Friends With the Monster - private

[T O X I C P A S T I C H E]

A cross over roleplay between Saiytanya and T O X I C P A S T I C H E. Read, and prepare to be blown away by the amazing.

J U S T X W A N T X T O X S E E X EVERYTHING X B U R N X

[T O X I C P A S T I C H E]

SECRETISSECRET
xxxxxx LOKI LAUFEYSON x§x BURDENED WITH GLORIOUS PURPOSE
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Loki sat in the golden throne of Odin, relaxed and used to the way the way the cushion fitted to his form now, even though it appeared that he was the King Odin. There was nobody to suspect or even testify that he wasn’t who he said he was, now that Frigga had died protecting Thor’s little Midgardian pet, and Thor had assumed Loki dead in their last battle together. Loki tried not to think about Frigga, and focused more instead on his brother. Thor. His half-brother brought many mixed feelings forth in Loki, most of which was unsatisfied wrath. He still sickened Loki slightly, though it also filled him with a sense of small victory that overwhelmed the former feeling. His brother was too much of a fool to see through Loki’s trickery.

But without danger of being found out, there seemed to be something missing in Loki’s reign as Odin. People who saw him and respected him did so to the image of Odin, not Loki. That was problematic, to say the least, for the mastermind’s ego. Did they not see that they deserved a King greater than Odin? There would come a time, he knew, when he would have to kill off the illusionary Odin, but doing it now would cost him everything. While he did enjoy mischief and trouble, he did not want to lose the throne just yet, if that’s what it came down to.

Not only was there the problem of the Asgardian falsely worshiping the old king, but there was also the fact that pretending to be Odin was rather boring, uneventful, and dissatisfactory. What he had learned in Odin’s guise was nothing that he had not been previously aware of save for a few small things that overall he could go on not knowing. Loki knew he was clever, and that he knew a lot that went on behind the scenes of the infamous ruler’s stoic façade, but he expected to at least find something of major interest that he did not know about before. All king’s had secrets they could not tell their sons, so what were Odin’s secrets? Loki would have thought, given Thor’s youthful days, he would have shielded the immature warrior from much. It had appeared so far that he was wrong.

Sitting—the majority of what he had done as Odin was sit on the throne. Sometimes he would give mandates and council to needing citizens that were rather trivial, in his own opinion. It was only trivial in so much that he was giving them Odin’s opinion, and not his own. It was driving him mad—furious, even. He had always wanted—no, deserved to be King of Asgard, and though he was now, he needed to prove himself to the people. But when would he get an opportunity, with all this minor commotion to deal with. He was not ruling, not right now. Not yet.

Loki was sitting, particularly disinterested by nothing in particular. His gaze overlooked everything below him, and had wandered out to the city beyond. Still, he heard the echoing of the Asgardian boots against the grand, marble floors. They were different, Loki could tell, than the normal boots of a citizen. They were the boots of a messenger. A messenger, and someone else—a hooded figure, someone who had been traveling and just arrived. ‘Interesting.’ Loki straightened up in the seat of the throne, though the illusion of Odin stayed as stoic as ever. Now things might be about to get interesting. Foreign relations—what better way to prove himself a fit King? Loki smirked. It seemed his waiting was about to pay off.

“King Odin, urgent matters have arisen in Midgard.”

“Midgard?” The Loki disguised as Odin questioned, taken aback. What could possibly interest the King in Midgard, Loki could not fathom. His pathetic half-brother, Thor, had a love for the Earthlings, but Loki could not see why Odin would take notice of them. ‘And why would I care about Midgard?’ Loki thought. Any honor that he thought might be involved in this encounter was slipping away quickly.

“Yes, Lord Odin,” the woman with the cloak stepped in quickly, in front of the messenger, removing the hood from her face. Now that was interesting. A Valkyrie. “My daughter. Her memory block has been eroding for sometime now. If it dissipates completely, there is no telling what damage will be done—to the nine realms and beyond. I have been waiting for a healer of Asgard for some time now, milord, but with all that has happened recently, I realize how easily she may be forgotten.”

Odin and Loki both stood, hands gripping the majestic staph the King always carried with him. The Valkyrie woman was speaking of Loki indirectly—his fake death—as well as the death of Frigga. The mourning for both was over, but only just. This was important to her, Loki could see it in her eyes. “I see. I apologize, Mistress Valkyrie, for my forgetfulness. I am afraid it is one of the many plagues that accompanies older age.” Odin smiled briefly. He addressed the messenger, “send out for a healer immediately. We will be leaving in under an hour’s time.” The messenger bowed, and turned to leave.

The Valkyrie, though, stayed where she was. “‘We,’ my King?”

Loki smirked under his guise. He had mistaken this meeting for something banal, but anything involving an eroding mind block that presented danger to the nine realms and beyond was clearly bound to be exciting. “My freshest apologies for forgetting, Lady Valkyrie. You have served me long and well, I doubt it not. What better way to honor your service than to pay your daughter a visit. If she has remembered anything of her life as an Asgardian, I will explain the reasons behind her mind block so that you do not have the painful duty of answering her. It is already a miserable enough punishment for you to be on Midgard for so long.” Loki gave her thanks a mere nod, and made the steps down the throne, his mind already focused on getting to Midgard and meeting this daughter. What could she posses that was so powerful? Loki had a few ideas in light of the last major events that caused destruction in Asgard concerning Malekith. “Shall we?”


- - -


Less than an hour later, Odin-Loki, the Valkyrie, and an Asgardian healer had been safely teleported to Migard. Loki couldn’t say that he was overly fond of being back on the human planet, but it was worth it, he hoped, to find out what Odin was hiding there. “Show us the way to your daughter,” the regal King ordered the Valkyrie, in a tone much softer than the eager Loki would have used himself.

[Saiytanya]

Khan

Cold and Dark. Khan's soul had turned cold and dark, like the space that his commandeered vessel slowly limped along in. Before his soul had just been angry and bitter, but now...it was far beyond that. Kirk would suffer for his transgressions. How? How had a simple low-human defeated a superior being such as himself? Compared to them, he was a God. Kirk would suffer. Khan would not be a benevolent Lord. He would tear him down, slowly, painfully. Khan would make Kirk watch his people and his beloved Federation fall bit by bit, helpless to stop it, just as he had made Khan witness the deaths of his own people.

Khan would find some place; some lost, unsuspecting planet and he would rebuild. He would recreate his beloved race from his own blood, if it took everything he had. He knew he could never replace the people he had lost, but he would make a new race; a superior race. He would regain everything he had lost no matter who he had to sacrifice to get it.

He had repaired the engines enough to get to warp 4, and it didn't seem as though Kirk was following him. Though it was impossible to tell because the long range sensors were off line. Currently he was under a console, isolinar rods scattered on the floor as he was trying to get them back online. He needed to be able to scan surrounding planets to find a suitable place to land the ship. All nonessential systems had been rerouted to the engines and life support was minimal. He didn't need as much oxygen as lower-humans so it was easier to keep the ship going.

One last rod slid in and he pushed himself away from the console. Settling himself in the chair he did a long range scan. There were so many choices, so many planets that would suit his needs, but one planet in particular caught his eyes. One that was just beyond Starfleet 's reach, just on the edge of Klingon space. How better to hide from your enemy than on his doorstep? A few quick strokes and he set a course and moved to the captains chair. Khan knew Kirk would not give up, just as he was certain Kirk knew Khan would not give up either.

With a silent sigh he let himself sink down into the chair, relaxing for the first time in what seemed like forever. He closed his eyes to the world, blocking out all that angered him until a beeping caused his eyes to pop open. With fluid movements he rose from the chair and moved to the console.

Here came the fun part.

