Our Underlying Darkness

Why Help?

Kiora did not return to her cabin until well into the night. She ended up finishing her initial goal- chopping up firewood- and enters with a bundle in her hands.

Walking into the living room, she finds not Loki, but a little black cat cuddled up on the sofa. Its eyes are dazed, distant, and the same alluring green. Kiora clears her throat and the cat jumps. In a green mist, Loki quickly transforms back to his human form. His cheeks flush and his tongue moves swiftly to explain.

"It's just that it was cold and that form, in that form, the fur keeps me warmer so..."

Kiora nods slowly, trying to hold back a smile. She lifts her arms, showing the wood. "Hopefully this will help."

The woman gets a fire going while Loki stares. He was upset that she invaded his mind, but at the same time, he can't help but feel relieved. Someone knows.

Kiora finishes up the fire. The delicate little singes capture her attention, she likes to watch the way the wood surrenders to the flames.

"I'm sorry."

Kiora jumps in surprise and turns around. Loki's looking at his hands. Trying to break the tension she gives him her signature grin.

"Aren't I the one that should be apologizing?"

Loki ignores her. "I know," he takes a breathe, "I know what it's like to be called a monster."

Kiora smiles earnestly and walks over to the man. She puts an arm on his shoulder. Slowly, Loki looks up.

"You are not a monster Loki. The people who did this" the arm on Loki's shoulder goes up to trace a scar on his jaw, "are". She saw how he got it in one of the visions.

Loki's eyes widen. He looks at her, really looks at her for the first time. He has no idea who this woman is. His eyes run over her dark-as-night hair and brilliant Persian white eyes. Her olive complexion elicits her full rosy lips. She's shorter than he, still, he feels so small in her presence.

Kiora goes to back away but Loki grabs her hand. He reaches out to run a finger over a scar that runs from just above her left eye, across her nose, to the corner of her upper lip. She shudders and looks down.

"And the people who did this? Are they monsters too?"

Suddenly feeling nervous, Kiora lets out a breathy laugh before she answers.

"It doesn't matter."

Loki's eyebrows scrunch, he can see how much this bothers her.

"Why not?"

Kiora looks up, and her grin returns.

"Because they're dead."

Loki swallows hard.

"Relax kid, I'm not gonna hurt you... anymore."

The god rolls his eyes.

You do know I'm thousands of years older than you right?"

"Funny," Kiora gives a sly smile, "you don't act like it."

This time Loki doesn't stand and scowl or retort with a crude insult, he's starting to realize that he quite likes this woman. So instead he stays seated, narrows his eyes, and asks, "What's your name?"

For the first time in a long time, the woman smiles because she's happy.

"Kiora."

---

Kiora was elated to get to bed that night. After leaving Loki to sleep on the couch in the living room, Kiora inelegantly swan-dived onto her small twin bed. After such a long day, she expected her exhaustion to send her into a blissful rest. She was wrong.