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

[dothelokimotion]

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. ]

Comments

[dothelokimotion]

[ his eyes had been fluttering shut, hovering between states of consciousness before they fly open and he grabs her wrist. his grip is just shy of painful. ]

Don't.

[ but his mind catches up to him quickly enough and he balks, immediately letting go, breathing heavily. ]

[necromanswers]

[She's startled at first, eyes flaring wide, and it's hard to stamp down having a similar reaction to being grabbed like that- but something wild in his eyes stops her from instinctively retaliating. There's an uncomfortable familiarity to that look. She's seen it, felt it, though she can't quite give it a name yet. Even so, the impression is immediately apparent: whatever happened, it's worse than she thought.

Very carefully she shifts the aim of her hand back to his shoulder, softening her voice.]

Easy, easy. I won't touch. Will you let me look at it?

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki still looks weary, hunted. there are shadows under his eyes, sunken and gaunt. finally he nods slowly, a shiver running down his spine. ]

Careful then. The poison may linger.

[ it takes more than a mere strangulation to kill loki, after all. ]

[necromanswers]

...Ooookay, I'll be careful. I'm pretty tough against poison.

[Though whether it's said for his assurance or her own, she isn't sure. Even a lich might be susceptible to the kind of poison that could hurt a god, and she's not inclined to find out at this very moment.

She shifts her hand over - slowly this time, and carefully, true to her word - to move the fabric of his collar aside enough to reveal the marks on his neck more clearly. Thank the gods for elven darkvision; it's still so gloomy and dim in here, but she doesn't want to risk casting a cantrip right by his face with him already so on edge. He'll have an easier time resting if it's dark, anyway.]

I, uh. Don't suppose it's magic poison.

[She could try to dispel it, but she has a feeling that this is beyond something she can help with. It looks bad enough that even a cleric of some caliber might have trouble treating it, nevermind a simple wizard.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ his breathing comes out in puffs and stutters, quiet as a grave. ]

No. Something beyond magic and science. But its effect will pass soon enough.

[necromanswers]

[Oh well, it was worth asking. She takes a long, hard look at the wounds, looking for anything that can be done about it, but he's probably right. Rest will do him the most good, here.

Reluctantly she withdraws, idly brushing her fingers together, as if coming too close was enough to give her phantom tingles. If it looks that bad, she can only imagine how it feels.]

Tea'll help with your throat, at least, and it'll take away some of the chill. Get some rest for now- I'll be back in ten.

[dothelokimotion]

[ a weak chuckle escapes his throat, even though it scrapes along his insides. ]

There is nothing in this universe that can take away my chill.

[necromanswers]

...Drama queen.

[There's no malice in her words, at least, and she reaches back and pulls the blanket over him anyway. She stands and heads out, drawing "DND" in the outer frost of his door as she closes it behind herself.

And then she goes to make tea! Something herbal and hot, meant to warm and soothe his throat, and hopefully to help him sleep. She'd offer a spell, but those don't work on her, so she doubts they'd work on him either. Gods are usually well above elves when it comes to resistances, or at least she's assumed as much. That's more a question for Kravitz. She ponders quietly on how to proceed while it steeps- they're not the best of friends or anything, but she likes him, and she's a good enough listening ear when she wants to be. He sure as hell looks like he needs some support.

Honestly, she just wishes her friends would stop wrecking themselves up for a while. She's far better at blowing enemies up than cleaning up the aftermath, or mending wounds in and out.

Ten minutes later there's a soft knock on his door again, though she opens it herself and steps inside rather than let him get up again. It's an alert this time, not a request for permission.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ for a moment, loki drifts off. he thinks of the statesman, thinks of the way thor stood with him, together. he thinks about heimdall and his unearthly amber gaze. valkyrie and her drunken carriage. his people. his. it's a pleasant dream that he jolts awake from, panic in his throat like fire. he coughs his body into shakes. ]

Come in.

[necromanswers]

[She ventures inside, carrying a steaming mug, her movements slow and deliberate to avoid spooking him again. On her way over she grabs the desk chair, setting it next to the bed and sitting down.]

