2013.09.16 - Things Never Go Smooth

Jocelyn hadn't been at the house much. She'd been rather busy establishing her miniature cell network (with some deliberate faulty leaks to funnel useless information) and overseeing the construction of a pair of clinics. One in Bastion (the main one) and a smaller one in Hammer Bay. All funded by Magneto's government, of course, with Jocelyn in charge of pretty much everything from hiring to picking out the architects and wallpaper.
Yeah. This wasn't what she'd been expecting when she took this mission. Maybe that was the cause of her recent headaches?
Regardless, Jocelyn has managed to make her way back to the house to check in with everyone, and the tall woman is taking a drink of water while looking out the window. She hadn't picked up on anyone else here yet (of course, given her rotten timing), but she could be sensed by a telepath, though her natural absorption abilities might seem a bit tougher than normal to get through.
Rachel, too, has spent less time at the house than away from it - which given its low-rent status, is perhaps not surprising. It's not the living conditions that have kept her away, though. Shift telling her to have her own cell ready to operate self-sufficiently within twenty four hours concentrated her mind, not to mention put a big dent in any enjoyment she was taking from their mission. She's been gone almost the entire twenty four hour period, either putting the finishing touches to her cell or worrying herself needlessly, depending on your point of view.
Rachel's method of cell-building has drawn heavily on her skills as a telepath, and has required her ethics to take a holiday. None of her 'contacts' have ever met her. She's simply located skilled, right-thinking individuals and telepathically nudged them to make contact with eachother, and skimmed off any information from their minds as and when she's checked up on them. The last day has been spent on a fair amount of telepathic prodding - cementing relationships, smoothing over sources of friction, and so on - to make as certain as she can that her group can operate without her.
As a result, Rachel is tired, both physically and in particular mentally, though not so much that she doesn't push past the faint, dull ache in her head to stretch out toward the house telepathically. Empty. Rachel starts to relax, then corrects herself. Too empty. She reaches out a little more strongly, and the power seems to disappear down an invisible plughole. Jocelyn. Turning her telepathic senses outward, she does a routine check for anyone watching the house or following her, and when that comes back clean, she heads inside.
The stairs just add insult to injury, but what can you do when 'home' is on the fourth floor.
There's a blink at the telepathic scan, and Jocelyn looks around. She hadn't actually meant to absorb that energy, which was a little odd. But she'd been feeling weird lately, so maybe she was slightly off. Spotting the person coming inside with her energy sight, Jocelyn goes and pours a second glass of water, which she has ready when Rachel makes her way upstairs. "Hi Rachel," Jocelyn greets, offering the glass to the telepath.
Jocelyn was actually dressed...noticably different from her usual fare. She was in a charcoal grey business suit, as her infiltration had taken a sharp left turn. But it was what it was, and she had to make the best of it. "You look as tired as I feel," the woman observes. "Take a load off for a few," she suggests, even as she moves to take a seat at the little table herself. Between the two of them, Jocelyn felt rather safe from any possible threats. "How're things going on your end?" the woman questions.
Rachel climbs the stairs a little more slowly than might be expected, but she does finally drag herself into the apartment. The battered floppy hat she's been using to stop herself getting /too/ sunburnt is tossed onto the closest flat surface before she even looks in Jocelyn's direction, but her expression brightens when she sees the offered glass of water. "Thanks." She's too tired to even reach for the glass with her telekinesis, so she takes the extra couple of steps to collect the drink with her hands, and takes a quick sip before doing anything else. Tired /and/ thirsty. At least she can do something about /one/ of those things.
Feeling slightly happier, Rachel takes in Jocelyn's outfit as she moves to sit down, before finding a chair for herself. She lets out a quiet sigh of relief as she sits, and takes another sip of water before speaking. "Then you must feel terrible." She says, although she's smiling a bit as she says it. The smile fades quickly, though, and she adopts a pensive expression. "All right. I think." She says, then shakes her head in annoyance with herself. "No, things are fine." She corrects herself. "I just don't like letting go so soon." She admits, smile creeping back a bit as she looks at Jocelyn again. "Anyway, tired or not you definitely look the part." There's a bit of an ironic tone to her words, as she still doesn't look at all 'Rachel'. Not in a shirt and a long, loose skirt, anyway.
