( 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]

[ wow don't call him out like that. his gaze skitters for a moment. ]

I never thought about it until I came here. It's not the easiest thing to confront other versions of yourself.

[hevenly]

[ She'll allow him to look away as much as he needs, simply eating her cotton candy until he's ready. ]

Mm. It is something I have yet to encounter. [ There don't seem to be any other Aldrifs out there in the multiverse. But perhaps that is because there are no human stories about her. ] But I have confronted enough remnants of the different aspects of my past to get a sense of what it must be like.

[dothelokimotion]

Mmm.

I've . . . made the acquaintance of someone. Who knew me from another reality. And seems very convinced I'm the same. He . . . sees me and it was very confusing at first. I wanted to be that. So he could want me.

[ loki pulls a strand of the cotton candy and eats it slowly. best way to pretend he didn't spew his feelings. ]

[hevenly]

[ The sudden admission surprises Angela. She did not think of Loki as being so candid with his feelings, unless he is somehow forced to be.

But... This is a positive turn, so she won't question it. ]

What sort of reality does he come from, to know you as you are, yet you do not know him?

[dothelokimotion]

Some islands that were ruled by a God, apparently.

[hevenly]

[ Hang on, that does sound familiar. ]

The Endless Isles?

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki frowns. ]

Perhaps? I am unsure of the name.

[hevenly]

I believe I may have spoken to this acquaintance of yours, online. We commiserated over our shared experience of being trapped in another reality by a malicious god.

[dothelokimotion]

It does seem to be a consistent theme. For some bizarre reason.

[hevenly]

I am sure Loki has some theory as to why certain realities are magnets for the displaced.

[ She doesn't need to specify which Loki she means. ]

[dothelokimotion]

Most likely.

[ but he doesn't care for the theory. he's just wondering if he's making a mistake by committing and chasing after someone who seems to like him. cherish him. even see his worth, without receiving anything in return. to loki, that's a goldmine. ]

What was it like for you?

[hevenly]

Unpleasant. [ Her turn to look away, frowning. ] Full of monsters and death.

[ Only, she was one of the monsters, and she was the one killing others to survive. ]

There is another here from Ryslig, now. He was playing piano in the foyer, earlier. [ She gestures towards inside, where Slade is presumably still milling about. ]

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki squints at slade. wasn't that the mansplainer? ]

The one who was explaining Hamlet to random people?

[hevenly]

Perhaps. That does sound like something Slade would do.

He's the one with wings, horns, and more eyes than necessary.

[ When one is the only nephilim in the place, one tends to stand out ]

[dothelokimotion]

Friend or foe?

[hevenly]

[ She shakes her head. ]

Acquaintance. Possible ally.

[ Truth be told, she and Slade weren't all that close, on the peninsula. ]

He is a man who keeps his own secrets.

[dothelokimotion]

[ hmm. ]

Do you need someone to keep an eye on him?

cw cannibalism mention

[hevenly]

I will watch him.

[ She'll have to, given that he still seems to be touched by the Fog's curse... and therefore still has the need to feed on human flesh. ]

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki nods. he has no doubt angela has this in hand. ]

All right.