Summary:Cookies! And Astral Jackals! And cold guns! OH MY! Log Info:Storyteller: None |
Related LogsTheme SongNone |
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Evening has fallen on Patna. There is a sense of more air to breathe, a lessening of stress, but not overly much upon the city nearly tucked to the rising hills that roll up to the foot of the mighty Himalayan mountain range in the distance. Ambrose has taken it upon himself to not only make a cup of dark tea against the chill, but dress more warmly inside the rented abode (and hidden bolthole) he shares with Kent currently. Dressed in a silk sangoir-red kurta-shirt with golden embroidery at the neck and down his sternum and a darker merlot-red set of trousers, he takes a deep breath of night air in where he stands by a cracked window. The dampness of greenery and stillness of the dusk wraps around even as he reaches out with all the amateur mental prowess he possesses:
Lord Loki, Lord Loki… Tiniest smirk and jolt of laughter mentally. …Lord Loki, it is Ambrose, presuming to report upon the affairs of Patna if you are at leisure.
With the name said thrice, the Jackal then waits patiently.
Another night of fun and bookkeeping…joy! Loki is presently hard at work, well, for him anyway. He's seated at a desk near the back of the main room and going over some books while drinking tea and eating cookies, though…hrm…cookies are running low. Actually, things were just starting to get boring when he hears his name spoken thrice, and *smiles*. A moment of concentration and in distant Patna, Loki creates a shade behind the Master Thief. Just behind him, breath on his ear. "Nice view."
Loki can be such a sprat at times! Mostly he wants to see if the Bane's Sheathe will leap out the window, try to climb the wall or do a back flip again and draw steel.
|ROLL| Ambrose +rolls 1d10 for: 1
"I want to do this," Lena explains to Melinda. Both women, stoic in expression, make their way into Cover Story. "If there's anything you like in here, let me know and I'll work out a way to get it for you. As a thank you." She explains, holding the door open for Melinda and sounding the 'warning' bell that someone(s) were inside. "You didn't have to bring them a gift, y'know. I understand hospitality is a thing for them, but still…it's a business." Lena teases toward Melinda, waiting until she passes through before following after.
Yes, May very much DID have to bring a gift when visiting Prince Loki and Princess Sigyn. It's called manners. With Lena holding the door open, she steps into the bookstore proper with a decently-sized wooden box in her hands then moves to one side so she's not blocking the entryway. And rather than promptly start looking about the establishment, she waits there for one or both of the Aesir who own the business and reside above it to greet them.
Again, manners. And, mostly because she's here as a guest, not as a customer. She … hasn't actually ever bought anything from this store that she can remember offhand.
Sigyn is coming in from the back with a tray with cookies and a fresh pot of tea, as if she knew Loki was running out. Seeing Melinda, Sigyn smiles warmly. "Welcome! It's good to see you again. Has all been well?"
The window is spared. The wall remains free of foot-marks. Ambrose doesn't leave the ground but for a jittered centimeter, but the tea?
A quick reflexive jerk of an elbow and there it goes over his shoulder, the tea thrown: smack through Loki's illusory face. It spatters on the floor behind them both, real and false being alike. At least it's not on Loki's real face! Ambrose takes a moment to compose himself and reminds himself that he did NOT just scald the Prince of Asgard even if his heart's going briefly triple-time.
Sporting a rueful half-smile at least a touch discomfited, the Jackal turns to face the shade of the Trickster. You are too kind, your highness. The location was chosen specifically as such, he jokes lightly along the psychic link across thousands of miles. Sought out for its difficulty of discovery, this place, not for the backyard abutting to a lesser-used trade route. I have word to bring you of success here in Patna. Your son, his Raven, the Lady Sif, and myself, we have temporarily managed to dethrone Kali. She is contained, though her madness continues. I had hoped that you might have news of the wishing gem…? And, if I am not being overbearing, word of the offspring? He lightly folds his arms, shoulders back and chin lifted, still sporting a hint of a smile for the Trickster God.
There's absolutely no idea of the recent arrivals to Cover Story, not across an entire ocean and half the Asian continent.
May bows in a respectful but oh so Chinese greeting to Sigyn as she's the first one to show up. "Your Highness. Things have been as well as can be. Have you met Lena?" She nods to where the younger woman is in the store, not yet speaking up about the box she brought in. It doesn't have to be given immediately, after all.
"Lena, have you met Her Highness Princess Sigyn?" Yes, formal titles are indeed necessary right now. Because manners.
For a brief moment Loki toyed with pretending to be scalded, but…then there'd be with the screaming, and the killing…total chaos! So, better this way, just a sardonic grin. «Indeed I am too kind, how good of you to notice.» Loki replies with a flowery bow. Drat! No jump at all, he's really got to work on his technique!
Of course /Ambrose/ can't keep track of Cover Story, but Loki still can, albeit distractedly. A smile to his wife, she can surely sense the magic in play, and then the door opens and two familiar faces enter. Bonus: They're attached not only to familiar bodies but even the ones he remembers them being with! Rising after May's greeting, he steps a bit forward. "Ah…Miss Snart, Agent May, welcome indeed." He looks to his wife. "Sigyn, beloved wife, this is Lena Snart. Miss Snart, my wife."
And then he gets tired of dividing his attention, and in Patna the illusory Loki smiles. «Well, the view was quite nice. Congratulations on your success, sir. As to the Gem, my lady wife at present thinks she can risk a single wish, but wants to be as certain as possible as she can…and…» A faint frown. «Actually, have a seat.» Once Ambrose does Loki sort of reaches INSIDE his chest, and then pulls…
In New York Loki makes a magician's flourish, and one an absolutely perfect illusion forms, every sense, of Ambrose just as he was in Patna. "Here we go, much better."
"Can't say I have, but I've heard many great things from his Lordness." She muses, that sly smirk tugging at her dark lips. "Nice to meet you, pretty." She greets Sigyn kindly enough. Loki speaks, she offers him a nod, then more and more go about the shop - such as projection Ambrose.
"Ambrose." Lena murmurs gently upon seeing him.
Ambrose? May's eyes immediately scan the floor for the little jackal, and then notices the man who has appeared next to Loki literally out of nowhere. Her eyes narrow as she studies the projection.
Sigyn inclines her head gracefully to May, "No, I can't say as I've had the pleasure." Then Lena refers to her not by name, or rank, but as 'pretty' and her gaze gets sharp, and she exchanges Significant Looks with Loki. She replaces Loki's empty platter of cookies with a full one, sending the emopty plate away with a twist of seidr.
Ambrose's eyes go wide as the mage's hand is suddenly INSIDE HIS CHEST! It feels as if every square inch of his subdermal skin-lining goes shimmering and electrified and the room in Patna blurs in a multi-dimensional shifting that leaves him dazed —
— and Astrally-present in Cover Story, New York City. Gleaming about his edges like an eclipsed star, the silk-clothed Jackal weaves in place, hand against his temple for a second, before his brain catches up to him. He blinks and his mouth hangs open for a brief second.
Ruddy hell! His voice seems to come from a distance, perhaps down a long and empty hallway, echoed upon itself just enough to be noted. Oh, good bloody — er, right. Miss Lena, good evening. Princess Sigyn, greetings to you as well. Ambrose, never bereft of his upbringing even in Astral form, places his fist to his sternum and bows deeply. May is then noted and gets a lingering look dead back. Even Astrally, his pupils gleam red in a quick flash here and there again. And to you, a lovely evening as well, he says more musingly to the SHIELD agent.
Interestingly enough, the entire time, his mouth doesn't move and yet? His words are still heard, crisp as always in his accent.
A little disappointed that the Bane rode along, Loki is also a bit intrigued that the Bane rode along, they are /tightly/ bound together it seems. Amused at the Jackal's shaken composure, he creates an illusory cup of tea for Ambrose, fair's fair, made him toss the original in Patna, and can't give him the real deal here, but an illusion from the Liesmith should cover the bases nicely enough.
"Lena, my wife is accustomed to a bit more formality, she's a lot less forgiving than I am." Yes, Loki's clearly teasing a bit. "Pray, her name will be sufficient, mm?"
And then at the look from May. "Yes, you've already met, no, he's not always…or even often…a Jackal." He confirms based on the speculative look. "Forgive me, lieutenant, divided attention can be tiresome."
Lena Snart just smirks. Not a minute into the visit and it was already turning into a show. The glare, the looks, the reaction from Ambrose - it was amazing. To Ambrose, however, she offers him a gentle nod, some silent promise kept and that was all there was to it. To May, she winks. "Cuter in fur, isn't he?" She teases before finally come back around to Sigyn.
"Oh, I get it. Sorry, Princess. I didn't mean any harm by it. Honestly, I've only heard good things about you. Me…trying not to be myself is hard work."
May stares right back at Ambrose for a moment longer before she turns to look at Lena. Loki's already taking her to task, though, so she doesn't add to it. Instead, she takes a step toward Sigyn and offers the wooden box. "A small token I found recently that I felt you might enjoy."
Even though she's no longer looking directly at the Ambrose projection, she still has a good portion of her attention and peripheral vision focused on the man. So THIS is what the little jackal looks like when he's not the little furry quadruped. At Loki's introduction and Lena's confirmation that he's the furry little punk with the overlarge ears, she offers Ambrose-projection a nod.
"Good to finally meet you properly, Ambrose."
