What had been originally been intended as something to amuse Jack had slowly taken on an entirely different life. As grumpy as they came across in the town’s chat, there was a part of them that was quietly, secretly pleased at being treated simply as a person having their magic enjoyed. It wasn’t something they experienced often, but then, they knew this town was something… different. Their blatantly ridiculous fire was in front of them and they studied it, considering how the wanted the rainbow to look. A part of them was missing home and the bridge there and it certainly guided their heart as they slowly started to change it from its brilliant grin to something festive for the month. “What do you think?”

--

Thank all the existing gods and the ones he hadn't even met yet that Loki was here in Sallow Hills. Jack was already climbing the walls from being stuck in one place for so long, but he thought he'd be well and truly going off the deep end without them here. If he was going to be trapped someplace so boring, at least he had maybe the one being who actually understood him. They seemed content to meet his need for entertainment, and Jack tried to return the favor whenever he could.

He knew that Loki secretly loved attention, and it was long overdue. They'd been a model citizen here in Sallow Hills, and they deserved appreciation. Jack, on the other hand, preferred to fade into the background when there were a lot of eyes, and he didn't mind hanging back and letting them soak up the attention. His smile was a little softer than usual as he watched the colors shift, hands in the pockets of his blue hoodie. "It looks like the Bifrost." He only had Loki's conjured illusions for comparison, since he'd never been to Asgard, but it was unmistakable.

--

There was nothing about meeting Jack’s need for entertainment that grated on them, not even close. It would likely be different if it were a constant demand, but that wasn’t the way they were. What had been done for Jack’s benefit and amusement had taken on a new life, and while they liked the attention for a while, they found a part of themselves wishing it were just them and Jack. That soft smile did something strange to them and they returned their attention to the fire. “It does,” they agreed with a firm nod, approving the results of their work. “I figured it was fitting for this.” They waved their hand as though to incorporate the long party of the town for the month. Flicking their hand, a neatly stacked s’more appeared and they held it over to him.

--

Jack was fully capable of entertaining himself most of the time. He'd had hundreds of years invisible and mostly alone to perfect the skill. It helped that he still had a great deal of his magic, although he missed flying, and was vaguely starting to worry about his staff falling into the wrong hands. Worrying wasn't really his style, but in general, he liked people. He didn't think they'd fare well if someone set off an unexpected Ice Age inside the barrier.

Jack had gotten bored with the party at the community center and wandered outside. It was bad enough that he was stuck in one place, but most of the townspeople did not share his sense of humor--Loki notwithstanding, but he already made enough of a nuisance of himself to them that he wasn't going to go knocking on their window in the dead of night demanding entertainment. Well, not yet, anyway. He wasn't quite that desperate.

There had been no trace of his staff so he was still earthbound, but that had never stopped Jack. He'd climbed onto the roof of the community center, bare feet dangling over the edge. He was stealthily throwing snowballs at people leaving the party, the drunker the better. He was careful about it, and no one had yet figured out where they were coming from.

Until now. It gave him a small jolt of surprise to realize someone was looking at him. Everyone could see him here, and for as much as Jack had wanted that before, he sometimes found it off-putting now. So much easier to cause mischief when he was invisible. He grinned back, unrepentant, and lifted his hand in a little salute of acknowledgment.

--

Loki would never claim to be prone to melancholy, but if there was a time for it, he supposed it could be now. This was a season for family, a holiday for celebrating with the people you cared for most. He felt the loss off who was on the outside of Sallow Hills as sharp as the winter winds to a human. As he walked, determined to find some kind of entertainment or create it, he couldn’t stop the way his lips twitched at the sight of an unerringly aimed snowball slamming into the back of someone leaving the community center. He hadn’t gotten into the habit of spending time there, of socializing with the general rabble. But there was only one person he knew who threw a snowball quite like that. “Hello, Jack,” he greeted with a smirk, shaking his head at him. “How many have screamed or fallen?” He was genuinely curious and more than a little amused as he looked at the divots in the snow around the path out of the center.

