fossilised | I come from a land of ice and snow

I come from a land of ice and snow

Asgard sat atop the branches of Yggdrasil since time began, and little had changed in their society in the years since. Each Asgardian was long-lived into the millennia, their lands were fertile, their people brave and strong. They had their vassals, their allies, and their enemies. Yet even those who opposed them respected the might of the Golden Dias, and the royalty who sat upon it. Currently that was Odin Borson, though he grew weary more easily now and had begun to consider passing the throne to his eldest son.

He had been blessed with many children, but only two that he considered worthy of his lineage and status. His firstborn, Thor, strong and honourable and everything an Asgardian warrior should be. His second son, Loki, was not natural born, though none knew that but his wife. He was different, a creature of magic and mayhem, of sharp intelligence. Both were worthy, but together they would take Asgard to a new prosperity, he was certain of it.

Midgard, where the mortals dwelt, was a land raided every few centuries for stock. It was seen as a breeding ground, much like a corral for cattle. Mortals were lesser, short-lived and weak, they were fit only as slaves. The last raid had taken place when Loki had been but a baby, nearly a thousand years ago, but the mortals that had been taken had been bred and cared for so that a healthy slave population still thrived. Slaves were given a weakened mixture of Idunn's crop with their food, to extend their natural lives to at least a few centuries in order to make them worth the effort to train. They had no rights, but they were taught well that this was their natural position.

All slave children were raised in a central pen and taught the same when small, those that then displayed talent at cooking, riding, hunting, housework, artisan skills, or singing were then measured off to be specially trained for higher masters. Every five years those who could afford to buy a slave, or those of high enough status to simply demand them, came to the corral and chose. Those who were chosen were special, were envied, and those who were not ended up working the fields out in the far reaches of Asgard, the most menial of work.

Anthony and Steven had been friends since they were little and being raised in the large pens together. Both had excelled, Anthony at crafting and Steven at warrior's skills, but neither were chosen when they were five, nor ten, nor even fifteen. Now, at twenty, it was their final chance to be chosen before they would be assigned to one of the meanest farmers beyond the borders of the great capital. Steven woke Anthony as the dawn rose, mingled excitement and nerves on his face.

"Anthony! Wake up, I've got news! I heard the overseer talking to one of the passing guards, and Princes Thor and Loki are coming to the corral today."

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"Wow. Seriously? Child bride stuff huh?" Tony was probably the best person to talk to about this because he never judged. It sounded a little messed up but Loki was probably a few centuries old anyway. "I hope he's a cool guy. Actually. I have a better gift than armor for you to give him. If he's anything like my Thor, he's going to love coffee. I'll teach you how to brew it after we get this template down and build the model."

Outside, people were just breaking off to sleep, finally leaving the newly weds to enjoy each other, but in his lab, Tony was having no trouble chatting to a little girl version of Loki as if they were old friends.

Or at least fast friends.

Maybe this was why Anthony was so loyal to his Loki. They sort of just clicked. Great. What did that say about him?

It was a different morality to Midgardians and Loki did not see herself as a child. She had enough wisdom and teaching to prepare her for what marriage would be, and it would be better to be married before Thor took the throne so that she could have plenty of time to make him malleable and turn him into the greatest All-Father who ever lived. Not just for the glory of Asgard, but for the reflected glory of Jotunheim. It would be remembered that a Jotnar had sat as All-Mother if she succeeded.

She did not know if she wanted Thor to love her, it hardly mattered because they would be married either way, but she selfishly hoped they would be friends. She did not want to live a miserable existence. She somehow found herself telling all of this to Tony Stark as he worked on the armour, her legs swinging as she sat on the side of the desk.

"So tell me, Tony Stark, what are the plans for your displaced Midgardians? Will you stay here and forge a new life? I could petition for you to be allowed to our realm, where you may be able to return to a Midgard there or, if not, be given sanctuary on another safer world."

Listening to Loki's wants and her fears made her a likable sort and as they slipped towards a strange and easy friendship, as if they had always been friends, Tony started to tell her about the love of his life being lost in the war and that he wasn't sure what to do with himself in that department anymore because he craved a connection with someone else above all else. He assumed this ease of communication was partly due to Bruce's kind rejection and partly due to the fact that Loki was a visitor on this world and that he'd probably not really talk to her much when she left. Their communication would be with her people instead, especially since her offer seemed almost too good to be true.

He nearly cut his finger off with the lathe as he was fashioning the internal circuits of one of the greaves in an effort to pop an eyebrow at her. "If you can make that happen, I'll build you anything you could ever think of."

