quietmounds | (no subject)

(no subject)

WHAT in person
WHERE the onsen by the lake
WHEN 67

[You know what's great on a chilly fall day?

Publicly bathing in hot water under the open sky!

That's what the flyer on everyone's door from Tidy Living apartments says, anyway. Slippers and big fluffy towels have been provided, and a shallow pool of steaming hot water has appeared on the roof of the apartments over night.

There's no gender divide here, just one large onsen with smaller connecting pools of varying temperatures, ranging from 'kind of warm' to 'regular humans would probably not survive this for long' temperatures.

There are signs near the pool but they seem a bit confused, sternly advising thing like "Clean flesh only" and "Please not expel bodily fluids into the water from any opening" and "If running, please fall away from edge". One simply says "It's dangerous" with no other information in sight.

But actually it's probably fine and you'll have a nice time, assuming public nudity sounds like a nice time, anyway.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Wait what? Earth has wizards now?

Earth totally has wizards now. Or, one wizard? I'm not sure. I only met him briefly. But he had power to spare. He said his name was Steven Strange.

You mean Dr. Steven Strange? That doesn't make sense. He's a neurosurgeon, not Harry Potter.

He's definitely Harry Potter.

Why would he be doing surgery if he could do magic? Can't be the same guy. And why were you on Earth talking to wizards again? I feel like I'm losing the plot.

[Drink drink]

Right, okay. So I break out of demon jail, defeat him. Head back to Asgard, where Loki has been king for two years while protending to be our father Odin, who he's banished to Midgard. The wizard doctor detected our presence and aided us in finding him, provided Loki would leave immediately. So, we did that.

Then Odin died, which unleashed our secret sister Hela the Goddess of Death. Who threw us into the trash planet and took over Asgard immediately.

Where you met Bruce. Sure. Checks out.

[just sipping his drink this time when he realizes he can feel it]

I can't decide if I miss that mess or not.

[takes him a moment to understand]

Being a hero?

Sort of? The chaos of it, you know. The responsibility.

[grins]

Well, you are fairly good at both of those.

That is literally the first time in my life I have ever been accused of being responsible. You're drunk.

Well, I do finally feel drunk, thank you by the way, but based on my observations you're quite driven when it comes to responsibility. In categories. Where it counts.

Maybe. Back when I had a reason be.

[drink.]

Yet here you are gathering me up making sure I get drunk and have an entire wardrobe. Inside, ohhh, an hour? It's not a shield for the world, but I appreciate it, my friend.

Yikes. When you put it that way it sounds like the plot to Pretty Woman.

Mm. Damn. I was pretty proud of myself for understanding the Harry Potter reference.

It makes me Richard Gere and you a high price escort. Don't worry about it.

[mumbles over his drink]

Obviously I'm the highest price--

--! Oh that reminds me. Loki was a high price escort on Sakaar.

[claps a hand on his shoulder]

The highest, buddy.

[maybe chokes on his drink just a little]

Well that's a story I need to hear all of.

Ugh. It would have been funny if it wasn't infuriating. When we were thrown out by our sister in space, he was thrown first. So he beat me to Sakaar by three weeks. I was enslaved in a battle arena, while he only needed three weeks to get on the arm of the resident warlord. He bet against me!

No part of that story surprises me. Did you not try hard enough at the arm candy angle?

[sulkily]

I'm not good at it like he is.

Not that I care! I just, exude "warrior spirit," you know. Automatically. It overpowers anything else.

...

That must be so hard for you.

[shut up tony i can sense sarcasm, grump]

I can't believe he bet against me. It all worked out between us when it was over but I was so angry at him.

You can't... believe it?

[sort of laughs, taking another drink and then putting it aside. Maybe that's enough drink]

I recognize that this is coming from me, who clearly, you know, got over it, but we're talking about a guy who was not historically the most compassionate and loving snowflake. Last time I saw you two together in the same place, he literally stabbed you. Like. On my tower. He stabbed you. With a knife.