Players:
Summary: Quetzal and Kai have a bit of a rough start for a first meeting.
Date: November 16, 2011
Log Title: Lack of Respect
Rating: PG
NYC - Ellis Island
For generations this was the gateway to America, with literally millions of immigrants pouring through the doors to find new lives and new hope. These days it's a museum dedicated to that heritage. Wide corridors and high ceilings cause every sound to magnify and echo and distort. That, combined with the weight of history, tend to breed a sense of reverence and quiet not unlike a library or church.
It's early morning and the clouds covering the sky of New York City are threatening rain, heading back to quickly change before his first class of the day is Kai. The teen is hurrying somewhat with his errand that morning having taken longer than expected. He's dressed in a yellow t-shirt, dark blue jeans, red converse with his school bag over his shoulder, not quite dressed for the weather maybe, he's walking quickly towards the secret enterance to the academy.
Steping out of the secret enterance to Barnes are two men, a Japanese man wearing sunglasses and relying heavily on a cane to walk and a taller man with dark short hair and cut like a brick house, both dressed in SHIELD uniforms. Next to the Japanese man, who Kai might recognize as one of teachers at Barnes as Agent Quetzal, is a beautiful Husky cautiously walking next to him. They seem to exchange a few words as Quetzal lights up a cigarette, spotting Kai out of the corner of his eye. "A little early for you to be coming into the school to start your classes." He comments to Kai.
Kai spots the man he recognises as one of the staff at the academy and from what he's heard is also a SHIELD Agent, suppressing an annoyed groan he walks over to Quetzal, "Yeah i know but i still need to change and print off some work, don't wanna risk being late, being to early has got to be better right?", he looks down at the dog and after resently hearing of a raccoon teacher wonders if the dog is completely normal.
Quetzal looks over to the other Agent and gives him a sort of guy hug, the one armed pat hug where they don't really touch. "I'll see you around Ripper and next time we'll get the sparring match." He says with a chuckle before he turns to Kai. "Well it's good to be early to your classes but I just wonder why you're out in the city so early. I have a hard time believing that as a teenager you just like to be up at dawn to take a stroll and enjoy the sunset. Unless, you never came home last night?"
Kai raises an eyebrow, "Thats a little closed minded isn't it?, as a teenager the only reason i could be out is if i never came back?", he runs a hand though his hair, "It gets a little claustrophobic living underground, so i took a wander into the city before my classes were due to start, we teenagers do sometimes fight the stereotype".
Quetzal studies Kai for a bit, watching his body language, reading it, as the teen speaks. "I asked a question, I didn't make just one assumption. I just know as a teenager I took every chance I could to sleep in." He says as a smrik forms on his lips. "And what stereotype is it that you're trying to fight so hard against?" He's just asking more for conversation then trying to accuse him of anything. "I'm Agent Quetzal and this here is my companion Verde." And then Kai's suspicions of the dog are confirmed as the Dog speaks, "Hello, it's nice to meet you."
Kai takes a step back as the dog talks, "Why does the dog talk?", he shrugs, "The way adults assume we're lazy, rude and unwashed, though from my expirience more adults are like that", he crosses his arms, "Whys the dog called the spanish word for Green, seems like an odd name, most people go for things like Lucky or Buddy".
Quetzal takes a long drag of his cigarette and looks at Kai, raising an eyebrow over rim of his sunglasses. "Well from the way you failed to introduce yourself in return I would say that you have failed in avoiding the rude sterotype. And I'm far from lazy or unwashed." Queztal says with amusement in his voice. He then looks down at Verde and waits for him to answer. "Wow, you ask a lot of questions. I can talk because I'm not really do, I'm a shape shifter of sorts. And why green, it's a name I was given and I like it. What's your name, I'm sure that some people would find it strange. And Lucky and Buddy are just stupid for names."
Kai shrugs, "Well you didn't ask my name so i didn't feel the need to tell you, it's not rude, it's just not giving information i don't need to give", hmm a shapeshifter, never come across one of those and true some may find his actual name weird, "My name is Kai, not really an unusual name but then is don't turn into a dog so i guess i don't need one".
There's a shake of the head from Queztal. "My father or my superior officers would have my hide if I ever talked to them like that. If you wish to advoid the sterotypes you're so willingly falling into I suggest you learn some respect." He says as he finishes off his cigarette. "Respect is something I had instilled in me as I grew up as where I'm from it's very important." He then looks to Verde and nods to him and the dog shifts into something larger, a gorilla, and puts his arm around Quetzal to almost help him stand. "Sorry, my leg always bothers me the most in this sort of foul weather." Verde, the Gorilla, then looks at Kai curiously. "Do you have an issue with what I am? Do you hate dogs?"
Kai shakes his head, "Is respect not supposed to be earned rather than just freely given, i believe it's a lot like trust in that respect", there are very few people who have earned his respect though many have forced his obedience, he takes another step back as the dog shifts, "I'm pretty indifferent to animals, some are interesting sure but i neither like or dislike any".
Quetzal sighs and lifts up his sunglasses to rub above his eyes as if he has a head. "I've earned the respect with the twenty two years I've spent serving in the military fighting to protect my country and this country. I've saved more lives then anyone will ever know and I've paid prices to make sure that this country has stayed safe." He says before putting his sunglasses back. Verde gives Queztal a bit of a look as if he's saying something unheard to the man and the SHEILD agent takes a few deep breaths. "Son, I don't know how you were raised or how school was before here but I assure you it is not like that. Right now all I can suspect is that you're hiding something and trying to brush me off with your rude attitude."
"I was raised to give respect where it is deserved and as someone who has fought for this country i do owe you my respect but me not giving my name isn't a sign of disrespect, i just value information Agent Quetzal", Kai watches the exchange between Verde and the Agent, "I'm not trying to be rude or brush you off, i must just be having an off morning today".
"You might not be trying to Kai but I assure you, you're are coming off as quite rude. Not introducing yourself in return is a sign of being rude. Also not giving your name ot a teacher at a school you attend and using the excuse 'I just value' information is just that, an excuse, for your rude behaviour." Then Verde says something in Japanese and the two exchange words for a bit before Queztal sighs. "I apologize Kai, I could be over looking something. You may be in some sort of trouble and if you need help with anything the school can assist." He figures since there was at least one student involed in drugs, it could happen to another student, or any number of issues that Kai could have gotten himself involed in.
Kai nods, "Ok, i'll start again, Hello Agent Queztal, Verde, i'm Kai Oaken pleased to meet you", he offers a hand though keeps it away from the massive gorilla arms, "Where does the name Queztal come from, doesn't sound Japanese", he frowns when asked if he's in any kind of trouble, "No, aslong as i'm here i'm perfectly fine, trust me".
Quetzal extends his hand, the one not holding the cane, and shakes Kai. "Agent Quetzal and this my spirit companion Verde. And no, it isn't. Quetzal is my codename because when I first met Verde he came to life as a Quetzal and it stuck." He admits. "If you wished to look through school records you'd see I once went by Agent Shimizu. I am the language teacher here at Barnes and the flight instructor. Not flight with powers but aircraft." Then the gorilla chimes in, in the same boyish voice he had as the dog. "Sorry if Quetzal is being rude as well, he is kind of grumpy cause is leg has been bothering him."
Kai frowns again, "I didn't know students were allowed to look into staff records, what other files are we allowed to access?", he looks around as the shapeshifter chimes in again, "Whats wrong with the leg? must be bad cos i got shot a while back and this place had me patched up in no time", still he has no interest in repeating the expirience.
"There are still agents who call me Agent Shimizu and there are a few things on file for reserach with projects here. Whatever the library will let you access. Though anything classified you will not be able to see." Which would be most of Queztal's file as he did a lot of Black Ops, wetwork, type missions. "I injured my leg on a mission a while back, it wasn't the injury but the infection that caused the lasting effects."
Kai makes a mental note to check out the library later, "Have you considered having it replaced by cybernetics?, with how high tech this place is, i'd be shocked if SHIELD doesn't have access to the technology to fully replace it", he looks at the injured leg, "Can i take a look?", there won't be anything he can do, hes just curious.
Quetzal gives Kai a weary look that says it all, no way in hell. He doesn't lift up his pant leg but Verde the Gorilla does and exposes a relativly normal looking leg execpt that it's a bit bent looking, as if it was broken and never properly set. "There was a lot of sugery done and right now this is the best that it's going to get."
Kai frowns at Quetzal's reaction, "Ok, thats a no to the cybernetics", he crouches down to have a look at the injured leg, "Was this operated on in the field?, and you say theres no further way to repair it?", he stands back up, "Don't take this the wrong way but is this injury the reason you teach at the school now? as it keeps you from active duty?"
"No, it was operated in a facility, went through several opersations, physical therapy." Quetzal explains vaguely, not going into to much detail. "And it's not taken the wrong way at all. First off I would like to make it clear that I am still on active duty, I am still a part of SHIELD and I am not retired or discharged. I am not out as a field agent because of the injury to my leg, yes. I can still fly but I'm not as able as I once was."
"So you're still a skilled pilot, how are you as a tactition?", if Quetzal can still fly and is an an able tactition Kai doesn't see any reason that he can't still be an active field agent, he still has a use afterall, "Verde could easily shift into an animal that could make up for the slow use of your legs".
"Son, those are all very kind things you're saying but trust me, things have been worked out for the best." Queztal says with a sort of finality to the conversation. "So, do you care to walk with me back inside, I need to get to my class before it starts in fifteen minutes."
Kai wasn't really being kind he was just seeing a further use for the Agent but if that the way Queztal wants to take it theres no real reason to correct him, "Well the whole Agent thing is kinda why us students are here, SHIELD sees a use for us", it seems pretty clear that the school does have plans for their students, "Sure, i still need to change before class so we better get inside".
"SHIELD sees potential, I won't deny that." Quetzal says as the Gorialla shifts back down into a dog and starts to walk along side him. "Yes, I'm already letting you off light with the respect earlier, you don't want to give me another reason to get on your case by seeing you go to class out of uniform." Is he being serious or not, it's hard to tell.
"I've got no plans togo to class out of uniform, i like the uniform beyond the fact it saves time on the whole choosing clothing thing, it also serves a function", Kai appears to be taking Queztal seriously, "It was interesting talking to you even though we may have started off on the wrong foot"
