[it was good to know that some people equated cowardice with intelligence, Ronstadt thought. wasn't there some Shakespeare line about it? maybe? probably. he was too distracted at the moment to think about it with any real concentration behind it.]
You really wanna pretend to be a god? I haven't seen hubris like that in decades. The rest of the Red Diamond Cult is gonna love hearing about this... at least, the part where I tear you down.
[Ronstadt's eyes widen. that's one of the names Hattie dropped when she was trying to figure out who HE was. and judging from the way she said it, this guy is bad news. he tries to figure out how to signal Loki without giving his position away. there's got to be something...]
Oh I am not pretending, Midgardian. I'd love to ensure you have a good story to share however, when I send you back to your cult with your tail between your legs.
[Loki re-manifested his knife, so that he held the pair again. Giving them a little flip up in the air, before resuming his ready stance.]
[a mop of electrified linguini rose above the DJ station as Ronstadt dared to peek out at the scene unfolding before him. the Red Diamond Cultist snorted and made a thoroughly cliched clenching gesture with one hand, summoning ... something. the air crackled with the promise of dark magic, and the dust motes in the air seemed to converge in the shape of a silhouette.]
Rise up, my hungry servant!
[the dust starts to be sucked into the empty silhouette like it's a black hole. Ronstadt knows it on sight, knows without knowing in that way his powers have started to do lately: an Empathogen. The remnant of the soul of a person who died of neglect - forever starving, forever consuming any energy or attention in its immediate vicinity. people like him and Loki? they're a Vegas buffet. oh, this is not good.]
[Loki knows exactly how to handle this. Kill the caster, and the creature should vanish. Hardly theatrical however, and he does like theatrics at times.
Once more those illusionary copies appear, radiating magic. Loki then advances on the other wizard.]
It's going to eat you alive. I don't care whether you're impressed or not, you so-called god. I just want you to die.
Bond villain. [Ronstadt snorts it softly under his breath with a roll of his eyes. the Empathogen, however, just advances, slurping up the copies like magical Jello shots. at each one of them, it reaches out its arms, and Ronstadt realizes with a pang in his heart that it's just looking for company. Loki needs a distraction. he rifles through the stacks of vinyl, confident now that the invisibility spell is strong enough to withstand the cultist's magic. A Day At The Races. perfect. he slides the record from the sleeve and sets it gently on the turntable. damn. no electricity.
"No problem, mah friend. Just use yah powah!" Ronstadt blinks a little, surprised and yet not by Vox's advice. He lays a hand on the power cable and the DJ station thrums to life. Thinking fast, he fills his mind with the color green, so that the magic takes on the same sheen as Loki's. may as well make it look like the trickster god is doing this, too. the dulcet harmonies of Queen fill the empty space]
[not the strangest fight music ever in the history of epic battles, but close. it gets the Empathogen's attention, though, and that's the important part. now Loki can focus on the cultist.]
[As fast as the copies are being slurped up, Loki is replacing them. If nothing else, they can keep the empathogen busy. Noticing the music, Loki continues walking to the Cultist.]
Well I was going to make this rather long and drawn out, but now I think I'll just kill you. You're boring me.
[Advancing on the Cultist with his daggers, lashing out with a quick feint from his main hand and a slash from his off-hand. There is a grace to Loki's fighting style, almost like a very deadly dance. Precise in his movements, focus not wavering from the cultist.]
[Loki's opponent throws up a magical barrier like a pane of glass, but the knife slashes through it and the pieces shatter to the ground and fade. he makes another summoning gesture, and two garden-variety zombies push their way up through cracks and broken corners from the dance floor tiles. its clear he intends to let others do his dirty work for him, and his false bravado comes from his power]
Ambitious of you, but how long will these powers of yours last before you exhaust yourself and keel over like a dead fish? I have resources you've never even dreamt of.
