(no subject)

[theban-sphinx.livejournal.com]

Time: April 11th, 2001, night
Status: Public - Sphix and Loki, other people?
Setting: Manor, Manor grounds
Summary: Sphix helps Loki escape from the hospital



She had agreed to this partly because she wanted Loki to get the dying finished with, partly because she still wanted to shock Anathema, to make her lose her temper. Perhaps, she thought, the more unconventional ways would succeed where the usual methods had failed. In any case, Sphix was more than eager to assist Loki in getting away from the hospital, even if she usually was all but helpful.

The sphinx had spent the day walking the corridors, trying to find a short and easy way out. Finally she found the kitchen door. Using it wouldn't draw as much attention as going through the reception, so it would do.

After the evening had turned into night Sphix headed back to the hospital wing. There didn't seem to be anyone around, so she went right to Loki's door and swung it open.

"Ready?"

Comments

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Loki had been waiting eagerly since Anathema had said good night to him. It was Gabriel's shift now, but the not-god didn't look in on him as often as the nurse. Most likely he didn't want to disturb his patient's sleep.

"Finally," Loki whispered and slipped out of bed. He knew he wasn't strong enough to walk all the way to the stables, but he was determined to try.

Slowly he began to walk to the door.

[theban-sphinx.livejournal.com]

"Can't you walk any faster?" Sphix hissed. The more time they spent on the way, the bigger the change was that someone who wanted Loki to stay in would spot them. "If you can't move your legs quicker, I'll have to carry you", she added.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"No, not for very long," Loki admitted. "Carry me? Am I not a bit too tall for that?" He'd lost a lot of weight due to his illness and John had carried him before, but still ...

[theban-sphinx.livejournal.com]

"Of course I can carry you", Sphix said, indignant. "I have dragged a gazelle... a pretty long way." Measurements always seemed to fly out of the window when she didn't have a human head. "You? You are hardly a challenge." Although supporting him might be a bit problematic, if she remained human... "If you can't walk, you can ride", she decided.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Loki was about to ask whether the gazelle had arrived alive, but then she made an irresistible offer.

"Ride? You mean on your other shape? Oh, that'd be ... I'd love that!"

[theban-sphinx.livejournal.com]

"On one of my other shapes", she corrected. "And bear in mind, I'm not some sort of horse who allows all sort of people to climb on her back. It's just this once. You should be grateful."

She started to undo her clothing, for as much fun as the shopping trip had been, she preferred not to get her things torn again. And as useful as her human shape was, it was about time she stretched her paws, too. When her clothing was gone, she changed, allowed her fur to grow, her wings to come forth. Then she stood, on all four paws, and regarded Loki.

"The wings won't be on the way, now, will they? Or would you prefer I go all the way to lioness?" That would be amusing. And disastrous as well, since she found controlling herself much harder without a human head... but who was to say a few disasters now and then didn't offer interesting variety to life?

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Loki watched enthralled. "Beautiful," he whispered, then reached out and petted her. "Such nice soft fur. And those wonderful wings." There was just a tiny twinge of loss as he ran his fingers through the feathers and remembered doing the same with Uriel's wings. "You really are a perfect beauty," Loki assured Sphix and really meant it.

[theban-sphinx.livejournal.com]

Sphix frowned at the touch. "I'm not a kitten, either", she said. It wasn't entirely unpleasant, though, and when he called her a beauty, she couldn't help a genuine smile. "You think so? A charmer, that's what you are." She adjusted her wings so it would be easier for him to climb on her back, and nodded.

"Let's go. And don't you dare to pet my hair."

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"No, not a kitten," Loki agreed. "A cat if anything." And a big cat, too. "All strong and elegant and mighty claws. Few things are as beautiful as a cat."

"Animal charmer, if anything. People don't seem to like me."

He almost forgot to breathe as he climbed onto her back. "That's okay. I'll just pet your wings some more instead." The hair wasn't all that interesting anyway. It was too human to fascinate him.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Something warm and soft moving under him, then something tickling his cheek and soft, gentle horse lips following that ... Hey, he wasn't supposed to be sleeping with a horse!

How long had he been asleep anyway? Maybe he'd better check whether his ride was still there.

After much scratching and petting and whispering endearments into the horse's ear Loki finally said his good byes to Binky and wandered outside.

"Sphix?"

[theban-sphinx.livejournal.com]

The sphinx stood up with one smooth movement, and stretched. "Finally", she said. "I was starting to think this would take the whole night."

She turned to look at Loki and grimaced. "And you stink of horses. I'm going to need a bath... So, somewhere else you need to go, or are we heading back inside?"

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"Want me to scrub your back for you?" Loki suggested with a slightly cocky wink. To be honest he'd rather do it for her while she was in this shape, though.

"I suppose it's too late to find the kitties about and we'd better get inside before Anathema wakes up." Besides his feet were getting very cold again.

