vivalavillain

[vivalavillain]

{I may not be able to watch the Pokémon Direct as it airs Tuesday and, as such, I will not be silently lurking on the app like I normally do until I can see it. I'm not asking you to tag spoilers (as I will be avoiding Tumblr just in case) but I am asking you not to message me-- directly or in my askbox-- about anything Direct related (for better or worse). I will make it apparent when I have seen it but I will do my best to tag any announcements in case my followers need me to.}

[vivalavillain]

Logan frowned. The drop in the other's tone surprised him and he took a reflexive step back. The guards which flanked behind him stepped forward in the same moment, hands on sword hilts just in case. There was something about the way the other spoke that caught the monarch off-guard and he would have opened his mouth to question it if not for the unexpected movement as Sparrow focused all his energies on shifting his form. The energy in the room cracked and sparked with Will, a sensation Logan was all too familiar with despite having been years since he'd felt it.

Again he found himself backing up, his men surging ahead to protect their king. There was no immediate threat per se-- or so they assumed, as their prisoner was still locked behind bars-- but he was clearly on edge-- moreso than usual-- and they would defend him to the end. There was distance between Logan and his captive now but even he felt the need to grip his sword hilt in hand for the comfort of knowing he could defend himself if it came down to it.

And yet still he was strangely drawn to Sparrow's words. He knew well the Hero of Bower Lake and no matter how intimidated the other might make him, he knew: this man was not that Hero. Stifling the instinctual fear this man's abhorrent appearance raised in him, Logan, folded his arms across his chest and looked down his nose at him.

"Now I know you're lying. The Hero of Bower Lake was my mother and you-- I don't know what you are, demon, but it's certainly not her."

Sparrow stilled. His mind wove pieces together, and yet he still missing something critical— that much he knew. He sighed long and heavy, his lips curling in distaste. Damn Theresa for not teaching him subtlety, and damn himself for not learning on his own.

He thought back to his arrival. To the difference in the gardens and the people. He may not understand the fashion of the nobles or higher classes, but Sparrow didn’t think that fashion could change entirely within a week. Shadows knew how long it took him to mend his coats, let alone sew an entire outfit.

And then there was the so-called Queen. If it weren't for Logan specifying Queen, he would have thought this to be his child, that somehow he had been cast into the future. But then again, Old Kingdom artefacts worked in ways the modern mind could not understand. So he took that knowledge, and he took Logan’s words, and he took Theresa’s prediction and took a chance. 

“I am surprised that you do not recognise me. The knowledge that was cast from the Spire upon my wish seemed to reach even the furthest corners of Albion.” Sparrow hardened his face, and he consciously chose to shift his body to appear more monstrous. He angled his head down ever so slightly, so that his horns were more prominent. He pulsed his Will, causing the scars to glow more brightly. He dropped his shoulders, broadening his chest, to appear more. Shadows preserve him, but he hated to use his appearance this way. It always left a bad taste in his mouth.

“So tell me, King,” he growled, “do you recognise the Hero of Bower Lake now?”

[vivalavillain]

Kilgrave watched as the young woman approached Shelby, clearly bristling over his interrupted time. He opened his mouth several times to interject, to hurry the woman along, but Shelby kept talking to her and carrying on a conversation. He rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest as he wandered off, staring at the display of the author's books along the shelves. He pulled out his own copy of the book and began reading the back of it, looking for a summary. He'd never actually read the bloody thing; he'd just wanted to see Shelby again and the opportunity to blend in with the crowd had been too much not to play in.

When finally-- finally-- the other woman left, Kilgrave returned to Shelby's side, bright eyed and chipper again. His frown returned just as quickly, though, as she made her bargain. He looked down at his copy of her book and rolled his eyes again.

"Fine, fine. You know, we could just ask someone else to clear all this up for us. You're a famous author and all that! You don't need to be cleaning up after your own event! Your not some small-town nobody, right?" Despite his words, he was already grabbing unsigned copies of the book off her table.

Shelby was quiet for a moment, thinking deeply. She was thinking about just leaving, when another young woman came quickly into the area of the bookshop, holding Shelby's new novel in her hands. She was breathing a bit hard, telling Shelby sorry that she was late and that she had a really bad day and had gotten laid off from work. Shelby only smiled at her softly and sighed the book she had, before handing that back to her and her business card.

"My email is there. I'll send you an email tonight or tomorrow for some information, dear." Shelby said gently.

She took a photo with the woman and gave her a quick hug before she left. Shelby cleared her throat afterwards and stood up, grabbing her cane. "I suppose a coffee wouldn't hurt," she said, turning her attention back to Kilgrave. "Help me pack up and I'll sign your book,"

"And it's just a coffee, nothing more." she said firmly.

[vivalavillain]

Mobius understood, as Loki knew he would, but it wasn't enough. How could one go and live a life without being bitter about the way it all turned out? They had been close-- so very close to one another-- so much so that their speech and mannerisms mirrored the other's. They worked in perfect sync without words needing to be exchanged. What else could you call it? And now, for all of that to be brought to a screeching halt like it didn't matter-- like they didn't matter?

"It's not fair of me to ask you to wait, Mobius." His words were bitter, but soft in tone. He wasn't angry at Mobius, only at the circumstances. It didn't matter that Loki would have done the same. It didn't matter that he'd have waited a thousand lifetimes of man just to see his friend again.

He smiled a little sadly as well, looking up to Mobius and walking across the distance between them. When he was close enough, he clapped the other man against him in a tight hug. He didn't know if it would help, he didn't know if it would do much of anything about expressing how he felt for the other, but-- selfishly, as was his wont even now-- he needed it. Had needed it from the moment he'd lain eyes on Mobius again after it all.

"I'm sorry."

It was the only thing he could think to say. His arms tightened slightly around Mobius, not tight enough to hurt. His eyes watered more aggressively now that he can feel the other's warmth against him and he choked back a heaving sob.

"Mobius, I'm so sorry. Can--" He forced a breath through tightening airways. "Can we just stay like this? For a minute? Just--" His voice dropped and he closed his eyes. "Just let time pass?"

·̣̇̇·̣̣̇̇·̇ ❉❯𝓜𝓸𝓫𝓲𝓾𝓼 𝓜 𝓜𝓸𝓫𝓲𝓾𝓼❮❉·̇·̣̇̇·̣̣̇̇·̇

Mobius was looking at him. He had tears in his eyes. ❝Even if I know this whole thing is bigger than what any of us want, I still think I can't move on Loki, there is no way to, I would have waited my whole life to see you again even if I never did. ❞ He had still been desperate to find a way to keep things safe with the multiverse and find a way for Loki to leave or even for him to join him. See thing was as big as all this was. Mobius still wanted to be by his side. Knowing he couldn't was tearing him up on the inside. His hair was already a sign at how lost he was, it was longer and messier.

❝ I know you can't undo it, that would be dooming everything else, our friends, other people. ❞ he smiled sadly. ❝ You are far from that selfish, I don't think anybody could call you that now. ❞ He was still proud at how much good Loki had done and how he had proved he was so much more. He just cried when he was pulled into a hug. He hadn't thought he would even get that. He knew as much as he wished for things to be different he knew Loki had done what was right.

The agent just smiled sadly. ❝ I know it wasn't for that, You have changed to much to want it for power or anything else.❞ He teared up again and tried to control it. He just wished somehow he could be by his side. But he knew that he wouldn't surive. It would kill him. Though in some ways he still felt like staying behind alone was killing him. To hear Loki say specifically that he couldn't bare to loose him, that made him emotional.

❝I Just wish there was a way to be at your side, I know it would kill me out there, ❞ he thought Loki deserved to be happy and not alone. He couldn't imagine the pain he felt being alone sitting there. The fact Loki had put aside everything even if it meant his own happiness just showed Mobius , that god was so much stronger than he was.