Sigyn accepts the box from May with a warm smile. "Thank you! Might I offer you some tea? And of course she summons down another pot, so she can serve may the tea May prefers. And more cookies, of course.
"Good to see you again, Ambrose." And then Sigyn considers Lena, and nods a little. "It's alright. I have just had bad experiences in the past. Manners are both armor and weapon. But my husband vouches for you, and that is good enough for me." Not for others, perhaps, but for Sigyn it is enough.
Feeling some form of force take up space in one hand, Ambrose blinks down at the sudden appearance of a steaming cup of tea. It even smells real. He tentatively touches it with his other fingertips, pressing at illusory cup-wall, and then sniffs at it again.
I understand the difficulty of divided attention well enough, the master-thief agrees mildly, his bright eyes briefly sliding towards the Trickster God. A faint smile makes the ghost of a dimple form to one side of his mouth. Lena's comment makes his eyebrows dance up and he scowls. Tsk, the look seems to say, full intensity British disdain aimed dead at her — lies and calumny anyways, he's far more charming in his current guise, in his own opinion.
May yet again gets a musing look; his smile takes on a challenging edge, still bereft of the gleam of teeth. Indeed, Agent May. I suppose now we are properly met, he decides with a languid, self-confident shrug.
To Sigyn, he turns his attention and, again with a nod of respect towards the woman, he tells her: My Lady, I bring word of success in Patna. The Goddess Kali is temporarily within our care and the city feels to breathe easier for the moment. I thank you too for your care of my offspring both. I was told you provided for them in a time of need. You have my deepest gratitude. The blonde Asgardian receives one of the Jackal's charming grins now and dimples do show.
Eyes of glacier-heart green are deeply amused, yes, it is definitely a show…a very good one. "So..tea and cookies, splendid." The Magus of Asgard beams and moves to a low 'coffee table' in the shop, in fact the very one with the couch where Thoughtpiercer was brought to bear is still there.
"So…when do you anticipate returning, Lieutenant Atherton — soon?"
Innocent question, but meant to provide Lena an update to go with Ambrose's report on the care his family has been receiving, and the fact that Loki's been keeping his contract in good faith.
And then he rises. "Oh, Lena, I have something of yours…" He reaches under a counter, then pulls out a wrapped present, white paper, silver snowflake patterns on it. And when it is handed over she'd find it fairly heavy. "A sign of good faith."
A grin to May. "So…be honest…do you miss -anything- about when you were four footed?"
Should Lena open the box she'd find a pristine, undamaged, fully charged and ready to use Jadis inside.
A grin to his wife. "I do so vouch, and I think you two might get on famously." He adds as he happily has some more cookies. In fact he gestures, and a plate of illusory but to Ambrose's astral sense will seem /completely/ real cookies appears, same as the ones Sigyn provided."
Lena Snart blinks. "What?" She was listening up until the point of Loki saying he had a gift for her. For her? Claiming the box, she holds it at arm's length. Seeing as how most people knew everyone here, and even if she didn't realize who May had been during those days, she knew the collection was very familiar and ripe for curses.
Eyeing the box, she quirks a brow and then looks in Loki's direction. Then Ambrose. Then May, and back to the box. Opening it, confusion knits her fine brows together as the girl looks up and over toward Loki.
"You son of a bitch. Did you steal my gun after you broke the first one?!"
After Sigyn accepts the gift, May moves to join Loki at the low table in the shop, though she's mulling over this whole thing about Kali. As in, the Hindu diety Kali? That sounds … like way more trouble than it's worth.
Then there's a gift for Lena, and May looks from the Jadis to Loki. She never really got all that good a look at the weapon in the first place, so she has no way to know if it's the original or not, but considering the young woman's reaction, she's expecting an explanation. And it's bound to be a good one.
"Perhaps some explanation might be helpful," she prods gently. Because she's already got some time invested in this kid getting over her honestly horrific temper, and if all of that progress is ruined by this…
Sigyn deals with the drama by ignoring it. Serenely she pours tea for people, and one might get the impression that if someone sliced someone else open over the course of the tea, she'd simply remove the extra cup. Actually, given who her husband is there's a chance in the past she's done just that. "Family is important, Ambrose. I was pleased to meet yours and be able to assist them."
Ambrose notes that couch and notes it well. It gets a pensive squint. Eeeeugh. The decision to remaining standing sits well with him, it appears, and as such, he continues existing Astrally as he is. His cup of tea continues steaming comfortably in his hands.
I do not wish to tempt Fate and say that I shall return sooner rather than later, but if the Fates are kind, perhaps it will be as such. There are a few loose threads to tie off in the city as it stands, he reports as to Loki's curiosity.
