Loki's demeanor shifted subtly at her response, the openness becoming more open, his relaxed tone more relaxed. More genuine. First encounters with Victors could be hit or miss, he knew. The smarter ones usually managed to make it through the night without being too impolite -- no small feat, after the whirlwind of press that was their victor tour -- but Wanda, based on her initial reaction to him, was clearly a cut above most. Oh yes. He liked her very much.
"He is greatly missed," Loki assured her solemnly. He followed her gaze around the grand, room and nodded, his smile growing a quarter inch. "It's so different from the districts, isn't it? It takes some getting used to. I grew up close, but Two doesn't even compare."
This was not a tactic that Loki employed often. He tried hard to blend in with the Capitol citizens, studying their fads and fashions with care. Fortunately, blending in was a skill that came naturally to Loki, and he did it so well that most people who didn't already know his story didn't think twice about his birthplace. But Victors, some of them anyway, were a slightly different breed. There was a sense of shared unease, of growing up with something larger than you hanging over your head, that he could sometimes tap into with Victors. See, he could tell them, I'm not one of them.
He tilted his head slightly, as if appraising her. "Are you planning to go back right away?" he asked. "Or will you prolong your stay in the Capitol?"