Awkward Emotional Self-Actualization and You? (title subject to change)

[st_ratagem]

Loki hadn't been sleeping particularly well since Thor's detailing of the 'more' and 'worse' he'd been hiding for weeks. Had he been the sort to have heartfelt conversations with people (shudder) and described Thanos as 'the stuff of nightmares' it would have been nothing more than factual. Not that Loki wished the information about his possible future gone, or not told - if he didn't know, he couldn't plan - but it was... difficult. The experience of Thanos as a 'valued ally' had been horrific enough that he'd been carefully Not Thinking of what waited for him as a total failure.

But he had to think of it now. And did, every time a nightmare woke him and ensured he stayed awake. (Eventually, he would have to deal with the sleep deprivation issue. At the moment, he felt he was managing well enough that it was not a priority.) Among the various possible plans evolving in the back of his mind were a few hedges, and among the hedges was one very clear thing: frost giants had natural ice powers. That was a weapon that, if he could develop it, could grant him a moment of surprise in the right pinch.

He had to try, so Loki turned into a wolf (black with green eyes, it was his pattern) and picked a random direction to run in. Isolation would likely be best, he thought. No witnesses.

But isolation and no witnesses was not on the agenda, as it didn't take terribly long for him to run into a fairly spread-wide campsite populated by metal statue-things and fairly stinking of Tony Stark. After a few seconds of blank staring at one of the statue-things, he turned back into himself and remarked to the space at large, trusting Stark would show himself, "Somehow I never considered 'living in a tent' to be on your list of personal goals."

Comments

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"That's reassuring." A mental image of Loki coquettishly talking sweet nothings at Thanos (Tony pictured Voldemor with a gym membershipt) took over. Real nice.

"Stay for tea?"

[st_ratagem]

"Sure." It wasn't like either of them were on a schedule, and while they weren't sleeping there wasn't much better to do. "Desperate for company, trying to avoid sleeping, or both?"

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Trying to be a decent host at Tienda de Campaña de Tony." Pushing up, Tony made to grab the grate and the kettle.

[st_ratagem]

“Both. Understood.” Loki watched the maneuvers with the kettle for a few seconds, then chuckled. “You know, you can tell me to get lost. There’s a lot of desert filled with things to try and freeze.”

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Are you really worried that I'm too polite to let you know when you've outstayed your welcome? I thought you knew me." The kettle of water was relatively quick in its ascension to boiling. "If you're eager to skedaddle, at least let me send you off with a cup of matcha before you do your Let it Go routine."

Truly, Tony was taking hosting to heart, tent in the middle of the creepy desert or no.

[st_ratagem]

"Just making sure. Also, you have to know that I have no idea what you mean by that." 'Let it Go' clearly meant something, but Loki had no idea what.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Musical number." Tony cracked open the box of green tea bags. "Sung by a Nordic princess. Ice powers. Lives a life of restraint and concealment and the song is her big breakthrough moment where she lets loose and sees what she's capable of." Tony dusted off a mug with a cloth. "She's got a plucky sister constantly begging her to let down her emotional walls. Said sister dates a handsome, dashing and brunette prince."

The amount of details Tony knew about the movie was distressing. The charity work with children he had done since retirement filled the void left by baby fever.

[st_ratagem]

“If you start singing I’ll have to take your voice. And I might not give it back.” He could start a collection! All collections started with one. “Do you dare risk it?”

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Then that would make you Ursula. Sea witch. I am an excellent singer by the way, you should be so lucky." Tony poured the steaming water in and deposited the bag to steep.

"Stay frosty, my friend." He handed it over. "The cold never bothered you anyway."

[st_ratagem]

“I’m not a witch.” It was depressing how automatic that response was getting. It was almost enough to make one try to take up witchcraft just to stop having to point out the lack. But he accepted the tea without complaint. “Also, no it hasn’t.”