Princely Knowledge and Camaraderie
Apr. 13th, 2014 02:32 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Ruby wasn't sure whether or not it was hotel policy to give out the room numbers of their guests, but she was friendly enough with the clerk on the desk at her time of asking, and finding out where she could find Loki the most quickly and easily hadn't been too terribly hard. She wasn't sure whether or not she would be welcomed by Loki when she knocked on his door, as while he'd been unfailingly kind and gentlemanly to her when they'd interacted elsewhere in the hotel, that was a good deal different than being taken by surprise in his room. Still, she was hopeful.
She'd thought long and hard about who to approach with the two problems that were currently dominating her attention, and while she was friendly with many people in the Nexus, the idea of approaching them with things that were both private and frightening was a little unnerving. She'd almost spilled her guts to Fiona the night before after finishing up a shift, but had bit her tongue at the last moment for some unknown reason. She'd ultimately decided to go to Loki as she had to figure that being as otherworldly as he was, he might have a more substantial wealth of knowledge concerning the disturbing dreams she'd been having. And, being someone who presumably had a penis, he might have a little more insight on what the hell was going on with Graham as well.
She knocked on his door twice, both loud enough to be heard within, and waited. When the door swung open, she smiled brightly. "Hey handsome," she said. "Can I bother you for a minute?"
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Date: 2014-04-15 06:36 am (UTC)His question seemed rather random and made her feel all the more nervous for it. "All my life," she said. "I never left there until I came here."
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Date: 2014-04-15 06:49 am (UTC)"I don't think that's true," he said. "I think you had a life before Storybrooke, and you're starting to remember it. The next time you dream, pay attention. See if anything feels familiar at all to you, even if you've never seen it before." He didn't bother digging deeper into that explanation, which went hand-in-hand with the unspoken suggestion that Ruby was, in fact, a monstrous wolf. She could put that together herself.
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Date: 2014-04-15 06:56 am (UTC)"Alright," she said, and then sighed, rubbing at the bridge of her nose. "Goodness. Maybe I should've started with the easier problem first."
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Date: 2014-04-15 07:34 am (UTC)"What else is troubling you, then?" he asked. "And don't worry. It's always best to start with the most difficult. It makes solving everything else a breeze, so I hope that's the case with you."
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Date: 2014-04-15 07:50 am (UTC)"Men trouble," she said. "Forgive me for treating you like an advice column, but since you're my favorite friend presumably with a penis in attendance, I figured you'd be the best to ask." She smiled at him, moving her hands to the table to get them free from her lap and concentrating on smoothing her fingers along the smooth finery of it, versus fidgeting as they had been. Speaking so plainly with Loki about something so private was going to perhaps be a little embarrassing to start, but it helped that she'd gotten the worst off of her chest first.
"I was wondering if you might have any insight as to why someone who appears to be attracted to me in every other second of the day freezes up and shuts down when I make advances. Not the second advances are made, mind you, so I know that it's not that I make him uncomfortable or that he doesn't, you know, want to. He lets it go on for a bit, then sends me on my way. I don't have a whole lot of experience with men, but from what I know that sort of behavior isn't really normal."
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Date: 2014-04-15 08:17 am (UTC)No, the real surprise for him was the fact she wanted to discuss this with him at all. "You're asking for my relationship advice?" he asked, starting to grin about halfway through the question at the complete strangeness of it all. In his experience, most people wouldn't breach this subject with him if there was someone better available, and 'better' could even mean inanimate objects.
However, it was pretty clear that that was exactly what she wanted, so he tried to continue on without any more issue. "I'm not sure," he said. "I guess the two things that spring to mind are that he doesn't feel like he's ready for you yet, and keeps forgetting every time you flash all those teeth at him. Or maybe he thinks he doesn't deserve you and sends you away out of self penance - and, again, forgetting every time. Men are very forgetful." The second answer came easiest to him because, naturally, he was guilty of that himself, a long time ago. Proud and arrogant, yes, but his self-worth had still been remarkably low in the trials of love.
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Date: 2014-04-16 04:55 am (UTC)Her smile remained as he continued to speak, though it softened into something that was more fond than amused. She supposed his explanations made sense, at least to a certain extent, though she wasn't sure how much of either really applied. Still, it was nice to have someone else confirm that there was a reason to Graham's behavior outside of there being something wrong with her. She was positive that Graham was attracted to her, though after her dreams had started up she had to wonder if there was something about her that was going wrong at her core, and he could somehow sense it. Ridiculous, probably, but worrisome none the less.
"I suppose you're right," she said with a nod. "He won't discuss it with me, other than to suggest I go back home. I don't want to do that, though. He's here, and you're here, and all my new friends are here."
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Date: 2014-04-16 08:03 am (UTC)First Fiona, and now Ruby. Sif would get a kick out of it and tease him, no doubt. He was distracted from that musing by another detail, however. "He's from your world?" he asked. "And he wants you to go back? Has he said why?"
