Loki leaned against the railing of his balcony, calmly surveying the city below. He often came here when he needed to think. It was the topmost apartment in his building, so there was hardly any chance of disturbance. Besides, observing the city proved to be an entertaining pastime—there always seemed to be something new and interesting going on.
He had a panoramic view of everything in the east-facing quadrant. Distant taxis took the form of neon streaks, zooming through the streets like spaceships in a vintage video game. The visible reflections of computer screens checkered the glass grids of skyscrapers as employees slaved away into the night, squinting at spreadsheets and the tiny fonts of contracts through their bloodshot eyes. Loki would often catch a floor darkening as someone headed home for the night, and made it a game for himself to try and predict which light would disappear first.
The road under him was typically pretty lively at night. He'd laugh as groups of friends staggered home in drunken zigzags, flapping their arms aimlessly and yelling slurred obscenities at the sky. He had plenty of funny stories involving overly intoxicated citizens making fools of themselves. He even once had the privilege of witnessing a particularly tipsy sophomore dive face-first into a large puddle, splashing an old woman who proceeded to beat him aggressively with her purse.
As it happens, Loki didn't favor the city when he first arrived. Instead, he often found himself comparing it to his homeland, Asgard. Not that he missed it. However, the juxtaposition between the two was too astounding to ignore. Metal bouquets of monstrous skyscrapers took the place of the grand golden architecture he was so accustomed to. Industrial establishments complemented by gloomy afternoons filled the absence of Asgard's lavish landscapes and externally flawless weather.
Despite the obvious disparities between the two (mostly in favor of Asgard) Loki had decided that the city was a good sort of different. Compared to Asgard, it was more..alive. He could feel the force of its being in every breath he took, smell the colorful culture in a single whiff. Each sweeping gust of wind brought whispers of laughter and casual conversation, like the babbling of a busy brook. Blaring echoes of car horns in the distance were now a comfort to him, something he'd never expected to be a reality. In all, he'd become rather fond of the city. Though of course, he'd never admit any of this, he was far too arrogant for that. Little did he know, the city had become rather fond of him, too.
He let out a heavy sigh and tilted his head backwards to gaze up into the night. The moon was full and elegant, contrasting with the dark sky like the untouched region of a page soaked in ink. It was a generous moon, casting vast pillars of milky white light onto the city, cloaking it in a veil of silky, serene, stillness. In all his days of travel across the nine realms, somehow, this was a sight he never got tired of.
A strange crashing sound from inside the apartment brought him out of his dreamy state. He raised his eyebrow and straightened up, pausing for a moment for any additional sounds, but he heard none. He collected himself, resting his hands behind his back, and walked quietly into the house.
Peeking his head around the corner he observed that Y/N, his flatmate, had somehow managed to knock all three pots they had left out from lunch onto the floor. Loki smiled amusedly at her for a moment and watched her scramble to retrieve the items from the floor, finding her frustration incredibly endearing.
He then strolled across the room swiftly, Y/N completely oblivious to his presence. She'd finished picking up all the pots, and had since claimed an apple from the fruit bowl on the end of the counter. She frowned at it laying there innocently in her hand as if it had offended her. Loki found this puzzling and elected to investigate.
He walked up behind her and snaked his arms around her waist with a mischievous grin. She shrieked in surprise and dropped the apple back into the bowl.
