citynet | Video / un; Geilt

[Typically, Loki only half pays attention to anything that goes out over the network. Sometimes, when he sees or hears something interesting, he’ll comment or get involved. It’s better than the tedium he’s starting to feel otherwise.

This time though, it is very different. Loki sits up with a start as the woman on screen holds up the Tesseract. Loki’s heart suddenly feels like it’s beating out of his chest. It’s almost too good to be true. If it works, if it works at even a fraction of its typical power, they could get out of here.

Then he has another thought. If it works, Thanos might be on his way here right now. He swallows thickly, feeling suddenly nervous. He needs to get that back. He scrambles for a moment, getting his camera to work so he can respond.]

Is that the item you found in your box at the bank?

[He’s not proud of how anxious his voice sounds, but he doesn’t want to blurt out all over the network what it is either. Still, he needs to get his hands on it.]

I believe that might have been meant for me.

It was in my box, yes.

[The concept of a modern bank is still slightly foreign to her. Though she understands the concept on principle. But much like most things on offer in the city, it was all Greek to Senua.

Like the sudden appearance of a cube that didn't belong to her. It also probably didnt belong here in general.]

Is it? [She looks the cube over again, taking note of the slight tremble in his voice. The whispers that surround her perked up at it. Excited and chattering about nonsense. About how odd it seemed, about how she should be careful.]

...You can have it back then... what is it?

[One whisper in particular told her she shouldn't be so ready to hand something unknown over to a stranger. She agreed more with that voice, and the rest joined in chorus with it. This man is nervous she has it, or is nervous at seeing it.

It might be important. It might be cursed.]

...Before I give it over.

Yes, yes, I found something that did not belong to me in my box as well. I don't suppose you are looking for a teacup? [It's likely a long shot, but if his item is hers it would be easier to make a trade, at least.

There is the briefest bit of relief when she first says she will hand it over, but Loki is not naïve so he isn't surprised when she wants to know what it is before actually giving it to him. Which, of course, he has absolutely no plans on doing.]

It is a family heirloom and it means quite a lot to me.

[The best lies always held some truth, right?

[She considers his answer. A family heirloom is a fair enough answer, an understandable one too. But it isn't one, is it?]

"He's lying."

"Why would he lie?"

"Why?"

"Why should she care?"

[Senua looked the cube over, why should she care?]

I don't think you're telling the truth. [Another pause, more words and voices, and noises, surround her. Making it hard to focus.] B-But...

"He lies."
"Why would he lie?"

...It doesn't matter. If it's yours, it's yours.

[No one else is claiming it. No one else is commenting here. Why should she care?]

I don't particularly care if you think I'm telling the truth or not, the fact remains that was intended for me.

[Though he is curious to know how she knew. Why would she suspect at all that he was lying? People who knew him were aware of his tendency towards lying, but this person was a stranger at best. He wondered if he might be losing his touch.]

And it is mine. Shall I assume the teacup is not yours then?

I'm sorry....

[It's far less her actually knowing. And far more of her acting out in paranoia. She doesn't know him beyond this first interaction. Senua believes it's a family heirloom, well and truly.

But Senua also doesn't trust him. Or that he's telling the truth. But she does think he is, why wouldn't he be?

Even as a deeper part of her says not to care, and that he is. And that it's none of her business. Because it isn't. She wrestles with those thoughts for another moment.]

A... cup specifically for tea?

[Her brows knit together and her head shakes itself in a no fashion. Like he'd shaken her from something.]

No, it's not. I hope you manage to find who it does belong to. Would you like to meet me?

[She'd feel more comfortable- safe, if he came to her.]

[He frowns, unsure why she is apologizing, but does not say so.

It’s clear that she doesn’t believe or trust him, that is something Loki is far too used to. It’s his own doing, of that he is well aware, but trust was not something he often attempted to receive from others. Mostly because he also didn’t really trust anyone else. Trust was something that should be hard earned, a lesson he thought his brother sorely needed to learn, but that was neither here nor there now.]

That does seem to be its intended use, yes. Though if it is like the objects found by others, I assume it means something to someone here.

[And that person was clearly not this person as they barely seemed aware that there were such things as cups specifically for tea at all]

Yes, I would like to meet. Name your place.

[Yes, it would most likely mean something to someone here. Just not the person who received it. This was almost like a courier who had delivered a message to the wrong person.

Or perhaps, more of something that wished to bring individuals together. Senua didn't want to think of the last part. Of some dark, unknown, poking and prodding them.

But it was now stuck in her head. And would be for some time to come. She shifted in her seat and looked down. Feeling more queasy than before.]

It's... why not the café?

[Something more public. More open. In front of others.

More well lit.]

[The idea that this was also some trick by whomever ran this place also crossed Loki’s mind and he equally was not fond of that idea. He works very well on his own, thank you. He does not need to be thrown together with some strangers like some sort of odd play date.]

That is as good a place as any. I shall see you there shortly.

