XI @ask-xi - Tumblr Blog

Sylvie blinks for a moment, not quite prepared for an immediate concession and stand-down. People don’t usually do that, either choosing to fight, or to run away, and this gent doesn’t seem the least bit inclined to do any of the provided options.

In fact, he’s annoyingly chipper— which doesn’t exactly ease her nerves. Wait- other non-natives-

She takes a breath, holds it, creeps out with her senses past the adrenaline, and hears the two hearts, smells the ozone on his clothes, both making her tilt her head with lips pressed thin. Her exhale comes as a huff in answer, for now warily trusting that he’s not TVA, he’s not Kang, he’s not… Well. Anyone who wants a piece of her. Not yet, anyway.

Still, her machete stays by her side, along with her armor staying put. But she trudges up past him now to unlock her beater of a truck and throw in a backpack she hadn’t had a second ago.

“I don’t need help,” Sylvie defensively asserts, tossing in her machete on top of her bag. “-And the less you know, the better. I like it here. This is my home now. I don’t-“ I don’t want to draw attention. “-I don’t want anything to happen. Okay? No one’s after me. Let’s keep it that way. If you need a ride, tell me now before I stop feeling chummy. Stranded? I can get you where you need to go, too. Just- stop being weird.”

#Sylvie asking the impossible XD #t: gold horns at the golden arches #kissedbymischief

The screwdriver is pocketed and disappears with science rather than magic. XI offers her a nod.

"I'll certainly try."

He knows there's very little chance of managing not to be. It's not really in his repertoire. Rather than confirm or deny being stranded, he decides to press his luck. There doesn't appear to be anything immediately dangerous about her workplace so he supposes she's why the TARDIS has stopped here.

"If you don't mind being chummy a bit longer, I'll tag along for a bit. You don't have to have my company long but I'd love to make a new friend. If you like I can cook you dinner. You've not lived 'til you've eaten Chez Doctor. Well, chez you, cheffed by me. Sorry, don't be weird."

nipuni

"I am a higher dimension life form, I am a complex space-time event"

A step by step process of this will be available at my Patreon next month, you can find prints of my work at my Store 😊

#doctor who #the doctor

By now, Loki was far too worked up and distracted to have as much control over his expression as he'd like, and his eyes widened in shock. It had been mere weeks since he'd mastered that particular skill, and no-one alive knew he'd even been working on it.

"How do you-" He cut himself off with an irritated huff. He already knew what the answer would be.

He narrowed his eyes, jaw set, hands curling into fists at his sides. Accepting the invitation felt very much like a trap, but not accepting it felt like not calling the man on a very obvious bluff. Who in their right mind would willingly let someone else into their head, after all?

"Fine," he said, raising his chin. "If you're so sure it will convince me." He extended a hand and raised his eyebrows.

#mind melds ahoy XD #if you delve too deep I'm sorry Loki #t: men of many faces #mischieftomake

Even doing this was a risk. Loki could just as well squash his head if he felt inclined and XI didn't think Asgard would take kindly to his next regeneration singeing Loki's eyebrows and furniture. Then again, he'd had a whole new set of them. Maybe they wouldn't be so explosive anymore. In any case, death was not the plan here.

XI stood straight, hands by his side and let Loki tap in. It took a moment for him not to fight the sensation on instinct, accustomed to keeping people out. Allowing a trickster god free run of his memories did not seem like the wisest plan but when all was said and done, this Doctor had let worse people in his head.

There were multitudes to pore over, depending on where Loki searched. The love for his husband, for his children, for his friends. The joy of the return of both his homeworld and the Earth that had been destroyed. The fear and rage at his enemies, weird scope-nosed machines and men with his lover's face. More still, the playfulness and the lusts of this man. If Loki were to search specifically for information about himself, he would find no hostile encounters. He might, rather embarrassingly, get a glimpse of another Loki holding this man up against a door while they both slaked a certain kind of appetite.

