Summary:Mary Jane meets some interesting people when she stumbles on a exorcism. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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Type "+thelp" for help.
Koa Turner is sitting down on the steps of the local newscasting building that he's just finished exorcising with some assistance. It is late at night, because of course it is. He is COVERED in ectoplasmic slime, scratch marks and glitter. His expression is that of someone who has just had to clean out a septic tank - which is an apt description of what just happened - and there might be holes in the building from a very large bore revolver to say nothing of damage dealt from other sources, like spirits fighting ghosts.
The WAND agent takes out a handkerchief and mops his face with it. "One of those nights…" He mutters to no one in particular though surely his partners-in-exorcism are around.
The doors to the basement open up on the side of the building, some of those slanted heavy doors, the kind that usually lead down to utility rooms and old wiring and pipes that leak and creak. Hellboy steps up out of it with something over his shoulder. Hard to tell what it is, other than that it's long and floppy and probably weighs about a thousand pounds. He's wrapped it in burlap, whatever it is, although there's definitely something oozing from the end, like an overfilled burrito. It leaves a puddle in his wake.
"CLEANUP!" he yells and more WAND agents arrive, allowing him to transfer the thing onto the back of a large truck that's sealed off with spinning wheel lock and hisses as it goes shut.
"I hate it when they don't have arms," he says conversationally to Koa. "Dunno why. Just gives me the heebies."
Late at night was good for Mary Jane. Late at night is when most people are asleep and she was free to get things done. Sort of. Truth was, she couldn't sleep; so running was the next best thing. Always had to keep in shape.
She hits the sidewalk hard; earbuds in ear. Pack strapped tightly to her waist which houses two water bottles filled with water, iphone strapped to her upper arm to count the steps and provide music during her trek on this night. She's sure, if she told her bodyguard, he would probably cuss her out.
A turn down the street causes her to stop running, but bouncing in place to keep the energy up, her fingers clutched, lips puckered to heave and ho out some air and well.. screw it. Time to keep trucking! Past the guy who sits on the steps, which again, she stops, popping a bud out of her ear. "Need some water, friend?" And then the loud 'CLEANUP!' gets her goat enough for her to skitter back and stop bouncing.
A large blue glowing Harpy Eagle is perched on the eaves of the building. It looks like a Harpy Eagle for the most part, anyway, although it's feathers look a bit strange - maybe a bit leathery and the claws on its feet are slightly off as well, hard to tell how.
The eagle screeches as it looks at the ground, watching Koa and those near him, with it's eagle eye.
On the ground, a glowing blue wolf - that's about twice the size of a normal one is prowling. The wolf seems off as well - it's claws more like talons, it's fur way more shaggy than expected.
It's patrol takes it to Koa and Mary Jane, where it stops and butts it head against the Agents hand. That makes the spirit body bump into MJ. It's solid and could well knock her a little bit.
Keiko Kurita follows Hellboy out, a metal quarterstaff held loosely in her left hand. Her tattooes, that cover her arms and part of her torso, are clearly visible, as is the collar that circles her neck. Black leather with a silver fillagree clasp that houses an almost white gem stone.
"Hey girl…" Koa says, meaning the wolf and not MJ. He scratches her ears a little bit and looks up. Underneath his collared shirt MJ might also notice the hint of a black leather band around the base of his neck.
"I could probably use some yeah, but more to dump over me than anything else."
When she skitters back he glances at Hellboy and Keiko. "Don't worry about them, they're harmless. Mostly."
"Hey Red. Keiko. No arms eh? Can't say that's ever my favorite look. It's worse than no head even. At least that looks mostly right. No arms is just…"
He gestures vaguely.
"You hurt Keiko, or did you just get slimed? Oh sorry. This is Keiko Kurita and Agent Hellboy of Wand. I'm Koa. And this is…" He pauses. "Oh sorry, don't think I caught your name miss."
Hellboy reaches into his jacket and pulls out a massive cigar, clenching it in his teeth, "Yeah, I'm a god damn puppy dog," he says in response to Koa's description, striking a match on his Hand of Doom and giving it a few puffs.
