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“What about this one?” You asked, holding up a silvery leather collar with large, garish pink stones. You wrapped it around your neck and smirked.
“No, Princess,” Loki said firmly. You snickered as you removed the hideous thing and Loki offered an indulgent smirk. The two of you were trying on collars from a bin marked at a discount. You were always interested in spicing up things in the bedroom.
Loki picked up a thick gold-beaded style and fastened it around his neck. “Do you like this one?” He asked.
“Hmm, a bit pretentious,” you replied. The two of you sifted through collars with a wide variety of colors, shapes and patterns. Occasionally, one of you modeled a potential purchase for the other’s appraisal. You had just found a lime green ring-style collar, which Loki completely ignored. He lifted up a whitish, transparent strip of flexible material. He raised an eyebrow as he considered it, not quite certain how the two ends would stay fastened together. Finally, he gave in and wrapped it around his neck anyway.
“How do I look?” Loki asked you. You lowered the lime green thing and had to look twice. The transparent material so matched your boyfriend’s alabaster neck that it was almost impossible to see.
“It’s good, if you want it to go completely unnoticed,” you teased. Loki chuckled lowly as he lifted his hands to remove the contraption. His sensitive fingers glided over the entire exterior. Finally, his cheeks tinged a pale pink as he turned to you again.
“Princess, I think I have a problem,” he confessed in a low voice, eyes roaming the store for eaves droppers. The last thing he needed on this planet was for someone to recognize the war-criminal of New York attempting to shop-lift (even if that was not what he was doing). You turned to him to discover the reason for his tense tone.
“What’s the matter?” you asked.
“I can’t seem to find the locking mechanism on this collar. I think it’s stuck.” Loki was still fondling his neck, trying to remove the bondage device.
“Let me have a look,” you offered. His apparent distress made you hold in your laughter, but you couldn’t wipe the smile from your lips. You turned the thin material around Loki’s neck, searching for the seem to pop it open. There had to be one.
“I think it’s enchanted. I didn’t see a lock or buckle when I—”
“Shh,” you interrupted. This was Earth and there were no enchanted objects around. “I’m trying to figure this out.” It was several minutes of prying before you realized Loki had been unusually quiet.
You sighed in defeat. “Do you like it?” you asked. “You might be stuck in it.” Loki opened his mouth, but no words came out. He closed his mouth and wrinkled his brow in confusion. It seemed all his words dried up and he didn’t know what to say. “Do you need time to think about it?” You asked slowly. Loki touched his lips and his throat, thinking hard about his absence of words. “You can answer me, you know!” you snapped angrily. All at once, Loki’s words came back.
“No, I don’t like it!” Loki answered quickly. “That was the strangest sensation ever.” If there was another magician around, one powerful enough to silence a god, Loki needed to know about it. He kept his eyes ever vigilant for unexpected signs of magic. In this realm, that meant any sign of magic not from Loki himself. “We better find some help,” he stated simply, maneuvering you carefully away from the discount box. “I don’t want to stay in this forever.”
The sales clerk called the manager, and the manager called the technician. Between the five of you, no one could figure out how to remove the infernal collar. Finally, the manager demanded you pay for it before you leave the store, though he would generously offer it to you at the discounted price.
Both you and Loki read into his deceit. But the item was cheap enough you decided to simply clear the store, cut the collar off at home, and never shop at this toy store again.
“It’s very faint,” you said, soothing him with fingers in his hair. “I can hardly see it.”
“That isn’t the point,” Loki huffed, arm around your shoulders as you walked down the sidewalk. “We shouldn’t have paid for it if we didn’t want it.”
“I’ll be sure to leave a scathing review on their website. Will that make you feel better?” you offered. Loki deliberated. He did enjoy a good verbal beating.
“Yes, possibly,” he consented. You continued walking until Loki stopped suddenly outside a shop.
“What is it, my prince?” you asked cautiously.
“I’ve been looking for a potions ingredient. This place looks like they might sell it.” Loki explained.
“Ok. Do you mind if I go ahead to the library?” you asked. “I’m just going to drop off our old books and pick up our reservations.”
“Yes, of course. That’ll be fine.” Loki kissed you on the cheek in farewell.
“Meet me outside the library when you’re done,” you called as you walked away. Loki smiled at your back and entered the shop.
It was a typical “witches and warlocks” shop. Dark, stuffy, candles and incense burned in every corner. Beads and trinkets dangled in front of the face. Books, artefacts, dolls, all cluttered the shelves haphazardly. It wasn’t very orderly, and Loki expected no better. He almost walked right back out again, but the glint of tiny vials in the back caught his eye. He sauntered over to them, grabbing the attention of the bored young woman behind the counter. Loki picked through several of them, testing various ones with his Seidr. An older woman in a woven shawl approached him from a back room.
“Can I help you with something?” she asked politely.
