You know my name

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You know my name

who? Ana Adams & Loki Laufeyson
when? After his failed plan to rule Asgard, before the Chitauri. Travelling through realms, scheming like there's no tomorrow.
what? Snooping around in a bookstore

There weren't many things about the Midgardian dwellings that made Loki actually stop his tracks and turn his head. But the sight of that tiny bookshop, overshadowed by an overpopulated mall, was one that promised something. Knowledge, secrets, at least something that pique'd his interest. Maybe something that could come in handy when it would come to taking back what was rightfully his.

Loki simply shifted through the mortals around him, his image flickering from time to time until he made it to the front door. The corners of his mouth curled up into a small grin when he concluded that he definitely had been right about the place. It held a certain aura all the other shops definitely lacked (in every sense of the word). Maybe it could be something that would be able to work in his advantage, whatever was responsible for this atmosphere.

His long fingers curled around the doorknob before he pushed the door open, a little bell greeting him as he entered the bookstore. There was a hint of curiosity in his eyes when he looked around, scanning the place for that one thing that could be the reason for his visit in the first place.

Books everywhere, old ones showed in glass cabinets, others placed on shelves. With a soft thud the door closed behind him as he took a couple of steps further into the shop, eyes focusing as he started to read the titles written on the backs of some books.

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Ana drifted amongst the stacks, restacking abandoned books, returning lost tomes to their places. General maintenence for a quiet and calm day. Secluded away in her shop, the world could pass her by with little notice, the comings and goings kept at a distance.

Kneeling to reorder a shelf, she stops when she hears the bell. Like a wave, somthing sweeps through the rows, silencing the barely-heard whispering of her books. Bracing herself against a shelf, Ana shook her head trying to clear her head of the sudden presence that swept into her store.

What the hell was that?

Standing slowly, Ana brushes her neat little skirt down, the action little more than habit. Curiosity giving her courage she starts down the nearest row heading for the front of the shop, her hand trailing along a shelf.

Footsteps quiet she leans out of the row to look around the front section of the store and sees him. Tall, lean with regal bearing. He positively burns with power and for a moment Ana feels a vague thrill of fear. She swallows and forces herself to step forward.

"Hello? Is there something I can help you with?" Falling into her job is a habit that saved her in the past. She hopes it would help now.

The young woman that had appeared before his eyes was not like any other mortal. It was hard to tell if she was mortal at all. But she was befitting of this store and its atmosphere. An interesting addition to the stacks of peculiar books.

Loki reached out to grab a book placed right above a sign that told him that this particular writing wasn't considered literature. Getting to know the quite awful tastes Midgardians could have he silently wondered what they would consider literature instead.

"It seems this store possesses something. Be courteous and show this to me." There was a hint of a grin on his face as he spoke.

She certainly looked mortal enough, slim and pale with deep blue eyes and dark hair cut to frame her face dressed in neat business casual clothes; dark skirt, ankle boots and tall socks with a white button blouse and a fitted waist coat. Neat. Tidy. Ordinary except for that aura.

She raised a brow at his selection and barley suppressed an quirk of her lips.

"This store possesses a lot of things but if you insist on that one," Bolstered by the book in question and her passion for tearing it apart she moved towards him. "I warn you now. It's a painful experience."

"This drivel is not what I am looking for." Loki placed the book back on its shelf, right under the sign where it had been before. His green eyes focused on the shopkeeper's face again, the grin on his face broadening as he did so.

Before he continued speaking a couple of books rolled from their shelves and fell to the ground.

"This is not the time to be disobliging, don't you agree?" he spoke, his voice light as if there was not a care in the world. "Show it to me."

A blink. Wait, what?

Curious as she was, Ana reminded herself of the way power he was giving off, it's pressure heavy against her skin. He was not of her world and her world was one of dark and magic.

She jerked a little gaze snapping to the books that fell. They'd been there for months. WHy did they fall now?

"Show you what?" Her smile was gone, but her tone remained polite.

There was something in this store that responded to him. Something ancient, something that wasn't from Asgard or from any realm he'd visited. And he doubted that it would have sprouted from this shallow civilization on Midgard.

"Don't be dull, please," Loki replied, his voice still light but a small undertone that might give away that a quick and right answer was of the essence. "I don't think you are completely unheeding of the atmosphere in this store of yours. What is the cause of this?"

Some more books fell, this time right behind her.

She jumped a little at the falling books. Around her, Ana felt her shop buckling under his presence.

Clenching her hands into fists, a sudden fierce anger stirred within her. This was her home! How dare he! But if there was anything she's learned in her time, it's that anger does her no good. She had a mind, her greatest weapon. She needed to use it.

Ana pulled in a breath.
"This house is a genius loci." She answered plainly. "You're the first to notice."

But how did it gain it's sentience? That was written in her blood. Ana allowed her retaint on it to slip. No boastful showing of her meek power, but enough to get a glimpse of a heritage dark and wild and older than dust. The shop around her stilled, back under it's own sway.

"Do intend to bring harm upon my home?"

