[Loki remained standing, noticing the others around him grabbing those loops along the ceiling; so he did the same. Which was a good thing, as he'd expected a lurch when the subway moved, but not quite as solid a lurch due to his standing.]
Because where people go missing it often signifies a rift in realms. Some find their way back, others do not or perish in the attempt.
[Loki could care less about the missing humans ultimately. They were a clue to what he was looking for, nothing more.]
Besides which, this realm is under the protection of Asgard, along with the other eight realms. Better to investigate and find the loopholes before others get hurt.
[Let the wizard think he was doing something good after all.]
[talk of protection coming from the God of Mischief was a little red flag, even to someone as uninitiated as Ronstadt, but he still got the gist]
Okay. Yeah, I gotcha. I did find a door that opened into a genuine Side B nightclub once, but that's probably not quite what you're looking for. I have a feeling what I call Side B is just ... part of Earth for you. It's just all the freaky stuff most humans can't see.
[he weighed his options, then remembered...]
If the club is out, that leaves only one place. It's dangerous in a couple of ways, but I get the feeling you can handle that.
[he checks his watch]
It's still there for a couple hours. If we hurry we can make it.
[Ironically, Loki was telling the truth about Midgard being under Asgard's protection. True also that normally Asgard paid it little attention out of all the nine realms. But both statements were still true to letter, if not spirit.]
Okay. We're off at the next stop. Then there's some climbing and car-dodging in our future.
[when they get off the train, Ronstadt turns to their companion with a rueful smile]
We gotta part ways here, bud. I'm goin' the other way. But you head about two blocks down that street and you'll find my main man Kneeslapper. Tell him Ronstadt sent you. He'll make sure you're taken care of.
[the spirit lays a clammy, damp hand on Ronstadt's shoulder, leaving behind a smear of seaweed-scented ectoplasm, and shuffles off toward other parts of the coil. Ronstadt breathes a heavy sigh at the state of his shirt, but turns and starts leading Loki down the road without another moment's pause]
Place we're headed is a haunted building. Got torn down decades ago, but every night it reappears for a few hours in the spot where it used to be. Which is ... right over that freeway. [he points to a spot on an elevated freeway a few blocks ahead.] So we gotta be ready to haul ass to the median. And that's not the only problem. There's a pretty rare, nasty customer living in its basement, so I really hope your realm crack isn't there.
[It only reappeared for a few hours? Now that smacked of magic and had Loki's attention. That spoke of magic gone wrong, as temporal spells were difficult.]
What type of creature?
[Speaking as he moved, Loki's pace quickening as they moved closer.]
[he says it quietly, as though he's afraid of anyone overhearing.]
They uh - they'll haunt anyone you want. Scare the bejeezus out of them. But for a price. And they don't tell you what that price is. They just ... eventually show up to collect.
[he's speaking with a little too much experience here, Loki. you're not the only one who can make Really Bad Life Decisions when angry at authority figures]
[he tried to remember if there had been anything in the VHS tapes. mostly just the phrase "avoid at all costs".]
I don't know very much about 'em, to be honest. Just that they're bad news.
[he kicks an empty Gatorade bottle down the sidewalk for a few feet, then picks it up and tosses it into the garbage. they're getting closer to the stairs that lead up to the freeway now, and the haunted orphanage is just barely visible through the smog: a three-story brick building that's seen better days even as a ghost]
[Loki was thinking quickly. He didn't like going into the unknown so casually, even if he was certain he could handle it. Looking over at the wizard appraisingly as they started up the stairs.]
If it is not what I am looking for, then is there any reason to deal with it?
None at all. Unless your gateway you're looking for is in the basement, then it might not be happy we're in its territory. ... We can ask the ghost kids, though. They'll probably know a thing or two.
[thankfully, at this time of night, the freeway is relatively quiet. Ronstadt looks both ways about five times before stepping out on the tarmac, nevertheless.]
Hey, if anything of the... vehicular persuasion ... does come at us, any way you could use your magic to stop it? I really don't think road pizza is a good way to end the night.
I can, although I doubt it would go well for the vehicle or its driver.
