nexus_crossings | Good heavens, who let her do this?

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Good heavens, who let her do this?

Janet Ford is nervous. She arrives in the Nexus fidgeting and unsure of herself, her body language betraying that she has no clue what she's doing. Which is wildly out of character for an FBI agent who's spent 11 years facing complicated cases and the occasional life-threatening incident. But this might be the most intimidating thing she's ever been asked to handle, as she sprawls herself on a bench in the Plaza and the stack of bridal magazines inelegantly fans out beside her.

She has a prestigious college degree. She has a commendation for exemplary service. But ask her to help plan a wedding and that's what freaks her out.

It should be said that this is not her wedding, thankfully, but it does involve two people very close to her so she wants to do everything she can for them. The groom is one of her coworkers whom she's known for her whole career and his fiancee is a superwoman who's somehow balanced a successful career with putting up with everything that the FBI can throw at a couple. Janet wants them to have a huge night since they rarely even get proper date nights. That doesn't mean she knows how to make it happen. Or knows anyone who does. So here she is in the Nexus. Someone in the multiverse ought to be able to help.

"Does anybody know anything about weddings?" she asks. "Anything other than they're expensive and way too complicated?" This second question posed as she gets up just to get herself a frappucino from the nearest coffee cart before reclaiming her seat. She thinks that she's going to be here for a while. At least until the headache stops.

[ ooc: Feel free to be as unserious with this thread as you like - I'm hoping to develop Janet's comic voice / life outside the FBI more, so anything goes! That said, please excuse me if she's a bit awkward as I'm trying to get her back after having some negative RP experiences. I'll do my best to make her work with whatever anyone else is comfortable with. ]

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Aal chuckles warmly. "Aye? Nothing wrong with that so long as it doesn't escalate something in the wrong direction." She murmurs with a wee nod.

She nods softly. "Always a good idea." She murmurs, "Well any ideas from those who know her would be helpful I'm sure." To a point as some folks of could have too many options etc on things that weren't their place too perhaps.

"Mmh a back up might be a good idea. Or perhaps a venue that has say a hall or some structure you could use if say such happens and a tent will not suffice." She offers.

"I'll have to ask Dana if the property has another location that might work." Janet nods agreeably. "I've never been there." Not that she would have any reason to visit her colleague's girlfriend's parents' home. But she could just imagine it pouring rain or gale force winds and they would all be in trouble.

"Let me ask you something else," she says as it starts to formulate in her head. "If this does come together the way I'm thinking, everyone attending is going to have to travel a few states over. I don't want anybody to have to incur a ton of travel expenses to be there, but I also know we're not going to have the budget to pay for everyone either. If it were you, is there some sort of middle ground where you'd feel comfortable traveling but you wouldn't feel burdened by having to do so?"

She didn't want anyone to feel they couldn't or didn't want to go because of the extra cost involved with a destination wedding. At the same time, it wasn't feasible to cover all the travel expenses. They'd spend the wedding budget on airfare and hotel alone.

Aal nods, "Sounds like a good plan...mmh yep recon is important in most lines of work." She murmurs half wry half in the tone of been there done that. She gives her a warm encouraging smile. "Reinforcing things might be a good idea too.." She adds, "ahem or least have a plan and things close to hand so if ya'll have to march er move quickly." A wedding planner or at least an event one seemed to have similar duties to field marshalls.

She blinks but perks up, at that. "Aye?" and then listens raptly. Nods and then looks thoughtful. "I suppose it depended on how far I had to do so. And what sort of transportation? If I either had help with say the gas or there was a meeting spot to travel..perhaps by bus or..train..or some other carpooling?" She gestures with her hand a little. "Or ahem whatever your realm may have available." Planes could be the most costly sometimes..but could be the quickest options least for the longest of distance travelers. Unless one had a portal jumper or some such as a flying horse or ship.

She half wondered if say certain power and such were compatible on the lassie's world if..Mayhaps alternate help could be found. Though didn't sound like they had that available as yet...

"I hear Greyhounds can be quite comfortable. " She adds after a moment of thought.

"I could ask my mother about her plane," Janet blurts out, not having thought about it until literally that moment. Her mother had a private jet and on very rare occasions she would ask to borrow it if she had somewhere to go and booking a commercial flight was too complicated or schedules didn't match up. But she had never borrowed it for anyone other than herself, so that would be a fun conversation.

