Summary:Supernatural stuff erupts, Bear and Bird respond Log Info:Storyteller: None |
Related LogsTheme SongNone |
There's places between shadows that are really doorways. Not doorways most people can use but one Valkyrie can. It took her centuries to learn to do it.
It's in one of these places in an alley in Staten Island that Astryd, a tall, lean, tired looking blonde, steps through. Ash coats her hair, eyelashes and dusts over her clothing - a sweat dotting her brow.
She's a messenger bag slung over her shoulder and stumbles just a little as leans against the wall. Hopefully the one who said he'll meet her is there.
Getting home is going to be a small challenge.
Mikhail Ursus pushes his way out of a less than reputable no-tell motel, clad in a wifebeater, boots and a baggy pair of military khakis. His hair is recently buzzed and his cheeks are a little red, owing to the hangover he's currently nursing. What he's no longer nursing is the hooker he got last night, who has apparently decided she's had enough of him snoring next to her.
He pulls out a pack of cigarettes and lights one, running a hand over his prickly head and pausing as he sees Astryd standing in an alleyway. Huh. "Hey, lady, you got a little somethin' right…everywhere," he says helpfully.
Harper had been keeping tabs on Mikhail ever since.. well. She got shot. The tabs were bad; she got him a job so she at least knows generally where he is. His off days were almost hard to track, but thankfully he moved slow enough for her to keep up. She was still a little tender, but at least her skin sealed shut enough for her to move around and be semi-productive. One bad guy stop, and a nother stop, and then it was to the hotel where Mikhail was at. All Bluebird'd up, even though she promised she quit that life.
But when would anyone ever meet a bear in your getup?
In the room of the hotel, looking down, she sees Mikhail emerge and gets on the move. But.. something tells her to look out the window, which she does.. lifting it just enough to poke her head out and look down. Let's see what he does today! Maybe she was hoping that he was bad.
Harper is also in perfect position to see the shadow fall over the alleyway. That's because something large just moved across the entrance. Something large and coal black with burning red eyes. Something, oh, the size of a couple of horses.
"She rather does, doesn't she." The deep voice comes from the dark shape, agreeing with Mikhail.
Is it… yes it is. Four footed.
And shaggy.
"You're late, raven. And you pick the most interesting places to come back."
The blonde quirks a brow at Mikhail when he speaks. "I suppose I do, at that. It can't be helped really." There's an aura about her and as the man approaches she straightens slowly. Glancing back into the shadows where she just emerged from, there's a look of … something … that crosses her face.
That voice though coming from the darkness has the blonde breathing a sigh of relief. "I don't chose them, you know that Fenris. The doorways open where they will, mostly." She stumbles to the big black wolfs side to put her hand on his shoulder. "I got it but the——"
From the place where she'd appeared a screech sounds, a clawed foot appearing just before feathers. "Astryd. We'll have what is ours…."
The creature appears … a bird with feathers made of fire… it breathes a stream of fire at the blonde as she stands there. Which means, Fenris and Mikhail as well.
Mikhail Ursus raises an eyebrow, "You know, I am usually not one who get to say this, but: holy shit. That is some freaky, freaky stuff. I am amazed," he says.
And he is, although he's also not entirely certain he's not tripping balls.
"Are you spies having secret meeting? I used to be spy. Maybe I can help. If you pay," he says. "Do you pay?"
Talk about having a vantage that you really didn't want; Harper thought she had seen it all with Mikhail but nope. This .. thing comes out of the shadows and speaks! IT.. speaks..
She ducks her head out of the window and stands straight, backing away slowly as she turns and begins to pace. Back and forth, back and forth, much like she did when she saw the man turn into a bear. And -they-.. as in, them down below, were -OKAY- with this.
Silently she was thankful she went to the bathroom, her legs were getting a little bit weak until she takes a breath, huffing it out as if she were saying 'okay'. Just deal. And it wasn't until she came back to the window to poke her head out.. when the creature appeared and spoke. 'Hookay..' She thought to herself. A big wolf that talks, a woman who looked injured, Mikhail who was trying to help and.. ugh.
