Game Over (muse stretch and aesthetics)
“ I’m not certain explaining now has any meaning. “ irritated Stark to no end from him in particular. Pulled at the muscles in his jaw. The something there though, the finality beyond the endless haze; the silence of that mirror of water beneath their feet: kept him from pouring the instant rage out at him. “ Not very sure for that matter that I can; except to say that, if it is an illusion? It is very much one we share being caught in. And that I would very much like to escape myself. “
“ ..why you keep looking at me like that? “
“ Because.. I don’t think it is. I still have that last memory with me. “ held tones too low and ideas too close to where he didn’t want this place to be for Tony to even try calling that out. He couldn’t stop looking around.
Like something would change. Like the arches would somehow produce someone else with more answers, or at least better ones. Like the sun would finally set and take the mist in that deepening array of oranges with it and stars might follow.
The more he looked though, the more it sunk in he couldn’t even see a hint of a horizon. “ What about you..? “ The longer he fidgeted fixing his weight from one foot to the other the more aware he became that as much of it as there was, he should hear that water or feel it at least a little under his feet.
And there was that heat gone out of his arm “ ..do you remember, Anthony? “ yanked his brown eyes to silvery blue ones that; sounded off as low as the wave of Loki’s tones, looking for confirmation rather than the details of the answer.
He remembered. And getting where Loki was, and where he was; the look on his face must have been enough. The most out of place, fractured smile kicked across that face to pitch out those uneven dimples of his, up at the archway like he couldn’t even meet it.
“ I see. “ Was that a reflection? “ Telling you in New York seemed pointless. Too late, then. But I suppose the want to tell you anyway might be why I’ve been waiting here after all, even then. “ Was his head playing more tricks on him or were his eyes wet? “ We met before then, you know; you and I. “
“ Oh yeah? Since when..? Pretty sure I woulda remembered that. “
“ I don’t think you would remember, any of it. It was a long, time ago. And you were: “ a laugh? He could laugh at pulling his leg like this? In this place and situation? “ You were a different man. And it was a different lifetime, for you. I suppose; if this was where you were going in all those spaces in between: I should, eventually join you here. At some point, eh? If, we were to be fair about it all. “
“ You aren’t making any goddamned sense. “ Because bullshit even if his wildest thoughts were still trying to put it together. That kind of thing wasn’t real, wasn’t possible, was it.
“ ..no, I suppose it wouldn’t for you. But almost none of it since I met you has really. Now that you’re here, I imagine.. we’ll find out one way or another where this is, and what we’re doing here. “ the shrug was almost as close to pissing Tony off as the smile was...
“ Yeah? What makes you say that. “
“ Don’t know. I’ve been waiting a long time. Didn’t know what for. “ had Tony swallowing. The feel of the place. This conversation, was getting to him. “ You are the first person I’ve seen since. And that makes sense to me, I suppose... “
Bopping this brief stretching of the muses limbs out there because I wanna and because I want to lock in the imagery, muses brief brushing show; and the overall feel in my head while it’s still fresh.
This is one universe I planned to touch next for the platovember Bonuses; and another one besides the 4Kings that’s very developed and has a VERY specific theme. I am betting you can guess what that theme is and where the story starts just reading that, though.
Kind of curious what y’all might think...? idek XD
