The great snowball battle rekindled the flame raging between the fire god and winter goddess, reigniting their prank war. Once again, the two were at odds, trying to gain a one-up over the other. Thankfully, it was nowhere near as aggressive as their earlier back and forth. Just the occasional taunt or joke here and there. Today was a day off from their conflict, with three of the gods wandering joyfully along the city streets. The festivities were almost at an end and Yuna had wanted to see at least some of the celebration, as she had been unable to for most of the holiday.

Loki obliged, taking her into the town to enjoy the remainder of Yuletide. Unsurprisingly, Yuna enjoyed herself, eyes lighting up with wonder as she looked around the town. At first, the fire god had planned to play a small prank on her, surrounded by so many opportunities. But upon seeing her look of such genuine joy, he couldn't bring himself to do so. It was clear that the festival meant a great deal to her, and he didn't want to ruin it. Putting away his traps, he resigned to get her another time after the celebrations were over.

During their journey, they ran into Balder, making his way from the palace. He was surprised to see the two of them in the city and had apparently been on his way to visit them in the forest. Their unexpected meeting had saved him the journey. Inviting him into the fold, their trio made its way through the town, enjoying the sights and discussing the history of the holiday of Yule.

Through their stories, Yuna learned that the celebration was not entirely about winter itself, but a whole host of other aspects related to Asgardian culture. She learned of the Mother Night, the eve of the holiday and the significance of the burning log. She learned of the war between the gods and the Jötun, as well as Thor's battle to save Midgard from a land of ice.

It turned out that there was a great deal to learn about the realm they lived in and Yuna wanted to know it all. The goddess listened carefully, hanging off of Balder's every word. Loki had been oddly silent during most of the exchange, confusing her slightly since the fire god was usually far more talkative. But Yuna didn't mind. She was just happy to learn more about the world she had come to love so much. She assumed that Loki just wasn't in a storytelling mood at the time and would probably regain some of his usual energy at a later time. How very wrong she was… and she would very soon discover that.

"These Jötnar… Are they truly so evil?"

Balder pondered for a moment. "I wouldn't go that far… but it is true that they are entropic by nature. They're chaotic creatures, so they have a tendency to wreak havoc wherever they go."

"They sound terrible…"

Loki flinched at her words, his eyes drifting away from them as they continued their discussion on the history of Asgard. Yuna fell silent for a few moments, contemplating all she had learned. The Jötnar seemed to have a penchant for trouble, much like someone else she knew. They were problematic at best and catastrophic at worst, targeting humans and gods alike, as well as whatever else crossed their path. It was no surprise that the Aesir and their kind often came to blows. And yet…

"But Balder."

"Hmm?"

"Do you think there's… that is to say, I can't help but wonder if maybe -"

"Balder!" The sound of a goddess reached their ears, interrupting Yuna's thought and turning their attention to a group of gods.

"Hello." Balder smiled, eyes flicking briefly to his two companions.

"Yule is nearly over. Enjoy the festivities with us!"

He shook his head, offering an apologetic smile. "Actually, I was hoping to finish telling Yuna about -"

"Oh, you're not spending Yule with that, are you?" A goddess muttered.

Balder frowned, obviously unhappy with her disrespect. "Loki is my friend. If you please, I -"

"Oh, Balder, hi!"

"Come have a drink with us!"

"Balder, how nice to see you!"

It didn't take long for the situation to spiral out of control. Every call was echoed by another one as goddesses and gods alike flocked to him, all vying for his attention. The crowd only continued to grow and within minutes, the trio found themselves almost entirely surrounded. Yuna looked around, at a loss for what to do as she was slowly collapsed on from every direction. She feared she would be crushed, yelping as Loki took her hand and guided her out of the growing mob to safety. She could hear Balder repeating apologies as he navigated the crowd, slowly drifting away from them. He would have to finish his story another time.

The goddess shook her head, looking back at the scene with concern. "Is he going to be alright?"

Loki shrugged, placing his arms behind his head. "Yeah. That'll happen from time to time."

"What? Why?" Yuna sputtered, utterly floored by the unusual scene. Her response was a sad frown.

"Balder is the god of light. Everyone loves him, so he tends to attract followers everywhere he goes."

"Even other gods?" She asked, looking back at the group as they continued to move away.

"Yup."

Yuna frowned, slowly nodding her head in understanding. She could vaguely remember seeing Balder on the dance floor during the Yuletide banquet in a similar situation. He had made more rotations around the room than she could possibly hope to count, each one with a different goddess on his arm. At first, she had thought he was just being polite. Then, she began to wonder if he was a womanizer of some sort. Now, she was beginning to feel sorry for him. "I see… that sounds very troublesome."

Loki shrugged. "It can be. Anyway, I'm bored. Was there anything else you wanted to see?"

