InsaneJournal

Who: Loki, Darcy, Dr. Strange, Tony Stark
What: Endings and Beginnings. Dreams of dust. (Darcy reset)
When: Saturday
Rating/Warnings: Chartreuse. Language, non-descriptive nekkidness.

It was late at night that Loki finally tore himself away from the desk covered with his lore books and slipped into bed next to Darcy, who was already asleep. Her job with Stark was one of greater importance than fetching coffee for distracted scientists. It afforded her less erratic hours and greater pay, with weekends off, and so Loki had found some measure of contentment with the people around him... while waiting for the universe to end. Or half of it, from what everyone else was saying on the network.

The last thing he remembered was staring at Darcy's face being ruthlessly smashed into a pillow. Not wanting to rouse her, he pressed a kiss against the back of her head and drifted off to sleep.

His dreams weren't filled with the fall from the Bifrost. There was no Thanos, or The Other, or the Chitauri army to plague him from the past. He wasn't recalling when he gave that accursed creature the directions to the shielding, which lead to his mother's death. He didn't remember Odin or Hela's face, and Asgard wasn't burning. And there were worse things he dreamed about as of late, but that, for this one night, he wasn't being bothered by.

And perhaps that was a last moment of bliss being granted. When he awoke in the morning, Darcy was facedown, sprawled out over three-fourths of the bed, snoozing through her loudly beeping phone alarm. He rolled over the top of Darcy in all of their mutually unclothed glory, the sheet barely around his hips as he tried to slap his hand down on the device. Anything to make the noise stop.

"Infernal racket!" he growled, looking ready to smash the phone in his hand. The only thing that stopped him was Darcy loved her phone. It was a constant companion and breaking it would cause another argument he would enjoy too much. Arguments that made him glad he put silence wardings up so no one outside could hear them. Perhaps he might wind Darcy up for good measure before she left for work. Life was never easy with the God of Mischief.

"Dearest Darcy." With a smile he leaned down to whisper in her ear, "You are going to be late if you do not cease trying to smother yourself with the pillow."

Mass hysteria. People screaming in the streets and turning to dust on live News Stations all over the world. Of course she didn’t see it personally, but she’d seen it on her phone while waiting to be interviewed for a possible job position that had opened up. It was thanks to the amazing letter of recommendation Jane had typed up that helped her even get an interview when all hell seemed to fall upon New York.

Sleep. Sleep was needed. But Darcy didn’t remember falling asleep, most likely she had passed out on her couch watching the news. All while trying to reach Jane.

With the sudden feel of pillows pressed against her cheek felt amazing, and the sheets were even better. She could hear her phone going off in the distance as she slapped around for it. The sounds of muffled words soon followed. Even with whispers in her ear, all Darcy could do was swat at whoever it was. Still half asleep and in mid-dream. “Five more minutes…..Coffee is making….” Is all she said as she came to turn her head against the pillows as she slowly started to open her eye. Sapphire hues coming into view as everything around her was slightly blurred. Already she came to reach for her glasses as she slipped them on.

It was in that moment that everything came crashing down. Darcy came to blink..One...two...three...She wasn’t sure how many times she blinked, but she knew one thing for sure, she was very naked and in bed with Loki, Thor’s brother?! How the hell did that even happen. So what came next was expected as she came to suddenly scream loudly and stumble back and off the bed with that sheet clung to her naked frame.

“What the hell are you doing in my apartment!? AND WHY ARE YOU NAKED?! BETTER YET WHY THE HELL AM I NAKED?!”

Someone had no idea what was going on. That someone was considering this was an even better display of winding her up than ever before, and Loki sat up in bed with an expression that was equal parts delight and cunning. It seemed that his dear Darcy wanted to play act, and - having written a fine autobiographical play about that particular demise - he wasn't opposed to playing along. Even if she was picking an odd location to set it up at.

"Ah. Very well?"

Loki cleared his throat to get into the part, leaning back on both hands and not at all caring that he hadn't a stitch of clothing on. They had been very vigorously romping around for months.

"Oh no," he said smoothly and calmly, mimicking her bad acting. "Do you not remember last eve, when we met in the path behind the alehouse, and you had your drunkenly wicked way with me? Because I certainly remember every seductive second of it. Including when you invited me back to your place for what you called a night cap."

