꒰🧸꒱ ♡ ༘° ┊𝖢𝖧𝖠𝖯𝖳𝖤𝖱 DOS.

          Sloan didn't end up going back to sleep like she originally wanted. Having someone like Loki in her house meant she couldn't close her eyes or turn her back or leave him alone in a room or, she didn't know, fucking relax.

"You do know I know your every weakness, right?" She inquired as they sat across from each other at her round kitchen table, "I know everything about you."

"No you don't."

"Yes I do."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do."

Loki narrowed his eyes at her and crossed his legs, "you're trying to get me to snap, aren't you?"

"No, I'm trying to ask how we're getting to these realms," she changed the topic with a grin that was just a tad too big, looking a bit manic on her features, "you need a portal. Can you open a portal? I can't open a portal, you know someone who can open a portal?"

"How did you know we need a portal?"

Sloan sat back in her seat and crossed her arms, tilting her head at him, "do I look like a fucking idiot to you?" She asked in a sharp tone, "I am and will always be twenty steps ahead of you."

"Really?" He scoffed, "and I'm thirty steps ahead of you."

"Are you? How are we getting there, hm?"

Loki sat up straighter and raised his brows momentarily in an 'I don't know' manner, "I have to figure it out."

"Well I already did," Sloan smirked and stood up, "I know a girl, sorcerer."

"A wizard?"

"A sorcerer, Professor Snape, a sorcerer."

Loki raised a brow, "what did you just call me?"

"Watch a movie once in a while, Jesus," she waved a dismissive hand and walked to the land line she had installed in her house.

"Telling me to watch a movie when you have one of those. Aren't they a bit....old?"

Sloan shrugged, "they're still nice to have, no?"

Loki shook his head, "midgardians and they're mundane things. Asgard is much better."

"You're not even from there," Sloan snorted and began dialing the number on her rotary phone. Loki was up in a flash and holding a dagger to her neck. Sloan didn't flinch and only looked up at him with an unimpressed expression, "you done?"

"What did you just say?"

"You do--"

"You know what I mean."

Sloan chuckled and held the phone up to her ear, putting up a finger, "give me a moment."

Loki took the phone from her hand and slammed it back to where it was supposed to be, "answer me."

Sloan looked at him for a few moments and started laughing. Really hard, stomach clenching laughing, "okay, you're getting awfully hot for a frost giant," she joked and started laughing harder, "I told you, son of Laufey, I know everything about you," she leaned up and whispered.

His momentary distraction made her grab his arm and twist it behind his back, slamming him down into the table, "and don't ever forget who you're talking to."

She released him and turned back to her phone. Loki slowly lifted himself off the table and looked down at his hands, realizing the dagger was gone.

"Where did--"

Sloan suddenly turned and threw the dagger right into his hand, "again, twenty steps ahead."

"Hilarious," he stated dryly and pulled the silver knife from his hand.

"I try," she blew a kiss at him and re-dialed the number, "Xen? Yes, mhm, it's me...oh you know, just need a small portal to take me to a realm or two....don't worry about that...tonight?...great, love you girl," she made a loud kiss sound and hung up the phone.

"Alright, we're all set to go. We have the entire day ahead of us, Lucas, what do you want to do? Rob someone's house? Steal candy from a baby? Knock over the elderly?"

Loki placed a hand over his chest, "I'm mildly offended."

"Good," Sloan slumped back in the seat across from him, causing him to follow suit, "where's your brother?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" He retorted with a hint of bitterness in his tone.

"Hm," she interlaced her fingers and rested her elbows on the table, "haven't seen him in a while. I wonder how he's doing."

Loki smirked and wagged a finger, "oh, I know what you're doing and it's not going to work."

"What I'm trying to do is figure out what your endgame is here."

Loki shrugged, "that's for me to know and you to ignore."

"You must be out of your rabid ass mind to think that's going to work," she chuckled, "the ball is in my court here, Lewis, I have the sorcerer and I have the protection."

"And I actually have my abilities and powers," he said haughtily with a shrug.

"Whatever, shapeshift, we're going to a bookstore."

"Why?"

