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]

"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]