2013.03.31 - Undercover Thespian

Despite it being overcast, temperatures are still mild and many people have come to Central Park after all the Easter festivities, taking advantage of the break in the rain to get out for a walk, a jog, a ride... whatever. With Anita Bella closed today, Fern has a rare Sunday off and has been out for quite some time now. Her umbrella is closed, still damp from the last shower, and she's chosen to get off the beaten path, exploring the empty Delacorte Theater, near to the Belvedere Castle. Nestled in among the trees, it's quiet, and Fern sits near the top of the rows of seats, looking down at the stage.

So Mr. Madrox, the jack of all trades, has decided to pay a visit to the theater in the park. He had one of his dupes study acting, and said dupe even went out to perform in Shakespeare in the Park last year. Said dupe was lucky, even got to perform with Oliver Platt during that time. Sure the dupe had a very small role, but hey he was on the stage dang it! Once the dupe was reabsorbed into Mr. Madrox, well Jamie now has the fond memories of performing there. So of course he decided to go and visit the theater. Once there he spots the young lady, and well decides to approach her, cause why not, "And here I thought I was the only one that went out to visit this place when there was no shows on."

Drawn out of her thoughts by an unfamiliar voice, Fern turns, identifying the source as the tall man in green sneakers. Her eyes flicker over him quickly as her smile curves her lips, and she returns, "I would have thought the same thing. I guess we aren't so original as we think we are." Her words hold good humor, and more than a touch of unaware irony in the case of the gentleman. She's still too trusting, but he doesn't look threatening, so she sees no reason to be on guard. Fern doesn't stand, but looks away from Madrox, out over the empty seats to the stage. "It's a wonderful location. They do Shakespeare in the Park here."

He stands where he is right now, doesn't want to scare the girl. It's New York, strange guy talking is enough for now. "I know. You ever see any of the performances? Tough to get tickets though, unless you feel like donating." He gives her a quick smile, "But it is worth it. They even had Al Pacino performing one year. So it can be an amazing experience." He pauses after that, just looking at the stage, he could have meet Al Pacino if he had started the acting study earlier, dang it. "So what brings you here?" Hey Jamie is one of those talkative friendly guys you know.

Blue eyes drift back to the stranger, and Fern shakes her head, further tossing her wind blown hair. "I haven't been in the city for very long, but I've heard it's a real experience. Oliver Platt was here last year," she adds with a wistful sigh, making no attempt to hide her dismay at having missed that. She brightens again almost immediately, "It would be something to see Pacino here. I wonder if they're both as nice as they look." It's a random musing, before Fern addresses the question, her eyes holding directly on Jamie. "Well," she begins, a shyness touching her smile, "I'm up for a part in this year's production. Should be getting word back this week. So... I guess I'm kind of just daydreaming. How about you?"

He chuckles at her reaction to Oliver Platt, "He was, and I can tell you he is a nice guy. Don't know about Pacino though." He gestures at a seat not that far away from her, "Mind if I sit down? Feet are killing me today." There is a smile when she says she's up for a role, "Well I hope you get it. I was in last years, with Oliver Platt. Small role, just a lord in Duke Senior's court. But I can tell you it is an experience, and I did enjoy every minute of it." Another small pause after that, "Oh and I guess I should introduce myself, I'm Jamie."

Fern moves her umbrella, although it wasn't actually preventing Jamie from sitting, it's a gesture of friendly openness, "Oh sure." She smirks and adds, nodding toward his feet, "I like your shoes." She wears boots when she goes out in the city, but she's a sneakers girl at heart. They've just proven less than useful in situations where someone needs a good kick. There's no attempt to cover her surprise that Jamie has actually worked with the esteemed Mr. Platt, as her eyes widen and her jaw drops. "Ohmygod! He was nice? Is he really tall? He always looks like he's towering over people." The words are quick, and she hurriedly tacks on, "I'm Fern, it's nice to meet you, Jamie." Her right hand is thrust out, offered to shake.

Jamie moves and grabs the seat next to the lady, "Thanks. Have to love to great combination of look and comfort." And these things are overly comfortable, comfort is always key for a PI. "Very nice guy, and yeah he's tall. Was a few inches bigger than me, if I remember it correctly. Very great guy to work with." He shakes the ladies hand when it's offered to him, "Fern. Very interesting name there."

Fern's grip is soft, but not in an uncomfortably squishy sort of way, hand warmed from having been clasped with the other as she sat. She smiles, looking pleased at the news, "Oh good. I'm always afraid that people I admire will turn out to be... not so nice, if you ever meet them. I like to hear that he's as nice as I'd hoped." Her focus shifts easily away from someone else, and returns to Jamie himself. "So, how great was it, being on stage here? And do you still act?" She doesn't recall ever seeing him at any of the open auditions she's been at, but they could just be going for vastly different work.

