10374/Lost in the Triskelion

Lost in the Triskelion
Date of Scene:	06 March 2022
Location:	Food Court: Triskelion
Synopsis:	Dinner and conversation.
Cast of Characters:	Roy Harper, Cael Becker, Jonathan Sims

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Roy Harper has posed:
Roy Harper is a new face around SHIELD. It was an odd choice letting this one in, but apparently someone saw some potential in this 19-year-old with a high school diploma and a drug habit. And so after a series of interviews and a field trial, here he is moping around the Triskelion. A flaming-haired youth in jeans, black Dockers, a T-shirt, and a black leather jacket is definitely not the average around this place, so he stands out. Unfortunately, Roy got lost in the Triskelion. He wandered any rooms and passageways that weren't locked or guarded by someone unfriendly. And surprise, surprise, the walking stomach ended up finding his way to the Food Court. He enters the chamber following his nose, as one does, and smiles broadly. "Oh thank god," he murmurs.

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael Becker is a fairly common sight around the Food Court - given her general lack of culinary skills. The young woman sports a leather jacket herself, along with a heavy pair of black boots. Tattoos trace along the back of each of her hands - a simple line of flames in black ink, licking up towards her wrists. Her left wrist sports a leather cuff bracelet in blue, teal, and gold, with holes cut into the leather to create a kaleidescope of butterflies flitting across it, and her blonde hair is dyed with the same colors in the lower layers - something that shows periodically when she moves, or runs a hand through her hair. At the moment, she's sitting with a large plate of stir fried noodles, and a mug filled with coffee.
    At her feet is a large white dog with a 'Service Dog in Training' vest on. His gaze is locked up on Cael - the reason for that readily appearant as she periodically pulls pieces of chicken or chicken off a second plate to feed to the pup, who happily and greedily devours them.
    Cael is just twirling up some noodles when her gaze locks onto Roy, a curious expression on her features. Was the kid a... witness? Or maybe somebody's child? Hmm.

Roy Harper has posed:
Well the Triskelion exploration is a wash it seems, but since he's here Roy sees no reason to waste a perfectly good opportunity to stock the tummy. With his multi-hour-a-day workout routine he burns calories like a sumo wrestler or an Olympic swimmer. Food is a near constant necessity for the kid.

Roy's gaze falls on the dog on the floor being hand fed chicken. One corner of his mouth crooks up in a grin. I mean, who doesn't love a dog? But he stops dead in his tracks when he sees the woman looking at him. This is probably a restricted area. He's probably kicked out of SHIELD now, his career ending before it began. Will they just kick him out? Or will they also kill him because he's seen too much? It's probably a secret dog. Dammit.

"Hey," he says to Cael. "Am I...am I not s'posed to be here? I smelled the food and thought I'd get somethin' t'eat."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "I mean, if you have access to the building, you have access to the food court," Cael replies, giving a shrug of her shoulders. "Places that're off limits are locked, guarded, or locked and guarded," depending on the level of security.
    "Guest of the agency I take it?" she surmises casually - while feeding Bear another piece chicken, while the pup happily thumps his tail on the ground. She'd been gone for //six whole days,// and he was glad simply to have his human back.

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy casually slips his hands in his front pants pockets. "I mean, I probably have about as much access as a guest." That said with a laugh. "But technically I'm a recruit, believe it or not. Name's Roy Harper. Just started like a week ago."

His gaze goes back down to the dog but he keeps his distance and doesn't approach any closer. "S'cool dog ya got."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Really?" Cael says in a curious voice, looking to man down, and then up again. He seems a bit young - didn't they usually prefer college graduates? But hell. Maybe they need some younger recruits for specific undercover roles. Why not? "I'm still a recruit myself," she admits. "Been with the agency... Six months now, I think?" She hasn't exactly been keeping track. Time has been... weird.
    "Name's Cael Becker, this here's Bear," she adds, nodding towards the Great Pyrenees pup. "He's about a year old so - believe it or not, he's still gonna get a big bigger." And he's already weighing in at just over a hundred pounds.
    Nodding her head towards the man stations at the food court she adds, "You should get yourself something. I mean, there's the pasta station, the woodfire oven, the curry station... or you can make your own salad, or sandwich. They got a little bit of everything here."

