tieflingtarot: (pic#14685328)
Mollymauk Tealeaf ([personal profile] tieflingtarot) wrote in [community profile] nexus_crossings2021-02-20 06:50 pm

Mother always told me to never give away a story for free

"Honestly, all this bare chest and he hits home right in the fabric..."

Did the demonic looking purple stranger look at all put out by the new locale? Not really, they'd been given a pamphlet that was currently tucked into their belt to be reviewed later. Their attention more focused on the bloody hole in their rather ostentatious coat, lips quirking on a frown as they fingered the damaged fabric lightly, tail twitching behind them in a clear hint of their annoyance.

Really, they're looking rather calm for someone that bloody. When they hear someone coming near they glance up with a jingle of jewelry both in skin and decorating their curved horns, red eyes brightening as their mouth spreads to a cheerfully hopeful smile.

"Well then!" They straighten, something of a showmanship in the shift from grumpy contemplation to sunny disposition but at the same time that shift didn't seem dishonest either. "Hello there darling, please tell me there's some manner of tailor to be found here? As you can likely see I'm in dire need of one."

Clearly this was some manner of weird afterlife, but Mollymauk would be dipped in Fuck No if anyone expected them to wander around with their coat in tatters.
coldsong: (Are you sure about this)

[personal profile] coldsong 2021-02-21 01:16 am (UTC)(link)
Newcomers in the Nexus are par for the course. Bleeding and potentially dead newcomers are also far less unusual than one might expect. Loki has seen a few come and go in the handful of years he's been here--and of course, he was one of the latter once, himself.

Bluish-skinned (purple, but close enough), red-eyed strangers are rarer, and he pauses a short distance away when they speak to him, visibly interested. He's wearing his usual Asgardian guise, but the similarity to his birth-form is notable. There's a slow blink, and he says, "Are you...no. No, you wouldn't be. Never mind. Yes, actually, there's a brilliant tailor in the Plaza but don't you think you ought to check whether you're actively bleeding first?"
coldsong: (Amused)

[personal profile] coldsong 2021-02-21 01:47 am (UTC)(link)
Right. Injured, probably dead, in a completely strange place and his priorities are evidently repairing his clothing and charming the locals. A slow smile creeps across Loki's face. This one, if he stays, is going to get along famously here.

The wound makes him wince slightly, though. "And you're not in pain? Not lightheaded at all?" Hopefully he's not in shock because that's not going to improve any time in the near future. "I hate to be the one to break it to you, but that might not be a good sign."

He crouches a little to get a closer look at the wound, concerned but calm. "I'm honestly shite at healing...if you're recovering on your own power I won't interfere but if you pass out all bets are off. Do you want to sit?"
coldsong: credit to citadel-icons on IJ (Pretty)

[personal profile] coldsong 2021-02-21 02:05 am (UTC)(link)
"Oof." It's a sympathetic comment, but Loki looks immensely relieved. "Well, congratulations, then, you're probably not undead, at least. You can lean on me, if you like, we'll work out the cleaners' bill later if you get blood on my tunic."

He holds out an arm to offer support. "One more point of order, though--any chance whoever did that followed you here?"

Because he's not taking a stranger to his cottage right away, but a quiet back room at the nearest pub should do if there's no danger of pursuit. The AV field is effective most of the time, but Loki doesn't completely trust it.
coldsong: Hollow Art (chaotic pretty)

[personal profile] coldsong 2021-02-21 02:30 am (UTC)(link)
"Slaver." The distaste is evident in Loki's voice. "Well enough, then. If he does somehow show up, he won't be making any friends in this place."

Loki glances about and makes a decision, turning toward a building with a flashing neon sign that reads eer, Win, and Spits due to a few burned out letters. He knows the regular bartender well enough to call in a favor and commandeer the breakroom.

"Right, it's a bit icy, try not to slip." It's only about half a block, though; they're in luck. "For whatever it's worth, I'm sorry for your...predicament? You're handling it well, though."

