X-23 (
cutting_edgex23) wrote2017-06-10 06:26 pm
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Lakes and skiffs
X is outside, seated cross-legged on a rock by the lake.
She is very still, breathing in, then out, then in again, and watching everything.
It is not meditation. But it is still nice.
She is very still, breathing in, then out, then in again, and watching everything.
It is not meditation. But it is still nice.
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"Of course it is. Knowing when you do and don't have to be patient is an even more useful skill. But, as I said--your wish is my command, Lady X."
It's a very scenic bit of mountaintop.
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She is just saying.
So scenic. Very wow.
"We can go from the garage. When we get back."
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There's not much venom in it, though. He swings them in a little closer to look at another possible cave opening, and then begins a descent. "--Is there anywhere else I can keep this?"
He doesn't want to give it back.
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"You are not very good at recognizing teasing."
She reaches over to pat his shoulder once. Carefully.
"That is okay."
Beat.
"You can keep it on the lake. I will ask the squid not to bother it."
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He should probably say something prickly and unkind now, to shake off the unfamiliar feeling of something like offered friendship, but he just turns his attention back to his flight. "The squid," he asks after another pause.
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She shifts her own attention to the stones and crags ahead of them, maybe looking to see if Nepeta is around, or other Milliways' patrons. Or maybe some mythic monsters. It takes all kinds!
A few seconds later she looks back to Loki again, as if realizing he was sort of asking a question. Ish.
"The giant squid. Yes. Sunshine Dust and Mr. Julia Fruitnugget. They like to investigate things. It is better to ask them to leave things alone in advance. People are okay."
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"--How giant is giant?" He's seen some very large water creatures in his time. Definitely things that could swallow down a skiff in one gulp.
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X can be certain of that, considering she was eyeball to entire body with it at one point. Somewhere else.
"Bigger than the skiff. But not as big as three."
Ish.
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Now they're descending in earnest: there's a gully, clear of trees, and he swoops the skiff down it before pulling up again to skim over the wooded approach to the lake. "So how did you get to Earth just now? And how do you know it was the Earth of my universe?"
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And once they're nearer the lake again --
"Some universes exist side-by-side. Or within each other. We can cross to one, between atoms. And then come out again."
She shrugs, one-shouldered and quick.
"I do not know Eternity. But we do. It is what we protect."
And, you know. Who.
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(He doesn't believe in all-seeing, or all-anything. All-seeing Heimdall can't see him, and All-father Odin, well. Not Loki's father.)
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This is perhaps not as helpful as X might think, but oh well.
"They protect Eternity, which is existence. The universe. We are Captain Universe. I am X. Sometimes one of us is enough. To help. Sometimes both is necessary."
A pause.
"They do not know everything. But they have been to many places, in many universes, and worked with many people to help keep existence safe. They remember. When they are here, we know many things. I remember, too, but not as much. "
Carefully X takes the glove off of her right hand, showing the golden star-shaped scar on her palm. (There are also cross-hatched scars all along her forearm. They are old.)
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Loki doesn't believe in humbling.
He studies the scars without expression. "And how did X come to be allied with the Enigma Force?"
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Beat.
"I have a healing factor. It helped. And then there was the Whirldemon King to stop. Later."
She pauses, looking for the right words.
"We are alike, but not the same. In what we want to do. And why. They call me little avatar. Or little star. And it is different for us. Than it is for the other people that become Captain Universe. For a little while."
X and the Enigma Force are not so limited by one reality, for one. One unique multiverse, yes, but not one universe entire.
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Loki turns away from his inspection, and busies himself with landing the skiff, bringing it to a stop in a sheltered part of the shore. X probably wouldn't like any of the thoughts in his head just now and he wants to give himself something else to look at. "What do you consider to be your jurisdiction? What great needs call this force into service? Besides--heh--winning races with Loki of Asgard."
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Beat.
"The problem with need. As a definition. Is that it is relative. And I am sentient. So are they. We choose."
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"Here. Your palm-print is important."
And, after several moments of reflection --
"I do not have moods."
Sometimes it makes other people despair.
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And looks over at X sideways. "I expect I could provoke a mood in you."
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X looks back at him, straight-on.
"Moriarty cannot. You can try."
Beat.
"It will probably be very frustrating. For you."
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bring it, x
"Well. Here we are. Do you need a hand ashore?" (He knows she doesn't.)
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"I do not think practice will be enough."
X reaches out to pat Loki's shoulder again, then uses that same shoulder to launch herself over the edge of the skiff and into freefall.
(It's not that long a drop.)
"Thank you."
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It has indeed been a pleasure! And informative. That too.
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Then --
"Now is good. You said you wanted to see how we travel."
Her eyes flicker with stars again as she reaches out to take Loki's hand.
And then they're gone. Well, then they're tiny, and stepping through a portal to another universe that can only be found when you're the dimension of an atom.
(Or smaller.)
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Loki has a keen appreciation of the power of travel. The root (and trunk and every little branch) of Asgard's power comes from Yggdrasil: Asgard can send its king, its warriors, across the realms in the blink of an eye. Without that, what are they? And Loki can take paths no one knows and no one sees: without that, what is he?
So he's watching this very attentively.
And keeping his questions to himself, because he's probably roused X's suspicions enough already. But yes, yesss, it makes sense that at this scale you can find paths.
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