revivalproject | Message in a Bottle

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Message in a Bottle

Who: Loki and... you?
What: Getting the lay of the land
When: 5-6 days after people started arriving
Where: Proximal to the fountain, areas nearby
Warnings: None at this time; will update if necessary

It's a sad commentary on Loki's life that this is not the first, second, or even hundredth time he's awoken in a place with no idea where he is or notion how he got there. Until the last few decades, such awakenings had normally involved Thor, Sif, Iofast, and a lot of mead. In more recent times, it had gotten distressingly less about being tricked into drinking too much and more about being kidnapped, or having his mind overtaken by something, or worse.

His first reaction on opening his eyes is to feel frantically at the back of his neck as he sorts things through. No port. And here is his magic, still hot in his blood. And this is most definitely no ruined Proles, despite any outward similarities; the lack of dome makes that abundantly clear even before he gets a good look at the buildings.

And then there's that glowing sphere...

He finds himself up on his feet and touching the thing before he's processed that it might be a bad idea, and that takes his estimate of the situation from one of concern to near-emergency. Even as information floods his brain, unasked for and unwelcome, he's tearing himself away from the thing.

No matter how angry he is, this at least answers a few questions. He has to admit that in the privacy of his own head, even if he hates it. Loki retreats to the top of one of the nearby ruined buildings, hiding in an illusion, in order to brood.

He isn't the only one here. He hears the voices of others, even observes a few from afar. But he has no way of knowing how friendly they might be. Are there others from home about? Others from Proles? He can hardly dare hope. But standing in the square and shouting Hello is most certainly not his style. And this place appears to lack the convenient internet of Earth or network of Proles, which had made anonymously testing the waters much safer. His bread and butter is paranoia, and nothing that's happened to him in recent years has done anything but strengthen that feeling.

So, best to leave a calling card and see who might pick it up.

He waits until the square is deserted and returns to the fountain. It seems the best source of fresh water, so it will no doubt be visited often by whomever is around. After some consideration, he's decided that the assumption that most of the people he's observed are some format of human seems fair, so that's the best language to address his message in.

Using a bit of magic, he leave the following emblazoned on one edge of the fountain:

~ LINGORMR

Then he retreats back to his observational post to see what happens, again cloaked and hidden. The magical effect of it is obvious to anyone who has the skill; it would do well for him to see what compatriots--or enemies--he might have around.

[ooc note: the equation is the time-dependent, one-dimensional version of Schrödinger's equation.]

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There are a remarkable number of people Loki recognizes here. Nearly as it was in Proles, though there the population in general was higher--at least by his estimate thus far. He could almost wish this wasn't the case, however. Long since acquainted with the fact that the multiverse is quite real, and there are other version of him out there, and most of them seem interested in a sort of flailing, inefficient villainy, he's grown weary of answering for someone else's sins. He's got enough of his own stored up already, and those he's at least reasonably proud of.

On the other hand, he's also had remarkably good luck with those who know him but not really him understanding the basic concept that he's a different person.

And who knows. This once, maybe it will be someone who knows him, from his own universe. It hasn't happened yet, and it'd probably be best if it didn't for a myriad of reasons, but selfishly he does like the thought of it.

Steve, however, is someone he's not particularly interested in getting in a fistfight with either, at the moment, so rather than go down there himself, he manifests an illusion. The image of him appears to one side, as if having just stepped out of invisibility, and pauses, hands relaxed at his sides. "Rogers," the image says.

"Lok..."

Steve doesn't believe his eyes. It's been so long since he's seen his friend that he honestly had thought that they wouldn't meet again. But here Loki is, right in front of him. Steve is too excited to comprehend the fact that, like so many others here, this might not be his Loki. Instead he just rushes forward to hug the other man.

And falls right through.

He doesn't actually faceplant but it is a close thing. Steve turns, confused for as long as it takes for him to remember Loki is able to make illusions. That's what this was: an illusion. And if Loki was using illusions on him instead of meeting him face-to-face, this probably wasn't the one who he'd been so close with. Steve straightens up and tries to look a little more composed.

"Loki," he says this time. "I...uh. Hey. Guess you are the one who left the math problem?"

Loki had been expecting quite a few possible reactions. The moment Steve had rushed toward his illusion, he'd assumed it was an attack.

But it wasn't?

He steps through the short space between the rooftop and the ground with a bit of magic, becoming visible and waving away the illusion in space of the same breath. He's only a few steps away from Steve now, and yes, this is actually happening.