"I think I missed the update with you letting go," Jocelyn says. "Though I'll admit I'm in the process of trying to coordinate architects, construction companies, and the like in two cities, and it's something that is pretty outside my usual realm of expertise," Jocelyn admits with a small grin before she takes a sip. She hadn't caught up with the bit that Rachel might be going stateside. "I had my second meeting with Magneto. He's got me building the main facility in Bastion, and a smaller one to serve Hammer Bay. He's not as interested in putting that much into Hammer Bay until he wins the election, I suspect. Which makes sense," Jocelyn offers. "But it does afford me the chance to plant some seeds in places of power in Bastion as well". Which was a nice option she had. Mess with Magneto's power base at home to weaken him abroad.
Jocelyn glances down at her suit and smiles. "This suit is weird. I used to get up in front of people wearing this sort of thing and fight in the ring for their entertainment. Now I'm wearing one and trying to keep things from going pear-shaped in another country. Something a year ago I wouldn't have considered a possibility," she tells Rachel. "Though I am glad of the times I can escape the suit and go back to tank top and jeans". Even if Jocelyn isn't sweating, thanks to her ability, she wasn't comfortable in such clothing.
Rachel shakes her head as Jocelyn takes her a little too seriously, but she doesn't interrupt the other woman, and she forgets about her tiredness a bit as she listens. And what she hears has her shaking her head again, though not in disagreement. She's just impressed with how far and how fast Jocelyn's been able to go. She adds in a quick explanation while she's still processing all that. "Our African friend only gave me a day to put my affairs in order. There's something he needs to deal with and I pretty much invited myself along to make sure he comes back." She's not trying to be evasive, just circumspect with Shift's secrets. She thinks about her phrasing and shrugs. "Hope I didn't mean that like it sounded." She's slightly concerned by her own choice of words, but dismisses it as a symptom of fatigue.
Her side-trip is a distraction, though, and while she's been being distracted, it sounds like Jocelyn's been getting all the hard work done toward their /actual/ goal here. "You're doing great." Rachel says with conviction, and quirks a smile. "Sharp suit aside, I don't think I'd trade places with you. I /know/ I couldn't do any better, and it sounds like you're doing a lot more than keeping your head above water." Rachel nods thoughtfully to herself. "I'm glad you took the job." She remarks firmly.
As the conversation moves to less weighty matters, Rachel actually chuckles quietly to herself, taking another sip of her mostly-gone water before she comments. "Before Kitty took me shopping that first time, I'd probably have just agreed with you. Now, though? When you say 'tank top and jeans'?" Rachel shakes her head. "I'm already picking you out something else. Kitty's already regretting that shopping trip." Rachel smirks to herself again, before meeting Jocelyn's eyes. "You'll get used to the suit again. It's all part of the role, right?"
"The word about the 'Odame' business," Jocelyn says. She had her own sources. "I thought he might be going to deal with that". And that meant Jocelyn would be here with a relatively small team. Well, that was alright. "Good luck dealing with it. I'd come with if I could, but I don't think I can arrange transportation without it being suspicious," the woman says easily, taking a drink of her water. Not where she was now, she couldn't leave the nation for the time being.
"Well, the height helps with keeping my head above water. It has an extra foot to go," Jocelyn quips with a little bit of a grin. "And three more inches if I wear heels". Which is still a terrible idea for Jocelyn. "Thanks," she adds. "Worst case scenario, a hospital and some medical infastructure is built, so I see this as a win no matter what happens," the woman offers. "Though Magneto's construction speed is impressive. Not surprising who he is and what he has at his disposal," Jocelyn says. Magnetism letting him pull rare metals up was certainly useful.