He wasn't just being facetious about that either. Tony was absolutely sure that he could do anything if given enough time and some smooth jazz. He'd already decided to throw himself into his work anyway and what better way to live his life than in effort to see humanity saved?

Loki was an odd one. She got along with most people at the palace, but she counted very few as true friends. None were as quicksilver as she, as chaotic, and so none could keep up. How odd that she should find herself opening up to, and enjoying the company of, a random mortal that she had not even intended to come across. Perhaps this was just one of the mysterious ways that the magic of Yggdrasil moved all who lived on it.

"Do you have the power to negotiate for your people? If you do not, I will take you and the ones who do to visit with my father, he knows more of the ways of Midgard and if it would be possible to take you there."

She would make no promises she could not keep.

"If we can do this, no payment will be necessary. Jotunheim has always acted in the interests of all Yggdrasil's inhabitants, it would be doing our duty."

"There's a council," Tony explained, rattling off the most annoying thing about each member as he flipped down his face mask to finish welding. The blue-white light blazed brightly for a moment before he set the torch aside and sat back on his heels. The armor was really shaping up. It usually took him weeks to get armor ready, but he was building off of an already started prototype and Pepper wasn't around to bother him with other things supposedly more important.

Glancing back at Loki, he noticed that the sun had risen. Already. It seemed like he'd just been yelling at a little bird not all that long ago. He was not, however, tired. He'd crash eventually but his body was used to never sleeping now that he had been given a directive that encompassed more than 'get over the torture.' "Do Jotuns sleep? Or eat plants and meat?"

What did he know? Loki said she was a frost giant. Maybe all they ate were rocks.

"Because we should probably face the council well rested and with full bellies." And then immediately visit with Loki's dad to make sure it was okay if they still hung out sometimes. She might be just s kid but she was refreshing. And Tony needed the company.

"Of course we sleep and eat, but we do not need to do it as often as mortals. I will not turn down some food and rest, though."

She might not be too happy with what mortals called food, though. Jotun food was very natural, and very heavy on meat and fish. Few plants grew in the cold freeze of their homeland, and what little there was had to be tended to in special underground caves. Bread, meat, and fish tended to be their main fare.

"It seems wise to have a council to advise the leader. My father is King, but he would not make decisions of war or great import without seeking the advice and consensus of his council first. Helblindi, that is my eldest brother who will be King one day, does not see that yet. He's growing, though."

"It's a good thing that you'll be queen then," Tony said, rinsing his hands off and heading back upstairs to get on a clean shirt. He didn't think much of doing that with the girl there, though the reactor planted in his chest might give her some pause. "You can keep all the stupid boys in check." He might have been a womanizer at one (or two) point in his life, but he also was fully convinced that women ran things. He quickly buttoned up a fresh shirt to head out into the messy streets, still strewn with the remains of reveling. Expectedly, he had to tell Loki all about the reactor and while it was a story he told many times, he enjoyed it this time with the girl.

Tony didn't keep food at his place. He always used the communal kitchen (and whoever was manning it) to get something to eat when he needed it. Or sometimes Bruce would bring a meal over to make sure he ate. That might not be happening so much anymore.

"Let's see," Tony said, encountering no one in the food supply building. Evidently it was still too early for celebrators to get out of bed (most of whom with new partners). He pulled open one of the refrigeration units he spent his days refurbishing and scanned the neatly labeled items. "We have a lot of roasted Dog-sheep left." The biologists had named most of the animals here based off of what was in the skiff databases but Tony used his own classifications.

There were one or two people who passed not that far away, but they just assumed that Loki was another one of their number that they hadn't met yet, such happened quite frequently still. A thousand people was not a lot as far as a population went, but it did still mean that there were strangers among them, nobody could know a thousand people all at the same time.

Loki again hopped up onto the cabinets to sit, she seemed to prefer those to any chairs that were around, and crossed her legs. Roasted dog-sheep, whatever that was, could be edible but she had a definitely preference for fish. All Jotnar did.

"Have you any fish? Raw will do, I do not need it cooked, though I could make you a traditional spiced fish soup if you wished it."

"I could really go for fish. But no. We know there's a lake right south of the settlement but we don't have experts to tell us what's edible. And no one wants to chance it yet. It's on my to-do list, making a scanner to find out what is safe for consumption." He had a very long to-do list. Some of the stuff he could and did give to other engineers but most of it was still stuck in his head. And he just worked better alone where his genius didn't make everyone else feel angry and inadequate.

And his personality didn't make people want to hit him. All. The. Time.

"Oh. Wait. Good old tuna!"

Loki probably had never had fish in a can before but that was one supply that they had s lot of. Thanks Walmart.

