The Keeper Of Secrets

looking for someone to play the sacrifice! i have a lot of ideas rattling around in my brain, and i’d love to hear any you might have too! i want this to be a collaborative effort. “whatever you want” writers need not apply. i love weaving intricate tropes and worldbuilding into the narrative, and it really helps to have an enthusiastic partner to flesh ideas out with.

i’m would love to include size differences, breeding, dubcon, virginity and corruption but this is all negotiable. i’d like a healthy balance of smut and plot, with story always taking priority. a 60/40 ratio (or as close as we can get to it) would be ideal but i’m flexible. i’m open to any gender pairing with a preference for mxm and mxnb.

if you’re interested, like and i’ll reach out!

A questioning look as he leaned against the wall. Apologize? Oh right. That is a thing that people do. The concept was a rare treasure in Gotham. Hardly ever did anyone apologize for anything. Even for a simple thing as bumping into someone. They usually yelled out a cuss or harshly pushed back with the bump of a shoulder. Arthur should know. He’s definitely had personal experience with both types of people while walking the dirty streets of Gotham.

The comment about her stuff being garbage made Arthur look into the contents of the box. She certainly had quite a few things in there from the weight.

“I don’t think it’s trash.” He commented quietly. It certainly wasn’t garbage to him. 

When she introduced herself he felt a bit of a flush at his collar. Anastasia.

“Arthur. Arthur Fleck.” He introduced himself. “Nice to meet you.” Arthur caught himself at saying her name. Long names were not his specialty. He struggled with them all through elementary and was often bullied for his inability to pronounce long words correctly. Curtly, he turned to head back up the stairs. Each step was careful and precise as he did not want to run the risk of dropping anything. His arms trembled with the effort, but he held strong throughout.

The contents of the box was mostly baking supplies. Muffin tins, kitchen knives, frosting tips, and hidden underneath it all, a bulky mixer. Her pride and joy. She saved up for months to buy that mixer, and she baked for two straight days in a manic frenzy when she finally purchased it. Sure, it wasn’t exactly a healthy way to go about things, and she had quite the depressive crash afterward, but it didn’t taint the memory in any way. It was one of the only times when she’d truly been happy since that day…

“It’s all old. I’ve had most of that stuff for years. It’s starting to rust and fall apart, but cocktail waitressing pays the bills and…that’s about it…” She knew complaining about her job was probably unappealing, especially with how hard it was to find work, but she longed for the ability to bake to her heart’s content without a worry in the world. Her dreams had been on hold since she aged out of the system, and it depressed her more and more with each passing day…

“I know five syllables is quite the mouthful to address someone by,” She finally piped up as they continued up the stairs, “So if you want…‘Ana’ is alright, too.” She only let those given special permission call her ‘Ana’ under any circumstances. It wasn’t hard to be granted that permission, but people were generally awful, so it wasn’t something she granted often. She nearly got into a fist fight with the last person who called her by that nickname. But something in her wanted to hear him just…say it. Even if only one time…

“Oh,” Was all she could initially muster at his declaration. At first, it struck her as odd that a grown man still lived with his parent. Was he just another unemployed loser leeching off his mother? She took another mental pause to try and reason with herself before jumping to any conclusions. Her expression nearly betrayed her, but she managed to keep it even as she processed his words. If they lived together, someone had to be providing for them. She ruled out a third party, leaving only Arthur and his mother to fill the role of ‘breadwinner’. This hellhole, albeit in demand at the moment, was relatively cheap, especially compared to the east, so it made sense to live off one income if they could manage it…he had to be at least in his early thirties, reasonably putting his mother in her fifties…still working age…but then she remembered how proud he sounded about his living situation. He didn’t come off as ungrateful or even unhappy about it. He was unabashed and even grinned…

Drifting from his thoughts to the remaining conversation he turned his attention back to her. As best he could from in front of her. His head turned to glance over his shoulder. It was almost as if she had read his mind.

“Thank you, Anna. Spelling Bees weren’t my thing in school neither was pronouncing long words.” He said sheepishly. It wasn’t everyday he opened up like this. Usually he would talk to his mother when she would spare the time from writing letters or watching tv.

A curiosity gleamed over his expression at her answer to his statement of living with his mother. Yes…this was the part where she would ridicule him or make fun of. Take a few jabs at his masculinity maybe? Arthur thought.

