batmansphoenix | IC Contact

[Jason should have seen that coming, but he still jumps from the chair he was sitting on when Loki just appears in the middle of his apartment. What he says doesn't make much sense to Jason, either so he gets the longest of the stares. Eventually:]

What?

[ While Jason stares, Loki settles his bag on a coffee table and straightens to explain; whatever is inside can wait a few minutes until he knows Jason is on-board. ]

Do you recall the other night when I asked if you were wearing a wig? [ Not waiting for an answer, ] Well, I thought I could help you with that nonsense by making a Glamour to help switch between brunette and red, only then I remembered your penchant for secrecy. My magic has my, er, Loki-ness stamped all through it and any magic-user worth their salt would be able to tell where the Glamour came from. Trust me, you don't want anyone who can cast that level of sorcery knowing you're in cahoots with me, especially if they turn up from my world.

So! [ Here he flings his arms wide. ] I put a request to a representative that I've been, um, keeping on my good side since the start, and she got me what I need to give you your own powers! ... Temporarily.

[ Keep up, Jason, keep up!! ]

Because if you make your own Glamour then no one will suspect what they're reading off it is right should they scan it, since you're a normal sorta guy ordinarily. You can switch from a redhead to a brunette instantaneously! Good for sneaky dealings, no?

Edited 2016-03-04 19:33 (UTC)

[And here's some more staring, because that's a lot to process. First, that Loki was being serious about the glamour thing the other day. That he actually gave some thought to Jason's penchant for privacy and his safety. That he asked for a favor to get Jason... something. Something that will give him temporary powers? That he's willing to teach him to make the glamour. And also, that Loki just said 'in cahoots' with a straight face. ]

Okay. [He finally says, but he's not agreeing. He's simply trying to put his thoughts together here. He takes a step closer to him, his surprise giving way to his usual curiosity. He dislikes magic, but he's seen Loki use it plenty of times. He barely even reacts when they teleport (he's pretty sure he's perfected his 'this doesn't bother me' face) and he's best friend with a giant magical horse. All in all he's making progress on accepting magic.

But that kind of thing and using it on himself are very, very different things.]

What kind of powers are we talking about?

The Stones of Norn. Asgardian in origin, a power all their own.

[ The bag glows as the stones answer the call of Loki's spread hands, levitating into a circle; they look like normal rocks, save for the way they pulse like a rainbow heartbeat. ]

All a person need do is hold them and they will see their bearer's wish come true. Sometimes they refuse to work if hearts or intentions are beyond the pale, but I should imagine they will take to you, Jason.

[ Letting the rocks remain floating above the coffee-table, Loki steps around it to take out a small red pin at Jason's side; it's a metal symbol of the Red Hood. ]

Ask them to perform the Glamour on this, you can wear it inside your jacket. It ought to change colour from red to black depending on what you look like. The Stones take back whatever powers they give the user but if you anchor your wish to this, it will remain. [ Loki places a hand on Jason's nearest arm, an encouraging smile in place. ] I'm your failsafe who can take away the power of the Stones if you find yourself unable to give it up. They know me.

[Jason leans forward to get a good look at the pin. That's actually kind of cute, so he focuses on that instead of all the... magic stuff that's going to be way too harder to process. He likes the idea of wearing something like that under his suit, something someone he cares about gave him. Someone who cares about him gave him.

Next he glances at the glowing stones, reminded of Kryptonite for some reason. He's pretty sure these could hurt Clark, but he's obviously not going to mention that to Loki. Not that he'd use it, but the moment Bruce got hold of Jason sharing that kind of information- well. It'd definitely hurt.]

Okay, explain to me this hearts and intentions thing. Because I might just want to make a 'glamour' but my heart is blacker than the Grinch's. It ain't gonna wok on me if it needs clean intentions. I'm not the pure heart in the family.