Loki had definitely never had fish in a can before and when the top was opened, she wrinkled her nose and poked the flakes inside. Jotunheim didn't have an issue with food storage that would necessitate tins, their climate was so cold and their farming and fishing methods so economical that the need for long term storage beyond what the ice could already deal with wasn't there.

"This is not fish, you are trying to jest with me. A fish has a head and fins, a tail. This looks like something your children might have brought up with a sickness."

She poked it again and then held the tin back out to Tony.

"Surely all of the fish is safe to eat, it's just fish, why would it not be?"

"A lot of fish is poisonous." Tony dumped the tuna out into w bowl, chopped up some space onions (they were closer to nuts sctuslly but Tony thought they tasted like onions), and made two sandwiches on toast with fried bacon for extra crunch. If Loki wanted it, she could have it if not, he'd eat both. He did brew some more coffee though since the girl enjoyed it, making a full pot should anyone else happen by during a walk of shame home.

By now, Tony should have gotten annoyed at all of the questions but he took it in stride, and did so for the entire day, breaking only twice more to get a little sleep and then make another meal, this time something akin to a hamburger. He didn't even warn Loki away from his stuff. She was curious but trustworthy. Or Tony told himself that at least. She was their best hope for a return to normalacy.

The following morning, Tony called a Council meeting. He'd not gone without seeing Bruce for almost two days in a row before but evidently that was what happened when you kissed a friend these days. You had to give them space. And besides, Loki filled the friendship niche pretty well since.

He made sure to be fashionably late for the meeting, Loki in tow, if only to make sure that they had a grand entrance.

Though she did not normally vanish from home for several days at a time, she did not think that anyone would worry about her unless at least a month passed by without any word from her that she was safe. Besides, she was enjoying herself learning about this mortal, his hopes and dreams and fears, and the humanity that had been all but wiped out by Asgard.

It wouldn't be the most grand of entrances, because they all just saw Tony with a teenage girl. Bucky frowned, he didn't like the amount of people in council meetings anyway, let alone with added members, but Loki didn't seem to notice. She just stepped forwards and smiled.

"These are your leaders, Tony Stark?"

"Technically, that blond there is out leader," Tony said, good naturedly, trying not to let his eyes settle on Bruce. "We just advise and out vote him on occasion. His name is Steve Rogers."

"Barnes," Steve said immediately. "I took Bucky's name."

Tony arched an eyebrow but considering how Barnes wanted to stamp himself all over Steve, that made sense. "Steve Barnes. His husband, James, is next to him. And the rest." He didn't get into it. Loki probably didn't care. "This is princess Loki of Jotunheim."

He waited for there to be some commotion. He was not disappointed, either.

"She's from a different reality. Like we used to be. She's offered to act as a liaison between us and her father the King. They want to help us. And I don't think we should say no when we still live in a reality where Asgard wants us as slaves."

Bucky had a gun out and in his hand before the introductions had even concluded, keeping it trained on her without any hesitation or hint of regret. He didn't fire, but nor did he give any indication that he wouldn't if she gave him a reason to. The Asgardians had done horrific and atrocious acts of mass genocide, rape, and subjugation, they didn't deserve any mercy.

Loki took one look at the gun, and at the commotion, and scoffed. They wouldn't be able to hurt her even if they tried, she would simply teleport away to a safer place and leave them to their fate.

"Have wisdom and do not treat me as though I were the monster you have encountered. I am not him, nor am I Aesir, I am Jotnar."

She allowed her human skin to fall away, showing the truth of her heritage to all. Beautiful blue skin with natural whorls and patterns that denoted her lineage as royalty. Her eyes changed to blood red, and an aura of cold could be felt coming from her.

"I am offering to take you to speak with my father, who knows more than I. I cannot promise you safety in our realm, there may be reasons why you cannot reside there, but I know my father will want to help you find safety and a solution."

A blue space princess... He'd been hanging out for the last day and some change with a blue space princess? Fifteen year old Tony Stark just came in his pants. Forty-two year old Tony Stark put himself between their guest and his newly wed friend. "Stand down. She's not here to hurt anyone. Rob from me, yes, but we came to a mutual understanding that no one is stealing from anyone else and that fish does not ever belong in cans on our way to a potential solution to the fact that the Asgard here are enslaving rapists."

His eyes were set and hard, though his gaze was fixed on Bucky. He knew what the reaction was about. He knew this was a need to protect Steve, though the blond had risen to his feet by that time and, honestly, looked regal even in a tshirt and blue jeans. "I'd like to meet the King."

There were some murmurings going on but Stevd plowed through them.

