Loki’s thoughts turned back to Sif and what she'd said of Odin and Heimdall. Angered, Loki decided to seek out his father on the matter. The guards granted him admittance and closed the doors behind him as he stood before Odin.

"Father, I would like a word," Loki said, keeping his annoyance in check.

Odin had just finished dealing with most of the daily business of listening to complaints and settling minor disputes among his fellow Asgardians. Seeing Loki approaching, he smiled and responded, “Of course my son, would you like to converse over a meal, for I am ravished and have not been able to escape these halls since the sun peeked over the mountainside.”

Loki bared his teeth in suspense as he thought. He wanted privacy when he spoke to his father over this matter. "Perhaps I could speak to you here, in private, first and then we could talk about the goings on of Asgard over a meal?"

Odin’s eyes lit up in curiosity and seeing the tension in his son, he replied, “Of course. What is it you wish to converse about?”

"I was speaking with Balder when Sif came upon us, hostile as ever. She claims ye instructed Heimdall not to give me passage across the Rainbow Bridge. Does she speak the truth?" Loki asked, trying but failing to keep his voice even.

Odin responded in a matter-o-fact tone, “Indeed; I did speak to Heimdall last night telling him ye were not to leave the gates of Asgard period, and if ye did, I was to be notified immediately. You are well aware of this stipulation as I informed you already what is expected of you. Surely that is no surprise to thee?”

Loki flounced in exaggerated movements attempting to contain his irritation as he growled, "Father, did you not request he keep such information to himself?!" Loki asked, and before Odin could reply, "Is public humiliation a stipulation of my punishment as well?"

Odin sighed heavily at his son’s dramatics, “Public humiliation? Loki, you have suffered banishment at the knowledge of all of Asgard, how is this much different? At least in this instance they will know ye are still one with them and not an outcast. I did not make an announcement in the Great Hall, but as Asgard is quite intimate in regards to such things, you cannot truly think that your inability to leave Asgard would be made a secret for long?”

Loki's eyes fell and his foot toed at the ground as he replied, "There is no shame in banishment.... but being forbidden to leave one's home is a punishment kept mostly for children. I was hoping my continued presence in Asgard would not raise suspicion as to the reason I did not venture past the walls of the city." Glaring up at Odin, Loki added, "Ye know of the grudge between Sif and myself, did you not foresee her taunts? How am I to turn a new leaf if you stack the odds in the favor of altercations?" Loki's argument was based mostly in sincerity, but there was a part of him laying safe guards with Odin for his plan against Sif in combat.

Odin shook his head wondering how Loki could see banishment as not being shameful thus solidifying the fact to him that banishment had been pointless and this new method was more fitting, “Perhaps a little shame on your end is what ye need to endure Loki? Ye have shamed me with your behavior time and again as well as yourself whether you have recognized it as such or not. Ye complain your punishment is kept mostly for that of a child, but if that is the way ye deem to act, ye should not grouse when you are then treated as such. As for Sif, what would ye have me do? If she does speak truth, I have no ruling to object. I never said turning a new leaf would be easy for you; it will take time for the others to accept ye have changed. It will not happen overnight, but through noble and righteous acts, ye will win favor of your fellow Asgardians, of this, I so swear.”

Loki had the good grace to drop his eyes to the floor and blush when Odin spoke of the shame he'd brought him. As Odin kept going, however, Loki's contrite look turned to pouting and then to sheer spite. "So ye will not help make this change in me that ye so desire easy?" 'Then again,' Loki thought, 'this could prove beneficial.' Calming himself, Loki continued in a diplomatic and self sacrificing tone: "If that is the case, and since I hereby pledge to undertake this process mostly on my own, as ye have just made clear that I must, I would like to request a certain leniency for future minor lapses." Shrugging in an exaggerated way, "One must realize, the honorable road is new to me and I have many obstacles in my path. It is only fair, father."

