[Well, if no one's going to move, then perhaps no one has to admit that they're terribly touch-starved and need to cling to this sort of casual contact longer than average. The god's arm stays casually over Lin Lie's shoulder, weight slightly shifted to lean against the man.]
It truly is shocking how much you all get wrong about your own realm's history. [Surely, of everyone Loki had complained about this to, here he was preaching to the choir. Historians and archeologists knew a lot, but also tended to know how much of their own work turned on conjecture and incomplete records.] Besides, there were barely any dragons here, back then.
[Well. There were probably dragons here, in this lovely hospitable part of the world. There hadn't been many in the frigid lands Loki remembers visiting as a child--and the ones he'd met had all been incredibly cranky about it.
If it's still being offered, he'll take a half-bite of the cake pop. Like the absolute heathen he is.]
[ They say silence speaks louder than words sometimes, but right now, silence is just blessed and comfortable contentment. Lin Lie isn't the most touchy-feely person, since respecting other people's personal space and showing deference are big things in his culture. But with Loki, he still wants to be respectful, of course, but there's a kind of ease that comes with how unapologetic and casual the gods are about most things. It's a contagious feeling that Lin Lie welcomes. ]
Sometimes we don't know better. For others, it's on purpose. History is often written by the victor, and it is biased ad changed to either magnify their exploits or hide the truth about their barbarity.
[ Indeed, Lin Lie has a lot to say about the story of mankind and the bias of all cultures that populated the planet, but he won't bore Loki with it. He makes a nod of agreement at the dragon comment but then adds ]
Dragons per se, no, not in this plane. But we had skeletons of dinosaurs, which people from centuries ago mistook for dragons' remains.
[ His dad has even uncovered some of those when he worked on different expeditions, but he was no paleontologist. Whatever Lin Lie might have thought to say next dies in his throat when he sees Loki eat the cake pip that way. ]
That's barbaric! You can't be trusted around cake pops. [ A huff. Lin is still holding the cake pop in front of Loki's mouth as if waiting for him to go for the second bite and finish it off. If he does, however, he's going to playfully shove back the offered treat and pop it into his mouth instead, grinning. ]
[They're learning the rules, perhaps, of being in comfortable contact. So far, it seems very much to be so good. It's comforting, even, having this solid place to lean while Loki's own jaw clenches unconsciously at the reality that victors write history.
True here, true everywhere. Someone else really should get a move on becoming a god who collects all stories.
Less clear are the rules when leaning to take a second bite turns into a vanished cake pop and the imbalance of leaning nearly ends in lips glancing against lips. Loki catches himself back, but... it's an interesting moment of physics.]
--rude. [Not that the Asgardian sounds overly bothered, if just a tiny hair off-kilter.] Did people really think your dinosaurs were dragons?
[Just keep yammering about dragons with this one, surely.]
[ It probably helps that Lin Lie has had positive experiences with other people before, mostly his teammates of the Agents of Atlas, even if he didn't reach out to touch others all that much and most of the people he hung out with were girls. Amadeus is a good friend, but he could also be a bit much in the same way Thor could be if you spend much time in his presence. Loki is different—fun but calmer, sarcastic but entertaining, and Line enjoys it.
He's expecting the complaint after being denied the cake pop, not so much the fact that in an attempt to have it Loki's mouth would end up this close to his own. Lin Lie's free hand immediately goes to Loki's waist to gently steady him, and it stays here.
He pulls the now empty cake pop stick away from his own mouth, dropping the hand holding it to his side but not moving further than that. His eyes scan Loki's face, quickly moving from Loki's green ones to his lips. ]
Sorry. [ And he is, but only a little. The way the right corner of Lin Lie's mouth briefly upturns into an aborted smile should make it clear. The cake pop is now gone, but he can still taste the sweetness of the chocolate icon and the more citric taste from the cake crumbs coating his tongue. He almost asks Loki if he wants to taste it too. And where the fuck did that thought come from? ]
Ah, yeah, some people did. Because of the size and strange shapes, some were really set on believing that the bones belonged to mythical creatures. Maybe they just wanted to believe in something magic, special.
