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Loki is out for a walk! He is holding the leash, today, for a scrappy little dog who seems to be both energetic and not-smart. Beside him is Kai, a man with golden hair. Now…its possible that the Prince of Asgard may be recognized by another Asgardian, but its also possible, given how loooooong Ergi has been shoved, that the last time he ever glimpsed the prince, he was just a kid. He's dressed in a suit with a scarf, very nice.
Ergi
Many an Asgardian would know what a connection via Rainbow bridge would look like. Like a cold day in Hel one would know what a flame looks like. And the same gravitation happens with onlookers as the column of.. stuff swirls for twenty seconds or so before a bolt of light careens downward into central park. It was behind lots of trees though, so maybe through the thick of it all noone noticed? Except for the thump of the ground and small amount of shaking.
There now stands Ergi, steaming from his travel- or is that just dust cascading off of him?- he wafts a hand in front of his face with a cough or two. "Well, that never gets old." And he looks around, never really having been to Midgard before, this is a first.
Kai has a bounce in his step, his curls disheveled by the breeze. He's got a grin on his face, the very image of carefree youth. But then that familiar column of swirling stuff hits, and he starts. He comes to a stop, grabbing Loki's arm. "Watch out!" he hisses. Not everyone welcomes all Asgardians with open arms. Just certain black-haired princes. The dog barks at the phenomenon. Barkbarkbark! Bark! While he barks, he ducks behind Loki's legs for cover. Not the bravest hound.
The moment that Loki recognizes the bifrost, he holds out his hand to the side, fingers curled in a precise position, ready to summon up some weapon the very second he deems he needs it. "Declare yourself!" He demands at once of the man delivered by the bifrost. Probably no coincidence that Heimdal plopped him down right there beside them…before Ergi tries attacking cars or something.
Ergi
Since it was a remote part of the park, or not many people were even around, or just the fact that supernatural stuff happens more often here than expected, there aren't a lot of spectators to see what it was. But Ergi turns toward the sound of a… tiny and vocal hound. Then to the owners. One of which demands he introduce himself.
"Ah! Well glad to see I'm accepted -wherever- I go now." He hops down a small shelf wall to the same level the other two are on, dust falling off of all parts of him and his clothing as he does. "I am Ergi Gaborson, of Asgard. Direct me to where I can get a meal and drink." He stands there and waits for them to either do it or explain why they cannot.
Kai, raised on Midgard, alas recognizes not the name. He looks to Loki, then to Ergi. "What are you doing here?" he asks. There's nothing of aggression in him. Wariness, but he's not poised to fight. "Do you know where you are? This is Midgard." The elf gives Loki a wide berth as well, in case a fight does break out, and he collects the little dog before he retreats. The dog trembles and barks one more time before cowering in Kai's arms.
Loki does hand over the leash to Kai. Whatever Ergi has said, it clearly bristles against Loki, who draws in a deep breath and squares back his shoulders, taller, less casual, "Demands may not be made of /me/, traitor Ergi. Answer him…and then we will start again. Know this, though, that you stand before Loki, Prince of Asgard." He glances over to Kai, then back to Ergi, not revealing who Kai is in case they have to fight over who is the most innocent exile between them.
Ergi
Ergi is taken aback when Kai asks him those questions, like it wasn't common knowledge when it should have been. But at least someone knows the proper name of this place. The dog barks, and that gets a grin from Ergi.
And then Loki speaks. At first it's confusion, like his demands were not demands but simply requests without a question mark. Then he says 'traitor'. Great, someone knows him here.
Then there's the big one. Loki says his name and title, and then, Ergi starts to laugh. It's a hearty laugh, "Oh that's a good one!" Knee slapper, indeed. "The prince Loki is but a -child-," he pauses for a second, like he was remembering something. So long gone, maybe this could be that boy. "Prove your name to me. I've not been present in this existance for a long time. And I look for 'your brother'," he wraggles his hands a bit and changes his voice to pretentious when saying the bit about brother, "Thor Odinson to clear my name from how I was framed for the murder of my own father and theft of a magical weapon."
Kai arches a brow. "I'm not sure when you left, man, but you've arrived late. Prince Loki is grown, and he's not the sort of person you want to laugh at." He smiles at Loki. See? He's got the prince's back. But his expression goes serious as he tells Ergi, "I remember stories about you, now. I've been compared to you, minus the murder. Actually my dad has, but, you know, guilt by association."
Proving himself is something he's done his whole lifetime, to varying degrees of failure. However, to prove he is Loki? This, he can do. He makes a sudden motion with his hands and his outfit changes, the suit becoming that of leather and metal, smelling like braziers and the perfumes of the golden palace of Asgard. Flaps swirl upon arrival, but they are likely forgotten as the golden horns perch upon the fore of a helm crafted by smiths at least as old as Ergi. In Ergi's day, he didn't have this either, but, stuff like this doesn't even go to the Warrior's Three. By the time his green cape appears, he looks pretty fierce in all manner of the word. "Thor Odinson will be of /little help/ to you. He spends his days in a bower and is either so whipped or so drunk that he would have no time for your cause."
