[closed] I promise you right now, I will never lie to you.

[valr]

WHO: Valkyrie McGrumpypants and Jerky von Trollface
WHERE: A club of Loki's choosing
WHEN: Late July, like the 29th?? Whatever
WHAT: Gossiping about Tony Stark, being disappointed in humans and their decisions
WARNINGS: These two. These two.



[Kara knows this is essentially the worst idea that she's ever had in her entire life, but for all she hates cliches, at least two apply right now. Desperate times call for desperate measures and better the devil you know.

She realizes she said that Skye could give Stark a look at the null tech if she couldn't figure it out herself, but Kara didn't expect her to hand it over without so much as a by your leave. And the more that Kara sees of Stark, the less she likes him. He's some human with a bad history with a lot of other imPorts, judging by what she's seen on the network, and according to Skye he doesn't care much for privacy. Not that Kara can throw stones about that particular point, but she can't hack everyone's damn communicators, so it's kind of different.

Regardless, she doesn't trust this Stark man as far as Skye could throw him, and she doesn't think she can talk to Skye about him, so she's going to the only other person she knows who seems to have an idea about Stark.

Which is where the bad idea part comes in, but even if she can't trust Loki, she knows the sorts of things that Loki gets up to, she knows what tricks to look for and hopefully, if she's on her game, how to avoid them. So she isn't trusting him, not really, she's just trusting the devil she knows, instead of putting faith in this Tony Stark, who means nothing to her.

At least they're meeting on neutral ground, or as neutral as any ground gets in this damn place. She doesn't think a club is the best place to talk, but she figures Loki just wants to jerk her around a little, put her off balance and out of her comfort zone before the actual talking happens. She can deal with that, it's nothing new, and she's might be more comfortable in the club than people might expect. She still isn't wearing a dress, but she has dressed up a little, trading her usual fare for heeled boots, an almost nonexistent leather skirt and a sheer white lace top over one of the few bras she actually owns, but at least it's a nice one.

She hasn't waited for Loki, having headed inside and to the bar as soon as she'd arrived, knowing that she'd need a lot to drink to handle this whole mess. It doesn't take her long to get to her fifth shot, standing by the bar, assuming that Loki will be able to find her if he needs to.

She's almost expecting him to stand her up, and she almost wouldn't be disappointed if he did.]

Comments

[selfimage]

[ there were a few really great things about clubs. the first is that they were easy to get lost in, that is, of course, assuming that getting in was a given. places like this were difficult to find and trace, it's why they were used in all the movies for everything from drug trafficking to the planning of complex heists. the best part? he could mix in without even bothering to wear any sort of illusion.

he's already there when she arrives, but he doesn't approach until she settles herself. better this come off as something other than a planned meeting. he's fashionably late, but who isn't when they go clubbing?

he comes up behind her and taps the opposite shoulder. ]

[valr]

[At the tap on the shoulder, she looks to her side and upon seeing no on there sighs deeply.

Fucking tricksters.

She looks to her other shoulder.]

Was that necessary?

[selfimage]

No, not at all.

[ but he looks pleased. he's dressed simply, and even then it's easy to mingle himself among the mortals (and possibly other curious company) on the dance floor. the music is blaring, and they have to raise their voices to speak. ]

Mean dubstep game, hm?

[ he holds up a hand to beckon the bartender, who doesn't even bother asking him for ID. eventually, the bartender slides them two drinks, deep green and garnished with lime. he takes the champagne flute by the rim and heads off, expecting her to follow. ]

On me.

[valr]

If you say so.

[It's not really her particular type of music, dubstep, which is probably obvious considering the way she dresses most of the time.

She watches the drinks approach, eying them with a little suspicion (she prefers her alcohol to be normal coloured) but considering he's paying for it and she's trying to get information out of him, she'll take the drink. And follow him.

Though she does wrinkle her nose a little when she sips it. Absinthe is one thing, but champagne is too bubbly for her tastes. She's so fussy.]

