19286/Empty Rooms

Empty Rooms
Date of Scene:	14 October 2024
Location:	Avengers Mansion - Second Floor
Synopsis:	Loki makes an 'alliance' deal with Nat and Pepper while making a portal.
Cast of Characters:	Loki, Pepper Potts, Natasha Romanoff

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Loki has posed:
Brilliant green light flows in tendrils out of the hallways of the second floor. Attractive and coaxing, it has a lovely sea-toned green pearl color to it, as it flutters out across stairway and ceilings alike. The ambience of it reaches down below to the first floor, but also under the doors of the study, meeting rooms, and through bedroom keyholes.

The source of the green glow is the end of the hallway of the second floor, close to rooms 08 and 09: Bruce and Nat's rooms, and is so bright as to be difficult to determine the exact source.

Mansion security is happy to report to those who might inquire that Loki is present, though, right in the center of all that brilliant glare, caused by spellcraft.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"There is a magical anomaly on the second floor, sector 2-0-9," comes the calm, clipped English accented announcement. JARVIS has already made his observations, coupled with threat assessment even as the Asgardian Prince fully arrives.

Pepper is on the first floor, ready to leave the mansion after some last minute displays for the season. Her chin rises, bringing her gaze up, and even as the magical emenations cease, she's putting a hand to her chest subconsciously, and drawing a deep breath. A moment passes, a couple of heartbeats in time, and she turns to ascend the grand staircase. Walking //towards// trouble?

Loki has posed:
Loki didn't teleport in--he did that earlier. This, in the hallway, is a different spell. He draws engery into a tight ball, and then expels it onto the end of the hallway. The magic seems into the very woodwork, wallpaper, and the ceiling and floor start to STRETCH.

Much like the 'stretching room' of the Haunted Mansion of Disneyland, there is a magic pulling and heaving of the structure as reality is told to sit out. A section of ceiling has twisted into inverted stairs-- that sort of lead up, if gravity were inverted into a mirror hallway dimension across from room 9.

There is space for room 11 to exist normally, there's no reason to be this extreme or extra. Other than... Loki, anyway.

Loki is present, weaving magic across his pianist fingers, and sending the wisps in snakes of soft green to warp and shape the space of this odd ceiling stairway.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha is on the first floor as well. The 'breakin' a week or so ago of the Black Cat to return to active duty has her heavily annoyed that the thief somehow managed to get in past all of the quite significant security in place. So having not asked Felicia how she got in, Natasha is doing a step by step review of all of the protocols that she's already rather obsessively established to look for things that she's overlooked.

The sounds of Pepper going past has her look up, "Ms. Potts, what's the matter?"

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper's heels *click* against the marble floor, and catching the sound of Natasha's voice, the redhead's expression flickers to relief before she looks back at the stairway. "I don't know," she begins softly.

That 'I don't know' is coupled, then, with the first steps up the stairs, and once she attains the landing, brows rise. "What.. what are you doing?" It's softly spoken first as her gaze lands on the Prince, and she finds her voice to ask a little bit louder. "What are you doing?"

Loki has posed:
Loki is in gear appropriate for doing questionable things -- meaning, he's in attire similar to what he's worn while fighting Avengers in the past. It may bring up some uncomfortable alarm or memories. Loki is in a version his mixed leather and magi-cloth battle regalia, which does include the horned helmet. The light shines harshly off of the gold of the helm when he turns his head just enough to take in the arriving Avengers.

The smile that grows immediately is friendly, but maybe too much so. That line is confusing with Loki, for good reason. "Good //evening,//", Loki begins, as if Pepper's leap to questions were a little rude for him, but he'll cope. "Well, I had not been offered a //room//. And to be clear, this isn't one. But I wanted to be a bit more.... present, here," Loki explains. The staircase is still growing in the ceiling, his lifted casting fingers hooked into claws... that cause a cast-iron safety banister to flow upward into the upside-down ceiling staircase. For safety for the inverted people, maybe.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would turn her attention over to Pepper, about to say something to her before her attention would go over to Loki, and she would manage to keep a sigh from going over her face. "Well, I'm glad that you're here to assist us." She would fold her hands togther and warily glance at the transmogrification. "I take it that you're here to help offer your assistance with the.. Coming threat?" She won't refer to Galactus by name. "And I hope that the other Asgardians will be joining us? Will Odin?"

