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[bravejemma]

''You've reached Jemma Simmons, leave a message.''
text | video | audio | action | whatever else

Comments

voice; @widow

[deaddrop]

[Natasha is still in a mood when she leaves Jemma a message, her a particular mix of clipped professional and acerbic normally reserved for layers in television dramas.]

Hi. I have some questions about your boyfriend and his history as some robot's fascist mad scientist boytoy.

Really hoping to clear some things up with someone who'll give me a straight answer.

Let me know when you're available.

voice

[bravejemma]

[Sounds like someone has been talking to Fitz. Honestly, she'd been expecting questions, but there's been nothing quite so colorful as Natasha's phrasing.]

I'll answer anything the best I can. We can meet whenever you'd like.

[It's not like Jemma has anything better to do right now than avoid her temporary roommates and her own thoughts.]

[deaddrop]

If you want to come up to my executive suite, it's comfortable.

[And private.]

Voice -> action

[bravejemma]

I'll be there in a moment.

[The elevators ride to the top of the hotel all too quickly, bringing Jemma to the executive suites. If this were a purely social visit, she may have brought tea or wine or whatever she could scrounge up from the kitchen -- but she's pretty sure if this requires something stronger, Natasha will have it.

She knocks, and waits for an answer.]

action

[deaddrop]

[Natasha answers the door in a matter of seconds, as ready for Jemma as Jemma apparently is to come up for a visit.

She's not exactly the Natasha the world remembers from the Avengers, though. Two and a half years in Hell have left her noticeably changed. The tail is probably the most notable change.

It's not the only one though.]

Thanks for coming so quickly.

[bravejemma]

[Having seen and catalogued a number of the changes, Jemma isn't too alarmed. But it's still striking to see.]

Of course. [She wouldn't say it's a pleasure, exactly, considering what's been happening, but if she can shed some light on it she's ready to do it. She enters, attempting to remain casual.] Sounds like you've heard about AIDA.

[deaddrop]

Oh, is that her name.

[While Fitz discussed the AI assistant at length, and in very human terms, he'd never put a name to her.]

Care to shine a little light on things?

[bravejemma]

Artificially Intelligent Digital Assistant is what Fitz and Radcliffe called it. Unless I've missed something and there was another android you were talking about.

[Make no mistake, to Jemma, AIDA is firmly an it. An attractively built one (like Radcliffe's ex, if you wanted to talk about having sex with robots), but a machine all the same and one that did infinite damage. She may not have understood the true outcome of what she did, but it did not change the impact.]

As I said, I'll answer what I can. It's a rather... high context situation.

text; un: t3cHg0d69

[twatter]

yo. i know you don't know me, but fitz asked me to check in.

you doing ok with all the shit going on? steering clear of that auction?

text

[bravejemma]

[Jemma sure doesn't know this t3cHg0d69, but he says the magic word -- Fitz -- and honestly, it's not the first time she's gotten a text from a stranger this week.]

I'm well enough. No auction for me, buying or selling.

When did you see Fitz?

[twatter]

last night.

i probably should've just stayed away after all the hellburbia shit. i was his son for a little while there. but it's been kinda hard shaking that feeling so i had to check if he was ok. that's when he asked me to check on you.

hey. you don't have to tell me why he's in there, but can you at least tell me if it's for a good reason? because everything about this seems pretty unfair to me.

[bravejemma]

[Oh. Mentioning Hellburbia brings it all into sharp relief.]

1/2
I understand. Those memories are very powerful. Even if we know it was all made up, our brains don't know the difference. They feel real.

[She contemplates for a long moment how much to share -- on the one hand, he'd been in Hellburbia and the Doctor's son, maybe he was owed an explanation as much as anyone. And she'd rather say her piece than let misinformation drown her out.]

2/2
It's complicated, but I promise it's the best place for Fitz right now. It's only a temporary solution. Believe me, I want him out as soon as I can have him.

The thing is, Dr. Fitz isn't just a Hellburbia creation. He's an alter ego of sorts, and it is he who plotted with Barbas to reinstate Hellburbia. Again, it's something of a complex story but it's an artifact from our world. The worst Fitz is guilty of is some [She pauses for a long moment, searching for the right phrasing.] questionable decisions that were still for what he believes were noble reasons.

