#verse / true form - culling arc

[akuikami-a]

the  corridors  echoed  with  the  ominous  resonance  of  heavy , deliberate  footsteps , each  imposing  step  a  proclamation  of  unfathomable  power.  it  felt  good  to  have  his  body  again  —  to  raise  his  own  hand  and  slice  down  anyone   unshackled  from  the  confinements  of  a  mere  vessel.  it  was  glorious. amidst  these  culling  games , the specifics  of  kenjaku’s  schemes  held  no  interest  for  him ; his  sole  purpose  here  was  carnage.

❛❛   thought  you’d  have  met  your  demise  by  now.  ❜❜  his  voice  dripped  with  mocking  amusement  as  he  advanced. halting suddenly , he  fixated  on  the  other  with  a  malevolent  smile , a  violent  glint  piercing  through  his  eyes.  ❛❛  congratulations  on  still  being  alive.  ❜❜ / @kusattainu

[puckwritesstuff]

a request for the disaster evaded au cuz i want to drown myself in fluff before you release never ending angst and feels in the new arc. the twins are born and is very much now the most loved and spoiled babies in the nine. vali inherited loki's personality. so when she saw that sigyn is spending more time with nari, she becomes jealous and cries to loki. being the trickster's son, nari knows what he's doing and planned this all along to also spend more time with their dad. anyways, thank you!

"never ending angst and feels" is an ad hominem attack and not admissible lol. XD Also, "Vali inherited Loki's personality" is true in pretty much every verse.

Thank you for the ask!

---

Váli sat on the railing of a balcony in a secluded part of the palace. She could see all of Asgard from where she was, all the way out to the Guardhouse where her mother had taken her brother that morning. It was hours later and they had yet to return.

Loki walked up to the railing, looking over his daughter.

“You’re going to fall if you sit there,” he said.

Váli shrugged.

“Please get down,” he said.

She sighed. “Fine.”

She came down off the railing and stood next to her father. She was still watching the guardhouse.

“Aren’t you supposed to be training with your cousins?” Loki asked.

Váli shrugged again. “Sif needs more time with them than me. Móði’s bow form is all wrong, and Magni just isn’t very good with a sword.”

“That’s unfortunate, considering Magni’s going to be king,” Loki said. “But you could help Sif with them. You’re a good teacher, I’ve seen it.”

“Nah, they don’t listen to me,” Váli said.

“I see,” Loki said. “So instead you’re hiding up here?”

“Seemed like the thing to do,” Váli said.

Loki paused. “Váli, is something the matter?”

“No,” she said. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

“You can tell me anything,” Loki said. “You know that, right?”

She sighed. “Am I a disappointment?”

Loki blinked. “Váli, why would you ever think that?”

“I’m not good at magic,” she said. “Not like Nari. I can’t do much besides enchantment and… well, the other thing.”

She shook her head. Loki put a hand on her back.

“Váli, we are so proud of what you’ve accomplished,” Loki said. “Just because your markers for success are different from your brother’s, doesn’t mean that we are disappointed. We are just not the best teachers of what you need to know. Your Aunt Sif is much better at combat tactics, your Uncles Fandral and Hogun are master swordsmen, and even your Uncle Thor would lose against your Uncle Volstagg in a straight brawl. We are trying to equip you as best we can, but that often means that we are not the best ones to teach you.”

“And so Nari gets all the attention,” she muttered.

Loki paused. He knew that tone.

“You know, I’ve been working on particularly difficult potion back in my study,” Loki said. “I could use an assistant.”

She rolled her eyes. “I don’t need pity, Father.”

“Fine, stay here and pout,” Loki said, going to leave.

She groaned. “Whatever.”

She followed him out.

---

Early the next morning, Váli was woken up by Sigyn before the sun was even up.

“Come on,” Sigyn said quietly. “Grab your bow, we’re going to Vanaheim.”

“We’re what?” Váli said, only half-awake still.

“Deer hunt with your grandmother and Lady Frejya,” Sigyn said. “The herd in Freyja’s fief needs culling, she asked us to help. Get up, we’ll be leaving shortly.”

Váli stumbled out of bed, putting on her hunting gear and grabbing her bow and quiver.

---

A few hours later, Nari found his father at a table in the kitchens, buried in a textbook, sitting in front of a neglected plate of eggs and toast.

“Where’s Mother and Váli?” Nari asked.

“Vanaheim,” Loki said. “They went on a hunt with your grandmother.”

“Thank the Norns,” Nari muttered, collapsing in the seat across from his father.

Loki raised an eyebrow, setting down his book.

“I thought you were enjoying your studies with your mother,” Loki said.

“Sure, but everyone needs a break, don’t they?” Nari asked. “It’s looking at star charts all day, it’s not like she’s ready to hand over Hofund.”

Loki nodded. “That’s not quite the spin you’ve been putting on it in front of the rest of the family.”

“Well, Váli, Móði, and Magni are doing all the cool stuff,” Nari said. “Weapons training and such. They’re going to go out and be heroes, and I’m going to be the nerd sitting behind a desk reading star charts.”

Loki smiled bitterly. “Your mother and I have saved the day with our magic more times than any of the others put together.”

“Sure, but that’s not what she’s teaching me,” Nari said.

Loki knew the glint in Nari’s eye— his son was goading him on. Sigyn’s focus on Bifrost magics was of a purpose, but Sigyn wasn’t there, now, was she? He laughed softly.

“You are far more devious than most give you credit for, little one,” Loki said.

“I’m your son, aren’t I?” Nari asked.