"No, not tonight. I think I -" Yuna's attention shifted. Balder disappeared down the street, a few of the stragglers following behind. The first thing she noticed was their expressions as they passed. The winter goddess was, for the most part, ignored. But Loki, they paid special attention to… in the worst way possible. The looks they gave him could only be described as absolute disgust, the sheer forcefulness of it making her stomach turn. She couldn't hear most of the words that they whispered, only catching bits and pieces of their conversation.

"…giant spawn."

"…What?" Yuna turned towards them, a look of confusion on her face. Her eyes followed them as they walked away, a small frown forming on her face. "Giant… spawn?" She looked to Loki for an explanation. She expected, at the very least, to receive some sort of quip in response. He didn't. To her surprise, Loki was completely silent. His eyes were narrowed, and his lips pulled into an angry line. Was it something they said? "…Loki?"

"Well, if you're done, we should probably go. Things tend to get a little rowdy at night."

"Oh… okay." Yuna nodded, slowly following him down the street. After enjoying the festivities for the better part of the day, taking a crash course in Nordic history, and nearly being trampled to death, she had had more than enough excitement for one day. She was ready to relax by the fire then return to the forest. Loki seemed to be even more ready to leave than she was.

Following their interaction with the other gods, Yuna started paying close attention to their surroundings as they made their way out of the city. Very quickly, she started to notice an insidious pattern. Everywhere they went, people gave them dirty looks, either turning their noses up at them or glaring daggers in their direction. Particularly, towards Loki.

The goddess recalled her conversation with the fire god prior to the Yule feast. He had mentioned once before that he wasn't popular in Asgard and after tolerating his endless pranks and shenanigans, she could understand why. But this seemed a bit excessive, even for a troublemaker. Sure, Loki could be a bit annoying sometimes and press everyone's buttons, but it was just part of his personality. And the looks they gave him went far beyond annoyance or irritation. They didn't look at him like one would look at a mischievous child that had went too far. They looked at him with absolute disdain. As though his very existence was an affront to them.

"It's him…"

"…giant spawn."

There it was again. That phrase she had heard earlier from another goddess, this time paired with other rude comments. Some of them even some colorful language and words she did not know. The mutterings came from passing gods, each eyeing Loki with similar suspicion. What was going on? Her eyes drifted in Loki's direction, hoping that she would receive at least a hint of explanation. She didn't. And as she saw the look of dejection on his face, she scowled. Yuna wasn't sure what was going on between the other gods… but it was beginning to upset her.

"He has a lot of nerve coming here…"

"And during Yule no less."

"Looks like he's leaving. Good riddance."

Now, Yuna was angry. She could feel her icy blood boiling as she turned towards them, her eyes narrowing into a glare. "That seems rather cruel. Loki is allowed to join the festivities if he wishes."

"Eh?" The fire god halted his movement immediately, his eyes widening in surprise. By his side only moments ago, Yuna was now wandering away from him in the direction of an inebriated god. But it wasn't so much that she was defending him. It was the sudden bravery that seemed to have taken over her, a fire raging in her gentle eyes. The timid winter goddess had vanished, replaced by something… he couldn't even describe. Where was this coming from?

A few quiet gasps were audible from the onlookers with a handful of grumbles and stares. Yuna's eyes swept across the group, listening carefully to the various commentary and hushed whispers.

"What is she thinking? Associating with his kind…"

"She is an outsider."

"Perhaps she doesn't know…"

The winter goddess's expression began to shift from anger to confusion as the onlookers seemed to come to a consensus. After a short deliberation, they apparently determined that she was ignorant to… whatever it was they were talking about, and was somehow exempt from their scorn. Their gazes appeared less hateful. Some of them were even eyeing her with sympathy. "I… pardon?"

"You shouldn't associate with his kind." The drunken god finally stepped forward, addressing the confused goddess.

"What? Who's kind?"

"The giant spawn."

"Giant… I… I don't understand."

"That one. You would be wise to keep your distance."

"Wait… are you talking about Loki?" Yuna questioned, her anger returning. The nerve of them! Not only were they hurling insults at him as though he were nothing more than a cockroach, but they were doing it right in front of him. They spoke of him like he wasn't standing four feet behind her. Glowering, she mirrored Balder's assertion. "Loki is my friend… and I don't appreciate you speaking so rudely about him. Please, stop."

"Ah…? You ally yourself with the Jötnar?" Another god questioned, his earlier pity quickly shifting to similar disdain.

"Please stop calling him that."

"You'd be smart to listen to them. That one is nothing but trouble."

Now Yuna was furious. She had spent most of her life being bullied by other gods of her realm. She knew how it felt to be ostracized and isolated. How much it hurt to be treated as lesser. And she had no intention of letting them get away with it, especially to one that had been so kind to her. "His name is Loki, you great brute!"

"Yuna!" Loki hissed, suddenly appearing at her side as the other god glared venomously in her direction. While he was both appreciative and amused by her sudden burst of courage, they were right in that she was ignorant to their ways. Many Norse gods were notoriously short-tempered, and one didn't start an argument if they weren't ready for a fight. If she didn't hold her tongue, she was going to find herself in the center of a street brawl.