She makes a note to bring it up anyway. The worst that happens is her mother says it won't work. While they're estranged, they are still civil with one another.

"I don't think it'll be a problem keeping everyone in line, though," she admits with a laugh. "The wedding's going to be attended by at least five FBI agents. One of whom used to be a high school principal. Nobody is going to mess with him if he tells them to sit down and shut up." And she could imagine her boss doing exactly that because Brennan never had any patience for wasting time.

"I'm sorry, I'm rambling through this without even asking what you do or where you're from," she admits with a laugh. "Forgive me. Would you like to sit down? I can just move these magazines."

Aal tilts her head and then nods, "Aye there's an idea." She murmurs approvingly. Twas always worth a try.

She chuckles slightly bemused, at that, her eyebrows go up a little in pleasant surprise."Seems fitting." She murmurs before making another amused sound half blowing out of air just picturing such a scene.

"Sounds like something I like to have the grativius for sometimes. Most don't like to listen to me..for their own good mind.. back home." She murmurs half wryly. She half wondered if there was anyone about who perhaps could give lessons or something concerning such. She rubs her chin half in thought. One problem at a time, however.

She chuckles warmly. "That's alright dear." She murmurs sincernly. " I can get the same way when I get excited about something." She reassures. She lights up at the idea. "Certainly, if it's not any trouble." She murmurs readying the stroller as she picks in on her little ones, the youngest is rustling around and softly yawning.

"Umph looks like someone might want to say hello." She murmurs warmly as her mini 'me' starts to blink and take things in about her. Nomming playfully sleepy on the ear of her stuffed sheep. "This is Mary," she murmurs indicating her dark-haired daughter. And then gestures toward the still snoozing blondie. "And Elizabeth ." She looks at her girls tenderly. Moving hair away from faces.

"Ahem, our eldest is with Daddy doing some other errands. " She informs the other woman warmly. Her cheeks warming a wee bit, despite the years of hoping and praying for such it still took some getting used to. Of course, at the time she'd had hoped to have more of her family, friends, and extended pack about for such things.

"Well, nowadays am a bit of a Jill of several trades but originally I was a Healer, from Mist Haven." She informs the other woman it was rather a long story but she's relayed the highlights near a thousand times before by now. It was almost rote.

"Maybe I should hang around you. I have a problem with people pointing guns at me." Janet chuckles but it's making light of a serious run of bad luck. She's been in several life-threatening situations because of her career as a law enforcement officer and two of them ended with her getting hurt. She is making a concerted effort now to avoid anything that might be hazardous to her health.

"But it's lovely to meet you and yours," she adds, pushing off that subject that's not really fit for conversation with a new acquaintance. Janet has a hard time remembering how to talk to people that aren't fellow agents and don't have the same normal that she does. "Your little ones are adorable. I'm hoping for a child of my own someday but for now, the most I get is that my best friend goes to support his goddaughter and sometimes I tag along. I did get to sort of babysit once, as in I came over to help while he was watching the kids."

Aal's ears perk up, she glances about and scents the air her ear furring a little under her hood at the moment and going slightly back half out of habit. "Aye..You're very welcome too. " She murmurs half serious half simply. She could feel her inner wolfie wagging its tail tip hopefully a the thought. While her protective Den Mother-like hackles going up a bit. A part of her instinctively wanted to encircle the other women in her other form. Even with the protections, the Nexus boasted it wasn't completely out of the question.

Though she hadn't had to deal with gun-related injuries for a while. One never knew what mite happen in their odd corner of Maine, or in and out of the Nexus.

Aal grins slightly lopsided and wolfishly warm. "Likewise. " She murmurs before offering a hand while it was free to shake. "And I am Aalish Ashlynn SinClair." She murmurs slightly more introductory. "Friends call me Ash." She adds after a moment. Something she would like to make more of. Though she was trying her best not to go all hyperactive excited puppy on possible ones just yet.

She grins and chuckles warmly, "Thank ya kindly, and I wish you the best in that endeavor midear." She'd be more than happy to help with nudges and such if she ever needs such. She could be a right Cupid's Little Helper..or at least she tried her best to be.

"Awwe, " She squints happily as she makes herself comfy and checks over her wee ones and supplies in one of her duffle/diaper bags listening. "Tis good practice." She murmurs warmly.

