. NO EASY MEAT .

[randrageon]

∞︎︎  𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐎𝐍  …   aevum isles aff . book canon   𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐋'𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑 • book no. 3 the dragon reborn  ⸻   𝖆𝖒𝖆𝖓 𝖘𝖞𝖓𝖉𝖆𝖎 • 𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐀𝐈 𝐓𝐈𝐀 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐈

. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 .

A STUDY IN ... innocence lost • 𝖑𝖆𝖒𝖇 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖘𝖑𝖆𝖚𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖊𝖗 • destiny vs agency • 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 • light at the far end of the tunnel — or just a train • 𝐃𝐔𝐓𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐀 𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍 • 𝖉𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖍 𝖑𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖓 𝖆 𝖋𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗 • a vilified existence • 𝐍𝐎 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐃 • never giving up • 𝐇𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐎𝐑 • what is right is rarely what is 𝖓𝖊𝖈𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖆𝖗𝖞 • friends close and enemies closer • 𝖎𝖓𝖊𝖛𝖎𝖙𝖆𝖇𝖎𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖞 • not a man , but a myth • 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 • everyone knows you reap what you sow • 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖛𝖊𝖘𝖙 𝖜𝖎𝖑𝖑 𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖊 • you cannot save the world alone • 𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐋

. 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐀 𝐁𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 .

. 𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐎𝐍 𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 .

𝑪𝑶𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑵𝑻 𝑾𝑨𝑹𝑵𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑺 𝑩𝑬𝑳𝑶𝑾 :

PLEASE NOTE : rand CAN and WILL be censored for younger / PG rated muses by default ; please do not hesitate to plot interaction limits with me!

AS OF BOOK FIVE - TEN ... RAND SUFFERS FROM : high - functioning schizophrenia • obsessive - compulsive disorder • post - traumatic stress disorder • cyclothymic disorder • extreme suicidal ideation • self - harming behaviors • themes of past assault • claustrophobia • victim blaming

AS A GENERAL RULE OF THUMB : any and all of the above will be relegated to rand's internal monologue unless otherwise plotted .

[wot-tidbits]

[rpmusings-galore]

                   they molded you into a monster 

                        sharpened your claws

                                         your fangs

                                      ripped out everything good and holy

                                  made you howl until your throat burned

                  maybe it’s time to show them what a mistake they’ve made

                          they should never have given you such a  b i t e 

[wot-reading-notes]

"I'd like to be a king," Rand was saying. "That's what I'd like to be." He flourished his arm and made an awkward bow, laughing to show that he was joking.

Famous last word, second edition. I just finished A Crown of Swords a few days ago.

Rand said midly. He never seemed to get angry.

Oh, how things change. I feel like now, he is always angry. I mean, he does have good reasons, but he sure isn't mild about anything anymore.

Rand spoke before he thought, sometimes, and he always looked as though he was ready to start haring off and not stop until he caught the horizon.

A compassionate thought for the maiden of the spear charged with his protection, seething with rage because of his habit of creating portals and disappearing as soon as they turn their heads.

[jaqobis]

i’m just saying

[shuravf]

Finally Nynaeve! and with her all the Two Rivers gang are done.

[ofthebrownajah]

Literally everyone that rescued him from literally being tortured for two weeks straight: What's wrong with him?

Rand:

[jaqobis]

also everyone: it MUST be the madness. it couldn’t be anything else.

sulin in the background shaking her head

[dragon-rand-althor]

““He was a soldier. He was a shepherd. He was a beggar, and a king. He was a farmer, gleeman, sailor, carpenter. He was born, lived, and died Aiel. He died mad, he died rotting, he died of sickness, accident, age. He was executed, and multitudes cheered his death. He proclaimed himself the Dragon Reborn and flung his banner across the sky; he ran from the Power and hid; he lived and died never knowing. He held off the madness and the sickness for years; he succumbed between two winters. Sometimes Moiraine came and took him away from the Two Rivers, alone or with those of his friends who had survived Winternight; sometimes she did not. Sometimes other Aes Sedai came for him. Sometimes Red Ajah. Egwene married him; Egwene, stern-faced in stole of Amyrlin Seat, led Aes Sedai who gentled him; Egwene, with tears in her eyes, plunged a dagger into his heart, and he thanked her as he died. He loved other women, married other women. Elayne, and Min, and a fair-haired farmer’s daughter met on the road to Caemlyn, and women he had never seen before he lived those lives. A hundred lives. More. So many he could not count them. And at the end of every life, as he lay dying, as he drew his final breath, a voice whispered in his ear. I have won again, Lews Therin. Flicker.””

— Robert Jordan, The Great Hunt

[queen-serena]

“I don’t know how human the Dragon Reborn can afford to be.” “Rand, I…” She did not know what to say. “Here, let me Heal you at least.” He held still for her to reach up and take his head in her hands.

The Fires of Heaven: Book Five of ‘The Wheel of Time’ - Robert Jordan

[mischiefmodig]

\ / . So it would seem that Loki had pierced the heart. He had dug and dug, and his spade thrust into a spot that Loki was not prepared for. But even as Rand spoke, releasing whatever he seemed to have been keeping in his heart, Loki did not move. He sat, and he watched Rand shout. Watched Rand slam shut the door of the furnace to his soul.

But it was all that Loki needed to hear. Through the tired resignation, there was yet a spark that refused to be put out by fate's hand. Only the way was not yet clear for it. And more than that, there was far more to this story than Loki initially thought.

Loki sat, watching Rand depart from him, and soon followed suit. Through the tables of laughter and blissful ignorance, Loki weaved in and out of passing staff and distracted guests.

❝ Rand, stop this. ❞ Loki waited till they were beyond the gates of the festivities to stop him. His eyes were watchful of the man, and his arm extended to grab his shoulder, though Rand stood above him in height. ❝ Listen to me. I never once believed that you would want this fate. ❞ Loki began earnestly, pleading with him to understand.

❝ I asked because I needed the truth. I believe truly you are a kind, noble soul, faced with a burden too great for any shoulder to bear. ❞ Loki paused. ❝ There is no sense in grieving what has happened or fearing for what may pass. Let me help you, Rand. And help me understand this. ❞

[randrageon]

—  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄  𝐖𝐀𝐒  𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐄  𝐀  𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄  when  rand  did  not  have  a  temper  .  it  was  not  that  he  did  not  know  temper  .  he  did  ,  but  it  so  rarely  raised  its  head  in  him  .  it  so  rarely  breathed  its  smoke  and  fire  .  there  was  a  time  when  that  was  so  ,  but  that  time  had  come  and  it  had  passed  like  the  fickle  wind  that  blew  from  the  mountains  and  swirled  at  their  feet  ,  kicking  up  dust  and  before  pushing  in  every  which  direction  around  them  .  rand  whirled  on  loki  ,  shrugging  his  hand  off  of  his  shoulder  .

         ❝  UNDERSTAND  ,  THEN  :  that  you  don't  know  anything  !  you  know  nothing  about  me  !  nothing  about  the  Dark  One  or  the  taint  or  the  bloody  prophecies  of  the  Dragon  Reborn  —  !   ❞  rand's  words  had  wings  ,  and  they  fled  from  him  without  his  thinking  .  the  more  he  tried  to  stop  them  ,  the  more  they  simply  spilled  out  like  blood  gushing  out  of  an  open  wound  .  rand  ground  his  teeth  together  .  all  this  time  ,  he  had  avoided  speaking  of  the  karaethon  cycle  .  had  avoided  thinking  of  it  ,  even  .  loki  had  RILED  HIM  .  and  now  ,  here  he  was  ,  shouting  at  a  man  who  knew  no  better  .  i'm  not  mad  yet  .  only  angry  .  so  ,  so  very  angry  .  i  didn't  used  to  have  a  temper  .

       rand  squeezed  his  eyes  shut  so  tightly  he  saw  blotches  in  the  darkness  behind  his  eyelids  .  he  breathed  in  .  out  .  he  still  found  himself  boiling  on  the  inside  .  like  a  kettle  running  hot  and  bubbling  over  .  he  breathed  in  and  out  again  .  kind  and  noble  .  would  loki  still  believe  that  ,  if  he  knew  ?  did  anyone  believe  that  of  him  who  did  know  ?  he  hoped  perrin  and  mat  did  ,  despite  it  all  ,  everything  had  changed  in  falme  .  perhaps  he  had  changed  before  that  .  at  the  eye  of  the  world  . 

       rand  spoke  softly  .  ❝  i  am  sorry  .  i  don't  mean  to  shout  .   ❞

[mischiefmodig]

\ / . The Dragon and One-Hundred Companions. Loki's brow furrowed ever so slightly. It certainly sounded like a legend of ages. Heroes of old fighting terrible powers of evil, but evil rebelled in turn. In reality, likely not as simple. And for Rand, likely not the end of that story. As for what happened to them, Loki could only assume what would happen to men consumed with madness.

