A Joint Realization
In which I do another adventure about the Tricksters and their Girls! Look, this is just another example about how much reviews motivate me. Because Qoheleth wrote a really nice, thoughtful review about that piece, I was inspired to write a sequel. So if there's something that you really want to get updated, a review will do wonders for my motivation to write. This is not to say that I won't write if I don't get any reviews. This is just to say that updates and things will come out a lot faster if there are good reviews.
OK, I'll stop now, and get on with the story.
I hope you like, Qoheleth! And that was a really good idea!
One day Loki was just peacefully drinking some tea, reading an Agatha Christie novel with no malice intended towards the human race, when Patty showed up at his door.
This in itself was not unusual. Patty was always popping in and out of his apartment, usually bearing a new book, or cookies.
This time around she was dressed like she was on her way to the pool. A massive, bright pink floppy hat that Loki did not even know she owned was perched on her head, and she was holding a large lunchbox.
"Hi Loki!" She yelled, walking in and setting her lunchbox down. She opened it and pulled out a container of snickerdoodle cookies.
She set it on the table in front of him. Incidentally, it was also the same table that had been knocked over during that…interesting meeting with various cross-dimensional Tricksters.
When he looked at her she had that look on her face. The I'm-gonna-ask-you-to-do-something-I-know-you'll-hate face.
"So Loki…um, would you mind entertaining a few, uh, mutual acquaintances?"
Loki just looked at her. "You brought them here again, didn't you."
It was not a question. It was a statement of bald fact.
Patty smiled nervously and nodded. "Heh heh. Yep."
"Patty." Loki said. His voice was calm and reasonable. He knew he had to convince her quick, because if she started begging him there was no way he'd be able to resist her pleading face.
"Patty. We nearly killed each other."
"It's only for a couple of hours!" Patty replied. "I was just going to take the girls to a pool, and…"
"Patty." Loki's voice was still calm and reasonable. "One of those girls is a yellow and pink pegasus."
"That's not a problem. It's Toni's private pool. She's told me again and again that I can use it any time I want." The name Toni still came off haltingly. Patty was so used to calling her Ms. Stark. But as soon as Patty had turned eighteen, Toni had immediately insisted she call her Toni. And if Toni wanted it that way, that was the way it was going to be.
Loki looked back at his book. "That still does not change the fact that in the five minutes we talked with each other my floor was turned to lava."
There was silence from Patty. Loki resisted looking up for as long as he could. Patty's signature move was coming next.
Loki could not stand it any longer. He looked up from his book.
Patty was just staring at him. Her eyes were big and luminous, and the corners of her mouth were turned down ever so slightly in abject sorrow.
Loki stood it for about five seconds.
"Alright, alright! I'll entertain them. And I promise I'll be nice. No matter what they do."
Patty perked up and hugged him. "Thanks so much Loki! I won't forget it!" She picked up her lunchbox and hauled him out the door. "They'll be in the Starbucks right next to the Tower! Try the Carmel Ribbon Crunch, it's really good!"
"A Starbucks?" Loki spluttered. "Patty, the Draconaquis!" Patty airily waved a hand. "Eh! It's New York, no one cares! Have fun and don't destroy any one or anything!"
A Little While Later…
Loki refused to drink any of the milkshakes that they claimed were coffee. Besides, he only drank tea, thank you very much.
Coyote was noisily slurping a Mocha Cookie Crumble (were they trying to be infantile with the names?)
Maui was eating a chocolate croissant, and giving it a weird look.
Discord was just pointing at all the trendy millennials and laughing.
Patty was right. Nobody cared about…any of it.
"So…" Maui said. "How've you all been?" Everyone looked at him in surprise.
"Was not expecting you to be the first one to talk, Maui." Coyote said.
"Well," Maui took another bite of his croissant. "Moana threatened to end me if I didn't play nice, so…"
"Wow, same here." Coyote said.
"Fluttershy would never say anything like that." Discord boasted. "But she did say something about being very disappointed…"
Loki gave a small smile. "Patty did much the same thing." Then they all looked at each other.
"I'm starting to think," Coyote said, very slowly, putting his coffee carefully on the table, "that there was more than just our Trickster status connecting us…"
At the Pool…
Moana tossed a beachball to Katie. Katie bounced it up in the air, towards Fluttershy. Fluttershy, being an expert buck-ball player, caught it with her tail and spun it to Patty, who caught it and tossed it back to Moana.
