-L-

Boredom. The one emotion still coursing through Loki's body. The only force to combat the ever-growing, all-consuming emptiness. Oddly similar, both dreaded - still, preferable to reliving the painful memories of his past, tucked away in the darkest parts of his chaotic mind.
Nonetheless, had he not known pride – the source of that awful stubbornness of his – he would have begged for distractions. On his knees he would have sat, smashing his clenched fists against the impenetrable walls of energy, crying out to the guards hiding behind the shadows. He would have used that notorious "silver tongue" to persuade or threaten anyone in the nine realms. The means mattered not. As long as they provided him with something, anything, to block the raging emotions and conflicting thoughts.
Alas, pride was all he had left, the last thread his dignity was dangling on. So, he let out another deep, weary sigh and flipped through the latest book his mother had supplied him. Actually, it had been a guard who'd handed him the small stack. Odin had forbidden his wife to see him - their adopted misfit and personal failure.
What a kind, concerning "father" he had.

'Where the hell am I?'
A clear voice rang out behind Loki, closer than he was used to. Also, the voice was unknown to him, nothing like the rough, heavy voices of the guards whenever they decided to mock him.
Loki turned to find the shape of a young woman sprawled across the floor. Her red curls spilled into her face as she pushed herself up and glared at him, as if it was his fault she lie there. Indeed, she glared at him as if she expected him to answer her straight away.
Loki raised an unimpressed eyebrow. 'Seeing as you are in a cell assigned to me, and me alone, I am more entitled to ask that question.'
His remark did not satisfy the redhead. Instead, she lost all interest in him. As she rose, her rough blue pants and bright purple shirt became visible. They told Loki he was dealing with a midgardian woman.
She frowned at him, unsure, her eyes blinking slowly as if in a trance.
'Okay…' the woman stretched and scanned the room, searching. 'This is some kind of prank, right?'
Loki didn't answer.
The woman shrugged. 'Oh, well…'
Closely examining each spot she placed her feet, she neared the glowing, see-through barrier that kept Loki contained. She reached out, ready to touch and pierce the forcefield.
Loki had a few seconds to contemplate whether to warn her. If this was - as he suspected - a trick by Odin, she would either know not to go on or be as clueless as he. Either way, it must be some kind of test. Or a ploy only for the amusement of the allfather.
'I wouldn't do that if I were you.'
'Wanting to be helpful, are we?'
The woman went on. Foolish human.
A big white flash temporarily blinded Loki. The midgardian cried out as she was propelled backwards, landed on her back and stared at the white ceiling. Somehow, her hair had grown even bigger.
'Holy shit…' the woman shook her hand and put the fingertips to her lips. 'How much Volt is on that thing?'
'I suppose a "I told you so" is in place.'
Again the midgardian glared at Loki. 'Give me answers or else shut up.'
Loki shrugged and went back to his book. Maybe if he ignored her she'd go away.
Instead, she started yelling.
'If you are watching this,' she called out, her chin lifted, 'let me tell you something: I will sue you! You can't broadcast this without my permission, I know that! So you better get me out!
Loki watched, sighed, and rubbed his eyes. 'This is absolutely wonderful. Did they only put you in here to annoy me, or are you actually out of your mind?'
'Shut up!' the woman pointed at him with a judgemental index finger. 'You are part of this. They'll get me out. You'll see. I just have to wait.'
Crossing her arms, she sat down, occasionally glaring at Loki, her fiery eyes both amusing and distracting. Honestly, when he had wished for distraction, he had imaged a form less annoying. Because if there was one thing Loki knew about humans it was that those dim creatures never wanted to learn and always thought they were being so clever. Needless to say, Loki knew waiting for someone to get you out was useless.
After about an hour, the woman groaned. Her hands tugged at her own curls, as she'd done a thousand times since sitting down.
'Okay, enough!' she got up and came stomping towards Loki. Her whole face and posture screamed she was ready to smack him in the face.
Loki rose, so he towered over the woman. Until then he'd been reading, now and then glancing at her - sometimes with aggravation and sometimes with curiosity. For a moment, with the woman all up in his face, aggravation won.
'You. You have a key, don't you? Or some sort of button or whatever. You-' her finger raced towards the prince's chest. Instead of experiencing a sharp pain, Loki watched the woman's eyes widen.
'What?' Loki scoffed, raising his eyebrows. Had his presence cause her fire to seep away?
He looked down, following her amazed stare, where they both watched the woman's finger disappear in Loki's chest. Simultaneously, they stepped away.
'Are you some kind of hologram?' the woman demanded. Then her own face contorted as if she wondered whether her own words made any sense. They didn't.
'I am quite certain I am real,' Loki noted, despite not enjoying the sensation of having someone's finger poke in his chest. Whether he could feel it or not. 'Though I am still deciding if you are dream or illusion.'
'What?' the woman huffed. 'I am real! I was just-' her voice quivered, and she frowned as she looked down at her hands. 'I was just…'
'Yes?' Loki stared down at her without mercy. 'How did you get here?'
'I-' she closed her mouth. Still frowning, her fists clenched, and her eyelids shut tight. 'I…' she tried again. A soft choking noise erupted from her throat and she hugged her chest. 'You drugged me.' She scowled at Loki, the fire back in her eyes. 'You drugged me and took my memory!'
Loki sighed and rolled his eyes, sat down again and returned to his book. This little play was taking too long. 'Of course. I have done all that. That is exactly why I locked myself up afterwards. It all makes complete sense.'
'Locked up?' a curious light slipped into the woman's scared eyes. 'Why'd they lock you up?'
'Because,' Loki answered light-heartedly, with a major cynical twist. 'I tried to conquer a world- it did not work so well. Thus, they put me here, as a form of "Asgardian justice", I suppose.'
The girl was squinting at him, her arms wrapped over each other and her foot tapping the floor. 'Sure… conquering worlds… Asgardian justice…. It looks like I'm not the only one drugged.'
'As far as I know,' Loki said disinterested as he let his eyes follow the words in his book, 'they did not do that, yet. Though one does not need substances to believe in illusions, of course.'
Loki was tired of this trick - obviously this was a trick, orchestrated by Odin. He had yet to figure out why it had been done to him. Perhaps Odin wished him to go mad even quicker, therefore sending the image of an earthen girl to him. To annoy him to death in her ridiculous Midgardian garments and with her ridiculous red hair.
'So… you're not one of them?' The woman enquired, a slight quiver in her voice.
Loki looked up at the shudder. 'Well, I have no knowledge who brought you here, so I cannot be accessory, can I?'
Her firmly pressed lips told Loki it wasn't a sufficient answer. Moreover, that she wouldn't quit bothering him until she was satisfied. Better save himself many exhausting questions and deal with her quickly, so she'd disappear as soon as possible.
'Why don't you tell me your name, then I may have an inkling to why you are here.'
'Sure…' she scoffed, like giving him her name seemed the most dangerous or stupidest thing to do. 'I am-'
Her eyes flew open, her hands grabbed her hair and pulled. 'You've got to be kidding me…' her eyes grew wider, revealing they were indeed lilac. She stumbled back and seemed to forget about Loki. She sat down, her hands still entangled in her curls.
Loki shrugged, watched her, looked away, watched her again. Good acting, he had to admit. But why?
'Odin,' he muttered to himself, 'what are you up to?'