Transporters were down so he now needed to land or rather crash on the unsuspecting planet. Hands poised on the controls, he took the ship into the atmosphere. He had few working thrusters so this would be a rather messy crash. In an effort to build a good repertoire with the indigenous peoples until eh determined their usefulness, he aimed for what looked like an uninhibited region but still not far from a rather large city.

The ship burned through the atmosphere like a comet in a flurry of reds and yellows, a trail of fire in its wake. As he reached the lower atmosphere Khan left the bridge, leaving the chip to continue it's decent on its own. Moving through the halls with haste he climbed to exit hatch before climbing out onto the still smoldering hull just in time to ride the ship into the dirt.

As the ash and smoke cleared, Khan strode across the hor surface of the ship and down toward a small group of what looked like travelers. His eyes shifted between them before finally speaking in a calm and collected voice. "I am Khan and I would speak to your leaders."

Midgar-Alternate Dimention
Kara

Kara sat on the porch of her serene home in the English country; her feet dangling a few inches off the floor as she swung in the wooden swing. The old wood creaked with each ascent as if threatening to give way from her weight. It wasn't as if she weight much, the thing even creaked when her cousins sat in it. The old cottage had been in her family's name for centuries so it was pretty old, despite the modern renovations and add on's to the west side.

Kara's mind had been in a state of confusion of late. Scenes from what seemed like memories or past lives flitted through her mind like an old picture in the roaring 20's, broken; scattered. They didn't really make much sense yet but her mother had seemed worried when she told her about it. Perhaps there was some mental disease in the family; some form of insanity. She prayed that was not the case. Kara didn't want to have to take pills or be sent to a hospice for the rest of her life.

The whole thing certainly had her worried. Particularly when her mother had brought her all the way out here, away from the main city she had lived in most of her life, London. It was as if her mother was trying to hide her away, protect her form the world...or perhaps, protect the world from her. She wasn't quite sure, either way, it worried her.

The pictures in her mind were beautiful though; a towering city of gold, people in silks and beautiful armor. Even her mother was in the dream, in golden armor and a beautifully carved spear. There was an old man with one eye...and a dark haired boy... She shook her head. Such strange visions they were, beautiful and yet there was a touch of fear in them.

A light breeze whipped up sending her red hair lashing about her head. The sky darkened with clouds and an odd light streaked across the sky. Curious, Kara, hopped off the swing. From inside the house, Edgar, an old family friend hollered, "Kara! You should stay on the porch!"

"But the sky is acting up!" She hollered back and continued her decent down the few short stairs to the walkway. Hearing voices Kara followed them around the eastern corner of the house to find her mother and two oddly dressed people walking toward her. "Mother? What's this? A costume party?" Catching eyes with the one man in the group, Kara tilted her head slightly, "Hey, don't I know you? You seem...familiar..."

T O X I C P A S T I C H E

OOC Note: The formatting is not complete, just don't have time to finish it at the moment but I promise I'll spruce it up later.

[T O X I C P A S T I C H E]

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XXX

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▉▉▉▉▉xxxxx★xxxxx ❨ Lavinias Anona ❩ ↙ ↙ xxxxxxxxxxxx
I'm friends with the monster that's under my bed;
get along with the voices inside of my head - -
You're trying to save me...stop holdin' your breath.
And you think I'm crazy? Yah, you think I'm crazy.
Well, that's nothing.

Lacertae’s chilly breeze cooled her sweaty body. It was much cooler out here than in the warehouse, so she left it behind, heading into the dark forest behind it. Tall trees with dark brown trunks and purple leaves towered above her. The grass beneath her boots was thick and strong, easily able to face any weather. Underneath the shade the canopy of trees made, the sky was hidden. She knew the look their setting star created at this time of day by heart now, though: it faded from an orange-red to a blue-violet across the sky—a sight that never ceased to take her breath away when she actually stopped to take a look at it. The ground began to slope uphill, and Lavinias trekked up the terrain without trouble, as she did often. The Lacertaen made her way through the vines and brush until she made it to a clearing in the forest, the top of a cliff that overlooked the beach below. There a boy was waiting on a stump, his amber eyes locked onto her form long before she appeared from the brush.

“Took you long enough, don’t you think?” He teased, standing up now. His tone turned more serious, and a little sad, suddenly. “I’ve been waiting practically all day, Lavinias.”

“I’m sorry Mel. I was busy…” She knew the cover up was overused, and that in Melluvian’s eyes, family always came first. He was still young, though. She went over to him, and slapped him lightly on the cheek. “But you didn’t wait all this time to sulk—I know that. You came here to practice. On your feet, warrior.” Fighting would cheer him up. The boy smiled, unable to hide the excitement in finally being rewarded for waiting for his sister. In the end, the wait would be worth it. She was a good fighter—she should have been a warrior, not an engineer—and would help him become better. He was too small for his age to be considered the best warrior, and that was what he, and everyone in his class, strove to be.

Half an hour later, Melluvian was panting, while his sister had her arms folded across her chest. She walked over to the stump Mel had been sitting on before, and she took a seat this time with her back to him, inviting him to sit with her and look out at the seas and beach below “You’ve gotten better. Just make sure you dodge the blows you can’t effectively block. The other guys your age are bigger, so they can hit pretty hard.”

“Not as hard as you,” Mel said between breaths as he walked towards her. He sat next to her on the large trunk.

“Not yet, at least.” They were silent for a while after that, watching the clear blue waves wash into the sandy shore. Somewhere beneath the surface was the underwater city, Valia, but Lavinias had only been their once when she was younger. Perhaps she would visit it again sometime.

“Lavinias, will you come home again?”

Lavinias sighed. She guessed this was coming. “Mel, you know—”

“Melluvian, Lavinias. Why can’t you call me by the name you’re supposed to.” Melluvian was the name he was given by their parents for their family, and his closest friends, his future wife—a name of endearment for only those who deserved it—to use. Mel, though, was her own name for him—her own term of endearment for her younger brother.

“It means the same thing, Mel.”

“It doesn’t, though.”

“I’m telling you it does, to me. What’s the difference?” There was silence again. “You know why I can’t come home. Besides, I’m much too old to still be living with them.”

“They are still mad at you, you know. Hurt, actually. Linas, Lista, and Mom and Dad. They don’t understand what happened.” He paused, meeting her eyes. “I’m not mad. I just want to know why you did it. Linas says you were the best warrior in your class, and that you would be my teacher now if you didn’t give it up. He used to be jealous of you. I think he still is, though he never admits it. Why?”

Being a warrior on Lacertae was one of the highest statuses, below royalty, and Lavinias had grown up in the warrior culture. She had a natural talent for fighting, and with her rare mind abilities, she was even more formidable. Fighting had never satisfied her, or interested her. “Just because you are good at something, doesn’t mean it’s what you want to do, Mel. I am a good fighter, but I don’t love fighting. I love to invent things—that is what I want to do. I still am a warrior, just in a different way.” An illegal way. Although Lacertae society was technologically equal to the most advanced civilizations, the production and use of firearms was strictly prohibited. They used hand-to-hand combat. This was mostly for political reasons with the nearby Klingon threats. Politicians believed if they didn’t have guns, the Klingons would leave them alone. Lavinias, and others, were skeptical. “When you’re old enough to choose your own destiny, you will understand.”

“I hope so, because I don’t understand now.” Lavinias laughed at his toothy grin. He was still young. Perhaps he would be like her, an oddity, and choose something besides fighting. She put her arm around her brother, and squeezed him lightly. “I miss you…” The silence between them dissipated suddenly when the speed of sound entered their ears. The two stood, looking up to the sky. Lavinias’s burgundy eyes widened, taking in the scene of the fiery space craft hurling towards earth. “What’s that? Is it Klingon?” Mel’s voice was urgent, afraid.

