Welcome to Asgard

[complicatedliar]

Who: Loki and anyone who is around (feel free to mingle)
Where: Asgard's Keep and surrounding lands
When: Say about a week's worth of time, July 19-26, pick a day
What: New people are beginning to arrive in Asgard in the wake of Loki's decision to ask Ebon Askavi. He's still not sure how he feels about this.
Warnings: Violence potential, please use trigger warnings and tag porn as applicable

Loki has only been back in Asgard for a few days, but he still can't shake the restlessness of having been gone. The keep doesn't feel safe to him, of course--it probably never will again--but Ebon Askavi had been frightening in its own right. The stress of the trip, of keeping himself in order and calm, has begun to take its toll.

And if he's done his job, new people will be arriving. He's anticipating that with a special sort of hope and horror mixed. The land must be healed. And he'll do whatever it takes to see that happen, even if it means kneeling to a Queen again. If he's lucky, maybe he won't survive the experience this time... so long as Asgard does. He'd knelt before the Lady of Ebon Askavi and... but it won't be her that's coming. If it was her, he'd almost be able to believe things would be all right.

But he'll just have to trust.

The keep is made as ready as it can be for visitors, cleaned and ready to be welcoming--as welcoming as anywhere can be in these troubled, untrusting times. Loki occupies himself in the gardens, though he studiously avoids the northern garden, and may disappear for some time in the western one. He also goes for long rides, watching for incursions from other territories, and waiting. Someone is just as likely to meet him on the road as they are in the keep.

Comments

[abjurer]

"You're avoiding me." There weren't many people who would dare to intrude upon Prince Loki's solitude, but Max was one of them. He entered bearing a tray of wine and food. Simple, hearty fare that was comforting rather than exciting; Stew and fruit, a loaf of good bread from the kitchens.

Max ducked his head, a wan smile on his lips. "You've avoiding everyone, to be fair, but I take it personally."

[complicatedliar]

This time around, Loki's hidden himself in the library; technically he should be in the steward's office, trying to get things back to order, but he doesn't have the stomach for it with the though that a new Queen will be coming soon. Someone else will occupy the steward's office, most likely. The thought fills him both with territorial anger, and relief.

He looks up from the book he's curled himself around. Max, he knows. The psychic scent is familiar and doesn't put him instantly on guard. "I have been," he admits. "I'm not very good company right now." Too on edge about everything.

[abjurer]

As soon as he's acknowledged, Max heads towards him, moving to set the tray down on the table nearest Loki, using a dab of craft to shift the pile of books that has accumulated there in order to do it. He takes a good long look at the other male, only just stifles a sigh at what he sees.

"When has that ever put me off?" Max asks. He's seen Loki at his worst. There had been bad times for them both under Amora.

[complicatedliar]

He knows Max doesn't mean anything by it. He knows this. But there's still a certain amount of tension that creeps into his shoulders at being so examined. "Never that I recall," he says wryly. "Though it's earned you a black eye or two in the past, I seem to remember that as well."

He's had his bad days and his very bad days.

[abjurer]

Max flashes him a grin at that, and goes to settle himself in one of the chairs opposite, curling his feet beneath him. "What's a few bruises between people like us?" It's said cheerfully enough, but after all that's happened, between bad Queens arrogant males seeking power, black eyes are practically affection.

"You should eat," Max says.

[complicatedliar]

He snorts. A few bruises indeed. "A little blood amongst friends," he says, almost in sing-song.

At the admonition, though, he grimaces. "Not hungry." His stomach is too knotted up for that nonsense.

[abjurer]

Max laughs and leans his cheek against his hand. "At least you're trying to be funny. That's a good sign at least."

"You need your strength," Max replies. Darkness knows, Loki is just about the only thing holding the territory together right now. "At least pretend to pick at the fruit?"

[complicatedliar]

"I think I'm insulted by the implication that I'm ever not funny," Loki says. Well, he used to play the fool for Queens. All his best jokes had their punchlines written in large quantities of blood.

Probably for the best his joking days are on the wane. Though that could easily change if needed. Or if prompted by too much stress.

He wrinkles his nose at Max. "You sound like a nursemaid, not a Prince." But he does reach out to snag a bit of the fruit, so he can nibble on it. He's not so tense at the moment that there isn't room for anything but bile.

[abjurer]

"I'm sorry. You're hilarious. A true comedian. I'll book you as a show at the theatre as recempense. How does that sound?"

If he ever needed to incite a bloodbath, that was probably the perfect plan.

Max gives him a flat look, a moment away from rolling his eyes. "When I am surrounded by mature, rational adults and not sulky children who won't eat their fruit and veg, then I will stop sounding like a nursemaid." Which, considering the state that most people were in, was never going to happen.

[complicatedliar]

"I dance as well," Loki points out helpfully. "And sing like someone has strangled a crow."

Bloodbaths are fun, Max. Gosh.

"The twelfth of never," he comments. "An excellent plan for immortality."

[abjurer]

"I know you dance. I have danced with you. I've heard you sing too and it is not an experience that I ever want to repeat." He sits to sit cross-legged, and can't hold back a grin as he looks at Loki.

"I like to have contingency plans." He shrugs one shoulder. "Sure people call me paranoid but that's because... I'm really paranoid."

[complicatedliar]

"So is this a preemptive act, to keep me from singing for my supper?"

He grins. "It isn't paranoia if they're out to get us, darling." He raises his nibbled slice of fruit in a mocking salute.

