Living as Lenore: Chapter 35 " Just Your Average Dinner Party...at Asgard"
Title: Living as Lenore
Author: Luna (aka Luna_del_Cielo on lj)
Fandom: Supernatural/Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Cast of Characters: Tara/Lenore McLeod, Fergus McLeod/Crowley, Loki/Gabriel, Anya, Castiel, Kali, Eli, Angel, Darla, the Immortal, Bilquis, Spike, Drusilla, Dean, Sam, Scoobies
Rating: T
Summary: Willow tried to bring Tara back…and she did. Unfortunately, she was brought back to life in 1672. Now 'Lenore' has to deal with witches, demons, pagan gods, and even angels, as she struggles to find the red-haired woman she sees in her dreams.
Pairings: Anya/Gabriel, Anya/Crowley, Lenore/Kali, Lenore/Immortal, Lenore/Gabriel, Lenore/Willow
Spoilers: BTVS S6E19 ‘Seeing Red’, SPN S2E3 ‘Bloodlust’. Spoilers for Crowley's past in S6 “Weekend at Bobby’s” and Trickster/Loki's past in S5 ‘Changing Channels’
Warnings: Character death, Femslash (nothing explicit)
Read specific chapters here: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 | Chapter 21 | Chapter 22| Chapter 23| Chapter 24| Chapter 25| Chapter 26| Chapter 27| Chapter 28|Chapter 29| Chapter 30| Chapter 31| Chapter 32| Chapter 33| Chapter 34| Chapter 35|
Or all of the entire story: here
Just Your Average Dinner Party...at Asgard
A/N:
Another update! Yay! :) I’d like to get this story finished by summer, so cross your fingers!
Asgard, Highest of the Nine Worlds
December 21, 1910
A wave of trepidation washed over Lenore as they approached Valaskjalf, Odin’s silver hall that gleamed brighter than the North Star. The surrounding flora was lush and green, consisting of ash and evergreen trees, bushes, and flowers. Outside the hall were two troughs on each side of the great doors. Lenore let out a gasp as she spotted the first animal lazily chewing hay out of the right trough.
“What on earth…?”
Loki, seeming to not notice her reaction, let out a happy cry and jogged over to the beast. It appeared as a great horse yet it had eight legs. Although it had as many legs as a spider, its legs were not set in the same manner; two pairs of legs existed in the front and two pairs of legs at the end of the horse. The animal frightened her but as she looked closer she also saw the beauty of the creature. Its lush grey coat shimmered prettily under the sun and it appeared to almost smile as Loki embraced it around its neck.
“Sleipnir! How are ya, you great brute?” Loki chuckled as the horse whinnied in a pleased tone.
Loki appeared to listen for a bit and then replied. “Yeah, I know. This banishment has lasted longer than I would have expected,” he replied guiltily. “You know how things are…besides, did you get that early Yule gift I sent ya?” The horse, Sleipnir, whinnied again and Loki grinned smugly. “Yeah, I know. I’m the best parent ever.”
Standing alone, watching them, Lenore began to feel awkward. Norse mythology was not easy to research. Since Loki never discussed it all she had to go on were a few collections of poems - called the Eddas - and old Scandinavian writings - and they were all in unfamiliar languages. The major gods and goddesses were pictured, like Loki and Odin, but not much else. She recalled reading about Fenrir, Hel, Jörmungandr, and their mother Angrboda, but was unfamiliar with a horse child of his. Something told Lenore that she was completely unprepared to meet Loki’s Norse family.
Perhaps noticing her unease, Loki waved her over with a lopsided grin. “Lenore! I want you to meet one of my other kids. This is Sleipnir, Odin’s great steed.” Sleipnir made a proud noise and rubbed his snout against Lenore’s raised hand in greeting.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Sleipnir,” Lenore said with a kind smile - even if inwardly she was having trouble coming to terms with a giant horse being the child of her lover. Then again, she supposed she shouldn’t be so taken aback since she had met Fenrir.
“Okay, well we better join the fiesta before all the good mead is gone,” Loki remarked as he patted the animal’s hide. Sleipnir snorted and Loki laughed in response. “Yeah, I know. Odin already warned me about that ass hat.”
Loki rolled his eyes. “Do me a favor and kick him sometime? Ya know, make it look like an accident or something.” Sleipnir whinnied like he was laughing while Loki walked away and took Lenore’s arm in his. Patting her hand reassuringly he gave her a smile. “Freaked out yet?” he asked knowingly.
“What?” she asked in surprise - although more surprised that she wasn’t hiding her emotions very well, apparently.
He skeptically raised his eyebrows and squeezed her hand again. “You don’t have to be here if you don’t want to be,” he offered as the stood before the hall’s doors. “I know Odin wants it but the old geezer wants a lot of things and that doesn’t mean he should get it.”
Stubbornly, she shook her head. “I want to get to know this part of your life, Loki.”
Her oldest friend in the world gave her an almost sad smile. “I hope you feel the same way after dinner.”
Confused at what he was so worried about - after all she was a vampire for crying out loud and certainly not normal - she gave him a reassuring kiss on the lips. “I’ll be fine.”
Loki smiled at her words. “Alrighty then,” he grinned as he snapped his fingers. The double doors, made of tan-colored ash wood, opened simultaneously to reveal dozens of gods surrounding a large, rectangular oak table. At the head of the table was Odin, who grinned merrily at their entrance. However, many of the gods and goddesses openly glared at Loki; regardless of the warm fire at the end of the hall, the atmosphere felt chilly at best.
“Heidi-ho, fam-a-rooni!” Loki called out cheerfully, his amber eyes twinkling. Gazing around the room, he smirked. “Really, please, the tears and cries of happiness at my return are really uncalled for,” he remarked sarcastically.
Inside Lenore was feeling so embarrassed. This was Loki being Loki, but she wanted to chide him for his actions; this was no way to reconnect with his Norse family.
“Loki,” Odin intoned as he stood up, his deep voice reverberating through the immense hall. “I am pleased that you accepted my invitation and brought your beautiful consort, Lenore. Please, take the seats at my left hand.”
Scandalous whispers arose as their footsteps echoed throughout the room, causing Lenore to cringe on the inside. However, she presented a serene face to the observers.
“Loki should be ashamed to show his face here!”
“Have you heard? His latest consort is a vampire! Can you believe it?”
“A vampire is worse than Angrboda!”
“No wonder his daughter is half-dead if he lusts after such similar creatures!”
There were, thankfully, a few beings who gazed at them in an almost friendly manner. Fenrir stood near Odin’s end of the table with two other wolves that were almost as large as Loki’s son. While Fenrir’s coat was pure black, the other two wolves were snow white and charcoal grey.
As they neared the chairs, Loki gave Odin and indecipherable look, as if he was almost displeased with the seating arrangement. Nevertheless, Loki held the chair two over from Odin for her and Lenore sat down. Loki followed suit in the chair between her and Odin. Directly across from Loki was one of the most beautiful men she had ever seen. Lush dark hair topped a flawless face and his features were perfectly chiseled. Even without being told, she knew he was a god due to the sheer amount of light he seemed to give off. However, judging by the murderous look in his eyes as he stared down Loki, she presumed that this was the infamous Baldur.
Still standing, Odin began speaking. “Citizens of the Great Realm, I bring us together today to honor Yule, a time to bear witness to the return of the Sun and life back to our lands. Furthermore, I honor my son Baldur, who was brought back thanks to a mother’s love, my beloved Frigg. To Baldur!”