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[vivalavillain]

"That's better." Dusting himself off a bit, clearly disgusted by the brief contact between them, Kilgrave straightened his tie. As the werewolf yelped, whinging about this or that, he stared at him. Adrenaline ran through his veins as he watched the whimpering display, making his blood sing with the power of it.

"Oh, I know you aren't going to tell anyone about this, little boy. Not because of some inane promise you've made out of the goodness of your own heart, but because if you do tell anyone-- if I so much as hear a whisper of your name on anyone else's lips-- I'll find you. I think by now you've figured out the game here. Tell me what I'll do if I have to find you again, Caspian. Tell me what's the worst thing I could do to you if you broke that promise."

Caspian had to say it. He was a coward, he was scared, and for once being brave seemed to not be in his mind. The werewolf yelped. " I do not want to fight you, i am too scared." he said. Caspian did not have a backbone. He was too timid, too friendly to even transform into a wolf. He was just looking at the other man who let go of him. His heart thumped. He looked at the other man.

Those words did not seem to be of his own. Caspian titled his head before looking down. " Mr. Killgrave I promise not to tell anyone about this encounter." If he made a promise, he will promise it even if it's from a dangerous person. He did not want to step into hot water anymore.

[vivalavillain]

tell me about xanatos's relationship dynamics with qui-gon and obi-wan!

{For Qui-Gon, Xanatos harbors a lot of ill-will and hatred towards his old Master. He blames the man for taking him from his father at a young age, for restricting him from being himself as he was growing up, and for murdering his father when they were sent to Telos to act as peacekeepers. Now, mind you, none of this exactly the truth or how exactly it happened but, as a certain Jedi Master was fond of saying, it's the truth from a certain point of view. Xanatos has twisted the events of his life in his mind in order to paint Qui-Gon as the villain responsible for every bad thing he's suffered and has twisted the genuinely good things Qui-Gon did for him as stifling, overbearing, and manipulative.

{As such, he desperately wants to see Qui-Gon suffer in as many and creative ways as he can muster, but specifically at his hand. He wants Qui-Gon to feel powerless to stop him from hurting other people, to feel torn between doing what's "right" and doing what's most self-preserving. He does want Qui-Gon to die, of course, but eventually. Making Qui-Gon suffer is far too fun to let it end so quickly, no matter how much he believes the man deserves it.

{Obi-wan, on the other hand, he wants to corrupt rather than kill. He views Obi-wan as a naive little brother who just needs to see the truly awful, wicked ways of their shared parent. Xanatos fell because Qui-Gon failed him but it was the most freeing moment of his life and he wants that for Obi-wan more than anything. He believes Obi-wan is just like him and he wants to help the boy remove that mask of purity and piety and just let go, be free, become his true self.

{Their relationship is very much The Mistress versus the Twelfth Doctor.}

[vivalavillain]

song that reminds me of Loki! - neptune by sleeping at last!

Neptune - Sleeping at Last

{I did not ask to be forced to feel things, Allie. I'm adding this to a very different playlist than the last few but it's still going 'on my wall' so to speak.}

[vivalavillain]

songs that remind me of Loki:

either “Fleabag” - YUNGBLUD

or “Can You Feel My Heart” - BMTH

Fleabag - YUNGBLUD

Can you Feel My Heart - BMTH

{Oh these are blessedly perfect. More music I'm unfamiliar with but the 'vibes' fit his character very well! Thank you for introducing me to these!}

[vivalavillain]

For Archer, I'm assigning 'Friends In Low Places' by Worthikids. I'm also going to suggest 'Hunt You Down' by The Hit House for the general vibe of your muse list.

