Power of the Throne (Closed for Watching Cloud)

[WatchingCloud]

Loki was slightly disappointed but hardly surprised when Ivy got flustered. Anything, or anyone, worth having was worth pursuing. There would be time later and, he reminded himself, he really did want her technology working. The last thing he needed was to scare her off.

“If you’d like to go and find company more suitable to your mood, I understand.”

"Ha!" Loki smiled. "It's unlikely I could find better company. Though I am, unfortunately, working. I'm here to serve your needs, whatever they may be."

He was about to add something when there was a knock at the door. An annoyed look flashed across his face before he remembered he was supposed to indeed be the servant girl. If anything, he should look flustered and embarrassed...which he tried to do quickly.

The door opened hesitantly and a finely dressed gentleman with a shock of white hair poked his head inside. Loki grumbled under his breath while putting a smile on his face for the tailor he'd called upon earlier. If Dr. Wild was going to have to be away from the palace for a while, he'd wanted her to have a variety of clothing that fit well. Not that the best-guess outfits they'd found to this point had failed to flatter her one bit.

"Excuse me," the old man said politely. "My staff and I are here to outfit a Doctor Wild, at Odin's request."

"Please, come in," Loki said. The man entered, followed by half a dozen younger men and women, each laden down with stacks of fabric swatches.

Loki turned back to Ivy and shrugged apologetically.

"Guess you'll have to put up with...company more suitable to your mood." He made sure his words were entirely in jest. "I'll check back on you later. In the meantime, say yes to everything."

With a wink, Loki left the human in the hands of one of Asgard's true artists.

 

[scarlettnuit]

“That’s so sweet of you to say,” she began, but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Before she knew it, she was in a whirl wind of fabrics, pins, and people. She barely managed to get out a good bye to Anja before she was taken over by the very fashionable mob that had come to outfit her. She was measured and then taken through a slew of designs, some of which, she was very glad to see, involved pants. She absolutely loved the beautiful gowns that she had been given but she was looking forward to working clothes that allowed for better movement and no corset.

While she was overwhelmed at first, she was soon charmed the artistic designer who introduced himself as Toutbeaux, Beau for short. While she had thought she would simply be ordered about like a lost child, Beau seemed to be quite happy with his canvas and not at all a snob in the way she had always imagined fashion designers on Earth might be.

As they went through the different designs and options, Ivy, as always, was a fount of questions and curiosities and Beau was the very soul of patience and humored her at every turn. She wasn’t sure if it were the remnants of the wine, or her desire for some companionship, but she felt very comfortable around him. To her it was like talking to a very sassy Uncle who cared not a fig for anyone’s thoughts about him, because he already knew exactly how wonderful he was.

When all was said and done, Ivy felt exhausted. She hugged Beau good bye and kissed both of his cheeks. He responded with a warm smile and gave her his card, telling her to get in touch immediately should she need or want anything, from clothing to conversation.

When they had all gone, she walked to the armoire and admired the readymade clothing he had brought with him. Everything was so beautiful, and the fabrics so soft and beautiful, she couldn’t believe that he would be making her even more clothing. She had been told that living in the palace required different clothing for different occasions, from events to simply dinner, and she felt like she had landed herself on a strange version of Downton Abbey.

It was quite late now, and she chose a cream satin nightgown from the armoire. When she slipped it on she felt like a Queen. She didn’t know how he had managed it, but the neckline in the back of the nightgown left most of the back bare, it’s elegant curve resting just above her rear. She didn’t know how it stayed in place, the spaghetti straps didn’t give it much to hold on to, but she supposed everything had the element of magic here. It fit her beautifully, hugging her curves before it fluted out from her knees and to the floor. She felt like a golden age starlet and wondered if she should be asking Mr. DeMille for a close up rather than going to bed.

She walked out onto the balcony to get a breath of fresh air and wonder at the circumstances in which she now found herself. She was surprised to find that the overwhelming need to get home as soon as possible had left her. It was lovely there and there was so much she wanted to learn, while she still planned to work on her device as promised, she hoped that once the solution was found and created, that they might allow her to stay on for a bit, there was so much to discover!

With that thought, she returned to the room and slipped into the big comfortable bed. She looked up at Loki’s portrait and wondered about him and how their first official meeting would go.

