Meme-shenanigans and Continuations.

[whose_son_am_i]

This post will be for Meme-continuations for drpalmer

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[whose_son_am_i]

Glasses placed nearby her and him, Loki moved to come stand in front of her. "Good. Resist me."

And he moved to nudge her again. A mental suggestion that she stand up. Nothing harmful, but a clear order and thought that weren't her own.

If she were properly centered, then she should be able to resist--since he wasn't suggesting very hard. This was the equivalent of a light poke testing the water's surface.

[drpalmer]

It's helpful that she knows what she's feeling for, that thought that presses into her mind that isn't hers. She can see it in her minds eye, a wisp of green. Her legs twitch but she doesn't move.

In fact she lets her bubble push back, to see if she can reach him, to press closer to his mind.

[whose_son_am_i]

Loki let a pleased smirk come to his face. Oh yes, he definitely could learn to like this one. There was no bubble for his mind, were she able to reach it anyways. Instead he simply wasn't 'there'--hiding his presence just as skillfully as he could do in the physical world.

"I said, you should stand up." A harder nudge this time. Poking the bubble in a different spot.

[drpalmer]

Of course he wasn't there, he's been doing this for ages.

Resisting is more difficult this time, it feels like a physical fight to keep her muscles just as they are. Physicallly her body tenses, it wants to obey but her mind fights it.

"I don't want to."

[whose_son_am_i]

"Good." Loki nodded in satisfaction. "Imagine that desire, that force with which you want to resist, reinforcing your bubble."

No nudges or suggestions then. "That bubble is the bare minimum of a shield. Eventually you want to layer it, or find other ways of shielding. But imagine that bubble constantly surrounding your mind. Keeping out thoughts and suggestions that are not your own." A pause, and he moved to sit back down in the arm-chair across the room. "It will take practice, before it becomes second nature."

[drpalmer]

She takes all the tension in her body and uses it to build up her bubble, relaxing her body as the color deepens in her mind. Slowly she opens her eyes, it takes a moment for her vision to adjust and then she chuckles.

"Ah, you found my wine." She smiles at him. "Can you feel me the way I feel you when you're trying to get in my head?"

[whose_son_am_i]

"In what way do you mean?" Loki needed clarification. If she had been trying to reach out, then he hadn't noticed. She would need far more practice, and to build up her own reserves of energy, to find his presence. "And you should walk to your kitchen." That last statement was another nudge. A stronger suggestion, testing her to see if she were still guarding herself.

He planned to throw little tests at her like that throughout the day, as she'd need to improve her shielding until it was unconscious and reflexive.

[drpalmer]

"When you're suggesting something it's like I can feel you there." She stretches and moves to stand.

"Like that. I didn't catch at first but I can feel it's not me."

She doesn't expect to be able to walk into his mind, he's been shielding himself for a thousand years.

"I just wondered if you felt me prodding around trying to find you."

[whose_son_am_i]

"I could not. You'll need far more practice and energy to be able to find me." Better she know the truth of it. "I'm also not trying to be subtle in my suggestions. If I wanted, I could tailor them more to be like your own thoughts and make my presence less obvious. That comes from studying people however, and being able to blend in and adapt."

Bringing up that glass of wine, and taking a drink.

[drpalmer]

"Poke harder, got it." She nods and sits back down.

"I'm sure you could burst right through my little bubble if you wanted. You've had far more time to practice." But she appreciates him starting gentle, given how new this is for her.

[whose_son_am_i]

"And probably break you in the process." Which he didn't want, and had no reason, to do. "Much of this is the foundation to learning magic, period. It's about learning your own energy, and how to manipulate and shape energy to your will."

Another drink, and a thought occurred to him. Mostly he wondered why--and why did he care about it? It would be interesting though--she was interesting. "We don't have time now... That, and as fast as I heal I have no desire to be stabbed again so soon. But...I could teach you to use a knife as well. A dagger."

[drpalmer]

"I do appreciate you not breaking my brain." She does need it.

"I want to learn to fight." She perks up in a way that shows just how exciting that sounds. "No rush though, you're still healing."

