16759/Pirates of the Ivory Coast!

Pirates of the Ivory Coast!
Date of Scene:	09 January 2024
Location:	The Ivory Coast
Synopsis:	There are pirates that need a thumpin!
Cast of Characters:	Thor, Sif, Illyana Rasputina, Wanda Maximoff, Vintridr, Stephen Strange

---

Thor has posed:
    The wash of the Bifrost crashes into the ground with its heavy weight of power, surging over the sand and dust of the small settlement on the edge of a pale blue beach. The palm trees had been swaying gently at first, standing amongst the small simple buildings of this dwelling a few miles outside of Sassandra. But then the power of Asgard flowed down from the heavens setting the palm fronds abruptly fluttering and casting an abrupt cloud of sand and dirt into the air.
    Several fishing boats lay at rest upon the beach, their owners looking up as the rainbow blaze of energy alights near to one of their bait shacks, a small sign on it clatters wiith the rush of power and wind that causes the little building to shake.
    And when the energy departs it leaves in its place the runic symbol of the might of Asgard blazed into the ground, as well as its passengers...
    One of which being the crown prince who does make something of a dashing figure against that particular landscape. Wearing the Garb of Midgard he could pass for a tourist what with his sneakers and blue jeans, and a t-shirt that declares his support for the SHIELD Athletic Department. The only things that might mark him for curiousity beyond the norm would be that black strapless eyepatch and the battle-axe slung upon his back with a leather strap across a shoulder.
    "Alright," Thor says as he turns, "Now we have no idea exactly what we are looking for." He claps his hands together as he turns to face the others. "Trespassers of some sort in this part of the ocean. And SHIELD sent us their missive telling us of the strange goings on in this area. Now..." He looks to the others.
    Meanwhile behind him, as the dust and dirt settle, the small cloud drifting down, the others might well notice behind Thor a certain silhouette of prominence lying at rest on the edge of the beach. A large shape, dark in figure and curved with a myriad of spines.
    "So I imagine we should all play to our strengths." He looks very stern, very serious. A motion is made toward the Valkyr, "Vintridr, you are most familiar with some aspects of humanity, perhaps you can meet with some of the locals. Learn if anything strange has been happening."
    Then steadily as he turns Sif and Wanda, the cloud continues to settle and distantly along the beach one can now make out the shape of what looks like a Svartalfar cruiser at anchor, its shape dour and wicked. Though it also looks like a small settlement has risen up around it. Flags and banners connect it to the beach, small buildings are around it, "Lady Sif, Scarlet Witch, you are with me."
    "Illyana and Doctor, any magical support or scrying you can do to help us find our target... will be welcome." He looks to the two elritch experts and nods once sharply.

Sif has posed:
As they arrive, Sif is already glancing around. But much like her compatriot, she dressed down for this visit. Sort of. For she did have her armor on. Only she had a jacket over it in the form of a lightweight tan trenchcoat, tied at the waist. This left her legs visible from the knee down but those were covered with red and white boots. Her helmet was in place but that just could be taken as a fancy headpiece by most people. And her sword was hidden somewhere in the recesses of the coat. Nevermind that this temperature probably wasn't really trenchcoat sort of weather. Details, details.

As the commands began to be given, she watched as a shape started to form in the swirling sand. Then it became more clear, even as the instructions were completed. She took a moment, glanced to the others then back to the Prince.

"I believe I may have a...lead?" She looked to the Midgardians to be sure she was using that word correctly. "On where our Svartalfar suspects might be located." Said in a nonchalant manner as she brought up a hand and pointed toward the moored ship and the small community around it.

"But it's just a theory," she added with a hint of amusement.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
A gorgeous white-sand beach in winter sounds much better than a dreary grey sidewalk. She has fresh air stained by salt and sun beating down on fair skin not meant for such sunny climes. Illyana stretches out her arms shamelessly, face upturned to the sky as the rainbows fade around them in scintillating prisms. The Bifrost hisses in her eardrums along with the surf, and for a long moment, she just absorbs how *nice* Côté d'Ivoire is this time of year.

