Owner	Pose
Triage	The mall is active for a Sunday evening, full of bright lights, bustle, and chatter. Teenagers enjoy their last hours of freedom before another week at school begins. Adult couples stroll from store to store. Parents attempt to herd their younger kids through the crowds. Chris wears a pair of comfortable, slightly aged jeans, a grey jacket, an emerald green long-sleeved tee-shirt, and comfortable tennis shoes on his feet. As always, he carries his staff, and his medic's kit dangles from his left shoulder. He stops at one of the entrance to open the door and hold it for Shannon to enter before him.
Shannon	Shannon is laughing as she saunters through the door, not even bothering to hide her wings in this place. She does, however, keep them tucked in neatly behind her. She's dressed in her dark blue jeans, cream-colored tunic sweater with its cable knit pattern, and knee-length caramel suede boots, which were a wicked indulgence for her. Along with the sights and the sounds, smells from the food court wafted through the air; the yeasty, salty aroma of fresh pretzels, the darkly sweet aroma of chocolate chip cookies, hints of garlic and ginger from the local Chinese place, all coexist happily in a melange of mouthwatering scents.      "I'm almost disappointed they fixed that bit of sidewalk in front of the music store on the way here," she jokes, her eyes twinkling. "My jaw left one helluva dent there that time I literally ran smack into the Captain."
Triage	Chris releases the door after Shannon has cleared it, and it quickly closes behind them, probably designed to do that to prevent the inside warmth from escaping into the chill night. He chuckles. "They call it progress," he comments ruefully. "It usually removing all of the character from a place so that it's nice a sterile, under the guise of 'improvements.'" While they stroll along the broad tiled walkways, little kids stop or turn to stare at Shannon. Older children or adults pass without seeming to notice, only to peer furtively at her behind her back. Some glance from her to Chris, probably trying to decide why they are here together. Chris seems oblivious to such inspections. He eyes the bright signs and storefronts as if he is watching for one shop in particular.
Shannon	Shannon doesn't seem to mind it quite so much when the small children stop and stare for a moment; in point of fact, she winks and gives a playful little flutter of her wings. Let them think what they will of her. Angel or mutant, it didn't matter. To a small child, it was all a little bit of magic, and heaven only knows that the wee ones could often use that in their lives. Magic. Briefly, the young woman touches something hidden beneath her sweater, of which only a black silk cord is visible around her neck. She smiles a little bit but says nothing for the moment, returning her attention to Chris. "So which shop is it we're looking for? And is there a music shop here too, or would we have to head back to that other one to look at guitars?
Triage	"We're looking for Techno-Babble," Chris answers, giving one of the kids a warm smile while they walk. "I got their newsletter yesterday. They're running a sale so that they can clear some space for new stuff before the Christmas season," he explains. "We should get a great deal on a camera if all goes well." He frowns for a moment, thinking, and then adds. "There's a decent music shop here, so we might be able to find a good guitar even though prices at malls tend to be higher than other stores due to the rent here." He sighs. "I only wish that we could have talked Jay into coming. Did you manage to get any tips from him?"
Loki	Attention comes in all forms. It comes in the form of children staring at the mutant lady, to adults that look but then immediately look away so that they aren't caught at their staring, to eyes that are of an entirely different, and often dangerous, stripe. Jeremy Larkin's gaze, in this case. Jeremy is a young teenager, perhaps fourteen, comfortably dressed in a light green hoodie, jeans, a backpack over his shoulder. His hair is normally shoulder length, brown, but he has it in a short, stubby ponytail as he weaves through the various shoppers, steering towards the pair with a casual, easy pace. He has a soft drink from the food court in one hand, the other resting on the strap of the blue backpack. There are no traces of horrible wounds or anything of that kind: which may actually cause him to be less recognizable, seeing as he was covered in goop and blood when these teens last encountered him. Fearlessly Jeremy comes up alongside Chris, bobs his drink once in a greeting, light gray eyes relatively friendly. "Hey," he greets. Sips drink. With a little sly smile.
