maskormenacelogs | Trickster's Shadow

WHO: Loki, OTA
WHERE: Various
WHEN: 20th - 25th October for the shadow plot and then onward
WHAT: Shadow!Loki is around and will be a quiet, creepy kid looking for friends, hugs and acceptance
WARNINGS: Violence; Creepy shadow!kid is being creepy and will be stabbed and killed in closed prompt. No blood, no gore, but some trauma all around.

1 - Meet the quiet kid [ OTA - Nonah || 20th - 25th October ]

Throughout this week, people visiting or residing in Nonah may encounter a boy, roughly at the age of six with black hair and blood red eyes. The boy doesn't speak and seems to appear out of nowhere, wordlessly walking up to strangers and look at them with something akin to tentative expectation.

At times he will extend a hand to them, other times even both arms in a quiet plea to be held. He may even take hold of a stranger's pant leg, sleeve or the edge of their coat.

This little boy is the shadow of Loki, born out of deeply set doubts and denial and manifested when the fog appeared. When the shadow is around, Loki isn't far, though he may keep himself out of sight in hopes of landing a successful ambush on this entity he can't fully make sense of.

The one thing Loki knows, is that the shadow has to be destroyed.

2 - This wasn't a great idea after all [ OTA - various || 27th October onward ]

After having managed to destroy his shadow, Loki has permitted himself a day to rest. Oddly enough he still feels as if he is the one who has gotten stabbed in the back, though he berates himself upon his own foolishness. The past week has simply been a little too busy for his liking.

But now matters on this terrible planet can return to normal, also for this Asgardian.

Or can they?

It appears that destroying a not entirely unimportant part of yourself can leave a being in a little bit of an imbalance. Even more so if said part is that bit of them that seeks such trivial things like companionship, acceptance or love. Loki himself may be oblivious to that detail, though it may be obvious that something is amiss with the Asgardian.

For one, he does not bother with human clothes any longer and much rather wanders the streets in full Asgardian armor, horned helmet and everything. People standing in his way are roughly being shoved aside or even into nearby walls. He is particularly easy to aggravate and quick to threaten anyone giving him an odd look.

One may want to make sure to watch out for those throwing knives too, for those can quickly become deadly in his hands.

3 - Shadow Destruction [ closed to Jane Foster - Nonah || 25th October ]

This has been going on for too long now. Days. DAYS he has been chasing this horrid creature around and it just keeps escaping him - Even getting him into trouble while avoiding his attempts at getting close enough to end this miserable existence.

The sun is already setting and few people are left outside, so Loki figures that his shadow may not make another appearance this very day.

But then he spots him - And he spots her! The scientist. Jane Foster. And his dreadful little shadow is walking right up to her. Right. Because he needs that to happen.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Carol doesn't really understand everything Loki's saying. The boy is a part of him? Does not compute.

All she knows is that Loki's approaching with a dagger and the boy is terrified as hell. She stands squarely between Loki and the boy, her hands balled into fists as she lights up with glowing energy.

"Don't make me blast you again."

Seeing the energy, Loki instantly stops any further approach, instead grimaces slightly as his eyes drop to those glowing fists.

Oh. He remembers that previous punch. It still hurts in places even though he doesn't openly show it.

And yet, while Loki appears to contemplate his options, the Asgardian has already picked his choice. Leaving a projection of himself in place he turns himself invisible and proceeds to slowly and very carefully walk around Carol, giving the woman a wide berth. If he can manage to get close enough to his shadow, this will be over.

Though he might have to put up with being blasted into another wall.

It's the illusion that speaks now. A distraction for Carol, obviously. The projected Loki raises his attention back to her, frowning slightly but at least trying to keep his aggravation in check now "I would prefer to avoid that. But this-" the illusion points its dagger at the child "It might just as well be dangerous. Can't you see that?"

There's still a lot Carol doesn't know about Loki. If she knew more about him, she might suspect some sort of illusion trickery. But as it is, she falls for it completely, keeping her attention focused on the man in front of her. She takes a step back, to stand closer to the boy, but doesn't release the gathered up energy around her fists.

"He's a little kid. What threat could he pose to you?"

