voice, @widowmaker

[distort]

[ Good evening, Quarantine! Widowmaker's voice sounds calm and smoothly dispassionate as usual, and as French as ever, as she makes apparently a brief announcement: ]

If anyone plans to be in the area, there was a small breach of the outer fence near the zoo of the abandoned city. They are little things, nothing a few well placed headshots will not take care of — but quick. A few may have escaped my attentions.

[ She doesn't sound very pleased about that. Her night is definitely gonna be tracking down whatever monster she's referring that slipped in over the fence.

After a brief pause, she continues. ]

There is also the matter of Kane — Jacob Kane. A man with incredibly poor timing, it seems. He —

—is fine. Jacob’s… fine.

[ Don’t believe it. He sounds pained. There's another pause, longer this time, before Widowmaker's voice continues. ]

...Medical attention would be appreciated. I can send coordinates.

Really… really, I’ll be—

[ Whatever it is he'll be gets cut off as the broadcast ends. ]

Comments

[ikols]

[ Oh, good. Loki has no idea who Kane is and wasn't looking forward to contacting Stephen for medical assistance. ]

Don't suppose you could make both our lives easier by having one of the carcasses around? I can use its blood to scry for the rest of its kind.

[ What a reluctantly helpful godling today. ]

[distort]

[ a pause; could it really be that easy?? ]

I have several to pick from. You are welcome to cut this evening short for me whenever you like.

[ikols]

Widowmaker, is it?

[ The voice comes from a way behind her as Loki walks through the veil of reality from his club to the Abandoned City, hands stuffed in the pockets of his long duster. He probably shouldn't creep up on armed women out of thin air but he trusts she'll shoot him up if she really wants to and likely for more than being a sneaky shit.

Crossing his ankles in a brief curtsy, he bobs on the spot and straightens to take in the sight of her; beautiful and capable of beating him up. Oh no, totally his Type. ]

I'm Loki.

[distort]

[ Widowmaker, as it turns out, is high up on one of the exterior walls of the old zoo. She likes high places. Her attention snaps to Loki as soon as he makes himself known, and shortly after she steps off of the perch. Her grappling hook catches and slows her fall, leaving her to step lightly to the ground from the end of the line.

Loki, hm? She wonders faintly if this is a theme, or if there's any relation to Thor. His username suggests the latter. ]

A pleasure. [ She says it with the complete lack of a smile, though. She nods toward the crumbled shell of a dog-sized bug nearby, a hole blown cleanly through its armored middle. ] The carcass, as requested.

[ikols]

[ She must use the most amazing conditioner on her hair, look at it swish.

Oh, the bug. Yes. ]

Ah, much obliged. Let's see ... [ A plastic sandwich bag is taken from his pocket which he uses as a makeshift glove before stuffing two fingers into the dead body, getting them nice and smeared with blood. A circle of Asgardian runes are daubed on the ground around the little beast and Loki, glancing up as he continues with macabre painting, tries for salient smalltalk. ]

What caused the breech in the first place?

[distort]

[ she does, thanks so much for noticing. She stands a few feet away, watching this with a quiet interest. There are no skills like this at home, to be sure. ]

Determination, I imagine. [ She moves forward just enough to nudge the tip of the body with a pointed, sharp-looking boot. ] Bugs. They will get anywhere if given the chance, no?

[ikols]

[ He has to wonder for a split-second whether she's going to kick him with that boot, and when she doesn't he wonders if he sort of wanted her to. Yikes. ]

I'm not really a bug person either, flies are the worst ...

[ Because his old life was a gross old man who didn't mind becoming them. Ew. Finishing up his arcane doodling, he tosses the sandwich bag aside and spreads his hands over the circle; it starts to glow green, same as his palms, and the clean smell of ozone wafts on a breeze. ]

Apt that we've a widow out there after them, though.

[ Get it? Black Widowmaker?? Natasha would pinch him for that. ]

[distort]

[ Natasha might pinch him, but this Widow just offers a tiny curve of a smile. She may not have wanted this name originally, but she's come to embrace it. ]

My web only extends so far, what a shame. [ Her eyes are still on that spellcasting, though. Can he do that with any blood? A worrisome thought. ] But perhaps just far enough, with this scry of yours. How does it work?

[ikols]

Scrying? Anything can be used but blood is best when it comes to the living and dead. It's a little like casting a magical web over a certain distance and waiting for it to ensnare flies, appropriately enough, in this case. When the corresponding blood is found, the enchantment will send out a signal ...

[ Loki is cut off by several bright lights bursting out of the canopy at varying distances, some close and others farther away like acidic green, glittering torches being pointed at the sky. They don't stay still.

He looks to Widowmaker with a smile. ]

But only for ten minutes. You'd best get cracking, Charlotte.

[distort]

[ She's alert the instant those lights appear, and watches them with a predatory eye. That's where the prey is. ]

Ten minutes will be more than enough. [ She drops her rifle from its place over her shoulder and lifts the wrist with its mounted grappling hook. First, though, Loki has earned a pleased smile, which still looks sharp and hungry when she turns it on him. ]

My thanks.