“Good afternoon, child,” Loki greeted. It was appropriate for their age difference, but Loki forgot to consider appearances. She looked decades older than him.
“Please don’t condescend to call me child,” the woman spoke through gritted teeth. Loki blushed at his slip.
“Apologies,” he said with a lowered head.
“Are you looking for something in particular?” she asked, returning the subject to business.
“Yes, I am looking for a potions ingredient,” Loki continued professionally. “Where I’m from, we call it essence of edel white.”
“Edelweiss? I believe we have that,” the woman admitted softening her tone once more. Loki considered the etymology and decided it must be the same ingredient under a different accent. The woman moved along the wall of tiny vials looking for the proper one.
“Thank you,” Loki said as he followed. “It must be edel white, though. Edel red, edel pink, edel yellow, none of the others will do.” The woman exhaled heavily through her nose, deciding not to correct the loopy shopper before her.
“Here you are, essence of edelweiss,” the woman said, handing him a vial.
“I am most grateful for your help,” Loki said. The woman returned to the back, and Loki approached the register.
The young woman behind the counter was staring dreamily as Loki approached. He’d had to clear his throat to get her attention. He was used to women staring and decided not to humor her with a comment on it.
“Essence of edelweiss? Tell me whatcha need it for,” the young woman asked. Loki was usually quite secretive with his magics and potions. For some reason, however, he found himself quite willing to share with this individual.
“I use it in an aphrodisiac,” Loki confided. “A rather strong one that suits my physiology better than those in the store.” The woman smiled broadly, and the prince found his cheeks coloring again. Why had he shared that information so easily?
“What makes your physiology so special?” the woman asked, making eyes at him unabashedly. Loki tried to look away.
“That’s between me and my beloved,” Loki deferred. He turned to leave, taking his vial.
“Tell me,” the girl pleaded. Loki was struck. His mouth fell open as again, he found himself all too willing to answer her prying inquisition.
“Alright, I’m Asgardian,” he confessed.
“Asgardian, like Thor?” the woman enthused, standing straight again.
“Well, yes. But Thor is nothing special. He’s all muscle,” Loki dismissed.
“But you’re special? Can you do magic?” the woman pried. Loki tried to defer again. “Show me!” Her eyes were alight with curiosity. Loki couldn’t deny her. He held up the vial and sent it to his dimensional pocket right before her eyes. “Wow! How did you do that?”
“I sent it to my dimensional pocket,” Loki informed with a smirk. “I believe you can read more about it in…” He searched the books near the counter. “… this one.” He handed her a volume with mathematical lines over astrological symbols on the cover. She took it, and Loki was left unquestioned long enough to make his exit.
Leaving the shop, Loki walked toward the library. He’d have to figure out how to remove this collar later. Thankfully, it was subtle enough not to draw eyes of nosy onlookers. For now, he was more concerned about the young woman’s power to make him speak. Did she have some magic he knew not? Did she have anything to do with the silent spell at the toy store? A feeling of unease settled on the prince’s shoulders.
“Look behind you,” a lady pushing a stroller called, trying to get him to notice the receipt from his purchase, which the wind carried out of sight before either of them could do a thing about it. Loki’s head craned painfully over his shoulder. Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t turn his head straight again. He stumbled into a trash can, bruising his knee. He tripped over cracks in the sidewalk. What was going on? He’d never had neck issues before. His feet carried him into an intersection, where a car nearly turned into him. Loki’s heart skipped a beat, leaving an anxious wave in his stomach.
“Hey, watch where you’re going!” A man with a brief case shouted. Loki’s head whipped forward unbidden, causing whiplash. His eyes darted to and fro, keeping ever vigilant. Loki always thought himself a careful man, but this was borderline paranoia! Reaching the other side of the street, Loki quickened his steps to reach his destination. He had to think this over, and a crowded sidewalk was no place to do so.
“Take a flier,” a volunteer in a purple shirt shouted, shoving the unwanted propaganda into his hand.
“That’s a worthless cause,” an old man rambled. “Just throw that away.” Loki dropped it in the nearest can before he could read the title.
“Watch me,” shouted a child’s voice. Loki tried to walk faster away from it, but his feet would not obey. His pace became ungainly, forcing him to walk in a circle, until he was face-to-face with a small boy wearing a towel like a cape. Loki’s heart nearly stopped! He had no love for Midgardians as a whole, but injury to a child, even a Midgardian one terrified him. If this trend continued, he could shout an order Loki couldn’t refuse that would hurt the youngster. He was already precariously placed on the back of a bench at a bus stop. “I’m the mighty Thor and I’m gonna tackle you!” the boy bellowed in his tiny child’s voice.
Loki was very much reminded of his brother in their early years. Now, the golden prince was a role model in this realm as well. Loki wanted to warn the boy. He wanted to walk away and make it clear he didn’t want to play. It was useless. He could only stand there and watch in horror as though in slow motion, the boy jumped. He soared through the air. He stretched out his hands. He landed on Loki’s chest. The impact was so light and harmless. Loki really should have caught the puny Midgardian. But the boy called for a tackle, and a tackle required falling down.
