8011/Mellow Monday Madness

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Mellow Monday Madness
Date of Scene: 27 September 2021
Location: Operations: Triskelion
Synopsis: Work games, new vaccines, and secrets spilled over coffee.
Cast of Characters: Jane Foster, Clifford Secord, Elena Rodriguez, Jemma Simmons




Jane Foster has posed:
The Ops section of SHIELD is always busy in the morning. Mondays in spy land don't make any difference from any other day. In fact, in their main priority areas, it's already been Monday for 10, 11, 12 hours. Beijing, Hyderabad, Doha, Cairo? They already have daytime, and progress into the evening in some of those advanced timezones. The Pacific venue of espionage may be ramping up for the late night troubles ahead while California is still snoring in their fancy beds.

Which means Jane Foster emerges from a meeting involving some kind of scientific nonsense, her dark hair pulled back in a messy ponytail and bangs combed repeatedly into place. Two pens try to keep her hair back in a location where pens are practically obsolete, since everyone likes their holotech and Stark tablets a lot.

"Coffee," she reports to an intern from somewhere in the intelligence community. The one time she pulls rank, it's for coffee. "Cream, sugar, something vaguely unblack, please. Thanks..." She squints at his name badge. "Garcia. I'll be at the hot desk section there until I'm awake." The stream of analysts and operational specialists are many; Jane typically isn't one of them, more a specialist in astrophysics, but that sometimes pays off when dealing with "weird things." And "weird things" are now her stock in trade.

"It's too damn early for Novosibersk," she grouse.

Clifford Secord has posed:
     Out from another meeting room walks none other than Clifford Seacord dressed to impress in his leather SHIELD jacket with the patches either shoulder and the pants to go with it. He runs a hand through his hair muttering something about bureaucracy under his breath as he finally is able to let himself go somewhat.

     For some strange reason his hair remains perfectly sculpted, the one thing that doesn't look frazzled about him. "Would you please get me a coffee?" He asks one of the nearby interns almost simultaneously with Jane. "Black as a coal, no sugar, no cream."

     He's out of it with the all nighter he's just pulled dealing with a situation overseas, his helmet hanging on the back of his uniform just above the massive rocket pack that flings him through the sky most of his days.

     "There's something about mondays that just hits home in a strange way." He offers to the air chuckling as he leans against a nearby wall for support a clattering of metal against plaster echoing out as he tries to lean without damaging said wall.

Elena Rodriguez has posed:
This is not the cafeteria.

Elena is still getting use to the god awfully big complex, but that is not at all an excuse for winding up right in the nerve center of espionage land. Truth is, she has zero business here... and only enough clearance to get in when she's needed. Chances are, she's probably not. She is not a science person. She's not a Future Timezone person even... She's a field agent and Secret Warrior. From Columbia.

So rather than even trying to get past the doors, she's leaning against the wall talking to Garcia, about Futbol. "Si, fue un gran juego. Siempre he sido una chica de club de Jaguares De Cordoba de todos modos..." Right about when Jane comes out demanding poor Garcia go fetch her some coffee...

Shortly before Clifford does the same.

Leaving her well and truly out of place.

The fingers of her hands stuck in the top of her pockets with a casual glance around at the endless score of monitors, cheeks puffing out slightly.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
No, this is not the cafeteria.

Nor is it the Research and Development laboratory. But...that does not mean that a Simmons in the wild cannot be spied.

Blast her bloody cheerfulness. Jemma seems to be perfectly normal for herself this morning. Which means awake, alert and quite pleasant to be around. She is also making a rare appearance in the Operational corridors. Perhaps an early morning meeting had summoned her. Or, more likely, she came in early to do some work and mornings are more suggestions at this point in her career. After all, there is a reason why there are no actual windows in the resident halls. But....as she approaches a group of faces she recognizes, her secret becomes more clear.

In Jemma's hand in a thermos...and...from said thermos is the hauntingly familiar scent of hot caffeine. In Jemma's case, tea.

Jane Foster has posed:
Poor intern; spycraft probably didn't entail playing Coffee Gofer. It's understandable to not be thrilled about this turn of events as a number of orders get piled on, and the best he can hope to do is open an app on the tablet fast enough to queue up the cafeteria ordering process. More than three drinks, the poor man is going to need all the hands and help he can get. Really.

This is very much not the cafeteria, but black gold sometimes may be all that stands between hunting a rogue agent or running an asset through the gauntlet of Shanghai and failure. Face-desking in exhaustion proves an unavoidable consequence of the job description. Which nonetheless marks Jane's turmoil, between actual work requiring her attention and nonsensical meetings demanding her attention. Garcia is going to be running himself silly, but at least futbol is a positive consolation. Roberto da Costa, wherever he is, thoroughly approves.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to pull you from the conversation," murmurs the brunette regretfully in Elena's direction. "I can do it, really." Cue jawcracking yawn hidden behind her sleeve, incandescence that needs to be pulled from /somewhere/. Hmm. Who has energy? Yes, Jemma has energy. Bounce at Jemma. Secret Warriors meeting, is it? "Agent Simmons, how good to see you!" R Thermos. Hello Tea Fairy.

Clifford Secord has posed:
     Clif closes his eyes just for a moment, that's all he needs, just one little moment. As he closes his eyes for that one moment he begins to doze off while leaning against the wall. His eyes were heavier than he remembered. Perhaps it came with being over a hundred years old.

     That had to be it as he shuffles his shoulders slightly before arms fall down beside himself causing the man in question to drift slowly off towards dreamland. It's too early to be pulling all nighters he thought to himself. Yet this was often the work that he had to look forward to in SHIELD thankless all nighters.

Elena Rodriguez has posed:
Early morning meetings wait for no one!

Not even people who generally aren't invited to them, ala Elena. She smiles politely, even friendly, at Jane and shakes her head, "Da nada." waving a hand to assure it was all okay. Garcia was an intern, they just happen to share a common interest in that particular futbol club!

"This does not free him from his interny duties." Nevermind she has no idea what that even means. This does, however, invite her to join the epicenter of activity. Guards stop you at the door? Oh no, I'm with her point, nod, please come on in ma'am.

Enter one Elena Rodriguez. Hands in her pockets. Delving deep into her spycraft to look like she belongs here.

Jemma Simmons has posed:
Is there another meeting to go to?

Jemma doesn't seem to think so. Or...maybe she is just confused and the lack of sleep might be affecting the memory. In any case, she doesn't seem it as she lifts her thermos in greeting as a bright smile is given to both Jane and Elena. "Good morning you two!" Is it morning? Pretty sure. "I wasn't expecting to see you both so soon."

So soon from what? Who knows?

A glance is given to Cliff...and Jemma deigns to not wake him. Because yes, she can tell. Can't fool the doctor. Back to Jane and Elena. "I was just taking a break from some research. My solution in using oxytocin to combat the hyper aggressive effects from the extraterrestrial virus, among other elements, has been approved. We can start using it in the field as a pre-emptive measure. Well, at least I hope so. It is still under advisement but it looks extremely favorable."

So many big words so early? Yes, Jemma has been blessed by said tea fairy. Her own stash...she has learned not to raid May's.

Jane Foster has posed:
Early morning meetings are the devil's work, quite frankly, and there's not a Hel of a lot Jane can do about them short of casting off the whole responsibility and hidden identity option by attending via the Astral Plane. That might be a bit problematic when it comes to doors, scanners, and various other protections that...

Conversation point. How does she even bring that /up/ with her superiors? Hmm...

"You're sure?" she asks Elena, tipping her head lightly in that direction. "Thanks, Garcia. Good luck with that." Which sends the intern rushing off to do his job, for coffee will not stand on waiting either. Temporary conversational diversions haven't stopped the need for such things, at all.

She inclines her head lightly away to Jemma and then back to Elena. "I'm not sure we have been properly introduced. If we have, forgive a woman running on empty. Doctor Jane Foster. I'm... basically all the divisions as they see fit of late. Specialist in astrophysics." Right, cause the Nobel with her name and that whole very busy business about Thor in New Mexico isn't exactly forgettable. Aliens, front page news, 'First contact lady there' all goes together. She drops her tablet and items on a hot desk and checks on Clifford again, but if he's asleep on his feet, she is not the medical professional in the room most likely to act. "Is he okay?"

