selfhelp | [IC] Appointments Post

[Wow, Loki. That is not a voice he expected to hear for a long while, after the last experiment. He's still kind of iffy about dealing with this whole situation, but it sounds like it can't be avoided.]

Large and orange- what, what-

[He shuts his mouth. Loki's being quiet, so there's obviously some danger. And now he's trying to think of what super heroes of his world are large and orange, and god what if they're not even from the same universe, and what if they're too violent to be stopped, and-

...you know what, nevermind. One way to find out, and if this will prevent another conflict...]

Where are you?

My house. 60. I--

[Loud crash.]

Bloody--

[Loki drops the journal and vanishes.]

[Well, crap. Better get in uniform and hop over there.]

[A few hours after Billy has gotten Grimm the hell out of his house...]

Thank you.

[The handwriting is neat and spiky, the sort you'd expect from someone who is used to writing with runes.]

Edited 2012-10-05 06:26 (UTC)

[Today was hectic. Ridiculously so, and the days prior even worse. Let's not even get into the week before the experiment. To say that Billy's feeling rather haunted by those experiences would be a severe understatement, and that's why that night he finds himself unable to sleep a wink. He lies in bed for a long time, curled up against Teddy, his gaze fixated on the ceiling, and occasionally tries to will himself to sleep before he acknowledges that the magic tends to wear off as soon as he starts to doze, which defeats the whole purpose of it.

Eventually he gives up; his body's just too damn stubborn, and his mind is too preoccupied with the million little worries tugging at him to even try to relax. He sneaks out from under Teddy's arm, jotting out a quick note about going for a walk, shrugs on a pair of jeans and what he hopes is a clean hoodie, and heads out to do exactly what he said he'd do: walk. The night air is soothing, and he desperately needs that right now.

He's not sure how long he walks, his goal aimless and secondary to the desire to just move, but eventually he finds himself standing on the very end of the path, staring up at the half-destroyed house in front of him. He recognized it, of course, even if he hadn't seen it from the outside- Loki's place. The number is barely hanging on by a nail near the door. ...What's left of it, anyway.

He's tempted to leave, just turn around and disappear back into the night. He knows he should, in order to guarantee a prevention of further conflict. He has no obligation to check on Loki. It's not like he caused this destruction. It's not like they're really... friends, or anything.

Teddy's going to worry if I'm gone too long. And I can't trust him, right? He's dangerous. He kills people. He'll probably just lie to me.

I should go.

Instead, he warily climbs the damaged steps, standing uncertainly in front of the door for a while before lifting a hand to knock. The light's on, so he assumes that Loki's awake. If he's not...

...well, maybe it's fate. Saving his life, or something.]

[Loki's done his best to clean up - again - and simply deal with the feeling of being attacked in his own home. He should know better by now that the feeling of safety is never true. He was foolish when he let Clint Barton attack him. And even more foolish now, it seemed.

The worst of the mess cleared away, he'd simply sat, back against the wall, head in his hands, and tried to think of other things. Sleep was out the question.

His damn hands wouldn't stop shaking.

The knock surprised him. He swallowed thickly, did his best to compose his expression, and went to answer the door.

He knew before he answered that it was Billy. Though the question of why was far greater in his mind.]

Billy, yes?

[...Oh, he's awake. So much for the idea of knocking and running for the hills. Okay, so he's committed, now...]

Y... yeah, hi. I'm just here to... [....] Actually, I don't even know why I'm here. I just started walking, and I somehow ended up in front of your house, and the light was on, so I thought... sorry. Should I go?

[He's rambling, he knows - nerves again, goddammit - but he's really never been good at this kind of thing. He probably should go before he says something stupid. More stupid. Whatever.]

[Loki stares at him for a moment.

He recognizes this. It's the same problem he has more often than not. The problem he's having tonight.]

Quite all right. I haven't been able to sleep, either.

Tea?

[He opens the door wider to invite Billy inside - as if he couldn't have come in through any of the gaping holes now in the walls - then turns and heads into the kitchen. At least that part of the house is relatively undamaged.]

I figured. [What with you being awake in the middle of the night and all. He steps in through the doorway, glancing around at all the damage he hadn't had time to really take in that afternoon. Geez, Ben really did a number on the place. Good thing for self-repairing houses.] And sure... tea's probably better than coffee this late at night, anyway.

I don't keep coffee in the house at any rate.

[Loki finds two cups that are miraculously unbroken and begins preparing tea. He decides to use some of the chamomile that Obi-wan brought him a few days before. It was soothing enough.