"What do I call you? My name is Loki."
coldsong: credit to eikon (Default)

[personal profile] coldsong 2021-02-21 03:01 am (UTC)(link)
"This place attracts all kinds," Loki admits. "Good, bad, and every shade in-between. But the truly brutish rarely linger. There's a kind of magic that prevents overt violence most of the time. It breaks down sometimes and someone clever can find ways around it if they put their mind to it, but it does tend to make gratuitous cruelty more trouble than it's worth."

That could sound like a warning, but in this case it really isn't. He's not sure what sort of person this newcomer is, but signs thus far do not point to cruelty or violence.

"As someone who's been impaled through the chest before, I feel your pain," he adds dryly. "Though you're not wrong; there are worse ways."

Loki returns the smile, amusement sparkling in his eyes in spite of the grim topic. "Well met, Molly. You're quite the charmer; I think we can safely say we're going to be friends."

"I'd take you to one of my safe houses, incidentally, but I'd rather get that wound sealed and get some water in you first."
coldsong: (Intent)

[personal profile] coldsong 2021-02-21 04:07 am (UTC)(link)
"Hmm, the Kebab Club," Loki muses. "The Noble Order of the Unwillingly Skewered. The Pincushion Fellowship. We'll work on that. Can't be Thursdays, though. That's my brother's day of the week. Perhaps Wednesdays, instead?" That's Odin's day, after all, and he survived his self-impalement, so it fits.

He leads the way around the back of the dive bar and pushes the door open with magic, letting them in quietly. A word to the startled stockboy in the back, and they're ushered into a breakroom that has seen better days. It's clean, but run down. The sofa is sagging as if it's been slept on by thousands of large people kicked out of bed by angry lovers, but the slipcover on it is mercifully stain-free. Unless Molly leaves bloodstains on it, of course, but in that case they'll just have to buy a new one.

Loki leads his new friend to the couch and helps him settle, then shrugs off his own coat and shakes it out, laying it across his shoulders for warmth. A word to the stockboy results in a bottle of whiskey and a bottle of spring water delivered into his hands. He sits, handing the water to Molly, and opens the whiskey.

...and he takes a drink of the liquor first, himself, because he's being nice and hospitable and deserves a reward. But then as far as he's concerned Molly can take over. "There, don't make yourself sick. Let me see what I can do with you."
coldsong: Hollow Art (Magic)

[personal profile] coldsong 2021-02-21 05:03 am (UTC)(link)
He does see the back of that wound, and combined with the mangled state he saw earlier, it paints a hell of a picture. Whoever the 'others' Molly referred to are, Loki does hope they fared better against his attacker, and got some of his own back for him. See you in Hel...

He drags a stool closer and perches on the edge of it, nudging the tiefling's shoulder to encourage him to lie back a bit. The flirtatious comment makes him pause and blink, because that's not remotely where his mind was at just now, but then he laughs appreciatively and pats his forearm. "I'll just bet there are."

"If you have any questions about the Nexus, by the way, now's the time to ask." Especially because it will help distract him from the sensation of Loki working on his wound. He dulls the pain as much as he can first, and it's clear there's been some significant healing already, whether that's due to Molly's own physiology or the power of the Nexus, but there is inevitably a sensation of pulling and shifting as bone and tissue are pushed back into place and knitted together.

Truthfully, Loki underestimates his ability as a healer because it's never been his primary focus. He can alter his own body, and shapeshifting is a parallel art to repairing wounds, but he's never thought of himself as a person who fixes things, bodies included. He breaks things; he does not tend to repair them.

In this case, though, slowly but surely, he seems able to do the job.
coldsong: (Jotun 6)

[personal profile] coldsong 2021-02-21 08:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Loki laughs softly again at the fingerguns. This individual has more charisma than he knows what to do with, evidently. He isn't prepared to trust him implicitly, but Loki is far from unaffected. He nods when he sees Molly relax a bit further and takes a towel the stockboy has left, to try and wipe up some of the blood that's not quite dry yet.

"Relax; I'm nothing if not a good host. I'm not about to let anything worse happen to you today." And that's a promise, if you like, Molly.

