[Wednesday - Tony and the Asgardbros]

[playboy_philanthropist]

Tony had been meaning to talk to Thor since the news of Loki moving in. He still didn't like the chaotic 'god' living in his tower. He'd taken advantage of them, killed Coulson, used his tower and his technology, and may have succeeded in destroying the world if some very opportune events hadn't happened. Loki was an unstable variable and while Tony was perfectly fine dealing with that when he was that variable, he at least knew what was going on in his own mind. It was an awful big burden to put on the team. Sure, they'd defeated him once and saved the world, but this living situation was new and there was testing to see that they wouldn't all kill each other when the world was on the line. It was already causing some rifts with Natasha quitting SHIELD. Who was to say what other things might happen due to the stress? And then there was the whole 'magic' bullshit...

So he'd focused on other things. Things that didn't cause him nearly as much annoyance. But when JARVIS first reported Loki leaving the tower as a bird and then Pepper got the memo about another Asgardian coming to stay with them, he knew he shouldn't avoid it any longer. He asked JARVIS for the location of Thor. He then went directly down to Thor's quarters, knocked on the door, and waited. He was trying to be good about this whole privacy thing, even if his impatience and paranoia made it hard.

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[isitmadness]

Whenever Loki felt uncomfortable in his own skin - which was rather often in the grand scheme of things, and in hindsight made sense because he never really was in his own skin - he'd simply adopt another look, head to toe, and enjoy it until he needed his princely privileges back. This had been one of those days, where he woke up feeling restless and decided to put his magic to some use, and the most exhausting kind.

It had been a long while since he'd had this form, and he spent some time in the bathroom admiring it in the mirror before he walked out to fetch some clothes. Thor came back from his errand right as Loki was rifling through the closet, nude; he said nothing and returned to the living room to continue reading that little medical book of his.

Loki managed to find a worn white shirt of Thor's with laces in the front that, even when pulled and knotted neatly, still opened low on his chest (not that he opted for a large bosom this time). In addition, one pair of trousers still fit if he used a belt to tighten it around his hips. But he didn't pull it so tight, for now.

As he made his way out, the door chime rang, and despite Thor's protests Loki answered the door first. "Stark," he said, glancing up at the man, a smirk ghosting the edge of his mouth. "What can we do for you?"

[playboy_philanthropist]

Tony's eyebrows went up in surprise when the door opened and there was a woman standing there. Even if the letter had mentioned a Lady Sif, he hadn't expected a woman to open the door. He'd actually expected for Thor to open his own door and this woman was just about the opposite of tall, blonde, and bulky. He was about to say something when that smirk faintly quirked her lips. Now that seemed very familiar. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked her up and down.

"And you'd be? Other than eager to please that is. Thor in?" he asked, even though JARVIS had already told him the answer before. "If he's busy, I can always come back. Or join in. Either way." Ok, maybe not the best way to go about this if this was indeed Lady Sif, but the words were already out of his mouth...

[isitmadness]

He laughed, partly because he seemed so nice once he didn't recognize the face of his own enemy, and partly to hide his bitterness at that familiar arrogance, one that reminded him of Thor in his worst states.

"He's in," he said, leaning up against the door so Stark could see Thor walking over with purpose from the lounge. "But I would rather lay with a horse again than entertain you, Stark, no matter how many drinks you'd offer me."

Finally, he stepped away as Thor came near, wandering into the kitchen for a drink. "Stark," he heard Thor say, rather solmen, "please do not proposition my brother."

[playboy_philanthropist]

And that certainly wasn't the response he expected either. More power to her if she was going to own up to her bestiality for the sake of an insult, but still a bit weird. "And yet you're doing great at entertaining me now," Tony called out before turning his attention to Thor.

His eyes went wide and he gave a snort of disbelief as he waited to see if Thor was joking. But the familiar smirk made sense now as well as the line about drinks. Then, he couldn't help laughing as he shook his head. "Seriously? Did he get tired of being a bird? Is all that livestock porn true then?" He laughed more as he leaned against the doorframe. "Although I can't compete with that. I may be great, but no man can compare to a horse."

