumb began to circle her clit, and Claire’s fingers squeaked on the glass table. “Are you going to come for me, little wife?”

“Rather come on your dick-” Claire gasped.

“That is easily arranged. Can you stand?” he helped her to her feet, making sure she was steady before he let go of her hands. His cock throbbed as he dropped his gaze to her backside, fingers curling inside the skimpy fabric. “I am very tempted to rip these off of you.”

“They were a gift,” Claire protested. “From Tony Stark.” she added quietly. Loki huffed in amusement as he fingered the edge of the fabric.

“All the more reason,” he muttered. “But the design is rather fetching…yes, I think I’d rather fuck you with them on.” strong hands on her hips turned her away from him, his fingers sinking back into her pussy as the other hand pulled the panties aside. Claire grabbed the table for support, pleasure making her knees weak. Loki kissed down her spine, spreading her cheeks before plunging his tongue deep in her pussy. Claire’s top half met the table as her body sagged, overcome with pleasure and desire.

“Loki-” she pleaded. “Please-” Loki straightened, keeping the panties pulled aside as he fisted his cock. They moaned in unison as he fed his cock into her weeping pussy, pinning her between the table and his muscular body.

“Gods, you feel amazing-” Loki watched his cock disappear into her heat, his belly already beginning to tighten. Her walls rippled around him, silken muscles gripping him tight. Loki put more of his weight onto her as he swore, his stomach molding to the curve of her back. Half crazed with lust, Loki pressed as deep as he could, groaning in tandem with Claire as she wriggled her hips between him and the table.

Claire’s breathless plea spurred him into action. His hands curled around her shoulders, using them as anchors as he slammed his hips into hers.

The legs of the table screeched on the flagstones as Loki pounded into her from behind. Every thrust drove the breath from her body, the pearls driving her mad with added sensation on her clit and labia. Claire lifted her legs, wrapping around his thighs and holding him closer as he rocked his hips into hers.

The change in angle had her screaming as she came, gushing onto the flagstones beneath them. Loki grunted, hips pumping his spend deep inside her. A final shudder caused some to spill out onto the flagstones between his feet.

“Holy...shit.” Claire managed. Loki rubbed her thighs, his palms gliding along her skin as he helped guide her feet back to the ground.

“That is...quite a dance.” They both began to laugh as Loki stripped his clothing from his overheated body. Claire sighed as she watched him strip, fanning her flushed face with her hand.

“Loki?”

“Yes, darling?”

“You should fuck me in the pool next.” She undid the string keeping her halter in place before pulling it over her head and tossing it in his lap. “Pretty please?”

“Are you unsatisfied? Still?” Loki teased, but there was no venom in his voice. “I could perhaps be persuaded,” he glanced down at the material still clinging to her hips. “Toss us those as well.”

“Is that all it takes?” Claire laughed. “Come take them off for me.” she bit her lip, fingers teasing the fabric as she inched closer to the pool.

“Do as you are told, wife.” Loki’s eyes followed the movement, his cock already aching to be inside her again.

“Make me. Husband,” Claire shrieked as Loki lifted her off her feet, tossing her over his shoulder. “Loki, what are you doing?” she began to laugh as he caged her in with his arms, walking them toward the pool. “Loki, no!”

“Oh yes!”

“Loki! Ah!” Claire’s shout was cut short as they splashed into the icy cold water. They tumbled below the surface, Loki steering her upright to help her reach the surface. Claire wiped the water from her eyes once she found the edge of the pool, opening her eyes to see Loki surface, wet and disheveled and still so unfairly hot. His hard body pressed her against the unforgiving wall of the pool, water glistening along the hard ridges of muscle in his arms as he caged her in.

“Do you know what we should do tomorrow?” Loki asked.

“Nope. What?”

“Stark’s gift had other items like what you just wore. Not just clothes, but also various...apparatuses. I’d like you to show me what each of them does.”

“It says on the box-”

“I’m not asking for a reading, little wife. I’m asking for a demonstration.”

“I’m pretty sure I’ll die if I orgasm that many times in one day.” Claire joked.

“Ah,” Loki grinned. “I don’t want you to finish- there are many, many items in the box. I want you…” his voice grew dark and deep as he spoke softly into her ear. He nipped at her neck, sucking a mark into the curve as chills erupted all over her body. “To show me how they work until you are on the precipice. And when you have shown me every. Last. One. I will give you what you desire. Right here, in this pool.”

