“Brother,did you know there was a werewolf lurking in the forest?” Loki asks.

Thor had been attempting to master the style of painting when Loki had randomly popped up. Loki knew how exactly to make an unexpected visit to Thor when it was least expected.Thor turns to his right surprised that Loki did in fact know about the werewolf. Maybe Sif was right after all.

“Yes.” Thor said, with a disappointed sulk. “I’ve been biding my time to go find it.”

Loki laughs.

“Brother, that werewolf is very much dead.” Loki said.  “And so is the other werewolf.” Thor’s expressions into a ‘there was another werewolf?’ which only earned a nod from Loki. “Your little ‘mission’ in the forest can be called off.”

Thor’s face is all ‘Did you kill it’.

“No.” Loki lied, with a shake of his hand.  “That was all Ivy.” Loki had one hand behind his back and so he made a little painted black mustache appear on Thor’s face. “Ivy was very delighted about it last night she painted on your face. Ivy woke me up last night to give her a ‘shovel’ to bury the werewolf.”

Thor feels his cheeks.

“I don’t feel any paint.” Thor said.

Loki made a mirror appear in his hand hidden behind his back and handed the silver framed hand mirror to Thor.

“Surprised no one told you.” Loki said.

Thor turns the hand-mirror over and holds it up apparently showing the backside.

“This is another trick of yours, isn’t it?” Thor asks, wary of Loki’s trickery.

Loki shook his head  and his index finger.

“As much as it entertains me; no.” Loki said.  “Turn it around.”

Thor turns the hand mirror around gasps seeing a black painted mustache above his lips--Even the  growing blonde beard had been painted over--and it was so apparent that his face turns a heated red.The sad part about it is that Loki also had used a spell that made Thor looks like he had trimmed his beard up to be a cowboy’s most wanted mustache back in the wild west.

“How dare no one tells me about this until breakfast!” Thor said, getting up.  “I must rid my face of this unwanted--” Thor glances back to the mirror. “My beard!” Thor looks horrified touching where the parts of his blonde beard should be. “The Midgardian cut my beard!”

“You can always grow it back.” Loki said.

“Mine takes longer to grow back.” Thor said. “Yours come back instantly.”

“Brother, do I or do I not have a beard?” Loki asks.

“No.” Thor said.

“You’re thinking about Volstagg’s beard.” Loki said.  “I shave my face every day to look this handsome.”

“Men with beard look handsome.” Thor said

“So, you plan to grow your beard to your toes?” Loki asks. “Fine then. Good luck walking.”

“Short beards, Loki.” Thor said.  “Excuse me,I must wash my beardless face.”

Thor  walks away.

“You’re already growing out a beard,Brother!” Loki reassures Thor. “Someone who plans to be king should start growing it out early.”

Once again; Loki had tricked Thor. And on the other hand Ivy didn’t know Loki had made the painted image on Thor’s face reappear, and, cut Thor’s beard in the process. Loki looks down to see the hand mirror is on the stool that Thor sat on.Loki looks both ways then he uses magic on the stool almost splashing it in green sparkles similar to fireworks.The stool jumps up turning into a zebra and the mirror turned into a harness.

“You have a date at a riding challenge.” Loki said, using the reins to lead the Zebra away from the castle.

Oh, the mischief that Loki could do on Asgard.

___                                              ___                                           _

..Two hours later...

..The throne room...

Thor had told Odin what year Ivy is from, and, that she is from a part of Midgard known as ‘Ohio, Patterndale in the United States’ strangely. Odin could not be sure that Thor, the one and only Asgardian who could see through beasts as people, had managed to carry on a conversation with a unusual Midgardian.So Odin had Ivy brought to clear his doubts.

“Ivy, what did you do yesterday?” Odin asks.

Ivy stares at Odin.

“I..slept?” Ivy said, as her fingers fidget.

“Do not play games with me, Midgardian.” Odin said.

A smile grew across Ivy’s face.

“I killed a werewolf.” Ivy said, cheerfully. “And I got forgiven!”

