8460/Interview with the Asgardian

Interview with the Asgardian
Date of Scene:	28 October 2021
Location:	Interview Room: Triskelion
Synopsis:	Jane and Daisy interview 'Valerie' after the museum altercation where an Asgardian artifact was. Some common ground is found.
Cast of Characters:	Daisy Johnson, Jane Foster, Vintridr

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Daisy Johnson has posed:
The report came flagged as urgent. Possible powered person at the museum. Attempted robbery of an artifact. One in custody. Skimming through the footage recovered from the site had given one Daisy Johnson a picture of what had happened. Or at least partially. But now? It was time to actually talk with the one they had captured. Or in this case, that had let themselves be captured.

> Jane, can you come to the main building? I am sure you know on what happened at the museum last night. Just about to go interview the woman we got in custody, you should be there.

And with message sent it was time to go. Black and blue SHIELD suit on? Check. Black boots? Check. Daisy makes way to the interview room, greeting Jane on the way. "Anything you can tell me about who we are going to meet?" she asks the other as they go through a corridor, all the way to the interview room...

The door opens, Daisy stepping into the room, eyes on Vin, "Good morning." she greets, faint smile. "I am special agent Daisy Johnson." then a gesture, "This is special agent Jane Foster."

Jane Foster has posed:
The American Museum of Natural History boasts a prominence only slightly below the Smithsonian, at least in the eyes of a good many New Yorkers. Within its walls are power plays aplenty, but no one on the board argues very loudly where one of its directors comes into play. Especially when that director has the backing of Peggy Carter behind her and a Nobel prize among many other pieces of metal hardware for her work in physics pertaining to an imaginary place no one thought really existed outside of some Icelandic sagas. Enter Jane Foster, who very much has opinions the board received. Starting with "What the Hel were you thinking" and "Maybe next time, call me first."

Nothing feels so rich, perhaps, than asking flatly, "Why would I be concerned, Charles?" to the man questioning her ability to be a director of the Hayden all these months. It's a bit delicious for SHIELD letterhead to hit his damn desk, like tossing a Mentos into a fizzy drink.

Dressed in a blazer and blouse over trousers is pretty darn dressed up for her, but she certainly carries herself with the air of 'quasi professional' consultant moonlighting on the taxpayer's dime for a lot of money. It's not exactly the truth, as her badge would attest. The tablet she carries is quiet so far. "She ruffled not a few feathers. The board is having a collective fit, security was tightened, and there's been talk of engaging Damage Control's services as a matter of course. I am trying to dissuade them from that, not the least because we're a public institution. You know I dislike invoking the name Stark lightly, but this might be somewhere I need to send Ms. Potts a message to see if she can weigh in," she tells Daisy as they go down the hall. One last check and she brushes her hand over her sleeves and straightens up. All is good, and into the room they go. The brunette who caused many a ruffled Aesir plume of her own smiles briefly. "Good morning."

Vintridr has posed:
    Vin has, so far, behaved like a 'model' prisoner - no resistance, no sudden moves... But also not a single word or response to any direct question, and something about the vaguely enigmatic smile and the complete calm with which she moves manages to convey the implication that she's only cooperating because she currently wants to. She wasn't carrying anything to identify her; the only ID SHIELD has managed to make on her was 'Valerie Johnson', a local barista who apparently goes by 'Vinnie' to regulars.

    As Daisy and Jane enter the room the woman's gaze flicks from one to the other, with barely a twitch of recognition. She returns Daisy's smile with a brief one of her own even if it doesn't quite reach her eyes, then nods at Jane. "Agent Quake, I believe? And Doctor Foster, if my memory serves. Good morning."

Daisy Johnson has posed:
"Well, lets see what our guest has to say first.." Daisy replies to Jane as they make their way down the corridor towards the room, "No need to make it more of an issue than it already is."

But then they are inside the room. Quake takes a moment to look at Vin, from head to toe, a moment of focus that's noticeable, reading those vibrations coming from the woman ... none that strikes familiar. But that can be good too. "Yes, indeed." this about Vin having identified them.

"And you go by Valerie Johnson from what we could gather." a brow arching, "Local barista, nothing that stands out, impeccable record. Rather well made." clearly Daisy doesn't believe the ID to be real. Suspicious hackers!

"From that to attempted robbery of an artifact is a long way to go. Yet I don't really believe you were there to steal it so..." and she pulls out a chair to settle down. "Why don't you tell us what happened?"