“Only time will tell,” She said to herself as she yawned. She then snuggled into the pillows and was soon asleep.

 

[WatchingCloud]

Loki endured another afternoon as Odin, listening to useless reports about the frost giants and dictating how he wanted to respond and tighten security. He was almost certain he knew how they'd gotten in and he really needed to go check the secret passage between worlds to see if it was indeed still in use and something he could cut off. Having that escape route could be handy, but the risks were outweighing the benefits at the moment. Unfortunately, he was unable to manufacture an excuse to get away.

By evening, though, Loki felt he'd delegated enough of his responsibilities that he could get Ivy away to his hideout. From there, she could work on her device and he could do the quiet investigating he needed.

Toutbeaux sent word that the fitting had gone well and Ivy now had a respectable wardrobe with more being prepared. Better yet, he'd been able to rush Loki's one specific request and it would be ready and delivered to the palace in a couple hours.

Loki resisted the urge to check back in on Ivy, knowing she needed time to actually get some work done and maybe even rest. He spent the time eating dinner alone while reviewing a few more security dispatches. When the package was finally delivered to him in Odin's quarters, Loki inspected it with a pleased eye. He was now ready to relocate.

#

Loki availed himself of the palace's network of secret passages to reach his old quarters. He listened at the door until convinced that Ivy must have gone to bed for the night. He slipped inside, set his package on the table, and went to his bed in the alcove off the main room. The beautiful human was sleeping in his bed and he admired her in quiet for a few minutes before doing what had to be done.

Looking and dressed like himself for a pleasant change, Loki crawled atop the sheets beside Ivy. He left some space between them, laying on his side and propped on an elbow. He waited until she shuffled and began to rouse from her sleep.

"Sorry for waking you, my dear," he said softly, knowing full well he'd startle the heck out of her no matter how polite he was. "Normally, when there's a beautiful woman in my bed, I'd be showing her better hospitality. Unfortunately, it's time to relocate you to a safer place."

After enduring her waking up, he added. "Oh, and nice to finally make your proper acquaintance, Dr. Wild."

 

[scarlettnuit]

Ivy was laying on her stomach snuggling a pillow and smiling a bit, lost in her dreams, when Loki appeared and roused her.

“Mmmmm…hello yourself,” she purred, still mostly asleep.

After a few moments she became more fully awake and blinked a few times, looking around for a moment and trying to clear her mind. While she was a bit startled, she hid it well, with the exception of the fact that all she could do is stare at him for a few moments, reaching out to touch his arm to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating.

“Oh,” she said simply and felt suddenly nervous in a silly sort of way, “Pleasure to meet you…without distraction of being attacked,” she yawned and then sat up, instinctively, pulling the blanket up to her chin with her.

She ran her hands across her face and through her hair as her mind finally processed that he had come to move her.

“Of course, I should get dressed,” she said and started to get out of the bed for a moment before turning to face him again, “What would be the best thing to wear?” she asked, not knowing how arduous, or not, their journey would be.

 

[WatchingCloud]

Loki was pleasantly surprised that Ivy didn't panic at his appearance in her (his) bed. Perhaps she was coming around to the absurdity of her situation.

“Of course, I should get dressed,” she said and started to get out of the bed for a moment before turning to face him again, “What would be the best thing to wear?”

Loki took in Ivy's every curve as the bed sheet fell aside to reveal the satin gown. He was sorely tempted to delay their relocation by an hour or three.

"I'm inclined to just let you wear that, Ivy," he said. "I can't wait to see what else Beau conjured up for you given how good you look in that."

Loki admired her a moment longer, then rolled off the bed and crossed out to the central room of his quarters where he retrieved the garment bag and box.

"Unfortunately, we might run into trouble despite our best precautions." Loki began unzipping the bag. "So I asked Beau to come up with something more practical."

From out of the bag, Loki produced what appeared to be a cross between armor and a dress. The core of the ensemble was form-fitted hardened leather, dyed gold and forest green with gold accents. A lightweight cloak of the same green and a rust red attached around the neck, shoulders, hips and arms in layers to give the illusion of a practical dress without restricting movement.

