[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 copies descend on the cultist in a deluge of black and green, punctuated by flashes of silver, so fast and so dense that it is clear he's having trouble tracking the real Loki. behind it all there's the rising chaos of Queen, chanting. find. me. somebody to love. somebody - FIND ME - somebody - FIND ME...
the Empathogen edges closer and closer to the DJ station, and Ronstadt checks quickly, his Craydar easily picking out the genuine god from the copies. he sees that things are in position, and decides it's the perfect time to act. willingly, he lets his own natural protection take over, Loki's spell falling like melting snow as his eyes begin to glow white-hot and a red aura surrounds him. the Empathogen tries to claim Ronstadt, to no avail. he simply reaches out his hand, remembering that lonely year when he roamed the country without any answers. he knows how it feels to have your heart starve.]
C'mon, buddy. It's okay. I get it. I got you.
[the Red Diamond Cultist, already at his exertion point, face as ruddy as his hair, covered in flop sweat, has a buggy-eyed moment as Ronstadt seemingly appears out of nowhere to steal his favorite toy.]
[Loki mocked, the only warning before there was a knife in the cultist's back. The cultist gurgled, eyes-wide as he started dying. Loki's other hand came up, dagger vanished, as he reached for the man's face. Grabbing, and pulling--making the death quick by simply breaking his neck.
Between that and the stab through the back of his lungs, the man was dead.
Pulling his blade from the corpse, Loki stepped back and vanished his other dagger. The copies all vanished as well, and with a shift of green-magic over himself, any blood that had been on him was gone. Now he turned his attention to see whether there was more to deal with. Such as the zombie's he had knocked back.
Two quick blasts of green--and fire-erupted on the poor creatures.]
[as satisfying as that was to witness out of the corner of his eye, Ronstadt has his own target. as a 911 operator, he's used to talking people down out of panic, hysterics, loneliness, grief. this is just the Side B version. he gets down from the DJ Booth and chances moving closer]
You're lonely, you're hurt, you think nobody gets you. I know. But it's gonna be okay. I can introduce you to someone, I've got friends like you, friends on this side. You don't have to exist like this.
[the Empathogen's edges stop pulling at the air, and slowly that void starts to fill in, the silhouette taking on features, clothing. an effeminate-looking young man, pale skin, blue extremities, hollow, sunken eye sockets. fish have extensively nibbled away at his body, and he's not pretty to look at, but he gives Ronstadt an unsteady, lipless, hopeful smile.]
Yeah. That's it. See? We're cool.
[Ronstadt smiles, glancing over the Empathogen's waterlogged shoulder to catch Loki's eye]
Nice job back there. I think you just obliterated one hell of a Side B bully.
I'm pleased to see you used my spell to your advantage.
[Was there any good reason now to not simply set this place on fire, once they left? If there was, Loki hadn't come to it yet.]
Not what I expected, and not what I was looking for, but amusing all the same.
[And it would bolster his story when he went back, so that he would likely indeed just get a mild scolding for slipping off without notice. It would cost him a secret way to Midgard, but there were others. Loki was counting this as a win.]
No, he's had enough dispatching for one eternity. I've got a buddy that'll keep him company. Don't worry, it's on the way to the next place I was gonna show you, we won't waste any of your time.
[he chuckles as he leads the poor ghost toward the door of the club, letting the album keep playing, the upbeat bounce of "Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy" filling the air. not a bad tune for a club to go out on, all things considered. the ghost's smile widens a little.]
Looks like we got ourselves a Mercury fan. ... Sorry this wasn't the thing you were looking for, Loki.
[Oh he does. He very much does want to set the place on fire, and will do so quite easily. Bursts of green-magic lighting up the interior with soft whooshes of air, before a golden-red glow starts to be visible.
Considering the place was tainted magically, it was probably for the best.]
"Hula Shaker? That is a new Midgardian term to me."
"Then I'll be happy to educate you. Right now, though, we, uh - we might wanna beat feet."
The smoke detectors won't go off, with no electricity, but soon enough someone is bound to notice the blaze and call the fire department. He'd rather not be seen anywhere nearby.
"There's a subway station nearby, that'll get us where we need to go - and to my friend for our friend, here. You been on a subway before?"
[Ronstadt doesn't see it as ignorance so much as a massive culture gap. he leads Loki around the corner to the stairwell leading to the station in question]
Underground train. It's a lot faster than walking, and no one will notice our new friend, either. Unless they're like you and I, in which case they probably won't care.
[Big cultural gap, but Loki follows anyway. He could likely just veil them all--prevent notice that way. But he was also very much aware that this was not an area he knew. Besides, he had a willing guide.]
Most of them. At least, here in L.A. More room for buildings. Out east, they still have regular trains. Some of them are huge, and you have to wait forever at the crossings. Saw one once carrying a whole buttload of new cars.
