Chapter 11 – New Year’s Eve

Skoll had already chased Mani into the night sky, the moon behind his chariot gleaming lazily. In the distance the sky is lit up in glimmering, colorful sparks as fireworks are set off on main land. Had anyone informed Max that it was legal here for private citizens to buy and light fireworks, the night would have been quite a different tale. Since no one had the poor judgment to do this though, the night was somewhat more peaceful. That said, it wouldn’t be long into the new year before Loki got a hold of “witch howls” and “bang pearls” and any resemblance of safety was gone forever from the island. 

On this day though, despite what Max and Ian might have done had they been home in New York, everything was done calmly and with no crazy rush. There was no ball drop to watch here, and the Norse family didn’t know to watch Her Majesty the Queen’s New Year’s speech or the traditional 90 year’s Birthday, so the traditions were few and far between – but the smiles were never ending and always spreading. There was something odd about celebrating New Years on the island, something strange about excessive drinking in a place where inhibitions were already discouraged and ignored, and strangely, it made for a much more chill party. The kitchen island was laden with mead and other alcohols, such as Old Danish, Thor (which no one touched), several different bottles of wine, whiskey, tequila, Small Sours, Gin, and several other bottles. It was as if Loki had discovered that humanity had evolved the principle of alcohol, and he was determined to experience everything he had missed while chained up in the cave. Mead has always flown freely in the halls of Valhalla, and on the island everything flew freely. It didn’t take many drinks before the American in Max rose to the surface and his old college days came back to him. Between booze, good friends, and time to pass till midnight, there was only one thing he could think of to bring some chaos into the night: drinking games. 

“Never have I ever,” he started out with a smug look around the party. Despite many protests, Ian had managed to persuade Hel to stick around for a little while longer, even though she had argued strongly that with the hunt coming tomorrow, and tomorrow being just a few hours away, she really should be getting back home. “Snuck out of home to do something I knew my parents wouldn’t approve of.” Max finished. Ian gave an approving nod, as if he had been worried Max would ask something wildly inappropriate. 

“So the idea is,” Ian explained, reaching out and taking one of the shot glasses lined up on a tray. “That you drink if you have ever done it.” Sigyn leaned forward and took a glass too. Loki smiled at the memory of her showing up at his home stark naked in the middle of the night. Yeah, her parents definitely didn’t approve of that. Ian looked around the group, but no one else took a glass. 

“Never had much of a home till now,” Loki said with a shrug. Hel laughed softly to herself. 

“Name one thing dad wouldn’t approve of,” she challenged holding her breath, but Loki only smiled brightly and didn’t say anything about the new address she had given him. 

“Definitely not sneaking out,” Nari added. 

“Guess we’ll have to be more inventive,” Max laughed, and Sigyn and Ian both emptied their shots. 

“Never have I ever sexted,” Hel offered. 

“Uh, someone’s up and modern,” Ian said with a sly smile in her direction. 

“I hear things,” she acknowledged with a very Loki-like glint in her eye. Max leaned forward and picked up two shots, handing one to Ian. 

“So,” Max said, looking down and avoiding eye contact. “Sexting is basically sending dirty messages to each other in text.” 

“Texts being basically speech in written form, and from a distance. So, say I was at home and Max was out of town for a conference, and we couldn’t physically be together, we could still… imagine, together.” 

“Oh…” Sigyn said, her eyes glazed over imagining the possibilities. Loki had the distinct look of someone who just had a marvelous idea and can’t wait for the opportunity to try it out. Hel had almost a blush on her cheek, but it was hard to tell in the dim light of the fire, especially with only one cheek. No one but Max and Ian drank though. 

“Never have I ever made a bet without knowing if I could win it,” Sigyn said, picking up the pattern. Loki gave an exasperated sigh and reach out for a drink – his head technically belongs to the dwarves who made Mjolnir, it is only still attached to him cause, as he made clear when he lost the bet, he only bet his head, the neck is still his, and he refused to let them sever it. Max and Ian too both take a shot, not even bothering to smell what has been poured into the collection of shot glasses on the tray. 

“Never have I ever started reading a book and not finished it,” Nari said. Ian gave a smile and an acknowledging nod of the head and took a glass of mead to flush down the aftertaste of the Old Danish he had downed. Sigyn took a shot more, but no one else joined. 

“I don’t read stories,” Loki reminded his son, proud at the little loophole. “I only tell them.” 

“Okay,” Max said, watching the others put down their glasses again. “Never have I ever eaten something without knowing what it was,” he announced proudly with a look at his husband. Ian sighed and took another deep gulp of mead. Fenrir stood up and stuck his tongue into the glass before Ian could even put it down, licking up the rest of the mead happily to finally be included. Jor gave a violent splash of the tail, tongue sticking out and reaching for a shot glass – but rather than licking it up like Fenrir had managed, Jor simply knocked over every single glass on the drinks tray so they splattered on the floor and into the fire, sending a huge pillar of fire straight up into the ceiling. 

“Never have I ever almost burned my entire family alive,” Fenrir said indignantly as his fir singed. Jor’s head shook, shaking the entire house too until the frames of the wide door were creaking. Sigyn laughed. 

“Jor is right,” she said brightly. “Angrboda isn’t here, so it’s technically not the entire family.” 

“Smartass,” Fenrir accused. 

“Child of Loki,” Sigyn praised. 

“Just one drink then,” Ian asked, holding up a bottle of tequila. Jor gave a big nod with bright eyes. Ian walked over and poured the entire content onto the waiting tongue of Jor who happily swallowed, and then shook in shock as the liquid burned down the long throat. 

