skelmir prince.

— 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐀 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 when rand did not have a temper . it was not that he did not know temper . he did , but it so rarely raised its head in him . it so rarely breathed its smoke and fire . there was a time when that was so , but that time had come and it had passed like the fickle wind that blew from the mountains and swirled at their feet , kicking up dust and before pushing in every which direction around them . rand whirled on loki , shrugging his hand off of his shoulder .

❝ UNDERSTAND , THEN : that you don't know anything ! you know nothing about me ! nothing about the Dark One or the taint or the bloody prophecies of the Dragon Reborn — ! ❞ rand's words had wings , and they fled from him without his thinking . the more he tried to stop them , the more they simply spilled out like blood gushing out of an open wound . rand ground his teeth together . all this time , he had avoided speaking of the karaethon cycle . had avoided thinking of it , even . loki had RILED HIM . and now , here he was , shouting at a man who knew no better . i'm not mad yet . only angry . so , so very angry . i didn't used to have a temper .

rand squeezed his eyes shut so tightly he saw blotches in the darkness behind his eyelids . he breathed in . out . he still found himself boiling on the inside . like a kettle running hot and bubbling over . he breathed in and out again . kind and noble . would loki still believe that , if he knew ? did anyone believe that of him who did know ? he hoped perrin and mat did , despite it all , everything had changed in falme . perhaps he had changed before that . at the eye of the world .

rand spoke softly . ❝ i am sorry . i don't mean to shout . ❞

#( ic . ) \ / prince of asgard . rightful heir of jotunheim . odin son .#( thread . ) \ / closed .#randrageon #rand \ / o4 #( amity celebration . ) \ / 2026 .#(loki vc: how bad can sharing the truth be)

\ / . Even when Rand pushed his hand, Loki did not move from his ground. He watched, he took the words, and held his place. Words were a fickle thing. They could mean anything to anyone. The same mouths that spoke of peace could call for war with a single sentence. Loki could have shouted back; if anything, he would have been well within his rights to. But Rand's choice right then and there spoke far louder than his raised voice ever could.

❝ I know. ❞ Loki said. He sighed deeply, keeping distance but never letting his gaze leave the man. ❝ I know that you did not mean to shout, and... that I know nothing. ❞ He breathed a laugh that came out shallow and dry.

❝ I do not desire us to part on ill terms as we had before. ❞ Loki's words remained calm, assertive, and clear. He had pressed enough for one day. And this matter was not something that could be unearthed in a matter of minutes. ❝ Listen. ❞ Loki swallowed, the idea of the truth of the matter coming forward burns his throat to speak.

❝ I believe that... the tea may have had something to do with this. One of the effects... I believe could compel the consumer to speak only the truth. ❞ Loki paused, searching Rand's gaze. ❝ If you do not wish to speak until this effect has passed, you may depart as you see fit. I would rather you say the truth of your own accord than have your truth stolen from you. ❞

He takes a few steps back, offering Rand the ability to do as he sees fit. ❝ I will wait for you, and if you do not come, I will find you. ❞ No trickery. No deceptions. But Rand deserved to know the truth in turn and make his own choice.

— 𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐋𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍 . it was just as sharp . just as brittle . ❝ Light , man ! of course i do . do you think i want to go mad ? to destroy everyone i care about — just because i am what i am ? do you think i want other men to do the same ? to rot the same ? or be Gentled ? WHAT DO YOU TAKE ME FOR ? ❞ a fire rose in rand . a terrible , blazing flame that scoured him through . left him charred , and numb at the other end of it . rand did not really want to answer , but he could not stop himself once he had started , and so rand snarled .

