7280/Changeling: Nyx That Idea

Changeling: Nyx That Idea
Date of Scene:	20 April 2019
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Skye drags May to one of her
Cast of Characters:	Quake, Melinda May
Tinyplot:	Changeling

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Quake has posed:
The trouble with brilliant ideas is they're only useful if you can share them with the appropriate parties, and given the current state of affairs at the Triskelion, and Fury's absence (leaving May currently in his position as Skye's ears for such things), there was no help for it but to conjure a plausible idea for a meetup - thus the idea of inviting May for supper at her and Clint's favourite ramen place was borne.

It wasn't just a perfect idea for places to hold a private idea, but Skye got to eat her favourite food to boot. Win-Win!

She arrives early and puts in an order to the kitchen to prepare two meals, chef's choice, that she was expecting a friend-guest she wanted to impress, and Skye settles back to await May's arrival.

Melinda May has posed:
May arrives precisely on time, seeing Skye already there and moving to join her at the table. "Good choice of restaurant. Care to explain why we're meeting here other than you were hungry?" Honestly, she's already fairly certain why the younger agent chose to speak here instead of back at the Triskelion, but of course she's not about to give that away. That would be too easy. Hence, the question.

One perk of the chosen venue, of course, is the food. This is one of the rare places in Manhattan that actually approaches a decent bowl of ramen regularly.

Quake has posed:
There's an easy smirk from Skye as she shrugs. "Hungry is a great reason to meet here."

Other than that wasn't the main reason. Tea is served once May settles at the table, the waiter informing in broken English that their meal would be a small delay as the chef was preparing something to honor the occassion - without explaining what the occassion was. It could only be that Skye has brought a guest. Or something more.

"So, not sure you and I have had one of these talks before." Yep. Totally in with both feet here, something May might not be expecting of the girl. "But with Fury off doign whatever it is he's doing in the shadows, you're the defacto leader, so you get next crack at this. We need to talk. About the upcoming mission. I have an idea, and I don't want others hearing about it until we're sure that's the direction we want to take."

Melinda May has posed:
Looking up at the waiter as he serves them their tea, she uses his appearance and the accent in his voice to place where he's from and replies to him in his native language and regional dialect, thanking him for the information. She doesn't ask about the occasion. If he'd wanted her to know, he'd have said.

She then turns back to Skye and sips at the tea while the explanation begins. "All right. I'm listening." And here is where she shows how she's different from Fury, by letting Skye explain everything at once without interrupting to ask for clarifications.

Quake has posed:
Skye reaches for the small cup the tea is served in, fingers wrapping around the bowl of the thing, and sipping. For all intents and purposes, the pair look like they're enjoying nothing more than this meal together - and because Skye and Clint are regulars here (as much as they are at Gino's) nothing comes across as untoward.

"I was thinking how we can bypass Zola and play him at his own game once we get the code we need worked up. I've been going over this part and failing to come up with an answer until now. Everything we could do he can react to faster than he can - he's part of the computer."

Nothing new there, so far.

"It's a longshot, and it depends on how much attention he's paid to her, and.. it is fairly dangerous to her.. but I was thinking, Samantha doesn't need to input things the way we do. The way I'd be forced to. If we can get her in and at any terminal access point, she can infiltrate the systems there faster than anything I can do."

Of course there were a lot of ifs in there.

Melinda May has posed:
Of course May is going to point that out after having let Skye lay out her idea. "A lot of 'ifs' in there, Skye." But then she perhaps says something surprising.

"Have you spoken with Samantha about this? You know I don't really like putting someone as young as her at risk like this. But if she could be an ace up our sleeve and she offers, I won't say no. Only if she volunteers completely of her own volition."

She takes another sip of her tea, inwardly thinking it's not bad, but she's had better.

Quake has posed:
Skye shakes her head.

"Nope. No reason to until I hit you with it. No disappointing her. No extra holes in the plan or possible leaks. Not really how I do this." The young woman takes another sip of tea, then sets the cup down. "All pretending aside, May? Normally I'd have gone to Fury with what I thought and told him these things. He'd agree, or not." Though he'd mostly agreed with Skye's assessments. "And then we'd move forward." Whether May knew it or not, the directive for Tidepool may have come from Fury, but Skye had been the one to tell him what the mission would be, and why. He'd just happened to have agreed.

"I figured you and I would hash out what this would look like before we involved her or the others in the plan. I figure if Zola still has his bee in his bonnet about me, he'll still think I'm primary target in this to stop on the computer level. I know it will bring Samantha under more direct fire to have her with me, but he has to think I'm the hack risk and not the protector."

And there it is, the second part of her plan: Skye will be Samantha's bodyguard, putting her powers to the test, and faith in herself to be *this* Agent and not the one she's been in all missions past.

Melinda May has posed:
May considers the additional layer to this plan. "I'm aware that this is the sort of thing you usually talk to Fury about. And with that additional aspect of it, I think it has merit. I still want Samantha to volunteer for this, but I know you'll have her safety at the forefront of your mind." That's something she knows even experienced field agents don't always have.

"Keep her close from now until the operation is a go. You're her senior officer so no one should question it and it won't appear out of the ordinary at all." She's done similar in the past.

Quake has posed:
There's that easy grin again from Skye. "Enh, people might be surprised to know the things I talked to him about." Well, maybe much less so now than in the past. Skye was fast bypassing the facade she presented of not being a very competent Agent. There was a reason she'd risen meteorically fast in the ranks. And if May didn't know before, she did now.

"I figured if you were a go on this, we could bring her into the plan and see hwo she felt about it. Emphacize the danger, the we'd have her back, and that it was completely voluntary. Full disclose of the risks. That kinda thing. Just wasn't worth even approaching her unless you were good with the plan. It's also why I didn't bring it up in front of the others yet. I wanted us to be free to discuss it and it go no further if it wasn't a go."

Perhaps another thing that might surprise May about the Junior Agent - as Skye wasn't particularly known to be.. cognizant of the rules shall we say? Or shown any previous public indication that she understood either protocol, or when what you could do and what you should do didn't cross paths.

"Added bonus? BEing able to drag her to our house and into the mission will just cement that it's situation normal at Chez Miscreant and not a front."

Melinda May has posed:
May nods to Skye as she explains further, honestly impressed that Skye has got all contingencies in mind. She shouldn't be though. The kid's always had a good head on her shoulders. She's about to say something more when the ramen is brought out to their table.

"I'd say you've thought about almost everything. Run it by Samantha, see what she says and let me know." This way May can make sure the plans are on the books and officially approved ... after the fact.

Quake has posed:
Skye inclines her head in the affirmative. "Then we'll make that a go. She might be helpful with the programs too. I confess some concern still about her access, but I think in this case it might be worth the risk."

Access to the computers - even if they're not connected to SHIELD.

"If she's okay with the plan, We'll bring the others in and run some training to get her prepared for the actual mission as well. If not, we proceed as we've already set up."

With or without the possibility of the Agent in Training helping with the actual software. It all hinged on the answers she'd get, but at least Skye had the okay now in principle to more forward. The rest would fall into place.