El!
El has been with the site for nearly two years now and has continued to prove her value. Currently, she is heading up our site event, Battle for Liberterram, on top of keeping up with her own personal plots.
CHARACTER
SPOTLIGHT
Peggy Carter!
Lux's posts are all wonderful to read. She has done a wonderful job of grasping the new universe and incorporating Peggy into it.
CHARACTER
SPOTLIGHT
Peter Parker!
It's good to see Spidey back on the site. Watching him deal with the universe shift in his own snarky way has been nothing short of entertaining.
THREAD
SPOTLIGHT
Eight O'Clock on the Dot!
El and Lux are making magic in this thread. Straight up fireworks, and the way they've played with drawing out the reveal is top class.
Post by z inactive timothydugan on Jun 24, 2015 4:29:50 GMT
Quite a lot had changed since that fateful day in Washington D.C. when Dum Dum had cocked up the mission and wound up having a beer with the lady he was tailing. Thankfully things had turned out quite well if he did say so himself. After much haranguing and badgering he’d been able to convince the lovely Maureen Evans to turn away from the Brotherhood who had been courting her and to join SHIELD. He would always consider swaying people away from the enemy a win (the fact that she was particularly pretty was just icing on the cake). Thankfully his bosses agreed as well and he only got into a small amount of trouble for breaking protocol.
His lovely recruit had been with SHIELD for a few weeks now and seemed to be adapting to life at the Triskellion with no issue. It had been a few days since he’d been to see his new recruit, Dum Dum liked to check up on her as often as he could, but a mission had pulled him from her side for a few days and he was anxious to see how she was getting on. Humming a jaunty tune he made his way down the hallway to where the lab she worked in was kept.
A few of the lab squints had remarked on his reoccurring visits. Before the arrival of Mo they would have sworn he wouldn’t have even known where to look to find the labs let alone willingly visit them. And yet now it seemed like he was here just about every day. Dum Dum had to concede they had a point. He was more of an action man, always ready to run off on some mission. He didn’t feel comfortable hanging about waiting for results when he could be out doing something.
Waving at the Agents he recognized, the ones he would never have thought to have introduced himself to before he started visiting the labs, he put his hand on the door knob to the room he was looking for and, without bother to knocking, strode in. ”And how is my favourite lab tech today? Did you miss me?” He asked cheerfully throwing himself into a nearby chair. Stretching his long legs out in front of him Dum Dum promptly made himself at home just like he always did. ”Have you managed to unravel the secrets to the Universe yet?” He asked picking up some bobble within arms reach turning it this way and that.
Last Edit: Aug 21, 2015 5:40:06 GMT by S.S.A. Aech
Post by Z inactive maureenevans on Jul 3, 2015 19:15:56 GMT
“Just a stranger in disguise…”
Morrigan had been offered a position at the Triskelion not long after her initial run-in with a gentleman from SHIELD… literally. She had known there was someone tailing her the majority of the two weeks Agent Timothy Dugan had been keeping tabs on her. Eyes on her every move had made things difficult to communicate with her contacts within the Brotherhood, but they were nothing if not resourceful. SHIELD might be able to tap into phones and computers, but they had not yet acquired the necessary technology (or mutants, as it were) to tap into the human mind.
Rather than fake her death (again) to get the pesky intelligence agency off of her back, Torsion had suggested she accept any offer they send her. Be the Brotherhood’s eyes and ears, he’d said. Learn their strengths, and their weaknesses. She was a horrible liar, and her acting wasn’t the greatest… but she was naturally somewhat shy and awkward, which seemed to make up for both of those facts. And so SHIELD (with a bit of nudging from Agent Dugan) had accepted her into the fold.
Despite her initial hesitance to divulge her greatest gift, she saw this new ‘job’ as an opportunity. She had not had the chance (or the money) to attend any form of medical school for Pathology, which had always been her dream. Working for the funeral home had been the closest she’d ever come, but now she had a new chance… Her gift of Psychometry had landed her a job in one of the labs at SHIELD headquarters, under the wing of one Dr. Landers, Pathologist.
She’d seen the tentative attitude the doctor had towards her at first. Everyone felt awkward when they found out about her gifts. But by the end of the second day, she’d managed to impress him with her self-taught knowledge of the inner workings of the human body and he seemed to gain more of an interest in his new pupil. She was nothing if not driven, and the doctor seemed happy to finally have someone to ‘talk shop’ with. Morrigan was happy to have someone that enjoyed her macabre sense of humor.
Doctor Landers was chuckling quietly at one of Morrigan’s dark quips as Agent Dugan entered the lab, a whistle on his lips. Her eyes, large chocolate pools, whipped up from the microscope she’d been staring intently into at the sound of the door opening. Most of the other lab technicians utilized caution when moving from space to space, but the ex-Strongman sometimes reminded her of a bull in a china shop. The color drained out of her cheeks as she watched him stride over towards her. Despite his loud, boisterous ways, she’d found herself becoming more and more fond of the SHIELD Agent, which really didn’t help matters any.
Her loyalty was - and would always be - to her people; to the idea of Homo Superior. But SHIELD had opened up a new realm of possibilities to the young mutant. And Agent Dugan (or Timothy, as she called him) had slowly begun to grate his way past the icy layer she’d built over her inner emotions.
The color returned to Morrigan’s cheeks as Agent Dugan settled into a chair, safely away from the immensely expensive medical equipment. Instead of returning to her naturally pale hue, however, they brightened at the words that tumbled out of Agent Dugan’s lips. “I…” He hadn’t stopped by the lab in a few days. She’d noticed… and as much as she hated to admit it, yes, she had in fact missed him. The hell if she was going to tell him, though!
