Thor and kittens. Let the madness of adorables ensue. :)

[hamm3rtime]

[Thor enters, carrying a large, cushioned pet carrier which appears to be mewling. In his other hand is a sack with a plethora of items. He sets the pet carrier down on the floor first, only opening its door when he has removed kitten feed from the sack and filled five puny glass bowls with it. The kittens, black shorthairs all, go for the food immediately, though some attempt to move around their bowls, fending off their food from each other.]

[He seems to consider the fuzzies toddling about on the floor, as he asks a query of his mundane.]

You are sure, mun, that Lokis will be drawn here? This is an odd method, for contacting him.

[The kittens, now done with their meal, are a handful, and Thor has to work to get them all back into the carrier. Some attempt to scale his shirt instead. He lets them do so, as he gets the more energetic ones back into their carrier first.]

I shall hope it works, for it would do well, to have good news in this time.

Comments

[hamm3rtime]

[The older brother grins, at this, and his expression is bordering on shy. It is not that he is afraid to hope, for he and Jane appear to be on the same page, regarding their courtship. Even if Odin did not approve, and Jane's Trials had yet to be taken. No, it was more that talking to Loki about this relationship... was not like it had been, when once he had been known to converse with his brother about past flings. This was serious. Intimidating because he was out of his element. Thor had never felt this way, for anyone else. They spoke of a change which would affect the rest of his life. Thousands upon thousands of years. Thor was never one to be daunted, but that made even him feel small.]

I shall invite you, worry not, brother.

[prince_psychopath]

Excellent. I would show up regardless, of course, but it's the thought that counts.

[He would, too. Because even at his worst with Thor, there were some things you just did not miss. Loki didn't particularly care what Odin thought of the ordeal; Jane Foster was a fine enough woman, even if seeing her and Thor giggle was utterly worthy of eye-rolling. Hopefully they wouldn't always be such sickening sweethearts. Loki wasn't sure he could take centuries of them being coy all the time.]

It's a shame I'll probably never get married, but it can't be helped. I'm just not connecting with anyone that well; I'm doing well to have the friends I do. So I suppose I'll have to just spoil your children instead. Less soiled diapers that way.

[He crinkles his nose as if the thought is genuinely disgusting. And it is. Babies are all well and good but the smells they create are not.]

[hamm3rtime]

[The laughter caused by Loki's first few statements, is quickly quelled by the idea of this Loki, like his own, wanting to have children yet not trusting himself to connect enough for such a possibility.]

Give it time. You never have given yourself enough credit.

[prince_psychopath]

On the contrary, in most things I gave myself far too much credit. In this, I am not so blind. Think, brother; do I seem fit to parent anyone? I have too much to do and very little time. I would be barely present as a parent.

Besides, I have only listened to 400 cumulative hours of parenting podcasts and just under twenty books on the subject. I need to do more research.

[hamm3rtime]

[Thor had no idea what a podcast even was, but the sentence was still understandable, without having need of knowing every word in it. That was an impressive amount of research, for one not interested in the topic. Given, their lifespans were of greater length than many, but even still.]

[Loki's expression was one of such pain that Thor's concerns were suddenly proved correct. He reached out a hand to cradle his brother's head] Too much to do?

[prince_psychopath]

I am attempting to prove my reform by protecting the people of Midgard. But it is an extremely time consuming task. People are so ready to turn on one another that I do all I can to keep crime down and people safe without even making a dent in the crime rate. Day in and day out, I keep going on trying to help things, only for ten more problems to arise when I fix one.

And in the end, so far, it hasn't been enough to make a dent in anyone's opinion of me, either. Only you and our mother believe in me. [Loki leans into Thor's touch, reminded of times when they were young and Thor would check him over for injuries after sparring with other children. Back then Loki's wounded ego could be soothed with a few words and a night's rest. Now, no amount of sleep cures the tiredness he feels.] And a... friend of mine. A neighbor. She believes in me more than is probably wise. More than she should believe in anyone. It's through knowing her I found out how Midgardians treat mutants among their kind.

I have never known a people so good and so disgustingly cruel in the same breath. And yet I wouldn't give it up for anything. [Loki smiles joylessly.] Truly, I am losing my mind.

[hamm3rtime]

[Okay, you clearly need hugstiems, Loki. Thor gently reaches forward to embrace his brother, trying to avoid the two kittens getting anywhere near the warm hug.]

You push yourself too far. You need not heal everything, brother. Not right away.

Our mother... she is no longer with us, where I am from.

[prince_psychopath]

[Loki goes rigid at the words, and pulls back as if slapped.] What do you mean, Mother is no longer with us?! What happened?! Why didn't I save her? Who did it? How...?

[No. Not Frigga. Anyone but her; she was always the best of them, the peacekeeper, the woman whose silk smiles held steel resolve. Without her life would fall so far into chaos that nothing could hope to set it right.]

[hamm3rtime]

[That hurt. Well and truly hurt as he saw the panic from Loki, upon hearing of her death. The panic Thor had not had the decency to be there to see, the first time. That Loki tore away from him as he said it, hurt all the more. He had not meant to hurt his brother so.]

