etraya | un: hob (text)

It’s almost like his brain shorts out for a moment when Hob smiles at him. He does truly want to learn his way around this city, but he suspects that all his attention will be on his friend. He wants to roll his eyes at himself, or do something to knock some sense into himself, but Hob is simply too charming to ignore.

“Yes, it is a beautiful day for a walk, but I suppose that could change at a moment’s notice as well. That is if the weather was anything like in Moorecroft. I’m not sure I have ever experienced rain like that.” From the tone of his voice, it’s apparently that he would like to again.

Loki nods in agreement and turns in the indicated direction. “So, I take it strange things happen here a lot then? Is it common to end up on places like the space station or other cities?”

It's hard not to smile around Loki, especially when Loki is looking at him like that. Hob can't help but feel comfortable in the man's company for some reason, but Loki is quite disarming with that smile of his.

"Oh? Not a lot of rain where you're from?"

As for the things that happen here, Hob can only shrug. "Seems that way. I've only been here slightly longer than you have and already a new city appeared and we were taken to another world. Strange seems like the norm around here."

“No, Asgard always seemed to be warm and sunny. It always felt in contrast to my typical mood.” He says this lightly, giving Hob another smile, but it had been true enough. It is true enough though. Asgard, always in complete opposite to Jotunheim in that way. Perhaps that is why it bothered him so much.

“I admit I like the rain though. I had quite an enjoyable time in one of the cafes on Moorecroft with a lovely cup of tea and a view of a storm.” As much as being here is dangerous for the multiverse, the last bit of Loki’s selfish self appreciates some of the normalcy, even if this place is really anything but.

“I see. Well that is good to know.” Though it isn’t helpful. If they keep moving them around, it will be harder for Loki to pin down who is actually responsible for this place. It seems they might not immediately be here seeing that everyone here only seems to interact with AI or bots, but that doesn’t mean he can’t find them. It can’t be harder than finding He Who Remains.

Loki pulls himself from his thoughts then. It seems that as with the TVA, it will not be simple or easy to find his way out. In the mean time, he will have to play their games and hopefully have some backup with others here to help.

“My apologies, I’m afraid my thoughts ran away from me. So you have not been here long either? May I ask where and I suppose when you are from?”

Hob glances to Loki at that, as if having a thought. Warm and sunny was a contrast to Loki's mood? If someone had asked him what Loki was like, Hob might have described him as a ray of sunshine. Always smiling. Jovial. Charming. But is that not how he's truly feeling?

"I like the rain, too."

But he doesn't want Loki to linger on any unhappy memories, unless he shows signs he'd like to talk about it, of course.

"London. The year is 2022. I've found that my world differs from many others, sometimes in small ways, other times in much larger ways."

Sometimes. Sometimes he felt as he appeared on the outside. He certainly felt happier being around Hob. There is just something so lovely about the other man that Loki can’t help but feel calmer. Like he’ll be able to figure this all out if only he has someone like Hob by his side.

Even Loki knows that’s a little much though and he pushes the thought away.

“Do you? Well then, the next time there is a storm, we should take it in together.”

Loki finds himself instantly interested in hearing more about Hob’s world. “I have never seen London. I would like to hear about these differences though. I’m sure most have some differences, but are these between other planets or between other versions of your world specifically?”

Hob would be touched to know Loki felt such confidence in him. He can hardly make the god's problems disappear, but he could at least grant all of his support. Being around Loki makes Hob feel happier, too. There's a lot to worry about, but somehow, Loki makes all of those anxieties disappear.

"That would be nice. Nothing like cozying up during a storm." He.. didn't mean it to sound so romantic, but he smiles all the smile.

"Both, actually. Some people here come from worlds with magic schools and dangerous monsters. Such things aren't normal where I come from, though magic does seem to exist, as do gods. Regular people don't know about it, though."

And yet Hob does?

More than confidence, it feels almost like a sixth sense. For reasons Loki can’t begin to explain, he feels like he’s known Hob his whole life. Perhaps they knew each other in a past life or something similar. Either way, he’s glad to have met him and to have his company now.