With a silent roll of her eyes, she shook her head in an attempt to un-fluster herself before returning her face to the lenses of the microscope. But alas, he was not done speaking (although really, when was he?). Dark eyes shifted up and over to him, one eyebrow lifting in a casually inquisitive fashion. “Nope… Only the secrets of this poor sap’s death, I’m afraid,” she responded, a slow smirk gaining a place on her lips.
Her smirk disappeared in an instant as she watched his arm reach out to grasp for one of the instruments within his long reach. Frowning, she stepped up so that she was between his arm and his torso and snagged the item. “Is there something I can help you with, Timothy?” she asked, only a hint of irritation in her voice as she replaced the tool on the counter, content to remain standing where she was between himself and the counter.
The first few times he’d come in, she hadn’t hesitated to snap at him, earning a few fearful looks from her new colleagues. When she’d inquired later on, they’d told her about Agent Dugan’s reputation within SHIELD. He was well-known for his quick laugh, but he was also known for his volatile temper, it seemed. She’d scoffed in their faces. He didn’t scare her. Still, she’d made an attempt to at least tone her own temper flares down when he was in the lab, if nothing else, for their sake.
Post by z inactive timothydugan on Jul 13, 2015 3:36:50 GMT
Dum Dum didn’t like how far away he was from where Mo was working. His charms didn’t work as well at a distance but when he invaded her space while she was working he tended to get yelled it. So he figured it was probably best if he remained on the sidelines, at least for now. He was trying to endear himself to her not get himself kicked out of the lab for good. Then what would he do? It wasn’t as if she was a social butterfly and he could find her in the common areas. Naw, he’d be relegated to moving into her territory. Which was fine, no one could say he didn’t like a good challenge.
So for the time being he would sit here, make small talk, and slowly wear down her defences. At least now days she didn’t snap at him every time she saw him. He called that progress. Painfully slow progress but that’s what you got when you decided to court a painfully skittish woman.
”Is that no you haven’t discovered the secrets to the universe or no you didn’t miss me.” He teased well aware that she had just told him she hadn’t unlocked the meaning of life. Itself. However she hadn’t answered his first question, had completely ignored it in fact, and he wasn’t going to let her get out of this that easily. ”I’m not sure which of those would be more disappointing.” He mused. ”Actually, scratch that, I think I’ll be more injured if you told me you hadn’t missed me.”
The sad thing was he probably would be. Not that he expected her to really miss him. Why would she? To her he was probably just another obnoxious guy trailing after her, and she’d probably had her fair share of men vying for her attention. And here he was, old enough to be her great grandfather if he really thought about it, absolutely smitten, and unable to do anything about it.
Dum Dum wasn’t sure if deciding to touch the items in her lab was a good idea or a horrible one. On one side from the look of things he’d annoyed her, but on the other hand… now she was within arm’s length. Giving Mo a rue grin he dropped his hands into his lap relinquishing the object without a fight. The object, he was tickled to see, was promptly placed well away from him. People tended to do that a lot whenever he picked something up. He’d never understood that. It’s not as if he was known to be clumsy and break anything he holds.
”Must you call me Timothy?” He asked making a face. True it was his given name, and the name he had given her when he’d first introduced but now she was at SHIELD and no one at SHIELD used his given name. Not unless they were mad at him anyways. Which could very well have been the case here. While he might not have understood what he had been playing with Mo certainly hadn’t wished for him to play with it anymore.
”Not really, I just realized it had been a while since I’d seen my favourite rookie and wanted to check in to see how you were doing.” Never mind the fact he’d previously established she’d settled into her position at SHIELD really well. It wasn’t like he was popping in on her first day. Again. For the fourth time - like he had. Dum Dum didn’t think he had gotten any work done that day.
”And the Stark Expo is in town, I was wondering if you’d like to go.” A few of the Agents were going off the clock to check out the extravagant exposition. Dum Dum wanted to check out the technological feats but he didn’t particularly wish to attend it with a group of Agents. He had another idea in mind.
Post by Z inactive maureenevans on Jul 28, 2015 17:03:29 GMT
“Just a stranger in disguise…”
Morrigan was no fool. She had picked up on Agent Dugan’s presence in the labs ever since he’d got her a job there. At first, she’d assumed he was just there to check up on her, as if to make certain she was wholeheartedly devoted to SHIELD (and not the Brotherhood). That fear nagging at the back of her skull every time he visited did nothing to help make her come across as normal, and she’d all but babbled herself senseless on more than one occasion…
...which really didn’t help with her colleagues. Needless to say, she’d noticed the furtive glances the other technicians sent in her direction every time the large SHIELD agent bumbled his way into the lab. She had been forced to hide a scowl each time, knowing full well what their glances said while their lips stayed shut. And of course, every time Timothy left, that’s when the teasing began. She’d fought it tooth and nail, but no one believed her when she assured them that there was nothing going on between herself and Agent Dugan. He was just keeping an eye on her to make sure her adjustment to life within SHIELD was comfortable and pleasant.
She’d almost believed it herself.
“I’ll give you one guess,” she sighed, with a somewhat dramatic roll of her eyes. He’d proven well enough that he had a penchant for dramatics (his outfit in itself - a bowler and a mustache from an era long past - was proof enough of that), and she found herself unable to deny him a bit of flair on occasion. “At least with me, you know I’ll never aim to kill you, Timothy,” she assured him, a slight grin finding its way onto her lips. “The headache just wouldn’t be worth it.”
He’d witnessed her powers of force manipulation firsthand during their first encounter here in the nation’s capital. Or, he would have had he not just strolled across a busy street without so much as a glance to either side. She could have let him get hit, but instead, she’d darted after him, using her abilities to keep them both safe from the oncoming traffic.
