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

whoop there it is

[heelies]

[Leukos too sits lulled by the steady rhythm of its caretaker's voice, although Evan is not privy to such a sight through the shimmering feed of the jewelry. On marches Achilles' story, gathering speed as he nears the terrible climax.]

Right you are to balk in the face of such dark truths! For you see, Oedipus happened upon those crossroads after fleeing his home in Corinth. He had lately learned of a terrible prophecy, which declared that he would murder his father and spoil the marriage bed of his mother. And so to avoid such an ignoble fate as this he left behind his dear native land, for what man would wish to be the slayer of his father and the husband of his mother?

In truth, however, Corinth was not his dear native land - and in trying to flee Fate, Oedipus ran headlong toward his terrible destiny like a river rushing in winter's spate! It was not Polybus of Corinth who had begotten him, but the man whom he met there at the crossroads - Laius of Thebes. Well did Laius and Jocasta know the prophecy which loomed over their son when Oedipus was born, and so to spare their family this black fate they bade a servant to abandon the infant to the wilds. But unable to bear such cruelty done unto a helpless babe, the servant instead gave him up to a shepherd of Corinth, who would bring the hapless Oedipus to his king Polybus. So ignorant was he to what cruel misfortune he wrought in saving the infant from a kind death!

In this manner, the prophecy came to pass. In seeking to please Phoebus Apollo and bring the murderer to justice, Oedipus uncovered the truth of his star-crossed existence. Jocasta, both his mother and his wife through the abominable design of Fate - her womb, the womb from which he exited the selfsame as that which he entered when he begat his children - she could not bear the burden of such a crime, and so she hanged herself. So horrified was Oedipus by that which he now saw, that which no man should be made to suffer, that he took pins from his wife-mother's dress and with these gouged out his eyes - so that never again must he see.

[evantuality]

[Though he's heard the story of Oedipus in the broad strokes, Evan has never before heard it described graphically enough to really drive home the whole incest thing. Achilles, he has to admit, has a way with words, although just now that way with words is making him grimace reflexively.

He may have seen where it was going but he's pretty grossed out now that he's here.]

I'd say that's oh so very soap-operatic, but I think I'd be hard-pressed to claim that a voluntary blinding would be that much of an overreaction to unknowingly marrying one's own mother.

No one in that story wins, do they? What happens to the guy's kids? Slash siblings?

[Not being up on his Greek mythology, that's a genuine question. Are there even stories of Oedipus's terrible, incestuous offspring? There must be, he reasons.]

[heelies]

[Ought he to bandy about the word womb a few more times?]

Indeed, none in the house of Oedipus was left untouched by the curse placed upon his head, just as a plague will spread from one to another through the foul air the victims share.

Some time after accursed Oedipus was exiled from the city he had once saved, his sons born of his own mother's womb, Polyneices and Eteocles as I have heard their names, mounted armies one against the other to determine who alone should wield the scepter over Thebes. The two blood-cursed brothers entered into single combat and each struck the other down into the house of Hades. I've not heard what ever became of his daughters, but I am sure they cannot have found happiness in their ill-gotten existences.

[evantuality]

[Well, if he wants to make Evan make that face again...]

Now, I've never heard of a transmissible curse, but there you are, I suppose. Incest usually comes with more genetic problems than, say, metaphysical ones, although I can imagine finding out after the fact that your father is also your brother would do a number on the mental health.

[Here's Evan, trying to un-squick himself by babbling semantics.]

Thank you for the tale, Achilles. You've got a knack for storytelling.

[heelies]

The art of storytelling is much celebrated by my people. There are men whose skill in spinning tales far bests my own, but nonetheless your fair compliments do honor me.

[Here were more words which he knows not, however.]

But what is this you are saying? Do not such unthinkable crimes bring misfortune upon those who dare commit them across all lands? Surely for all the differences among races of men there cannot exist any land where spoiling mother or daughter would go unpunished.

[evantuality]

Well, no -- I mean, if you're talking about legal consequences, that's complicated and depends on where the person lives. Where I live we don't believe in the death penalty, so it's not likely anyone would die for it... but I don't know anywhere where the social consequences of that kind of a mistake wouldn't be drastic.

[Of course, he's never looked into incest laws back home, and now he's curious despite himself.]

Even then, though, I doubt anyone would hold it against the children for being unlucky enough to be born from such a disaster. It's not exactly their fault.

[heelies]

No, the fruits borne by so sinful a bed cannot be culpable, for none would choose to live such a life - but then no man may decide his fate. He is helpless against the current which rushes him along his course. It seems to me such unfortunate creatures ought to be pitied rather than blamed.