Day 61: Recreation Field (Shift 2)

[complicatedliar]

Loki wasn't entirely thrilled about returning to the recreation field, though he supposed it would be nicer during the day. And without the annoying presence of Riku. Some fresh air would likely do him good; that was what Sif and Thor had always claimed right before they dragged him out of the library.

He wasn't entirely certain if that was a pleasant thought or not. It was still far too mixed up and painful.

He was allowed to go back to his room and pull out every bit of warm clothing he had, bundling up as much as he could. As he followed the nurse out into the field, he also wondered if this meant he would miss out on the greenhouse, since he'd arranged to meet Soma after lunch. That had priority, of course, but he did find plants interesting. At least it was good to know there were activities they were forced to participate in during the day that weren't as horrifically painful as, say, what the music room would indicate.

Good to know that as prisons went, it wasn't all just torture, torture, torture. Some variation was good for the mind.

He wandered along the crunchy, dead grass, for now steering clear of the few other patients. The air felt much better during the day, smelled much better to him as well as he sniffed at it. even if it was cold enough to make his nose hurt. It reminded him uncomfortably of Jotunheim, and...

But at least here, there was sunlight. He wasn't trapped in that dark place as sometimes was in his nightmares.

Loki stopped about halfway down the field, tilting his head back to take in the thin sunlight, his eyes slipping shut.

[Here, angel angel angel... :D Castiel!]

Comments

[strayfag]

"Damn, you're not? All this time, bro, I was gonna teach you fetch any day now." Badou looked appropriately torn up by this startling revelation. He was probably gonna get punched sooner or later, but he preferred having Peter look like a pissed off cat than a kicked puppy any day. The puppy eyes were a weakness. That shit needed to stop.

"You should see the lawnmower," He added, shrugging lightly. The scratches weren't a big deal really, all things considered. It wasn't like he'd been all that pretty to begin with. "It's just a scratch, anyway. Maybe I'll have some badass scars. Try not to be too jealous, alright?" He folded his arms, tucking his hands into the crooks of his elbows to ward off the cold.

"So what's going on?" He asked, still casual, though there might have been a trace of concern in it. Giving Peter a hard time was one of his favorite hobbies and all, but that wasn't because he didn't like the kid. It was kinda the opposite to be honest. "You come running over because you miss me so much?"

[tightsofmight]

"And I would hit you with the stick if you tried." He gave an appropriate punch to the shoulder (an uninjured one, as far as he could tell) and left it at that.

"Oh. I'm trying." He rolled his eyes. "Just seriously dude, is it that Doctor lady again? Makky-whatsherface? Because if it is I swear to god I am going to throttle you for not switching doctors by now."

What was going on. Hooboy. He could start by being honest, but the prospect of spending yet another shift in tears or in directionless rage was the kind of thing he was trying to avoid. He wouldn't have made a beeline for Badou otherwise. So Peter shrugged, making a face that betrayed disgust and dismay so it wasn't a total dishonesty. "Things. Life is gross and we need more Hallmark cards for it. And so what if I did?" He raised a brow at the man. "To be perfectly honest you're one of the few people here I can hold a sane conversation with. Of course I missed you."

[strayfag]

Badou grinned. "Actually, I haven't heard anything from her since I got back. As much as I miss her, I'm kinda hoping it stays that way. Far as my nurse knows I got booted out of therapy. Maybe she took a tragic fall into... I dunno, the bottom of the ocean."

He could think of much worse places for her to take a fall, but he didn't really feel like describing them to Peter in exaggerated detail. He wasn't exactly the type to appreciate it.

Badou shrugged, and let the brush-off slide. Some days you just didn't want to talk about it.

The honesty kinda blindsided him though. He kept telling himself he'd get used to it eventually, but it wasn't surprise really, not anymore. Just... A reminder he wasn't really braced for. He gave Peter a small, worn smile. "Dork. Be honest, you missed getting crap stuck in my hair."

His brow furrowed slightly as the meaning of what Peter said sank in a little more fully. "Wait wait - I'm your sane conversation option?" He pointed at himself, just in case there was some other Badou Peter was referring to. "Me? Snowflake seriously who have you been talking to. Is it Satan? Did you meet Satan let him cry on your shoulder?"

