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Kai has a show opening soon, and he's been at the gallery in SoHo a lot, hanging paintings and working on the interior design. He's so invigorated about it all. Maybe he's found his calling. He comes in with Kevin on a leash. He unhooks the leash, and Kevin goes over to a chew toy and starts gnawing on it, tail wagging. "Are you home, love?" Kai calls as he hangs up his coat.
Loki is thrilled that the show is about to start, that's for sure! The godling sweeps out of Bucky's former room and plants a hand against the doorjam. "I am…I am. Though…I admit, I am getting very perturbed that our former occupant has /not/ returned to us. I rather thought that he /would/, after a while, upon realizing that the woman was not as wonderful as you and I."
Kai regards Loki for a moment. He just looks at him with his heart in his eyes. Every time. The elf his smitten. He smiles as he says, "I'm sure he'll come around. Sometimes, for the extra thick, it takes awhile. I imagine he's not seen a woman in a long time. The novelty hasn't worn off yet."
Loki exhales dramatically and then sweeps forwards and winds an arm around Kai's waist. The fingers of his other hand brush along the side of his elf face. "Perhaps." Green eyes stare at the other, then that thin-lipped smile cuts sideways. "Now…what about you? What trouble have you been up to?"
Kai slips his arms around Loki's shoulders, fingers laced at the nape of his neck. "Would you believe I've been good? I'm saving all my trouble up for the show. People are going to go nuts. I can't wait to see what they do. And you? Do I want to know what mischief you've been making?"
"Nothing too terrible, as it happens. I took a few people to harass them with breaking a curse on some monsters, and that went /fine/…but that is all. Let me take you out somewhere tonight. You deserve it if you have been so good. And," Loki leans in to kiss Kai's forehead. "do I get a preview of this artwork?"
Kai leans up to the kiss and murmurs, "Of course, darling. Now that the curse on these monsters is lifted, will they be free to roam?" Not that Kai sounds offended by the idea. Perish the thought. It's all polite curiosity. "Where would you like to go?"
Loki muses on that for a moment. "I suppose. Though…honestly, only half the curse is broken. But, they are too in love to really worry about the other realms for a while." Loki lifts his shoulders and waggles his eyebrows. "Somewhere that perhaps one of two of your friends would be, but not more than that."
Kai says, "Aw, you freed them to be in love. That's wonderful." And again, he just looks smitten. Maybe Loki is exerting some sort of mind control? Who knows. "Let's go to Saganaki. The courtyard isn't very crowded and I know a lot of the people that come and go there."
Loki nods his agreement, then releases Kai to lead the way there, though a quick illusion dresses himself into a proper suit, leaving the leathers hiding underneath. "Are you using your art to provoke, love?"
Kai smiles slowly as he says, "Oh, I'm provoking. I hope there won't be riots." Lies. He remains dressed in his flashy mod colors and heads for the door, calling back, "Be a good boy Kevin." Kevin doesn't look up from the toy he's destroying.
.~{:--------------:}~.
Loki joins Saganaki with Kai, moving along with a strange grace, beside him. "You hope there will not be? Do not let me miss the beginning of this…I full expect to be entertained by artistic riots." Loki grins smoothly. "Worry not, I will protect the art."
Kai grins at Loki. "Yes, of course, it would be terrible." Wink. "I have people on it, though, to control anyone who might try to start trouble with mutants. They're not the ones I want to get smacked around." Into the courtyard he goes, and the moment he's in a place that's 'safe' for this sort of thing, he takes Loki's hand in his.
Elmo comes into the courtyard from the restaurant, hands in pockets, headed straight for one of the heaters. This he touches lightly, at a non-searing spot. Whatever he's checking for, he must approve, because he puts his hand back in his pocket and turns—and hey there's Kai and Loki. "Hey, guys," he says, only a little nervously, because of Loki.
Loki stares at Elmo to not help matters, then grins, wolfishly. "Are you coming to Kai's art event? Alone…this evening? You know, I hear tell that you are not alone too often." He teases, then gives Kai's hand a squeeze. "I approve of this place's design. It has something /old/ about it…"
"Bertie does like Old World charm," Kai says. He beams at Elmo, waving him over. "Wouldn't that be great? If you came to the gallery opening together? Maybe I'll give you a private showing." He tugs Loki by the hand to a table near the best heater. God forbid Loki get cold. "What do you want to eat, love? I'm going to go steal some baklava."
