#one is VISIBLY evil and the other may seem more just and favorable in comparison but has its deeply rooted problems under the surface too | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tokoyamisstuff · 3 years

Text

Tender Ch. 2 - Loki x Mute! Reader

Summary: Winning the favour of the God of Mischief is not an easy task - even if he has already fallen for you.

Warnings: None.

Words: ~1600

A/N: Since I am writing several Series at once, together with Oneshots in between, the chapters are gonna be a bit shorter so I keep no one waiting. Hope that is alright!

[Story Masterlist] [All of my Works]

Taglist: @austynparksandpizza @queenariesofnarnia @commonintrest @buckylokisimp @just-someone-who-likes-to-write @lxdyred @frostay

The first weeks after your arrival at the Avengers Compound passed by rather uneventful.

Due to the fact that you neither had a family you could be attached to, nor many belongings ever since HYDRA had kidnapped you and destroyed your home, Tony insisted on you living at the tower - like many of the other members as well.

Everything was just so new and exciting, not even Loki’s gleeful mockery could bring you down from that high.

Little did you know that all of his pep talks about those ‘inferior heros’, the ‘illusion of power’ or how no one was ever truly good or evil had a completely different reason:

An attempt to get you to leave, for your own good. After everything that had happened to you, the god was worried how another fight would affect you.

Anyway, it was a luxurious life compared to your old one, with so many kind persons and new perspectives. And you were sure to return that favor once you’d learn to control your powers!

So until then, you would train as hard as possible and care for your new friends through little acts of service. Caring for others came quite natural to you, may it be listening to their problems or simply complimenting them to see their faces brighten up.

And for some reason, that particular character trait was the one thing Loki found the most annoying.

How could a person so naive and pure think they could actually join in battles against evil? You’ll only end up getting yourself killed - and to be honest, Loki thought this to be a waste.

And even though he’d never admit it, but jealousy was starting to get the better of him the more he observed you getting along with everyone.

They adored you - and they were very right in doing so!

But that would mean that you were just nice to everyone, not especially to him, right?

Every time you’d help Bucky through a panic attack, braided Thor’s hair or helped Banner in the laboratory, Loki only wished you’d be with him instead - and if he had to burn this whole place to the ground for this to happen.

Yet his pride kept him from voicing that desire.

For you on the other hand, it was frustratingly hard to get through to the God of Mischief. In comparison to how he treated the other Avengers, he was always reserved and courteous towards you, yet also unreachable distanced.

Only on a weekend where the other Avengers were on a mission, the two of you found a way to actually bond with each other, if only a little.

Loki had once again read every book he borrowed from Stark’s library, now having a reason to leave his room again. At least those subhumans won’t be there to drain on his nerves...

When he crossed the living room on his way to the elevator, he blinked heavily as he saw you plainly chilling on the sofa. He was just about to turn around and leave, when you hectically gestured for him to stay.

“Hey, Loki! 😊” you wrote on a notepad, holding it up for him to read.

“Greetings...” he spoke between gritted teeth, but your smile wouldn’t falter, so he stood rooted in the middle of the room.

“Do you want to watch a movie together?” How blunt could you be to ask a literal god directly, just like that?!

“Actually, I-” When your eyes met, Loki cut himself off, the words being caught in his throat. “Well, if you’re in dire need of my sublime company...”

You were quick to sit up straight, offering a bowl with popcorn to the Odinson which he curiously accepted. When he answered your question about what sweets they eat on Asgard, he wouldn’t understand why you’d laugh. Apparently ‘nuts and grapes’ are not considered treats on earth. Got it.

Yet that little huff you blew out of your nose instead of making an actual laughing sound came somewhat endearing to him, especially in contrast to your other noisy companions. “Adorable...”

Without even asking first, you’d wrap the other half of the blanket around Loki, effectively closing the gap between you two.

“Wha- I’m not cold!” he blurted out, visibly overchallenged by the sudden closeness. “I’m a Jotun, hel!”

What was he even so worked up about? Geeze...

“But the weather on Asgard is rather humid, right?” you wrote down, with him nodding approvingly. "It allows all kinds of flowers to blossom, other than this metal brick” he explained, your excited look not failing to keep him talking. “You should see it some time.”

Loki’s eyes were now locked on the screen, and you could basically grasp his homesicknes, very well aware that a failure and war criminal like him would never be tolerated in those holy grounds ever again.

Great...now you had achieved the exact opposite of what you wanted.

You tugged on his arm so he’d shift your attention to you again, quickly writing something with a barely there sulk on your face:

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to make you sad.”

