[ open to all ] rest in the silhouettes our fathers and mothers laid before

[dothelokimotion]

who: Loki + You
what: Monthly Prompts + Daily Stuff
when: May
where: All around the city
warnings: N/A, will update if necessary


[ i. floating lanterns]

[ Loki remembers.

It almost feels like another lifetime ago. He had come here just after he snatched the throne (or had it been a few years? Time still slips through his fingers) along with Thor. Their conversations had been rough, abrupt. Loki had taken a lantern and hidden himself in the night, a testament to his weakness. A testament to his mother. That wound may never fully heal. But Loki has many wounds like that one and they have eventually lost their power over him. Or their power remained, but they no longer scatter his head with doubts and recriminations. So, he doesn’t hide himself this time, though he may linger at the back. One lantern for one person Loki has not taken the time to mourn. He draws a black crown of thorns with a steady hand. When it’s done, he pulls back, turning it over with his fingers before igniting it with a small globe of light which he conjures in his palm. Both of these combined, Loki lets it bob briefly before lifting it into the air with a murmur. ]

Goodbye, sister. You died a glorious death.

[ ii. sharing life ( and magic ) ]

[ In many ways, Loki was easy. He doesn’t like to admit it, but a little flattery, smiling, buttering him up can go a long way. Of course, not everyone can pull it off. There are only a scant few whose opinions truly matter to Loki and even then, he wavers. It is a dangerous thing, trying to earn a person’s regard. Loki only had to look at his own father to know that it is a treacherous path. But he has also been softened in time, the edges going a little blunt. Laura had asked for a magic show and Lucy wanted to know more stories. Both of which Loki is more than happy to combine. On the steps of his theatre, he holds a tiny street play.

With puppets. Yes, puppets.

Though he’s not moving them with his hands. There are small bursts of gold sparkles and sometimes, the puppets change size, voice and colour. The children clap in delight as Loki hangs back, letting the show play out. ]

[ iii. a boy and his lying cat ]

[ Recently, Thor had gifted him with this . . . animal which meant Loki was partly saddled with it. He says partly because for the most part, the creature itself doesn’t seem to need more attention. It mostly spends its time, slinking around Loki’s legs, yawning and —

— and mocking everything Loki says with a low drawl, constantly uttering Lying at him. What was he even lying about? And it was worse in public when he is talking to someone and almost immediately — ]

Lying.

[ Loki lets out a hiss, turning away from whoever he was speaking to, to address the cat. ]

I will strangle you.

[ The cat blinks, licking his paws, not the least bit perturbed. ]

[ closed - to alex ]

[ True to his word, Loki does make an appearance at the coffee shop. It is fascinating how many life-changing or important moments have taken place here, he muses briefly. Here, he started talking to Steve as an equal. Where he slowly forged an (uneasy) connection with Tony Stark. For this, he dressed in his black suit, waiting at a table politely, his hands folded on his lap as he watches the people pass by. For once, he doesn’t feel quite so . . . apart.

Was that wrong? These people would be gone. He could close his eyes and forget they ever existed. But Loki struggles with wrongness and his ability to tell such things apart has long eroded away. ]

[ wildcard ]

[ Loki mostly spends his time at Gramarye, working his magic or answering queries. The Odin's Odeon is also a location where Loki spends most of his time, so if anyone is interested in hosting an event/play/the arts, Loki will support it. If you have an idea, pm this account or hit me up at captainkink ]

Comments

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki cocks a delicate eyebrow in his direction, which says a lot of what Loki thought about people trying to kill him. ]

I was in the way.

[ Even a second prince had claims to the throne. ]

And it's not worth holding a grudge for that.

[buildsomething]

[He gets a slightly dry look in response. Though that sort of philosophy does explain a lot.]

So what is worth holding a grudge over? Hypothetically.

[Any other time, he might have said that grudges were kind of Loki's thing. Though Tony will be the first to admit that he doesn't actually know all that much about the guy, previous experiences aside.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki frowns briefly before smiling. ]

Touching my things. I don't like to share.

[buildsomething]

[That just earns an amused snort. Genuine amusement even, something that almost surprises him.]

