10616/COFFEE OF DO- Oh, Bean. Coffee Bean.

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COFFEE OF DO- Oh, Bean. Coffee Bean.
Date of Scene: 31 March 2022
Location: The Coffee Bean
Synopsis: Alison's incognito mode gets 'X'ed out by a misgendered bot. Ted joins up with Joan for some Damage Control
Cast of Characters: Alison Blaire, Joan Wright, Ted Kord




Alison Blaire has posed:
<<You cheated. I am pretty sure you cheated,>> Alison smirks as she types into her phone, her thumbs a blur over the screen, moving with practiced ease. <<I demand a rematch. And Gyros afterwards. But we climb with ankle weights. Hard Mode. Do you accept this quest, Y/N?>>

She leans back and sips on her coffee, taking a breather. It had been a busy day of rehearsals, errands, and too many missed meals. Sitting icognito in a booth, sipping her favorite fuel source, was what she needed to replenish her soul for now.

She didn't look particularly Dazzler-y, opting for the mousy look she often uses to try to disguise her appearance without coming across as trying too hard. Scrunchie, glasses, sweatshirt and pants, no make-up . She has heard glasses work for a lot of people, so... why not?

Joan Wright has posed:
As Alison is texting away her challenge to persons unknown, Joan enters into the coffee shop alone. Ted is experiencing his own challenge: Finding a parking spot. Considering how long it might take, Joan found out what Ted liked from here and has opted to step in early. The Damage Control employee is in her office attire today. A nice green dress shirt, black dress pants, and a satchel to stand in for the pockets she sacrificed for dress code. Alas. Pockets. Despite that, Joan is in a good mood which is betrayed by a slight skip she ends up doing halfway over to the line.

Eyes glancing up, she looks through the menu for her choice. Lets see... Coffee.

Coffee.

Coffee.

A Ha! Hot Chocolate.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord is actually not too far behind Joan as it happens, wearing his own corporate casual -blue of course- polo shirt and slacks. With him is a small disc shaped drone flying alongside. "Ok. You found the parking space, you get to come with. You be on your best behavior, understand? Otherwise you go watch the car with your big brothers." He puts a hand on the bot steering towards Joan.The bot has a flamboyant pink, white and blue pattern painted on.

Alison Blaire has posed:
<<JET LAG? Please. I refuse to believe someone who can turn into a ghost horse can experience jet lag. You cheated, plain and simple. You transformed into a mountain climber.>>

The woman looks up from her phone, the tip of her tongue sticking out of one corner as she tries to think of some comebacks to send Nick's way, when her attention is caught by the bot. The blue polo, the Damage Control office attire and the... drone? They give the impression of an unofficial office meeting. She doesn't remark too closely on the faces yet, as her eyes dart down againt to see if Nick has responded, and then back up. Without thinking too much about it, she blurts out - "What a cute little guy."

Then she realizes how it sounds to the people that are passing near her, and she clarifies, "The drone, I mean!" She glances back down. Nope, no text from Nick yet. Had she finally stumped him?

Joan Wright has posed:
Hearing the door behind her open, Joan turns her head. Looking to the bot that apparently won the parking spot spotting challenge. "That was quick." Joan comments to Ted, "I haven't even reached the counter yet."

Joan's smile falters as she hears the comment, glancing over to Bailey. "Bail-"

Too late. Bailey zoots over to Alison's table, waving one of her pink nailpolished manipulators to Alison's face, while the other one swats Alison's coffee cup.

And then a phenomenon happens.

Joan barks, reaching into the depths of her soul, and unleases the untapped power of the mom voice, "BAILEY!!!" Joan starts walking over.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord takes a moment to process this. The mom voice is being used, yet not on him. His reflexes are a bit faster than Joan's. He manages to grab Bailey's other manipulator and pull her away from Alison's coffee. "Bailey, you know better. I'm so sorry. this is Bailey and she gender identifies as female. She never acts this way. I'll send her home right now. Bailey, you know better. Coffee is hot. We do not hit. You're getting a time out when we get home and no rec room for today or tomorrow."

Bailey sullenly lands on the table, remaining immobile.

"Bailey..."