“Won’t-um…” Claire’s eyes darted toward the cottage. “Won’t people see-”

“Not if they wish to keep their eyes in their heads. I don’t mind at all if they hear you, little wife, and they will,” Loki grinned. “But only I get to see you.”

~~~~

The next day

Life as a royal servant was never idle. Busy? Always. Dull? Often. Being the only staff on hand during the honeymoon of the prince and princess royal was a high honor, and full of inadvertent eavesdropping.

“Gods, again?” Astrid murmured to herself as the grunts and groans they were meant to ignore began once again. The prince and princess had been sequestered all day- as the days waned on their honeymoon they seemed to be even more amorous. She could hardly fault the young couple- to be young and in love and on one's honeymoon was an experience unto itself. Gods knew she likely would have done the same if she’d ever had the chance. With luck the princess would be carrying an heir soon- if she wasn’t already. “We should prepare something.”

“What would you suggest?” Ragna asked, her question punctuated by a high-pitched moan. “Cheese and meats?” A clatter came from the next room as the amorous couple knocked something onto the floor. Ragna blushed furiously as the prince gave a wordless shout. She'd become more familiar with the sounds of pleasure than she liked, but she supposed it was nice the couple was enjoying themselves. How many times had they enjoyed each other since waking? Ragna could scarcely be relied upon for an accurate record, as the moans and pleas seemed to blend together in an endless stream of noise.

“Perhaps something more...”

“Loki!” The princess wailed, her cry accompanied by the prince's approving groan.

“Substantial?” Ragna asked awkwardly.

“Best to wait until-” the bed began to strike the wall, the rhythm accompanied by indecipherable, breathless words of praise from the prince.

“Fuck- fuck!” The princess wailed, her words melting into a ragged scream as the prince growled out his completion.

“Until they tire themselves out.” Astrid said, her soft voice seeming far too loud in the ensuing silence.

Unbeknownst to the long suffering staff, they were in for a very long night.

~~~~

“I can’t believe it’s time to leave already,” Claire said mournfully as she and Loki enjoyed their last hours basking by the pool. “Please tell me we can come back sometime.”

“Of course,” Loki replied as he tangled their hands together. “There are many places I would like to take you.”

“And I’m excited to see them,” Claire pressed a kiss to his lips. “I like traveling with you.”

“Because I spoil you with orgasms?”

“It doesn’t hurt,” Claire giggled, her pussy clenching at the memory of him using all those sex toys on her. Loki was a very enthusiastic learner. “But I do in fact, like you.”

“And I you. Has our percentage increased at all in our time here?” Loki asked, kissing her temple as he tucked her closer into his side. “I would like to hope I’ve done better than seventy percent.” Claire snuggled closer with a laugh.

