nexus_crossings | who is the lamb and who is the knife?

Nexus regulars may have seen Deet here and there over the late Fall and the Winter. She's small and a little shy, but very distinctive, especially to human eyes. A girl with green-tinted skin, hair the color of undyed linen, wings like a dragonfly's, and less than two and a half feet tall. Most people assume she's a faery, and she doesn't mind that.

She's never seen without the sprouting wooden staff she carries, and the floor-length black feather cloak on her shoulders, both gifts from the Fallen Angels. They make her feel secure, particularly the cloak. Right now, she's crouched beside a pond, peering at a group of tadpoles milling in the water. Some have legs budding, and she's fascinated to watch this metamorphosis, slow but fast enough to be visible.

Around her, some of the cattails are tinted dark violet, a wash of purple energy that seems to surge and then recede again as the reeds quiver in the wind.

"When someone starts to change," she says, "they never know what they'll really look like when they've finished, do they?"

Sitting back on her heels, she tilts her head to watch the Darkening flux and retreat across the cattails. "And when someone has power, it's hard to decide what to do with it. If you thought there was even a small chance you could save your world from something terrible, what would you sacrifice for it? Would you become another person to do it?"

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Such a curious creature, yet one that asks quite a valid question. Shape shifting and changing into another form had been a skill perfected by Loki over the centuries. Perhaps, he could offer her some advice?

"That is a very curious question and one that has been asked amongst the centuries."

Loki's bright green eyes flickered with interest, as he gazed over her alien form. The staff she held caught his attention and wondered if she were a magic user. Never had he met such a wide range of beings within one place it seemed. Even Midgard, which was mostly filled with dull mortals, could not compete with this Nexus for variety. It was a welcome change to the dull and boring places Loki had visited and at the mention of using power to save a world, his breath hitched a little in his throat slightly.

"I have become many a different person over the centuries and have sought to use my power not just for my own gain but to influence others. A world can be saved if you have the right amount of power and are able to reign it in to your advantage."

Of course, Loki had used his powers mostly for his own gain, being the god of mischief. But if he had to save Asgard? He would use his power only if he suited him so, since he really had no true ties to his homeland. He was of the Jotunn and not as Asgardian.

She looks up (and up, and up) at the being approaching her. Her eyes are dark, but there's a subtle purple glimmer in them that matches the dark energy trickling in and out of the reeds around her. For all that though, she looks friendly enough, ears perking when he speaks.

"There's an emperor in my world," she explains with a thoughtful nod. "Who is doing terrible things to my people, to other creatures, and to the planet itself. There's no doubt he has to be stopped, but if I'm the one that has to do it..."

"I don't know. I'm afraid I might end up taking his place. Is it worth it, to become something you hate?"

He could not but help feel the corners of his mouth twitch into an amused smirk slightly when she looked up at him, since he was vastly taller than she. Her eyes though; they were something else and Loki found himself gazing into them as if seeking answers.

"If you must banish this emperor and take his place then you should do it. What comes of your people and your world is entirely in your hands. People should not think any different of you because you are not the Emperor. You are an individual and can carve out your fate as you see fit."

It was a question that had often played in the back of Loki's mind when he was ruler of Asgard for a brief time. Was he made out to be king? Of course not. Yet, the people treated him as one because it was expected. Whomever sat on the throne, whether it be king or emperor, should be treated as such.

"If you do take his place there is no reason why you shouldn't choose a different course of action since you are not him."

Her eyes are deep; the shimmer of violet might by hypnotic to a lesser being, but a god and a mage can likely withstand the power. That, and Loki might be able to sense that the energy with in her is almost like a kind of venom or toxin. It's not unnatural, but it's destructive in a quiet, insidious way. If fully unleashed, it could be very dangerous.

"He needs to be stopped," she agrees slowly. "And I...don't suppose I could do anything worse than what he's done."

Her brow creases, and she looks away. "You know, now that I think of it, I guess what I'm really afraid of is what I might lose. That's selfish, isn't it?"

