pirateangelbaby | A Visitor To The Garden [for tr1ckortreat]

Above the arctic circle, it is the height of summer in Asvera, which is to say that this fine cloudless day is a mere thirteen degrees Celsius, despite the sun refusing to set for the entire last month. It makes it easy to lose track of time without sunset to mark the passing of days, and has caused no end to sleeping difficulties among the Asgardians who now call this village home, but it also has its benefits.

The smaller islands now sport towers of Asgardian and Wakandan designs, linked to their fellows by softly glowing bridges tall enough to permit the passage of fishing boats beneath. The bridge that links the archipelago to the mainland is concrete and stone, and physically painted with rainbow colors, a pale imitation of the Bifrost that had once linked Asgard to the rest of the Nine Realms. There's no golden palace to be seen, nor much of any gold at all, really, except for the occasional painted rune on the doorposts of a home.

Where once there was a football pitch, now there is a grain field, planted deep with oats and rye and wheat. Thor's house was once a lighthouse keeper's cottage, perched on a rocky bluff at the farthest reaches of the largest island overlooking the vast sea to the southwest. A Bifrost rune is etched into the rock between them, the king's preferred landing zone for visitors to the village, at least those who arrive by PINpoint. The house itself is fairly plain, with little to indicate that it's the home of the Allfather save for the pair of ravens currently perched at the peak of the roof. One of them calls out at the arrival of a newcomer, and Thor quickly opens the door to greet him. His hair has been brushed and braided back, his beard plaited along his cheeks and chin, and with the eyepatch in place he might pass for a much younger Odin if not for the smile on his lips and the decidedly Midgardian-style sweater and jeans he's dressed in. "Loki! You made it."

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That's a good question, and Thor pauses while he tries to dredge up the memory of when exactly he started. "Um. Months, I think. It's been a work in progress for a while now. I, uh, started it when things were... not so great."

But times have changed, and though Asgard is much diminished from what it was, there are signs of rebuilding, of healing.

He watches Loki, and through the nervousness, he's pleased to see his brother so taken with the garden. "Yes, I remember. Came in handy more than once, too." Many of the herbs here will no doubt be unfamiliar native species, but there are still those that Loki will recognize. Oddly enough, many of them seem to be geared toward being soothing and calming, rather than the sort of herbs one might need to treat injuries.

Loki did not seek to probe into Thor's past, noticing the subtle hint in the older man's voice. Things were not so great possibly meaning that he was struggling with things. But, look at what he had achieved. So much. The greenhouse alone was a feat alone and Loki knew Thor should be proud of himself.

"Yes. Many a time when the boar turned on us I was grateful I could craft a quick healing poultice before infection set in."

That was a time when the wild boar pierced Thor's body and Loki knew he had to act. The trials of hunting. Sometimes you were the one which was hunted. As for Thor's herbs they were a many good variety for soothing it seemed. That made sense for a man and people trying to build a new life for themselves and heal old wounds. The ones that took longer were the ones that were invisible to the naked eye. Loki, himself, knew only too well how hard those were to heal.

"Do you make a good tea with these?"

Loki glanced down at a few herbs and wondered if they would indeed stew into a useful beverage.

Thor laughs, and if it sounds forced, it's only a little. "Brother, I've changed but if you expect me to have developed a liking for tea, you'll be disappointed." Has he drank some anyway? Yes, of course, especially when he was so shellshocked that he could not find an urge to protest. But he is on more solid footing now, and his choice of drink has become something harder-brewed than tea, and far more than he should be drinking.

The drink they shared in his house is bolstering his nerves - perhaps more psychologically than any actual tipsiness - so Thor plows right on past any such confessions. "Eir makes potions with most of them, but I guess you could make tea too. A lot of these grow wild in this part of Midgard, but it's easier to have them all in one place instead of foraging on the mountain. Every now and then, Vidar brings me some new ones to grow - he's training to be the village alchemist, but it's going to be a while, I think. Lots of our people are having to learn new professions, you know?"

