7252/Ding Dong: The Arrival

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Ding Dong: The Arrival
Date of Scene: 16 April 2019
Location: Alpha Flight HQ, Canada
Synopsis: Princess Ellisandra's grand arrival to meet King Thor. Instead, she meets Captain Marvel as much confusion ensues.
Cast of Characters: Thor, Ellisandra, Captain Marvel (Danvers), Green Arrow
Tinyplot: Ding Dong The Bells Are Gonna Chime


Thor has posed:
    Snapping out of light speed, the Shi'Ar skiff slips back into reality with barely any hint of its presence. The sleek black hull cutting across the abyss of space invisible to the naked eye, though even though it is a stealth ship it broadcasts its presence electronically with all the pomp of a parade. Streams of announcements come from it, proclaiming its presence, right of location, and the dignified title of the being that it carries.
    It is such a steady and cacophonous cavalcade of data and information, that some of the world's sensors might well perceive it as a denial of service attack, for across the spacescape various communications satellites squeak and suddenly go dark purely from the volume of data being pushed over and over and over.
    Then the ship ends over, twisting around as it begins its ascent, blue glowing engines flickering to life to push it forwards into the atmosphere aimed at the higher quadrant of the globe and tilting to the side as it adjusts its trajectory with vectored thrusters.
    Inside the ship, the Shi'Ar pilot says over his shoulder, "We are on final approach, Lady Ellisandra. They apparently have no markers nor vector requirements so I shall be moving directly to the coordinates we have. It'll be but a moment."
    And as the pilot tells his passenger this, the black craft slices downwards towards Canada.

Ellisandra has posed:
    "Very well. Continue approach. This trip has taken forever and I look forward to resting on the ground, in a real bed." Ellisanda heaves a bit of a sigh as she straightens her formal length skirt then flicks off a piece of something she think she sees on the deep blue fabric. Of course, her quarters are quite luxurious. The bed is big enough for five people and the ultimate in comfort. Yet, she is still not happy as it has been a long trip, despite the speed of their engines.
    She moves to check herself in the mirror, turning this way and that to be sure she is perfect. A few of her feathers are adjusted at her temple, to lay flat more properly.
    There are a pair of black pants that cover her legs, a bodice style top with a belt separating the two. A half skirt in the navy blue circles from her hips to behind, flowing out in the formal skirt. A pair of glove/gauntlets in blue are on her hands. A matching blue short cape circles her shoulders and a large headdress in the same color frames her face. Her 'hair, which are black feathers, are left to flow down to about midway down her back.
    "Once we have landed, inform me."

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
Funny thing about Alpha Flight is how their role evolved since the team's first formation, from merely looking after Canadian interests, to headlining the defense of Earth from extraterrestrial threats. Something which allowed to such unique situations as having an American such as Col. Carol Danvers acting as Director of Alpha Flight, more so for her actual extraterrestrial expertise as Captain Marvel than anything else. Though her past work with NASA didn't hurt.

So when a Shi'ar vessel snaps out of light space in Earth's vicinity, Alpha Flight are immediately notified about its presence, more so for the fact it's not truly trying to mask itself. The normal rules of engagement, suggests Alpha Flight would always prefer an engagement outside of Earth's atmosphere, but the speed and direct maneuvering while openly transmitting position vector allows for a lax approach in this instance.

Captain Marvel happened to be in Mansion Alpha, and so she simply dons her uniform and flies outside to meet the visitors, curious to hear just what is it that brings them over to Earth.

"This is Captain Marvel of Earth's Alpha Flight," she calls out to the vessel via broad communication channel, as she takes to the air, "would you kindly provide the purpose of your visit?"

Thor has posed:
    As Ellisandra slips back and out of the cockpit, the pilot frowns and seems to consider saying something in reply but instead he does not and keeps a firm look of resolve on the instruments before him. He keys in a few changes in a data display to circumvent the flight patterns of some native vehicles and continues his arcing descent downwards to the planet.
    Outside, the ship slices across the sky, its dagger silhouette leaning downwards with its forward swept wings making it look like a bird of prey in mid flap of its wings. It seems unmindful of the initial challenge, no response given immediately...
    Until it blurs past Captain Marvel aiming... straight back to where she came from. But then her comms will flare to life with a triumphant orchestral trill of harmonic music as twelve Shi'Ar choral members begin a song of such alien beauty, that it might give the Captain a moment of surprise if not trepidation. If the translation equipment is up to speed it will likely still take it a few moments before it catches up with the artistic flairs and interpretation of the alien language before it informs Carol,

    // Be Blessed of Life and Bright of Cheer //
    // The Scion of the Empire, Ellisandra is Here! //
    // Such beauty, such charm. A <untranslated> beyond price. //
    // Feel the warmth of the creche, this gift to your life! //
    // For now she is among you. Ellisandra. Ellisandra. //

    But by the time the response is given the ship is already twisting in the air, its main engines cutting off and the thrusters underneath it bursting into life to ease its descent as the ship lowers... lowers... and then lands. Right there where Carol emerged from.