Alison Blaire has posed:
But alas, although Ted manages to pull Bailey, the momentum of the bot does manage to make the coffee teeter just so- and then gravity decides to assert itself, as inexorable as taxes, or those weird shriveled fries you get at the bottom of Arby's curly fries boxes. The look of absolute shock and surprise that Alison emits is not because her very expensive clothes have been caffeinated- far from it, she is wearing the cheapest stuff she can find, all part of the Hidden In Plain Sight thing. No, it's because she's just had her coffee spilled on her lap and it's-

Well. Chilly. Yes, this girl likes her coffee like she likes her men: cool as ice. But not all over her clothes.

For the moment, she has the open mouth, the raised hands, and the "!" startled squeak of someone getting an unexpected trip to the Polar Express.


"Oh!" she says by way of observation, once she is capable of getting air back in.

Joan Wright has posed:
It is to Bailey's benefit that the bot-father gets to her first, tugging her out of Joan's path. With lecturing duties passed over to Ted, Joan stops one table away from Alison to rapidly pull napkins out of the dispenser before she continues her approach to -

Well

To provide Damage Control.

Napkins in one hand, she reaches the free hand to immediately right the cup to prevent some of the liquid from continuing its escape. The hands move together, splitting the wad of napkins into two groups. One bunch is handed over to Alison while the other sets to stop the liquid that's still on the table from flowing off. She reaches over to lift up Alison's phone from one stream of liquid, setting it on the napkin dispenser to keep it high and dry. "I'm so sorry." Joan offers in apology.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord watches as Bailey retracts her manipulators, closes up any open vents and snaps irises shut over her visual sensors becoming a disc. Ted is about to reach for her, or make a call. His hand is on his ear bud. But then he sits down in the booth and watches his creation carefully. "I think she's doing that thing dogs do when they won't gp somewhere, making herself heavy? And she's... no idea what this is."

Alison Blaire has posed:
Alison takes the napkins, still recovering from the frosty shot. It might seem unusual that she didn't immediately make a dive to rescue her phone, but a closer examination of the thing will reveal how utterly cracked it is. This is a phone with war stories. It is either too sturdy to be unmade by frosty caffeinated drinks, or too close to its own retirement for one more war story to matter too much.

Patting at her soaked sweats, Alison shakes hear head, "No, it's me who should apologize. I didn't mean to hurt her-" a machine has feelings? Well, it wouldn't be the first time she has run into those spheres, that's for sure "Feelings. Is she going to be alright?"

There is one quick glance at the spilled drink, in the spirit of brief mourning over the memories of caffeinated bliss that will never be. At least, not for this drink.

Joan Wright has posed:
As Ted grows quiet, seemingly running diagnostics on the tantrum throwing Bailey, Joan is left to speak with the person who just lost their drink. "I'm sure it wasn't intentional," Joan agrees with Alison's apology, "But there were better ways she could have expressed her discontent than spilling your drink like that."

She glances down for a moment assessing the damage before looking back to Alison, "I think there's a hand dryer in the bathroom." Joan offers up as a suggestion, shifting back, "...I do have a poncho in my satchel if that won't work...It's bright orange though." She frowns, "I should probably look into more suitable color options."

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord finally looks up from his phone as Bailey comes back to life. Ted strokes the dorsal plate of the bot. "No more tantrums. First... go to the car, get Ms. Blaire a Kord Less phone and... one of the top self cases. Full kit. When you come back you can apologize. No! when you come back!" Ted's hand heads off Bailey's manipulator. After a moment the bot lifts up and flies out the front door a server opens for her.

"Terribly sorry about that. The spilled coffee was an honest mistake. She was just... embarrassed and shut down to process what to do next. My bots take unwanted or injurious contact with humans very seriously. I told her get over it and make amends."

Alison Blaire has posed:
"Oh, orange is perfectly fine a color. You should see what I usually wear on a work day," Alison says, trying to lighten the mood about the incident, "I'm fine just letting it dry. Shouldn't I apologize to her, though?" she asks in earnest, gesturing towards the retreating bot, "I do feel bad about that. I didn't know she was -that- advanced as to have a sense of self. I don't run into a lot of AIs of that caliber outside of- well, it' doesn't matter," she waves off the rest of that sentence, and then pauses to look at Kord.

"- oh, you recognize me?" she says rather sheepishly, her hand going up to make sure the scrunchy was still up in its place. And then she smirks a little, "I guess the glasses aren't as effective as I was made to believe..."

