*Ah, the moment when you get 21 reviews in five days after updating… it is a lovely moment that makes you wish you could throw a tea party with all your readers. Dude, a tea party for me and all you fantastic readers would be awesome, wouldn't it?
Dignity
Something was wrong… Loki was sure of it. He was too tired and sleepy to put his finger on it, and he was reluctant to open his eyes, but he could feel there was something amiss. Maybe his mother would know what was wrong… but to go and ask her, he would have to get up and leave the room, and a few steps down the hall… she was still sitting out in the hall, probably… she was usually sitting out there… but he didn't want to leave Noir's side even for the short amount of time that it would take to go and speak with his mother.
Wait—that was it—Noir.
With a sudden jolt, Loki realized that his arm was no longer wrapped around her, and the place next to him was cold on the bed. As if an electric shock had run through him, Loki sat up abruptly, his hand scrabbling at the place next to him. Hadn't she just been there? Hadn't she made a promise to be there when he woke? She had promised, and Loki had believed her—why wasn't she here next to him like she should be?
His eyes wildly scanned the green bedcovers—
Green?
Loki blinked. The hospital blankets and bedcovers were white. Why were they suddenly green?
Loki frowned as hazy memories started to settle in his mind. No, of course he wasn't sleeping next to Noir… he had been taken to his room… now he vaguely recalled being woken up by his mother, and seeing Noir awake… and then stumbling to his room to sleep there instead of at Noir's side… He was in his own room. That was why Noir wasn't here, and why the bedsheets were green and not white. Well, that at least made sense.
He sat up on the edge of his bed and slowly rubbed his eyes. Ugh… he felt so… tired, and unsteady. Everything seemed to be a blur. He smiled faintly as he remembered that Noir was awake. He could go and visit her soon—yes, he definitely needed to go and visit her, now that he had gotten a little sleep… A glance at the windows told him it was early morning, the gray of dawn still veiling the world. Well, Noir was probably sleeping. He might go down to the kitchens and grab a tray of food, and then head to the healers' wing, and then he could still be there when she awoke.
Loki's joints popped as he stood, and he grimaced, stumbling around as he got himself ready for the day.
A brisk bath helped wake him up slightly (belatedly he realized that servants had been in at some point to change the bloodied bedclothes and remove the stained washcloths), and he tried to clear his mind. Everything was such a fog… Norns, how tired had he been? It seemed like his memories over the last day or two had become a mixed jumble, a tangled knot of vague recollections that he had to sort out.
He sifted through his closet, trying to make sense of what had happened, exactly. He had a dim memory of distant bewildered shock when he heard Noir's voice saying that she could get used to this, lying in his arms… At the time, her words had been a kind of senseless string of syllables that held no meaning. Only now did her words register, and a smile flitted briefly across his lips. He picked out a casual but nice outfit (well, anything was better than the rumpled clothes he had worn yesterday and slept in all night).
He moved on to the next bit from yesterday… he remembered holding her against him as he told her he'd thought she would die… he felt his face grow hot at the memory. In fact, he was fairly sure that he had clung to her like a child who refused to let go of their mother, kissing the top of her head and her cheek and her forehead desperately. Alright, that had been silly and thoughtless of him. He consoled himself that it wasn't all that bad, though… they had hugged before, and he had kissed her cheek plenty of times. He finished dressing and found his shoes kicked off by the door to his bedroom, and picked them up, carrying them to where he could sit and put them on. Absentmindedly he fumbled with the buckles that hadn't been properly undone, trying to finish sorting out the events from the previous day…
After that, everything got a little more fuzzy again… he had been falling back to sleep. He remembered words pouring out of his mouth with his brain too tired to filter anything. He faintly recalled Noir telling him to go to sleep, hushing him from telling her what had been weighing on his mind ever since the ball. He vaguely recollected the feeling of her snuggling closer to him, burying her face against his chest in a way that made him just want to never let her go.
And he had the merest impression that he had confessed to Noir in a whisper that he loved her.
