etraya | UN: LOKI

[Loki is surprised to find a message in his inbox a short while later. He’s never received a message this way before and it is unexpected. Though once he reads it, he understands why Gorgug has decided on this method. He doesn’t really want private stuff open to everyone either.]

I am glad to hear I did not make anything worse for you. Though I do not always show it outwardly, I have some issues with anger myself. Or I did. Whatever happened with that infection, it made me feel like who I was when I was much younger, someone I had thought I had left far behind. I guess it was not as far as I had hoped.

I do not know for certain, but it all began when I was having a conversation with this woman. She was beautiful and striking, there was something about her I could not name. She seemed to know me, though I did not know her. Not that that’s all that strange. I merely figured she’d met one of my variants. But now that I think of it, everything after that is quite muddled.

It's easy for people to say that's not who you really were when you were infected and that you shouldn't feel guilty or like you saw another version of yourself. But I think it means something to look at them and know that's not who you want to be.

I had a teacher who told me I needed to tap into my rage more. But I don't know that I could ever do that again.

I think we met the same woman. Dark hair? Human looking? I went to her to ask for help with magic and I started having bad thoughts and anger issues after that. The Im'mari was inside her. I could feel it. I think she got infected first somehow

I believe the scariest part, for me at least, was how easily I seemed to fall back into who I once was. It was not a happy time in my life and I would never want to be like that again, but it came so easily to me that I find myself worrying that it is who I truly am and who I am currently is really the false mask.

[Loki pauses, taking a moment before he writes anymore. He’s unsure why he’s being quite so honest with someone he doesn’t know overly well, but he thinks, perhaps, it’s down to sharing a similar experience. Sometimes, he’s beginning to find, it’s better to talk these things out with someone who understands.]

Anger can be a useful tool in certain situations, but mostly I have found it can get out of control rather easily. It certainly ruled much of my younger years and that did not always work out well for me.

Yes, that sounds like the same woman. And now that you say that, I believe I may have been sensing the Im’mari as well. I assume that is what was off about her. Have you seen her since everything seemed to settle? I hope she is alright.

[Despite what happened, he holds no ill will against Vanessa. Perhaps he should seek her out. At very least he wouldn’t mind finding out more about what she knows of him or the variant of his she met.]

If you don’t mind me asking, what help was it you needed with magic?

[ There is something at looking at someone fearful of truly being that person they were while infected, and then knowing his own guilt, and the revulsion to it. Not fearful of becoming that person, but--that he'll ever be them again. Forced to be them again. ]

It felt good at times. At the start. I feel bad thinking about it, and it was easy to play the monster I thought I should be. But I hope you feel better about yourself. It feels like I'm trying to remember who I was again, and I guess you are too?

I haven't seen her since then... I didn't think I could say anything even if we were going through the same thing. But I know where she lives and her username? She's got a ward on her house if you're not human. But I can give you her username.

[ Maybe he should catch up with her too. He feels bad--he feels like a mixed feelings. Scared, honestly: he didn't want to see her because he was scared. Still does now, but...what must she be feeling, too?

He hasn't seen her at all. ]

And um... do you remember how people were falling unconscious after the spaceship crashed? There was a magic mirror doing it. I needed help because I'm an artificer, I work machinery and magic. I'm not used to cursed mirrors.

Yes, that is exactly how I felt. There are parts of how I used to be that I miss in some ways. Even if they are not the best of me. I feel like I had more freedom when I cared less about what others thought, but I have not yet been able to take the good parts of that and work it into who I am now. Or at least who I hope to be.

She has a ward on her home to keep non-humans out?

[He thinks on that for a moment. It's something he would've done not so long ago himself, but he does wonder why she might need such protections. Well, beyond the obvious of everything that has happened.]

Yes, thank you. I would like to send her a message.

Ah yes, the mirror. Are you still having issues with it? I never did hear about what happened with that. I have been somewhat distracted lately.

Her username is 'hidden'. And yeah, she told me she had to give me permission to enter. I think she's got a thing about demons

[ He vaguely remembers them talking about them...............he thinks. ]

We solved it and got everyone out. Except the kid stuck inside. He hangs in the mirror at my lab
He doesn't have a body
so

[ To give an explanation as to why he's in the mirror. Kinda need one of those. ]

I must say, that seems a rather appropriate for her user name considering what I have learned now.

I see. Demons, I understand, can be quite an issue. Though I would say a very small percentage of non-humans are demons. Seems a bit overkill, but I suppose I do not know what her world is like.

[He is curious to take a look now. He makes a mental note to look in on that line when he gets back to his throne.]

I see. So the child is the catalyst for how the others got stuck inside? [Loki heard rumours of the incidents with the mirror, but didn’t really interact himself.]

Have you confirmed that he is a real person and not just another construct of this place?

One of my friends is a kind of demon I guess, not that she's here but I guess I get why people are wary of them. But I think I'm more worried about the guy going around killing and serving up people at dinner parties than other races

[ In his opinion!!! Not that it would be on his mind for any specific reason!! ]

And he's real as far as I know... the mirror was on the space ship and I don't remember anything about a kid in a mirror then, but no one could get close to them because of the clowns that kept coming out. And they were still coming out of the mirror until we fixed it back up. I don't know why but...

He's just a kid. He doesn't do anything weird but I feel bad for him because he's stuck in there

Would you be able to tell if he's a construct?
but
I don't think he's a construct of this place
and I don't mind constructs

[ Some of his crushes have been constructs.........!! ]

I am not overly familiar with demons myself. From what I understand they tend to be part of a Midgardian religion that I am not convinced is like its followers claim it to be. I am familiar with many different pantheons, but this one true god thing is not something I have heard of before.