"Call me Red. Hellboy of Wand is my knighthood name," he says.
This is precisely what Mary Jane gets for going down an obviously too busy of a street. Commotion was coming at all sides, but MJ tries not to miss a beat. In fact, all of this activity going on, makes her brain go, and once the brain goes and is tuckered out, it would be time for bed.
The large wolf that knocks into her briefly does manage to uproot her freshly gained stance, her hands jutting out a little as a tiny 'Excuse me' is murmured. Hellboy and the newly emerged Keiko gained an immediate smile and her signature awkward wave, then she reaches to her pack at her side to retrieve the two water bottles, cold.. to offer one to Koa.
"They seem okay!" She says cheerily, waiting until the talking was done to introduce herself. "I'm Mary Jane Watson. Uh. Official bottle water offerer? From the streets!" She holds the last remaining bottle of water out towards Keiko and Hellboy, if either chooses to take. "Nice to meet you guys! Promise, it's not tainted."
The eagle screeches again and launches itself from the eaves, circling the area and dipping low over MJ's head before landing on the pavement beside Keiko with a scrabbling of those talons.
"Onyxia…" Keiko murmurs, looking startled for a moment. Then even more startled when the bird turns it head and nudges her. It wants a pat, but Keiko doesn't seem to get that, she just looks perplexed.
The wolfs tail actually wags when Koa pets her, sitting down on MJ's feet to get more of her dues. "Bella still likes you, Age—- Koa." the tattooed woman mutters. "I'm not hurt. No more than I was going in." And indeed there are wounds on her arms - gouges and burns by the looks of it, healed enough to say they're a week or so old.
"Mary Jane Watson. Nice to meet you." Her accent is a mutts. A mixing of a number from south of the border.
Koa slightly ducks until it becomes apparent the bird isn't going to buzz him. That's a big bird. "Keiko…" He says and gestures for her to pat the bird. It wants thank you's and lovin's, clearly.
"Of course she likes me. I give good ear scritches." He smirks and looks at Red.
"Ah yes. Sorry. He is formally known as Hellboy. First of his name. Puncher of ghosts and shooter of demons. Protector of the…" He glances up. "Realm of the Channel 56 broadcast station."
In reality of course Hellboy IS a king or rather someone once wanted him to be, but not a very nice kind of king.
"It's a good thing this street as such an enthusiastic water carrier." He takes a sip of that water and then dumps some of it over himself to wash away the slime and (some) glitter. "You've just caught us at the end of an exorcism, though I will say I'm impressed. Spirit animals would send most people scurrying away." And Hellboy, sadly but Koa's too polite to say that people might run from him.
Hellboy grabs a seat on the steps himself, settling down with a bit of a crunch. He may have crushed a shrubbery in the process. Such is the fate of shrubbery.
"Mary Jane Watson, huh? Makes you an actor, an assassin or an author, I figure. If you're going to try and kill us, please at least let me finish my friggin' cigar first. My shoulder still hurts from punching that Leviathan Wyrm. You got all the eggs, right, dollface?" he says to Keiko.
There was a saying that when humans walk they have a tendancy to not look up, being that above most animals they were apex predators. Mary Jane was neither of those, but she did forget to look up! That's why when Onyxia swooped down and dipped low near MJ's head, she finally managed to get spooked and 'eeeked!' with a flailing hand above her head. "Christ!" Mary Jane does not swear. But tonight, she came close!
She patted her ponytail down as best she could, then huffs a breath. She wasn't upset, at least! "I think I like Red better. Hellboy is too on and off the nose." As Bella sits on her foot, she's effectively trapped, daring herself not to move nor grab a seat, just keeping still to allow all motions to continue. Save for that large bird. Eesh!
But to continue! "You have a wonderful accent, Ms. Keiko! It sounds beautiful." Anything was better than hers. But studying the womans wounds and how she .. well.. manages to hold up, she was immediately impressed. On one hand, Mary Jane wanted to take Keiko for medical attention, the other.. she just didn't want to mess with her.