"It's nice to meet you, Ash," Janet replies with a handshake. She isn't antisocial by any means, but her job leads people to assume that she's kind of standoffish and then she hadn't always been in the best mood for a while when it seemed like everything was going wrong in her life. But her luck has upturned recently and that plus realizing she doesn't have to be tough all the time has made her decidedly more chipper. "I think it'll be quite a bit before I'm able to start a family, though," she adds, extending her right hand so the other woman can see the diamond and amethyst ring on her hand. "The only ring on my finger right now belongs to my best friend."

But not knowing her own personal life didn't mean she wasn't going to do her absolute best for her friends. They deserved that, especially since Janet knew Adam didn't have much of a family to participate in the wedding on his behalf. She had made the decision that she was going to be his family.

She added with a small smile, though, "The next time I think about running headfirst into danger, I'll have to see if I can call you first. It's kind of become my modus operandi."

"Likewise, " She murmurs warmly. but nods understanding at that. "Took us quite a bit, ahem even when we weren't working and such." She informs the other woman with a slight blush despite herself.

Her eyes brighten and her ears perk up despite herself. "ooh still lovely though." She tilts her head though she gives her an approving nod. "Me and my mate were the best of friends first.." She murmurs and trails off, better to learn about someone first before taking such steps. There were quite a few nasty sorts out there. And not so nice wolves in sheep's clothing. "Sometimes your pack erm tribe is not always only the one your born to." She murmurs knowingly. She had quite a few pals who have become brothers and sisters to her by bond.

She hums and nods, "Always a good idea. " She murmurs and brightens immensely. It was what well one of the things she was made for. A small grin grew on her face and she had to stop herself from overly wiggling.

"I can agree with that." Janet nods. "My family situation is very complicated, so when I was younger, I gravitated toward my best friend as a surrogate brother. Since then I've been able to build relationships I'd consider as good as family with several of my fellow agents. My boyfriend Holden is also in the Bureau - and then his parents have essentially adopted both me and Michael. At least they're kind enough to welcome us in for holidays and his mom keeps texting to check in on us."

While it was kind of funny because of the unsolicited advice that they usually got, at the same time it was also touching that Holden's mother cared enough to ask about them and had taken in two people she only knew through her son.

"I used to be worried about getting into too much trouble," she admits. "There was a while where I was always in the right place at the wrong time, and I didn't want to end up in a bad way and not able to get to that happy ending. But I realized recently, that is part of who I am. I'm at my best when I'm able to fight for the people I love, and that means literally. I'm not going to run off and do anything stupid but if you see me again with a few scrapes and bruises...I've accepted that's part of the game."

Aal nods softly, "Ah, I see." She murmurs warmly and smiles softly. Yes, she knew how that could be all too well. She chuckles half bemused, half pleased. "That's good."

She hums in sympathy. "Been there done that, sister." She murmurs in knowing solidarity. And a slight wry tilt of her head. Her face softens, "Good.." She murmur with a wee nod least she wasn't the reckless/hyper sort. "perhaps I should make some poultices so there at the ready then." She half murmurs in thought. Bruises sometime could hurt worse than broken things.

"With my track record? Probably." Janet could admit it. Having survived yet another life-threatening incident less than a year ago, she knew there would probably be something in the future. She had at least learned that she didn't have to live in fear of getting hurt. That it was something that came with her job and it happening wasn't the end of the world. She'd let her desire for a normal life psych her out a bit.

"I think that's probably why I'm a little freaked out about this," she admits. "My team works hard all the time for other people. This is something that's just for Adam and his future wife. It should at least be as good as all the effort we put into helping total strangers. The problem is I just don't know anything about it. I've been learning more about domestic life since my boyfriend moved in, but that's like learning to cook and how to share a closet."

Aal nods softly and makes a wry sound through her nose. Yes, she knew a fair few folks like that. Whee scraps and bruises we're usually the minor hazards of the job. She tilts her head to the right slightly in diplomatic acknowledgment.

She hums softly in sympathy. "I can imagine. " She murmurs warmly. Listening attentively nodding as she did so. Checking pulling a couple of premade-up bottles from a diaper bag as she mulled a few things over. "Ya hungry my wee Princess?" She asks her youngest as she reaches for her, who makes an almost puppy-like sound of happiness as she mirrors the gesture. Aal chuckles warmly.