“I don’t think so. But I’m not going to wait to find out.” Despite her brother calling out in protest, Lavinias moved swiftly through the leaves until she was on the beach, running through the sand towards where the enormous ship was crashing. She had always been curious, and protocol wasn’t something she thought about anymore now than she had when she was a warrior—that is, she was bad at taking orders and direction. There was a group already on the beach near the crash site, where something had emerged from the ship.

“A human. Not Klingon.” Not a threat.

“What’s he doing here?” Mel asked, catching up to his sister. She shrugged in response. Instead of paying much attention to him, her eyes were fixed on the figure. He said something in a language that was vaguely familiar to her, but the people he had addressed gave him blank stare. Earth languages were few and far between, but he was speaking the federation’s language “What are you doing?” Mel asked, alarmed, as his sister approached the group.

“Relax. We have to help him, don’t you think? They don’t understand him.” She didn’t really, either.

“Lavinias, I think we should wait for the Investigation Squad.” Too late. She had already moved through the group of Lacertaens towards the man.

She broke through the front line of confused citizens. The man—though he was only human—had an aura of power about him that should have appealed to her cautious side. “Be still, human,” she ordered him with the little English she knew. “I will help you.” With that, she closed the few feet left between them, leaving only a few inches of space to separate them. Before she indulged in the depth of his mind she paused. “What a strange creature you are,” she said, her words shaded by her own language. His skin was a light pallor she wasn’t used to, and his eyes—blue, like the water of the sea only yards away. He was taller than her by only a few inches. Fearlessly, the female lifted her hand and placed it on his forehead, as if checking for his temperature. In an instant, she transferred her language into his mind, and managed to refresh her mind on his. As soon as this was accomplished, Lavinias cut the connection their minds only briefly shared off, and removed her hand from his forehead. She stood, glancing at an unhappy Melluvian. “What?”

“Is there a rule out there that you don’t feel the need to break, Lavinias?” For being a young teen, Melluvian sounded awfully old for his age. She ignored her brother save for the icy look she momentarily gave him before turning to the man.

“Follow me, quickly” she told him. Farshus would be arriving in only moments, she was sure. “I’ll take you to our leaders, Khan. Call me Lavinias, if you wish. This is Melluvi—”

“You can call me Antras, human,” Mel said fiercely, his anger mostly towards his sister. She was breaking every damn rule in the book, and he wasn’t going to put up with it. She rolled her eyes at him, but his amber stare was firm and defiant. “Let’s go, before we get into more trouble than we already are.” Helping weak races that could risk the agreement of their treaty with the Klingons, giving them their intimate names—what next? Mel turned on his heel and headed up the sand.

“You heard the boy,” she said, raising an eyebrow before following her brother.


- -


The city of Lamentia was not too far away, though they had to travel from the beach, through some of the forest, up into a mountainous area. The change of scenery was fairly rapid, moving through the damp forest of purple hues to the greenish blue tint of grass that lead to the U-shaped mountains. Inside this the U was the city, full of black towering spires, seemingly cradled by the dark blue peaks the buildings were built into.

Lavinias and Melluvian’s boots crunched against the forest floor as they made their way through the thick forest grass. They had been mostly silent, but Lavinias felt a bit sorry for the human. Melluvian wouldn’t be happy about it, but she felt he should know a little about their society before they made it to the capital city. They had reached the edge of the forest now, and surprisingly the man had kept up with them fairly well. Lavinias stopped. “That’s the city of Lamentia, where the Council is. They will decide what to do with you. They will most likely not offer to help you." She began walking again, Mel a bit ahead of the two of them. “Lacertae has a what the Council deems a ‘good’ relationship with the Klingons—we cannot say the same for humans.” Her tone was bitter. What the council deemed ‘good’ was not her idea of good. “If the Klingons find out we are harboring one of their enemies, they may well attack us. Oh, and if you have any firearms, I suggest you throw them away. They are forbidden on this planet…” She trailed off, her tone hard. “Punishable by death, and worse. That’s how we keep the Klingons from attacking. No weapons, no threat.” But they were still formidable warriors, and if the Klingons wanted to attack Lacertae, it would not be easy for them.

The two Lacertaens weaved through the city with easy, leading Khan to the largest city, in the middle of the U of peaks even though it was buzzing with night excitement—the planet’s star, Fraxus, had long since set. Silvery light came from lamps on the streets woven into the stones of the mountains.

The council building was a tall, menacing spire, it’s tall peak an onyx spike. It gleamed in the silvery light that shone on it. Melluvian placed a hand on the stone, and the door opened as it recognized his identity. Lavinias hung back in the shadows of the entryway as Mel approached two dark-skinned, buff guards and spoke with them calmly. When had he grown up so much? He turned and waved for Khan to come forward. “State your case to the council—who you are and why you are here—keep your head up, make eye contact. The stronger you appear, the more respect you will gain,” Lavinias said to him in a hushed tone. If he could gain any respect. The Council had a reputation for making up their minds before testimonies. She watched him head towards her brother before slipping out the doors and leaning against the outside of the building.

As Khan entered the dim, blue-lit room, men and women dressed in similar clothing to Lavinias and Melluvian stared down at him from their seats. “Ah, the human. I see Lavinias got to you before Farshus. What a shame. Give us a reason not to kill you.” One of the voices spoke.



Saiytanya

Okay, this is super long. I hope you don't mind, and I hope in the very least it gives you some insight into Lavinias's character. That, and I hope it entertains you! (: I will work on Loki's post some tonight, but most likely finish it tomorrow ^^ I hope I'm doing him justice as well.

[T O X I C P A S T I C H E]

SECRETISSECRET
xxxxxx LOKI LAUFEYSON x§x BURDENED WITH GLORIOUS PURPOSE
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If Loki hadn’t been to Earth on business, and his mind wasn’t concerned with the task at hand, swirling with the thoughts of possibility, he may have taken the time to enjoy the lush green vibrancy of the hills of the English countryside. Then again, Loki would never admit to anyone the odd majesty the Earth had potential to possess, so he wouldn’t have admitted any real thoughts he had of beauty to anyone, anyway. The cottage in the distance was quaint, but they made their way towards it with haste, Odin-Loki leading the way. His gait was one of urgency as seen from the outside, but on the inside it was one of pure curiosity and desire to find the truth behind Odin’s secrets. This couldn’t be where they had been living their entire lives, surely. It was serene, but nothing for an Asgardian. So this was how Odin treated his most loyal followers.

The Valkyrie woman followed swiftly behind, though made sure to open the door for Odin when they made it to the door of the cottage. The group was about to enter when a voice reached them—the voice was feminine no doubt, but much older than Loki could have expected. Sure enough, he turned to see the face of a fellow Asgardian woman, dressed and pretending she was a human, because her mind had been shielded from the truth. She knew no better. Loki was shocked, though Odin’s appearance did not change—his look stayed grim and serious—but the would-be-king stopped in his tracks. When he heard that the Valkyrie’s daughter had an eroding mind block, he had assumed that he was going to meet a child—one who he could easily pry information from without the others knowing. This woman, she was no child. A calm outrage filled his veins. How long had she been in Midgard? How many years had she been wasting away?

“Kara, I thought you were inside?” The Mother could not hide the concern for her daughter in her voice, though she was trying. “It’s no matter. It’s not a costume party either, darling. It’s more of a…” She turned to Odin for help, unsure of what to say. Loki gave the Valkyrie a slight nod of understanding, and set his gaze upon the woman.

