[ out of everyone that he has to apologize to, Kate is one of the hardest, so he saves it for last. he writes something, deletes it before sending, then writes it again in hopes that it sounds sincere. he does it two more times, and even upon the last one, he's not satisfied with the words.
he had, in essence, done something that needed apologizing twice. the first one far more malicious than the last, but not without the knowledge that something might have gone wrong. it brings him back to Verity, how he hurt her, how he continuously hurt her.
she had scolded him for not apologizing the first time—he should have, then. he can't take that back, so he's doing it now. he scraps the scrip again: ]
[Kate's been trying to give Loki space. He must need it after what happened, and how horrifically uncomfortable it must have been. Honestly, she was expecting him to avoid her for longer, so it's a relief to get his message. She nearly asks if he's okay, but this has the air of him forcing himself to say something he's not going to have an easy time with, so she holds back.]
[ after everything, he's not sure how he feels. guilty, mostly, angry too, but there are other things that he'd rather ignore, like how readily everyone is forgiving him. ]
I know you said you wanted to be friends, and so far I've been a fairly poor one. There's not many excuses I can weave, pleasant lies that reduce my culpability, but the consequences are as they are. I took it upon myself to go into that building, and this was the result.
I'm sorry, Kate Bishop. You saved me when I had less than deserved your aid.
you didn't know what would happen, and nothing you did after was your fault. it's okay, loki. i'm not upset with you, but thank you for apologizing. anyway, this is what friends do. stick with each other through the uncomfortable stuff.
oh, come on. you know i'd rake you over the coals if i thought you were doing something stupid. if all of us got mad at each other for what we did under mind control, there'd be no superhero teams left.
It wasn't quite like mind control. [ even if he was the whims of his own aggression rather than another person. it didn't feel like the complacency drug. ] More like an impulse. I knew what I was doing- I knew what it was like doing that.
[ this is terrible and he hates it all, BUT HE'LL LIVE HE SUPPOSES.
the apartment is in the lower-ish levels, in small, crowded conditions in a not-so-bad-but-could-be-worse part of the city. Loki has to let her through two sets of doors through the neural implant, and then to the upper floor of his apartment. it's also small, actually, it looks to small to even house Thor and another person, but here they are.
Loki's in a slouchy pants and a tank top. his socks have stripes on them. he waves Kate in. ]
[Kate is holding one of those environmentally friendly biodegradable bags everyone uses now, and she offers it to him.]
I got you Nutella and bacon. I mean, it's probably bug bacon or something, but beggars can't be choosers. Just don't combine it with anything disgusting in front of me.
[ okay, look, he's not expecting much and definitely not party favors. a frown tugs a little at his lips, and he holds the bag with one hand like he's not exactly sure what to do with it. instead he decides to switch focus and head inside behind her, putting the bag on the counter. ]
You are in my rented mortal apartment during our displacement, and hardly in a place to make demands.
[ meaning: he'll eat all the gross things he wants, thanks. ]
[ WATER RATIONING IS IN PLACE, OK. he's not made of cash money credits right now, even though Thor is back and his financial stability went up. he's still getting on his feet getting his shady business on.
he never does good with questions like these. ]
Well, my wounds are generally healed—[ aside from his shoulder. ]—and the atmosphere seems to have gone somewhere back to normal.
There's still no coffee and no diners serve sausage as a side with breakfast.
[ that's not what she meant, but there's a lot that he doesn't want to talk about. there are places that it leads that he'll have to explain, pieces of what's happened left in their own universe while he tries to get on his feet in this one.
there's a pause as he looks at her face, and then her outstreched hand. he doesn't take it, not yet. there's a moment where he just looks somewhat exasperated. ]
Kate ...
[ there's some discomfort there that he'd usually hide, but he doesn't. he owes her that to the least. ]
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@loki.odinson
he had, in essence, done something that needed apologizing twice. the first one far more malicious than the last, but not without the knowledge that something might have gone wrong. it brings him back to Verity, how he hurt her, how he continuously hurt her.
she had scolded him for not apologizing the first time—he should have, then. he can't take that back, so he's doing it now. he scraps the scrip again: ]
Kate-
Listen.
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hey
i'm here.
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I know you said you wanted to be friends, and so far I've been a fairly poor one.
There's not many excuses I can weave, pleasant lies that reduce my culpability, but the consequences are as they are. I took it upon myself to go into that building, and this was the result.
I'm sorry, Kate Bishop. You saved me when I had less than deserved your aid.
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it's okay, loki. i'm not upset with you, but thank you for apologizing.
anyway, this is what friends do. stick with each other through the uncomfortable stuff.
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Yes, I suppose so.
But I don't expect ride or die, Kate.
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you know i'd rake you over the coals if i thought you were doing something stupid.
if all of us got mad at each other for what we did under mind control, there'd be no superhero teams left.
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It wasn't quite like mind control. [ even if he was the whims of his own aggression rather than another person. it didn't feel like the complacency drug. ]
More like an impulse. I knew what I was doing- I knew what it was like doing that.
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Nevermind.
It's difficult to explain.
[ America would be punching him. why couldn't she be punching him? ]
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give it a shot. i'm listening.
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where are you living, anyway? i'm coming over.
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What?
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Kate Bishop! This is cruel manipulation!
[ but you know what, she gets the pin on her neural implant on the location of his apartment. ]
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[And, about a half hour later, he gets a knock at his door.]
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the apartment is in the lower-ish levels, in small, crowded conditions in a not-so-bad-but-could-be-worse part of the city. Loki has to let her through two sets of doors through the neural implant, and then to the upper floor of his apartment. it's also small, actually, it looks to small to even house Thor and another person, but here they are.
Loki's in a slouchy pants and a tank top. his socks have stripes on them. he waves Kate in. ]
Hello, Kate Bishop, you made it.
[ of course she made it. ]
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[Kate is holding one of those environmentally friendly biodegradable bags everyone uses now, and she offers it to him.]
I got you Nutella and bacon. I mean, it's probably bug bacon or something, but beggars can't be choosers. Just don't combine it with anything disgusting in front of me.
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You are in my rented mortal apartment during our displacement, and hardly in a place to make demands.
[ meaning: he'll eat all the gross things he wants, thanks. ]
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Uh huh. You're going to let me use your shower, right?
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I'm tempted to decline you—but thirty seconds. Going over rationed water carries a steep fee, you know.
[ he pays attention to these things when they affect him, ok. ]
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Thirty seconds.
[Whatever, Loki! That's not why she's here anyway.]
How are you doing?
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he never does good with questions like these. ]
Well, my wounds are generally healed—[ aside from his shoulder. ]—and the atmosphere seems to have gone somewhere back to normal.
There's still no coffee and no diners serve sausage as a side with breakfast.
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I'm glad you're healing up, but that isn't what I meant.
[She knew this would be sort of an uphill battle, but she's still going to do her best. For a second, Kate hesitates, then offers him her hand.]
You could just show me if you want.
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there's a pause as he looks at her face, and then her outstreched hand. he doesn't take it, not yet. there's a moment where he just looks somewhat exasperated. ]
Kate ...
[ there's some discomfort there that he'd usually hide, but he doesn't. he owes her that to the least. ]
You don't need to do that.
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[Kate just keeps her hand outstretched.]
Neither do you, but if it's easier, I'm offering.
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