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helplesslyfictional · 5 years

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Loki Fanfiction - Remember the Old Ways, Chapter 6 - “All Untold”

Author’s Note: Everything’s starting to coalesce, a little faster than I anticipated! Writing this chapter was intense, exciting, and took a lot more careful thought than I expected.

Chapter Summary: Loki tries to use his new method of communication before his day gets increasingly out of control. Pairings: None! These stories are focused on family relationships.

What characters, then? Loki, Thor, Odin, Frigga, OCs [Osk] [Sophia]

When? Pre-Thor 2011: From Asgard to Earth, will go through Thor 2011 Warnings: SPOILERS for Avengers Infinity War (under cut), mature themes, emotional trauma/abuse, swearing, anxiety Taglist: @loki-the-fox; @i-am-loki-and-now-i-speak-up; @trickster-grrrl; @deviantredhead; @mylokabrennauniverse; @leanmeanand-green; @juliabohemian; @latent-thoughts; @lucianalight; @nox-th-lk-sf; @be-a-snake-stab-your-brother; @starscreamloki Please let me know if you would like to be added/removed from tags and I’m more than happy to do so! If I added you it’s because I’ve been tracking your blog/work and have noticed you might be interested. :)

AO3 story link; Wattpad

It wasn’t until he was eating breakfast adjacent to his chambers, as he usually did, that Loki realized nothing strange had happened for over twelve hours. No strange feelings, no dreams, visions, or visitations. Given the course of the past couple days, this seemed a little unusual, but was honestly a relief.

Loki had a few things he wanted to explore himself, primarily the nature of the enchantment Osk had laid upon him. With her death, it was possible the enchantment was broken. Despite the warnings he’d always been told about the unknown costs of magic, he almost hoped it wasn’t. He had been concerned about the vulnerability it created by exposing him to emotion, but now he almost...missed it. Why did he feel that way?

The connection of the ruins he had visited to this magic - Loki elected to call it seidr - seemed strong, but he wondered if he’d be able to call upon it elsewhere. If the enchantment was still there, perhaps he could connect once more to Sophia. If she was in fact their sibling, he needed to find out more information.

Getting up, he put on a jacket and moved to a nearby cushioned bench in his sitting area. When he was sleeping, he hadn’t felt the magic preceding his visitation, so he was unsure of where to start. If he used the same method as in the ruins, he worried he would not visit but instead inhabit her body. Which would likely ruin whatever communication they had.

He closed his eyes, trying to remember the place Sophia occupied. Orange carpet. Wood walls. A strangely embroidered couch, tattered and worn. Sophia, with eyes of green and brown, her brown hair and petite body as she pressed against the wall with fear and curiosity.

That didn’t help, so he turned to what he’d felt from her, the despair, loneliness, sadness, and pain. He tried not to get wrapped up in the emotion, but as he brought them up, it was hard not to let it curl around him and bring forth memories.

Before he could stop himself, he recalled crying in this same room as a young boy, leaning up against his bed, the mattress rail pushing against his back. He couldn’t remember the slight - there had been so many - but as he had tried to push down that sadness, he had stared at the scratches on his floor tiles, inscribing his pain into each of them. He couldn’t tell anyone how he felt, so he mentally wrote those feelings into those scratches.

Before he realized it, however, the memory shifted, and instead of his gold-inlaid bed, the rail was mahogany, and instead of tile, there was beige carpet. Inscribed with pain, in each and every flaw, was a scalloped wallpaper. Reaching out with a child’s fingers, he pressed them against the wall, feeling a thousand whispers and emotions there. All untold.

Then he began to feel it, a broadening of the self, reaching across the distance of the universe. If he were doing it himself, he might have felt afraid there would be no reply. But he knew otherwise. As though answered, he felt a glowing warmth towards which he reached with an eagerness he hadn’t expected from himself.

A brief spell of happiness passed from his head to his toes, and then he was there.

“It’s you!” It was her voice. Both joy and fear - Sophia’s, he realized - coursed through him before he could even adjust. This was a different room. Same walls and carpet, but the space was dominated by a bed. She had just stood up from a faded blue chair, which was still rocking. “I can’t believe it!” She was smiling, but seemed confused.

Loki blinked, looking carefully at Sophia. “Why can’t you believe it?” he asked reflexively, then chided himself. Asking questions back at people was a defensive mechanism of his to stall for time. He quickly glanced around the room, almost taking for granted its tidiness.

Her smile faded. “I just...I thought if you were a hallucination I’d only see you when I’m in the greatest amount of distress. But I suppose if I’m hallucinating now…”

Loki shook his head and snapped his fingers to bring her attention back to him. “I can assure you, once again, that I’m not a figment of your mind. Please, let’s not go through the entire argument.”

She hesitated, then skirted around him to close her door softly. “My parents are home,” she said softly. “They shouldn’t hear us, but if I’m too loud they’ll wonder what I’m doing.”

“I understand,” he said, then shuddered as he wondered what his body was doing in Asgard. Was he speaking aloud? Moving? What if his mother came in?

He should have set up a ward. Why was he making juvenile mistakes?

“Whoa, I might be okay right now, but you clearly aren’t,” said Sophia, who was eying him curiously. “I can feel that - what are you so worried about?”