He was joking. Mostly. Relatively speaking he and Peter were pretty damn normal and well-adjusted, which was frankly really, really sad.

[tightsofmight]

"Oh. Well that's awesome." He flashed a grin, matching Badou's in near perfect stretch. "As long as she doesn't learn how to talk to squids we don't have to worry about a comeback." Though really, that would be terrifying. Squid invasions meant all bets were off and humanity is running for the hills. Those things were freaky looking beyond all reason.

And Badou wasn't brushing him off for being all Sappy Sammy. He even called him something that wasn't Snowflake. "So what if I did." He let his smile turn wicked, letting the guy off the hook for now. No use clinging to each other and crying, even if it was for happy things this time around instead. "You're just lucky most of the snow is gone, or I'd be adding to the tally."

He nodded when Badou pointed to himself. And okay, he couldn't help himself. He was laughing too, shoving him away. "Oh, shut up. We both know you're Satan." Not that Badou had ever deigned to cry on his shoulder. Probably for the best. The sniggering faded and Peter was left with something a little less than perfectly happy. He was glad, but he felt sick inside too. Still cut.

What would happen to this if they ever got to leave?

That was the crux of the matter. Maybe. He didn't know. Peter stared at his feet and scuffed one, uncomfortable. Racing through his thoughts. He wouldn't miss the place. Good god, he would never ever miss this place. But he literally had more friends here than he'd ever had in his life. And not just the ones his age - people like Badou, people like Sam. People like Indy. And all the rest that had come before, Senna and Matt and Terry. The works.

If he could just...keep the people. Transplant the whole whack of them into his world and keep them there with him without somehow ruining their lives in the process, that would be great. Or having the option to visit.

"You wouldn't happen to know of some...some super genius who can build a time hopping spaceship when this is all done, would you?" He was trying to keep the smile. He really was. "I'm flat broke and chemistry's more my thing."

[strayfag]

"Wouldn't put it past her, but the squid are probably fucking terrified of her too." If he was a squid he'd rather take on a pirate ship or whatever it was squid did when they weren't lurking in the dark being creepy fuckers. Because this was Makiko. She was practically the spirit of creepy fuckery made flesh. And now she was gone.

Badou grinned a little wider, and it was even pretty genuine. "Damn, you got me. Was it the red hair? I'm legit the prince of hell, and I would sill kick your butt in a snowball fight."

His grin faded a little as Peter's did, and he tucked his hands back into the crooks of his elbows. He was pretty accustomed to the cold back home, but maybe being warm and well-fed all the time had kinda spoiled him, which was a strange thing to think about a place like the institute.

He frowned a little at the question, brow knitting in confusion. He didn't think about the aftermath too often. "I'd be surprised if we couldn't find someone to rig that." He replied, after a moment. "The universe is a pretty big place, I'm getting to realize."

He didn't know if it was such a good idea, though. In the wrong hands... man, were there even right hands for that kind of thing? Much as he genuinely cared about a lot of the people he'd met here, he wouldn't have risked something like this happening again, not for anything. Not even to bring them back. But it was easy to say that when it wasn't even in the realm of possibility right now.

He sighed and spread his arm in a universal gesture of 'get over here so I can hug you while attempting to look remotely manly and we'll pretend it was the cold or some shit.' "Don't worry about it too much."

[tightsofmight]

Oh.

It took a slow moment of looking at the outstretched arms to understand what was being offered, because it was Badou and he wouldn't expect that kind of invitation ever. The most affection the man was capable of showing was emasculation with broad grins and sporadic hair ruffles. That was cool and all, but maybe even Badou was having it rough around here. Enough so that he'd stoop to this.

Peter was in the embrace. No further questions asked. It was kind of squishy with both of their puffy coats involved, and Peter didn't try to bury his face in any shoulders like he would have with Jess or Aunt May. Just left it at a manly sort of hug, square it off with a back pat and pull away before anyone started looking.

"Worrying is my job though. I get paid twelve fifty an hour to do it." A shout caught Peter's attention. The nurses had emerged, calling in all patients on the field. No exceptions. Peter gritted his teeth. Already? Seriously? "Look. Badou?"

"Tyler!" came the yell across the field. Peter winced.

"Um. See you around, I guess."

He turned on his heel and obeyed the beckon. Maybe that was for the best. He had no idea what he was going to say to Badou in the first place.