"It's not even in the romance sense--I've woo'd people before, but often it wasn't serious. I believe the phrase is 'friends with benefits'. Or they've wanted more, and I've lead them on until it was inconvenient. Or they had something I wanted." There was a sigh, and Loki hid her face somewhat. "As I said, caring about others is...new. But I am able to manipulate people."
Then more softly, but with a tight hug. "I'm not doing that with you, by the way. Or anyone here. I don't see a need or want to." but Loki would do a lot to further her goals, depending on what those goals are. Puck seemed to be the lighter shades of grey than Loki herself was overall.
"I think I can come up with a good idea or two for you."
"Ahh." Puck's eyes lit up in understanding. "Casual dating is the term I've heard more often, but it seems to be the same concept."
He smiled at the sudden hug and nodded, returning it. "No, I know you're not. I've seen enough manipulation to be very good at telling when it's happening." Oberon's court wasn't heavy on it, but Oberon absolutely did manipulate where he felt it was needed. Puck's morality in general was skewed towards what kept his freedom and what didn't hurt others as much. Pranks, misunderstanding wishes, all absolutely fair. But the more.. well, human, really, ideas applied to Oberon's children, that they were just waiting for a chance to be horrible? It didn't apply to him, and only applied to Oberon based on his mood swings.
"Oh? Good, I'll have to do the same. I might even throw together a business proposal just to keep you on your toes."
"Are you so certain? I've had centuries of practice." Loki asked, trying to tease but it came out too honest a response. Still with that hug and a bit of hiding. "Now I AM curious though. What kind of business?"
"Yes." Puck answered simply. "I've had centuries of living." he joked, but then his expression softened for a moment. "Oh I was just going to opt for a generic one about a fictional stock market. But I could go ahead and think of something else. 'How to admire your romantic partner without needing to take breaks for things like rest'" He winked. "The joke would involve coffee."
Loki laughed, head leaning on Puck's shoulder and she loosened the tight hug. "Is this where I should point out that frost-giants have what would be considered superhuman stamina compared to a human?" There was an impish tone in the question.
Puck laughed, picking up on the tone, which made it funnier somehow. He hadn't been expecting a stamina joke of all things, so the element of surprise also landed nicely. "That's quite good to know, and your timing is excellent." Puck answered as he caught his breath.
"Well, I have to know the cheesy ones as well as the bad ones, to be able to tell good ones right?" Loki's smile was smug, and chuckle low in her throat. "Frost Giants are superhuman compared to a human in all ways, including with a regenerative healing factor. I've been smashed repeatedly into a corporate tower floor by a brutish behemoth and...well, I was mobile again after perhaps less than a half hour?"
"That's a fair point." That blush on Puck's cheeks was obviously there for absolutely no reason. But at Loki's comment about how fast she healed, his eyes widened. "Wait--" When there wasn't another laugh or a wink, Puck's hand stopped moving through her hair for a second as he looked at her in surprise. "No, you're not joking about that. I usually need at least a few hours of rest for fights, and longer for magic depending on the spells used. I don't want to think about trying to get up again in such a short time."
She didn't want to, but Loki pulled back enough to look at him seriously. "I'm not joking no. It was a little over 5 years ago or so. I had...been through a year of hell, quite frankly. Found myself in service to a being called the Mad Titan. He promised me an army, and that I could rule Midgard if I only delivered him an object known as the tesseract that was kept there. Gave me a scepter with a reality stone, the mind stone, within it." A pause...
"There are 6 stones formed at the beginning of the universe known as the Infinity stones. Time, space, force, mind, reality, and soul. The tesseract housed the space stone." Being certain that Puck was following, although blue-green eyes lowered a bit. "I was...hurt. Very hurt. And angry."
Puck listened, following easily enough. Magical things weren't in every corner store in Manhattan but they were present enough, as they were in Avalon. "So this.. Titan, saw your hurt and anger and manipulated you into working for them."
Puck frowned and moved his hand from Loki's head to one of her shoulders. "If you want to stop telling me about this, you can. I won't press."
"He did. Gamora is also familiar with him, as he is her 'father' in a way though there is no love held for him. I was not entirely without choice, but I had just spent a year going through the dregs of the galaxy after..." Loki stopped, mouth shutting up. Face suddenly an emotionless mask and visibly making herself take a deep breath. There were clearly signs to see that it had wounded her deeply, if one wanted to look. Nor had whatever had happened been dealt with properly perhaps.
