Loki opened his mouth to argue, but Kiirion and Tallulah spoke before he could get a word in. He tucked a strand of auburn hair behind his slightly pointed ears, a slightly irritated expression already appearing on his face. Since it seemed like everyone could care less how he wanted to respond to Alex's accusation - or what his thoughts were on what had caused all of the magic in the cabin - he conjured up a hair tie with a spell he had created himself and put his hair up.
Then he slipped out the front door and looked at the cabin from the outside.
He was basically confirming what he already knew at this point, but it never hurt to check. A little magic checking spell - not as intrusive as Tallulah's, or as obvious - later, and his guess was proven right. The cabin hadn't just had a magic spell happen inside of it. It was magic. Whoever had made it must have conjured the entire thing.
He tilted his head and studied it.
But why had they made it, and where had they gone? The cabin wasn't exactly small, but it wasn't really made for multiple people - all you had to do was look at the single bed to know that.
...So the cabin wasn't the reason for why they were here, then?
He turned back to the swamp. He didn't want to leave. Not just yet. But Loki was very much aware that he was destined to be alone, and he wasn't going to kid himself into thinking he'd magically be able to win those three over. The only two people he'd let himself think were different were both far, far away now.
So if he did end up leaving, he wouldn't let himself get upset. He'd handle it like everything else.
Kiirion nodded to Tallulah. "That should work," he said, taking notice of Loki, who walked out of the hut. He followed, gesturing for Tallulah and Alex to follow.
Tallulah got to her feet and took a few stumbling steps toward the door before finally using the furniture as crutches. She made it to the doorway, in which she leaned and looked around at the general outdoors.
Okay, maybe Kate really did have a point when she said Tallulah should spend more time practicing moving about on land.
"Oh," Loki said, not sparing a look back in Kiirion's as he emerged from the cabin, "now you want to talk about groups. I see."
Salt - a word he was still trying to entirely wrap his head around - aside, it was probably a good idea to bring up his thoughts now that attention had finally shifted to him.
He let out a quiet little snicker at that. People only seemed to pay attention to him when he did something bad. It wasn't until Baldr's death that they started acknowledging he was even there-
He shook the thought away. Now was not the time to be thinking of Baldr.
"Speaking of seeing things," he said, gaze still on the swamp, "I noticed that the cabin was made of magic, too. It must have been made by some kind of powerful being - like a god - but I don't think it has anything to do with us being here right now. It's too dusty and small."
Alex disappeared. He was still at a close enough distance to follow whatever the group was doing, but not so close that they could see him. He felt he was better off alone. He could help the losers if they couldn't handle themselves, which, by the looks of it they could; or he could just go ahead and do everything he felt confident about doing and let them feel like superior beings, which they definitely weren't.
Tallulah took a careful, calculated step out into the open. Foot out, balance, shift, repeat. Swimming was so much more practical.
She was doing fine until she tripped over something that might have just been air and stumbled. Thankfully, she went tumbling into the swamp instead of onto the ground.
The moment she was submerged she claimed her true form.
Kiirion hadn't realized how accustomed he'd become to those around him not being so offendable until this moment. He'd forgotten what it was like to be around characters who were so quick to fight, so quick to take things personally, and so quick to lash out.
Alex had fled, nowhere to be seen. Loki was being bitter and immature. Tallulah was, thank Pelor, actually being helpful.
"If you run into anything dangerous or find anything useful, give us a shout," Kiirion said to Tallulah, before turning to Loki.
"Loki, I'm sorry for earlier," he said. "I'm not familiar with who you are, and the gods from where I'm from are far different than you. This is a new and strange experience for all of us, it seems. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me while we try to find answers. Alright?"
Tallulah nodded at that instruction and ducked under the water. She could still hear the others above, but she guessed that they'd assume she couldn't. Everyone always did. It used to be a fun little asset back before Katey fell to her seductions. It took Kate a long time to figure out why Tallulah knew her favorite foods.
Tallulah moved through the murk. It was gross, more like soup than water and it reeked of decay. She wrinkled her nose, though she wasn't smelling through that currently, and tried to ignore it.
Loki - who had already been preparing a nice comeback if anyone doubted his observation or straight out ignored it - faltered. His observation had gone mostly ignored, but Kiirion's apology made him feel...not so bad about it.
He glanced over at Kiirion, finally drawing his attention away from the swamp.
He was usually better about hiding his emotions, especially when he had just been hurt, but it would have been easy for Kiirion to see how he was feeling in that moment. Surprise and shock mixed with a much gentler relief.
"...Okay," he finally said, struggling to find the right words. He adjusted the strap over his shoulder and looked forward again with a much softer expression on his face. "...Thanks."
Alex explored quite a lot around the cabin, hoping to find something strange. He had completely forgotten about the stupid clash he had not five minutes ago.
He knew it was mostly just a gesture on Kiirion's part. Alex was who-knows-where, and Tallulah was in the water. The only person he'd really be leading was Kiirion. But he still appreciated the thought, and he wasn't going to argue with that.
He got about a minute into their trek when he suddenly paused and glanced back over at Kiirion - his pace faltering ever so slightly.
"...You were right," he finally said. "About me not being like the other gods you've met before. I'm only half."
His gaze returned to the swamp in front of him.
"...Which is probably why I'm different than the gods you know," he finished. "I've never been good at fitting in with the others."
Kiirion paused when Loki did, following behind him carefully. It wasn't a very fast trek, but then again, one of Loki's steps was like, two of Kiirion's. Kiirion was only grateful he wasn't surrounded by dwarves and gnomes - not that they were always bad company, but it meant a lot of shuffling.
He hummed quietly as Loki spoke.
Loki probably didn't know that Kiirion served the god Pelor, and he had a feeling Pelor was not even a god Loki would be familiar with. But the nature of Gods and the difference between their worlds didn't seem to be what Loki was dwelling on.
What Loki seemed to have was a very present insecurity about acceptance and belonging, if Kiirion was hearing him right, and it was... quite sad.
He offered Loki a small smile.
"I know not everyone appreciates different, but there's nothing wrong with being different from others," Kiirion said softly. "I don't know what it's like back where you're from, and I'm sorry it sounds like people haven't appreciated your differences, but in a group like ours, I don't know that any of us 'fit in.' We're all very different, it seems. I see no reason why you shouldn't be welcome with us as much as the others. Granted - none of us had a choice in coming here, but all I mean to say is, I'm not worried about it."
"Thanks," he softly said. He didn't bother to look back at Kiirion. He wasn't sure he'd be able to hide the expression on his face if he did. Kiirion was talking about acceptance, but he didn't even know what he had done. He didn't know that the reason the gods had turned their attention to him finally was because he was a murderer - because he had been the one to kill the only god that cared about him.
Loki resumed his pace right as a startled cry rang out throughout the swamp. The cry - a woman's cry, maybe - had come from somewhere not too far up ahead. Not close enough to see her, or get to her in the next minute, but close enough to get there soon.
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