A.N. 1:
Since Verity is the only human (that I know of) that Loki brought with him to the "white space" (what I call that weird place he goes to out of the panels whenever he has to travel somewhere odd) I tried to give the action a consequence that could justify the whole idea of Verity needing a new body.
I'm assuming Loki was the one who shifted from Jotun to Aesir when Odin took him (as a babe if you want to consider movie canon, or as a child if you consider comic book canon).
I have no idea if the ruins of Asgardia are truly haunted or dangerous or even still there, I made it up because I've been suffering writer's block and decided to do something crazy, so thank you world for Fanfiction.
«Are you sure you don't want a body?»
«Listen, asshole, I'll tell you when I'll want to go back to being sweaty and hungry and sleepy, alright?»
That was true. Verity did miss her body, and she was still convinced that that shapeshifting genderfluid mentally unstable idiot didn't have any right to kill her and seal her inside a damn bracelet, but the truth was also… it was kinda cool to not need any food or sleep anymore, and to be able to follow her friend -her slightly insane friend- basically anywhere he went, even places that would have seriously endangered her like Muspelheim, Jotunheim or Helheim (she was starting to see a pattern there) and from where Loki would have done anything to keep her away, before. Now, though… she was just a ghost, a soul tied to the Deity of Stories.
She'd given up trying to decide between God or Goddess, since Loki got annoyed when she excluded one gender or the other, and settled into using one or the other based on Loki's form and mood at the moment (which were both very mercurial, apparently he'd been holding back in his previous iteration).
«Promise? I can give you any kind of body, you know. Well, it would be better if you could stick with humanoid options since it's the form you're used to-»
True.
«Any kind? Like, you could give me a body like yours? One that could shapeshift?»
They were currently in some kind of tropical forest, and Verity didn't even know if they were still on Earth, because apparently he could breathe even in space and she didn't need to at the moment, and the flora around them looked very similar to what she'd seen on documentaries.
«Alright, most kinds of bodies. I'm not really sure I could replicate a body like mine.»
True.
«Why not?»
«When I shifted from Jotun to Aesir for the first time, well… I was very young and untrained, and I didn't manage to settle into a completely Aesir form, but a combination of the two -I'm talking about internal organs, mind you- and it got worse from there. There are no creatures like me, Verity, and it would be best if things remained this way.»
«Oh, alright.»
She knew it was true and it kinda scared her a little. She was still trying to come to terms with the fact that this Loki was still her friend, and yet he wasn't exactly the same.
«Where are we anyway?»
«I don't know.»
Not completely true. «Loki…»
He held up a finger, effectively silencing her. He tensed, glowing green eyes darting to the right… and then he shifted, his magpie form, and with a flurry of wings and a slightly mocking screech he took flight.
Well, they weren't on Earth. She was pretty sure Earth didn't have three moons (at least the last time she was there, who knew nowadays) nor big slimy dinosaur-like monsters with three heads that could apparently sneak through a tropical forest (again, for all she knew).
Loki had contained her in the bracelet again, clutching it in his claws, but she could still see through his eyes, feel the rush of the wind under his wings and the elation that came with the adrenaline and the flow of seidr, the pure merriment of tricking yet another foe.
And an idea started to take shape in her head.
It was a good thing Loki was sturdier than average, because falling two hundred feet from a helicarrier and crashing through the roof of another was sure to hurt even her at least a little bit.
The agents took advantage of the fact she was out cold for a while to lock her up inside one of those glass cells. Verity could do nothing but watch as her friend regained a shaky consciousness and bumped into the transparent walls a couple times before realizing where she was.
«Oh, hello» Loki said, grinning, to the spooked agents that were manning the monitors near her cell.
«Could you please tell me where we are right now?»
«Um, on a helicarrier?» the youngest-looking stammered, with a red face.
Verity felt the spike of irritation flare through Loki's entire being. The Goddess smiled sharply, making sure to show off her missing tooth.
«Well that was useful» she let herself crash down on the cell's floor, looking for all the world asleep.
Verity knew Loki wasn't going to let her out of the bracelet, she never did in circumstances she deemed hostile.
So she watched through her friend's eyes as she easily stepped out of the cell (Loki-proof, yeah right), stole some trinkets and food from the mess room, enchanted all the personnel to dance on A Whole New World music and left a sticky note on the control panel that said "Sloppy. Expected better".
Then they glided in the magpie form on the helicarrier's trail, enjoying all the ruckus caused by her mischief.
«So about that body thing…»
Loki dropped all the pans he was carrying on the foot of one unfortunate merchant, in the middle of some alien market on a faraway planet.
«What about it?» Loki glared at the humanoid that dared to protest, and with a flick of his wrist, he made it gather all the pans and carry them in the direction of the spaceship they'd stolen from the Ravagers. Verity feared for the alien's fate since Loki didn't like to divulge his hiding and strategic spots.
