Loki's Home for Asgardian Orphans? ((for sweetcandygirl))

[coldsong]

He is exhausted. Since the gate opened and spilled crying children into the Nexus, Loki has not slept. He has eaten, mostly snatched bites of food in between coaxing soup and fruit and sweets into the mouths of shell-shocked little ones, but he's rested little and he's been pouring out his seiðr, illusions of himself running errands, healing wounds, and soothing little minds.

It's been centuries since he had children of his own, and he was not really available to them, not as much as he should have been, but he remembers watching half-human infants grow and change and become magnificent little iconoclasts. Wonderful, stubborn little forces for chaos hurtling through the world. He loved watching them. Loved them.

And so, if he has a small soft spot in his fractured heart for these young ones, it's not really a shock. At least not to him. He loves them. If anyone threatens them, he's already prepared to eviscerate the danger with his own teeth, if he must.

From the outside, the place he's set up for the handful of the worst-traumatized looks like a cottage. Not much bigger than a large shed, if prettier and tidier. Once inside, though, the rooms seem to expand to create far more space than the building ought to hold. Either he learned this trick from his alternate, or it's something intrinsic to many, or all, Lokis.

His wards circle the yard, which has a swingset, a slide, and a sandbox. Asgard's royal seal is seared into the red-painted door, and the twin-horned symbol of Loki's helmet beneath it. Inside, the furnishings are a bit sparse yet, but it's peaceful, and quiet.

He brings Harley here himself, as soon as a chance arises. "The wards are keyed to permit you freely," he says, hand in hers. "There are eight staying here. Solvi and her baby girl, Fǫnn Hauksdóttir the healer's apprentice, and the rest are children. Don't be offended if they shy away from you. They've had a very, very hard time."

Pause. "But I do think Sigrid will like you."

Comments

[sweetcandygirl]

With the knowledge that Harley might meet some children today, she had decided to wear very colorful dress, with a pattern inspired by Miss Fizzle from the Magic School Bus TV show.

It is a little strange for her to see Loki in this situation. He has opened his heart to the Asgardian refugees. And there are little signs of exhaustion in his eyes, his face, the way he walks, that speaks volumes to how much he is giving to those who now depend on him.

Harley wonders how much he is giving of himself. She wonders if he is still involved with the Fallen and arranging their proposed arrangement. And how long before one little thing might make him crash.

"I won't push them." Harley understands trauma better than some.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

[coldsong]

Harley looks charming no matter what she wears, Loki thinks, but it's sweet that she's tried to choose something the children will appreciate. They're bound to be struck by her pallor and the color in her hair; Harley's default style is very different from the Asgardian aesthetic. But no one would dare be rude, particularly not with how he plans to introduce her.

He opens the door for her with a tired but grateful smile. "Meet them, learn their names. Be with them, especially when I cannot. There are so many more children than adults to watch over them. I would not ask you to take responsibility for them all, but any time you can give will be good for them."

That's the most honest answer he can give, especially for this particular group of children. They need love and reassurance. Unfortunately, for Loki, that's sort of a taxing thing to have to give.

Inside, there's a large common area with cushions and blankets on the floor, and Fǫnn, a young-looking girl with strawberry blonde hair and freckles, is watching some of the other children play. Two little girls seem to be busily bandaging up a doll with toilet paper, while an even smaller boy watches, chewing on a strand of teething beads around his wrist. A slightly older child is covered in blankets behind one of the chairs, reading in his own private blanket fort.

The toddler looks up and squeals when he sees them come in. It's Loki he's looking at, and he immediately hold out his arms and wails to be picked up.

They all look surprisingly human.

[sweetcandygirl]

"I like watching over children. I don't get the chance to do it often." Harley smiles at him. Not a lot of people in her home world would have that level of trust in her.

Harley is a big ball of love. Even with some of her own private worries, she won't let that effect how she interacts with the other children.

The reaction of the toddler -- seeking out attention of the adult he recognizes -- is not surprising. Harley nudges Loki slightly, letting him know that she is okay if he needs to separate himself from her side for a moment.

