Another Loki arrives

[norseloki]

Date: April 1, 2003, early evening
Status: Public
Setting: Just outside Tadfield Manor
Summary: Loki (II) arrives (complete)

Comments

[leucemic_god]

Something about the new arrival felt ... strange. He was clearly a god and he felt Norse even though Loki was sure he'd never seen him before. What was even worse was that he couldn't identify him by the feeling either. It felt familiar, so very familiar, and yet it matched no god Loki knew.

Loki flew down from his perch in a tree and shifted back to his human shape just in time for the landing. This time, he noticed with satisfaction, he'd managed almost as elegantly as he used to do before his illness.

"Hi there!" he greeted the familiar stranger. "Can I help you?"

[norseloki]

The sudden appearance of the shape changer that reverted to human form almost in mid-air starled Loki slightly, though he covered it up quickly. Looking the other man up and down, he decided that something about him was familiar... He quickly went over the natural shapeshifters he knew, as well as over those that used objects to change their appearance. After all, just because he hadn't seen the other one quickly tuck away a cloak of feathers, that didn't mean that there hadn't been one. He had not expected to see a bird turn man after all, and still be looking at the house.
he curled his lips in something that was barely more smile than grin, and answered: "Maybe. I'd been thinking of staying the night. I've heard this is a hotel." Though, he added silently, it looked rather different from all of those hotels that he had seen or frequented since he his escape. None of them had had strangely-familiar flying porters either...

[leucemic_god]

Loki smiled back widely. He didn't quite trust this odd feeling of not-recognission. Playing friendly was the best strategy, if you didn't know where you stood with somebody.

"Yep, and they even have a special offer for our kind. As long as we don't damage the town, people or fellow guests with our powers we get free rooms. Just tell Sister Mary at reception that you're here as Adam's guest."

In the back of his mind he kept running through the list of Norse gods and half-gods, but none of them fit. Could this be some Vanir's more recent bastard? He felt much too old for that.

[norseloki]

"Why would I want to damage them?" Loki asked. "Wait, I'll take that back - who ARE these fellow guests?" After all there were a few people he would have liked to damage very much at the moment. A little more careful, he added: "And define 'our kind', please?"

[safehouse_guest]

Ms Hodges giggled and blushed; that roguish smile was doing strange things to her stomach. "Well, sir, if you haven't toured the Manor yet, I'm sure I could remedy that..."

There was a god... well, two gods... no, one god in two forms... oh tush, there was a very handsome man flirting with her, and she patted her hair rather self-consciously before entering 'Loki of Iceland' into the computer. Adam's explanation was suddenly the last thing on her mind.

[norseloki]

"Wonderful", Loki said, putting the key away quickly. "We only got as far as my room."

He turned to his other self. "You don't mind, do you?" he asked, not quite sure about it. He wasn't quite certain how he himself would have reacted, had their roles been reversed,and of course he also didn't know what women the other Loki had claimed for himself yet.

[leucemic_god]

"Of course not," Loki replied with a smile. There'd be enough opportunities to talk with himself later. "I do have some practising to get on with after all. Better do that while it's still light outside and maybe I'll see you in the bar tonight?"

[norseloki]

"Sure", Loki told him with a wide smile. "That is - Do they have mead? I've found it terribly difficult to get a decent drink in this new world!"

[safehouse_guest]

"So no celebration, then?" she asked, a little disappointed, as she led the way to the ballroom.

The doors weren't quite that impressive, but they were certainly more so than most of the decor. Ms Hodges had had high hopes for the ballroom; it had been a bit of a let-down that so few of the companies had used it.

[norseloki]

Loki followed her downstairs.

"Previously, no," he said. "That doesn't mean we can't change that, though. Although I really fear that this is on too short notice for any but the most private of celebrations."

[safehouse_guest]

"Oh, that sounds lovely too," Mary smiled. "I can speak to the chef. Is there anything special you want, to eat? I'm sure the bartender can provide anything special you want to drink."

[norseloki]

"I prefer mead," Loki said. "No preferences food-wise, though. Anything is fine. Good company, however, is a prerequisite." He smiled, even though she could hardly see that, with him walking behind her.

[safehouse_guest]

"Yes, but you used neither flint and steel nor matches nor a lighter. You just looked at the candle and it lit - I'd say that's a miracle." She thought back to her other guests. "Well, there's angels, running around in robes and wings and glowing. One of them's my librarian, and even though he does his work by hand, it still seems to be faster than I expected, somehow. And I was sitting by the window and reading one day when I saw a woman turn into a bird and fly. Adam did warn me we'd get all sorts anyway, doing odd things."

She tilted her head, trying to remember. "No, not that I can recall. Why?"

[norseloki]

"Just wondering," Loki said. He wondered if mentioning shapeshifting powers was a smart idea at the moment.

"I called fire to the candle, and that's easy because the candle is made to burn. It would be more difficult if I tried to light something that does not usually burn." Now that could be taken any way she wished to take it.

He indicated the menu. "What do you recommend?"

[safehouse_guest]

"Oh. Could you - could you make anything burn?" Did he mean what she thought he meant?

She glanced down at the menu. "Oh. Well, the pasta is good, and so is the Caesar salad and Yorkshire pudding."

[norseloki]

"I think I'll go with the salad," Loki said. It seemed the safest choice.

"I could theoretically call fire to anything, but the fire would not necessarilly devour everything," he explaned. "So it is really a matter of how you define the word "burn"."

[safehouse_guest]

"Which dessert would you care for, sir?" the waiter asked, setting the dessert menus down in front of them.

"Well, maybe they're just scared of fire?" Mary asked. "Unsettling how?"

[norseloki]

"I'll stick with the tea, thank you," Loki told the waiter. Then he turned back to Mary.

"I don't know", he said. "I'm not the one who's unsettled. That other me I met earlier didn't seem very unsettling either."

[safehouse_guest]

"Two teas, then," Mary told the waiter, who nodded and retreated.

"The... other Loki? Will this sort of thing happen often, do you think?" She tried to imagine having multiple versions of her guests around.

[norseloki]

"The two of us having tea?" Loki asked pleasantly. "I think that depends on how I will find the tea, once I've tasted it. And on how long it will take for you to tire of my company," he added with a boyish grin.