Not going to ask just -what- it is that he's exactly doing. He'll explain it anyways.

Pepper Potts has posed:
It could be a little jarring, Loki's choice of clothing. Of everything he could possibly choose, whether illusionary or not, that outfit holds a great deal of meaning. Thankfully, Pepper hadn't seen this particular outfit, so the effect is a little buffered. Still, it is an impressive display of regalia.

The redhead stops and remains what she'd consider a 'safe' distance, her lips pressing together as she considers her response. She slows down, even if her head is going that million miles per second, and she nods before responding, "Good evening." It's tight, curt; it's been a little while since she's seen Thor's brother. (Heck, it's been awhile since she's seen THOR.)
"I'm not sure it works..." her hand gestures towards the magic made physical redecorating, "..that way. I can check with Tony and see if we can find room." Her guess, however, would probably be 'no'. Unless, of course...

When Natasha inquires about the extra aid? Pepper nods at her own thoughts and casts her green eyes back to Loki, waiting on the answer.

Loki has posed:
"I don't speak for other Asgardians. At least, not anymore," Loki quips, but it isn't annoyed or dry. More an amused tone to it: as if there were some relief to not have to bother with that particular responsibility.

"Yes, rather. Coming threat." Loki notes the lack of name. "I don't think if you say his name three times he steps on the gas to get here sooner, though," Loki observes. Snarky Loki. But he doesn't obnoxiously say it either.

"Again, not actually making room, so we need not bother dear Tony. Just a... connection."

Loki means portal. It's a portal. He's being indirect.

"Therefore, since it's not a room or a door, there isn't a doorbell or knocker. And exclusive just to me. I wouldn't want anything else wandering in here, after all. Safety first. And if something tries, it'll be in a dead heap here, where you can inspect who it was. Although... now that I say it, I feel like that'd just get me in trouble. I'll shunt others elsewhere..." Loki turns his head back to the stairway, twisting the spiral of it backwards. It looks like a vertical deathtrap.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would fold her arms together, "And then where does this sub-pocket lead to then, if it's a wormhole or some sort of spacial displacement?" Yes, they're not getting help from the other Asgardians it seems unless they're busy with engaging the HEralds on their own terms. THey'll make do.

"And can you come down this way whenever you might wish or is it merely just a small room that's connected to here and only comes and goes?"

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper takes it in; thankfully Loki's breaking it down into pieces she can understand. She underscores, then, Nataha's suggestion, "Wouldn't simply appearing be easier?" There's a shrug within her tones, but it's not dismissive. More, curious.

"Or," she leans on the wall, but not before first checking to be sure it's //real//, "is this easier? This," she pauses, lookig for it, "trap door? Connection." She's settled on the second.

Loki has posed:
Loki starts to frown, but there's a small little moment there that at least Natasha will see. Loki catches himself, he does a self-correction. It's a small tell--that Loki's making some effort to adapt or make this work, and not just do whatever his whim is in the moment.

Loki's liquid mask of mercurial comes back on, though: as if he'd prefer them to not be aware that he might be growing as a person.

That'd be embarrassing.

"Well, since you're here, let's go about it //this// way," Loki begins. "Which of those things makes you feel the most comfortable with me?" His emerald eyes come sidelong, watchful, but expression shows serenity. The serenity is probably the lie; the 'watch' is a truth. But that does prove he IS watching, not just doing whatever.

