16810/The King of Atlantis is the Other Guy.

The King of Atlantis is the Other Guy.
Date of Scene:	06 January 2024
Location:	Midtown
Synopsis:	Fish people are weird!
Cast of Characters:	Thor, Mary Jane Watson, River Banks, Vintridr

---

Thor has posed:
    The first appreciable snow of the Winter and it has transformed the streets of Manhattan. Past the time of Yule, beyond the decorations already gone, yet some element of the spirit seems present for there is a warmth of sentiment amongst the people. The streets have that gentle dusting of white, wisps of snow swirling along the street and across the sidewalks. The sun is well under the horizon so the night is prominent along the riverside. Yet the clouds hang low, as if the heavens were already under the steady fall of ice crystals.
    For some it is too cold to venture out at this time of night. But others, such a hint of weather? It barely affects them. Which might be why the Prince of Asgard has emerged and is walking down the street wearing just his usual Midgardian garments of jeans, a t-shirt, and a grey hoodie. Definitely not fitting for the native's weather in Midgard, yet for an Asgardian? Just right.
    And as he strides along he speaks to none other than Vintridr formerly of the Valkyr, with casual and calm words offered. "Ah, tis a favor for a friend. You see."
    A few strides carry him down the steps and onto the walkway, his pace matching the woman's as he murmurs. "She has this... drone of hers she is training. Some form of automata and occasionally it asks of me questions. so I answer it. No idea what she is doing with the video, however."

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane Watson has been walking along with her hands in her pockets. She's humming to herself in a chipper tune that sounds almost alien to anyone that would hear it. If they could, it's in a language that's strange to the ears, and one almost unknown in this day and age. Maybe it has made up words and she's just humming it? But, for anyone near her it does sound odd. A haunting sort of melody that's slow paced, and yet regular in it's beats.
    She has a large fuzzy hat on, and a thick jacket wrapped about her. Hands in large mittens, and overly done up with heavy clothes.
    Someone does not handle the cold well so has come out extra prepared for it, just to make sure that she's not getting fuzzy when she has no hot chocolate available.

River Banks has posed:
    River's also out, having to run some errands in New York City and taking her out of its darker sibling, Gotham.

    She's bundled up, blonde hair tucked beneath a knit cap with a pompom on it, her eyes slightly downcast, wearing a man's jacket that is a couple sizes too large for her, but definitely made for keeping the cold out. She's got a scarf wrapped around the bottom half of her face, so just a few freckles and her eyes can be seen.

    She walks along, keeping to her own business for now, even as she spots the hoodie-clad Asgardian from the corner of her eye.

Vintridr has posed:
    Vin is likewise dressed in jeans and a hoodie, although in deference to her habit of at least appearing to be human, the hood is up and her hands are in her pockets as she walks beside Thor.

    The hood also conveniently obscures the fact that her eyes are glancing from side to side, keeping watch on her surroundings -- sure, this is a low-threat area and anything capable of threatening the Odinson isn't going to be deterred by her, but some habits are ingrained in the soul. She gives the drone a brief passing glower, more to let its owner know that she sees it than any kind of actual threat, but otherwise ignores it.

    "She must be an interesting friend," she comments. "Midgard's technology has only begun experimenting with smaller automata in the past few decades, and I do not believe that such a glamour is within their conventional capabilities yet."

    She shrugs. "At any rate, the dining establishment I spoke of is close by; it's been in the same location ever since its original proprietors arrived fifty years ago from China. They've kept it in the family for three generations, now, although I doubt the grandmother would remember me..." She trails off, a fond smile playing along her lips for a moment.

