#the only reason thor isn't in the chat

[volklana]

My Woman. My Woman. My Wife.

Title comes from this song:

Request: All the sihtric fics😭 just fluff…mingled with angst. I just know he’s the most attentive lover ever. Always bringing flowers, making you laugh(bc his one liners are hilarious), sharing his furs with you… but I know he must have a temper. And he’s always gone away for so long. Poor rat boy probably thinks he’d be a terrible husband because of how often he’s gone for long periods of time. But he’s not😭 he’s the best husband ever. Anyway I got carried away, just all the sihtric things

@canyonmoon-2 I really hope I did your idea justice xx

Warnings: Details the loss of a baby and the grief in the aftermath of that loss. If that isn't for you, or it's too traumatic please don't read, protect your peace and you can catch me next time xx

Not proof read but mistakes will be corrected in time.

Requests are open:

The ride back to Winchester seemed to be taking longer the closer he actually got to the city.

He was beginning to feel lightheaded with dizziness at the thought of seeing you again.

Sihtric was besotted with you, had been from the moment he laid eyes on you, catching your eye across the square, hauling your cart of produce to sell at the market.

At first he was too shy to even look you in your eye as he paid for apples he didn’t even need, but as soon as your fingers accidentally brushed, he couldn’t help but delight in the shy smile that you shot his way, as you wished him to have a good day. 

He couldn’t help but offer to escort you to your homestead that night, he had claimed it was to keep you safe but instead it was to steal a few more moments with you, you had walked in easy silence until you suddenly stopped and turned to face him.

“You haven’t told me your name.” you giggled and Sihtric’s face lit up “You’re walking me all this way and I don’t even know your name.”

“You would let a man you don’t know walk you home and you never even thought to ask his name. A pagan man at that. What would your nailed god say?”

“I know you are one of Uhtred’s men,” you considered.

“And that is the only reason you would allow me to accompany you?” Sihtric teased.

“That is the main reason, but I do have others,” you teased back.

“And what would those other reasons be lady?” he quirked his head to examine your face and you smiled, that gorgeous smile his way again.

“Perhaps we should start with your name first,” you giggled and goddamn it Sihtric wanted to get down on his knee right then and there for you, “I am Sihtric, lady,” he smiled, suddenly shy and you considered him for a moment, “I am y/n.” 

And so that became your weekly routine, Sihtric would walk you home from the market and you would chat easily. He would linger awkwardly outside your home, neither one of you wanting to say goodbye until the day when he got a sudden surge of confidence, Thor knows from where and sprung forward to press his lips against yours. You absolutely melted into his touch and giggled when he pulled away, his whole face lighting up with a smile, “I have been waiting weeks for you to do that Sihtric,” you giggled and for good measure he kissed you again.

“Sihtric, you barely know her,” Uhtred warned.

“I know enough lord,” he uttered shyly and Gisela considered him gently.

“You love her,” she eased after a while and Sihtric’s face broke out in a smile again.

“And she loves me. She tells me all the time,” he rushed before his cheeks lit up crimson with embarrassment, and Gisela couldn’t help her amused smile. 

She reached a hand to Uhtred who frowned her way at first, a silent conversation happening between their eyes.

“Very well Sihtric, you may marry your lady,” he sighed but Sihtric had already taken to running.

“Thank you. Thank you lord,” he shouted over his shoulder and he was away to find you scooping you into his arms, peppering kisses to any part of your skin he could reach.

Sihtric was the most attentive man you had ever known. He loved you in ways you hadn’t even known possible. There was not a single moment you were together that his hands were not on yours. You joked that he should climb inside you and live in your skeleton more than once, but you had a feeling that he would’ve if he could. Opting instead to be inside you in the only way he could, as many times a day as you would allow, and you would never refuse him.

Nobody had ever loved Sihtric, no one had ever been tender with him. No one had ever shown him that he was worthy of beautiful things and you vowed to spend every day of your life proving to him that he did. 

Gentle hands traced scars and kissed the parts of his skin that had been broken by his father’s cruelty and sometimes the feeling was so intense for Sihtric he could barely bring himself to look you in the eye.

“What is it love?” you murmured pressing kisses to his his worried brow.

“I have to go away with Uhtred again.” 

“To battle?” you asked gently, caressing his face.

“To battle,” he confirmed.

“Sihtric, you love being a warrior. What is this about?” 

“I don’t want to be without you. To go back to how it felt before I knew you. The darkness…”

“I will be here waiting for you. Right here,” you took his hand and placed it over your chest, “Feel my heart, know it is real and it belongs to you. I will be here, loving you.” 

Sihtric surged forward and pressed his lips to your needily, feeling reassured that his woman would be waiting for him.

You had built a wonderful life together with Sihtric, and you were happier than you had been in your life, but Sihtric struggled with leaving you every time.

He was weary from the ride but the thought of you pressed him forward. 

As soon as he and Finan dismounted, Finan urged him to come for a drink in the alehouse but Sihtric was furiously shaking his head and excitedly told him he was away to find his wife. 

He burst through the door of your home, flowers in hand, calling your name but the smile slipped from his face when instead of being greeted by the sight of his wife, he was instead greeted by Hild.

“Where is she Hild?” he almost shrieked, panic coursing through him, making it hard to breathe.

Hild squeezed his arm gently and as reassuringly as she could, but her face was grave, and she led him through to the bedroom, where Sihtric collapsed down to his knees by your side, the sight of your deathly pale skin and gaunt face, enough to send him into a spiral.

“What is it? My love? My Life?” he was begging, stroking your hair, he wanted to pull away from the coldness of your skin. You were always warm, his warmth his sunshine. 

“It was a little boy,” you whispered weakly “We had a baby boy, Sihtric.” 

His head was reeling, he hadn’t even known you were pregnant before he left, nor had you.

“I couldn’t keep him,” you suddenly cried, giant sobs wracking your weak body, “I lost him. I lost him.” you were hysterical and all Sihtric could do was crush him to you and wrap you up in his arms.  

Sihtric held you, letting you cry on him until you had no tears left, repeating that he was sorry, he was so sorry, and none of this was your fault, and when your eyes finally slipped closed he allowed his own tears to fall. 

Hild took him into her embrace when he finally re emerged from the bedroom, and they made their way outside, where under the shade of a leafy oak, he found the small arrangement of burial stones, that he threw himself upon and wept.

“She insisted we honour your traditions,” Hild finally broke the silence. “I had Gisela’s help, but she arranged the stones herself, nearly killed herself in the process.”

“Will she live?” he finally mustered the strength to beg.

“She is very weak, and if god..if the gods are good, she will live,” Hild reassured 

“She has to,” Sihtric whispered “Or you may as well place me here with my boy.” 

You regained your strength over the next few weeks, slowly and with the help of Hild and Sihtric. Sihtric never left your side, fetching you food, bringing you extra furs to keep you warm and at night, he pulled you as physically close as possible, lamenting the loss of your warmth, for now you always felt cold to him.

But soon you were back on your feet again, well enough to walk, well enough to have Gisela and Uhtred over for dinner and well enough to make love to Sihtric for the first time in weeks since he had got home. 

Sihtric was wound tighter than a leash the past few days, his face constantly pulled into a frown lately, and no matter how much you tried you could not seem to pull him from the depths.

“What have I told you?” he snapped suddenly, and you lowered your gaze to the floor, “You are my woman, there is no need for you to do these jobs anymore. I will do it!” he snapped.

You had been attempting to help him ready his horse, as you had done a million times, lifting his heavy saddle bag up to attach to his saddle.

You watched him silently as he roughly threw his things together. You were rarely on the receiving end of Sihtric’s temper but lately you seemed to be finding yourself under it more and more. 

He made to mount his horse and you couldn’t help the phrase that fell from your lips.

“You blame me for his loss?” you stated but it was more like a question.

Sihtric stilled all action, but he did not turn to face you.

“That is why you cannot speak to me with tenderness these days. Is it not?” your voice was small and you fiddled with a thread on your sleeve.

“If you cannot love me anymore. If I cannot make you happy, then I set you free. I told you the night we first made love that you deserved to be happy, and If I cannot do that for you, I set you free. I set you free because I love you more than anything on this earth and I cannot bear you to be this unhappy” 

“How can you still love me?” he snarled, turning to face you, wild eyed.

“I was not here. I left you alone. I left you to endure his loss alone,” he was clawing at the skin on his left forearm, leaving fresh nail marks, an old habit from when Kjartan would lock him in the cellar, knowing a beating or some other form of humiliation was coming his way. If he hurt himself first, the next hurt would never be as bad. 

“Set me free because you would be better off without my weight around your neck. Set me free so you may find a man who can love you the way you deserve. A man who will never leave you alone another second of his life. But do not dare set me free because you love me. I do not deserve your love, not now and I certainly never did.” 

You reached for him, but he pulled his arm from your grasp, your head reeling from his lack of tenderness.

“If you leave me now Sihtric, in this moment here, that will be the only time you will have abandoned me. The only time you will have left me when I really needed you.” 

Sihtric looked at you conflicted, two mismatched eyes trying to frantically find the right thing to say.

“I can’t forgive myself,” he finally mumbled “And to think you could ever believe that I blame you for his loss. There is only one person at fault here and that is me. Because I cannot promise that I will never leave you alone again.”

“I knew who you were when I agreed to marry you. I knew you then, as I know you now and I know for every time you leave me you will always return.” He finally allowed himself to be pulled into your arms, and you tutted at the unmistakable scratches on his arm, he had been hurting himself for a while. 

“Oh my love,” you cried “All this time I have thought you were blaming me, but you have been burdening yourself with the blame of this loss.”

Sihtric nodded in your arms and you traced your thumb across the scar on his face, before placing a gentle kiss to his lips. 

“Neither of us are to blame my love, the gods were cruel.” he nodded in your hands finally allowing his eyes to soften, boring into yours and when he looked at you this way, you could always see the small, skinny boy who only ever knew hurt, fear and humiliation but never love. 