“Oh, we’re easily at one hundred percent. We’re gonna be just fine, mischief.”

~~~~

Claire and Loki returned to the city with little pomp, arriving late in the afternoon after a long five days of traveling. Claire was ready to collapse in her new bed beside Loki. They’d been gone for a month, but she still remembered the lavishly soft sheets fondly. She was excited to settle into this new adventure and build a life with Loki.

The newlyweds were greeted by an elated Frigga, who insisted they tell her (almost) everything they’d done on their honeymoon. She wanted to know all of Claire’s opinions of the decor- things Claire frankly did not pay much attention to unless Loki fucked her on or near them.

“Now that you’re back, I would love to get your perspective on new draperies. It is so challenging to make these decisions alone.” Frigga said mournfully.

“Oh, uh...sure. I’d be happy to help.” she cast a pleading look at Loki, who thankfully understood and swooped in to rescue her.

“Why don’t we have tea tomorrow, mother? We are rather tired-”

“Of course, of course! Please, take a few days to settle back in before you go back to your duties. Tea can wait.” She gave Claire’s arm a reassuring squeeze.

Claire and Loki navigated the halls toward their chambers arm in arm. Ragna and Astrid had already returned and unpacked their things, so all they had to do was shed their travel clothes and collapse on the lounge in exhaustion. Astrid brought them plates of food so they could eat in privacy.

Comfortable silence reigned as Loki pulled Claire’s legs across his lap, absently massaging her calves as he stared at the fire. Claire dozed peacefully, too stubborn to get off the couch and go to bed. Astrid and Ragna finished tidying up and were about to leave for the night. Loki jostled his lightly snoring wife.

“Claire-”

“I’m up!” she bolted awake, rubbing her tired eyes as Loki got to his feet.

“Go to bed, little wife. I’ll be right behind you.” He’d been ignoring the elephant in the room- the assuredly humongous stack of paperwork that no doubt awaited him on his desk. He should at least attempt to make some sort of sense of it tonight.

Claire rose up on her tiptoes, hands pulling him close for a kiss. “Come be my soup spoon?”

“I should at least pretend to make an effort to sort my work,” he replied, hugging her close as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I won’t be long.”

“If you take too long I’m hogging the bed.” Claire threatened, preening when he kissed her forehead.

“I won’t!” he laughed. “Go to bed, menace.”

“Alright, fine!” Claire stepped out of his embrace. “Enjoy your paperwork. You could enjoy these instead,” she flashed her tits, giving him a cheesy smile. “Just sayin’.”

“Woman-”

“I’m going, I’m going,” Claire stuck her tongue out at him as she passed. Loki’s arm swept out and pulled her back, capturing her lips as she fell into him. His hand worked inside her shirt, cupping her breast and making her gasp into his mouth. He released her gently, mourning the loss of her warmth as he stepped away. “You’re really gonna go do paperwork after that?”

“The downside of marrying a prince, little wife. There are always responsibilities.”

“You did warn me,” she shrugged. “Just don’t stay up too late, okay?”

“I promise.” Claire disappeared into the bedroom with Ragna as he made his way into his study. Astrid was straightening a pile of papers on his desk.

“Shouldn’t you be in bed by now, Astrid?”

“We both should, Your Majesty, if you’re asking my opinion,” the older woman replied. “I did find some paperwork while unpacking your things, and placed them here on this stack.” Loki glanced at the stack the woman had rested her hand on. He didn’t recognize it, nor had he taken any work with him.

“Thank you, Astrid. Good night.”

“Good night, Your Majesty.” the woman closed the door behind her, leaving Loki alone with the mountain of paper.

Sighing heavily, Loki bridged his hands behind his head as he leaned back in his seat. The mountain in front of him was intimidating and he would much rather be in bed with his wife. But he knew he’d never be able to sleep without at least getting a start on it.

He would just sort it. Sparse out what needed review, what needed his signature, what was drivel.

He decided to start with the mystery papers Astrid had found.

Already weary, he pulled the folder toward him and flipped it open. His own face stared back at him- gaunt, emaciated, but still his face. He recognized the glass tank from S.H.I.E.L.D.s floating fortress in one photo, the Chitauri speeder in another. Behind the photos were print outs of tales from survivors. A circle was drawn around a story from a woman he’d pushed from the path of falling rock. Notes in block lettering asked questions to whomever looked at the file: -DRUGS? -NOT SLEEPING?

There was only one person who would have a file such as this. And she was asleep in his bed.

Loki’s stomach dropped as he realized the true purpose behind Claire’s journey to Asgard.

He’d been such a fool. It had all been a lie.

She did not care for him, not truly. She wanted to use him- though for what he couldn’t fathom.

How had she done it? How had she managed to lie tohim?! Sweat beaded at Loki’s temples as he flushed with anger. A block of writing on the back of a page caught his eye, frowning as he pulled the paper closer. Two columns of words with a line drawn between them.

Propping his head in his shaking hand, he scanned his eyes down the columns.

VOLATILE

LIKES SNAKES/STABBING

SUPERIORITY COMPLEX

The column beside it had fully different words:

ASSHOLE

POETRY

THOUGHTFUL

The word ‘asshole’ had several circles drawn around it. Below the second column, Claire had scrawled ‘ANNOYING’ in her block letters.

She thought him annoying? She was annoying, with her poor manners and ridiculous slang phrases. A blast of seidr sent papers flying in every direction, spurred by his frustration. Loki reached into a side drawer for the miniature cask of mead he kept tucked away. He was not much for drinking but he felt it was needed. His stomach was already a mess anyway, what more could it hurt?

