ephemeral ━━ 𝘓. 𝘓𝘈𝘜𝘍𝘌𝘠𝘚𝘖𝘕 ✔

■ choose

"Sentiment," Loki mumbled, his fingertips tracing where Loraine kissed him.

But Loraine's gaze glued upon the Amulet on his other hand, gleaming green. She opened her mouth to reply but closed them again on a second thought. She couldn't say anything at all, as if an entire language had no words fit to describe what she felt now, as if what she wanted to say didn't exist in this realm---in this world. There was just heat blooming from her cheeks, her back draped cold, and her magic igniting beneath her veins from shame.

"You are weak," Loki started. "A mere kiss and you are already this vulnerable."

"Do you really think that?" She blinked. "A mere kiss---that was it?"

"A simple diversion to fool you."

And then out of the ordinary, she laughed. Loki furrowed both his eyebrows in question. She couldn't blame him for being this confused; If she were Loki, she would've stared dumbfound at herself too.

"Oh, prince." She stalked closer. "You lie and lie and lie, over and over again. Lies atop lies, burying everything undeneath, creating a wall made out of it as if it could protect you."

He smirked, "you only think I lied to save your ego."

"No," she waved a hand. "I know what you felt. I stared at your eyes and I knew you. It wasn't a diversion. You felt me just as much as I felt you." She stopped inches away from him again. Loki shoved the amulet behind him; a poor attempt in keeping it away from her.

"You kissed me because you wanted to," she continued. "But you couldn't face that fact, can't you? So you stole the Amulet, hoping it'd be your reason only: a diversion."

She could see Loki's jaw clenched.

"I'm right, aren't I?"

"No."

"Why?" She clenched her fists, magic licked her hands---green aura snaking out. "Why lie, Loki? Tell me. Why?"

"It was the truth." He walked away from her. "Believe what you want to believe Lady Loraine, but I---"

"It's just me!" Her tone shifted. Emerald sparks blinked out. "It's just you, and me, here alone, in this dungeons. In the dark. With these monsters. There's no one else here but us. No one to prove your strength---if that's what you call it. No one."

"Strength?"

"Yes. You think this---this feeling is weakness, don't you?"

"If I am feeling anything," he interjected. "Then yes, it is a weakness."

"No," she nudged his shoulders. "It may be fragile but it's bravery, Loki. You've been here before, you know exactly what I mea---"

"I've been here before, yes. And where did it leave her? Dead."

"It wasn't yout fault."

"Of course it was!" He spat.

"Loki," she whispered. "It wasn't. So stop it. For once, stop listening to yourself and hear me."

And his gaze hardened on her. "You think this is bravery? No. It's foolishness Loraine, that's all that is."

"Love is not foolish."

"It is if you are falling for the villain in the story," he retorted.

His words weighed on her. Did it really looked like that from the outside? Foolishness? From someone else's perspective?

Loraine inhaled deep, trying her best to calm down the magic inside her. "So you think I'm a fool for giving you a chance?"

"You are a fool the moment you thought you could save me."

"Then if believing in someone lost is foolishness, someone hurt and scared--- voiceless, then let me be a fool, Loki. Let me be."

"If you want me happy, you will give me my power." Loki demanded.

"If you want me to be your friend, you will give me the amulet." She shot back.

"Why would I need a friend?" He asked innocently. "Or a lover?"

Her cheeks flushed. "Oh, please," she scoffed. "I am not that dumb to put your power out in the open. Did you really think it's that easy to -" She stopped. Suddenly, the realization hit her.

How in the world did she forget about it?

She briskly turned her back on him and started fidgeting with her fingers. She clasped her neck feeling her temperature. Her hands flew over to her cheeks, touching them. She took a portion of her hair and examined it. She brought out her arms and saw she was still pale as ever.

Everything was fine... So why didn't it work?

Of course! Loki did say it was just a distraction. Loraine burst out laughing feeling reassured. She faced back at him and threw her arms up in the air. "Fine! Take it! You know what? I could have some time off of it. You want it right?"

He furrowed his eyebrows. "What in Valhalla are you talking about."

"Prince, seriously? You know, maybe your right, maybe I was stupid for kissing you back, but what would you do now that you have it?"

Loki crumpled his hand.

"Just hand them over." She sighed. "You don't even know what to do with it."

Loki was mainly irritated by the fact that this girl was all correct. Correct about judging him lying. Right about his emotion and the way he felt with Nathara. It was even true! Loki didn't know what he would do with it. So maybe, maybe he just had to hand them to her now. It was a choice.

"You know... You don't have to choose..." She said as if she finally managed to read his thoughts. "Either way, I will always be there for you, even if you make the wrong decisions, I am here to remind you of the paths you must and could take." She walked over to the bed, patted the sheets, sat there and waited for his reply.

He looked at her with a passive gaze.

Loraine rolled her eyes and shrug.

"But let's just say, I'm not your girlfriend."