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Entry tags:
Futurology. We could be heroes.
Who: Loki & Thor
Where: —
When: —
What: A not quite reunion, but a reunion.
Warnings: —
I know you hear me now, we're a different kind. We can do anything. We could be heroes.
Where: —
When: —
What: A not quite reunion, but a reunion.
Warnings: —
I know you hear me now, we're a different kind. We can do anything. We could be heroes.
[ Loki had never appreciated what Odin had to teach him. Thor had taken better to it, but Thor had been a favorite; Loki, while beneath All-father's wing of guilt and obligation, could be further from the golden image of his brother. he could count the siblings that Odin took favor in more than he took favor in him, but he had realized that it didn't mean that Odin didn't love him. in those instances, Thor was like Odin more than he'd like to admit: noble, righteous, independent and fiercely mercurial, his temperament changing the storm. it was those more violent swings that Loki was able to appreciate the chaos in it. all too often were Loki and Thor thought of as two sides of a coin, their differences used in contrast when Loki was disciplined, forcing him only to see a narrow part of their unshared traits. in reality, there were parts of them that were more the same than they were different. Thor was passionate, capricious and electric. Loki was much of the same, only shrouded in his own wants and needs. he began to see it more and more in the dire times as much as the laughter.
and he was beginning to feel like he liked it.
when he arrived he came with the clothing (very, very useful clothing) on his back and his penchant for new starts. while there was a pang that echoed inside of him with the thought of Angela, Thor and their newly-found re-found father, Odin (with words of love, perhaps), he also craved what he always craved: change. that is exactly what he got.
another trait of Odin's children was that none of them took too well to authority (even when it was their own father's), Loki among them. he though it was ironic that he had "conveniently" tripped through an inter-dimensional tear and into the lap of the fates, and he thought to use it as both a means of flipping destiny the bird as well as outsourcing for new opportunities. there was something that he needed to do, and there was no other perfect situation to do it.
only instead of a perfect situation, he got dragons. a mission full of dragons. no sneakiness, no deceit, no tricks, just dragons. of course they'd find something ill-suited to him on his first mission. it would be generous to say that he makes the best of it. instead, he spends his time roaming and mingling, learning of other travelers and their own unfortunate "accidents" that have brought them here. he sees him once, and that turns a head; twice, and he begins to think that somethings off; three times is a charm, and Loki begins to follow him.
not unsurprising, really. from his perceptions he can tell a few things: this isn't the brother that he knows, this isn't the same concept of god that he's accustomed, and his brother has a far sense of youngness about him that he didn't expect. regardless, he keeps his eyes and ears open, eavesdropping on conversations and gaining all the information he can. when he finally is ready to reveal himself it's leaning up against a tree casually, ankles crossed while he fiddles with his new technologically contraption.
he just has one thing to say: ]
Hello, Thor.
and he was beginning to feel like he liked it.
when he arrived he came with the clothing (very, very useful clothing) on his back and his penchant for new starts. while there was a pang that echoed inside of him with the thought of Angela, Thor and their newly-found re-found father, Odin (with words of love, perhaps), he also craved what he always craved: change. that is exactly what he got.
another trait of Odin's children was that none of them took too well to authority (even when it was their own father's), Loki among them. he though it was ironic that he had "conveniently" tripped through an inter-dimensional tear and into the lap of the fates, and he thought to use it as both a means of flipping destiny the bird as well as outsourcing for new opportunities. there was something that he needed to do, and there was no other perfect situation to do it.
only instead of a perfect situation, he got dragons. a mission full of dragons. no sneakiness, no deceit, no tricks, just dragons. of course they'd find something ill-suited to him on his first mission. it would be generous to say that he makes the best of it. instead, he spends his time roaming and mingling, learning of other travelers and their own unfortunate "accidents" that have brought them here. he sees him once, and that turns a head; twice, and he begins to think that somethings off; three times is a charm, and Loki begins to follow him.
not unsurprising, really. from his perceptions he can tell a few things: this isn't the brother that he knows, this isn't the same concept of god that he's accustomed, and his brother has a far sense of youngness about him that he didn't expect. regardless, he keeps his eyes and ears open, eavesdropping on conversations and gaining all the information he can. when he finally is ready to reveal himself it's leaning up against a tree casually, ankles crossed while he fiddles with his new technologically contraption.
he just has one thing to say: ]
Hello, Thor.
