justdontgiveame | Labyrinthum Inbox

Loki laughed into the hug, enjoying it as he wasn't that cold really. Nor did he protest when it was broken, as he followed the other's lead. "I admit, I did consider taking a job at the Library, but decided that I'd get frustrated and that's not good for anyone else as well as me."

"It wouldn't have been a good decision." Puck agreed. "Feel free to take a look and judge, if you must." he said with some feigned annoyance. For being from the same overall genre, the selection of books had been surprisingly varied, even if they were all fictional. It was a healthy mix of story types, stacked at seemingly random.

First up was For Your Heart, a cute "first love" setup in a generic modern city. Under that rested The Devil's Bride- a horror/romance. Then seemingly out of left field The witch at the center of the Universe- a mystery with some traces of romance, showing a regal magic user on a throne looking down at the viewer with a smirk, and finally Bard poems- volume 3, abridged.

Puck rolled his eyes. "It was very much a case of grabbing what I could find." He moved to check on the food, and nudged the parcel slightly to make sure it was heating evenly. "But they should work for my purpose."

"I spent a year in an Asgardian cell, and was only able to read what my mother had the guards bring me. I won't judge you harshly, I assure you." Loki said conversationally as he looked over the selection. "Seeking ideas and inspiration?"

"Wonderful, because none of these were my first choices. No, actually--" he looked pointedly to the notebook open on the table and mouthed. 'Matching' as he pantomimed opening a book. Puck checked the food again and nodded. "Oh, this seems to be done. Lovely." After he secured his hands, Puck removed the parcel and pitcher, setting both safely out of the way.

Puck grabbed some plates and hummed a bit as he prepared the meal that had been brought. "Why wouldn't someone as in love seek out stories about it?" he asked as if it were the most obvious question in the universe.

Loki nodded with the mouthed word and pantomiming. Good, that meant Puck was likely thinking similarly to how Loki was. Excellent--he'd have to figure out how to more easily speak of his thoughts to the other.

"True, it was a silly question on my part. Maybe it's just because you are all the inspiration I need."

It was a bit of a challenge, talking in code.

"I already love you enough to spend my days apparently summoning you by complete chance, and you put compliments on top of that. If I loved you less I could talk about it more." Puck mentally noted to try and find the book that quote came from. It had been an entire task to find the ones he had, but it would help. Maybe.

With the food ready, Puck collected the plates and headed for the living room. "Let's eat in here, it's more pleasant."

"Wherever you like, as it is your house and I am a guest." But Loki would help carry if needed, and settled carefully. "I would love to spend hours weaving words to form poems of my love for you, but for now I think speaking plainly is best." Aka he was asking if Puck felt safe enough for them to drop the code. If not, Loki would deal--he was good at adapting and clever enough. Had planned in case they might not be able to.

Puck snickered as they both carried things and settled in. He nodded at Loki's last statement as he sat on the couch near him, Puck's own food and drink on the coffee table, within reach. "The sign of any healthy relationship. While we're in here, there's no need for the coded language. Your concern for my comfort is truly adorable." Puck meant that, and smiled. "If we need to turn it back on, we can. Do you have a signal word we could use for that?"

"It would be too on the nose to suggest we go back to 'playing the game' as in the courtship game, but it also amuses me at least." Especially with that double meaning of both 'courting' but also literally playing a 'game' to fool others. "I am glad to see you're settling in well though. I've been checking on a few people. I'm...not used to having people who consider me an actual friend."

Loki was glad to drop the code for now. "I see we're thinking along similar lines though, with regards to hiding our schemes. Now that I can conjure my notebook, as you did not see evidence of my doing so before, it's physically hidden but I plan to lay out duplicate bait anyways."

"Playing the game would be obvious, but if Vaeros is as egotistical as I'm giving him credit for, he would expect something like that. It might even amuse him. Not that I care about doing that." Puck had some food and listened as he gave an understanding wince. "It can be hard to get used to. You seem to be doing it well enough."

Puck nodded. "That's why I've got all of those romance and poetry books. The first bait reads like I've got nothing better to do with my day than spend it thinking about how much I love you. But it also plays to Vaeros as I expect him to possibly try finding it. Not quite kowtowing, but 'I' notice that I should be more appreciative and how heartbreaking it'd be if the party had never happened."

He had another drink. "I almost screamed in anger writing the last page. The idea."

Loki winced sympathetically with the idea. "I toast to your fortitude and self-control then." And Loki did raise his own mug before taking a drink. "I was pondering a decoy journal or two of my own, but only disguising one as another book. Have you considered any ciphers for yours?"

"I had to dig very deeply into the reserves, I assure you." Puck grinned at the toast and had some more of his meal. "Hm? No, not at all. I want to sell two ideas: One, I'm so in the forest with theories that I didn't think to do any type of cipher. Two: I'm lovesick and too busy trying to deal with everything that comes with that to bother taking the actual work of information gathering seriously."