Jane Foster has posed:
Nodding to Daisy's suggestion, Jane is content to let her coworker take the lead. She does not sit until the Inhuman hacker does, pulling out a chair only then and laying the inert tablet down. In fairness, the thing doesn't particularly like her much, but remains somewhat operational. She's polished up well from running around a desert on a dig, but then field operations for astrophysicists rarely involve marble halls or staying in nice, cozy hotels. Once dispensed of her things, she regards 'Valerie' with a polite nod. "Ms. Johnson. I hope you are comfortable so far?" Good cop, bad cop, is it?

She doesn't look away from Vin for long, only to assess their surroundings, the lack of coffee, and the rest as typical interrogative as SHIELD gets. "We've not been properly introduced until now, but yes, I'm Doctor Foster. You are welcome to take your time to order your thoughts. We may have a few questions to better understand the timeline of events." This explanation, being perfectly analytical and scientific, comes in a tone that is marginally warmer than matter of fact. She doesn't do harsh well.

"If you would like to begin?"

Vintridr has posed:
    If Daisy hoped to get a rise out of Vin with that barb about her identity, she's quickly disappointed - the woman lets the probe pass without so much as a twitch. Or perhaps that's because it appears that she finds something about Jane absolutely fascinating; her entire bearing is gradually shifting from 'studied unconcern' to 'intent focus' as she looks at the woman.

    Jane's voice appears to break the spell; Vin leans back in her chair once more and gives Daisy a look. "'Robbery' is such a strong word. I took nothing that should have been there in the first place," she replies. The brief exhalation through her nose might have been a derisive snort in someone more expressive -- clearly she's not impressed by the good cop/bad cop routine...

Daisy Johnson has posed:
"Then why don't we go with what you took?" Daisy replies, using the same words the Asgardian did, leaning back on her chair and folding her arms together loosely, letting out a sigh, "Listen, we don't particularly care that you are using some fake ID, but one of our Agents did get hurt in the middle of that mission. And we do not take such things lightly." she states.

Jane Foster has posed:
Jane may be used to staring. She doesn't give off an air of being particularly bothered by it, though she certainly can be called aware of her surroundings and the attention Vin turns her way. The deep chocolate of her hair and brighter sepia of her eyes are in stark contrast to her fair skin, all the more alabaster still from a likely lack of sleep. And absolutely not the disir that took a bite out of her, not at all. The chair creaks slightly when she leans forward. "Alas, the law would disagree with you. Ownership of any artefact in the American Natural History Museum is either with the museum or the donor who loaned the object for temporary or permanent display. There aren't any objects without owners, which refutes your position. By state and federal law, your actions are defined as theft, along with other charges that the district attorney could choose to bring."

The seriousness of her tone matches the inquisitive look in her eyes. "I'll be the first to agree that provenance for some items, especially culturally sensitive ones, can often be in dispute. The Benin bronzes, the Parthenon marbles, Haida masks just to name a few. If you sincerely have a concern that something in the museum collection belongs elsewhere, we've got established protocols to address that. Taking something and making a run for it reads as a criminal act," she tells Vintridr. Daisy's got the gist of the other questioning, big stick to chewy carrot.

Vintridr has posed:
    "A fair stance, but you'll have to take that up with the one who actually harmed her," Vin replies to Daisy. After all, all she did - if the archaeologist-turned-Agent reported honestly - was a quick pinch to make her let go.

And if the archeologist wasn't honest in her report...

... Well. No need to ponder blood debt and insulted honor until there's actually a need to.

    Jane's comment on procedures gets a bit of a smile. Not a nice smile, mind. "... Tell me, Doctor. If you happened upon a primitive tribe that had, on display in a place of reverence where innocents walk by every day to admire it, a hand grenade with, as near as you can tell, the pin missing -- would you talk to their leaders about 'procedures'? Especially when that tribe has a habit of poorly assessing their ability to handle dangerous weapons?"

Daisy Johnson has posed:
There's quite a good amount of focus that Daisy keeps on Vin while she speaks. Measuring her, checking on those vibrations. It makes her narrow her eyes just so, "The other attacker in the area has disappeared." she admits to the Asgardian, "But we will find them." she says in way of promise. Oh yes, Daisy didn't like when their Agents got hurt, or worse. No one hurts her family.

