Summary:The end of the work day sees Jeriah and Jemma in another 'staged' situtation Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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Jeriah has to keep in practice when not actively on combat duty which means of course he spends a fair amount of time in the range at SHIELD. It's nice to have access to one he doesn't have to pay for and that stocks its own ammunition, even if ammunition is slightly less ofa thing for him. It also means he can practice 'firing' his hounds. While the computers in the damn things take care of a lot for him, the fact is that he does need to direct them if he wants them to function with any efficiency. Otherwise they just tend to wander off and do dog things.
The plan after that HAD been 'lunch and then go bother Jemma in her lab' but that plan is abruptly cut short when he finds himself no longer in the range, no longer in his typical tactical gear but instead in a vintage tan army uniform with an OSS patch on it, standing outside an office that says 'Doctor Simmons'. He just knocked.
Why did he do that again? And did someone say 'action'?
Jemma knows Jeriah's been in the range. He can hear chuckle every now and then as he calls his 'hounds' out. She's not paying a lot of attention but she does know he's planning to see her.
When the knock comes, Jemma looks up for her workstation and then down again. She's dressed in an OSS uniform, straight skirt, blouse and blazer. "Enter…" she says, frowning at the 'action'.
Not again. All she needs is the laugh track now.
Jeriah opens the door and leans inside. "Closing time, Doc. Director wants everyone out so he doesn't have to babysit folks on overtime." Which is an odd thing for a military intelligence agency. Which they most definitely are. They'd be working overtime with no question, whatever it takes to get the job done. Jeriah knows that. And yet that's what he says and in this strange sepia toned world it seems perfectly reasonable.
"Come on, get your coat. I'm going for a bit of pool after work and maybe some dinner and a slice of Maria's pie down at the diner."
Jemma blinks at Jeriah's statement and goes to say No, she's got work to do. What comes up is a smile as she closes her computer down and secures her desk. "Of course, Mister London. Wouldn't want to put the Director out now, would we. Are you inviting to play pool with you?"
Her hair is done in classics forties styling, victory rolls framing her face.
Taking her coat from the rack by the door, a long cashmere wool coat that buttons up at the front, she hands to Jeriah to help her on with it.
What the hell is going on?
This Jeriah seems happy to do, along with a little peck on the cheek to the sounds of an 'awwwwwwww' from… nowhere that anyone can see.
Jemma's terminal shuts down, and it IS a terminal since actual computers are still big enough that they take up most of a room and they won't be getting any smaller for some decades. The OSS Agent offers an arm out and gestures toward the elevator.
"Sure if you're inclined. Would understand if you weren't though. And anyway I'll want dinner first." Hence the diner which is a rather nice place to eat. As they get down to the street and step out onto the sidewalk it's brisk. Either spring or autumn weather. There's a crowd and traffic but neither of it looks natural. It's all very… staged. Very 50's. Designed to look busy for a camera but not ACTUALLY busy.
Jemma blushes faintly when the peck is given but returns it. There's another 'awwww' that has her looking around and looking at Jeriah in question. His arm is being offered though and the biochem takes it, stepping out and locking the room.
The lock is a good old fashion mechanical combination lock and the door, a good heavy wooden one.
"How could refuse such a gallant invitation." She teases just a little as they step out of the elevator and onto the street. "Are we going to walk, Mister London or are you hailing a cab?" Of course they step into the flow of the pedestrians quite easily, it's totally staged.
"We'll walk if that's alright with you. It's not far." And it isn't. Jeriah swings down the street. There's the usual noise of motors. Honking. A soft hubbub of people talking. One of their coworkers passes them and waves. She's headed in the same direction but moving a bit quicker as Jeriah pauses here and there to look into a shop window.
There's some nice things. Coats. Dresses. Shirts. Ties. There's items that are not clothing as well. All manner of things. That's kind of odd for a place where the OSS might be working. This part of town SHOULD be more secluded but no. For some reason there's decent hopping here on the way to a decent diner.
"How was work today?"