Sorry, local fishermen. Later she might apologise for the intrusion (or not). It depends if Stephen nudges her. The slow, satisfied blink turns into a smirk. She definitely looks like a tourist, but one not welded to her phone. The job requires them to be observant.

When her eyes open, she's attuned properly to mystical wavelengths. Dark magic in particular is something sought out, but she offers an upnod to the assembled. Thor's instructions earn a reply, even. "Yes, understood. We mark the target and wait to engage?" Look, she's a person taught by Scott Summers -- the plan needs about 18 other sub-plans, so facts count. The roll of her shoulder at the false headlands Sif indicate - ship or community or fake island, whatever it is - reinforced by a low, dry snicker. "Good theories."

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
A trip across the Bifrost is always a thing to appreciated and Wanda makes sure to do just that. Asgardian magic. The redhead takes in a breath at the majesty of it right as they step out are find themselves on another corner of the world. The Ivory Coast. Should she had brought her long dark red coat? Perhaps not. But she compensates it by way of a corset that leaves shoulders bare, down to a pair of leather pants and boots. A good recipe for disaster if they spend too long here. Around her neck and fingers there's a few necklaces and rings. Roma for those in the know, the Witch rarely leaving home without a piece of home with herself. Or in this case, her old home.

Wanda's green gaze is attentive the moment they step out, piercing the surroundings as if looking for traces of residual magic. Svartalfar. But it's not as if she needs to wait long when that ship starts rising in the horizon.

She opens her mouth as if to say something, finger rising as well. Lowers it. Nods Sif's way.

Yep, that's a big lead.

"Seems fate has led us to the right place." the woman's exotic tone coming to the fore, "I trust Lady Sif's instincts." yes, she says that without laughing or even looking amused. Just the faintest hints as the corner of her mouth rises just so.

Vintridr has posed:
    Vintridr nods at Thor. "Familiar enough to remember that Midgard is not a singular place or nation," she replies, then smiles at Lady Sif. "It's been a while since we played foreign tourist, but I'll see what I can do."

    With that, she sets off - if she's going to come across as a tourist the first thing she needs to do is not be associated directly with the group that just appeared out of a giant rainbow.

    An overpriced clothing store isn't hard to find -- tourism is still one of the bigger income sources for the area -- and a few minutes later the Asgardian woman is scouring the streets for charming sights and fancy souvenirs, chattering away in distinctly American-flavored English while she listens very carefully to what's being said out of her earshot in languages the locals might not think she speaks.

Stephen Strange has posed:
Normally, 'casual' for Stephen would be the whole Sorcerer Supreme ensemble, just minus the cloak. But, he is present with Illyana, and if there is one thing Illy's presence has on Strange, it is certainly a loosening effect. So, instead of the usual grandeur, Stephen is actually in normal human dress, rather than normal Stephen attire. Which, yes, does involve shorts. Tasteful shorts...no wild Bermunda prints here. And a short-sleeved shirt. Though, in the sand, there might be a pair of Crocs on. Mostly because of how easy it is to free them of sand.

And maybe just to antagonize his better half. Crocs are never proper shoewear. Which is why Stephen is wearing them.

"Right. So...look casual, I suppose? And don't look like we are looking for anything. Sounds completely reasonable to me." A glance over towards the blonde on his arm, and a slight smile. "Already on the job, I see." How does Stephen know? Of course he knows.

Still, he remains with Illyana. And...all senses are on alert. Including the mystical ones.

Thor has posed:
    As Sif speaks, Thor nods and lifts his chin a little, even as behind him the grim visage of the cruiser at rest remains resplendent like a grim gigantic metal crow. He points at her then turns to Wanda and says, "We do not know for certain that it is the Svartalfar or some aspect connected to them. SHIELD gave us relatively little information. However..."
    Then as the others seem to be looking past him... he turns and only then does his good eye find what he had apparently missed earlier. His brows rise and then he straightens up a little. One hand lifts to rub along the curve of his jaw, beard bristling slightly. "That..." He says at first, then adds after a beat, "Was not in the satellite images."
    Which is true, for those who had a moment to glance at the information pamphlet sent by SHIELD, the photos of the coastline were all of little remark. None of the analysts would have missed this.
    As Vintridr makes her departure Thor nods a few times, "Aye," He again takes a moment. Then he looks toward Strange and Illyana. "Perhaps they have some form of enchantment. May be best to break it, but wait until we have decided what to do." He rests his hands on his hips, then unslings Stormbreaker from his back and sets it swinging in a slow circle. "We reconvene here in an hour's time. If you require aid make it known." He calls just loud enough for Vintridr to hear it before she's entirely out of earshot.
    With that said he suddenly swings the hammer and _hurls_ it straight up into the air where it shortly disappears after a moment of flickering metal. He then turns his smile upon the others... and that is when they set out.

