loki laufeyson

[adeceitfulking-blog]

A Long Time Coming // Loki & Malin

There were no hesitations in the way she moved as she walked his way, and Loki wasn't used to that. In his kingdom, people were always cautious when they approached him, almost withdrawn. It might have been his title, being a prince in itself would make him somewhat intimidating to his subjects, but that wasn't all it was. It was the way he carried himself, that cold, glassy gaze that he wore so often, and the air of indifference that came with his presence. All of those qualities about him would easily make someone shy away, but not her. She came towards him in those natural, fluid movements like it was the most common thing in the world, and it made him uncomfortable. That struggle for power between the two of them was so evident, and as she placed her arms on either side of him, trapping him up against the wall, he felt like she held something over him, and it didn't sit well in his mind.

In their proximity, Loki could look nowhere else but directly into her eyes. He stared unwaveringly at her icy blue orbs, and would not let his eyes stray from hers. To him it felt like a challenge, like a game of control. There were countless times where his father would tell him about the battles he had fought in, and how two opposing leaders would stare each other down, to see if their determination faltered in anyway. His situation now wasn't too different. It felt like a storm was brewing between him and the fallen Norse goddess, and the first one to look away would be deemed the weaker. As the unsound eye contact continued between them, Loki noticed something he had not seen at first. Her expression wasn't that of completely confidence, there was an uneasiness present, an uncertain edge to whatever she was feeling. He lifted his chin at the discovery, looking down his nose at her, feeling like he was of a higher rank, which he no doubt was when it came to their abilities.

"Let’s find out together." The words were detached, they came from her almost absentmindedly. She wasn't making a statement, that much he could tell. It was like she was questioning herself about her own capabilities, curious as to what she could do after all these years of putting them aside. Loki himself was going through the possibilities in his mind, but when her delicate fingers reached up to touch his face, he wasn't sure what to expect. He froze in that spot, waiting for something to happen, hoping that she hasn't completely lost her powers. As the determination in her eyes turned into desperation, he realized just how bent out of shape she really was. She was merely a mortal now, just the same as the rest of the humans on this Earth.

Tears appeared at the brim of her eyes as she backed away from him and tore her eyes away from his. He watched her lowering herself to the floor, curled up in a feeble manner as the pitiful speech came out in a broken whisper. It frustrated him to know that she was so utterly useless after all, that he'd come to Earth only to be disappointed by what he had found. He knew that she was weak, but thought that she would have at least retained some of her powers. He hoped that she would have had something, anything for him to utilize, but he was sadly mistaken. Never would he have dreamed that these years could have chiseled away at her like they did, but her shaky display just a moment ago spoke for itself. She was so decrepit, debilitated to the point where he didn't even know if the remnants of her former self was recoverable anymore.

"He did this to me." The forlorn bitterness in her voice made him fix his eyes upon her again, studying the way she spoke. The hopelessness that was in her before fizzled away, replace by a jaded attitude as she spoke about his father. A part of him wanted to agree, to share in that grudge she held against Odin after his father’s deception. However, he surprised himself when he realized that he didn’t feel vengeful at all. Despite the lies that he had been fed for his entire life, he felt protective of the man who had raised him. He didn’t want to hear her talk about his father that way, smearing his name and throwing around accusations. Who was she to talk so mightily when she had sank to the absolute bottom of her own identity? She knew it too, whatever expectation she had for her potential was gone, and the self devaluation was complete when she uttered the words that seemed to have been looming over her head for a long while. "I have nothing for you."

He wanted to sneer at her, to make her aware of the lowly position she had put herself in. She was the only person to blame for her own fate. Odin took away her powers before her descent to Earth, but she wasn’t left completely dysfunctional. She had almost six years to work at her loss, to strengthen herself, but she didn’t, and her fragile state did not make Loki sympathize with her. If anything, it angered him to know that he’d run into such a hitch in his plans. She was right when she claimed herself to be pathetic, and he wanted badly to reiterate it to her. He wanted to use her emotions to release his annoyance on, to kick her while she was already down, but he stopped his thoughts before they could get out of hand. As difficult as her recovery was going to be, she was the last hope he had, and he’ll be damned if he couldn’t make his father proud enough to rise to the throne.

