2020-02-17 - House Call

(TXT to Kass) Joseph : Hey there. Any chance I could maybe take you up on some of that healing you offered?

(TXT to Joseph) Kass : Of course. I told you that I'm here whenever you need it. Should I head to the boat or do you have an address for me?

(TXT to Joseph) Kass : OMW

It's Bayside. A nice place, one of the smaller apartments that looks out over the harbor. And when he answers the door, he's in a charcoal colored fleece robe, over what looks like sleep shorts and a t-shirt that read 'On the 8th Day God Created Sailors And The Devil Said "Oh Shit"'. Barefoot, weary and hollow-eyed and drawn.

"Hey," he says. "Thanks for comin'. Sorry to greet you like this, but the wound I took's on my bad leg and I figured it'd be just as well to have it so I didn't have to drop pants for you to get at it."

Kass arrives in an Uber, thanking the driver and hurrying through. She shows her ID to the doorman to get allowed up (he may even be alerted she's on the way), and is on her way! The knock at the door answered, Kass takes a moment to take him in, then clucks her tongue and smiles faintly, "I think you're allowed to be in comfortable clothes when you're hurt. In fact, I'm pretty sure the doctor's tell you to." She pulls a hand from the strap of her satchel and motions towards the apartment, "Wanna let me in and I'll take a look? I should be able to have you back to your old self in no time."

The main room's a big open area, living room and kitchen and dining all run together. Plain and modern, clearly not personal to him. Save for the ranks and ranks of new bookshelves, and the boxes and boxes set before them. He's only unpacked a little, so far.

He ushers her in, shuts the door behind her. Then hobbles for the couch and settles down. No real self-consciousness. She may not have a degree, but healers of the more mystic kind are apparently filed under 'doctor'

Watching him move, she removes her satchel and coat and shoes, leaving it all in a pile on the floor by the door. Frowning a touch, Kass moves after him and murmurs, "Did you finally get pulled into one? A Dream?" She moves to join him, though she kneels on the floor next to him and motions for him to put the leg up so she can take a look at the wound itself.

"I have, but ....this wasn't that," he says, slowly. "They....They have Their hooks in someone I know. De la Vega found me out on the edge of the forest. He was....not himself. He..." Joe's voice is halting, the blue eyes alive with horror. "He was driving me. See, he was a sniper in the Marines. If he'd wanted to kill me, I'd'a been dead. So he was shooting at me to keep me moving further into the woods. I got so scared I tore a hole in the Veil and ran through....but only after he winged me."

The wound isn't bad, just a long bullet crease on the outer muscle of his thigh. He's bandaged it competently, but it's painful. The kind of wound that really should've been stitched. There are other scars there, too, visible beneath the hem of the shorts - big swaths of burned skin, faded to white, hairless and smooth.

Unwrapping the bandage, Kass looks over the wound, brows lifting as she looks up at him. "Huh. So I guess my paranoia of cops and authority figures paid off..." Shaking her head, she sits back and offers a faint smile, "Good news? This is simple stuff. Easy peasy. Back on your feet in no time. Extended question.. do you want me to try to heal some of this scar tissue and nerve damage?" Her touch is light, fingertips resting below the bottom on the wound, near his knee. She's offered this to him before, but there's never been a better opportunity to do it than now.

Still, she's taken to heart all the times people have told her to ask before doing, so Kass looks up at him and murmurs, "I'm guessing you're planning to try and find him. Help him. You'll want to be in good shape for that, right? I can help." She pauses, then adds, "Maybe in more ways than one. Think of me like a healer and lucky charm all in one."

"Not....this may seem a strange question to ask, but can you heal what's underneath and leave the scars?" He means it, by the furrow in his brow. "They....I earned them. I don't want them to be gone." Like they're some strange badge of honor.

"I know where he is. Rosencrantz came and found me, over there. And we took him down. We've got him confined, for the moment. I'm not there only 'cause I needed to heal and rest before I straight up fell down. Can you undo Their influence?"

"No, I get it. I don't want my scars to go away either... they remind me what I've survived." Kass gives a small nod and glances up at him, "I can't guarantee they'll all remain, if the scar is in the way of the healing, it will get removed. But I can try to stop before we get to the superficial... so you can keep the look without the pain."

