chrysalism. n.
the amniotic tranquility of being indoors during a thunderstorm, listening to waves of rain pattering against the roof like an argument upstairs, whose muffled words are unintelligible but whose crackling release of built-up tension...
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New York, New York. July 2nd, 2017. Common Library. 3:45 PM.
"How did it go?" Loki asked as he scanned the young woman walking up to him.
"It's still weak, but I finally heard him. It gave him a headache though," Malone huffed and frowned. She dumped her books and pens onto the table and sat across from Loki.
"He got a headache because you forced yourself inside his head," he grinned, "you have to sneak in." Malone sighed and looked down at her books, hearing a small static noise as she took her eyes off Loki. "You have to be quiet, and slick. Mischievous."
"What's your secret?" She rested her head on her hand.
"Attachment. Lack thereof, actually," Loki chuckled. "Once you have these powers, you must cut all emotional ties. You will live longer than everybody you know, you'll travel through time and space, leaving everything behind. Your life will be that of Midgardian fairytales, darling," he smirked at her. She rolled her eyes and turned to face the man behind her, who froze. "You're not supposed to be able to see me," the real Loki whispered.
"I have all the same abilities that you do," she grinned, "could you hide from your mother?" Malone stood to approach him. He stepped back into a defensive stance, fingers glowing green.
"Don't talk about my mother," he snarled. Malone sighed and returned to her books on the table.
"Then treat me as your equal," she huffed.
"You're Midgardian, no match for a God, like myself," Loki chuckled.
"Then why did you choose me?"
"Because you were vulnerable, easy. And I knew Thor wouldn't be able to harm you."
"He's afraid to hurt you, too," Malone snapped. "He's your brother. Your forever teammate."
"You actually share blood with your brothers, don't you?" Loki smirked. Malone nodded slowly, removing her reading glasses from her face and sliding them on top of her head. "So you don't understand what it's like to be lied to."
"Blood doesn't make family, Loki," she sighed, reaching across the table with her hand out. He glanced between her hand and her eyes, confused. "Just give me your hand," she huffed. He carefully raised his hand from under the table and rested it in hers. "Family is about who shows up for you, not who you share blood with. Thor never walks away from you, no matter what you do. He keeps coming back, why do you think that is?"
"He finds entertainment in me playing the damsel in distress."
"No, ugh-," she pulled her hand away from him and ran it through her hair. "For fuck's sake, Loki. What's your problem with Thor? He didn't lie to you, Odin did. And even so, Odin raised you the same way he raised Thor. He didn't want you to feel different. I mean, Jesus, he wanted you to be happy! He may have been a shit dad, but he tried."
