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

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? ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I had a plan. I got a job that used my powers, and used it to get money and training. I thought, once I was more confident in them, I'd join a guild, or freelance. And I was improving; I can make it several blocks at once now, it's not as tiring, and I can take more with me.

But- then people started disappearing, and outsiders with powers weren't just curiosities anymore.

[ loki shakes his head slowly. ]

While plans are beneficial, you need to start from the very beginning.

Who is it you wish to be here?

I don't know. Myself? I wasn't even thinking that much about who I wanted to be when I grew up; I still didn't have my college list finalized.

When I came here, there were others like me. It was overwhelming to know that there were stories greater than mine. That I could fade away.

So I took control of my own narrative. Decided to do something different than the others.

Knowing yourself is the best to combat your fears.

...normal people who get powers either become heroes, or far more often, use them selfishly and become the villains that heroes fight. Doing something different would be continuing to live as I have been.

...but I also can't stand being helpless. Or doing nothing when others need help.

[She can't really talk about it with a stranger, but finding out about Terry's real job has complicated matters. She doesn't want to just be a load on him. But she's not sure about becoming his sidekick, either.]

[ loki purses his lips for a moment. ]

There are no normal people. There are people who take agency in their lives and those who do not. Titles like heroes or villains . . . they're ultimately meaningless.

That sounds a lot like a cliche villain line.

But I have always looked up to the people who tried to make Gotham better despite everything. Wanted to be one of them, instead of getting away from the city to have a better life.

[ loki manages to restrain himself from rolling his eyes. of course that's the part people focus on. not taking their life into their own hands. ]

Then why not start there? If you have ideas to make this place better, you should seek them out.

[It was mostly ribbing, really.]

Yeah, I probably should. 'Specially now.

[She pulls out her phone and opens the OurPowers network, scrolling back a ways.]

Are you part of a guild?

Yes, the boring Hero one. They helped with the theatre.

What's it like?

[ loki shrugs. ]

Rather hands off. They didn't really ask for much and I made sure to go over the terms thoroughly. They seemed to care more about recruitment and image than work.

[She frowns. She doesn't know much about how Justice League membership works, but publicly they've always put more emphasis on works than image and especially recruitment.]

D'you have a copy of those terms? Or are they personalized for everyone?