Elmo's already developing a look of worry, with Loki staring and grinning at him like that. "Uh, what? I'm alone all the time, what's that supposed to mean?" Kai's beckoning him over gets results, and he comes over, trying not to look like Loki makes him as nervous as he does. "Yeah, I mean, if Kai's not sick of me redoing the lighting."
Loki arches his brows. "Bertie? Who is this? And you /just/ claimed you were alone." Loki shakes his head slowly, in judgement, though its possibly he's doing all of this just to make poor Elmo a nervous wreck. "Did he not just say that he was alone all the time?" He asks of Kai, trying to drag him into the middle of it too.
"Lambert," Kai says amiably. He manages to scrounge up baklava, and he sets some on the table before he sits beside Loki. "I call him Bertie." He glances to Elmo and says, "Relax, mate. We're just razzing you. I may or may not have told Loki you've had quite the exciting private life. Because I'm proud of you!"
Elmo is very responsive to attempts to make him nervous. By anyone, really, but by Loki in extra particular. He sidles away a few steps, eyeing Loki. "I didn't—Kai!" he protests, getting flustered. "Proud, nothin'!"
Loki lets out a soft peel of laughter and settles down into the chosen seat, though, notably in whatever seat is slightly further from the heater. Him and the cold do not disagree, but heavens forbid that the elf catch a cold! Its a war of courtesy. "It truly is fine. Do not be so nervous. Bertie hmmm? I suppose I can see that from the name. That is a fine goat man, though, I believe I do owe him back something for the wiiiiine."
Kai finally settles near the heater and lets Loki sit where he will. He laughs and says, "Yes, you do. Maybe you should take him on an adventure on a day when the restaurant is closed." Kai is such a good friend. He gestures to a seat at the table and says, "Come sit, Elmo. Have some baklava. Relax! Everything's all right."
Elmo doesn't seem convinced that anything is fine. "If I didn't know better I'd think you were bragging about me," he grumbles at Kai. But he does come and sit down. He glances at Loki when he mentions 'the wine', then at Kai, and then very obviously decides not to mention anything. "Bertko's a great guy," he says, supporting Lambert, even though there was that thing with the wine.
"Oh he is, though he has decidedly tried to seduce my lover and…then drugged me on purpose, and though it was very enjoyable, regardless, I do 'owe him'…" Green eyes glint from the trickster god. "Any suggestions?" He makes a gesture through the air and then taps a finger as he waits for the sweet treats.
"You could make him wonder when you're going to get back at him. Take him somewhere nice, buy him the most succulent food, and just make him wonder: when is it coming? He'll tear himself a part in his confusion." That's right, Loki. Do something nice. That'll teach him! He looks to Elmo. "Oh, he's a great guy. One of my favorite."
Elmo tries to maintain crankiness, but it dissolves when he laughs. "You told him to yodel and he did. He was serious! With doves, and cheese, and I guess everything he thought would work…" He shakes his head, grinning and also a little flushed. "And then Kai dumped him on me," he adds, giving Kai a Look. "Don't look at me," he adds, "I'm stayin' out of this. But if you wanna be nice to Bertko, I'm all for that."
Loki tips his chin down. "I can appreciate the amount of stress he would be under. So, Elmo, Kai has been saying he has been very good. How about you? Have YOU been good, or is there yet some gossip to hear?" Under the table, he stretches out his foot to bump into Kai's to distract him, playfully.
Kai grins and returns the gesture, not subtle as he looks at Loki with pure joy. "It was flattering," he says, "but I was so confused." He glances at Elmo, and he tears a piece of Baklava in half, offering the bigger share to Loki. "How about it, Elmo? How have things been?"
Elmo gives the response he's been giving a lot lately: "Busy. Nothin' juicy, just working my tuchus off. The team went to New Orleans a little while ago, with those angels. I guess JP got it worked out with them. We met JP and Sev's family, that was great. Mostly, busy." He half shrugs, not displeased. Working is what he lives to do.
