planning stages!

[st_ratagem]

Loki had decided to solve a problem. It wasn't an active problem yet, but with Thor and Valkyrie both in residence, it was entirely possible that at some point alcohol would end up in short supply. Thor alone had managed to drink most of the alcohol in the Inn, and Loki thought that Valkyrie's tolerance was probably somewhat higher. That being the case, it seemed like a good long-term idea to start making booze. Specifically, Asgardian spirits strong enough to ensure that the king and his lieutenant had more efficient options than 'drink two whole bars'.

The only problem was that Loki didn't exactly know how the brewing and distillation process had worked. He'd never paid much attention to distilleries back home. Stills themselves were simple enough, according to a few books he'd collected from the library, but how the versions on Asgard differed... was it a matter of material? Ingredients? Something else?

It was almost certainly an area where Thor knew more than he did, so Loki sent a message inviting his brother to come up and help with a project. He made no particular effort to sound like he wasn't up to something, because it would be fun to see what conclusions Thor jumped to regarding the invitation.

Comments

[st_ratagem]

"Don't worry about it. It's nothing you can help." Loki put his book aside again.

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor looks up and over at Loki.

"Nothing?" he repeats, incredulous.

[st_ratagem]

"Nothing." Loki sighed. "You are who and what you are. The universe and everything in it loves you and falls at your feet because you exist. You're used enough to it that you assume...." He waved a hand. "I can't explain, but I can take care of myself."

[st_ormbreaker]

"You'll just go it alone. Like you've always done," Thor says, as if echoing someone else's words.

[st_ratagem]

If it was a quote, Loki didn’t recognize it, but that didn’t stop it from being right. “Yes. Not the happiest mode of existence in the universe, I grant you, but I’m no more built for happiness than satisfaction. So it works out.”

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor reaches a hand over and wordlessly tousles Loki's hair affectionately.

[st_ratagem]

Loki allowed it for a second or two, then knocked Thor's hand away. "Any other questions?"

[st_ormbreaker]

"Mmmm." Thor sets his hand back down on the ground next to him.

"Today? No. Some other time? Probably."

[st_ratagem]

“You didn’t even get through your list of statements,” Loki observed, mostly teasing. “Not that I mind, but your attention span really is very short.”

[st_ormbreaker]

"Did you want me to? I can ask more questions."

[st_ratagem]

"I don't mind either way." Somewhat daring, Loki poked his brother in the shoulder. "But you know me. I might make it hell for you later."

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor nudges Loki in retaliation. "You mean you haven't been already?"

[st_ratagem]

"Norns, no. I've been taking it easy on you."

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor casts Loki a doubtful look, though compared to some of their encounters over the last decade, Loki is right --

This is considerably easier.

Thor doesn't say anything for a moment -- just mulls over the pros and cons of asking more questions. He doesn't want another argument, but he has plenty of questions he would like to ask.

He doesn't know how long he might have to ask them.

Thor's eyes briefly flicker down to the papers on the ground before he looks over at Loki, his expression neutral.

"Do you believe I threw you off the Bifrost?"

[st_ratagem]

"No." The answer was immediate. "You didn't even have hold of me! I let go of the spear and fell into the Void. My choice."

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor doesn't speak for a few long moments.

"Do you remember what you said to me, when we were fighting on Stark Tower?"

[st_ratagem]

“Not clearly, no.” He’d said a lot of things during that whole adventure, such as it was. Some true, most not, all rooted at least somewhat in emotion and... nearly all hazy. Spots of clarity here and there, but... no.

[st_ormbreaker]

"You don't remember it?" Thor asks, eyes narrowed. Thor can remember the words they exchanged with absolute clarity; Loki's words struck him as hard as Loki's dagger.

[st_ratagem]

“I said a great deal, I’m sure, but you’ll have to remind me of the specifics.” He remembered the rage, the joy in finally letting it out, actions, steps in the plan... words had just followed along.

[st_ormbreaker]

"The specifics don't really matter." They do -- or they did, before Loki confirmed he didn't think Thor responsible and couldn't remember what he said.

Was he just that angry?

"If you don't remember, you don't remember."

[st_ratagem]

“Almost that entire year is a mess.” And it was annoying. Loki was used to knowing exactly what he was about, even if it was just a random whim, but so much of his time with Thanos and the finale on Earth was an incoherent mess now. One he still owned, of course, but.... “A sentence of solitary confinement for eternity at least meant an eternity to tidy up a bit.” Nothing else about it was good, but he’d felt nearly like himself by the time Thor needed a favor and let him out.

[st_ormbreaker]

"Why?"

Thor remembered Loki having a good memory -- far better than his, and Thor wasn't one prone to forgetting, either.

"Was it the fall?"

It seemed like the most natural conclusion.

[st_ratagem]

“I don’t know, but I doubt it. I remember all that clearly enough.” Loki frowned, then forced a close approximation of an uncaring shrug. Thanos had been literal torture in many ways, and certainly he didn’t care to remember most of it, but the haze hadn’t started until later than a lot of that. “It doesn’t matter, I think. I’m willing to answer for my words if I can get a reminder of which ones.”

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor's frown deepens.

"You told me you remembered me tossing you into an abyss."

[st_ratagem]

“A lie.” Asked and answered, but Loki said it anyway. “And not a very good one, since I don’t imagine it mattered how I came to fall.”