testing phase

[st_ratagem]

It had been no surprise that Valkyrie was eager to try the first attempt at Asgardian liquor. There wasn't a huge amount - four reused whiskey bottles, two of which had already gone to Thor - but if he'd done it right, two would be more than enough for the moment. Even if it wasn't, it was still likely to score solid points.

The door was unlocked as he'd said, and he'd hauled the little patio table into the room and set both bottles along with a few shot glasses on it.

Then, to amuse himself, he started counting down from twenty.

Comments

[st_ratagem]

“I did not know that.” Projects were good things to have, especially in this place. A truly bored Valkyrie would be... well, probably fun at first, and then very much not. “Do tell.”

[st_allionofdoom]

"Emma. The redhead." Knowing there were two--that pirate seemed to have found the other. Valkyrie made a wide gesture with her wrist, crossing her ankles. "During the snow antics. I had a funnel cake and she asked me to train her. She was earnest enough, so...I accepted."

[st_ratagem]

“She’s a talented seer.” She hadn’t struck Loki as much of a fighter, but everyone started as ‘not a fighter’ so it was hardly a disqualifier. “And she was quite a good sport when I was pretending to sell Thor’s eyeball.”

[st_allionofdoom]

"You what." Valkyrie shook her head, squinting through the inebriated haze.

[st_ratagem]

“Thor drunk both the bars, then annoyed me, then decided that I needed to hold on to his prosthetic eyeball for safekeeping.” Loki grinned in memory. “So I put it up for auction to teach him a lesson about annoying me and also keeping track of his things.”

[st_allionofdoom]

Barking in laughter, Valkyrie smacked the table hard to warp the metal. "Any takers?" She asked eagerly.

[st_ratagem]

“One, but he was ultimately not interested because the eye had no special features and apparently he already had two of those.”Thor, of course, had been annoyed, but that was part of the point. “Most others just tried to convince me to give the eye back.”

[st_allionofdoom]

"None of his comrades put forth a duel for it?" Given that they were all summarily weaker, they likely wouldn't accomplish anything that Thor couldn't, but some of them seemed at least given enough to chivalry.

[st_ratagem]

"None! At most, I think they tried to get me to admit I was being mean." Loki paused as if for thought, then shook his head. "Which of course I was! But it was fun, and the lesson I wanted my brother to learn appears to have stuck, so the whole thing was a win for me."

[st_allionofdoom]

Humming in a low tone of mock-warning, Valkyrie slid up from her seat and rounded to the back of Loki's--palm planted firmly on the top of his head and giving it a nice shake. "Such a troublesome duo I'm tasked with!"

[st_ratagem]

Loki closed his eyes to enjoy the shake and hand in his hair. “In my defense, I felt it shouldn’t be necessary to threaten throat-cutting and eye auctions to keep my brother out of my personal belongings.”

[st_allionofdoom]

"After we entice him into walking in on you chained at the foot of my bed, it may keep him from entering any room other than his own. Period." She cheerfully added, circling his head about.

[st_ratagem]

Loki opened his eyes wide, mock innocent. “It won’t hurt him to be reminded to knock on doors even if he doesn’t get paranoid about other rooms, will it?”

[st_allionofdoom]

"Coming from you, of all people. Of course." Valkyrie shook her own head, releasing his. "I've seen you in worse. His Majesty be blessed he was spared the image of The Grandmaster and his lackeys in fetish gear."

[st_ratagem]

Loki laughed. “Was that really so bad?”

[st_allionofdoom]

"I drank to forget--many things." Valkyrie laughed, though there was an edge to it. She papped the prince's cheek once again, plopping onto his lap and kicking back sideways against the table. A seat was a seat.

[st_ratagem]

Loki absolutely did not object to a lapful of Valkyrie. He slid an arm around her waist to anchor her, and also just hold her. “I swear, no unapproved fetish gear.”

[st_allionofdoom]

Managing to cross one leg over the other without sending herself backwards--helped by Loki's arms--Valkyrie slid an arm around his neck. "I toyed with my own. Never in a group setting."

[st_ratagem]

“Groups can be fun,” he murmured, “but I find I appreciate being able to focus. And you’re worth appreciating.”

[st_allionofdoom]

Shrugging lightly, Valkyrie let Loki's head rest on her shoulder. The strength of the drink lingered, though she had reached a point of contended stillness with its effects. "The focus is both noted and appreciated." She admitted readily.

[st_ratagem]

“And you’ll let me know when it’s not.” Loki didn’t pull back or look up, so the not-question was addressed to her throat. Valkyrie was very nearly unique in allowing him this sort of... affectionate latitude, and he didn’t want to waste it. “Preferably before you’re inclined to cut my throat.”

[st_allionofdoom]

“You’ve not given me a reason.” Once again carding her fingers through his hair, Valkyrie was gentler about it. “Should this trend continue, your throat will remain intact.”

[st_ratagem]

“I’ll bear that in mind.” He pressed a quick kiss to her throat. It was there, and he did love hands in his hair. “I do prefer an intact throat, so I’ll have to at least try to avoid giving you reasons.”

[st_allionofdoom]

"At the very least, your hair will be spared any trauma." Though she never said it in words, she'd grown quite fond of Loki's tresses. The soft waviness of them ran totally counter to his affect. Valkyrie give a little tug near the base of his scalp, twirling a chunk around her finger.

[st_ratagem]

“Oh, yes, blood washes out of hair fairly easily.” It was mostly a joke, punctuated with a nip to her collarbone. “And if I want to change it, I just change it.” Another side-benefit of shapeshifting: it wouldn’t matter if a creepy old man cut it off, Loki could just restore it.