It really is an unusual place for the offices. SHIELD is located on Governer's Island. Highly secure and nearly impossible to access. Jemma knows this is wrong and yet, she stops with Jeriah to peer in the windows and offer comments on things that she sees.
Like that darling tea kettle and service in the window there. There's also that tie that would suit Jeriah.
Waving to their coworker, Jemma offers a smile and looks up to Jeriah "Busy. I'm working on that compound that Agent Harris bought in. Trying to work out just what it is." Her cybernetic eye isn't cybernetic at the moment, it's covered by that eyepatch. The implants that cover the side of her face normally are just scars - terrible ones.
"It seems to be sentient, but I'm not sure how … What about you? Did your dogs pass their assessment today?"
"The dogs did and we're ready to move on Roxxon as soon as you're set up to do the tracking for the atomics involved. Oh how Jeriah hates that word. It's nuclear. NUCLEAR. But no. He can't make himself say it just like he can't make himself swear. They've just crossed the street when a woman's scream rings out from ahead. Jeriah looks at Jemma and then breaks into a run. It wasn't very far.
When they get there, Maria has fallen over, breathing heavily in a panic. Her jacket sleeve is slightly torn.
"Jeriah! Jemma! The documents! He took the documents I was working on! Hurry!" She's pointing down the alley. That's bad. Whomever 'he' is, he can't be allowed to get away.
"I'm glad to hear that." Jemma wants to say she could feel his frustration but she can't. "And I will be ready in another couple of days. I have the isotopes that I need and the atomic tracking is being tested." It's Nuclear Science, for heavens sake.
It's funny but the things they're saying are very similar to what she would say. She doesn't swear much and is generally quite proper with her language.
Following Jeriah, not quite at the same pace - running in heels is quite difficult really - Jemma arrives just in time to hear Maria explain what happened. "Maria. Can you wait inside? We'll be back …" she tells the woman, worried for her but the womans urgency has seeped through.
Jemma looks to Jeriah, drawing her … what the hell is that pistol? The 50's version of the ICER that she normally carries.
"Let's go…" She starts down the alley, expecting Jeriah to follow.
Jeriah doesn't draw though he is packing. He just bolts off after the retreating footsteps he can hear. Yes, Jemma is slightly ahead of him. There's a shadow. The thief just turned a corner. There's another alley and then it dumps out onto a street where there will be foot traffic. That'll make a chase much harder.
There! Jemma makes the corner and there he is, in a dark coat and hat, running and not six steps away. If she can just get a bit further she can catch him.
Or, you know. She can try shooting him. How's her aim with just one eye?
Jeriah can here the clipping of Jemma's heels as she moves. Running in heels and straight skirt … it won't take long for the contractor to catch up with her, she's sure.
Approaching the corner, Jemma slows, sliding around it. She's not been spotted, it seems, and there's her mark. Levelling the weapon and aiming, the biochem squeezes the trigger - not thinking about the fact that her focus and depth perception will be off. Or that she's become used to relying on the implants to help her aiming.
The shot will go wide, of course.
The shot does go wide but it causes the man to look back over his shoulder in alarm and that's when Jeriah rushes past her to deliver a punch straight on the jaw. The formerly running man strikes a brick wall and then falls over. Out. Jeriah knows about fifty ways to disable a man, break bones or even kill. He can do it without thinking. And yet here… just a right cross. He can't make his body do the things he'd normally do. And why?
He doesn't know but it's a bit frightening.
For now he kneels down and pulls the papers that Maria lost out of the inner coat pocket. "Here we go. Safe and sound." He turns and offers them out to Jemma. They're not much but two of them are related to the preparations being made for the Roxxon operation soon and… those would have been bad to get out.
Jemma gasps as Jeriah punches the man. That's not something she'd usually do and yet here she does. "Oh, thank you, Mister London. I would have hated him for him to get away." Oh dear, that isn't her at all, is it. And yes, she's wondering if the guy had a glass jaw or something.
"We should get these back to Maria." Jemma says when she what she's thinking is Why on earth were these out of the building. She knows Jeriah must be thinking that too and looks at him.
