Video: Fifth Trick

[doeswhathewants]

[The video kicks on and Loki is sitting cross legged on a roof, view of buildings in the background behind him, the NV is propped up so the view is at an angle. The hood of his zip front sweatshirt pulled over his face, casting a shadow. Green eyes fairly glow from under the shade of that hood. He's smiling and it's just a bit sharp, a bit smug as he carefully plucks up and eats a blue M&M from a bowl of entirely blue M&M's, a can of Redbull held loosely in his right hand.]

Blizzard.

Rather inconvenient. [The smile grows more sly.] For some people, anyway.

For others, well, perhaps it is better that some of us are on the straight and narrow. [A grinning pause] Mostly.

[He pops another blue M&M into his mouth, chewing silently while he considers]

Boring, boring, boring. The walls are closing in. You know what happens then? Some real fun. Not yet, but soon. You'll know when it starts.

Comments

[doeswhathewants]

They are addicting. I am sure the brewer of the elixir added in an addictive property. Insidious.

A fire just for warmth, then? It seems rather primitive in this abundance of technology. Did you know they have blankets that plug in and emit warmth? What will humans think of next.

[allucinator]

Yeah, I know, but we like fires better. 'S more home-y, you know? And seriously, kid, you really oughta lay off the drinks. I dunno much about gods, but I bet you ain't made to stay up for three days.

[doeswhathewants]

I should think I can stay up for as long as I want. [A little huff and crosses his arms.]

The fires back home usually had a few scantily clad women dancing around them. Or overly large Aesir passed out in drunken stupors around them. I would hope that is not your idea of homey, Jack. [He might just be teasing you. Or giving you ideas.]

[allucinator]

[He snorts.]

We got one twelve year old and one who's my girl. And Sirius, and believe me, ain't nobody wants him dancin' in his boxers-- I've seen it, ain't no pretty sight.

Anyway, what are you, six? Go to bed.

[doeswhathewants]

Practically fourteen. [Like every other teenager, that practically is important.]

Well, I suppose that's a little more homey and a little less ... ah fraternity party. What's a Sirius?

[allucinator]

Who. Who. He's me roommate-- Sirius Black, wizard extraordinaire. Cleverest man you'll ever meet. But not the sexiest, I'm afraid.

[doeswhathewants]

Ah! A magic user, now that is interesting. Since he's your friend, I will guess not into darker things. But something to keep in mind. I guess with him you won't have to be ill situated about the ice. Someone named Superman was going on about that.

I hesitate to ask who is the.... sexiest[Pulls a face] Gross.

[allucinator]

Yeah, I heard. Whatever. We live inna magic firehouse, ain't nothin' can touch us. And it's me, o'course.

[doeswhathewants]

Magic firehouse? Well, I suppose that makes sense given the fire you said was homey. Though it seems that would be ... rather warm.

[Eyeroll] Of course.

[allucinator]

You don't know what homey means, do you?

[doeswhathewants]

....not really. Though I would wager a guess to 'like home.' And since you related your penchant for fires, living in a house made of fire seems logical.

If not suicidal for mortals.

[allucinator]

No, Loki. It's-- haha, sorry, it's-- uh, it's a house that people who put out fires used to live in. It's huge, it houses like twenty people. And we moved in. But homey means, like . . . I don't know. You got your family and you feel comfortable.

[doeswhathewants]

People who put out fires? Why would they put out fires?

...oh. [Well that's awkward.]

[allucinator]

Cuz they don't want people's houses to burn down-- y'know, when they catch on fire. What's the matter?

[doeswhathewants]

You ought to have said put out houses that are set on fire, especially after he just finished speaking of having fires in ones house.

Family and comfortable are mostly mutually exclusive to some. [A half shrug, no self pity. Thor excluded, of course. Mostly.]

[allucinator]

I meant in a fireplace. I'll show you sometime.

[A beat.]

Family don't always mean blood-related, you know. It can be friends, too.

[doeswhathewants]

Would that be irony, then? Having a place to start fires in a house previously occupied by people who put them out?

[Laughs]

Truthfully, I've never had friends before here. Only people I used or manipulated or set up.

[allucinator]

I dunno, I never studied grammar or that bullshit. And you do now, so.

[doeswhathewants]

Now I do.

Why not study grammar and that sort of thing? Words can be used to ensnare as well as magic or physical barriers.

[allucinator]

Because I don't have that kinda magic and I don't wanna ensnare nobody.

[doeswhathewants]

You are a speaker of the law, is that not what you and your colleagues do? Find loopholes and... and talk people into signing contracts and the like?

[allucinator]

Oh. Oh! Er--

[A beat. He gives Loki a grin.]

Sorry, kid, I was messin' with ya. I'm an EMT-- a nurse, kinda. And a bartender in the evenin's.

[doeswhathewants]

[Crosses his arms and gives a sulk]

Oh.

So a healer, then. And a... what is a bartender?

[allucinator]

Oh, don't pull that on me, come on. And a bartender-- we serve drinks to people. Alcohol, you know? And we mix the drinks.

[doeswhathewants]

[Nope, still sulking]

I hate to tell you this, Jack, but you're the wrong gender to be a serving wench. Unless there's something you're not telling me? That's perfectly fine, I was female a few times.