Day 61: Recreation Field (Shift 2)

[complicatedliar]

Loki wasn't entirely thrilled about returning to the recreation field, though he supposed it would be nicer during the day. And without the annoying presence of Riku. Some fresh air would likely do him good; that was what Sif and Thor had always claimed right before they dragged him out of the library.

He wasn't entirely certain if that was a pleasant thought or not. It was still far too mixed up and painful.

He was allowed to go back to his room and pull out every bit of warm clothing he had, bundling up as much as he could. As he followed the nurse out into the field, he also wondered if this meant he would miss out on the greenhouse, since he'd arranged to meet Soma after lunch. That had priority, of course, but he did find plants interesting. At least it was good to know there were activities they were forced to participate in during the day that weren't as horrifically painful as, say, what the music room would indicate.

Good to know that as prisons went, it wasn't all just torture, torture, torture. Some variation was good for the mind.

He wandered along the crunchy, dead grass, for now steering clear of the few other patients. The air felt much better during the day, smelled much better to him as well as he sniffed at it. even if it was cold enough to make his nose hurt. It reminded him uncomfortably of Jotunheim, and...

But at least here, there was sunlight. He wasn't trapped in that dark place as sometimes was in his nightmares.

Loki stopped about halfway down the field, tilting his head back to take in the thin sunlight, his eyes slipping shut.

[Here, angel angel angel... :D Castiel!]

Comments

[purgatio]

Albedo made a face at Nigredo's words. "And all saints are sinners in disguise, all martyrs murderers by nature. It's not different here. Both seem to agree that Doyle put forward as much as Landel in the creation; changing sides halfway through doesn't change that irrevocable truth." The aside Nigredo gave was accepted, encouraged, but it remained-- Of Doyle, Albedo distrusted. More than Landel himself. At least Landel wasn't hiding his true nature. Best a madman show himself than slip beneath you when you least expect it.

...Which Doyle nearly said as much, in his own lines. Albedo turned to frown, eyebrows raised, at the notebook (a feminine hand...?). The insinuations laced throughout were all but blatant, and more-- They were strikingly familiar, and it made him uncomfortable. "...What kind of bond did those two have..? Truly. From the words--from the emotions laid out clearly to view-- They were either some kind of brothers or broken apart lovers. The feelings are too potent for anything else."

Albedo stared a moment, gaze turning thoughtful, then reached to tap the last entry of the current night they were on. "...So it can be hacked into," was the murmur, next to Nigredo's ear. "If anyone could do it other than one who created it, we would be the best option, don't you think? There was little we couldn't tear into as children, and now we're a bit--"

There were a thousand words to say, and he dropped all of the complicated additions to default to simplicity. "...Older," he finished awkwardly, though the point was valid all the same.

[atrabilis]

It took no effort to see the axiom in the response, and for reasons unknown, Nigredo chuckled. "Wouldn't that imply," he started, feigning a casual tone, "that anyone who has ever been elevated for their deeds has killed someone at some point?" That would be nice, wouldn't it? For saints and sinners, madmen and monsters, it would insinuate greatness and absolution in death.

That sounded perfectly fine to him.

The rest, on the other hand, hinted less. Nigredo lost his humor and resorted to sobriety, mind mulling over the details. "Lovers?" he echoed. Brothers he could understand, but the second analogy confused him.

Furthermore-- No. If Albedo would offer simplicity, the younger would do well to continue the theme. Complications had no place here. "We're older," agreed Nigredo, voice coming as soft as the other's, "but, um, how to word this? The technology here is outdated." It would take more effort than Nigredo was honestly willing to expend.

[purgatio]

Albedo gave a smirk to his brother's words. "I hadn't caught on,~" he said, teasingly. "Nigredo, we're four thousand, seven hundred, and forty seven years in the past. Of course the technology is outdated. The torches-- The flashlights should have been your first guess." Still. "Still, it doesn't mean we can't try. It could be fun.~"

The other aspect was effortlessly more fun to play with. Despite the teasing before, Albedo showed no point in stopping, and only switched the tracks currently ran on. To that, he slid fingertips against Nigredo's cheek, eyes close and watchful. "Lovers," he repeated. "Two individuals closer even than blood would bear."

[atrabilis]

The retort classified as an irritation. It wasn't as though Nigredo had spoken the complete obvious, and the assumption left a sour taste on his tongue. Nigredo, however, attempted to keep to passivity and simply frowned. "I meant more we need to learn the foundation." He recalled an exception and paused awkwardly.

"Or at least I would need to," came the mutter. Albedo had ways of knowing, after all.

The description given was no less clarifying, though the phrase itself finally registered in some way. Albedo had once called someone that, did he not? And if it meant anything, that was-- "Ah," he gave, staring at the hand near his eyes. "I suppose that would make sense."

[purgatio]

Nigredo was granted a smile for that, without any mocking in it. "I don't think you'd need too steep a learning curve. You're likely smarter than me." Given freely, but the second subject had trailed off despite Albedo's wanting. He frowned suddenly at his hand, as if noticing something there, and leaned in to peer closer.

...Which, of course, was a farce, and he kissed Nigredo's cheek before jumping back with a laugh. "It makes sense," he agreed, then put a finger to his cheek. "But to move back to the other topic at hand, would you disagree? Anyone renowned for their abilities and actions have likely taken a life somewhere along the way. Idealists are the most dangerous, for they are those that justify taking lives for their causes. And then you have weapons, like us, and-- Where is the dividing line between targets and people of worth?"

He held his hands out as if to question, then shook his head. "...I'm digressing. Yes, it implies that no one named holy is truly clean, and the blood of eons rests on any hands called as blessed." His head tipped, eyes shining somewhat. This was a subject he found pleasure in, it seemed. "A justifiable murder is a killing all the same. To humans, at least," he added with a grin, showing the whole rant as a sham of halves, an argument he only half-believed.

[atrabilis]

Flattery seemed to be the likely attempt, and still, Nigredo laughed despite himself. "Maybe," he said. "I don't know if I want to exhaust myself searching for texts on Lost Jerusalem technology." As they were, they could barely secure intel in regards to Landel's Institute. They would have little luck with the rest of this world (or time), especially when they were trapped on a single patch of land.

The prospect, however, did not come off as terrible as it might have been weeks ago. As if to demonstrate, Albedo made a rather forward gesture, one Nigredo failed to predict, and the younger dropped his eyes to flush pink. It was a surprise he managed to keep to the subject. "I don't disagree." Not in its entirety, at any rate. One could argue the fine points, but nothing registered as wrong. And the dividing line struck a--

But Albedo continued, and Nigredo frowned in thought. "Justifiable murder," he echoed. "I don't understand it." How could it be called killing when humans dictated such things all the time?