--

Jack's aim was impeccable, if he did say so himself. His target managed to right himself and stagger off, apparently no worse for wear, and his eyes returned to the familiar shape in the dark a moment before he spoke. "I was just thinking of you! The party was boring. I had to make my own entertainment." He grinned. He formed a snowball in his hand and tossed it casually in the air, catching it again as it fell.

"Seven direct hits, three screams, four falls, and one spectacular slide down that icy sidewalk that I wish I could take credit for," he laughed. He might have thrown the snowball, but the ice hadn't been him, at least not this time. Zero misses, of course, but since none of his targets knew they were targets, that wasn't completely fair. "Feel like joining me?"

--

Loki tipped his head and tried not to beam, instead managing to just smirk. “Am I often on your mind, Jack?” He snickered as he watched him toss the snowball in the air, like most humans would a baseball. His eyes drifted to the retreating, most recent victim before returning to Jack. He’d expected him to be out and about, especially this time of year.

“Impressive,” he mused with a chuckle and popped up to the roof in a soft scatter of green. “I was actually thinking… I might have a gift for you,” he mused, tapping his jaw for a moment. It was strange, even to him, for the world at large to be able to see Jack Frost. He often remedied the things he didn’t like.

--

“Mischief is always on my mind,” he chuckled. It wasn’t much of a jump for that to lead him to Loki. Of all the magical people he could be stuck in Sallow Hills with, Jack was glad it was him, even over the other Guardians. They’d only just started to see him as worthwhile, but Loki had always liked him just as he was. They were a kindred spirit.

“Thank you.” He beamed, looking pleased with himself. “Really?” The prospect caught him off guard. Jack hadn’t been, y'know, corporeal enough for presents in a long time, let alone had many friends who would think of such a thing. “You know Christmas isn’t my holiday, right?” he teased.

–

“Fair enough. Keeps life interesting,” he snickered. Not that he tolerated life being anything else. It was one of the things he disliked most about Sallow Hills. Having Jack here, someone who had always simply understood, it went a long way to soothing some of the aches. He could say he had a friend.

There was no way to stop the genuine smile that crossed his face at the obvious surprise. “No, I just thought I’d trick you,” his voice was flat and he barely managed to keep it that way. “It’s not mine either, but here we are. I think you’ll like it,” he pointed out.

–

“Life should be interesting.” He grinned. If that was what this was. Jack wasn’t entirely sure where he fell on the alive/dead spectrum anymore. He could eat and sleep, but he didn’t need to. He was always cold but didn’t seem to require body heat. But Guardians could be diminished and even vanish. He wasn’t sure what it said that the opposite had happened. His powers hadn’t been right since he got to Sallow Hills, and here he was, fully visible.

“You have to admit that’s in character,” he chuckled. You always play tricks. The memory of his sister’s voice was bittersweet, but at least he had it. “True. It’s Yule, right?” He was familiar with the traditions and languages anywhere it got cold, or at least anywhere on Earth. He had a feeling he’d love Loki’s planet. Ice giants were awesome. “You’re the only person I’d trust to know what that is.”

–

Life, death, anything in between, it should all be interesting. It didn’t matter what it was and wasn’t. He couldn’t say anything about the other guardians, as he’d never bothered with them. They were rather dull, as he figured, so focused on their ‘holiday’ or their 'duty’. Jack was the one he liked, that he understood, that gave a damn about him. There was an understanding they’d managed to develop with each other, a friendship, something that couldn’t be touched by most other creatures. There was something to be said for shared life experience, he supposed.

“There’s plenty in character,” he chuckled with a shake of his head. Snowballs and fun times, mischief and lies… they all covered quite a lot of ground, really. “Yule, yes,” he mused. He didn’t quite belong to Asgard, nor did he belong to Jotunheim. It made life strange, not that it hadn’t always been. He paused before allowing himself to shift entirely into his Jotun form, blue skin and raised markings, many of which matched Laufey, his true father. “You would be surprised,” he put forth. “This is an old country. Many here who are familiar with the ancient traditions are familiar with Yule.”

–

Jack didn’t always look like the most attentive listener or considerate friend, but he wasn’t immune to moods. It hadn’t escaped his attention that Loki had grown more melancholy as the holidays approached, and it wasn’t hard to guess why. Jack’s family had been gone for centuries, but Loki still had one out there somewhere. It couldn’t be easy for him to be trapped here without them. He didn’t push him on it. He just tried to make sure he was around for amusing distractions or quiet company, whichever was needed.