With a sigh, he fell into place on the floor beside her, staying silent as she looked anywhere but at him. He had to do this, he had to gain her trust in order to avoid any suspicion on her part. It shouldn't be hard, he could be very well spoken and charming when he needed to be, the hard part was how he was going to restore her to her former glory. He had no idea where to start in terms of training her but he knew he had to give it all he's got. Before all of that though, he needed to get closer to her and make her certain that he was doing all this for the reasons she believed him to be doing it for. He reach out place his palm on her cheek, turning her head to look at him, and with the utmost conviction he handed her another smooth lie, only one of many to come.

"You're wrong." He searched her eyes for any withdrawal from him, but he could find none. She was seeking comfort and he was giving it to her, tugging on all the right strings. "You are not left with nothing." He reached down to pick up her hand in his, and held it between them for her see. "You are among the gods Skuld, and as much as your weakened form seem to be a hopeless cause, it's not." He paused to see her take his words in, how could she not in her vulnerable state? She was putty in his hands. Resisting a triumphant smirk, he continued with his fake support. "You may not see it, but I know that there is a spark of magic left in you and I can turn into something much more, but first you have to believe that you can do it, your will is half the fight." In that moment of silence, he looked not only at her but into her, and could almost see her thoughts splash across her features as she processed everything. He didn't have the patience to wait though, so he ushered her gently to give him an answer. "Do you think you can do it?" A small nod from her was what he got and that was all he needed to know that he was winning her over already.

Pushing himself up off the floor, he offered a hand to her to help her up. Once they were both on their feet, he made his way to the door again, opening it up and stepping out. He held the door for her, and chuckled at her confused expression. "You mentioned dinner plans? If we’re going to eat we should get to a better atmosphere." He could tell that she wanted to get out of her house as well, away from the emotional turmoil that the walls have witnessed, and in a second, she was right beside him, locking up and heading out. He walked along her side as they left the building and out onto the road to which ever destination she had in mind. They rounded a few corners before arriving at a quiet establishment with not many people inside. A server approached them almost immediately and she seemed to know the blonde woman that was with him. The two women only exchanged a glance before they were led to a booth in the back.

The girl left them with two menus then swiftly turned on her heels to tend to other guests, but not before looking at the woman in front of him with an expression he could not decipher. Looking back at Skuld, he noticed that her lips have curled up slightly into an amused grin, but not entirely understanding why. Putting the matter aside, he wanted to continue with the work he was doing, gaining her alliance was the goal and he was getting there. "Why don’t you fill me in on these past few years?" She lifted her head from the menu, raising an eyebrow at his inquiry.

"I’m sorry?" The puzzled look on her face remained as she questioned him, but Loki remained completely unfazed, as if he was talking about the simplest thing in the world.

"Since we’ll be spending a lot of time together from now on, we might as well get acquainted. Or if you prefer, we can just dine in silence." She was hesitant for a moment, but ultimately gave in to his request.

"Alright."

Loki bit back the smug smile trying to make its way to his lips. She was making things too easy for him.

[adeceitfulking-blog]

A Long Time Coming // Loki & Malin

He had her. Even though she still had her doubts, Loki could tell that her thoughts were possessed by his offer. Just the idea itself of gaining back her powers was enough to make her will crumble and succumb to his untruthful words. If that was the case, then he could only imagine how effortless it would be to influence her mind when he holds up on his end of the bargain. He loved this, being able to manipulate another as he did with Skuld. As the god of mischief he felt most in his element when he was able to deceive others. It wasn't an admirable or redeeming quality by any means, but he was so fed up with being upstaged by Thor all these years that he would settle to excel in anything at all. That feeling of accomplishment was almost overwhelming as he took in the fact that his plan was getting off to a good start, and with Skuld's involuntary cooperation, succeeding in taking the throne didn't seem like a far fetched dream any longer.