It's been a long, long time since Loki has been this confused by anything, and it shows on his face. First startlement. Then confusion. Then damnable hope. Perhaps there's a universe strange enough where Steve Rogers is a lying, clever villain and this could all be a ruse, but Loki's never seen evidence of it.

"Steve?" It comes out more tentative than he intends. "You don't wish to punch me?"

The confusion confirms Steve's suspicion that this Loki isn't the one he knew for a year in the Fleet. But the confusion on his face and the fact that he isn't slinging insults nor taunts makes him think that this isn't the one from his universe either. It blossoms a bittersweet hope in Steve's chest that the friendship he'd once had could be reclaimed. Maybe. Time would tell.

"Ah. No," he says with a bashful smile. He hopes the disappointment is wiped off his face because it's not this man's fault he's not who Steve thought he was. "This may sound strange, but I was stuck someplace for a year or so and you-- well, the you that was there-- was my friend." Best friend he wisely doesn't say. Too much information can be overwhelming, he's sure.

"I mean... If you're brainwashed by Thanos and gonna start bringing in aliens then I make no promises about the punching," he clarifies with a small smile. "But outside of that, I'm good if you are...."

"Ah." He's familiar with that situation. Very familiar. Though he finds himself wondering, still, if the Loki from this Steve's world might not have been the entirely terrible sort, if they were capable of being friends to begin with. But knowing that this isn't his Steve Rogers lets him mentally collect himself back together and fully regain his composure. His expression returns to its usual faint amusement.

He manages not to twitch at the brainwashing comment. It will never not be a raw area for someone who prizes their control so highly. Loki spreads his hands. "Fresh out of armies today, I'm afraid. It seems we have no choice but to be cordial to each other." For a moment, he smiles, something warm and genuine. "How dreadful."

"Shame, really. Sure there's no other option?"

Steve can't help but smile at that response. He's not completely sure where this Loki is from but, at the very least, he seems to be less barbed than Steve would have expected from the one in his universe. The joke and the smile remind him of his lost friend and kindles a hope inside him that something of that connection might be reclaimed. The friendship in the Fleet had been borne of mutual pain and understanding of loss. That, even here, would likely be a constant both of them would still have.

Steve's smile grows a little more, despite the circumstances and the question he's about to ask.

"How long have you been here? Seen anyone else you know?"

"I suppose we could always try to have some sort of dramatic row if either of us gets too bored. Shouting. Throwing crockery if there's any of that to be had."

This feels very strange indeed. Easier than it has any right to.

"Only a few hours. I've been... taking in the lay of the land. Most of the time when I wake up somewhere strange, what follows is intensely unpleasant."

Steve frowns. He can't help but feel instinctively protective of Loki because of the friendship he'd once had with him. Well. Another version of him, sure. But if anyone had trouble separating the past from the present, it's Steven Grant Rogers.

"How many times has something like this happened to you?" He shrugs and offers, "I mean. Twice for me. Or, I guess three times, technically, if you count the thaw." He counts the thaw.

"You would," Loki murmurs, amused. "Twice before, for me. Most recently, I awoke in an alien universe. Prior to that, in my own." His lips twitch, the amusement fading somewhat. "The latter was by far worse."

The protective instinct only gets worse. "What do you mean by that?" Steve can't help but take a step closer and to reach out and take Loki by the shoulder. Gently, just to hold him as he looks around, judging for any injuries he might have originally missed.

His eyes widen slightly at that. He's not prepared for anyone except Delta to be so friendly. It is an odd thing; something he ought to use, perhaps, but the topic is so unsettling.

Worse, he doesn't like to talk about it. It's still a deep, black pit in his head. One he hasn't so much dealt with as been busy enough to avoid between the invasion and then destruction of Asgard. But one can never run far enough to escape Thanos, or the nightmares, or the guilt. Too many ghosts, both of the truly dead and the merely betrayed.

He meets Steve's eyes. "I think you can easily guess."

Steve realizes what he did and takes his hand away guiltily. Immediately, though, he wants to put it back. It looks as though this Loki has had the same sort of life his own friend had. Steve frowns, hating the answer he gets and understanding it at the same time.

"Yeah. Yeah, wish I couldn't but I can."

Steve has to ask though. He has to know:

"What was happening before you got taken here?"

Well, this has become more awkward than he intended. "'tis a universal trick that different circumstances can conspire to have such similar results," he finally says.

The next question is both easier and more difficult. "We destroyed Asgard to stop Hela," he says. "It's what..." It's what mother would have wanted. It's the answer she tried so hard to beat into our thick skulls, about what truly matters, and we were both such fools that we almost missed it. "Thor had decided the best course for the refugee ship was to turn to Midgard. We'd set the course, and..."

