Summary:A trip to Oahu to find The Finder reveals some unsettling news about the location of a ring. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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It's getting cold on the New York beachfronts and that's just not good if you're in the surf rental business. Which is why when Fenris' way opens to the Finder's location the group of intrepid explorers finds themselves in Waimea Bay. The Old Wolf looks around as he comes through. It's November and quite chilly in most of the Mainland. It is 81 degrees on Oahu.
The Finder is there. Same woman, though with a darker skin tone to blend into the locals. She's leaning at the side of a small stand with longboards stacked up watching people ride the waves out in the bay. They get big here.
"Well. I approve of the winter business site." Fenris murmurs as he heads toward the woman.
"Ooooh Hawai'i, I do approve." Astryd murmurs, arm linked through Fenris' as they exit the Way. "I hope we have time to linger, my Heart. The waves look inviting today." The tall, cold, blonde inclines her head towards the Finder "Finder, it is good to see you again."
With that, Astryd looks around as well to make sure their other travelling companions are following. They should be. This isn't first time travelling the Ways, after all.
Oh god, save him from Ways.
Out Ambrose walks, his lips thin and white while he controls his breathing to keep it as even as possible — and his gullet from crawling up his throat. In his hand, the red-wood shaft and dark-headed spear, hard-earned and worth at least one nightmarish discussion with his husband. The surroundings, however, have him distracted and pulled immediately away from self-pity over his nausea. Eyebrows lift as he turns completely in place, boots gritting on the sand.
"…I say, I rather like this place," the Jackal murmurs, trying very hard not to look like he's gawking even as he continues following Astryd and Fenris. When noting the Finder, however, the prideful master-thief is sure to step into clear view with the spear and give the woman a glittering grin.
Tah-daaaaaaah.
Having followed Ambrose out, Sif gawks at their surroundings just as much as he does while following Fenris and Astryd thought she doesn't seem to need to comment aloud. Upon seeing the Finder there again renting surf boards, she offers the feather-haired woman a warrior's bow in greeting before glancing over at Ambrose.
He is clearly enjoying this far too much.
"Not ever been to Hawai'i?" The way Fenris pronounces it is as the locals do, with a v instead of a w. He steps aside as Ambrose comes to the fore. The spear shivers in his hand as if eager.
"Ambrose." The Finder cracks a wide smile. "Well done. Come. Bring it here." Once he does and lets it go the spear floats of its own accord to the back of the shack and sort of lays down amid the boards, hidden.
"Wonderful. I believe I owe you the location of one magical ring. Sif. Astryd. Fenris. Nice to see you all. I don't suppose any of you will be staying to surf or take in some of the local sights and cuisine?"
"Surf perhaps. Not really in the mood for loco moco though." Fenris chuckles.
"Of course I have. The local men are …. delightful." Astryd smirks at Fenris as she stands to the side to let Ambrose pass. "Though the last time I was here, they were a little more … tribal."
"I'm going to surf, Finder, absolutely. And maybe I'll get myself a tattoo…" that's accompanied by another smirk at the Old Wolf. "And a poke bowl. But he's right, not the loco moco."
"No, not Hawai'i," confirms Ambrose, sure to echo the pronounciation even as he delivers the red-wood spear to the Finder's countertop. He takes a step back as the item levitates of its own accord, eyes gone wide in surprise. So rarely does he see overt magic like that! Shaking his momentary surprise, however, the Finder gets another fetching grin.
"I an owed the location of this ring, this is true," he demures, tone gone musically cajoling as if that would entice his answer all the faster. "Though I am uncertain that I will linger. This is a temporary errand. It would not do for my other half to find me vacationing without him."
Sif is, again, by no means dressed for the locale. In fact, locals might even be looking at her oddly for her jeans, boots, jacket, sword, and buckler. "I … still do not think I will attempt this surfing."
The spear's odd behavior also catches her attention for a moment but then she's looking at Ambrose in a bit of concern. She still thinks that seeking that ring is not a wise decision. But, the man is making the choice for himself, and much like her fellow Aesir warriors, all Sif can do is try to protect them from themselves as they make poor life choices.
It's the sword and the buckler that get the stares more than anyone else. One of the passing men tosses Sif a shaka just… in a very confused manner. Everything's good, right brah?
"Very well. Everyone come inside." The Finder says stepping into her little shack. It doesn't really seem like everyone will fit but passing the door it becomes evident that the shack is, er, bigger on the inside.
