The Multiverse IC

[Coryn02]

Clarion

 

What a turn of events this is.

 

The man seemed genuinely concerned for the well-being of the woman he'd injured.

 

Clarion walked over to them to have a look at the wound.

 

It wasn't a deep injury, only seeming to scorch the surface of the woman's body, but it probably hurt much more than that. At any rate, she wouldn't be running anywhere for a while, but this was treatable without a medical facility. And anyways, how would this be explained?

 

"I don't think any of us would be able to go to a hospital. If your situations are anything like mine, we'll never be heard from again. Luckily, I know some first aid myself, and can assure you that this is very treatable; I don't think she'll die. All we need to do is find some clean water, to treat the immediate inflammation of the burn."

 

But unfortunately, Clarion didn't have the first idea of where running water was. It was best to use treated water, since it wouldn't cause any infections or sicknesses.

 

"We will have to find civilisation for that, though. I don't suppose you have any ideas where to go, since you asked first."

[pudding]

Toothless

The dragon retreated backwards a fair distance as the fishy dragon cracked the roof under them. Then, rather abruptly, she turned around faced him, the armor and weapon she was holding melting away like water. When she spoke again, her voice was much softer and lacked the same bite as when she had yelled at the two humans, forcing them or intimidating them enough to retreat. Still, seeing such a change was slightly alarming for him, especially considering he wasn’t entirely sure this creature was a dragon yet. Debating his action at this point, the dragon remained still where he was a fair distance away, his injured leg tucked close to his chest. His pupils had widened considerably at this point and his teeth had retracted out of the way of his mouth, giving the dragon a much less hostile look over all and making him look more akin to a cat or a dog. Still, he remained at least somewhat wary of the fishy creature, uncertain if it was actual a dragon, or something else entirely.

 

His pupils moved quickly from the fishy woman to the dragon from earlier as it made a loud noise. His head lifted up slightly, ear flaps rising up to indicate his attention had been grabbed by the other dragon. His back feet moved forward first, stepping at an angle in front of his upper half so he slid across the roof sideways. Sniffing the air slightly, he reached the edge of the roof facing opposite from the dragon and tilted his head to the side. Observing the dominance display for a brief second, the Night Fury lowered his head slightly before flaring out his own wings, tilting them forwards slightly so that they mirrored the display of the blue dragon. His teeth, however, remained retracted as he made an unusual, almost bleat-like noise back at the dragon. While he hadn’t submitted to the display of the dragon vying for dominance with size, his response was hardly aggressive, but mostly trying to prove he wouldn’t submit that easily. He was a pretty stubborn dragon, after all.

[Chicogal]

The TARDIS did not land gracefully. Not like it usually did, with a soft whee-oo and slowly materialising. Instead, a blue box came flying out of seemingly nowhere. It crashed into the sides of trees, ripped branches off others before coming to a sliding, thankfully upright stop. A trail of destruction lay in its wake. The words, 'Police Box,' were emblazoned across the top of it, and despite it being completely out of place, it looked normal to be standing there. Inside, a tall man with coiffed brown hair was clinging on to his control panel, eyebrows drawn together as he stared at the screen above. Something had gone horribly, horribly wrong. The TARDIS was angry with him, he could tell. He'd tried to do something he should never have done, and he didn't know whether or not what had happened had anything to do with him...

 

May as well see what was waiting for him outside.

 

Leaving his jacket in one of the Y-shaped pillars, he opened up the creaky door and peered outside. The Doctor inhaled deeply. "Earth Prime," he muttered, not looking entirely happy. Everything felt off. He didn't know the extent of the wrongness, but it was pretty bad indeed. Shutting the door behind him, the TARDIS locked with a soft click and he stuck his hands in his pockets. He raised his eyebrows slightly as he glanced around and a slightly more pleasant expression came to his face. May as well enjoy the mystery.

 

Oh. He seemed to have landed just a few metres from some others. One with claws, the other looking vaguely like a fox. And two more humans. Except, their technology was far too advanced for this timeline. This was entirely, completely wrong. He grinned for a moment, before seeing just how injured the one human seemed to be.

"Oh- Er, sorry about that. Crash landing," he admitted, screwing up his nose and scratching the back of his neck. "Sorry. Anyway. I'm the Doctor. What happened here?" he asked, peering at the girl in the one man's arms.

[shadow_claw]

Although she had fallen and was most certainly bleeding out, Chell remained surprisingly clear of mind. She'd been shot before. This wouldn't be the end of her. Sitting up, she grit her teeth and looked about the table. When wounded, she often used the testing lasers and a redirection cube to cauterize her wounds. There weren't any lasers here. The closest thing to a suitable heat fixture was the candelabra sitting in the middle of the table. That wouldn't do.

 

A hospital. She didn't know the word, but she knew moving wasn't a good idea. Instead, she turned to grasp at her portal gun. All they needed to do was find a good place to make a portal, and somebody would have to run close to this "Hospital" place. Once reaching the gun, she reached over Isaac's head to shoot at a large, flat rock in the distance. Perfect. A large orange oval appeared on the rock's surface. They would need to use the portals. There was no safer way through.

