Chapter Twenty-Five: Less Words, More Meaning
At first light Loki wrote a quick note to Tony, but received no reply. That wasn't surprising. The other god was far from an early riser. He meandered to the royal library still in his loose nightwear. If his parents were going to treat him like a little 600 year old he wasn't going to feel bad for not dressing properly.
He gathered up countless books, balancing them carefully in one hand before stealing a few hotcakes from the kitchen.
Right before he reached his chambers he was almost bowled over by Thor and Amora. The goddess giggled, her hair suddenly grown back and tussled, eyes shining. Thor had his arm wrapped around her hips and it was clear they hadn't gotten a lot of sleep last night, if any.
"Reading books has made you blind," Thor said before hitting Loki's hand, unbalancing his tower of books. They all came tumbling down.
"Needless aggression," Loki whispered under his breath, all around too angry with his whole family to expect anything less than scorn. He leaned against the golden walls of the hall while finishing his hotcakes. He licked his fingers clean before gathering back up his items and going back to his room.
He laid out each book carefully on his bed and admired the symmetry of them for a moment. He belly-flopping onto the bed, sending them all bouncing up an inch. He let out a childish giggle before clearing his throat and looking at the treasures he'd gathered. Most of the books were on Muspelheim. It was a realm he had only been to a handful of times. He found the heat to not be to his liking and the inhabitants were very rude to outsiders.
Loki first looked up fire giants, skimming over the information he already knew. His eyes paused upon heart gems. Apparently there was only one way to obtain them. A fire giant had to freely give it away, causing their immediate death. Apparently the gems had a strange way of refracting the light, but the first three books said nothing more on the subject.
As the day slowly passed his eyes kept drifting over to the blank scroll. He'd just spent a month and then some with the other god. He really shouldn't be missing him already. Loki grabbed a pillow and buried his face against it. The soft silk was so different than the earth and bark he slept against while on Midgard. Tony and Jarvis would always be perched above him, one always watching vigilantly for any danger.
The palace did not have the white noise of bugs calling to each other or the sound of wind tussling leaves. There was only the sharp noise of pages turning and the distant sound of boots stomping annoyingly loudly.
Loki rolled onto his back, staring at the high ceiling. Perhaps he should join his mother in her solarium. She would surely be there. It was her favorite place in the whole palace.
From the corner of his eye he saw ink forming on paper. He immediately jumped up to see what was being written or drawn. An image slowly formed. It was all harsh angles and symmetry. A strange mixture between hazy green and blue skirted the edges of the image, while the rest was anywhere from pink to blood red.
A heart gem (not to scale) since I'm sure you were interested. I bet you've been researching Muspelheim all day, came Tony's easy scrawl. Loki's face warmed up.
Have you been spying on me? Loki asked while sitting at his writing desk.
You're my friend. I don't need to spy on you to know what you've been up to. I'm sure you can take a guess at what I've been up to. Loki could feel Tony's humor.
Without a doubt you have been in the smithy for the majority of the day. Presently you're twirling your pen in your left hand and there's a drink in your right. The undersides of your fingernails are still black from work since you came straight up, not bothering to wash. One of your half-filled books is open on your desk. Loki paused, imagining it. Am I right?
Damn near close. I wasn't 'twirling' my pen as you put it. I was putting the finishing touches on the design for your present to the All-Father. I was going to show you them at the end of the next council meeting since that's probably the only time I'll really be able to see you. I suppose I could just have Jarvis deliver it if need be. There was a pause. It's really no fun though if I can't see your expression. Half of this business is being able to read the customer.
I'll try to trick one of the council members into speaking with Odin near the end of the meeting, Loki wrote, happy to once more have a course of action.
I'm not worried. I already have a good idea of what you want for his armor. Besides, you're only grounded for a year. That's nothing.
Grounded? That isn't exactly the word I'd use. It's not like I'm confined to the dungeons or anything. I am still a prince.
Yeah, and you never cease to remind me of that fact.
A crude drawing of Loki with an obnoxiously ugly crown appeared followed by squiggles that Tony labeled as: stink lines. Loki crosses out the image before drawing a poorly done version of Tony on fire. He'd have to work on his drawing skills. They were truly pathetic in comparison.
A picture of Loki as a direwolf slowly took shape. Loki tilted his head as he watched it appear. The view was from above, probably how Tony and Jarvis saw him during their travels on Midgard. He was surprised by how sleek he looked. Previously he'd only caught glimpses of his image in trembling puddles as he drank his fill.
Loki took the upper portion of the page and began sketching out a bird. He paid special attention to the talons, which admittedly were far from proportionally to the rest of the avian, far too large in general.
Directly in the wolf's sights was a single dot that quickly formed into a rabbit, one of the many animals they had hunted together. Loki began filling in the background. Strangely enough Midgard only had one moon.
It was oddly entertaining drawing with Tony. It was also far different than anything he'd ever done before. Something like this usually required close proximity which admittedly wasn't something the Aesir were comfortable with when it came to Loki, excluding Lorelei, but that was because she had no self-preservation.
Tony abruptly x'ed out the whole scene, causing it to disappear instantly.
Tony began drawing the watch he'd given Loki. The younger god quickly went over to his discarded armor and pulled it out. He set the watch next to the paper and was amazed once more by the accuracy. Tony had only held the item briefly, yet drew it without hesitation.
What time is it? appeared at the top of the page, clearly rhetorically.
Tony x'ed out a part of the image and it disappeared. He redrew the top of the watch, this time open. He was once more surprised when an image of him peering at the clock was drawn.
Time for Loki to stop admiring himself. Tony wrote.
Really? You're going to make the argument that I'm the vain one of the two of us?
You are very… prim. Loki let out an indignant snort.
I am a prince! What do you expect of me? Tony did not respond immediately and Loki started fidgeting in his seat.
Even as a direwolf you were all regal and never slouched. I have no idea how you did it. I took every chance I got to roost. Being all proper must be tiring.
That is quite the understatement. Unfortunately I have to be proper for both myself and my brother. Loki drew his brother with a mug of foaming mead in hand and an overly curvy version of Amora beside him. Honestly, how has he not learned yet that Amora is just going to leave him in a year or so? I tell him every time what she'll do yet he still falls into bed with her then I am the one who has to hear him rant when she's gone off once more. He whines and whines until I tell him that she's a fool for leaving him and stoke his ego. Loki wanted to toss aside his pen in exasperation, but refrained.
Maybe he just needs to learn that lesson himself. You're not your brother's keeper. Beside his ego is far too large. No one is that grand, not even me- and I'm my favorite person. There was another pause. You're a close second. Tony drew himself winking over-exaggeratedly. I'm heading back to the smithy. The next council meeting is in a couple weeks I believe. Till then, keep writing and drawing terribly.
Before Loki could come up with a witty retort the words faded away and the moment was lost. He dropped his forehead to the table, already fed up with this stupid punishment. Thor was always so annoyingly happy where happiness always seemed to be a fleeting emotion for Loki, always slipping through his fingers.
Two princes who couldn't be any more different…It was just another thing that didn't make any sense in Asgard.