[Ronstadt crawls up into the DJ's chair, feeling bold enough to put his feet up, and snickers. man, this is gonna be a bloodbath, and not the way the guy is expecting. he's seen gorier, and all things considered, he's vaguely looking forward to it. he checks himself, his skin crawling a little as he realized just how bloodthirsty he felt for a fraction of an instant. ... that's not a good feeling.]
[Flipping his daggers up briefly, Loki lets magic fly from his hands to the zombies. Knocking them back quite a distance. Catching them again he strikes again at the cultist. Sliding in low with upward slashes, once more feinting for an opportunity with his other hand. Copies of him continue to fill the room, some of them closing in on the Cultist now. Adding to strikes the man should avoid.]
[The smaller plant shook slightly, then quieted. Before sending a questing vine of her own out towards his hand. Petunia's vine reluctantly untangled itself from around his arm, but deliberately did brush his cheek before retracting.
Morticia simply held herself nearby, watching fondly. Proud of her plants, and pleased to see the God unwinding from whatever had him tense. Letting him have however long he needed, before they would sit and have tea.]
[it still mystified him, even after so many visits, that even the plants in the mansion were kind to him. the purity of the Addams family's hearts must have been strong enough, he suspected, to spread to everything. such phenomena were rare in the realms, but possible. he took a deep, slow breath, letting the calm and the warm, earthy sent of the greenhouse wrap around him. it reminded him of days spent in the sun in his youth, lounging in the shade of a tree, reading a book while Thor and the other warriors practiced at sparring. Morticia's sanctuary held, for him, the smell of innocence.]
[Morticia blinked slowly while smiling. Not unlike a cat. Moving over, she stroked the plant fondly.]
That's enough for now Cleopatra.
[The plant gave a brief shake in acknowledgement and the vine moved to curl around the base of her pot. Once more Morticia laid her hand against Loki's arm. Looking up, still with that enigmatic smile.]
We understand well what it is like to be misunderstood. You are most welcome here.
Would that I could return the favor. But I don't really have a place of my own. Just ... a room, and a paltry one at that.
[the TVA isn't big on spoiling their lesser employees, especially one like Loki. his room is essentially the barest copy of a 60s strip motel room with a stand-up shower stall. he moves toward the tea table and pulls out a chair for her]
[he brushed his thumb gently against Alex's cheekbone. true, he didn't know any of his sordid past, but they were there for a reason. they'd been assigned to study for Analyst duty together for a reason. Mobius had seen something similar in both of them, the potential to do good despite their histories. so if Alex ever did finally decide to share, Loki would listen, maybe match him story for story if he seemed receptive.
but for now, he just leaned in for another kiss. it seemed like the best course of action.]
[Alex, not wanting people to pry into his own past, had not pried beyond necessity into other's. He felt it all very personal, once he'd gotten over his shock at the idea of variants. That he was one. Mobius had gone to bat for him, pointing out that this Alex Mercer had tried to do right in the end. To clean up the mess he'd made, to save New York from being nuked.
Alex appreciated that Mobius had done that. The man had a strange way of making you trust him. Which is why he'd trusted him, when he'd set Alex to go through analyst duty with Loki. That trust had come to Loki--about whom Alex never pried. The God was part of myths in his world, after all--he figured he already knew enough to know whether or not he wanted to trust the other.
Loki had earned his trust so far. Was it worth his heart, which Alex wasn't always sure he had? Who knows--but for now they could take comfort in each other at least. Friendship was a good start after all.
This time, Alex kissed back. Tilting his head slightly, lips firm against the other man's. Thumb brushing against Loki's shoulder gently where he had his arm around him. A full participant, but almost hesitant. All of his knowledge of how to do this, was second hand after all despite being an intimate part of him after all; it was complicated.]
[Loki could almost sense the hesitation, and reached up to rub a hand along Alex's back, comforting him a little before pulling away from the kiss]
Come on. Perhaps the library isn't the best place for this. ... Shall we go back to your room?