She approaches the two little girls with the dolls, and reaches into her purse. "Ya'know. I have colorful bandages in here. Do you think it might help the patient?"

pardon the wall of text, there are many NPCs here

[coldsong]

Loki trusts her with the children completely. There are details he doesn't know about her past, but he knows the person she is now as well as any but her oldest friends. He trusts her to be gentle and loving with the children, and to know how to back away and get out of danger if she hits a point where she cannot be safe with them.

"I just don't want you to feel that you're my appointed babysitter," he tells her with a little sparkle of amusement in his eyes. "I will give you the addresses where the others are staying and tell them you may visit at will. But give only what you're comfortable giving, dearest."

A bit hypocritical of him to tell her that now, when he's throwing everything he's got into this, himself, but in the end the choice to give is important. He would not coerce her, that's all.

"Oh!" he squeezes her hand and then moves away to scoop up the little boy. "Look at you, all excited to see me."

Both of the little girls are watching Loki for a moment, but they turn their attention to Harley quickly enough, too. The redhead stands, more as if she's trying to decide how to give a formal greeting than as if she's nervous of Harley's presence, but the look she's giving Loki is questioning.

He holds the toddler in his arms and moves to sit in the chair the older child is lurking behind. "This is Harley Quinn," he says, making introductions for the room. "My friend and lover, and my Valkyrie. You need not fear when she is here to defend you."

Fǫnn looks genuinely surprised by this introduction, and after a moment of uncertainty, she gives Harley a shy curtsey, but says nothing, waiting for Loki to continue the chain of greetings.

Of the two little girls, the older one looks up at Harley with an intensely thoughtful expression. She has bright brown eyes and sandy hair in four tidy little braids that meet in a bun at the nape of her neck. The other one, a blue-eyed blonde with freckles, seems to be craning her neck to see what Harley has in her purse.

"Dearest," Loki tells Harley, "In my arms is Eindrid, and the dark-eyed girl next to you is his sister, Sigrid, my little icicle."

Sigrid bites her lip and looks pleased, smiling at no one in particular.

"Next to her is Una, who wants to be a healer when she grows up, hence the practice on her dolls, I think. Behind me is Agnarr, who prefers the quiet and will likely not speak to you, but he is here, and we are here, and we will watch over him whether he uses his voice or no."

A pointy face peeps from beneath the blankets. This boy has duskier skin than the others, and hazel eyes, and he manages a timid smile, but says nothing.

"Standing is Fǫnn, the healer's apprentice. She has been utterly invaluable to us all. Please, sit. This is not a formal visitation, and Harley is not the type to stand on ceremony in any case."

Fǫnn sinks back down onto her chair, unsmiling--she almost never smiles--but looking calmer and more confident now. She looks like a teenager at best (at least as far as stage of development; being Asgardian, she's likely a few centuries old), but she's clearly the adult in the room, aside from Loki and Harley.

"Solvi is likely feeding her baby, and I imagine Saeve is napping. He's been ill, but Fǫnn is looking after him."

And as soon as Loki finishes speaking, the little girls take up the conversation: "What colors? Are they magic?" The blonde asks hopefully.

"Are you going to be our Princess?" Sigrid half-whispers to Harley.

wall of text <3

[sweetcandygirl]

"I will be sure to visit them all soon, so they can get familiar with me." And also see what they need. Maybe she can convince Pam to help create some gardens for the refugee Asgardians.

She smiles watching Loki with Eindrid. It is obvious that the little boy adores Loki, and vice versa.

A bright smile appears on her face when Loki introduces her the way he does.

"Sigrid, you obviously made an impression to get such an impressive nickname." She beams at the dark-eyed girl.

"And Agnarr, it is sometimes better to be the quiet one... that way you learn all the interesting secrets."

"Fonn and Una... I am trained in Midgardian medicine. If you ever want to learn something from my people, just ask. I would be happy to teach you."

Harley grins again. She is full of smiles, as usual. "I only carry magical bandages. I have a rainbow of colors. I play Roller Derby, and the girls like having a variety to choose from. Pink is my favorite..." She pulls out a small rolls of pink medical bandage.

She grins at Sigrid's question. And whispers back. "Oh. Wouldn't that be lovely? I would be able to care even more for you all. And wear a tiara."

