( open to all ) all the world's a stage

[dothelokimotion]

Who: Open to All
What: Party @ The Opherium
When: August
Where: Central City
Content Warnings: N/A



( i. here for your entertainment )

[ most people would see the strange arrivals as an imposition. and loki does to some degree. that being said, he’s more than willing to turn that problem into a business opportunity. show that he’s open and welcoming. throw in a little extra money to establish the theater as a prominent spot in this world. the doors are open, fees are reduced. and if you’re not interested in catching a play, you might want to stop by the steps where there are a few vendors selling cotton candy, ice-cream sandwiches and beer to passersby and there are a few street performers there to catch your attention, whether they’re juggling fire balls, doing magic tricks or simply playing a pianoforte on the steps of the opherium. ]

( ii. the curtain rises )

[ for this month, loki is running a bunch of shakespearean plays. hamlet, macbeth, the twelfth night . . . you name it, it’s probably running. during the intermissions, there’s an open bar for you to rub elbows with the other patrons, maybe discuss your favourite part of the play. enjoy the arts so to speak. if you catch the really late night shows, you might find that your favourite plays might . . . turn out a little differently. like the trees are real in macbeth. that the ghosts move through the audience, sending chills down your spine. but the experience is still worth it. or is it?

or perhaps, you might need some alone time after a show, wanting to catch the infamous view of the city from the opherium's balcony. the choice is yours. ]

( iii. something wicked this way comes )

[ the theater keeps up odd hours. its productions run late into the night. and sometimes, you might feel the urge to linger and explore. after all, it’s strange to hear that a god of mischief is running a theater these days. almost suspicious even! so you might be wandering the halls, ears and eyes peeled to hear anything that might be unusual.

and you might just get your wish. a ghostly murmur, the flicker of a shadow against the pane of glass, statues that seem to be unnerving with their gaze upon you . . . is there something really there or are you just imagining things? ]

Comments

[dothelokimotion]

[ his brow furrows. ]

Events? Such as?

[bestbrotherever]

An adventure with Thor on the lawless world of Sakaar. [He smiles at the memory.] A simple rescue mission turned into orchestrating a rebellion to overthrow a tyrant who had ruled longer than either of us had been alive.

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki's expression turns wry. ]

Is that how it happened?

[bestbrotherever]

[Loki frowns]

It is. I was staying there, keeping an ear to the ground in a portion of the universe where the disreputable gather. The Grandmaster took a shine to me and was courting me, trying to convince me to stay. He showed off his prized champion, who I recognized as Thor's missing comrade, the Hulk. I, of course, immediately summoned Thor, knowing he would want to help his friend, but unfortunately he was captured en route. Still, he quickly turned it to his advantage once I met with him and explained the situation.

Is that not how it happened in your world?

[dothelokimotion]

[ he's bemused. what a convenient turn of events. ]

More or less.

[bestbrotherever]

[Loki sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose.]

Were you still enemies with Thor at that time?

[dothelokimotion]

Enemies is a strong word. Things were simply . . . tumultuous after Father's death.

[bestbrotherever]

Well. Odin is not yet dead. And while I am certain it will be tumultuous, I doubt Thor and I will be that much at odds. The most we are likely to disagree with is whether I should attend his funeral.

[dothelokimotion]

[ a pause. ]

Not even if you had a hand in his death?

[bestbrotherever]

I am trying to stay as far away from him as I can, so I will not be tempted.

[dothelokimotion]

So you are running away.

[bestbrotherever]

I am taking my fate into my own hands, rather than following the path decreed for me.

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki gives a little snort. ]

Who is dictating your fate?

[bestbrotherever]

Asgard's expectations, and possibly prophecy recorded in Midgard's myths. I will not blindly follow either.

[dothelokimotion]

Asgard is gone. Odin is gone. There is no prophecy and there is no fate pulling at your strings. By choosing to run from one place to another, what kind of legacy are you leaving?

Surely you're not afraid of Asgard and Midgard.

[bestbrotherever]

Asgard is not gone in my universe. What happened to you need not happen to me.

My nomadic lifestyle is a necessity, while Thanos is still alive and controls his armies. Once he is dealt with, I may choose freely where I want to stay. Which need not be Asgard.

[dothelokimotion]

Ah, so you're running from Thanos.

And where is Thor? Is he not traveling with you on your . . . grand intergalactic vacation?

[bestbrotherever]

He is on Midgard, with the Avengers. I am keeping in touch with him, and through him, informing the Avengers of Thanos's movements so they can prepare for his strike.

They will not be caught unawares. As they were in your world.

[dothelokimotion]

[ isn't that convenient? a perfect story with no missteps or mistakes. perfectly laid out. one could say that sounds fated too. loki clicks his tongue at that. ]

I see.

[bestbrotherever]

Why did you never tell Asgard of Thanos? Surely you must have worried about him coming for you and the Tesseract, and I believe Odin sentenced you to imprisonment, not exile as I was. You would have been easy pickings for him. Even if Odin would not believe, it would still have been in your best interest to try, would it not?

[It's the one thing he can't understand about how things "should" have gone. The mistake he can't forgive.]

[dothelokimotion]

Who would I tell? There was no one left to listen to me. They all wished for me to revert to the way I was before and I could not cede that ground. My fear was great, but my rage is greater.

And my rage, I could trust.

[bestbrotherever]

Thor would have believed. He already guessed at it, when he first confronted me on Midgard. Mother would have listened, and tried to convince Odin on your behalf.

If it is rage that you trust, then why not the rage of being ignored? True, it did not end well last time, but what would you have had to lose?

[dothelokimotion]

He guessed, but he did not pursue it. And Mother — [ loki purses his lips. ] — has kept secrets on Odin's behalf before.

And you know the answer to that. There's always something more to lose. And my mind was . . . fractured at that time.

[bestbrotherever]

[Oh. Right. Loki takes a deep breath.]

...did they help you heal your mind?

[dothelokimotion]

No. That came with time and distance.