Summary:Sif tests out her Metro card Log Info:Storyteller: None |
Related LogsTheme SongNone |
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As has become her habit, Sif has been out wandering the streets of New York. She's starting to learn her way around, and has found place and buildings that she can recognize more readily. She has decided to try the 'metro card' that was given to her, and stepped onto one of the horseless conveyances that frequent the city carrying larger numbers of Midgardians. Having chosen to disembark at random, she has found herself in an area that is truly unfamiliar.
After a bit of wandering, she has noticed one group of Midgardian symbols that are reoccurring, though she could not begin to fathom their meaning. 'Brooklyn'. Having turned randomly and walked along the same stretch of sidewalk for the third time, she is beginning to consider attempting to summon a taxi.
Betty Brant was one to wander about herself, but unlike Lady Sif, she knew where she was going. The sight of the woman moving, however, repeatedly down one stretch of sidewalk, gives her pause. Parting her lips, closing them again, Betty makes her way closer to Sif and offers a hand up in greeting. Then a steady smile, "Excuse me," she asks gently. "Are you alright, miss?"
On one of the building stoops is sitting a young man with long brown hair. He's got a sketchpad on one knee, a roll of colored pencils on the step beside him. The metal arm has an opaque sleeve over it, roughly the same as his skin tone, so there's no gleam of alloy to betray him, at least at first glance. He's been working on a street scene, more impressionistic than anything else, but Brant's question has him focussing on her and Sif, curiously.
POFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF.
It sounds like a weapon going off in a room full of pillows and it is accompanied by a great deal of glittery smoke coming out of the upper floor of one of the buildings about fifty feet down the street from Sif, Betty and the young man drawing. It goes on for about thirty seconds straight. Then nothing.
Then the street level door opens and a well built, sandy haired man familiar to Sif and Betty steps out. Or, he would be familiar if he didn't appear to be covered in Glitter.
"We can't thank you enough Mister Turner." The resident, a man, is saying. "Are you sure you don't want to use the shower?"
"I'm fine." Koa says, trying to dust himself off. "Just… let me know if it happens again."
"We'll call you. Thank you again."
The door shuts and Koa glances down the street. Oh. This is kind of… awkward.
Wave.
Kai has just spotted the young man with the long brown hair, and he waves to him, hurrying up to close the distance. He's about to say hello when the sound goes off up above. He stops to look up. Then his brows lift as he watches the glittery guy step out. He waves enthusiastically to Koa and tells Bucky, "I've missed New York so much."
'Ding Ding'.
Koa knows that sound as Keiko's bike stops not feet from the glitter covered agent. "I must say, Agent Turner, you're looking rather festive…" The woman doesn't seem to be able to say with that with a straight face.
She peers into the building that Koa just exited before back down street. "Oh look, there's Lady Sif and … " She frowns trying to remember "…James."
Sif stops and looks at Betty when the Midgardian woman calls out to her. "I am well, why do you ask?" (Sadly, there are some things that Allspeak just can't compensate for. Like colloquialisms.) Her eyes track up and down the street in a manner that some might recognize as watching for enemies, and then her attention is back on Betty.
"This is still New York, yes?" She then turns as if looking for something, revealing the buckler-sized shield and sheathed sword at her back, though partly covered by her hair. "I suspect that I am farther from the Embassy than I have previously travelled." And she's really unhappy that this city does not seem to allow anyone except their guards who frequent the green areas to use horses to travel.
The unusual noise has her turning abruptly and putting herself between Betty and the direction the sound came from, one hand going to the grip of aforementioned sword. She doesn't draw it immediately though, and her eyebrows draw together in a confused frown when Sorcerer Turner is suddenly revealed looking like he's just left a celebration on Alfheim. That is not necessarily a reassuring thing.
"Oh, good. You just seemed lost is all." Betty explains, her smile present and constant. The question of it still being New York causes her to nod. "Well, yeah, still in New York." Then come the destination. "Oh, oh…well, you're close at least! Did your cabbie mess up your route? Mine did that the other night, honestly." The sword, the shield, it causes her eyes to widen briefly until, well…more simply show up. Guarded by Sif, she glances around, eyeing Bucky with another kind smile and a curious of expression of confusion.
"Agent Turner." She greets in a murmur, wiggling her fingers toward Kai before noticing Keiko. "Well…small city after all." Thinning her lips, she steps out from behind Sif, eyeing the collective of people who, besides her, seemed to know everyone.
Koa pulls a small pack of wet wipes out of his back pocket and starts wiping his face. His clothes are… kind of a lost cause. He'll have to launder them rather thoroughly. Or… burn them.
"Miss Brant. Fancy seeing you here. And Lady Sif. And Kei-" Oh there's Kai. Who makes Koa blink.
"New York is rather fun. Is there something you missed particularly about it? Presumably not excorcising pernicious demons of K-Pop…" That's not likely to make much sense to Sif.