[coldsong]

"Prometheus has taken in a number of them," Loki says. "But I mean to keep an eye on them, anyway. It would be a poor Prince who can't even check up on his own people in a strange land."

He bounces Eindrid gently in his lap and nuzzles his hair, which prompts a tiny giggle. Loki seems strangely at home with a small child.

Sigrid blushes. "I got to be him in a play," she explains to Harley. "They painted me blue."

"That was the line, you see," Loki adds. "Loki, the little baby blue icicle Odin discovered on the battlefield."

Foolishness, really. The whole play was self-indulgent and writing the dialogue as badly as he did was mostly for the sake of his own amusement. Something truly good may have come of it, though. As ways to bond with a small child go, it's an odd one, but a good one.

Fǫnn sits back down, fidgeting a little. "I would be interested in comparing notes," she says softly. It's ingrained in Asgardians to automatically assume human knowledge and technology is woefully lacking compared to theirs, but luckily Fǫnn is young enough, and humble enough, to be curious anyway. She may find things that surprise her.

"I like purple best," Una tells Harley, "but pink is second-best!" She holds out her hands for the bandages. "Thank you!"

"Tiara and armor," Loki murmurs, amused by Harley and Sigrid's conversation. "With wings."

[sweetcandygirl]

"I saw Prometheus helping out a few times during the Winter. But I don't think we have worked together. Yet." Because if Harley is going to keep an eye on these Asgardian children, she does want to get along with anyone else who is also helping out.

"Blue is a great color. Loki is a perfect shade of blue."

"I took a lot of psychology classes. Healing of the mind. But I also took biology, chemistry, and surgical training."

Harley grins at Loki when he mentions the armor and the wings. "Having wings would be just as wonderful as being up in the aerial silks."

[coldsong]

"We've made friends," Loki says, sounding a little surprised about it. "He's willing to give me the benefit of the doubt, even knowing my reputation. I suppose because he's been the odd one out in his own Pantheon before. He likes Thor, as well."

"I haven't seen yet," Sigrid says, looking at Loki shyly. "What the blue really looks like. Only the paint I wore."

Loki seems strangely awkward. Wandering around the Nexus in Jotun form is one thing. Appearing before Asgardians in it is another. "I...think I frightened some of the other children when I showed up blue at the gate," he says quietly.

There's a moment of quiet, and then Fonn says, "They were frightened because of what was happening, my Prince. If not for that, I'm sure it would have been different..."

"You like it better, though. Being blue. Don't you?" Sigrid looks between Loki and Harley thoughtfully. "You said so."

[sweetcandygirl]

"I better meet him and get to know him better then. He sounds like a cool guy." Harley grins. She likes meeting new friends.

She watches the reactions of both Sigrid, Fonn and Loki when they talk about him taking his natural Jotun form.

"I like Loki in whatever form he wants to take, and what makes him comfortable." Harley replies. Heck she even cuddled him in snake form. "He accepted me. And my unusual hue..."

"I think he just wants to make sure all of you are comfortable too."

[coldsong]

"You should!" Loki is enthusiastic, if quietly so. Prometheus has been a real friend to him; he's sure Harley would like him, too. "He has a pottery shop. You should visit it. Oh...and he was talking about classes sometime. When things calm down here, perhaps you and I could try?"

When Prometheus suggested it, Loki was reluctant, but suddenly the idea of a peaceful attempt to play with clay with Harley at his side sounds like a magnificent antidote to all this stress.

"The thing is," he adds of his Jotun form (and now he's playing horsey with the toddler on his knee), "it's perfectly sensible for an Asgardian, or a human, to be frightened for a Frost Giant. As a people they are ancient enemies, and even without that background, they're...not friendly. But no race is wholly evil, and I cannot deny my blood."

Sigrid looks thoughtful. "But anyone who saw the play should know you're okay," she says, and crawls over to latch onto his leg in a hug.

Apparently Loki melts, just a little, in the face of affectionate children. He looks over at Harley with a grin, as if to say 'do you see this?'. "Well I can't hide it forever. You will see it eventually."

Una, meanwhile, has bandaged one of the dolls all the way up both legs and is cradling it in her lap. She flops a little against Harley's side, humming and watching the conversation with bright, innocent eyes. She's not following at all, but the room feels safe, and that's good enough.