He gently knocked his shoulder into his in wordless solidarity. He used to do it because Loki was one of the only people who could feel him at all, but now that everyone could, he found the habit still gave him comfort. “To know what I’d like, I mean,” he chuckled, tipping his gaze over him in appreciation as he went all blue and icy. Frost laced over the surface of his skin and the rooftop where he was sitting, the similar magic calling to his own.

“It must be an old magic that’s keeping us here,” he mused. There had to be a reason it was this place in particular, which was steeped in lore and magic anyway, most of it beyond Jack’s understanding or interest. He still thought Manny must have sent him here for a purpose. It might be freaking three hundred years before Jack knew what that was, but the moon was like that. He wasn’t big on explaining himself. Getting mad about it didn’t change anything, and Jack found it difficult to maintain a temper on most things. He preferred to have fun, and since that was his job, that’s what he would do here.

–

Jack’s presence in his life in recent times had certainly improved his mood and that couldn’t be discounted. Without his brother, he was grateful to at least have a friend. Those were hard to come by for a being like him, and he knew it was the same for Jack. It was why they had bonded to begin with.

He shot him a grin as ice spread out around them and he knocked his shoulder back into his. “Well yes, there is that too. I think I’m rather good at knowing what you like.” His smile went slow and mischievous before he wrapped Jack up in a blanket of frost. Jack was the only creature alive he could imagine showing his Jotun form to, after all, he may as well give in to its magic while he was at it.

“Older than you,” he admitted with a nod, which wasn’t him being dismissive more like a statement of fact. “And, admittedly, not a magic I am familiar with.” That was truly saying something of the unfortunate variety, considering the magic he had spent his lifetime studying.

–

It was such an odd thing, to be known. It ached a little in his chest to be so understood, but he knew Loki of all people would understand the feeling. He couldn’t not smile back at that mischievous grin, and it turned into a laugh when he coated them in frost. He ran a palm over the furred edges of the ice crystals in admiration. “Happy Yule to you too.”

He chuckled softly, tipping his head back to gaze up at the moon. “Oh yeah.” Jack was young even by Guardian standards, even if he would have been dead many times over as a human. He couldn’t compare with some of the people in this town. “Where would you go? If you could get out?” He was curious about the answer since Jack himself probably wouldn’t go anywhere. He went where the wind and the moon took him. Being trapped here was more like a minor annoyance for him than a true disruption.

–

That grin shifted into something softer and a little more genuine as he watched him run his hand along the soft crystals of ice. This was never a part of himself he had expected anyone to accept, especially never enjoy even if they did accept it. But Jack, as always, took it in stride. It was a unique thing, to be wholly accepted as he was. “Would you like your actual gift now, or later?”

He followed his gaze to the moon but couldn’t stop his own from shifting to the stars. Even Heimdall couldn’t have found him here, he was sure now more than ever, but he’d never know for sure. The question made him sigh and look down at his blue hands. “Find my brother. See if any of our people survived at all,” he said quietly, though in his heart he feared that was the most fruitless of hopes. He simply had to trust that the Asgardians that had liked to travel the Great Tree had somehow found their way to one another.

–

Jack knew just what it was like to never be accepted for being himself. He was one of the Guardians now. He knew they supported him, but he also knew they wished he was different, more like them, less irresponsible. Given his penchant for coldness, a part of him was always going to prefer Loki when they got all icy and blue like this. They could sit there and be freezy together and not worry they were making anyone uncomfortable.

“Always do presents now,” he chuckled. He hadn’t gotten them anything. It never would have occurred to him to get anyone a gift, not even his friends. Jack didn’t own anything except his clothes and his staff, which was still missing. He didn’t exactly need anything when he was incorporeal. “They did,” he said, soft but firm, reaching over to give their shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Based on what Loki had told him, Thanos hadn’t been after extinction. It was small comfort that only half his people may have survived though, so he didn’t point it out.

–

Growing up the way he had, even he had struggled to accept his true nature at first. The more he’d grown into his own skin, his own identity outside of Asgard, he had settled more easily into his Frost Giant heritage. Jack helped with that, accepting it so easily.