An enormous cheer arose in the hall and Lenore held up the silver goblet in front of her. Taking part in the cheer she bent her nose to the goblet and realized animal blood, likely deer, had been placed there. Pleased by Odin’s thoughtfulness, she took a sip.
“My final purpose for our thing is to bring my family back together again. For centuries my son and blood brother have quarreled and great harm has been endured by both them and many others in the process. Tonight we drink to burying this feud. May our realm prosper!”
A softer cheer went out and many glares, notably by Baldur, were directed towards Loki.
After that dinner was served by a group of beautiful women who wore battle armor and seemed to almost float, their efforts were so graceful. Most interesting were their helmets, which several of the other gods wore, that featured a pair of golden wings on each side of the head. “Who are they?” Lenore whispered to Loki.
“Odin’s valkyries,” Loki explained. “They often can only be found in the halls of Valhalla and the fields of war, yet they serve Odin in other select ways, occasionally.
As chatter began to fill the room, Odin directed his words to Loki and Baldur. “I am pleased that both of you are here.”
“It was not as if we had a choice, father,” Baldur remarked bitterly as he slowly swished the mead in his goblet.
“Bal, I gotta say, you look pretty good for a dead guy. Lemme guess, you did your make-up all special tonight, just for me?” Loki remarked snidely.
Baldur scoffed. “The way I see it, you seem to prefer the company of the dead,” he remarked with a pointed look at Lenore.
Lenore felt herself flush - not knowing if blood would be served tonight she had fed earlier - and shifted slightly in her high-backed oak chair. A low growl left Loki’s throat as he leaned over to stare directly into Baldur’s eyes.
“Speak of me as you please, but my mention of my consort should not leave your foul lips,” Loki warned.
“What will you do of it? You have few allies and numerous enemies, Trickster. I fear you not,” Baldur spat.
Odin thumped his staff against the ground twice, in quick succession. “Be silent with you threats, for I have already forbade such actions from either party. Your nonsense has brought far too much pain to this family and I will allow it no more,” the grizzled god explained in a calm, yet severe, voice.
“He started it,” Loki grumbled as he crossed his arms and leaned back into his chair.
“Really mature, Loki,” Baldur scoffed.
Odin snorted in an exasperated manner. “Geri, Freki,” he called. The two wolves standing with Fenrir came to stand on either side of Odin, the snow white one on the right and the charcoal-colored one on the left. Odin cut the rare meat upon his plate and then threw slices to each of his wolves. “Loki, Baldur, I will have each of you make amends, by the end of the night, or my wolves will be ordered to constantly snap at your feet throughout eternity,” the god threatened seriously.
“Odin! Don’t be foolish. Like you can really part with either beast for too long,” Loki smirked.
The two wolves snapped back in annoyance.
“I will forgive Loki his trespass against me, if I get something in return,” Baldur stated with gleaming eyes.
Loki tensed.
“What do you propose?” Odin inquired.
“I want the vampire,” Baldur said smoothly as he gave Lenore a sultry look. “When Loki had me murdered, my beloved wife Nanna killed herself. I want to deprive him of happiness with a female, likewise.”
Loki opened his mouth to respond but Lenore beat him to it.
“I am not some gift, you arrogant beast!” she hissed angrily. “I am not available to be given or taken.”
“My dear, I am the God of Love and Light. I promise I could make our unions much more memorable than the Trickster,” Baldur said, his lips curving into a telling smile.
“Eat shit and die, asshole,” Loki snapped as his hand protectively grasped Lenore’s arm. “She will not be yours. Furthermore, you seem to forget that your past actions brought similar pain to me.” His voice was filled with darkness and a touch of agony.
“Enough,” Odin ordered. “I grow weary of your squabbling. Both of you are no better than children. Baldur, you may not have the vampire. Loki; however, will give Baldur a gift.”
“Why?” Loki whined as Baldur smirked in a superior way.
“Because although you both have caused much harm to the other, Baldur never got you killed. Therefore, he is owed.”
“What!” Loki screeched. “Hells to the no, Odin. The little shit doesn’t deserve nothin’.”
Baldur just smirked.
Odin continued speaking as if Loki had said nothing at all. “Loki, you will give Baldur the standard gift of forgiveness - seven virgins.”
Lenore wrinkled her nose in disgust and prayed that Loki would not actually do such a thing.
“Fine,” Loki replied, a little too quickly.
“Female virgins, Loki, female. Don’t try to trick me,” Baldur said suspiciously.
Loki gave the other god a pleasant smile. “Fine. Seven female virgins it is. If I do this my debt is paid?”
After a pause, Baldur nodded. “I suppose, yes.”
Grinning, Loki snapped his fingers and seven pink sows wearing frilly white nightgowns fell onto Baldur, causing the god to fall back in his chair. “Damn you, Loki!”
Snickering, Loki shrugged. “What? I kept up my end of the agreement.”
Lenore had to hide her smile in her goblet of blood as the hall burst into laughter, particularly from Odin.
“So be it. The debt has been paid.” Off Baldur’s furious look, Odin merely raised one eyebrow. “Next time, my son, you should define the parameters of an agreement more closely.”
Baldur, for his part, glared at Loki in such a way that Lenore was sure the God of Love and Light would plot his revenge carefully.
***
The dinner carried on after Loki’s trick and soon Odin had entered into a long conversation with Loki. Left to her own devices, Lenore surveyed the room. While not much was written on Norse mythology she could at least pick out Thor. Easily the most muscular and intimidating god in the room, he had shoulder-length red hair covered by a gold helmet with wings (similar to the valkyries) and when he laughed it rumbled in the air like thunder.
“You know, it is not often that Odin allows outsiders into Asgard,” the goddess next to her remarked lightly. She was stunning with long blond hair and fair features, garbed in a red dress that shimmered under the torchlight.
Lenore turned to her and smiled. “I feel honored by the invitation,” she stated diplomatically - if there was one thing she learned as Kali’s lover, it was the delicate balance of power between the gods in each pantheon and thus the necessity of diplomacy.
The goddess made a ‘humming’ noise of agreement. “Do you like our lands?”
“Oh yes,” Lenore replied enthusiastically. “While I have yet to see much of it, the mere glimpses are breathtaking.”
Laughter fell from the woman’s ruby red lips like the tinkling of glass. “I imagine that phrase does not mean much when a creature such as yourself does not require such bodily functions.”
Lenore pasted a smile on her face; she could not decipher the woman’s intentions. Was she making an idle observation or mocking her in some way? Out of the corner of her eye she saw Loki look over but Odin reclaimed his attention quickly.
“It is an expression, yes. After all, a creature such as yourself does not need to breathe either, yes?” Lenore remarked.
The goddesses sky blue eyes narrowed slightly. “Indeed not. Tell me, vampire, do you consider yourself equal to the gods? As I hear it, you appear to primarily fornicate with our kind.”
By his lack of reaction, Lenore doubted that Loki heard the goddess’ low words. However, several other beings at the table quieted their conversations and listened in.
Lenore bristled. “Love, madam, is the great equalizer - it cares not about a being’s looks or background. Yes, I have entered into relationships with gods, however I do not believe that is any of your business,” she countered calmly, mentally squashing the sudden spike in anger. As a vampire - especially since her decades of giving into bloodlust - it was more difficult for her than others when it came to controlling her temper.
The goddess frowned at her remark.
“As to your question, all I can say is that we are all equal in the eyes of God,” Lenore stated honestly. She did not like this woman and suddenly felt no need to appear diplomacy. Typically pagan gods abhorred the mention of the One God, but Lenore really didn’t give a damn at a moment. That was, after all, her true belief.