Roy Harper has posed:
There's a slight flush to the sides of Roy's neck when his stomach rumbles at the talk of food. "Yeah good idea." He beelines to the buffet-style food service. Grabbing a tray and a couple of plates he ends up with a heaping plate of baked macaroni and cheese, six beef tacos, a thick slice of cheesecake, and four glasses of whole milk. Then he looks over at the hundred-pound dog at Cael's feet and gets a small plate and puts some boneless chicken meat on it.

He heads back to Cael's table and motions with a head nod. "Mind if I...mind if I join you guys? I brought peace chicken for this grizzly bear cub of yours."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Feel free," Cael invites, nodding to the ample space at the table. "Bear never says no to a bit of chicken - do ya, mutt?" The pup's tail thumps louder as he's addressed, and she gives him an amused smile, while tossing another bit of carrot down for him to enjoy.
    "So. Agent Harper, is it?" Cael remarks casually. "What brings you to SHIELD - if the answer isn't classified." There's amusement in her voice at that - knowing that there is a very real chance that it could be. What could draw someone into the agency so young, after all?

Roy Harper has posed:
The young man shakes his head as he very slowly sets the plate of chicken on the floor in front of the dire bear on the floor. "Please call me Roy. I mean, unless that's against the rules or whatever." Roy sucks down an entire glass of milk in one long pull and sets the empty glass back on his tray. "I joined because I was looking for something different. I've been dealing with baddies on the streets since I was fifteen under the name Arsenal." Why not tell her? Everyone who he has dealt with here at SHIELD seems to knows It's secret out there on the streets but within these walls it has been common knowledge with his handers thus far. "I came here to see if I could learn to be a part of something bigger, make a difference on a larger scale."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "It's not against the rules, no, but I'm pretty used to being called 'Becker' around here," Cael replies in an amused tone as she sits at a table with Roy, a plate of noodles and a coffee in front of her. She watches as the teen sets the plate down in front of Bear. The pup responds by looking at the food, then looking up at Cael with a hopeful look on his face - his tail once more thumping on the floor. Cael regards the dog for a few moments, before giving him a smile, and a nod. "Go ahead, Bear."
    As soon as he has permission, the pup starts eagerly eating the offering set before him.
    "Arsenal, huh?" she remarks. "Heard the name." Heard one agent in the FBI railing about how Arsenal had ruined an undercover sting they'd been working on for months. Of course - he could have had no way of knowing about that. There's an amused smirk on her lips at the memory.
    "It's better being part of something bigger, I think - than trying to survive out there on your own."

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy just slide a plate of boneless chicken meat in front of the massive cave bear that surely must have been thawed from a glacier as a result of climate change. He has a tray of food on front of him: a heaping plate of baked macaroni and cheese, a half dozen beef tacos, a thick slice of cheese cake of four glasses of whole milk (well, three glasses of whole milk and one empty, milky glass).

He picks up one of the tacos. "I was part of a group of Gotham but for some reasons I decided to move on. Good group of people, but the city itself just has too many ghosts for me." He turns his head to the side so he can devour the taco without spilling it. Kid can eat.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jonathan Sims has become a common enough sight in the cafeteria that his entrance occassions a cheery wave from one of the cooks behind the main hot line, and thus the dark-skinned man finds himself pulled aside shortly after walking in to explain where he's been and how he got such a lifelike prosthetic--the fourth such conversation he's had in the past day, in fact. This is the main reason he heads over to the table where Cael and Roy sit /after/ getting food: curry and rice and flatbread, a salad, a cup of juice. And several slices of pizza. And almond cookies pressed on him by the cook.

    "Mind if I join you?" Cael at least recognizes the bartione English voice, belonging to a man that looks like, if he really does work for SHIELD, he's probably some kind of tech or researcher. Green t-shirts, sneakers, and jeans aren't a common sight paired with SHIELD lanyards, and nor are gold-rimmed glasses and ponytails with undercuts. Maybe he's on loan from StarkTech; he has the vibe.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Jon," Cael greets the man with warmth in her voice, turning towards him with a smile, and scooting just enough to give him space beside her. "This is Roy Harper - a new recruit, apparently. Roy, this is Agent Jonathan Sims," she offers by way of introduction. "He outranks the both of us, but I try not to hold that against him." She gives the man a smile, before returning her attention to Roy, her expression sobering noticeably.
    "Yeah. I know how that can be. Some memories are hard to live with," she says in a quiet voice, though that tone doesn't last long, before she forces some more energy back into it. "But... you're here now. And SHIELD's been a good place for me."