He leaned into that soft squeeze slightly, ignoring the soft ache in his chest. “Presents now, then,” he smiled quickly before his face settled back to its more usual neutral lines. He didn’t do gifts for people often, and this was as much for his own love of mischief. A flash of soft green magic summoned a glass snowflake on a white leather strap that he held out to him. “It will help with one of those parts of your life you’re missing. When you say the word, which you can choose, it will turn you invisible. It will last until you choose otherwise, but, unfortunately it will only let you do it a few times a day.”

–

He smiled as he reached out to accept the necklace, even before he knew what it did. He flipped it between his fingers, examining the small green snowflake, somehow both delicate and strong at once. His eyebrows went up when there turned out to be more to it, his breath catching a little at the thoughtfulness of it. Loki could pretend all they wanted that it was only for mischief, but Jack knew it wasn’t. That they’d taken the time to notice something vital was missing from him and take measures to fix it… well, that might be the kindest thing anyone had done for him in this life. It required an understanding of Jack that most people didn’t bother to have.

He swallowed past the tightness in his throat and knew the smile he turned on them was soft. For a gift that was meant to make him invisible, he felt very seen, and that might even be better than being believed in. He looped the leather strap over his head and shifted closer, wrapping an arm around their shoulders in a hug. “Even once a day makes a lot of difference for me. Thank you, Loki. I can’t imagine a better present.” Jack didn’t do serious conversations very well or for long, and he grinned as he pulled away, nudging their shoulder with his. “I promise to make a lot of mischief with it.”

–

As the snowflake slipped between Jack’s fingers, the green of his magic faded from it, leaving a soft green sparkle in a mostly clear snowflake, wisps of white and blue in it. It would take more than any normal person could do to break it. The fact that one of the only beings in existence that they cared about enjoyed mischief like they did simply helped caring come a little easier. They knew what it felt like to be lacking something and feel it desperately. They didn’t wish that on their friend.

That soft smile made them blink slightly, not used to being the recipient of such softness. Their own gaze softened as they watched him slip it on, nodding in approval. They managed not to startle in surprise at the hug and leaned into it. “You’re welcome.” They hadn’t realized how long it had been since they’d been touched kindly, and it had been that last hug with Thor. Clearing their throat, they inclined their head to him and let the mood be shifted. “Please, do,” they chuckled, nudging him back, “This place needs it.”

–

Mischief had bonded them, but Jack didn’t think it was why they had remained friends. It was something to do with this, the way they understood each other, their willingness to simply accept the other as they were. He didn’t have that with many other people, and certainly not the Guardians. Maybe Sandy, but not in the same way. Sandy wanted him to be better, believed he could be. It wasn’t a bad thing. But it wasn’t the same as being appreciated for who he already was, as if that were enough all by itself.

Physical contact was a big deal for Jack too. Until he got here, almost no one had been able to see him or touch him for centuries. The ones who could didn’t usually get that close. Loki’s arms around him were grounding, and he half-wanted to linger in them. He stayed close even when he’d pulled away, not touching, but near enough to feel the warmth of them. He wondered if he felt warm to Loki or if he was only ever cold. He hadn’t really figured out the whole body temperature thing now that he was corporeal. “It really does,” he agreed with a soft laugh. “I knew I’d have to make my own fun here, but Manny. You’re the only one with a sense of humor.”

–

Loki couldn’t help but think that they would always accept Jack exactly as he was. Even if he changed, became someone better than should be around Loki themself, they’d accept him. They knew what it was like, to be surrounded by people who wanted you to be better, thinking who you were wasn’t quite good enough because it wasn’t enough like them. It made them cross to think about Jack being put in that same situation.

They hadn’t expected how much they would like being able to hold on to someone and were a little loathe to let go. When Jack lingered close, it helped soothe some of that edge. Loki was sure that Jack ran cooler than most, but he still felt warm to them, most humans felt downright hot and it was uncomfortable. They shifted slightly so their arms connected, the point radiating soft warmth. “There are a few here with them, but even those humors are… dark,” they admitted with a chuckle.