The goddess scowled and several others gasped. “You, a lowly monster consider yourself to be equal to the gods? Ha!” she snapped scornfully.
“Sigyn,” she heard Loki suddenly say in a warning tone. Looking over, both Loki and Odin were staring at the two females, the latter appearing neutral and the former looking aggravated.
“Really, Loki. Where on earth do you find this presumptuous creature?” Sigyn sniffed. “She pales in comparison to our kind yet considers herself an equal.”
There was a rumble of agreement around the table from a majority of the gods. Several stared at her in concern, such as Fenrir and a goddess with skin almost as pale as Heimdallr and dull black hair pushed behind her ears.
“You are correct, Sigyn - Lenore is not your equal,” Loki stated matter-of-factly. An uncomfortable weight began to settle in her stomach but then, underneath the table, her lover grasped her hand. “She is your better,” he added snidely.
A furious scream blasted from Sigyn’s lips and her chair flew against the wall as she stood up. “Blasphemer! How dare you compare me to such filth! She is a vampire, a monster, an abomination of man and demon! I am your true wife and I find it perverse that you share your bed with such a beast! I’d rather you almost be with that multi-armed freak, Kali!”
Sigyn. Of course. Now she remembered seeing mention of her in a book, and a drawing of her and Loki. Suddenly, it was not just fury at the goddess’s actions that filled her, but the need to protect what was hers - this bitch could not have her Loki.
Drawing in the power of the earth, Lenore embraced her magic and let it shimmer in the air surrounding her as she stood up to face Sigyn. “You arrogant hag. You think yourself better than I, yet what have you ever done for the world? You have no worshippers and are merely a footnote in history.” She spoke calmly but each of her words fell upon Sigyn’s ears like daggers. Her heartbeat increased and Lenore felt a tickle in her gums that indicated her fangs were just waiting to extend.
The goddess’ blue eyes widened in disbelief and then narrowed in anger. Raising her arms, she hurled yellow liquid at Lenore, but the witch deflected it with her magic. The air stank of electricity and something toxic at the meeting of the liquid and her shield. Grimacing, Lenore performed a spell that sprang thick vines from the hall’s walls to wrap around Sigyn and yank the goddess against the wall, bound.
Unable to move thanks to the magically enhanced strength of the vines, Sigyn could only scream in hatred. “I curse you Lenore McLeod, to never have love in this life!”
Trembling with adrenaline, Lenore nearly jumped when Loki’s warm hand grasped her shoulder. “I think we should probably go,” he whispered.
Unfortunately, her act of anger opened the door to her bloodlust. Her fangs peeked out and there was a part of her that suddenly wondered what the blood of a goddess would taste like…
“Odin, thanks for the shindig. Baldur, now that you have a second chance at life, hopefully you can learn how to not be a great big bag of dicks. Everyone else, toodles,” Loki called out with a wave. He grasped Lenore around the waist and the next second they were outside Heimdallr’s great hall, near the tree named
Yggdrasil.
Driven by her bloodlust, her first response was one of outrage. “Why did you take me away, Loki?” she practically snarled. “I should have finished that bitch off!”
Lenore’s temple was pounding and her chest was constricting and all she could think about was death, death, death…Her heart beat in time to the internal chant and her mouth practically watered at the thought of ripping Sigyn’s head off.
Loki grabbed her by the shoulders and stared into her eyes. “Lenore, Sigyn may be a right bitch sometimes, but you can’t kill her.”
“Why?” she snapped. “Do you still love her?” The thought made her heart tremble with sadness and she felt the bloodlust receding.
“No!” Loki exclaimed. “Don’t be crazy, Lenore. I love you. But I just don’t need yet another bout of drama in my family - and you killing Sigyn would have accomplished such a thing.” His lips were pursed in irritation and Lenore could not decide if his aggravation stemmed from her, from Sigyn, or the situation in general.
Feeling frustrated, Lenore crossed her arms. “Fine. Just take me home.”
Loki sighed and led her back to Bifröst. They did not speak the rest of the night.
Reine, Norway,
December 31, 1910
After their return from Asgard, Lenore had left to visit Angel in an uninhibited area of the Black Forest. It was, in fact, becoming harder and harder to stay away from humans as society advanced and breached the walls of the forest. However, Angel had found a cave in the deep part of the forest that suited him for the time. Still in the process of recovery, he no longer went wild with bloodlust but it was still too early for him to be introduced to humans. Hell, it had taken Lenore a decade of being with Loki before she was able to be near humans and at the time she didn’t have an eighth of Angelus’ blood-filled memory.
But the reason for her sudden visit had less to do with monitoring her friend’s progress and more so because she needed time away from Loki. Her feelings for him had not changed but it was difficult for her to come to grips on the reality of the situation - after all, it was one thing to know he had children and goddesses and a whole other life, it was quite another to actually bear witness to it.
Approaching their home in the mountainside, Lenore’s sensitive ears picked up the sound of laughter and voices, some of them unrecognizable. Curious, although apprehensive, she made her way to the door and opened it with a ready smile. The ceiling of the den had been raised, apparently in order to allow Loki’s son Sleipnir to fit inside. Seated around the fireplace was Loki in his favorite chair, Fenrir on the floor in front of the fire, and a goddess Lenore recognized from Asgard - the pale one with the dark hair. She wore a white dress that fell past her feet and gazed at Lenore with a curious expression. Interestingly enough, Odin was back again and seated across from the goddess.
“Hello,” Lenore greeted them all, wondering if they were here for some sort of New Year’s Eve event. She and Loki had plans to go sailing over the Pacific to view the arrival of the new year; she had hoped for a romantic outing after the disaster of last week.
“Hi Lenore!” Loki greeted her cheerfully. There was something different about him that she couldn’t quite put her finger on…but then she realized it. In his emotive eyes she could sense just how happy he was. Lenore couldn’t quite remember if she had ever seen him so joyful. “You’ve met Odin and Sleipnir, and know Fenrir-”
“-unfortunately,” Fenrir muttered.
Lenore frowned. She knew that the great wolf had never liked her, probably in part by how Loki had used him over the years to watch out for her or deliver messages. Still, it bothered her.
Loki glared at his son. “And this,” he said with a gesture and a smile towards the goddess, “is Hel, my favorite daughter.”
“Your only daughter,” she commented dryly with a roll of her eyes. Her voice was thin and high, but it carried amusement into it and she sensed that bit of banter was an old tradition between them. Standing up, Hel approached Lenore and examined her; Lenore did the same to her. “I would have liked to have met you last week, but unfortunately my father stole you away just when things were getting fun.” The corner of her thin lips quirked slightly, just enough that Lenore began to speculate if Hel was the recipient of Loki’s odd sense of humor in the genetics lottery.
“Yes, that is a shame. But it’s nice to meet you now,” Lenore said with a genuine smile. Gods and goddesses didn’t often shake hands, so Hel just inclined her head slightly and sat back down. Lenore went on to greet the others and then looked for a place to sit.
When she noticed all the seats were taken, Loki slapped his legs. “Have a seat, my love,” he smirked.
Not particularly comfortable with displays of public affection - especially around Loki’s children - Lenore inwardly frowned yet nonetheless sat upon her lover’s lap, feeling suddenly shy.
“Odin brought the kids over for a surprise visit, so we were just catching up. I didn’t think you’d be back until later,” Loki commented.
“My experimentations with teleportation spells have been going more smoothly. I used one to get from the Black Forest to Denmark, then to Finland, and then to here. It was tiring but I think I’m finally getting the hang of it,” she smiled.
