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whose_son_am_i

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From:

whose_son_am_i

"Do you mean change your mental appearance?" Conversing was making it take a bit longer, but it wasn't so distracting Loki couldn't do so. It meant that she might pick up stray wisps of half-formed thoughts from him. Now there were hints of curiosity and amusement, a faint half-image of a room full of books and someone saying words that were not remembered against a backdrop of warm golden lights and brown.

"You're the one in charge of how you appear. In theory, I could change how I look to your mind's eye but that would be harder. However I look is based on both my own shielding and however you conceptualize me. This is part of why we have the physical connection for the magic to work; so that I'm not having to fight your own shields, nor you mine, to do this."

The talk of shielding and mental appearances also brought a stray wisp of thoughts leaking to her. Feelings of caution, and also protectiveness. That latter was tinged especially towards her with a hint of possessiveness as well. Images accompanied these feelings, but the image also shifted from the darker-tinged to lighter-emotions. Seen in visual shifts for a second of Loki in armor. First one, that seemed harsher and grittier while still regal, commanding. Then another that was lighter, polished, more balanced.

From:

waterfawn

"Yes!" Eilonwy answered as Loki's stray thoughts showed themselves for a moment. Words-- rendered in silence instead of anything she could hear. The light felt a bit like the sun.

She listened as he kept talking. "Then your shields are like oil paints, but the way I see you is working with that. A good team effort." A bit of a joke, but it was also a little true.

The mix of emotions were met with surprise, especially at the dose of possessiveness. The first image caught Eilonwy off guard a bit and she was too busy taking everything in to think about anything else. As the emotions shifted again along with what she was being shown, Eilonwy found her voice.

"It's very fitting armor-- I think the second fits you much better."

From:

whose_son_am_i

There was a ripple in the 'form' again, surprise coming through easily before Loki took a deep breath and refocused. "I did warn you that stray thoughts might be easier to catch like this." Fortunately he was setting the last few pieces in place. Being certain she could see it, feel the shield.

"I'm going to pull away now, and if you want to try testing it you can. It should feel more difficult to reach out at all." Warning her, again words and thoughts saying the same thing. Before Loki let the green glow of his magic fade, and moved to pull away from that 'hand'. Retreating entirely and taking a deep breath once he opened his eyes.

"Your head is likely going to remain sore for a bit, but that's why I brought tea and broth. And comforting hot packs, in those fabric tubes." He'd get to the stray wisps of thought in a moment.

From:

waterfawn

Eilonwy watched as the vision of Loki in her head dimmed out. She tried sending a thought out and watched as it essentially reached the shield before returning back to her like a gently tossed ball.

Her eyes opened and she took a second to readjust before Eilonwy smiled softly. "It is, yes. I'm glad-- I can manage all of the pain well enough. I was just concerned about the spilling over as you phrased it. I've never had that happen with Bauble, so if it can be held off, then that's all the better. Do you ever get headaches from using your magic?"

From:

whose_son_am_i

"I have before, yes. Both with plain magic when I over-extend myself, often when I was younger, and also if I'm doing a lot of mental magic work." A quick visual check, before Loki was moving to her kettle and preparing a cup of tea for her. This was why he'd come prepared after all.

It took him a moment also to think about what images of him in armor she had caught as he'd been mostly focused on his shielding. "The first armor is more recent, as the second more golden set was when I was in Asgard. I do not have either anymore, however."

From:

waterfawn

Eilonwy was still dealing with the headaches and her skin was slightly more pale. Besides that, Eilonwy felt as normal as one could with a headache.

She watched as he worked on making a cup of tea and moved to stand to help. She wouldn't be a bad hostess. "I've never had armor of my own, but I've seen different kinds in Prydain and in books. It--" There was a wince as the headache found a new dose of strength. Eilonwy frowned and tried to push through it as she headed for the kitchen. "It's nice to think about what mine could look like."

From:

whose_son_am_i

"Go sit back down. Yes, it's your house and no, you're not being a bad host. This is a teacher helping his student, not a guest doing for themselves." Loki turned his head enough to give her a look.

"The first was mostly ceremonial although it was functional in combat. That is, the more golden set. The other was made from it when I spent a year in the worst parts of the galaxy on my own, with nothing to survive by but my wits, my powers, and what I had on me."

From:

waterfawn

Eilonwy met his look for a long moment before she sighed and returned to her chair. He was right, but it was hard for her to put aside her hosting manners. "..Fine." she said with a bit of a huff.

Once she was seated again, Eilonwy listened. "I'm glad all of those served you." she remarked gently. She didn't know the details but the way Loki was succinct about explaining it as being the worst parts of the galaxy left little to imagine.