[sweetcandygirl]

"Never made pottery before." Harley grins. That might be a little like inviting the Bull into the China Shop right there.

Harley smiles at seeing the children bond with Loki, and encourage him to continue to embrace his Jotun form. Their influence will be good for him. More people to love and accept him -- just like he is.

When Una flops against Harley's side, it brings another smile from the woman. And she gently rubs the girls back a little.

"I think every race has its bad apples. It is up to the good ones to stand out from the others, and make a difference."

[coldsong]

"Well, it starts out squishy and flexible, dearest," Loki teases Harley. "You can't break it right off the bat."

"...at least, I hope you can't. I've never actually tried, either."

"Can you make a tiara out of pottery?" Sigrid lights up hopefully. "Then you could make your own and wear it. Or Prince Loki could make it for you?"

"Oh, that sounds heavy, a tiara made of clay, don't you think?" Loki smiles down at Sigrid, but then looks over at Harley thoughtfully. "But Odin's Valkyries had their own symbol. They wore it as a tattoo, and on their armor. I would never ask you to mark your body for me permanently, dearest. Never. But to design a seal, and perhaps get it on a tabard for you--that might not be a bad idea."

[sweetcandygirl]

"We should ask Prometheus. I have heard about pottery jewelry before. So I am sure there is a way to make it light." Harley grins.

"A symbol?" She tilts her head.

Then smiles softly. "I can't mark my body permanently anyway, dearest. That whole healing really fast bit really puts a damper on getting tattoos. The inks don't stay."

"So I use permanent markers for this one..." She points to the heart on her cheek. "We could do that for the symbol. Or Henna. Red has some nice Henna inks."

[coldsong]

"Perhaps it depends on the material," Loki concedes, amused by the idea. He's pretty sure anything he makes out of clay will not be fit to be worn as jewelry. At least not the first time. Still, there's no harm in playing a bit and seeing what happens.

He hums softly and nods. "I'm not sure what sort of ink the Valkyries used. It was a bit of a trade secret."

"I've seen henna, though. That might be worth trying, if you're interested."

"What's henna?" Sigrid pipes up, wanting very much to be a part of this.

[sweetcandygirl]

"It is a dye, that stains your skin." Harley explains. And starts digging in her purse again. Aha! She does have a small Henna tube.

She takes it out, and uncaps it to draw a pattern on her arm. "It is made from the Henna plant. And many Earth cultures have used it to create artistic designs on their skin. The thing I like about it is the fact that since it is a dye... instead of actual ink underneath the skin... is that eventually the design will fade away. So you can start a new."

"Would you like a design?" She smiles up at Sigrd, after completing a small diamond pattern on her arm as example.

[coldsong]

Fonn looks at least as interested in this as the children are. "Is it used for anything else, this plant? It might have medicinal properties..."

"I'm sure we can find you a library book on the medicinal plants of Earth," Loki tells her. He nods gently at Sigrid, encouraging, and the girl moves closer to Harley.

"Me too?" Una squirms, setting the doll aside. In the background, Agnarr is emerging from the blankets, too. He may or may not want a design, but he's definitely interested in watching the proceedings.

[sweetcandygirl]

"And if it is okay with Loki, maybe I can bring Pam over some day. She is a biology expert and can tell you all sorts of things about medicinal plants." Harley grins at Fonn.

"What would you like?" Harley asks Sigrid. "And you can start thinking about what you would like too, Una."

[coldsong]

"I'd like that!" Fonn looks hopeful. She's a very competent healer, probably able to go toe to toe with a respected Midgardian surgeon, but she's young. It would be nice for her to make friends she can learn from.

"Oh!" Sigrid pats her pockets and comes up with a little golden pin, with a design that should look familiar to Harley. It's not Asgardian make, and therefore not as nice as the one he gave the little girl after her performance in his play, but Loki wanted to give her something concrete to hold onto in the interim.

"Like this?" The little girl asks.

Loki might actually be blushing.

"I like bees," Una says, and tucks her chin over Sigrid's shoulder to look at the pin. "And fishes."

"What would a bee mer-person look like, I wonder?" Loki asks Una, and gets a burst of giggles in response.

