strangetrip | [GP/EP] Check-in Day

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[GP/EP] Check-in Day

Liz was starting to get better at the whole check-in day stuff. She knew she hadn't seen 'everything' yet, but she was learning from watching Kitty and Caroline and the others how to approach distressed, confused, and even angry people. It wasn't always perfect, but she was getting better.

With the help from the bakery, there were muffins on trays in the lobby - Mary had insisted. She insisted on coming in every once in a while to restock the trays too.

Liz had helped bring another tray to the front desk and then moved to sit at one of the couches that had a view of the front doors. She had a complicated science essay for Kitty due in a week and Liz was having trouble finding the right wording to express her thoughts.

Every once in a while, Liz would look up to see if there was someone knew approaching. There could be no one today or there could be a lot. Briefly, she wondered if someone else from home would show up. A part of her was curious who that would be, but she found a larger part of herself was hoping no one else would.

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That same question, in a slightly different tone, would have been akin to a small dog yapping and trying to be threatening. As Rogers said it, it was almost like play. "I expect that depends on context. Under ordinary circumstances, quite probably not." Clearly, neither of them were inclined to pick a fight with the other without a current reason. "Under less ordinary circumstances," such as the recent undead invasion that the Captain might or might not have heard about, "there might be some confusion regarding sides. Best avoided on the whole, I think."

These were very much not ordinary circumstances.

"Ah, I see. So you don't want me being confused on which side you're on?" Steve asked, folding his arms across his chest. "Is that it?"

"More or less. Here and now, for example, since we're being civilized to each other, I can repeat something I've said before," to Thor and Stark, not-so-oddly enough, "which is that I understand everyone here, including myself, to be in the same boat. Further, I understand there's a difference between occasionally trying to push someone overboard - probably Thor, he's used to it - and knocking holes in the hull." The one was an annoying inconvenience, the other could destroy things for everyone. "A situation where I'm already throwing knives, on the other hand, is not exactly conducive to conversation."

Steve's chin raised just slightly in curiosity, though it may have come off as defiance. Hopefully, it didn't come off the wrong way. His eyes were soft, though, as he watched the other man speak.

"I don't see any knives in your hands today," Steve said, hoping he was following the metaphor correctly. "Does that make today a good day for a conversation?"

The chin-raise could have meant a lot of things: preparing for a fight, steeling oneself to an unpleasant duty, habitual tic. Any or all. If Loki had to pick one of the three, though, he actually leaned toward 'habitual tic'. The rest of Rogers's expression was peaceful enough, and he was clearly actually listening. Beyond that, though, the man was oddly difficult to read.

"Most days are like that, here," he replied with a slight shrug. "It's quite peaceful, on the whole, and there's little else to do but read and associate with fellow inmates."

Steve Rogers pretty much always clearly actually listened. He was an active listener--it was part of his DNA. Not even the enhanced part of his DNA, but the actual part. He was a good man even before the super soldier serum, and he would be even if it was stripped away from him. That meant a strong sense of morals, respect, responsibility, kindness, and generosity. Active listening skills was part of the whole deal.

"Then I suppose maybe we should have a conversation." Steve offered, giving the other a smile. Maybe this was a new leaf. It was, indeed, peaceful here. "What have you been reading?"

This seemed a little too easy, but it was something to consider later. Ideally, once it wouldn't mean he was dividing his attention. "Medical texts mostly. I spent two weeks or so as a kitten when I arrived without checking in first, which is apparently against the rules. Hence, 'community service' in the clinic." That was no more or less than either Stark or Thor would be able to tell him, so there was no point in lying. (Also, the idea of him being any kind of healer still amused Loki in between being stressful, so he didn't mind sharing the joke.)

Steve was actually quite fascinated about how Loki spent time as a kitten, how he didn't have the power to change back? How now Loki was working in the clinic? Did people know that it was Loki working there? Did they care? Were they all really putting the past behind them and turning toward kindness and righteousness, or was this all some big game on Loki's part? Did it really matter?

"I had no idea this place could assign consequences like that," Steve said, bemused. "How are you enjoying your time in the clinic?"

