(no subject)

[animator]

Who: Anita Blake and Loki Laufeyson (MCU), with possible appearances from Sirius and mini-Loki.
When: New Year's Eve
Where: All over town.
What: Win a Date With Anita Blake (Courtesy of Sirius Black)


[It was oddly ironic, Anita thought, that she was putting a hell of a lot more effort into her appearance for this particular date than she had for more legitimate outings in the past. Of course, if her actions tonight were to obtain the desired results, she would have to give off the appearance of having a wonderful time and make the whole thing look genuine, which was likely going to be harder than it sounded. She had never been a hearts and flowers kind of girl. She had dated, sure, but she was bad when it came to things like being doe-eyed and devoted, which was something she was going to have to work around tonight.

After all, she had to make a statement. Sirius meant well, of course, but after tonight he would see that pushing her into the arms of strange men was not the best way to cement their friendship or cover up any of the awkwardness that had threatened to settle between them. He was so keen on her finding someone to bat her eyes at? Fine. She would just go ahead and choose someone he didn't approve of -- to the extreme.

Bonus points for the opportunity to get some intelligent conversation out of the evening, though. Plus, Loki's penchant for mischief meant that she had an incredibly competent partner in crime for the evening.

As eight o'clock neared, she gave herself another quick once-over in the mirror. The dress was far shorter than what she would have usually cared for, but it would annoy the right people. Perfect.]

Comments

[you_have_heart]

[Loki was at her doorstep at 8 pm on the dot. He looked very dapper, by mortal standards of course. He knocked gently on the door, not bothering to fix his slightly crooked tie.

Tonight is going to be fun.]

[animator]

[She answered promptly, never having been one to buy into the practice of making your date wait around once he had arrived. She smirked as she pulled the door open, folding her arms as she looked him over, appraising.]

Well, you sure clean up nice. Come on in? Just have to grab my coat.

[you_have_heart]

Why thank you, my dear.

[He steps into the apartment, smiling.]

You look very lovely yourself.

[animator]

Thank you. Flattery will get you everywhere.

[Well, as far as any spectators were concerned.

She smiles in reply, glad to see that he's in such a good mood. Good. That will lend itself well to the charade. Besides, it wasn't like they didn't enjoy each other's company.

Her coat is dramatically longer than the dress underneath it, made painfully obvious as she slips it on over her shoulders before reaching for her purse. Of course, instead of the usual items most women would carry, Anita had pared her arsenal down to her lipstick, her hairbrush, and her gun. A girl should never, ever go anywhere without her favorite gun. You never knew when you were going to need it. Since it was in her purse, she would have to rummage around for twelve straight minutes before she could draw it, but still, she felt better having it.

It was a comfort thing.]

Shall we? I wouldn't want my roommate to turn up and try to steal you away.

[you_have_heart]

Oh, I doubt she could.

[He offered her his arm. She would not need protection from a gun so long as she was with him, but he more than understood the want for a weapon.]

By all means, lead the way.

[animator]

That puts my mind at ease.

[She takes his arm without much hesitation; that's one show of chivalry she's always been able to allow, even if she hates letting people open doors or pull out chairs for her. Besides, even if she didn't find taking someone's arm acceptable, she could afford to be gracious tonight.

The walk to the Four Saisons was reasonably brief, with no sign of any interlopers between the apartment and the hotel. Once she's hung up her coat and they've been shown to their table, she makes herself comfortable, and opts for water when the waiter offers her a glass of wine. She waits until Loki has had a chance to place his own drink order, and once they're alone, she smiles.]

It looks like we get to chat uninterrupted for awhile. That's a pleasant surprise. I was expecting eavesdroppers to come by almost immediately.

[you_have_heart]

[He orders wine.]

Yes, it is very nice. I thought I would be followed from my door. Do you think he found something else to occupy his time?

[animator]

[She thought he might. Just because she's a teetotaler doesn't mean that she's about to try and steer someone away from a glass of wine, though. She doesn't even mind the taste, actually, but her stance on alcohol is pretty much all or nothing. She'll stick with nothing.]

Or maybe he's just hoping to lull us into a false sense of security. Or, I suppose it's possible that he's accepted that he should trust me to make my own decisions. Either way, we have some privacy, and you hinted that you might share a story or two with me.

[you_have_heart]

That I did. What would you care to hear first?