The projected Loki narrows his eyes "Knowledge, Carol." He says, matter-of-factly. The dagger the illusion holds is tossed into the air once and caught in a casual looking motion.

"He may not share what he knows now, but should he find a way to communicate..." The words trail off and the Asgardian snarls slightly "I will destroy him before that happens!"

Abruptly, the false Loki raises his arm and throws his false dagger, aimed directly at the child even with Carol standing in the way. The actual, still hidden Loki has crept close enough and is ready to pounce the moment the woman will make her move to react to the attack. But while his eyes are entirely on Carol, his shadow appears to have noticed him and is now staring right at his veiled adult counterpart, fear in his eyes and his hand reaching to tug on Carol's pant leg.

"You're afraid he'll tell everyone that you wet the bed when you were younger?" She grits her teeth, firing a well-aimed photon blast to knock the dagger off course-- which flies straight through the dagger as though it was made of thin air.

Before Carol has time to react, she feels a tug on her pant leg, and whirls around to the little boy. She still can't see what it is he's looking at, but it's clear from his expression there's another threat behind her. Without thinking, she scoops him up in her arms again and takes off, hovering twenty feet off the ground, holding onto the boy protectively.

"I'm not going to stand here and let you kill a kid, Loki. Even if that kid is a part of yourself. You have to see how sick that is."

Carol firing at the false dagger is Loki's clue to charge - And he even almost manages to cover the distance between himself and his shadow, but ultimately lunges at thin air himself as Carol is faster and takes herself as well as the child out of Loki's reach.

He reappears just underneath her, looking up and seething as his projection vanishes not far away from him.

"That's not for you to decide!" He shouts upwards, now pacing in an irritated fashion. Unlike her, Loki can't fly or even levitate. He is just as bound to the ground as he has always been.

Pointing up at the boy, Loki nearly spits "What's sickening is that THIS even exists!"

He's getting awfully incensed over this poor kid. Carol holds the child tighter to her, cradling the back of his head with her gloved hand.

"Look, I get it. You have deep seated issues regarding your childhood. Maybe you should try counseling before you go murdering anyone."

She redirects her attention to the child, leaning her head back to look him in the eyes. "You okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

Loki may not be entirely sure what Carol is talking about, but doing so wouldn't change anything about his current anger and frustration about the situation. Neither would he possibly consider listening to her very sound suggestion. So instead of an actual response, Carol receives a disapproving snort from the ground while Loki considers his options: He can try throwing more weapons or spells, or give up on this attempt - with the latter obviously being the more reasonable choice.

The younger Loki has in the meantime come to hold tightly on to the woman that has just saved him. He is crying silently as he watches his adult self pace around in agitation and still refusing to accept the boy.

Carol pulls the boy's attention towards her however, and while he is still in tears he swallows before slowly shaking his head. He hasn't been hurt, no. Thanks to her. Unable to maintain that eye contact though, the child turns his face away to press it into Carol's shoulder, seeking the comfort and acceptance he is unlikely to receive from the adult Loki below.

Who, in fact, is just readying a spell to throw up at them.

Carol makes shushing noises and rocks the boy slightly as he begins to cry into her shoulder. She'd done the same thing with Monica many times before, after she'd woken up from a nightmare.

And boy, was Loki a nightmare.

She glances down in time to see some sort of magic coming her way, and twists herself so that the spell hits her back, not the boy. It hurts, but she can take it.

"Yeah. I think one of us here needs a time out, and it isn't the little boy." She fires off another photon blast, aimed at the ground in front of Loki's feet. Not intended to hit, just trying to make him watch his step. "We're out of here. Don't try to follow us." Not that she believes he could.

And with that, she tightens her grip on the boy and turns, flying higher into the sky, headed to the opposite end of the city, far away from the mad trickster god.

Of course Loki can't follow them, even if part of him would have liked to.

As it stands all he can do after instinctively jumping backwards from the incoming energy blast, is to watch the woman fly away with his shadow in tow and throw an angry fit at no one in particular.

The boy? Will keep clinging to Carol. Upset, yes. But infinitely grateful for her help and her presence alone. What saddens him most at that moment, is that he will have to leave her again eventually. Not right away, but eventually.

Trickster's Shadow

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