❝ i know the essence is gone because i'm the one who Channeled it . ME . i used it at the eye of the world , though i did not know it . though i would not have wanted to if i had known . if i'd known what bloody moiraine had brought me there for . brought us all there for , i—— ❞ rand clamped his mouth shut . muscles spasmed in his jaw . he had begun to raise his voice , and caught the eye of a man at a different table adjacent to theirs . staring . staring because of rand's temper , rand realized . but only DIMLY . his nostrils flared . he struggled to force a long , cold breath through his lungs . it did not help put out the fire . it still burned in him . he burned . ❝ wishing won't change it . you'd be better off wishing the Dragon was never born . ❞

rand froze as soon as the words were out of his mouth . surely he didn't really mean that . but rand already knew . eyes shuttered . he looked towards the tea still mostly untouched in his hands . it shimmered at him . mockingly . like the eyes on him across tables and through crowds . like the bile in his throat , or the dull ache of the wound in his side . REMINDING HIM .

ABRUPTLY , rand stood . if the cup spilled tea on the tablecloth , he paid it no mind . he needed to leave , and he did not care where to .

#( thread . ) \ / closed .#rand \ / o4 #randrageon #( ic . ) \ / prince of asgard . rightful heir of jotunheim . odin son .#( amity celebration . ) \ / 2026 .

\ / . So it would seem that Loki had pierced the heart. He had dug and dug, and his spade thrust into a spot that Loki was not prepared for. But even as Rand spoke, releasing whatever he seemed to have been keeping in his heart, Loki did not move. He sat, and he watched Rand shout. Watched Rand slam shut the door of the furnace to his soul.

But it was all that Loki needed to hear. Through the tired resignation, there was yet a spark that refused to be put out by fate's hand. Only the way was not yet clear for it. And more than that, there was far more to this story than Loki initially thought.

Loki sat, watching Rand depart from him, and soon followed suit. Through the tables of laughter and blissful ignorance, Loki weaved in and out of passing staff and distracted guests.

❝ Rand, stop this. ❞ Loki waited till they were beyond the gates of the festivities to stop him. His eyes were watchful of the man, and his arm extended to grab his shoulder, though Rand stood above him in height. ❝ Listen to me. I never once believed that you would want this fate. ❞ Loki began earnestly, pleading with him to understand.

❝ I asked because I needed the truth. I believe truly you are a kind, noble soul, faced with a burden too great for any shoulder to bear. ❞ Loki paused. ❝ There is no sense in grieving what has happened or fearing for what may pass. Let me help you, Rand. And help me understand this. ❞

𝐋𝐎𝐊𝐈'𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐋𝐄 . more than the offer itself , more than the wary undercurrent coiled tightly in thor's breast like a coil to set to spring , and even more so than the ease with which thor let him take bridle and reins , it was how gently loki flit and fiddled that so struck at thor .

so thor's breath came thin , shallow and carefully measured . lightning crackled and pulsed within . in but a moment might THUNDER BRINGER send shockwaves through an unkind hand . it would take but only a breath .

that moment simply never came . so thor sat still , with an expression blank and CARVED FROM STONE , save the minute flares that spoke of a tender pain thor kept veiled and pressed between his ribs .

thor took the cloth and the patch in hand , but he did not use them immediately . his brow knit together , and battled the torrents of raging winds that blew and howled within him . glimpses of memory scattered throughout time were carried on those winds . they howled like the winds atop the tower in new york . they gusted and blew about like the distant impressions of their mother and her warmth , felt through a fever's break or the onset of a prolonged Sleep . eventually , thor stirred from his thoughts . his thumb followed the layered pattern on the eyepatch's face .

❝ you have her touch . ❞

#( thread . ) \ / closed .#magnusmodig #thor \ / 15 #( ic . ) \ / prince of asgard . rightful heir of jotunheim . odin son .#( escape from instar . ) \ / campaign .

\ / . The faintest smile appeared on Loki's lips. Yet again did he wash his hands in the basin, cleaning the supplies as readily as he had gathered them, though he was not in a hurry to leave just yet. The silence hung around them, save for the creaking of metal and the distant wind that carried them over the sea.

