neutral_omens | (no subject)

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Date: October 22, 2000
Status: Private (War, Loki, (Anathema?)) - Complete
Setting: Hospital wing
Summary: War visits Loki

War stood in the Lobby with her hands on her hips. She'd managed to walk around the Manor without seeing anybody at all, and apart from her chat with Pollution the day before, it seemed like an age since she had seen any of her friends. Trying to think back to when it had been, she suddenly remembered fragments of a conversation she'd overheard the day before when she'd been out practising in the grounds. Something about someone being in the hospital - someone who'd collapsed. She frowned, trying to remember what had been said, then remembered that they had said something about medication, and hair growing back. Surely not - Loki? She remembered that he had been looking ill, and his hair did seem to have grown back when she'd seen him at that lunch - and it would explain whyh she hadn't seen him around...

Whilst she had been thinking, her strides had carried her to the door of the hospital wing. Seeing it was shut, she knocked sharply.

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"They really haven't got a clue. It's the old chiche of brother fighting brother, and loyalties are half an accident of where you happen to be born. It's just beautiful," she sighed happily.

"Things could certainly stand to be a little livelier sometimes," she agreed. "I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks so! On the other hand, I'm not sure everyone else would appreciate it quite as much." She was fairly sure Adam, for one, certainly wouldn't.

"Oh yes, just like home," Loki said smiling at the not so sweet memories of some wars between Asgardians and giants. "And it creates the best sort of chaos when some of the players aren't even sure what side they're on."

"I'd feel better with a little more chaos around. My last attempt at starting some didn't go too well, though." He'd expected the Crowley-Ezra thing to go differently anyway, though it was probably good for Ezra to be away from Crowley. No telling what he'd have done to the poor bookish not-god.

""Not sure what side they're on" certainly describes some of the people around here," she said, smiling. She didn't know how much he knew of the Not-Apocolypse, but things had certainly changed around here since then.

"Pure chaos doesn't worry me so much, but certainly a little conflict keeps things fun." She sighed. "Maybe a little less fun when it's people I've got to know well, though."

She paused, staring off into middle distance briefly, then said, "What were you trying to stir up, then?"

"It's a way of life, War," Loki grinned at her. He'd always been stuck between sides in the old days it seemed. "It'd probably help me get better. You're right about the people you know, though. Too right."

"Well, I was just hoping for a little mistrust between Ezra and Crowley. Some yelling maybe, people getting drawn ito the fight. I didn't think they'd just quietly split up. Quite a letdown that."

Crowley and Ezra? Presumably he must mean the angel, Aziraphale, but somehow War had missed the news that they'd split up. "Very quietly, given I seemed to have missed the news," she commented, wryly. "I can't imagine they were too happy, though."

"I don't suppose there's any stirring you can think of that I could do to keep you entertained - but that wouldn't get either of us into trouble?" she asked, slyly.

"Yeah, instead of having a big manor wide row, Crowley seems to just have walked quietly back to his room and told Ezra it's over and then he went complaining to John and now John's mad at me for breaking them up. As if that ever was the plan!"

Loki smirked. Oh, the things he could think of ... He should stay realistic, though. He didn't want War to get kicked out of the manor.

"Mmmm, messing with Crowley's my favourite, but Mictain works, too. And the box-thief and Ligur. Think you could get them tangled up in a fight without getting suspected?"

War shrugged. "I'd put it down to collateral damage, if I were you, and think no more of it. Not worth you worrying over." Especially not when you need your strength for other things, like getting better, she added silently in her head.

"Mictain, I'm planning to beat in a fight sometime. Not exasctly chaotic, but it might settle the argument of who's the best," she smirked. "It's not exactly chaotic though - I suspect certain people wouldn't let it happen if it were. I might be able to do something, though... who's this "box-thief" you mentioned?"

"Bite him," Loki recommended. "It confuses him and tastes good. THe guy with the stolen police box. You know, Ducky. Probably not quite up to Crowley's level, but I suspect anyone could handle Ligur." He smirked evilly. "If they could stomach touching him."

Yes, War really was a good friend. He should try and see her more often while he still could.

"Bite him? Don't you think he might get the wrong idea?" War smirked. "Espeically if I told him he tasted good..."