His brief moment of triumph was only cut shorter when the woman in front of him finally spoke up again. “What's in this for you?” Loki raised his eyebrows in lieu of the question. It was simple enough and there was no menace to her words, it wasn't something invasive, it was out of intrigue. “You and I work the same way, when we want something, we’ll find ways to take it. What are you after, Odinson?” He had to give her credit, she certainly wasn't dense when it came to figuring out that Loki had a motive behind everything he did. However he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of knowing what he's truly planning, especially considering that she would probably refuse to be on board if she even caught a hint of his true intentions. As he was formulating an acceptable answer to her curious inquiry, he was caught off guard by something she'd said so casually. Odinson. It was such an unknowing remark, something that was spoken so offhandedly, and yet it had the biggest impact on him. He hoped that she didn't notice his visible wincing from that simple comment, he didn't want to show any kind of weakness in front of anyone, particularly her. Never did he think for a moment that Odin's confession would have possibly cut so deep, but it did, and the oblivious blonde in front of him had just blindly poured salt onto a fresh wound of his. Loki could feel himself getting work up, the anger building behind his composed facade just as heat was building behind his cheeks, bringing colour to his otherwise pale skin.

Consumed in his own thoughts, Loki had paused for much longer than he meant, and it looked as if Skuld, who was studying his every feature from across the table had taken notice of his moment of indiscretion. “You didn’t have to come after me, and it could have been yours.” She pressed on, continuing to ask the same question that she had brought up a moment ago. This time though, it was different. Her tone no longer maintained that innocent inquisitiveness, it evolved into something presumptuous, taking on a confrontational edge that he half expected to come his way. “Tell me what you want.” Loki smiled to himself, shaking the memory from the weapons vault and focusing on the conversation he was having now. How could she be so self-assured in front him when she was in such a vulnerable state? To be asserting her own thoughts onto him took some nerve, and he admired that about her. She knew that if she were to cross him, he would crush her in an instant and take away whatever whatever form of life she had on this Earth, and yet there she was, challenging him in the midst of his own game. She must have felt that she was of importance in whatever he was planning, and she was right, he needed her in order for things to work, so in that sense, she had a form of immunity from him, she was untouchable as of now.

As the stream of thoughts ran through his mind, it seemed that Skuld grew impatient of waiting for his response and changed the subject at hand. “Want me to buy you anything?” Loki broke his fixated gaze from his folded hands that sat on the table and look up at the blonde woman. He didn't understand what she was doing, weren't they just in the middle of a important conversation? “Unless you’d prefer something homemade, I don’t live that far and we could beat the traffic.” His eyes narrowed in a confused gaze, trying to figure out what exactly this former goddess was getting at. She didn't give him a chance to think about it before continuing with the strange change of topic. “We just need to get some calories, you’re gonna need them, and uh, you’re gonna need to be wearing at least seven hundred dollars in Yves Saint Laurent if you want to be seen with me.” His eyebrows knitted together as he tried to decipher her words. She spoke in an Earthly way that made it hard for him to comprehend, but as she got up and walked over to the waste disposal, something finally clicked Loki's mind. She was exercising whatever power she had against him. He was foreign to this land and unfamiliar with Midgardian ways, which put him at a clear disposition. She however, had lived on this planet for some time, assimilating herself into their culture and walked among them with pride. What she was doing with her harmless offers was to show him the difference between them, that she, even though weakened after all these years, was still able to do something that he couldn't.

Loki stood up as well, following suit when she motioned for him to leave the store as she was on her way out. He walked at her side while stealing glances towards her, deciding that he wasn't going to let her live out her moment of control. "I want to be king." He said simply as he kept his gaze forward, but out of the corner of his eye, he could tell that he had gotten her attention when he turned her head to look at him. "But even with Thor's banishment I am still second in line." the bitterness in his voice was surfacing as he spoke, because it was true, Asgard still held hope for his brother even after his departure. "If I can help the kingdom back to its former glory then I'll change the minds of the citizens... and my father." As they turned the corner, he looked down at her, watching her process the half truth that he had spoken and from the looks of it, she accepted his words just as she had back at the cafe. He could feel the power shifting back to him again, putting him in a higher position than her once again.

