Ciao, everyone! I'm practically bursting with excitement now because my love for MLR just escalated recently! You know, I was actually very disappointed with the 2nd series of the manga (black covers) as there were so few LokiMayura moments. But the 1st series manga (white covers) was stuffed with so much LokiMayura-ness!!! Thanks to Aila-chan for putting up scans, which made me wanna buy it. But I could only find volumes 2, 3 and 6. I'm trying very hard now to get the other vols, even though the translated version is out of print in my country. I'm not going to give up this soon!

Hmm… though the art wasn't really nice for vols 2&3, it improved by vol6. Also, in bks 2&3 Loki was so much more childish, playful and perverted! Haha And ooh!!! Freyr is so KAWAII!!! He made me laugh so much! I really love him now! He's actually very good-looking… too bad he doesn't have much brains But one question: why does he sprout a pair of rabbit's ears and a tail?

Well, so now I have this LokiMayura craze going on… hence, this chapter turned out how it is. Just wanna say… (to those who didn't read the 1st series manga)… I'm not exaggerating their relationship. The events and conversations in this chapter are kind of adapted from the manga… the thing about Mayura's boyfriend being Loki… Love the part on Mayura's "fianc". Therefore, I think I had better add this statement:

WARNING: LOKIxMAYURA

Ok, ok. Enough of my rambling. Forgive me, but somehow I just needed to get all these out before I really burst with excitement. Feel so much better now… One last thing: I didn't know what to name this chapter… I did start on a new god but only for a small part… sigh…

Japanese notes: [1]hentai: pervert [2]Uso: It's a lie!/It can't be! [3]hidoi: horrible

On with the story…

DISCLAIMER: MATANTEI LOKI RAGNAROK AND ITS CHARACTERS DO NOT BEONG TO ME.

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TEA TIME CHAT

INTERLUDE… WITH THE VANIR SIBLINGS

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All the plates and cups on the table were almost empty by now, which signified that the tea party was coming to an end. Although the party had only lasted an hour plus, it felt longer than ever and Loki was quite exhausted by now. However, he felt strangely contented at the same time, and that feeling got stronger every time he glanced at the still blushing Heimdall and the gloomy Narugami.

Boy, do I love their expressions! Mayura's really useful at times after all… Loki stifled yet another laugh.

The seat beside him was still unoccupied; Mayura had not returned from the washroom.

"Why doesn't Yamato Nadeshiko talk about Freyr? Freyr is neither evil, nor barbaric, nor a hentai[1]! Freyr is the nicest god of all!!!" Freyr sobbed and whined, not noticing the death glares which he had earned with those words.

"Baka! Nothing good comes out of that girl's mouth! She had better shut up! And burn that book of hers… a book full of lies!" Heimdall was obviously still fuming. "Enough of this stupid tea party! Freyr! Let's go back now!"

Heimdall turned to his right, but was startled to find that the seat was empty.

"Freyr?"

"What are you doing?!" Loki jumped as he realized that Freyr was standing over Mayura's seat.

Everyone was puzzled. "When did you get there?" Heimdall asked disbelievingly.

But Freyr did not answer. He was busy flipping through the encyclopedia of Norse Mythology, with his face set in determination and a slight frown creasing his forehead.

"Freyr… Freyr… Aha! Here's the description of Freyr!" Freyr beamed, getting all excited. "Now Yamato Nadeshiko will read about the valiant, cool, and powerful Freyr!"

Everyone collapsed onto the ground in exasperation, leaving Freyr to blink blankly.

Just then, the sound of running footsteps could be heard.

"Yamato Nadeshiko is coming!!" Freyr exclaimed, elated. He immediately scurried back to his seat.

"Oi, Freyr…" Heimdall was at a loss. Up until now, he still couldn't understand how come a god like Freyr existed.

"Gomen!!! Sorry that I took so long… did anything happen?" Mayura skipped back to the table with a new surge of energy.

"Not really… Anyway, it's time that to end this party. Mayura, you had better-" Loki was talking halfway when he was interrupted again.

"Waaahhh!!! What god is this?" Mayura stared at the open page of the encyclopedia, captivated.

"That's Freyr!" Freyr bobbed up and down on his chair, eager to hear Mayura talk about him.

