seeingscarlet | open RP post

[ Of course Thor 'has a way with people.' He is Asgardian's golden boy, and it is an old slight.

Lips on the tankard, Loki arches a brow at her question. ]

I suppose that depends on the level of detail you'd like to know. [ He makes a show of rolling his eyes up to the ceiling in consideration. ] It was probably a cloven-hoofed animal.

[ He drinks primly by Asgardian standards, but still manages to knock out a considerable amount in one swig. (May as well given the setting.) As he lowers his tankard, Loki nods toward the untouched second in silent inquisition. If it's warming up that she wants, the mead is sure to help with that -- too well, and perhaps she knows it. ]

I just wanted to know if I've had it before.

[Asgardian fare isn't as spicy as Sokovian food, but she actually likes most of what she's had here. If she likes this too, she wants to be able to ask for it again.

Wanda follows his gaze to the untouched tankard and has the decency to look a little sheepish. She doesn't mean to be picky and she knows very well Loki's thoughts on the fragility of Midgardians, but...]

Are you sure that's a good idea?

[ Loki can't help the crooked grin that blooms from her statement. ]

I'd argue that most of my ideas are good. Others might differ.

[ Essentially a non-answer.

He sets his drink down and gestures for her to hand him the knife, then shaves off a slice of the meat for himself. ]

Ah, [ he says, and swallows. ] Goat.

[That grin is unmistakably Loki despite his altered appearance. It's far too akin to how Pietro would smile before getting into trouble. She laughs/]

I think I like my head not feeling like it will explode.

[A good idea for him isn't necessarily a good idea for her, but this doesn't feel malicious. She'd rather him joke about it and let her make her own choice than outright tell her what to do or pressure her into it.]

I've never had goat before... [But she's perfectly willing to give it a try. She cuts a small piece for herself and takes an experimental bite.] It's good.

[ He leans against his arm on the table, nursing his drink. Such a cautious individual she is -- in spite or because of the Mind Stone? Perhaps the two are completely unrelated. Whatever life she had prior to the stone's effect on her is long gone, not unlike the impact done on his own upon learning of his true bloodline. They cannot go back.

He tells himself it's for the best.

Tells himself he doesn't miss it. ]

Is it not a beast of milk and meat on Earth?

[Some of her caution is innate - Pietro was always reckless and it was her job to be the voice of reason. So now, when Wanda feels like she must be even more careful, it doesn't feel like the cage it sometimes creates.

Besides, she is here against all reason, isn't she? How overcautious can she really be?]

Mostly we use goats for cheese now. [Sure, some people still eat goat, but the average Sokovian could never afford it.] You've never had körözött, have you? Maybe I should make it for you someday.

[ Though his expression doesn't change, Loki is temporarily taken aback by the offer. It's a generosity not afforded to him now days, the fault of which lies nearly entirely with himself -- though he's not yet mature or self-aware enough to accept as much. She must have made it out of a misguided sense of... something related to the asininity of their soul match. Why else?

His fingertips languidly rap against the tankard. At length, he says, ] Obtaining the necessary supplies ought to be simple enough. Perhaps you'd enjoy the market.

[He's right - Körözött isn't one of her absolute favorite foods from home, but it's still personal enough she wouldn't offer to make it for just anyone. But for now she can at least tell herself it's nothing more than a display of gratitude for what he's doing for her.]

So you actually have spices here? Not just salt?

[She laughs, clearly teasing, but if they actually have paprika here she'll be surprised. It doesn't seem like it would mesh well with the overall Asgardian flavor palette, and quite honestly she has no idea if körözött will even taste 'right' to Loki.

...she should probably make something else just in case. If they're playing around with goat cheese, maybe she can find something to approximate that strawberry bruschetta she'd made for the Avengers a few months ago? It would be rude to only serve him something she's not sure he'd like.

It has nothing to do with any personal desire to please him. Nothing at all.]

[ Sassy.

An involuntary smile tugs at the corners of his lips. Lifting his tankard, he points to her and says, ] You clearly need to get out more.

[ He knocks back the remaining mead like a true Asgardian -- mostly because he's taking too long with the one and doesn't want to catch anyone's attention. Unlikely, given their absorption in the other, louder conversations, but he hasn't gotten this far without a healthy respect for covering one's ass. Setting it down, he wipes the mead off the corner of mouth with his thumb before reaching for the other. ]

Why not ask your tutors for an allowance? [ It's an innocent enough request. ]

Yes, you have pepper too. How could I forget?

