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[damn_yourself_early]

There is a stone pylon standing in the Nexus, a waist-high obelisk with an iron ring set in its tip. To the ring is tied a rope, blackened with weather and age, that rises ramrod-straight into the uncertain distance above. Etched into the faces of the pylon are cryptic glyphs--utter nonsense, right-side-up, but upside-down, these runes read, "Here, above Ymir's cloven brow, do I set my anchor. Let him who cuts the rope have vipers in place of blood."

Normally, the rope is still, but today it sways faintly, twisting slowly this way and that, emitting the occasional creak. In time, the reason becomes clear, as a young boy in green and black and gold is climbing down it. Or up it, perhaps. He is upside-down, and closer to the pylon and the ground with every length he climbs, yet he seems to be straining against some strange gravity that would pull him away from the ground he seeks.

Hand over hand he descends, grasping at last the ring and flipping lightly to stand on the ground and crow in triumph. "I knew there was something up here!" Digging out a Starkphone, he holds it at arm's length. "Selfie!"

Having recorded his triumph, he turns his attention outward, balancing on one foot with his arms out to his sides, turning slowly around. "Advisers, counselors, sages, and oracles! What more could a soul in want of answers wish? But that isn't my question, don't count it. Do we have a set limit? Don't count that either."

"Sages! If you needed to learn, and learn quickly... what would you try to learn first?"

Comments

[brave_heart_verity]

Verity's no good at stories, but she'd thought she'd had the general gist of this place down. If there was a place more likely to help her find her missing friend, she couldn't think of one. He's magic and stories and would naturally be drawn to a place in-between everywhere.

Maybe she should have thought this through a little more.

Because oh boy. She's not much good at schooling her expressions, but maybe he'll miss the look of dawning horror as she realizes who he is.

Unfortunately, after that comes her resting face, which isn't exactly welcoming. "Who to trust. You have to learn who to trust."

[damn_yourself_early]

Loki smiles, for he's ever-so-charming and gets invited to all the best parties (he does not in fact get invited to parties). "That's a good answer!" To his phone, he adds, "Surli, learn who to trust." Back to the intriguingly-coiffed lady, he poses a follow-up: "how do you decide?"

[brave_heart_verity]

"Usually, it takes practice. Lots of practice. Do you always ask your phone to do your thinking for you?" She's going to sit down now, unless he has some objection, in which case she's going to sit down and also not care. "Don't use magic for it. That ends badly."

[damn_yourself_early]

"Just making a note," he assures her, with no objections to sitting. Sitting is a good way to rest tired feet! His feet aren't tired, though, as he's been climbing, so he keeps to them, alternately rocking back on his heels or rising up on his toes, pacing a few steps this way or that. There's so much to see, and it's all so exciting! "Are you a magician? A mighty sorceress, with the power to divine friend from foe, brunch from breakfast?"

[brave_heart_verity]

She watches him moving around, but also seems to be looking for something else. "Uh, no. I'm probably the least likely person on earth to ever be able to do magic. But I do know how to tell brunch from breakfast."

[damn_yourself_early]

"Really? How? I've had trouble with that one already, and it was terrible. Little watermelon wedges on sticks everywhere, and they still haven't found the cat." He's telling stories, he's done no such thing.

[brave_heart_verity]

"Don't lie," she snaps. "I always know."

She'd been planning to tell a joke, too.

"Where's Ikol?"

[damn_yourself_early]

"I was making a joke," Loki protests, quietly and with a hint of a wibble to his lip. The question about Ikol catches his attention, though. "How do you know my bird? And how do you know his name? Almost nobody knows his name, are you sure you're not a sorceress?"

[brave_heart_verity]

Damn those puppy eyes. They always get her. "It's... complicated. Someday he's going to be my best friend."

[damn_yourself_early]

"You're going to be friends with my bird?" He looks puzzled, but only briefly. "How can you think you're not magic, if you always spot lies, have interesting hair, and talk to birds? That's a fairy-tale princess hat trick! With maybe an actual hat."

[brave_heart_verity]

"I said I can't do magic. That's not quite the same thing. And the hair is dyed. It doesn't grow this way." Let's not talk about the bird anymore. It would be so weird to see him as a bird.

[damn_yourself_early]

"That is a distinction," Loki admits. "But still! Lots of mages do interesting things to themselves to help the magic. Or by the magic. Or to protect from the magic, I found some very interesting uses for eyeliner." Not a lie.

[brave_heart_verity]

"Eyeliner?" Okay, that's new. "What do you do with eyeliner?"

[thesmashingthunder]

The boy asked for wisdom, for beings of immense knowledge and intellect to answer his call.

What he got instead was a curious mouse.

Learn? What would he learn? Pikachu trotted up to him, pondering on the question. Normally he learned through battle - his own weaknesses and strengths came clear as he fought new opponents and old, adapting to new tactics and battlefields as their battles always evolved. It meant his skill set was focused and extremely developed but somewhat limited. Reaching up, he tugged at the fabric on Loki's leg.

"Chuuuu. Pi, pika pi." He pointed at his open mouth. It'd be nice to learn how to communicate with other Smashers better. Sometimes they treated him more like a pet than a colleague.

[damn_yourself_early]

"Well, hi, little guy!" Loki grins, crouching down to get closer to eye level with the little mouse. "What is it? Something to eat? Or--no, something to say. You need to learn how to talk to people?" Loki is quick on the uptake--he has to be.

[thesmashingthunder]

Pikachu nodded eagerly, running around Loki's legs. Was he offering to teach him? So long as he didn't try to catch him, that would be great! He came to a halt in front of Loki again, ears twitching. Though he had no idea how the boy could help. He rolled onto his back, stretching out and grinning up at Loki.

[damn_yourself_early]

Loki laughs. "Well, you're certainly adorable, and that's often a good way to get their attention. Keeping it, though, that's the trick. Hmm." He strokes his chin thoughtfully for a moment, frowning in concentration. Two questions occur at once: "Can you read?" and, "do you want your belly rubbed?"

[thesmashingthunder]

Read? No. Well, except for those crates with the big symbols that meant 'FIRE = EXPLODE' on them. Belly rubs? Yes please! He shook his head then nodded.

Although he disagreed. Acting cute was one way. A solid kick to the face or shock was more effective in the middle of a brawl.

[damn_yourself_early]

Belly rubs there shall be! And scritches, too. "You don't read? That's a pity. If you could read, then you could get a phone, and you could text." He holds out his own phone to demonstrate. Displayed on the phone is some message board, somewhere, with a number of people on it calling him a troll.

[thesmashingthunder]

Oh, that was great! Rubs and scritches, and he hadn't even been in a team battle!

At the sight of the phone, his ears twitched up. Rolling back onto his feet, he reached up to look at it. He could tell there was some electricity in it but not much. Hardly a spark compared to his! Touching the screen made it change. He jumped back, half expecting an explosion - almost everything exploded when it changed like that! But nothing happened. Narrowing his eyes, he took a step forward again and peered at it suspiciously.

It better not explode.

[damn_yourself_early]

Loki leaves off pets when the little creature shows an interest in his phone. Sitting down cross-legged, he holds the little device so the creature can see it. "It's touch sensitive--you touch places to tell it to do things. Like, I touch this icon here?" Blip. "And it plays music!"

Indeed it does. Does Pikachu know this one?

[thesmashingthunder]

Pikachu did not! His ears twitched to the beat and he began to bounce in place. Then from side to side. He wasn't really used to boogieing but he certainly had some rhythm or could at least copy the beat.

He liked the little machine! It wouldn't be useful in combat but it was fun and not-explodey. He took it from Loki and pressed on the screen a few times. Pictures of people (including Loki), then an image of himself, then- FLASH!

Now Loki had a lovely picture of a too-close Pikachu face staring quizzically at the camera. Said Pikachu nearly dropped the camera in surprise. "Chaa!"

[damn_yourself_early]

"Oh, yeah, it's got a camera, too. See? There's a picture of you, now."

[thesmashingthunder]

Pikachu pouted at it. It'd done that on purpose! He folded his arms, cross that it'd stunned him like that. But hm. He held it away from him and, after several tries, managed to take another picture. Ooo, better! "Chu!"

Pulled a tough pose, he fired some sparks off his cheeks and took another picture. Even better! He then hopped behind Loki. He could try taking a picture of him!

[damn_yourself_early]

Selfie time! Loki grins, taking the phone and holding it out, throwing a peace-sign with his other hand. "On three. One, two, three-!"