Loki sat on a bench in Regent's Park, his head in his hands as he tried to take in his situation. Think, Loki, think... It's what you're best at, after all, he thought bitterly, trying not to add, It's not thinking that got you into this mess to begin with. Shaking his head sharply and taking a deep breath to clear his mind, he kept his head in his hands and his eyes closed.
Okay, you have a curse, he thought, This curse makes you feel the pain of other people. You're surrounded by people, and you can assume that cutting yourself off entirely is next to impossible. Also, a lot of people seem to constantly be in some form of pain or another at all times. He frowned, aiming his thoughts in a new direction. So you can't escape from people. Well, what about escaping the curse? But his heart sank as he came to a realization. You don't know how to get rid of the curse, nor can you get to Asgard to obtain information about it.
With another heavy sigh, he thought, This is not good. It's not like I can just kill everybody. No doubt I'd feel that pain a billion times over, not to mention get locked away for eternity. What am I supposed to do? Just then, he heard a worn voice beside him on the bench ask, "Having a rough day?"
Loki looked over sharply to see that he had been joined by an elderly gentleman who was sitting and leaning forward on his cane as he looked at Loki with genuine, caring eyes. Loki just sighed, waving him away as he put his head in his hands again. "Please, I wish to be alone," he muttered. However, the old man wasn't one to give up so easily. "Come now. Talking about it will make you feel better," he wheedled. Loki looked back over at him, frowning, still not responding.
The old man pressed, "Is it girl troubles?" Loki sighed and answered simply, "No." The man nodded, thinking for a bit. "Guy troubles?" he asked. Loki stared at him and the man just shrugged in a 'you never know' gesture. "No," Loki replied again. "Is it a money proble-" the old man started but Loki cut him off. "Look, are you going to leave me alone?" he asked harshly. The old man just sat back, still watching him. Loki narrowed his eyes, noticing that he didn't seem to be affected by his harsh words as the 'Sherlock' girl from earlier had been.
"Why do you care so much anyway?" Loki asked, now interested, "It's not your problem." The old man shook his head at once. "But it is my problem!" he exclaimed. At Loki's confused expression, he explained, "Every day, you see people hurt with their day's worries, their problems... Life, really. But what you never see is anybody stopping to help." Loki sat back on the bench, beginning to understand as the old man continued, "I figure if I can help at least one person, I've made a difference. Imagine what a difference could be made if everybody stopped to help other people."
Finally, Loki got it. He remembered how the clerk earlier had pulled him from his slump in the clothing shop with her kindness and generosity. With a jolt of surprise, he realized that he had even done it earlier with the 'Sherlock' girl when she began to be disheartened by his unthinking words. He had been able to pull her back. Sudden realization flowing through him, he realized that it had felt... good!
Suddenly, he stood, anxious to put his epiphany to practice. The old man watched him, surprised. Remembering him, Loki turned to point at him excitedly. "You, man! What's your name?" he asked. The man was bewildered, but answered, "Uh... William." Loki took the man's hand in his own, shaking it. "Thank you, William! Thank you so much!" With that, he ran off, leaving William sitting there staring after him. "What did I do?" he wondered blankly.
