3800/Unconventional SHIELD Training

Unconventional SHIELD Training
Date of Scene:	04 February 2018
Location:	Triskelion, New York City
Synopsis:	A sparring session for Svetlana turns into an outing with Darcy and May, including a classic American lunch and lessons on cussing in public.
Cast of Characters:	Svetlana Kuznetsov, Melinda May, Darcy Lewis

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Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
    In one of the martial arts training rooms, SHIELD's newest guest is getting her physical bearings back. She's relentless and determined, taking one (or usually more) opponents in near-continuous succession. If there were any doubts as to her initial story about being part of the Russian supersoldier program, her pace and strength and reflexes are enough to put those doubts to rest.

    And yet to the observant mind, there's a certain predictability with the girl. Her techniques are straight out of a 1950 Spetsnaz training manual, with almost no improvisation along the way. True enough, the methods are quite effective and it's rare for even a group to last more than a couple of minutes.

    The young girl pauses between bouts, wearing a sweat-soaked t-shirt and fatigues. She also insists on wearing combat boots, for some reason. Taking short slugs of water with electrolytes, Lana catches her breath while awaiting her next opponent.

Melinda May has posed:
Visually very different from all of the other strike team members or similarly burly agents that have been pitting against Svetlana thus far, a seemingly average-looking Asian woman -- down to the low-heeled boots, everyday jeans, and long-sleeve shirt she's wearing -- steps up.

"Kuznetsova," she offers with passable pronunciation, "Say when you're ready." And, she just stands there and watches the younger-looking woman.

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Svetlana sucks down another couple swallows of the flavorless liquid, turning to size up her new opponent. "It's Kuznetsov." she corrects simply. Up close, now, she looks young. Probably not even old enough to drink. Tell that to the agents who've been throwing themselves at her for most of the day.

Taking a towel, she pats her face and neck before putting it down with a nod. Lana doesn't ask her opponent's name. It isn't important at the moment, even though she's been trying to learn names afterward. A couple of arm-swings and then she settles into a casual ready-stance. "Ready."

Melinda May has posed:
May simply watches the young woman for a few moments longer as if studying her ready-stance, without any indication of what she's planning, she charges toward the military-dressed Svetlana. But instead of a straightforward attack, she turns the charge into what resembles a baseball homeplate slide, going under and between the girl's legs and snaring one of her ankles as she does so. Her intention: knock the kid off-balance. Both physically and mentally.

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Okay, that was unexpected. Lana was trained to deal with a lot of different things, but not an opponent who slides between her legs. Then her ankle is caught and she falls forward. This is a bit more familiar ground, since so many Spetsnaz moves involve taking a fall. Catching herself on her hands, Lana swings her free foot over to kick as May passes. She's really quick, but the surprise gives May time to slide past.

Darcy Lewis has posed:
It was time to go shopping. Svet and Darce had PLANNED it. Why wasn't Svet in the lobby as they had planned? A quick check revealed that she was in the training area.

A sigh and Darcy heads over. She pauses at the doorway as it looks like her very own SO, May, is getting ready to kick the poor girl's ass. This ought to be entertaining and worth a bit.

Darcy spots a chair by the doorway, upon which May's jacket is draped. She moves to it, scuffed up Doc Martins not completely silent on the floor as she moves over, picks up May's coat, and then settles herself onto the chair. Her over sized purse is settled to the floor at her feet, and May's jacket draped over her legs. Those are covered by dark grey leggings, a hole at one knee. Darcy reclines back in the chair, legs crossing at the knees, her hair loose and wild down her back, held from her face by a slouchy red knitted beanie.

"Kick her ass!" she cheers, one hand cupped around one side of her still red-painted lips. The baggy sleeve of her sweater dress slips to her elbow, revealing the long sleeve of her undershirt. It's black, with red hearts and little white skulls on it.

Who's she cheering for? Darcy's grin makes it not clear in the slighest.