Frown appearing instantly, Odin crossed his arms and replied with building agitation, “Are ye planning to cause mischief already Loki? Was thy lesson learned last night not harsh enough to ward thee off such a manner of action? Ye are already set to making excuses for future misdeeds! Ye will not receive leniency for committing to behave poorly out of character flaw. The reason ye are under such a watchful eye is that I may correct such behavior readily as it occurs rather than letting you get away without reprimand. It may not be the aide ye desire, but that is how I plan to help thee. Ye have aired that I disregarded you, and to not bring you to task for outright disobedience would be quite a disservice to thee would it not?”

Loki's hands instinctively reached back to cover his backside as his green eyes widened, eyebrows knit together as he took a step back. "No... no... I... . … I am not planning any ...any mischief, father – I only plan to be upfront and plain with my intent from here forward." Seeing there was no winning this, he hoped to bring an end to the conversation. Blinking slowly he added, "Perhaps we might now go to the Great Hall for a meal?"

Seeing the fear dance across Loki’s features, Odin’s demeanor softened. He did not want Loki to be afraid of him, but he did wish him a healthy dose of consideration if he planned on causing any trouble in the near future. To show he was no longer angry, Odin walked forward outstretching his arm to encompass Loki’s shoulders in a quickly squeezed hug and a hearty pat as he led them both towards the Great Hall responding, “Sounds like a splendid idea! I hear Hogan the Grim has brought down three boars that have been cleaned and roasted overnight! It shall make for quite the feast eh?”

Surprised by the impromptu hug, Loki quickly fell in step with Odin, much relieved, responding, "Aye, quite the feast indeed. It shall be nice to once again dine in the Great Hall. It has been some time since my last feast."

As they walked, Odin continued, “Indeed it has been, and yon palate will do well to wash down such a feast with the seasonal mead Volstagg has brewed. It will be a feast that will carry on to the wee hours I believe,” pausing a moment, Odin laughed and added, “Let us hope the fighting is left out in the yard!”

Loki grinned noncommittally, remembering his practice with Balder. "What would an Asgardian feast be without a fight?" Loki half joked, successfully keeping himself from rolling his eyes. Still, it was nice to have Odin's attention and good humor turned to him. "I suppose it depends on the quality of the mead."

Odin chuckled, “Aye! Verily true! Frigga will wear my ear off if it be too loud and the servants have much to attend to come the morrow. She plans to have a visit with the ladies knitting circle, and woe be the look I would be granted in the event their arrival was not met with a pristine walkway. Women, they can be fickle over such things.”

Loki could not help but laugh outright, enjoying the talk of such mischief. "Oh, I could hear them all now – wailing and nagging so that all of Asgard shakes from their voices!"

Odin agreed cheerfully, “As an earthquake it would be!” Arriving at the Great Hall, Odin opened the large oaken door to be hit by the loud carousing warriors already well into their mead, “I see the feast has started without us!” Odin announced jovially as his subjects turned to greet him with raised cups and welcoming cheers.

Loki enjoyed having the cheers directed in his general direction, even if they were for Odin rather than for him. It still felt good as his first return to the Great Hall, and he couldn't help but smirk impishly. Loki followed right behind his father to the table, hungry for the food that smelled so good.

The crowd of warriors continued their bellowing laughs and conversation as servant wenches brought fresh plates of steaming meat, corn on the cob, pastries, and other assorted foods. Odin made his way to the head of the table as a chair was quickly pulled out for him and Loki and antlers full of mead were offered to which Odin gladly took gulping down half of it in one long swig. He let out a satisfied. “Ahhhh, tis as delicious as it is rumored dear Volstagg!”

Loki took the mead, but was slightly more cautious in how much he drank and added, "Tis true!" His main interest was in the food, however, which he dove into with supreme gusto while listening to the conversations going on around him.

Volstagg roared a guttural laugh that boomed across the Great Hall in a most jovial manner, “My lord wouldst thee ever doubt the mead that comes from thy own private brew? In your name it is made great!”

Odin’s lips parted in a wide grin as he raised his cup to Volstagg draining the rest of his cup and responding, “As always, ye honor me so in your most worthy contributions to such a fine feast!”

