4555/The Talent

The Talent
Date of Scene:	31 December 2020
Location:	Brooklyn Dive Bar
Synopsis:	With She-Hulk getting involved, Mr. Delaney decides to involve a little extra insurance against metahuman threats or organized crime. Millicent finds her hands full just trying to keep the Punk Princess out of trouble!
Cast of Characters:	Katsumi Oshiro, Millicent Keller

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Katsumi Oshiro has posed:
It's been a day. A freezing cold, but sort've pleasant day. Katsumi got to spend a little time with fans, discovering one of which being none other than She-Hulk. She had to do a little bit of research to figure out who exactly that was after the fact, but now she's got it straight! And it's pretty cool for someone that superhuman to actually think well of her. /Her/, of all people. But it's not enough to warm her against the New York City chill.

Thankfully she wasn't required to be outside in her wrestling gear past the point of the publicity event. She quickly swapped out for a cut-off woolly sweative of a dark-yet-festive red and black diamond pattern, red skirt, and shin-high chunky boots. The fingerless gloves and choker make a return as permanent staples in her wardrobe. And one would be forgiven for assuming this change didn't exactly render her bundled up against the cold; they'd be right, after all. But it's /just/ enough.

As Katsumi made her way to wind down at a dive bar deep in Brooklyn, the event manager made the choice to involve some additional security. With metas and high-profile superheroes becoming a part of the show, it might make for a tempting target for enterprising criminals to hijack and make some kind of statement. So a call was placed. And almost immediately, the general manager of the NLWF - that is, Team Japan - requested a moment of te new security's time. He wants Katsumi checked up on and ensured she isn't getting into trouble. Because, as he reports in strained English, that's all she's been this trip. Trouble. And he will not have her embarrassing the federation further on a global scale.

No, Katsumi is blissfully unaware of this. She's just seated at the bar counter with something fizzy in a glass in front of her. A few locals are leering at the young, exotic dame. She's acutely aware of it. A part of her is desperately hoping they do something to spur a reaction from her. A good fight would make the perfect cap for the day. She's been going so stir-crazy in the States!

It isn't happening. And it's bothering her.

"Hey," she suddenly pipes up in the direction of one of the leering men. "Crawl back into the septic tank you came from. It ain't happenin'." Of note, her English is on fleek. The accent is a clean metropolitan, with just an occasional lilt betraying her heritage.

"What did you just say?"

"I called you-"

"I KNOW WHAT YOU SAID."

"Then keep your toothless mouth shut and look somewhere else!"

At this point, the bartender is urging he doesn't want any trouble. The man and a couple buddies have gotten up from their table, however, and are making their way over.

Yay~!

Millicent Keller has posed:
    When things had concluded there would be a very short, very serious discussion about potentially misrepresenting the contract. She was expecting to find a cocaine binge, or a raucus orgy if we're honest. She hadn't worn the right shoes for a proper bar fight, she'd have at the very least worn a less expensive suit. Yet a job is a job, and a dollar is a dollar right?

    So she slips into the joint amidst the ruckus, before stepping over to occupy an empty booth before ever so casually unbuttoning her jacket. A washington is slid across the counter top, ordering herself a bottle of rotgut white wine. "Leave the bottle darling if you'd be so kind, it's been a terrible day at the office."See now she kind of belongs, or at least she has enough cover not to stick out like a sore thumb. Making a point of being seemingly distracted with her cellphone as she waits for what she knows is surely coming.

Katsumi Oshiro has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro has no idea who she is. She's never seen her before. Zero prior contact. Katsumi is simply being a Katsumi in her native habitat: havoc. So when the suit comes in and seats herself, she pays her zero mind.

The dudes on approach, however, get her focus. Well, her focus and a smile.

"What are you grinnin' at?," growls the insulted man.

"I know you've never seen this look from a woman before, but it's called anticipation," she purrs.

SMACK.

Katsumi's head whips to the side, her struck cheek rouged and stinging horribly. He couldn't have just punched, could he? It had to be an open-hand slap. It's not that they were more insulting or damaging, but they always caused the eye to tear from the sting. She /hates/ that reaction. Ugh. Her hand lifts to set over the vague handprint blazing against her skin.

