| This scene is rated PG-13 |
| Warning: | N/A |
| 2015-09-23 |
| Players: | Janie Peggy Steve Zyraline |
| GMed by | Steve |
| Title: | Steve's Office With Tea |
Rating: PG-13
When you put together the two people that run both SHIELD currently and the Avengers, you're bound to have a ton of shop talk, even if the two people are married. Pouring himself a fresh cup of coffee, Steve sits down behind his desk and looks across at Peggy. "How long has it been since Clint and Natasha last reported in?" he asks, concern creasing his features. "And are there any other agents missing at this time?" he asks Peggy as he waits for her to finish setting up her tea as he watches her at work.
There is a set of 3 knocks on the door and then a pause waiting to be granted admittance from outside. (in the even there are cameras, Zyraline is outside the door).
Seated in the comfortable chair opposite him, Peggy is flipping through a few of her files. "Too long," she replies to his question as to when Clint and Natasha checked in. "They were the ones looking into the other missing agents," she frowns. "As there are some agents that have yet to report in for their standard check." While she knows Clint and Natasha are quite able to take care of themselves, there is a bit of worry there. Steve wears his far more on his sleeve than the acting director of SHIELD does, however. At the knock on the door, she turns her head. It's Steve's office, it would be rude to presume anything.
"Come in!" Steve calls out as he looks back to Peggy. While he's perfectly sure that Clint and Natasha can handle themselves, he has precious few true friends in this new world, and they are two of the biggest. Looking through his files, he pauses as he comes across a report from a television broadcast and punches it up for Peggy to watch as well.
A clip plays, a female agent with the name May, Melinda in the corner is shown running through a swamp, firing at zombies, before she becomes trapped in a small building, the zombies surrounding it.
Another clip, this one a male agent named Wilhelm, Roger, is trying to escape from a series of pit traps. When he misses one of the ropes, he lets out a scream as he falls to his death.
"Now as you can see, my game went rather quick, so I have decided to up the ante with a pair of new players. First, a firey Russian beauty, she can sing, she can dance, but how will she handle a little romance? Meet Black Widow, Agent of SHIELD and Avenger!" Picture of Natasha from her in the back of a truck, a vein visibly throbbing on her head.
"Next up, we have this guy. He says he's an Avenger and a SHIELD agent, but who knows." Clint with a 'OH COME ON' look on his face.
"Are they bad enough agents to save Agent May? How long do you think they will last in Murderworld? Place your bets now, and for only $69.99, you can watch on Pay-Per-View on my livestream!"
Steve cuts off the screen and looks to Peggy. "We really need to get our internet up and running at our place." he says with a sigh. "Well, at least they look okay. For the moment." he says as he takes a draw from his mug.
Zyraline opens the door and walks in, seeing a clip of zombies says "Ok that wasn't me, i havn't re-animated anyone since the fiasco at the docks in June." She closes the door behind her and comes the rest of the way into the office. She watches the clips for a few moments,,, "uhm, what is going on? I don't keep up on television much since most of my gear got, imploded? When the mansion blew up…"
As the door opens behind her, Peggy shifts slightly to see who is entering. However, her attention is quickly brought to the TV when she sees a recognizable face. May. The frown becomes tighter and a hand clenches at the next clip. She stands, then, having seen an Agent fall to his apparent death. Her face is deadly still and hard to read, but from context it is not difficult to extrapolate anger, worry and upset. When the TV switches off, she looks back to Steve. "For the moment." There's little question that they will be looking into the matter.
Zyraline's question is given an answer, though it's not quite a complete one. "Four people have been kidnapped."
There are ways to bring Peggy's heart to her sleeve, and seeing it there, it's Steve's turn to take over as the steady one. "If anyone can find Agent May, it's Clint and Natasha. We both know that arguably your two best agents are there, Peggy." he points out, his tone turning more resolute.
His attention turns to Zyraline and he shakes his head. "I doubt you had any involvement in that, Miss Alexander. Please come in. How may I help you?" he asks as he handles introductions. "Peggy, this is Zyraline Alexander, also known as Grave Gal.." he considers for a moment, then adds, "She has the ability to reanimate the dead. Miss Alexander, this is Agent Peggy Carter of SHIELD. You may have missed her, but she is the acting director of SHIELD."