What came out of her mouth surprised him. He was a very kind son. It was surreal. She even smiled while saying it. Arthur felt a little awestruck at her choice of words.

“I do my best for her. She’s the only family I have.” Arthur told his first lie. There was still Thomas Wayne. Even if there were little doubts in his mind that circulated every now and then. Thomas Wayne was a very busy man Arthur reminded himself. The man probably got hundreds of letters from all around the city.

She laughed gently at his thanks, her typically-fleeting smile lingering on her lips a bit longer than usual. “Don’t worry, everyone had a subject they weren’t good at. For me, it was math. I can read and write with the best of them, but math? Too absolute for my brain.”

She tried to speed up a little, gaining on Arthur without seeming in a unnecessary rush. This was, by far, the longest conversation she’d had outside of work in...years, she reasoned silently. She’d have to work on that. This was supposed to be a new start of sorts, a new chapter of her life. The city had a habit of snuffing out optimism and positivity, so she wanted to embody those forces, even if only on a small scale.

“You take great care of her, I’m sure,” She responded, “...Family is one of the only things people have anymore. I’m glad I met someone who puts value in it the way that they should. I’m almost jealous...” The last part of her statement slipped out before she could spare it a second thought, and she felt a light heat rise to her face as soon as it passed her lips. She carried a lot of shame about her past, so mentioning it, even indirectly, caused her heartache.

Anastasia nearly jumped out of her skin when she glanced over to see…a…cat…? She squinted to make sure she was seeing it correctly before shaking her head. Those eyes…she found herself questioning where a cat had come from before she saw them. It was clear now who it was, hiding behind fur and claws. She smiled pleasantly, tilting her head to one side.

“Hello again,” She said, straightening up and continuing to stare eastward, “Glad you’re enjoying yourself…creating a sun is a lot harder than one would think. It took me years to bring sunlight to this space. It used to be just scattered starlight every moment of every day…”

Bedlam walked into the garden with a cloth on his arm, a single wine glass, and a green, glass bottle. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Loki, making his displeasure known with a pointed look and a frown. “A cat?” He asked.

“A cat.” Ana stated, looking back at him, “Oh, is that-“

“The Moscato you love so much? Yes. I thought you might enjoy a glass, Lady.”

“Thank you, I’d love one.” Ana said sweetly.

Bedlam approached his mistress, handing the glass off and filling it for her. He seemed fleetingly happy, watching her sip it with such delight. But as soon as his grin appeared, it vanished. All because of him. Why did she have to offer to shelter a fugitive? He looked haggard and unkempt, like a stray. He didn’t suit her at all, not in any regard…

Loki found her reaction to him highly amusing and it showed in the smug look he had on his face as he settled himself more comfortably to soak in the sunlight. He could certainly understand the difficulty of creating a world like this and he made his appreciation of her efforts known by purring loudly.

That lasted until the butler arrived. Then Loki’s purrs abruptly stopped and he had a hard time not hissing at the other male. He did nothing more than glare however. At least until he had decided he had enough of the way the butler was looking at him. At that point he jumped off the edge of the fountain and regally walked away from both of them.

“Don’t look at me like that,” He said quietly, turning away from her invisible gaze, “You know as well as I do that he is a danger to everything and everyone he gets anywhere near.”

“So was I, once upon a time,” Anastasia claimed, “But that hasn’t stopped you taking care of me...”

“You’re different. I know you don’t believe that, but it’s true...”

“Give him a chance.” Ana insisted, sipping her wine.

“Never. He’ll corrupt and destroy you. They always try it. And this time, I won’t let him get anywhere close.”

“You’re not my keeper,” Ana declared, starting to sound agitated, “And you will do nothing to impede my progress with him if you know what’s good for you, Bedlam.”

“I cannot, in good conscience, follow those orders...”

“Well, I’m glad to hear it, I suppose…” Anastasia stated, giving him a slight nod. “What an eventful time this has been. You’ll have to forgive my…delicate constitutions. I haven’t experienced this much excitement in a very long time…I’ll need some time to recover myself after this…”

She stood from the table with a quiet exhale before smiling at him. She knew he couldn’t see it, but she hoped her empathetic powers would help him feel the grin. “I think I’ll retire to the garden for now. The roses are lovely at this time in the realm’s cycle. If you need anything, you can find me there. Bedlam can also help with just about anything you’d need. He’s nearly perfect. I did a great job with him.”

