paraboxical | Faces;

Sir?

What've you got for me, JARVIS?

[The question is curious and not entirely concerned at the same time, distracted as Tony is looking through his new set of files from SHIELD. He's on his way back in his limo with Happy driving him and settled in the back seat comfortably by himself.

The papers are really boring.

Blah blah blah politics blah blah blah he'd be executed blah blah war with Asgard-

Alright he had to admit that war with Asgard would be a pretty big deal.

So why hadn't Thor shown up yet?

Nonetheless Tony is aggravated as he flips through everything - quite literally - and his assistant speaks to him-]

I thought this might be of interest to you.

[And the live feed of Loki's little photo shoot starts playing on the window that is actually a screen.

. . .

Tony's voice is still a bit hoarse as he exits the elevator and enters the top floor-

Clearing his throat. He projects loud enough for Loki to hear him from any room in the floor-]

Had fun being a fashion model, Reindeer Games?

[If he is bothered that Tony saw all of that, nothing in his face shows it.

He just smiles, nodding once to himself at something in his own mind before he turns, arms out in a grandiose gesture.]

Ah, the metal man graces me with his presence once again.

Yes yes, honey, I'm home-

[And he snaps his head to look at Loki, extending a cautioning hand.]

Please, save the hugs and kisses for later, Daddy's still working.

[So it is that he crosses over to his three computer screens that act as his main work space and set about transferring all the files from his new little tablet over to the panels-

Which takes about half a second but then he's scrolling through them all.]

[A chuckle and he turns again, quite contentedly ignoring Tony now.]

You? A father?

Ha. What an...entertaining notion.

Yeah, I'm not cut out for that.

[That much is honest and simple and he snaps his fingers and part of the closest desk opens up, revealing a bar inside that rolls over and allows him to grab a drink.

There's already a second glass prepared because it's normally for Pepper but Tony doesn't think of that.]

But funny that you talk about fathers.

[...don't bring that up don't bring that up--

But he doesn't bat an eye. Not at all. There is not a moment's hesitation.]

I could say the same of you, could I not? If it were to my liking to do so?

Ah! I just did.

[no bait no go no bait no go-

He all too easily remembered that Howard - his father, technically and biologically speaking - didn't come to see him off before he went to boarding school.

But his pokerface is too good and that gets suppressed.]

You did indeed.

[And his eyes are scanning information and speed-reading and he's gotten quite good at multi-tasking because if he doesn't pay attention to Loki for too long he stops talking and that's unnerving when the silver tongue ceases.]

But I like your story a lot more. At least my bloodline isn't disputed.

Disputed.

[He spits the word, spits it venomously, but he still does not turn to look at Tony, his hands loosely clasped behind his back.]

My bloodline is clear.

[That old dotard is not his father. Thor is not his brother.

He has no delusions about that. He could never delude himself about that.]

But what a failure on my part. I had thought I'd made it perfectly clear how little your own likes matter to me.

[Tony merely rolls his eyes in response, shoo-ing off the little desk/cooler hybrid to go and give Loki that extra drink because for some reason he's always much easier to bear when he has some alcohol in him.

(spoilers: it's not that mysterious of a reason)]

Well I was hoping you'd be willing to throw a dog a bone once in a while.

[ . . . hm.]

Though I guess since you're my new pet it should be the other way around.

[...Hrm. He eyes the glass silently for a moment, before deciding that accepting it is the better part of valor and says nothing on his pride.

He sweeps it into a hand silently, merely tilting his head, still not turned to face Tony just yet.]

I am nobody's pet, Stark. You would do well to remember it, before I remind you how impossible it would be to muzzle me.

Were you to try, I would remind you.

[He says nothing on the muzzle.

The muzzle is probably hidden under the floorboards or something with how many ridiculous secret compartments this room has.

Maybe he'd gotten a little bit paranoid after that attack on New York City where he nearly died a few times over.]

Well, my question manages to be...

[And he turns, opening his arms as his expression goes a bit self-righteous.]

Who would take you in at this point if it weren't for me?

Do not believe you could delude me--do not raise yourself so high on your petty pedestal that you could believe yourself capable of deluding me.