Thor has posed:
    It is one of those moments in the great city. One of those times when karma, kismet, destiny raises its hand and invokes some small element of happenstance to draw the worlds of several souls together. In Manhattan this can often be most anything. And for some they might not even observe it. But for some of the travelers in their wanderings this evenings, they might have some hint of early warning as the first hint of it comes... from the river.
    Officer Howards was the first to notice it. Along the dog park next to the Hudson River, he stood and gave a nod to one of the homeless men who was curled up on a park bench, huddling close against the chill and nursing just the hint of heat coming from the subway vent that wafted his way.
    "C'mon buddy, you know as well as I do, you can't stay here. You gotta move along." The tired voice of the police officer had a hint of world-weariness as well as some of the more mundane variety, but he wasn't without sympathy as he murmured, "Sister Ann's down on 49th has beds open tonight. You move it I'll put in a word for ya." As he says that he answers one of the voices that chimes in on his comms, just pressing the button on the receiver to speak into it while the man on the bench pushes himself to his feet.
    Though along the riverfront water begins to churn and bubble, then with little warning a black vessel with a curved spine rises out of the water, catching several civilian vessels upon its razor arch and capsizing them as the water continues to surge. Which is enough to draw the attention of most of the civilians nearby. And Officer Howards.
    Some distance away Thor is nodding his head as he walks, listening to Vintridr as she offers her insight, his brow quirking curiously. "Indeed," About the level of Midgard technology. "This one is supposed to be somewhat intelligent. It asks curious questions but..." Then his thoughts seem to wander briefly, only for them to return as Vin mentions the diner. His smile prefaced whatever he was about to say, but in that moment his brow knits as he looks distantly toward the river, a block away roughly.

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane Watson would be walking along right when she would notice the thing bubbling up and over in the river. She would tense, "Oh come on.." Even as she's going on alert mode. She doesn't have everything she'd like to have on her, but she has enough. She has a SHIELD issue ICER and a needler, and two large stun batons slung over her back. She goes to head along at a quick run towards the area, going to put her fingers up to her lips to whistle, "PEople, we might have something coming up. Please, just fall back and let the authorities form a perimeter." As to why exactly people should listen to her..
    She glances towards the officer, "Sir, please help deal with the crowd in case this is hostile." It might not be, but always best to err on the side of caution with the unknown. As the officer may or may not be wanting to listen to her, her hand goes towards her belt to pull out a SHIELD Agent badge. Technically by bureaucratic regimens she could give suggestions to the officer, but had no actual authority over things unless it was an active combat zone with things that the NATO affiliated organization was charged with covering.

River Banks has posed:
    River could feel something was wrong. There was a sense of agitation, and she turns to the river itself as she hustles towards the water, and she feels her chest tighten, right before the craft rises from the water.

    "Shhiii--" she mutters to herself, turning and hopping over the divider between the park and the river itself, crouching down and making her way along the quay. Her eyes are narrowed, her lips pursed beneath her scarf.

    She's got no such authority, of course, as an anything to tell people to get back.

    But she does hold out her hands, focusing her abilities and tries to make the water in front of the black craft harder to get through, to give the smaller vessels time to get out of the way!

    "Y'all're gonna need 'mergency air support! Water can't be trusted right now!" she barks out through her scarf.

Vintridr has posed:
    Vin was about to say more, but she picks up on the Odinson's sudden change in demeanor. She follows his gaze, eyes sliding half-shut as she listens to the air currents. "Something the matter?" she asks, a much more focused and professional edge in her voice as 'Vinnie' makes way for the warrior she is at heart.

Thor has posed:
    The disheveled man from the bench quickly beats feet away, joining and then slipping through the crowd. Officer Howards, for his part, turns and catches sight of MJ, his eyebrows rising a bit and then a touch of confusion lighting in his eyes. "What? Yeah right, don't worry about me, I got it, sister."
    Though as he says that he's gesturing for people to get back, though only a handful of people are gathering. Some are taking images of the... 'submersible?' with their phones while the police officer is speaking into his radio.
    A pair of moored and Winter-stored civilian vessels are pushed back and away as the black ship rises fully up and bobs against the riverside wall. Officer Howards shouts, "Hey. Hey!" A beat, "You can't park that here!"
    Though the river does seem to ease, its troubled flow and bubbling froth relaxing as the curious woman in the scarf stands near the edge and extends her hands. Some of the vessels that seemed about to be damaged or capsize instead float further away on a more gentle drift of waves and the black submarine seems to finally come to a rest near the concrete divider wall. Not quite a dock, but it may serve.
    Though the ruckus does also serve to draw Thor's attention even as he shoots a curious questioning glance at Vintridr before moving in that direction as well. At her question he answers with a succinct flaring of his hands to signal his lack of information. But best to investigate.

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane Watson would walk on forwards, a hand resting over on her hips and ready to pull out her sidearm, she doesn't. Ther'es no need to escalate yet. And honestly, if it's just dmage to boats? They should know better than to haul anchor on the Hudson. She goes to watch over at the submsersible (?) sa it comes forwards and seems to cronk over agaisnt the docks. If it's drifting then maybe it's disabled? If it were alive then it wouldn't be responding well to being crushed into things and would be thrashing about.
    She advances in the general direction of it cautiously, trying to get a better angle to view it from to try and get a better idea of what it is and what it's state is.

