The Art of Lying

"Every good lie contains an element of truth." Independent MCU Loki RP Blog Written by Rayne. 27. They/them. MCU/SPN+. Extremely selective. Please read rules before messaging.

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As the World Burns || closed.

@loyaltybringsitsownhell

The armies of Ferelden spread out like ants at Ostagar, and as she scanned over the fields, she knew her brother was in there somewhere, along with soldiers she’d known her entire life. The bannermen of the Highever Couslands, loyal and brave, and the only ones left now. The only thing she had left of home. 

Loki clutched her cloak tighter around her shoulders, but nothing staved off the chill that had seeped into her bones, the knowledge that all she had known and loved was gone. How did she even begin to tell Thor that Sif and Ullr were dead? That their family and everyone they knew had been mercilessly slaughtered by a man they had supped with? Whose son she was engaged to marry? Of course, she didn’t need to worry about that anymore. For better or for worse, she was a Warden now, or soon would be. 

She followed Duncan almost blindly, her Mabari, Varda, at her side. Once upon a time, she might’ve thought the ruins beautiful. She remembered fighting in similar ruins not far from their home, playing war with Thor as children. Now it seemed war was upon them. 

The conversation between the king and Duncan flew by her, the two of them buzzing like insects as they spoke. What they said did not matter. All she could hear was her father calling Howe friend, and imagining how it would feel to sink her blade into his flesh. 

She continued to follow Duncan to a bonfire, where she looked up to see another woman dressed in mage’s robes. Dark hair, vivid eyes, ferocity leaked off of her, a life hard won. As Loki stared, Varda laid down next to the fire until Duncan’s words finally reached her. 

“...is a fellow recruit, Kerensa Surana. Lady Surana, this is Loki Cousland. If you would not mind showing her around the encampment while I speak with the king?”

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And the cheese! To die for. || cl.

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loyaltybringsitsownhell:

Raven looked down at the wabbajack and back at Sheogorath…Loki…whatever he wanted to call himself. A small smirk appeared on her features, and she twirled the thing in her fingers a bit. 

“Only one way to find out.” 

She channeled energy through it, much the same way you would a staff. It was after all, just a staff with fancier effects. Raven may not be a mage by vocation, but she knew how to use a damn staff. 

What she got from this one was…a chicken. She’d turned the Prince of Madness, into a chicken. Raven wasn’t sure if she should be delighted or curious. Both perhaps. She was glad he couldn’t see her expression beyond her eyes. Nevermind the pretty comment. 

“Well, isn’t that something. I think this will be very useful.” 

While the effect was not what he was expecting, it certainly was interesting! It had been a long time since he’d been a bird, and this one was so...squat. Useless brown wings and chubby legs that ended in sharp, scratch feet. Scratch scratch scratch. They scratched at the ground like that was all they were meant to do. Someone should attach knives to them. 

Clucking, Sheogorath scratched his way over and pecked at her boot, fluffing his wings and squawking imperiously. 

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Fantastic Beasts || closed.

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gaveheavenasecondchance:

“I do know.” Taking a step among humankind was almost impossible, he’d learned that and he’d come to accept it. He knew seeing him, a winged beast, could be scary - he didn’t mind per se, only when they hurt him in an act of fear and rejection of his appearance.

Rest and recover. “I can do that.” A nod, “I can definitely do that.” His wing would need a little while to heal up anyway and if he didn’t have to fight anymore, he could focus on something else. What, he didn’t know yet, but he’d find out.

“Wonderful,” Loki smiled, and he cut the water off, the tub full of soapy water. He stood, rolling his sleeves up and buttoning them above his elbow. “Can you undress yourself or do you need assistance?” 

He wanted to get him clean before trying to patch up his wing. The process for healing it would be an involved one, and Loki was not going to rush it. Not as long as the Alatus was here and willing to stay. He wanted him back at full strength before he attempted to leave the grounds. 

[reservoirdogs1992-blog]

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the only option

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A Kiss on the Forehead

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loyaltybringsitsownhell:

“I’ve noticed.” She smirked, grabbing her own plate and plopping down next to him. “A track suit is like sweat pants or leggings, and a certain type of jacket. The joke…I guess is dead.” What Loki knew and didn’t know seemed to be random to her. IT was hard to make jokes like that sometimes. 