[Well. He'll count a bit of a sorry and a bit of a smile as sticking the landing of having this sort of wobble. Certainly the hand at his side still feels comfortable. Certainly the lack of everyone jerking away feels like a victory.
Loki's own lips twitch at the corner before he settles back into leaning in place and swiping through the selfies they've just taken on his phone.]
I mean, but there was magic. [That much Loki knows about this silly little rock in this silly little realm. Not always strong, but certainly real.] And I'd have to assume actual dragons.
[Given who he was talking to.]
Is all that really kept so completely separate, here? From-- day to day life?
[ It's not as if Lin Lie would make fun of Loki for that. He might make fun of him for many other things, since they're often sassing or teasing each other. But, at least for Lin Lie, that's part of the charm of their conversations and meetings—to be comfortable enough to be a bit of a little shit to each other.
Since it seems like they're going to stay this glued to each other for the time being, he relaxes further, looking at the selfies they've taken as well and smiling at the view. Hey, they look pretty good in those. ]
Yes and no, I'm talking about very archaic times. Magic was mostly performed in either secret societies who weren't open about their business with the common folks or by people who were rare enough and smart enough to go unnoticed. Many people still sees magic as something to fear nowadays. Which is stupid. Magic simply is; how you use it is what can cause problems or solutions.
[ He doesn't bring up the Salem trials and how horrific they were because he is sure that Loki might look it up out of curiosity, and the god doesn't need more trauma. There's sadly a lot of other examples of people being violently stupid towards things they did not understand. ]
As for dragons, yeah, they exist in both the sea and K'hun Lun. I had to help return one to Namor once, it was trapped, but they're not that common on Earth. Neither then nor now. Which is a shame, because dragons are super cool.
[They do look good. It's always remarkable how well-tailored, fashionable clothes could do for a person, whether or not they were made with that person in mind. It does help that they're both handsome individuals, of course. (And, if Loki's honest, handsome as a pair, but that's neither here nor there.)
Lin Lie's take on magic is certainly much better than the Puritans of a few centuries back had been. Loki's lips stay quirked, thoughtful and just a bit pleased--because it's all always so, so much easier to exist in places and with people who understand this critical piece of himself, deeper in his core than most other pieces of a faintly malleable identity.
His attention flits from the phone to Lin Lie's face, head canting to one side in consideration.]
[ Lin Lie is going to miss the Asgardian clothes once he returns them to Loki because they're actually pretty comfy. He's still really touched and surprised that the other man gifted him the green suit; it's so well-tailored, he will have to choose the right occasion to wear it. And...yeah, they don't look terrible together, if he were willing to entertain the thought. He doesn't think Loki might be interested in a Midgardian like him, so for now it remains a thought. Even if it's a pleasant one.
It would be pretty hypocritical of him if he disliked magic after what he's seen and the power he knows it yields, but even before he gained any abilities, he considered magic a beautiful thing. It's a shame it is actually so scarce, but that only makes those who can use it all the more special. ]
A couple of years ago, when I was eighteen. It's a bit of a long story. [ He tilts his head at the answer and tries not to react to the fact that it puts both of their faces even closer. ] The God of War Ares tried to take my sword so he could go rescue Ismenios, his son, who happens to be a dragon and was technically kidnapped. We helped him out, but in doing so uncovered a bigger problem between the Atlantean and the city of Pan. That's when I saw a dragon for the second time; the Atlantis' dragon had been captured by the Big Nguyen Company, who had been harvesting her scales to power Pan's portals. We eventually managed to free her from captivity.
And, what about you? Do you have a lot of big reptilian friends?
