6014/Pied Piper: Did You Know

Pied Piper: Did You Know
Date of Scene:	18 December 2018
Location:	New York City
Synopsis:	Natasha meets Jessica Jones at her office. Thor tags along.
Cast of Characters:	Jessica Jones, Black Widow (Romanoff), Thor
Tinyplot:	Pied Piper

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Jessica Jones has posed:
As a P.I. Jessica finds herself involved in a lot of shit tha she doesn't care to be involved in, sometimes she has no choice but to help, at others, she has so many fucks to not give, that she just doesn't. This thing that feels way out of her league, is what prompted her to ask Matt about Avengers connections, and he got her Natasha's number. That's how this meeting was arranged.

And hey, wouldn't you know it, Jess even fixed her door for the occasion. It looks professional, glass door, with the gold lettering: Alias Investigations.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    It was common for phone calls to come in asking to speak to the Black Widow. Citizens thought of her as an Avenger so often thought they could just call and chat about the neighbor's dog getting in their yard or the alien space craft they were positive was parked in their backyard next to the fire pit. Most calls were sorted through by other agents at SHIELD and only a handful made it through to the woman herself.
    This call had come through to one of her direct lines. She had answered only to find a stranger on the other end. But the mention of Matt was enough to have Natasha agreeing to the meeting.
    At the appointed time, there was a knock on the door. Natasha stood slightly to the side instead of directly in front of it, keeping an eye on the hallway behind her. It was a business office though so after the polite knock, she turned the handle and stepped inside. Dressed casually in jeans and a white cable-knit sweater under a lightweight black leather jacket with matching black boots. Her hair had been cut since the last time she appeared on the news though, cropped very short so that it didn't even reach her shoulders.

Jessica Jones has posed:
Jessica was never one to dress to impress, she's sat behind her desk, wearing jeans, tank top, and a leather jacket. When she hears the knock on the door, she gets up, and when Natasha walks in she's all the way to the front of her desk, extending her hand, "hope I'm not a huge bother, I bet Matt told you nothing about me or to expect a call, because, hey, why would Murdock not be a dick." She motions towards the kitchen, "something to drink? I got booze," and only then does she explain. "I'm a P.I., people come to me for all kind of bullshit, most of it sleazy. But there's one issue that keeps popping up lately, and it's way out of my league...people wanting to help loved ones, family members and friends who just fell asleep and never wake up. By now they gave it a name, Black Sleep, or something like that? Either way, that seems like an Avengers issue, not a P.I. issue, so, just figured I'd let you know..." yeah, Jess wasn't used to such esteem company. But on the plus side, after having snooped a little about Black Widow after Matt mentioned her, at least she didn't call her Psycho Killer Matt Ex #300.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    Natasha takes the offered hand in a firm but comfortable grip. A single pump then she releases as she moves into the room toward the chair by the desk. A hint of a smirk appears at the name given to Matt and Natasha has to shake her head. "No, he didn't brief me at all. For a lawyer, he tends to be less verbose than one would expect. Especially when it would be good for him to be."
    She settles into the chair as the explanation for this meeting is given. "We've been looking at it at SHIELD. Have more questions than answers so far." This is twice in the last week she was told something about the Black Sleep. The other source was much more a people person than Jessica. He was also likely certifiably crazy but that was neither here nor there. "Do you have anything specific about it other than what seems to be in the media? Or is this just more a general 'different wheelhouse' bit?"

Thor has posed:
    Thor isn't too terribly long behind his teammate. Their vehicle had stopped and with an almost casual gesture at the meter Natasha Romanova had told him to handle it. And, to be fair, he did eventually. How he did is not immediately obvious until the Thunderer advances up those steps, his boots thumping in the stairwell. Only a few moments behind the Black Widow, he emerges on the scene with all of his signature subtlety.
    "For some reason the meter of parking does not accept the coins of Asgard despite their superior worth." There he is in the doorway, standing tall in that frame with jeans, sneakers, and a grey hoodie while carrying an umbrella. Over his shoulder he gestures with a thumb. "But fear not, Black Widow, eventually I made them fit."
    He steps into the room further, looking it over blatantly with his one good eye, wide and curious as he says to her sidelong, "You're welcome."
    But then he espies Jessica and adds in greeting, "Oh, hello."

