(no subject)

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

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.

Comments

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"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.

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

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"

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"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."

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

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?"

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"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.

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

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?"

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"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."

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

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.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"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.

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

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.

(Loki doesn't know Sugarplum)

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"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."

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

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

"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..."

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"I should have, though," Loki admitted. "A grifter should know his surroundings, especially if he's planning on staying around for a while. I've been much too sloppy lately. Hiding a woman with tentacles shouldn't be easy."

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

"If he does have a tentacle girlfriend, d'you think I could use her in the plan? Besides, maybe she doesn't come out much - or ever," War suggested. "I've certainly never seen her, and I think I've at least seen most people here, even if I've not actually met them, as such."

She thought for a moment, then added, "Of course, if there are people I haven't seen, I wouldn't know I haven't seen them, I suppose... ever wonder if it's only Adam who actually knows who everyone here is?"

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"Do you think he might be keeping her locked into a dungeon in the basement? I did find some locked rooms there that I never bothered to look inside." He refused to admit that he'd been unable to find a way inside because he'd been too sick to turn into a cockroach. That was just too shameful. "Maybe she doesn't even like him. We'd be doing her a favour by letting her go."

"Of course, I can't let her go. I'm stuck in this bed." Damn leukemia.

"There should be a register at the reception," Loki decided. "Maybe Uriel would let you check?"

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

"That's true," War said. "I had to kisk my way out of one of them when I got back in the summer." She grinned. "That was fun."

"Anyway, point is, he could well have her locked in somewhere down there. Maybe he's bribed the kitchen staff to bring her food, and that's who I heard talking about it?"

She drummed her fingernails on the arm of her chair, then exclaimed, "I've got it! If I ask Uriel whether Ligur has a .."friend".. staying, possibly in the basement, and she agrees, then I could get the Doctor to rescue her! He's got such a sense of right and wrong, I'm sure if I told him Ligur had a woman - well, female - locked up down there, he'd go to the rescue!"

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Kick her way out! Oh, and he couldn't even crawl in under the door! How he wished he could be a cockroach just one more time.

"You could just mention your suspicion to him anyway. Bet it'd send him sneaking after Ligur whether it's true or not." Loki grinned. Yes, this sounded like a nice little plot.

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

"You know, I think you're right," said War slowly, grinning. "Don't suppose you happen to know off-hand where I'm likely to find him, do you?"

(You do know Ligur's on hiatus, right? And I'm not sure about Alys either.)

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"Hm ... Near his box, most likely," Loki said. "And he also tends to hang around Uriel way too much. Occasionally takes this tin thing he calls a dog for a walk on the grounds and he has to eat, of course. Uriel could give you his room number, but it'd be too suspicious, if you knocked on his door. He isn't Ligur."

Yup, thought if Alys is around (not sure) we could still get Doc suspicious....

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

"Ah, I'm sure I'll find him around somewhere. I generally manage to track people down when I'm trying to find them," she said, smiling at the god.

"But I think I might ask Uriel about this guest of Ligur's, see if she knows anything about it. I'll do my best, anyway - and I promise I'll keep you updated." She grinned. "Schemes are much more fun when you've got someone to share them with."

Yep, I think Alys is around sometimes. No Ligur, though.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Loki grinned. "Like say, the first time they get into a fight?" Though he had to admit that he hadn't seen the Doctor fight much so far.

"oh yes, they definitely are." Schemes were best when hatched and executed with Odin, actually, but it was also fun to try out different partners and he hadn't plotted with War in a long time. Too bad he couldn't be part of the execution of this one.

Hm. Guess this is winding the thread up?

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

War grinned back. "Something like that."

She knew Loki must be missing Odin, and if she could help a bit then that could only be a good thing. It wsan't as if it wouldn't be something she wouldn't enjoy herself.

"I'll do my best," she promised. "Ond if it doesn't work - well, we'll just have to come up with something else."

Yep, but without Uriel loki will need War's friendship a lot.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"Just remember to come back from time to time to report on your progress." This was as close to begging as Loki was willing to get. Maybe War causing chaos in the manor would give him the strength to leave the hospital wing for a bit and actually watch some of it himself, but he doubted it. Most likely it'd only relieve the headache and nausea a bit.

Well, she's not going anywhere - 'cause I'm not :)

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

"Don't worry," War said, trying to make her voice as reassuring as she could. "I'm not planning to go off anywhere, and as long as I'm here I'll keep popping in to keep you amused." She looked around the room. "I can't imagine "hospital" is your favourite style of decor, so I'll do what I can to keep it firmly in the background, ok?"

*hugs* I really really hope so.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," Loki said trying to sound brave. "It's rather boring. Even the literature leaves something to be desired. Seems like all they have around here's Judeo-Christian."