“A castle? I thought you wanted to blend in.”

Loki tilted his head as he tried to imagine what it was that she called ‘track suits.’ It didn’t sound terribly appealing, though he’d found that leggings were incredibly comfortable. Too bad he wished to blend in, and men wearing leggings was generally frowned upon. He couldn’t change his shape without completely giving away his level of magic. 

“Well, while I’m dreaming, it’d be nice to live in a castle.” Loki chuckled. 

[loyaltybringsitsownhell]

It’s a God Damn War Zone Out There  || Closed for artemxmendacium

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loyaltybringsitsownhell:

She looked at him quizzically. He didn’t know how to properly bandage wounds, and yet here she was alive. That meant he wasn’t a doctor, but knew how to stop someone from bleeding out. If she had passed out then he’d done this all without help. 

“How did you manage to save me? Not that I’m not grateful but…I…you’re not a doctor as well are you?” She didn’t suppose he had powers, didn’t want to assume as such. Generally she tried to hide hers unless necessary, lest she reveal herself to someone less than…open minded about such things. 

“I can do that, just, let me…” moved as little as possible so as not to aggravate the wound somehow, trying to make it at least accessible. The sooner she was on her feet, the better. She instructed him on how to change the bandages as efficiently as possible. It wasn’t the best job, but it didn’t seem like he was completely new to this either. 

Once there was less of a possibility of her wound becoming infected, she sat herself up slightly, propping against the headboard. She’d been laying down for days, it was time for a change. 

“I’m…Kere by the way. Dr. Kerensa Surana.”

Loki set the supplies down next to her bed, getting the medicine and bandages out and laying them on a clean towel. The ancient temple wasn’t the cleanest place, but it was safe, and safe was better than clean. 

“No, I’m not a doctor. I’m very well-read.” Loki explained, and it wasn’t a lie at all. “I’ve perused a number of medical books in my life, though it is quite different to apply theory in the field.” Also, not a lie. 

He let her guide his hands to replace the bandage efficiently, taking advantage of twinges of pain to spark a bit of healing magic when she wouldn’t notice it. Saving her life had been far more expansive than he’d bargained for, but he’d once bragged that he could save anything as long as there was one cell still living. Bringing things back from the dead...that was a price he wasn’t willing to pay. 

After she sat up, Loki turned to warming some of the soup he’d bought over the propane stove he’d bought. “My name is Luke.” He offered her a smile. “It’s a pleasure to properly meet you, Dr. Surana.” 

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A Kiss on the Forehead

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loyaltybringsitsownhell:

She smiled, laughing slightly. “You do brood a lot.” She moved and took the plates from him, placing them down and dishing the food out so that there was an equal amount between them. 

“The suburbs aren’t so bad. You would at least make friends. You could join a power walking group.” She grinned, bumping her hip against him as she moved by. “I can imagine you now, track suit and all.”

“I’m terrible at making friends. I tend to be an asshole.” Loki chuckled, taking his plate. “What’s a track suit?” 

He shook his head, moving to sit on the couch in the living room. “What about a castle instead? There are many around here, old and falling apart. I could restore one.” 

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And the cheese! To die for. || cl.

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loyaltybringsitsownhell:

Her eyes widened when her bow string was turned to candy. Her surprise melted into a cool anger, and she was sure it showed even with most of her face hidden. She wished she had one of her dogs, show this overly powerful fool what a good dog could do. 

But then again…she looked between her bow and him. Loki was a cover, something new. But between this and the wabbajack…

She placed the bow on the ground, taking the daedric artifact out from where she’d stashed it along her back. It was impressive how unassuming the thing could look. She gave it a test twirl before pointing it at him, not using it yet, not quite yet. She knew this kind of power. Maybe not this one specifically, but at least its level. She’d grown up in Morrowind after all, which was never lacking in Daedra. 

“You’re Sheogorath.”

