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001 [video] w/ in-person action opportunity

[Seventeen mortal days. Seventeen days and he had yet to find a way out of here. So many of his plans seemingly ruined by a group of mortals with more power than they rightfully should have. He had looked and crept around, looking for whatever brought him here, but there were no buildings as conspicuous as the Bi-fröst or any devices as strange as the device to harness the Teseract. In fact, they couldn't have the Teseract, that was safely on Asgard, and there should be no other mystical artifacts like it in the universe.

So, how did he come to be here? After much debate, Loki decided to turn to his fellow prisoners. He did not do so without much thought, what were the chances of any of these having even an infinitesimal amount of knowledge of multi-dimensional, magical physics? He has found an access point for the network, and is sitting as comfortably as possible, when he feels quite ill. In fact, as soon as he turns on the feed, he sneezes... straight into a teacup, splashing brown liquid in his face. Oops, it appears that this god of mischief hasn't been keeping up with the required amount of physical contact]

My apologies. [he manages to get a handkerchief from his pocket and wipe his nose. He has been ill in the past, but his is different, he can feel his powers drain and he feels tired. This is more than the sniffles] What diseases are native to this land? Has anyone made an advance study of them?

[a violent shiver knocks the video askew. You can see the library of building 2 before Loki rights it] If any know what will cure this dreadful cold, I would be grateful to hear your advice.

[he clears his throat, which had gone a little hoarse] Now, for the other reason of this message. I am forced to conclude that this universe is not the universe I am from. Unless one has found whatever device or artifact was used to bring us here.

If any would like to discuss this or offer advice for this cold, I can be found in the library of apartment building two. [never let it said he couldn't play polite]

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You need a hug, Lord Loki! Have you forgotten...again?

[As soon as the boy sees the familiar face on the Network, he makes his way to the Library. To be honest, he had begun to fear the god had been sent away like so many others he has known have been lately, and is overjoyed to see that isn't the case.

If Loki looks any different than the last time he saw him, well it's been a long time since Diarmuid saw him last and he is only seven...]

Do you want me to help you? I swore I would help you since you helped me and a knight always keeps their promises!

[a child? Loki is confused by this development. He did not know this child, yet the child appeared to know him.]

You seem rather young to be a knight. [can you hear the confusion in his voice, he's trying to hide it]

But, I must admit, you have me at a bit of a disadvantage. You seem to know me, but I do not recall meeting you. [and it's too bad, being owed a favor is always a good thing. And here he sneezes into a balloon.]

I am just a little knight right now, but I've been training for over a year already! My father even gave me real swords for my last birthday!

[As excited as Diarmuid is to talk about being a knight, he stops himself. There are more important tasks at hand. Surprisingly enough, he doesn't seem to be taken aback by the fact that Loki doesn't recognize him.]

It's okay, if you don't remember me. It happens sometimes. People get sick or leave for a while and they don't always remember the things they should. I am Diarmuid Ua Duibhne!

[He bows, though is startled when the god sneezes again.]

You...really need to let someone hug you, Lord Loki. Do you want to lose control of your powers? That will happen if you go too long without touching someone and it's dangerous for everyone!

[he remembers being a youth on Asgard. Was he as small as this child when he was first beginning weapons training? Oh now he's all bittersweet remembering happier times when the lie wasn't a lie]

Diarmuid Ua Duibhne? [well, at least he pronounces it correctly. But that name sounded familiar. He knew he never met anyone by that name, but perhaps he had heard it in passing] Does it happen often?

[he has already begun losing control over his powers. Why else did he sneeze into a teacup and a balloon?] As you can see, it seems that my magic is not fully under my control.

[Diarmuid will be a Midgardian hero one day, known through all of Ireland and Scotland..or was a hero if one looks at it from the point of view of Loki's time anyway. Perhaps, the god read about his legend during his studies at some point which is why the name is so very vaguely familiar.]

It happens...often enough...

[The boy isn't trying to be vague, but he has lost a lot of friends lately and so the topic makes him very sad. He is all too eager to shift topics to the apparent malfunctions of Loki's powers instead.]

