WHAT: Mobius stops by during one of Lena's science/magic experiments and reminds her food exists
WHERE: Lena's Lab at L-Corp WHEN: Today! STATUS: Complete
Or not burning, necessarily, but it was definitely a chemical smell that Mobius encountered when he stepped off the L-Corp elevator to the right floor, on the hunt for Lena. Depending on the type of lab it was, youâd pick up on the pleasant aroma of vinegar which often morphed into something reminiscent of old socks - but this was definitely chemical in a different way. A bunch of different compounds stacked on top of each other, actually, building blocks - like someone was up to a bit of mad science and he knew exactly who it was.
His mustache twitched when his nose crinkled but he pressed on, carrying a bag containing their lunch. Mobius was a big fan of hybrids and today the ramenrrito was on the menu - tortillas stuffed with actual ramen, chicken, kimchi, fried shallots, and maybe cilantro if you didnât have the unfortunate soap gene that made cilantro taste yucky (he didnât have it, luckily - give him that herb anytime and on all of his tacos).
âKnock knock,â he announced when he found Lena in her lab, taking a look around - he came to L-Corp pretty frequently, and heâd seen it in varying states of âoh shit, I just set something on fireâ while Lena was in the middle of learning the nuances of magic that she originally had no idea was an intricate part of her family history, but this was the first time heâd smelled something this funky.
Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble and all of that. â...are you working with Eye of Newt in here or something?â
What did witches usually have for this kind of thing - cauldrons over an open fire, a mortar and pestle, bubbling green goop with an eyeball floating in (that also somehow blinked at you)? That was textbook imagery of potion-crafting. Lena Luthor had expensive equipment, the stuff you didnât really see most witches (she tried to use that term very loosely for herself). She had the fume hoods, beaker sets, three different sets of microscopes, a burner. There were samples of herbs meticulously bottled and labeled and digital pages of a scanned book blown up on a high definition screen.
Everything was organized but also, strangely, a little chaotic. The suspicious smells didnât exactly help, either. Nor did the, uh, colored smoke coming from a glass bowl and there were maybe some scorched spots on the countertop.
This was fine.
âHi,â she greeted with a breath of (pleasant surprise), pulling down her safety glasses. Lena was in a lab coat with latex gloves on her hands and - of course - the heels. Obviously underneath the protective white layer she was wearing something outrageously fashionable. âAtropa belladona, actually.â Otherwise known as Deadly Nightshade, highly poisonous. âIt was reportedly used as âflying ointmentâ back in the day - when it was soaked in fat and externally applied, I mean. Scientifically speaking those properties were actually hallucinogenic but apparently herbs also have those weird, supernatural components and Iâm trying to draw them out without accidentally giving myself a self-induced acid trip.â
All of that was explained very quickly, and she may have been imbibing on some insane nitro-brew concoction to keep herself focused. That wide, somewhat manic look in her eyes? Also fine.
âFlying ointment - youâre trying to fly?â Mobius lifted silvery brows (once blonde, once upon a time), and they poked upward high. âThatâs neat though - I didnât know that about the supernatural components of herbs. We have a bunch of different ones at the palace gardens, but Loki tends to those.â If they were magical in nature, however, he left it to his partner either way - Mobius would stick to researching how much sunlight certain greenery should get, or what perennial herbs were best to create a flourishing garden and planted beside vegetables; yeah, he knew those sorts of things.
Chemistry was also a science he was familiar with - to some degree, anyway. His work with tech here in Vallo took him down all sorts of roads - that was part of the reason why he liked coming to L-Corp too, because it wasnât just one specific thing. It was a whole mish-mosh, on any given day. Like today must be belladonna day for Lena, apparently.
He offered an encouraging smile, stepping further into the space. Cautiously, as if testing the potential of picking up an acid trip for himself. âNot sure Iâm any good at extracting things like that, but you can bounce ideas or thoughts off me if you want? I brought sustenance too,â he held up the bag. âMight be better than coffee.â Just a little.
Lena eagerly waved him in. There was nothing airborne going on right now that would affect them - she had systems in place that would alert them, obviously. Always good to have when altering states of matter, you never knew when it could let off something toxic. âI mean, why not fly? Iâve been carried in the arms of powerful women who can shoot up in the air - Iâd like to know what itâs like to not be on the damsel side of it.â
Itâs not something she had been looking to do specifically do but when doing her research and weighing options? A successful outcome looked like it could be fun and stepping stone towards honing what seemed to be a productive branch of witchcraft.
What a weird thought. Lena Luthor, dabbling in magic. She hated it a little bit.