–

Jack didn’t imagine a scenario in which he was ever too good to hang out with Loki. Guardian or not, that was ridiculous, and he still harbored some skepticism about the whole hero thing. He knew too well what it felt like to be an outsider to ever want to make someone else feel that way. Besides, Loki wasn’t nearly as bad as people sometimes made them out to be–or as bad as they occasionally thought themselves.

He leaned gently into the warmth of their arm with a soft laugh. “Yeah, I’ve noticed. Better than all the stuffy do-gooders though.” Few people there shared his sense of humor, and while Jack was fairly immune to criticism, it was exhausting to constantly be where he wasn’t wanted. He rested his chin on Loki’s shoulder and gave them big blue puppy eyes. He hadn’t gotten them a gift, but he could at least let them know they were appreciated. “I hate that you’re stuck here. But it would really suck without you.”

–

Their truth varied dependent upon who was asked about them, and they knew it. No two people were given the same version of them, and the people who were granted their softness were fewer than anything else. Jack treated them the most like a person, like a friend, and got the most true parts of them, for good and for bad.

They didn’t want the comfort of them close to end, a new turn of events for them. Chuckling quietly, they nodded in agreement, “That is very true, though there’s a few of them here too.” Those large, surprisingly sweet blue eyes made them blink and swallow lightly, reaching up to push a piece of light hair out of the way. “Better stuck with good company, so I’m glad you’re here, even if I wish you weren’t too.”

–

Jack didn’t get a lot of physical contact. There were days when it was too overwhelming to be visible to the whole world, and he preferred to hide rather than have people bumping into him constantly. But it was comforting with the few people he trusted. Leaning against Loki made him feel almost human. “So many,” he chuckled softly. The town was stuffed full of boring hero types. The Guardians would have gotten on well, but Jack never knew what to say to people like that. He wasn’t sure he even spoke their language.

At the brush of fingers, he had to resist the urge to throw himself in Loki’s lap for more pets. It wouldn’t be the first time, since Jack had very unsubtle ways of demanding attention when he wanted it, but they were balanced rather precariously on the edge of a roof. Time and place. “It’s not so bad for me. I don’t really have anything to get back to.” There was no self-pity in it. He went where the wind and the moon took him. Always had. It just happened to be here right now.

–

Loki wasn’t sure what it felt like to be human, persay, but they did know what it felt like to feel comfortable. It was something they hadn’t had in some time. The feeling was something they only had with their mother for the longest time, with their brother recently. “They’re boring,” they snickered quietly, knowing they would never be the straightlaced goody good.

While they didn’t like sharing their space usually, it didn’t feel grating with Jack. He could have demanded more attention and Loki would happily provide it. Their eyebrow quirked lightly, “You never have to stay alone in the world if you don’t want to.” They cleared their throat gently. “I mean, if we ever leave here, you can always travel Yggdrasil with me.”

–

“So boring.” He chuckled quietly along with them. Jack may have sided with the heroes, and he probably would again given the choice, but he’d never be that straightlaced. He liked mischief far too much to give it up. If not for Loki, he didn’t think there’d be a single person here who really understood him, and that was sadder than usual because they could all interact with him now. Being seen hadn’t changed anything.

“Leave Midgard?” He raised his eyebrows. The idea had genuinely never occurred to him. “Theoretically should be possible. Pitch and Emily Jane aren’t from here. Neither is Sandy, come to think of it.” Jack had never tried to leave Earth before, but then, he’d never had cause to. It was yet another way he wasn’t like most of the other Guardians. They had never been human before. Jack didn’t know what would happen if tried to go somewhere Manny didn’t send him, if people in Yggdrasil had to believe in him to see him. Loki never had. Most magic users didn’t. The rule only seemed to apply to humans.

–

The idea to leave Earth clearly didn’t occur for most people, and certainly not to the extent that he was offering. They had never really had a companion to travel with, not for long, and Thor and the Warriors didn’t really count. Often, that was unwilling company on one side, another, or both. There hadn’t been many beings during their existence that they cared to spend enough time with to do such a thing.

It was dark, and then it wasn’t. Jack woke in the woods in a circle of frost that had to be his because it looked like late autumn everywhere else. The trees were sparse and leaves covered the ground, but it was by no means cold enough to snow. He tilted his head up at the moon, shining brightly through the branches.