 

It was around this time did another being appear, sounding behind her somewhere in the trees. Chell followed as far as her eyes would allow, before finally wriggling from Isaac's arms. Although she stood on unsteady feet, she managed to stay on her feet. Which was good news within itself.

 

Doctor. Doctors could help! They always took care of her when she was a young test subject. Before the longfall boots were developed, she had enough broken legs for a spider to be incapacitated. With one hand on her wound, she pushed away from the small crowd to seek help from this new man. Doctors could help.

Edited March 14, 2016 by shadow_claw

[Chicogal]

The Doctor

 

"Oh, hullo." It wasn't so much a greeting as a surprised sound from the Doctor. Bleeding out from some serious wound, and yet she could stand? Surprisingly resilient, he noted. And not a usual soft human either. She was hard, he had noticed the muscles in her shoulders and arms. He didn't understand why she was approaching him without a word- oh. His name. He raised his eyebrows slightly, a soft exclamation escaping him as he stepped toward her. That wound was not looking good, and he took her gently by the arm. Whipping out his Sonic, the instrument buzzed blue as he scanned her up and down. "Bullet wound, and..." His words trailed off. Brain damage. It was why she wasn't talking, he supposed. But it wasn't a new development.

 

The man hesitated, unsure of what to do or say. He'd only just met her, and whoever else these others were, and he didn't want to lose her trust. But he had to be honest. "Now listen to me, and don't argue if you want to live," he said (although perhaps he was being a little melodramatic). "I am not a true Doctor, not in the sense that you think I am. But my- my TARDIS can take you to a hospital, right now." He had an innate sense of time and place, and he knew that it would be far to walk. "Please. Just come with me." Letting go of her arm, he offered her his hand. Just like how he'd offered many a person before. But this time, he wouldn't be getting attached. Never again. This time, he only wanted to help lest she become weak and fall.

[Thaelasan]

(( Shadow you keep mentioning the table. The table vanished along with the chairs when Lu and Ciel left. They returned it to the soul realm.

:T ))

 

Lu and Ciel

 

Never forget one thing Ciel, you are bound to me. You belong to me.

But that also means I belong to you. Thus, together, we no longer own ourselves but each other as well. That means we are tied.

If you were to die, I would die. And if I were to somehow expire, you would follow me into the afterlife beyond, whatever it may be.

Thus, I will always protect you as you protect me, for, through you, I live on as you do through me.

So don't be stupid. Learn when to run and when to stay and fight. And if I say we flee...

We flee.

 

Ciel limped slightly as he walked with the holes in his body beginning to mend. One good side-effect of half-demon origin was that pain and wounds normally didn't last long. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to keep up with Lu. Though he at first had been concerned with the corruption of his form, being a demon wasn't that bad. In fact, he began to thank Lu mentally for the gift.

"Oh Ciel... this is such a tiring predicament."

Lu spun slightly as though in a dance in front of Ciel, gesturing at the scenery around them.

"So large... so commanding... So beautiful... So well-designed... Fufufu..." Lu giggled. "This is truly human engineering, far beyond any demons or the humans of Elrios have had the knack to achieve...."

She held out both of her hands, halting her movement. Ciel could only watch in confusion as she paused, eyes closed.

"Yes... I believe I want it. All of it. At least those who constructed it. I wish for buildings like this to be mine..." Lu clenched her hands, which now no longer wore her weapons, and grinned. "Yes... a city like this... Intimidating... I want it..."

Ciel could only rub his shoulder as the hole gradually began to disappear, though the blood would remain for a while. He'd have to get this damn thing cleaned again.

"Lu, surely you jest..." Ciel began, but he realized this was no joke.

"Jest? Ciel..." Lu turned her head slightly. "Would you starve me of that which could be mine?"

"But this place... We don't understand anything about it, Lu..." Ciel ventured, hands outstretched. "The people speak odd words. The buildings are easily destroyed. And it seems infested with all manner of strange creatures. You can't possibly mean to conquer it? Besides, what about the demon world?"

She sighed, exasperated.

"The demon lands from whence I hailed hosted NOTHING upon this scale..." Lu held out a hand at a nearby building, the windows shining in the starlight. "Nothing this massive and well-constructed. Regardless of how easy it is to destroy, look how many there are? They must be quite easy to build and maintain if there are so many dotting the landscape, yes?"

"But... Lu..."

"Then I wish to know how it was done, at least." Lu frowned, displeased. "And if I wish to conquer it, should you not stand by me?"

"Not when it's ... probably not the best idea, Lu. I'm concerned for your safety. OUR safety." Ciel stated. "Never forget that. I will stand by you in whatever you try to do, as I respect you and love-"

"HEY!"

Ciel was cut off as a familiar fox-eared girl appeared behind him, waving.

There was a silence.

"Oh joy." Ciel sighed. "And what do YOU need?"

"Ouch. No need to be rude." Kinu frowned, hands on her hips. "Not even a 'glad to see you're feeling better'?! That really hurt, you know!"

"Honestly your personal health was no concern of mine. Much as I'm ... pleased to see that I did not kill you unnecessarily..." Ciel adjusted his suit as Lu moved to stand by him. "I don't understand why you would try to speak to us both again."