[they descend into the belly of the city, and Ronstadt fishes out a handful of change, dropping it in the hat of a homeless busker playing guitar. "Hotel California". Nice.]
I know you can check out any time you like, but stick around, brother.
[the subway station is a little busier than Ronstadt usually sees it when he heads home from the red-eye, but as he leads Loki to the kiosks to buy him a day pass, there are still plenty of signs of Side B. ghosts continue their neverending commute. something in the air vent system above them skitters with horrible claws. a short, squat purple monster, well-endowed and clearly showing off the fact, leers at a woman sitting on a bench and touching up her makeup. Ronstadt pays none of it any mind, turning to hand Loki a card]
[Oh yes, this mortal wizard was absolutely one of those 'bleeding heart' types. Which only made sense, considering where he was working. Loki had expected them, upon calling the emergency number, to send guards or something. What were they called now, Police? He could turn the matter over to them regarding the giant monster in his way, and then have been done. Onward to continue his search.
He wasn't displeased with how things had turned out however.
Taking the small card, he examined it briefly. In noting their surroundings, others had used this to get past the barriers. Obviously designed to keep people from getting 'free rides', although it did nothing against the ghosts. They simply moved in repetition and habit. His eyes had flicked upward at the scrabble of something in the vents, tracking the noise before he went back to observing everything. It was crowded, and dirty, and so very....communal.
What was this city's name again? LA? That stood for....something. Oh yes, Los Angeles--the city of angels. Loki snorted softly to himself, and doubted he would find angels here.
There were no thanks given to Ronstadt, but Loki followed him as they headed to the turnstiles. Following through based on observation and imitation alone, there was no hint that Loki had not done this before. Likewise, following what he had observed briefly, the card was placed in a pocket for now.]
[Ronstadt wasn't exactly surprised at how quickly Loki had picked up on how the subway worked. he led him toward the back of the car, one of the bench seats that would let them observe anyone else who got on. he sat down - though sprawled may have been a better word, one arm thrown up along the back of the bench. their ghostly companion remained standing, reaching up to grip one of the loops along the ceiling]
So, you're looking for places people went missing ... how come? You don't exactly seem like someone who'd have a reason for hunting down missing humans, no offense.
[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?
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carisma_sensei
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.]
no subject
Date: 2021-07-23 04:13 pm (UTC)the Empathogen edges closer and closer to the DJ station, and Ronstadt checks quickly, his Craydar easily picking out the genuine god from the copies. he sees that things are in position, and decides it's the perfect time to act. willingly, he lets his own natural protection take over, Loki's spell falling like melting snow as his eyes begin to glow white-hot and a red aura surrounds him. the Empathogen tries to claim Ronstadt, to no avail. he simply reaches out his hand, remembering that lonely year when he roamed the country without any answers. he knows how it feels to have your heart starve.]
C'mon, buddy. It's okay. I get it. I got you.
[the Red Diamond Cultist, already at his exertion point, face as ruddy as his hair, covered in flop sweat, has a buggy-eyed moment as Ronstadt seemingly appears out of nowhere to steal his favorite toy.]
What in the seven hells--!
no subject
Date: 2021-07-23 04:19 pm (UTC)[Loki mocked, the only warning before there was a knife in the cultist's back. The cultist gurgled, eyes-wide as he started dying. Loki's other hand came up, dagger vanished, as he reached for the man's face. Grabbing, and pulling--making the death quick by simply breaking his neck.
Between that and the stab through the back of his lungs, the man was dead.
Pulling his blade from the corpse, Loki stepped back and vanished his other dagger. The copies all vanished as well, and with a shift of green-magic over himself, any blood that had been on him was gone. Now he turned his attention to see whether there was more to deal with. Such as the zombie's he had knocked back.
Two quick blasts of green--and fire-erupted on the poor creatures.]
cw: mention of suicide, decay
Date: 2021-07-23 04:40 pm (UTC)You're lonely, you're hurt, you think nobody gets you. I know. But it's gonna be okay. I can introduce you to someone, I've got friends like you, friends on this side. You don't have to exist like this.
[the Empathogen's edges stop pulling at the air, and slowly that void starts to fill in, the silhouette taking on features, clothing. an effeminate-looking young man, pale skin, blue extremities, hollow, sunken eye sockets. fish have extensively nibbled away at his body, and he's not pretty to look at, but he gives Ronstadt an unsteady, lipless, hopeful smile.]
Yeah. That's it. See? We're cool.
[Ronstadt smiles, glancing over the Empathogen's waterlogged shoulder to catch Loki's eye]
Nice job back there. I think you just obliterated one hell of a Side B bully.
no subject
Date: 2021-07-23 04:48 pm (UTC)[Was there any good reason now to not simply set this place on fire, once they left? If there was, Loki hadn't come to it yet.]
