maskormenacelogs | i got one for my money, two for my soul {CLOSED}

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i got one for my money, two for my soul {CLOSED}

WHO: John Constantine and Loki, so this will go about as well as you'd expect.
WHERE: A typical American diner in Heropa
WHEN: The morning after John's arrival
WHAT: Just trickster dudes having breakfast and being existential
WARNINGS: John's pottymouth mostly, will update with others when/if they need to be.

[ Maybe, John thought, he should give these Yanks a bit more credit. Not much, but a tiny bit. If only because he could walk into a staple greasy spoon, even in a parallel dimension, and discover that they'd happily adopted proper English breakfasts.

John eased himself into a booth with cracked vinyl cushioning on the seats, tugging at his collar a bit to accommodate the persistent heat that came with being stuck in Florida. A woman with a kind, matronly face came by to take his order - two plates of toast, fried egg, bacon, sausage, beans and tomatoes. John slid her a few American bills while she refilled his coffee. Normally, he would take tea, but the coffee was bottomless. That, he couldn't say no to, especially after a night of wandering the city, trying to figure out just where the hell he was, if it was, in fact, not actually hell. ]

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[Loki forewent most of his usual adornments in favor of an understated look as opposed to something that would draw a lot of attention. Apparently horns and full body armor could do that if you were simply eating breakfast at a restaurant. Boots, leather pants, a green tunic with three-quarter length sleeves--definitely more understated.

It was equally understated the way he slid across the booth from John, quiet, but John would notice him. It took the waitstaff a bit more time before that same matronly looking waitress came to ask him what he wanted to drink. Loki's order got him the barest raise of an eyebrow: vanilla milkshake with chocolate sauce topping? What? Milkshakes are good, that's why there's a song dedicated to them.

Leaving them alone to their own devices Loki fixed his attention on John, devil may care grin on his face. John was buying him breakfast, Loki was here to spill his guts, he hoped the man had no interest in finding a bed to crawl into any time soon.]

Good morning~! Hope last night wasn't too rough, though I expect it should be a relief that this is not hell, it's just the humidity.

[ A simple shrug is the main reply the kid gets. In John's defense, he was up all night. He can word better once the caffeine kicks in. ]

I'm almost disappointed that it isn't hell, actually. Figured maybe the men downstairs found a creative way to send me there...

[ He stops to enjoy his coffee, and because for once he doesn't feel like talking about himself. He has a bloody Norse deity in front of him, if the kid is to be believed. John tries to work through his haze of fatigue to think of good questions to ask. ]

[Take your time, John, Loki has plenty of it and he's quite happy to fill it with food and milkshakes along with plenty of his own rambling.]

That's right...heaven, hell, limbo, the wheel of Saṃsāra these are all thing Midgardians believe the afterlife is. We have similar things...on Asgard there is Valhalla, the Hall of Heroes, I suspect it would be the circle of hell where all of the preachy heroes are? Niflheim is the realm of death, it is whatever it needs to be, a place of punishment or reward or penance or nothing at all...we have a Heven too, but it is different from Heaven...there are winged beings called angels, but their realm was completely severed from the World Tree during their last battle against Asgard. Pissed the old man off by kidnapping and allegedly killing his first born, now Heven survives on the sheer energy given off by Odin's curse.

[Hey, if you're going to let Loki talk, he'll do it gladly, you can ask questions, but he might just answer them for you or raise some in the process.]

I know some things of hell though, the hell you are talking about, maybe different, not sure...it has it's devils, it's fire and brimstone. I don't know of a supreme ruler, but I know that many claim to be and they call themselves the Hell-Lords. Actually had them all going at each other's throats for a time, but if I had to throw my vote it would be for Hellstrom [No, Loki did not just sigh dreamily, that's all in your sleep deprived mind]. I'm a little sore that he stole Thori's obedience from me, Thori was my dog...treacherous little mongrel, by Odin's empty eye socket, I miss him. Still Hellstrom is part human and attractive, I think those are good qualities for a king of hell.

[ That's... a tall drink of water, to say the least. John listens, taking it in. He's not shocked to discover how much Loki seems to enjoy talking. He wonders if he should pick up a book on Norse mythos to keep up with the kid. He also wonders just what, if any agenda he has. ]

I deal with the traditional, bread-and-butter, heaven-and-hell types. Mostly. How much of what's written 'bout you and yours is true, though? I'm no history expert [well, except for the odd time when he gets transmogrified through space and time ]. But, there's bound to be some bias from the early Christian scholars?

