The Other Lonely God
A soft cooling breeze blew the leaves, gently stroking them with its fingertips. The familiar hum of birds echoed throughout the deserted garden as the bright sun shone overhead. For a moment it seemed as if time was standing still, for even it couldn't stand the thought of anything disrupting this majestic scene. The wind suddenly filled with the unfamiliar drone of an engine like a sound akin to metal scratching against the strings of a piano. Slowly, a big blue box appeared on the picturesque scene, flattening the grass as it grew more solid. Two figures stepped out, one a short woman with her hair tied up in a bun, the other a man wearing a long purple tweed trench coat.
"So, where are we, Doctor?" the woman asked turning to face her companion.
"The gardens of Asgard," he said proudly extending his arms and turning around. Then his face seemed to sink a little. "River loved it here…" He stood for a while, lost in his own thoughts.
"Doctor?" the woman said.
"Yes, Clara?" he replied, composing himself once again.
"Are you going to be alright? We can always go somewhere else. Like America in 1942…"
"An umbrella!" the Doctor suddenly exclaimed.
"A what?" Clara said taken aback.
"An umbrella. The last time I was here, it started raining. I should probably get an umbrella...you know just in case." Clara nodded slowly, "Yeah, you go get an umbrella, I'll wait out here for you."
"Okay, just don’t wander off," he said jumping back into the blue box and closing the door behind him.
"Why did you bring me here if you knew that it would make you sad, Doctor?" she muttered into a bush of blue Sweet Peas. She took a few steps forward, her fingertips lightly touching the soft, delicate petals of each flower. The aromatic smell of every plant tickled her nose and, without any further warning, she sneezed into her hands. For a second, she could have sworn that she had heard the voice of a man whisper "bless you" before the breeze came and picked it up, carrying every trace of it away. She stopped short and looked over at the hedge directly in front her. She tentatively took a few steps towards it, stretching out her arm as she got closer. She buried her hand in it, wiggling her fingers as her hand travelled deeper into it. It looked as if her hand had been devoured by the lush green leaves and felt as if millions of tiny little hands were tickling her skin. She quickly pulled her hand back, rubbing her palm with her thumb and started to make her way back to the TARDIS. Suddenly, a strange noise of about a million leaves moving made her stop in her tracks and turn around.
Travelling with the Doctor you get used to all sorts of things like aliens with three heads or shadows that moved at their own will, but she failed to believe what was happening before her. It seemed like the leaves were making a figure of a man walking out of them. As the figure made his way closer, he started to look more human than tree. Clara stood rooted in position unable to fathom what had just happened before her eyes. A man, not much older than her, about six feet tall was now standing in front of her.
"How did you do that?" she asked pointing at the trees. The man laughed titling his head so the tips of his long black hair touched his shoulder.
"A magician never reveals his secrets," he said slyly walking over to her. She took a few steps back, unsure if she should trust this peculiar man.
"It's okay, I won't bite," he said softly. Within an millisecond he was gone.
"I promise," he whispered in her ear, making her jump. She turned around and looked up at him. His green eyes seemed to look right into her soul, but she also felt as if his soul reaching towards her as if yearning to be heard.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"I am Loki," he said circling her slowly, his long black coat following behind him. She turned with him, holding his gaze.
"I know, I read it in a book. You're the God of Mischief… a trickster," she said admiringly.
"And you are?" he asked his eyes searching her face.
She stepped back and stretched out her hand for him to shake. "I'm Clara Oswald, it's a pleasure to meet you." He gently grabbed her hand and softly pressed his lips on her bare, smooth skin.
"I think, Clara Oswald, that the pleasure is all mine." She pulled her hand back and looked up at him. "What?" he asked.
"You think this will work, don't you? You think that you can charm me with a few words and some nifty tricks?" she said folding arms her across her chest.
"Charm you?" he asked knowing full well what she meant. She nodded slightly and he gave her another one of his gorgeous smiles.
"Right then, charming doesn't work. How about we just talk for a while?" he said walking towards her again. Clara looked back to where the TARDIS was parked. She could just make out the light at the top from where she was standing, the rest was blocked out by some trees. She looked back at the god who was attentively waiting her answer.
"I would love to stay and chat," she said.
He smirked, "I know you don't."
"But I came here with my friend," she continued, "And I really have to get back to him or he might think something has happened to me."
"He…" Loki said looking down at the grass. "Well, you don't want to keep your companion waiting." Clara could have sworn that she heard his heart drop. She looked up at him thoughtfully analysing his every movement. She heaved a heavy sigh and said, "You know what? I think he can wait."
Loki had lead her to an old stone bench that was surrounded by hundreds of purple and red flowers. She didn't know why she had agreed to stay and talk, but she knew that it would make him happy. Her mum had told her stories about Thor and Loki, but she had thought that they were all myths. Yet, here she was, face to face with the God of Mischief himself and he was trying to thrill her. She carefully made her way to the bench. Loki walked around the small clearing, carefully examining each flower like he was a professional botanist. He finally picked one and walked over to where Clara was sitting. There, between his two fingers, was a deep red flower that was shaped like the bell of a tuba.
"It's beautiful," she said smiling up at him. He stepped closer to her and placed it in her bun, making sure that it was securely in place.
"It's an Amaryllis," he said as he sat down next to her on the bench. Clara noticed that his outfit had changed slightly. His long black coat was replaced by a shorter one and he had lost the elaborate black and gold armour plate deciding to reveal his dark green inner shirt. She sat watching the birds, unsure of what to say to him. What do you ask a God? What's it like to have those really cool powers? All the while she could feel him catching glances at her.
"I used to come here as a young boy," he suddenly said.
"It must have been great living here as a child," she said looking around in wonder. "Just wandering around these gardens, getting lost at every turn." Loki was looking at her with soft appreciation as of she was only one who truly understood him.
"You know for a Midgardian, you're exceedingly beautiful," he said finally.
"A what?" she asked sounding slightly insulted.
"A Midgardian, a person from Earth."
"Clearly you haven't spent that much time there," she replied jokingly.
"No, Clara, you misunderstand me," he said grabbing her hand. "You have something within you. A radiance that shines through, making your outward appearance far more greater than what it is." She looked up at him at a loss for words. She didn't know how to react to this kind of statement, usually people just complimented her on her smile or eyes.
"It's a warmth," he continued cupping her hand now, "That touches everything in close proximity of it. You make everything seem brighter, much more pleasurable." She looked down at their intertwined hands, unable to look him directly into those sad green eyes.
"You can stop trying to impress me," she muttered down to their hands.
"But I'm not," he replied picking up her chin so she had no choice but to look him head on. "I'm just telling you the truth." It had started off as a playful thing for him. It was just a chance to mock a Midgardian, but he had meant what he said. Something inside him had clicked and it was all because of her. She was so mysterious, yet so beautiful like every particle in the entire cosmos had come together just to create her as beauty personified. But it wasn't only her outer beauty, it was a beauty that could only come from the inside. It uplifted everything it touched and made everything brighter. To Loki, the universe seemed like a better place in her presence.
"Can you please stop staring at me like that?"
"Like what?" he asked slyly smiling again. Then he rested his hand on her cheek and leaned in closer. Clara quickly placed her index finger on his parting lips.
"Hold it right there, mister," she said. "You can't just expect me to kiss you just because you're a god."
He laughed softly. "I hadn't realised that that wasn't a reason anymore."
"Well, you better believe it, God of Mischief."
"Trust me, I do," he whispered hoarsely. Clara looked up at him, trying to read his thoughts.
"This is not a game anymore, Loki," she said.
"I know it isn't because it's not a game for me either."
"I-"
"Clara!" the billowing voice of the Doctor rang out throughout the garden. They both simultaneously turned in the direction of his call.
"Your companion, I presume," Loki said calmly.
"Yeah," Clara said getting up from the bench. "I should probably go to him."
"Yes, well," Loki said standing up with her. "It was lovely meeting you." He extended his arm out for her to shake. She looked down at it with a bit of curiosity, but then quickly took it and shook it vigorously.
"The pleasure was all mine," she said then turned and faced the direction of the Doctor's voice, "I'm coming, Doctor!" Without another look back she starting to walk away from the lonely god. Then something made her stop in her tracks and she did a complete 180, running up to where Loki was still standing. Not saying anything, she just stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. She could feel his face lifting as he realised what exactly was happening. Then she silently turned and ran away, her dress billowing in the wind while the Amaryllis still stayed safely tucked in her bun.
"Did you find the umbrella, Doctor?" Clara asked racing up to the TARDIS. The Doctor looked down at her a bit confused.
"Ahh, no...no I didn't find it," he said frowning like a little boy.
"Hey, it's okay. Why don't we go somewhere else? This place is getting a bit boring."
"Alright then. Somewhere else," he said turning back into the TARDIS. "What was that about America in 1942…?" Clara followed behind him, closing the door as she went. Then she turned around and took one last look back out into to garden.