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Thor is kept busy by lashing together the chaos of unscripted and untrained teams who don't want to work together and seem to be predisposed to flounce around individually, much to the detriment of border control he applies himself to. This means, with his attention on would-be aggressors, that he doesn't have the time to go snooping around.
Unlike some.
He thinks of his brother, sometimes. The thoughts are unbidden and rise up at odd moments: a pile of books in the Avengers' Tower (an unconventional sight purely because of Stark's penchant for technology) sitting at Banner's elbow as the doctor read had brought back a rush of nostalgia — Loki sitting at a desk with magical tomes the size of headstones, glancing up when Thor passed with a pat on a shoulder — as have many such moments. Thor grieves quietly, finding no one mentions Loki at all, and sometimes feels like the only person who has not willingly forgotten his brother existed.
Perhaps he is going mad when there is a sliver of a feeling, a raising of hairs on the back of his neck, a sensation of being watched that he can't seem to shake off even when a baby dragon scorches the back of his armour. Time tells differently when, some hours later after the fuss has died down, a greeting turns his head and there is no way to soundly account for the sight of the person before him paying the oddest tribute (is that what it is?) to his brother than he has ever seen — and Thor has been witness to the cosplay crowd that collect at the foot of the Tower. Eyes widen, lips part and his tongue halts on the question of who, the familiar rise of nostalgia instead sluicing down his spine in an icy wash of recognition as if someone walked over his grave — or another's. ]
... Hello. [ Tense as the momentary silence is, he shifts from foot to foot to settle his weight so he doesn't fall over in front of a younger, flusher face than he remembers (gray, veined with death's taint). Thor stares and makes no attempt to hide the ripple of shock in lieu of mere surprise that sifts through a terse frown. Finally, he settles on the support of long-running grief, hope seeping in against his wishes (he would like to be angry and yet) upon tiredly asking, ] Is this some trick?
[ If one thing could come to pass to turn Thor's paltry faith in ALASTAIR into dust, offering up the pretense of Loki would be it. ]
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Isn't everything just some kind of trick? [ he asks without pause, flipping his dark nailed fingers in an animated gesture to accompany the inflection in his voice. all Lokis had the same penchant for showiness, it seemed. he pauses, and looking up from his communicator he eyes him, down from his feet and up to his face. ] Well, no, of course not. If that was the case, then no one would appreciate a good one.
[ Loki pushes away from the tree now that his attention is caught, and he doesn't hide his curiosity, he acts upon it. he circles Thor with an easy bounce to his heels, working feet that were all too often used for running away. he leans over to look up at his face, hands behind his back, before standing upright and sliding back on his feet (it's some kind of iteration of the Moonwalk or something of that sort), the soles of his boots glowing a light green.
this is the first time he's gotten a good look at him, and he's not squandering his chances. he hasn't a clue what universe this version of his brother has come from, or how foul the depths that his Loki has fallen (they always fall, you see, it's a multiversal resonance thing). he doesn't know what this Thor's Loki has done to him (what he's done to his Loki), and he doesn't approach expecting that he'll be privvy to anything. this is a bold move, one that leaves him vulnerable, but that's the point.
he's a different Loki, and he knows it's on his shoulders to prove it. ]
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He takes the opportunity to note his fill of the youngster, a frown never slipping far. ]
If you are bold enough to approach you had better have a mind to name yourself, but know this — if you are a shade of my brother come to taunt me or mock his memory, you will find it harder to crow with lightning down your throat.
[ The threat is genuine, as calm and solemn as it can be when dredging up through the wastelands of unspoken grief that have lived hidden in his chest, unvoiced and closely coveted. ]
Stall your games if this be one.
