Frank in a Paint-War
The next few weeks were the happiest Loki could remember. He and Darcy were a force to be reckoned with. They fell into a certain kind of schedule that suited them both. He would leave after his midday meal to the passage to Midgard, Jörmungandr in tow. He would make it into Darcy’s room around the time she got home from school. For the rest of the evening, he would help her with her school work if she needed it, which most of the time, she didn’t. Darcy was very smart, the only problem was, she couldn’t sit still long enough to look at the problems in front of her.
She was always moving.
Darcy moved when she was working on math, or when they watched movies, and even when she was listening to him speak. He learned quickly that her movement in no way meant she wasn’t paying attention. In fact, she paid better attention when she did move. So, he thought better not to bring it up.
When he returned her movie player after disassembling it over and over, even making modifications to improve the quality of the image with magic, she had bounced around excitedly. “It’s in 3-D! Loki you made my movie player 3D!”
He would figure out what that meant later.
Their search for the tesseract was relentless. Darcy gave him new books every day. Some of them had very little to do with the tesseract and others so very much. He was even able to take a few tomes from Asgard and lend them to her. They spent a good deal of time reading together, writing notes on their new discoveries, and enjoying snacks that Darcy’s mother made. Darcy liked carrots and a delectable sauce called ‘ranch dressing’. It could be eaten with anything, according to Darcy, along with a tomato-type pottage called ‘ketchup’.
Loki preferred treats called ‘pizza rolls’. They were the essence of deliciousness. He often dipped them in ranch dressing. Even Jörmungandr had become infatuated with ‘hot dogs’. Darcy did not think much of them, but the small snake would refrain from eating other things if it meant he would get one of those long meat rolls later. Loki did not think they were very good, but Jörmungandr could eat ten in a minute. Darcy had counted.
Recently, they had been planning an expedition.
It had been Darcy’s idea that they go explore Midgard together, but they were constantly running into issues.
First, Darcy’s parents and brother were always downstairs when it was daylight, and they both agreed it was essential that her family stay ignorant of his presence.
Second, his attire was not Midgardian and Darcy told him that people would get suspicious if they walked around with him dressed so strangely.
Third, Darcy claimed it was not safe for children to walk around outside at night. That meant they would have to go on the last two days of a Midgardian week called a ‘weekend’. And they would have to ride bikes or walk or take the bus.
They were able to remedy parts of the situation.
Darcy told him that sometimes, Darius went over to his friend Jake’s house after school to spend the night. That meant Saturday morning, they were free to go outside for the day while Darius played at his friend’s house. Darcy also guaranteed that Darius was bigger than Loki, but Loki was taller. So, the clothes might be able to fit. It was a well thought out plan.
Loki woke up on the Midgardian ‘Friday’, thoroughly excited for his outing with Darcy the next day. He intended to stay the night at her house so there would be no time wasted that morning. Darcy claimed that it was common for friends to sleep at each other’s houses on occasion.
Jörmungandr slithered off of Loki’s pillow. He had grown and was now stretched the length from Loki’s wrist to the tip of his middle finger. Loki yawned, letting his friend slip onto his knee lazily. “What shall we do today, Jörmungandr?”
The snake responded by putting his mouth over Loki’s thumb affectionately.
He sighed, falling back onto his pillows, “We should practice magic. Freshen up on spells that could help while we’re at the Midgardian Library.”
The snake coiled his body around Loki’s finger, tongue flicking over his palm. “I am convinced you only stay with me because of the food.” He giggled as the small animal slithered up his arm to rest in his hair.
Once he was dressed for the day, Loki rushed off to the hall to dine. Thor was sitting at one end of the table by Sif and Hogun, Mjolnir on the floor beside him. Loki had chanced sparing with Thor and his new weapon and he dared to say that it was as terrifying as facing a bilgesnipe. It was truly a weapon worthy of a king.
Thor, however, did not look like he wielded the weapon of a king. His face was set in a full pout while he viciously shoved bits of bread, fruit, and roast pheasant into his mouth. Loki, unthinking, sat next to his brother and began to eat his breakfast, a glow of excitement radiating from his skin. Mother had given him permission to be gone for an entire night due to his nearing on adolescence.
“What are you so happy about?” Sif sneered, a piece of oiled bread in her hand.
