Knife Throwing at the Viper's Pit [Nexus_Crossings]

[tr1ckortreat]

Loki had been in the Nexus a good few weeks now and had gotten used to some of the locale and locals inhabiting the place. His brother was a welcome addition and even some of the mortals were not too bad considering. Yet, he felt wasted. He had to hone his skills, so he had decided to use the opportunity to frequent the Viper's Pit establishment owned by another Loki.

A knife throwing contest.

It was open to all out in the back so that people had enough room to move and spectate if they so wished. The knife throwing board was a straw target perched up with a bulls-eye painted in the middle. A standard target used by archers and knife-throwers alike. Loki also arranged for a few jugs of mead and wine to be close by so that spectators and opponents could keep themselves hydrated.

"I wonder who the first will be to reach a bulls-eye. Anyone feel up to challenging a god?"

His smirk was genuine and so were the black-hilted knives he was currently flipping into the air and catching deftly. His long digits easily finding the handle avoiding the blade effortlessly. A thousand or more years being trained in knives helped.

Comments

[chiaro_oscuro]

"That's even better. I wouldn't waste my time on an easy challenge. I'm here to test my skills." Ben takes a drink from his flask - where he emptied his share of the alcohol earlier.

It isn't just arrogance, though a good part of it is the standard Solo cockiness, bolstered with a bellyful of mead. Ben isn't exactly known for good decision-making skills when sober. Being mildly drunk doesn't help. Still, he feels he can give Loki a good challenge, and at the very least it'll be practice with a relatively new weapon.

"What kind of knives will we be using?"

[tr1ckortreat]

"Oh, of course not. Where is the fun if not in the challenge?"

Loki enjoyed a good challenge and his idea of fun was often disorganised chaos. Why else would the God of Mischief enjoy it so? Yet, this was more organised and civil, for the moment. If too many of the opponents got drunk and disorderly then perhaps Loki would slink away unnoticed under the shroud of his magic.

As for the knives? Loki procured a pair of green-hilted dwarven knives, offering them to Ben. If anything, the god did enjoy a good aesthetic and the knives were sharp and honed.

"These should suffice, don't you think? They are keenly sharp, rather like my tongue."

[chiaro_oscuro]

"Yes. Those are well-made." Ben accepts the knives, examining them more closely. "From your world, I assume?"

Ben has a sharp tongue, too, though he's learned to hold back in the Nexus. There are beings who outstrip him in power and require caution. While the other two present are his friends, more or less, there's one angel here he doesn't know and who looks distinctly intimidating even by angelic standards. Most of the other people here he knows - Mantis, Atreus, Beelzebub, Lucifer.

But he turns his attention back to the challenge. Loki's ego, while Ben can't help but find it annoying, almost certainly comes from a place of some confidence. So he doesn't let his guard down.

"Enough talk, then." He faces the target, a hazel eye flickering back to Loki. "Are you ready?"

[tr1ckortreat]

"Yes. Dwarven actually. They do forge good knives."

He had always wondered about how the dwarves had procured such good weapons and one day Loki found out by stealing a pair from the dwarves of old. This was centuries ago and he was rather proud of his acquirement much to the dismay of Thor, who despised stealing.

"Oh, I have been ready for centuries. Please, carry on."

Stepping back to allow Ben to throw, Loki clasped his drink and sipped it slowly, watching Ben with a coy expression written all over his face. Would the man fail? Would he throw true? It was all up to the moment.

[chiaro_oscuro]

"Atreus told me about dwarves. I assume yours aren't that different from his."

The sight of Loki's smug expression fires Ben up. He doesn't use his powers, but he isn't going to just yet. However, he wants to rub that smirk off Loki's face. He quietly measures the distance between where he stands and the target. Then he smiles, toothy and sly.

"Yes. Let's not waste any more time."

Ben lunged suddenly and threw the first blade. It didn't hit the center, but it hit the second smallest ring. He turns, holding the remaining knife.

[tr1ckortreat]

Ah yes, little Atreus, the warrior boy. Loki had met him and thought of him like a little wolf with sharp eyes and able to move between the shadows. He had fight in him and Loki enjoyed that about him.

"There is a similarity, yes. We both hail from Northern lands and our weapons both hail from dwarven lands."

Although, he doubted Atreus stole his. More likely the dwarves forged them and he purchased them perhaps? Whatever the story, Loki knew his knives were true and focused. A man should never blame his lack of skill on the tools he bore.

"Not bad. Second smallest ring on your first throw? I'd give that an acceptable."

Loki licked his lips and felt a smirk tug at his lips. Ben was skilled no doubt, yet so far no one had thrown a straight bull.

[chiaro_oscuro]

"Atreus is a friend of mine. We've fought together in the world he comes from. It's one of the more dangerous worlds that the Nexus is connected to. He's very brave for someone so young. I respect that about him."

But the cordiality slipped away when Loki taunts him. The challenge was accepted as Ben's expression turned fierce.

That did it. Ben growled, whipped round, and threw the remaining blade. Despite his irritation, he was focused. His goal was simply to show Loki up.

He stepped back, satisfied. Bulls-eye, from the looks of it. Ben pulled the two knives out of the target and turned to face his challenger.

The surprise for him was that no use of the Force was necessary. He folded his arms, giving Loki a smug look of his own. "Acceptable, you were saying?"