Loki holds his arm out as he and Rachel get to the door, getting a smile from the woman she links her arm through his. Stepping through the threshold, Loki turns them towards where the dining hall is, Thor, falling in to walk on Rachel's other side.
"So what were you talking about with the servant that required you to explain a Midgardian catchphrase?" Loki asks, breaking the silence, Rachel snorts with a smirk.
"Awe what's wrong Brother, don't like being the topic if you don't know what the topic is?" She teases while Thor watches their interactions from the corner of his eye, use to the two of their reactions to each other by now, after all of the conversations the three had together.
"No," Loki states plainly giving his sister the stink eye, causing Rachel's smirk to widen in amusement.
"Actually it wasn't just you who was the topic, it was more Thor than you."
"Oh?" Loki's eyes jump to his brother before back to Rachel, who hummed in affirmation.
"I was explaining to Kassie about how on Midgard, Asgard is nothing but legend and myths. I brought up a story that there is of you tricking Thor to dress as a woman and flirt with another male."
"Ah! Yes." Loki's face splits into a grin, as Thor scowls a little, "It was less a trick and more of a dare."
"An unfair dare, as you can magic yourself info a female and not feel rather put out about the whole ordeal," Thor mutters loud enough for Rachel to hear, who starts to snicker.
"You should know not to accept anything Loki dares you to do, even if he tries to say you will be less for not doing it. It'll end with you being less humiliated, and one of the only stories to make it through the ages almost completely unscathed by human memory." Rachel looks at him from the corner of her eye and sees him pouting, "Awe don't pout Thor, it was a learning experience right?"
"He did it more than once," Loki states plainly, completely devoid of any emotion, Rachel stumbles a little as she's caught unaware by that.
"Really Thor?!" Her head whips around to look at the blonde who resolutely refused to look at the twins and kept his eyes forward, "Come on, let that be Loki joking, a really unfunny joke." When the man still refused to look at Rachel, or answer, her head whips around to look at Loki, who was shaking a little trying not to laugh, "Holy-You're not kidding?!" Loki shakes his head.
"Stop it Loki." Thor rumbles, a growl practically, at which Loki loses the battle to not laugh.
"Ho-Why?!" Rachel looks from her twin to Thor, who still refused to look at the woman, though she could tell by the pink of his cheeks he was rather embarrassed.
"Our brother plied me with mead." The blonde mutters as Loki scoffs.
"Only twice, and the other three times?" Loki enquiries giving his brother a critical look, Thor's cheeks darken further in a blush before muttering unintelligently, "I'm sorry, what was that?"
"I was given free drinks," Thor mutters deeply, his words barely audible, let alone distinguishable.
"You flirted, dressed as a woman, for drinks?" Rachel asks him incredulously, the man nods once, "You could have done that dressed as a man! I am pretty sure there are a few guys out there that would happily ply the great Prince Thor with drinks," She pauses and looks to Loki, "If for no other reason than to get into bed with him." She practically sings the last part, as Loki bursts into laughter again.
"Hay!" Thor exclaims looking rather thunderous. Rachel sends him a smirk, her eyes dancing in delight.
"Oh don't worry Thor, no one will judge you, I mean if lore is as lore states, Loki turned himself into a mare, and got laid by a stallion." Loki's laughter cuts off quickly, as Thor's face breaks into a grin, "Of course the story continues he ended up getting pregnant from the encounter-"
"I have never been pregnant!" Loki exclaims, his face now burning bright red.
"I never said you did, this is just what lore states, but given it's That part that you are fighting, I am guessing you actually did sleep with a stallion?"
"I was drunk," Loki states plainly, as Thor scoffs.
"Mm, see somehow I find that very hard to believe. But to let you save face, we will go with that excuse." Much to Rachel's delight, both men grumble a little to themselves, just as they enter the dining hall.
"Ah good, we were just starting to think you had tried to make your way alone and got lost." Frigga says smiling at the three, raising a brow delicately noticing how pleased Rachel looks and her sons' flustered states, "Did something happen?"