Loki hummed in acknowledgement of Rand's explanation. These were only pieces of a much greater image that left Loki with more questions than it did answers. However, he was not there for a lesson on Rand's world history. Loki sought understanding of the one before him.

The way Rand spoke of this gave Loki pause. Of course, Rand was a scholarly sort. But there was something in his recital of tales that sounded more like testimony than simple text. He frowned, eyes looking upon the face of this auburn-headed man with darkened eyes and hollowed expression. Tired and weary. Resigned by force, not by acceptance. How cruel to force a man with a good heart into that fate. How dare fates continue their twisted design for worlds beyond.

Loki remained still. Leaned forward on the table with piles of snow around him now. He sought the heart of this now, the real reason as to why he wanted an explanation at all.

❝ Do you wish that there was? A cure for this taint. ❞ He tested. Leaving room for a pause. ❝ Furthermore... how do you know that the essence is gone? ❞

[randrageon]

—  𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃  𝐋𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐄𝐃  𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍  .  it was just as sharp . just as brittle . ❝  Light  ,  man  !  of  course  i  do  .  do  you  think  i  want  to  go  mad  ?  to  destroy  everyone  i  care  about  —  just  because  i  am  what  i  am  ?  do  you  think  i  want  other  men  to  do  the  same  ?  to  rot  the  same  ?  or  be  Gentled  ?  WHAT  DO  YOU  TAKE  ME  FOR  ?  ❞           a  fire  rose  in  rand  .  a  terrible  ,  blazing  flame  that  scoured  him  through  .  left  him  charred  ,  and  numb  at  the  other  end  of  it  .  rand  did  not  really  want  to  answer  ,  but  he  could  not  stop  himself  once  he  had  started  ,  and  so  rand  snarled  . 

         ❝  i  know  the  essence  is  gone  because  i'm  the  one  who  Channeled  it  .  ME  .  i  used  it  at  the  eye  of  the  world  ,  though  i  did  not  know  it  .  though  i  would  not  have  wanted  to  if  i  had  known  .  if  i'd  known  what  bloody  moiraine  had  brought  me  there  for  .  brought  us  all  there  for  ,  i——   ❞   rand  clamped  his  mouth  shut  .  muscles  spasmed  in  his  jaw  .  he  had  begun  to  raise  his  voice  ,  and  caught  the  eye  of  a  man  at  a  different  table  adjacent  to  theirs  .  staring  .  staring  because  of  rand's  temper  ,  rand  realized  .  but  only  DIMLY  .  his  nostrils  flared  .  he  struggled  to  force  a  long  ,  cold  breath  through  his  lungs  .  it  did  not  help  put  out  the  fire  .  it  still  burned  in  him  .  he  burned  .  ❝   wishing  won't  change  it  .  you'd  be  better  off  wishing  the  Dragon  was  never  born  .  ❞

               rand  froze  as  soon  as  the  words  were  out  of  his  mouth  .  surely  he  didn't  really  mean  that  .  but  rand  already  knew  .  eyes  shuttered  .  he  looked  towards  the  tea  still  mostly  untouched  in  his  hands  .  it  shimmered  at  him  .  mockingly  .  like  the  eyes  on  him  across  tables  and  through  crowds  .  like  the  bile  in  his  throat  ,  or  the  dull  ache  of  the  wound  in  his  side  .  REMINDING  HIM  .

           ABRUPTLY  ,  rand  stood  .  if  the  cup  spilled  tea  on  the  tablecloth  ,  he  paid  it  no  mind  .  he  needed  to  leave  ,  and  he  did  not  care  where  to  .

[mischiefmodig]

\ /. It was shocking though, the pieces that Rand gave him now fit together so seamlessly into place. There was only one being Loki thought of that he had read of in passing from his world. But this 'Dark One' did not seem to be a Dormammu. That being resided in it's dark dimension and only sought to consume into itself. What Rand spoke of was a force capable of reaching through all of reality. Which, Dormammu did only with those who welcomed him.

For what purpose? Perhaps out of a nature to simply destroy. Even if Loki did not know what Rand meant in his words, it was not difficult to create educated guesses based on that.