❝ I would often watch whenever she would tend to you both. ❞ He murmurs, holding the cloth in his hand. In a blink of golden light, he evaporates the water, leaving the object dry once more. There was more he wished to say. An urge of gratitude for that moment of sacred trust that they had shared. He wished he could do more. He wished this were normal, just like it used to be.

❝ I wonder if she knew I was there in the shadows. Not that I could have helped much. But... she did have a way with healing. More than I could hope to achieve. ❞ He snorted through his nose, taking one last look at Thor. The giant, mighty man who had saved his life.

A man of legends and storm, who many praised for his valor and more for his kind heart. The one who could do no wrong and could never be harmed. The facade of a scared boy who feared most of all being exposed to the world. A boy like himself, who could not afford to be weak.

❝ I suppose I will tend to the others then. ❞ Loki broke his gaze, silently collecting himself and breaking the stupor. They were not boys. They were men who must be greater than their shortcomings. Greater than those who surrounded them, and mightier than their enemies. ❝ I will be back shortly to take over the piloting. ❞

— 𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 watch loki wearily . he felt tired . the kind of tired that seeped into the marrow of bones and weighed them down so every step , every breath , came heavy . abruptly , rand nearly barked a painful laugh . it scraped at his throat and gurgled out , RASPING , as he sighed . he had thought that loki pretending to be above what ‘they’ were was the worst of what could come from him . i was wrong . this is worse . bone weary . bone crushingly weary .

rand shook his head .❝ it was the men who struck at the Dark One's prison in Shayol Ghul . ❞ everyone knew the tale of the Breaking of the World . rand was surprised by how calm his voice sounded . ❝ the Dragon , and the One-Hundred Companions . ❞ he would not think about the truth that ran deeper .❝ they sealed him away , but the Dark One struck back when they did . struck at saidin . ❞ he would not think about it . he would not . ❝ then they all . . . ❞ rand trailed off . he wanted to sick up every meal he had eaten throughout the day , and was uncomfortably aware of the uneven bumps and ridges of the herons branded into his palms .

❝ — anyway , it was three-thousand years ago now , and the aes sedai could only distill an essence of saidin at the eye of the world . and that's gone now . ❞ gone because rand had channeled it to fight aginor and balthamel . channeled it all , to save the men in tarwin's gap . leaving the green man to die . his gardens , destroyed . and that is the least of what i will destroy before i am done . rand shivered . he would NOT think about it . ❝ so , no . and if there is a way , no one has found it . . ❞

#( thread . ) \ / closed .#rand \ / o4 #randrageon #( ic . ) \ / prince of asgard . rightful heir of jotunheim . odin son .#( amity celebration . ) \ / 2026 .

\ / . The Dragon and One-Hundred Companions. Loki's brow furrowed ever so slightly. It certainly sounded like a legend of ages. Heroes of old fighting terrible powers of evil, but evil rebelled in turn. In reality, likely not as simple. And for Rand, likely not the end of that story. As for what happened to them, Loki could only assume what would happen to men consumed with madness.

Loki hummed in acknowledgement of Rand's explanation. These were only pieces of a much greater image that left Loki with more questions than it did answers. However, he was not there for a lesson on Rand's world history. Loki sought understanding of the one before him.

The way Rand spoke of this gave Loki pause. Of course, Rand was a scholarly sort. But there was something in his recital of tales that sounded more like testimony than simple text. He frowned, eyes looking upon the face of this auburn-headed man with darkened eyes and hollowed expression. Tired and weary. Resigned by force, not by acceptance. How cruel to force a man with a good heart into that fate. How dare fates continue their twisted design for worlds beyond.

Loki remained still. Leaned forward on the table with piles of snow around him now. He sought the heart of this now, the real reason as to why he wanted an explanation at all.