Roy Harper has posed:
As Roy looks up at Jonathan it becomes clear that something's going on there. He peers oddly at the man, like maybe he has met him before. "I..." He blinks a few times and then puts out his hand. "Roy Harper. Have we...have we met before? You look so damned familiar to me for some reason." He unconsciously tap-tap-taps one foot on the ground as he considers Jon. It's the foot he almost lost if not for the timely intervention of a member of the Outsiders who saved it, with Jonathan's assistance.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon settles himself next to Cael after giving Bear a friendly ruffle. "Tell you what, next time there's an invasion of a major American city I'll suggest to the Chief that /you/ lead the response. I'm sure there'll be a promotion in the works in that case." There's a tone in his voice of easy banter, like this a long-running routine.

    Roy he eyes for a moment, then nods. "Ah, yes, I remember, you were injured, in Gotham. You were /quite/ out of it, you might not remember. But that's alright! Being recruited to SHIELD is quite a different matter altogether than... working in Gotham." He's being vague, yes, probably for Cael's sake. "How are you liking it thus far?"

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Pass," Cael replies, letting out a laugh and holding up her hands as if in surrender. "I'll stay a recruit, thanks." She nudges Jon's shoulder with her own as he sits with her, then reaches over with her fork to steal a taste of his curry. After letting out a speculative sound, she goes back to nibbling at her noodles, while Bear relaxes comfortably at their feet.
    "Coming to SHIELD wasn't that much of a change for me - I'd already been working at the FBI, you see," she explains. "Still. Two very different agencies."

Roy Harper has posed:
By the time that brief exchange between Cael and Jon is complete Roy has already devoured three more tacos. "That was a nutty day," he says to Jon regarding the leg injury. "Thanks for helping. It would suck to lose a li...." His gaze goes to Jon's prosthetic, then he looks down at his food, ashamed and a little red-faced.

"Funny story, that was like some sort of inter-dimensional space insect bite infection," he offers. "That infection is how I met my boyfr..." He pauses. "...well, now my ex-boyfriend." He shrugs one shoulder. Oh well. If is made of seasons.

"FBI, huh?" he says Cael, looking and sounding impressed. "So far SHIELD seems like an amazing opportunity for me to learn. I got to the point where I thought I was hot shit out there, and that's a bad head space to be in. Like a get-dead kind of head space." He gazes around the large room. "Here, I feel very humbled and that's exactly where I need to be right now in my life."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon flexes the fingers on the prosthetic and smirks briefly. "It's alright. It /does/ suck, but I'm... managing. Adapting." For some reason, that word makes him roll his eyes. "Working on manual dexterity, mostly, at least with this. I've been thinking of picking up a new hobby that would need my other hand. Maybe I'll finally let Martin teach me how to knit. Or learn to play guitar." He frowns thoughtfully for a moment, deliberately ignoring Cael stealing his food in favor of folding up the flatbread he brought and dipping it into the curry.

    "SHIELD is made up of good people. They'll take care of you, and make sure you get training. They've seen... lord, just about anything you can think of. I'm sure someone in SHIELD would have /some/ clue how to handle inter-dimensional space insects." He smirks. "And if they don't, they'd figure it out."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "I //was// working in Organized Crime, trying to infiltrate gangs, and break them up from the inside, and help get the new members other opportunities rather than... a life of crime. It was good work, but it's just not feasible anymore, for one reason or another." She smiles a bit sadly at that - she really had enjoyed that sort of work, and there's no going back to it.
    "But I made choices, and they lead me... here." She gives a shrug of her shoulders, before turning her attention to Jon, a look akin to consternation on her features. "//Knitting//?" she asks. "Seriously?"

