Video | After Than and Link's trip through the gate

[realitywarped]

Hello, the ship!

[Loki's tone, cheerful as always, and his smile don't quite match his eyes, which are a little more tense than usual. Wary, mostly, a little angry, and also somewhat distracted. Unsurprising, given that he's planning a little trip later, but- there's always time for curiosity. And talking. He does like talking.]

A couple of questions I find myself pondering, should you wish to consider them. One: if this Ingress takes you to your home universe- where, precisely, did our brave test volunteers go? Surely one of them and likely both are from this universe, yes? So, then, where did the gate take them?

[He props his arms on the kitchen counter, leaning to rest his chin on his hands, still smiling lopsidedly.]

Question two: if the machine doesn't work entirely as intended already- what's to say it works as intended at all? Does it really take you home, or do you merely think you've been? Perhaps you instead end up in a dimension shaped by your whim and will, a mayfly universe of desires and subconscious urges...

[He straightens, shrugging.]

Well, I suspect it doesn't matter all too much to most of you. Still, be careful with your whims, perhaps. They do have a habit of biting you in painful places, if you let them roam too freely, trust me.

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[takeitslow]

Has anyone ever told you that you're kind of a downer?

[He's teasing, mostly. He figures Billy's boyfriend, because that's apparently a thing that happened, won't be among those yelling at him if he tries to talk to them.]

[realitywarped]

Am I? Perhaps I have valid reason. Have you heard from Billy in the last couple of days?

[He raises an eyebrow. He might not agree with Peter's stance on reprogramming people, but he can hardly argue for "each to his own" and then refuse to talk to them because they did exactly that.]

Besides, it never hurts to give people something to think about.

[takeitslow]

He's going to be fine.

[Quick, automatic response. Bruce had went into cryo and came back okay. So would Billy. He didn't have the emotional stability to consider otherwise.]

I think a lot of people kind of need this, dude. Don't ask them to look the gift horse in the mouth.

[realitywarped]

Why not? That's the first place you should look, lest the gift-horse have a mouth full of sharp pointy teeth, or be full of soldiers.

[Loki, paranoid? Who would have thought it, right?]

And he'd better come back exactly as he was when he went in, or there'll be... repercussions.

[takeitslow]

Eh. I'm more of a deal with burning the bridge after you cross it kind of guy. Not a nip the problem in the bud one. Besides, I don't think anyone is going to listen when they know this might be their only chance to see their families again.

[Nobody, that's who.]

Let me guess, going to tear this place apart if something happens?

[realitywarped]

No, I know. But this way, when it inevitably all goes horribly wrong, I'll have the warm glow of self-satisfaction.

[He never said he was a very nice person, after all.

His lips turn up in something very, very far away from happiness.]

To Billy? Oh, no. That would be far too obvious. My power works better in smaller ways- and I have so many ways of making our captain's lives very difficult.

[takeitslow]

[Not a nice person indeed. Lucky that Peter doesn't care at all about that kind of thing.]

Really? Just smaller things? Because I'd go for something a lot bigger, will if it comes to it. [Like hell he could be convinced to play the long con if something did happen to his nephew.] Who cares about being obvious when someone has to pay?

[realitywarped]

It's less about obvious, and more about consequences. If I want to be better than what came before, remembering there are consequences is at least one way I can do that, whether it's unwelcome attention, or people getting caught in the crossfire who I'd as soon not cause harm.

[He's a little younger and a little wiser than he was, even if that's the wrong way around. And he remembers that vengeance, as satisfying as it might seem, often seems hollow when it hurts yourself more than the other person.]

[takeitslow]

[Ugh. Loki, that's all so intelligent and mature sounding. Peter can't relate.]

Does the attention matter? As long as you got the right people on your side, does it matter who you piss off?