(no subject)

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Date: April 5, 2003
Status: Public (Loki, Loki II, Gabriel - Complete)
Setting: Loki's Room, Bar
Summary: Oh, no! Loki's medicine is gone!


Loki was pleased to notice that he had felt much better all day. It seemed that he was finally recovering. Hopefully if he continued to obey the doctor's orders exactly and always took his medicine, he'd soon be well enough to permanently return to America. Interesting as England was, he still missed his friends and family in America. This was another Loki's land.

He slipped one hand into his backpack feeling blindly for his pills. Ah, there the box was. He pulled it out, slightly surprised to find it much lighter than it was supposed to be.

His first reaction was to assume that the bottle had slipped out, but both ends of the box were closed.

Right, so he must have forgotten it in the bathroom. But no, it wasn't there either. Wherever else could he have left it?

Loki rushed back into his room, checked the bedside table, tore open all the drawers and turned over his backpack. Nothing. In a last desperate hope he tore open the cupboard doors, but of course it was completely empty.

His medicine was gone and he needed it!

Unfortunately he couldn't just go and buy another bottle. It was a prescription drug. His only option if he didn't find his pills tonight was to go to London tomorrow and get a new prescription from his doctor - who would not be pleased to find out that he'd lost a bottle he'd been meant to keep safely locked up.

And what effect would this have on his recovery? Would it slow it down? Cause a relapse?

Unwilling to sit around and worry Loki rushed out of his room, slammed the door closed behind him and went downstairs into the bar sorely tempted to bury his worries in alcohol.

Comments

[norseloki.livejournal.com]

Coming down from the library with Gabriel, Loki entered the bar, fully intending to get himself drunk before sunset. He would deal with the possible change of his general situation later. Tomorrow, maybe.

So he thought, at least, until he entered the bar and saw a redhead herecognised all too well sitting at the bar.

He marched up to his other self, positioned himself behind him, legs planted as if steeling himself for battle as he scrutinized both the person and the glass of the other Loki.

"Bartender!" he called. "Get me a large glass of the strongest drink you have around." Then, to the other one, he added: "What are you drinking there?"

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Loki started out of his miserable thoughts at the sudden appearance of his other self. He really should pay more attention to his surroundings.

"Apple juice," he replied trying to sound care-free and happy. "Want some?"

He didn't mention that it had been a close thing. When he'd arrived he'd actually impulsively ordered mead, but the barkeeper had looked so confused that Loki had remembered himself just in time and pretended it had been a joke.

[cattygabriel]

"Hello, Loki," Gabriel greeted the American-Norse god. He noted the drink, and wondered how to bring up the topic. Hello, Loki, do you have leukaemia? Your other self stole your medicine and we looked it up.

[norseloki.livejournal.com]

Loki accepted the drink the bartender gave him, and downed it without even checking what it was. It burned down his throat, and he held out his glass for a refill.

[cattygabriel]

The bartender knew Gabriel's tastes by now, and handed him a glass of red wine. Gabriel thanked him, sipping it and keeping an eye on the two Lokis. He could tell that the cheerfulness in American Loki's tone was fake.

"Is everything alright, Loki? American Loki, I mean." It was the first time he'd been with both of them at once, and it was a little odd.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Loki suppressed a wince. So much for fooling anybody.

"Why, of course it is," he lied. "I'm just a little bored."

[norseloki.livejournal.com]

"Right," Loki said, finishing off his second glass slower, though still in one go. He gestured for a refill.

"Wasn't there anything you wanted to warn me about?"

He stared down at his sitting counterpart. Granted, the other one looked differently, and he didn't even know if "genetic dispositions" applied for gods at all. Still... If he was in for an unpleasant surprise sometime soon, he would have preferred to be forewarned. It would mess up his intended schedule for Ragnarök completely.

[norseloki.livejournal.com]

Loki ground his teeth against the pain. This was serious then, was it?

He opened himself to fire, letting heat flow into him, coursing through him, filling him up... He would have to be careful what he touched now, or he might just set it on fire. He told the fire to stay away from his clothes, but he did not know how long it would remember that. It was so easily distracted...

At least he was pretty sure the wolf would soon find this dish somewhat too hot. The way the other Loki had thrown away the chair suggested that he wasn't quite fire-proof.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Loki yelped again and jumped back. This wasn't a job for fangs it appeared. What she needed was claws that could strike fast and retreat.