An almost silent knock can be heard from a side door, which almost blends into the wall if you don't know where it is. Of course, some meetings are sheduled, and there are only so many people that know where or when meetings happen - the almost hidden working staff is among them. And Janie is of the housekeeping staff. Without waiting for an answer, Janie slowly opens the door wide enough to push a small cart in, on it several cups, coffee, tea and a small tray of macarons. "Excuse me."
Zyraline watches Peggy briefly and responds simply "Oh" and understands dealing with this isn't her department. When Steve speaks she says first to Peggy "A pleasure to meet you." She seems about to say more but lets that thought go for the moment. Back to Steve she says "Oh just wanted to clarify a few things, which have been,,, vague, regarding my role around here."
She turns hearing the knock and glances as Janie enters. She turns back and continues saying "I was originally called a junior avenger as if i was being trained to help with avenger stuff, but not a lot of details were worked out. Natasha was going to be kindof, mentoring me initially but she's busy and currently… occupied."
As Janie arrives, Steve's expression frowns a little. Despite knocking, she still just walked in without waiting for a response. He turns his attention back to Zyraline. "Yes, I had been meaning to address that with you. With the attack on the mansion and the recent rise in anti-mutant protests, I do not want to have you seen as a possible target because you are considered an Avenger - as you have not completed your training yet. While I know that you are sixteen, I also know that because of the uniqueness of your ability.." he pauses, and looks to Peggy, "Allow me to explain.." he says to his wife. "Miss Alexander is dead. At least legally so. Her mutant ability was triggered with her death and she was reanimated. Which is how she has her own control over others with her condition." That being 'dead'.
"Yes, they are, but they are also seemingly compromised. Unless being restrained in a van is a part of their plans." While it may sound like sarcasm, it is a legitimate point. Natasha and Clint do tend to be unorthodox in their methods. At Janie's entrance, Peggy watches the young woman with an interest, a distinct frown on her face. Then, Zyraline speaks and her attention is partly drawn to the necromancer. "Hello," she greets, nodding her head.
As Janie arrives, Steve's expression frowns a little. Despite knocking, she still just walked in without waiting for a response. He turns his attention back to Zyraline. "Yes, I had been meaning to address that with you. With the attack on the mansion and the recent rise in anti-mutant protests, I do not want to have you seen as a possible target because you are considered an Avenger - as you have not completed your training yet. While I know that you are sixteen, I also know that because of the uniqueness of your ability.." he pauses, and looks to Peggy, "Allow me to explain.." he says to his wife. "Miss Alexander is dead. At least legally so. Her mutant ability was triggered with her death and she was reanimated. Which is how she has her own control over others with her condition." That being 'dead'.
Peggy's point about Clint and Natasha is not missed, Steve considers and then smiles reassuringly. "Trust me, this is not the most compromising position those two have been in." And he leaves it at that, as he returns his attention to Zyraline as well. "However, I am not going to end your tenure with the organization, because my concern is that you are truly not going to age from your death forward - and it will eventually become obvious that you are unique." he explains. "But I don't want that to stop you from finding opprotunities in your life. I know you are a seamstress currently, but have you considered attending the Academy on the upper floors of the Tower? There are students your age, and there are college courses offered - as I know you already have your GED because of things."
Without mentioning anything yet, Janie places the tray with Macarons onto the desk of the Captain, giving an appologizing smile. "I am sorry, but Jarvis was asked to serve the refreshments at the meeting Mr. Stark has at this moment. May I ask who takes a coffee or a tea?" As she prepares the cups to be filled, she gives a short glance to Captain America's In-Box on the desk. The question asked to her about the classes, seems to distract her a moment, before she points to the cups. "Ma'am, What would you like?" she first asks to the ladies with a smile, then she turns to Clint "And you Sir? I would like to note that I havn't taken the GED-tests, unless I wasn't informded that what I had as classes counted at that." She does pour the cups with the desired, but her eyes are darting to the lower deck of the cart now and then, where a tablecloth lies, under which she hid a few pages of paper, the edges of each adorned with a Zig-Zag-Stitch.