Narcolepsy, also a SHIELD thing. The tea fairy is not a moment too soon. "Oxytocin as a combatant seems a possibility, and we had good results from that. I looked at a series of beta blockers we had results from out of South Africa two years ago, and one of them looks like it might deal with that pesky one percent clearance issue. I had some time last night." She impishly smiles at Jemma. "Not to step on your toes at all. I used the basis of your research to piggyback through the scenarios you worked on, and I projected the effect might reduce that to roughly a point six or five reactivity rating, which is nice."

Clifford Secord has posed:
     And asleep on his feet he is in deed. It's a typical manuver for the rocketeer from california, more so in the recent days since his coming out of retirement, but take the shuteye where you can get it as the saying goes.

     He continues to keep himself propped up against the wall at just the right angle his chest slowly lowering and raising as he waits unconscious for his coffee. There's no way he'd stay asleep with caffeine in the room.

     The man looks to be in his younger 30's with perfectly pristine hair and a smile on his unconscious face as he's drifted off to the land of nod.

Elena Rodriguez has posed:
Elena again waves her hand with an easy smile at Jane's further questioning, "No, he know what his job is. Got to get coffee before you get to move up, this is how it works, si?" Grin widening slightly at her own joke, accepting any offered hand. "Pleasure to meet you, I am Elena Rodriguez. Yo-Yo. They call me Yo-Yo." She is not part of a 'department' persay. At least not that she's aware of.

It's all building up to trying to figure out what Jemma just said about oxytober, "Is that before Novembicin?" Blinking at her owlishly. Not even sure she knows enough about this topic to appropriately make jokes regarding it. "Is safe to say I just trust you know what you are talking about?"

Jemma Simmons has posed:
Elena earns herself a grin from Jemma. "Yes." That answer is short and highly affirmative. Trust in the process, Elena. Jemma knows what she is talking about.

The follow-up, though, is a bit longer...but Jemma does tailor it for her audience. "I developed a vaccine for the Inhuman virus that has struck the monarch of the Inhumans, a rather explosive individual in my first foray as some sort of super hero, I suppose? Oh..and the virus that Commander Morse accidentally passed on via her genetic gift." A pause, then a smile is given to Jane. "And, with Jane's assistance, it has been refined from a 99 percent success rate to at least a 99.5. So, it is very good news."

Seems Jemma is not upset at all that Jane offered some fine-tuning. Considering how quickly the solution was derived, any help is, and has been, welcomed.

Jane Foster has posed:
"Elena, a pleasure. Yo-yo? That's quite the name. I am called Stargazer, occasionally. Or one of the Furiae," Jane indicates Jemma with a dusting of her hand indicating the esteemed inventor of doctorly medication. "Doctor Jemma Simmons, if you've not met her formally yet. Our favourite doctor in the building and the one with the nicest bedside manner." A cornerstone of a smile dimples her cheek, and she easily brings up a quick app with her fingertip pressed to the glass of her tablet. A fast, swishing movement moves through the visual details mirrored in R&D.

"A racially-based highly transmissible virus has threatened some members of the population, causing the loss of control over their emotions. This impedes their abilities to act rationally, and since many people in that race have metahuman abilities, it's a long-term concern as well as a short-term danger," she explains for Elena's benefit. "It looks to be contagious with different vectors baked in, but addressing those will stop this from being released into the wild, hopefully." She speaks without a pedantic quality, touching on the key points. "All credit to you, Jemma. I was merely running through countless scenarios working on the framework you already created. So what brings you out and about, Elena?"

Elena Rodriguez has posed:
"In passing, si." Elena smiles to Jemma, who dumbs things down for her just enough that the Colombian can follow. A casual 'oh' face and up nod, "She help fix my hand." Wiggling the fingers on her right hand, which don't twitch as much. So that's a good thing. As for her name, "Ah... Not very imaginative, Yo-Yo. I run very quickly, but I immediately come back to the same place." Using her finger, she waves it way out to one side then snaps it back to the original point. "Yo-Yo."

Shrug.

"Not what I have called myself, but it easy to remember for paperwork." That's a joke.

Then more medical talk.

And more nodding.

But very little understanding of the intricacies. "I'm sure you do very good work on vectory." Brown eyes bouncing between them. One step forward, three steps back. "I am here for Secret Warrior meeting earlier. Then talking futbol... then second breakfast... and first lunch."

Jemma Simmons has posed:
"Well...yes. There are some nicknames that people seem rather intent on giving, much to the named person's chagrin."

