OTA LOG: ACID RAIN EDITION

[ikols]

who: loki laufeyson (616) and you!
what: prompts taken from the july tdm
when: post-july 20th
where: all over
warnings: tba


1. RESCUES IN THE ACIDIC RAIN.

[ Whenever Loki ventures out into the foul weather he conjures a green magical shield, the same he last used when Leah's construct was attempting to sever his head in Mother's dimension. Droplets that spatter all over it flash a pale lime-gold so that it appears he may be walking around in a glittery bubble, but the fact remains he only dons the protective enchantment to get from Point A to Point B; reaching outside of it is an unpleasant experience even for him.

That's how it starts, anyway.

He eventually finds himself an inadvertent taxi service for anyone caught in the downpour. Whether it's a person hunched down against an abandoned vendor's cart, someone shrieking in a panic as their tenth umbrella of the day turns to tatters, or reluctantly agreeing to ferry food from one household to another (no good deed is too menial for him this week) the God of Mischief is obliging to those in need.

But he doesn't decline any rewards for services rendered, either. ]

2. FIREFLY AT 2AM.

[ The magical shield also happens to glow in the dark, making it a point of interest for anyone with eyes who happens to spot Loki moving around the Quarantine like a mobile nightlight, along the streets and up the glassy walls of skyscrapers. Green orbs swish overhead and light his way as though streetlamps are bobbing along at his request.

If anyone wants one, they are free to shout him over from their hidey-hole. There's not much else to see out there that wanders around so casually in a corrosive downpour, let your curiosity take over. ]

3. A REAL BOAR OF A TIME.

[ With his spellcraft invulnerable to something as ordinarily challenging as acid rain for everyone else, one way or another word gets out about what Loki can do and he feels compelled to help some of the teams ranging out into the jungle intent on setting up their scientific dohickies. The most important turn of events, he feels, is that with his full-body bubbleshield there is no need for a fugly bodysuit, while on the flipside his permanent shimmer in the drab conditions mean that Loki is often requested to head up the front of a party.

When boars attack, the green glow of his shield is joined by the crimson glimmer of his ancestral blade Laevateinn, slashing down their beastly opponents in two or three nimble strikes. Curious why it doesn't take much more effort than that? Loki himself will shrug and tell you, ]

The blade cuts through any hide.

[ It can be intensely handy sometimes when people can bear to have such a dangerous thing around, much like Loki himself. Additionally, he provides marshmallows for those hard at work in the jungle. ]

4. DRAINED.

[ A near daily, constant use of sorcery has Loki on edge during rare moments, rubbing his head as he takes refuge in shops and under eaves of buildings when his headache worsens. He can be found with his feet up on overcast veranda benches, taking a break from supporting his own shield and the magical orbs loaned out across the city, tired-eyed and usually nibbling at a snack for an energy boost. Not that he needs to eat anything, it's more a comfort thing. Mental rousing.

Anyone who spots him will find he doesn't leave in a hurry when approached and those who depend on his magical orbs are free to call him up and find out why their rooms have suddenly gone dark. ]

Comments

4

[striketwice]

[ Loki isn’t the only one with a magical shield, but Alec wouldn’t be using his if it glowed in the dark.

Alec doesn’t like to flaunt his magic by any means, even putting aside the fact that there are Rules about that where he comes from. He’s been staying inside as much as he possibly can, but he’s gotta leave the house sometime. So, he ventures out around late evening, when most people braving the rain for commutes or meals have turned in for the day.

He still walks with the hood of his sweatshirt up, head bowed like he’s trying to avoid getting wet, and maybe someone looking at him from a distance would be fooled, but upon closer inspection it’s easy to see he isn’t getting wet at all. The water splashes and runs off an invisible bubble around Alec- the space is easily big enough for two or three others aside from himself- as he trudges down the street.

So far his shield seems to be holding fine, but he won’t take risks if he doesn’t have to, and ducks under cover, where Loki is currently putting his feet up. He’s quiet for a few, letting the water run off his shield before deactivating it with a thought, and not at all drawing attention to the fact that it was even there in the first place. ]

Hey Hermes. Wear yourself out?

