The next two days boasted good weather and Loki took advantage of the sunshine to begin clearing out the mess of trees, weeds, logs and rocks that littered Thistle Heart Farm. By Friday afternoon the blisters on his hands had proliferated to the point that holding an axe for a minute longer was completely out of the question. It was only as he sat on the porch, nursing his wounded hands that he remembered Gus's offer for a free pint at the saloon. Dusk had already fallen over the valley by the time he made it to the establishment's door. Warm light and heartfelt hellos streamed out as he opened it and stepped inside. The place was packed. Several faces that he knew, and a few that he had not yet met, sat around the tables in front of the bar. "Loki, hey you made it!" Gus waved him over to the cash register and gave him a hearty hand shake. "I was hoping you would come by. Let me get you that free pint…Emily! Grab a pint for the new farmer!"

Whatever Gus said next Loki did not catch, his attention absorbed by the young bartender that now poured him a tall glass of craft beer. She stood several inches taller than the other patrons in the building but it was her bright red dress and ombre blue hair that caught his eye. He sat down on a stool near to the taps and cleared his throat of the frog that had suddenly and mysteriously appeared. She turned around, her warm brown eyes sparkling as she handed him the cold glass "Ooh!" She clapped her hands, her large smile lighting up the room, "I can read it on your face. You are going to love it here in Pelican Town! I'm Emily, I work here at the bar most nights."

"I'm Loki," his normally smooth voice cracked, much to his chagrin, and he took a sip of his beverage to wet his dry vocal chords.

"So Loki," Emily winked and leaned forward on the bar, "What brought you to the valley?"

"I sort of just found myself here, I suppose."

"Ah, the mysterious wanderer archetype" Emily giggled. "We don't get very many of those. Elliott likes to think he is one, but he's more the 'recluse romantic author' type. I don't suppose you have any stories of daring adventure?"

Loki chuckled "None suitable for polite company."

"Ah well, you chose a good time to wander in. Spring, the season of hope and pastels. I actually prefer jewel tones myself." She fidgeted with the collar of her dress "You, sir, have very blue eyes. Did you get them from your mother?"

Loki shook his head, "No. Unfortunately not."

Emily nodded empathetically before straightening up and grabbing a rag "Let me know if you want another pint. That particular brew was imported from Zuzu City, not easy to obtain either. Pierre, you decided what you want yet?"

The grocer had been staring at the drink menu since before Loki had sat down. He waved Emily away without looking up "I can't decide between the Lavender Mead or the Scottish Ale."

"Well, why not get a glass of each?"

"You know as well as I do that Caroline only budgets me enough coin for one drink a week." Pierre shook his head in frustration, "Dang it, I work hard all week. You'd think I deserve two drinks on a Friday night."

Emily glanced at Loki and rolled her eyes before turning back to Pierre "I would recommend the Lavender Mead, it'll relax you." The grocer mumbled something under his breath and Emily began wiping down the wood counter top "Either way last call is at midnight…don't forget this time."

Loki finished off his glass and handed it over "Another, please."

"Coming right up," her smile dampened a little as she handed him another pint "Your poor hands are covered in blisters, Loki." She reached out and touched his hands gently, turning them so that his palms faced towards her. Her touch was gentle and the slightest of shivers ran down his spine as her delicate fingers brushed against the back of his hands. "You should have Doc Harvey look at these blisters tomorrow. He probably has an antibiotic ointment that will keep them from becoming infected."

Gus appeared behind her and laughed "Ah, those are just the reward for a hard day's work right there, the new farmer is breaking in his working man hands is all. If you're so worried about him, Emily, why not give him one of your magic healing crystals?" Gus laughed even harder before heading back to the register to ring up Elliott and a red headed woman.

"They don't work like that" Emily retorted as she let go of Loki's hands. "Don't mind him, he's just poking fun."

"Magic crystals?" Loki inquired.