He growled through the burn as he swallowed the mead.

What in Bor’s name was he supposed to do?

He could kill her. She couldn’t manipulate him if she was dead.

But despite his anger and humiliation, he did not want to. Pathetic as he was, he genuinely did care for her. How could he have been so stupid?!

He couldn’t kill her, not if he wanted to go on living his life. He’d end up in the dungeons again, or worse, the executioner’s block. There was no tangible way to remove her from his life- they’d both signed that damned treaty and there was no getting out of it now that they’d been wedded and bedded.

Bile threatened to make him vomit as he thought about all the times they’d been intimate. Had that been an act too? She’d certainly distracted him with her pierced nipples and saucy under clothing. He took another drink of the mead, letting the burn soothe his hurt.

He wanted her gone. Her chambers from before the wedding would have to be far away enough. Downing the mead, he refilled his glass and trudged to the bedroom. The door creaked slightly as he stepped inside, the low light from the dying fire casting elongated shadows.

Her familiar shape lay in his bed, curled into a ball as she clutched his pillow. He gave a snort; how had she expected him to sleep?

She didn’t. Everything she’s done has been to lull me into a false sense of security.

From the beginning, she’d played him for a fool. Thor must have told her how alienated he felt, how isolated. Any idiot could have pulled his strings like she did, and he was stupid enough to believe she was genuine.

His glass burst into shards in his hand, cutting his palm and startling Claire awake.

“Loki? You okay?”

“Do I look alright?” he hissed, nursing his cut hand as blood and alcohol dripped onto the floor.

“You’re bleeding.” Claire climbed out of bed, walking past him to the bathroom. Loki heard her run water. She reappeared a moment later, offering him a wet cloth. He pulled away like she’d tried to burn him.

“I don’t need your pity.”

“Loki, look at me,” Claire said, her voice soft and soothing. “Can you tell me what happened? You were fine when I went to bed.”

“Oh yes, I’m fine!” Loki hissed. “As are you, since your plan has obviously worked so well!”

“What plan?” Claire asked, eyes darting down to his bleeding hand. “Will you please let me clean that?”

“Do not touch me!” Loki snarled, pushing her away. “You have done more than enough damage-”

“What are you talking about?” Claire asked, once again using that annoyingly caring tone.

“You know damn well what I am talking about- at least have the decency to admit it.”

“I can’t admit to something I haven’t done,” Claire said calmly. “How much have you had to drink? Is it that bad?” She had no frame of reference for his workload, but she also didn’t know Loki to drink often.

“Yes,” Loki admitted hollowly, allowing his melancholy to overwhelm him. “Which is why-”

“Here, step back,” Claire ushered him away from the broken glass. “Why don’t you sit down so you don’t cut your feet?” she steered him toward the bed, her grip growing stronger when he resisted.

“Woman-” she gave him a little push, releasing him as he sat on the edge of the bed.

“I’ll be right back.” she disappeared from the room, no doubt going to summon Astrid or Ragna. Loki fumed in silence until she returned. “Let me get something to clean up the glass and then we’ll clean your hand. Have you seen Mochi?” Loki huffed, then glanced over his shoulder to see the peacefully snoring cat occupying the bed.

“She is fine.”

“That’s good. Tiny paws and broken glass do not mix. So-” his annoying wife heaved a sigh. “Are you going to tell me what happened?”

“What?”

“You’re not usually one to drink, but you’re drunk. You’re stressed about something-”

“You know this because you know me so well?” Loki asked angrily. “You think you know everything about me-”

“No, of course not,” Claire replied as he got to his feet. “Loki, just sit down, I’ll-”

“DO NOT TELL ME WHAT TO DO!”

“I don’t want you to get hurt!”

“Care about me, do you?” Loki laughed darkly, taking a step toward her. “You care so much!” Another step. His dagger appeared in his hand, and the soft light in Claire’s eyes hardened. “Stop pretending, you little charlatan, I know.”

“Loki, back off or I will defend myself.”

“Oh, please do,” another step had her back pressed against the wall. “Then I can claim self-defense-”

“Forgive the intrusion, Your Majesties, I came as soon as I-” Astrid stopped short when she saw the scene before her. The princess was backed into a corner, Loki’s dagger glinting menacingly in the firelight.

Claire seized the opportunity, shoving the hand holding the dagger aside, sending it clattering to the floor. She punched Loki in the jaw, grabbing him by the arm and twisting, ducking into a roll and sending him flying over her head. Astrid screamed as Loki struck the wall, Mochi yowled in fright as the loud sound woke her. The guard from outside the door came barreling in as Claire was getting to her feet.

“What in Odin’s name is going on?”

“I think the prince had too much to drink,” Claire explained. “I gave him a warning to leave me alone and he wouldn’t-”

“Playing the victim, are you?” Loki ground out as he got to his feet. “I never put a hand on you.”

“You would have.” Claire said bitterly. The guard looked at Astrid, who looked panic-stricken at best.

“You had your dagger out, sire. She had no weapon at all.”

“Clearly she doesn’t need one!” Loki argued.

“I asked you to back off!” Claire shouted over him. “Is this why you don’t drink; because you turn into-”

“A monster?” Loki guessed. “Isn’t that what you wanted?!”

“Wait, what?” Claire stopped short. “What are you-”

“You know damn well,” Loki interrupted her. “And I will not suffer you to be anywhere near me. You will return to the chambers you lived in before we married.”

“But-”

“Let us be honest, I am a very busy man, and you will only be underfoot.”

“Okay, so I’m new to this, but-”

“I will not have time to coddle you!” Loki sneered. Claire stepped away from him, hurt clear on her face.