[ He's relieved when Jason likes the pin, or at least gives it some of his attention and doesn't hate it, especially since the last of his spare cash went on getting it custom-made. It'll be thievery at will for the next month or so to make rent. ]

I used them when I was the God of Evil, there's not really a hard scale they go by. There was this man called Norman Osborn who was a psycho, in essence, but wilfully so, and they refused to activate for him. Point blank. You'll be fine, I just know it.

[ He steps up behind and runs his hands around Jason's waist, chinning his shoulder. Green eyes light up like a cat's, blank and bright in the stone-light. ]

You hold them and make a wish, that's all. Do you know what's really funny? A long time ago, I gave them to another guy called the Hood in my universe who wore a red cloak, only he was ... far from you.

[Refused to activate. Well, that doesn't sound too bad. Jason was picturing the rocks throwing him across the room or something equally dramatic if they didn't consider him 'good enough'. He leans against Loki, still pretty tense but trying to relax against him.]

How was he 'far from me'? [He's stalling, at this point. Trying to give his brain time to catch up and make a decision. He'd accept a magical pin from Loki no problem, but giving himself powers is a completely different thing. Even if it's temporary it still sounds like a far too dangerous thing to try willy-nilly.]

He was possessed by a demon called Dormammu through the red cloak he wore. Total idiot, fancied himself a gangster. He had neither your training or intelligence. I took the Norn Stones off him as quick as a flash to aid some failing heroes.

[ Murmuring the details for Jason to chew over as he mulls the stones, Loki wreathes him in a loose hug. Noses behind an ear. ]

You can do this. [ And then, ] I'll be right here.

[He looks up at him. 'To aid some failing heroes' he says casually, and he still got mad at Jason when he suggested he was actually trying to be one of the good guys with the fame of a villain.]

Why are you doing this for me?

[This meaning the stones, but it's just more than that. It's the secret passage to his apartment, it's his entrance to his actual secret place, it's the truth potion out of the blue. It's like Loki gives and gives and gives and Jason doesn't do anything in return except for pushing him away because he happened to sleep with the wrong guy in Jason's eyes.]

[ He slides around to Jason's side, an arm still wound around a narrow waist he knows well. There are scars beneath Jason's shirt that Loki could trace from memory. ]

Why not? I can. It's as easy for me to do you this favour as it would be to fetch a carton of milk, we're not exactly breaking the Bifrost here. It'll be fun once done and dusted, then you'll have a way to switch your appearance with the push of a pin. If things go to Hel in this dimension, I at least know your camouflage is covered.

[ Vaguely joking, the light tone slips away as Loki meets his eyes for a longer span. ]

Honestly, I ... I simply had the idea, it came to me, and it seemed a good one. Is it too much?

[The comparison to a carton of milk actually helps. If it's not a big deal to Loki it shouldn't be a big deal to Jason, right? And yet.

And yet it is. Because he was raised on the streets where no one, absolutely no one gave him anything for free. Where he had to fight with tooth and nails to feed his mother when she was too high to even care. So even the smallest thing, even the smallest present will mean a lot to him. But he doesn't know how to say that without opening a hole in his chest for people to prod into.]

It's not, it's fine. I just- [He takes a moment to mull over his words, taking a deep breath as he leans to press his lips against Loki's cheek.]

Let's do this.

[ He pecks him back, relieved and enthused all over again. ]

Okay, I'll talk you through it. Every step.

[ The Red Hood pin is placed on view, in the middle of the coffee table. Loki stands just behind Jason and with a gesture at the stones they slowly begin to hover into a group toward the vigilante. ]

Hold them, Jason. The high will feel like stepping off a building with no ground in sight but that's normal, that's the sensation of possibilities taking form behind your eyes. That's magic. You'll feel them talking to you without words like a new thread being woven into a blanket, let them know you ...

[If there's anything Jason hates is not knowing where he'll take his next step and this feels like jumping straight into that. But he's tried harsher, weirder. Magic is a new territory, yes, but so is having someone by his side he actually trusts. Loki held his hands in the catacombs when he wasn't sure if they would react to Jason's 'revival', Loki let him play with Sleip, Loki has teleported him plenty of times. He makes a mental list of every time he's been on Loki's hands when he used magic and he's surprised at how long it actually is.

