As one, Sigyn and Logan began talking, their words running together into a truly incomprehensible string of gobbledygook.

"Stop that!" Cul snapped, having no patience for such hijinks. "The young man should make his own case, if he wants me to believe it."

It was a fair point, so Logan took a deep breath. "Well." He began. "I think maybe I'm Loki."

"Well, that's convincing." Cul gave a flat look. "Not."

"In truth, I don't remember being Loki." He admitted, going on hurriedly. "But… Fafnir says I am. And Sigyn says I might be. And I look like him. And sometimes… I – I remember bits of my old life, and they line up to Loki's life, and… and…"

Cul's face was painfully blank. "Do you have any idea how eloquent you aren't?"

Logan blushed, and glanced away, more than a little embarrassed. "And Loki was a silvertongue, wasn't he?" He muttered.

"Only in diplomacy." Cul cracked a smile, and for half a second, he nearly looked pleasant. "When in private, he'd let his guard down a little, and he wouldn't be afraid to make mistakes and trip over himself and say ridiculous things."

This was, apparently, the truth, as Sigyn's smile faded a little, and her grew rather sad, and far away.

"Still." Cul went on. "I've never seen him so unsure of himself as you are. Why don't you remember Loki's life, if you're Loki?"

"Because…" He stammered nervously. "Well… I don't remember much of anything. I don't even remember my own name. I have no idea where I came from, how I got here, how old I am, or how long I've been here, because no sooner do I gain a memory, I lose it. Ask anyone who's ever met me. I've spent more time in mental hospitals than out of them, the past few years."

"So you're mad." Cul sighed. "Lovely… you have two minutes left."

"I'm not mad!" Logan protested. The only problem with this statement was that he didn't believe it, himself.

"Short-term-memory-loss-can-be-caused-by-oxygen-deprivation!" Sigyn blurted, then clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes sparkling.

For the first time in the conversation, Lord Cul seemed to actually care about anything they were saying. Logan thanked his lucky stars Sigyn was a mind healer, and actually could be considered to know what she was talking about. Oxygen deprivation, though… Had Loki been smothered?

"Then you're saying he's like this because…" He shared a meaningful look with Sigyn, who quietly nodded. "Then… wouldn't he maintain the personality?"

"Doesn't he?" Sigyn beamed in triumph.

There was a moment of silence. "Time's up." Cul finally sighed.

"How'd I do?" Logan fidgeted anxiously with his fingers.

Cul only sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "Why do you want to know?" He countered. "You're not just after the treasury, are you?"

"No." Logan shook his head. "I just want… I'd like to know who I am. And if I'm not… I'm sure I'll think of something."

Cul reflected on this a moment, as Skadi came in with the tea. "Thanks, but we don't need it." Sigyn told her quietly. "We're just leaving, anyway."

Nevertheless, she poured out a cup of tea, and put it on the table next to her employer's elbow.

"In terms of looks, you're his spitting image." Cul began. "But you might have a good plastic surgeon. Personality… close, close enough to pass, I'd say. Mannerisms, you've got spot on, but my boy, Loki was royalty." Logan blinked in surprise, not understanding. He'd known that, of course, but he didn't see how that applied. "You don't act royal."

"Excuse me?" Sigyn's eyebrows shot up. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Take you, for instance." Cul waved a hand in her direction. "You hold your head high, you hold yourself with dignity, and when you enter a room, the feeling of power follows you like a shadow, and you act like you know what you're doing. You're confident. That's because you're the crown princess of Vanaheim, soon to be the queen."

"You're going to be queen?" Logan turned to her in surprise, a hard thing to do when you're squished into the same armchair as someone.

Carelessly, she shrugged, as if it wasn't a big deal.

"And he does… that." Cul scoffed. "He holds himself like he's about to get cuffed, he has no aura of power, and he phrases things in ways that show, not only a lack of confidence, but as if you feel everything you say should be checked for truth. You've no self-esteem, and your confidence, if you had one, is sadly lacking. You're not Loki. Now get out of my house."

And that was that.

As the two of them walked home, Logan felt like his heart had been crushed in a vice. Sigyn quietly walked alongside him, holding his hand, probably as a gesture of comfort. It was the only positive thing he could find in the whole scenario.

TheOnlyHuman.