Triage	Without breaking stride, Chris glances to Jeremy. His eyes sweep over the young man once, and he inclines his head. "Hey!" he greets cheerfully. "This place has drawn quite a crowd for a Sunday evening. Hasn't it?" he adds. While he speaks, his fingers tighten slightly around his staff and then he glances to Shannon. "I don't remember the name of the music store, but they're easy to spot with the fancy pianos near the front to attract attention."
Shannon	While the face of the younger teen that greeted Chris might perhaps have been less recognizable to him, it was a face that Shannon could never forget--and not one she had ever expected to see again. But then again, it was perhaps wise to expect the unexpected when it came to 'Jeremy'. For the space of several heartbeats, she was at a loss for words, her fingers brushing briefly across the center of her sweater again, just over her heart; the cable-knit pattern was slightly off kilter, as if perhaps a piece of jewelry was concealed beneath. A wry smile curled the corners of her lips upwards, and she inclines her head.      "Hello, 'Jeremy'." Something of her inflection about the name indicated that she had a pretty fair idea of who he was. But, if he wasn't going to say anything, neither was she--for the moment.
Loki	"I feel famous," Jeremy says, with a bright grin around the straw of his drink, taking in their reactions with a watchful quality that is also rather disconnected. Like he were slightly separate from the situation for a moment, or thinking of something else. Maybe recollection. "Remember me, I can tell. Sharon and Clint?" Jeremy guesses of them, with a flick of head back and forth, confident in his identification. "You don't have to twist yourselves up pretending I'm not who I am. It's all right," Jeremy says, generous. "I'm not going to turn your stick into a noose. I mean. Unless you try to hit me with it," he adds, to 'Clint', with a quick half-smile. "Entirely other things come out of the Asgardian Pinata." "You grew wings, huh?" Jeremy asks 'Sharon', curious.
Shannon	For her part, Shannon just shrugs a little bit. "It's Shannon, and this is Chris. You have your reasons for pretending right now as it is. Who are we to say otherwise?" The mental image of a Loki-pinata does make her laugh softly, and she shakes her head. "The wings were always there, just... hidden. No magic, mind. I'm still a complete dunce when it comes to that. I'm certain you understand the need for caution at times? Especially," she adds, her smile widening a little bit. "...when entertaining an angel unawares?"      The young woman does hold out her hand, palm upwards, towards 'Jeremy', smiling a little bit. "I remember your hands were pretty badly mangled. May I see? I was concerned I didn't quite do as well with them as could have been."
Triage	"Famous or notorious," Chris answers, lowering his voice to avoid drawing unwelcome attention from the people around them in this crowd. "We remember. You don't forget a thing like that." He sighs, relaxing his fingers around the staff again. "I won't use the staff unless its necessary, especially to protect Shannon. I might not win, but I would fight to protect her." Then he adds, "I'm glad to see that you're well."
Loki	"'Notorious' is a good word for it, yes. Were I not 'pretending', we'd have a different situation. Forgiveness over the 'New York' incident isn't always something humans are generous about," Loki/Jeremy answers, with a lift of a shoulder and a flutter of fingers as if to brush away the whole Chitauri city-invading thing. Loki did do that. Lots of the city was destroyed. Brush-brush away. "But time heals all." Jeremy looks at Shannon's extended hand, bemused, eyebrow darting up. "You didn't heal it all. I handled the rest. I'm fine now, though." He considers her hand, then smirks, and extends his own, to her to examine. He's in perfect health. "Are you glad?" Jeremy asks Chris sideways, but smiles anyway. "/Kind/ of you to say, anyway. Although that you think I'd attack either of you while you're so pleasant and polite is overly paranoid. Besides, I /do/ appreciate being helped." Jeremy's eyes move to Shannon. "Even if you took a shit on my gift." A shrug follows. He isn't upset, just amused, by appearances.