The aura was almost palpable and honestly, it was fascinating him. It felt different, ancient even. It wasn't like anything on Asgard.

The look on the woman's face had been shifting as well. The polite facade had disappeared, the look in her eyes far much more than one would ever guess at first sight. Even though Loki had absolute confidence in his abilities, tampering with unknown forces would be straight out foolish.

"Not at all," he spoke, voice firm. The look on his face was far from afraid or intimidated. There weren't much things that Loki feared to begin with. He took a couple of steps to the left, casually picking up the books that had been falling from their shelves just yet.

"I must say that I'm not familiar with these...forces." He handed the books to her. "Something tells me its not wise to interfere with them."

She was inexperienced, yes. Weak compared to him? Without doubt, but the blood was enough to declare 'This is who I am'. She never thought of it as a gift until now. She'd just wanted to be human.

She didn't relax at his words, only pulled her aura back under control.
"Good." Ana said quietly, watching him recover her books. The house settled around them silent as a tomb as she accepted the books her held towards her.

"And it isn't wise, consideirng their origin." She almost pulls the books to her chest, the way she used to when facing bullies but remembers, boady language is everything. Ana keeps her eyes on him, her shoulders relaxed but square.

"Tell me, who are you that you would come here?"

It was obvious the woman did not relax and it wasn't something he expected her to do either. For now, he did not meant any harm to her or her shop. He wondered if this unknown force could be of any assistance to his own ambitions. It was an important thing he had to figure out first. That messy thing concerning destruction could be postponed to a later point in time.

"It has come to my notice, yes," Loki nodded as he straightened his back, removing the gloves from his hands. His eyes focused back on the woman, a calculating look on his face. "This place is not a place that follows the same mundane atmosphere that is all over Midgard. That is what brought me here."

He looked past her again, eyes scanning the rows of books who disappeared further into the shop.

"Before we get into familiarities I would like to have more information. As a shopkeeper I am sure you can inform me about some of your books. I am particulary interested in those further in the back of this dwelling."

Ana's mind raced. Who or what could this man be? She'd never felt such a potent force this close before. It was clear though that he was after something and fully expected to get it, clue enough on it's own. As was 'Midgard'.

"And you are looking for what?" Ana was getting irritated though she kept her tone polite, almost pleasent. Never one for putting up with bullies she was aware how precarious the path ahead of her was.

Already in reaction to her caution, her home would be rearranging the tomes on the shelves, hiding the more potent volumes.

"It'd be difficult to help if I don't know what you're after." She just hoped the thing he picked up on wasn't her.

"Oh, haven't I been clear enough?" he asked. There was a slight shift in the tone of his voice. The light sound making place for a more strict and stern one. This woman was testing his patience.

"I take it you can show me the books that hold more information about the origin of the forces that occupy this bookstore?"

He pointed to the back of the store now.

"Lets start, right there, shall we?"

Ana's eyes narrowed sharply as she looked him over. She guessed he was royal, old and proud. She'd wager money on it.

"You've been clear." She said, voice as form as his. She turned sharply and moved to place the books in her hands upon the closest surface, another shelf. Drawing a slow breath to push her rising indignation back, Ana collected her thoughts.

"But you are mistaken." She turned back to him. "There are no such books. They were never written."

The Adams kept their history in other ways.

"Where does it hail from?" he asked, crossing his arms and looking at the woman in front of him. Except for the unusual aura she gave off she looked just like a normal mortal. Maybe a bit paler but that wasn't something unusual. Midgardians seemed to change color when exposed to the sun.

"Do fill in the blanks while I seek this source."

Or course there was a possibility that there simply wasn't a book who could explain anything. Maybe it was this woman as a being. Or the place was a point where old forces from realms he did not know of gathered.

Loki passed her so he could rummage around in the back of the store. But before he disappeared between both shelves he turned again, looking at the darkhaired woman.

"An introduction is in place, though. I am Loki of Asgard."

"From? What the hell are you after?" Ana wished she could back away, but her back was pressed into the shelving already. She had to stand her ground. This was her home!

"Hey!" She made to follow, though she had no idea how she could possibly stop him. The best she could manage was to veil herself. The rest was an understanding so to speak, her family having its place of respect and she herself was protected. Or so she'd been told.

Ana drew up short when he turned. That name, Loki. Liar and trickster, mischievous and old. A god or close enough to be considered one. She had no chance against him. Unless she out thought him, unless she charmed him. 'Make your enemies your friends' Her mother used to say. It never worked when she was thirteen but people weren't bound by nature. Not like he probably was. Not like she was.

"You won't find what you're looking for back there."

"Don't torment yourself," he answered calmly as he advanced to the back of the shop. "I have no intent to bring harm your property."

The books became older, stories about pantheons of gods framed by old illustrations. He was aware of how Midgardians used to worship the inhabitants of Asgard as their gods. Loki only found it a logic conclusion since Asgard was a far more advanced society. And he had made good use of that.

When she spoke again he looked up from the book he was reading into. A book describing the way occult developed itself throughout the ages. Midgardians sure had some peculiar habits.