With that, she offered a bow in his direction and headed through the nearest door, off to the central garden courtyard. When she arrived, she took a seat on the fountain at its center and basked in the simulated sunlight as best she could under her hefty cloak.

“My apologies for any discomfort I have caused you.” Loki replied while bowing his head in apology. He wondered if her health was the reason she wore that cloak but he didn’t question it.

“Thank you. I think I shall return to the rooms I have been given and try to sleep some more.” He replied softly, getting the impression she was smiling at him. Once she left he finished eating what he could and cleaned up the dishes as best he could without knowing what would normally be done with them.

He then carefully began trying to get back to his rooms. He ended up getting lost somewhere along the way and stumbling upon a window that looked out into the garden she had mentioned. It had been a long time since he had felt any sort of sun so he used a spell to teleport through the window into the garden. The effort made him sleepy. He didn’t feel comfortable sleeping out in the open however, at least not in his Aesir form.

“Hello again,” She said, straightening up and continuing to stare eastward, “Glad you’re enjoying yourself...creating a sun is a lot harder than one would think. It took me years to bring sunlight to this space. It used to be just scattered starlight every moment of every day...”

Bedlam walked into the garden with a cloth on his arm, a single wine glass, and a green, glass bottle. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Loki, making his displeasure known with a pointed look and a frown. “A cat?” He asked.

“A cat.” Ana stated, looking back at him, “Oh, is that-“

“The Moscato you love so much? Yes. I thought you might enjoy a glass, Lady.”

“Thank you, I’d love one.” Ana said sweetly.

It was a simple fact: Anastasia wanted him to stay because she was lonely, and she was afraid of what might happen to him if Thanos cake after him. She wanted to protect someone for once, instead of destroying them, to undo the deeds she’d done those hundreds of years ago. He was her ticket to redemption in her mind. This was the way she could prove that she was good.

“Then I shall let you take the lead. I’ll leave you to your own devices, and when you want to, you can come find me. That way, I won’t be bothering you with my presence and you won’t have to be alone if you don’t want to be…” She explained her little plan with an invisible smile. This was going to be just what they both needed.

When his illusion fell, she stifled a gasp, putting her hands to her mouth. “Oh, dear…you look-…well, you look dreadful, Loki. Would you like me to patch you up? How about some more tea? How can I help?”

“Thank you.” Loki replied softly as he gave her a relieved smile. He wasn’t sure how comfortable he would be seeking her out at first but he thought maybe he could try something like finding her in the library and simply reading near her to start.

“No thank you. I will be alright. The worst of it healed while I slept.” He replied tiredly as he made himself another cup of tea and tried to eat more of the breakfast he had been given. “As I’m sure you’re aware the last few years have not been kind to me but with time I will likely regain my health.”

She stood from the table with a quiet exhale before smiling at him. She knew he couldn’t see it, but she hoped her empathetic powers would help him feel the grin. “I think I’ll retire to the garden for now. The roses are lovely at this time in the realm’s cycle. If you need anything, you can find me there. Bedlam can also help with just about anything you’d need. He’s nearly perfect. I did a great job with him.”

In truth, Ana knew a lot of Loki, even before he arrived at Castle Nocte. As the surveyor of secrets across the Nine Realms, she had forbidden knowledge of just about every being. And what she didn’t have personally, she could find in her archive. The way he struggled with his parentage, the way he pined for any bit of respect…she understood the feeling too well.

“Please do,” She practically begged now, “I can protect you as long as you are here, and with time, I’m sure you could learn to be very happy. You’ll have to tell me all about your home and your customs so I can make your stay a comfortable one…”

At his statement, she shook her hooded head. “I’m not most people,” Anastasia stated confidently, “I’m being punished for my own crimes, even now, so I have no right to judge another anyway…you’ll learn as you get to know me, if you chose to, that is, that I like to give people the benefit of the doubt more often than not. There are those that are irredeemable, even by my standards, but most have the chance to prove themselves better than their past actions may have suggested they are.”

Loki still didn’t understand why she was so desperate for him to stay and was willing to protect him but he was tired of fighting and running. Tired of living in shadows and scrambling for every little scrap of respect he got. What she offered him was more than simple safety, it was a chance to rest without all of Asgard hanging over his head.