He glances at the stones, then finally reaches for them. And the first thing he feels is exactly what Loki described, which is actually terrifying. It's like falling because he wasn't fast with the grapple gun, one of his nightmares when he was still new at being Robin and using the hook wasn't muscle memory. He closes his eyes, trying to focus on the feeling of the stones between his fingers. Of Loki, next to him.]

Now what?

Look at the pin. Think of what you look like with black hair, red hair, the style ... share that with the stones, then tell them to put it into the object you want. This is all about you, Jason, you're running the show here. I can't tell you how insistent to be.

[ It's about how much Jason wants this to work, his commitment will latch the glamour onto the pin if his will is strong enough. ]

I'm right behind you, I've got your back. Just lose yourself a little, Jay, feel them peel through you and duplicate what they need.

[ It's really much hotter than he thought it would be, watching Jason casting magic. He can't wait to lick his fingers after this. ]

[Jason has many flaws, and he tries to be aware of them. But not having a strong enough will isn't one of them. He's determined, tenacious, resolved. And yes, pretty stubborn as well. So he focuses his entire mind on the pin, on giving it the power he wants it to give.

Please, he thinks, because it seems appropriate. Just let this work, please. He imagines his red hair, his locks, his green eyes. He imagines himself with black hair and blue eyes behind the domino mask. He imagines subtle changes, enough so people won't put two and two together unless they already know. He'd try to do more, but he isn't sure how much is too much to ask to the stones. He doesn't want them to consider him selfish.

'Loose yourself', Loki says so he lets them know his body as he strokes the stones with his thumb. He lets them see what he sees in the mirror, lets them feel what he feels when someone's trailing his body with their finger tips. He tries to focus on that and give them the power to change what he needs to change. But it's actually hard to focus when he has so much power in his hands. Power he can already feel slipping away.

He lets it go. He doesn't intend to keep it. He just wants the glamour. Just a press of the pin, and it'd be so easy.]

How will I know it's done?

[ Seeing and feeling the ebb and flow of power comes easily to Loki as Jason focuses and gets his magical zen on. He paces around the table and holds a palm over the pin, reading the energy it gives off to the blank nothingness of before, and over the glow of the stones he nods.

To say he's a little impressed would be an understatement. ]

I think you've done it. Put the stones down, Jason, and step away. Try to forget about them.

[ Ah, inspiration. ]

Set them on the table and then think of me and you in bed to distract yourself, I'm going to separate their power from your touch.

[Jason does set them on the table. He'd have guessed they should be warm to the touch, holding all that power. But they actually feel like they simply match Jason's temperature instead.]

I'm always imagining you and I in bed when you're around. [He teases, but he gets it. He isn't sure if he has to think about letting go, but the way Loki puts it it's probably better if he doesn't think about them at all. So he glances up at Loki instead, and imagines slowly, slowly taking off every piece of clothing until he's staring back at that body he's seen many times by now.]

Even when we're around your mentor? Scandalous.

[ The stones are coaxed back into the bag from before, levitated inside where they cease their illuminative rainbows and grow silent as Loki severs their term of service with Jason. It's easily enough done; he lets them return to being his for a half-second and then relinquishes his ownership too. He can't trust himself with them at his personal beck and call any longer than that.

The room looks a lot dimmer as he rubs his eyes. The pin is scooped up, offered once he stands one more before Jason. ]

It feels different to me. Put it on and turn it black, let's see to what degree this worked.

Edited 2016-03-08 04:04 (UTC)

That's... not a theory I want to test.

[Not that it wouldn't be funny to make Bruce uncomfortable, but he's learning there are limits he cannot push and being with Loki is one of them. He's not pushing Loki away any time soon, so the best thing he's found is to keep those worlds separated. He's never needed Bruce's approval when it comes to this part of his anyway.