"Because I said so," she teased and blew him a kiss.

     "Sometimes love comes around," Sloan sang as she skipped down the empty sidewalk. Loki walked next to her with his hands shoved deep into his suit pockets, his body taking the form of a tall feminine person Sloan decided to call London for the time being, "and it knocks you down, just get back up--"

"Why are you singing? It's very annoying," London inquired with an eyeroll.

Sloan rolled her eyes, "coming from the person dressed like they're in Men in Black."

It was London's turn to roll their eyes, "at least I look presentable."

"I look presentable."

London looked her up and down then raised an eyebrow, "are you sure about that?"

"This guy that used to work at the bookstore we're going to gave me this jacket," she defended, "he's dead, you know?"

"Oh, that's...awful," London tried to empathize.

"I know right. He used to give me free drinks," Sloan whined as they reached the tall building. Upon entering, they we're hit with the smell of coffee and cinnamon. It was a temperature warmer than the cool morning air and Sloan sighed.

"You go get us a table, I'm gonna go grab some books," Sloan told them before walking off.

She turned down the young adult aisle and scanned through all the books. She randomly picked a book from the third shelf. It was her favorite number and she always did it whenever she came to the bookstore.

"And what do we have here," she mumbled as she grazed her finger tips along the cover of the book and turned the book over to begin reading the small summary on the back.

"What do you have there?"

Sloan jumped and spun around to be met with the pair of familiar blue eyes, "Jesus, you scared me."

"That was my intention. How come you're reading comic books? Isn't that a bit childish?"

"They're actually graphic novels and it's childish because I'm still a child at heart," she gave them a sarcastic smile before walking around London, heading to the cafe area. She ordered for both of them and dragged them to a table in a back corner.

Sloan opened her book and began reading it while London sat in boredom before landing their eyes on the bags of coffee out for sale. They snapped and suddenly had three of them, juggling in their hands.

"Order for Sloan, or-- hey!" the worker walked over to their table with their drinks in hand.

He sat their drinks down before scolding London, "you can't juggle those."

"And why not?" London challenged as they continued juggling.

"Because...it's against the rules."

"Well they're out for anyone to take, sounds a bit stupid if you ask me."

"That's how stores work!"

Sloan remained focused on her book as she took a sip of her drink.

"But, you see, that's not how I work. Now move along, you're dismissed."

The worker practically had steam coming out of his ears, "no, you listen here--"

"Hey man, just let them juggle the stupid bags of coffee no one's gonna buy anyways," Sloan said without breaking her focus.

"She clearly understands."

The worker raised his hands up before letting them flop back to his sides, "I give up."

"I could've told you that before you strolled over here," London rolled their eyes and took the drink from the worker's hand.

The worker clenched his jaw and turned sharply on his heel to walk away. London resisted the urge to stick their foot out and trip him.

"So, I'm gonna say this while you're still London, you're looking better," Sloan commented and shut her book to glance up at them.

"Excuse me?"

"Back in New York, you looked, I don't know, sick? Like you looked blue which made me go and find out you're a frost giant," Sloan revealed.

"Hm," London hummed and looked over Sloan's shoulder to avoid eye contact, "well thank you for paying that much attention to me and what I'm doing."

"Deflection, how cute," Sloan sighed and went back to her book.

"I'm flattered," London fluttered their eyelashes, "are you trying to butter me up?

"You're annoying, you know that?" Sloan scoffed.

London shrugged, "so I've been told. Now, riddle me this," they sat up, pushing their long dark hair over their shoulders, "this sorcerer of yours, can she open portals anywhere?"

Sloan snorted, "well if she can access an entirely different realm, I would think so."

"Right... can she track people?"

"Depends on if the person wants to be found."

"Meaning?"

"Well if someone is deliberately hiding she can't because their-- I forgot what she said, aura I think?-- would be blocked. If it's someone you only lost contact with, there shouldn't be a problem finding them."

"Okay--"

"And we're not doing anything until my powers are back," Sloan interrupted with a grin.

London grinned back, "you're getting good at this whole negotiating thing, aren't you?"

"Learned from the best."