1.15 Loki's Aside -B- Sharpness

Jeni Jones-Brown is leaving for deployment, so Loki and she say a few words to each other. Since her drunken shenanigans have plagued the town and she's racked up several misdemeanors for menacing people while sloshed and generally making a very public nuisance of herself, she was forced into court and reached a plea deal to avoid jail time which involves her serving the community by joining the army.

She seems to think nothing of Loki casually wishing her well as she does not reference nor seem to remember their first meeting.

She tells him cheerfully about how she'll be spending the last few days before her work with the army will begin. She intends to relax as much as possible.

Then her eyes widen and she hops stiffly a few feet away from him to throw up onto the snow-dusted steps of city hall.

Loki can't help but wonder if she's pregnant, it would be a great was to get out of harsh community service after all. He wonders who the unfortunate father could be. It's not really his business after all.

All he ever did was scream at the woman the night they met, and followed that up with a strict regimen of avoiding her ever since. It had worked out on his end.

He gets a call then and excuses himself, not noticing her brief flash of anger. She must be pissed at someone.

But he easily forgets the exchange when he hears the congratulatory greeting on the other end of the line.

This is a call he's been waiting for.

Two weeks later he's carrying his meager belongings into a cozy temporary space far from home. The rest of his goods will arrive in a day or so, just in time for the annual toy fair. Most toymakers opt to set up holiday shops and tables in places like Bridgeport or some other well-trafficked city, but Loki knows that this little sleepy town is the origination point of all great design, and day in or day out, the people of Midnight Hollow were creating toys and innovating new ideas that would influence the trade in the rest of the world. If he wanted his designs to be recognized by large manufacturers and popularized in many cities, his best bet was to host his showcase pieces here, where all the scouts would be looking for inspiration and sales partners. It had been no easy feat to gain space in town for his shop, this was the third year he had applied for it, and the first he had managed to gain acceptance.

There are local ordinances in the Hollow regarding Snowflake Day, and every home or shop owner is required to hang lights and keep them lit during the holiday month. It's non-negotiable, and the resulting effect is something like walking into a perfect model village that a tiny train set might run through in some sim's grandfather's basement. Only it's all real. Visiting a place like this feels very... surreal, magical even.

Despite his serious nature Loki is curious about the place. After spending a day or so wandering town and getting familiar with landmarks his carefully packaged stock items arrive and he is able to set up shop dowtown.

There are no restrictions on hours and very little recognizable daylight, so he is free to open or close as he sees fit, so long as he is open for at least 6 hours a day. Most shop owners also mingle in town after working or share stories of travel and ideas at local hangouts, but having spent an excessive amount of time sequestered on his marshy porch in Twinbrook, Loki is not keen to rejoin society any time soon.

The set up is to his liking and showcases simple and complex designs alike.

The sepia tone that saturates everything in Midnight Hollow make the holiday feel much less glamorous than usual, but ushers a silent respect into its place. Oddly, toys and inventions seem to fit right in, and he's convinced that he will be able to make this visit a lucrative yearly occurrence.

Notably absent from his displayed collection is the 'machine' he had invented. The visions it showed him had left him questioning some of his mental faculties, but that wasn't why he didn't think it was fitting to display. Ultimately it had been built from pieces of blueprints left behind by old master craftsmen that he'd discovered in the depths of the national library during a research visit made years ago. It may be worth noting that the machine did something, but the intent of the original creator was very much lost on Simnation and the community as a whole. Until he found some reason for it, Loki was going to put it's crazy notions out of his mind and try to focus on things that had a chance to sell.

Although he'd been plagued by some odd feelings of familiarity ever since he'd arrived in this town, and he couldn't shake his mind from the possibility that there was some legitimate foretelling of future encounters within that machine, but the fact alone that it was supposed to show only potential timelines for the person who stepped inside, and only directly into their own psyche in a conveniently unprovable manner didn't sit well with Loki's somewhat honest nature. If he couldn't account for or explain the visions, the machine was nowhere near ready to be exposed to the general public. Not that he minded being a guinea pig, but it was probably going to cost him a lifetime of study to uncover any legitimate secrets that lay within it's robust walls.

This afternoon had been a quiet one in the shop. Loki had taken to dusting and re-positioning items in impatience, and had been unable to sit still. He hadn't done poorly so far in regard to sales, but the initial excitement of visitors from seeing his inventions as new and novel had somewhat worn off in the last two weeks, and the traffic on this side of Simsigon Alley had dwindled to a fair trickle as people had moved on to parties and time spent with family.

The afternoon was also the slowest part of the day, which, assumably and without the presence of a bright strong sun above it was difficult to say, the time now was.

Loki would be lying to himself if he didn't admit that it was bittersweet, him working here and creating toys for children that he himself was never likely to have. True, he could find some bimbo and have an accident or two, but the feeling of family would be incomprehensibly vacant and he knew that he could well end lonelier afterwards than he was now. He wanted a family with the right person, whoever that was supposed to be.

He is still, lost in thought and has been for the better part of an hour without noticing that much time has passed.