[ikols]

[ There's not a lot breaking up the rainfall until footsteps start to near the decking and, by the time the newcomer is done dropping a shield of his own, a green eye is peeking sidelong to watch. Loki, with his arms folded and ankles up on his bench, looks about as snug as anyone could in the circumstances, blinking up for a moment before a smile slides into place. ]

It's like they say, you know? Listening to the sound of acid rain is a good way to fall asleep. [ He tilts his head to get a better look at him, cheek hidden in the fur collar of the Svartalfheim coat. ] Using some tricks to get about town?

[ As if Loki hasn't been doing the same thing and could be surprised. ]

[striketwice]

[ A bench out in the middle of the city in the middle of a downpour of acid rain would not be Alec’s first choice of places to snuggle up, but to each their own, he supposes.

(It’s also kind of funny how he has to leave the house in order to run into one of his floormates, even though he never makes an effort to talk to them while he is home.) ]

I have no idea what you’re talking about.

[ Said blandly. It’s not a subtle denial at all, but if Loki’s already seen it, there’s not much he can do about that. ]

But I’m sure you’ve got some tricks of your own.

[ikols]

[ If those droplets ran off that unscathed body then Loki will turn into an otter and swim home through the acid rivers. He doesn't chase the issue, shrugging with a look. ]

Nah, I've been sitting out here for days. [ An obvious lie but a casual one. ] Haven't seen too many people taking in the weather like you, though.

( for hititwithacrowbar )

[ikols]

[ After receiving a surprisingly sweet text from Jason, Loki decides his time is better spent hanging out with the vigilante instead of looting the mall for cute sweaters; alone, anyway. It's not like the security cameras will be on to catch any of it and he suspects Jason is itching to get out of the apartments for a good time.

So Loki walks into the atrium of the communal housing with his magical bubble dissolving once he steps inside, out of the rain, and he heads over to Jason with a smile. ]

Not gone stir-crazy quite yet?

[hititwithacrowbar]

[ Jason was leaning against the wall poking at his phones screen while he waited on Loki. A black suit was under his zipped up leather jacket. He wore the tactical pants he had arrived in. His hair was loosely styled to flatter his features half slicked back half haphazardly sticking up. It took work to look lazy and put together at the same time.

Loki was right in his thoughts Jay was getting cabin fever, with his helmet still in Damian's possession he was more or less stuck indoors outside of getting to work. A message had been sent to Dick to get his helmet back before he handles it himself. Jay looked up in time to see the bubble dissolve and Loki speak. He smirked at the other as he pushed off the wall to meet him halfway.]

I'm getting there. I hate being cooped up. So, what were you up to our there?

[ He asked, then flashing one of his more charming smiles.]

[ikols]

[ Why does he feel like a fox in the sights of a hound when Jason smiles at him, and why does he not run? Mysteries. ]

Borrowing a few things for some friends. The mall is deserted, mostly. Would you like to catch some milkshakes at the empty soda house?

[ And maybe steal some other stuff while they're there, feel out where Jason stands on that sort of thing. Although Loki was intimate with Jason's predecessor it wasn't exactly a share-all experience, not outside of which boxers they repectively preferred. ]

[hititwithacrowbar]

Borrowing? That tends to mean you intend to return things.

[ Jason would have been shocked if Loki had ran. He was coming to find he was always right, he had good taste no matter what world. Okay maybe not always but this time it seemed so.

One of his eyebrows lifted before he stepped closer still, phone slipped in his back pocket and his hands going into his jacket pocket as he stopped just before Loki.]

Count me in, I love milk shakes, and a deserted mall sounds like to much fun to pass up.


[ He commented, he did need more clothes and a little shop lifting never bothered him. It didn't hurt anyone really.]

1. RESCUES IN THE ACIDIC RAIN.

[littlemisskate]

[This is honestly the last thing that Kate's expecting. So far, this moon and the city she's been told will be her home for the next few years, has been relatively normal. There are streets and stores and homes. She doesn't have to worry about wells of blood or Culabre or constant fighting for her life.

Then came the rain. Kate hadn't stepped outside in it but she'd seen others fleeing from it where she'd found a small sliver of safety.]

Wait. [She calls out towards a retreating shadow.] Please take me with you.

