whose_son_am_i | Meme-shenanigans and Continuations.

There is the sound of a running water from a tap being turned off. A second later, Loki reappears, dabbing a towel against his skin to finish cleaning the blood off. His green shirt also shows evidence of being washed, or at least an attempt at it.

"Welcome back." Said dryly. Like he's unsure about her reaction to his snooping.

"Sorry, I didn't tell you where the bathroom was." She doesn't seem upset at all.

Though the sight of him is a little hint distracting, she didn't get a good look while she was sewing him up. She catches herself staring pretty quickly and turns her attention back to getting silverware and plates.

He was most definitely not like his brother. Lithe, and more like a dancer's build. Thor was tall, blond, and musclebound. Loki was also tall, but dark and lanky; his fighting style was also quite different than his brother's or most other Asgardian's. By necessity.

Once assured he was clean, the wet shirt was slipped on and the towel was folded carefully. "It's not a large apartment, even if it is huge by New York standards." Loki replied softly. "Where would you like this?" Holding up the towel.

He's built exactly how she likes her men, and that is not a thought she wants to have. He tried to take over her planet, mistake or not; she shouldn't be attracted to him.

"There's a laundry basket right inside the second door there."

Right inside her bedroom.

He had also made it clear that he was not interested in anything 'sentimental'. Which means casual would be the most she would get. If Loki was even thinking in that direction--which was not where his thoughts had wandered.

Instead, he moves to deposit the towel before stalking over towards the food. Definitely feeling that energy drain once more now that he's moving again, so more food and rest would be his plan. "...I still can't repay you properly." He murmured, still guarded once more.

Sentimental, casual, it doesn't matter because it's all a terrible idea. She just thinks he's handsome, she's seen a lot of handsome men.

"You don't need to." She offers him a plate and a fork. "If you really want to do something for me, maybe you could teach me a spell."

"You might find that trickier than you think." But it wasn't an automatic no, as he took the plate and utensil. "What might you like to learn." Although considering how suggestible she'd been earlier, and her apparently being a kind person... Loki would prefer to teach her to have better shields and defenses mentally.

"Quite possibly." She thinks about what she would want to learn. "Something defensive maybe? I am a woman alone in a city."

She's been mugged before, the city can be dangerous at times.

"You wouldn't necessarily need a spell for that." Loki pointed out, in a dry tone. But, placing his plate down, he decided on a bit of kindness himself. Moving to pull her chair out for her. "Given your line of work, how are your mental defenses? You seem stable enough from a sanity perspective, and I quite like your sense of humor, but it has to be draining on you all the same."

"True, I'd be very dangerous with a scalpel."

She's flattered when he pulls out her chair, though surely he learned all sorts of fancy etiquette growing up a prince.

"Thank you. My mental defenses? I have a good therapist to help with the bad days, but I don't know, honestly." It's not as if anyone has tried to invade her brain before.

"If you can use a scalpel, you can use a knife." Which he could teach her, considering his preferred weapons. "Were it my choice, I would teach you better shielding and how to guard your mind." Once she's settled, Loki moved to take his own seat. "It...was not difficult to suggest to you that I not be taken to a hospital earlier." Before he'd fully recognized her, and realized the Norns had smiled on him.

It was only a very tiny, almost microscopic bit, that he regret doing that now. At least once he'd realized it was her. It didn't outweigh the practical fact that if he had to 'suggest' or 'nudge' her again, he would.

"Guarding my mind." She nods. Then she realizes what he means.

"That was you? I could feel it, like a thought got put in my mind and I knew it wasn't my own but I needed to trust it." She's not upset about it, it's what he needed to do to keep himself out of a hospital.

"Can you read my mind normally? Or does it take effort?"

"You're not upset?" With a brow arched once more. "You should be, or perhaps you're entirely too kind for your own good." IF she was then it would be all to easy to take advantage of her. Even a year ago, Loki himself would've done that.

"I'm not thrilled you were in my head but I understand why you did it."

She is reasonable above all.

"And yet you still seem to regard me favorably." Blue-green eyes narrowed slightly, puzzled and studying her. Trying to figure her out. Just because someone 'understood' did not mean they weren't often upset as well, in his experience.

"Yeah, I have a bad habit of giving people the benefit of the doubt. You're not that bad."

And she means it, he's not currently as cruel as Stephen could be. She's not got the best taste in men, really.

"Clearly you do, and I can be. I just have no reason to be at the moment." He's not lying about that either.

"But yes, that was me. And if I can nudge your thoughts, then so could others." A pause, and he turned his attention to his food. "I don't quite read minds. Nor can I see the future. But I can manipulate and plant suggestions, as well as project illusions based on your memories."

"Would you hurt me? I mean, obviously if I attacked you."

There's an almost sigh of relief at him not being able to read her mind.

"So you could make my old memories into your illusions?" He'd no doubt be thrilled to see Stephen again.

"If it were necessary, yes." Loki saw no point in hiding the fact. She had been kind, and it would be kinder in turn to remind her who he was. "I could, though I doubt you want me to."

"I don't think you'd enjoy my memories either."

She can't forget who he was, even if he seems much better now, she will never truly forget his invasion.

Another assessing look, before returning his attention to his food. "To at least have some shielding IS something I could teach you. But it would require trust, and while you are kind--I also am aware you wouldn't necessarily trust me." A pause, "I would seek out a teacher though, were I you." Before taking a bite.

Definitely feeling tired again, which meant his body needed fuel to heal.

"The only other magic user I know doesn't really talk to me much." Or at all really.

"So I don't know who I could ask besides you."

Hmmm...

"Do you ever do meditation?" It probably seemed like a non-sequitur, but Loki had a point with this. "A great part of it is knowing yourself and your own mind, to be able to tell what's false."

"I do actually. It's something I picked up while doing my residency." It helps her to relax and to be able to focus even after a stressful surgery.

"Then you already have a good start." Loki replied confidently. "...I...can teach you. If you want to learn." It would be a step to repaying this debt. And he found that he wanted her to know, to be better guarded. A genuinely kind person was a truly rare treasure.

"But not tonight. I won't be very good company after our meal. I'm still tired, and plan to take advantage of your guest room. Not even to read."

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject