liesmith | ♉ of course you'll be distracted when I spike the punch

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♉ of course you'll be distracted when I spike the punch

After sending Darcy along home with her exsanguinating friend, he returns to his own apartment (bought and paid for with false papers and rerouted funds and cloaked to the gills from any and all prying eyes, S.H.I.E.L.D.-employed or otherwise) to watch over the bustle of activity surrounding the Lewis residence. He doesn't peer into the apartment proper - Darcy's made that line very evident after a prior misunderstanding - but he does see the good captain carted off to medical facilities unknown. There's a momentary debate about whether or not to send a shadow clone after Rogers, to further plant the seeds of curiosity and doubt, but... Loki decides against it. If he's done his work properly then it will only be a matter of time until the captain comes looking for him.

This entire endeavor was meant to be so much simpler before Darcy had swept in in a poor imitation of her heroically inclined colleagues. Oh, well. Still, one must follow through on things.

So it is that Loki Silvertongue sits in the outdoor dining area of a local restaurant with a steaming cup of black tea. Clearing his throat, he raises his eyebrows at his guest and waits for acknowledgment.

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One of the better things about this entire thing with Loki is that he's more than willing to spring for lunch or dinner wherever and mostly whenever. Darcy has tried more new foods in the time they've been connecting, for lack of a better word, than she has in the past three years of her life. Mostly because there are only so many times you can have a variation of macaroni and cheese before you've had them all. New restaurants, new food, and today is no different.

Currently she's looking around the outside patio of Little Giant, looking for one alien hipster wannabe in a crowd of people that remind her vaguely of her mother. Her mother and hipsters, so the fact that Loki picked this place is not really all that surprising. Darcy is just about to give up and go back in and look for him there when she hears a sound she's come to connect with him automatically.

When she whirls around and finds him sitting right behind her it's nearly enough to make her give up. Instead she flings herself down into the seat across from him. "You're early," Darcy says as she busies herself with the menu.

Edited 2011-09-17 21:41 (UTC)

"You're late," he parries with a small, wry smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He gives her a minor look for such uncouth behavior - is it truly such an ordeal to seat oneself properly, and posture - but doesn't say anything, giving her a moment to survey her options.

Selecting a slice of bread from the basket between them, he cants his head ever so slightly. "I take it the captain received the proper attentions after our last encounter?" It's ridiculous how calmly he can talk about an 'encounter' that nearly impaled Darcy and left Steve bleeding out on the pavement, but such is merely one of Loki's many talents.

"I arrived precisely when I meant to." So what if she's resorting to quoting Lord of the Rings - they haven't watched that yet and she doubts he's delved into classic literature during the time he's been here.

The mention of Steve causes her to give him a look over her menu as she, too, snatches a slice of bread. "Yeah, Colonel Fury says he'll be fully recovered in no time." Physically at least, but that confrontation can wait until she's got her food. "Thanks for the uh. Transportation."

He arches an eyebrow, more than aware that such phrases don't come naturally to Darcy's vocabulary. Eventually he'll figure out where it's from and roll his eyes accordingly. But for the moment he'll content himself with buttering his bread.

"As if you could have dragged him anywhere otherwise. And may I for the record state how poorly planned your impromptu rescue mission was?" He's completely serious at this moment, staring a hole into Darcy in an attempt to make the point stick. "You assumed a great number of things, first and foremost that I was to blame. In case you hadn't noticed, your little friends have more enemies than just me, and I would wager none of them have a personal stake in your well-being." He takes a small bite and chews, giving Darcy time for that to sink in. "Never mind S.H.I.E.L.D. level threats, there's the mundane ones as well. Did you even have your taser on hand?"

Is Loki, god of mischief and bane of SHIELD and assorted related groups giving her a lecture on personal safety? She can't quite believe it, dropping her menu to stare at him for a good few seconds. Seriously. And she thought her life had taken a sudden turn into the surreal months ago when Jane hit some random dude with a truck.

But it's the fact that he's being serious that makes he pause before answering because seeing Loki completely serious? Normally the sign of impending various bad things before he breaks out the smirk. The recovery is swift, however.

"One - you normally always answer your phone when I call unless you're out doing something dastardly." Yeah she totally just went there. But now that he mentioned it, she'd left her taser in her bag like she always did. Except that she didn't grab her bag before running out of her apartment. Blame it on the sleep deprivation and getting woken up by a phonecall from a national symbol. "Okay fine, you've got a point. But I can't just hear something like that and do nothing."

"I do try to answer when the phone rings, considering the very few people who actually have that number." Darcy isn't the only one, but she's one of the scant handful. "However, that isn't a guarantee that I'll always pick up. It's not outside the realm of possibility that I can be busy in pursuits other than causing your employers grief."

Loki exhales sharply. "Where did I say you should do nothing? I'm simply stating that the time you spent racing to swoop in at the last possible moment could have been better spent calling in for reinforcements. I'm sure the captain's handlers keep a close enough leash on him that the response time would have been more than acceptable."