Jessica Jones has posed:
"To be fair, when I sought to contact you, it hadn't reached the levels of media bonanza it does now..." Jessica admits, it was rather silly of her to think the Avengers or SHIELD wouldn't have heard about it by now. Still, she kept getting such a volume of calls, which she reiterates, "my phone been ringing off the hook, and my inbox been filled to the brim with requests about just that one issue, so, I guess...consider it a further stressing on how important it is to solve this shit." She shakes her head about the notion of her having any useful information. "I know it's affecting people all over the world, and I know there's probably a scam artist in Norway working up publicity and cash money by claiming to be a miracle healer or whatever the fuck it's all about. I'm pretty sure it's money and fame."

When Thor comes in, Jessica's mouth opens agape, as she stares. She barely caught flashes of him at the incident with the ice giants, where she proved to be a terrible negotiator. But seeing him like this upclose, with time to focus, damn if he didn't have a PPV worth physique. But her ears are working, and she cringes when she hears what Thor has done, quipping, "you'd be a hero to everyone on the block, that means free parking until they fix the meter which you no doubt destroyed."

"I take it you're with her?" Jess points at Nat. For one thing, they're both Avengers, on the other? Why wouldn't a hot Russian assassin / spy / superhero hang out with that dreamboat of a man? God? Whatever he called himself, he could easily get away with it. "So, same offer I gave Natasha, you want anything to drink? I got booze..."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    "I'm driving so I have to decline," Natasha says in regrads to the offered liquor. She glances over at Thor, making a little bit of a face. "You /made/ them fit? I think Ms. Jones is right and we may be paying for a parking meter. Well, the Avengers will."
    And this it he second time that person in Norway was mentioned. She looks to Jessica. "The woman in Norway seems to keep coming up. I've gotten the name Elle and other than that, she apparently can be ...summoned." That has her cutting a glance over at Thor who knows a bit more about things that involve magic and perhaps summoning. "Someone gave me some instructions that supposedly would work to do just that. The exact words I was told are "you have to envoke her, sort of like a spirit...You have to revere both life and death." So I'm not sure who would fit the bill for that but it is something I have been trying to look into."

Thor has posed:
    "Please," Thor says in answer to Jessica's offer of a drink as he steps forwards and makes his way in the indicated direction, pointing with one hand as he tries to follow her eyes in the way that she might be moving to get him said booze. To help relieve her of that burden, of course.
    And then he's looking away, pondering the kitchen where the aforementioned booze might well be. Over his shoulder he calls out, "Aye. Ever since my brother sought to invade Earth with the Chitauri I have fought at the side of the famed Black Widow." There's a whoompf of the refrigerator door opening, and the glassy clink of the tall man searching around.
    Eventually he emerges with a bottle of liquor held in one hand as he leans against the doorway and nods towards Natasha. "Aye, the entry was narrow but I widened it sufficiently." He gives a single sharp nod.
    But then at Natasha's words about the ritual, as if summoning, he furrows his brow in thought. He tilts the bottle and takes a swallow, for now keeping his counsel to himself.

Jessica Jones has posed:
"Hey, don't drink and drive, I'm all for it, that's why I never drive," Jessica says with a grin. Then again, living in NYC, you'd be crazy to own a car. Crazy out of your mind, or crazy rich, one or the other. She looks at Natasha as she concurs that the Norway woman keeps coming up, to which Jessica makes a bit of a face, "well d'oh, everyone is falling to an endless sleep, and she is the only one, god's gift to mankind, who has a cure, isn't that convenient? Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if half the bozos on twitter hype her up because they want to be cool by association, or they got bamboozled by her and don't like to admit they been fooled." It's only after a second's hesitation, that she does add, "to be fair, I didn't even look into this fairy tale of a story, mostly because I don't have the funds to fly to Norway...so who knows, maybe Santa is hiding there too."

Jessica does raise a brow at the mention of 'summoned', "seriously? I haven't heard that...I mean, like what, summoned in a ritual or with a phone call?" But then Natasha explains, and Jess almost wishes she hadn't, "so...revere life and death and do a magic dance? I don't buy that. How did you hear about that nonsense?"

"Wait...your brother is that creep in green who wanted to decimate my city? Wow...excuse my french, but fuck your brother. Seriously." When she sees Thor has come up with the Schnapps, Jessica heaves a sigh of relief, her prized whisky was safe. "You can finish the whole bottle if you like, it's peach, kinda cool, huh?"

