13015/Resonants: Trickster Acquired!

Resonants: Trickster Acquired!
Date of Scene:	10 October 2022
Location:	Asgardian Embassy
Synopsis:	Loki and Thor catch up on the last phases of the interdimensional project.
Cast of Characters:	Thor, Loki
Tinyplot:	Resonants

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Thor has posed:
    The last journey had been difficult.
    There was a reason why Thor and the others had left Niflheim for the last. To enter Hela's realm and find the realm in transition was a daunting thing. To pass through that realm and endure the rigors and tests of the path they walked? Even moreso and difficult as well. Yet they had emerged at the end of it victorious with their treasure acquired and secured in the house of Strange.
    All the artifacts had been gained. There was little left to do.
    Save... perhaps to reflect. Which so few ever saw in Thor. Those rare times when he was within himself. So comfortable with the world around him, so outgoing, so gregarious. He was a man who lived to be amongst others. Except for these small moments, times few had seen with him.
    One such was before a battle so many years ago, when Loki and Sif and Thor were so young. He had been lost to himself in front of a fire, silent for hours as his thoughts had wandered.
    And now it was much as then. A fire crackling in the study's fireplace, the soft clink of ice in a bucket, and distantly someone was playing a lute in one of the rooms further on. Thor stood there before the fire, the light illuminating his features, his beard, the long curved pipe he smoked slowly as he looked upon the flames. He was standing, garbed in what passed for relaxed fare for those of Asgard. Black boots, grey breeks, a white tunic that had a leather belt around the waist. Clearly he was taking his ease.
    And lost in his thoughts.

Loki has posed:
    Loki doesn't directly interrupt. He's seen this pensive, thoughtful, distant look on his brother before, and will show some patience - at least at the outset of this interaction. Loki just subtly fades into visibility to the left in one of the comfortable chairs. He's not dressed in full finery - more of a simple black leather and green mix of well-fitting 'casual' asgardian attire. It's still quite fitting of a prince, though: no commoner garb, this. The shiver of magical runes in the embroidery is far too fine for commoners. Loki's hair is back and ponytailed, a flare of ravenfeather black.

    And so, the deep thoughts are allowed to continue; Loki just exists in the same space, feet under him partially as he sits sideways, languid, on his chosen couch spot.

Thor has posed:
    There's a brief moment. An intake of breath that has the elder brother turning his head slightly. A slight shift in air pressure, or just the feeling of the other's nearness. It's enough to get Thor to turn his head and espy Loki.
    The Trickster is given that look that is first to his brother's features, that single instant before memories, regrets, trials past all intrude. It's an instant of that pure emotion gathered upon recognition and despite their past.
    It is still a smile.
    "Loki." He says, turning back to look upon the fire before him. A small puff of smoke rises from him as he draws on the pipe. Then he turns to face the other, "It's been some small amount of time since I have seen you."

Loki has posed:
    "Such busy lives we lead, constantly drawn apart by matters to which we must attend," Loki says, with a lofty tone. His slight slouch that follows it is one of a languid cat, directly intended to clash with his words. The sly half-smile that appears is one of self-awareness, though. Loki's calm, and lacks some of that snarly 'edge' he can get so often. It's likely he didn't just pop by to harass Thor - the mood just isn't aligned for that - but that doesn't explain why he may have popped up, either.
    "I //presume// if you'd had need of me, you would have sent word," Loki comments with light amusement. No doubt Thor has been relieved in some degree that Loki's stayed out of messing with things... on some level. "From what I know, you've made great progress anyway, mm?"

Thor has posed:
    Thor's first answer to Loki's response is a chuff of exhaled breath, almost a laugh. He shakes his head as he turns around and walks toward the other Asgardian, passing close enough to inflict a light shoulder thump-thump of greeting, restrained it may be.
    Then he's turning around a chair and bringing it about so he can still see the fire, but also have Loki there at his side, close enough and easily seen so their conversation will not suffer. Settling in the chair the wood complains only a little as Thor takes his seat. That pipe is then stowed upon the end table, a small tendril of smoke still drifting upwards from its bowl.
    "Progress, though great I cannot say. Perhaps... a fool's errand."