For the next few minutes, the two walked in silence, with nothing filling the space between them except the sound of footsteps on the pavement. Loki wasn't familiar with the signs and signals that regulated the traffic on this planet, and he still wasn't aware of where Skuld was taking him. So he just did as she did, stopping now and then at the places where two path intersected, and picking up her pace when an automobile approached. Despite not being knowledgeable about how to get around the area, he refused to walk behind her, so he put an effort into staying at her side at all time. He's wasn't going to be blatantly following anyone around. When he felt her hand taking a hold of his though, he fell a bit behind her pace. He had no idea what she meant by this, they had not seen each other for years, and even during her short residence in Asgard, they had never paid much attention to each other. Loki wanted to pull his hand from her grasp, he felt like he was being led like a child, and that didn't sit well with him. However, he was here to gain her trust and alliance, so he tightened his grip on her hand as they walked. Once they had made it a few blocks down, the blonde woman took him into a building, a tall one at that, it was when the doorman spoke that he finally understood where they were, it was her residence. He thought back to the talk at the small coffee shop, realizing that her offer before was a genuine one, not just something to boost her own ego.

Walking out of the elevator that had taken them up to one of the higher floors, he waited for her to open the door to her abode, and once she had, he took in everything about the place. It was beautiful in its own right, although it couldn't be compared to the majestic appearance of the castle back home. Almost immediately after the door was closed behind them, a tapping sound came from somewhere in the space, followed by the appearance of a white, furry animal. It came towards him, running on its small legs while its tail swung back an forth behind it. The thing circled him, sniffing him out while he looked at it, unsure of what to do. "What is this?" He called out towards Skuld, pointing at the animal scampering around his feet. The look that flashed across her face was of both amusement and exasperation.

"That is my pet dog Versace." She crossed her arms as she spoke and studied Loki's reaction. It was a dog? He certainly has never seen a canine that was so small and lacked any sort of ferocity. Weren't dogs meant to protect the homes of their owners? What could this tiny little thing do if anyone ever invaded this place? Pushing the thought aside, he walked away from the dog to further inspect the apartment. As he walked around, looking at his surroundings, he spoke up again, wanting to get down to business.

"So, now that we're here away from the eyes of the mortals, show me what you're capable of, if anything at all."

[adeceitfulking-blog]

A Long Time Coming // Loki & Malin

My time will come. It will.

Loki had the same thought running through his head ever since the news came of his brother's coronation. At first, he really didn't know how to react. He'd had a gut feeling for a while that once the day arrived, the crowd would be chanting Thor's name instead of his own, and that he'd be in the sidelines, watching in silence as the throne was passed from his father to his elder brother. It didn't come as a surprise that Thor would beat him out in the race to be king of Asgard. Ever since they were little, it was obvious that Thor had excelled in areas like strength and combat, while Loki's talents lay in wits and knowledge. But Asgard didn't want a king who was merely clever, they wanted a warrior, someone who would be able to lead them if the peace in their realm was ever disturbed, and Thor was clearly the superior choice compared to him. Even though he'd pretty much anticipated the impending news, it wasn't any easier on him to know that he'd fallen into the shadow of his brother's glory yet again.

All his life, he's been second to Thor; second born, second best, the second choice. He felt like spare, a plan B almost. Something to put to use only in the event that the royal family was desperate for another way out. He wanted desperately to prove himself to his father, to make him see that even though he is the second son, he could be everything and more that Thor was. What started out as just a bit of friendly competition between two brothers has grown to be something more for Loki. After all these years of living under Thor's shadow, he's begun to resent everything that his brother is. He couldn't help but be bitter about the fact that Thor's always been the favourite, whether it's with father or a mere commoner off the streets of Asgard. Now that Thor will be crowned king, there was nothing left that he could do to prove himself better. The passing of the throne was the final leg of a race between them, and in the end, he lost. The only thing left to do is to go to the palace stadium in the afternoon to watch Thor become king, all the while accepting the fact there was absolutely nothing left for him to do except admit defeat, once and for all.