“Then I shall stay as long as you allow it.” He consented softly as he closed his eyes and let himself sag in his chair rather than sitting properly as he had been. As he did so he also let the illusion drop, revealing he was more haggard than he had been letting on.

“Then I shall let you take the lead. I’ll leave you to your own devices, and when you want to, you can come find me. That way, I won’t be bothering you with my presence and you won’t have to be alone if you don’t want to be...” She explained her little plan with an invisible smile. This was going to be just what they both needed.

“…It’s selfish…I already know…but…” Ana said softly, closing her stormy eyes, “You are the first person I have met for hundreds of years…and you’ve been kind to me…Nothing in life is kind to me and hasn’t been for a long, long time…”

She held herself beneath her cloak, bowing her head. “I offer you this protection because I don’t want you to go. I want to learn about the person you really are. I know what you’ve done, Loki, and believe me, I understand the naïve struggle for power…I understand doing something before you realized just how badly things could go for you…”

She could hear the most grotesque shriek echoing in her mind, and she closed her eyes even tighter and nearly began to tremble. “If you can’t trust me, at least trust that I understand that all actions have different motives. I firmly believe that your punishment does not fit its crime…”

Loki swallowed against the tears that threatened at her words. While his loneliness wasn’t the same as hers he still understood what it was to be alone and to cling to any scraps of kindness and affection you could get. He had been the same way for most of his life, hoping for any sort of approval or at least attention from the man he thought his father. Even negative attention was better than nothing.

“If… If you are truly certain you wish me to stay… Then I will.” He said softly after staring at his hands for several long moments. In the end he was selfish too and although trust would take time, he craved the kindness she showed him just as much as she seemed to crave it from him.

“Please do,” She practically begged now, “I can protect you as long as you are here, and with time, I’m sure you could learn to be very happy. You’ll have to tell me all about your home and your customs so I can make your stay a comfortable one...”

Hearing Loki reason with her about the juxtaposition between his lack of trust in her and his feeling safe in her company proved…confusing. She supposed she could understand his logic, but at the same time, he wasn’t really being rational in her eyes. She sighed inwardly, deciding that it was best not to question it.

“I-I-…I want you to stay, Your-…Loki. I address you humbly, my dear, and beg that you’ll stay put. Or if you cannot stay put, remember where you are now and remember it can be your safe haven. As long as you are under this roof, you are my responsibility to protect at all costs.” She told him, doing her best to keep her voice from breaking. She was already hopelessly attached to him, as unhealthy as it might’ve been, because he was polite and grateful to her. It didn’t take much, it seemed.

“I do not blame you for your fear of what may come, and I don’t blame you for wanting to run as far as you can…but please…I can keep you safe. Or at the very least, I can try…”

“Why would you wish me to stay knowing the danger it will bring?” Loki asked in confusion, not understanding why she would desire his company after all he had shared. It was one thing to offer him shelter for a night but what she asked of him now was very different. “Why would you offer such protection to me? You know who I am and you seem to know what I have done.”

She held herself beneath her cloak, bowing her head. “I offer you this protection because I don’t want you to go. I want to learn about the person you really are. I know what you’ve done, Loki, and believe me, I understand the naïve struggle for power...I understand doing something before you realized just how badly things could go for you...”

“…I’m sorry, Loki,” Ana said after a long silence lingered between them, “I’m so sorry that you feel so unsafe. If I could take your heartache for you, I would. Life has…life has not been very kind to you lately…it’s been unfair. I can see it in your eyes and hear it in your voice…”

She finally stopped, holding her hands together and looking away. “My apologies, I-…I didn’t mean to-…you’re probably right. The last person I would want here is the likes of him…still, though, I wish I could offer you refuge. You deserve some time to decompress…instead, all you can think about is where you’ll run to next…”

She finally looked up at him again, masking the beginnings of tears beneath her shroud. “If you ever need to, you are welcome to come back. This is as good a hiding place as any, I think. I just worry for you, Your Highness. Who knows what he’ll do if-…never mind…please, don’t mind me…”

“You have done nothing to make me feel unsafe. I cannot say I trust you but you have been kind to me so far so I suppose I feel as safe with you as I do anyone at the moment.” Loki admitted quietly, looking away from her when she mentioned being able to tell how broken he was.

