sirenspull | Ninth Trick: Permavideo (earlier in the day~)

[The NV feed shows Loki in profile, backlit by a bonfire in the middle of a street in Sector 3. Focus shifts in as an impromptu altar set before the bonfire, carved with runes and decorated with a slaughtered ram comes into view.

Vikings loiter around the fire with piles of suspiciously modern goods, hoisting drinking horns and distributing wares, singing traditional songs of praise for battles won and companions lost in heroic sacrifice- no flyting, not with Loki around to best them all. Behind the whole scene are a few storefronts with suspiciously smashed windows.

Loki turns to the NV and his grin is all even white teeth, predatory]

To whom it may concern, I've contained the Vikings.

[He raises his own drinking horn at them and calls out] Mein Skol, Dein Skol, Alle Vakkera Flikka Skol! [They raise their own horns and call a hearty response before drinking.

Loki throws back his head laughing and drinks from his own horn, eyes glowing the green of bale fires.]

I'd forgotten how fun mortals were.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

How did it go downhill? [He tips his head, genuinely interested in the answer.]

...Well...

[Hesitation doesn't last long before he goes into a brief retelling of things.]

So I was pretty much trying to help out my Viking clan by getting rid of some pests? N-not just ordinary pests - dragons. Because they've been plaguing us for the past how many years now and all I've done so far was add to the trouble. Except I was able to take one down! No one believed me. And then I found out later that killing dragons wasn't my true calling and my dad was like, "Nonsense! You'll be fine taking dragon training with the others!" and I tried convincing him that I couldn't but he wouldn't hear it.

[He even got his dad's accent down for that. Hiccup then sighs.]

Annnd I might have said too much, but yeah, that's...that's it.

How did you manage to take one down?

[Tips his head, considering.]

Things are not always a matter of couldn't, do you want to kill dragons?

Well, since I couldn't throw a bola sling, I-I sorta built something to help throw it for me. And it actually hit! But of course no one saw it happen...

[Hiccup then trails off, staying quiet for a moment as he mulls over this.]

...I...uh. I'm working on it.

Working on wanting to kill dragons? Forcibly shifting your desires hardly speaks of your own want, but the need to fill expectations of others.

[Oh, Hiccup, he sympathizes, he really does.]

Intelligence in using mechanical means to compensate for physical ...deficiencies. A solid idea, though one likely not as appreciated as beating something over the head with a club oneself, in your tribe?

[Every word jabs into him, hitting the truth of the matter head on. Every word. He flinches, rolling his eyes up and around as he tries to recover from this.]

Ow. Yyyyou could say that...being very, very well-versed in stuff like this- [Here he adds a fail-switching of topics.] Wh-what did you say your name was again?

I never said. But I give it freely. [He likes this one, after all] Loki. And your name in turn?

A bit more confidence, hm? Intelligence is a scarce commodity in a society where brawn rules.

[He grins awkwardly, shaking his head.]

Hiccup. Confidence- I can do confidence. Yeah. And intelligence? Hah! If only it were that easy to convince the Vikings back at home-

[He then freezes. For several seconds. Which feels like an hour to him in passing as his mind goes over that name.

Did the guy just say he was-]

-L-Loki?!

[His eyes are so wide open.]

Like...the Loki???

Never easy, but at some point they will need your mind. Of course, I doubt they will be grateful for whatever boon your intelligence grants them...

The Loki.

[He nods shakily, trying to play it off as coolly as possible.]

Y...yeah, that'll be the day. And it'd be a very good day, whenever it happens.

O-hoooh man. Oh gods. This is...definitely not what I pictured you to be...?

Yes, yes, shorter than expected, I suppose. One would be surprised how often I am told that.

Anyone can be a good warrior, Hiccup, but not just everyone is intelligent.

Well, uh-

[He blinks, pausing to think about this. It also gets him to calm down some as he does so.]

...Really?

Yes... unless they are crippled or an invalid of some kind. Or an utter coward, but I suppose even an utter coward can simply run into battle flailing his sword.

The point is, the ability to think and solve problems without simply smashing them is a strength unto itself.

There is that, yeah! But really- th-this is some of the best advice I've ever heard.

Obviously it is. I'm a god. The clever god.

...Haha, riiight, that's- I almost forgot! In such a short amount of time.

Keep it in mind, if you're ever in dire trouble, call for me and I'll ~~likely~~ aide you. The world is a more interesting place with one such as yourself in it, I think.

...O...Okay. I can do that. Um. Thank you.

You are quite welcome.

Yeah.

I guess. I should go. And, uh, I'll see you around?

More than likely.

Ninth Trick: Permavideo (earlier in the day~)

Re: [Video]

[Video]

Re: [Video]

Re: [Video]

Re: [Video]

Re: [Video]

Re: [Video]

Re: [Video] 1/3

Re: [Video]

Re: [Video]

Re: [Video]

Re: [Video]

Re: [Video]

Re: [Video]

Re: [Video]

Re: [Video]

Re: [Video]

Re: [Video]

Re: [Video]

[Video]

Re: [Video]

Re: [Video]

Re: [Video]