“I’ve heard the tales of your talents with magic, Lenore,” Odin said gruffly as he readjusted the wide brim of his hat. “You may be unaware, but I know some tricks of the trade as well,” he grinned boyishly as he tapped his staff twice on the ground. Instantly a dozen white doves erupted into the air and began to flutter around the room.
Laughing, Lenore clapped her hands. “Well done!” she cheered.
“Puh-lease. That’s a magician’s trick, Odin,” Loki snorted; Fenrir let out a sarcastic bark of laughter as well.
Odin pursed his lips. “Is that so, old friend? Tell me, what do you think of this trick?” Again he tapped his staff twice and suddenly all the doves flew above Loki’s head, Lenore was magically pulled across the room, and the dozen doves let loose a volatile amount of white feces all over Loki.
Hel, Fenrir, Sleipnir, Odin, and even Lenore burst out laughing at the unexpected move while Loki glared dangerously at the other god. “Don’t start a prank war again, Odin. Remember how that turned out for you last time.”
Odin smiled slyly. “Ha! Remember the volcano? I believe I won that war, Loki.”
Loki scoffed and snapped his fingers; thereby magically cleansing his body and clothes. “Nuh-uh! Remember when I bespelled your high throne, Hliðskjálf, to only allow you to see into the bedchambers of that jötunn, Thrivaldi?” Loki positively cackled at the memory, as did his children.
Odin grumbled, although he was still smiling. “That took over a month for me to figure out the counter-spell, you damned creature.”
Spreading his hands as if to say “What can ya do?”, Loki smiled and then gestured for Lenore to join him again on the chair. Once she was nestled in his arms he began speaking. “So, what are you crazy kids up to tonight? Lenore and I were going to go sailing in the Pacific, want to join?”
Hiding her surprise at his invitation - throughout the course of their friendship and then intimate relationship, they had more or less remained recluses - Lenore watched the reactions of the others. Odin still had a sly smile on his face, Hel appeared surprised, and - well - the horse and the wolf were hard to read.
“I think that sounds fantastic, Loki!” Odin boomed.
“Yes father, that sounds nice.” Hel smiled. “I am glad that your status in Asgard has changed.”
“How so?” Lenore questioned.
Loki shifted underneath her and wrapped his arms around her. “After the Baldur escapade I, ah, wasn’t quite welcome in Asgard - and frankly after what happened to Jörmungandr, Váli, and Narfi, I sure as hell didn’t want to.”
“With my father’s expulsion, all members of Asgard were forbidden from contacting him,” Hel explained
Fenrir snorted.
“Not that it really mattered to my brother,” she added with a smile at Fenrir.
“I know what happened to Jörmungandr, but who are Váli and Narfi?” Lenore asked.
The atmosphere in the room changed and the air became thick with tension. Odin, noticeably, was staring into the fire and avoiding eye contact. Lenore turned around to face her lover and was surprised by the depth of sadness in his eyes. “Loki?” she asked softly.
He shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about it.” After a beat he added in a strangely light tone, “I think I’m going to go for a run. Fenrir? Sleipnir? Wanna go for a run?”
Both his sons quickly nodded and Loki picked up Lenore, deposited her softly on the chair, and walked out without a backward glance.
Suddenly somber, Lenore asked Odin and Hel, “What did I say?”
Odin sighed and surprisingly Hel who was the first to speak. “Jörmungandr was mine and Fenrir’s brother. Early on in his and Baldur’s feud, the god of love began spreading rumors that Loki was evil, as were his children.” Hel grimaced at the memory. “It did not help, of course, that we were all deformed - monsters, they said.”
Puzzled, Lenore looked the dark-haired goddess up and down. She was not as beautiful as some goddesses but she was still nice in her own way. “But you look lovely,” Lenore protested.
A bitter laugh escaped Hel’s throat and she lifted up the hem of her dress. Instead of creamy pale skin, her legs were mottled and decayed, like a corpse. It took all of Lenore’s willpower to not moan at the ungodly sight.
“As you can see, we are all wrong, in a way. Our mother was Angrboda, a jötunn, or giant as you would say. Apparently,” she sighed, “even though other gods were able to successfully mate with the jötunn, our father was not. We were the result.”
“Anyways,” she continued with a wave of her hand, “Baldur’s rumors reached Greece and a little known demi-god by the name of Heracles was trying to make a name for himself. He slayed Jörmungandr and our family was devastated - my mother especially so. I imagine that Father would have murdered Heracles if he hadn’t been so well-protected by Zeus.”
Suddenly Lenore felt ill at the realization that she had slept with the murderer of Loki’s son. Yes, she had known about that fact but by all accounts the snake godling was truly evil. “But…I heard that Jörmungandr wanted to destroy the world.”
Hel’s eyes hardened like flint. “Like I said, that bastard Baldur put in a hell of a time at the rumor mill. Jörmungandr was no more likely to destroy the world than Fenrir - and we all know what the rumors say about him,” she snorted as she glanced at Odin.
“Yes, the godling may be disobedient at times but I doubt he will really eat me,” Odin chuckled.
“Oh,” Lenore commented lamely. Now she really understood why Loki hated Heracles - besides the fact that she later discovered he was in love with her at that time she was sleeping with the demi-god.
“Then, after Father orchestrated Baldur’s death, the other gods sentenced him to be tortured-” Hel’s breath caught and Lenore gave her a compassionate look. “They transformed my half-brother - his mother was Sigyn - Váli into a mad wolf who then killed my other half-brother Narfi. Once he regained his sanity, Váli was so sickened by his actions he killed himself.”
“Oh my god!” Lenore gasped in horror. “Why would they do such a thing?”
“The laws of gods are not like the laws of man, Lenore,” Odin explained with an almost guilty expression. “Certain rules are written and the breaking of our laws requires punishment. Baldur was much loved and the public opinion came down harshly against Loki.”
“Worst yet, was I think their deaths hurt my father even more deeply. The sons of Sigyn were unlike my brothers and I - they were perfect, as gods should be, unmarred,” Hel spoke in a wistful voice.
“I’m sure Loki doesn’t care what his children look like,” Lenore said comfortingly.
“This is true,” Odin nodded. “Loki always wanted a large brood - his children were his life. That is why, with the breaking of his banishment, I wanted to ensure his children got to visit with him. It has been centuries.”
“Oh my,” Lenore whispered. She missed her children terribly and could relate to his pain. Why hadn’t Loki ever told her of this before?
Odin sighed. “It is a shame that half of his brood has been killed and he cannot have any more. I am sure that fact pains him.”
Suddenly confused, Lenore asked, “Why can he not have more children?”
Odin’s single eye fixed upon her, the flames of the fireplace reflecting brightly in it. “Why, because of you, my dear. Vampires are unable to bear children. As long as he is with you he will not be allowed to bring more life into this world.”
The ancient god’s words hit her as heavy as Thor’s hammer; causing her to think upon many things…such as, would she ever be able to make Loki as happy as he was earlier, surrounded by all his children?
A/N:
References:
Sleipnir: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleipnir
thing: Nordic gathering
Geri, Freki: Odin’s wolves. He drinks only mead and never eats; all his food is given to them.
