1963-12-10 - Fang
Summary: Hilde finds a dog. Barney finds Hilde. Doreen finds nuts. Sif finds.. stuff?
Related: If there are no related logs, put 'None', — please don't leave blank!
Theme Song: None
barney sif brunnhilde doreen 


A gray, slightly snowy Saturday afternoon in New York. It might actually be considered cheery, little trees out on most of the street lights, a Christmas caroling group somewhere down the street, many windows of shops done up for the season. It's lovely in it's own way. Hilde worked the night shift all the way through until about 10 minutes ago when she's now headed home. Barney knew when she'd be off, maybe he's decided to meet her half way with coffee? Maybe not. But she's in her slightly blood splattered, sweat and worst things stained blue EMT uniform, stethoscope still around her neck and duffle across her shoulder. She walks huddled and a little slow, eyes on the ground, half asleep.

*

Doreen has arrived.

*

What? Meet her half-way? That'd mean that Barney would actually have to think about something and/or someone other than himself! Seriously?

Bagels. Barney is on a bagel binge at the moment. Toasted. Warmed. Garlicky goodness with so much butter it'd drip down hands and down your arm. He's not entirely certain of any given path Hilde may take back, but the closer to 'home' she gets, the better the chance of finding her.. and the better then chance of his having lost his Jr. Agent. So, about a block down, still another couple of blocks from 'his' coffee cart-guy, and he's holding a wrapped bagel while leaning against the corner of a building, having a cigarette. Sunglasses are on, wool coat with the collar turned up, and snow falls, dotting dark hair with white flakes.

*

The cover of the afternoon wasn't ideal for a basic stalking. One could assume that Sif had been watching the Valkyrie for a week, or possibly since she's heard the news, but to assume that would assume that she had nothing else better to do. But it was true.. nothing else better to do, save for the ordering of servants to dress the Bellator in accordance to the mortal holidays, with a smattering of Nordic themes brushed in.

But all that yule-tide glory brings in a bit of a bah-hum-bug, a lot of drinking and possibly shit that didn't really belong in the holiday spirit as well. Hunting, running through the woods with wolves, and all that jazz.

But stalk she does, clad in her gear. Gear in which save for the headdress that she'd normally wear to battle but vambraces and leathers alike. She certainly didn't carry the guise of Sybil Ofasgard, but it was something close and dressed down into her mortal seeming. Small ornate daggers line both sides of her hips, miniature shield upon her back. Asgardians were out in the open at least, and yet no Agents stayed upon her trail.

Good. She was busy.

*

Doreen is heading home from her classes for the day. Rather than taking the subway like any sane human being, Doreen has decided to walk home. After all, she's a superhero now, so she has to excercise to stay in fighting fight condition! Also, she may have missed her train. But she did it accidentally on purpose because of the superhero thing. Yeah.

Plus, it's hard to sit on those narrow subway seats with a four foot squirrel tail shoved down the back of your pants. It does, however, provide a great shelf for your overloaded backpack!

Coffee probably sounds good right now. She wonders if she brought some hazelnuts. They do wondrous things for the aroma. All of which leads to her being about twenty feet from the coffee cart, shoving her hands into her pockets and searching around, "Nuts, nuts, nuts, I need nuts, where are my nuts?" she mutters under her breath, completely oblivious to stalky Asgardian amazonian, holy crap, is that chick wearing a shield? That…that's great! "COOL SHIELD WANT ANY NUTS!" she exclaims, holding out a fist full of walnuts.

Stay classy, Doreen. Stay classy.

*

It's probably because of Hilde's downturned eyes that she sees the slightly twitching trash pile in the first place. Or, maybe it's the slight edge of death in the air. Something dying. That edge reaching out to her other instincts, waking up the sleeping Valkyrie in the back of her head so her eyes slightly sliver and her head turns more sharply. Something was dying here, definitely. Or would be if it wasn't helped. The exhausted medic tilts her head, slowing her steps to stare at the trash on the side of the side walk, half pouring into an alleyway… "…What? In…hells…" Hilde breathes out quietly.

Watching the 'Valkyrie' is probably not all that fascinating, really. Hilde hasn't even let that other part of her out all too often. It's a lot of overnight shifts, sneaking around to Barney's current bolt hole, and sleepless nights. Today was no different. Except for Hilde's stalking something in a trash pile. Something she can suddenly hear whimpering in fear at the echo of a woman's too-loud scream down the street, Doreen's over excitement carrying into the alleyway.