[isitmadness]

He found a mug from the cupboard and filled it with some cold water, sipping it briefly before sauntering back over. It was any wonder if Stark knew exactly what he was saying, and to who: Thor's fist was tight by his side, holding back his normal retaliation for defaming Loki's character (even if it was true), probably because Stark was weak and human and intimately connected with their landlady. How noble.

So Loki coiled his arm around Thor's, resting his hand against Thor's bare bicep in a silent and half-hearted effort to calm his warrior blood. "You couldn't compare with Svadilfari as a man, either; he has all the strength of his stallion form, enough of the height, and he will still serve you at the barest tug of the reins." He smiled sweetly, and then looked up at Thor who was less than pleased as he always was when Svad came up in conversation. Not that Loki really understood why; Svad was an excellent stablemaster.

"You should come in," Thor suggested, though in the tone of an order, as if he didn't like these words carrying down the hall.

[playboy_philanthropist]

"So you like your men big, dumb, and completely submissive," Tony said with a roll of his eyes. "Gee, I would have never figured that with your whole 'everyone bow to me', world domination, 'I'll make you love me' schtick." He stood up straighter, crossing an arm over his chest as he gestured at Loki. "Does that theme stay when you're with women too, because if so, I have this great book you should read. It's called 50 Shades of Grey. All the housewives are raving about it."

He glanced between Thor and Loki before crossing his other arm over his chest. "I think I'd prefer a chat without the peanut gallery. Even if she's very entertaining."

[isitmadness]

"Women are entirely different creatures," he said, swirling the water in his mug, and it iced over just as it was about to splash out, with crystals curling over the lip. "You'll have to guess again."

As Stark made his preferences known, Loki turned, showing his back to him while he leaned up and whispered in Thor's ear, "Well, he has found two of your traits, hasn't he?" Then, he walked off towards the hallway and into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. Thor wouldn't want him to shadow-walk into their conversation, yet, why bother? He could get all he wanted out of Thor later.

[donaldblake]

Thor watched Loki disappear down the hallway and sighed. He never quite knew how to deal with him (her?) in this form, and Loki never gave him advice. He enjoyed watching Thor's discomfort, Thor knew, but that never made it any easier to quell.

"Let us sit," he said to Stark, motioning to the lounge.

[playboy_philanthropist]

Tony watched Loki leave warily before he entered and went to make himself comfortable on the couch. "You deserve a medal. Although I suppose that siblings. Or so I've heard."

He glanced back towards to where Loki went before he shook his head. "Now that is some party trick. You have no idea how many people would pay him good cash if he could do that on command to other people." He looked to Thor, raising an eyebrow. "Can he? Do all this shapeshifting shit to other people?"

[donaldblake]

"He is my brother. I can't accept such things when I am already honor-bound to stay with him."

Thor shut the door and walked over to join him, sitting in the armchair. "He can make anyone believe they look a certain way, but shapeshifting others is arduous at best if they don't have the power to do it." He wouldn't mention one of Loki's first attempts, because he didn't like mentioning Hela by name.

"Now, what did you wish to discuss?"

[playboy_philanthropist]

"Not all people would feel so honor-bound considering the situation," Tony pointed out. He tapped his fingers on the back of the sofa as he nodded. "Too arduous to do with that necklace of his?" Even though there was the guarantee of him being kept in control, he didn't like how much magic Loki could still do. But if they only had to worry about mental manipulation... Tough, but at least it was a physical thing to focus on.

He gestured down the hall. "Well, there's sister dearest. It's not very happy making around these parts, but it is what it is. It might get brought up during the house meeting. Do you think he can be kept properly in control in this situation?"

[donaldblake]

Others were not partly at fault for the situation, but Thor left that unsaid, instead focusing on Stark's next question. "Perhaps. He could use a Norn stone, if he could find one, but I don't intend to let him wander through Nornheim."

For the briefest moment Thor had to pause on that title, sister dearest, until he realized that no one but Loki troubled the others in this tower. Thor frowned a little; he would always think of Loki as his brother, whether man or woman or pregnant mare. "I think, combined, we are enough of a threat to prevent his more vile schemes from forming. But I'm afraid he isn't as restrained as some would like, and we would gain nothing if he was." And Thor wouldn't allow it in the first place. At the first real possibility of it, he'd bundle their things and take Loki far away, where they could talk amongst the silence and safety of boulders and trees.