Loki shrugged, not sure if he should mention that he had been granted permission to do something that Thor would never be able to do. It seemed rude to brag. “It is a fine day, is it not?”
Thor slammed down hs goblet at this, “Of course! It’s always a fine day for Loki! When were you going to tell me that father gave you permission to adventure!? Did you not think me worthy? Or were you too caught up in your books?”
“Thor, I meant no offense…”
“Oh, didn’t you?” his blonde brow coming together in anger, “Is that where you’ve been lately?”
Loki held up his hands, Jörmungandr lifting his sleek head from Loki’s eggs to watch. “Thor, listen. I only go to study. Really, I’m not doing anything you would be interested in. I only got permission so I could advance my research.”
Sif scoffed, Hogun seemed entirely unattached, Thor was bitterly angry. “Oh yes! Loki the studious! Always looking to answer the questions of Yggdrasil! Allowed to leave for the entire day and abandon his training for womanly practices!”
Loki tried not to be hurt. Thor was just angry. He would stop when he calmed down. In the meantime, Loki thought it better to leave. He would not be the rut of Thor’s distress. Standing, he picked up Jörmungandr and turned to his brother, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Your chance will come in time, Thor. Do not be discouraged.”
Thor batted his hand away, shoving off his younger brother. “Go back to your magic Loki. No matter how much time you spend studying, you will never be a true warrior. They’re just tricks and cannot impress anyone. You cannot be king!”
Loki swallowed dryly, lips pursed. It was not princely to leave conversation without excusing yourself or using some farewell remark, but he made an exception in this case, walking slowly to the library without so much as a backwards glance at his brother. He did not need Thor’s approval of his studies. He did not need Asgard to be impressed with him. It did not matter that he was not a warrior or that he couldn’t be king.
He had Darcy. A friend. If even for a short while, they could find the tesseract and explore and discover new things. Squaring his shoulders, Loki strode into the library, nodding to Lady Asta on his way to his usual table.
Taking out his book of notes, Loki fell into tranquility. It wasn’t that he intended to be king, grant it he wished sometimes that he could be. But Thor was the firstborn, and hence, the crowned prince. Loki was only second in line. The more he learned about the duties of being king, the more Loki’s opinions of it contrasted. It was a responsibility that involved leaving his books and magical studies for ruling.
Yet, it ushered in the opportunity to change Asgard, to use what he learned to improve its functions. The potential influence of his studies on Asgard could be quite beneficial. But Thor was right in one regard; he was not a warrior. Asgardians, when looking for security in their kings, took it from the strength of their leaders in battle. Loki was capable in a fight, but relied too heavily on magic and mischief. Thor, on the other hand, was the epitome of what Asgard looked for in a king. Tall, strong, golden….
Loki sighed, shaking his head. He should focus on his studies. If it was the good of Asgard he cared about, it would suit him to know as much as possible to help guide Thor when he became king.
He focused on becoming absorbed in the list of spells he would master and use for tomorrow.
- Invisibility spell – useful for making one’s self and other’s invisible to the senses of those around them. (Possible extension to Heimdall, not enough research)
- Simple Conjuring Spells – conjure small things from the imagination, requires little magic if you have an idea to base it off of. (use entails a great deal of prior magical knowledge; no living things can be conjured)
- ‘Teleport Spell’: Not quite mastered. Moves person(s) through space in almost no time, uses more magic the further individual(s) travel.
- Fireball Spell: An offensive spell; dangerous. Mother says only use it in an emergency. Requires immense focus.
- Healing Spell: Fixes minor injuries, not recommended for large casualties.
Satisfied, Loki planned to practice his transporting spell. It would be quite useful once he accomplished moving more than four bookshelves away without completely exerting himself. The spell was made for sorcerers who had passed their adolescence and developed their full magical capacity. He was still in his youth and was itching for more potential.
Sighing, he practiced sending Jörmungandr in different directions, sometimes with his eyes shut, sometimes picturing where he wanted his friend to be, then bringing him back. The amount of magic needed for Jörmungandr was less because of his smallness. Eventually, Loki began to move himself around, making personal notes on what he could do to improve his actions.
It had been a few hours when his mother strolled from behind a shelf just in time to see the second prince appear from some unknown destination in front of his notes to write. “Loki.”
