VIDEO. UN: LOKI

[selfimage]

[ 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!! :****

Comments

[winces]

[ it's nothing terribly bad, if olivia's sudden nervousness if of any indication. ]

Ohmygosh — i-it's so nice to meet you! Mr. Hanzo had been very helpful to me these past few weeks, so I was really excited to hear that his brother was among us! Have you been settling in well??

[backthatup]

[ oh? ]

He has? [ that brings him some relief that there are already someone who thinks fondly of his brother. there probably are more who feel the same, actually. ] I hope that I won't disappoint your expectations, Miss Olivia.

And I feel I am settling in as well as one can in this sort of environment. That is... very well... [ sans occasionally arguments with hanzo. ]

[winces]

[ it will probably take some coercing (and maybe some liquor) for olivia to say anything bad about anybody else out loud, but her experiences have tended to be quite pleasant for the most part! ]

Oh, don't worry, I don't expect anything out of you!

[ oh wait... that sounds a bit mean... ]

I-I mean — I have only known Mr. Hanzo for a short time, and besides, brothers or not, everyone is their own person!

[backthatup]

Of course.

[ A soft laugh. ] Everyone is and everyone has only things that they can do. So long as we all help one another... that is what is most important.

[winces]

I agree! [ ahh how nice, how nice. ]

It must make you very happy to have someone you're close to here.

[backthatup]

[ ... uh. ]

It makes me happy that my brother is here but we are not that close. We ... fell apart... but I hope we are able to come together once again.

[winces]

—oh.

[ gdi olivia. you hecked up!! ]

S-Sorry, I shouldn't have assumed...

[ GDI ]

I hope the same...! M-Maybe now that you're... working together... It will be easier.

[backthatup]

There is no reason to be upset. One would not have immediately thought there was... distance between brothers, after all.

And I believe that some of that distance is closing little by little. All the same I thank you for your kind regards.

[winces]

[ if she were able to in this moment, she would reach out and rest a hand over his. ]

Well... If there's anything I can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask me, okay?

[backthatup]

Of course.

And the same for you, please. You are someone who speaks fondly of my brother so... I would like to help you in anything that you may need. As a teammate and someone who hopes to one day be a friend.

1/2

[winces]

[ she gasps quickly, reaching up to cover her mouth lest she react in any other embarrassing way...

but.. how nice, how nice!! it's always great to hear when someone decides they'd like to befriend you... ]

2/2

[winces]

[ but she doesn't want to embarrass him or make the situation more awkward, either, so she hastens to move on. ]

Th-That's very nice of you to say! I'd — I would love to be friends! I think we would be great ones!

[ yes, be Cool. ]

[backthatup]

Those certainly are my feelings, too.

[ Ah. ]

And I did all this talking that I forgot to choose your lie. I hope that you'll forgive me for so long... it has been just that difficult to guess. [ A soft laugh. ] Now it seems almost silly to take a guess...

[winces]

[ her cheeks color a bit in pride, and she waves his apology away with a hand. ]

Don't worry about it...! The whole point of the game, I think, is to get to know each other better. And we've done that well!

But the second one was the lie, hehe. I never sang for a Mad King, and the ruler of Ylisse is a kind man called the Exalt anyway.

[backthatup]

I believe we have, too, Miss Olivia.

[ A soft laugh. ]

I never would have guessed that one. If I did, it would have been the last choice. So how did you meet the ruler of Ylisse?

[winces]

[ her smile is a bit strained about the edges, but the softness in her voice persists. ]

It... was a time of war, back home. He had been leading a group of men and women in a resistance against a tyrant king from a neighboring land. The ruler of my own home, Kahn Basilio, was helping him in battle... but it turned sour. I was brought along just in case they needed help escaping — and they did.

[backthatup]

I'm sorry. It was not my intention to have you think of something -- but that's unfair to say, isn't it? That is your home and it is what happened. Anyone would think of those things. But ... you were able to help them escape and it sounds like you were able to make friends with the one who ruled.

That's amazing.

[winces]

Oh... That had less to do with me and more to do with Chrom himself... He's a wonderful leader. As kind and benevolent and passionate as his older sister, the previous Exalt, had ever been. I didn't have much to offer his crew, but he was still willing to take me on regardless. I owe him quite a lot.

[backthatup]

Isn't that a bit backwards?

That is... a king has to be concerned about his people. No matter how kind. If he didn't see worth in you, he wouldn't have allowed you there. So, perhaps, it should be a mix of owing?

[winces]

[ she looks mildly flabbergasted. ]

N-No..! It was me that owed him...! That.. That owed his sister, I mean... She'd done me a great kindness before, and I never got the chance to properly repay her for it. Thanks to him, I'm able to do so, in a way.

[backthatup]

His sister did?

What did his sister do?

[winces]

[ at that, olivia seems to shrink into herself, glancing away and fidgeting nervously. ]

She... She was very kind to me... at a time in my life when not very many people were. I've never forgotten it.

[backthatup]

And you wanted to repay that, huh?

[ A soft laugh. ]

You're a good person. They were lucky and we are lucky to have you.

[winces]

[ she jumps a bit, hastily waving her hands. ]

N-No, it's nothing like that...!

—I mean. Yes, I did want to repay that favor, but. I'm the lucky one, really. There — isn't much I can do... So I'm really more a liability than any help...

[backthatup]

If that is the case...

Please allow me to act as your shield. I would hate for one that I have just become friends with to be in any danger.