12448/The Breakup (pt 1): Denial and Bargaining

The Breakup (pt 1): Denial and Bargaining
Date of Scene:	16 August 2022
Location:	6A - Janet's Condo
Synopsis:	Lois rescues Janet from wallowing in her own despair, and makes the socialite go out and tend to herself. THE SQUAD rolls in hard, and a (very) pregnant Peggy and a (annoyingly perfect) Diana show up to help. End result? Peggy and Dan are getting an all-expense paid trip to Themyscira, and their child-to-be a free passport from the Amazons.
Cast of Characters:	Janet van Dyne, Lois Lane, Peggy Carter, Diana Prince

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Janet van Dyne has posed:
Janet has been curiously quiet. The socialite lives on her cell phone, texting a handful of close friends a few times a day and often dropping jokes or messages into group chats of a larger social circle. One day without a text is not unheard of, but two days of radio silence-- and Janet's status 'At Home'-- is a bit worrisome.

The morning of Day 3, every gossip page on the Eastern Seaboard is carrying the same celebrity news: Cap and The Wasp: SPLITSVILLE!

Which is probably why Janet is in her penthouse. Alone. With no lights on. Watching the rain hit the windows.

And powerinig through a half-gallon of decadent gourmet gelato every few hours.

When Lois rings the doorbell, there is no response. The VI 'beeps'. <Miss van Dyne: Miss Lane, to see you.>

No response. <Miss van Dyne: Miss Lane to see you>.

Silence. <MISS VAN DYNE: MISS LANE, TO SEE YOU.>

"Fine! Godshitdammnit fuck you computer, open the goddamn door!"

Well, she's at least not catatonic in there, and the door swings smoothly open to admit Lois into the landing that leads up to Janet's penthouse and the living room where she's hunkered herself down.

Lois Lane has posed:
Originally Lois had been concerned as to the radio silence. It was when the tabloids got wind of the breakup that she realized there was /trouble/. When she arrives, she's glad the door ends up actually opening and she lets herself inside. It's not the first time she's been at Janet's condo and it's certainly not the last she'll be, so making her way over towards where Janet is is about as easy as breathing.

"Janet, you could have at least called me so you weren't just trying to deal with this by yourself."

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Janet looks an absolute wreck. A half-assed attempt to wipe off tear-streaked cosmetics; from the blanket on the sofa she's been sleeping in the living room instead of her bedroom. Every light in the suite is off and a pile of trash and debris centered around the fireplace in the corner indicates she's been huddling near the flames for warmth. She wears a rumpled, faded old babydoll tee that says 'S.M. Athletica' in cracked old vinyl. Along with a limp looking bathrobe and well-worn flannel jammies, she is clearly taking no care of herself.

When Lois speaks, she turns her head a little, but doesn't look back at her. Instead she points at the window, where the impact-proof plastic has been heavily scratched.

Her cell phone is on the floor under it, the screen thoroughly smashed to pieces.

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois stops to sift through her purse, pulling out a small package with makeup remover wipes. She goes to sit down next to Janet, giving her a nod. "Hold your head up," she instructs. "How much water have you had today?" She's certainly plans to make sure that Janet makes her crazy stupid but fun decisions, but right now she needs to make sure she's got everything together.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Janet doesn't resist, but she only moves when Lois starts making her do it. It takes a while for her to answer. First, an asymmetrical shrug, then a glance at the various empty bottles of rum around her.

"I'nno. How much water is in Captain Morgan's? That's how much." She reaches out with a toe and pokes one. "Times... three."

She speaks like the act is too exhausting to put effort into, barely moving her jaw or mouth. Several boxes of ceral and a few large (empty) containers of what was some extremely expensive gelato. Empty un-labelled pill bottles are in the mess as well, along with an antique snuffbox with a good number of vials in it that once held some very potent resin.

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois gently starts to use the remover wipe to clean off some of the makeup, at least to put Janet more together. "Mmkay, we'll get you cleaned up, we'll get you some water, and you can tell me all about how upset you are while I brush your hair. It'll be like a sleepover. And hopefully you won't vomit all over me during it."

Janet van Dyne has posed:
"Like... one time, that happened," Janet mumbles.

She doesn't resist, but she doesn't offer a lick of assistance, either. The socialite-- normally so vivacious and energetic-- is acting like someone in shock. No emotions. No anger, no sorrow, no... anything.

The door opens and someone knocks a two-one tattoo. There are the sounds of footsteps and a brunette woman in her early 20s appears on the stairs leading up from the landing. "Oh hello, Miss Lane," she says, acknowledging Janet's guest. "I'm Claire. I think we've met once before," she says, diplomatically.

Claire glances at the back of Janet's head, then walks over to the kitchen counter to put a few bags on the granite and unpack the groceries. She's dressed smartly, in a JVD skirtsuit that emphasizes a professional demeanour. Her eyes flicker to Lois pointedly to try and lure her to the kitchen. "I'm just unpacking your, uh, shopping, Miss van Dyne," she tells the socialite. Gelato, more cereal... a lot more rum... and a few more prescription pill bottles, which she eyes warily.

When Lois gets close enough, Claire smiles at her and mouths a near-inaudible whisper: 'Is everything okay?'

Lois Lane has posed:
Shock is something Lois has seen before, so Janet seeming entrenched in it is not something so surprising. She makes sure to get the makeup off as much as possible without accidently getting any of the wipe in Janet's eyes. She sets it aside, glancing up as Claire enters. "Ah, yes, nice to see you again." She pats Janet on the shoulder for a moment and gets up to go 'help with the groceries'.