Hilde kneels down there and, ever so gently with skinny hands, she picks up a few trash bags and pushes them aside to reveal a tiny, mostly starved, mange-ridden dog that was probably once white but is now mostly gray, where there is fur left. It looks half dead, shivering, but is still fighting to live somehow. "…Oh… oh. You… well, life just totally fucked you over, didn't it?" She murmurs softly.

*

ROLL: Barney +rolls 1d100 for a result of: 80

*

Barney's watching the road, his cigarette actively smoked as he stands there. Nothing shady looking there, nope! He hasn't yet caught sight of Hilde, but who can miss a scream such as that? Even a block away? Granted, it's not quite so loud by the time it reaches him, but after something like that? There are more than a few turned heads. (Including Jr. SHIELD agent!)

Nothing like subtlety! Even those driving in their cars do turn to look at the hail, one a 'black sedan' driving down the street in Barney's direction. That, actually, the man sees and takes a step back, turning around and walking in that same direction as the car is going. Soon enough, it should pass.

*

"Heh." So, Sif was noticed. Not that she was trying to hide from everyone else, but to stalk a sleepy woman was something that was completely beneath her skillset. She was waiting to be noticed, and yet, something dead and near dying caught her attention. Just as good as any. "No!" Sif hollars out, equally loud in turn, her path soon drawing her into the alleyway in which Hilde had taken her path to. Into the garbage.. into the rubble..

*SHINK!*

A blade was soon brandished at the sight of the furry mongrel which does have Sif's nose turning up in faint disgust. Or was it remorse. It was hard to tell, with the Lady these days.

If Life truly had fucked that mongrol over, Sif was about to offer it relief. Relief by a cool and coaxing hand with words that may tug and pull at the sisterly senses. The dagger, light as it were, was twirled within her grasp, landing flat upon the palm of her hand as she makes no need to hide her approach.

"Give it relief." She murmurs quietly, her hand outstretched with the blade. "Release it from this earthly tether."

*

Doreen stands there with her handful of nuts, having not noticed Barney and his espionagey spy stuff happening because she has no idea about that sort of thing. I mean, she's read some James Bond, but that's about it.

She does follow Sif, though, who apparently will not be having some nuts but does have a really big knife, "Wow, that's a big knife!" she observes helpfully.

When she realizes that they're looking at what appears to be a dog in the garbage, though, she steps forward, trying to kind of barge into the m iddle, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on there, lady! Let's not…I mean, can I see your veterinarian's license? Let's get puppers here to a doctor or something, get 'em checked out, before we start opening up any major arteries, huh? It's okay, I can take care of it, I'm a superhero, I've got this, carry on, no stabbing today, thanks."

*

The yelling behind her is ignored, Hilde far too worried about the poor mutt in the trash pile to focus on that. Besides, it was New York. People were always yelling and crazy. She drops her duffle to the ground and begins to strip her boney frame out of the jacket she was wearing, fully intending on wrapping the pup up in it. Then, suddenly, there is someone at her side. A blade. The offer.

Arctic blue eyes flicker up from the dog and to the woman offering the blade. She blinks tiredly, confusion on her face, a flicker of almost recognition. It's there and gone, her eyes moving silver for a heartbeat, but Hilde is in charge right now and she's trying to help the thing, not kill it! "…It…it's dying, not dead. We… we can help it. It… it just needs food. A bath. Just because something's…. fucked up doesn't mean it's best to die." From the skinny nature of Hilde's body and the bags under her eyes, well, she's almost a prime example of that.

She then leans over, moving to finish wrapping the thing up in her jacket. "Shh…here… It'll be fine…" Doreen is given a momentary look at the offer of the doctor (and being a *superhero*). That makes Hilde blink. Hwoever, she does also see the nuts in the woman's palm. "…Uh… could… Could I have a few of those? Maybe it will eat…" Are nuts good for dogs? Who knows. Hilde doesn't even hesitate about it. Food is food, right?

*

Barney's back is turned to the car coming down the road, and he turns to go into a grocer's shop just as the sedan passes. And pass it does, giving him that chance to move through the back, out an alley and back to the street, only another block up. A small gathering in the form of about 3 people are hunched near garbage bags; one in .. what the hell? Leather? One with a rather inhuman looking ass, and then there's…

Great. Hilde.