With Jane then stating on those laws there's a small nod coming from Daisy, listening in silence for a time until Vin replies. That makes her let out a breath. "I thought Loki was the one that liked to call us primitives. Is this something common to all Asgardians..?" she asks to noone in particular even if her eyes do stay on Vin as she continues to speak, "You aren't make this easy at all though, are you? But why don't we drop the BS and talk openly? You live here among us, following our rules, an ID, a job ..., hidden from prying eyes. And now you go and blow your cover like this. Which tells us that it was something dangerous, important. That much we are aware of, but what about other artifacts like it? Which is why we need to know what we are dealing with here. If this one went undetected how many more could there be out there?" she says, leaning forward on her chair a touch.

Jane Foster has posed:
Jane breaks into a faint smile when she is directly questioned. "I was expecting you to use a biological nerve agent or a nuclear weapon as an example, though a live grenade primed to go off works admirably well." Hands resting stacked on the table, she shakes her head. "I would not seize it from a building where they weren't interacting with the object, and I would find the member with the most authority to illustrate my concerns. A far cry from simply leaving it there on display or seizing it. Had you considered removing the object would put it, you, and the general public at risk had security or law enforcement taken a more active response? I don't think the escalation or increased risk justify the actions at this time, unless we have evidence to support the danger everyone present was in. I grant you that trying to disarm a volatile object so it wouldn't cause immediate harm has a precedent."

Since when did she become a lawyer? Since SHIELD literally stole her stuff, back in the day. One gets a bit experienced. A Mr. Murdock or Ms. Walters might be the best alternative under the circumstances, but they don't have either on hand. One veneer of honesty stands for another.

"To Asgardian society, we are short-lived and impetuous, and our political structures precarious. It comes when the last major power you dealt with was, say, the Italian city-states or a small kingdom of one million people. Return and the country is gone, replaced with fifty-five million people in a larger group, but we've managed to try to annihilate ourselves three or four times. Seen from that perspective, Midgard is a strange place," she adds.

Vintridr has posed:
    "You strike me as someone who prefers a blunt truth over a tactful lie," Vintridr replies to Daisy with something of a smirk. "Would you prefer it if I'd used children as an example instead?"

    She looks Daisy directly into the eyes, and all of a sudden it's not hard at all to believe that this woman has seen centuries pass. "Understand that this is not condescension or arrogance. To us, you are children -- young and bright and full of promise and potential, but still children. You learn, and you grow -- and believe me when I say I've seen more of your growth than you can imagine -- but there are things you are not yet ready for... And if I'd attempted to explain that to you, you'd have kept poking at it out of sheer spite because you intensely dislike being told you're too young for something, both as a species and as individuals."

    To Jane, she points out, "When I arrived, one person was handling it and handing over to someone who intended to "study" it, someone else entirely attempted to steal it, and at the point where I actively intervened the latter two were on the ground wrestling one another for possession. "

    She leans back in her chair again. "Perhaps if that hadn't been the situation, if your agent looked like she was being properly careful while examining it, I'd have spoken to her directly and asked for it back." A shrug. "I'll make whatever restitution seems fair for any harm I caused your agent in the process, as she was not my enemy, but I will not apologize for removing it from harm's way when I did. Your authorities in general and this agency in particular both have a... reputation... for simply confiscating anything they find regardless of who it belongs to, and then attempt to weaponize it for a rainy day."

Daisy Johnson has posed:
"Oh, you have no idea ..." About how much Daisy prefers the truth to lies! It had been the whole reason why she had been taken by SHIELD after all. Trying to hack in and find the 'truth' about herself. She smiles faintly. A smile that hardens a bit at the next words that come from Vin. "You forget another reason. Not for spite, not because we are told something, but because it is our duty to protect this world. From any threats. And for us to do so we need to first understand it." there's a firm tone to her voice now. She clearly seems to believe what she is saying.

Yet eventually she adds in the end, "And sure ..., no one likes being told they can't know something..." this part is told a bit more lightly than the previous one, a bit of a smirk on her expression.

She glances back to Jane with a small nod, "And oh, I can certainly see why anyone would think of us as self-destructive. But well, what do you think Jane?"

Jane Foster has posed:
Jane awakens the tablet with some effort, prodding at the screen repeatedly until it wakes up. The stirred screenshot awakens with a dull hum, and she works through the protective security layers able to identify her by a host of passwords. When the apps come to life, she brings up a fresh note page. Several details spun under her swiped finger string together sentences, notes taken when Vin decides to speak with them at length. It's not as though the conversation won't be recorded; nonetheless, her additional notes and decisions might be worthwhile for review later.

The brunette nods slightly and looks up. "Who was attempting to steal it? Can you further explain what occurred then and when you noticed that trouble happened?" It might be for her own purposes, but she nonetheless goes quiet again to allow for further conversation spinning out between the three of them.