Meanwhile, others in the bar are openly staring at him, a few cringing from the brazen display of violence against a girl considerably smaller than him. Nevermind that she totally provoked it, it still elicits that knee-jerk response.

"Heh... heheh.."

Stunned, the man shoots a look to his two buddies. They don't look as keen on hitting a girl as the leader, but they offer no explanation to why she's back to grinning or starting to snicker. So he returns his glare to her. "Are you demented or something!? What's so funny!?"

Katsumi, still holding her cheek, slides off the barstool. "You hit like a girl."

The man is caught somewhere between flummoxed and outraged at her continuous sass. He raises his fist, this time prepared to bring the thunder with his knuckles.

Millicent Keller has posed:
    Millicent watches of course, but she does it casually for the moment. Then her bottle arrives, and she's on the move. Circling around to the far end of the bar opposite Katsumi, before Flagging down the bar tender and motioning towards her bottle's cork. It takes a moment of course, before he can compose himself to find a corkscrew which he hands over without a second thought. Weaponry acquired she slips back to the very end of the bar, letting the attention drift back to the bar fight.

    Cooly she slips on a pair of black rubber gloves, before reaching under her shirt collar and pulling up a stretchy bit of fabric to cover the lower portion of her face. Corkscrew held icepick in her left, wine bottle turned club held in her right. Waiting for things to nudge up one level more, just enough to make a clear identification on who the active threats are as opposed to the simple voyeurs in the crowd.

Katsumi Oshiro has posed:
And to everyone else, nothing that Millicent is doing is noticed. It's almost like a magic act - the prestige is going on center stage, while the real trick is being prepped off to the side.

That fist raises, telegraphing more than enough to Katsumi. It swings in from a high angle, and the grapple slips to the opposite side. As she pivots at the hip, her arm raises to catch the man behind the neck in the crook of her elbow, pulling him down to with momentum of his swing. But there's a bar counter in the way. This is by design.

WHACK.

Face collides with hard wood. As Katsumi releases the man, he recoils and falls back in a single, smooth rebound. Propping her hands on her knees, she leans over the fallen attacker with a radiant smile. "Ohohooo, you just got knocked the f*** out!," she coos.

A hand suddenly seizes her by the silky blueblack hair, yanking her head back with a pained squeak!

"You think this is funny!?," the now enraged Cohort #1 demands.

While Katsumi's hands grab for the man's wrist, his free hand swings in to drive a fist into her midsection - hard enough to buck her feet off the floor. Were it not for his hand gripping her hair, she may have dropped to her knees. "Ghhn..!" Alright, that punch sucked.

Millicent Keller has posed:
    Cohort number one becomes the easy primary target even before she gets moving, sliding through the crowd like a shadow. Narrowing her gaze as she slips through the last of the crowd and she's right into action, threading one leg around his own as she gets right into the middle of things. "Hands off the talent, you fucking prole."And that corkscrew comes up from below,driving right into his elbow joint before she gives it a good half turn to -really- dig in. Then it's just a tug, to send the arm grasping Katsumi's beautiful hair limp. Theres blood of course, because with anything bigger than a corkscrew there would be a non zero chance of him losing the arm forever.
    It's enough for him to go stumbling back against the bar of course, which is where the wine bottle comes in. Swung in a simple left to right arc, to insure the wine, broken glass, bits of broken teeth and god knows what is carried down the bar -away- from Katsumi. "Now then, does anyone else have any ungentlemanly conduct they want to get out of their system?"Casually letting that shattered glass bottle thud against the floor followed by that corkscrew.

Katsumi Oshiro has posed:
Squealch. Corkscrew meets elbow, and it's a horror show all at once. Or will be when people realize what just actually happened.

Katsumi, however, isn't entirely sure yet. The moment her hair is released, she falters to a semi-doubled over state. Her left arm rests over a barstool, the right winding around her midriff. Though she might have missed a little of the action, she's easily capable of piecing things together. "Wha.." Why did she call her 'the talent'?

"Psycho bitches!," shouts a suddenly enraged Cohort #2. After all, the interloper is now unarmed. Right? Maybe? He hefts the barstool beside him and swings it by the legs towards the blonde between him and the initial quarry.