[playboy_philanthropist]

"A Norn stone? Other than a stone from Nornheim, what is it and what specifically does it do?" Tony asked. "And which world is Nornheim in? My knowledge of Scandinavian geography is pretty much on the same level as Asgardian geography."

He frowned slightly as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "Stronger surveillance might ease some minds. But with you sharing rooms, that'll infringe on your privacy and I've been told that privacy is actually this good thing when having guests around. So, opening up 24/7 video surveillance would be up to you."

[donaldblake]

"Nornheim is separate from all the realms - it lies at the base of Yggdrasil. It's difficult to access from Midgard, so you don't have to concern yourself with it. The stones created there harvest the power of the Tree itself, and they are very useful to spell casters like Loki." He had a belt infused with their power; it was one of his favorites to wear in battle.

Thor could see the benefit in surveillance, but he didn't like spies in his quarters, not when his life in Asgard was already fraught with repelling them. Too many people in the Nine Realms wanted to know him more than he liked them. And Loki's mood would sour without end. He sighed. "...No, I can't accept this. They will have to trust me. He can be watched when he steps outside...but he must feel safe here."

[playboy_philanthropist]

Tony pursed his lips together. He didn't like that answer, but he should respect it. Even if it drove him crazy having someone like Loki in his house and not knowing what he was doing. Or well, restraining himself from finding it out. He could have JARVIS giving him updates every few minutes, but he'd obsess that way. And likely end on the wrong end of a hammer if he used that information.

Blowing out a sigh, he shook his head reluctantly. "I don't like it, but it seems like there isn't a way yet to make everyone feel safe with this situation." He tapped his fingers together before studying Thor intently. "How much do you actually believe in this rehabilitation thing? Everyone loves a redemption story, but it doesn't work so well when the person in rehab doesn't want to be there."

[donaldblake]

"He can be reached. I saw it during the battle." One hand clenched tight in his lap. That moment frustrated him to no end, now and then - he had been so close. "In the past Loki has saved countless children, protected the realm, sacrificed his well-being for Asgard, and even in his madness - when he sent the Destroyer to Earth - he still eliminated Asgard's greatest threat." Thor might not have kept his desire to eliminate or subjugate the jotunns, but Laufey had been no friend to Asgard for almost two millennia now. Even with the unfortunate relation.

"He is capable of fighting for justice and honor. It is my task to remove what stops him from doing so."

[playboy_philanthropist]

"And how can you be sure it isn't part of a bigger scheming?" Tony asked. "Aiming to put himself in the right spot at the right time again." Playing into this victim thing could be the next act. The next grab for attention made all the more interesting by being right within the middle of the enemies who beat him. There would be many ways to play it, whether it be their animosity or their inaction.

He rubbed his hand over his chin. "And what would those things be? Doesn't sound like it's going to be as easy as pulling out a rotten tooth."

[donaldblake]

"I can't be sure," he admitted, knowing his words would just discourage Stark further, but he wouldn't lie. "And my kindness may support whatever his next scheme may be, but I still cannot abandon him."

Thor glanced out towards the windows and the endless skyline of the city, holding as many personalities as the wild cosmos. "I would look at those connected to the Chitauri and who owned Loki's staff beforehand - or the stone, at least. But I do not know their tactics."

[playboy_philanthropist]

It was an honest answer, even if it wasn't a reassuring one. They'd already come to blows over Loki and while Thor had sided with them in the end, there was no guarantee that if circumstances weren't as dire or had Loki as so obvious an enemy that he wouldn't react differently. He didn't really want to have to fight the 'god' as well as whatever evil was trying to destroy the world at the same time.

"Looking into that will be hard. There are the coordinates that Selvig put in, but that gives us as much information as me telling you they came from the bottom of the Mariana Trench. We have their tech, so we know they're pretty far advanced compared to most of our tech. But other than that." He shrugged. "The fleet they gave Loki was completely destroyed. So, unless there is a world somewhere or another base, the answer is gone. Unless you're planning on heading over there to start playing detective through the vastness of space."

[donaldblake]

His smile was small and didn't quite reach his eyes. Thor knew the task ahead of him if Loki didn't want to reveal anything, and how remote the chances would be of finding anything useful. And yet, "Loki and I still have many years before we will be called to Helheim," he said, "so I will find my answers before the end."