13223/Dress For the Job You Want

Dress For the Job You Want
Date of Scene:	31 October 2022
Location:	R and D Labs: Triskelion
Synopsis:	Time to Play Dressup. Alexander and Monica prepare for an op with the help of Jane.
Cast of Characters:	Alexander Aaron, Monica Chang, Jane Foster

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Alexander Aaron has posed:
    The depths one can dive to and the bounty one can gain from plumbing the vaults of the Triskelion are amazing. There is an entire room that holds camping equipment that ranges from 1950s era domestic gear all the way to modern day and advanced survival equipment. There are clothing racks deep in a sub-level that have suitable clothes for various nations during particular time periods. There are shelves upon shelves of electronics coming from each decade and some particularly designed to work in harsh environments just in case. And then there are the armories...
    All told it is a good source of gear for ops, especially getting ready for infiltration into a particular demographic or location. A broad spectrum of props for one to draw on to fit a particular identity that should be crafted lovingly and with care.
    Though for Agent Aaron it is hard for him to work up that same enthusiasm for this particular mission as he has had for others. Not that he is approaching this with less professionalism. Just it is harder with Agent Chang's smirk now and again.
    "Alright, grabbed a few things and put them into these two boxes." The second of which he was carrying on his shoulder as he returned to the R&D room where Monica apparently worked. The cardboard box fwumpfed as he set it down on the floor next to the first. Within one could see a myriad of clothes that would fit their measurements some decidedly larger for him and others more petite for the other agent. There were also a handful of RPG books tucked into the side of one box, along with some pieces of paper that were apparently character sheets.
    Truly a wondrous bounty.

Monica Chang has posed:
Monica had been sent /back/ to the R&D lab. She had been attempting to help with the pilfering in the stores down in the depths of the Triskelion. Until she had begun to drool. First was in the armory where she wanted to go in and browse for a while, only to be reminded that she had no reason to go there because she had no need for a rocket launcher on this particular assignment. No matter how much she tried to convince them.

No, the problem had come when she reached the electronics. And learned SHIELD literally had every gaming console ever created. She was positive she heard a chorus of angels and saw a beam of light from the heavens themselves shining on that Magnavox Odyssey from 1972. It even had all the trappings that had gone with tucked in the box according to the inventory sheet kept on the front of the glass display case. She'd been standing there, hands plastered on the glass, practically crying when the curator of that particular area insisted she leave immediately. He was still cleaning her fingerprints off the glass as she headed reluctantly back to R&D.

Once there, she was puttering with a drone as she waited for Alexander to return. When he did, she immediately turned in her chair to start digging in the box. Only to pick up the character sheets first instead of the clothes. "Looks like you found quite a lot of options."

Jane Foster has posed:
"They're doing what now? Why does someone need access to 319?" Jane looks up from her desk in the communal WAND office. That's how little the department warrants; R&D gets floors, WAND doesn't even bother with partitions. Agent 33 needs to get on that, short of folding space for everyone. So when one of her coworkers looks at a request funnelled through email rather than a pneumatic tube or by owl (all the rage in the late early aughts), it's up to the brunette astrophysicist to shake her head. "No. And I'll take it up with her at lunch." Daisy's idea of a joke? Maybe.

It /is/ the time of year.

She may not be R&D but she has the credentials to bypass pretty much everything short of May or Peggy's limitations, which helps. Security being what it is, she brings a cup of tea with her as she weaves her path through elevators and aisles into R&D. Always a feeling of activity from the neighbouring ARMOR division, and there further on, a sign of trouble all around. Too much buzzing activity as she heads in on a reconnaissance mission to figure out the who, why, and what on Earth Daisy has been up to. Or perhaps she's off to see Jemma about a frozen body hidden somewhere in the building; in fact, there are several. That would be the game frozen status for the unfortunate. Totally chill, that's Jane.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Digging into the box that he just brought in, Agent Aaron presents a handful of no less than six types of glasses all of the... studious variety. He extends them to Monica offering her the first pick of them should she so wish, though when she goes digging into the character sheets he tells her, "You can take the 12th level Ranger, I'll take the cleric."
    Though, ideally, if the mission goes well they won't need either of those.
    In those boxes it is a veritable cornucopia of pop culture from the t-shirt with a stylized Iron Man on the front, to the torn jeans missing the knees, all the way to several smart phone wrist watches. Though one calculator wrist watch is in there among them.
    "So I was thinking jeans, that shirt." He points at the Iron Man one, then takes up one of the pairs of glasses that are left. "This? Anything else?"
    When Agent Foster enters he pauses while holding up those glasses and one hand lifting that iron man t-shirt that he gives a nod toward the higher-ranked scientist and specialist. "Ma'am."

