If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks...

[coldsong]

It's customary to have a Wake after the subject thereof dies. Even Loki knows that. But this is a special occasion. Ego-death is coming to his alternate, and the idea of letting him go off to perish alone, uncertain he will even be mourned, is too dark a proposition even for a flawed and callous person to contemplate.

That, and this Loki has been in a melancholy mood since speaking to the spirit of Frigga. He anticipates a dark choice of his own, sooner or later, and where the fates will send him after that, he can't know. Maybe oblivion, although even at that rate there may be worse places.

What's important right now is that no one dies unremembered. And honestly, any excuse for mischief a party. The first text rolls out to Harley, an innocent enough invitation to join them for milkshakes. Cricket is next, because it occurs to him that Cricket has plenty of liquor, which is good for a reckless celebration.

Things snowball from there.

As long as they don't destroy too much property, they'll call the night a success.

Comments

[pirateangelbaby]

Thor can't help but smile back at him, the vision in his eye a little blurry as he looks back at Loki as if he's memorizing what he looks like, every line in that sleepily contented face. And maybe he is.

Looks like the secret's finally out.

He leans his forehead against Loki's, holding him tightly, and says, "This has been a night to remember."

[magpiemythos]

He sees that look. And drunk or no, he knows what that kind of look means. Has seen it too often, has worn it too often to be able to claim otherwise.

"Who told?" He could guess. Most were ignorant of what was being celebrated, but a couple who were there knew, or could guess. And maybe it was kinder in a way to let Thor in on it too. Some manner of closure, for all Loki was praying that he'd manage to cheat fate. Not that he was mad, not now.

[pirateangelbaby]

Part of Thor is glad that no one told him sooner. It would have cast a pall over the whole gathering for him; how could he have fun knowing that Loki is preparing to meet his fate? On the other hand, the guilt at being grateful for his ignorance gnaws at him, that he'd been letting Loki bear this burden alone. Or, well. Close to it.

Either way, he knows now. Not too late that he can't say goodbye, not too late that he can't make sure the trickster knows that he's loved, at least by this Thor. That he'll be missed, if the battle goes ill. Still unwilling to believe that there's no other outcome, but even a trickster's luck can't last forever.

"He's tall, dark, and stabby," Thor mutters in reply, likely confirming the prime suspect.

[magpiemythos]

It was good in Loki's mind, that Thor hadn't known before. He wanted to have fun if this was to be his last night, to remember his friends and multidimensional family smiling instead of sad.

"I'm not entirely surprised." Loki might do the same in his twin's shoes. Not to be cruel but because he thought that it might help, once everything had wound down and things were quiet. A crooked smile creeping across his face as he just settled, keeping his grasp on Thor.

"There's always a chance I'll pull off a hat trick." Not that he believed it this time, more just trying to keep the tone from going too morose too quickly. There'd be plenty of time for that tomorrow.

[pirateangelbaby]

"I hope you will. You're a clever man, Loki. Always have been. If there is another way, you will find it." Thor has no idea what kind of odds he'll be facing, his faith in Loki's nature as strong as it ever was. If anyone can cheat death, it's a trickster. And if Loki can't, no one can.

Thor holds him a little tighter, the sort of hug his own brother has spurned for years now. He's typically been a cheerful drunk, whenever he's managed to get that deep in his cups, but this time it manifests as stubborn clinginess. "The party was good, right?" If Loki got his fun out of it, it was all worth it, as far as Thor's concerned.

[magpiemythos]

That simple stubborn faith in him hits just the right way to have the trickster's gaze blurring a bit, Loki blinking a bit as he ducked his head, masking the moment with a low chuckle.

And he certainly wasn't spurning the hug, in fact just sinking more securely into it, letting his forehead rest against Thor's shoulder as his fingers curled in fabric. Just as clingy in his own right it seemed.

"It was great. Clearly my twin has a future as an event planner."

[pirateangelbaby]

It's almost like they're boys again, staying up in the late hours of the night when they should be sleeping. Thor's forgotten now what sorts of things they'd talk about back then, only that he'd looked forward to talking until they both fell asleep. He'd never felt safer.

He can only hope that it's a memory this Loki shares, and that it brings him comfort.

"Spontaneous mischief has its benefits after all."