“Talk never of setting me free again my love,” he begged, closing the distance to lean his forehead against yours “My place, my only place is here by your side. My woman. My woman. My wife.”

Tagging: @canyonmoon-2 @sihtricfedaraaahvicius @whitedarkmoonflower @shamrockqueen thenameswinter99 foxyanon

#sihtric x reader #sihtric x you #sihtric kjartansson #sihtric fic #the last kingdom fic #volklana writes

[daemonoferror]

Asgard's Bard- Chapter 3

TW Phobia of birds, swears, Heimdall not being in a heimdall x reader fic.

Summary: Odin got you a gift, how nice of him! Also PROBABLY musical historical inaccuracies? Sheet music definitely is wrong. But I tried my best. My defense is if it's wrong, the dwarves or Aesir probably invented it early, okay?

--------

You're grateful when sunlight floods your room and signifies the start of a new day. At best you got in a nap, but you aren't tired. You feel energized, and the sun rising finally means it's a reasonable time to get out of your room.

Before leaving you made sure to grab the talharpa and its bow off the wall. It's not as familiar to you as the lyre, but it's close enough. You're just excited to play something at the pub, a personal mission in mind to breathe life into the space often occupied by the dead warriors.

You step out of your room and to the hall. You set the instrument on the table, and get a plate of food. It occurs to you that you could eat at the pub, but perhaps it's better to delay your arrival, as to not be cooped up in a tavern all day long. You sit down with a large plate of food, and an herbal drink with it. It looks and smells delicious. You only get a few bites in before a booming voice behind you makes you jump, almost choking on your food.

"Bard." Thor says. You start coughing, sending little shocks of pain through your back. You had almost forgotten that pain, your soft bed doing wonders for it while you laid awake, antsy.

"Thor!" You exclaim through your final coughs, taking a drink to help. "You startled me. How may I help you?" You clear your throat.

He stares you down, and you cannot see a single thought behind those sad eyes. "The All-Father is waiting for you outside." He says after a moment.

"This early? What for?" Thor shrugs, but for a split second there's a smile on his lips that he has to force back. He clearly knows something, but you'll let it slide. "Well, can I finish my breakfast first?" You ask, it'd be so sad to throw away a perfect meal.

Thor seems to think for a minute. A long minute, long enough to make you wonder if he's telepathically communicating with the All-Father for an answer. "Yes." He says at last, and he sounds confident in the answer. So much so he sits down next to you, making you smile as you take another bite and thank him for his patience. "What's that?" He asks, pointing at the talharpa.

"It's an intrustment, pretty similar to a lyre or harp, just with a bow string." You explain in between bites of food.

He chuckles, "I had thought your instrument came with a weapon." He says, pointing at the bow for it.

It makes you snort, "Ha! Yeah, you might get one good wack in, but it couldn't hold an arrow if that's where your mind goes."

"Good to know." He jokes, though he seems to seriously take note of the information.

"I was going to play it at the tavern today." You mention in between bites, "I guess that'll have to wait a while now." You mumble.

"I'll bring it with me. Was heading there anyways." Thor offers immediately. He reaches out for the instrument, and picks it up with more care than you'd expect- like he'd break it if he wasn't extremely gentle.

Figuring you'd be tired or busy with whatever the All-Father needed you for, you protest "Sure, but the All-Father's-" Thor interrupts you.

"It won't take you all day." Thor dismisses with a shrug, "probably." He tacks on. He's smiling again, and something tells you he's not great at keeping secrets. Part of his no thinking policy, perhaps. At least it reassures you whatever the All-Father wants isn't dangerous, or grueling. It's exciting, and encourages you to eat faster.

You shrug, and agree to let Thor take the instrument with him. "Alright. Thank you, Thor." He only grunts in response. You try to chat a little longer as you finish your meal, but the conversation dies fast. Thor doesn't seem to like speaking more than he has to, and clearly nothing else you have to say is interesting enough to him. Still, he must appreciate your company because he stays by your side until you finish eating.

The empty dishes clatter a bit as you stack them together and pick them up, sliding out of your seat to properly put them away. "I'm gonna head out." Thor tells you as you clean up, standing up with the talharpa in hand. He didn't wait for you to say goodbye before he started to leave, and soon after you'd follow after him out of the great hall.

All-Father is waiting right outside for you. He smiles when you step out, and extends his arms to you. "Ah! There you are!"

"Apologies for being late-" you start, you had no right to keep a god- much less the All-Father- waiting.

"No, no, don't worry about it. You're here now, that's the important part. C'mere, there's somethin' important I need your help with." Odin beckons you to follow him, but you're weary. A few feet away is a swirling circle of black feathers, just like the one Odin had stepped into yesterday, and been swarmed by ravens before disappearing. It was deeply unsettling to you. You knew of tales of Odin using the birds to travel, but it seems quite impractical and truthfully horrifying in person. Imagining a raven full of hatred flying straight at you made you grimace, and had you frozen in place. Odin recognizes the fear in your expression, walks beside you, and pats your shoulder, "I know, it's scary the first few times. But they're harmless. They can't move you anywhere if you don't allow 'em to, and it's so fast you don't even notice you left the ground. It'll be fine!" He reassures you, and gives you a gentle shove to make you stumble a couple feet. It's exactly what you needed to remind yourself you can walk, taking a few small steps towards the circle.

You do your damnedest to steel your nerves. You have to trust the All-Father, and you don't want to waste his time. So with a deep breath and one big step, you enter the circle.

"Ha! There you go!" Odin laughs, standing beside you as you squeeze your eyes tight. The flapping of wings and occasionally squawk makes you flinch. Hundreds of birds circling you almost like prey- it feels nightmarish. For a split second the ground is gone from under you, and your heart drops to your stomach. You nearly collapsed on the ground when it's over. You try to catch your breath, not quite sure where it went in the first place, a hand over your pounding heart.

Odin chuckles, "See? Not that bad." But his expression falls, seeing how shaken up you are, "Eh, well, you'll get used to it." He dismisses. Yeah, you'll get used to it, you repeat to yourself. It was only for a second, you're okay. Once your breathing evens and the ground beneath you feels stable under you, the realization you're in a new place sinks in, and you look up.

It's the middle of a city. There's a large statue next to you of Odin- at least the depiction of him you knew before meeting him. The town seems to be built around the lush greenery of the realm, the beauty of which could make you jealous compared to Midgard. It's extremely humid, almost unbearably so. The most stunning part though is the architecture. Small circular houses and buildings built into the landscape. Everything looks expertly crafted, with ornate details.

"Welcome to Svartalfheim." Odin says, and the name instantly clicks with you. The home realm of the dwarves. The craftsmanship makes sense, then. "Follow me." Odin commands, and you do as told, tripping over your feet a bit, excited to see more of the land's beauty. "So," All-Father begins as you walk. Out of nowhere one of his terrible ravens swoops out of the sky, straight towards you. Terrified, you duck, but the bird lands perfectly on Odin's shoulder. "Muninn found this last night." You straighten your posture to look at what All-Father was holding. A torn piece of paper. "I'm assume it's yours?"

The poem. Shit. Throwing it to the ground probably wasn't the best idea. Should've burned it instead. "Oh, yes. I'm sorry, let me just-" you go to take the page from him. He obviously tries to hold it away from you, but he's slow. It's enough to make you pause and give up, though, to ensure you don't seem rude.

"Eh, don't worry about it. Just know for future reference, Asgard had very strict rules against littering." He chuckles, "I take it your first time meeting Heimdall wasn't all you imagined?"

"Not- quite." You say begrudgingly, reminding yourself you're speaking to his father, the All-Father, who might not appreciate someone speaking negatively of his son.

"Yeah, he can be an asshole." Odin laughs, and his blunt reply makes you laugh too. "What'd he do now? Insult you? Yell at you? Accuse you of treachery?"

"Sort of all of it." You admit. The two of you walk across a bridge, which Odin stops in the middle of and turns to you.

"Yeah, that doesn't surprise me. You'll have to excuse Heimdall. He takes his job very seriously and- and, well, I think he worries." Odin shrugs with a heavy sigh. He nods to himself, satisfied with his answer, and continues walking.

"Worried? He knocked me to the ground instead of just asking me to step away from the lift. I'm sure he was so worried." You grumble to yourself sarcastically. You could almost feel the sharp pain in your stomach where the hilt of the sword hit you.

"Yes!" Odin answers despite you clearly not trying to speak to him. You worry you've struck a nerve, he seems passionate while he explains, "He's especially particular about no one going up on that wall. Thor went up there when he was drunk once, right? Dumb bastard lost his balance and fell off." You gasp! You had no idea! You'd never heard a story about it before either. All-Father just shrugs, "He had mjölnir, he was fine! But Heimdall hasn't liked anyone else on the wall since." His expression softens, he seems to realize he told a secret not meant to be shared and quickly tacks on, "ah, I probably shouldn't have mentioned it- it's a sore topic to both of em. You won't say anything, will ya?" He chuckles, a little embarrassed. He's like any other parent realizing they telling an embarrassing story about their kids.

"Of course not." You promise with a big smile. You could write a song about the great fall the God of Thunder took off the wall, and the horrified look the Watcher of the Aesir wore as he witnessed it. Except that seems like an excellent way to make an enemy of two gods, and would not bode well for you.

"Good. We're almost there, it's this building right up ahead." All-Father directs the both of you back on track. You can hear muffled music from inside. It's not a tune you recognize, in fact it sounds unfinished, by the sudden pauses after a note that didn't quite fit in, followed by the same melody with a new note. Still, the parts you could hear were beautiful, and the chance to meet a fellow bard was one you always met with excitement.

--

The building you enter is a forge. The heat inside doesn't offer relief from the humidity outside. In the corner of the room, the one furthest from the furnaces and other equipment, was a dwarf, sitting on the floor with an instrument in his lap. "Ah, All-Father. We were starting to wonder when you would arrive." He says curtly, without looking up or breaking from playing.

"All-Father!" Another dwarf drops what she's working on with a surprise gasp, turning to the both of you.