From:

whose_son_am_i

"You can be mad with me all you want on this, but you'd be telling me the same if the roles were reversed." Loki pointed out, watching the tea brew.

"I survived. It has been three times now, with my arrival here, that I've found myself somewhere new and strange. Often unceremoniously, on my own, and with only what I have on me to survive. This place has so far been the kindest, the lack of powers at first notwithstanding."

From:

waterfawn

"I'm.." Eilonwy sighed. She was mad, and there was nothing wrong with recognizing that. Her expression softened as the pain took a momentary break and she allowed that annoyance to pass. It really didn't make sense to dismiss someone's kindness, and she knew that. "I'm aware of that." Eilonwy said with a sigh. "My apologies."

She listened and then spoke again. "I've never traveled to other worlds, or met people from different times." Eilonwy looked towards the floor for a moment. "It was a shock, and--" She looked back up to Loki properly.

"Yes! Waking up without my own power was also surprising. I've been telling myself to stop comparing this place to Llyr or Prydain, but it's hard. How have you traveled so often and not.." Eilonwy trailed off and tried to find the right way to phrase what she was thinking. "Not simply been confused each time?"

From:

whose_son_am_i

Loki let her work it out, and watched her. Listening as well, before finishing preparing her tea. Picking up the cup, he came over and put a hand on her shoulder. Squeezing affectionately, before guiding her back to her seat.

"For all you are an adult in many ways, you are also still young and growing my friend. And you've been dealing, here, with things that older adults than you have trouble with." Keeping his tone and expression comforting, but not condescending at all. "Asgard acted as peacekeeper for the other 8 realms, and my sudden jaunt across the dregs of the universe was not the first time I'd traveled thankfully. Raised as I was, with Asgard's role, we also made it a point to learn about the other 8 and some of the realms beyond that. I had met people from a different 'time' only because of my own long life."

Once she was settled, then Loki'd take his seat on the floor again and was untroubled by it. She was friend and peer, student and ally. His friend and peer and student and ally, as she'd gotten a glimpse of. Which meant he would protect and do his best to care for her as well.

"In some ways, you can compare this place to what you know. There'd be no way not to, especially if they are all you know." The rest of the question though required some more thought and he took his time with it.

"Confusion is somewhat normal. I think it helps that I AM a trickster, and so I'm very used to adapting and making things up or working as they come at me. Plans I have need to be flexible, and so do I. But it's... That doesn't mean it can't be difficult. It can still be frustrating too."

From:

waterfawn

Eilonwy took the cup of tea as Loki handed it off and then made himself comfortable on the floor. Taking a small sip, she nodded at the tea and found it pleasant.

"It's.. it is difficult, yes." Another drink of tea as it started to work on her headache. "I don't feel ashamed by that, I just feel.. Suddenly very aware of myself compared to some adults that I know. I've heard about things I could never even fathom, spoken of easily! Even hearing that you've traveled no less than three times to entirely different areas is.."

Eilonwy looked at the tea, but didn't have more. "It's amazing, and confusing both. So I try to compare all of this to Llyr or Prydain where I can, which has helped, along with the friends I've made." There was an appreciative smile.

From:

whose_son_am_i

"Those three times were not by my choice really, if that helps at all?" Loki offered, although he had a feeling it wouldn't. The first honestly might or might not have been choice, as he had been certain he was going to die from letting go of Gungnir. Not be flung to the far corner and worst parts of a universe.

"Honestly you've shown remarkable resilience and adaptability, and that's something to be proud of. Yes, you may be very aware of yourself, but that makes it all the more remarkable. You are not breaking; you are, in fact, coping very well. You're not turning hateful, or distrustful, or mean. You're not giving in to fear from that confusion. It speaks to a strength of your character which I'm not at all surprised by."

From:

waterfawn

Eilonwy had another quick drink of her tea. "It's.. It wouldn't be kind of me to reduce what happened to 'it was still traveling', so I'm not going to do that." she said simply. The headache wasn't fully gone but the tea was noticeably helping along with the mental shields.

With a faint smile at the sudden compliment storm, Eilonwy fell quiet for a moment. "I'm proud of myself!" she assured him, "But my strength comes from my character as much as it comes from my title. A leader needs to know when to use their heart along with their head." She giggled suddenly. "Even if there's telepathy involved. Your compliments are very kind, Loki, and honestly something I did need to hear."

The cup was warming her hands and Eilonwy shifted her position very slightly to make sure the heat was somewhat evenly distributed.

"I'm not surprised by your strength either--" a beat. "No, that's completely not true. I'm very surprised by your physical and magical strengths. But not by your emotional strength at all."