Uso[2]!!! Mayura's mesmerized with Freyr? Heimdall, Narugami, Yamino and Fenrir mirrored Loki's thoughts.

"Frey-" Mayura lowered herself onto her chair.

Freyr was nodding his head in anticipation, willing Mayura to continue.

"-ya."

Everyone blinked.

"Freya, the Goddess of fertility, love, and war…" Mayura was intrigued by the picture of Freya on the page. It showed the goddess wearing a corselet and helmet, holding a spear and shield, with her body bare except for feminine garb on the lower part of the body.

"Huh?" Freyr frowned as he couldn't figure out what went wrong. "But Yamato Nadeshiko was supposed to talk about how great Freyr is…" His face fell as he continued racking his brains to understand why he had failed.

"The description of Freya is on the page right next to the description of Freyr…" Loki explained simply.

"She's beautiful…" Mayura breathed in awe.

"That's but of course!" At the other end of the table, Freya smiled proudly, flicked her shiny golden locks, crossed her long, slender legs, and sat back with an elegant pose.

Freyr turned to his sister, tears of disappointment cascading down his face. "It's true that Frey's precious imouto is most beautiful, but Freyr is just as good-looking… why doesn't Yamato Nadeshiko talk about Freyr??!!"

"Let's see…" Mayura scanned the page carefully, hungry for more information. "Her name, 'Freya', originally means 'Lady'. She lives in Folkvang, where love songs are always played. She is the most beautiful and propitious goddess, and is the goddess of crops and birth, a symbol of sensuality…"

Freya was basking in all the compliments Mayura delivered to her unwittingly. The rest of the gods just listened in silence, and agreement, as what had been said so far were true.

"… Freya loves music, spring, and flowers, and is particularly fond of the elves/faeries…" Mayura paused and smiled. "She sounds so divine and nice!! But she's also just like any other girl… dreaming of love… 'love songs are always played'? Romantic!"

"Read on! Is there anything else? There should be more…" Freya urged, loving every minute of this.

She doesn't even bother to think if she has done anything that can be deemed shameful… which will be extremely embarrassing if Mayura reads it out… Loki sighed for the umpteenth time of the day. Don't they realized by now that the book always starts off with beautiful descriptions, and then continue into the uglier, hidden sides of the god? Baka…

Mayura obeyed and continued: "It says that she is sympathetic to prayers regarding the affairs of the heart, and was often called upon in matters of love… Is that really true?" Mayura looked up at Loki.

Loki blinked. "Why are you asking me?"

"I thought that you knew everything…" Mayura blinked back.

A queer feeling crept into Loki's heart again. "Well-"

"Of course it's true!!!" Freya pushed Yamino off his seat (which was in between Loki and Mayura, remember?) forcibly, determined to interrupt Loki and Mayura. Yamino retrieved himself from the ground and wobbled around, feeling dizzy.

"Now, Mayura-san…" Freya continued, happy with her own intrusion. "Why don't you tell me what type of guy you'd like for a boyfriend? Then I'll find someone like that for you. On one condition though. You can't have my guy…" Freya winked flirtatiously at Loki, who responded by smiling painfully and backing away.

"Well…" Mayura pondered for a moment.

"Yeah?" Freya nudged Mayura while the rest of the gods looked on with curiosity. Freyr perked up and focused all his attention on Mayura's next words.

"He must be… good-looking, rich, powerful… and… love mysteries!!!!!" Mayura squealed in excitement.

Heimdall rolled his eyes; Freyr was busy trying to fit himself into the description (which to him, fitted quite well except for the 'rich' part, as he hadn't paid his rent for months now…); Narugami had his eyes closed, seemingly deep in thought; Loki was listening intently at first, but when he heard the part about loving mysteries, he sighed and thought: How naïve… He then reached for a glass of water to ease his dry throat.

"Hmm… right. Let me think…" Freya's forehead creased in concentration.

"Oh! One more thing!" Mayura startled everyone with her shout.

"What?" Freya asked in curiosity, though a little annoyed.

"He doesn't have to be human!!!" Mayura sung in delight.

"EH??!!!" The gods chorused in unison, all except for Urd (who had heard this once before).