Zyraline nods at Steve, commenting "Well i'm not a full avenger, and not publicly aknowledged as an avenger, and i'm certainly in no rush to be perceived by hydra or whoever else as an avenger. But i'm not a mutant. I don't posess the mutang genome. Shield said i was a 'Metahuman'. I'm still unclear when it happened to me, i was dead for 3 weeks before i initially reanimated. Also i can animate severed body parts and control them independantly, stabalize an injured allive person or regenerate dead tissue. If i find someone within the first 5 minutes or so after death, i can repair physical damage and then recussitate them with a defibrilator, as long as they didn't bleed to death. I can regenerate damage, i don't magically create replacement blood from the ether. Also i still havn't figure out how to restore the lost memories and neural pathways, i can repair a brain to 'working' but i lack human bodies to experiement on to refine that aspect of my powers."
She then hrms on the topic of education saying "I love to sew. if i had a masters degree in advanced thermo-dynamics i'd still sew clothing. It's what i love to do in my personal time. I can't imagine doing anything else. I got my GED because the more i'm in the system, the more likely my family will be connected to me. They don't know i'm undead, and i would like it to remain that way at least for the time being. I'm not emotionally ready to look at the pity in their eyes when they learn i'm a walking zombie, and definately not ready in my training to protect them from any terrorist nut-sack that wants to lash out at the avengers. This is one of the Other reasons i don't publicly associate myself with the group."
Having almost forgotten Janie was there for a moment she turns to her saying "Oh, i'd like a tea please?" … "i have the GED,,, are you in a educational age-related grey area as well?"
Steve had only glanced at the file for Zyraline. He should have dug further. "Sorry for the confusion, Miss Alexander." he offers to her, as Janie speaks up. "We've already spoken on your future with the organization, Miss Wu." he says, tone turning firm - she attacked him - it kinda put her on his poop list for the forseeable future. "If you wish to renegotiate the terms, you may speak with Mister Stark about your continued terms of employment with Stark-Tech and Stark Industries." With that said with no offer of return complaint, he turns his attention back to Zyraline. "If you want to attend the Academy to start college, Tony has offered to pay for your tuition, as he has with Miss Wu, to cover the costs for you to go to school. You can still work with Natasha, if she wishes to continue your training - if not, between the teachers at the Academy, and their special guest teachers, I'm sure they can help you to learn better command and control of your abilities. If not; perhaps since it seems SHIELD has already taken a look at you, perhaps Agent Carter will be interested in your assistance?" he offers, glancing towards Peggy to gather her thoughts on the matter.
Then he pauses for a moment, looking between Zyraline and Janie, realizing that the two of them have not officially met, it seems. "Miss Alexander, this is Miss Janie Wu. She is a member of the custodial staff, but she has the ability to manipulate cloth on the molecular level. Miss Wu, this is Zyraline Alexander - she is a seamstress and has helped with several costume redesigns and repairs within the organization. If you are both looking for something that involves your inherient loves, perhaps you can speak to Tony about opening an internet based storefront.. uh, in one of those pipe things.." That's what Clint told him it was and noone's bothered to correct Steve yet. "..and work together, if you want." he makes the suggestion. "Perhaps he can provide you with a loan for upfront capital."
With a smile, Janie pours the cups to those that asked, handing them over, hoping that her hands distract the eyes of the others enough so they wuldn't look at the In-Box. "I am sorry, Mister Rogers, but your comment about the seamstress could have meant me." Slowly shaking her head, she points to the macarons a moment, while she slowly tries to levitate the papers with the thread-edge up into the in-box, under a few other papers there. Then she bows towards the other girl present, smiling still. "It is a pleasure to meet you, but I would have preferred if Mister Rogers wouldn't boast with the tiny ability I have."
Zyraline hrms at steve listening to what is offered to Janie but not interveening in things that aren't her own personal business. As the topic turns back to Herself, she listens and then responds with "Initially SHIELD picked me up, but they didn't have resources at the time to groom a 'super' with no combat ability. Which is why natash took over, and then moved me in with the Avengers. Now the … school downstairs, if they have classes on refining strange abilities, that interests me. However it'd be a part time thing for those specific classes, not a go back to college and get a degree thing. Any help i can get refining my strange powers would be a good thing in the long-run."
On the other topic of career she says "Mr Stark and Miss Natasha wore outfits i tailored for them to an event, so while i don't have a public name yet, i'm still working out a few details. Like learning to tailor with bullet resistant fabrics. Not just hero costume repairs but making normal looking clothing that can take a pistol round. Ultimately going into fashion ARMOR design." She turns to Janie, saying "Don't sell yourself short, i'm literally Dead. I'd trade you any day of any week. What are your medium and long term plans for sewing? Is it a Hobby/love or is it your future career?"
"Considering that you were using my own clothing against me as a weapon, I believe you are selling yourself very much short. There are no tiny abilities. How you marganalize yourself is your choice, but I always believed that it is the size of the heart that determines the person, not the power they possess." Captain America offers as Steve speaks from his own heart. Zyraline's words echo his own belief, and the Captain offers a nod with a smile. "That sounds fine on both counts." he comments. However, as he sees Peggy seem to feeling far and far more under the weather. "Ladies.. if you do not mind, Peggy seems to be feeling ill. Will you excuse me so I may tend to her?" he asks the two youngsters. "The two of you can continue your discussion without me, I'm sure."
"I did not so much as utilize your clothing but to push you with them, Sir, but that is a detail. I am sorry for that but you caugt me in a very bad situation." Janie's answer is careful, then she nods as the Captain asks for them to leave. "Of course, as you wish. I'll leave the macarons for you. If you would like to follow me, miss Alexander?" The small cart, Janie pushes to the door, opening the office door to hold it open for the other youngster.
Zyraline just listens and is quiet on the matter of what happened between the two. As curious as she is it's not the time to be a nosey-nelly. Hearing about peggy she simply says "I hope agent carter feels better, and that the two of you can make some progress on the issues with the other agents. If you progress to where you can pick them up, i would be happy to offer my assistance on the med-evac." She takes one of the macaroons for herself and nods at Janie, following her out of the office.
"Thank you both for coming by." Once they're gone, Steve moves to help Peggy to the couch to lay down, concern creasing his features. "Do we need to call a doctor?" he asks in worry.
After leading Zyraline out, Janie closes the door, sighing a moment before she straightens herself, as she realizes the other one is still there. "I don't get him." she mutters more to herself than to the other, pushing the cart with the coffee into a nieche, that hides a food elevator. "To answer your question, at some day, I want to work for Miss Van Dyne, but I never met her."
Zyraline hrms at that thinking for a bit before asking "so, why not work on Tony Stark? He's all high society and probably has way better connections in that regard, since he actually buys high fashion clothes. Or has people buy them for him…" she shrugs at that. "I'd rather be small and indie, because if i want to go into super-heroing or whatever, it's easier to do part time work on the side as a 'best kept secret in fashion'." and she smiles.
"Tony Stark just needs one style of clothing: Suits. Italian suits tailored to his body. But if you mean one of Stark Enterprises labels, no. Those are mainstream, I would prefer to just go Haute coture once, before going my own way. Having worked with JVD paved the way for several designers." Janie answers, her shirt rippling only a moment to fix a tiny hole she just noticed.
Zyraline hrms before saying "He has formal affairs and the likes, but he also wears quite a bit of casual clothing, i don't know where it comes from. Also since he puts on charity events and big functions, he may have people who know people who have an IN with Miss Van Dyne. I don't know, just seems like if your end-game is to have a career based on apprenticing with her, tapping another resource might be more effective to get you into the apprenticeship?" she shrugs then, and starts munching on the cookie she's been holding since they left the office, almost having had forgotten about it.
Janie points over the floor to an other office "You see that door? That office is reserved for miss Van Dyne. I don't know if she moved in to it yet, but she is an Avanger. But you mentioned Armor design… Working with some materials indeed is problematic at times. Thick leather is pretty stiff, Aramid is problematic to sew because of its weaving and ceramics or metals can't be sewn at all."