Friends in Low Places - Worthikids

Hunt You Down - The Hit House, featuring Ruby Friedman

{My, my, my. Those were a delight to listen to and I think I have a pair of new musical interests to pursue. I can honestly say I've never heard of either of these but they are perfect. Thank you for sharing these!}

[vivalavillain]

"You have my word, your Majesties, I will do my utmost to keep your daughter safe. If the Confederacy is after her, they'd never dream of looking for her in the Telos system. She'll be perfectly safe, well-kept, and happy."

Xanatos sat across the table from his royal hosts, each donning a look of concern. The elder, Opalis's king, shared a look with his wife before returning to look at his guest.

"And all you ask in return is for... mining rights? Nothing else?"

The dark Jedi tsk'ed slightly in disappointment, but offered a reassuring smile.

"The honor of hosting the Princess Estrella in my home-- even in secret-- is more than payment enough. However... the considerable harm it would put my people in should she ever be discovered is certainly worth mentioning. My intel has told me that Opalis has naturally occurring lommite veins running through the cave systems on one of its moons as well as in the southern most continent. If you'd permit me the exclusive rights to mine the ore and keep whatever else I might find there, it would make our arrangement more than worthwhile. It would permit me the opportunity to keep my people safe by providing the funds we need for weapons, food, and medical supplies, as well as paying to keep our army well-prepared for any possible eventuality."

Turning his attention to the woman in question, he smiled a little brighter and gestured toward her.

"My lady, what say you of this arrangement? Your life is in danger here but on Telos IV, you'd be cared for and your identity kept hidden as my guest. I would hate to make this deal with your mother and father and not allow you to make your own decision. If there's anything I can do to make you feel more at ease, please don't hesitate to ask."

{@opaliscoeur for our plotted starter.}

[vivalavillain]

Xanatos stared skeptically at his former Master, surprise written across his features. He hadn't expected such words out of Qui-Gon and it showed. For a moment, he was utterly baffled by what to say in response. When he finally found the words, he couldn't help a short laugh of delight surprise.

"Is that so?" Xanatos's hands rested in fists against his hips and he strolled leisurely in a circle around Qui-Gon. Steely blue eyes never once left the other's form, staring him down with the same intensity of the other's. A smile slowly breaks out across his face and he strokes chin in thought. "If you're so certain I'm not going to hurt you, my old Master, then why, pray tell, did you bring your lightsaber?"

@vivalavillain liked this for a lil starter using this random dialogue generator (for Xan!)

"I know you're dangerous, but I also know you won't hurt me." It's a risk, he knows, but Qui-Gon was confident in this. He had to be. Regardless, his demeanor remained calm - unphased, some may have viewed it...but his eyes were on the other like a hawk. Watching, and noting every little move.

[vivalavillain]

He barked a laugh at the question, at the conviction in Obi-wan's voice. He was ever so easy to peg, so easy to rile up. After all, what had he really done? Drawn him out to this planet with nothing more than a threat to something Obi-wan cared for? Lured him away from the city center and into this 'empty warehouse? Empty, that is, save for them and the workers Xanatos has poisoned before Obi-wan's arrival.

"Me?" He pressed a hand to his chest in a mockery of surprise and hurt. "Why, Obi-wan, what you must think of me to imply such a thing! I'm as surprised as you are. What should we do? Should we run and tell the local constabulary? Call the Order? Hunt down the deranged criminal responsible for this tragedy ourselves? What does a Jedi do?"

@vivalavillain liked this for a lil starter using this random dialogue generator (for Xan!)

"Was it you? Did you do all this?" deep blue eyes were wide, a mix of concern and surprise coloring his tone as Obi-Wan looked around them in. His grip tightened on his lightsaber, hidden in his Jedi robes.

[vivalavillain]

His jaw shifted tightly in his mouth at her outburst, but he tried to be patient. She was shocked-- of course she was. One needn't even look at her to know what she was feeling. He had, after all, just dropped the truth of her father's betrayal at her feet. For her to react this was was natural, expected even. And it took every ounce of his willpower not to sigh in deep satisfaction as she ate from the palm of his hand.