“Smart and pretty! That’s a deadly combination.” Loki smirked as she pointed the Wabbajack at him, unperturbed. The Wabbajack didn’t kill people. It only made them more interesting. It would be exciting to see what it would turn him into. He was pretty interesting already! 

“The Wabbajack changed hands. Since I gave the old wielder the Wabbajack personally, I wanted to see what the new wielder would be like! Very...sharp.” 

He laughed at his own joke, then looked back at her as if she were a clever experiment coming to fruition. “So what are you going to do with that, then? What makes you think you can handle the Wabbajack?” 

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And the cheese! To die for. || cl.

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loyaltybringsitsownhell:

Raven really should have known something was up when she’d ran into a chicken on her way into the house. That itself wasn’t notable, except for the fact that the mark was in the house of Solitude nobility. Searching for the mark had uncovered more and more odd things. Mostly cheese, chickens, a few fish that were still flapping around out of water…

When she’d found him, it became clear why. She knew a daedric artifact when she saw it, and only one could create this much chaos. In Morrowind you knew such things, part of your formal education. The tribunal was one thing, but knowing those outside of its confines was necessary to interaction with the Daedra. 

She hadn’t planned to take it with her, but after a moment realized she couldn’t leave it here. It would take years for it to dissapear back into Oblivion, and until then, who could blame her for taking that sort of power? Chaotic though it was. 

Of course, then she’d noticed someone following her. 

She was a few miles outside of Solitude, but not quite to the Dawnstar Sanctuary when she realized. Whoever was following her was very good at staying hidden. She had her own very particular way of losing stalkers. 

She stopped for a moment, let them get closer, lulling them into a false sense that she had no idea they were there. It wasn’t too long until they were withing striking distance. In one fluid motion, she took the Blade of Woe from her boot, turned and threw, watching it land solidly in her little stalker’s chest…and…nothing. 

He was still standing there, just looking at it. He didn’t even look phased. 

She glared from behind her cowl and stood straight again, pulling her bow out so she could attack again if needed. 

“Who in Sithis’ name are you and why are you following me?” 

Well, that was one way to break the ice. Or a rib! Sheogorath looked down at the gleaming ebony blade in his chest. It was a nice throw. 

“You should be careful with that! You could kill a man!” The Mad Prince laughed, walking towards her despite her pulling her bow out and preparing a second strike. Mortals hiding behind their weapon. “An assassin invoking darkness and stabbing people as way of introduction? Could you be a little less normal?” 

He paused a few feet away, smirking as the string of her bow turned into taffy. “I have many names, but I think it may be time for a new one. Every new form gets a new name! You don’t name a new dog after the old one! Well...humans do...sentimental things...” He sighed in mock fondness, then shrugged. “You may call me Loki, child of Sithis.” 

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And the cheese! To die for. || cl.

@loyaltybringsitsownhell

The minds of Emperor Pelagius the Mad had become monotonous of late, or well, as monotonous as the madness could be. Could madness itself become boring? It was madness! When everyone was mad, madness was normal, and that just would not do. After returning from his vacation, the Mad Prince found that Skyrim had fallen into beautiful, glorious chaos. Brothers killing brothers, fire raining from the sky, the World-Eater plucking sheep from fields, and a distinct lack of cheese? 

Well, that last bit just would not do. Sheogorath cloaked himself in the guise of an everyday wanderer, content to watch the chaos unfold around him, though maybe turning only a few people into cheese wheels because...hey, there was never enough cheese, right? Or maybe that was biscuits...no! Definitely cheese. Mudcrabs and biscuits and troll fat. 

All was going perfectly well until one day he felt the Wabbajack change hands. Hey! That was his stick! He had to make sure that its new wielder wasn’t a complete bore, and that’s how he ended up following behind a Dark Brotherhood assassin vampire. Well, that was a cliche wasn’t it? Then again, an assassin with the Wabbajack? The possibilities were endless! And the cheese!

To die for. 

[gym-leader-merida-blog]

if you don’t terrify people a little bit then what’s the point.

