driftfleet | [ video + action ] in this world now I am undying ( iw update )

Entry tags:

[ video + action ] in this world now I am undying ( iw update )

Who: Loki + You
Broadcast: Yes!
Action: SS First Breath
When: Right now!

( feed: action )

[ the feed turns on and you're not sure why. all is quiet on the ship front. there doesn't seem to be much activity on the first breath, even this late. all is silent. until you hear a crackle. suddenly ice speeds its way over the walls, ceilings and floors of the ship, instantly freezing everything along its path. everything is coated in silvery, sharp ice, cold to the touch.

and for a moment, a shrill scream echoes throughout the ship before going quiet with the feed. ]

( much later: video )

[ loki turns the feed on. he looks queasy and ready to drop off right then and there, but he clears his throat, coughing as it hurts. ]

My apologies. It seems I lost control of my magic. I will immediately see to any repairs. But perhaps people coming by should mind their step in the meantime.

[ he looks like he has more to say, but he ducks his head, turning off the feed. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ loki has never been in this position. never really had to deal with anyone's concern beyond thor's, so he has gotten used to not expecting anything. loki visibly struggles, trying not to seem like he was brushing taako off while his own mind ran helter-skelter. ]

Thank you. I . . . I don't think there is anything anyone can do for me anymore.

[Yeah, he knows this feeling all too well. Taako was like this, not that long ago, when he woke up to a cold room and his failures on the Iskaulit. He had the advantage of having Lup there, willing to yell at him and tell him he was stupid. He isn't nearly as good at this as she is - he's been alone too much of his life to know the right things to say. He never cared enough to learn.

But, well, seeing Loki right now? He might not have glass stuck through him, but he's still hurting all the same.]

Bullshit? I call bullshit. First? I got some concealer and probably way too much experience in covering up bruises for you. Next? I dunno, tea or something. You look as shit as I do.

[ loki looks for a loss for words, something vulnerable peeking through the surface. ]

You're injured as well. And I can mask the bruises until they fade.

Yeah no shit; I blew myself up for all you chucklefucks.

[Not that anyone asked me to do the spell or owed him anything since he failed, but making Loki mask his own bruises while his magic may or may not be on the fritz? That's asking for worse disasters than the ice everywhere.]

I can't exactly get back to my room easily since, as you said, I'm injured. Might as well do something useful here.

[ for that loki reaches out . . . to flick his nose. ]

You should have discussed it first.

I will help you to your room.

Wow? What the fuck?

[Taako flinches back, grabbing his face like he's been burned. Who said he hadn't discussed it with people beforehand? He'd done all the discussing he was willing to do within reason without putting people he actually gave a shit about in the line of fire.]

The face is the brand, my dude; no touchy. And if I needed help getting back, I'd Fly my ass there.

[He takes the moment to jab a finger from his free hand at Loki's chest, glaring up at him from behind the one covering his nose.]

We're not here to discuss my fuck-ups. We all know how bad they are at this point - Lup chewed my ass out already, done and over. But you? That's a new one. It's kinda hard not to notice that some serious shit just went down.

[ loki had only been teasing and in a way, trying to show his own gratitude for checking up on him, so the severity of the reaction takes him off guard. his expression shutters completely and he pulls back, hands falling to his side. loki remains quiet, not sure what to say before making a perfunctory reply. ]

I'll be fine.

[The way Loki recoils is...odd? Odd's a good way to put it. He was certain his captain had all but given up on him, but he seemed wounded by Taako's reaction. Or was wounded not the right word?

Fuck, he was so bad at interpersonal interactions. He missed the days when he didn't give a shit.

With a sigh, Taako dropped his hand from his face and his tone loses its barbs and edges.]

"Be" fine isn't the same as "am" fine - conjugation or whatever it's called.

[Then he flicks his wrist and a tube of concealer appears in his hands.]

I'm not gonna pry, my man, but if you wanna get it off your pretty chest, I'm here to listen. And take care of those bruises before big, tall, and punches through walls can get here and flip his shit.