"I'm sorry, Nil-Rae. It wasn't my intention to lie to you. But if I hadn't, I..." He huffed, looking away from her. Standing from his place at the holocast station, he walked past her, trying to give her some space.

"The truth is, I didn't go to Felucia to find you. I didn't go there to train you. The fact is, I didn't even know you existed until I arrived there. I had gone there because intel I received told me Qui-Gon had a lover there and I--" Swallowing thickly, his voice dropped and he turned back to face her, trying to appear as a man struggling with his emotions. "I wanted to hurt him, Nil-Rae. I was so... so angry at his betrayal, at the way the Order hid and protected him. I just wanted something to use to get back at him. I wasn't going to hurt her, I promise you, but I thought... if I just took her, kept her here, he'd come."

He shook his head, burying his face in his palm. He sighed audibly until, at last, he looked up at her, blue eyes meeting blue eyes as steadily as he dared.

"I didn't expect to find you. I recognized you almost immediately. Your Force signature was the same as his and your eyes... your cheekbones... the way your brow furrows when you're concentrating. I knew who you belonged to without ever needing to know your story. And when I realized that? When I realized that you were just like me? Someone who grew up admiring and loving and trying to be the best for him? Only to be abandoned and betrayed by his love for the Jedi? I knew I had to take you. To keep you safe from the chance that he might do to you what he'd done to me."

Striding forward, he took her hands in his and squeezed them firmly. He looked down at them, then back up at her.

"I'm sorry. I never meant for you to find out like this but... Nil-Rae, you are ready. Ready to go out there and do whatever you want, be whomever you want. And I can't bear the thought that you might be hurt by a man who never cared to know you existed."

"You lied to me?!"

Nil-Rae's heart thumped in her chest as she looked at him, the man she'd come to know as mentor, Master, and friend. The truth he'd revealed had struck her like a blaster bolt to the chest, shaking her very foundation with its power. Her eyes had darted this way and that, searching the floor as though it might answer her. Tears had burned in her eyes before his words had fully registered and they raced down her face before she could blink them away.

Her hands shook at her sides as they curled into fists and she clenched them tightly, forcing them to cross over her chest as she tried to stop their trembles. Breathing was difficult as her chest rose and fell beneath her and she could hear the heaving exchanges in her ears. She tried to process what he'd just said, her mind whirring with thoughts, all jumbled and resembling a fraying knot rather than a single, strong strand. She didn't know what to say or think as she unraveled faster and faster. At last, at long last, she managed to form words, spitting his deceit back in his face.

"You told me... you promised me! You brought me here to get me ready to join the Order! And now you saddle me with this? What did you hope to achieve? Why did you even train me if this was the truth all along?"

(@vivalavillain liked for a starter!)

[vivalavillain]

The bitterness in Jane's words didn't go unnoticed and he wondered if perhaps he wasn't the only one with... complicated feelings towards his brother. He made a mental note of it, reminding himself to perhaps bring it up at a better, more appropriate time. If ever there came to be one, of course. He had no idea how Jane felt about him after all these years and his apparent death at the hands of the Mad Titan. For all he knew, lingering moments where they confessed their true feelings about something to one another would be entirely too awkward or uncomfortable for either of them and would never present themselves. Still, he didn't want to let such a sentiment pass unexplored if he could. Curiosity may have killed the cat but, apparently, it could also bring him back.

"You aren't wrong about that. Any of it, really. I've lived through enough chaos-- both my own and that of another's-- to know that calm is worth more than one might give it credit for. Are things calm, Jane? For you, I mean. I can't imagine taking up my brother's mantle to be anything like calm but perhaps I'm wrong."

A smile tugged at his mouth at her question and he shook his head.

"I was looking for Thor. He--" His brows furrowed briefly. "He doesn't know I'm... well, alive seems a strange way of putting it. But you get the idea." He looked down a moment, fiddling with his fingertips. "I owe him a hug."

