Chapter 11: Slipping In
Missing the chance to play a prank on his unsuspecting prisoner had left Loki more unsatisfied than he had expected. Now, he was determined to see it happen. And, he reasoned, her reaction could reveal something unexpected about the little songbird. So, as he went about his day, he scried her whenever there was a pool of liquid available - his morning tea, the bathroom sink, the pond in his mother's garden. Sometimes she was singing, sometimes she was crouched by the barrier, talking to the guard, and sometimes she was running and jumping and somersaulting about the room like a bird beating its wings against the bars of its cage. That one had made him smile to himself when he saw it, until he realized he'd been watching for almost twenty minutes. But even as he tore himself away and back to his research, he wondered how long she could keep that up. Exactly how much energy did that woman have?
But when he checked in an hour and a half later, there she was, asleep in the bed. She'd thrown a blanket over her eyes to block out the artificial sunlight, and her chest rose and fell with deep, peaceful sleep. He considered her for a moment. He could just watch her through a scrying mirror, yes, but he wanted the satisfaction of hearing her scream. Or at least yelp in fear.
Decision made, Loki went out to "check up" on the prisoner. He dismissed the guard, who reluctantly obeyed, and turned back to the woman in the cell.
So peaceful, and so unguarded. For all her talk of being sensitive from war, she really looked vulnerable, asleep there. He took a breath and felt for his seidr, letting it pour over every inch of him like cold water that clung to his skin. He was much more confident now, in his new invisibility; it relied less on the viewer's expectations and instead smoothly wove all three dimensions around his body. It felt comfortable, natural, to wear something else over his form, and knowing he could disappear without anyone being the wiser gave him an almost unrivaled sense of power. Almost.
Loki turned his glittering eyes back to the cell, and twitched his fingers slightly. Under the covers, something long and sinuous swelled and stretched out tentatively. He barely needed to guide the snake; it instinctively sought out warmth and began slowly slithering up her leg. Arianna twitched but didn't wake up, and he urged it on. The snake bunched up, and shot itself up her torso, writhing as it looked for somewhere to hide itself in the newfound warmth.
Finally, Arianna shot up with a gasp, her hand darting to the snake. In seconds, her hand traced the length before gripping it behind the head and jerking it away. Her eyes finally opened, and she stared at the snake in her hand. Loki tensed with anticipation, but the fear never came. Instead, she frowned and brought it a little closer, ignoring its attempts to strangle her arm, and examined its head.
She murmured something in the language she had come here with and pinched its jaw, forcing its mouth open to reveal two rows of teeth, but no fangs. After a moment, she stood and gently placed the snake back in the covers, making sure to stay out of reach of its bite. No longer commanded by Loki, the snake snuggled happily into the warm blankets, and she settled next to the bed with a smile, murmuring soothing somethings as she watched it.
Loki was dumbfounded. Why had he been so sure that would work? Now that he thought about it, this woman had always been rather composed for a prisoner, unfazed by his veiled threats. But more than that, why wasn't he upset that his prank hadn't turned out the way he thought it would? Too consumed by his thoughts to bother bringing the snake back, Loki walked away in silence.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone