When Lynn returned to her quarters after lunch, she found a set of garments laid out on the chaise. She belatedly wondered after her things, and found them properly stowed in the assorted cabinets and wardrobes throughout the room. There wasn't a true closet; instead, clothing and linens were kept in chests and other furniture dotted around the living space. Content with the organization she found - shoes together in a chest, clothing sorted by color, and other small but useful designations - she turned instead to the new items provided to her.
She picked up the dress by the shoulders, taking in the overall hue of gold interspersed with geometric navy blue highlights and outlined with white trim. It was a well-made garment, the cloth sturdy and breezy for Asgardian days. A simple pair of boots rested at the foot of the chaise.
Lynn was surprised by the color scheme. She knew Loki paid attention to her clothing, particularly the colors she chose, and she had expected some type of green in the clothing he selected. Instead, he had opted for a color scheme he had seen her wear many times over the years. Gold was flattering against her darker skin, but that wasn't why these colors were so common in her closet; she had graduated from Georgia Tech, and these were her school colors.
She pressed the dress against her front, checking the length. She shrugged, uncertain if the cloth would drag on the floor, and began changing. The dress looked more complicated than it was, and she found herself easily able to button and tie the clasps as she changed. The boots were similarly easy to slip onto her feet. She wiggled her toes and looked around the room for some way to see herself. A mirror which didn't match any of the other decor sat next to one of the grand windows, and as she approached she wondered how many of the Midgardians requested one from home before these were placed into every room. The gown swished easily around her feet, perfectly hemmed for her height, and as she slid into view of the mirror she smiled.
Not too bad, she thought. She adjusted the sleeves, which loosely flowed to her elbows. She considered her hair, which was loose and draped down her back. It was the longest she'd ever grown it; even curly it reached to her lower back, and the flashes of bright blue weave she'd chosen for this month shifted in and out of sight as she walked.
Lynn thought of asking an Asgardian woman to help her with styling her hair. Sif might help if she could find her, and while the day wasn't unbearably hot, she could see herself becoming overheated quickly once in the sunlight.
She stepped from her room and closed the door behind herself, noticing that most of the other entries along this corridor were shut. She could hear Thor's voice across the way and smiled, stepping into his open doorway and waving at Jane, who was facing her. When Jane brightened and waved in return, Thor turned and returned her smile.
"Lynn!" he bellowed, stepping close and clasping her shoulder. "I see you've changed garments."
"I was invited for a tour," Lynn said. Jane snorted while Thor considered this. "I'm going to ask Sif to help with my hair."
"It's quite fetching," Thor said, so instantly that both women laughed. Jane patted his arm.
"Down boy," Jane said. "Go. Shoo. I'll take care of Lynn."
Thor raised both hands, grinning. Before he left, Lynn touched his arm to hold him still for a moment.
"Do you know when Loki's getting back?" she asked, looking down the hall in the direction of the trickster's quarters.
"Back?" Thor was too quick to respond; his confusion colored his tone. He smiled as Lynn turned back toward him, uncertain if she'd noticed.
"To his room," Lynn said. Her fingers wove into the fabrics dangling about her legs. Like Tony, Lynn had an assortment of nervous movements displayed through her hands, and had even picked up more from the inventor. Now one of those habits manifested as she unwove her fingers from the cloth and rubbed her palms together. Her dark eyes met Thor's, and her eyebrows raised.
He could feel the shift when she suddenly pieced together the scant clues she'd been given. She blinked, then looked down the hallway again toward the quarters Loki had clearly shown her. She laughed quietly once, under her breath - a soft huff of air. Her eyes drifted down.
"It's not his room, is it?" she said. Thor reached for her shoulder again and squeezed slightly in comfort.
"It is," Thor said, "though he has not used it in years. But he did not lie."
Lynn laughed again.
"Not that it matters if he did," she said. She shook her head, sighing through her nose. "I just don't get why."
"That is a question for my brother," Thor said. From behind him he heard Jane snort again, her reflex when it came to Thor's wayward brother.
"Go on Thor. I'll see you later."
The thunderer took his leave, and the two women regarded each other. Jane finally waved to their own sofa, larger than the one in Lynn's room.
"You host parties in here?" Lynn asked, settling onto the cushions. Jane grinned.
"You bet," she said. "Music, food, almost every night. It's a great way to bond."
"Whose idea was it?" Lynn asked. Jane raised both eyebrows.
"Who do you think?" she said. Lynn rolled her eyes.
"He couldn't stand the quiet, could he?"
"Maybe. I think he missed it, from before."
Lynn clenched her jaw. How much did Jane know? She could ask…
"So," Jane said, eyes twinkling with curiosity, "is it a date?"