Though clearly you have deluded yourself.

[And he turns in a whirl, hand clenching the untouched glass, other hand out in a mocking gesture.]

If you believe this to be charity! If you believe yourself capable of such a thing!

This is not charity, this is merely another cage. And I owe you nothing.

[He totally pinned it when he called Loki a diva.

And normally he would not settle for appeasing divas but this diva could probably break a lot of his really nice stuff and that would suck pretty hardcore.

Especially if he got really petty when Tony went out.]

Equals, equals! [He could be equal with a former god. That's good enough for now and so he convinces himself to believe it so he can actually be genuine for a moment.] No pedestals, princess.

But if you want to call it a cage, we can make it an actual cage.

Because last I checked, those are imported linens in your room and wine twice my age that you're drinking.

[yep totally a diva.

But he merely arches a condescending eyebrow.]

Equals. Pah.

Is that what you desire? To be my equal? Perhaps you are even more pathetic than I first believed.

[Heh.]

Cage me if you wish. Cage me if it makes you feel like my equal--because it will never be true.

You're making it really hard to want to settle for equals, Twinkle Toes.

[And the easy route is to cage him, Tony knows that. He can easily make that room into a cage and set up a system that gets Loki fed and watered - wow, now he needs food and water and that's just more money entering this stupid god's mouth - and maybe a drink every two months if Tony wants to be nice or can't finish all his wine by himself.

But--]

... Cages won't do anyone any good.

[Or maybe he's just not fond of the idea of so obviously holding someone captive after being in that position himself.]

[...curious.

He wasn't expecting that reaction, and for a moment he falls silent, mulling it over.

And then he smiles, and it's not a nice smile. Not. At. All.]

Is that so?

Tell me, Stark. What is a cage to you?

[Curious indeed.

And Tony raises a brow because though his decisions are often irresponsible- he's not interested in being baited to that extent. Loki has already reminded him far too much of that incident in the months past-]

Probably having to be stuck as your babysitter.

[So he takes a drink.]

[Drink. Drink your troubles away, Tony Stark.

He likes it.]

A cage...

It does make sense; I marvel that I did not see it before! What other reason for your reaching to the sky, but for your need to run away from cages and capture!

[And because he can't really stand being mocked-]

You know, NYU is just down the corner. You want me to set you up with a Philosophy major? English major?

Oh, how about a Religious Studies major? Maybe they can help you figure out your existential crisis now that you're not a god anymore.

[He chuckles, and it's as if Tony never spoke.]

And what did they do to you, besides caging you away? Did they strip you of your pride? Did they beat you and remove any reason you had for living?

Do tell me. I am most curious.

[and maybe...just maybe...he understands what it's like.]

And I've received my answer as to why you're here and not up there with Big Bro or Pops.

How did they stand you for so long?

[His retorts are getting weaker and he's running out of things to say.

He really hates being on the defensive and needs to find a way to turn this around.]

[Ahahaha.

Hahahaha!

Ah, but Loki likes this very much indeed.

He steps forward, one. Deliberate. Step. At. A. Time.]

And I would wager not a single person came for you.

[And that's what sets him off-

That plane was looking for him.

Rhodey gave him a hug.

Pepper cried.

... and he chuckles. Perhaps the others were hitting, getting closer and closer-

But this... this is too far off base for him to be bothered. He's quite comforted by facts and things that he knows are true. Science and math and technology and if you do this, this happens-

If you kidnap Tony Stark, people will look for him.]

Alright, you lose. That's ten bucks in your debt, Reindeer Games.

[...ah. Well. He merely swirls the drink and takes a sip, buying himself time.

...It's not like him to make mistakes...except these days, that's all he does, it seems.]

I owe you nothing.

[And he turns away sharply once again.]

[.... hm.

There's something familiar to that turning away- the dejection that comes after being thoroughly told that he was wrong. Laughed at even.

And Tony realizes that this is the Trickster God and no sympathy is allotted-

So it's not sympathy. None of that. Just more facts.]

Thor'll pick you up eventually. Though it'd be better if your time-out was actually working.

[And he's back to looking at his panels and going over the information for the third time.]

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