Morrigan was glad when Agent Dugan released the tool he’d been playing around with. It wasn’t an incredibly dangerous object, but many of the items in the lab cost more than her paycheck would allow. Sure, it wouldn’t be her fault if he broke something (not directly, at least), but that didn’t lessen her concern for the tools any.
Lifting one eyebrow at Agent Dugan’s question, Morrigan crossed both arms over her chest and tilted her chin slightly. “Would you prefer Agent Dugan?” she asked, genuine curiosity in her voice. Calling him ‘Dum Dum’ like everyone else did was completely out of the question, of course. It was a ridiculous name, and belittling besides. No, he was as good as an American hero and he deserved respect. Not that she’d ever tell him that, of course. He had a large enough ego as it was - best not to fan the flames too much.
A hint of pink crept onto Morrigan’s cheeks as Agent Dugan finally answered her question about his reason for popping by. She was his favorite? Of course she was. The signs were all there. All four of his visits on her first day in the lab. The constant check-ups, text messages, and emails. If she didn’t know she was his favorite, she was a damn fool - and Maureen Evans (formerly Marie O’Dwyre) was no fool.
“I’m… doing well…”
The color hadn’t even faded from her cheeks by the time his next comment hit her ears, lighting them up again. He was inviting her to the Stark Expo. Alone. Like… a date? Her eyes, naturally large, dark orbs, widened even more so behind the lenses of her glasses. “Well… There’s things I need to do… here at the lab…” she stammered, her eyes flitting to the microscope and the fridge across the room and the wall of doors where bodies were kept… and anywhere not on Agent Dugan’s face.
“I’m fairly certain I can handle stitching this guy back up, Miss Evans,” came the voice of Dr. Landers from somewhere behind her. Had she been able to see her own cheeks, she might have blushed further, but judging by the heat she could feel in her face, she assumed this was as red as it got. Taking a few short, steadying breaths, she finally met Agent Dugan’s gaze and offered him a tight-lipped smile.
"It seems my schedule just got significantly more open… I, uhh… Is there a dress code, or is this alright?” she asked, motioning to the dark jeans and tank top adorning her body beneath the lab coat. Dr. Landers was a lax man, and thus, did not require his technicians to adhere to the same “suits 24/7” rule that most SHIELD employees seemed to follow. Really, it was lucky for Morrigan he was such a nice guy - she didn’t own nearly as many business suits as most ladies of SHIELD seemed to (i.e. she owned one), and it would look incredibly unprofessional if she wore the same one every day.
Post by z inactive timothydugan on Aug 21, 2015 5:22:40 GMT
”Awww, I knew you missed me.” He cooed giving the younger woman a lopsided grin. ”Shame about the universe’s secrets though. That could have come in handy some time down the line.” He gave a one shoulder shrug. ”There will be time for that later I suppose.” Though it made him wonder what sort of information could be considered to be a secret of the universe. It would probably be something really simple like - do what makes you happy. Cheese made him pretty happy. Oh and beer. And his hats.
”Ah, so you’re the kind of person who likes to watch a man suffer?” He teased. ”I never took you to be a sadist.” You learned something new every day. Not that Dum Dum was worried that she’d use her powers against him over something stupid he had said. Naw, if he was worried about being killed for the things he said he would never be able to open his mouth again! ”You're powers give you headaches?” He hadn’t known that. A frown furrowed his brows; he did not like the idea of that at all. ”How severe are the headaches?” He asked shifting so he was leaning forward intently in the chair he was occupying. ”Have you gone to see the infirmary yet? They might have something that could help you with that.” He wasn’t entirely sure what could be done but the SHIELD infirmary had all sorts of interesting bits of technology, surely they would have something that could lessen her headaches. No one should have to live like that.
When Mo asked if he would prefer she called him ‘Agent Dugan’ he wanted to groan. No, he would most definitely not prefer that. What was it with the ladies of his acquaintance that made them so reluctant to use his nick name? Nearly everyone else did, though there were a few exceptions to that rule. Seemed like Mo was going to fall in the latter category. ”Timothy’s fine” He grumbled reluctantly. While not his favourite it was still better than the impersonal ‘Agent Dugan’. Only Fury called him Agent Dugan and that was a clear indicator that Fury was furious.
When it came to the rookies Dum Dum was aware he wasn’t supposed to play favourites. The rookies got upset over that. For the most part he tended to be good about treating everyone fairly but Mo, Mo was something special. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she had made him shortly after he started tailing her and when she decided to confront him it about it she didn’t play games she just got in his face and told him off. And made him buy her beer. It had been a good day. Something about their encounter had piqued his interest and Dum Dum found himself wanting to get to know her better.
Mo’s face turned bright red at the mention of the Expo - or more specifically, the idea of attending it with him - and Dum Dum couldn’t help but grin. She was looking everywhere for a possible escape leaning on the excuse of having work to do as a reason not to attend. However fate was not on her side as her supervisor suddenly jumped into their conversation. If he grinned any wider Dum Dum was certain he’d crack his face open. ”Perfect!” He exclaimed. ”It’s bound to be lots of fun, you’re gonna love it.” Since the good Doctor had spilled the beans and let him know that there wasn’t enough work to warrant leaving Mo behind in the lab there was no way she was getting out of this. The woman needed to get out and socialize more. Dum Dum was fairly certain she spent most of their days cooped up in the lab.
”No, uh, that’s fine.” Dum Dum said looking over her casual outfit. There was nothing wrong with it, it just made him realize that he was still in his SHIELD uniform - the one he wore everytime he was on base. He should have changed before trying to convince Mo to go out with him. Now he was left with a very tentative acceptance and finding the need to change. Letting out a curse he gave Mo a stern look. ”Stay here. I’ll be right back.” And with that he was tearing out the door to the quarters where he’d tossed his bag of clothes.