He smiled and it was brilliant to behold. Her acting really was horrendous by his dramatic standards. She was clearly jesting, since her apartment looked nothing like his rooms. He was much more orderly and she didn't move half of Asgard with her, only her clothes and xbox.

Darcy came to blink at him. “The fuck are you talking about?!” That sheet already wrapped around her as she came to back away from him quickly. She tried to think. Alehouse? No that wasn’t right. She was at the State Governments office.

“Is this you?” She said suddenly looking at him. Taking in his body and…. No. “Did you make those people turn to dust?!” She said accusingly at this point as she wrapped the sheet around her once more.

“I swear to God if I knew how to reach Thor I would!” But no stupid Jane had to go and break up with the big idiot. Tears were shed, least that’s what Jane told her anyways. Her hand came to brush her brown hair from her face as she kept to the corner of the room at this point. Sapphire eyes watching him closely.

“Will you put something on!!” She screamed out to him at this point. Her breathing was ragged at this point. “Look, crazy I don’t know what you think happened but I will taser your ass if you don’t start fucking answering my questions!” Fear and confusion heard in her voice.

“What are you doing in my ap--” She said stopping as she finally looked around the room she was in… “This isn’t my apartment…” She said looking at Loki once more. “What did you do?! Where the hell am I?!” She screamed, demanding to know at this point what in God's name was happening and why was Loki, God of Mischief, naked on a bed in a room with her, who was also very naked.

At first Loki was giving her an amused stare and shaking his head, not fathoming where she was taking this story at all. That amusement quickly turned to a sliver of fear, and then to ice cold dread as he was watching Darcy. His Darcy. Or what was, possibly, once his Darcy, but no more.

Thor had forgotten before, and they had to re-establish everything. Loki abruptly scrambled to stand up while casting a spell to put clothes on, nothing more than casual Midgardian attire, and lingered near his side of the bed. His hands clasped together. He wanted nothing more than to move closer to her, to take her by the arms and try to see if he felt the same sense of something being off he had when he was near Thor this last time. The problem being that his feet wouldn't move like his racing heart and burdened mind were screaming at them to.

Instead, he drew in a deep breath and hoped his traitorous tongue wouldn't betray him once again as he attempted to explain.

"Thor is living here, with us, as is the All-mother. I have not turned anyone to dust. I accompanied Thor after making amends, after Asgard fell to our sister and....you and I lived here, together." His traitorous tongue made that the past tense, lived, and he cursed himself for it. He cursed himself even as he stared at her with the hopefulness that his explanation might somehow jostle her memory back in place, even as he was fearing the worst. That it was never coming back. "Do you truly not remember anything of these past months, Darcy?"

“Where the hell is here?” She said demanding as she watched as clothes came over his frame instantly. “Um hello!” Motions to herself. “Some clothes would be nice!” Seriously, what the hell he could dress himself but not her?! What kinda pervy shit was that. Still, as he explained that confused look was made very clear over her features. “Asgard fell?” It was one of the first things she said. “Wait, your mother is alive?” She asked quickly shaking her head.

“Why in the hell would I live here with you?” She stared at him for the moment. Hearing his question on her memory. “The last thing, I remember was being in a States office for an interview and seeing on my phone people turning to dust… Then I ran home to try and call Jane but… I guess I must of passed out and here I am… STILL NAKED BY THE WAY!” She stated again for him to get the point.

She wanted clothes on, she didn’t want to be naked and around him. Her heart was racing as she came to stare at Loki. “Wait..do you think we’re a thing?!” She asked with even more confusion as she stared at him, completely baffled by this point. “I just wanna go home…”

The reason Loki wasn't doing anything was that his clasped hands were now clamped tight as a vice, his knuckles white against the already pale skin. He was staring down at his hands because that was far easier than looking at Darcy, not like this. She couldn't see him clenching his teeth into his lower lip until it hurt, or risk the any internal pain showing in his expression. He could hide the hate he suddenly had for this universe. Certainly, he was alive. Fantastic. His mother was there. Good. Thor forgave him! He was glad. His father didn't hate him. Even better.

He knew it wasn't perfect. Valkyrie was gone. Thor forgot him more than once. His mother might disappear again. But throughout it all, he was content that he had Darcy.