"Because your huge blue thing is gone and Corrin said he wants to ask you some stuff!" Kinu said, excited. "Can we?"

"You know what, sure." Lu stated. "I would also like to ask questions of your ... dragon husband, if that's who that is."

"Yeah! His name's Corrin! Oh. And I'm KI-NU!~" she waved frantically. Meanwhile, Corrin appeared from nearby, landing just short of Kinu's side. He began to transform before Ciel and Lu's eyes, returning to the form of a human being.

Ciel and Lu clapped slowly.

"Ah... yes... Heh... it's one of... a few tricks I've found out I have." Corrin said, rubbing the back of his head. "Look, you two aren't... from here, are you?"

"Huh?" Ciel asked.

"Neither are we. You said you haven't heard of Hoshido or Nohr?"

"Never." Ciel looked to Lu, who shrugged.

"I thought so. Damn..." Corrin crossed his arms, Kinu looking at him expectantly. "Well, anyway, we got off on the wrong foot for sure. My name is Corrin. And this is-"

"Kinu!" she said.

"Kinu." they both said as she said it.

Kinu nodded.

"YEAH! That's right! You guys are quick!" she wagged her tail happily.

"Who are you both?" Corrin asked, hopeful.

"I'm Luciela R.... you don't need to know my full name." Lu quickly amended, frowning. "I'm Lu."

"And I'm Ciel." Ciel began, hand on his chest, bowing. "My existence is shared with that of Lu."

"How?" Corrin inquired.

Ciel looked down at Lu.

"Long story short, he is now my Butler, and is bound to me. We share a soul. I suppose you could call us soulmates." she chuckled.

"The other thing... you look... very young compared to him." Corrin said, hesitant.

There was a silence.

"Are you mocking me?" Lu narrowed her eyes.

"No! It's just... are you two?..."

"Yes." Ciel said, confused.

"But... she looks..."

"I'm over two hundred years old, you pup." Lu grimaced. "My current form deceives you, sure, but this isn't my choice of appearances."

"I don't understand." Corrin scratched his head.

"Nevermind it. What did you want to know?" Lu rolled her eyes.

"Oh! Right." Corrin started again. "So you two aren't from here? What land are you from?"

"Elrios. Velder province." Ciel stated.

"The Demon Planes." Lu had one hand on her hip, nonchalant.

"Is that in-"

"Elrios. Yes. Same world." Lu raised an eyebrow. "Then where are you from, boy?"

Corrin looked to Kinu.

"We're from Hoshido. At least I am. Kinu is..."

"It's complicated!" Kinu interrupted, bubbly.

"Yes... anyway. We're from Hoshido. And you're from Elrios. We've never heard of any of those locations." Corrin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Then why did you come here?"

"We don't know." Ciel admitted. "We just appeared."

"So like us then... More questions than answers." Corrin sighed. "Then I suppose we'll just have to find out on our own. That is, if you wish for us to tag along."

Ciel looked at Lu. She shrugged.

"I suppose, as long as you don't get in the way. But my current goal isn't to return to Elrios. My current goal is to find out how to construct these marvelous buildings." she pointed at them, smiling. "After all, as a queen, one of my favorite things is architecture..."

"I see...." Corrin replied. "Then it's settled. We'll hold our own, don't worry. But I do have a question..."

"Ask away." Lu waved her hand.

"How do you two keep swapping places?" Corrin asked.

"It's part of the contract." Lu answered, twirling her hair with a finger. "And part of my abilities."

"Is it possible for you to do it for anyone else? It seems very useful..."

"I'm not sure. Probably. But would I? No." Lu answered, stretching. "It means making a contract with me, since it requires demon magic, and I already have one."

"Ah. I see. Nevermind then." Corrin relaxed, slightly disappointed.

Joining these two was going to be adventure, wasn't it?

 

(( CORRIN AND KINU HAVE JOINED THE PARTY. ))

----

 

Isaac Clarke

 

"Where'd you just..." Isaac began as he saw a new man walking out from a... what even was that contraption? "You know what. I'm not even going to question it now."

He turned back to Chell, concerned.

"You're a doctor?" Isaac looked the man up and down, frowning. "If you say so. You sure you can help her? It's my fault she's like this. I gotta make sure she stays breathing."

[Coryn02]

Clarion (Got sick of calling Chell "that woman" and such)

 

The clawed girl nearly had a heart attack when a loud noise startled her as she spoke to the one with the dangerous gun. Something had fallen nearby, and she turned to look at it.

 

A large blue box was there, somewhat like a phone booth. It was marked 'POLICE BOX'.

 

Am I quite sure I'm not going mad? I doubt it... Why am I even surprised?

 

The door to the box swung open, and a sharply-dressed man of about 30 stepped out. Clarion remarked to herself about his odd appearance.

 

How can he be so calm when he just appeared out of nowhere? And does he know how to use a comb? His hair is so messy.

 

The man introduced himself as the Doctor, and impudently asked what was going on.

 

The woman who'd taken the shot still seemed to have a lot of vigor left in her, as upon hearing the word 'doctor' she immediately wrestled out of the madman's grip and stood, making her way towards the Doctor.

