driftfleet | System Mingle!!

[He laughs into his glass.]

Yes, just like that. Plenty of places to do that in here.

[ this is nice. or it's the drink, slowly taking effect. ]

No doubt we'll both find ways to entertain ourselves.

I hope so. There are some things I ought to do for the ship as well, but... [He shrugs, lifting his glass again.] I know how this works by now. I have plenty of time.

[ his expression twists. ]

I suppose we do have that. Time.

[It buries itself in Thor's face too, the dark irony of it. He breathes out, looking away for a moment.]

...yeah.

[Maybe it's just a lie they tell themselves to forget that time's run out for both of them at home. Sometimes, Thor almost finds himself forgetting that Loki only exists here now. Then it comes back to him and it winds itself painfully around his heart.]

[ his expression softens. ]

I didn't mean to bring it up. I suppose it's been on my mind lately.

It isn't your doing.

[He can say that readily enough, with little thought. Loki's mere presence isn't to blame for everything Thor struggles with in this place. It's the opposite most of the time, a relief where there's so little of it to be found.

Squeezing his glass with his fingers, he looks up again.]

It's never far from mine either. Any of it.

[ oh. that's depressing. ]

Thor.

[He shakes himself, sitting up straighter and pulling back on his dour mood.]

No, it's fine. It would be stupid to pretend that it isn't, but it is not constant.

[ gently. ]

I don't think either of us are engaged at much pretense lately.

[He screws up his nose briefly.]

Must you put it that way?

[It's so... florid. Raking his fingers back through his hair, Thor does stop and think about that.]

I don't honestly know.

[ loki can't help it. he laughs a little, soft. he's always sought answers from the people he cared about; odin, thor, frigga. but the truth of the matter, the truth that loki has always shied away from is that they didn't have answers. not for him and sometimes, not for themselves.

but it wasn't so bad. or maybe he feels less lost now that he knows the end of the story. as far as endings go, he can't complain. ]

That's fine.

[And ultimately Thor doesn't want to know. Not really. If he's coming apart at the seams and everyone is too nice to tell him so, so be it. He doesn't need confirmation. He needs to-- keep at what he's doing. Until he can get home and do something about it, he needs to treat the Fleet as something to endure and eventually overcome. That's the only way he'll get both himself and Loki out of this mess.

He does roll his eyes a little, having a swig of his drink.]

As long as we both agree.

I see no reason to disagree.

[ he eyes thor's hair, remembering the way thor fiddled with it earlier. ]

Your hair is looking worse. Have you forgotten how to take care of it?

[Thor's eyes snap up and he's affronted, immediately. His hand automatically goes up to his hair again.]

What-- no it isn't! I had it cut just weeks ago!

In a style that is clearly outdated. Was it Romanoff? Her hair gets worse every time I see her.

I went to the barber who has a salon on the Iskaulit. He evened out the jagged bits, that's it.

[So it should be essentially the same haircut he got on Sakaar, if less ragged. Thor hasn't thought about the style of it much, given it wasn't his choice and it's short. Style is for longer hair.]

[ loki takes a prim sip of his drink. ]

You should have let it grow out.

I did that last time, now I have to wait again. I felt like-- doing something about it sooner.

[In some half-assed way it was Thor's attempt to get his shit together after the memories from home. He flaps a hand irritably, going back to his own drink.]

Hair takes time.

I don't see why it should. I could make it grow.

You'll turn it pink again, like that one time.

[He knows you, Loki.]

Oh, please. Like I would repeat the same trick again.

[ he would, but not when he's called out. ]

[Shaking his head imperiously, Thor's not having any of it.]

Not a chance.

[ loki tsks. ]

Is the Mighty Thor afraid of a little spell?

My hair is not to be meddled with.

[Grand words, considering a nobody in a slave-arena managed to do it once. Thor thumps his finished glass onto the table with finality.]

I didn't think they were serious when I came in here, but they really do only serve one thing.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject