2020-02-03 - Acceptable Apology

Summary:

Lena seeks out Loki, finds him and Melinda at Cover Story.

Log Info:

Storyteller: {$storyteller}
Date: February 2nd, 2020
Location: Cover Story, NYC

Related Logs

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Theme Song

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melinda-maylokilena-snart

Lena Snart was getting tired of her life as she was. She missed a number of things and was starting to forget others. Playing, hunting and pouncing became more of her go too instead of working on her gun, some heist, checking in on those important to her…She missed her thumbs and good food. Not that her hosts were not kind or good to her, but it was odd being in a living situation with two father like figures when her own in real-life was such a trainwreck prior to his death.

She had learned a great deal from Ambrose and her sense of smell and ability to transverse the city had returned to her. She knew where that shop was and with a pause before it, she paws at its door before giving a press and dig with her black tipped nose. Slinking in, she takes only a moment's passing to press upon the door and close it behind herself. With a flick of her tail and ears alike, she pads in silence across the floor, eyes of frost attentive.

At the moment, Loki and Agent May are upstairs. "Ah, here we go." He takes up a small box, and offers it to the S.H.I.E.L.D. senior agent. "One dozen more of the amulets you asked for." Inside are, as promised, twelve of the Dome Amulets - aesthetically they're a mite different, but that's probably because he and Sigyn are Norse, and the other magi follow different traditions. Either way, they look okay?

He pauses then, looking towards the front door, and his lips curl in an almost smile. "Oh, look, a wayward fox kit. This should be interesting." He nods. "Shall we?" And then leads the way down the stairs to the back room, and then into the shop. Green eyes track unerringly to the fox kit, but for the moment Loki just watches to see what she's up to.

May accepts the small box and tucks it into her jacket without checking the contents. It's a gesture of trust and respect from her, followed by a respectful bow. "Thank you, Prince Loki. They will be very useful."

When he looks toward the door and mentions a fox kit, she looks that way as well and then remembers the young woman that had come in here that one time with a serious case of chip-on-shoulder. "Yes, let's." She's had time to think about that incident and not be instantly angry anymore, but she still mentally maintains that the young woman's behavior had been inexcusably rude.

Of course, she's also from an older generation, and spent at least a few of her formative years in China, where manners were much stricter and considered for more important than the norm here in the US.

Lena Snart pads for a moment more, nose up nostrils flaring to find that scent; Loki's scent. It was all around, sadly, and with that, the kit sits herself and lifts her head up to stare toward the security camera or, well, whatever was in the building that would suggest such. Silent, oddly patient, the kit waits. Even her stance is a bit more regal than before. Perhaps she had been taking lessons from a certain Jackal.

On the way down the stairs, Loki comments. "Those amulets were absolutely fascinating to construct." He nods. "Challenging, even. It will be months, at least, before we can fashion any more - the reagents and materials needed are quite rare, I would that we could have made more." A smile then. "Still, never let it be said that Loki Laufeyson is not a true Prince of Asgard and a friend to the people of Midgard." Usually anyway, the good will these amulets will buy is a sage investment for the Trickster, hedging his bets against future need.

He laughs very softly when he senses Lena just sitting patiently, with such dignity in plain sight. No wandering about, no sniffing, that's actually impressive.

Loki gets the door for May, and then moves directly towards the kit, stopping a few meters away. As a courtesy, he casts a charm on May to let her understand the critter. "Hello, Miss Snart." He greets coolly, expression veiled.

Nodding wordlessly, May follows Loki down the stairs and then steps through the door ahead of him. There's likely nothing about her that Lena would recognize immediately, but she stops alongside the sorcerer and studies the little white fox kit with an almost Vulcan level of emotionless calm to her face.

She doesn't offer a greeting the way Loki did, either.

The kit gives a small flicker of her ears and offers a nod of her head in a very human manner of greeting. Her eyes roll toward May for a moment. «I wasn't aware you were busy. I can come back.» She offers with a canting of her head. For now, she keeps her seat.

See? Another reason to like May - she's not nearly as chatty as he is, so he gets to hear the sound of his own voice more. Loki likes that!

When the kit offers her greeting nod, he inclines his head to her in turn. "I am not busy, you need not go anywhere, Lena Snart." He hunkers down so he's more on her level, sitting on his heels and resting arms on his knees. "So…to what do I owe this visit to?" He's not commenting, not pleasure or honor, just a visit…LENA will determine how things go.

Still, he COULD have started with a fireball, so there's that.

Lena Snart looks from Loki, to May, then back again. With a flick of her tail, she considers the Prince of Lies and gives another swish of her tail. «I've come to speak with you. Against Ambrose's better judgement, but I can speak no truth but my own.» She begins. «I'm tired of this form, and in some ways I suppose I understand why you felt the need to do this to me. It's your nature.» A beat. «I'm not sorry for reacting. When threatened, I don't back down regardless of the threat. I will never be sorry for my reaction - I fight more so than flee and that is how I am. How I have to be. How I will always be.»

A blink of her eyes, she keeps her spot. «You could say that we act as we think we must or want to. Troubled children that we are with such hate for our father's - I'm sure in some way we can relate at least on that level.»