Rummaging through them Dum Dum found a his favorite blue and white stripped shirt and dark green khakis quickly donned them, and switched his usual hat with the corporal markings to a plain bowler hat. To bad he didn’t have more time to shave or slick back his hair. When did he become so vain? He needed to pull his act together. Hand on the door he was ready to go collect Mo when he had an idea. Rummaging through his bag he found the small container of body spray that had been chucked at him as he was leaving as a joke about how he stunk. This seemed as good of a time as any to give it a go. Pulling off the cap he gave the can a few puffs hoping it wasn’t horribly overwheming of a smell. There was nothing worse than standing next to someone and sneezing at their scent. Finally presentable for the public he made his way back to the lab hoping furtively that Mo hadn’t decided to up and leave while he was changing.
”Ready to go?” He asked once again throwing the door to the lap open again.
Post by Z inactive maureenevans on Aug 25, 2015 20:35:30 GMT
“Just a stranger in disguise…”
Morrigan’s eyes flew back into her skull at Agent Dugan’s response to her quip. Despite her best efforts, however, she was unable to maintain a look of utter disgust as her gaze returned to its normal position and found the grin plastered to his face. She even felt the corners of her own lips twitch in a northern direction, seemingly infected by his joyous expression.
“Shut up,” was all she managed, biting down on her lower lip to halt its movement any further upward.
She didn’t bother trying to stop the grin that fought its way onto her face at his mention of watching men suffer. A glint appeared in her eyes and she let out the most mysterious chuckle she could manage. “There’s a lot about me you don’t know, Timothy,” she purred, finishing the attempt at “evil” with a giggle.
Agent Dugan’s barrage of questions set Morrigan aback slightly and she even took a step backwards, as if to distance herself from the conversation in order to make sense of what all he’d just said. “I don’t have a headache right now. And don’t worry - I’ve been dealing with headaches since I was five. And it’s not all aspects of my powers that give them to me. Just the visions, which don’t come nearly so often nowadays.”
The last big headache she’d suffered had been when she’d run into Baldr (literally) at a bookstore in New York City. Up until that point, she’d never put any stock in the whole Asgardian mythos that was floating around. Sure, she’d seen Thor on the news, but there were plenty of people who could manipulate lightning - her old teacher, Ms. Munroe, for example - and even more who could use Shakespearian language. But watching Baldr die… That had been the most severe headache she’d ever encountered, save her very first, and the one for her mother. He had sensed her pain (or she’d told him about it… it was all kind of fuzzy) and with a simple touch, had eased her suffering right then and there. A part of her wanted to find him again to thank him, and to ask him all the questions she had come up with in the past few months. But finding one Asgardian in a city the size of New York was probably more than a little difficult.
“Timothy it is, then,” she smiled, an extremely pleased look to the expression.
Morrigan hated this part of her psyche. She was shy - morbidly so. Being around a few like-minded individuals was fine, but going out to a huge thing like the Stark Expo was nerve-wracking. Going to such a place with a man whom she believed had a crush on her was ten times worse. If looks could kill, Dr. Landers would have been more than six feet under, but he didn’t seem to mind the heated glare sent in his direction. Quite the opposite, in fact. Turning back towards Timothy, Morrigan sighed. “I think you and I have vastly different opinions on what exactly constitutes ‘fun’,” she exclaimed, but she didn’t bother arguing any further than that.
Still… The Stark Expo was known for being one of the best places to show off new inventions. She wasn’t an inventor-type herself, but science did fascinate her. Perhaps if she just imagined it like a huge, bustling Science Fair, it wouldn’t be so stressful.
Before she could acknowledge that her outfit was fine, Timothy was telling her to wait here. Her mouth opened to ask why, but he was gone before the first syllable escaped. Closing it again, she inhaled a deep breath and turned her gaze back towards her supervisor. “Not a word, Doctor… Not one damn word.”
Dr. Landers obeyed, but the grin on his face was loud enough to summon another roll of Morrigan’s eyes. Rather than standing around like an idiot, Morrigan decided to get herself ready if this was going to be the plan for her evening. Shrugging out of the lab coat, she hung it on one of the coat racks, making sure to snag her badge from the front pocket and her cell phone from the righthand pocket. The rest of her belongings were easy enough to gather, and soon enough, she was sitting in one of the chairs by the door, staring sullenly at the microscope across the room that was no longer being utilized by her eyes.
When the lab doors burst open, Mo nearly jumped out of her skin. Steadying herself, she looked up and inspected his new outfit. It was weird, seeing him in civilian clothing, but somehow she wasn’t surprised by the utter eclecticness to the outfit. “So ready,” she breathed, grabbing his hand as she stood and dragging him out of the lab before Dr. Landers had a chance to say anything.
Her pace was quick, but he had longer legs than she, so she didn’t bother slowing down for his sake. Keeping her hand wrapped tightly around his own, she continued to drag him through the lab, and then even a short distance down the hall until they were out of sight from her workspace. Once free, she let his hand fall and used both of hers to clutch the strap of her purse as she moved, still keeping to her brisk pace.
“So, how far is the Stark Expo from here?” she asked, trying to strike up a neutral conversation as they made their way through the halls towards the front of the building. She was still fairly new to the city, so hopefully he had directions to the gig. Even if he didn’t, though, she guessed there were plenty of folks in town who could point them in the right direction.
Post by z inactive timothydugan on Sept 4, 2015 21:44:08 GMT
Being told to shut up didn’t so much as phase Dum Dum. Mostly because there was no heat behind her words letting him know she didn’t really mean it. Plus she hadn’t started turning blue yet; that was always a good sign. He snorted at her comment about there being a lot that he didn’t know about her. It would be funny if it wasn’t true. It’s wasn’t for lack of trying though, Mo simply just got great pleasure out of playing her cards close to her chest. But like he’d said she did like to make a man suffer - even if it wasn’t intentional.
