3341/It Was A Dark And Stormy Sea

It Was A Dark And Stormy Sea
Date of Scene:	12 September 2020
Location:	Atlantic Ocean Coastline
Synopsis:	Thor and Mera come upon a very strange ship.
Cast of Characters:	Thor, Mera

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Thor has posed:
    From atop the rooftop of the Avengers' mansion it is a wonderful time to greet the changing of the seasons. Even in the great city of Manhattan one can feel that subtle transition from Summer to Autumn with the way the wind has changed, taking on a hint of an edge to it that is twinned with the slight touch of chill in the air. Enough to justify the wearing of something more than the ubiquitous t-shirts and jeans or shorts of the Summer. Yet for someone like Thor Odinson, the change is a more palpable thing with the kinship he feels with he world and the weather.
    Hands upon the railing and looking down at the garden behind the mansion, the Thunderer smiled to himself pleased for some reason as he felt that hint of harmony given with such a day. A look over toward the great sweeping skyline of the city, the ebb and flow of humanity as they go about. Yet something preys upon his thoughts.
    And that is when he notices it. Distantly upon the horizon to the East. A gathering of clouds that are far off, yet dark. They hint at a storm in the offing. For most it is not a thing that would be disturbing. But for Thor, a man so in tune with the world, it causes him trepidation.
    Because he feels no connection to that storm at all.
    His hand extends to the side and with a faint /whom/ Mjolnir leaps forth. There's a swirl of the hammer and in the next moment it takes Thor into the air and toward that storm.

Mera has posed:
Since the first Xebellian refugees appeared, Mera has been doing her own reconnaisance. Trying to find news of the creatures from the deep that attacked her kingdom, she took her ship out onto the water and ventured into the depths.

She followed news of an attack on a freighter to this area of the sea, dropped anchor, and has been quartering the area from beneath the surface for hours. There's nothing to find yet though - no sign of anything lingering here in the water.

The change in weather triggers an alert from her ship. And while she's not bothered by a storm beneath the surface...losing her ship would be inconvenient. She swims upward, looking up to the sky as she surfaces.

Thor has posed:
    Upon the surface around her when she reaches the surface, facing that abrupt change from the ocean to the air, she finds the day has fled before the dark clouds. It is dark, a heavy feeling upon the waves as the ocean seems to roil not by the strength of the wind nor the oncoming storm. But from the disharmony that she might have a sense for. The first droplets of rain are falling, casting their rings of impact upon the salt water as the waves have risen just enough to make seeing long distances difficult. Just enough to cause her ship to jostle and sway with each brush of the white caps.
    High above and slicing across the skyline, Thor could be seen as little more than a streak of blue and red. Though when he comes to a halt upon the edge of the storm itself, hovering there even as the first of the rainfall hits him, his brow furrows as he holds there, mighty hammer at hand. It is a storm that should not exist, he has no feel for it no hint to its reality beyond the palpable impact of rain and the darkness before him.
    Expression sharpening he looks around, casting blue eyes hither and yon. Distantly he might espy the silhouette of Mera's ship jostling with the waves. He, for a moment, starts to head that way. But then upon the horizon he'll see another shape, the frame of a ship off in the distance that might well be near enough for the undersea dweller to observe as well.
    A spin of his hammer and abruptly Thor is flying in that direction.

Mera has posed:
Mera lets her senses extend out into the water, tracing the effects of the storm on the sea below. She can feel the strangeness of the storm - the way the water moves inside of it, the patterns of the weather.

She starts to swim toward her ship when she catches sight of the storm lord shooting across the sky, following his path toward the other ship. Frowning, she holds her position for a moment. Figures. Norse, just screwing around with the weather.

After a moment, she dives beneath the surface again, shooting like a torpedo toward the other ship.