«Ah… what exactly did you mean about sticking to humanoid shapes? Like, would it be difficult for you to place me in something different since it's not my original form or-»
«Pffff, difficult. No, Verity. I only thought it would be easier for you since it's the form you were born with. A different form means you have to change your balance, your senses and probably your habits. It could feel so different from what you're used to that you may never get comfortable in it and despise it for the rest of your life.»
Her life, yes. That was another thing that made her uneasy, thinking about the differences between their lifespans. But that was a worry for another time.
«And what if I really want to try another kind of body? Could you… extract me from it like you did with my original one?»
She tried to keep the still lingering resentment out of her tone since she was trying to convince her very powerful friend to do something she wasn't sure was possible. Every time she questioned herself about it, her cursed power wavered, telling her there were too many bleak aspects of the whole thing to know for sure.
But Loki, God of Stories and Seemingly Impossible Feats, maybe could-
«I don't think it would be wise to tie and rip you from too many solid bodies, Verity. You're still human, and humans have very dynamic minds but very low physical resistance. Normally, that is. And you get spooked so easily» he grinned, and yes, he was still creepy, with his glowing sunken eyes and missing tooth.
«You have to be sure about the body you choose, Verity. I-»
«Alright, I get it.»
She rolled her eyes, but Loki let her be and quickly reached the spaceship. Verity, however, just couldn't let it go.
«How would you get the body itself, though? Are you going to steal another's?»
«Of course not» Loki seemed offended by the idea. «Trust me, you wouldn't like it one bit. At least that's what the voice at the back of my head says. Bad idea really.»
«Tell me again why you couldn't just put me back in my original body?»
Loki averted his eyes, a guilty look on his face.
«I may have messed up when we entered the white space, uh… I forgot to tie you to my seidr instead of burning up all your physical energy…»
«So you cremated me? Thank you for at least giving me a funeral after killing me.»
«I said I'm sorry, okay? I said it.»
Loki kicked out the alien and slammed the spaceship's door shut, not looking at her.
It was Verity's turn to feel guilty, even if a small part of her still thought she had every right to make him feel as miserable as possible about the whole thing.
They remained silent while Loki took them away from the planet, then changed his mind, went back, did something that involved broken alien bones -she had a dark suspicion about what it could be, but kept her eyes firmly closed- and then flew into space again.
Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.
«Where are we going?»
Loki shrugged. «Here and there. I need to collect a few… items.»
They fell silent again for a few minutes. Then Loki sighed.
«Verity, I… You must have realized by now that I'm not the best at… relationships, of any kind. You are the only friend I've had for a very, very long time. A friend I didn't plan to have, but a friend I plan to keep. By any means necessary. Unless…»
He gave a short, breathy laugh, and his fingers tightened their hold on the controls.
«Well, unless you don't want to be my friend anymore. But-»
«Of course I'm keeping you» at that moment, Verity wished very hard she had a solid body, so she could whack him on the head. «You're the only friend I've had for a very, very long time too.»
Loki didn't say anything, but she was sure his eyes were suspiciously shiny.
«I'm going to kill them. All of them. Slowly.»
Verity just laughed as a very annoyed Loki pushed aside her scrying bowl and face planted on the rock table.
They had moved into a cave in Oklahoma, because Loki had a pleasant gut feeling about it and, well, Verity trusted Loki's gut since it was usually right.
The newest cause of the Goddess's distress was a foolish quest some of the Broxton kids had decided to embark on, that is, to venture on the grounds that once housed Asgardia.
Loki had been courting the idea of putting up wards and spells to seal the area and the remaining ruins off, but the place held such a negative vibe to her that she seldom dared to get closer than a few miles.
«Kids will be kids» commented Verity, idly flipping through a manuscript written in old Norse. Lately, she'd discovered that if she concentrated really hard, she could move little objects, and she wondered if it was Loki's power acting through her.
«Kids will be idiots, no matter the century» muttered Loki.
Then she called Verity back in the bracelet (she did not squeal), shapeshifted into the magpie and dived directly inside the bowl, emerging from thin air and perching on the battered mailbox that still read Asgard, 1 Asgard rd with an expression as filled with contempt as a magpie could muster.
The five kids didn't notice her at first, engrossed with a hand-drawn map that one of them was holding. They couldn't have been older than thirteen, fourteen, maybe fifteen for the one with the red glasses.
Then, as if attracted by a mystical force (which was very possible, Loki didn't like being ignored) one by one every pair of eyes turned to her.
«Oh!» exclaimed the smallest one, pointing her ink-stained finger towards the magpie with such fervour that her blonde pigtails bounced.
«Shhhh!» a boy that was probably her older brother shushed her. «Don't spook it! There hasn't been a magpie around here since forever.»
«Pretty bird» whispered the girl. Loki preened a little, but took flight when she tried to get closer and pet her.
«Aw, see? You chased it away»
«It's a she» established the girl with childish sureness. «And she's not going away, look!»
Loki had indeed taken to flying in circles above their heads, chirping from time to time.
The oldest boy adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat.
«One magpie means bad luck…»
Really? thought Verity, and felt Loki's amusement.
«I know what we have to do, here,» said a third boy, looking up. «Good morning mister Magpie, how is your lady wife today?»
