3385/Look What Staten Island Dragged In

Look What Staten Island Dragged In
Date of Scene:	16 September 2020
Location:	Ruby Cove
Synopsis:	Oh no! Trouble on the beach!
Cast of Characters:	Jane Foster, Daisy Johnson, Dane Whitman

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Jane Foster has posed:
Ruby Cove on Staten Island may be one of the prettiest venues, easily overlooked for a largely rural slip of land covered in trees, questionable strip malls, and of course Happy Harbour. That seems larger than a university campus at times.

Red sands glitter like so much spilled treasure from a chest, and it's a quiet place where few boaters pull up. The endless masses of beachgoers in the late summer have tapered off, too, making it a pleasant site to get in a jog or walk the pupper. A few birds lazily wheel around offshore in hopes of a snack on the wing, and the whole slightly bucolic scene might almost be sleepy.

Almost. If not for implicit violence concealed by nature's languid veil, greenery disguising various debris scattered randomly about. Here, a viciously sharp knife already starting to smoke in the reddened sun. There, a clutch of ugly arrows with serrated tips and weird metallic fletching. Chunks of brass-bright armour lie scattered among the oyster shells and pile of kelp tossed up on the bloodied sand. Naturally red; not because of a helpful additive.

One pale limb emerging from around a wet rock could lie about the fact, attached as it is to a body. Another lies under the bushes, collapsed adjacent to a handsome sign warning of high tides and no lifeguard on this particular beach.

Staten Island herself marches up to Sunset Street, hair pulled up in a polka-dot kerchief. The fussy toddler she last appeared with isn't present, and instead she has on a gingham shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a bag at her hip. Her sandals slip-slap on the pavement as she goes marching after Someone Whitman, checking out mailboxes if he hasn't bothered to make an appearance elsewhere. If the two or three bodies strewn in the cove weren't detected by a golden retriever's nose or discovered by a guest trying to read a book.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
One of the lesser known things about Daisy is that she actually comes as a part-time teacher to Happy Harbor. IT! Because of course she would teach IT. Not the hacking stuff but the more basic ones, to the earlier years mostly, a bit more advanced stuff to the older ones. And this year it seems they are getting past that whole 'Ms. Daisy' thing. Which is good..

So as to celebrate one of those first days of school she decided to take one of those small windows she had for some time off to come to the cove. She had heard good things about it, and now that she saw the red sands in their entirety she couldn't help but grin at the stuff.

No books had been brought by this particular visitor though. She doesn't believe in paper anymore! But she is currently taking a few pics with her phone when she notes that glint on the sand.. Eh? Curious..

But before she goes on investigating further.. Did she just note two familiar figures walking down the street? She peers and starts to wave while approaching.

Dane Whitman has posed:
Well, it's not every morning that a weekday brunch gets interrupted by the Spirit of Staten Island, but well...today is apparently that day. Thankfully, as Genius Loci go, she's fairly straightforward about things. So Dane and Jane of the Rhyming Names set out from the Whitman Residence and start to head toward the beach, yes, with Golden Retriever in tow. Staten Island said she'd meet them there.

Dane cants his head, and lifts his own hand towards Daisy when he spots her, though Daisy can likely tell there's Something Serious (tm) going on given he's not quite as gregarious as usual.

"Morning Daisy, just in the neighborhood or did someone send you down this way? Sounds like there's a situation on the beach."

Daisy Johnson has posed:
Considering they so often meet at SHIELD it's a rather casual Daisy that they find, instead of the one in uniform. Black jeans, a top, boots.. All very simple, and her gauntlets not in sight. She lowers her hand when it's indeed her friends, a grin given in return..

One that starts to sober up when she notes the serious look on Dane. "Morning." she rests one hand on her hip, eyes straying to the beach. "I was catching a break from Happy Harbor." she explains. "On the beach? I was taking a few pics and noticed something glinting there but ..." she doesn't end her sentence, looking back to the others.

"I will go with you. And oohhh." She glances at the golden retriever. "What's their name?"

Jane Foster has posed:
Staten Island's spirit is a woman of roughly thirty-five, give or take ten years, definite of olive complexion and dark hair wisping out from the kerchief. She walks in that slow process, looking around. Traffic in this part of the island is hardly heavy, and stirs around her. Not that she has much to worry about on the sidewalk, but even a passing scooter or cyclist gives her a pretty reasonable berth. She mosies right along with a sort of confident stride. Dane, Jane, and Daisy she orients on, speeding up on at all.

The dog is probably the first to sniff and notice her, tail wagging riotously with great excitement. The fluffy golden wagging leaves several exciting sways beating against Dane's leg, her ears perking up with Daisy. She gives an excited sniff to the other SHIELD agent, and then proceeds to wag-wag-wag-wag-wag. "That's Eowyn," Jane replies to the question, her arm lightly wrapped around Dane's for balance. A friendly sort of greeting, all in all, is given in a nod. "Good to see a Furiae out here. To what do we owe the pleasure? It's gorgeous out there."

