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Date: November 1st
Location: The Observatory.
Characters: Everyone.
Summary: New Transports arrive and are shuffled into the Observatory after their initial briefings. The zombie plot will not spill over into this area, this area is safe and unaffected! To face zombies, characters must leave the area, and please move to the event log with those threads.
Warnings: None.

Your arrival here has been very unceremonious. One second you were somewhere else, and now, very suddenly, your feet hit the glowing white of the Transporter pad, and you're here. You aren't alone, either. There's a crowd of others around you, each seeming just as bewildered, angry, or confused as you might feel. At the head of the group is a woman in purple robes, solemn and taciturn. She hurries over a quick overview of your intended purpose here, and gives direct answers when asked for them, but to most things she simply shows you how to access the tablet you've just been given, or tells you that the DITR's greeters will explain everything. On the tablet, you can find the history of this place and a record of what your new cohorts have experienced — although it won't have Network access for another 8 hours. Someone stands on hand to give you a weapon, and though the armory is now greatly reduced, you should be able to find something to suit you.

You're shepherded down a walkway tunnel and into the Observatory, where you will find screens mounted on three sides of the wide room. It's night outside the great wide windows, and the lunar landscape isn't much to look at right now; the only lighting comes from dull red emergency lights, but there are… noises. Listen carefully. Over the voices of your fellow Transports, now and then you might catch the sound of a scrape, or a low and muffled cry. It doesn't sound human. Are there animals up here?

You're free to explore the base, visit and use any of the VR rooms, or discover your new room and roommates, but try not to step out of any airlocks if oxygen is a requirement for your system.

Welcome to the moon base, and to the remains of Exsilium.

[[ ooc; As a note for players of current characters: please keep your root comments confined to the various groups and organizations that set up root comments to greet new characters! We highly encourage tagging around here, but since it's a log meant for new characters specifically, we ask that they be the ones to set up root threads to the entry. Thank you, and happy playing! ]]

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[ Midgardian. He's surprised to hear it, almost astonished, but all that shows is a blink and a small fade of the smile. True, Rune-Midgardian would have meant someone from his world, but as it is, it at least suggests a similar religion and theology.

He hears the rest, but hardly listens. He'll address those bits later, maybe. ]

"Midgardian"? [ His smile is back again, interested and hopeful. ] That suggests you're from somewhere else. Which realm?

[those are very important bits! occasionally there are mortals who ask him that question, but they're few and far between. the others among the realms tended to know of him anyway (though it wasn't like it was a huge secret), so he hardly ever tried to hide who he was. normally, if his recklessness went heeded, he high-tailed it as fast as his legs would carry him.

which was pretty fast.

he was good at running.]

Oh, right! Introductions! We wouldn't want to be rude ... in space.

[turns and straightens, clearing his voice like a proper gentleman. he could almost hear the "rude, Loki, rude!" in Freyja's scolding tone in his mind. whoops.]

I'm Loki of Asgardia, well-met and all other extended pleasantries that should be properly exchanged.

[ Aaannndd there it is. Ashraf's smile drops entirely, and he pushes off from the window to stand straight. Loki. He watches him suddenly a lot more closely, looking for similarities to the last Loki he'd met. ]

I'm Ashraf Salib, high priest of Rune-Midgard, Church of the All-Father.

[ He never busts out the full title, it feels stuffy and ridiculous. But he can make an exception for this. But even then... this is just a kid. Is it a trick?

He adds, a little warily: ] They teach us about you there.

[ooooodin's sores, he doesn't even get to catch and crack a joke at the stuffy title. Loki takes one step back, deciding whether or not it would be a decent idea to bolt the hel out of there. usually good things didn't come from people who's polite expressions drop into something a bit more scrutinizing. his options are before him! (1) run, (2) talk his way out of it.

(his eyes kind of do a buggy thing when Odin is mentioned.)

talking always won out, especially when he didn't particularly know where he was, and it didn't seem like there was many places to go, so.]

I can only imagine what they say of me.

[he holds back from the usual "whatever they said, I didn't do it."

he takes another good look at him.]

Um ... I'm guessing none of it is terribly pleasant.

[ For a dude whose role in battle is usually just to survive and support, not to attack, Ashraf does manage to look decently imposing. He's not much to look at physically if one's standard is, say, Thor, but he's very good at stern. ]

Not usually.

[ But... he can't keep it up. Even if this is Loki, even if it's a trick... he can't turn a cold shoulder on a child. So he eases just slightly around the edges. ]

But they also talk about you being a lot older.

[ There's some question in that — and he refrains from mentioning that Loki had been much older during his last trip here, too. ]

[well, no one was quite Thor in the imposing category (except for possibly Idunn, but we won't get into that one). and speaking of Thor, there was definitely no Thor here, no Thor to lend his aid and no Thor to swoop in with a hammered fist and allow Loki an opening to bolt.

there's a tinge in the back of his mind that suddenly quite misses Thor. but he refocuses his attention on the conversation.