Roy Harper has posed:
A grin crosses Roy's features as he listens to the two banter. Tacos? Gone. Three of the four glasses of milk? Gone. Cheesecake? Super gone. He tears into the baked macaroni and cheese. Our boy can eat. The food budget around here is going to need some attention.

"You two seem really comfortable together? Are you a couple?"

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "Martin's been trying to get me to learn to knit for /fourteen years/, Cael," Jon replies evenly. "Or crochet. He keeps saying he can't be the only one making booties for Peggy and Daniel's baby." He shakes his head. "That's part of why I'm considering the guitar. It gets him off my back."

    He flushes a bit darker and nods to Roy. "Ahh. Yes. That's... yes. You will find that relationships here are... well. They happen. It's inevitable, perhaps. There are things SHIELD agents can't share even with family, and in some ways SHIELD can... /become/ your family." He smirks. "Have you met the Chief yet?" He gestures with his fork at the other man's plate. "She will feed you. Or, rather, Daniel will cook and then she'll give you the leftovers."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Oh, God, are we //those// people already?" Cael asks with a groan - as Roy calls them out as a couple so easily - but there's a hint of a smile pulling at the corner of her lips.
    "I actually got fed some stew that the Chief made herself. I stopped by her place to, uhh, report on your... status after the fight at the Endless Graveyard," she explains vaugely in an aside directed to Jon. "...and she told me to eat something and go to sleep. And it's kind of hard to tell your boss to fuck off, so..." She lets out a sigh. "She cares about her people," she adds towards Roy. "Which is undoubtedly a good thing."
    After another bite of noodles she adds, "Anyways, I say guitar yes, and knitting no, and if Martin has a problem with that he can come fight me." There's a note of teasing challenge in her voice. And honestly - she'd enjoy the chance to spar with the other Agent.

Roy Harper has posed:
There are some notes of mild confusion on Roy's face, like he has the feeling there are pieces missing from the puzzle that he's unaware of. But this is new workplace and he's not about to ruin it this soon by asking personal questions. So he just sits there and pretends to enjoy his baked macaroni and cheese. That's not too difficult because it's actually really good, so by pretending to enjoy it he's really actually enjoying it, which enhances the performance considerably.

"Well my plan is keep my head low, keep my mouth shut, and learn what I can." He makes a few circles in the air with his fork. "And to eat a lot of this food."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "Thank the gods for Peggy," Jon says, frowning at Cael for a moment. "I... really need to report in, actually." He looks a bit sheepish, and grins at Roy. "I, ahh... died, and came back to life, recently. Which... is not as common an occurence as I'm sure I'm making it sound."

    He regards Roy for a moment while he eats his own food, piling rice and chicken and sauce in the flatbread like he's just going to make a curry sandwich. "Keeping your head down is a good plan," he says, "but don't hesitate to seize opportunity if it arises. I don't mean in a... hmmm. I don't mean promotion-seeking. I mean that they appreciate a certain amount of initiative, within reason. And if you're the type to have already been out in the field..."

    He sighs. "I was /going/ to keep my head down. I really was. But that... did not happen. When your instinct is to run toward the danger, SHIELD at least has good backup for that."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "I emailed her that you're back. I'm sure she'd just giving you a little space and time after all of that," Cael reassures Jon, giving him a small smile.
    "SHIELD tends to be filled with motivated people. People who care a lot about keeping others safe, About protecting America, the world - and even reality so, yeah. When there's a chance to make a difference - take it. I was running around with Cap, and Falcon before I even joined SHIELD officially. In fact, it's how I came to their attention," she explains with a wry smile. She continues to nibble at what remains of her noodles - while tossing another carrot down to the dog.

Roy Harper has posed:
"You /died/ and came back to life?" Roy asks incredulously. He stares rather intently at Jon for an uncomfortably long period of time. It's as though the topic suddenly triggered some related, private line of thinking and he forgot to not stare impolitely. Once Roy realizes what he's doing he blinks a few times and looks down at his empty plate. He tosses the fork down and drains the last glass of milk. Well there went a 4,000 calorie meal.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "It's a long story," Jon says wryly. "Which... I'm willing to relate, but I'm quite aware not everyone wants to hear details. I'm doing well enough though." A pause, then, "I understand if that's... hmm. Not great dinner conversation."