"No!" Loki and Thor answer together as Rachel opens her mouth to answer, the girl pouts a little at not being able to answer, but before she could say anything Thor takes her from Loki's arm leading to towards the empty side on the right side of Odin, Loki going to the left side that sat Frigga. Thor sits Rachel down across from where Loki is sat, before sitting himself before Frigga. Just as Thor sits servants pour forward from where Rachel can only think the kitchen is carrying trays of food.
"Oh, my dear girl, what has my sons so flustered as you three came in?" Frigga asks as the servants place the trays down, Rachel smiles brightly as both Loki and Thor sigh, their faces growing red again.
"I was questioning some of the stories that are associated with Norse Mythology."
"Oh? Which ones?" Frigga asks, obviously curious about it.
"If Thor dressed as a woman upon a dare, and if Loki truly turned himself into a mare," Rachel replies giving the more socially acceptable versions, Odin who had been taking a drink from his goblet chokes a little on his drink, before lowering it and glowering at his sons before looking at Rachel.
"Are there any other stories like those?" Odin asks, his voice a little strained on the word stories, Rachel shakes her head.
"None that I know of, those are only well known because it brings some humanity to what Midgardians think of what are Gods." Odin sighs and gives his sons a look.
"And? Are these just silly mortal stories?" When neither of them would meet his eye and blushed deeper Odin heaves a sigh and rubs his forehead, "If one of the three of you, once you return to Midgard, would mind gathering information on what exactly some of these Myths are of us."
"Um, that brings another myth. You are known as The All-Father, even on Midgard, in saying that, though you have Heimdall, it's believed that you gave your eye so that you are all-knowing and all-seeing." Rachel says, her question hidden amongst the statement.
"My eye was lost in a battle, I am not omniscient, and though we have Heimdall, he cannot see everything at once, he also has reprieves from his post. Though it is not often." Odin replies, answer Rachel's question, and her follow-up question, not that he knew that. The girl nods and looks down at the food that was placed before it, slightly surprised that it looked like a normal beef stew. Loki who had been watching his sister to see her reaction to the Midgardian looking food before he snorts into his stew softly, earing identical green eyes to look up at him and gare.
"Is everything alright dear?" Frigga asks, noticing Rachel had not yet taken a bite of the food but had just picked up the spoon. The girl in question jumps a little, as her eyes shoot up to look at Frigga, nodding slightly.
"Yes, I was just a little surprised that it-" Rachel trails off not sure how to continue without sounding rude.
"Thor and I did not prepare her about the food that may be served, as we did not expect her to be able to stay," Loki states bluntly, taking pity on his sister, ignoring her glowering.
"Ah makes sense," Frigga nods understandingly, "As far as I know, or at least when we last went to Midgard, it's a common food." Rachel smiles at Frigga glad she had cleared up what it was without actually stating that it was beef stew. Frigga nods and returns to her food, though keeping an eye on Rachel knowing everything would be rather new to the young girl. Dipping her spoon into the stew and collecting some broth and a small chunk of meat she holds it before her blowing softly before eating it, and thanking her lucky stars that it was indeed beef. As the dinner continued, all thankfully Midgardian-esk flavours, Rachel and the royal family continued to converse, though Rachel was inwardly surprised at how simple it all seemed, before reminding herself that Asgard was known as one of the less strict Realms due to being known mainly for being a warrior race. As dinner started to draw close Rachel knew she had to ask a pressing question, one that would answer on if she had the time to set up communications with Midgard to reassure Tony, Pepper and the Avengers that she and Thor were alright.
"This has been a wonderful dinner thank you," Rachel states as she finishes her pudding (desserts if you are American).
"You are very welcome Rachel." Odin replies as he had finished his pudding just before the girl, giving her a knowing look, "Now would you like to ask the question that has been plaguing you for half of the dinner?"
"You could tell?" She asks in surprise.