"Practical and stylish," he said. "Even the fabric is a mesh of alloy so fine it feels like silk while able to turn a blade. Hopefully we won't need to test it...or the extra enchantments I laid on it."

Loki offered her the outfit, then glanced back at the box. "And boots to match. The rest of your clothes will be packed, of course."

 

[scarlettnuit]

The way he looked at her from the bed made her flush red and she was glad of the relative darkness in the room. She reminded herself that this man had tried to enslave her entire planet and that she should stop looking at him like some kind addlepated twit. She straightened her spine and move with him to look at what he had brought her to wear.

“That’s most kind of you,” she told him, the idea of there being any kind of danger that she would actually need armor against scared her, though she would have been lying to herself if she were to say that the sense of adventure in it all excited her.

“It’s beautiful. Let me just gather my work,” she said as she crossed the room and started putting her notes and prototypes into satchel that she had been given. She then brought it back to where he was standing and reminded herself that she was supposed to trust him. She set the satchel on the table and looked around the room to notice that there wasn’t a place that she could dress from his view.

“If you could avert your eyes for a few moments, I’ll do my best to get myself dressed.”

Once he had acquiesced she, with some regret, slipped out her beautiful night gown and, as quickly as possible, into the dress he had brought her. She then gingerly laid the nightgown on the bed, assuming that it would be packed with everything else.

“I’m dressed,” She let him know as she moved to put on the boots. She then picked up a ribbon that had been left by Beau and pulled her hair back at the nape of her neck.

“Ok, I suppose I’m ready to do battle, though my skills aren’t necessarily up to it,” She smiled a bit grimly, though as she looked at him, she knew he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Whether that was for want of the advice or something more she could not say.

 

[WatchingCloud]

Loki gave Ivy a half-smirk when she asked him to avert his eyes.

"If I must," he said. Then, using a magic trick that came as easily to him as breathing, Loki projected an illusion of himself turning while in fact he didn't move an inch. He didn't do it to spite her or out of any particular voyeuristic tendency but simply because it was in his nature to be a trickster, to go against the grain. Of course, watching Ivy slip out of that gown was absolutely worth it. His illusion "turned back" when she said she was done.

"I'll take that," Loki said, referring to her gown which he carried over to the armoire.

“Ok, I suppose I’m ready to do battle, though my skills aren’t necessarily up to it,” she said.

Loki closed up the armoire and turned back, admiring Beau's handiwork. The armor looked incredible on her, especially the way the chest plate was sculpted to her figure. Ivy almost looked like she belonged among the Valkyrie.

"You certainly look the part," he said. "You've already saved my life once from a frost giant. Few others could make such a claim."

Loki brushed his hand across a subtle panel on the side of the armoire. It folded itself in ways that made the eye and mind bend into pretzels, crossing through other-dimensional space as it became a tiny, pocketable-size version of itself. When it was finished a few seconds later, he bent over, plucked it off the floor, and deposited it in a pocket.

"I'll have the rest delivered when Beau finishes them," he said. "Now, shall we?"

Loki made sure Ivy had all of her research and device packed and then escorted her through the secret passages and down to the ground level. He took her through some new passages that had more of a dirt tunnel feel rather than crafted stone. Ultimately, it emptied into a small, dimly-lit cave with water and a light boat tied up. The vessel was elegant with Asgardian craftsmanship, narrow like a gondola, and just large enough for the two of them.

"I hope you're not afraid of water," he said, offering her a hand to board.

 

[scarlettnuit]

“That was just pure dumb luck,” she responded to saving his life, “I’m not really sure what came over me to be honest.”

She kept a respectful distance and watched as the armoire closed itself up. She couldn’t wait to get her hands on it later and figure out how it managed that feat. She wondered if magic could be explained by science. This knew thought got the wheels turning in her head about the possibility of perhaps nano particles and other possibilities, but she reigned herself in and focused on the task at hand.

She followed him as they made their way through hidden hallways of the palace and then into more primitive tunnels until they reached the cave. Part of her chided herself for being so curious about everything she saw, but part of her found the cave beautiful and she wished she could explore it. She was brought back from this thought as he offered his hand to help her in the gondola.

She was reluctant to take his hand for a few moments, hoping that he wasn’t taking her on some journey to secretly kill her or the like for her tech. However, she supposed she was safe until it was completed at least.