Special delivery, as promised. Sit up for me- I've got an extra hand if you need it.

[She offers it out to him. That cough did not sound great, either, so if he struggles at all she'll give him some support.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki sits up, using support from his elbows. his fingers tremble but gain surety as they clasp around the mug, as if gaining strength from the sharp planes of the object. ]

Thank you. This is . . . kindness I do not deserve.

[necromanswers]

Mm... y'know, whenever I hear people say that I always end up suspicious. Good or bad, people who say they don't deserve a thing usually means they deserve it at least a little. So I don't buy it.

[Loki's the god of, like, mischief and magic or whatever, not love and snuggles, so he's probably done some mean shit in the past. Chaotic alignment and whatnot. But who is she to judge? She's stolen and hurt and killed people, she's pulled tricks on innocents and devastated entire planets. And despite all of that, she still deserves a nice cup of tea when she's feeling lousy. That's how she feels, anyway.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki is a contradictory package. he is proud and vain, he considers himself superior, he flaunts his godhood and sneers at others. but loki can never muster up a good thought for himself. it always slips past his fingers. that's what he relies on thor for. if thor was still there, then there must be something worth salvaging in this husk.

loki takes a slow sip, swallowing any sounds of pain. ]

What do you believe in then?

[necromanswers]

I believe in myself, mostly. I'm the most reliable person I know.

[She smiles playfully, albeit briefly, and rubs her hands together, attempting to generate some warmth.]

But more seriously, I think that folks have the right to decide what they think of the people around them based on how they act. You can tell 'em that ohhhh, you're such a great person! And then you spit and kick some kid into the dirt, and they'll see how you're actually an asshole. So if, for example, some guy tells me he doesn't deserve something as simple as a bit of sweetgrass in hot water, when the worst thing he's done to me is play a little trick? I might wonder if that's their past pushing too hard into their present.

[dothelokimotion]

[ there is truth in that. loki's past has bled over most things, so he continually expects it to do so. after all, it did when thanos arrived, a reckoning long prophesied. and thus, it is harder to shake off. ]

It is a rather insidious past.

[ but that's clearly a graceful defeat. ]

[necromanswers]

[She huffs out a laugh, somewhat bittersweet.]

Find me a person who doesn't have one of those, because they're few and far between, my dude. Look around, you might find yourself in good company.

[dothelokimotion]

Perhaps.

[ but that involves more sharing than loki is comfortable with. ]

[necromanswers]

[Yeah, speaking of which.]

Anything you wanna talk about? Get off your chest?

[What happened?]

[dothelokimotion]

There isn't much to say.

[ how does one sum up that instant? loki knew that thanos would come for him, one way or another. his fingers rub the ceramic. ]

Someone killed me. It tends to happen often.

[necromanswers]

[Oof. She winces a little; that's never fun. The "often" part stands out to her, especially.]

You worried it'll stick?

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki pauses. ]

No.

[ if it doesn't, then it's better for thor. maybe. loki isn't sure anymore. all he knows is that — ]

I'm just tired of losing.

[necromanswers]

...Hah... I 100% get that. [Dead Losers Club meeting in Loki's room!] It's a shit feeling every time. Good news is? So long as you keep coming back, you can always get 'em next time.

[dothelokimotion]

[ his lips twitch tiredly. the best club. ]

I am nothing if not a spiteful creature.

[necromanswers]

Spite's an awesome motivator, my dude. Hat's off to you.

[She purses her lips tightly.]

For what it's worth, though... I'm sorry you had to go through that. Even if it isn't permanent, it still sucks ass to die.

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki exhales, soft as snowfall. his people died. thanos, who had carved a black mark in loki's promised pain and the longing for it.

loki had done no such thing. he would not call it bravery, though thor may say otherwise. loki knows it for what it was. ]

Yes. But Thor lives. I cannot say nothing came out of it. I've died before for the same reason. And I'll do it over and over again.