Shaking her head, the mask stayed in place. "In any case, after arriving on Earth and attempting to steal it, through various ways I ended up in New York." A hint of wry-tone there. "Manhattan, actually. A portal was opened using the Tesseract to allow the army of Chitauri through as we started to attempt conquest. But a group of heroes, including my brother Thor, were of a mind to stop me. Eventually I found myself on one of the floors of the Avenger's Tower, and confronted by a being known as the Hulk."
Loki unwound one of her arms and held up a hand to form a tiny illusion of the being.
"I'd already been thrown through a wall, after being thrown from an explosion to the Chitauri chariot I was riding, and taken a beating from my brother. I'd had enough, so I confronted him--but he grabbed me and smashed me into the ground somewhere around...5 times? It's a bit fuzzy. I just kind of lay there stunned and in pain for a while. When I tried to actually get up, well--the 6 heroes were there, one with an arrow pointed at me, and I was captured."
Puck was quiet, still listening but taking mental notes. He noticed how she went quiet and filed that away. There was some deep hurt, but it wasn't the time or place for Puck to try to figure that out. Now was the time to just listen.
"Oh, no wonder we get along." Puck joked lightly before he refocused. He looked at the illusion of the Hulk as he was called, eyes narrowing. And then he heard the rest and Puck forgot to breathe for a second before he exhaled.
"You say it so casually. You were already weakened and they needed to-- what? Make themselves feel better?" Puck pulled his hand away from her shoulder before it could clench. He ran his other hand through his hair. "So the heroes of one world sound like the villains of another." Puck took a deep breath to steady himself and then returned his hand to Loki's shoulder, forcing said hand to remain steady.
"That's disgusting behavior for heroes." Sure, Goliath and the others did get the better of Xanatos, but there was always an element of just being fair with it, or at least it being an evenly matched fight. Xanatos didn't fight nearly as dirty as what these six heroes sounded like they did, and Puck followed suite in his own fights. They were hard, but they weren't impossible to win. Just a constant match of strength against strength, with the occasional advantage. But nothing unsportsmanlike. Manipulative, yes. But still with an element of fairness, even if it was miniscule. What was fair about beating someone who was already hurt?
Puck closed his eyes for a minute and forced out some memories that threatened to come to the surface. Oberon was cruel, controlling and power mad, but even he at his worst--. Puck opened his eyes and looked at Loki.
Loki tilted her head and looked confused for a moment. "You're....angry...for me?" That was a new concept. She had been the invader after all, and had killed quite a good number of people and wounded who knew how many more.
"To be fair to the heroes, I think they were simply making sure I wouldn't get away. My brother handled most of it, cuffing me and then putting a muzzle on me as well. Not that I was making it easy really, considering my verbal taunting." That emotionless mask was back, but Loki was finishing up before she'd go back to being confused.
"I'll...tell you sometime about what happened when Thor and I were back in Asgard. I believe I'm considered a War Criminal by the US Government at least." Loki might also tell Puck about the events before the invasion too. Where it had all started, and the wounds that still weren't healed in some ways.
"You were already detained and then they piled on top of that. Why wouldn't I be angry?" Puck sounded almost as incredulous. Obviously it had been some sort of conflict and Loki had been seen as a threat enough to need to be detained but that didn't make their methods right.
"Only when you're ready." Puck answered quickly. "And if that never happens, that's also fine." Puck fell quiet for a long moment and then seemed to remember what his hand had been doing. He resumed running his hand through her hair, trying to give some comfort.
With Puck's reaction the emotionless mask fell. Nor was Loki able to hide her emotions again quickly enough. Surprise, confusion and surprise and a hint of...hope? Also something like despair--that this was unexpected and new for someone to be angry FOR her and not at her. She made herself take a deep breath, and only after that, did that mask go back up.
Before Loki turned to lean more into the hair stroking, hiding her face a bit, wanting and needing that comfort.
Puck was very in tune with his emotions and his loyalty was unwavering, even outside of Owen's persona. He listened as Loki took a breath and quietly noted that mix of emotions that ran across her face.
He sighed and continued to stroke her hair, adding after a long moment. "I understand." It seemed the best thing to say, all things considered.
Loki was quiet herself while leaning into the touch, before letting herself sink back down to rest against Puck's shoulder. Face against his neck, arms around him. "I don't understand why you would. Or why you'd...not be angry at me." It hadn't meant to come out with the emotions in it either--the worry and the confusion and the hurt and the hope and the long years of always being 'wrong'.