[Loki also prefers somewhere more public when meeting, well just about anyone. He has come to like a few people here, but his trust is still something hard to gain and this person was a complete stranger to him. He hopes they can quickly meet up, he’ll take what’s his and be done with it all.]

Very well....

[Two paranoid peas in a pod! She'll be waiting patiently for him. Or as patiently as she could. Her leg was shaking, and she had a tall glass of cold, frothy ale in front of her. Along with a plate of bread to down with it.

Waiting for someone else to show made her stomach twist and sicken. Even with the alcohol it was hard to calm down. Harder still with the whispers that surround her. Her only constants.

Senua breathes in and out, cube in front of her, glass raised to her lips for a sip.]

[Loki arrives at the cafe shortly, though not as quickly as he would've liked. He's a bit grumpy that he can't teleport properly. At some point he was going to sit down and document exactly how stunted he is so he knows when he should and should not use his magic, but he has not yet gotten around to that. Mostly because he's afraid of what he will find out.

He enters and spots who he think might be his lunch date. The term occurs to him and he laughs to himself. He does not go to her right away though and instead grabs himself some food. It's hard not to just go right over when he sees the Tesseract on the table in front of her, but he does not want to appear desperate.

Once armed with a bowl of a hearty vegetable stew and some fresh bread and cheese, he takes a seat across from her.]

You know, there are some good vegetables here for consumption. [There's a slight mocking tone to him as he eyes all the carbs she's ingesting. He doesn't actually care, of course, but he was never very good at keeping his mouth shut.]

[The idea of a lunch date hadn't occurred to Senua as she munched and drank away. Lathering up her bread with copious amounts of butter. A sign of status and wealth back home. Something this smooth, soft, creamy, and sweet would have been fought over back. It would have been a point of pride, of opulence.

And here she was enjoying it freely!

Not that she wasn't privy to such types of butter, given who her love was. Who she had found herself tied to. But never anything like this! And then there was the vegetables that Loki was having. Or, a stew with cheese.

Things that were large, healthy, and plentiful. Delicious and crisp! The decadence and vast richness of the abandoned city was jarring for her. Shouldn't even get her started on the beers and meats!]

Indeed, the vegetables here are beyond any I have ever had before. So are the meats, the cheeses, the sweets.

[She trails off as the voices around her begin to giggle and chastise her for her apparent (perceived) gluttony. At least the food looked like food. Acted like it, tasted like it.]

...Well, it's very wonderful.

[As he begins to eat his own meal, Loki watches the woman across from him. He has seen similar types before, mostly when he was younger and had put on a new face to go hang out in pubs with the locals. Growing up rich, Loki had wanted for nothing when it came to things like food, but he had seen many eat the way this woman did when they were not so fortunate.

It seems his suspicions are confirmed when she replies.]

Indeed, they do seem to have an excellent variety of food here. Some things I have never seen before myself. It appears as though humans from some worlds are quite content with overly processed foods.

[He actually smiles at the mention of the sweets.] Yes, I have found myself quite partial to the sweets here. They are very different from the fruits of my world.

[Loki only manages a few more bites before he finds his eyes drifting towards the Tesseract over and over again. Finally he gives in, puts down his spoon and simply picks it up.]

[That usually also happens when you live in a time when there is no real refrigeration, and everything hasn't quite been bred to be big, colorful, sweet. She takes another drink, followed by another bite.

Then add into it that everything seems to be near bottomless. It was all incredibly fantastical for her. Beyond fantastic, even. More so when adding into all the many, different people who arrived with her.]

All of the flavors and colors that they come in are dizying, and different for certain.

[She follows his eyes down to the cube. Right, he's only here for that thing. Well, so is Senua. The main difference being that she wants to get rid of it. After a moment, she sits back and lets him pick it up.]

...Well you have it back now....

[She is expecting him to dip out now. Part of her is, in any case. Even with his own food in front of him. She suspects he only cares for the object itself, nothing more.]

[Asgard, before Ragnarok, had been very bountiful. Lots of fruits and vegetables that were sweet and delicious. But they were nothing like the processed sugary sweets he has found here. Yes, both the fruit he grew up with and the sugar here can be classified as sweet, but they still seem like completely different things to Loki. He can hardly call them the same thing at all.]

I saw something in one of the shops that was the brightest blue I had ever seen trying to pass itself off as food. I do not know how they did it and I am unsure I want to. For the most part, the food has been tasty and has not yet killed me or made me ill though. I am counting that as a win.

[There might be a hint of embarrassment colouring Loki’s cheeks at that, but he puts on a nonchalant look and refuses to acknowledge just how much he feels like he needs this object.

He does not, however, simply leave. Instead, he places the Tesseract down again, though much closer to himself now, and continues eating. To just leave right now would be rude and one thing, aside from magic, his mother taught him was manners.]

Have you found which object was meant for you yet then?

[There's a nod of her head in return.]

Somethings here look more like painted trinkets than food. I couldn't even begin to fathom how a person is supposed to stomach some of it. Not with those colors.

[Some looked downright unpleasant like. With the way the bright shafes and eye-catching colors seemed to swirl and move. To her some of them did look to be literally moving and swirling, at times melting and shifting.