Loki grins faintly. "Working…what is that /like/, really? To depend upon working? I only very briefly knew that feeling and deep down, no…not really." Loki muses with a press of his lips. "What would you do if you did not have to work?" Loki glances at Kai. "We could dress him up like Bucky."
"He'd look so cute," Kai says, ever the optimist. That Loki has never really had to work is something he takes in stride. He's a royal. They're above that sort of thing. Loki's question to Elmo also is what keeps him from inquiring after various boyfriends. He merely looks at Elmo expectantly.
"Like who?" Elmo says, in what he tries to make a forbidding tone, and just comes out sounding anxious. Then he considers that question, eyebrows up. "Hell, I dunno. What would I do with myself? Not working? I've worked my whole life. I'm good at it. I guess I'd build my own stuff a lot more." He's honestly a bit baffled. What would he do if he didn't have to work?
"It is settled then. Now and then, you will take off a chunk of time from your job, which shall be compensated for the loss of you, and you shall build your own things. I think Kai can see to that well enough. After all, I have so often heard your name. I cannot have Kai's associates allllways working." Loki grins and then snatches up a piece of the sweet treat and takes a bite. "Also…really, just look homeless and you have the other thing settled."
"We'll take care of you," Kai tells Elmo. "You could stand to take some time off for yourself. Discover, I don't know, hobbies. We'll hang out more. Maybe we could go on a trip! After the show, though. I can't just leave it unattended." He grins at Loki. "You should take him to Alfheim."
Elmo narrows his eyes. Leans forward, his handscovered in evidence of the work he does, scarred and callousedbraced on the table edge. "Listen, mister, you don't run my life. It ain't about compensation, it's about I gotta be there. Mr. Rosario, he depends on me, and JP depends on me too. That garage is ours, and I rewired every farshtunken inch of it. And Mr. Cohen, I've gotta watch his shop, make sure it don't get broken into or anything. I got people." He gets nervous, then, realizing he's lecturing Loki of all people he could possibly be lecturing, and breaks off, looking away. "Uh, but, that said, we can still arrange our date, yeah?"
"I know not why I should be surprised that a mortal would choose work over a generous offer to do their pleasure." Loki leans back and nibbles on his baklava. "The reason your employer would be compensated, is so you could have a substitute. But, as you will, of course."
"You could spare a weekend," Kai says. "I mean at least a night for your date, right?" He looks at Loki. "What are you two going to do? Is it a surprise? I bet it's a surprise." For someone not going on this date, Kai seems pretty chuffed about it.
Elmo winces, regretting, and does an elaborate shrug, ending with palms turned up. "It's more'n generous. Maybe you could ask me, though, instead a tellin' me? I don't do so good, being told. You can ask my high school counselor about that," he says, self-mocking, before admitting, "I can spare a couple weekends. If you wanna help me out, Loki, I'd appreciate it." Famous last words!
Loki does not really answer what he's intending to do about trying to give the man some free time. He just sits there, nebulusly as he considers the whole situation. "As for the date, I am not certain. Perhaps you might come along, Kai, so that I do not accidentally throw him off a bridge." Grin.
Kai clasps Loki's hand and tells him, "I will if you like. Don't worry about Elmo." He leans closer to Loki and whispers — sadly not quietly enough — "He likes to be in charge." He leans back and nods significantly. Then, to Elmo, "We'll go somewhere nice."
Elmo's eyes get huge. "Kai—!" Out of the ability to say words, he just buries his burning red face in his hands, shoulders hunched.
When Loki takes his leave, Kai settles back, nibbling on some more baklava. He regards Elmo with a distinct lack of apology. "So have you seen the final lighting arrangement with all the pieces in place? I think it'll work but I know you're going to fuss with it."
"Why would you say that to your husband," Elmo moans into his hands. The lighting is, at the moment, the least of his worries.
"So he'll understand how to better communicate with you," Kai says. "You're the one reading into it. He won't understand, you know, the subtext." He grins. A real friend, right here.
"You know that's not true, ya nudnik!" Elmo drops his hands so he can get in a really good glare. "He knows exactly what you mean. He's the god of subtext! Oy vey ist mir," he puts his face back in his hands.
"Oh, he dosn't mind," Kai says with a wave of his hand. "It's probably the least strange thing he's heard today." In a soothing tone, he says, "Just take some deep breaths. It's water under the bridge."