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Loki supposes there are some things about his multiversal line of brothers that will never really change. the idea of Thor makes for a big fingerprint. there's a ferocity that would make anyone step back, the makings of a great tempest, and he can feel the static that makes the hairs on the back of his neck tingle.
hurt, or anger? ]
Let's not jump to any conclusions, okay? [ he holds up his hands as if he's surrendering. ] You tripped and fell through an inter-dimensional tear, remember? You don't think that you're the only Thor in the multiverse, do you?
[ the threat doesn't seem to deter him, but his lips tug down. shade and memory meant dead. so, that's another Loki gone.
Loki holds out his arms as if he were receiving a large gift. ]
Erm ... Loki. Not the one you know, because I don't know you. This Thor-you, anyway.
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Yes — thank you, Loki, that's not at all obvious. [ He got there on his own, but — dead, his brother died, right in his arms. It's more likely Asgard's enemies who knew so much of Loki would use that to launch a poisonous offensive rather than a whole, hale iteration appearing before him. Wary as he is, the patented Loki Says Let Me Explain theme puts sass in Thor's frass, as Stark would put it, responding with less threat than wry impatience on instinct. ] I am well aware you and I have never spoken before.
[ Mjolnir is light in his grip as he steps forward, wanting a better look into those too-green eyes to see what he can. What Thor finds there is enough to loosen his scowl, hardy features softening out from his eyes; he owes him an explanation for the threat, then. Thor pretends not to notice the way all his insides vanish, leaving him unbalanced the longer the regards this young Loki. ]
My brother's enemies, they would stop at nothing to cut a swathe through Asgard's defences, to collect on the debts they believe he incurred ... and I find it easier to ask for forgiveness rather than permission to beat them back, these days.
[ Never mind that. Never mind, sings his blood, his weight shifting. A pause widens the moment, reeling back a dozen questions. ]
What of your Thor?
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easy.
even when Loki returned in a shiny new role and body, he hadn't tried to live to those standards, but for what it was worth, he did his best not to hurt others with his decisions (as poor as they may be at times). it was a horrible, rocky process, as he had been so selfish in a past life that it had hardened around him and turned to armor. if no one was going to care about him, then he was the only person who'd care about him. such ingrained behaviors were never shaken, they were shattered, and he still hadn't found a catalyst.
Thor approaches, stares at him, and Loki stares back. there's no malice, no anger, no deep seated bitterness of a heritage hidden from him. he's received with Loki's curiosity, and perhaps not without hints of affection. ]
Asgard's enemies were never subtle, and I can imagine the sort of debt racked in trickery and schemes. Ah ... Certain Loki shenanigans can come with a bit of weight.
[ Loki says with partial amusement. no, none save another self, when that self decided that being the enemy of Asgard favored him. those crimes weren't nearly as innocuous as the ones he occasionally committed now.
that second part, though. that catches him off guard. ]
Er ... what of my Thor? [ he presses his lips into a thin line thoughtfully, his brow pinched. after they had reclaimed Angela, Thor had run off on a less personal mission. the Watcher's murder needed to be attended to. ] Some Avengers mission, no doubt.
You have those, don't you? [ Avengers. ]
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Certain Loki shenanigans. That's one way of putting it. ]
Aye, we've Avengers. I had wondered if your Thor were not here alongside you, that's all.
[ To work with him or guard him, or guard others from him, he doesn't know which would be more accurate and all seem proper. ]
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Loki offers an open fingered shrug. ]
He'll notice I'm missing eventually. [ it's not like he isn't used to running amok on his own, and the words don't carry knives. then, with a hint of wistfulness, he adds: ] He's not really one to wait if he wishes my company. That hammer does more than—ah!
[ his gaze drops to the heavy, uru-based weapon at Thor's belt. he doesn't ask when he reaches out to touch it—to knock on it—and then to tug at it like he has a chance at lifting it. ]
What have you done with this thing? You've at least tried to do some multiversal traveling, haven't you?