He reaches for the pin, stroking it with a thumb before he puts it on. Even if this doesn't work, even if Jason did something wrong at least he gets a good reminder. He's just wearing a sweater, so not the clothes he'll usually wear to hide the pin but this is just a test so he puts it on anyway. He closes his eyes.]

Well, there goes nothing. [And so he focuses on his black hair.]

I'll bet.

[ He looks delighted when Jason's appearance shifts within moments, a sleek Glamour charm doing exactly as it should with seamless ease from one face to another. It's still visibly Jason if you know he's there, but the little differences are clearly what he tried to recreate with the wig and everything else by hand.

This looks real.

He slides his hands around Jason's waist, reaching up to pluck a hair off his head ("Sorry!") and show it to him. ]

Black as night, even when pulled free. Bathroom mirror, come on! You need to see this!

[ Tug-tugging him like a child excited to play with his friend's newest toy. ]

[Jason laughs, finding Loki's eagerness already. He's so happy to help. Kinda really cute, indeed.]

I did that.

[And as soon as he says it out loud it hits him, what he just did. He held the power, he used it and now he has a nice little pin to prove for it. He doesn't have to worry about the wig, about all the paraphernalia because as long as he has that glamour with him (Glamour that he made he can change his appearance with a simple gesture with his hand.

His mind is still reeling when he sees himself in the mirror. And his mouth forms a perfect 'oh', because he looks exactly the same he did when he was still dying his hair. Still pretending. Before Bruce died and he just... gave up.]

It works. It really does. [And he glances back at Loki.] How do I- I can't just accept this. I need to give you something back.

[ Take me with you the next time you meet with your mentor, your father, he thinks, saying nothing as he slips in to nuzzle under a jaw-line. He understands with perfect clarity why he isn't wanted around and if he flips the situation in his head, with Jason wanting to be included even peripherally around Odin, the answer would be firmly in the negative ... albeit for very different reasons.

Either Jason's hands are tied or he just doesn't think of Loki as family. That's okay, it's to be expected. It's wise. ]

I already have everything I could want.

[ It isn't really a lie, not when a quiet thrum of feeling slips into the statement and his lips easily find Jason's for a devoted kiss. ]

Edited 2016-03-09 03:11 (UTC)

[Jason hums as he returns the kiss, his hair going back to red just because he can. He makes a mental note to check if the hair that got pulled (ouch, by the way) is still black or if it goes back to red when the rest of it does. Or he would, if he wasn't so focused on the kiss.

He tries to explain himself with the kiss, say words that he can't say out loud. Because he's hyperaware that he hasn't uttered a 'thanks' yet, even if he's made sure Loki knows he's thankful. He puts everything into the kiss: how grateful he is, how Loki doing this was unexpected and made his stomach twist in the best of ways. How he doesn't get anything for free, ever, and Loki makes him feel special just by doing that.

He does break the kiss for air, eventually.]

No, you gotta tell me. I'm not good with- with this shit, with being thankful. I can't just let you do this and not do anything in return but I have no idea where to even start. You deserve me doing something for you.

[ His hands slide up into Jason's thick red hair when it shifts back, unable to resist as Loki plants another kiss on him. So proud, his lover did this ... ]

Hah! Okay, okay, let me think. [ He nibbles on Jason's lip, finally humming as an idea strikes. ] Go into a sex shop and pick out any toy you want to try out, even if you don't know what it is. You think you're such a tough guy, Jason Todd, but the imagery of you surrounded by rubber dicks is almost adorable to me. And I want a selfie of you in there.

[Jason hums, pretending to be thinking about it. He'd walk through lava for Loki right now if he asked, and what he's asking is something that wouldn't need a lot of convincing in the first place. Eventually, after licking Loki's lower lip:]

On one condition, though. We have to use whatever toy I get.

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ikols - 2016-03-11 16:05 (UTC) - Expand

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I don't reeeeally know how the stones work oops :|a

you got it!

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