Admittedly, that is a lot of information to process out in the physical world of the Void. Mostly, Loki is simply confused for a good moment, questioning the notion that there may indeed be other multiverses. Whole other collections, whole other- another one of him could be out there, with the same fate-

Why does that make his throat tight?

He blinks, tilts his head the other way - if only to get the crick out. Things come to him now, a bit of familiarity in the scrabbling for answers in the infinite Tree.

“…You’re a… a television show, here,” Loki surmises, a small laugh escaping at the absurdity of it all. “-Try not to think too hard about it, you’ll only run in circles.”

Still not fully trusting of this giddy stranger, his eyes flick to the TARDIS, then back to the Doctor, and he decides that he hasn’t spoken to anyone in so long that it’s worth a small risk to conjure a table for two in the middle of the invisible expanse, steaming tea already filling a pair of green and gold teacups beside a pot of cream and a bowl of sugar cubes.

He gestures toward the simple chair nearest the other.

“Hands visible, if you please. Otherwise, you’re welcome for tea. I’ve… Never had a visitor before, and I have to be cautious. I’m the Tree’s protector. But a chat would… be nice.”

#t: thread dancers #kissedbymischief

There's an instinct to scoff at the idea of being a character on a TV show, but XI knows enough to know he isn't even the Doctor 'prime' in his own multiverse. He decides against rejoining that Loki is a film character in his own universe, now that the Earth is back again. It looks like the god has enough on his plate. Instead he shares the laugh and gladly accepts the offer of tea. It's impressive to see Loki creating things, not simply painting with light.

"Oh, cheers. I'd love to. I promise I'll keep my hands off the Tree unless you tell me otherwise. Dangerous thing poking time streams."

He takes a seat and sets to pouring the cream and dropping three cubes in his cup.

"What would you like to know? Or you can tell me anything you'd like you're bursting to share."

When it came to intimidation, Loki liked to think of himself as something of an expert. He'd been on the receiving end of so many threats over the years (some of the very worst of which he'd painfully discovered were anything but empty), and had made so many himself that he liked to fool himself into thinking there was very little anyone could say that would frighten him.

But there was something about the sincerity of the Doctor's words, something about the certainty of them and the way the man already seemed to know more than he should stopped Loki from simply dismissing what he said.

Memories that he only ever managed to bury just beneath the surface rushed to the forefront of his mind. Darkness, agony, complete despair. Thanos.

Loki was all too familiar with terrifying and deadly.

The wards on the doorway behind Loki flared to life, the empty space in the archway glowing a faint green and effectively trapping the two of them within the room.

"What do you know of what is to come?" Loki demanded, anger once again colouring his expression to mask the cold fear that coiled in his gut. "Who sent you?"

#t: men of many faces #mischieftomake

The Time Lord halted on seeing the barrier flare. His poking had paid off, although made this god all the more dangerous. Best to be careful. He really didn't fancy using up another regeneration today.

"I wouldn't know your enemies to have been sent by them. No one did. If you don't believe me, you can do that mind thingy you can do, though I'll warn ya I might give you a headache. I don't know anything for certain about this timeline. Honestly, when I found this place it made me a bit dizzy. I'm accustomed to fixed time, not branching. Where I come from the multiverse has bigger gaps in it and the branches rarely touch."

Sylvie’s eyes narrow, immediately even more wary of anyone who spouts notions about time and ‘temporal radiation.’ Yet, who she is would be obvious to anyone in the TVA by now, so - who the fuck is this?

He does well to back away, but one last buzz and Sylvie might very well lose it. Maybe a small scare is in order.

“And? What do you plan t’do with that reading, then?”

Her uniform blurs into her battle leathers, and her machete forms in her hand, stretching its blade nearly to the asphalt and shining in the streetlamps’ orange glow adjacent to her lengthy coat. The threat is obvious, and she couldn’t give a flying fuck about keeping a low profile if there’s someone coming to her home to fuck it up yet again.

“I’m not an experiment, and I’m not hurting anyone. So. Tell me who you are and maybe I won’t run you through.”