[the rooms at the TVA were hardly anything luxurious: basically 60s strip motel rooms with the barest of amenities. Loki had a feeling full-fledged analysts got better quarters than the ones he and Alex had been afforded: twin bed, nightstand, closet, small table, a bathroom with a toilet, sink, and stand-up shower. all in those same drab browns, tans, and oranges with propaganda posters instead of paintings. he'd immediately taken his down and shoved them in the back of the closet.]
[Alex snorted, half of his mouth quirked up into a smile.]
Less eyes there for certain. I've already checked it for recording bugs too, not that the TVA seems to need it.
[Alex had been a little paranoid at first. Still was in some ways. But he went, keeping his arm around the slightly taller man. Well practiced at ignoring the glares and looks of other TVA people most of the time, this time... He was tense, from nerves and shyness but wasn't showing it. Not beyond showing it to Loki, since his arm was around the man.
His own room was a carbon copy of Loki's, including the removal of the posters. Except that Alex had somehow found a permanent marker. Perhaps he'd snatched one from evidence, or another analyst. However he'd come buy it, his walls were scribbled on. A mish-mash of quotes and sketches personal to Alex, from Nietzsche, to Paradise Lost, to the structure of DNA.]
[he gave an exaggerated roll of his eyes. Alex already knew, at great length to be sure, exactly what Loki thought of all of that, so he didn't elaborate further. he could feel Alex's tension like a too-tight violin string beside him, and nudged their shoulders together in subtle reassurance as they walked. once inside Alex's room, he scanned the walls with interest. he'd been in before, but only long enough for quick glances. pointing to one particular quote, he smiled]
[Alex didn't let anyone into his rooms if he could help it. That he had let Loki in for those quick glances had been part of the early signs of their 'friendship'. Alex turned his head to look at which Quote he was referring to--The mystery of human existence lies not just in staying alive but in finding something to live for.]
Oh, the Dostoevsky one? You familiar with the man?
"Essayist, journalist, etc." Alex said while nodding. "...Can't remember what the quotes from, but it kept sticking my brain so I decided to get it out."
The full quote about 'he who fights monsters and the abyss' by Nietzsche was on his wall, along with 'Which way I fly is hell; myself am hell' by Milton. 'Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.' by Poe... Detailed scientific drawings of a DNA double-helix, various chemical equations... If one knew how to look, it was a window into Alex's very being.
It beat those damn TVA propaganda posters by a long shot, but was also easy to see why Alex rarely let anyone in his room.
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carisma_sensei
Adventures with Ronstadt and Loki
Date: 2021-07-23 01:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-07-23 02:53 am (UTC)You really wanna pretend to be a god? I haven't seen hubris like that in decades. The rest of the Red Diamond Cult is gonna love hearing about this... at least, the part where I tear you down.
[Ronstadt's eyes widen. that's one of the names Hattie dropped when she was trying to figure out who HE was. and judging from the way she said it, this guy is bad news. he tries to figure out how to signal Loki without giving his position away. there's got to be something...]
no subject
Date: 2021-07-23 02:58 am (UTC)[Loki re-manifested his knife, so that he held the pair again. Giving them a little flip up in the air, before resuming his ready stance.]
/invents a Side B monster just for you
Date: 2021-07-23 02:50 pm (UTC)Rise up, my hungry servant!
[the dust starts to be sucked into the empty silhouette like it's a black hole. Ronstadt knows it on sight, knows without knowing in that way his powers have started to do lately: an Empathogen. The remnant of the soul of a person who died of neglect - forever starving, forever consuming any energy or attention in its immediate vicinity. people like him and Loki? they're a Vegas buffet. oh, this is not good.]
<3
Date: 2021-07-23 02:57 pm (UTC)Once more those illusionary copies appear, radiating magic. Loki then advances on the other wizard.]
