Here Comes the Sun

[divasmio]

Who: Apollo and You!
What: Arrival
Where: North Pole
When: March 11
Warnings/Notes: None

Apollo trusts the Moon.

Even though it hadn't spoken with his sister's voice — Which was certainly a jarring turn of events, to say the least — Apollo trusts it enough to listen and answer its call.

He steps out of the frigid North Pole air and into the entrance of Santa's Workshop, shaking the snow off his boots (The Moon had the good sense to tell him to dress warmly before the dimension-hop, and as previously stated, Apollo trusts the Moon.) and looking around in wonder. He'd never paid much attention to Christmas beyond what he'd gleaned from cultural osmosis, but the warmth and aesthetic of this place is certainly more than he'd expected.

Gazing up at the Globe of Belief, Apollo admires the blend of whimsy and sleek style. This place feels like the sort of place Olympus should be — Embracing the future and keeping a watchful eye on the people depending on them, not a tyrant shutting himself in an ancient Ivory Tower and forcing the whole family to do the same.

In the dining area, Apollo doesn't know how they managed to procure such fresh vegetables out here in the literal Arctic but he is not complaining.

He can also be found lounging in the relaxation area or practicing archery in the training room.

Or anywhere else, really!

Comments

Relaxation area

[bestbrotherever]

Loki was planning on relaxing with company- probably. Whatever plans he had, he forgot as soon as he stepped into the room and saw another god. He can just tell that that's what the new arrival is. He stops dead and just glares at the interloper.

Re: Relaxation area

[divasmio]

The presence of someone else's divinity tugs at Apollo's senses. He whirls, and smiles brightly when he spots the broody-looking stranger. He looks vaguely familiar, but Apollo can't quite place it. Certainly not from his pantheon, anyway, which is... relieving, of all things. He supposes he shouldn't be too surprised. He's having trouble getting used to the feeling of being a god again; It will be nice to get acclimated away from the prying eyes of his family.

"Ah, hello! My name is Apollo. I've just been recruited."

[bestbrotherever]

Loki does not let up his glare. Or his stiff posture. The most he does is cross his arms. Hands are not available for shaking.

"You would have to be, as I was the only god called for this mission. I am Loki, God of Mischief. I am not the one of this world, but I am here to defend it all the same."

[divasmio]

Ah.

So that's how it's going to be.

Apollo recognizes him now; He's Loki, from those movies. He's not entirely sure how, but this is a different world. And stranger things have happened.

After a moment of regarding him thoughtfully, Apollo finally answers with a warm smile, "From the Norse pantheon, right? There's a Loki in my world, too, though I've not had the chance to meet him."

Apollo had been keeping up with those movies at one point, but fell off somewhere a while back — His interest and involvement waned as corporate greed got its nasty little tendrils around the franchise. A shame, really. They had been fun movies. And knowing how the most recent few went would be very helpful in navigating this conversation.

Then again, it's not that hard to glean what Loki's issue is, either. He might as well have just explicitly said I feel threatened by your presence. The movie Loki had some insecurities, right? Something with Thor? It probably didn't help that Apollo looked the part of a blond jock.

Well, as far as Apollo's concerned, The Moon chose Loki. She — He (He must take care not to misgender this world's moon in the future) saw something trustworthy in Loki. Apollo is more than willing to give him a chance.

"It's a relief to see another god here."

[bestbrotherever]

"Is it." Loki bares his teeth. It's not even technically a smile except in the loosest sense. "I suppose, if you do not have to fear that any other gods will drag you back to the eternal torment you deserve, you would find it a relief."

He takes a step forward. "I presume you are not here to do the gods of Asgard a favor." He doesn't really think it's likely, but he does want to make it clear what he has reason to expect from other gods.

[divasmio]

His expression sobers, and he nods. "I am Apollo, and I am very firmly Greco-Roman. Where I come from, the Olympians and the Aesir generally stay out of each others' affairs."

He offers another small smile. "And whatever you may have done in the past that's put you in the Aesir's crosshairs, that's none of my business."

[bestbrotherever]

"I can only presume they do the same in my universe, if your pantheon even exists. I have only heard of them from the myths created by mortals. But perhaps Odin knows more that he has not deigned to reveal."

Now his spreads his hands. "And what of the threat that I might pose? Loki's freedom means the start of Ragnarok, after all. Do you not worry that I should be dealt with to prevent that from occurring?"

[divasmio]

A prophecy? That sounds like a prophecy, though it's surprisingly specific. Apollo's ready to argue that he's the god of prophecy where he comes from, and the cause-and-effect of these things aren't always cut and dry, but Loki seems very convinced that this is something that will be his fault eventually. And perhaps it will; Apollo can't definitively say.

Still, he's learned recently that even gods can choose to take control of their destiny, and write their own stories. That was a lesson he'd learned through his own blood, sweat, and tears, and also some zombie poison. Master poet he may be, but Apollo's not sure how well he can convey those teachings in words alone.