Ellisandra has posed:
    As the notification comes through that they have arrived, Ellisandra moves out of her quarters to the exit where her entourage should be gathered. She will be arriving in a grand fashion, if all the notifications going out to the planet and the blaring chorus of angelic Shi'ar voices wasn't a clue.
    This is an epic moment and everything must be perfect. Ellisandra will accept no less.
    When the ramp opens and extends, allowing for them to disembark, she will be quite a few minutes behind the initial Shi'ar to appear.
    First come the ladies, tossing alien flower petals into the air to fall around like a celebration of color, all the rainbow represented. Behind them come the musicians, resplendent in their uniforms as they march out in perfect formation. Next are the acrobats, tumbling and their way out. The next are the soldiers, Shi'ar guards who line the path leading out from the ship. They take up both sides and extend their spears, creating apath for the Lady to walk beneath. Behind them, the chorus who are still singing the praises of the woman blessing the beings of this planet with her presence.
    Only then does Ellisandra herself walk down the ramp, pausing at the base as though waiting for her beauty and grace to be admired. Then she begins to walk through the line of the Honor Guard as her personal entourage and a few others trail behind at a distance.

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
To the Shi'ar's credit, if this was supposed to be a stealthed attack on the downlow, that unlikely transmission in response to Captain Marvel's query, does make Marvel stagger for a moment. She just listens, stunned, and immediately begins to wonder if Lilandra Neramani might have a 'slow' sibling in her family tree. Captain Marvel has been space faring, she's had adventures across the cosmos, crossing paths with many alien species, never has she experienced such an audacious hailing on a comm system.

For a second or two, Marvel might be tempted to photon blast that vessel to oblivion if only to silence the orchestral piece -- beautiful though it may be -- as it seems a fitting punishment for such audacity alone. She'd be doing the Shi'ar a favor, no doubt. But luckily, she's not been named Alpha Flight Director for nothing. She controls herself, and she behaves in a diplomatic manner, as she flies down to accompany the vessel to it's landing, which shockingly enough happens to be on Tamarind Island, the worst possible landing spot for any alien vessel who might have ill intents. The only thing leading her to assume this just might be a cordial visit after all.

"I understand Ellisandra is a person of some high standing in the Shi'ar Empire?" Captain Marvel inquires with a look of incredulity on her stern visage.

When an actual royal-like procession follows with flower petals tossed at the lady's feet, and something of a marching band, and the full circus act of acrobats and tumblers, a show of force with soldiers in line, it's all so very surreal. Maybe if Ellisara had made the proper communication ahead of time, this could have been quite the formal visit with people attending the spectacle and showering her with adoration or at the very least intense curiosity. Hell, TMZ would be all over this. Sadly...no one from the Shi'ar Empire reached over proper channels, and so this entire procession is wasted on a single Captain Marvel, the person least likely on the planet to be moved by such a display. (If you were thinking Jessica Jones, you'd be wrong, because she'd be moved to punch the musicians).

"That is quite the entrance, I regret to inform you I didn't know you were coming, so I didn't bring my own marching band and acrobats and fire breathers..." Captain Marvel says in the most neutral of tones, "Captain Marvel, as I said before, Director of Alpha Flight. I am in charge of the Earth's protection from alien threats...though I must admit, you don't quite draw the image of a threat, I still must ask you to answer my prior question, and please state the purpose of your visit?"

Thor has posed:
    As the entourage of great extent holds its place, and after Carol speaks...
    There is silence.
    Just quiet as if everyone was holding their breath. Why is there not an audience to witness the greatness? Why are there no cheering people? Where are the representatives that they are to meet?
    Wind causes one of the spear-bearers to shift his grip slightly and there's a clearing of someone's throat. Everyone holds their place in quiet yet pregnant anticipation as if /something/ should happen.
    There's the sound of shuffling feet as now that ship's entourage as disembarked... it is now time for the crew to descent. Just the pilot and his two engineers in their bright blue uniforms, their footsteps shuffling as they move down the ramp and into place. The two engineers look at peace...
    But it's the pilot who gulps almost audibly as he looks around. Perhaps this isn't the right place.