I...kind of wondered about that with the balloon, but I don't know a lot about the modern world. I didn't know if you were running some kind of test...

Will you let me hug you? Or at least touch your hand? I promise it will help, though it might take a few minutes if it has been a long time since you touched someone last.

[the sadness... he could just sense it and for a child, even one of a warrior society like he seemed to come from... for a child that young to have felt so much loss... damn... he wasn't meant to empathize...]

Very well, you may hug me. [it is a good thing that they're alone here, if someone were to witness Loki being kind and heartwarming... he would stab them in the throat. He was the god of lies, he could lie about enjoying a hug... even if it was truly a lie only to himself]

[Diarmuid has faced a lot of loss for a child his age, though perhaps the greatest is the thing he knows he lost, but cannot remember. Aengus had the best of intentions when he erased his son's memories of that night, but...

The boy nods solemnly. It's obvious he takes this very seriously. He made a promise after all, and Diarmuid is bound and determined to keep his promise even if the person he made it to doesn't remember it.]

I'll hold on as long as you need me to. Just let me know when you are feeling better, Lord Loki!

[And that would be a hug commencing...now...]

[he can't speak. If he does he'll break his lie. But damn he just wants to be hugged. He hasn't been hugged since... since before his fall. So of course he's tense, but he fights his own reaction. This child is melting a frost giant's cold cold heart]

[Diarmuid doesn't seem to have any idea how he is affecting Loki. Well, that's not quite true. While the god is doing a good job of hiding his true feelings about being hugged, Diarmuid does notice Loki is tense. However, that doesn't surprise him. He knows not everyone likes the idea of having to touch others and the Loki he remembers always seemed like one of those people.

The god has stopped sneezing for the moment, though, and that is definitely a good thing.]

If you want, you can come visit me whenever you need a hug. I live in Room 2-05 in Building 3 with my brother now. We moved a few months ago!

[The idea of this child having a brother... he suddenly thinks of Thor... and he is too emotionally compromised at the moment. He wonders if Diarmuid and his brother are doomed to the same fate as Thor and he.]

Your brother... are you close?

We are very close! He is the best brother even if he's not my real brother! I don't...have a brother back home. I'm the only child there.

[There is a very odd tone in Diarmuid's voice suddenly. It's almost as if something is trying to redirect him away from talking about whatever brothers he might or might not have at home and he is fighting it, which he is. The result is that pause and a now familiar ache starting in his head.

The boy shakes it off quickly, though.]

How are you feeling, Lord Loki? Any better?

[he decides not to pursue the subject that hits too close to home for him. Just the thought of a pair of brothers being as close as he and Thor and then watching them get ripped to shreads... he can't deal with that]

Yes, remarkably I do feel better. [physically anyways]

Yay!

[The boy cheers and then steps away from Loki, clapping his hands happily.]

Please try to be more careful. It doesn't take a lot of touch everyday to keep from getting sick. I know not everyone likes the fact that we have to do it, but not doing it only leads to bad things.

Are there any questions I can try to answer for you? I've been here since the very first group arrived, even if you don't remember that. I've seen a lot!

[the boy draws a slight smile to Loki's face, only some one very close to him might realize that it's a sad one]

I will keep that in mind. [he certainly felt better, whether it was the touch or not, is something he could not determine]

You say that I was here before? Yet I do not recall. Did I speak of anything in particular? [particularly personal information and future plans. Let's see where he was when he arrived before]

[Diarmuid doesn't answer right away because he has to stop and think. Not only was their first 'meeting' over eight months ago, but he also has spent a year away from the city back at home. Finally, he seems to have gathered his thoughts and begins talking.]

You arrived in the first group with me, but you came from a fight because you were all beaten up! That is what made me approach you. I was worried you needed a druid or a healer, but you were healing yourself...just slowly. You helped me learn how to read the map they gave us so I could find my apartment and then we went our separate ways. I was going to help you with the touch requirement, but then you disappeared for a long time.

