open | nine ways till sunday

[icasm]

WHO: Loki, Erik, Adrasteia & y'all
WHAT: Catch-all
WHEN: Late Solace / Early August
WHERE: Kirkwall
NOTES: Language warning for Erik, otherwise nothing yet. Open starters in comments.

Comments

[bouchonne]

"So," says Byerly, lifting the glass and wetting his lips, "tell me about yourself." Which is all Loki gets. No further prompting than that.

[icasm]

Loki's eyebrows go up; he takes a sip of his drink and swallows, eyes going from Byerly to the desk, to the walls, and back to the man in front of him.

"Well." Begin at the beginning, isn't that how the saying goes? Yet 'I was adopted after a war between the Jotun and the Æsir in which I was abandoned by the former' seems like... hm. Somewhere he doesn't want to start.

He is taking too long to answer this, he knows. So he takes a breath and begins ticking items off of his fingers. "Prior to my arrival here I was a Frost Giant, raised by Asgardians. Crown prince, actually; second in line to the throne I had very little interest in holding. One-time Regent of the people and planet of Asgard. God of Mischief; Liesmith." Five items thus far. "Former 'employee' of the Time Variance Authority, though that was primarily under duress, and considering they erased me from time, clearly I was not great at that job."

Loki takes another sip of his drink. If you have questions, Byerly, now might be a good time.

[bouchonne]

He takes a very mild sip as Loki speaks. At the end of it, he says, voice placid, "I hope, good fellow, you aren't so ignorant of this world that you believe that what you've said is comprehensible to me."

Another successful negging, delivered by Ambassador Rutyer.

[icasm]

"Fair." He closes his eyes for a moment and continues that way. "Before I arrived here I was not human, though I appeared to be so. I have had a rather long and varied life, including acting as Regent — I should hope you have those here, at the very least — being worshipped as a god and chasing an alternate version of myself through time and different world-ending events. I have experience convincing large numbers of people that I am right, at the very least, but also running a monarchy. I am good at magic, mainly illusions, and I would appreciate some position within your department."

Mainly so he can get the hell out of the group bedrooms but that's not worth mentioning, he decides. Loki opens his eyes. "Is that better?"

Seems like an honest question, not a taunt, though with him? Often hard to tell.

[bouchonne]

It is better, yes. Yet there's little indication on Byerly's face regarding how Loki is doing. His face remains fixed in its usual expression of faint irony.

"In my experience," he says, "the powerful make poor diplomats."

[icasm]

"Then perhaps it is for the best that I am not as powerful as I once was." Loki takes another sip of his drink and considers the glass and its contents. "Provost Stark, I'm sure, would gladly tell you a horror story of how I attempted to overtake his home with the help of well-armored friends, if you wish for more direct reasons why you shouldn't take me on. But I am good at what I set my mind to."

[bouchonne]

"Hm." He swirls the glass. "I suppose I'll need proof of that."

[icasm]

"What sort of proof?" And of which, that's the real question.

[bouchonne]

"The only proof worth anything," he says. "The proof of good work, done consistently over a long period of time."

He considers a moment. "I may have just the work for you to prove that diligence."

[icasm]

Loki squints a little. This sounds like it could be good but also like it could be terrible, honestly.

It depends entirely on the work.

"Okay..."

[bouchonne]

And Byerly smiles, his expression utterly, tranquilly unreadable.

"All right. You're dismissed."

[icasm]

Loki raises his eyebrows, drains his glass, and sets it on the desk next to Byerly's.

"Thank you for the drink."

He's just gonna. Leave. Then.