"Do you think they're doing OK?" Patty asked, sinking lower into the water.
"Of course they're doing OK, we left them in a public place this time." Moana answered, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Well, being in public has never stopped Discord before…" Fluttershy pointed out.
"Why would you say that?" Katie said, grabbing the ball. "I'm sure they're fine. I haven't heard any sirens, or anything."
Just then they heard the long shriek of a police siren. They all held themselves extremely still, and listened until the sound faded.
"It's fine." Patty said. "I'm sure it's fine."
Back With Our Tricksters…
"That's your story? That's how you met? That's ridiculous!" Loki said.
Maui rolled his eyes. "At least it's the slightest bit interesting, unlike your stories!" He waved a beefy hand. "I mean, come on, it's basically the same thing!"
"Not true!" Coyote protested. "I met Katie by annoying her, unlike the Sunshine Twins over there who are all 'blah-blah-blah friendship'. Be fair, man."
Both Discord and Loki were highly insulted.
"It is not the same thing!" Loki protested. "I did not take advantage of Patty's kindness in the heartless way the Draconaquis did!"
"Well excuuuuussse meeeee." Discord sneered. "I'm sorry that the meeting of my best friend was not arranged until after my redemption arc. I hope it does not inconvenience you too much."
"At least I had an actual redemption. You were redeemed in what, one day? Two? I at least was a serious villain who had to be convinced to be good." Loki snapped back.
Coyote could see that a situation was developing. "OK! Calm down! Let's think of something to do…"
Everyone went silent and thought.
"We could rob a bank!" Coyote suggested.
Loki and Discord nodded.
"Yeah, no." Maui said. "Robbing a bank doesn't really go with my image. Maui is a hero to all, and heroes don't rob banks."
"Wow, since when did you become so ethical, Mr. Hypnotize-Some-Random-Girl-And-Trap-Her-In-A-Cave." Coyote snickered.
Maui was indignant. "That was once!"
"But how do we know?"Coyote sang.
"Why you little…". Maui growled.
Loki also sensed a disaster. "Alright, that's enough. We shall…chase sirens."
Discord and Maui looked at Loki. "What."
Coyote perked up. "Great idea! Fun and it won't make the girls mad!" He stood up. "I hope we catch a robbery in action!"
Sometime Later…
When the girls went to pick up their respective Tricksters from Starbucks, they were all there, and all in one piece. Though they were covered in soot.
Katie rounded on Coyote. "What did you do."
Coyote shrugged. "Absolutely nothing."
"We put out a fire. And rescued some people." Maui announced cheerfully. "The mortals here loved me."
"Oh, you should have seen me, Fluttershy!" Discord gushed. "I was so heroic! So brave! So strong!"
"Oh, well that doesn't seem so bad…". Patty hazarded.
"The building collapsed. There was fire everywhere." Loki murmured, a dreamy look in his eyes. For a Frost Giant he had a weird obsession with fire.
The girls stared at them, stricken looks on their faces.
"Loki..." Patty said.
"Worry not, I was not the cause of the buildings destruction. You can thank our demi-god here for that." Loki waved a hand towards Maui.
"Maui…". Moana growled.
"What? Why is it always my fault?"
Patty clapped her hands. "OK, while today's been fun, it's time to get all our Tricksters home."
The girls hugged again.
The Tricksters eyed each other with something like mutual respect.
"It's been fun, freak-show." Maui said to Discord.
"Hey, Maui, how did you get Discord on your side the other day?" Coyote asked, as he shook hands with Loki.
"He offered me the Heart of Te Fiti." Discord answered.
Moana heard that. "MAUI!"
"Calm down princess, I was lying! Sheesh."
Patty clapped her hands again and they were gone.
She smiled at Loki. "Thanks so much, Loki. It really means a lot to me."
Loki smiled back at her. "It was actually rather interesting. But please warn me whenever you attempt other cross-dimensional magic again."
And the end! I think that's the end of stories with this little group. But I'm thinking about maybe doing one about the meeting between Short/Tiny/Small Villains That People Underestimated…
Please review and comment!