❝ Do you wish that there was? A cure for this taint. ❞ He tested. Leaving room for a pause. ❝ Furthermore... how do you know that the essence is gone? ❞

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐀 𝐁𝐎𝐘 , there was no man more mighty than his own father . odin , who bore gungnir and his runes in hand with the frightening might of the all - father , and every all - father before him too . the eye that he had lost in the celestial wars was considered a TROPHY , even to thor at so young an age . a token not only of proof of his survival , but of his victory over the jotunar . that he wore a patch to signify that which did not scar was a show of pride towards their people . for tales would reach the farthest corners of asgard and beyond to the nine realms .

what only a select few of odin's house knew was that the patch was worn for a far more practical purpose : to cover a terrible wound that did not heal , for it had been earned while facing the FULL MIGHT of the giant king laufey , and the terrible , eternal winter held within laufey's casket . thor did not boast the honor of a wound earned in victory . he only bore a wound . one that ached STUBBORNLY when it was left too long to its own devices . one that was EASILY AGITATED . prone to infection , if left unattended . hela left her mark on him . her sword had left a bitter wound . one that thor GRIMACED AT as loki settled and took away his patch . he did not have a mirror on his person . but thor had tended to his eye enough times to easily imagine what it looked like . an agitated , puffy red with thin veins of necromatic power just beneath the skin . the socket itself could not heal over . THEY HAD BOTH SEEN WORSE . still , it was an ugly , brutish thing .

thor swallowed thickly and found himself looking anywhere but his brother with the very minimal space with which he had to look .

#( thread . ) \ / closed .#magnusmodig #thor \ / 15 #( ic . ) \ / prince of asgard . rightful heir of jotunheim . odin son .#( escape from instar . ) \ / campaign .#cw: medical #cw: mentions of blood

\ / . Indeed, they had seen far worse than this. They had seen blood and carnage, gashes and dismemberments, things legends glossed over when recounting the 'glories' of war. Loki frowned at the sight. Not because it was ugly to him. No. What sickened Loki was how unnatural it was to see that wound on a being such as Thor.

Something open but not quite bleeding, and still never healing in turn. He felt the same the first time he had witnessed it on the Statesman. At the time, he had attempted to step in and provide Thor with aid. The most he could do was provide the proper tools and water when Thor had brushed him off.

In a quick examination, Thor had taken care of it more than Loki anticipated. But the last time was likely far too long ago. The skin was raw and puffed, red on the brink of infection from the dust and debris of battle. He had removed the patch with delicate fingers, careful not to cause more irritation upon that which was already sensitive.

❝ Steady on. ❞ Loki murmured softly, the ship humming around them in this fragile space. Slowly, he took the cloth and rinsed it in the warm water. He applied the soap and medicinal oils and began his work. Not a single word escaped him from there, for now was not the time to become distracted. Each stroke of cloth across the socket was laced with tenderness. Loki carefully wiped away the debris, the pus, and cleaned the area. The cold of his hand mingled with the warmth of the water that he hoped offered some reprieve. It felt as though the least Loki could do after placing Thor through yet another battle.

The work was thorough and soon enough complete. With a sigh, Loki reaches for the patch, cleaning it as well in the water. He offers Thor a cloth, untouched, so that he may clean his face should he choose to.

❝ You really should clean it more often. ❞ Loki said, handing the patch back to Thor with a nod. ❝ It would help with the irritations. ❞

— 𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏 but to stare at him as though the man had gone and grown a second head . ❝ you don't know who the Dark One is ? The Father of Lies? Destroyer of Hope ? — Shai'tan ? ❞ the whole world seemed a little colder as it pressed upon rand , saying that name . it was as though the Dark One's eye had turned upon him even here . but rand would not flinch from the cold , even if it was the Dark One's own gaze .

when loki affirmed that he - somehow ! - did not , only then did rand shift uncomfortably in his seat . what was a world that did not know of the Dark One imprisoned ? a misguided one at the least . a terribly vulnerable one in truth . rand breathed . ❝ . . . so then . . . you really aren't lying . ❞

if loki did not know the names of the Dark One, then somehow he did not know of the taint on saidin either , and rand would have to take his word for that in full . loki could not know what he did not know . still , it all pricked at him ; made him uneasy . all the while , a pit settled deep inside rand's stomach . he grappled for his words and found them evasive . he sat for a moment in his own silence , and it gnawed at him .

