Party and Intrigue

"Well now... I dare say you certainly livened up this evening!"

Walt smiled approached Elyia on the balcony with two goblets. He handed her one and shrugged listening to the minstrels play Don't Stop Believing. "I didn't actually do much. Not joining in?"

She laughed and shook her head. "It's a bit too crowded for me."

Walt smirked. "Liar." Her head jerked up and he smiled. "You know how good you look and you do like the attention... so that's not the reason you're out here by yourself."

Elyia smiled a bit at the corner of her mouth. "Then... maybe I wanted to be alone with you?"

Walt smiled and nodded. "That I believe... I've also wanted to be alone with you." He set his cup down on the balconey railing and bowed offer her his hand. "Would you care to dance, my Lady?"

She smiled and laughed her green eyes sparkling with amusement. "I would! Thank you, 'Master' Walter," she said taking his hand and courtsied.

Wakt shook his head chuckling. She pressed her body a bit to his as they danced and he realised he'd been correct in his earlier assessment... she really was quite a spectacularly flawless beauty in her way, of course. "Don't you think you can you drop it?"

She smiled charming and coyly at him. "Drop what? Calling you Master?" She pressed her body a little more daringly to his. "That would hardly be appropriate, 'Master'."

Walt chuckled and reached up to brush a lovely dark lock of hair behind her ear. His fingers traced down to her jaw gently as they stroked softly to her chin tilting it as he gazed down into her lovely eyes. "Not that. Don't you think you can give up this charade now?"

She blinked in surprise at not receiving the kiss that things were heading for. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean?"

Walt shook his head smiling. "It's ok. I won't out you or expose you. But you don't have to pretend with me or try to fool me... Loki."

She blinked then quickly her dress changed into a much more fashionable and revealing one in a vibrant and deep green hue that gave of bright highlights where the light caught it, trimmed with fur and gold accessories including a circlet with smallish horns. She smiled with her dark green almost black lipstick. "No, I suppose not. How long have you known?" Lady Loki Laufeyson asked.

Walt chuckled. "From the very beginning of course! You weren't exactly being subtle... you wanted me to figure it out. Pretty sure Jen had an idea who you were too."

She smiled. "Yes, the name was a dead give away." She paused as he shook his head.

"No," Walt said continuing to dance with her. "You were too lovely to be a mere anything let alone an unattached maid come servant. You wanted me to notice and I did right from the start."

She laughed delighted. "And you played along because?"

Walt chuckled. "Because it beat me trying to find you... and it was fun!"

They both laughed as he held her dancing. "You always intended to find me too then? You know I'm not really a woman?"

Walt shook his head. "You are. You're anything that you want to be. Woman, man, beast, monster, king or queen... or god. The question is what incarnation are you that you've decided to be and what is it that you want?"

Loki sighed and nodded. They parted slowly. "Coming straight to the heart of the matter then?"

Walt nodded as they stopped dancing. "Only if you like. I really don't mind spending time with you, Loki." He picked up their cups and handed her hers.

"Oh no?" She asked intrigued. "Why is that?"

Walt shrugged. "Because you have unlimited potential. You're interesting that way... and you've changed since dying. It's makes you... more intriguing. You're still you but you've grown more than Thor in a lot of interesting ways. For instance other than the obvious fictions you've been telling me the truth from the beginning."

Loki's smile slips a bit and she nods. "A good lie contains a bit of truth... it's the same for fiction. You're right. I became reborn as a younger self who, dispite my originals plans, wanted so much more for us. A heroic role. He tried to be a 'good' Loki despite what remained of the old me haunting him and trying to lead him astray over and over."

She smiled sadly. "I think he may indeed have been the 'best' version of 'Loki'. A touching story if a bit melodramatic in parts. Then that separated part of the old me finally 'killed' him... or more acurate to say 'Kid Loki' sacrificed himself heroically to me." She sighed. "Long story short he didn't die but became a part of who 'Loki' was... a much greater part than any of us intended. But it was good. I..." she stared into her cup before drinking.

Walt smiled and nodded. "You wanted to change. To grow. Evolve. Become like Odin and Freya had always hoped for you. Make your own path."

She smiled and nodded. "Just as you say... through circumstances I actually managed to go into The Beyond. See things. Learn things. Things that shape and change our destinies like... stories."

Walt sighed and nodded. "And so you've been trying to rewrite your own 'story'. Reinventing yourself over and over. Change your story to one where... what?"

Loki nodded and bowed. "I am no longer Loki the Evil, Loki the Trickster, God of Lies, Kid Loki, Loki of the Asgardians of the Galaxy, Ikol, Loki Agent of Asgard, King Loki of Jotunheim or Mistress of Strategies... I have finally evolved into Goddess of Stories." Then she shrugged.