When she took his hand, she was surprised to find it warm and she looked up at him in momentary surprise before stepping into the boat. She then quickly seated herself and wait for the boat to be launched.

“Am I allowed to ask about the place you’re taking me?” she asked as her eyes took in her surroundings, wondering if the mineral deposits on Asgard had any earthly similarities, anything to distract herself from the ball of nerves constituted her stomach.

 

[WatchingCloud]

"You may ask," Loki said as he boarded the boat and pushed off. "Someplace safe."

He knew that answer wouldn't be very satisfying, but he found himself inexplicably paranoid about being watched all of a sudden. He couldn't see or sense magic nearby, but that didn't mean much if the user was skilled.

"I'll explain when we arrive."

The boat moved deftly at his touch, cutting smooth and silent through the calm water. The lights of the chamber dimmed as they vanished into a smaller passage, only to later be replaced by dots of phospholuminescent fungi clinging to the walls and ceiling like distant stars of green and blue.

"These passages have long since been forgotten," he said softly to break the deafening silence. "I believe they once led to crypts of early Asgardian rulers. I haven't seen any ghosts, though."

After about fifteen minutes, Loki took them through a passage so tight they could touch the walls on either side, then they pushed through a cascade of vines and emerged in a massive body of water under the open night sky. Behind them was a rough cliff face through which the cave entrance was almost impossible to make out.

Loki put on the speed and the boat rose until just barely skimming the surface. His eyes scanned every direction to make sure no one watched or was out at this time of night. The air whistled by too loudly to make conversation practical, so he settled for watching his course and Ivy's back.

After some time, he found the stream he'd sought along the distant shore. Much like the cave, it wasn't something easily seen, concealed by overgrown trees and shrubs. He piloted the boat upstream, ducking under low branches. In the dark, it was difficult to pick out the path. Here, the sounds of bugs and frogs and nocturnal predators provided a busy backdrop.

Loki, speaking softly, said, "When I was a child my m... Frigga, took it upon herself to teach me magic. Thor lacked the disposition for it, but I loved it. Odin didn't always approve. Sometimes, though, she'd bring me out here to her old ancestral home, where we could practice away from the opinion of others."

Those were some of his most precious memories. He felt odd confiding them in Ivy, though it didn't exactly feel wrong.

When the stream was almost too narrow to navigate, Loki pulled it up to a tiny, moss covered dock and tied it up. He stepped out and offered his hand to Ivy.

"Home sweet away from prying eyes," he said, gesturing into the dark woods.

A moment later, the magic inherent in the place responded to him and soft, blue lights illuminated a path. The path ended a hundred feet away at the base of an enormous tree where they then rose along a stairway winding around the trunk. At least a hundred feet up, those then vanished into a cozy but ornate looking tree house. Warm light lit the windows cheerily.

"Shall we?"

 

[scarlettnuit]

Ask a silly question, get a silly answer, she thought to herself as he gave her a simplified answer.

The journey was fully of the nocturnal beauty Asgard had to offer. As they jetted across the lake she was glad he could not see her face as she delighted in the speed and the air rushing across her face and through her hair.

When they merged onto the stream she kept a wary eye, not sure what monsters may lay in the dark, but turned and regarded Loki as he explained where they were going. The thought of Loki ever being a child seemed strange to her, but she suddenly could imagine him loping about the place, turning frogs into turtles and bathing in the glory of having his mother all to himself.

“And who would blame you? We all love stealing our mother’s time away for ourselves,” She offered, missing one’s mother was a feeling all too familiar to her.

When they arrived at their destination, she was absolutely delighted to see it. The tension in her shoulder’s relaxed as she found that she would be in a setting that made her feel much more at home and at ease.

“It’s absolutely beautiful,” she said, taking his hand to exit the gondola.

She followed him up the stairway, making sure to hug the wall of the tree the farther up they went. She had a fear of heights, more specifically, falling from them, that made her glad of the cover of night hiding precisely how high up they were. However, even if it had been daylight she knew she wouldn’t have missed seeing this for the world.

When they reached the end of the stairs she decidedly did not look down but forward and to him.

“Perhaps you would be kind enough to give me a tour?”

