A serious conversation

[st_ratagem]

Nerves were pointless. Realistically there was only one way this conversation was ultimately going to go, it was just a matter of getting there. Which would be awkward and embarrassing at least, but it had to be done.

Rather than go through the knock-on-door-then-enter thing, which would have been minor sandpaper on nerves that wanted to be frayed, Loki opened the door to the room as an invitation to enter. (Thor was the only one he was expecting, anyway.) After that, he took a seat at the little table on the balcony, since the only other choice was pacing like a ninny.

The room was much less tidy and impersonal since Valkyrie had moved in. She hadn’t been exaggerating when she’d said she wasn’t organized, so her things were scattered around, and Loki had relaxed his own tight rein on his things, so a few piles of books and other things had joined the clutter. It looked lived-in, now.

Comments

[st_ratagem]

"No, but your ability to keep secrets is often roughly on par with your ability to lie." Thor himself had to admit as much, didn't he? "I seem to recall you insisting on putting up signs labeled 'secret base SSSHHHH' when we were children."

[st_ormbreaker]

"It's different now," Thor huffs. "I'm much better at these things."

[st_ratagem]

“You think so?” Loki kept his tone one of moderate skepticism, just for fun, since winding Thor up was almost never not fun. “Do you think any of the costume junk in the boutique is ever actual gold?” If it was, well... that seemed like it might be decisive. The ring should more properly be part of the wedding, but it seemed a good idea to have physical proof that this wasn’t a whim... and really, the wedding was only the price one paid to be married, wasn’t it?

[st_ormbreaker]

"Maybe," Thor says. "I'll keep checking for it. I've seen some pretty strange stuff show up in the shop before." Like a wiffle ball and bat.

[st_ratagem]

“I can manage, I think.” Loki considered. Even a small and adulterated amount of gold could work, if he was willing to use more magic in the crafting than he generally liked. And since he’d have to in any case, not being a goldsmith. “Yes. I think do invite Valkyrie hunting for a day or two. Three, if you can stretch it, but I’ll want at least a full twenty-four hours.”

[st_ormbreaker]

"Consider it done," Thor says, giving his brother a thumbs up. "It's been awhile since I've gone camping. Might be good for me to get out of the inn for a change."

The inn was a pretty small place.

[st_ratagem]

“Thank you, brother.” Fro those three words, Loki let his tone be warm and genuine, then returned to a more usual glib cheerfulness. “And do your best to keep the reason for it to yourself, yes? No guessing games. Or signs.”

[st_ormbreaker]

"Brother's honor," Thor says, raising two fingers in solemn promise. "She won't know a thing."

[st_ratagem]

Loki thought she probably would - Brunnhilde was an observant and intelligent woman. Thor wouldn’t let the actual facts escape him, though, so she might be edgy or suspicious but return home no more than anxious or annoyed.

Which was fine. Anxiety could be soothed, annoyance likewise.

After a moment, though, he pulled a bottle from over there and passed it to Thor. “Share that, if you get desperate. I think it’s fairly good, I’m getting much better at magical aging.” No sense not offering backup when it was available.

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor accepts the bottle and looks down at it.

"Just this?" he asks, incredulous.

[st_ratagem]

Loki laughed. “How many do ya think you need?”

[st_ormbreaker]

"More than one, definitely."

[st_ratagem]

"I should probably worry about my willingness to enable the two of you." He didn't, though, as evidenced by the fact that he pulled two more bottles from over there and set them by the first one. "How's three?"

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor lets out a sigh. "It'll do," he replies.

[st_ratagem]

“I did ask you to give me a number, brother. You’re the one who decided to be vague about it.”

[st_ormbreaker]

"Eight?" Thor suggests. "Nine?"

[st_ratagem]

“For two or three days?” Loki’s tone aimed for scandalized or scolding, but the laughter sort of ruined it. A lot. “How drunk do you think you’re going to need to be?”

[st_ormbreaker]

"Better safe than sorry!"

[st_ratagem]

Loki mock-considered for a few seconds, then shrugged and brought the number on the table up to nine. It was a blow to his stash, but far from an irreparable one. “Fine. Your liver isn’t my responsibility, and Valkyrie knows how to manage herself.”

[st_ormbreaker]

"You're not going to help carry these to my room?" Thor could easily handle the weight of nine bottles, but carrying them all at once would be far less practical.

This was precisely what Loki's Otherspace was good for.

[st_ratagem]

“Hmmm... no.” It probably came as no surprise. Loki had to put a wrinkle in the plan somewhere. “But if you ask very nicely, I might give you a box or something to carry them in.”

[st_ormbreaker]

"Looookiiiiiii," Thor whines.

[st_ratagem]

“Not a question!” Loki informed him cheerily. “Also, annoying. I’m sure you can do better, brother.”

[st_ormbreaker]

"Pleaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaase?"

[st_ratagem]

“Are you six?” Loki was nearly certain Thor did things like this just to give Loki an opportunity to entertain himself. At least some of the time. “If you are I probably shouldn’t let you have liquor at all.”