Chapter 8

Peculiar.

If Loki had to describe Raven Stark to anyone, he'd say peculiar. She was a wicked vixen, a child, an artist, a philosopher. She relished in mundane things, rather than creating an empire of her own like her father did and his father before. She was content of being unknown and unbothered, living a dull life in her flat. She had no interests in heroics, and had a rather dark view on them. She was the most peculiar girl he ever came across.

While they were at the beach, he, Raven with Clover, Brogan, Nate and his girlfriend Ally it came up. After a morning of tanning, having Clover splash about in the water, rolling about in the sand. Loki wasn't fond of heat, but lucky for him Ireland was constantly damp and overcast. Even on this rainless day, the air was cool and the sun was hidden behind clouds. Once the question was posed about her views on heroics, the groans of Nate and Brogan followed suit.

"Oh no," whined Brogan, "Henry why did you ask her that?"

"Yes, why?" Winced Nate with a sarcastic grin. "Why remind us how depressingly realistic Raven can think?"

"It is not depressing," protested Raven. "It's perfectly logical, right Ally?"

Ally looked up from the sea coming into the vague conversation she was listening to. Loki's impression of her summed up to one word, passive. Unlike Brogan or Raven, Ally was docile, a peacemaker more content on eating those bizarre seaweed crackers than bickering. She was constantly on her phone or tablet, Raven said it was because she had family in Vietnam whom fretted over her continuously. And she was an internet addict. She was a web designer for some company, Loki forgot the name right away.

Ally spluttered unsure what to say, "From a certain point of view maybe..."

"A serial killer," offered Brogan.

"A mass murderer," added Nate.

"Can I tell him, or what?" Huffed Raven. "Okay in a nutshell, I don't believe in heroes, as much as I do a heroics. Though both are moderately low. Because the way I see it a hero saves and protects the people, there's a huge applause and that's all fine and well. But..."

"Here we go," moaned Brogan holding her head.

"But," continued Raven, "it does not hold as much value as a personal heroics. Heroes save the masses, but it's like protecting a quota, you are saving a common good, life, but you aren't saving them because you like them. You're saving them because you think it's right, and to thwart the plan of whatever adversary wants to take life away from these people. You don't know who they are, if they deserve to live or die, you just save them as a moral code from your perspective.

"To me a true hero, without the flash and the glamor, is someone who sees you, you as a person, as an individual and says to you I want to save you because you are worth it. They see the good and the bad, and something worth saving, something worth rescuing. And they don't need nor want recognition, all that matters is that you were, saved," she added quotation gestures with her fingers.

Brogan and Nate glared at the sand, as Loki digested the words. They all decided to go to the beach today, since all of them had a day off. It was pleasant enough, the water was tolerable though he didn't partake in the childish splashing Raven encouraged. Clover even swam, coat dirtied with sand. Then Loki simply inquired why she had interest in her father's former profession. The day was coming to an end and he was curious. He didn't expect it was going to cause such a stir. Now he saw why. She didn't believe in the image of goodness triumphing over evil, the image the Avengers advocated.

"Jesus, you would make a man drink himself to death," spat Nate. "Can we not talk about your borderline insane ideals for one day?"

Loki expected Raven to look hurt or scolded by his snap instead she stared directly at him through her sunglasses. Her mouth was relaxed, she felt neither threatened or insulted. Nate was in a corner, his jaw locked and with a growled hiss he rose from their row of beach blankets.

"I'm going for something you eat, you two coming?" He was talking to Ally and Brogan. "Godspeed Henry."

Wordlessly they rose leaving Raven with him, again she expected it. With a tired sigh she went to her bag for a book. As Clover laid down to rest, muzzle on and leash tied firmly to the handle of the large cooler. Raven gave her companion an affection pat scratching under her muzzle, in turn the dog inched closer to her, her head on her thigh.

"They don't like it when I talk like that," she explained. "It reminds them of things, unpleasant things."

"Such as?" He sat beside her.

"That I didn't have much of a childhood, that what happened to me as a child shaped me into those ideals." She leaned on his shoulder, "It scares them, because they know why I think like that, and when I bring it up they remember."

"What happened to you?" He asked softly.