“I think of running because you have been kind and I would be a poor guest if I repaid you by drawing danger to your door.” He replied, glancing up at her with vulnerable looking blue/green eyes. “I… If not for that I would be be willing to stay longer if you allowed it.”

And he meant it. He didn’t feel safe here but she was right that this was as good of a hiding place as any and he had no where else really to go.

“I-I-...I want you to stay, Your-...Loki. I address you humbly, my dear, and beg that you’ll stay put. Or if you cannot stay put, remember where you are now and remember it can be your safe haven. As long as you are under this roof, you are my responsibility to protect at all costs.” She told him, doing her best to keep her voice from breaking. She was already hopelessly attached to him, as unhealthy as it might’ve been, because he was polite and grateful to her. It didn’t take much, it seemed.

“I know the one of whom you speak…” Anastasia sighed, “And I know of his plans…What a fool he is…” She could feel her own appetite weakening as Loki’s dwindled, and she pushed her plate away and followed suit, making an equally-sweet cup of tea. “Regardless, my offer stands. You may remain here as long as you’d like.“

Bedlam merely rolled his eyes. Anastasia couldn’t have been more obvious. He wasn’t sure what repulsed him more: the fact that Ana was empathizing with a monster and trying to shield him from his punishment, or the fact that the Asgardian prince was completely oblivious to his mistress’ kindness. Finally, he could stand it no longer and bowed to take his leave.

When he was gone, Ana shook her head. “Don’t mind him. He’s not very fond of company is all. He’s gotten so used to it being the two of us that he recoils at the thought of sharing the castle with anyone…” Another half truth. She knew exactly why Bedlam was so irked by Loki’s presence, and while she felt a sort of guilt about it, she didn’t know when she’d have another opportunity to interact with another person…

“Thank you, but it would still be best if I did not linger. I do not wish for his attention to be drawn to you.” Loki replied softly as he sipped his tea. After a bit he forced himself to begin eating the meal provided. He tasted little of it but he knew his body needed the sustenance, especially since he knew not when he might get another meal. The food he had stored away would not last forever and the farther he went from the Nine Realms the fewer resources he would have access to.

He knew that his wisest move would be to stay in this strange castle until he had regained his strength and yet he knew that news of his failure would have already been delivered which meant he was already being pursued. He didn’t want to think about what would happen to her should his tormentors find this place. She had been kind to him so far so he wished to protect her from that fate if he could.

So deep was he in his thoughts that he jumped a bit when the butler left. He wasn’t oblivious to the kindness being offered him and in his own way he was trying to return it by protecting her the only way he knew how at the moment, by getting far away from her.

She finally stopped, holding her hands together and looking away. “My apologies, I-...I didn’t mean to-...you’re probably right. The last person I would want here is the likes of him...still, though, I wish I could offer you refuge. You deserve some time to decompress...instead, all you can think about is where you’ll run to next...”

Anastasia opened her mouth to introduce herself, but was cut off by her butler’s interjection. “This, my good sir,” Bedlam stated, “Is the Lady Anastasia Novella Nocte, Keeper of Secrets.”

“Now, Bedlam, why so formal?” Ana asked, giving a quiet chuckle, “I’m aware we’re in the presence of royalty, but you needn’t sell me like I am to be courted. Though I expect that you are accustomed to such formality where you’re from, Your Highness. ‘Anastasia’ is fine.”

As Bedlam began to serve a full English breakfast for Loki, Ana raised the question of his stay. “You know, you can’t really overstay your welcome here. The castle is big enough that we can exist independently of one another if we so chose to. Rest assured that no one, and I mean no one, can find you. The fact that the Tesseract brought you here in the first place is unprecedented. I think it means something. But then again, I’m just a glorified book-keeper, so what might I know?”

Bedlam, after serving Loki, served Ana a plate of crepes, which she happily began to eat. She didn’t think it odd that she still hadn’t removed her cloak in his presence, as even Bedlam had never seen her visage before. She finished a bite and said, “If you don’t mind my asking, when you leave here…where will you go?”