[sweetcandygirl]

"I definitely can do that. Which arm do you want?" Harley scoots a little closer to Sigrid.

She grins at Una. "Bees and fishes. I think a bee mer-person would be perfect."

[coldsong]

After a moment's thought, Sigrid rolls up her right sleeve and offers out that arm. "Here, please!"

Una seems to be thinking it over in spite of the giggles. "Can it have wings and a tail?"

"It's your mer-bee, darling," Loki tells her. "I think if you want it to have both, it shall."

Agnarr scrambles to grab a piece of paper and a crayon from the floor and crouches down, busily doodling the creature being discussed. What comes out is a round, fuzzy body attached to a fishtail, with little oval wings, long antennae, and awkward little front legs.

[sweetcandygirl]

Harley starts to create the Loki helmet design on Sigrid's arm, being very careful with the details.

She grins at Una's question. And with a tilt of her head, she can see that Agnarr is drawing something. "Now that is wonderful... a unique design for Una will be next."

[coldsong]

Sigrid is very still and patient under the attention, although she seems to be studying Harley just as much as she is the design being made. Asgardian children are just children, in the end, but sometimes they're unusually perceptive. She can tell Harley is not a normal human. She's not sure what to do with that understanding, or how to express it, but after a minute or two she whispers, "I think you're very pretty and nice."

Una is equally excited about her design, and crawls over to watch Agnarr work on his drawing. "Oh! Oh! Put a stinger in her tail fins, please?? She needs to be able to fight!"

Loki smirks. "Now there's a shieldmaiden in training if I ever heard one."

[sweetcandygirl]

Harley grins at the whispered statement. And whispers back. "Thank you. I think you are very pretty and nice too."

She wonders who will teach all these children the things they want to know. But doesn't voice the thought, knowing it would only mean sorrow.

"What is a shieldmaiden?"

[coldsong]

Loki will certainly make a start at teaching all the children he can handle anything he can, but with as many as there are, it's a tall order. Even for a god who can duplicate himself to a certain extent. Prometheus is helping, Runa is helping, and he imagines he can count on his alternate for assistance here and there, as well, not to mention Harley herself, but until the adult survivors of Asgard are found and the children that can be placed with them are safely in Midgard in their arms, there's a limit to what is possible.

"A female warrior," Loki explains. "Not necessarily a member of the Valkyries, but always a force to be reckoned with nonetheless."

"For Asgard!" Una yells suddenly, which makes Agnarr and Eindrid both start. Fortunately Sigrid stays still and doesn't disrupt her design, but Loki has to stifle a laugh into his sleeve.

"Yes, darling, for Asgard, but use your inside voice, please, unless there's an actual battle going on."

[sweetcandygirl]

"It is always good to have more female warriors in our world." Harley smiles. She finishes the design on Sigrid, and blows on the ink to make it dry faster.

"And there are some battles that need a silent approach."

[coldsong]

"Harley, dearest, would you like to show the little shieldmaidens a sparring match sometime?" Loki's smiling, very much enjoying the way the children are interacting with his Valkyrie. "Something fairly light and friendly, of course."

And perhaps Loki would wear a female form for it. He's never shape-changed openly around Asgardians, but maybe it's time he started.

[sweetcandygirl]

"Oh sure. I can do that. And when they are ready for fierce and deadly... I can do that too." Harley smiles.

"Come on, little Una, lets get that design on your arm." She pats her knee for the little girl.

[coldsong]

Loki laughs softly, pleased. "I know you can."

He's sure it will be a long time before the kids are read for fierce and deadly. They've had such a rough time. Real violence is not what they need. But skill, determination, and Harley's remarkable comfort with her body and what it can do for her? Those are definitely things he'd like them to see. All of them, but particularly the girls.

Una grins and settles into Harley's lap without hesitation. Asgardian children are much like other children. They warm up for adult attention quite quickly. Sigrid comes over to show Loki her design, and he murmurs admiringly as he inspects it.

[sweetcandygirl]

Harley will have to talk to Loki about setting up a gymnastic area, where she can teach the children lots of different tricks. And put on a few different shows for them. She still loves to perform after all. And children make the best audience.

Right now... it is just nice to sit here with the children, and be a strong presence for them. They desire that right now.

[Good place to end]