[Closed] Wer weiß ob es sich lohnt / Wenn dich der Teufel schont

[volksdaemon]

Who: Schuldig volksdaemon and his first shinki, Mikazuki heiancrescent
What: Naming, continuation of their picnic thread
When: Post-Picnic on April 25
Where: Loki's Hollow
Warnings: None except that Schuldig's a jackass

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The picnic may have been where Schuldig met his shinki, but the subsequent fire had separated them again. Only after the chaos had somewhat abated - and Schuldig's curiosity sated - did he track down Mikazuki's mind and teleport directly over to him.

"Alright, the freak show's over. Time to get down to business." He jerked a thumb in a general 'behind himself' direction. "I'm gonna teleport us both to the place they set up for me - got that?"

Comments

[heiancrescent]

Mikazuki sheathes his blade, and regains his posture. Guess Schuldig was getting the hang of finding a wandering shinki. That would mean getting lost wouldn't be much of a problem.

"Understood." He stands behind Schuldig, making sure to watch his back when they leave the area.

[volksdaemon]

He walks up to Mikazuki and focuses his newfound powers on teleporting not just himself but his new shinki as well. He teleported another God earlier in the picnic before all of the fire craziness happened, so he was quite confident but... still, who knew if it was different teleporting a shinki? Did they count as two people somehow, where 'effort' was concerned?

Turns out, nothing like that. Nothing different at all, even. Soon enough, they both appear in Loki's Hollow. It's inside a cavernous portion of a mountain, out of the direct elements and thus a bit colder than the outside temperature, but that also meant the only way in - directly - was the cave entrance. Obviously other Gods could teleport in whenever they wanted. Schuldig hovered around the outpost and leaned against for the moment.

"I don't suppose your old place is going to let you sleep there now that you have to switch," he began. It's a practical concern, really, because he doesn't want to have to trust his own tool more than he has to, but if they have to sleep near each other in the concealed cavern area then a little bit of information may be required to be revealed. He isn't looking forward to that option.

[heiancrescent]

The surroundings shift. The burned blossoms fade from view, and a cold cavern appears in contrast. The sudden chill has Mikazuki shiver, his white breaths visible. He takes a gaze at his new home, or should he say hideout.

"Indeed. It'll be a given that I would need to stay with you, since you are my new god," he replies, as if he had little to no lingering sentiment to the warmth of his old shrine. Definitely the latter looked more hospitable.

"This is the kind of weather where hot tea would come in nicely." Fingers crossed Schuldig is a decent caretaker.

[volksdaemon]

Alright, so that plan went out the window. He didn't want to admit that it made sense, given the rules he knew about for this place, that his shinki would have to stay at his temple, shrine, thing. "It's just as well," he grumbled. "At least then we'll have a common point for meeting up - away from prying eyes."

He started walking towards the cavern wall with the little alcove in it. "Looks like a prayer niche, doesn't it? Farfarello would love the symbolism." And by love he meant 'might possibly punch it into rubble for daring'. "This is where any adoring patrons would stop by to call me out for a chat." After he'd checked the perimeter of course. "I plan on never using the front door, so to speak, but you on the other hand..."

Schuldig reaches for the lever under the table, as far back against the wall as it can go. It normally lays flat parallel to the wall, right against the unnecessary leg in the center of it when it already has two to either side and is bolted to the stone wall. So lifting that level, the rock wall of the alcove tilted on its central hinge. A secret room was behind the archway, and Schuldig pushes on it until he could step fully through it. "You'll have to be extra discreet."

Inside the room, he turned to face his new shinki. "Since we completely skipped formal introductions, I'll tel you now: the name you're to call me is Loki. That's the God they've assigned me. Never anything else, to anyone. Be aware that there are others here who know me. I'm making sure they don't know what my godly name is for as long as possible. They know me as Mastermind, or Schuldig."

[heiancrescent]

Far from prying eyes, deep within the shadow of the mountain. This was Mikazuki's first time staying in a villain's lair. The name Farfarello admittedly makes him snicker a little. For anyone else who came to seek the god Loki, they would be shaking with every step, and not just from the cold.

He curiously glances beneath the table, just to see where and how the lever did its thing. A wonderful thing it does, opening up the door to home.

Mikazuki nods, acknowledging his new orders. "Loki, is it? It's a pleasure to meet you." Yet, for him to keep his godly name secret... What kind of god was he serving now.

"I assume you don't want anyone to get knowledge on you."

[volksdaemon]

Those thoughts he was catching bothered him. Not worried, because he could handle this if it didn't go his way, but frustrated that he kept getting more evidence that this shinki was not one aligned with his own history of not caring at all about moral consequences.

His mouth went flat. "There are already people here who have plenty of knowledge about what I can do. They're the ones who shouldn't know I'm Loki. The longer they don't know that, the better off I am - and thus you as well." His expression got harder. "Is that going to be a problem? Because I'm not about to Name someone who can't be trusted with discretion."

