dear_mun | there was a need for this apparently

[Yes, gliding is such hard work.

Horse, you are heavy. And on my shoulder. Loki just kind of stands still and awkwardly smiles, not really sure what to do. Touching family reunion, this ain't. So, you get some more scratches on the neck and an awkward silence.

By the gods, why couldn't you have been one of his people-eating kids?! He knows how to deal with those!]

[Uhm, DadMomMomDad, you were a mare and got porked by a stallion and he was born. Horses aren't exactly known for their love of eating babies! You could've totally seduced him as...as a...another cattle-like animal!

But horses in battle can be pretty terrifying...

He pulls back, hooves hitting the ground heavily and their own pattern as he turns his head to look at him properly. What more does he want?]

[Kid, you have eight legs. Something obviously went wrong in the baby making process.]

Well...I assume old One Eye's been treating you nice? You certainly look healthy.

[Probably your uterus was unused to...being a uterus, DadMomMomDad. HE IS NOT AT FAULT HERE OK what was even the point?

Black eyes glitter at the mention of his rider and he tosses his head again, this time to show off the elegance of his stature and how proper he can be when it comes to it. No other steed has ever come close to taking his place beneath the Allfather and about the worlds and realms, none so close to Huginn and Muninn...yes, there's few things he has to be more prideful of than the god who rides him.

And, as a clear indulgence, he extends his neck and reveals his teeth. Terrifyingly sharp canines for a horse with runes carved on each separate tooth, the easiest way to judge any horse's health is by looking it in the mouth, isn't it?]

[Loki raises an eyebrow as he looks at Slepnir. Well, he certainly is impressive looking. And...those are some scary looking teeth.]

Yes...quite impressive, if I do say so myself.

[Aw yes. He may not be a wolf prone to mauling, but he's not about to roll over and take anything laying down with teeth like those and such heavy hooves.

Well, ~~his mun's~~ he's put it off for a while, hasn't he? It's strange, having to speak to a god again. Odin just knows. That may sound ridiculous, but it's true.

I have been told I come from good stock, parent. I only reflect that.]

[Loki, on the other hand, is a shitty ~~person~~ parent and never 'just knows' anything. So, it's a relief to hear his son actually speak and they don't have to play the 'guess what I'm saying' game. At Slepnir's words, Loki smirked, bowing rather grandiose.]

You come from the best stock. At least, on your mother's side.

[It's not something he's used to. It's not something he's sure he should do in the first place, but being a horse has plenty of limitations in that regard.

At the bow, his son lifts up four of his legs and returns it, looking quite pleased at this change of impressions.

And I am glad to see my mother again at last! How have you fared?]

I've faired just as well as you'd think. The gods get into a scrape, they blame me, I get them out of it and don't even get a 'thank you, Loki'.

[He shrugged.]

[That's a horse frowning, that certainly is.

Did Great Odin not thank you when you gifted me to him?

Dumped him is more like it.]

[Again, another shrug]

I'm sure he did. But, there have been things afterwards. The Idunn debacle, that mess with Thrym...if I could be blamed for the incident in Utgard, I would.

[A toss of his mane again, hair flipping from one side to the other. He's not Fenrir, there's no real comfort to be had in feeling his fur and nuzzling against him. He is what is and that's all he is.

That is most unfortunate. Is there anything I can do? If there is, I request you let me know at the moment you require it.]

I think I'm fine at the moment, my child. Still, I'll keep you informed.

[That's a lie if he's ever heard one. Of course Loki won't keep Slepnir informed about anything: his business is his own.]

[He knows that they are not close in any way, not in the least, but the offer was genuine and open for the rest of eternity. There was not much he could do in the way of powers, but he would feel terrible if he could have given him a twitchy ear to speak to and had not ever offered such.

Without "saying" a word, he moves to stand to the side, offering his back for his parent to mount should he be at all interested in the best damn horse in all the worlds.]

[Well this is new. Part of Loki is reminding him that this is his kid and that, even in this context, riding him would be kind of weird. The other part just wants to see how good Slepnir really is. Plus, riding on the All-Father's steed? That only came once in a while.]

Ah, why not. [With a grin, he hops up on Slepnir's back, holding lightly onto the horse's mane.] Let's go, boy.

[There now, that's a happy horse. He doesn't find it odd in any way, since without the god on his back now he wouldn't be in existence at all. There's afar worse way he could have mounted him, after all.