“Haven’t we been through this already?” he asked it. There was no reply, but Jack hadn’t really been expecting one. He stood carefully and turned a slow circle. His staff was nowhere to be seen. He thought about floating into the air, about snow and ice and all things cold. The frost thickened around his bare feet and a few half-hearted flurries blew past him, but he remained stubbornly grounded. He made a hmphing sound and started in the direction where the trees looked thinnest. He talked to the moon as he walked.

“Are you going to tell me where we are? Or where my staff is? Or why I can’t fly?” He paused, in case the moon was in a chatting mood. It wasn’t. “It’s rude to ignore people,” he grumbled. “Do you know what else is rude? It’s rude to cover someone in darkness and dump him somewhere new without explaining anything. I like to think I’m a pretty tolerant guy, but people have limits,” he continued to thin air.

--

Loki rarely stayed in one place too long, Rhiannon’s ridiculous shop included. There was a restlessness in his bones he couldn’t shake any more and he had long since stopped trying. It leant itself to discovering interesting things, but not as often as it caused mind numbing boredom. Mind dumbing, however, was infinitely preferable to sorrowful. Hearing the voice though, made him tip his head in curiosity and follow the source. Leaning against a tree, he watched the snow flurries with a small smile and felt something in him rising up to meet it. He’d stopped trying to fight his nature, but this wasn’t the time for that. “I don’t think whoever you’re talking to will be able to reach you here,” he said, his voice filtering between the trees and branches. ”I stopped calling for Heimdall long ago.”

--

Jack had never had to stay put, at least not since he became Jack Frost, so he was in for a rude awakening about this place. He wasn't expecting to see a friendly face just moments on arrival though. "Oh, he can hear me. Whether or not he's going to do anything about it is another story." He cut his eyes up at the sky, annoyed. Jack spoke a lot of languages, but radio silence was almost impossible to interpret. He was used to it, but that didn't mean he liked it.

"I take it back. But just remember, this is on you," he added to the moon, a grin splitting his face as his gaze fell back on Loki. Whatever happened from the Man in the Moon putting them both in the same place, Jack was taking no responsibility for it. "What are you doing back on Earth? It's been what, a couple hundred years?" If there was ever such a thing as kindred spirits, it was certainly the God of Mischief and the Guardian of Fun. Jack greatly admired his work, and it didn't hurt that Loki had always been able to see him, belief or not.

--

Loki couldn’t help but grin at one of the few beings he willingly called friend and had for some time. There was something to be said about a kindred spirit that he had never come closer to than Jack Frost. He tipped his head to think back to their last meeting and laughed with a nod, “Something like that. I’ve been back here and there, stirring up trouble, getting dragged into trouble of my own. So, hardly any different from the last time we saw one another, really.” He looked around with an arched eyebrow, “I take it you just arrived, then.” He looked back at Jack to study him shrewdly. “No staff?” It was strange to see Jack Frost without it, really, and he wondered if it, like so many other things, would appear with its owner. “Regardless, I am pleased to see you. This place is dull." image

--

Jack had difficulty making friends too, or maybe that was just a specific case with the other Guardians. They were on the same side now, and he'd come to think of them as allies, but that didn't change the fact that they were all a bit sanctimonious, or that they really didn't seem to understand why his memories were so important to him. In that respect, Jack actually empathized quite a bit with Pitch. They might not agree on, well, anything, but at least they understood each other.

So it was an unexpected stroke of luck to see Loki standing there, although he was starting to suspect from some of his comments that there was little else lucky about this situation. "Just now. I'm hoping it's around here somewhere. Where is here, exactly?" He looked around like there might be a sign, or like he might find his staff propped against a tree waiting for him. He doubted it would be that easy. He shot a shrewd glance back at him. Jack might be irresponsible and impulsive and downright reckless at times, but he wasn't stupid. Loki didn't do dull. "Why are you still here then? You back on Thor’s naughty list?"