[She ducks her head and laughs. There's no artifice, no forced reaction for his benefit. Just genuine lighthearted banter.

Her smile fades when he mentions money, though. Is it really innocent enough? Or would it seem like she's trying to take advantage of Thor's generosity?

There's also her own stubborn pride to consider.

She doesn't hide the tonal shift well enough to fool anyone but Vision, especially not Loki, but there was an attempt.]

If I tell them I want to cook for myself a little they might faint.

[ There is almost an eye roll. Apparently, the Midgardian has an issue with hospitality. The modesty might be admirable if it weren't for the fact that she is his brother's guest. Thor wouldn't bat an eye to his otherworldly friends wishing to experience Asgard in its entirety. On the contrary, he'd be all for it. ]

If they do, then it's only because you've thus far presented them with meekness. Defy the role of the hapless Midgardian.

[ Why is he even encouraging this? ]

I'm not--

[While Wanda likes her tutors well enough, she's pretty sure they couldn't make themselves a decent dinner if they needed to. Still, is it any wonder Loki saw right through her attempt to distract him from how uncomfortable the thought of asking them (or Thor) for money makes her?

She sighs in that way that means he's probably won, that deep down she knew he was right all along.]

I'm already going to have to ask them for warmer clothes. If that goes well...

[It still stings, but Lokie's right - it would be nice to not be entirely dependent on someone else's whims.]

[ A barmaid comes around to set down two more tankards, but Loki quickly intercepts her effort with a casual wave of refusal. His progress with the second drink is paused only to arch a brow at Wanda. ]

You've reason to believe otherwise?

Nothing specific, but I know what they thought of me when I first came here, what some people still think of me.

[Her tutors know better now, but there are definitely people who have taken a superficial view of the situation. This is fairly unprecedented, even beyond him bringing Jane to Asgard for a short stay.

Is it so surprising she doesn't want to prove them right if it would be an outlandish request here? 'Ignore it' isn't so easy when one is an empath.]

I am still learning about the people here.

[ There it is, the sobering reminder that she can read minds -- or would be, if he were inebriated. Still, it puts a damper on what had been an easy-flowing conversation. Loki taps the side of the tankard with his fingertips, considering her concern.

After a brief pause, he says, ] All the more reason for you to venture beyond the palace. You'll learn very little within it.

[ He shrugs and leans back, bringing the tankard to his lips. ]

I could be your helpful guide.

[ 'I' being his current guise. ]

[Wanda's left wondering if it's worth saying it outright and then reassuring him that she hasn't touched his thoughts at all or if that would just make it worse. It's part of her in more intimate ways than the scarlet is, and yet it's the biggest secret, something only Thor and Loki know exists. She's even hidden it from her tutors.

Wanda thinks it must unsettle Loki to some degree, though she can never tell how much. But he's still offering to spend even more time with her, so for now she says nothing further.]

I'd like that.

[It brings a warm smile to her face (and perhaps a slight flush) before she takes another bite of bread and cheese. It'll certainly be the fun way to see Asgard.

The conversations go better than Wanda had initially expected - they end up giving her more than she actually needs to 'pick up a few things.' Soon she has warmer clothing, and while she's not able to find proper paprika or balsamic vinagrette, there are imports from Vanaheim that are close enough that someone not familiar with the original might not notice.

She's able to approximate the körözött. It's not perfect, but it's as good as she's going to manage here. When Loki joins her in the Asgardian equivalent of her sitting room, she's using her powers to toast the bread over a brazier.]

Edited 2017-11-23 01:17 (UTC)

[ Maybe it's brazen to enter the sitting room of one's soulmate without having mutually embraced the fact, but Loki doesn't give a fuck. He sees her first as a possible ally, the potential of which requires further nurturing, and then a possible foe as a close second. It has been decades since he squashed the hope of a soulmate, and he'd like to believe that he's still got it firmly under foot.

Tonight he comes as himself, dressed casually in his colors and the magic that obscures him from unwanted attention. There is still risk in meeting here, but the alternative of disguising himself is potentially more inconvenient should anyone decide to show interest in the scarlet witch's personal relationships in Asgard. The shroud is selectively and immediately dropped -- she'd sense him anyway.

Loki circles around the chair opposite her, fingers ghosting over the smooth wood as he says, ] Good evening, Lady Maximoff. Were you able to find more than salt and pepper?