"Aye as with all new things takes practice and asking many questions and such." Heck, she knew the feeling not that..very long ago or at least getting reacquainted with some things. "Though granted building a nest and finding the flow or things you can compromise on and such can be stressful sometimes. " Aal glances sideways at her still-napping daughter that favored her father in some ways.

At least Gawain was the only one so far that seemed to show a leaning toward hyper energy and moods etc.

Janet watches for a few moments, getting warm and fuzzy feelings at how adorable this all is. She's changed her attitude on children since meeting her boyfriend. Before she wasn't sure she could be a good mother but she believes Holden will be a great father and that's made her want to try. It's probably still a few years off because they have to get married before kids but she sees a future in which they'll be able to make it work, despite their lengthy list of worries about parenting.

"Everything for me was kind of an accident," she admits. "My boyfriend only moved in because I had gotten a threat at work. And actually, he wasn't even my boyfriend at the time. We had broken up two days earlier. But he was worried about me... and then neither of us wanted him to leave." A small smile. She couldn't think of her apartment without Holden in it now. "So the changes have been very sudden. But that's a lot of things in my life. I have an impulsive streak."

A pause, glancing over. "What's the most important thing you've learned since having a family?"

Aal squints happily, her ears wiggle as she draws her youngest close to cradle her and softly rock. She looks up with a wee soft smile half sheepish smirk.

Her eyebrows go up but nods softly with a slightly bemused chuckle at the last parts. "Funny how Fate or Oppuritiny has a way of nudging us sometimes. " Or least giving us choices and some harder ones than others.

She winces slightly but then tilts her head and nods. Sometimes folks needed a wee bit of space and such to figure things out (or again a preverbal locked closet) Especially if they had certain sorts of careers and the like. Metal tempered was harder to break after all.

She coughs a bit wryly, oh naturally. Didn't surprise her she oft seemed to run into those sorts for various reasons. She was half certain it was to likely make sure they had someone holding a safety line to pull them back in (ie bungee jumper and such types) sometimes or barring that. Patching them up and or oft so they didn't lose more things other than patience.

"So kinda still processing eh?" She half asks half state before tilting her head in thought as she checks the bottles again before bringing one toward her daughter's mouth.

"Mmh, I suppose it's the balance tween many a thing.. But oft it's..I suppose when to hold someone close and when to give them a wee bit of space.." She murmurs half wryly. "Including myself..Though to be honest..Some make it harder not to hover when they get themself in very bad scraps when I'm not about." She adds a look of concern and fear passing over her face and behind her eyes.

Janet knows that look well. "If there's anything you want to talk about..." she trails off, the offer made clear enough. She has learned that not everyone is as open about their experiences as she is. But she's seen that look from Holden and from her partner Michael numerous times. Even more recently from her best friend Brad after she saved his life. They've all been worried about her doing something that leaves her permanently hurt but they also understand that she can't stop herself from wanting to help.

That's the struggle she's been engaged in over the past year. Trying to change her behavior so it didn't get her further injured or killed before she could achieve the domestic life that she'd decided she wanted. It felt like a bad thing to put herself in a life-threatening situation after that, like she was going against the plan. But she couldn't stay out of trouble forever. People needed help and Janet was always going to want to give it because she understood she had the skills and the temperament to make a difference. She wasn't scared by bad guys or tough situations. She was meant to fight, and with fighting came scrapes and bruises sometimes.

But Aal's words rang true with her because she and Michael were on that same page. Even after 11 years, they were still learning about each other. Michael had become protective of Janet after her first shooting and now he was learning that he had to sometimes just step back and let her go, even if it worried or scared him. That the best thing he could do for her was sometimes to protect her and sometimes just to be there when she took the running leap off the ledge. His loyalty and care for her was something Janet would always appreciate, and she twisted his ring on her finger just thinking about it.

Aal blinks and then tilts her head in thought as she feeds her wee one, holding the bottle with her one hand as she reaches for a cloth to put over her shoulder.

Was there? She thinks, well at least was appropriate to discuss with a new possible friend. She hums softly, and then wryly chuckles. "Depends on how much time ya have." She murmurs sincerely. "And how new ya are to the Nexus." She adds after a moment. After all, anyone who's been here a bit and used to odd things could probably handle some bits of her tale.. whereas others...Well, she didn't seem like she was from a place that either despised or hunted certain sorts.

Though whether she was more a Mulder or a Skully type she wasn't quite sure as of yet.

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Good heavens, who let her do this?

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