Is that supposed to impress me?
no subject
Date: 2021-07-23 03:06 pm (UTC)Bond villain. [Ronstadt snorts it softly under his breath with a roll of his eyes. the Empathogen, however, just advances, slurping up the copies like magical Jello shots. at each one of them, it reaches out its arms, and Ronstadt realizes with a pang in his heart that it's just looking for company. Loki needs a distraction. he rifles through the stacks of vinyl, confident now that the invisibility spell is strong enough to withstand the cultist's magic. A Day At The Races. perfect. he slides the record from the sleeve and sets it gently on the turntable. damn. no electricity.
"No problem, mah friend. Just use yah powah!" Ronstadt blinks a little, surprised and yet not by Vox's advice. He lays a hand on the power cable and the DJ station thrums to life. Thinking fast, he fills his mind with the color green, so that the magic takes on the same sheen as Loki's. may as well make it look like the trickster god is doing this, too. the dulcet harmonies of Queen fill the empty space]
~Caaaaaaaaaaaan - anybodyyyyyyyyyyyy? - Fiiiiiind meeeeeeeeee - somebody tooooooooooooo - loooooooooooove?~
[not the strangest fight music ever in the history of epic battles, but close. it gets the Empathogen's attention, though, and that's the important part. now Loki can focus on the cultist.]
no subject
Date: 2021-07-23 03:12 pm (UTC)Well I was going to make this rather long and drawn out, but now I think I'll just kill you. You're boring me.
[Advancing on the Cultist with his daggers, lashing out with a quick feint from his main hand and a slash from his off-hand. There is a grace to Loki's fighting style, almost like a very deadly dance. Precise in his movements, focus not wavering from the cultist.]
no subject
Date: 2021-07-23 03:29 pm (UTC)Ambitious of you, but how long will these powers of yours last before you exhaust yourself and keel over like a dead fish? I have resources you've never even dreamt of.
[Ronstadt crawls up into the DJ's chair, feeling bold enough to put his feet up, and snickers. man, this is gonna be a bloodbath, and not the way the guy is expecting. he's seen gorier, and all things considered, he's vaguely looking forward to it. he checks himself, his skin crawling a little as he realized just how bloodthirsty he felt for a fraction of an instant. ... that's not a good feeling.]
no subject
Date: 2021-07-23 03:32 pm (UTC)[Flipping his daggers up briefly, Loki lets magic fly from his hands to the zombies. Knocking them back quite a distance. Catching them again he strikes again at the cultist. Sliding in low with upward slashes, once more feinting for an opportunity with his other hand. Copies of him continue to fill the room, some of them closing in on the Cultist now. Adding to strikes the man should avoid.]
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From:Conversation and company with the Addams Family and Loki
Date: 2021-07-23 01:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-07-23 02:56 am (UTC)[he reached up and gently touched the tendril at his cheek, smiling, before turning his attention to Cleo.]
And what a lovely little one. Hello, darling.
[Loki held out a hand, a comfortable distance away from the young plant, the way strangers do to animals]
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Date: 2021-07-23 03:03 am (UTC)Morticia simply held herself nearby, watching fondly. Proud of her plants, and pleased to see the God unwinding from whatever had him tense. Letting him have however long he needed, before they would sit and have tea.]
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Date: 2021-07-23 05:27 pm (UTC)... Thank you for this.
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Date: 2021-07-23 05:35 pm (UTC)That's enough for now Cleopatra.
[The plant gave a brief shake in acknowledgement and the vine moved to curl around the base of her pot. Once more Morticia laid her hand against Loki's arm. Looking up, still with that enigmatic smile.]
We understand well what it is like to be misunderstood. You are most welcome here.
no subject
Date: 2021-07-26 02:44 am (UTC)[the TVA isn't big on spoiling their lesser employees, especially one like Loki. his room is essentially the barest copy of a 60s strip motel room with a stand-up shower stall. he moves toward the tea table and pulls out a chair for her]
Ladies first.
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Date: 2021-07-26 03:47 am (UTC)[Morticia commented, before moving to take the seat. While he was taking his own, she moved to pour tea for them both.]