“Yes, that is one of my favourite pastimes, though admittedly I have not had the pleasure with doing it with a friend before.” Loki feels his heartbeat pick up a little bit as he thinks about the two of them curled up on his couch watching a storm roll in. As much as he feels guilty for wanting such a thing, he very much does want it.

“Oh yes, I know that until recently the Earth of my world did not know about other realms or people from other planets. That has all changed quite recently for them.” Or not so recently. It is really hard to tell when you’ve spent some time outside of time. “So I take it you are not a regular person then?”

After the things Hob has seen and experienced, even if they may not be as fantastical is Loki's own adventures, he's inclined to believe anything is possible. Who knows, maybe they did know each other in another life.

"Should be easy enough the next time it rains here." All they have to do is pick an apartment.

The question gets a slight pause from Hob. He hadn't realized he expressed it in a way that excluded him. But how much does he share? In this city, his 'gift' is not quite so unusual as it is at home, and he's not likely in any danger here because of it. That doesn't make it easy to share after a lifetime of hiding it, but he does feel close enough to Loki to trust him.

"Many years ago, I met a very unique individual by chance. As a result of this encounter, I was made.. immortal." It feels weird to say that outloud.

Stranger things have happened. Loki already knows of at least one person who has met one of his variants. The idea that they had met in another life is hardly a crazier thought. In fact, it just might explain a few things. Namely how it feels like he’s known Hob for a lot longer than a month.

”Yes, I suppose that is true.” With Loki’s luck it will suddenly be nothing but sunny and warm for the rest of their time here. Well, if that turns out to be the case, Loki is just going to have to think up some other excuses to see Hob.

Okay, so that response is not what Loki is expecting and his face shows his surprise. He doesn’t even bother to try and hide it. There’s another feeling under all of that though, one akin to happiness as the thought occurs to him that he hasn’t met many people he likes that won’t die thousands of years before him. At least not recently.

”Really! You certainly are more than meets the eye, aren’t you?”

Perhaps Loki will have some insight to that when he goes home and taps back into the threads of the multiverse. Maybe he'll even see a life for them in another timeline. Hopefully, it's a happy one. But what about this timeline? Only time will tell.

If it never rains again, Hob would suggest they have a picnic or something. He's going to want to spend more time with Loki, either way.

Hob isn't sure what he expected as a response, but Loki's reaction makes Hob smile sheepishly. "Well, where I'm from, it's safer to blend in, you know?"

It’s not something he’s allowing himself to think about, but somewhere deep down, he knows he would like to know Hob for the rest of his life. Maybe they would only be friends, or perhaps more, but he can’t allow himself to think of that. He couldn’t hurt Hob like that when he inevitably has to leave.

Can’t hurt himself that way either.

Of course, he’s also weak when it comes to his friends and he also wouldn’t be able to turn down hanging out with Hob for any reason. He might as well enjoy some comforts while he’s stuck here.

“Oh yes, I understand. Many people are frightened of things they do not understand and mortals do tend to not understand immortality. It is not something their brains are built for.” Though clearly Hob is an exception considering he is still human and seems to be dealing with it quite well.

Maybe they have that in common. Hob has a desire to be around others, but he knows it's always going to be temporary. Anyone back home he meets and gets involved with will eventually leave him. Maybe he would spare himself the pain if he didn't get involved at all, but there's still a desire to be around others. To not be lonely.

"Yes, frightened or confused. Or I could end up a lab rat in an experiment. Or at the mercy of someone who's studied magic and would like to be immortal themselves. In the end, telling someone is always a matter of risk."

"The last time I got careless, I was dragged out of my home and drowned as a witch. That was a few hundred years ago. And not very pleasant."

Loki would argue they definitely have that in common. Loneliness is something that Loki is all too familiar with and something that has only gotten worse since he found friends and then lost them again. He knows what he’s been doing is essential, even if this place has a different plan, and that it all means that he is doomed to spend the rest of his existence as nothing more than an observer. All of that has made saying no to friendship even harder here.

