(Author's Note: New episode! Enjoy!)

Episode #4 – Goldfish

I decided that the best way to teach Loki compassion and gentleness for others was to give him something to take care of. Not a human or a dog, he would not be ready for that. So I figured we should start small. I had just gotten out of a meeting I had with my online professors. I went to college online, and once in a while I had to meet with my professors so I could move up in my classes. Today was one of those days. As soon as I got out, I went to the pet store.

"Loki!" I called, entering my apartment. "I have something for you!" Loki poked his head out from behind the counter in the kitchen, white powder all over his hair and face.

"One moment," he said. I went into the kitchen to find Loki on the floor, covered in flour. "I was reaching for the balls of cheese, and I spilled the bag of white dirt." I laughed a little at seeing Loki covered in flour from head to toe.

"That's okay," I replied. "I'll sweep it up. But come here. I brought you something." Loki stood up and I set a round fish bowl on the counter. "It's a goldfish." Loki stooped down to peer in at the little orange fish, swimming around in the bowl.

"Thank you, but it is far too small for me to eat," he said.

"You're not supposed to eat it; you take care of it. It's a pet; like Jenko. That reminds me, I should keep Jenko away from this little guy or else he might eat him." Loki studied the fish.

"Oh. Alright, I suppose I shall care for it if it makes you happy. Why do you keep it in this round confinement?"

"That's a fishbowl. It lives there. How about you give it a name?"

"I suppose so. I shall call it Loki, of Fishbowl." That made me laugh; Loki naming his fish after himself. I handed him the fish flakes.

"Here. This is what you feed it. You take a couple of flakes and sprinkle them in the bowl. You only have to do this once a day, and that's pretty much all there is to it. You have to clean the bowl too, but only when it gets green and dirty." Loki nodded, and continued watching his fish.

The days went by and Loki seemed content with his fish, feeding him flakes, or so I thought. Three days later I walked into the kitchen and found Loki sticking a cheese ball in the fishbowl.

"Eat it, you sniveling fool," Loki commanded the goldfish.

"Loki what are you doing?" I asked.

"Trying to feed the orange creature," he said. "This is hard. I am going to kill it I think."

"No! No killing. You need to be gentle. It eats flakes."

"But they taste terrible! I was just trying to feed it something more sustaining." Well, I thought, at least he was looking out for its best interests. That was a start.

"But fish like flakes. They can't eat cheese balls."

"Why do you always tell me what to do? You should be glad I let you; if anyone else tried to command me like you, they would be dead! How come everything I do is wrong?" I could tell he was mad at me. I decided to just let him feed the fish a cheese ball.

"I'm just trying to help you here, Loki," I said. "But fine. Feed it a cheese ball. But please don't kill it, okay?" Loki let out a frustrated sigh.

"You have my word," he growled. I started to leave, but then I remembered Loki's words.

"Wait, Loki…you ate the fish flakes?"

"Yes. Is that not what you do with food?"

"Not with…never mind." He took out the fish flakes and dumped the entire container into the bowl. I smiled, walking over to him.

"You're the cutest," I told Loki. I put my hands on the sides of his face and kissed him. He closed his eyes and moaned softly.

"Ooh, I cannot possibly be angry with you," he said. "You're too charming."

…

What happened to Loki's fish was my fault. I will take the heat for that one, because I should have told him. I just didn't think about the fact that he was from an entirely different planet.

I was sitting on the couch watching Seinfeld when Loki came and sat beside me with a worried look on his face.

"I must formally apologize in advance," he said. I turned to him.

"What? What happened?"

"I was going to clean the bowl of fish like you requested, so I took the orange creature out of the bowl…and now it is dead." Loki held up his dead goldfish and hung his head in shame. "…I'm sorry."

"Well Loki, sweetie, fish can only breathe in water. Don't you have fish in Asgard?"

"Our fish are different. They can store water in their lungs. Are you angry with me?"

"No. You didn't mean it; I should have told you. But we should dispose of it now probably. Come on." I took Loki and the newly deceased Loki of Fishbowl to the bathroom and told Loki to put him in the toilet.

"Honestly? Such disrespect…" he said, but he obeyed.

"Would you like to say anything?" I asked.

"My apologies, Loki of Fishbowl. May your reward be great in Valhalla." He turned to me. "Was that alright?" I nodded, and flushed the fish down the toilet. I pat Loki's shoulder.

"You tried," I said. Loki nodded. "I'm proud of you."

"I didn't hate it," he said. "I usually hate things."

"You did a good job," I told him. Loki looked at the toilet.

"Life is so fragile on Midgard. Such cruel fate."