She's getting scared now, but she smiles and bats her eyes at the soldier-hacker.
"Of course Jemma. Let's get these back."
There's absolutely no reason they should be out of the building and the fact that they are is a serious breach of security. Jeriah and Jemma should in no way return the papers to Maria. And yet this is what they do. By the time they get there several other people are standing around in suits and skirts and they don't seem any more… upset about this than Jeriah and Jemma are acting.
Maria looks up tearfully and a bit hopefully as Jemma approaches. "Oh please tell me you found him."
Well they did. And then Jeriah poleaxed him.
At least she hadn't said My Hero! Jemma rolls her eyes, internally, at her behaviour. Both for the flirting with Jeriah and the fact she's not immediately citing Maria for having these documents out of the Trisk—- the office.
"We did, yes, and here are your papers. Jeriah cocked him a good one. We should get one of the OSS MP's to collect him." She says. "Now, are you alright? Tell us what happened. Oh, perhaps we should go and have pie and tea while you do …"
Seriously. This is beyond a joke now. Pie and tea? And why the hell isn't berating Maria for having the paperwork out?
Jemma does look at those gathered, offering a confident smile. "Thank you for helping her, we'll look after her now."
"Pie? Oh I don't know. Are you sure Jemma? I don't want to interrupt…" She looks between Jemma and Jeriah because OBVIOUSLY they had been going somewhere TOGETHER and even if it was just to dinner after work and maybe some pool if they feel like it, clearly this is something they might enjoy WITH JUST THE TWO OF THEM.
Jeriah just laughs. "What happened Maria?"
"Oh well I was walking down the street and out of nowhere that fella with the coat jumps out of the alley and grabs my purse. He took the papers out of it and dropped it. Didn't even take my billfold."
Which means he knew where the papers were and what to look for. That's bad.
"My fella and I will have time later, Maria." Fella? Jemma *never* speaks like that. "It's you that I'm worried about right now. And nothing cures the worlds ills like a good cup of tea."
She does look concerned though as Maria explains. "That was have been quite horrifying for you. Fortunately he didn't hurt you too badly. Did you recognise him at all?" Jemma hadn't when Jeriah had clocked him but she hadn't been looking very hard, either.
It is bad and Jemma knows it. She's not sure what's worse. Being in this Teledrama or the fact that someone knew where to look.
"No I didn't recognize him. Maybe he'll have some ID when he gets picked up?" Possibly. For now Jeriah directs the two of them down the road. The little diner isn't far after all and when they slide in they're greeted by a smiling blonde waitress in appropriate clothing for the period who asks if they'll have 'the usual'. That is, despite what TV shows may say, generally a small town thing. Eateries in larger cities go through too many people to remember any but the most regular of customers.
And yet, here, it seems to make sense. Jeriah says of course he will despite not having any idea what the usual is.
"You've been working on the Roxxon thing haven't you?"
"Yeah. Though I do have a dinner with Mark on saturday. Maybe he'd like to make it a double. Would you two like to come?"
"I hope so." Jemma murmurs, taking Jeriah's arm again as they walk. She likes this diner - they come here a lot. Wait. No, they don't. She smiles and nods, agreeing to 'the usual' - whatever that is. It had better be Apple Pie and a good cup of tea.
It takes Jemma a moment to work that out. Why mention Mark when Jeriah asks about Roxxon? "Mark's working on this too, Maria?" Mark is one of the analysts for OSS. Maria works in the same area as him and Jemma hadn't known they were dating. Then again, Jemma wouldn't know these things. She's always smiling though and her cheeks are starting to hurt. "I'll leave that decision up to my man."
Jemma would normally say 'no', mostly because she doesn't think she and Jeriah at that point.
"He is yeah. It's actually nice to be working on the same thing that he's working on. Though it does make it harder to find things to talk about that aren't work. It's just easy to fall into." Maria smiles and looks to Jeriah who would normally give Jemma a look for that.
