Prompt from The Library Post

Finaqua Palace

Lilly and Archie Strogoff's Estate

Fall, 2019

"Gramma, what're ya doing?" Meredith inquired of Lilly when she walked into the kitchen to find her spreading flour on the table.

"I'm making spaghetti. Want to help me?"

"Why don't you use some from the box?"

"Loki is coming and he likes his spaghetti homemade." Lilly smiled. "That reminds me of a very funny story."

"Oooh I wanna hear this one! You always have funny stories about Loki when you were a kid!"

"I'll tell you while we work. Go wash your hands."

"Okay!"

"I think you remember that Loki taught me how to cook. One of the things he taught me how to make was spaghetti. Now mind you, mine doesn't look like what comes out of box because back then we didn't have all these fancy gadgets, we used what was available. Loki always held my cooking lessons every other Sunday...that's why he comes to dinner every Sunday now. Anyway...I was still learning control over my powers when we had this lesson and what happened that day is known as the spaghetti incident."

"Ummm...Gramma, isn't that the name of an album you have on your phone?"

"Yes," Lilly laughed. "And this story comes to mind every time I listen to it!"

Lilly began rolling her dough while she talked.

Oz (The Outer Zone)

Finaqua Palace

Centuries earlier

"Godfather, what are we making today?" Seven year old Lilly inquired excitedly.

"We are making a dish I've acquired a taste for during my travels." Loki spread some flour on the kitchen table and poured some more into a bowl. "I'll need some eggs or have those chickens been too flighty to lay them?"

"No we have some fresh ones." She handed him three eggs. He cracked them against the side of the bowl.

"Next I'll need water."

She handed him a cup and he began mixing the dough together with his hands.

"Godfather, your hands are all messy!" she laughed.

"Always expect a little mess Lilly," he said while he put the dough on the table."Rolling pin."

She watched in fascination while he rolled the dough out, turning it over several times and sprinkling it with flour.

"Your dough needs to be nice and flat Lilly so you have to put some pressure on the pin and roll in every direction. Sprinkle some flour to keep it from sticking."

Once he had the dough rolled out he washed his hands and summoned a knife, cutting the dough into thin strips. A mischievous smile crossed his lips and the dough strips floated off the table and began to dance, several of them spelling out Lilly's name. She clapped her hands excitedly.

"Let me try Godfather! Please!"

"Your wish is their command, darling!"

She giggled and gestured, all the noodles flying off the table and wrapping around the god leaving only his eyes visible.

"I made you a mummy!" she boasted.

"Yes you did," he chuckled when he released the spell.

He cleaned the noodles with another spell and sent them to a tray while he started cutting another set. Lilly, eager to try another prank waved her hand over the trays he'd finished and they floated out the window. Loki turned around to count how many trays he made and to his horror they were empty.

"Lilly, where are the rest of the noodles?"

"Ummm...out there," she said nervously.

"LOKI, YOU GET US OUT OF HERE NOW!" they heard the Wizard yell.

"Oh I cannot wait to see this little prank, darling!" he laughed and teleported them out to the garden. The Wizard, Glinda and some of their courtiers were bound to the apple trees with the noodles! Glinda was amused, the others were not.

"In a bit of a tight squeeze, are we?" he quipped.

"Very funny! Now let us out!" the Wizard demanded.

Lilly was giggling beside him. "Now they look like mummies too!"

"This is your best one yet," Glinda praised.

"Oh you can give your daughter credit for this one."

"Lilliana!" The Wizard exclaimed. "What will you teach her next?"

Loki grinned. "Any mischief she wants."

"You're impossible Laufeyson!" The Wizard grumbled.

"Oh don't be such a stick in the mud Alexander!" Glinda chided. "You've played your share of pranks.

"Yes I have. But if this was dinner I'm not eating it! It's dirty!"

Loki rolled his eyes. "I should just leave you in there. In fact..."

He waved his hand and everyone but the Wizard vanished.

"Hey! Don't leave me out here! Loki! LOOOKI!"

Finaqua Palace

Fall, 2019

"...So how long did Loki leave Great-Grampa out there?"

"Oh, just until dinner was over and Papa wasn't happy about that because he missed out on a delicious spaghetti dinner!"

"I want to try the trick with the noodles!"

"We can," Lilly grinned. "What do you say we play it on Loki when he arrives. He'll enjoy it."

A few minutes later they heard Archie talking to Loki in the living room. Lilly nodded to Meredith and she waved her hand over the noddles. They floated out of the kitchen.

"Lilly! Loki's trussed up like a mummy with noodles!" Archie exclaimed.

Lilly and Meredith laughed hysterically.

"Get a picture!" she called back.

"I did!"

Lilly and Meredith walked into the living room to see Loki still wrapped in noodles and stuck to the wall, baby Glinda staring at him with wide eyes from her father's arms. Lilly waved her hand and released the spell, her godfather grinning at her.

"Who do I congratulate for this one, darlings?"

"Me!" Meredith admitted.

"So your gramma told you about the spaghetti incident, did she? You do me proud Lilly. Always have so do you, Merri!"

"We gotta teach Lindy when she gets older!"

"Now what are we having for dinner since Loki wore it?" Archie chuckled.

"Spaghetti," Lilly replied. "Merri and I will make more noodles."

"Just don't be trussing me up with them!"

Grandmother and granddaughter grinned at each other.

"You might as well prepare yourself Archie. It's coming. You never know when or where but it's coming!"

"Well with you for a mentor I'm expecting it Loki. Come on. You can play with Lindy while we wait."

"And I have just the thing to entertain her." He gestured and the noodles started dancing and spelling out words, Baby Glinda trying to grab them with her tiny hands. She was having so much fun with them that Loki used his magic to transform them into a plush toy.

"Every time I look at that thing I'm gonna remember seeing you tied up like a mummy!"

"How do you think I feel? Every time I eat spaghetti I see Glinda and half her court tied to apple trees!"

"Any other pranks I should know about?"

"Oh, I have thousands, Archie, thousands!"

And he had two new students he was eager to teach every one.