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A Kiss on the Forehead

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loyaltybringsitsownhell:

She turned to look at him fully, tilting her head slightly. That was…not what she’d expected. She knew Luke’d family hadn’t been the best, but she’d figured he’d had someone around for him. Then again, he didn’t talk about himself much. “…well, in any case you have me now. So that’s something I suppose.” 

She usually came here on nights off at the clinic. She didn’t know how long she’d be in the area, but while she was, it was nice to have someone non-work related to talk to. She leaned over to touch a plant in the corner of the kitchen, just a small succulent, nothing special, but it brightened the place. Simply her touch was enough to get the thing to perk up, and she smiled slightly. “Living somewhere other than a dark ruin would also probably help.”

“I was married once,” Loki continued. “She was my best friend before she died, but that was a long time ago.” 

He smiled when she spoke, leaning over to kiss the side of her head once more, letting his hand linger on her shoulder. Then he chuckled, moving to get plates and silverware from the cabinets. 

“I like the ruins. They suit my dark and brooding persona.” Loki smirked, his eyes glinting mischievously. “Where would you have me live instead? The suburbs?” 

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A Kiss on the Forehead

@loyaltybringsitsownhell

She rose a brow up at him when he kissed her forehead, a little confused but otherwise…more amused than anything. No one except her father really did that, and to have it from Luke was another thing entirely.

“Has it been so long since someone brought you food?” She teased, pushing him slightly as she did so. She was laughing, going back to throwing said food into the microwave. She couldn’t cook for shit, but she knew what good take out was. “You’d think you never had a friend at all sometimes, the way you act.”

“I haven’t.” Loki said softly, leaning against the counter as she reheated the food she called ‘take-out.’ It wasn’t exactly fit for royalty, but he wasn’t going to complain either. It was the sentiment behind it. The thought that she cared enough to bring something for him, her friend. “My only friends were my brother’s friends, and I learned too late they were not my friends at all.” 

[loyaltybringsitsownhell]

It’s a God Damn War Zone Out There  || Closed for artemxmendacium

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loyaltybringsitsownhell:

She woke to blinding pain. A scream tore through her, short and agonized for a moment, and every single plant around curled away from it. Everything hurt, like someone had stabbed her and left her for dead. Which, technically wasn’t far from the truth. 

She gasped for breath for a moment, trying desperately to think through the pain. It wasn’t as bad as it had been when she’d been impaled, but the shock from waking to it was enough to cause a short panic. She eventually found it in her to look around, taking in the scene before her. What…where the hell was she? It looked like some sort of…ruin. The walls were stone, and it looked as though there was almost no modern heating or lighting. Candles lined the walls, sconces? Not far from the bed, which was actually quite comfortable, a fireplace roared. It was like waking to something out of a fantasy novel. 

She looked around, trying not to move too much, but lifting the covers to look at her side. It was bandaged anyway, and didn’t seem to be bleeding, though it had been at one point. She was alive, so that was something. How long had she been out? The last thing she remembered was asking the stranger for help…

Speak of the devil, she looked over as the door opened, revealing said stranger. Now she could actually get a look at him, without the panic of bleeding out. He was tall, black haired and bearded. He definitely matched…what she supposed was his home, or at least somewhere familiar to him. Considering she couldn’t have been here without someone doing a field patch job on her she supposed he had to have some sort of medical ability. 

“Did…did you bring me here?”

As the woman slept, Loki went to the nearby town for supplies: food and medicine. He usually just kept enough for himself in the ruined temple, so he only needed to venture out rarely. He’d keep his head down for a few years, then maybe dare to seek another planet. With bags of food in tow, he returned to the ruin, lowering the stone door with a gesture and going down the stairs to the room he’d secured as his own. 

Loki was surprised to see she was awake, and he closed the thick oak door and carried the bags over to the table. 

“Yes, I brought you here.” Loki explained, going to her side and pulling a chair over to sit next to her bed. “You passed out from the pain. While you were unconscious, I was able to get the blade out and stop the bleeding as best I could, then I brought you here. I have some medicine and other things. If you can tell me what to do, I’ll bandage your wounds.” 

She need not know he’d been healing people with magic since he was 60. Humans either feared magic, or lay in awe of it, and for once in his life, he didn’t want to be worshipped. 

