Fandral's complete dismissal had hurt, but it had happened to Winnie before.
The moments after that discussion were awkward, but the group had loosened up eventually and were currently rough-housing in the lake. She remained on the picnic blanket, along with Loki.
As she worked on her sketch of Slipneir, she thought of her last memorable dismissal, and it was actually attached to a good memory. It was the start of it all, the day she'd met Adrian.
It was a blind date with her former friend, Colleen's, cousin. His name was Charlie, Juliard graduate, attractive. Winnie was so excited she could barely stop smiling. Colleen had to fix her lipstick no less than five times before she left.
They met at a nice, but not too fancy Japanese Hibachi Grill. Winnie had heard of Hibachi style, but didn't know what it entailed. It was wonderful. The smells, the vibrations resonating from the chefs hands, to the grill, to her own hands.
It was going well, at that point. Charlie stared at her while she smiled, laughed, clapped with the other guests, mouth gaping open like a deer in headlights.
Until the chef left and people got busy eating in earnest. Then it was time to talk and Winnie was bad with that whole... thing. Should she sign and watch them flounder in shock? Talk and have them alarmed by her flat, expressionless voice?
Because even if Colleen had told Charlie that Winnie was deaf, (which was unlikely, and hardly ever happened), he could still be scared away by it all.
Or perhaps he'd stay to get in her father's good graces.
She was being cynical and told herself to suck it up. Signing was the most natural for her, so she went with that.
"Sorry, I got a little caught up in the show."
He watched her hands move, eyes squinted.
He met her eyes and shook his head. "Didn't understand a word."
Okay, not the end of the world. He didn't need to even learn. She said, "That's alright. I can speak."
Charlie, his beard twitching, frowned and said, "Then why didn't you?"
Winnie blinked. It was a relatively mundane but also aggressive question that no one had asked before, even if it was lurking in their eyes.
"I suppose because I like it better."
He shrugged and turned away, so she only caught part of his response. "-pressure on the unexpected and unprepared party."
She raised an eyebrow, heart thundering in her chest. For a moment, she wondered if everyone could hear it. Winnie felt the force of it would shake her brain inside her skull.
"Pardon me?"
He turned back, forgetting his food and looking suddenly very angry. "I said, 'your opinion shouldn't matter. You're deaf, but everyone else can hear. You should adapt to us and not put pressure on the unexpected and unprepared party.'"
Winnie wondered if she should be angry or shocked. She wondered whether watching him stand, violently tipping his chair in the process, if she should have silently let him go. She wondered if she would ever have to stop defending herself. She wondered if there were any reporters around, there to catch the tears fall over her numb cheeks, the only daughter of Tony and Pepper Stark, publicly humiliated on a "blind" date.
Winnie thought this all and suddenly laughed into a hastily grabbed napkin. Perhaps "Deaf date" was more accurate. In more than one way.
Finally, with the entire group left around the table staring at her, she stood and went to pay their bill. Unsurprisingly, he hadn't. Probably thought he was the one really getting stiffed.
But the man behind the counter, with his sad but not pitying eyes, wouldn't let her pay. Instead, he gave her a sesame ball and a piece of paper, before seeing her to her car. Just as she turned to leave, he signed, *"Call me."*
Later, when she had decided not to feel sorry for herself, she glanced at the paper.
Adrian, 555-2957. Don't let the bastards get you down.*
Hastily scribbled below that was *"video call obviously sorry"* and she laughed and laughed and laughed
Winnie was brought back to the present by a light tap on her arm. She glanced at Loki, and he said, "Slipneir has a crooked hoof. His last leg on the right."
She cocked her head at the sketch, narrowing her eyes. She flipped to a doodle page and began roughly outlining crooked hooves. After several, Loki grabbed the pencil impatiently and flawlessly drew it. He handed the sketch pad back to her. Winnie turned to catch his eye, but he wouldn't allow it. His eyes were towards the lake. But she was sure he felt her smile.
Slipneir was complete, at least in black and grey form, minutes later, and if Winnie was honest with herself, the sun was bothering her. A quick glance at Loki showed the man completely at ease. Sighing, she stood and said, "I'm going for a walk."
He merely raised a lazy hand and waved her off. It was the only permission she needed before grabbing her sketchbook and heading towards the woods. Perhaps she would find more unusual endemic life further from the splashing water and the laughing faces.
Now under the heavy canopy of maple trees, or something similar, Winnie relaxed. The sun had been beating down it seemed. Nothing like the hazy sunshine in California, or the spotty sunshine in New York. Her arms seemed dotted with a hundred more freckles than the day before. Adrian always made sure she wore sunscreen.
Pushing that thought violently away, Winnie tucked some hair behind her ear and continued onwards. The path she walked was thin and winding, obviously a deer or perhaps rabbit trail. But after turning a corner, she was met with a large hedge, seemingly planted right on the path to deter further exploration.
Huffing in irritation, she walked along the length of it for some time before coming upon a clearing filled with waist-high grass, and in the middle, a large willow tree.