[abjurer]

"It's a ploy to keep the kitchen staff from walking out if you do."

It would be funnier if it wasn't true. But even with that, it's still pretty amusing. And Loki is eating something, which was the entire point of this. "Healthy paranoia goes a long way, I agree."

let me know if this works!

[alaspooryork]

It's not quite as far away from home as he could get, but Asgard falls firmly into the range of far away but not so far as to be an obvious choice for someone fleeing. And, after all, who's to know that he's fled rather than dead? The purge had hit them all hard, and this might be the best chance Delta has to start over again. Besides, he'd read somewhere that they had a famous library. Surely they'd welcome a librarian, and if not? There were several other places he could try.

Wearing his Birthright Summer-sky, a family heirloom set into a silver pendant, he conceals his Green stone for the time being. Green is far more likely to raise unwanted questions, so it's the lighter color he displays when shown into the keep for the interview.

let me know if this works!

[complicatedliar]

Loki's aware of the new male that's come into his territory; it's part of the strain on him, trying to watch the borders with some judicious (and secret use) or webs. A Summer-Sky male has no hope of being able to hide from him.

So as this newcomer nears Einhar, Loki stands waiting on the road--waiting and watching. His own birthright green is on display.

[alaspooryork]

Delta isn't dawdling but he isn't hurrying either, walking at a comfortable pace and trying to get a feel for the land. It's not the land-sense a Queen has, nothing like that, but there's a lot one can learn from simple observation. The land has suffered but before that it had prospered. Aesir are, he's read, a long-lived race; perhaps there are many who remember life under a Queen who cared.

So because he's paying attention, he sees Loki well before he reaches the other male and, when close enough to see the obvious symbols of authority, bows in respect. He does smile a little at the Green - he's fond of that particular color. "Greetings and good fortune to you."

[complicatedliar]

A smile, no overt fear. Interesting. He must suppose this male isn't from his territory. "Greetings to you as well," he drawls. "To whom do I speak--and to what purpose?"

And will this man try to play games about it?

[alaspooryork]

That would indeed be a correct assumption.

"My name is Delta Moran." Using his sister's surname should be safe enough; if anyone had even heard of his family, that's the side he'd rather associate himself with, anyway. As for why he's here, he's not about to say a Black Widow told me to come after all the persecution, so he phrases his words carefully. "I am seeking employment as I am no longer needed at my former home. I have training as a librarian."

And that will either get him in the door or it won't. It should be the right thing to say, though, he hopes.

[complicatedliar]

"And you think we have need of your services?" Loki drawls. Well actually, they do, very much so. The entire house is a mess. He's just trying to figure out how much this man actually knows, and how much he's hoping. "How much training have you?"

He doesn't offer his own name yet, a calculated bit of rudeness. Everything's a test, when it comes to interlopers in his territory.

[alaspooryork]

"That is my hope," he admits. And, well, if they don't? There are plenty of other Territories that do. This one happened to be sufficiently far away from what he'd been running from. "I completed a full apprenticeship and have had preliminary training as a Court Steward, though I am afraid I have no practical experience in the latter." He's not even sure if there is a Court here, though he gets the impression there's not from the state of the land.

[complicatedliar]

"A steward is not necessary as such at the moment, as there is no Queen." Stinking up the hallways with her presence, is a thought he manages to not voice. It's something he needs to not, knowing that they will have a queen, eventually.

He still dreads that thought. Well, perhaps an apprentice would be useful in light of his own no doubt inevitable demise. Though that would require a great deal of trust on his part, and this is but the first stage of many. On that, he will have to wait to see if this Delta Moran has any honor--and the right sort of it--left in him.

"On what terms did you leave your previous court, Prince Moran?" A reasonable enough question to ask. He doesn't really expect a straight answer.

[alaspooryork]

He nods, having assumed as much - there were many places without Queens these days, at least without ones that serve openly. And no wonder. Either they were decent sorts who had already been deposed by Hayllian influence or weak enough to let their country be controlled through them.

At the question, he actually snorts to cover up the flash of grief under the answer. "The only Queen I have ever known to be worthy of the title was murdered before I was old enough to swear to her," he says in an even voice. "So I became a librarian instead." Librarians can seek employment elsewhere. What does he care for the status that comes with serving in a court?

[complicatedliar]

"That, we have in common, it seems." He wishes he had been old enough to serve his mother. Maybe things would have gone differently. It's a well written mental path that he avoids now, however.

He considers, for a moment, if this is worth the risk, out if he ought to just send the strange male on his way. But they are struggling for staff; the wretch storm cut down the bad, and there had been precious little good left to clean up the mess.

"All right," he says. "You can have a trial as librarian, at the least." And he'll just be watching, very carefully. Very few can match against his own gray strength--and certainly not this one--but knows he is also not invulnerable in any way.

[alaspooryork]

He blinks - that was easier than he thought it might be, but then, the advantage of wearing Summer-sky openly is that people are likely to see him as less of a threat. Even so, he doesn't make the offer of his service lightly.

"Thank you for the consideration, Prince. Forgive my ignorance, but I assume you do have sufficient authority to accept my offer?"

The other male hasn't introduced himself yet, after all.

[complicatedliar]

Points for having kept his temper about it. Loki might be a bit over the nonsense warlord princes always throw around.

Loki smiles. "I do. I am Loki, son of the late Queen, Frigga. I watch over her lands in her stead."