He felt himself freeze as the realization became clear. Had he really…?
Loki staggered over to his bed and sat down heavily, stunned. He had said that, hadn't he? The boots in his hands fell to the floor, and he pressed his palms to his forehead. "Oh, Norns…" he breathed, feeling his heart thundering in his chest as panic gripped him. He had told Noir that he loved her, hadn't he? Just how big of an imbecile was he? What did she think of him now? And what the bloody blazes was he supposed to say to her?
00000
"Knowing Loki, he's already at the healers' wing," Thor said doubtfully to Marron as they walked down the halls towards the second prince's chambers.
"But we should at least check before we go," Marron said reasonably. "What if he hasn't gone to the healers' wing yet, and he finds out that we went to visit Noir without him?"
"I suppose you're right," Thor sighed. Still, he had his doubts. Loki was normally an early riser, and it was already nearly time for breakfast—Loki was usually up long before now. If Thor knew Loki, his younger brother had gotten up at the crack of dawn to go to visit Noir, not giving a second's thought to Marron or Thor. But he also had to concede Marron's point: if Loki hadn't gone already, he would be cross to know that they went to see Noir without him.
The pair paused in front of the double doors, and Thor lifted his hand to knock. There was no answer for a moment, and Thor was just about to turn to Marron and say he had told her so, but then a voice came from within the room.
"Who is it?" Loki asked, his voice sounding strained.
Marron cleared her throat, giving Thor a slightly smug look and a soft playful smile as she raised her voice to address Loki through the door. "Loki, it's Thor and Marron. We were about to go visit Noir, and we thought you would probably want to come. Do you need to get ready?"
The door opened several inches, and Loki leaned against the door frame, giving his visitors critical looks.
Thor was surprised to see that Loki was already dressed and prepared for the day. He would have thought that, if Loki was still in his room, it would be because he had woken up late and was still getting dressed. If Loki had already gotten up and ready, why was he still in his room and not with Noir?
"You're about to go and see Noir?" Loki repeated Marron's words.
"That's right," Thor smiled. "Would you like to join us?"
Loki looked hesitant and unsure.
"Is something wrong?" Marron asked worriedly.
Loki didn't answer for a moment, looking troubled. "I—no, nothing's wrong, just… I mean…" he fell silent, frowning. "…Noir's awake now, right? From her coma, I mean?"
Thor and Marron exchanged bemused looks. "Why, yes," Thor said slowly, bewildered. "Mother told us so yesterday afternoon. Weren't you there when she woke?"
Loki smiled bitterly. "…Just double-checking it wasn't a dream, that's all."
Marron smiled dubiously. "No, it wasn't a dream, I don't think. So… shall we all go to see her? I'm sure she'll be glad to have all of our company."
Loki nodded absently. "Yes…"
"What vexes you, brother?" Thor queried concernedly.
"Nothing," Loki muttered distractedly. "I'm just not sure I should come with you."
"Why?" Thor and Marron cried in unison.
Loki shot them a defensive look. "I told you, it's nothing. You needn't worry about it."
"In that case, you should have absolutely no objections to coming with us," Thor pointed out.
Loki huffed. "No, I don't think…"
"Please?" Marron said imploringly. "I know it'll make her happy to see you again," she added, hoping that thought would sway him.
Loki still looked unconvinced.
Thor sighed and crossed his arms, growing tired of Loki's evasiveness and his refusal to tell them what was going on. "Loki, I will drag you to Noir's room and get her to tell us what's going on if you don't come willingly."
Loki straightened at this threat and raised his eyebrows haughtily. "You wouldn't dare do such a thing."
Thor stepped forward and grabbed Loki's arm, about to make good on his promise.
"Alright, alright!" Loki snapped, yanking away. "Don't force me to go. I'm trying to figure out what I want to say to her."
"About what?" Marron asked quickly. "Why don't you want to go and see her."
Loki dropped his gaze to the floor. "…I may have said something when she woke up that I shouldn't have."