He peered over his shoulder, a light grin meeting his lips. “Hello Mother.”
She came up behind him, stroking a lock of hair behind his ear. “How are you today?”
“Very well. I have almost captured the essence of what this spell needs to work.” He explained softly, scrawling across the page.
Frigga smiled tenderly. “It seems that you have done so most conventionally. Loki, would you mind taking a rest from your studies? I wish to discuss something with you.”
“Of course, Mother.” He said, letting Jörmungandr slither onto his hand and stowing his notes in his pocket. They wandered through the library and into the main halls, Jörmungandr flicking his tongue over Loki’s earlobe. “What is it you wish to discuss?”
The Queen’s smile faltered a bit. “There are a couple things. First, I would like to speak of your brother.”
“Yes?”
“What do you think would help him?” Frigga inquired, “Loki, you must understand some things. You are quite perceptive, of everyone but yourself. He has been quite temperamental as of late.”
Loki nodded, crossing his arms behind his back as they walked. “Well, I think that Thor is bitter because I have more freedoms than him because I am younger.”
“Very true.” Frigga agreed, her blonde eyebrows coming together, “He is angry at you.”
He exhaled deeply, “I know. I do not know how to soothe his nerves.”
“Loki,” his mother began, a hand under her chin, “you are very important to your brother. It is not good for him to be resentful of you. How must you fix this?”
His mouth set, “I do not know. Perhaps his anger will recede.”
Frigga shook her head, “No, Loki. I will not have a rift between the two of you. Your transferring to adolescence is coming up soon and you will find that you may begin being irritable with him as well. It would be easier to mend your relationship now.” She took in his blank stare. “Consider this a matter of spells Loki. What is the goal of a perfect spell?”
He hummed in thought. “Optimum strength possible with little energy exerted.”
“And what does that necessitate?”
The answer hit Loki, as Darcy so charmingly put it, like ‘a sack of bricks’. “Balance.” He said.
“Exactly.” Frigga said, taking her sons hand as they stared out onto the bright Asgardian afternoon. “So often people believe that all there is to a King is how he fights. But Loki they are wrong. You must find a balance with Thor, Loki. Brothers should not fight. Nor should one let the other blame him for the other’s problems. Show him that where he has strength, you have intelligence. Both are needed from Asgard’s princes.”
Loki nodded in understanding. “I will attempt to reason with him the next time we meet.”
His mother gave him a knowing look. “Thank you, my son.”
He nodded, “What was the other matter you wish to discuss?”
Her smile broadened a bit, “As you may be aware, in the next few days, we will host the ceremony of your adolescence.”
Excitement stirred inside his gut. “I am aware.”
“No doubt you have read about it before, but I must warn you before hand of the effect it will have on you.” Frigga cautioned. “Because you practice magic, you will occasionally gain massive inflation of magical energy. It will be difficult manage at times. You must be prepared for these.”
Loki had read about the adolescent magical tendencies. They varied based on the magical capacity and race of the sorcerer. Some only struggle with anxious eating habits or scorching desires to conjure toads. Others are less fortunate and become emotionally imbalanced, craving power or dominance. From what he read, these cases are rare and can be treated with ‘a powerful emotional link’. “I have studied the matter.”
Frigga chuckled, “Indeed. However, I want you to start finding something that will calm you down better than anything else. When these influxes of power occur, revisit this practice.”
“Yes Mother.” He promised, thoughts immediately going to Darcy.
***
Loki patted Hel on her bony shoulder. “Good girl.”
She neighed happily, letting Loki remove his satchel from her side. With him, he had brought his sleep clothes, his hair comb, and a desert he had picked up from the kitchens. Darcy was always sharing Midgardian food with him, it only seemed right that he bring her his favorite treat from Asgard.
Biding Hel goodbye, he and Jörmungandr ran to the cave opening, slipping inside and teleopting to Midgard. Darcy’s voice was audible from under the bed.
“Oh yeah! Darius, isn’t home! It’s my birthday, woohoo, woohoo, woohoo!” she sang, her small socked feet dancing around her purple room.
He slipped from under her bed, a smile on his face. “Hello Darcy.”
“Loki!” she exclaimed, falling to her knees beside the bed, “You wouldn’t believe it! Darius isn’t going to be here until Saturday afternoon! I’ve got some of his clothes that he doesn’t wear that much so my mom won’t know. And I’ve got maps!”