Millicent Keller has posed:
    It's just a sidestep, but one undertaken at the last possible moment. It still passes near enough to scuff one of the buttons on her coat, but dodged never the less. Attack thwarted she steps forward, taking the time to delicately adjust her tie before she gets right down to business. She grasps the man's wrist, and makes absolutely zero effort to keep from crushing all those tiny bones inside as she twists his arm away from his centerline. It's a perfect way to open up his guard, before delivering a simple quick clean jab directly to his face. It's the sort've hit that rings out, that turns noses into jello and jaws into gravel. More than enough to render him into two hundred some odd pounds of dead weight which she lets crumple to the floor in a pile.

    Casually she chances a glance over her shoulder, stepping back just once to keep herself between Katsumi and the crowd. "I would suggest my dear, that we depart. This place is below you anywho, to think such cowards would trade a cheap shot for a chance at a fight with a real champion."Delicately she tugs after her sleeves, double checking to insure she hasn't been bled on. Yet.

Katsumi Oshiro has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro is simply staring at the seemingly effortless manner in which the attacker is dispatched. Again, nevermind that Katsumi totally spurred this altercation into being. When she realizes she's being looked at, she feels urged to make some kind of defense of her actions.

"I- I totally had'em."

Not quite a defense so much as sulk.

She shoots a look to the side at the small crowd in the dive, instantly noting cellphones emerging. "Ohsh-," she cuts herself off and seems to take the blonde's advice without further delay. Still slightly favoring her midsection, Katsumi hurries to the door to shoulder it open and head out into the cold.

Millicent Keller has posed:
    "Of course, everyone gets hit with a cheap shot now and then."She offers instantly, before slowly taking another step back. Satisfied, she finally turns to follow Katsumi out. "The bar rail was a good shot, going to put his dentist's kids through college for certain."Off comes the gloves, down comes the mask as she picks up a step to come up alongside Katsumi.

    "Come now dear, straighten up. Don't let them have the satisfaction of knowing they got a good shot in."Car keys are groped for, and a blacked out Mercedes blinks to life parked just outside. Casually she pops the rear passenger door open, before stepping aside to usher Katsumi towards the plush leather interior. "Calling it a night, or still thirsty Ma'am?"

Katsumi Oshiro has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro isn't sure how she feels about this obviously dangerous person following her. She winces a little at being told to straighten - her abdomen still aches. It was a completely unprotected shot, and in fairness, that was a beefy dude. The fact that she's not wallowing is something she's taking enough pride in! But the mask is noted next with an errant glance, a slightly troubled look crossing her features. "Wait-"

A fancy car flashes its presence. A door opens. The blonde is trying to usher her in, talking to her as though she were her chauffeur. "H-hang on, who the Hell even are you?"

Millicent Keller has posed:
    "My name is Millicent Keller, I've been retained by your manager."And a pause to adjust her tie oncemore, just for paranoia's sake. "I was hired over concern of more, metahuman threats. Make mo mistake ma'am, cheap shot not withstanding I'm fairly confident you would not have needed my help or anyone elses."All delivered with a polite little smile and a nod. "If you would like, I can call your manager and allow him to explain the situation to you himself? Caution in New York, is always wise afterall."

    "And just for clarity's sake, No amount of money can buy a lie from me. That first shot on the bar rail, was legitimately very impressive. I don't think I've seen it delivered quite as cleanly before, but I'm something of an amateur when it comes to bar room brawls."

Katsumi Oshiro has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro pales when mention is made of her contacting her manager to question something. And it does seem like something he'd do to keep her under wraps. As if chastised, Katsumi's head bows with a sullen look and she ducks into the offered seat, scooting to the far end.

"Metahuman, huh? You mean like.. what, supervillains? Does that really seem necessary?"

As she talks, the ache in her torso subsides. Her hand lifts instead to brush against her cheek absentmindedly. "And you should see me when I really get goin'. I was just-... I needed something."

Millicent Keller has posed:
    The door is closed, one last glance offered back towards the bar before circling around to the driver's seat. "It absolutely does happen in New York, often in fact. Theres also no shortage of simple madness and terrorism, all of which is quite easy to stumble into."That big V8 is cranked over, and well the car pulls away smooth and silent into traffic. "It's best to always have an ace up your sleeve of course, and I'm happy to be yours of course."