Sif has posed:
"Then perhaps we should follow Vintridr's lead and move into town to see what we might learn. I fear if we approach the ship itself, if there are Dark Elves about, we would be recognized," Sif says simply, looking over at Thor then to Wanda. "Despite the mode of dress we have chosen."

She motioned and then started in the direction of the town so they might peruse, ask some questions, pretend to be tourists. Or whatever one did. She realized that she had never been one for such deeds and looked to Wanda.

"Perhaps you should take the lead as you are Midgardian at least. We can help with translations though you are a witch so perhaps that is unnecessary?" Not said like witch was bad in any way. She knew plenty of them. Some were nice, some not so much. She judged by actions and the one time she had met Wanda in the past she seemed the Glenda sort and less Elphaba.

Vintridr has posed:
    Vin's - likewise overpriced - handbag gradually fills with trinkets and souvenirs as she drifts from one tourist trap to the other, pausing occasionally to try out a somewhat disturbing number of shawls, scarves, sunglasses or hats, or taking selfies near landmarks or fountains and waving at the intended recipient.

    It does not take long for Sif and Thor's smartphones to start buzzing insistently with one message after another -- each message featuring a picture of Vin smiling and waving at the camera, frozen at the exact moment that her hand just happened to shape a unit of Asgardian Battlesign.

        HOSTILE - CONTROLLED - TERRITORY - ASSUME - SURVEILLANCE - NO - SECURE

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Meandering through the Ivorian settlement probably would make Illyana stick out harder than she already does, but at least she has Strange incognito with her. The situation calls for some props, a situation handled while trekking down to the surf line where the Atlantic rolls around her ankles and flirts with seaweed or junk washed up from the sea. An opportunity to scour the plastic or occasional glass bits, too; she takes a few minutes of beachcombing to check for anything that doesn't immediately strike her as reasonable to find there. If they have to worry about foreign or alien beings, then the trash or discards that the tides bring in could prove useful for scientists to verify. Or whatever SHIELD does. Dammit, Jim, she's a Demon Queen, not a forensic analyst.

Still, whilst down there picking through non-existent shells and harassing some poor crab that raises a claw and runs back for shelter, the cover of her low posture probably makes the pinprick incision into reality hardly noticeable. Her tiny stepping disk opens to Limbo, and the receptive denizen on the other side hears her loud and clear. What risk is worth taking?

A few minutes on, she and Stephen inexplicably have beach towels, an inflatable pool noodle, sunscreen, two water bottles, and a tote. These show signs of winter storage, largely that they're all neatly rolled up and stuck together, shoved through by a pair of orange hands. Once she's in possession of "going for a beach holiday" props, she swivels to continue her assessment.

"I feel like a swim. Do you want to stay or check out the town?" she asks, her Russian accent high and sharp, almost blithe. See, it is deep cover for the sorceress. Mind, she's not wearing a swimsuit by any stretch of the imagination, but none of that matters when you can alter your clothes with magic.

Keeping tabs on a very powerful magic item and a witch are easy enough for her at distance, at least to gauge how lucky Thor, Sif, and Wanda are. "Or you can spot," she adds to Stephen, "if you have a boat. No need to get yourself all wet." Them's fighting words, possibly!

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Stephen's rather casual look gets a brief glance out of Wanda. A raise of a brow. Then a knowing smile given Illyana's way, "Did you choose the crocs?" she wonders in a jesting manner before more properly greeting the sorcerer, "Welcome, Sorcerer Supreme." a brief dip of her head given to Stephen. Mages do like having their egos stroked after all.