Loki has posed:
The thump of shoulder is an important move -- it cements that Loki is physically there, and not sending an illusory ghost to take up space in the area. Loki looks only slightly affronted at his personage being thumped, but keeps any retort about it to himself. It's //Loki// that thinks up such affronts most of the time where there were none, anyway. Manufacturing some insult is allowed to slide this once.
    "Well, an erand that suits you, then?" Loki teases innocently, curling his fingers against a cheek as he sets the weight of his head on his hand. The smirk that emerges is tame, though. "What's making you suspect it's all for naught?"

Thor has posed:
    Another scoffing almost laugh is heard from deep in Thor's chest as he gives his brother a side-eyed glance, implying a hint of ill will but the half-smirk that blossoms does away with that implication. Shaking his head he murmurs, "Not a thing, all has gone well. Merely what we are trying seems to have equal chance to work not at all. Much depends on the ritual."
    He gestures toward the drink cart with one hand, offering something to imbibe to Loki merely by quirking an eyebrow. If he seems to wish a drink as well then he will get one, and only afterward will Thor tend to his own wish. In this case for a glass of red wine.
    Settling back into his seat he takes a deep breath, "Or perhaps this was an effort not truly needed? In any case there were adventures had, and perhaps that is worthy reason enough."

Loki has posed:
    Loki does accept the drink; these brothers have had enough time together for Thor to read that Loki will want and accept it -- it just comes with a bit of a 'yes, serve me peasant' mock air to it. Still, Loki doesn't push it beyond that funny little lift of head as he accepts the drink. Thor has other things to bring to the conversation, and it's easier to just ignore Loki's little 'flavor' sometimes.

    "You did your part, then. I don't expect //you// are in charge of the ritual, are you?" Loki asks, incredulous. That seems like a dumb idea. "So it's on the head of that person to carry it the rest of the way. Or are you sad the adventures have finished?"
    Loki has heard the concerns, he's coming at it from the side, as is his usual outlook on things.

Thor has posed:
    The response to the silent arrogance is a just as silent rolling of eyes that ends with the wine glass given over with only a hint of a shove, not enough to slosh though. Of course.
    But then Loki inquires about Thor's role and he makes a small harumph sound, "And if I was? Perhaps I have taken up the works of all things magical of late? I am quite the fast learner when I am so inclined, you know." Which, however, has been a long time since he's apparently been so inclined.
    Then he answers the question seriously, though still smiling. "But yes, we have several competent sorcerers who will be tending to the matter. I am told it is quite a complex matter and shall take time, but we will take all needed precautions. Of course."

Loki has posed:
    "With a descriptor like 'competent', I'd sure be confident too," Loki says playfully, mocking - of course. "Don't be afraid to give your close friends higher marks. I'm not going to go jealously murder them if I hear other magic users exist and have your trust."

    Loki nods to the level of complexity, enjoying a deep draw of the wine he was given, green eyes panning the room in a relaxed way. "Though I expect if you describe my arcane prowess you will use highest regard, obviously." Then back to the topic. "If you //did// need me, I wonder, would you ask?" Loki queries, thoughtfully.

Thor has posed:
    "Well," Thor says with that smile aimed right back at Loki, "That depends on how one defines 'need'." He over-emphasizes that last word, giving such tonal intensity to it that one might be hard pressed to imagine a scenario where 'need' would fit. Yet he leaves it at that so spoken, though his smile is warm.
    "Though some of those mages you have had a past with and I think if you added your own expertise well..." The word trails off before he adds, "Too many chefs, you know."
    Such a lovely mortal allegory.
    Then he looks back to the fire and his eyes distance as he adds, "To be entirely fair I had thought you might be very well bored by much of it."

Loki has posed:
    "I WOULD have been bored," Loki says, straight out. "That's not the point."

    With a smirk, Loki finishes his glass of wine ... and abruptly flicks it at Thor. He transformed it mid-flight, into a little fluffy golden magical squishy ball. This is an old game -- change some object into something else, throw it. It's rarely actually harmful, but always a surprise. That's the point of it, though. Just that little moment of '?!' that Loki wants to create.

