12995/Curiosity and the Coyote

Curiosity and the Coyote
Date of Scene:	09 April 2021
Location:	Atlantis Poseidonis Embassy, Oyster Bay
Synopsis:	Mercy goes to visit the Atlantean Embassy and meets Arthur there. The two share a pleasant conversation.
Cast of Characters:	Mercy Thompson, Aquaman

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Mercy Thompson has posed:
Curiosity can be a pretty powerful thing. Usually it's related to cats, however coyote (and coyote-kin) are possessed of it as well. And it is curiosity which has nudged Mercy to make a bit of a road trip on this particular day. She's driven her way over to Long Island in order to pay a visit to the Atlantis Poseidonis Embassy, and after parking in an empty spot, then taking the ferry across to the building itself, she's made her way inside the building. Guided by a representative of the place, as is the typical norm. She's wearing a pair of steel-toed boots, blue jeans, and a button-up shirt in a rich crimson colour, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. There's a jean jacket pulled over her shoulders, and her hair is braided in pigtails in the attempt of keeping it out of her face.

She's not a person of particular import, and so she likely doesn't expect to meet any Atlanteans directly. But being curious, she walks about the main floor with a sense of wonder and awareness towards the magic that's at play.

Aquaman has posed:
And yet, there is an Atlantean here, today. And from the trident that's resting across his lap, he's the king of the Atlanteans. Arthur Curry wouldn't seem to be much of a people person even on the best of occasions. He's a king. He doesn't really have time for that.

But today? Today he is sitting cross legged in the main entry room of the ebassy, on the floor, with a half circle of children sitting around him. Most of them are playing with sculptures that appear to be made of ice. One pair is tossing a ball of water back and forth between them.

And Arthur seems to be the source of the entertainment. Presntly, he is making water twist in a spiral helix sort of fashion, and then freezes it that way. It's the right sort of angle for a slide, come to think of it. Next, the water forms up in the shape of stairs, at the proper end for it, and then freezes as well. The kids all squee in delight, and the other 'toy's are abandoned as they go and start rumbling around on the slide he's made.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
Perhaps it's the glee of the children that lures Mercy's attention to the Atlantean king and the magic that he creates. Or perhaps it's the magic itself. Whichever the case, Mercy starts to make her way across the room and towards the gathering of children. A smile tugs at the corners of her lips as she watches them play, and she lifts a hand to sweep a stray bit of hair back from her cheek.

She stays back a bit once the slide has been created, and only after the group of kids have gone running towards it does she continue her approach. "Your magic is a pretty amazing thing, Your Majesty," Mercy says softly, a respectful note to her voice. Her brown gaze turns to him, watching him, and the fingers of her hands are tucked into the pockets of her jeans.

Aquaman has posed:
Perhaps it's both. Or neither. There are many, many possibilities. Oh, to be caught, sitting on the floor. But it doesn't seem to phase Arthur. He simply nods to the woman, as though she'd said no more than the simple truth. With not much expression to his face, Arthur rises smoothly to his feet. "Thank you," he says without much more in his voice than is on his expression. But, as he glances to the children having fun, his expression softens. Clearly, he's not as stoic and impassive as one would have people believe. Perhaps that's only his public face.

Arthur's eyes turn back to the woman standing near to him. He lowers the trident so that the butt end of it rests against the ground. His hand casually holds the other end as though the heavy looking thing weighs nothing. "Are you enjoying your visit?" Despite not much inflection one way or another to his voice, giving nothing away, the voice itself is pleasant to hear.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
A smile touches at the corners of her lips as she watches him rise to his feet, and she inclines her head towards him, the gesture respectful. He is a king, after all. "You're welcome," she says softly, studying him briefly before looking towards the children. Watching them as a girl slides down the slide, laughing and giggling, another child waiting his turn at the top.