 

The Doctor took out some sort of electronic device, and it glowed with a bright light for a moment. It seemed to allow him to assess her wounds, and he implored her to come with him into the thing that brought him here so she could get proper medical care- though not from him.

 

The injurer still seemed concerned for the well-being of the woman- Chell or something- and wanted her to get help, and as such did not seem to care about who was providing it.

 

Clarion turned her attention to Chell herself, asking a clear question as she went to fetch the Book of Claws from the ground:

 

"Why did you do that? You don't even know me, and now you're hurt."

 

The eldritch tome continued to glow bright red on the symbols along the back and front cover, and was slightly tacky with bloodstains.

Edited March 16, 2016 by Coryn02

[shadow_claw]

((Omggg *facepalm* I musta skimmed past it Thael :/ Thanks for letting me know))

 

Chell

 

The woman stiffened visibly upon being touched. Of the many things she hadn't experienced for years, human contact was at the top of the list. It was hot and almost sticky. She didn't like it. The introduction of a foreign piece of machinery, however, was the last straw. Chell immediately struggled in the Doctor's gentle grasp, freeing herself and darting away. Hiding behind the large blue box, she stared wide-eyed at the stranger. Her free hand clutched the portal gun.

 

Machines scared her the most. Her many poor experiences with robots scarred her perception of machines terribly. There were only two things she could trust: her Portal gun and her Companion Cube. The cube. Guilt surged through her just thinking about it. That box had been her only friend for a...very long time. And she had incinerated it. And although she had been given others, the first was the only one she really thought about. The others had been given to taunt her.

 

And then the girl spoke. Chell peered further from behind the box, her pale blue gaze wide. Wasn't it obvious why she took a bullet for the girl? A child couldn't survive a gunshot wound. At least, it was very unlikely. Chell had taken bullet wound after bullet wound in testing, and she knew how to keep herself alive. When given the choice, she would always pick herself to get hurt over someone innocent.

 

Chell would have said all these things if she could. She had silent while testing just to defy GLaD0S, but when she awoke from suspension, she suddenly couldn't talk. She couldn't even say "Apple". But it really hadn't been that difficult to be quiet in Aperture. Out here, with other people...it was a real disability to be mute. So instead of talking, she just stared at Clarion. There was no point to try to communicate her feelings. Why even try?

[Chicogal]

The Doctor stepped back as Chell ran away, not flinching at her actions. He hadn't picked up on her expression, but he'd felt the tension in her arm. He'd assumed that it was due to the pain, but... There was something wrong here. Something very wrong. He frowned deeply as he turned around, before his eyes caught the gun. She was holding that close to her, seeming to think it might protect her. Both he and she knew better than that, though. And maybe it would calm her if they had some common knowledge. He glanced toward the man who'd asked him if he could help, and gave a small nod. He may not be a real Doctor, but he healed in his own way.

 

Hunching a little, to get a better view of the girl's gun, he stepped forward. He was now at one side of the TARDIS, she at the other. "Is that a portal device?" he asked, excitement lacing his tone. It wasn't at all false. He loved the ingenious things that humans would come up with - this wasn't from his usual dimension, but wonderful just the same. "That's amazing!" Reaching into his pocket, he slowly withdrew his Sonic again. The Doctor was very careful to hold it close to his chest, not wanting to scare her again.

 

"See, I don't believe in violence and it seems that you don't either. This is my Sonic Screwdriver. Completely harmless," he grinned. "It can read frequencies and computers and whatever. I just wanted to see how bad your injury was, so I can help you." He tucked it back into his pocket, then jerked his head toward his TARDIS. "And this is my spaceship, the TARDIS. Stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space. I can take you to a hospital, if you can wrap your head around how it works." He had to resist the urge to offer her his hand again. Force of habit, really. Instead, he raised his eyebrows and inclined his head toward her. "Whaddaya say?"

Edited March 16, 2016 by Chicogal

[Thaelasan]

"You... want what now?" the woman asked, concerned.

"I would appreciate anything you have regarding the architecture of the marvelous buildings you humans have constructed in this city." Lu replied, hands on her hips.

".....Ma'am... this... isn't a library. It's a nursing home..." the woman replied at the front desk, gesturing. "But... you could borrow our computer, I guess...."

"Computer?" Lu asked, turning to Ciel. "What human device is that?"

Ciel shrugged. They looked at Corrin and Kinu.

"I have... no idea." Corrin held up his hands in surrender. Kinu just frowned, shaking her head.

"I dunno!" she replied, still smiling.

"What's a computer?" Lu turned back to the woman, questioning.

"Uh....." the woman trailed off, looking them over. "Is... this some sort of roleplay thing? Is there a camera?"

"Camera?" Ciel rubbed his chin.

"You guys are taking this really seriously, aren't you?" the woman was amazed. "Is this being televised?!"

".....Tele...vised?" Lu was utterly lost. Ciel sighed.

"Ma'am could you explain some of those words to us, please?" he bowed, hopeful.