“Nothing,” he said quickly, “Have you recovered from yesterday?”

“Of course not, I haven’t recovered,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “You don’t recover from something like that, you just hope you don’t feel like that again. But,” she said, squinting, “don’t change the subject. You want to prove you’re real? Then what are you worried about?”

Loki squirmed. He didn’t like this, he didn’t think he’d be able to hide a lie if she could feel his emotions. “I’m worried I’ll be discovered on my end. I made a mistake and didn’t protect myself properly.”

“On your end?” Sophia looked dubious.

Loki felt even more anxious as he pictured his mother coming in. “Hold on,” he said, “I don’t know what will happen, but I’m going to see if I can fix that. If I’m gone, I have an idea how to re-establish...this.”

Closing his eyes, Loki focused on his body, trying to find where he felt the bench pressing against his thighs and the faint smell of pine. Feeling slightly dizzy, he increasingly felt the bench, as though waking up, and opened his eyes.

The connection - Loki didn’t think of it as a spell - was still active, it seemed. He didn’t feel differently. Looking down at his arms, Loki didn’t see Osk’s magic, which surprised him. Getting up quickly, he quickly laid down a ward to alarm him and trip someone coming in through the door. In an effort to deter a visitor, he wove an illusion of himself still sleeping in bed.

As he finished laying it down, he heard a gasp. Whipping around while simultaneously preparing a sleep spell, he stopped short when he saw Sophia standing a few feet away.

Her eyes widened as she saw the glimmering magic he was holding. She didn’t say anything, but began trembling. It wasn’t in fear, however. He sensed she was overwhelmed.

Understandably.

Allowing the spell to dissipate from his fingers, Loki slowly walked towards the woman. It was likely she was present in the same way he had visited her - her body remaining in her home. Though how, he didn’t yet comprehend.

“How - how…” She opened her mouth, but couldn’t articulate anything.

“The same way I visited you,” Loki said gently. “Sophia, it’s alright. This is good, in fact. We’re figuring this out.” Perhaps if he kept talking, it might help her ground herself.

“My mind wouldn’t be able...to imagine this much detail…” she said, slowly turning to look at the architecture.

Loki never really thought about what his chambers looked like, since he had seen them every day. The ceilings were painted in Asgardian style with clouds and stars, stirring with gentle movement. Tall pillars on the sides held up the ceiling, with gilded partitions dividing the area where he slept, spent time, and ate. The cushioned benches around him, with end tables, were kept in a dark blue with small embroidered stars. A balcony with ornate railings stood outside, the city and mountains providing a breathtaking view.

He considered teasing her once again about things being in her head, but he realized she was in a tenuous state. She might reject the connection or grow despondent.

Reaching out slowly, he touched her on the shoulder. Sophia jumped and looked at him wide-eyed.

“Welcome to Asgard,” he said softly.

“It’s a real place, isn’t it.” Finally, it was sinking in. “This must be real, or if it’s a delusion, it’s incredible. I don’t care.” A smile crept across her face. “I mean, it’s everything. Smells, sight - is that snow? Touch…” at this, she reached up and touched his arm, shaking her head, “Sounds...except taste, that’s all that’s left.”

Loki smiled, letting go of her shoulder. “It was the same when I visited you as well.” This was the first time he’d gotten close to her. He had noticed she was short previously, but wasn’t quite aware of how short - probably a foot below him.

She frowned, her mind clearly working. “If this is a method of communication - then how is it even possible I can use all these senses?” She walked toward a partition, touching the edge almost reverently.

He’d forgotten about her curiosity. “I’m not certain myself,” he said, “it’s odd that it’s as though you are...present. It’s possible that my mind could be sending you the signals it’s receiving on this end.” He shook his head, thinking aloud. “What is strange to me is that we can touch something that the other isn’t touching and still receive the stimuli…”

Loki’s musings were interrupted by three sharp bangs on his door. Fuck. It was definitely Thor.

Sophia’s eyes met his and he felt her rising worry. He put his finger on his lips to indicate she should keep quiet, and didn’t move himself. Hopefully Thor would get bored or think he wasn’t there.

Three more bangs. “Lokiiiiiiii.” There was a *thok* against the door that was probably Thor’s forehead. “Come on.” A pause. “I need to talk with you.” Another pause. “Goddamnit.” Then he heard Thor walking away and relaxed.

He dropped his finger. “I apologize,” he said. “That was just my brother, Thor.”

“Oh,” she said sarcastically. “Just the famous god of thunder. Got it.”

“Hey,” Loki said, acting hurt. “I’m not famous on….” he paused. “Where are you from, Sophia?”

“You don’t know?” she asked wryly, then winced. “Obviously you don’t, sorry. Earth.” She paused briefly. “Do you feel anything from him? The same way we’re communicating?”

“No, this is exclusively between us, I believe.” He cocked his head, then considered what she said about her home world. “There’s a lot of places that are just called ‘home,’ or ‘planet’ in their mother tongue, and that name is translating to the same.”

She blinked. “Translating…? Well, I suppose if you were to put it in terms of the Nine Realms, this was called Middle-Earth. Midgard. Back then.” She gave a small smile. “And no, unfortunately, you’re not as famous as your brother.”

“Ah well,” said Loki playfully, shrugging, “I guess you get to spend time with the lesser of the gods.”

