whose_son_am_i | Labyrinthum IC Inbox

Eilonwy closed her eyes almost immediately after Loki had given the okay. She listened "Two tubes.. Right, I'll plan when to use them." Eilonwy filed the instructions away for the future and continued to pay attention.

Aware that Loki's undertone and growl wasn't being directed at her, Eilonwy wasn't upset as if it had been. There was a second of hesitance. "You're asking me to, and you've said you trust me. It would be foolish not to treat that kindness well." A diplomatic, but also very true, answer. She turned herself towards Loki's voice and concentrated.

The thought formed in her mind and Eilonwy pushed it forward. It would reach Loki after a few seconds, unfolding into something he could understand. "Thank you for the help!"

Loki grimaced, not because it had hurt or because it had done something else. Mostly to express the unpleasantness even though he was doing this. As soon as it had come though, his own mental shielding was snapping back into place hard and almost with an audible sound.

"That...that is telepathy. In theory, you'll be able to talk to anyone that way. And if they 'think' at you, you could probably pick up on it. I don't think you want that yet though." No more upset in his voice, but there were soft steps as he came closer. Moving slow, but to place a hand on her shoulder and squeeze softly. Reassuringly, also a sign of friendship-affection.

"The good news is that much of the work we're already practicing and doing will serve you well with dealing with this. The other good news, is that I can help reduce the likelihood of you having pain from it until you're ready to deal with it." Soft-voiced still, and much more reassuring.

Eilonwy felt the connection snap like a thread and she opened her eyes after a moment, looking over Loki in concern. "Did I hurt--?" He didn't seem hurt, and his tone was soft. She relaxed and reached up to rest one of her hands over Loki's in kind.

"No, I don't want that. With Bauble it was only the one series of thoughts, and they're so short that it doesn't bother me. I can't imagine suddenly having someone's thoughts coming into my mind. Not easily. Not right now, at least."

As he mentioned an option of reducing things, Eilonwy looked relieved. "You can? Is it through the teas you brought?"

"They'll help, but this would be a form of mental manipulation that requires you to work with me." Another squeeze, and Loki moved to sit on the floor nearby. "I...spent a year or so in the dungeons, as a prisoner, in Asgard. My punishment for invading Midgard. I was only broken out, so to speak, by Thor because he needed my help. Once that aid was given, it would've been back to the dungeons with me, likely to rot without Frigga around to try and make me comfortable. She was killed, earlier--and was part of why Thor needed my help." Giving her the brief version.

"In any case, I aided Thor, but faked my death. I did kill the einherjar who came to investigate or capture me, and took his place. I confronted my father, and did manipulate his memory and his mind to forget who he really was. Then I put him in an elder-care home in New York in Midgard, to stay for a while and I ruled while pretending to be him."

None of it was said with any bragging or overt pride. "It was hard, as he was very strong willed and did have magic of his own. But mother taught me well, even if she didn't teach me this." A sigh, and Loki briefly let himself remember. That Odin said Frigga would've been proud. Letting a sad smile come to his face.

"I'm sharing this though, because what I can do is similar but you'll be an active participant instead of fighting me. With your permission, I can place a shield on you that you'd have to 'fight through' to speak to anyone else. For now. I have no telepathy of my own, but we can continue to work with this new wrinkle with our lessons anyways."

Eilonwy listened and nodded, picturing some of it as best that she could. "Faking your death sounds like it would be very hard to do." Eilonwy remarked softly. "I'm glad it was only faked."

She listened to the rest of it, and gave Loki a small smile in return. "If it helps at all, I wasn't born with telepathy-- it only came on after I'd had Bauble for about half of a year. That could also explain why I'm struggling so much.. But the shield does sound like a good idea." Eilonwy folded her arms in thought as he explained how it would be done.

"Then it's the opposite of our lessons. I wouldn't be fighting having you inside of my mind. I can do that."

"You'd be extending a mental hand, so to speak, and I'd be building you a shield. You'll know how it's constructed, how to take it down, but it'd be mine in terms of the resources used so it won't tax you. It'll act as a sort of insulation or cushion you have to fight to get your telepathy past for now unless you take it down. But that way you're not having that 'muscle' get more injured from using it while you get used to it." Loki hoped that would make sense.

"As for faking my death, I'm very skilled with illusions." That did bring a smirk though and a hint of smugness.

"Then it's like hiring a free lance." Eilonwy managed a giggle at the idea but winced as another jolt of pain hit. "That sounds better than my trying to remember not to use it." That was the problem with the link with Bauble, it was always active and Eilonwy had simply gotten used to telepathy on that specific level. This was just new enough to be a challenge, along with returning after months of not having the power.