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Travelled the Nine Realms, though that suddenly seems a shamefully small feat.
[ Explain says the look he shoots Loki, not a demand but a silent request for elaboration. The multiverse isn't in his repertoire, no. ]
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his fingers trace the engraving, like he's mentally comparing one to the other in his memory. ]
Considering our current situation—yes, very much so. There's ways to break through. Cosmic storms, enough energy to make Tsar Bomba seem like a spark, et cetera, et cetera.
[ is there personal space here? if there is, Loki's not really paying much heed to it. he also may be talking to himself. ]
Of course we'd need to find the weak point, depending. Certain structures require attention to detail, an outblasts aren't taken well by the populous ... we wouldn't want to hurt anyone.
[ oh, right. ]
Er ... do you know the extent of your abilities?
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A hand is companionably laid on Loki's shoulder, curling around the back of his neck to simply soak up how it feels to once again have him close in any iteration, a thumb brushing down black locks. An imposition, perhaps, but no more so than Loki pawing at Mjolnir like he's trying to finger-paint it. Thor doesn't even mind, all the ire melts like old snow far more easily than he could have ever suspected. ]
Do you? You're being very rude.
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Ah—[ there's a side-eyed glance of the hand on his shoulder. ]—Rude would be telling you that you have sausage fingers. Which you do, mind you, but I was holding my tongue as not to be so.
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[ They don't, of course, sliding free after a pat to that shoulder. He glances down to Mjolnir, hefting it free to tap the front of green scalemaille. ]
I know what I can do, brother, yes, and if I found myself lacking I would surely meet whatever challenge you deemed necessary. However, I feel I must remind you we are not here to break through into any universe we please, even if the chance arises. [ As much as he distrusts ALASTAIR, he only lets a frown pass for a moment. ] We gave our word to help.
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[ he's right, most likely. even if it's just a feeble, jest of a threat, Loki can't help but see the truth in it. he doesn't say so, and instead just smiles easily and cocks his head at him with the little tap tap tap on his not-so-special Asgardian armor. he pushes the hammer away with a finger. (or tries to.) ]
Kinda-sorta. [ he says, like he's about to play a game with words. ] I tripped and fell. Clumsy of me, I know. Everyone seems to want to play the at cosmic debts, and ALASTAIR is no different. I don't trust anything that plays a game of fates. [ thrones, Loki. thrones.
but no, he didn't. there was a wretched fate that awaited him back home—or one that promised to be, anyway. something to be angry about, and something to fight against. something that made him curse his family and himself. he wasn't so dim not to see this as an opportunity, but some part of him can't help but feel like he's walked into a trap. ]
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Neither do I and perhaps we are all of us fools for not fighting from the start, but you can learn nothing of them unless you play their game awhile. I do not ask you to trust them or like any of this, only not to cause a fuss. Not yet, Loki.
[ It was surprising in the beginning. Back when Loki was first imprisoned his sudden absence played on Thor's mind with greater regularity than his anger would have preferred. They had been fighting prior, arguing viciously, but always had Loki been around with his scheming and treachery. Knowing he had been in the dungeons had brought a measure of comfort, yet none at the same time because Loki would not repent of his misdeeds, his pride never could, and the whole affair was ultimately pointless, seemingly ending in Thor refusing to visit him for much the same reasons as Odin.
Yet when he wanted his brother's assistance, Loki was still there. Myriad reasons formed barriers between them, Loki burned with spite and imagined slights clouded his judgment, but he answered when Thor called.
Quieter, he affects a shrug that is not so casual as he tries to make it. ]
I've need of you, brother.
[ On my side. How strange to even feel it is worth bothering to ask. ]
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Loki's bright eyes narrow faintly, and it's easy to see that Thor has hit the metaphorical nail on the head with his very real hammer. ]
Fine. [ he admits after an uncomfortable pause. ] But only—only—not yet. [ then there's a sigh of resignation, and his voice mirrors the quiet. ] And only because you asked so nicely.