That question brings a frown to her and she shakes her head, "I can only heal the body, I don't know if its even possible to heal the spirit... but, its not like them to physically take over someone. They tend to prefer sitting back an feasting on all the pain and suffering and negativity they create." She frowns, "You have him confined... has he been eating? Drinking? Think the Exorcist.. you still have to keep the body going if you want them to survive having Them cast out. That part I think I can help with. He won't be in perfect shape.. but I can keep him alive. And I can make sure he's okay if you can get him back."

"Then we'll leave them, for now. I been doin' okay, and got some new help on the medication front," he says, simply. "I dunno. They did somethin' to him. Even if he's not literally being possessed, They've set him....set him on a path They want. I think so. I'mma head over and spell Rosencrantz later. I think physically he's okay for now...."

Nodding, Kass turns her attention back to his wound, concentrating, letting the heatwave of Glimmer rise up and engulf her to pass into him, knitting the skin and muscle back together along the long gash. Its warm and tingly, almost itchy. It takes a few moments of concentrated effort, but he can see the wound knit closed, the skin appearing the same as the rest of the skin around it, she halts before it spreads into the deeper damage or around to the scar tissue. But that tired, drawn feeling? That's gone. His system is completely revivified, as if he's had a week's worth of rest and relaxation and excellent sleep. Rested. Ready for the day. "That should keep you going for a little while. Be careful, okay? And if you need help with him... look. I don't like the guy with the big nose. He's an asshole. And I'm generally not a fan of cops. But people are people at the end of the day. And I'm trying to be more... helpful than harmful. And really, if I'm going to get into trouble, I'd rather it be for a good cause than just because I fell asleep."

It relaxes him, the pain bleeding out to the levels he's used to. A sighing breath. "Thanks," he says, softly. "I feel so much better. I can see where you'd say that, God knows that boy has his rough edges. Same for de la Vega."

Joe sits up, tugging the hem down. "And yeah, I hear that. Damn, that other side was the scariest fuckin' place I've ever been, and I been to the Korengal valley."

Nodding, Kass rolls up to her feet and folds her arms across her middle as she stands awkward for a moment. "I know you already said but... are you -sure- I can't help more? I can feel that pain and it... Jesus, Joe." She looks at him for a long moment, "I know the scars are important. And medication can help.. but I could take it away. Maybe not all at once, but a little at a time. Make sure that the scars stay intact so you don't lose the memory or reminder, but the pain doesn't have to haunt you either..." There's an uncomfortablle expression on her face, like it bothers her that she can't fix it.

He meets her gaze with that blue stare, somehow opaque. "I....the bone, actually, is the worst of it. I've got pins in my hip. I don't know if you could heal that and get them out without it turning into some kind of David Cronenberg movie, honestly. But that's the crux of it...."

Kass clears her throat and gives a small nod, "I can, actually... I can destroy the pins and heal the bone. I can't promise the pin removal will be completely painless, but the healing is. You could.. walk without pain. Sleep all night without medication? Have full range of motion without the chance to injure yourself further." She lifts a small shrug and murmurs, "I can do everything short of regenerating a lost limb or resurrecting the dead. Cancer, AIDS... hell, Black Plague... I can cure them. This is delicate, but doable."

"That's a trip to Lourdes level miracle you're talkin' about, there," he says, after a little whistle of incredulity. "I think.....I don't think we'll do that now, 'cause I may need to get help there. Because if it's going to be painful.....might need restraint to stay still. You trust Cruz to help us? I think I could ask him..." The look in his eyes....strangely dubious. Like the prospect of a future without that ache in the bone is so dazzling.

"Tell me about it. I've been talking to a priest lately because holy shit is this all too fucking weird. I can also create fireballs and destroy manmade items down to like... its a lot. And that's not even everything. When shit flipped? Its like it opened up a door for me and... things got really freaky. But.. I'm equalizing." Kass lifts a small shrug and rubs at the back of her neck. She lifts a brow at him and cants her head, "Cruz? Is that the... the possessed cop? Or is that someone else?" Shaking her head, she waves her hands, "Either way, yeah, its fine. Its good to have someone there that can keep you still. The more we can keep you from moving, the better off you'll be."

"I should speak to one," Joe's voice is thoughtful. "I don't think holy water'd do much about what's got de la Vega, but man, worth a look." Then he's swinging his feet to the floor, getting up. "Do you wanna drink? Somethin' to eat? And Cristobal Cruz, the bouncer. Javier de la Vega is the cop." A funny little smile, for some reason, as he goes padding for the fridge.