[There is a lengthy pause before Loki’s message continues.]

I am sorry, did you just say a human served up other humans at a dinner party?

[Loki has seen many things in his long life, including other races where cannibalism is commonplace, but humans are not one of them.]

Yes, I encountered the mirrors on the space station when I first arrived. I definitely saw the clowns, but did not notice any children. I wonder if the clowns were his keepers? Perhaps they were supposed to be a deterrent against any one else finding him.

[If that were the case then this child might just turn out to be very important.]

I do not know off hand, but I must think there is a way to detect such things. And if not, perhaps he could use one for a body? Since we don’t have any spare flesh ones going around.

[Unless they can find his original body and it is okay. Loki isn’t even sure why he cares, but he does find the idea interesting.]

You can look up samil on the network and see a video and comments about it. I haven't checked it out since I looked at it and maybe the guy wasn't a human. The guy who got eaten isn't

but whoever they are they're a fucking asshole

[ Human, non-human!!!

But sure enough, there's a video post if Loki wants to check it out. ]

Are you talking about putting the kid in a clown body? They don't appear anymore. he sits around in my lab inside his mirror and nothing comes out as night and I've slept over there. No clowns

I know how to get souls out of there but I need a body to put the soul in... but I don't know if he's stuck because he's the original soul?
I'm not so good with mirror curses

[After he finishes with the video, Loki can’t quite decide if he should be spending more time paying attention to the network or less. The idea of there being such a party is rather disturbing. Even the few cannibalistic societies he’s come across knew what they were doing. This is highly disturbing because no one seemed to know. It probably means he should keep a better eye on the other people here, though Loki thinks he was much happier not knowing about this specific dinner party.]

I have seen quite a lot in my long life, but even I find this disturbing. I would like to know more about the host if only to keep an eye on him. This sort of thing should not be allowed to take place.

My apologies, I do not think I was very clear. No, not a clown body, but perhaps it might be possible to put him into an artificial body? There are enough bots around here that I feel like it is something we could at least look into.

I don't know him but if you find anything out, can you let me know? The guy he ate was my Moorecroft dad

[ He hesitates to add that latter information, but--he might as well be honest. 'I want to avoid a cannibal' is a good enough reason, probably, but there's a personal element that Gorgug thinks isn't worth hiding.

But, oh. That last part of what Loki suggests does make him wonder--could they fit the kid into a companion bot body?

...that's an idea. ]

And...we might be able to? We would have to change the functions so that the kid can control the body himself. I know how to put a soul in a crystal but I don't know how to give them control from there

but we can look into it, yeah. I can ask Aurora if she has a spare bot

Oh my yes. That must’ve have been rather traumatic. I will let you know if I discover anything.

[During his time in Moorecroft, Loki’s roommates had been decent enough. He does enjoy speaking with Johanna still, but even not being as close as it seems Gorgug is with this man, he can empathize with how much that would affect a person.]

I admit, I am not overly familiar with the technology of this place, so I do not yet know the specifics, but considering some of the other things possible here, I must think it is possible.

Control would be necessary. I will try to think of a magical option. Do let me know what you find out from Aurora.

I will. Thank you

You can come and meet him any time you want. He doesn't get a lot of visitors

maybe you can tell something about the mirror and its magic?

[ But, well, there's a good enough reason for Loki to visit regardless of either of those reasons. Though the latter might be more of interest to the guy. ...but he seems interested in helping the boy, so. ]

I will certainly do that. It is easier to accomplish these things with all the information one can muster.

[That’s really just a fancy excuse for what really amounts to Loki being curious about the whole situation. He had encountered the mirrors on the space station, but had hardly had the time then to thoroughly examine them or the magic involved. Now he thinks it’s far past time to rectify that.]

I do hope I can. I am typically quite adept with all sorts of magic, but I must admit this place has put me on my heels a few times. I will do my best to see what I can find out though.]

It's okay, I feel confused and out of it all the time. Like I don't have the right skills to do anything we need

But thank you. Maybe we can find a way to track that thing that infected us too and fight it off if it shows up again. It would give us more to do

we just need to find a sample of it

[ Somewhere. Maybe someone has something?? ]

I wouldn’t be too hard on yourself about that. It isn’t like they have given us much information. I doubt you are the only one feeling that way.

[Loki actually suspects he’s one of the few people ever to have any sort of experience in something like this and there are still a lot of differences between Etraya and the TVA.]

That is a fine idea. I doubt it truly just disappeared. It would be a better idea to be prepared for its return.

That will likely be the most difficult part. That and collecting it safely.I would not want anyone to be infected again.

Right... we could ask Aurora about that too. She said she got readings for it too so she might still have the data for tracking it. I might be able to do something with that

But if we can get a sample, do you think you can study it better? And if I can get the readings around it and stick it in a device

[ He's texting and thinking! He's never reverse engineered data on a creature into a crystal for a magic user to study, but who knows? ]

I would certainly hope she hasn’t lost it. Though I suppose she may have given that information to whomever she serves. But yes, any information we could get would be helpful.

It would certainly be easier if we have a sample. I cannot guarantee that I will be able to find anything. This is a little out of my purview, but it is at least worth a shot.

[Much of Loki’s magic is based on illusions and conjuration, though not solely that. However, he wonders if there is a way to reach its mind, or the remnants of it with a sample. If it indeed has one.]

Mine too. I'll ask Aurora and get back to you

[ Well, nothing but to go forward with that plan! And about the spare robot body, too. ]

Thank you very much. I do appreciate that.

UN: LOKI | VIDEO

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