Monica Chang has posed:
Monica is dressed pretty comfortably. A pair of slacks with a blue button-up blouse. She had gone casual on the shoes, a pair of black sneakers on her feet. Over it all, the white lab jacket that was all the rage in R&D.

She looked over the character sheets, finding the title of what they were and putting the cleric back down on the box for now. She looked over her sheet, not really understanding everything she was looking at. Some made sense. Some definitely did not.

"How long do we have to prep for this?" she asked, glancing over at him as he pulled out the items he was looking to use. "Because no way we can pass ourselves off as gamers without doing some studying and this looks far more complicated than I had anticipated."

She was up for the challenge though. She considered the clothes. "Those look like good options. I'm trying to decide if I should try to get in as an employee or go in as a player since they have games going on all the time. Would allow us to be there twice as much that way," she suggested. "Unless you want to swap and be the gamer and I be the employee?"

Then Jane entered and she glanced over at her, giving a nod of greeting.

Jane Foster has posed:
R&D will know Jane isn't one of them because she lacks the white jacket or the suspicious gloves. Then again, as far as many here are concerned, she's just some kind of consultant. Only a close review of the badge warrants a head snap or a double-take. No Natasha Widow is she, swooping in unseen. Plus, she wears a sweater. Who gets to look like they're going to a business meeting later?

Distinguished visually as /different/ then from Monica and Alexander, she thus might be a lot easier to spot with her trusted, hateful tablet -- one that wasn't torched in Delaware -- at her side. The light-footed approach is apparently hopeless, so thus, she gives a casual wave with the hand holding her teacup. An insulated one, bright purple, even bears the floaty tag for Harney's. What mystery of characterization are they up to? Her gaze carries the inquiry, as she offers, "Good morning. I see you're all well and deep into planning. I hope I'm not interrupting?" As one asks, then offering casual greetings. "Heard that someone was looking for loaded dice, and I haven't the foggiest idea who that could be." Cue the totally bright, and harmless smile.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "There's a tournament this coming weekend, and they've been looking for a clerk for the last month." Alexander holds the Iron Man shirt against his chest, it'll be a bit baggy but that might be for the better. Then he takes up the pair of 'distressed artisanal' blue jeans with the knees missing and holds them just under that t-shirt. "I was thinking, if you'd prefer... you probably have a better chance at getting hired. While I can go and be the noob."
    Since that would be such a change of pace for him.
    He kneels by the first box and pulls out a few sets of shoes. A couple Chuck Taylors, some Doc Martens, and some classic Nike swooshes. But once he has them out his attention turns to Jane.
    "No ma'am, we're..." He looks to the side at the mass of gear they've gathered for Monica to peruse, then looks back to Agent Foster. "Prepping for an undercover thing. But dice..." His eyebrows raise, "That might be useful. If you have a... twenty-sided one?"
    There's a quick glance given to Monica to check and see if he's got it right.

Monica Chang has posed:
"D-10, yes. That's one of them. There's a bunch of others too. A whole set of dice. Some are pretty extravagent. I was looking at it online last night and just wow." Monica had no idea that this world they were entering was so expansive. She'd figured it would be small and niche but this was a giant industry that had everything one could imagine. And things one might not. At least she never had.

As soon as those Doc Martens came out of the box, she flapped her hand in the air in a 'gimme' motion and leaned over to grab them. Or were they in his size? Cause she really wasn't happy with that at all if it was his size. She may have to sneak back down and find some in storage. Though she did have plenty of boots at home. She could just wear her own.

"I don't care one way or the other. At least you have knowledge of historical figures used in those sorts of gaming scenarios. I don't have that edge and they don't sell video games." Oh the disappointment in her voice. "Though, from the lore I've read online, a woman working in a store like that is like finding a unicorn. So I might draw a lot of attention. Is that good in this situation?"

Jane Foster has posed:
"The set came complete except for a d4. Apparently that caused a conflict that required a foot amputation, and thus we've deemed it too dangerous to be released. Could violate several protocols, even for an undercover mission. It's on par with a caltrop or the tire-slashing wires we occasionally have to implement," Jane says. She looks altogether too comfortable referring to a caltrop, but then, look at what physicists have named subatomic particles and what cosmology names things. They're a very silly lot, astronomers and particle physicists. The quantum ones are even stranger.

