He was ready to start from the top.
Loki put up a hand. “What do you say to that you and I are not so different?” He winked, knowing just how tired the turn of phrase actually was. “I mean, of course, the windfall of your position. President of the university whose city has a hole in the ground that draws all matter of life from the multiverse, good, bad, mortal, immortal, even stragglers from the Beyond. I don’t envy your workload.”
“Naturally, I’m here for business.”
It went without saying that was a gross simplification, as it was always with Loki–he had rather a miraculous talent for burying the lead. One card in the hand at a time, or so he’d say. Frankly, he just liked the dramatic tension in the slow reveal.
(Although offering a break was very kind of him. Gods know Loki heckled that poor secretary to the ends of the earth to be sitting here handsomely.)
“We’re more or less marooned on an interdimensional island complete with ominous fog mists of decay outside city limits. I don’t believe I have to tell you why that’s cause for concern, especially of figures more public such as you or I.” Loki deemed to omit the part where his claim to a regular job on Radiale was as a columnist on a newspaper, as if he’d ever be without the crime of unduly fluffing himself up. “So, I have to suggest a coalition of sorts. Under the table, away from prying eyes. We can’t be sure if our friendly neighborhood prison wardens can hear everything we say, but why make it easier than it already is?”
Ever a go-getter, this God of Mischief. If he were being earnest, it surprised him–genuine surprise, not of the mock shout and bugled eyes variety–of how many people sucked into this city didn’t seem to care a whit about the how or why or if they’d ever see their homeworld again once the initial shock ran out. That was something Loki could never abide by; an unsolved mystery demanded his attention as though the wailing of a siren.
And, well, he could provide.
“At first,” Loki was saying again, “I considered only the arcane and innately powerful for this. Mages, sorcerers, deities, their ilk. But I came to the realization that power was useless if the wielders had no interest in the work. So, I suppose what I’m asking of you is…”
His smile showed every sterling white on his teeth. “Are you?”
James was his opposite, he just wanted to get to the point without theatrics and the more Loki took long, the frown on his face got longer. But something that the gremlin said piqued his interest. He propped up his elbows and leaned forward to his desk, his eyes trained to him like a hawk. There was some benefit in listening intuitively to Loki, and he would admit that he had almost considered his offer for a moment.
There was truth to what he’d implied. Information is important to have in your arsenal, knowing your situation puts you at a closer step into solving your problem, and if you put yourself with like-minded people just think of how fast progress would be.
But oh, he had enough secret societies for his lifetime.
“It’s true that would like to know more about this world..” This fingers tightened themselves around the other. “..but right now, I don’t think the discreet approach would be favorable for me.”