She hurried to her bookshelf, pulling out a tall book labeled Land Mammals. From inside the cover, she removed a shiny piece of folded paper. “I found this in the coffee shop my mom goes to. It was sitting on a table of cards and stuff. So, I hid it in my book.”
Loki straightened his armor, sitting on her bed and pulling his bag up with him. “You hid it in a book? Clever.”
“I know! Here, look at it. I think we have to walk into the city. It shouldn’t be far.” Darcy said, handing him the map. “Are you sure you can’t ride a bike?”
He unfolded the sticky piece of paper, examining the unfamiliar navigation systems. “Ah, no, I think not. I have only seen a bicycle in that children’s book on your shelf. What do these markings mean?” he asked, pointing to a pale hatched line that swerved across the paper.
Darcy sat next to him, a lock of her hair brushing over his shoulder, “Those are train tracks.”
“What are trains?” Loki asked. He assumed it was a form of transportation, like cars or airplanes.
“Trains? They’re like big cars but with one engine in the front and they run on train tracks. The car at the end is called a caboose.” She tapped her chin, falling back on her stuffed animals, “Well, my dad says that people used to use trains to travel around a lot. But not anymore. Now they’re mostly used to carry around stuff. Like rocks.”
“Perhaps tomorrow we can see a train.” Loki suggested, opening his bag. “And I brought you something.”
Darcy’s wide blue eyes widened in delightful surprise. On her face was the sincere happiness and excitement he looked forwards to. Jörmungandr slithered onto her head, his tail slinking down over her eyebrows. “Really? Is it a book? Is it a flower? What—“
“Hold on a second!” Loki warned, reaching into his bag and closing his hand over the pastry. It was wrapped up in a draw-string bag adventurers used when they went out. It could keep food warm for long lengths of time. He smiled at his friend. “Close your eyes.”
Obediently, Darcy’s eyes snapped shut and her small lips pressed together in excitement. “Are you going to tell me yet?”
“Darcy, why would I tell you to close your eyes if I was going to tell you?” he teased openly and she giggled.
“I don’t know, hurry up!”
Without hesitation, he placed the bag in her hands and she felt it curiously, opening her eyes. Carefully, she pulled open the strings and removed the treat. It was shaped like an Asgardian rose, the crust flaked into the many petals, the center was a rosy pink, giving an implication to the warm strawberry center.
“Wow, it’s pretty.” Darcy said, cupping it in her hands. “Thank you, Loki!”
He grinned, pleased that she enjoyed his gift as he has enjoyed hers. “You’re welcome. It tastes better than it looks.”
She laughed and took a bite, those big blue eyes taking up half her face as she chewed. She swallowed before speaking. “That’s amazing.”
She took another bite, falling back on her pillows and kicking her legs a bit. “Mmm mmm mmm. How do they make this? Are these strawberries? And cream? Here…” she tore the flower in two and handed Loki half of it.
He held up a hand, “No, I couldn’t. Darcy it is yours.”
She pouted, “I’m sharing. Sharing is caring, Loki.”
He hesitated.
Darcy nudged him, “Come on, you know you want it.”
“If you insist.” He relented, taking his half of the pastry and biting into it. Flavor consumed his mouth as he searched for words to properly describe the taste on his tongue. It was almost as good as Midgardian pizza rolls.
Darcy sucked on her fingers once her half of the pastry was finished. “That was great. Do you eat those a lot?”
“When the kitchens make them. Sometimes I request them, but mother says I should not eat too many.” He sighed, standing up and walking around Darcy’s room. He was admittedly entertained by her small toys. They were fascinating. Whether it be the materials or their functions.
He picked up something squishy and purple from her desk, holding it up. It seemed to be a small flat hand with a long stretchy rope attached to it. He gave it a casual flick to the side and the hand stuck itself to the wall. “Darcy? What is this?”
She glanced up from the map, walking over to him. “Oh, that’s my Whacky-Whack.”
“Your what?”
“My Whacky-Whack.” She clarified, peeling the hand from the wall.
“A Whacky-Whack?”
“Yep.”
“And what is its purpose?” he inquired holding up the rubbery toy.
Darcy sighed, taking it from his hand and slung it about wildly till the tiny hand hit his face. “That. That is what it does.”
