𝑺𝒊𝒓 𝑳𝒐𝒌𝒊

Loki had learned that "home" wasn't a place you just lived, but a series of quiet adjustments. He had successfully merged his early-riser gentleman habits with Mantis softer, more fluid schedule—finding that middle ground where the world was quiet, the coffee was hot, and the bed was still warm.

Every morning followed a sacred ritual: he would slip out of the covers, prepare a healthy breakfast for a very lucky Shrimp, and then—true to his promise of being the perfect "housewife"—he would crawl back into the sheets and tuck himself along with her.

On those mornings when Mantis felt particularly heavy with laziness, Loki didn't mind. In fact, it was another excuse to stay. He would pepper her face with tiny kisses, watching for that first flicker of her antennae.

"There are myths about different vampire families, and the tzimisces are one of them. They can change their own bodies to take on different forms… Almost like Loki, the difference being that we use magic and they actually alter the bone structure of the body."

Perhaps talking about that kind of subject wasn't the most pleasant thing in the world when your head was resting on a beautiful lady. Loki looked back at Mantis with a smile, lifting his face so he could lightly kiss her lips—even on his knees, he could reach her because of his height.

to here because im a dumb fuck

Loki had learned that "home" wasn't a place you just lived, but a series of quiet adjustments. He had successfully merged his early-riser gentleman habits with Mantis softer, more fluid schedule—finding that middle ground where the world was quiet, the coffee was hot, and the bed was still warm.

Every morning followed a sacred ritual: he would slip out of the covers, prepare a healthy breakfast for a very lucky Shrimp, and then—true to his promise of being the perfect "housewife"—he would crawl back into the sheets and tuck himself along with her.

On those mornings when Mantis felt particularly heavy with laziness, Loki didn't mind. In fact, it was another excuse to stay. He would pepper her face with tiny kisses, watching for that first flicker of her antennae.

"Oooh? You are working on shapeshifting magic lately?"

Mantis turns upon the stool, looking back at Loki and his acquired tools from the bag he brought in.

"I wonder if shapeshifting magic is similar at all to my ability to remake myself a body. I can take any form I wish, but I have to focus with strong intent and have the proper organic materials around to do so with. I have had many forms before this one. I have gotten more efficient at it each time I had to make a new body, I feel. But perhaps it is something I can help with!"

She smiles at him, but inevitably her eyes catch on the scissors he takes out. Wanting to behave nicely for him when he's doing her such a kind favor, Mantis moves herself back into her position from before, facing the mirror, still so that if he starts cutting nothing unexpected happens.

"That... Did you know that's a very famous vampire legend? Something about a clan called the Tzimisce—well, they're just myths." Loki said as he finished combing Mantis's long strands of hair, wondering how he would cut it. Maybe he should crouch down? "And about shape-shifting... Apparently it's natural for Lokis, something about being connected to their trickster nature, I can't do it yet. I think."

Although Loki knew he had done it at some point in the past, he couldn't imagine how, after all... He didn't remember, but his magical studies were bearing fruit, so who knows? Loki chuckled softly and slowly knelt behind Mantis, running his fingers through her hair. "I'm going to cut it, okay?"

It didn't take long for him to start cutting Mantis's hair with the scissors, roughly at the height of her knees—the hair was still long, of course, but the amount that fell to the floor... Gods, it was a lot of hair. He slowly trimmed the ends so that it wouldn't be completely straight; he wanted to do a good job.

Loki had learned that "home" wasn't a place you just lived, but a series of quiet adjustments. He had successfully merged his early-riser gentleman habits with Mantis softer, more fluid schedule—finding that middle ground where the world was quiet, the coffee was hot, and the bed was still warm.

Every morning followed a sacred ritual: he would slip out of the covers, prepare a healthy breakfast for a very lucky Shrimp, and then—true to his promise of being the perfect "housewife"—he would crawl back into the sheets and tuck himself along with her.

On those mornings when Mantis felt particularly heavy with laziness, Loki didn't mind. In fact, it was another excuse to stay. He would pepper her face with tiny kisses, watching for that first flicker of her antennae.

"Oh, you too?"

