[Closed] How long is this gonna last?

[possiblymad]

Who: The Sons of Odin [possiblymad and reignbringer]
Where: Hallway outside room 6-66 and aforementioned room.
When: 10/14
Rating: Teen?
Summary: Loki is sick and tired of having a big blonde shadow that thinks Loki doesn't know it's there.
The Story:
It's certainly been an interesting few weeks and Loki spent the last several days barred up in his room with the doors locked (perhaps with more than just standard locks) and his Stark Tech mobile device stashed in a drawer, spelled so that it wouldn't open for several days. He was taking absolutely no chances with this singing infection. As far as he could gather, deep, dark secrets were coming out and he had a myriad of them, but one in particular would never see the light of day so long as he could help it.

So this had been his first day out in quite a few days, but things seemed to be settling back down again. He had to wonder just how Thor knew. How he ever knew. Because Loki was sure as he was a deceitful snake that Thor didn't possess the magic or even the skill to cast any kind of alarm spell over him or his doorway. So how Thor always knew when Loki left his room was beyond him. On that note, by the time he was on his way back to his room, he had picked up a big, beefy shadow. He stopped mere feet from his door and sighed exasperated.

"Am I to be indefinitely chaperoned throughout the remainder of my stay in this Land of Wonder, or do you think you may tire of this at some point in the near future, brother? I know well that you can hear me."

Comments

[reignbringer]

For his part, Thor freezes, like a guilty puppy at the sound of its master's footsteps on the landing. He was not sure whether Loki had failed to notice his vigil, or whether he was deliberately ignoring it -- but either way, he has become accustomed to a complete lack of acknowledgment.

To have that suddenly change is... jarring.

After a moment, he steps round the corner, and gives his brother a crooked smile. Part sheepish. Part... reluctantly determined.

"It was not my intent to cause you displeasure."

[possiblymad]

Loki sighs and closes his eyes, pinching at the bridge of his nose in slight frustration as the Asgardian rounds that corner. He pushes the door to his room open and reluctantly motions for Thor to enter. He would sweep inside shortly thereafter and shut the door behind them if Thor stepped into his room as prompted. Until then, he would linger in the doorway looking pissy.

"Such is never your intention, is it? And yet, here we are." He sounds more tired than angry.

Stepping into Loki's room would almost feel like stepping into the halls of Asgard. The interior could very well be his room in their realm. His room, not his prison cell.

"What has been your intent? You think me too fool to notice?"

[reignbringer]

The words sting.

How often has he thought Loki a fool, for any reason, over the centuries? Hardly ever. And only in moments where his brother's curiosity, or, as they grew older, thirst to prove himself, got the better of him.

But it's hard to think of any incident except the most recent one.

He shuts his mouth with a soft click instead of saying as much, and goes as bidden. The decoration actually comes as a bit of a shock, and then it's an effort not to comment. His own room is so much less... cohesive and certain of what to call home.

By the time he has settled down on a divan, Thor is full of words unspoken, and so it takes him a while to sort through his feelings enough to murmur, "My apologies."

[possiblymad]

Loki entered behind Thor, shutting the door to keep out other prying eyes. Thor's silence is unnerving, but when he does speak, that's even less pleasant. He sighs irately and crosses the room with no real destination in mind. He just needed to move. Needed the distraction.

"All is forgotten." He muttered with a wave of his hand at the apology. "I suppose I can hardly blame you for distrusting me after all I've done, but I can assure you, you need not keep such a vigilant eye on me, brother. What could I possibly do here? And with your Avengers keeping the peace, you should feel free of responsibility."

[reignbringer]

Thor's head jerks up, hard, and he stares at Loki for a beat before rising again.

"You think I've followed you for that?"

[possiblymad]

He gives Thor the flattest of flat stares that draws into slight confusion.

"If not that, then what has you so tightly wound?"

[reignbringer]

"...Loki..."

Thor's eyes move over his face, searching for any sign that this is some sort of jest. But no: Loki seems to mean it sincerely.

He can fathom no other reason for his shadow.

Slowly, Thor says, "You are dead, where I come from." His hands clench into involuntary fists. "This place is not without its dangers," but he hurries on, even raising his voice in anticipation of some objection there, "and I have missed you."

Thor lowers his gaze. "I am not fool enough to think you would welcome my company, Loki, so I have been trying -- unsuccessfully -- not to foist it upon you."

