“I swear, all I do is write lessons plans.” Sharon sighed as she placed her papers into her bag, shaking her head. “That and marking-” The woman cut herself off however as suddenly she started to feel dizzy, her limbs going numb before static played in her ears.
Sigyn had been talking to the woman about how the classes were finishing out and just general family things when it was clear that Sharon hadn’t been doing well. Her arms slipped around her friend and moved her into a chair. “Love, are you doing alright? Did you eat today?”
“My illusions are still quite charming thank you!” Loki insisted with a small huff before kissing the womans hair. “And yes your son has been tattling. Because he was quite worried about you.” Loki noted softly, letting out a sigh. “Even if I am locked up you can’t be doing this to yourself.”
Still relatively annoyed, the woman sighed. “It isn’t just that. Which is not to say that I am not worried for you, because I will always worry for you, but it is just that I have been in far too many places in my own head.” She needed the distraction from her thoughts, that’s why she spent the time working. “It has been so hard to watch you sit in that cell, but my current stresses are not only of ones concerning you.” Though, if she was being honest it was nice to be back in his company. “It would be easier if you could stay out of trouble, however.” She teased with a small smile.
Loki could only let out a chuckle as he walked up to his wife, resting a hand on her cheek. “I am really here my love. I was allowed a night visit… Good behaviour and all that.” He shrugged before pulling her into a tight hug, letting out a sigh. “Your son informed me that you have not been looking after yourself.” He tsked, rubbing at her back. “And my Illusions are not ridiculous!’
“Oh, and so now it laughs at me.” Sigyn, irritable as she was in her tired state, snapped with a roll of her eyes. She was about to tell him to leave until he pulled her close and with her own arms going around him she just knew. “Your son is tattling on me now?” She questioned, hiding herself in her husbands form. “Your illusions are much less charming than when we were younger.”
Sigyn had been dealing with her stress in many ways, most of which included cleaning, going on long walks, and locking herself in her office for long periods of time. Right now her office door was slightly ajar and she was working on grading papers for one of her classes. She had classical music playing through the speakers of her computer and a hot coffee sitting in a mug nearby.
She couldn’t be bothered when the door opened further, but only just took enough time to respond in words. “Good afternoon.” Or perhaps it was evening, she didn’t know for sure.
After much bargining Loki was finally allowed out for one night, insisting it was needed to keep his wife sane and thankfully with his good behavior it was allowed.
Loki would have headed straight to his home if it wasn’t for his sons words in regards to Sigyn, the woman had spent so much time in her office and it was concerning the demi god.
Arriving at the door Loki gave two soft knocks before entering. “Good evening. My love.”
It was the sound of the familiar voice that had brought Sigyn out of her own head, even if only long enough to respond by dropping the pen she had been marking papers with. “Loki..?” she stood and in only a moment she’d realized her mistake, for as she moved to her husbands side it was finally clear how little she’d been taking care of herself. She fell back to sit on the edge of her desk, hands covering her face and rubbing her eyes. She wasn’t sure if she was dreaming at all. After a few slow breaths she’d looked up again. “There is no way. You’re still in a cell, either I’ve finally managed a bit of sleep or you’ve sent one of your ridiculous illusions to me.”
“Funny, father says the same thing but about him.” He chuckled, settling comfortably into his chair before he nodded at the woman. “It was average, Thor was called out of his class for some personal emergency I can only assume so I had to teach the class until it ended. I’m getting the hang of it and students are beginning to respect me.”
“Of course he would.” In fact she was sure Loki said many things, some of which were not too precise or close to the truth. Sigyn listened intently to her son talking as she made mental note to give her brother-in-law a call later to check that all was well. “I’m glad to hear that. Are you still enjoying it?”
“You’re my mother. I might have about fifty siblings scattered across all nine realms, but I only have one of you.” He smiled softly before he man returned the hug, squeezing her shoulders the way she used to do to him when he was much smaller. “Teriyaki noodles and vegetables. I used what we had leftover in the house.” Aesir explained as he found a chair and sat down in it. “I may be a spoiled Prince but at least I can cook.”
“Aesir.” Her breath came out with the slightest laugh. “I would wonder where you got all of your sweet and charming nature, but I think we proven enough times how much my son you are.” She pulled the plate towards her side of the desk as he sat. “I’m sure your girlfriend will appreciate that fact. I suppose I’ll make way to the store tomorrow afternoon so that we have food in the house. How was your day?”
“Mother…” Aesir breathed out slowly before he placed the plate on Sigyn’s desk, picking up the papers with his free hands. He stacked them on the corner of her desk before the boy wrapped his arm around her shoulder, a frown pulling down on his face. “You need to stop stressing yourself out. Everything will be fine.”
She watched with tired eyes as her desk, which before had been quite an organized mess, was stacked up and moved away from her immediate sight. “You worry too much.” She feigned a smile. “Everything is fine,” Sigyn looked at the plate. “besides, I trust we won’t have much longer to deal with this and classes are almost up.” She sat up a little straighter and gave the best hug she could from her position. “What did you bring?”
“Uh, try good evening. It’s about eight o’clock at night.” Aesir corrected as he entered his mother’s office, holding a plate covered in tin foil. “I brought you dinner and- What on Midgard are you doing?” He asked as his eyes moved around the office, it looked like the woman hadn’t left it all day. “Have you left here. At all today? Other than to teach?”