“Most people ask about the kitten thing first,” Loki pointed out, deeply amused. Somehow it wasn’t that surprising that this man skipped over it for something else. “Well done, Captain. I doubt I’m meant to be enjoying it, and it’s hardly my skill set, but I don’t object to learning new things.”

Well, Steve wasn't most people. Besides, it felt like turning into a kitten was much less interesting than being forced to work somewhere where a person didn't normally work. Steve certainly hoped that that sort of consequence never hit him. He shrugged with a proud-yet-humble kind of smile.

"Well, learning new things should always be a person's objective."

“I find it tends to happen whether or not it’s an objective, and I do enjoy knowing things.” captain Rogers was clearly different from Stark, already, as far as dealing with him. Stark seemed brittle in places, it was easy to see that he dealt civilly with Loki only for Thor’s sake. The Captain seemed to do it simply because he felt like it, even if the why was unclear.

"Don't we all?" Steve was a big fan of learning and knowing... While he wasn't the best student in the whole world--in his current state he was much more into athletics than academics--but he did love to learn. And to enjoy, and to express.

"I'm glad that you've found something you enjoy out of the whole process."

“I generally do. A consequence of making one’s own fun is a fairly broad definition of the word.” Loki making his own fun was often a nightmare for those around him, but he’d managed to stay mostly quiet at the Inn. So far.

"So long as your fun doesn't impede on other people's rights, then we won't have any problems." Steve wasn't about to sit idly by and watch as someone--anyone, really--stomped on the rights of anyone else. Fun was well and good so long as no one else was at expense.

“I might need a list of those.” It sounded like a tasteless joke, but it... sort of wasn’t. “I’m a little older than you, what counts as a right has changed somewhat over the centuries.”

"A list of what? Rights?" Steve asked, folding his arms across his chest. "How about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?"

Loki ticked off the points on fingers. “Life is cheap, liberty is a lie - this is a philosophical point which I am happy to debate, an attempt to poke your sore spots - and similarly this pursuit of happiness business presupposes a general definition of happiness that doesn’t infringe one the first two.” He shrugged with a smile. “Perhaps a different list, unless you actually are in the mood to have a rousing conversation about truth.”

Steve gave a little laugh. "All right, then. Tell me what you think our rights are. I will admit, this isn't the world I'm used to. I'm not even sure what country we're in anymore... is the Madonna Inn in the United States, even?"

“I have no idea! Full disclosure, I’m not entirely sure I believe in rights in general, but I’m happy to entertain proposals.” Who’d have suspected Rogers had a sense of humor? “I believe it was, at least? California.”

"I thought you of all people would believe in the entitlement of certain individuals." From what Steve knew of Loki, that was a given statement. But then again, Steve had heard incorrectly before. And you know what assuming did to people.

"That's the last place I remember being before I ended up here. So is it safe to assume that California's laws hold true here?"

“Entitlement is another thing we could debate about. In general, people are entitled to what they can take and hold. Or convince others to hand over.” Loki waved one had, as if admitting that this development was comparatively recent. It was much more peaceful, though - the consequence of a short period of actual victory. “As far as laws,,, we’re certainly not abiding by things like drinking age,” ridiculous concept, “so I imagine it’s a crapshoot of sorts.”

Steve paused for a moment, wondering what sorts of laws there were here--if any. Maybe that was something he could help with: some sort of compilation of rules and laws... so that everyone knew what was expected from them?

Then again, just living by The Golden Rule might be enough. He nodded.

"Well, it's good to know this is a lawless place."

“Society by common conduct does seem to be working out for the most part,” Loki agreed. After a moment, on a whim, he asked, “You don’t happen to play chess, do you?”

"I do. I mean, I haven't in a long time... but I know how." Steve raised an eyebrow. "Do you know where we can find a set?"

“I feel certain I can come up with one.” There had to be one around somewhere. Failing that, it couldn’t be hard to make one.

Re: Loki and Steve

st_evengrantrogers - 2018-10-25 05:39 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Loki and Steve

st_ratagem - 2018-10-25 19:46 (UTC) - Expand

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