[ Not that he'll mention which of the stories he's trying to verify. Keep the cards close to the chest.

Fortunately, the woman hustles back with two handsome plates of breakfast and Loki's magnificent milkshake. She places them down with a warm expression, which John reciprocates with a theatrical wink. ]

[Loki felt as though he had to lead the conversation off with something, he would either answer some questions while he was at it, create some questions, or just confuse the conversation completely. At the moment, Loki's only agenda is breakfast, he talks, people feed him, it's becoming a reinforced behavior...one he would have to make himself wary of.

It depends on what comes out of John's mouth, especially in terms of magic.]

Mostly? Mostly sounds like an interesting story. [They had plenty of time to hear it, until or unless they fell into a food coma.] Well, I suppose that depends on the Loki...it's my understanding that different universes have their own iterations of Loki. The stories they tell of me in my universe? Woefully inaccurate...religion has something to do with perverting the mythology, but Christianity draws it's own links between the mediums, not that Balder is Jesus or anything, but there are similarities. In the same way that there are similarities between Jesus and Siddhārtha Gautama. Our stories push certain religious narratives I think.

[Ah, what paradise is this? The expression on Loki's face is that of a creature easily pleased when breakfast is laid out in front of him. Distracted by his bounty he might be, he does notice the wink reserved for the waitress. He simply grinned behind his milkshake, humans and their flirting rituals.]

I'm writing books on Norse mythology, Celtic, British and Greek mythology as well. They're for children, but I'm sure the material will translate easily enough. [Is Loki implying that he's met other gods from different pantheons? Yes he has. And after taking a bite of his bacon he continues.] Not that I won't answer questions, ask as many as you like, it's an informal date after all.

'Mostly' is accountin' for times I manage to get deities outside me usual wheelhouse to take notice. I'm not picky 'bout who comes knocking so long as they don't bugger up the world too badly. [ He laughs at the mention of a children's book ]. Not sure that's something I could assist in, mate. Most of my stories aren't for young ears.

[ The 'kid in a candy store' look on Loki's face is almost enough to warm John in his twisted, tobacco-stained chest cavity. ]

Cheers. That's a full n'proper English breakfast you're lookin' at.

Demon summoning is it? Do you use some sort of summoning circle, if you can draw demons to you then I can only imagine that there would be something arcane in you? Just a guess. [Loki smiles in return, something not at all innocent in his expression.] Do I need to dirty it up a bit, just for you? I can do that, you should see what I dump onto the internet.

[No...no, you really don't want to, nobody wants to learn Loki's dirty, nerdy little fanfiction writing secrets. Except he's already taking commissions.

More on that later, right now he's too busy categorically figuring out where he wants to go with this after he's finished with the bacon. Any and all breakfast meats are the first to go, naturally.]

With a stack of blueberry pancakes on the side, this breakfast could rule the world. [Kid in a candy store is right, if only he were a kid.] I should have spent more time in Britain.

[ John files away the information about the fanfiction. He will have to investigate for himself and he is a very hard man to shock. Could be a fun way to spend a Friday night. ]

Arcane in me? Maybe. 'parently I've a family history of dealing with whatever goes bump in the night. Not sure whether its fate, in the blood, or just my ancestors n' me all just happened on poor life choices. The Laughing Magicians, they call us. You're lookin' at its current scion.

[ He says it with surprising little fanfare, like he's reading a job description. But breakfast shouldn't go cold while he talks. Protein first - you might be after his own heart, there. John slices his sausages carefully as he swims in his own thoughts. He's an open book. Granted, some of the pages are missing and most of it is written in Latin or runes from forgotten worlds. ]

[Have fun with that, and be sure to leave your feedback, John, Loki is always open to feedback.]

The Laughing Magicians...that's good, that's on par with Sorcerer Supreme, unfortunately Doctor Strange has the market on that particular moniker. Not that I'm lacking in the nickname department. [Not that he's using any of his repertoire as an alias like a superhero. Bleh.] So you've a gift for the monsters, what is it that you do exactly?

[Speaking of runes, Loki is chewing on his breakfast while idly creating runes with his beans out of habit. He plays with his food as much as he eats it, you should have seen the magical circles he made at the last diner he was in, the poor waitress. Besides, he's a bit distracted, magic always has a way of grabbing and holding his attention, even in the presence of breakfast.]

What do I do? Look for trouble, mostly. Fronted a band, eons ago. Nowadays I dabble. Exorcisms, investigations, try to keep powers-that-be from meddling too much.

