A mission for you {TAG loki}

Reth was sitting on the sofa in his small lounge, a glass of wine in his left hand, just waiting for his "guest" to arrive. He looked calm and relaxed, the only thing that betrayed his mask of disinterest were the fingers of his right hand, tapping neurotically on his knee.
He was trying not to think of what he had witnessed just a few hours before but he couldn't shake that image from his mind: Marina kissing her fiancee... or better that prince kissing Marina. And he knew Marina didn't have a choice, that what they had couldn't last, that she was bethroded to him but he couldn't shake the anger and, yeah, it was pointless denying it now, the jealousy. He liked her more than he wanted to admit, for her he had stopped sleeping around with whores and maids, and seeing her with another now was driving him crazy. He had to do something about it... especially since there was something off about that prince, something he didn't like... and surely he wasn't imagining it! No, it wasn't like jealousy was numbing his mind, not him! No, that prince surely was hiding something! And he had to find out what...
As he took a new sip of wine, finally the door opened letting in two of his 'special guards' that effortlessly pulled inside a small boy. He grinned: those guards never failed him, silent and lethal, they were able to do everything he ordered them! And now, as he wanted, they had taken him the young thief...
"Loki, what a pleaseure! Hope my guards weren't too rough on you."

The boy in question didn't appear to be that bothered or concerned over the way the prince had 'summoned' him. Even if he was slightly irked and anything but amused by literally being dragged all the way here like an old, battered ragdoll. He was, like the prince here, very good at keeping his 'mask' on.
So when the guards not to gently pushed him inside, Loki was quick to catch himself before stumbling over his own feet, and calmly straightened himself up with a look of indifference.
"Oh no, not at all! They're quite the lovley company," the theif cheerfully replied, giving the two guards a wink. Not surprsingly, the little gesture went ingorned. Now Loki hadn't doubted the prince's threat involving these guards at all, and now he's just had the pleasure of seeing one of the reason they were called 'speical' by the man. He's had alot of threatning and bloodshirty employers before who knew how to hurt you in the worst ways possible, but there ahd always been a way for Loki to trick and manipulate them. WIth Reth however, things were obviously not that easy. And hey, he also kind of liked the guy, better enjoy this while he could.

"They're not exactly the talkactive type though, sadly," he shrugged, turnign his focus back to the Prince and casually taking a seat infront of him, already comfortable and looking to be quite at home there. Even if the guards at had managed to keep quiet the long walk here, Loki hand't missed that twitch in their eye as he kept on being a smartass and his typical annoying self.
"Well then," the trickster smriked micheviously, leaning back in the seat. "How can I help you? Or rather.... with who do you need help with~?"

Reth shook his head, grinning amused at Loki's comment. 'Lovely' wasn't exactly the first comment he would think for his guards... He didn't really go rough on Loki, he had no reason to do so, but the mission he wanted to entrust the boy needed secrecy and he trusted no one more than those guards. Beside, showing Loki what he would be dealing with if he betrayed him wasn't bad either. "They're really not, quite sad, I know" he replied ironically to Loki's comment bout their lack of will to talk. "You can go now, boys." he gestured to them, dismissing them. Both the guards bowed to him and left in silence without even giving a second glance to Loki.

Reth observed Loki making himself comfortable in front of him and then his grin widened in amusement at his question, but on the spot he ignored it. Instead he moved bit forward, toward the small table that was between them, and removed a cloth, revealing under it a small feast: there were small sandwiches, lemon cakes, honey cakes, cherries, figs, strawberries and a sweet white wine "Can I offer you something first? It's never wise discussing about important matters with an empty stomach..." and he could guess that, even if the thief had eaten, it surely wasn't enough. Beside, after showing him what were the consequences of betrayal, it was only fair and smart to show him the convenience in staying at his service, and he always treated more than fairly his men...

"As you guessed, I have a little job for you..." He started, leaning back once again, resting on the sofa. "There is this prince, the queen's fiancee to be precise... well, I don't trust him, and I want you to spy on him." He bent once again, poured some wine in two glasses and, after moving one toward Loki, took the other one for himself "Spying on him won't be easy, as you can guess, but the queen provided in giving him some maids, including his personal one..."

Loki quirked an eyebrow at the prince, giving the delicous treats a supicious look, before moving it bakc u to Reth's expression. Oh this guy's good, the theif thought intruged. Giving him a little taste of what might happen should he make the 'wrong' decision, and then show him the more good and tempting things he'll recive if he did good. Stuck-up or not, the prince knew how to drive business.
As his green eyes landed on the starwberries however, his appetite died down, and the treats wasn't so appealing anymore. Oh great, thanks to that other stuck-up his favourite treat ever is now a reminder of all the unnecesary drama he's currently dragged into. Urgh.
"I've 'worked' on an empty stomach sicne I was 9, no need to worry about such things," the theif replied back nonchallantly, taking a strawberrie and and enjoying it's taste slowly. Starved or not, just beacuse he's been a theif most of his life didn't mean he's forgotten his manners.