[Frigga's death was still all too soon for Thor, as it had only been a little over five months, since it had occurred. As such, Thor was a bit jarred by the pain of Loki's words, because they demanded answers that would be difficult to give. Especially to a Loki who still had her with him. Thor's brother did not need such worries to plague him.]

[Thor held out his hands to Loki, gesturing for him to calm.] She yet lives, where you are from. That is good. You need not know what happened to a version unlike yours, do you?

[Pain laces his tone. Don't make me explain this is fairly obviously implied.]

[prince_psychopath]

Tell me who did it and I will find them. I will prevent this from ever happening. I did not come as far as I have to keep failing my family.

[His voice becomes eerily calm, only his eyes betraying a volcano of anger and fear that's welling up inside him. He would find whoever sought to do her harm and wipe them from existence. Anything else is too horrifying to contemplate.]

Who. Did. It.

[hamm3rtime]

Malekith. Kurse. They were after the Aether. Mother died... [Those two words still hurt, still sounded as a lie to Thor, even as he knew them to be true...] defending Jane, who was ill. They were home when it happened. In the palace.

[Thor was shaking by now, with the memory. Tears had filled his eyes, but he yet had enough control, not to let them fall.]



[Said control lapsed moments later, however, as he remembered how wrong her funeral had felt, with thought spared to every minute detail except her youngest son. Thor put a hand to his face, hoping to hide his tears.]

You have failed no-one. Do not be so hard on yourself.

[prince_psychopath]

[Loki sets the kittens down and yanks Thor close with surprising strength for a hug.]

I won't let this happen. I'll save her. Whatever mistakes I made in your world, I won't make in mine. I'm going to fix things.

Everything... everything is going to be alright. Don't worry, brother. Mother wouldn't want things to be like this.

[Something about seeing Thor this way makes his skin crawl. Loki was going to find these men and make them regret ever being born.]

All the icons apparently. Sorry. Thor emotes wildly, when stressed...

[hamm3rtime]

[Surprised, both by the strength of the hug, and by there no longer being kittens in its way, Thor swallows a sob, looking around to find the kittens playing with each other on the floor.]

[He clasps Loki to himself, trying without success to quell his own tears. It had all just ended up so badly. At least his own Loki wasn't dead, but eking out an existence in the dungeons for who-knew-how-long was not exactly the most comfortable way to live, either. No, Thor couldn't help but think, The mistakes were not all Loki's. These were mine.]



[It was impossible for Thor to hear "Mother wouldn't want things to be like this," without crying harder. She wouldn't. He'd failed to save her in time, and he'd failed her at her funeral and he was failing her now, again, as her youngest was left in the dungeon while their family fell apart. Perhaps this Loki was right. Perhaps he could at least save another version of her.]

You're stronger, [Thor noted with a broken chuckle.] Stronger than you were before. Yet you take on too much. You cannot fight them alone. Not an army such as theirs. Swear to me, you will have help.

Nothing to apologize for. It's Thor, it's in-character.

[prince_psychopath]

It is best if there is no help. To cripple an army you do not diminish their ranks, you break their spirits by taking out as many leaders as possible. Stealth in, and a display of power after that. For this I not only need no help, but it will be best if Asgard and my allies can claim plausible deniability. Everyone needs to be able to put the blame on me and no one else, so no one else gets hurt.

I am the clever one. I will find ways to do this. I always find ways. Trust in me if you can, Thor; I will make this right.

[His thin frame belies the still godly strength he has; he can hold Thor to him despite his reduced strength and manage not to tremble. It is the thought of losing his family, however broken and dysfunctional they are, that makes him uneasy.]

[hamm3rtime]

That "display of power" could get you killed, [Thor snaps back, clearly desperate. The kittens react to the anger in the tone, scampering away a little before he carefully crouches down and calls out to them.]



Little ones~. Little ones, come here. I meant not to scare you. [They should be placed back in their carrier, Thor decided, scooping them up. He knew which one Loki had picked, for the cats' eyes, paws and whiskers were different, even if their fur coloration wasn't. Somehow, he managed to get them all back into the carrier. Perhaps they had been frightened by the noise.]

[He turns back towards Loki, with a sigh.] Your strength, both of heart and body, is impressive, brother. And never have I doubted your stealth. But saving her, by risking you, or so risking both of you is not something I will allow.

I... thought I had lost Loki -- my own version... of Loki -- after she died. [Thor shakes his head, clearly still devastated by the thought.]



Do not do that to my alternate. He will not bear it well. [Indeed, breathing had just become a somewhat difficult task. Thor had to remind himself that his own version of Loki yet lived.]

There is no reason to risk this, by that display of force, being only your own. No reason to draw everyone's wrath upon yourself in such a way.

[And with that, Thor promptly lost it. This conversation was far too painful, all at once, and he had clearly reached the limits of his self-restraint.] Brother, you cannot.

[He still hadn't forgotten what Loki had said about proving himself, and Thor meant to go back to that topic later, but for now...]