Loki lets out a breath, saying quietly beneath it.]

Ah, good. I thought your large, awe-inspiring frown would never cease.

[and he speaks again before Ashraf can again.]

Is it the myth you're familiar? [that he really wasn't, but it was an earnest question.] Or are you acquainted with my Evil-Self? [not necessarily something he wanted to talk about, especially not under the circumstance, but he could divert as much as was needed.]

[ He hesitates, but... no, there's too much there that he wants to learn more about. There's a distinction? Or just a disctinction according to this incarnation of Loki?

Fine. The truth, then. ]

Both. I know the legends well enough from home, but you visited Exsilium yourself before — you were older, then.

[well if there was something he wasn't expecting, it was certainly that. his eyes go up and down across Ashraf again. and again. and again. his stomach does something funny, like an open wound falling in at the edges and creating a pit. it only lasts momentarily before the courage bubbles up in him. for the emotions that suddenly war up inside of him, he keeps his expression admirably.

instead, he manages to look a little exasperated.]

Unsurprising that he would find himself here and away again. From what I've heard he's quite resourceful if forced into a corner. If he's not the one to force himself into that corner himself, that is.

[well there goes his cookie appetite.]

[ None of this is what he'd expected. If this were a trick or a ploy, it would be a lot more convincing — this Loki just acts... like a kid. He shakes his head, and the last of his hard lines soften. He's been making assumptions again. Those never turn out well for him. ]

Why do you talk about him and yourself like you're different people? You did introduce yourself as Loki.

[ It doesn't sound suspicious, just — puzzled. There's a factor here he hasn't understood yet. ]

[Loki puts his hands on his hips and puffs a little bit.]

This is something that normally would require a very ... er ... strong cup of coffee. Very, very strong.

[there it is again, more about him. more about what happened. more about the fog that covered his mind and the bloodied face and the words that caught in his throat. the knowledge of victory over someone that forced him into a position of sacrifice.

"I win."]

Did you wish to know, for really real?

[he leans in, like its a bit of a secret, his hips back, hands still there, feet leeeaning back.]

It's because we are. I am Loki, but I'm my Loki. That's how it goes.

Edited (dance dance dance dan dan dance fantastic baby) 2013-11-06 01:54 (UTC)

[ He studies Loki carefully, forcing away any lingering misgivings. That might not be wise, but this is starting to sound familiar to him.

At this rate, he might just offer that coffee.

Eventually, and thoughtfully: ] Were you reborn?

Of sorts.

I really don't remember any of those terrible things, but I think I blew up once. In an explosion.

[there's a dramatic pause and then he wiggles his fingers.]

A large explosion.

[making like there's an explosion in his hand.]

Boom!

[ And there goes the last of his resolve. It sounds like a different situation, but it's still essentially the same, isn't it? His smile is small and tentative, but it's still a smile. ]

Me too. But there weren't any explosions, just a Valkyrie.

[ This is insane — a god being reborn, seemingly for the better? Could Loki, and all Ashraf knows about him, actually be redeemable?

He finds that he doesn't care if it can't be done; with just this revelation, he's willing to exchange suspicion for compassion and try. ]

[good, good. smiles are good. smiles are getting somewhere!

but there's no time for small victories. Loki quirks his brow a little in curiosity.]

Ah, the details of dying business.

Sorry.

About the dying bit.

[it's only proper to offer condolences about the dying bit.]

[ He shrugs. ]

That's alright, it was voluntary. [ Conversations he never thought he'd be having with a god: this. ]

Yours sounds like it wasn't, though. My condolences.

[things made a bit more sense now, even if he wasn't ready to turn his face toward anything except his victory. one death voluntary, the other a forced sacrifice. how many times had Loki died? either way, it gave him some answers, and confirmed his fears all the same.]

It's as it was. Everything blew up along with him.

Lots of exploding.

[there's a partial, but animated shrug.]

Yet here I am.

[here he was, indeed.]

And here you are.

[ He spends just a few seconds more considering it before he's come to his decision, for better or for worse. ]

Here you are, here I am, and there's coffee over toward the cafeteria. [ When he smiles, it's as warm as it was before the names had been exchanged. ] Still interested?

[he looks a bit eager and his entire expression kind of. perks up at the mention.]

Coffee! I'm in need of sustenance! ... in space!

[he turns his head and looks over his shoulder and out the window.]

I'm dreadfully sorry we're going to have to part for the moment, I've some important matters to attend that begin and end with glorious caffeine.

[he turns back to him.]

To coffee!

[ who let Loki be so adorable, this is nuts. Ashraf looks amused, but turns to go, gesturing with a nod of his head for Loki to follow. ]

The cafeteria is the other end of the base, so it's a bit of a walk. But it will all still be there by the time you get back to a window, I promise.

[someone must've shrunk him and dipped him in sugar.

he has no problem following, but like any fourteen year old boy, he sort of strays here and there and gets a bit distracted with this and that as they pass it.]

I'm sure time is something I'll have plenty of.

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