She rubbed between her eyes and took a slow breath. "Well, pride in ones powers is never a shame." she remarked as the pain ebbed for a moment.

Loki chuckled softly with her statement, but got to his feet. "I've spent centuries in practice. And I do think it's a better solution than relying on memory alone." Which wasn't to say her memory wasn't very good. But this way would be less taxing on her and easier for her to deal with.

"I'm going to place my hands against your head. Your hands will go over top of mine, and you can stay seated for this. Once you extend that mental hand and I've 'taken' it, you'll be able to observe what I'm doing so to speak. You and I may also catch stray wisps of thought, as the mind is often busy even when it's focused primarily on one task. Is that alright?"

Loki made a very good point. Having a guaranteed way of stopping would be much easier. Eilonwy listened as he explained what was going to happen and nodded. "Yes, that's fine." She took a breath to steady herself and made sure her hands were open.

"When you're ready."

"Alright. This also gives time for the tea to boil." Because it was likely Eilonwy would need it, after this. But Loki moved, to place his hands at either side of her own--just above her ears and parallel with her temple. Closing his own eyes, as a green glow came softly from his hands.

Just waiting for her to make that connection physically and mentally.

Eilonwy reached out and stopped her hands when they met Loki's. The mental shields stirred for a second but she forced them to stay down and kept her breathing steady. As Eilonwy concentrated she pictured herself reaching out to Loki. There were sudden dashes of light at the corners of her mind's vision, some vanishing faster than others.

Smiling a bit in reality, Eilonwy followed after them and watched as they shifted into formless blobs for a few seconds. She reached for it and watched as the light wrapped into a tall and familiar figure. Loki-- or at least some form of himself. Concentrating, she thought towards it.

"If this didn't work, then I'm very good at imagining things."

"I'm aware you are." Heard in reality as well as the thoughts 'forming' for her to read. Loki's 'figure' was all shifting light and shadow, play of reflection and refraction and ever-moving. Hard to grasp, hard to find. He was reaching out as well though, with magic, which meant she could find him more easily. Much like when he was training her in mental magic.

"Now, we build the shield." Much as he'd described it, Loki started shaping energy around and just at the inside of her own shields to cushion. Building up layers that were soft and flexible, but strong. Hundreds of hundreds of tiny little pieces that interlocked to create that flexibility and softness out of what was diamond hard bits. Showing her how he layered it, so she'd know how to take it down when she wanted. All made of ever shifting green-light with hints of varying degree of 'cold'. And a conscious effort to sand down the edges, to make them less jagged and sharp.

Tedious work and hard on the mental muscles, but that was why Loki was doing so, and not Eilonwy.

Eilonwy's figure wasn't much different than how she looked in reality. A bit transparent, but not constantly moving. She watched as he worked and made sure the shields were kept down. It reminded her a little of watching gem cutters. There was a stray thought of a box of cut and polished gemstones being displayed for a second before Eilonwy concentrated.

"Is it easier to build with smaller fragments? It seems like you're making more work for yourself."

"It can be, but I've had practice. My own shields are many layered and I will change them up occasionally as well. This will provide you the best support for now that I can give you. But you know the 'chinks' and holes to get through, if you need or want to." Again the words were heard in her mind as well as aloud.

There was even a faint ripple in his image that might've been laughter at her stray thought.

"Not too much longer though."

"Right.. That does make sense." The laugh caught her off guard and Eilonwy found herself laughing in return a little.

"I feel like I shouldn't be surprised at how fast you can work considering you just mentioned having practice, but.." There was some unspoken surprise. Eilonwy idly looked herself over and then back to Loki, suddenly curious.

"Could I learn to change how I look when we're doing this? Or is it something that's decided once the connection has been made?"

"Do you mean change your mental appearance?" Conversing was making it take a bit longer, but it wasn't so distracting Loki couldn't do so. It meant that she might pick up stray wisps of half-formed thoughts from him. Now there were hints of curiosity and amusement, a faint half-image of a room full of books and someone saying words that were not remembered against a backdrop of warm golden lights and brown.

"You're the one in charge of how you appear. In theory, I could change how I look to your mind's eye but that would be harder. However I look is based on both my own shielding and however you conceptualize me. This is part of why we have the physical connection for the magic to work; so that I'm not having to fight your own shields, nor you mine, to do this."

The talk of shielding and mental appearances also brought a stray wisp of thoughts leaking to her. Feelings of caution, and also protectiveness. That latter was tinged especially towards her with a hint of possessiveness as well. Images accompanied these feelings, but the image also shifted from the darker-tinged to lighter-emotions. Seen in visual shifts for a second of Loki in armor. First one, that seemed harsher and grittier while still regal, commanding. Then another that was lighter, polished, more balanced.

