"It's a realistic view," Loki amended. "Especially if you're as long-lived as we are. Expect anything else and sooner or later you'll get hurt. I'm not saying that there might not be exceptions." Once upon a time he'd been sure that Odin was such an exception. "But there's no guarantee that you'll find one and isn't it better to be positively surprised, if you do?"

Uriel wasn't him of course. Maybe she'd actually find her exception. People seemed to like her in any case. They didn't tend to like Loki. At least not for very long.