A few hooves pound the ground heavily, readying himself, steadying himself, and then...there's no racehorse in any world that could keep up with him. And if Loki's not a fan of the earth beneath him, he certainly can do sea or sky.]

[Aw yeeeeeah. Loki's enjoying this. He lets out a loud whoop of excitement, as he feels the wind rush through his hair.]

[IS HE GETTING TO BE A BETTER KID NOW, MOMDAD?

Feel that wind, Loki? Feel it? Isn't it awesome? Freeing? Yeah? He may not be ripping off arms or being a big, badass wolf but no other creature in any realm can move like him. No other creature could take runes on their teeth like him. No other creature can run quite like him, admit it. ADMIT IT!

Would you like to fly?]

[OKAY, YOU ARE A VERY FAST, WONDERFUL HORSE AND YOU'RE A GOOD KID. Nice job Slepnir, Momdad likes you now.]

Let's go as fast and as high as you can.

[SUCK IT OTHER LOKI-SPAWN HE'S THE BEST EVER!!!

he better not tell Odin this happened because he might not get a sugar cube for a while...

Eight hooves pound dirt, muscles stretch and pull taut, his animal child's heart beating like the drums of a thousand angry warriors, the wind in his flattened ears almost drowning out everything else. It's not that he's unused to this level of a gallop, it's not that he's unused to all eight legs leaving the ground and him ascending into the air with the ease of a bird, it's not anything like that. It's that, this time, instead of Odin, it's his parent on his back.

He could have been descending into Hel and he wouldn't be as excited as he is now. He wouldn't be as miraculous a ride, either, because he has to make this one count (and because Hel is old hat by now gosh). If his Momdad can hear anything else, he'd be shocked.]

[This was wonderful. The wind through his hair, the smell of the air, the adrenaline pounding through his chest. He loved it. This was why he did ridiculous things that would possibly backfire in the end, the thrill. And being this high and this fast without his magic or without transforming into something else was a thrill indeed.]

Now there we go!

[It's been a good long time since he's gone to such lengths to make a ride extraordinary. Huginn and Muninn would have no means of keeping up when he was like this, and Odin certainly would have been grateful that he took the (unnecessary) precaution of bedecking him in expensive reins before he'd ever take him much of anywhere.

He has to remember that his rider is unused to such things, which is difficult when he's so damn excited. The noises he makes—frustrated, restrained, longing—might be terrifying, and would be terrifying to any who stood between steed and those he was loyal to. To the horse, however, they are his constant reminders that even though he has no reins, he must keep himself composed so that his rider doesn't panic.

Unused to Loki? Definitely.]

[Slepnir, your rider has been through so much shit in his life that restrained horsey noises aren't that terrifying. It'll take a lot more than a happy horse to make Loki panic. He's just holding on and enjoying the moment.]

[He won't do that to MomDad! That'd be terrible!

...it's hard, though. Difficult to keep up the proper training he received. Told to keep his head a certain level, his neck always in a special curve, his legs at a specified height. There's pomp and circumstance behind it all, damn it, and he's never allowed to let it go, not around lesser horses or biting hounds that'd love a leg or two for their dinner.

But with each pumping of those legs it's going away. It's draining. He's seen the horrors of Hel and kept up pretense. But...if what all has been said about Loki is true, surely he can just...

Veer off any sort of sensible course that would be deduced, toss his head down with no intent of letting it come back up until he damn well pleases, and worry later if that pulls his mane out from the Trickster's grip and causes him to slide off.

He'll catch him just before he hits the ground. Promise.]

[Man, fuck training, GO FASTER.

Which, prove to be fatal words when Loki slides straight off Slepnir and starts falling.]

Damn, damn, damn, damn...

[Under his breath, Loki starts to work his magic, stringing together words and runes in order to change himself. He's been a horse and a fish before, being a bird can't be that difficult. And poof, it works. Where Loki was, there is now a slightly frazzled looking hawk, that flies back up to Slepnir and gives him the bird equivalent of a stink eye]

there was a need for this apparently

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Why is this so cute

I don't know, but you're right, this is so adorable. c:

I kind of wish I had a horse now baw

Having rode the most stupid horse ever at Girl Scout camp has kinda turned me off horses.

Oddly, enough, I had something like that, too. A good horse, then.

Jealous. :P

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