Only this Darcy wasn't his Darcy anymore. That Darcy was gone, somehow. She was never coming back.

It felt like this world was now a much duller and emptier place.

That bitter and insidious part of himself was convinced that maybe this was better for her. He had spent countless hours trying to convince her that he wasn't good for her, that she shouldn't be with a monster. This was safer for her. Better the clean break, than a painful parting later.

How easy it was to slip on a lie and wear a cold a mask of indifference. He unclasped his hands and waved one to her so that some of her mismatched knitwear suddenly appeared over her body.

"Home. Yes. Stark gave you an apartment once," he calmly said, picking up his phone and moving toward the door. "Since you work for him, not at a states office, you may see if that offer is open. I shall send your things along and contact Stephen Strange on your behalf. He will see to answering your questions."

He opened the door and stood there, texting so he didn't have to look at her.

Once her mismatched knitted clothes were on her, she felt slightly better. But only slightly as she listened to Loki explain things. She had a job from Stark? Hell, she had an apartment from Stark?! What the hell was going on here...

“Who's that?” asking about Stephen Strange. “Jane.. Is Jane here?” She asked, wondering if her best friend was here and safe. Maybe she could fill her in on what was going on.

Slowly she calmed her breathing as she watched Loki move to the door and start texting. “Gods know how to text?” She said out loud slightly and highly confused. But then again this whole thing was confusing and terrifying to her. “Where’s Thor?” She asked as she came to move away from the corner she was clinging too as she quickly grabbed at her phone that was on the nightstand, checking the news to see if there was something she missed while she was asleep, like why the hell she was in bed with Loki naked.

"You are in an alternate universe that another version of Stephen Strange, Midgard's sorcerer, accidentally broke using an Infinity Stone that controls time. You have, unfortunately, stepped into the place that my Darcy once inhabited. You were living in our mutual home, with me, these past few months. I know not where Jane Foster is. Thor is down the corridor, if he is even home. But let us not make this any more difficult," he finished, still staring down at the phone as he awaited a text.

Upon receiving a response that the sorcerer would be waiting outside, Loki stared at his phone as he began walking out the door. It was a good thing he was the God of Lies. He was doing an exceptional job lying to himself that he would be alright, until he could safely get this Darcy out of their house and out of his life.

"And yes, we do know how to text," he called back, with a note of sarcasm that most expected from him. "We aren't imbeciles. Follow me. The sorcerer will be waiting outside."

A roll of her eyes was made about the imbecile comment.

“I didn’t say that now did I?” She said quickly following behind him as she tucked her phone in her pocket. An alternate reality? Another version was living here…. With Loki… together? That explained why they were naked together. “I’m sorry…” Is all she said lightly. “But I don’t remember any of that.” She said looking down the corridor to where Thor’s room would be.

Still, as she looked down in that direction it meant she wasn’t paying attention as her small frame came to lightly crash into Loki’s. A slight stumble back as she came to fix at her glasses for the moment. “...Sorry.” She said again this time for crashing into him. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she kept arms folded into herself. “How.. Alternate is this world?” She came to ask as she moved beside him now. Glancing in his direction from time to time.

Darcy had never met Loki before, she’d seen him on the news when he tried to rule New York a few years ago. But to actually walk beside him well.. She was small. Out the corner of her eyes, she looked at him a bit. He was pale skin… Black hair and piercing green eyes. He looked nothing like Thor. “You don’t look like Thor.”

He wasn't really reading what was on the phone as much as using it as a focal point to not have to look at her. Not his. Not anymore.

"Save your apologies. This is not your fault. And it is a near perfect copy, without anyone turning to dust," and he was frowning the moment he said it, fearing what that truly meant.

What he needed more than anything was to not look at her ever again. A task made harder when she collided with him, then began walking beside him so he could see her pale face looking up at him in his peripheral. Looking down at the phone was a mistake. He used the advantage of his height to look straight ahead. It didn't ease the fact she was walking too close, or that he had grown too accustomed to putting one arm around her and teasing about how short she was.

Sentiment. This is why he shunned it for so long as a danger best avoided. It always burned you in the end. It only led to disappointment. It was a waste of time, and energy, and focus. It wasn't worth the pain.

