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It is early evening. Her father may be gone a few months now, but occasionally a friend of the family or the wife of a cop comes by with a little something. Today, it was beef enchiladas from the wife of Sgt. Torres. Family meant a lot to her.
The tray was heating in the oven while Gwen swept the leaves from the front porch of the house she had spent her entire life in. There was a warmth here, as if her father was not completely gone.
It helped with the nightmares.
She swept the last of the leaves from the porch, laying the broom against the wood railing and plopped onto the wicker loveseat set up on the porch. It was a dry night, so Gwen had put out the cloth cushions.
She lifted her bottle of Coca-Cola(tm) and saluted the fading sun.
"Here's to you, daddy," she says softly, with only a trace of the old sorrow.
From above there is a voice. "I think you may have me mistaken for someone else," Starfire calls out, floating down from above. "My name is Koriand'r, but you may call me Kori or Starfire if you wish." She glances around below, to make sure she won't land on anything delicate, and waves.
"Would I be correct in assuming you are Miss Gwen Stacey?" Kori wonders. "I was told by a mutual friend that you might perhaps have a spare room you might be willing to rent out?"
Gwen blinks as she stands up quickly. Wow. She had been honest about wanting to let Starfire stay, but she never imagined the alien lady would take her up on her offer. There was something…classy? Not true enough. Majestic. Yeah, that was it.
"Yes, I'm Gwen. Would you like to come inside and see the place, and then you can make an informed decision?" She opens the front door, thanking heaven above she had oiled the hinged only a few days ago.
Once the invitation to come in is made Kori finally lands on the lawn. "Oh, well… if that would be okay? I do not.. really have a lot of money. I was told by a young woman called White Widow that would not be a problem but.. I can understand if that is no longer the case." She smiles.
"I was originally going to call ahead," Starfire explains brightly. "Unfortunately the paper with your number on was slightly damaged by some sort of mead. It is.. how do people call it..? a long story."
Gwen chuckles. "It's all right. And yes, it is still available. Come on in, and we can talk while I show you the place." She steps inside, holding the door open for Kori to come inside. "There are a few rules to follow, but I intend to let you know what they are before you make your choice. And, of course, you can ask me any question you want answered."
She pauses. "The history of the house is that I and my father lived here. My mother left when I was very young. My father, a policeman of New York, did his best to raise me, and I think he did very well. My father was…killed in the line of duty a few months ago, and he left the house to me."
Starfire follows Gwen inside, pausing to carefully wipe her boots before stepping indoors. "I am very sorry for your loss," she says solemnly. "It is always hard to lose someone that you care about. Especially if they are taken unexpectedly." She glances around, taking in the decor, then adds "It is good though that he was able to provide this house for you to stay in. It seems quite large compared to some of the stacked residential domicile."
Gwen smiled. "He was very smart with his money, and very good with his hands. The house was in much worse shape when we got it, but he did a lot of the repairs. Some I helped him with." She points to the kitchen, then says, "We have a full-service kitchen—stove, oven, grill, toaster, and a refrigerator/freezer. I do a lot of cooking. Do you cook often?"
"I know some traditional festival dishes from my homeland," Starfire admits with a smile. "But they require certain types of fungus which are not available on this.. part of the world. However I typically do not require food. My mutation allows me to consume light for energy. Such that when I rarely eat it is for pleasure rather than sustenance."
Gwen ahs. "Well, you'll probably like the view from the guest room. It gets a lot of sunlight during the day. But you're welcome to join me for anything I make." She indicates the living room. "Most of the comforts—hi-fi stereo, record player, and one of my dad's last purchases." She points to the large oak cabinet with the TV CRT built into it. "One of the first color television sets."
Starfire nods. "I have seen those devices in store windows before," she says brightly. "It is a shame they are not interactive but I am sure it is something they are working very hard on." Her hand pats at the large green gem on her belt. "I do have my own personal communications device which is able to receive music via the radio. You do not have to worry though, it does not play at loud volumes and would not cause any disruptions."
