(no subject)

[complicatedliar]

Who: Loki
Broadcast: Everyone
Action: Paisley
When: Right now!

[Action]

[Guess who just shows up to breakfast one... afternoon? Loki emerges from his office, looking for all the world like a man who has just woken up from an extended nap, barely open eyes, trying to stretch his back and shoulders, the whole nine. He wanders into the kitchen, fumbles around until he makes himself something hot and dark enough that he can pretend it's coffee, and stares suspiciously into the cup before drinking.

Ugh, his mouth tastes like someone glued one of Thor's feet to it. Ugh. What possessed him to sleep like this...

(Guess who has no idea he's been missing for weeks~)]

[A bit later: Broadcast]

[Awake now, and... well, he looks amused. Which is to say as if he's planning on flaying someone alive.]

Why yes, I have returned. Hide all of the party favors, lock up your sons and daughters, cancel the pedestrian fireworks displays.

A funny thing, missing time. You'd never know it was gone until someone tells you. Has anyone else fallen victim to such thievery?

Comments

action;

[complicatedliar]

[Bleery stare. Eyebrows arc up slightly.

Squint.]

How much fun have you gotten up to in a few hours?

[theshabbiestofmen]

Not me. Just in general. And it hasn't been a few hours, Loki.

[He holds up his left wrist, where he keeps the lengths and lengths of thread he ties. There's far more knots there than Loki remembers-- the work of weeks, really.]

You've been asleep since we left the planet.

[complicatedliar]

[Even more squinting.]

Pull the other one, it's got bells on.

[...wait, what? WHAT? He grabs Remus's wrist and pulls it close for a better look. Either he's not lying, or this is a really elaborate attempt to convince him of this nonsense.]

Impossible. I don't sleep that much.

[And surely if he'd just been in his office, asleep, Rogue would have woken him up even if no one else dared.]

[theshabbiestofmen]

You have now.

[But Remus' smile was fading. That's bloody worrying, if it wasn't deliberate.]

You ought to go to medical. See one of the doctors on board.

[complicatedliar]

[Ugh. Doctors. Such poking and prodding. Thank you but no.]

I'll think about it.

[Noooooope.]

For now, a hot drink is a worthwhile start.

[He looks at his cup suspiciously.]

Truly, and no one has tried to wake me? [Did he murder someone in his sleep again?

(Still has no idea that he wasn't actually on the ship, either.)]

[theshabbiestofmen]

I tried, at the beginning. But . . .

[How to say this?]

You weren't here, physically, for all of it. I thought-- I thought it was a, you know, you thing. Different species thing.

[complicatedliar]

Not here physically. [He repeats it because he doesn't want to believe it.

But it isn't as if this is new to him. This sort of thing happened all the time in Luceti. He hastily sets down his cup and checks his wrists, of all things. Though he seems immediately relieved at the sight of the pale, nominally unblemished skin. He touches his lips lightly, then.]

I don't recall having been gone.

[The alarm drains from his expression, becoming near lifeless.]

I wonder what they have done to me.

[theshabbiestofmen]

Do you think they have done anything?

[He takes a step forward, concern written on his face.]

I'd offer to scan you with my magic, but I should imagine your own would be far more effective-- do you feel different?

[complicatedliar]

What other reason would there be to abduct someone for such a length of time.

[Expression going yet more wooden.]

I've endured far too many assaults in this vein before.

[The problem is, when things like that happen, it becomes a risky proposition to trust one's self. When his mouth had been sewn shut, yes, he'd not known anything was amiss. But when he'd been turned into a child? When he'd had his memories altered? No. Loki nods slightly.]

You've my permission, this time.

[theshabbiestofmen]

[He's gotten far better at detecting curses these past few years. Remus waves his wand-- he knows Loki thinks it a crutch, but better safe than sorry right now-- and purses his lips as his magic goes through the other man. From tip to toe, warmth spreads through him, seeking out anything unnatural, anything that ought not to be there, subtle or large, ostentatious or quiet--

But beyond Loki's own magic (cold, and he shivers as he encounters it, because the sheer power of it is a little overwhelming), Remus finds nothing.]

You're the same, as far as I can tell.

[complicatedliar]

[Well, considering that this is about his own personal safety, he wants every ounce of accuracy he can get. He's not going to be a dick about it. The spell at least provides a momentary distraction, something he can turn inward and inspect curiously.]

That is a relief. [He does relax slightly.]

Would you be able to detect, had my memories or personality been altered in some subtle way?

[theshabbiestofmen]

I could search for the spells, anyway, but I haven't any sure-fire method.

[That was half the horror of the Imperius Curse, after all-- that there was no reliable way to tell who was under it and who wasn't. Oh, if someone was willing to be inspected and tested, you might be able to eke out a trace of it, but even that was suspect.

But he'll try, for his teacher. Remus raises his wand again. It's the same process, really-- his spells lurk around Loki's mind, probing curiously, trying to tease out any trigger or trap-- but they find nothing, and Remus isn't surprised.]

[complicatedliar]

[It's not the most pleasant feeling, this sort of intrusion when he's normally so tightly guarded. But he surrenders to it in the interest of trying to discover if anything has been done.

And it seems not. He scrubs his face with one hand.]

I find it hard to believe that I'd vanish for any length of time for no reason at all. Observation might be the only cure.

[theshabbiestofmen]

Well, that's easy enough to do.

[He doesn't insult him by saying it cheerfully-- but at the very least, it will be. He spends a good deal of time with Loki training; it ought to be easy to watch him.]

And in the meantime, perhaps distraction is best-- given there's nothing else to do but wait.

[complicatedliar]

[And at this point, out of anyone in the fleet, the only person who knows Loki better than Remus is Rogue. He'll be talking to her very soon.]

Yes.... distraction does seem best. [If only he felt entirely awake. So sluggish, it's aggravating.] Have I missed any interesting events?

[theshabbiestofmen]

Well, there's a bunch of mysterious crates that appeared in the hold. Which seems like a terribly obvious trap, but far be it for me to forbid somebody from getting their hand blown off.

[complicatedliar]

No one's been curious enough to look them over yet? That's rather disappointing.

[You incurious, boring lot. He is rather surprised James hasn't gotten himself blown up, though. Perhaps the man is all post-it note and no action.]

I may have to poke around.

[He wiggles his fingers.] I've managed to keep all my attendant parts through far worse than anything here is like to be.