Loki’s back hit the ground hard. It just so happened to lodge a rock or pinecone between his shoulder blades. The god hoped there would be no bruise to try and heal later. For now, he groaned at the sharp impact. On his front side, something else was hitting him. The boy in the towel-cape was hitting his dark green polo shirt as though he was fighting a real villain. Did he know he was attacking a real war-criminal of this realm? He would have only been an infant at the time.
“Take that, and that,” the boy cried as he landed tiny fists like love taps. Suddenly, the boy was yanked off him.
“Shame on you,” a woman was crying vehemently, glaring at the prince. “You should be ashamed of yourself playing with someone else’s kid.” Suddenly, a deep sinking feeling rose in Loki’s chest. His amusement at the youth vanished. His grimace at the swelling in his back faded. He couldn’t even manage curiosity at his predicament as guilt and shame flooded his body. How could he have been so foolish, he thought.
“Go, walk into traffic for what you did,” the mother shouted. Others were taking offense on her behalf.
“Run your head into a wall, you creep,” someone shouted.
“Give yourself a black eye, pervert,” came another cry.
“Suffer for what you did.” The cries kept coming.
Loki was helpless. He jumped onto his feet faster than he’d ever done outside of a battle scenario. He crossed two lanes of traffic, horns honking and barely causing an accident. A car slammed on its breaks, knocking into the unfortunate Asgardian, injuring his hip. Loki hobbled to safety as pain shot up and down his leg. He was quite sure the bone was fractured, at least. He could do nothing about it, as more orders compelled obedience.
Clearing the last lane of traffic, Loki broke into a full-speed run. His injured hip protested, but his feet would not stop. The fractured limb would break at this rate, but Loki didn’t have far to run. His nose and forehead collided with a brick wall. He had built up such momentum that the blow knocked him back and nearly off his feet. Blood flowed freely from his forehead and nose. He’d scuffed the tip of his nose, but also broken it so that blood flowed over his lips. He also had a cut on his forehead that ran into his eyes. But he still wasn’t done battering himself.
No, Loki groaned as he watched his arm pull back away from him, elbow raised to his face. His fingers balled one by one until they were a tight fist. He closed his eyes, the one about to be hit quivering in anticipation. Then his whole side of his head lit up like a Christmas tree and his eye seemed to swell three times too large for the socket. Yep, that would be a black eye for sure.
Was that enough suffering to fulfill the last command? Loki was spared having to find out. A firm but gentle arm clasped his shoulder. A smelly, scruffy man in a cap looked on him in concern and spoke gently to him.
“Hey, man. Stop hurting yourself. You’re better than this.” Loki finally relaxed. He realized then that the thrall power was trying to make him suffer more. Thrall power, Loki repeated. "Cheer up. We all have bad days.“ Loki felt the weight of the unexpected shame lift from his chest. "Here.” The beggar handed him a half-eaten candy bar. “Take it. Sometimes it only takes a little kindness to turn a bad day around.” With that, the kind stranger disappeared.
Loki looked at the chocolate. Amid all of this, he finally realized what it was. He placed his back against the wall, breathing heavy, mind racing. How could he solve this? There must be a way to remove the cursed collar! He could hurt someone. He’d already hurt himself. If this continued, he might be forced to hurt others, or he might be forced to end his own life. Loki took a deep breath, hoping to soothe his erratic heart before it burst out of his aching chest.
Suddenly, another thrall command enacted. Loki found a desperate need to be at the library, to find you, his beloved. Loki headed deep into the ally he was hovering near. Looking around for onlookers, Loki decided there were none and he disappeared, teleporting to his library landing zone.
The injured prince appeared in a dark nook between a cluster of pine trees. He came out and waited by the door. The crisis was so imperative, but he found himself unable to enter the library and search for you. Your parting comment swam through his head: meet me outside the library when you’re done. The order left no room for negotiation. Loki paced fretfully, jumping every time the doors opened, hoping against hope it was you. Finally, you emerged. He rushed up and wrapped his arms around you. You barely managed to utter his name before the world rearranged itself around you. You found yourself in your shared living room.
“Loki? What happened?” You asked. He let you go and started pacing again.
“We have to get this off me, NOW!” he gasped. You took in his bloody face, his severe limp.
“Loki, what happened to you? Who hurt you?” you asked, trying to grab his shoulders and make him stop and talk.
“I did,” he confessed. “Rather, someone told me to do it.”
“Loki, you’re not making any sense,” you informed him, eyes creased in confusion and concern.
“It’s this!” Loki hissed, throwing his neck in your direction, fondling the thin strap. “It’s a thrall collar. I don’t know how it ended up on this planet.” Loki was breathless with anxiety and you feared he might be sick. Sweat was starting to form on his temples.
