out of continuity, by contrivance

[purposeful_glory]

Loki soon chafes at home, after three years of freedom. She does not mean to be gone long, but she does mean to be gone. Not Midgard again. Alfheim will do, a week will do, just a little break before she wedges herself back into the confines of Asgard and its Aesir.

Heimdall operates the Bifrost for her without comment. She notes her location, draws a little map, and heads east.

Comments

[purposeful_glory]

"I see no cause for rudeness. I am Loki; what are you called?"

[headunbowed]

"Zeviana, pleasure to make your acquaintance. Just because it's not caused doesn't mean it doesn't happen. So many think that this place belongs to them just because they've planted their feet on the ground."

[purposeful_glory]

"I am well aware that this is not how things work. And congratulate you on having fended off those less aware with such apparent success."

[headunbowed]

She laughs, then replies, "Thank you. It does brighten up a boring day to send off a fool."

Amused, she considers Loki. "I think I like you. You may stay without worry, if you keep this up."

[purposeful_glory]

"Your hospitality is welcome. What pursuits do you have that leave your days so boring that you must enliven them in that way?" asks Loki.

[headunbowed]

Zeviana motions around them, to the trees and back towards the vine-archway. There are other scattered living creations around, but none of them quite as obvious as the archway. "It's hardly boring, but - doing this. Trees and plants only seem dull when you haven't lived through them, and breathed through their leaves."

[purposeful_glory]

"That is admittedly not something I've tried. I have seen art done over centuries with live plants, but it sounds as though you are doing something else?"

[headunbowed]

"It's light elven magic. All of us have it," she explains. "We do different things with it. I do this."

[purposeful_glory]

"I practice a little myself - though I'd prefer if you didn't inform my mother - but I haven't tried to concoct any spells that touch plants like this."

[headunbowed]

"I've never met your mother, and I don't plan to tell her. Concoct spells? This is - not spellcraft, it's... I'm not sure how to explain it, I've never had to before. It's like opening my eyes and moving my fingers, all through the trees around me. Is that what your magic's like?"

[purposeful_glory]

"Nnnno. Not so intuitive. It's easy to use a spell once I have one, but I have to build it first, piece by piece."

[headunbowed]

"Hm. Strange. I'm sorry, that sounds terrible. I would feel blind without it."

[purposeful_glory]

"I've never had the chance to become so accustomed, so I don't find it terrible, but your magic does sound interesting. Can it do much besides plants?"

[headunbowed]

"Not particularly. We have some influence over small and simple animals, but nothing big. I couldn't call any to die for me, but I can entice them somewhere they'd go on their own."

[purposeful_glory]

"How much of this," Loki gestures at the plants, "is a particular technical skill with the magic, and how much is sheer art?"

[headunbowed]

Taking a minute to think, Zeviana replies, "I couldn't tell you where one stopped and the other began. How do you ask, say, a dancer where skill stopped and art began? It's both."

[purposeful_glory]

"Well, what I mean is - is it actually harder for you to make plants do this than it would be to make wire do the same thing by hand, or is the work in the design and in the time investment?"

[headunbowed]

"It's easier to do this than with wire, though that might be because I've had so much practice with one and none with the other. The work is in the design and time investment, but there's finesse to it, as well. When I was little I couldn't have done this," she explains, grinning a little. "And now I can."

[purposeful_glory]

"Interesting. I have been known to dance, incidentally," Loki adds, smirking a little, "and in my case it is at least eighty percent magical ability. As a child I could barely take ten steps without falling. I had to fix it with a spell."

[headunbowed]

"Have you?" asks Zeviana, delighted by her visitor. She likes to dance. "I'm glad such a situation could be fixed - that sounds terrible. Not as bad as not having my magic, but still awful. Do you use your magic to do other things, as well?"

[purposeful_glory]

"The spell for grace was one-time - I could cast it on someone else, but haven't seen anyone who'd benefit by enough to warrant risking my discretion. And I can heal, and do illusions, and I think next I will learn to change myself into a bird."

[headunbowed]

"That all sounds very useful! If you learn to change yourself into a bird, tell me what it's like to fly? I can only imagine..."

[purposeful_glory]

"It will certainly take me decades to work out a spell for it. Optimistically. But if I still know where to find you once I have tried flying I can write you a letter. Or visit again and turn you into a bird."

[headunbowed]

"That would be even better, as long as I could turn back. I would miss many things of how I am now. I think, for that I would stay here for several decades just to see the results."

[purposeful_glory]

"I do not think I will be inventing any irreversible bird-shape spells. Although I might not be able to arrange it so that you can change back on your own, I will be able to do it."