I had more support from an unexpected source – some of the other models. I was pretty sure they were all straight, but some of them seemed to think I deserved high fives and “You go girls” about it. Especially when it broke in some local papers.

The school was being put under pressure. Sadly, it was in both directions. Some people thought it was quite reasonable to ruin things for a number of people to stop us being “unnatural.”

If Odin didn’t care, why should they? Of course, they thought their god cared, but I hadn’t gotten any indication from his servants that he did.

It was probably all some kind of weird mistranslation. Or just an excuse. They weren’t comfortable with us, they didn’t want to go to the effort of learning to be that way.

And even some of the fire giants seemed to think I was doing good.

There were protests outside the school when I left. A larger one in our favor. A smaller one opposed, but one of the women from it…she looked likely somebody’s mother…stalked over towards me.

“How dare you.”

I flinched inwardly, but tried to walk past, ignoring her.

“How dare you flaunt your lifestyle and demand it be accepted in front of my kids?”

I’d rather deal with fire giants, I decided. I continued to ignore her, deciding that was the classiest thing to do.

“Nothing to say for yourself?”

“Leave her alone,” came a very familiar voice from nearby. I wasn’t entirely grateful. I still thought ignoring her was the best thing.

I glanced over at Loki. He winked at me.

“She needs to learn to be a real woman.”

“Oh, she’s more of one than you are.” A smile, and then he brushed past her and walked away.

I wondered what he’d either lifted from her or planted on her. Something entertaining, no doubt, but I wasn’t sticking around to find out. Head high, I walked away, ignoring her.

Maybe she’d find herself dealing with…and then he circled around ahead of me before I could get to the bus.
“What did you do?”

“Switched her vitamin pills for caffeine pills. She likes to take them before bed.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh dear.”

Somebody wouldn’t be sleeping tonight. Or maybe several nights before she realized what happened. “I was trying to be classy and ignore them, though.”

“That’s no fun.”

He had a point there. “I’d rather fight fire giants.”

“Of course you would.” He grinned at me.

“You approve, though.”

“Of course I do. I approve of girls in tuxes.”

I laughed. “And boys in dresses?”

“That too!”
“We’re all way too young for you.”

“Oh, I can wait ten years or so.”

He was impossible and I just shook my head and stuck my hand out to make sure the bus stopped. He didn’t follow me further.