❝ the male half of the Power has been tainted by the Dark One ever since the Breaking . ❞ rand looked up , searching for recognition . finding nothing . the syllables came slowly , and felt like cotton in his mouth . ❝ men - ❞ like me . only like me - ❝ who can Channel go mad from it eventually . ❞

#( thread . ) \ / closed .#randrageon #rand \ / o4 #( ic . ) \ / prince of asgard . rightful heir of jotunheim . odin son .#( amity celebration . ) \ / 2026 .#(I enjoy Loki being a smart boy)

\ /. It was shocking though, the pieces that Rand gave him now fit together so seamlessly into place. There was only one being Loki thought of that he had read of in passing from his world. But this 'Dark One' did not seem to be a Dormammu. That being resided in it's dark dimension and only sought to consume into itself. What Rand spoke of was a force capable of reaching through all of reality. Which, Dormammu did only with those who welcomed him.

For what purpose? Perhaps out of a nature to simply destroy. Even if Loki did not know what Rand meant in his words, it was not difficult to create educated guesses based on that.

❝ I have no reason to lie about this, Rand. ❞ Loki offered in return, his voice quieting for the space around them. The darkened corner seemed to grow smaller around them at this topic. ❝ Regardless... if what you say is the truth then I understand why you spoke the way you did. ❞

With a thoughtful gaze, Loki turned away from him. His hand reaching for his mouth, rubbing his lips in quiet though and turning over this information. ❝ Though, that taint does not exist where I am from. ❞ He shakes his head. ❝ My mother taught me from a young age to see the particles that made up the world and bend them to my will. Some have more inclinations to the practice, but it is available to all to study the ways of Vanir magic. ❞ With any other, Loki would have created a demonstration. But he desired not to startled the man more than he already had.

❝ Surely there is a way to cure this taint. You say... there are two halves of your Power? Male, and I assume Female then. If they remain untouched by this, why should your men be made to suffer such cruelty? ❞ The questions came to him, a desire for understanding not merely for knowledge's sake. But for the man who sat before him, a mundane but innocent person who sought good things. Darkness would always chase and devour those who sought to cut its head.

𝐄𝐗𝐇𝐀𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 across thor's shoulders . grime , sweat , dirt and dust caked and smeared his hands , face , and armor . thor had long known that his wounds were few compared to the pains suffered by the many who had been taken . if he felt discomfort , he could only imagine the world of suffering impressed upon the many who did not deserve to suffer in the first . dirt , blood and sweat was not conductive to his eye . or rather the place where an eye should be but was no longer . it irritated him . but he was fit to manage until they had taken to the air and the ship was safely on its way , with the engines running and his power absorbed into the auxiliary and—

—when thor stepped back due to his brother's push , it was for fear of the effect on loki's hand should he not . ❝ it is good for us all that i am not great . i am mighty . ❞ even still , THICKLY - WIRED TENSION knotted through thor's shoulders . he looked down , SHARPLY , at the hand on his person . searching for — thor frowned . searching for a weapon , he realized dimly . a dagger . for blood and a pin - prick of pain only loki had strength to draw . thor took another step back - this time of his own volition - and let his fingers graze over the arm of the chair loki had swiveled towards him . his shoulders shook as thor let loose a HALF - EXASPERATED laugh . be it by loki's tone echoing their mother's , or his own split - second fear — thor could no longer tell .