Ergi
The time travellers eyes shift to Kai, and they narrow as the curly headed male speaks support of this being Prince Loki. "No," a glance to Kai on the knowing about guilt by association, "I don't. Mine's far more direct."
Loki's proof of himself goes far enough that Ergi's intuitive side, small as it is, gets the better of him. But not long enough, as he begins to bend his knee he starts to think out loud, "But, we aren't on Asgard, and I'm not allowed there until I get your brother's approval and dismissal of claims on my name. And it would seem, this is not your realm of rule, is it? And if it were.. I dare ask what you did to be stuck down here just like me. Or are you on holiday? Vacationing, away from your duties.." he'd continue on about the reasons he wouldn't have to bow anyway to Loki here, on this spot, at this moment. Because why? He really has not much else to lose. So if Loki interrupts him, he'd stop, and if he doesn't, the rambling might continue until he feels like stopping.
"I can try to bend Thor's ear," Kai offers. He sniffs, adding, "Though I'm not sure if I should." He holds his trembling dog, lifting his chin as he takes his stand. Then he sighs and says, "But I'll try. Unless my Lord would prefer I hold my tongue." He clutches the dog to his chest as he bows to Loki, curls flopping forward in the low, respectful gesture. "What is my Lord's will?" He winks at Loki.
The horns tilt as he looks over at Kai and his…Lord's will…and he grins. Obvious approval in his eyes. A little undressing. "Why I am here is none of your business. You have a brash manner…and are lacking in respect. Try to find Thor on your own, traitor. And when you are ready to be respectful, perhaps I will help you instead. I have some sympathy for the wrongly accused, but none for those that brazenly cross me." Loki wets his lips and glances to Kai again, to answer his question, "I think he has some learning to do before he's ready for your help, Kai."
Ergi
Ergi immediately feels a pull in the pit of his stomach, his knee giving way and his hands flat on the sidewalk before him, "My lord, I- I am not myself right now. It has been difficult the last day. I found out both that my father had been slain in cold blood, and that blame had been passed to myself for the crime. For me.." he breathes, "It's as though I lost him yesterday."
"I require assistance, my lord. My deepest apologies for not believing you at first."
Kai's brow knits and he gives Loki the sad puppy eyes. But then he sighs and says, "Okay." Then, to Ergi, "Sorry about that." Then to Loki, "Can I at least tell him about the Asgardian Embassy where he might be able to leave a message for Prince Thor?" Yeah, Loki, is it okay to mention that? The look he gives Loki, it's like Ergi is an orphaned kitten. Please can they put out a saucer of milk?
Loki catches that look from Kai…and then Ergi is bowing and…well, its suddenly almost imperative to be nice, even if its slightly against his will at the moment. His Asgardian attire faces, even though at least one human has fled by now, back to his suit, "Get up. Yes, you should go to the embassy where there is your best chance of finding my brother. He lives there." He lets out a faint sigh and then flips his hair over one shoulder.
Ergi
Ergi nods while kneeling. "Yes, my lord." He would then start to stand to get directions from Kai, waiting for instructions to find that location. "Where is this.. Embassy?" A word he doesn't know. Something new from the last milennia or so, and he pronounces it kinda funny.
Kai gestures northward. "Upper East Side, mate. Just follow that street up til you see it." Seeing Ergi's unfamiliarity with the term, he adds, "It counts as Asgardian sovereign soil for all legal purposes. It's for political purposes. These Midgardians are still getting used to the fact you exist. We, actually." To the untrained eye Kai looks human, but to one who has seen the elves, he's clearly from Alfheim.
The Prince smiles faintly and moves closer to Kai again, closing that gap. "We could get dinner there, and show him the way. I would not mind a feast." He presses one hand to his own chest and then smoothes it down, slowly. "You should get fitted with clothes, as well. Something to blend better. You said you have to clear your name…that happened so long ago, your clues will be scarce."
Ergi stands, coming to his full height of six feet, looking at the other two. He glances up the street that Kai gestures toward. A nod at the logistics of what the building means in territory and politics. Then a feast is mentioned, and a grin spreads across Ergi's face. "A feast would be most welcome to my bowels." He can't place why it's wierd that Kai changes his comment to 'we', but that's a question for later.
Ergi looks to Loki, "Well, there's a reason someone trusted I could do it, and I'm here, so there must be something here I would be able to find or someone to talk to that might have some information. If only someone could see into my mind and find the truth.. then do the same with the -real- traitor." Ah, pipe dreams. He begins to brazenly walk down the street, not worried about how he looks at the moment yet and getting some rather wierd looks.
Ergi doesn't mention he's banished here until he can clear his name with Thor.
Kai slowly follows after Ergi and he looks back to Loki, still deferring to the Prince even though he's back in a mortal-seeming suit. Kai puts the dog down and keeps hold of his leash. The dog has calmed down, though he remains wary of the stranger who just appeared out of nowhere smelling like places the dog has never smelled. "Do you think he's innocent?" Kai asks Loki.
"Yes…" replies the trickster. Maybe he's just good at telling when someone is lying. Well, he is the god of that, after all. "But who would believe /me/?" Loki lets out a chuckle.