“Oh, shit.” She rubbed at her face and sighed. “I’m sorry darling, I’ve been busy with these darned papers and I am behind on project grading.” With the end of the semester nearing she was swimming in problems even not related to current family dramas. Though at the very least it kept her mind away from the issues and her lack of sleep. “I left for classes, and I think I went out around 1 for lunch,” she slipped a moment. “maybe that was yesterday...”
Sigyn had been dealing with her stress in many ways, most of which included cleaning, going on long walks, and locking herself in her office for long periods of time. Right now her office door was slightly ajar and she was working on grading papers for one of her classes. She had classical music playing through the speakers of her computer and a hot coffee sitting in a mug nearby.
She couldn’t be bothered when the door opened further, but only just took enough time to respond in words. “Good afternoon.” Or perhaps it was evening, she didn’t know for sure.
After hearing of her granddaughter’s arrival, you could say that Sigyn was beyond thrilled. She’d, as of recent, been leaving Aesir alone. For the most part. it almost made her more lonely than normal. What with Loki also shackled away she wasn’t getting much in the way of family time. That’s why she opened up towards Ingrid . She needed some sort of familiar contact, and she was sure that Hela wouldn’t mind all too much of her spoiling her daughter.
“Darling! I wasn’t expecting you so soon.” Sigyn smiled kindly as she nearly always did. “How are you adjusting?”
“It does?! Oh damn I’m good.” He laughed. “Are you here to take my class?”
“Of course I’m not.” Sigyn groaned. “I just needed a sample of good, off the top of the mind poetry for my students, though yours might serve well as a what-not-to-write. After all rhyming isn’t all there is in poetry.”
Sleep had been riddled with terrors for many years, often resulting in nights of pacing dark corridors and peeking into her children’s room. Loki would have never told her that her fears were unnoticed, and yet not once did she ever mention them to him. It was far too real, too close to what they had gone through to even think about confiding in him. Yet, every night she tried to sleep, again and again, the same cycle.
She was sitting in her throne room back on Jotunheim, many things on her list for to do’s while she was home. She looked over them with mild distaste, she’d always loved being Queen, helping people. It was her duty and she took to it kindly even as an Asgardian. The sound of feet across the floor bounded through the large empty halls and she wondered if someone had come for a visit, it was none, none other than her precious son Aesir who, in a slight moment had found himself climbing up the throne to sit with his mother like he always did whenever his keeper would look away.
“Your Highness I am quite sorry--” The lady began but Sigyn shushed her, not like her husband in the ways of hiding her child away. “It’s fine. I am not expecting anyone for the day, he should be fine here.” She waved the girl off and pulled the child onto her lap. She cooed at him, her fingers brushing his tousled dark hair from his face. “My darling.” She mused, kissing his forehead in such a way as to coax him into a smile. “You do realize you can not fight every day on when to sleep.” Aesir grinned widely at her in that oh so charming way that he did. “I wanted to see you, Mummy.”
How could she say no to her son? So she let him stay, just till she was about done with her work, and as she hoped to send him to bed--Loki had returned home. The look in his eyes was fearful, and yet also threatening. “Off to bed now love.” She kissed him once before he ran to his father’s arms, gaining a mild hint of what she thought was a smile before he stood somewhere between them. “Loki, I--” She silenced as he approached.
“It won’t happen again.” She said when he stood afront her. It looked like he was angry, but in that moment she ceased with her ability to hear him at all.
The small boy ran back to resume seat on his mother’s side, but all else failed to be realized when the large doors of the throne room opened to reveal her greatest threat. Her world slowed, and in all of her experience she had no way of protecting him, no way of hiding him from the people who burst in from nowhere. Time persisted, faster, too quick for her to react as she held onto her son. All voices became muffled as Loki approached the seeming leader of the group whilst she battled with another for hold of her son. One breath was all it took for him to be ripped from her arms, dragged away screaming and kicking at the man that had grabbed him. All she could do was watch as her own arms were held back by another.
“No!” A piercing scream left her as so many had surrounded her own husband, leaving them defenseless against it all.
As the child was removed from the room, Aesir’s screams died, and she knew he had been taken. In a flash of light the men were gone and she fell to the floor. Her once regal demeanor was broken and she was a mess on the floor whilst tears flooded from her eyes. Arms were around her in only a moment but she only sobbed and held herself where her most precious son had just been only moments before.
“My baby... My son.” Another scream left her, louder this time and more pained. “My Aesir...”
Sigyn always tries to be the person, in any situation, that could fix Loki’s problems and make people see the better in him. This time however, she firmly believed that he was in the right. “With all that I’ve heard you are lucky that this is all that you have ended with.” She shook her head as she stood in the entryway. “Do I think that this was the proper method of getting a point across? No, but you have insulted my family.”
“Well, your father is aging, though I can not say for as to why he would not recognize you. You look different, surely, but just listening to you gives away who you are.”
“I’ve missed you.” Sigyn moves beside him. “Are you well?”
“It has only been a month or so.” Loki replied, looking over at the goddess. “I am sorry to have sent you to Midgard, before I could join you.” He apologized softly before nodding. “I am well, How about yourself? Aesir didn’t hassle you too much while I was on Jotunheim?”
“Hush, am I not allowed to dislike the loneliness.” She smiles. “I am well enough, exhausted. Aesir has been wonderful at all times, he’s a wonderful child I only wish—never mind. How is Jotunheim?”