After another few hours of processing all the thoughts in his head, Loki finally began to prepare himself for the coronation which was about to begin shortly. Dressing up in his ceremonial outfit, he took a quick glance in the mirror before he left for the event. Lately, he's been noticing something strange with his eyes. Whenever he was in an unsettling mood, his blue-green orbs seemed to shift to a deep amber colour, almost red. He didn't know if what he saw was real or just anger-fueled delirium, but it wasn't the right time to investigate as people were expecting him to be present at the stadium in only a few minutes. Closing his eyes and focusing on the location at which he was supposed to be present, he vanished from his chamber in a flash and materialized just as quickly on the steps to the throne, right in place beside his mother. The older woman was not remotely surprised by Loki's sudden appearance. Ever since he was little, it was obvious that he was a prodigy in sorcery, after years of shenanigans like this, she was used to the unexpected when it came to him. Seeing the bemused grin hanging on his mother’s lips made Loki feel the tiniest sense of pride surface. His skills and abilities in magic was the one thing that he held superior to Thor, and he clung to it like it was a lost treasure.

His brief, proud moment was only cut shorter as the crowd rose from their seats and sent a frenzy of excited shouts towards the entrance of the structure. That only meant one thing, the future king of Asgard as arrived. Turning his attention as everyone had, he watched with both admiration and envy as his brother walk down the length of the room, waving and smiling to all the spectators. Loki scoffed at the sight. Thor was such an ostentatious being, always drinking in the attention that was paid to him. As he knelt down at the foot of the throne, placing Mjolnir on the ground beside him, father began the oath to have Thor sworn in as king. He watched and listened as his brother swore to his duties, feeling a sense of acceptance as the speech was drawing to a close. However, right before his father was about to say the final words, a loud, resonant crash sounded throughout the grand stadium. A knowing look of despair crossed his father's face before he announced the end of the ceremony. Loki was stunned, the coronation was incomplete and Thor was not declared king. Was this luck or was it an opportunity? Was he being given another chance to rise to the throne? He was excited at the prospect but he wouldn't show it. Not in front of his father and grieving brother.

Once the hall had cleared, Odin ordered the two brothers to accompany him to the weapons vault. Loki's eyes widened at the scene before him as he walked through the heavily guarded doors behind his father. The room which was usually so well kept was covered and damaged by a mess of ice. Bodies of several guards and Jotuns lay on the floor of the room, cold and unmoving. It was an unnerving sight to say the least, but once his father had seen what was sitting atop its stand at the end of the room, an audible sigh of relief escaped his lips. The casket from Jotunheim was still in its place, which meant that the attack had failed. Odin was at ease with the knowledge but Thor was far from calm. Loki listened with cynicism at his brother's plans for war, foolish and immature, and immediately shot down by their father. As Thor dejectedly walked out of the room, he hastily followed suit, knowing that father's words were not enough to change his brother's stubborn mind. He knew what Thor was planning and not a single person would be able to stop his iron will.

Once Thor had gathered his forces to go to Jotunheim, Loki felt obliged to join them on their journey. It was stupid and reckless to invade the home land of the ice giants, but he would rather endanger his own life than to stay behind and be labelled as a coward. Heimdall allowed the band of warriors to pass, sending them on their way to the land of the Jotuns, but as soon as he set foot on the frozen landscape, he had a feeling that nothing good was going to happen. His suspicions were confirmed when Thor opened his big mouth, bellowing out goading remarks towards King Laufey. It wasn't very long after that the group was attacked by hundreds of ice giants. Hopelessly outnumbered and surrounded in a foreign land, there was nothing the young Asgardians could do besides retreat. Just as Loki was calling out to Thor to leave, he felt a vice grip on his arm. Whipping around in panic, he watched as his arm convulsed uncontrollably before turning a deep blue colour, not unlike the skin of the ice giant who held on to him. Loki and the Jotun both watched in shock at what was happening, but the Asgardian prince came to his senses quick enough to puncture the beast's heart. He brought his hand up closer to himself to examine it, at this point, it was already returning to normal, but he was still in a state of terror at what he had just witnessed. If an ice giant were to make contact with one's skin, they would burn from the freezing temperate, but Loki did not feel any sort of pain, the only effect it had on him was to turn his skin a frightening shade of blue.

