FORWARD DATED TO THE 30TH. VIDEO. UN: LOKI

[selfimage]

[ standing amid the outer rim of the forest are two (possibly) familiar looking godlings. the one with the long hair is smoking a cigarette and pointedly ignoring the events transpiring in front of him, while the younger one clad ostentatiously in green enamel scales and a golden diadem seems to be giving the stink eye to an innocent looking pigeon.

the dark haired green one shakes his finger, flicking away some dried blood. ]

Ah—do we declare a state of emergency? [ he drawls with a sigh, bright green eyes fixing back on the camera. ] Before the I told you sos begin, we're missing one very volatile halfling mage. It seems that he's consorting with demons and the like.

Please return him if you see him, and try not to kill him.

Comments

[selfimage]

I won't let the king win.

[ that's simple, actually. ]

[bougy]

( that's...not what she was expecting, though she wasn't sure what she actually was. ) I hope you don't think you're playing a game with him.

[selfimage]

[ everything is always a game. ]

I'd rather not see what happens if we lose.

[bougy]

I'm having a harder time imaging it a greater loss that what we'll suffer when the 'fugitive' gets his way. Not taking care of him definitely seems to be playing with higher stakes.

[selfimage]

Have you ever heard the phrase seeing the trees for the forest?

[ there's an exasperated sigh on his end. ]

You can't have missed the obvious—if there's some sort of perceived injustice going on here, then another Michel is on the way. Who's playing with higher stakes when we make a possible martyr?

[bougy]

( she raises a brow, a smidge piqued by the fact that she's sure that phrase could be turned around right on him. which reminds her, wasn't he a she the last time they spoke? not that it matters, but she liked the longer hair better. not that she's going to say that now. )

Yes, but I do try to be a little more original than that. Do you really think so little of them? I would think--and hope--that they've learnt from his example that his is not a path to follow. What exactly has he achieved, besides failing to doom the entire world?

[selfimage]

Little?

[ that earns her an interesting look. ]

No—but I believe something has to change. What do you think a revolution is?

[bougy]

Yeah, something that keeps coming back round again.

( around and around it goes, but what actually changes? )

[selfimage]

You may as well lend your voice to stagnation, that be the case.

[bougy]

But clearly that's not an option. Even I can tell that. ...But what do you think keeping him alive will do? Do you actually think you can get him to work with you, if your goals don't happen to be the ones he's made himself? ( honestly, she's very concerned now for the goblins, especially if the peace talks fail or even if the general good mood turns sour. this dude running around with his own agenda can only lead to bad things like these. )

[selfimage]

I believe other arrangements can be made, you just have to ...

[ pause. ]

Ah—you know—get a little creative.

[ he wiggles dark nailed fingers enticingly. ]

[bougy]

I can't say I know what you might have in mind. ( being creative takes effort and investment, so maybe he's not completely irresponsible? she's curious enough about the people she's working with to at least entertain the possibility of an alternative. though her scepticism makes her a tone a titch sardonic. ) How about a hint? 'Try not to kill him' is quite vague.

[selfimage]

There is a rather large gap between "kill him" and "don't kill him," you know. Oodles of options just waiting for those of us unwilling to take the road paved for easy travel.

I think he'd do rather well on a few peace missions that didn't hit so close to home, don't you? Something diplomatic, but removed.

[ you know, like joining ALASTAIR. ]

[bougy]

Which is why I was wondering if you had anything specific in mind. Evidently you do. ( a small pause, but one that's just long enough to be significant. ) It depends. Did he indicate to you he could care about anything other cause? At the very least his method of diplomacy makes a statement that's hard to ignore. ( honestly, with as crazy as ALASTAIR has been until now, it's a wonder that he hasn't been recruited already. )

[selfimage]

I don't think it matters how much you care as long as your hand is forced. It's not like the lot of us aren't in the same situation.

[bougy]

As far as I know none of us have yet to choose to make deals with demons in an attempt to get back home. So there's that. ( there's always a choice. in the end that's what it comes down to: your actions, and you. ) But I wonder if he'd chose the diplomatic path, so to speak. Otherwise there's not much reason to believe he wouldn't just kill all of us in 'self-defence'.

[selfimage]

No, of course we haven't. We just destroyed one other world to do it.

[ easy peasy lemon squeezy. ]

Of course that world was meant to be destroyed. I have to wonder about this one.

[bougy]

( that's certainly news to her. the curve of her brow says as much, though perhaps she isn't as surprised as she should be. )

I almost don't want to ask, but I have to. What exactly did we do to this other world? I haven't been around for all of the choices I'm now responsible for.

[selfimage]

[ there's a little snort that comes out of his nose, amused. ]

ALASTAIR sent us on a mission to Anwick, stating that we to "help"—[ yes, finger quotes and all. ]—protect a horde of young dragons from the wrath of the community. As it so turns out, those dragons put beneath our protection grew to be full-fledged world destroyers.

Anwick met its natural end. Well, from ALASTAIR's point of view.

[bougy]

( ah, so that's what became of the dragons. she's heard about them but not that they were--are?--world wreckers. that really puts things in perspective, dragons are amazing but Maker are these ones right bastards. )

As if I didn't already have enough reason to not do what they ask of us. ( a small shrug. ) You know, if you could be sure he'd blow them up and not us, he might not be too bad a recruit for our merry little band.

[selfimage]

It's almost a shame at the distinct lack of mercy, isn't it?

[ for someone who built himself on a second chance, it's downright disturbing. ]

[bougy]

( it's a question worth considering, if only because the context is so extraordinary. )

What exactly would mercy look like? His brother had him saved from execution, then you--well, you did whatever you did with him, which whatever it was I'm sure it's a lot nicer than what a lot of others would've.

[selfimage]

Most likely something other than severing his head from his neck. That seems so ... definite, and the other option leaves so much more possibility.

[ there's a wave of his hand, as if he's dismissing it. ]

It's just a shame when this group's only way of solving a problem is by hacking it to pieces.

[bougy]

( again she quirks an eyebrow, catching the gesture, guessing he's not being dismissive of the thought but of the group. )

To be fair, there is a variety of opinions among the ground. And level of involvement. Not everyone takes the problem Michel poses personally.