Raising her arms, she hurled yellow liquid at Lenore, but the witch deflected it with her magic. The air stank of electricity and something toxic at the meeting of the liquid and her shield.----------- This was meant to be snake venom (from the backstory of Sigyn and Loki)
jötunn: Giant
Thrivaldi: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrivaldi
*all other lore mentioned has been previously cited or comes from Wikipedia :)
Author: Luna (aka Luna_del_Cielo on lj)
Fandom: Supernatural/Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Cast of Characters: Tara/Lenore McLeod, Fergus McLeod/Crowley, Loki/Gabriel, Anya, Castiel, Kali, Eli, Angel, Darla, the Immortal, Bilquis, Spike, Drusilla, Dean, Sam, Scoobies
Rating: T
Summary: Willow tried to bring Tara back…and she did. Unfortunately, she was brought back to life in 1672. Now 'Lenore' has to deal with witches, demons, pagan gods, and even angels, as she struggles to find the red-haired woman she sees in her dreams.
Pairings: Anya/Gabriel, Anya/Crowley, Lenore/Kali, Lenore/Immortal, Lenore/Gabriel, Lenore/Willow
Spoilers: BTVS S6E19 ‘Seeing Red’, SPN S2E3 ‘Bloodlust’. Spoilers for Crowley's past in S6 “Weekend at Bobby’s” and Trickster/Loki's past in S5 ‘Changing Channels’
Warnings: Character death, Femslash (nothing explicit)
Read specific chapters here: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 | Chapter 21 | Chapter 22| Chapter 23| Chapter 24| Chapter 25| Chapter 26| Chapter 27| Chapter 28|Chapter 29| Chapter 30| Chapter 31| Chapter 32| Chapter 33| Chapter 34| Chapter 35|
Or all of the entire story: here
Just Your Average Dinner Party...at Asgard
A/N:
Another update! Yay! :) I’d like to get this story finished by summer, so cross your fingers!
Asgard, Highest of the Nine Worlds
December 21, 1910
A wave of trepidation washed over Lenore as they approached Valaskjalf, Odin’s silver hall that gleamed brighter than the North Star. The surrounding flora was lush and green, consisting of ash and evergreen trees, bushes, and flowers. Outside the hall were two troughs on each side of the great doors. Lenore let out a gasp as she spotted the first animal lazily chewing hay out of the right trough.
“What on earth…?”
Loki, seeming to not notice her reaction, let out a happy cry and jogged over to the beast. It appeared as a great horse yet it had eight legs. Although it had as many legs as a spider, its legs were not set in the same manner; two pairs of legs existed in the front and two pairs of legs at the end of the horse. The animal frightened her but as she looked closer she also saw the beauty of the creature. Its lush grey coat shimmered prettily under the sun and it appeared to almost smile as Loki embraced it around its neck.
“Sleipnir! How are ya, you great brute?” Loki chuckled as the horse whinnied in a pleased tone.
Loki appeared to listen for a bit and then replied. “Yeah, I know. This banishment has lasted longer than I would have expected,” he replied guiltily. “You know how things are…besides, did you get that early Yule gift I sent ya?” The horse, Sleipnir, whinnied again and Loki grinned smugly. “Yeah, I know. I’m the best parent ever.”
Standing alone, watching them, Lenore began to feel awkward. Norse mythology was not easy to research. Since Loki never discussed it all she had to go on were a few collections of poems - called the Eddas - and old Scandinavian writings - and they were all in unfamiliar languages. The major gods and goddesses were pictured, like Loki and Odin, but not much else. She recalled reading about Fenrir, Hel, Jörmungandr, and their mother Angrboda, but was unfamiliar with a horse child of his. Something told Lenore that she was completely unprepared to meet Loki’s Norse family.
Perhaps noticing her unease, Loki waved her over with a lopsided grin. “Lenore! I want you to meet one of my other kids. This is Sleipnir, Odin’s great steed.” Sleipnir made a proud noise and rubbed his snout against Lenore’s raised hand in greeting.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Sleipnir,” Lenore said with a kind smile - even if inwardly she was having trouble coming to terms with a giant horse being the child of her lover. Then again, she supposed she shouldn’t be so taken aback since she had met Fenrir.
“Okay, well we better join the fiesta before all the good mead is gone,” Loki remarked as he patted the animal’s hide. Sleipnir snorted and Loki laughed in response. “Yeah, I know. Odin already warned me about that ass hat.”
Loki rolled his eyes. “Do me a favor and kick him sometime? Ya know, make it look like an accident or something.” Sleipnir whinnied like he was laughing while Loki walked away and took Lenore’s arm in his. Patting her hand reassuringly he gave her a smile. “Freaked out yet?” he asked knowingly.
“What?” she asked in surprise - although more surprised that she wasn’t hiding her emotions very well, apparently.
He skeptically raised his eyebrows and squeezed her hand again. “You don’t have to be here if you don’t want to be,” he offered as the stood before the hall’s doors. “I know Odin wants it but the old geezer wants a lot of things and that doesn’t mean he should get it.”
Stubbornly, she shook her head. “I want to get to know this part of your life, Loki.”
Her oldest friend in the world gave her an almost sad smile. “I hope you feel the same way after dinner.”
Confused at what he was so worried about - after all she was a vampire for crying out loud and certainly not normal - she gave him a reassuring kiss on the lips. “I’ll be fine.”
Loki smiled at her words. “Alrighty then,” he grinned as he snapped his fingers. The double doors, made of tan-colored ash wood, opened simultaneously to reveal dozens of gods surrounding a large, rectangular oak table. At the head of the table was Odin, who grinned merrily at their entrance. However, many of the gods and goddesses openly glared at Loki; regardless of the warm fire at the end of the hall, the atmosphere felt chilly at best.
“Heidi-ho, fam-a-rooni!” Loki called out cheerfully, his amber eyes twinkling. Gazing around the room, he smirked. “Really, please, the tears and cries of happiness at my return are really uncalled for,” he remarked sarcastically.
Inside Lenore was feeling so embarrassed. This was Loki being Loki, but she wanted to chide him for his actions; this was no way to reconnect with his Norse family.
“Loki,” Odin intoned as he stood up, his deep voice reverberating through the immense hall. “I am pleased that you accepted my invitation and brought your beautiful consort, Lenore. Please, take the seats at my left hand.”
Scandalous whispers arose as their footsteps echoed throughout the room, causing Lenore to cringe on the inside. However, she presented a serene face to the observers.
“Loki should be ashamed to show his face here!”
“Have you heard? His latest consort is a vampire! Can you believe it?”
“A vampire is worse than Angrboda!”
“No wonder his daughter is half-dead if he lusts after such similar creatures!”
There were, thankfully, a few beings who gazed at them in an almost friendly manner. Fenrir stood near Odin’s end of the table with two other wolves that were almost as large as Loki’s son. While Fenrir’s coat was pure black, the other two wolves were snow white and charcoal grey.
As they neared the chairs, Loki gave Odin and indecipherable look, as if he was almost displeased with the seating arrangement. Nevertheless, Loki held the chair two over from Odin for her and Lenore sat down. Loki followed suit in the chair between her and Odin. Directly across from Loki was one of the most beautiful men she had ever seen. Lush dark hair topped a flawless face and his features were perfectly chiseled. Even without being told, she knew he was a god due to the sheer amount of light he seemed to give off. However, judging by the murderous look in his eyes as he stared down Loki, she presumed that this was the infamous Baldur.
Still standing, Odin began speaking. “Citizens of the Great Realm, I bring us together today to honor Yule, a time to bear witness to the return of the Sun and life back to our lands. Furthermore, I honor my son Baldur, who was brought back thanks to a mother’s love, my beloved Frigg. To Baldur!”
