whose_son_am_i | Labyrinthum IC Inbox

Odd, being good at writing is usually seen as something to praise in Llyr.

[Eilonwy blinks, the tea forgotten for a second.] Runes? Yes, that would be.. Well, different. But it also sounds fun.

Oh I do appreciate the praise, it's just not unexpected. Is writing itself common in Llyr?

[Loki smiles around his cup.]

Runes can be considered a form of magic all on their own, moreso than just an alphabet might be considered anyway. I believe the myth that came to Midgard was that Odin hung himself from his own spear, Gungnir, on the trunk of Yggdrasil for nine days to learn of them. A sacrifice of himself, to himself.

We're not young enough that it's new, if that's what you mean.

[Eilonwy listens as he explains, brow furrowing at the end.] ..But if he sacrificed himself, how was he alive to learn? Unless it-- Well, no, if he hung himself, then.. [She rubs her forehead and tries not to make logical sense of it. Prydain had as many mythologies that were equally confusing if someone really considered them long enough.] Aside from that, you know these runes, then? I hope your learning them didn't follow the myth's story!

[Her trying to make sense of it just makes him laugh softly as he places the cup down.]

I learned it as one learns the alphabet.

[Taking out his notebook once more, Loki pulls out a pen and blank piece of paper from the book fully. Moving to sing as he writes, and pointing out each rune as it's named in the song.]

[Eilonwy looks very relieved to be given the okay to just quit trying to make sense of it. As he starts a song, she leans forward and pays attention, idly tapping one of her feet in time to the beat and memorizing things as they're pointed. It's nothing like any language she's seen before, but Eilonwy appreciates the challenge.]

[She'd heard him sing before, as he'd sung it at the tavern when they'd met up too. This time he also wrote the pronunciation of each letter under the rune. And what each roughly corresponded with in the more 'modern'ish alphabet. Then the page was passed to her.]

We can go over the meanings beyond simply letter correspondences some other time.

[Eilonwy took the page and looked it over, murmuring some of the pronunciations before she nodded.] Yes, of course. I don't expect to pick up a new language fully in the span of a few minutes. That song seems to be a favorite of yours-- it's the second time you've performed it.

"Less that it's a favorite and more that it's easy to remember. It's essentially a short teaching song for the runes, after all. Before when I sang it, you were asking for examples of what our songs are like and I gave you that and a lullaby. Here, it was to aid in your learning. Would you prefer something else?" Loki wouldn't mind singing again honestly. Eilonwy was good company, and respected him. Seemed to value him and his talents too, and that went a long way in his eyes. Not just in satisfying his ego either.

Eilonwy considered the offer for a long moment and then framed it as a teacher talking to a student. "I think this will serve for what I want to learn. But if you'd like to sing again, I wouldn't say no to it. You have a good voice, it's very clear. That can be hard when performing." Eilonwy put a lot of value in general on her friends, more for their personalities than their talents. Loki had been nothing but open and encouraging, and likewise that went a long way for her. But she also just liked him in general. It was a great show of strength to wake up in a new world and not let that drive you mad. Or to isolation.

"I see what you did there, Your Highness." Loki teased lightly. He'd had no reason to not be encouraging to Eilonwy, and the open-ness was all on his own terms so far. He'd given nothing to anyone that he hadn't intended them to know.

But he'd been treated with respect here, and kindness--and it had made his adaptation here easier. SO he would match like with like, as it also was useful to make allies. Loki had played the 'villain' before and it was not worth it. He might never be a hero either, however.

"I wasn't trying to hide it, so I'm glad you did." Eilonwy answered with a chuckle. Knowing how to speak to other people in general came in handy, and Eilonwy hadn't been short on lessons. But also she was still a young woman who genuinely enjoyed her connections. Loki would be another one, and barring some very specific and impossible for her to picture circumstances, Eilonwy didn't see that suddenly changing.

Connections built relations, and that built strength. Even if she wasn't in Llyr.

Diplomacy and networking were essential parts of being a monarch, even for warrior people like the Asgardians. Loki was no stranger to the skills needed to talk to a wide range of people. It was actually one of his specialties, weaving words and crafting lies both necessary and not. His silver tongue often made things go more smoothly in tense situations.

What was new for him, was that he was enjoying some of these connections more than just as a pleasant and useful alliance. Whether it would turn out to be 'friends' or allies, depended on how things went when things went wrong. After all, supposedly his 'friends' were quick to be suspicious of him and turn against him after he'd saved all their lives. He hadn't known Thor would be banished--had tried to speak up only to be roared down and risk Odin's wrath himself.

"Well, I have taken up enough of your time. Unless there's anything else--more art you wanted to show me?" A polite cue, as much as Loki did enjoy talking with her. About business or about 'business'.

She did give a little chuckle. "No, no more art, I'm afraid. I haven't thought of any other flowers to paint just yet."

Eilonwy fell quiet for a second as her expression shifted to more serious. "I didn't want to bring this up at first, but you do need to know. I didn't remember it at first, but it did come back to me the more I tried to remember." She took a breath and sighed. "Do you remember when I mentioned that while I was at the party, that I kept feeling like it would be okay if I forgot things? That it didn't matter if that happened?"

Well, his idle and casual posture and manner didn't change, but Eilonwy could see it in his eyes. Blue-green were now focused on her and alert. "Is this something I should be remembering you telling me?" Meaning should he get out his notebook?

