“Of course /you/ didn’t ask,” she spat. “Did I ask for safe? Do I look like someone who courts /safe/? You expected me to know you, but you have no idea who I am, do you? I won’t match danger with you, oh no, but I am no more /safe/ than you are, Loki.
“She knew I would touch you.”
“I do not know the first thing about you,” Loki said, still sounding a little amused. ”Of course I assumed you would know me—I am, after all, the one who nearly destroyed New York City. Most people know my name at least.”
“Oh, go play with your little kitten. I’m going to go burn something to the ground. Possibly SHIELD.” She compressed her lips. “After that, maybe I’ll start on you. It’s your emotions fuelling this one, after all.”
Loki flashed a very brief grin.
“Be sure to tell Fury that, then. I gladly take credit for any problems made for that one-eyed oligarch. If you are gone over-long I will feed your cats for you.”
“I /didn’t/ know!” Summer’s voice rose to a shout. “Until I touched you — I had no idea what you looked like, I wasn’t even here at that time. I thought it was just a name. Until I touched you, touched your skin, and she /knew/ — I thought, I hoped, I had found someone to make friends with, and instead my never-to-be-sufficiently-cursed twin had /set/ me on you, on /you/, like a /dog/.” She trembled in her anger.
Her hair billowed in the sudden heat as the fiery wings burst into full being. “And now I have to carry your pain too.”
Loki’s eyebrow quirked, but other than that, he remained unruffled by the outburst.
“I am not a safe person to befriend, child. I have never asked another to carry my pain—I do not do so now.”
“Of course /you/ didn’t ask,” she spat. “Did I ask for safe? Do I look like someone who courts /safe/? You expected me to know you, but you have no idea who I am, do you? I won’t match danger with you, oh no, but I am no more /safe/ than you are, Loki.
“She knew I would touch you.”
“I do not know the first thing about you,” Loki said, still sounding a little amused. ”Of course I assumed you would know me—I am, after all, the one who nearly destroyed New York City. Most people know my name at least.”
“Oh, go play with your little kitten. I’m going to go burn something to the ground. Possibly SHIELD.” She compressed her lips. “After that, maybe I’ll start on you. It’s your emotions fuelling this one, after all.”
The half-formed wings, roaring with flame, collapsed into smoke. “SHIELD. She’s a SHIELD agent. The better twin.” A beat, then: “You deserved to know. She’s wrong.” There was still no inflection in her voice. “I won’t be used.”
Oddly enough, Loki relaxed a little.
“…You knew who I was all along—well done, your front was quite believable.” He waved a hand, a weary sort of amusement on his face. “SHIELD already knows that I am in New York City. This was not a secret.”
“I /didn’t/ know!” Summer’s voice rose to a shout. “Until I touched you — I had no idea what you looked like, I wasn’t even here at that time. I thought it was just a name. Until I touched you, touched your skin, and she /knew/ — I thought, I hoped, I had found someone to make friends with, and instead my never-to-be-sufficiently-cursed twin had /set/ me on you, on /you/, like a /dog/.” She trembled in her anger.
Her hair billowed in the sudden heat as the fiery wings burst into full being. “And now I have to carry your pain too.”
Loki’s eyebrow quirked, but other than that, he remained unruffled by the outburst.
“I am not a safe person to befriend, child. I have never asked another to carry my pain—I do not do so now.”
“Of course /you/ didn’t ask,” she spat. “Did I ask for safe? Do I look like someone who courts /safe/? You expected me to know you, but you have no idea who I am, do you? I won’t match danger with you, oh no, but I am no more /safe/ than you are, Loki.
Summer’s shoulders sagged. “Gods /****/ it.” The temptation to force it out of him was so strong, bitter in her throat. But she was a hero. Wasn’t she.
“My sister set me to spy on you,” she said to his retreating back. The tonelessness of her voice was at stark odds with its intensity only a moment before. “I think I’ll go set her on fire.”
Keys, shoes, id … she didn’t bother to suit up, just stepped outside right after Loki. At least there’d be no trouble summoning her wings.
Loki stopped dead in his tracks and turned, face set in grim lines, blazing eyes on Summer’s face.
“And who, pray tell, is your sister?”