[ because this was Thor, and because he couldn't say no. ]
But I have my own way of doing things. I know what I am, and you know what I am. I'll do things as I am, and no less.
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I was not about to ask you to tote Mjolnir, little brother. [ Wry as his humour is, a laugh levies it up. The Little is important, a distinction from the grown man he knew, a special seat in Thor's heart getting chipped away by the youth (on whom he accidentally-on-purpose offloads his weight) the longer they talk. ] I would have you prove yourself no less than Loki, likely infuriating in every turn you take after this. Ah, but the weightier question remains — will you take me and my sausage-fingers as we are? No paltry burden is this.
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there were tales of fox rains, of sunshowers and the types of tricksters that wiggled their way out of their shelters to meet it. he couldn't help but feel like he was in a middle of one, a cloud of guilt beginning to coil in his belly, threatening to pour upon the sudden rush of contentment and familial companionship. a single dark cloud in an otherwise blue sky.
it would be easier if Thor hated him. sometimes, it would be so much easier. ]
Ymir's balls, Thor—you're not marrying me. [ he says hotly as he sways at Thor's weight. ] We need no vows of fraternal affection, truly. I'll more likely wonder what I'm going to do with you before you wonder what you're going to do with me. Be careful, you'll scuff my jacket.
[ my children. my son and my taught and my child who is both. so strong and so quick. so brave and so cunning. I know you. I know everything you are ... and I love you very much. ]
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I would fear you a great deal more if we were wed, a thought for which you shall duly pay later for putting in my head with such calm cruelty. [ The heft of his arm shifts as they walk, letting up a little. Any scuffs on that coat aren't from him
hopefully, oops. ] Tell me more of yourself, Loki. What were you about before you came to these worlds?no subject
Oh yes, I'm sure you'll find a way to punish me accordingly. [ he quips back in an amiable, chatty fashion that doesn't quite match the words. ] What am I ever doing? Causing trouble, of course ...
[ he pauses, pursing his lips in a thin line. ]
The All-Father had sealed himself in Asgard former with a nefarious brother of his. [ he doesn't really expect Thor to follow, though he wonders just how much he will. he supposes the questions he asks will answer that. ] I broke him out. We needed him to, ah—stop a possible war, and claim our sister.
It worked out.
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We've no uncle or sister that I know of. [ He hopes it's not some twisted universe equivalent of Sif. Please, no. ] Who are they? Start from the beginning, you mentioned father sealed himself away.
[ He really doesn't like how Asgard former sounds. ]
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That goes back much, much, much further. [ and answers a few of his questions. ] You may want to find a place to sit for this, it's a doozy of a tale.
The old man's brother—Uncle Cul—was kept as a secret from almost everyone. A lot of things in our family are, but there are a few dozen centuries, or millennia, whichever, to account for. He took the title of Serpent, and meant to scourge and harvest fearstuff from Midgard. It wasn't very pretty, of course.
[ and the title of "Midgard Serpent," but you know, details. ]
Erm, he got out, too. He came back to Asgardia with Odin.
[ yeah, whoops about that. ]
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[ That realm can't catch a break. ]
And father let him stay? He does not sound himself.
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Where else would you suggest he go? Exile may seem preferable, but that would breed more ill will. Odin ... [ he begins, and then continues thoughtfully. ] he won't betray his family, no matter how much they betray him. One of his better traits, probably.
[ probably, he says. ]
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He has never held any qualms over punishing his family before. [ With a meaningful glance sideways. ] Were it not for mother's protestations, he would have killed you the moment I returned you to Asgard. My brother, that is.
[ Frigga is the only reason you are alive, all had heard the cold truth echoing through the hall before Hlidskjalf. If Odin had slain Loki then he would have lost his wife in the process, that was never any great secret, and likely also the reason he turned his only eye from Frigga's indulgences when it came to Loki's cell. ]
Wise as he is, father must have a reason for keeping Cul close and I doubt it will be entirely for the family's benefit.
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