❝ I have no reason to lie about this, Rand. ❞ Loki offered in return, his voice quieting for the space around them. The darkened corner seemed to grow smaller around them at this topic. ❝ Regardless... if what you say is the truth then I understand why you spoke the way you did. ❞

With a thoughtful gaze, Loki turned away from him. His hand reaching for his mouth, rubbing his lips in quiet though and turning over this information. ❝ Though, that taint does not exist where I am from. ❞ He shakes his head. ❝ My mother taught me from a young age to see the particles that made up the world and bend them to my will. Some have more inclinations to the practice, but it is available to all to study the ways of Vanir magic. ❞ With any other, Loki would have created a demonstration. But he desired not to startled the man more than he already had.

❝ Surely there is a way to cure this taint. You say... there are two halves of your Power? Male, and I assume Female then. If they remain untouched by this, why should your men be made to suffer such cruelty? ❞ The questions came to him, a desire for understanding not merely for knowledge's sake. But for the man who sat before him, a mundane but innocent person who sought good things. Darkness would always chase and devour those who sought to cut its head.

[randrageon]

—  𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃  𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃  𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘  watch  loki  wearily  .  he  felt  tired  .  the  kind  of  tired  that  seeped  into  the  marrow  of  bones  and  weighed  them  down  so  every  step  ,  every  breath  ,  came  heavy  .  abruptly  ,  rand  nearly  barked  a  painful  laugh  .  it  scraped  at  his  throat  and  gurgled  out  ,  RASPING  ,  as  he  sighed  .  he  had  thought  that  loki  pretending  to  be  above  what  ‘they’  were  was  the  worst  of  what  could  come  from  him  .  i  was  wrong  .  this  is  worse  .  bone  weary  .  bone  crushingly  weary  .

            rand  shook  his  head  .❝  it  was  the  men  who  struck  at  the  Dark  One's  prison  in  Shayol  Ghul  .   ❞  everyone  knew  the  tale  of  the  Breaking  of  the  World  .  rand  was  surprised  by  how  calm  his  voice  sounded  .  ❝  the  Dragon  ,  and  the  One-Hundred  Companions  .  ❞   he  would  not  think  about  the  truth  that  ran  deeper  .❝  they  sealed  him  away  ,  but  the  Dark  One  struck  back  when  they  did  .  struck  at  saidin  .  ❞  he  would  not  think  about  it  .  he  would  not   .  ❝   then  they  all  .  .  .  ❞  rand  trailed  off  .  he  wanted  to  sick  up  every  meal  he  had  eaten  throughout  the  day  ,  and  was  uncomfortably  aware  of  the  uneven  bumps  and  ridges  of  the  herons  branded  into  his  palms  .

           ❝  —  anyway  ,  it  was  three-thousand  years  ago  now  ,  and  the  aes  sedai  could  only  distill  an  essence  of  saidin  at  the  eye  of  the  world  .  and  that's  gone  now  .  ❞  gone  because  rand  had  channeled  it  to  fight  aginor  and  balthamel  .  channeled  it  all  ,  to  save  the  men  in  tarwin's  gap  .  leaving  the  green  man  to  die  .  his  gardens  ,  destroyed  .  and  that  is  the  least  of  what  i  will  destroy  before  i  am  done  .  rand  shivered  .  he  would  NOT  think  about  it  .  ❝  so  ,  no  .  and  if  there  is  a  way  ,  no  one  has  found  it  .  .  ❞

[mischiefmodig]

\ / . It wasn't an apology, but it was what Loki had asked for. The flames simmered down in his chest. The way Rand spoke, the way he behaved, did not give Loki any reason to believe that Rand was not speaking the truth. There was something earnest, something that tugged, no, pulled Rand towards such vitriol before that was not there now. Loki suspected there was a bit of luck in the tea that Rand seemed unaware of.

Loki sighed slowly, his posture relaxing and fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. At the very least, Loki could take some relief in seeing Rand actually speak of these things to him. When before they had stormed off from an argument, here there may yet be a middle ground in which they could see each other again.

That was all Loki sought. Rand to him was someone of a similar mind, even despite his mortal behaviors.

❝ Rand. I do not know what this 'taint' is that you speak of, nor of this dark one either. ❞ Loki leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, allowing him to truly study the man who sat before him and allowing the snow to fall into his tulip cup.