Barney flicks the cigarette to the street and starts his cross, easy ducking traffic in his NYC 'jog', which really isn't more than a fast walk, hands in his coat pockets. "What's goin' on? Hilde, you okay darlin'?"

*

Spy stuff? Psh. Moving out in the open was a challenge! Though it was clear the attention whores of all attention whores was Sif, for a Doreen was eagerly following her for some -ungodly- reason. Even as the little woman moves in between to intervene in between the two women and near dead pup, Sif's brows furrow in a moment of a anger that flashes quick behind pretty blue eyes.

"What."

-No- clue what she just said. Sif was not fully immersed in the culture and the manner of speakings of Midgard. The swear words were one thing, but that line of shit Doreen just spouted was another. But it -amused- her. Amused her greatly. So with a sheathing of her danger and a grasp of her hand against the bag, Doreen was properly lifted from her feet and turned just a touch with a twist of her wrist. And stared at.

"I have never had a superhero." Sif replies evenly, slowly drawing the girl in to look her in the eye. She even sniffs her briefly. "Though I could consider the one who courts me as such.." Her eyes grow vacant, Doreen soon pressed upon the ground more delicate than which she had snatched her up. "You will take me to your betters, woman." She says of the Squirrel woman. "And I shall purchase you." Beat.

Back to the matters at hand, no matter if the pup was wrapped within the coat, and nuts asked for, Sif takes that step forward in a moment of recognition and back. "You do not truly believe such drivel, do you?" She asks, her voice now lowering to softer tones. Both hands were out now, willing to accept the pup from the frail womans hands. "For if you do, woman. Give the beast to me and I shall see to it that he runs with wolves." Though, her head cants slightly. "For you cannot take care of such an ill thing when you yourself are frail of body. Frail of mind. She who drags, half sleep through the dangerous streets of York. She who.." And as Barney approaches, her eyes lift, lip curling in the same manner as she finally cracks off with a grin. "..lays with filth."

*

Doreen was on the verge of reprimanding Hilde for her use of potty language (ON THE STREET NO LESS) when she's suddenly seized and examined by Sif before being set aside in a patronizing fashion. The thick-thighed girl starts to vibrate, her creamy, freckled skin growing rosy as she bares her buck teeth a little bit, the claws coming out on her hands as she puts them on her hips. There's a ripping sound as a seam in her nylon trousers tears and suddenly her very, very bushy tail is pushing up behind her, like a cobra rising from the snake charmer's basket only much, much frizzier.

"Purchase me?!? Now listen here, Miss Spartacus, but this is the United States of America! We don't buy people here because people are free, even if they're squirrel people or if they're…dogs!" she says. She may be losing her train of thought.

"I don't know why you're such a grouch who loves killing pups for sport, but if you lay one finger on that doggie, I will twist you into a pretzel!"

She lets out a huffing breath and finally says, "And yes, of course, you and the doggie can have as many nuts as you want, just get 'em out of my pocket, I've got plenty."

*

The offer of the nuts is the first thing that Hilde takes, reachng up with her free hand (the other arm wrapped up around the coat and bundle of dog) to pull out some of the nuts and reach them down to the frail thing. "Here… shh… eat. It'll be alright. Don't listen to her. She… she doesn't understand." As if the dog could *understand* Hilde and Sif.

Then she looks back up, seeing the scruffy Barey behind them, and a genuine smile cuts across the pale woman's features. "…Me? Fine… just got off work… but… I found…" She nods towards the mutt in her coat, something bleeding heart behind her eyes already. "I…I'm gonna… bring it home. Get it cleaned up. Poor thing…" Then her pale eyes flicker back to Sif and there is a moment of protective defensiveness. The woman can probably see a hint of the strength that is Valkyrie behind that gaze, especially as insults are lain at her feet and the dog is threatened more. Hilde unfolds from where she was crouched, shoulders levelling, her arms clutching the dog a bit closer to her skinny chest. "It is not this beast's time. And I am…not *frail*. I can perfectly damn well care for a dog. And Barney is not filth. Look, I don't know who the hell you are, lady, but you better step off right fucking now."

*

Barney slows his pace at the words from the leather clad one, and stops, his expression shifting to a deadpanned neutral. From there grows a hint of a smirk before he opens his mouth to adress Hilde. In it's place, however, comes the "What the fuck is that?" at the sight of a big-assed fluffy tail breaking out of pants. He stares for a long moment before he moves again, quickly, to get at Hilde and get her the hell out of there.