“But far more interesting!” Sophia said with a laugh.

Loki gestured to a nearby bench. “Are you able to sit down?” he asked curiously. It was likely, but still important to check how the apparition interacted with matter. She did so dutifully, crossing her legs.

“Yep.”

“Interesting,” said Loki, going to an side table and grabbing a plum. Taste was the only sense untested. If Sophia wasn’t present physically, would something like that, which required matter, even be possible?

It was worth a try.

“Catch,” he said, and tossed the plum to her. With a smooth motion, she caught it and examined it. Then her eyes widened. “Oh,” she said quietly.

“Yes,” he said in response, “you’re interacting with matter. Can you take a bite?”

Sophia hesitated, then took a petite bite, having to suck at it so that juice didn’t dribble down her chin. Holding her hand in front of her mouth as she chewed, she smiled and swallowed. “It’s good and ripe.”

Loki rubbed his mouth contemplatively; he didn’t taste anything. “Interesting,” he repeated, crouching down to look at her closely. When she swallowed, was it transferring between Realms? Looking at him wide-eyed, she asked politely, “May I take another bite?”

A smile spread across his face. “Of course.” Then a test came to him. “Can you focus on being in Midgard once more?”

She looked at him, trying to understand. “What do you mean?”

“When I brought...myself...back here, I tried to focus on what my body was feeling here, while I was sitting.”

“Oh, yes, it simply looked like you closed your eyes on my end.”

“My - apparition didn’t vanish? Did you touch me at all?”

“No to both. So you want me to focus on my...body?”

“If you can.”

Sophia looked around for a spot to put down the plum. “Oh!” Loki said quickly, “no, try and hang onto that. I’m curious about something.”

“You want to see if I have it on Earth - Midgard - don’t you.”

Loki grinned, surprised at how enjoyable it was to speak with her. He’d never expected a discussion with someone from a lesser Realm would be at all interesting. “It’s just a test. Smart of you to catch it, though.”

Sophia smiled smugly and placed the hand holding the plum in her lap. Closing her eyes, she drew in a measured breath. Her forehead wrinkled as she seemed to try and focus, then she grew still.

The plum vanished.

Loki’s heart beat faster in surprise and anticipation, relishing the chance to examine something extraordinary. While this phenomenon was not impossible, given the laws of science and magic, it was nigh improbable.

Could he go back? He closed his eyes and tried to focus on Sophia’s room once more. A brief spell of dizziness, and opening his eyes, he was there.

Sophia sat on her bed, eating the plum. “I can’t believe it - does this mean that…”

“Matter is transferring between Asgard and Midgard!” he burst out, laughing at his childish enthusiasm. “This is - amazing - it’s like…” he hated to say it, because it was so inaccurate, but it seemed so correct to describe the circumstance. “Like...a miracle.”

Sophia took another bite, smiling. “Your happiness is infectious,” she said, trying to hold back laughter herself. “Oh, am I - I’m probably feeling yours, aren’t I.” Her eyes crinkled with joy. “That’s not a bad thing.”

Loki was still in thought, amused. Sophia looked around at her room and shook her head. “I’m here all the time - let’s go back to Asgard, it’s much more interesting than this hellhole.” With that, she grew still once more.

Excited, Loki focused and switched back to Asgard; it was becoming easier.

She was still there on the bench, this time with the plum. Overcome with sheer joy, he didn’t think - he ran over and grabbed her in a hug, lifting her up off her feet. She shrieked in surprise, then laughed, relaxing in his embrace and squeezing back.

Loki’s anxieties rushed back, however, and he blushed, putting her down. “I apologize,” he said, stepping back. “I hope you weren’t offended.” He couldn’t believe he’d broken decorum in such a manner. It was just so exhilarating to share such an experience with someone else.

He hadn’t done so in a long time. Not since his days learning magic with his mother.

Sophia’s smile faded. “You’d know if I was uncomfortable, I think. And I truly don’t mind. I’m not used to being touched, but - it felt good to finally hug someone,” she said in a reassuring tone.

Before he could respond, there was a thud, and, horrified, Loki looked up to see his brother on the balcony.

“I knew you were in here!” Thor said accusingly, fastening Mjolnir to his belt. “Why didn’t you answer your door?”

Sophia bolted up from the bench and stared in surprise. Loki glanced at her, then back at Thor. “Maybe because I need a thing called ‘privacy’?” he growled.

Thor rolled his eyes. “What could you possibly be doing that needs privacy?”

Loki frowned, blinking rapidly as he tried to think of a coherent response to such a stupid question.

Thor reached over and selected a plum, tossing it in the air before catching it and taking a bite. Loki winced once more at the crunch. Another plum taken before it was ripe.

By this point, Loki had expected that Thor would have noticed Sophia, who drew closer to Loki. She still hadn’t said a word, presumably in case she could be heard, even if she couldn’t be seen.

“I recall you not wanting to know about some of my activities,” he said defensively.

“Oh please, brother,” Thor said nonchalantly, “that all went out the window last night.” He hopped over the back of a bench and sat down.

“Did it?” Loki’s anger rose. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t tell when the rules changed. Your threat was effective, so I don’t necessarily know when it’s appropriate to talk with you or not.”

