A Twist Of Marvel || Infinity War

57. Tension

Despite how tempted Naomi was to try on one of the gorgeous royal gowns, she knew she needed a more practical choice. She could play dress-up when the threat of half the world dying wasn't eminent. Therefore, Naomi requested to be fitted for armor, or at least some protective clothing. The SHIELD uniforms had been great, but she had no idea how Maria Hill dealt with a full bodysuit at all times.

The servants that had been assigned to Naomi, by who she wasn't sure, went about their task quickly, and quietly. For the most part. Apparently, Loki had been seen carrying her to the Medical Ward by some choice gossipers among the staff, and now the entire palace seemed to buzz with the news. Though he was admittedly a figure of controversy among his own people, Loki was still a prince, and was a source for hot gossip. Naomi only realized that when a young woman measuring around her waist asked her if she was engaged to the prince in a whisper. Naomi's response had been a fair amount of sputtering, and a choked 'no.'

The women backed off when her fittings finished, and as Naomi waited for them to make adjustments to the clothing she had requested, a few bold ones spoke up. They were curious about her origins, and the answer 'Midguard' only stoked their fascination further, and they questioned the nature of her relationship with the prince. Naomi didn't answer that one, but they noticed the pink dusting of her cheeks and giggled to themselves.

It was with a small sense of relief that Naomi accepted the finished product from them, though she had room for amazement at their quick work. Asgardians truly were something else. The armor fitted her perfectly, and failed to weigh her down or make her movements awkward. Naomi had chosen to go with a pair of long black pants, fashioned from a thick material that she failed to recognize. Her shirt was the same material, thick and layered, yet also fitted. Her upper arms were bare, which appeared to be the style in Asgard, but she was given a matching of forearm protectors and shin guards which were strapped on tightly. They even prepared offensive armor as well as protective, proving Naomi with a pair of leather gloves, small pieces of metal adorning the knuckles. And though she hadn't asked, one woman pulled her short hair back into a thick dutch braid, finishing her work before Naomi could protest that it wasn't necessary.

The women were openly disappointed when she left, and seemed to forgo any sense of formality as they invited her to come back anytime, and one brave girl even shouted, 'say hello to the prince for me!" Naomi allowed herself to chuckle at their antics as she was led down the hall by the same woman that picked her up from the Ward. That woman had declined from sharing in the gossip, which Naomi appreciated since she had paid witness to a kiss between her and Loki. She seemed to be a silent type, so no conversation passed between the woman as they traversed the halls of Asgard.

---

The famed warriors three of Asgard had taken it upon themselves to track down Thor, eventually finding themselves in the company of his other friends. Thor was perfectly comfortable, however there was palpable tension at the great dining table where they all sat. Hogun and Volstagg had occupied the seats next to Thor, the two immediately striking up a conversation with him- Volstagg speaking through food in his mouth. However, Fandral had chosen to sit next to Valkyrie on hers and Bruce's side of the table. The clearly delusional man briefly attempted flirting with Valkyrie, or 'Topaz,' but he found himself shut down in record time. She seemed familiar with his behavior, and simply resorted to interrupting him with the word 'no' every time he spoke to her. It was exceedingly successful.

However tensions served only to increase when the next person to arrive was none other than Loki, who had finally approached his companions after strolling the palace aimlessly. Thor, of course, was either unaware or unaffected by the sudden drop in mood from the famous three. "Good of you to join us, brother!" He cheered, and Bruce gave a small wave in support. Valkyrie acknowledged him with a glance- and if Loki's vision wasn't tricking him- a small nod. She was being surprisingly affectionate that day.

"Prince Loki." Volstagg greeted, turning in his seat to stare at the trickster. He emphasized the word Prince, as if to clarify to the man that he was no longer King of Asgard. It was safe to say that, while many members of the palace staff had been fully aware that Loki was parading around as Odin for a great while, others had been clueless. The warriors three had largely been banished from the palace, duties piled on top of them until they could only sleep and occasionally eat inside the gilded walls, and do nothing else. They still harbored some resentment toward Loki for that, among various other misdeeds from across the years.

"Volstagg." Loki spat in return, not bothering to mask his contempt. His gait was haughty as Loki chose his seat at the table, boldly sitting next to Bruce in refusal to sit by any of the warriors. Bruce seemed anxious at his seating choice, but managed to remain relatively calm as he reminds himself how different Loki was acting now. Even if at the moment he was being an arrogant prick, Bruce could easily tell that it was just a front. Something was bothering him, so Loki's immediate reaction was to strike up some walls and tighten his emotional defense.

"Who was the lady?" Hogun spoke up, his expression guarded against Loki. Unlike his friends, however, he was able to keep any obvious dislike off of his features. However, even to Hogun's marginally polite question, Loki was offensive.

"None of your business." He scoffed, folding his arms. Almost unconsciously, Loki arched his head upwards, so he could stare down at Hogun across from him. However he was distracted by a sudden groan from Fandral, who appeared to be getting frustrated with the entire situation.

"That's exactly what the Lady Topaz replied when I asked her the same!" Fandral complained, slumping forward slightly. Beside him, 'Topaz' was unbothered, fingering the top of her most recently emptied booze bottle.

"I don't like you," she stated. Fandral huffed in defeat. The rest of the table seemed to find some amusement in their exchange, however one God of Thunder was finally realizing the tension in the room.

"Come now!" He smiled, caught in the middle of them. "We are all friends here, are we not?"

"No." Loki and Valkyrie both replied, likely the first thing they had ever openly agreed upon. Surprised by their like-mindedness, the pair shared a glance over Bruce's head. Bruce himself didn't bother containing his smile, and unabashedly chuckled at the two of them, finally seeming to relax. Thor cracked a grin, ignoring the looks exchanged between the warriors three. Finally, it dawned on them that they were the outsiders in the conversation, and that perhaps Thor had changed during his travels more than they had anticipated. 

However, they could not have guessed the extent of his strange experiences abroad, at least until one of the grand double doors to the dining hall was pushed open, and a prophet crossed over the threshold.