Eilonwy nodded. "I do think that's a very good idea, yes." As she'd remembered things, Eilonwy hadn't had enough stamina to write it down herself. It had taken time to sort it out in her mind, and to begin processing the emotions tied to what had happened.

She most definitely had his attention now, as Loki pulled out the notebook and a pen once more. "Sit. Have more tea, then tell me." He likely couldn't prevent someone spying on them via scrying, and there was no easy way to disguise this conversation...but it was a risk worth taking.

Eilonwy did both of those things and had some tea once she had sat back down. At this point, she wasn't concerned about trying to disguise this as anything. She just wanted to get it out.

"While I was on the balcony, I started forgetting my friends, like I had mentioned before-- that it wouldn't have felt wrong to forget them. But then I remembered something else that happened. A friend, Inigo, joined me and we had started talking. Small talk, you understand. He asked if I was having fun and it.. It felt right to say that it was. We continued talking and the subject changed to how many people there were. I'd remarked.."

Eilonwy trailed off and took another drink of her tea as she frowned, falling quiet at the memory she'd relived. "I'd remarked that it didn't seem like Vaeros had thrown the party from the goodness of his heart, and again that felt.. right. Even normal."

"...You were being encouraged to forget, and to enjoy yourself there. To not worry about things. To not question why." Loki was fairly sure he was following the thread, but seeking confirmation. While writing down in the notebook, scratch of pen on page.

"I was, yes." Eilonwy took a deep breath and had another drink of tea. "Inigo was surprised by my statement and asked why I thought Vaeros would have had alternative motives to begin with. It wasn't said in anger, like he was refuting me, he truly had no idea why I would think that. He was confused."

Eilonwy's shoulders shook a bit. Her grip on the cup tightened. "I was equally as confused! I replied that Vaeros had never been that kind of ruler-- Even with my short time being here, I know that! I knew it then! But after I said that it felt like I had buckets of rocks on my shoulders. Everything felt heavy and I suddenly.. I didn't want to.. I knew how disconcerting it felt--" Her eyes burned with angry tears as she clenched her teeth for a moment. The next sentence came out with a mix of frustration and hurt.

"I know I fought back."

Oh, Loki could get to like Eilonwy. Quiet for a moment as he made some quick notes, only taking his eyes from her to do so.

"So we teach you how to do so more effectively, in the future." It was a statement, said as if it was fact. Loki would make it a fact. "I am, obviously, brought down to human rather effectively at the moment. If I can regain my abilities however, I am a Master of Magic or Sorcery, however you choose to view it." A hint of a smirk, and some pride. "I've hidden myself and others from the guardian of our borders who can see the smallest goings on in any of the Nine. For once, I am not bragging. I can teach you, in time."

"By your hands, my victory. By my hands, your will." she replied almost immediately. It was said at the start of beginning a new area of combat in Llyr and it seemed fitting. The anger was ebbing but just slightly. "There's nothing but time, so.. Whenever you're ready, I will be also."

She had some more tea to steady herself. "After.. After whatever that was, after my fighting didn't work, I felt calm, even embarrassed that I'd acted like that." Eilonwy looks up from her cup. "I remember agreeing with Inigo that his idea on Vaeros being kind was correctly. Specifically, I remarked that 'Good rulers just wanted their subjects happy', and I was sure I was mistaken." Eilonwy looked sick at the memory and set her cup down. The tears finally spilled over, and she angrily reached up to wipe at them.

Loki put down the notebook and pen and got to his feet. Coming over, he laid a hand on her shoulder in support but also with some formality. "I...I've betrayed everyone who ever trusted me before, but it has only been recently that I've used that for good ends instead of ill. It is up to you if you will continue to trust me knowing this. But I am also not one who swears oaths lightly."

There was a ring of formality, this was a monarch talking as well as a being many would consider a God. Loki's emotions were volatile, but he was sure of this as much as he was sure of how he felt about Alice. He wanted to help Eilonwy do this, to keep her safe. "By my hands, your victory, as my knowledge I will give you."

Eilonwy looked up at Loki as he spoke and nodded. Sure, people were multifaceted. Of course gods would be the same. But the fact that he mentioned that she had the choice of trusting him solidified the decision. "I'll do that, yes."

As he adapted her oath back to her, Eilonwy gave a surprised and choked laugh, the tears still falling, but not as moved on by anger. It was an odd mix of emotions, with one of them being a spark of hope. "Accepted, and to be remembered by those ahead of me as a gift shared." A slow exhale as it was done. Eilonwy gave a small nod.

"Then that's what we'll do. Thank you, Loki."

That he'd given her the choice was also a sign of his own growth. Encouraged by Thor, but also those here who had shown him kindness and valued him positively. It...encouraged the good within him, the want to make his mother proud of him even if she was not there to tell him so. To make his own place, outside of the shadow of his elder brother or father. Small steps, but they were all adding up.

"Thank you, Eilowny. For believing in me." That hand stayed on her shoulder, but no longer was it formality and for binding. This was to be sure she was steady, and okay.

She felt steady enough and the anger was on its last legs. She nodded again. "You're welcome. Thank you for letting me share that. I thought I had gone mad when I started to recall it."

A lot of small steps could lead anywhere. Even out of a shadow, or away from an evil king. Or towards retribution, or redemption. She reached up and rested her hand over his, giving a more regular smile. "I'm starting to feel more like myself."

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Once again, pretend it's a male singer.

done and done

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wrap?