I think of you
I haven't slept
I think I do
But, I don't forget
My body moves
Goes where I will
But though I try my heart stays still
It never moves
Just won't be led

And so my mouth waters, to be fed
And you're always in my head

You're always in my head
You're always in my head
You're always in my head

You're always in my head
Always in my...
Always in my...

This, I guess, is to tell you you're chosen out from the rest...

(Always in my Head by Coldplay)

/

/

Prologue

Loki sat at his usual desk in the library, a book in front of him and his eyes scanning the words fervently. Over a year trapped in the dungeons made his eyes sore for something more desirable to read than another long, dry epic. His first choice was something to relieve his dulled, bored mind. He started with the newest addition to the library, an item his mother had added and had wanted to give him to read months ago, but was prohibited by Odin, ultimately ending up on a shelf to collect dust. Now Loki could see why he was forbidden this book while biding his time in the dungeons. His eyes rolled across a page with the header: Mind Binding.

The first paragraph briefly reviewed the study of Asgardian brain structure. The following explained how a team of individuals congregated together to form this particular practice. Though the study held few tests having been deemed 'too dangerous', the tests that were completed proved successful in small aspects. After this, the passage continued on, explaining what mind binding was.

"Between two individuals a link can be made, one so strong they surpass all verbal communication and speak through the heart. The bond one can establish through mind binding accesses this concept – once the user establishes a bond with their partner, the connection set in place allows a mutual communication access through one's thoughts. The idea was phenomenal; however the study dropped as it was dangerous and ineffective. The connection didn't always hold up. More often than not, the users would lose connection and it would stop working altogether between users."

Loki reread the section over and over until he memorized the passage word for word. Most of the writing was rubbish and the theories it was supported on were nothing more than flowery words, but looking past this, Loki found the fundamental groundwork behind it fascinating in its own respect. Gaining the ability to communicate with one through thoughts could be entertaining at best, but otherwise, he couldn't find any situations this would benefit. There were too many factors to weigh in. How strong was the connection? Did it matter the distance between the two or did they have to stand close? One question popped up after the other and Loki found himself growingly eager to discover the answers to them.

As he continued turning through the pages, his hand stopped and his eyes landed on a particular diagram on the paper. Labeled across the image were the words, Steps for creating a simple mind binding.

There were ways to get answers. One of which, he could do himself.

/

/

Loki sat in his room, checking and re-checking the steps he had prepared for his test. He had everything needed to complete it. Now he had to find someone to be his recipient. The only problem was he didn't want anyone to be connected to his mind. At least, not anyone he knew. Since the practice of mind binding was so limited, there were advantages in the diagram he found. This one, the simplest form, was riddled with flaws – the owner's thoughts on both ends would be distorted no matter who he connected to; there was no guarantee the person chosen to be the recipient would be the mind he linked to; the connection could drop at any moment. There were no strings attached. If it worked, he'd have nothing substantial to worry about other than pestering some unfortunate fellow somewhere in Asgard and that in itself was tempting enough. Mischief was mischief, after all and who was he, if not the god of it?

After finishing through the reading, he found several key notes listed about mind binding. It would seem not all thoughts were transferred between the individuals. Only thoughts he specifically wanted the other person to hear would transfer through. That was another reason he felt compelled to continue on in his experiment. No matter what he thought, only what he wanted would leak – this was the only part of the practice that held true through all the tests conducted.

Loki, seated at his desk, everything ready, decided to continue on his experiment, regardless of not having found someone. The practice clearly didn't care whether or not there was someone – it was as if it chose an individual itself. He liked this. The randomness, the unpredictability – all the more fun this was. He would bother some poor soul all from the comfort of his room.

Temporary room, he reminded himself bitterly. His release from the dungeons was not because Odin deemed him fit. A blond oaf had something to do with it. And that oaf suggested another way to pay for his 'crimes'. Thor had convinced the All-Father several weeks ago – a few days shy of Loki's first full year in his cell – that Loki should be taken to Midgard for an indefinite amount of time and live among the mortals. Thor thought this would be good for him and after much fighting and reasoning, he finally got Odin to go along with it under the conditions, of course, that Thor goes with him. Loki was not fond of this idea. He didn't have a say in the matter. They wouldn't leave for Midgard until a few weeks and in that time, Loki wanted to test the limitations on his powers – he should've known they wouldn't have given him all of them back. Mind binding was one of many tests.

Loki began running through the steps. As he completed the final step, his room enveloped in white. A shock, stronger than a bolt of lightning from Mjolnir, struck through him, seizing his entire body in paralysis. For a split second, he blacked out.

His head pounded. When he opened his eyes, his vision blurred. It took several blinks and a long minute before it returned to normal. His headache persisted, though it subdued minimally as time passed. There was only one thing on his mind. Did it work?

Hello, he thought.

No answer.

He tried again, concentrating on wanting the thought to reach someone. Hello.

/

/

Jane stood in the middle of her bedroom, frozen in mid-step, as she thought, what was that?