VIDEO. UN: LOKI.

[selfimage]

Hello there.

[ Loki's standing on the porch of the ashen saloon, black bones against a dusky horizon. ]

Another day saved, another mission over ... [ he says it in an "all in a day's work" sort of tone. a finger twists and he gestures outward. ]

As the story continues! [ the drawl comes from his lips slowly, as if for dramatic effect. ]

We've met our arch-foes, saved a part of the fractured multiverse from apparent destruction and preserved the integrity of the timeline—erm, hopefully on the last two, anyway. In light of current events, and while we all cool down, I thought we'd play with a little fun hypothetical to stimulate conversation. Call it something that's been on my mind. So, riddle me this, Audentes ...

If saving a world meant destroying it—you know, kind of like a hard reset—what would you do? Would you do it, let it die and get coffee instead, or would you fight with tooth and axe for its survival, despite all odds? All methods in between, of course, feel free to be creative.

[ sometimes, some things remind him all too much of Ragnarok. ]

Comments

[ofobedience]

I wouldn't have used the word fate necessarily, but forgive me for being pedantic. hahah.

[But it's not quite that, is it? Not really.]

I'd do it because, hypothetically, that's what we've been ordered to do. We're here to execute higher commands, are we not?

[selfimage]

I could make a valid argument for it being synonymous.

[ but he's Loki, he's good at that. there's a smile in his voice. ]

So, the context of ALASTAIR then. It's what the program dictates is best according to its calculations, or so I've read. You trust it? Or, perhaps, is it something else?

[ofobedience]

I don't doubt you could.

[Whether he'd buy into it or not is another matter.]

But to answer your question, no. I don't trust it. If anything, I'm inclined to think they ought to back off entirely and let the occupants of the worlds we're employed to save deal with their business themselves. But ultimately we're here to fulfil a purpose, to complete missions. I don't care enough to do anything beyond that.

[That isn't quite it, either. Not in its entirety. But never mind that.]

[selfimage]

There's a point where those connect.

[ but he sounds more curious than accusing. ]

You'd do missions for the sake of doing missions? That sounds a little labor intensive when you're getting nothing out of it.

[ofobedience]

It passes the time until I'm able to leave. What else would I do?

[Following orders-- regardless of his indifference to ALASTAIR and their mission statement, it's what he does. What he knows.]

[selfimage]

You're at a point in the multiverse that has access to the entire timeline; what else would you do?

[ofobedience]

What do you mean?

[selfimage]

Let me reiterate: It's a place of possibility and opportunity, to pass the time seems ... [ the sentence trails off into a little eh signifying its end. ]

What could you possibly be passing the time until?

[ofobedience]

Until I can go home. Of course.

[it's a hard thing to shake, the sense of wrongness that comes with being away from that deep dark hole, from being away from Her. a loyal hound through and through. never mind that there's nothing for him there, at least nothing good.]

[selfimage]

That seems like only half the story.

[ that home signifies something else entirely. ]

[ofobedience]

It seems quite cut and dry, to me.

[selfimage]

You and I have vastly different definitions of that phrase.

[ofobedience]

Oh? Go on, then. Let's hear it.

[selfimage]

The reason you want to go home, of course. There has to be something there if you're just "passing the time."

[ he says it easily, casually, with a certain irritating cadence. ]

[ofobedience]

[Irritating, indeed.]

I have something I need to attend to. And besides that, it's where I'm supposed to be. This place means nothing.

[selfimage]

Everyone's always in a hurry. There are flowers to smell, on occasion.

Color me curious, but what's this "something"?

[ofobedience]

[Flowers to smell-- what a choice of words. The problem is, he doesn't believe he deserves to smell the flowers. Not with Lily dead and gone and it's what they'd both wanted, to see real flowers. But things didn't work out that way.]

For the final act, of course.

[Look. He can't just come out with the truth now, can he?]

[selfimage]

[ there's a sigh that comes out almost like a whistle between his lips. ]

Are you going to tell me, or just try and play the omission card? I hope it's not because it's boring.

[ofobedience]

It's personal.

[Which...is probably the most honest answer he's given so far.]

[selfimage]

So, the omission card, then.

[ofobedience]

Looks that way, doesn't it?

[I mean really. Why should he tell Loki that?]

[selfimage]

How mysterious.

[ofobedience]

If you like.