[ loki still looks wary, tinged with exhaustion. for him, it's only been a few hours since he was strangled to death. he still expects to feel the blood on his cheeks, the crushing pressure around his throat. ]

Thor would — There's nothing Thor can do. I died.

You--

[Taako stops dead, going so stiff the concealer in his hands shivers from the pressure. He died? As in Grim Reaper and off to the Astral Plane levels of died?

He stares at Loki for a moment, face twinging as if he's trying to laugh off what the god just said as some weird joke, but the expression dies as he sees no mischief or mirth anywhere in Loki. It's a horrifying sight, and Taako knows the feeling because, well, he's died too. Eleven times as he recalls. He still has nightmares about it if he lets his mind wander to Refuge during his nightly Trances. He can guess as to the method of Loki's death, too. Those bruises say volumes.

The pregnant pause between them passes and Taako lets out a tense breath.]

Well fuck me...

[He still doesn't know the right thing to say, so he starts babbling a little. He pulls the concealer back and fidgets with it as the words tumble his lips, tripping over themselves.]

You want-- I mean, you want a drink instead? Because I know what it's like to be in your shoes - not the exact thing, but yeah, a lot, of um death happened to, well uh me too, once, and I know I needed about fifty hard shots of whatever to just parse it in my head.

[ loki isn't sure if he's fit for company. the bruises continue to ache, like phantom burns he can't fully exorcise. he's not sure if he's fit for anyone considering the trail of circumstances that have led him here. he destroyed his own hopes, thor's and everyone else. his father's words continue to ring in his words.

unlike thor, odin has no reason to bestow wisdom on his least-loyal son. still, loki finds himself nodding. ]

Drinks sounds . . . doable. At least.

[The pause between his rambling and Loki's answer stretches long enough that Taako can feel where he's definitely pulled his stitches. Haggar will likely yell at him again, Lup, too, but right now? He's tense, waiting to bolt if his proposal is rejected. He's not exactly good at comforting anyone. He's spectacularly shit at doing it for himself even, so he doesn't honestly expect Loki to agree until the very moment that he does.

Which is why he stares at him for a moment in shock until his brain kicks into gear and Taako nods.]

Yeah, okay, sure, yeah - um.

[Then he glances back at the icy hallway and the road hazards between him and the kitchen.]

Conjured okay? Because I'm pretty sure if I go to the kitchen right now, I'll fall and bleed out and die. Y'know. Again.

You should really rest.

[ though loki can understand why everyone on the ship panicked after that display of magic. loki has never lost control before — not once. his hold on his magic has never been tenuous or weak, never prone to emotional distress. for it to happen like this, especially since he now possesses the casket . . . it makes him wonder if his other heritage was raising its head at him pointedly. ]

I can conjure some.

Pot? [He gestures to Loki.]

Meet my friend Kettle.

[Then he gestures to himself.

No one's going to be telling him to rest when they have godsdamn strangle marks on their neck and just froze their ship like Fantasy Elsa.]

But let's split the duties, huh? Can you get me some.... [And he thinks for a moment, tapping a finger against the wall where he's holding on to keep himself upright.]

Mmmmm honey syrup and lemon juice? We got the ice we need, like, everywhere. I can get the other two.

[ in his defense, he's not like he's injured. they're simply bruises at this point. he clicks his tongue before conjuring the syrup and juice, placing it onto the table. ]

Will that do?

Yuuup.

[And he brings up a bottle of scotch and a clump of fresh ginger. Then he reaches into his pocket and fishes around. His hand disappears a bit further than what is realistically possible into his pockets, then he pulls out two glasses, a shaker, and a muddler out. From where? Don't ask.

He holds them all up, using Mage Hand to carry what he can't hold, and motions to Loki's room.]

Am I allowed in or do you wanna do this elsewhere?

No, you can come in.