Walt laughed and clapped. "Or You're trying very hard to at least. Bravo. For what it's worth I think Odin and Freya would both approve." Loki bowed showing off a fair bit of cleavage. "And pray tell how is that going for you and how do I fit into your new story for yourself?"

Loki nodded. "It's a work in progress but it's been off to a successful start... or it was until someone started also writing their own parts and changes into things. Mostly removing or tampering with things. It became quite a mess." She smiled. "But then another, a previous "background player", returned to the stage and suddenly started to step into the limelight. Started cleaning things up here and there, writing his own narrative... and it wasn't half bad. Much better than some of the usual drivel."

Walt smiled and bowed this time. "High praise. I thank you. So now we come to the crux of the matter." Walt drank. "What do you want with me, Loki?"

She raised her cup then smiled at him over the rim of it. "How would you feel about a collaboration of sorts?"

Walt nodded and smiled raising his own cup. "It seems we have much to discuss..."

---

"Wow!" Gwen said as they watched Walt and Elyia dance. "Totally a Cinderella moment going on right there earlier and now a slow dance."

Jubilee smiled as tgey Watched Elyia and Walt dance to Everybody Wants to Rule The World. "Certainly seems so! They both seem so happy too. What do you think, Jen?"

Jen smiled and nodded. She was watching Thor talking to Sif. He'd been talking with Jane earlier too. "They do seem happy... a good start if he can keep it up. Or a restart I guess..."

Jubilee laughed and turned her gaze. "That is nice to see but we were talking about that! What do you think?"

"Oh," Jen said. "That... hmmmm... I don't know to be honest. Looks like 'thick as theives' as much as 'romance' to me."

Gwen blinked. "What's that supposed to mean- oh, Nevermind here they come!"

Walt smiled. "Hello ladies! Thank you for the dance Elyia."

She courtsied smiling beautifully as he bowed. "It was truly my pleasure, Master Walter. I greatly enjoyed it. You're a fantastic dancer!"

Walt grinned happily too. "And you were simply exquisite! But..." the music was lively dance number of a earthstyle again. He grinned as he recognized the bards playing Funky Town and grabbed Linda's and Shocket's hands. "Now about that dance...!"

Linda laughed but Shocket tried to protest. "Hey I didn't agree to anything!"

Linda wasn't fooled. "Come on! Captains orders!" She winked at Walt who grinned and nodded saying, "That's right! And the Captain has a new course heading for us!"

Shocket groaned. "Don't say-"

Linda and Walt together: "Oh won't you take me to... Funkytown?" They start dancing with Shocket as a trio laughing.

The girls start clapping and cheering and singing along. Shocket shakes her head and sighs... then grins and says, "Alright yer on!"

"Woooo! Go Lins and Shockey! 'Shockey' isn't any shorter or cuter than Shocket. " Gwen cheers then muttered, followed by Jubilee shouting, "Shake those tails!" And saying. "Agreed. 'Sho' is one of my cutesy names for Shogo already... and calling her 'Shock' doesn't sound cute at all... this is a toughy...Ket, maybe?"

Jen looks at Elyia who touches her arm. Elyia nods her head at the girls. Jen smiles and nods. She had her suspicions but that was no reason to rain on the party and ruin the fun... whatever game she was playing at seemed harmless for now and was trying to continue the happy atmosphere that was going on.

Together they pushed Gwen and Jubilee out onto the dance floor to join the others as the music changed again, Born To Be Wild. The Asgardians take to the dance floor, singing and drinking... and Thor's voice booming out the lyrics loudest of all happily... everyone silently agreed... they'd wait to tell him he got them wrong tomorrow!

[Walter Stark Penny Polendina F.R.I.D.A.Y Neopolitan Pyrrha Nikos Nora Valkyrie Yang Xiao Long Blake Belladonna Kali Belladonna Sienna Khan Willow Schnee Glynda Goodwitch Zwei Ahnassi Lifts-Her-Tail Senko Sayoko Shinozaki Roberta Cisneros Haruna Sasha Blouse Ilulu Rachel "Raven" Roth Manami "La Brava" Aiba Tsuyu "Froppy" Asui Haruhime Sanjouno Anastasia "The Baroness" Cisarovna/DeCobray Demona Mystique Pirotess Lydia Aela the Huntress Serana Mission Vao Curie Ada PAM KL-E-O Merida Gwen "Gwenom" Stacy Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee and Jennifer "She-Hulk" Walters

Will Return In

Setting the Stage

Coming Soon]