"...adopted," was his cold reply about not looking like Thor. He was abruptly turning a corner to walk down the grand carved staircase on longer legs than Darcy's. His feet met the marble tiles well before hers did. He was stalking through as though he had worlds to conquer outside the two intricately carved front doors that led to the greater world outside. He moved swiftly through the foyer, past the fountain, between the golden pillars which lined an expansive modern living room on one side, with a modern kitchen and adjacent feasting hall worthy of Asgard on the other.

Darcy in her true fashion was looking around as they walked. This place was massive, insane. The last thing she heard Loki say was adopted before she stopped to glance at a painting on the wall. And then silence. Quickly she looked and the man was gone. “Dammit.” Is all she said as she quickly ran down the halls. But unsure where to go, she turned down a different corridor than the one Loki had gone down.

Another dead end.

“Okay…” Is all she said as she backtracked, but even that didn’t seem to help her.”Loki…. Loki!” She could have called out for Thor. Maybe even Frigga, but instead she called out for Loki as she looked around. Trying to figure out where she was. “Great, how do you lose a God, Darcy.” Is all she said frustrated with herself as she started walking once more.

“Loki!” She called out again as she came to a stop in the middle of the hall and crossed her arms, pressing against the wall as she slid down and hugged her knees with her head down. She was lost, this wasn’t home and she was hungry…. What else could go wrong in her life?

Of course it was massive. It was a converted warehouse that Stark had gifted to Thor. It might look drab on the outside, but the inside was befitting a royal family and those close to them.

Loki was waiting by the elaborately oversized front doors when he heard that familiar voice calling out his name. He was desperate for the owner of that voice to make herself unfamiliar, as fast as possible. He wanted nothing more than to march back up to his room, destroy everything in the vicinity that wasn't irreplaceable, and not come out ever again. Because that's how tempestuously reckless drama queens behave sometimes.

"Damn," he growled under his breath, stomping up the stairs and eventually finding her sitting down, like one lost in a forest would do if they were waiting to be found. He refused to look down at her any longer than he had to. It scared him sometimes just how easily he slipped into being cruel when he said, "I told you to follow me. Not find a convenient corridor to sit down and have a think. Get up. He is waiting."

Quickly she came to look up as she came to a stand next. “You were the one who was storming off!” She said with a face made at him, her small frame walking beside him as she made sure to keep close so not to lose him. “And you don’t have to be an asshole just because I’m not her, by the way.” She said with a roll of her eyes.

Still, she kept her arms around herself as she moved down the halls keeping a steady pace with him. “Jesus slow down!” She said trailing behind from time to time, but as they reached the front door, she came to crash into him when he came to a sudden stop. Only to stumble back slightly. Seriously, a second time?! Is all she thought as she looked up at Loki.

Already she came to poke her head out from behind him as she took a step and looked to see who was waiting for her. Was it Jane? Stark? No, it was that Strange person, Loki had mentioned. Still, standing next to him she came to look up at him for the moment. “You might wanna try working on that attitude of yours…. Just saying.” She said as she came to tie her hair up in a ponytail and fix her glasses.

"Get out," Loki growled like a cornered beast, the last words he was willing to speak to her. He offered only a curt nod to Strange who was waiting on the sidewalk outside. And once Dary Lewis was ushered out the doors with a hand pushed to her back, Loki slammed the doors hard enough that it sounded like the entire warehouse might cave in from the sheer force of it.

And that was that.

By contrast, the worst doctor to get bad news from was still waiting on that sidewalk. And all he could do was raise his eyebrows a little bit and make a 'phew' noise as he exhaled.

Stephen Strange looked like he was fresh from a Nepalese religious cult where they did yoga and made balloon animals. His dark blue clothing was more for comfort and meditation, for ease of movement while fighting. There was a tacky large gold pendant hung around his neck. And there was a ratty red cloak that was waving one corner up at Darcy like it was saying hello.

"Stop that," Stephen told his cape with a sigh. He knew why the God of Mischief was behaving so poorly, given those snippy texts. He wasn't about to give Darcy any details of any past history, because that was by request. It was on the network if anyone wanted to look back far enough, anyway, but Stephen didn't point that out. And most people? They didn't want to look back. While Stephen wasn't the most empathetic person in the universe, he was pragmatic. He was used to dealing with tense situations. At least it wasn't an arrow pointed at his face.