"An Exorcism? Like in the movie? Turning head, pea spitting and foul language against christ the lord?" As for the spirit animals.. she was shocked herself she didn't run away. Especially from Hellboy. Maybe she was just that damn lonely and itching for friends. "I'm actually an actress. Social media influencer, model.. blah blah blah. In fact, I guess I could promote New York's Art week. Sort of like a baby fashion week but we're celebrating locals." And then words that she's never heard of. Which makes her wish she picked up a book..
"I'm not a doll. But the eggs were all collected, if I had the money to buy new ones I'd burn these clothes." Keiko says to Hellboy. Her grasp on the English language is a little fluid. Onyxia butts her again and uses her beak to 'nip' at the spirit caller, as Koa gestures what to do. "Uh…" It's almost comically the way the woman pets the bird.
Onyxia seems to like it. As for size? This bird would be 4ft at the shoulders. The tattooed woman could ride her - in fact, she does.
"An actress?" She frowns at Mary Jane for a long time, considering "You were the hooker on Law and Order, yes? And the mistress on Yo Soy Betty La Fea."
Yo Soy Betty La Fea - the incredibly popular telenovella.
"Make sure none of them stuck to you…" Koa murmurs to Keiko trying not to laugh as she awkwardly pets her bird. He takes out the hip flask from his pocket that he keeps specifically for missions with Hellboy and offers it to him with a little shake as he sits down. Whatever Koa's got in there, it's STRONG.
He does not add to the list of things Mary Jane might be 'Paranormal Romance Writer' though the name does sound kind of like that…
And then Keiko says 'that' and Koa spits out the water he was drinking and coughs. "Ack! Um, no, not quite like the Exorcist. More ghost busters, really. With bullets. Really big bullets. And spirit wolves."
Koa glances at Red's hand. "And punching."
Hellboy sticks his tongue out at Keiko, "It's a god damn compliment, woman. Take it."
He's oblivious to whatever it is that Keiko said about MJ although he knows from Koa's reaction that it probably wasn't flattering. Oh well. "I don't know shit about art, I just know what I like. Dogs playing poker. Those nudie cards you used to get in the fifties, the cheesecakey ones with Betty Page. Renoir." he says, puffing on his cigar. "What? I can be sophisticated as shit."
Mary Jane was impressed! A -tiny- shift of her foot from beneath Bella allows her to step closer to the woman. "You saw that episode? See, people think playing dead is easy. You get naked, you get on a cold table, and close your eyes. Nope. In that scene, they had me hold some plastic bug and wrapped paper in my mouth. Then when it came to breathing, I felt like I had to do it inch by inch to keep from moving." She sounds annoyed!
As for Yo Soy Betty La Fea?
"Huh? Yo.. soy.. is that a telenovella?" She shakes her head. "I haven't been across the border yet.." But she -will!-
So they were shooting things. Punching things. Mary Jane scratches her head. This was something for the Watsons, her internet based fan club, to figure out. "See!" MJ says to Red, still inching her foot away from Bella for freedom. "This is why you should go! Trust me, they're going to have a darn fine dogs playing poker picture there for you to look at. I mean, it's a bevy of art and information you can get into. Plus, street vendors are going to be cooking food, pretty sure they'res going to be a ton of alcohol street vendors.. I mean.. it has everything for everyone! Trust me!" Or so she heard. Why is she trying to get them to go? Who knows!
"It is?" Keiko looks at Hellboy, clearly not intimidated by him. She ponders that as her scritching of Onyxia gets a little more natural. The bird certainly seems to enjoy it. "Alright then …" beat "Those cards are good. The ones with the girls on them … If you like them, I'm sure you can find them at The Store."
Poor Koa might have apoplexy before Keiko is done here.
Bella shifts, freeing MJ's foot, to flop on Koa's lap. He's got a friend right there.