"Well... um.... a com-pyoo-tur is a device we HUMANS use to access the EN-TUR-NET and PROGRAM." the woman emphasized to Lu, gesturing. "And a CAAAAMURA is used to capture events and take PIIICSHURES of things so that you can see them forever."

Lu stared at her blankly.

"Why do I feel you're making fun of my ignorance?" she said, cross. "I'll show you what it means to insult me...."

Ciel intervened, holding his hand in front of her.

"Excuse my queen. She doesn't like being talked down to. My apologies. What is this... En Tur Net? Tele...vised?"

The woman began to explain things to them very slowly until she could finally make them understand what she was talking about.

Lu rubbed her chin, pondering.

"So you humans devised a method by which you could broadcast information more efficiently using this marvelous, electronic system? And before that, you came up with a system to distribute messages using large, metal disks and antennas? Fascinating..." she said, in wonder. "I want to learn all of it. This technology in Elrios would change EVERYTHING!"

"Why do I feel you wouldn't teach Elrios people this sort of thing for free?" Ciel sighed.

"Of course I would... after they begged and called me their queen..." Lu giggled.

"This is... enthralling." Corrin was absolutely stunned. "With such technology, words of peace could be spread... people would learn about one another... we could.... become united..."

Ciel turned to him, then back to Lu.

"These differing mindsets." he shook his head, facepalming. "Corrin is a bit more correct than you, Lu, but he's also a bit... naive."

[Chicogal]

Mystique

 

One second, she was at home - and the next, she was not. Mystique found herself in a rather public area and she did not look normal. In her case, it meant that she was in her natural form - blue. And she nearly had a heart attack, what with being in the middle of the street. Her form shuttered down into the form of a pretty, blonde, green-eyed teenager. It allowed her to give defiant looks to whoever double-taked at what had happened. It was her usual form, and it made her feel the most comfortable in public. After all, she looked like a freak naturally.

 

Something was... wrong. Why had she suddenly been transported here? It was doing her head in, the instant teleportation. Perhaps she was going crazy, and had forgotten the entire journey here? No... She wouldn't have been blue. A hand coming to her head, she stepped out of the way of traffic and leaned against a wall. Her head was spinning, and what- this didn't even look like any city she'd been to before. Xavier could have played a mind trick on her, but she doubted he could be so cruel. Xavier had a soft heart for her, she knew. They were almost brother and sister for real.

 

Another mutant, then? Someone who knew her secret? She didn't know.

[pudding]

Loki

It wasn’t that much of an unusual thing for him to find himself in an entirely new area that was far from where he had been but not quite where he had been intending to go in the first place. But, in the events that did occur, arising with an aching head in a carefully guarded cell was usually the outcome. Or, at the very least, being somewhat restrained out of worry he might try something. But instead of a cell or a throne room or being forced to kneel at someone’s feet in chains, he awoke to find himself staring up at the blue sky between tall, stretching buildings in an alleyway that smelled of rotten fruits and wet dog.

Well, that was new.

Shifting onto one side, the god’s touch briefly lingered at his left shoulder before wiping a small smear of blood from the corner of his mouth. His eyes narrowed as he recalled the events behind the injury. His brother, Thor, learning of his crime. Attacking him despite his feeble protests and failed explanations. Being thrown from the apartment and forced to draw his sword in some effort to defend himself, however halfhearted as it was. And the Hero’s Blade being completely shattered in Thor’s rage-filled grip and the green shockwave of energy that followed.

And now this. Not dead again Loki awaking in a city with few scars of Thor’s enraged attack, even if he still suffered the injuries. Drawing himself to his feet as he cradled his arm, he staggered briefly before drawing enough power to cast a small illusion across his being. Magic flickered to disguise his injuries from sight as not to draw unneeded attention to himself. The outfit usually only earned him a few looks before being dismissed as some kind of costume for a convention. But injuries made people more nervous and more likely to ask questions. He need not blend in, just avoid confrontation.

Or, he thought to himself as he stared out of the alleyway he had awoken in just in time to see a blue-skinned individual flicker into another, less compromising form that fit in much better with the environment than his own did, even with his injuries safely hidden behind the lies of magic. Thankfully, as she stepped out of the way of traffic, it was in the direction of his alley that she approached. He didn’t know what had happened but he knew in times of crisis, Tricksters needed allies. So he slid forward, moving towards the open sidewalk and sliding out of the alley before taking his place beside the now blond haired teenager resting against the brick wall.

“You look lost,” He remarked, keeping his gaze focused on the street as people passed them by, offering small glances in his direction but quickly looking away when he made eye contact.

[Chicogal]

Mystique had been lost in thought, staring at a scuff mark on her black trainer. When a voice sounded suddenly next to her, she jumped and cursed. "!" she exclaimed. How could she have missed the boy coming next to her? She was almost a little angry with herself. Clearing her throat, she looked away from a woman who gave them a look that screamed, delinquents! The mutant couldn't blame her completely, to be honest. The boy next to her was absurdly dressed, yet strangely attractive. Maybe a hipster of some sort? She had no idea why he'd decided to stand next to her, of all people. Unless he'd seen...

 

No.