It takes her a moment before her attention turns back to the man near to her, and she gives a nod. "I am, so far, thank you," Mercy says. "I hope that one day, they'll teach the history of your people in the schools for all to be able to learn. I don't know a lot about your people, your home," she adds, a curious tone to her voice.

Aquaman has posed:
Aquaman looks like a king too. He's even dressed in his green and gold armor, as befits a king. But, for all that, and the expression that reveals little, he doesn't seem to be arrogant like a lot of kings are purported to be. "Good," he says. He turns to watch the kids again for awhile. "What's to tell? War. War. More war. Hiding. Some more war. Uneasy truce. Maybe peace now. Probably more war in the future." Did... he just make a joke?

Mercy Thompson has posed:
Mercy Thompson tilts her head a bit to one side, and her nose gives the slightest wiggle. She studies him for a long moment, and then gives a nod. "That sounds like it could be the tale of any country that has come into being civilized and with technology," she says, a thoughtful tone to her voice. Many countries have seen the ebb and flow of war and peace, and people needing to hide or escape. There's a smile that tugs her lips, and she gives a nod. "I would hope for peace. For your home and for mine. There are enough ghosts, as it is," she says. She withdraws her right hand from her pocket, and then offers it. "Mercy Thompson," she offers, by way of introducing herself.

Aquaman has posed:
Aquaman pays little mind to that slight nose wiggle. He might not have even noticed it. He turns to look at her at her comment about technology, and then looks at the embassy around them. "You do realize, don't you, that the technology of Atlantis is far more advanced than the technology on the surface..?"

For a moment, Arthur Curry simply looks at that hand. Customs are a bit different in Atlantis, and though he was raised on the surface... After a moment, he reaches out and takes the hand offered. His grasp is firm, just slightly more firm than might be comfortable. That might be his physiology rather than a challenge, but it's hard to say. "Arthur Curry."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
There's a glance given around the embassy, and then Mercy returns her attention back to the king. She tilts her head a touch to one side, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "You do realize, that there is little spoken of Atlantis beyond myth and legend, in some areas," Mercy says, one of her eyebrows quirking upwards a touch.

"But I do realize that the technology is and ever will be more than what is here upon the surface. In comparison to Atlantis, I rather suspect that we must seem like children dabbling in the dark ages," Mercy says, inclining her head towards him, a smile quirking her lips. She doesn't contest his strength, for her own is rather ordinary, but she does grasp his hand in turn. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty," she says, her tone respectful.

Aquaman has posed:
Aquaman snorts a breath out his nose, his lips twitching ever so faintly at the corners. Could that have been a laugh because she stood up to him? It could be possible, yes? "That's what this place is for," he says. "To teach others of Atlantis." He listens and then nods. "A little bit, yeah. Dark ages, indeed. Closer to the wild west, I think."

He turns his head to watch the children again, the ice slide showing no hints of melting at all. Two children can slide at once, for there are two spirals twined about each other. "As deep down as our city lies beneath the surface, we have to have good technology or it would not survive."

As they speak, a teacher gathers up the children and they all come to bid thanks to Arthur. Something he is gracious about. "You were all a joy to have and all are welcome here." Clearly, the man is a sucker for kids. The kids and teacher all file out. Only now does the ice melt, perhaps at Arthur's bidding. It all flows, without leaving a drop behind, back into the columns of water running veritcally through the room.

"Have you ever swum with an orca?"

Mercy Thompson has posed:
That twitch of his lips is noticed, that hint of a laugh that might have been but wasn't given voice. Her gaze holds to him, watching him, and there's a smile that tugs at the corners of her lips. "I had expected that was at least a part of what this place was for. To teach people," Mercy says, a thoughtful note to her voice. There's a hint of a grin that tugs her lips, and she gives a light laugh. "Well, it's good to know we're not doing as terribly as what I'd presumed," she comments, amusement touching her voice.

"I would expect that to be the case, given the pressures that occur under that depth of water. Beneath that weight of it. And the darkness there, as well. I imagine it must call for interesting solutions that we would be hard pressed to come up with, here on the surface," she says, glancing towards the slide before her attention returns to him.