[loyaltybringsitsownhell]

It’s a God Damn War Zone Out There  || Closed for artemxmendacium

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loyaltybringsitsownhell:

She laughed a bit, if it was hysterical she thought she could be forgiven. “Yeah, I…I’m aware dammit.” She clenched her teeth as the blade shifted in her side, closing her eyes and trying to just breath through the pain. “Look, hey, you…you know I’m a doctor. I…I have to get back. I run…run a clinic for those caught in the war…you…you have to help me.” 

She turned around, looking for anything she could use. The goddess forsaken North didn’t have enough plantlife to sustain anyone. She preferred North America. But no matter what, she was on the ground, she could reach out. She could save herself. 

She closed her eyes and searched, anything around them…any…there! A small plant, barely noticeable in the grass, but its leaves would be useful against the bleeding. She turned back to the stranger and took a deep breath before speaking. 

“Look, that plant, the blue one…there…I need it. It’s…it can help with the bleeding. I’d get it myself but…” and the thing was so small she couldn’t simply bring it to herself. The ground was half frozen beneath, it was too difficult to find anything useful there. 

“Grab…grab it…and…and if you could…just…my coat, tear off a piece of my coat. Give them to me, please.” She wasn’t waiting for a yes or a no. She was dead without his aid. God and Goddess, that was not an easy thought. For someone who faced death every time she went out to work, she really hated the idea of dying. 

Loki watched her for a minute, listening to her speak. A doctor, only concerned with her patients as she lay dying inside a broken machine. He turned his head to look where she pointed, eying the tiny blue plant. Yes, it would help the bleeding, but it woudn’t be nearly enough. He didn’t even know how she knew it was there, as small as it was. 

He didn’t know what drove him to the decision, but he turned back to the woman, sighing softly. “It will help, but not enough. You’re going to have to trust me.” 

Loki didn’t give her the option, instead lifting two fingers to her temple, sending a rush of magic to make her fall asleep. It didn’t take much, and then he wrapped a hand around the blade, wrenching it from her side. Blood began gushing from the wound, but Loki quickly laid his hand over it, pressing hard as healing energy flowed through him to heal her wounds. Not so much that she’d be more than a little suspicious, but enough to keep her from dying. He then lifted her into his arms, and carried her back to the Nordic ruins where he made his home. 

[loyaltybringsitsownhell]

It’s a God Damn War Zone Out There  || Closed for artemxmendacium

She’d flown in like this plenty of times. A few doctors crowded into a helicopter bearing a medic’s sign. Those flights where you looked out of the window and could barely see anything through the smoke, and what you could see was nothing but barren land and broken bodies. There was no shortage of medical need these days. It seemed the more heroes there were to lend a hand, to help, the worse the world fell apart. It was as if people were daring them to fix everything. 

 The small war this far north had left most civilians cut off from aid and many suffering from wounds brought on by land mines and sickness from malnutrition. No one was safe now. Which was what Kere was here for. A team of first responders. Set up a clinic in the busiest civilian area, somewhere it was easy for patients to get to, and help anyone who came through their door. No matter what side they were on, if they were on a side at all. Neutrality was key, and she took an oath. 

Though it seemed some soldiers hadn’t gotten that memo.

She whirled around in her seat at the first sounds of rocket fire. They missed the first few rounds, and Kerensa just had to hope they missed the next few as well. They had limited mobility, and this far off the ground her mutation was useless. Not even trees could stretch this far. 

She saw the fear in the nurse next to her, the man’s first time out in the field. She hoped it wouldn’t be his last. She’d been lucky so far, and anytime she’d been in real danger, she had the opportunity to fight back. 

Today she didn’t have such luck. 

The rocket blasted on the door of the pilot’s seat, and he collapsed on impact, sending them downwards fast. All she could see was chaos, she knew she was screaming, everyone was. It became difficult to see through the smoke. The helicopter was barely intact where it had been hit. She held on for dear life, though she doubted it would help. Fear coursed through her, sheer unadulterated terror as the ground came up under them faster and faster…

And she blacked out when they hit the ground. 