“Loki stop pacing before you make yourself sick,” you demanded. Unable to disobey, he halted rather stiffly in his tracks. “Sit down before you fall down. Loki, I’m really worried, you’re such a mess.” Loki sat on a chair near the sofa but didn’t seem to relax. You hurried to the bathroom to get a wet washcloth and some bandages.
“So, what’s a thrall collar,” you asked more gently as you started mopping the sweat, dirt and blood from Loki’s face.
“It is a collar of obedience meant to force compliance either through pain or magic. This one appears to work through magic, forcing the wearer to do whatever they are commanded. Normally, thrall collars force obedience to one individual. Probably, because I put this one on myself, it is demanding obedience from everyone, even small children.” Loki hung his head and looked weary. “We have to get it off, Princess. There’s no other way.”
Satisfied with his face, you jumped to your feet and scurried toward the kitchen. You grabbed the largest, sturdiest pair of scissors you could find and went back to your boyfriend. “This should do the trick. I’ve cut material that looks like this before.” You slid one blade under the collar and pressed, but nothing cut. You worked the blades together as hard as you could, but not even a scratch marred the transparent surface.
“Let me try,” Loki offered. You both knew he had the stronger grip. Loki took the scissors from your grasp, allowing his fingers to linger on yours. He put all his pressure on the scissors around the collar, but he, too, failed to mark the flexible surface. You tried every type of blade you owned. Loki summoned several types of magic to impact it, including ice (to freeze and shatter) and fire (to melt it off). He only managed to damage his own skin, leaving the collar intact.
“Confounded contraption!” He bellowed after another irritation.
“con-TRAP-tion, indeed,” you emphasized for humor. Loki found nothing humorous and snarled at you. “What are we going to do,” you asked, putting your fingers in his hair again. It seemed the fastest way to calm him down.
“I don’t know, Princess.” He pulled you onto his lap and you spread your legs around his. His cock was soft, but massive enough you still felt it through the layers of clothes. You allowed yourself to rock subconsciously against him.
“It could be fun to have an obedience collar,” you suggested in a soft purr.
“Not after what I’ve been through in only a half an hour,” the prince retorted. You shifted to sit more comfortable and Loki winced, remembering his fractured hip. Suddenly your phone beeped. You crawled off his lap to relieve his pain and answered it.
“Why don’t you heal yourself,” you suggested, reading the text. Loki felt the pull of the thrall power. He didn’t want to sit around waiting for natural healing, though he could. But now he didn’t have a choice. He called on his Seidr and watched the wounds close and the bruises shrink.
“I wish you wouldn’t order me,” Loki whined. “Not while I’m stuck in this. I have no choice but obey. You know how I hate that.” You knew he was right. Control was sort of his major thing. But the text you were reading presented a new and more urgent problem.
“That was Dale and Jerry,” you said heavily. “They still expect us at the bar this evening.”
“We aren’t going,” Loki said incredulously. He pulled at the collar again, to no avail.
“You know how much this means to me,” you explained.
“Then you go. Tell them I’m sick. I basically am with this thing on.” Loki was sulking, and you were trying hard not to phrase anything that might be interpreted as an order.
“They want to meet you,” you pleaded. “It’s the third time we’ve rescheduled. I don’t think they’ll be patient forever.”
“How can you ask me to do this, when every off-handed comment can be interpreted as a literal order that I’m forced to obey?” Loki snarled. “Did you not see the state of me when we arrived home?”
“Come on, Loki,” you pleaded. “Please?” It was too late. The collar was so damned literal! It took the plea for a command and pulled against Loki’s restraint. Loki swore as he felt it urging him to comply. He tried to resist, but the thrall power pulled his newly healed body to his feet.
“And what of their accidental commands?” Loki asked, putting a hand gently on your cheek.
“I’ll be there. I can deflect with counter commands,” you reasoned. You hoped you can, anyway. He kissed you and smiled, his lips forming the consent he didn’t feel like offering.
The bar was so crowded it was impossible to hear anything more than two feet away. You secretly hoped that was enough to deflect unwanted commands from Loki. You weaved your way to the bar, holding Loki’s hand so you wouldn’t get separated. Dale and Jerry saw you coming and called you over. They were accompanied by a girl that looked a lot like Jerry. She was introduced as Jerry’s sister, Jenna.
“Shall we find a table?” Jerry asked after introductions. You found a dirty but abandoned corner booth with enough room for the five of you to sit. A waiter scurried over and cleared the table for you, offering menus and disappearing in a puff of magic smoke. Ok, not literally, but it was so crowded and noisy in here!