A moment later a cougar sprang forward with a hiss, both front paws reaching for Loki's arm.

[norseloki.livejournal.com]

He had been playing nice until now. He truly had.

Without aiming, he struck at the animal with glowing hands, while at the same time, he called a spark of fire to scorch the beast's tail.

Oh, but it felt good to handle this much power! The ecstasy of it made him forget the pain of his wounds completely for the moment. To think that something like a sickness would be able to strike one as him...

[cattygabriel]

Red wine had spilt down the front of his white robes, looking like blood, and Gabriel miracled it away before waving his hand at the bartender, who found himself back in his own home with a note in his hand reading One Day's Paid Leave in elegant script. Next, he made sure that nobody else would approach the bar. Nobody needed to be caught in the crossfire.

Despite his worry, he'd felt that perhaps letting them fight it out for a few moments would be the best thing, but once animals and fire came into play, he decided enough was enough. There was really no need to kill each other.

Although Gabriel did not like talking about his myriad titles, one of them did describe him as the Prince of Ice and Thunder. It was a rather accurate description of him when he was angry. He drew himself up to his full height, halo unconsciously visible, as a distant rumble of thunder was heard despite the clear sky.

"ENOUGH." Gabriel's voice reverberated around the little bar. He raised a hand, and the fire around Loki II's hands and Loki's tail immediately and literally froze, now looking like water frozen in the shape of a dancing flame, as did the flames licking the chair in the corner.

He took a step forward. "That is enough. Change back into human form and get rid of any flames left. You two are going to work this out without any more damage."

[norseloki.livejournal.com]

Loki fought control of the fire. He called the fire on the cair to him - how had that started again anyway? He knew he had put it out when hte chair had stopped being a weapon - and added it to the fire he held.

"His tail stops smoking when he turns back," he announced with barely controlled fury. Who did this librarian think he was, to order him around?
Then he remembered. The rules! Well, they certainly had broken those well enough.

Did Gabriel realise that by freezing the fire, he had taken his defense away from Loki, while the other one was still free to attack?

Apart from that, he might well have considered freezing the fire on his own body an attack in its own right. Since he didn't think he would be able to fight two at the same time without compltely wrecking the place, he chose not to view it as such. Still...

He spread his arms, open palms facing half-forward, hald-upward, and with an effort of power and will broke the ice around his hands. Live flame shot up from them.

Having proven his point, he called the fire back into himself, until not a flame or curl of smoke remained outside his body. He was still certainly too hot to touch, and hopefully that would be sufficient protection for the moment.

He fell back into his bar-fighting stance, un-bitten leg slightly towards the other fighter as to protect his injured side.

[cattygabriel]

"And when will that be?" He noted the other Loki's stance. "I'm not going to fight either of you, but I will step in if both of you don't step back."

He knelt, looking at the cougar. "We already know you have leukaemia, Loki, but we're giving you the benefit of the doubt. Your defensiveness rather proves it, though. Now would you please change back? Unless you both want to lose your free rooms, of course."

[cattygabriel]

Gabriel watched the exchange thoughtfully. What was he supposed to swear on? He kept his word, oath or no oath. Still, both the Lokis seemed to value oaths, and he could not ignore Loki's expectant gaze.

And at the same time... lying was not a habit of his. If for some reason another angel, or someone trusted by both himself and Loki asked, was he supposed to lie?

He could simply say that he was not sure he could make such an oath, and leave. But if one or both of them were in need of help, then he needed to know the details.

Father, I trust that You have a reason for putting me in this situation. As always, I have faith in Your Plan.

He stood, holding his half-full glass out slightly as Loki had done, and let his halo become partially visible. "By the faith I have in the Lord my Father, I give you my word of honour that that I shall repeat no word spoken in truth until one of us leaves this room in the hearing of anyone but the three privy to this conversation."

Then he downed his wine, which almost seemed to burn going down his throat.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

It was too much a copy of Loki's oath to completely calm Loki's worries, but he supposed that the choice to swear on his head god at least fit Gabriel's pantheon. It would have to do.