“And they say it’s me who cause earthquakes,” Loki said in dismay as the entire house shook violently around them, only just managing to catch Hel as she was tossed out of the couch and about to faceplant on the floor by Loki and Sigyn’s feet. “Upsidaisy,” he told her and helped her back up. She sat back down with an embarrassed look. 

“I believe that’s a drink for Fenrir,” she said, trying to get the attention off of herself again. “He posed a question which no one had done.” Max shrugged and picked up a bottle of Old Danish. 

“I believe your sister has it in for you dear fellow,” he said. “But them’s the rules.” Fenrir opened up his mouth willingly enough though, and as if to prove himself, accepted the whole (remainder) of the bottle with barely a shudder. Barely had Fenrir swallowed before Vali was nudging him in the ribs. 

“Never have I ever, he says, kept a secret from anyone in this room,” Fenrir translated for his half brother. Sigyn sent Jor a knowing glance. Jor blinked back at her, and she picked up a bottle at random, took a big gulp of it, and poured the rest into Jor’s mouth. 

“What?” Loki asked in surprise. Sigyn just shook her head, not entirely sober enough to explain properly to him. Max laughed. 

“That isn’t a part of the rules,” he said mischievously. “No one has to divulge anything, as long as they drink when they should.” 

“What the Thor kind of game is this?” Ian shook his head at the floor with a laugh on his lips. 

“Not even close, pal.” Loki sighed dramatically. 

“Never have I ever pretended to be someone else,” Fenrir said loudly before Loki could do or say anything else, loving the idea that perhaps there was something Loki for once didn’t know. Vali and Nari looked at each other for a second, acknowledging all the times in their youth – back when they were both in human form – where they had switched names just to see if anyone would notice. Sigyn noticed the look, and sent them a stern and motherly one in return. Loki shrugged and poured a generous shot straight down his own throat as Nari took a swig of Gin before pouring some into his brother’s mouth too. Sense was quickly flying out the window, and with each posed question more and more of it left the island completely. 

“Never have I ever received a lap dance,” Max declared. Ian and Hel drank. “Never have I ever given a lap dance,” Ian countered. Max drank. 

“Never have I ever wanted to quit my job.” Max and Hel drank. 

“Never have I ever wanted to kill a superior.” Loki, Sigyn, Sleipnir, Hel, Fenrir, Vali and Nari all lunged forward and grabbed a drink, cheering “Odin!” in unison, and throwing back their heads as the liquid burned their throats. Ian took Hel’s bottle when she was done and took a big gulp too. 

“Had sex despite not being in the mood,” a very drunk Ian declared. For a few seconds no one moved, then Loki reached out and emptied the mead pitched, the dark golden liquid running down his face and dripping off of his chin. Sigyn looked at him with a quizzical stare meant to hide the pang of hurt and guilt she felt. Loki finally put down the pitcher, but refused to look up for a very long time, an uncomfortable silence spreading in the room. 

“Nothing against you my boy,” he finally said, still looking at the floor. “But your father was a fast runner.” And that’s when it hit Sigyn. Svadilfari, Sleipnir’s father. Sigyn put a hand on the small of Loki’s back as a sort of comfort that the other’s wouldn’t see, but Sleipnir resolutely walked around the couches until he reached the man who had given birth to him, and he muzzled Loki’s shoulder gently but firmly. Loki gave a tired sort of smile and lifted up a hand to pad Sleipnir. 

“I still love you,” he whispered softly. And then, as if with a wave of a magic wand, he jumped up, both feet on the couch, a wide smile on his face and mischief gleaming in his eyes. “No time to dwell on the past now,” he announced cheerily. “It’s almost midnight, and I believe that means something special is about to happen!” Max glanced down at his watch. 

“Oh shit, he’s right, two minutes to go folks.” In a swirl the room stood on end as Ian grabbed all the bottles and put them on the drinks tray and the entire party ran outside, dragging the couches with them. With a bottle each in hand (for those who had hands), everyone lined up at the back of the house, looking in at the mainland to see the fireworks. 

“10,” Max shouted loudly looking at his watch. As per previously given instructions, Vali and Fenrir stood up on one couch, Hel, Nari and Sleipnir standing up on the other, and Jor rising up tall behind all of them. 

“9,” they shouted in unison. “8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3.” Loki wrapped an arm tightly around Sigyn. Past be what it may, he was here now, and so was she. Sigyn beamed up at Loki. Past be what it may, he was with her now, and nothing like that would ever happen to him again. 

“2.” Ian grabbed Max’s ass firmly, the future ahead of them and unspoiled by death threats from pesky tumors. Max looked into his husband’s eyes – he had everything he could ever ask for right here. Well, except maybe one thing. 

“1!” they all shouted, and as Max pressed his lips against Ian’s he knew that even without children of their own, he would be happy, as long as Ian was with him. As Sigyn melted into Loki’s embrace, his lips brushing teasingly against hers, she knew that as long as the two of them stood together, nothing could break them. Behind them, Hel and Nari joined hands and jumped off the couch, leaping into the new year together, the contents of their bottles flying everywhere. Fenrir and Vali did a great big leap into the air followed closely by Sleipnir who, of all of them, jumped by far the highest. And just as the year ended Jor fell straight as an arrow into the water, sending a wave high up above the house which would, in the first second of the new year, crash and once again drench the family. But that would not be until next year, and in this last second of the current year, nothing could hurt the little family of misfits. 

Now remains only the Wild Hunt, the last day of Yule, the first day of the new year as dictated by these modern calendars. What new stories will unfold there, what horrors can the hunt bring, and what trials can the family withstand? One day left to find out.