Summary:Koa and Keiko seek out Illyana again. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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The Footlight Bar in Queens is part of the indie music scene in the city. It's not the best stop on it, but neither is it the worst stop on it. And tonight it had hosted a band with a blonde singer with ice blue eyes. Being a bar there is, of course, food and drinks which is definitely a plus for the bands that play there as it means that they don't have to go anywhere else to get fed or get hosed unless they really, really want to.
Koa has been very quietly watching. He watched the performance and he watched the band afterward. He's been looking for an appropriate moment to have a conversation with one of the band members and he thinks he just spotted one.
"There." He says to the asian woman who came with him. "Come on."
The much more casually than usual dressed man weaves through the tables and the people toward the blonde and stops just shy. "So it's Anastasia, is it?" He says, holding up his badge. "There's no trouble, but we'd like to talk to you a little bit about your amnesia if we may."
Nothing like going all in on the introduction.
Anastasia is dressed in 'distressed' jeans that look like they might have had more than a little help, and a too-large from a metal band that's had the sleeves (and a good portion of the sides) cut out in large armholes. It gives flashes of skin beneath and the halter top that keeps things decent. Heavy, chunky boots come up to her knees and her eyes are framed with dark shadow.
The makeup's run a bit, dancing about on stage under the spotlights is a bit of a workout, and she's sucking on a bottle of water as she turns as she hears her name. There's a flicker of recognition, that 'you look familiar' as her gaze settles first on the large man leading the way, brow furrowing a bit.
Pale eyes go a bit wide a moment later as the badge comes up, along with a sort of reflexive step back. The followup is even more confusing. Definitely not what she'd expect a cop to be interested in. Because let's be honest, she doesn't really know that a badge doesn't always mean cop. Her experience isn't quite that broad yet. Her confusion is pretty clear as she says, "My amnesia?"
"Are you sure we want to do this?" Keiko asks as she trails Koa. The nightclub scene isn't something she really understands. She sort of missed the usual teenage things as she grew up and then missed her early twenties by a long shot.
Keeping close to the taller, broader, agent to avoid being stepped on, Keiko stops just behind and to the side of him. She can't hide the slitted eyes that are so like a lizards. At least today, right now, they're dark brown and not yellow.
When Anastasia answers the smaller agent looks to Koa before trying to help. "Perhaps we should ask if there are things that you don't recall about your past."
"Quite sure." Koa mutters to Keiko as they approach. "Just be your usual charming self." That's a joke, yes?
The half step back is, unfortunately, to be expected. This is why Koa doesn't usually lead with the badge but in this case he thought it MIGHT at least help with not being either brushed off or bolted from.
"Mmmmmhmmm. Well what I presume is your amnesia anyway if you don't really recognize me and you're calling yourself Anastasia." Koa gestures to the woman behind me. "This is Keiko. Also an agent and also not here for any trouble." Keiko is not at all scary, noooooo. She just never smiles. Like… ever.
To expound on his point, he reaches into a pocket and produces an ID and a passport. Both with Anastasia's face on them but neither with her name. Or well. Neither with the name 'Anastasia' anywhere on them. Of particular note the 'passport' type document (which has SHIELD notation on it) says that she is a mutant.
"She should look familiar." The woman in the picture, he means, not Keiko. Though Keiko might also look familiar for a couple of reasons.
This is very much the 'shock and awe' method. Don't dance around the subject just lay everything on the table and then try to field questions and/or objections as they come.
Hopefully it works, at least a bit.
As Keiko steps out from Koa's shadow, well, she's much more exotic looking than the (admittedly big) white guy. And easier to remember. Also, there was that whole terrifying mess going on. "You!" Anastasia says, pointing. Guess she missed the 'pointing is rude' bit too.
That doesn't clear her confusion up, though, as she looks between the pair. "Yes. I mean, no. I don't remember much. The doc is still holding out some hope things will come back to me…"
Reaching for the passport, she looks at it for a long moment and then back up to Koa. "Is this… me? Or do I have a twin?" Though that cold gaze has more in common with Keiko than Anastasia.