"A fair bit of it will come down to the provenance of the object. If it's this dangerous, that needs to be confirmed. If the provenance belongs outside the museum's mandate, this likewise needs to be reviewed." Her gaze flickers thoughtfully. "More than anyone, I understand the concern that you hold for 'take first' and ask questions later. I cannot tell you about weaponization, necessarily, but your concerns are not unfounded. However, if we establish a precedent for someone helping themselves whenever they have a concern, a process breaks and laws don't operate well. We find ourselves in a predicament."

Vintridr has posed:
    "And in time, I'm sure you will learn and understand and protect. But I think you'll agree that understanding is best not practiced on live ordnance?" Vin points out.

    She shrugs at Jane's question. "I've no idea; I've never met her before. What little I saw of her fighting style..." She trails off, clearly consulting her memory and experiences. "... I'd say ninjitsu, but I couldn't tell you which school or tradition. Not very well trained, but the basics were there."

    Still, something in Daisy's speech seems to have reached her; she sighs. "Besides. Regardless of any other concerns, dealing with this object would have been my duty and responsiblity to begin with."

Daisy Johnson has posed:
Daisy lets out a sigh, "You'd be amazed on how much learning and understanding is done on live ordnance when you are working at SHIELD... Almost every mission something unexpected happens.." yes, she is clearly talking from experience! "But I get what you mean.." her demeanor somewhat more loose now.

The talk about the ninja she leaves for Jane. An important part to pursue, but Jane has it well in hand now. "We will have to see what we can figure out through face recognition on the footage we got.." she tells Jane. Not that she seems that hopeful considering that suit covered most of the girl's features.

She offers a nod at Vin at those last words, "So it is an Asgardian item. Can we then trust that you will keep it safe?" a look to Jane. "Doctor Foster is our expert in Asgardian technology, as I am sure you are aware of. If you wish to share with only her about the item that would be fine with me." she offers.

Jane Foster has posed:
"Practically everything constitutes live ordnance nowadays. One of the great thrills of working on the job," Jane agrees. Utterly nonchalant about the upbraiding, she still wears a smile. "We will need to compare who might have been acting on the theft."

Her even look hasn't shifted much, though notes on fighting styles and experience are taken down in her notes. Given who the opponent was, chances are someone has to be surnamed Dragon or possess an honorary batarang to be particularly impressive. Such are the ways of the world, and the dull hum on her wrist would agree.

<<Not now.>>

How often she ends up saying that. At least this time it's in the privacy of her own head. Drawing a breath, she says, "We are intimately aware in this agency of the importance for building good working relationships with others. I am in good standing with the Asgardian Embassy. As a matter of practice, I do not support withholding information from Thor when he has excellent standing with the Avengers and others besides. This naturally has to go through certain channels to avoid an incident," stress point there, "but the mere fact we are sitting here is an improvement over what it could be. I can't promise you how that will turn out since navigating politics is a higher call than ours. Nonetheless, we have protocols in place. I'd know. I wrote half of them."

Vintridr has posed:
    Vintridr smiles thinly. "The Odinson was not aware of my mission tonight -- in fact, I doubt he's been made aware of my presence on Midgard." A chuckle. "I haven't set foot in Asgard in centuries."

    "As to your suggestion... It is acceptable. Doctor Foster's reputation is well placed -- and you've a point that someone needs know what to look for, should more of these still remain."

Daisy Johnson has posed:
"Alright then ..., Valerie." Yep, Daisy isn't buying that it's Vin's real name! "Then we are good here. You will be free to go as soon as all the bureaucracy is handled. Shouldn't take long.." she also rolls her eyes, which is telling about how much faith she puts in bureaucracy.

"Just make sure to get a contact exchanged with Jane. And it's like she says, we work closely with various groups, Asgardians included. And while you may not have been in Asgard in a while you do seem to still have an interest in their affairs. We can help with that." she says, "But Jane will have the details for you."

Daisy gets up to her feet then, extending one hand over to the Asgardian. "Hopefully it is not the last time we will be seeing you."

Vintridr has posed:
    "I quite enjoyed life on Midgard without regularly having to concern myself with potential disasters," Vin replies to Daisy's suggestion. "But you've a point. It rarely hurts to have people to call on when the unexpected happens."

    She leans forward to shake Daisy's hand - a firm grip, yet smoothly controlled -- something other Asgardians she may have met occasionally forget to keep in check. "One favour, if you would? As far as I know the Odinson isn't aware of my existence; I'd like to keep it that way for now. It's.. personal," she admits.