Thor has posed:
    Closer, the shape takes form. A draconic figurehead seemingly uttering a silent roar as it breaches each wave. Norse indeed, for the shape is of a longship cresting the waves and crashing down slowly, majestic in its own way despite the roughness of the oceans. Its course leading it towards the mouth of the river leading toward the distant city of Manhattan. The grand shape lifts and lowers with each wave, its lone square sail holed and in tatters, burnt in places though the plain black banner that flies from its mast seems untouched.
    Closer still the shape becomes more clear. A holed ship, battleworn and ragged as it rocks in the storm, the rain now pelting the ocean and giving it that rough surface smashed away with each roiling white-capped wave.
    She'll see the shape of that flying man rush across the distance, slicing through the waves, then abruptly landing upon the fore-deck, setting down with good balance even as the ship jostles and rides those waves. Blond hair slicked back now, his blue jeans and red t-shirt now soaked through. He frowns as he stands there hammer in hand.
    Abruptly he strikes the hammer upon the deck and suddenly there's a silvery flash of lightning flashing down to wash across the wooden ship, leaving it untouched. Yet when the man rises he is no longer garbed in the manner of those of Midgard, but wears the black and red armor of an Asgardian, crimson cape blown back across one shoulder with the strength of the wind.

Mera has posed:
That...is not a ship that generally sails these waters. Mera knows enough of her history and ships to recognize that, especially once she's close enough to surface again. Her brows furrow in a frown as she treads water, watching the Asgardian's approach. Only after he's armored does she make her move.

With a powerful kick, she propels herself out of the water, landing on the deck about ten feet away.

She appears to be armored as well, in green scales with gold accents, her red hair slicked back and a trident across her back. Even as she lands, she holds out a hand, a himmer of waterdrops spinning in front of her. "I mean you no harm," she assures quickly.

Thor has posed:
    She can see the trepidation on the man's face, even as the rain falls around them, upon them. There is a furrow to his brow as he ponders the ship and she likely can tell there is a hint of confusion there even as he shakes his head.
    Then she is leaping out of the water, a beautiful silhouette that lights upon the deck and lands there, hand extended to him as if to stay him from some ignoble action. She means no harm.
    Yet with that blond hair slicked back from the rain, he does look somewhat harried although he holds up his hand as well as if to accept that sentiment offered. "That is well, for I mean none to you." His voice is deep, that rolling timbre and accent that speaks of old.
    He turns to her, seems about to say something, then strides past. The ship seems abandoned, yet it rides the waves as if the crew were well and seasoned. The rudder in the back holds its course though shifts effortlessly to guide the ship along the worst of the waves and along the crest, heading ever Westward.
    Then over his shoulder he asks her, "Is this your doing?" Only then does he turn to fully look at her, as if seeing her for the first and trying to discern what he can from her garb and her manner.

Mera has posed:
"Hardly," Mera answers, keeping that hand half-raised as she takes a few steps across the deck in the opposite direction, searching for any signs of habitation. The answer is absent, though she seems to think about it a moment longer afterwards, tilting her head. "I suppose in theory I could raise such a wreck, but I can't imagine why I would, except for dramatic effect. And I couldn't quite manage..." She trails off, gesturing a hand toward the sky and waving it in a circle.

Once she's cleared the immediate area, she turns back to face him. "I'm Mera," she says, then after a beat, "Of Xebel." She's not used to adding that part any more.

Thor has posed:
    "I know not this Xebel." If she knew him she might know how out of character it was for him to not match the needed social norms, nor how his failure to offer his name at once was such a strangeness for him. Yet she can tell he is distracted as he lifts a hand and gestures ahead. "I know this ship."
    But then he turns to her and sees to remember that she is here, and that he learned her name. Then he gives a nod. "I am Thor." A beat as he steps down the flight of stairs that lead to the main deck, moving quickly with a hasty stride. Over his shoulder he adds what is needed to complete the greeting as custom demands, "Son of Odin."
    He turns to look up at her now. "So you know naught of this?" The hammer is set upon his hip and the way he stands there before the main mast, the wind catching his cloak as the rain continues to fall upon them, it somehow may seem as if he belonged for it is a perfection of imagery...
    When the lightning strikes the main mast.
    And the ghostly shapes of the damned skeletal crew appear in the strobe flickers of light. There for a moment in their grim horror with strands of flesh hanging upon their decrepit bones, their bodies twisted and broken yet still functional as they seem in that single instant framed upon the ship in such utter clarity.
    Then the next instant they're gone only when the thunder rumbles past.

Mera has posed:
"It is an Atlantean kingdom," Mera explains, though she leaves it at that. It's not like people generally //recognize// Atlantean kingdoms when they're pointed out. Surfacers. "And I know who you are," she adds with a faint smirk, gesturing at the armor and the hammer.

"I know nothing specific of this," she answers slowly at first, still searching for a sign. And then the lightning strikes, and she goes still, eyes narrowing. "Though I have heard legends of ghost ships..."