Is Jemma talking about her current nom de plume in the Secret Warriors as bestowed upon her by Daisy and Bobbi both? Maaaaybe. Jemma does at least attempt to bring it down to ground level some more. "The virus heightened aggression, namely by denying the brain the hormone that regulates that. So...oxytocin is that hormone. Simple, really."

Perhaps simple to Jemma. But...yes, part of the reason that she has the nicest bedside manner is because Jemma can tell when eyes start to glaze over when she sees it. "But...that's not necessarily needed."

Jemma Simmons has posed:
A stammer...and Jemma backpedals. "I mean, it is needed for the vaccine to work, but the way it works is probably not needed for this conversation and...oh....I have almost lost you, Elena."

Yes, Jemma used the first name. Rather than the nickname, nor the whole agent appellation. "Just....forget I said anything. It's easier that way, at times."

Jane Foster has posed:
"I fully intend to throw a book at anyone who gives us bad nicknames." Sometimes they stick, especially in the military. At heart, SHIELD is a military agency, or at least close enough to count. It might be a lost cause, and it might not.

Too bad for the people unfortunate enough to piss her off, though. They might discover their dreams a lot less pleasant. She hasn't the sweetest bedside manner when irked, right?

The peaceful young woman in their presence, hardly a danger at all. Elena earns a set of raised eyebrows when it comes to the whole business of the secret warriors, since /secret/, but she doesn't look surprised at least. "Oxytocin is the happy-making hormone. It's the one you get when you work out or see someone you fancy. All in all, a positive, and a good counterbalance to the other angry effects of the virus."

She'll reserve going 'Ooooh' for the snap-twitch of Elena's speed. "That's impressive, and extremely useful."

Elena Rodriguez has posed:
"Useful until you smash through a baracade at a few hundred miles an hour." Elena still hasn't gotten full control over those abilities. More than she had, for sure, but that's still a long wait for a train that isn't coming. Arms cross over her chest at the further dumbing down, which she appreciates a lot more than most might.

At least she is aware of her scientific short comings.

Know your weakness and all that.

"Oh, so you just replace the thingy it stops making you have. Seems like a good way to fix it, si." Nodding, "They give these happy making hormone shots out in the commissary? I'll take two. Get over the Mondays, eh?" Looking between two women smarter than her by a metric of hundreds.

"Probably dont work that way."

Jemma Simmons has posed:
A laugh and a shake of the head confirms Elena's suspicions. "Regrettably, no. However, the commissary does provide coffee, which is what I believe Jane has requested from the intern...and caffeine has been known to provide happiness in certain individuals." A tip of a wink then a grin. Yes...Jemma knows of the magic elixir.

Back to the secret that is the Secret Warriors. "Well...the illustrious leader didn't mention how secretive such acts are to be within the confines of our current environment. But...since she also did mention masks, I would imagine we should probably treat it as most undercover operations."

In other words...the first rule of Fight, err, Secret Warrior club is to do not speak of it. At least, in Jemma's opinion.

Jane Foster has posed:
"Coffee is due any..." Yes it is. There comes Garcia with an extra coffee that Clifford asked for, but isn't there to receive. Oh well. He will put it on a desk, and hope for the best. Jane gets hers, mostly piping hot, and he goes off to do more intern things all in all. Someone will have him running files or deciphering dull memoranda.

"I'll take whatever I can get before I promptly keel over. Sleep is a necessity but rare around here," she admits, before the drink needs to be swallowed whole and then some. She drinks the blessed concoction with her eyes nearly closed, absolutely saturated in satisfaction at the concept of waking up to a caffeine jolt. "I'm going to say that oxytocin shots aren't exactly freely handed out though you could probably convince Jemma of a research purpose, right?"

The first rule of... drat. Yup, quiet.

Elena Rodriguez has posed:
"Right, uh... coffee." maybe Elena realizes she said the thing she wasn't suppose to say or something. She's not been kept to speed on who knows the things and isn't very good at keeping secrets anyways. Suffice that she points towards the doors, which she never should have actually been allowed through anyways, "I'm going to get some coffee.. Maybe I run into everyone later at the shhhh... meeting." Finger to her lips?

Jokes?

No... Lips quirk.

Another point, then she nods and starts towards the exit. Stage that way.