He stared at his hand, trying to figure out what exactly had happened to him just a moment ago. He was brought back to reality when he heard Thor calling his name, the rest of the group was already making their way back to the Bifrost site. Loki hurriedly caught up with them, but his mind did not wander away from the incident even as they were transported through space back to Asgard. As they arrive back at the end of the bridge, they were all surprised to see that it was Odin who had called them back, not Heimdall. The king ordered the warriors to leave, save for his two sons, whom he looked at with a face full of disappointment. Loki watched as brother and his father quarreled, resulting in his brother's banishment from the realm of Asgard. As he witnessed Thor's fall into the tunnel of light, he found that he did not feel any sorrow, no sense of affliction for his own brother. He did not wait for his father to speak to him, instead, he transported himself into the weapons vault, desperate for answers. As his hands gripped the sides of the glowing casket, his skin began to transform just like it had in Jotunheim. He stared down in horror as the colour spread over his body, turning him into a different entity altogether. Odin came into the room only a moment later, and Loki wondered if he could get an explanation from his father.

"Am I cursed?" He asked tentatively, but his father's answer did nothing to comfort him.

"No."

"What am I?"

"You're my son." At this point, he began to grow frustrated. Odin was hiding something from him, he was certain. He set the casket back down on its stand and turned to confront his father. The look on the old man's face was more than enough for Loki to understand what was happening.

"What more than that?" He questioned while making his way over to where his father stood. "The casket wasn't the only thing you took from Jotunheim that day was it?" King Odin was still with silence as a look of regret swept across his aged features. Loki knew that whatever his father was hiding, it would be unveiled now.

"No. In the aftermath of the battle, I went into the temple, and I found a baby. Small for a giant's offspring. Abandoned, suffering, left to die; Laufey's son." It took a second to register, but the revelation left him reeling. It dawned on him that his whole life had been a lie. He was no prince of Asgard, he was a Jotun.

"Laufey's son." He had to say it to himself to completely acknowledge his true parentage, desperately struggling to make sense of it all. "Why? You were knee-deep in Jotun blood, why would you take me?"

"You were an innocent child." That answer wasn't good enough. He won't settle for a lie.

"No. You took me for a purpose, what was it?" When Odin didn't answer him, Loki lost control of his emotions before crying out loudly at the man in front of him. "TELL ME!" His father knew that he can hide the truth no longer.

"I thought we could unite our kingdoms one day. Bring about an alliance, bring about peace. But those plans no longer matter." Loki was stunned. He was nothing but a declaration of peace, taken from the father who had left him behind and raised by another king to protect the people of his land.

"So I am no more than another stolen relic, locked up here until you might have use of me." As he spoke he felt the tears gathering in his eyes, threatening to spill over. "You could have told me what I was from the beginning, why didn't you?"

"You are my son, I wanted only to protect you from the truth." It was those words that finally brought the tears brimming at Loki's eyes to roll down his cheeks.

"Why? Be-because I'm the monster that parents tell their children about at night?" His sadness turned to rage before he spoke again with bitter resentment, not noticing how drained this conversation was leaving Odin. “You know it all makes sense now, why you favoured Thor all these years. Because no matter how much you claim to 'love' me, you could never have a frost giant sitting on the throne of Asgard!" He was on his way out of the room when Odin collapsed, his hand reaching for his son as he faded into unconsciousness. Even though he was furious at his father for the lies, he couldn't leave the old man lying on the stairs of the weapons vault, weak and vulnerable. He called to the guards for help, watching them carry the king back to his chambers. Loki followed them, not knowing what exactly had happened just a moment ago. As he sat by Odin's bedside with his mother, he finally spoke up after long period of silence.