"I think I have, Koa. Maybe I should just remove them and burn them anyway." At least she doesn't start doing that … yet.
"I did, yes. I watch a TV and Netflix. It's how I learned English." Oh my. "It wasn't you in Yo Soy Betty La Fea? She was pretty, like you."
"It is…" Koa says, leaning forward and placing his elbow on his leg so he can face palm. He deposits the flask by Hellboy's hand so he can take a drink if he wants it. And he sighs. It's a good thing that MJ seems pretty game for this conversation but…
"Why do you know what those ARE Keiko?"
Her and her spotty pop culture knowledge.
Koa finally starts to pet Bella, mostly she forces her way onto his lap (the only time anything remotely female will ever do that, he notes).
He does finally look back up. "So, Dogs playing poker. Alcoholic street vendors. Something for everyone it sounds like. Maybe I'll have to check it out. And you're involved with this you mentioned?"
She didn't, not directly, but she did say 'we'.
Hellboy snorts at the question about The Store, "If they do have any, I probably donated them. I used to get quite a few neat things from Tijuana back when I used to go chupacabra hunting there back in the 70s," he says.
"I'll take you up sometime, kiddo," he says to MJ. "You can gimme a whole tour if I show up. I'm pretty hard to miss. Some people make a fuss. FOr now, I'm gonna go home, boil myself to get some of this funk off, then eat three strombolis from Luigis before I pass out in my chair. Salud."
Thankfully MJ ignored it. She didn't know -what- they were! She knew what the dogs playing poker was, but not anything else.
"Oh. Honey you have to get HULU and Amazon Prime. They have -more- things to watch. So a friend of mine had a walk on role on the Netflix tv show You. He was actually a jogger who ran by the two main actors. You should watch it."
But she shakes her head, and since free, she takes up a seat on the stoop. "No. I'm only 19. My mom was my manager and she never let me do anything risque or out of the country -unless- it was a modeling gig I couldn't pass up."
She looked glum, but as Red moves to take his leave, MJ smiles and waves. "I'll come looking for you!"
As for Koa. "Oh. Well a few vendors wanted to showcase their goods before Coachella to have a definite in, so I'm getting paid to walk the fashion show for them."
"Later Red…" Keiko is knocked back a bit as Onyxia gets affectionate. Bella rumbles in pleasure as Koa pets her. Then both spirit animals dissipate to the smoke that wends its way to Keiko arms and settles on two distinct tattooes.
Tattooes that look just like them but in colour.
"I have Netflix and until recently that's all I could afford …" beat "I think I've watched that show, though. I'll watch it again now I know."
Koa gets a puzzled look "The cards? Mrs Henderson Presents." That's a movie though the reference might be lost on the two of them. "They were popular in the war, the girls used to send to their boys, give them something to come home to… or something."
"Can we go to this festival, Koa? After I washed up, of course."
"How do you know- nevermind. I'll ask later." Because… some of these things he's probably never going to figure out.
"Sure, I think we can go, Keiko. Perhaps you'd like to see Miss Watson if we make it there in time."
That should be during the next few days. That kind of art is not generally Koa's thing - he's more into REALLY old stuff - but it sounds like fun and it's not like anything is going to go wrong there.
Right?
"Well I'd say you've been busy for someone who is 19, Miss Watson. Speaks well of your future though I'm sure you've heard people say that before." So does not bolting when things get weird. Because things do get weird in life. Albeit usually not THIS weird.
"Well, thinks for stopping by to chat. And thanks for the water."
"Ciao!" MJ waves to Red, and he was gone. MJ grows incredibly silent as the spirit animals fade away, squinting as they sink into newly placed tattoos on the womans body. Wow.
"I hope it all pays off, Mr. Koa. But if not, I'll just go back to school for business and become someones secretary for life. Or maybe I'll get into the heroing business." Which she'd probably die at. "And.. it was nice meeting you guys! I hope I'll see you at the shows!" She waves, then bounces in place to loosen up, the jogs back the way she came. Tonight was weird.. extra weird, and she was going to sleep good.