The half-formed wings, roaring with flame, collapsed into smoke. “SHIELD. She’s a SHIELD agent. The better twin.” A beat, then: “You deserved to know. She’s wrong.” There was still no inflection in her voice. “I won’t be used.”
Oddly enough, Loki relaxed a little.
“…You knew who I was all along—well done, your front was quite believable.” He waved a hand, a weary sort of amusement on his face. “SHIELD already knows that I am in New York City. This was not a secret.”
“I /didn’t/ know!” Summer’s voice rose to a shout. “Until I touched you — I had no idea what you looked like, I wasn’t even here at that time. I thought it was just a name. Until I touched you, touched your skin, and she /knew/ — I thought, I hoped, I had found someone to make friends with, and instead my never-to-be-sufficiently cursed twin had /set/ me on you, on /you/, like a /dog/.” She trembled in her anger.
Her hair billowed in the sudden heat as the fiery wings burst into full being. “And now I have to carry your pain too.”
“You think I’m just going to let this go,” she muttered into her hands. “You think I can let this go.” Summer stood up to place a hand on Loki’s arm. “Let me be your friend.”
Loki withdrew—not jerking back, but a calm step backwards.
“You have been very kind—your advice will serve me well. Thank you again for keeping Macrowafter out of the street.”
Summer’s shoulders sagged. “Gods /****/ it.” The temptation to force it out of him was so strong, bitter in her throat. But she was a hero. Wasn’t she.
“My sister set me to spy on you,” she said to his retreating back. The tonelessness of her voice was at stark odds with its intensity only a moment before. “I think I’ll go set her on fire.”
Keys, shoes, id … she didn’t bother to suit up, just stepped outside right after Loki. At least there’d be no trouble summoning her wings.
Loki stopped dead in his tracks and turned, face set in grim lines, blazing eyes on Summer’s face.
“And who, pray tell, is your sister?”
The half-formed wings, roaring with flame, collapsed into smoke. “SHIELD. She’s a SHIELD agent. The better twin.” A beat, then: “You deserved to know. She’s wrong.” There was still no inflection in her voice. “I won’t be used.”
“But you’re not. Are you. Not even of a cat.” Summer held out a finger, and Helios arched his neck, sniffing at it. She scrupulously kept her gaze away from Loki’s, and her voice was very soft. “Are you going to let yourself love Cat? Because if you aren’t, you need to find him someone who will. I,” she drew a deep breath, and her voice hitched, “don’t know what I just saw. I — “
She broke off and swore, vehemently, for thirty seconds, putting her face in her hands. “I don’t even know what to say to you!”
Loki picked Helios up in very gentle hands and placed the cat on Summer’s knee, then rose.
“…I should go. Cat will be shredding my pillow about now—he does that when he’s annoyed with me.”
“You think I’m just going to let this go,” she muttered into her hands. “You think I can let this go.” Summer stood up to place a hand on Loki’s arm. “Let me be your friend.”
Loki withdrew—not jerking back, but a calm step backwards.
“You have been very kind—your advice will serve me well. Thank you again for keeping Macrowafter out of the street.”
Summer’s shoulders sagged. “Gods /****/ it.” The temptation to force it out of him was so strong, bitter in her throat. But she was a hero. Wasn’t she.
“My sister set me to spy on you,” she said to his retreating back. The tonelessness of her voice was at stark odds with its intensity only a moment before. “I think I’ll go set her on fire.”
Keys, shoes, id … she didn’t bother to suit up, just stepped outside right after Loki. At least there’d be no trouble summoning her wings.
Summer swallowed hard. And then again. “Excuse me,” she said faintly, turning away slightly. She cupped her hands, and a flame grew inside her palms, flickering against her face and filling the room with the smell of fire. A single tear tracked down her face as she closed her eyes.
When she reopened them, the fire vanished. Apparently without self-consciousness, she smeared the tearstain from her face and turned back to Loki. Clearing her throat, she said, “I’m sorry, where was I?”
Loki didn’t flinch at the fire—he knew it burned, but he kept his eyes on the cat and his hands clasped tightly in his lap.
“…cats are trusting,” he said, in answer to her question.
“But you’re not. Are you. Not even of a cat.” Summer held out a finger, and Helios arched his neck, sniffing at it. She scrupulously kept her gaze away from Loki’s, and her voice was very soft. “Are you going to let yourself love Cat? Because if you aren’t, you need to find him someone who will. I,” she drew a deep breath, and her voice hitched, “don’t know what I just saw. I — “
She broke off and swore, vehemently, for thirty seconds, putting her face in her hands. “I don’t even know what to say to you!”