Thor and Marron glanced at each other. Thor looked deeply interested, and Marron looked questioning.
"How is hiding in your room and avoiding seeing her supposed to help?" Marron asked slowly.
Loki's eyes flashed. "I'm not—"
"You are, actually," Thor input.
"Maybe you should just come with us to see her, and you can apologize," Marron advised.
Loki looked helpless for a second, as if trying to think of some good excuse that he could not go to the healers' wing. "…But I don't know what I'll say."
"Then think about it on the walk there," Thor said firmly, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder and steering him down the hall. "It'll do you good."
00000
"Noir! Noir!" two familiar voices greeted her excitedly, and her visitors entered, smiles on their faces.
"Marron! Thor!" Noir felt her face split into a grin as her friends went to her bedside, Marron leaning down to give her a tight hug. "Careful," Noir warned, shrinking away slightly from Marron's embrace. "Gently; my side still hurts."
Marron nodded quickly and then wrapped her arms around Noir more softly. "Oh, Noir, it's so good to see you awake. I missed you so."
Noir felt herself relax, and tears pricked her eyes as she hugged Marron back. "I missed you, too. It feels like forever since I saw you."
Marron straightened again, giving Noir a watery smile as she tried to hold back her own tears. "Feels like it," she agreed.
Thor then stepped forward and leaned down to give Noir more of a one-armed hug as he said, "It is wonderful to see you awake once more. We were all worried about you."
Noir squeezed Thor's hand. "No need to worry about me anymore; I'm doing just fine." As Thor straightened and stepped back next to Marron, Noir got a good look at them both for the first time. "And you two look like you're doing well, don't you?"
Marron grinned brightly. "I'm allowed to eat as much as I want here in the palace; all I have to do is ask a servant, and they'll bring me up whatever I want, or I can go down to the dining hall with Thor, and there's food there…" she trailed off with a dreamy sigh. "I'd like to live in the palace," she announced.
Noir laughed, ignoring the twinge from her wound. "And they've given you clothes, too?"
"My mother insisted upon giving Marron more to wear than her other clothes," Thor explained, lightly resting his hand on Marron's shoulder. "So the day after she was brought to the palace, Mother brought her to the tailors and had them give her some new outfits."
Noir nodded, impressed, as she looked Marron up and down. "And now you don't have to hide your ears and tail, hmm?" Marron wasn't wearing her hooded cloak or her usual brown tunic and breeches. Instead, she was wearing a rich-looking deep red fitted shirt with a high collar, trimmed with a dusty brown fabric around the top of the collar, ends of the sleeves, and the hem of the shirt. Her breeches were of the same brown color, and the brown suede boots she wore matched perfectly. Even her usual worn cloth fingerless gloves had been replaced by a more sumptuous version of soft leather. "Very nice. The royal family certainly takes care of their rebel informants, doesn't it?" Noir commented appreciatively, giving Marron an approving look.
Marron beamed, and Thor just chuckled.
"Speaking of the royal family," Noir continued hesitantly. "Is… Loki not with you?" Thor and Marron exchanged a knowing glance, holding back slight smiles. Noir felt herself grow uneasy at their expressions. "What?"
"Loki's at the end of the hall, pacing," Thor explained slowly.
"He said he needed a few minutes before he spoke to you," Marron supplied.
"He keeps muttering something about being a complete dunce and an idiot, and how ashamed he is," Thor added helpfully.
"And how he needs to figure out some way to apologize," Marron continued.
"Said we should just come and see you, and he'd be along in a moment," Thor nodded.
"But he refuses to tell us what it is that happened and has him so upset and befuddled," Marron finished.
Noir blinked as they both gave her intently questioning looks. She was partly thrown off by how close Thor and Marron had evidently grown—they had practically been finishing each other's sentences just now. And Marron seemed so energetic and sure—Noir had never seen her like this before. But her astonishment at that was wholly overshadowed by the sting of their account of Loki's behavior. So he was terribly embarrassed and wanted to apologize. So he must remember saying that he loved her. And he must regret it. It was no more than she had expected, but perhaps there had been some kind of hope that he wouldn't want to take it back and that he had really meant it.