Vintridr has posed:
    Vin nods, takes two steps, and all but vanishes - not by some glamour or invisibility spell, but a change in gait and posture in that instant when the crowd obscures her form, and even the drone would be hard pressed to follow her movements.

    No one is running or screaming yet, so neither is she - but she's flowing through the crowd a bit quicker than someone who's walking as slowly as she appears to be should be, making good time in the direction of the river, making sure to be in position when her Prince arrives, for whatever purpose she might be needed.

River Banks has posed:
    River stays down, crouched at the quay and below the sight of others still above the river's edge. Her eyes are narrowed as she clings to the side of the concrete, and she breathes out. THis can't be good.

Thor has posed:
    A twisting metal and ceramic surface turns over on itself, moving not quite with an organic motion but more akin to something alive or so crafted by a gifted artisan to possess that illusion of life. It serves to open what looks like an entryway as a pair of elongated spines extend from the craft to the concrete divider, digging into the material securing the connection between ship and shore.
    A few moments later the upper panel uncurls and a disc of faintly glowing light ascends, rising upward out of the hull of the ship, presenting a heavily armored rotund figure with a black sphere for a head and dark purplish metal plates covering its body. There's a sudden outrush of steam or gas that bursts from the helm, giving a ripe scent of the sea, if not the Hudson. Thankfully.
    Then the black sphere turns transparent from opaque with a sudden shift, revealing the being within. And for the crowd it's a revelation that causes a sudden gasp of... discomfort.
    For the face is that of what a man might look like when crossed with an Angler Fish. The armored figure spreads its hands and motions at River, then Officer Howards and says something in a rather unknown tongue that most there cannot understand. Save... perhaps for those with All-Speak.
    Who if in that moment are close enough to hear will realize the words are a declaration.
    << We have no business with the common surfacers. We seek authority. Those who rule. The ones called Avengers? Or Justice League? Whichever one has the half-breed king as part of its ranks. >>

Vintridr has posed:
    Vintridr scowls inwardly at that choice of words; were they speaking any other language, she might have given the benefit of the doubt to translation artifact, but All-Speak rarely makes such errors, conveying intent almost as well as it conveys meaning. Still, they are speaking rather than threatening or brandishing weapons - for now, at least.

    She makes herself scarce among the crowd of onlookers who have their phones out, moving close enough the woman addressing them to be of some use should violence erupt, but staying far enough clear that the interlopers do not see her as an escalation.

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane Watson goes to advance cautiously over towards them, moving to a position where she has herself present between the crowd and the rising things from the sea. Not sure what they are.. Wait, fish-like? "You're looking for an Atlantean?" She would inquire cautiously - mostly going off their rather affirmative posturing and monologuing as to seemingly want to talk wtih someone in charge.

Thor has posed:
    A light gleams an inch in front of the messenger's face inside that water-filled bubble of a helmet as it turns its attention upon Mary Jane, its head tilting to the side. It then lifts its hand up, pulling a panel on its gauntlet up and open as it taps a clawed fingertip upon some small data display of some sort. There are a few faint sounds of metal upon metal, then it looks back once again toward Mary Jane, and now River.
    "Ah this is to be English of speech. Very well. You can speak from authority?" It gestures with a claw at Mary Jane, then Officer Howard. "Or you?"
    To which the police officer scowls, "Yeah, and its by that authority vested in me I need to tell you to move your boat, Nemo."
    The Angler Fish Being nods and reaches into a cylinder upon its hip and produces a sleeve of some form of material that glistens like shark-skin, extending it toward Mary Jane and the police officer. Though it was that moment that Thor was approaching, stepping up behind Mary Jane and then to her side as he gives her a smile, renewing that acquaintance before speaking.

River Banks has posed:
    This is something very much out of Riptide's depth. She's used to dealing with street side scum, underwater people are above her meager paygrade from Red Hood.

    The young woman stands up, looking to MJ and Officer Howard, and then to Friggin' THOR of all people.

    Yeah, this is above her paygrade. But she sits tight, grimly looking up at the fish-fashed ambassador.

Vintridr has posed:
    As Thor makes his way into the foreground, Vin gently bumps her way to the front of the crowd with the phones - obviously rude, but unless one were to recognize her, still just the otherwise innocuous jockeying for position among the people recording and uploading this event.