There's a laugh at the comment about shopping. "Sure, when I get some money to get something more expensive than relatively plain stuff, we can make that happen," Jocelyn points out with a grin. "I've gotten pretty used to the look though, so I might be a little resistant to change". A nod is given about the suit. She takes another sip of water before she pulls out some headache medication and pops a pill.
"Anything you want me to keep an eye on while you're gone?" Jocelyn asks. Because she might just be able to make sure things are functioning as they need to be while the other two are back dealing with Shift's past.
Rachel nods quickly. "Got it in one." If she'd have been straight-out asked, she'd have answered, after all. The team can't work if they're keeping secrets from eachother. Particularly if it's one of the telepaths. "He - we - can't afford for him to have something else hanging over his head. If this really is the chess match he keeps talking about, we can't afford to have him playing two opponents at once." The chess analogies have clearly been getting to Rachel. She nods again, grateful for the offer, but quick to decline. "You're needed here - hell, we're /all/ needed here, but you most of all. We'll handle it and we'll be back, and then - no more distractions." It's more of a hope than a promise, but Rachel does /hope/ it's true.
She grins almost teasingly. "Watch out for low doorways in those heels, then." Rachel's either failed to pick up on Jocelyn's aversion to heels, or is ignoring it - another tactic she'd happily use on Kitty. "You're right." She adds in a more businesslike tone, then pauses and adds, almost reluctantly. "Hopefully it's all still standing when the dust settles." Rachel grimaces faintly. "He's going to be a lot to handle, if things go badly." After all, all those materials he used in construction are still there to be ripped up and used as weapons. Not a nice thought.
Rachel's grin returns, though, when matters that are less life and death are brought up. "Don't worry." She says airily, waving a hand as if to dismiss Jocelyn's objection. "I can be /very/ persistent." She catches the pill being taken, and quirks an eyebrow questioningly, but doesn't say anything.
"Hope." The answer's given automatically. "I'd feel a lot better if /someone/ was keeping an eye on her."
"Headache," Jocelyn responds, noting the eyebrow. "I'm pretty attuned to my own energies, and something has been a little bit off. Nothing that's uncontrollable, but it feels similar to when my powers expanded in the past. It's possbile that I'm experiencing something similar," Jocelyn tells Rachel. She doesn't seem particularly worried about it herself though. She felt it was, at the very least, under control. "Besides, I'm the medic," she points out with a small grin.
A nod is given about the trip stateside, and she just shakes her head at the doorways. "I'll get myself some six inch heels and go for the seven foot tall woman angle," she comments easily. "Then I just have to watch out for ceilings instead of doorways," the tall woman comments, taking another drink of water. "If things go badly, well, then we'll handle him," Jocelyn offers. It wasn't like they had a lot of other options, if things went badly. "But lets try to avoid keeping things from going badly," the teen adds. "I honestly didn't expect to run into him, let alone for him to recognize me from a brief meeting several months ago". She shrugs a little. The curse of height, really, is that you're noticable.
"Alright. We'll go shopping when we get back. But don't think I won't have something just as interesting for you planned out by then," Jocelyn warns Rachel, reaching out to poke her lightly in the shoulder.
Rachel's reassured by the easy way that Jocelyn speaks, and that she doesn't pretend not to have noticed Rachel's inquiring eyebrow. She can't read the other woman as effortlessly as she can just about everyone else, so she's reliant on tone, expression... just like 'normal' people. It could be annoying, but in fact it's refreshing. As long as she guesses right. Her expression starts to become concerned, but clears quickly. "So you are." She acknowledges, and looks rueful. "I'd tell you to let me know if things get worse but..." She's not going to be here. "Sorry." She says, considering but ultimately not offering to stay behind. Jocelyn seems confident that she doesn't need her, she's far less confident that Shift /won't/ need her.
Rachel nods heartfelt agreement to Jocelyn's hope, encouraged by the other woman's positive outlook - not to mention her ability to joke about threatening ceilings in the same breath that she talks about Magneto. "You must've made an impression." Rachel remarks, and she's not talking about the other woman's height. That doesn't get you the kind of status that Magneto's given Jocelyn.