[There are very good reasons for Asgardians to keep their eyes from wandering to Midgardians. There really was almost only tragedy in that direction. Still, that hadn't actually stopped the gods from finding their way here, now and again--and, really, Loki's already made the faux pas once before. Why not keep making the mistake? Certainly why not make the mistake for impeccable abs?
But the brief rapid blinking isn't about that. It's very much about Ares and Ismenios.] The Olympians? [So weird, the way things tended to intersect around Midgard.] Had his teeth grown back when you met him?
[Talk about a toothless dragon. So toothless that the teeth grew legs and ran away.]
Not many. It's usually more... adversarial. I suppose there was Skabgagg, out in the Faroe Islands, but-- I think he's dead. And Ulfrin, in Nornheim-- but Thor definitely killed him. [Which doesn't feel like a good track record.] I think we just do better with the little ones.
[ It's probably just as wise for mortals not to meddle with gods; if myths are to be believed, it never ends well. But hey, no one ever accused Lin Lie of being cautious, and daydreaming is free. He happens to actually like Loki's personality, or at least what he's seen of it so far, and the god's good luck doesn't hurt. They're very different in a lot of ways, but they can also relate to each other over the things that matter.
That look on Loki is something new, though, and he's a bit proud that he managed to surprise him. ]
The very same. I mostly only talked to Ares, to be honest, and he's kind of a hothead, but he did seem to care about his son, so points to him for that. [ Pity that he went about it in the most murderous way at first. But all is well if it ends well. Lin Lie hasn't since the God of War, and he'd like to keep it that way. ]
But wait, his teeth? Now there's a story behind that question; there must be. But yes, both Ares and Ismenios had them all back.
[ Lin Lie winces slightly ans he is now taking a mental note to make sure to watch out for what Thor does if he ever meets Shou Lao. The gods seem to be a bit dragon-murder prone. ]
All dragons have a temper, for sure, but I found that their levels of sentience vary so wildly that it's hard to predict how things will go when you meet one. I haven't seen any little ones yet; they all have been way bigger than me.
[Daydreaming is free. Soaking in the nice feeling of being close and safe and welcome with someone is also apparently free, with the right someone. Loki's perfectly content to simply take as much of this as the universe allows, for now.
There's a slight stretch of his spine before he settles more heavily, arm hooked lazily up at Lin Lie's shoulder as he scrolls through more pictures in his phone--quick flashes of Asgard, Midgard, and Alfheim, a discordant blur of experiences clearly not documented or organized by any particular metric.]
The jaculus lives somewhere around here, yes? ["Around here" being "somewhere in Midgard," because magic really does make distances hit different.] He was pretty small the last time I saw him.
[And how much can a dragon grow in what, two hundred years?]
And the last time I saw Ismenios, he'd lost all his teeth. Some human was trying to get at-- [a nose-scrunch of trying to remember but really, truly, deeply not caring about what Olympus is ever up to] --something golden. Apple? Fleece? Bones? Who knows. The Drakon was meant to be guarding it. He got outfoxed by the mortal, and his teeth were pulled out to be buried in the earth and give forth the spartoi.
[ If Lin Lie could read Loki's mind, he would reassure him that no one else is here to judge them anyway. And that's probably for the best, not because he would particularly mind if anybody saw them hanging out, but because that person might be wondering why they dressed up in attires more fitting to each other's cultures for no apparent reason. It's fun, it's comfortable, and they can choose the kind of bonding experience they like, so that metaphorical person can shut up.
Lin Lie lowers his shoulder slightly to accommodate Loki's weight better, but there's no reaction beyond that; certainly it doesn't look like he plans on pushing the other man away anytime soon. He tries not to stare too much at Loki's phone, because that's invasive and rude, but the other man doesn't seem particularly worried about if Lin Lie sees his screen. Alfheim catches his attention because he's not super familiar with that world, and it's pretty looking. ]
You knew the jaculus? I've only read about him in stories and myths; I wasn't sure if he was real for sure.
