Piss Off, Ghost

[st_allionofdoom]

When the polite knock came at her door, Valkyrie was there waiting beside it to open it in short order.

"You came." She gave him a thin smile and a little cock of the head--the subject of her ire fretting about in the background, popping in and out of view. Every reverberating phrase was like chicken scratch on the inside of Valkyrie's head. It did not cut deep but it was incessant. Valkyrie rolled up the sleeves of her loose sweater and stepped to the side to allow her guest entrance to a one-ghost-woman choir of grumbling at the male presence.

"This is a friend of mine. He'll be joining us for the afternoon." Valkyrie's announcement fell on indignant, incorporeal ears but she announced it purely out of spite.

Comments

[st_ratagem]

After a second to recall what he'd heard, Loki laughed. Sakaar and this Grandmaster, yes. It was very slightly annoying to lack his own context on something that both Thor and Valkyrie knew, but not unduly. On the whole, a better reaction seemed to be 'continue to look forward to that experience'.

It helped somewhat that the more he heard, the more fun it sounded like he was going to have. "Not impressed, I take it? No matter. I doubt I'll be having company tonight."

[st_allionofdoom]

Setting her sweater to the side with the rest, Valkyrie stretched her bare arms up, left in a loosely hanging tank top. "I don't recall. I had a bottle in hand and I stumbled in one of the orgies. Didn't stick around long." It had happened on more than one occasion. The Grandmaster never noticed, though Topaz was another story. The woman accusing Valkyrie doing it on purpose still made her want to crawl out of her own skin.

"I'm sure you were fine." May as well be polite to the host.

[st_ratagem]

Loki rolled his eyes, though she couldn't see it, then sent an illusion up to speak more personally. At least until it seemed like a good idea to climb the stairs himself. In the meantime, his physical body settled to read. "I imagine I will be. In my experience, that kind of deal only holds as long as one side is satisfied with what the other offers."

[st_allionofdoom]

All things told, it should have been a damn sight more awkward to discuss The Prince’s bedpost notches, but neither of them were the type to get shy about much of anything. Valkyrie regarded the double with an agreeable shrug and laid back.

“So. Two little favors or a medium favor.” She nodded for him to take a seat, not minding more of the company. “Don’t be shy.”

[st_ratagem]

Loki sighed. "You and Thor, hung up on physical presence." He dismissed the illusion above, his book below, and climbed the stairs.

He didn't mind keeping her company, but a little annoyance seemed called for. "I don't need anything from you at present. Though it might be best if we decided what small and medium favors might entail?"

[st_allionofdoom]

Valkyrie crosses one knee over the other, smiling at Loki as he acquiesced and ascended to join her. “My dignity stays intact.”

[st_ratagem]

“Shall I ask you to define dignity, or do you trust me to ecognize and abide?” It was serious enough question even if it was delivered lightly and in an almost teasing tone.

[st_allionofdoom]

“No dress-up. No demeaning tasks” One of the twin daggers had made an appearance in her grip, which she gestured lazily at him with. “Questions are on the table.”

[st_ratagem]

“Fair enough. I’ll add that a small favor should be something easy for you, even if it isn’t for me.” Helping people get something like equity in a deal with him, what was the universe coming to? Ah well, he was earning some goodwill out of it, maybe. “Neither the spell nor the bed for the night were difficult propositions.”

[st_allionofdoom]

Valkyrie’s chest shook with another huff of laughter. Apparently she shared in Loki’s bemusement at the entire situation. She tapped the butt of the knife with her quick fingers, spinning it about—stopping on a dime right as the blade pointed towards the man.

“Deal.”

[st_ratagem]

He almost asked if she was somehow bored already, but he’d already learned that she was the physical type. Poking and prodding a blade was better than poking and prodding at him, wasn’t it? “Most likely it’ll stay on the books for a while. This place tends to take care of needs, and I’m accustomed to shifting for myself in any case.”

[st_allionofdoom]

“Joy.” Her tone was dry, though not exactly bitter. She’d take the feelings moment by moment. Easiest way to stay sane with the situation she’d found herself in.

Not every day one could say the God of Mischief was a pillar of stability. And Valkyrie wasn’t quite ready to admit as much out loud. She slipped the knife back into whatever intimate location it had made its home in, rolling onto her side to face Loki in a leisurely slouch.

“I’ll fancy a nap. Wake me if something exciting happens.”

[st_ratagem]

“Nothing will.” Loki rose and turned to go. “Sleep well.”