Melinda May has posed:
May is back on her feet almost instantly, and that's when she hears and sees Darcy's arrival. She feigns being distracted by the yell to see how Svetlana reacts, but she doesn't plan on drawing out this little sparring match. If Darcy's actually willingly set foot in a training room, she's there for a reason. And that reason could well be time sensitive.

Her eyes move away from Svetlana toward Darcy and her stance very slightly less combat-ready.

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Svetlana pushes up quickly, finding her feet in an instant. Her opponent is distracted, but that's not really Lana's problem. She was trained to look for such opportunities, after all, and she reacts almost without thinking. As she turns towards May again it's with a series of sweep-kicks that alternate high and low and then high again, advancing aggressively.

Darcy Lewis has posed:
Darcy gives May the sweetest smile, as she pulls out her phone to check the time.

"Mall closes at nine, Lana Mana Fatana Banana," Darcy says even as Svetlana is kick-attacking May. It's like Darcy doesn't realize the two are in the middle of hand-to-hand combat and the slightest distraction could cause a split lip.

Or, Darcy is well aware of all of this and so is being purposefully obnoxious. Place your bets on which one it is!

And while she's got her phone out, might as well check her Twitter and Reddit feeds again.

Melinda May has posed:
And that was exactly what May knew Svetlana would do. So, despite having appeared to be distracted, she deftly blocks the first kick, avoids the second while also moving closer, then uses an advanced Aikido move to catch the third kick and use the younger woman's momentum against her to throw her to the floor. Then, instead of pressing the advantage, she steps back.

"Sounds like you have a prior engagement you're missing."

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Svetlana hasn't been exposed to advanced Aikido, that much is quickly obvious. She goes down and goes down hard, but where another opponent might get the wind knocked out of them she recovers quickly. May steps back half a moment before Lana kips back up to her feet.

And that's when May ends the match. Lana clicks her heels together and gives a slight, if formal bow. "Thank you." she replies. "May I have your name?" Her English is good, even if it's colored with a Russian accent around the edges.

Darcy Lewis has posed:
The combat ends, and Darcy rises to take May her jacket. Introductions are made and a shower had by Svetlana while Darcy explained to May what was planned. How Darcy managed to convince May into joining them, the World May Never Know. But one thing the world does know is that it takes three licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pop.

An hour later, the three are in a SHIELD issue car, being handled by the vehicles expert May. Likely because May thinks letting Darcy drive would be a death wish after that one time May watched Darcy drive back into the garage in a SHIELD vehicle, WHILE texting on her phone.

"So, we'll get some drive thru something, and then hit Hot Topic?" she says from the back, scooching forward to half lean into the front seat space between the driver and passenger.

Melinda May has posed:
"No." As has likely become clear over the past little while, May isn't one for being particularly chatty. She drives the car with precision of an aircraft pilot, yet is able to cut through traffic on par with the saltiest cabbies who've earned their taxi badges. The direction they're headed likely indicates where she's taking them, if Darcy is at least half observant.

She is actually willing to accept opinions from Svetlana on what she'd prefer, but she is most definitely NOT letting Darcy steamroll the culture-clashed young woman into wearing something bordering on indecent.

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Svetlana is in the passenger seat, and she is even less chatty than May. That's mostly because she's too busy gawking at the big, wide world around her. May's driving doesn't seem to bother her, at least not enough to stop STARING. And GAPING.

"What is a 'drive thru'?" She asks, glancing back towards Darcy before turning her attention back to May. "And why would we want a 'Hot Topic'? She has been speaking in riddles like this ever since we met. But she did explain what is a 'booty call'."

Darcy Lewis has posed:
"Come on! Girl probably spent all day kicking ass without even so much as some chewing gum to take the edge off. A ten minute burger run isn't going to kill us," Darcy is saying to May, tone not whiny but questioning, begging almost.