Hearing that Mo was not currently suffering from any major headaches, and that it had been a while since she had to deal with them was a relief. The tension began to leave Dum Dum’s body as he allowed himself to relax. Not that if she had been suffering there was anything he could do. He was a spy not a doctor damn it! ”Yes,” He said dryly. ”The fact that you’ve been having to deal with this since you were a child makes it perfectly acceptable.” He couldn’t even begin to imagine what it would be like to have your powers cause you great pain when they manifested. Hell, he couldn’t even imagine what it was like to have powers.
Dum Dum couldn’t help but grin at Mo’s continued protest against leaving the lab, every stubborn word simply strengthened his resolve to get her out of her comfort zone and live a little. “And methinks the lady doth protest too much.”From what he’d heard about this Stark Expo and if the others in the past were anything to go by there would be a little bit of something for everyone. If Mo didn’t find something that entertained her while they were there he would be very surprised.
The entire time while he was getting changed into his civilian clothes he was openly cursing himself for giving her not just an opening to back out from her tenuous agreement to go to the Expo with him but the opportunity to find a better hiding spot then that lab of hers. And now that he knew the Dr she was working with would be on his side in this matter it was highly unlikely she’d ever tell Dr. Landers where she was going again. If she slipped through his fingers this time he would have get more clever at determining her location when he was wanting her company.
Much to his surprise not only was Mo still in the lab waiting for him upon his return but she was also ready to go. Without a doubt he knew his face reflected just how gobsmacked he was feeling. Before he could even formulate a thought she had grabbed his hand and was dragging him out of the lab.
Now that was a new, and very interesting, development. Even if he had wanted to Dum Dum couldn’t stop the stupid grin that had spread across his face when her much smaller hand had clasped him. For someone who had been so reluctant to attend the Expo she was sure booking it out of the safety of her lab pretty fast. Hey, as long as she was holding his hand, Dum Dum would be willing to follow her anywhere.
Sadly she released his hand well before he was ready and sunk back into her shell. Dum Dum wanted nothing more than to pluck her hand back off her bag and grasp in his again but he was afraid that he’d run her off. He could be patient and wait a little bit longer.
“Not too far, it’s about a 15 min ride via taxi” They probably could have taken a comapy vehicle but that would then require finding parking for it and heaven forbid if he put a ding in the door. He’d rather just cough up the cash for a quick cab ride there and back. It would be one less thing to worry about.
Catching a cab in DC was supposed to be a nightmare but Dum Dum had never had much of a problem in that area. Probably because he stuck out like a sore thumb. Not that he gave the reasoning much thought. He just knew that when he decided he wanted to catch a cab all he needed to do was walk about a block from the building and hail one down. Within seconds the yellow car slid to a stop in front of them.
There wasn’t a whole lot of time for small talk as once the cabbie realised where they were going kept up a stream of chatter about all the things he had heard about the Expo. They weren’t even allowed to leave the cab until Dum Dum had accepted the cabbie’s personal number and he had extracted the promise that they would call him when they were ready to leave so the cabbie could hear all about their time there. It never failed to entertain Dum Dum just how much people got into the Stark Expo.
Upon entering the building Dum Dum picked up a map that showed the approximate location of where everything was. ”Did you want to start in the front and work our way around in an orderly fashion or was there some where you wanted to start with first?”
Post by Z inactive maureenevans on Sept 14, 2015 5:09:30 GMT
“Just a stranger in disguise…”
Morrigan wasn’t entirely certain whether Agent Dugan was being sarcastic or not when he gave in to her insistence that she was fine and not currently suffering from any migraines. His humor was usually pretty blatant, but she got the feeling this was meant to be more than a simple joke. Genuine concern, perhaps? It was as if he cared about her well-being as a person, not just as a new recruit for the organization he’d been a part of since… well, since the beginning. Dark eyes narrowed in suspicion, but before she had too much time to give the notion any more thought, the conversation was shifting away from her and to her availability for the evening.
“Yeah? Well, methinks the lady doth not protest enough,” she retaliated, her lips pursing in a look of mock irritation. Truth be told, she could use a night off. Ever since getting this job - and the job within the job - she’d refrained from taking a day off. Nights were her own to do with as she pleased, but that usually meant holing herself up in the apartment SHIELD had provided for her, studying. She had made the move to D.C. from New York for the job, not for pleasure; she didn’t know anyone here, except for Agent Dugan. And even if she did, she really wasn’t a terribly social creature to begin with.
Still, she’d heard plenty about this Stark Expo. It seemed to be the place to go this time of year, no matter if you were an engineer, or someone who couldn’t even spell the word. Luckily for her, she was somewhere closer to the former, so finding something amongst the booths to steal her mind away from the fact that she was fairly certain this was a date. She had next to zero friends, for crap’s sake, but she’d managed to snag herself a date. How in the hell did that make any sense?!
The look of shock adorning Agent Dugan’s face when he returned to the lab was almost worth suffering through the wait. Almost. Her urge to get the heck out of Dodge definitely won over standing to admire the awe she’d inspired, and so without a thought, she’d grabbed his hand and zipped out. “Not terrible…” she mumbled, more to herself than to the SHIELD agent beside her. It wasn’t often she brought her personal vehicle with her to work, so at least she wouldn’t be leaving it behind. The city was large and she hadn’t learned its streets yet, so she opted for cabs to get where she needed more often than not.
