11391/Conducting Research

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Conducting Research
Date of Scene: 30 May 2022
Location: House of Curiosities
Synopsis: Hellboy and Glorianna meet and become crossed purposes.
Cast of Characters: Glorianna Silver, Hellboy




Glorianna Silver has posed:
Not all research is done online. For starters, there are some books in the world that haven't been transcribed to digital copy. Many should never be. And knowing where to even FIND such books is often the most difficult part.

In an older neighborhood near Greenwich Village is an old house that was converted into a museum sometime during the '20's and has been run by the same family ever since. Rumors about the museum abound, of course, with murder and ghosts and ancient spirits at the top of the list.

This morning, a young woman enters the museum. She's dress simply but well, in designer jeans, silk blouse, and a custom leather coat with matching boots. Some might recognize Ms. Silver in her role as businesswoman and philanthropist, but that's not likely in this establishment. Pausing just inside, she stops to take a look around the place. It is seemingly devoid of life, including the presence of a proprietor.

Hellboy has posed:
    Hellboy looks at the paper map that's been rolled in some kind of fancy map case. It's older than he is, but it's one of the few things he's actually got that shows this place on it. Well, that's not true. It's one of the few things that shows this place that he'll actually use. Google Maps is the devil, and he's perfectly happy with the irony of that statement. He lets it roll back in and tucks it away as he opens the door with his left hand and pushes it open. "Hey!" he barks out. "I'm lookin' for a book!"

Glorianna Silver has posed:
Glorianna Silver hears the loud voice as the door opens, the woman turning on her heel with one hand raised. Spotting the peculiar, red, devilish man she relaxes and lowers her guard. Probably not a reaction that he's used to seeing. "Yes. Well, we're all looking for -something-." she replies, the accent and attitude showing that she probably comes from money. "I honestly don't think anyone is here."

Hellboy has posed:
    Hellboy walks in, curious that this woman doesn't seem to care that a demon, ground down horns or not, is coming into the shop. He stands at the counter and looks around. He finds what he's looking for and reaches out with his left hand, tapping the bell. *Ding!* He waits a good two whole seconds before ringing it again. Such patience! *Ding!* Aaaaand it's gone... *Ding! Ding! Ding! Dingdingdingdingdingdingding!*

Glorianna Silver has posed:
Glorianna Silver tilts her head, arms folding over her chest to watch as the big, red-skinned demon tests the bell. Over and over again. Ginger brows lift and she smirks, not interrupting. "I said, I don't think that anyone is here." she repeats. "The place was unlocked and the sign flipped to 'Open' when I arrived." She squints, then. "Haven't I seen you before?"

Hellboy has posed:
    Red stops ringing the bell and looks at the lady. "Hmm?" He looks her down and up again. "Geez, lady, I don't know. I meet a lot of people. What, did I sign your baby or something?"

Glorianna Silver has posed:
Glorianna Silver's upper lip twitches at the response and she chuckles softly. "I doubt it." comes the reply. "As it turns out I'm looking for a book as well. Care to join forces? Divide and conquer, and all that?"

Hellboy has posed:
    Hellboy's gaze narrows as he looks the lady square in the eye...or thereabouts, it's hard to tell without pupils or irises to his glowing ember eyes. He squares off, facing the woman. "How do you know we're even looking for the same book?" he asks, suddenly curious why she's so interested in him.

Glorianna Silver has posed:
Glorianna Silver shrugs at that, shifting her weight. "I seriously doubt that we are." she replies. "But do the math, if you can manage it. Two people looking for two books is faster than one person looking for either." A moment's pause, and she doesn't back down as he faces her more directly. "I'm looking for... ancient stones. Probably worn as jewelry."

Hellboy has posed:
    "You and every other woman in Brooklyn," Hellboy says. He shakes his head. "Hang on, I thought you said you were looking for a book," he realizes. He shakes his head again. "Books ain't stones, lady."

Glorianna Silver has posed:
Glorianna Silver's eyes brighten at that, humor causing her upper lip to curl a little. "So you -can- work out the math." she muses. "And yes, I am. I'm looking for a book that -tells- about the stones. I quite seriously doubt that any of the stones are here." Pause. "In fact I'm sure they're not."

