Prisoner.

[lokasenna]

Captivity had never agreed with Loki, but surviving certainly did. He'd fallen through space for what seemed like an eternity - long enough for the emotion from the display on the Rainbow Bridge to cool, and Loki's natural desire for survival to take over. When the Chitauri finally pulled him from freefall, they'd done things to him - painful, violent things, things that paled in comparison to anything he'd been through before.

But at least he was alive. If you were dead, there was no way things could improve, no way for you to rework your situation. But alive - even tortured and in pain - alive was a chance, alive meant that sooner or later, something would change, and Loki was no stranger to that idea.

Eventually, he gained the chance to strike a bargain with the Chitauri. He would be a king, be free from their torture, and in exchange he would give them Midgard. It didn't matter what he gave up - he only needed to get away, to give the Chitauri something more... imminent to deal with.

That was exactly what he did - he led their forces to Earth, and then let things unravel as they would. It didn't matter that he'd been taken captive again, and it didn't matter by who - it only mattered that it wasn't the Chitauri. Either Midgard's defenders, her "Avengers" would keep him (and defend him; who wouldn't defend their spoils?), or they would send him back to Asgard with Thor - Asgard, where he was disgraced, but he was still a prince.

Maybe he was a prisoner. They certainly made a point of showing him so - the chains at his wrists, the gag, the charm to supress his magic - but at least he was safe. Were anyone to go after a prince of Asgard, even an illegitimate and fallen prince, there would be hell to pay. So while maybe he was in captivity, he would seethe and swallow down his anger, purely to bide his time and wait.

At least this wait was in relative comfort - he was clean, if not dressed to his liking; he was fed, he was given relative peace while he waited. A blank, dull room, but at least he was alive.

Comments

[lokasenna]

Of course he was damaged - hadn't word gotten out, the truth of what he was; the lie lurking in the house of Odin? Or was it still a secret, still a source of shame that the Allfather had taken a frost giant into his home? Either way, he was certain she must know by now - whether it was common knowledge at this point or still a secret within the royal family, Sigyn was certainly involved enough to know the truth of things.

I had to,, he wanted to tell her - he had very little choice in his escape from the Chitauri, and his return in chains had been his first time back in Asgard since the unfortunate incident with the Bifrost. His trick against the Chitauri was risky enough, without trying to involve anyone else or trying to get messages out. They'd been in his mind; it had been all he could do to keep his intentions from their notice, let alone trying anything more complex.

Loki made a soft noise in his throat, just a quiet hum. He gently tugged his arm loose from her grasp and raised it, offering the spot against his chest as best as he could - assuming she ducked his chains to get there.

[burdenof]

Sigyn had shed too many tears in private, drawing only the concerns of their growing children. The softest noise slipped from her throat as she dipped her head under his arm to settle against Loki, one arm curled against him, the other resting over his chest.

Words and confirmations spread through the realm like a disease and she could hear whispers wherever she went, around every corner. It was true that he had done much wrong, but how could they not at least try to understand this pain, this lifetime of being misunderstood and cast aside?

"I do wish I could hear your thoughts," she said finally, closing her eyes for a moment to try to focus on the beat of his heart, as she always did. There it was, right where she last found it.

[lokasenna]

Loki let her rest against his chest, tipping his head again towards her. He sat still, listening to the silence for a moment, before an idea came to him. He tugged one of her hands free and laid it flat on his knee, palm up, then started slowly drawing letters with his fingertip.

'Soon' was the first word, one rune at a time. He paused after that, raising an eyebrow and looking her way again, trying to gauge whether or not she'd understood what he was trying to communicate.

[burdenof]

Without realizing it, Sigyn had begun to mouth the letters as he wrote them, the center of her palm tingling at the slightest touch.

"Soon," she repeated, nodding. She did purse her lips nervously at that assurance, wondering how long 'soon' truly meant. It was more of a question regarding their fates, she realized quickly, never doubting Loki's abilities to find a solution.

And, in the end, the question was: would they find a solution?

[lokasenna]

Of course there would be a solution - Loki had never found a situation that he couldn't talk his way out of, and this was no exception. He patted her cheek again, affectionate praise for catching on so quickly. Next he tapped the metal covering his mouth, then wrote another word in her palm.

'Thor', this one said. As best as he could tell, his most likely chance to get that damned gag removed was going to be Thor, whether he liked it or not. Thor was too trusting and too bullheaded to believe in the trouble Loki could cause without a gag; and he had enough authority that he might be able to have the guards remove it.

[burdenof]

"Thor."

Sigyn frowned thoughtfully. Playing to his brother's trust never sat well with her, but it also made Thor an easy target and if she wanted him freed ... She sighed and nodded, understanding. The gag made her uneasier than the prospect of toying with Thor, and she took a quick glance at the contraption before focusing on their hands.

[lokasenna]

Loki held a finger up in front of his gag, miming a shushing gesture. It wouldn't do for word to get beyond the two of them, not that Thor ever expected anything but the best from him. Then he tapped the gag again, wishing he could say more, wishing he could properly express himself. He knew Sigyn disliked being drawn into... disagreements between him and Thor, but it really was the best way to get the gag removed. Once that was gone, he could figure out the rest - and if the gag was gone, he and Sigyn could have a proper conversation in the meantime.

[burdenof]

'Sorry,' she mouthed bashfully, cheeks flushed.

Settling against him, she simply spread her palm against his, minding the cuffs, linking their fingers together. His hand nearly engulfed hers, but that was no surprise. It had simply been too long since she had held his hand. She felt a swell of pride, learning of his plans before they were put into action.