"You gain the same look when Loki had a question about magic when he was younger and didn't want to wait until after dinner to ask his mother," Odin says, amused both by her surprise and the similarities between the twins, even if they did not grow up together.
"Oh," She blushes a little, looking at Loki who was also blushing before looking back at Odin, "My question is actually about the rainbow bridge, I know that is your way of traversing the Realms, and I told Tony that I would try my best to set up communications between Asgard and Midgard so I can give him updates. And I don't want him to build one of his suits possible for flight in space so he can come storming Asgard to find me if I've been gone too long."
"Tony is your adopted brother." Odin says, slightly sceptical, but also to make sure he remembered correctly, upon Rachels nodding, he nods once, "The rainbow bridge may take a few weeks to be repaired from the damage Mjolnir caused. I do not know if it would be enough time for you to try and set up communication in a way, as I am sure it will take the same technology that the rainbow bridge would need. But if you think it possible, then go ahead. I am sure the repairers wouldn't mind some questions about the reconstructions, or what it takes. And if it requires magic then I am sure Loki will gladly help." He throws Loki in to help if for no other reason than it may keep him out, and from causing, trouble.
"Of course I would happily help," Loki states as though he had a choice, smiling at his sister.
"Would Man of Iron do that? I thought he was jesting before we left." Thor queries his whole demeanour screamed worry.
"Knowing Tony, he already is working on plans to do such a thing, but I don't know how far Asgard is from Midgard, and am unsure if Tony would need to find a way to put his body in a suspended animation to make sure he didn't age and die before he could get here. But in doing that it would leave him completely vulnerable to anything outside of the suit, and not to mention what would happen if Jarvis glitched being so far away from his original mainframe." Rachel suddenly grows pale as the continuous thoughts of what her brother would do, and how it could all go wrong.
"Rachel?" Loki tries to get her attention, noticing her sudden paling, "Rachel!" Loki calls her firmly. Frigga and Odin share a worried look, as Thor sighs.
"She is overthinking. Man of Iron warned me about it." Thor states before placing a hand on her shoulder shaking her slightly, "Ground yourself, Rachel. Your brother is smarter than you think, and would not leave Midgard without making every calculation he could." Rachel shakes herself, looking at Thor who hands her a goblet of water, taking a drink and taking a breath.
"Thanks, a genius he may be, Tony is pretty stupid when it comes to planning for things to go wrong. He, when building his suit and trying to fly with it for the first time, did it alone, with just Jarvis and the other robots to keep an eye on him, ended up crushing one of his favourite cars, and almost broke his arm. Not to mention he had just been clear from the doctor. He also doesn't think ahead most the time, his plan usually is 'Attack'" Thor huffs and tries to think of something else.
"Be that as it may, we both know he would not endanger himself before he could get here to check on you. Pepper and yourself are the two most important things in his life, and you would be rather put out if he did something to endanger himself. And as Man of Iron is as you say a genius then he knows that you would get retribution for the worry he would cause you."
"Thor, for once in his life, is correct," Loki stoutly ignores the ranging warning looks from his family, focusing on Rachel, "You've told me that, before I made myself known, all the two of you had was each other, and though Anthony was not exactly the best guardian. He loves you and would do everything in his power to make sure you are alright, and if that requires his planning for all inevitably then he would, and the woman he is courting would make sure he continuously checks everything to make sure it is indeed safe before sending him off. Not to mention the rest of your team."
"That is true!" Thor smiles and gestures to Loki, "Banner would check over everything Man of Iron does, did he not say that Banner is well versed in the medicine of the body?" Rachel clamps down on her urge to laugh.
"Bruce is not a healer Thor, he had, on the other hand, studied human anatomy, and is a scholar in, as Tony calls them, the squishy sciences, which means Bruce is the next best versed in everything that deals with the body and what can negatively affect it."
"Exactly, and if anything is dangerous and Man of Iron still tries to do it, I am sure Steven or the Eye of Hawk, or even Mistress Spider would subdue him and make him see reason." Rachel gives Thor an odd look for the names he uses for the last three of their team, who shrugs it off.