Winnie raised her eyebrows. They were far from water, no marshes that she could see. The willow had to be drawing water to be so massive and healthy. She drew closer, noticing the signs of the tree's affliction upon the environment it so depended on. The tall grass thinned and died the closer she got, the soil she felt cracking beneath her boots.
Right when she got to the last line of tall grass, she paused. Winnie felt like an intruder, a voyeur, and turned back, walking swiftly and fighting the urge to run. The tree had pulsed… felt alive in a way it shouldn't. Winnie wasn't happy until it was out of sight and back at the hedge.
She retraced her steps to her original path in and found a tree stump to sit on, breathing heavily.
It was then that she felt a tiny scrape, like a thorn dragging on the skin and barely piercing it, on her ankle, and her whole world erupted in agony. She lost consciousness before she could scream.
*Vibrations*
"You do not taste like an Aesir."
The thin, whispering voice within her head that wasn't hers woke her. Her eyes snapped open, remembered the pain, only to meet the eyes of a serpent.
It was as small and dainty looking as a shoelace, really, but Winnie could see it so clearly. Colored bronze, gold, silver, opal. If she wasn't in a hallucinogenic shock, Winnie would want to draw it.
"No mortal could ever hallucinate me." The voice said, with a laughing sniff. "But thank you for the compliment."
Winnie could not hear the voice. Not really. It was like an echo in her mind.
"What are you?" Winnie asked, only belatedly realizing she'd spoken within her head.
"Jörmungandr, the people of Asgard call me."
Winnie was confused. *"That means 'huge monster'."
"It does. I am not my full size."
Winnie was still cheek-to-ground, but found that she couldn't move. Despite the fact that she was certain the exchange was imaginary, Winnie had to ask, while she mentally struggled trying to move.
"What happened to me?"
"Oh." The snake sounded bored. "Well, I struck you with my fangs. You almost tread on my nest. But it was only a graze, otherwise, you would have perished by now."
"And how we can speak?"
The serpant turned its head, looking at something out of Winnie's visual range. "The Aesir have a rudimentary knowledge. Our venom is excruciating, fatal- but not always. It can be used for healing, ingredients in potions, and communication. I intended to investigate you, and perhaps devour you after."
"Why would you want to?"
"We felt alike."
Winnie's head was beginning to pound, but she could feel her toes again. That was something, at least.
"I'm sorry I almost tread on your nest." Winnie said, genuine. "I just came in here to study the animals and such. I should know better."
Winnie got the impression that the snake shrugged. "Consider it a debt repaid if you take me to the palace."
Immediately suspicious. "Why? What do you need in the palace? And what of your nest?"
Its head swiveled to a small scruff of branch, dirt, old skin, and bones. The nest. But it was empty, dry.
"I am alone." The snake said.
Winnie understood. Companionship was more important than people thought. Sentient animals included.
"Alright." Winnie agreed. "But don't even think about biting anyone while you live with me. And especially don't go looking for the royal family."
"I have no interest in bipedal politics." The snake dismissed.
Fair enough. Winnie asked, finally, "I'm Winnie. What's your name?"
The serpent cocked its head and considered her, tongue tasting the tip of her nose. "Eira."
Eira had explained that it was a poor idea to tell anyone of her existence, at least not right away. Her kind had been hunted almost to extinction by the Aesir, hence her empty nest, and would surely kill her upon sight.
Winnie had mentioned Loki, then. "He's a sorcerer. If anyone would sense you, it would be him."
The snake replied, "I have ways to avoid detection. I am not going into my 864th year for nothing."
Eira had wrapped around the self-same ankle the she had bitten and seemed to sink into Winnie's skin. The scratch was gone, and instead there was a tattoo likeness of Eira.
It was beautiful. Of course, back on Earth, metallic ink had yet to be invented, but no one needed to know that.
"We can still communicate this way. Just refrain from doing so around your sorcerer friend."
Winnie wasn't sure if she could technically call the god a "friend", but didn't correct her new one.
Pretty much as soon as Eira had become a part of Winnie's skin, she found that she could move again. It hadn't been long enough for the group to worry, but she still wanted to head back. She was eager to reseach the Jörmungandr species.
Shaking the last vestiges of numbness from her limbs, Winnie began the short trek back to the picnic blanket.
*Vibrations*
Loki watched as Winnie left the treeline and made her way back to the picnic blanket, which was currently being packed away. It was well past midday, and Thor wanted to return to his wife. Loki wasn't the only one to notice his slight worry, as Jane hardly ever missed an outing, away from palace life.
Thor's friends, because they certainly weren't Loki's, avoided Winnie casually, but he knew she noticed in the tense set of her shoulders. But she kept her chin up and mounted her horse by herself with practiced ease. Loki admired that. It took him longer than he'd admit to stop looking for his brother's friend's approval.
Fandral evidently didn't want to meander back, as he shouted, "Last one back's a rotten Bilgesnipe carcass!" And kicked his steed into a full gallop. Of course, the other followed suit, all except Loki and Winnie. They were left in the dust.