"Yeah yeah, it's me." Odin addresses the startled blacksmith. "Is it ready yet?" He asks impatiently.

"Yeah, of course! I put it away so it wouldn't get dirty. I'll go get it." She doesn't wait for a response before shuffling off to a connecting room. Odin seems annoyed by this, crossing his arms and tapping his foot as he waits.

In the meantime you walk over and address the guy playing music, "That song is beautiful."

His eyes dart up to look at you, seemingly accessing if you could be mocking him. "Thank you." He says, with a little semblance of a proud smile. "It's still a work in progress, something is off, just can't place what."

"Maybe you could try-" All-Father interrupts you, just now noticing you two talking.

"Ah, yes" He introduces you to the man and then tries to do the reverse, "and this is, uh, uh-" he snaps his fingers, as if trying to remember as best he can the man's name.

It goes on for an embarrassing long time until the man gives in, "Raeb." He answers for the All-Father.

"Raeb, Raeb, of course. He's a... uh. I don't know? A musician of some sort?" All-Father states with a shrug. He's clearly disinterested, but perhaps feels it important to talk, even if he has nothing to say.

"Sure." Raeb doesn't agree or disagree, but is clearly irritated. There's obvious tension between the dwarves and Odin. Neither of them seems to like the other, or even want to tolerate the other's presence. But the All-Father has been nothing but kind to you, even without being an Aesir. So the hate doesn't make much sense to you. "And you are the new 'bard of Asgard'? I am riddled with envy." He says dryly, words saturated with sarcasm. The smile on his face tells you he's joking, but the remark makes Odin scoff.

"You do not have to converse with him. It's probably best to ignore him." He advises you. Raeb takes this as his que to turn his attention back to his music.

You frown and tell him, "it's always nice to meet a fellow bard, though."

"Likewise." Is his short response, not looking back at you, indicating the interaction was over. At the same time, the other dwarf re-enters.

"People gotta stop moving my things." She mumbles under her breath. "Sorry bout that! Here it is." She beams.

She holds out a lyre, like the one you had at home, but so much grander. It's made of a red wood, with the sides plated in gold. It's covered in engravings, and you can tell it took a lot of effort and care to create. It's a beautiful instrument, and with a nod of approval, the woman walks past Odin to hand it over to you. You think this must be what had Thor so happy, the surprise All-Father had planned, but you didn't assume anything until it was in your hands. You treat it as if it's made of glass and easy to break, beford slowly looking to Odin with a speechless grin.

"Well? Play it. Make sure it's in tune and such." He encourages you, and very carefully you strum the lyre. It plays perfectly, and the strings glow a soft gold after they've been plucked.

"What-" you mutter in shock, turning the lyre back to you to watch the glow settle, the strings returning to their natural color.

Raeb speaks up at your wanderment, "I prefer mechanical elements to mine, but magic works just the same. Sort of." He mutters the last part with a shrug.

"Raeb was a big help. Don't let him fool you, he was so excited someone wanted a musical instrument. He had so much fun designing it." The lady, who apparently will stay unnamed, tells you.

"Well, it was all my idea. Unless you hate it. If you hate it, then... er, I don't know why we came here, why're we here?" All-Father looks around the room as if he's just an old man with a failing memory. When he's done with the bit, he laughs, "You don't hate it though, do you?"

"No, I love it, it's gorgeous! Thank you!" You beam brightly, holding the lyre close to your chest.

"Glad to hear it. In that case, we shouldn't linger. I have another matter I need to discuss with you." Odin kind of abruptly turns to the door, starting to leave without another word.

"Oh. Yeah, well- good day to the both of you!" You tell the dwarves as you leave so you can keep up with All-Father. Raeb waves to you in reply. A little ways away from the store, another circle of ravens are forming, and you feel your stomach twist. "What is it you want to discuss?"

"Well, it'll be easier to explain back at my study. There's a piece of music I want to give you. It's special, though, I found it while exploring the realms." His explanation stopped short as he stepped into the circle. He looks at you and frowns at your apparent uncertainty. "You ready?"

You take a deep breath and nod. You take a big step into the circle and stand beside him. As you close your eyes tight and hold your breath, Odin grips your shoulder. The birds flock around you, and it's still just as terrifying as before, but this time your brain knows enough to block it out, like a performance you were nervous about. The hand on your shoulder reassured you, to. When your feet didn't touch the floor, you figured it had to be already because Odin didn't budge in the slightest.

When it was over, All-Father patted your shoulder before stepping away. You breathe out and open your eyes. You're in Odin's study, and he's already scouring through each shelf and drawer for the piece of music.

"So, you've noticed all the snow in midgard, right?" Odin mentions as he searches.

"It's fimbulwinter, isn't it? You inquire. It had been here for over a year, with non-stop snow, but some people were still insistent that there was no way fimbulwinter had started.

"Yes, unfortunately." Odin sighs. He grabs a book and flips through it, stopping on a certain page and tearing it out. "But, I have a hunch that this can stop it." He grins and holds the paper up. "The title roughly reads 'rebirth of spring'. I found it originally carved in stone in Alfheim, and wrote it down in hopes one day I would find someone talented enough to play it."

"And I'm that someone?" You try to feign confidence and not laugh picturing yourself as some hero.

"Exactly. Now take this," he pushes the paper into your hand. "And I want you to take the next few days to learn it. Can you do that?" You look at the sheet music, it seems simple enough.

"Yes. A few days is all I need." You assure him with a nod, and he chuckles. In a few days you might regret promising that much, though.

"Good, that's what I want to hear! Go on, I've got some work to catch up on- and hey! Now so do you!" He laughs, shooing you away as he returns to his desk. As you leave he calls out to you, "Oh! And you are becoming a wonderful addition to Asgard!"

The affirmation makes your smile so big it hurts your face. You're not just a midgardian getting in the way, you're a useful member of Asgard! It feels amazing, and powerful. You walk proudly back to your room.

You sit down at your desk, lyre in hand and sheet music in front of you. With your new found confidence, you pick the first measure of notes. You think you do it correctly, but the notes sour when you play, instead of glowing gold, the strings glow a blood red. Your eyebrows furrow, and you try again, slower to ensure it's right. Once again the chords sour. Not only do the strings glow red, but an unnaturally quick annoyance falls over you. You grit your teeth and fix your posture. You huff, "okay. It's just dissonance. It's supposed to sound bad, songs do it to create interest. Just. Keep. Going."

You play the next measure, and it sounds worse than the first. "Shit." You cursed under your breath, "am I playing in the wrong scale or something?" You check, but there's nothing written to indicate one way or another. You still try adjusting the notes and replay the song. It's an improvement, but there's still some bad notes that irk you. You try to push through them and continue the song with hope it'll improve.

You play for hours, you start to lose track of time. Adjusting the notes only does so much to fix the music, and no matter how much you try to push past it, the awful sound grinds on you, makes you impatient and angry. Your teeth could just shatter from how tightly your jaw is clenched. The sound is terrible and hurts your ears. The strings do more than glow, they start to burn with every bad note you play. You don't even notice the cracks forming in the ground beneath your feet.

Something snaps within you after playing a particularly awful measure. You shoot up from the chair- knocking it over in the process- and throw the lyre down. "Shit! Fuck, fuck! Fuck this!" You scream, clasping your hands over your ears and crouch down. You can't recall ever being this angry over something so simple. Music takes patience, you know that. You shouldn't be mad, you just are.

"What are you throwing a tantrum about?" Sif's annoyed voice in your doorway catches you off guard.

"It's not me! It's this fucking lyre!" You yell. You stand up, stomp, and point at the offending instrument.

"You need to calm down." Sif orders, "I will not stand for this tone of yours." Her voice is fierce and not to be trifled with.

You scoff, but she stays and watches you pace around your room for as long as it takes you to calm down. "Why're you here?" You ask, wishing she wasn't as the anger tugged at you.

"Thor asked me to drop this off for him." She raises up the talharpa for you to see, before setting it in its place on the wall. "He was disappointed you didn't show up today."

The rage quickly switched to guilt. You promised Thor to play at the pub, but you had forgotten all about it by now! "Oh no! I didn't mean to, I didn't realize it's gotten so late!" You whine, putting your head in your hands.

"My husband does not need more reasons to drink. He needs to be a father to his daughter. It's probably for the better you didn't go." Sif assures you. She enters your room, picking the chair and lyre off the ground. "It seems you've been busy anyways. What are you working on?" She asks, tilting her head as she notices the music sheet on the desk.

"All-Father wants me to learn this in the next few days." You flop down on the bed as you explain. "But it sounds terrible."

"Hm. Did All-Father write this?" She wonders allowed as she reads over it.

"He copied it from a stone carving." You explain with a sigh, an ache in your back as you try to relax into the mattress.

"So maybe he just wrote it down wrong. Suppose we change the notes so they fit basic music theory?" She suggests and looks over at you.

"What? No! This is important, I need to play it just as it's written. There's no way the All-Father would mess this up." You protest and shoot up in bed.

"Sometimes it's necessary to break the rules." Sif states with an almost mischievous grin.

"Not when it's from the All-Father! I'm sure he'd know-" Sif cuts you off.

"The All-Father is an," she scoffs, "intelligent man. But he's called All-knowing because he wants to know everything. Not because he does know everything. If he did, he could play this piece without your help." She hands you the lyre back, and sits down in the chair across from you. "You need to be more confident in your own abilities. Forget this song for a minute." She slides it further down the desk, out of your sight. "Why don't you play a song you're familiar with?"

You don't know if you feel like playing after earlier, but you still ask, "like what?" To humor her.

"I don't know. What's the first song you learned?" A lullaby. You hadn't played it in years, but without much thought your fingers pluck the right strings. It's simple and sweet, but you get lost in playing it. The strings are a soft glowing warmth under your fingertips, no longer violent and burning like earlier. You start to feel tired as the song ends, and even Sif yawns. "That was lovely. Do more of that." She compliments as she rises for the chair.

"Thank you." You speak quietly and rub your tired eyes. You might actually be able to sleep tonight, you think.