"Something of a side hobby. Well, not the K-Pop. It's usually less… sparkly. What brings everyone down to Brooklyn?"
"I understand maybe a third of what you're saying," Kai admits to Koa with ample cheer. "I've been gone for a long time, but it's good to be back. You wouldn't believe how much nothing happens where I'm from." He then inclines his head to Sif, almost a bow, as he says, "Lady Sif, I've just come from the Embassy, if you need someone to accompany you in your travels or to help you get back."
Glancing between the others, he lays a hand to his chest and says, "I'm Kai. I come down this way because I was thinking of getting a place here. I'm sorry, I'm still learning the lingo again. What's a K-Pop?"
Keiko hasn't missed the greeting that Kai gives Koa and she looks at the Agent "Do you know him?" The man is very familiar and … bright. Almost the opposite of the quiet, tattooed woman. "The only way to exorcise K-Pop is to burn it all in the fires of Lord Plokta…"
Plokta probably doesn't have fires, he's giver the desires after all, maybe a cozy warm fireplace, instead!
"Keiko." she introduces herself to the strange man as James heads off. "It's a form of music designed to make the ears bleed." It's very eclectic knowledge Keiko has. "Miss Brant. It's nice to see you again. Lady Sif, I trust you've not be bothered by more people trying to deepen your love for Lord Hod?"
Sif relaxes a bit when Betty steps around her and greets the others. Clearly, whatever the sound was, no one expects it to happen again. Of course, THEN she's greeted by Kai and it's clear she recognizes the young man. Bringing her right hand to just below her left collarbone, she bows to Kai and speak in a very fluid and clearly not Earth-based language. // Hjuki Eyvindrson, well met. I would be grateful for the company when I return to the Embassy. //
She then looks at Koa trying to wipe his face clean and at Keiko. "You were attempting to banish a draugr, Sorcerer Turner? Why are you coated in powdered schist?" Clearly, she's not getting something.
"Nice to meet you, Kai. Welcome back to New York." As everyone speaks their turn, she licks her lips to moisten then and eases herself within the group. "K-Pop, short for Korean Pop Music. It's…not too bad." She shrugs, adjusting the strap of her purse and allowing her warm gaze to skip about every face.
"Sorcerer? I guess there's more about magic I really don't understand. I need to do more research." She smiles and then blinks toward Sif. "Draugr." She repeats, facing Koa with a bit of stiffness in her expression. "Like a Norse Zombie?" The glitter, the noises, she blinks again. "Are you a ghostbuster? For real?" Then the glitter, "Was it Liberace?"
"More or less." Koa uses artifacts for a lot of what he does but he has some innate abilities. It usually isn't worth the trouble to explain that the difference to most people. Sorcerer works. He does magic. Things go poof. Sorcerer. Simple.
"It wasn't something undead though, in this case. Things get a certain resonance and a certain teenage young lady attracted a spirit of K-Pop. And all it wanted to do was… well. K-Pop. And make everything around it… K-Pop. It was in the process of transforming the house and everyone in it. I got called, I did a little bit of warding. Poof."
He looks down at himself. "And then glitter."
The phrase 'love for Lord Hod' gets a bit of a smile but the phrase 'Fires of Lord Plokta' gets an annoyed look at Keiko. "Stop that." He sighs.
"Right, well, I need to get some of this off me and I've got the blower in my truck so if you'll pardon me…" He waves and heads off in that direction. "Very nice to see you all." He calls back over his shoulder. "I'm sure we'll meet again."
And he is. There are no coincidences in Koa's world…
Kai tells Keiko, "I've never met him before in my life, but someone who looks like a walking pride parade is definitely someone I want to meet." He offers Koa a cheery wave. Then he tells Sif, "Of course, Lady Sif, it would be my pleasure to accompany you. A gentleman should consider himself so lucky."
"Korean pop music," he murmurs, mulling over this new information. "Things really have changed. The US had just fought a war in Korea and were gearing up for Viet Nam. Now they assault us with their music. I suppose that's justice for you."
Keiko blinks at Kai and then at Koa as he heads off "He's not a Lion … and I see no others." Her grasp on the english language can be fleeting.
"Stop what?" she says to Koa but he's already leaving. She might work it out, sooner or later. "What brings you this way, all of you?" That there was a war in Korea seems to make the dusky skinned woman blink. "There are many types of magic, Miss Brant. Some are amble to 'wield' it, like Agent Turner or some, like myself, have it … bonded to them."
So many turns of phrase that simply do not parse for Sif, possibly even more so because of Allspeak. She's kind of given up on asking for explanations. She nods after Koa as he takes his leave to clean off, and looks at the Midgardian women as if trying to decide something. "There are other Midgardians that use music in place of proper weaponry? That seems … highly ineffective."