Loki cackled and swooped lower, making the kids cry out and cover their heads. This could actually turn out to be fun.
«What the hell, Ted?» a brunette girl shoved him.
«That's what Greg's manual said! Why would you add an entry on magpies anyway?»
Glasses boy -Greg- shrugged. «Magpies are important in folklore, they represent sorcerers, the union between holy and evil, and balance between male and female.»
Loki was even more amused.
«And why does it mean bad luck?» asked the little girl. Loki decided to perch on the mailbox again and let her come closer.
«I don't really know» admitted Greg. «Magpies have many symbolic meanings. Like intellect, sociability, refinement, willfulness, perceptiveness… and deception, illusion and opportunism.»
That's you, grinned Verity. She felt Loki grin right back.
«You think it's a bad omen? That a single magpie would appear after such a long time just before we break into Asgard?» hissed the brunette girl.
Loki scoffed, as far as a magpie could scoff. More like "tumble into a heap of cursed and bloody ruins".
«You guys are just a bunch of overly superstitious old folks in children's bodies» exclaimed the blonde girl's brother, and gestured irritatedly at the magpie.
«There are who knows how many lost treasures left behind in those ruins and that there is just a stupid bird that doesn't know how to migrate.»
And then Loki decided she'd had enough. As Greg lightly punched his friend with an alarmed face, she let out a screech very similar to a human scream, and the wind picked up in circles, raising the dry terrain in a small tornado around the battered mailbox.
The kids gave alarmed shouts and backtracked quickly.
«I changed my mind!» screamed the blond boy, taking his sister's hand and tugging her further away.
«No, wait!» Greg was clutching the hand-drawn map, shielding his face with it. «I can still-»
The dust started to take shape, a looming figure with glowing green eyes that bent down until it was eye-level with the boy.
«I…» Greg lowered the map to his chest. He nervously adjusted his glasses and offered a brave smile.
«Um, pleased to meet you.»
The figure gave him a crooked grin, then inclined its head and nodded in the direction of the city.
Greg's shoulders sagged a little, but he nodded in return and he turned to leave.
«C'mon» he shooed the other kids, who were looking wide-eyed at him and the figure, which was still bent and grinning, observing them.
In silence and with serious faces, they too turned away and started walking back toward Broxton. They never looked back, except for Greg who stole yet another look at the figure and concealed magpie on the mailbox.
«I know who you are» he muttered.
Verity felt Loki's amusement and slight fondness for the little geek, as she watched them trudge away sadly and more than a little spooked. If they'd had tails, Verity was pretty sure they would have been between their legs.
Loki maintained the wind and dust figure until she was sure the five humans were out of sight, then dropped it and shifted back to humanoid form, and sat cross-legged near the mailbox, calling Verity outside again.
«Which came first, the chicken or the egg?» she immediately asked.
«Uh?» Loki summoned her staff and started idly twirling it between her fingers, while Verity carefully picked up a lone white feather.
«Where those popular beliefs about magpies born because you like to take a magpie form, or did you choose the form because of them?»
«Who knows?» Loki shrugged, shifting into his male form. «After a couple centuries, things start to get foggy. But assigning features and habits to animals has always been quite the popular activity among mortals since before I was born.»
«A very long time then»
«I'm still a young god, Verity.»
She snickered, then sobered up and became all serious.
«Symbolism is a very important thing for your kind, isn't it?»
Loki smiled and shifted to her female form. «We are creatures of stories. To change, as you have witnessed, is a very hazardous, very long process.»
Verity twirled the white feather and that lone idea finally came to life.
«You know,» she said, almost absent-mindedly. «There is another shape I've grown quite comfortable with.»
The folks of Broxton had grown used to seeing many peculiar things, even if their peculiar neighbours had managed to get back into space.
News of the spirit guarding the road to the ruins had spread, and some said that it was the soul of one of the fallen in the Siege that haunted the place of their death, others that it was another foreign entity that had claimed the lost treasures for itself, others said that it was a trick left by the Asgardians to chase away anyone who might be tempted to look for the secrets still hidden in the ruins. Either way, it kept people at bay.
Worried as they were about this new strange neighbour and whether it would be courteous or offensive to welcome them into the community -maybe to church- almost no one noticed the magpie and its new companion: a clumsy elf owl that looked more pink than brown.
The small owl's first attempts at flight had been quite disastrous, until the magpie had flown under her, letting her rest on his back, guiding the movements of her wings with his own. And when she'd grown hungry, he had shown her how to hunt for insects and lizards.
Soon people on Earth and beyond learned to expect a small pinkish owl on the shoulder of Loki, who liked to talk to the bird and seemed to trust her judgement over anyone else's, and who liked to stroke her back to make the ghostly form of Verity Willis appear.
A.N. 2: I'm still having trouble placing links, so I'm just hoping this time they're going to work.
I used the magpie's symbolism described here and here, while the owl's is here. Information about Elf owls can be found here.
Hello, I'm also a translator (English-Italian). You can contact me here.