"C'mon.. let's g- What is going on? Hilde, what-" Oh jeez.

He's not really concerned with name calling; he's been called worse, much worse. What Barney is concerned with, however, is Hilde. When he catches that back going straight and her tones turning defensive, it's time to move. He's still got his bagel, though it's in his pocket now. "Dog?" Aw, no.. And just in case either of the two want to take it away from the paramedic, he reaches out for it. "Lemme have him. C'mon.."

*

Sweet Doreen. She was a treasure in the fact that she revealed herself under such potentially dire circumstances. In that action alone, Sif saw a warrioress in the making, who had a sunny disposition that her other charges lacked. It, was refreshing. But the look upon Sif's face would make someone think she'd be perturbed, or angered, no less. "You do not buy people? What of those who's skin resembles the fresh earth that crumbles easily beneath the fingers of man? What of the women who crawl upon hands and knees beneath those same men who seek to view such things with illicit pleasures?"

Speaking of.

"Woman, who's tail is long and bushied. Come with me and I will show you wonder." Her hand lifts, tucked within her top, a small card revealed with was snapped within her fingers, shoved into the pants of the bushy-tailed one. And left with a pat upon the side. At least after the nuts were taken, of course.

Though, now there was a problem. And Sif was presented with three choices: She could either indulge the warrior within the frail woman and break her completely. She could either snatch the pup from her hand and vacate the premises with but a swing of a blade and but a thought. But the other? One that was done only once and under dire circumstances.. a throwback of old. That memory plays before her features as she looks towards the two with a slight frown.

With that thought in mind, the latter choice foremost upon her features, she takes a step towards the woman who rears up her shoulders, both of her hands out, blue eye pressed to the dull as her hands hover over the tired, weak little beast within her grasp.

It was a one time only deal. A one shot. A parting gift to whatever being lies within. It was her sister in arms beneath the mortal seeming she wears, one that.. if possible.. she'd never see again. Call it denial. Call it a moment of grace. But Sif seeks to perform the unconventional.

"So be it."

To imbue another mortal to save their lives is one thing, but to part her own essense into the beast to give it a fighting chance is another. And there was no fanfaire with this act, no glow. Nothing that crackles with thunder or turns the skies that were already grey into a darker hue. Just a small gust of air that circles around the coat that holds the pup, feeding energy and warmth into it's bones before she willingly takes a step back. And it throws to the memory of Jane, one that actually has Sif smiling just a touch as her hands soon dust themselves free of what lingering magics taught in secret from Frigga.

"I take my leave. Sister." Is all Sif murmurs, canting her head in a brief bow as she turns with a flourish of braided, black hair. It was not as if she were expecting anyone to follow, but she's seen what she needed to see. And for that, she was glad.

*

Doreen stands there with her mouth agape after Sif's entire presentation. She sputtered a bit during some of the examples she gave at first ("Yeah, but that's wrong!"), but then she keeps talking all fancy and noble and then she's doing some sort of crazy thing around and sweeping her braided hair around and bein' all DRAMA SWEEP TURN COVERGIRL.

She reaches in to fish out the card as she raises a clawed finger, "Wait. What. Who. Why. Did you. Have we. Do you two. I. Wait. Squirrel. I'm a Squirrel. I'm Squirrel Girl," she says finally to answer Barney's question, having lacked onto that as an anchor to keep her vaguely in the realm of sanity.

"Just…just don't kill the dog. Help the dog. Geez. That's the normal thing to do. Just help the dog. Gosh," she says, putting a walnut into her mouth and cracking it.

There's a wriggling at the top of her backpack and a squirrel wearing a small bomber jacket and a pair of aviator goggles crawls out and sits on her shoulder. It chitters and holds out its paws, quickly gifted an acorn. "You said it, Monkey Joe. You said it," she says, nodding at her friend's wisdom.

*

While Sif insulted Barney, it's clear that such words have utterly NO effect on Hilde. She leans closer to him, even as her gusto is up, letting him protectively reach for the dog that Hilde has clearly determined is her's. She gives Barney a slight nod, a half smile of thanks, that he's not told her to kill or toss the thing. She's just about to hand it over when Sif reaches for the the creature. Hilde freezes. She nods in faint agreement to Doreen's words, hoping that the intimidating, oddly familiar woman will listen.