Sigyn gets another respectful nod. I suspect that my daughter, Mira, will speak well of you, your highness. Once things are calm, I would extend a formal invitation for you and your husband to our abode.
Granted, his own is piqued by the sudden appearance of the white box. Lena receives a subtle shake of his head for her look, complete with stitch between brows — nope, he has no idea what it contains, be wary.
Then comes the outburst from Lena. A silent long-suffering sigh leaves the Jackal while his eyes roll up towards the ceiling as if attempting to gain sanity from some deity on high. He knows he can't intervene, not now, not from tens of thousands of miles away. Tea is sipped — he pauses to look down at its illusory-real state of totality, liquid to temperature and all — and sips more of it. Good show, Trickster.
"Better…I never broke the first one at all, that's your 'Jadis', I do believe you called it. Check, you'll see." And should (when?) Lena does so, she'll find that yes, this IS the original Jadis, any little quirks, things nobody could know, all there. Loki's smile is utterly delighted at all the fun goings on. This is Loki at his best - engaged - amused - most importantly: NOT BORED!
"I was a tad upset." He answers May when she sits, and her having been a guest here before he's hand her a tea cup with the tea prepared to her liking. "So…I worked a seeming that I destroyed her weapon, as you all saw, but didn't. Then I had a cold gun…me, a Jotun. What am I going to do with a Cold Gun? That's like…giving Thor a tesla coil." A shrug. "So…there you have it." Sadly, she didn't bend enough to ask for a miracle or she'd have had it sooner!
A smirk, one Sigyn knows very well 'I love that you know just what to do to deal with the silliness going on about us'.
Thankfully Loki is /amused/ by the goings on, not mad at all. He's mercurial like that sometimes. No doubt this is a relief for Ambrose, and damn…that's some good tea!
Lena Snart twitches. Her face twitches, eye, nostril, corner of her lip - twitch. Her fingers tighten against the beautiful box as she looks over the gun and then back toward Loki. There were so many things she wanted to say, all rolling through her mind and biting at the tip of her tongue to be given voice. She stands, silent, near fuming, before she shudders in place and forces herself to move.
"Thank. You." She forces out between her teeth.
Accepting the tea from Loki — yes, precisely how she prefers, thank you — May nods as he explains the story behind the unusual gift, inwardly glad to hear that the fickle Prince could have easily destroyed the weapon for real and chose not to despite how upset he'd been at the time. And then she turns to look at Lena and waits.
When the young woman actually manages to get the words out of her mouth, May promptly picks up a cookie from the plate on the table and holds it out to Lena.
Well done. Have a cookie. Sigyn makes sinfully good cookies.
Sigyn gives Loki a look that speaks of centuries of exhaustive experience. "Darling, your brother and your son both don't consider it a -real- feast unless there is at -least- one drunken fight. I would much rather deal with the 'silliness' as you call it." Compared to that, his little drama is much less exhausting. And usually easier on the furniture.
By the subtle slump of Ambrose's shoulders, he's relieved that there's no fire and sudden resizing of forms and guises and thank god. Literally. It is good tea, illusory or not, and another deep swig of it goes down; the Jackal does briefly wish the drink were laced with a heavy, heavy dose of liquor.
Whether or not Lena is paying attention, the brunet still nods his head at her approvingly. Yes: when outgunned and outnumbered, diplomacy comes first. May gives cookies — Ambrose gives his own reward in affirmation.
"You're most welcome, Lena, do please feel free to visit here any time and be assured of your welcome." Which is no small thing, especially in front of witnesses - most especially since the one who takes care of their many estates is Sigyn, and *she* is present when the offer is extended. Further, he adds. "Indeed, you are all welcome."
Either Loki doesn't see, or sees and chooses amusement over ire as Lena struggles against her desire to shoot him in the smirking face with her cold gun, wants to rail and rant…and doesn't. THAT. That right /there/ proves he was right to accept her apology when it was given before. Very recently to one with an Asgardian's lifespan.
He nearly chokes on his tea when the cookie is offered by May, with complete serenity and aplomb.
Lena Snart glares. She can't help not to. Her icy gaze giving her away as does the ridgid stance of her otherwise lithe form. Then comes the cookie. A cookie, gifted to her like one would a dog with a treat. "Fucking really?" She asks May, not in anger but in some level of defeat. She eyes May, then the cookie, everyone about, back to May. Snatching the treat, she shoves it in her mouth and heads for the door.
Pausing, she licks her lips of any crumbs and clears her throat. "May I have another." They were damn good.
Fucking really. Of course, May doesn't say that aloud, she just lets the kid flounce and takes a perfectly calm sip of her tea… to hide her amused smirk in the beverage. She's amused, but she's not at all surprised.
Those cookies really ARE that good. In fact, she claims one for herself.