1 - Have I made you desperate?

[lacksconviction]

[He takes his time before introducing himself, establishing the purpose of this place, the fact that his magic definitely was depleted and not coming back by any means known to him, and weighing up the odds of his escaping by the usual means, before deigning to make his first journal entry. He has taken off his ridiculous supervillain hat, for effect:]

My my, is this not an ambitious effort? Certainly, a more elaborate one than the last chamber in which I was imprisoned. To whose hospitality do I owe my gratitude, may I ask? Which one-eyed wolf has clamped these strange jaws around my throat?

[He smiles, but it's unconvincing. His eyes look strangely pained.]

Or perhaps I expect too much in assuming this a prison, rather than an arsenal of purloined weapons, or a vault to hold the spoils of war?

[A slight pause, before he decides he's giving away far too much, and clicks the communicator off.]

Comments

[umgekehrt]

Welcome to the Barge, then.

[Stildyne: ugly as sin and largely immune to drama-- most days.]

I've never met the admiral, but I'd somehow assumed he had the normal compliment of eyes.

[lacksconviction]

The Admiral. To whom does he answer then? He controls this vessel, but who directs the fleet?

Private

[chlorophylliac]

[Video, but could just as easily be voice. All that's available to see is a table and a bunch of pot plants and occasionally a green elbow.]

The latter two serve as readily as the first to explain what this place is. There will eventually be an old man who answers to 'Marquis' along to explain how this is not a prison, using only his narrow experience of what imprisonment actually is.

Ultimately your captor is the Admiral. He rarely speaks and is not seen.

Private

[lacksconviction]

And you are one among my fellow captives I presume?

I was on earth, with two worlds ready to lay claim to me as I fell. I mean to know which conspired to entrap me here?

video

[thrawn]

An arsenal.

Yes, it should be quite an interesting one, at that.

[Thrawn's red eyes are glittering at you Loki. That's a lovely way of viewing this.]

As others have explained, and shall no doubt continue to explain, I shall skip the basics.

Welcome to the Barge, I am Thrawn.

video

[lacksconviction]

[Loki visibly stiffens, because... well, damn just look at you.]

Thrawn.

[There's a short pause and then a few exploratory clicks, and then...]

[PRIVATE]

[...and then the pink of his flesh frosts over into blue, and his own red eyes stare back at Thrawn.]

I am Loki, Slayer of Laufrey, and Prince of Asgard.

[Yes he's expecting this to mean something to you, since you're clearly a frost giant.]

[lastmanstanding]

...Who held you last time?

[lacksconviction]

You have answered neither one of my questions, why should I answer yours?

[nakesnakecobracobra]

Does it matter who is responsible?

[lacksconviction]

To a caged bird, I think it should matter very much who holds the keys...

[persuadeyou]

[It isn't difficult to look past the smile and see the pain, but she doesn't believe it yet. Nicole would, however, so on comes the video feed, now that she's gotten her wounds tended to, and he gets a faintly concerned face.]

I wouldn't exactly call him a one-eyed wolf, but I guess that works.

[lacksconviction]

[Suspicions confirmed! Loki forces himself to relax at the sight of Natasha, and leans back, trying to look for all the world that he doesn't give a damn that he clearly lost.]

I see. So Fury won, when they drew lots for my containment. Are you here in hopes of me baring some strange truth again, Ms Romanov?

[myfedorarocks]

Ooh, I love cryptic introductions!

[lacksconviction]

It's only cryptic to the ignorant.

[aka: IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE IF YOU'RE ME.]

[Private]

[diedinnewyork]

Somebody's mad.

Relax, apart from maybe three people here these guys are cocksuckers and ants. Worthless.

[Private]

[lacksconviction]

You speak like one who wishes to exclude himself from such titles?

Are you not an ant, friend?

[wedonot]

It's nothing quite so personal. Was winding up a spoil of war something you needed to be concerned about?

[lacksconviction]

It would not be unheard of.

[/evasive little prince is go!]

[strangehistorian]

Hi there! This is the Barge, and the man in charge is the Admiral.

[lacksconviction]

So I've heard. And you are?