 

"I don't want any pot, if that's why you're sneaking out of alleyways," she replied, tearing her gaze away from his finely-boned face and staring back out at the streets. She was still trying to suss out just where she'd landed up. "But, you're right. I'm just... Visiting." Hopefully there was some sort of convention going on - that was what she'd guessed from his outfit. It'd certainly work for her needs. Clearing her throat, she crossed her arms defensively. "I walked into a lamp-post; it's why I stumbled into the street. I'm afraid that I've forgotten the name of this town...?"

[pudding]

Loki

It was a bit difficult to attempt to casually lean against a wall while, at the same time, try not to bump his arm against anything dangerous. He couldn’t tell at this point if it was just dislocated or broken but the pain seemed to be localized lower down. Probably broken, though he had not suffered enough serious injuries to know for sure. Inclining his head slightly towards her, he smiled as he kept his eyes forward on the street. Words were whispered past a smile that seemed unusually natural despite the nature of the words being discussed. “I am no drug dealer,” He replied truthfully, finding himself still compelled to utter it. That would be frustrating. Was there ever going to be a sign of it wearing off? The God of Lies forced to have the truth drawn out of him was a dangerous thing. He preferred the times when he could keep his secrets to himself.

“And, unfortunately, I do not know where we are. I simply woke up in that alleyway I stepped out of several moments ago while being somewhere entirely different moments before.” Turning his head to look at her now, he offered up a half of a shrug before leveling his gaze with her own. “But then again, you don’t know what city this is either. I thought another nonhuman would be able to help but I wouldn’t want to bother you anymore than I have.” Pushing away from the wall slightly, he offered up a small, two-fingered salute off his right temple as he started to walk away. “Thank you for your time!"

[Chicogal]

Mystique

 

He had seen her. But he was the same. Mystique's breath caught in her throat. Another mutant - were those horns part of his? Was he compelled to dress that way, to hide the truth? She'd never met anyone other than Xavier. And he'd experienced the same thing, too. Perhaps it was something to do with mutants. But being lost and alone in this place, she sure as hell wouldn't let this boy leave her. And in any case, he was sort of cute. She wouldn't particularly mind having him around. That was the deviant within her, that always lurked in the back of her mind. She wasn't inherently bad, but she'd been lured toward the dark before. There were reasons for that.

 

Not ones that she would dwell on now. Mystique lurched forward, green eyes widening as he began to walk away from her. "No, wait!" she called, breaking into a run to catch him by the left arm. The way that they'd just appeared - they could disappear at any time. Besides, he could be a teleporter or have super-speed. Her abilities wouldn't help her find him if that was the case. She leaned closer to him, a blonde strand of hair falling over her eye. "It- The same happened to me, too. Please don't run away." A couple of pedestrians glanced at the two, but moved on with their business. They looked for all the world a rather odd couple, or two friends having an argument. She dropped her voice. "Let's go somewhere more private."

[pudding]

Loki

Well, the plot had worked. Sort of. That was usually how these things went as the God of Lies seemed to also hold the title of God of Generally Bad Luck. His face twisted in pain as his arm was grabbed, fingers wrapping around his shirt and jerking him to a stop. Magic flickered and sparked around the fingers briefly before Loki shot a look at his own arm, daring the magic there to evaporate and reveal the one lie he could still cling to. No, it would not, he insisted, and the flicker of green faded as quickly as it started, leaving the illusion in tact despite the pain and the touch. Looking up, he moved his head backwards slightly when eh found her leaning close to him, mostly just out of surprise since usually it was he to instigate breaking personal boundaries.

At her confession, he managed to nod slightly, trying to keep the look of pain off his face. He had managed to avoid crying out and screaming when Thor had attacked him, he could repress the tears now as well. Later he could drop the illusion. Later he could nurse his own injuries and heal himself. Right now he needed to remember he was in public and he didn’t need the worry of the masses and their goodwill trying to send him to a hospital over his injuries. Nothing was ever accomplished in hospitals.

“Yes,” He replied, his voice tensed and exasperated as he quickly used his right hand to dislodge her grip on his arm, instead opting to take her hand in his own. “Let’s do that.” Glancing at the alley he had come out of, he frowned briefly before focusing upwards instead. A rooftop, perhaps? That seemed private enough from the public. But he didn’t want to waste magic trying to get up there. The alley would have to do. Turning, he quickly started in the direction of the alleyway, trying his best to ignore the aching pain in his arm where her fingers had been.

[Chicogal]

Mystique noticed the way he reacted when she touched him - as if repulsed. She blinked, expression fading into blankness and her mind somewhat leaving her for a moment. People had been like that before to her. She could remember. Even Charles had recoiled from her once or twice, surprised by her blue state that she hardly ever showed. She was only brought back to reality by the boy's touch, that seemed to strike her heart until he... put her hand into his. He'd seen her for what she was, and he didn't seem to be completely repulsed. In fact, the action was almost a little intimate. Just for show, she decided. No chance of losing eachother, either.

