[Wow, ouch. Billy feels a wave deeply-rooted misery flare to life within him, much as he tries to quell it, and he has to glance aside, still visibly uncomfortable. That? That hurt. And he has to wonder if Loki even realizes it did- and if so, how much. Trust... earned trust is important. He can't even fathom how little Loki seems to comprehend this- how little he values the trust he's been offered. And this vaguely defeatist attitude is going to get him into trouble, and soon, if it hasn't already.
He's glad that Loki carried on a bit more beyond the first few sentences he'd spoken; it gives Billy time to bury that fresh wound as best he can before responding.]
I... don't know if I can explain it to you in a way that'll make you understand, if you don't already. It's about honesty. Using magic on people without permission- you've got a lot of power, you know? And that can be scary. It can intimidate people. And scaring and intimidating people is no way to make friends. It doesn't hurt anybody to ask if you can cast a damn spell on someone before you go and do it. It's a courtesy you're supposed to do to earn someone's trust, and it's a necessity if you want to keep whatever trust you might have. [....] And... people do trust you, whether you believe it or not.
[The wound flares again, sharp and full of bad memories. After all he's shared with Loki, at this point? The parts of himself that he's offered freely, despite any misgivings, despite the man's history, despite knowing he's a murderer and an enemy of most of the people whose opinions he values more than anyone else? What the hell does Loki even think that was for? It really hurts, to hear it brushed aside so casually, and he's trying not to let it show again with marginal success.
Just... ignore it. Move on. Pointing it out would probably just earn him another "hey guess what I'm Loki and evil and kill people, remember" and he really, really cannot deal with that right now.]
[Action, December 22]
He's glad that Loki carried on a bit more beyond the first few sentences he'd spoken; it gives Billy time to bury that fresh wound as best he can before responding.]
I... don't know if I can explain it to you in a way that'll make you understand, if you don't already. It's about honesty. Using magic on people without permission- you've got a lot of power, you know? And that can be scary. It can intimidate people. And scaring and intimidating people is no way to make friends. It doesn't hurt anybody to ask if you can cast a damn spell on someone before you go and do it. It's a courtesy you're supposed to do to earn someone's trust, and it's a necessity if you want to keep whatever trust you might have. [....] And... people do trust you, whether you believe it or not.
[The wound flares again, sharp and full of bad memories. After all he's shared with Loki, at this point? The parts of himself that he's offered freely, despite any misgivings, despite the man's history, despite knowing he's a murderer and an enemy of most of the people whose opinions he values more than anyone else? What the hell does Loki even think that was for? It really hurts, to hear it brushed aside so casually, and he's trying not to let it show again with marginal success.
Just... ignore it. Move on. Pointing it out would probably just earn him another "hey guess what I'm Loki and evil and kill people, remember" and he really, really cannot deal with that right now.]