Then, to Keiko's question she answers entirely truthfully. "I was brought here by a large ground vehicle." She holds up her MTA card as if that might explain things better. "I've not explored this area before."
Betty Brant watches after Koa, offering him a wave of her hand before lowering it and returning her attention to those still around. "The…60s? You…" A shake of her head, she takes a breath. "My little world is just getting expanded, that's for sure." A nod to Keiko, she follows after. "I see. I, well, I'll still have to research if I'm going to understand anything. Honestly, the idea of learning something new is exciting. Since meeting a few new faces, I've been wonderfully busy." With a wiggle of her purse, she explains herself. "I was taking a walk, trying to clear my head, honestly."
Then to Sif, "Wait, Lady Sif? Wife of Thor?" Her head cants as she smiles tenderly. "Huh, they always wrote you as a blonde." Pause, "And I'm…speaking to a Goddess." A pause, hitch in her throat, she steps back and presses a hand against the flat of her chest. She knew they were around, but actually meeting one was something different. "Huh? Oh, no. The music isn't a weapon. Well not really. I think he was making a joke about how times have changed."
Sif promptly frowns at Betty. "Thor and I have never been wed." Possibly a sore point there? "And do not mention my hair." Definite sore point on that one.
Kai tells Keiko, "I took the subway. I always liked Brooklyn. Pity what happened to it." He gives Sif's shoulder a companionable squeeze when she says don't mention the hair. He never would. "The histories aren't always accurate," he tells Betty. "My people have been described as tiny and living in trees, but we're obviously not, and we don't. Well, most of us don't. I live in a manor in a vineyard, just like anyone else." He pauses, "… who can afford to live in a manor. This made more sense in my head."
"Your little world, Miss Brant? Are you not from this dimension?" Of course, Keiko would think that. There's a big likelihood that this walk is *not* clearing the journalists head. "There is a lot to learn. Where I came from … I spent my life mastering the marks I was given. And I don't have an aptitude for 'casting' magic directly."
As Keiko shifts, the sleeve on her shirt rides up, revealing the very lifelike and detailed tattoo of a grey wolf. So lifelike, it's eyes seem to follow the observer. They can tell there's more covering her arms and possibly her body. Sif might recognise the way she's rubbing her arms though and frowning slightly.
"Lord Hodor and Lady Sif have a love that surpasses the heavens." the tattooed woman says quite honestly to the little group. "At least that's what the group we found the other day told us. They were offering a chicken to help them be re-united and it worked." beat "Why shouldn't we mention your hair, Lady Sif? It is quite lovely."
Kai gets a curious look from Keiko. "Lived in trees and smaller? Are you some type of Nymph or fairy then?"
Betty Brant frowns, expression apologetic toward Sif. "I'm, I'm so sorry, I didn't meant anything by it." She promises, nodding toward Kai. Indeed, what the mortal woman knew was apparently wrong. Very wrong. Then to Keiko. "Yes, I'm from here. Uh, it's a phrase, meant to demonstrate someone's knowledge expanding from what they knew before." Still a bit soft spoken now, she glances at her phone and curses under her breath.
"Apologies, I have to get going for now. Running late." Smiling to them all, still a bit shy as far as Sif is concerned, she clears her throat. "It was nice meeting you all. It was lovely seeing you again, Keiko. I'll, ah, be in touch." Turning, she walks off, heels clicking down the sidewalk. With a quickness, Betty!
Keiko's explanation about the magic that she wields clarifies a few things for Sif… while adding that many more new questions. But they can wait. Betty taking her leave earns her a nod, but then they're back to the topic of her hair, though Keiko's comment about Hod and her hair have her frowning again.
"Those Midgardians were very sorely mistaken, Lady Keiko. Hod was exiled from Asgard," she says as if that explains everything about the blind man. She's going to avoid the topic of her hair and see if it's dropped. In fact…
"Are you ready to return to the Embassy, Eyvindrson?" Because she sure is.
Kai tells Keiko, "I'm an Elf. A proper Elf, not these little cookie-baking tree creatures the snack industry is trying to sell you. I come from Alfheim, the home of the Light Elves. Perhaps sometime I'll tell you all about it." His quick gaze darts to the tattoos, then he winks amiably and offers his arm to Sif. "Of course, my lady. It would be my honor to escort you."
"So you said, Lady Sif, and yet their spell bought you together." Keiko says … earnestly. Though Sif might see the glint of mischief in her eyes.
"Cookie baking tree crea—- Oh! You mean the ones that appear on packaging?" It's like Keiko hasn't been 'out' in the modern world very long. "Maybe one day you will." If he can find her again.
With the two heading off, the tattooed woman doesn't press the issue of Sifs hair, instead she readies her pushbike to move off herself. "It was pleasant meeting with you Lady Sif. Have a good afternoon." With that she pushes down on a pedal and starts moving again.
Ding Ding *wave*