Gwen chuckles. "Actually, I and another girl are trying to put a musical group together, playing rock-and-roll music. I recently finished converting the basement into a studio/practice area. If you want to see it at the end of the tour, we can do that." She begins walks down the center hall towards a larger dining room, with oak table and chairs set for six. "That door at the end goes into the back yard. It has high wood fencing and trees lining the far end. If you want to arrive and leave without calling attention to yourself, that's a good place for it. I can show you the rest of the yard now, or we can also put that at the end of the tour."
"I would be curious to see your musical studio," Kori replies earnestly, still following along and peeking in through various open doorways as directed. "Do you entertain often perhaps? You have a table suited to throwing small feasts and gatherings."
Starfire laughs. "I have seen the back garden area from above. Would it be more convinient to visit now? Or at the end? I do not know how many routes throughout the house there are."
Gwen thinks for a moment. "We can check out the second floor, where your room is, then come down to check out the backyard, then finish downstairs in the basement." She nods to herself as if agreeing to the plan, then turns to walk upstairs. "My father would bring people from work home. He was a hard man, but he was a fair man, and if you respected him, he would move heaven and earth for you. I spent many night working on homework at that table, with my father working on his cases across from me, so we were both doing our homework at the same time. Occasionally he would help me with my homework. And, on a few occasions, I would help him with his." She giggles as she reaches the top of the stairs. "One time I helped him find a crook because I suggested something odd off the top of my head, and he bought me the car that's in the garage."
"Oh. You know that reminds me a little of my own father," Koriand'r muses. "He was very keen for me to learn about the family.. business I suppose is the right translation. And it was very important that everyone showed a lot of respect for his position." She grins. "My own education however was all at boarding schools or private tutors."
Gwen raises one thin eyebrow. "Boarding school and tutors? I know what that is in our country, but my dad would tell me not to project my understanding onto something or someone else. He called it 'anthropomorphizing.' So maybe you can tell me what your experiences were like." She pauses at the door nearest the stairs. "Linen closet, as well as some storage. The entrance to the attic as at the end of the hall in the opposite direction, near the master bedroom."
She continues a few steps further, then opens the door into a room seemingly filled with light from the large window at the opposite end of the room. It is simply furnished—dresser, queen-sized bed, small desk, sliding glass door for a closet. It has a faint smell of incense.
"This would be your room, if you accept."
Starfire shrugs. "I do not think it would be terribly exciting to talk about," she muses as she follows along. "I am sure school lessons are not so different the world over. Mathematics, language and the occasionally poetry recital." She glances at the closet. "Why does linen require dedicated storage? Is it very valuable? Oh that room is quite lovely, much larger than the place I have been camping."
Gwen hmms. "Well, it was traditionally linens for bedsheets and such, but we also keep towels, medical supplies, tools for small repairs." She chuckles. "My father also used to keep a firearm for home defense in there. Those are locked up, now." She steps back, allowing Kori to take the time she needs to assess the room. "You can decorate it however you like, and if you want to bring other furniture in we can remove whatever you don't want."
Starfire tilts her head and blinks at Gwen. "Oh. I do not own any furniture. I am carrying most of the things I own… My other items of clothing were destroyed in various incidents," she explains as she walks around the room. "And if I had the funds to decorate I think it would be more appropriate to use them for rent."
Gwen nods. "Do you have a regular income, Kori?" she asks, leaning on the door frame. She cannot help a wistful look. This had been her room, until she lost her father. Now, it seemed somewhat empty. She felt some warmth that someone might be able to use it again.
Starfire shakes her head. "I have no income and currently no job. Although I sometimes help people out and receive gifts in return. Carrying a broken down truck for example. I have found people do not feel comfortable employing obvious mutants."
Gwen looks at Kori and her heart seems to break a little. Okay, she's a soft touch, just like her father has told her numerous times. But having a past with boarding school and tutors and suddenly she can't even afford…
"Kori, I'll make a deal with you. I could use some help around the house. Chores, cleaning, that sort of thing. If you don't know how to do a certain task, I'll teach you. If you don't mind the idea of keeping the house clean…then we can say your work will cover your room and board."