[ A dragon can grow a lot in that many years, Loki! And don't mind Lin Lie's face changing with the realization that Ismenios is the dragon that is mentioned in the story of the hero Jason and his crew of Argonauts. ]
A Golden Fleece. I've heard a bit about that; there are even a few movies retelling the myth. Curious to know that dragon's teeth can grow back.
[ After a second, Lin Lie He pulls out his own phone, searching in his picture folder until he can find the few pictures he's taken of K'un Lun and show them to Loki. There's a massive red dragon with a fire-gold mane soaring in the sky right over a Chinese-style temple. ]
The big boss. [ Lin Lie grins, very obviously meaning Shou Lao. ] But I think those are cuter than him. [ He swipes to the next photos, and there's a small group of pandas, adults and babies alike, playing around or munching on bamboo. In the background, the visited buildings are still fashioned after ancient temples. ]
[Look at that. Not only do they fit nicely in one another's clothes, they fit nicely resting together in an easy, casual manner. That's good to know.
Loki doesn't want to shrug and ruin the comfortable balance, so a head bobble will have to serve.] I did. Snakes love finding me, wherever I go--and I suppose small enough dragons are more or less the same.
[Maybe that was what made this so easy. Maybe there was something itchy under their skin that sensed a kinship, magic calling to magic that felt different but rhyming. Maybe it was all random chaotic luck. All options were comforting.
His own phone is ignored readily enough to settle in and peer down at Lin Lie's instead. There's a crooked grin for the shot of the Undying, but a much brighter one for the tumble of fuzzy little friends.] Do they breathe fire as well?
[ They both seem to be feeling very safe and happy to be around each other. Which could mean nothing. Lin Lie also looks rather amused at the admission that Loki is a snake—and by extension, a dragon—magnet. ]
Is that so? Perhaps that's why we gravitate together, dragon chi and all. [ Just a normal thing to admit out loud, matching the thoughts Loki might be musing about. Everything they have been doing all evening is very average and normal when it comes to spending time with possible friends, right? Right. ]
Alas, no. And it's for the best; pandas are so chaotic that they would probably set the city ablaze in a matter of hours. But we have some small, really cute foxes running around K'un Lun that leave a trail of fire behind them when they run. I haven't managed to take a picture that didn't look blurry; alas, they move so fast.
[ Lin Lie looks fond as he recalls the memory. He's got a thing for little, smart, fuzzy animals; sue him. ]
[Safe isn't nothing. Safe is quite a lot, actually. And safe and happy? They're really getting away with something.
Maybe that sense of relaxation is what prompts Loki to shift again, the arm on Lin Lie's shoulder unfurling slightly to let his fingers brush lazily into the man's hair, gentle and mindless. He'll stop if there's any flinching or unhappy wriggling, but it feels natural enough as an impulse for the moment. Just a snake/dragon thing, maybe.]
Is that where the fire comes from? Running too fast?
[ 'Safe and happy' is a rarity, Lin Lie would agree. But saying it out loud means acknowledging it, and acknowledging it runs the risk of causing it to stop. Right now, he wants the opposite of that, especially when he feels fingers brushing against his hair. It takes all of his willpower not to make a happy sound of acknowledgment that might embarrass them both. Instead, he hums veeeery softly and leans into the touches. No flinching of any sort, that's for sure. ]
I think so. Their tail doesn't seem to be on fire, so it must be related to friction of some sort. Are there any funny animals in Asgard?
[A very soft happy noise works. A slight leaning closer works even better. They can simply not acknowledge it but both enjoy the light lazy brush of Loki's fingers through Lin Lie's hair.]
We have wolves?
[Even Loki doesn't sound entirely convinced that they qualify as "funny." It's just that they're the first animals that come to mind when asked about home. His hand with his phone lifts again, flicking quickly through pictures.]
Father's are a bit silly, sometimes.
[Another moment, and he hits a good patch of nearly horse-sized wolves, one grey and one black, scrambling about at play. True, both wolves seem to have mouths slathered in coppery red gore, by maybe don't focus on that part!]
