asgardeventide | Seven ★ Video

[It's assumed that Draco is around somewhere despite not being on camera immediately, judging by the fact that when the feed starts travelers are greeted with a nice view of a bedroom wall absolutely covered in diagrams, charts, graphs, drawings and notes. Literally every square inch of the wall above the bed is covered in paper marked with random colored pens. It's assumed the rest of the room is set the same way. In the background, anyone listening can hear a coffee maker brewing a new pot.

War's never been one of Draco's favorite things, but the battles in Asgard have made him think of his home world and the situation he's in. He hates thinking about it, but he's started dissecting everything he knows…hence some of the charts that are overlaying some older charts. When Draco begins to speak, he's still out of the line of vision, if only because he can't exactly face the city just yet.]

…I know this man at home who's trying to, more or less, recreate the entire world. A perfect world where everyone's exactly the same and everyone who's considered less than worthy is punished severely if they're not outright killed immediately. [This is bad. This is a bad idea to be bringing this up, but Draco's full of bad ideas and bad decisions lately.] Actually, his favorite method is to torture them severely before sparing them and then murdering them with a flick of the wrist.

But the thing is, despite the fact he's more or less a slit-nosed homicidal freak, he has a large following. Many follow him out of fear, but there are just as many who follow out of loyalty. There are many people who actually, genuinely believe our world will be better if we follow his plan for destruction and reconstruction. It's messy and violent, and yet they go along with it anyway. Funny how that works, isn't it? One has to wonder why. [It's probably for the best that Voldemort's not around to hear that one of his servants is basically disregarding everything he's been taught. But after his last conversation with Jade? Maybe he really doesn't have to be constantly fearing for his life...maybe just every other day.

Let's get to the point, shall we? His hand appears in the frame of video and he's pinning a fresh piece of paper to the wall above the bed. He soon takes out a pen and in a neat, elegant scrawl writes something on the top of the page.

The art of persuasion and manipulation

His hand hovers in midair for a moment before he withdraws it.]

What is the fine line between persuading people and manipulating them? And, as a bonus question, what is the fine line between safety and fear? Sometimes I have to wonder if the rulers of this world aren't any different, what with having to do their bidding without even asking us. And yet we do it anyway because we're told it's better this way. [He knows it's a stretch, but it's still a valid point in his opinion.] As you can see, I've plenty of room on the paper so give me something worth writing.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I wouldn't consider this disloyalty if I'm still doing his bidding while I'm home.

Maybe. But you don't agree with him, do you?

I'm mostly still deciding. There are parts I agree with, and parts I disagree with.

Such as?

...I don't necessarily disagree that magic should be kept to pureblooded wizarding families. [Other than he's aware that there are some half-bloods and mudbloods that may or may not be better than he is.]

But...? How d'you control something like magical abilities?

Stop breeding with Muggles, for one thing. [But he sounds really unsure. Especially since he's currently kind of ~~obsessing~~ in love with a Muggle in Asgard. Even if she won't have him.]

The heck's a Muggle? [You wizards and your weird gibberish.]

Non-wizards. Humans without magic.

Huh. How would you prevent that? You can't put cameras in everyone's bedroom.

Well, we could go the route of the Dark Lord and murder every single one of them. That's an option.

Yeah, guess that'd work. That also something you agree with?

Would you?

If it's a solution, why not? Like you said, only the strongest... or in this case, purest blood should survive. You fall into that, so what've you got to lose?

Unless you value someone who's not.

...it's complicated. A lot more complicated than I initially wanted to believe. When I first became one of his servants, of course his philosophies and ideals made sense. I've grown up hearing them and believing them. But now...things got complicated. I suppose it doesn't matter though, considering we're doomed no matter what.

Are you talking about here, or in your world? [Because he's a little unclear on what Draco means.]

Well both, but it's really a matter of which doom's coming faster. In any case, I've a much greater chance of survival here.

Really? After the last battle, how d'you figure?

I just do. I know well enough. ['And it helps that I'm not terrified of their monsters.'] You disagree?

No, I was just hoping for something more substantial than that.

[He pauses.] They'll be back with worse. A lot worse, now that they know what they're dealing with. And Asgard's army wasn't exactly competent to begin with.

Substantial how? Define substantial.

...you've noticed too then. And here I thought it was just me. [A beat.] You'd think with as many people around that are offering combat lessons, we'd stand a better chance.

Something better than a hunch, but nevermind. Just wishful thinking.

If we all had our home powers, we would. But there's the whole exploding heads thing to contend with. There's also too many people here who aren't fighters, and never will be. If the Gods wanna win this, they need to glean their choices in Travelers.

Then I doubt saying that I've no reservations about killing for survival here like I do at home will help you.

So a reaping of sorts. We'd have to sort the fighters from the non-combatants and basically send them out and bring in new recruits. You really don't think they'll listen to reason like that, do you?

And anyway as for the exploding heads thing, I'm working on it.

You'd be an idiot not to.

And when have they ever? If anything, they're dead set on losing.

...Wouldn't happen to be a secret potion, would it?

Which is really, really quite contradictory when you think about it. Guess they're the true idiots here.

Might be. Problem with that?

filtered; audio

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