Of course. As if Thor could change that much as to start enjoying herbal teas as Loki did. Some things would obviously stay the same with the older man and that was fine by all means.

"Such a shame. I really thought you had acquired a taste for herbal teas. You really should try them one day, Thor. You don't know what you're missing."

It was a playful jab but one that he hoped Thor would take into consideration in time. The teas were good. As for his brother's words on the people learning new professions, that prompted a nod in agreement.

"I can see how they would have to adapt to survive. You are living in quite the Eden here. Should I be jealous?"

A playful smirk covered Loki's lips, as he looked around one more time within the confines of the greenhouse and inhaled the fresh, earthy scents one more time. Would he be allowed to visit again? Surely, Thor would allow Loki visits if he sought out to mingle with the salty sea air and the soil-filled air of the greenhouse.

Such an argument is so preposterous that it's not even worth a reply. Thor knows exactly what he's missing, and if he never had to drink another cup of tea in his life, he would be content with that.

The question, however playful, has Thor reflecting on it a bit more seriously. Should he be envious of this? "It came at a great cost," he says quietly, absently rubbing the metal of his artificial arm, a constant reminder of the price he'd had to pay to save this many. "If we can build something worthy of the sacrifices it took, I will be happy with that. We've come so far already."

It's easier for him to believe that now that the streets are full of people, now that the Earth is not horribly empty as it was after the Titan used the stones. This is progress, and he can see it with his own eye.

He had not come to visit to initiate an argument so held back any other retorts or quips that came into his head. Thor had welcomed his younger brother into his home, his new world, so deserved a respite from the usual sharp edge of Loki's tongue. It was all so impressive and the god found his eyes darting around, taking in every detail while he could.

"I'm sure it did. The people who helped carve this new world out....they seem brave souls."

Would he be able to visit this world with Thor once more after they go back to the Nexus? Loki hoped so since there was something that tugged at his heart seeing the sea once more and inhaling fresh scents and earthy smells. It felt rugged and rural and homely almost.

"As for future visits here, is that possible once we go back?"

The question comes as a surprise, and it shows on Thor's face as he looks at his brother. Not that he's surprised Loki wishes to visit again, but that he feels he needs to ask. "Of course it is. Though I'd appreciate you letting me know you're coming. It's... complicated, having you here."

The Asgardians who live might be the common folk, for the most part, but they understand the Nexus and the concepts of alternates well enough. The adults do, anyway. But the children, and the humans? Not so much.

But Thor has lost too much family to want to push Loki away, no matter how his brother feels about him, no matter what grudges he might still hold. He smiles faintly and claps a hand to Loki's shoulder. "I'm glad you're here."

It felt a little strange wanting to come back to Thor's newly built home since before the place he wanted to be was furthest away from his brother. Yet, times had changed and now he was trying to be the better man and not harbour so much hatred as before. Just seeing what Thor and his people had done caused a heartstring to tug somewhere deep in Loki's heart. The ice was starting to thaw slowly it seemed.

"I can understand that regarding my history and the unknown factor in me being here. If I want to visit I will let you know."

If there were still grudges then Loki would accept them as they came. Yet, the strings of hope were worth clutching onto now and he wanted to try and build a connecting bridge after smashing it down in the past. Glancing to the hand clapped on his shoulder he exhaled softly and nodded. Green eyes meeting blue.

"To be honest I wasn't sure what I would find. But now I'm here I know I want to come back and try to be the brother I should have been a long time ago."

"Mm." It is not just that the humans of this world still see Loki as a war criminal, an enemy of humanity. But the Asgardians here know that their prince is dead, his life exchanged for their king's, and there is an uncertainty there toward those who share his face. Their prince, and yet not. And this is not the one who helped save so many in the cataclysm that followed Ragnarok, one who does not share the deep cultural trauma that still marks all the survivors.

It is, as Thor said, somewhat complicated. But neither is he willing to let that get in the way of seeking out every bit of family he can. He has lost too much not to.

He beams at Loki, pleased to hear that he wants to return. "Then you shall."

A Visitor To The Garden [for tr1ckortreat]

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