Entering the shop, Serenity holds back a scowl when she sees several people openly gawking at the pair when they approach the desk where an elder looking woman is. Thor speaks to the woman, gesturing towards her often. Serenity looks around, taking her arm from Thor's, earning a glance she pretends not to notice. She wanders through the shop, her hands gliding across the soft material of the dresses. She notices, with a keen eye, that each dress nearly touches the ground. She figures it must mean Asgard is one for modesty. A part of her wishes her home, Earth, is more like it. Instead, women show themselves off in disgusting ways.
She lingers in an aisle of leather plated armor, curved around the bosom and hips, yet managing to make it seem like the wearer looked more like a male because of the bulkiness around the stomach and arms. Serenity nods her head once before continuing, knowing the chest area would be to large for her. It seems like most of the armor is too big for her. A scowl starts to tilt her lips as she realizes why her body is as it is - hips not arched out enough for her hourglass body type, breasts a size to small for anyone's standards. The flame of self hatred, burning stronger with each year she points out her flaws, burns brightly again.
She self-consciously hunches her shoulders, and pushes her hips a little to the side to make them seem larger. Before, when she was seventeen and 'her body was still changing', she was one of the sought after girls in the school. Not one of the most sought after, but she would still receive stares. He... She scowls even more, staring at her feet as she strides slowly to the back of the large shop. He was the only one she ever looked at differently than a friend of an acquaintance. They grew up together, it made it feel wrong. And then, after a night of hanging out together and watching movies while her parents were at work, he asked her out.
"Lady Convict." Thor's words bring her out of her trance, making her dreadfully aware of the tears making her skin itch beneath her mask. Her eyes burn. She blinks slowly, keeping her head tilted down as Thor approaches her. She blinks rapidly, wishing because of the memories she wouldn't cry. She won't be weak each time she remembers. Thor sets a hand on her shoulder, and with an oddly gentle touch, he leads her towards a large room with a golden curtain. The woman from before is standing in front of it, holding a thin strip of white cloth with odd marks on it. A flash of stinging pain flashes across her temples before it disappears. The marks are familiar, in some way.
She nearly stumbles when Thor drops his hand to his side, but manages to stay still. The woman beckons her, and she moves into the curtained room. The woman follows, before throwing instructions at her. Serenity bites down on her tongue, not wanting to take her shirt off so the woman can use the right measurements to make her clothes. The woman starts telling her to take her shirt off again, looking slightly irritated. Exploding in a fit of self hatred, Serenity reaches up and yanks the shirt off. She sees the woman's face fall, just for a second. Yes, in that second, she say her grey eyes widen in horror and disgust, her mouth opening in the same way her eyes betray.
Serenity gathers her shirt to cover her chest and stomach and runs out, passed Thor. His words don't make their way into her ears as she slams into the door, fumbling with it before she bursts outside. The town chatter silences as they stare at her, a woman with a mask that resembles the galaxy, scars covering her arms and chest, along with her stomach. The shirt had fallen. She has a wrap around her breasts, hiding them. But the townsfolk can see the scars that continue or start from below it. Horrified, with tears in her eyes, Serenity runs as fast as she can. She pushes through the crowd, watching as women gasp and men watch in mute horror. Children cry out, some even crying in pity.
Her vision blurs as she pushes through people. Sobs fight to exit her mouth but she bites down in her tongue even more harshly. The crowd parts for Thor. He's gaining on her rapidly, but she finally comes across a break in the crowd. She turns down another street, and into the nearly pitch black woods. She can't see her hands as she raises them, ducking her head to avoid the blows of thin branches. She stumbles and crashes to the ground. Sticks lodge into her, some breaking skin and making her bleed. Her palms drop with crimson, along with her knees. She rises, leaning against a tree. The scar under her mask itches. She can't stop herself and takes off the mask, throwing it against the ground.
The cold air kisses her skin, her hair fluttering across her bare cheeks for the first time in years. She shuts her eyes, rubbing away the tears on her face, replacing them with crimson marks. With shaking hands, she lowers herself to the ground and reaches around her for the mask, grasping one of the ribbons. She lifts it up, her jaw slacking as she sees a crack and part of the forehead missing from the top right side. With a airy gasping sob that she forces to stay quiet, she presses the mask to her bare chest. Goosebumps mar her scarred skin. She refuses to look at herself. She stumbles into a stand and keeps running, pushing the mask on her chest.
She nearly runs into a cliff side, the earth jutting up suddenly. She leans her forehead against it, close to breaking. Just like her mask. She sniffles, forcing herself to try and stop. Tears keep cascading down her pale cheekbones, now with a slight pink tint. She feels along the wall, the forest not letting a single ray of the suns light to shine through. The trees are crowded together, the branches weaving with each other. It's like the cursed is cursed to keep everyone out due to fearing the darkness. At that thought, a small shiver runs down her body.
