#nesting behavior

Nesting Behavior

a feral little Data x Reader story set during TNG’s Genesis

Oh boy, so much to cover! I actually started a small ficlet to answer this ask but then I got stuck, so when I’m done with this merthorki arc, I’m probably going to piece together all the art and accompanying prose and post it all on AO3 so it can be enjoyed more easily.

But to answer your questions:

🔹 Loki and Thor are entertaining names, but it’s considered bad luck by merfolk to name babies before they’re born (or hatched), so the little ones will receive names when they finally wriggle their way into the world. 

🔹 Thor’s parents have no idea that their son has fathered a litter of hybrid Serpenians, and they’re probably going to hit the roof (of the ocean) when they find out. Shortly after Thor began making romantic overtures, he invited Loki to the palace for dinner and also to meet his parents. (This was part of the ficlet I tried writing.) While Frigga was gracious and courteous, Odin was cold and critical. He had never liked Serpenians very much, and the next day he pulled Thor aside and forbade him from ever bringing that sneaky little sea witch into the palace again. A terrible argument ensued and Thor was banished from his home until he finally saw reason (and agreed to marry the nice female Delf whom Odin had selected for Thor years ago). Thor found homelessness a better option than abandoning Loki, so he renounced his title, gave up his inheritance, and went to live with Loki. 

Thor and Loki were both outcasts now, but the days that followed were some of the happiest of their lives. They made a home out of the dead reef where Loki dwelled. Thor used his powers to blast away pieces of coral and create new rooms and passages, turning Loki’s humble abode into a sprawling, spacious warren. It was during this time that Thor was accidentally zapping Loki entirely too often, and Loki threatened to throw him out if he didn’t do something about it. So Thor swam across the sea to the kingdom of Nidavellir, home of the dwarf whales, and begged Eitri, their king, for a gift that would help control his powers. Eitri had always had a soft spot in his heart for Thor, ever since the little prince was an excited pup swimming at his father’s flukes. He came up with the design for Thor’s Thunderbracers, which used a special metal to suppress Thor’s shocks over a certain voltage. In return, Thor swore an oath to come to Nidavellir’s aid whenever they needed him. Then he rushed home to tell Loki the good news.

Loki was in the midst of a terrible depression when Thor finally returned (it had been several weeks and he was beginning to think Thor had abandoned him), but the moment Thor touched him without sending so much as a spark of pain into his body, all of his sadness was forgotten.

The love-smitten pair spent the next three days and two nights tangled around each other in a mating frenzy. It was probably during this time that Loki’s eggs were released and miraculously fertilized by Thor’s seed. In just a few weeks he began to experience pregnancy symptoms, and a quick vivivisi spell revealed he was carrying a clutch of six tiny babies. 

Thor was overjoyed and desperately wished he could tell his parents, but he had vowed to never return to Asgard unless Odin forgave him, and that has not happened yet. So he focused instead upon preparing to be a father while helping Loki with the baffling array of cravings and mood swings he experienced.

🔹 Loki did indeed go through a nesting period, filling a dark nook of his coral cottage with soft materials like sea silk, sponges, and ocean flowers. The latter imbued the nest with calming scents and helped Loki manage some of his pregnancy discomfort. The babies always seemed much more docile when he was at ease, too. In addition to typical nesting behavior, Loki also harvested kelp and other sea vegetables from his little garden until he found the task too exhausting. Then Thor took over for him.

Thor went through a “nesting period” as well, though it was a little different in that he was preparing to be a father. He became very restless and protective, mistrustful of any strangers who came near Loki’s reef. This was his territory now, and it woke some very powerful instincts inside him. He seldom slept and instead took to patrolling the reef, keeping watch for predators and any other threat to his mate and unborn babies. He dug up the seabed—why, he didn’t know, he just had the urge to dig—and began leaving fish and other foods in Loki’s nest. Loki would wake up to drifts of oysters and clams and wounded crabs and lobsters piled all around him, and soon they had enough food stocked up to last several winters. Thor grew thin and haggard as the sleepless nights began to take their toll, and Loki grew concerned for his well-being. He made a special potion for Thor and gave it to him every night for seven days, and it soothed Thor’s anxious, overheated nerves and allowed his mind to find peace once more. 

Loki enjoyed snuggling up with Thor in their nest again. The babies also benefited from their father’s presence. With Daddy close by (and somehow they could sense when he was), their tiny electrical shocks took on a pleasing, low-level consistency that Loki actually enjoyed. And whenever Thor passed his hand across Loki’s distended belly, he could feel their offspring wriggle and then go still.

Angel nests! Featuring a buff and grumpy Lilith, and Inarius the living pillow. 

Angels really only build/use their nests when they’ve got cherubs to take care of. They also grow out their manes for extra warmth, and to later carry their infants in.

 The nests are essentially sunken pillow rooms with a lot of padded blankets.