Fandral had noticed Loki’s return rolling his eyes in annoyance as Loki had passed by, but Fandral had turned back to Hogan sitting across from him to continue telling him the joke he had been telling before Loki had taken his seat.

Everyone at the table seemed to have been drinking for a few hours prior to Odin and Loki’s arrival and the conversations shared were of the normal variety concerning sordid tales of nights with exotic women and near death escapes in battle.

Quietly huffing at the buffoonish antics of Volstagg which always got under his skin, Loki instead scanned the table so as not to incur his father's anger in any misguided remarks. Instead, he decided to pay back Fandral for the overt eye roll which he'd pretended not to see upon his entrance into the Great Hall. Seeing that Fandral was now fully occupied with Hogan, and taking a quick check to make sure all eyes were away from him, Loki called upon his magic. His intent was to change Fandral's mead to vinegar, and to change it back again once Fandral commented aloud for all to hear of his dislike for Volstagg's celebrated brew, hence hitting two birds with one stone. Yet, something felt off... Loki sat upright, trying not to eye Fandral too overtly, waiting for him to drink of his mead. Whence Fandral finally did, and there was no ill reaction, Loki gasped aloud and tried his spell again. Still there was no result, and he growled. 'That old Fool....that OLD FOOL.' Clearly, Loki's grounding had encompassed his magical abilities, 'Which of course he did not divulge....and what of the challenge with Sif?' Loki took a long gulp of mead, worried, before remembering the coming practice with Balder. Sighing, he went about eating once more, his mind set to work out a new plan.

Odin had been busy talking to his subjects to notice Loki casting a spell, but he did hear the growl and noticed the clearly unhappy frown masking his son’s face. He leaned over concerned, “Is there something the matter Loki? Ye look most displeased.”

Loki's eyes shot wide and he paused for a long moment before responding, "So eager was I in my enjoyment of an Asgardian feast, that in my haste I bit my tongue, tainting the taste of this splendid boar with that of my own blood. No matter, father, it passes already."

Odin wasn’t buying it, and he gave Loki a fitfully disapproving glare to let his feelings be known, but not wanting to cause a scene he said, “I would be more careful in your haste.”

Loki's eyebrows scrunched together as he looked up at his father, a sobering sense of crisis barely averted chilling his blood. Clearing his throat he answered, "Aye, father," before ducking into his plate once more, looking up through his eyelashes to make sure no one saw the exchange.

Luckily for Loki, no one had been made the wiser after more than enough shared mead, and Odin had gone back to eating and laughing alongside the other warriors satisfied with he and Loki’s understanding.

Relaxing now that Odin had stopped glaring at him, and at seeing no attention was directed his way, Loki concocted a new plan for Sif. A plan that was much safer than the first. Realizing that he needed to give his all in the practices with Balder, Loki finished his helping of food and then stood to leave. "I will see thee in the morrow, father – it seems as though thee will be spared Frigga's wrath, as all seem quite merry," Loki smiled before turning to take his leave.

Odin downed his newly refilled antler of mead nodding with a smile, “Aye, but the day is but young! And where be you off to Loki?”

"I wish to re-acclimate myself with Asgard, father," Loki responded, hoping to broker no more questions as he took a few steps towards the door.

Odin raised an eyebrow in confusion, “Can it not wait for the morrow? Such a feast should not be enjoyed in a rush, and there is plenty of mead to last until the stars fade into morning sky.”

Loki blinked slowly twice before trying, "Long has it been since my eyes had their fill of the sun shining upon my home. That hunger must first have its fill. I will return to the feast whence the stars fill the sky, and will eat and drink with such a gusto as ye have never seen in me."

Odin nodded listening intently before responding, “Aye, I can understand your needs; go forth and do as ye must. This gathering will not be dispersing in any quick fashion, and I shall likely be here when ye return.”

Loki nodded and turned to take his leave, grinning devilishly as he made his way out of the Great Hall. Walking to the east training area, he took a deep breath and approached Balder, looking around unsurely.