Gloved fingers pry the window open slowly, inching it up until she feels the knock as far as it would go. The brain shut off, of course, cause this is where Harper gets reckless. Her hands pat along her sides as she finds her grappling gun, extending it, tightening screws here and there, her eyes dancing back and forth between the object in her hand and the three below. Fire. Yeah.. It was on fire.. She was thinking to herself, and partially laughing.
"This is the -same- reason why I fucking quit.." She mutters to herself, then takes a step back to aim outside.
"Less a secret meeting and more…" The dark shape cuts off when the fire breather emerges and it moves surprisingly swiftly to clear the entrance and avoid the flame. When it comes back and steps into the alley proper, it is a wolf. A BIG wolf.
"I think we can pay you to help out with this." The big wolf says. "Why don't we have an quick on the job interview."
He's growling as he approaches the fiery avian. He doesn't see Harper.
If he did he'd wonder which one she'll be shooting. She's still on the approach in any case and concerned with Astryd which means Mikhail gets first dibs on the punching if he chooses to do so.
It's not clear how it happens but one minute the blonde has nothing in her hands, the next … her long blonde hair falls around her shoulders and she's a sword and shield in her hands. As the fiery breath falls short of the trio, the blonde brings her shield up in front of her. "It is not yours, Tiniguel. You stole it as good as the one you stole it from."
Harpers grapple gets purchase and the womans arc brings her over the birds back - Bluebird can feel the heat as it rises.
Tiniguel snarls an avian snarl at the wolf but turns her attention to Mikhail. "You are in their employ? I'll deal with you first…
This time it's not a firey breath that comes at the bear man, but the hot bird itself.
Mikhail Ursus leaps off to the side, trying to do a tactical roll although it might be a little less graceful than he'd like, his shoulder bouncing off the concrete a little and bringing him up, "I do not work for anyone, but if we're going to fight, I have to get ready!" he says.
He starts to unbuckle his pants and try to shuck them off quickly, kicking off his boots as he gives most of the street a view of his bare rump, "Is my only good pair of pants, I can't ruin them!"
*THUNK!*
The heat. It was enough to nearly melt the wire, which means Harper had to act fast. A button was pressed as Harper dodges out of the way, sending the extender into the far wall to keep it steady. A clip from her belt extended, snapped off, swung around the wire which has her leaping out of the window like a .. well, bird out of hell.
A little on the nose, right?!
Though the swing of her body propels her, she hangs loose, angling her body to aim towards the flaming bird, risking skin and hide to try to land upon the angry avian's back. If she manages to find purchase with this tactic, she'd immediately try to choke the thing out, arm around the neck and a -very- hard tug, on fire or not.
Viva la rasa!
"Pay attention, raven." The big wolf murmurs when Astryd starts to look. Because of course she does. Fenris takes three rather large strides forward and headbutts the fiery bird. That should send it sprawling. Noteably he does not follow up. This is partly because he doesn't have room and also partly because he wants to see what's going to happen with mister no-pants.
Sadly he hadn't seen Harper swinging in to jump on the bird. So it's possible that she goes sprawling with it. OR it's possible that she lands on his back. He's going to be a bit shocked either way.
Of course Astryd looks, Mikhails a well built man and as far as she knows, Mortal - which makes it more than alright to do so.
The bird actually falters when confronted by the … full frontal … of the man, tripping over her feet to stumble into him - scorching his wife beater with the flames of her feathers. Which leaves her open for Fenris' attack.
It's a good headbut - anyone would think that Fenris has had practice at that. Tiniguel goes heap over apex, taking Harper with her. Leaving the young woman somewhat entwined in that firey feathers.
Oops.
Mikhail Ursus finally finishes disrobing, kicking off the last of his socks until he's standing there, brazenly buck-naked in the middle of the street. He is stout of build, a bit hairy and has tattoos that reflect an intemperate youth spent behind the Iron Curtain. "Now you have done it, motherfucker! Now it is time for you to face your worst nightmare. I am not just a man. I am a BEAR!"
And then, sure enough, with an appropriate gristly popping and stretching and spreading of fur, the naked Russian becomes a very large, very furry, extremely thick brown bear.
A bear that shouts in a rather rough Russian accent, "What do you think about that, bird bitch?!? Let's go!" And then the bear executes a standing roundhouse kick in challenge.