Briefly, he wonders what Meg would say at a moment like this. She was always quite good at cutting right to the point when she wanted to.

Apollo purses his lips for a moment, looking Loki up and down, before meeting his gaze again.

"Okay, do it. Start Ragnarok. Right now."

[bestbrotherever]

Okay, that goes get a hint of an actual smile of amusement out of Loki. "Believe me, I have no wish to, here or in any other realm. But I know what is expected of Loki. From prophecies and from my past. And when the risk is so great, is it not worth taking a single life in order to prevent it?"

[divasmio]

"I suppose I could." Apollo says with a shrug, keeping a straight face. "But if I were to kill you and then it turns out Ragnarok gets started by Loki Smith who lives down the street, that's going to be really embarrassing."

He offers a small smile, then, trying to look reassuring. "Prophecy can be misleading. If it says, word for word, that Loki's freedom leads to Ragnarok, it could very well mean your soul being freed from your body might trigger it. Or perhaps the act of being freed from imprisonment — in which case, the solution would be to simply never imprison you in the first place. Or it could be talking about a different Loki entirely."

[bestbrotherever]

Loki's mouth twist. "Well then, should I find the exact wording of the specific prophecies around me, I will bring them to you for interpretation." He says it flippantly, but he does mean it. The problem is, has always been, that they don't even know if there is a real prophecy, and he's unlikely to find the answer here.

"Until then, I hope you understand that I will not submit to death in order to avert a potential catastrophe. I would like to continue to live in an un-destroyed world."

[divasmio]

"Okay, uh, me neither. So I'm glad we've got that cleared up."

He doesn't understand why Loki is so convinced that Apollo would even try. He tries not to take it personally — Apollo knows he looks a little bit like that world's Thor. Perhaps that's influencing Loki's attitude.

Still, it's a little frustrating, and against his better judgment Apollo keeps talking.

"Look... this Ragnarok thing is clearly weighing on you a lot. All I'm saying is lot of prophecies aren't fully clear until after they come true. They're a guide to point you in the right direction, not an instruction manual. There's always very important details and context missing. Sometimes they surprise even me, and I'm the God of Prophecy."

Apollo pauses, then adds, "So what I mean is... maybe you'll start Ragnarok, maybe you won't, but we won't know until it happens. Until then, I'm not going to judge you for it."

"The Moon chose you, and the Moon has never steered me wrong when it mattered. So I guess my point is that I'm willing to trust you. Especially since we're on the same team." He sweeps his arm to gesture toward the rest of Santa's Workshop.

Dining area

[favoritefearlesshero]

Puss's lifelong policy of feasting when there's a feast to be had has been put to the test over his stay here. Sometimes food is hard to come by, eat as much as you can when you can and all that, but now it's time to reel that particular survival instinct back a tad.

If that means eating a chicken leg or two instead of the entire bird, so be it. That's the beauty of magic. Tomorrow will be a feast too.

Still, it's amazing chicken. And great milk. He's taking a swig when he sees a statuesque man he's never seen before. Maybe it's the milk talking, but he feels the need to welcome him. He raises his glass in Apollo's direction.

"Hola, new guy! Come sit at the table for handsome devils!"

[divasmio]

Apollo's no stranger to talking animals, but he's not sure he's met any that ooze charisma quite like this one. With a brilliant smile, Apollo takes his tray and glass of wine and sits across from the stranger. "Hola, Señor! My name is Apollo, I just got here today." He raises his wine. "And to whom do I owe the pleasure?"

[favoritefearlesshero]

And he speaks Spanish! Maybe! That greeting wasn't actually conclusive! Good start though.

"Oh, I have many names," he says while gesturing grandly with the chicken leg. "El Gato Diablo, Frisky Two-Times, The Stabby Tabby...but my friends call me Puss in Boots! Pleased to make your acquaintance."

[kemonookami]

[Having relocated out of the sleigh room, Garurumon now hangs out in this room a lot, mostly because he feels it's more spacious than the rest of the workshop, and a monster like him needs space because, well, just look at him, he's sizable. Opening his eyes from an impromptu nap and seeing a stranger just staring up at the globe...well, it takes him a minute of glaring to decide this might not be a threat. He has his guard up, but at least Garurumon isn't attacking]

Hah. So we're getting someone who will stare at it all day, aren't we?

[divasmio]

[ Apollo turns, looking in surprise at the humongous wolf-like creature. He can't identify it exactly, but he can tell when a dog's hackles are raised. When Apollo speaks, he tries to keep his tone light, in that I-swear-I'm-not-a-threat way. Divine he may be, those jaws would probably hurt. ]

Well, I'm quite accustomed to viewing Earth from this angle, so I suppose I'm just drawn to what's familiar.

[kemonookami]

How does that work? Because that'd have you floating in outer space or whatever the nothingness outside of the planet is like.

[He has not really any concept of outer space. Maybe it exists where he's from, but, well, the Kemonogami world is full of beasts who are far more focused on the earthly and immediate matters]