Not that he thought that would make a damn bit of difference.

The water boils in an instant thanks to a bit of magic.]

I'd offer you a seat, but most of my furniture seems to have suffered a mishap.

[He sounds shockingly calm, amused almost when he says this. It's the best mask he has.

Tea cups in hand, he returns to Billy and offers one to him. His hands are still shaking.]

S'okay. There's always the floor.

[The shaking is impossible to miss, especially staring down a teacup with the trembling liquid within. Billy stares for a moment that is probably too long to be subtle, then accepts the cup, cradling it with both hands for a moment before he looks up, his expression serious and cautiously sympathetic.]

I didn't think you'd be so... affected by that.

[Denying it would be useless and pathetic. The next natural urge is to be angry, having his weaknesses picked at. But that doesn't feel like what is happening. He stares at Billy's face for what feels like a long time, then puts his back to the wall and slides down to sit on the floor.]

I'm not accustomed to being attacked in my own home.

[He tightens his hands around the cup. It stops the shaking for now.]

I haven't had a home in which to be attacked for... quite some time, so I suppose there is that.

[Why tell Billy that? Stupid. He gives his head a shake. This is the second time someone's tried to kill him since he arrived here. It shouldn't be so surprising. It happens often enough in his normal life. At least the orange person didn't come as close as Clint Barton. He leans his head back against the wall.]

I ought to know better than this by now, to think that such a thing as a safe place exists. And this is the second time I've made that mistake in as many weeks.

Edited 2012-10-05 08:36 (UTC)

[Billy sits down with him, cross-legged across from Loki's spot- not too close, but not exactly distant, either. For the first time he doesn't feel particularly intimidated in the presence of the Asgardian god, and while he knows how dangerous that is, how easily he could just be getting manipulated here, sometimes you just have to offer the benefit of the doubt. The alternative is too awful to do otherwise.]

You can't treat this incident exactly like the one before, with Hawkeye. That was- it was messed up. I'm not excusing him, or you, or saying things couldn't have been handled better, but that was an attack, a message, for both sides. This was... a misunderstanding. He attacked you for something you didn't do.

[Not yet. and he squashes that thought before it can reach his expression, because that's not fair. That's like assuming he'll go crazy and start killing his teammates because he shares Wanda's power. Like saying Tony will start the war or create the registration act because of what happened in Billy's own universe.

Alternate realities are complicated. You can't afford to make assumptions.]

It's... difficult to hold on to a stalemate when this world keeps introducing new players into the game.

[Loki shakes his head slowly.]

I don't feel the same about it at all. I was angry then. [Because of Elicia. He was terrified, for her. He still doesn't know how to process this fully, and he closes his eyes tightly for a moment.]

This... I'm tired.

[He gives his head another little shake. No, that's not a path to go down.]

I assumed it was a misunderstanding when I failed to recognize that... person. [He smiles wryly. What a lovely misunderstanding it would have been, had Grimm managed to catch Loki. A bone-breaking, deadly misunderstanding.] I also know it's too much to hope that I'll be receiving any help with finding new furniture. Or even getting a... fruit basket.

Well... if it's any consolation, the houses here repair themselves, so it should be back to normal within a few days. And the furniture- [Billy lifts a hand, blue fire flaring between his fingertips, swirling around the remains of one of the nearby chair and fading away after a few moments to reveal it whole again, sturdy and practically new.] ...All you have to do is ask.

[He can't do much about Loki's nerves, or his weariness of this, or the fruit basket - though he suspects that much was in jest - but there's one more thing he can help with, if Loki's interested. If he can work up the nerve.]

[Loki nods.] Nicely done, Billy.

I probably ought to stop feeling sorry for myself and start working on that as well. [He finally takes a sip of his tea. Though this is part of the problem; he hasn't been able to properly concentrate on something so detailed as reconstructing furniture. Maybe later.]

Thank you. For the offer. [He smiles, a little regret in the expression.] But I probably ought not to ask anything of you. I've already caused you a great deal of trouble this eve.

[He knows, that a deep line has been drawn in the sand, so to speak. He can feel it. He hopes to draw people over to his side, but getting them in trouble over such a small thing as furniture is not the way to accomplish that task.]

I'd hardly call it trouble. Ben Grimm is kind of a big deal in the super hero community where I'm from. Meeting him is probably going to be the highlight of my month.

