Players:
Summary: Index and Quetzal shoot the *@#% for a bit.
Date: August 16, 2011
Log Title: SHIELD Boys
Rating: PG
Barnes Academy - Common Room
Plush carpet in a neutral beige colour goes wall to wall in the Common Room. The furniture is just as plain as couches and chairs in various shades of browns are lined up all around the room. There's a large fish tank on the far side of the wall to give some colour and sense of life in the room. There's a large flat screen television with a collection of movies in front of some of the couches. There are tables off to a side if one wishes to study and there are books and magazines on various end tables and shelves. The florescent lighting reflects off the white walls giving the room an artificially bright feel to it. Glowing in the corner of the room are snack and beverage machines, free of cost to those at Barnes.
It's late afternoon, and Index is flopped down on one of the couches with the television turned to news programming. He doesn't seem to be paying too much attention, and is instead fiddling with his phone on his lap. He occasionally grumbles something, sends a text, turns on a game for just a few moments, or has some kind of memo opened where he is tapping down his thoughts.
Running ahead of Quetzal is the furry weasel from of Verde. He runs a bit into the room and stops and turns around. "Come on, I'm jet lagged too and you don't see me moving like a slug." He says as Quetzal walks into the room leaning quite a bit on his cane and with a pair of sunglasses over his eyes. He almost has the appearance of someone who is hung over. "You know I hate being in a plane that I'm not flying." He says as he enters the room. "Good evening Index." He says eyebrow going up at the televison. "The good ol' news eh?"
Index looks up at the television screen and says, "Hey, yeah, it's the news. How about those politics?" The man adjusts his tie lightly and looks over at Quetzal, "Hey Quetzal, Verde. You're looking a little worse for wear, Quetzal. What's happening?" He turns his phone's screen off and begins to sit up.
Quetzal walks over and sits down on one of the couches as Verde follows him up on his lap. "He's got a hangover." The weasel says and Quetzal shrugs nervously. "I spent the last few weeks in Japan visiting my sisters and their families. I hate being a aircraft where I'm not flying so I tend to drink too much. That combined with jet lag I'm a little out of it today."
"Well, that's fine, I could make you something disgusting, clear that hangover right up," says Index, grinning widely at that. "I hope you had a nice trip, though, I've been rather busy doing all this 'agent' stuff. Like I'm a real agent anymore. We've gotta take care of some things yet."
Quetzal chuckles and shakes his head. "No, that's alright. I'll just drink some water and take some asprin and I'll be all set. And yeah, agent stuff. I took my leave since I've pretty much been demoted to teacher." He says with the frustration obvious in his voice. "I feel the same way, I wish I could go back and do the things I did but it seems like we're desk monkies now."
"Yeah, exactly. If I could find a way to get back into the field, that'd be amazing. Not that I mind teaching drama or whatever, but it's not really what I worked my whole life to achieve. Still, over the summer I've been helping one of the students here with a surveillance project, that's been alright," says Index, chuckling softly and shifting to look right at Quetzal, "But I still wish I could go back to the work I was doing, or something like it."
"Well I know why they won't put me back in the field, I'm not as agile or mobile as I used to be and god help me if it rains." Quetzal says motioning to her leg. "I know what you mean, I wish I could still be with my former team but one died and the other two are doing their own thing now. Anyway, which student have you been helping?"
"Kisha Dorogoi," says Index, shrugging, "She's like this total psychopath, and I can never tell what her intentions are, but she's kind of helping out with this search for her classmates. I can respect that. And there's nothing wrong with being nuts, so long as those impulses are turned towards the greater good, hmm?" He considers for a moment and adds, "I'm just out because if I were in the field, SHIELD seems to think there'd be assassination attempts ever since my cover got totally blown. Kinda bitter about that."
"Ah I met her once, seems to have an issue with authority." Quetzal says shaking his head. "But I did hear about that, Tabitha going missing. I don't know much of the details though. I guess it's good that it's being turned in the right direction this time." He says before nodding. "There really wasn't much of a cover for my team we were more, get in, get information, get out. Avoid conflict if necessary, of course it wasn't always that easy. Just one of those times we got caught and I got injured during the whole thing."