"My mother was murdered," she deadpanned, book on her lap. "She died protecting me, and no one came to save her, and after she died no one saved me either. Not for quite some time."

Loki contained his surprise. "Did Tony save you?"

"No. He did not. He likes to think he did, and perhaps later down the road he might have, but not as grandly as he likes to imagine."

Loki was blindsided, he stared as Raven read her poetry book. She just nonchalantly said, her father was not her hero, and any such heroics were minor to her. He could kept his mouth shut but he had to know who was her hero.

"Who is your hero then?"

She smiled now, "My other dad, he was going to adopt me if Tony never claimed me. He saved me. A very long, long, long time ago."

She had two fathers? Her family tree was beginning to get as confusing as his. "What did he do?"

"He loved me," she pulled out her phone and showed him a picture of her other father. "There he is, with his wife, Emily."

The man with his full head of snow white hair smiled at a camera, he had deep wrinkles along his eyes and cheeks, a single deep set line in his forehead. Beside him was a woman, much finer wrinkles, long fine light brown hair like a shawl and a wide smile.

"He took care of me after my mother died, for three years, he took me in. He didn't have to but he did, everyone just wanted me gone, but he stepped up and saved me." She caressed the screen. "He wasn't perfect but he had more kindness and love in him than better people."

Loki was dumbstruck. Nothing about this girl made sense. "You are a complete mystery Raven Stark."

"Not really," she said without thought, "you're just thinking too hard. Try not thinking of my father as the Tony Stark, that usually helps clear the smoke."

"And what is your father, Tony Stark, to you?"

"A man. A man who wants to be a good father, and doesn't want to admit I'm not a good daughter."

Loki took the book from her wanting to see her face as she answered. "You think you're a bad daughter?"

She shrugged with a lazy smile. "I forget that you don't know everything. But yes, I am positively no good, and you have been warned."

She had no idea what that meant. Not as it did to him.

Loki's fists curled, the words flew out his mouth before he could tame his tongue. "I was told by my father I was no good... After he did everything to ensure it."

She extended no physical comfort, which he would have resented her for, but her words were unexpectedly soothing. "And he made it feel like it was your fault. Like you born defective? It's funny how people warn parents over and over to love your children unconditionally than wonder, when they didn't, why their children hate them so much. You know," she took her shades off, "I read this quote in a book when I was teenager, it helped it out a lot. You wanna here it?"

He didn't object, and she took a deep breathe. "Alright, it goes... Never forget who you are, for surely the world won't. Make it your strength, then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it and it will never be used to hurt you... Does that make any sense?"

It sounded like something he already believed. Why be something you are not? And truly the world never let anyone forget their fall. When Thor foolishly sought vengeance on Jotunheim, he was forgiven once her returned. He was golden son, the future king, he could do no wrong. Yet when he had attacked Jotunheim, using the Bifrost, he was the monster. When Odin invaded Earth as a benevolent god, he wasn't scolded yet when Loki did, it was a massacre. He always was the monster. He gave in to the title. While he was not fond of what transgressed with the Other, there was some satisfaction in letting go and becoming the monster they wanted to see.

Loki nodded, "It does. It's sound advice."

She showed him her book. "Have you heard of this book? Paradise Lost, it's one of my favorites, sure John Milton was a sexist but you can't deny its awesomeness. This is an epic poem, basically about how God made Man and the Devil refused to tolerate them and how he made Man sin and lose their immortality. It's quite a good read. Wanna read it with me?"

He relented grateful she dropped the subject he did not want to discuss. "Why not?"

"You'll love it, since you're into myths and sombre themes. Let's start from the beginning," she flipped to the start of the book. "Hey Henry?" She saw the troubled wrinkle in his forehead.

"Yes Raven?"

She smiled, "You're not so bad." She pecked his neck. The wrinkle vanished and he leaned into her lips. "No more than me."

"What did they used to call you?" He wondered aloud.

He didn't have to explain, Raven knew right away what he meant. "I was always the Other One. The Other Stark, the Other Kid. The Daughter of Tony Stark. I had no name, no face, just a last name. I accepted it a long time ago, those who saw my last name first were not worth my time. And I gave up feeling shame for not being what they wanted me to be."

"Did it make you happier?"