"Or if he somehow angers the beast enough he could feel what it's like to be a ragdoll for a bit," Loki mutters from across the table.
"You shouldn't have called him a Dull creature." Rachel fires back at him.
"I was rightfully angry," Loki says sticking his nose in the air.
"Over what? Clint getting the drop on you?" Rachel teases, her face gaining a little colour back as her mind is taken off of it.
"He did not!"
"Loki you're the one who caught the exploding arrow and then looked at it!"
"Weaponry is different between here and Midgard." Was the snooty reply, as Rachel scoffs.
"Is that your way of saying Midgard has better weapons?" Rachel smirks at him.
"The weapon is only as good as the handler."
"So you'd give the guards here a bunch of guns and explosives?"
"By the Njorns no!" Loki exclaimed, his complexion paling to match his sister's.
"Awe but why, on Midgard people as young as six have been allowed to handle guns."
"They are barely old enough to use the bathroom by themselves, why would they be allowed to handle that type of weaponry!" Loki starts looking a little sick, as Thor sighs and finishes his pudding, while Frigga and Odin look very confused.
"It's only under supervision, the first time I was allowed near a gun was when I was five, my father taught me how to make sure the safety was on, and if it was ok to handle. Wasn't allowed to shoot one until I was nine. But that's my family, I know there are some families in the Southern states that teach their children how to shoot a gun at six." Rachel shrugs, looking rather unfazed by it.
"Children are not allowed to touch swords until the age of ten at the earliest, and usually they are very dull, or even wooden until they earn the right at thirteen." Rachel shrugs again.
"I can't speak for everyone Lokes, just how I personally was raised."
"It matters not Chele, it is dangerous to let children play with weaponry like a firearm."
"And without proper care, I agree completely with you. If the household is going to have a firearm within the premises then they need to be taught from an early age to respect the damage it can do. Which is why I was taught over the years how to handle the weapons. I was punished harshly if I even looked at and thought about mishandling a firearm. Howard got it in my head that though inanimate, it still deserves respect, the mishandling of a gun can cause it to explode whilst on hand, or even misfire and hurt or worse kill someone." Rachel states calmly, "I didn't even know what a bomb was until just before I finished high school."
"You were able to go through eighteen years without knowing what Anthony was working on?" Loki asked in surprise.
"Hmm? Oh no! I finished high school just before my fourteenth birthday, graduated from my first college at sixteen."
"How did you learn at thirteen then?"
"I hacked Jarvis and saw Tony's plans for different types of bombs, up until that point Tony had been paying my tutors and testers to leave out any business Stark Industries had in any weaponry or wars."
"So you and your brother are merchants of weaponry?" Odin decides then to insert himself, intrigued by the whole thing.
"Not just merchants, but inventors too. Better weapons, better aim, bigger boom, less material needed to make the weapon. Though it was after Tony was able to escape a terrorist kidnapping that Tony and I agreed to cut all weapon making. Stark Industries, which spans over the entirety of Midgard, is now looking towards making clean and renewable energy to help build up the world instead of creating craters where people use to live. The only weapons that Tony and I continue to make are our suits."
"You continuously mention your suits, what is that exactly?" Odin asks, hiding his disappointment at the missed advantage.
"Automated armour that covers our entire body, each suit we create have different weapons and abilities. And two different designs when it comes to comparing mine against Tony's. His is clunky and if needed anyone, besides those who are bigger than him, can use his suit, while mine is custom for my body only. And when I say mine is custom for my body, I mean Loki could use his magic to shapeshift into me, get in the suit and it still not work for him."
"Why?" Loki quickly asks.
"Because it's for my biology only, you would need to literally skin me, use my eyes, and maintain my normal body temperature to use it. Or else Jarvis will lock down the suit from your use and take you straight to someone who will A) get you out of my suit, and B) take you into custody for manslaughter."