“As you wish Lady Anastasia.” Loki replied with a formal bow. He truthfully didn’t mind the formality since at least then he knew what to expect from the both of them. That said, part of him was itching to prank or otherwise show the butler that he, Loki, was not to be talked down to. Those were impulses from before his fall however but the treatment still felt like salt upon old wounds that had never fully healed.

“I thank you for your offer but since you knew the Space stone on sight I am sure you are aware of the other stones. There is a being gathering the stones. He will come for the one I possess and I would not want you to be caught in the crossfire should he find a way here.” Loki replied softly as he looked down at the hands he had folded neatly in his lap as a matter of habit.

The thought of what was coming for him largely killed his appetite but after a few moments he did prepare himself a cup of tea with what he was provided, making it far sweeter than most would be able to stand.

Bedlam merely rolled his eyes. Anastasia couldn’t have been more obvious. He wasn’t sure what repulsed him more: the fact that Ana was empathizing with a monster and trying to shield him from his punishment, or the fact that the Asgardian prince was completely oblivious to his mistress’ kindness. Finally, he could stand it no longer and bowed to take his leave.

“Quite,” Bedlam replied curtly, “Off we go, then.” The towering butler turned on his heels and headed back toward the dining hall. He didn’t make small talk or anything to ease Loki’s apparent anxiety, but he did look back occasionally to make sure the man was following behind him. On their walk, the faint sound of a grand piano playing began drifting through the cool air of the castle’s corridors.

When they finally reached the dining room, Ana was in the corner of the room, sat at the piano playing one of her favorite songs, The Starlight Waltz. Her hooded head swayed with every other chord, and when the song concluded, she sighed pleasantly. She looked up when she heard Bedlam clear his throat, and she got to her feet to greet her guest.

“Oh, good morning, Your Highness,” She said, bowing her head politely, “I hope your sleep was restful. Please, come sit. Breakfast will start shortly. I had Bedlam whip up a little of everything since I neglected to ask your tastes and preferences last night…I do hope you’ll stay for a tour afterward. I’d love to show you all that Castle Nocte has to offer.”

Bedlam once again pulled out Ana’s seat for her, and she sat gently as he pushed it in. Then, the black-clad butler moved to the seat to his mistress’ immediate right and pulled it out for Loki to sit.

Loki followed silently and tried to pick out things to use as guides to get back to his room without an escort. Assuming he was allowed to return to those rooms. The thought was a worrying one and made him glad that he had sent all his belongings to his pocket dimension after his bath.

The music made him curious but he was unsurprised to find that she was the source since now that he was in a better state he was able to determine that it really did seem to just be her and the butler in this place.

“Good morning Lady…” Loki started to reply only to realize that he had never been told her name. “My apologies. It appears I did not catch your name.”

“I slept as well as could be expected and I am sure that whatever you have provided will be perfect.” He answered demurely. “And I would not wish to overstay my welcome. It would probably be best I didn’t linger lest others be drawn to this location because of the artifact I possess.”

“Now, Bedlam, why so formal?” Ana asked, giving a quiet chuckle, “I’m aware we’re in the presence of royalty, but you needn’t sell me like I am to be courted. Though I expect that you are accustomed to such formality where you’re from, Your Highness. ‘Anastasia’ is fine.”

As Bedlam began to serve a full English breakfast for Loki, Ana raised the question of his stay. “You know, you can’t really overstay your welcome here. The castle is big enough that we can exist independently of one another if we so chose to. Rest assured that no one, and I mean no one, can find you. The fact that the Tesseract brought you here in the first place is unprecedented. I think it means something. But then again, I’m just a glorified book-keeper, so what might I know?”

After Ana was settled at the table and waiting, Bedlam took his leave to retrieve their guest. How he despised that man for appearing so suddenly. How he despised Anastasia’s silent enthrallment at the prospect. He cursed to himself as he drew nearer to the door Loki holed up behind. He could feel himself glaring, so he straightened out his expression before knocking at the door.

“Your Highness,” He said evenly, standing waiting behind the door, “It is time for breakfast. If you wouldn’t mind, my Mistress has sent for you from the dining hall, and it would be most…uncouth to keep her waiting. Apologies for your late retrieval, but we must be on our way.”

Loki would find a wide array of clothing in the wardrobe. However, it was all Midgardian clothing, as that was all Ana was truly familiar with. There was casual clothing, and much more formal attire that might’ve suited him far better, and it all followed a green, black, and gold color pattern. She hadn’t painstakingly picked everything out as she hadn’t had the time, so she just randomly generated whatever she could think up and had Bedlam stuff the wardrobe nearly full.