5r
Koa's comment about charming gets a typical flat look. Keiko's smiled a couple of times recently. Admittedly, it was when she was in a fight.
"Me. Where do you remember me from?" the peruvian asks the woman. "And yes, she is you. You don't have a twin, thankfully."
See, she can be charming and funny too.
"Is there somewhere we can talk?"
The fact that it is Keiko that gets the 'You!' makes Koa smile just a little bit. "Well look who is all memorable and makes impressions and stuff." He asides to the smaller agent before looking back at the blonde.
"Let me guess that it's something a long the lines of waking up somewhere in kind of bad shape? Maybe a bit burned? Band found you and took you in? Sound about right?" Some of that is guesswork on Koa's part but he suspects its not too far off the mark.
"A brother. Well, a couple of brothers but no twin as Keiko says. Not that we're aware of anyway."
Koa lets that sink in for a moment and rolls his shoulder. When he does there's a ghostly image of a beastly-almost shark like head that seems to 'lean' out of him for a moment to peer before disappearing. He doesn't seem to notice.
"No, that's you. Illyana Rasputina." Not Anastasia, though he has to admit he could see the name suiting. It has a certain… Russian-ness to it. Or maybe that's only in Don Bluth films. "And to be honest… both of us thought you were dead." Well. Both of them had been forced to seriously entertain that possibility.
"One of the clubs. With the monster coming down from the rafters." The blonde answer Keiko.
There's a considering look on those so-familiar features, and then the ghostly flicker appears and when Anastasia steps back it's not by a half-step. The set of her shoulders, the widening of her eyes. All things predators are really good at spotting. Fear.
Answering Koa's questions, or posing a few of her own given he claims to have knowledge of who she is kind of gets sidelined. Hands held out before her, Anastasia starts to back up towards the band. One of whom has taken notice of what's going on, rising to his feet. "Ana! Everything OK?"
"That I did, yes." Keiko answers, the mutts combination forms her latin accent so very obvious. "And yes, you're Illyana Rasputin, someone …" Kekio sighs as Koas predator peeks out and causes the woman to move off.
"He won't hurt you. And we reall—-"
Is everything OK?
Keiko gives Koa a look that says he's going to owe her for this. She smiles and it lights her face up - making her seem much, much softer and possibly younger "We wanted to speak to Anastasia. We know her from before."
Mmmmaybe that's not the best thing to say.
Koa really, really hadn't noticed his 'wild side' poking out and when he senses - well, sees - her fear his gaze becomes a lot more intense. His features seem to become leaner. Sleeker. He takes a deep breath and lets it out before Keiko's reassurance clue him into what has happened. What IS happening. Right now.
Koa pulls it back, but barely. It takes him a moment before he looks more or less normal again and he glances to Keiko. "Oops." Oops as in 'sorry'.
"That's me. And I won't hurt you. Promise." That fear. It's so jarring to Koa. He's never seen it, never even really considered it on Illyana's face and it's enough to make him give Keiko an uncertain glance. Have they done the right thing?
"As she says, we know her." That's to the band member. To 'Anastasia' herself… "We've been looking for you for months, we weren't sure we'd ever find you. Or that you were even, you know. Out there to be found."
That Koa and Keiko know her from before gets a narrow-eyed look from the other band member, who starts over towards them with a bit of a swagger.
Like Ana, he's in worn jeans and concert shirt with long hair and piercings and tattoos to go with the rocker lifestyle. There's some trepidation on his expression. Koa is a big guy, and Keiko looks, well, kinda creepy. He puts an arm around Ana's shoulders, his manner rather… proprietary. "Oh yeah?" Clearly, he's inviting himself to this conversation.
Ana shows the band member the passport that Koa passed over to him. "They say this is me, Jake."