 

[WatchingCloud]

He'd called it the Tree House ever since his first visit as a child, though it was hardly a child's play thing. The house was built with understated luxury, polished woods and tasteful decor in earth tones. Windows afforded fine views where there weren't doors opening onto one of several balconies. But it was the scent of the place that really brought him back - rich, faded, leathery, with a hint of spice.

Loki looked around and found everything just as it had always been...when mother was still alive.

"The sitting room," Loki said, beginning the tour to get his mind off that train of thought. The room was airy and stuffed with comfy old chairs and loaded bookshelves. "This is where most of the learning happened."

He then showed Ivy the kitchen and small dining area. Fresh fruit was sitting out and the larder should be well stocked, if his orders with that discreet party had been carried out.

From there he escorted Ivy up a narrow staircase to the second floor which was comprised of a single bedroom and a bathroom with sunken tub. Everything was tidy and elegant. Loki unfolded the armoire in an open space in the room designated for just that sort of thing.

"Not exactly ideal for throwing parties," he said, "but perfectly adequate for two."

He didn't bother calling out the obvious that there was but one bed in the place. Loki led her onto the patio off the bedroom, from which they could see the vast lake they'd just crossed beyond the tree tops, moons glistening in the waves. To their right, spectacular mountains rose to dizzying heights, their snow caps brilliant even at night.

"So, do you think you'll be able to focus on your work here? I know the scenery can be distracting and all..."

 

[scarlettnuit]

She followed him around the Tree House and couldn’t help but feel at home there. The little tidbits of information he gave her about the place seemed strange in that it she had never thought she’d be getting a tour of any place by a God, much less have it sound so normal and relatable.

When he led her out to the balcony she could only wonder at the beautiful site before her for a moment before her vertigo unexpectedly kicked in and she found herself grabbing his arm and closing her eyes as she pressed her forehead into his bicep. She immediately felt stupid and managed to make her way back to the doorway and enjoyed the view from there.

“My apologies,” She muttered, embarrassed at her own fear. “It’s absolutely beautiful. To work here would be to work in my dream home.”

She placed the satchel next to the bed as she sat down on it and yawned. She then laid down on it’s comfortable pillows without thinking and kept looking out at the beautiful view, her mind fighting between the excitement of where she now found herself and the drowsiness caused by the late hour.

“I hope I don’t get lonely,” She added, assuming that she was being dropped off for safe keeping.

 

[WatchingCloud]

Loki was amused by Ivy's apparent fear of heights, but didn't tease her when she instinctively grasped his arm. He followed at a distance as she retreated back inside and sat and then laid on the bed. She looked as tired as she did beautiful.

“I hope I don’t get lonely,” she said.

Loki have her a scandalized look. "Lonely? Am I really such poor company?"

He walked up beside the bed and gave her a sky smile. "I don't intend to leave someone as fascinating as you alone for a moment longer than necessary."

Loki considered Ivy, then said, "As fetching as you look in that armor, I wouldn't recommend sleeping in it. One of its enchantments is a quick removal and return. You need only mentally picture the armor and will it to vanish or reappear. By now, it should be attuned to you sufficiently to function properly. And it's handy in a pinch if you're attacked with your pants down, so to speak."

 

[scarlettnuit]

She looked up at him as he stood by the bed and couldn’t help but thinking that he was more attractive than any man had a right to be. To make matters worse it was dangerously charming. However, as he said he had no plans to leave her alone, she found herself sitting up.

“Oh…” She blushed for more reasons than one, “I’m sorry, I just thought that…I wasn’t sure if you had other things that you need to do that were more important,” She finally got out and then stood up when he told her about the armor.

She pulled the ribbon from her hair letting it flow freely down her back. Of course, his mention of using quick removal feature of her armor is that she immediately followed his instructions mentally and found herself standing in front of him in only her white satin Asgardian panties. She let out a small eep and the armor replaced itself.

She was so embarrassed that she immediately moved to the armoire to find her nightgown once more. It was the only sleeping attire she would have until Beau sent her things to her. She then disappeared into the other room and managed to get the armor off, this time without an audience, and the nightgown back on.

After some summoning of strength, she made herself walk back into the bedroom and grinned at him sheepishly.

