3922/The Ring

The Ring
Date of Scene:	24 October 2020
Location:	The Dakota
Synopsis:	Thor arrives early in the morning, waking Amanda to tell her of his concerns for his paramour Elektra.
Cast of Characters:	Thor, Amanda Sefton
Tinyplot:	Zodiac Rising

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Thor has posed:
    The early morning rain patters against the windows and plays a faint rhythm on its panes, droplets hitting and falling creating steady rivulets along the window proper. Distantly a crackle of thunder is heard now and again, what the sun's horizon hasn't lit is illuminated briefly by the errant flash of lightning. Little worthy of remark assuredly for a storied sorceress such as Amanda Sefton, hardly anything to note even if one was up at such a late hour.
    However.
    The rapid-fire knuckles of a fist pounding upon the door, and then followed quickly by the hurried voice of the Asgardian Thunder God, that might be worthy of attention.
    "Amanda Sefton!" Another thump-thump-thump upon the door, knowing this is the place he was when he had met the sorceress in the company of Pepper Potts. This had to be the right place. Wasn't it?
    Doubting himself for a moment, Thor steps back from the door and then lifts his head, calling out. "Is there an AMANDA SEFTON in this building!" As if seeking some hint of truth to reassure himself as to the matter before really giving whomever's door this was the chance to answer.

Amanda Sefton has posed:
There are few nights when Amanda has the luxury of a full night's sleep -- i.e. few nights she manages to get to bed in time enough to beat the sun sufficiently to make the night worthwhile. This night *had* been one of those rare jewels.

When the Thunder God's fists start banging on doors and his voice shakes the walls, she's awake nearly instantly. "Oh, hellfire and damnation," she groans, sliding swiftly out of bed and dashing for the door. She snags her robe as she passes her bedroom door and is throwing it around her shoulders even as she lays a hand on the door knob. She's just glad Pepper's not home... yet. Then again, now that Pepper and Tony are dating? She's rarely home.

She pulls the door open and casts a silencing spell to try to keep her neighbors from bursting from their doors as an angry mob. "Here, Thor!" she calls, sending a flash of light to catch his attention. "Pepper's apartment, remember?" She steps back to gesture him inside. "Quickly please. And for gods sake, keep your voice down."

Thor has posed:
    Standing in the doorway, Thor is wearing just sneakers, red flannel pants, and a loose STARK EXPO t-shirt in blue, though Mjolnir is in hand at the least. But he does seem... not dressed for a sojourn about the city. He looks to her, "Amanda Sefton, I am told you are the one I must speak to. A matter has arisen that needs your attention."
    Into the room he sweeps with the strength of the storm, holding the hammer in hand and looking about with an intensity. He takes a deep breath and frowns, "Magical rings, this Zalmokis, I fear that such may be affecting my paramour, Elektra Natchios. You are not my first stop this night, and I would have you tell me that name means something to you before I unburden myself of the tale that brings me to your door."

Amanda Sefton has posed:
"Zalmoxis?" The look on Amanda's face would make it clear to most people that, yes, she knows that name. "Please, Thor. Come in. Let me close the door. I know the name."

When he steps in, she closes the door behind him and locks it. She then wards it, as well. Finally, she take a moment to belt her robe over her pyjama pants and tank top. "I'm going to make a cup of tea," she says, moving toward the kitchen. "Why don't you tell me what's going on, while I do." A beat. "Would you like one, too?"

Thor has posed:
    Stepping more into the room walking after Amanda, Thor is rich in nervous energy, shaking his head as he frowns and orders his thoughts. Best to focus so he takes a moment, then begins to tell the tale again. "Elektra and myself, we were retiring for the evening. We fell asleep last night but in the small hours of the e'en I was awoken to realize she was no longer there and there was a noise from the hall. I arose, and found her in the restroom. Her clothes were ragged, disheveled, and her hands were bloody."
    Frowning, Thor looks to the side, then back toward Amanda, "I spoke to her, I asked what had happened, what the meaning of this was. She had no idea of which I spoke. I showed her the blood, tried to make her look at it, she seemed... unable to realize what I was saying. Did not see the blood. Called me mad. It reminded me of when my brother had taken the will of another in a way or... something similar."
    He takes a deep breath, "We quarreled and I departed. I spoke with Natasha who directed me to SHIELD. I spoke with Agent Croft and Drew. Agent Croft said she had noticed a curious ring she was wearing and researched the symbol, that being of... Zalmoxis as you say. She recommend I speak with you."
    Then he gestures openly and says only further, "Thus."