She was drawn from her brief reverie when she realized that Marron and Thor were still looking at her eagerly. Noir pursed her lips and gave them a disapproving look. "Don't expect to get any answers out of me where Loki will not give them," Noir scolded teasingly.
Marron sighed, and Thor deflated. "Very well," Marron smiled wryly. "Well, tell us, how are you? Can you sit up on your own? Stand? Walk?"
Noir shrugged. "Well, I can sit up well enough. Standing I can do with support. Walking…" she pinched her lips. "It shall take some time. I can walk for short distances with support, but only short distances before I have to sit down again."
They nodded in understanding.
An idea struck Noir. "Where did you say Loki was?"
Thor smiled impishly, the same idea crossing his mind. Marron's face brightened in surprise and sly mischief. "Why, he is merely down this very hall, pacing. An easy forty feet, perhaps."
Noir raised her eyebrows. "I do believe that it's time for me to get a little exercise, don't you think?"
00000
Loki paced back and forth at the end of the hall, head bowed in thought and hands clasped behind his back as he bit his bottom lip. He felt defeated.
He was so, so, so stupid. He was a bumbling imbecile. He should never have done what he had done. He should not have denied himself sleep for so long for one, he should never have been lying with Noir for two, and for three, he should not have let his tongue grow so loose in his exhaustion. What in bloody Helheim was he supposed to do now?
Thor and Marron had managed to drag him here to the healers, but no matter what they said, they could not convince him to go into Noir's room just yet. He still needed to think this through. What was he supposed to say? It wasn't that he didn't love her. It wasn't that what he had said wasn't true. He couldn't necessarily apologize… yet that was what he felt he should do. He felt like he should apologize profusely and beg forgiveness. But then it would be the night of the almost-kiss all over again, when they had been alone in the safe room.
He was such a complete oaf. How could he have done this to himself? To Noir? Honestly, why couldn't he have been more conscious when Noir woke? Why couldn't his mind have been just a little clearer? Even the memories were a muddle, so he couldn't imagine how muddled his words had been.
Idiot, idiot, idiot. Nothing to do now but berate himself. He hadn't the slightest idea what he was supposed to say. He pushed the heels of his palms into his eyes and let out a long breath.
Someone cleared their throat. "Ahem. Sorry, are we interrupting a bout of self-loathing?" the voice that could make his heart stop asked amusedly.
Loki looked up to see Noir, Thor, and Marron. Thor's arm was around Noir's waist and Noir's arm around his shoulders to keep her upright, while Marron hovered only inches away to make sure Noir didn't slip. All three were smiling slightly, looking at him expectantly.
Noir felt her heart ache as she looked at Loki. He was fully awake and aware now. He was wearing clean, more formal clothes, and his hair was slickly smoothed back instead of the mussed state it had been in the previous day. Yet there was some kind of agony written all over his face that made her smile feel oh-so forced.
The moment Loki's eyes met Noir's, he felt his face grow hot in shame, and he tried to force a smile that ended up as more of a grimace. He couldn't even open his mouth to speak.
"We thought Noir should get some exercise," Thor explained brightly. "The healers said the more practice she gets with physical therapy, the sooner she shall heal. We were just out for a walk."
Loki and Noir both threw the blond an unimpressed look. He was still a terrible liar, no matter the circumstances.
Marron sighed and nudged Thor with her elbow, as if exasperated with him. An uncomfortable silence followed for a long moment as Thor, Marron, Noir, and Loki exchanged awkward glances.
"I'm getting a little tired from standing," Noir said quietly, desperate to break the silence. It wasn't even necessarily a lie. She was starting to feel an ache in her legs and lungs.
"Would you like to sit?" Thor queried worriedly.