Where're we going?

[selfimage]

Plain sight.

[ he slides into one of the side booths. ]

Unless you can think of a better place to have a super secret conversation?

[ old structures with new tech brought the most fascinating mix of decor among these urban hangouts. there were big leather seats that had been bolted to the wall, decorated with buttons. they were sturdy, easy to clean, and rather classy. ]

[valr]

[As much as she'd prefer to sit across from him where she can keep a better eye on him, Kara slides in beside Loki, so that they can talk more easily.]

Somewhere you don't need to yell to be heard?

[She also didn't realize this was a super secret conversation, she just hadn't wanted to talk over the network if Stark could read their conversations easily.]

[selfimage]

[ his dramatics are sorely under-appreciated. ]

Easy enough.

[ he clicks his fingers (and debates wiggling his nose) and the nose fades into a gentle drumming that sounds like a neighbor two doors down having a wild party. ]

Hold the applause, please.

[valr]

[It's not the first time she's seen something like this, although usually it's a little more complicated than a click of the fingers, and she still has a quick look around like she needs to check there's not anything physically there.]

Neat trick.

[She guesses. But she's not going to sound too impressed; his ego probably doesn't need the help.]

Never imagined you'd be one for the club scene.

[selfimage]

[ it's just a simple spell, really. for him, a wave of his hand and a mutter of a few words was enough. he had more up his sleeve--and usually he was willing to indulge in his abilities because the abilities that he had himself were at the mercy of just how he decided to use them. ]

The prospect of chaos, fun, and a million break-ups and hook-ups? How could I miss it?

[valr]

[She makes a face like she doesn't want to admit he's right, but:]

Suppose that fits your M.O. Guess I never thought much about how you'd all have adapted to the modern world.

[It's hard not to sound bitter, but she mostly manages.]

[selfimage]

Change is part of it, too.

[ he puts the glass to his lips. it was--whatever myth you decided to believe, he was still the one who brought the end to the gods. but was that really a bad thing? (walking from the chains of fate was vindicating.) a lot had happened since then, and there were nuances in Ragnarok that were still up in the air as to her experiences. ]

That's also my kind of thing.

[ he opens an eye to look at her mid-sip. ]

I take it it's not yours.

[valr]

Adapting's all I do.

[It's all she can do. Survive, learn how to navigate the way the world changes, find reasons to keep waking up each day. It's great.

There's an unfortunate side effect of confronting Loki that Kara didn't anticipate, and it's the fact all it seems to do is drag up the thoughts she'd managed to bury when it came to her own gods. This Loki, he managed to stay connected to the world, to Midgard and humans, why couldn't her gods?

It feels like an open wound, and she knows letting Loki see it can only end with him digging his fingers in and ripping her open.]

[selfimage]

[ look on the bright side, Kara, at least you weren't horribly and unfairly sentenced to live life in a beastly, bloody-mouthed valkyrior, constantly hungry and only feeling sated when devouring the souls of dead gods. for eternity. Bor really was an asshole. ]

Sounds like barely surviving.

[ he says, as if there's something striking him about the fashion that she says it. ]

The mortals can be fun.

[ he wouldn't be on Midgard, otherwise. it was ironic, in some ways, the person that was mirrored in the person that he was now would've scoffed at the prospect of the lowly Midgardians. for Loki now, it was refreshing to experiencing the opposite.

he was nothing like him. ]

[valr]

[She just shrugs, deciding the best way to deal with that statement is to not respond, rather than risking giving him more to work with.]

We've got some good qualities.

[Of course she counts herself as a mortal. She might not ever die of natural causes, but she isn't anything like a god.]

[selfimage]

[ not answering is always answering to Loki in some way. it's part of what makes him dangerous. he sees what's there and he sees what isn't and he sees the gap that might be there. he doesn't say anything of it, not yet. those sorts of things are best kept for later. ]

I did say fun.

Speaking of mortals, there's one in particular you seem curious about.

i'm finally back here sorry friend

[valr]

Stark.