Zyraline hrms and nods "some of the shield stuff uses this,,, non newton fluid, feels like peanut butter in a packet, but it goes all rigid when you hit it. makes for malleable 'plates'. It's kinda heavy though and really hard to attach to clothes without layers and layers of straps and pockets. i was working on a multi-panel design for a tuxedo but everything except the design got imploded in the avenger mansion…" ahhs at the office being pointed out "ah so you're squared away, just need to wait for her to be back…"
"I have never heard of that non newton thing… but if it needs to be in pouches… why not make the clothing entirely out of chambers containing it? Though, as you mentioned it is like peanut butter in a packet, it might become pretty hard to make a design that does not hinder or looks odd, unless it is a thickly padded winter coat." Janie shrugs on the later addition though "I don't know, I never met her."
Zyraline hrms and says "The packets are flat inserts you put into armor plate pockets. flat-ish, they're like a 1/8th inch thick. They started talking all math to me and i kindof blacked out the rest."
Janie ponders, opening a cupboard to pull out a pen and paper - something which can be found in almost every room in the appartments, sketching that. "can't you somehow glue the packs together? And if they are transparent and in different colors you could make it look like stained glass maybe…"
Zyraline shakes her head "i have no idea what color the fluid is, but the packets were opaque. That's why i was thinking sew them into an array on the inside of a formal suit-vest, which is already preceision tailored to fit a user's form, adding a little diameter is a small modification, and being the middle layer will be less obtrusive/obvious allowing the outer jacket to conceal it. The other idea i had was like a undershirt scenario where the panel pockets were shuttered, so that the packets can be mass produced but the under-garment can still be custom fitted without gaps. Simply add any loose-ish clothing overtop and it becomes all but invisible.
"About as invisible as you can go with a layer of several millimeters. It wouldn't work for a skin tight dress or such, but in a buisiness Appearal, you can pretty much hide that much, maybe even two layers, if the jacket holds another one. But to turn the armor into fashion statement might be all the less obvious, at least offering part time protection to the ladies. I bet the encasing plastic can be changed, so maybe stained glass is out of option but it could be like Pop-Art or such." Janie sketches some sort of checkered pattern on the paper, the pencil rushing over the white and leaving grey lines that form a classic poncho after some time. "Like this… would you think the poncho is armor? Or a trenchcoat?"
Zyraline nods at janie "the over-coat idea is solid, especially if the under-layer is build to take small rounds, but you layer it with the overcoat to get up to 'full protection'. The poncho brings up the concern, does it still move like cloth? or like cloth weighted down by armor plates? I mean avante-guarde aside where you just take rectangles of bullet-proof glass and hinge them together with rings, and throw a layer of shower-panel opaque patterened lycra over top to make it wind/rain proof."
Janie ponders about the statement, then eying her "You said the stuff is soft usually, so if the pockets are small enough…. it might though look and feel pretty heavy though. But ost ponchos are made either out of silk or something ridiculous thin or from that heavy loden wool, that already moves pretty slow. It might look a bit like the later if we are lucky."
A brief nod sees Zyraline hrrming for a moment. Then she says "I think there's a minimum size? because it has to take the bullet size impact and spread it over a wider area? i think that's how armor works. All the packets i saw were like, 4x6 inches, about index-card size or so."
"4 by 6? That could work as a Tartan… if we can get them to be made in 5 by 5 it might even become a good material for a kilt. That would havbe to be encased in fabric though, but with a bit trickery, that can be extremely thin, if the plastic under it is in the right color though, so immitating wool without being full thickness…"
Zyraline pauses again for a moment before asking "aren't kilt's made with one or two inch pleates? are you thinking an under-layer for the armor like a pair of trunks or a second skirt underneath?"
Janie ponders a moment before sketching what she means, three layers in explosion cut. "I was thinking to use a 2.5 inch pattern or 1.25 or something, which makes each bag carry 4 or 16 squares, and should allow to easily make inner and outer layer mirror each other. And no, I Think whoever wants to wear a Kilt should go Regiment." And yes, she does do a little sketch, but doesn't detail it really.