An enormous cheer arose in the hall and Lenore held up the silver goblet in front of her. Taking part in the cheer she bent her nose to the goblet and realized animal blood, likely deer, had been placed there. Pleased by Odin’s thoughtfulness, she took a sip.
“My final purpose for our thing is to bring my family back together again. For centuries my son and blood brother have quarreled and great harm has been endured by both them and many others in the process. Tonight we drink to burying this feud. May our realm prosper!”
A softer cheer went out and many glares, notably by Baldur, were directed towards Loki.
After that dinner was served by a group of beautiful women who wore battle armor and seemed to almost float, their efforts were so graceful. Most interesting were their helmets, which several of the other gods wore, that featured a pair of golden wings on each side of the head. “Who are they?” Lenore whispered to Loki.
“Odin’s valkyries,” Loki explained. “They often can only be found in the halls of Valhalla and the fields of war, yet they serve Odin in other select ways, occasionally.
As chatter began to fill the room, Odin directed his words to Loki and Baldur. “I am pleased that both of you are here.”
“It was not as if we had a choice, father,” Baldur remarked bitterly as he slowly swished the mead in his goblet.
“Bal, I gotta say, you look pretty good for a dead guy. Lemme guess, you did your make-up all special tonight, just for me?” Loki remarked snidely.
Baldur scoffed. “The way I see it, you seem to prefer the company of the dead,” he remarked with a pointed look at Lenore.
Lenore felt herself flush - not knowing if blood would be served tonight she had fed earlier - and shifted slightly in her high-backed oak chair. A low growl left Loki’s throat as he leaned over to stare directly into Baldur’s eyes.
“Speak of me as you please, but my mention of my consort should not leave your foul lips,” Loki warned.
“What will you do of it? You have few allies and numerous enemies, Trickster. I fear you not,” Baldur spat.
Odin thumped his staff against the ground twice, in quick succession. “Be silent with you threats, for I have already forbade such actions from either party. Your nonsense has brought far too much pain to this family and I will allow it no more,” the grizzled god explained in a calm, yet severe, voice.
“He started it,” Loki grumbled as he crossed his arms and leaned back into his chair.
“Really mature, Loki,” Baldur scoffed.
Odin snorted in an exasperated manner. “Geri, Freki,” he called. The two wolves standing with Fenrir came to stand on either side of Odin, the snow white one on the right and the charcoal-colored one on the left. Odin cut the rare meat upon his plate and then threw slices to each of his wolves. “Loki, Baldur, I will have each of you make amends, by the end of the night, or my wolves will be ordered to constantly snap at your feet throughout eternity,” the god threatened seriously.
“Odin! Don’t be foolish. Like you can really part with either beast for too long,” Loki smirked.
The two wolves snapped back in annoyance.
“I will forgive Loki his trespass against me, if I get something in return,” Baldur stated with gleaming eyes.
Loki tensed.
“What do you propose?” Odin inquired.
“I want the vampire,” Baldur said smoothly as he gave Lenore a sultry look. “When Loki had me murdered, my beloved wife Nanna killed herself. I want to deprive him of happiness with a female, likewise.”
Loki opened his mouth to respond but Lenore beat him to it.
“I am not some gift, you arrogant beast!” she hissed angrily. “I am not available to be given or taken.”
“My dear, I am the God of Love and Light. I promise I could make our unions much more memorable than the Trickster,” Baldur said, his lips curving into a telling smile.
“Eat shit and die, asshole,” Loki snapped as his hand protectively grasped Lenore’s arm. “She will not be yours. Furthermore, you seem to forget that your past actions brought similar pain to me.” His voice was filled with darkness and a touch of agony.
“Enough,” Odin ordered. “I grow weary of your squabbling. Both of you are no better than children. Baldur, you may not have the vampire. Loki; however, will give Baldur a gift.”
“Why?” Loki whined as Baldur smirked in a superior way.
“Because although you both have caused much harm to the other, Baldur never got you killed. Therefore, he is owed.”
“What!” Loki screeched. “Hells to the no, Odin. The little shit doesn’t deserve nothin’.”
Baldur just smirked.
Odin continued speaking as if Loki had said nothing at all. “Loki, you will give Baldur the standard gift of forgiveness - seven virgins.”
Lenore wrinkled her nose in disgust and prayed that Loki would not actually do such a thing.
“Fine,” Loki replied, a little too quickly.
“Female virgins, Loki, female. Don’t try to trick me,” Baldur said suspiciously.
Loki gave the other god a pleasant smile. “Fine. Seven female virgins it is. If I do this my debt is paid?”
After a pause, Baldur nodded. “I suppose, yes.”
Grinning, Loki snapped his fingers and seven pink sows wearing frilly white nightgowns fell onto Baldur, causing the god to fall back in his chair. “Damn you, Loki!”
Snickering, Loki shrugged. “What? I kept up my end of the agreement.”
Lenore had to hide her smile in her goblet of blood as the hall burst into laughter, particularly from Odin.
“So be it. The debt has been paid.” Off Baldur’s furious look, Odin merely raised one eyebrow. “Next time, my son, you should define the parameters of an agreement more closely.”
Baldur, for his part, glared at Loki in such a way that Lenore was sure the God of Love and Light would plot his revenge carefully.
***
The dinner carried on after Loki’s trick and soon Odin had entered into a long conversation with Loki. Left to her own devices, Lenore surveyed the room. While not much was written on Norse mythology she could at least pick out Thor. Easily the most muscular and intimidating god in the room, he had shoulder-length red hair covered by a gold helmet with wings (similar to the valkyries) and when he laughed it rumbled in the air like thunder.
“You know, it is not often that Odin allows outsiders into Asgard,” the goddess next to her remarked lightly. She was stunning with long blond hair and fair features, garbed in a red dress that shimmered under the torchlight.
Lenore turned to her and smiled. “I feel honored by the invitation,” she stated diplomatically - if there was one thing she learned as Kali’s lover, it was the delicate balance of power between the gods in each pantheon and thus the necessity of diplomacy.
The goddess made a ‘humming’ noise of agreement. “Do you like our lands?”
“Oh yes,” Lenore replied enthusiastically. “While I have yet to see much of it, the mere glimpses are breathtaking.”
Laughter fell from the woman’s ruby red lips like the tinkling of glass. “I imagine that phrase does not mean much when a creature such as yourself does not require such bodily functions.”
Lenore pasted a smile on her face; she could not decipher the woman’s intentions. Was she making an idle observation or mocking her in some way? Out of the corner of her eye she saw Loki look over but Odin reclaimed his attention quickly.
“It is an expression, yes. After all, a creature such as yourself does not need to breathe either, yes?” Lenore remarked.
The goddesses sky blue eyes narrowed slightly. “Indeed not. Tell me, vampire, do you consider yourself equal to the gods? As I hear it, you appear to primarily fornicate with our kind.”
By his lack of reaction, Lenore doubted that Loki heard the goddess’ low words. However, several other beings at the table quieted their conversations and listened in.
Lenore bristled. “Love, madam, is the great equalizer - it cares not about a being’s looks or background. Yes, I have entered into relationships with gods, however I do not believe that is any of your business,” she countered calmly, mentally squashing the sudden spike in anger. As a vampire - especially since her decades of giving into bloodlust - it was more difficult for her than others when it came to controlling her temper.
The goddess frowned at her remark.
“As to your question, all I can say is that we are all equal in the eyes of God,” Lenore stated honestly. She did not like this woman and suddenly felt no need to appear diplomacy. Typically pagan gods abhorred the mention of the One God, but Lenore really didn’t give a damn at a moment. That was, after all, her true belief.
The goddess scowled and several others gasped. “You, a lowly monster consider yourself to be equal to the gods? Ha!” she snapped scornfully.
“Sigyn,” she heard Loki suddenly say in a warning tone. Looking over, both Loki and Odin were staring at the two females, the latter appearing neutral and the former looking aggravated.
“Really, Loki. Where on earth do you find this presumptuous creature?” Sigyn sniffed. “She pales in comparison to our kind yet considers herself an equal.”
There was a rumble of agreement around the table from a majority of the gods. Several stared at her in concern, such as Fenrir and a goddess with skin almost as pale as Heimdallr and dull black hair pushed behind her ears.
“You are correct, Sigyn - Lenore is not your equal,” Loki stated matter-of-factly. An uncomfortable weight began to settle in her stomach but then, underneath the table, her lover grasped her hand. “She is your better,” he added snidely.
A furious scream blasted from Sigyn’s lips and her chair flew against the wall as she stood up. “Blasphemer! How dare you compare me to such filth! She is a vampire, a monster, an abomination of man and demon! I am your true wife and I find it perverse that you share your bed with such a beast! I’d rather you almost be with that multi-armed freak, Kali!”
Sigyn. Of course. Now she remembered seeing mention of her in a book, and a drawing of her and Loki. Suddenly, it was not just fury at the goddess’s actions that filled her, but the need to protect what was hers - this bitch could not have her Loki.
Drawing in the power of the earth, Lenore embraced her magic and let it shimmer in the air surrounding her as she stood up to face Sigyn. “You arrogant hag. You think yourself better than I, yet what have you ever done for the world? You have no worshippers and are merely a footnote in history.” She spoke calmly but each of her words fell upon Sigyn’s ears like daggers. Her heartbeat increased and Lenore felt a tickle in her gums that indicated her fangs were just waiting to extend.
The goddess’ blue eyes widened in disbelief and then narrowed in anger. Raising her arms, she hurled yellow liquid at Lenore, but the witch deflected it with her magic. The air stank of electricity and something toxic at the meeting of the liquid and her shield. Grimacing, Lenore performed a spell that sprang thick vines from the hall’s walls to wrap around Sigyn and yank the goddess against the wall, bound.
Unable to move thanks to the magically enhanced strength of the vines, Sigyn could only scream in hatred. “I curse you Lenore McLeod, to never have love in this life!”
Trembling with adrenaline, Lenore nearly jumped when Loki’s warm hand grasped her shoulder. “I think we should probably go,” he whispered.
Unfortunately, her act of anger opened the door to her bloodlust. Her fangs peeked out and there was a part of her that suddenly wondered what the blood of a goddess would taste like…
“Odin, thanks for the shindig. Baldur, now that you have a second chance at life, hopefully you can learn how to not be a great big bag of dicks. Everyone else, toodles,” Loki called out with a wave. He grasped Lenore around the waist and the next second they were outside Heimdallr’s great hall, near the tree named
Yggdrasil.
Driven by her bloodlust, her first response was one of outrage. “Why did you take me away, Loki?” she practically snarled. “I should have finished that bitch off!”
Lenore’s temple was pounding and her chest was constricting and all she could think about was death, death, death…Her heart beat in time to the internal chant and her mouth practically watered at the thought of ripping Sigyn’s head off.
Loki grabbed her by the shoulders and stared into her eyes. “Lenore, Sigyn may be a right bitch sometimes, but you can’t kill her.”
“Why?” she snapped. “Do you still love her?” The thought made her heart tremble with sadness and she felt the bloodlust receding.
“No!” Loki exclaimed. “Don’t be crazy, Lenore. I love you. But I just don’t need yet another bout of drama in my family - and you killing Sigyn would have accomplished such a thing.” His lips were pursed in irritation and Lenore could not decide if his aggravation stemmed from her, from Sigyn, or the situation in general.
Feeling frustrated, Lenore crossed her arms. “Fine. Just take me home.”
Loki sighed and led her back to Bifröst. They did not speak the rest of the night.
Reine, Norway,
December 31, 1910
After their return from Asgard, Lenore had left to visit Angel in an uninhibited area of the Black Forest. It was, in fact, becoming harder and harder to stay away from humans as society advanced and breached the walls of the forest. However, Angel had found a cave in the deep part of the forest that suited him for the time. Still in the process of recovery, he no longer went wild with bloodlust but it was still too early for him to be introduced to humans. Hell, it had taken Lenore a decade of being with Loki before she was able to be near humans and at the time she didn’t have an eighth of Angelus’ blood-filled memory.
But the reason for her sudden visit had less to do with monitoring her friend’s progress and more so because she needed time away from Loki. Her feelings for him had not changed but it was difficult for her to come to grips on the reality of the situation - after all, it was one thing to know he had children and goddesses and a whole other life, it was quite another to actually bear witness to it.
Approaching their home in the mountainside, Lenore’s sensitive ears picked up the sound of laughter and voices, some of them unrecognizable. Curious, although apprehensive, she made her way to the door and opened it with a ready smile. The ceiling of the den had been raised, apparently in order to allow Loki’s son Sleipnir to fit inside. Seated around the fireplace was Loki in his favorite chair, Fenrir on the floor in front of the fire, and a goddess Lenore recognized from Asgard - the pale one with the dark hair. She wore a white dress that fell past her feet and gazed at Lenore with a curious expression. Interestingly enough, Odin was back again and seated across from the goddess.
“Hello,” Lenore greeted them all, wondering if they were here for some sort of New Year’s Eve event. She and Loki had plans to go sailing over the Pacific to view the arrival of the new year; she had hoped for a romantic outing after the disaster of last week.
“Hi Lenore!” Loki greeted her cheerfully. There was something different about him that she couldn’t quite put her finger on…but then she realized it. In his emotive eyes she could sense just how happy he was. Lenore couldn’t quite remember if she had ever seen him so joyful. “You’ve met Odin and Sleipnir, and know Fenrir-”
“-unfortunately,” Fenrir muttered.
Lenore frowned. She knew that the great wolf had never liked her, probably in part by how Loki had used him over the years to watch out for her or deliver messages. Still, it bothered her.
Loki glared at his son. “And this,” he said with a gesture and a smile towards the goddess, “is Hel, my favorite daughter.”
“Your only daughter,” she commented dryly with a roll of her eyes. Her voice was thin and high, but it carried amusement into it and she sensed that bit of banter was an old tradition between them. Standing up, Hel approached Lenore and examined her; Lenore did the same to her. “I would have liked to have met you last week, but unfortunately my father stole you away just when things were getting fun.” The corner of her thin lips quirked slightly, just enough that Lenore began to speculate if Hel was the recipient of Loki’s odd sense of humor in the genetics lottery.
“Yes, that is a shame. But it’s nice to meet you now,” Lenore said with a genuine smile. Gods and goddesses didn’t often shake hands, so Hel just inclined her head slightly and sat back down. Lenore went on to greet the others and then looked for a place to sit.
When she noticed all the seats were taken, Loki slapped his legs. “Have a seat, my love,” he smirked.
Not particularly comfortable with displays of public affection - especially around Loki’s children - Lenore inwardly frowned yet nonetheless sat upon her lover’s lap, feeling suddenly shy.
“Odin brought the kids over for a surprise visit, so we were just catching up. I didn’t think you’d be back until later,” Loki commented.
“My experimentations with teleportation spells have been going more smoothly. I used one to get from the Black Forest to Denmark, then to Finland, and then to here. It was tiring but I think I’m finally getting the hang of it,” she smiled.