[truth_is_cold]

It could easily pass as an arsenal. Many of the people here, either inmates or wardens, are exemplary tacticians and fighters.

Private

[lacksconviction]

Tacticians, you say?

And here I was told that the wardens blindly serve an unpredictable madman on the distant promise of their hearts desire...

[scentbombed]

[Have a two-eyed wolf, Loki.]

One-eyed wolf? Is that poetic license, or the real thing, Mister...?

[lacksconviction]

A little of each. One of my pursuers is a true wolf, all grizzled grey fur and slathering jaws, the other is merely human.

[hourglass_twin]

This is a prison, run by an 'Admiral' who is quite ambitious in those he chooses to hold in it.

[lacksconviction]

I suppose you speak of yourself there? Did you believe yourself uncontainable?

[video]

[aggravating]

['Sup my little gazelleLoki.]

Kind of sucks as a prison. More of a self-help yoga ship that runs on rainbows and moonbeams.

Although - have to ask - what the hell is with one eyed things being more of a pain in the ass than something that still has depth perception?

[video]

[lacksconviction]

[clip clop clip clop.]

It draws it's power from the Bifrost?

[RAINBOW BRIIIIIIIDGE!]

You speak most freely with me, Man of Iron...

[thestarspangledman]

...Coulda sworn we just got rid of you.

[lacksconviction]

[AT LAST SOMEONE WHO CLEARLY RECOGNIZES HIM!]

[But actually now that it's established that some people here inexplicably don't recognize each other...]

Forgive me sir, but I know not your face. You are Asgardian?

[mightymorbid]

I'm going to say all of the above. You'll make up your own mind about it soon enough either way.

[lacksconviction]

And what of it has your mind made? I've been told many conflicting tales, and am curious to hear more?

[Private]

[insolubleriddle]

I see some faces find familiarity in yours. Will you be surrendering your anonymity, at some point?

[Riddler raises two fingers to his lips.]

Oh, excuse me. Asking questions without first answering one of yours. [He clucks his tongue in feigned disappointment.] You've been filled in on the basics by now, no doubt, but when you find other curiosities in need of unraveling-- and you will-- I'll have the answers.

[Private]

[lacksconviction]

It is no secret, I am Loki, of Asgard.

[Headtilt. HE IS CHECKIN' OUT YOUR SUIT, EDDIE.]

And let my first question be this: What of you? Will you take my name and withold your own, mortal?

[timesbureaucrat]

It does bear some resemblance to the Anomaly Vault. If the Anomaly Vault were run by a crazed entity with a strange obsession with some sort of vague morality and if it were dedicated to sentients only.

[lacksconviction]

And yet I am beset by people who - blind and willing - serve this unknown creature! You're more a strange cult than a prison...

[video]

[deadliestviper]

[Well if there isn't something insidious about that. His lofty attitude means Beatrix has to risk poking him with a stick:]

If this is a vault, you're a spoil of war along with the rest of us. What battle did you lose?

[video]

[lacksconviction]

[Get your stick away from him Bea!]

That was my concern, I'm afraid. And I've lost many. Against my people, the monsters of another world, and men who would be gods. Failures incalculable.

[plays]

Oh, no. It's certainly a prison.

[lacksconviction]

So It's been explained to me, although some people's interpreting of it seem to differ.

[doctor_j_crane]

A vault to hold the spoils of war? Well, that's quite a different way of looking at it.

[lacksconviction]

An honest question, I've seen such places in my time.

[Private]

[wecanavenge]

[Video; snazzy headgear wearers unite?] A vault would imply some manner of protection; you'll find no safety here.

[Erik leans forward just a little, curious.] Where were you last imprisoned?

[Private]

[lacksconviction]

[Theme music plays!] I don't need protection.

[...Yes, because being on the barge is grade A good looking out for yourself isn't it Loki?]

And Earth. In a glass case on a vessel that commanded the skies.

[youwillgotohell]

If we're an arsenal, we're poorly used and poorly kept. [What no she isn't bitter.]

[lacksconviction]

And what would you propose your correct use to be?