She continues, trying to find something to hide in. Pushing against the flat wall of dirt, rocks and roots, she falls down with a harsh gasp into a rock floor. Feeling the change, she looks up, still clutching her mask to her rapidly moving chest. She crawls further into the cave, only to stop when she hears a growl. She can't see anything in the inky blackness, but the glints of a pair of eyes alert her of a giant beast. She slowly stands, Her limps quivering. Her eyes glow slightly as she tries to see in the dark. Using her magic to aid her, she looks into glowing yellow eyes. Long, white teeth drip with saliva. Serenity swallows harshly, her throat parched.
The gigantic wolf growls, louder than anything she's heard, deeper than anything she imagined. She raises her hand as an instinct to somehow comfort it, only for the wolf to lunge at her. She flinches, her whole body jolting away. She feels the air moving around her, hot breath fanning onto her being. She opens her eyes that had closed, only to see thick chains holding the wolf in place. Each piece is as thick as her thighs. She looks at the wolf closer, waving her hand slightly. Flames burst into life onto torches on the sides of the cavern, filling it with an earthly, eerie glow. The wolfs fur is matted with blood. The chains are digging into its skin.
She rips her gaze away. She knows how it feels. The wolf still growls at her, its stance offensive. She searches it's neck, seeing four chains splitting into different directions. She, swallowing her fear and putting on a facade of indifference, walks forward. The wolf lunges, biting at the air in front of her to scare her. She presses her hands against it, him, and weaves her magic into the wolf. At first he fights, she sees that it's a he with a glance to make sure, but then relaxes at the pain leaves him. He stops growling.
When she stops touching him, he turns his head towards her, and lowers it. Anxiety starts to pump through her, though she tries to hold the feeling down. The wolf, staring at her, pushes his nose against her scarred stomach. He sniffs, before going rigid. It's almost like he recognizes her. He makes a soft sound, licking her scarred arms. She winces, before looking away from her own body. Not even the wolf she saved can do anything about the scars. Not even the most powerful magic will erase them from her memories.
Loki is surprised, but hides it, when Thor races down into the dungeons. His face is as red as his cape, his blond hair disheveled. A scowl was turning his lips downwards into his stubble. He strides into Loki's cell, gripping the collar of his armor and shoving him against the wall. He pulls back, but Loki knows what he is to do. He slams him into the wall again. It cracks from the force, his back aches. He sneers at Thor through the ache.
"You, brother, you will come with me." Thor bellows, dragging Loki behind himself as he walks from the dungeon, throwing Mjölnir at anyone who tries to get in his way. The guards shout, but see the wise-ness of quieting after several of the others are thrown into the walls. Loki doesn't struggle, his mind skimming through many scenarios as to why Thor is yanking him up the stairs. He comes to a few conclusions, one of which that 'Lady Convict', as Thor calls her, ran off. He dismisses it, but it crawls back into his thoughts when Thor drags him outside to two waiting horses.
"Get on, Brother." Thor growls, shoving him towards his son, Sleipnir. His emerald green eyes narrow. Odin only lets Loki ride Sleipnir if there's an emergency, though he is his son.
"What is this?" Loki mocks. "Is he going to release my son, Fenrir next?" Loki sneers, anger filling him at how his son is treated. Thor strides to him, holding his hammer with a tight grasp. His knuckles are white. Loki keeps mocking him. "And what of Jörmungandr?" He growls. Thor steps forward and strikes Loki harshly, making him turn and lean against Sleipnir.
"Shut up." Thor growls. He turns, red cape spinning, and jumps upon his horse. After a few moments, Thor turns to Loki, who is seated on his son's back. He took off his saddle and the bit, along with the reigns. The only thing the eight legged horse has on his the thick cloth on his back. "Just... Please, help me find Lady Convict. She went into the Dark Forest."
At those words, Sleipnir paces in place, knowing that is where his brother Fenrir is imprisoned. Both rider and beast feel intense hatred for Odin. Thor turns, his horse already galloping towards the thick Dark Forest. Loki remembers when Fenrir's cries were heard from the castle as the chains were clamped around him tightly. Tight enough to draw blood. When they were done, Loki had collapsed to the ground in tears before rising and racing towards Fenrir. He'll never forget that day, it's impossible for him too.
Sleipnir, knowing his father, runs as fast as he can. He outpaces Thor's horse because of his eight legs and only gains speed. He doesn't hesitate before plunging into the dark forest, intent on visiting his brother before searching for the woman with his father. He moves with grace in the forest, ears perked forward. Loki rises in the saddle, seeing light billowing into the black forest. Fire light. His stomach boils with anxiety, a part of him fearing that village people came to torment his son.
Sleipnir plunges into the light, his hooved feet clattering on rock.