15568/Figuring out who the Saints and Sinners are

Figuring out who the Saints and Sinners are
Date of Scene:	07 August 2023
Location:	Saints and Sinners Club
Synopsis:	Hellcat ventures into Mutant Town to try to capture a thief. She soon crosses paths with Nightcrawler and their pursuit leads into a particular club, coming up empty.
Cast of Characters:	Patsy Walker, Kurt Wagner

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Patsy Walker has posed:
Sometimes, when you're on the tail of somebody the unexpected happens. Chasing a few blocks after a thief, Hellcat's path leads her into Bushwick. Otherwise known as Mutant Town, it's a place that's been a powder keg of activity both good and bad. Exactly how humans are seen isn't something she's had a great chance to explore, but there's a first time for everything.

At least in costume, she somewhat fits in.

However, after watching the one she's after duck into the Saints and Sinners Club, set in a former church (isn't that ironic?), she finds her path denied by the bouncers. "What do you mean, mutants only? That guy beat up an old lady and stole her purse! I'm Hellcat! You must have heard of me! Can't you see I'm one of the good guys?" This doesn't faze the one she's talking to. Apparently, the prospect of allowing a thief into the club is better than a normal human, at least when that thief is a mutant.

"Cheese and crackers!" she exclaims after being turned away again, kicking an actual rock down the sidewalk. She certainly stands out in her suit of golden yellow, blended with darker hues and a feline-styled cowl.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
It is not the best of situations to be sure. Not the best of looks. Sheltering a thief. And while it might not be Captain America standing before them, demanding that the call of justice be met, it does seem that the incident should probably have been solved with some small degree of common sense instead of blind adherence to the rules.

Fortunately there are a great many eyes out and about Bushwick tonight, and at least one set of them has long since learn that it is better not to judge people but their appearances, by whether they are mutant or human. Or even something else entirely. So as Hellcat is denied entry and turns away instead of trying to force the issue, it is almost as if a shadow itself detatches itself from a nearby alley and steps forward.

In the dark that indigo fur is touch, almost impossible to distinguish from black and those golden eyes cut a much more shocking appearance when they are the first thing to loom up out of the dark. But the shape of him becomes more apparent as he nears, a toothy grin curved over his otherwise devilish features.

"My apologies frauline, for interrupting your eveing. But I couldn't help but overhear your dilemma," Kurt says quietly. "Mutant or not, if he is guilty of what you say he is, he should not be able to simply disappear here, simply because it is a mutant enclave," he says quietly but surely.

"As it so happens, I believe the rules allow a non-mutant to enter. Provide they are accompanied by a mutant. And as you can see," he begins, that grin broadening as he sweeps his hands in front of him. "I most certainly qualify."

"So shall we?"

Patsy Walker has posed:
Hellcat's frustration leads to her hands balling up into fists, but she's careful not to let the built-in claws pierce her gloves. It'd be another bit of irony, given the crucifix within the club and what it's represented. "Look, I don't need--" She stops herself, biting back the frustration evident in her voice as she looks Kurt up and down quickly. It's difficult to tell her entire expression with what's hidden behind the partial cowl along with the fact her eyes appear solid white like this, but the body language gives away some of the surprise.

It's blind luck that the day humans /are/ allowed into the place with a mutant escort just happens to be this very day. "Uh, is that so?" she asks, taking a closer look at the entrance where there is indeed a sign up to that effect. Not a large one, for they aren't exactly advertising the weekly loophole to all, but there it is.

"Have we met before? Hellcat." She extends one of those clawed hands, looking the man with the dark features up and down, noting all the ways he stands out as what he is. "I might have to take that offer."

Kurt Wagner has posed:
While there might be something a little devilish about his appearance, especially as that swishing tail becomes plain, coiling about as if it has a mind of its own, the smile seems genuine enough and those golden eyes dance merrily with mischief, not malice.

"I do not believe I have had the pleasure," the fuzzy blue elf says, the corners of his mouth curving up a little more at that, though he sweeps into an extravagent bow, dipping his head deeply her way before he draws himself up straight once more and motioning towards that line. "You may call me Nightcrawler. Or Kurt. Whichever you prefer," he says slyly, seemingly unconcerned about giving her his name. At least the first bit of it.

"With luck he will still be lingering inside. I imagine this thief is confident that you won't be able to get at him," he says, his expression growing a little more serious as he turns back towards the club before pausing and instead turning back to her, offering a hand. "Mmmmm, you know, no need to wait in that line again or argue with the bouncer. I believe I can expedite matters quite nicely."

Patsy Walker has posed:
"You look sort of like a big elf," Hellcat observes, likely far from the first time anyone's mentioned that. "But also a lot like someone I've seen before," she adds a little more quietly. "Just not the same color."

A half-smile follows his bow. "And such a gentleman," she remarks after he's extended a hand, one she also gets a better look at before accepting it. Claws at the fingers, claws at the toes. She's kind of taking the 'cat' side of her name seriously, isn't she?