"We decide everything by vote, FRIDAY--"

"Wait a sec," Barton said, leaning forward. "We're gonna vote without any information at all? Jesus Christ people. Just because some blue girl says it's fine, we can't just go to some other planet-- remember what happened to us last time?"

Bruce felt a twinge of excitement himself. It was difficult not to feel enthusiasm as a scientist when meeting a member of a race of creatures that didn't even look human. For so long mankind had looked for alien life and here it was in front of them; for some reason, even though they were also from another realm, the Asgardians didn't seem to count as much. They looked too human, they were too entrenched with folklore and religion as figures of Earth.

But this?

He wanted to vote to go, but Clint was right and he nodded in immediate agreement. "We can't risk walking into a situation we know so little about. While I don't want to offend Princess Loki, especially if her offer is genuine, we're in too much of a precarious position to risk it."

Loki wasn't offended, she was actually impressed. The one who spoke out seemed to have some tactical intelligence to him, and she could appreciate that they didn't know her word was her bond.

"I can return and ask my father to come and treat with you here, but I do not think you will trust that any further, for you might fear we return with a conquering army. I have little to offer you as surety."

Tony was too easy to trust. He knew that. He'd always been like that. People he was drawn to immediately were placed in this inner sanctum of trust. And then hurt him. He really should have been better with that but he felt close to so few people that if he didn't let them in, he'd always be alone.

More than he was already always alone.

"Pretty sure there you could make it snow in Summertown and half of these guys wouldn't trust you." No one got his reference but that was all right. "We're at a disadvantage. We are vulnerable. That's just something that we have to get over. We're sitting ducks here. What do you want? What will make you trust her?"

Barton rolled his eyes. "How about you just tell us about your world? Start easy?"

It was probably good for Tony's damaged and vulnerable trust that Loki was telling the truth, and he would be vindicated for trusting her in time. But for now, she was more than happy to tell them about her world. She spread her hands and green light flowed down her fingertips to the floor, where a beautiful and detailed image of a snowy landscape filled the floor of the Capitol building. As she spoke the images changed, becoming whatever she told about.

"Jotunheim is one of the realms of Yggdrasil, a land of ice and snow, and home to the Jotnar. My people are creatures of magic and ice, we believe that strength of body and mind is important to cultivate. After all, those who are weak in body won't survive our landscape's harsh environment, and those who are weak in mind will never learn how to hunt effectively or barter for other goods. All realms on Yggdrasil are needed for balance and so all races should be protected. Our people are ruled by a King or Queen, whichever the eldest child of the last monarch was, who is advised by a council. Our current King is my father, Laufey-King, and he has reigned for the last six thousand and fifteen years."

The celebrations at his six thousandth year had been amazing and she could still remember them vividly.

"We are not the most influential realm of Yggdrasil, but nor are we the least. We are respected, at the very least."

There were many questions for Loki, enough that Tont finally pulled out his usual seat so she could sit and he stood off to her right with his arms crossed as she answered each one thoughtfully. Every topic from economy to class status was brought up, and some of the questions Tony felt shouldn't have been asked of a kid, even one who was specifically raised knowing these things so she could have the best influence over her future husband when he ruled over them all. He did not, however, interupt.

He couldn't help feeling somewhat protective over Loki, like he wanted to help her out. There was a weird tugging that he felt in his stomach, and though he didn't believe in a fate he didn't make for himself, he did believe that meeting the princess was going to change all of their lives for the better.

Eventually, Steve called again for a vote to go with Loki to Jotunheim to speak with her father and, for the most part, everyone seemed in favor of it. Tony pushed his fist towards Loki and when the girl blinked at him, Tony tapped his knuckles. "Fist bump. It means we did a good job."

Midgardians had some strange customs, but she had been brought up to not offend any foreign parties, and if she did want to offend them then do it through witty words and clever phrase that would leave them unsure if they had been offended. So she closed her fist and bumped it against Tony Stark's with amusement.

"The climate of Jotunheim is a harsh one, as I have explained, and you are all ill equipped to deal with it. I can protect perhaps three of you, but no more, would that be sufficient a party size for an initial meeting? Should a deal be done, I am certain Laufey-King would send others to protect the rest of you from the cold?"

Bucky immediately moved towards Steve, since obviously he would volunteer and he wasn't about to let his husband go into danger without him watching his six. Bruce shrugged and gestured to Tony.

"I'm okay with it, and my vote is for Tony to go. He obviously already has a rapport with Princess Loki."

"We need actual scientists to go," Reagan said. "I've been at the negotiating table before."

Tony had perhaps been about to smile at Bruce or maybe not, he wasn't sure where they stood now that he had likely beaten his bestie with an awkward stick, though his attention was returned to the table. He didn't want to argue in front of Loki. He didn't want to show how fractured their could be at times. But he couldn't let that go.

