CLOSED. COMBAT BABY.

[selfimage]

CHARACTERS: Thor & Loki
DATE: After the raid
WARNINGS: Loki is the warning
SUMMARY: Weird brother stuff at the inn.

[ inventory: two bottles of red wine, prime vintage. a book with lavish golden embroidered lettering on the spine, titled something about gods and legends of Chantes. a bag of multi-colored glowsticks, unused. a portable compact disc player from the '90s with an honest-to-Od compact disc inside. raspberry pastries dusted with sugar, wrapped in a square napkin. a jar of cookie butter.

Loki puts a black finger nail to his chin, as if in silent review. ]

Check ... [ he says to himself, green eyes flickering between his victory stash. ] Check, checkcheckcheck aaaaand check. [ the finger swings outward. ] That's everything.

[ during the raid, Loki refused to leave empty handed, even if it was something less than glamorous, like a book (a very important book!) and a few bottles of dusty wine. it was about the memento, and how he meant to demonstrate both his trickstery prowess and as proof of how well his endeavors had paid off.

for now he's discarded his armor and jacket, leaving them draped unceremoniously across an unpolished wooden chair in the corner of the room. he's in his loose green shirt and black slacks, only briefly wishing that he had a hoodie or something that wasn't his Asgardian armor. the room is small (cozy?) but Loki doesn't seem to have a complaint with it. in another life, another time, perhaps—so he chooses the path less traveled by an evil counterpart.

take that, King Loki.

with a flick of his wrist he grabs the cookie butter, unscrewing it with all intent on digging in. ]

Comments

[norse]

[ Where in the Hel Loki got glowsticks from is beyond Thor (in fact, quite a few things his brother in any incarnation manages to swing are allowed to go over his head, usually in lieu of producing himself a migraine trying to unravel sense from any of it) but he's vaguely impressed all the same. From the raid, Thor assumes, but what kind of castle even has glowsticks? A CD player? The cakes are a nice touch ... He really has to stop being so fascinated by how weird Loki's spoils are. Focus on the wine, he tells himself; two bottles, excellent. That's all he decides to care about since his brother has probably soaked up every page of his coveted little book into memory, too.

He returns to the room with two dark cloaks under an arm, eyeing the mess on the bed and tossing a bundle of thick black leather at Loki's head, no matter that he's trying to glut himself on snacks. Neither is Thor in the majority of his armour, a simple open-necked undershirt left on with his pants and boots, the rest having been discarded through Mjolnir and easily enough summoned again when he needs any of it.

It's nice not to need protective layers around his own brother, something which should never have turned out as a novelty yet is. ]

That's for you.

[ It turns out the interdimensional brothers have been thinking along the same lines after all. No hoodies have turned up, alas, but the cloaks are warm and will keep off the weather, allowing for freedom of movement with far less weight. Loki's is a little shorter, of course.

He strolls over to peer down at the goodies, then reaches for a cake. ]

Where did you put all of this when you stole it?

[ What's more interesting isn't telling Loki off but discovering where such a collection was stowed away at the time, because seriously. ]

[selfimage]

[ the book is more of a statement prize than anything that could be deemed useful after Loki read it. (there had been a few in the castle library that he had gotten his fingers into, all of which didn't need to be reviewed further. it was one of the perks of having a close to photographic memory.) ]

Don't—! [ Loki hardly has time to turn before he's smacked in the face by the broad side of a leather cloak, the rest of his sentence muffled. from beneath the folds he mutters, half-serious: ] I'll get you back for that.

[ he untangles the sleeves from his face and tosses back his hair to make it halfway presentable, his attention now on the gift rather than the small pile of stolen reserves. ]

I liberated all of this, there's a difference. [ there's no difference, but he makes sure to put that out there anyway. Thor moves to take what he wants, and Loki watches but doesn't seem to care enough to stop him. ] You had a hand in helping me, and I was feeling generous enough to share. Where I put it doesn't matter as long as it got here.

[ he pulls his hands through the sleeves to try the fit of the cloak. ]

[norse]

You are welcome.

[ Next time he'll buy him the most ugly, useless hat around. As Thor munches on his second-hand pilfered cake and leaves Loki to decide whether the cloaks are up to par, he slides free one of the glowsticks and snaps it experimentally. Thankfully, it just lights up. ]

Must you steal so ... much? I don't condone this. [ Sucking the last of his cake off a thumb, the glowstick is twirled between hammer-clever fingers and Thor's reprimand falls woefully short of being anything of the kind. He perches on the edge of the bed and rests on an elbow over a bent leg. ] Were you of a mind to stay indoors tonight?

[selfimage]

[ Loki will wear all useless hats with pride, thanks. ]

Oh, it's not all pilfered. [ there's an uncaring, cool tone to his voice, like it wouldn't matter either way to him. perhaps it's the act of stealing more than the possession that thrills him. knowing that he could do it was always worth the effort. ] Just some. The other stuff—[ a finger arches to the glowstick. ]—I earned, believe it or not. Rewards for a job well done.