"How did you make your suit like that?" Loki asks tilting his head a little.
"To open the suit itself you need a biometric and retina scan, which means grabbing one of the gloves, letting it read the fingerprint and a quick blood sample, and then from the eyes of the helmet, it will scan your eyes. Each person has their own makeup, every fingerprint is different, every eye is different in how the colours of the cornea are layered, the cornea being the iris and pupil. And while Loki and I have very similar genetic makeup due to being twins, it's the genes that are different enough that we ended up being fraternal. Which is why we are different genders."
"What do you mean by fraternal dear?" Frigga asks unsure of the meaning.
"It means when we were conceived two sperm cells were able to penetrate our biological mother's egg. Which caused it to split into two making Loki and myself." Rachel explains almost monotone.
"Are you a midwife dear?"
"I could be if I wanted, I am thirty-four, I have been going to different colleges, places for higher learning, since I was fifteen, taking many classes all at once, beating records in graduation from courses that should take almost a decade to complete. I am certified to be a healer on Midgard."
"Which is why you said Banner was the next best for human care!" Thor exclaims in realisation.
"Yep!" Rachel laughs and smiles.
"Did you sleep at all?" Loki asks amused at how much Rachel was a Scholar.
"What is sleep?" Rachel asks deadpan raising an eyebrow, "You cannot tell me you have gone many sleepless nights in a bought of sudden curiosity over some subject or another."
"Did I say that I had Sister Dearest?" Loki smirks at her, rolling her eyes at his antics she ignores him.
"Not only would one need to pass the biological scans to open the suit, but they would need to have the exact body shape as mine," Rachel states turning to Odin, getting back to the subject they were on.
"Did you bring one with you?" He asked, interested in how it would do up against his best warriors.
"Both Tony and I wanted to bring one that is collapsible and small enough for me to fit into my trouser pocket, but Loki and Thor pointed out that bringing such a weapon with me may be taken wrong." Odin nods, it was a very intelligent and logical decision.
"So you didn't sneak one in?" Loki asks sceptically, Rachel glowers at him.
"I am not sure about you Brother Dearest, but I stand by my word, and I gave both of you my word that I would leave all suits at home. No matter how much Tony tried to get me to reconsider."
"That is both really intelligent and really stupid, just as it would be if you had brought one." Loki points out, Rachel sighs and slumps in her seat a little.
"Don't I know it, I'm not sure if I can get connected to Jarvis from my phone, or even if my suit can connect here on Asgard. And if he can't then the suit would have been practically useless anyway as it'd be stuck in the compact size, and even if I could get it to its normal size I wouldn't be able to move or get out of it."
"That seems a rather glaring design flaw," Loki comments dryly.
"Yes, Now! It is, but I never thought I'd have to take it off-world, let alone to a Realm the heavens know how many lightyears away." Rachel replies sarcastically.
"Is this normal?" Frigga suddenly asks her eldest, slightly worried that Loki and Rachel were going to end up fighting.
"Extremely so. I think the subtext of love is there, but they continuously push at one another." Thor comments, ignoring the identical glares he's getting from the twins, Odin seeing this quietly coughs hiding his laughter in his goblet.
"I will have you know-"
"That we don't always do this."
"And we are rather insulted-
"That you insinuate that we do. As siblings-"
"We are allowed to debate, and find flaws-"
"In each other's work. This way we can say-"
"That it is flawless and foolproof. That is of course-"
"Baring that it is technology that you've been handed."
"Well, that is unless we are trying to make it Thor-proof,"
"If it's Thor-proof then it's practically indestructible."
"It was one time!" Thor cries indignantly, getting droll looks from the twins.
"Thor after I introduced you to my phone, do you know how many times I had to update the hardware to make sure you wouldn't break it after you finish a level of a game, before throwing my phone hard on the ground crying for another. Or how many times I had to tell you NOT to do just that?"
"What of your microwave?"
"Oh! Or the Teley, Tony won't let him anywhere near the garage."