[whose_son_am_i]

"Think you could stand my returning for that purpose?" A lazy grin curled around his mouth. "I'll be getting lots of practice in hiding from the upstart sorcerer."

[drpalmer]

"I could stand to see you again." It's true, she finds him interesting and he's willing to teach her.

"Probably best to stay out of his way." She's not looking forward to when he realizes that she knows that Sorcerer Supreme.

[whose_son_am_i]

"Oh I owe him for last time, certainly." A hint of peevishness in his voice. Upstart--even if Loki had also, in hindsight, been able to recognize the other's skill.

"Do you know anything of self-defense or fighting already?"

[drpalmer]

"A little bit. I've taken a few lessons for self-defense."

And she knows the locations to hit to maximize pain if needed.

"I thought it felt like dancing, practicing a fight."

[whose_son_am_i]

"Then we'll start by assessing what you know. But another time." That lazy grin coiled into a smirk. "I'm certain I'd be fine, but I suspect my doctor will try to kill me if I get injured while teaching her to defend herself."

Move some furniture and they'd have enough room to do basics in her living room.

[drpalmer]

"I could try to kill you at any time, really spice things up around here." He's fun, she almost hates how fun he is.

"So you know where the wizard building is then?"

[whose_son_am_i]

"I know it's interior. I could probably find it." Loki replied calmly. "Or simply ask Thor. No doubt once the other becomes aware that I *am* on Earth, there will be words. He'll have to be reassured that no, I am not actively a threat to Midgard. For now." A pause, and his voice turned dry. "I doubt it would do much to change his monitoring of me however."

[drpalmer]

She narrows her eyes, "for now?"

He lives here now, he might want to keep the planet intact.

"You're being monitored?" That could end with Stephen banging on her door if he realizes the company she is keeping.

[whose_son_am_i]

Ah, there was that rise that he'd been looking for. "I have no plans to do anything untoward towards this planet or any of its cities. But I can't see the future, so who knows if that will ever change." Entirely blase about this, as it was simply how he operated. "Maybe the charm of this planet will convince me otherwise."

As for his being monitored. "Not yet. Else I doubt you'd have found me bleeding in an alley." There's a satisfied smirk on his face. "I've hidden myself from Heimdall's eyes, and he sees far more than Earth's Wizards have. Once it has become known I AM on Midgard though, and I doubt Thor will keep it much of a secret, I suspect then I'll have an eye kept on me."

[drpalmer]

It was inevitable that he would eventually get a rise out of her. She actually tosses a throw pillow at his face.

Ugh, she has to tell him, doesn't she?

"I know him, Stephen Strange. He was a doctor before a sorcerer."

[whose_son_am_i]

The throw pillow is caught and he laughs.

Of course, that laughter fades a moment later. Blue-green eyes are narrowed once more, studying her. Assessing her, before Loki got to his feet again. Stalking over, and reaching out to hold her face steady, hand at her chin. Searching her eyes, quiet and intense.

No hint of the swirl of emotions he was feeling showed in his expression or eyes. Some thoughts were dark, others not so much. But she had become just that much more interesting to him.

When he did speak, it was low and focused. "If he's using you, then you've far more guile than I thought." He doubted it though--she'd been too open, too unguarded. And while he'd been fooled before by the Widow, that one was a professional spy. Christine was a doctor...

[drpalmer]

The touch catches her off guard but she makes no effort to fight it, nor does she try to looks elsewhere.

"If he's using me? Wouldn't I have better mental shields if I was here on his behalf?"

Loki has prodded at her mind, and she lets down her bubble.

"Go have a look around if you must."

[whose_son_am_i]

If he were using her, Strange would likely keep his presence subtle. And while Loki found her interesting, he was still ruthless enough that he took her invitation. Keeping her gaze, and probing deeper--looking for potential hidden memories. Things she might not be aware of.

But not hurting her. Taking his time, and rummaging 'neatly'. With care to not disturb what he found more than necessary, and to put it all back as it had been. Even with that 'look'--he couldn't necessarily be wholly sure.

He wasn't a mind-reader proper, after all.

But the paranoia was lessened. Blinking slowly, and finally releasing her.