«I meant you no disrespect personally. If that counts for anything.»

"Lieutenant Atherton can be a right pain in the arse, Lena Snart, but…you would do well to pay heed to his advice." Loki's expression softens a bit, amusement showing a bit. "At least some of the time. He /is/ very much your elder, and has a great deal of experience." He listens as she speaks of the form. "But, Lena, in that form you will never die, is the gift of immortality not worth something?" He asks, again, according to his nature.

Of course that question is a trap, the curse he levied /dark/. To live and age until the heat death of the universe? That's a VERY harsh punishment, far beyond the scope of her 'crime'. It is however very much in keeping with the caprice of a mercurial god.

His expression waxes more serious when she speaks of their fathers. "My relationship with my father is…complex." And he leaves it at that.

He looks then to Agent May. "What do you think? I believe she is being honest, that her sentiments are true, that she is - as much as she can be - contrite. Shall I lift my curse?"

May spends a moment considering both Loki's question put to her and Lena's words up to this point. "Ms. Snart. When you're in an unfamiliar situation, presuming a threat will only ever land you in trouble. Are you willing to concede that there are perhaps other ways to resolve situations than by immediately presuming a threat of violence?"

May was very careful in her phrasing of her question, and she was very deliberate in her phrasing, putting the young woman turned fox kit to a small test of her interpersonal skills and morals.

«No. I'm a mortal in a world of supes. I don't like a number of things about myself, but I like it enough to not be this. I never wanted immortality.» A pause, she nods gently, «As was mine before he died.» Lena confesses to Loki somewhat easily.

Eyes toward May, she blinks once more. «When threatened, I fight back. That's how it is for someone like me. You fight or you die. If you're asking me to not answer violence with violence, then I cannot do that.» A look to Loki. «I can talk, but that's not what was happening that day. I'm here talking now, that's what's important.»

"At present, you're an immortal fox kit, Lena." Loki says with a soft laugh. He nods as she states clearly she never wanted immortality. That's a point in her favor, many mortals would do almost anything to live forever. Loki's wise enough to know that there's no such thing, even for the likes of him.

The easy confession of complexity draws a smirk out, his amusement growing at the fact they /might/ have more in common than was apparent. Truly, she /is/ something of an outcast herself, and a criminal.

Yeah, there's a fair amount of common ground.

And then he asks what May thinks and though the answer Lena gives is /not/ the one May might have wanted, or expected - the answer, that answer is really not so bad. "Well…hrm." Loki looks thoughtful, rising, and then walking widdershins about the fox kit. "I would say you have apologized, in your way." A nod. "And I would say you have done so sincerely, Lena Snart."

And then just like that, she's herself again, clothed in a snug fitting gown of white silk with blue lace and embroidery, and a mantle of snow fox fur. "Ask me nicely for a miracle, Lena Snart."

While it's true that May didn't get an answer to her question, clearly Lena's words were sufficient to appease Loki, and she's not going to press the issue. Once the young woman is human again, May offers her a polite bow in greeting.

"And now that we're both back to our proper forms, I should probably introduce myself." She takes a step foward. "Agent Melinda May of SHIELD." No, sorry, she's NOT going to explain that.

Her body twists in a fluid yet unnatural manner. May was here when the girl was turned into the kit, and now she's here to see her become human again. Lena was none the wiser to such a thing as the connection of Cat and May didn't link together. Body tense, back bowing, she gasps in deeply and exhales, allowing her head to rest forward, half lidded eyes parting fully.

Looking down at herself, that gown and fur, she brushes against both and gently pulls the pelt off her shoulders. May speaks and she pays attention. Her brows knit at the comment of proper froms, but it's the word SHIELD that causes her to step back. Folding up the fur, she offers it back toward Loki, eyes on Melinda. "Lena Snart, but you've heard that name a number of times by now."

Another point in May's favor - she knows when NOT to poke a bear with a sharp stick, or even a blunt one. Having risen, he watches as they greet each other, and even takes the mantle of fox fur Lena declines. Eyes of green glint with a mix of humour and a bit of pique. "Lena, do you not want a miracle? All you need do is ask me, 'Prince Loki, may I have a miracle?'." He is very intent in his regard, waiting to see how the Master Thief's friend will react.

Will she ask? CAN she?

May nods to Lena and steps back again, not about to get involved in this discussion of miracles. She's seen too much of the world and is too much of a pragmatist to believe in miracles without some hidden price tag attached. Usually a steep price, too.

Thus, she keeps her opinion to herself and waits to see what Lena is going to say in response to Loki's insistence. Because, really. He's being pretty pushy about it, and that seems a bit unlike him from what she's personally experienced.

"No." She answers both to his question and the phrase she'd have to use to have such granted to her. A glance to Melinda, she offers a nod her way and then a look to Loki. Turning, she starts heading for the door, her business done for the evening. At least her business here.

Absolutely delighted laughter at the woman's one word answer, her denial. "Delightful." Loki says with approval, Lena can hear him as she is making her way from the place in her new gown. It won't last for very long, but it will keep her warm, and it will last until she's safe and at her home. Only then, in private will it fade away to nothing. One last trick from the Trickster!

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