"Yes!" Eilonwy answered as Loki's stray thoughts showed themselves for a moment. Words-- rendered in silence instead of anything she could hear. The light felt a bit like the sun.

She listened as he kept talking. "Then your shields are like oil paints, but the way I see you is working with that. A good team effort." A bit of a joke, but it was also a little true.

The mix of emotions were met with surprise, especially at the dose of possessiveness. The first image caught Eilonwy off guard a bit and she was too busy taking everything in to think about anything else. As the emotions shifted again along with what she was being shown, Eilonwy found her voice.

"It's very fitting armor-- I think the second fits you much better."

There was a ripple in the 'form' again, surprise coming through easily before Loki took a deep breath and refocused. "I did warn you that stray thoughts might be easier to catch like this." Fortunately he was setting the last few pieces in place. Being certain she could see it, feel the shield.

"I'm going to pull away now, and if you want to try testing it you can. It should feel more difficult to reach out at all." Warning her, again words and thoughts saying the same thing. Before Loki let the green glow of his magic fade, and moved to pull away from that 'hand'. Retreating entirely and taking a deep breath once he opened his eyes.

"Your head is likely going to remain sore for a bit, but that's why I brought tea and broth. And comforting hot packs, in those fabric tubes." He'd get to the stray wisps of thought in a moment.

Eilonwy watched as the vision of Loki in her head dimmed out. She tried sending a thought out and watched as it essentially reached the shield before returning back to her like a gently tossed ball.

Her eyes opened and she took a second to readjust before Eilonwy smiled softly. "It is, yes. I'm glad-- I can manage all of the pain well enough. I was just concerned about the spilling over as you phrased it. I've never had that happen with Bauble, so if it can be held off, then that's all the better. Do you ever get headaches from using your magic?"

"I have before, yes. Both with plain magic when I over-extend myself, often when I was younger, and also if I'm doing a lot of mental magic work." A quick visual check, before Loki was moving to her kettle and preparing a cup of tea for her. This was why he'd come prepared after all.

It took him a moment also to think about what images of him in armor she had caught as he'd been mostly focused on his shielding. "The first armor is more recent, as the second more golden set was when I was in Asgard. I do not have either anymore, however."

Eilonwy was still dealing with the headaches and her skin was slightly more pale. Besides that, Eilonwy felt as normal as one could with a headache.

She watched as he worked on making a cup of tea and moved to stand to help. She wouldn't be a bad hostess. "I've never had armor of my own, but I've seen different kinds in Prydain and in books. It--" There was a wince as the headache found a new dose of strength. Eilonwy frowned and tried to push through it as she headed for the kitchen. "It's nice to think about what mine could look like."

"Go sit back down. Yes, it's your house and no, you're not being a bad host. This is a teacher helping his student, not a guest doing for themselves." Loki turned his head enough to give her a look.

"The first was mostly ceremonial although it was functional in combat. That is, the more golden set. The other was made from it when I spent a year in the worst parts of the galaxy on my own, with nothing to survive by but my wits, my powers, and what I had on me."

Eilonwy met his look for a long moment before she sighed and returned to her chair. He was right, but it was hard for her to put aside her hosting manners. "..Fine." she said with a bit of a huff.

Once she was seated again, Eilonwy listened. "I'm glad all of those served you." she remarked gently. She didn't know the details but the way Loki was succinct about explaining it as being the worst parts of the galaxy left little to imagine.

"You can be mad with me all you want on this, but you'd be telling me the same if the roles were reversed." Loki pointed out, watching the tea brew.

"I survived. It has been three times now, with my arrival here, that I've found myself somewhere new and strange. Often unceremoniously, on my own, and with only what I have on me to survive. This place has so far been the kindest, the lack of powers at first notwithstanding."

"I'm.." Eilonwy sighed. She was mad, and there was nothing wrong with recognizing that. Her expression softened as the pain took a momentary break and she allowed that annoyance to pass. It really didn't make sense to dismiss someone's kindness, and she knew that. "I'm aware of that." Eilonwy said with a sigh. "My apologies."

She listened and then spoke again. "I've never traveled to other worlds, or met people from different times." Eilonwy looked towards the floor for a moment. "It was a shock, and--" She looked back up to Loki properly.

"Yes! Waking up without my own power was also surprising. I've been telling myself to stop comparing this place to Llyr or Prydain, but it's hard. How have you traveled so often and not.." Eilonwy trailed off and tried to find the right way to phrase what she was thinking. "Not simply been confused each time?"

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