Loki skeptically picked the toy from his face. “Interesting. Isn’t there something better that could be done with these?”
“I don’t know. Maybe….”
And that is how Loki learned about finger painting. Darcy explained to him that it was usually done with actual fingers, but they could try it with the Whacky-Whacks (she had five). At first, it was quite fun. They dipped the bits of stretchy material into paints and hit papers with it, making little handprints. Then Darcy’s hit Loki in the face, leaving a large blue glob of paint across his cheek.
That\ resulted in a ‘paint-war’, as Darcy so elegantly put it.
“CHARGE!” Darcy screamed, her hair matted with green and red paint, her cheekbones marked with bright blue stripes. In her hands were two Whacky-Whacks, dripping with paint.
Loki was not in any better state, his armor coated in a thick layer of blue, yellow, and purple. “I wouldn’t, Darcy!” he called, swinging around his own Whacky-Whacks, backing up as she advanced. She truly had poor fighting tactics. “I am a prince and am trained as such!”
One of the hands hit him in the chest and he responded by adding more red paint to her neck and face. Darcy, who was unable to land any more blows with her Whacky-Whacks, jumped on him, throwing all her weight onto his chest. It was the shock that threw him to the ground and kept him there as Darcy smeared the remainder of her blue paint on his face.
Jörmungandr even joined in, rolling in the yellow paint and spinning over the floor and Darcy’s toes.
Giggling, he turned them over so she was on her back. He did so playfully as not to hurt Darcy. He learned a while ago that Midgardians were not as strong as Asgardians. He picked up the green paint and was about to wipe it over her face when the bedroom doorknob began to turn. “Darcy, what are you doing in there?”
Immediately, Loki remembered his spells, turning himself invisible and moving to a far corner of the room. Darcy’s mom entered and for the first time, Loki had a good look of her. She wasn’t very tall, but she had brown hair like Darcy and large pretty brown eyes that were now filled with horror. “Darcy Lewis! Your room!”
Loki glanced around shamefully. They had truly made a mess. The walls, the ceiling, the floor, Darcy’s possessions were all covered in Whacky-Whack hand prints and splatters of paint. Darcy looked around frantically, a hand coming in contact with her forehead, successfully coating her face with green-blue paint. “Woah. That’s a lot of paint.”
“DARCY!”
“Wait! Mom, I’m sorry! I just forgot about…stuff. I can clean it up!” Darcy protested as her mother’s horror quickly morphed into anger.
“Oh no, you’re going to take a shower while I try to deal with all this!” she sighed, “You’re hair needs attention anyways.”
Darcy’s hands flew to her hair, thick and tangled with paint. “No. Mom. Please, I’ll do anything. I’ll clean it up.”
Darcy’s mother shook her head in exasperation. “Not another word. I’m going to get the carpet cleaner while you get into the shower.”
She left the room after glaring sternly at her daughter. Immediately after she left, Darcy ran up to her door and closed it. “Loki! Help! She’s angry and she wants to do my hair! I won’t have any hair left because she’ll rip it out!”
Loki turned himself visible, racking his mind for the right words to a spell. “I think I can clean it up. Hold on.”
She waited anxiously by the door as Loki raised his hand, casting the spell with some effort. In a bright green flash, the room, Jörmungandr and Loki were clear of all paint. He felt the small snake curl on the toe of his boot. Everything was spotless and back to its original color without so much as a stain. Well, all except Darcy. She was still covered.
“You did it!” Darcy explained, pumping her drying fist in the air.
The doorknob jiggled and Loki turned himself invisible again as Darcy’s mother reentered tugging a strange large plastic device. Her mouth gaped. “Darcy…what…where…?”
Darcy triumphantly put her hands on her hips. “I told you I could clean it up! Taa daa! I guess you won’t have to tear out all my hair now! I won’t even have to shower!”
“No…Darcy...the mess…How…?”
“I used my shirt!” Darcy lied excitedly, “So, you can go now. You’re not going to rip out my hair, are you?”
Darcy’s Mother leaned against the door in disbelief. “I’m going crazy.”
“Go drink some coffee. Daddy says he goes crazy without coffee.” Darcy smiled, blue paint covering one tooth.
“Just…just shower Darcy.”
“Shoot.”