❝ tell me : what do you gain out of this if i humour you ? ❞

#( thread . ) \ / closed .#magnusmodig #thor \ / 15 #( ic . ) \ / prince of asgard . rightful heir of jotunheim . odin son .#( escape from instar . ) \ / campaign .

\ / . Mighty. Great. Loki rolled his eyes at the semantics, but was still pleased that Thor did take steps of his own volition. Though... Loki could not help but pause. There was a glimmer of something, a touch of fear in those eyes. They searched for something and were surprised that it was not there. ( What was there to be afraid of? )

Loki shook the thought, relaxing his features yet again, and chuckled in turn. ❝ What have I? ❞ He pondered, bringing a finger to his chin in mock thought. ❝ Nothing, I suppose. It would not bring you harm to humor me, regardless. ❞

He reached both shoulders of the behemoth and guided him down and down until he was seated upon the chair. ❝ When exactly was the last time you tended to the area? ❞ Loki swiftly turned attention to the basin, first washing his hands clean. He carefully used the soap to wash away the filth and stains of that place, ensuring that no harm would come to the perpetual wound Thor bore.

He could see his mother so clearly through the crack of the door as she tended to Odin. The washing of hands, the gentle touch as the patch was removed. The sight of the socket was always blocked in some form or fashion. But his eyes never left mothers hands. The delicate strokes of cloth, the way he held still for her hands, the strength of that trust was something Loki never forgot, even if now he did not understand it.

❝ Come then. Let us have a look. ❞

— 𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒 ? rand blinked at him . then blinked again . BLOOD AND ASHES . maybe he really was mad . loki looked no older than five years older than him at best . or maybe he really doesn't know . rand turned the thought over in his mind begrudgingly . the Creator did not stop with his world when he created the Age Lace . rand had stepped into one of those worlds that might be . with loial and hunin . it seemed that the Pattern wove some of those worlds together , here . loial had said that ‘the worlds that might be’ could be worlds where things had gone differently . maybe loki , and lilith , and everyone else he had met simply were not woven into the Pattern at the same time as — . . . . maybe there had not yet been a Breaking .

considering that thought did not make rand feel any better . light . he was mad for coming up with it !

❝ i don't mean to insult you , loki . ❞ rand said quietly , and was surprised to find that he meant it . ❝ burn me , but i don't . ❞ he cleared his throat and glanced at the other tables . the crowds of people all around them . good people just trying to have a nice time . trying to enjoy their fool's day , or bel tine . whatever they wanted to call it . all of them could be in danger just because he was among them . rand shook his head . the tea inside his cup trembled . ❝ maybe i am a light - forsaken fool for that . maybe . i don't know how you've managed to stave it off - the dark one's taint - or if you even have . but i am not fool enough to take pride in what i am , even if you can . ❞

#( thread . ) \ / closed .#rand \ / o4 #randrageon #( ic . ) \ / prince of asgard . rightful heir of jotunheim . odin son .#( amity celebration . ) \ / 2026 .

\ / . It wasn't an apology, but it was what Loki had asked for. The flames simmered down in his chest. The way Rand spoke, the way he behaved, did not give Loki any reason to believe that Rand was not speaking the truth. There was something earnest, something that tugged, no, pulled Rand towards such vitriol before that was not there now. Loki suspected there was a bit of luck in the tea that Rand seemed unaware of.

Loki sighed slowly, his posture relaxing and fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. At the very least, Loki could take some relief in seeing Rand actually speak of these things to him. When before they had stormed off from an argument, here there may yet be a middle ground in which they could see each other again.

That was all Loki sought. Rand to him was someone of a similar mind, even despite his mortal behaviors.

❝ Rand. I do not know what this 'taint' is that you speak of, nor of this dark one either. ❞ Loki leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, allowing him to truly study the man who sat before him and allowing the snow to fall into his tulip cup.

❝ How curious. ❞ He paused, thinking back upon the extensive knowledge he has of his world's magic. The sorcery of the Vanir, of Midgard, and that of the cosmos had many differences, but none corrupted the user in the way Rand seemed to suggest.