There's a bowl of cubed raw fish actually right by the front payment area.
"Right then." The woman says, moving a cover off a table to reveal her real work table. The one full of trinkets and secrets. A crow flies into the shop and drops a scrap of paper in front of her.
"Thank you my lovely. Ah yes. Here it is. The ring you seek is currently in the hands of an agent of the many headed serpent. He is nearby. Well, nearby to you. He works in the fortress of the visitors from beyond the stars."
Fenris blinks. And stares at the Finder. "Are you telling me that an Agent of HYDRA has an invisibility ring and works in the Asgardian Embassy?"
The Finder sighs. "Is it me or is there an echo in here?"
"Give him the sign back, Sif. He might fancy you…" Astryd teases a bit as the local throws that shaka, then follows the Finder inside.
Ooooh. Poke. Astryd hones right on in on the cubed raw fish, handing over some money to take it. That the place is bigger inside than out doesn't seem to occassion comment from the woman.
"Visitors from the stars? There are a few visitors from the stars in New York." The blonde adds. The HYDRA reference though gets a sour look. "Those vermin. We should just exterminate them all."
"Ruddy fucking hell…"
It is with a profoundly disgusted sigh that Ambrose reacts to hearing of just who has his ring. HIS ring. He's aware of the odd interior of the shack appearing to be larger, but — but — his ring!
"Right. Then I suppose I shall have to intercede on behalf of all goodwill-bearing beings present who stand against HYDRA and its plague-like tendencies to sow disorder. I find much woe in this, but rest assured…" He lifts a hand palm-out as if to pledge: "I shall retrieve the ring after ferreting out the bastard and removing his foul presence from both locations as to the betterment of the world."
The master-thief accents his point with a firm nod. A low gleam of carmine flickers through his eyes. To him, at least, this sounds like a sanctioned roughing-up.
Sif looks around as they enter the tiny shack and it's … not tiny inside. She'd be amazed, but she knows that Loki has done similar many times in the past. It's just a mild curiosity to her at this point. The bowl of raw fish holds no appeal for her, but it certainly seems to for Astryd. More power to her.
But then the Finder says where the ring is and she immediately looks outraged. "I do not know what this Hydra is, but how DARE they infiltrate our Embassy!" Her sword is drawn now, and she looks at Fenris. "I need to return there, immediately, and deal with this intruder."
"HYDRA is an irritation. I think the current phrase is 'Terrorist Organization'." Fenris mutters darkly. "They're in the Embassy. That's going to be tricky." Not because they don't have access. Sif has access and Sif can get Ambrose access. That's easy. It's because violence on Embassy grounds is going to get attention from Higher Up.
"I don't suppose our gentleman here might make the ring disappear if we could identify the perpetrator?" Fenris pauses and looks at Astryd with a worried look.
"It would also be a good idea to figure out what he knows. And who he told." Because an invisibility ring in an embassy? Whooo boy.
"It's HYDRA they dare anything." Astryd says as she stabs at the fish in the poke bowl, offering some to Sif to try. The smell of vinegar and other pickling spices is high as she does. "We need to lure them from the Embassy before we smite them."
The worried look from Fenris gets a questioning one in return.
"How do we identify who it is, to start with."
Ambrose takes to leaning against one of the shack's interior counters, his arms loosely crossed. He does give the sudden appearance of Sif's sword a surprised lift of eyebrows.
"I would say set out a lure that only HYDRA would attempt to latch upon. Set the hook and then allow me to filet the man. It is that simple." He shrugs, entire air sanguine. "I will make the ring disappear in a manner that God himself would claim frustration at attempting to find it." A finger then crosses his heart in an X pattern, scritch-scritch atop the windbreaker worn initially against New York cold.
Okay, so they're mot racing back immediately to find and beat up the infiltrator. Sif looks from Fenris to Ambrose to Astryd — ew, no thank you — and finally puts her sword away again. "What could possibly be appealing enough to a Midgardian 'terrorist organization' that their spy would risk revealing himself to acquire? There is no shortage of potential artifacts already in the building." Of course, Heimdall would instantly notice if one simply disappeared.
"I can think of one thing they'd probably sacrifice an agent for a shot to acquire." Fenris says carefully. Sif is probably NOT going to like this idea. Ambrose might not either once he understands it. "The Cask of Ancient Winters. Have it moved to the Embassy."
