(no subject)

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Time: September 23, 2000
Place: The Library
Status: Private (Loki, Metatron) (Complete)
Summary: Loki is trying to avoid everybody, but with so many people in the manor it's not so easy.



He'd run out of reading material, card tricks were getting dead boring and there wasn't much going on outside his window either. The most entertaining thing that had happened today had been ordering food from room service.

Loki was beginning to regret that he'd left his oil paints in the attic, but he wasn't going up there to get them. John might be there.

The same applied to the restaurant and bar and just about everywhere in the manor. After upsetting people it was always best to disappear for a while, let grass grow over the affair.

Only this time he didn't really have anywhere to go and he couldn't change into any other shape either. It made life a lot more ... well, not really difficult, but boring.

He considered sneaking up into Uriel's room. It wasn't likely that he'd meet anybody other than his little sister there and she was safe. He'd just have to wait until it was late enough that most of the people on the third floor would have either gone out, or be asleep. Then again that meant that Uriel would most likely be asleep, because Bran needed it. Watching Uriel sleep didn't promise to be very entertaining either.

If only he had some more books to read. Those helped pass a lot more time than a quick visit, but Ezra would be in the library and he was dating Crowley so he was probably on John's side.

Ezra wouldn't be there in the night, though, would he?

He thought that over until he got too fidgety to sit around and wait and decided to check. His timing was bad, much too early to expect the inhabitants to be asleep and he promptly had to make a quick dive into the laundry cupboard when he heard voices on the stairs, but once those had passed by he managed to reach the thankfully unlocked and empty library safely.

Comments

[gilded-voice.livejournal.com]

The Metatron had come in a fair while earlier. He hadn't been looking for anything in particular, really; there had just been a vague idea that, with such a varying group of... well, people, it might be a good idea to see if there was some more recent (or not so recent, given he hadn't generally taken much of a note of what other gods were up to in their religions) information around. Possibly it would also be interesting to take a look at how those who were arguing against religion were currently viewing the matter.

There had been several books on both topics. He'd taken a brief look through some, and decided that those on the latter topic were probably far too irritating for their own good, and had put them back on the shelf. The books on other religions were faring slightly better because, after all, they were there, and it was probably better to know a bit about who he might bump into than be completely unprepared.

He had hoped, though, that there wouldn't have been anyone coming in. It wasn't that he wouldn't have asked to borrow the books, just... not while he was holding them.

There was no helping it, though. Picking up a book relating more to the history of the past few centuries and placing it on top of the small pile, he moved towards the entrance of the library, entirely intending to be polite and ask if they minded terribly much if he took the books out.

The fact that it was Loki, however, threw him slightly off balance. It wasn't simply that he was one of the pantheon gods; it was also that he was, well, a god of chaos. And, rather more importantly, fire. The Metatron took a step back, towards one of the shelves. "What might you be doing here? I wouldn't have thought this quite your realm."

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Loki started at the unexpected presence of ... it was another not-god, but considering his experience with Crowley he was hesitant to attribute him to either side. It didn't make much of a difference anyway. Both sides were equally dangerous and probably on Crowley and John's side as well.

"I was," he said cautiously. "Looking for a book to read. And as far as I know this isn't anybody's realm." Except Adam's, but he didn't feel like mentioning him.

Loki would have been quite surprised to hear another god, even one that officially wasn't, call him a god of fire. It was a commonly held misconception among modern humans and he was grateful for the increase of his powers over fire that had given him, but it still didn't actually make him into a fire god.

[gilded-voice.livejournal.com]

Being not entirely up-to-date with what was going on in the Manor, the Metatron wasn't particularly aware of any sides- aside from the more usual divides- but it was true that he was unlikely to approve of many of Loki's actions.

"Oh?" he asked, the tone leaning rather steeply towards disbelief. "On what subject, may I ask?" He frowned, and adjusted his pile to obliterate the titles. No need to tell a pantheon god he was curious about them. "Space of... inhabitance, then."

It was amazing, the number of misconceptions you could pile up if you weren't paying proper attention.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"Oh, so you live in the library then?" Loki grinned. Attack was usually the best defence. "Can't afford a room, you poor thing?"

He wished he knew which one this was. He certainly hadn't seen him before. Oh where was Uriel when you needed her?

[gilded-voice.livejournal.com]

"I don't believe anyone's living in here at present." He glanced around, and added, "It might be nice, though, for some. Not the careless sort, certainly." His grip tightened on the books, not at the moment so much to protect them as to keep them from falling out. That would be somewhat awkward, after having said that.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"Nice?" This guy was definitely weird. Or maybe he was some sort of angel of wisdom that was used to living in books? "Well, whatever floats your boat. I just come here to get something to read."

He didn't understand what any of it had to do with being careless either. Last time he'd checked books hadn't been dangerous, though he did remember times when people could be killed for reading the wrong sort of book. Maybe some of the texts here could be considered the wrong sort. The satanic bibles definitely didn't find much approval from the 'angel' faction of the not-gods. He was pretty sure that he was dealing with another 'angel' by now.