Like a spider monkey; Harper manages to snap against the avian and begin the squeeze. Two seconds later, a blunt hit sends them both spiraling. And if there was a kick in there somewhere? Harper probably felt that too! Holy shit, she was like a magnet of getting her ass beat. But!
Bruises and scars and everything builds character. And fire. It was a rather odd motion; one hand disengages to smack twice at her thigh to send the area into a fire-like compressive smoke. Homegirl rocks gadgets upon gadgets, and while this one is meant to be thrown, she sets it off upon her person. AND?
She hangs on for dear life. Cause if she still has the avian creature, she would try to use one hand to punch it in the head. Repeatedly. Psycho rage because seeing a big talking wolf, a fiery talking bird, and a woman who magics up a sword, shield, and pretty hair?
Too much.
Fenris also stares though with a different kind of fascination to Astryd. And with Tinguel sent sprawling with someone atop her and a bipedal talking bear now in play he simply sits down to see if they can handle the thing.
"I take it back, Astryd. You DO choose the most interesting places to come out of the underworlds."
Did he just say 'Underworlds?'
"A thousand dollars says it sets you on fire before you knock it out." Fenris calls out helpfully. He's now teasing and perhaps goading a little. Will the bear take that up? Or was he talking to the woman.
Maybe both?
"Oh dear …" Astryd's kind of impressed and she glances at Fenris. "I much prefer your transformations, my heart. Though I wouldn't be complaining if you had strip naked in front of me to achieve them." Tired, ill as she is, she teases like there's no tomorrow.
"Watch out…" beat "Only a thousand, Fenris? Well, you know. What would life be without such excitements?"
As Mikhail and Harper wrestle with the Avian, she's shed several feathers on the ground. They don't stop flaming, but grow bigger and bigger… soon Fenris is beset by three smaller, but no less determined flaming birds. They're … clumsier than the prime though.
Bluebirds fire suppressant is set over, falling over the back of the Phoenix she's riding. Giddy up? The flames start to sputter and gutter, leaving dull, lifeless grey feathers behind them. Her gloved hand connects with its head, at the same time Mikhail-bears foot hits in the chest.
Tiniguel spins like a top - which is interesting for Harper - before lurching at the bear again, trying to peck him to pieces.
Krav Maga definitely isn't designed for use by ursines, generally speaking, but it's surprisingly effective when used by the bear type individual. Ursa lunges, giving hard swipes with oversized claws, throwing in some elbows, knee thrusts and chomps. Is biting birds made of fire a good tactic? Probably not. But he's angry now. And there's money on the line.
Plus, Harper's here and he wants to show off a little. He likes her and she's probably going to get her butt kicked by weird magic animals. And he'd like to prevent that.
"Take this! And that! And then a third! You do not scare me with your fire! Fire is for pussies, you hear me! PUSSIES."
As long as she tagged it, it was all good for her. She's heard the tauntings, and.. man! She couldn't believe the NERVE of these weird people?! As the avian spins and began to charge towards Mikhail, she does the smartest thing she had ever done. Let go. Fall down upon the ground. Get out of the way.
Scrambling back onto her feet, pressing herself against the wall, she huffs, puffs, looks towards the little ones heading towards the wolf and.. yeah. She kind of just stands there, just a teeny bit dizzy. Her legs and arms were on fire, probably minorly burned, and it almost feels like she rolled a joint in her knee. So.. yeah.
Mikhail was showing off, little.. clumsy birds were a-birding, and Bluebird just kinda slides towards the ground and sits there, in a dirty alley way. A hand stretched out to smack a fire gone that lingered on the ground.
"I think I owe them some money." Fenris chuckles as he watches them go. The bear is good. Very good. He wonders where that thing has been hiding because normally Fenris would expect to hear about strangeness like this. And woman? Clearly mortal but very determined. And angry. Both of those are kind of similar now that he thinks about it.
And then he's being attacked. Well, the wolf has a solution for this. He'll huff. And he'll puff. And he'll…
Eat them. Chomp. Gulp. "Mmm. Spicy. You okay Astryd?"