[It's an intimate setting, but it's one of the only places Wanda has both privacy and any capacity to prepare food. It feels like the old days, when Novi Grad would lose power and you'd have to cook over a fire. And if she pretends there's little difference, maybe she can also pretend the increasingly familiar dull ache doesn't exist.

They're almost comically out of sync: it feels like she was born too late for him but she would not truly be herself if he hadn't brought the Mind Stone to Earth. It would be easier if she could just hate him and move on with her life...but his competence as a teacher aside, she just can't even wrap her mind around that possibility.

So she turns and smiles when she senses him, even managing a shallow mock curtsy in response to his 'formal' greeting.] Your highness.

[These slices have finished toasting. Wanda floats them over to the table and replaces them with the next set. She's alllllllmost done.]

I found something they said was from Vanaheim. It is not paprika, but it's closer than I thought I would find. And this sauce - I am not sure what you call it? - will taste better than what I was looking for, I think.

[ At the title, a brief smirk passes his lips, but it is not all smugness. If she were to discover his deceit as Odin, would she not find him the very evil of his reputation and alert Thor?

His gaze follows the path of the magicked bread before lifting to Wanda's face. ]

Did you enjoy it? The markets, [ he adds, content to stand for now. ]

[She grins, briefly glancing away from the bread.]

It was a fun afternoon. You were right. [She has to quickly turn her attention back to the bread before this side burns.] I did need to get out more.

[Wanda does seem happier, almost lighter, today. Being cooped up so long had been starting to weigh on her, though even at her lowest she's always been happier here than on Earth.

The slices toast quickly and Wanda directs them to join the rest of the bread she's prepared. Her little table is starting to look quite crowded between the plate of bread, the plate of goat cheese and berries, the bowl of körözött, the bottle of sauce, and the cups. It wasn't really meant for this.]

Here, everything is ready. I wasn't sure you would like the körözött so I found some other things.

[Still goat cheese based, just something she's more confident he'll enjoy. It would be rude to invite him here and not have something he can eat.]

[ He can see the good done by a day's respite from these golden halls, a sort of looseness to her motions. Perhaps she finds the palace stifling, and not simply due to the closure of its numerous arches with a golden sheen that staves off the cold and bathes the city in warm tones.

He wouldn't disagree. Often had his youthful self been struck by the itch of restlessness after squirreling himself away in tomes, which coincidentally preceded joining Thor in ("foolish") adventures where trouble was no stranger. ]

How courteous of you, but please. [ He bows just a touch, politely motioning for her to sit while keeping a safe distance away from the packed table. ] After you.

[ Truth be told, were it not for Wanda's specific desire to share something as personal as a piece of her everyday life, Loki would regard the körözött with impartiality. Indeed, he isn't so much interested in the dish itself than the fact that she made it for him. ]

Did you cook much on Earth?

[He can be quite charming when he wants to be. Wanda smiles and takes the seat Loki indicated, though she doesn't start eating yet. It would be rude. Besides, she's far too personally invested in his reaction to her cooking, no matter how much she's tried to prepare herself for him hating it.]

I did most of our cooking in Sokovia. Pietro would help, but he never had the patience for it. And now if I want food from home I have to make it myself.

[ The application of 'silvertongue' isn't limited to verbal lies, but there is no malice in his current actions. His voice grows a touch softer when he next speaks; the superficial formality drops. ]

Do you miss it? [ He is deliberately reaching for the toast as he asks, first to indulge what he surmises as her desire for him to try her 'home'-cooked dish before partaking herself, and second to give them both something less personal to fall back onto if she exhibits discomfort with the topic.

Loki is genuinely curious about the brother Wanda has mentioned several times now. His name seems less heavier on her lips tonight, but who is he to know how the matter of Pietro weighs in her heart? So he does not even reference him directly.

'It.' Home. Such a loaded word. ]

Of course.

[Her reply is softer but without hesitation. It's a duller pain now, eased enough that she can talk about Pietro or Sokovia, though no less constant. Wanda still misses him terribly.]

It was not perfect. [Far from it - otherwise Strucker would never have found so many volunteers.] But it was home. You never saw Sokovia...before, did you?

[ It's hints like these that give him just enough to know that home was lost to her, but she's never given him anything more than what was said during their first meeting. If their positions were reversed, Loki wouldn't do differently. Distrusting him might be the wisest choice anyone could make, consciously or not.

That doesn't deter him from attempting to indulge his curiosity, though. ]

I haven't, no. [ He doesn't quite lean back into his chair yet. ] What happened to it?

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