The other woman's threat is just answered by a broadening of Rachel's grin, and an easy, "Can't wait." When she's poked in the shoulder.
"Don't worry about it. If I need to get in touch with you about things desperately, I can likely send a message with Nate, or if the transportation system I'm putting in place for the hospital works, I can go and 'interview' someone I need to bring in to the hospital over in the US. And by transportation system I mean employing mutants with transportation abilities". Jocelyn is guessing Rachel can see the other uses Jocelyn might have for such a network at her disposal.
"And frankly, I have a friend who happens to be a god and who owes me a few favors, so if that doesn't work...". Jocelyn shrugs a little. She could, in theory, dial up the 'Pray to Thor' line and get some help, if Thor wasn't swamped with the problems in Asgard. Though she'd neglected to mention that friend of her's to Rachel in the past.
"I'm honestly not sure how. I told him he made a good speech and I talked with him a little bit about relatively trivial stuff. Guess there was something that sparked a memory, as he recalled my name," Jocelyn tells Rachel. "He seemed a little confused by me when he looked at me at first. Maybe he was having trouble recalling my name". Another shrug, and a drink of water is given.
Jocelyn then just smirks at Rachel. "Oh, trust me. When you find out, you'll be pining for the days of waiting". Another drink of water before she pauses. "Gods, I sound like Star when I talk like that," she adds, laughing at that mental image.
The conversation between Jocelyn and Rachel is briefly interrupted by two knocks on the door. Three full seconds later, the lock tumbles and unlatches, permitting Kwabena entry. It was a code of sorts, so that those inside know it was a friendly visitor--which, at this location, was limited to a very small handful.
Kwabena is dressed more normally this time, for him at least. Jeans, a black t-shirt, and a leather jacket. The sold difference is the black skincap wrapped over his bald head, which looks as if it were ripped from a pair of black tights. Not exactly his style, but it helped him to blend in.
He closes the door behind him before reaching up to pull the cap from his head, tossing the item to toward the single couch with a look of subtle distaste. When he spies Jocelyn in a business suit, however, his eyebrow arches skyward. He looks toward Rachel and quips, "Who called H.R.?"
Rachel gives a swift nod when using Nate as a communications relay is mentioned, and then looks intrigued - and quickly impressed - when Jocelyn goes into the other options she has on the table. "Nice." She puts in quickly, but then her eyes widen a bit as Jocelyn mentions she has a GOD on call. Somehow that was missing from the briefing. She leans forward a bit, not about to let Jocelyn gloss over that one so easily, but then cocks her head as if she's listening.
A familiar mind is approaching, and even tired as she is, she's caught it. A slow smile spreads across her features. "We're going to have company." She puts in, Jocelyn's God temporarily driven out of her mind by the distraction.
A few moments later, the knock comes on the door, and Kwabena lets himself in. Rachel knocks back the last of her water and twists around in her chair, looking very much as she did the last time they ran into eachother - only a lot more tired. "I preferred the last hat." She tells him irreverently, then smirks at his comment. "I guess one of us has to look respectable."
A nod is given to Rachel when she says company is coming. "Yep. I feel it too," Jocelyn comments as she glances in that direction. Everyone seemed tired today, but that wasn't all that unexpected, all things considered. "It's the plan, at least. I've got Magneto's money to toss around if I need it for this, so long as I keep things discreet and hire the right people, I don't see why I can't put in the foundations for something useful in the future," the woman says. She is going to answer the thing about Thor, but then Shift is arriving.
"Please. H.R. answers to me in my hospital," Jocelyn points out to Shift with a grin when he enters. "Magneto has agreed to the plans. I've got a clinic being put together here in Hammer Bay, and am having a larger hospital constructed in Bastion. Hiring decisions and such are all mine". She is sure Shift knows just what that means for what Jocelyn can build right in the heart of Magneto's city, if she's careful about it. "And I like the hat," Jocelyn adds with an easy smile. "Not as good as wearing a Detroit Tiger's hat, but we can't be perfect".