Mobius popping up was a delightful break, and she made grabby hands towards the bag. âPlease - I love you, you are divine. Come sit with me even if youâre completely wrong on the coffee part.â
âAbsolutely no reason why you shouldnât fly - I say go for it,â Mobius chuckled warmly, stepping further into the lab space as indicated. He had thought about stopping at the coffee shop downstairs too, the one in the lobby that always smelled amazing, but had assumed (correctly) that Lena already fueled herself up on caffeine enough to be capable of smelling colors, magic aside. He was glad he stuck with actual food - he knew his loved ones well, and he was mighty proud of that fact.
The bag crinkled as he pulled out th aluminum wrapped goodies - snug in a tortilla blanket, these burritos were jam packed full of deliciousness and lots of flavor (and he figured Lena would also enjoy the experimental portion of lunch; trying to explain âbut itâs a ramenrritoâ to a confused Loki would be hilarious but not particularly productive). âItâs a ramenrrito,â he did, in fact, explain. âFrom a little stand on the corner. Sometimes they do sushirritos too, but today was a little different. Anyway, I just wanted to check on you and see how you were doing - you and Alex. But I tend to bug her more often, so.â
He was due a little bit of balance when it came to that - his words were true, however, he popped up at S.T.A.R. Labs frequently, whether it was just to say hi or to donate some more of his baffling, prized, scientific blood. Or to go to AA meetings with Alex - heâd been blocking off Wednesdays for that as well, if she needed someone.
âWait, Iâm sorry, are you trying to tell me this is a ramen burrito??â Thatâs what it essentially was, wasnât it? Justin Timberlake hair noodles wrapped up with - vegetables? A fried egg? Unraveling the foil that kept it warm was definitely an experience. While Lena thought she was experienced in the world of interesting food this particular offering was humbling.
Its smell was wonderful though, and she trusted Mobiusâ tastes. Plus, she was starving - coffee only filled her up so much. Food hadnât really been introduced into her system since this morning's protein bar and who even had time for breakfast these days, honestly. âItâs good that you bug her though, youâre a good influence. Obviously youâre more than welcome to bug me whenever - you just might be subject to my multi-tasking.â
Lena thrived off productivity and, yes, she was a workaholic both here and at home - she couldnât kick the habit. Vallo was a little more merciful with her time, at least. She had less to manage. No family drama, no multiple work branches, and her focus was set tight on sponsorships and working with small businesses in regards to setting up spaces for them here in the building. It was enjoyable.
Mobius unwrapped his own burrito, taking a whiff - yeah, it would do. He was pretty excited about getting to sink his teeth into this sucker. So many culinary delights to be found here in Vallo - just when he thought he was caught up, he heard something in passing or it was on the Tik-Toks (whatever it was, he mostly relied on Kate to tell him these things) about have you tried poutine pizza yet? and his mind was blown. Yet again.
A far cry from the depressing fluorescence that the TVA had to offer in its cafeteria, food and beverages brought in over and over across timelines (and all they could manage was wilted lettuce for their salads?), trays that were pruned by Minutemen because walking to the trash can was too much of a hardship.
âI donât mind multitasking at all - Iâm guilty of the same,â he confessed, but they both knew that - it was ingrained in him by now, and heâd been alive and working long enough to not really change his habits. âBut I figure as long as we keep an eye on each other itâs alright.â Settling on a stool, he got comfy and took another look around the witchy lair space - modern witch, that is, definitely less hanging moss or dusty bottles. âWhat other kinds of spells are you hoping to learn?â
âMmm, fuck.â Sorry - that was a good thing, and the kind of phrase often said in the bed (or on her office desk, they were shameless) but this ramenritto concoction was really good. Give her a moment to be pleasantly surprised by it. Lena grabbed a napkin real quick to dab against her lips before replying too, because she had manners. âI havenât come up with a list for that yet, surprisingly.â
She wasnât even sure if she would. This whole revelation had been startling back home and here. Back in National City she had embraced it the best she could, but here? Lena was stubbornly digging her stilettos into the dirt. âMy whole⊠magic thing feels like a terrible plotline in some book, I donât know. Iâve always been happy with science. Itâs consistent, and there are procedures and methods in place. I guess thatâs why Iâm trying to approach it like itâs science, too.â
Which wouldnât always work, she was aware, but that way held familiarity and comfort and she didnât feel like she was going in it too blindly if she went with that angle. âBack home I had to learn things under a lot of pressure and as you know, that didnât work well for me in our hellhole of Escape Rooms that one time.â
That had been a total disaster. Her pride was still wounded.
The fuck dropped into the conversation all out of appreciation made Mobius smile a little. Letâs just say he definitely agreed with that sentiment - a big hit with the ramenrrito today, and he was glad he decided to share this experience.