The Finder caws softly in surprise. "The Cask of Ancient Winters? The enchanted box that holds the heart of every winter ever upon this world? Including the ice ages? The artifact that could plunge the earth into the grip of a murderous cold that would last for eternity? The weapon fashioned by Ymir to fight Odin himself? That Cask of Ancient Winters?"
Fenris coughs. "Yeah. That one."
The Finder whistles. "Well. HYDRA would certainly go all out to get it, that's for certain."
"That's an excellent idea, my heart. I wonder if the Embassy would be willing to be contract me for a short while." Astryd agrees, smiling at Ambrose. "We'll get you that ring, Ambrose and you will become responsible for it's safety."
The Cask of Ancient Winters. A worthy artifact indeed.
"Lady Sif, you will have my sword if you require it."
A stoush. A good old fashioned stoush. Something that Astryd is looking forward to.
Despite not having heard of the Casket of Ancient Winters, Ambrose is slowly nodding his agreement. Even if it were nothing more than a cardboard box full of enchanted ice cubes, the name itself has a certain weight to it sure to draw the attention of a power-hungry spy.
Astryd gets a lingering inclination of his head and then another one of those charming, boyish grins. "Of course, Milady Astryd. I will keep the ring as safe as if it were my own heart." The master-thief is pleased as pie no matter the circumstances, apparently.
The Cask of Ancient Winters? Sif outright stares at Fenris for several seconds. "Fenris, you are mad. It would be impossible to get the AllFather to agree with that." She stops abruptly as a thought occurs to her.
"Though… perhaps a truly reasonable fascimile of the Cask would suffice." She looks from Fenris to Astryd and back. They can likely guess what she's thinking. She's always been transparent enough.
"I think you'll find that the Allfather is very interested in not having spies in his embassies. But yes I suppose a sufficiently good fake would also do the job." It'd have to be a really good fake though. You'd probably need to get a jotun to help.
Wait. That's EXACTLY what Sif is thinking…
Astryd gets another look. She's itching for a fight. He may have to take her somewhere that she can get one. For the moment though they seem to have things in order.
"Ambrose will also need to get access to the Embassy. Maybe an appointment as a contractor under a fake name?" Unless he wants to cat-burglar his way in, that is.
"Well good luck with that my friends." The Finder says.
Fenris nods. "Now, why don't you guys come with me. I'll buy you all a proper meal before we head back." And it will delay the next trip through the Ways. Ambrose might like that.
"The Allfather would know about when his embassy is compromised from the inside." Astryd says almost bitterly. "But then he's been rather shortsighted for a while. Perhaps you could get he who watches to 'look' and speak to Odin."
"I want to go surfing first, Fenris. Then food." The blonde says as she follows him out. "Sif, you might enjoy this as well." If all goes well, there might be dolphins to surf with.
Taking her where she can fight might not be a bad idea.
If Ambrose were to be more pridefully-pleased with himself at this point, he might explode like a sack of peacock feathers.
The master-thief grins like a cat in the cream. "A contractor under a false name would be a simple thing to accomplish. I have the ability to…facilitate the necessary documents to make this possible." Read as: forge whatever papers need be. "But do let's get food, yes, so I can at least bring home leftovers as apology for visiting this place without my other half."
Pushing himself off of his lean on the counter, Ambrose gives the Finder a deep bow, hand pressed to his heart. "I thank you kindly, milady, for your assistance and revelations in matters." Oh, and an absolutely gleaming grin for her, full of winning charm.
Not really being to knowledgeable about forged documents, Sif trusts that Ambrose knows how to come up with a way to seem honestly in the Embassy, even if it's as simple as he shows up as a quadruped that Sif or someone else is minding for a friend.
"I am interested to see what foods are available here, so long as they do not smell like whatever that was Astryd was eating." And, of course, she has to respond to Astryd trying to encourage her to go surfing. "Valkyr, you know as well as I how ill-advised it was to swim in the surf on Asgard. I do not know that I would feel right doing so here." Even if this water isn't falling off the edge of the realm.
"You are welcome of course, Ambrose. And good luck. Come find me again if you want something found." She always gives a fair price. It's her nature.
Fenris chuckles. "Surfing later Astryd. Let us get Sif and Ambrose fed and home. I'll bring you back today." She's rather insistent on that isn't she?
"Come, ladies and gentleman. I have a hankering for some hot pot…"