Loki rolled his eyes at the absolute ridiculous notion that he could be anything aside from amazing. The young man before him hesitated, and apparently decided that he wouldn't continue the conversation. After another long moment of silence, the man turned and walked away.
Loki would take care of him later.
Turning, the trickster shifted himself back to his current town of residence; he'd been looking for a new place to stay when he'd run into the rude fellow who had had the nerve to call him a Fool. Indeed. A Fool? He would not sell his talents; none could afford such greatness. Not even the highest of kings.
He made his way to his current home, avoiding the front door and simply going straight into his room. He sighed and looked around. It had been far too long since he'd taken time to just relax. It sometimes amazed him how much he could accomplish and how easily he lost track of time. He sometimes found he had spent months on one project. One time, he lost an entire year.
"Brother." A voice from his past. He groaned and shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. He was getting worn down. He was losing his mind, on a temporary basis of course.
"Brother."
He shook his head and paced away from the table in his room, a piece of candy forgotten on the top of it. His head had begun to pound with memories he'd already worked centuries to quiet, to hide away. This was not even close to acceptable, he decided. Perhaps a vacation was in need. Yes, that was it! He'd take a vacation.
"Gabriel." The voice from his past spoke a name long forgotten by Loki. Or, at least, long ignored. He frowned and turned around, finding himself facing what could only be his older brother, Michael. "How are you, brother?"
"What is it?" Loki grumbled, unusually morose.
"I've come to see if you've finished your tantrum." Michael said, frowning at him. "You've been posing as this... this Loki, for long enough, don't you think?" The disdain in Michael's voice was all too clear. It was the only thing that gave Loki the little push he needed to turn his back on the Archangel.
"Oh, I don't think this world has had nearly enough of me." He said, then turned back to face his brother. "I was thinking I'd continue for at least another two or three centuries." He grinned, waggled his eyebrows and shifted his stance to a more relaxed pose.
"You don't have two or three centuries, Gabriel." Michael said quietly. "Today, the man who will be my vessel, my true vessel, was born." He looked at Loki with a look that could have meant many things.
Stubborn as always, Loki refused to frown as he wanted to. Instead, his grin spread wider. "Well, that's wonderful news."
Michael's eyebrows rose. "Is it?"
Loki nodded. "Of course it is! Isn't it? You should be so happy. You will finally get to have that final battle with Lucifer. Unless someone manages to change the course of the future." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Wouldn't that put a wrench in the gears?"
Michael scowled. "You find this a joke, Brother? The fate of humanity, of Heaven and of Hell, rests upon the head of this child. This Winchester boy will be a key piece to saving them all."
Loki laughed. "Michael, you see only one path of the future. One possibility. You've seen that one, and refuse to see others. That, my brother, is what has been and will always be your biggest flaw." He shook his head, still smirking. "You see, I've spent so long among these men and women. Humans, however predictable in most situations, have an uncanny ability to do the unexpected. I have watched wars waged upon an unexpected decision. I have seen people take their lives in their own hands and steer it into the direction they want it to go in. It has nothing to do with what Fate chooses for those special individuals. They have a little something called free will." His smirk widened into a grin. "You had better hope this vessel of yours doesn't turn out to be one of these unique individuals. Because if he does," Loki laughed. "You'll be regretting such faith in a single path of the future."
Michael scoffed at his younger brother's speech and shook his head. "You speak from knowing only a few of these individuals, Brother. With the proper guidance, anyone will end up on the correct path."
"And what if this Winchester boy doesn't want the guidance you offer? What if he choose his own path?"
"People can be steered onto whatever path they must follow." Michael replied, ever confident in his beliefs.
Loki chuckled to himself as he crossed to the table and picked up the piece of candy he had abandoned earlier. "You know," he popped the candy into his mouth and sighed at the sweetness of the molasses and sugar mixture that flowed over his tongue. "If I had ever wondered why I left in the first place, your visits always give me plenty of reminder."
"Am I to assume that you will be remaining here, then?" Michael said, sounding greatly disappointed in his younger brother.
"I'd say that's a safe bet." Loki replied, meeting Michael's gaze.
"You sadden me, Brother." He said softly, and then was gone.
Allowing a frown to finally cover his features, Loki slunk across the room and sank onto the giant four-poster bed he had in the room. The conversation with Michael unnerved him, though they always did. He would have to relocate much sooner than he had planned, and make himself nearly invisible to his brothers; he did not covet these visits in the least.
The boy Michael mentioned came to mind and Loki frowned harder. This child, this Winchester boy that Michael had spoken of, already had part of his life planned out for him. Granted, most humans technically did; Fate took care of that. But, as he had said, there were some who managed to outwit even fate.
Loki sure hoped that this boy was one of the lucky ones.
A sigh escaped him and he stood. He had a date that night with a man who though him a Fool. Swallowing the last of his piece of candy, he stood and began to figure out his plans for his relocation. He would have to make sure that, after tonight, even those he considered friends couldn't find him. Not until he was ready to be found. And, he thought as he strolled down the hall towards the bath, he wasn't sure that day would ever come if Michael was right about the future. If he wasn't... well, it might be fun to watch all of Michael's plans disintegrate. Yes, he smiled and slipped into the steaming hot bubble bath. That would be the most fun he'd had in centuries.