Maybe the answers Ruby sought about her dreams could be found in her paramour. What an upsetting thought that could be.
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Date: 2014-04-16 04:46 pm (UTC)"He is from my world," Ruby said, seeing no reason why she should hold back the details of that now. "He says that there are things I don't understand, and that I just need to go home and wait for the answers to come to me, but how could he possibly know that? In the point of time that I come from, he's dead. He's been dead for weeks. "
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Date: 2014-04-16 09:24 pm (UTC)The nature of the death could be something. Maybe Ruby wasn't in the mindset to see a conspiracy, but Loki was.
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Date: 2014-04-17 03:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-04-20 12:48 am (UTC)He knew he was not being particularly kind in that approach; but he liked Ruby well enough, and watching people he liked wander into disaster, while it was something he expected, wasn't what he relished. Still, he was also aware that if Ruby had known the man for a long time, he did think she was clever enough to at least notice if the man had some talent at dissembling.
"Just give it some time," he settled with. "Try not to get too distracted by his winning smile or whatever it is you like about him."
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Date: 2014-04-20 05:20 am (UTC)"Thank you," she said after a moment. "I realize that showing up in your hotel room in the middle of the day to rattle off my problems like you're some sort of therapist perhaps wasn't warranted, but I thank you for tolerating me all the same." She stood, then walked around the table to stand in front of him, gesturing with her hand. "Stand up, please."
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Date: 2014-04-20 10:19 am (UTC)"It's no trouble at all," he said, and mostly meant it. There was not much else he could have been doing with his time, after all, besides the deep and wandering thoughts he tended to indulge in when left to his own devices. He wouldn't ever readily choose to be burdened with someone else's problems, but he understood that was something he had to do for friendships, which were what he was ultimately cultivating, he supposed. At her request that he stand, though, he gave her a startled look, though he rose to his feet as suggested. She didn't seem to be one for formal leave taking. Unless she wished to embrace him? That would be odd, if only because the last person who really hugged him was his mother, and he wasn't used to it.
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Date: 2014-04-20 03:23 pm (UTC)When he made his way to his feet, Ruby moved in to wrap her arms around his middle, pulling herself in for a tight, sincere hug. He was warm and solid, the material of his shirt surprisingly soft against her cheek where she tucked it against his chest. She could feel his surprise at her actions, which also made her smile. She didn't know whether people just didn't often offer to hug Loki or if he was the sort who just didn't welcome them, but she found she liked hugging him as she was just then, and hoped that if she tried again in the future he would not be too terribly upset.
"You're very smart," she told him as she hugged him. "So smart, and wonderful to boot. Thank you." She leaned away from the hug just enough to lean up to press a kiss to his cheek, then stepped back from him with a smile. "I've tainted your beauty," she said as she began to rub gently at the lip print she'd left on his cheek with her thumb. "Don't want anyone thinking I came in here and made ill use of my friend."
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Date: 2014-04-21 12:14 am (UTC)"You're too kind, Ruby," he said, and though he didn't think she would hear it as such, it was a double-edged phrase, for in his experience kindness could turn on its giver as quickly as an act of callousness. Still, if she was careful it could serve her well.
"I rather think a lip print would improve my countenance," he said, but allowed her to clean the lipstick off.
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Date: 2014-04-22 02:42 am (UTC)At his words about the lip print improving his countenance, she laughed and dropped her hand to his shoulder for a gentle squeeze. "Remember that conversation we once had about girls getting jealous over me telling you how handsome you are? Imagine those same girls seeing me walk out of your room with red lipstick smeared all around. " She gave a dramatic shudder. "I would, however, be willing to risk their wrath if you'd like to go with me for lunch. I know you don't like to eat much, but I could buy you a few drinks while I eat. All friendly like, of course."
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Date: 2014-04-22 07:41 am (UTC)"I'd be happy to go for lunch," he said. He might have considered changing back into something a bit more armoured, but he would only have done so had he made the long decision to leave his room of his own volition. Spur of the moment invitations didn't garner quite that much consideration.
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Date: 2014-04-23 06:59 am (UTC)"Fabulous!" She said when he agreed to go with her for lunch. "Now that I've talked your ear off about my boring shit, you can tell me what's been up with you lately. If you'd like to, of course." Loki was private and tended to only speak of specific things if she asked specific questions, but he did have the sort of voice and thought processes that made listening to him fascinating.
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Date: 2014-04-29 07:56 am (UTC)Still, it suggested a strength he liked. Loki did not like to be around fragile things, for a variety of reasons, simply because he could not figure out which reason was the real one. Did he not trust himself around them, or did they remind him of himself? Both? Neither? "We can talk about whatever you like," he said, with an idle smile, holding his arm out so that he may escort her, in that friendly, courtly way he had never been able to pull off with anyone back home. And he liked that about her, too.