Worse case scenario he could try to clear out some memories of himself? He hadn't tried that in a long time, or at least put an emotional trigger on any thoughts about him... something, anything, and a kill as the last resort. Too many bodies made people curious.

[heiancrescent]

This shinki in particular is more oriented towards doing good, to put it bluntly, but it is not a priority that would override his obedience to anyone, even anyone who was immoral. Mikazuki's mind has no thought of betrayal or defection.

"I won't tell anyone that you're Loki then. You don't need to be so worried." Mikazuki calmly states, as if reassuring a worried child.

It was not like Mikazuki was without blood on his hands. Or blade.

[volksdaemon]

That was a kind of person he could deal with. Obedience over morals. "Alright. Then you're mine."

And so the Far Shore closed down to just the two of them in the small carved-out portion behind the alcove, the true Loki's Hollow concealed to everyone except those he trusted most. An incantation sprung to mind and he planned to alter it as he put his hand out - his first two fingers glowing bright blue. He thought about 'granting a place to belong' and 'using my life' as far too homey; he also hated the idea of using Loki to bind a spirit instead of his own name. He felt like it gave more power to the Heavens and less to himself. He stood there for a solid minute concentrating on changing the incantation to suit his own preferences, but kept getting the feeling it wouldn't work if he did. Finally, when he committed to the phrasing as he was originally told by the Messenger who'd greeted him, flecks of yellow and orange light started to appear around them.

'Spirit, you are lost and adrift
You have nowhere to go and nowhere to return to
Thus I grant you a place to belong!'

His eyes started to glow brighter blue than they already were.

'My name is Loki!'

That was when, instead of random swirls, Schuldig started to draw the character between himself and Mikazuki then, roughly the size of Mikazuki himself. It shone bright orange and yellow as Schuldig painted it in midair.

'Bearing two names you shall remain here
With these names I make thee my servant
With these names I use my life to make thee a regalia fit to be wielded by a god
Thou art Kage!
As Regalia, Ei!
Come... Eiki!'

He waited as the bright blue light engulfed Mikazuki - no Kageri now - and pulled in the general direction of his outstretched hand. Just what sort of tool was he about to get...?

feel free to decide the shape!

[heiancrescent]

The icy bright blue seals the new pact between the two, the name Eiki symbolizing the new bond between shinki and god, weapon and master. The connection seemed to tug him in the direction of Loki, as if Mikazuki's soul was being pulled out and reforged in Schuldig's hands.

From the light, something slowly takes definite form. Something which resembles a small cross comes into shape: a blade's handle and hilt.

Windlass Sticklestad it is then :)

[volksdaemon]

[OOC: Link here with pics of the Windlass Sticklestad - hopefully that helps for updating the Shinki Info page!]

He doesn't see where the name ends up on Kageri's body, but he does see the shape forming and starts to get uneasy. Schuldig grabs hold of the portion in his hands tight, swiping it forward as if trying to pull a light dusting of snow off. When it clears, he sees the weapon not as a beautiful creation, a mastercraft Viking sword with strong runic lines... he's immediately reminded of one of his enemies: Abyssinian who wielded a katana.

Schuldig grits his teeth and then hisses an angry noise through them. "They're really taking this Loki thing seriously if I'm expected to fight with a sword." He'd seen in Mikazuki's memories the sword he'd been before; he knew this wasn't exactly the same. It still bothered him. "Oi, you're still sentient, right? Like you can talk to me while you're in this form?"

Telepath or no, he was told Shinki and Gods would still be able to communicate like this.

[heiancrescent]

Mikazuki feels a light searing on the lower half of his back, imprinting itself into his flesh. The new weapon hardly resembled his old vessel, but it is beautiful in its own way. How suitable that a Norse god gets a Norse sword. Yet, funny how the core of his being remained the same.

"Well, I suppose I have to try." Mikazuki puts a hand to his chin in delight. It was like he wasn't apologetic for not taking a more convenient vessel like a pistol.

Can you hear me?

[volksdaemon]

He sighs. Yes, I can hear you just fine. And he groans at the thought that he's going to have to figure something out. He's not convinced that his only option is to learn to fight with a sword - this sword, this Shinki of his - but he knows that he can't throw away a powerful weapon, no matter how much it makes him think of Abyssinian and his katana.

With your last God, how much of the fighting against someone else was his skill and how much was yours? Schuldig asks as he does a slow, casual flick of his wrist that rotates the sword in a full circle. It's heavy he realizes. Not the kind of thing he wants to wield one-handed for sure. It'll take both of his hands, and he's pretty strong. Strong enough to snap a man's neck.

But now, now he has so many unknowns to deal with. He needs more information.