[Which is a really nice way to say "my husband is an idiot, sometimes."]

[twatter]

[ It definitely sounds complicated. And his feelings on the matter are even more complicated. So. His father is still in there. And that becomes a dangerous thing because what might Tech do if the Doctor were to emerge again? How might his fake loyalties betray him? And would Suzaku or Kate do the same?

Hopefully with time, it all will fade like a vivid dream or forgotten memories. ]

but if it was an alter ego, what good is locking him up gonna do? i'm sorry, but it's not like hell's coming in strong with quality psychiatrists.

if he's out and has someone like you by his side, couldn't you just sound the alarms at the slightest sign of the doctor emerging? he already lost the trust of a bunch of people from the sound of things. why does he have to lose freedom on top of it?

we're in hell for fuck's sake. everyone's gonna fuck up here and there. and it's not fitz's fault there's fragmenting going on.

[ Again, it just doesn't seem fair. Questionable decisions isn't a reason to lock someone in a dungeon for an unforeseeable amount of time. ]

[bravejemma]

[It feels a little like critique of how they've chosen to handle the matter, and it's irritating. Because no choice she makes is ever going to be correct or good enough.

But that's her garbage. She breathes deeply and starts to type.]

As I said, it is a temporary solution and it will be resolved as soon as I can find one. For now he is safe where he is -- if the Doctor reemerges he can't get out, and no one can get in to Fitz in the meantime.

[twatter]

[ That surprises him. It surprises him because in all of this, he didn't think Jemma had a say in the decision -- that it was up to all the people playing hero or Lucifer or someone other than his wife. He'd assumed Jemma was someone standing on the sideline like him, helpless and warring between emotional impulses to bust Fitz out and logic. ]

sorry. you know the situation better than me so if this is what you think is best...

i don't know the whole story. i don't understand it. i don't even know that i'd care if i did know those things. all i know is it's "my dad" in there and i wanna help

[bravejemma]

I know it's hard, having those two sets of memories. But that impulse doesn't have to overcome the knowledge of where you are now.
I don't know what your experiences with the Doctor in that life were. All I have are my own experiences and memories of the first Hellburbia, but you and everyone else here deserve better than what that place ultimately is.

[And any esteem he might have for the Doctor is much better redirected for Fitz's benefit. If the former has any good qualities it's because there is something innate to Fitz's nature that even AIDA couldn't reprogram completely.]

( package )

[serbian]

[ left outside the door of her residence is a plain brown, unassuming package. there's an envelop resting on top, with a note inside that reads as follows. inside the package is a custom built tesla coil constructed by its inventor, specifically designed for her. ]

As promised.

text; @Daisy

[agentskye]

{{OOC; Backdated to before the Everything is getting blurry event.}}

Hey Jemma. How are you doing?
Can we meet up maybe?

text

[bravejemma]

[Emphatically no. Jemma is going to just be alone forever now. Better than risking any of her friends again.]

Sure. I'm down in the lab, or I can come to you.

[Brave face, Jemma.]

text

[agentskye]

I'll come down if that's okay?

[ She just wants to make sure she is doing okay. As well as she can be considering everything. ]

[bravejemma]

Of course. Door's open, so please come in.

[agentskye]

[ Daisy does drop by, about 20 mins later. ]

Hey. [ She really wants to hug Jemma but stops herself from doing that, afraid that after their last two encounters it may not be welcome. ]

[bravejemma]

[Jemma would seriously not mind a hug, but would not blame anyone for not wanting to come near her, knowing what they now know. She looks up, giving a small smile.]

Hello. [She pauses; there's papers on the table in front of her and one of their salvaged chairs nearby.] Come sit?

[agentskye]

[ It's really not that, but just Daisy not wanting to make Jemma uncomfortable. But there they are, not talking about it and thus making the feeling of awkwardness between them grow.

Daisy does sit down straight away when prompted, clearly not having a problem being near Jemma at all. ] What are you up to? [ She wants to lead with 'How are you?' but that has become somewhat of a loaded question. ]

[bravejemma]

[She looks at the papers, a lot of them in her handwriting, some with Fitz's notes in the margins.] I have some new data for a project we've been collecting, so I was... integrating it, having another look.

[Truthfully, she'd started there, but was staring at it blankly as her mind ran unattended.] Nothing so important, I'm afraid.