âI think it unfortunately happened that way for a lot of people - they were thrown right into the water and it was sink or swim. Iâm not sure if thatâs always the best way to learn though,â he mused - maybe for some people it was; they learned, and performed, best under intense âthe fate of the world is on the lineâ pressure. But for Lena, he could see why she needed a more practical approach - honestly, if it were him, that would be what heâd need to; everyoneâs learning style was different. âIâm sure youâve gotten plenty of tips too, from Outlanders and locals alike - everyoneâs always got something to say about it.â
Tips could also only be so helpful too - maybe it would be a combination of a whole bunch of different things that would end up allowing for a smooth educational experience. He took another bite after folding the aluminum wrapped around the ramenrrito down a bit, thinking. âMaybe you need a place to practice too? Freely? Obviously you have your space here, but thereâs also the risk of damage which may mean youâre holding back a little.â Just a guess - brainstorming, that was what he did. Sometimes he was okay at it.
Everyone always did have something to say about magic, itâs true - this place lived and breathed it. Lena had always been a firm believer that the shit didnât exist. Clearly what things people described as magic were things that could be explained by science if one studied it hard enough. Vallo had changed that mindset as there were some things science couldnât fully provide explanations for and she had done her best to swallow that pill of truth with as much grace as possible. She could respect it. Begrudge it a bit, but respect it.
Then she finds out her mother was a witch, and part of a coven, and that kind of just - turned her world upside down. Vallo also didnât just have one kind of magic, and not all rules were universal, and things could very much go tits up if you were doing things recklessly.
âItâs something to consider,â Lena agreed, setting her own food down for proper hydration - water this time, thank you Mobius. âOstyiaâs helped me keep the more instinctual stuff in check to help keep accidental arson to a minimum. I donât really think Iâm too sold on the, um - offensive magic, I suppose? Not yet, anyway.â
What she was crafting in her laboratory was a start she was comfortable with. It was working with equipment she knew, applying practices she was familiar with. All the other stuff seemed more connected to mental state and concentration and feeling. It was abstract. Lena struggled with the abstract. âRight now things are okay here so far. Carol talked to me about a mirror dimension that could maybe save me from public property destruction if I work my way up to the more aggressive stuff.â
Lena would have to poke Dr. Mystic Arts for that some day, maybe.
âOh yeah, that would work - I donât know much about it but it seems like a good idea,â Mobius agreed, also going for proper hydration. He liked coffee as much as the next guy but sometimes you just needed some H20 so your organs didnât shrivel up and die - or your heart didnât explode out of your chest. Apparently there was a limit to how many cups of coffee you could consume in a day and - well, he didnât want Lena to reach that, letâs just say. Or go over it.
She was one of his favorite people here, after all, and he cared a lot about her. Hopefully they would have many more years together in the future - ones where she didnât have to worry about accidental arson or property destruction. âI think about magic sometimes, I mean, how one would go about learning here,â he said. âMostly because of Ymir - apparently Loki taught him but he learned from a bunch of other different places too.â
Theyâd also started him young, or at least, Mobius couldnât imagine them doing otherwise - especially with Lokiâs connection to magic, his seidr, and how Frigga had taught him everything she knew and it was a bond between them. A way for her to connect with her son, in a different way than sheâd connected with Thor. âI think you can do it too - youâve got this. Iâve always been impressed with what youâre able to do and that was way before you suddenly learned your family lineage has magic.â
âAw,â Lena cooed, unable to keep herself from grinning - made her cheeks dimple. âI love you too.â Mobius was always so good at providing assurance that it must be some kind of magic of its own. Could be the way he just approached things, mellow and casual but with a certainty that had the power to convince her the sky was green instead of blue. He had seen every flavor of madness spanning hundreds, thousands of years. Nothing could ruin his chill, it seemed.
Oh, and speaking of. âI know you had a visit with Ymir during that non-hallucinogenic trip of dreams Vallo gifted us with,â she brought up gently, going back to pick at her food. Lena was ravenous. Half of it was already devoured. âIt was a good one, yes? And when do you plan on knocking up the God of Mischief? Thatâs one hell of a flex, my friend.â
She had loved, loved Ymir when theyâd met. Part of her wished she and Alex had gotten Theo as a little dream visitor, but Karaâs presence was sorely missed and simply perfect too.
The bite Mobius just took was almost choked upon - not like talking about Ymir was strange for him (just the opposite, he loved talking about Ymir) but it was more like the question about knocking up the God of Mischief. That got him, admittedly. He half laughed and half snorted and was he turning red? He was definitely turning red.
âIt was a good one,â he confirmed with a chuckle, taking a swig of water to push the offensive bite of ramenrrito down the correct pipe this time. âI donât really have anyone else Iâd dream of, really - I remember my past, but I feel disconnected from it. I only wanted to know so I could have closure.â
And he hadnât rushed on wanting to return to a life, a timeline that was long gone - not in the way Loki had feared. No, Mobius was still very much here. Present within the present and looking forward to the future heâd build, brick by brick.