Jane smiled, a blend of amusement and understanding in her eyes. "Thor does have a knack for making an entrance, or an exit, depending on the situation. The unpredictability is part of the charm, I suppose."

Her gaze shifted, and a subtle weariness crossed her features, hidden behind a veil of resilience. She could see the way he looked at her and immediately plastered a new smile on her face. Everything is fine, I am fine.

"If life has taught me anything, it's to appreciate the moments when things are calm," she added, a softness touching her voice. "What brings the god of mischief back to this realm? Any particular mischief you're planning, or are you here merely for a stroll down Midgardian memory lane?"

[vivalavillain]

Loki shook his head and his hands shot out to grasp Jane's, holding them firmly in his own. He donned his best supportive, encouraging expression despite the way his words made his stomach turn with how cheesy and uplifting they were about to be.

"Don't fret, Jane. I'm sure Thor is fine! If anyone could survive that onslaught, it would be him! He's waiting for you-- for us-- right now. We'll get to him, some day. I promise. With your knowledge of astrophysics and my coordinates and ties to Asgard, we'll get there, even if it means going the long way 'round."

The waitress finally returned with the glass of water and Loki straightened in his seat and took the glass as it was set down on the table between them. Gulping it down like a man dying, he paid no heed to the way it dripped down his chin. Gasping as he put the now-empty glass down, he heaved several breaths before looking back up at Jane.

"Er--" Clearing his throat some, he wiped his fingers down his chin to clean himself off a bit before continuing. "Baldr. You can call me Baldr. I'm... a member of Odin's house."

Jane's eyes widened with a mix of surprise and concern as she took in the stranger's words. Her gaze lingered on the vivid blue of his eyes, a color that should have been familiar, but something felt off. Her mind raced, contemplating the potential consequences and the urgency of the situation. The stranger's presence brought a wave of uncertainty, but if Thor had sent him, there had to be a reason.

Jane's hands trembled slightly as she struggled to process the shocking revelation about Thor. Her heart raced with a mix of disbelief and grief. "No... No this can't be happening. Thor can't be... he can't be gone," she whispered, almost to herself.

Taking a deep breath, she looked at the stranger with determination in her eyes. "What's your name? Tell me everything you know. If there's a chance that Thor is alive, I need to know. I'll do whatever it takes to help." Her voice held a mix of desperation and resolve, fueled by the hope that she could somehow change the grim fate of the man she loved.

[vivalavillain]

"Wha-- me?" He pressed his hand against his chest for emphasis. "Hypnotic powers? I'm sure you're mistaken! I would never do something that insidious. I found you all my own! I mean, look. Right there."

He pointed to the back of one of the many signs in the windows of the book shop. "It says, 'Come meet New York Times' Best-selling Author Shelby O'viere. Hardly even need my, ah, special powers to find that out, now do I?"

He grinned cheekily, pressing the heels of his palms against the table where she sat. Brown eyes met hers and held them, unwavering, for a long moment before looking around. He tilted his head slightly when he looked back, mischief dancing in his gaze.

"Looks like I'm the last one here, too! How lucky for me that we have no one else to interrupt us. So I'm sure you could stand to spare a few minutes with a big fan like me, eh? I know there's a coffee shop inside the bookstore. Just that way. We could... oh, I dunno, grab a cup?"

Shelby mentally groaned.

Granted, it had been a while, almost a year since they had last encountered each other, but Shelby would never be able to forget Kilgrave's face. Especially not with the pompous attitude. She still remembered the first time they met, how awful he had been, and she even vividly remembered when her palm had slapped him across the face.

God, that had been so satisfying.

But now, she didn't have violence towards him. Mostly just some irritation. She had a feeling he was going to occupy her attention the rest of the day.

"I'm not necessarily a starving artist," Shelby said, shaking her head, holding out her hand for the book that he had. "You, of all people, should know better than that. Through the grapevine, huh? Something tells me you used those hypnotic powers of yours to find me."

[vivalavillain]

send me a song that reminds you of my muse!!