That's Freki-- [a pause on one cheerful shot, tapping first on the darker wolf before shifting to the paler one --and that's Geri.
[ If Loki keeps that up, Lin Lie might be at risk of melting right next to him. It just feels so good, and he's always weak for hair touches and scalp massages. Forget trying to beat him in a fight; this is his biggest weakness. ]
Ohh, look at those big boys!
[ Yeah, he's going to try and ignore all that blood. Wolves will be wolves; he isn't going to judge them. Lin Lie is just going to appreciate the super-sized doggos. They might not be what one calls fun, but they sure are impressive looking, and Lin Lie is clearly appreciative of the impressive creatures.]
I like them already. Wolves have no business looking so fluffy when you can't really pet them without risking losing a hand. [ HEH. This part of the myth he knows. Then he murmurs under his breath: ] ...forbidden puppies.
[Honestly, that's a pretty good reaction to pictures of Odin's war wolves. Even Asgardians tended to be a bit leery of the fearsome creatures, although Thor and Loki had never been properly afraid of the pair. "Forbidden puppies" is close enough to that.]
Incredibly forbidden. [His fingers still in Lin Lie's hair but don't actually leave, simply resting in the comfortable allowance of being tangled up in one another's space.] They'd smell the battle on you.
[And as well-mannered as the wolves had always been in Asgard, they'd certainly never had to behave themselves in Midgard, particularly around anything that even had the faintest whiff of the battlefield on them.]
There's loads of actual fluffy dogs around here, though, yes?
[ Other people might have a more normal, subdued, or more visible intimidated reaction, because the wolves really are big. But when you are the Iron Fist and you face a giant dragon on the regular, other creatures stop being so frightening. Besides, wolves are just cool in general; who wouldn't adore them? ]
Pity. Not like wrestling a big wolf wouldn't be an incredible way to go, but I don't want to hurt them or get eaten, no. Can you pet them, though? They should be familiar with you.
[ The fingers feel nice where they are. But what feels much nicer? when they're moving and coming through his hair, so Line Lie moves his head back slightly to press against the pads of Loki's fingers to subtly try and prompt him to keep touching his hair more. He's not very good with subtlety, though, so Loki might notice that he's being needy. ]
On earth in general? We are very big on having pets in general. But in my culture, and also in K'un Lun, we tend to like felines more. In Chinese mythology, cats are often associated with good luck and fortune. And they're just so cute too.
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It truly is shocking how much you all get wrong about your own realm's history. [Surely, of everyone Loki had complained about this to, here he was preaching to the choir. Historians and archeologists knew a lot, but also tended to know how much of their own work turned on conjecture and incomplete records.] Besides, there were barely any dragons here, back then.
[Well. There were probably dragons here, in this lovely hospitable part of the world. There hadn't been many in the frigid lands Loki remembers visiting as a child--and the ones he'd met had all been incredibly cranky about it.
If it's still being offered, he'll take a half-bite of the cake pop. Like the absolute heathen he is.]
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Sometimes we don't know better. For others, it's on purpose. History is often written by the victor, and it is biased ad changed to either magnify their exploits or hide the truth about their barbarity.
[ Indeed, Lin Lie has a lot to say about the story of mankind and the bias of all cultures that populated the planet, but he won't bore Loki with it. He makes a nod of agreement at the dragon comment but then adds ]
Dragons per se, no, not in this plane. But we had skeletons of dinosaurs, which people from centuries ago mistook for dragons' remains.
[ His dad has even uncovered some of those when he worked on different expeditions, but he was no paleontologist. Whatever Lin Lie might have thought to say next dies in his throat when he sees Loki eat the cake pip that way. ]
That's barbaric! You can't be trusted around cake pops. [ A huff. Lin is still holding the cake pop in front of Loki's mouth as if waiting for him to go for the second bite and finish it off. If he does, however, he's going to playfully shove back the offered treat and pop it into his mouth instead, grinning. ]
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True here, true everywhere. Someone else really should get a move on becoming a god who collects all stories.
