When We Lie

Chapter 12

"So," you happily say, munching on a dumpling, "what do you usually do in your spare time?"

Loki looks up from his plate and cocks his head to the side, mildly surprised. "Read. Like I've done every time you come looking for me."

"Is that all you do? Your only hobby?"

He furrows his brows. "Why are you suddenly interested in me?"

You load some chow mein onto your plate. "I realised I don't know anything about you, except from what little Thor has told me."

Loki is almost afraid to ask Thor told you.

You retell the story about Loki stabbing Thor whilst disguised as a snake; how once after Thor snuck down to the vault to try and lift Mjölnir and getting burned, Loki cooling him down and stealing some painkillers for him. But your favourite story Thor loves to tell is the one about Loki's daggers.

Originally, the daggers Loki used to wield were Thor's. He'd been gifted them a long time ago, had never fancied them as he was used to wield long-range weapon. You had argued Mjölnir wasn't exactly as long as a sword or spear, but Thor reminded you he could throw the hammer and use it to enhance the lightning and thunder he controlled.

The reason Loki got his hands on the daggers was simple. He wasn't good with swords or spears, and had learned his skills from Frigga, who also wielded short-range weapons, specially daggers and short-swords. When the first time came for Loki to partake in a battle, Thor had been so paranoid his daggers would break that he'd brought his own. As he feared, Loki lost his daggers. He managed to survive using his magic, but afterwards, Thor snuck his own daggers into Loki's possession, and they held to this day.

"So that's where they came from?" Loki whispers. "They appeared in my tent when we got back to the camp." He looked heartbroken. "And now I lost them too."

"I'm sure you can get them back," you try to comfort him. "If anything, Thor probably keeps them for you."

He nods, his mood having turned sour. "What's so fascinating about the Chinese Wall?" he asks.

You don't comment on the blatant change in subject. "It's one of the largest construct I've heard of, and it stretches on for as far as the eye can see! It was built on for hundreds of years, and I think the oldest parts are from the 300's. The oldest parts should be from the 1600's. They were originally for military use. Do you know their Chinese names? What they mean?"

Loki arch an eyebrow. "Do enlighten me."

You look out the window of the hotel restaurant onto the Chinese market below. "Chángchéng, or the long wall. It's also called Wan li chang cheng, the 'Ten thousand li long wall'."

"Did you Google that too, or do you actually know Chinese?"

You blow him a raspberry. "I took Chinese lessons for two years in high school, thank you very much. I remember some of it still! And for your information, my teacher told me their meanings."

He nods, satisfied and somewhat amused. "You're a diverse character."

"Thank you. You're quite the complex one."

He rolls his eyes.

You finish your dinner and head back to the room you're sharing.

***

The TV is on and Loki sits plastered on the sofa watching the news while you lay on your single bed, looking at your list of destinations. You're trying to decide where to go next, either Sagrada Familia in Spain, or somewhere more close to home, with roots to Loki's Norse heritage.