driftfleet | Yadrolla System Mingle

[ Loki is done winning a knife throwing competition when he catches sight of Castiel. Oh . . . dear. ]

What are you doing.

[Oh does this bother you? Do his customer service skills bother you, does the way he's slumming it down here with the mortals, serving alien hot dogs from a pushcart bug you?

Cas gives Loki a look not unlike the one he gives Dean whenever Dean thinks he's cooler than he actually is, and hands a customer their food with the same care one would pass over holy scripture before, finally, turning to answer Loki with,] Working.

Was that the only kind of work you could find?

[ Aren't you an important . . . thing. Whatever angels are. ]

[pours a kid a fuckin soda] Like what?

[ Loki frowns. He doesn't actually know anything about angels but — ]

Something to do with your powers, I imagine. You have those, do you not?

Yeah, I have some. [Holds up a hand for a high five from the kid when he hands over that drink, though the kid just kind of gives him a weird look and leaves with their parent. Aw.] I'm not sure what you mean by doing something with them, though.

[ Loki stares a little until he realizes that Castiel is serious. ]

Cheat? Find a job that needs less effort on your part using them?

Oh. You mean the contests. [Since Cas's skills pretty much include "know a lot of stuff," "punch real hard" and "fuck up simple social concepts," there's not really much else available to him.] Fighting for sport holds no merit for me.

[ He's curious now though. ]

What sort of powers do you have?

[Not familiar with the lesser pantheons, right.] Not even half as many as you. [Oh shit, he's running low. Better put more dogs on the grill]

Yes, I think that's been established.

But I'm assuming your, ah, "God" imbued you with some abilities.

['established' what the fuck ever man ugh]

Does it matter? [FORREAL, DOES IT?]

[ Loki cocks his head. With a flick of his fingers, Loki moves the remaining hot dogs onto the grill. ]

Does it not? It is a part of who you are.

[hey EXCUSE. That's helpful, but there's a reason Cas is doing this the manual way and not just magicking shit everywhere his own damn self. He even waves the tongs at Loki, like 'git, gowan git outta there']

It's been too long the only part of me that mattered. I'd rather not go into it.

[ Loki merely raises an eyebrow at the tongs, like really. ]

So you were a weapon.

All angels were. Still are, for some of us. [Even Cas. Dean wasn't so far off the mark when he'd asked if they were just a couple of hammers; that's why it had stung so much.

Cas turns the dogs on the grill, finally getting the hang of how long to cook them so they're not still cold in the middle.]

[ Loki hums. ]

Did you face your own Ragnarok?

A few times. [This time he finally gives Loki his full attention, the weight of his regret weighing down his voice.] Once or twice, my own arrogance is what caused it.

[ His expression flicker briefly, sliding away. ]

Do you think it rests on you alone?

[Cas draws in a breath before letting it out, and again he returns his attention to his task, however humbling it is.] No. But it doesn't negate my choices, and that they were made in fits of pride and vanity.

[You wanna know why he's really over here, serving hot dogs from a pushcart? Cas looks back up at Loki.] Doing something like this, [he gestures with the tongs,] serving others, performing acts that could be seen as demeaning, it helps with perspective. I've found, through my own mistakes, that when you live as long as we do, it's all too easy to forget that kindness does exist.

Just... [Preps another order to hand it off to another alien family.] Usually down at ground level.

[ Loki watches the family leave from the corner of his eyes, unreadable. Kindness doesn't exist. Not really. It is something passed down from parent to child, a societal concept that mortals cling to. It is not a fact or a guarantee in this universe or the next.

( And if kindness existed, what does it say of Loki, who is incapable of it? another element of nature that has passed him by. He can no longer blame blood or Odin. There was no one else to blame. ) ]

Are you kind?

No.

[That, Cas can say with certainty. He cares, of course; he cares about certain people, he cares about people who are unfortunate, who don't deserve the hardship they're given, but kind?

Absolutely not.]

But I am guilty. [Do u want an alien hot dog, here you go. It's good it's like a brat] I'm told sometimes those look exactly the same.

[ His lips curve slightly in genuine bemusement at that. ]

You're not wrong.

[ Also how do you hold this thing. Loki pokes it with his finger. ]

This is a meal?

Supposedly. The molecules are adequately arranged. [Like, it's a hot dog cart, but you won't die from eating it]

[ His nose wrinkles. ]

I don't understand the need to fry everything in oil constantly. Isn't this bad for the body?

[ vendors ]

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