Luckily, Agent Dugan was considerably better at convincing the yellow vehicles to stop for them. Granted, it was much more difficult to miss a man his size, wearing clothes that shade. Her own outfit was rather muted in comparison - jeans, a beige top, and a blazer. It didn’t get more mundane than this. She was happy with the outfit, though. It was nice enough to look good, while still seeming casual - the perfect outfit for someone desiring to blend in to their surroundings.
A very large part of Morrigan wanted nothing more than to slam shut the window separating the front seat from the back, if only to make the cabbie shut the hell up. Her hands clenched tightly in her lap as they made their way towards the Expo, a hint of blue spreading across the backs of them. Realizing she was amassing a bit of power to create an invisible force field between them and the cabbie, she quickly sucked in a breath and released all of the psychic energy. God, but that would have been embarrassing!
“There’s a garbage can over there,” Morrigan announced as the cab pulled away from the curb, her index finger pointing at the metal cylinder in case he wanted to rid himself of the useless slip of paper. There were thousands of people attending the Expo; if the cabbie wanted info on what was going on inside, he could either take a night off any time this month, or pick up someone else. The words that had been exchanged between Agent Dugan and the man were not a true promise, after all.
No contract had been signed, no handshake had been done, and no pinkies had been intertwined.
Morrigan glanced down at the map Agent Dugan picked up at the entrance, her eyes skimming over the information briefly, but thoroughly. “I’d rather not wander - let’s start at the left.” There were a few booths that piqued her curiosity, but nothing she needed to see right then and there. Starting at the left would bring them to one of the booths on her mental list sooner than the right, hence her decision. “Besides, it’s nearly 5PM now. My guess is if we go that way first, we’ll end up near the food vendors around 7. I don’t know about you, but that’s usually around when I eat dinner.”
Post by z inactive timothydugan on Sept 27, 2015 6:03:59 GMT
”Naw,” He said sliding the card into a pocket. ”Do you know how hard it is to catch a cab? It can’t hurt to have a direct line to a cabbie save.” Lord knows how many times he could have used one after finishing a mission in the middle of the night. Cabs were few and far between after midnight. Not that the cabbie’s card was a guarantee he would get a ride in the wee hours of the morning but you never know.
Sure SHIELD generally had someone on call to pick up any stranded Agents who were on a mission, but there were some places where the cars SHEILD tended to drive would stick out like a sore thumb. Cabs, while less armored, were commonplace in most areas and were a great way to be inconspicuously deposited in a safer location for SHIELD extraction. Not that he was expecting to be placed in any such situation here in DC but never say never, something could always come up.
It wasn’t in the least surprising to discover that Mo would want to start in one area and methodically work her way around the convention floor. He would have been just as happy wandering with no particular path in mind but simply flitting from exhibit to exhibit as they caught his fancy. However Mo was one of those sciency types -they liked to have everything a certain way - and since he had to all but drag her out he figured he could follow her lead here. Anything that might possibly put her at ease.
”Seven is fine,” He agreed falling into step behind her. He had never really been one to schedule when he was going to eat his meals. But with the sort of missions he tended to go on he usually had to eat whatever chance he got as there wouldn’t be a guarantee that he would get the chance to eat later. He also really just liked food and didn’t mind grabbing a bite whenever he was able. It wasn’t like he had to watch his figure. The infinity serum upped him metabolism so he could eat a whole buffet and not even bust his pants. Though his stomach might explode well before then. That was one challenge he wasn’t particularly keen on trying. Dying because he stomach bursted from over eating was not the way he wanted to go out.
They meandered from booth to booth glancing over the different displays. Some of them were conceptual like a better way to privatize space travel and others were practical like a pill that would act as sunscreen. Then they came upon a particular booth that caught Dum Dum’s attention. This company was working on a way to revolutionize the flight industry. They were fixing solar panels across the wings of the plane to power it. ”It certainly would use up less fuel,” He remarked to Mo. ”But it would seriously cut into flight times since you know, the can’t fly it at night.”
Post by Z inactive maureenevans on Oct 6, 2015 1:11:37 GMT
“Just a stranger in disguise…”
Morrigan’s nose wrinkled as Agent Dugan declined her suggestion. She wasn’t entirely sure she could stomach another ride with that talkative man. So long as Timothy kept him contained, though, and she wasn’t forced to actually participate in the inane drivel the pair spouted off, she’d been fairly content. She highly doubted a man whose entire life’s purpose was to provide transportation for others had any real insight on the kinds of ingenious works that would be displayed here at the Stark Expo.
If she was completely honest with herself, she doubted Timothy himself actually understood half the things here. The difference between he and the cabby, however, was that she guessed his reasons for dragging her along weren’t so much so that he could see the Expo, but so that he could show her. She wanted to scoff or sneer derisively at such a notion. Why should she care about his feelings? He was just one of SHIELD’s pawns. There was nothing special about him, except that he’d been her connection inside.
Except the man was over one hundred years old…
He may not be a mutant genetically, but he wasn’t entirely human anymore either.
“I’ve never had any issues,” she retorted finally, a tiny smirk hiding at the corner of her lips. Small though her frame was, she was still decidedly female. And when 98% of taxi drivers were male, that tended to make things easier for members of her gender.
Mo’s interest in the booths they skimmed was considerably higher than her interest in a single second of conversation that had transpired in the cab after “Where ya headed?” and “Stark Expo, please”. At one point, she felt herself slipping away from the man who’d brought her here and fear had flashed through her. It was stupid - she had no reason to be afraid. Not only was Timothy easy to spot in a crowd, but she was a grown ass woman. And besides, if she started to feel too claustrophobic, she had a quick and easy way to keep people back.
Still, as soon as she managed to get back to his side, she slid one hand into his and held on tight - just in case.