Puck smiled slightly at that. Those were a lot of questions being asked in a very succinct fashion. Questions that Puck had an idea that Loki needed an answer for. So, continuing to give her comfort as best he could, Puck started doing that. "You don't have a monopoly on terrible life experiences, unfortunately. They're in abundance. I'm also not in the habit of getting angry at someone for being mistreated, even if the intentions were probably justified by the ones doing it. That doesn't make it right, in any circumstance."
Puck sighed. "Like I said, not the rulers I serve. Showing you sympathy and understanding but then getting angry at you is absurd, even for a trickster fae." he joked.
Loki was quiet for a bit, before nuzzling in and pressing a kiss to Puck's cheek. "For what it's worth, I only know of your rulers because of what you've told me, and what filtered through Shakespeare or the occasional myth. And even then I'm not that familiar. I judge you for you, Puck, and you've been far more of an honorable being than I could've hoped for. Trickster and all."
It wasn't just a 'thank you'; it was much more than that alone.
Puck smiled softly at the kiss and the statements that came with it. It was actually something he'd worried about- how much of his mannerisms were himself, how much had he taken from Oberon and Titania, even with the extended absence. He respected them as anyone would respect their rulers, but he didn't necessarily like them. Being a trickster and almost as powerful as the two of them, he also got away with being quick with his words and speaking casually for the most part. But Oberon had a reputation for having a temper for a good reason, and Puck had seen firsthand multiple times what that did to both those around him, and to Puck himself.
Hearing that he hadn't picked that up, or their superiority complexes was calming. Honorable? It was one of the highest compliments he could be given. Puck hesitated for a second before he moved to pull Loki into a full hug. The message behind the words hit a bit hard, and Puck returned the kiss with a laugh, his cheeks going red.
It was more, and Puck had been surprised by it but he welcomed it as easily as he'd welcomed Loki into his inner circle. Puck had meant what he said, there would be no pressure to say things behind the statements given, or pressure to put a label to this entire relationship they had going. But that didn't mean he couldn't be pleasantly surprised.
Loki melted into that full hug, and sighed contentedly at the kiss, nuzzling closer still. Once again, she'd allowed herself to be vulnerable and it had...worked out okay. She let herself take the safe anchor he was offering, and would return it as best she could while figuring out all the confusing and conflicting emotions.
It was a bit, before she spoke very quietly. "For all that I was loved, and a prince, growing up--I've always felt different... 'Wrong' in a way, as it were. It was not an easy life at all."
Puck was used to seeing others vulnerable. Rarely did someone call on him because everything was going well in their life, and they just wanted something new. He would be a safe anchor for as many as he needed to be while he was here.
He nodded and affirmed simply, "It doesn't sound easy." Puck continued to hold onto her, providing that anchor as long as it was needed.
He'd feel a nod from where Loki had her head buried against him. "I was a runt, the son of the Frost Giant King Laufey. Left to die though, when Odin found me. I never knew however, until 6 or so years ago. I did not find out in a good way either, and the frost giants are..." A pause in her voice, which had been quiet and soft the whole time. "They're one of the two ancestral enemies to the Asgardians. They're the monsters that feature in our bedtime stories. I was another one of Odin's stolen relics."
With the full hug, Puck could feel the deep breath in and out again, and the puff of air against his skin. "But, while a single Frost Giant is no match for a single Asgardian, they're well known to be fairly a fairly sturdy and strong race compared to most others. I'm immune to the cold, with my heritage, in addition to what I told you before.
Puck kept his grip steady and rubbed Loki's shoulders as she shared some more of her history and the trauma involved with it.
He smiled at the comment about cold immunity, but stopped himself from making a joke. "Mhm. I remember you mentioning this-- the number of years specifically. For what it's worth, you are a treasure, but nothing that should have been stolen." Puck sighed.
Changelings were, for the most part, a myth humans had made up about Oberon's children. They existed, sure, but they weren't out to scare anyone or replace humans. Halflings, however, were much more common. Oberon and Titania both played with humans and that often lead to romance and the occasional child as a result of that union. He knew of one specifically in Xanatos' social circle. Puck was sure there were others, but until their magic activated, he would never know any of them by sight.
"I'm hearing 'Don't challenge me to a snowball fight', and ignoring every bit of that advice, you realize." Puck joked. "You've already shown you're very strong in a lot of ways, of course it's in your blood."
"It is the kind of advice you'd ignore. I'll also warn you I'm an expert marksman, and I expect you to ignore that too." There was a smile at least, and Loki nuzzled herself further into the hug and hold. "Odin had hoped to ally the realms through me and Thor, but considering I'd grown up never knowing I was different... Each of us had been lead to believe only one could take the throne of Asgard someday."