"Hello, Darcy. I'm here to take you wherever you need to go and answer your questions."

She literally had no time to say anything as she was ushered out the warehouse and the door was slammed in her face basically. Only to look back at the closed doors. “Jerk!” Is all she called out as she came to look at….Well the name fit the man. He was strange indeed and did the cape just wave at her… Sure why the hell not.

“I just wanna go home, my home.” She said looking at Stephen for the moment. A heavy sigh escaped her as she looked around to see New York, but with far fewer people in it. Her hands came to lower as she looked to this one once more. “.... I’m never going back home… Am I?” That feeling was eating at her stomach. That this place was now home.

So, why did she feel utterly alone?

The God upstairs was wondering much the same, while using magic to telekinetically blast his furniture to bits. Not that anyone inside or out could hear it, as his chambers were still warded to be soundproofed (for now). A good thing, since a chair just flew by the upstairs window and smashed to pieces against the wall.

"Uh? This is, unfortunately, home now. There's a you still back there, but you've been...splintered off from that place. I'm sorry," Stephen said. It sounded lame to apologize, inadequate, but it was all he had to offer. Mere condolences.

They were standing outside of the old Darcy Lewis' residence, so he didn't know what to say about any living accommodations. It didn't look like the doors to the current Castle Asgard were going to open up again, not unless someone else was opening them. Better for all involved to change the subject fast and keep moving.

"I'm doctor Stephen Strange. Master of the Mystic Arts. I'm monitoring the anomaly that brought you here, started by a counterpart of mine. On accident."

There was no handshaking. There were no consoling pats on the shoulders. Dr. Strange stood there staring at Darcy like he was studying her. He could tell that this wasn't a mind leech. This was an overwrite. And having had a dream last night where he felt his very being blowing away, he knew the reason why.

"Did you have a bad dream last night?" he asked as they set off to whatever life awaited her now. He would open a portal around the corner.

“I dreamt of people turning to dust… But I was also watching the news.” She said as they started walking off. Sapphire eyes came to look back at the warehouse once more before turning a corner. The phone in her back pocket vibrated again because of the alarm as she came to shut it off. Which caused her to look at the device once more….. This wasn’t her phone. This was her phone. Biting her lower lip, she began to search through the phone for the moment.

“I wanna see Jane.” She said as she came to look up to Strange. Seriously, was everyone taller than her? At this point, she was beginning to think so. Still, she kept that phone tightly in her hold as she looked at Strange once more. “Loki said something about Stark got me an apartment also? Is that where I’m going to stay?” Darcy had no idea how any of this worked.

Stephen was quiet as they walked letting it sink in that she saw the same thing he did, only he lived it. Somewhere else. It didn't have to happen the same way. Things changed and were still changing. This universe, broken as it was, went on.

Even with Jane, who was recently the a recipient of a mind leech, meaning she lost some time too. There would be enough time for Darcy to have that reunion, soon enough.

"We'll get you in contact with Jane shortly. I dreamed of the same thing, different planet." He was talking about it as though mentioning the forecasted heat index on last night's weather report. He stopped suddenly and put on a sling ring, opening a portal to take them to Stark Industries downtown office. As it opened, Tony spun in his chair on the other side and spit his coffee back into his coffee cup. "Typical. I think Stark can get you sorted out. Hate to subject you to him? But he's the guy you're working for. He'll know where you live. Right this way."

Darcy listened. Or listened as much as possible as she was too busy looking through that phone for the moment. It had a lot of pictures and texts between the other her and Loki. Still, when Strange said she was being left with Tony all she could do was look up as she came to step through that portal. Another sigh escaped her lips for the moment. That phone held tightly in her grasp as she came to watch Tony spit back in his cup.

“That’s nasty….” Is all she said with a slight face made. “I hope you don’t plan on drinking that again…” She said unsure at this point. But like typical Darcy, she was using humor and sarcasm to hide how terrified she was right now. That phone soon held at her back to almost hide it. SHe wanted to read it. Read everything and maybe try and understand how the hell that even happened in the first place.

