Magic Box, Friday

[abitlowkey]

Loki was reading about the habits and customs of an obscure demon that he was not rightly certain even existed where he was from. And yet, he was reading about them all the same.

You never knew when something like that could come in handy, after all.

When he wasn't doing that, however, he was busy mocking the supposed 'shippers' of his brother's teammates. It was a fun way to spend the day.

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[life_inshadow]

"Hey, Loki." Tara pushed her hair back, self-consciously. "Have we had any parents in here?"

It had occurred to her that letting Loki alone with nice middle-aged people visiting from the midwest might not be the smartest thing any magic shop quasi-manager had ever done.

[abitlowkey]

"Parents?" he asked, glancing up from an email notification of someone calling him Hitler.

[life_inshadow]

"Uh .... yeah," Tara said. "Tomorrow's graduation, and I think some kids' families are getting here today. So I thought I'd check. Just in case the store was ... really busy."

As had happened, like, twice ever in three years.

[abitlowkey]

"Should they not be busy with their children if they are here? Visiting this shop would seem odd." A beat. "Not all parents are coming for this, correct?"

IF THE ALL FATHER WAS HERE, HE WAS JUST HIDING NOW.

[life_inshadow]

Tara shook her head vehemently. "I hope not. My dad didn't say either way. But ... who knows where people will go once they get to this town?"

[abitlowkey]

Loki eyed the door for a moment. "I believe it may be safest to lock them out then."

He was an amazing businessman.

[life_inshadow]

Tara stepped back. "That's ... not how a shop normally works?"

Though she was having a hard time seeing the drawbacks.

[abitlowkey]

"Perhaps if they knock and we are certain they aren't here for us, they may enter?"

GREAT PLAN, LOKI.

[life_inshadow]

"... maybe," Tara said. "We could put a sign on the door s-saying we're doing inventory and to, uh, knock, and then ... what you said."

They were both brilliant.

[abitlowkey]

"Would we actually have to do inventory?" Guess what Loki never did while at work. Go on, guess.

[life_inshadow]

"Ugh, no, n-not unless we got a whole bunch of boxes in overnight."

Tara was graduating tomorrow; she did not want to spend her last day as a semi-student on inventory.

[abitlowkey]

It would be a sad thing to do, it's true. "Would you like to assist me in mocking girls who wish for my brother to fornicate most vigorously with other men?"

This was his free time activity. Seriously.

[life_inshadow]

".... can you say that again but slower?"

And hopefully with the making sense?

[abitlowkey]

NEVER.

Loki frowned, offering over his phone. On which there was an ONTD style forum dedicated to the love lives of superheroes. And, it seemed, gods.

[life_inshadow]

"Oh my god." Tara .... didn't seem inclined to give the phone back too fast. "These are, like, real people who could read this. Your brother's on here?"

She thumbed down a little further, seemed very wrapped up in a post about the Black Widow. Finally she jerked herself away.

"So, uh ... spandex is really a thing where you're from?"

[abitlowkey]

Oh, Tara. Give into the lure of Russian vixens.

"I believe my brother wears armor and leather for his battles, but I understand the implication," Loki replied brightly. "So, yes."

[life_inshadow]

"Lucky." Damn Russian vixens. "Nobody at home wears anything weirder than leather pants."

[abitlowkey]

"I would think they would be difficult to fight in," he admitted, hopping up on the counter to sit. As you do. "But it is not my strongest of talents."

[life_inshadow]

Tara shook her head. "Not my thing either," she said, and offered the phone back to him. "So is your brother even gay?"

[abitlowkey]

"Oh no," he replied, taking the phone back in order to check his mail. "He is in love with the Lady Sif. Though no amount of saying that will deter the 'fangirls', I have found."

[life_inshadow]

"That's part of why I hate going online," Tara sighed. "Even if somebody can spell, they're usually way rude. I ... basically never post."

[abitlowkey]

"Really?" Oh, don't give her sad eyes, Loki.

[life_inshadow]

"Don't look at me that way!" Tara protested. "What would you even want me to say?"

Teacup gods were excellent at effective sad eyes.

[abitlowkey]

Like Pokemon, it's true.

"You could say anything at all! That is why it's so much fun!"

Trooooooll.

[life_inshadow]

"So I could, like, say that I'm dating that Russian girl?" Tara considered it. "... except for how nobody would believe me."

[abitlowkey]

"They could hardly prove it!" A beat. "And you simply need to accuse them of being bigoted in some manner to get the others on your side."

[life_inshadow]

"I thought usually people said they had, um, Aspergers," Tara said. (Okay, so maybe she spent more time online than she liked to admit.) "But bigotry is good!"

[abitlowkey]

"Pics or gee tea eff oh," he replied solemnly.

[life_inshadow]

Tara looked puzzled again.

"Gee tea eff ... oh!" She exclaimed as she worked out the acronym, and held her fingertips to her mouth to stifle a giggle. "So, I say I had pics but they were on my old phone and the battery is dead and they're just jealous, anyhow."

A pause. "Right?"

[abitlowkey]

"Exactly! Haters are prone to hating," he replied gleefully. "Isn't it fun?"

[life_inshadow]

"In kind of a mean way, yeah," Tara conceded.

[abitlowkey]

Loki lifted his hand for a highfive. Because it appeared to be the thing to do in situations such as this.

[life_inshadow]

Tara was not one to leave him hanging, so she brought her hand up to meet his. It was the thing to do.