12588/Resonants: Fire Starter

Resonants: Fire Starter
Date of Scene:	26 August 2022
Location:	Verdant - Nightclub
Synopsis:	Thea and Vintridr meet up at the Verdant where they talk of the past and learn of a threat in Starling that may be related to Asgard. Rasr of Muspelheim.
Cast of Characters:	Thea Queen, Vintridr
Tinyplot:	Resonants

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Thea Queen has posed:
The Verdant is on fire tonight! Not literally of course, but it's one of those nights there's barely a spot free on the dance floor, the frenetic techno sound on the speakers giving the tone for the evening. Fast and furious (not the movie, mind you!).

And for once the actual owner is present, none other than Thea Queen prowling about the tables to greet someone or another. Some friends of her past. Others of her brother's. Some new ones. It was interesting as the more one tries to turn a new page in their life the more one gets reminded of the past. A past she wanted to get over with. So smile and wave. It's what Thea is doing most of the time but eventually she finds herself by the bar, settling on a stool...

"I swear..." This she whispers over to Vinnie, "... is my expression set into a perpetual smile? I can barely feel the muscles in my jaw... Can I get a martini, please?"

Thea lets out a dramatic sigh, resting her chin on her hands, "Sometimes it's hard being this popular." but by her tone it's clear she is just teasing Vintridr.

Vintridr has posed:
    A lesser observer would have missed the subtle hand gesture Vin makes - and would subsequently be highly surprised when another bartender suddenly underhands a bottle into the air in Vin's general direction, where she snatches it out of the air without even taking her attention away from Thea's face.

    "I have faith that you will endure this terrible trial with your customary courage and perseverance," Vin deadpans, although her eyes are smiling as she starts tipping the bottle just as a martini glass comes sliding along the bartop to skid to a halt right in front of her.

    "And as to your face," she continues while she expertly pours the martini while spearing an olive with her free hand. "I'm sure it'll recover, given rest."

    Her eyes twinkle slightly as she pushes the martini forward. "And if it doesn't..." Her lips part in a teasing grin. "A very brave young man once told me that a smile far better suits a hero. There are worse expressions to be frozen into."

Thea Queen has posed:
"Yes, yes. The usual Queen spirit..." But Thea just sounds tired now, going as far as just sprawling one arm along the bar and resting her poor head on it. "But you are getting good with those jokes.." a grin on her face now. "Or well, maybe the jokes were always there and only now I am getting to appreciate them, mmm?" a wink as she watches in that head-lying-sideways position as Vin prepares the martini.

"Ooooh, a very brave young man?" Now that sparks Thea to sit up more properly again. Because she loves a good gossip, "Which young man would that be?" she asks, now curious about the situation.

A sip is taken from the martini and she lets out a brief sigh of contentment.

Vintridr has posed:
    "His name was... Hau Fa," Vin replies, "He'd been named 'silver tongued' for his way with words and his ability to cheer and hearten the mood even at the worst of times..."

    Her smile fades, a change coming over her demeanor as the mask of the youthful bartender fades away before the centuries-old Valkyrior she is.

    "... And when his liege's enemies plotted treachery, he was the first to spot the ambush and put himself in between his lord and the spear meant to kill."

    "His lord's enemies did not outlive him long, and he at least had the joy of knowing his sacrifice hadn't been in vain before he breathed his last on this mortal soil."

    She looks back up at Thea, a smile playing over her lips again. "It was my honor and duty to guide him to his reward but he took issue with the graveness of my expression. It's not often that one of the souls we're sent to attempt to comfort us."

Thea Queen has posed:
""Silver tongue?" It's obvious by the mischievousness on Thea's big blue eyes that there's some teasing joke forming somewhere in that cunning mind of hers, "Well, I will tell you I have been called silver tongue in some circles too.." again with the teasing in her tone. It's all fine until that shift in demeanor comes to Vin. Thea notices it immediately considering how well they have known one another for a time now.

"Silver tongued with a heart of honor." She lifts her martini, "I will drink to that.." She takes in another sip and smiles back at Vin, "Sometimes I forget how old you are, how much you have seen. I must be like a child to you.."

But then she finally grins to Vin, "To Vin's smile then. May it last eternal.." a pause then as she leans closer to Vin.

"After we close up come downstairs with me, I have something I need to show you."

Vintridr has posed:
    Vin's smile widens as the bittersweet memory fades into the here-and-now. "To resent being thought a child is the hallmark of the young," she replies, half-teasing as she pours a glass of her own. "Advanced age brings a different perspective."

    "Shall I tell you what see when I look at a 'child'?" she asks, then takes a sip and looks Thea in the eyes. "I see... Potential. Promise. Someone who has so much new to see, so many wonders still to experience. Someone whose best days and brightest glories still lie ahead of her."

    She raises her glass to Thea with a smile. "I've little doubt that you're destined to do great things, Young Queen. I hope to be there to bear witness to them."

Thea Queen has posed:
"It seems I walked into a trap of my own design." Thea comments about Vin's remark but she laughs it off in a good-natured fashion. "Though I wish I could be as confident as you seem to find me be." she then adds, reaching forward to tip her glass with Vin's.

