2019-06-11 - Curl Up And Dye

Summary:

A metal-man crashes a relaxing day at the spa. Fighting in bikini's happens.

Log Info:

Storyteller: Hod
Date: Tue Jun 11 00:00:00 2019
Location: Curl Up And Dye Health Spa

Related Logs

None

Theme Song

None

rose-wilsonhelena-wayneriri-williamshod

Curl Up And Dye is more then a hair salon. Sure, it started out that way, but that was years ago. Now a days it's a fairly successful full on day spa. It's not super expensive, but it's not cheap either, fitting nicely into that niche of joints made to fit the lifestyles of the family who's bread winner is more plumber then say neurosurgeon. It's clean, it's neat, it's well staffed and lovingly attended to… by ex-punk or ghetto rat girls. There isn't a single woman working in the joint who's not rocking at least a half a sleeve of ink. The hair styles are almost uniformly non-naturall coloring and equally non-traditional. Lost of spikey things or shaved patches going on. Peircings are also previlent. The decor is somewhere between relaxing Zen garden and biker alley dive bar. They really leaned into their concept when the place was growing, and as such, it's done /very/ well for itself without falling into the trap of taking itself to seriously. The little fountain flows and drops off of cinder blocks and seems to meander around gravel made from broken up street concrete rather then smooth river stones or polished tiles. The entrance desk is rich mahogony… and black leather held in place with protruding metal studs.

Say what you want about the concept, it works. The people who run the place are skilled in their actual work, skilled enough that despite the odd decor and styling, they do brisk business. They're kind, warm, friendly, right up untilyou piss them off, and then the ladies will happily tell you to fuck right off and call their bouncer to remove you. Their bouncer is an ex-UFC women's Bantamweight contender who's also their acupunctureist. Her name is Prince. Prince will punch you. A lot. This tends to keep out the riff-raff well enough that the business flows smoothly. Like today, when it's all relaxing and calming, massages flow, the water is hot, the air is lightly scented with flowery and woodsy things, the towels are ridiculously soft, the music is gently woodwinds and chinese strings played with an excellent hand… they are almost all metal covers.

Welcome to Curl Up And Dye, Gotham's answer to the traditional spa.


Helena invited Rose to do something 'fun,' since Rose so often invites her out for her own kind of fun. But instead of dangerous (like shooting) or wild (like parties), her fun was this place. It's at least a respectful nod to Rose's wild preferences, while still allowing for fun that's in the general range of 'legal' and 'safe.'

Helena had a facial earlier, but now she's lounging in the hot tub in a plain, black, one-piece swimsuit, enjoying the bubbling water and the trickle of the fountain along with the quiet music. "See?" she grins, eyes closed. "It's nice, right?"


"Yeah. Nice," Rose remarks, in her two-piece bikini that could win the hardbody a photo op on the cover of a sports magazine swimsuit issue — if she didn't have the whole eyepatch thing going, at least. Rose sounds -so- thrilled. She'd been particularly obstinate when they would not let her wear her calf knife ankle sheathes into the salon after dressing down and had almost walked out. Somehow, Helena had managed to talk her out of it.

"Fun. Like a Bob Ross painting. Fun. Like sitting in a rocking chair with a shawl over your shoulders. Fun."

She rolls her eye, and relaxes back more into the spa. "They could at least serve us some rum and cokes," she complains, with only a little less vitriol than she otherwise would. Maybe the spa is, indeed, helping her relax.


Curl Up And Dye is such a lovely place, a place that's carved out it's own little niche here in Staten Island, in a rough place with a rough crowd, it's done the impossible. It'll be sad to see it go. One day.

Wave guh-bye.

The wall behind Rose and Helena simply ceases to be a wall and becomes something more akin to snowflakes tossed about by the wind. Except, ya know, still made of bricks and mortar and rebar and con-you know what? You get the idea. The asplodes. Violently.

The ground shakes beneath the pair, a rhythm to the tremors that could only be footsteps, and in the thick dust cloud created by the demolition of the wall, a massive shadow falls over the heroines before a voice, not human sounding, bellows, "PRINCE!? BABY IT'S ME! WHY YOU HIDIN' FROM ME!?" it's got a tinny or metalic echo to it, as if someone were shouting into a tin can the size of a moving van and then filtered that through a rusty nail.


"Aw, you know you're-" And then Helena's peaceful afternoon is shattered. The wall comes tumbling down and she immediately ducks over by the fountain that empties into the hot tub, looking for cover of some sort. Not that there's much to be had. Bathing suit is only slightly better than naked. She looks over toward Rose, checking for her reaction to things.