Another tight hug, but then Loki let herself relax. "A proper frost giant is about 2-3 heads taller than I am with the bulk to match. They have blue-grey skin and red eyes, with various ridges occasionally at their brow. They often times have patterns in their skin as well, and prefer not to wear much in the way of clothing. They're capable of forming ice into weapons for themselves, and their touch burns one with frost-bite." A pause. "Which I suppose is another advantage I've had with those blasted snow angel's swords, although a sword strike still hurts."
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branchandroot
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Date: 2024-01-26 04:14 pm (UTC)Then more softly, but with a tight hug. "I'm not doing that with you, by the way. Or anyone here. I don't see a need or want to." but Loki would do a lot to further her goals, depending on what those goals are. Puck seemed to be the lighter shades of grey than Loki herself was overall.
"I think I can come up with a good idea or two for you."
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Date: 2024-01-26 05:32 pm (UTC)He smiled at the sudden hug and nodded, returning it. "No, I know you're not. I've seen enough manipulation to be very good at telling when it's happening." Oberon's court wasn't heavy on it, but Oberon absolutely did manipulate where he felt it was needed. Puck's morality in general was skewed towards what kept his freedom and what didn't hurt others as much. Pranks, misunderstanding wishes, all absolutely fair. But the more.. well, human, really, ideas applied to Oberon's children, that they were just waiting for a chance to be horrible? It didn't apply to him, and only applied to Oberon based on his mood swings.
"Oh? Good, I'll have to do the same. I might even throw together a business proposal just to keep you on your toes."
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Date: 2024-01-27 04:13 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2024-01-27 04:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-01-27 04:53 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2024-01-27 05:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-01-27 05:10 am (UTC)"There are 6 stones formed at the beginning of the universe known as the Infinity stones. Time, space, force, mind, reality, and soul. The tesseract housed the space stone." Being certain that Puck was following, although blue-green eyes lowered a bit. "I was...hurt. Very hurt. And angry."
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Date: 2024-01-27 05:16 am (UTC)Puck frowned and moved his hand from Loki's head to one of her shoulders. "If you want to stop telling me about this, you can. I won't press."
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Date: 2024-01-27 05:23 am (UTC)Shaking her head, the mask stayed in place. "In any case, after arriving on Earth and attempting to steal it, through various ways I ended up in New York." A hint of wry-tone there. "Manhattan, actually. A portal was opened using the Tesseract to allow the army of Chitauri through as we started to attempt conquest. But a group of heroes, including my brother Thor, were of a mind to stop me. Eventually I found myself on one of the floors of the Avenger's Tower, and confronted by a being known as the Hulk."
Loki unwound one of her arms and held up a hand to form a tiny illusion of the being.
"I'd already been thrown through a wall, after being thrown from an explosion to the Chitauri chariot I was riding, and taken a beating from my brother. I'd had enough, so I confronted him--but he grabbed me and smashed me into the ground somewhere around...5 times? It's a bit fuzzy. I just kind of lay there stunned and in pain for a while. When I tried to actually get up, well--the 6 heroes were there, one with an arrow pointed at me, and I was captured."
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Date: 2024-01-27 05:44 am (UTC)"Oh, no wonder we get along." Puck joked lightly before he refocused. He looked at the illusion of the Hulk as he was called, eyes narrowing. And then he heard the rest and Puck forgot to breathe for a second before he exhaled.
"You say it so casually. You were already weakened and they needed to-- what? Make themselves feel better?" Puck pulled his hand away from her shoulder before it could clench. He ran his other hand through his hair. "So the heroes of one world sound like the villains of another." Puck took a deep breath to steady himself and then returned his hand to Loki's shoulder, forcing said hand to remain steady.
"That's disgusting behavior for heroes." Sure, Goliath and the others did get the better of Xanatos, but there was always an element of just being fair with it, or at least it being an evenly matched fight. Xanatos didn't fight nearly as dirty as what these six heroes sounded like they did, and Puck followed suite in his own fights. They were hard, but they weren't impossible to win. Just a constant match of strength against strength, with the occasional advantage. But nothing unsportsmanlike. Manipulative, yes. But still with an element of fairness, even if it was miniscule. What was fair about beating someone who was already hurt?
Puck closed his eyes for a minute and forced out some memories that threatened to come to the surface. Oberon was cruel, controlling and power mad, but even he at his worst--. Puck opened his eyes and looked at Loki.