She carefully sets down the tablet and taps the glass. Nothing happens. Repeat four times, and eventually the screen wakes up. "Are we back to the Nineties? I thought those boots were back, but maybe it's just Halloween?" Docs, a mystery to anyone too young to have appreciated grunge. She's in the same boat. "They look impressive. You would probably be able to get away with stomping around in them and pointedly giving people looks. I'm sure any customers wouldn't ask twice or they would ask you so many questions you'd never get a word in edgewise." With an easy roll of her shoulders, she breaks into a grin for Alexander and Monica.

"Details, then? How long are you set to stay and general location? That might determine how effectively you fill in a role. Sticking out in Chicago? Not so much. Sticking out in a rural area? Significant, if you're a woman in a... you know, that just sounds terrible. Let's go with gainfully employed in such a venue."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Could be," Alexander offers toward Monica. "You could get the job and get focus on you, might give me more freedom to move around. Also you might get access to whatever faster." Straightening up he sets aside the chosen gear. Chucks, jeans, iron man t-shirt, black rimmed glasses. "Gonna need jackets."
    Considering the weather. Then a slight smirk touches Alex's features as he says sidelong, "Perhaps /Danger/ Jackets."
    Though when Jane mentions the inherent danger that true gamers know is hidden in all d4s he smiles a little, "Maybe if things go hot we can get a weaponized d4."
    Though when the elder agent starts asking questions he's quick as a whip and answers directly, his manner tightening up a little. "Ma'am, it's an undercover reconnaissance involving the business known as The Compleat Strategist in Pentagon City. Arlington Virginia. Underground complex just above the Pentagon City metro stop and adjacent to the military complex. Reports of some possible intelligence trade or illicit data drops going on in the area. Part time infil. Was originally my op, Agent Johnson..."
    A pause as he looks over at Monica and ponders his words, framing them in as politick a way as he can. "Thought it would be wise for Agent Chang to augment the infiltration effort."
    He looks back to Jane. "Ideally we should be prepped for insertion this weekend to hit the tournament and round of interviews. Our covers should likely be individuals who fit the store's customer metrics."
    Which likely involves skinny jeans in some way.

Monica Chang has posed:
"What is with you and jackets?" Monica had to ask because this guy had some serious issues here. "If I buy you one, will you stop obsessing perhaps?" She doubted it.

As he explained it to Jane, she nodded here or there. Just random movement to punctuate. Although once he was done she did add in a mutter, "Boots are always in style. No matter when they came out. They'd be retro now or something. Or they might just go in my closet cause I like."

She set the boots down and bent to start taking off her sneakers so she could try on the new/old footwear. Though she glanced up at Jane to offer, "We were told to nerd him up basically. But I think Agent Johnson wanted to test me and how I work with Agent Aaron thus me getting voluntold for the assignment, though I'm certain he would've done just fine on his own."

Jane Foster has posed:
"Prepared to explain your retail experience or any background with different systems, both legacy and current versions?" Look, it's bound to include skinny jeans, a certain amount of ink, and no little amount of irony. Also, the occasional Monty Python reference, though if they exceed three per hour, an evacuation may be necessary due to OSHA violations.

She tips her head slightly, and slants her finger across the screen of the tablet. It ignores her, going about whatever it was not supposed to be doing. "Agent Aaron shows a respectable degree of observation and response. Adaptability in the field is something we can all improve upon, and your report will be important for any advancement when the time comes." Hurray, not a thing she has to worry about this year! Someone else gets to run performance reviews. That someone else being a higher pay grade, and that's that. "I can authorize the release of the loaded dice, though please understand they're absolutely forbidden within 150 miles of Nevada and all tribal casinos. You cannot take them on any reservation. Not that DC has many in proximity but the backlash of bad luck on you is one of those 'unto the seventh generation' matters. Though in this case, we think it's four, but short of having a Spirit Rider telling us..."

The mildest of shrugs. "Nerd him up. They're all wearing enamel pins, so you know. Ideal to throw a few in scattered spots."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "I..." Alexander holds a hand up, "Think I'll make do with normal dice. Maybe." Since, to be fair, he has an understanding of curses or rather perhaps the lengths that supernatural entities go to to sometimes 'get their's.'
    Which leaves him looking sidelong at Monica when she speaks up and he nods in agreement with what she said. The reason behind Agent Johnson's orders aren't as important to him. The fact that they exist as orders? That's all for him really.
    "Enamel pins though?" His brow furrows as that may well have been an aspect of recent or nerd culture that has totally slipped by him. "Like with cartoon characters on them or something?" A small glance is given to the box before him as if somehow a set of pins would appear within. Though they do not. He should know they won't, since he packed them of course.
    "It sounds like you know what you're talking about, Agent Foster."

