(Untitled)

[lady_of_nineveh]

Date: March 3rd 2003?
Status: [complete]
Setting: Lower Tadfield Railway Station, Tadfield Manor
Summary: Ishtar teeters towards the bar

Comments

[leucemic_god]

There was something familiar about the woman wobbling towards the manor in the most ill chosen pair of shoes Loki could imagine for this place.

Woman? No, he could feel clearly that this was a goddess, an old one most likely. Odin would have recognised her for sure.

Loki abandoned his search for a possible overgrown back door to the greenhouse and went to meet her instead. She'd probably appreciate someone to lean on until she reached even ground.

The closer he got the more familiar she seemed... Could it be?

"Ishtar?" But she looked like she'd been crying! "Whatever happened?"

[lady_of_nineveh]

"Loki!" Ishtar's normally active voice deserted her momentarily. She was half way between laughter and tears, and for the merest moment she feared she’d do both at once.

“And here I was hoping to get cleaned up and calmed down before anyone saw me!” Laughter won, but it was a small sort of laugh. “Let alone an old friend! It’s been half of forever since I saw you last, but you still seem to have the talent of catching me off guard!”

She wiped ineffectually at her eyes, only succeeding in smearing her eyeliner a little. “It’s only everything. Tell you about it over a drink?”

[leucemic_god]

"Of course," Loki agreed with a smile. Laughter was reassuring, laughing Ishtar was familiar. "There's a decent bar inside, though their choice of non-alcoholic drinks is pathetic. But let's pick out a room for you first. They're free and you'll feel better once you've had a chance to freshen up

[lady_of_nineveh]

“Thanks,” she flashed a quick smile up at him as she took his arm. Together they made their way carefully and slowly to the firmer ground

[leucemic_god]

"Unfortunately we seem to have the Judeo-Christian thunder god here and he stormed at me a bit earlier today," Loki explained. "That's why you're sinking into the mud right now. And I agree, London was depressing." Well, its hospital walls were. He hadn't seen all that much of the rest of the city.

"We should definitely steal you a pair of wellingtons before that," he declared. "There's some guy called Adam here that doesn't want the town or people destroyed, so he's paying for our rooms in exchange for our good behavior. Shouldn't be a problem for you as he never said anything against having sex or parties with them."

[lady_of_nineveh]

"Did you goad one of those by-the-scroll types into making it rain hmm?"

She produced a cigarette lighter, a cheap pink plastic thing and lit her cigarette, lifting it in an imagined toast. "My thanks to this Adam. Perhaps I'll express them personally, if he permits me my little parties." She returned the cigarette to her lips, her eyes fluttering closed as she inhaled.

She opened them again on the long exhale, the smoke a faint rose colour. "Ah me, I feel better for that. Are you sure you won't take one? Well, I've got plenty, in case you change your mind, and I'll have one of my girls ship out the pharmacy with my wardrobe."

"But really, Wellies? Can you really see me in wellies? Can't I just ask this...whoever..." she gesticulated wildly, "to maintain a sunnier outlook?"

[leucemic_god]

"Nah, just tried to have a friendly little conversation and he started getting all superior, as if he weren't a god like all the rest of us," Loki claimed. So maybe that wasn't the exact truth, but he hadn't meant to goad him into making it rain. He hadn't even known who the guy was for Odin's sake!

"Uriel," he supplied. "And you can try, I guess. Be careful, though. If I remember correctly, those Judeo-Christians are big on chastity and an altogether miserable bunch. At least the group he's with."

"Once we're in the bar, Ishtar," he promised. "I much prefer smoking when I'm comfortably sitting down." At least the last time he'd tried some of Ishtar's special blend it had made him a little dizzy and he right now she was leaning on him.

[lady_of_nineveh]

"Yes, comfortably sitting down in the bar for a smoke sounds good. Comfortable and sitting expecially. And smoke, but that always sounds good

[leucemic_god]

There was a niggling feeling in the back of Loki's mind that he'd meant to do something else before joining Ishtar a the table, oh, she was close and happy and attractive and he hadn't had a smoke in so long ... Surely, whatever it was could wait

[lady_of_nineveh]

"I envy you that trick!" Ishtar waved away the waiter as he attempted to pour the champagne. Rather than drink, or pour out the liquid, she kicked off her patent leather heels, and poured most of a bottle of decent-enough bubbly over her feet with a sigh

[leucemic_god]

Well, he didn't start coughing right away, so Loki got more courageous and took a bigger drag the second time. Ah, this was good. He leaned back, relaxed and slightly sleepy.

Normally he wouldn't have been affected this quickly, but it had been about three years since he'd last smoked anything at all.

"Don't like medicine," he mumbled. "Had enough of that lately."

One of his hands had somehow found its way onto Ishrar's thigh. He stroked it absent-mindedly while humming an old Norse lullaby he'd learned from Frigga back in the days of strong men and sailing ships.

[lady_of_nineveh]

Ishtar smiled, her eyes half-lidded, and leaned against her companion. She heard his voice rumble up through his chest and leaned into his touch.

It had been so long since she'd had divine company of any sort, and for all that he hadn't been a constant, or indeed frequent part of her life, Loki had been a memorable and an enjoyable one.

She picked up the tune of his song, humming along gently as part of her mind idly tried to work out which of her blends he was smoking. She realized she didn't care to know, didn't want to work out which of the pleasurable effects she had created was working its way through his system.

Who wants to know all the answers? Chaos and chance... well, who'd settle for routine and predictability if they had the chance to choose chaos?

[leucemic_god]

Loki happily snuggled up to the warm weight leaning against him, but was only vaguely aware of it. His mind was drifting back in time and he could all most see himself sitting in the hall with his fellow gods watching Frigga rock little Balder in her arms. Behind her the flames danced and twisted going from red to pink to green and blue then back to pink ...

Were flames supposed to be pink? He didn't have time to make up his mind before a man stepped out of the fireplace and knelt before Frigga holding out his hands to receive the baby.

"Shadow?" Loki mumbled vaguely surprised. Somehow it didn't seem right and at the same time completely natural that Shadow was now holding little Balder in his arms. He wasn't sure why that was until he remembered that he hadn't seen Shadow in quite some time. "Just where have you been?"

[lady_of_nineveh]

Ishtar let her voice trail off as she felt Loki relax against her, carried off in the visions carried in swirling smoke taking hold.

He spoke, mumbling into her hair. She wondered where the dreams would take him. Carefully, so as not to disturb him, she reached into her pocket for her mobile. She flicked it open, tapping on the keys with painted nails.

The text message sent, she took her shuffled cigarettes from the table, piling them in her lap. One by one she lifted them to her nose and set them back into their proper homes.

She looked down at Loki, and dropped a quick peck of a kiss on his forehead. "Sweet dreams," she whispered.

[leucemic_god]

Loki mumbled something and snuggled deeper into the sofa. Had he been a little more aware of his surroundings he'd have been worried about falling asleep in such a public place where all sorts of possibly hostile supernatural beings could walk in on him at any time.

He was completely lost in his dream, though. It was good to be home again.