“Sorry about that,” she managed to squeak out. “Where should I, that is, um…where would you like me to sleep? I don’t want to take over your home more than I already have,” she said, though she was sure that she would be repeating that embarrassment in her mind for the next, oh say, 50 years of her life.

 

[WatchingCloud]

“I’m sorry, I just thought that…I wasn’t sure if you had other things that you need to do that were more important."

Loki grinned at her flustered reaction. "I'm sure I don't have anything more important to do than you right now, Dr. Wild."

If she hadn't been flustered enough, testing the disappearing capabilities of her new armor without considering the consequences certainly pushed her over the edge. The armor winked out, leaving in those lovely, lacy panties. He couldn't help but take in the rest of her naked body. Those breasts... A moment later she had the armor back on and hurried to find her gown.

"I was okay with the last outfit," Loki said playfully while Ivy changed in the bathroom. When she returned, he added, "But this is lovely, too."

She asked about the sleeping arrangements, he had a few ideas about that best left unspoken.

"Where would I like you to sleep? Hmmm. Well, since I refuse to be a poor host, I was thinking in my arms would be best."

He gave her his best eye twinkle and stepped closer, not yet touching her.

"I do owe earth an apology for that little misunderstanding," he said, shrugging insouciantly. "Perhaps you could accept on behalf of humanity?"

He took another step forward and reached for her hand...

 

[scarlettnuit]

Was he…was he hitting on her? She simply looked at him for a moment, as if calculating everything he had just said. When he brought up Earth, she looked away from him and reminded herself that the charming son of a bitch did try to kill them all. He also saved her from being killed by frost giants. It was all so very complicated as she assumed the being before her was.

“Wow, ok. Well, I’m sure you’re able to dance your way into everyone else’s panties, but you won’t be waltzing into mine,” she said finally and then walked into the living room area and poured herself a goblet of wine from the decanter she found there. She took one drink and then went back into the bedroom.

“Where do you get off, coming in here and trying to sweet talk me like I’m some common prostitute or serving girl,” She told him as she crossed the room and picked up the satchel of her work. She was too fired up to sleep now.

“You can sleep where ever you damned well please.” She said simply and then went into the other room and started to lay her papers out on the table.

 

[WatchingCloud]

Loki was hardly surprised about Ivy's reaction to his mention of that little tiff on Earth. How hard was it for humans to accept he'd have made an excellent king? Besides, it might have spared them from something, or someone, truly awful...

“Where do you get off, coming in here and trying to sweet talk me like I’m some common prostitute or serving girl,” she said.

Loki gave her a shocked expression, pressing his fingers into his chest as if in disbelief such accusations could be leveled at him.

"I'm hardly treating you like a prostitute," he said, "as if I'd demean myself by paying for companionship."

He stepped aside to let her collect her bag and tromp off to the sitting room where she began to spread out her work.

“You can sleep where ever you damned well please," she said.

Loki shrugged and gave her a small smile and shrug. "Well, I'd prefer to sleep by the side of the only human who's ever captured my attention. But, apparently, she has some misconceptions about me. That's okay, I'm used to it. No one's ever understood me."

He sighed, looking as if hurt but trying to hide it. He then crossed the room, poured a goblet of wine for himself, and slumped into the chair across from Ivy. She might be miffed at him, but the perkiness underneath her gown suggested she wasn't entirely immune to him.

"Tell me about your work," he said, completely changing the topic. "Maybe I can help. I do know a few things about space and time and bridging them, even if the terminology is different."

 

[scarlettnuit]

The thought that someone like him might feel hurt at someone’s words surprised her. A tinge of guilt now swirled across her heart as he slumped into the chair across from her. Was he really hurt by what she said or was he trying to manipulate her? She supposed being manipulated by him wouldn’t be all bad, but that her heart might pay the ultimate price.

“You’ll have to forgive my temper…I’m over tired, and if I’m honest, trying to recover from severely embarrassing myself,” she reached out and touched his hand in way of apology before looking back at his work, “and I’m of Irish decent, which probably means nothing to you.”

She was glad of the subject change and started to explain everything to him and where her work had progressed to before this strange transportation and where she thought the differences were between this and her other devices.