"A cipher would hurt both of those ideas. 'If he's so in love, he shouldn't be thinking of anything else enough to be writing out in code. He's so wrong with these ideas, why bother encoding them?'. But let's be blunt, Vaeros would be too busy breaking his arm to pat himself on the back for what he helped along. I could redo them in a cipher. Maybe."

"Don't, if you're not already. You have good reasons not to. I was also thinking that having much of the core information being spread out was also a useful idea so that no one person has all of it and can be compromised. Eilonwy is also taking notes, for example as she and I have been in contact regularly."

"My hands thank you." Puck had another drink and listened. "I don't recognize the name, but scattering the information is very smart, yes. It's especially important in some lines of work-- backups of backups." His eyes shone a bit at a private joke, but he didn't elaborate.

There's secrets and lies in Loki's own eyes too, and he toasts Puck again with that statement. "Eilonwy is one of the princesses here, 12 years old, clever and considers herself and adult, and well-trained. I intend to teach her runes as well, for her own defense."

Loki held up a hand, and conjured his notebook again. "I also meant to ask you for information you're comfortable sharing about Fae. For now, we're working on the likely assumption that Vaeros is a fae. If we need to pivot later, we can."

[OOC: See the highlighted parts if you want.]

"She sounds charming." Puck answered, filing away the info. One of them? Interesting.

He looked to the notebook and sat back, folding his hands behind his head casually. "Fine, we've got magic to.. Well, not to do. But to at least talk about." Puck said conversationally. "I'd say that assumption has at least some strength to it. What do you want to know first?"

"What do you think would apply most to Vaeros? Let's start with that, and if anything else needs to be noted, we can deal with that later." Loki took his notebook back, and conjured a pen so he could take notes. Both of his conjurations had that sheen of green around them.

Puck gave a hum in thought. "We don't have very specific ways of organizing us into types. You're either Oberon's Child or you're not. There are halflings, but those are rare. I've only seen one while in this specific form. But!"

Puck took a drink. "If we're using terms familiar to humans that don't require explaining a bloodline, 'fae' is a fine term to use. I doubt he's human, but I know he's nothing close to Oberon, Titania, or myself as far as abilities go."

Loki's pen scratched as he made a note or two. "Why do you say he's nothing compared to the three of you, or is it just because of the weakness of his spells we've seen?"

Puck took a deep breath before he answered. "That's part of it. For a fae who's the ruler of an entire realm to have to use magic that weak to affect a group is a personal insult. If he's at the power levels required to be a ruler, his magic should be much stronger. It's also because we've existed for longer than you can imagine." He sat forward to have some more food and then sat back. "So for something younger, using weaker magic, and running around claiming to be a ruler to put on that entire spectacle and for it to even slightly work was a slap in the face."

"Longer than I can imagine would be impressive. I'm 1,053 years old." Loki mentioned, but he was still making notes.

"That would also support the idea that perhaps he's using the dragon as a power-source, which is why it's still alive. Possibly others too, since his tax collectors were told to take the eggs with intent to kill them."

Edited 2024-01-08 02:13 (UTC)

"Different worlds." Puck answered, but he noted the age with a grin. "I should clarify-- in my version of the world as I know it, I'm considered old. But to you, I'd be young. Just shy of three and a half centuries old."

He nodded. "If he has to stack magic like he has been, then that would tie together. I don't know how his replenishing works, but even mine is finite depending on what I do. I never have to use something or someone else as a battery, however. Just a few naps resets things. Why kill them if he needs their power?" Puck arched an eyebrow. "He can't even--"

He looked off to the side and barked a laugh. "If he has to kill them to get their power, that's another tell."

"Agreed, although I believe the consensus is that we'd prefer the dragons remain alive on general principle, whether source for his magic or not. This is my own thoughts regarding a transcript of Eilonwy and Bakugou talking. It's a side avenue to persue, but is part of the whole."

Loki paused, moving to take a drink. "Like you, I do not need a battery. I've yet to reach the limits of what I can do, as well."

"I love animals. Of course it's better if they're kept alive."

"That's interesting to know." Puck held up one of his hands and started to tap his fingers as he listed things. "Let's see so far. What do I think Vaeros is, some information about the monarchs I serve, and you know that I'm not entirely as youthful as I look. What's next?"

"You're still quite handsome and charming and cute, youthful or not." Loki said smoothly and with a small laugh. "But then I certainly don't look my age either." Loki took another drink and thought for a moment.

"Would you like me to share my personal notes, and see if anything seems to lead somewhere for us? They're the ones written in runescript and not easily deciphered by others." Because that might also spark some discussion. "Of course, I also would wonder about weaknesses. We do not have 'fae' as such where I'm from, but I know the myths of Midgard."

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