Mantis blinks in surprise, using Loki's reflection in the mirror to imagine what he must have looked like. It makes her smile - honestly, Loki could pull of many looks, he is very beautiful.

"I wonder how long it was?"

Her own hair was literally down to the floor, just a bit past her own height at 5'4"... she does not see many Earthlings with hair as long as her own, and she cannot blame them, to be honest. Maybe Loki was right - even if it was just a portion of her hair, maybe that could be a nice change, even if it is only a small one.

She contemplates this idea in the mirror, thoughtful in expression, looking as though she is zoning out a bit... but then she seems to come back mentally, a more determined look in her eyes now.

"I had! Maybe I have some photos, I recently found an old album, but… I haven't had the courage to look at it yet."

Loki let out a deep sigh, he could remember the feeling of his own hair brushing against his lower back—it was certainly beautiful, but not practical. He would do what he could to take care of Mantis's hair, after all, it was so beautiful… Besides, he seemed to really enjoy taking care of her. Something so lovely, a warmth feeling in his heart.

Loki had learned that "home" wasn't a place you just lived, but a series of quiet adjustments. He had successfully merged his early-riser gentleman habits with Mantis softer, more fluid schedule—finding that middle ground where the world was quiet, the coffee was hot, and the bed was still warm.

Every morning followed a sacred ritual: he would slip out of the covers, prepare a healthy breakfast for a very lucky Shrimp, and then—true to his promise of being the perfect "housewife"—he would crawl back into the sheets and tuck himself along with her.

On those mornings when Mantis felt particularly heavy with laziness, Loki didn't mind. In fact, it was another excuse to stay. He would pepper her face with tiny kisses, watching for that first flicker of her antennae.

"Oh, I know, I used to have long hair too, you know?"

Loki took the opportunity to give Mantis a little kiss on the top of her head, quickly returning to her hair—although his memories were still confused, he could clearly remember the feeling of having to comb his hair every day, detangling it, tying it up… Gods, he certainly didn't miss it. He couldn't remember when he had cut her hair, he just knew it was no longer there on her head.

Loki had learned that "home" wasn't a place you just lived, but a series of quiet adjustments. He had successfully merged his early-riser gentleman habits with Mantis softer, more fluid schedule—finding that middle ground where the world was quiet, the coffee was hot, and the bed was still warm.

Every morning followed a sacred ritual: he would slip out of the covers, prepare a healthy breakfast for a very lucky Shrimp, and then—true to his promise of being the perfect "housewife"—he would crawl back into the sheets and tuck himself along with her.

On those mornings when Mantis felt particularly heavy with laziness, Loki didn't mind. In fact, it was another excuse to stay. He would pepper her face with tiny kisses, watching for that first flicker of her antennae.

The first sign of life from Mantis is an incoherent grumble, sleepy and soft as she lifts her face from the pillow she somehow had not suffocated in the way she had her face buried in it. Perhaps the gills on the sides of her neck breathe air, too... a scientific mystery for another time.

Her hair, long and unruly, had fallen from any sort of styling it had been in before bed - often is the case that she attempts to put it into a messy bun to keep it from wrapping around herself if she tosses and turns, but somehow, during the night, it unravels anyways. It now cascades, semi-tangled, across the blankets behind her as she peeks over at Loki, smiling contentedly when he greets her with a sweet kiss to her temple, antennae drooping as she blinks sleepily at him as though they, too, are still suffering from the grogginess of waking in the morning.

Loki chuckled—Seeing Mantis so relaxed was reassuring somehow, maybe he wasn't the threat he always thought. With some effort, Loki's arms took Mantis and lifted her, ignoring any sleepy protests, and carried to the bathroom—Warm, lightly scented with essences he had chosen himself—nothing too strong, just enough to wake the senses. He placed her on the stool with care, as if he were handling a precious artifact.

"We need to clean your precious face, my dear. A splash of water to wake up the mind."

Then, he positioned himself behind her. Loki's hands, once used to wielding daggers, now held a soft-bristled brush—how therapeutic is to run his fingers on those long dark hair locks. Soft... And a nice smell, he could swear it reminded him of the sea.

"It really is impressive," he commented, his voice soft. "I always wonder how you manage to tame all of this into those two perfect buns. It’s a piece of engineering that defies even my magic."