“Why are you acting like this? That’s not what you said before!” she hissed. “I’m not expecting you to coddle me, but you did say you would help me. Now you’re just kicking me out? What the fuck?! What am I supposed to do?!”

“I could not care less how you spend your days, as long as they do not intersect with mine,” Loki snarled. “You got what you wanted, and now you must deal with the fallout.”

“I don’t understand-”

“I will summon you when I have need of you,” Loki said dismissively. “If ever.”

“And when will that be?” Claire said sharply. “When it’s time to have a baby?”

“If that is what you need to believe,” Loki shrugged. “I will have your things returned to you.”

“Fine. Be a dick,” Claire scoffed in disbelief. “So glad I stuck around for this.” She moved past him toward the bed.

“Did you not hear me? GET OUT!”

“I’m taking my cat before you try to kill her too, you paranoid sack of shit!” Claire shouted back at him. “Astrid, please clean up the glass before he hurts himself even more.”

Loki let her storm out, relieved to finally be alone. Ever since he found that file-

Tears stung his eyes as he made his way to the bathroom to clean his hand, his legs heavy with the weight of defeat. He’d been such a fool. For all her words and actions, she’d wanted nothing more than to use him.

Never again.

Loki couldn’t believe she’d managed to fool him- not once had he sensed even a hint of a lie.

Whatever trap lay in wait for him, sooner or later Claire would make her move. And when she did, he would destroy her.

[herrscherofmagic]

At the risk of being overly pessimistic, I've got some thoughts to share about HI3rd and Part 2 and whatnot. This is more of a vent post than any proper discussion or analysis but I want to share these thoughts somewhere because it's been on my mind for ages, and learning that the new UI comes tomorrow with the new patch has finally pushed me to write this.

Regarding Part 2, I will say that I'm willing to give it a shot. I know quite a few people (at least in some parts of the honkai community) felt a bit iffy about the Salt Snow Holy City arc, but I ended up loving it. So even though I haven't even started the current Fu Hua story arc, I do want to catch up and continue with the story.

But when I think about the past of HI3rd... I can't help but feel a genuine pain at the wasted potential of this game, its stories, and its characters.

There's a charm about early HI3rd that I really enjoy, partially out of nostalgia but also thinking about what could've been. So far, it seems like Mihoyo is intent on going full steam ahead and moving on. I don't see any sight of older valkyries being given minor updates (i.e. voicelines and basic animations/emoting), nor the early story being reworked, and even the original UI is getting straight-up replaced with a new design theme.

What do I think about when I think "early HI3rd"?

Hyperion. St. Freya. Shicksal. AE.

Of course this includes classic stuff like the White Comet battlesuit, or the early story arcs like the Battle of Schicksal.

But I'm also thinking about the incredibly neglected Armada and Dorm systems.

I'm thinking about all the different Valkyries and Valkyrie squads that we're told exist, yet only serve the tiniest slivers of roles in the story. The Phosdjinns (Susannah's old squad). Wendy & the Valkyries at the Schicksal base she was stationed at. Jackal, before she quit Schicksal and joined AE. Ana Schariac. Alvitr. Ragna.

I'm thinking about the fact that we still know virtually nothing about Bianka's brief stay at St. Freya. Or about how Rita struggled to become an S-Rank Valkyrie as a relatively normal person who had no stigmata like Bianka nor Herrscher powers like Kiana.

In terms of aesthetics, I think about the bright colors we associate with Hyperion and the old menus.

I think about all the old weapons & stigmata, and even the new ones, and how they have tiny descriptions that hint as so many interesting things behind the scenes. AE's Project: MEI, for instance, or Schicksal's St. 1504 labs.

I remember how often some people used to go "oh Genshin, pffft whatever, Honkai is so much better and it has cool animations and songs and it's Depression Impact and all that stuff!!!" and I used to agree with that. In some cases I still do.

But then I think about how EMPTY HI3rd feels. Genshin has some issues, but it's story has continuously been getting better, and the early content is still a fairly solid foundation. There's tons of interesting lore archives and hidden details across countless weapons, texts, and archive entries. You can learn so much about the past of Mondstadt's Aristocracy or the civilization of Sal Vindagnyr, or about the Yakshas, and Adpeti, or the 5 Inazuma sword-forging schools, and Enkanomiya, and so on.

But there's almost nothing about Schicksal or AE. We know almost nothing about how these two factions operate, aside from "they have a bunch of fancy tech".

Hyperion's not the only flying ship Schicksal has. Aside from Helios we also see and hear about others like the shuttle that the Immortal Blades used in Arc City, or the large ships we see flying in the background of the Armada home screen.

Where are those ships built? Who's crewing them? What does Schicksal do with all these resources? How are the Valkyries in these ships and stationed in bases across the world fighting Honkai in their own way?

What about AE? Sure AE has robots, but robots alone aren't enough. AE still needs leaders and people to make decisions. We know about the obvious Welt, Tesla, and Einstein. But what about Raiden's father, Raiden Ryoma, who we saw play an active role helping AE in the Second Eruption? How does he use ME to help support AE's operations? Are there others like him who make their own investments and sacrifices to help protect their corner of the world?

What was Susannah's life like before and after she joined the Phosdjinns? What about the Phosdjinns themselves? We know a tiny bit about them: their squad leader, Matilla, seemed to come to lead the squad after the past leader died in combat. The other member, Zofia, seemed to promise the old squad leader to protect Matilla. And Matilla chose Susannah herself, so she may be at least partly responsible for getting Susannah up to the point where she could join the Immortal Blades.