"So why did he lie?" Frigga looked up from his father's still form, her face forlorn.

"He kept the truth from you so that you would never feel different. You are our son Loki, and we your family. You must know that." His mother's words had some effect on him, settling his nerves and bringing him a bit of comfort. He looked down at the man laying before him. Although he wasn't his real father, he was the only father he had ever known. With Thor's banishment and the discovery of his own origins, Loki felt that it was his duty to claim the throne. He needed an act of valour, a conquest to convince his father that he should be the heir to the throne upon his awakening. It didn't take long for him to have an idea and lay out a plan in his head. Strategizing had always been one of Loki's strong points.

Bidding his mother farewell and running out of the palace, he got on his horse and rode across the rainbow bridge to the Bifrost. Heimdall stood guard as always, but Loki was not concerned about him. Even the all-seeing and all-hearing guard could not penetrate people's thoughts. "Heimdall, you must allow me access to Midgard."

"And why is that? I know that you and your father are not on the best of terms, could that be your reason?" The guard questioned with his piercing gold eyes staring him, but Loki remained unfazed.

"We have fought, but that doesn't change my view of him. I need to find my brother and tell him of father's condition. Mother fears that this Odinsleep is different from before." The lie came out of him smoothly, his silver tongue did not betray him as his words allowed him to get past Heimdall and on his way to Earth.

Upon his arrival, Loki quickly changed his clothing to blend in with the humans. He did not want to draw any attention to himself. Not yet anyway. With the use of magic, he focused on the life force of one being, and transported himself to where she was. It was a bustling city, full of people and automobiles, not something that he was used to. Knowing the destination of the one he was looking for, he pulled open the door to a merchant who appeared to have sold Midgardian delicacies. He made his way to the back of the shop, waiting for [i]her[/i] arrival. She was close, he could feel it. With the passing of not even a full minute, she stepped into the small store, taking notice of his presence almost immediately. Loki smiled as he looked her over. She was so different than her time in Asgard, dressed exactly like the mortals on this planet. Even the celestial air that surrounded such a powerful being like her was gone. As he expected, she was halfway to becoming just like the rest of the humans. Once she had made a purchase at the front of the store, she steadily walked in Loki's direction, surprising him. He was almost certain that he would have to chase her down one way or another. As she sat across from him, he took another good look at her. She was beautiful, just as he remembered, and as she spoke, he could tell that she still had the same note of arrogance she had years ago.

"Did your father realize that Asgard's future is chaos as long as I'm gone?" The grin on Loki's face only grew after hearing the simple inquiry from her. He could already tell that deceiving her would take no effort at all.

"You're a sharp one Skuld. Although father would not have put it in those words, that is the reason I've been sent to find you." He watched as she took a sip of her drink, never looking away from him. He took it as a sign to continue. "Asgard is facing a time of crisis, the Jotuns are about to declare war and Thor has been banished from the realm. Father wants you to take the reins on his kingdom's future, and seeing as you're so... well adapted to the human way of life, there is a way for you help here from Earth." He could see the hint of skepticism in her eyes as he spoke, but from what he could tell, she was already convinced by his words.

"That's impossible. Even if I had my power in full I wouldn't be able to cast them from another dimension." Loki wanted to laugh. Why would she deny him even though she so strongly wanted what he was suggesting? Was it out of dignity?

"What if I told you it is possible? And that I could make you a hundred times stronger than you ever were?" Loki leaned in closer as he stated something that was obviously on her mind. "Even though you tell yourself that you're content with your life as it is, I know you well enough to know that you long for your powers back. You won't pass up this chance, even if you were in the position to." He leaned back into his seat, satisfied with his work. He knew that she would accept his offer, that if she didn't, she ran the threat of having Loki on her heels, someone who was much more powerful than she was. Looking at her, he could tell that she was acknowledging her craving for power and was about to give in to his request. Little did she know that he had something much larger planned.