"How many toasters did he break before he realised he has to press it gently?"
"Um, four I think. I'd have to ask Pepper, she has a running tally." Loki scoffs, as Thor slouches in his seat, his arms crossed over his chest as he pouted.
"I will take this as this is normal as well?" Frigga asks amused, Rachel and Loki look at Thor, then at each other before starting to laugh. Thor looks at the two, growling a little before sitting up and stands from the table.
"I will pay Pepper back for replacing everything." He states firmly, gathering control of herself before looking amused at Thor.
"Thor, do you know how much all of what you've broken costs?"
"No, but I am sure a few gold pieces will cover it. Midgard is greedy when it comes to it." Thor states offhandedly, Rachel looks scandalized.
"You have No idea at how money works do you?"
"Though he was given lessons, he didn't listen, to busy wanting to go back to his warrior training," Loki says use to Thor's look at anything that wasn't fighting.
"Do you know how much it takes to run Asgard? Or trade? How about treaties, or making sure someone doesn't screw you over in a deal for amnesty?" Rachel lists out, "Or how about how much it takes to run just the Palace itself? Or how much your wardrobe is? How much the servants make? Or how many servants keep the Palace looking as it should?" With each question, Thor's face blazes redder.
"Enough! Why should I know that? Is that not for advisors?" Thor asks Rachel groans and bangs her head on the table.
"It is not something I leave to the advisors my son, people, all people are inherently greedy. It is something your mother and I look after personally so no theft would rob us of the wealth we'd need if it came down to it." Odin states as he holds his forehead in one hand.
"Thor did you not wonder why there are not maid services or servants in the mansion on Midgard? And once the Tower is complete again, there won't be any there either."
"No."
"Tony is a cheap sake, and Jarvis, the human, raised Tony clean after himself. And what Tony forgets to do I do instead. It takes money to keep the home running. I have Jarvis constantly on Tony's case about cleaning up his dishes so he doesn't have to pay for servants. It's a drain on resources, doesn't matter if you are filthy rich or not. The only good reason to have maids, butlers, and servants is it gives jobs to those who are not rich. Tony just happens to be a hermit when not a party boy."
"You are no better Chele." Loki points out.
"I like my solitary thank you, and besides I was raised the same was Tony was, I know how to clean after myself. The only reason I see Kasperie as a blessing is because I wouldn't be able to make heads or tails of what to wear and when, or how." Rachel sticks her tongue out at Loki like the mature adult she is.
"And to gossip."
"Wasn't gossip, it was a confirmation of legends." Loki hums sarcastically and getting a glare from Rachel.
"I think financial lessons for Thor would be a good idea, my love," Frigga says looking to her husband, Thor sits in his chair heavily, a pout on his face, but staying quiet about it.
"I believe that would be the best course of action," Odin says staring hard at his heir.
"Maybe a few language lessons for Rachel? This way she is able to read what is in the library." Frigga prods, Rachel looks to the two startled.
"Oh no, don't worry about that, please I wouldn't want t-"
"Yes, I believe that would also be a wise course." Odin nods, figuring the cost of it.
"Really you don't have to."
"Oh don't worry dear, it's no trouble, besides what use is the library if the tomes and scrolls cannot be read, it will also help your magic lessons," Frigga says with a smile.
"Um, what magic lessons? I mean I know Loki was teaching me in London."
"But I am not a licensed teacher Chele, and while I learned quite a bit from Mother, most of my knowledge came from the library and practise. And did you not tell Anthony this would be like going off to college, what good is a school if you are not going to learn whilst there?" Loki says, a condescending smirk on his face. Rachel stutters for a second, before nodding.
"Thank you."
WELP! That is the end of the three chapters I had written! Hope y'all enjoy them. I will try to keep up a flow, but I can't even begin to give you a time frame, or a schedule. But I will try...Also in posting to FFN I get a bunch of weird stuff, like it's typing out the different fonts and everything, anyone know how to get around that?
Have a Blessed day everyone!
Nyx~:3