Less clear are the rules when leaning to take a second bite turns into a vanished cake pop and the imbalance of leaning nearly ends in lips glancing against lips. Loki catches himself back, but... it's an interesting moment of physics.]
--rude. [Not that the Asgardian sounds overly bothered, if just a tiny hair off-kilter.] Did people really think your dinosaurs were dragons?
[Just keep yammering about dragons with this one, surely.]
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He's expecting the complaint after being denied the cake pop, not so much the fact that in an attempt to have it Loki's mouth would end up this close to his own. Lin Lie's free hand immediately goes to Loki's waist to gently steady him, and it stays here.
He pulls the now empty cake pop stick away from his own mouth, dropping the hand holding it to his side but not moving further than that. His eyes scan Loki's face, quickly moving from Loki's green ones to his lips. ]
Sorry. [ And he is, but only a little. The way the right corner of Lin Lie's mouth briefly upturns into an aborted smile should make it clear. The cake pop is now gone, but he can still taste the sweetness of the chocolate icon and the more citric taste from the cake crumbs coating his tongue. He almost asks Loki if he wants to taste it too. And where the fuck did that thought come from? ]
Ah, yeah, some people did. Because of the size and strange shapes, some were really set on believing that the bones belonged to mythical creatures. Maybe they just wanted to believe in something magic, special.
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Loki's own lips twitch at the corner before he settles back into leaning in place and swiping through the selfies they've just taken on his phone.]
I mean, but there was magic. [That much Loki knows about this silly little rock in this silly little realm. Not always strong, but certainly real.] And I'd have to assume actual dragons.
[Given who he was talking to.]
Is all that really kept so completely separate, here? From-- day to day life?
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Since it seems like they're going to stay this glued to each other for the time being, he relaxes further, looking at the selfies they've taken as well and smiling at the view. Hey, they look pretty good in those. ]
Yes and no, I'm talking about very archaic times. Magic was mostly performed in either secret societies who weren't open about their business with the common folks or by people who were rare enough and smart enough to go unnoticed. Many people still sees magic as something to fear nowadays. Which is stupid. Magic simply is; how you use it is what can cause problems or solutions.
[ He doesn't bring up the Salem trials and how horrific they were because he is sure that Loki might look it up out of curiosity, and the god doesn't need more trauma. There's sadly a lot of other examples of people being violently stupid towards things they did not understand. ]
As for dragons, yeah, they exist in both the sea and K'hun Lun. I had to help return one to Namor once, it was trapped, but they're not that common on Earth. Neither then nor now. Which is a shame, because dragons are super cool.
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Lin Lie's take on magic is certainly much better than the Puritans of a few centuries back had been. Loki's lips stay quirked, thoughtful and just a bit pleased--because it's all always so, so much easier to exist in places and with people who understand this critical piece of himself, deeper in his core than most other pieces of a faintly malleable identity.
His attention flits from the phone to Lin Lie's face, head canting to one side in consideration.]
When did you meet your first dragon?
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It would be pretty hypocritical of him if he disliked magic after what he's seen and the power he knows it yields, but even before he gained any abilities, he considered magic a beautiful thing. It's a shame it is actually so scarce, but that only makes those who can use it all the more special. ]
A couple of years ago, when I was eighteen. It's a bit of a long story. [ He tilts his head at the answer and tries not to react to the fact that it puts both of their faces even closer. ] The God of War Ares tried to take my sword so he could go rescue Ismenios, his son, who happens to be a dragon and was technically kidnapped. We helped him out, but in doing so uncovered a bigger problem between the Atlantean and the city of Pan. That's when I saw a dragon for the second time; the Atlantis' dragon had been captured by the Big Nguyen Company, who had been harvesting her scales to power Pan's portals. We eventually managed to free her from captivity.