Mo’s attention was riveted to the booth by the time they reached the solar display, and she’d lost track of how long her fingers had been intertwined with Timothy’s quite some time ago. Dark eyes took in the details of the model as she leaned forward, her head tilting this way and that so that she could get a better look at different sections. “Of course it can,” she responded, her voice somewhat muffled due to the fact that her head was halfway inside part of the model.
Pulling her face out, she leaned back to her full height - proper posture and all - and pointed to a row of rectangular modules at the back of the plane cabin. “Each plane would come equipped with a series of photovoltaic systems - one per section of panels, I would imagine. It’s just like a house that runs on solar energy.” Her voice had attracted one of the men running the display and he nodded enthusiastically as she continued. “Really, the only thing they’d need to worry about is the extra thrust needed for take-off that jet engines supply the plane… Even the Wright Brothers had one on their first craft…”
Her head tilted slightly as she gave the whole scenario another moment of thought, dark waves resting gently on Timothy’s upper arm. “...but I suppose they didn’t have the same rotor technology that we have today, so really, I suppose it’s all up in the air…” She couldn’t stop herself before the words slipped out, but she didn’t bother holding back the slight groan. Was that a pun? Had she just made a pun? God, she was horrible...
Post by z inactive timothydugan on Oct 22, 2015 20:24:19 GMT
After, probably the second booth if he was being honest, Dum Dum quit paying attention to the details of each one. He was a simple man and technology tended to go over his head. Some days he still had trouble wrapping his head around the idea that the computers which used to take up an entire room (and then some in some cases) were considered inferior to the small device he had in his pocket. It was times like these that he really felt his age. And it wasn’t like the change was gradual giving a man like him to get used to things as they came about. The world was truly in the age of technology and it seemed like every time he turned around a new breakthrough was being heralded.
Honestly he had figured this would be something Mo would enjoy. She was clever and liked sciency things - why not take her to the largest collection of all thing science and technology in the area? Probably in the whole country right now - Stark Expo was huge! Mo flitted away from his side, mingling in with the crowd, and if he hadn’t had years of experience with tracking people in situations like this he probably would have lost her. He had to fight the urge to jam his hands in his pockets and sulk. Some of the stuff was interesting sure, but this wasn’t something he would have come to on his own. And yet here he was making his way down the isles alone. Note to self, next time he was going to take Mo somewhere where she couldn’t run off without him.
Well he supposed he ought to make the best of it. Just because things weren’t turning out the way he had wanted it to didn’t mean he couldn’t still enjoy himself. Before he could so much as decide how he was planning on doing that Mo was making her way back towards him. He expected a remark of some kind but instead she simply placed her much smaller hand within his. That he had not expected. Not that he was going to protest it by any means. He curled his fingers around hers gently half afraid that if he held on to tightly she would scurry off without him once more. He just had to remember that slow and steady won the race.
The day got considerably better with Mo’s hand tucked inside of his. The solar plane had caught his fancy but not as much as it seemed to fascinate Mo. As the news would have you tell it the world’s oil supply was in danger of being depleted any day. And others thought the US were far too dependent on oil producing countries and wanted to see the US make moves to become less dependant on oil. A few companies had made headway but at the same time oil companies were trying to restrict the infringement of these new technologies.
While Dum Dum had understood a solar planned plane would be able to fly at night he wasn’t entirely sure of the details. Something told him that’s what Mo was trying to explain to him but every word was going in one ear and out the other. He had no idea what she was going on about. Sounded smart though. The pun he caught though. ”That’s the idea anyways,” He said grinning. ”No much point to a plane that doesn’t get off the ground. I think that’s called a boat.”
Post by Z inactive maureenevans on Oct 26, 2015 4:15:11 GMT
“Just a stranger in disguise…”
A part of Morrigan genuinely felt bad about the way she was treating Timothy this evening. She wasn’t being mean, but then again, that’s because she wasn’t honestly paying much attention to him to begin with. To be fair, this had been his idea, though. He knew she was a geek and he knew this was literally one of the geekiest places in the world right now. Bringing her here was as good as asking to get left behind.
Something in the back of her mind told her it was cruel of her to leave him in the dust, though. It was that same area that tried to convince her Timothy was something more than one of the sheep who populated this little blue planet. And there in that little corner of her mind is where the little voice telling her to go back and find him resided. Damn, but it was an obnoxious part of her brain!
As soon as her fingers intertwined with his, they were stuck for good. She felt his own hand wrap gently to keep a hold of her in case she changed her mind. A smile flickered to life on her face, but she turned her head and began to drag him back to where she’d headed back from so that he couldn’t see it. It was bad enough she was smiling and holding hands with him to begin with - she didn’t want him to get any smart ideas.
When she began to babble about the complexities of solar power and storing such energy for use when the sun was down, Morrigan saw the look change in Timothy’s eyes. He understood the words she was saying, but the concept seemed to be lost on the large man. Rather than get irritated, which she knew was her general reaction to such a situation, she found her cheeks becoming uncomfortably warm from embarrassment.
“Uh… Well, yeah… I suppose you’re not wrong…”
It was at that point that full-on uncertainty crept in. Offering the display workers a bashful smile, Morrigan tightened her grip on Timothy’s hand and dragged him away from the booth, towards the food court. The aroma that hit her nose contained a myriad of different food types, so she stopped near the middle. A shoulder caught her own, sending her stumbling into Timothy somewhat. It didn’t hurt, but she winced anyways, more out of surprise than anything.
Blue began to seep into her scalp, but Morrigan fought the urge to send her offender flying with a mere thought. Instead, she took a deep breath and tried to find her center so that the blue disappeared. She was supposed to be on her best behavior for SHIELD - shoving a guy in the middle of the Stark Expo probably wouldn’t look good. Biting her lip, she pressed her free hand against Timothy and exhaled gently, letting all of the anger out without any of it show visibly.