[This is good, really. She thought they'd have to spend half the night dancing around the topic, so it's a relief that he brings it up so easily.

That doesn't mean she expects answers will come easily, but it's a start.]

I wanna know what I've gotta watch out for with him.

[If he's going to use the tech Skye gave him against them, if he's easily bought, if he's easily controlled. She doesn't want anyone else to be able to take her abilities away.]

friend is here.

[selfimage]

[ it'll be easier than she thinks—this is not only to her benefit, but it's to Loki's, too. he wasn't one to skirt up an opportunity. the only one who'd be on the edge for their compartmentalization of information plan was Tony himself. the only part that was a little more delicate to feel for was just how obvious Kara would be about what she knew. ]

We-ee-ell ... he was supposedly in the City before it, but who's to know how much he's changed? You can talk to me and get the gist of anything, but I'm still Loki, I don't exactly present myself as someone trustworthy. I may not say so much of him. You know the type, self-absorbed, likes to talk about himself, more than a bit exploitative.

He's a man of ambition, and you know how it gets when someone entitled thinks they're right.

party time

[valr]

Figure you only lie when it serves a purpose. Ain't got much purpose lying about this.

[That's not really true, but she hopes that they're mostly on the same page here, and that it'll work to her advantage.]

He's human, isn't he? And what's the whole Registration thing people keep on him about?

[She pays attention sometimes.]

[selfimage]

Human, yes—but he likes to fly around in his suit of iron and yell about mortal science. He's quite the knack for it.

[ they're on the same page because it benefits him. also because he Loki doesn't exactly trust Skye to be discreet. ]

Dangerously so.

[ Loki almost rolls his eyes and waves a hand dismissively. ]

He's got his registration boner held high. I did say he'd do quite a lot for his ego, didn't I? He likes being right.

[valr]

Fucking-- [Flying around in a suit of iron, for Odin's sake.

She takes a long sip of her drink while she process that amount of bullshit.]

But what's it to him? He come up with the idea for the government or something, 'cause the way people talk it sounds personal?

[selfimage]

Ah, that. That goes back to our world to a very complicated time of mistrust and varying opinions that caused all sorts of terrible problems. Tony Stark's solution to the problem—or one of them, anyway—was to clone my half-brother and use him as a vehicle to drive those righteous ambitions.

[ there's a slight smile on his face, but it's a bit more bitter than one might expect. he's still quite fond of Thor right now, and even though they had worked out their differences, it still remained done. ]

Leaves a bit of a sore spot, you could say. That doppelgänger wasn't exactly poetry and daisies, from what I've heard.

[valr]

[Whatever she was expecting, it certainly didn't involve clones, and this time she polishes off her drink because she hates all this bullshit. All these superheroes and their technology, it isn't right.]

So he's a human piece of shit, is what you're saying?

[Just to summarize.]

[selfimage]

In so many words with a touch of vulgarity.

[ he takes a sip of his drink, looking at her over the rim. ]

I wouldn't say he's not without his redeeming traits, but those may not be in your favor.

[ Loki wasn't in competition with Tony, they just had different ways of dealing with things. perhaps Loki got a bit of satisfaction from this. as willing as he was to hand his DNA over to Mister Sinister, this whole thing was a whole 'nother ball game. to be quite honest, it bothered him more than he would let anyone admit, even if he remembered how it didn't exactly bother him. (it shouldn't bother him. he repeats to himself how it doesn't.) ]

[valr]

[Kara just sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose where she feels like she's getting a headache.]

Never thought Skye would just hand it over like that.

[Might as well vent a little frustration; it isn't like Loki doesn't know.]

[selfimage]

[ Loki puffs up with an indigent sigh, for a moment he looks just as frustrated as she may feel. ]

Nor did I. Do take care—as in, let's keep the one in my possession between us.

[ he leans his chin on his folded fingers, elbow on the table. ]

Things might get sticky if Stark knows.