“I’ve heard the tales of your talents with magic, Lenore,” Odin said gruffly as he readjusted the wide brim of his hat. “You may be unaware, but I know some tricks of the trade as well,” he grinned boyishly as he tapped his staff twice on the ground. Instantly a dozen white doves erupted into the air and began to flutter around the room.
Laughing, Lenore clapped her hands. “Well done!” she cheered.
“Puh-lease. That’s a magician’s trick, Odin,” Loki snorted; Fenrir let out a sarcastic bark of laughter as well.
Odin pursed his lips. “Is that so, old friend? Tell me, what do you think of this trick?” Again he tapped his staff twice and suddenly all the doves flew above Loki’s head, Lenore was magically pulled across the room, and the dozen doves let loose a volatile amount of white feces all over Loki.
Hel, Fenrir, Sleipnir, Odin, and even Lenore burst out laughing at the unexpected move while Loki glared dangerously at the other god. “Don’t start a prank war again, Odin. Remember how that turned out for you last time.”
Odin smiled slyly. “Ha! Remember the volcano? I believe I won that war, Loki.”
Loki scoffed and snapped his fingers; thereby magically cleansing his body and clothes. “Nuh-uh! Remember when I bespelled your high throne, Hliðskjálf, to only allow you to see into the bedchambers of that jötunn, Thrivaldi?” Loki positively cackled at the memory, as did his children.
Odin grumbled, although he was still smiling. “That took over a month for me to figure out the counter-spell, you damned creature.”
Spreading his hands as if to say “What can ya do?”, Loki smiled and then gestured for Lenore to join him again on the chair. Once she was nestled in his arms he began speaking. “So, what are you crazy kids up to tonight? Lenore and I were going to go sailing in the Pacific, want to join?”
Hiding her surprise at his invitation - throughout the course of their friendship and then intimate relationship, they had more or less remained recluses - Lenore watched the reactions of the others. Odin still had a sly smile on his face, Hel appeared surprised, and - well - the horse and the wolf were hard to read.
“I think that sounds fantastic, Loki!” Odin boomed.
“Yes father, that sounds nice.” Hel smiled. “I am glad that your status in Asgard has changed.”
“How so?” Lenore questioned.
Loki shifted underneath her and wrapped his arms around her. “After the Baldur escapade I, ah, wasn’t quite welcome in Asgard - and frankly after what happened to Jörmungandr, Váli, and Narfi, I sure as hell didn’t want to.”
“With my father’s expulsion, all members of Asgard were forbidden from contacting him,” Hel explained
Fenrir snorted.
“Not that it really mattered to my brother,” she added with a smile at Fenrir.
“I know what happened to Jörmungandr, but who are Váli and Narfi?” Lenore asked.
The atmosphere in the room changed and the air became thick with tension. Odin, noticeably, was staring into the fire and avoiding eye contact. Lenore turned around to face her lover and was surprised by the depth of sadness in his eyes. “Loki?” she asked softly.
He shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about it.” After a beat he added in a strangely light tone, “I think I’m going to go for a run. Fenrir? Sleipnir? Wanna go for a run?”
Both his sons quickly nodded and Loki picked up Lenore, deposited her softly on the chair, and walked out without a backward glance.
Suddenly somber, Lenore asked Odin and Hel, “What did I say?”
Odin sighed and surprisingly Hel who was the first to speak. “Jörmungandr was mine and Fenrir’s brother. Early on in his and Baldur’s feud, the god of love began spreading rumors that Loki was evil, as were his children.” Hel grimaced at the memory. “It did not help, of course, that we were all deformed - monsters, they said.”
Puzzled, Lenore looked the dark-haired goddess up and down. She was not as beautiful as some goddesses but she was still nice in her own way. “But you look lovely,” Lenore protested.
A bitter laugh escaped Hel’s throat and she lifted up the hem of her dress. Instead of creamy pale skin, her legs were mottled and decayed, like a corpse. It took all of Lenore’s willpower to not moan at the ungodly sight.
“As you can see, we are all wrong, in a way. Our mother was Angrboda, a jötunn, or giant as you would say. Apparently,” she sighed, “even though other gods were able to successfully mate with the jötunn, our father was not. We were the result.”
“Anyways,” she continued with a wave of her hand, “Baldur’s rumors reached Greece and a little known demi-god by the name of Heracles was trying to make a name for himself. He slayed Jörmungandr and our family was devastated - my mother especially so. I imagine that Father would have murdered Heracles if he hadn’t been so well-protected by Zeus.”
Suddenly Lenore felt ill at the realization that she had slept with the murderer of Loki’s son. Yes, she had known about that fact but by all accounts the snake godling was truly evil. “But…I heard that Jörmungandr wanted to destroy the world.”
Hel’s eyes hardened like flint. “Like I said, that bastard Baldur put in a hell of a time at the rumor mill. Jörmungandr was no more likely to destroy the world than Fenrir - and we all know what the rumors say about him,” she snorted as she glanced at Odin.
“Yes, the godling may be disobedient at times but I doubt he will really eat me,” Odin chuckled.
“Oh,” Lenore commented lamely. Now she really understood why Loki hated Heracles - besides the fact that she later discovered he was in love with her at that time she was sleeping with the demi-god.
“Then, after Father orchestrated Baldur’s death, the other gods sentenced him to be tortured-” Hel’s breath caught and Lenore gave her a compassionate look. “They transformed my half-brother - his mother was Sigyn - Váli into a mad wolf who then killed my other half-brother Narfi. Once he regained his sanity, Váli was so sickened by his actions he killed himself.”
“Oh my god!” Lenore gasped in horror. “Why would they do such a thing?”
“The laws of gods are not like the laws of man, Lenore,” Odin explained with an almost guilty expression. “Certain rules are written and the breaking of our laws requires punishment. Baldur was much loved and the public opinion came down harshly against Loki.”
“Worst yet, was I think their deaths hurt my father even more deeply. The sons of Sigyn were unlike my brothers and I - they were perfect, as gods should be, unmarred,” Hel spoke in a wistful voice.
“I’m sure Loki doesn’t care what his children look like,” Lenore said comfortingly.
“This is true,” Odin nodded. “Loki always wanted a large brood - his children were his life. That is why, with the breaking of his banishment, I wanted to ensure his children got to visit with him. It has been centuries.”
“Oh my,” Lenore whispered. She missed her children terribly and could relate to his pain. Why hadn’t Loki ever told her of this before?
Odin sighed. “It is a shame that half of his brood has been killed and he cannot have any more. I am sure that fact pains him.”
Suddenly confused, Lenore asked, “Why can he not have more children?”
Odin’s single eye fixed upon her, the flames of the fireplace reflecting brightly in it. “Why, because of you, my dear. Vampires are unable to bear children. As long as he is with you he will not be allowed to bring more life into this world.”
The ancient god’s words hit her as heavy as Thor’s hammer; causing her to think upon many things…such as, would she ever be able to make Loki as happy as he was earlier, surrounded by all his children?
A/N:
References:
Sleipnir: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleipnir
thing: Nordic gathering
Geri, Freki: Odin’s wolves. He drinks only mead and never eats; all his food is given to them.
Raising her arms, she hurled yellow liquid at Lenore, but the witch deflected it with her magic. The air stank of electricity and something toxic at the meeting of the liquid and her shield.----------- This was meant to be snake venom (from the backstory of Sigyn and Loki)
jötunn: Giant
Thrivaldi: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrivaldi
*all other lore mentioned has been previously cited or comes from Wikipedia :)