A Tale of Mischief and Mutants part 2

Unlike You

—-Loki—-

I step into my brother's house still dreading this conversation, Sam would've been happy to ask him for me but I felt so pathetic about being afraid to talk to my own brother. Things are quickly becoming awkward as a normal person would've began explaining by now but I'm still trying to figure out how to casually bring up something I'm so ashamed of. I do need to start talking though.

"...so... Sam and I we've..."

No there's no way I'm telling him about that how else to explain?

"Well, Sam is somehow under the impression that... when I'm... when I'm in my most natural state... she seems to think it's..."

I can't tell him she thinks it's beautiful for fear he'd laugh. I'd like to think he wouldn't but I can't be sure so I avoid the situation because I honestly don't know if I could take that.

" ...well I don't know why but she likes it."

He looks very confused for a couple seconds but I can see the gears turning in his head as what I'm saying clicks. Seeing he's now on the same page as I am I go on.

"Suffice to say I'm going to be spending a bit more time in that form... I don't want to be a danger to Sam and in order to do that I need some information seeing as I don't exactly know what I'm doing. I don't want to hurt her. Can you get the books containing knowledge of Jotun biology from the healers?"

He looks confused.

"Why not just ask for them yourself? You're just as entitled to that information as I am."

He's not being insensitive just a bit witless. He's never been good at reading the room or at picking up on the subtleties of interpersonal communication. He wears his emotions on his sleeve most of the time and just assumes others do the same. I just look at him in shame not wanting to have to verbally explain that I'm afraid to ask the healers for them myself. I watch his expression shift as the realization as to why I'm asking him to do it for me sets in.

"Oh... I see. It's alright I'll get what you need. Is there anything specific you wanted information about?"

"...the frostbite... ice production... anything that could hurt somebody."

He furrows his eyebrows seeming to put something together.

"Doing this, it worries you."

'More like terrifies me.' I answer honestly because there's a warmness and concern to my brother's tone that tells me doing so won't be met with any amount of judgment.

"Yes."

"Yet you still came to me for help with it. That's unlike you."

"It is..."

Sam's seemed to be able to make me reach out to my brother for help more than any other force has. He smiles a little.

"You truly have been working on this change haven't you?"

I suppose so, a year ago I would've swallowed my pride in front of Sam and let her ask him about this because I would find it worse if I displayed weakness in front of him like I am in coming here today.

"Yes, though not without help, ...Midgard has some great healers of the mind."

I don't know what drives me to speak openly... but right now I feel like I can tell him anything... like I could when we were children.

"You've been to a therapist?"

At him saying it out loud I'm suddenly unsure of what he'll think of this. 'What if he sees this as a weakness?' I answer him with hesitation.