"But I will drink to that."

And she sure does by almost drowning what's left of the martini. Maybe she's thirsty.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." This about Vin being present to witness her deeds, "You have become a true friend of mine, Vintridr of the Asgardians."

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As night goes long and eventually they start closing up the place it's when Thea is back, calling on Vin to go to the basement with her. A year ago it was what propelled their adventures in Egypt, finding the missing mutants along with Sif. Today the place has been changed to be close to a base of operations. Close because it's not exactly finished yet, a lot of work still needed to be done but there's at least a makeshift server room, a computer. A training space and even a place for her weapons and armor.

Vintridr has posed:
    Vin knew of the work being done on the basement, of course, but hadn't been involved in the construction herself, and she looks around appreciatively, taking in the layout with an experienced eye.

    "Very functional," she comments. "I take it you've mapped and secured the various egresses? It would be somewhat awkward for someone to stumble on to this place from the outside..."

Thea Queen has posed:
"You know, this takes me back to when I actually found out ...." But then Thea stops herself. Vin doesn't know about Ollie being the Green Arrow. So instead she laughs fondly. "Yea, I have made sure that no such mistakes happen.." speaking from experience?

She leads towards the center place where the large computer is set up with the various screens, high heels echoing in the still very much empty basement room. "I think I still need to find a name for it, any suggestions?"

She starts tapping on a few keys on the keyboard, the monitor coming to life. She starts sliding some images forward, "So, as for -why- I wanted you here. There's been someone here in Starling doing some robbery attempts..." a sigh, "I say attempts because .., they didnt really go well but ..." and she shows some images, fire. Explosions. All apparently taken from security cameras.

"This is someone that had been active here in the past, without really any success but we never caught him. He had some cheesy name like the Deadly Fire Prince.." a roll of her eyes. "I was getting ready to go try and suss him out but then Overwatch found this..."

She slides an image to the monitor where there's a very visible rune imprinted in flames on the ground. A rune with a name 'Rasr' in Asgardian.

Vintridr has posed:
    "Once, a long time ago, and if we're ever in a group together for drinks I might be persuaded to tell all about it," Vin replies. "As to a name..."

    She hums under her breath as she ponders. "I suppose 'The Quiver' is already taken?"

    Jokes over and done with, she stands behind Thea as the young woman manipulates the computer, looking over her shoulder at the screen. "Users of fire are rarely subtle, and its destruction tends to lend itself poorly to burglary," she comments, then her eye falls on the rune. "... That looks familiar..." she murmurs, her demeanor once again shifting to the warrior she is.

Thea Queen has posed:
"Very poorly..." Thea says in agreement. "And whoever this is they always go for the easy payouts. Banks, jewel stores. It never works though..." she shows a few more pictures of jewels strewn on the ground. "This one they were running off and the bag burned and left all the jewels behind..." a sigh..

"This one, they stole an ATM but melted the money stash so there was nothing left so they just left it." she explains. "It's either someone that doesn't know how our world works or ..., someone with incredibly bad luck. I think it's someone that really doesn't know what to do with those powers...

"They had disappeared for a time but they just now resurfaced. And with having been in Asgard, well, the runes were very similar so I thought about calling the experts." she grinning at Vin.

"Feel like helping me hunt him up?"

Vintridr has posed:
    "Either is possible," Vin concurs. "That rune is the mark of Rasr, one of Muspelheim's more renowed warriors of old. If it's him, he'd be highly out of touch.. On the other hand, he'd be so out of touch he wouldn't know to hit a bank in the first place."

    She straightens, scratching her chin as she considers possibilities. "His weapon was rumored to be cursed -- well before my time, I'm afraid, so I have few details -- so it's possible it survived and fell into the hands of a hapless mortal fool."

    A moment's thought. "... A third possibility is both -- Rasr survived and was found by a mortal, who is sending him to try to rob these places, but Rasr's inexperience with the modern world leads to destruction of the valuables he's told to recover."

Thea Queen has posed:
"So it's as I thought..." Thea clicks her tongue, thoughtful. "Whoever it may be, either Rasr, or a mortal ..., we will need to get to the bottom of this. It's only a matter of time until someone gets seriously hurt.." some worry in her tone.

"Might be good to get some of those that have been involved in our Asgardian trips to come help too. I am not sure how powerful they might be. I have put Overwatch searching for more sightings, hopefully I will have something tangible for us to go after soon.."

A smile up to Vin and then a tap on her shoulder.

"Now, how about some weapons training for this young one to teach you a thing or two, mmm?" Oooh, challenging words those!

Vintridr has posed:
    Vin nods at the suggestion. "If it's neither Rasr nor a mortal wielding his weapon, at the very least it's someone who knows the significance of this rune and is calling is out. It would be... Impolite... to let such an invitation go unanswered." Her smile is chilly indeed.

    Thea's challenge prompts a raised eyebrow and a chuckle. "I believe it was a human who first said that one is never too old to learn," she replies. "By all means. Which weapon would you prefer?"