"The Bifrost is not reputed to be sapient or to have interdimensional scrying capabilities."

She shrugs. "Maybe the Enemy tried it and goofed, big time."

"That'd be funny."

"Just don't point out to the King that if he hadn't lit the fucking ships on fire there wouldn't have been anyone on the Helcaraxe to meet you."

"I wasn't planning to, but why?"

"...because then he wouldn't feel bad about it, and he obviously should?"

"Ah."

"See, when I'm sober I have opinions about politics. I would absolutely fucking love to sleep with you, now can I get another vodka pop?"

"Sure."

She does. There are more lights in the sky. There's more loud music. She offers Loki a lick of the vodka werewolf pop.

Loki will take a lick of it. "Tastes like victory."

"They're calling it the Glorious Battle."

"Really? That's the kind of thing people name battles and it is not already taken?"

"There've only been two battles since the invention of writing. We called the other one the Battle-Under-Stars because it was before the Sun and Moon. It was also pretty glorious, but this is better."

"All right. Maybe I should tell the Nolofinwëans before they get too far on their epics."

"..bit crass of them, to take five days' head start on writing the epics because we were mourning."

"If I had known anyone was going to write epics and that five days' head start would matter perhaps I would have delayed conveying the news."

"I am sure there exist other ways to take your mind off epic-related etiquette."

"I can think of one or two."

"My place or yours?"

"Mine's under construction."

"Mine it is." Loki leads the way.

"Oh, you live near Toyon, she has a stunning voice and they say Men can't do magic but I was curious why not, if they can hit every note we can, and we're giving it a go next week, unless I'm on active duty in which case I guess we'll have to put it off. She's brilliant. Well, hasn't murdered Thauron, you know, but -"

"Ooh, teaching Toyon magic sounds like a great idea! She's always been fascinated by the song illusions I have scattered around to make magic objects, wanted to hear them go slower. Didn't make any of them work, but maybe you could pin it down."