What's their story?

What about Ragna and the Valkyrie Assault Squad? I remember there was a CG long ago, Idk if it was permanent content or a temporary event CG, but it revealed that Ragna knew both Rita & Bianka as well as Himeko. So the same person that trained Himeko and led her into battle also gave guidance to Rita and Bianka. What was her life like? How were these incredibly influential Valkyries changed by this role model they have in common?

And speaking of Rita... in the Meow Town Escape event, Rita told Susannah how she had to work hard to join the Immortal Blades and become an S-ranker. Rita has no legendary stigma like Bianka, nor is she a Herrscher like Kiana, nor a MANTIS like Hua. So how did she get to become an S-rank? What trials did she endure, what sacrifices did she have to make?

What about Sin Mal? What happened to Cocolia's orphanage after the failure of the X-10 experiment? How did Cocolia end up working with AE, and how did she end up serving as an agent(?) for World Serpent as well?

Speaking of Cocolia, what happened to her after the Second Eruption? She went from being a minor officer in the Red Army in the middle of Siberia, to running an orphanage that also ran a secret set of experiments. What did she endure in all those years?

There's so much more I could go on about. Wendy, Ana, pre-World Serpent Jackal, Alvitr, Amber, Dr. Nagamitsu, Sin Mal.

All these characters have hints of their stories throughout the game. Sometimes it's a small set of flashbacks, some are fortunate enough to star in a single arc, and some are unfortunate enough to get most of their character development in temporary events.

And of course St. Freya itself could do with more screentime since most of that story is told through manga, not even in the game itself.

But all of these details lead... nowhere.

HI3rd is full of countless seeds of stories, little snippets that tell us that there's so much more beyond the story of our main trio. These characters don't all need full story arcs, of course not. The main story is written and done (though I think the first few chapters deserve a solid remake).

But there could've been something more. Archive entries, weapon & stigmata descriptions, new Valkyrie Chronicles episodes, etc. Schicksal HQ OW could've been revamped to tell us more about the Immortal Blades, Otto, Amber, and Dr. Nagamitsu. Sakura Samsara could've been polished to meet modern standards, giving both Kallen and Sakura fans better content without having to write them into a new part of the story.

Heck, I even think Mihoyo could've even released a "St Freya semi-open world". Make a "Chapter 0" prologue that takes place in Nagazora when Mei awakens her Herrscher power and when she & Kiana meet Bronya. Then make a couple of short story missions mandatory in the Schicksal semi-open world, then lead that into Chapter 1. That way the Main trio gets a proper introduction and we're not thrown into an in-progress story with no proper beginning.

Then that Schicksal semi-open world could have been filled with all sorts of content that develop the early story without having to cram lots of stuff into the post-Selene events. Short slice-of-life stories in the St. Freya school days, little peeks at the past life of Himeko and Theresa, archive entries telling us more about Schicksal & St. Freya.

Players that want to advance the main story can do so almost right away, just with a bit of extra context going into the action. But old & new players alike could revisit this era of Honkai and learn more about these beloved characters, and the rest of the story could continue as-is without having to cram extra story arcs elsewhere somehow.

I've been thinking about all this stuff for months, hell maybe a couple years now. As someone who plays HI3rd, Genshin, and HSR, and enjoys all 3 games equally, I like to see how these games can all learn from one another. HI3rd has so, so much room to grow as a game and as a story experience, and Genshin & HSR provide a lot of examples of ways this can be done.

There's a lot of room to adjust the early story of HI3rd and add content without bogging down the pacing of the main sequence of events, just like Genshin & HSR have lots of side content like character stories, stuff that's important and enjoyable but also isn't part of the main story and doesn't get in the way of those events.

But as far as I can tell... none of this is ever going to happen. At least not anytime soon.

Part 2 is here, and the new UI is coming. We'll soon get introduced to a new cast of characters, and new stories will be told.

But I don't agree with the whole "let the past stay in the past" thing here, because these aren't finished stories. HI3rd has countless untold and unfinished stories already.

I think expanding on the stories of these characters and organizations will only improve the rest of the game.

Learning about Jackal's past will make her more than just a mustache-twirling villain that throws a tantrum when Senti breaks her toys.

Learning about Wendy will make her an actual character and not a shitty "look at this character and their sad back story, oh no they turned evil, oh no they died off-screen! how sad :(" character.

Learning about Himeko's past is obviously going to make her sacrifice feel more impactful. Final Lesson was already sad, but what if we had in-game story content that showed us what happened to her when her father died, and when she joined Schicksal? What if we got to witness her growth under Ragna's leadership and the way her life was changed when Ragna died?

All of these characters could benefit from a bit more backstory, even the Main Trio. Exploring these early stories would make HI3rd's setting feel so much more alive and thought-out. Not everyone cares that much about these characters, but Mihoyo has the power to give them a reason to care.