Maybe she wasn’t so bad at this whole ‘undercover’ thing, after all.
“Some people…” she chuckled quietly, offering Timothy a tiny smile. “So… What sounds good to you?”
Post by z inactive timothydugan on Dec 8, 2015 18:14:01 GMT
Dum Dum knew he shouldn’t have felt as hurt as he did when Mo ran off ahead without him. He’d known, even as reluctant to attend as she had been, she was going to find the various exhibits at the expo utterly fascinating. Which was why he had wanted to take her. He just hadn’t taken into account that she would get so completely wrapped up in everything that he would be left in the dust. So to speak. He wasn’t sure what had made her remember him, as deep in the throws of geeky excitement as she had been, but he was thankful for it all the same.
The fact that she was holding his hand was an added bonus.
As happy as he was he also wanted to kick himself for being so ridiculous. It had been a very long time since he had felt this way about anyone and he’d figured as old as he was he’d be immune to such schoolboy behaviors. And yet when he knew she was near by why did his eyes continually track towards her? Why did he have this desire to show her things that would make her smile, just for the simple pleasure of watching her get happiness from something, no matter how small.
Mo suddenly started to look uncertain about herself after he made the quip about boats and Dum Dum instantly felt bad. He liked it when she got all nerdy on him, her face lighted up and she seemed to stand a little taller. If his comment had quashed that light, even momentarily, he would be very upset with himself. Dum Dum was used to not being the smartest one in the room. He didn’t mind it really. But he had a mouth on him; one that was forever getting him into trouble, This time seemed no different. He’d try to remember to curb his tongue. At least for a little while. He knew himself well enough to know sooner rather than latter he would slip up and put his foot in his mouth again. He always did.
Not sure if he needed to make things right or even how to go about doing it he allowed her to drag him in the direction of the food court.
The way the stranger was approaching them Dum Dum could see that a collision was bound to happen but there was nothing he could do to stop it. He supposed he could have shifted mo over to the other side but with the number of people attending the Expo he couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t cause her to bump into someone else. She rocked into him and he raised a large hand up to steady her. ”You alright?” He asked catching sight of her wince. He hadn’t thought the impact had been that hard but he could be wrong.
At Mo’s question he began to look around the food court at all the different options. And there were quite a few to choose from. The few confrence type things he had attended in his life usually had a few kiosks that sold the same handful of items - hamburgers, hot dogs, pretzels, nachos - your usual concession stand faire. Stark though had gone above and beyond that, as he was wont to do. You’d be hard press to find something that didn’t catch your fancy here.
”How do you feel about Chinese?” He asked after a moment of scanning over all the options.
Post by Z inactive maureenevans on Dec 15, 2015 19:49:46 GMT
“Just a stranger in disguise…”
This whole affair was almost foreign to Morrigan. She had never been a fan of large crowds, namely because she’d never been allowed to be a part of them. All of the children she’d grown up with had ostracized her for being weird and blue (and yeah, okay, a little bit violent sometimes). The mutants at Xavier’s had done the same thing, but for different reasons. No one wanted to be associated with the girl who could tell you when you were going to die - especially during such a frightening time for anyone with powers.
Persecution was a vicious thing, and humans were inherently vile creatures. Morrigan had learned that at a young age, and no matter how many new facts she loaded into her brain, that one lesson would always remain. It was the reason she’d adhered to Eric’s way of thinking, and the reason she’d aligned herself with his Brotherhood. Even to this day, despite the fact that Eric had been forced to join the ranks of mere homo sapiens, his ideology remained in tact.
She was not alone in her loyalty, of course. Torsion was of a similar mind as she, as were Quantum and Splicer, Soundwave, Chameleon and Anklebiter (she’d never get used to such a ridiculous name, but if that’s what they believed to be their true name, she wouldn’t judge too fiercely). She hadn’t spoken to any of them in what seemed eons, but was probably only months. Being on the “inside” had its downfalls.
Still, despite her distance from her brothers and sisters in arms, she’d managed to be somewhat productive. Torsion had confirmed meeting the young man who could bend the Earth to his will, aptly called Geo. He had been swayed by her passionate speeches in Central Park to check things out at the Brotherhood and it seemed what he’d found had suited his needs, wants, or possibly both.
Thoughts of the Brotherhood faded away as Morrigan’s eyes fell upon Timothy’s face and she found her own expression softening. That was when the shoulder connected with her own, but she found that squeezing Timothy’s hand and curling into his embrace helped quell her anger considerably. Nodding in response to his question, she smiled up reassuringly. “It didn’t hurt. I just.. I’m not used to being jostled,” she explained, a hint of pink spreading out in place of blue. It was the truth. Had she not been so utterly and hopelessly distracted, she could have forced the passer by’s shoulder away in order to slide by with ease. Damn that Timothy Dugan, though!
Glancing around at the different kinds of food offered, Morrigan took a deep breath. It was like a mall food court on crack. Italian, American, Chinese… Pizza, Subs, Burgers… There was even a taco stand! The sound of Timothy’s voice dragged Morrigan’s attention from the little Korean stand she’d been inadvertently staring at for the better half of thirty seconds and she blinked. “Indifferent,” she responded automatically, shrug her tiny shoulders.
Embarrassment flashed across her face and a rosy tint accosted her cheeks once more as she realized what she’d said - or rather, whom she’d said it to. He didn’t deserve her indifference. Not when he was being so damn sweet. He’d taken her out all this way not because it was something he wanted to do (something she’d realized early on in the evening as she seemed to leave him in the dust with each new exhibit), but because he’d thought it would make her happy. Swallowing down an apology, she smiled tentatively and tried again. “Err… But if you want Chinese, I think it sounds good…”
