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

[iomnic]

Hmm...

Perhaps, the first is the lie?

[ He's been nothing but helpful to Zenyatta, after all. ]

[secondnature]

No ... I'm not really good at working in a team.

Apparently that's bad when you're trying to be a pilot. With a team.

[Things that Keith has not fixed: this.]

[iomnic]

[ This is where, if he had eyebrows, he would arch one. ]

Yes, that would be bad.

Considering what you have told me of your situation, being able to work together with your team is very important. Am I correct?

[secondnature]

Uh, yeah, just a bit.

[A pause.]

It's different now, though. [Sometimes. When Keith isn't running off on his own. Which he does a lot.] I've learned my lesson the hard way.

[iomnic]

Through experience, I presume. It is always the bitterest way to learn wisdom. But for some with a particular stubborn streak- the only way.

But I would not consider you a troublemaker.

[secondnature]

How much do you know about military procedure?

[iomnic]

Absolutely nothing. I am not a fan of any military.

[secondnature]

Well—then you won't like the school I went to, then. It was a little looser, but there was still a sense that you had to follow instructions and get in line. You know, don't break the rules because you think you know better.

[He shrugs.]

I got in trouble for that. A lot. And then once you start yelling at me, what am I supposed to do? Just take it?

[iomnic]

There is a time and a place to bow your head. A teacher deserves respect from their students. Instruction can be imparted as a means of helping their pupils grow.

But I do not believe that yelling has ever helped anyone learn more swiftly.

Perhaps you were not the best student. But the militaristic approach to education leaves much to be desired.

[secondnature]

I think it's par for the course. It's a school for pilot training.

[Also, how likely is it that Keith perceived someone as reprimanding him and went off? Very likely.]

But I—uh, I probably wouldn't make the same mistake again.

[There's a fifty-fifty chance on this.]

[iomnic]

Would you need to? Considering you are now a paladin, I would suspect there would not be a need to return to pilot training.

[secondnature]

No—well, not in the sense of disciplinary stuff. I've definitely left that behind.

But being a paladin means teamwork, like you pointed out before. There might not be as many rules, but messing up could definitely be costly.

[iomnic]

Absolutely. An absence of teamwork in the position you are in could be deadly. One cannot survive on personal strength alone.

[secondnature]

Though sometimes, the others hold back more than they should. But there's not a whole lot that I can do about that.

[Keith, no.]

[iomnic]

[ keith no indeed.]

Hold back their strength?

[secondnature]

Huh, well, maybe just a bit—[But not exactly.]

It's more that they're way too cautious.

[iomnic]

Ah.

Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that you are a team of five against a ten-thousand year old army.

[ S t a r e s. ]

[secondnature]

Well, so far, that army's mostly just sent really annoying monsters after us.

[Of course, they worked as a team against those ones ...]

But I get what you're saying.

[iomnic]

Then you understand that there is a difference between taking caution, and hesitation?

[secondnature]

I get it, but when their leader is right there, why hesitate?

[iomnic]

Move too quick, and you overlook much. Do you know the full situation? Would you be truly prepared for that encounter?

True victory is not counted by the lives taken, but the lives saved.

[secondnature]

[... "Do you know the full situation?" That question on its own is enough to hit him hard, and he isn't happy about it. Keith frowns, hesitating for a moment.]

I don't think we'll ever know the full situation. They've decided that that's not important to us.

[iomnic]

Ah.

[ Right. They're here, now. ]

... You will return, Keith. I have faith in that.

[secondnature]

I'd better.

[For now, he just has to accept being in a different situation where they don't tell them everything.

(In his opinion.

Because he's a suspicious guy.)]