"I'd tell you what happened to get my cover blown, but it's classified, but believe me it is a crazy story," says Index, nodding at that, "But my job was all about the cover. It was an acting job, really, with a ton of danger involved. Now I have to figure out how to act like myself again, weak." He leans back and says, "And yeah, Tabitha is being manipulated by a psychic. Kisha's using technology to get around the issues involved, I'm supervising the project."
"What happened isn't exactly classified, with me that is, it's more…can't talk to civilians really about it?" Quetzal says trying to think on how best to word it. "We did a lot of stopping countries from getting dangerous weapons, finding out with countries where connecting with which, fought against small AIM and HYRDA sects a lot. We were in Mexico looking into this one HYRDA operation when we were caught. Lake was killed during it all and the rest of us were captured. After several months they decided we weren't worth anything and decided to kill us. I ended up breaking my leg when they threw me down this pit and in that moment somehow I met Verde and he's the reason we all survived that. My leg never healed right due to an infection."
"Some of the stuff I did is so classified I can't even read my own reports. I just don't have that kind of clearance," says Index, brushing a hand through his hair. "It sounds like you were in a pretty bad position, it's a good thing that you got lucky and managed to get yourself out of there, at least. It really is too bad about your leg, though, you seem like you would've been a pretty excellent field agent."
Quetzal chuckles. "I'm a linguist so I'm great at translating. And also I'm a pretty good pilot if I say so myself. I got us out of their by stealing a plane and flying it, broken leg and fevered and all." Queztal brags with a chuckle. "Sometimes I consider if I could settle down, find a wife have kids but I don't think I could stay still. I love this life too much."
"Gives me chills how badass that makes you sound. They should make a movie about you!" says Index, grinning as he shifts in his seat to glance momentarily at the television and then back towards Quetzal, "I guess I kind of consider it, this whole settling down business. Now that I've been sorta kicked out of agenting, I've given it more consideration than I used to. I figured I'd just die someday in the field, and I was actually pretty okay with that, because it was doing something for the greater good."
Quetzal lets out a good natured laugh, showing that he really doesn't take himself too seriously. "I would watch that movie and think it should be nominated for best picture." He jokes. "I guess I always figured I'd do this until I got bored with it or whatever, but I never got bored. Though I will admit that I do love kids. I have a few nieces and nephews that I love spending time with when I go home to visit family. My sister keeps telling me I should find a wife."
"Hey, I'd watch it. I'd pay full ticket price, no coupons or anything," says Index, nodding at Quetzal with what is perhaps an excessively serious expression. He smiles and then says, "Well, why aren't you finding a wife, then? I mean, if you're going to settle down, now's the time since, well, your Agent work is mostly confined to this place and you're pretty stable as it is."
Quetzal looks sideways at Index and gives him a big grin. "I just haven't found a woman besides I'm holding onto a bit of hope that one day I'll be able to do something on the field or be assigned more of a piloting position. I just don't know if I could love my family as much as I love my job."
"Well, you're also not looking for a woman! Finding one seems like it'd be rather difficult if you're not keeping an eye out," says Index, smiling at that, "I totally understand what you mean, though. My life's been pretty exciting, not sure if someone could compete with work on that front."
"I never really dated much." Quetzal admits. "I like women, don't get me wrong but I never did much of the dating thing. It was always just a physical relationship so, I don't even know what I would look for in a woman." He shrugs at that nonchalantly and leans back, relaxing. "I can't deny that, I've lead an exciting life as well."
"I didn't really do the dating thing either, believe it or not. I know what you're thinking, this handsome guy, how could the ladies have not demanded his company? It's true, though, it's true," says Index, chuckling at that and leaning back, "With all this excitement that we've had in our lives, maybe we're somehow damaged goods, huh? 'cause there's always something more exciting than remembering anniverseries."
"I'm absolutely shocked." Quetzal says and Verde responds to that with a yawn. "Can we go to sleep now, I'm tired and you know I can't sleep until you do." His animal companion complains. Standing up Quetzal sighs. "Besides, I already have a soul mate." He says grinning down at the weasel. "Well I guess I'm going to get some shuteye in for now. Sorry to cut this conversation short but we should chat again soon."
"Yeah, absolutely, you guys have a nice sleep," says Index, giving a lazy salute to Quetzal and Verde, sitting up and pulling up his screens on his phone again and slightly increasing the volume on the television, "I'll catch you later."