"Obviously, you dolt," Loki interrupted before Noir could even answer. "Here…" he moved to Noir's other side and slipped her arm around his shoulders. "Since Thor can't take a hint…"
Noir smiled faintly as Thor quickly let go of her, leaving her to Loki's care. She felt her heart quicken when Loki's hand carefully rested on her hip to keep her steady.
Loki threw Thor a mutinous look for leaving him to take care of Noir alone—somehow it felt far more intimate for him to be the only one she was holding onto. "Erm… there's the table and benches here we can sit at, if you're up to that, but if you need to lie down, we can go back to your bed…"
"Scandalous," Thor whispered, and Marron burst into a fit of giggles.
Loki felt himself blush even deeper, and Noir shifted, pointedly not looking at Marron and Thor. "We can just sit at the table," she said evenly, looking up at him even though he had his eyes fixed on Thor, giving his older brother the dirtiest look imaginable.
"Right," Loki muttered, slowly leading Noir over to a bench at a table a few feet away, where healers occasionally had meetings to discuss treatments. No one sat there now.
Marron took this opportunity to smile to herself, stand up on tiptoe, and whisper something in Thor's ear. The first prince nodded in agreement. As Loki helped Noir slowly to her seat, Thor cleared his throat.
"Well, Loki, if you have everything under control, Marron and I shall go down to the dining hall and get some food for us all to eat while we talk and catch up with each other," Thor announced, walking briskly for the door.
"You two talk, and we'll be back in a few minutes," Marron called back as Thor exited, and she followed.
Loki and Noir stared after the pair for a moment, lost for words.
Noir glanced up at Loki. "…Well, then."
Noir could feel him take a deep breath, as if steeling himself for what was to come. "Well, then. Come on," he murmured under his breath, nodding towards the table and bench.
A relieved sigh escaped her lungs as she sank down to the bench on shaky legs. She leaned her elbows on the table and rubbed her forehead for a moment. Loki slid onto the bench next to her, leaving a good foot and a half between them. He, too, leaned his elbows on the table. But then he let out a long sigh and let his forehead hit the wooden surface between his elbows. There was a silence that felt far longer than it actually endured. Loki let his eyes drift closed, feeling that same shame filling him again. Noir merely looked at him thoughtfully. He looked so… defeated. Not to mention embarrassed. She was sure he hadn't stopped blushing since he had laid eyes on her.
"So…" she said slowly. "How are you, Loki?" she kept her voice light as a halfhearted attempt to let him know that they didn't have to discuss what he had said yesterday if he didn't want to.
"Mmh," he mumbled noncommittally. Another silence, shorter this time. "Frankly, rather mortified," he admitted.
Noir just hummed sympathetically, but said nothing, uncertain of what to say.
Loki lifted his head briefly to look at her. "Did I honestly say what I think I said, or was that just some… delirium-induced dream?"
Noir ran a hand absentmindedly through her hair. "If we're thinking of the same thing, then yes, you actually said it…"
"Hmph. I thought so," he sighed, propping his chin on an elbow. "Well, that certainly complicates things," he said offhandedly, his mind whirling to think of something coherent to say.
"Loki, you were delirious with exhaustion," Noir said quietly. His eyes flicked up to hers again. "I know that. You weren't… thinking straight," she smiled wryly and glanced away.
"Understatement of the millennia," Loki said under his breath with a small head-shake.
Noir nodded. "I know. So… I mean…" She smiled bitterly. This was not how she had wanted this to go. "I suppose we can just… forget you ever said that, if you want," she suggested in a small voice.
Loki stared at her, feeling his heart sinking. That wasn't what he wanted. It wasn't as though he had been saying nonsense that he didn't mean. He did love her… he had come to that conclusion sometime between the ball and his attempts in his bedchambers to heal her. He hadn't said his words meaninglessly. He just… had wanted to say it at a more opportune time. Preferably one where they were both fully awake, and preferably with candles and a choir singing in the background and fireworks exploding overhead. Perhaps that was asking too much of the Norns. But was it really too much to ask for him to be able to tell Noir how he felt in some way other than fatigue-induced ramblings? Was that really too much to ask from the fate-weavers?