"As for Ducky... I've nothing against him, especially since he gave me my new pretty -" here she patted the sonic gun that hung at her hip "- but I'm sure it wouldn't take much to get him and Ligur fair annoyed with each other. You might just be onto something there... And if I was just letting them know things, all concerned like, no one would ever guess."

She grinned. No one would ever know how many wars had been started as a result of her misdirection.

"As for touching Ligur - Ducky wouldn't need to. He's got that stick thing, remember? And there wouldn't be any trouble, he doesn't like killing or anything." She thought for a moment, then added, "Does depend on them both actually being around, of course."

Loki laughed. "Oh my, that'd be hillarious! Didn't even think of that. I suppose Mictain'd be alright, if he weren't a threat to the family."

"I don't like people who run around with police boxes. Don't trust them. Of course you're probably several sizes too big for him, so no worries there. He'd be a fool to challenge you. Yeah, Ligur seems to be pretty hard to catch. Pitting the Box-Thief against Crowley wouldn't be fair, though, especially, if he really won't kill. Crowley can kill with a single thought. Sure, killing the Box-Thief would be certain to stir up some chaos, but it'd upset Uriel and that'd be bad for Bran. Can't do that. They're family."

War smirked. "Well, at least I know he'd put up with my work," she pointed out. "Maybe I should try it just to see what his reaction would be!"

"Ducky, on the other hand, I don't think would dare challenge me - not after the greeting we gave him when he arrived," she said, with a wry smile. "He seems nice enough, and I'd really rather he didn't get toasted by Crowley - who knows, he might be able to find me more pretties from whereever he got this one." She stroked it meditatively, then added, "And it'd mess up family. If Uriel's happy and stable, then I'd rather for all our sakes she stayed that way." She shook her head. "Not to mention the havoc a traumatised angelic newborn could wreak round here. I know we said chaos would be fun, but uncontrolled angelic powers... maybe less so."

Half under her breath, she said to herself, "And I know how much family - or the nearest thing - matters," not realising she was speaking aloud.

"Mmmmm ... It might distract him from whatever he's planning to do with Bran. Besides watching his reaction ought to be fun."

"I'm not saying you should let any harm come to the Box-Thief," Loki assured her. "Ligur's a harmless idiot, I suspect. If it really turns out that he could hurt the Box-Thief, you'll be able to handle him easily enough. Or you could send in re-enforcements."

Out of control baby angel powers? "Oh Bran, you have no idea how much I love you already!"

"Yes," he agreed. "Family is the most important thing of all, even if you're not actually related to them at all."

War thought quickly back to her conversation with Mictain after the barbecue, and remembered his plans. Nodding, she said, "Alright, you're on. When I get round to setting up our match, I'll see if I can't...distract... him a little."

At his mention of Bran, she grinned. "It'll be fun to have a little one around to train up... I'm sure Uriel wouldn't want him to be defenceless, after all."

"As for Ducky... as long as I can find them both, I think I've got an idea on how I could set things up with that one..." she mused.

"Oh - and I'd count it family and friends," she amended. "I don't tend to have so many friends - more brief acquaintances - so when they turn up it's nice to hang on to them."

"Oh yes, it definitely will be," Loki agreed with a dreamy smile. "I reserve the right to gift him with his first spear, though. He is my nephew after all."

It was an empty claim and she probably knew it. He wouldn't be around by the time Bran was old enough to learn the use of weapons. Still he liked to pretend. He'd enjoyed teaching his own children to fight. Would Bran have any shape-changing abilities to use in battle?

"Family," he insisted. "Friends are unreliable. Sooner or later they desert you." The thought of John still hurt. "Family desert you, too, of course, but not as easily." And the memory of Odin was even worse.

War noted the wistful smile, and her concern grew. Just what was wrong with the god? Carefully, she said, "If you like, I can teach him how spears have been used through the ages - the technique's changed a bit, you know." Hopefully, he would accept the offer, and understand what she meant by it.

