Daniel felt like punching his arrogant face, but he had seen bullets roll off his chest like water on a marble wall, and he figured that the mere thought of punching Loki would just get him killed. Loki was looking lost in his own thoughts, his fingers were drumming on the side of his chair and Daniel was pretty sure that he was humming lightly to himself. Daniel cleared his throat. 'So – so you will leave now, right?'
Loki pouted in disapproval. 'Just because you gave me some news that made me unexpectedly happy and I spared your life doesn't change the stunt that you tried to pull today. Have you not noticed the bizarre fact that I haven't once glanced at Nevaeh since I left her on that bed? Bizarre because most of my recent days have passed where I have did nothing but stare at her for hours. But, you know what happened today, and the worst part is that we have Nevaeh's farewell dinner tonight! Her parents are expecting us on time at home! I can't possibly bring their daughter in front of them in such a vulnerable condition, now, can I?'
'Wait a minute! Farewell dinner? What farewell? What is going on?' Daniel scowled.
Loki's eyes stared into his. He had soaked the entire memory from Nevaeh's mind from the time she received his texts and he knew that the boy had no clue about their departure.
'I feel your worry, Danny boy. I think you deserve at least one of your questions to be answered. Ask away,' Loki spread his arms generously, selflessly allowing him to ask one question. Just one though.
'Well, you said before about packing her stuff in luggage, you mentioned before something about going away during your argument, and now you said a farewell dinner? Where – what is all that about?' Daniel asked cautiously.
'What does that suggest you? We are leaving! Going away!' Loki said simply.
'Going where?'
'Away from home.' Loki made a flying gesture by his hands.
'But, you are already away from your home! Whose home? What?' Daniel was looking bewildered.
'I have heard about your reputation as a stalker. I am not telling you where we are moving.' Loki shook his head firmly.
'MOVING?' Daniel asked in a high-pitched voice, 'what do you mean moving? For how long?'
'Indefinitely.' Loki pouted once again as Daniel started making a sound which was a mixture of several disbelieving grunts and snorts. His face was twitching.
'You are telling me that Nevaeh had agreed on staying away from her home for forever?' he asked and snorted again.
'Why are you making that noise? And what's wrong with your face?' Loki asked in confusion.
'It's not going to happen,' Daniel laughed.
'I beg your pardon?'
'That girl has never stayed away from home a single night! And what were you thinking before proposing such a thing, man? She will make you want to kill yourself!' Daniel said.
'What are you talking about?' Loki was thoroughly confused.
'You will go crazy if you stay with her all the time! All your hair will start to wither! Your anxiety will sky rocket! She is nuts! You can't take her away!' Daniel said warningly.
'Well, I am taking her away, and I think I am more than capable of handling a girl,' Loki said.
'She cannot possibly move out of her home, and even if she did, I give it about eighteen hours,' Daniel said confidently, still chuckling.
Loki wondered if he had forgotten the fact that he can make the daggers reappear within a blinking second and make him squeal like a weasel. 'Are you betting on the time span of our journey?'
'JOURNEY?' Daniel laughed in disbelief. 'Dude, just because you are from another planet and are a god or whatever, doesn't make everything more adventurous! You guys moving out of her beach house and into a house in – in Paris or London or wherever judging by your accent – don't make it no "JOURNEY"' Daniel finished, rolling his eyes.
Now, it was Loki's turn to cackle, and when he did, the back of Daniel's hair stood up. He shuddered.
'Paris or London?' Loki cackled, wrinkling his nose, 'when I said we are moving, I meant we are moving from Earth to another planet. Now, please don't bother asking me the name of the Realm, I doubt you are educated enough to even pronounce it, let alone Google it on your puny device!' spat Loki.
Daniel made a dismissive hand gesture. 'If you are really thinking about taking her away from Earth, then 1) you are insane 2) you are headed for bitter disappointment because she will torment you, and 3) she will change her mind before you could even begin the celebration of your "moving"' Daniel finished counting on his fingers.
