a seemingly unbreakable bond, shattered by a hand that he couldn’t place blame to. vili had been his person, his dearest friend one of the only people he truly cared for throughout his life. to know that he had feared him hurt more than the knowledge that he had sired a child with his own wife. did vili think him like their father? had odin not proved enough that he was nothing like him? vili’s actions showed that he had failed in those regards. such a realization seeped deep into his being, coating all feeling of success with a tar-like blackness that had him almost keel over sick.
brows pinched in slight confusion, peering over his shoulder once again. the gentle, paternal touch that vili placed upon his daughter’s shoulder shot viciously within him, knowing that it had been too long since he had done so to any of his own sons. swallowing slightly, his gaze found his brother’s, remaining silent before he heard the introduction in vanir tongue.
slowly did the giant’s body turn completely, wary in nature for a moment before his gaze finally found his nieces. a small, forced smile formed on his features as he took a few steps forward, slowly kneeling down to her height.
❝ hello, young valda. ❞ a warmth seemed to emanate from him, something he didn’t think he was capable of in that moment. over and over, he reminded himself that the child before him was blood and thus cared for, no matter the circumstances she came to be, ❝ i have heard plenty about you. has your father told you about me? ❞
𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐍𝐎 𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐈𝐍 𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐈'𝐒 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄𝐒 as he watched his dearest brother meet the child for whom he had left the walled city. He knew, deep within himself, that Vili might never be able to explain the reasons for leaving truly; to spare Valda, her life fragile, but to spare Odin too, for surely heartbreak was ever imminent at facing the seed of treachery of deepest character. Vili yet had not forgiven himself, but the duties of fatherhood had cast its web like Rán herself, and his was a life full of regrets.
He met Odin’s eyes with exacted kindness, wishing to express the urge for reconciliation that he dared not put into words. Odin was his brother, aye, but king as well, and Vili’s crime was plain as sunlight on a summer day. Yet Vili knew that Odin was unlike every king he had ever met, and prayed by Yggdrasil’s might that Odin’s heart was strong enough to stray past transgressions. Vili had not realized till now how much he has missed his brother until he took in those features.
Overwhelmed as Vili was, Valda proved his opposite. Smile spread wide in the ways that only children’s could, and a light giggle fell from her lips. “Have you?” she asked excitedly, eager to be the object of tales. Her words dripped with the Vanir accent, untroubled by the mannerisms with which she spoke. The bells in her hair jingled, the ribbons flying in the wind as she turned to exchange a gaze with her father.
“You are -” Hesitating for only a second before letting her small hand graze Odin’s forearm, almost in conspiracy. Then another smile bloomed, as if she stated absolute truth. “You are the kindhearted king. The one from all his stories. Is it true you tried to seduce a valkyrie? Does your horse really have eight legs? Is your queen as pretty as they say? Oh! Do you have any daughters?” Utterly uncontained, questions spilled from her lips without any source of containment or urges towards etiquette.
Vili shifted his weight, blushing at his daughter’s bright fervor. “Valda, in time,” he chastised with a light chuckle, turning his gaze towards his brother once more. “I... may have told her a few stories.” But foremost, not the one of the woman whose womb had carried her.
it took everything in his power to not bark, to lash out and snarl; instead, he kept his eyes closed but his mind open. a girl had been born from his wife and his bother, family then made in his absence. back remained to his brother, drawing in a long, deep breath to show is restraint. he did not know how long the young girl had gone without her mother, and odin above all others never desired a child to be separated from their parent. perhaps that was seen a hypocritical to some, but he knew his own truth and lived by it.
frigga knew not of their presence and, though the wound was fresh, odin knew he could never deny his brother of much. slowly, his attention peered over his shoulder, looking to the young girl and then to the one person in the world who knew him as much as he knew himself - even more so than his wife.
❝ you wound me, brother… ❞ he began, attention showing that sense of defenselessness as his words were spoken softly, ❝ i may have killed and shown no mercy to those who face be upon the battlefield. but i am no child murderer. you whisk her away…as if i were to seek her out and end her… ❞ head shook then, swallowing back the ghostly hint of pain that threatened to shine through.
❝ frigga is in fensalir . ❞ head turned back, looking away from vili before he continued, ❝ she will be happy to see you. ❞
grief and guilt rushed to the surface when vili saw the agony upon his brother’s brow. even as years had passed, he could spot the composure struggling beneath the surface, toiling within, and this time, he knew that he was its sole cause, his hand being the one to have sown the seeds of such struggle and pain. brother how i hurt you. in an instant, his own misery of indecision was drowned out by the pain upon his brother’s, ---- upon his KING’S ---- features.
valda, fortunately, did not sense his unease, quite unlike her and yet for the best. her eyes had locked on some trinket, unaware of the scrutiny being afforded her, or quite simply unminding, studying the orbs with the kind of directed awe that was only children’s. golden curls fell beyond her shoulders, tied with colorful ribbons per vanir traditions, and when she moved, as did they, baring the medallion at her throat, although it reached her collarbone. enchanted as it were, it warded off the sights of the norns and those gifted by the norns with SIGHT. which would include the ASYNJUR.