"Bullshit. Unless you've got like, Supervillains Anonymous on speed dial." But she doesn't press the issue, just busies herself with another slice of bread. Gotta admit, the idea of all the villains in the world getting together to bemoan their lives is hilarious as far as Darcy is concerned.

But she levels him a look all the same. "Tell me you wouldn't enjoy killing Cap in front of Thor and Stark. Because if they thought you were attacking Captain America they're totally not just going to send Coulson." They'd send everyone they could get their hands on because it's Loki. But mentioning Coulson brings up something else they're going to have to talk about. "He knows. Coulson. And um. Steve. He knows, too."

"It's not as if there is a formal society for that sort of thing." Loki rolls his eyes at the very idea - some of those idiots that have wormed their way out of the woodwork aren't even worth the condescending glance, much less any actual expenditure of his time.

"You mistake me for someone who cares about performing for an audience." Wrong brother, Darcy, but he doesn't say that. "And that my aim was to kill him at all. It wasn't." A beat. "Not this time, at least." Shrugging a shoulder at the entire affair, he brings his tea to his lips nonchalantly. "I'm hardly surprised. That Coulson is one of the few competents you've surrounded yourself with." He stops mid-sip at that last bit of information. "...Does he now." The gears start whirring even faster than usual as he considers this new variable. Damn. This could become messy.

"You never know. You'd need a name like... Cabal. That sounds nice and ominous." The waiter comes and Darcy places her order for a duck BLT or whatever as rolls her eyes at whatever Loki orders. Because it's ridiculous and over the top and so very him.

"No, it was to offer to send him back in time, thereby weakening the Avengers and allowing yourself a window opportunity in which to succeed in taking over the world." The thing about Darcy is that while she can be incredibly clueless the majority of the time is that her moments of insight are, well, insightful. Or accurate. "I didn't even know you could do that." Another slice of bread, god does she love restaurants that do this. "He apparently has recorded all my outgoing calls. And yeah, he does. To be fair he totally thought we were having, you know. Sex."

Edited 2011-09-24 21:35 (UTC)

"I'll keep it in mind," he says with a twitching half smirk as he requests the ramp crostini. Not that he expects to be using such a name any time soon. It has about the same aesthetic as Doom Patrol, and Loki honestly has slightly more taste than that.

"I'm capable of a great many things," he deflects with a knowing smile that turns slightly condescending at the idea that Coulson thinks he has any sort of bead on the situation. "He may record as he likes, but I make it a point to ensure that any and all contact I make is untraceable unless I wish otherwise." Taking another sip of tea, it's only by virtue of centuries of poise and practice that when he chokes on it, he only barely makes a sound. "...I'm sorry, what."

The defection is as good of a conformation as she expects to hear from him. "Time travel? Seems a bit far fetched, even for you. I mean I'm totally willing to give you the rainbow bridge wormhole ride but maybe not so much on the whole time thing."

Darcy doesn't even bother trying to hid the smirk at the obvious aborted spit-take. "Cap. He asked about us and then asked if I was being, you know. Safe." Loki wasn't the one he had to worry about that with, but she wasn't about to tell Captain America about her sex life, even if it'd make him splutter. "Don't worry, I corrected him."

An expansive shrug. "You should keep your mind open. The universe is full of possibilities."

There are times when Darcy is all to obviously Loki's daughter, and whenever that particular smirk makes an appearance is one of them. He often wonders if anyone else would take notice of it - maybe the captain will now that he's aware of it. There's a quick, pained expression on his face as he unwillingly imagines the conversation. Bloody Hel. "I suppose I should be grateful for that small kindness."

"Okay, then I totally want to see the signing of the Declaration of Independence." She's bringing her phone with and taking pictures, damn the consequences. Then maybe the French Revolution and the Russian Revolution so they can cover some of their bases; if she can wing it a visit to Locke. If Loki can do this she's going to abuse it.

Normally it'd take Darcy practicing in the mirror for hours to get it down just right but the smirks? They've always come easy to her. Now, at least now she's got some idea where it came from. "What, you think I want him walking around thinking I'm sleeping with the enemy? God if Clint ever found out..." Then she'd be out her super sexy archer. And that would be a major bummer.

"Clear your schedule for a day, and no flash photography," is the immediate reply. It's not that he's averse to changing history, only that he does so when it will most directly be to his advantage. Temporal consequences are a touchy thing, and not to be dealt with lightly.

"Hardly. However, from an objective viewpoint, one can appreciate a certain... Sadistic humor in letting him stew in his mistake." Loki grins for a moment, able to stand outside for a moment to enjoy how Steve must have squirmed. Then, canting his head to the side, he asks, "Found out your relationship to me, or came to the same false conclusion the soldier did?"

"Next Saturday, I can reschedule things." She could cancel a lot of them too if it meant time travel. Also Loki only specified flash photograph and Darcy's face breaks into a grin. "Oh my god I'm going to travel in time." Best. Day. Ever. Normally she'd say best father ever as well but as there are some faults that aren't conductive to 'best fatherhood' awards Darcy is just not going to say anything on the matter.