Monica Chang has posed:
"I'll take the dice. Just in case they become necessary but I doubt it if I'm going to be the sales person," Monica says with a little shrug of her shoulders. "And personally I'd like the full set. I'm cleared on a wide range of weapons include the more...personal." In truth, she went no where without a garotte which might be odd to any normal person. Or even half the agents. In this case, she could actually blame her upbringing.

But at mention of the enamel pins, she immediately turned and started typing on her computer. Doing a search on enamel pins. The first one that popped up she read out loud. "Don't let the muggles get you down. What the hell is a muggle?"

Then she turned back to look at Jane. "You seem to have more nerd cred than I do." Which is Just this side of calling her a nerd. "Perhaps you should go in instead of me?"

Jane Foster has posed:
"You can pick them up in the warehouse on three. Make sure to bring your ID, and don't lose the case." Jane provides her instructions directly to Monica, signing off after two beeps from the tablet become a plaintive sound. "I work with actual alchemists and necromancers, Agent Chang. While they may count on me to be the relatively normal one, after you watch something crawl out of a crucible singing the Kazakh national anthem, you grow accustomed to the odd." Her tone remains mildly amused rather than mystified by whatever her current assignment happens to be. You don't ask, you just do with SHIELD. Especially when they like to hold her research hostage.

She suppresses a laugh at the question about the pins. "The metal ones with anything on them. I don't know. A narwhal with a doughnut is popular. I've seen at least six people with geese holding a knife. Some game? You just grab a few with ironic statements or cute images, slap them on a bag or a coat, and you're done. Preferably stay low-key about them. Don't explain them. That's part of the game, the element of being in the know. Instead of passing messages, I'm guessing it's a kind of code that indicates their tribe or preferred interests for others to notice. Rather easier than wearing--"

She blinks at Monica. Then puts her hand to her mouth, biting back the response. "Not me. I'd suggest Fitz. The average community will know me, Agent Chang. My voice is a dead giveaway. My social media following is rather substantial and said nerds are probably likely to recognize it off the bat. Sort of in their bailiwick when I'm talking about STEM topics and promoting scientific literacy in people under 25 as the target audience."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Oh I know that, that's Harry Potter!" Alex says regarding the Muggles, spoken with all the enthusiasm of a Steve Rogers recognizing the faintest of touchstones from his era. But then he looks back toward Jane. "I have some knowledge of military miniatures, I was going to sort of try and trade on that for my 'street cred' with people."
    Since Ares, surprisingly, has quite a collection of antique little soldiers.
    It's at that point when he listens to Jane telling Monica about her own role in the zeitgeist of humanity, nodding a long at points as he listens. Eyebrows rising he seems to agree it wouldn't make sense for her to go undercover considering her thumbprint on the world so far.
    He looks toward Monica, "Maybe you could go for a music overlap focus? Or work the video game angle. You could come in and be disappointed that they don't have video games which... might start some conversations with people or the owner?"

Monica Chang has posed:
And with equal excitement, Monica perked up at the goose with a knife. She immediately was searching again and found some enamel pins as described. And one was added to her shopping. Because /that/ was her tribe. Well, not completely. But she had played the Untitled Goose Game which she presumed was the source material. She'd also purchased the skin in other games. Ahem.

She nodded a bit at mention that Muggles equalled Harry Potter something. She would have to try to figure that out later perhaps. So much stuff down this rabbit hole.

"I doubt they would appreciate me telling them the video game was better. I looked up Warhammer last night and oh my God, the amount of money people spend on their little mandolls."

Jane Foster has posed:
Jane types off a message to have someone who has an idea of cool pins show up with a tray of them. Some better choices are probably dumped into the white elephant gift exchange for various winter holidays. "Or you could say I'm playing a wizard," she replies. "Showing me the ropes of this ever-so-popular game on another printing. I don't know why they have a hundred books for a set of rules, and why nineteen of them need to be about vampires. Is there something going on with a revival of vampires?" Look, a joke! Delivered deadpan.

Perplexing as Warhammer may be, she asks, "Is that a game about Thor? Medieval Thor?"

Someone please run away screaming from the monstrosity that it is.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Well," Alexander says as he takes up his clothes, along with a pair of skinny jeans to go with the torn up ones. He'll have to consider which to wear, though the baggy ones... he picks those up as well. They might serve for their own reason. He takes a deep breath, "I'll go get changed, and you guys can critique if I may impose?"
    That said he looks to them both, and perhaps shoots an apologetic smile to one of the other technicians within the lab who is just trying to get stuff done while these people hem and haw over style.
    A nod is given as he then slides the glasses onto his face and... looks so very studious. Then he pushes the glasses up the ridge of his nose and exhales loudly through his nose with a sound not unlike, 'fneh'. Then he turns...
    And heads to the men's room to change.
    Surely he'll be back soon.