"Are you alright, child?" Astryd has made her way to Harpers side. Child. The blonde can't be more than 30ish, can she? "That was a brave and stupid thing to do. Just like an Odinson I know." An Odinson. The shield. She's an Asgardian? "Double it, Fenris. It was worth it for the entertainment value alone. I am unharmed from this, my heart. You're going to have some very bad heart burn though." badumtish.
Tiniguel is left seeing … birds … after Mikhail goes to town on her. She's not down though, just very put out and she hisses at Astryd. "I'll be back for what is mine. And you, Bear … we aren't done."
It happens so quickly - one minute the now grey feathered avian was there, the next, she's melted into the shadows.
"Well than, that was invigorating. What are the names of our entertainers today? I'm Astryd, by the way."
Mikhail Ursus crosses massive bear arms across his chest, "I think we are done, because I am still here and you are not. I have thrashed you like baby seal."
He plops down onto all fours and meanders over to where Harper is, "Girl, you do not have superpower. Do not jump on magic fire birds. Do you need medicine? Vodka? Cigarette?" he says, nudging Harper with a big cold nose.
Mikhail Ursus says, "I am Mikhail."
Ew.. Harper didn't need to see that.
Though, her mind wanders, cause in retrospect, it was like a rather large and darkly colored german shephard snacking on doggy treats. Yes. That's how we will rationalize it. That thought was banished as soon as Astryd approaches, glancing up and then huffing. "Yeah.. I'm good.." She sniffs. "Tweaked my knee a bit."
And here comes… "Mr. Bear." Cause he was a bear, and a bear that scolded her! Does she need medicine? Hell.. "I DON'T KNOW!" She nearly yells at him, mostly out of irritation more than anything else. "Geez." Even his nose was cold, which draws out a "Blruburrb.." And a shudder. "Stop that." Hand pressed against his nose and kept there, and soon she's offering up her name.
"Ha.. Bluebird." Yeah, Bluebird!
"Well…" The big wolf shrinks down into a dark haired man who leads Astryd on over toward Bluebird and Mikhail. He fishes his wallet out while he does that and starts counting.
"You two are certainly quite capable even if one of you is a little bit crazy in that adorable mortal way." He means bluebird. Mikhail is a bear and it is therefore impossible for him to be crazy.
"I am called Fenris. I take it you two know one another?"
Astryd gets a concerned look but seeing as how she does indeed appear to be fine Fenris lets it go. They can talk about her curse later.
Perhaps its telling that Astryd hadn't entered that fight at all. There was a time when the proud Valkyr would stand in front of her God and protect him. Not today though. Today, she lays her hand on his arm and leans on his strength. "It was a fine performance."
Bluebird gets a look but the bear seems to be caring for her. In a bearish sort of way. "Do you often come to the assistance of strangers in the street?"
Mikhail Ursus shows that a bear can get a skeptical look on his face, "Fenris, huh? Okie dokie, mister," he says. He plops on his big bear butt next to Harper, "Da, we know each other. I screwed up things at her job, she screwed up things at mine. Is balanced, yes?"
"Do either have you have smoke? I left mine in pants and is bitch getting into pockets with bear paws. Also, give me money. Also a large fish. Market two blocks that way. Find stall with fat yellow eyed lady with wart on nostril. Not nose. Nosehole. She has best fish cheap."
Well, at least Fenris keeps his clothes on, not that Harper is a prude and all.
Yup. Harper was aware of mutants and magical beings and everything else, saw a few, but this was bit too much in her lifetime. Not that she discriminates, but goddamn.. "We kno.." Well, Mikhail answers questions and leaves Harper quiet, mostly because he was requesting fish and food? With a little grunt, she pushes herself to a stand, hopping up a little bit upon her good leg and leans against the wall. "I'm not adorable.." She grumbles. Then to Astryd, "Yes. I mean I used to. But I guess I need to train a bit more to get back on my game. I quit for a bit." Ow. Everything hurts. But she wasn't going to say that outloud.
"Give the money to him, he needs it more." She gestures towards Mr. Bear, she rather likes that name for him instead of Mikhail, it sort of lessens the fear factor for her. "Mr. Wolf, uh.. " What in the world was she going to call Astryd? "..Astryd.." She nods at them both, then bends to press her hands against her thighs to breathe a bit. "Okay, I gotta ask. What the living fuck was that?"