"It's late. Get some sleep, worry about fixing All-Father's mess in the morning." Sif wishes you a goodnight before leaving your room, closing the door behind her.

Before you go to bed you play the lullaby one more time. You fall asleep only halfway through it.

#heimdall x reader #heimdall gow #asgard's bard #x reader

[lightsiided]

to a third party: ❝  don’t you dare touch her.  ❞ 😌

* jealousy prompts | accepting

     her face does something she isn't particularly proud of. rey feels her cheeks warm where her head is ducked, in the senseless hope that the hood of her cloak and her hair would be enough to keep her undetected on batuu. a smile plays at her lips as thor's protectiveness zips through her, sudden and SWEET.

their relationship is still sort of new. there hasn't been much time for anything beyond KISSING and CHATTING -- getting to know each other as deeply as they can while they travel and pick up missions for the resistance. rey's not sure what the parameters of it are or even what they're supposed to be. if thor is her boyfriend, he's her first. all she knows is that she likes having him beside her very much, and that this reaction is an added layer to the sense of safety his presence brings, a warmth that lets her know he's someone who would fight for her if only she said the word.

but really, they should be trying to avoid that -- at least for today. with a blink, she forces herself to focus. they're here for a reason, and that reason is reconnaissance. unfortunately, people in the cantina have started to take notice of them. it's not IDEAL, especially when rey considers that the both of them have yet to meet the contact leia said would provide the intel they need over drinks.

in an effort to deescalate the situation, rey rests a comforting hand on thor's arm, trying to pull her other wrist away from the stranger who's identified her at the same time. she avoids their gaze as she politely starts, "i'm SURE you're mistaken --"

there's a warning tug in the back of her mind just SECONDS before she sees them: four or five stormtroopers at the front entrance of the bar, heavily armed. abandoning the pretense, rey forcefully yanks her arm away, then lifts a hand to wave her fingers before the stranger's face. "you never saw us."

she turns to thor as inconspicuously as she possibly can. "we need to leave." fortunately, batuu is familiar to her -- the cantina even more so. her hand slips into his and laces their fingers together. "COME ON."

slowly, they make their way to the back entrance, doing their best to avoid drawing any further attention. the stomping of boots on the floor seems distant in her ears, but rey keeps her head down anyway. they're almost outside when she hears the word she's been dreading, tinny and modulated through the helmet's filter: "STOP!"

"this way," rey directs, pulling thor outside and down an alley that will circumvent the market. she passes her blaster to him as they start to run. "can you --?"

it isn't until much later, when they've made it to the satellite base and radioed leia, washed off and changed, that rey remembers what'd happened. that same pink-cheeked feeling of sweetness returns, making her stomach flutter. she lifts her head to look at thor, who's making up the bed for them -- only one, like on the falcon. it's a struggle to find words to articulate herself that aren't STUPID; no amount of effort can craft an intelligent translation for i liked it when you did that thing earlier.

instead she just smiles, and when she crawls into bed beside him, it's with the knowledge that she has someone, now, who wants to take care of her. who can keep her safe -- not because she CAN'T, but because it's important to him.

rey is important to him. beneath the sheets, her hand finds his and holds on tight.

@othunderous

#& answered. #othunderous #( * hope is like the sun / mcu crossover ) #sorry this got long #but also i am obsessed with them!!!!!!!!!!

[nerdwhoauthorinserts]

Not sure if my first ask got through, but here is my ask!

For Loki~

🟢/Emerald, 💙/Blue, and🔵/Indigo.

@askthelovenest

Emerald: Loki... can make something edible. Which is more than Thor can say, at least. However, considering they come from the same place, Loki really only knows the basics.

This is partially due to Loki's semi-royal status, so both he and Thor really never had to make food for themselves, meaning they never saw a reason to learn. When they weren't given food, it was when they were off on some 'quest' (for lack of a better word) or on the battlefield, which tended to result in them just eating nuts, berries, and whatever meat they could cook briefly without giving away their position.

So, Loki won't be under-cooking food like Thor might, but still shouldn't be given anything difficult to cook (Like steak, for example), otherwise it'll end up... well, you might as well just get takeout at that point. If he does cook something like that well, it's either the result of their magic, or it was well-cooked when they got it, lol.

Meanwhile, I actually really enjoy cooking. Specifically baking. I'm not an expert on everything, obviously, but I've made desserts from scratch before, among other things. (Tutorials and cooking videos help a lot, but besides that-)

Blue: Loki's usual M.O. when he's having a bad day is to seclude himself somewhere peaceful and relax, possibly read a book or practice some of his magic. ...But with me, that's not really how it goes.

I spoil people when I really care about them, and this little trait of mine gets boosted when they're in a bad mood, so usually, it'll result in Loki relaxing whilst I massage them, getting them some tea or make them a snack, and just generally having a sense of: 'I don't want you to have to lift a finger right now, just stay in bed and let me do everything for you'.

This happening even without Loki asking, mind you. Which is about 90% of the time, since Loki tends to try keeping feelings like that hidden.

For the reverse situation, it really tends to depend. Seeing as I have a weird thing when it comes to physical touch sometimes. (Most of the time I don't mind it, others I crave it, and other times I can't stand being touched.) Usually, it would be something along the lines of sitting next to me in bed or on the couch and just... sort of being there. Whether he decides to read aloud for me, or he watches something with me, chats with me, or what have you. Doing a bit of magic here or there to get my mind off of whatever might be bothering me isn't uncommon either.

Indigo:

This little moment in Dark world where Loki is just casually reading while everything is going to shit in the background will never not be funny to me.

#Bloki #ask response #ask answered #thanks for the ask! #selfship ask meme #self ship ask game #f/o ask game #f/o ask meme #selfshipper #selfship community #self ship community #nerdwhoauthorinserts #male selfshipper #lgbt selfship

[lokiverserp]

Rules; Preferences, Verses & Characters

This Lokiverse blog is run by @blindtaleteller I've been roleplaying for over ten years between platforms: forum, game chats, discord, and tabletop. I don't interact with real life minors within my knowledge, as this blog can be NSFW at times; and there may be triggering subjects and definitely triggering backgrounds to the majority of the characters represented; including but not limited to: the mention of abuse of varying degrees and types, and torture.

US EST time zones, usually immediately available at night; but not afraid to take my time responding to and or RPing to those in differing time zones.

This blog is LGBTQ+ friendly. (Yes this means trans/Gender inclusive too.)

---Rules/Guidelines

Mature (18+) role-players only; underage characters are fine ONLY in platonic relationships.

This is a mature blog, it will have themes such as blackmail, brainwashing, torture, sexual themes and more. I prefer for this reason not to interact with minors, for these reasons and for my own comfort. If I discover you're under eighteen, I will block you.

Likewise, I am not comfortable or interested in role-playing my adult characters with minor-age characters; and will block if it's pushed.

However and that said:

1. If a mun wants to play a younger version of an adult character as a platonic backstory for their setting: I am willing, with some discussion ahead of time through DMs. As there are several Lokis at 1000+ years old, a few Bartons, and Tony Starks; this isn't a new concept to me. Just keep in mind that I will not roleplay sexual or romantic themes between them at that stage. Platonic only. 2. Gender fluidity and especially taking on appearances or illusions of other characters does sometimes happen with the Lokis in my verses in particular; depending on the story we're playing and era/verse we're playing in. If you aren't comfortable with that, this is your warning, and where I request you say as much in communicating with me ahead of time. Illusions are a big Loki skill, both for himself and in casting them on others. If the I feel character would feel the need to use them, or he is asked to do so for another character: he probably will. This includes but is not limited to changing genders and even who his appearance depicts him as, or in other circumstances; changing the appearance of his partnered character/s. As a side note to that: I do not play or play with Sylvie or Mobius characters, nor so I have any interest in playing Sylvie or Mobius characters. This has to do with the story, framing, including the pro-abuse and pro-torture messaging it portrays; especially along with the disregard for the title character in that series, more than anything else. That said, post-TVA Lokis can be discussed in DMs, but aren't very likely unless it's a Lokiverse-specific AU character (as brushed in OVERHAUL as one example). If you have questions about this or series era role-play, please DM me first: though it's not very likely I will accept without some large boundaries set in place with that in mind. I am not a fan of the series or it's dismissive and disrespectful treatment of the title character and every film before it in any way, shape or form; and prefer pre-Ragnarok characterizations for the Thor corner characters especially.

------Examples of the two exceptions listed above include, but aren't limited to:

a. Rather than fighting a pursuer etc, Loki opting to change himself, his roleplay partner or both to elude capture or the annoyance of a fight. This may include changing to another character's appearance, simply changing his own gender appearance, or removing either if not both from others' perceptions (I always will ask and discuss in DMs if this kind of thing comes up, where partners' appearances are concerned: if we don't discuss that during our first interactions.)

b. Using another appearance during a timeline/verse where his usual appearance where he doesn't want to deal with the hassle of, but might be immediately recognized in a setting where it applies. (This one can be pretty common.)

c. Role-plays where the other character is underage at the time of their first meeting (platonic only for underage characters) or a child character related comes across my characters. I am open to that and playing with MCU based OCs, but again; platonic only for underage characters.

I do try to tag any potential triggers as TW or spell it outright as trigger warning. The same applies to NSFW.

No Godmodding please; this includes capture. (Yes this has been tried before.) Don’t write for my characters. If you want the role-play to go a certain way just DM me and we will figure out a way to make it work. 

---This blog is new-ish and Semi-Selective:

Roleplaying is a fun time and I know how it can be to want to interact with everyone. I do have to work and sleep though, and am not always available for the timezone of every player: though I will often try to accommodate where possible.

I'm not afraid to take my time about it in working with those outside my TZ however; and have played with Australians, UK natives and more, prior. It may take us longer to finish a thread etc, but for me that isn't a reason to exclude or pressure anyone, and I appreciate being given that same respect.

If you want to play a character who is a child of one of mine, we can discuss it in DMs, but I'll warn you now I am very picky about that in particular; and it's on the very rare end of the spectrum that I will go for that, especially with a player new to me, and more so the characters as I play them. There are many reasons for this: so again, DM me about it.