Loki's brow knotted into a frown just trying to understand her predicament. It was not selfish to him, at least not in the capacity he knew in regards to losing something most dear. Many a time had he lost something due to events out of his hands and it had caused repercussions that morphed him into a man of anger and hate most of the time. Bitterness was a constant companion to Loki throughout his life mainly due to the fact that he had been the outcast and his feelings had only reflected that out of consequence.

"No, I do not believe you are selfish to think that. Losing something very dear to you because of another is a rather unnerving experience. I sympathise with you there."

If she could summon up the courage to defeat this man, then surely she would be triumphant in her cause. There was no point getting worked up over it if something could be done to sway the course of power into your direction. Her choices would reflect in that.

"I know not of your world but on mine I made some rather bad choices in the past. They came back to haunt me yet I learned from my mistakes. Even though it was painful and I often wanted to run away, I had to steel myself for the inevitable. You can chose the right path if you put your mind to it."

Loki often didn't even know what the right path was or if there was one at all. His life had been dominated by his older brother, overshadowing him and taking what was rightfully his in his own eyes. Perhaps, solace could be reached if he took more time to think about things before he acted upon his often selfish whims.

In Deet's eyes, he's being very kind. Later on, she may hear some of the negative aspects of his reputation and find them hard to believe. Her expression softens into a warm little smile. "Maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way around. I want to help my people, and I'm afraid I might lose control and put them in danger instead. I saw a vision of myself on the Emperor's throne. But prophecies don't know everything."

"Anything that hasn't happened yet can be altered."

"What's your name? I'm Deet. And my world is called Thra, but not many people here seem to have heard of it."

Even if she did come to hear about Loki's misdeeds, there was nothing he could do to change them. Some would even call him a tyrant for how he treated people back on Asgard, posing as their king. Then, there was the Chitari invasion, forcing mortals to their knees to subjugate them. Loki only did these things because he felt like he needed to because of how everyone and everything around him treated him.

He had to get revenge on something and Thor's mortal friends and planet seemed the best option.

As for Deet. It seemed she had to make a hard choice he once made for himself. Feeling hurt and betayed was not easy an Loki knew all too well how it felt to be outcast and bitter. The feelings were still there underneath the politeness and smiles. He was a hurting man but this Nexus seemed to be healing the wounds, albeit slowly.

"I am Loki, Prince of Asgard and God of Mischief."

"Hello, Prince Loki." 'God' is a word she's not quite sure she understands. The closest thing she can think of is the Fallen angels she's become friends with. She's not intimidated, but she's just as warm as before the introduction. "I'm just a nurloc-shepherd. I've only got the one name."

"But it's good to meet you. Thank you for the advice. I'm going to have to keep thinking, and planning, but it helps to hear I'm not wrong for thinking of going back to fight the Emperor."

"Have you been here long? I'd invite you to visit my cave sometime, but I think you're too tall to stand up in it." There's a little mischief in her grin then. It's funny to her, how much bigger everyone here is than she.

"Prince Loki?" Oh, she was precious indeed. How long had he heard his royal title be mentioned in front of his name? A long time indeed since most just called him Loki, or the God of Mischief. It did give his ego a good stroke and he found himself smiling down at the little big-eyed creature.

"I have been here over a month now, adapting how I can and trying to make sense of it all. My brother, Thor, also resides here. Have you met him? Big, blond brick of muscle. Often walks around with ravens sitting atop his shoulders."

Loki had begun to accept the whole raven situation but seeing his brother so different from how he saw him last still took some getting used to. At the invitation he cocked a curious eyebrow.

"Oh? You wish to invite me into your cave? Yes, I am rather tall but I think we might be able to fix that with a little bit of magic."

He closed his eyes and immediately the large form of the man became small and a little boy was now facing Deet, not much taller than herself. Loki as a child, still with his dark hair and piercing gaze. Yet, his voice was much more fitting for a boy around ten or eleven.

who is the lamb and who is the knife?

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