His words were lost momentarily. The King wished he could only say that it was her beauty that had taken his speech from him, but it was something much more. Red hair, ivory skin, green eyes that Loki thought he would have forgotten rather easily, but yet memories were flooding his mind as if the dam of his unconsciousness had not control over his thoughts. A visitor, long ago, had been allowed to stay at the castle for a short time—it had been a young girl, Loki’s age, and her mother, a Valkyrie. The mother, he had not been able to recognize, but this was the girl, now a woman, there was no doubt in his mind. For a split moment, it appeared to Loki that the woman was looking through his guise, at Loki—as if she were addressing the real him. ‘Interesting. What are you hiding,’ he thought, squinting at her through his guise. He must have been imagining that she was looking at him—unless she knew his magic, it was close to impossible. “I’m sorry, child,” Odin spoke, “I’m afraid we have never met. But it’s never to late to make a friend.”

“Come inside, Kara. I’ve brought people to help with the issues you’ve been having lately.” The mother ushered the group inside, and her daughter as well.

They were led to a small room, that was crowded with the four of them inside. Eyes were left on Odin, expectant eyes, once everyone had settled in. “Why don’t you leave me and Kara alone, for a bit. I feel I owe her answers, and it would suit us better to be left alone,” he said, giving the mother a gentle smile. It will be okay, it told her. She nodded, and she exited the room with the healers. Once the doors were shut, Odin-Loki turned his sights on Kara. He lowered his voice. “I need you to remember. Everything. You’ve been kept from the truth far too long. You should be on Asgard, not stuck here with the humans.” He looked at her, Odin’s face showing gentle encouragement, while his own expression was distant, if anything. “Can you do that?”

[Saiytanya]

At her mother's prompting, Kara joined them in the sitting room. The furniture in this room looked like it was from the Victorian era with delicately carved wooden frames and colorful floral upholstery. A curio cabinent sat nestled in a corner with tiny glass animals and a beautiful tea set displayed. There were modern touches of coarse with blinds on the windows and wood floors, and a small radio sitting on a side table. There was the clatter of feet as every on entered and the small low hanging chandelier almost hit the taller Asgardian male.

When the man urged the others out Kara simply watched him intently. He was wrong; something about him was off. Either that or her mind was playing tricks. It seemed as if he were two people in one. A one eyed old man and a handsome younger man in green. He kept switching between the two randomly, sometimes he was both at once. It was making her feel a bit disoriented. Her mind seemed to be trying to sort out the insanity she was seeing.

She squinted at him like a nearsighted person trying to read a highway sign as he spoke to her. She was so distracted by his changing appearance she barely heard what he was saying. Even his voice shifted from that of a gravelly old man to that of a smooth talking younger man. She was beginning the think she'd gone 'round the bend. Whatever was causing this, whatever strange thing was causing this, it needed to get fixed sooner rather than later. It was freaking her out.

As he fell silent, waiting for her to respond she shook her head, "I'm sorry, I didn't hear a word you just said. Who are you?" She wasn't trying to be rude, she was just trying to get answers. Her voice was clearly confused with a hint of her disorientation mixed in.

This was all so strange to her. Couldn't she go back to a normal life? Back to college and combat exercise's with her mother every day. Yet, it seems as though this had all happened before. She was seriously having a case of deja vu. The visions were of her memories flooding back and Edgar doing something to her head. Edgar had tried to do something this time but it hadn't seemed to work. This person had never come before, her mother had never left to bring in others. At least, she didn't think she had, the memories were still broken; bits and pieces of a larger whole.

Asgard, it was the one word that stood out. Asgard. The very word sent her mind reeling and suddenly in her mind there was a boy, a dark haired boy. She was seeing visions again. There was a boy some bigger boys were surrounding. The next thing she knew she was on top of one of them and holding him down. Brother...the boy she was holding down, her brother? Kara didn't have any brothers...did she? This was freaking out, was this a memory or just the visions of a mad woman. It was really starting to make her angry. Who was the boy...L....it started with an L.

"Odin? No, that's not right...Lll...Llll...something 'L'. Well, whoever you are, please choose how you want to look because your shifting appearance is making me nauseous." She spoke with certainty through a confused expression. Although she looked like she was about to pass out.

T O X I C P A S T I C H E

So, I had this beautiful post for Khan done but my iPod ate it so I'm having to rewrite it. I will try to get it done tonight, at the very latest you will get it tomorrow. ^.^ But I wanted to at least give you something today.

[T O X I C P A S T I C H E]

SECRETISSECRET
xxxxxx LOKI LAUFEYSON x§x BURDENED WITH GLORIOUS PURPOSE
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Loki’s emotionless stare turned into one of confusion underneath the illusion of Odin. She was looking at him with squinted eyes, as if she was scrutinizing every detail of Odin—Loki felt a disconcerting notion that Kara was scrutinizing him deep in his soul, but he quickly discarded the idea as ridiculous. She knew not his magic, and therefore could not be able to see through his guise. There was no need for him to worry. Instead of taking the intense studying as a hint that perhaps his perfected art of shrouding himself was not as full proof as he thought, he took the woman’s gaze as a good sign. Perhaps she was squinting at him because she was trying to remember who Odin was, or because she did remember him, and she could not believe that she was looking at the king of Asgard.

But there was something off putting about the scaring that made him wary. She looked scared and uncomfortable. Did she fear Odin? Was he not being gentle enough with his words? The thoughts perplexed him and made him feel more impatient than he already was. This is what happened to Asgardians who were left on earth to rot—they did not even allow themselves to believe their memories, or the truth set before them.

He waited for her to speak. When she did, her tone was one of confusion. What she conveyed would have been enough to send him reeling in frustration, if not for the calmness of her answer and the recognizable tone in her voice. It was a distant feeling, but Loki knew he knew her. She was a mystery from the past that part of him longed to figure out. Collecting his patience, Loki started again. “I am Odin, young lady. King of Asgard.” He smiled at her. Loki even added a twinkle in the deceased King’s good eye for good measure, hoping it would make her feel more comfortable. “Surely you remember me from you visit so long ago, Kara,” he said, hoping to draw forth memories hidden within the woman’s memory.

“Asgard. Do you remember it, Kara? No, I’m sure the barrier in your mind has kept you ignorant of its glory. Otherwise you would not bear to be here.” Loki’s words were laced with spite for Earth, but Odin’s were gentle and encouraging. “It is a place that’s beauty surpasses that of this world beyond imagination. Bathed in the light of day our city looks to be made of gold, while nightfall leaves it to look serene and silvery. I let you stay in my castle once, when you were very young. Have you not yearned to return to the place of your birth, Kara?”

Loki thought for sure this would procure memories from the woman. He was not prepared for what she threw at him next. Her words made him take a step back band he opened his mouth in surprise, as if to say something, but closed it almost immediately. Not only was she still puzzled by his appearance, she was suggesting that she could see through his mirage. She demanded that he tell her the truth.

Why tell, when it was so much easier to show?

Loki smirked, eagerly complying. Somehow Kara could see through his tricks, and it made the situation much more intriguing. If he was perfectly honest, it suited her much better to be visited by the new king than the old one. “Well, well, well, this is interesting, is it not, Kara?” he said, his voice as unmasked now as his appearance, and his tone sly, sultry, and amused all at once. “How is it that you, of all people, can see my true form? Loki is the name you seek to remember. Does that bring forth any memories of Asgard?” His tone turned suddenly serious, and low, so as not to let any of the others in the house hear him. “Why were you sent here, Kara? Do not be afraid. I am here to set you free—to help you. Odin has kept you hidden for far too long for me to ignore you. What gifts do you possess? You must remember. Break the barrier that has been infused in your mind, Kara. You are not human, you are of Asgard, the daughter of a Valkyrie. You are a God to the humans on this miserable planet.”

[Saiytanya]

Khan's eyes looked over the blank faces that stared at him. Of coarse, with the ship in ruins there was no computer to translate his language for them. What a bother. Taking a few short steps forward he was about to attempt another form of communication when a young woman came through the crowd. He was rather impressed by her bravery as she approached him with no fear. The rest of the crowd hung back like frightened sheep hiding behind their shepard.

