Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel. Obviously.
I do, however, own Matilda and Ella Hall, so please refrain from using them.
Loki was walking down the street, snow crunching beneath her feet. She appeared to be the only person walking around for pleasure, a cigarette clasped between two fingers.
A brown box meowed as she passed. Loki stopped and peered down into it, finding a little kitten burrowed under a blanket and trying to stay warm. She was a flat-faced cat, with a calico coat and copper eyes. She was the only one in the box, which was just labeled Kittens: $10 $5 $1.
Loki blinked. Then, glancing around, she reached down and picked up the kitten. The kitten mewled, looking pathetic as it shivered. Loki wrapped her scarf around the kitten, then put her in an inside pocket to keep her warm.
She then moved on, hurrying now back to her apartment, knocking on Ella's door. Ella answered and said "Oh, hello, Jordan. What's wrong?"
"Do you allow pets?" Loki asked breathless from hurrying home. Ella grinned a little.
"Why?" She asked. Loki reached into her jacket, and pulled out the kitten. Ella's eyes widened and said "For you, yes. Take her upstairs."
"How did you know it was a she?" Loki asked, frowning.
"Calicoes nearly always are, I think," Ella said with a shrug. Loki nodded and ran upstairs, laying the kitten on the kitchen table. The kitten mewled again and Loki got out a dish, pouring some milk into it and warming it up, stirring it before giving it to her. The kitten sniffed at it, then lapped it up. Loki sat and watched her, hardly blinking. When she finished, she went back to Loki's scarf and laid down, and fell asleep. Loki blinked and picked up the dish, putting it away. She then scooped the kitten up, leaving the scarf on the table. Loki took her to the living room and put her on a pillow.
Did I just steal a kitten? She thought, blinking down at the tiny creature. Well now what? She was sure the person selling wouldn't actually notice, but still. She stroked the kitten and smiled a little; she was soft, of not a bit dirty.
"What am I going to call you?" Loki murmured, scratching the kitten's ears. The kitten purred and Loki smiled. When the kitten fell asleep, Loki pulled her laptop towards her to look up names. She found nothing satisfactory, so she went to a random name generator instead. Zaire? No. Beatrice? No. Lola? ...Maybe. Loki continued in this fashion, looking at the kitten every time a name came up.
Half an hour later, Loki had a list of possible names. The kitten had woken up, and was rubbing against Loki's leg, blinking up at her, a curious look on her face. Loki looked down and said "Matilda. Do you like that one? Ma-til-da," she tested out every syllable, and the kitten meowed. Loki smiled and began to stroke her head. "Matilda it is, then. I suppose we should get you some food, and toys, and such. But not now. Do you like tuna?" She mused.
Matilda purred again. Loki smiled and picked her up, putting her on the floor. She then got up and walked towards the kitchen, the kitten following behind. Loki took out a can of tuna, putting about half of it in a bowl, then putting it on the floor, along with a bowl of water. Matilda sniffed at it for a moment, then ate. Loki watched for a few minutes, then flicked on the kettle and went back to the living room, curling up into an armchair with Harry Potter.
It wasn't long before Matilda padded back into the room and struggled to leap onto the armchair with Loki. Loki grinned and reached down, picking her up. Matilda mewed, then curled up on her lap, going went back to sleep.
And that was how Loki got into the possession of a flat-faced, calico kitten.
Ella knocked on Loki's door a month later. Loki opened the door and poked a head out, a cup of tea in his hand. "Jordan, your rent is due for the next month," she said. Loki frowned. Has it been six months already?
"Oh. Right," Loki said. "Come in, I've got it here somewhere. Please, sit."
Ella walked in and sat on the sofa. Matilda looked up at her and purred. Ella smiled and reached out, stroking her head. Loki put his cup down and looked through a drawer, frowning and muttering before saying "Aha! Here it is. How much is it for another six months?"
She told him and he counted out the cash, then turned and handed it to her. "Here you go."
Ella stared at the cash and said "Is... Thank you." She accepted it and counted it out as Loki picked up his mug.
"Would you like to stay for tea?" He offered, walking towards the kitchen. Ella looked up and put the money in her pocket.
"Thank you, but I've got to get to the grocery store," she said. "Hope you have a good day, though."
Loki lifted his cup and smiled. "You too, ma'am."
Ella glanced out the window before she left, and said "Huh. Didn't realize it was raining that hard."
As if on cue, a flash of lightning flashed across the sky, and it began to pour. They watched it for a moment and Loki said "Are you sure about that cup of tea?"
Ella worried her hands for a moment, then said "Oh, why not? I can always go tomorrow. Hello, Matilda. Yes, I'll pay attention to you now." She rubbed the kitten's head more and Matilda's purring filled the silence. Loki smiled and poured Ella a cup, putting it on the table. The old woman sat down and said "So, have you met anyone lately?"
"No," Loki said, shrugging. "I don't exactly 'meet' people, if you know what I mean."
"Ah," she nodded. "No friends?"
Loki shrugged, looking awkward. "I don't do friends." He scratched the top of Matilda's head as she came to rub his leg, still purring. "I do cats. And other animals. And only sometimes people. Like you."
"Ah," she smiled. "Well, cats are fine. And I'm fine too, if I don't say so myself."
Loki smiled a little and said "Do you have friends around here?"
"Mhmm," she said, nodding. "I've lived here for years."
"How long?" He asked, tilting his head in a curious manner.