Loki picked Helios up in very gentle hands and placed the cat on Summer’s knee, then rose.
“…I should go. Cat will be shredding my pillow about now—he does that when he’s annoyed with me.”
“You think I’m just going to let this go,” she muttered into her hands. “You think I can let this go.” Summer stood up to place a hand on Loki’s arm. “Let me be your friend.”
Summer reached out to lay her hand over his. “He must have known you had a good hear—” A storm of emotion blazed through her mind, pain and anger and desperation and longing — she jerked her hand away and sat for a long moment, breathing hard. Helios laid his ears back, his purr dimming.
Loki’s hand went rigid under hers—and he pulled his own hand away as she jerked hers back, his eyes fixed on the cat.
Summer swallowed hard. And then again. “Excuse me,” she said faintly, turning away slightly. She cupped her hands, and a flame grew inside her palms, flickering against her face and filling the room with the smell of fire. A single tear tracked down her face as she closed her eyes.
When she reopened them, the fire vanished. Apparently without self-consciousness, she smeared the tearstain from her face and turned back to Loki. Clearing her throat, she said, “I’m sorry, where was I?”
Loki didn’t flinch at the fire—he knew it burned, but he kept his eyes on the cat and his hands clasped tightly in his lap.
“…cats are trusting,” he said, in answer to her question.
“But you’re not. Are you. Not even of a cat.” Summer held out a finger, and Helios arched his neck, sniffing at it. She scrupulously kept her gaze away from Loki’s, and her voice was very soft. “Are you going to let yourself love Cat? Because if you aren’t, you need to find him someone who will. I,” she drew a deep breath, and her voice hitched, “don’t know what I just saw. I — “
She broke off and swore, vehemently, for thirty seconds, putting her face in her hands. “I don’t even know what to say to you!”
“Cats are. They may seem standoffish, but once one has claimed you, it’s up to you not to break that trust. They aren’t,” she hesitated, searching for the right word, “intelligent. Not the way we are. They can’t understand, if we hurt them.”
Helios increased the volume of his purr, narrowing his eyes to slits. “But they understand our emotions,” she continued softly. “Helios is saying, don’t hurt, I’m here, I care. Maybe that’s why Macrowafter came to you.”
Loki was staring down at the cat with a look of perplexed concentration, his hand still moving with calculated care over the silky fur—he found he had no answer for a long moment, and instead focused on the cat.
“…I found Macrowafter in an alley. He was hurt. I took him home and bathed and treated him, and he stayed.”
Summer reached out to lay her hand over his. “He must have known you had a good hear—” A storm of emotion blazed through her mind, pain and anger and desperation and longing — she jerked her hand away and sat for a long moment, breathing hard. Helios laid his ears back, his purr dimming.
Loki’s hand went rigid under hers—and he pulled his own hand away as she jerked hers back, his eyes fixed on the cat.
Summer swallowed hard. And then again. “Excuse me,” she said faintly, turning away slightly. She cupped her hands, and a flame grew inside her palms, flickering against her face and filling the room with the smell of fire. A single tear tracked down her face as she closed her eyes.
When she reopened them, the fire vanished. Apparently without self-consciousness, she smeared the tearstain from her face and turned back to Loki. Clearing her throat, she said, “I’m sorry, where was I?”
So I’m going to go do something EXCITING AND SOLO. I should make Thor sorry for leaving me alone on Lokisday.
(*Sobs in the corner with an ice cream cone in each hand*)
…I’m going to go to Hobby Lobby and get some cosplay stuff for Loki.
I VOW TO HAVE THIS WALLPAPER DONE FOR YOU BY THE END OF LOKISDAY. Will that make you feel better? 🙁
I can’t promise it will be any GOOD, but such is life. ♥ HEART. YOU.
<3 I am back and my mission was SUCCESSFUL. I have what I need now to make the extremely irritating bits of armour on the sides of my trousers. Also, I have bake-at-home pizza, diet soda, kettlecorn and ice cream. SELF PITY NIGHT ASSEMBLE
Shall self-pity include other roleplays besides Dust?