She spoke his language at first as she neared him, then a few words on her own. Her language was unknown to him but his intelligence was as such that if she continued to speak, he could learn it quickly. When she reached up to touch him his hands shot up to grab her wrist, his eyes never leaving hers. For a few moments he stared at her. There was something unusual on her eyes, something Khan had not seen for centuries; sincerity.

Slowly, he released her hand and allowed her to do what she was planning. As her language flooded into his mind he smirked slightly. "That was unnecessary, but so be it," he said simply.

As she went to introduce the boy and he shot her down, Khans eyes shifted toward him. There was a dead calm in his pale blue eyes, an almost terrifying calm. A calm that clearly told the boy that if the child tried to attack him, Khan would not go down with ease. He said nothing, words were not needed. Instead he turned with purpose to follow to young woman. He didn't fear an attack from behind. He knew he could take the boy should he try.

As they moved through the forest, Khan wasn't even breaking a sweat as he followed the young woman with purpose. His body was still perfectly fit from the Eugenics war. Locked up or not, he had continued his exercise regime, knowing, that eventually, he'd have his chance to break free. Lo and behold, he was provided that chance, twice. The second time, by Kirk. Kirk still occupied his thoughts for the time being, Kirk and that pointy eared b*****d.

He had to admit, there was a certain beauty in their planet. It had been a long time since he'd been able to admire or enjoy the natural beauty of anything. When he was being coerced into designing the ship for the admiral, he hadn't exactly been allowed to wander as he pleased.

Khan couldn't help but admire the female, Lavinias, her name was; not only for her bravery and the odd talent she had, but for her stamina as they trekked through the forest. He was certain now that he had chosen the right planet to land on. If it's people where half as resilient as her, they would make good subjects for enhancement. There would be casualties of coarse, but it would be for the greater good. Those that did not survive enhancements simply were't strong enough. It would not be easy, convincing people of his cause but Khan was as clever as he was ruthless.

He once ruled half of Earth in his day. He was a great leader; strong, unchallenged, benevolent to those who deserved his kindness, cruel to those who did not. He was a marvel...he still was only no one on this tiny planet knew it. If only his people, his family were here beside him. If one thing could be said about him from allies and enemies alike it was that he was loyal to those whom he cared for. His blood began to boil again at the thought of it. Losing those you hold most dear was the most painful thing one could ever experience. That damned Vulcan. He would suffer. Oh, how he would suffer.

Even now, Khan was formulating a plan, his mind sped through every possible scenario; every way he could go about it. As they wove through the streets of the city he memorized the path in case he would find the need to retrace his steps. Even though the ship would probably never fly again, it was equipped with fighter ships that he could take if the situation called for it. But there was no telling; new planet, new people, new rules.

As they stopped outside the building, Khan tilted his head to one side, it was beautifully menacing. As the woman spoke to him he turned to face her. Confidence would not be a problem for him. Khan exuded confidence from every pore, perhaps that was his greatest failing However, one of his greatest benefit was his ability to plan for every eventuality.

Khan nodded only once to the young woman, "Your assistance will not be forgotten." Khan always repaid his debts...how, however, varied depending on if he considered the person in question worthy. He turned then and entered the chamber. Khan took note of every guard, every possible exit and weapon; he3 carried no weapons of his own. If he had to fight his way out, weapon or not, he could. He was, after all, created to be a weapon. However, if this went well, he wouldn't need to.

He took a few short steps forward as they called for him to speak. "I am Khan. I am not a part of the Federation. I am a superior human of an age long past and my only desire is to help. The Federation has instigated war with the Klingons. The Klingons are coming and your planet will not be safe from them. Your planet is rife with minerals used in Klingon weapons. They will want to seize your planet and they will strip it dry. I..." His steel blue eyes met with the man who looked like he was the head of the council, " ... am your only hope. I have l knowledge of advanced technology that could improve not only the strength of your people, but of your weaponry and defense. I am willing to share this technology with you and all I ask in return is sanctuary from the Federation." His eyes shifted to another member of the council, he held no doubts in his stance. Very movement was precise. If they were warriors they would easily wee that he was too. "I know you have no reason to believe me. But if you will listen to the Klingon subspace transmissions I am confident you will find my words true. Until you are able to confirm I offer myself as your prisoner. I will submit to whatever tests you deem necessary. I assure you, however, I am not one to accept failure."

Khan was patient, he knew the Klingons were outraged, he had made certain of that. He had killed an entire squad of Klingons on his own and the Federation would get blamed for it. The Federation technology he had left behind would make certain of that. The Federation and the Klingons were headed for war and it was all the better for him. As they squabbled, their strength would weaken and leave them ripe for conquest when Khan was ready. The Klingons meant nothing to him, but they were a threat, and the Federation with all their righteous preaching ways. They all deserved to die. Only those Khan deemed worthy would be permitted to live...like the woman outside...Khan allowed a silence to cross the room, waiting for their response. He was ready to defend himself if he needed to , but if his words had done their job, things would go his way.

[T O X I C P A S T I C H E]

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XXX

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▉▉▉▉▉xxxxx★xxxxx ❨ Lavinias Anona ❩ ↙ ↙ xxxxxxxxxxxx
I'm friends with the monster that's under my bed;
get along with the voices inside of my head - -
You're trying to save me...stop holdin' your breath.
And you think I'm crazy? Yah, you think I'm crazy.
Well, that's nothing.

“My assistance…?” Lavinias let the question roll off her tongue, pondering, as the human entered the Council Building. She folded her arms. “What an interesting creature he is,” she told Melluvian. In response, Mel merely rolled his eyes.

“They’ll be asking for you next, if you aren’t careful Lavinias.”

“Like I haven’t heard that before.”


—


At first, it was blatant that less than half the council was prepared to listen to any words the young—at least compared to them—human specimen had to say. They suspected nothing he could say would change their opinion on what had to be done with him. And yet, at Khan’s first words, he had the Council’s attention. Murmurs traveled through their line, like orders through the ranks of soldiers. Not of the Federation, but still human—but not just a human, a superhuman. His point was made unmute when he spoke so intelligently of their planet. Not very many species, let alone humans, knew much about the minerals on their planet, or what relation they had with the Klingon weapons. They watched the way he moved, so precise and in form, not unlike a warrior might in their own ranks. The Council heard him. They listened. Some, however, still found him amusing.

An old female member of the Council let out a raspy laugh. “Khan, you think you know much. You know more than the average human. We may not have the most technological weapons of the day, but that does not mean we are incapable of constructing them. We have studied human weaponry, as well as Klingon, and can easily duplicate both if need be. But we are not under threat of war with the Klingons. We are under a treaty of peace that has been enacted for years now. Why would they turn against it so easily? If they found out a human was on our soil, alive, why then they might see that as treason. We have no use for you here.” There were some nods of approval at the woman’s words.

Before Khan could defend himself, another member of the Council voiced his own opinion, his tone a bark. “Cecilia, have the Klingons ever been trusted really? We have a human on our doorstep, the race the Klingons despise the most, saying they are preparing for war. They will break their treaty without a second thought. We can fend them off either way, but why not do it with more ease, if we have the opportunity?” This procured grunts of approval.

The Council, at a standstill, began to argue the pros and cons of both sides of the argument. After a short deliberation, they had come to a decision, favoring giving Khan a chance. The Head of the Council, a younger man, stood and announced the decree to the man below the platform of the Council. “We have come to a decision Khan. We will give you a chance to expand our knowledge with your own. We still will not break the treaty with the Klingons first, however.” That meant no weapon making. They had become a better society without firearms. “If your information is vital, we will build you a ship to your liking for your safe travels home. If we find it useless, we will have no choice but to execute you. We will place you in the care of Lavinias Anona in the meantime.” The Council was one hundred percent sure that the person who found Khan had to be Lavinias if it hadn’t been Farshas. She was the only one who would dare. This gave them the opportunity to have a tighter lock on the trouble maker, though. As long as she was with the human, she couldn’t do anything bad without risking revealing her participation in outlawed activities, which they hoped she couldn’t resist—she always had a knack for getting in trouble. "Do you accept this offer?" Or should they kill him now? It was his choice.