Ellisandra has posed:
    The silence stretches as Ellisandra waits for the adoration. When it doesn't come, she looks around as the music all has faded away to nothing, leaving the groups all standing and awaiting what is to come.
    They do not seem to be anticipating something pleasant.
    "Pilot!" The Lady who is the center of all this turns to look at the man. When he walks down to her side, she gives him a look that likely has him shifting in his boots. "Where is my audience?"
    "My Lady, I ..."
    "They should have been here. Why are they not here?" She looks around pointedly, at and over Captain Marvel as she seeks that audience which must be invisible, yes?
    "These were the coordinates that were giv--"
    "We are not in the proper location, are we?"
    He pauses and steels himself. "No, My Lady."
    "I knew better than to trust others with such an important task. Everyone. Back on the ship. Now! Except you," she adds to the pilot. "You stay here.""
    There is a mad scramble as the entire entourage rushes back inside the vessel, leaving her, the pilot and thousands of flower petals facing Carol.
    "Captain, please forgive me. I was not aware my pilot was completely incompetent. We are in the wrong location. The purpose of the visit is to meet my betrothed, Thor, _King_ of Asgard." She stresses his title.

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
Captain Marvel clearly notes she hit a nerve when all the fanfare starts to die down and there's some nervous shuffling, waiting for some kind of fallout. Still, she doesn't hasten it, instead she just hits a button on her communicator to alert others in Mansion Alpha about the vessel that just landed not far from them. That aside, she waits to see how the assumed leader in the shape of the obvious Shi'ar Noble will handle the bad news.

"Ma'am," Captain Marvel addresses the lady Ellisandra as she tries to draw an explanation from her pilot, rather than address Captain Marvel herself. Carol is fine with that, she has enough patience, she waits until she'll inevitably will be addressed. It has to happen sometimes, right?

Sure enough, it finally happens, and Marvel just manages to avoid an exasperated sigh, "I do forgive you, but I believe there was no communication with Earth by the Shi'ar Empire, so I am very much in doubt there is any massive crowd awaiting your arrival at this time," Marvel explains, until New Asgard and King Thor are mentioned, more so, King Thor, and the word 'betrothed' casually tossed about. "Excuse me?" She gasps, her formality taking a bit of a hit as she's dealt with something far more closer to home than expected. "Are you saying New Asgard is awaiting you?" She slows down, looks a bit preplexed, and speaks to her communicator quietly again, before looking back up, "are you sure you are betrothed to Thor? I actually happen to know him in person, and he never made mention of anything of the sort."

Thor has posed:
    The pilot, for his part, looks between the two women of authority and his alien facial features... curiously human considering that they can be read so easily, they shift to a look of pensive concern as they speak back and forth.
    A boot shifts and he takes up a more formal stance standing beside Ellisandra as he says in response, "Please forgive me, Lady Ellisandra. These were the coordinates we were given by the Diplomatic Corps. I am not familiar with the..."
    He looks over at Carol as if getting confirmation, "Location of New Asgard. Yet we can be there in a few moments if I am provided updated coordinates." With that said he gestures with a sweep of one hand back towards the ship as he gives a plaintive look towards Carol. As if these few words would mollify the Lady Ellisandra.

Green Arrow has posed:
When the call was made a few minutes ago, Green Arrow had been in the middle of handling a matter in Starling... but was nearby the Mansion. It took all of five minutes for him to get back to the mansion on his own Skybike, and into an Arrow. It took another three minutes for the Arrow to fly at a reasonable pace over to the position that Alpha Flight had requested... and by the time Captain Marvel is expressing her confusion over the betrothal, the sounds of the engines can be heard coming in. Green Arrow brings the Arrow around a good distance away from the... ongoing incident, and lands smoothly.

About ten seconds later, the hatch opens, and Green Arrow and his Skybike can be seen coming out of the cargo bay ramp, the engine smoothly muffled as he heads over.

Ellisandra has posed:
    "There was no notification?" Ellisandra seems confused that could happen. Her arrival should have been foretold, long before she even left her homeworld. She frowns a bit as she tries to absorb this bit of information.
    At Carol's questions, her frown deepens and she seems to be looking at the good Captain as though she has grown a second head or a pair of wings. "Of course they are expecting me. I am betrothed to King Thor, an arranged marriage to join our two empires. I was selected from the many members of the royal family for the honor." In other words, she was far enough down the line she would never see the throne so opportunity knocked and she took it. Not that this information will be shared with those present. "The arrangements were made with a representative of the Asgard Royal Family," she points out, maybe thinking the Captain is a little bit slow to not understand what this means.
    "If we could have the proper coordinates, we will go to New Asgard and attempt this again." With all the pomp although she looks at the many flower petals drifting away sadly. So much waste. There will be less for her next arrival!