Thor has posed:
    "I served on this ship. During the war." Thor says and for a moment he does look shaken, which might be a curious thing to see in the eyes of a man such as him. But then he turns around and frowns, shaking his head. "I... do not understand."
    His eyes shift to her and he murmurs, "Are these your kingdom's waters? Hold you sway in some regard or a position of authority?" The wood creaks under his step as he crosses the deck again, and moves toward her, the waves still sloshing against the sides of the ship and the rain falling steadily. He shakes his head then rephrases...
    "Would you lend me your aid in this matter? I think it best to make sure this ship does not reach land. For now at the least."

Mera has posed:
"I thought it was an odd place for a discussion of Atlantean territories and politics," Mera replies, deadpan, reaching back to take the trident from her back as she circles around, seraching for any more signs of the skeletal crew.

"But yes. I am in agreement that it would be for the best that this ship...at least not reach the shore. Returning to its eternal rest might not be for the worst." She raises a hand, and the waves around the ship start to shift, lapping in a direction that doesn't match the winds of the storm.

Thor has posed:
    There are no obvious signs of the crew, though there is... something. That feeling like when a spring is wound too tight and one can just feel the moment when it is about to break and surrender to the tension. Perpetually that feeling is there even as Thor gives a nod to her. "I know this may mean little to you, but this storm."
    He pauses and rests a hand upon the main mast, steadying himself as the ship jostles. "I feel it not, I sense it not, it is as if it is not there. And yet my eyes tell me another story as I see the clouds, my face feels the sting of the raindrops." The Thunderer turns and looks to her, "This is a message, and I fear it is not a kind one."
    That said he starts to move back to her as she exerts her will, causing the waves to push and splash against the prow of the ship. Yet there is a discordance with each effort, as if she can tell the ship does not wish to go that way, instead it rebels, twisting against the wind, surging and trying to push past her efforts...

Mera has posed:
"Yes, but from whom?" Mera calls back to him over the sounds of the storm, summoning her will to press the ocean back against the ship. "From the looks of this ship, I think it more likely one of your companions than mine."

The waves press against one side of the ship, trying to force it to turn at the will of the water. Her hand tightens around her trident, helping her to focus. "Can you summon the winds?"

Thor has posed:
    She asks that of him and he nods a few times, clearly unsettled but then shaking his head as if realizing that of course, he could do such. He could do something. He lifts a hand and gestures forward, even as a hint of power flickers like electrical energy across his eyes, the swell of strength beginning to be felt...
    Only for another CRACK of lightning to be seen and the snap of thunder instantly washing over them, another blast of power smashing into the mast and causing it to crack and fracture as if being split asunder. It's enough to cause Thor to stagger back on his rear foot.
    "I... I did not do that."
    Yet then another blast comes, smashing into the deck where he stood, blasting apart the wood and seeming to wound the ship powerfully, burning wooden timbers and splintering them apart. He turns to look at Mera only for yet more lightning lashing closer to them.
    "Come, we must away!" He steps toward her, likely intending to help her off the ship unless she has other plans.

Mera has posed:
Mera flinches at the crack of lightning, pushing all of the water away from them in a burst that can be seen through the raindrops. Maybe Thor would be fine with the ligthning strike, maybe she would survive it, but it's always better //not// to get struck by lightning if you can avoid it.

She could leap to the water, but...it's going to be hard to work together if he's in the sky and she's in the water. So she reaches out to take his hand, ready to leave the ship.

Thor has posed:
    There's another rush of light and thunder as several more blasts pound the ship even as they make that rush to the edge of it, leaping at the last moment to take flight as a titanic crash of energy lashes the vessel seeming to come from the heart of the storm. It causes the thing to explode, blowing outwards and sending small fragments of wood in their direction even as they both take flight.
    It's only a brief leap, into the air, a strong arm around her waist to hold her tight. The rain continuing to pummel them now aided by the rush of movement. Then they begin their descent just as quickly, dropping down toward the ocean's surface... and to that island of safety upon its surface that is her ship. Yet when they touch down the world seems to calm slightly, agitation easing as the rain slooowly begins to recede. Not gone for now, but more peaceful even as they land.
    "I know not what this means." He frowns and then turns to look at her, "Forgive my endangering you by requesting that aid, I should have not done so."