From:

whose_son_am_i

"Not all leaders are so responsibily-minded or trained so well. They can be arrogant, or prone to letting their emotions over-rule them. They can insist they are always right and correct, as that is part of why they are the ruler." But Loki was proud of her, and nodded. He'd thought she might need to hear the compliments and reassurance.

On the one hand, she very much was an adult--certainly by her people's standards. At the same time though, she was still a child learning to be grown-up. And not simply because Loki was very much older in years by several centuries. So he walked a delicate balancing act, but was trying hard to do so. He respected and liked Eilonwy, considered her a friend.

Then it was his turn to raise an eyebrow, and look somewhat surprised. "Oh? Any of that, I will credit to you and other friends I've made here. I was not very strong emotionally before arriving in this place."

From:

waterfawn

"They can be, it's true." Eilonwy had met a very good example of that kind of ruler in the Horned King, but she'd also met other arrogant monarchs. It had been a very good test of her communication skills. She smiled at the nod and took another drink of the tea. The headache was getting quieter by the moment like an ebbing current.

Loki wasn't the only one dealing with balancing acts-- as much as Eilonwy was herself first and a princess second, she rarely allowed herself the luxury of forgetting what being a princess meant. She could rarely afford to, but she also equally liked Loki and had respect for him.

"Then I'm very glad that all of your friends have helped." Eilonwy smiled at the surprised expression Loki wore and had some more tea. "I hope we're able to continue to do so." She looked towards her bed for a moment and then back to where he was sitting on the floor.

"Would you like a quilt to sit on?"

From:

whose_son_am_i

Loki blinked, looked at the floor he was sitting on, then laughed to himself. "Right, I'm indoors and can make myself more comfy. I was a bit distracted." Getting to his feet, Loki twisted a hand and a large green cushion appeared. Which he then proceeded to settle on, still on the floor and grinning at her mischievously.

Edited Date: 2024-03-28 07:57 pm (UTC)

From:

waterfawn

"That does--" Eilonwy's sentence stopped before it could finish as Loki just pulled a cushion out of thin air. She watched as he did in fact make himself comfortable and laughed, thankful she hadn't taken another sip of her tea.

"That does happen, as I was going to say. But I also don't think I should be very surprised!" Eilonwy had seen her share of traveling spellcasters and performers who were just skilled at slight of hand. She shook her head. "You're the god of mischief, and that also fits."

From:

whose_son_am_i

That brought a good chuckle and he winked at her. "I'm a god of many talents, if you couldn't tell. Any you want me to pull out to amuse you, currently? While you're resting and recovering, since the hard part has been completed."

From:

waterfawn

"I did have an inkling, yes." Eilonwy answered with an amused smile before she thought for a moment. "You've already shown your skills in medicine and conjuring objects.. I know you can also sing but it'd be rude to ask you do that after you've made yourself comfortable, so I won't request a song."

Eilonwy finished the tea in her mug and nodded as she thought of a topic. "Since I'm having tea, do you have any favorites you like? Ones you can't find here, maybe?"

From:

whose_son_am_i

"I'm not actually that skilled in medicine, this is just what I remember my mother and the healers doing. For me or others, but especially for me when I had headaches of the kind you describe." Loki explained, entirely comfortable. "Tea has always been just a drink for me, so no real favorites other than those that have a hint of fruit to them. It was always something to be drunk when sick, or when you were avoiding Mead or Wine for whatever reason. Which was rare. Do you have any favorites?"

From:

waterfawn

Eilonwy listened, smiling at the mention of fruit. "That does sound familiar-- but most of our teas don't have as much of a flavor to them. If anything it tastes like light citrus, but I had one before from a neighboring kingdom that tasted like flowers and honey, it was very pleasant!"

Eilonwy thought back for a moment and laughed a little. "It did feel very different to be eating flowers instead of admiring them."

From:

whose_son_am_i

"Some of the floral ones are nice, but all tea with honey is good." Loki grinned, reaching out one hand to touch the floor. Letting it glow green, and giving Eilonwy an illusion of her cottage having a meadow with small wildflowers growing in it.

"How is your head?"

From:

waterfawn

"It's very true." Eilonwy agreed. As her floor was replaced with a meadow of wildflowers she leaned forward a bit to admire them.

"It's much better-- the pain isn't fully gone, but it's lessened. Thank you again." She looked up from the flowers and smiled.

From:

whose_son_am_i

The illusion was very realistic visually and for how it felt, but there was no scent. "The tea should help, as should the shield, in keeping you from the worst of the headaches. You might still have a mild one here and there, but it'll lessen as you get used to things." Loki was smiling too, glad she was feeling better and glad to have made her smile.