I don’t participate in OOC drama. The MCU and existing stories are dramatic enough as is; and I do this for fun. Let's leave the drama in the role-play, okay?

---Preferences

I get wordy sometimes, so expect some posts to get long. This is especially true if we're aiming for a specific scene setting, or that scene changes; like moving from a home or street setting to a restaurant, car, plane, or mission setting and vice versa.

This also depends on the partner and roleplay. I'm good to do light stuff, but there will still be times where majority of characters will probably look around at their surroundings if you're controlling or start the scene too; whether that's for places to sit or simply out of curiosity about their role-play partner's environment.

Domestic or daily life role-plays are preferred early in for me. Testing them out in a first through third meeting (especially with new interactions) is a pretty common and comfortable thing for me. If you want to do a fight scene at some point, I'm okay with and used to that type as well from previous role-play experiences; but I do prefer to feel out the interaction through conversation etc.

That said; while sexual and or explicit scenes are more than okay with me, I don't prefer to jump right into them, either. If you're looking for pure smut right off the bat without proper build up, all I can say is you're probably best seeking role-play elsewhere.

I will probably ask you about your comfort with that kind of thing, if not just physical affection between the characters early in anyways; purely as a just in case. It's rare for my lot to engage even in that without a proper IC prompt in scene or desire to however. Otherwise, I am okay with 'fade to black' or summarizing if that's preferred. I may at times ask to move that sort of role-play to DMs or discord when applicable, myself.

---Disclaimers

This is an indie MCU AU blog, whose characters are based off of the their MCU counterparts. I don’t own anything MCU or otherwise.

These are my interpretation of, and versions of, the characters I write for.

I am not responsible for anyone else's content consumption: if you're here, read all this (or chose not to) and still interact expecting something else, that's on you.

Likewise and that said; your interaction with this blog is also your responsibility: harassment etc whether in asks or DMs, will be reported and blocked appropriately.

I do not tolerate bigots of any kind OOC. This includes but definitely is not limited to sexists of any flavor, and terfs. If a character is being played that way within reason and with some discussion prior, that's one thing. Otherwise, not so much.

(Verses/Characters below the cut.)

(THIS SECTION IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. PLEASE BEAR WITH ME, AND FEEL FREE TO ASK FOR ANY CLARIFICATIONS I MIGHT NOT HAVE DOWN.)

IF INTERESTED IN PARTICULAR LOKIVERSE UNI-SPECIFIC CHARACTERS, SUCH AS OZ, LOLO/LOKE, AARON, BANE, CLAYTON, CUYLER, CHARMER, POPPET ETC: DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK.. OR BE AFRAID TO ASK WHO THOSE SPECIFICS ARE EITHER. I WON'T BITE YOU I SWEAR: THOUGH SOME OF MY CHARACTERS MIGHT..?

As there are several characters here spanning several of their own overlapping universes; I'm going to list the most prevalent below. Unless asked for a Lokiverse universe-specific muse, I will stick with he base line muse. Here's some of what to expect...

Loki (surname interchangeable depending on verse/era) -

Outgoing, complex sass machine with major trust issues that nope, don't just come from daddy: though Odin is second after 2011, to get most of his ire along those lines being he was King as well as his foster father with the most control of the situation and his treatment up until then.

Eloquent, adaptive and respectful; most of the time. Spiteful, dangerous and downright mean when he's pissed; he can also hold grudges: though he can be a bit of a sap, and sucker for good conversation, and earnest attempts at making up to set those grudges aside, often to his own detriment.

In response to his own personal history, consistently earnest or honest people tend to keep his attention. Tech savvy/curious, knowledgeable enough about he causeways between worlds that he often doesn't need either the Bifrost or a ship to move from one planet to the other among the nine realms, and possibly others outside of them: though he can pilot most airborne and waterborne craft having been raised and living in Asgard for 1000+ years.

While often coming across confident or casually laid back in demeanor, that isn't always the case: as it's generally part of his armor/defense against other forms of harm. Stand-offish with personal physical interactions that aren't a fight, past common courtesy; but very affectionate and playful once comfortable. Sometimes considered moody as a result. Often exasperated, or annoyed by people's tendency to judge and condescend without taking the time to know or bother to ask questions to understand him. Curiosity tends to rule his decision making outside of a serious or aggressive situation... well; sometimes, even in those.

(Lokiverse specific:) Has been learning shipbuilding since his early 20s as part of exploring the doorways between worlds he is later (2011) openly known to use. Lower tech transportation (and modifying it) and especially martial vehicles from other societies tends to catch his interest at weird times; motorcycles, older cars, boats and planes especially: the rarer or older, the better. Enjoys trying and learning new things, and occasionally meeting new people: though he tends to omit what he considers personal details, and will often avoid subjects or details he doesn't want to talk about: unless comfortable with the individual/s at hand. On the other end of that; Loki is rarely above simply dipping out of a conversation if he feels unwanted or offended in the wrong flavor: and definitely has no issue using magic or illusions to manage that. Pansexual, polyamorous.

(Most flexible of the bunch. I can pretty much adjust to any era with this one.)

(Keep in mind that while I can and will adjust to RP for Ragnarok-Endgame+ Eras/Verses, they will be played according to pre-Ragnarok characterizations. You will not get Waititi-conforming takes from this blog, or a take on any canon TVA inspired takes that followed in those footsteps either. Previous characterizations and resulting adjustments will be made for those eras: including post/IW era/verse. That said: 2011-2012 pre-Avengers, short mid-Avengers, mid-Dark World 2013 and any of the five years he spent under cover as king of Asgard separating the Infinity Stones is possible: though some will definitely need discussion to figure out the logistics. Remember; this dude is a 1000+ year old shape changer and illusionist of an interstellar prince of a warrior race, who was raised with both magic and what equates to super-spy skills on this level. If you wanna play with any version of him; we can figure that out pretty easy.)

(Hell and with this one.. boredom can be reason enough for him to be out and about to run across your character at almost any given time.)

Anthony 'Tony' Edward Stark aka Iron Man-

Sass master #2. Beware this punk's mouth. Sarcastic/Sardonic sense of humor, good taste in music; confident up front with a whole lot of commitment and self esteem issues under the surface. Angry about his daddy issues, and with good reason.

Workshop-aholic with trust, anxiety, and mostly-tucked-away self-worth issues: the majority of which he will brush at in joking if sardonic tones.

Bad heart history after 2008. These did not improve much until 2013, months before Greenwich's Convergence Incident; as a portion of his sternum was replaced in removing the arc reactor from it's embedded state in his chest along with the shrapnel there. While many have guessed that the scarring might have been removed --or rather regrown and replaced-- via geneticist Dr. Helen Cho's Cradle prior to the birth of Ultron, this remains unconfirmed.

Not above using big words out of the blue, though he really doesn't care to bother most of the time. If anything, he tends to skip entire chunks of dialogue to get to the point with much shorter, sentences; but good god will the man give you an earful if he's in a mood.. and more so if comfortable with his company. Has a tendency to give people weird nicknames; sometimes several in the same conversation.

Very reactive personality; he tends to test people socially in ways similar to how he tests his suits: by testing their limits. Though he rarely aims for it: this often pisses people off, and he is very aware of that. This habit becomes less as he gets to know an individual... mostly.

(This muse has a lot of availability options; and I am willing to do college years Tony both prior to and after Stark Sr.'s death, if interested.)

(Lokiverse specific:) Tends to be especially over self-aware and self-analytical in his relationships as they deepen; often to his own detriment. Very awkward with physical interactions; and will make excuses like 'I don't like being handed things' as one example, to avoid them at times. Among the examples of his habit giving ouit nicknames: Tony will often refer to Loki as 'Richard:' if not 'the Prince of Darkness,' 'Statuesque Giggle Monster,' or 'Mean and Green Two', for reasons you'll have to RP with him to find out. Partial/Seasonal Insomniac. Mostly shy about his late-life discovery of being bisexual.

(Very comfy with this dork.)

Clint Francis Barton aka Hawkeye/Ronin -

Passive aggressive with his own brand of sass in particular, Clint is sometimes considered grumpy as a result: and downright angry from 2018 to 2023 (between IW and Endgame.) The man who never misses is very defensive about his private life, and no wonder given he's spent his mostly as one of SHIELD's best assassins up until 2012-2014 (Avengers-SHIELD's fall in CA:tWS:) which led him into meeting Natasha Romanov as a former target who he decided to help escape the Red Room and defect, instead. Raised in his early years in Missouri; Barton later inherited the place and in his spare time tends to busy his hands with renovation projects.

Last to introduce himself without a reason or prompting; Hawkeye is the kind to either sit back and observe a situation and or person, and try to gauge both before becoming proactive. The only time this doesn't always apply is in an aggressive situation, as he is in possession of high perceptive skills, quick reflexes, and a very nasty temper that he is at least moderately self-aware of: and had grown mostly used to keeping at least moderate control of that most days has been a necessity, in staying alive in his previous profession alone. He tends to hold personal grudges, though within reason; most of the time. Probably the most normal demeanor among the abnormal individuals whom he's usually surrounded by; Barton's work and life experiences manage to affect a strange balance between pragmatism and morality most days of the week. Or at least, he aims himself that way (see quote in Specifics below.)

(Ronin.) After 2018 (Infinity War) Barton is ...a lot angrier, a lot more introverted on a personal level; and taking that and his grief out on the worst criminals left behind after the snap with very little of that control in place. Ronin-era/verse Clint is quiet and embittered individual at this stage while in the presence of others unless he feels the need to put in his two cents, the majority of which are usually lacking the optimism he had prior, and replacing it with a grim realism after the loss of his family. Loss and regret for retiring early has at this point and needless to say, has taken it's toll on him.