"Oh, I do not need any boards! I have never taken carpentry lessons," Starfire explains earnestly. "But I am more than willing to help you with your household chores. It only seems fair to contribute in any way that I can."
Gwen smiles wryly. "In this context, 'board' means support beyond having a place to stay. Like 'boarding' school being a school you lived at." She nods. "All right. I'll show you the backyard, then the basement, and then you can give your final decision."
She walks away, back towards the stairs, but waits for Kori to reach her before going to the door leadiing into the backyard.
Starfire takes a brief moment to look out the window, then turns to join Gwen and floats down the stairs. "Oh. Yes that makes more sense. Languages can be very hard at times. Especially learning so many in such a short space of time. Did you know there are more than one type of Greek in use? Or that Asgardians do not have a spoken language only a written one?"
Gwen raised an eyebrow with curiosity. "I'm familiar with the concept of dialects. Asgardians…well, I know Norse mythology from reading Bullfinch's Mythology. Finding out that they are real…like another race of beings entirely…that is awesome in the literal sense of the word. Because they are not human, they can't be. But that's okay. It'd be amazing to meet someone like that, from another world."
She opens the door and walks out into the backyard.
The high fences are there, as well as the copse of trees at the far end. What is new is the training equipment. Heavy punching bags, weights on a rack, a regular punching bag near the back porch. It looking like a boxing gym, only outside. One of the heavy bags is marked GWEN ONLY, spray-painted into the side of the bag.
"Oh. They have an embassy near central park. Have you not seen it?" Kori asks cheerfully. "They are quite… rowdy. It is where the incident with the mead I talked about happened. I'd offer to bring you but I do not know what the rules are regarding guests."
Starfire drifts out into the garden, floating around a bit to get a sense of the space. "You may also find it quite shocking. They are very fond of drinking, feasting and rowdy fighting."
Gwen hmms. "Okay, that meshes with the mythology I read. Still…I dunno. I would like the opportunity, but…I don't want to waste their time. Besides, I tend to avoid alcohol." She smiles. "I can still have fun without getting intoxicated."
Not that she actually CAN get drunk. One experiment involving her Dad's Glenlivet proved that."
"Anyway, if you want to use any of this equipment for your own training, feel free. The ground is perfectly flat in the center." She looks to Kory. "If you like to do that sort of thing. You certainly look fit."
Starfire beams. "I think perhaps it would break if I used it," she half jokes, picking up the heaviest weight on the rack with one of her little fingers. "But thank you for the offer." She lifts the weight a few times, as easy as if it was a feather, then puts it down. "I am not really an expert, but I don't think the drinks there even qualify as alcohol. I am told there is some sort of magic involved and they are shockingly potent."
Gwen chuckles, but she is startled by the girl's strength. "Wow. Uhm, okay. Well, I'm not going to be invited to an Asgardian party anyway, so why worry about preparing for stuff that will never happen?" She walks towards the back door. "I'll show you the basement, and then…well, then you can ask me any and all questions you wish to ask."
"I do not think they need an excuse to party," Kori points out with a chuckle. "But who knows. Perhaps your band will become very famous and they will invite you one day?" She shrugs and follows along. "May I ask what musical instruments you play?"
Gwen opens the door to the basement, then heads down on wooden steps that are freshly cut and coated with stain. "I play the drums. Mary Jane Watson, she sings and plays treble guitar. We had a bass guitarist, but she had to go. Family matter. We have a few songs, but we still need to practice a lot."
The stairs turn right as the basement opens up. It is a high ceiling, the smell of sawdust ephemeral.