About an hour later, Darcy was clean, dressed in her pajamas and sitting in front of Loki as he brushed out her hair. He’d been doing it a lot lately since Darcy hated even looking at a brush and she didn’t like her mother to do it. Surprisingly, he liked it. The only terrible part was that Darcy didn’t hold still and it made getting some knots especially difficult.
That night, Darcy’s mom bought a food called pizza which was like a pizza roll, but better. Darcy brought him up two slices from the kitchen and he ate them while they watched a film called Shrek in their blanket fort. Loki snuck to the bathroom to change into his sleepwear and relieve himself. He was intrigued by the different appliances.
He jumped a little at the loud noise the ‘potty’ made when flushed.
Perhaps Asgard was better in that respect.
He and Darcy fell asleep with Jörmungandr still watching the movie.
***
“Loki, wake up! Come on, my mom went out to go get milk. She said I could go outside whenever as long as back home by lunchtime!”
Loki yawned, stretching smiling at the blanket of the blanket fort over his head. “What time is it?”
“Seven o’ three. Come on! Get up! My mom can’t see that you’re here!” Darcy exclaimed, bouncing up and down, already dressed in pants made of a material called ‘denim’ and a purple sweater. “Come on!”
Jörmungandr lifted his head lazily from his place on Loki’s pillow. They never woke up this early. “In a moment.”
“Loki, get up. Come on, you’re being like my mom. It’s a Saturday and you’re wasting it with sleeping! You can do that on a school day.” Darcy encouraged, shaking his shoulder.
Giving in, Loki crawled out from his sleeping space, Jörmungandr lolling on his shoulder. Darcy led him downstairs where they ate ‘cereal’ which was no more than sugar and milk. Though, in truth, ‘Fruit-Loops’ were quite wonderful.
Darcy put their dishes in the sink, rushing him back upstairs hand handing him a stack of Darius’ clothes. He dressed in them, deciding that whoever wore them had the most unfortunate taste in style. The shirt was yellow with a flimsy collar, the jeans were too light of blue and they didn’t come far enough down on his legs so the white socks were visible.
“Your brother dresses horribly.” Loki remarked, observing himself in the mirror, attempting to comb his hair back with Darcy’s brush.
Darcy sighed. “I know. I keep telling him ‘purpler’, but then he kicks me out of his room.”
Loki set down the brush, satisfied with his hair while his friend bounded around the room collecting a pack full of things she thought they would need on the way to the library. This included: a map, a rope, a portable light, a toothbrush, three snack bars, some leftover pizza, A Wrinkle in Time, three crayons, and five pencils.
“Alright! We’re ready!” Darcy said, fitting the pack on her back, holding out her hand for Jörmungandr to slither on. “Wait, I have to go potty. You can go wait downstairs if you want. I’ll be super fast!”
With that she was off and Loki made his way down the stairs to Darcy’s living room where he sat upright on the sofa. On the table in front of him were different looking books. They were not thin enough to be pamphlets, nor were they thick enough to be books. He picked one up, feeling the silky pages filled with pictures of pretty people, some scantily clad, some in such intimate positions he feared this bit of colorful reading may not be meant for his eyes.
Then he came across a picture of a man in what Loki assumed was formal Midgardian attire. The caption for the picture read, Three Piece Pinstriped Suit; Black.
Loki remembered his conjuring spell. Surely the apparel the man in the picture wore was more suitable than his current clothes. Confidently, he cast the spell, pleased at how well the Three Piece Pinstriped Suit fit him. He was unsure of the strange knot around his neck, referencing the bizarre book for its name.
His ‘tie’, as it was called,he turned green to add color.
Darcy appeared in the room, eyes widening. “Woaaah, where did you get that?”
Loki felt is face get warm, “Magic. Is it alright?”
Darcy pursed her lips, walking in a tight circle around his body. “Well…I guess it’ll work.”
He smiled, detecting the tease in her voice. “Are we ready then?”
“Yep. Unless you have to go pee.” Darcy said, “Did you go yet?”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Darcy—“
“I’m just sayin’—“
“Darcy, the tesseract.”
She snapped her fingers, “Right! Let’s go team!” She yelled, pointing straight ahead towards the front door, Jörmungandr hanging off her knuckle, his tongue lolling out most determinedly.