[Kate finds herself alone, her fingers gently playing with the silver cross around her throat. After a half hour or so she spots Loki and she waves to get his attention.] Hey! Please, can you help me?

[ikols]

Another?

[ Tilting his head curiously at the sight of her, Loki wanders over. He keeps to himself for the time being, leaning on the outer wall with folded arms. ]

Where did all the other little songbirds go and why did they leave you behind, I wonder?

[littlemisskate]

[Kate looks at him rather hopelessly for a few seconds. She's stuck and she really doesn't have an answer to his question. He reminds her a little bit of someone though who is currently escaping her.]

Everyone was rushing to cover. This is as far as I got.

[She looks up at his green shield.]

How are you doing that?

[ikols]

You rush pretty slowly, it seems. I hope you aren't a paramedic.

[ He waves a hand to the bubble of green light, the patter of raindrops on it turning the translucent surface to specks of shimmering gold. ]

Magic. Where is it you need to get to?

4 slides in here

[fingerstripes]

[ He's known for a while now that all the pieces are already there, should Loki care to put them together. And maybe he doesn't, which would be alright. Bringing it out into the open is really- it's meant to be a gesture, more than anything else. A show of trust. One that isn't only about him, when it comes with an acknowledgement that he's limited in his effectiveness as an ally, as long as he's just Dick Grayson, rookie cop. And that means he's limited in his effectiveness as a friend. His ability to return the favor of being one. Loki's been there for him. He wants him to know that it doesn't only have to go in one direction.

But still, he's been stalling. And probably it's time to admit that he's been stalling because he cares a whole lot more than he probably should, about how Loki will take to being deceived. Because he wants the opportunity to lay all of it out there. To give him a real explanation if that's what he wants.

This isn't the right moment for that. Not when he's deep in a case and pressed for time and in need of yet another favor. He wants to tell him over brunch. He wants to be able to laugh about it. He doesn't want to tell him like this.

But probably, it was only a matter of time before it came to this. He wouldn't be a friend if he didn't take the risk now, when he's seen that look on him before. If he didn't ask.

It's that feeling that makes him drop soundlessly out of the eaves, damp despite the fairly impressive bat umbrella he's carrying. His expression is carefully schooled to vague recognition rather than overt friendliness. He's tense. ]

Can't catch a break?

[ikols]

[ Hardly anyone approaches the veranda from the ground and no one, save for in the moment a dark figure drops down, from the roof, so Loki remains where he is with one eye cracked open to watch the stranger rise; then there's that voice. Familiar set of broad shoulders, floppy hair, and hips that Loki has admired in denim too many times to count, now in ... That can't be leather, imagine the chafing. Whatever that costume is made of, he appreciates it.

His head tilts in consideration, resting on the back of the bench as he stays curled up in his coat. ]

Catching one currently, can't speak for later. [ Tiredly, he blinks at length and murmurs, ] Only the friendliest stalkers welcome.

[ To say hello in his own way to Dick, who actually is a friend. ]

[fingerstripes]

[ There's moments when Dick feels he gets Loki entirely, and just as many more when he wonders at his own gall for imagining he understands any part of him. This moment is one of the latter.

But as inscrutable as he reads, he's also not reacting, which-

It eases him a little. Enough that he has to flash him a little smile; broad and maybe a little too easy for a stranger. ]

I don't mean to pry, but a good Boy Scout needs to ask-

Can you get yourself out when you're rested up?

[ikols]

Nope. I'm stuck.

[ His smile says he isn't but the way Loki stares up at his would-be rescuer hints more than he puts into words. He wiggles his feet where his boots hang off the bench, ankles crossed. ]

I've got the really bad pins and needles, it's serious stuff.

for doom.

[ikols]

[ Even though Loki owns Trixie and can eat and drink for free nowadays, he still has his favourite diners and coffee shops in the Quarantine where life on the moon echoes something like Earth, making it easier to clear his thoughts when surrounded by a certain brand of mildly pleasure-seeking brunchers. The hum of conversation is a balm to an overactive mind, as Malekith had once noticed Loki had, and the godling loves to sit amongst people who blithely accept him as just another harmless caffeine-loving hipster.