He shrugs. Poof. Here.

Steve knows what happens next. From Loki's shrug either Thanos doesn't exist where he came from in the same way that he did in Steve's universe or maybe they hadn't gotten to that point yet. Loki from the Fleet had shown Steve the memory during Calibrations. Back when everyone's memories were flayed out and exposed to anyone else to see, Steve had seen the best and worst of what Loki had. It was what cemented their friendship.

That shrug leaves him feeling nervous and saddened, though. It's not his place to say more but a huge part of him wants to.

"I am sorry. I knew about Asgard but I am still sorry it came to that. Thor was lucky to have you at his side to help."

"I can't think of where else I would be," Loki says softly. Partly it's just to cement his identity as Not Like The Other Lokis. But it is also a truth. Even when he isn't physically with his brother, he still thinks of Thor. Of the best way to keep that lummox alive. Even being in places like this is an exercise of figuring out how to get back home so he can be in his proper place.

He bows his head slightly. "But I appreciate your sorrow. It had to be done, but it was still..." There aren't words even for his silver tongue to adequately describe his feelings. He hasn't had a chance to sort them out yet, even. "... difficult." But of all the humans, he expects Steve and Natasha to come closest to understanding, if from very different angles.

"Sacrifice, even when it's necessary, is still sacrifice. Sometimes it's harder when it's necessary; you never really have the choice. Just the illusion of one."

Steve knows it well. Dropping the plane into the ice was the only thing to do. He had drowned and froze for others to live but the heroic sacrifice was really the only option available then. Steve gets credit for being a hero but, when you're not prepared to be a killer, moments like that choose to make heroes. Not the other way around.

Steve gets it. Probably from a different perspective than Loki might have imagined. But if he wants to reclaim his friendship with what had been his best friend, before, he needed to be open.

No movie theater full of memories this time. Now sharing has to be done the old fashioned way.

"Ha. Yes. The illusion." Steve hits the point dead on, far more than Loki had even come to expect from him. It's a particularly distressing thing for someone so good at lying to both himself and others. There's no lie big or complicated enough that he could tell to escape what had to be done. It might be a comfort that he didn't decide alone, but it's a smalll one indeed.

This has gotten far too serious... and, he reminds himself, this is not the Steve he knows. He must not get too comfortable. "At any rate. 'Tis good that I will have a friend or two here."

Friend in the diplomatic sense, of course. Someone that he can work with, at the least. He's definitely not going to make assumptions. But it's no doubt a language choice that Steve will like, and that is useful as well.

Steve can't help it. His face breaks into a smile at the sound of Loki calling him a friend. He missed his companionship with his own Loki terribly. Missed all the ways that Loki would call him out and the talks they used to have. Steve has to remind himself that this is not the same man he'd had before. The history is erased here. But if it happened once, surely it could happen again? Surely there was at least hope.

And that let his smile spread.

"Yes. Yeah, a friend, for sure." He thinks to the antagonistic relationship his Loki had with Bucky and brightens up all the more at the chance for a fresh start, there. "And I am sure Buck would love to get counted on that list, too. We should get together soon. Yeah?"

"Oh, is Bucky here as well?" Though not, of course, the one he knew on Midgard. And, considering Steve's tone, definitely not the one that was in Proles, which Natasha had asked him not to poke with a verbal stick. Natasha so rarely asked for things, he had felt he owed her such a small favor.

"That would be well, I think."

"Two Bucky, in fact." Steve extends his hand to shake Loki's, still smiling bright. "But one goes by 'Winter'. Still a good guy, though.

"We'll all get together soon. Can't afford to keep distance. Besides, clearly I need tutoring in...math?"

The equation had a lot of letters to be math...

"Algebra?"

"Goodness, two? I don't think I have the strength." Loki knows how to do a good handshake; firm without making it a stupid contest of strength. Not hanging on too long. He's dealt with enough humans now.

"That would be... nice, I think." Loki laughs. "Technically, I think your people would section that off into physics. Which is only semantics."

"Yeah, clearly," he says with a roll of his eyes. He releases Loki's hand just to clasp his shoulder tight for the span of a second. It gets a firm pat and, finally, Steve steps away to go.

"Till then, Lok," he says, slipping into the old nickname he'd had for the other man. "Stay out of... well. Stay in minimal trouble."

"Don't I always?" he asks, offering Steve a courtly bow.

And then he vanishes.

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Message in a Bottle

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I LOST THIS TAG, I AM SO SORRY

No worries!

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Steve can be sneaky too, sometimes...

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