I know not everyone likes the way the Elysian Realm story played out, but I think nearly all of us can agree that the Elysian Realm did a great job at presenting the story of the Flame-chasers. We get archive entries that tell us key scenes of their past, and we interactions with them that show us their personalities. But so many other characters outside of the Elysian Realm get nothing like that.

Obviously implementing even some of these ideas would take a lot of time and effort. I understand why Mihoyo might've chosen not to address the early story, because for a given amount of resources they're gonna make more profit off of continuing to move on and make new characters and focus the story around them.

But knowing why things happen doesn't stop me from being disappointed about them. Even if Part 2 turns out positively, that won't fix all the broken things in Part 1.

As I write this, I'm listening to one of the Genshin OSTs from the Narzissenkreuz Ordo. Having finished that world quest series recently, I keep thinking about just how incredible that story was. The story of these characters and the tragedy they endured reminds me so much of the struggle of the Flame-chasers. But that was all side-content. It was unvoiced quests with minor characters with simple models. But they had so much life to them. They had interesting motives to push them through the story, and they had interesting connections with each other. The story of the Narzissenkreuz is just one part of the many intertwined stories of Teyvat, and it's a beautiful part.

And then I think about HI3rd, and I wish I could have this same experience with HI3rd, where I could think about the lives of these characters and their motives and the struggles they go through, but I just can't. Not without diving fully into the realm of fanfiction and dreaming up stories that give these characters the life they never got to live, and which they may never get to live in the canon of HI3rd.

All these seeds of stories that were planted years ago and neglected ever since. Never watered, never sprouting, never getting to see the sun.

[judesmoonbeauty]

Yves Kloss - Act 2 Ch. 12 Dramatic Summary

Fan translation only. Not 100% accurate. Please expect grammatical errors. Cybird owns everything. Feel free to re-blog, but please do NOT post my translations elsewhere. Also, feel free to ignore my random commentary. I know this Master List is delayed, but eh, it was my first translation project, and I had no idea of what I was doing.

Please note: Only his common route and Dramatic route are translated/summarized.

Alt translations are marked as ///

T/L notes are notated at the bottom of the post with***

Leon, Ragna and Emma find the carriage that Yves had been driving. It’s badly damaged and there’s blood spatter on it. She’s notices that the horse isn’t hitched to the carriage and this gives her hope that Yves managed to escape. The group starts to venture deep into a nearby forest in search of him. 

The scene cuts to Yves, who had been running through the forest who soon props himself behind the tree. His shoulder is badly injured from an arrow. There are also several other cuts and grazes on his body from the attackers and running through the shrub.

He sighs at the thought that if Emma sees him like this she’ll be upset. He’s worried about her, but decides to focus on his situation. He hears movement in the bushes near him. It’s his attackers. Yves hurls a stone lying next to him and the party immediately pursues the noise. Wincing in pain he forces himself to walk on and then he hears another noise. 

Leon & Ragna are knocking out assailants left and right. Emma helps them by scanning the forest for hidden figures.***

They assume that Yves is on foot because the forest is so dense it wouldn’t allow for someone to travel by horse. However, it’s now night time in the forest and it’s making it more difficult to locate the king.  Emma remembers that she and Yves set up a secret marker for themselves in case they got separated.***

Em tells the group that the marker is for them to leave a drawing of cat at the base of a tree in the direction they went. She and Ragna start looking for the marker while Leon takes care of the enemies. Ragna and Em find the marker. Emma asks for Ragna to bring Leon to this location. Ragna tells her not to move from this spot.

As Emma is waiting, she starts to hear the sound of clanging metal in the opposite direction of Leon & Ragna. She gets a bad feeling and runs toward the sound. There she finds Yves with his sword drawn surrounded by a group of men. Yves’ clothing at his shoulder is completely soaked with blood, and there are all kinds of cuts on his body and face. It looks like he is on the verge of death. But even so, he exhibits great strength as he defeats the men.

Soon, everyone but Yves is lying on the ground. Emma runs out to him. As she calls out to him a hidden figure appears and swings his blade at Yves. Horst finally reappears. Yves managed to stop the blade from killing him, but it seems it grazed his stomach. Horst uses the gap to his advantage and kicks Yves’ newly made open wound.

Horst raises the blade high in the air to strike him down. Emma yells, “Stop!”. Yves is shocked to see her. He calls her an idiot for coming alone and to run away. Horst says that he won’t kill Yves so easily and swings his sword again. Yves dodges his strike. Emma tells Horst to stop, but in defiance to her plea he starts swinging his sword incessantly. Yves is so injured and tired that his body is starting slow down. After dodging several of Horst’s attacks, he is finally clipped by Horst’s sword and falls to his knees. Emma looks around for a weapon so she can help, and she finds a dagger still in its scabbard at her feet. Horst holds his blade up to Yves’ neck smiling at him. ***

Horst: You think so much about her. You’d do anything for her wouldn’t you? Then I’ll tell you what to do.

Yves: Don’t.

Horst: Take your own life with that sword.

Yves: Stop it!

Horst: If you do, I promise that I’ll let her live. Good, right?

Emma thinks he must be acting out something that happened to him in the past.

Emma: Please don’t hurt Yves anymore because of the death of your loved one. Is this what your loved one would want? If she loved you, wouldn’t she wish for your happiness and not revenge?

