ax_main | Loki and Nolan - End of year party

Loki trolls Nolan, is anyone surprised. <3

Nolan already knew that he would leave this party long before Shaun did, or at least, he assumed as much. He wouldn't want to cut the other boy's fun short, after all, but Nolan did not want to force himself to stay out here much longer than he wanted, either. For all that it was entirely worth it, every time Shaun came back from dancing or chatting with his friends, to give Nolan that smile that always made his lungs warm and, maybe, steal the occasional kiss.

So Nolan didn't mind hanging around, for now, and chatting with the occasional student who came his way.

What he did mind was the - bird? - suddenly landing on his freaking shoulder with a simple, "Hey." He minded it so much that he yelped in surprise, flailing away from the brush of wings.

Tiny talons dug into Nolan’s shoulder as Loki tried to maintain his grip. “Peace,” he said. “This isn’t a wildlife mauling. You act like you’ve never met a talking animal before.”

Internally, Loki managed to maintain a snicker. He knew that the entrance risked a broken wing, but it seemed entirely worth it for shock factor. Come to think of it, would a broken wing translate to a broken arm? Loki had no idea. He tucked black and gray wings close to his pygmy owl body, taking up very little space as he tried to maintain balance.

"I haven't!" Nolan spluttered, then proceeded to try and compose himself. He straightened the polo shirt he wore over a khaki one, and side-eyed the owl perched on his shoulder, ignoring the way its small talons had pricked his skin to keep from being thrown off. "Do I know you?" The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it.

"You do." Now that the flailing was over, Loki settled more comfortably, grip easing. "I walked with you once upon a dream. Or rather, Shaun finally introduced us at your gala."

Finally, Nolan made the connection. "Earning your name tonight?"

“It is my birthright.” His wings fluffed, brushing Nolan’s cheek softly. “So why are you hiding over here, when your beautiful boyfriend is at the heart the festivities?” Loki wasn’t pointing out the statement’s irony, considering the fact that Duo was also dancing out there with Gilmore and company.

"A staunch refusal to cramp his style," Nolan answered, resisting the urge to brush the ticklish feathers away. "Do you have to stay on my shoulder?" Not only was it weird having a conversation with someone perched there, but Nolan was also somewhat uneasy at the thought of Loki being in his personal space. Or anyone he hadn't invited there, really. Still, it wasn't a passive-aggressive question so much as a request, given his hopeful tone.

“I don’t have to,” Loki acknowledged. “But it’s such a nice view.” He fluttered, then hopped off his shoulder. As he touched the ground he shifted, transforming into a gleaming, black dragon. Quite the contrast to the tiny owl shape, this dragon form was the size of a Clydesdale. Loki sat next to Nolan, wings folding gracefully as he settled.

This evening was not becoming any less surreal. Nolan stared for a couple of seconds, then looked down into his glass, wishing there was some alcohol in there after all.

At least Loki was off his shoulder.

“Let me guess,” Loki remarked. “You’ve spent enough of your life forced to attend large social events, and it’s taking everything to stay here right now?”

"Try again," Nolan suggested in his usual soft snark. For one thing, if it was that bad, he wouldn't be here. For another, he'd hardly been social for most of his life.

Loki’s chuckle had a rumble to it, lower than his normal pitch. “Deep inside, you have the heart of a dancer. This is the secret you hoard. You stay at the fringe of the party because you know if you step amidst the fray the music will claim you and the world will see you for your true, fabulous self. You’ll never be able to return to a world of desks and technology again.”

"Creative," Nolan congratulated him, soft-dry. "I'm unfortunately a lot more boring than that." And he couldn't dance to save his life.

“Curiouser and curiouser.”

"And why are you here, peering at me, when you could be at the heart of the party yourself?" Nolan asked, trying to pretend that having a conversation with a dragon was perfectly natural.

“I was there. I took a break.” Loki leaned back, looking at the evening sky. His black scales shimmered with the movement. “Fresh air is good. Also, you looked very lonely.”

Fresh air. The same fresh air they were all breathing, whether at the heart of the party or not? Nolan ignored that to focus on Loki's last comment. "Did I?"

“Absolutely,” Loki said. “Besides. It’s much easier to meet you here than at a gala.” They'd been introduced at the gala, but Loki hardly counted that as meeting the real person. Hosts were at their best.

"And a dragon might have looked out of place," Nolan remarked dryly. He was grateful Loki hadn't attended the gala in this shape, really.

Loki's wings fluttered. Unlike the soft, owl feathers, these wings rustled like a tarp in the wind. "It's horrible accessorizing with with many scales."

"I don't know, it sounds like a challenge," Nolan remarked, tilting his head to the side slightly.

"If you want a dragon at your next charitable occasion, I'll consider it. Great way to terrify the masses. Odin will tear his beard out."

Nolan winced, as if actually considering it. "But the goal is for them to part with their money willingly, not under threat of - death by dragon."

"If we're being thematic, dragon is the wrong message for a fundraiser," Loki pointed out. "I'd have to sleep on top of the pile of contributions, and then refuse to part with it at the end of the night. I think goldfish symbolize good fortune and wealth, but Hel if I'm turning into a goldfish. Even a large goldfish. No, honestly, shapeshifting isn't part of my publicly approved image yet. Animals that is. I'm still feeling out where the threshold of 'people start screaming' lies."

"I also prefer my charities with a minimum of screaming," Nolan confirmed without missing a beat. "I'm thankful you didn't choose to change your publicly approved image then and there."

"Shaun would have been very cross at me," Loki said, head dipping lower.

Nolan's gaze instinctively sought Shaun out in the heart of the party, as if hearing his name made him need to see him, too. There was a very faint smile on his lips, there and gone, and he looked back at the dragon. "One more reason I should be thankful for him, then."

"Add it to your undoubtedly massive list." Loki chuckled with amusement.

"I have," Nolan dryly confirmed. It was, in fact, a very long list, and not one he was going to share with anyone but Shaun himself.

"You are a very lucky man, Nolan Ross." Loki's wings unfolded, rustling as if he might take off. "I wish you both great happiness." He glanced at Nolan, his draconic expression creasing with amusement. "And you might consider taking advantage of your boyfriend's superior sense of fashion. Maybe let him pick out a few shirts for you sometime." The wings flapped out with a sharp rustle, but as he took off his shape shrank back to the tiny, pygmy owl. He silently fluttered back to the edge of the forest, disappearing into the trees.