Clearing her throat, she mutters, "He'd better be in there. You have a faster way? I'm not looking to get into some big fight here."

Kurt Wagner has posed:
At the mention of the fact that she has seen someone else looking rather like him, Kurt freezes for just a moment. He has been given a few hints that half his parentage is from a rather unpleasant source, and while questions linger, know might not exactly be the time.

So instead he recovers quickly, flashing another bright grin her way and dipping his head. "I've been told that a time or two. The ears Perhaps. Or maybe my rakish good looks," he suggests impishly, taking her hand with only a little care to avoid those claws.

He does eye her speculatively for just a moment before flashing that toothy grin once more. "I can get us in without incident. And you look like you are fairly fit. One jump shouldn't make you empty the contents of your stomach on your boots," he says confidently. "You might find this just a little disorienting," he warns. Though of course doesn't really say just what 'it' is.

Then there is a soft *bamf* sound and they disappear from view, reappearing a moment later within the club proper, a little cloud of black mist rapidly dissipating around them, taking with it the faint hint of a sulphurous smell.

Well, they're inside. Now they just have to hope they can find who it is Hellcat is looking for.

Patsy Walker has posed:
That is /one/ way to get inside the place with a mutant. Yep, it certainly is.

Prior to that, an amused sniff. "You're easy on the eyes. Speaking of which, yours are glowing. I've also seen that before." It might explain why Hellcat is not immediately put off by Kurt's appearance, but his polite demeanor helps given..well, perhaps he'll learn about that in due time.

"Find what disorienting?" she asks, shortly before the teleport in leaves her briefly coughing. That's what she gets for taking in a breath as soon as the 'jump' takes place. There's a brief moment where her balance is thrown enough for her to reach out and brace herself with a hand at his shoulder, the other up to her head. "Unh..I think I see what you mean. Good thing I didn't eat too recently." A quick look around reveals the interior of the church, the pathways leading to 'Heaven' and 'Inferno,' and she scoffs at that amid the darker setting. "Well, if that isn't familiar in a symbolic way."

Where /is/ that guy? Lots of mutants (and maybe a few other humans) he could blend in with.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
Sometimes it's like ripping off a bandage. It's just better to take care of it all at once rather then pulling it off inch by inch.

Either way, it is done quick enough and Kurt is more the happy to give her a moment to recover from that sudden shift in perspective, supporting her as he glances around the converted church, seeing if he can spot anyone who looks particularly guilty, or who perhaps reacts to her sudden appearance amongst them. Given that he doesn't actually know just who Hellcat is looking for, afterall.

"Sorry," the fuzzy blue elf offers up cheerfully. "It will pass quickly and well... sometimes it is just easier to show then tell," he points out, his tone light. Particularly for him, given that he doesn't seem to suffer any of the ill effects of those near instantaneous jumps.

"No one seems to be fleeing in terror from you and we did make something of an entrance, so maybe your quarry slipped out the back," he admits, that smile smoothing away for a moment. "Though I suppose we could try checking out Heaven or Hell," he notes drily, glancing towards that twisting staircase that leads both up and down.

Patsy Walker has posed:
"Yes, very easy for you to say," Hellcat bites back with a hint of sarcasm in her words, heard amid the music and other sounds around them. Her 'sea legs' are stabilizing again, though there's no way around her standing out even in a crowd like this. There just aren't many others in full costume, and in this part of town the visibly different features a number of visitors have aren't uncommon.

She's had a cloak of teleportation in her possession, though rarely used, and it doesn't work quite like this did. Doesn't feel the same, anyhow.

Her toeclaws curl briefly and she sticks a step closer to her 'escort' for the evening, just so it's clear they're together in that regard. "Think I'm feeling better already. Yes, we probably should check the rest of the place out." There are reasons for her to look dubiously toward either of the two paths.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
If Kurt were a betting man -- and he isn't really, except for fun -- he would have to assume that her quarry likely slipped out the back. It would be pretty brazen to linger in a place like this and just assume that the no mutant policy -- with conditions -- would be enough to protect him.

Then again, the man is apparently a criminal so perhaps that is simply a given.

He doesn't miss that dubious gaze cast towars those two... unique entrances and he gives a shrug of his shoulders, tail idly flicking back and forth behind him. "You know him better then I. What he's likely to get up to. There is a door in the back that leads out into the alley. I guess that would be our door number three in this case," he says sardonically.

Patsy Walker has posed:
Hellcat's got her legs beneath her again. Not so much paws, for the feet are normal, though sheathed in a sort of thin boot with claws at the ends, same as her hands. "Or maybe we can ask someone," she suggests. However, doing so leads to a few different yet equally unhelpful replies. A couple barely even acknowledge her. One supposes their target went to Heaven. Another suspects it may have been Hell, come to think of it.