That Thor chooses to do some preliminary study of what's going on instead of a full-on charge at the ship gets an appreciative sounds out of the Witch's throat, inclining her head in agreement, "We do stand out somewhat.", a beat, "But maybe being known will come in handy this time. Even in the Ivory Coast some may have heard of the Avengers." they start walking down the beach and over to town, "I know a bit of French." she says to Sif as they speak of how they will talk with the locals. "Been a while though." which might mean they may need to tag-team for it.

As they approach and explore some of the town's surroundings there's a deep frown out of the Scarlet Witch, "The fear in this place is entrenched." she tells them. "And it is not recent. The Svartalfar have been here for a while now." her eyes blazing red as she manipulates unseen forces, reading the overall disposition of the area.

"We must move carefully."

Stephen Strange has posed:
Look for enchantments. Okay....that's easy enough. And to walk along with Illyana? Well, no complaints from Strange as he strolls side-by-side. There might be a chuckle at the thought of Stephen effectively playing the roll of sorcerer spy. SHIELD HQ would be proud, if Stephen actually bothered to tell them.

"Do you see what I see, my dear?" Stephen leans in towards Illyana as the two walk along. Looking for all the world like a couple on vacation would. And...after Illyana summons the beach items, it is apparent, at least to Stephen, that yes, indeed, Illyana sees exactly what Strange is seeing.

"Or I can spot? What, you think I am afraid of a little water?" Oh, yes. Stephen knows a tease when he hears one. "I simply cannot, in good conscience, allow you to have all the fun." A pause. "Of course, I could certainly wander into town. See what charms are there to urge the locals to take root there. Maybe it would be a good beach house."

Oh...more code. The exchange between the two is clear, at least to them. There are points of interest in town and below water. And...Stephen is all for dividing to checking the dry points out, since Illyana already declared the underwater focal points.

Thor has posed:
    The trio of Thor, Sif, and Wanda make their way into the edge of the settlement, looking perhaps in some ways like tourists who have lost their way. The reticent people look up, noting their passing. Though often in such villages the response to newcomers is often animated, here they seem to be less inclined to approach these new arrivals. Glances are given, words are murmured and whispered. Gone are the groups of people who seeing newcomers attempt to ply their wares. Gone are the children who would seek amusement or candy from travelers.
    In fact there were no children to be seen in the area.
    As his smartphone activates while they walk, Thor brings it forth from his back pocket and swipes it to life. Those messages sent from Vintridr earn a quirked eyebrow and then a nod is given toward Sif as if sharing in the same understanding. He turns to Wanda and what she says reinforces his thoughts, "Indeed. We should..." He glances to the side then back as he carefully enunciates these words, "Be very careful. How we move. And speak."
    Meanwhile on the beach and around the senses of those so suitably magically inclined, there is much to be perceived. For Illyana and the Good Doctor, there is a draw from out beyond the surf. Wanda, however, might sense the prominence of some measure of power in the settlement nearby. Though all would be aware that there is a tinge of the eldritch powers around the general area. And particularly... above.
    Some small time passes as the teams move about their tasks. And soon enough that hour draws near to a close.

Vintridr has posed:
    With her message sent and acknowledged, Vin can let herself relax ever so slightly. She hasn't spotted any tails -- yet -- and in fairness it's unlikely that the Svartalfar contingent is large enough to keep tabs on every tourist that comes by.

    Which is why she's currently admiring herself in a white shawl in a mirror across the street from where Thor and Sif are making their way through the crowd, trying to catch a glance of whether someone is tailing them.

Sif has posed:
The town was odd. Certainly when the sellers were engaged, they would respond, attempt to sell their goods. They simply were not rushing out in an attempt to sway the shoppers as one would be used to in such a location. They did find themselves approached and Sif purchased a few items that disappeared into the pockets of her coat. Polite chatter was shared among the trio of tourists but nothing untoward for the circumstances.

But as those words were relayed by Thor, she gave a simple nod. Then the time had pass oh-so-quickly and they were making their way back toward the rendezvous point.

