maskormenace

[Eddie paces as he talks. There's a cast on his arm with the word loser written in black, with a red V written over the s to spell lover.]

Hello? Can you hear me? We're all kidnapping victims here; you guys know that right?

This nanite stuff sucks. There are tiny germ sized robots crawling around inside us! Something's gotta be powering them. They could be hanging out in our stomachs eating our food. Or they could be eating us and making tiny little holes inside our bodies. They could all build up in one place and block off the blood flowing through our arteries and our veins. Or build up in our organs, our lungs and our brains! And, our bodies are mostly water. They could be rusting inside us.

[He stops pacing and starts scratching his face with his cast-free hand]

I think I'm allergic to them! Everything's itchy. I'm gonna break out into hives!

[He starts wheezing and rubs his chest.]

I could be allergic to the tattoo too. I'm just a kid. I shouldn't have one. I think it's starting to swell up. I could have an infection. Or a blood disease. I don't trust these government people to be clean.

[The wheezing continues and his voice becomes strained with each word. He takes his inhaler out of a fanny pack and uses it, only speaking again when he's breathing is back to normal.]

How are we supposed to deal with this shit?

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[A humorless laugh.] Not in Derry in 1989. Small-mindedness is alive and well.

[And being helped along by a killer clown in the sewers.]

You can’t. Tell. Anyone. Not about—not about that. [He leans in close to the camera, like he wants to reach out and grab Loki by the shirt, pull him down to his level.] You can tell people I pissed the bed till I was eight or some other shit like that, I won’t give a shit, but you can’t tell them that I’m—that I want the wrong people, okay? Especially not Eddie. Please.

[No one can know, but Eddie most of all cannot know. Richie wants to keep him as his friend, even knowing his hopes won’t ever come true, and if Eddie ever found out he would flip out so fucking hard. Sure, the future’s different, but the old fear is still there, its poisoned roots deep in Richie’s system.]

Well, this is not Derry, and if I recall correctly, the year on this planet is 2020. And setting aside the simple fact that there shouldn't be any beings to be considered wrong in this regard, you might well consider to accept the chance you are given here.

[ Okay, yeah. Maybe he's getting a little agitated here and he sure hasn't planned to end up being... Encouraging? Is he being encouraging? Well, maybe his version of it. Let's just face it that Loki isn't very good at it. But he has strong opinions on this matter for... reasons. ]

It's not that easy. He grew up in the same town I did, he heard the same bullshit I did and way worse because of his mom, and I—

[I'm just scared. He stops talking, for once in his life, hunching in on himself and just shrugging. Yeah, he's a fucking chicken over this. He knows that. But being a chicken helped him survive, and even here old habits die hard.

God, he wishes this guy would go back to being an asshole. He's being encouraging and Richie doesn't know how to deal with this.]

I've got something good with him right now. I don't want to fuck it up, so you can't tell anyone, okay? I'll—I'll think about it. [Which is really all he can promise this weird stranger who's passionate about this.] Just don't tell him.

[ It's Loki's turn to be silent. But with him it's more an observant sort of silence, eyes narrowed and a frown on his face. He can see the similarities but also the differences between this boy and a young man he recalls from an even earlier point of Midgard's history. Considered a criminal, punished, broken in many ways and cast out by society. But despite everything, he had remained strong. Hopeful.

The odd, unjustified cruelty and and discrimination Midgardians impose on their own over something as trivial as emotions had confused and irritated Loki back then. And yet here it had seemed that mankind had grown. Though between Theo and the year this realm writes dwells this boy. Lost and on his own and-- Loki shouldn't let himself get bothered by that. And yet he can't bring himself to direct a harsh tone at this boy. ]

Just keep in mind: This world won't punish or condemn you. The beings you encounter here are much more open than you might think. And if his mind is clamped shut, you might as well use this realm to crack it open.

[He thinks of Caleb, the first friend he made here, talking about his boyfriend back home. He thinks of the woman in the park, of Rey, of Adam Young, of the people he’s met over his months here. They’re good people, he knows. Nothing like Derry’s adults, who’d likely turn a blind eye to a kid dying in front of them, who can’t see a bathroom covered in blood.]

You’re not wrong. [The admission is soft, a little quiet, which is pretty strange coming from Richie.] I’ll think about it. Feel it out, I guess. I dunno. [Derry’s poison is rooted deep in Richie’s psyche, but this is a little bit of progress.] But he’s my friend, and I don’t wanna lose him. If he doesn’t feel the same way, and I know he won’t, then—

[A shrug.]

He doesn’t.

[ The Asgardian lets out something akin to a groan, then shakes his head a little.

No. He doesn't have the patience for this sort of thing. He is no Thor. Or Captain America. This is... Just not something he's good at. Never was. Probably never will be. ]

I will just go back to insulting and annoying you, child.

[Oh thank god. Richie looks absurdly relieved.]

Just as long as you don’t say shit. [And just like that it’s like the mask is back on, and Richie slides back into his usual demeanor.] Anyway, it’s not like you’re any good at it, fuckhead. You gotta pick on kids now ‘cause every time you try with adults they shut your bullshit down?

[ Oh, he can tell the boy is relieved. This is, after all, a game Loki is well familiar with himself.

Though rather than verbally responding, Loki plain settles with a simple, yet knowing smile - Then cuts the connection. ]

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