( video | un: tricks )

[dothelokimotion]

[ the feed appears with loki facing the feed. on the table, there are silver buttons. ]

Greetings. I am Loki, God of Mischief, circa . . . when humans lived in mud huts, I suppose. I hear the security breach is concerning and I have a possible solution.

These badges — [ and he daintily picks one up. ] — will hide you from these, ah, "cameras". They work against infra-red, heat signatures, etc. I believe the only thing they may falter against are soul-forges or . . . quantum field generators, I believe is the more technical term.

You do have to meet me personally to pick these up as I would have to tweak them to your unique signature. But it would offer you privacy against most, if not all, devices.

Comments

[braidmage]

[ What does that matter??? Reynir is confused. Why isn't Carlisle taking him at his word? ]

He said he's stuck here for the time being. Why?

[abheirrant]

[Carlisle's tone borders on disdain.]

Then he isn't much of a god, now is he? I assume the one you know is better than this.

[braidmage]

[ Way harsh, Tai. Also, pretty blasphemous. ]

Well... so, technically my powers come from Odin and Freya, not actually Loki. He's just kind of in the same pantheon. And I don't - know the gods. They chose me, and - and they've saved me from danger so many times, and... the world would be gone if not for them. The whole world.

[ Carlisle is older than him and a member of the clergy and all of that makes Reynir doubly nervous to say what he's about to say. ]

I- I'm not a priest, and I don't know what your Clarity is like, but my guess is... there are a lot of things the gods do or allow to happen that might seem foolish or weak or strange to mortals. But that's no reason to start assuming we know better and that things are exactly as they appear, to us.

[abheirrant]

[There's an audible snort on his end.]

True as that may be, I am disinclined to believe any true god would willingly allow themselves to be dragged here with the rest of us. What proof has he that he is divine, and that his divinity is intact in this place?

[braidmage]

[ Ohhhhh nooooo, he doesn't like this, he doesn't like it one bit. He had wanted to help Carlisle, to save him from embarrassment, and now Carlisle is lecturing him, and continuing to doubt him, and it's all getting a bit. Not so great. ]

Yeaaahhhhh, um. Listen. Demanding... proof of the gods, of their power, isn't really something we... dooooo, where I come from. That seems to me like a really great way to get yourself smited. And it's... rude.

[ You are being rude, right now, Carlisle. But Reynir isn't going to say it quite that directly.

There is genuine concern in his voice as he asks: ]

Sorry. Are you... okay? You seem kinda. In a bad mood, maybe.

[abheirrant]

I am fine, Reynir.

[Though being asked whether he is or not gives him pause. True, he's not keen on people claiming they're gods, nor is he thrilled someone he had some respect for would jump to the defense of said supposed god, but is he being too hostile? Is that him, or is that undeath rising within him? How much of that is the embittered energy that fuels Revenants, encouraging them to lash out at the living?

He pushes a sigh through him; the receiver picks it up easily.]

I am fine. I am simply not the sort to take someone's word when they presume themselves be a god, especially when they are no more capable than the rest of us trapped here.

[braidmage]

[ So... do the gods in Carlisle's world give proof of their powers, to their followers? Is that like a routine thing? That's sort of what it's sounding like here, and if that were the case Reynir could see how Loki not doing that would be maybe upsetting. But he still isn't sure why Carlisle's first response is such intense distrust and hostility... ]

I don't know if you can really be sure someone is no stronger than you are, just because there's one thing that you both can't do. Like, if I tried to pull a tree out of the ground with my bare hands, I couldn't do it, and if Onni tried, he couldn't do it either. But that doesn't mean I'm as strong as him. He could still lift a piece of furniture that I wouldn't even be able to scoot a couple inches.

[ In other words, just because Loki isn't all-powerful sure as hell doesn't mean he isn't more powerful.

A thought occurs to Reynir and he asks, with sudden curiosity. ]

Are your gods so powerful that nothing could ever trap them? Not anything?!

[abheirrant]

[Loki might be more powerful than Carlisle -- to be fair, most people are stronger than Carlisle in many ways, and he's well-aware of that fact -- but that doesn't mean he's a god. His use of the term seems to be what Carlisle takes the most umbrage with.]

If there is anything capable of trapping my goddess, I have yet to hear of it. As it is, a place like this could not hold her.

[braidmage]

[ Reynir's not sure how Carlisle can really make that call if she hasn't shown up here and broken out. Like... how is he measuring that? What parameters is he using? If he's so into proof, where is the proof for this?

But there isn't any - Carlisle just has faith. He can make that pronouncement on faith alone, without making allowances for others's right to have faith without proof. It's... not really a pleasant thought. But Reynir knows that no one is without flaws; one of the keys to getting along with people and having so many friends, even in a small village, is knowing when to let something alone.

So he gives a shrug and bows out of the conversation as gracefully as he can, with a simple and final: ]

Alright.