“From the books I saw in your library, I imagine that your input would be invaluable,” She offered and meant it. “The main trouble I’m having is how it released enough energy to transport us back to Asgard, or indeed, how it even knew the coordinates to ever arrive here in the first place. I think the two are tied together. Perhaps it was exposed to something when it arrived here that made it more powerful than it once had been.”

She leaned back in her chair and emptied what was left of her goblet. She had enjoyed talking to him about the device and he was indeed, as she had suspected, very intelligent.

“I know this is off subject but…is there ANYTHING you liked about earth? I feel like you might have enjoyed some of our literature, though I’m not sure what your experience with our planet has been.”

 

[WatchingCloud]

Loki speculated that Ivy's device may have somehow tapped into the same dark magic that powered the Bifrost and many other Asgardian marvels. It seemed likely that they were related, given the functionality. He didn't really understand how that energy source worked on a level that translated between Asgardian magic and human physics, but it might at least be a starting point. At the very least, he suggested the abundance of it in Asgard might have triggered a response in her device.

After a productive discussion, Ivy seemed to finally be relaxing. Their conversation, too, felt more convivial.

“I know this is off subject but…is there ANYTHING you liked about earth? I feel like you might have enjoyed some of our literature, though I’m not sure what your experience with our planet has been.”

Loki smiled. She was looking for a reason not to hate him. That was a good sign, right?

"Plenty, to be honest," he said. "Earth, Midgard in our lore, is rather important among the Nine Realms. So, in Asgard's role as defender and overseer of the Realms, I've been there many times. Usually with Odin and Thor and an army, but...

"Anyway, to answer more specifically, I've enjoyed the variety in humanity. Food, art, music. And, yes, literature as well. I won't profess to be an expert on any of it, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy it. Asgard is nice and all, but it's also...stagnant. Things haven't changed much culturally in millennia."

Loki drained his goblet and offered Ivy a refill.

"Let's be frank, I wouldn't try to rule over a world I couldn't stand living on, now would I?" He flashed her a broad smile. Sure, he was poking that hornet's nest again, but he felt like Ivy might be starting to see him as a person rather than just the god of legend who'd made a seemingly unprovoked attack on her home world.

 

[scarlettnuit]

She allowed him to refill her goblet and then took a piece of fruit from the basket, something that looked like grapes, and popped one into her mouth as she considered his words.

"Let's be frank, I wouldn't try to rule over a world I couldn't stand living on, now would I?"

“I suppose if one wanted to be logical, that would make sense,” she teased him lightly.

When he grinned at her she felt her stomach tumble over itself and she took another drink of her wine. The early signs of dawn were starting to stream in through the windows and she found herself stretching and running her hands over the back of her neck for a moment before they came to rest in her lap.

“I suppose I shouldn’t keep you up any longer, though I’m sure I’m the one getting fatigued more than yourself,” She smiled softly and stood up.

She started to walk towards the bedroom and paused, standing next to him where he sat.

“I’ve enjoyed speaking with you, you’re an interesting man, well God.”

 

[WatchingCloud]

Loki rose and took her hand.

"And you're a most fascinating woman, Dr. Wild," he said, lifting her hand and planting a soft but lingering kiss on the back of her fingers.

"A very tired one, too, from the looks of it. Go. Sleep. I'll be here when you wake."

Tempted as he was to press his luck, the woman did look wiped and had been through a couple of long, taxing days. Best to let her catch up. Morning would come soon enough.

Loki left her to the bedroom and spent a minute tidying up. Once satisfied she'd fallen asleep, he took a short trip outside to check that all the magic wards around the property were intact. He was still unsettled about the sense of being watched and wanted every bit of warning should someone come after them.

Returning inside, he spent some time looking over Ivy's notes, though the human annotation meant nothing to him and deciphering it could take months or years. Instead, he settled for reading a book from the library, though his mind kept wandering to the sleeping woman. What was it about this particular human fascinated him so? Sure, she was brilliant and beautiful. It was more than that, though. Ambition? Perhaps.

After the sun was well up and the birds and forest creatures set about their daily activities, Loki peered into the bedroom. Ivy was still sound asleep. He watched the slow rise and fall of her chest for a bit before slipping through to the bathroom and softly closing the door behind him. He unsummoned his own armor, then stripped off the simple pants and shirt that replaced them.