    Her fingers on her phone, however, tell a different story for those with eyes to see and knowledge of Asgardian battle sign: a brief but succinct summary of what was said by the visitors, as well as her assessment -- imperious, beligerent, not actively hostile but possibly becoming so if their demands are not met -- followed by a two word interrogative: call reinforcements?

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane Watson would go to walk forwards, "I'm a federal agent. I can give you information within reason but I'm going to need more answers from you in turn. Who are you, whom do you represent, and what is the reason that you would like contact wtih.." She would keep it generalized so they could elaborate on what they were donig - also to set a light trap of being vague to get them to monologue, and hopefully reveal more information about themselves than the bare minimum, which she'd be limited to if she asked specific questions. She keeps her hand over int he air.
    "And the officer is correct, you'll need to move your vehicle elsewhere, it's a transit hazard."

Thor has posed:
    The AnglerMan does look a touch curious, but holds itself with some measure of pride. It looks toward each individual nearby, wide glassy eyes unblinking then turning from face to face to face. It nods slowly, "We will move our vessel when we depart. Though the river rebelled against our craft as we approached. Did one of you have some such to do with this?"
    As Mary Jane speaks, Thor chimes in the next moment. But not before his head turns slightly in Vintridr's direction. A slight lift of his left hand is given, then that hand closes and offers that signal in passing to hold. He turns back and then speaks to the Underwater Ambassador.
    "I believe I can speak with some small authority. Some have called me an Avenger in the past. Others have named me Prince. Most, however, call me Thor."
    Which is enough to have the Anglerfishman nod several times and for a moment it might seem as if it was deciding to which it should deliver the missive. For it holds the leatherish sheaf up before presenting it forward, choosing neither and instead letting them decide who should take control. It does, however, offer these words.
    "There have been trespassers. According to our treaty with the surface we notify."

River Banks has posed:
    "Uh... yeah. The river bein' weird woulda been me." River volunteered as she raised a gloved hand. "Ah was tryin' to stop y'all from overturnin' occupied boats an' drownin' folks. Horrible way to introduce y'all selves, aint it?" she questions a sshe stands, looping one hand through the bottom of a fence tine, and she takes a deep breath and she tilts her head.

    "Tresspassers? On the bottom of th' ocean? And you're notifyin' topsiders?" she questions in curiosity.

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane Watson would glance over at the anglerfishman, "So, under who's authority are you speaking of? Atlantis? And whom tresspassed on your domain?" More questions are buzzing in her mind at this. She looks over at THor questioningly - and she murmurs, "They seem way too polite to be from Namor.." Of course, she says this over in a language that's probably even harder to decipher than what the undersea visitors were speaking in. It's the same one that she was humming in.
    Hymkarian, a language not spoken in tens of thousands o fyears. That for THor and Vint would be understandable thanks to Allspeak.

Vintridr has posed:
    Vin taps two fingers in a sign of acknowledgement, and otherwise remains in her current position, keeping a close eye on the proceedings.

Thor has posed:
    The fishy courier turns its bulbous head toward River and then says, "Your talent confounded our shaper." Its wide lips part as it takes in water, then expels it three times, still not looking away from River before it says. "Are your services engaged? The People of Tritonis could make use of one such as you."
    Though it is that moment when the message is taken from its hand, Thor having decided to take it upon himself. He considers the sleeve and then looks back toward the creature with a somewhat shrewd one-eyed gaze. He nods, "Consider your missive delivered. I will see it is given to those who need to see it."
    The Angler looks back to the Asgardian, though it spares MJ a glance, ignoring her question for the most part save to chuff slightly, an expression that causes bubbles to expel in its helmet/tank.
    "We recognize Asgard as having such authority. My duty is discharged." As it says this it starts to depart, waddling its way back toward its vessel.

River Banks has posed:
    "Unfortunately, kept on a short leash. Try again in a couple years." RIver replies through her scarf, adn then, with her business concluded, she hups herself up and over the fence, and goes to walk away. Tritonis, hey, would at least be a different city than Gotham!

Thor has posed:
    As River makes her departure, Thor gives Vintridr another slight nod, then rubs at his brow just above his eyepatch. A small sign given before he in turn speaks to Mary Jane. "I will convey this through the embassy to SHIELD if needs be."
    Though none of this seems to make much nevermind to Officer Howard who takes that moment to fold his arms over his chest, the snow still drifting down from the heavens behind him. "So long as they move that scow I'll be happy..."
    And thankfully soon enough... they do.