She takes another drink ]

I haven't. Not yet. If there is one meant for me at least.

[She didn't especially have anything of value left anymore. Making it difficult for her to imagine just what might show up. Or if anything would, or could.]

Something tells me I won't receive anything.

They truly do not seem edible. I have to wonder if it is the true reason why they are mortal. There is nothing in all the universe I can imagine that would allow true longevity if that is the sort of things they are consuming as food.

[He chuckles lightly as he speaks because really, humans truly are a strange breed. Though he supposes that is a step up from thinking them to be more like ants.]

I had the same thought until… [He gestured towards the Tesseract casually.] I had been truly convinced that it was all some trick. And when I opened my box to find something of someone else’s I thought myself proven correct.

[He shrugs.] I wouldn’t give up so soon. This place seems intent on playing with our minds. I suspect your object is out there, but you won’t get it until the city decides it so.

[Mortals... that's an odd way to refer to people.]

Perhaps eating unknown and colorful foods could negatively affect one's overall health?

[But this was the first time she'd seen... well, any of this. She's also no healer, but still questions the ingredients that must be used to allow the foods to take on the hues they do.]

It does feel as if we're being toyed with here. Tricked into doing and acting out in certain ways to satisfy someone, or something. [They're not dead, she knows that they're not. So it made her mind wander.]

But yes, you're most likely correct. I doubt I'll receive anything until it wants me to. If it's able to.

[But it brought them here. So it must be able to?]

I'm just... not really certain if it will, or can.

[Is it? He wouldn't know. People are people. Some mortal, some immortal, how else would he differentiate?]

I would have to assume so, though I am no healer. I simply cannot fathom how it would not affect one's overall health, even if it didn't make you instantly ill. [This coming from the guy who just discovered his love of processed sugar.

She can speak for herself on that. Loki is dead, at least back home he is.] I can think of no other explanation. Though the reason behind all of this is still a mystery I worry I cannot solve.

Do you have an idea of what you think you might get? Assuming what I've heard is true and everyone is receiving things with some sort of personal meaning.

[Learning to call people by their names would be a start! Beyond, you know, as like ants or whatever. Gosh, learn to people better, Loki!]

Hm... admittedly, some did seem to make me ill? [Not being used to eating modern, industrialized, foods will do that. She isn't actually dying, however, so that's a good thing!] Perhaps there's a healer present who might be able to help with those questions and worries.

[There did seem to be a few people who were apparently claiming to be healers.]

No, I haven't a clue. All I had from home is what you see.

[And what he sees is basically just... clothes, an empty scabbard, a mirror made from iron, and a container filled with woad.]

...Perhaps a piece of a sword?

[That would require him knowing their names.]

Oh? Apparently not frightfully so, if you are still eating. [Unless, of course, she still felt ill now and continued to eat anyway, but Loki shook that thought from his mind. No one was that dumb, were they?]

I have spoken with someone calling himself a Doctor. [Loki frowned, realizing he couldn’t remember the man’s name. Oh well, he could just put something up on the network if need be.]

A piece of a sword? Not the whole thing?

[He could ask! Make friends!]

Not all of it had. Some caused my stomach to cramp and grow sour. Others were fine. [If she was still having an upset tummy she wouldn't be eating... or at least, not eating anything that she knew wouldn't be helpful. For now, her body was just going to have to deal.]

And I came across a woman who seemed rather focused on my health. [Then there was also that other guy who claimed to be a healer over the network as well. Yeah, quite a bit of the medical types here.]

So far, everything we've been given has been small. [It was an observation, one mixed with the lack of weapons present.]

It is also a sword that had been shattered to pieces before.

[He’s got one friend! That has doubled his number of friends since arriving. He thinks that’s pretty good thank you!]

I have heard of worse outcomes. What have you enjoyed the most so far? [Loki finds himself wondering why he’s engaging in such a mundane conversation, something he would normally find rather boring and sums it up to trying to be cordial to the person that has found his item, especially with how important it is to him. Really though, he might just be a bit lonely.]

I suppose it is helpful to have those around that can heal if necessary, though I wonder how helpful they can be with some of the non-human sorts that are around. [Namely himself. The thought has crossed Loki’s mind that he may be more susceptible to injury without his magic.]

Honestly, I am surprised you have any part of a sword. They do not seem to like us having any sort of weaponry.

[That is lots of friend progress, yes! Good job, Loki!]

I'm not certain what there is to enjoy here. [A beat.] ...ice cream.

[Because of course, even cursed ice cream is still ice cream.]

As for the sword, no. They don't. But they seem to enjoy giving us small things, and items that don't work as they're supposed to.

[Loki’s superego stands up and takes a bow after defeating his id for once.]

Ah yes, I heard about the ice cream. I have not yet been to visit. Is it worth the bother?

Well yes, that does seem to be true, does it not? They are nothing but teases and not in the fun way. It is a shame there is no blacksmith here for your sword. I am sure it could be mended then. Though I expect that is a long shot to hope for.

Video / un; Geilt

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