Why am I not surprised.

[Faint smile still on his face, Tony slips his hands into his pockets and glances over at the floating lanterns. And since they're on the subject of grudges.]

Does it actually help? Memorializing.

[dothelokimotion]

I'm not sure how help matters. She has long perished.

[ He exhales. ]

But for us, the true death is being forgotten. My sister was . . . buried so deep, she was erased from every narrative, every story. No one spoke of her, no one even knew she existed.

That, I think, is worse.

[buildsomething]

Help you, not her.

[Dead is dead, after all. But Tony's eyes slide over Loki's way again, something in his expression slightly measuring.]

Worse than what? She's not going to know if you remember her or not.

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki's brow furrows because he has zero clue on how it helps him. Loki rarely thinks about what helps him in any kind of context. All he knows that being forgotten is worse than death. ]

Of course she'll know. We believe in an afterlife.

[buildsomething]

[Oh, well sure. Afterlives. Why hadn't Tony thought of that.

But they seem to be having two different conversations here, so Tony just sighs.]

Well. I think when you destroy a planet it's pretty hard for people to forget you. So she's probably good to go there.

[dothelokimotion]

You would think so.

[ A bitter smile. ]

But she destroyed countless planets. And they still forgot her.

[buildsomething]

[That just makes Tony give him a longer look. Why are they memorializing this person again?

But clearly Loki has a different perspective on things, so fine. Maybe it's different when it's family. Very homicidal family.]

Okay, but like. There's a difference between being forgotten and being erased.

[dothelokimotion]

[ For Loki, Hela merely represents a step he could have gone. The fact that he escaped, barely, from that kind of legacy has not been lost on him. ]

Even so. There are dangers in both. And Hela didn't adopt this all on her own. She was shaped by her father and then discarded when he had no more use for her.

It's what our father did best.

[buildsomething]

[Ah. Tony somehow manages to suppress the urge to wince.]

Fair. I mean, not that I know your dad at all.

[He can theorize based on the two kids he knows, though. Luckily, Tony can turn the slight twitch of his shoulders into a small shrug.]

So okay. Remembering is the most important thing.

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki notices that before his gaze slides off. ]

We live long lives but even we do not remember all of it.

[buildsomething]

Well no, it'd be weird if you could. But you want to.

[Is that an Asgardian thing or just a Loki thing? Hard to tell. And possibly not something he wants to go just ask Thor about.]

Or is it just about remembering the good parts?

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki frowns quietly. ]

No. Though a lot of the good is . . . debatable, knowing what my father did. And wondering how much of it he meant to do to me.

[buildsomething]

[And that makes Tony twist enough to give him an almost curious look.]

What makes you say that?

[It sounds like a lot more than just daddy issues when you put it that way.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki pauses before replying, a wryness in his voice. ]

He took me to serve as a means to an end. A political tool for statecraft, to form a union between two kingdoms that loathed each other.

[buildsomething]

And you think he'd what, just dump you the moment you weren't useful anymore?

[Tony can read that through line of thought. And mostly he sounds like he's genuinely wondering, rather than trying to make a point. It would explain a lot about Loki, actually.]

[dothelokimotion]

Of course he would.

My father either buried his problems or cast them aside.

[buildsomething]

[Well that sounds familiar. One side of Tony's mouth twists into a wry smile.]

And if you're already a problem, might as well just lean into it, right?

[No projection here, no sir.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki shrugs. There were a lot of factors involved. ]

It was the narrative I was born for. Until I tired of it.

[buildsomething]

Yeah, I get that.

[Surprising how much he gets it, honestly. He wants to say something sharper, considering what that little story detour led to, but maybe Tony's finally over digging at Loki about it. Or he's just finding the current conversation too interesting to derail. One of those.]

But if you think he was going to get rid of you, why didn't he once you'd already flipped the script?

[dothelokimotion]

My mother.

[ His reply was curt. He doesn't feel the need to add any more to it. ]

[buildsomething]

[And Tony just nods once. Yeah, that makes sense.]

Sounds like fun family holidays in the making.

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki shrugs. ]

Mmm. But perhaps not as bad as yours were.