It wasn't the wine that went to Natasha's head, bowing her over as never before. No, it was the look Pepper shot her over Tony's shoulder as they spun on the dancefloor.

The necklace had been a wedding present from his wife, Meilan. Handcrafted in the finest gundanium were the symbols of the Chang and the Long clans woven together by now dead artisans.

There's nothing left. No friends, no family, no companion. And yet she won't stop walking.

She marches on, among the dead, never faltering, never speaking, but also never forgetting. There's still one thing left that keeps her going: hope. And as long as this spark is alive, so is Michonne.

She'll walk on, she'll survive, until she finds something that's worth living for again.

What was it Dr. Samson had said when he'd first given her the prescription - to not expect a magic bullet? As she downed the cheerfully pink pill with some tea, the one that had become as much a morning staple as toast, Wanda half-wondered if one truly existed. Restless nights, unending days, the mist perpetually shrouding her thoughts - what spell could cure that?

"I wish you'd let me help you," Charlotte sighs.

"No thanks, I'm perfectly capable of getting by without your money," Tiana answers as she collapses next to Lotti on the bed.

Charlotte grins and reaches over. "I wasn't talking about financial help."

Tiana looks up and sees a small bottle of massage oil in her girlfriend's hand.

"Now to THAT I won't say no ..."

This body is malfunctioning stated The Intruder.

"Yeah," the human agreed, aloud.

What is this sensation and when does it cease?

"Chronic pain and never. Today is a good day, though, so you can take over and figure out how to use my body," the Human replied.

"THIS I A GOOD DAY? Any other host would be incapable of function in this much pain.

"I'll take that as a compliment. Buyer beware, if you make the body do too much the pain will be A Lot Worse tomorrow. And nobody will believe you."

I don't know the character but I love the prompt. Also I had an auntie called Lorna :)

(Taking a break from, by my standards, the ridiculous amount of Loki-related stuff that I've written in the past not-quite-month. 6>_>;;;; None of it is online. So much of it is on paper. It's... bad. XD;; MCU hasn't gotten me this bad in 6-7 years.)


A roar, followed by the melodic cadence of a name invoked.

"Where is he?" Thor asked the first palace guards he saw.

"They're over here!" Loki called. "But do wash up first."

“Is Trixie going to need any extra protection? I mean.” Chloe waved her hands. “I know she’s not your daughter but she’s mine and.”

“And Maze will be busy.” Lucifer brightened suddenly. “Oh, I have an idea!”

X X X

The knock at the door startled them, even more so that it heralded Lucifer, carrying something behind his back. “Detective! Offspring! I have a little surprise!”

Trixie beamed, jumping up. “What is it?”

“Here, child.” Lucifer pulled his hand from behind his back, revealing a golden blob of fur.

“A puppy?” Trixie’s glee filled the room. “For me?”

“A puppy?” Chloe repeated, fixing Lucifer with a glare.

He handed the puppy to Trixie. “Here you go,” he said, “now, let me talk to your mother about this. You should probably take that one outside for a few minutes.”

“Okay!” Trixie cuddled the puppy to her chest as she walked out the back door.

“A puppy?” Chloe asked.

“Before you say no, Detective, you were concerned about Trixie’s protection. And what better way to protect her than a dog?”

“A puppy is not a dog.” Chloe opened her mouth and closed it again. Stepped closer. “I thought this would be something we’d discuss, Lucifer.”

“Ah, but this is a good thing, Detective. You see, despite its appearances, that is not a normal dog.” He beamed. “It’s a Hellhound. Already housetrained. Already bonded to your daughter. Already incredibly protective.”

Chloe wrinkled her nose. “It looks like a Golden Retriever.”

“Looks, my dear Detective, are deceiving. And.” He took a deep breath and let it out, somehow seeming smaller for it. “It isn’t much but I thought it might help Trixie with her grief.” Lucifer offered a crooked smile. “I know you are doing your best. I know all of us are. But if I’ve learned anything from therapy, it is very comforting to be able to talk to someone, anyone, and not be judged.”

“And what better than a cuddly dog that can turn into a demon if Trixie’s threatened?” Chloe asked.

Lucifer’s smile brightened then. “Exactly.”