A small grin appeared around his lips.
"Oh? A shame you failed to tell me that any sooner."

Ana bristled and she followed him, watching as he touched her books. She didn't like that smile, she decided, even if it did bring a warmth to his otherwise cool face.

"Is it?" She asked her gaze on the book in his hands. Her gaze moved up to his face.

From what she knew, Loki had a brilliant mind. He'd have to to be the clever trickster and silver-tongued persuader myths painted him to be.

"What exactly are you after?"

"I think I have explained that to you numerous times now," he answered while he slowly closed the book he had been looking through. Loki shook his head. "I am not fond of having to repeat myself."

He had figured out that the woman had some spell on the shop. She might be a sorcerer of some kind. Weilding magic he had never heard of, casting spells foreign to him. The source might as well be this maiden herself.

Just when the shop had apparently returned under her control, books started to tumble out of their shelves again.

"Listen carefully," Loki started. "There are two paths you can choose. The first one will consist out of you telling me everything and I might return you a favor for your hard work. The second one is an unfortunate messy one and I'd advice you not to pick that one."

For a brief moment his hand touched her face.

"What will your choice be, maiden?"

Shit.

Ana watched him approach, face as blank a mask as she could make it, but that didn't stop her the shiver she felt as he pressed close or keep her from jumping as more books fell. She didn't want to admit something she barely believed herself, something she barely understood. Not to him, not to a god and not this god.

When his hand touched her face, Ana's breath caught, the soft pads of his fingers jolting her like a shock. A moment passed when it was all she could do was look ito his eyes, such a delightful green and feel-

"Will you stop that!" She jerked her head away from his hand and almost ran to the fallen tomes. Kneeling she started gathering them up, careful with each, gently checking spines and covers.

She gave him a look of pure furstration.
"This store has power because it's hosted a collection of anything my kin could get a hold of since before your time. It is Mine. I Keep it." She closed a heavy volume and looked at it's cover. The Morrigan. Closing her eyes, Ana huffed a near silent laugh and sank to the floor.

"What got your attention was probably me."

Were women always so sensitive to a touch? Remarkable. He watched her as she hurried to the fallen books, protecting them as if they were her children.

"I have no intention of taking them away from you," Loki answered with that carefree tone. Something told him he should not push this too far. Not yet. He just moved to pick up the last book she hadn't reached yet.

"It took quite some time to figure that out, indeed" Loki replied, noticing how she responded on the thick book she was holding. He wasn't familiar with the phrase called 'Morrigan'. "Now lets cease the resentment, shall we?"

He held his hand out.

"Let me help you with those books."

She may or may not have pulled the books closer as he approached. But she does do is return them to their places, sliding each one into place with care. She was so foolish. She should have expelled him from her store after the first alarm bell went off in her head.

"For your sake I hope not." Ana says. It's not a threat persay. She after all is not the one that would punish him for doing so, the Collection had it's own defenses.

Still holding the book in her lap she looks upwards at his hand, pale as her own, longer fingered and elegant. Now there was a chorus of bells ringing a warning. Do not trust him, he has his own purpose.

Ana take's his hand. "It's fine. Just stop making them fall."

"This is not a place for threats," Loki spoke, a sly smile around his lips. The type of smile that could promise one the world, but also could smash it in one simple second.

The woman took his hand and he simply tilted her back on her feet as she did. Not that he was a man who held courtesy in high regard, heck, in his past not many had found it necesary to be courteous to him either. But regarding women, this was the way to get things done.

"Your name?"

The curiosity that drove him inside this place had turned into a burning urge to unravel this secret. Tho determine if it could be of any use to him.

"It wasn't a threat." She said cooly as he helped her up, his smile making her skin shiver. When she was stable her gaze feel to the hand holding hers.

"I'm Ana." She said, holing the book to her body, it's solid weight comforting. "Ana Adams." Not a special name unless you knew a great deal about certain Cletic Goddesses.

"Are you planning to let go of that book, Ana Adams?" he inquired while he pointed at the book she pressed against her chest. "Or is it something precious to you?"

"All my books are precious to me." An honest answer. Pulling her hand away from him, Ana returns it to it's place, well aware he would consider it significant anyway.

"Now, was there something else you wanted or was it simply to know?"

"I see," Loki replied, watching her as she put the book away again and ignoring her question. He had made it clear he wanted information. And even though he had gotten more out of this woman now, it wasn't nearly enough. If he would leave, he'd have the information he needed, or else.

He shifted past her to pick that one particular book out of the shelve again. It was thick, somewhat old and depicting a woman-like creature he was not familiar with. The description on the back also didn't ring a bell.

"Midgardian folklore?"

She barely rolled her eyes. Fine, be like that.

As he shifted past her she caught of wiff of something so cold it almost hurt. Eyeing the book with no small about of hesitation, Ana glances at his face.
"They think it is." She said. "They don't realise that many legends have roots in truth, some more than others." She backed away to lean against a wall, old stone weathered by age but still solid after so long.

"The Morrigan is a figure of Irish Mythology, a Goddess."

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