Sure enough, the other god twitched angrily before slowly stepping forward. "Those are fighting words…"

Yuna noticed his movement. She didn't know what the custom was for battles in Asgard, but she knew aggression when she saw it. Thankfully, the winter goddess wasn't nearly as helpless as she appeared on the surface. Calling upon her power, she summoned Glacies, her long sword-like dagger. Its icy blade glimmered in the light as she angled it defensively. "Go ahead and try it." She hissed, fully prepared for combat. She had tussled with many a god in her lifetime and had methods for bringing down larger opponents. Thankfully, she wouldn't have to.

A warm hand appeared on her shoulder, her friend in question gently guiding her backward, keeping an eye on the angry god. "Yuna. Remember that you are an outsider here… it's not worth it." Loki glared forward, allowing flames to lick his other hand in warning. He wasn't looking for a fight, but if it came to it…

Yuna looked between them, her mind working quickly. She didn't want to admit it, but Loki was right. Odin and Frigg had been kind enough to let her stay in Asgard, assuming she didn't cause any disruption in their kingdom… and a street fight was probably the very definition. Glaring, she withdrew her weapon, backing away and following Loki down the street.

. . .

After returning to his cottage, Loki crossed his arms and gave Yuna a stern look. "You shouldn't have done that."

"I know… I'm sorry." Yuna's eyes fell to the floor. She hadn't meant to cause trouble for him.

"What were you thinking?"

"They were saying awful things about you! They called you giant spawn…" Yuna's voice trailed off into silence, frowning as he looked away from her, staring pointedly into the hearth flame. "…Loki?"

When he looked back at her, his eyes held none of their mischievous glint. There was no trace of his usual playful self. There was only sadness and defeat. What was the point? Once she knew the truth, then it wouldn't matter. When she learned what he was… "They're not wrong."

"Huh…? What… I don't understand."

"I am the god of fire… son of the goddess Laufey." Loki swallowed. "But I am also the son of Fárbauti… a Jötun."

"…What?"

"I am a descendant of the Jötnar…"

Yuna blinked, a look of obvious surprise on her face. "So, that means you're…?"

"The blood of their most hated enemy runs in my veins." Loki muttered, slowly making his way towards the mead barrel to distract himself from her startled face. He had enjoyed her company while it lasted. He didn't want to see her rejection. He didn't want to look at her and see any number of scornful things. Fear. Uncertainty. Contempt. The realization of learning he was a descendant of monsters. But instead…

"Loki, that's ridiculous."

"Eh?" Loki blinked. His lineage was ridiculous to her?

Yuna sighed, shaking her head in disbelief. So this was why he never spoke of his family. He didn't want to. Probably because he was afraid. Afraid that she would treat him the same way as everyone else. "For one thing… you look pretty normal-sized to me."

"Yuna, that's not how it works." Loki fought back a chuckle at her response, uncertain of whether she was joking or not. "It's simple. The Aesir and the Jötnar have been at war for centuries. They despise their kind… and I'm a product of both."

"Exactly. The fact that you exist makes you living proof that the Jötnar aren't entirely bad."

Loki shook his head once more. "Again, that's not how it works."

The goddess frowned. She wasn't getting through to him. "Okay. Answer me this. Have you ever invaded Midgard?"

"No?" Loki blinked, a bit confused by her strange question.

"Have you ever tried to thrust the world into eternal frost?"

"Of course not."

"Have you ever slaughtered any Asgardians?"

"…Injured, yes. Unintentionally. Slaughtered, no."

Yuna strode towards him, stepping in front of him and forcing him to look at her. "Okay. So then what. Is. The. Problem?" Seeing his incredulous expression, she shook her head. "Look, Loki… I'll admit that these giants sound pretty alarming… and the fact that you were born of one is even more surprising. But that isn't a reason to treat you the way they did. No matter who your parents are, you're still you."

Loki stared at her, uncertain of what to say. He had never been questioned about those things before, let alone gotten such a reaction. Due to his bloodline, other gods never associated with him at all. Before Balder and Thor, no one cared about him. In fact, others had tried to slay him on multiple occasions. Yet this one, this strange goddess, didn't seem to care. Despite knowing of his lineage and the history of Asgard, she was undeterred by him and his parentage. To her, he wasn't a Jötun or an Aesir, or even an Asgardian. To her, he was simply… Loki.

With a sigh, she gently took his hand and angled her eyes downward. "I… I won't pretend to understand your situation, but… I know how it feels to be alone. It's… unpleasant. It's lonely. There is nothing I can do about the other gods. But I can promise you that you'll never receive the same treatment from me. I'll stay by your side. Until you tire of me."

Loki's stared back at her in utter disbelief. The idea that he would tire of her was laughable. Especially after what she had pulled earlier in the evening. Someone as unusual as her would likely entertain him for eternity. But as a smile appeared on her face, he realized that she was joking with him. She was trying to lift his spirits… and it was working.

"Heh… yeah. I'd like that very much… puppy."

"Damn it, Loki!"