Tears were already forming on the rim of your eyes, making Loki’s insides churn. “So sensitive...gods. Keep yourself together, would you.”

The Odinson instinctively wrapped an arm around you, his free hand petting your head as he pulled it to his chest. He was awfully warm for a frost giant, and his heart was hammering against his chest in a fastened pace - maybe just your imagination, though.

“Well, it’s winter...” he uttered, acting as if he actually cared about the plot of the movie. “I may not freeze, but you seemed cold. That’s all.”

You let your hand run across his collarbone, making him look down to you once again. He bit his lip as his icy glare met your warm one, eyes shimmering with earnest affection while you formed silent words with your lips:

“T-h-a-n-k y-o-u.”

“N-no need to thank me.” Just now Loki wondered what kind of spell you were using on him, being reduced to a shaking and stuttering mess.

No curse, no beauty ever before had bewitched him so much that he would lose his cool, let anyone peek under his confident mask, after all.

Not so long ago, when he was still considered the handsome Prince of Asgard, he would bed a different lover on each night, though never settling for anyone.

And after the revelation of his true heritage, even those fleeting encounters to ease his loneliness would falter - all that’s left was certainty that the theory he had ever since his childhood had proven to be true:

That everyone had always secretly despised him, the failure of the family and disgrace to all of Asgard. Only through his Jotun blood they had found a reason to not play along with the royal courtesy anymore, showing their resentment up in the open.

But you...you looked at him with completely different eyes than anyone ever did.

Maybe he had become softer, weaker over time - or simply more mature. His mother once told him to seize the moment when someone truly special would cross his way, and to never let them go.

“We could do this more often.” You shoved the notepad in his line of sight, and just now he noticed that two hours had sure passed in an incredible speed.

Just the two of you, cuddled up on the sofa, enjoying each other’s presence instead of dealing with the troublesome past.

“Well...” Loki clawed into your upper arm softly, no intention of letting you out of his grasp already. “I am sure your other companions are more fun to be around. As you most likely already noticed, I am known for ruining the mood.”

Loki had a habit of talking ill about himself, and letting himself down as well. Yet as he saw you eagerly scribble on the notepad, he knit his brows together, impatient to what you’d say next.

“But I want to see you.” The word ‘you’ was written in a thicker font, underlined several times.

“Why?”, that was the first and only thing crossing his mind. And yet there you sat, shoving the notepad into his face with a stern look on your face.

Loki was rooted on spot as you put the notepad on the table, instead laying your hands on his cheeks and softly tugging on the edge of his lips. “S-m-i-l-e!”

“E-enough!” he carefully pushed your hands away, afraid you’d detect the mild blush on his face. “Then it shall be. What did you have in mind?”

“Whatever you want.”

Loki finally arrived at the library to return his books, even though with a few hours delay. Realizing just how much he had enjoyed that spontaneous meeting with you, he began to panic.

Was it really a good idea to repeat this?

He was almost 100% certain that it would only end in him ruining your trust in anyone completely, if he’d ever allow you to come close to his core.

Due to him having saved you back then, you probably see him as something better than he actually was - and gods, how disappointed you’ll be once you’d find out what he really is like...

It was probably for the best if this would never happen, with him just keeping on to admire you from afar...

After a while of just staring into the void, mentally debating about your offer, he couldn’t help the fact that he was already looking forwards to meeting you again.

Uncertain how to approach the matter, Loki was at least eager to show you his goodwill.

For you have been the first person who - despite everything he had done - was willing to give him another chance.

"Greetings. I need every available book about sign language.”

#Loki #Loki x Reader #Loki x You #Loki / Reader #Loki x Y/N #Loki / You #Loki Odinson #Loki Laufeyson #Loki Friggason #God of Mischief #Marvel #Disney #Writing #Fanfiction #Self Insert

149 notes · View notes

literallymechanical · 4 years

Text

Verling: Tiefling, but faerie

EDIT 11/14/2020: Modified “Faerie Sight” to use Proficiency instead of Advantage. This makes it easier for the DM to not give away metagame information by silently modifying the roll total instead of telling a player to roll twice.

So, I wrote a D&D 5e homebrew race for a campaign idea I’ve been bouncing around in my head. Verlings are similar to tieflings, but with Feywild influence rather than Infernal. I’d appreciate any feedback people have to offer. Let me know how it goes if you use verlings in your campaign!

I intend to post this as homebrew on D&D Beyond, once it’s been playtested a bit. For now, I’ve posted it (both the description/flavor text and stats) under the cut on this post, or you can find the same writeup here:

"Homebrew race: Verling. Basically, tieflings, but make them fae"

I based verling stats roughly on tieflings, but with a few differences: CHA and WIS as ability bonuses rather than CHA and INT, a couple of fun fae-themed social and support abilities rather than elemental fire resistance, and a different spell list for innate spellcasting. You can check out the baseline tiefling stats and description, for comparison.

