That was kind of you. [Although efficiency is the more likely motive, it's only right to thank him--especially since the effort is ultimately a wasted one.] But I'm afraid I don't know how to ride.

[But then Loki comes into view, and there are telltale signs he can't simply wipe away with the motion of a hand. Red eyes in particular, a consequence of tears that have given Pepper's away in the past, and reveal Loki's now. She lets out a slow breath, trying to pick her words carefully as she walks over to the boy.

Because he is a boy. Even if he shares a name and so many other traits with the man who tried to conquer her world--this Loki is by all appearances a child who has lost a very dear friend.]

Would you mind not telling anyone that? [Maybe it's a silly idea, but it's clear that Loki is trying to keep in his sorrow now, probably because she's there. So instead of trying to tell him that it's okay to let go in front of a virtual stranger, she tries a different approach--offering him the chance to let go in secret.] I'd really appreciate it if you didn't. I'd be willing to not tell anyone about something that you do; something you might not want anyone else to know about.