“Alright, calm down,” Thor said with a frown. “No more threats. I need to speak with you.”

Loki put his face in his hands, trying to contain how upset he was.

“Don’t keep it in.” It was Sophia.

Shit, she could feel his emotions. Loki looked up at Thor, who hadn’t moved and was taking another bite of his plum.

Sophia crossed her arms and he felt a pang of her nervousness as she addressed him. “If you’re this upset by what he’s doing, you need to tell him.”

That seemed like a bad idea. He didn’t know what to say, how to articulate how he was feeling in a way that made sense. If he just lashed out, Thor would likely discount it or, he feared, get angry.

Loki flexed his hands nervously as he wished he could get rid of either visitor. He felt exposed, nowhere safe to go, not even inside himself. “What is it, Thor?”

Thor looked up at him and seemed to hesitate, playing with the half-eaten plum in his hand. “Um…” He squinted, giving a confused frown as he tried to hide it behind a false smile. “You know what, nevermind.” With that, he got up.

What? Why all the fuss? “Thor! You invaded my room for this. The least you owe me is a little explanation.”

Thor stopped. He was looking down at his feet, shifting uncomfortably, but didn’t move. Such a sudden change in his demeanor from his arrogant self moments ago certainly meant that Thor was trying to tell him something important.

Moving away from Loki, Sophia slowly began to cross the sitting area, moving toward Thor, peering at him intently. Given the way most women acted around his brother, Loki expected her to be smitten. As he concentrated, he found himself better able to feel her less prominent emotions.

She was filled with curiosity, but more interestingly, there were undercurrents of bittersweet sadness, confusion, and a strange sense of fulfilment. She squinted her eyes as though trying to figure something out.

Finally turning his attention to Thor, Loki spoke. “Is this about what upset you yesterday?”

Thor looked up, as though interrupted with thought, with a pained smile, reaching up to rub his beard with his hand. “You know, I’d never thought anything like this would happen.” He set the plum down almost gently. “I was upset because…” he squeezed his eyes closed, “I saw the future.” With that, he opened them, likely to gauge Loki’s reaction.

Loki’s jaw dropped as he stared at his brother. Thor had been so resistant to everything, so angry, and Osk’s prediction had come true. If so, why was Thor seemingly filled with trepidation?

“I know it seems strange. The night after we met Osk, I had a vision. For a while afterward I thought it was a dream, but...it was no dream.” Thor sat down, rubbing his hands together. “It was too real, too vivid. I could have sworn I was there had I not known otherwise.”

“Thor,” said Loki, coming closer and sitting down, “I had a vision as well. The next morning.”

Thor met his gaze, his eyes widening. “What was it about?”

“You first,” said Loki, a smile passing over his face.

Thor leaned back, rubbing his face vigorously. “But I don’t want to.”

Loki’s smile faded. “Was it bad?”

His brother slouched down and started hitting his head slowly, repeatedly, against the back of the bench. “Yep.”

Loki saw movement out of the corner of his eye and nearly jumped when he saw Sophia. He’d briefly forgotten she was still there. She had her arms crossed and was watching the exchange with great interest. He shook his head to focus. “Brother, you’ll have to tell me at some point.”

Thor let out a sigh of resignation, but remained slouched, staring at the ceiling. “I was in a large vessel that had been attacked. Loki, it was like I was truly there; I could smell ozone and smoke. Blood was in my mouth and I was exhausted, wounded.”

“So you were not an apparition or an observer?” asked Loki, leaning forward and clasping his hands.

“No, I was - I was there. I can’t explain it - I - I had a thousand emotions running through me that I didn’t understand, but they weren’t coming from me. Grief, anger, fear, sadness.” He sat back up, looking at Loki, then down at his hands. “Around me were…” his voice trailed off. It took him a couple seconds before he was able to say the words. “Asgardians. Slaughtered. Not warriors or Einherjar, but men, women, and children.”

Loki was stunned, but managed to force out his first thought, as much as he hated it: “By you?”

Thor shook his head, too wrapped up in the memory to notice the implication. “By enemies. Their faces and forms I could not make out, but like in a dream, I knew who they were. Loki - Loki - you were...there.”

He looked up into Loki’s eyes, then back down, gritting his teeth until at last he spoke. “Pointing your dagger at the throat of a Titan. He had stopped you by some magic and - took you by the throat…” Running his fingers up into his hair, Thor pulled on it, a nervous habit he had from when he was a child. “...and...killed you.”

A chill ran down Loki’s spine, settling into his stomach as he tried to understand what Thor was telling him. “You saw me die.”

Thor rocked a little, then wiped his eyes quickly, still avoiding eye contact with Loki. “I didn’t just - see it, brother. I felt it. Howling grief ripping me apart, a pain like I’ve never known. I wish - I wish I could diminish its memory, but…” He clapped his hands together, giving a fake laugh. “I can’t, I just can’t.”

Loki was stunned. In comparison, his vision was minimal. Nothing. Thor, unable to help? Stopped by magic? What magic was stronger than his? He shook his head, trying to stop the multitude of questions flooding his mind.

Thor was clearly distraught, and Loki realized he was as well, but - no. Well, yes. But it wasn’t just his emotion. He’d been so focused on his brother he’d blocked out the sounds of crying next to him.

