The confusion remained obvious all over Thor's face, but now there was a flash of hurt as well as restrained anger. Thor often enough mirrored others' emotions and Loki's anger was beginning to draw out his own.
It hurt a great deal to be called arrogant. Certainly he thought of himself that way, after his exile had caused him to have a breakdown. But it had been blindness and self-involvement which had driven his cruelty, never any sense of anyone being below him. That his words had devastated those he loved, was difficult enough to grapple with the guilt of. Yet on top of it was now layered this additional phobia of a lack of self-worth. That if he made mistakes unknowing, he would be unworthy of those he loved. That they might even die because of his own missteps.
He didn't feel particularly mighty at the moment, but Thor did usually understand taunts to battle when he heard them. As such, he wasn't so much insulted as unnerved by the insult.
To be called a whelp of liars... At first he couldn't understand what Loki might have meant, parsing the insult as to mean childish liar rather than child of liars. Yet rarely had he lied to Loki and also generally the younger brother was better with words than that, insults or otherwise.
With a suddenness that surprised even himself, Thor's gaze deepened with pain and cold, haggard rage. "Insult me as you will, but you are low to insult her when she loved you so dearly! She lied but not often, and she meant better than you."
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It hurt a great deal to be called arrogant. Certainly he thought of himself that way, after his exile had caused him to have a breakdown. But it had been blindness and self-involvement which had driven his cruelty, never any sense of anyone being below him. That his words had devastated those he loved, was difficult enough to grapple with the guilt of. Yet on top of it was now layered this additional phobia of a lack of self-worth. That if he made mistakes unknowing, he would be unworthy of those he loved. That they might even die because of his own missteps.
He didn't feel particularly mighty at the moment, but Thor did usually understand taunts to battle when he heard them. As such, he wasn't so much insulted as unnerved by the insult.
To be called a whelp of liars... At first he couldn't understand what Loki might have meant, parsing the insult as to mean childish liar rather than child of liars. Yet rarely had he lied to Loki and also generally the younger brother was better with words than that, insults or otherwise.
With a suddenness that surprised even himself, Thor's gaze deepened with pain and cold, haggard rage. "Insult me as you will, but you are low to insult her when she loved you so dearly! She lied but not often, and she meant better than you."