Monica Chang has posed:
If he doesn't leap out the window to escape. Monica could see the appeal the more she was learning.

She turned back to start digging through her box, finding some shirts that made no sense. There were some with various Avengers members and she was half tempted to put on the Black Widow one but resisted. It would just be a little too ironic. Or silly. Or some other word she wasn't thinking of.

"It's a game about battles and they have all these little figures. Which most of the handpaint. There are competitions for painting them and stuff too. But the price tag on them is huge. Only people who can play must have a lot of disposable income." She sniffs. "And the video game version was superior /and/ a hell of a lot cheaper. Though, not as many options as there are with the miniatures game." The closest she will get to a compliment.

"Vampires?" And that has Monica looking at Jane in utter confusion. "They play at being vampires too?" She picks up the character sheets, looking for that on them and finding none.

Jane Foster has posed:
Another technician will no doubt be showing up with some of the other cool outfits, like a backpack or slouchy bag kitted out with a microphone or some nonsense. The joys of R&D living it up with the engineering marvels of cool TTRPG-ready tech! Alas, among the various JLA and Avengers pins, there are none for SHIELD. Defeats the purpose of being a spy agency.

"Why not choose a Green Lantern? That's a bit different and they have a fair bit of cachet," Jane points to the obvious green, lantern-shaped pin. "That one's easy to remember. People in space." She shakes her head at the concept of the video game miniatures, and says, "Isn't there a website to make miniatures and have them printed with the paint on? Why spend a lot of money if you can just do that? The things people waste their free cash on, when they could be buying ridiculously overpriced lenses and staring at the heavens with a perfectly good telescope despite having an even /bigger/ one a couple miles away."

Though all the same, she looks at the character sheets from a distance with Monica until they get Alexander back. "Supposedly it's a thing, I've seen enough books /about/ vampires on the shelves with the game. It's not enough to have our blood proverbially drained by other means? Vampires aren't worth it, by the way. The mesmer ones are the worst."

That's not a game.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Upon Alexander's return he walks in, emerging into the room and standing there for a time with his arms open as if presenting himself to the gallery for judgment. Those glasses fit though are a touch too big, and his blond hair is still a bit wild but perhaps a little less styled. He's got that Iron Man t-shirt on though it's partially tucked partially untucked into those somewhat baggy blue jeans. Though with the t-shirt being short-sleeved it does not entirely fit the image they're going for since his arms are still rather firmly built and visible. So perhaps a jacket is /indeed/ called for.
    "Suitable?" He asks, then stuffs his hands into his pockets and affects a slouch that goes a good way to lessening his confident stride and posture.
    He turns to the side, presenting profile. Adjusts his glasses with thumb and forefinger. Then he says, "Actually, the earliest recorded example of military-themed fighting slogans imprinted on missile weapons was in Classical Greece when slingers would print on the side of their bullets the word 'Dexai' meaning 'catch.'"
    At that he grins, and perhaps for a moment it's a grin that touches his eyes as he heaves a small nerdy little laugh.
    "Hee."

Monica Chang has posed:
"So...vampires are real." That is information Monica isn't sure if she appreciates or would've preferred to never know. Because that is a new rabbit hole she's going to have to go down.

She does pull out the shirt with a Green Lantern on it, holding it up in front of herself. Then a pilfer through the pile to find a pair of jeans. She still never got those boots on so she just adds them to the pile. She picks up a pair of glasses, considers a moment, then tosses them back. "I'll put in some contacts," she decides, so that they are visible if someone looks hard enough but that way she isn't dealing with wearing something on her face. After all, they don't both have to have glasses, do they? Although that pair with the really small lenses were kind of cute. So she added them to the pile after all.

Then Alexander emerges. She gives a nod and then actually laughs when he explains about the 'catch'. Because that was hilarious and those apparently were her people. Or would've been, if they were alive now. "My turn."

And she wandered off, in her socks, toward the ladies room.

Jane Foster has posed:
Alexander's return shall find Jane sorting through different pieces in a box brought by said technician, and she sees the other woman off with gratitude and a mild wave. A pair of headphones, emblazoned by little marks of a popular Japanese franchise, are slid across in a silicone case that's disturbingly festive. "That should help with the ensemble. They have good sound quality, actually." She runs her fingers through her hair, and then pauses when Alexander announces himself.

A jacket may be called for, but she looks him over critically. As one must when going deep cover. "A fact they'll appreciate. You can always remind them about the discus accident, too." She isn't explaining the discus accident. You know or you don't.

"You'll pass. Being young and fun helps."