Keep reading for the full writeup!

Verling

To be a verling is to be met with suspicion and paranoia by society. A bargain struck by your distant ancestor with an Archfey or Eladrin Lord has forever marked your bloodline, and everybody knows faeries are untrustworthy. Whenever you walk through town, parents grab their children as though they think you’re about to spirit them off to the Feywild. Not that you could, even if you wanted to — you’re no more a faerie than a tiefling is a demon.

Fae Bloodline

Just as a tiefling is born to a mortal line touched by something fiendish, a verling bears traces of the Feywild. Faerie heritage shapes mortals just as drastically as Infernal, though a verling’s horns more often take after deer or elk than ram or goat. The finer details of their forms, however, are as diverse and wild as the Fae themselves. Some are small and slender, with skin that shimmers like opal in moonlight. Some might be mistaken for firbolg, but for their branching horns and unearthly eyes.

A verling’s eyes are usually a solid color, with no visible sclera or pupil. Blue, gold, green, and white are common, though some shimmer with rainbow iridescence or glow like starlit ice. A verling’s skin and hair may likewise take any color found among humans, or shades of blue, green, and yellow. Some are dappled, or have natural patterns that resemble tattoos. They invariably have horns and tails, though the tail of a verling is often more slender than that of a tiefling, and may have a tufted tip.

A verling’s pointed teeth, however, function very much the same as those of their Infernal counterparts.

Mischievous, Aloof, or Anything In Between

Verlings vary greatly in temperament, though they do tend to have an unearthly air, as well as a fondness for wordplay. Speaking with a verling can be unnerving, as their opaque eyes always seem to be gazing at something unseen, and their musical voices seem to be laughing at a joke only they can hear.

Some verlings are passionate, impulsive, and whimsical, some might be cunning tricksters, and some might be icy, remote wanderers. This variety among individuals gives verlings a reputation for being chaotic and unpredictable — admittedly, the reputation is sometimes well-earned, but the stereotype leads to difficulties when interacting with those not of their kind.

Suspicious and Suspect

Like tieflings, verlings are accustomed to being mistrusted by other races. As a result, verlings may be suspicious of people who profess loyalty to them, and instinctively fall back on Fae tendencies to secure bargains or deals rather than friendships. The worst insult you can offer a verling is a broken promise, and the easiest way to earn their respect is to drive a bargain as craftily as them.

It’s rare to find a verling anywhere but the edges of society. Some eschew it altogether. Verling hermits and wandering adventurers are common, and those that do live in cities tend to find their abilities useful in the intersection of the polite and criminal worlds.

Depending on the time and place, tieflings and verlings may share a grim sort of camaraderie, or they may be at each other’s throats as they scrabble for whatever shreds of respect the rest of the population is willing to dole out. At the end of the day, whether your horns are pointed or branching, it doesn’t seem to make much of a difference when the torches and pitchforks come out.

Verling Traits

Verlings share certain racial traits as a result of their faerie descent.

Ability Score Increase Your Wisdom score increases by 1, and your Charisma score increases by 2.

Age Verlings mature at the same rate as humans but live a few years longer.

Alignment Verlings have no particular tendency towards good or evil. While many favor clever trickery and mischievousness, those traits are almost always tempered by deep instincts to honor bargains, deals, and promises.

Those that delight in keeping only to the letter of their bargains might tend towards Chaotic alignments, while those that hold steadfast to the spirit of a promise tend towards Lawful. The only thing for certain is that Neutrality is rare among verlings.

Size Verlings are about the same size and build as humans, give or take. Your size is Medium.

Speed Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision Thanks to your Feywild heritage, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Faerie Guile You may use Charisma (Deception) instead of Charisma (Persuasion) when telling the truth, or you may use Charisma (Persuasion) instead of Charisma (Deception) when telling a lie. When you do so, you gain Advantage on the roll. You can use this feature one time per long rest.

Faerie Sight You may use Wisdom (Perception) instead of Intelligence (Investigation) for skill checks to detect magical illusions, and you have proficiency on checks used for this purpose. If you already have proficiency in the skill, you have expertise (double your proficiency bonus) on checks used for this purpose.

Feywild Legacy You know the thaumaturgy cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the color spray spell as a 2nd-level spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the suggestion spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Languages You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan

#Dungeons and Dragons #homebrew #verling #tiefling

18 notes · View notes