“.... i had my reasons, broðir. but you have always been the WISEST of us.”
after all, he had wholly believed his decision true, but it had also been tainted with loss and grief and under it all, hurt. there was none of such now, only crestfallen guilt and a wish for forgiveness even though he was prepared for rejection.
his gaze fell in courteous nod at odin’s words. “we.... we are not here for her.” he put a protective hand upon valda’s shoulder, recalling her attention from the orbs before childish hands might search table, intruding more than her father already has. braving further exile and anger, he spoke once more, directed to valda in the vanir tongue: “ ------ my doe, this... this is your uncle.”
From Asgard to Jotunheim: Discover the 10 Realms With These RPG Cards. Check out Marvel's latest news, articles, and press on Marvel.com!
While this is related to the current War of the Realms comics, MCU writers might be able to glean some valuable information from it.
I’m a sucker for political information, and this has some nice info.
Here is the article for folks:
Malekith the Accursed has spent years building a coalition to conquer the Ten Realms. After years of preparation and conquest—the fall of Alfheim and Nidavellir and more—he and his cabal of worlds have attacked in WAR OF THE REALMS. Their target? Midgard, a place that I happen to live in and so do you so now is probably a great time to panic.
That’s right: Malekith and the combined legions of Jotunheim’s Frost Giants, Svartalfheim’s Dark Elves, Niffleheim’s dishonored dead, Muspelheim’s armies of fire, the Roxxon Corporation, the realm-less Trolls, and (in a shocking heel-turn) the Angelic hoard of Heven now own Midgard. This is, generally speaking, not great for Midgardian inhabitants, society, or property values.
So what’s the big deal with all these realms anyway? What’s so nice about Midgard? Now that we’ve been crushed by the might of Malekith and they’ve divvied up the spoils, who’s really scored what? And why does it matter?
Well, it’s old Midgardian wisdom that it’s always important to be on good terms with the landlord. And sure, they may be a Frost Giant or a Minotaur energy executive or a screaming fire-insect or a vicious Dark Elf whose violent nature is a little extreme even for the most bellicose nation in the cosmos. But don’t judge too quickly! Who knows, maybe you got the ultra-capitalist Angels, and as long and you’re on time with the rent, that can’t be all that bad… Right?
Listed in order of quality of life, here is your cheat sheet for the realms—the vibe and inhabitants of each, what they’d be like to visit—and the skinny on our new landlords right here on Earth.
ASGARD
Inhabitants: Asgardians.
Climate: Feels like Denmark. Average temperature of 7.5°C, but fluctuates. Temperate climate. Low biodiversity—an Asgardian safari would be fairly boring due to the low levels of open wilderness remaining in the developed realm.
Development index: Highest of the realms. High life expectancy, high income, high education quality, and though it’s technically a theocratic monarchy, Asgard has experimented with various forms of leadership in times of political stress.
Best known industrial export: Management and administration.
ALFHEIM
Home races: The Light Elves and the wondrous, beautiful, and violent Faerie people.
Climate: Feels like France. Average temperature of 10.7°C, pleasant and temperate setting, very high levels of biodiversity. Warmer than most but not all places in the Ten Realms, this is a very nice realm to visit, or was before…the war. The one of the Realms.
Development index: Above median, so decently high! Moderate life expectancy, high-income, and high levels of education realm-wide. A monarchy, the government of Alfheim enjoyed generally favorable relations with other realms, with the notorious exception of Svartalfheim.
Best known industrial export: Agricultural products.
VANAHEIM
Inhabitants: The Vanir.
Climate: Feels like Germany. Home to dense forests and a low level of development to disturb the natural landscape—and, as such, is resource-rich. Average temperatures are about 8.5°C, but Vanaheim’s key ecological appeal is their high level of biodiversity and natural resources.
Development index: Above median. High education quality and life expectancies, though moderate incomes due to only partial exploitation of abundant resources.
Best known industrial export: Magically-attuned objects and services.
NIDAVELLIR
Inhabitants: Dwarves.
Climate: Feels like Switzerland. Arid and alpine, average annual temperatures of 5.5°C, but most of the real business is going down underground, so external temperature fluctuations are not a major climatological concern…at least before Muspelheim’s invasion of fire.
Development index: Above median. Residents of Nidavellir enjoy high income due to a prosperous developed economy, moderate life expectancies, and high levels of education. A monarchy and key Asgardian ally in WAR OF THE REALMS, Nidavellir hosted refugees of Alfheim before themselves suffering invasion.
Best known industrial export: Mining and skilled manufacturing. Big hammers.
HEVEN
Inhabitants: Angels.
Climate: Feels like Italy. It has 13.5°C annual temperatures, a temperate biome; it feels nice in Heven.