"Thank you for telling me that."
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Date: 2024-01-27 05:50 am (UTC)"To be fair to the heroes, I think they were simply making sure I wouldn't get away. My brother handled most of it, cuffing me and then putting a muzzle on me as well. Not that I was making it easy really, considering my verbal taunting." That emotionless mask was back, but Loki was finishing up before she'd go back to being confused.
"I'll...tell you sometime about what happened when Thor and I were back in Asgard. I believe I'm considered a War Criminal by the US Government at least." Loki might also tell Puck about the events before the invasion too. Where it had all started, and the wounds that still weren't healed in some ways.
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Date: 2024-01-27 06:00 am (UTC)"Only when you're ready." Puck answered quickly. "And if that never happens, that's also fine." Puck fell quiet for a long moment and then seemed to remember what his hand had been doing. He resumed running his hand through her hair, trying to give some comfort.
's not female loki icon, but it's appropriate
Date: 2024-01-27 06:14 am (UTC)Before Loki turned to lean more into the hair stroking, hiding her face a bit, wanting and needing that comfort.
weh get your comfort
Date: 2024-01-27 02:42 pm (UTC)He sighed and continued to stroke her hair, adding after a long moment. "I understand." It seemed the best thing to say, all things considered.
Loki needs it honestly. NOt to overly woobify but they've been through quite a *lot*.
Date: 2024-01-27 02:47 pm (UTC)no you're right and should say it
Date: 2024-01-27 03:04 pm (UTC)Puck sighed. "Like I said, not the rulers I serve. Showing you sympathy and understanding but then getting angry at you is absurd, even for a trickster fae." he joked.
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Date: 2024-01-27 10:31 pm (UTC)It wasn't just a 'thank you'; it was much more than that alone.
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Date: 2024-01-28 01:16 am (UTC)Hearing that he hadn't picked that up, or their superiority complexes was calming. Honorable? It was one of the highest compliments he could be given. Puck hesitated for a second before he moved to pull Loki into a full hug. The message behind the words hit a bit hard, and Puck returned the kiss with a laugh, his cheeks going red.
It was more, and Puck had been surprised by it but he welcomed it as easily as he'd welcomed Loki into his inner circle. Puck had meant what he said, there would be no pressure to say things behind the statements given, or pressure to put a label to this entire relationship they had going. But that didn't mean he couldn't be pleasantly surprised.
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Date: 2024-01-28 01:30 am (UTC)It was a bit, before she spoke very quietly. "For all that I was loved, and a prince, growing up--I've always felt different... 'Wrong' in a way, as it were. It was not an easy life at all."
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Date: 2024-01-28 02:13 am (UTC)He nodded and affirmed simply, "It doesn't sound easy." Puck continued to hold onto her, providing that anchor as long as it was needed.
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Date: 2024-01-28 06:25 am (UTC)With the full hug, Puck could feel the deep breath in and out again, and the puff of air against his skin. "But, while a single Frost Giant is no match for a single Asgardian, they're well known to be fairly a fairly sturdy and strong race compared to most others. I'm immune to the cold, with my heritage, in addition to what I told you before.
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Date: 2024-01-28 04:00 pm (UTC)He smiled at the comment about cold immunity, but stopped himself from making a joke. "Mhm. I remember you mentioning this-- the number of years specifically. For what it's worth, you are a treasure, but nothing that should have been stolen." Puck sighed.
Changelings were, for the most part, a myth humans had made up about Oberon's children. They existed, sure, but they weren't out to scare anyone or replace humans. Halflings, however, were much more common. Oberon and Titania both played with humans and that often lead to romance and the occasional child as a result of that union. He knew of one specifically in Xanatos' social circle. Puck was sure there were others, but until their magic activated, he would never know any of them by sight.
"I'm hearing 'Don't challenge me to a snowball fight', and ignoring every bit of that advice, you realize." Puck joked. "You've already shown you're very strong in a lot of ways, of course it's in your blood."
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Date: 2024-01-28 10:02 pm (UTC)Another tight hug, but then Loki let herself relax. "A proper frost giant is about 2-3 heads taller than I am with the bulk to match. They have blue-grey skin and red eyes, with various ridges occasionally at their brow. They often times have patterns in their skin as well, and prefer not to wear much in the way of clothing. They're capable of forming ice into weapons for themselves, and their touch burns one with frost-bite." A pause. "Which I suppose is another advantage I've had with those blasted snow angel's swords, although a sword strike still hurts."
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