Silently almost, a well-dressed woman wonders in and begins to admire a simple piece without addressing him. If it had not been for the sound of the building wind outside he wouldn't have heard the door opening and closing behind her soundless steps.

She too, radiates a aura of familiarity that makes Loki shift uncomfortably from one foot the other. He's sure he's never met her before, and he doesn't watch a whole lot of television back at home. Something about her resonates within him that she is significant.

He turns to watch her out of the corner of his eye. She seems entirely engrossed in the replica time-keeping device in front of her, and both are aware of each other's presence, but neither speak for a while. It's like they're taking in the atmosphere.

“This all feels very familiar.” She comments, and finally he turns, intrigued, to face her directly.

She's beautiful, which for some reason annoys him. The way she carries herself, the poise and confidence, the fact that she doesn't turn to truly acknowledge him even as her comment is the reason he's paying her any sort of attention now, all these things give the impression that she feels herself superior.

He doesn't find himself attracted to her in the conventional way, but merely by some sort of curiosity he begins a conversation. “It's a timekeeping device.” He offers a simple explanation. “The inner gears are exposed without being covered, and at the advent of the steam age machines were showcased mostly for being unusual before they became essential to society in different ways. So this type-”

“Yes, thank you. I understand it.” She cuts him off. Then, and he takes it as her effort to not seem rude, she bows lightly. “I do have a question for you, Sir.”

'Sir', he thinks, but raises his eyebrows. A moment later he realizes she was still waiting for him to speak. “Ah, yes please... go ahead?”

She turns enough in his direction that her lilac eyes stand out, peaking behind a curtain of elegantly curled hair.

“I am searching for... my sister.” The woman confesses, with what seems an absurd lack of worry in her polite voice. “Please pardon the fact that I don't seek to make a purchase in your pleasant little store.” She amends, and suddenly seems like less of a snob.

“Has she been missing long, or were you recently separated?” He asks, ignoring the apologetic part of what she said.

She shakes her head slowly, thoughtfully. “Not more than since the morning, I shouldn't think. And she is well able to care for herself, but if you see someone who looks very much like me, well,- would you give her a message on my behalf?”

Loki quirks an eyebrow but sees nothing wrong with this. “Sure. I can do that. What's your message?”

“Tell her, she needs to mind the date. Also, and say this exactly- 'I'm positive'.”

“You're positive that she needs you to mind the- uh, the date?” He repeats, confused a bit.

“Say it exactly as I told you. “Your sister has a message, she says you need to mind the date, and I'm positive.”

He tilts his head but gets no further explanation. “And saying that, will help your sister not to be lost?”

She smiles slightly. “It will.”

“And she looks like you.”

“Yes.”

“But don't actually need help looking, are you sure?'

“Yes. Thank-you.” The cadence of her words follows a perfect pattern as if she would never string them together a different way.

“Does she, or you for that matter, have a name?” He asks, but finds that the evasive woman in a pale green evening dress is already crossing the threshold of his shop and stepping foot outside.

At least that woman was amusing, and he was no longer bored. Loki feels a small smile spread over his features. Not that the women of Midnight Hollow seemed like marriage material, or even slightly date-able, but they were, intellectually, superior to the loosely-moraled women of Twinbrook. He is seriously beginning to doubt that he'd ever find a woman worth his time.

That one probably had men falling all over her and yet, he felt nothing. Maybe this trip was good for something other than work, since it seems there will be some manner of self-discovery along the way.

The woman, for her part, didn't particularly care about the thoughts of the man she'd left standing in his shop. Men's thoughts were simple and all that really mattered to her is that he do what was asked of him, if he were given the chance.

But she sensed that he would be to her sister's liking and there was as strong likelihood that the two would meet under, somewhat favorable circumstances. Knowing her sister, Moira had to be wandering around in the middle of town somewhere in a muddle of her own self-loathing, hating everything that she was.

It was only a matter of time.

Which turns out to be entirely true.

Very late that evening (Loki had kept the shop open for more like ten hours today), he went to the alley to unpack more toys and prepare for tomorrow. The simple cradle toys had proven to be the most popular, so he is grateful that he thought to ship several dozen out here in advance of the trip.

The buildings here are ancient, and devoid of proper storage facilities because the people who built them centuries ago did not own many material possessions. There is also scant crime and a barely existent deviant population (mostly because the town council has managed to make it nearly impossible to immigrate here and the population is aging). This means that most storage is in the back alleyways behind the shops, in the twisting thoroughfare of sharp angles and dead ends and shortcuts that is either incredibly convenient or obnoxiously elaborate depending on where one is trying to go.

Loki knows the way well now and his crates are in an area designated for his shop, there's a system after all. The familiarity of the route does not diminish the feeling of unease that comes over him as it's a particularly chilly evening and mist clings to the ground as if he'd stepped onto the soft soil of a vacant graveyard, waiting with open arms for the coming of the newly dead.

Being a practical sim in all things, Loki ignores the prickling of the hairs on his arms and begins to extract another day's portion of toys from his shipment, until a noise catches his attention to the side.