Loki impatiently spelled the dirt away.
"Loki!" Winnie half-shouted. He turned to her with an eyebrow raised.
Her face was flushed, eyes glistening with near-panic. It confused him for a mere second, until he saw her eyes flick to the dust cloud ahead of them, caused by the hooves of the others' horses. She glanced behind her shoulder, fingers tightening on the reigns until her knuckles were white.
"Be at peace." Loki said calmly. "They are merely having a race."
She seemed to slump in the saddle, looking away. Her face turned even more pink with shame. "Of course." She said evenly.
Without another word, she kicked the horse into a trot, Loki following thoughtfully beside her.
*Vibrations*
Winnie's plan was to immediately retreat to her room and call her dad to come home. She didn't care if Adrian found her again. Ever since that night, she'd felt shame every single day.
But there was a commotion in the stables when she and Loki caught up to the rest of the group. Jane was pushing through the warriors to get to her husband. Her eyes brightened when she set her gaze on Winnie before throwing her arms around Thor and shouting.
"Thor! I'm pregnant!"
The whole stable paused as if frozen in time before everyone errupted into joyous congratulations. Thor himself looked to be near tears of happiness, and grabbed his wife by the waist and spun her around in the air. They were both laughing, and Thor addressed the room.
"A feast! Tomorrow, we shall have a feast, for we are having an heir!" Thor then kissed a giggling Jane, and people began dispersing, likely to plan the huge party.
Winnie smiled at Jane before leaving herself, walking quickly to her room before anyone saw her face. She should be happy for them. She was happy for them. But there was another emotion, a confusing one, of bitterness and jealousy, pain and sadness. And Winnie refused to let anyone see it.
But someone did see. Because as she left, her horse having been taken by a stable boy, she looked over her shoulder and saw Loki. He was regarding her with an unreadable expression.
She fled.
The long and cool walk through the palace to her room calmed her somewhat. But she still wanted to call her dad, but it would have to wait. She needed a long soak.
The riding had made her sore, and she was sure that she smelled like horse sweat and dead leaves.
The water came out into the tub wonderfully hot, and she found nice smelling bath salts in a cupboard, and used them generously. Before she climbed in fully, however, Eira seemed to peel away from her leg and slithered onto the ledge of the tub to stare.
"You are upset. About your old mate?"
How Eira had known that, she didn't know. Were they bonded completely within her mind? The thought bothered her somewhat, but she put it away for the moment. Winnie threw the snake a glare and sighed as she sank into the water. "Don't call him that."
Eira surpised Winnie by entering the tub and coiling around her neck. "Whatever you mortals call them, then."
"I suppose I am upset about it all." Winnie said, hoping she sounded sarcastic enough.
"There is no need for such a foul attitude." Eira sniffed. She was silent a moment while Winnie washed up. "You should eat him. I will help, if you like. No male should ever make a female feel like prey."
Winnie remained silent and Eira slithered away, saying, "I am going to build a nest."
Winnie wondered how she wasn't more freaked out about having regular telelathic conversations with a venomous snake.
She waited until she was sufficiently pruned up before exiting the still-hot water. The tub was either heated or enchanted. After dressing in a comfortable dress and robe, she sat in front of the webcam and gestured it on, immediately calling her father.
After a few moments, Tony Stark answered, but he had grease on his face and was obviously in his workshop.
"Hey, buttercup. Hope you don't mind if I turn the subtitles on for you, got my hands full at the moment."
She shook her head and he fiddled with a few buttons on a screen and turned back to her. "You look a lot better, darling."
"And you look like you haven't slept in days." she signed back, giving him a stern look. He had dark circles beneath his eyes, not quite hidden by the grease that covered his face, and his eyes were red.
He winced. "I'm caught. You know how I get when I work."
"I know how you get when you're working and things aren't going your way."
He avoided her eyes, fiddling with what looked like a robot arm. It was hard to tell. "Honestly, Winnie. Everything is fine." Before she could argue, he changed the subject. "So how's Asgard? They treating you well?"
It was her turn to avoid his eye, but she was less obvious. "Well, the clothes are weird, and so is some of the food, but the animals are super interesting. And I met Slipneir!"
Her dad raised an eyebrow. "Eight-legged horse that's the son of Loki?"
She grinned. "Apparently not. Although he does have the eight legs. Oh, and apparently, Thor is going to be a dad."
Tony looked horrified. "Oh God… there's gonna be a little Thor running around."
Winnie smiled. "Not for another 8 months or so, dad. But apparently, there's going to be a feast tomorrow in honor of it all, so…"
The senior Stark seemed to brighten considerably at that. "A party! Now that's what I'm talking about. Have fun! Just not too much fun." He waved a grease-stained finger in front on the camera. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do. Or anything that I would do. Find that grey area."
Winnie couldn't help the laugh it caused. Her dad knew better than anyone that she hated parties. Too many people drinking too much alcohol.
"I won't, promise."
They said their goodbyes a few moments later, and Winnie went to bed feeling lighter than she had in days.