Sometime after that, we found out about the people who get really sick and have to go home. That is what I thought happened to you. Then one month when I was greeting new arrivals like I always do, I saw you were back! Your hair was...shorter...

[He motions to his own hair to roughly indicate length.]

I filled you in on what had changed in the city since you left and then we parted. And you left again...

[His expression grows sad.]

I hope you don't leave this time. Why do you think you keep getting so sick? Is it because you are a god?

[so if one got sick enough they are sent out of the city? Did not sound like a pleasant way to get returned home. If the other versions of him shared the same or similar experiences to what he experienced, then perhaps the first version of himself was after his fall or after the Hulk's beating. If another version arrived with short hair, that would have to be before his fall. He hadn't had a hair cut since.

But it was possible that they didn't share any of the same experiences. Without talking to the other versions of himself, he would have to conclude that he didn't know enough]

It is perhaps because of my magics. [it was more likely because he did not really like to be touched]

[The boy seems to ponder this before nodding.]

You might be right. I keep saying that it seems like magic runs this place, but everyone else says I'm wrong. There's no fairies or magic. It's all...tech-nology now. Maybe they are having trouble with you because you are a god and your magic is so strong. They might not know what to do with you!

Asgard is a world where magic and technology are one in the same thing. The technology here must run on some form of magic; electricity is not normally generated by contact between two living beings. [now if only he could work out the algorithm and get sent back to his plans]

Magic and technology are the same on your world?

[Diarmuid isn't sure how that can be possible considering how different they seem, but he doesn't see a reason why Loki would lie to him about something like that.]

I didn't know that was possible. Maybe that is why so many people are having trouble figuring out how things work here. They keep looking to one of the two for an answer when it is really both!

Yes, we have learned how to harness the elemental force of magic to power flying vehicles, lighting, and medical works. [he only realizes he said "we" after and briefly there's a dark look, but its buried away as quick as it came]

[he hadn't thought about it until Diarmuid had said it. But truly, it had to be both. Another world where magic and technology were one in the same. He had to revise his opinions of the city, clearly they were more advanced than he initially gave them credit for]

Most here are from Midgard which does not tend to have a lot of magic. They turned fully to technology and science and lost their potential as they denied magic's existence.

[Fortunately for Loki, Diarmuid is young enough that he misses that quick, dark look completely. Even if he hadn't, he is much too interested in what the god says next to have bothered asking about it.]

That sounds like a terrible fate! Why would you do that? Magic is what gives everything life. What your people did is much smarter! You make it a part of life. It's there already, after all! You don't just forget it because you don't understand or can't see it at work!

I suppose these people on your Mid-gard don't believe in gods anymore either, do they? Father would be so sad...

[he manages to keep from wincing when Diarmuid calls the Aesir "his people", but it's a near thing. Oh, how he wished he could claim them again as his, but he would forever be an outsider, unaccepted.]

Most of the mortals of Midgard do not have the strength of will to utilize magic. Nor do they have the desire to find that will. Too many are lazy to their species detriment.

Contrarily, there are many religions with large numbers of adherents. While many of the "old" faiths are marginalized, they still look to the heavens for guidance. [mortals make no sense to him]

I hope the people of my world don't ever become that foolish. I don't like the idea of so much being lost...especially to laziness! There is no excuse for that!

[There is a definite pout on his face at the moment.]

I wonder if there is anything I can do to prevent it. I'm going to be a great knight someday. Maybe even a hero. There has to be something I can do! Something to keep people from making so many bad mistakes...

Your world is what you make it, so learn well. A hero can inspire his world to greatness. But only if you lead by example. [a harsh reminder to himself of what-ifs and could-have-beens]

I will try! I will try very hard. And I will never give up even if things go wrong!

[The boy nods confidently, remembering his favorite lesson from his father.]

You seem to be feeling much better now, Lord Loki. Do you want me to let you get back to your work? Or is there something else I can help you with before I go?

001 [video] w/ in-person action opportunity

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