And, what about you? Do you have a lot of big reptilian friends?
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But the brief rapid blinking isn't about that. It's very much about Ares and Ismenios.] The Olympians? [So weird, the way things tended to intersect around Midgard.] Had his teeth grown back when you met him?
[Talk about a toothless dragon. So toothless that the teeth grew legs and ran away.]
Not many. It's usually more... adversarial. I suppose there was Skabgagg, out in the Faroe Islands, but-- I think he's dead. And Ulfrin, in Nornheim-- but Thor definitely killed him. [Which doesn't feel like a good track record.] I think we just do better with the little ones.
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That look on Loki is something new, though, and he's a bit proud that he managed to surprise him. ]
The very same. I mostly only talked to Ares, to be honest, and he's kind of a hothead, but he did seem to care about his son, so points to him for that. [ Pity that he went about it in the most murderous way at first. But all is well if it ends well. Lin Lie hasn't since the God of War, and he'd like to keep it that way. ]
But wait, his teeth? Now there's a story behind that question; there must be. But yes, both Ares and Ismenios had them all back.
[ Lin Lie winces slightly ans he is now taking a mental note to make sure to watch out for what Thor does if he ever meets Shou Lao. The gods seem to be a bit dragon-murder prone. ]
All dragons have a temper, for sure, but I found that their levels of sentience vary so wildly that it's hard to predict how things will go when you meet one. I haven't seen any little ones yet; they all have been way bigger than me.
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There's a slight stretch of his spine before he settles more heavily, arm hooked lazily up at Lin Lie's shoulder as he scrolls through more pictures in his phone--quick flashes of Asgard, Midgard, and Alfheim, a discordant blur of experiences clearly not documented or organized by any particular metric.]
The jaculus lives somewhere around here, yes? ["Around here" being "somewhere in Midgard," because magic really does make distances hit different.] He was pretty small the last time I saw him.
[And how much can a dragon grow in what, two hundred years?]
And the last time I saw Ismenios, he'd lost all his teeth. Some human was trying to get at-- [a nose-scrunch of trying to remember but really, truly, deeply not caring about what Olympus is ever up to] --something golden. Apple? Fleece? Bones? Who knows. The Drakon was meant to be guarding it. He got outfoxed by the mortal, and his teeth were pulled out to be buried in the earth and give forth the spartoi.
[Casual god things, really.]
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Lin Lie lowers his shoulder slightly to accommodate Loki's weight better, but there's no reaction beyond that; certainly it doesn't look like he plans on pushing the other man away anytime soon. He tries not to stare too much at Loki's phone, because that's invasive and rude, but the other man doesn't seem particularly worried about if Lin Lie sees his screen. Alfheim catches his attention because he's not super familiar with that world, and it's pretty looking. ]
You knew the jaculus? I've only read about him in stories and myths; I wasn't sure if he was real for sure.
[ A dragon can grow a lot in that many years, Loki! And don't mind Lin Lie's face changing with the realization that Ismenios is the dragon that is mentioned in the story of the hero Jason and his crew of Argonauts. ]
A Golden Fleece. I've heard a bit about that; there are even a few movies retelling the myth. Curious to know that dragon's teeth can grow back.
[ After a second, Lin Lie He pulls out his own phone, searching in his picture folder until he can find the few pictures he's taken of K'un Lun and show them to Loki. There's a massive red dragon with a fire-gold mane soaring in the sky right over a Chinese-style temple. ]
The big boss. [ Lin Lie grins, very obviously meaning Shou Lao. ] But I think those are cuter than him. [ He swipes to the next photos, and there's a small group of pandas, adults and babies alike, playing around or munching on bamboo. In the background, the visited buildings are still fashioned after ancient temples. ]
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Loki doesn't want to shrug and ruin the comfortable balance, so a head bobble will have to serve.] I did. Snakes love finding me, wherever I go--and I suppose small enough dragons are more or less the same.