[Loki remarked with an eyebrow raise. And a twinkle of mischief in blue-green eyes, edging into a smile. Looking in both directions, one after the other, he raised a hand and gestured. Ronstadt might just be able to make out what now looked like a barrier of some kind, flashing lights and all, just at the edge of their sight.]
Much easier to close the road.
[Nor did he really have any intent on removing the illusions anytime soon.]
A grin blossomed on his face at the sight of the workhorses, and he clapped Loki enthusiastically on one shoulder - not hard, just appreciative. "Man! That is awesome. I wouldn't have thought of that."
Still, if anyone was going to come along, he wasn't sure he wanted them to see two men disappearing out of thin air, especially men as descriptive as the two of them. Ronstadt jogged up to the front steps of the ghostly orphanage and pushed the door open. Once they were inside, they could hear the faint, traveling sounds of giggling and tiny footsteps thundering across the worn floorboards.
The road closures would likely cause confusion too, which Loki certainly wasn't opposed to. Following the other man, Loki stopped in the inside. Not because of the ghosts, although he was listening to that as well. There was a feel of magic here...familiar magic.
Loki smiled at the child, one of camaraderie and secrets shared, even crouching down to be more on the ghost-child's level. "Hello friend. I'll be quick so you can resume your game soon. Have you noticed anywhere in the house that feels different. Sometimes accompanied by a rainbow of swirling lights stretching outwards?"
Nodding, Loki's smile widened a bit. "What about anything else strange in this house? Anything we should watch out for?" Best to get what intelligence they could, before heading off to the second floor.
The Boo Kids on the Block looked at each other, frowning. "Just the boogeyman in the basement," the girl replied. "But he stays down there. We get to play everywhere else."
"Sounds like we're golden," Ronstadt grinned. "Thanks, kids. Hey, I'll come back and play hide and seek with you next time, okay? Promise."
On the one hand, Loki had no desire to get into another fight. He wasn't Thor, or Volstagg, or Fandral. On the other, if this was a passage to one of the realms, if this 'boogeyman' decided to move then it could be a problem.
Hmmm--he had already cleared out one threat. Moving out of his crouch by the child, Loki brushed off his knees as he straightened. "I can't promise we don't need to poke the boogeyman, but I'd rather avoid a second fight."
"Yeah, me too," Ronstadt agreed, moving toward the stairs already. "Especially since that's the one I was telling you about on the way here. C'mon, let's find this hotspot of yours before the building goes poof."
Loki's longer legs might allow him to take the stairs two at a time, but Ronstadt hoofed it up at his usual pace, keeping one hand light on the railing. The striped wallpaper was cracked and peeling, covered in crayon scrawls and stains. Overall, the atmosphere of the place was equally split between charming and terrifying.
"How long do we have?" Loki asked curiously. He was well past when his absence would be noted. But that was alright, he knew how he'd tell this tale. How he'd escape with little more than a light scolding. Up to the 2nd floor they went, and the closer they got, the more certain Loki was.
Now the question was, would this hole and tunnel lead back to Asgard, or to another of the nine realms?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Because where people go missing it often signifies a rift in realms. Some find their way back, others do not or perish in the attempt.
[Loki could care less about the missing humans ultimately. They were a clue to what he was looking for, nothing more.]
Besides which, this realm is under the protection of Asgard, along with the other eight realms. Better to investigate and find the loopholes before others get hurt.
[Let the wizard think he was doing something good after all.]
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Okay. Yeah, I gotcha. I did find a door that opened into a genuine Side B nightclub once, but that's probably not quite what you're looking for. I have a feeling what I call Side B is just ... part of Earth for you. It's just all the freaky stuff most humans can't see.
[he weighed his options, then remembered...]
If the club is out, that leaves only one place. It's dangerous in a couple of ways, but I get the feeling you can handle that.
[he checks his watch]
It's still there for a couple hours. If we hurry we can make it.
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Then let us hurry.
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[when they get off the train, Ronstadt turns to their companion with a rueful smile]
We gotta part ways here, bud. I'm goin' the other way. But you head about two blocks down that street and you'll find my main man Kneeslapper. Tell him Ronstadt sent you. He'll make sure you're taken care of.