At one end of the basement, taking up most of the back of the room, is a large stage, a sound mixing board off to the right of the stage. A drum kit and two guitars are on stage, the guitars on stands. New construction in an older place,
"Oh. I met someone with that name once," Starfire notes with amusement. "Would it not be strange if it happened to be the same Mary Jane who is in your band!" She floats around the stage, being very careful not to touch anything. "I have never really seen modern American musical instruments before. Just drawings of things people would play in the past made for library books."
Gwen nods. "Well, maybe I can play for you sometime." She pauses, then moves to sit in one of the nearby chairs. "All right. I am now going to answer any questions you have.' she smirks. "Remember—the only stupid question is the one you don't ask."
Starfire sits floating in mid air opposite Gwen. "Oh I would like that. It was music which convinced me to come to this country to visit," she explains earnestly. "Questions.. let me see. Do you have any rules regarding when I can come or go from the house? I did briefly look into housing and the places available for single females often have restrictions regarding when you could enter or leave and who you could bring to visit."
Gwen thinks for a moment. "Well, I tend to stay up late most nights. I don't see any need to impose restrictions unless a problem comes up. As for bringing home visitors, I would like to be informed. I have an answering service my father used. If you decide to bring someone to the house, call the service. If I am available and at home, it will connect you to the house. If not, you'll be able to leave a message and I can be notified when a message has been left. I have a Bellboy pager device that will buzz when a message is left."
"That seems fair. I can't think of anyone I would wish to bring to visit but I thought it best to find out in advance," Koriand'r says solemnly. "Hmmm it is very hard to think of all the questions! What sort of household tasks did you have in mind for me to assist with?"
Gwen takes a deep breath. "Well, there are daily tasks, handling garbage, light cleaning, kitchen duties. Then there are weekly ones. vacuuming, mopping floors, dusting, that sort of thing. I can make a list for you and you can see what will need doing and how often. If there are any you are unfamiliar with, ask and I'll demonstrate."
Starfire nods along with each point, then frowns. "I understand many of the terms but…" she coughs. "I have never really needed to do any of them. When camping in nature there is very little need for… well for any of those things. So you may need to show me.. all of them."
Gwen nods. "All right. Each day, I'll show you 2-3 chores. We'll start with the daily stuff, then the weekly." She smiles warmly. "Never feel that you cannot ask me anything, for any reason. I will never look down on you, treat you unfairly, or interpret ignorance as willful disobedience. I will always treat you like an adult first, unless you don't listen or ignore me. Then I will have to treat you like a child." She reaches to touch the floating girl's arm. "But I don't think you would let it get that bad."
"You sound a lot like a Knorfka," Starfire points out with a grin. "You don't need to worry though. I am sure I will pick everything up quickly. It can't be harder than working out the orbital mechanics involved in a trip to the moon and back now can it?" She grins. "And if the arrangement does not work out for either of us I can easily return to camping. Oh! Yes it occurs to me, I sometimes take little trips to explore. But if I plan to do so I'll try and give you plenty of notice. Especially if I will be in space or somewhere else that is hard to reach."
Gwen blinks. "Space? Wow…uhm, sure, no problem. And if you can't leave a message in any way…I'll just try not to get too worried about you."
She goes to space. Can you believe it…?
"So…will you take the room?"
"You mean would I like to stay? Oh, yes that would be wonderful," Starfire says, nodding. "I.. I was right in assuming you do not mean physically take the room somewhere. I probably could lift it but I do not believe the structure is designed in a modular way.."
Gwen realizes she is going to have to explain a LOT of American slang.
"You're correct. 'Take' as in 'assume residence' in this context. I'll give you a set of keys to the door. I'll show you the attic if you need to store anything. And if you get mail of any sort, I'll get you a change-of-address form from the post office." She extends her hand to Starfire. "Welcome to Queens, New York, Koriand'r."
Starfire blinks a few times. "I don't think the post office knows I exist, let alone where I live! As for storage you don't need to worry, I don't think I need to bring anything from my campsite. Unless you have need for a large rock for your garden." Her own hand is extended, for she knows the ritual of the shaking of hands. "It is a pleasure to be welcomed new friend Gwen Stacey."