--

Loki hummed softly at the knowledge that his old friend was just dumped here and had a fleeting wish that it had been otherwise for him. “Here is a ridiculous little town in Wales, apparently, by the name of Sallow Hills,” he said as he pushed off the tree to walk over to Jack, deciding talking through a distance was ridiculous and potentially foolish, depending on the day and what decided to be running around the area. He caught the look and gave him one in return, stepping next to him and clapping a hand to his shoulder. He let the blue linger at the edges of his fingers when it rose at the contact. He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised that the Frost Giant in him responded so easily to Jack. “Come along, Jack. We’ve both been trapped in Hel,” he said bluntly. As he walked towards the barrier, he looked over at him, “No, I’m not on Thor’s naughty list. My brother and I were getting on rather… surprisingly well, before I found myself here. You’ll find there’s little explanation for why we’re here, unfortunately.” As they reached the barrier, he tipped his head, “Try to leave.” image

--

"Sounds made up," he chuckled. Jack had been everywhere there was snow and frost. He wouldn't pretend to remember all their names over the past few centuries, but that one didn't ring a bell. He couldn't help grinning a little at the answering pulse of magic from him. Like called to like, and there were a lot of reasons he and Loki got along. "I've been dead for a long time. You'd think if I were going to Hel, I'd already be there," he quipped, falling easily into step with them. His afterlife, if that's what they were calling it, had been lonely, but it wasn't eternal torment.

"I'm glad to hear that." It was a sincere comment. Jack might prefer Loki's sense of humor, but Thor was a lot of fun when he wasn't on a hero kick. Then again, since he'd joined the Guardians, maybe Jack wasn't allowed to make fun of heroes anymore. Just their self-righteousness. A little. Because he couldn't help himself. "Story of my life," he muttered, pausing when Loki did to survey the... empty air. He could feel there was something there though, and the closer he got to it, the worse he felt. "That's gross. What kind of magic is that?" Experimentally, he let some ice build up against it, but it didn't seem to have any effect.

--

“It does,” he agreed with a quiet snicker. He’d long since appreciated Jack’s humor and how similarly it ran to his own at times. The sight of that grin at the rise in his magic made him shake his head at him, his lips twitching. “It depends on who you ask. A great many would say that you have been,” he pointed out. A life of invisibility and disbelief, of ignorance, was certainly nothing he’d think of as anything less than hellacious. “I was glad of it,” he admitted with a little shrug. It had made the separation that much harder, really, knowing they had finally been getting along. He knew that most people enjoyed Thor, that boundless energy and booming personality.”Gross is an understatement,” he muttered, disgust clear in his voice. Loki walked over and tamped down the wave of vicious nausea and the bright, painful ache in his head to lean against the barrier. “We’re going nowhere fast, Jack,” he muttered before pushing off the boundary and walking away about twenty feet. image

--

"I guess that's one interpretation," he agreed, scuffing a bare foot against the ground. It was cold out, but not Jack's kind of cold. He supposed his afterlife would be a kind of hell for some people. It had been for him some of the time, but it wasn't in his nature to dwell on things. He mostly liked this existence, even if it came with drawbacks. That was probably true for everyone.

He was quiet, but he didn't miss the significance of the statement. If Loki had been on good terms with his brother, it must be even harder for him to be trapped here. If they were talking about hell, that was certainly another version of it, and one Jack couldn't totally understand. There was no one he couldn't stand to be cut off from for a time because he'd already been cut off from everyone for centuries.

His eyes narrowed slightly in interest as he leaned on apparently thin air, but Jack was more interested in the pinched look on his face of someone obviously in pain. If it was magic strong enough to hurt a god, then he doubted his own could make a dent in it. He took a step back, peering up at the wall, and blasted more ice at it. His magic worked fine, but it didn't seem to have any effect whatsoever on the barrier. He'd just created a second wall out of ice, and he smiled a little as he backed up to join them. "Huh. Mine is prettier. But I guess we're not. How long have you been here?"

--

Loki had been able to understand Jack’s solitude on some level. They had become accustomed to long periods of unwelcome among Thor and the Warriors Three. He was used to being an outcast, their magic alone making him different on Asgard. When he had learned the truth, it had explained so much. Shaking his head to try and clear it from the soft ache of the barrier, Loki watched ice slide up the wall and make a second wall. At least that one was nice to look at. When Jack stepped over to them, green eyes slid over him and couldn’t help but be grateful to have a friend here now. “Ah, it’s been… over three years, I believe.”