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
Captain Marvel looks with stunned silence as the procession shuffles to get back into the Shi'ar vessel, waiting patiently, as the Shi'ar party outside is reduced to Ellisandra and her pilot. As the Alpha Flight vessel approaches, Captain Marvel points towards it in the air, and informs the Shi'ar guests, "that is one of ours, Green Arrow, he is also with Alpha Flight. A friendly." Just to make it clear there was no threat involved, and the conversation still remains quite amicable.

"No notification whatsoever, you may have erroneously sent them to the wrong party and they were disregarded?" Captain Marvel offers helpfully, that was entirely possible, from her days with the X-Men she knows the X-Men actually held more contact with the Shi'ar than all of Earth combined, who knows, they could have sent a message that reached Jubilee of all people, and was promptly discarded as not interesting.

"I have just sent a message to King Thor of New Asgard, and he did not respond, so I cannot acertain the fact. I can tell you, however, that I've never heard of him ever getting betrothed to anyone."

While Captain Marvel seems to very much doubt the information, she can absolutely see a situation where New Asgard was informed of intending alien visit, and simply sent a raven to Alpha Flight with the news, explaining why they never heard about it. "I can give you the coordinates to New Asgard, and I'm sure they'll be ready to go over the matter of betrothal or whatever other agreements you've made," Marvel offers, before she looks at the approaching Green Arrow, "this is the envoy of..." she looks at Ellisandra quizzically, "Princess?" before looking back at Green Arrow, "Ellisandra, they are Shi'ar who have business on New Asgard, would you care to accompany them to see all is well? Up to you, I trust them to behave according to established peaceful protocols."

Thor has posed:
    The pilot, a tall Shi'Ar with a perfectly cut triangular hair style and wearing a blue jump suit, gives a short sharp nod towards the approaching hero. "Sir," He says, his English accented a touch with a strength upon the hard consonants. "If you would be so kind as to provide the coordinates or provide escort, I will go to make the ship ready for its passage."
    That said he turns back towards Ellisandra and executes a short salute, "If you will excuse me, Princess Ellisandra, I shall see to my duty."
    And should she so provide him with that out from this terribly awkward situation, then he shall go and do as he says, hustling back up the ramp and onto the sleek black alien ship.

Green Arrow has posed:
Once within hearing range and hearing Captain Marvels request, Green Arrow comes to a stop, braking the Skybike and looking the whole situation over.

Well, his day just got a whole lot weirder, and the confused frown can be seen even under the white lensed domino mask, "So.... I was called out here to do VIP stuff, huh?" Green Arrow notes with a hint of amusement as he looks over to Captain Marvel, "err.... do I have clearance to enter new Asgard airspace?" Green Arrow asks, his voice modulator not masking his confusion.

Ellisandra has posed:
    "Princess will suffice. As would Your Highness. Or Your Majesty. Though we will not rest on formalities at this point," Ellisandra offers magnanimously, as though she just gave them some grand gift.
    As the Pilot greets Green Arrow, she eyes the Shi'ar with thinly veiled annoyance. But she does turn her head to look at the new figure that has joined them, consider the mask a long moment then looking to Captain Marvel. Then back to Green Arrow.
    "What is the significance of the material around your eyes? I was not informed of this fashion and would understand its purpose." Those she has dealt with in the past had their faces uncovered.

Captain Marvel (Danvers) has posed:
"Of course, Green Arrow, as a member of Alpha Flight, you'll be welcomed, we played a part in rescuing the Asgardians in their time of need and were part of the voices calling to approve New Asgard's formation in the U.N., I'm sure they did not forget that." Captain Marvel seems to think there will be no issue, though she'll still send a private message to Thor to ensure all will be well. Even if Thor doesn't seem to be responding for whatever reason.

"I feel most fortunate," Marvel says to Ellisandra, though Green Arrow might pick on the undertone of snark in her voice, she's clearly not holding the highest opinion of Ellisandra, even if she does her best to hide it.

When Ellisandra asks Green Arrow about his mask, she grins, and leaves Green Arrow to decide how to answer, "Green Arrow, if you so choose, please accompany them en route to New Asgard, if you can't spare the time, you're dismissed..." but she does add in a private text communication for him <<...you should have seen how they arrived, you'd have called for others in my stead as well...we'll talk about it another time.>>

Green Arrow has posed:
"It hides my identity from the general public. The lenses are a framework for enhanced vision modes." Green Arrow replies to Ellisandra, who apparently speaks English. "If you're really interested in the technology, we can discuss it after you're in New Asgard." Green Arrow offers in explanation, before he turns the Skybike in place and starts to head back to the Arrow.

"Great. One glorified babysitter, coming right up..." Green Arrow mutters to himself as he goes under his breath, darkly.