Jocelyn then looks at Rachel. "I happen to be fairly good friends with Thor and Sif," Jocelyn explains to Rachel. "I didn't get a chance to speak with them, but I suspect that if I had an emergency, I could ask them for some help. The trick is that Asgard, which is where they live, is going through a lot of problems of it's own right now, so it might be harder to get through than normal".
"Yeah, me too," answers Kwabena, before crossing the room toward a set of bunked cots. He does, however, stop short when Jocelyn reports to him about the developments with Magneto. A slow breath is drawn, but he nods approvingly. He knows that he is throwing her to the wolves, and deep down inside, he is concerned. He just knows better than to show it. Part of this game involved taking calculated risks. This was one of those risks.
"Good," he acknowledges of her plan, then simply adds, "Well, dat makes one of us." He flashes the two a brief smirk, before turning to rummage under the cot for something.
Rachel keeps quiet as Jocelyn updates Kwabena, although she does smirk a bit as the other woman turns the H.R. comment right back on him. The hat comment gets another quirked eyebrow, but maybe it's just her that appreciated Traditional African Shift.
The oh so casual way in which Jocelyn name-drops Thor and Sif sends Rachel's other eyebrow up to join the first in a startled look, and though Rachel slowly shakes her head at that revelation, she does believe what Jocelyn's saying. "The God of Thunder." She remarks, trying to keep her tone deadpan. "And now Magneto." Rachel shakes her head again, surprise having given way to wry amusement. "Remind me, again, what you need the rest of us for?" Rachel grins to show she's doing no more than teasing, and twists around again to look Shift's way. "If whatever you're looking for isn't there, I didn't take it." Rachel says to Shift's back, curiosity poorly hidden in her voice.
"Well, it isn't like I'm going to be best friends forever with Magneto," Jocelyn points out with a little bit of a grin. She knows, of course, how serious the situation is. But you had to diffuse it sometimes, or you would simply go crazy. "Though given his fashion sense, he could do with a bit of Kitty's shopping therapy. Might help in the long run," she quips easily, taking another drink of water.
A nod is given to Shift. "I'm being careful. Magneto has as much as said he sees me as a political ally right now. PR and all that. With luck, we can use it against him". She just wasn't looking forward to some of the PR she'd have to do as well.
"If this clinic outreach makes it look like he's buying off Hammer Bay, that should work against him, especially when word of the facility he's putting up in Bastion hits. Not only will it look like he's trying to buy people off here, but he's buying them off for pennies on the dollar, so to speak. If nothing else, people are prideful and resent that sort of thing. I've got some of my people working on building up flyers and propaganda pointing out how those buildings will destroy any sense of culture the island has and turn it into Bastion's poor suburb as well". Propaganda was useful, and there was a small part of her that wanted to prove herself to Shift. It was her first mission after graduating from the Institute, and she was in that weird state of being a graduate but still a Young X-Man. It was a kid thing, perhaps.
The girl then turns to glance at the cot. "What are you looking for anyway, Shift?" Jocelyn asks.
Kwabena emerges with a satchel. He peeks inside, taking quick visual stock before firing his own snark back Rachel's way. "Yeah, den who do I blame for taking all da nudie mags?"
Closing the satchel, he slings it over his shoulder before turning back to offer a simple explanation to both. "Packing light for dis trip. Most of what I need is in de states, anyway."
When Jocelyn sheds some more light on her side of the game, a rueful smirk forms. "Good. When he finds out he's been had, he'll have two targets to hate. Ought to make it less painful for both of us." In his own way, he's addressing the severity and danger of their operation without letting it get too real. They all knew the risks, and it was healthy to keep the fear and bravery in check with one another.
A certain brightness comes to Kwabena next, and he looks at Jocelyn with respect. "Damn," he retorts. "I like de way you think. When de time comes, send a message to my cell using de Unify Protocol. That will triggah my cell to do their damage over de airwaves. Even if we haven't made it back yet, dey'll know what to do." Turning his eyes Rachel's way, he says, "Our boat leaves in two hours. I hope you can pack light. Carry ons only for dis trip."