    So, time to change the subject, maybe. "How were you recruited, then? I was... well, actually, my husband's been with SHIELD for over fifteen years, so he brought me in when I got... mmm. Magic." May as well just say it.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "He died," Cael confirms simply, her voice calm and even. It had been a source of a great deal of pain and anxiety - but she seems to have put that behind herself.
    "And as I mentioned - I was dragged in by Cap and Falcon, more or less," she remarks. "You spend time fighting Hydra besides the likes of them, and... well..." She gives a shrug of her shoulders. "Sam somehow took a liking to Jon here, too. Don't know why. He's just insufferable, after all." She gives Jon a nudge.

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy draws in a deep breath and exhales it slowly. "I sorta kinda came knocking on the door, to be honest. I had to get out of the life, the street vigilante thing. It was starting to eat away at me. I was getting to the point where I was practically daring gangs to come for me just so I could put a dozen dudes on their ass." He looks at the spoon from his tray and fidgets with it just so he has something to look at other than people, and something to do with his energy. A shrug. "I needed some structure, an organization where I was accountable to something other than what kind of mood I was in on any given night."

He lifts his gaze again and looks at Cael and then at Jonathan. "There's more to me than how violent I can be. I /know/ I have something to offer that's good and meaningful."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "As a fellow therapist, Sam recognizes that our profession is both very useful in the field and yet woefully unequipped for the dangers of said work." A pause, and then Jon smirks at Cael. "Also, Martin asked for his help."

    He considers what Roy says and then nods. "That's a lot of why I joined, myself. Discipline, organization. I inherited power quite suddenly, and had very little direction. I went from being a therapist to superheroes to nearly dying on a daily basis trying to do heroics myself, and I was... making bad choices. Taking on things I shouldn?t have."

    He smiles. "SHIELD can definitely help with that. Despite the... scope of recent events, knowing the other agents have my back has helped a great deal. I don't think I'd have gotten through the last couple of months without SHIELD."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "I've always got your back," Cael murmurs quietly to Jon - picking up her coffee for a sip, and letting out a satisfied sigh.
    Her attention shifts towards Roy as she remarks, "Most of those kids you were fighting - they've been through hell. They've been shoved around by bullies, by law enforcement - everyone telling them they're bad kids. Watching their parents get encarcerated, their older siblings and cousins get killed - they get dragged into it. Looking for family. Looking for opportunity. They... in a very real way, they didn't have much choice. You gun them down, just- more kids gonna take their place. We don't fix that shit by //fighting// them," she points out flatly.
    "...anyways. It's a complicated issue, is all," she concludes more quietly.

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy picks up his tray and stands, perhaps moving a little more quickly after the tongue lashing from Cael. Maybe she hit a nerve. "Well I guess I have a lot to think about then," he says. "Thank you both for letting me eat with you. It was nice to meet you both." He turns and heads for the tray drop-off. He stops a few feet away from the table, his back to Cael and Jon. "Not for nothin' but these hard luck cases do a lot of bad shit, a lot of evil shit, hurt a lot of people and ruin a lot of lives." He shrugs once. "I had a hard childhood too." Leaving the rest unsaid, Roy turns in his tray and heads out of the Food Court.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon watches Roy get up and leave, frowning slightly. "A lot of the masked vigilante types come to it after some kind of... inciting incident. Especially that young... they've experienced what the streets have to offer, seen how local law enforcement fails, and taken matters into their own hands, sometimes with mentorship from an adult vigilante or a larger group. There's a reason Gotham and Starling have so many young people patrolling the streets while New York... doesn't, as much." By his tone, he's seen it before, and has understanding alongside worry.

    He glances to Cael. "He'll figure things out. I suspect you'd both agree that people who want a chance should be given one."

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael frowns as she watches the teen leave - and shakes her head slightly, letting out a sigh. "I'll sort it out with him, later," she promises, giving Jon a small smile.
    "You know - speaking of Sam. We should probably start doing those training sessions again - now that things are a little less insane. Don't you think? I'll send him a text - see if we can meet him tomorrow morning out at the track like we had been."
    That said, she digs back into the last of her noodles while Jon eats - periodically giving him a little friendly shit over things like 'knitting.' Because honestly, some things will never change.