[Saiytanya]

Khan stood like a statue as the council broke into debate but on the inside he was laughing. He had expected such a disagreement. It was typical of any political body when faced with a decision they knew would affect the future of their people. He found the whole thing rather amusing to watch. At the older woman's suggestion that they didn't need the knowledge he possessed because they could reproduce Federation and Klingon technology on their own Khan inwardly scoffed, only a smirk showing on the surface. Not even the Federation had his level of technology before they woke him. He was several notches above genius. Granted, they hadn't even had his level of technology aside from genetic manipulation in his time, but, a few days of catching himself up with their current technology and he had all the knowledge he needed to take the Federation far and beyond the other races of the galaxy. When Khan said he was a superior human, it was not out of vanity, simply fact. He was made to be better and best. If he got permission Khan would make these people better as well. Although, "permission" was a very loose way of stating it.


Khan listened carefully to every word, every thing he learned in this room would be vital; how the dynamics of the Council worked, who had contention against who, who his potential allies could be and most importantly, who his potential enemies would be. Khan habitually watched his back, even in the company of those he called allies. Were his crew still alive, they would watch his back for him, however... Well circumstances were what they were. Regardless, it was always best to be prepared, particularly in unknown surroundings.


As the discussion finally whittled down Khan turned to face the head of the council. He listened with his usual calm expression. When the man finished Khan gave a slow, measured nod, "I accept your terms." Execution, however, would not be so easy as they seemed to think. Far more of their people would die at his hands than they would at the hands of the Klingons if they dared try. It certainly wasn't something he'd announce, however. The most pleasing bit of this arraignment was that the woman who had found him would be the one...'caring' for him. He found her acceptable for that role.


Once given the go ahead, Khan turned and left the room. Outside he stopped and looked at Lavinias, "I believe they want to speak to you." He told the young woman smoothly, "You've been put in charge of my looking after."


He waited then, for them to have whatever conversation with the woman that they desired, likely about keeping a close eye on him and making sure he didn't do anything suspicious. Whatever the case, he had much to get done. They would need to provide him with a space to work, they knew that. There would likely be guards posted. As long as they didn't get in his way he would tolerate them. Everything was going to plan. They would search subspace communications for the relevant Klingon messages, and Khan had no doubt they would be found and they things would change. If the Klingons came, Khan would defend them. He would do what he needed to earn their trust, such was his way.


When the woman finally came out Khan turned to look at her calmly, his cool blue eyes focusing on her face. He politely waited for her to speak. He guessed she might be upset having to babysit him, but he couldn't know for sure, so he would just wait for her to voice her thoughts.

[Saiytanya]

The moment Loki's guise dropped so did Kara's squint. Loki, of coarse. She remembered that name. The darker haired little boy from the castle. Is that what these were? Memories? So all those things she kept seeing; the sparkling spires, the small room with windows to other worlds, they were real? But then, she wasn't human? She was...Asgardian? Daughter of a Valkyrie. Her mother was a Valkyrie. That explained her obsession with combat training every day. That and many other things were beginning to make sense. That boy who was teasing the dark-haired boy, he was her brother, she had two, but only he had already lived there, training to be one of the Royal Guard. But then he said the name...


"Loki..." Kara smiled faintly, "Yes, I remember you. You got mad at me for protecting you," She couldn't help but chuckle lightly, "because I was a girl.That's what you told me." Her eyes turned to meet his, locking on with a serious gaze, "but I told you, "I am a Valkyrie in training, it is my duty to protect you."" Her gaze turned aside as she seemed to drift off into thought, "What happened next...I don't...I don't quite remember."


Suddenly, the room around them became distorted. The walls twisted and turned as they began to slowly vanish. The movement was enough to make even the strongest stomach do a few flips. All, the while a blueish glowing substance seemed to shift and flow through her veins. "What's happening?" Her voice echoed around them as their surroundings melted and they found themselves standing in a courtyard. A very particular courtyard that Loki would likely recognize immediately. It was his home, after all. She looked at Loki then, "Is this your doing?"


It was then she noticed her glowing veins. No, this had to be her, or rather, whatever this blue stuff inside her was. How was it doing this? Was this...her mind was a bit fuzzy, as if something were trying to block her from remembering.


"Call yourself a prince?" A young boy's voice was heard across the courtyard, "Just because you're Odin's son? But you can't even swing a hammer! You use magic like some weakling girl!"


Kara's eyes shifted to the scene on the other side of the courtyard. Three taller and rather strong looking boys in practice gear stood in front of a dark haired and much smaller looking boy. There was a combat practice ring just behind them where several other groups of boys had been sparring. Now, the other boys seemed to be breaking away to witness what was happening.


"You're brother's a far better warrior." The taller boy scoffed, "you might as well be a princess."


Behind him, the other groups of boys were laughing. "Yeah, go to dance lessons, Princess!" One of the boys called out. The boy in the forefront leaned forward toward the young Loki, "Aw, you gonna cry Princess? You could never beat me without your girly magic and you know it."


"Go on, Loki." The one adult in the crowd shouted, with the same demeaning tone as the boy, "See if you can prove him wrong."


Kara couldn't help but get annoyed watching this go on. Especially that fact that there was an adult, the boys' trainer, in the crowd as well and he was doing nothing to stop it, even encouraging it. Maybe it was just her Earth morals, but it just didn't seem right to just stand by and let a bunch of boys pick on someone. Why was she even seeing this? Of all the memories she might have of Asgard, why this? Was it because of Loki, since he was here, or...maybe because this was the start of her last week home? How could she remember that? Maybe this was helping, bringing back memories. Although she still felt it was still all rather fantastic; hard to believe.

The older boy laughed again, "Yeah, Princess Loki, come on and show me." With that he gave the smaller boy a shove that was hard enough to knock him onto the ground. "Or you gonna just go crying to mommy?" The two boys behind him looked like they were ready to jump in on the action at a moments notice. Even if young Loki could somehow defeat this one boy, without magic, Kara seriously doubted he could defeat all three.

T O X I C P A S T I C H E

Hey, sorry it took longer than expected, this week has been crazy. But, I thought it might be fun to do a little flashback. Poor mini-Loki, lol. As a note, they can't been seen or touched. ^.^

[T O X I C P A S T I C H E]

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XXX

█████████████████████████████████████████████████ XXX❤

▉▉▉▉▉xxxxx★xxxxx ❨ Lavinias Anona ❩ ↙ ↙ xxxxxxxxxxxx
I'm friends with the monster that's under my bed;
get along with the voices inside of my head - -
You're trying to save me...stop holdin' your breath.
And you think I'm crazy? Yah, you think I'm crazy.
Well, that's nothing.

“Excellent,” the Head of Council replied, though his deep voice seemed less relieved and more intrigued if anything, as if he was expecting Khan to break down. Instead, Khan was rising to the occasion. The human was not fazed. He stood stalk straight, he made eye contact, and he even had a smile—a small one, but still a smile. Interesting. “Do us a favor, Khan, and send Lavinias into us. We wish to speak with her before releasing you into her…responsible hands.” He spat the second to last word at Khan, eyeing the human with an unreal ferocity, suggesting that Lavinias was anything but responsible.