Not what I expected, and not what I was looking for, but amusing all the same.
[And it would bolster his story when he went back, so that he would likely indeed just get a mild scolding for slipping off without notice. It would cost him a secret way to Midgard, but there were others. Loki was counting this as a win.]
Are you going to dispatch the spirit?
no subject
Date: 2021-07-23 05:12 pm (UTC)[he chuckles as he leads the poor ghost toward the door of the club, letting the album keep playing, the upbeat bounce of "Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy" filling the air. not a bad tune for a club to go out on, all things considered. the ghost's smile widens a little.]
Looks like we got ourselves a Mercury fan. ... Sorry this wasn't the thing you were looking for, Loki.
no subject
Date: 2021-07-23 05:16 pm (UTC)[This mortal was a fool, in some ways. One of those bleeding hearts, he was certain. But he wasn't unpleasant company so far.]
Lead on to the next place.
[A pause, and then a smile that promised mischief.]
Whether I find what I am looking for or not, you shall be rewarded for your service. You do have taverns in Midgard still, yes?
no subject
Date: 2021-07-23 06:26 pm (UTC)[he leads Loki back out into the alley. if he still wants to torch the place, now is definitely the time.]
no subject
Date: 2021-07-23 06:28 pm (UTC)Considering the place was tainted magically, it was probably for the best.]
"Hula Shaker? That is a new Midgardian term to me."
no subject
Date: 2021-07-23 06:32 pm (UTC)The smoke detectors won't go off, with no electricity, but soon enough someone is bound to notice the blaze and call the fire department. He'd rather not be seen anywhere nearby.
"There's a subway station nearby, that'll get us where we need to go - and to my friend for our friend, here. You been on a subway before?"
no subject
Date: 2021-07-23 06:36 pm (UTC)I have not. What is a subway?
no subject
Date: 2021-07-24 01:10 am (UTC)Underground train. It's a lot faster than walking, and no one will notice our new friend, either. Unless they're like you and I, in which case they probably won't care.
no subject
Date: 2021-07-24 01:26 am (UTC)[Big cultural gap, but Loki follows anyway. He could likely just veil them all--prevent notice that way. But he was also very much aware that this was not an area he knew. Besides, he had a willing guide.]
no subject
Date: 2021-07-24 01:10 pm (UTC)[they descend into the belly of the city, and Ronstadt fishes out a handful of change, dropping it in the hat of a homeless busker playing guitar. "Hotel California". Nice.]
I know you can check out any time you like, but stick around, brother.
[the subway station is a little busier than Ronstadt usually sees it when he heads home from the red-eye, but as he leads Loki to the kiosks to buy him a day pass, there are still plenty of signs of Side B. ghosts continue their neverending commute. something in the air vent system above them skitters with horrible claws. a short, squat purple monster, well-endowed and clearly showing off the fact, leers at a woman sitting on a bench and touching up her makeup. Ronstadt pays none of it any mind, turning to hand Loki a card]
Here, you'll need this.
no subject
Date: 2021-07-24 06:28 pm (UTC)He wasn't displeased with how things had turned out however.
Taking the small card, he examined it briefly. In noting their surroundings, others had used this to get past the barriers. Obviously designed to keep people from getting 'free rides', although it did nothing against the ghosts. They simply moved in repetition and habit. His eyes had flicked upward at the scrabble of something in the vents, tracking the noise before he went back to observing everything. It was crowded, and dirty, and so very....communal.
What was this city's name again? LA? That stood for....something. Oh yes, Los Angeles--the city of angels. Loki snorted softly to himself, and doubted he would find angels here.
There were no thanks given to Ronstadt, but Loki followed him as they headed to the turnstiles. Following through based on observation and imitation alone, there was no hint that Loki had not done this before. Likewise, following what he had observed briefly, the card was placed in a pocket for now.]
no subject
Date: 2021-07-26 03:08 am (UTC)So, you're looking for places people went missing ... how come? You don't exactly seem like someone who'd have a reason for hunting down missing humans, no offense.
no subject
Date: 2021-07-26 04:04 am (UTC)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.]
no subject
Date: 2021-07-26 03:04 pm (UTC)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.
no subject
Date: 2021-07-26 03:09 pm (UTC)Then let us hurry.
no subject
Date: 2021-07-26 05:02 pm (UTC)[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
Date: 2021-07-26 05:10 pm (UTC)What type of creature?
[Speaking as he moved, Loki's pace quickening as they moved closer.]
spoilers for ep. 8
Date: 2021-07-26 08:21 pm (UTC)[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
Date: 2021-07-26 08:37 pm (UTC)[If nothing else, they could take a look and then escape. But best to gather all information first.]
no subject
Date: 2021-07-27 01:52 pm (UTC)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]
no subject
Date: 2021-07-27 02:00 pm (UTC)[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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