You ordered drinks, along with appetizers. Conversation proceeded politely, with no commands given more serious than “pass the salt”, which came from Dale. He was pouting because Jerry kept staring at Loki. So, did Jenna, but she was nothing to Dale. After a few drinks, his attitude had declined, but you hardly noticed, because you were listening so carefully for any accidental orders that might make Loki uncomfortable. Dale put an arm possessively around Jerry and Jerry leaned into him, but his eyes kept straying toward Loki. Loki was the only one sober enough to realize this and he found it amusing.
“I’m going to the bathroom,” you said, scooting along the booth toward Loki.
“And I’ll get us another round of drinks, shall I,” Loki offered, standing to let you out. He smiled tensely at you and you realized he was eager to leave while nothing violent had happened. As you headed off, you decided to cut the evening short when you returned.
Loki was thinking something similar as he came back with the drinks. He’d been lucky so far to avoid any catastrophes while in such a crowded place. However, he didn’t want to press his luck and needed to leave as soon as you came back. His thoughts were cut short by the furious Dale.
“I see you two,” Dale accused. “You stay away from Jerry. HE’S MINE!”
“Well, well, aren’t we possessive this evening,” Loki taunted. He felt the thrall collar pull him in a direction he for once had every intention of going.
“How dare you!” Dale bellowed, throwing a fist against Loki’s chiseled cheek. He was lucky his hand didn’t break. Loki only chuckled.
“Hey, are you gonna let ‘im get away with that? Kick ‘is a$$,” slurred a drunk woman from the nearby table. Loki would have dearly loved to object. He held no ill will toward this man. And he was your friend. Hurting Dale might damage your relationship. However, the power of the thrall gripped him, and his smile faded. Moving mechanically, Loki was forced to obey. He placed the drinks on the girl’s table. He grabbed Dale by the shoulder and spun him slightly, pulling him down so that his butt was optimally positioned. Loki’s foot drew back and swung forward into the man’s round rump, sending him flying into a pool table, where a game was in progress.
Two large bald men and two shaggy bearded men turned to see where the disturbance originated. It wasn’t hard to find the scrawny pretty boy standing stiffly behind Dale.
“You interrupted our game,” said one of the large bald men. “You wanna fight, so let’s fight.”
“I’d rather not,” Loki tried to object. “Mortals break so easily.” But the man didn’t stop, and the order was given. Loki sighed as the man swung a large, meaty fist as though in slow motion. He easily ducked to avoid impact. He would have left it at that, but he was compelled to fight. The warrior sunk a fist into the man’s ribs. He would dearly have loved to only bruise those ribs, but he heard the tell-tale crack. The man stumbled back. His bald companion stepped forward. Loki recognized him as his opponent’s “second”.
“What’re ya’ waitin’ for,” the drunk woman hollered. “Knock ‘im down.” The “second” ground one fist into his other palm, priming for battle, Loki guessed. It was primitive. Loki bided his time fulfilling the order. He dodged the sloppy swing at his head, then kicked the man’s feet out from under him, effectively knocking him down to the floor.
“Dale!” Jerry called, helping him off the pool table and to a safer place. “What’s going on?”
One of the shaggy bearded men ran screaming at Loki with a pool cue over his head.
“I think I started a fight,” said the sobered lover from Jerry’s arms. “And now these people are trying to finish it.”
Loki grabbed the cue and yanked it out of the man’s hands effortlessly. He snapped it in two and tossed it safely aside.
“Why would you do that?” Jerry asked anxiously.
“Let this fight be over,” Loki pleaded as the third attacker tried to kick him.
“He was taking your attention from me,” Dale answered apologetically.
Loki caught the third man’s leg and caused him to hobble backward until he fell over the first man.
“Wimp!” called a random bystander.
“Cheater!” called someone from the opposite end of the room.
“You’re gonna lose this fight!” called another patron. Loki didn’t understand the hate directed toward him, but he figured it had something to do with tribe mentality. These mortals really were quite primitive, Loki thought again.
“Dale, you would fight for me?” Jerry asked in awe. The two lovers clasped hands. The other shaggy bearded man stepped around the table. The tripped man helped up the man with the broken ribs while the other floored man picked himself up. Loki realized what was meant as a prophetic statement was taken as a literal command by the thrall collar. Instead of taking a defensive stance, his limbs snapped to his side in unwilling obedience.
“Bleed, pretty boy!” Dale snarled when he saw his drinking companion surrounded. He would comply.
“You think he’s pretty too?” Jerry asked aggressively. “And you were angry because I did?”
All four men attacked Loki at once. He’d been ordered to fight, to lose, and to bleed. He struck out and he missed. Loki gasped in horror. He hadn’t missed since he was an adolescent. Fists rained down on him.
“I wasn’t angry because you thought he was pretty. I was angry because he stole your attention from me,” Dale confessed. “And of course, I think he’s pretty!”