Fenris laughs a little bit and hands - as best he can - a couple grand to Mikhail and then the same amount to Harper. After all, neither of them had caught fire. Though how many people just walk around with four thousand dollars? That might say something about this 'Fenris'.
"Tell me she doesn't get those fish out of the Hudson…" Because that river is filthy.
"It was a form of phoenix if I'm not mistaken though I'm quite curious as to why one would have been wandering in the lands of the dead. Being not dead is kind of their thing."
This may not actually be a satisfactory answer but Fenris waits to see if it is all the same.
"You should possibly work together then, by the way. All the more convenient for screwing up one another's jobs."
Harper will work out later what to call the blonde. For now, despite her steely demeanour and aura, she looks very human. "If you would like to train, child, I would offer my sword and shield in such an undertaking." She's still leaning on Fenris - could she possibly do that?
"We shall stop the by market and send the fish to your hotel, Mikhail." That's on top of the thousands that Fenris just paid them.
"Funny you should ask that. I was asking myself the same thing and the answer is, I'm not sure beyond she might be a pet or some sort of summon. Or perhaps she has a way to the underways that I'm unaware of." beat "Either, I got the fire talisman, Fenris."
Mikhail Ursus doesn't actually follow some of what Fenris and Astryd are talking about. This is okay with him, however, because he doesn't really care. He's getting money and fish. The rest is kind of unimportant. Does he care where the weird fire bird thing came from? He does not.
He looks over at Harper, "I think he is saying we should be partners. Or mates. Either way. I am not picky. You are good looking. Skinny, but good looking. Under the mask."
Okay, so Harper wasn't going to refuse the money. Cullen did need a little bit more cash for things that Cullen does need, and the mortgage was due in three days. Not to mention, her high ass electrical bill. Still, being a.. somewhat member of the Batman team, she felt a little guilty, but shoved everything into her pocket to probably schlep it off on Mikhail or some homeless person later.
This couple was very, very curious.
Standing upright now, Harper tried to put on a strong face, but listening to the two kind of.. made her a little crazy. So.. she tries to put it together in some way that she could at least somewhat understand.
"So.. that .. bird phoenix was a summoned animal or.. demon that attacked you because you stole something from it's summoner?" Video games. "If I knocked my head hard enough I'd ask if we're in a death dimension right now but this alley smells like piss. We're still in New York." She was slowly working her way through it. And working together?
"We work a nine to five together, we're okay." But the offer to train does give Harper a thought. A sword and shield? That.. would be interesting. "Deal." Harper snaps her hand out quickly towards Astryd, gloves burnt and torn, the flesh beneath dark red.. a little blistered, but not too burnt! She'll probably scab up in the morning!
Mates though? "Listen, I'm sick of you asking about my cycle. Go get two legged and dressed."
"New York is not a death dimension, most of them are much cleaner." Fenris says. His look only gets more amused at the suggestion that they might be mates. Or should be mates. The God-Wolf shoots Astryd a look and takes a deep breath.
Actually he's taking in their scent, in case he needs to find them later. He probably won't but it's useful to be able to do sometimes. A man who turns into a cantankerous, lecherous bear is not something he knew he could do with more of until this moment.
And as for Harper, well, it seems he may be seeing more of her too.
"You can find us in the phone book under Ulric and Natasha Kerensky." He advises before stepping back. "Well, shall we? We have a fish market to visit and then I suspect we should get home."
It's likely more than just a sword and shield that Astryd will teach Harper. The blonde had participated so Harper couldn't know. "Deal. On my oath as Fenris' Valkyrie." She shakes the poor womans hand, carefully. "We will train. It has been long since I had a young one to work with."
"And something like that. It's not likely to bother you again, despite its words. That one is all just … hot air." beat "And you could do worse for a Mate, child. I've met the men of New York." There are some good ones, but there's an awful lot of bad ones.
"We shall, my heart." the blonde tells Fenris as she takes him again. "Fish and then home. I need the hot tub. Farewell you two…"
Mikhail Ursus just looks at Harper for a long moment and exclaims, "I can't help what I smell!"