She takes a slight step back when the teacher and the children approach, as they bid their thanks to him and show their appreciation. Her hands, meanwhile, are stuffed back into the pockets of her jeans. A habit, no doubt. And once they've passed on, her gaze turns to the ice that is melted, following the flow of the water as it returns to the columns of water. "Truly amazing," she says quite softly.

Her gaze returns to him, and she tilts her head to one side, studying him a moment. Swim with an orca? "I never have, no. I've only ever swum with fish and the like. And that was usually when I was trying to catch the fish," she comments, a smile tugging her lips and a spark of interest in her eyes.

Aquaman has posed:
That seems to be how it is, with him, though. Arthur doesn't really show much. The occasional hint of something. Or anger. That comes out sometimes too. It's usually a very bad thing when it does, though. He nods to her observation. "Indeed. That's exactly what this place is for. And where we can interact and let people get used to us and our technology." Well. Somewhat. Because the bulk of their technology is down in the deeps where non enhanced humans cannot really go. Without protection at least. Which is technically available. To the right people. He nods at the bit about not doing so terrible. Because it's true. They're really not doing that badly.

They do have some pretty interesting solutions for lighting, it is true. Not that Arthur speaks of them, but hey. His lips curl up ever so slightly at her compliment of his water manipulation. He lifts the trident in his left hand and nods to it. "All possible because of this." The trident is lowered again. Arthur considers the woman. Mercy. It's a good name. "Would you like to meet one? There might be fish catching involved."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
Sometimes emotions can be hard to let show. Mercy does her best with her own, though the dominant one has ever been curiosity. And stubbornness. There's a smile that tugs at the corners of her lips, and her head tilts faintly to one side as she listens to what he says, and she gives a nod. "Then I think I might have to come here more often. To learn things, about you, and about your people... your home," she says, giving a small nod to him. "I try to be open-minded," she adds, a smile touching her lips. She has a good reason to be -- she's not entirely human herself, after all.

Her brown gaze turns towards the trident that he holds, a flicker of curiosity rising to sparkle in them. "It holds the magic that you wield?" Mercy asks, curiosity getting the better of her. "It's a beautiful weapon," she adds, giving a small nod to him. She blinks at him out of surprise then, at the offer he extends to her, and her nose wiggles briefly as she considers it. And there's a smile that quirks her lips as she gives a nod. "I'd like that! Very much, if it's not too much trouble," she says in a bright tone. "Even more so, with fish catching involved," she adds, amusement coming to her voice.

Aquaman has posed:
Arthur Curry has too much of a tendency toward anger, and he knows it. So he does his best to shove that particular emotion away as much as possible. But the problem with that, is when one shoves a particular emotion away so hard, it tends to supress others as well. "You are welcome, of course. Provided you stay open-minded." Was that a joke? It's so dead-pan it's hard to say. Arthur's eyes don't even sparkle with it. If it's a joke, there's nothing at all to give it away. So maybe he was being serious?

There is a nod to her question. "Yes. This was a gift from Poseidon. Without it being at least near enough I can feel it, I only have a small ability to manipulate water and weather." He waves a hand toward a section of the embassy that is closed off to visitors, and starts walking that way, steps slow but certain. "It's no trouble at all. Come, I'll introduce you to my friend. He'll do the bulk of the catching of fish."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
"I think I can manage that part. The open-mindedness," Mercy says, a smile quirking at the corners of her lips. Whether he was joking or being serious, she still offers the response. There's a sparkle that touches her eyes, and she lifts a hand, brushing a bit of her hair from her face to tuck it behind one of her ears. "I'm perhaps not quite like the others that come here," she comments, glancing in the direction of the school children and their teacher who had been here.