Lavinias was surprised when the man came out, unharmed, unafraid, and speaking in an even tone. She looked at him intently, intensely for a few moments of silence, searching for something she could did not find: fear. Something she also lacked when facing the Council. Perhaps she could get along with this human, if he managed to stay alive. “I figured as much,” she said, relieving the wall from the burden of bearing the weight of her lean body leaning against it. “They always want to speak with me,” she muttered. She had already started her way towards the entrance when Khan added that she was in charge of looking after him. She stopped, taking the bit of information in before she entered the council building. Shocking didn’t begin to explain the information that had just been fed to her. They had picked her]? Of all the choices. Uncertain of what the Council had planned, Lavinias cleared the confusion from her features and entered the Council building.

Lavinias had never liked the building, let alone the people inside. The room was dark and the Council was seated on a balcony above the main floor, a constant reminder that they were the authority. Lavinias immediately felt the gaze of all the Council members on her, but she met the eyes of only one. Zellain. He was the head of the council, ten years older than Lavinias but still considered young. His skin was dark, as were his hair and eyes. “You wanted to speak with me?” Lavinias asked, sounding rather bored. She was sure Zellain was going to deliver some sort of lecture about her lack of care when dealing with other species.

“Yes, Lavinias Anona. We are placing the care of Khan in your hands.”

“Yeah, he told me that already.”

Zellain glared, clearly annoyed at her impatience. “Your disrespect will not help you if you come into trouble in the future, Lavinias." His eyes were hard, cold, and punishing. Lavinias felt a flicker of fear ignite in her chest. She stood up straighter. "I wanted to personally warn you that any rule that man breaks, you will be held equally responsible for. Likewise, any law you are caught undermining, he will also feel the consequences of your foolery. Don’t let him out of your sight, if you do not expect to be punished. And if he dies, his death is on your hands. Do you understand?”

Ah. Lavinias understood now. They would be keeping an extra careful eye on her now, and they were using him as an excuse. They were using him as an incentive for her to stop whatever they thought she was doing. To change her path. “I understand, Councilman Zellain. Is that all?” She folded her hands across her chest and pursed her lips, waiting.

Grudgingly, Zellain moved his lips instead of his fist. Oh how he would have loved to punch her in the face. “Yes. We will keep Khan’s schedule up to date with you. That is all. Leave our presence.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Lavinias said. She turned and exited, making her way back out to where Khan was waiting for him. There was a part of her that expected Khan to be gone, but the more sound part of her told her he wasn’t a normal human, and that he would wait for her. And he had. Lavinias looked around. Mel was gone, back home, she assumed. Light was slowly dissipating as night gained on them, and darkness, save for the lamps and what moonlight and starlight was visible tonight, would overcome day soon. The streets were mostly empty, she expected, because of the crash on the beach. Lacertaens were either on the crash site, or unaffected by the event completely. Lavinias sighed. What had she gotten herself into? She wasn’t sure what was going to happen from here on out, but she knew she had to follow through.

She looked back to Khan, whose eyes were still locked onto her form, calm and expectant. She met his gaze, and gave him a twitch of one corner of her mouth, a shadow of an unruly smile. This could be fun, too. “It’s getting pretty late. I’ll show you to my place.” No doubt the Council expected her to leave him outside in the cold to fend for himself—to prove he could not attain warrior status when put against the bitterly cold nights. The first test a Lacertaen warrior ever had was against nature. “Come on.”

They headed up the marble stairs, hiking up them past the lower landings and pathways until they made it to the second to last landing. “So what did you tell them?” Lavinias asked her companion, turning left on the landing onto one of the streets. She stopped at one black buildings of black glass, reflecting the moonlight. “It must have been impressive if you came out alive.”



Saiytanya

I love Kara's post. I will be working on Loki's response today, and probably finish it sometime tomorrow (:

[T O X I C P A S T I C H E]

SECRETISSECRET
xxxxxx LOKI LAUFEYSON x§x BURDENED WITH GLORIOUS PURPOSE
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It was clear from her change of expression that there was some sort of magical capabilities within Kara that allowed her to see falseness in Loki’s illusions. She looked at him with wide eyes instead of squinting through his elusive magical wall. Although Loki was happy to be rid of his Odin guise, it was somewhat troubling to know that the woman could see through his magic, and not know why or how. He wanted to know now, but he could tell that Kara did not understand herself quite what was going on. Either that, or she thought that her abilities should be obvious. She was ignorant in both cases, of what her real power could be.

Loki realized suddenly, that this must be the cause behind her mind block. Whatever power she possessed, Odin saw it as too dangerous to be worthwhile. So dangerous that not even Kara herself could see that she withheld something powerful inside of her. She would not be able to give him any answers while the memory block was still in place. Loki had two choices then. He could either force the healer he had brought from Asgard to lift the mind block, or he could try and coax the memories out of Kara’s mind. He had already started with the latter, and it appeared to be working little by little. He would see how it played out, and base his further decisions on the results.

As Kara took in what he said, Loki clasped his hands together behind his back and paced slowly about the room, waiting as patiently as he could muster. This was great, whatever he was about to discover in Kara. It would certainly be of use to him as King—if only she would remember. A troubled look furrowed Loki’s brow as he moved cautiously about the room. What if Kara couldn’t remember? This visit would be a waste of his time, and he wouldn’t be able to let the Valkyrie or her daughter live, for she could see through his guise.

His doubt and troubled look were both washed away when Kara finally responded. She was remembering, even smiling at whatever he had procured out of her. Loki raised his brow, wondering what she could be remember of him that was so pleasing as to grace her lips with a smile. However, what she said after the recognition only got her a harsh look, despite her laughter. “Is it,” he replied questioningly, feeling indignant. “I don’t recall.” Any memories that he felt emerging in his mind, he pushed away. There was no time for silly childhood memories. He quickly shook the uncalled for stinging pride from his expression. He needed to be gentle and suave with Kara, just as he had sweet-talked his way through many experiences before. If he was patient and she was willing, he could coax the memories from her. “Don’t let the memories recede,” Loki encouraged her with his soft, soothing voice. “They have been hidden from you out of treachery. You must focus to remember, Kara. It will be worth the struggle.”

What happened next was inexplicable. Loki felt as if he was body was frozen in time while the room lurched forward, spinning, swirling, and spiraling out of recognizable shapes as the scenery changed around him. Until he was no longer in a house. “This magic is foreign to me, Kara.” It had to be coming from her. That was the one thing he was certain of, if not because he was not doing it, then because her glowing veins surely had some connection to whatever was happening to the room—why else would they be glowing? Veins aside, this must be, in part, whatever talent she possessed. He was unsure what exactly was happening, but he was certain he couldn’t do much to stop it. “I am doing nothing. This is your doing,” he replied to her, a gentle, but pointed look contorting the features of his face. Distraught look quickly took over, though, for he felt his stomach was swirling as much as the room.

Despite his uneasy stomach, Loki was thrilled that he had managed to successfully extract a reaction of power out of the woman. “Remember. That’s all you have to do,” Loki continued, his voice barely above a whisper. It appeared that somehow they had reached Asgard through whatever Kara had done. The lush grass of the training courtyard was unmistakable. He straightened himself out, finding that he had hunched in a protective manner as the room transformed, and was about to turn and encourage her more when someone spoke. A boy’s words drifted into his ears.

An odd sensation filled Loki, and he swirled around quickly. He had heard those words before. He had heard them and he had experienced them before. This was not Asgard—it was a figment of Asgard from the past, like a memory or dream? How did Loki know? He had swiveled only to find a younger version of himself surrounded by three stronger, older boys. Ridicule. Pain. Fear. Anger. Pride. Resilience. Loki felt like a hopeful dream was going horribly wrong. The rush of emotions of reliving this memory touched him, unmistakable. The man felt unguarded and exposed suddenly, his expression reflecting the helpless looking situation before them.