 

He lead the way, and they stepped into the darkened alleyway. Mystique glanced away from him, composing her face more neutrally again. She'd become rather good at deception and lying over the years. It was in her nature. It was what became of a shapeshifter. His first impression of her wasn't going to be that of a weakling; his commanding tone had already shown that he was nothing near that. "What's your name?" she asked cautiously, looking up at his green gaze with her own. It was sort of... intense. A little unsettling, truth be told. "I'm Raven. Or Mystique. Whatever takes your fancy."

[pudding]

Loki

“Mystique,” He echoed, rolling the name across his tongue. Not the run-of-the-mill human names usually found on Midgard but that was irrelevant. Either way, it would be an easy name to remember. The face, however, less so. The issue with shapeshifters was that they could look like anything at all. While it was common to have one guise that was preferred, at least by his own understanding and standard, the ability to become anyone would make it frustrating if she ever decided she had enough of him. His allies were few and far between now. He would need to take care not to offend her.

Hopefully she would not ask any questions to which the answers would offer offense. He hardly had any say in the matter any longer.

“My name is Loki,” he replied with a small nod, keeping his hand connected to hers. He wasn’t sure why or how he had awoken in such a strange place but he could feel the magic in the air and it was wrong. If someone had used magic to somehow get him away from Thor, he did not want to risk letting go of her. If he went somewhere or she went somewhere, they would go together. Magic disliked trying to untangle bodies, after all. Even if it was just holding hands. “To the chase, then. We must find out where we have landed.” He paused for a moment in thought, looking down at the sliver of sky visible above them before turning back to her. “Do you have a phone? If we do somehow get separated we need to be able to contact each other."

[Chicogal]

Mystique nodded at his suggestion. Well, it was the obvious thing to do anyway. Hopefully she was only one or two states over from home, and this had just been a mistake of some mutant. He was still holding her hand... Had he forgotten? A light blush came to her cheeks. At Loki's suggestion, she frowned for a moment - then gently took her hand back to herself. "Hold on." Her body seemed to have shutters that flicked downward as a bulge appeared in the pocket of her jacket. She rifled around in them, then pulled out a cellphone. She could make small devices like this. It was helpful in the case of - for example - amputees with false limbs, or security guards with devices in their ears. Although, she didn't take advantage of it... Of course. She usually recreated this same cellphone.

 

"Asking for my number already," she murmured slightly amusedly, although it was silly. And completely necessary in this situation. She held the phone out to him with her number showing on the screen. It was probably easier that way, anyway. "Why is it that you're a mutant too? Are these-" she nodded toward his horns, resisting the urge to touch them "-part of your mutation? Mine is probably... obvious by now."

[pudding]

Loki

Loki looked briefly at the phone before looking back down. Oh, now that was a problem. With his left arm functionally useless, his right was still holding onto hers. He didn’t really want to let go in case the magic that had caused their initial displacement decided to flare up again, but he didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. He could only use one hand. “Nah, these horns are just gold,” he replied, using that as an excuse to let go of her hand and gently knock his fist against the metal. “It’s a part of the look.” Instead of reaching for his pocket to grab his own phone, he reached out a hand towards hers. As soon as his fingers came in range, a green spark jumped between the short gap between his finger and the phone, causing the device to momentarily glitch and the screen to go dark. Apparently satisfied with whatever he had done, he nodded slightly. “Don’t worry, I didn’t break it. Turn it back on and it should be fine.” Muttering the string of numbers that had been displayed on the phone to himself, he shoved his hand in the pocket of his coat and pulled out his own phone, pulling up the contacts page and typing in the string of numbers as quickly as he could with just one thumb.

And there was the question. Perfect, she had to phrase it that way. It would have been delightful to just ignore the fact he wasn’t a mutant but telling the truth could be frustrating sometimes. So he kept his focus on his own phone as he tried to type out her phone number. “Not a mutant,” He replied, not making any eye contact. “I said nonhuman. That can mean an awful lot of things, not just homo superior.” He didn't bother elaborating on specifically what he was but, knowing natural curiosity, it was probably going to be brought up very quickly. Hopefully he could provide the truth while not turning her away from him completely.

[Chicogal]

Mystique jumped at the sparks between Loki and the phone, eyes widening slightly. What had he done? She swallowed, simply rebooting the phone as he'd told her to and... It was fine. Huh. She hadn't completely expected that. But his next words were a little cold. He wasn't a mutant; he was something else. Condescending, too. It seemed as if he thought himself above her. Was he a demigod or something? A small deity? Those things were only meant to exist in fairytales, but her life seemed to revolve around strange things...

 

"Okay," she replied, her familiarness vanishing as she put her cellphone away. She tucked her hands into the pockets of her jacket, waves of defensiveness radiating off her. Clearing her throat, she glanced away and out of the alleyway. It seemed that she may have been wrong about being happy to go along with Loki. Now she just wanted to be out on the street again, instead of all private and intense in this alleyway... Mystique angled herself toward the street again, glancing at the boy out of the corner of her eye. "We should find a newsagent. They usually have newspapers for the area. At least we won't seem crazy that way..."

[pudding]

Loki

Finishing typing in her number into the phone, he looked up to find that Mystique had moved away from him. Well, at least now he’d be able to contact her in case they were separated. He hadn’t noticed since he had been struggling to use his phone but she seemed upset with him. Was this about the mutant thing? She hadn’t asked any follow up questions and honestly, it was bothering him that she had just decided to accept that. Call it ego or pride but there was something to be said for the look on faces when he admitted he was a god. Besides, she was already upset with him. What was the harm in admitting what he was?