Sophia had her face in her hands and was trying to stifle the sounds of her weeping. Loki was acutely aware that if he gave her attention, he would alert his brother to something amiss. As much as he wanted to speak with her and help, he couldn’t.

He didn’t know how Thor would react.

Loki finally spoke, giving voice to his biggest question. “Thor, are you certain this vision was of the future?”

Thor looked up, that pain etched behind his eyes. “In many ways, that’s the worst part of it all.” He looked away from Loki into the distance. “Along with it, I felt - I know the approximate time.”

Loki frowned, looking at his brother in disbelief. “That’s not possible.”

“And seeing the future is?” Thor wrinkled his nose. “Seems like this all is...defying nature.”

“How long, then, do you think?”

Thor closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before he spoke. “Eight years.”

Loki gasped and bolted upright. “You’re joking! Tell me you’re joking.”

“I wish I was, brother. I wish I didn’t need to tell you, but keeping it secret - it was too hard. I’m sorry. I’m - I’m so, so sorry.”

His mind reeled at the thought. It was a death sentence. Eight years was nothing, a blink. It might as well be tomorrow.

Thor crossed over to him, enveloping him in a hug. As hard as he tried not to, Loki began to shake at the specter of his own demise.

Over his heartbeat in his ears, he heard Sophia’s voice, and it took a few moments to register what she was saying.

“He’s holding something back,” she was saying shakily, “I don’t know how I know, but it’s important.”

What could be more important than this? Wrestling himself out of Thor’s embrace, he snapped. “SHUT UP! Would you fuck off, please?!”

Thor stepped back, his eyes wide. “I - “

“Not you!” Loki said vehemently.

The woman flinched, more tears running down her face. “I don’t know how - “

“Figure it out!”

She shrunk back. “I’ll try…”

“Brother.” Thor sounded concerned. “Are you alright? I know this is hard news…”

Loki laughed ironically. “No - no. I am very much not alright. Eight years...” He paced back and forth anxiously, then turned to Thor. “Tell me you know more than this. Some way out, something.”

Several expressions crossed Thor’s face. “I’m sorry, Loki. I didn’t see more that night.” He scowled, curling his hands into fists. “This isn’t right. I don’t understand how those goddamned Seers could have dealt with something like this. It’s a curse.” He shook his head. “No one should have this power, no one! Not even such knowledge.”

Loki continued to walk, trying to collect himself, his mind going all over the place but shrinking back at the thought of him...ending. Not existing.

He stopped suddenly. “Please tell me it was at least an honorable death,” he said softly, not daring look at his brother.

“It was,” said Thor tersely.

Loki looked at him. “Would you tell me if it wasn’t?” His heart grew heavier in his chest, and he felt once more like that young child, ready to weep.

Thor’s eyes widened. “You can’t ask me that, brother. I can’t tell you.”

Loki felt a rising agitation, turning to see Sophia still standing there. Her eyes widened. “I’m sorry,” she said, “I’m trying - I just can’t focus, there’s so much going on...”

He didn’t know how to deal with this, all of this. It was far too overwhelming. Sophia, the past, the future, Thor...all of it. He put his head in his hands. Thor came close once more, putting his hand on Loki’s arm.

“Is the future set in stone?” Sophia’s voice cut through his mind once more. “It just seems that…”

Loki leaned his head back in frustration, then looked directly at her. “Go. Home,” he said through gritted teeth.

She took a step forward this time, and he felt her rising anger. “No. This is important,” she said. “I don’t know how this is happening, but I do know there’s something more going on.”

“Loki, with whom are you speaking? Is this another trick?” Thor asked. “If it’s a trick, it’s not a very good one.”

“No! It’s not a trick!” Loki couldn’t focus, couldn’t find the part of himself where he could collect, draw himself together and put on the mask other people saw. Thor had opened a vulnerability and he had no way to hide. It felt like his mind was beginning to scream.

It was in that moment that something changed. He no longer was breathing fast, heart pounding, adrenaline racing. The difference was dizzying, and he tried to focus when he heard his own voice.

“I’m sorry if I’m causing you concern, Thor, it’s just that I’m scared myself.”

Blinking, he saw himself - or his body - from a different perspective. As he stared at himself, he saw Sophia, somehow, as though the two bodies were transposed upon one another. He was, no doubt, in her position. A rage began building up within him as he realized his body had been stolen from him.

Thor eyed Sophia carefully. “That doesn’t answer my question.”

She crossed his - her - arms and said, defensively, “What else aren’t you telling me?”

Shifting suddenly, Thor pulled back, searching his brother’s eyes. “You’re perceptive, Loki. I always underestimate that.” He paused. “It’s too soon, brother. This vision was hard enough.”

Sophia looked at him sharply. “There’s another vision, then?”

Thor blinked. “Yes. But Loki - why not take some time to deal with…”

“Let’s get it all out there; you said you couldn’t keep this a secret. I’ll tell you what I saw afterwards.”

Shifting, Thor took a deep breath and let it out, seemingly trying to concentrate. “My second vision came last night,” he said. “I was not asleep, so I was more aware of the...feelings beforehand. I will say, for something that is so cursed a power, the feeling of...connection to Time itself is exhilarating. I don’t practice magic as you do, but I imagine that it’s what it feels like.”