❝ You mean to suggest that, where you are from, men who are capable of this... 'channeling' develop madness? ❞ The idea seemed far too cruel of a curse for even the stories of old. And suddenly, this story was one that Loki believed required further investigation on his part. ❝ I assume it is through use, or perhaps overuse of said abilities. ❞

𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐅𝐈𝐗𝐄𝐃 on reviewing the ship's path , thor did not pay mind to loki's movement save for the idle , habitual sense that loki was near . where each wire , cog , plate and gear buzzed in an endless pandemonium , loki was a cool , slow beat dropped in the center of it . a CONTRADICTION to all that thor knew . that had always been loki's way , though it was only in recent memory had thor uncovered the true depth of loki's nature . time had passed since then . a decade and more . time had passed , but not enough for his old heart , for so much of thor's life he had known the feeling of his brother's presence at his back , and when loki had gone he had had cleaved a hole in thor that was shaped just like him . thor swallowed , and waited to feel his brother's shadow move out of the pilot's cabin with him .

it did not .

raising a brow , thor turned to look at his brother , and could only frown , UTTERLY BEFUDDLED , at the sight before him . when loki spoke , the SHOCK of it was enough to bring even the mighty thor to an awkward , abrupt halt .

❝ i am fine . ❞

#( thread . ) \ / closed .#magnusmodig #thor \ / 15 #( ic . ) \ / prince of asgard . rightful heir of jotunheim . odin son .#( escape from instar . ) \ / campaign .#(let him care thor !!!!)

\ / . Loki scoffed, shaking his head and deliberately stepping towards him. Though they had reached a standing point between duty and personal conviction, this was something that he was not going to be swayed from. With a swift step, Loki suddenly stood between Thor and the console. He stared up at him, though they were not so different in height, and made himself perfectly clear.

Loki squinted, pressing closer to Thor's chest and staring at the patch. He did not have to probe or pry to make an educated guess that Thor was not fine.

❝ Then you won't mind if I look. ❞ Loki smiled, pressing a hand against Thor's chest and pushing gently towards the seat. ❝ The sooner you allow me, the sooner you may captain to your heart's content. ❞ His voice lowered, stern and laced with the quiet understanding of what Thor would rather be doing. This was a behavior that Loki knew well, though he could not say even in this world that it did not trouble him.

How much more could Thor carve out of himself to give to others? To people who would never do the same.

❝ Even great warriors need rest, do they not? ❞

— 𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃'𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐒 𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃 into a thin , straight line . he swallowed blood , and his knuckles whitened around the teacup in his hands . he speaks like a viper . and likely could strike just as quickly . like a cairheinin nobleman indeed . but rand could already feel the words loki asked for all but bubbling up in him .

❝ you are a man who can Channel , ❞ rand said stiffly . his thoughts briefly flit to lilith , who hadn't the faintest what that actually meant . his mouth opened , then snapped shut again . he had to know . here loki was , some few years older than him at best . ALIVE . and at least not a lunatic . how thoroughly that held . . . that , rand could not make marks of . well , i am not mad yet . even if he is . i am not .

❝ what i do not understand is how you can stand to be so proud of it . ❞

#( thread . ) \ / closed .#randrageon #rand \ / o4 #( amity celebration . ) \ / 2026 .#( ic . ) \ / prince of asgard . rightful heir of jotunheim . odin son .

\ / . The smirk quickly disappeared. Loki's eyes shifted across Rand's features, the hardness, the ferocity with which Rand spoke of this was truly unbelievable to Loki. He had his encounters with the most stubborn of stubborn men, but this one had a raging, wild river under the surface. That was how a chasm was formed. Even stone gives way to the never-ending stream, creating lines that would last for decades.

An eyebrow raised at Rand, followed by almost a look of concern upon the mutterings of the boy. But these were swallowed up by the question, which Loki was more than happy to educate accordingly.

