12 days of Yule Mischief

Chapter 11 - New Year's Eve

Skoll had already chased Mani into the night sky, the moon behind his chariot gleaming lazily. In the distance the sky is lit up in glimmering, colorful sparks as fireworks are set off on main land. Had anyone informed Max that it was legal here for private citizens to buy and light fireworks, the night would have been quite a different tale. Since no one had the poor judgment to do this though, the night was somewhat more peaceful. That said, it wouldn't be long into the new year before Loki got a hold of "witch howls" and "bang pearls" and any resemblance of safety was gone forever from the island.

On this day though, despite what Max and Ian might have done had they been home in New York, everything was done calmly and with no crazy rush. There was no ball drop to watch here, and the Norse family didn't know to watch Her Majesty the Queen's New Year's speech or the traditional 90 year's Birthday, so the traditions were few and far between - but the smiles were never ending and always spreading. There was something odd about celebrating New Years on the island, something strange about excessive drinking in a place where inhibitions were already discouraged and ignored, and strangely, it made for a much more chill party. The kitchen island was laden with mead and other alcohols, such as Old Danish, Thor (which no one touched), several different bottles of wine, whiskey, tequila, Small Sours, Gin, and several other bottles. It was as if Loki had discovered that humanity had evolved the principle of alcohol, and he was determined to experience everything he had missed while chained up in the cave. Mead has always flown freely in the halls of Valhalla, and on the island everything flew freely. It didn't take many drinks before the American in Max rose to the surface and his old college days came back to him. Between booze, good friends, and time to pass till midnight, there was only one thing he could think of to bring some chaos into the night: drinking games.

"Never have I ever," he started out with a smug look around the party. Despite many protests, Ian had managed to persuade Hel to stick around for a little while longer, even though she had argued strongly that with the hunt coming tomorrow, and tomorrow being just a few hours away, she really should be getting back home. "Snuck out of home to do something I knew my parents wouldn't approve of." Max finished. Ian gave an approving nod, as if he had been worried Max would ask something wildly inappropriate.

"So the idea is," Ian explained, reaching out and taking one of the shot glasses lined up on a tray. "That you drink if you have ever done it." Sigyn leaned forward and took a glass too. Loki smiled at the memory of her showing up at his home stark naked in the middle of the night. Yeah, her parents definitely didn't approve of that. Ian looked around the group, but no one else took a glass.

"Never had much of a home till now," Loki said with a shrug. Hel laughed softly to herself.

"Name one thing dad wouldn't approve of," she challenged holding her breath, but Loki only smiled brightly and didn't say anything about the new address she had given him.

"Definitely not sneaking out," Nari added.

"Guess we'll have to be more inventive," Max laughed, and Sigyn and Ian both emptied their shots.

"Never have I ever sexted," Hel offered.

"Uh, someone's up and modern," Ian said with a sly smile in her direction.

"I hear things," she acknowledged with a very Loki-like glint in her eye. Max leaned forward and picked up two shots, handing one to Ian.

"So," Max said, looking down and avoiding eye contact. "Sexting is basically sending dirty messages to each other in text."

"Texts being basically speech in written form, and from a distance. So, say I was at home and Max was out of town for a conference, and we couldn't physically be together, we could still... imagine, together."