Once there, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Perhaps next time I will remain behind until we have something to attack," she mutters, a hint of a smirk on her lips. "Though hopefully it was worth it. You mentioned the fear, Wanda. Vintridr will explain more but she also found that things are not as simple as they seem."

She didn't elaborate and left that for the others to do themselves. Though she did glance in the direction of the ship near the shore, frowning slightly.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
"Always bad to split up, they say. Better you manage backlash while I start cutting." Because while Strange is a formidable and terrifying force to dispel magic, just as the witch wandering around in town is, Illyana literally comes equipped with spell-excising equipment that spares them the need for a spell or pulling on a line.

She wades out into the ocean, taking along the bag with her. Inflating the pool noodle only requires a few breaths, and she loops it around the base of the bag she hauled with her. Bringing out the towels probably misses the point, but tossing them back onto the shore belatedly stops them from becoming soggy towels. She looks, for all the world, like she's a reckless little tourist going for a nice dip in the open sea. Nothing to worry about there!

She cuts her path into the waves on a diagonal path, pushing on deeper while checking on the pull of underwater sources for the spell tether. Her senses read into another layer, checking the invisible weft and weave around the anchoring point for a spell. If she's going to cut the thing free, it helps to know about reinforcements. Or armoured sharks. Or magic sharks with black magic laser beams on their head, because frankly that's what she would do.

A tug on the soul-shard embedded in her fractured aura sends a signal to Strange of her magic coming to life, wrapping around its presence to dim the essential goodness. Should any caster be out there, someone who reads as corrupted mortal, definitely the victim of bloodstone soul-surgery on a negative balance, is passing through. Just a precaution before she takes a breath and dives under the surface for a first look around.

Here's hoping no friendly neighbourhood Crab-Man or Squidscorpion happens to be lingering by or else there might be a heck of a clambake-by-soulsword.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
The problem with opening yourself to the emotional energies of the town is that magic is a two-way street. Wanda is hit with all that negativity and fear stemming and brewing, catalyzed by the lack of children around. A lack that she can't help but notice. It makes her gasp and stumble, catching herself by holding on to Sif's shoulder.

"The children. Where are the children?" an odd intonation to her voice, almost as if it was coming from deep down inside a well. Clearly Witch things! And ominous. Yet a moment later she returns back to a more normal posture, taking in a breath and offering a mute nod back at Sif at the indication Vin will have more information for them.

"Eldritch powers are at work here. There is a focus of power within the settlement itself too." which by her tone seems to tell that merits investigation later. But right now it was time to return to the meeting point and figure what their next steps would be.

Stephen Strange has posed:
"Right. Alright. Lookout it is then."

Of course Illyana is correct. And yes, she does have the rather most convenient method of slicing free enchantments from their moorings. So, it is only proper that she goes in for a swim.

At least Stephen can hold the towels that she throws back. A cabana boy for the Demon Queen. A glorified cabana boy, but one, nonetheless.

Stephen does not, however, head towards town for the other two anchor points. Rather, he remains vigilant, holding the towels expectedly for his paramour to return. But, also, he doesn't just stand idly by. Those senses are alert, keeping feelers out for any other mystical signature that isn't a reality warper, demonic royalty, or Asgardian. Because the last thing that Stephen wants is for someone to sneak up on the underwater explorer.

Thor has posed:
    As the team reconvenes some distance away from the settlement back down the way toward where the flow of the breeze has partially scattered and obscured the damaged and glassed over portions of the beach, they reemerge thankfully without finding any security elements investigating the area.
    The duo of Illyana and Doctor Strange spend their time wisely, investigating those arcane aspects of whatever the enchantment must be around the Svartalfar ship. And when it comes time for them to return, Thor will likely spare a second glance for Illyana's change of garb, noting how it complements Stephen's rather well. He gives a nod and then once Vintridr returns to the fold he'll look around to the others.
    "Very well, let us lay it out as they say. What is it we've found?" As he says this he rests his hands upon his hips, his gaze flitting from face to face... to face. And a few more faces. He quirks an eyebrow, "Wanda was able to perceive some curious elements. And the mood in the settlement seems... off."