Loki was seething, trying to figure out how the woman had taken his body. He’d tried focusing to no avail. This strange magic was disconcerting. Trying to deepen his breaths, he closed his eyes, trying to remember what it felt like to be in his own body.

“This vision was different, and had I not been prepared, knowing now what it was, I would have thought it more akin to a dream. As you asked before, this time I was an observer of events, not a participant. I stood upon a battlefield of verdant green, scarred with war, on a planet I did not know. Around me were warriors locked in combat. A sound like the sharpest crack of thunder crossed the battlefield, and around me every other warrior fell to ashen dust.”

Loki couldn’t focus as his brother went on. He felt as though he needed to listen; it was too important. His brother’s tone was just as grave as it was when describing the first vision.

“The vision changed, and I saw people living their lives on different worlds in different Realms, some familiar, some not. Around me families cried out as loved ones disintegrated. Over. And over. And over. And over.” Thor’s eyes were distant and his face grew almost cold. “I thought it would never end.”

This was Loki’s chance while Sophia was likely distracted. He focused quickly on his body, mentally trying to oust Sophia.

It worked. Relief flooded his veins as he regained his senses, eyes already trained on his brother’s face.

Glaring over at Sophia, who crossed her arms with a huff, he turned to Thor. “It must have been difficult.”

“Not as difficult as my first vision, but yes. I think it’s the event that...Osk mentioned.”

Loki searched his memory. “The great wrong.”

“Yes. It certainly...feels like it’s the event that is the source of that dread I’ve been feeling since the first vision we shared.”

Loki’s feelings were pushed to the background as his curiosity was peaked. “Interesting. Did you get the same sense of timing as with the first vision?”

Thor nodded and paused. Licking his lips, he finally said, “Eight years.”

Loki shook his head, beginning to slowly pace once more.

“Believe me,” Thor said, “I’ve tried to discern what further meaning I could, but. After last night’s vision, I knew I couldn’t hold this from you.”

Loki held up a hand. “I understand.” He sighed. “It seems like both these events are…” his voice drifted off as he failed to find the right word.

Both of them stood lost in thought.

Loki slowly turned, watching as Sophia walked closer to Thor, scrutinizing him. Then she looked back at Loki. “I don’t understand it. I don’t - I - “ she laughed in disbelief.

Loki closed his eyes at her reaction. This day could not get worse.

“I can feel his emotions the same way I’m feeling yours.”

Loki opened his eyes and stared at her, his heart beginning to beat faster. He bit his tongue, trying not to say anything.

She shook her head, “I mean, I don’t get a lot of what’s going on, but this I feel - so sure about. I’ve never seen him before, but…” Uncertain, she started picking at her hand. “Loki, I saw what he saw in his vision as he ran it through his head. Not when he described it, but beforehand. That’s why I was so upset.” He felt a pang of desperation and hope as she asked, “Have you had anything like that happen so far?”

Loki shook his head only a little bit.

Sophia moved closer and, before Loki could say anything, touched Thor gently on the arm.

“BLAGH!” he shouted, jumping back suddenly, before pointing a finger at Sophia. “Where the FUCK did she come from?!”

Loki was wrong. The day could get worse.

#loki #loki (marvel)#loki fanfic #fanfiction #loki laufeyson #loki odinson #thor #thor odinson #norse mythology #seidr #infinity war spoilers #volva #family matters #sibling rivalry #tw: emotional abuse

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archmage--khadgar · 7 years

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I’ve seen people complain about Khadgar/Medivh being around a lot this x-pac, sometimes with the added complaint of a lack of Jaina/Wrathion, but y’all gotta understand that there’s a reason for that that isn’t Blizz being “lazy”. Medivh and Khadgar are directly related to this part of the lore. Medivh was once a host for that talking green fire we saw in the most recent cinematic, and Khadgar helped ensure that he lost that host. Khadgar seals the dark portal in WC2, and we don’t see him again until BC where he does....very little and the key quest was taken out of the game back in Cata or LK. And then didn’t do anything until WOD. Medivh reappears in WC3, and again in BC, and then nothing until now. Jaina played a role in WC3, and was a major player up through MOP and WoD. And Wrathion is a new character as of Cata, so he’s got plenty of things coming in the future. I know, it sucks, not having your favorite person from Lore be front stage. Alleria and Turyalon are also -just- making a comeback and it’s been a long time question of where they are. But a lot of us have been waiting for 10 years-ish for this part of the lore to progress. Hell, Illidan fans have been waiting equally as long for him to get developed more since he was prematurely defeated in BC. ((Blizz hadn’t anticipated for people to finish Black temple so quickly, and realized Illidan shouldn’t have been the first raid in BC, they admitted this.) I’m NOT saying that Jaina and Wrathion have no place in this story, but when you’ve got characters that have been missing since WC2 that are more connected to current events? It would make no sense to NOT have them be center stage. And yes, we SHOULD be asking where they are, we SHOULD be curious. Blizzard WANTS us to ask questions of where someone is, what they’re doing. They just can’t always say outright because they don’t want to prematurely spoil anything. You know how we often plot out something for RP months, even YEARS before actually playing it out? Same thing with Blizzard. They KNOW some of the things that will happen next expansion pack, that WE haven’t even pieced together yet because not all the clues have been put in place. The patch isn’t out yet, and data-mining doesn’t reveal everything. Sometimes clues to what major NPC’s are doing are hidden in NPC chatter, or flavor text on a quest item, or a hidden quest, things like that. So yes, keep asking what Wrathion is doing. Be suspicious. Be very. Very suspicious. But don’t pressure them to shoe-horn him in because I know for a -fact- that there will be anger at the “poor writing” if they try to include him for the sake of pleasing the fans and not because it matches the scene. This has happened before with other characters and my dash always explodes with rage. But also, please understand that WC2 people have been waiting for this for a long time and it’s a major, important chunk of the Warcraft lore/story that helped shape the franchise. It’s fine if you prefer WC3 over 2, or LK over demons, that’s perfectly fine. But please just let those of us who have waited for this for 10+ years have our turn with the lore. This is the first time we’ve seen Turyalon since WC2 and I was honestly starting to think we’d never get this ever again until Wrathion started ranting about the Legion in MoP and look how long after that we still had to wait cause seeing Turyalon any sooner wouldn’t have worked. Please. Let people be happy. Blizzard isn’t intentionally trying to attack you, they shift focus when it’s appropriate while still trying to keep millions of people happy. If a shift in focus is that offensive to you, maybe a break from current content is needed. But don’t take it out on the rest of the fandom, that’s a really shitty thing to do and I’ve been sent some REALLY not okay messages and tagged in some really harassing posts because my blog is a Khadgar blog. (P.S: I love the Scourge/Lich King story stuff just as much and friends can confirm that I scream about Ner’zhul as much as I do about Sargeras/Gul’dan. In case you think I’m giving a biased speech because of Khadgar.)

