nine_realms | Welcome To Asgard

Tilting his head, Loki considered. How much might be the same, in this alternate universe? Certainly, the more recent events appeared to have played out differently. Though their rooms were in the same place. Something of their childhood, then. Something hidden.

"I always preferred the cooler weather."

Should he risk mentioning it? Perhaps he could hint at it, without fully alighting on the subject. Just in case his alternate was yet unaware. "I suppose I felt more like myself, there. Less... burdened."

"More like yourself in the early morning... frost?" Loki gave his double a wary but pointed look.

He could not keep the troubled look from his own face, and instead had to illusion it away. To his alternate, he would merely seem as though he had become sad for half a moment, before smiling with understanding.

"Indeed." He paused, unsure of whether to continue. Eventually, he added, "So you know."

"Of course," he wasn't giving away how he felt about that himself. "And as evasive as I would be too."

"Glad to impress." Loki responded, with a tone of amused sharpness. He felt almost obligated to snark and be silly, right now; it covered up the hurt.

"It is less impressed and more that you have proven that you know something that very few do," Loki said in return.

Not wanting to discuss that 'something' in any further detail, Loki cast about for any other subject, to talk about in its stead.

"Shall we stand in the hallway all day?" he laughed out.

"So you want somewhere more private," Loki ushered him the little way further to his room. "Here we are."

And he closed the door.

No. No, not really; he hadn't wished to speak on the subject at all...

But then they were back in the room, and Loki's nostalgia upon seeing it, was piercing. Some items were in different places, some furnishings slightly different. And yet this room was his. He felt it. Knew the style as his own. He missed it. He missed the life he'd once had.

He... was showing emotion. The illusion Loki momentarily used before, had long since faded. Such a display of open hurt would cause his alternate to question him further, so Loki had to quickly consider what else to talk about. Dammit. Only one subject came to mind quickly enough...

"I thank you, but I have no wish to speak of certain subjects."

"Not even with yourself? What is wrong? Do you not trust me?" Loki was watching him closely enough that he did notice the subtle emotions.

"N-not everything is the same," Loki supplied, caught.

"So it is not the same as speaking to myself. Besides, of course I don't trust you."

With a laugh, he added, "If we are anything alike, I shouldn't."

He chuckled.

"But of course... Although it is a sad state of affairs when one cannot even trust oneself, isn't it?"

"It is," Loki agreed, laughing with amused embarrassment.

He wanted to trust his alternate with the truth. But he restrained himself, as this other version of Loki seemed to be no enemy of Asgard.

"So!" He glanced around then waved to a chair. "Take a seat. Make yourself at home..."

He eyed Loki, before lounging on a chair himself. What to discuss... Either the silence would grow or the other Loki would speak about... something.

Choosing to do as his alternate had requested, Loki sprawled a little in the chair. Despite the pain of seeing it all again, it was somehow good to be home. To be sitting again, upon his own chairs.

"Where is everyone? You'd mentioned it was quiet."

"This place is... well, special. But I cannot explain it. People come and go. People not from Asgard... They do not know how they get here, or why... Such as yourself. It is very... random."

His voice is measured and careful, watching his twin.

A long pause, then. Concern was the most visible of the myriad responses that Loki had, for that explanation. "Can you not leave it?"

It would be a terrible curse, to be trapped in a land of his past, without anyone there for very long. And to mention it having been quiet...

"I do but I do not always know when that will happen." This is like a way place for him; a crossroads. A waiting room of sorts.

How long has it been, since anyone you wished to see, has been here? Loki wondered.

Wait. Hadn't his alternate mentioned that Heimdall would have warned him of an intruder? So they were getting along, now. And apparently both frequented this place often enough, that this alternate thought to rely upon Heimdall's presence, here. At least that was a good sign. Though it might not help with the quiet. But it would mean that existence would be far less lonely.

His alternate was being honest about such things, and Loki began to wonder if he should speak honestly, in turn. Until he knew more, though, he considered it too much of a risk to take. "Were you... on good terms with your family, when last you parted?"

His mention of Heimdall had only been an assumption. He hadn't actually seen him, let alone spoken to him. It wasn't exactly a lie, he thought. He expected Heimdall was somewhere around and if he had seen something, somebody would have been told...

"I have seen none of them here directly but... in other places. I have not seen Odin but my mother and my brother...., yes. We have been on better terms."

He briefly paused. "What about yourself?"

Fidgeting a little, Loki admitted, "They think I'm dead."

"Oh. I... do know something about that. Svartalfheim?"

Tilting his head to reconsider his alternate, Loki nodded in surprise. "Yes."

It shook him doubly -- both that this alternate knew so much, and that he was being so compassionate. Every previous alt that Loki had ever met, had hated him.

"They think you're dead... Did you think that you died and came here...?"

One thing this Loki doesn't know is what happened next. He assumes that he did die there. He has no memory of afterwards.

"No, I... I knew I lived." For however long that might be, between his own death wish and having failed Thanos on Midgard.

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