Janie ponders a moment before sketching what she means, three layers in explosion cut. "I was thinking to use a 2.5 inch pattern or 1.25 or something, which makes each bag carry 4 or 16 squares, and should allow to easily make inner and outer layer mirror each other. And no, I Think whoever wants to wear a Kilt should go Regiment." And yes, she does do a little sketch, but doesn't detail it really.
Zyraline hrms and say "give it a shot i guess, meybey head down to the junkyard or buy some cheap garbage cans from the hardware store, and cut some squares to size. Then see how it looks with rigid plates, inside a normal cloth prototype. That will give you a better idea wether or not it's still going to be feasable with the plates incorporated."
"I thought it is just a bag of that fluid thing…" Janie adds, tapping the pencil onto the paper. "I don't like to work with actual stiff material unless it is for buttons or closings."
Zyraline nods and says "it's a flat packet of what feels like cold peanut butter. It stays flat even upright it's kindof mushy, but it's a flat piece, and if there is a finite size how small it can go, using rigid plates in a demo / prototype will tell you where in the pattern you'll need adjustments to accomodate the packets without scrunching the armor that literally stops bullets in a final piece."
Janie ponders as her pen scritches over the paper. "Well, I can look into that problem later… Maybe a few layers of sewn together plastic cover might be suitable as a test-bag, but I thought about the bags all sharing the same outer and inner layer, and each two just one wall between each. For complex patterns… oh, you think they might work as hexagons and pentagons? Those might be better to shape a form-fitted version with goot articulation."
Zyraline Oohs and nods "i doubt they're CURRENTLY being made in those shapes, but i'll bet all you have to do is submit a memo and the hexagons especially out to get picked up. especially when you add the caveat of loosing a minimum of space in storage/transport to maximize movability in the garments."
Janie sketches more, the pencil creating a ball and then a beehive. "I just think Hexagons and pentagons are good to shape round objects from flat or just mildly bent objects, just like in a soccer ball. And Hexagons are used by bees to make walls, and those have really really thin edges and yet are extremely durable."
Zyraline nods at that "even if you forgoe including triangles, you can get some really wicket shape inclusion with squares in addition to some off-shape and standard hex's and penta's."
Janie adds just a line of regular platonic objects, each of them becoming more sphere shaped, and all just consist of triangles, squares, pentagrams and then… triangles again for the icosahedron. "Triangles might get under that minimum size you mentioned too easy. A regular hexagon with shorter sides has still the same area as a square. But the triangle has to be quite larger in diameter. But triangles can do an amazingly round shape… you just pattern pair of pentagons." the pencil creates a pentagon and then a second one underneeth, turned by a bit. "then connect both to create some kind of belt, and then add a five-sided pyramid on each of the rings edges… and there you get a 20-flats spherical object. To use hexagons I have to incoprporate some pentagons, but I can make that pattern all the much larger and spherelike."
Zyraline nods "but you can join two hexes with a square, attach two pentagons, then a diamond shaped square to link back down into two more pentagons. by tampering with the line lengeths you can make things get REALLY custom curvey."
"The more different parts are used, the more it can accomodate different body shapes." Janie sketches another body, by now going over other sketches as she does, tapping to the chest area of the female, nondescript image. "That stuff might make armored bras possible…"
Zyraline nods again saying "it'll still feel like derek jeeter throwing a fastball into your tit from 5 feet away, but that's better then being perforated by smoldering lead. I like my tits lead free."
"Better than a bulletproof vest for comfort maybe… not that it would mean too much difference for me." Janie answered, pulling her shoulders together to the front. "Though it might be something the female Avengers might apprechiate."
Zyraline nods and adds "meybey more of a bustier or like a,,, not a corsette but a neglige, like an under-armor with build in support, plus being bullet proof."
"More a leotard I guess, as negligee tends to imply more of a loose undergarment most often. But I guess the idea might become favorite for those that can wear it under their uniform." Janie eyes the full paper and rips it out of the notebook and then folds it twice, tucking it away. "I am sorry, but I have to end here, as I need to finish the shedule."
Zyraline nods "it was a pleasure to meet you janie, i'll gladly lend you my ear anytime about shop or mundane stuff".