#t: gold horns at the golden arches #kissedbymischief

The screwdriver is lowered at once, XI straightening up in response to the materialising armour and weapon. His calculations are swift, ears finely tuned to her expression of no harm. It's a positive, all things considered.

She isn't a monster to see off, he thinks, she's scared. And not necessarily of him.

"Hello, Not-An-Experiment," he says. It's cheeky but his tone is gentle. "I'm the Doctor. I'm a traveller with a fondness for this planet. Habit of being nosy about other non-natives. I don't report to anyone," not anymore anyway, "'less you count me other half who's as nosy as I am. I like to help. Whoever it is you're running from, are they still after you?"

donutdrawsthings

Bonus:

#doctor who spoilers #dw spoilers #sutekh #lmao #silly #spoilers

"Oh, if I weren't in the mood for patience, you would already be half way to the dungeons."

Loki started searching for the telltale signs of a lie almost without conscious thought. His gaze traced quickly over the most likely giveaways- eyes, mouth, shoulders, hands- but neither those, nor his gut instinct betrayed anything. And the Doctor's expression suggested a facade had been dropped. Assuming he wasn't wrong, and he rarely was when it came to deception, either the man was delusional- and Loki certainly wasn't ruling that out as a possibility- or he was telling the truth.

He crossed his arms, frowning as he digested the information.

"Setting aside the idea that something so small is capable of travelling further than the city limits, much less between realities, why would your ship bring you to someone you've never met? Because I can assure you, you're not needed here. Nor are you wanted."

#I mean got to know the rules to break them properly I guess XD #ofc a DW track came on my playlist as I started working on this reply #t: men of many faces #mischieftomake

This carefully checked temper rang alarm bells, and not the ones Loki probably wanted. Pain and suffering was often a given with this particular god, but this was the first one he had met who was concealing it. It was a mirror he'd seen enough.

"Well, exactly. Why would you want a complete stranger?" he said amiably. "I'll go in a minute. His Majesty knows best. I will tell you my ship often brings me to those I've not met, usually because they're in some sort of trouble, or because there's going to be in their near future. Often terrifying and deadly."

He got up and smoothed away the dent he'd left in the bedsheets.

"But since everything's going absolutely perfectly on Asgard, I'll pop down to one of the taverns in the lower city and relax before I head off."

Loki closed the doors to the balcony once the stranger was inside, banished one of his daggers, and cast a basic locking enchantment. He was careful not to turn his back on the intruder, and as such had a perfect view of the Doctor completely ignoring the seating area in the centre of the room and wandering casually into his bedroom.

He followed slowly, halted in the doorway, and gave the stranger a flat, unimpressed look.

"If you are as well informed about this realm and about myself as you appear to be, then I would expect you to know that a certain amount of respect is expected when addressing Asgardian royalty." Whether or not he still counted as Asgardian royalty was very much up for debate, but Loki wasn't going to let small details like that get in his way.

"Either you are a fool, or have a death wish, and given how little sense you've made thus far, I'm leaning towards the former. Whichever it is, I suggest you stop being so obtuse before I decide my curiosity isn't worth the trouble of keeping you alive."

#t: men of many faces #mischieftomake

The Doctor smiled at Loki. It wasn't the goofy grin he had offered before, nor was it so innocent. It was a calm, polite smile, with a look of ancient darkness in the eyes. One Loki himself might be inclined to use.

"Not in the mood for patience today, I see. Fair enough. I'm a traveller through time, space, and reality, not soul, power, or mind, though I've done a lot so I wouldn't rule those out. I mean you no harm. In fact, I've met one or two of you on my journeys and we've been... if not friends, amicable. My ship, that blue box, is alive. She has her own whims. I didn't know she'd brought me to you until you appeared, which tells me that she thinks I'm needed here."

“Pardon me,” Loki starts, his voice cracking before he clears his throat out of necessity. “-But I don’t remember leaving a welcome sign for… Police boxes and… Whatever you are.”

