#herki

"Valhalla's been too lax lately, a little bit of pranks won't hurt." Loki grinned, floating mid-air where Ares couldn't reach. "Besides, I don't know if it's just your brother being a little lacking in the head or if it really is that easy to fool the Gods around here."

"Why you-?!"

Hermes laughed, before feigning guilt for doing so in front of his currently miserable brother. "I wonder indeed. Maybe the Gods need something to rouse their spirits."

"Rouse their spirits, huh...?" Loki grinned, perching his arms on Hermes's shoulders. "Then what do you say you join me on doing just that?"

Unfortunately for Ares (who thought his brother was there to help him), Hermes agreed. The Norse and the Greek walked side by side, planning whatever atrocities they had in mind to pull on other victims.

Perhaps Ares should report this to Zeus.

"You little shits-!”

"Aah! My painting!"

"Who broke my lyre?!"

Loki and Hermes, both escaping from the crime scene in full speed, shared giggles with each other. Like mischievous little kids, they ran around wreaking havoc and hiding away before anyone would have noticed.

It was a good thing Hermes was the God of Speed as well, Loki thought. Usually he'd have to run and dodge a lot of the others' attacks while fleeing the scene.

"Haha! Didn't expect you to be so cruel, Hermes. Using honey mead to make them slip? I'm beginning to think you were just holding back from doing pranks all this time!"

"Me, cruel? Oh, how could I be? I'm simply... Using my surroundings as inspiration." He grinned, never once losing his composure and elegance.

Most would have suspected Loki for pulling pranks, but Hermes? He was the last person one would even think of condemning.

"Where shall we go next, O God of Speed?"

"Hmm, let's see... Perhaps the Japanese Pantheon-"

Feeling an attack directed at them from two ways, Loki and Hermes immediately jumped to avoid it. Once the rubble settled down, the two saw their respective fathers - Zeus and Odin - giving them an accusatory glare.

"What on Valhalla are you two doing?" Odin glowered while his two crows squawked. Zeus was juat as enraged, one arm ready to throw another punch. "Who started this?!"

Oh, but Loki and Hermes had been spending such a fun time! There's no way they would let it end so abruptly, right?

"He did."

"He did."

Both didn't even spare a millisecond before blaming the other for the chaos. Loki gave Hermes a look of disbelief, while Hermes returned his gaze with a disappointed sigh.

"I trusted you, Loki. But alas, you were the one who started this entire thing..."

"Nonsense! If it weren't for you putting the idea in my head, I wouldn't have agreed to this."

Loki looked at Hermes up and down, observing every inch of the Greek God's appearance. The jet black hair, the blood red markings on his face, the elegant butlerly suit, down to the perfecrly polished shoes.

The Trickster has bolder tastes, that's for sure. Hermes wasn't quite sure why and how he became Loki's subject of observation, but didn't make a move to ask.

"You know, you're pretty boring." Loki would speak up first, pointing a finger at Hermes. "Always on Zeus's tail like a servant. For the God of Messengers, aren't you more like his personal homing pigeon?"

"Homing pigeon, is it...? I'd take being called a butler than being called a measly bird, even." The Greek God replied. Hermes returned Loki's observing gaze, noting the stark differences in the way they dress.

Loki's style had always been wild, even after he tamed down his once spiky hair. His clothes were tight on his body, and a few windows showed teasing peeks of his skin.

"You're already dressed like a bird, what's the big deal? Seriously, who the hell enjoys being a servant like you do?" Loki grumbled.

"Perhaps I just enjoy finer things in life. And... Me enjoying being a boring servant, hm? I believe you have it all wrong."

Hermes took his words as a challenge. Before Loki could react, he grabbed him by the chin ー locking his face still while Hermes's free gloved hand rested on Loki's waist.

"There are perks of being a servant, you know. For example, I could always teach a lesson to nosy deities who underestimate me..."

Loki froze. His face contorted intoーnot a frown, not a sneerーa huge grin that told Hermes just how amused Loki was.

Hermes had his reputation as an Olympian to uphold, after all. The sheer weight of the air around them, heavy with Hermes's playful yet dangerous bloodlust, sent shivers down the Trickster's spine.

"So? Still bored, Loki?"

"... Consider me wrong." The green-haired God pulled away from Hermes, which the Greek God relented to. "You're more interesting than I expected. Maybe I oughta see you in action more."

Hermes chuckled, turning his back towards Loki. "Well, I'm glad to have amused the Trickster God himself. Besides, it's a good opportunity to learn more about what tricks the Norse Pantheon have up their sleeves. Quite useful information to bring to Zeus-sama."

Hermes walked away, raising his hand and brandishing a ring between his fingers. Loki gaped, checking his own fingers.