Dane Whitman has posed:
"The Lady's heading this way..." Dane cants his head to the Spirit of Staten Island, "Doubt it's just a social call." Of course, Daisy may not know about the circumstances behind this particular lady and her acquaintanceship with Dane, given it was well..."outside of SHIELD" circumstances that it happened. There's probably a WAND report somewhere but yeah.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
"Ahh! Eowyn at last!" Yes, Daisy had heard the name, a brief of a grin given to the retriever. But being aware that there is SOMETHING happening she is quick to go back to a more set expression, eyes turning with curiosity to watch the approaching 'woman'. Nope, no recognition there on Daisy's face. And while Daisy maaaay sometimes poke here and there on some SHIELD reports, Wand has very much been off limits to her. At least for now. She blames it on the faeries.

"You say Lady with a kind of gravitas that it's almost as if you'd be referring to the Lady of the Lake." a small jest. She knows Dane is a knight afterall!

Eyes then go to Jane. "It's fantastic. I have been told the place is great but I had yet to visit. I was at Happy Harbor earlier. New year starting and so. But with all that's going on with my life I don't think I will be able to be there as often this year. We will see. And what about you both? What's going on?"

Just before the Lady finally approaches. Daisy inclines her head. "Good mornin'"

Jane Foster has posed:
"Why were you at Happy Harbour? Do you teach over there?" Jane asks curiously. She's awake, which counts for something and holding onto the leash so Eowyn doesn't wag herself up like a helicopter into the sky. You know she'd do it if she could. The dog, not the doctor, who gives a half-smile and listens for a response. "Trust me, we all have so much going on that it makes sense to turn our focus to where it really counts. Being spread too thin is a hazard at the best of times." But Dane she can read well enough to understand, at least to fathom why he might be turning his focus elsewhere.

The woman comes up to the trio and their dog, obliging the golden by offering her hand for Eowyn to sniff. She's the blend of Italian basil and oregano with Latin American cuisine, honest paint and oil smudged under her short nails. If she had a mouthful of bubblegum, it wouldn't be out of place, but she cocks her hip and sets her hand above the arc of her waist. Speaking at a mile a minute comes pretty naturally to the spirit of Staten Island. "'Less you're talking 'bout Superior or Michigan, I'm plenty bigger than most of them. I don't fancy lobbing swords though." The electric crackle of a guttural chuckle runs in the genius loci's throat. She taps her red-painted toes against the ground, the sandal in actuality a chancla and God help anyone who upsets her, because she can whip that thing with the sound-barrier breaking force of any abuela on the planet. Or New York, which is definitely as good as. "You two I know, you I don't so much. Hola, lovers."

There's an inside joke there followed by resonant static, a tumble of black curls painted to her neck when she tilts her head towards the cove. "Someone's dropped in on me, you get? Like, I'm minding my own business trying to hold it all together, because morning, baby, it's crazy 'round here. Just after daybreak, what, like 7 or something early, there's this loud-ass poppin' noise and then something hits. Bam, bam, bam, mek yerku yerekâ??." She punches her hand into her palm. "Look, like the problems from Mannahattan, I don't care? Bronx, big enough to deal with its own, si, but this is my side and someone far away's using my island as their dumpin' ground. Pretty sure one's still breathing but eh, I can't be doin' all this myself. You go check it out, and give me a ring if I oughta care?"

Dane Whitman has posed:
"They might be distant relations." Dane notes of Daisy's comment about the Lady of the Lake. He may have recently resigned from the faculty at Happy Harbor, mostly because he was feeling spread too thin, but Daisy probably knew that, or at least would soon The Lady of The Island does get his undivided attention though, because while she might have taken a liking to him personally, she still generally doesn't show up just for funsies. You know, except when she does. Dane listens to the Spirit of the Island intently, frowning a touch in thought, and then nodding, "Dumping ground, huh? All right, we'll go take a look." He gives the Lady a smile, and then cants his head towards the beach, suggesting that direction for himself and the two ladies.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
"A mix of being part of SHIELD's help with the school but also I have always been curious about teaching. So I teach a few classes there from time to time." Daisy replies with a small lift of her shoulders. "Someone needs to prepare the next generation of hackers afterall." a wink follows it. She is joking. Probably! "It's different from what I am used to. And I like getting out of my comfort zone." she explains.

Her attention goes to the approaching Lady, watching the attitude with a mix of amusement but also perplexity. And specially after Dane speaks in that manner. She knows he doesn't want use sarcasm often! "Oh darn.." then attention back on the spirit. When she goes about not knowing names she introduces herself. "I am Daisy."