❝ How curious. ❞ He paused, thinking back upon the extensive knowledge he has of his world's magic. The sorcery of the Vanir, of Midgard, and that of the cosmos had many differences, but none corrupted the user in the way Rand seemed to suggest.

❝ You mean to suggest that, where you are from, men who are capable of this... 'channeling' develop madness? ❞ The idea seemed far too cruel of a curse for even the stories of old. And suddenly, this story was one that Loki believed required further investigation on his part. ❝ I assume it is through use, or perhaps overuse of said abilities. ❞

[randrageon]

—  𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃  𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃  𝐍𝐎𝐓  𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏  but  to  stare  at  him  as  though  the  man  had  gone  and  grown  a  second  head  .  ❝  you  don't  know  who  the  Dark  One  is  ?  The  Father  of  Lies?  Destroyer  of  Hope  ?   — Shai'tan  ?   ❞  the  whole  world  seemed  a  little  colder  as  it  pressed  upon  rand  ,  saying  that  name  .  it  was  as  though  the  Dark  One's  eye  had  turned  upon  him  even  here  .  but  rand  would  not  flinch  from  the  cold  ,  even  if  it  was  the  Dark  One's  own  gaze  . 

         when  loki  affirmed  that  he  -  somehow  !  -  did  not  ,  only  then  did  rand  shift  uncomfortably  in  his  seat  .  what  was  a  world  that  did  not  know  of  the  Dark  One  imprisoned  ?  a  misguided  one  at  the  least  .  a  terribly  vulnerable  one  in  truth  .  rand  breathed  .  ❝  .  .  .  so  then  .  .  .  you  really  aren't  lying  .  ❞

            if  loki  did  not  know  the  names  of  the  Dark  One,  then  somehow  he  did  not  know  of  the  taint  on  saidin  either  ,  and  rand  would  have  to  take  his  word  for  that  in  full  .  loki  could  not  know  what  he  did  not  know  .  still  ,  it  all  pricked  at  him  ;  made  him  uneasy  .  all  the  while  ,  a  pit  settled  deep  inside  rand's  stomach  .  he  grappled  for  his  words  and  found  them  evasive  .  he  sat  for  a  moment  in  his  own  silence  ,  and  it  gnawed  at  him  .

           ❝  the  male  half  of  the  Power  has  been  tainted  by  the  Dark  One  ever  since  the  Breaking  .  ❞  rand  looked  up  ,  searching  for  recognition  .  finding  nothing  .  the  syllables  came  slowly  ,  and  felt  like  cotton  in  his  mouth  .   ❝  men  -  ❞  like  me  .  only  like  me  -  ❝  who  can  Channel  go  mad  from  it  eventually  .  ❞

[mischiefmodig]

\ / . The smirk quickly disappeared. Loki's eyes shifted across Rand's features, the hardness, the ferocity with which Rand spoke of this was truly unbelievable to Loki. He had his encounters with the most stubborn of stubborn men, but this one had a raging, wild river under the surface. That was how a chasm was formed. Even stone gives way to the never-ending stream, creating lines that would last for decades.

An eyebrow raised at Rand, followed by almost a look of concern upon the mutterings of the boy. But these were swallowed up by the question, which Loki was more than happy to educate accordingly.

❝ Of course, I take pride in it. ❞ He said, the casual air of Loki's tone became lost in the nature of the discussion. ❝ I have studied the art of sorcery for hundreds of years. I have earned my title as the greatest Sorcerer of Asgard for good reason. ❞

Loki paused, simmering the flame that had grown in his chest. He exhaled sharply through his nose, closing his eyes and leaning back in his chair, and brushing aside more of the snow that had piled upon his clothes.

❝ Whatever you consider to be this 'channeling,' my sorcery is not. And, if you can do the same, why do you scorn it so? So far as I see, you speak into a mirror, while insulting my honor in the same breath. ❞

[randrageon]