Fortunately we have room to spare, should you need it.
Pre-assumed CR and TVA adventures with Loki and Alex Mercer
Date: 2021-07-23 01:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-07-23 02:59 am (UTC)[he brushed his thumb gently against Alex's cheekbone. true, he didn't know any of his sordid past, but they were there for a reason. they'd been assigned to study for Analyst duty together for a reason. Mobius had seen something similar in both of them, the potential to do good despite their histories. so if Alex ever did finally decide to share, Loki would listen, maybe match him story for story if he seemed receptive.
but for now, he just leaned in for another kiss. it seemed like the best course of action.]
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Date: 2021-07-23 03:10 am (UTC)Alex appreciated that Mobius had done that. The man had a strange way of making you trust him. Which is why he'd trusted him, when he'd set Alex to go through analyst duty with Loki. That trust had come to Loki--about whom Alex never pried. The God was part of myths in his world, after all--he figured he already knew enough to know whether or not he wanted to trust the other.
Loki had earned his trust so far. Was it worth his heart, which Alex wasn't always sure he had? Who knows--but for now they could take comfort in each other at least. Friendship was a good start after all.
This time, Alex kissed back. Tilting his head slightly, lips firm against the other man's. Thumb brushing against Loki's shoulder gently where he had his arm around him. A full participant, but almost hesitant. All of his knowledge of how to do this, was second hand after all despite being an intimate part of him after all; it was complicated.]
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Date: 2021-07-26 03:03 am (UTC)Come on. Perhaps the library isn't the best place for this. ... Shall we go back to your room?
[the rooms at the TVA were hardly anything luxurious: basically 60s strip motel rooms with the barest of amenities. Loki had a feeling full-fledged analysts got better quarters than the ones he and Alex had been afforded: twin bed, nightstand, closet, small table, a bathroom with a toilet, sink, and stand-up shower. all in those same drab browns, tans, and oranges with propaganda posters instead of paintings. he'd immediately taken his down and shoved them in the back of the closet.]
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Date: 2021-07-26 03:44 am (UTC)Less eyes there for certain. I've already checked it for recording bugs too, not that the TVA seems to need it.
[Alex had been a little paranoid at first. Still was in some ways. But he went, keeping his arm around the slightly taller man. Well practiced at ignoring the glares and looks of other TVA people most of the time, this time... He was tense, from nerves and shyness but wasn't showing it. Not beyond showing it to Loki, since his arm was around the man.
His own room was a carbon copy of Loki's, including the removal of the posters. Except that Alex had somehow found a permanent marker. Perhaps he'd snatched one from evidence, or another analyst. However he'd come buy it, his walls were scribbled on. A mish-mash of quotes and sketches personal to Alex, from Nietzsche, to Paradise Lost, to the structure of DNA.]
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Date: 2021-07-29 01:45 pm (UTC)[he gave an exaggerated roll of his eyes. Alex already knew, at great length to be sure, exactly what Loki thought of all of that, so he didn't elaborate further. he could feel Alex's tension like a too-tight violin string beside him, and nudged their shoulders together in subtle reassurance as they walked. once inside Alex's room, he scanned the walls with interest. he'd been in before, but only long enough for quick glances. pointing to one particular quote, he smiled]
That one's new.
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Date: 2021-07-29 01:53 pm (UTC)Oh, the Dostoevsky one? You familiar with the man?
no subject
Date: 2021-07-29 03:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-07-29 10:47 pm (UTC)The full quote about 'he who fights monsters and the abyss' by Nietzsche was on his wall, along with 'Which way I fly is hell; myself am hell' by Milton. 'Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.' by Poe... Detailed scientific drawings of a DNA double-helix, various chemical equations... If one knew how to look, it was a window into Alex's very being.
It beat those damn TVA propaganda posters by a long shot, but was also easy to see why Alex rarely let anyone in his room.
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