As Reth expecedty brought up Loki's mission, the teen litsend calmly and patinetly, his green eyes falling onto the glass now filled with wine being pushed towards him. He had so many smartass comments to add here, which would surely be of no amusment for Reth. So instead, he just smiled in that typical way of his, gladly taking hold of the glass and moving it up towards his lips. "Another prince huh, and i've already got my hands full with one here," he snickerd, taking a sip of the fine drink. If his brother's was still around, they'd surely tear the glass right out of his hand if they saw him as much as smell it.
He gave Reth a flat look as he finished speaking, lowering the glass from his mouth. But obviously, there was more for Reth to tell him about this spying mission of his. "His 'personal servant' you say," he murmured, sighing to himself. "Obviously, it'd be an insult to our Queen's groom to be if a scrawny and weak looking boy would be given to him as anything being 'personal'," he stated matter of factly, crossing his skinny arms over his chest with a slighty bored looking exression. "Will I have to play dress-up for this job?"

Reth smirked in dry amusement at Loki's word about him starving since he was 9 "The fact you're used to it doesn't make it a nice habit. Just accept it." he said all of that matter-of-factly, he wasn't mocking him at all nor he was expecting a thank for this. Instead, to show his good intention, he took a small sandwich himself and took a small bite from it.

As Loki kept talking, brainstorming about the job he had in mind for him, he kept silent and slowly and politely he finished the small sandwich. As he took back the glass of wine he grinned amused "What a smart boy you are, Loki..." he replied before taking a sip of wine about his comment on the possibility to play dress up. "You see, the prince's personal mid has already been picked. But not the prince nor the queen nor anyone of importance know her and, well, nobody will notice when it won't be her showing up." As he laid back again his smile was ever so sweet, the dangerous kind of sweet. "I have enough 'friends' to replace her without anyone ever knowing he didn't need to specify who was gonna help him and how, that was unimportant for Loki's purpouses "the only detail is, everyone expects a young woman." he smiled slyly to Loki: yes, he was right. It was cross-dressing time. "On the table, right there, there are a few dresses that should fit you, as well as shoes and a couple of wigs, if tht might be needed."

Loki's small grin didn't falter at the prince's words, or when he started eating the sandwich. He knew Reth had only good intention right then, but even when his stomach turned and begged to be fed, the teen didn't lift a finger to reach for any more of the treats on the table. He wouldn't call it 'habbit' just beacuse he was used to it... He's just always had problems making himself eat, even back then when he always had food. No wonder he stayed skinny as a stick.
So instead, he satisfied himself with one more strawberrie, and put down the glass of the half finished wine.

"Can't say I'm too happy about beign right," the theif sighed, giving the prince a small pout. Turning his head, he gave the dresses a look over with an unimpressed expression, not really surprsed by what the job aquerd of him but neither delighted over it. Reaching over, he grabbed one of the dresses as he stood up and inspected it, slightly irked that even these type of clothing seemed close to be a little to big for him too. Maybe he should force eat those cakes before leaving anyway.
"Well, won't be the first time I'd crossdress anyway," he shrugged then, tossing the dress and reaching for the next one. It's not like he was ashamed over doing this afterall (shame, what even is that?) but it was way easier passing off as a girl when he was a few years younger. Now he ahd try harder, but luckily he still had his acting skills. "Hope this prince doens't mind flat women too much," he casually commented, giving Reth a teasing and knowing wink after he found a dress that would fit him. "Obviously, I won't exactly be able to compete with our Queen~"

Reth chuckled at Loki's comment, amused by the boy's reaction. Oh well, he wasn't expecting him to jump up and down in joy. He followed with his glance the boy's movements as he approached the table with the dresses and started inspecting them. As the boy mentioned it wasn't the first time he crossdressed he couldn't keep himself from replying "Wonder what you did when you crossdressed before, then..." he was damn curious, but he wouldn't push the boy to talk, he was free to keep the information to himself if he so wanted. "Oh, you don't have to flirt with him, Loki" he replied, frowning ever so lightly at his comment about the queen: what exactly did the boy think he knew? "we wouldn't want our prince to find your little 'surprise' under the skirt, now would we? You just need to spy on him... and come and tell me everything. Everything he does, everything he says, any meeting he has..."

