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Pururururu-pururururu.
Loki’s transponder snail had been ringing for God knows how long—he ignored it at first but now the ringing was starting to gnaw at his nerves. Finally he picked it up with a ga-cha.
He watched the snail’s appearance mimic the owner’s, long, flowing pink hair tied up and blue eyes. The transponder snail was silent until a squeaky, timid voice spoke: “Um, hello…?” The person on the other line greeted, seemingly a young female judging by how high pitched the voice is.
Loki stared at the transponder snail, its face mimicking his own bored scowl. He had half a mind to hang up and go back to being alone with his own thoughts, chained to a tree in the underworld of Elbaph.
“Are you… still there?” The other line inquired. Ah, fuck it, he had plenty of time to kill anyway.
“Still here.” He confirmed.
“Oh!” The girl squeaked in surprise. “Um, hi.”
He paused then greeted her back. “Hey.”
The awkward silence stretched between them—he could hear the other person’s shaky breathing from the other line—until Loki decided to break the quiet.
“Why are you calling me?” He inquired.
“Um…” She murmured.
“Wrong number or what?” He pressed, letting the impatience seep through his voice.
“N-no! I didn’t dial wrong the um- the wrong number.” She answered, her voice wobbly and unsure. Then she took a shaky breath as if gathering courage. “I just… called a number.”
“A random number?”
“Y-yeah.”
Loki slowly blinked under the bandages covering his eyes. “Right. You jacked in the head or something?”
The girl made an embarrassed noise. “No! No. I- I just wanted someone to talk to and- um, it just happened that well, you, picked up.”
“You were lonely so you decided to call a random giant in Elbaph?” Loki deadpanned.
“I mean… kinda? I- I didn’t know you were from Elbaph.”
“Not my problem.” Loki shifted against the tree, chains creaking loudly with the movement.
“Huh?” The girl inquired.
“Not my problem that you're lonely.”
The transponder snail's face shifted, copying the owner's features, drooping into a trembling pout-—small and sad—on the verge of tears. Loki stiffened under the weight of the chains restraining him, irritation prickling under his skin. Was she seriously about to cry? Over that? And suddenly the snail looked like it was about to burst into tears. Was this girl seriously that weak?
”I know,” the girl said quickly in an attempt to defend herself. “I-I know it’s not, I just wanted to talk to someone…”
”Why don’t you go…” He took a sharp intake of breath and paused, searching for the right words. “I don’t know, play outside or something. Whatever it is humans do.
”I can’t. I can’t leave my tower.” The girl muttered, voice close to breaking. “A-and I’m not a human, I’m a mermaid!”
Loki blinked at the tower part but didn’t press further. Who was he to judge other people’s situations when he was literally chained up and exiled. And a mermaid, huh? Interesting.
”Whatever.” He murmured.
Loki leaned his head back against the tree, closing his eyes as he let the silence stretch. It wasn’t the worst way to pass time, he’d rather talk to someone—even if he didn’t have a clue who it was—then just sit here, chained, alone with his thoughts. After a few minutes of quiet, Loki spoke again:
“So,” he said finally. “You just call strangers when you’re bored?”
“…Sometimes.”
”That’s stupid.” He snorted despite himself. “Nobody ever teach you stranger danger?” “
I know and yes.”
“So you’re actually a dumbass, noted.” Loki said.
“I-I’m not an idiot.” She protested, tears welling up in the snail’s eyes.
Loki clicked his tongue. “Don’t start crying.”
The girl sniffled. “You just called me an idiot though-“ “
Grow a backbone.” His suggestion came out flat.
The girl paused then muttered: “I’m sorry if I bothered you.”
“You did.”
“Oh…”
He paused. “But I’m bored, might as well kill time.”
“Oh. You’re mean.”
“Thanks.” He grinned.
“That’s not a compliment!” Her voice raised.
“It is to me.”
“Oh…” She cleared her throat. “Um, what’s your name?”
“Loki.” He answered, then paused. “What’s yours, kid?”
“I’m not a kid!” She protested, voice breaking. “And I shouldn’t tell you…”
“What? Why the hell not? I just told you mine.” He said, annoyed.
“Stranger danger.” She answered.
His eye twitched.
“Are you actually stupid or something” He snapped. “You’re calling random strangers and now you’re talking about stranger danger?”
“well-“
Tears welled up in the snail’s eyes, close to spilling over the edge. Of all people that could’ve called him, it had to be a crybaby.
“Oi, stop crying, you crybaby!”
“B-but you’re yelling and it’s scary!” She cried.
”Hah? I’m not yellin-“ Loki paused, realizing his volume. Oh. Whatever, just stop crying. It’s annoying.”
The girl sniffled but the tears didn’t go away, at least not yet. “O-ok.”
“Are you gonna tell me your name or not? Unless you want me to keep calling you crybaby.” Loki huffed.
”No! I’m not a crybaby.” She protested, voice whiny and annoying.
For the first time since he was imprisoned and restrained by these sea-stone chains, he genuinely smirked. Maybe it’d be fun talking to this person.