"He is almost certainly the best or second-best archer standing on this planet right now," Loki says. "Just that. Mentioning that you are generously judging him against a background of boys in particular does not make remarks about his skill more complimentary."

"But..." She shakes her head. "If you think he's insulted then of course I'll apologize, but I don't understand why he would be."

"I don't know if he's insulted or not, I did tell everyone about Asgardian norms on the subject of gender roles in advance," Loki says. "But the background assumption that it is in some way especially surprising when a boy from another planet with other norms is an excellent archer... is by more egalitarian standards impolite. You would not say Irissë was a good archer 'for a girl' - you would not say 'for an Elf', either, you don't have any preexisting understanding that Elves ought to have any specific level of skill."

"It sounds like Elves are all amazing archers, for all I know they're both as impressive with a bow to other Elves as I am to other Asgardians... I think I see what you mean, though. Thank you."

"You're welcome. So, I can go tell him you like him for you if you want."

"I think that sounds very helpful!"

So Loki pops off in search of Tyelcormo.

Tyelcormo and Huan are wandering the city. He waves when he sees her.

"Hi! Guess what."

"You need someone to assassinate your mother?"

"No thank you," Loki snorts. "My sister likes you and is too shy to say so."

"...really? Not that she likes me, that's not surprising, but she doesn't seem the type to be consumed by shyness. I once swore off blondes but I guess I am technically no longer bound to that."

"You literally swore off blondes?"

He shrugs. "You sound as appalled as Maitimo did. It's not a dangerous oath and it was a bad breakup."

"Anyway. She is not shy in general but is a little reserved about expressing interest, though this is the first time I've been a go-between - possibly just because I was convenient, she wanted to check first if I was planning to keep you for myself."

"The answer was 'no', I hope."

"You would've been the first to know, I assure you. And then she asked if she could have you then, and I said she should ask you, and she asked me for help, and I said 'help' looked like me going up to you and saying 'my sister likes you and if you can put up with the casual Asgardian sexism you should go invite her to pet your hair', and then we discussed casual Asgardian sexism and she may have an impending learning curve."

"Irissë's happy. Back home it was 'good shot, for a girl' at her."

"I noticed that. I didn't know how it'd sit with you."

"Your sister is pretty cute and can have me if she likes. Asgardian gender roles don't seem like the galaxy's most pressing problem but if they start to really annoy me I shall ask my father for one of those ridiculous hammers."

"I know they're not or I would've had the conversation with her before, it just came up in this context. You could get her to let you try to pick Mjolnir up. Its choosiness is something of a party trick."

"Mass murderer, remember? I expect most tests of character consider that a disqualifier."

"I'm not at all sure what it's doing. It won't let me pick it up."

"Do you have a list of everyone who's picked it up?"

"No. And sometimes it'll let someone nudge it, or heft it once and then demand to be put right back down, it's not 'can you pick it up or not'."