—  𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐒  𝐎𝐅  𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒  ?  rand  blinked  at  him  .  then  blinked  again  .  BLOOD  AND  ASHES  .  maybe  he  really  was  mad  .  loki  looked  no  older  than  five  years  older  than  him  at  best  .  or  maybe  he  really  doesn't  know  .  rand  turned  the  thought  over  in  his  mind  begrudgingly  .  the  Creator  did  not  stop  with  his  world  when  he  created  the  Age  Lace  .  rand  had  stepped  into  one  of  those  worlds  that  might  be  .  with  loial  and  hunin  .  it  seemed  that  the  Pattern  wove  some  of  those  worlds  together  ,  here  .  loial  had  said  that  ‘the  worlds  that  might  be’  could  be  worlds  where  things  had  gone  differently  .  maybe  loki  ,  and  lilith  ,  and  everyone  else  he  had  met  simply  were  not  woven  into  the  Pattern  at  the  same  time  as  —  .  .  .  .             maybe  there  had  not  yet  been  a  Breaking  .

            considering  that  thought  did  not  make  rand  feel  any  better  .  light  .  he  was  mad  for  coming  up  with  it  !

           ❝  i  don't  mean  to  insult  you  ,  loki  .  ❞  rand  said  quietly  ,  and  was  surprised  to  find  that  he  meant  it  .  ❝  burn  me  ,  but  i  don't  .   ❞  he  cleared  his  throat  and  glanced  at  the  other  tables  .  the  crowds  of  people  all  around  them  .  good  people  just  trying  to  have  a  nice  time  .  trying  to  enjoy  their  fool's  day  ,  or  bel  tine  .  whatever  they  wanted  to  call  it  .  all  of  them  could  be  in  danger  just  because  he  was  among  them  .  rand  shook  his  head  .  the  tea  inside  his  cup  trembled  .  ❝  maybe  i  am  a  light  -  forsaken  fool  for  that  .  maybe  .  i  don't  know  how  you've  managed  to  stave  it  off  -  the  dark  one's  taint  -  or  if  you  even  have  .  but  i  am  not  fool  enough  to  take  pride  in  what  i  am  ,  even  if  you  can  .  ❞

[mischiefmodig]

\ /. The corner of his mouth twitched. This sort of chatter was not Loki's forte. To him, a similar task would be to pull the teeth out of the skull that would not budge. With others, he did not have to speak so much. He could weave his words with perfect ease, and they would be understood.

However, with those such as Rand, Loki had not met long enough to decipher their unspoken language. And this one confused him more than he offered Loki clarity.

❝ Well... if I must explain. ❞ Loki coughed quietly, attempting to relax in his seat even though Rand's dismissal of the obvious chafed against his good intentions. No matter. He would chatter his teeth, he supposed.

❝ It seems to me that you, Rand, live in contradiction. ❞ He began slowly, his eyes searching his companion for any sign of needles or stone walls. ❝ I recall not so long ago that you... Well, very rudely dismissed my abilities. ❞

Loki rolled his shoulders, the anger flickering in his chest for just a moment as he remembered those words Rand spoke to him. Rand had treated him as some inferior beast for spells that Loki took pride in. That would not stand in his eyes. But Loki was capable of forgiveness, even if his wounds healed slowly.

❝ And yet... it would seem that you possess magic in you, do you not? I simply don't understand how you can say such things to me when you live as I do. Thus... ❞ Loki gestures, expectant, waiting for him to speak. ❝ An explanation. If you please. ❞

[randrageon]

—  𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃'𝐒  𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐒  𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃  into  a  thin  ,  straight  line  .  he  swallowed  blood  ,  and  his  knuckles  whitened  around  the  teacup  in  his  hands  .  he  speaks  like  a  viper  .  and  likely  could  strike  just  as  quickly  .  like  a  cairheinin  nobleman  indeed  .  but  rand  could  already  feel  the  words  loki  asked  for  all  but  bubbling  up  in  him  .

           ❝  you  are  a  man  who  can  Channel  ,  ❞  rand  said  stiffly  .  his  thoughts  briefly  flit  to  lilith  ,  who  hadn't  the  faintest  what  that  actually  meant  .  his  mouth  opened  ,  then  snapped  shut  again  .  he  had  to  know  .  here  loki  was  ,  some  few  years  older  than  him  at  best  .  ALIVE  .  and  at  least  not  a  lunatic  .  how  thoroughly  that  held  .  .  .  that  ,  rand  could  not  make  marks  of  .  well  ,  i  am  not  mad  yet  .  even  if  he  is  .  i  am  not  .

         ❝  what  i  do  not  understand  is  how  you  can  stand  to  be  so  proud  of  it  .  ❞

[zarathustra-would-be-proud]

[wot-tidbits]

That’s how you know Anakin was evil. He loved the slog.