[Which is probably not what Loki wants to hear after watching the man decimate his home, but he's content with making light of the situation- or at least the seriousness of it, as far as he's concerned. He didn't get hurt, he wasn't even really in danger. No trouble was had, except maybe Teddy kicking up a fuss at randomly teleporting off to help Loki of all people. There are, apparently, benefits to being a kid sometimes.]

Not going to force you, though. It's your house and your furniture. But I'd welcome the practice.

[It's not like helping to fix some broken furniture is agreeing with his life decisions or taking his side or- or anything, really. Sometimes fixing stuff is just that. Fixing stuff.]

[It's not the most thrilling news Loki has ever gotten, but really, at this point what's one more person who hates him and wants him dead? The situation really isn't any worse than it was to begin with. One more person to avoid.

Though Loki has to admit, it would be nice if people could limit themselves to wanting to kill him for things he's actually done

He nods.]

When you put it in such a way, I can hardly protest.

[He makes a sweeping gesture with one hand.]

Please, then. As you will.

[Satisfied, Billy sets down his tea, taking a long, sweeping glance around the room, then stands up, lifting his hands, magic already swirling around him.]

It's probably fine, but on the off-chance that I pass out, just put me on the porch and clear off for the night. I don't want to be the one to cause you more trouble.

[Last thing he needs is a shapeshifter to Hulk out on the place, too. It's one of the reasons he's planning to be very careful with this, especially when he's already lacking sleep.

Still, fixing things is a pretty standard spell for him- second nature to him almost as much as the lightning he'd first discovered it with. A far cry from the spluttering spellcasting he'd done during the past week, blue fire flares around him with barely an effort, his eyes glowing, harmless flames gradually spreading outwards until it sweeps throughout the room, mending whatever it touches, which turns out to be the furniture and a segment of the front wall. When he finally releases it and lets it fade out of sight, he looks exhilarated and rather pleased with himself, and not, it seems, about to pass out after all. An unintentional show of power, that.]

If there's danger of that, perhaps you shouldn't...

[Well, he'll figure it out if it comes to that.

Loki watches Billy work with keen interest, concentrating on the arcane rather than visual aspects of it. It tells him perhaps more than Billy would like him to know in regards to how he handles his magic, but he assumes the young man knew that risk.

He grins when Billy is done, nodding approvingly.]

Nicely done indeed. My thanks.

[The magic itself probably felt a little strange, bordering on unnatural- it's chaotic, not so much spellcasting as literally changing the reality of his environment to suit his whims. Inexperience can make that dangerous, but for the moment he seems to be doing alright.

Billy sits back down, recovering his teacup. The furniture is fixed but Loki's already on the floor, and it's comfortable enough.]

You're welcome. Clean-up is the worst part of a fight, I always thought. No reason to do it solo when there's plenty of neighbours around.

[Loki doesn't find it at all odd, that magic. That's how he tends to do things. Laws were made to be broken as needed, and that includes physical laws. He does think, however, that Billy could use a bit of refinement. But that comes with practice.

His eyebrows quirk slightly at Billy's words. What an odd thing for him to say, to Loki of all people.]

I've never found that to be the case, but I'll keep it in mind.

[He gives no indication if he means clean up, or having neighbors.]

[He says odd things to odd people, it's a curse.]

Maybe Luceti can change your mind. About more than that, even.

[His expression shifts, then, turning more serious. May as well get the ugliness out of the way, if it's possible. Or at least make the offer, anyway.]

About what happened... I can explain things a little more, if you want to hear it. Not because I think it'll help, but... it's only fair that you know why people who've never even met you have reason to mistrust you. Or attack you, in this case.

[Maybe Luceti has. Or maybe Loki's mind has always been thus, and no one would believe it. It doesn't really matter.]

I am what I am. That may not be the same as is believed.

[Loki shrugs.]

People mistrust me because I am Loki. Ever has it been so. [He opens his hand in a gesture of invitation.] But more information is always better.

[With the initial response, Billy had expected a rejection, so when Loki agreed, he pauses for thought, trying to sort out how exactly to phrase this. He doesn't want to outright say that the Loki of his world is a crazy melodramatic bastard, but... he really is a crazy melodramatic bastard. Like. Really.

Well, first things first.]

I haven't been completely honest with you, but... that's probably not surprising. I don't come from the version of New York that you attacked. Tony, Cap, Barton- they're from that world, but in my version of Earth, they've all been Avengers for longer than I've been alive. The man who fought with you earlier is from that world, and there's a few others, too. [He purses his lips, then adds,] We've got a Loki, too.

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