driftfleet | System Mingle!!

Why am I not surprised to find you in a bar?

[ and loki picked one at random. ]

[Thor tips his head back to look at where Loki's standing, eyebrows raising.]

I don't know, why aren't you?

[All innocence. As though the answer isn't known to both.]

[ loki shakes his head, bemused. ]

You're getting predictable, brother.

You're one to talk. You kept coming by with drinks during the last drift, after all.

[And Loki's here now, where he's not a habitual frequenter of bars. Not nearly as much as Thor is, anyway. With a huff, Thor shifts over and kicks a chair out for Loki at the table.]

[ he gracefully takes a seat, signalling the bartender from afar before responding. ]

And what is predictable about me getting you drinks? The last I checked, I wasn't so magnanimous by nature.

There was also that time on the desert world, early on...

[The dead, empty planet where they farewelled the Asgardians lost in Ragnarok. An age ago, it seems. He snorts, sipping his drink.]

Oh no, I didn't think it was charity.

[ he frowns slightly as his drink finally arrives. ]

What did you think it was, then?

Something to do?

[Thor hadn't put much thought into it, glad enough to have Loki come by on his own accord. The company had been appreciated.]

You kept doing it, so I thought it was important to you.

[ amazing. though it's nice to know thor is also dense. he takes a swing of his drink, setting it back down. ]

It seemed safe. Though, unlikely to be useful, but . . . [ loki shrugs. ]

[Safe. Thor thinks he knows why. It was hard to find a safe topic of conversation these days, with horrors lying in wait all around them.]

I wouldn't call it useless. It's a routine, you know.

[Sort of it. It hadn't been every day. But Thor had looked forward to it when it happened, a brighter spot in days that could otherwise be empty.]

[ loki's not sure if it was a good routine. not that drinking ever did much to gods anyway but it's the one thing he knew thor wouldn't turn away so he kept doing it. he puts it aside as he drawls. ]

Just as routine as finding you here.

Now, you can't say that, as I have never been in here before tonight.

[He points a finger at Loki.]

Perhaps you followed me in here.

[ loki splutters at that. ]

I did not! Why would I do that?!

...did you?

[Because that wasn't a smooth reaction, Loki. He watches his brother over the edge of his glass, curious now.]

Of course not! As if I would do such a thing!

[ drinking now, shut up!! ]

[Setting his empty glass down, a grin is starting to spread over Thor's face. Loki getting bent out of shape was always, always funny.]

Oh, but I distinctly remember that time a couple of centuries ago where you tailed me all through Vanaheim in the guise of a servant, because you didn't like your actual assignment in the north.

[ loki continues drinking for a few more seconds before he responds, as if it buys him time. ]

It was a worthless assignment. All Father wanted me to do was monitor the outposts, as if that was a productive use of my time and abilities.

[Thor flags a bartender down in the meantime, scooping another glass off the man's tray. Being a concept bar, it only serves one thing - it's just fortunate that it's good strong liquor.]

Didn't one of them get set on fire by bandits? [He pats Loki on the shoulder, a sham of comfort when he's really just rubbing it in:] And that doesn't change my point, you still followed me.

[ loki predictably bristles. ]

I didn't come because of you!

Of course not, that was just random chance.

[Or not. Thor doesn't believe that for a second, but he'll give Loki the illusion of it if that's what he wants. Just... not very sincerely.]

[ loki scowls at him. ]

You were lucky I came. Whose illusions helped disguise your camp?

Yours did. [The agreement comes easily.] And I got you back to those outposts before anyone could tell you were gone.

[ the corners of his lips twitch involuntarily. ]

You did. I'm still surprised we never got into trouble for it.

Well, we were victorious. All the rest is just minor details.

[Heimdall had definitely given them a knowing look on the way back into Asgard, and Thor will never know if Odin figured it out. As far as they could tell, though? They had gotten away with it. It had made them giddy for days afterwards.

Simpler times. Thor drinks for a moment, his good humour fading only a little.]

You did reveal yourself to me too, so you didn't want to hide that much.

[ loki idly tips his glass back and forth before answering. ]

I didn't like hiding. I never have, but there wasn't much else I could do with my powers.

( c )

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