Shame. The taunts echoed the feeling inside the younger Loki. He wanted to defend himself, but the boys’ words were quick and snapping. They had never listened to him, anyway—they made fun of him for his eloquent speeches as well. Everything was an outlet for them. There was no escape, especially not now, when the boys from other groups were surrounding the scene, laughing at the jokesters. The young Loki searched for Thor, his eyes sweeping the other boys. He was nowhere. ‘You can’t always be relying on him,’ the boy thought, another surge of shame running through him. His eyes turned wild with anger. They treated Thor with respect, but never Loki—he was a prince, just like his brother! They should respect him too. Tears of frustration were welling up in the boys eyes, but he would not let them fall.

"Aw, you gonna cry Princess? You could never beat me without your girly magic and you know it."

The older Loki looked away, towards the ground, a forlorn pain registering in his features as he realized how close this memory was to how he was now. It was not that he was weak—he had grown too much in his spite to be acknowledged as weak—but rather that he would be treated no differently today if he revealed himself as King of Asgard. The people despised him. He still had everything to prove to them, even after he had sacrificed everything for the better of his realm. So was the Asgardians’ view of the Frostgiant spawn. He had always been treated as lesser, even when the world didn’t know he was Laufey’s son.

Loki’s eyes returned to the scene as the younger version of himself was shoved. Young Loki stumbled backwards, tripping and falling on his butt. Vengeance burned in his heart as he scrambled to his feet. “I can beat you. I’ll show you all.” As strong as the young boy was trying to be, there was a shaking in his voice that did not mask his uncertainty or fear.

Lost in the memory but yearning to escape, Loki addressed Kara. “Is this helping you remember?” he asked her, his voice low and somber. “I think not. We both know what happens next, Kara. Try and think of something that you could never explain. Something that is fuzzy, hidden. What happened after this that you can’t remember? Focus on that.” There was almost a pleading in Loki’s tone that he hated to hear emit in his voice.



Saiytanya

I didn't want to add too much to the memory since it's Kara's xP I tried to focus on his emotions as a boy and as an adult watching the past before his eyes c:

[Saiytanya]

Khan stood outside the building waiting, taking this time to look around at the city around them. The architecture here was unique, like most new cultures, it had it's own flair. The few people he saw looked at him like the stranger he was and Khan merely looked back with a stoic expression. His body was unmoving but his eyes followed each person as they passed. These people were strongly built, that much he could tell. They should easily be able to withstand the procedures, however, looks could be deceiving. Khan appeared to not notice the boy leaving just as the sun was beginning to set, but he did. Where he was off too, Khan didn't really care, he suspected he would see the boy again.

It was then that Lavinias returned, Khan's eyes turned to her, his strong form moving to follow his eyes. He didn't seem to be bothered by the quickly cooling air as she spoke to him. At her command to follow, he smirked and turned to obey. With brisk, long strides he followed closely behind her as they climbed the string of stairs. Khan found it a bit odd, that he was to be staying with her. He had assumed there would certain accommodations considering what he had offered to do. But then, he was reminded that this was a completely different culture to what he was used to. It made sense that things would not be what he was used to. These were not humans.

At her question he paused, a faint smirk growing on his lips. "I merely told them the truth; that they were ill prepared for what lay just beyond your space and that I could help them." He glanced at the building they stopped at, these people sure like black an awful lot, before looking back at her, "The Klingons and the Federation are on the brink of war, and when the blood shed begins, your planet will be vulnerable." He tilted his head to one side, "They didn't seem to care for you much." He changed the subject with a smirk. "Their tone of voice when speaking of you was... laced with disdain."

His eyes shifted again to the building, "Is this your home?" He waited fo her to invite him into her home, he may have been a blood thirsty tyrant, but he knew very well when to be a gentleman and he needed her to like him. He had a feeling that she in all her mystery and the disdain the Council seemed to have for her would end up being a powerful ally if only he could sway her to his cause. Khan was patient, he could play what ever games needed to be played to get the pieces placed where they needed to be on the board. It was also that ability of hers, the one that had given him instant knowledge of her language, he wanted to learn more about it, wanted to see her use it again. Things couldn't be playing out more perfectly.

[Saiytanya]

Kara couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for the man. Even now this whole thing seemed to bother him and why wouldn't it, it was terrible to watch even from a third person perspective. That poor boy. She watched the older Loki as his face turned away from the scene. She wasn't about to bring it up, however, it wouldn't be proper and she well understood how men were about embarrassing moments. They tended to get hostile. Still though, she wished there was something she could do, but she couldn't control this... could she?

When he turned to her with a pleading tone to think of something else she gave a forlorn smile. "I don't know if I..."

"Come on princess!" The bigger boy teased, "You gonna do something about it?" This all seemed like Deja vu to her, watching all of this. The older boy and his two cohorts surrounded the boy. "Come on, fight!" With those words the older boy gave the young prince a hard jabb to the side. "Fight me!" The surrounding crowd grew rowdier as the boys hooted a hollered, slinging insults at the young prince.

"Druian!" A young girl's voice broke through the commotion from behind Kara and Loki.

Kara turned to see her younger self in apprentice Valkyrie garb. It was strange, looking down on ones younger self. She could see how it must have been strange for Loki too. The young girl before them looked absolutely furious, her bright green eyes looking straight through older Kara and Loki as if they weren't even there. Instead they were locked on the the older boy, Druian, with single minded determination. Older Kara flinched as her younger self rushed forward and right through she and Loki as if they were smoke.

"You should be ashamed of yourself, Druian!" the young Kara scolded, "This boy could be your King someday and you will be made to bow at his feet!" The young girl stepped between herself and the young prince, shoving her brother away harshly. Her eyes moved briefly to the rest of the crowd, "You should all be ashamed of yourselves. Even you, Ivar," She directed toward the instructor, "this boy is still your Prince, your fealty is to him." Briefly she glanced behind her at Loki, "Don't worry my Lord, I'll protect you."

"You'll protect him!? Kara, stay out of this," her brother scoffed, "This is man's business. No place for a girl."

The young girl's blood boiled at that, "No place for a girl!?" She shouted, "How about a Valkyrie apprentice sworn to the protection of the Royal family!?"

"Valkyries aren't warriors, they're just pretty girls in armor who think they're tough." Druian sneered.

The girl's blood boiled over completely at that, a deep rage overtaking her. Her chest tightened from rage as growling shout came from the girl's throat as she grabbed onto her brother's arm and twisted it back, flipping him around and shoving him into the ground face first before planting her knee firmly into his back. "You think like that of our mother! She would tan your hide for that! I may be just a girl but I can still best you!" She leaned forward and whispered into the boys ear, no one in the courtyard could hear it, but Kara remembered what those words were. "Lay a hand on our Prince again, and you'll have more than a bruised ego."

Only then did the girl get off before looking at the surrounding crowd, her expression showed she was prepared to fight til she was beat down if it came to it. But then, there had always been something about an angry woman that scared most males, and this was no exception. "Don't you boys have better things to do!?" Without missing a beat all the boys turned away and got back to their practice. With a smile the young girl turned around to face the young Loki, "Are you alright, my lord?"

The older Kara flinched slightly, she remembered what was coming. Something her younger self didn't understand was men and their reaction to embarrassment, and without even meaning to she had embarrassed the young Prince even more than the boys had. Kara realized now, even though she hadn't then, it had not been her place to interfere. Her brother was right, the girl had no right to interfere. "I'm sorry about that Prince Loki." She spoke softly to the older Prince, "I hadn't known then that I should have let you defend yourself."

T O X I C P A S T I C H E

Don't worry about adding a lot, it's Loki's story too. ^.^ After this bit I'll go ahead and shift the scene ahead as Loki requested. ^.^ ETA: fixed the confusion of thinking he was still on the ground. Sorry about that.