[ loki steps back to let taako into the room. his is slightly bigger than the average room on the first breath, but it doesn't contain much. there's a oak dresser by the corner with various drawers and a few things scattered on the top. on a table sits a wooden bowl, filled with gems and water that cast dim lights across the room. ]

Take a seat. I don't want you to overextend yourself.

Woulda figured you for a guy with stuff, but sure.

[He's honestly taken aback by how spartan this place looks in comparison to his. He knows his room is what some would classify as a "National Disaster," but he's always been a bit of a hoarder once he had a place to call his own. This place is classy, but it's the sort of classy where you're afraid to touch anything in case you leave fingerprints behind.

He sets the stuff on the table and eases himself into a seat with a huff.]

And trust me, I don't want Haggar on my ass about my stitches anymore than she already is.

[He grabs the ginger and starts breaking pieces off, tossing them into the shaker and using the muddler to crush it.]

I try not to keep too much. I've lost my home multiple times after all.

[ in the void, imprisonment and then finally it exploded. loki doesn't want to put down roots anywhere, not even on the fleet. at taako's statement, he blinks, facing the elf. ]

The fact that she does so much is a lot for her. She struggles with that, the sentiment.

I mean, same, but you should see my place.

[Compared to Loki's spartan approach, his place looked like an interdimensional Walmart exploded inside it.

After crushing up the ginger, Taako starts pouring in the other ingredients - the scotch, honey and lemon. He clips a bit of ice off and drops it into the glasses, casting Prestidigitation to ensure it's clean.]

Hagatha struggles with a lot - not least of all having an emotion beyond "bland." But she's our pseudo-doc, so she's just doing her job.

[Which, maybe, that meant she should be looking in on Loki, honestly. But Taako isn't sure what a doctor can do for the recently-and-abruptly-no-longer-dead. Other than say congrats? And then send them to a therapist.

After checking that everything is how he likes it - strong as fuck - he holds the shaker out to Loki.]

Hate to ask, but can you do the honors? Me and shakin' shit vigorously ain't compatico right now.

I shared a room with Thor when I was younger. He also had problems with . . . cleanliness.

[ does taako truly think it's just that? or has he not noticed the slow thawing of haggar? either way, it's not loki's place to say more on the subject. he takes the shaker and gets to work. ]

Were many people angry with you?

Correction: [Taako holds up a finger] I have clutter, not a lack of cleanliness. It's clean, it's just a chaotic sort of clean.

[He leans back as Loki works on the shaker, shrugging casually at the question. Lup was angry. Kravitz had worried. Haggar had...loomed and scolded. Thor stopped by a few times. Mikleo had come by. Belth had yelled. More people came by than he'd thought, honestly.

He wasn't sure if angry was the right answer though. He didn't know what it was, but it was...something.

Taako looks away and runs a finger across the rim of the glass he's goig to claim for himself.]

I fucked up pretty bad, so probably. I dunno; not like it matters. That's enough for the shaking.

[He quickly switches off the topic of himself here and holds a hand out. He's here to make sure Loki is okay, not talk about his own dumb ass.]

[ loki knows a deflection when he hears one, but he lets it go. he seems to be doing that a lot lately. mostly because he doesn't really have a lot to hold onto. whatever little he has, he's already lost. he hands it over. ]

You're still in one piece, at least.

[He snort indelicately at that. He hasn't been in one piece in a long time. There's always something missing inside him, something that was stolen away or something he never had in the first place. He used to think it was a stricter moral compass, but lately, since coming here, he's been thinking it might be something else.

Taako gives the shaker another light toss, then uncaps it and strains the yellow-orange cocktail out over the ice in the glasses.]

I'm in about as many pieces as I began with at least.

[He hands the fuller glass over to Loki.]

A Penicillin. Packs a hell of a punch, but it's- [meant to soothe and heal a ragged throat] -a little sweet, too. Should match your whole aesthetic.

[ loki nods, accepting it gratefully, or at least, with as much gratitude he can muster. it is not a normal thing for him, to be kind, to be generous. he does not have a forthright bone in his body. ]

We hold what we can.

But thank you.

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