[ Then the grappling line fires and Widowmaker springs away after it, disappearing almost immediately over a rooftop. Hunting bugs isn't the most excitement a girl could ask for, but you take what you can get in a place like this. ]

[ikols]

[ A nod is his initial reply and he watches Widowmaker zoom off on her line, some badass spider-woman twists to her moves that makes him pay more attention than he strictly needs to.

And then Loki is left on his own in a clearing to babysit a bug's goo. Somewhere, a moon-cricket chirps. ]

Cool! I'll keep an eye on things here, make sure no ... ants disturb the ... stuff. I've got this! You go ahead.

[ Kicking a pebble away from the glowing bloody runes, he slips his phone out to play a bit of Galaga while he waits for Widowmaker to return from her jovial slaughter-games. ]

[distort]

[ And true to her word, ten minutes is definitely more than enough. She's never had such easy targets before. Shortly after she disappears, thundercracks echo back from the terrain of the abandoned city. Sometimes they're nearly rapid fire, with just enough pause between them for careful aim at a new target. There is one shot for each light, and no more.

About two minutes after the last shot rings out, Widowmaker drops from some high ledge to land lightly next to Loki. As she straightens: ]

This is a very useful little trick you have.

[ There might just be a little light of appreciation in her gaze that wasn't there last time. She likes the useful ones. ]

[ikols]

[ Peering over his phone at the dying lights, he tries to hide a squeak of surprise when Widowmaker drops down nearby. She has the same penchant for startling him as Lorelei when in full spy-thief-assassin mode, he notes, only she isn't making fun of him (yet?). ]

I've been known to have a few. You're spry with that gun; part of your true profession?

[distort]

[ She is quickly coming to see that this is the case with magic users. They never have just one trick. But at least this one is, for the moment, apparently willing to use his to be helpful to her. ]

In my own world, you mean? Oui, such a clever guess. [ Did he order some mockery, because there might be a hint of it buried in that. ] But as I am no longer there, I am now simply a Perimeter Guard with exceptional aim.

[ikols]

[ He sagely touches his heart at the ribbing that slides his way, accepting it without making a fuss. ]

My first guess was 'accountant'. [ Is that some of the same humour right back? With a flirty unblinking stare?

Loki wiggles his fingers at the gun, taking a step closer. ]

Ah, a few people I know are on the perimeter guard, my brother and sister among your comrades. Thor and Angela didn't mention there was such a neat one of those around, though.

[ His fingers curl back into a fist to stop himself touching the weapon, thinking better of the urge without Widowmaker's permission; after all, she only needs one shot to aim for his own highly prized, ah, items. ]

Does it recharge on its own?

[distort]

[ Widowmaker holds his stare evenly, but it weighs on her end somewhere between flirty and threatening. She shifts as he steps nearer, slinging her rifle up over her shoulder. It's a casual move, one that just so happens to take it a little further out of his reach. He may have corrected the error before he made it — and it definitely would have been an error — but she prefers not to take chances. ]

Thor and Angela do not strike me as up to date on matters of technology. Perhaps they failed to notice it. [ Also, she hadn't realized Angela was in this group too... but having seen her now, it does make sense.

His question, though, will have to go unanswered. Her wariness has recently been hiked up a few notches, and she's not about to go around discussing her equipment. ]

That is quite the curiosity you have about you, mon choupinet. Isn't there a saying about that?

[ikols]

[ Taking the hint, he holds a hand behind his back and gestures to his face with the other. ]

If it makes you feel any better in distancing me from such a saying, you may instead call me ... [ A shake of his head and a comical fox is in place of the brunette, fluffy with real red fur and animated features, wearing the same clothes at the same height. Only the green eyes remain a constant. ] ... Monsieur Renard?

[distort]

[ The display has her arching one slender brow in a subdued response. She's seen a number of strange novelties in this nexus of worlds, and a man changing his head to the head of a fox is not the strangest. But it still ranks up there. ]

Yet another little trick. I begin to sense I am speaking with a showboat.

[ikols]

Not a trick, that one, although I can't argue the rest.

[ Fox-face shapeshifts seamlessly back into Loki's normal appearance with another shake of his head. ]

So! What is it that you do when you're not gunning down bugs?

[distort]

[ Oh, good, that face is less weird to look at. Relatively speaking. His question makes her breathe a deep and theatrical sigh, gaze shifting to watch nothing in particular over his left shoulder. ]

I did not know I would be paying in small talk for the favor. Had I guessed the price was so steep, perhaps I would have rethought needing help.

[ To be fair, this isn't the worst polite chatter she's ever been trapped in. She's just prickly. ]

[ikols]

[ He spreads his hands in invitation, unbothered by Widowmaker's wry disappointment. ]

Perhaps you would rethink your level of salt if this small-talk could lead to more interesting targets?

[distort]

[ She looks skeptical about a promise like that. When does smalltalk ever lead to more interesting targets? But she's a patient woman, and her eyes find Loki's again. ]

Many things are possible. What did you have in mind that could be worth my while?

[ikols]

Targets that will keep moving after a single shot, even if you get them in the head. Humanoid, others phantom-like if you'd prefer a more interesting challenge.

[ Loki spreads his arms in invitation of her curiosity, welcoming it and watching her reaction even as a smile quirks his lips. ]

I know a necromancer.