She holds out her hands, palms up. "That didn't get us very far," she tells Kurt, looking him up and down again. "If we just leave now, we might lose our shot." If the guy's already outside, he's probably gone anyway. Jerking a thumb toward the way up to 'Heaven,' her body language asks the question. There first?

Kurt Wagner has posed:
At the best of time eyewitness testimony is not exactly reliable and while she might meet the rules by being accompanied by him, there are probably sill those present that just don't care, that are unlikely to tell her the truth regardless. It's not a particularly good attitude, not one that Kurt has a great deal of sympathy for, but it is something he can at least understand.

She does raise a good point though. If he just left out the back there is probably nothing further either of them can do unless he was kind enough ot have left a breadcrumb trail or perhaps big neo signs pointing in the direction he went. So the fuzzy blue elf simply shrugs his shoulders and flashes a wry smile, starting towards those stairs leading up. "And here I thought I was far too young to already be climbing my stairway to Heaven," Kurt muses, yellow eyes glinting bright with mischeif.

Patsy Walker has posed:
The non-mutant visitor rolls her eyes behind the whites of her cowl, indeed catching the look in his features. "No comment on that one," Hellcat answers. There's a sense of irony that someone going by the name she does 'ascends,' but sometimes names and looks can be deceiving. One for her, one for him.

When they get to the top, the white and gold lounge area shows a number of people dressed for the occasion and intent of the place. She murmurs more for his ears, "Well, then," as the bar is also noted along with the 'angel' there. Already, there are flirty looks sent their way. That's just how it is.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
While Kurt is an occasional visitor to the bar -- enough to be known by the staff it seems -- he has never really strayed into the other two areas. So while he is not exactly shocked -- he's a little too worldly for that -- he still arches a brow as they make it up to the upper level and find themselves in what appears to be a well appointed and rather specifically themed brothal.

While he glances around briefly, that pleasant smile never fading from those fuzzy, devilish features, he is careful not to encourage too much eye contact either. "MMmmm, do you see your quarry up here? I suspect that they will not let us pop into the back to look around any further, so the only other alternative is to wait until they're, mmmm, finished," he remarks drily.

Patsy Walker has posed:
Hellcat considers the bar itself, and the gender-ambiguous 'angel' behind it. If they're going to be waiting, something to drink could be worth it. Lowering her voice so it's kept hushed while they're the subject of new attention, especially her with it the first time she's set foot in here, she says, "No sign of him. If he's off with someone, that's gonna make this a whole lot more weird than it already is."

Crossing her arms, she taps a foot impatiently against the floor. It appears as though she's watching some of the others here, even if she may not be. "You got any better ideas than that?" she wonders, leaning closer to whisper.

Kurt Wagner has posed:
It is a fair point to be sure. There is no real telling how long they might be kept waiting out here. "I'm afraid that whatever influence I have with the staff ended downstairs. I've never been up here before," the fuzzy blue elf admits with a small shrug, that tail giving a little flick. He'd like to help, he would, but there is no easy answer for them here tonight it would seem.

"Mmmmm, I suppose we could check the underworld. Though if this is what Heaven is, I am a little concerned what Hell would be like," he admits. Some very adult themse at the minimum he is sure. "I suppose we can see if they, well, rent rooms or if they are only for those, mmmm, visiting the local talent that are allowed back there," he points out drily.

Patsy Walker has posed:
"I've spent some time in Hell. Long story," the woman with the feline-themed costume states. "And I don't know if you really want to hear that one right now but if you're wondering, no, I'm not a demon." Quite the unusual topic of conversation. "Let's check it out."

Back down they go, this time in the direction of Inferno. They're stopped, requiring names to be given. Hellcat sticks with her codename. Anyone who has a secret identity to protect would understand. The waiver makes it sound like they'll be going into a place from which they might never escape, but surely that's part of the ambiance.

Then, they see it. "What happens here stays here," she murmurs to Kurt. "So, like Las Vegas. Been there." The code word has already been given. Good thing her eyes are hidden behind the mask, because even they widen initially. "I have a feeling he isn't here either."

Kurt Wagner has posed:
Again, it is pretty hard to shock Kurt. He has travelled the world pretty extensively and though he hasn't spent any time in Hell -- that he knows of -- he is still pretty far from some innocent neophyte. Still, the fuzzy blue elf does shoot her a look when she makes that particular statement, a wry smile sliding over his expression. "I wouldn't have figured you for one," he agrees with a low laugh. "I've had the fortune -- or misfortune -- of having met one. Though not in Hell, so far as I'm aware," he admits.

Then there is the rigamarole required to get into the Inferno section, signing the waivers, enduring the explanations. Then they are past the bouncer and into the area and Kurt's brows lift even more. "As one of my friend would say, oh my stars and garters," he admits, glancing around. "I fear you might be right unless his tastes run in some very particular directions," the fuzzy blue elf agrees. "I fear that your search may have come to an unfortunate end..."