In regards to a certain fic.

[halfassed]

No, I have never been to Alaska. No, I'm not particularly inclined to go to Alaska, especially after that. Really just seems like tempting fate, to me.

God help the town that has Loki as its doctor.

Comments

[beguilement]

[ ... ]

You say that as if I have no skill.

[halfassed]

Never disputed your skill, --

[ Just... the rest of the package.

Hint of a hesitation there, Loki might find, as Clint stifles the urge to add a sir on the end. ]

[beguilement]

Then what is the problem, exactly?

[ Go on. It isn't as if he doesn't know what Clint's thinking. ]

[halfassed]

That it might suit your purposes more to let someone bleed out than give them a hand. Not exactly what I'd look for in a doctor.

[beguilement]

I suppose that really all depends on the person. Everyone has a price. Both to pay and collect. Perhaps it suits my purpose more to keep them alive.

[halfassed]

You're unpredictable, you're unstable, and you're exactly not what an isolated community needs to depend on.

[beguilement]

There is no fun in predictability. [ s h r u g s ] I can hardly be blamed if people want to depend on me. I am efficient and get things done.

[ A pause and he smiles. ] Certainly, even you know that.

[halfassed]

[ A surge of irritation. Loki pushes to hard; he's too obsessive. He takes risks, and unnecessary ones. He was never entirely about the mission. ]

Is that what you took away from this?

[beguilement]

[ Everyone takes risks. Loki just happens to take the ones that put others in danger and not himself. Or... he tries not to, anyway. ]

What was I supposed to take away?

[halfassed]

I don't know. Don't mess with humans?

[beguilement]

Ah, yes. I will be sure to hold that near and dear to my heart, Agent Barton.

[halfassed]

You wouldn't have failed if you'd listened to me. I told you surfacing was a risk. You put petty shit above your overall mission, and you paid the price for it. That's why you're not efficient, and that's why you don't get things done. Nothing goes above the mission, for me.

[ Except when things do. Like Natasha. ]

[beguilement]

[ Loki is silent, an unreadable look on his face. Clint has a point, certainly, but there's also plenty he doesn't know. But then he smiles, low and devious; nonchalant. ]

Or perhaps it wasn't a failure at all.

[ Or maybe it was and Loki just doesn't want to admit it. ]

[dreamsofpoison]

As I am a god, is that town not helped by my presence?

[halfassed]

Didn't even look at the link, did you?

You weren't a god. It was after Ragnarok, or something.

[dreamsofpoison]

Would you prefer I did?

[halfassed]

...no.

[dreamsofpoison]

It's very interesting.

[halfassed]

[ ...facest of palms. ]

[dreamsofpoison]

If that's how you feel, I should have made more of an effort to keep you. What's a King without loyal subjects?

[halfassed]

It wasn't your choice to keep me or not. You really do go through your own personal history with a red pen and cross out the bits you don't like, don't you?

[dreamsofpoison]

Oh, yes, your woman saved you from me. [All of the mocking tones!]

Do you sometimes wish she hadn't?

[halfassed]

She's not mine, and I hear she outwitted you, on top of all that. How's that feel?

[dreamsofpoison]

Yet the information she discovered did not stop the beast's rampage. You should have seen her face when I told her what I would have you do to her.

That was worth the meager price.

[halfassed]

No. No.