“Yes, I have heard of such reactions. And humans always seem to act like they are so good.” He might have changed his mind about humans in general, but Loki is all too aware of some of the hypocrisy he’s experienced at their hands. He’s done some atrocious things in his life, but being judged by people who have done the same or worse hardly helps his opinion of some.

Hob’s story makes Loki want to time slip to where and when that happened to him and show those imbeciles exactly what a magic user could really do. He’s actually a little surprised at his own visceral reaction and just manages to keep himself under control. “I am very sorry you had to endure such things. Please trust that your secret is safe with me.”

Hob might not need to keep his immortality a secret here, but even if he did, he’s certain that Loki would keep his secret. "I know I can trust you." Maybe Dream would not agree with how quickly Hob has come to trust in Loki, but Hob just gets the sense that he can, and he's generally a very good judge of character.

"It used to be easier. Reinventing myself. The more the world evolves, the harder it becomes. I fear my secret may not be a secret forever and then..." Well, who knows what might happen to him. Maybe there's no avoiding being someone's specimen someday, or the target of some dark magic user who wants immortality for themselves.

"Gods are immortal, aren't they? And live with other gods? That must be nice."

If he were to hear that, Loki would be quite touched. It’s only been relatively recent that he’s begun to earn the trust of others. It had been a rocky road with Mobius, but he had eventually succeeded and nothing before had ever made him feel so proud. The idea that someone like Hob could read him and decide to trust him so easily is an experience he never would expect.

“I suppose it depends on how your world evolves. I know that things like witch hunts happened in the Earth of my world, but the things that humans accept now would put simply being immortal rather low on the list. Though I suppose there will always be those who would do harm to others if they thought it would benefit themselves.” In a roundabout way, Loki is trying to say that though he thinks it might also become more likely that others will accept him, Hob should also continue to be careful.

“I believe some are, but not all of us by a long shot. Mostly we simply have longer lifespans. The Asgardians and Jotun tend to live about 5000 years, on average. But we can and do die of old age. It is also possible for us to die by other means, it is simply something that is more difficult for mortals to achieve.”

Hob can see Loki is a little in his own thoughts, but he's sure Loki will realize just how much he's trusted soon enough if he doesn't already. It's hard not to let one's mind wander when they think of home, though.

Being cautious is just a part of life for Hob and that's not going to change, even if it's changing a bit while he's here. He doesn't expect things to be different if he ever gets home.

"I never considered that might be the case." But their stories paint gods as immortal beings, not simply those with longevity. "It must be difficult sometimes. Trying to get along with people for thousands of years." God knows Hob has had some trouble getting along with Dream and that was only after a few hundred years.

It is something that Loki is coming to learn and accept, but after 1000 years of being a trickster god, he still thinks he has a long way to go. It certainly wouldn’t surprise him that Dream might not trust him, though he’s currently unaware of this at all.

Though it’s not something Loki always manages, he understands being cautious. Loki isn’t a complete stranger to that. It’s not like he’s not good at making plans and following through, but he finds it much more fun to fly by the seat of his pants.

“Yes, well I have often thought that it must be hard for mortals to truly understand that long of a lifespan. To most, we would seem immortal. I can’t really speak to getting along with people. To me, thousands of years must feel like a few decades to a mortal. That and I haven’t had much success with even trying to get along with others. I have spent much of my youth preferring to be alone.”

He says preferring, but that isn’t really the case. He’s come to understand that he was lonely and felt misunderstood, but much of that was his own doing.

Hob had not thought about the idea that a thousand years might seem like the blink of an eye to someone who could be around much longer. He wonders if that's how it is for Dream, too, who is Endless. It's no wonder he didn't seem to understand humans very well, since they must be around for such a short time to someone like him.

"You say that, but I find it hard to believe. I think you're very easy to get along with. Maybe you didn't get the proper chance." Or maybe Loki ruined his chances early on with some trickery. Either way, Hob finds the man's company to be delightful.

un: hob (text)

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