Loki lashed out again, trying hard to obey the first command, but his lip split on impact and he felt a bruise swell under the toe of a boot. Swinging his arms around violently, one of the bald men crashed into the table of the drunk woman. She hooted appreciatively. Off balance, someone put a foot in the back of his knee and he fell to the ground. He tried to stand again, swinging at large abdomens, connecting with one of them. A fist collided with his eye and a cut formed on his eye brow, causing blood to drip into his eye. Another blow to the back of the head left him face down on the grimy floor.
“I don’t think he’ll be as pretty after this,” Jerry commented. The two decided to watch carefully from their hiding place. This was all because of them, after all.
Still trying to fight, a boot swung at Loki’s head and he caught it, twisting hard. The owner of the boot fell next to him and rolled out of the danger zone. Another boot slammed into his abdomen. He was ordered to bleed, so his spleen ruptured from the impact. Loki didn’t understand. Usually, he could tolerate such weak blows as child’s play. Usually, he could dodge any and all of these attacks with minimal effort. Usually, he could take on four opponents easily. Hadn’t he recently taken on twice as many trained and heavily armed warriors during the Convergence? But as blow after blow rained down on his body, the best he could do was curl into a fetal position and obey the last command: lose.
You came out of the bathroom to a wildly excited bar crowd. The first thing you did was glance over at your table. Jenna was sitting back watching with a wry smile. She was the only one at the table. Looking toward the raucous, you noticed Loki in the middle of it. You immediately realized your warrior prince had fallen victim to the thrall collar again. Guilt flooded your chest as you remembered his objections to coming out at all. You had to save him. The only way you knew how, was a way you knew he wouldn’t thank you for.
“Loki, go home now,” you bellowed across the bar. You watched painfully as Loki crawled out from the boots and fists clobbering him. He dragged himself to his feet and ran, stumbling, toward the exit.
“Go f**k yourself!” Dale bellowed, finally rising from his hiding place, Jerry close behind him. Loki grabbed his head and groaned as he stumbled out, another order forced upon him. He vanished when it was safe to teleport.
You didn’t wait to see if your friends were alright. You didn’t bid them goodbye or pay your part of the tab. You grabbed your and Loki’s coats from the table where Jenna sat and dashed for the car.
Loki had beaten you home, of course. You barged through the door calling his name. “Loki? Loki, I’m sorry,” you called. You found him in the bedroom. He was naked, and crying, and standing hunched by the dresser, and yanking his hard-on. The proud prince was at a loss. No matter how long he carried on, no matter how hard he yanked, he would not finish himself off. Not because it was masturbation. He’d done that plenty of times. It was because he was forced against his will to seek pleasure. His pride, vanity and shame would not allow him to climax. And he would not be able to stop until he climaxed. Loki knew this, even though he’d barely begun to “f**k himself”.
“Loki?” You called again, gently, tentatively. He sniffled and glanced at you before throwing his gaze in the opposite direction. “Loki, you can stop now,” you said, hoping it was enough to break the power of the thrall.
Loki finally let go of his erection. He was redder than you’d ever seen his pale flesh. Bruises welled up all over his body. He looked exhausted as he slowly lowered himself to the floor. He drew his knees up to his chest, ignoring the bleeding both under his skin and through his skin. You approached slowly, not wanting to startle him. You lowered yourself next to him, coats and purse and all, as you hadn’t taken the time to put anything down when you came in. “Loki, I’m sorry,” you whispered.
He turned his tear-stained face toward you, noticing your swimming eyes. “I told you,” he whispered.
“I know,” you whispered, reaching out a tentative hand to touch him lightly.
“I told you!” he growled, shame turning to rage. You yanked back the finger that had only barely touched his pale wrist. “You made me go!” He unfolded himself somewhat to better lean over you. You drew back in fear, but you’d seen this part of him before.
“Loki,” you whimpered. “I didn’t want any of this!” You raised a hand as though to prevent a blow. Loki was so unpredictable like this. He also raised a hand and you wondered if he’d bring it down on you. Quickly, you dove your outstretched hand into his soft black hair. He held himself still, rage surging through him and causing him to shake. His eyes bulged, and his nostrils flared. You bit your lip in fear, continuing to massage his scalp, knowing it was the surest way to calm him. He backed slightly, lowering his arm slowly, but staying within your reach. He always said how adorable you looked biting your lip.
“Promise me,” he said weakly. He put his head in his hands as he spoke, keeping his hair at your disposal. “Promise me you’ll never do that again. Promise there will be no more orders or commands. Promise me you’ll be careful with your statements. Promise me you’ll refrain from forcing interactions as long as I’m stuck in this infernal device!” His pleading was pitiful at first, but his voice became hard and then hoarse as he wound down his speech.
“I promise,” you said, and you meant it. The tears that had been on the brink of your eyes since you got home finally spilled over onto your cheek. You both sat on the floor holding each other and crying silently for what felt like hours. Gradually, you sighed yourselves into calmness. The tension in your bodies melted away slowly at the touch of each other. When you felt it was long enough and the crying headache set in, you dared to speak again.