“Really?” He asked, shifting sideways slightly and turning to face her. “You’re just going to leave it there? Not ask what I did to your phone or what I sort of creature I might be?” He clicked his tongue softly off the roof of his mouth but sighed and strode forward anyway, peering out of the alleyway. Wow that wasn’t at all fun. Neither was being forced to admit secrets either but who could blame him for trying to find a little fun in something? Saying he was a god usually impressed mortals. Now it was like the fun had been all drained away and he didn’t even get the satisfaction of the reveal. “Fine,” He said, stepping past her and out into the street with a one armed shrug. His left side was starting to ache now, the pain spreading up past his arm and into his shoulder. Figure out where they were, then find a place to plan how to return home. Once he could sit somewhere, he'd drop the illusion and look at his injury with a bit more inspection. Honestly, he was tired. After trying to find a newspaper he'd very quickly want to locate a place to rest. Having magic whisk him away from a fight was good in the short term but the initial shock was wearing off and he was wearing thin. “Let’s go find a vendor. It’s a big city so it shouldn’t be all that hard." His right hand moved to grip his left arm as he tried to weasel his way into a crowd without getting bumped in the side by the rapidly-moving pedestrians. This was going to be frustrating.

[Chicogal]

Mystique

 

Mystique regarded Loki silently for a moment as he spoke. She had already been embittered by a world that hated her. Just one more person wouldn't make a difference. Although, his behaviour seemed more diva-like than hateful. As if he'd wanted her to ask. Hm. Maybe he thought himself impressive, it wouldn't be the first time a teenage boy showed off. Perhaps he would not be outshone by she, the shapeshifter... Whatever. If he wanted to tell her, he could just go ahead and say it. In any case, his body language was very strange as they stepped out of the alleyway - what was with that shrug? And the way he grabbed his arm?

 

A small bubble of thought rose up in her mind as she considered his name again. It sounded oddly familiar. Mystique slipped into the crowd beside Loki. "Come on," she said, taking the lead and making a path through them. Eventually they found the stream of people going in the same direction, and things went somewhat more smoothly. She glanced every now and then back at him - as did people passing by. Eventually, a newspaper vendor's stand could be visible. "Aha!" she exclaimed softly, hurrying forward and picking up a paper. "New York," she murmured, dropping the paper back down. The man running the shop gave the two a bit of a look, and she turned around to face Loki.

 

"New York City... How the hell I got here from Westchester County, I have no idea." She shook her head, and the movement got slightly slower as something pinged off in her mind. Grade 5, they'd learned some stuff about mythology. There was Odin, the famous Thor and... It couldn't be. Her currently green eyes widened slightly. Either he modelled himself after the famous god, or someone was playing a very not-funny prank on her - she'd say Xavier, but that usually wasn't his style. "Loki..."

[pudding]

Loki

Strolling up to the stand behind Mystique, Loki leaned over her shoulder to look down at the newspaper himself. His eyes looked over the name of the city-that hadn't changed at least. But the date. 2016? A minor change of city but a fair bit of time travel. That would explain the disruptions in magic he had felt when he landed despite the fact a minor teleportation spell would not cause such a reaction. But there was something else bothering him about this entire ordeal. Looking around the city, he frowned slightly before focusing on Mystique again as she said his name.

 

"Hmm?" He asked, looking at her now. Had she noticed something off as well? Aside from suddenly appearing in a city when she had been somewhere else entirely. He didn't know where Westchester County was right off the top of his head but it sure did sound like some rural or suburban place. How far outside of New York was that place? "What is it?" he asked, his mind already wandering away slightly. If he had ended up temporally displaced, he needed to figure out where to start. Thor had been so angry with him so avoiding him and the Avengers would be the best way to start. Newspapers were fine and dandy but going through that amount of time in papers would be frustrating. Returning to Asgard sounded like the worst possible idea. He had no idea if Thor had gone to them and showing up now, several months later but still unable to lie.

Well, he needed to figure out a proper way to work through this. He needed a plan to talk to Thor without just resulting in him getting punched out of a building again. His hand moved to his left arm and held it almost unconsciously as he tried to think of the best way to work out this mess.

[Chicogal]

Mystique frowned at him, thinking. He certainly looked like the Loki she'd heard about, all dark and a little broody looking. And then, the horns too. She bit on her lip, taking in his general appearance and just really... Wondering. Deciding to get moving again, she grabbed the stewing boy gently by the sleeve of his right arm. The newsstand man was giving them a bit of an evil eye.

 

"Loki," she started, walking on and glancing behind them as they went. "Your name and everything - what does it mean?" She looked up at him, those bright green eyes that couldn't possibly be normal. "I remember now- I studied some mythology when I was younger. Do you call yourself Loki like I call myself Mystique?" she asked. She didn't want to go so far as to call it a 'hero' name. That would probably earn her a laugh in the face. And in any case, she hadn't done anything that could name her a hero. Yet.