At What Price Respect

[brave_heart_verity]

Verity in the forum? Not a strange sight. Verity without coffee? Rather less common. Verity slumping, exhausted, into a couch? Unusual. Verity covered in scrapes, bruises, and dust? Definitely strange.

"Help isn't if it's forced on someone. This is true. Someone not in possession of all of the facts cannot give fully informed consent. This is also true. But nobody can be forced to listen." Of course Verity has things on her mind. Who here doesn't? "How do you reconcile that? Is ignorance truly bliss? Or do you do what's needed to save someone despite their choices?"

((A note before you come to play with Verity: she's got a magic spell stuck in her that lets her always know when someone is lying to her. This includes sarcasm and knowing when someone believes something to be true when it isn't. This doesn't include lies of omission. She can also see through illusions. Please respect this; if your character is trying to lie to her, please make that known so she can react appropriately. [I completely understand this isn't going to be everyone's idea of fun.] Thanks.))

Comments

[brave_heart_verity]

Well. She'd been wondering where he's been. She beckons him over to join her on the couch. Kid Loki always gets cuddles. Always. Even if his damned invisible bird is around and making her feel weird.

"Oh? Is that how you'd want people to treat you?" Light-hearted-sounding question is sneaky.

[damn_yourself_early]

Exploring! Of course! He scampers over, because it's nice to have someone who doesn't show their affection through hostility (and their hostility through also-hostility).

He smiles at her question, in part because he noticed the sneaky, and likes to encourage it in people. Sneaky is more fun. "Would I like them to think about what I'd want? That sounds lovely, where do I sign up?"

[brave_heart_verity]

An arm settles around him when he sits and her hand rubs his arm. "I meant the part about acting without your permission," she points out gently. She knows he knows that. "You're already on my list of people to be nice to."

[damn_yourself_early]

"People already act without my permission, too," he points out, settling in comfortably. "But I was talking about if there's no time to explain, or if explaining would only make things worse for some reason. I've got that whole 'Loki' thing going for me. If you have time, why not just explain?"

[brave_heart_verity]

"Sometimes knowing things hurts." She pauses for a breath before asking, "Would you send Ikol away, please? There's something I want to tell you in private."

[damn_yourself_early]

Loki looks a little puzzled, but glances to the arm of the couch and gives a "get outta here" expression. After a few moments, he looks back, observing, "not knowing can hurt, too."

[brave_heart_verity]

"Yeah."

There's a long hug before she begins telling him the ugly truth. She tells it just as it was explained to her, even though she doesn't understand it or quite believe it. It's not pretty and telling might be an even worse betrayal of her best and only friend than walking away had been. She's crying by the time she's done.

[damn_yourself_early]

Loki is quiet all through the story, growing thoughtful at times. When she gets to the end, he gives her a hug, because she needs it (and he maybe does, too, a little). "It'll be alright," he soothes. "We'll figure something out."

[brave_heart_verity]

He shouldn't be the one comforting her. This is the wrong way around. Not that she's saying no to a hug, because they both need it. "I hope so. I'm not very good at these things."

[damn_yourself_early]

"I'm great at them!" Loki assures her. "Who better than Loki to get out of a trap made by Loki? Other than Thor, I mean."

[brave_heart_verity]

"Then tell me what you need me to do." They're in this together. She should probably be more scared.

[damn_yourself_early]

"I'm not sure yet," he admits. "I need to figure out how to get rid of the fear crown without dying, and it would probably be a good idea to find Ikol somewhere to live that isn't me." Then he could still grow up and be Verity's friend someday.

[brave_heart_verity]

"Well. When you figure it out. You know how to find me." She's got no idea what to do with a fear crown. It sounds terrible and she knows she doesn't want anything to do with it.

[damn_yourself_early]

It'd take some kind of cosmic-level therapist to deal with it. "Thanks. In the meantime, I've also got to figure out how to break the curse on the ladies ir of dis, and how to save Leah-in-the-story from the plot hole. I've got some irons in the fire, on the first one, at least."

[brave_heart_verity]

"You're busy." She pets the top of his head absently while she thinks about all these things. "You're too young to have to deal with so much."

[damn_yourself_early]

Pets are nice. "At least it's educational?" he offers. "I have to learn a lot, to figure all of this out."

[brave_heart_verity]

"I suppose that's true. But there are easier ways to get an education." She'd take him home and send him to a proper school and pack him amazing bento lunches if any of that were remotely possible for either of them.

[damn_yourself_early]

But could public school teach him what he needs to know?

"Maybe," he admits, "but taking the easy ways is what got the old Loki in so much trouble."

[brave_heart_verity]

She was thinking more Avengers Academy.

"Probably true. There's a middle ground, you know, between taking the easy way and making things more difficult than they have to be. That's what you should be aiming for."

[damn_yourself_early]

That would be great, right up until Hercules drops by to teach the kids traditional Greco-Roman wrestling.

He grins. "That is what I'm aiming for. Thor's the one who likes the hard way, and he's good at it."

[brave_heart_verity]

She'd let him stay home sick that day. She would be an awesome mom.

"Is he?" Oh, sweet child, you have no idea. "You know what? I think we've both earned an ice cream break. Then we can think more about the serious stuff."

[damn_yourself_early]

Loki grins. "I won't say no to ice cream!"

[brave_heart_verity]

"Yeah, I didn't think so." Does he want her to carry him? Or is he too big for that?

[damn_yourself_early]

He'll walk, thank you. Well, run if ice cream is involved. "Let's go!"

See?