Noir glanced away from his intense gaze on her. She couldn't tell what he was thinking. She wasn't even sure she wanted to know.
"I need to tell you something," he finally said quietly.
Noir looked up at him, surprised. "Yes?"
"I… am… so sorry," he started off, pain filling his eyes as he spoke the words.
Noir started to shake her head. "Loki, you don't need to—"
"I wasn't finished," Loki broke in seriously. He waited to make sure she wouldn't interrupt again. She didn't. So he continued. "I am sorry for my inappropriate behavior yesterday, and my utter lack of tact. As you said, I was not quite in my right mind—don't interrupt," he added sternly as she started to open her mouth. "I was not quite in my right mind. I was fatigued and exhausted and tired beyond belief, and wasn't thinking properly. But," he held up a finger to emphasize the word even more. "I wasn't so delirious that I was saying nonsense."
Noir watched him, her eyes round with expectation.
He seemed to pause for a moment, choosing his next words with care. "I don't want… you to… disregard or dismiss what I said," he said delicately.
Noir nodded slowly, looking at Loki with a small smile and a kind of warmth in her heart. "I won't," she promised.
Loki nodded, looking at the table. He frowned slightly, as if a thought had struck him. "It didn't bother… Rather, did it bother you that I said it?"
Noir blinked in surprise and shifted closer to him and reached up to touch his cheek. "Of course it didn't bother me… the only thing that bothered me was wondering if you had meant it, or you were rambling. I would have been rather put out if it were the latter."
Loki leaned into her touch, closing his eyes at the feeling of her fingers soft against his cheek. "Hmm. Alright, my little thief." She smiled and started to withdraw her hand again, but he caught it in his and placed a tender kiss on her palm.
Noir's breath hitched, and she could feel the blood rising to her face at the feeling of his lips and his breath on the sensitive skin of her hand. He didn't release his hold, instead bringing their interlaced hands to rest together on the tabletop again. Silence reigned until the neko girl broke it. "You know… I didn't say it back yesterday."
"No, you didn't," Loki agreed.
"I didn't think it would be right, since you weren't thinking straight, and I wasn't even sure if it meant anything."
"I agree with your reasoning and analysis of the situation. It wouldn't have been right."
Noir dipped her head. "Well… what about now?"
Loki looked at her, appearing startled for a moment before growing serious. "What?"
Noir raised her eyebrows slightly at his reaction. "I thought… I could tell you I—"
Loki quickly put a finger to her lips, cutting her short. "No."
"No?" Noir's one-word question was muffled by Loki's finger still pressing against her lips.
Loki's expression softened. "Not yet."
Noir looked at him owlishly. "Not yet?" Loki's finger was still over her lips.
"Not yet. It doesn't seem right yet. It wasn't right yesterday, and…" Loki seemed to be searching for the right words. "…Just… we'll say it properly when it's right. Alright?" Loki didn't know how to describe it… somehow he just didn't want her to say it. He knew that he wouldn't be able to say it again just yet, and maybe that was it. He might have been able to say it yesterday, but now that he could think properly, he felt more afraid. He didn't want either of them to say it until he felt sure he could say it.
Noir slowly nodded, giving him a peculiar look. He must have his reason. She just didn't know what it was. And he looked a little uncertain again, like he wasn't exactly sure how to explain himself. She sighed slightly, hoping they could talk a bit more about this soon… but until then… His finger was still keeping her from speaking properly. "Your Highness, kindly move your hand. I'm starting to get the temptation to bite you," she warned teasingly.
Loki lifted an eyebrow at her mischievously. "Oh, really?" he purred suggestively.
Noir felt herself blush again, and she laughed, shoving his hand away. "Scandalous, Loki."
"Maybe," he conceded. He pulled her closer and gave her an inquiring look. "But in all seriousness, is everything with us alright?"
Noir wrapped an arm around his shoulders, bringing herself a little closer to him. "What constitutes everything with us?" she asked softly.