"I didn't think anyone could actually turn that shade of red. Like I know people say that in books and movies and stuff all the time but seriously? Didn't think it was possible." A pause as she considers the question. "Probably the second one. There's like that one saying - the sins of the father or something that'd excuse me for the whole genetics thing." Eventually, though she'd not admit this to Loki just yet, she feels like Clint should know. But that was going to take extensive planning.

"Done, then. How does ten o'clock sound?" He matches her grin with a milder smile, though the creases at his eyes crinkle deeper at her enthusiasm. Most of the more usual father of the year type activities simply aren't what he does, wouldn't be even if he'd been born to this realm. Instead, he'll make his indelible mark in his own, unique way. He rather thinks Darcy enjoys it more this way, really.

The grin twitches slightly wider. "As you've quickly learned, there's quite a number of 'impossible' things that have been labeled so by simpler minds." Loki chews over the moment before deciding to... Be somewhat helpful for once. "If the archer does indeed care for you, he would know you better than to believe such things. At the very least, he should give you chance enough to explain." Then to cover the moment, he decides to butter another piece of bread oh so deliberately.

"Great. Perfect, even." Darcy very much doubts she's ever going to get over the thrill of actually. Traveling in time. It's like everyone's secret guilty pleasure that she actually gets to indulge in. "I swear I'm not gonna step on any butterflies or anything like that."

The sudden moment of actual helpfulness takes blindsides her and she just blinks at him. It's gone as soon as it came of course, as he's moved on. But it still happened, and she guesses that's something. "Thanks." Then Darcy moves on to help forget about it. "I mean he keeps wanting to like, find out more about my family but I'm pretty good at deflecting them." Which means she's only told him that she actually has a father instead of easily telling him that he's dead.

"I doubt insects are all that important to the general schema, but your caution is nonetheless appreciated." His lips twitch in that way that says he's truly amused by something without mocking it.

Loki shrugs noncommittally, dismissing the sentimentality of it. Because in this family, one doesn't talk about such things. Or. Feelings. Whatever. It's how they roll. "I'd not expect anything less," he quips instead, a fleeting grin to poke fun at her legacy. He does wish she were a touch more adept at lying, but there's time enough to learn.

"You've never read 'A Sound of Thunder' have you. Dude goes back in time, steps on a butterfly, screws the entire world up so they have to shoot him." Darcy Lewis loves her science fiction. Why else would she sign up for an astrophysics internship?

She can actually get behind that, if only because she's the sort of person who does rather than say. Loki does get a return smile at the family line of truth aversion. "At least there's the comfort that if he goes for my file he'll find he doesn't have high enough clearance for it." Technically she doesn't have high enough clearance for it but Coulson does.

"I'm well aware of the principle. I'm simply stating that the name is slightly melodramatic. I'd not begrudge you a heavy step or two." Desperate for those six credits, maybe?

He sips a toast of tea to, "Ah, the cozy security of rampant bureaucracy. What would one do without it."

"The name makes the story, alright? But cool, good to know there's not any huge ramifications." Okay that was just a part of why she applied to every internship she could get her hands on.

"Well I'd have been out of a major and my senior thesis for a start." However annoying it might be, she has to give it props for keeping secrets. And for making everything just a little bit more complicated. "You have no idea how much paperwork I've had to do for this entire thing. Worse, 'cause Couslon wants them in triplicate."

"Titles usually have that effect." Nice and cryptic and just slightly loaded: a very Loki (tm) statement.

"Oh no," he declares in deadpan so complete, pots everywhere start mourning. "However will you survive." Rolling his eyes, he does have a certain distaste for the way these mortals have the board set. How anything of any import was accomplished at all with all the red tape to wade through was thoroughly beyond him - far better with a monarchy, one sure hand to guide the way. ...Ah well. Eventually.

Darcy half rolls her eyes at him. "Loki Silvertongue, the lie-smith and wannabe ruler of Migard, Asgard, and all of the the other 'gards'." She pauses for a moment as the waitress delivers the food - duck BLT who on earth would have thought someone would think that'd be a good idea. "Okay, fine, it sounds pretty cool."

Credit where credit was due, of course. "Dunno, probably have to start learning how to play some instrument and start busking for spare change." Darcy doesn't even have to think about how badly that'd all turn out. Maybe she could get Thor on drums and Jane on keyboard. Just in case.

Loki tuts. "Please, Darcy - I'm more than content with just the singular 'gard'." This is honestly as close as he and Darcy get to discussing his villainous life. Gotta love the not-talking they have going on.

"It's comforting to know you've a thoroughly thought out contingency plan. You'll never go hungry again." Yeah, no.

"Comforting. Real comforting." Not. And she'd be lying if she said she hadn't thought about what his success might mean for her, though she normally stops when she gets to her friends all being dead or locked up somewhere as they're all the Avengers. Darcy really, really needs to get out and make some normal friends. Maybe like that Cho kid she knew back at college.

"Got a better option?" Spoken around her sandwich like a boss.

♉ of course you'll be distracted when I spike the punch

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