Lynn felt herself freeze. "What?"
Jane gently rested a hand on her knee, squeezed once. She was excited and calm, not furious. Tony hadn't asked anything close to this question. Steve hadn't asked. Even Barton hadn't managed. The mortal men in her life didn't seem to want confirmation of their suspicions, while the mortal women already knew.
Of course.
"I don't know," she admitted. Jane leaned back, sympathy across her face.
"He's so complicated," she said. "He can't say anything straight off. It's strange to think of them growing up together."
"Do you think they liked each other?"
Jane considered this for a long, quiet moment.
"I think they had to find their way to each other," she finally said. "Thor always loved Loki, and I do think Loki loved his brother - but Thor is so…"
"Big," Lynn said. Jane sighed.
"So big. Everything about him. Loki is too, but here - "
"Yeah." Lynn picked at one long sleeve. "Too much drama for one house."
"I'm just glad you got the complicated one," Jane said with a grin. "I'm pretty bad at riddles."
"Says the physicist," Lynn said. They laughed together.
"Nice dodge," Jane said when they'd calmed down. Lynn squirmed, then sighed and shrugged one shoulder.
"I don't know. I don't know if I'd want it to be, either." She laughed quietly. "Tony would lose his mind."
"Tony has done his best," Jane said. She looked so sincere and earnest. Lynn felt queasy.
"You know he worries about you. All the time."
"Everyone worries about me," Lynn said, anger tinting her tone dark. "I wish they'd stop."
"We can't help it," Jane said. When Lynn met her eyes, the physicist reached over and squeezed her hand. "Forget Tony. You're my friend." Lynn started to pull her hand back, and Jane's squeeze became a grip.
"Are you doing OK, Lynn?" Jane's worry was palpable. Lynn pursed her lips.
"Who told you?" she asked. "Tony or Thor?"
"Stop dodging," Jane said. "I don't distract easy."
Lynn sighed.
"I'm OK," she said.
Loki stood just outside of the stofa, considering how thoroughly he was about to ruin the illusion of his own imprisonment. He already wandered the castle grounds at night, uncaged for all to see, but this action would confirm the suspicions of many Asgardians about the true extent of his containment.
The wise Æsir might merely sigh; the wiser might glare outright. And the wisest, he mused, approaching Sif and her ilk with a wry grin, might not acknowledge his presence at all.
"Well met, old friends," he sneered as he slid into place beside the lady warrior. "I trust mál finds you all hungry for Midgardian flavors."
Hogun hadn't waited for Loki to take his seat before pulling himself up and away. His face remained placid, even patient, but the burning in his eyes drew a fluttery wave from the trickster.
"Come now," Loki said. "It was eons ago." Hogun paused for only a moment, giving Fandral time enough to join him in standing. Fandral, at least, remembered that a Prince of Asgard sat across from him now, and gave the slightest of bows before following his friend.
Sif watched them go, then looked at Loki with raised eyebrows.
"Well, I'm alone now," she said. Loki shrugged one shoulder, though the amusement never left his face.
Sif sounded resigned.
"What do you want, Loki," she said. "I trust that you won't leave me be until you have your say."
"Certainly not," Loki said. He'd pulled Hogun's abandoned plate closer and was picking through for choice scraps. The grim warrior hadn't left a palatable meal; he pushed the plate away again with a huff.
"Lady Sif," he said, "I request your assistance."
"Request or require?" she asked. She, too, remembered he was a Prince of the realm. He might have worried after her caution, but he knew he had her by the furrow of her brow.
"Whichever response is most likely to lure you." Loki's good humor increased by the second, in direct relation to the murmuring around them. The Æsir had taken note of his unrestrained presence, and their ire colored the air in waves.
He was practically glowing. Sif couldn't help the small pang of admiration she felt for him, to be so openly unconcerned of what others might whisper. He had always had this way about him - a certain arrogance which made him appear uncaring, even impenetrable to the outside world. She had seen how deeply he felt betrayal. Now, watching the man who was once a comrade, she saw the slight flinch of his shoulders, the tiniest flutter of his eyelids as angry comments met his ears.
Not so impenetrable after all, but arrogant enough to ignore them. That he had exposed himself this way said something, but she didn't know what just yet. Had he simply wanted to make clear the ruse? No, he could have done that any time before. Then what changed today?
Ah.
Interest piqued, she relented.
"What do you request?" she asked. Loki smiled, tapping an index finger on the long table before them. .
"An escort, if you would," he said. "I require an escort to leave the castle and wander Asgard."
Sif waited.
"Amma Lynn wishes to see the city," Loki said. Sif continued to wait.