"A drive-thru is a restaurant that lets you drive up to a window of the building and order food. They hand you your food through that window and you can drive off eating it. Hot Topic's a store with pants and skirts and tshirts and bras that should fit you, even if they don't have any underthings my size, and the coolest shoes, EVER," Darcy answers, even though Svet turned to May, because in Darcy's head Svet turned to HER for answer, since Svet woul dhave to have turned toward Darcy to talk to May.

Melinda May has posed:
"Again, no. We have enough time to stop and eat at a proper restaurant. And Lewis, I suspect Ms. Kuznetsov would prefer clothing that will stand up to wear over 'the coolest shoes, EVER'." May is able, somehow, to mimic Darcy's inflections on those last words almost perfectly while maintaining her Vulcan-like calm demeanor and driving through busy NYC traffic.

Then, they're pulling into a parking garage within easy walking distance of the few remaining flagship department stores in Manhattan. There are, of course, also restaurants along the same path, though they're the swankier sort.

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Svetlana blinks at the description of the drive thru, eyes widening almost in disbelief. She was used to long lines in front of empty stores, followed by military barracks with military food. Of the two women she's travelling with, Darcy is certainly the most colorful but she sees May as definitely the leader.

Lana smiles in spite of herself when May mimics Darcy, but she's certainly in agreement with the latter opinion. Not that she has much choice; this is her first time in America, and she has a couple of chaperones. "James Barnes told me that we are in New York." she offers. "Why can I not see the Statue of Liberty?"

Darcy Lewis has posed:
"Awwww," Darcy 'whines' in that way that the sound starts low before sliding up. She's not going to really argue further, she's just going to make it SEEM that way.

"But cool shoes are fucking life," she states, because that's not a REAL arguement.

"Oh. The buildings around here are too tall, and anyway, we aren't anywhere near Ellis Island. Maybe we can go sight-seeing?" Darcy replies, switchign gears from explaining to childishly excited to go see the Statue of Liberty and do sight-seeing things while on the clock. Maybe. Her body shifted from Svet to May with a tiny bounce in the back seat. Her chin is sat upon May's upper arm, near the shoulder.

"Can we? Can we? Pleeeze?"

Melinda May has posed:
"We can," May says, answering both younger women at once. "Afterwards. Unless you'd rather do that instead of acquiring clothes." Skipping on clothes shopping would not offend her in the least. But food is non-negotiable, and junk food is nowhere near the list of acceptable choices.

The car is parked quickly enough and she ushers the pair out of the garage and onto the sidewalks heading toward 5th Avenue.

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Svetlana watches the interplay between Darcy and May, and her smile lingers. She's fought May, if only briefly, and she can see that Darcy isn't a combatant. Lana doesn't know about the tazer, of course. Lana is wearing a fresh pair of borrowed fatigues and a t-shirt, along with combat boots. It's her turn to speak up then. "I would like to buy clothes." she declares. "And I am also hungry."

Having stated her opinion, she practically bounds out of the car once it's parked and for a moment she looks like she might run away. But she waits for the other two women before they make for 5th Avenue.

Darcy Lewis has posed:
"YAY!" Darcy cheers, like a child, as the 'we can go sight-seeing' is comfirmed by May. The order things happen in doesn't matter to her. After all, today is for Svetlana. So, when the Russian offers her opinion, Darcy back it two hundred million percent, clambering out of the car happily, and following May down 5th Aveune.

"Oh, dude. I've heard the ferry ride is badass," Darcy is saying, bubbly and exciteable.

Melinda May has posed:
For her part, May just seems content to have mollified Darcy. First stop: food. They turn a corner and she gestures. "Do you have a preference, Ms. Kuznetsov, or would you rather I choose?" She remembers hearing about SHIELD's efforts to keep Captain Rogers from suffering excessive culture shock, and she's trying to do the same for Svetlana. A bit difficult with Darcy-the-toddler making all that noise. But, she's trying.