"We must not have had tiefling in my world. I've never heard the term before. At first glance, I actually thought you might be one of my kin--I'm wearing an illusion." There's a pause and a faint green-gold shimmer slides down Loki's body, ivory skin shifting to cobalt, eyes vivid red, with thin ridges etched like runes onto his skin. "Long story. But Jotnarr don't have tails, so I suppose we're not related."

At least not in that way. There's still a definite sense of kinship of character.

The question of entertaining plants further amuses him, but Loki, at least, will attend to practicalities first. He's not always the mom friend, but he's capable of the role. "Well, you can get marijuana at Palmer's garage," he says, "if that's the sort of thing you're looking for; a mild intoxicant you can smoke? Anything harder you're likely to have to get in the underground and I'd recommend you heal up fully before you go there. It's far less friendly than the plaza."

"As far as a place to stay, I'm not going to leave you in the street either way, but what trade might this be, exactly?" Because if it's relatively harmless, or at least something he can get behind, Loki is more than game to offer one of his safe houses. If not, a room at a hotel may be in order.
coldsong: (Jotun 9)

pfft! maybe he's just susceptible

[personal profile] coldsong 2021-02-22 02:23 am (UTC)(link)
"I should hope so. Technically, I'm a prince, though I'm not really required to function as such any longer. Not most of the time, anyway." Thor does still rely on his advice occasionally, and he's still keeping an eye on the refugees of the Statesman, not just his own children--but since he's dead, it's a very informal arrangement.

He smiles faintly. "Also known as Frost Giants, yes. I'm an unusually small specimen. I've seen Jotnarr with horns, but never tails. Ultimately, they're not a sociable race and aside from me and my alternates you're not likely to meet any here, but I suppose some part of me takes note of a similar appearance."

Psychologically, it's probably a good sign for Loki that he does react with interest to someone who looks Jotun, rather than revulsion or rage. He's come a long way from the princeling who tried to blow up a planet.

"I'm sure I would," he agrees gently, guessing that wistful look has to do with the thought that he's left this friend of his behind for good. "Sometimes people do find ways to arrive here without being dead, but it's best to make your own way without looking for that."

The outside of the wound is healed shut at this point, on both ends, but the muscle damage is still being pieced back together. Loki takes a moment to get another swig of whiskey before resuming. And he looks pleasantly surprised when Molly reveals the trade in question. "Oh! Well, it won't be hard to get a clientele for that here. You can set up anywhere; it's not illegal to tell fortunes in the Plaza. If you wanted a shop front, you might have to negotiate with a coffee shop or a tearoom for a space. I can't really advise you there, but if you were worried about getting harassed, don't."

And while there are myriad ways a person can make mischief by telling fortunes, Loki can't think of any offhand that would put them in opposition. Good. "I'd offer you my guestroom, honestly, but I don't have one because my house is full of children. And it would be somewhat irresponsible as a parent to bring in a visitor I've only just met. I've a safe house nearby, though; it's small but comfortable and you're welcome to it until you find something that suits you better."
coldsong: (Jotun 9)

[personal profile] coldsong 2021-02-22 03:56 am (UTC)(link)
"I'm so much smaller it makes me wonder if I am, in fact, biologically from two different species. But I have no way to determine that, and ultimately it better suits my nature to be ambiguous. I am known as the god of lies and mischief in my universe of origin."

Striking. That's a nice compliment, much easier to accept than 'beautiful', but equally satisfying. Loki's smile widens and gains a few degrees of warmth. "You can say it as much as you like. I'm not one to argue with admiration."

The idea makes a violet tinge that may well be a blush creep up the back of his neck, though. "They're, ah, a bit ticklish, but..." But. Aesthetically, it's a very good suggestion and even Loki can see that at once. He can imagine both Harley and Megatron appreciating that. "I'll take it under advisement."