"And I prefer the company of an old friend, rather than some faceless guard," Loki continued, his voice dropping to a quiet murmur between them. A reminder of a joke from long ago. He could look earnest when he wanted. She considered him for a long moment.
"Very well," Sif said, her voice low as well. "When would you like this escort?"
Sif was nearly returned to her quarters when a small Æsir woman approached her in the hall. From the corner of her eye, she noted the garments in vivid primary colors, and turned to let the woman know she wasn't available - and found herself face to face with no Æsir at all.
"Hi," Lynn said, her arms raising for the hug Sif was offering. The two embraced, Sif careful not to squeeze too hard; she'd learned over time that Steve was the only Midgardian who could withstand the full strength of her embrace.
"Hello, Lynn," Sif said, pushing the younger woman back to inspect her. She was intrigued by the garb, especially in light of her previous conversation with Stark. Had the inventor already moved Lynn to Asgard?
"How long do we have you in our realm?" Sif asked. Lynn grinned, excited to share some news. Sif opened the door to her quarters while Lynn explained her new research role in Stark's industries. She didn't fully understand every detail, but Lynn's happiness was plain to see. She congratulated her warmly, and called for Midgardian spirits to celebrate.
"I've already had a little to drink today," Lynn said. Sif ignored the meager protest and poured the Earth vintage - another lesson hard learned about Midgardian versus Æsir constitution. They clinked glasses in celebration, a quaint custom she'd taken up from their Midgardian compatriots, and shared a sip with her friend.
Lynn set the glass aside with a content sigh. She looked comfortable, even at ease, yet a bit nervous as well. Sif waited. She had learned this trick over the centuries, and rarely had to pry as a result.
"I wanted to ask a favor," Lynn said. She reached up and tugged a swatch of hair. Bright blue waves shimmered in and out of the darker coils.
"Is there a traditional Asgardian style you could help me with? I thought it'd be fun to look the part today."
Sif laughed.
"You may be the first woman to ever ask such a question of me," she said. Lynn raised her eyebrows; Sif raised a hand to stop any words. "Nevertheless, yes, I am able to help you."
Lynn's relief flooded her expression. Sif began gathering the necessary tools to prepare her hair, and slanted a look from the corner of her eye.
"Would you like a style Loki prefers?" she asked, watching for Lynn's reaction. The younger woman huffed, then laughed.
"I don't know," she said. "I don't think it's a date."
A decade ago, Sif would have needed to ask about the meaning of such a Midgardian term. Now she only laughed quietly, arranging clips on a stand.
"How would I know?" Lynn said. This was no woman-to-woman inquiry; rather, Lynn was asking an old friend of Loki's, and the truth was, Sif did not know the answer.
"He might be courting you," Sif said. She raised the section of Lynn's hair next to her ear and clipped it inside of a stylish barrette, small tines holding the hair firmly near Lynn's head. "It is hard to say. Loki would not admit to such a thing."
"Because I'm human?" Lynn looked interested rather than insulted. "Is it shameful for Æsir and - and humans to - "
"A bit," Sif said. "Or rather, the Æsir are uncertain of how to approach the issue." She hesitated.
"Because of the lifespan," Lynn said. Sif nodded.
"Odin, too, disapproves, though he won't say as much while both sons are here."
Lynn's eyebrows shot upward, surprised at this revelation.
"Odin doesn't like humans?"
"It is no question of regard," Sif said. She had woven another long lock of hair into a patterned coil and fastened it loosely near the barrette. "It is a common fear.
"For most, the mere thought is enough to scare them away. But Thor has shown them another path, and I…"
Lynn reached out a hand and rested it over Sif's
"Æsir seem to have a soft spot for humans," the younger woman said. Sif sighed.
"That may be true," the warrior admitted. "Or at least, those of us who surrounded Thor are more susceptible."
Lynn laughed suddenly, the sound brightening the room.
"You're all adventurers," Lynn said. "It makes sense."
"How so?" Sif shifted now, focused on the longest strands toward the back of Lynn's head. The style she'd chosen was relatively simple to create with another's help; eventually all of Lynn's hair would be loosely contained to her head in simple twisting patterns, held in place by barrettes and soft-flowing ribbons. She hoped the smaller woman enjoyed the style.
"Thrill-seekers," Lynn said. "You all enjoy dangerous situations."
She didn't continue, and Sif was grateful. She didn't want to voice the fears underlying Lynn's observation. There was nothing so threatening as love.
They sat in companionable silence while Sif finished her work. Her quarters had no mirror, but the two women met eyes and shared a conspiratorial smile before standing as one.
"Loki has asked me to stand guard with you both," Sif said. Lynn laughed quietly and offered an arm to the Asgardian. Sif laced hers carefully through, and together they stepped from the room for Asgard's splendor.