Development index: Above median. High life expectancy and income, moderate education quality. Anarcho-capitalist monarchy. It’s the newest of the realms, as the Angels have generally existed independently. Testy relationship with Asgard.
Best known industrial export: Financial services.
New Midgardian Colony: Given control of Africa. The continent has 1,260,000,000 inhabitants, a GDP of $2.27 trillion, and median age of 18.9; Africa is young and on the rise.*
*(These statistics do not include Wakandan GDP or population, owing to the nation’s policy of not participating in OECD data reporting.)
SVARTALFHEIM
Inhabitants: Dark Elves. Handy guide to distinguishing Dark Elves from Alfheim’s: the Svartalfheim elves ones tend to be much, much stabbier.
Climate: Feels like Ireland. Biome is home to bogs and swamps, but overall is quite temperate. Average annual temperature of about 9.3°C. Home to moderate biodiversity due to an environment conducive to diverse types of life.
Development index: 40th percentile, though moderate education, the life expectancy and income opportunity for Svartalfheim residents is low, owing largely to the martial nature of the society and poor administration. Government best described as a “loose gerontocracy” managing a number of factions with generation-spanning strife, only recently controlled by an appointed dictator.
Best known industrial export: Defense industrial products.
New Midgardian Colony: Europe. Population of almost 1 billion in 68 countries across 5.7 million square miles. Malekith kept the second-wealthiest slice of land for himself, as the region generates $22.5 trillion in GDP.
MIDGARD
Inhabitants: Humans and all the animals known to humans.
Climate: Varied. Global average temperatures of 14°C and rising. Roxxon Energy target of 16°C by 2050, and management indicates work is proceeding ahead of schedule.
Development index: From the view of the other realms? Rather low. Though moderate-income and education, Midgardians are known across the cosmos for their laughably low life expectancies, which rarely enter even the triple digits. Government is historically divided between nations, a policy that will continue following the consolidation of assets in post-War of the Realms accounting.
Best known industrial export: Prayers, Super Heroes.
New Midgardian Colony: Midgardian Roxxon Corporation ceded control of Antarctica. 5.1 million square miles, only 4,490 people; a frozen, resource-rich desert.
JOTUNHEIM
Inhabitants: Giants, including Frost and Mountain Giants.
Climate: Feels like Norway. Average annual temperature of 1.5°C. Biome ranges from arid and mountainous to arctic and also mountainous. Moderate level of biodiversity.
Development index: Bottom 30% of realms. System of government is, at best, a loose confederacy of tribes, at worst a tight confederacy of tribes controlled by a particularly frigid local strongman. Low life expectancy, low-income, low education quality, so very low quality of life.
Best known industrial export: None to speak of.
New Midgardian Colony: North America. Home to only about 539 million people across 8.3 million square miles, but has a GDP of $22.2 trillion. Only three countries with the largest city, New York, home to highest Super Hero-per-capita outside Westchester County (a statistical outlier due to a higher ed facility).
MUSPELHEIM
Inhabitants: Fire spirits.
Climate: Feels hotter than the hottest place on earth, Burkina Faso. Desert at best, on-fire at worst. Low biodiversity as very few things can be alive while constantly on fire.
Development index: Bottom 30%. Low life expectancy, education, and income.
Best known industrial export: None to speak of.
New Midgardian Colony: Asia. The largest cession by population, GDP, and area, the Queen of Embers will have her coffers and hands full—3,132,000,000 people in 28 countries with a GDP of $24.6 trillion across 11.7 million square miles.
NIFFLEHEIM
Inhabitants: The dead.
Climate: Think Canadian. Chilly at best, frozen at worst, average temperature of -5°C. High level of biodiversity, as everything dies†.
Development index: Bottom of the bunch. Low education, low income, life expectancy of 0. A monarchy.
Best known industrial export: Mortuary services.
New Midgardian Colony: South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Population of 516 million, this is the lowest-population land for the highest-population realm. GDP of $4.8 trillion.
†See work of R. Richards et. al (2015)
Just tagging to let folks know: @loki-the-fox; @deviantredhead; @trickster-grrrl; @lokiloveforever; @miharu87; @lucianalight; @latent-thoughts
... um, so in conclusion, i apparently have a lot of feels about loki and vili and loki being a jötunn amidst the aesir with people looking sideways at him
sorry for being m.i.a., i have like three exams the next five days and i am procrastinating/flunking/suffering all of them with poor coping mechanisms that apparently exclude this website. but i shall lurk & be back once the outcome is out of my hands and in those of an underpaid, confused professor.
Send me a symbol. Please note that some answers may be NSFW.
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Even if we have never interacted, you are more than welcome to send me memes. Sentence memes, text memes, questions about my muse. It’s a great way to start something new between muses. If you want to interact, but none of my starters are interesting, send me a meme. If you want to know my muse better, send me a meme. If you just have nothing better to do and want to see if something will develop between our muses, send me a meme.