Amanda Sefton has posed:
Amanda frowns, running water into a copper kettle and putting it on a gas burner to heat up. "Zalmoxis," she says, turning around to lean against the counter for a moment, "was a 5th century BC sorcerer responsible for keeping the Elder God Set from invading this realm and taking over. But, tell me about this ring. Have you seen it?" She has a hunch, and it's not a good one.

She turns back around and pulls out a mug and a tin of blended tea leaves. Scooping them out into a strainer, she places it on the edge of the mug and turns back to watch the Thunder God. It's clear he cares for this woman at least as much as she cares for Kurt -- albeit in a slightly different way, perhaps.

Thor has posed:
    "I have," He says, but he's shaking his head with a frown. "Though it did not strike me as aught I should care about. It did not stand out to me, more fool that I am." Thor grimaces and folds his arms over his chest, Mjolnir held in the crook of one arm as he scowls sharply.
    "It has a symbol on it that Lady Croft said she recognized as that man's. I said I would then assuredly go and take this ring off of her and free her from its spell but she advised that might not be a wise course of action."
    His jaw grinds as he then gestures to her with a nod, "So I turn to you, what is the path you would advise?" And, to be fair, part of him wishes he could truly just rush off and take the ring.

Amanda Sefton has posed:
"Do you know what the symbol was?" Amanda asks. She leaves the kettle to its work and crosses towards him. "I have hunch about it. My friend, Kurt, had a necklace with the Zodiac sign of Leo on it. It was an artifact belonging to the Avatars of the Zodiac." She gives a wry humourless smile. "The Avatars were created by Gaia to counter Set and his servants. I believe a disciple of Set's has corrupted these artifacts and killed the men and women who were charged with guarding them."

She moves a chair out from the table and offers it to him, pulling a second out for herself. "He gave them secretly to others, enslaving them. If this ring you speak of is one of these artifacts then, in fact, your instinct is right: You need to take it off of her and bring it to me. It should break the spell. And I can put it with the otehrs I've been collecting." She grimaces. "They're going to need a heavy purification spell, once I have them all together. Fortunately... I know a guy who can help."

Thor has posed:
    "I am afraid I do not, Lady Croft seemed to recognize it, but I... confound my lack of attention, I never looked closely enough at it." Thor grimaces and shakes his head sharply, holding a hand up and spurning the offer of a chair for now. Or perhaps more just not accepting it. He then looks to her, "So I should go and take the ring from her and she will be cured of this malady?"
    Mjolnir drops into his hand and there's a heavy /WHOM!/ as energy flickers about the ancient weapon, while outside there is another crackle of lightning that brightens the room when it flashes to life.
    "Very well, I will gain this ring and bring it back to you."

Amanda Sefton has posed:
And that would be the reason Amanda didn't bother adding a second mug to the counter. She didn't really expect Thor would stay very long. Probably just as well. She nods, hand on the back of the second chair she pulled out. "Great." A beat. "Would you like me to come with you? She may resist."

Thor has posed:
    At first she can see the rush of answer to his lips, the furrowed brow, the dismissiveness there. Yet Thor checks his words, his thoughts on the matter. He suddenly straightens up and frowns and then nods, "Yes, best to err on the side of caution. Come with me, make yourself ready as you feel the need."
    Then he turns away from the woman and the door, moving toward the window as he draws the blinds and looks upon it, then starts to move to open it.
    "We will move quickly," He says over his shoulder, then turns to look at her. Waiting.

Amanda Sefton has posed:
Amanda nods to that. She tucks the chairs back in and turns off the burner beneath the kettle, leaving the water to cool. "I'll just be a moment," she says, crossing out of the kitchen, now, to return to her bedroom. When she reemerges some a moment or two later, she is garbed as Daytripper and has a rune-inscribed satchel slung across her torso to rest on one hip. "So. Where are we going?" she asks him, looking somewhat more alert than she did when he first arrived.

Thor has posed:
    "To her home," Though Thor might be incorrect in that understanding, to where he believes is her home. "I shall carry you, we must make haste!"
    And with that said Thor moves to set action to words and shortly thereafter they are in flight heading toward fate.