Talking to You, Laughing With You

My character’s name is Sigyn.  She’s an actual Norse goddess.  So, don’t come at me breathing fire about having stolen her.  I literally plucked her out of my Norse mythology book.  Thor and Loki are directly inspired by Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston's portrayals in Thor and Avengers.  There is no copyright infringement upon these interpretations or stories intended.

This is a set-up for a fanfiction I’m writing, We Built These Paper Mountains.  It’s a LokixOC!Sigyn fanfiction.  This is an introduction to the sort of relationship Sigyn has with Loki and Thor.  Keep your eyes peeled for the actual fanfiction!

WBTPM - WBTPM - WBTPM

            Sigyn tucked into her customary seat.  It wasn’t a banquet or a gala, but she’d been invited all the same.  She pulled the small hardback from her lap and held it loosely in front of her, ice blue eyes tracing each line of ancient Norse as she read.  Small pink lips occasionally hugged words not said aloud as long, graceful fingers shifted to expose the hidden words as she moved to the next page.  Her legs were crossed neatly at the ankle, her body fully on her chair and her back making contact all the way up the back of the chair.  She was a proper lady, with her white dress crisply pressed and her hair neatly pinned out of her face.  What certainly wasn’t lady-like, though, was the war-time novel she was reading.  There was a reason she read it in Ancient Norse, though; no one ever questioned her reading the classics.

            “Another book?” Thor’s booming voice observed as he sat down next to her.  She allowed a finger to hold her place as she loosely closed the book and lowered it to her lap.  Once she was no longer alone at the table, her books were no longer allowed.  It was common courtesy, even in Asgard.

            “It’s one you might like, Thor,” Sigyn commented, turning her head slightly to look at him.  “It’s about a warrior who must discover self-control lest he win the battle, but lose the war.”  A playful smile bloomed on her lips, indicating that she was making fun of him with the subject matter of her book.  Yes, her book actually was about that, but she was using it as an analogy for him.

            Thor laughed heartily.  “I’d much rather live that tale than merely read it.”

            “Reading it might do you some good,” she commented, eyes flitting down to the book as she lovingly stroked the cover.  “It’s a lot less dangerous to read of troubles and learn from them than to risk your life to learn lessons that you might forget tomorrow.”

            Hands came to rest on her shoulder.  She jumped slightly, not having heard the person approach.  The owner of the hands misinterpreted her motion as a flinch and retrieved the hands.  “I’m afraid it’s no use, Sigyn,” Loki commented from behind her.  “Thor is simply incapable of understanding the allure of words.”

            “Hello, brother,” Thor sighed.

            “Good even to you, Loki,” Sigyn smiled, looking over her shoulder to address him properly.  He, like Thor, was in full armor except for his helmet.  “Surely you did not come to this hall simply to poke fun at your brother?” He shook his head as he took his seat next to her.  “Then, might you be able to tell me why we are here? The All-father neglected to tell me when he invited me.”

            Loki smiled, a rare event for those outside his present company.  “It’s nothing grand,” he explained.  “It’s simply a dinner.  Father has been busy lately and unable to hold a dinner without having an express purpose.  He wishes to hold one before everyone gets busy again.”  He gently laid a hand on her shoulder.  “It’s nothing to fret about, small one.”

            She huffed, facing full-front.  “I’m not ‘small one,’ as you so insist on calling me.”  She tilted her head upward and closed her eyes.  “I’m actually of quite average stature.”

            “Yes, for a nymph!” Thor laughed.

            She rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head as she dipped her chin downward to continue reading the book in her lap.  “I’m actually tall for a nymph,” she commented a moment later.  She glanced up at Thor, a smile playing on the edge of her lips, before returning to her book.

            “I don’t think he heard you,” Loki whispered, leaning towards her as Thor began to drink his ale.  “Sometimes, you have to be loud and deliberate to make sure that he grasps what you’ve said.”

            “I’m so sorry for you, then,” she whispered back, slipping a ribbon into her book before closing it and looking to him.  “How many times must you find yourself having to repeat yourself in a single day?”

            Loki broke into another smile.  “Since my discovery, I’ve ceased to repeat myself.  If Thor values what I say, then he must listen when I say it the first time.”

            Sigyn’s smile grew.  “It’s a good thing, too,” she teased.  “Otherwise, you’d find yourself constantly repeating yourself.”  She giggled.

            He narrowed his eyes at her, but then looked past her.  She turned her head and found Thor staring at the two of them.  “What in Odin’s beard have I missed?” Sigyn just laughed harder, grasping her book to prevent it from tumbling to the floor.  Loki buried his head in his hands, hiding his smile from his brother.  Sigyn would be the death of him.