[ It's... complicated trying to explain the weird barter system his life runs on, trading spells and acts of magic for food and shelter. He still has a hard time believing that an organized government pulled him here through a spacetime portal and just gave him a house and job. Probably why he hasn't been to see his so-called new home yet. Even if this isn't a fae realm where accepting gifts would bind or indebt him, regular humans don't exactly give out free lunches either. He watches the runes that Loki is making, mildly impressed. ]

Careful on the shape of the mannaz rune, mate. If you smudge it the inscription gets buggered and causes years of bad luck.

[ Maybe he's speaking from experience. Maybe he's messing with you. Have fun figuring it out! ]

You've packed a lot of living in your young years, but I understand it as a sorcerer, magic isn't an easy thing to convey. Particularly to non-believers who understand everything by unyielding rules. At the core its taking a thought and making it real, telling a lie and making it the truth, telling a story to the universe so utterly, cosmically perfect, that for a single, shining moment the impossible isn't quite so impossible.

[Loki has given his magical philosophies a great deal of thought, it's a science for the trickster. Granted this world has limited the scale of his lies. Still he can make certain things seem like complete reality, and for all intents and purposes? They are. Magic is its own science, but not many people saw it his way.]

Ahah I wouldn't worry, apparently the ability to alter reality is considered a faux pas in this world. I've been nerfed...giving myself bad luck might actually be something. At least I could tell another story, change the trajectory of my luck... make it into worse luck possibly, or universal bad luck...oooh don't give me ideas, John. Ideas give me that tingly mischievous feeling, ideas are bad!

[Loki will roll with your punches, he's infuriating like that. And with that in mind he'll petulantly smudge his beans, bring on the voodoo.]

Not that I'm completely without, but I suppose we can give thanks to the powers that be for limitations.

[Which Loki will raise his milkshake to ironically.]

[ John raises his coffee politely, connecting it with a gentle clink, before downing its contents. Sleep deprivation hits him harder now that he's a bit older, and the span of his abilities has taken a hit here, too. ]

Ideas. They're what keep bigger, badder beings from eatin' us alive, innit? At least in my case.

[ He chuckles approvingly at the now nigh-illegible bean runes. ]

Though, I s'pose something to keep us from boredom is just as important.

[John can at least feel secure in knowing that if he passes out in his breakfast Loki will carry him off to a bed. He did arrange for this spread and pay for it after all. That and in a lot of ways the man reminded him of himself, something that piqued his curiosity in the first place.]

That's true, but you have to admit, it's the ideas that draw out the bigger and badder things to begin with. Hence, they are the things keeping us from drowning in our own boredom...it's the adrenaline rush, isn't it?

[He'll keep that in mind the next time he has an interdimensional parasite drawn into reality. Loki and his many sins.]

I suppose they've got you set up somewhere, I've come to understand that is the norm upon arriving here. They put me in a house with other people, not sure how clever an idea that was or how long I'll stay.

[If only because Loki is used to changing scenery and it's difficult.]

Being naughty isn't easy when you're surrounded by the sugary-coated goodness that is super heroes and similar.

Well. Mostly it's hard to be naughty 'cos the big bloody heroes can't clean up their own messes. Falls to the little people, don't it?

[ With a pleasant hum the waitress comes by, refilling John's coffee and returning his wink in kind. Before she leaves she places a hand with clean, evenly-filed nails on Loki's head and gives his hair a pleasant ruffle. John, sipping at his caffeinated ambrosia, freezes up at the sight. He manages to hold himself together until the woman scoots away, at which point the laughing magician lives up to his name - and ends up with hot coffee up his nose. ]

Ah-- bollocks--

[ He grasps at napkins and holds them to his face tenderly, trying to compose himself. He probably deserved that. ]

It's nice to know I'm not the only one who doesn't buy into the whole "love will save us all while buildings are crashing down around us" rhetoric.

[Loki was an Agent of Asgard, but that did not make him a hero, he still stooped to nefarious means if the ends justified it. Good things happened and people were often saved...or something...in the process. He would never make a claim to heroics, however.

Before he could further comment on it he was being ruffled like a scruffy stray or a small child. If this kept up he would have to find a way to change his appearance, make himself older somehow, but before he could complete that thought John was snorting hot coffee up his nose and...well...Loki takes his own laughs where he can get them, collapsing onto the bench, laughing on his side. Yes, he looked very childish right now...but he earned the right to laugh so hard it hurt his sides.]

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i got one for my money, two for my soul {CLOSED}

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