Keiko doesn't have her tats at the moment, her skin is bare of ink. It makes her feel naked but needs must and all that. There's still the slitted eyes though and the unsmiling face.
"Oops indeed" She mutters to Koa. She's already said he won't hurt Illy— Anastasia and she meant it. Neither of them could, she's sure.
Koa's look is returned. He started this, they need to finish it. Leaving now would be considerably worse.
"Illyana Rasputina. We … live together." Seeing the mans arm around the blondes shoulder, Keiko deliberately leaves that reference … vague.
"There's also Belasco…" Koa mutters sotto vocce to Keiko. That's a bit vague to everyone else unless the name hits 'Anastasia' but Keiko will get it. With the news they received just the other night it is entirely possible that the blonde is in some danger or if not 'is in' certainly 'will very soon be'. It'd be nice if they could get her somewhere they can keep an eye on her, even if she doesn't remember.
"Mmmmmhmm." Koa says again, this time to Jake. Koa knows he looks intimidating but he doesn't often use that to effect and he is making a very deliberate effort not to after feeling the rush of inspiring fear come up on him. Because to be honest if this guy panics the beast is probably not going to be put back in the box nearly as easily. Though… with this guy swaggering up it may not stay where no one else can see it for very long.
"C'mon Jake. You didn't think she just didn't have a life before you guys found her… what was it. A few months ago now, yeah? Her brother has nearly gone spare."
That proprietary arm though has a rather low growl coming from somewhere near Koa. In Koa actually but not actually FROM him.
Stop that, you. Koa clears his throat. "You don't have to take my word for it Anastasia, I work for SHIELD, we can go there and pull up your files. Or your bother can certainly get some from the school you both attended."
It doesn't stop. Does talking to yourself ever work? The beast's head again leans out of Koa's, along with part of the neck and a shoulder and it levels a LOOK at Jake. Then glances to Keiko as if to say 'WTF is this guy doing with our Darkchild?' and then LOOKS at Jake again.
Jake takes the passport, looking at it. Then he frowns. "It says she's a mutant." He shakes his head, the movement accented by the shoulder-length hair. "She ain't no mutant, man. Must have the wrong girl." That arm around Ana's shoulders tightens, pulling her a bit closer to him and a biiiit further from Koa and Keiko.
Anastasia herself looks a bit torn. Obviously, K&K have information she wants. But, also, freakyweird pair. "Maybe we should hear what they kno—" That 'freakyweird pair' bit? It so totally isn't helped when the ghostly beast emerges again and Jake gives a startled yelp and stumbles back a bit, dragging Ana with him. "Whatthefuckwasthat?!"
"She is. And we don't. And …" Keiko sighs as Koa mentions Belasco. The blonde is clearly scared enough, she didn't want to scare her more.
But needs must.
"That is my partners beast who rather likes Anastasia." She says to Jake. "And he doesn't like you." The beast gets a flat look from Keiko who mutters "Shoo before I swat you."
"We have good reason to believe that Anastasia is in danger. Someone is looking for her to do her harm. We would have left her, if we could. She seems happy here. But now … it would be better if she comes with us."
Oh. So very good Keiko. Sincere and … not convincing likely.
The beast looks at Keiko again and makes a face. Then Koa's head turns to stare at it, and it at him and he sighs. The whole thing flows out of Koa and his body goes limp. It's rather large and rather bestial looking but it doesn't make a sound. Just picks up the limp meat-suit and does a flying-floating S curve above Jake and Anastasia's head to land behind them and climb back into Koa's physical form once more.
"That's me." He says arms coming up in a sort of placating and 'what are you going to do?' gesture. "I'm a bit weird, and I know mutants but again you don't have to take my word for it. SHIELD could certainly test for the X-Gene or there are a few doctors out there who can too. But no, we don't have the wrong person. I know weird and I know mutants." Not as well as some but hell Jake doesn't know that. Nor does Anastasia.