Joan Wright has posed:
Joan looks over to Ted as he mentions the last name and then looks back over to Alison as she asks about recognizing her. The architect's movements slow as she gradually pulls out the poncho from the satchel. Using the time to process who she's

OH.

"As in Alison Blaire?" Joan asks, setting the package on the table in front of Alison should she need it later. Joan's lips tighten holding back a brief high pitched squee. But there's no hiding the momentary bounce in posture.

"Um- What were you drinking?"

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord texts a command on his phone. He looks up and says, "Actually, Bailey recognized you. She's apparently a fan. She runs facial recognition programs all the time. Sometimes the glitches are funny. She thought this guy with glasses was Superman. Like glasses would fool anyone. Oh, please send me a bill for the laundering. I insist."

Alison Blaire has posed:
"It really isn't necessary, mister Kord!" she has, of course, now gotten a view of the man. And while she is not exactly a savant running in the high tech techteratti circles, and she didn't stay on top of tech news outside of the items that would help her with her sound powers or her performances, you can't exactly not know who the man is. If he is walking around with a sentient drone, he is either Reed Richards or Ted Kord, and the man hadn't turned himself into a human pretzel yet. "These are just workout clothes, cheap as can be. Part of the disguise," she confides, in defeat.

She also hasn't missed Joan's reaction, "As in... yes, Alison Blaire." She takes her glasses off and smiles at Joan, "Well, what I was drinking isn't that important at this point. I was getting a brain freeze from that drink anyways, so I think I'll get something nice and warm. Would you two care to join me? My treat," she says, as she starts to get up to get new drinks, seemingly not caring about the splash across her sweats.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord gets up and pulls his jacket off offering it to Alison at waist level, obviously intending she tie it around herself and preserve a little dignity. "My bot-kid just spilled a drink in your cro -lap. I think you can call me Ted. And please take the jacket."

Joan Wright has posed:
"No." Joan refuses, "I mean, yes we'll join you. but we'll get the drinks." The architect smiles, "Please, what type of drink would you like?"

Alison Blaire has posed:
She relents and accepts Ted's jacket, tying it around her waist, so now she looks like the neighborhood busybody mom walking around with a sweater or jacket around her waist and taking note of HOA violations. But it does preserve her dignity, lest a paparazzi identify her and snap a picture. "Alright, Ted..." she wonders if Nick thinks she has capitulated. She will have to fill him in later. "I... was thinking of a salted hot chocolate," she peers at Joan, spotting her badge, "Joan. That would be very nice."

Joan Wright has posed:
After getting the order from Alison, Joan eagerly nods her head. "Okay!" She chipperly responds, "I'll be right back." Mission in mind, Joan abandons Ted to go get drinks for the three of them.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord was about to say something when Bailey returns. The little bot bears an arm load of phone cases, she spreads out on the recently occupied table and a pristine Kord Less smartphone. She waits with her manipulators locked together. A few muttered remarks of a nooyance filter through the background noise "Ain't him it's that Gold guy swooping at us. Now he has a drone doing it! Man's a menace! Bot has no manners. Vision would act better."

Bailey waits with the air of a vender running a kiosk, ready to serve.

Alison Blaire has posed:
"I usually- I usually don't get the latest models," Alison explains, "Because I often find myself in circumstances where they just... break. My most recent one broke when those bull statues came to life and trampled through Metropolis..."

Eventually she chooses one, "I always feel sorry they're getting broken. But thank you- and I am sorry, Bailey," she addresses the bot with a smile. "Can you forgive me? Friends?" she offers.

Joan Wright has posed:
Having gotten back in line, Joan gradually shuffles forward, waiting her turn to put in the drink order. Overhearing a couple whispers, the woman slowly turns her head, giving one of the critics a cold stare.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord nudges the bot a little. Bailey extends a manipulator to Alison. It shakes a little. With her other manipulator she takes a wet napkin and uses it to draw a female sign, Circle over a cross. Then she points to herself and shows off her painted and polished tactile units.