Horst: Do you think you can understand the dead? And the reason you can say such beautiful things is because you’ve never lost a loved one, right?

Emma realizes her words will never reach Horst. The king of Rhodolite is an indispensable figure, a hope for the people to enjoy peace and someone whom she loves. He is irreplaceable. She never wanted him to get hurt, so she picks up the dagger at her feet.

Yves: What are you doing?

Emma removes the dagger from its sheath and places the blade at her neck. It makes her body tremble with fear. She recalls how fearless Yves was in the past when Obsidianite soldiers asked him to kill himself. She isn’t brave like him, but she gathers her strength and applies pressure to the dagger so that she thrusts its tip into her neck……

[Previous] [Next]

***About the sword battles: While Leon & Ragna may have slain the armed men, I don’t believe that to be the case. Yves himself didn’t seem to be doing that. While he was using his sword to defend himself - because he is on a diplomatic tour - killing Obsidanites would cause issue and the alliance could be annulled. The dramatic route had Yves not killing the attackers - whereas in the romantic route - he went cray for a moment and did go berserk when Emma was almost killed.

*** About her claiming to know self-defense/Cat marker: This was a part of Jin and Licht’s training for her back in chapter 1.

***The t/l rendered this that a dagger was thrown at her feet, but I do not believe this is accurate. Ragna & Leon we’re not around and there’s no indication that a spy from Gilbert helped her out. The dagger must’ve come from the men who Yves just fought off, but I decided to stick with the OG t/l and not offer an alt since I wasn’t too sure about this.

[gear-project]

Annon-Guy: I know you're not too keen of the Capcom Vs. Series, but I hope you can humor or etertain the question here.

If there was a Arc System Works Vs. Capcom Game, which 10 Guilty Gear characters and 10 BlazBlue characters would you choose for the Arc System Works Side?

Years ago, I discussed the idea of an ARC versus SNK roster (which largely consisted of Last Blade and Samurai Shodown characters by the way)...

But I think it's a different story when talking about Capcom.

I would largely argue that Capcom's roster would determine which characters to choose from.

I don't think it's fair to strictly use Street Fighter characters in this instance, since most GG characters could easily wipe the floor with SF's roster on a good day (even Bridget, believe it or not!)

I'd argue that if Capcom wanted to bring their very best to bear against ARC System Works... they'd have to go all out:

And by "go all out", I mean Warzard, I mean Plasma Sword (Star Gladiator), I mean Cyberbots, I mean Darkstalkers... characters that aren't human to begin with! Even Power Stone, Tech Romancer, Monster Hunter, Dragon's Dogma, and Biohazard would be good choices.

That's exactly how strong the cast of Guilty Gear and BlazBlue potentially are combined!

Narrowing each side's roster down to 10 is a little heavy handed, especially in regards to BlazBlue which has a very rich cast of characters.

Still, if I ABSOLUTELY had NO CHOICE but to narrow it down (11 Characters each to match Capcom's 22):

GG Side: Sol, Ky, Ramlethal, Happy Chaos, Goldlewis, Bedman, Asuka, A.B.A., Raven, I-No, Bridget

BB Side: Ragna, Jin, Noel, Arakune, Alpha 01 Apocalypse, Sechs, Juusan (Another Nu-13), Another Dark Mai, White Justice (Another Tsubaki), Kokonoe, Another Dark Kagura

Capcom Side: 22 Characters to Match the other side

Valgas (Power Stone) Jack (Power Stone) Hayato Kanzaki (Star Gladiator) Vector (Star Gladiator) Leo (Warzard/Red Earth) Blade (Warzard/Red Earth) Reverto (Monster Hunter Stories) Avinia (Monster Hunter Stories) Ethan Winters (Resident Evil Village) Alcina Dimitrescu (Resident Evil Village) Strider Hien (Strider 2) Strider Hiryu (Strider) Kage (Street Fighter 5) Oro (Street Fighter 5) JP (Street Fighter 6) Luke (Street Fighter 5/6) Gill (Street Fighter 5) Seth (Street Fighter 5) Jin Saotome (Cyberbots) Devilotte de Deathsatan IX (Cyberbots) Pyron (Darkstalkers) Huitzil (Darkstalkers)

THAT'S MY TAKE, AND I'M STICKING TO IT!

[madmanwonder]

Prompt

Cyberpunk Crossover

The Punisher and Ragna are two men that I can picture disagreeing and then going for a straight up fight. You can decide on why they are clashing, but make sure that the fight is very violent.

"You are fucking bastard." Said Ragna, his red-and-green narrowed into a fierce glare as he slumped against the wall holding his bleeding side with a pain-filled but wrathful expression as he look at the older man who was holding a high-tech Light Machine Gun, 5.56 mm, M249 in one hand while he held his bleeding side with a grimace on his stern expression of stoicism and ruthlessness.

Frowning, Frank look at the younger man, a wanted terrorist wanted by NOL for murder, property damange, and terrorism against the people under NOL jurisdiction and domain.

"I am no more a bastard than you kid," He replied as he replaced his empty clip into his light machine gun as took his combat vibroblade knight that glow with white light. "And as much i feel sorry for you and the cyncism against NOL. I can let you keep do this." Frank gruff voice replied as he aim his gun at the white-haired, unkempt-haired, green-and-green-eyes criminal.

Sneering, Ragna pushed off the wall with a hurt but determined look as he held up his large claymore-like sword, Aramasa, in a combat ready stance. Ready to fight the normal but skilled and ruthless wandering vigilante.

"I be damned before I get myself killed by a deranged, murderous hypocrite!"

The Punisher and the Grim Reaper let out a roaring battle cry as they rushed at each other with Frank unleashing barrage of bullets at the young man and Ragna using his large blade to deflect the bullets and crid out "Hell's Fang" at the skilled purser of justice and punishment who expertly dodged the attack and rolled toward Ragna to slash his torso with a growl which turned into a grunt when Ragna punched him hard into the stomach, blood and bile interupt from his mouth.