"Well.. I can put you in touch with Oren. He's the new priest at St. Mary's. He has the Touch, kinda like me, not quite as strong in it. But... he healed me when I needed it." Kass offers with a small shrug. She smiles and steps back as he rises up, chuckling. "A drink would do wonders. I ate not too long ago." Giving a nod, she murmurs, "Yeah, Cris would be good. And don't give me that look. I don't know most peoples' last names. They rarely give them. That includes the bouncer at the club I work at."

"Good. Means we got us an old priest and a young priest," he says, with that curling, crooked grin. "What'll you have? I got lemonade, ginger beer, birch beer, seltzer, milk....and on the harder front, I've got bourbon, vodka, and tequila."

"Yeah, but the old priest is an asshole. You know he told my parents that the things I could do were because I was possessed by a demon? I'm lucky they never tried to do an exorcism on me," Kass makes a face at mention of the old priest before trailing him towards the kitchen. She leans against the wall and cants her head, "Well, I suppose it depends. If you're driving me home or letting me crash on the couch, I'll take bourbon. If I'm walking home, then I'll stick to the ginger beer."

"I c'n take you home," It's a simple offer, without a hint of entendre. "'f you don't mind another sidecar ride. No car, not lookin' to get one. Or...." Joe glances back at the couch. "That's a sleeper, an' it's got clean sheets on it. I feel a hell of a lot better, though, so a ride'd be no problem. An' I did not know that. Jesus Lord, I should talk to him, too. He got enough of the shine to know what's goin' on, or is it just the younger one?"

"Whatever's clever, Joe. Rather, whatever will put you out less. I just don't want to do a drunk walk home in the snow." Kass smiles towards him briefly. She keeps her amrs folded under her chest, watching him. "And no, Father Daniel is completely normal. Its just Oren that's got the... whatever you wanna call it." She lets out a breath and murmurs, "I would suggest avoiding Father Daniel if you can. He's a bigoted old man who's largely retired." She lifts a shrug and murmurs, "Two cents."

He gets the bottle of bourbon out of the cabinet, two plain glasses. Pours out a decent measure for the both of them, but hands hers off and heads for the bedroom. "Be right back," he says.

Vanishes there for a moment, and returns in the t-shirt, but now with jeans on, the robe gone. "I'd be interested to talk to a priest who'd had this goin' on for a while," he says, musingly, as he saunters back to pick up his own drink. "Get his perspective on it."

Taking the glass, she lifts it towards him and takes a sip from it before heading back towards the living room. She glances around a bit, looking at his apartment while he changes. When Joe returns, she takes another drink and gives a nod, "It would. But he's just an aging priest that really needs to retire. Oren is new to all this... he has it but he thought it was 'the Lord's presence'. He's still trying to figure it out and make peace with his faith.. but he's a good sort."

He bobs his head at that, lazily. "'s a good a name as any, really. No one seems to know the essential nature of it. We all just dancin' around the center." Joe ambles back to the couch, settles down, arm spread lazily along the back. There's a love seat at right angles to it, and an armchair. "I'll defnitely have to go back to Mass, then."

Kass nods, moving to seat herself into the love seat, giving a nod. "I don't think its really the Lord... this isn't really a gift, not given all the pain and suffering that comes with it. But I'm not looking to ruin the man's world views. Just... help him out." She pauses and clears her throat, "He's disturbingly cute. Like... -disturbingly- cute. But I actually manage to forget that once we get talking. He's really open, talks about anything."

Joseph slants a wickedly amused look at her. "Father What A Waste, huh?" he asks, grinning. "I dunno. I'm functionally an agnostic, but I was raised in the church, raised by a bunch of hardcore, rock-ribbed Catholics. I still speak the lingo, stand and kneel at the right places. But if you're not Catholic, how'd you run into him to begin with?"

"Who says I'm not? I was born and raised in this town. My parents still go to church every Sunday. I used to go too. To St. Mary's." Kass lifts a shrug and glances towards him, lifting the glass for a sip. "I just learned to hate it because of that old man. But... a few days ago, I kinda had a low spot. Nobody was around, I was afraid, I needed somewhere to go that wasn't... I was looking for a safe place. So I ended up in the church, just kinda.. curled up in one of the pews in the back so I wouldn't draw Father Daniel's notice. Instead, it was Oren. He came over and talked to me, gave me some space in the back office to just... nap... and when the They came anyways, he healed me after."

"I didn't realize that," Suitably chastened, his tone is more gentle. "An' you know you can always call me, if you need. Or hell, just want. It's been a long, dark winter already, an' more yet to come, 'fore we come to the end of it."