#here a mun speaks #world of warcraft #lore #safe to reblog

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preciousmetals0 · 4 years

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6.6 Million Job Cuts; Luckin Nuts; Zoom’s a Klutz

6.6 Million Job Cuts; Luckin Nuts; Zoom’s a Klutz:

Thanks, I Hate Record-Setting Years

Anyone else tired of records?

I’m not talking about vinyl. My vinyl collection is one of the few things keeping me sane during this quarantine (The White Album, Led Zeppelin IV, Ziggy Stardust, Dark Side of the Moon, Facelift, Paul’s Boutique, World Domination … it gets more eccentric as the list goes on).

No, I’m talking about economic records. We set quite a few of those lately … and not in a good way.

Today, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that a record 6.6 million people filed for unemployment benefits last week. Furthermore, the previous week’s record was revised higher to 3.34 million unemployment claims.

Another record: The two-week total for U.S. unemployment claims comes to just shy of 10 million.

Less than a month ago, claims trickled in at their slowest pace in 50 years. Now this…

Tomorrow, we’ll get an initial look at the official U.S. employment numbers. But the March jobs report won’t show the worst of what’s going on. Economists predict that the U.S. shed 100,000 jobs last month — a bit higher than the ADP figures released on Wednesday, but far from the figures that weekly jobless claims show.

What that means is this: Wall Street has another month to stew in anticipation until we finally get real, hard data on COVID-19’s impact on the U.S. economy. On that front, economists project that the April report will show losses of 10 million jobs or more, with the unemployment rate spiking above 10%.

The Takeaway:

Yesterday, I called the market’s recent rally a head fake. I stand by that statement.

There’s a tenet in sentiment investing that says something like: When the market rallies in the face of overwhelming negativity, that’s a good thing.

You’ve heard the saying “climbing a wall of worry?” That’s what we’re talking about here … or are we?

You see, to truly climb a “wall of worry” investors need to know all the facts. All of the negativity and downside risks need to be priced into the market … into stock prices.

Right now, they aren’t. We don’t know the full extent of COVID-19’s impact on the U.S. economy — or any other economy for that matter.

And yet, the market rallied today in the face of 6.6 million jobless claims and the prospect of 10% unemployment. Wall Street acts as if we already saw the worst that COVID-19 can throw at us … as if Wall Street has all the facts.

Truth be told, if all the facts were known, this would be the time to buy.

But we’re still in the dark regarding a broad swath of the U.S. and global economies.

What I’m trying to say is that, unless you’re a day trader or a speculator, this relief rally is a sucker play. Stocks will fall further as more economic data is reported. We haven’t seen the worst and it will have a negative impact on the market as a whole.

Now is the time to keep your powder dry, hold until you see the whites of their eyes, sit on the sidelines or whatever idiom you prefer. A golden time for investors will come when this is all over, and you don’t want to jump the gun and miss out on real opportunities when they finally arise.

This too shall pass, and Great Stuff readers will be prepared to take full advantage of the new, post-COVID-19 market when it arrives.

Going: Let’s Make a Deal

If you’ve speculated on energy stocks lately, today was your day to make bank!

Behind door No. 3, we have President Trump tweeting the possibility of a truce between Saudi Arabia and Russia:

Just spoke to my friend MBS (Crown Prince) of Saudi Arabia, who spoke with President Putin of Russia, & I expect & hope that they will be cutting back approximately 10 Million Barrels, and maybe substantially more which, if it happens, will be GREAT for the oil & gas industry!