If there was one constant that everyone in any part of the multiverse could count on? It was that Tony Stark was going to be Tony Stark. And humor and sarcasm was his second set of armor. Strange bringing Lewis here spelled bad news, and Strange hanging back awkwardly as the portal closed behind the duo meant that the Asgardian honeymoon was apparently Donesville.

"Nah. A little more almond milk and I can gun it," he said, standing up and setting the cup aside. He swept in, not even giving her any personal space. He and Lewis had been tight. It was a sarcasm fest overload even on a good day. Right now, it was muttered mouth vomit so Strange wouldn't hear. "Are you ok? He didn't get freaky deaky or anything did he? Try to throw you out a window? C'mon. Dish. Why're you here with Albus Dumblesnore."

Strange, who was standing about ten feet behind them, was rolling his eyes because he could hear Stark from across a crowded room at the Met. And he had before.

Darcy looked at Stark for a moment. ”That’s gross.” And suddenly he was in her personal space.

“Hey wow, personal space, dude.” Is all she said as she raised a brow at him. “What Loki?” She asked as she shook her head suddenly. “Woke up in a bed naked with him. Aside from that, I dunno… He said there was another version of me here that he was with and now she was gone and I took her place.” She said looking back to Strange.

“Least he knows boundaries," she said stepping back a bit as she looked at him. Phone ticked in her pocket as she came to look at Tony for the moment. “Loki and Stephen both say I work for you, and that I have an apartment?” She said with a kinked up brow. Really, all she wanted to do was take a long hot shower and let things sink in. Because right now, she was trying not to freak out.

"Yeah, I gave it to you but you shacked up with Mischief instead." Tony didn't even have a second thought about saying it, or about what she was talking about. He had enough anxiety lately about everything, that he was burning the candle on both ends. It looked like he was turning in place, trying to find something. "Pep had that happen. A brain worm."

"A mind leech," Strange interjected as though he was done with today, as of nine a.m yesterday.

"Whatever. Anyway. You've been working for me since January. Personal assistant. You're now in charge of keeping our resident aliens safe from the government and schooling them about laws and rules and drivers licenses. Or what memes are. Call Legal if the army shows up. Keep them away from arresting any trickster dieties. You know. Stuff."

He opened a drawer and made a little 'yay!' noise, holding out an employee badge and some keys on a keyring to her with a jingly motion.

"Spare badge. Keys to the apartment in the Village," he said, meaning Greenwich Village, close by the Sanctum that Strange resided in. On purpose. "And a new car! Enjoy. It's an Audi. Down in the parking garage. Text me? You don't bug me anymore. You need to do that."

Darcy came to look between them… She wasn’t even going to ask about the mind leech, because that was literally going to push her over the edge. A quick shake of her head she came to take the keys and badge. “Sweet.” She said easily as she looked at Tony and Strange once more. “Yeah yeah. To be fair, he is kinda hot all naked.” What she could return the sarcastic humor back. It was better than dealing with all this crazy alternate universe crap, right?

“I’ll be late for work. You’ve been warned.” Points to the coffee. “Get rid of that, it’s disgusting.” She replied tossing the keys in the air and catching them. “Time to go home and shower and sleep.” She said with a firm nod as she looked at Tony. “Because that’s not creepy sounding.” She replied with a faint smirk walking towards the door.

“I’ll bug you later. See ya, Tony.” She said walking out the door of his office.

Tony waved her off. "Yep. Later, Lewis. Take the day off if you want to!"

Both men watched her leave before a tense silence set in. Neither of them seemed to want to talk about the uncomfortable memory of one of them turning to dust.

Tony, as usual, was the first to break the silence with a distraction tactic.

"Gonna have a Gossip Girl moment. Was it bad? Was there screaming? Did he go full emo, and flounce off like a full tilt diva or what?" Tony asked out of sick curiosity. It was a good thing he was always making contingency plans. He had that extra keycard and set of keys tucked away in case Lewis got her heart stomped on by Thor's megalomaniac little bro.

Strange didn't seem inclined to answer. Not really. He mumbled something along the lines of "Still a douche bag" and left by opening another portal to the Sanctum. If Darcy didn't do it herself, he would ask Thor or Frigga about gathering the rest of Darcy's belongings. Later.

For now, all he wanted was a cup of tea and for his face to meet the palm of his hand.