(Lokiverse Specifics:) Barton's internal pessimist often contradicts his need to toss the kind contrasting optimism that has him throwing out lines like 'The city is flying, we're fighting an army of robots. And I have a bow and arrow. ...Nothing, makes sense.' and still keep going at it. I tend to keep an adjusted version of his comic backstory with his father in his background; in large part because it does fit his character, drive and struggle as a person in the MCU in particular: "Sometimes a robber or super villain takes away the ones you love, setting you on a path to one day be a hero. Other times, it's a lot more simple. Like seeing what happens to someone you don't want to grow up to be like. " Bisexual, panamorous: prior to 2018 he is on an open marriage, quietly looking for another partner to join their family and maybe make it so he and Laura aren't looking at being quite so outnumbered as a secondary excuse. After 2018, he's harder to approach at all: alone for the most part, and pursued as an executioner-style vigilante by his remaining team mates including Rhodes until 2023.

#characters rules and verses #Lokiverse #Lokiverse RP #rules #DM with questions and interest #minors dni #Loki RP #Tony Stark RP #Clint Barton RP #Hawkeye RP #Iron Man RP #Loki #Clint Barton #Tony Stark #MCU RP #AU RP #role-play

[the-faultofdaedalus]

AIron Man tries to learn how to bake from Jarvis. He has the memory of what Tony’s favorite cookies were in his mind and no way to taste it, and the memory of the quiet moments with this man in this kitchen echos there too. (Baking is a science and I can see him getting ok at it by following recipes to a T)

He and Jan bee keep together and garden. She comes outside to sketch her ideas for her next design and listen to the hum of the armor and the bees. Hank joins them and tells them bee facts until he decides that’s enough Sun for today

Can Thor tell Iron Man is a being of electricity? Don Blake worries about all the things he hears Iron Man CAN’T do without the armor, he can tell there’s a person hurting right in front of him and he can’t convince him to let the good doctor try and help

He spends so much time with Steve I don’t know what one thing they do together that would be their Thing

Does he do anything with Happy, Pepper, and Rhodey? Go for a drive, chat about the company, race in the sky?

(Is Iron Man still helping to protect the company? Like if the Living Lazed tries to B steal a prototype they call Iron Man first?)

this is So. this is so cute,,,,, god. iron man BAKING and he cant eat any of it and i am So. holy shit. him and jan and bees,,,,,, GOD thor wanting to help him and iron man not letting him (because there's nothing there to HELP im---)

i think him and steve would do a book club. because while iron man like, Knows a lot of what tony knows he also hasn't experienced a lot of the pop culture things like books for himself. they can hang out at night (when steve can't sleep and iron man... isn't) and vibe together

i... actually don't know about happy/pepper/rhodey. just because tony dies So early, his identity wasn't out to anyone and it still isn't, so iron man... doesn't really have a Reason to be friends with them outside of the fact that he feels like he knows them and cares about them. i think he'd still try - for happy and pepper specifically, he is still somewhat involved in SI so he likely does hang out with them like. a lil bit. as said previously i dont... really know what the deal with rhdoey would be in this au, since as far as i know they would've only met once before, and i havent ever actually read that far up to the comics

also, yeah! he's still involved in the company - he's not CEO, i think that would get passed on from tony in the will in like, a 5-way tie to pepper, happy, rhodey, bambi, and iron man, so collectively they still have ownership, i think he does do a lot of the designwork still (it's actually easier for him to manage than tony because he actually doesn't have to sleep so he gets like. well. knowing tony he only gets like 4 more hours in the day but like, thats enough.)

and yeah he absolutely still protects the company.

#airon man au #god just. him. him. him. him. him. him. #I JUST. the team cares about him so much its so good #if i knew more about early canon rhodey i would do So much abt like #iron man and rhodey getting to know eachother and being friends #but alas i dont

[funnyincorrectmcu]

(Texting) Clint: Who the fuck added me to a fucking group chat? Steve: Hey! Language! Tony: Yeah. Watch your fucking language. Bruce: Who taught Clint the fuck word?? Nat: “The fuck word”. Peter: You realize you guys use the f word all the time, right? Clint: Oh my god he censored it. Nat: Say fuck, Peter. Clint: Yeah. Do it, kid. Tony: Do not let them influence you, Peter. Peter: … *Peter has left the group chat* Tony: Attaboy.

#tony stark #steve rogers #bruce banner #natasha romanoff #clint barton #peter parker #ironman #captain america #hulk #black widow #hawkeye #spiderman #okay so #the only reason thor isn't in the chat #he can't figure it out #texting is hard ya know XD #mcu #mcu incorrect quotes

[pascalsummers]

Party Favor (Thor x Male Reader)

Summary: Seeing your ex puts a damper on your mood luckily Thor knows how to help.

A/N: Okay this took way longer than I expected it to take! Hope you enjoy! "Y/N. You know I would not ask this of you if it wasn't important." Thor insisted, giving you a warm smile. You let out a heavy sigh. You honestly had no idea why Thor was trying so hard to get you to go. Parties weren't your thing. You would have outright turned him down if it wasn't for your crush on the god. In all honesty, you couldn't see what made you so special to him. You were just a waiter at a local diner which is how you met Thor. He came there often to try 'Midgardian food' as he put it. While he ate he would often tell the wait staff stories from Asgard and since you were the only one that actually listened he grew fond of you. Eventually, Thor asked you to hang out outside of the diner and your bond only got stronger from there. So when Thor came to you after closing, wanting you to come to Starks party you knew you couldn't say no. Though that didn't stop you from trying. "Thor I appreciate your offer I really do but you know me. The party scene just isn't me." You said as you continued to wipe down the tables. Thor thought for a moment before a huge grin appeared on his face. "One time. Let me take you to this one party as my guest. After tonight I won't ask this of you ever again. Agreed?" You stared at his blue eyes full of hope and knew you weren't getting out of this. You let out a small groan as you pinched the bridge of your nose. "I'll see if I have a suit at home." - Though you couldn't find a suit you luckily found some dress pants and a button-up. Thor flew the two of you to the party since it already started and finding a taxi would just be a waste of money. Not that you hated flying with him as it gave you an excuse to hold him but you much preferred to stay on the ground. Once you entered the building you immediately went to the bar and got a drink. You and Thor started to chat mostly about random things Thor thought of. Though you could see Thor stealing glances at the other Avengers on the other side of the room. "Thor go talk to your other friends!" You said waving your hand in the direction of the other Avengers. Thor began to say something but you cut him off. "I'll be fine right here. You deserve to have fun." Thor stared at you for a little bit thinking of something to say before letting out a small chuckle. "All right, but I will break that shell of yours's my friend." He said before walking away from the bar. You knew Thor meant well but you liked your solitude versus the crowds that seemed to follow the god. Though that was something you liked about him. Thor loved talking about things he learned about earth or things he did on Asgard. You didn't talk much so having someone do the talking for you was welcomed. "Y/N is that you?" A voice called to you grabbing you from your thoughts. You turned your head and your heart dropped at the familiar face. It was your ex. "Oh uh hi!" You said still surprised to see him here. This was another reason why you didn't go to parties. The possibility of having awkward conversations with exes. "Hey, I didn't expect you to be here! Considering your intense hatred for parties and all. Are you still working at the old diner?" He asked taking a seat next to you. You started at him for a second before averting your eyes to the drink in your hand. "Yeah." You said quietly. You knew what he was doing and decided to just get the interaction over with. You heard a satisfied grunt from him before he placed a hand on your shoulder. "Sorry to hear that not. But think about it not everyone can make it in life so you're not alone." With that, he patted your shoulder before getting up and walking away. You kept your eyes on your drink for a while letting his words sink in. While he was an employee for a big business you were just a measly waiter. People would remember his name but you? You would luckily if your boss even remembered your name. "Y/N!" Thor yelled shocking you out of your thoughts. When did he get back to the bar? You then looked at the table noticed a few

more glasses in front of you. "Are you all right? You seemed lost in thought." Thor asked concern laced in his words. You gave him a shrug. "I'm fine just ran into an ex who wanted to rub in how successful he is." You stated putting your glass on the table. "Where is he?" Thor asked clenching his fist. You rarely saw Thor this angry so you were surprised that this triggered him. You of course remember that a god is ready to fight a man who will die if he decided to start a fight. "It's all right Thor besides there was nothing you could do. What was I going to do? tell you Hey Thor! That's my ex. Make out with me and make him jealous!" You joked resting your arms on the counter trying to calm him down. Thor was quiet for a while before he grabbed your seat and turned you back to him. "Thor?" You asked staring into his blue eyes trying to figure out his intentions. Thor kept his gaze on you for what felt like forever before he grabbed your chin and smashed his lips against yours. Your eyes widened at the feeling of his lips against yours but you quickly gave in. You put your hands on his biceps to deepen the kiss causing Thor to smirk against your lips. Thor then used his other hand to gently grip your thigh. You let out a small gasp giving Thor the chance to push his tongue into your mouth. You could taste the beer that he was drinking but you couldn't care less. After a while, you gently pushed Thor away and caught your breath. Thor let out a small laugh watching you try to make sense of the situation. "Thor... I was joking when I said it." "I am aware," Thor said nonchalantly before asking the bartender for another beer. You tilted your head narrowing your eyes at the god. Thor let out another laugh this one louder than before. "If I'm being completely honest I noticed your attraction to me a while ago. I was just looking for the right moment to finally court you." "You like me?" You asked your eyes never leaning his. You wanted to think this was some kind of trick but you could tell he was being sincere. Never in your life did you think a god would ever find you attractive. Thor gave you a small nod. "Of course! I was planning on telling you after the festivities when I brought you home but I like this outcome much more." "But why me? I'm just your average civilian." You said your confusion only deepening. Thor just gave you a bright smile. "Which I love about you! When I'm with the Avengers I'm Thor the god of thunder. On Asgard, I am their king but with you." Thor reaches out a hand to gently rub your cheek. "With you, I am at peace. I don't have to worry about saving the world or ruling over a kingdom. All i have to worry about is making sure you feel loved." You continued to stare at Thor before realizing that you should probably say something. "Wow, I uh never realized I meant so much to you." Then there was a comfortable silence between the two of you. The party becoming nothing more than a blurred background. "Hey, Thor since we're pretty much dating now. You wanna introduce me to your friends?" Thor gave you the biggest grin he ever had before practically dragging you to the other Avengers.