[ a pause. ]

Or something like that. I wasn't paying attention.

[ he puts a hood up. ] That depends, what would we deem more interesting? There could be mischief to be had.

[norse]

Mischief of my own has already paid off, since you have no monopoly on it and I've not been idle in questioning the locals. [ Not so much lying as being evasive with the truth. People were more than willing to talk to a huge burly fellow professing he was on their side. ] I have news of where we might seek out possible sacrificial grounds. Away in the woods.

[ Snap, there goes another glowstick. He nods to Loki. ]

The hood suits.

[selfimage]

[ a look of mild amusement crosses Loki's expression as Thor snaps another one of his glowsticks. his hands pull on either side of the hood, waving it outward like elephant ears. ]

Oh yes, and you'll be prepared if the mortals decide to accompany them with a secret rave.

[ part of him is pleased. yes, good, those are things he earned legit and/or stole. enjoy them. ]

So, spill. [ when he shrugs, he shrugs off the robe, tossing it carelessly over the edge of the bed. he makes to snatch a pastry. ] Tell me of your mischief, brother.

[norse]

[ Tossing those glowsticks up to catch them, one after the other, over and over. HAMMER SKILLS, they have many uses. ]

Less mischief, Loki. I did not lie. I ... alluded that I could help and I believe I can, perhaps. There is a wood copse not far, there are rumours that if any sacrifices were to take place then it would be a firm foothold to begin our search.

[selfimage]

[ Loki presses the pastry in his mouth and talks grossly with it open. ]

You're beginning to sound like me.

[ but it's not an insult; surprisingly, it's said with a hint of pride. there's a certain technique needed for wordplay, and if Thor's willing to get his fingers dirty when it comes to the finer points of lying, Loki's only going to encourage him.

green eyes refocus on him, lighting up when possibility to ruin something calls. ]

"The woods" is a rather broad place, especially in terms of finding the possible-still-not-sure sacrificial alters. We'll need some kind of strategy.

... You can still fly, can't you? It'll be easier than leaving breadcrumbs.

[norse]

I grew up with another you, Loki, and I was neither blind or deaf for any part of it.

[ No small surprise he sounds like Loki at times, especially after becoming worthy of Mjolnir again and learning the worth of a little deception, a bit of wisdom that works outside the box. Not reams of the stuff to wade through as Loki does, but Thor can stand his own without drowning himself. ]

That depends on how much you weigh.

[ Wow, don't take liberties getting free rides!! ]

[selfimage]

[ there's a pause and for a brief moment the feeling that wells in his belly could be some form of jealously, even with a brother long dead (debatably, he can't say he still doesn't have his doubts).

Loki brushes it away in a delegitimization of his own, more wicked, feelings. ]

It'll do you good to practice. [ he shoots back, smooth. ] What's a few pounds here or there? Maybe I'll bring s cooler, too.

[norse]

[ Very smooth, cutting out one topic entirely for another. ]

You bring a cooler and I'll toss it first with you following shortly after. We will arrive there just as swiftly, I assure you. [ Dusting crumbs off his fingers, he rises and plants a hand on a hip, the other outstretched to his pastry-napping sibling. ] I'm of a mind to go now. Will you come, brother?

[selfimage]

Yes, fine—just go around throwing me around with the libations. This game of "Toss the Loki" only fails when your thirst is overpowering and before long you find yourself sorely lacking in the ale department.

[ what else do mortals put in cooler? clearly just beer goes in there.

Loki keeps the robe, taking a few mock wary steps toward him, as if he's somehow stuck in his own scheme. dark finger nails fall into his palm and he sighs, waving his other hand dismissively. ]

There is that whole mischief thing to do. I have a rep to keep.

[norse]

I will toss you over my shoulder in a moment.

[ Don't think he won't, little bro. The playful growl turns into a snort, blue eyes dancing as they crinkle. ]

Oh, your reputation. Of course! Wouldn't want anybody thinking you are boring.

[ Taking up his own cloak to settle it in place, he steps over to pick Mjolnir up and nods as he makes his way outside into the corridors of the inn, indicating no rooftops will fall victim to two gods Blasting Off Again tonight. Down the stairs they go ... ]

[selfimage]

[ Thor gets rewarded with a good view of Loki's tongue while he blows a raspberry. ]

You may have something to teach of boring. Aren't black cloaks a little last season?

[ at a light pace, Loki follows, his footsteps barely audible behind him. it was a mission, of sorts. a secret mission. aside from whatever was going down in Chantes, there was always ALASTAIR at the back of his mind, along with an anxiety that he couldn't shake.

they ascend the stairs and Loki makes sure to reiterate: ]

Make sure to hold the railing. Don't slip.