"The safehouse I'm thinking of is actually inside a large tree at the edge of my property. I'll have to key the wards to you, but that won't take long. Just try not to startle my housekeeper when she walks to and from my place. She's a gem; losing her would be a disaster."
coldsong: credit to eikon (Default)

[personal profile] coldsong 2021-02-22 04:49 am (UTC)(link)
Loki nods. "I may be a better Trickster than I am a god, really, but yes. Lies and mischief, with a special attention to the care of the outcast, solitary and maligned--whether they're justifiably maligned or not. I knew you were--mm, akin? Associated? After talking with you for a few moments. I might not be quite so attentive otherwise, though I do tend not to be comfortable with just leaving bleeding people in the Plaza to fend for themselves."

You're getting the Quality Loki Experience, is what he's saying, where other injured parties might just get the Economy Package.

"Mischief and spreading joy..." this is interesting to him! "I'm not often accused of the latter, alas, but I like the sound of it. It must be nice to have that patronage."

The blush lingers, but does not intensify, but there's a quirk to Loki's smile that suggests he's genuinely touched by the compliment. "It's difficult," he says. "Jotnarr are not well-thought of in the culture I grew up in. I did not discover I was one until well after I came of age. I'm more comfortable with this face now than I was even a few years ago, but...well. The flattery is much appreciated."

"Mrs. Hedgeworthy is a much tougher soul than she seems at a glance, anyway. You might like her; she used to be an art thief when she was younger. The clever kind that subverts complicated security systems. She's under strict orders not to tell my children her best stories lest they choose a career that means I'll have to bail them out of jail repeatedly."

And now, it seems he's done with the wound, sitting back and rolling his shoulders to release tension. "The muscles will be a bit weak for a few days yet," he says. "You're going to want to eat heartily. But all the parts that should be inside of you will stay there now, and nothing that's outside of you will be able to come in without prior authorization. How do you feel?"
coldsong: (Jotun 9)

[personal profile] coldsong 2021-02-23 01:29 am (UTC)(link)
"Perhaps I will get to meet her some day. Under less dire circumstances than this, I hope." He reaches out and gives Molly's shoulder a gentle pat. It sounds like he is going to miss this companion of his, and possibly many others. It's to his credit that he's taking the shock well, but Loki feels for him.

"Oh?" The mention of demonic heritage prompts him to give his guest a second glance. He can sort of sense it now that it's brought to his attention, but in general he isn't attuned to such things. "There are all kinds of people here. Humans and those that resemble them predominate, but it's a wider variety than it seems at first glance. I won't swear to it that you won't encounter prejudice at all, but I shouldn't wonder if you find it rarer here."

"And in any case, you are not without friends."

He laughs then. "Don't tell her I tipped you off, but yes--I highly recommend charming her into storytelling. She likes a dry sherry if you want to offer her a drink sometime."

Loki wipes his hands off on the towel and banishes it to a pocket dimension. He'll either clean it or incinerate it later. He nods his approval as Molly stands and gets up himself, with a stretch and a sigh. "Mm, well, our healers in Asgard were all instructed by the actual goddess of mercy, so perhaps my standards are skewed. I'll take the compliment, anyway."
coldsong: (Jotun 8)

[personal profile] coldsong 2021-02-23 02:50 am (UTC)(link)
"No, no, that would be far too gauche for this place," Loki smirks. Besides, if no one's come for him with pitchforks yet, someone without a planet-killing reputation should be fine.

"I may have to ask you to ply me with ridiculous tales as well, then," he says, collecting the whiskey and water bottles. "That's better than coin as far as I'm concerned. Let me get you to my safehouse for now; I'll point out the tailor's to you then, and you can go see him at your leisure."

At this point in his life, Loki is far less concerned with worship than general respect and warmth in his acquaintanceships. Molly's instincts are solid. He chuckles and beckons him to follow. "I like this arrangement we've made where you tell me nice things about myself. I suppose it's your body; if the work suits you, it must be good enough. Do you need food supplies before we leave? This is, as you've likely guessed, a dive bar, but you'll find the owner makes it look deliberately grottier than it actually is."

Which makes if a very useful little meeting place, as far as Loki's concerned.

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