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Svetlana shrugs at the question about food, starting to gawk more and more with every block they pass. "I do not think there is Russian food here. And I do not think that I would eat it, anyway." she adds with a grin. "I trust you to choose, Melinda May." That's May, not Darcy. Perhaps Lana isn't interested in the culinary equivalent to platform heels.

Darcy Lewis has posed:
That Svet wants May to choose doesn't bother Darcy, though she does turn to Mama May with big puppy eyes.

"Ooooh pot stickers!" This may make NO sense to any one else but May would know. Darcy loves pot-stickers. She had them for lunch just today, and dinner two nights ago.

Melinda May has posed:
Sorry, Darcy. No pot-stickers for you today. She leads them to a smallish bistro whose menu boasts 'classic American' dishes, including meatloaf, burgers, and mac & cheese. It's hopefully a compromise that will appease Darcy while givign Svetlana a chance to try something she's likely only ever heard of. And, for herself, May can get a decently healthy meal.

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Svetlana is beginning to give up on *asking* for an explanation every time Darcy says something. And May would have to do a LOT to break the girl's trust right now. Oddly enough, Lana doesn't get a lot of strange looks with her fatigues. What does she order? A hamburger and a Coke, of course. And french fries, with ketchup. Definitely classic American food.

Darcy Lewis has posed:
"Ohmygod, this place has fucking meatloaf and mac!?" Darcy blurts out as she spies the menu, before making nomnomnom burbling sounds that are a cross between porn-star and Cookie Monster. She orders that and some raspberry ice tea. Because that sounds amazing and why did we have sandwiches tonight when NOW I want mac & cheese/!

Melinda May has posed:
May, unsurprisingly, orders a salad. But, she pairs it with some grilled salmon and steamed veggies. And...okay, fine, some of that rasapberry tea. And, she for the most part lets the two younger women chitchat while she eats quietly.

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Truth be told, Lana hasn't heard of many things that are on the menu. Oh, she's received the standard capitalist propaganda education, along with some related facts. But by now she knows it's a one-sided account. "You keep using that word." Lana declares, no doubt meaning the F-bomb. "This is common to say in public?"

Darcy Lewis has posed:
"FOr me? Fuck yes. For some other people? No idea. I just like the word. Is my Faaaaavorite. Noun, Verb, Adjective; Fuck can do it all!" Darcy exclaims, happy to tuck into her meal AND talk at the same often, which occassionally means she's talking with her mouthful.

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Svetlana smiles at that, looking quite amused at the word usage. Or perhaps just at Darcy. For her part she manages the hamburger quite well, once she's examined beneath the bun with all the toppings. The french fries make her eyes widen, and she wads into her meal quite enthusiastically. Between bites she offers. "When I was younger, we all knew of this word but it was not spoken."

Darcy Lewis has posed:
"You mentioned. But... this is the 21st Century, and we're in America. You wanna use the word, you fucking use the word. You don't wanna use it, then don't. You'd prefer peeps around you not use it, say so. Most people'll stop. Assholes will keep at it," Darcy replies as she happily munches out on meatload with ketchup and mac & cheese. OMG Sofa king, good.

Svetlana Kuznetsov has posed:
Svetlana looks thoughtful, taking a big bite of her burger and somehow managing not to let it explode everywhere. "I choose not to use this word." she declares, after consideration. "But I do not mind if others around me use it." Darcy gets a smile, then. "I like the way -you- say it." She tries ketchup with her fries, then dumps the red stuff liberally on her plate.

Melinda May has posed:
"Lewis, please moderate your language." WHich in May-ese means tone the 'fuck's back to no more than two per hour. "It has become more prevalent amongst the younger generations, though it is largely still frowned upon in professional and some public environments."

That being said, she leaves the girls to do most of the socializing for the rest of their trip. And yes, it includes a jaunt out to the Statue of Liberty. Also, May purchased a small PHD digital camera for Svetlana at the department store so she could record her sightseeing trip.