Loki choked and spat out water which he had been drinking, his heart skipping a beat and thumping wildly. "Ma-Mayura, what do you mean by that?" He felt an urgent need to know

"Are you hinting that you're gonna fight with me for my love?" Freya glowered dangerously.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Mayura then looked past Freya, at Loki. "I mean, I don't mind if my boyfriend's a famous alien, a good-looking ghost, a clone, an Egyptian mummy or anything else!"

Everyone collapsed onto the ground dramatically again. Well, everyone except Freyr who was still trying to fit himself into the 'rich' part. Mayura blinked blankly, puzzled by the response she got.

"Well, okay… let me see… good-looking, rich, powerful, mysteries, not human…" Once she recovered herself, Freya began brainstorming again.

"This is so simple!" Narugami shook his head, grinning. "That person can only be…" he jabbed a finger diagonally to the left. "Loki."

"NANI??!!!" Loki jumped and blushed furiously, his heart pounding wildly against his chest.

Mayura blinked in a daze.

"Although he doesn't exactly love mysteries, he has an affinity for them. Plus he's good-looking (Narugami made a face here), rich as he owns a mansion this big, powerful due to his… well… powers, and (he lowered his voice so that only those beside him, namely Heimdall and Loki, could hear)… he's not human." Narugami nodded at his own explanation and gave Mayura a wink. "Here's your boyfriend, Daidouji!"

Mayura blinked twice.

"What are you saying?!" Loki rose from his chair and protested. But he was at a loss too.

Around the table, Urd and Heimdall did not seemed surprised at all, while Verdandi, Yamino, and Fenrir were a little startled to hear the word 'boyfriend'. Those affected the most were Skuld, Freya, and Freyr, who were too stunned to move, let alone say anything.

"Well, aren't you already her boyfriend?" Narugami grinned at the blushing Loki. He leaned closer to Loki and whispered: "Oh, come on! You're already blushing so badly!" Then he pulled away and laughed madly.

"Don't you spout nonsense! Who's blushing?! I'm not blushing!!!" Loki's blush deepened and he continued to deny everything, waving his hands madly. He was obviously flustered.

"Hmph!" Heimdall grunted, and then turned in Loki's direction with a sadistic smile. "It's dangerous liking someone THAT MUCH, you know? Well, at least for you…"

"Loki! After snatching Freyr's beloved imouto away, you are now abducting Yamato Nadeshiko too? Freyr will not forgive you!!" Freyr shook his fists at Loki.

Loki ignored Freyr completely and instead turned his attention to Heimdall. He narrowed his eyes before continuing in a deadly threatening hiss: "If you dare try anything again… you'll be dead before you know it. Or maybe, you'll find that it's not only your right eye that is missing…"

"Loki! Answer Freyr! Are you afraid to take Freyr on?!" Freyr barked.

"You shut up! It's me who's going to defeat Loki!" After knocking Freyr on the head, Heimdall turned back to Loki and open his mouth to retort, but was interrupted by another.

"Me and…Loki-kun?" Mayura repeated in a daze before bursting into laughter. Apparently, she did not catch the exchange between Loki and Heimdall as her mind was too busy registering Narugami's words. "What are you talking about, Narugami-kun? That's totally impossible! Loki-kun's just a kid!"

Loki was absolutely horrified. He immediately retorted loudly and clearly: "I'M NOT A KID!!!"

"Hai, hai! I understand…" Mayura smiled, trying to pacifying the hysterical Loki.

Loki plopped himself back onto his seat, disgruntled. "If I'm only a kid, why do I have to save you from all the troubles you got yourself into before?"

"Is that so? Hmm…" Mayura had a thoughtful expression on her face, suggesting that she was trying to recall all the events that have happened previously. Then she gave an embarrassed smile. "I guess that's true… Although Loki-kun looks like a kid, you're more dependable than many other people!"

"Hmph!" Loki was still not appeased. "Well if you stop chasing after your silly mysteries and behave more like a high school girl, you'll find it easier to get a boyfriend."

"What silly mysteries?! They are not silly! I'm going to be a famous detective one day! And Loki-kun, no matter how great you are, you can't do without the number one bishoujo detective, Daidouji Mayura, ne?" Mayura glowed with pride and shot a fist up into the air.

"Actually it doesn't matter to me at all…" Loki replied, uninterested and without any hint of emotion.