A light smile played on his lips as he wrapped an arm around her waist in return, and stroked her cheek with his other hand. "Everything, Noir. Everything we've said to each other today."
A smile flickered over her lips (her lips, her lips… Loki kept glancing at them before forcing himself to meet her eyes again). "Everything is better than alright," she confided.
"Is it?" he breathed.
"Yes." She had just made the decision to touch her lips to his when voices and footsteps became suddenly audible heading down the hall; two sets of footsteps, two voices.
A dark look passed between the two, and Loki allowed Noir to reluctantly withdraw from him, scooting a safe foot and a half down the bench.
"Typical," Noir whispered.
Loki nodded glumly, but then gave her a hopeful look. "Look, later, we'll get some time together, alright? Just for you and me to talk."
Noir's eyes shined at the prospect, and she nodded eagerly. "Good."
Then Marron and Thor entered, Thor carrying a large platter laden with food while Marron skillfully held four goblets by their stems in one hand and a decanter in the other. Thor looked disappointed at the sight before him of Noir and Loki sitting apart, and not nearly as exciting as what he had been evidently hoping to stumble upon. As they started setting out the food (only soft foods and clear liquids for Noir, healers' orders), Loki and Noir shared a knowing look. They were just grateful that the halls of the palace were so echoey, and that Thor's footsteps were always so heavy. Otherwise Thor might have walked in on something a bit more interesting.
Note from LoquaciousQuibbler: *sighs contentedly* Ah, this is what I've missed. I've missed writing FrostThief banter and a nosy Thor. I've missed lighthearted humor and angsty romance and interrupted kisses and confessions and blushes and… ah, I'm happy I got to write this, finally, and I'm sure you are, too.
So… Loki, freaking out when Noir wasn't there… I also really enjoy writing, like, sleepy thoughts… it's kind of, like, slow-moving and that kind of gradual drawing of connections… Idk, I just find it kind of fun
Lol and then Thorron, thick as thieves, playing matchmaker for FrostThief in this chapter. We got that little convo between Noir and Loki, and let me tell you a secret. I wrote like four or five different versions of the conversation between them. I kind of had a general idea of how I wanted it to go. I wanted Loki to get it across that he loves her without actually saying the words, and for them to come to the conclusion to not say it yet. But I had a couple of different versions of it, and Norns, it was hard to figure out exactly how I wanted to do it. Some were more serious, a couple were more lighthearted and playful. I hope you are satisfied with how it happened.
Sooooo…. Yeah lol. Anyways, like I said, I had a lot of fun with this chapter. Though I know everyone's gonna be all mad at me for yet another interrupted kiss, and the fact that Loki and Noir didn't end up saying "I love you" and "I love you, too."
But anyways. I still hope you enjoyed, and I look forward to your thoughts on this chapter.
One more slightly random thing: remember how last chapter I was like, tune in next time on Banditry! *epic dramatic instrumental theme song starts playing in the background*
Well, I started thinking about it. And since Fairyfinder said it would be so awesome if Banditry had its own epic instrumental theme song, I've started a search for a good song to serve as the imaginary Banditry theme song. But I would like your input. If anyone knows any good epic orchestral-type songs that would be great theme songs for Banditry, let me know what it is! Just for a little guidance, my favorite instrumental show themes are BBC's Sherlock's theme song, and PBS's Downton Abbey's theme song. I'd prefer if it wasn't a song used in another movie already, and I prefer it's not just an instrumental cover of another song (i.e. an instrumental cover of a Skillet song or Evanescence song, etc.). My favorite song I can find that might make a good Banditry song is Lindsey Stirling's Transcendence, the orchestral version with the Landfill Orchestra. If you have any other songs you'd like me to look at, please let me know in a review or a PM; I'd greatly appreciate it! I'll let everybody know if/when I decide on what shall be the epic instrumental theme song that starts playing at the end of every episode—ahem, chapter.
Please favorite, follow, and review.