001; audio; day 65

[kingside]

[The transmission is preceded by a brief sigh, a sound halfway between begrudging and resigned. Not the best noise to make while forming a first impression, but he's past caring at the moment.]

Hello. My name is Lelouch vi Britannia, and evidently, I am among Asgard's newest residents. [A brief pause.] If at all possible, an introduction to the city beyond the incredibly spartan letter and explanation offered by the house staff would be appreciated. I've taken the liberty of browsing some of the messages already posted, of course, but that hardly beats the convenience of having it all rephrased yet again for me, doesn't it?

[He may sound faintly self-mocking. Just faintly, though, and it fades in an instant.]

Besides, it seems like I'm going to be staying here for a while.

[Sudden opening of the city gates or not. And... well, it can't hurt to ask, so after a pause, he does.]

The term "Ragnarok" has come to mean a number of things over the centuries. A selfish man thought it would be the dawn of a new era of peace at the expense of personal freedom and expression. Of course, he wasn't looking at it in those terms, but that's what the result would have been.

Tell me, are our actions here meant to preserve this world from a literal twilight of the gods, a figurative one, or something else?

Comments

[kingside]

Subjective of you, but all right. You've made your stance clear.

[hearticulate]

Is there a way to be objective regarding mythology? Belief, rather?

[kingside]

Be an agnostic?

[hearticulate]

I don't think many people were openly agnostic back then. There's no real documentation of denouncing the gods, so it's pretty damn hard to look at it from a nonbiased viewpoint.

Though there were a couple of rebels in the old sagas, I think. Still, the focus wasn't on their trials and tribulations or anything.

[kingside]

I was referring to a more modern day approach. Also, joking.

[hearticulate]

[History is serious business there are no jokes.]

Got it.

[kingside]

... You can keep talking about it if you want.

[hearticulate]

Ancient Greece is my favorite, but sure. You boned up on the lore of civilizations past, too?

[kingside]

Here and there, but it's not something I've studied extensively. Still, it's interesting.

[hearticulate]

You knew of the pantheon, at least.

[kingside]

The pantheon, some of the more prominent myths, the Iliad, the Odyssey, a number of plays... I'm no expert, but I can hold a conversation on them if need be.

Unfortunately, I'm not as well-versed on Norse myths and legends, but I daresay I'll have the chance to correct that in the near future.

[hearticulate]

Cool.

And considerin' the giant library here, probably.

[kingside]

Any recommendations on where to start?

[hearticulate]

The Socratic dialogues, particularly Plato's, are some of my personal favorites. Grade-A literary shit right there. Go ahead and take a bite 'cause that figurative waste matter passed every inspection.

[kingside]

I've read some of them but not all, and you're right. I'll have to revisit them.