One minute Riri's sitting comfortably in her chair, totally immersed in the view of her AR goggles, and the next a harsh buzzer sounds in her ear. Nearly toppling backwards in shock, she rips the goggles off and tosses them onto her workbench, wheeling over to the laptop where the algorithm she had listening to incoming 911 calls and the police band was running. Keywords continue to highlight on the screen in red, more calls coming in by the second. "Sync incoming key data to my HUD. Keep me posted." After waiting a moment to make sure the voice command took, she runs over to her armor, getting herself situated inside as the systems power up. A few moments later, she's lifting off from the roof of Stark Tower, boosting hard towards Staten Island. Best to keep it just under the sound barrier.


"—right. Yes, Helena," Rose snarls, standing up, and flecking off a rather large piece of white and sticking plaster from the wall off her arm after dunking her head under water to ensure none of the debris takes out her one good eye.

"And," Rose continues, hissing quietly at Helena, stabbing downwards with her index finger, "For the record, this is why I wanted a goddamn knife. Jesus."

She stands up, then, in the spa, and calls to the large metal monstrosity, "Prince died, moron. Three years ago. Now get the fuck out, before I open you like can of spaghetti o's." With what?

Without looking to Helena, "Go get my knife. There's also a pistol in my jacket. Use it. But get my goddamn knife. Unless you want to look for wooden palletes to throw?"

If what she suspects is true? Well, then Helena will probably find some excuse to not fight. At least, not directly. Which, for one reason or another, Rose is going to give her.

She really wants that knife.


The dust clears and standing in the room is nearly seven feet of what looks like rusted metal robot creature. It's hair is wirey (literally) as is it's heavy beard. The arms and chest appear to be made of metal plates rivited in place, the muscles all corded and braided steel cabling, bolts and screws jutting from it at odd angles making it's construction appear haphazard. He turns to shoot rose a glance, then dismisses her just as easily, "Prince!?" he shouts, reaching down with a toe to 'nudge' one of the beds side like it were an empty shoe box before heading for the doorway which he will almost certainly /not/ fit through easily, "We need to talk this out! I didn't mean it! I love you!"


"Okay, to be fair, you can't blame this on not having your knife," Helena grumbles at Rose, though she's quick to scamper out of the hot tub and make for the locker room. The rubble is honestly the biggest trouble with bare feet! But she slips back to the locker room, rummaging through Rose's things until she locates the knife and the pistol. And two pairs of flip flops. Better than nothing, right?

Once she has what she needs, she peeks out of the doorway, tossing a pair of the flip flops and the sheathed knife over to Rose.


The rising cloud of concrete dust is just as good a marker for Riri as the AR arrow hovering above the address of the disturbance. Cutting thrust momentarily she flips, black tugging at the edges of her vision as she decelerates, coming in for a landing with a clang of metal on asphalt. Eh, the road's already got some potholes.

The armored figure rises to its feet. head slowly turning as Riri scans the situation. Two people, seemingly armed, but only light arms. Not a threat. The giant metal guy yelling about love, however… "External speakers on." A red light changes to green on her HUD. "Hey, big guy! Trashing her job isn't gonna make her like you any more!" Riri flexes her fingers, a soft whine sounding as her repulsors charge. "Why don't you come back outside and we can talk things out?" …That's how superheroes talk, right?


Curiously, Rose does not take the flip flops, instead telling Helena, "When in question of your foothold in an unknown area, barefeet are best," as if she were quoting some rules, or scripture to her companion.

The knife is extracted from the sheathe, and then Rose stops short, looking at the Iron-…Girl? She makes an exasperated sort of sound. "Oh, good." She does not sound like she means it.

Calmly, flipping the knife into a ready position, Rose tilts her head at the giant mechanical beast of a man? Of a cyborg? Robot? It doesn't matter.

"Get the fuck out." Rose is not your typical hero. "I won't repeat myself again."


Girder turns his head to eye the women that have cropped up on either side of him and frowns, "Go away, no one's talking to you bitches." he says simply, and as if to punctuate this comment, he punts a chunk of masonry at Riri the size of a beachball, the absent manner in which he does this is a clear indication that he's not your average body builder. Rose's comment makes him spin to face her, "Or.. what?" he asks, his lips twisting into a metalic snear, "You'll… poke me?" he makes a poking gesture with his finger, "Sorry love, but I'm spoken for already, go find some other guy to terrorize." then having dismissed her again, he bellows, "PRIIIINCE!?" into the building.


"Hey, your call," Helena shakes her head at Rose, fumbling at the gun. Ugh, guns. Guns are the worse. But at least it's an excuse not to be very useful fighting this guy. Although, to be fair, she probably wouldn't be anyhow. Not without some serious equipment assistance.

When Riri lands in armor as well, she pauses, looking between her and the attacker as if to make sure they're not on the same side.