Mera has posed:
When the ship explodes, Mera summons a wall of water to swirl between them and the explosion, protecting them both from the debris. She lets it fall as they speed further away, landing gently on the deck of her own ship.

"I was there of my own accord," she says with a shake of her head, frowning out over the water. "You've nothing to apologize for. I can't help but wonder if it's tied to //other// things rising up from the deep lately, but..." She trails off, looking up at the sky. "The storm suggests otherwise."

Thor has posed:
    "Mera," The Thunderer repeats her name as if committing it to memory, then nods once to her and takes a deep breath as he looks in the direction of that ship, though no sign of it remains. His eyes distance then refocus upon her as he shakes his head then murmurs, "It could well be tied to some aught else, though I admit I am at a loss."
    A rough hand lifts to push his wet hair out of his eyes, frowning as he ponders the receding storm and the crash of waves. He shakes his head, "I shall have to look into matters, speak to those who may be more wise than myself." Which assuredly there can't be too many.
    Turning back to her he asks, "What other things are you thinking? Know you of some other thing that may be at play?"

Mera has posed:
Mera grimaces, pushing a hand through her hair as she mulls it over. Seeing him doing the same, she reaches out a hand, fingers curling slightly in a summoning motion. As she does, the water is pulled out of his hair and clothes, and hers as well, floating off over the deck railings.

"Would you like a drink?" she offers, starting to move toward the entrance belowdecks.

"Something has been pushing creatures up from the deep," she explains as she goes. "I haven't been able to determine //what// yet, but if it were something more magical or ghostly in nature...I suppose it could be driving more than just creatures."

Thor has posed:
    There is still that hint of tension to the man, the severity in his manner though when she draws the water free, having such control of the movement he quirks an eyebrow to see such a thing. A small chuckle comes from him, then she asks her question.
    Shaking his head he looks away to the distance, then back to her. "Under better circumstances I would agree, though now..." He lets those words trail off, yet he does move with her as she starts to walk, heading to that entryway to the interior of the ship. Yet he lingers upon the edge of it.
    "This is troubling to me as I had no control over that storm, I could not feel the strength of it around me, it was as if I was... closed off from it. And for the ship within to be one I had known in the days of my youth?" He shakes his head and murmurs, "I am... mispleased."

Mera has posed:
Mera pauses to lean against the doorframe, crossing her arms loosely over her chest as she considers him. "I would be, did I find water which refused to respond to my commands," she agrees, dipping her chin in a nod. "It was real, so far as I could tell, if that helps."

She frowns, mulling it over for herself. "You are Norse. Generally tied to nature. So...it would stand to reason that if the storm itself were not natural, then it might remain outside of your purview, yes?"

Thor has posed:
    "Possibly," A pause then he adds, "Or my brother playing at his tricks again." As if Loki would be so blunt in such an application of his talents. But then he shakes his head, "Are you to be in this area long, Princess Mera?" She can tell he is getting more back in control of himself and the moment, the affecting of protocol perhaps an aspect of that.
    "If so then I would have you call on me in the future, perhaps to offer your insight in this matter, perhaps merely to serve as witness. If you so wish."

Mera has posed:
"I'm in this area..." Mera takes a breath, letting it out on a heavy sigh. "Well. I think I will be in this area for a while longer. There are things I am trying to find out, and they seem to be centered here. I would be glad to serve as a witness, should you need support."

She pushes off the door, quirking a brow as she looks him over. "Do you have a cell phone?"

Thor has posed:
    At that his smile is seen as he murmurs, "I do have a cellular device, yes." And as he says that he then lightly pat-pat-pats his armor, biting his lower lip as he frowns. "Unfortunately..." A tilt of his head, "I have not gotten into the habit of bringing it with me. But... assuredly you can contact me through other methods, or call Stark perchance?"
    Since that's super easy, calling Stark and getting a hold of him. Super easy.
    He gives her a nod, "Yet I shall look for you if needs be, and if you need of me I am at the Avengers' mansion." A nod is given as he sets the hammer spinning. And, unless she stops him, it will swirl through an arc and then lift him into the air to take flight.

Mera has posed:
"I could send you a..." And then Thor is spinning off and Mera watches after him, bemused. "Well. It's good to know that Atlantis isn't the //most// removed kingdom," she murmurs to herself, shaking her head.

Turning back to her ship, she heads back down below. //She'll// have a drink.