That was all it took to send oil prices soaring 20%. Sector leader ExxonMobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) jumped 8%, while Royal Dutch Shell PLC (OTC: RYDAF) spiked more than 12%.

The bottom line for the energy market is that someone in the industry needs to do something. We’re quickly running out of places to put the oil we’re producing, leading some analysts to project negative prices for “black gold.”

As with the rest of the market, don’t let this 20% spike lure you in.

Going: “Zoombombing”

From COVID-19 darling investment to pariah in two days? Sound impossible?

Not if you’re Zoom Video Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: ZM). The videoconferencing upstart saw a wellspring of users flooding to its platform amid the coronavirus quarantine. Today, the company announced that daily active users skyrocketed to more than 200 million from just 10 million in December.

That’s a truly massive increase in customers, and it’s one that ZM investors would typically cheer. “Would” is the keyword here. In the past week, Zoom:

However, as seen with Facebook, the general public tends to shake these things off rather quickly — if they’re even aware in the first place.

Additionally, Zoom took measures to quickly address these concerns. It stopped sharing data with Facebook, started work on a patch for Mac security and issued guidelines on how to avoid “zoombombing.”

The bottom line for investors here is that Zoom is quickly becoming the next verb for videoconferencing, just as “Skype me, bro!” was before it.

If the company can overcome these latest privacy issues, Zoom has massive potential. It could become the de facto solution in videoconferencing, which should last long after the quarantines are over.

Gone: Luckin Nuts

Misconduct? Fabricating transactions?

Someone’s had a bit too much caffeine. Luckin Coffee Inc. (Nasdaq: LK) is in hot water today, after it announced that it began to investigate “misconduct, including fabricating certain transactions” carried out in fiscal 2019.

The company appointed a special committee of independent directors, suspending Chief Operating Officer Jian Liu along with other staff implicated in the misconduct. In a statement, Luckin said:

As a result, investors should no longer rely upon the Company’s previous financial statements and earning releases for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and the two quarters starting April 1, 2019 and ended September 30, 2019, including the prior guidance on net revenues from products for the fourth quarter of 2019, and other communications relating to these consolidated financial statements.

That’s not just crazy, that’s Luckin nuts. You can basically throw out all of last year’s financial statements, earnings and guidance for the Chinese bean water boiler.

Combine this with the Chinese coronavirus quarantines, and it’s no wonder why LK stock is down more than 82% from its January peak. Bargain hunters beware, LK should eventually rebound, but there could be more downside in store before all this is over.

In this ever-changing world of kooky coffee conspiracies, there’s one thing I can always look forward to: your emails!

You Marco, I Polo … it’s Reader Feedback time again.

The Long Run

No rescue bill is goin to save America and its people unless and until the U.S lockdown for at least a month just like its friend India. America just needs to stop all commercial activities. its offices, malls, shopping centers and trading makers.

[…]

This is a long term investment that U.S needs to invest in right now … Just think beyond markets. Be human. Market was not there before you and will not be after you. Only thing that matters is us as a species. We can still act before it’s too late and give a better future and markets to our future generations.

— Abhinav D.

Abhinav, well said! Forgive me for keeping your email brief here, but I wholeheartedly agree with you.

Just last week, Great Stuff remarked that you can pass a spending bill worth however much you want — keeping some oil on the economy’s spinning gears — but that won’t rehire the 6.6 million people who are now jobless.

That said, the people who most need to hear your point won’t think they’re the problem. I tell you, the stubbornness that stay-at-home orders have inflamed in some people … why, it’s like an old man trying to return soup at a deli.

Short and Sweet

— Dairold W.

I see your point, and raise you this: 42.

Buy inverse ETFs.

— Louis L.

I must give due diligence where due diligence is due. You, sir, are cleary a tried-and-true Great Stuff reader! Why, we recommended an inverse exchange-traded fund (ETF) — the ProShares Short S&P 500 (NYSE: SH) — back on March 16. Kudos to you, Louis…

It’s a veritable hootenanny (that’s a technical term … in Kentucky, at least) of risk tolerance in these markets, and I should’ve known some Great Stuff readers are eager to bear the storm.

From early responders in yesterday’s Poll of the Week, roughly a quarter of you are picking gems from dirt in the beaten-down energy sector, with another 11.5% braving the biotech boom. (If any actual COVID-19 relief comes from the dozens of these biotech stocks turned overnight vaccine experts … some of you will have a field day!)

Yet, by and large, nearly half of you are bargain hunting in emerging tech trends. From 5G to the Internet of Things, I can’t blame your enthusiasm — trust me, faster connections can’t reach my neck of the woods soon enough!

Now, if long-term, high-growth tech trends are your thing, Ian King’s research in Automatic Fortunes could be perfect for you. Not only does Ian find the right tipping-point trends that should outlive the virus shenanigans, but he also pinpoints each trend’s standout leader.

It’s that simple and the 5G explosion is no different.

Click here to learn more about Ian King’s tech research!

Have you written in yet? What’s stopping you? Drop me a line at [email protected] and let me know how you’re doing out there in this crazy market.

That’s a wrap for today. But if you’re still craving more Great Stuff, you can check us out on social media: Facebook and Twitter.

Until next time, good trading!

Regards,

Joseph Hargett

Editor, Great Stuff

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goldira01 · 4 years

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