And then the power comes. Something brushing past Hilde's mind, to something deeper. There is a hint of poppies, steel and blood, for just a moment. Sif might sense it more than anyone, power echoing power. The Valkyrie trying to wake up, but Hilde's strangely obstinent right now. Rarely for herself, but in protection of something else? She's not letting go of the dog or of her mind. She watches as the dog stops shivering quite so bad, tail wagging a bit against the wrap of her coat. It still was a skinny mess but didn't look like it'd perish in the next few moments. Some of that cold determination melts off of Hilde's face. "…T-thank you… uh… miss. Seriously. Thanks. We… we can take care of this. We got it. Right, hun?" She asks Barney, blue eyes a bit too wide. Yes. She's begging to take a dog home.

Then she blinks to the side, just catching up with the other super hero and the fact that a squirrel is right there. She stares. "…Uh… thanks… to you too, Squirrel…lady." Is that thing talking to her? Surely not.

*

In the half reach, Hilde stops. Barney looks at her first before shrugging out of his long wool coat, revealing a button down shirt, sweater atop, jeans and boots. Coming around as Sif is doing 'her thing', and he's watching her, he drapes the coat over Hilde's slight shoulders. Then, and only then, will he finish accepting the transfer of puppy from Hilde, though not without keeping an eye on Sif.

It's the 'transformation', the way the puppy seems to perk up a little, and the smell… he knows the smell, and Barney stares at the two for a long moment before, "You two know each other?"

That's lost, however, when that little squirrel in the jacket and goggles comes out to chitter. "That's it. I'm done.. c'mon… Fang. Let's go.." Tough guy; the moment he's got a puppy in his arms, though…

*

As the other two women head off, Hilde does relax a bit more. The threat of that other person coming forward seems to have faded with the disappearing Sif. Hilde just looks like herself, a touch of relief behind her too-tired smile as he accepts the dog and EVEN NAMES IT. Oh goodness, they were stuck now. "…Fang, hm?" She asks, almost teasingly. But she doesn't complain about his coat either, she just settles into it, no longer quite on the edge of shivering that she was. SHe hadn't even realized how cold it was. She slips up closer to him, arm loosely going around the back of his waist as they continue walking. "…might be nice to have a dog. Somethin' to… to come home to, yanno… when one of us is workin'… "

*

It's cold. Snowing. And Barney's given off his coat. But he's got the puppy, and he can feel it squirming in his arms. "Hey, buddy.." is singsonged. "No.. you stay put. I gotta get us home first." His gaze rises and he looks around the immediate area, scanning first before he's taking steps in a direction not -quite- the way 'home' is, but they'll get there eventually. Down alleys, and the like.

"You kiddin'? I'm workin' again." As they speak, no doubt the guy he poisoned is on the slab, waiting for the funeral home to come and get him. Bad fish. Damned shame. Barney looks at Hilde, a smirk playing on his face, "You didn't know, huh." He turns his sunglassed face to the puppy and bounces him, "She didn't know.. how's that?"

*

There is something about a scruffy, tough man carrying a puppy (who is equally as scruff) which is absolutely heartwarming. Hilde doesn't smile a lot, but this is enough to actually make her grin. She's lost for words for a few moments, the sweetness of it all almost too much. "…see, you like him already. You're stuck with him now. Ain't gonna be able to talk me out of it because you won't be able to talk yourself outta it." Hilde teases him gently as they continue to walk. She doesn't complain about their direction. She knows how paranoid he is, she knows the routine.

Her arm remains around his back, trying to give him *some* warmth, where she can, even as they walk through the freezing streets. "…and I figured you were workin'… I mean, when yer gone, it'll be nice to have him there… and you might even like it when I'm workin' nights still." Because she is back to it. They had to keep bringing in money sometime, even if he's got work again. Hilde hasn't been able to keep herself away from the ambulances.
.

*

"I don't like him," is grumbled, though it's hard to actually believe him at this point, the way he carries the animal. Barney is keeping that eye out, and when they finally reach 'home', he's up the stairs and in. He's cold, and has been using the puppy as his only real source of heat. (Sorry, Hilde, but you're not a warm person in the best of times!)

"Here." Now Barney turns to give 'Fang' to Hilde. "I gotta make a fire, make some coffee. You get to take him for walks… and crap. Food." He'd forgotten that part. "I.. uh.. there's a bagel in my coat pocket. That should be okay." He moves to start that fire, working at it quickly in order to get the first embers to catch. "Pickin' up damned strays."

*

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