Across the Cosmos

1893

Loki POV 

Dust billowed around Loki's leather shoes as Mobius and him stepped out of the temporal portal. His brow creased as he beheld the sight in front of him, where once stood rows of houses and shacks, now the two stood in the midst of a bustling fairground. A large entrance sign with various Midgardian flags plastered across it was posted above them. The words "Chicago World's Fair" in gaudy brightly painted letters gave him pause.

"Of course!" Mobius grinned, clapping Loki on the shoulder. "This makes sense now; the Chicago World's Fair is the perfect place for Ravonna and Miss Minutes to hide"

"Can we be certain that they are hiding?" Loki questioned, tailing after Mobius as his colleague headed into the crowds. "How will we even find them? This place is crawling with mortals"

"We survey from the ground" Mobius smiled, causing a chuckle to escape from Loki's lips.

"But how will we know where to start-"

"GHOST CLOCK TERRORIZES MIDWAY" A paper boy shouted some ways away.

Loki and Mobius exchanged a quick look before Mobius called out to the boy, handing him a few coins, and taking one of the papers. Unfolding it, Loki's eyes were instantly drawn to a stylized picture of what they believed to be a haunted ghost clock, but the resemblance to Miss Minutes was rather uncanny.

"We'll start there" Mobius affirmed, tucking the paper into the pocket of his coat.

Loki scowled down at the paper cone filled with the caramelized treat that Mobius practically dragged him over to. The golden-brown glaze looked far too sugary for his liking but there was a part of him that found it difficult to refuse Mobius when he saw his eyes alight with excitement and wonder at the possibility of having the treat. So, he begrudgingly agreed, but now he was stuck with the treat and had no desire to actually eat it. Walking out of the pavilion, Mobius was already popping some of the treats into his mouth with satisfaction.

"Was this really necessary? It's awful" Loki sighed.

"Yes, Cracker Jack is a must-have! And how would you know? You haven't tried yours..."

Loki looked back down at the paper cone as they walked, picking up one of the caramelized pieces and placing it quickly into his mouth in hopes of appeasing Mobius. He grimaced, much like with the Key Lime pie in the TVA, this too was far too sweet for his liking. A lifetime of snacking on the fruits of Asgard inhibited his ability to enjoy such sweet Midgardian treats, it was just sugar, melted down crystalized sugar. How anyone, including Mobius, enjoyed such a garish taste was beyond his comprehension.

"It tastes like shit"

"What would you know?" Mobius mumbled, popping another piece into his mouth.

The two approached a rustic structure that must have been meant to mimic some Scandinavian mead hall. Loki's brows raised as he noticed the three wooden carved statues acting as pillars to the front of the building. Odin. Balder. Thor. Each carving tries to best replicate the Aesir in correspondence with their names carved into the wood above them. Another frown tugged at Loki's lips,

"This is absurd" He groaned.

"What? That doesn't look like Odin?" Mobius chuckled.

"It's a gross generalization, you couldn't possibly replicate an entire civilization on such a small scale...for what? Midgardians to gawk at and think that this is in some way what the Northern peoples viewed us as...please, I mean, Balder hasn't been around for centuries...why would they even place him there?"