It’s as good a time as any to stretch his legs, so he begins to gather the branches he’s holding in one hand, and carefully pushes himself up with a soft grunt. He can’t remember being this incapacitated before, even in the days leading up to and after New York. It feels like he’s breaking out of a prison of his own body, sore and crackling and short of breath as his gentle steps upon veined marble ripple seidr green - as if casting reverberations across a lake. Descending the steps one by one, his cloak of wriggling branches fans out, and he drapes those in his hand across his shoulders so he can leave his most accessible wielding free… And give his fingers a break.

“Maybe I am,” Loki finally answers, coming to a stop at the foot of the stairs and tilting his head warily - to the detriment of his neck. “And I do not need help. This is how it’s meant to be.”

A pause, considering that he’s never truly uttered an explanation of what he’s doing. Is a stranger capable enough of entering also worthy of knowing? He got Time right, it might be only fair. And a little smidge of pride may contribute to his next words.

“I’m powering Time, in a sense, if you need to know. Shall you now explain who you are, how you’ve breached the Void, and why you know about Time? I’ll start, if you like. I am Loki, God of Mischief and Stories. And if you attempt to harm myself or the branches, I’ll gut you like a fish.”

#t: thread dancers #kissedbymischief

The change in dress aside, XI can't remember ever seeing a Loki look so regal. This god radiates immense majesty as he rises from his throne, bearing a weave of time. The Doctor even feels a shiver through him, the old nagging sensation to consider running. It has been a while since he has felt the need to do so from a person. Blimey, can it really have been time enough?

He finds himself smiling warmly at Loki, hopeful that he is as he seems, brimming with pride at the words he hears.

"Stories! You've expanded your remit, you great clever clogs. That is gorgeous." XI clears his throat, too, and clasps his hands at his back to help dissuade any disembowelling actions. "I'm the Doctor. God of Buggering About. Nah, I'm having you on. I'm a Time Lord from another reality. Another multiverse even. Recently ex Lord President of Gallifrey if we're swinging our titles about. I say ex, sort of still am, but I'm not a fan of ruling the masses. I got here in my TARDIS. She's a hybrid sister who can cross the Void."

If Loki hadn't spent so long learning to keep his expression and body language tightly under control when he felt threatened, his alarm at the man's unexpectedly jovial attitude would have been obvious even to the most inattentive observer.

The stranger gave his title as though it was supposed to mean something, smiled as though he wasn't trespassing, and complimented him as if he knew Loki had a weakness for flattery (though in fairness, that wasn't exactly a secret). And yet he didn't seem at all surprised to see Loki alive and well. All in all, it was extremely unnerving.

He took a cautious step to the side to get a better view of the box on the balcony, then glanced back to the intruder.

"You answer my questions without telling me anything of use. Clever." Not clever enough, but he could respect the attempt.

He took a step away from the doors, throwing up a hasty illusion spell to keep anyone who cared to look up from seeing anything but an empty balcony, and gestured back towards the doorway with one of his blades.

"Come in, won't you? Sit down." The words were inviting, but Loki's expression made it clear that this wasn't a request, but a command.

#Doctor please shut up or your husband will collect you in a box #a very small one that isn't blue #t: men of many faces #mischieftomake

Retaining his cheery smile, the Doctor straightened his waistcoat and sauntered inside as directed. He wished he had a little more time to admire this place and investigate it rather than focus on preventing an unfortunate regeneration or worse. With any luck, there would be a chance later.

Instead of stopping at the first sensible chair available, he wandered on until he found the prince's bed, whether in this room or not, and perched upon the edge of it as if it was the only chair in the vicinity and perfectly normal to avail himself of it. Boots crossed at the ankles, thumbs twiddling, he looked up at the god, expectantly, like a simpleton even.

"Don't know as I've ever seen you on your home turf. Other yous I mean. This is Asgard, innit? It's much prettier than Rofanoxxia 9."

forevermuses

Meeting someone who does not know of the TVA was not a novelty. Meeting someone who was speaking about time in a way that Sylvie did not understand was definitely something new.