Yet listen she does as well, her brows furrowing. "Related to whatever is on the beach?" she asks, her eyes turn to the beach some and she nods. "Yea, we will check it. And great to meet you Lady!" she goes with the flow, not wanting to get a chancla in the head.

Jane Foster has posed:
Jane is about to answer the matter of Happy Harbour teaching, but she doesn't get the chance. A stifled chuckle where it comes to teaching hackers of the newest generation how to give their parents headaches and work around security, sure, but not a whole lot else. "We're being deputized," she murmurs to Dane.

"Staten," says the woman.

"See, that's how I like them. You say 'this is my problem,' and hombre is like, 'what can I do?' Madonna Bryunetka rolls in ready to go." Her laughter resonates with the hum of wheels on roads, the gurgle of the great engines powering the inter-borough ferries. Shoulders shrug and she curls her tongue, grin huge, almost Kali-esque but far more appealing, halfway to Cardi B on an album cover. Her teeth show, white and straight, gleaming. "You bag up some trash, clean up those parks, I'll maybe even give you a medal. Not like the commissioner's gonna do it, huh? Lazy tus zag and his mistress."

She hoists the bag up off her jeans, giving it a good snap. "I hear they got some fine doughnuts in town. Better rush to get there 'fore everyone eats 'em, leaving none for me. Never!" Staten Island winks and rocks off the ball of her foot, heading out at a pace that looks slow but is anything but.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
A look is exchanged towards Dane and Jane after the woman introduces herself. Staten?! And then the whole 100mph talking. It DOES make her grin though but the look she gave the duo means they will have some explainin' to do later!

She waits until she is a while off and then finally asks. (In a low tone just in case she has a wicked hearing) "So..., what just happened?" hey, she isn't a magical girl! But they also got a mission, and multitasking is her way. So off they go!

She jumps down to those red sands and starts on her way through. She did spot that glint earlier so that would be the first way she'd walk.

And of course that she can't help but peek at Eowyn too, giving it a little wave and approaching. "By how Eowyn reacted you have met that person a few times now.." she uses the term 'person' in a very loose manner.

Jane Foster has posed:
Could be Miss Staten or someone who happens to have the same last name for all it matters. Staten Island's spirit wanders off to go get that doughnut and admire the baskets in the downtown center around Happy Harbour, such as it has a downtown. The place is uncomfortably unnatural for the average city dweller. It doesn't look real, mostly because it isn't. But she is easy to watch, languishing along the sidewalk at a pace to enjoy the breeze and kick a few squirrels into fleeing just by staring at them.

Soooo indeed. Jane shakes her head. "That woman visited once. I chalk it up to Dane being Dane, remarkable and connected to all things a touch weird. Don't look at me; /my/ weird involves black holes and unexpected arrivals of hammer-wielding gods." She shrugs with exaggerated ease, mostly to loosen up a huge knot of tension at the back of her neck. So, off to Ruby Cove. Steering Eowyn around is easy, she just needs to nudge the happy pup they rescued from the Hunger in Metropolis and the goodest girl takes off, all wags, paws and big ears. "Eowyn reacts friendly to everyone who isn't the pizza delivery man or someone possibly made of shadows. She's a good girl. Oh yes, she is. You're free to pet her, she enjoys good scritches."

Daisy Johnson has posed:
"Fine. We are all weird." Daisy finally admits with a chuckle as Jane goes about explaining further about Staten. Which is not a bad thing! Being weird, that is. And when scritches are allowed they are indeed delivered, Daisy moving over to give Eowyn a good petting. She's always been a dog person! Even if, "Uff, I wish we could also have a dog, but with our lives.." a pause to brush off some slobbers and continue to play a little while walking. " ... little Boxer already gives us way too much trouble." not that she seems to regret it all.

"And so, got any idea what may be happening here?" She asks, her eyes turning here and there while she searches, curious.

"And I haven't seen you both in a small bit, all's well?" She inquires, taking a picture of the cove from time to time. It's indeed a magical place, even if not Tahiti.

Jane Foster has posed:
"We have the benefit of a big yard here, and Eowyn sort of adopted us after we set off the disco ball. No one claimed her or chipped her, for shame." Jane's brows descend in a sharp vee at that, her mouth screwed up into a frown rather than say something unbecoming. The dog looks back, tongue lolling, big old doggie smile for the world and her people she's walking. And a new friend! Hello, Daisy fren. Wag, wag, wag goes the tail. She's a good walker, trotting across the upper reaches of the cove.

The sand really is red, though not blinding red of a paint splatter. Dark, though, and beautifully hued in the sunshine of the morning. A scooped up handful sparkles but a little. "I like your cat, though. Who else would entertain me while digging through yet another round of research results? I've been buried up to my no--ow."