Point in fact he does give her a look but only a mild one. "Sure Maria. I think Jemma and I would be up for a double date." Why the HELL is he agreeing to this? It is internally quite frustrating and Jemma has to know that.
"You two are sweet." Maria smiles as her food arrives. "Actually I'm going to take this to go, but thank you both. I'll leave you two to catch up."
And so saying that's exactly what she does.
Frustrating isn't the start of how Jemma would describe this but she keeps smiling and nodding and looking adoringly at Jeriah.
"Then it's a plan." Interesting that Mark is working on this with Maria. Jemma gets talking about work but she wonders why they're doing this. Why Maria was robbed by someone who knew exactly where to find things.
"Have a good afternoon, Maria." She just keeps smiling and then at Jeriah. "Did you hurt yourself when you hit the man?" She asks? She wants to ask all the other questions she's thinking though…. and pulls a notepad and pen from her bag and starts writing.
"Oh hand's maybe a little sore." Jeriah's hand is not sore. He knows how to deliver a punch but he shakes it for effect anyway. "Haven't had to hit someone like that since the war. You know how it is in the OSS. It's not all Cloak and Dagger."
It sort of was in the OSS and Jeriah SHOULD be training regularly and intensively but this world seems to have a very sanitized, rosy view of how things were. If what they're hearing is correct then this isn't a world at all. It's… possibly some manner of entertainment?
Either way he leans to see what she's writing.
Is this trying to show us something? Mark was transferred into the Triskelian a couple of months ago. So a new player on the scene, could he be a mole or double agent? She doesn't write that though. Jeriah might infer it from what she's writing. We need to report Maria's theft to the agency.
Do they? Or is this just something that's a show?
"Oh, I'm sorry. Here, let me." Getting some ice from Jeriah's drink and wrapping it in a serviette, Jemma applies it gently to his knuckles. "There, give that a moment and it will feel a little better. And yes, I know how it is in the OSS. Mostly desk work and admin." It is so not.
Jeriah smiles and gently reaches over to pat Jemma's arm and just nods. He knows it's bunk, that work in a place like this as an operative - as opposed to an analyst - is so much more than desk work. He picks up the pen and writes after a moment.
I don't know that we will really be able to. And I'm not sure yet. Mark is a pretty common name. And Maria is too. I don't doubt that there are dozens of Marks and Maria's at SHIELD. He pauses for a moment before adding. The bigger question is what keeps pulling is here and why.
"Well this Roxxon thing might be a bit heavier. Are you sure you're going to be okay on the line. I want you safe, sweetheart."
Sweetheart? Oy.
There's another 'awwww' on the voice over track as Jeriah says that. Jemma would normally blink at the pet name but she just smiles again and lays her other hand on Jeriahs. "I'm worried of course. I know I've had training but I'm a Scientist really and as you said, we don't do much of this really. But I'll have you, won't I, to keep me safe, darling?" That really isn't something that Jemma would call Jeriah, but it is true - he is her bullet shield after all.
I'll ask Agent May to make some enquiries in personnell, see if we can identify her. And I don't know. Did you want to go out still, or can I do some brain scans on us?
Because that sounds like a great way to spend the evening.
I think it's gonna have to be brain scans. Jeriah writes down as they continue to talk. Much as that's not how he wants to spend his evening that's what he thinks it's going to need to be. THey need to know what's going on and if this is in their heads or it's real in some odd way. The fact that they're sharing it suggests the latter.
"You know I always will. Now, come on, let's finish up and enjoy our evening, mmm?" He kisses her on the cheek once more.
Brain scans it is and blood tests. Jemma will run a full work up on them. Maybe they'll get some time after that. But it won't be pool and beer, that's for sure.
"Let's do that. I want to see my man show the others how it's done." Ugh. Really?
"I'll try not to disappoint." Jeriah says as the pie arrives. And now it's time for his second favorite part of the evening. Pie.
Honestly? Jeriah doesn't even LIKE cherry pie that much. Whomever is puppet mastering this thing needs to be shot.