By the time there was a knock on the door Loki had managed to locate a black on black suit that he deemed acceptable enough and was just putting the finishing touches on his appearance, including a glamour to make himself appear in better health than he actually was.

When the knock came Loki was so very tempted to refuse to leave his rooms but he knew he needed food and he really should thank his hostess. So, with great reluctance, he went and opened the door.

When they finally reached the dining room, Ana was in the corner of the room, sat at the piano playing one of her favorite songs, The Starlight Waltz. Her hooded head swayed with every other chord, and when the song concluded, she sighed pleasantly. She looked up when she heard Bedlam clear his throat, and she got to her feet to greet her guest.

“Oh, good morning, Your Highness,” She said, bowing her head politely, “I hope your sleep was restful. Please, come sit. Breakfast will start shortly. I had Bedlam whip up a little of everything since I neglected to ask your tastes and preferences last night...I do hope you’ll stay for a tour afterward. I’d love to show you all that Castle Nocte has to offer.”

Luckily for Loki, Ana’s spell had been successful in quelling the monster’s rage…for now. However, she’d exhausted herself trying to expend enough energy to keep the binding in tact. She huffed quietly, taking a seat against the stone wall opposite the gigantic wood door. She decided to just rest there for a while.

After an hour or so of sitting idle in the catacombs of Castle Nocte, Ana rose to her feet and headed back up the spiraling staircase to the main building. She didn’t have enough strength to hover, so she had to walk the whole way. When she reached the cellar door, she haphazardly pushed it open with a grunt, the impact of the swinging door creating an echoing thud.

She looked around, just to be certain she was alone, and then crawled back up and through before closing the door again. She sighed, shaking her head. Had she not been so rash and naïve, she’d never have to worry about that…thing.

She headed to the dining room, as she was expecting her breakfast by this hour. And sure enough, Bedlam was present and waiting for her, chair pulled out and ready for her to sit.

“…He’s still sleeping.” The butler stated.

“Or hiding.” Ana said, shrugging a bit, “I might hide, too, under these circumstances…”

When no sign of danger presented itself Loki laid back down and was near instantly asleep once more. He didn’t even remember that the strange butler was supposed to deliver breakfast. If he had then He might have tried to stay awake.

Unfortunately his sleep was not as peaceful this time and nightmares plagued him for many hours before he woke with a chocked scream. He shot up into a sitting position and looked around wildly for several moments before realizing it had all just been a nightmare.

He sighed heavily and decided he might as well get up since he doubted sleeping more would do him any good. In fact the only good thing to come of his rest was that his body was now as healed as it could get considering he was half starved and had gone several days without consuming anything.

He was able to remedy part of that by drinking a bit of water in the bathroom after performing a spell to ensure it was safe to consume. He was thinking more clearly now and beginning to realize just how reckless he had been before. He didn’t dispel the wards but he changed their function and made them far more subtle.

“Your Highness,” He said evenly, standing waiting behind the door, “It is time for breakfast. If you wouldn’t mind, my Mistress has sent for you from the dining hall, and it would be most...uncouth to keep her waiting. Apologies for your late retrieval, but we must be on our way.”

Anastasia rose from her bed, hovering in a sitting position for a moment to see if she could detect anything. When she located the source of the vibrations, she grumbled a few obscenities. Of all times, why did she have to be acting up now?

She floated down to door level, opening her bedroom door and flying down to hall toward the east wing of the castle. When she reached it, she landed gracefully and looked around. She hadn’t been followed, as far as she could tell, so she walked briskly the rest of the way to its farthest corner. She came upon a large, wooden cellar door with the same familiar spell carved into it, and she lifted it away from the floor and scurried down the stone steps.

When she came to the bottom, a much larger, ancient-looking door greeted her. This was it. Just the two of them. No interruptions. No distractions. No egress.

She raised her hands, feeding a steady stream of her magic into the door’s existing field. The spiderweb-like network of capillaries on either side of her head throbbed painfully, but she pressed on, determined to silence the creature behind it.