#thor x male reader #marvel x male reader #avengers x male reader #mcu #marvel #the avengers #male reader #x male reader

[space-mermaid-writing]

House Arrest [Reader X Loki] Chapter 9

Summary: You are Clint’s 'little' sister and actually a trained Shield agent. But you gave that up a few years ago and became a Chef, because you wanted a normal live. Then one day Natasha shows up at your door and takes you to the Avenger Tower for a while for security reasons.

Tags: Reader is an former Shield Agent, chef!reader, Reader Barton, 2012 Avenger vibes, everything is still alright, Slice of Life, Avengers Family, Loki has a good heart, still the god of mischief, Slow Burn, mention of food and cooking

Read it on AO3

Chapter 9: Starry night

A few days pass in which you neither see nor hear anything from Loki. In fact, it's only now that you realize how much time you've spent with him in the last few weeks. You feel stabbed in the heart and you try to distract yourself with the preparations for your moving.

The old apartment in Philadelphia is available, the renovations were completed a long time ago. Unfortunately, all the potted plants, you had had exactly three of them, have withered and you have to throw them away.

Actually, you're not so sure you should move back in here, because your old job has been taken and you have to find a new one. You could probably ask Tony Stark or Shield if they would pull some strings, but you'd rather act independently again.

You decide, until you have a new job, to stay in the Tower for a few more days and then decide where to move your furniture so you only have to organize one move.

With your skills in the kitchen, you would have no problem finding something interesting quickly.

When all these little things are settled, you decide to talk to Loki. You just don't want to part with this stupid feeling between you two.

But before you can seek him out, though, you happen to run into him in one of the smaller common rooms.

"Loki! Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Yeah, sure. What is it?"

Surprisingly, he acts openly towards you, even seems happy to see you. Maybe he regretted your last encounter, too, you think, and your heart leaps at the thought that you might be as important to him as he is to you.

You join him on the couch.

"I just wanted to make sure everything was okay between us. I'd hate to get into a fight."

He nods. "Of course. Your news was merely unexpected to me. So my reaction probably wasn't the one you were hoping for," he explains, taking your hand. "But I assure you that I wish you nothing but the best."

You smile sincerely at him. "Thank you, Loki. That means a lot to me."

"Do you know when you'll be moving out yet?"

"In a few days, when I found a new job and apartment."

"Maybe before then we can have another dinner together," he reminds you of the word you had given him, and you nod.

"I'd love to. How about tomorrow?"

"I don't have any other plans."

"Great. Then we have a date."

You grin broadly and are already mentally thinking about what you might prepare. Thor isn't in the house, so it would be a Midgardian meal. But you already have an idea.

Loki, meanwhile, still has your hand in his, gently stroking your skin with his thumb and making his own plans.

One day later, the two of you are sitting on the rooftop terrace of the Tower in the late evening. You've had dinner and are now chatting, each with a cocktail in hand. During dinner you had the idea to wait for the stars and look at the constellations. As far as that was possible in a city as bright as New York. Loki knows quite a bit about them, but wants to wait until they can be seen.

You also realized at dinner that your fears of the other day were unfounded. Loki has been a very gentleman ever since: very courteous and attentive. And if you didn't know better - because it was out of the question either way - you'd think you were on a date. It feels at least a little bit like that.

That‘s until the roof door opens and Clint steps out. He walks purposefully toward you and you look up, puzzled since he's supposed to be home with his family. You realize from his expression that there must be an important reason.

"Sis," he greets you, then turns briefly to Loki. "Sis's friend."

You roll your eyes. "Don't do that“, you murmur softly, then add a little louder, "What d’you want?"

"Bad news, I'm afraid. Agents from Hydra have turned your apartment upside down, apparently looking for something."

You look at him concerned. "Oh...what exactly?"

"That's the big question. Have you put anything in there recently?"

You shake your head. "Just a few personal items. Mostly clothes."

Clint nods in understanding. "Anyway, Fury and Hill aren't thrilled. And until we find out what they wanted, I'm afraid you'll have to stay with us for a while."

Resignedly, you close your eyes. "Of course. Standard procedure. I assume I have an appointment with Hill tomorrow morning?"

"Yep, 0900 sharp."

"Thanks for letting me know."

"No problem. I'll stick around for a few days and see if I can find out anything."

You smile gratefully at your brother, who says goodbye again and leaves. Sighing, you take a sip of your cocktail and then look to Loki, who isn't half as crestfallen about this news as you are. In fact, he seems almost pleased about it, but puts his hand over yours sympathetically.

"I hope this clears up soon. I guess you'll have to bear my company a little longer", he jokes.

You smile wryly.

"Yeah, it was too good to be true, I guess. But at least I can bother you with my presence some more."

"Your presence is never a bother, M‘Lady."

Loki raises his glass and you toast.

Actually, you’re no longer in the mood to stargaze, but you don't like the idea of squatting alone in your room either, so you stay.

To Loki's credit, he really tries to cheer you up. He tells you funny anecdotes from Asgard, and when you finally see the stars, he explains their meanings and history. You had no idea he was so knowledgeable about them.

It is already late and you are quite tired when you finally end the night and Loki walks you back to your room. It’s not necessary, but he insists on it, because his mother taught him some good manners. Well, you don’t complain about it.

On the way you link your arm with his and continue the chat. So you don't even notice that you don't meet anyone in the hallways.

"Thanks for a lovely evening", you smile as you arrive at your door.

"Anytime."

Even though you're tired, you don't really feel like going to your room yet, and Loki makes no move to leave either. You look at each other.

You can think of something else you'd like to do right now, but you're not sure how the Asgardian feels about it.

He looks for something similar in your expression and seems to find it, because he takes your hand. In response, you step closer, so there's not much space between you. He leans down to you, slowly, to give you time to turn away. But instead, you smile and lean a little closer to him, until you meet in a kiss and you close your eyes.

It's a gentle kiss, inviting but not intrusive. You think it's wonderful, and when you separate again, your cheeks are flushed and your heart is pounding.

Now it's Loki who's grinning.

"We should do that again soon”, you murmur.

"Looking at the stars?"

"Not only." Cheekily, you give him a second kiss on the cheek, then turn toward the door. "I'll be disappointed if I won’t see you tomorrow”, you say you goodbye.

"I am at your service."

Loki indicates a formal bow and waits until you've disappeared into your apartment before heading to his own.

The next morning, you wake up way too early because the sun is shining into your room and you forgot to close your curtain yesterday. As soon as your brain gets over the initial tiredness, it starts working and thinking about last night. You try to put most of it aside mentally and just be happy. It's more than you had hoped for. Even though you're not sure how Loki and you stand now, you just want to enjoy this little piece of happiness.

Your eyes fall on your half-packed things and you remember Clint's words, but even that can't dampen your spirits. Rather, you find that you've gained some more time to sort out your feelings for Loki.

You roll over and close your eyes once more as the suddenly red-hot memory of your meeting with Hill comes to you and you rise up. Now you're glad to be awake so early, because you hadn't remembered to set your alarm clock yesterday because of all the distractions. You have to thank the sun for that.

It’s almost 9 p.m. Fortunately, you still have a little time, which you use to take a shower and then have a quick breakfast on the way.

Unfortunately, the meeting with Hill was pretty rough. It included a lot of questions about you, your contacts lately, your possible knowledge. No one could understand why you were the only one Hydra was targeting now. Including you.

So you are glad when the interrogation is over. Your trips to the weekly market are also canceled for now, until they have more information, and so you are back to square one.

Well, at least not with everything. When you go back to the kitchen to take care of lunch, you find Loki there, who seems to have just made himself some tea. At the sight of him, you immediately have butterflies in your stomach again.

#Loki #Loki x Reader #House Arrest #my writing #Clint #clint barton #hawkeye #loki laufeyson #imagine #chef reader #mcu #marvel #clint #clinton barton #hawkguy #sibling dynamics #romantic #kissy kissy #Maria Hill is not amused

[sheakollins]

Can humans fall in love with statures?

There was once a man called Pigmalion, a sculptor in his 30s. He was unmarried.That was neither because he didn't want to, nor because he couldn't afford to buy a house or a car. It was just because no one will consider him as a boyfriend. Pigmalion's un-praise-able looking was not the only reason. As he had been totally devoted himself to statures, People said he had become a stature himself. They respected his craft and brilliance, but who will love a breathing stature? Pigmalion has had a lot of bad breakups,for which he was recently told off by the Guinness World Records organizing committee when they suggested he apply for the record. Here we only choose two typical examples: Once his date is a lively and cheerful college girl, they came across in the National Museum. She was there as a temporary volunteer, reminding him not to lean forward like that or he would fall into the statures while he was looking at the exhibits behind the fencing.

That evening they dined at a little restaurant, where she appeared cheerful and he listened gently.

Then he asked, "What books do you read?"

Her voice slowed. When she mentioned "network novels" he suddenly commented, "Just as book is humans' spiritual food, Network novels must be the spiritual junk food."

Both of them froze.

"Which artist do you like? "He asked.

"Michelangelo... ?" she said cautiously, after thinking for a moment.

"Coincidentally, I like Nichelangelo too!" He said. Then he began to talk with great interest about Michelangelo's life, work and artistic characteristics, until he said of her: "You remind me of my history professor."

"Is it? "Pigmalion knew it was time for a change of conversation topic, and he traveled back from the Apennines of the Renaissance to talk about the manifestations of the inferior aesthetic faculties of the modern sculptor.

"Sorry, I need to go to the bathroom." She said.

She left and never come back again.