--

"What the Hel can trap a god here for three years?" Jack tipped his head up to survey the wall of ice he'd made. It was cold enough that it might just stay there until spring. He couldn't see the top over the barrier, but he assumed it was there or Loki would be out by now. Still, if had his staff, he definitely would have tried flying to see how high it went. Just for fun, and because he liked to poke at things he shouldn't.

He shifted his attention to the surrounding trees, never one to dwell on what he couldn't change. "Is it all like this, or is there an actual town?" He didn't think he'd mind either way. People could take or leave Jack, so mostly, he could take or leave them. It was more than he was used to just to have a friend around.

--

“That’s the question,” the irritation was clear in Loki’s face as they glared at the barrier. “Only one person potentially has the answer, and there’s no talking there,” if a voice could come out more of a hiss than words and still be intelligible, there it was. Loki hated Armes Sallow, but there was little to be done about that particular fly at the moment. A soft chuckle escaped them, “There is an actual town, for what it’s worth.” Tipping their head in the direction of the town in a clear offer to introduce him to it. “It’s not the worst town. I’ve been in worse. Been in astronomically better.”

--

"Who's that?" He grinned, an ingrained reaction to other people's annoyance, even if they happened to be friends. Jack would grin his way into hell, and according to Loki, he pretty much had. If Loki couldn't get answers out of this person, then Jack didn't have a chance. He probably wouldn't have tried anyway. Answers weren't really necessary for fun, and this place obviously needed some of his expertise.

"Where have you been that's worse?" he chuckled, falling into step easily beside them. Whatever that story was, he wanted to hear it. Jack didn't pay a lot of attention to the places he visited, since the people there largely didn't pay a lot of attention to him. The trees started to thin as they neared the edges of the town, and he looked around with more interest than he'd usually have, since apparently he was going to be here for a while.

--

“Armes Sallow,” they hissed out, going a little red eyed and blue at the edges. There were quite a few people that wanted answers and could get none. Eventually they might accept that they were practically a prisoner and could do little to nothing about it. However, considering how long it had taken them the last time, they weren’t going to hold their breath. They had a very long life ahead of them, after all. “Do you really wish to know?” Few ever actually cared to know what Loki thought, and they were curious. They paid attention to the places they went on multiple levels. Sure, they enjoyed creature comforts, but there was far more to places than that. As they neared the town, they began pointing out important places for them to remember.

--

The front of Jack's mind knew that was an anger response, but he kind of liked Loki best when they were all icy and blue, and he had to fight down a smile. Then again, smiling at other people's negative reactions was kind of a knee-jerk reaction with him. "Does she really know, or is she just pretending to know?" He doubted he could get any more answers than Loki could, but between the two of them, they could make her life fairly unpleasant if they wanted to.

"Of course. I only look like I'm not paying attention so no one expects anything from me." He grinned, nudging their shoulder gently with his. Admittedly, Jack wasn't most people's first choice for sharing their stories. He didn't really want that responsibility, as a general rule, if there was someone else around to take it. But Loki was a friend, and he cared what his friends had to say.

--

The question made him chuckle slightly, though the sound was dark and far from amused. “There’s a knowing there. Of what, however, is the real question when it comes to that damned…. creature.” They weren’t even quite sure they would put Sallow in the category of human without knowing more. In this town, one could never be quite sure. Jack got one of Loki’s rare, genuine smiles. They weren’t sure they had given it to anyone really in their time in Sallow Hills. Perhaps the young vampire mage or the girl, but they would have been the only ones to get close. “Asgard,” they admitted to him, sliding their eyes to him. Gilded, brilliant, and beautiful, the place had been their prison often enough and they’d rarely been thoroughly welcomed.

--

"Not a human?" He raised his eyebrows. From the sounds of it, it wouldn't be unusual here. With a magical barrier and the two of them, there were bound to be more supernatural people running around. That one of them might be in charge of the town was new to him though. That all tended to be rather secretive where he was from. Jack couldn't have told anyone about his magic if he wanted to, unless they already believed in him.