video | unseelie

[extramural]

[ The locket, as always, is held up in mid-air when the Outsider turns it on. He is not alone in this recording, though; behind him are four women in long, gauzy black dresses and veils. With them are several children, eyes all black; the women are gently ushering them along the shore of the beach behind them while two massive dogs run back and forth.

In the distance is the black line of the Void, creeping over the ocean.

Next to the Outsider is another one of the children, and next to him the resemblance is clear: the same eyes, the same curious tilt to the head, the same bony cheeks. The child looks a bit more fey, but he sticks close to his sire, hands clutching to his arm. ]

Do not harm the children, [ the Outsider begins, and his voice is cold, shows every century of age and power. ] Do not harm the children or we will use your blood and bones, and you will be lucky if you are dead when we start.

[ A large palm smooths over the hair of his son. A daughter comes up on the other side, humming. She smiles at him and her teeth are sharp and red. The Outsider leans in so she can murmur in his ear. ]

Ah, yes. Should anyone find themselves with a need to desecrate shrines further -- the same warning applies to you. I will know, should you touch one of mine.

[ His daughter giggles and takes the hand of his son, and the two go to join the others. The Outsider watches, head half-turned. A seagull swoops down and perches on his shoulder, ruffles its wings, and the feed ends. ]

Comments

[selfimage]

[ well, he supposes he'll just have to be mother. off he goes pouring tea. ]

You've experienced the shrines of yours being defaced while this Void closes in around us. I have to wonder if you've seen the same visions. The ones of the Gods' War.

[ usually there's a little more flair to his words, but he figures that when addressing the Outsider that he'd be best with something a little more concise. ]

[extramural]

[ Good thing too, because the Outsider is really bad at being a good host. Especially if something else has his attention. ]

The thinning of senses, the feeling of the End? Yes.

[selfimage]

So we've had mutual experiences. And it's not just us.

[ he says, as if it's almost a question, looking up at him. ]

There are others who share much of the same.

[extramural]

That is not a surprise. We felt each other, after all.

[ He sounds a bit bored, as if he's not quite sure just what Loki's point is. ]

[selfimage]

Aye, so we have.

But even such visions originate from somewhere. There's a domino to be pushed and fate to be followed. I wonder if the visions strike the beginning of this Godswar, or if we're meant to follow them because they were given to us, much like fulfilling a role in a story.

Tell me, what do you think about it? I've spent far too long in conflict with the divine to simply sweep myself into it again.

[extramural]

There are always choices. The unexpected is what I am drawn to, and it is the unexpected that I will attempt to do. I imagine that we will be involved in the conflict simply by nature of what we are, but that does not mean we cannot do more with it.

[ He trails a finger over the teapot, not bothered by its warmth. ]

In my world, I am the only god, at the moment. I see everything. I see forever. I can predict almost every outcome. But here-- I am without that, here. I am placed in a role I have not been in for over four thousand years.

[selfimage]

[ Loki listens, his legs crossed at the knee, his ankle twitching as if he has to move. the last sentence forces him into stillness, and his voice drops from the playful tone to something else. ]

I've been ... trapped.

[ a finger touches the rim of his tea cup, tracing it absently as he speaks. ]

Whether it be here or there. The universe defaults to patterns, and my place is within it as something I'm not. It's like a terrible irony ... god of chaos, the role of the god of chaos. Then throw in the whole maddening expectancy of the unexpected.

[ he puffs a bit. ]

Yet I can't help but feel that we're being toyed with.

[extramural]

The unexpected is hardly expected, in my own world. I have spent a great deal of time being bored in the last four thousand years, until I arrived here.

[ You get how that's a problem, right Loki? ]

Toyed with. By?

[selfimage]

[ he understands, bruh.

generally being laughed at in tone with the word "Loki'd" is a little unsettling. ]

Fate.

[ the most expected thing of all. ]

[extramural]

Ah.

[ His hands come together, fingertips touching almost as if it's an afterthought. ]

How so?

[selfimage]

The universe works in cycles and patterns. [ he waves a hand outward as if to say "all of this." ] As is its preference.

And here we are at the heart of it, trying to fight against another apocalyptic instance played on multiversal levels. The Unseelie pull here, the Seelie pull there, and in the end the Void consumes us all and the Seelie can't even throw a victory party.

Any deviating from that path is met with cosmic defiance.

[extramural]

Retaliation in the form of chaos, [ the Outsider muses. ] The threat of retaliation, of what might be, enough to encourage others to go along with the cycle.

[ For the first time, he picks up his teacup and takes a sip. ]

The Void of my own world is both the beginning and the end. It would not surprise me if this one was similar.

[selfimage]

Aye, but another end to relive the same beginning over and over.

[ his foot twitches and his eyelashes fall heavily over his eyes. ]

Who wants to do that?

[ he knows. not just the Seelie, but the gods. the Asgardians. those that had thrown him beneath the bus to appease their need for stability. ]

[extramural]

Boring people, I imagine.

[ Not any god he knows, but then, he's been the only one he's known for the past four thousand years. ]

[selfimage]

And who do you think prophesied this godswar?

[ there's a little bit of bitter amusement in his voice. ]

Boring people.

[extramural]

And many will go along with it, scurrying along, doing what's expected.

[ He is not a fan of what's expected. ]

[selfimage]

Now that a prophecy is involved? Guaranteed involvement, actually.

With special guests the Shuck and the Hart.

[extramural]

And so what do you propose?

[selfimage]

That we play a little game of "find the storyteller."

Visions don't just poof into existence, and I'm not giving that unimaginative fellow the satisfaction.

[ Loki's going into his pocket, twirling a bit of charcoal between his fingers. he brushes a few runes onto the table and they glow briefly. it's a silencing tactic. ]

Have you ever heard of the Drabkeeper?

[extramural]

[ He eyes the runes with some interest, leaning in to examine but not touching. ]

Yes, though I know little about him. Only that he had a library of works that could not be found elsewhere.

[selfimage]

[ they're old, neatly drawn with a variation in line. they keep hold of the reality, retaining the spell of silence around them. (anyone outside of the little table bubble would conveniently be hearing blah blah blah blah.) ]

A library with an irreplaceable fire hazard that was, coincidentally, burned down to the ground.

I'll be the first one to call conspiracy.

[extramural]

[ Neat. He approves. The first time he saw the Brucolac setup any wards, they were terrible. ]

Reynard the Fox, [ the Outsider murmurs after a moment. ] He was the one to destroy it, or so I was told.

[selfimage]

[ let's all take a moment and be glad we're not bad at things like the Brucolac. ]

So we were both told, and the Drabkeeper himself fancies himself an escape artist. Now, from what I've heard of Reynard, I'm surprised he let anyone off at all.

Either this Drabkeeper must be on par with Houdini, or something else is amiss.

[extramural]

If you wish to speak to someone who saw it -- not at the time, but through magic -- then that can be arranged. She is Seelie, so it would have to be discrete, but...

[ You know. He's a helper. Or something. ]

Houdini?

[selfimage]

Remind me to tell you later.

[ one day he'll tell you about Houdini, the Outsider, but today is not that day. ]

I can do discrete.