nexus_sages | At What Price Respect

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At What Price Respect

Verity in the forum? Not a strange sight. Verity without coffee? Rather less common. Verity slumping, exhausted, into a couch? Unusual. Verity covered in scrapes, bruises, and dust? Definitely strange.

"Help isn't if it's forced on someone. This is true. Someone not in possession of all of the facts cannot give fully informed consent. This is also true. But nobody can be forced to listen." Of course Verity has things on her mind. Who here doesn't? "How do you reconcile that? Is ignorance truly bliss? Or do you do what's needed to save someone despite their choices?"

((A note before you come to play with Verity: she's got a magic spell stuck in her that lets her always know when someone is lying to her. This includes sarcasm and knowing when someone believes something to be true when it isn't. This doesn't include lies of omission. She can also see through illusions. Please respect this; if your character is trying to lie to her, please make that known so she can react appropriately. [I completely understand this isn't going to be everyone's idea of fun.] Thanks.))

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"I'm only relaying what I've read. If you found the cave and there was no god, nor a snake, what else is there? Unless, like you said, he was removed by another entirely? Wanting to prevent that end?

"I'm not saying it's a foregone conclusion, but it's two pieces that fit together nicely. Even if he's not directly causing it; what if it was just a matter of 'if he leaves, it starts?'"

"Correlation is not causation. We don't know that he was ever put in any cave." If the stories were all true, she wouldn't have such a hard time with them. But he's given her an idea. "Maybe... he's trying to stop it. Maybe that's why I can't find him."

"Possible. Do you believe him capable of that? He sounded like the sort to revel in mischief. But given that he's a being related to destructive fire and the inevitable forces of nature, going against what was prophesied seems strange.

"...Unless this is an event unrelated to the ending he's supposed to be involved in. Another reason he'd be out to stop it, like you said."

"I know he'd try." That's all anyone could reasonably ask. "He's not the one who did the bad things in those stories. He's better than that one."

Not necessarily by much.

"Ah. So not all of this would apply, then?" He wish he'd known that a lot sooner. How much is variables and how much are lies? Maybe that's why she couldn't stand to read it herself. Well, he already suspected that with how much tales of that nature are exaggeration or just legend, but still. All the more now.

"Why is a girl having to look after a god in the first place? Shouldn't it be the other way around?"

"I hope not." Reincarnated gods are a tricky business. She could be entirely wrong, maybe it's all going to crash down on his head after all. His parents would like that.

"Because that's what friends do." Isn't it?

"Is it? I suppose. I always sort of assumed you were a worshiper with how fervent you were about this god. But it's strictly fondness for him?"

These two are both so bad at being friends.

The idea of her worshipping Loki. Wow. That face she's making.

That's a "no".

"We're friends." Why does nobody believe her?

He makes an undignified noise as he tries to stifle a laugh at her expression. Also ineffectively tries to cover it with a cough afterwards.

"How would you even go about befriending a god like that? Do you ever suspect he wants something from you?" Because that's how he'd be if he was a god.

Hmph. She'd be laughing too if she saw the face she's making. But still, hmph.

"Of course he wanted things. But that doesn't mean we weren't friends. And, we just. Were at a sort of a party? He was looking for someone, I was being nasty to people, it was a match made in Midgard."

"Hah! So he appreciates your barbs and acidic humour? I can respect that. I do hope I'm not sounding as if I'm trying to turn you against him or sway your opinion. It's just an...interesting power dynamic, to be friends with a god and not expect him to have ulterior motives."

"I know it's hard to believe, but yes, he really did. Does. He really does appreciate me. I don't care that he had ulterior motives, I just wanted to know what they were before I agreed to things." She just moved in with the local gremlin clearly good decision-making is not part of her power set.

To be fair, he'll probably be one of the most unobtrusive roomies ever; either here in the Nexus, holed up in his study, or asleep. Just ignore the occasional magical noises coming from upstairs.

But still. Local gremlin as a roomie.

"Do you think he'll find his way to the Nexus proper at any point? It seems like this place would attract his kind."

It's not so much different than he making friends with Loki or Lorelei, and that worked out super well for her until it didn't.

"Maybe? If anyone was going to end up here, I'd expect it to be him. He'd like it here. Or maybe he ran away to the past and is hiding there."

"...I'm not versed enough in chronomancy to fathom the implications of that. Retreating to a doomed world's past. Would that be safer or-..." He shakes his head. The notion is giving even his magical brain a distinct ache.

"As it is, given that he is a god and they tend to have no shortage of power and omnipresence at their disposal, perhaps you shouldn't worry overmuch about him? I suspect that is easier said than done, but again: he is a god. And you are just Verity."

What a pep talk. Though at least he adds, "And you should be no god's keeper. You'll ultimately only worry yourself to sickness at this point. You've done all the actions you can take on the matter."

She nods a little, her head and shoulders drooping. "You're right. There's nothing else I can do but wait, is there?" She takes off her glasses to rub at her eyes and temples. "He'll find a way to take care of himself. He probably already has."

"And then he will find his way to the Nexus and make fun of you for being such a worrywart." He gives her a less toothy smile, something a bit more kind. "You'll see."

She laughs a little at the idea, although it's a very sad sort of laugh. "True. He probably will. And then he'll demand bacon and tell me all about the things he's been doing that have kept him so busy."

That might help explain all the bacon in the fridge. It's hope bacon.

Bacon tastes best when brined in hope.

"That was a great deal of bacon in there. I didn't take you for the type who ate so much of it, but I suppose that explains THAT." He chuckles. "Best he arrive before it all spoils or he'll make jest about THAT as well."

She would have pegged him for a "tears of my enemies" type. It's saltier that way.

"Yeah, wouldn't be the first time. You wouldn't believe how often the jobs his parents send him on have interrupted our brunch plans." So rude.

Ixis Naugus does love him some salt.

"Do you know his parents all that well? Are they even reachable? I feel like we've discussed this once before, but I do not recall the particulars. Were you to invoke their favour and demand they tell you where their son has spirited away to..." Why would he ever suggest doing the nice thing for gods and supplicating before them? No supplication! Ever!

Edited 2015-09-13 21:20 (UTC)

"I've never met them," she admits. "He and his brother and their friends from... back home weren't on good terms with the All-Mother or the All-Father. But. I could ask them."

Because he's totes not going to mind her trying to build a shrine in the living room right?

Just don't let it fuck up his leylines. He might mysteriously move it a few inches to one direction if it does and not explain himself.

"It's worth a try. To give yourself some peace of mind and point of reference, if nothing else. It may make you feel better to do that one last piece of effort as well, to rest in the knowledge you truly exhausted all your options and all that is now left is to wait."

She'll think about that for a few minutes before admitting, "You're right. It's time for the truly drastic measures."

Because calling someone's mommy is way more serious than the potential of facing giant venomous snakes or having to climb around in caves.

He'll roll with it, since calling up favours from gods seems so...humble. And if there's one thing Ixis Naugus is not, it's humble. Drastic indeed.

"Do you know how one is able to contact them? Do they just walk about like your Loki apparently did, or do they have to be invoked as a proper god?"

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