Slowly he rises- that way is the street so it's easily the noise of passersby despite the lateness of the hour- and takes a step or two in the direction of the sound, leaving one of the toys behind him, forgotten.

When thinking about this moment later he would never be able to decide if turning towards the street was a decision he made on his own, or if another force had compelled him.

He doesn't have to go far to find something unusual, and again impossibly familiar.

Not thirty feet in front of where he stands, a woman lies on her side, her neck bent at an awkward angle, her skin the color of lifelessness.

His heart, despite the shock of the moment begins to hammer in his chest in an angry rhythm.

The machine showed him this. Not only this moment, but a combination of them. It was the green woman's sister, it had to be. He doesn't suspect this because he's gotten any closer to the body, but because he's seen it in the collective mind of the immediate future.

There was a vision shown him where the woman in green had known all along. She seemed to be standing guard, almost. As if her sister lying dead was not the end of anything, but merely as if both women were waiting.

There was a vision where he merely walked by, into the street, and to the nearest bar or establishment to call for help. Why this version of him did not simply extract his cell phone from his pocket was unclear, but some kind of knowledge or fear kept his legs, stiffly moving, away from the scene as if he could escape that he bore it witness.

This version, which he was just going to call reality, has a decision to make. For several moments nothing stirs outside despite the fact that the wind earlier in the night had been formidable, echoing in angry presence against the windows of the stores, and chasing people who had been out walking into warmer places for the evening's remainder.

Even though the somber and deathly mood of the alley was forcing the wintry chill through his sweater right now, he didn't want to leave the woman's body alone. She may have fainted from lack of sleep or sustenance, despite the angle of her neck it might not be broken. She may yet be alive. The thought sent a thrill down his spine and for some reason he found it rang true, though no evidence could prove it.

At the same token, dare he move her?

He does, and realizes that he has no idea what happens now.

After a careful examination of her neck and finding no injury, but feeling her skin was clammy to the touch as if she was in a state of shock, he lifted her carefully into his arms.

Her sister had given him a message, but the woman didn't seem to be in any state to hear it. He moves a few strands of dyed purple hair out of her face and feels her body shudder at his touch.

“How long have you... been here?” He asks her gently.

But there is no response.

“So will it matter if I say I've seen your sister? She needs you to 'mind the date', and 'I'm positive'? Does that mean anything to you, Miss?”

The woman's lips part as if to speak, but a hollow moan comes out. “Oh...” How appropriate for the chilly setting. He shivers, despite himself. There are no cars on the road, is he supposed to walk her like this, to the hospital?

“Oh.” She says, her eyes rolling slightly open. “Oh. Po-”

And then with a sigh she shuts her eyes, as if rescue has come at last.

“Positive.” She rasps, and lunges.

It happens quickly, in a flash of inhuman speed. She twists in his arms, grabs his wrist ferociously with a claw-like hand and pulls it away from him, he stumbles towards her, off balance as something slender and white shines briefly despite the lack of moonlight. It's a new moon, he thinks, ridiculously, there is nothing for her teeth to be reflected off of.

As he stumbles she is on the other side of him and the fangs he knows he saw and yet couldn't have seen are sinking, needle like, into his neck.

After the acute sharpness he feels a shock of that cold fear that he had failed to obey earlier in the alley crash over him in waves as she drinks, drinks from his neck.

The horror of the moment alone makes him nearly pass out and he drops her and falls forward at the same time.

She clings to his neck all the way down, still drinking and is only dislodged when his knees crack painfully against the clammy stones of the alley beneath them and the impact bucks her to the ground in front of him. There she lays on the pavement as if despite that great burst of energy that enabled her to assault him she has very little left, her chest rises and falls in great heaving breaths as if the moment was a struggle for her very survival.

Loki, by comparison, is feeling as if his life is fading, this is much more than a mere moment of dizziness as he might have experienced back when all he did was simply invent things, and nobody was there to remind him to have a bite to eat. This was a dizzying and painful reminder of his own mortality.

A part of him as his consciousness fades is forced to acknowledge that even if this is not the end, he will never be able to live his life in the same way again.

However, how absurd would it be if this were not the end?

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It's not really a cliffhanger if I'm writing the next part right now, is it?

Yes, yes I totally went all over Midnight Hollow clicking on doors and hanging Christmas lights. It was worth it! :D That place is gothicly beautiful in the snow, and very well enhanced by the hanging of thousands of simulated little lights.

I also created a Christmas lot in the middle of the town,m but never used it despite hours of prep work. :/ Sounds like me alright!

I had Loki make everything that was on display in his shop- had to buydebug for some others like the flux capacitor which he didn't earn in my game. Also the time machine seems to have almost nothing to do with the rest of the inventor's creations, except possibly the simbot, but it's a real weird jump from children's toys to educational toys to a freaking time machine. Maybe if he was an artist and inventor? So it made more sense to me if he'd build onto someone else's research (all inventors do that) and create one so he could explore in it.

Lot of non-use! It has couches for pictures with Santa, and I don't have better pics I don't think;