"Not a bet," he repeated. "But a prank. I was visiting Czernobog, the American one, of course, and happened to find some sleeping pills in the bathroom. It seemed too good a chance for mischief to waste, so I drugged his drink expecting that he'd fall asleep and I could make off with his hammer in the meantime."

"But it didn't work out quite like that. Instead of just dropping into sleep he ... got confused, sort of delirious. I grabbed the hammer anyway and he threw all sorts of curses and ineffective half-formed spells at me."

"Or at least I thought it was all ineffective at the time, but then I got sick and no other god seemed to be able to lift the curse. I returned the hammer to old 'Bog of course, but it turned out he couldn't figure out exactly what he'd done either. He identified it as leukaemia, though, and suggested to try the human treatment."

He let himself drop onto his back and laughed up at the other Loki.

"So you see, it's very unlikely that you'd ever get it. I bet you don't even know any version of Czernobog, let alone had any plans of drugging him."

[norseloki.livejournal.com]

"Even if I did know him, and even if I had such plans, I'd officially give up on them now," Loki stated.

"So, how do we get it out of you? Is the human treatment doing any good? have you tried Apples? If you're on so much better terms with your Æsir, they would hardly deny you access to Idunn's tree, would they?"

He frowned down at his other self. "And why in all the nine worlds did you make such a fuss about it? Did you fear I mights torm off in anger and confront your Czernobog, whoever that is?"

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Loki laughed. "Apples won't heal it, if a proper healing god can't. The human treatment seems to be working fine, though. It's just slow and uncomfortable and they can't tell for sure when you're completely healed. I might be, but I can't stop taking the medicine, yet."

He paused and gave the other Loki a measuring look. "So, can I have it back now?"

[norseloki.livejournal.com]

"A proper healing god can't render us forever young and healthy, the apples can."

Loki sighed. he really wasn't sure if he wanted to do what he was about to do just now, but - if the source of the other's health came from him, what better opportunity to make him a true ally? He'd be in his debt forever.

"You know - I brought a couple. If you want to try them, I could share them with you."

He unbuttoned his pocket and brought out the bottle to hold it out to the other Loki. "And sure - here they are. I don't know if they're susceptible to heat, but I kept the fire away from them anyway."

[cattygabriel]

Gabriel frowned. He didn't know much about the Eastern European deities, but he did recall having read something about them once. From what he could remember, Czernobog was hardly... jolly. "What on Earth possessed you to try pranking someone like Czernobog?"

Raphael could probably heal him in less than a minute, but the Healer wasn't here, and Gabriel wasn't sure if he himself could heal cancer.

[cattygabriel]

Gabriel sighed, rubbing his forehead. Different incarnations of gods and their realms, oaths, nightmares, bar fights and immortal cancer... he'd thought he'd be having a peaceful break. "Please don't get into an argument again; the bar almost looks good as new."

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

"Collateral damage, then," Loki said with a shrug. He had no wish to hurt Hel, no matter which one, he just wanted his secret kept. His own pantheon must never find out, though at least he'd managed to keep the worst part of it to himself.

"Too neat for my taste," he decided after a glance around the room. "You aren't secretly a god of order, are you?"

[norseloki.livejournal.com]

"I'm not, but he just might be," Loki suggested. "He's a librarian after all. Don't they sort books all the time?"

He looked around the room again. "Well," he said, "I think I did my part. I'll be off licking my wounds... or something like that."

Besides, he had to check what kind of chaos the other Loki had made in his room. He walked to the door.

[cattygabriel]

"I am not a god of order, and sorting books does not make me one," Gabriel laughed.

The room did indeed look much better now.

[norseloki.livejournal.com]

At the door, Loki paused, turned, and contemplated the scene for a second.

The other one looked utterly too comfortable again, he thought.

With a grin, he went back, picked up the fallen chair and replaced it at the counter, aligning it perfectly with the others. If the other one didn't like order, then order was what he was going to get right now.

With a smirk, Loki dusted off his hands, waved at the librarian, and left.

[leucemic-god.livejournal.com]

Loki glared after ... that other guy who happened to share his name.

"Well, I can't say either of you has been very convincing with his excuse," he informed Gabriel. "But I have what I need from you," he lifted the hand that was holding the bottle of pills. "And I have things to do, so good night."

He walked out the door intending to go to bed, but thought better of it and headed for the attic instead. At least that was still safe from intruders.