    "If you still want a brawl I can find another bar in a nicer part of town for you, plenty of new money wandering around Manhattan in desperate need of a reality check of course."And a little shrug finally. "Alternatively I know a few quiet watering holes where we wouldn't be bothered, if you'd prefer to drink in peace without having to share air with those filthy riffraff."

Katsumi Oshiro has posed:
"Uh.." It's so off-putting, having someone seem accommodating to what she's very sure is inappropriate behavior. And on a professional level, no less. But as she's being driven and addressed so politely, it's giving her the oddest sense of nostalgia. Strange as it may seem, Katsumi used to live in considerable privilege.

"It's.. kind'a weird, feeling like I'm just hunting for something to fight. So no. Takes the fun out." She leans forward slightly against the seatbelt. "You said my manager hired you? The general manager of NLWF? Not Delaney?"

Millicent Keller has posed:
    "Delaney, I apologize if I was unclear. The precise title isn't usually important, just that the contract is appropriate."Theres a little shrug there, and a dismissive wave. "I mean sure I'll dig in pretty good if they asked me to do something ugly, but just protect somebody? I'm mostly concerned that the cash is good, management is never worth knowing in detail from my experience. Attracts ugly people."

    "Well if you'd like we could swing around a bad neighborhood, I'm certain there would be no shortage of candidates there. I'm not paid enough to tell you what to do, or how to do it. I'm just paid to keep you safe, so you do whatever you want and don't worry about a thing."And a glance offered in the rearview mirror. "Alternatively I know of a lovely dessert shop, cheesecake to die for."

Katsumi Oshiro has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro continues to stare at the woman's face via the rearview mirror; a look of disbelief and confusion. This sort of interaction never happens. "B-but.." It's almost not fun without push-back. But even still, this is just rubbing her wrong. Like a kid who stopped being into Pokemon because their parents decided it was cool. "It- it's fine. We don't have to do anything. I can go back to the hotel, I won't wander, you can tell'em I'm behaving." Beat. "Err, that I'm behaving now." Because she was very clearly /not/ behaving mere minutes ago.

"Are you military or what?"

Millicent Keller has posed:
    "The hotel is it, if that's what you want."And a few buttons touched, and well off they go in that direction. "I think you misunderstand ma'am. I do not make reports, I do not make calls on what you're doing. I am not a spy, or a nanny. I am a bodyguard, nothing more and nothing less. If you want to do coke off a call girl's thigh, I'll make some calls and see what I can do. All that matters is that you survive until the end of my contract, I provide no other service."

    "Currently no, Once upon a time in a land far away though? I was apart of a military order for a very long time, and spent some time as a member of the royal guard. I was very fortunate that I exited my period of service with marketable skills, considering that humanity has never been a particularly peaceful bunch."Theres a shrug there "But you're a warrior much the same as I was, it's not enough to simply win of course. You have to put on a good show, make it clear that your victory is uncontestable. Have to take enough hits just to prove you've got heart, and get folks really behind you."

Katsumi Oshiro has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro leans back in the cushioning of the seat, her oddly-colored eyes not ceasing to bore into the back of the woman's head. "I guess that's true. But I'd say military service is a little different..." She doesn't mean that in a derrogatory way - rare as that might be from her. "But.. uh.. geeze.." Her hand moves from her cheek to her face, rubbing her palm against her nose as she attempts to wrap her head around this experience. "You're not gonna hover around while I sleep, are you?"

Millicent Keller has posed:
    "It is and it isn't, the modern idea of what constitutes a soldier is really rather a novel one. Historically most wars have been fought with what would be legally classified as Mercenaries, and for a Mercenary being seen and recognized is an essential part of the job. The champion was simply a Mercenary who fought in the field, rather than the arena. Judged by the same scale at the end of the day, we just don't like to talk about it these days. Like to dress up everything in pomp and circumstance, and pretend we don't just like seeing a good scrap."Lane change made, and well headed for the hotel for sure.

    "I'll read a book in the hallway, part of the job. Also means you won't have to worry about paparazzi of course, at least until tomorrow. Then you're back on your own."