the cuckoo's child, by invitation

[purposeful_glory]

It is obvious from the time Loki learns to walk that she is not going to be very good at it. Normal toddlers fall, and often; she does it more, and longer. She has been practicing at walking for years before she can cross a floor smoothly nine times of ten, even if she does not sprawl completely every time she missteps.

She winces when she trips, not so much out of embarrassment or because she's hurt herself, but because the reactions are never good.

Falling is not a princessly thing to do.

Comments

[pythbox]

"There are girls who learn magic," says Frigg, "but you will not be one of them, because your mother wants you to be better than that."

[alicornucopia]

"Mother does magic sometimes, though," Loki says slowly.

[pythbox]

"The power of Odin is sacred, and it came at a terrible price," he says, shaking his head. "It is no art of men."

[alicornucopia]

"Her eye," nods Loki, pensive.

[pythbox]

"Her eye, and other things," says Frigg. "Terrible and secret things. I would hope you do not seek power at so great a cost."

[alicornucopia]

"I would rather learn magic that doesn't want my eye," says Loki. "But I don't like that I am not supposed to learn any magic at all whether it wants my eye or not. If there are two kinds of people and one kind doesn't do magic and the other does, maybe I should just be the other kind?"

[pythbox]

"You cannot," sighs Frigg. "A woman you were born; a woman you will be. And please, do not voice such thoughts to your mother."

[alicornucopia]

"I don't talk to her about anything important," says Loki.

[pythbox]

"You are wise beyond your years," says Frigg, smiling.

[alicornucopia]

"Sometimes I have a new idea for talking to her and then I try it, but never with anything that matters. But you don't growl at me."

[pythbox]

"I do not," says Frigg. "Fathers do not growl. We are gentle and kind."

[alicornucopia]

Loki considers this, then says, "I don't want to growl at any children. Does that mean I just can't have them?"

[pythbox]

"Growling," says Frigg, "is optional."

[alicornucopia]

"Oh, that's good, I thought maybe it was like hitting my enemies with swords when I am big enough to have enemies," says Loki with relief. "...Is that optional? Maybe I could just not have any enemies? Where do those come from anyway?"

[pythbox]

"They come from many places," says Frigg. "And if you have them, and do not defeat them, they will try to defeat you. But hitting them with swords is not the only way." He smiles slightly. "Your mother, for example, carries a spear."

[alicornucopia]

"...And it would be bad to just magic them defeated and go back to whatever I wanted to be doing?" Loki clarifies.

[pythbox]

"It would be dishonourable," says Frigg. "If you do that too often, every warrior in the Nine Realms will be your enemy."

[alicornucopia]

"Oh. Then I would never get to do whatever I wanted to be doing," frowns Loki. "...All of them? Even Thor would hate me?"

[pythbox]

"Thor would think you had done a very bad thing, but she is your sister, and she loves you," says Frigg.

[alicornucopia]

"Oh." Loki sighs. "I would still like to be able to do other things with it, though. I read a book that said sorcerers can change into birds!"

[pythbox]

"We can," says Frigg. "I have done it. You can touch my cloak of feathers if you like, but you cannot use it, because it is not yours. And you cannot make your own, because you are not a sorcerer."

[alicornucopia]

"I want to fly," says Loki. "Sometimes I have dreams about flying and I'm not clumsy at all."

[pythbox]

"We all have dreams," her father sighs.

[alicornucopia]

"What do you have dreams about?"

[pythbox]

"Complicated adult things."