"What? Oh, fuck no." he's startled into laughter for a moment, embers of a younger, more arrogant, less weighed down version of himself flickering in his eyes, his voice as he shakes his head, slumping back in his chair. For that one, brilliant moment- he remembers their little standoff. How imposing Loki had attempted to make himself-
How harried he'd actually looked. Strung out and worn down and- somewhat familiar.
The shoe is well on the other foot this time around and no small part of Tony appreciates the irony. Upper hand then was his, now is Loki's. There's too much weight, too many variables, and he really can't spare the energy for another puzzle. The sharper edge of his laugh has a faint mew picking up, Elton slipping out of Tony's lap to bound across the distance, leaping up into Loki's.
Source of distress. Please stop with making the distress. A dainty, delicate chirrup accompanies two blue paws set neatly on Loki's chest as Elton leans up and in, sniffing. Who is this person?
Charmed, somewhat, by the tableau- the android had been a dick but Tony is sixty seven percent certain Loki won't be as much of a dick to Elton if only for the rumors of Frigga and the chariot pulled by cats. That had been a thing, right? Right. "No, that- that's not the plan. We have a no shank rule, remember? If I wanted to stab someone, shit, I'd stab them myself."
No need to involve Loki in it in the slightest. Some of the weight returns but- not all. A glimmer remains of that younger self in his eyes, but just that. A glimmer. "No I was hoping you'd keep an eye on him. Make sure he didn't find what he was looking for or, I don't know, make sure he doesn't snap and decide to start murdering people for fun. Watch him. Poke him a little? He thinks himself superior because he was designed that way, lacks any kind of empathy I could read- treating him like a person bothers him. Because he's not a person in his own mind and usually I'm pretty well live and let live for how AI choose to present themselves but this guy? This guy's an asshole. So, again. Fuck him. I'd do it myself but-"
He gestures to the forge. "Kind of busy. You, I think, could make sure he doesn't do anything stupid, maybe get under his skin a little. You're good at that, finding shit people are sensitive about and dragging it into the light."
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How harried he'd actually looked. Strung out and worn down and- somewhat familiar.
The shoe is well on the other foot this time around and no small part of Tony appreciates the irony. Upper hand then was his, now is Loki's. There's too much weight, too many variables, and he really can't spare the energy for another puzzle. The sharper edge of his laugh has a faint mew picking up, Elton slipping out of Tony's lap to bound across the distance, leaping up into Loki's.
Source of distress. Please stop with making the distress. A dainty, delicate chirrup accompanies two blue paws set neatly on Loki's chest as Elton leans up and in, sniffing. Who is this person?
Charmed, somewhat, by the tableau- the android had been a dick but Tony is sixty seven percent certain Loki won't be as much of a dick to Elton if only for the rumors of Frigga and the chariot pulled by cats. That had been a thing, right? Right. "No, that- that's not the plan. We have a no shank rule, remember? If I wanted to stab someone, shit, I'd stab them myself."
No need to involve Loki in it in the slightest. Some of the weight returns but- not all. A glimmer remains of that younger self in his eyes, but just that. A glimmer. "No I was hoping you'd keep an eye on him. Make sure he didn't find what he was looking for or, I don't know, make sure he doesn't snap and decide to start murdering people for fun. Watch him. Poke him a little? He thinks himself superior because he was designed that way, lacks any kind of empathy I could read- treating him like a person bothers him. Because he's not a person in his own mind and usually I'm pretty well live and let live for how AI choose to present themselves but this guy? This guy's an asshole. So, again. Fuck him. I'd do it myself but-"
He gestures to the forge. "Kind of busy. You, I think, could make sure he doesn't do anything stupid, maybe get under his skin a little. You're good at that, finding shit people are sensitive about and dragging it into the light."