“Loki are you feeling better?” you asked.
“Marginally,” he said grumpily. You picked up on his amusement, realizing he was feeling better than stated.
“Is there anything I can do for you? Is there anything you want?” you offered, turning in his arms to look at him.
“No, maybe some sleep. I’d love to wake up in the morning and find out this day has been an awful nightmare.” Loki’s face was drawn, but his color was mostly back to its normal pale nature, and some of the wounds were clearing up. To your surprise, something else still needed attention.
“Perhaps … can I help you with that?” you asked carefully. You looked to his lap, so his eyes would follow yours.
“Hmm,” he huffed, apparently unaware he still had a hard-on.
“How are we going to take care of this?” you teased, tapping his head lightly.
“The most practical way is together.” He reached between your legs. Your clothes disappeared in a sudden shimmer. Naked, Loki had unimpeded access to your woman parts. He stroked your lips. You were warm and moist, but not wet enough for penetration. “I’ll have to help you if you intend to help me,” he said with a smirk.
“Oh?” you asked as his hand produced more green magic. “OH!” He targeted all of your most sensitive spots at once until you were gushing. “Loki, don’t… I mean… I don’t like it when you move so fast,” you protested. The god already moved over you, pushing you down on the ground, flat on your back.
“I can’t wait, darling. I need to feel you around me now.” He thrust into your soaking hole before you had time to prepare. He waited only a second or two for you to adjust to his length and girth before starting a slow rocking motion.
You gasped at the sudden intrusion. You gasped again as he started rocking. He was hitting your g-spot. “Loki, oh Loki!” you panted in his ear. You lifted a leg and wrapped it around his waist to allow him in deeper. “So good,” you sighed.
Loki clawed at your hips and thigh, knowing he’d leave marks. The very idea urged him on, causing little grunts from the back of his throat. He buried his face in the crook of your neck, sucking on your collar bone hard. There would be a love mark there in the morning.
“Kiss me, Loki,” you pleaded, puckering hopefully. A painful jab stabbed your insides and Loki growled in frustration. Suddenly, you realized you’d given him a command, and he’d be forced to obey, even if he didn’t want to kiss you. Guilt surged in your chest at your broken promise. You deserved the pain and you took it without complaint.
Loki crashed his lips into yours. Of course, he’d kiss you if you asked. He even recognized your plea as an ask. But stated as you had, it became an unwelcome demand he had no choice but to follow. Anger and frustration built up suddenly and Loki landed a punishing blow to your insides with his cock. He knit is eyebrows in concern, but when you didn’t make a sound, he assumed you were unhurt. He ended the kiss and tried again to gain his stride and find his pleasure.
Your own pleasure was building slowly, especially when Loki started thrusting harder. He was hitting a pleasure spot on the top of your chamber that made your head roll and your mouth drop open. Loki smiled proudly, increasing his speed slightly.
Something was missing. Your pleasure was building, but his was building faster. You wanted to cum at the same time he did, but you needed something more. “Clit,” you whined aloud. Oops, you meant for that one to come in your head as well. You’d be more than happy to rub your own clit.
Loki’s smile turned into a snarl and you knew what that meant. The thrall collar misinterpreted again. Loki lifted his hand briefly and you felt intense stimulation against your bundle of nerves. You moaned and whimpered. Loki was still snarling.
“Stop giving me orders!” he growled as he punched your pussy with his dick. “STOP. GIVING. ME ORDERS.” He repeated, punctuating each word with another punch. You whimpered again, this time in pain. But he only thrust all the harder. He would bruise your cervix at this rate! You squirmed underneath him, afraid to speak lest it come out wrong and commanding yet again.
Loki thrust harder and harder. At first, he was afraid he was hurting you. As you squirmed beneath him, he knew he was hurting you. But he couldn’t stop. He continued to increase, harder than he’d ever been with you before. If he continued, he was afraid he’d end up at his full Asgardian thrust, which would break and possibly kill his beloved.
“Loki,” you whispered. You had to calm him down or you’d lose your mind. Suddenly, both his hands were over your mouth, pressing hard. That might be another bruise. You understood. He was afraid you’d give him another order, either on accident or on purpose. He couldn’t stand it, not during sex, not when he was already barely hanging on.
“Command me, Princess,” he said. His face was stern, his mouth and nose a violent snarl, his voice an animalistic growl. But his eyes – his eyes were pleading, begging for help. He truly didn’t want to hurt you.
What could you say to help you both? He’d handed you the power, how could you use it? He needed this to finish. You both needed to finish. You said the one thing that made any sense to you. “Cum, Loki,” you commanded. “Make us both cum. Cum inside me.” Loki growled in eager compliance this time. He thrust faster, which took some of the pressure from thrusting so hard. He lifted your other leg to dive deeper, searching for your favorite spot. It only took about a minute before you were both undone.