[Maybe that was what made this so easy. Maybe there was something itchy under their skin that sensed a kinship, magic calling to magic that felt different but rhyming. Maybe it was all random chaotic luck. All options were comforting.
His own phone is ignored readily enough to settle in and peer down at Lin Lie's instead. There's a crooked grin for the shot of the Undying, but a much brighter one for the tumble of fuzzy little friends.] Do they breathe fire as well?
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Is that so? Perhaps that's why we gravitate together, dragon chi and all. [ Just a normal thing to admit out loud, matching the thoughts Loki might be musing about. Everything they have been doing all evening is very average and normal when it comes to spending time with possible friends, right? Right. ]
Alas, no. And it's for the best; pandas are so chaotic that they would probably set the city ablaze in a matter of hours. But we have some small, really cute foxes running around K'un Lun that leave a trail of fire behind them when they run. I haven't managed to take a picture that didn't look blurry; alas, they move so fast.
[ Lin Lie looks fond as he recalls the memory. He's got a thing for little, smart, fuzzy animals; sue him. ]
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Maybe that sense of relaxation is what prompts Loki to shift again, the arm on Lin Lie's shoulder unfurling slightly to let his fingers brush lazily into the man's hair, gentle and mindless. He'll stop if there's any flinching or unhappy wriggling, but it feels natural enough as an impulse for the moment. Just a snake/dragon thing, maybe.]
Is that where the fire comes from? Running too fast?
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I think so. Their tail doesn't seem to be on fire, so it must be related to friction of some sort. Are there any funny animals in Asgard?
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We have wolves?
[Even Loki doesn't sound entirely convinced that they qualify as "funny." It's just that they're the first animals that come to mind when asked about home. His hand with his phone lifts again, flicking quickly through pictures.]
Father's are a bit silly, sometimes.
[Another moment, and he hits a good patch of nearly horse-sized wolves, one grey and one black, scrambling about at play. True, both wolves seem to have mouths slathered in coppery red gore, by maybe don't focus on that part!]
That's Freki-- [a pause on one cheerful shot, tapping first on the darker wolf before shifting to the paler one --and that's Geri.
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Ohh, look at those big boys!
[ Yeah, he's going to try and ignore all that blood. Wolves will be wolves; he isn't going to judge them. Lin Lie is just going to appreciate the super-sized doggos. They might not be what one calls fun, but they sure are impressive looking, and Lin Lie is clearly appreciative of the impressive creatures.]
I like them already. Wolves have no business looking so fluffy when you can't really pet them without risking losing a hand. [ HEH. This part of the myth he knows. Then he murmurs under his breath: ] ...forbidden puppies.
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Incredibly forbidden. [His fingers still in Lin Lie's hair but don't actually leave, simply resting in the comfortable allowance of being tangled up in one another's space.] They'd smell the battle on you.
[And as well-mannered as the wolves had always been in Asgard, they'd certainly never had to behave themselves in Midgard, particularly around anything that even had the faintest whiff of the battlefield on them.]
There's loads of actual fluffy dogs around here, though, yes?
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normal, subdued, or more visible intimidated reaction, because the wolves really are big. But when you are the Iron Fist and you face a giant dragon on the regular, other creatures stop being so frightening. Besides, wolves are just cool in general; who wouldn't adore them? ]Pity. Not like wrestling a big wolf wouldn't be an incredible way to go, but I don't want to hurt them or get eaten, no. Can you pet them, though? They should be familiar with you.
[ The fingers feel nice where they are. But what feels much nicer? when they're moving and coming through his hair, so Line Lie moves his head back slightly to press against the pads of Loki's fingers to subtly try and prompt him to keep touching his hair more. He's not very good with subtlety, though, so Loki might notice that he's being needy. ]
On earth in general? We are very big on having pets in general. But in my culture, and also in K'un Lun, we tend to like felines more. In Chinese mythology, cats are often associated with good luck and fortune. And they're just so cute too.