Loki eventually managed to sit up in bed. He looked around wearily, trying to determine what was wrong. He didn’t recognize where he was at first and it took him a long time to remember where he was and why. Because of this he missed the fact that his hostess had left her room.

After a bit he tried to get up only to nearly fall as his legs refused to hold him up. One of his legs had actually been fractured during his fight with the Hulk. Loki had braced it with magic to help it heal but it was still tender and not ready to bear his weight without the support. He hissed and returned to the bed.

After an hour or so of sitting idle in the catacombs of Castle Nocte, Ana rose to her feet and headed back up the spiraling staircase to the main building. She didn’t have enough strength to hover, so she had to walk the whole way. When she reached the cellar door, she haphazardly pushed it open with a grunt, the impact of the swinging door creating an echoing thud.

She looked around, just to be certain she was alone, and then crawled back up and through before closing the door again. She sighed, shaking her head. Had she not been so rash and naïve, she’d never have to worry about that...thing.

She headed to the dining room, as she was expecting her breakfast by this hour. And sure enough, Bedlam was present and waiting for her, chair pulled out and ready for her to sit.

“...He’s still sleeping.” The butler stated.

Anastasia let the door close and waited to see what he might do. She huffed inwardly when she felt the barrier crawling up the walls. He trusted her enough to follow her into what he believed was a trap and decided to lock himself up in a potentially dangerous place? Poor thing must’ve been sleep-deprived, starving, and terrified. It was making him delirious.

She then walked back down the hall again, back to her room and slid back into bed. She decided to leave her cloak on for the rest of the night, just in case he needed her…

In the wee hours of the pseudo-realm’s morning, something shook the very foundation of the castle. It was almost pitiful, barely causing a vibration in the floor, but it was enough to rouse Anastasia from her dormant state.

It couldn’t be.

But what else could it have been…?

Loki spent a long time in the bath, thoroughly cleaning himself many times before growing too tired to continue. At that point he got out and dried himself off before going to the bed. He didn’t bother to dress before slipping between the sheets with a soft moan in response to the texture and the softness of the bed.

He was asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow and barely moved throughout the night. There was a small mercy in how tired he was since it meant he slept too deeply to dream and thus was not plagued by nightmares as he otherwise would have been.

She floated down to door level, opening her bedroom door and flying down to hall toward the east wing of the castle. When she reached it, she landed gracefully and looked around. She hadn’t been followed, as far as she could tell, so she walked briskly the rest of the way to its farthest corner. She came upon a large, wooden cellar door with the same familiar spell carved into it, and she lifted it away from the floor and scurried down the stone steps.

When she came to the bottom, a much larger, ancient-looking door greeted her. This was it. Just the two of them. No interruptions. No distractions. No egress.

At his question, she froze. What could she say? Should she lie? How easily would the God of Lies see through a ruse like that? She bit her lip, trying to come up with a half-truth to keep his mind at ease.

“It’s a sealing spell,” She finally said, “The door is labeled with my circlegram simply because it’s my space. The spell keeps my soul anchored to my mortal body…” She explained, parting her cloak at her chest to reveal the same spell tattooed on his skin. She had lied by omission, which was nearly the truth, in her mind. No need to make him panic over something that couldn’t hurt him.

“Well, I think I’ll take my leave. Don’t want to disturb you any longer. Get some sleep…” She said, giving him a bow. She started for the door, stopping just short of the doorway. “Remember, I’m just down the hall if you need me.”

Loki blinked in surprise at that, not fully understanding why she would need such a thing. He also wasn’t entirely sure he believed her despite the fact that he could tell that she hadn’t lied. He decided it was probably best not to ask further however since in her position he would not have told a stranger even that much.

“Goodnight.” He said softly when she left. He then nodded in acknowledgement of her words although he had no intention of going to her unless he were truly desperate.

Once the door was closed he once more gathered the remains of his seidr to add protections to the room. It would be possible for her to break them but at the very least it would give him some warning should anyone try to enter. He also locked the door if it had one and moved a chair to brace the door closed.

She then walked back down the hall again, back to her room and slid back into bed. She decided to leave her cloak on for the rest of the night, just in case he needed her...

In the wee hours of the pseudo-realm’s morning, something shook the very foundation of the castle. It was almost pitiful, barely causing a vibration in the floor, but it was enough to rouse Anastasia from her dormant state.

It couldn’t be.