[the spirit lays a clammy, damp hand on Ronstadt's shoulder, leaving behind a smear of seaweed-scented ectoplasm, and shuffles off toward other parts of the coil. Ronstadt breathes a heavy sigh at the state of his shirt, but turns and starts leading Loki down the road without another moment's pause]
Place we're headed is a haunted building. Got torn down decades ago, but every night it reappears for a few hours in the spot where it used to be. Which is ... right over that freeway. [he points to a spot on an elevated freeway a few blocks ahead.] So we gotta be ready to haul ass to the median. And that's not the only problem. There's a pretty rare, nasty customer living in its basement, so I really hope your realm crack isn't there.
no subject
What type of creature?
[Speaking as he moved, Loki's pace quickening as they moved closer.]
spoilers for ep. 8
[he says it quietly, as though he's afraid of anyone overhearing.]
They uh - they'll haunt anyone you want. Scare the bejeezus out of them. But for a price. And they don't tell you what that price is. They just ... eventually show up to collect.
[he's speaking with a little too much experience here, Loki. you're not the only one who can make Really Bad Life Decisions when angry at authority figures]
Re: spoilers for ep. 8
[If nothing else, they could take a look and then escape. But best to gather all information first.]
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I don't know very much about 'em, to be honest. Just that they're bad news.
[he kicks an empty Gatorade bottle down the sidewalk for a few feet, then picks it up and tosses it into the garbage. they're getting closer to the stairs that lead up to the freeway now, and the haunted orphanage is just barely visible through the smog: a three-story brick building that's seen better days even as a ghost]
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[Loki was thinking quickly. He didn't like going into the unknown so casually, even if he was certain he could handle it. Looking over at the wizard appraisingly as they started up the stairs.]
If it is not what I am looking for, then is there any reason to deal with it?
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[thankfully, at this time of night, the freeway is relatively quiet. Ronstadt looks both ways about five times before stepping out on the tarmac, nevertheless.]
Hey, if anything of the... vehicular persuasion ... does come at us, any way you could use your magic to stop it? I really don't think road pizza is a good way to end the night.
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[Loki remarked with an eyebrow raise. And a twinkle of mischief in blue-green eyes, edging into a smile. Looking in both directions, one after the other, he raised a hand and gestured. Ronstadt might just be able to make out what now looked like a barrier of some kind, flashing lights and all, just at the edge of their sight.]
Much easier to close the road.
[Nor did he really have any intent on removing the illusions anytime soon.]
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Still, if anyone was going to come along, he wasn't sure he wanted them to see two men disappearing out of thin air, especially men as descriptive as the two of them. Ronstadt jogged up to the front steps of the ghostly orphanage and pushed the door open. Once they were inside, they could hear the faint, traveling sounds of giggling and tiny footsteps thundering across the worn floorboards.
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"This is the place I was looking for."
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"Can't stop - playing tag!" She squealed, as a little boy came around the corner after her.
"Awh, great. HEY. KID." Ronstadt stepped in his way, and the boy ran right through him, then stopped.
"Awwwwwwww, now you're it," he whined. "Catch me, catch me!"
"Nuh-uh. Time out. My buddy here, Loki? He's got some questions for you."
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"We used to play bowling with empty milk bottles there," the girl added, "but then the hall turned all these colors and ate our ball..."
Ronstadt locked eyes with Loki. "Sure sounds like your bridge, right? Second floor, here we come."
"And the bottles, too."
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"Sounds like we're golden," Ronstadt grinned. "Thanks, kids. Hey, I'll come back and play hide and seek with you next time, okay? Promise."
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Hmmm--he had already cleared out one threat. Moving out of his crouch by the child, Loki brushed off his knees as he straightened. "I can't promise we don't need to poke the boogeyman, but I'd rather avoid a second fight."
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Loki's longer legs might allow him to take the stairs two at a time, but Ronstadt hoofed it up at his usual pace, keeping one hand light on the railing. The striped wallpaper was cracked and peeling, covered in crayon scrawls and stains. Overall, the atmosphere of the place was equally split between charming and terrifying.
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Now the question was, would this hole and tunnel lead back to Asgard, or to another of the nine realms?