[possiblymad]

Thor was right to raise his voice, because Loki had been about to object. Some snide comment about not being entirely helpless, even as he is now. But Thor does speak up first and shuts down Loki's retort before he can even say it, so he sits back and listens.

"Don't be a fool, brother." He spat, but his cold gaze seems less venomous and just more annoyed than anything. "You won't lose me here. Of that I can be certain. Even if I am to suffer an unfortunate fate, I can tell you through experience, one does not stay dead. Stark was murdered, much to my chagrin, not too long ago. Do not misunderstand me, I have no love for the Man of Iron, but to not be the one to end him was somewhat... disheartening." He flashes a light smirk, playful in and of itself. "Yet, he returned days later. That seems to be the common rule here, though perhaps it is less than savoury. Either way, rest assured that I'm trapped here just as well as you."

He does, however, raise his eyebrow and make it a point to look about his room then pointedly back at Thor. "I do recall inviting you into my chambers. That was not foisted upon me." Not saying that he would have willingly sought him out, but...

[reignbringer]

It's so difficult, so difficult, not to rise to the challenge in any of those words. Loki is deliberately taunting him with the idea of wanting to have been the one to kill Tony Stark. Loki is being deliberately flippant about his own potential deaths, as though he really thinks their permanence makes his pain and suffering irrelevant.

He wants to protest, for so many reasons -- not the least of which what James told him on his first day here, about deaths -- but after biting his tongue through all of Loki's barbs, he finds himself thoroughly unprepared for the sudden left turn into... reassurance.

It's all Thor can do, for the moment, to say, "...Thank you," in an uncharacteristically small voice.

[possiblymad]

"Thanking me? Well, aren't you a bit of a conundrum this evening?" He tries not to seem like it had any kind of effect on him. Thor, quit showing him such kindness! Before it didn't matter. He was too bitter to care. Now that some of that bitterness was gone... Now that certain people and situations had pushed him down a different path...

"Do you not think your time is better spent with your woman? She missed you so dearly. She pines. ...quite a bit. It's sickening. She's also quite volatile. Did you know she threatened me? She did apologise later for her false accusation, however." Casual segue from uncomfortable subjects.

[reignbringer]

The uncomfortable subject would actually be almost preferable to the layers of distraction -- but Thor finds himself dimly appreciative of the fact that, at least, these distractions are less painful.

And slightly more confusing. The idea of Jane threatening Loki is... more than a little concerning.

He hardly knows what to say. What eventually comes out is a jumble: "Did she know you were... I mean, when she... Why did she? What did you do?"

[possiblymad]

Loki crossed his arms over his chest and arched an eyebrow. With his expression, the entire posture gave off the impression of a petulant pout.

"If you are asking me if I retaliated; no. I did not. Her precious Miss Lewis went missing. The wretched child and I harbour no love for eachother. She placed blame of her disappearance on me. --You know, brother, that makes the second time since I have been here that your lovely new friends have falsely accused me of abduction." Yep. Someone goes missing; Must be Loki's fault.

"Did she know I was stripped of my powers? Yes. Mortal? Vulnerable? Yes, she was well aware. Miss Lewis was the very irritant that made sure to inform everyone when she found out." He's actually since found a bit of common ground with the loud girl, but he won't mention that. Damn these events, anyway.

[reignbringer]

He's... not sure how to feel about any of this. His shoulders are tense, bunched, and his chest is tight.

On the one hand, of course they suspected Loki. On the other hand...

And then there's Jane. Confronting Loki with her suspicions was brave -- potentially dangerous (even without his power, he remains stronger than her) -- ...unintentionally hurtful. Thor brings a hand to his brow, exhausted.

"Loki..."

[possiblymad]

Hi Thor, how do you like being the peacekeeper between the Avengers and Loki? Exhausting job, huh? As it is, the demigod and the team of heroes have decided to leave eachother to their own devices, but that didn't mean they didn't have a few crossed wires from time to time, Jane.

At his name said in such a tone, Loki's petulant expression only seems to worsen. Then he recomposes himself and puts on a falsely sweet act, put on by his annoyance.

"Yes, dear brother?" Really, Thor. What did you expect of him? "We have not killed one another. Is that not pleasing to you?"

[reignbringer]

That earns him a sharp look, the hand falling away, the exhaustion gone for however long that lasts. "Of course it pleases me! I would take considerably worse over that."