âBut with Ymir, yeah, I miss him,â Mobius admitted. âI hope itâs soon. I think within a year or two, if I calculate ages and whatnot. And we didnât really think we were going to plan for it either,â he added, using a (recyclable) plastic fork to pick at some of the inner guts of the ramenrrito without spilling it everywhere. âItâll just...happen. Probably. Loki doesnât plan for changing forms, itâs all just based on whims.â Sometimes Loki felt feminine, sometimes he felt like a snake or a cat. It depended on the day but no matter what those forms were all still Loki and Mobius loved each one.
Lena laughed. With a full mouth to boot, and she did her best to keep her lips sealed together so Mobius wasnât forced to take a glimpse of half-chewed food, youâre welcome. His face had gotten as red as her lipstick and it was impressive. Poor thing.
âItâs fascinating that heâs able to just - be what he feels like being,â she responded, easing down from the giggle fit after chewing and swallowing properly. Plus cleaning her hands like a civilized human being. âHe does happen to choose quite the lovely form as a female if I do say so myself.â
Yes, Lena did a dramatic ponytail flip in addition to that. Would the fact that she and Loki shared a very similar face when he felt feminine be something sheâd ever be over? Absolutely not. Mobius had taste, she couldnât blame him.
Oh, now he was definitely turning red - sorry, Mobius couldnât help it. Because, right, heâd noticed that Lena and Loki looked very similar whenever Loki was in female form - though his partner was a little more beautifully disheveled, as it were. Wild, with crinkly hair and less likely to want to be concerned with finding the perfect lipstick to accentuate the âconquer the worldâ ensemble. Chaotic, Mobius would say, and that seemed to fit Loki nicely.
âHe does, yeah, Iâm a big fan of the female form,â Mobius couldnât help but sound a bit swoony at that observation (because he was well aware that he was always all over Lady Loki, wherever she graced him with her presence) - though he may have panicked a second later. âI mean - thatâs not...weird, is it?â
Ooooop. Heâd just be over here taking a long drink of water because now it was suddenly boiling hot in the room (or perhaps it was just his face). âMaybe I should let you get back to work?â Swift subject change, there, not awkward at all.
Not the right time to bust out laughing a second time so Lena didnât but, gods, it took all her inner strength. âMobius,â she leveled (with a grin though, sorry), reaching over to squeeze his poor arm and offer some degree of reassurance before his head exploded with all the blood suddenly rushing upwards (and not downwards, like it would with Loki). âItâs not weird, I promise. Itâs just one of those things, you know? Honestly, itâs kind of flattering to have a godâs feminine form look like me.â
So, really, there was no issue with it. Not on her end. Researching the whole âdoppelgangerâ thing could be interesting considering it happens from time to time but it didnât bother her. Plus - you could think that your friends look attractive in a platonic way too. That wasnât illegal!
âAnd you could stay and help me out with this if you want,â she suggested, nodding her head towards the mess of science and magic she was trying to fuse together. âCould be fun. Having someone around to remind me that I shouldnât do this for twelve hours straight is nice too.â
Mobius visibly relaxed. He definitely wasnât out to sound like a horndog or make Lena uncomfortable (not to mention having Alex side-eye him or punch him in the lower extremities was a ânot funâ thought too) but, yeah, he definitely thought she was attractive. And was glad to know that she wasnât put off by it - maybe if they both werenât involved he would have attempted to pursue something but that just wasnât an issue at all and he couldnât think of her that way, as their current situation stood. Besides, he was fully capable of separating her and Lady Loki in his mind - thoughts and feelings both, no problems there.
âI could,â he agreed with a grin and, honestly, the idea sounded appealing - if there was ever an excuse to science or stick his crooked nose into a lab experiment, he was going to be all for it. âIn fact, I think I will. And Iâll make sure youâre not here for too much longer - even if I have to shoo you out myself.â
He stood up, crumbling the ramenrrito foil wrapper so he could pitch it in the appropriate trash receptacle. âI wonât touch anything I shouldnât but Iâm eager to dive in, so letâs do this and see what we can come up with.â Not like Mobius was magic himself but his brain was - that had to count for something, right?
Lena would have leftovers of the ramenritto. She had gotten full, but she wrapped it up back in the foil to save for later - or maybe for Alex, who know doubt would be fascinated by it and have a taste. âExcellent! The sprinklers havenât gone off yet and the alarms havenât been set up for any air contamination so, really, I think Iâm on a promising path here,â she rambled, pulling the box of latex gloves out for them to use (just in case they came into contact with the herb while it could still make them hallucinate).
She also snagged another pair of safety glasses since laboratory safety was imperative, alright. But this whole thing was going to be exciting if she proved to be successful.
âAnd if this works,â she went on, the glove slapping against her skin when it was pulled on. âWeâll both try the flying thing and hope weâre skilled enough to not crash into a building or concrete.â