"It is a significant gift," Mercy says, taking amoment to look it over anew before her gaze shifts back to him. She tilts her head a little bit to one side, studying him. "You can make it rain, in different places?" she asks, a flicker of curiosity touching her voice. She turns her gaze towards the closed off section before her attention returns to him, and she gives a small nod as she starts to follow him in that direction. "What kind of fish does your friend like best?" she asks.

Aquaman has posed:
The open-mindedness, that's acknowledged with a firm nod. Maybe he was being serious about that. "There isn't anything wrong with not being the same as others," he says. "We tend to get two types of people here. The open-minded curious sort, and the skeptical sort that doesn't believe in anything and seek only to prove to themselves that this place is full of hokey."

Arthur leads the way toward the back, and through the facility. He steps into one of water passages that seems suspended in mid air, flowing there without a care in the world. He offers his hand to Mercy to join him. "It is. Significant. And I can, but usually won't if there's another choice, Playing with the weather is fickle at best." He thinks on the question posed. "Well. He goes for cod and salmon most. Salmon is preferred when they're around."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
"That tracks," Mercy says softly, giving a small nod. "The children believed. You could see it in them. I could smell it on them. Generally, children give true emotions, and the sense of fun and enjoyment that they were having was genuine. The ones that don't can be... interesting. Or dangerous. Or sometimes both," she comments, her brow furrowing slightly. She has a keen nose, and it's a sign of trust or perhaps her faith in him that she shares such with him.

"And, well... I can sense the magic in things. So being skeptical doesn't generally serve me well," she says, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she looks to him. She follows him through the facility, and once they've come to the water passage, she tilts her head faintly to one side as she studies it for a moment. Her gaze turns to him as he speaks, and she gives a nod. "Weather can be tricky, I expect. Sort of like borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, as the saying goes," she says, quirking a bit of a smile. "I'll have to remember that, about the salmon," she adds, giving a small nod. She lifts one of her hands to accept his offered one, stepping forward to join him as she does so. Trusting, she definitely is.

Aquaman has posed:
Arthur Curry nods. "The children do believe. It's hard not to believe when they see the magic right in front of them." Spoken, of course, as he floats within a free standing flowing tube of water. With nothing containing it. Only his hand is outside the flow of water. His hair flows in the direction the water flows. "And the teachers and staff at that school bring their students on field trips fairly frequently. It's a good thing. Knowledge means we aren't unknown. It's the unknown that humanity fears, the different."

One corner of his mouth twitches, ever so slightly. "Being skeptical would be denying yourself. And yes, exactly, on weather. Borrow from there to give to here takes away from there and can cause issues in both places." Once his offered hand is accepted, and Mercy is in the water with him, the water flows around Mercy's head, leaving a clear space she can breathe. That is probably part of Arthur's magic, rather than the water itself. And she can feel the current of it, trying to tug her down. Only Arthur's hand on hers prevents her from being sucked down. But down they do go, at a sedate pace, seemingly controlled by Arthur's will.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
"That's true, it does make it harder to deny it when it's literally right in front of you," Mercy says, quirking a smile. "The unknown, the inexplicable. These things tend to make people uneasy. To be feared," she agrees, giving a small nod. She takes a moment, glancing towards the flow of the water, taking note of the direction his hair flows as well as the ease that he simply is within that water. "Knowledge is power, as they commonly seem to say," she comments, a smile tugging her lips.

"I was once told that a mind which opens to a new idea never returns to its original size. Intellectual growth comes from being open minded, from challenging things and ideas and discovering what's new and asking questions," she says, quirking a bit of a smile. "Weather is a bit more complicated than what some people would try to believe. It's not just a matter of 'we need rain here so make it rain', but what happens to everywhere else, too," Mercy says, a thoughtful tone to her voice. She wasn't sure what to expect when she stepped into the water passage, and one of her eyebrows quirks as there's that clear space around her head. "I was curious how that would work. That's incredibly awesome," she says, her brow eyes bright. She looks down, to where the current pulls from, and then turns her gaze towards him, keeping her hand in his. As they go down, she look past him to what's beyond him, to what's around them.