The scalemaille and horns make him stand out to the people who know him, of course, but in the context of his surroundings there are arguably those with worse taste (scarves, moustaches, adult-sized dungarees). So there he sits by the window, browsing his apps and nursing a hot drink with too much cream and marshmallows to be considered less than a dessert, shadowthread coat on the back of his chair.

He briefly closes his eyes and takes in the ambience, chin in hand. For a moment, there is some kind of peace from his thoughts and a dozen subjects. ]

[metalmenace]

[Say goodbye to having any peace here from now on because here comes Victor, strolling over from somewhere (where did he come from? was he here earlier? why does he do this?) with coffee and--are those cookies? Yes, those are cookies and that is Victor taking a seat next to Loki, dressed like he took notes from Steve Jobs and holding one cookie out for him as some sort of peace offering.]

It's not poisoned and I haven't done anything to it.

[That's...how people say hello, right?]

[ikols]

[ Loki's lashes shutter open in time to see Victor von Librarian's approach and he sits up, taking in the eccentric sight afforded. Hearing what he does, he relates a little too much and takes the cookie to bite into it without pause, which may seem foolish but, ]

None of the poisons on this moon have yet had any affect on me. [ It'll be nice if he's immune to all diseases in the Quarantine as well as those of Earthly origin. That's the excuse he's going with, anyway, instead of feeling any sort of connection with Doom.

He draws his long legs under his chair, gesturing to the other with the remainder of his cookie. Bright eyes stick to Victor like a burr. ]

Shouldn't you be labouring for the greatness of Gramarye or zooming around in a knock-off Iron Man suit?

[ action / trix ]

[dothelokimotion]

[ It has been a while since Loki has heard from his other self and the silence was . . . troubling. Not that Loki was troubled but it was unusual enough for him to consider stopping by. Loki cloaks himself at first, watching the bustle and the quiet chatter of the club before seeking out his other self and removing the illusion. ]

Business seems to be faring well.

[ikols]

It fares so much better now that you're here to brighten it up.

[ He knows when his other self arrives on his turf, there are wards to safeguard that but, also, a sensation of hairs rising on the back of his neck. That's why he sits alone in a private booth on the VIP floor, murky drapes a translucent web in his verdant home-from-home. A second glass awaits his twin next to a iced bottle of something just as green as the furnishings. ]

What can I do for you, handsome?

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki reflexively curls his fingers around the glass. The ambient noises filter through his mind, always feeling out the location before he can fully relax, no matter how good his other self was at minding the store. Paranoia doesn't simply go away. At the most, it can be muted. ]

I was simply taking you up on your offer. Unless you mind?

4 because im predictable.

[amelioraate]

[ it has taken some modifications, and more than one chemical burn, but Tony finally has the armour mostly resistant to the acid rain. which is really the only reason that he is moving about in this ridiculousness. well, that and he really was impatient and wanted a coffee that was actually coffee and not just slightly bitter water which was all that he could seem to get in the office at the moment.

he should make some kind of program that reminded him to buy the stuff on a regular basis so that it didn't come to this.

of course, then he wouldn't have come across Loki looking more worse for wear and--

as soon as Tony is under some shelter, the faceplate pulls back to expose his concerned look.]

You alright there, Lokes?

[ikols]

[ His head perks up when he hears the approach of armour but it isn't until the faceplate lifts that the tension eases in his shoulders, folded arms slumping sideways against the back of the bench. Rain patters relentlessly against the veranda a few feet away, safe enough when the wind blows that it doesn't flick much in his direction, nevertheless he keeps his furry collar popped and stays where he is with only green eyes following Tony's approach. ]

I'm taking the time to make new memes. No one else on this moon will, so.

[ Maybe he was with his phone on his lap. Now, with Tony there, Loki's Starkphone sits ignored in his fist. ]

[amelioraate]

[ there is a flicker of worry as Tony moves closer, taking in the lines of Loki's frame, the echo of fatigue that seems to be rolling off him no matter how much the godling might be trying to hide it. Tony had been around him enough to know that there was more going on here than meme creation.

still, he doesn't push it, just lets the armour fall away until he is standing before Loki in jeans and a black shirt, eyebrow raised. when he sits down on the bench, it is well within Loki's personal space, thigh pressed close to the godling, as he huffs a laugh.]

Memes, huh. And how is that going for you?