[theban-sphinx.livejournal.com]

"Ha. Very funny", Sphix said. "Luckily for you, I'm not an Olympian and therefore, I won't get terribly offended for you suggesting to see me bathe." She gave a short laugh. "Now, let's get back inside."

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"I assure you the last time I ran into Aphrodite she had no problem at all with offers to wash her back." In fact he'd done a lot more with her. Aphrodite always had been easy. Most love goddesses were.

He happily re-mounted her and tried to slip his freezing feet into her soft warm armpits as they started off.

[theban-sphinx.livejournal.com]

Sphix walked a while in silence, trying to resist the urge to shake the god and his irritating feet from her back. While it might be fun the watch him fall down, that might count as harming him, and there was no reason to anger Apollo - provided Apollo was still here - over such a small matter.

"So, Loki", she said, mostly to distract herself, "you have been here for a while, haven't you? Do you have any idea what this place is about?"

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Loki thought about the question for a moment. He only had Adam's words to go on of course and that was no proof.

"That Adam kid claims that he's collecting people here," he explained. "Calling them from all over the world. If that's true, I suppose it's possible he made this place as well. Takes a lot of power, though. I have my doubts."

Odin had been able to leave, after all and it still didn't sit well with him that Adam had claimed to have called him here for protection. He'd come to say good bye to Odin, damn it! Of his own free will!

[theban-sphinx.livejournal.com]

"So the owner of this place is toying with everyone, then?" Sphix let out a breath. There was always someone like that, wasn't there, someone who wanted to decide what other people should do. The only thing one could do was to be in good terms with the ones in power and hope that if there was any sort of conflict, they would turn out victorious. Picking one's side wisely, that was the thing.

"Why would you have doubts?" She asked. Better to look at things from every possible angle.

[playswithboys.livejournal.com]

Pepper hadn't meant to eavesdrop on her walk. She really hadn't. But they were talking about Adam. And not in the nicest way either. Which was a mistake with her around.

She should have done something dramatic at the sight of Sphix. Maybe fainted. But she had been training herself into the idea of dealing with any possibility, and it was serving her well, it seemed; she knew she could run into anything at the manor and now she expected to. So she blinked the shock from her eyes and stepped out into a little moonlight, looking unimpressed.

"'F Adam was tryin' to make you mis'rable you'd know it," she assured him staunchly, hands planted on her hips in a stand-offish posture. "Things'd be lots worse for you. Trust me. In fact, if he were as evil as you were makin' him out to be, he'd be keepin' tabs on you right now and smitin' you for sayin' such nasty things 'bout 'im."

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Another unfamiliar manor inhabitant!

Or maybe ... Did he remember seeing her at the barbecue? She was pretty, though not the way Ellie was. More like the Norse women of old, which had a completely different sort of attraction for Loki.

"Are you so sure of that?" he asked her. "He wasn't able to hold Odin. Where's your proof that he can constantly supervise me?"

It was said with a smile, though. He wasn't looking to antagonise her.

[playswithboys.livejournal.com]

Well, at least he wasn't being nasty about it. That was the short way to a fat lip with Pepper. "'Course I'm sure. He didn't hold Odin because he doesn't want anyone here against their will. If Odin had to leave, then it's none of Adam's worry; just 'cause he wants certain types 'ere doesn't mean he's goin' to chain everyone to the manor lobby."

Which was sort of a funny thought in itself, but she shoved the smirk aside. "Dun't need proof, I just know he can. Known 'im long enough to know what he can do."

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"Then why would he have brought him here against his will in the first place?" Loki asked. "Nah, I don't think he's as powerful as he'd like to make all of us believe." Yes, that was it. Adam was just charismatic and this young woman was easily influenced by a strong personality.

[playswithboys.livejournal.com]

"I'm sure Adam probably wanted to see 'f he could convince 'im to join the cause," Pepper said reasonably. She was good at working out Adam's motives when she actually took the time to puzzle them out, and if what this man said was true, it was the only thing that made sense at the moment. "But he wouldn't keep 'im there if it wasn't workin'."

She had to kind of snort/snigger at the assessment of Adam's abilities. Well, if that was what let him sleep well at night... "You can sure believe that if you like, but I'm afraid I'll have to really disagree with you there."

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"My kind," said Loki with a slightly mysterious grin. "Don't do believing all that well. We prefer to leave that to your kind. We either know things, or we are very, very careful." He winked at her wondering what she'd make of that.

[playswithboys.livejournal.com]

Well, this was Pepper. Winking made her instantly suspicious, especially when paired with the knowledge that he definitely wasn't human. She'd sort of figured that with what he was riding, but there wasn't enough information.

"Your kind? And who are they, exactly?" She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head cautiously. Wait. Odin. "Which... god are you?"

She was getting better at this detectiving stuff.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Ah, a clever one. Well, then she might enjoy a challenge and Loki always enjoyed playing games.

"Indeed, who are they? That's always been a bit of a tricky question with me. Where do I belong? My kind could be so many different groups, or perhaps none of them." Okay, maybe he was exaggerating a little, but it really felt like that sometimes.