Sylvie squinted at the Doctor as he mumbled away about the ‘Shadow Proclamation’ and a ‘TARDIS’ and about time. She could not follow along nor make sense of what he was saying, but there was one conclusion to be drawn here.

She wanted to go wherever this man went. If he brought with him a new concept of time, maybe she could use it to take down the TVA and get her Asgard back.

The Earth shook, granting a pause in the Doctor’s monologue and a chance for Sylvie to get a word in. “An apocalypse. Earthquake. Volcano. Tsunami. You name it, it’s happening here. This TARDIS of yours…is that a ship? Can we use it to get out of here?”

#t: apocalypse please #forevermuses

The earthquake was the least of his problems, even if it did do well to disguise why he had wobbled. Temporal discoordination was probably going to sound like nonsense to a violent and desperate woman. He steadied himself and nodded, beckoning quickly as he made his way back toward the blue box further up the landscape.

"Yes, yes. That's what I was trying to tell you when I chased you," he remarked. "And don't go getting any silly ideas of trying to steal her. She doesn't like it and she won't let you. She'll throw you in the pool and that's if you're lucky!"

“Oi, you, what’d’ya think you’re doing?”

Sylvie is tired. Her double shift didn’t need to be as busy as it was, but, well, Murphy’s Law and all that. The ice cream machine broke, the soda machine needed to be cleaned, and the rushes were some of the worst they had ever been. She’s sweaty. She’s sticky. She’s irritated. She’s ready to bite someone’s head off.

And that someone is standing between her and her only bed for the time being, waving around a thing that’s hurting her ears.

“If y’don’t get away from my fucking car, with your fucking buzzing pen, I’m gonna shove it so far up your arse that- that…” Yeah, she doesn’t know where she’s going with that. “-Well, you won’t like it. So fuck off.”

A crunch comes from her hand, and she glances down to realize that she’s gripped her styrofoam cup hard enough to crush it, spilling the last of her soda to the asphalt. Sylvie’s shoulders drop, and she debates throwing it at him, but finds that her energy is best saved for throwing a punch if necessary.

“Go on then.”

#he's gonna get chased round the car park isn't he #t: gold horns at the golden arches #kissedbymischief

He spins at the sound of the hostile woman, only now realising the offence that buzzing around a worker's car might cause. It doesn't fully faze him, however. XI has spent a lot of his life pissing people off over minor details in the grand scheme of things and he always fully intends to make things right. Well, these days he does. There was a big gap of making things a whole lot worse.

She looks very familiar, haircut aside, but time being complicated and wibbly and his memories not catching up, he can't yet recall her name. He's fairly certain he's met her before in another cluster of universes. For now, she's an angry mystery.

"Oh, hello," he says, backing away a few paces from both her and the vehicle. He decides to try defusing the situation. "Did you know there are elements of temporal radiation around your car?" He dares a very quick buzz in her direction before hopping back further. "And from you, as a matter of fact."

// If you booped me during the great booping but I did not boop you back, please consider yourself booped xxx

#outofbadgers #Pirate babbles

If the jarring sensation of the majority of his wards all triggering at once (with the very notable and irritating exception of the ones that were meant to stop anyone intruding in his rooms in the first place), the noise certainly would have been.

Loki, dagger already in hand, peered through the door into the living area and scanned the room. He knew better than to think coming back to Asgard would be without its complications. He was risking an enormous amount just by being here, even without spending most of his time masquerading as Odin, but he had hoped he might get at least a few months of peace.

He cocked his head to the side as his gaze caught on the figure standing on his balcony and narrowed his eyes. Whoever it was certainly wasn't acting like a thief or an assassin- they seemed, to all intents and purposes, to be unarmed and simply standing there- but that didn't necessarily mean anything.

He summoned another dagger to his free hand for good measure and crossed the room silently. He paused at the balcony doors, drawing himself up to his full height before announcing himself.

"Unless you want to meet a very painful end, I suggest you explain exactly who you are and how you got in here before I lose my patience."