Shannon	Shannon lets out a deep sigh, her head bowed for the moment. "If you think I'm any too happy about what happened to that gift, you'd be dead wrong. We agree on one thing. Some Doctors need to work on their bedside manner." Remembered upset and anger actually make tears well up in her eyes, and she tugs on the black silk cord about her neck, pulling something perhaps recognizable from beneath her sweater. It's the gift in question, cobalt blue, crystalline, and--while no longer glowing from within--it's at least whole; a small pendant shaped like an angel praying. "I was able to salvage enough to see it restored, though it took a while. And the only way I was allowed to keep it was in the state it's in now. I'm sorry for what happened to it." At least 'Jeremy' was alright. She nods, seeing his hands were at least whole, and his health fully restored, letting her hands return to her sides.
Triage	Chris shakes his head. "I didn't mean you, but another," he answers. He taps the staff so that it shifts slightly and glances around them. "Even here, where we are relatively free, danger might come. That's what I meant." He looks at Jeremy's hand and nods. "And I /am/ glad. I am a healer. What I saw on that night was someone in need. I would offer that healing again if you needed it, without regret. I'm sorry that we could not do more."
Loki	"Oh, you misunderstand," Jeremy answers Shannon smoothly. "I don't //really// care what you did to it. I'd told the other girl that it was a way for you to ask me for a favor. You don't want a favor, that's fine. A little strange to me, to not want the ability to call on a god, but suit yourself." He orients around the mall. "I'll still do you a favor. The music store is over //there,//" he says, with an indication of hand. And a quick little grin. As if that made them even. "And I DID tell you that Strange doesn't like me. About four times. So that's on you." Jeremy drops his hand, sips his drink, and returns Chris's look thoughtfully. He decides to give them a bit of information: "The enchanted matter in my body was blocking my personal healing. It was exhaustive to both draw it out AND heal at the same time. Not impossible, but why exhaust myself when I had thousands of lives to save?" Jeremy/Loki lifts his shoulders in a relaxed shrug. "I had a /deal/ with Ms. Grey; an alliance of sorts, which she seems to think I broke," Loki continues. "There's some upset over me /forcing/ you to help me. That wasn't force; if I forced, you'd really know it. And offered recompense. I fail to see what's caused so much anxiety that even my brother had to get involved."
Triage	Chris looks in the direction that Jeremy indicates, and nods. "Thank you," he replies, inclining his head. "I can speak only for myself." Chris shakes his head. "You never forced. You didn't even ask. You were suffering and seemed incoherent. Now I understand why. I don't know about any alliance with Ms. Gray. I don't know much about any of this, but I know that I don't regret my attempt to help you."
Shannon	Shannon rolls her eyes a little bit, but does smile ruefully, conceding 'Jeremy's' point. "Okay, yeah, you got me on that one. But not all favors involve calling on a god, nor do all gifts given need to be something that can be held. I'll admit to some pretty mixed feelings about the whole thing, but will also admit that what happened, did a lot to strengthen me. Trickster's lessons often have a way of doing that." She goes silent for several moments, and smiles, tucking the pendant away beneath her sweater again. "I don't think either of us regret helping you. I saw someone hurting, and that was all. No regrets. Even knowing who you are now doesn't change that." A short laugh escapes her, and she ducks her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It was definitely a bit of a shock, running into your brother. But even with that, and everything that's happened... I couldn't say no to healing if it was needed again."
Loki	Loki moves a hand, and the drink in it dematerializes. It's just not there anymore. Maybe it never existed? It might not matter. He does it in order to cross his arms over his currently thin, teenagerly chest, giving both of them a very penetrating look. The smile is there, too: in a form of a style of sly amusement. It's not a 'nice' smile, not really, but it isn't aggressive or directly dangerous, yet. "Mmmhm," Loki agrees evenly. "I suppose we'll just have to see, in the future," says the slippery trickster. "I gather you don't want your pendant fixed," he teases, but starts to turn away. If they wanted to get away from Loki, it appears the opportunity has come up, his attention is drifting. "Nice to know that being kind to me isn't automatically a regret."
Shannon	"If it is, and /if/ can be detected, you realize I'd be asked to surrender it again, right?" Hesitating a moment, she withdraws the pendant from beneath her sweater. Time to see what Loki would make of that one, if he would. She offers the small token to him, to see what the Asgardian mage would do. "I'd not be too happy about losing a gift a second time. And no... being kind to you wasn't a regret. But there is one thing we're both curious about. Why did it all happen? What got you in that state to begin with?"