Loki felt like biting each of them off. He maintained his calm by channelling his internal anger into percolating the boy's eventual punishment in his subconscious, and cleared his throat.
'Oh, on the contrary. 1) Nevaeh loves me and I her. 2) We have been planning this for too long to forfeit now. 3) It's not a picnic; we have purpose stronger than our bond for doing this. 4) Time flies at light-speed when we are together, so eighteen hours are nothing more than an eye blink for us!' Loki said in conclusion.
'Whatever, man. I know Nevaeh since many years and you met her a few weeks ago. She will never go through with it. I am sticking to my guts,' Daniel said tiredly.
'I will pull your guts out of your throat by my bare hands if you don't stop contradicting our precious future with your brainless head!' hissed Loki. Daniel's face suddenly turned grave again, as though he had just remembered that he was arguing with someone who was twisted enough to actually do it.
'Alright, my bad. We will see what happens,' Daniel said. He saw Loki's eyes flicker a tad mischievously at his words for some reason before he continued, 'are we like, done here?'
'Do you keep on forgetting that you have managed to get on every single one of my nerves today?' Loki asked genuinely.
'Then just tell me what you are going to do! Enough with the suspense! Why do you like playing with minds so much?' Daniel asked, but he realised it was a stupid question as it was meant for the god of lies, trickery and deception.
'It's almost dinner time! Tell you what, why don't we go through with that first? After which, I will show you what your final punishment shall be,' Loki said happily.
'Excuse me?' Daniel asked confusedly.
'First, dinner! Then, death!' Loki cackled maliciously.
'WHAAAAAT? I thought you spared my life! You said—'Daniel was beyond horrified.
'I kid you, mortal!' Loki laughed as he happily watched the terrified expression on his face. 'First, pasta! Then, punishment!'
Punishment was better than death, thought Daniel. 'But how would we take Nev for dinner in her sleep? Would you wake her up? And what would we tell her parents about my sudden arrival along with the two of you? Her dad will kill me if I step into his house, thanks to you! Why do you want me at the dinner, anyway?' asked a confused Daniel.
'Oh, you silly boy!' laughed Loki, 'I told you I can't bring her home this way! That's where you come in,' he wiggled a finger in front of Daniel.
'I – I don't understand. You said her parents are expecting the two of you'
'Yes and the two of us will be there,' Loki grinned.
'I still don't understand,' Daniel stammered.
'Oh, gods, I don't understand how my brilliant Nevaeh tolerated a dull creature such as yourself for so many years. You are extremely tedious,' Loki wrinkled his nose. Daniel's face was blank.
Loki sighed. 'I obviously have to spell it out for you. You will be Nevaeh. We will go to dinner. My Nevaeh will sleep here peacefully and I hope by the time I get back, she will be wholly rejuvenated from her Norn overdose. After dinner, you and I will stop by to go through your punishment. Now, I can't make any promises to you, but I am honouring your hobbies while creating your penance, and I can assure you that it would be a lot better than, you know, being dead,' finished Loki in an airy shrug.
Daniel was blinking rapidly. 'How can I be Nevaeh?' Daniel was perplexed.
'Oh, my shape-shifting abilities are insanely flexible! I can not only shape-shift myself, but anyone else I want! Once when we were little, I transformed my brother into a frog and "set him free" in the forest. It was hilarious!' Loki chuckled heartily. 'They would've never found him if I hadn't made those distinctive spots on his frog-back.' Loki felt nostalgic after sharing this fond memory.
Daniel instantly fainted.
Loki sighed as he watched Daniel's eyes roll in their sockets and his body slid sideways on the couch.
Loki figured everything was too much for the boy's mortal senses, and that he needed sufficient amount of time and rest to process all of this. Loki hoped the boy to wake up soon. He patiently waited for five seconds in order to allow him to voluntarily regain his consciousness.
On the sixth second, Loki sharply snapped his fingers in the air. Daniel woke up with a startled scream, as though he'd just received an electric shock.
'Do not faint during dinner,' Loki warned him in a serious tone.