"Watch out for her. She does nails. Fingernails, toenails. She'll do make up if you fall asleep... which my girlfriend should have told me about BEFORE the board meeting. Anyway I can set up your phone in a minute." Turning to Alison as he works he explains, "I have three out of ten bots that have become self aware... as far as I can tell: 01, 02 and Bailey who is number 10. Oh-one and Oh-two were first and second built, 11 became Bailey right after 01 became sentient. So she's second oldest in terms of intelligence. She's more advanced in some ways. I'm still working out how and why it happened so I treat them like nine young boys... and a teenage girl, God help me."

Alison Blaire has posed:
"Well, now you and my father will have enough experience to swap war stories," the singer says with a little smile, shaking her head. "I was a teenage girl once. With powers, so at least there's that."

She glances at Joan in line, and then back at Ted, "I wasn't expecting to run into anyone today, funny enough, but I guess you've helped me see I need to put a lot more work into going incognito. Maybe a wig?" she smirks. "I guess if people aren't looking /too/ closely at me- I just need to make sure nobody gets close enough to spill coffee on me."

She gently shakes Bailey's manipulator with her thumb and forefinger, "It's amazing to think how self-awareness can come like that. Then again, I know a certain fuzzy blue guy who would say he knows a lot of flesh and blood people who are still not fully self aware and they're in their thirties..."

Joan Wright has posed:
With the commentary dying away, Joan turns her head to look towards the counter. She smiles to the cashier and quietly puts in the order. Two of them salted hot chocolates.

Because that sounded really good.

Payment exchanged, Joan shuffles over to the side, waiting for the drinks.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord realizes he did not make a request for a drink being busy with Bailey and Alison.

"Okay. I brought your phone online, same number, all your data was ported over and just to prove a point... Bailey of you would...?" He set the old battered phone out to Bailey who smashes it with her free manipulator. Ted hands the bot his own phone and Bailey brings her manipulator down again with no discernible effect.

"I use it on my Blue Beetle-capades. Joan has one she totes around construction work sites. They are very tough phones. Just not great sellers. My ad department insists it's the name. Kord Less. I think it's whimsical."

Alison Blaire has posed:
Alison is a much more diplomatic person than people often assume as far as pop stars go. She gives Ted her full attention, and to her credit her face doesn't change one iota when Kord Less is trotted out. She seems to give it the full power of her intellect and consideration, and only an empath would truly pick up the "oh you poor man" coming up in her mind. "Thank you, that is very kind of you-" she says in regards to the transfer, but then she can't help adding "Kord Less... that might cause some very literal people to go into mental lockdown," she says with a smile. "Maybe another play on words but one that doesn't make it sound like it's a product by you without your input--- like... the Kordial?"

Joan Wright has posed:
"Just because it's a better product doesn't mean it has the best marketing." Joan replies as she lingers in the combined orbital path of the drink counter pickup area and table. She looks over to the pair, "But so long as you continuing giving your best with each version you release, there will be a market."

She gives Ted a warm smile before turning to the counter to retrieve the two hot cocoas, and solitary coffee.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord silently mouths the word Kordial. Kord-dial. He rubs his chin.

"Alison... would you like to do commercials for my phones? I'll let you have any of my gadgets you want. Smart goggles, tablets, ear buds, I'll let Bailey follow you around if you want... easy Bailey. I'd like to speak to your representative." Cue charming business man smile.

Alison Blaire has posed:
Alison grins, "I'm open to that deal. With one caveat- Bailey gets to be in one of my music videos, if she wants to..." she looks at the bot, "Would you like to be in a music video, Bailey?" she glances over to Joan, remembering the squeak.

"You're with Damage Control, right?" she says, taking a sip of her new, toasty drink. "I think I've seen a video you were in, over on Youtube-"

Joan Wright has posed:
Bailey zoots upwards at the invite, manipulators raising up, flailing about before she boops side to side in rhythm. A smiley emoji is transmitted to Alison's new phone.

Joan comes back over balancing the three drinks in hand. With a few quick steps she sets them down on the table first before sliding one of the hot cocoas over to Alison and offers Ted the coffee.

Joan looks over to Alison as she brings up the Youtube video. "Oh yes. Someone posted up some footage..." She allows, "The Centinal groundbreaking, right?"

Alison Blaire has posed:
Alison grins at the emoji, and she glances at Joan once she has looked at the phone. "Right! So, Bailey's going to be in a music video. And I was thinking-"

"How about you? Do you want in?"