Loki looks at Pepper, then, and her question. Is it easier? He takes in that question. "Depends. Usually not easier. Unless I am VERY far or imprisoned. Then I could signal that and turn off the shunt redirect." Pepper got to the root of it -- this is mostly an escape hatch from something ELSE, less an entry point.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would go to lean back over and look to Pepper. "it's not about what's easier, it's about waht's more graceful." Loki has always had a sense of dramatics and theatrics. Being sneaky for the sake of itself might be something that appealed to him. Or at least that he would enjoy a bit. She would glance over at him, listening attentively. Or she could be misunderstanding things on purpose, just to give Pepper some more time to get a better grasp of Loki's mannerisms.

"So you consider here a good place to come then if something does happen?" That in and of itself is a rather interesting insight to his psychology and how he's changed personality wise in the years since he lead the invasion, it might seem.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"There is a lot to be said for 'easy'," Pepper counters, her voice a low murmur. "Particularly when..." She gestures again, as Loki offers his explanation.
She nods quickly then, and is at least satisfied that she's got the right idea. "I think the quick hatch is probably okay." The words come slowly, however, as she considers ramifications. As if she could think of all the different variables on Loki's actions?

Never.

"As long as you can be sure that nothing else can come through. And, there is some way we can contact you, perhaps, through it? Seeing as you're interested in making some sort of connection with us?"

Loki has posed:
Loki senses that he might be exposing a weakness, and automatically deflects! "Isn't that the very purpose of alliance? To expect assistance in times of problem? What is the point of being an ally if I get nothing from it?" Loki asks, scoffing. He's very quick, he asks that immediately when Natasha SUGGESTS he might look at them in some positive way.

"WOULD you take the opportunity to stab me?" Loki asks, then. He's smiling, but if it's a joke or not... well. "If you did, you'd best be sure I was actually weakened far enough."

"As for a good place--well, I could do worse than a hero base, excepting the case of one where //you've// decided to violate our cease-fire." Loki keeps putting the 'violator' side on others: that it would be the Avengers that turned on him, not the other way.

Pepper's last query gets a little grumpiness from Loki, but it is only since he's feeling a bit on the back-foot now: "How do you summon Thor? Yelling at the sky?"

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would glance over at Loki for a moment, going to answer his second query first, "YOur brother shows up on occasion. We don't have a direct method of getting in contact with him." They didn't have access to the Rainbow Bridge to travel, and Thor tended to wander so much they'd need Heimdall's eyes to figure out where to even try to teleport to. The God came and went as he felt it. That was something that while Natasha could uderstand she felt /incredibly/ annoyed by at their general inbility to rapidly coordinate and bring Thor down if needed unless he randomly showed up.

"I think that from an alliance we both have something to gain here." She would allow. But also not stating what would be offered by them. Letting Loki go at it first. And letting Pepper take point as the negotiator.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper is silent as Natasha speaks; after all, she's not an Avenger. She's a 'guest', albeit one that is oft seen. She holds a great deal of the purse strings via Tony and SI, but she's not 'on the roster', as it were. So, when the question is posed to her, she shakes her head and her shoulders lift.

"I don't know. They see him a great deal more than I, and there are times when he is around, and times when months pass before we see him."

Straightening from her gentle lean on the wall, she chuffs a soft breath. "Could do worse, certainly. But, I think we all would rather you with us than others." Pepper tinges her words with a positive spin. "After all, you're pretty familiar with us."

Loki has posed:
"Thor IS unreliable," Loki comments with a scoff. He's well aware of the humor of this, though, and the smirk is present. "We're not blood related," Loki adds firmly, as if to distance himself from Thor's clear unreliability problems. Loki is well aware of the hypocricy of the statement and making fun of himself here: and doesn't mind it, since it doesn't make him look bad.

"I expect my presence could encourage my brother to be here more often. Though that isn't really a positive for //me// in particular, as I can contact him whenever I please." Much to Thor's annoyance, maybe. "My magical prowess makes it possible to contact me via a magical item I can create, should that be something you'd like from this alliance."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would nod over at Loki, "Of course. As you said, you are more reliable than your brother. You're also far more tactical." Both of those statements are technically true after all. "And we have few potent magic users that are on the team. Your presence would be extremely useful. Particularly with adversaries that we often have to rely on brute force to match rather than your far subtler and trickier abilities, which would no doubt be more effective." That actually is completely true.