Sif has posed:
"Off indeed." For Sif had to help support Wanda in that moment when she realized there were no children to be found in the area. Were they hidden? Or were they gone entirely? And if so, where might they be? She flicked a gaze to the ship and continued.

"Vintridr was able to share information with Battlesigns. Assume survillance. Hostile controlled territory." THough backwards, it was the information in a nutshell from the images.

Then in a quick aside to Vintrider. "And the shawl is lovely. But that hat? That's a no." And she returned to the conversation as she listened to each of the others adding what they had or had not found in their explorations.

Stephen Strange has posed:
"As far as the mystical aspect of the situation..." Stephen starts to speak, sliding effortlessly into that lecturing tone of his. "...there are certainly obfuscation enchantments about to divert attention away from prying eyes." A hand waves generally in a direction. "Particularly the large ship that is hiding from view in that direction."

There is a moment for a pause, then Stephen continues. "We have confirmed that there is at least someone of some skill in the mystic arts here. There are 4 anchors to this illusionary spell, two of which are underwater. Hence the towels." He holds the towels as proof of excursion.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
The upside-down one swimming toward the ship isn't in a position to speak or transmit anything telepathically, her mind an absolute blank space to any sort of psionic poke. For that alone the Svartalf types probably would dislike her a great deal. How is she going to spill tea without a gossip network in her head all the time?

She cuts an unimpressive figure suspended upside down, examining the various apparatuses sticking out every which way to deter Crab-Man or Captain Atlantis. Or really more like pirates, the authorities, and occasional tourists like herself. A crooked smirk on her lips, she neatly rolls to face airward and follows the bubbles up. Portalling oxygen to herself is good, but honestly there's no reason to expose herself that way to any titillated dark elves trying to figure out what's going on.

Once just at the surface, swimming slowly like an abject tourist lost and clueless to any totally hidden ship right there, absolutely clueless, she then has to find that floatie, the better not to waste energy or look like she's actually a competent swimmer used to much colder temperatures. Lake Baikal is no joke either.

Cue throwing her voice through a portal, tiny spot, the terminating end right by Stephen and another wherever the witch lady with the witch aura is. At a whisper: "Found the rock. Very pointy. Can I take it?"

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
"I agree, need to lose the hat." So sayeth the Scarlet Witch on a tight corset and long coat. Fashion sisters Sif and Wanda are. Don't tell Mary-Kate and Ashley. Yet soon enough her expression turns a touch more somber, "We found no children and there's palpable fear all over the settlement. The svartalfar have been here for a long time." or at least long in relative terms to what one would expect a dark elf invasion to last unnoticed on Earth.

"A focus of power called my attention too when we were exploring, right in the middle of the settlement." Wanda exhaling softly and looking up at the ship, hand running through her loose red hair.

"Many mysteries for us to investigate." She finally adds, but it's clear by her tone that she intends to get to the bottom of this. Specially with children being involved.

The mention of a rock gets her canting her head to the side, "One of the anchors? It may set the svartalfar off if it's taken." she says.

Thor has posed:
    Thor listens as the crew gives him their insight, Sif's take is a known given though her subtle and terse insight into Vintridr's fashion situation is also duly noted. He turns back and listens to the words given by the duo of Strange and Rasputina, though one's voice is gifted through one of those eldritch portals, his good eye following along with their words though, shifting between one and the other.
    "If we destroy the spell we tip our hand, perhaps early. As Barton is fond of saying it seems we have two choices. To go in quiet. Or loud." A glance is given toward Wanda. "The lack of children is disturbing, there could be a hostage situation. Which leads my thoughts toward attempting..."
    A glance is given at Sif pointedly, "A quiet entry. Until we at least no the situation better and have made it so it will be safe to do so."
    A look is given around to the others, "It looks as if we have our tasks before us. We investigate further." A look given to the magic users, "Perhaps if there is a way to arrange for their enchantments to fall when we need them to fall. And then once we are sure of the situation..."
    He gives a nod. And hopefully... this focus will carry them toward victory.