"Oh, ages," she said. "Ages and ages. Bought this place years ago with my husband, Henry. When the couple who lived up here moved, they offered it to me when they moved, after Henry died, so I could make more of a living. I've gotta admit; you're the most normal tenant I've had up here."
"I really doubt that," Loki said, grinning and picking up Matilda. She licked his hand with her rough tongue and he smiled at her. "I'm not normal."
"I said the most normal, hon," Ella said, grinning. "Not that you were normal."
Loki nodded his head in acknowledgment. Thunder cracked outside and Matilda mewed. He stroked her again and Ella smiled.
"I had pets," she said. "Dogs, not cats, though. Dachshunds. I grew up with them. I had one who used to hide under the sofa when he got scared, silly little thing." She sipped some more and said "So, you like to travel?"
"Mhmm," Loki nodded. "All over. Hitchhiking, usually."
"Isn't that a bit dangerous?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. Loki shrugged.
"Sometimes," he admitted. "But I can defend myself."
Ella nodded, looking thoughtful, then changed the subject. "So, have you finished Harry Potter?" He nodded. "How'd you like it?"
And so Loki went off, talking about how he quite liked the made up world, and how Ron and Harry would be completely lost without Hermione. Ella listened, and after a few minutes, Loki paused and looked embarrassed. "Sorry, I sort of... ranted there, didn't I?"
"That's alright," she said, smiling. "I don't mind. Have you read any Tolkien?"
"Tolkien...? No," Loki replied, frowning.
"Oh, you should," she said, smiling. "He's written a bunch of good ones. Remind me to give you my copy of The Hobbit. I think you'd like it. I've got the rest of 'em downstairs, if you want to borrow them. Tiffany left them here a few years back, but never asked for them back. Have I never told you about Tiffany?"
"Your granddaughter, right?" Loki said, raising his eyebrows a bit. "I think so."
"She's a great kid," Ella said, smiling fondly. She finished her tea and said "Anytime you want those books, just holler, okay?"
Loki smiled. "Thank you, ma'am. I will."
She patted his cheek and left, putting her mug in the sink as she went, careful not to let Matilda out.
Outside, the rain continued.
Loki went shopping the next morning. She only went out for food once a week, never buying things she didn't need. She got cat food, litter, fruit, meat, and so on. Every once in a while, she would do Ella's shopping as well. It was easy enough to do, and the sidewalk had frozen from the rain. She didn't want Ella to slip, so she took Ella's grocery list with her.
"Hello, Jordan," the man at the checkout said. "You left a can of tomatoes here last time. Tried chasing after you, but you were gone. Go get one off the shelf."
"Oh," Loki said, blinking. "I- Thank you." She had wondered where those had gone, almost sure she had purchased them. She went and grabbed a can off the shelf, finished the shopping, and left the store.
As she walked up the steps to the building, she heard a bird squawk. A raven. Loki stopped and looked around. Sure enough, one was sitting in a tree, watching her.
Loki's blood ran cold. Her face remained blank and after a moment she said "Shoo," in the flattest voice. The raven squawked again and flew off, joined by a second one. Loki's eyes lingered on them for a moment, then she pulled out her key and hurried inside.
It's probably not one of them, she thought to herself, closing her eyes as she leaned against the door. Just a common raven. Nothing special about them. Don't they usually travel in more than one? She knocked at Ella's door, and the landlady peered out.
"Oh, Jordan!" She smiled, but it faltered and she frowned. "Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Fine," Loki stammered. "I'm fine. Just... Just a bit faint..."
"Well, come have a cup of coffee while I put these away. Which ones are mine?" Loki carried the groceries in and pulled out Ella's list, handing it to her before collapsing into a chair. It wasn't them, it wasn't them. They think you're dead, it wasn't them, it couldn't be them... She accepted the cup of coffee giving Ella a grateful look. She then drank it as quickly as she could without searing her mouth and throat.
Ella finished with the groceries shortly after Loki had finished her coffee. The old woman sat down, concern written on her face. "Are you sure you're alright? Do you need help getting upstairs?"
Loki shook her head. "I think... I think I just... need to lay down..."
"Well, alright," Ella said, looking unconvinced. "Oh! And before I get, here's my copy of The Hobbit. If you need anything, just holler."
Loki nodded, shoving the book her her arm and escaping with her groceries. She dumped the bags on the kitchen table before curling upon the sofa, arms wrapped around her knees. She began to hyperventilate until Matilda leaped up onto the sofa next to her. The cat curled up in her lap, looking up at her with big copper eyes. Loki held her tight and squeezed her eyes shut, rocking a bit. Please let it not be them. I don't want to leave. Please, please, please...
Heimdall narrowed his eyes slightly, frowning. He called a messenger over to him and said "Get the Allfather."
The messenger nodded and ran off towards the palace. Twenty minutes later, he returned, the Allfather behind him.
"Is something wrong, Heimdall?" Odin said, frowning.
"It is, perhaps, nothing," Heimdall replied. "But for a few moments, Huginn vanished from my Sight. He reappeared only moments later, but I am unable to tell what caused it. It seemed almost like..."
The Gatekeeper trailed off and narrowed his eyes again. "Almost like what?" Odin prompted.
"Almost like someone was shrouding themselves from me," Heimdall continued. "But I cannot tell who it might be."
Odin nodded. "Keep an eye on it," he said. "I will ask Huginn what he saw when he and Muninn return."
He walked back to the palace and Heimdall resumed his watch, keeping an eye fixed on the building in New York.
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