[ honestly, he had been so caught up in this and that and the little Avengers push and pull that hearing the obvious that comes out of Dany's mouth your scheme is a poor one, if they speak truly is almost comforting. his lips quirk up into an ironic smile, and a half snort-half laugh comes from his chest.

it would be truly awful, wouldn't it? he'd trust himself to build a far better scheme than this. (and he had; this time he was just coasting through opportunity, taking them when they presented themselves.) ]

Gods aren't like people: we are bundles of myth, reflected back upon the world that choses to believe it. With that comes ... expectation.

[ the history and blood ran deep, even for him, now. the relationship between Loki and the Avengers was a complicated one that hung heavy over his head like an anvil waiting to fall. ]

The universe prefers patterns, and it would rather have me in an old shape. It's like an echo, all the other Lokis in all these different places, the ones that have taken the path to ruin. If I let it consume me, then every sacrifice is in vain. I'll hurt people.

I don't want to do that.

[ bright eyes fall half-lidded beneath heavy lashes, glowing in the dim light of the cave as the world hums with wind and sand around them. ]