futurology | VIDEO. UN: LOKI

VIDEO. UN: LOKI

[ the sound of the wind storm hollows dully against the cave walls. Loki's squidge, Bacon, can half be seen crawling in the confines of his tacky green jacket and over his knee from where he sits, sometimes ducking and squeaking when a particularly large gust hits. to keep it from screaming, Loki offers his fingers absently, which the little squidge pulls on with its pudgy arms before ducking low again. ]

Hello there, it seems like we'll be waiting this out for some time considering the weather-type circumstances. While we're all rotting away, etcetera etcetera, I thought we could amuse ourselves with a game. A little bit of team bonding funtimes, so to say. [ he twists a dark nailed hand in the air, gesturing. ]

Soo—oo ... it's called Two Truths and a Lie. How do you play? Glad you asked, it's simple! Give two true statements about yourself and add a lie to the mix, shake it up then toss it out there and see if your team members know you well enough to spot the lie.

Usually this is done with copious amounts of alcohol, but we're lacking at the moment. [ pause. ] But—ah—you could always enjoy the satisfaction of being right. It's not like we're doing much else.

NOTE | Feel free to threadjack if that's your thing!! :****

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[In some ways...

The words strike his curiosity, but at the same time, this is a public forum. It may or may not be something he could elaborate on here]

What have you thought of this latest mission, by the way? It's been a while since we last spoke.

[Whether he could or not is one thing, whether he would is quite another. The subject change is, perhaps, a sensible one.]

Ill advised. In all honesty, I preferred the last one.

[With this one? He feels out of his depth and drowning, though perhaps surprisingly this storm has provided a welcome respite, is helping him process it all somewhat]

Is that so... What leads you to say that?

[He can't help but find himself curious. Grim as their last mission was, this one feels quite a bit less difficult to bear with.

Not that he hasn't seen others dealing with stress on this mission]

[Killing and bloodshed and death-- these are things he understands, they're an irrevocable part of himself, but this? Caring for something, keeping another being alive and safe-- it goes against everything he is. He can barely do those things for himself.

But to put it like that-- well. He can't see it quite so clearly, so have it another way.]

I'm a hound of war, not a babysitter.

[Haise has always been treated as a weapon himself — a living quinque. Where other ghouls were killed, their kakuhou harvested to craft a weapon to be wielded...

The ghoul he'd once been was killed after a fashion, and though he's not an object, he's still treated as something to be wielded against others like him]

I suppose I have some advantage there; I was a weapon and a babysitter.

[Just the smallest bit of wryness seeps into his tone, but it passes quickly]

Maybe there's something to be gained from it. And it does seem that this world has some hostile elements.

Well. Then you have more experience in this field than I.

[He says it dismissively, like it's something beneath him, but the effect is somewhat spoiled by the hint of weariness in his voice. Babysitting-- he supposes there are the twins, but those two are a rule unto themselves and more than capable of killing anything that moves, besides. If anything, their purpose comes more naturally to them than it ever did to him.

No matter.]

And if there's something to be gained from all this then I fail to see it. Though at least those hostile elements you mentioned have made things a little more interesting.

[And the truth is - though he'll never admit to it here - he's become accustomed to his charge. Almost likes the little creature that he had, closer to the beginning, once been more inclined to ignore or outright kill.]

[Though Haise hasn't raised children, he has dealt with looking after subordinates in their late teens... So he figures that gave him some experience. To that end he doesn't argue the point.

But as far as gains go...]

Sometimes we grow from challenges in ways we can't foresee. And it's tougher to deal with threats when you've got something you need to protect, aside from yourself, wouldn't you say?

[Those challenges could yield some growth]

I can't say I've noticed.

[Again, the breezy tone, and to some extent it's true-- he hadn't felt hindered in any way whilst facing the small threats they've come up against so far. But when it comes to growth, well. Something's changed, hasn't it? His attitude towards ~~Lily~~ his squidge. Though whether it's a good thing, he can't honestly say. It feels more like weakness, a small slither of vulnerability, to the point where he'd outwardly deny his change of heart should anyone overtly ask him.]

Maybe you're naturally better at that sort of thing, in that case.

[Being able to fight effectively while guarding a non-combatant is a pretty valuable skill to have, especially where their work is unpredictable]

I suppose it's a possibility.

[He won't mention that whilst dispatching the carnivorous plants he'd given no thought to his squidge at all, may well not have cared or even noticed had something happened to it. The increase in care had come upon him some time later. For the swamp monster he'd taken more care, but his charge's ability to climb and to cling had done wonders there, depositing her in a tree as he had until he'd killed their assailant.

He's not opposed to allowing someone to believe that he's simply good at something, however.]

On a mission like this, I can imagine that comes in handy.

[Haise had naturally protective inclinations, but it wasn't exactly the same thing as being innately capable, in his mind. Will could certainly go a ways, but so does ability]

In the right situations, perhaps. It's a pity there aren't more of them.

[Because the rest of what they're assigned to do here-- well. all of it leaves him confused and conflicted and sometimes (often) even afraid. Just another thing he won't speak of aloud.]

We never know what might come up next, so there may be other opportunities.

[Not that Haise especially wants to play with swamp-creatures and invasive vines, but he can understand perhaps not wanting to get out of practice. He'd set aside time for training each day out of that same concern]

One can only hope.

[Giovanni, however, has no such qualms, though he'd rather play with something a little more challenging.]

We might even get more twenty-foot rock monsters.

[Not that Haise particularly wants them, but if one is looking for a challenge...well. Those were challenging]

[Giovanni laughs, just a short burst of sound]

Now that'd be something.

[He's possibly one of the few recruits who really enjoyed the final stage of their last mission]

I'm sure we've got plenty of surprises ahead of us.

[Though whether they'll be getting giant stone enemies again remains to be seen.

At least he's got a feel for what his associate's interested in]

[Again, that sharp shot of laughter. Surprises. There have been plenty of those, all of them unwanted.]

I'd say.

If you don't mind my asking...have you faced a tougher opponent than one of those rock-monsters?

[He can't help but be curious, given his response to the prospect of more]

I should say so, yes.

[His brother, for example. Or any one of Mother's creations, really.]

That must've been quite something. Were they comparably large?

[Being not especially tall among their number, he can safely say size isn't a determining factor much of the time, but nevertheless, it seems worth asking]

Some of them. Not necessarily the hardest to deal with, though.

[He's relatively small in stature himself, after all, and all the strongest fastest smartest enemies he's come up against also fall into that category.]

Those were the largest opponents I'd ever faced, though far from the swiftest.

[And he's taken more of a beating from ones that could more easily catch him, so speed would be a relevant factor to him]

[He won't disagree-- there's certainly something to be said for speed.]

I suppose it just goes to show that size isn't everything.

Very true... And fortunate for me, since I doubt I'll ever tower over others.

[Said in good humor, as he's never minded his size]

VIDEO. UN: LOKI

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