Well, that didn’t really make sense. How does a four foot eleven Midgardian kill  a ‘werewolf’ that is capable of towering right over her? Werewolves are known to tower over the shortest Midgardians in the night at any kind of location; forest, street, and a road.One of the fear factors that send most Midgardians running away rather than dealing with the threat. Odin is becoming skeptical that Ivy could have done it on her own.

“For killing a  werewolf?” Odin asks.

Ivy makes a short laugh.

“No.” Ivy said. “There’s just some things you can’t forgive yourself.” Her voice became lower as though what she is about to say next is a touchy subject. “Even for the death of a sibling that could have been prevented.”

“And how?” Odin asks.

“I...I honestly don’t know.” Ivy said, averting her eyes towards the left.  “I have two theories; One, I was hallucinating.” She taps on her right index fix. Her attention returns towards Odin. “Two, I was dying.” Ivy taps on her second finger beside the index finger. “I am still alive;so, I’mma go with the first one!”

“Did you speak with Thor in the previous evening?” Odin asks.

Ivy taps at her chin, and her eyes gazed to the ceiling. This might be the most important question of my entire life, Ivy thought, since I don’t really remember what happened last night and Loki is being really sketchy telling me if I died or not.  Ivy admires the ceiling tapping her boots on the floor ever so lightly.

Ivy pokes at thin air making a poker face.

“A question does not take ten minutes for a straightforward reply.” Odin said.

Ivy looks down from the ceiling and folds her arms making a pout. Should I tell him that no; I haven’t seen Mr-I-am-a-brat-face-and-he-insulted Sammy one hour ago? Thinking one decision out isn’t very short for Ivy. She keeps debating even with a little warning from Odin. Then again it sounds really childish coming from someone who looks like a child; but is not.

“Yes.” Ivy lies, glancing to the left. “I spoke to Thor today and yesterday.”

“I wasn't asking about today.” Odin said.

“Oh.” Ivy said. “Your little blonde son has a interest in shaving his beard horribly.”

“Ivy, you’re excused.” Odin said.

“Bye-zers!” Ivy said, zipping out of Odin’s presence.

Odin’s suspicions were proved to be true. After all Ivy’s behavior sold her out rather than her words. At a later time Odin is seen speaking  with Loki in private. Not many  Asgardians were around the king and his second son.Though by Loki’s expression it is very convenient that Odin hasn’t got to the point. Ivy’s current whereabouts are rather left unknown what she is doing beyond the castle walls.

“Father, what is it that you requested me for?” Loki asks.

Ivy is walking by the door. She was requested by Frigga to come along and show her skill in using a piano.

“I requested Thor to ask Ivy, not you.” Odin said.

At the mention of her name; Ivy looks through a keyhole that allowed her to see the room is similar to a library. It had rows and rows of books. Gods take meetings in their personal libraries?, Ivy thought quizzically uncertain her mind is acting right. Personal endless library's were not the ideal place to hold a discussion when there could be a librarian lurking around in the shady not very trusting shadows.

“If it is any consolation,I didn’t want to.” Loki said.

“But you did it, anyway.” Odin said. “And the next time you go to Midgard... It will not be the winter.”

Loki’s reaction is that of surprise.Even though Ivy could not see his reaction; this is a very likely reaction from Loki. Ivy raises an eyebrow from behind the door. So...Lemme get this straight; this dude hasn't visited Earth in who knows long and happens to be so mischievous he doesn't want to face the consequences.Ivy connects the dots in her mind figuring out what Odin is probably foreshadowing.A frown appears on Ivy's face while thinking; that is so lame.

“What did I do last time?” Loki innocently asks.

“Nearly started a war with Jotunheim.” Odin reminds Loki. Ivy's mouth fell open.  “You will be in Midgard for a Midgardian year.”

"Over a child, father?" Loki said. "What makes this child so important that Thor has to face a wall of gibberish?"

Ivy looks hurt backing away from the door.

"This Midgardian is not a child." Odin said. "She is a teenager, Loki." Odin walks over to a table and then flips open a age old book that sounded like it sent dust flying away.  "I can see a blurr in her future that will not stop." Ivy hears a page being turned. "A blur-shroud; that is what it is called."

"Maybe this is a different shroud?" Loki suggests."You rarely have these, father."

"Loki, this may be hard to believe." Odin said, tapping on a page on the book. "But there are matters beyond Asgardian intervention.It seems her fate lies in the stars."

Ivy walks away from the door feeling some pain in her back.Ivy walks straight forward ignoring the pain originating in her back making the assumption that some strange phenomena was happening to her back.She can feel the specific pin-points at certain parts of her back.Little by little--and knowing her back, of course--Ivy concluded that a marking of dragon wings were making themselves clear. Ivy is not growing a pair of dragon wings. That would have been too weird.

"In the stars." Loki repeats.

"Yes." Odin said. "In the stars."

Loki pauses.

"Can there be a chance..." Loki began to say, in a low voice.

"Loki, there is not a chance Ivy's fate will be changed." Odin said. "When she joins the stars; one day,maybe I will learn why her fate lies there. Instead of joining the other unfortunate midgardians who've since passed." Odin closes the book. "It would be certainly helpful if you gave me a clear picture what is going on with Ivy."

"I have." Loki lies.

_____                                                                             ____

...Three hours later...

...In a different library room...

"You've got a nice Sirius Black look going on." Ivy said, looking up from a book about 'sea-creatures of Asgard' that apparently was written by Odin's father long ago.

Ivy is referring to Loki's messy curly black hair. Loki had intentionally messed up his hair.

"May I ask who is  Sirius Black?" Loki asks.

Again, one of his most thought out plans to get Ivy annoyed was backfiring.

"Sirius Black is a awesome blacksheep of his family who is capable of becoming a werewolf!" Ivy explains, very clearly surprisingly.  "He is also a wizard. He is also a relative to Harry Potter and has been removed twice in his family tree. In fact; if you grew a short beard then many Potterheads surely would end up crying."

Loki raises a brow.

"He was killed by Bellatrix Lestrange." Ivy said, turning her attention down to the blue leathered book."The resemblance is pretty neat."  She pauses reading the book and lowered it from her eye's view. Her eyes were so lit brighter than a candle. "Tell me you; ever heard of Expecto Patronum?"

"No." Loki said. "I should know about this."

"Sorry, but I got news for you." Ivy said.  "Get a stick and use it on Thor: at night."

"What good does night do waving a stick at my brother?" Loki asks.

"You'll see." Ivy said, picking up the book back to her eye level and leaned back into the chair. The pain from the unusual red markings making a pair of dragon wing imprints was lighter than it had been two hours ago. In fact Ivy is on page one hundred thirty-nine. "By the way; you're failing at getting a reaction from me."

Loki left the room irritated that Ivy was very reaction-less, and, very much acts as though the world didn't deserve a cookie of care. Technically it means Ivy did not give a whole lot thought to whatever happened around her.

"Brother!" Thor's voice startles Loki. "Welcome to my beard's injured fan club!"

Loki hadn't thought about Thor's reaction, apparently.

"I don't know any sorts about a 'club',Brother."  Loki said, turned towards Thor's direction.

Thor's hair is colored pink.

"I found this in my room." Thor said, holding a paper out.

Loki used all of his self control not to laugh. It is apparent that Thor hadn't noticed the unusual coloring in his own hair. Loki could see, that in plain as day, was a letter written in his writing that read: Can I join the club with your injured beard?.The only part that screamed 'forgery!' was the unusual spelling of 'beard'.

"I didn't write it." Loki said.

"That is your writing, brother." Thor said.

Loki glares at Thor.

"Did you show her my writing?"  Loki asks.

"She was acting so nice and apologetic." Thor said. "I couldn't say no to her."

Loki turns towards the doors and opens the right door completely. Loki walks right in expecting to see Ivy sitting in the chair engrossed into the book.However she is not at the slightest there in the room.The book is left open on the chair's cushion.

"That little Midgardian..." Loki said. I've been tricked by a Midgardian, Loki thought, I have not been tricked by someone else impressively for a century.

"Brother, this means you're in my club." Thor said.

"And how many is that?" Loki asks.

"You,me, the hammer, and the beard." Thor said.

"Thor, that is four." Loki said.