Jane manages not to fall on her face, stubbing her toe on wet kelp and, under it, some kind of metal object. She flails for a moment and catches herself, staring down. Nudging the hard object doesn't reveal a rock, but a very prettily stylized boss of a shield. Or it's a tiny buckler, scrolled all over with a serpentine design shot with flowers. "Okay, no barnacles. What do you make of-- ow. That?" Limping is in the near future.

Dane Whitman has posed:
"She mentioned visitors. Got the feeling she likely meant from way out of town. She wouldn't likely have shown up if it were just folks from across the river dropping by." Dane notes to Daisy, though he smiles a touch at her next question, "We're doing all right. SHIELD really shouldn't have let us go on that trip over to the Adriatic, though. We're seriously considering repatriating to Venice. Or at least spending our winters there."

Only half-joking, the smile fades when Jane finds that first piece of equipment, replaced with a gaze of intense scrutiny, as he crouches down to pick up the buckler and study it more closely, "Not a costume piece...definitely built for form /and/ function. Way too heavy for normal human use, but too well-balanced to be a display piece." He looks along the beach a bit, "Arrows?" He gestures to where some are stuck in the sand.

He looks back to the buckler, and nods, more confirming to himself than anything else, "I don't think this is of earthly make. Doesn't look like what I know of Asgardian iconography. They're usually not this variety of elaborate."

Daisy Johnson has posed:
"Venice?!" That makes Daisy jealous! But she grins at her two friends. "It does seem as if you guys enjoyed it lots." she adds, "And you totally should get a house there. See the world.., I still got to get on doing that sometime. Well, SHIELD *does* help in visiting all kinds of exotic places, but it's normally all on a mission."

With Jane coming to a direct meeting with a shield it makes Daisy quirk a brow. "You alright?" she asks, squatting down to brush the sand around where they found the shield to see if anything there might be there..

The mention of arrows makes her look ahead. "No symbol on it either?" she gets back up to her feet, jogging over to go pick one of the arrows that is stuck, driving it out to look at the tip. Not that she is a weapons expert so she passes it back to the other two.

Jane Foster has posed:
Jane reaches down to check on the sand, her toes, and some kelp. Of course that means Eowyn snuffles around the seaweed and prances around in the sand, circling Dane. Is that a *stick*?

Pointy stick is still a stick in the very normal goldie's mind, and she hopefully beats her tail at 598 wpm. (Wags per minute, the best speed.) Snoot appraising of Dane's side, the dog circles around and pants. He's got a stick and a *frisbee*.

"You're teasing her." Doesn't take three degrees in rocket science to recognize that. The astrophysicist suppresses a smile. "Venice has perfectly reasonable property prices, and it would be preserving important property from turning into an AirBNB. Have you been on any exciting around-the-world tour, Daisy? We need to ride your coat-tails and head out with you."

The heavy buckler Dane carries is beautiful in its way, though the artistic designs on a metal not entirely familiar to the eye aren't common. Vaguely art nouveau but not. If Daisy starts digging around, she might find more evidence: bits of broken armour, arrow-head, and there's that arm lolled off of a rock, connected to an unseen body. Hopefully.

The brunette frowns, and rests her hand on Dane's shoulder. "Not Asgardian, no. They'd prefer harder lines, but the other realms can be in line with that. Bit flowery for the Vanir."

The arrow that Daisy plucks up feels hollow and strong, the etching on it dark and harsh. The feathers are definitely pointy and painful, and the thing gives off a faint miasma in the sunlight.

Dane Whitman has posed:
"Careful..." Dane sets the buckler down for now, moving to examine the arrow, "Don't let that head nick you." He offers to (Carefully) take the weapon from Daisy, "Definitely built for punching through armor and not wanting to come out once it's i-" He pauses, as he catches sight of that arm draped over the rock. Armor and weapon appear about him...purely as a precaution, because there's no way of knowing if it's connected to someone who's dead or alive, nor who is friend, foe, or would-be-friend who is bewildered or delirious enough to lash out regardless.

"Be ready in case this turns into a Close Encounter of the Angry Kind, Daisy..." Dane comments, moving carefully towards the rock, photonic shield lighting up, but neither photonic nor Ebony blade in hand.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
"I haven't.. I hadn't even left the country before I got into SHIELD.." Daisy murmurs quietly. Life of jumping from foster homes, orphanage and seeking to find the truth about herself! "But I realllly want to sometime."

After handing the arrow back to them Daisy does dig about a bit more, bits of broken armor that make her frown deeper. "That arrow .., it feels .., wrong.." she mutters, a shake of her head given. "Dark and ..." she takes in a breath.

"And me without my gloves.." She should had known to bring her gloves with her all the time! But she isn't only her powers, she has her whole training behind her too! She moves carefully towards that same rock, circling through the opposite side from Dane just in case there's some kind of trap at work here..

She focuses, trying to feel the heartbeats... Not the same range as with her gloves but .., perhaps enough!