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    "The source I heard it from can be a little scattered but he is generally reliable," Natasha says. "I have the instructions at my office. Just havne't gotten to consult with all the right people who might know how to do magic dances. It is not in my repertoire."
    She looks over at Thor as he claims an entire bottle. That makes her shake her head a bit. When the talk turns to Loki, she wisely closes her mouth and just listens, using all her formidable skills and keeping a straight face. Barely.

Thor has posed:
    In the doorway Thor enjoys the peach Schnapps and lifts the bottle towards Jessica as he says, "I thank you for extending the guest rite." As if that was a thing and meant something? Well to him it does. So he takes another drink by tilting the bottle back.
    But then, as he is wont to do, Loki comes up in an unflattering way. Of course Thor was the one to mention him first, but still. "He has well-earned the ire of the people of Midgard, I fault you not. But he is still my brother." He says that with some measure of solemnity as if certain forms must be observed.
    But it's only after Natasha elaborates upon the ritual in Norway and the cure to some of the stricken that he pipes up with. "Where in Norway would these incidents be occurring?" He looks between the two women, eyes resting primarily at the end upon Jessica. "For my sister has made herself known and she is held as our goddess of death."
    The bottle is set aside so he can fold his arms over his broad chest, frowning momentarily. "It is a strange concurence but in the matters of Gods there are rarely coincidences."

Jessica Jones has posed:
"Sounds suspicious to me, but if the source is reliable, I guess you could always try...or find someone who doesn't mind humiliating themselves to try for you," Jess gives a pro tip, in matters of faith, she always lets Matt come out like an idiot. Even though miraculously, sometime he doesn't. A miracle in and of itself.

Jess has no idea how she stumbled into something that's actually meaningful in Thor's culture, but she's not above rolling with chance when its presented, "sure, I always extend guest rites to worthy guests such as yourselves."

Jessica shrugs when Thor stresses how Loki is still his brother, "look, I had a brother, he was a douche. Doesn't mean I didn't love him, and doesn't mean I don't miss the little retard."

"I didn't quite study World Geography, but I guess anywhere in Norway...? There's reports of increased travel over there since the rumours about that woman started." But then she hears Thor mentions his sister, and she can't help but quip, "is she as terrible as your brother?" But at the mention of her being Goddess of Death, Jess is quick to add, "if you meet her, I never said that, ok? I don't want nothing to do with any Gods or Goddesses, particularly of Death. My upstairs neighbors, however, she's welcome to pay them a visit any time."

Jessica is a bit wide eyed, and immediately reaches underneath the kitchen sink to pull out a quarter bottle of J&B, which she proceeds to drink from, "on the other hand, goddess of death works just as well as fairy queen, or just plain scammer. Either way, it's in Norway, that's far away, and they probably speak a funny language, which means it's no business of mine. Amen to that."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    There is no stopping the smile this time as Natasha climbs o her feet. "In that case, we will get out of your way so you can get back to work. Perhaps we can make a trip to Norway and seek out this Elle if we can't find a way to summon her. If that is even a thing," she adds with a slightly helpless shrug.
    She does give Thor a brief look, a hint of a question there when he mentions a sister who happens to be a Goddess of Death. That's news to her. Something to ask about later perhaps. Or maybe it isn't any of her businesss so she should leave it be. "Thor, did you have any other questions for Ms. Jones?"

Thor has posed:
    To Natasha Thor gives a nod and pushes away from the door frame. He looks towards Jessica and states, "I would offer you a place to operate from at our homestead of New Asgard, yet we are a touch isolated and so it would aid you little." Thor keeps his arms crossed over his chest, his brow furrowed as he turns his head to the side to consider Black Widow. "You are more likely to be successful to work with the Widow, for she has resources which defy generous estimation."
    That having been said he flares one hand to the side, fingertips lifting off his bicep, "Though I believe many of the Nordic people speak your English." There's a pause as he considers Jessica, then adds, "Or something similar." Since to Thor's ear and the gift of Allspeak even American English is different than European English. Probably all the profanity.
    

Jessica Jones has posed:
"I really appreciate the invitation, but honestly, I have much better sources of income here. Many assholes, and many cheaters, and many people who want to catch him redhanded or otherwise. I'll visit Norway some other time, I'm sure it's beautiful." She puts the nearly empty bottle of J&B on the kitchen counter and reaches to shake hands with Thor and Natasha, "thank you again for stopping by, glad to hear you're already on it, and well, hearing about magic summoning dances and death gods, it also proves this whole shindig is definitely out of my league."