Triage	Chris glances to Shannon and then to Jeremy. "As you can see, the pendant means a great deal to her even though it is now a mundane object without your magic," he says. "Please consider that, and count it as an accomplishment." Then he nods to Shannon before adding, to Jeremy, "Having a better idea of the situation might help us in some way."
Loki	"Let's address something else: that you're wearing it when I happened to come across you," Loki says, giving Shannon a very curious stare. "Not that I mind a little worship," he appends. Loki isn't taking it badly, at all: it's a compliment, and it looks like the mage certainly enjoys compliments! "Just that you had it on you is --- telling." He chuckles, but accepts the token in one hand, rolling it over in his fingers. "I suspect it's the open-ended communication thing your friends had issue with. Maybe something else," the mage decides, lips pursing just a little. His other hand comes up and across it, a flutter of golden and citrine runes glowing between his palms, where they then coil into the pendant. He flips it around on the string and offers it back to her from two fingers. "Place it in a flame and I'll sense it. I'm not a genie, though, don't be doing it without /very/ good reason, or I'll get annoyed." And then there's the other question. "Ah. I was restoring Asgard," Loki says. "//You// restore a realm destroyed by Ragnarok. almost single-handedly, drawing in powers that built the universe, and see how good //you// look. But you can rest easy knowing the beauty of Asgard is once again part of this world." While Loki was being sarcastic, there's something under it that's real: a true pride and rush of warmth about his home being restored. Loki stretches his back, looks around them. "I think that's enough for now, I have important business," Loki comments, clearly being his way of saying goodbye. "And you have, what, music?" Loki wonders, but smirks, and starts to leave, with a finger-wave.
Shannon	Shannon smiles and inclines her head, though a tear does fall. "I'm really glad your home is restored. That... makes a lot of what happened worthwhile. Thank you, for that..." The black cord is slipped about her neck, and the pendant tucked away beneath her sweater. "...and for this." A light chuckle escapes her, and she ducks her head towards the music store. "Among other things, it was actually a secondary reason for coming here."
Triage	"We have music," Chris agrees, inclining his head when Loki signals that he is soon to depart, perhaps even overdue. "What you have given is more than we have right to expect, considering the press of affairs. Thank you," he adds. "We meant what we said. We are healers at heart, not killers. If you restored your home, then we rejoice in that, even if we have not seen it to know its beauty." He sighs and glances to Shannon. Nodding in the direction of the music sho, he warns, "Those stores won't stay open for long."
Loki	"Asgard's beauty?" Loki asks, brows lifting. With a sleek grin, he tosses both hands outwards, and the whole of the mall warps with illusion. People react all around them, with gasps of mixed awe and confusion. The glittering golden spires erupt around them like volcanos, jutting silver forms of buildings in grand circles, the air twisting with shimmering sparks of magical wind, the rainbow bridges of the bifrost and long pathways in the distance, as the mall becomes a hilltop overlooking the city: and the palace beyond, in the gorgeous silver and gold ancient buildings, calls out grandly against the mountans. ((https://i.imgur.com/Gdrz8HD.jpg )) And then it all fades away, leaving the compartiviely sad, grey mall behind, and Loki is also gone.
Shannon	Shannon is just completely stunned at the vision gifted to them both, and well, to everyone. A broad grin breaks out across her face, and she can't help laughing. "Now -that- was worth it." But, with the illusion and its caster both gone--if they had ever been there to begin with? Who was to tell?--the return to more mundane pursuits became necessary, with time now of the essence. "Right... music, and that other project. We're going to have to hurry now." She whispers something to him, and hurries on towards the music store immediately afterwards.
Triage	Chris gasps and stares at the spectacle that surrounds them for a moment. His mouth opens and then closes. When the moment has passed, he shakes his head slowly in wonder. When the vision has died, he nods to Shannon and joins with her, hurrying to the store.