You must have passed out, because when you came to, you were on the bed. Loki had carried you there. He’d cleaned your bruised pussy and his finally-limp cock. His hand now hovered over your lower abdomen. “I’m sorry I was so rough,” he said gently. When he lowered his hand, your insides didn’t ache any more.
“Thank you for healing me,” you said in a hoarse voice. You must have screamed at some point. You both smiled at each other and he laid down next to you, pulling you close and snuggling into the blankets.
“This collar is the worst,” he confided after a while. “It will be the death of one of us.” He looked down at you resting your head on his shoulder. “We have to get rid of it.”
“We will, my prince,” you comforted, looking up at him. Your eyes met his briefly, but you focused on the collar, so faint against his skin it might not have even been there. You reached up a hand to fondle it again. “It opened once before, it must open again.” You lifted your head as a curious thought crossed your mind. “Do you mind if we try something? Only, it will involve another order.” Loki sighed heavily and loosened his hold on you.
“If you must,” he conceded.
“Well, we don’t have to,” you clarified. “Only if you want to.” Loki sighed again, this time in contemplation.
“If you think it’s for the best, Princess.” You lifted yourself higher and cleared your throat, searching for the perfect words.
“Loki, take off the collar,” you demanded. Like a puppet, Loki’s hands went stiffly to his neck. He tried several different ways, but the collar wouldn’t come off. You began to fear he’d try until he unscrewed his own head. “Loki, stop trying to take off the collar.” The condemned prince lowered his hands again.
“It’s the damnedest thing ever,” he sighed, pulling you back in. You cuddled some more, allowing pillow talk to ensue. He started drifting off first, and you shortly after. You snapped awake suddenly, wondering what had woken you.
As you sought comfort and rest once more, your mind drifted to the thrall collar once more. What was it made of? Where did it come from? Who made it? Why didn’t it have a release mechanism? Could Loki discover the spells causing it to bind him to obedience and undo them? As you turned these thoughts over in your head, you reached your hand up to stroke the collar again. Forefinger against his neck, thumb against the collar, you ran your finger all the way around it. You hoped the turning wouldn’t wake your precious prince.
It happened very quickly. Your finger grazed something tiny, something shifted, the collar fell off. You held it in your hand, dumbfounded. It took you several moments to realize what you’d just done, especially since Loki continued to sleep through it. Slowly it dawned on you, and you let out a happy burst of noise.
The sudden sound woke Loki with a start. He sat bolt upright and summoned a golden beam of Seidr light. You laughed as he looked around for the danger, drawing his gaze to you.
“What is it?” he asked tersely. Crust still clung to his eyes. No one liked being woken suddenly from a sound sleep. In answer, you merely smiled and held up the collar.
“What?” he asked in shock. He stroked his own neck. “How did you get it off?” he asked in amazement.
“We were both a bit dense about it,” you admitted. You held up the two ends and closed them, then showed Loki the tiny bump that released it. “Neither of us thought to check the inside for the release!” You laughed again and waited for his shock to turn to delight. Watching his face lighten and his expression soften was like tasting your favorite candy. He joined your laughter then. He drew you into a hug and kissed you passionately and laughed easily.
“It’s over,” he said lightheartedly. “It’s over.” He looked into your delighted eyes and kissed all his happiness into you.
It was only the next day when you were stepping out of the shower. You were home alone when you entered, so you were expecting the same when you exited, wearing only a white robe and towel-drying your hair.
“You’ve been naughty, Princess,” said a dark voice. You shrieked at the realization that you weren’t actually alone but recovered when you realized who was speaking. Loki sat on the bench at the foot of your bed in his green and black and gold Asgardian attire. One heavily booted foot was up on the bench, the other sat gracefully on the floor. One arm rested on his raised knee, the hand hovering in front of the chin. The other rested on the duvet at the foot of the bed. It was holding hand cuffs. His expression was menacing, predatory, gleeful. His dark eyes penetrated your soul and stopped you in your tracks. “I’ll have to punish you.”
He rose slowly. He circled around you like a prowling jaguar. “Your misdeeds carried on all day yesterday,” he taunted, looking you up and down appraisingly. “Therefore, I think your punishment shall take all night tonight.” He chuckled deeply. Your heart raced. Your belly roiled, your folds slickened. In an attempt at obstinance, you dared ask a question.
“Where did you get those?” You could barely move anything but your mouth, your eyes barely daring to glance down at the object you indicated.
“These,” Loki indulged, holding up the cuffs. “I returned the collar to the toy store and traded it in for something … safer.” He chuckled again. “Disrobe!” Slowly, still unable to breathe, still not daring to move more than necessary, you let your robe fall from your shoulders and pool at your feet. Loki walked up behind you, breathing your hair deeply. His long fingers grazed your thigh and ran up between your leg. He stopped at your wet folds. “I think I’m going to enjoy this,” he smiled.