Emily giggled nervously, "Oh no, that was just an inside joke. I like to collect jewels and crystals…for aesthetic purposes." She turned to Pierre and snatched the menu from him "11:30 Pierre, you better order now if you want that drink."

Loki finished off his beer, left a tip on the countertop, and said goodbye to Emily before stepping out into the sharp spring air. A hint of salt hung in the breeze and the stars above twinkled playfully around the full moon. The walk home passed quickly and he jumped into bed with the image of the adorable bartender still fresh in his mind. Obviously he could not pursue her romantically, he needed to stay focused and figure out a way to cause a variant event. Unless she could possibly be the key to contacting the TVA. Something told him that Gus's joke about magic crystals might be closer to the truth than Emily had let on.

He awoke to a flutter of knocks on the front door. Grey, pre-dawn light pressed against the glass panes of the windows and streaks of cold condensation raced one another to the window sills. Marnie was at the door, a shy smile on her friendly face and a strange lump under her coat. "Hello Loki! Oh no, did I wake you?"

Loki shook his head and rubbed his eyes "Not at all," he answered with a hint of sarcasm, "I've been up for hours, I get my best work done in the dark."

Marnie looked at him strangely but before she could respond a small cry distracted her. She pulled an orange tabby kitten out of her jacket. "Oh, goodness. You see this cat here?" She held the small ball of matted fur and dirt up to his face.

"Yes, I see it." Loki felt like he knew where this visit was about to lead.

"Well, I found the poor baby sitting outside the entrance to your farm! I think she's a stray…poor thing. I think she kind of likes this place, actually! And a farm like this could use a good cat…for chasing off mice…and snakes."

"Snakes?!"

Marnie placed the kitten in Loki's hands "Well, little one, you be a good kitty now. See you around Loki!" She hurried down the steps and sped walked towards the gate "I have to get back to my shop, have a good morning!"

"Marnie…Marnie!" Loki was left standing on his porch at 5 in the morning holding a muddy kitten that he had only just met. The little thing mewed dejectedly and he looked down at her in disgust mingled with pity. He sighed and carried her into the house "Fine. I can at least get you cleaned up. But don't you dare jump on the bed." The bath was a struggle of wills, but Loki eventually won and after a bowl of warm milk the pretty little tabby kitten sat contentedly on a chair and preened herself. Her eyes were a bright, emerald green that shone brilliantly against her vivid orange fur. Loki sat on the floor and ate his breakfast "Alright, you can stay. But you have to earn your keep, you hear? If I find one fat mouse on this farm you're out."

The kitten jumped down from the chair and rubbed up against his leg, a tiny little purring noise emanating from her throat. "I suppose you will need a name if we plan to go into business together…how about Frigga? Hmmm?" He reached down and scratched behind her ears.

A million miles away Emily sat upon a strange beach, the sand beneath her white as a freshly fallen snow. She was surrounded by an ivory fog, as thick as soup around her, tall palm trees loomed like pillars in the foreground. The muffled sounds of surf on the beach roared and thundered in the distance. She sat upon the ruined foundations of what was once a curious structure. Shattered pieces of iridescent purple glass and crystal, of all shapes and sizes, littered the sand around her. Emily closed her eyes and listened to a flock of crimson parrots as they flew playfully above her head. It was only then that she heard something else in the fog…footsteps. She looked up, startled, as the last person she expected to see stepped out of the fog and into the circle of shattered glass. It was Loki. Unlike her, he did not seem the least bit amazed by his sudden appearance on the beach. Instead he looked up at the sky and pointed silently above them. A brilliantly beautiful rainbow covered the heavens, filling up the expanse with breathtaking rows of color and light. Her dream dissipated and Emily awoke in her own bedroom, the rainbow still burned into the retinas of her eyes. She sat up and scratched her head, how had Loki gotten on the beach? Perhaps there was more to the new farmer than she realized. Perhaps their destinies were more intertwined than she initially thought. She would need to inform the others.