Riri brings her arms up to block, but she's still knocked back a step or two as the lump of concrete shatters into several smaller pieces. "Okay, You had your chance." Her hands come up, the disks on her armor's palms brightening. She looks to Helena and Rose as a targeting indicator forms around Girder, a reticle floating over his right knee as she aims. "Might want to get some cover." Power indicators in the green, the armored teen fires a repulsor blast from her right hand.


"No. Going to open you, Tincan." She makes note of the fellow's strength as he tosses the block of concrete at Riri, and she's already processed the fact he'd easily busted the hole through the wall without effort.

Then, Rose's toes are digging into the floor as, wet or not, her feet go running over the terrain only to stop short and shirk at RIri's energy blast.

"Watch it!" She calls to Riri, irritably.

Then, unflinchingly after the kneecap shot is over, Rose is running in again, slashing at Girder's opposite leg with her knife.

That knife? Well. It looks like an ordinary knife, sure. A Kabar, to be specific. Just an ordinary steel Kabar, right? Nope. This Kabar is actually a Gossamer Knife - magic imbued and capable of slicing through steel like butter, and other like metals.


PTANG! The repulsar blast hits the side of hte man's knee and then ricochets off into the spa room, cracking the interior wall and sending a shower of drywall raining down in a cloud of dust. Girder pauses, turns to eye Riri, "Ow." he states flatly before drawing his fists up to his chest and cracking the knucles, it sounds like an engine block cooling down after parking a car, soft metal pings. "Fine. You want my attention? You got it." he grins wide.

Then something slices along his leg and he cries out, stumbling and reaching back to grip his thigh and spinning to stare at Rose, "FINE!" he roars, flakes of rust falling from his 'skin' as he spins on her, "/Everyone/ has my attention now." and he balls his fists together and drives them down into the ground, shattering tile and concrete a like as debris flies outward from the impact like a small grenade went off.


Helena ducked back behind the shelter of the locker room wall before Riri even warned about cover - swimsuits make crap armor. Not to mention she's still got healing bullet wounds under hers that she just really doesn't need to have to explain. So at least she's already under cover when the intruder turns around and starts making more trouble.

"Rose!" she calls over, gaze quickly scanning the wrecked walls. "Water and metal. Fry him!"


"…Shit." Riri gapes inside her helmet as the repulsor bream… bounces off. She didn't even know they could /do/ that. Her surprise only grows as Rose somehow manages to hamstring the guy with a knife. …She has a decent idea of what he's going to do with the ground pound though, and leaps sideways to try to interpose herself between Rose and the incoming shrapnel.


As Girder starts the ground-pound, there's a half-moment where Rose considers throwing the knife directly into the fellow's forehead. She's almost certain it'd kill him. But - well, … damn Reed and his talk with her about viewing the Young Avengers as heroes. And here, she has witnesses. Maybe if she were alone … but she's not.

As the ground pound continues, Rose moves to try and circle half-round Girder to come in on his side, only to have Riri come up in front of her - a grand gesture to be sure to ensure her safety - but one that only ends up, in Rose's mind, interferring with her tactics.

"Dammit!" And then she topples over, twisting away and rolling back to gain a bit of distance from Girder.

Helena's likely onto something though, "Hey, New Girl. You heard the girl. You got electric discharge on your Iron-Man cosplay over ther?"

Rose, however, is already looking up at the ceiling comparitive to where wall outlets are, clearly ready to go drag some down to take care of this jerk if Riri isn't equipped.


And then Ironheart gets in close, heroic intentions or not, it clearly wasn't tactically sound. As she dives past, tring to body block debris, her internal alarms blare and she feels preassure on her leg. Namely, her ankle, "You think I'm afraid of some sparks, kitten?!" he asks Rose as he cocks his arm back, his fist enclosed around Ironheart's ankle like a vice, yanking her up over his shoulder, which incidentilly drags her through a portion of the ceiling like a wrecking ball, "You got another thing coming." he snarls, "In fact, here it comes now!" and then he tries to smash Rose with Riri.

Bam. Bam bam bam. Like whack-a-mole but with an armored young lady as a club. He uses Riri to shatter a fountain, two beds, and another bit of the wall, all while trying to squish Rose. "Stand! Still! Dammit!" he says, his tone clearly irritable. The racket he makes is deafening, the twisting squeal of metal on metal, the smashing of course, so stealth is clearly not his game. For that matter, neither is hand to hand combat. Sure, he can throw a punch, and he seems to be an understandably skilled brawler, but his style is more barroom and back alley then trained martial ability. Capable, but by no means a master of anything.


Helena is definitely focusing on not getting smashed. Because she's not as fast as Rose, and she doesn't have Riri's suit of armor. Then again, stabbing and blasting don't seem to be making a big impact either, so…

She watches the man fight, brows furrowing as she tries to work through it all. They've got plenty of water. This guy is definitely metal. Shock him? Corrode him? Jam up the joints? And how to get any of that to him?