He expected her to lie and say yes. Instead she impressed him and told the truth. "No one is happy when they have to pretend they're something they're not. If they came clean, their family might emotionally disown them, or literally. But you can hold your head higher, and it helps." She saw a strange twitch in his jaw, "Am I becoming more depressing again?"

Loki shook his head, "No. You are speaking the unspoken truth of the universe. I never expected a twenty-three year old to know it, that's all."

"It takes years of torment to learn lessons like that," said Raven. "Years of disappointment and harsh realities. While it is enlightening to a degree, no one ever wants to believe it. As true as it is," her eyes went to her friends at the snack shack, "those blind to it will call you a neurotic loon. They don't mean to, but they can't fantom it, so you're still in the dark."

"Who tormented you?"

"Life," she deadpanned. "Who tormented you?"

"My brother... my father." He didn't mention the Other. "When you say life, does that include everyone you know?"

"Everyone at some point in my life has reminded me of what I've lost, what I will never have, and what I am deep down. So yes."

"Does that include me?" He wanted the answer to be in his favor, yet he itched for something interesting. She didn't disappoint him.

Her smile was riddled with secrets. "Not yet. I hope not, for some time."

They both stared at one another. Not at odds, or from different levels. Bizarrely they were equals in that brief moment. A faint fleeting second. Loki and Raven. Alike, yet not quite the same. Bonding over pain, and the balms for their wounds. Their hands didn't fall into each other, nor did they kiss, share a tender touch. Instead they began to read Paradise Lost simultaneously.

The day vanished in between the non-rhyming poetry of John Milton, it was a fine read, Loki saw why Raven loved it so. Night came and they all gathered by Nate's car, watching the sun set. Clover was already in the back of the vehicle too tired to do anything else.

"All you two did was read," commented Ally. "Why didn't you go into the water again Raven?"

"I didn't feel like it," she shrugged the last beer in her hand. "Besides Paradise Lost is awesome... Oh look it's going down."

Ally pulled out her smartphone, "These colors are brilliant." She took a picture, which Raven shook her head at. She took pictures of everything, Loki lost count of all the times she took pictures of him and Raven as they read.

"What do you think?" Raven nudged Loki, addressing him with discretion, so as not to drag the whole group into their conversation. "Isn't it grand?"

"I'm not the type to gaze into sunsets."

"I know that," she rolled her eyes. "But can't you appreciate a good view?"

"It's nice," he said, with no conviction.

Raven leaned into him, her voice a whisper. "Let me try. I see a burst of flames, at the peak of their heat, cremated in pastels highlighted with a single thread of mauve. In a few minutes the mauve will become a blanket of midnight blue with lantern glows of stars and a full moon."

"Are you ever not an artist?" He was amused at her grandiose description of something he cared so little about. "Midnight blue? I thought the sky was black."

She rubbed his head, in mock despair, "You have no imagination do you? Sure deep space is black, but the night sky is dark blue. It's because it's so dark, we think it's black."

"Of course," he said in a droll tone. "I never would have guessed."

Seeing he wasn't impressed she pulled him to the back of the car, boxing him in with her arms. "How about I describe you?" He bowed his head, inviting the challenge. "I see, creams,with obsidian and onyx waves, emeralds and starlights swirling in infinite brooding. Cut," she traced his jawline, "by diamond christened edges."

"You should be a poet," he laughed.

"Only when I'm on holiday," she teased. "I prefer to paint. You know what? I'm gonna paint you, and show you for myself what I see."

"You want to paint a portrait of me?"

"Yes," she gushed. "I can fuss over you and prop you on a stool. And you can't escape me," she added with a evil cackle.

Loki wasn't as opposed to be fussed over as she thought. "I'm rather interested in how you perceive me." He cupped her chin pulling her in for a kiss. "I personally think you are lucelent."

"I'll take it," she said against his lips.

Alright this was a bit of a filler chappie, but I do love it.

Anyways, I need reviews! Guys, I know you're out there, I wanna hear your thoughts so far, anything you wanna see, any predictions, etc.! Can we try to have three reviews per chapter? I need to know if you guys like the story, or should I pull up my boots. Please critique if you think I need to hear it.

On a less desperate note, shout out to my loyal reviewers *wink, wink*, and hugs to all my followers. *huggles*

Until next time, Anotherscribe.