The tub filled at his command and he settled into the steaming water, watching the sunrise through the broad windows. The tension was reluctant to seep from his body. What to do about the frost giants? What to do with his kingdom? What to do with Ivy?

 

[scarlettnuit]

The kiss he placed on her fingers felt electric and made her heart race a little faster. It was only after several moments of looking at him that she smiled and finally moved into the bedroom. She pulled back the blankets and got into bed. To her own surprise, she found herself smiling before she finally fell asleep.

After a few hours Ivy woke up and stretched. The sun was beating in from the windows warming her skin. She was never one to sleep very long, her mind always racing with another new idea or solutions for one problem or another. If that weren’t enough, the curious and beautiful songs of the local fauna woke her and delighted her to no end.

She sat up and stretched and looked over at the other side of the bed. She was half expecting Loki to be laying in the bed next to her. Much to her relief, or disappointment, the other side of the bed was empty.

Sighing softly, she pulled back the blankets and got out of bed. She then walked to into the bathroom, yawning a bit, to be greeted with the site of Loki soaking himself in the sunken tub. She supposed she would have been embarrassed had he not made such a show of flirting with her the previous evening. However, after their long conversation, she felt more relaxed.

“Well, isn’t this a delightful surprise,” She teased him as she took an overly long look at him, her eyebrows raising approvingly for a moment.

“I suppose you’d like your privacy and I’m suddenly quite parched. Enjoy your bath,” She smiled and turned to leave.

 

[WatchingCloud]

So lost in his thoughts was Loki he didn't notice Ivy had awoken until she opened the door. The better mood last night ended on seemed to have carried over as she smiled and checked out what she could of him. He, meanwhile, checked her out - brilliant eyes, hair lit ablaze by the morning sun, smooth legs...

“I suppose you’d like your privacy and I’m suddenly quite parched. Enjoy your bath,” She smiled and turned to leave.

"I enjoy company as much as privacy," he said, stretching out his arms. His bearing was completely at ease with her presence. "And there's more than enough room if you'd care to join me."

The tub wasn't as big as the one in his quarters back at the palace, but it could comfortably accommodate four.

"I'm afraid I didn't bring anything to drink, though."

 

[scarlettnuit]

She paused at the doorway for a moment remembering the kiss on her fingers the previous night. It definitely made her question herself and the being in her tub. Why was he being so flirtatious? Why did she want to return his attentions this morning? She turned around and crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the door frame.

“Tempting, but I’m not entirely sure that your weak Asgardian body could handle me. There’s no one to here to save you from big strong me,” she grinned, hoping he would find the humor in her statement. She then turned and went into the kitchen.

She looked for tea, desperately willing her mind to move away from the imagine the naked God laying in the tub in the other room. It wasn’t right for anyone to look that good naked and she wasn’t used to anyone hitting on her the way he did. She typically hid behind humor when she was nervous, and this was not exception.

Finally, she found what she thought was tea and a kettle that magically filled itself and heated water. She put some tea in it and wondered how she was going to keep her distance, especially in a place that was as close to her dream home as she could possibly get.

 

[WatchingCloud]

Loki laughed at her joke and let it stand - the polite deflection that it was. He was pleased enough that she was in a humorous mood, to say nothing of the obvious interest in her eyes.

"Might be worth taking my chances, though," he said, giving her a wink before she left.

Soon after, Loki left the bath and toweled dry. He wrapped the towel around his waist and returned to the bedroom where a trunk of his own clothing sat beside Ivy's armoire. Before he could decide what to wear, however, the smell of tea reached him and his stomach rumbled. He hadn't eaten in a while, nor had he drank anything since last night. Ivy was entirely too practical.

Still dressed only in his towel, Loki wandered toward the kitchen and found Ivy pouring herself a cup.

"Make enough for two?" he asked. "I think there are some pastries in here, too."

He turned his back on her to dig through the pantry, knowing full well her eyes would be on his backside. The deliveries had, indeed, been made and there was no shortage of foods of all manner waiting for their consumption. Most were in self-contained preservation and preparation containers - hardly the same as freshly prepared by a chef, but more than passable given their situation.

Selecting a variety of breakfast pastries, Loki turned back to Ivy. "Berry? Cheese? God? What's your fancy?"