Mayura's face fell rapidly and she pouted. "Loki-kun, hidoi[2]! Although Loki-kun is extremely clever and all, you are too cold and unfeeling at times!"

Her words seemed to have offended Loki slightly, who replied saying: "Mayura, you…" He trailed off as he suddenly realized that everybody's eyes were on him. "What?"

"Oh, nothing really…" Narugami waved his hand, trying to reassure Loki. But he flashed another grin. "Just that maybe you two should stop acting like a bickering married couple…"

"NANI??!!!" Loki was absolutely horrified and taken aback. He struggled to protest but to no avail. "I… you… nonsense… I…"

At this moment, Loki noticed Yamino standing behind him, smiling.

"Yamino-kun… not you too!"

Narugami laughed uncontrollably, feeling extremely satisfied to be able to tease Loki like that.

Loki, who was shaking with anger and embarrassment, was about to make Narugami regret teasing him, when suddenly, a shower of pots and pans came raining down on Narugami.

"Ouch! Ouch! OUCH!!!" Narugami yelped in pain and tried to shield himself from the attack.

Loki's eyes widen in surprise, while Mayura gasped in shock.

"Enough of your nonsense, Thor. I won't forgive you if you say anything that absurd again!" Freya clucked in annoyance. She felt quite insulted too. Why would Loki choose that girl over me?!

"That's right! Way to go! Sasuga Freyr no imouto desu!!! That's Freyr's sister indeed!!!" Freyr clapped and cheered, extremely proud of his little sister.

"Huh? I don't understand what you guys are talking about! And where did those pots and pans come from?" Mayura frowned in confusion, but brightened the next moment. "Mystery!!!"

Realizing that the situation was getting out of control, and that Freyr and Freya were practically giving away their true identities unknowingly, Loki decided that he had to put a stop to this immediately.

"It's getting late now… so everyone should just go home. Mayura, you had better start making your way home, or else your father would be worried…" He stood up and turned to Mayura and… sweatdropped.

Freya was happily pushing the book into Mayura's face, urging her to continue reading.

"Umm… okay…" Mayura sweatdropped, but took the book from Freya to resume her reading, completely missing Loki's words.

"Yes, yes! So what other praises do the have for the most beautiful goddess of all?" Freya chirped in anticipation. "Read them all out!"

"Hmm… let me see…" Mayura strained her eyes, trying to make out the tiny words on the page.

Loki watched them in exasperation, a look of dread and helplessness across his face. I think that it's quite impossible to stop them now…

Deciding not to waste anymore of his energy trying to achieve the impossible, Loki gave up and slumped back onto his chair with a sigh of resignation, and a headache creeping into his temples.

"I remember now… the necklace at the museum… the one that Kaitou-san planned to steal… the Brisings necklace…" And Mayura then launched into the description of the necklace and its origin.

= tbc =

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Finished this chapter at last!!! Yay!!! I typed this late at night, so if I made any error like forgetting that Freyr always talk in third party, or forgetting to add "-kun" behind "Loki" in Mayura's speeches, or if I typed 'Freyr' instead of 'Freya' when it should be 'Freya', pls forgive me. (Actually I did make these mistakes but corrected them in time… heehee) But if I missed anything, pls tell me! I'm totally too drained now to read the whole story through again!

And see what I told you? I didn't know how to name this chapter because although I did start on Freya, the focus in on LokixMayura. So in my desperation, I named it Interlude… and because I didn't want to give away which of the Vanir siblings I'm doing, I simply stated 'Vanir siblings'. Haha will put in more Freya next chapter…

Last note before I end off… Mayura's dream guy… to those who have never read the manga…

(SPOILER!)

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… in the manga, for the part where Loki sent Mayura-papa back into his past memories (in the manga, only Mayura-papa went back to the past), when young Mayura was looking for detective storybooks in the bookstore, the owner offered her a book on Norse Mythology, which she read one single line on Jashin Loki before throwing it aside. Haha And unlike the anime, when Mayura-papa answered young Mayura that he was able to find her because he's a detective, Mayura didn't reply by saying she wanted to be a detective too. She replied that she wanted to marry a famous detective in the future!!! Which caused Mayura-papa to look at Loki!!! I was laughing so much when I read that part… SWEET!!! But Mayura obviously forgot everything that she said when she was young…

That's it for now!