Keiko's explanation gets a nod… except for a slight wince at the last part. It really WOULD be better if she came with them but oh that sounds rough coming from a pair of strange purportedly government agents.
"We won't make you, of course. But the danger is quite real and at the very least… maybe you can come with us just so we can prove what you're saying and show you a bit about yourself. Your friends can come too if you like, no need to come alone."
Is that going to be any more convincing? Possibly not. "You might at LEAST like the keys to your house back. Though as Keiko said, she lives there too." He does not add 'with your niece' since that might be laying it on a biiiit thick.
Yeah, the full emergence of that specter has Jake stumbling back, putting Ana betweem him and the… well, Koa.
Anastasia/Illyana? Her eyes stay very wide, but she's not falling over herself, and she's got to brace to keep Jake from making her fall as he scrambles away. She swallow hard, standing alone again. And at the center of attention, since Koa was… showy. "Uhm. Maybe we could come by the SHIELD offices…" Where it's sure to be SHIELD, and she's not being tricked off anywhere.
Keiko holds her hand out to balance Anastasia and takes a set of keys from her pocket and hands them to Anastasia, telling her the address. "These are yours. If you bring people, don't go in the basement. It's … under renovation and people will get hurt."
That's not entirely true but true enough.
"Come with us now, if you like. Bring your friend." It will give the agency an opportunity to get a decent image of him and do some searching.
"Or … you know. Meet us there. We're not going to make you do anything. We really do just want you safe."
Koa gets another flat look from Keiko. One he'll ignore she's sure.
Koa's beast has to have one more lean out to look past Anastasia at Jake. 'Oh so brave' it's eyes seem to say before Koa, wise to his wild half's tricks at this point, firmly puts a hand on it and shoves it back inside. "Down, you." He mutters to himself. Does it help?
Wellllll no. But the specter at least doesn't emerge again.
"Keep the ID's. If you don't want to go now, or soon - and I would advise soon - then you can show them that ID at the door and explain to them what you want and they'll show you in." That SHIELD 'passport' says she's a VIP after all. Splinter Lord and all that.
"If we're there you can ask for Agent Turner or Agent Kurita but even if we're not the folks there can answer all your questions. Or… well, most of them." 'Why does SHIELD know me so well' is likely to get an answer of 'You'll have to talk to Agent Turner about that.'
Keiko's flat look gets one in response that says 'what?' In a very purple fashion.
"We would be happy to take you now, yes, but if you're reluctant or want to talk it over, I understand." Koa would like to say it's good to see her again, because it is. But he doesn't. Not now. Keiko might also like to say that… if she thinks of it. But she might not. Because Keiko.
Anastasia worries her bottom lip a bit, looking between Koa and Keiko. The beast gets a long look, even when its' no longer really there. Which means she's staring at Koa's chest.
"I think… maybe in the morning. I'll come by. We need to clean up and stuff." Cryptic warnings are cryptic, and she's much more afraid of wandering off with strangers. Ana-Illyana folds her arms before her, really more hugging herself and hugging the ID to herself than being standoffish.
Koa's chest is nice to look at … and Keiko snorts softly when she notices Anastasia doing that.
She would like to say it's good to see her but she won't. She can't.
"We'll be there. Don't take too long." No please or thank you.
Turning to Koa, Keiko jerks her head. They should go.
f
Koa nods. "Alright. Hope to see you soon, then." Koa and Keiko SHOULD be there in the morning. If something hasn't pulled them elsewhere or, you know, to another dimension or reality. Ahem…
The agent with the ghost inside him walks past 'Anastasia', nods briefly to Jake - possibly smirking juuust a little - and heads out with Keiko. The two agents are just headed back toward Koa's truck when he hears a hiss nearby and looks down to see a cat sized imp.
So… how did it go?
Koa's hand shoots out and grabs K'nert by the throat… and lifts him by it. "Tell you all about it…" He mutters darkly as they move toward the truck. It's high time Koa and the imp had WORDS.