Hellboy has posed:
    "Yeah, yeah," he says. He looks her over again. "I'm betting you can afford them, too," he grumbles to himself. Perhaps bitter about his own meager paycheck? Unclear. He waves her off as he turns, aiming himself with hunched shoulders at another part of the store. "Alright, I'll hollar if I find books on rocks. You hollar if you find--" He rattles out a title in flawless Chinese. Not Mandarin or Cantonese, but the ancient Chinese language spoken starting at about 1200 BC.

Glorianna Silver has posed:
Glorianna Silver lifts a brow when he rattles off the book title. She responds with a question, speaking fluent Mandarin. "Is that the one you mean? And I'm looking for more than books about magic rocks. These -stones- are rumored to channel the very power of the elements."

Hellboy has posed:
    "Yeah," Hellboy says, turning back to look at her, impatiently. "It's Chinese. It'll look like Chinese." He thumbs over his shoulder with the Right Hand of Doom. "It's all cool and everything that you want to find a book on MAGIC rocks, but I just want my one book and to get out of here. Call me if you find any books that look Chinese, k?" He turns back around and walks further into the small shop...not that he could get lost in there, he's taller than all the displays.

Glorianna Silver has posed:
Glorianna Silver watches as the big red guy stalks off on his search. At least it'll give her some freedom to conduct her own. The shelves are haphazard at best, like a maze at worst. Then she rounds a corner. "Hey!" she calls out. "I think I've found something." And yes, there are several shelves with old-looking books and Chinese writing along the spines.

Hellboy has posed:
    Red comes back at the woman's beckoning. It's a small, tabletop bookshelf, but it's what he's looking for, or at least what he told her he was looking for. He starts reading the titles out loud. He plucks one out. "Perfect!" he says. "Now I just gotta get some--" He bellows out. "--SERVICE!" He moves to the counter with the book in question and taps impatiently on the counter near the bell.

Glorianna Silver has posed:
Glorianna Silver was starting to read through the titles, carefully translating as he just so casually starts blurting them out loud. She reaches for one as he snags it, and when he heads for the counter the woman is stalking right after him. "Now wait just one damn minute..." she begins. Of course the bell doesn't seem to do anything, and she stands there between him and the door with both hands on her hips. "That's the book -I- was looking for."

Hellboy has posed:
    "Lady, I got a room full of nerds on government paychecks on me to get this damn thing." He shakes his head again and mumbles aloud to himself, "Should have sent Abe." He turns back to her and continues, "AND if it comes to it, I can outbid you. So there." He sticks out his tongue at her.

Glorianna Silver has posed:
Glorianna Silver tilts her head, cocking her hips and looking at him dubiously. "I'll offer you one million US dollars in small, unmarked bills." she declares. Government job, indeed! Glorianna knows about government paychecks. "Why do you need it, anyway?"

Hellboy has posed:
    Hellboy stops talking. He could throw out any Earth language like it was nothing, but apparently she could do the same with money. "Bosses want it," he says, hesitantly, narrowing his eyes. "Why do YOU want it so badly?"

Glorianna Silver has posed:
A back door opens and an old man with Asian features walks slowly into the shop. He looks to be anywhere between 80 and 150, banging an unusual cane around almost casually while he walks. "Children! Children!" he calls out loudly. The old man tilts his head, sniffing the air. His glasses are ovals, the lenses black.

"That book is not for sale. You may read it in here as much as you wish, but it must never leave this shop."

Glorianna starts to respond, but is left gaping at the sudden and very -final- declaration. "I think he's serious." she offers in a low voice. "But I can accept that."

Hellboy has posed:
    Hellboy slaps down a wad of hundred dollar bills and turns to exit the store. "Requisitioned for national security," he says, tucking it into his nebulous coat under his right arm. He lifts that arm to wave. "Bye, lady!"

Glorianna Silver has posed:
As it turns out the book really CAN'T leave the shop. It physically stops at the plane of the door, tucked under Hellboy's coat or not. The Asian man looks almost smug as he smiles, although Glorianna was two steps into a sprint towards the door.

"The Book must never leave the shop." he declares.