Doesn't he have any redheaded wigs? Loki thought a little dissapointed, but quickly got over that little detailas he settled for a simple brown one, the color it had close enough to resemble his own. "The first time was to trick a friend of mine to dress up too," he casually asnweard, now currently focused on looking at the shoes. Urgh... They didn't exactly look comfortable to walk in, or run in. He should recive an extra reward for this job.
Hearign Reth speak up again, Loki stopped in his searching and cast an amused look over his shoulder at the prince. "Wasn't planning on it," he snorted, refering to the 'flirting' part. He wasn't stupid afterall.
Straigthing back up, he turned fully back around so he was facing the royal once again, that cunning smirk of his back in place. "Don't you worry about how I get the job done, your majesty, you just concern yourself over our beloved Queen instead. I'm sure that's more than a handful~"

As Loki mentioned the first time he crossdressed Reth quirked and eyebrow, amused, but quickly forced himself to focus again. He shook his head at Loki's comment on the flirting, smirking: with that guy he could never know, the thief did look quite unpredictable.
At his last comment he smiled sweetly to Loki, too sweetly, and with voice as sweet as honey he replied "Don't get cocky, boy: when I give the orders you listen, that's how it works." He carefully avoided the queen's subject, whatever he knew or he though he knew... well, asking would only prove him right. "Now, try one of those up, if they don't fit you'll need others. And meanwhile, let's talk about your payment..." as Loki had specified, he wasn't always interested in money, so it was good to know what he wanted...

The theif chuckled softly at this, knowing he had no buissness asking or bringing that sort of topic up. "I do litsen, but that just gives me more reason to ask questions," he smoothly replied to that, but decided to drop the subject anyway. He didn't want to risk a visit from those 'special guards' afterall.
He gave the clothes he had a found a judging look, pouting a little to himself the more he inspected them. Well, a maid wasn't suppose to be dressed too pretty anyway. He sighed, and then wodlessly began to change clothes right there without a care in the world. At the mention of his payment, Loki froze for a couple of seconds, his expression completley void of emotions as he kept his gaze locked on the wall. He had already decided to settle with gold this time the moment he was pushed inside the room, but...
"I want a ship."

At Loki's sassy remark he rolled his eyes and said nothing: the boy reeeeally enjoyed playing with fire... he didn't care at all the boy had stared to undress right there, to him it was just quicker and therefore better. He didn't stare at the boy while he undressed, not that he cared but it was a light form of respect and beside he wasn't interested.
At Loki's request he rose an eyebrow in surprise: now that was an odd request... not like he could't afford it, and for such a mission the compensation he had in mind was enough to buy a medium/small ship... but still...
"I can give you a medium size ship, though I do wonder what you would do with that... it's not like you have a crew, and that wouldn't be included in the price, and a ship is expensive to maintain..."

Loki resumed with getting changed, his expression going back to his smug and unbotherd one. "As long as it holds for a round-trip, that's good enough," he smiled, now fully clothed up in the dress. "As for the crew, I already got that coverd...." he murmured, twirling around once with a judging look. Guess this dress will do just fine, he mentally added. The only problem would be that it's slightly harder to run in... Buuuuuuuut if I play my cards right I won't even be needing too, he thought with a shrugg while wordlessly pulling the wig on.
Smiling micheviously, he twirled back around so he was facing Reth again, and curtsied like a good little maid would. "How do I look, your majesty~?" he asked in a sweet and soft voice, not sounding like the typical devious little theif he always was, but someone with respect and good will instead.

Reth shook his head: that surely was an odd request... but well, if that was what he wanted... "You'll have you ship once you'll have done your job, then." he said finally standing up and approaching the boy once he was done with the clothing. He grinned, amused and satisfied, as Loki turned to him, curtseying "Oh, I was right: you look adorable in female clothes!" he said, half teasing and half serious. He got closer and took Loki's chin with two fingers, analyzing his look more closely "absolutely perfect" his grinned widened "you just need to heat up a bit your cheeks" he underlined, ready to pinch them to bring some color on them

At that moment, Loki was little unsure himself if he's made the right choice or not, but no hint of uncertainty or second thougths was shown on the theif demanour. Well, not like he'd change his mind anyway. His mind was set.
At Reth's teasing, Loki merely quirked an eyebrow, as if asking 'really?'. Obviously he looked cute in a dress! He's just that good in other words. The teen straightend back up as the prince stepped closer to him, allowing the man to inspect him a little closer. He looked completley relaxed, until the royal commented about his cheeks needing a bit more colour. To that, Loki coverd both his cheeks with his hands in mere reflex, while giving the man a warning look. "Uh yeah, I'll handle that myself thank you..." he murmured, taking a few steps back.

Reth's eyebrows lifted in surprise and light amusement as Loki covered his cheeks stepping back before he could pinch them. He lifted both his arms, showing he meant no harm in a joking way "ok, ok, you can do it" he stepped back himself, going back on the sofa "you sure you don't want to eat anything before you leave? I assure you the cook is really good..." he offered once again Loki, sitting down on the sofa.