    "What I'm asking is, if it DID start to explode, would you rather explode than need me. Totally theoretical." A pause. "I have no intention to cause it to explode just to find out, for reference."

Thor has posed:
    That glass flies and like always Loki catches him, though his reaction isn't strong. It's that brief moment of slightly widened eyes and his left hand rising slightly, only for him to lift his finger as if to scold the trickster. Shaking his head he heaves an affected grump of a sigh, but then his thoughts are drawn away by the words his brother gives to him.
    "Oh no, definitely your aid would be best. It would be worth eating what crow you'd serve me for the next hundred years or so." He takes a sip of his own wine as he leeeans to the side of the chair to pick up the squishy ball that had bounced off of him. He sets it on the drink cart for when it might return to its natural form. Though that might be never.
    "Better I shoulder the burden of your strutting around so than for others to suffer." His lips twist into a smirk just before he takes another sip of wine.

Loki has posed:
"Hundred years? Yes, let's say it would be that," Loki says serenely, but also somewhat grumpy that he'd be thought of so poorly. ...It's probably accurate, though, and Loki doesn't keep focus on THAT particular point. "There are things you will never stop badgering ME about. This goes both ways, brother," Loki clarifies.

    The little golden smoosh-ball remains as it is, for the time being. "I //have// been positively heroic as of late. But if you failed to notice, well. I suppose heroism is less likely to cross your attention than anything else." Loki's only a bit grumpy he's not getting credit he feels he is due for being a good guy lately. Maybe it's time to swing the other way again.

Thor has posed:
    "You're right, you're right." Thor says, perhaps surprisingly so. "I should not rekindle whatever arguments we have each time we have these conversations. I should be more open to the future, less the past."
    As Thor accepts that he smiles a little more, turning his head toward Loki as he takes a deep breath. "So trust I will try from now on, and if I fail I am sure you would be so kind as to remind me?" Which should be well and good.
    Then the claim at heroism has Thor's eyebrows rising, "Have you been? Then by all means brother, indulge and tell me these tales. I would hear them." There is no sarcasm in that tone, sincerity entire.

Loki has posed:
    There's some skepticism at first, about if Thor //does// want to hear about this latest tale.... Loki's a little bit dismissive at first, as he begins to explain the battle that ensued between some of Midgard's psychic heroes and the powerful entity in the Astral plane...

    But as Thor does want to hear the story, Loki relaxes that after a time, and instead gets into the retelling of the nature of what they discovered about the Shadow King, who was possessing bodies of others, ripping souls prematurely from their mortal husks, and enslaving them. Loki does go into his own role played, his part to steal the stolen souls back away again, to weaken the Shadow King while the other heroes defeated the monster...

    It is a grand tale, to hear Loki tell it: and, maybe less in the words, but more in the tone shift as Loki does admit to //saving human lives//, that carries the truth that exists in the story. Loki isn't just one thing, he is multiple things, and can be a positive player in an event.

    At the end of the story, though, Loki leaves rather abruptly - perhaps feeling he'd rambled too much. Loki DOES like to talk, and sometimes, when given the floor, it can happen... that he might be seen as something he's not sure he wants to be seen as...

Thor has posed:
    Despite that suspicion Thor remains there, wine glass in hand, smile upon his lips... and just looking like some earnest canine entirely willing and ready to wait for whatever words come from the trickster. So when the tale starts he eaes back into his seat, crossing one leg over his knee and leaning back. He listens, not in the way so many people do... simply waiting for their turn to speak.
    No he listens with the steady calm attention of a brother who has seen so little of his sibling that he simply enjoys basking in that glow of family, the warmth of the fire, and the tang of the wine.
    It's near the end that his smile grows a little more, and as the tale is unfurled before him his eyebrows rise. There is appreciation there, belief, acceptance.
    And then perhaps in those small moments following after Loki had faded...
    Well then there in those blue eyes of the Asgardian Prince? There is pride.