She woke to a searing pain in her side, like something was cutting through her side with the weight of an elephant behind it. She looked down to see part of midsection impaled on what was left of a propeller, thin metal sticking straight through her. Her eyes were wide, her breathing short, and she couldn’t quite make sense of anything. She screamed in pain for a moment, unable to take stock of her situation. 

When she finally came to her senses she worked on breathing. She knew what to do, she’d been hurt in the field before, not this badly but still. She could do this. She could do this. The metal was stopping the bleeding, sort of. When it was pulled out it would need to be stopped immediately or she would bleed out. Considering it’s position it hadn’t seemed to hit anything major. She couldn’t quite focus on it however, so she likely….likely….had a concussion. She searched around, there had to be…something…

No, wait, someone was there. Someone was there!!!

“H…” she hacked a cough from the smoke in her lungs. “HEY!!! HEY, PLEASE…HELP…HELP ME!”

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It had been months since his ‘brother’ had left him for dead on Svartlfheim, and Loki had found his hiding place on Midgard, far from where Thor’s friends lived. Instead, he found refuge in the old Norse refuges, in the ancient halls that had once been temples to he and his kin. Much of the region had fallen into strife, and the chaos was wonderful, for he hated the quiet, especially after so much time in solitude. He’d grown a beard to rival his brother’s, just to appear less recognizable, and kept his hair pulled back out of the way.

The fighting had picked back up again, and Loki was listening to the sound of gunfire when an explosion lit up the sky. He watched the helicopter fall into the trees, frowning when he saw the red medical cross on the side. Barbarians, attacking healers. He didn’t know why Thor loved this place so much. Full of stupid, barbaric peasants. 

Still, something drew him to the crash site. He wasn’t entirely sure what, but the world needed more healers. He told himself he was just going to see if anyone was alive. Nothing more. 

 The helicopter was just a chunk of burning metal at this point, half-dismembered bodies littering the crash site. Such a needless waste of life. Loki had been about to turn and go when he heard someone scream. He frowned, walking around the other side of the helicopter. There was a woman there, impaled by a broken propeller. He could tell from where he was that her chances of surviving were fair at best, but she turned her head and caught sight of him. 

Loki didn’t know what compelled him to walk over, kneeling beside her and running his finger along the blade, his gaze traveling to where it pierced her side. After a moment, he looked up at the woman. 

“You’re a doctor. You know how bad this is.” 

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Pursuit || closed.

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thekingsparty:

Festivities like this were Crowley’s most productive events, the rich and successful mingling with the less successful businessmen who yearned to be. They were those he had to find in the crowd, single them out until he found the weakest one. On nights like these he could return with two to ten souls depending on how well they all played along with him and how often he’d get interrupted. 

So far, the evening was going well - victim number one was found quickly and he took his time to find out what it was she desired more than anything. It wasn’t too difficult, really, women were chatty and Crowley knew how to do smalltalk with just enough subtle flirting to get the ball rolling. Ten years, she agreed ten years were enough - or maybe she didn’t believe him and simply wanted to kiss him, but that wasn’t Crowley’s problem, he only came for the souls. A kiss was shared and Crowley purred his goodbye when she strolled off to mingle with the others again. 

He needed a drink before he’d find himself another, but his mood was visibly good, he neared the bar with a smirk on his lips, about to order himself a re-fill when someone else approached him, instead of the other way around. Oh, perfect. He turned around to face the other, eyes roaming his face - not bad, not bad at all. 

“Yes, you can. But only if you’ll stay for a chat.”

“That was indeed my plan,” Loki purred charmingly, gesturing for the bartender to refill both their glasses. He waited until their drinks had been brought, his dark wine and the other’s whiskey, before continuing. “I haven’t seen you at one of these events before, but you move like one well-seasoned. I make it my business to know everyone, so I do hope you’ll forgive my curiosity.” 

He raised his wine glass to his lips, watching the other intently as he reached out with a tiny thread of magic, just brushing the other’s mind with a suggestion of honesty. It was less of an attempt to force the man to be honest, and more just to see if he would feel the magic and recognized it for what it was. A man who could be so easily persuaded to give up his secrets was of no interest to him.