"I've got degrees in physics and engineering and the last time I checked, those were sciences." Reagan said that she hadn't meant any disrespect but Tony continued. "I also headed a global corporation for over two decades. I think that actually puts me in a better position than you, Professor." Reagan and Nayota had very little love for Tony Stark. And honestly, he didn't blame them. He didn't have a lot of love for himself either. "But that said I don't know if we want Cap to go. He's needed here."

Even Steve was silent about that.

"This about this like the feudal kings. You send delegates, Cap."

Steve really didn't like this. This is why he never wanted to be the one in charge, he was made for action and not sitting about sending other people off into potentially dangerous situations. Nevertheless, he nodded, he knew when a decision was the right one even if he hated it. More than that, he knew the right three people to send. Tony did have to be one of them, he had brokered this deal and it was only fair, but the other two needed to offset him.

"Tony, Bruce, Bucky."

Tony was smart, Bruce was well liked by Reagan and Nayota and nobody could question his scientific credentials, and Bucky was the best they had at tactics. He'd be the one who could get the others out of there if things turned south. He swallowed hard and ran his thumb over the ring on his wedding finger, stomach in knots, but just turned and walked out after giving the order.

Princes Loki looked to the three named and smiled, hands spreading.

"Then shall we go?"

With Bucky staring after Steve, and everyone, even Tony felt for him because the man was entitled to his honeymoon with his brand new husband, and a lot of murmuring going on, Tony felt his stomach sink. He did not want to go anywhere with Bruce. And that was not a fair feeling, he knew, since Bruce had done nothing but be so very kind to him. It didn’t stop him from the irrational feeling, however.

“We’ll go in the armor. Barnes will be insulated from the cold, more or less, from the serum. Banner, I think you run naturally not too. But I don’t have anything in me but regular blood. The second armor will be used as a backup in case one of you ends up needing it.” Tony was already messing with his wrist watch, how he communicated with the second armor at the moment since he had yet to fully inject the sensors into his skin.

He’d finish that when he came back.

“It’s a good thing that we’re all about the same size,” he smirked, his back mostly kept towards Bruce. He’d spent every other thought the last two days thinking about the man but now that he was here, Tony was being regretful. And that was his own issue, no one else’s. The armor would be flying through the window any moment and Tony let it surround him, giving Loki a wink before his face disappeared behind the metal.

Bruce felt for Steve as well. The two men had suffered a lot and they deserved a few days of peace together, but apparently that wasn't meant to be. He went over and said a couple of quiet words to Bucky before he approached Tony in the armour, eyebrow raised to see him in it already.

"Good to see you still have it working, but we need to talk when this is done and I can see your face again," he said, just putting it out there because he was tired of Tony avoiding him since that ill-advised kiss.

Loki, intrigued by both the words and the armour, watched intently until they were all ready and she could gesture them to follow. She led them out into the surrounding jungle for about two miles and then suddenly stepped through an archway into nothingness. Should they follow her, they'd find themselves on Jotunheim, a cold of which even Tony's suit would have trouble with, and Bucky almost immediately began shivering violently. Bruce didn't, the Other Guy made him resistant to just about everything.

Cold, yes, but also beautiful. Pristine white snow, majestic peaks, ice of a bluish tinge, it was like something out of a fantasy illustration. Loki was now in her natural skin, and she definitely looked at home here in the snow.

Hey now! Tony had been where he always was…working. Just because he hadn’t spent his afternoons with Bruce whining like he usually did for a day or two didn’t mean he was avoiding him. Bruce could have come over at any time! Of course, the correct answer was that yes, Tony was avoiding him. But he’d never own up to it. He might even use Loki as an excuse if he was ever cornered for this talk that he Did Not Want.

He made some sort of ‘sure’ acknowledgement sound, but his body ran hot and cold at once. Luckily, there was no flush to his face. There was nothing but stillness from the suit. Thank you, suit.

After stepping through the archway, Tony directed the prototype to encase Bucky. That armor didn’t fly yet and wasn’t fully powered, so FRIDAY would have to do much of the work, but Bucky could still make the movements he needed and the AI would compensate with the various applied pressures and allow the joints to move. It was all very elegant for a clunky piece of unfinished work….but all of Tony’s work was. Someone once said that he could create a spaceship out of sand and cactus needles if he needed to, and have it look good to boot.

Though it was more natural to fly, Tony kept up a pace with the princess, a little snarky in his questions for her to point out landscape features, but the girl was proud of her home and Tony wanted to share in that enthusiasm with her.

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