"Not all friends do," she said, calmly. She didn't want to get him agitated, she wanted to reassure him - and not jsut with empty words. "Some might, but I don't see them as friends. In all the time I've been around, I probably can count the number of people I'd truly call friends on the fingers of my two hands. And when I'm some one's friend, I don't cut and run." She gestured expansively. "I'm the personification of war, Loki - not just fighting. War comes with some principles, and as I see it, one of those is, you don't leave your friends behind, whatever happens. I might have a tight definition of friends, but as they say - When you can't run, you walk. When you can't walk, you crawl. When you can't do that - I'll be there to carry you"

"Yes, that'd be good," Loki agreed. "Especially, if ... if for some reason I can't be there. I ... I'd like him to know what it means to be a proper Viking. I know, Odin will probably take care of that anyway, but just in case he doesn't."

"I've been around a long time,too War, and in the end friends always leave you. Or maybe it's just me. Maybe I chase them away."

War nodded, and reached out, placing her hand on top of his. "I'll make sure," she promised. "I was there, remember? I was there alongside you all those times - those long journeys by the sea, cutting through the waves before we even got to the battles. We used to laugh and joke together, remember?"

She smiled, and for once it showed in her eyes as she looked at him. "I've been around longer, you know - almost since the beginning of it all. They don't all go, not quite. As for chasing people away - you've not managed to get rid of me yet, now have you?"

"And we caused a mutiny once that got Odin so mad he nearly threw both of us overboard," Loki remembered. Oh, it had been fun. And damn lucky Odin's plans would have been shot without War or he might well have deserted Loki much sooner.

"Not yet," he agreed, but how long would she be able to bear keeping company to someone who could no longer fight?

Well, at least she was here now. It was the closest thing to seeing Odin again he was likely to get in what little time remained to him.

War grinned. "And the time we hid his mead under the pile of ropes, and he was storming up and down sulking? That was a good night..."

"I'm not going to, either. Even if you're not up to wielding a sword right now - who cares? There's enough meatheads and cannon fodder who are all muscle and no brains around in the world. It's not all about the fighting, you know - it's the planning, too, the tactics." She thought for a moment, then said, "I still think you're the best one I've met for coming up with the sneaky plans. Speaking of which - don't suppose you've got any ideas how I could lure Ligur round to the box, have you?"

"Yeah, but you didn't get cuffed around the head for it afterwards. The crew sure had a good laugh at that."

"I can't think as well as I used to either. Can't concentrate anymore." He sighed. "Ligur should be easy, though. He's stupid and he likes virgin blood. Just hint that there is a virgin in or near the box and he'll probably run right there."

War smirked. "You do know why I didn't get cuffed round the head, right...?"

More seriously, she said, "You don't have to be on top form all the time. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm not exactly charging round causing bloodshed at the moment - or even tactical planning. Oh, I wonder where that virgin by the box in the stables came from said loudly in the presence of Ligur - who is stupid enough to fall for it, I suspect - is not exactly a genius surprise attack. Besides, isn't the point of being in here that you get better?"

She didn't want to drag him into talking about his illness - whatever it was - if he wasn't volunteering the information, but she couldn't help being concerned.

"You were useful to him. Could have forgotten the whole trip, if there wasn't going to be any fighting."

"A genial strategy would probably be lost on Ligur. It's got to be blunt enough that he'll get the message. And this time it doesn't work that way, War." He didn't want to explain further. He didn't like thinking about it.

War smirked. "I suppose "useful" is one way of putting it..."

She thought for a moment, then said, "Actually, I think I might have a better plan. Isn't he rather attached to some tentacle thing he's got down in the basement?"

She chose to ignore the god's last comment, and made up her mind to ask someone else what was going on. He clearly wasn't going to talk about it, but she'd be damned if she was going to lose a friend because of something that wasn't a fight.

"What, he has a tentacled girlfriend? What does she see in him?" Loki couldn't believe it. He'd explored the manor. He should have known all the residents around. How could a tentacled demoness have escaped his notice?

"There you see how much I'm still worth. I didn't even know about her."

"Girlfriend? Well, a tentacled something - I was down there looking for somewhere to exercise once and overheard someone saying something to someone - or something - else about their tentacles." She shrugged. "It didn't sound like Ligur, though, and if he'd got a monster girlfriend I'm not sure who else would want to be visiting her. I wouldn't read too much into not knowing, no one told me either. I probably should have investigated, but I keep getting distracted by work..."

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(Loki doesn't know Sugarplum)

Re: (Loki doesn't know Sugarplum) - um, yes, just remembered War doesn't either. Poss. plausible: