[ open ] you are boundless in beauty, with fright in your face

[dothelokimotion]

who: Loki + You
what: TDM + Monthly Prompts
when: The month of February
where: All over Riverview
warnings: Will add if ratings change


[ i. Crystal caves ]

[ Of course, the minute Loki heard about the crystal caves, he was there. But he picked a time late at night when visitors had trickled down to nothing and he couldn’t be interrupted. With a small knapsack, Loki collects a few shards and geodes of crystals, turning them over in his hands with a secret grin. He holds one or two up, reaching out with his magic and watching them glow with the faintest traces of glee. After a while, he tidies them up and rests his back against a large oddly cut prism as he watches the lights cast threads of colour over the ceiling.

Loki would have go home eventually. Back to his empty apartment. Every time he thought about it, he hated it more and more. When did being alone become so hard? His eyes droop slightly, letting the strange light-magic of the caves wash over him. ]

[ ii. Dream-sharing ]

[ Loki’s dreams are chaotic things by nature. To reflect his own, obviously. He’s had happy, vainful dreams. Draped in royal colours, amidst the crowds calling his name. Bowing, reveling in his presence. The king. Other times, the dreams are dark and cold, covered in the dust of hollow moons and the strangeness of monsters, alien fingers brushing against his temple. Cold, always cold. Loki manufactures the sensation for his dreams. This time, the dream is simple. Straightforward. There is a crater on the ground and in the center, stands Mjolnir. Loki merely stands beside it, his hands clenched at his sides.

He does not reach for it. ]

[ iii. Clearing the Air ]

[ Once the mist made contact, Loki fled. He has always been a mass of seething resentments and bottled up anger issues and the mist had conflated them in his mind, making him see red everywhere. And Loki, who has quite the temper already could also foresee the danger of being in a city full of people when all he wanted to do was lash out at everyone closest to him. Minor infractions felt like grievous wounds and well . . . Loki generally treated those with a reverence that was probably bad for his mental health to begin with.

( they’re not all imagined slights, they’re not, they’re not, they’re not )

So he finds himself a fair distance away from Riverview, closer to the Abandoned City. Empty. Alone. And he sends out a jet of magic towards the trees, watching them crunch and collapse, splinters flying everywhere. This would be easier, better with someone to fight against, to expend that kind of energy, but the danger of losing control was too great. Pursing his lips, he sends another wave, watching it rip apart more of the forest when he hears approaching footsteps. The red haze fills his gaze. ]

You had best leave. Promptly.

[ v. Wildcard ]

[ Loki can be found at Gramarye, checking out the various stalls for the festival and even sitting down besides a bonfire, deep in thought. If you have a scenario in mind, you’re welcome to PM me or ping me at captainkink ]

Comments

iii bc i love to suffer

[spellslots]

[The mists are, quite frankly, bullshit. There's a reason he's not a fan of zone of truth and it's because he doesn't like anyone else getting up in his business. If he wants to talk about his feelings, he'll talk about his feelings. He doesn't need some asshole arcanists deciding to give him a helping hand.

It had been tempting to just bail on the whole city until it was over, except that kind of feels like letting the bastards win, so he's sticking it out.

But he's noticed a Loki shaped hole in his social calendar and it isn't particularly hard to guess the cause. The smart thing to do would be to leave it be, to let Loki have his space, but he's... worried, maybe, just a little. And he feels mostly safe in the thought that there's no resentment between them that needs airing. So it should be fine.

He hopes.

Between casting find person and following the general destruction, Loki hadn't been hard to track down, but hearing that warning gives him pause for a second. Only for a second, though, before he powers through.]

You're gonna turn down profiteroles? Made by Taako? That's like, almost a crime.

[Maybe if he just pretends everything is chill and fine it will be.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki turns around and Taako would see his eyes are filled in red, strange markings on his face. Whorls and lines that shift and turn as if they're alive. ]

It is not a good time.

[spellslots]

[He's seen weirder; Taako just takes the new look in stride, though he doesn't get any closer. Instead, he casts levitate on himself and pulls his legs up to sit cross-legged in the air, clearly making himself comfortable.]

I get it, bubbale. [The mists and all that shit.] But uh, I'm gonna keep ya company for a bit.

[He hasn't forgotten their conversation after the whole mess with those cursed books, and he knows that Loki was scared about losing him. Taako isn't great at like, caring about other people, but this is him proving that he's here and not going anywhere. Even if it gets messy.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ His hands clench into fists. There was no resentment directed at Taako and for that, he was mostly safe. But Loki's anger tends to rise, infiltrating every good thing he has ever believed in. A poisonous, heady feeling that Loki thought he had gotten rid of, but it lingered underneath his skin, alive and breathing. ]

I — I can't. I'll destroy it all.

[spellslots]

Nah, I think we're good.

[It's a light comment, as if he can remind Loki that it doesn't need to be big and dramatic and complicated by acting that way. Taako's a little anxious, sure, but he's keeping it hidden.]

You want something to beat up?

[He wiggles his fingers, an unspoken explanation that he'll do some kinda magic for Loki.]

i

[hasitsthorns]

[ Rose only needs two hours of sleep for the average human's eight. And when she suffers from insomnia that means days without. It's brought on now by unease; for as perfectly pleasant and put together as she's seemed since her arrival, there's a lot she's not letting show. A lot she's not actually saying. Rather than stare up at the ceiling of her communal housing any longer, the woman takes instead to exploring the caves for the umpteenth time.

It's late. She doesn't expect anyone but overnight campers to be there, but- Figures she wouldn't be the only one wanting not to be alone with their thoughts. ]

It's really pretty, huh?

[ Small talk seems safe to start. She's not about to ask why this guy's hanging out alone, at least, since he probably came here to not talk about it. ]

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki doesn't start but he turns to face whoever approaching him. He can sense . . . something, but it does not set him off though there is a touch of habitual wariness. ]

It is. The way this place introduces new locations from time to time can be fascinating.

[hasitsthorns]

[ A lot of people here can probably sense "something" about Rose. But, to most everyone she looks just as she appears: average in almost every way.

She wants to try and keep up that appearance for as long as possible. ]

So this is, like, a regular thing? Just bam! Suddenly, new attraction? [ A beat. ] I'm, uh. I'm still new, if you hadn't guessed.

[dothelokimotion]

[ His lips quirk. ]

It occurs almost every month like clockwork.

[hasitsthorns]

[ Huh. That's... interesting. That it's a regularly scheduled event. ]

Guess it's good to keep things interesting that way. What was your favorite?

i

[scholiast]

(Jokes on you Loki, Lucretia's come at night too! She's also trying to avoid the crowds, because the crystals make her feel a little lonely. It reminds her of one of the earlier planets they visited, way back in cycle eight, or nine? A planet they had lost to the Hunger.

The six of them had sworn on the deck at the year's end that they wouldn't purposefully destroy any worlds. The thought of that pact makes Lucretia smile now, even as she stare at the crystals, and feels like shit.)

Oh– (Loki is in the next section of cavern she walks into. He's sitting, his back propped up against a big prism of crystal. His eyes are closed. Lucretia hangs awkwardly by the entrance, then wonders why she feels like she's interrupting something. He doesn't own the caverns, or anything.)

Hey.

[dothelokimotion]

[ He doesn't open his eyes, the height of rudeness but he shifts slightly in his position to indicate he heard her. ]

Hello Lucretia. It is quite late.

[scholiast]

Yes.

(It sure is. He's just... just sitting there, in the middle of the cavern. Probably meditating or something, probably doesn't want to be interrupted.

Lucretia comes into the cavern anyway.)

Whatcha doing down there?

[dothelokimotion]

[ Hmm. His lips quirk. ]

I'm communicating.

[scholiast]

With... the crystals?

(She glances up at the ceiling, then gets stuck staring at them for a moment, how beautifully they glow. It's a sight to behold for sure.)

v. gramarye

[hylights]

[It's been a while since the ball, but Zelda's a fast learner. She started work at Gramarye a couple of weeks ago, getting through induction and the beginner's guides with no trouble. The main hurdle now is to do the work proper... and clear out the office she's inherited. That turns out to be more of a chore than she anticipated, so she's glad of the lunch break whenever it comes around.

She's on her way to the lunch room when she sees Loki coming out of a nearby office, and stops to greet him.]

Loki, hello. It's good to see you again.

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki pauses, caught up on working on the drift mechanics of the new robots the city before raising his head and inclining himself politely towards Zelda. ]

As it is to see you. I take it everything has been settled on your side?

[hylights]

It has, for the most part. There's still some files I need to clean out of the office I've been given.

[She folds her arms over her chest, sighing.]

Whoever had it before was not one to store their papers very well.

[dothelokimotion]

We do have a frequent amount of people coming and going.

[ It is the nature of this place, having people leave. His expression flickers at that. ]

Is there anything you need?

[hylights]

I think I've gotten most of it properly filed in the archives now, but I'm not entirely sure where to go to get stationary supplies.

v. @ wurk

[tevinteraltus]

(After running into Loki quite by chance at the Glow Ball, they'd discussed magic of all things, not that he was particularly surprised to have found himself on the topic, he was pleased to learn this Loki was well-versed, and he'd been curious to see what magicks he'd taught himself. Hedge magic was inherently dangerous, for various reasons, but over the months Dorian had been in the Quarantine, he'd also learned not all worlds magicks were a constant. He was interested in seeing from where Loki's magic originated, how it worked, if it attracted unwanted attention from the other side, and really just wanted to compare notes.

Learning he was some sort of god was almost an afterthought, but learning he worked with him meant they could compare notes, possibly collaborate on larger projects that made their way to the facility. It helped that he man was handsome, charming, and witty. Dorian enjoyed his company.

Free from his own projects at the moment, it wasn't difficult to find Loki's workspace. When he did, he simply rapped his knuckles on the door frame and them moved to recline against the surface until Loki acknowledged him. It was never good to interrupt magic research. Things like that could be dangerous.)

Good afternoon, Loki.

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki's workspace is uniquely tailored to him. It's never too bright, casting soft shadows on the walls and desk. There are a few gem-encrusted chimes that flutter with the breeze along with a strange plant that is upon his desk, with bright green curling tendrils. He looks up with a faint smile teasing on his lips. ]

Dorian. How can I help you?

[tevinteraltus]

(Dorian of course could appreciate a neat and tidy work-space, even if he, himself, tended toward the more messy. He smiled at the greeting, pushing himself from the doorway and taking it as an invitation to enter.)

Well, I believe we may be able to help one another. You, as you mentioned previously, have no formal training, and I have no experience with illusions. I thought we might "talk shop", as the parlance goes.

[dothelokimotion]

[ His eyes light up briefly. ]

By all means. Please, take a seat.

[ Once Dorian is seated, Loki rises from his own, moving closer. ]

What kind of illusion do you wish to see?

[tevinteraltus]

(That was the question, wasn't it? Dorian reached to his side, where he kept a small hip bag, and pulled out a small journal and a pencil.)

I've never seen an illusion beyond that which spirits cast. Surprise me.