A penny gets you in, but it won't get you out

[scarred_grin]

...so long story short, Loki had nothing to do with that chalk graffiti in the hallway upstairs, doesn't even own a pair of roller skates, and in any case will not be going near the tequila again anytime soon. Mistakes were made. Jeez, that was like ten hours ago. Can't we all just move on?

In any case, here she is stretched out on the couch in a look that radiates 'off-duty goth barista, probably also an art student': twentyish, crayon-red streaks in otherwise black-dyed hair, lip-rings through her old scars, big headphones, a t-shirt that never fails to amuse her, tiny shorts, and platform boots that if she were standing would make her six and a half feet tall, but right now just help her take up the whole couch. Oh, and fishnet, since after all she'd invented it TRUE STORY

So yeah, there she is, half-drawing half-writing in a notebook, now and then singing along to the music on her headphones, totally botherable if you're feeling brave.



[tinytags: loki (that norse one)][open forever, though slows will happen at some point]

Comments

[ostro_goth]

"I need little sleep," Teja says, "and I can listen. I have listened to many."

He ponders.

"Some inhale hemp smoke, instead of getting drunk; it is said the Scythians discovered its properties first..."

[scarred_grin]

"If you mean what I think you mean," she says, "I've done that plenty, and I like it. I haven't found anybody to hook me up with some here though... but to be honest I haven't gone looking. Drugs are more of a social thing for me, when I'm alone I just drink."

[ostro_goth]

"You would not be alone, were I to listen," Teja says. "And I have heard that sort of thing is sometimes found in baked goods. I know the faun that used to run the kitchen sometimes made them."

[scarred_grin]

"I used to know a girl who made the most amazing brownies," she says, with a grin. "She was going to restaurant school and that's how she paid her tuition. Not only were they delicious, but they'd make you feel so good..."

[ostro_goth]

"That is what the faun's were like," Teja says. "Even though I was wary of feeling good at all still, at that point. Alas, he is long gone from this place."

[scarred_grin]

"Why wouldn't you want to feel good?" she asks. "It's a beautiful thing. And if you can't get there by natural means, I don't see anything wrong with... a little help."

[ostro_goth]

"I was still much caught up in the darkness and austerity of my life," Teja admits. "It took me half a year to even shed my armour!"

[scarred_grin]

"Well, I'm glad you did," she says quietly. "I'm glad you came through that, and I hope things are going a lot better."

A pause.

"But I hope you still have your armor, too. I bet you're stunning in it."

Men don't wear armor nearly often enough, in her opinion. Times have changed.

[ostro_goth]

"Of course I do," Teja says. "Have it, I mean."

He would never claim the other thing.

"But they convinced I would not need to wear it every day, in this place."

[scarred_grin]

"...but you'll show me sometime, won't you?" she asks. "I'd offer to show you mine in return, but mine's fake, it's just vinyl. One trip on the dancefloor and it's scuffed to hell. But I'd still show you, if you wanted."

[ostro_goth]

"You have armour?" Teja says. "And yes, you may see the armour I came in with from my death, if you so wish. I have three of it."

[scarred_grin]

"I have... costume armor, basically," she says. "It holds some things in, pushes other things up, has some buckles and chains on it, but that's it. It's supposed to make you look tough and hot at the same time, but I've been in some fights wearing things like that and the only thing that's saved me is I can radiate a convincing enough amount of craziness that people don't want to mess with me."

[ostro_goth]

Now, she manages to make Teja truly laugh. "It will not work in Milliways, though," he finally says. "There are true fighters here, but what is more: - there will ever be more craziness at hand, so none will be too worried!"

[scarred_grin]

"Oh, I don't know about that," she says with a chuckle. "I can really bring the crazy when I put my mind to it. I put a guy in the hospital with a cheese-grater once--don't worry, it was self-defense--and people left me alone for a long time after that."

[ostro_goth]

Teja looks at her, trying to imagine.

But lacking one vital part of the image.

"It would be more awesome," he says, "if I knew what a cheese-grater is. I am but a long-dead Ostrogoth: - when I cut cheese, I use my sahs."

[scarred_grin]

"It's a... metal rectangle with a handle at one end," she says, holding her hands up to approximate the size. But it's not flat, it's got all these bumps with holes in them, so you can rub the cheese against it and it shreds and falls through. It's not really meant as a weapon, but if you're not careful when you're grating cheese you can cut your knuckles pretty badly."

[ostro_goth]

"Indeed, I have seen those," Teja says, "welding a handle back on one was one of the first pieces of work I did in this place when I was new, for the faun who ran the kitchen then, he of the special spiked baked goods."

He raises an eyebrow at her. "A weapon as fearsome as it is unexpected, and truly convincing; while not very good for killing, it would shred your enemy's skin, so there would be blood and gore enough to instil fear into the souls of all bystanders."

Teja has a lot of practice at setting impressively bloody examples, too.

[scarred_grin]

"You've got to really mean it, if you use a grater on somebody," she nods. "I mean, a gun, you can pull the trigger by accident. Arrows, same thing, more or less. Knives are more personal but you could stab somebody once out of reflex or something, kill them without trying to. With a grater, you've got to put a lot of force into it and just keep sawing away."

She sips her tea.

"It wouldn't have been my first choice of weapons."

[ostro_goth]

Teja sips his own tea, and nods. "One would assume," he says, "it was your best choice of weapon at that precise moment?"

[scarred_grin]

"Whole drawer full of knives on the other side of the kitchen," she says with a rueful chuckle, "and there I was with a choice between a cheese grater and a wooden spoon. I'm not really built for barehanded fighting, you know? All speed, no muscle."

[ostro_goth]

"Depending on the wooden spoon," Teja says, "you might have gauged out eyes with it as well. Why did you fight in a kitchen?"

Teja has fought in many places, but never a kitchen.

[scarred_grin]

"The spoon handle was too long," she says. "I don't think the angles would've worked."

And it wouldn't have had such a satisfying psychological effect either.

"I used to work in a pizza place for like two weeks, a few years back. The owner was a real asshole, but I can guarantee he won't be trying that again."

[ostro_goth]

"Good for you," Teja says, approval in his voice.

Since the apocalypse, why was this place suddenly so full of strong and interesting women that would fight and stand up to anyone?

Or had he merely not seen them before?

[scarred_grin]

"I take care of myself," she says with a nod. "Somebody's got to."

Her avatar-forms may not be killable, but that doesn't mean she doesn't feel everything that happens to them. Which is probably not the best thing, given that at least half the time, their job is to cause trouble.

[ostro_goth]

"Compared to that," Teja volunteers, "it is even peaceful here; the weirdness does not come on violent feet, in this place. One may shed one's armour, even."

He goes back to drawing. His next design looks improvisedly industrial, and has a slightly cheese-graterish texture to it, lest anybody forget who they are dealing with in her.