[He was apprehensive when it came to sharing his past, but Anita was trust worthy, and it would bee a good show of faith on his part. He needs allies in the city, especially with more and more heros arriving everyday.}

new thread of interruption, since I'm not sure how to do?

[alwaysimpure]

[For a wizard, especially an animagus at that, it wasn't really that difficult to watch someone without being seen. It also made it easier to notice other people who might be watching, like Loki².]

What are you doing here?

this is how we roll.

[badnewsboy]

[he's in a bush, a very discreet bush. actually, he had a small space between two parties that he was supposed to attend to keep an eye out on his Older-Self, but so far it has proven to be nothing but ridiculously boring.

for a moment he looks surprised when he's spoken to.]

Eavesdropping, what else would I be doing on such a lovely evening?

[alwaysimpure]

[Tediously boring. Which is preferable to Loki turning into a snake and eating her or something equally disturbing, but still.]

Didn't anyone ever teach you that you shouldn't eavesdrop?

[Well...]

Anita and your bad self?

[badnewsboy]

In passing.

And Evil-Self is preferred. You seem familiar—you know of him?

[perhaps he did, and he was another concerned citizen making an attempt at stopping any terrible shenanigans that he may be trying to pull off.]

[alwaysimpure]

Evil-Self, whatever you say. I'll believe it. He showed us some of his magic.

[And now he's moving in on his girl. Or something to that equation.]

So how do we stop this?

[badnewsboy]

Gently, without knowledge that it was us.

[he makes a vague gesture with his hand.]

Or that magic that he has shown you will be directed in a very unpleasant fashion in your direction.

[alwaysimpure]

I could take him.

[...he can't actually be sure of that, but lack of confidence isn't one of his numerous issues.]

But gentle works, too.

Do you think he'd do anything to her?

[badnewsboy]

He is a god and despite you being very good at what you do, you are still a mortal. His talent in the mystical arts is unparalleled in Asgard, and I assure you that he would be unparalleled here. It would be in your best interest not to be stuck on an island with someone who has decided to destroy you because of a petty rivalry. He does hate losing.

[he looks at him, a little dubiously.]

Doubtful for the moment, though I wouldn't say it hasn't gone through my mind.

[animator]

[Anita catches Loki's subtle cues immediately and makes an effort to keep from flinching when he lays his hand over hers, actually doing a passable job of it. She smiles at him; time to turn the conversation in a very specific direction, then.]

You know, I was resistant at first, but I'm glad Sirius pushed me to come out tonight. I really had been looking forward to getting to know you better. Think we should thank him?

[you_have_heart]

I am glad as well, you are as interesting person, Anita. I think we should see how the night goes before thanks are passed along.

[He notices her subtle reactions to his touch. He would have backed off, but they had an act to keep up. He trusts her to let him know if she wants to stop.

He looks down at his plate, which is nearly empty. The portions were insanely small, so he finished his food rather quickly.]

Would you like to get desert here or somewhere else?

[animator]

[She tilts her head slightly, giving him a knowing smile.]

Why don't we take a walk and see where the evening goes?

[Plenty of opportunities to let the act run its course that way. She's starting to settle into it now, much more at ease with the physical contact.]

[you_have_heart]

That sounds lovely.

[Loki waved a hand the the money for the bill appeared on the table. He stood and offered her his hand.]

Shall we?

[animator]

[She smirks as watches the money simply appear, rising from her seat and taking the offered hand, though she releases it long enough to put on her coat.]

That's a neat trick. You'll have to teach me sometime.

[you_have_heart]

[Loki helps her slip her jacket on, like a gentleman. He offers her his arm]

I have many more tricks. What else would you like to see.

[His voice is low, but he makes sure Sirius can still hear him. The implications are quite clear]

[animator]

[In any other situation, it was the kind of remark she would have punched someone for saying and told them to stay the hell away from her, but for tonight's purposes, it was exactly the right sort of thing for him to say.]

That sounds very promising.

[She takes the offered arm, pulling herself closer than is strictly necessary so that they can walk together.]

I'm not surprised that the god of mischief would have plenty of tricks up his sleeve. Can you give me a hint?

[you_have_heart]

Why spoil the surprise?

[He leaned his body slightly in as they walked outside. Once they were out, and he was sure they were once again being followed he lightly brushed his face close to her head. From a distance it would look as if he had kissed the top of her head.]