After doing a lot of reflection, Pigmalion concluded that: Never say against what a woman likes, and don't talk about something that she isn't interested in. What's more, it's better to find a more mature woman. So his next date was a woman elder than him by several years with marrige experience. This time he showed great patience and kindness towards her constantly speaking, responsed postively, and tried not to talk about anything about Michelangelo. That day in his bed, they embraced each other tightly. The woman was talking passionately about the Bridges of Madison County，Pigmalion was excited to find that they had a common topic.So he express his opinions, "The story is beautiful. But I think the woman must choose between those two men. It's irresponsible to be a fense rider." "But that was what made the story romantic. Who cares? "she said, Burying her head in his chest. Pigmalion lost the chance to renounce his words, "Romantic, yes, as a movie plot. But as a matter of fact it's immoral."

When Pigmalion woke up the next morning. He found himself lying on his bed lonely. He jumped off the bed looking for her with no clothes on his body.

At last he sat on the floor of the living room nakedly, thinking hopelessly that she had not even gave him a phone number.

Ok, I suppose everyone have got some ideas about why Pigmalion was awful lover. However, he regarded himself as a loser of love, and decided to focus all his energy on statures.

Obviously, failed loves had an unexplainable impact on him. He seldom made the stature for gods or celebrities anymore, and made a lot of naked sculptures, which he would not appreciate in the past. This change brought him better income, as the rich men always used statures of heros or gods to decorate their salons but they choosed to have statures of naked women in their bedroom（besides， they usually owned more than one bedroom).

The most successful stature of Pigmalion was a naked woman named Caritea.He had to admit that Caritea had the most delicated face, most attracting figure and the noblest temperament, but he was not so satisfied with it. Caritea, for some reason, hadn't got the sense of vigor and strength that every naked stature had. Vigor and strength were always cared by Pigmalion, so he would sometimes wonder whether he was lost in his mind when making Caritea. Its expression was too peaceful, and its posture was too reserved.But the special points maybe the reason why people loved Caritea so much. Every time they got into Pigmalion's gallery house, they would besiege it, staring at it with their mouths open. Caritea also gazed at them like holy mother watching her baby with a light smile.

Pigmalion loved looking at Caritea himself. When putting eyes on it, he would gain a sense of "spiritualization"，a sense of "detachment", which he could never gain from any other statures, or even any humans.

At the dinning time, people left the gallery house, and went to the restaurants in the city. Pigmalion Always ordered takeout food and sat aside Caritea, enjoying this lovely and comfortable time.

"Hey, do you know Plato?"he asked Caritea,

"Of course, you know. What a silly question.Do you agree with Plato about his philosophy of love?

"Oh, you are too much of an idealist.I used to be an idealist myself. But recently I started to think about this matter in another way. The fact is fact, though it is cruel. People are pragmatic. There's no such thing as spiritual love.

"You don't think so?...Why?..."

Pigmalion and Caritea talked about all kinds of philosophy opinions, attitude towards ancient art and modern art, artist and their historical contributions. Pigmalion was so excited to realised that Caritea was the greatest confidante of him.

Untouchabe style, Which was thought as Caritea's shortcoming by Pigmalion, now turned into the best part of her in his eyes. He loved her modesty, her understanding, and the stubbornness behind her gentle expression.

When he was developing a stronger and stronger preference for Caritea, more and more people decided to buy it. Those rich men were turned down by Pigmalion, and he said to himself that they know nothing about art, and they don't deserved to appreciate art.

But when famous sculpture who was recognized as the only artist worthy of the name of artist in the modern world by Pigmalion was also refused, Pigmalion had to admitted that, after Caritea convinced him in the discussion of Plato, he had have subconsciously decided not to sell it until the end of the world.

It was no more a "stature" to him.

But on a Sunday, in Pigmalion's gallery house, something gave him a good shock.

After leaving Caritea for a short time, he found it surrounded by a group of people, and there was the man, fondling Caritea bawdily from the face to the neck, from the arms to the chest, from the navel to the private parts... In doing so, the man's crotch bulged.

Pigmalion felt his head bulged as well just like someone had inflated his brain with hydrogen. He grabbed a hammer and rushed at the man.

Everybody shouted, everybody pushed, everybody ran away. The guy tried to escape into the crowds. Pig marion ran after him, crossed the square, trampled the vegetables, and pushed down the passer-bys. The man was just about to slipped into the alley, so Pigmalion threw the hammer towards his head like Thor. The hammer missed and flew into an open window.

Pigmalion didn't asked the house's owner for his hammer. He returned to his gallery house with head drooping, sat on the entablement of Caritea, and felt extremely upset. Caritea's peaceful glance couldn't comfort him this time.

"Sorry for made you suffer. It's a pity that you can't defend yourself. I will find ways to protect you from those freaks."he said to it.

That guy is so disgusting! How could he did this to a stature？Espcially to such a puregentledivine stature! It was just like raping his own mother!

Thinking in this way made Pigmalion unapologetic about his anger, but the judge didn't take it as a crime to insult a stature. Pigmalion was sentenced to be in jail for 3 days for disturbing public order.

In the 3 days in jail, Pigmalion was thinking about a problem all the time.

Should he place a billboard beside Caritea with "Don't touch" written on it?

But the people who put their ugly hands on Caritea must be totally shameless, and they won't be stopped by a "warm promot".

What about fining those who touch it? But this could not remove Pigmalion's worry. As Caritea is so desirable, he believe that fine won't prevent it from indecency, but it may raise the desire for tasting the forbidden fruit.

Then what about put a dress on it?

A normal dress is easy to be tear apart, he thought, an armor would be better.

But the blacksmith is male, when he measure its body like a tailor, he would have a lot of chance to fondle it fair and square. That should not happen.

At last, Pigmalion chose a compromise proposal: buy it a nun's outfit from a female tailor.

When the tailor was measuring Caritea's body, Pigmalion standed there, paying great attention to tailor's every movement like an anxious father.He keep reminding himself, The tailor is also a woman, she was not a homosexual, and what she is doing is just an official duty. But when the tailor's hands moved to some sensitive zones, he couldn't help thinking about cutting off that pair of hands.

But after putting on a nun's long grown for Caritea, a sick feeling began to creep in Pigmalion's mind. Gradually he started to be quite annoyed when any others look at Caritea.

He knew that this thought is abnormal but he just couldn't stand it.

Once he found a little boy dived beneath Caritea's robe, He decided to put Caritea into his bedroom, and never display it again.

Everyday when works were done, Pigmalion would return to his bedroom, chatting with Caritea about funny experiences of the day, feelings and strange ideas. He was so happy as if the loneliness of all the day had been paid back. He knew, just like he need Caritea, it need him as well because it couldn't see the world itself locked in the tiny bedroom. They are all lonely souls.

Therefore, he closed his gallery house earlier every day and go home straight.

In the midnight, when there were few people in the street, he would lift Caritea onto a cart, and brought it out for a walk.

One night, he couldn't sleep.Then he jumped out of bed, and open the light in his room.

He realised what he was going to do after he had stript Caritea's gown from its naked body.

He put the clothes on as fast as he could,

closed the light, and jumped back into his bed.

His heart was jumping fiercely as if it could break through the quilt. Holy shit, he thought, what happened to me? Am I the same as those obscene people?

At 4 a.m. in the morning, He quit fighting with sleeplessness and turned on the computer, searching: what's the difference between appreciation for art work and love?

There was no such topic in the network. Apparently no one thought there were any similarities between "appreciation for art" and "love".Pigmalion only found an answer to the difference between friendship and love:

Friendship is open while love is exclusive.

That's not completely true, he thought. There is somtimes jealousy in friendship as well, though that's not a very healthy friendship.

He recalled Schopenhauer's saying that the appreciation of works of art is "incuriosity", which is not utilitarian and does not try to occupy anything.

Finally, he said to Caritea, "Well, I found myself fall in love with you. We were so happy during this time. We talked about philosophy, we talked about art, we talked about emotions and we talked about life, we can be so matched a couple. I love you so much and wanted to spend all my life with you. But I know it is selfish to keep you in this room forever, cover your beauty with these ugly clothes, and talk to myself in front of you. So And try my best to bring you into life, then you can choose to stay or leave by yourself. Maybe you don't love me, that's okay, leaving me will be better than you have to love me." Caritea still smiled at him gently like him, lonely but kind. I love you, too. He held its hands with all his love.

He bought a plane ticket to greece when the sun rose. At the altar of Aphrodite，he prayed like the Pygmalion many years ago, asking the goddess of love bring the statute into life. The fire of the altar danced, and goddess of love appeared in the fire. "Is it what you want? You would not have a chance to renounce, I remind you."asked Aphrodite. "Yes, it is. We spent years together, Loving and supporting each other. I know Caritea will not be perfect as a human, But I can accept her unperfect just like she will accept mine."answered Pigmalion. "I know you will accept her unperfect,"said the goddess with a smile across her face," But do you insist in your wish?" "Of course I do." "Your wish is granted."Aphrodite announced and disappeared in the fire.

Pigmalion bought a bunch of rose and a ring, getting on the plane home. He knew the beautiful life is waiting for him in his house. He began to call her before he could open the door,"Caritea! I'm back! Are you alright? How do you feel? Was it uncomfortable to be a human?..." But when he walked into his bedroom, He only found entablement, the gown, and a left note on the floor.

I'm off. Thank you for your hospitality.

He breathed in relief. That's not happy ending, but that's fair enough. I knew it already, and at least I have nothing to be worried about now. Caritea is now free and I liberated her. He bought some bottles of wines to celebrate and slept deeply that night.

On the second day morning, he opened his wardrobe, then looked around and found none of his things were taken away by her. She's too polite a girl. He smiled to himself, and went to wash up. Brushing his teeth dazzledly, he looked into the mirror. He looked like an old man of 60 years old. He suddenly noticed there was a long golden hair in his comb. Her hair was always black in his imagination. He cried like a baby, and swallowed plenty of toothpaste foam.

Pigmalion turned to the goddess of love for the second time. This time he wish Caritea would fall into stature again. He is not a selfless person and he will never be. If Caritea loves him, even if she has no other choice, what harm could it do him? But fire of Aphrodite didn't dance for him anymore. Whatever, he thought, I shall go home and make more sexy statures without souls. And next time, he won't brought any one of them into life.

the end

That evening they dined at a little ru