"In that event.." She would glance to Pepper. "I certainly feel like it is an excellent exchange. What are your thougths then, Ms. Potts?"

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper lifts a hand again to her chest, and it lies there for a heartbeat before she draws a deep breath, releasing it again. "I think that would be a great idea. Having something we can reach you with. Something that can't be stolen, misplaced or somesuch." Her hand falls again, and she looks to Natasha, nodding her agreement with all the woman has stated.

"You are all that," she adds. "If you'd like, we could give you the courtesy of letting you know if your brother is gathered so yo ucan make the final decision." Pepper smiles tightly, "I don't want it, though."

Loki has posed:
"Don't think I'm not aware of your flattery," Loki answers Natasha. "But a reminder of my good deeds and qualities is a boon in this conversation, so." He's mostly just saying he's aware that it's meant to flatter him, but isn't upset, since he considers the things being said to be true and positive, as opposed to manipulative. They want to talk up his value, that helps him out.

"And yes, I DO recall having offered in the past to stand in," Loki recalls. He shapeshifts suddenly, right there, without really seeming to cast a spell. He was Steve Rogers before; he does it again here. He is displaying how immediately he can do it: which might have been concerning on another day, but maybe just useful information now. Unless it's illusion: and it could well be--until they check it!

"Who will be the trusted one to hold the 'Orb of Loki', then? Trusted to not drop it, or make obnoxious inquiries that could be considered inappropriate to ask of a god?" Loki asks.

He's also manifested a glass orb, easily small enough to palm, in his hand, like a Labyrinth Goblin King, and curls it with a flare of fingers that doesn't mesh at all with the current Steve Rogers visage--and really makes the shapeshift pointless.

But maybe that's the objective: a little show of an ability, but without a MOTIVE to mess with them right now with it. "I don't need a warning about my brother. We are not at odds. But I appreciate your thinking of me," Loki almost purrs.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
It goes both ways. They know hwo to converse with one another, and what to expect. This is bargaining, it's also very much an act. To set the rules and the parameters for the exchange. Natasha glances over at Pepper, giving her a nod of agreement. As Loki transforms, she would nod, "That would definitely be useful in the field." Illusions, transformations, support magic..

At the showcase of the power of the Labyrinth, Natasha notes idly, "I see that you've been inspired rather much by Jareth." It's as good a thing as any. "I have an offer for you then." She would gesture. "On an upcoming field mission, you can join us for it. Consider it a way for us to learn how to work together in the field and coordinate." And test how things go.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Of //course// they're at least somewhat familiar with Loki. Though, the only constant that Pepper has learned with Thor and Loki is that they can be trusted to.. be themselves. Both can do unexpected things, and even motivations can be slightly different...

"I think perhaps it should remain here, and really in no one person's possession. That way JARVIS can track it, and we can be sure that it won't be taken. Unless, of course, the Mansion is breached." Which couldn't really happen. Well, not often. Or..

Ugh.

"Is there a way you can just make it look like another piece of furniture and only we'd know what it does?" Carrying it could absolutely be problematic.

Pepper looks at her watch, the buzzing of a reminder gaining her attention. "I'm sorry," the redhead begins again, "This.." and she honestly looks apologetic. Even Sundays aren't clear from work. "I have to take it."

Loki has posed:
Loki looks offput that Pepper isn't thrilled with the glass orb. But it doesn't really matter to him all that much, overall. He doesn't give it to them, then: he tosses it straight up, to where it hovers in the air at the top of the inverted staircase, then becomes a little black stone raven sitting on the railing.

Loki gives a broad wink, and draws the greenish magic towards himself. "See you at the next mission, then," Loki says airly, before enjoying his 'Labyrinth' moment of inverted stairs by flipping his apparent gravity, to where he glides up to the ceiling... and smoothly climbs down (up?) the stairs to disappear into a soft greenish glow there.