It might look to Rose and Riri like she's fleeing the scene, but Helena's headed for the supply closet.


"Whoah shi-" And then wthe world's going crazy, and the sudden direction changes /really/ suck even with the padding inside and the thick armor. Definitely kill external speakers. She has to get loose… "On my mark-" THUD "Hard override All thrusters" SMASH "Max power!" CRASH Starting to get dizzy, she watches her HUD, waiting until she's in a horizontal position, head toward the door… "Mark!"


Rose dodges more expertly than most could. That's because by the time his second Riri-smash comes in, her adrenaline is really kicking in. And that is -bad news- for Girder. Because that means her precognition is kicking in.

She knows where the net attack is coming, after she recovers from the first, and second smashes. So on the third, and fourth smashes she leads him away from Helena, to give her companion a chance to act. Breathe. Be safe.

Then, after the fifth smash she's set herself up, beautifully, and she moves in to slam the Gossamer knife firectly into the back of Girder's already injured leg … the side of the kneecap, specifically. This time, she buries the blade to the hilt, to sever tendons and muscles - if he even has those. She twists it, hard, and then pulls out the blade.

"That all you got, Tincan?" Rose snarls.


Rose's dodging is smooth and flawless and Girder's pounding is uh. Not. What was a very nice spa, rapidly becomes a construction site on it's worst day, walls are turned to kindling, plaster is shattered, some pipes burst under their Riri-based assault. It's bad.

As the ex-mercenary spins on the ball of her foot, leading with the dagger, she already knows the blow will land a fraction of a second to late. Sort of. She misses his knee by only a handsbreath, and instead the blade sinks into what would be his calf muscle, assuming something like Girder had a calf muscle. Then he's gone, having yanked himself off of her knife before she can even twist it.

This is accomplished via repulsar propulsion and his idiot brain not sending the 'let go' signal to his hand. What was a swing, almost instantly becomes him gripping the business end of a runaway train. Yanking him off of his feet /just/ as the blade sinks into his metalic leg, then ripping him away, out the door, off of a column of some kind, and then out the front of the building, his scream of pain, rage, and terror all blending into a sort of high pitched tinny sound not unlike the sort one might hear from the death of a random minion in a movie.

Ironheart makes it a full three hundred feet out of the front of Curl Up And Dye before Girder remembers he has fingers and releases her, his new altitude and forward momentum turning him into a rusty human shaped cannon ball that continues to wail as it's senting tumbling ass over appetite through the air. His grip on her ankle may have damaged Riri's stabalizers a bit, but she's able to track him well enough to watch him tumble out of sight straight down an subway line entrance, currently roped and coned off for basic renovations. Frankly, it's a nice shot. 3 points. Easy. The sound of all that metal tumbling/hurling down concrete and stone steps and into the earth rings out over the block like a church bell being hammered by the mad drummer of a punk band high on acid weilding dual ball peen hammers, all before coming to a merciful silent end.


Helena misses the spectacular conclusion! She's back in the beauty supply closet rummaging through chemicals and building…things that she really probably shouldn't. When things get quiet, she peeks back out of the locker room, a pair of bottles in her hands.

"Did you get him?"


Riri starts to tumble when the weight on her leg suddenly disappears, just barely managing to recover. Her HUD flashes up a diagram of her armor, multiple pieces highlighted in yellow and orange, and her right leg and hip glowing cherry red. "Shit!" She wobbles, the foot repulsor in said leg sputtering. «Right foot power output is at sixty percent and falling.» "Yes, I can see that…." Her flying significantly less graceful, she manages to make it back to the salon, although her landing is SIGNIFICANTLY less graceful this time. Climbing to her feet, she looks through the destroyed front of the building, peering in to see if she can see the other two. "Erm… Any chance I can catch a ride with you guys?" She takes a couple steps forward, limping heavily as something in the hip joint binds, creating a rather nasty grinding sound. "…Also kinda dizzy."


"Asshole," snarls Rose after Riri takes off with him. She tells Helena, "Yeah. Golden-Girl there just blasted off with him, and … there she goes. Dropping him from a mile high up." Well, maybe not that high. She picks up an odd piece of rusted metal that looks - well, in a weird way simlilar to a thin slab of meat. "Fucking weird-ass cyborg, though. Lookit this shit I carved from his leg."

She shrugs at Helena, then brushes more debris off her skin, looking over at Riri. She exhales, thumbs at Helena, "She drove. But, her answer will probably be yes."

She turns, then, "We'll go change, meet you out in the parking lot." A sideview to Helena, and a look back to Riri, "Also, I ain't talking to any cops. So don't even point them at me. Or mention me."


Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License