❝ Of course, I take pride in it. ❞ He said, the casual air of Loki's tone became lost in the nature of the discussion. ❝ I have studied the art of sorcery for hundreds of years. I have earned my title as the greatest Sorcerer of Asgard for good reason. ❞

Loki paused, simmering the flame that had grown in his chest. He exhaled sharply through his nose, closing his eyes and leaning back in his chair, and brushing aside more of the snow that had piled upon his clothes.

❝ Whatever you consider to be this 'channeling,' my sorcery is not. And, if you can do the same, why do you scorn it so? So far as I see, you speak into a mirror, while insulting my honor in the same breath. ❞

𝐀 𝐃𝐔𝐋𝐋 𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐃 betwixt thor's temples . in the absence of his storm's wake , the pain of it was heightened ten - fold . it pulsed . throbbed . thor could ignore it on the days when his strength was not so faded . he could still ignore it now — AND WOULD . if only because it came and it went the same as an ocean's tides . came and went in familiar passing . so thor swallowed his own voice as he grunted against its near - blinding strike . he swallowed his words with it . BEGRUDGINGLY SO .

he simply did not possess the energy to fight him still . to be quite frank : thor did not know if he harbored within himself the will to .

neither sat well with him . and so , shrouded in his own misgivings , thor held the matter to his breast and folded it there , pressed between his ribs , where it would CUT EACH TIME HIS HEART BEAT and bruise each time he breathed .

thor swiveled , placed hand to hip , and turned his eye to the console , to the skies .

❝ . . . travel between this isle and the next will take some time . ❞ he said . ❝ it would be wise to split tasks between the two of us . i will manage the flight for this first leg of our journey . see to it you attend the wounded — yourself included . ❞

#( thread . ) \ / closed .#magnusmodig #( escape from instar . ) \ / campaign .#( ic . ) \ / prince of asgard . rightful heir of jotunheim . odin son .#thor \ / 15

\ / . The corner of his mouth twitched upon Thor's dismissal. It was no victory in Loki's eyes, for a victory only comes with the admission of defeat. But if he could be certain of anything, it was that they, the sons of Odin, would sooner perish than admit anything of the sort. Then again, it was not as though Loki fought him on this subject for personal gain.

However, Loki soon found what he was searching for in the drawers of the console. His fingers brushed along a glass bottle and a clean cloth. He hummed quietly, barely listening to whatever Thor had spoken of. Loki had his mind set to one task, and he would not be swayed.

❝ Yes, yes. Whatever you say, brother. ❞ Loki waved his hand, spotting a basin of water nearby. As a mouse that was gathering food for winter, so did he scurry about and collect all manner of items necessary for his mission. He rolled up his sleeves and set the items on a table where a chair stood close.

❝ I shall see to it that the wounded are tended to. ❞ His eyes look to Thor, stern and sharp but focused entirely upon the space where an eye was meant to be. With a quick flick of his wrist, he points to the chair, leaving no room for misinterpretation on his end. ❝ All of them. ❞ It was not a request.

— 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃'𝐒 cheek was tender , for rand had teased and chewed at it with the fine points of canines and incisors for some time before this . since returning from . . . that place . . . rand had kept to himself . or , TRIED TO , at any rate . not more than once , he had awoken , half - way convinced that he was GENTLED , still . on those mornings , he reached for saidin and had to quell the urge to grasp it . other times he nearly VOMITED from the cocktail mix of sour slime and wonderful life that scoured him along a razor's edge . even sick with it , rand was glad to know it was there . that he could reach the One Power at all . if he couldn't . . .

rand blinked the thought away and refocused . none of that . ❝ you needn't have invited me to a tea party if you just wanted to talk . ❞ he teased at the inside of his cheek again . ❝ it has been a while though . i . . . can't rightfully say i know what explanations it is you're talking about . ❞