Jamie's grip is firm enough, but gentle, doesn't want to hurt the lady, his own hand is slightly cold, been walking outside all day makes the hands a little cold. "It is good when you find that out. You never want people you admire to turn out to be jerks." He shakes his head in response to her question, "Not on the stage really. I was only studying acting to help out with my day job. I'm a private eye by trade. And well you never know when you'll have to go undercover or anything." See, easily explains why she has never seen him at any audition, "Please acting is fun."

Red brows lift as Jamie's day job is revealed, "Wow, really? Like, do you tail people, and take sneaky pictures and stuff?" Fern is a child of the television age, after all. Her head tilts as she regards him, fairly well able to picture him as some mysterious tv dude, looking into weird stuff. And she knows a lot of weird stuff goes on around Metropolis. Boy does she. Reigning in her wandering mind, Fern nods thoughtfully, "I never thought about that, that does seem like a skill you might find useful. Not just playing a part, but selling it convincingly."

There is a chuckle from Jamie as Fern starts to ask him, "I do that a lot. It's like something out of one of those noir TV shows and movies. It's just completely awesome. I need to get the hat though, it'll really help me look the part you know." He smirks at that, "It's why I got into it, I totally wanted to be like one of those great movie guys, like Bogart. For some reason though I get more and more cases that involve strange stuff, but it's still fun." He scratches his head for a minute, "Acting does help in it though. And well while studying it, I did get into it. But well decided to move onto my other dream job."

Fern laughs as Jamie confirms what she had suspected. "So you're more like one of those guys from that show Supernatural." There's a light joke to the words, but still it wouldn't be far off. And, while the actors aren't Bogart, they have their appeal. She shifts, half turning and scooting back just a bit, to look at Jamie more directly. "I know you probably can't really talk about it, but...." She lets the words trail off before her brows go up again, and she grins, "Got any stories?"

"Well not that strange. But I do a lot of cases that involve mutants, and others with powers. Somehow I have earned the rep for doing that when someone needs help involving that." He looks at her for a moment, as she is trying to look at him. And hey the actor's in Supernatural are super awesome, so well it's okay for Jamie to be compared to them, "Well can't really say much. But one of the weirdest cases I had involved a cheating husband. Except the Husband was paralyzed, so well couldn't go anywhere without someone taking him." He smirks at that one, waiting to see her reaction to that.

Fern's smile fades into a thoughtful, light frown as she asks, "Then someone else had to know about it? But what's so weird about that?" A soft thunderclap draws her gaze momentarily upward, to where the clouds have taken a darker grey shade again. But rain is still holding off, so they're good.

Jamie listens to the thunder for a moment, not a day to have lost the umbrella, bad Thor making it rain today! "Well that's what I thought. So I watched their place for days, and he never left, unless his wife was with him. But well according to her, he was still getting the strange phone calls, and even had a few strange scented letters. So something was still going on, but it was tough to figure out what it was." Another pause in his story to let Fern catchup.

There's a curious cast to Fern's face as she listens to Jamie lay out the narration, her eyes back on him. She nods, encouraging him to go on, even smiling again, chiding lightly, "Don't leave me hanging."

He looks at his watch, "Oh sorry I have to go!" He gets up like he's going...and just sits right back down with the lady, "Just kidding. I have the entire day free. See the husband was a mutant, he had the power to project himself astrally to other people. Only to be seen if he wanted them to see him. So his affair, wasn't physical, it was all mental in a way. I had to bring in a specialist to help track him during that time. But well we were able to figure out what was going on."

"Hey!" It's an indignant squeak that flows into a laugh as Jamie sits back down. The explanation brings a soft, "Hm." She thinks this over a moment before speaking, then plays Devil's Advocate. "But if it wasn't physical, would it have been valid to hold up? It was just a projection, not him actually."

"Well that's one of those things that's tough to say. I urged the client and her husband to get counseling, last I heard they are still trying that so it's good. It's obvious he felt he needed to go out for something, and wasn't getting some connection from his wife. But not sure how the legal system would have handled it. It would have been an interesting case." There is no precedent on astral projection cheating, he should know he's also a lawyer.

Fern considers this whole matter for another few beats, then her smile returns. "You do get some interesting cases, it seems." Her life as a waitress is much less interesting. Her free time... that's another matter. That's kinda weird sometimes, too. Again, there's a soft rumble in the sky, a bit louder than the first, and Fern sighs. "Looks like it's fixing to start raining again. I'm gonna head for the subway. You ought to find shelter somewhere, Jamie," she observes, having noted no obvious umbrella about his person. Not that she was looking about his person. There's a pause as she fishes into her jacket pocket, drawing out a card and offering it. "Here... this is where I work. Come by sometime if you're in Brooklyn. Best Italian food in the city, I guarantee." The card is for Anita Bella and gives the restaurant's basic information.

He takes the card, and then promptly offers her one of his, "Well if you ever need a PI feel free to call me." Card is simple and reads X-Factor investigations, location is in Mutant Town if Fern would recognize that address. No wonder he gets all of those strange cases, "Or feel free to call me if you get the part. I'll come and watch the play."