The Wedding Shower
Loki weaved his way through the throng of gauchely clad mortals. At times these lesser beings somewhat amused the god of mischief, but more often, mortals bored Loki to tears.
Thor had admonished his brother when he balked about attending the Midgardian party.
"You ought to be grateful to be included. There's no accounting for taste," Thor's crocked grin suggested sarcasm, "But, Darcy has a soft spot for you."
"Perhaps she is having second thoughts about her choice of a groom?"
Loki had fired back. "This Ian Boobie-"
"Boothby."
Thor corrected his brother's purposeful slight.
"Whatever…He seems a bit, weedy, even by mortal standards."
"Well, good thing no one give a damn about your opinion."
Thor ended the conversation with one of his annoyingly parental slaps to Loki's back. He responded with a growl.
(BREAK)
Hours later the two brothers approached the venue. Thor's much admired long, blonde hair was neatly pulled back tied at the nape of his neck by a piece of worn leather. He wore blue jeans with a spotless white dress shirt, several of the top buttons undone; Loki noted the strategic choice was for the benefit of the screeching females in attendance.
"At least my wardrobe doesn't scare children."
Thor eyed Loki's entirely black ensemble: shirt, trousers, tie, jacket and shoes polished to the shine of Onex.
"Are you sure you want to go with that jacket?"
Loki's face soured at the red velvet sports coat with dark navy trim. Thor's blue eyes narrowed.
"Yes, why?"
"You might be handed a bullhorn and asked to announce the trapeze act, or the dancing elephants, or the fat-"
Thor's raised hand threatened to be placed against Loki's mouth.
"I get it." Thor smoothed a soft velvet sleeve. "Fortunately, if you dislike something, that means it's a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for me."
Loki pulled up short of the white tent a yard or so away.
"Explain to me why there is a party before the wedding, followed by the wedding and another party?"
"This is the bride and groom's shower."
"What?"
"Mortals have a custom called a bridal shower. It's a celebration held for the bride by her friends and family."
"Without the groom?"
"Traditionally, yes."
"That's..." Loki's curious stare was on the noisy crowd up ahead, "stupid."
"It seems Darcy agrees with you. She requested this celebration before the wedding for both her and Ian."
"And what about after their wedding?"
"They won't be here."
"They won't be on Midgard?"
Thor's head rocked back to release a throaty chuckle.
"No, Loki. They will be married on earth, but, not in America. Ian is from another country, England. The two will travel there for the ceremony."
"Funny, I was certain Ian is from another realm."
Thor took his brother's shoulders with a hard grip.
"You'd better not even breathe one whiff of trouble today."
Loki's green eyes sparkled at the dare.
"Or, what, dear brother?"
Thor's eyes bored into Loki's.
"Don't you know me well enough, brother that you should have to ask that question?"
(BREAK)
Loki would never admit to Thor or anyone else for that matter that Darcy's fearless affection for the trickster gave Loki pause. When the brothers arrived at the soiree the young lady sprinted, her red heals clicking against the cobble stone floor, risking life and limb to throw her hands around Loki's neck.
"Cool! I told Ian you would come."
The dark eyed girl squealed with delight.
Loki feigned annoyance as she squeezed his shoulders.
"I had nothing better to do."
"Bullshit!"
She shoved him playfully. Her fiancé approached like a wounded animal.
"Ian! See, he's here!"
"Yes, I can see that."
The groom swallowed hard against a bobbing Adam's apple.
"Ian," Loki extended his pale hand. "Congratulations."
Ian's clammy palm made contact with Loki's and receded in record time.
"Thank you," He nodded barely making eye contact. "Darcy, uh…"The Englishman cleared his throat, "that is Darcy and I are glad you could be here."
"Damn right!"
She beamed a smile of gratitude to Thor, knowing he had to be the one to coax Loki to attend a mortal's party.
"Come away with me!"
She took Loki's arm.
"Excuse me?"
He bent slightly towards her lips to make sure he had heard correctly.
"Let's get you a drink!"
"Darcy..."
Ian tried to stop his intended.
"Loki!"
Thor warned. But both men called in vein. The unflappable bride-to-be and her esteemed guest were sashaying their way to the bar on the other side of the crowded room.
(BREAK)
Having imbibed what mortals passed off as quality wine, and insisting the starry-eyed Darcy rejoin her betrothed. Loki prowled the room restlessly.
Thor seeming to have sensed Loki's mood emerged from a circle of female admirers.
"Brother," Thor swirled a brownish liquid in his glass. "You should join in with the other guests."
Loki barely heard the suggestion. His eyes were on the sizeable white lace covered table in the front of the room; next to the trio of musicians pounding away on their instruments.
"Loki?"
Thor's hand was waving in front of Loki's face, blocking his view of the stacks of finely adorned packages set on the table. The gifts were wrapped in white, silver and pink with bows and ribbons.
"You said this was a bridal shower?"
"Bride and Groom shower, yes." Thor's guarded glance followed his brother's to the gift table. "Are you still confused by the concept?"
"A bit," a slow burning smile took shape on Loki's red lips. "If this is a shower, as you say, and the happy couple are obviously accepting gifts, why not make it rain?"
"What the hell, Loki?"
"Do not mortals admire and aspire to be rain makers?" Loki excitedly rubbed his hand together. "I could make it rain the likes of which none of these pitiful beings have ever seen, and will not soon forget."
"Your insight into human language is breathtakingly bad."
"Oh?"
"A rain maker to mortals is not in the literal sense. It is a metaphor for a savvy business person."
"Surely this bride and groom shower does not require a buffoon in an ill-fitting suit pontificating about corporeal industry. It needs an authentic, actual rain!"
Thor shook his head.
"I knew you couldn't be trusted to act normal."
The god of thunder roughly rushed his brother to the nearest exit.
"What an idiotic thing to say, Thor." Loki squirmed against his brother's grip. "This is my normal!"
"Your normal and you are no longer welcome at this gathering."
"But, Darcy..."
"I'll be sure to extend your regrets to Darcy and Ian."