[gilded-voice.livejournal.com]

The Metatron shrugged. "It'd be convenient if you wanted to have easy access to something to read," he said. "Uncomfortable if you kept leaving everything lying around and fell asleep on top of something." He paused, and added, "If you're looking for something in particular, I might be able to help you locate it. If you're not going to damage it." He didn't particularly want to leave the god there alone; what if he decided to be malicious?

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"Nah, just looking for something to pass the time," Loki admitted. "I'm feeling a little bored at the moment and my little sister asked me not to pick fights in the manor. Then again, if I find nothing interesting here, I didn't specifically promise."

He eyed the angel speculatively, though he didn't actually mean it. He could feel that he was getting weaker again and would probably lose a fight no matter how good or bad his opponent was.

[gilded-voice.livejournal.com]

"I see. Then, is there any particular area of writing you would be interested in? They do seem to be somewhat organized."

The Metatron paused, running through his short and somewhat incomplete geanological table of the Norse gods. He didn't recall anyone being listed as Loki's younger sister, although presumably it wasn't impossible (particularly given the aforesaid incompleteness). "It might be well-meant advice. Breaking the truce would, I'm sure, do neither of us favours."

He kept an eye on Loki, though. It wouldn't be good to be taken unawares.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Loki shrugged. "Little sister's afraid that I'll get kicked out and she'll be left alone with all of you guys. Makes one wonder what's wrong with your pantheon really, that she'll go looking for friends and family elsewhere."

He considered the shelves for a moment, then grabbed a random paperback. "This will do," he declared after a quick glance confirmed it to be a historical novel. "I'm not picky." And he didn't want a random not-god to see what he'd normally pick out. Maybe he could convince Uriel to get him some more research texts once he'd finished the novel.

[gilded-voice.livejournal.com]

The Metatron's expression froze for a moment, and then his eyes narrowed. "There is nothing wrong with our group," he growled. He might have had his own worries, but it wouldn't do to let one of the pantheon gods know about that. "Why should she look to you? Have you always been caring of your own?"

If the god did want a fight, the Metatron was prepared. Aside from having to put the books down first, though. And not having fought or training in quite some time.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to change that.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Loki almost hissed. How dare he!

"I never turned away a friend in need!" Only a lot of people had suddenly decided they were his friends when they were in need and it didn't help to have family on both sides. "You though, you just ignore them or kick them out then talk about justice. You're a crazy bunch."

[gilded-voice.livejournal.com]

"And caused them pain enough first!"

The Metatron's hands shook slightly, though, at the second part. "We trust them to be able to do the right thing, to help others to do the right thing. If that's impossible... I don't see what's crazy about that."

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"But you don't do the right thing to them? Or why else would one of yours turn to us for friendship? We don't claim to be kind as you do, you know, but we do have friends in our own pantheon." At least he'd had one until recently.

[gilded-voice.livejournal.com]

"I couldn't say what was being thought, certainly." The Metatron moved to put the books down; given the way his hands were trembling, he would probably have dropped them. "We're not completely unfriendly either," he said, "not as well known for it as your lot are, at least."

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"Well, I'm definitely no expert on your pantheon," Loki returned with a shrug. "But you should probably ask some of the people around here what they think about that. I for one am very glad I wasn't born into that one."

No, he wouldn't like being a slave at all and that presence Uriel was so dependent on sounded scary. Loki was proud of his independence.

[gilded-voice.livejournal.com]

"I'm sure it's no great loss on our part, either." The Metatron frowned. Surely the god didn't mean to imply that he didn't know his own religion, but he didn't feel he liked the other possibility much better. "I don't know why you feel I should be taking your advice."

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"Well, I just thought you might want to know what others think of you," Loki returned with a shrug. "It's merely a suggestion, though."

He really hoped that the egocentric Judeo-Christian god was of the same opinion as this not-god. The last thing Loki wanted was to be adopted into his pantheon.

[gilded-voice.livejournal.com]

"Indeed?" The Metatron shook his head, and picked the books up again. He didn't quite see the point, and surely there was enough variation in how the various denominations were to have some idea. Aside from how those outside the faith regarded it. Was that as imortant, though?

Well, to do good work, you hadn't to know them, didn't you?

He didn't think this was being particularly helpful, though. "Well. It's been... interesting," he said.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Loki shrugged. "It's useful information and not that hard to get, but you're free to do whatever you want, of course," Loki smirked. "That is you are as far as my religion is concerned. Almost forgot that your top god thinks differently about these things."

"Anyway, I've got my book, so I'll leave you to yours," he added walking to the door. It was better not to spend too much time around unfamiliar not-gods even if this one seemed to be a complete fool.

[gilded-voice.livejournal.com]

The Metatron frowned, but did his best not to overreact. There probably wasn't much he could do that would be acceptable, in any case, aside from the narrowing of eyes and glare.

"All right, then." He didn't move, though, not until he was certain Loki was a fair distance from the library.