Belling the Cat

[fuckyeahloki]

[OOC: Continued from here

Hello, Bruce, did you miss me?

[He's manspreading on the nearest chair, appearing there only a second before in black roiling space and eldritch blue energy. With a neat little gesture, Loki tucked the Tesseract back into his pocket dimension. He looked no worse for wear after a rather extended meeting with the King of Asgard. Pleasant person, that Valkyrie. He rather owed Bruce for this particular blind introduction.]

Or do you prefer Brulk now? Hulce? We never did nail down those particulars and I would hate not to use your preferred manner of address.

[He's smiling with teeth as he moves onto the unpleasant part. Another flick of his wrist and there's the control device.]

I've brought you a gift. Do text my generous King, long may she reign, to let her know it arrived safely.

[And there's the smile turning into a baring of teeth, just the flash of a silent snarl before Loki just looks generally congenial again.]

Comments

[hulkbusted]

I don't know the whole story there, I'm sorry.

[Bruce isn't a cruel person, and even if Loki's milking any of this for leverage, he can't be anything but gentle about it.]

But Thor thought you'd died after that, too, and he wasn't throwing any parties about it.

[fuckyeahloki]

[There's always a little milking with Loki, it's in his nature to use everything to his advantage. The rest is.... a snarl of pain, grief, anger...and the effort to only let a strategic amount show.]

Relief hardly merits celebration. I'm sure he spared a moment to think charitably upon my memory.

[hulkbusted]

He was in pain when he believed you were dead, and he was in pain again after Thanos killed you in front of him because he loves you.

[He takes a long pull from his ale and turns his head away while he suppresses a burp.]

Family's a hell of a thing.

[fuckyeahloki]

Yet here I am when Thanos is not. I do enjoy outliving my enemies.

[He rises.]

And my family.

[He regrets that for the thought of Frigga, but won't take it back. Not in the face of his parole officer.]

Do let me know if you intend to drop by. I'd hate to be caught unawares by company.

[hulkbusted]

[Bruce's expression isn't overtly hostile. Barely. Mommy issues? He's not talking about it.]

I'll give you that when you return the courtesy.

[fuckyeahloki]

[More issues than a comic series.

But he doesn't use the Tesseract. He simply uses the door with a vaguely dismissive hand motion over his shoulder at Bruce.

He's glad he gave his neighbor's address. Building numbers. So complicated. Can't blame him, really, he's an alien.]