He knows better than to apologize. Nothing about this operation has turned out to be exactly luxurious. Except, of course, for the tall teenager wearing a women's business suit.
Rachel chuckles quietly to herself as she pictures the three of them - herself, Jocelyn, and Kitty - taking Magneto shopping. It's the perfect antidote for her earlier concerns about taking on the man directly, if things go badly. As Jocelyn drinks, Rachel looks at her own empty glass and pushes herself to her feet, snagging it and heading toward the kitchen for a refill.
Rachel doesn't need to pass comment on Jocelyn's schemes, as much as she approves of them. She can tell it's Shift's opinion that the other woman wants.
Shift's comment, though, does make her pause and tilt her head at him. "Probably someone with taste. Now I wish I /had/ taken them." The last is delivered in a sweet tone, accompanied by a quick grin, and then she continues one to refill her glass.
That done, Rachel finds a spot against the wall to lean against, somewhere between Jocelyn and Shift, and sips her water as the man delivers his verdict on Jocelyn's schemes. A pained look flits across her face as Shift mentions the departure deadline. So much for catching a nap first. "I'd better get to it, then." She says with resignation, moving over towards where she sleeps and, first, grabbing a change of clothes. "Just let me freshen up, first." She's already disappearing toward the washroom as she says that over her shoulder. No way is he getting in there first.
A nod is given to Rachel as she departs. "Good luck," she tells Rachel as the woman turns to leave. Then Jocelyn turns to regard Shift for a moment. "You take care of this business and stop whoever is dirtying up your name," Jocelyn tells Shift. She'd heard enough rumors to piece things together. "If I hear of Magneto trying to come after you, I'll see if I can't drop a couple roadbumps in his way," the teen adds. She had her ways. Part of her was trying to reassure Shift that things would be fine here. "I know how to contact people here".
The girl pauses, considering something. "If anyone asks after me, let them know I'm fine. I suspect that when the hospital opens and my name shows up in the papers, there are going to be some questions from a lot of my contacts and friends over in the US," Jocelyn tells Shift. The Young Allies...yeah. Hopefully they realize she had something in mind with what she was doing. Hopefully.
A little, stylized 'snap point' is given toward Rachel, complete with the wink that takes the gesture straight to 11.
With Rachel's departure and Jocelyn's acknowledgement of just why, exactly, they were leaving Hammer Bay, Kwabena's expression sobers considerably. "I did enough dirty work with my own name," he admits. There were times he felt it was necessary. Now he's come to regret it at all. "Someone out dere has decided to turn my work into a fucking circus." Oh, it's pretty clear that Kwabena dislikes this whole situation, but one has to give him credit. He's taking it in stride, and seems to be at peace with what must be done.
That being said, Kwabena produces a flip phone from within his leather jacket. Plugged into its data slot is a GPS and data scrambling device. He tosses it Jocelyn's way and explains, "Let it ring three times, den answah with silence. De callah will speak dere code name, and you will know it's safe to take de call. Only Nightcrawler and Iceman have de numbah. Just in case."
Shift has truly made every attempt to leave no holes in their plan.
"If everything goes to plan, nobody will even know we are dere." In other words, if anyone has the chance to ask after Jocelyn, it will mean something has gone terribly wrong for Shift and Rachel.
Interesting who has that number. Jocelyn makes a mental note of that as she catches the phone. Of course, Shift could probably assume that Jocelyn would now have the phone number, but that was a given. She slides the phone into one of her pockets with an easy nod. "Got it, boss," Jocelyn says to Shift.
The woman looks down at her watch and frowns. "I, too, must get moving. I've got, of all things, a meeting I need to get to. Damn, playing the corporate role is something way better suited for...". Jocelyn pauses. "Okay. Got nobody who would relish it on our little team here". She sighs and walks over to give Shift a quick hug, if he permits it.
"Keep safe, Kwabena. See you on the other side". And then the girl will be making her way out, off to some meeting.
Category:Log