The whisper from Claire gets a small, sad smile from Lois. 'Steve', she mouths back. 'I've got her'. She looks through the groceries and the fridge for a moment. "Janet, I'm going to get you some water, okay?"

Janet van Dyne has posed:
"I read that article you published about the fire hazards, it was really startling," Claire tells Lois. The silent look she shoots at her is one of gratitude, and the last item to be unpacked is a baggy of white powder. She makes sure Lois sees it, and slides it deliberately under the groceries where it won't be easily found. 'Ketamine', she near-whispers. 'Good luck'.

"Miss van Dyne, do you need anything else?" There's a perfunctory pause; Claire doesn't look like she expects and answer, and after a three-count, she moves to the stairs. "I'll be downstairs if you need me," she tells Janet. The socialite doesn't even wave as her aide departs, sharing one last worried look with Lois before quietly vanishing out the door.

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois winces as she notes the collection of drugs, noting where it is before she gets a bottle of water from the fridge. She offers Claire a weak smile. She knows this is gonna be a challenge. She returns to Janet's side, sitting down next to her as she uncaps the water bottle, then hands it to her. "Drink some of this at least. Let me see if I can straighten up your hair?" She doesn't expect Janet to be too responsive, but she knows that if Janet /weren't/ drunk, she'd hate looking so dishevled.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Janet takes a few sips of water with that same laconic response, and sets the bottle on the floor next to her. It takes some gentle but prolonged badgering to get her to drink the whole thing. Everything is weighted with inertia; getting her to move enough for Lois to sit behind her, making her sit up and get her sleep-matted hair somewhat tamed. It's a good twenty minutes before Janet says anything.

"I can't sleep," she says in that dead monotone. "In my room. I tried. There's still a dent on his side of the bed. Shirt hanging up. I can still smell him."

Janet blinks several times, fighting back the moisture gathering around her eyes. Her lower lip trembles visibly until she grabs her emotions by the throat and starts trying to stuff them back in the box she's locked it all away in.

Lois Lane has posed:
"So what I'm thinking is you need to get out of here for a while. This doesn't seem like the best place for you to deal with things. It's a nice spot to hide, but there are other places you can go," Lois says. She's at least gotten somewhat of a braid going to keep Janet's hair from being everywhere, and she leans in to try and hug her friend as soon as she's starting to get emotional.

"What about if we... find somewhere fun to go, zip off there, hang out in some pretty hotel and get spa treatments and just... forget about things for a while? I've got some PTO I haven't used. If you don't feel like being out somewhere, we can sit and watch awful movies and make fun of them." Her suggestion is mostly just to get Janet out of the place that still very much has things to remind her of her now ex.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Janet trembles at the touch, which threatens to break open the floodgates again. But she leans back into the hug, causing fresh tears to spill down her cheeks.

"It doesn't feel.... real," she gets out. It's getting hard for her to Word. "I keep thinking I just had a really bad nightmare. He'll come back and--" she reaches to her collarbone reflexively. The little shield pendant she's worn everywhere, for years, is no longer there, and her fingers clench forlornly around empty air.

She hangs her head, then starts leaning out of Lois' embrace. She stands up, moving like her limbs are all made of lead, and shuffles towards the kitchen with no sign of her usual posture. One of the bottles of rum gets grabbed by the neck; she hauls it close, rips the lid off, and starts chugging it. Janet pauses only to cough a few times to the side, then starts guzzling it again.

"Fuckin' useless assistants, I told 'em to get me some Vitamin K," she mumbles, casting around for something and not finding it. She can't even put any rancor into the complaint. "Can't be happy. Might as well be numb. Maybe I need to fire a bunch of people."

She shuffles back to the sofa and drops an Amex Centurion card next to Lois. A solidly built, no-limit credit voucher. Janet herself flops onto the floor right on top of her ass imprint, rests her back against the sofa behind her, and goes about drinking more liquor and staring listlessly into the rain.

"...am I a bad person, Lois?" she asks, and her voice is full of fragile fear that maybe she is, in fact, getting her just desserts.

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois moves to settle next to Janet again, reaching for the rum bottle. While she /might/ be taking it to get it away from her, there's an equal chance she's taking it for a drink herself. "You aren't a bad person, Janet," she insists. "You're just a person. People aren't innately bad or good, we get to choose whatever the fuck we want to do with our lives." She moves to put an arm around Janet. "You wanna talk about it or do you want a distraction?"

Janet van Dyne has posed:
The tepid response promotes a grumbling eyeroll, but Janet's mollified by the hug and leans against Lois like she's holding the world up around here.

"Yes. No. I don't know. I can't decide if I want to scream or cry or set something on fire or sleep forever."

A pensive pause. "I think I want to get fucked up. Just like, absolutely, staggering, knee-walking shitfaced drunk. I want to make a bunch of bad decisions, go to Bone Town and double down on them, and hatefuck some supervillain."

She grabs for the rum, takes a few more belts, and hands it back to Lois. "--and then go to Steve's place, tell him I still love him and that I understand it's over. And then set his bike on fire."

The plan provokes a bobbling, inebriated yawn that gives way to that morose mien again a few moments later. She looks back and up at Lois.

"You still love me, right?" she says, with a genuinely troubled expression.

Lois Lane has posed:
"All of those things are options. Although I'm pretty sure the whole hatefucking a supervillain will have consequences in the long run, so that might be a bit much. Getting super drunk, on the other hand, as long as you don't get alcohol poisoning... bad decision but it's not gonna /really/ have a bad long term effect," Lois says, hugging Janet more tightly at the suggestion.

"Janet, why /wouldn't/ I love you? Just cause things didn't work with Steve doesn't mean the whole world is turning against you. You think I came all the way over here because I didn't care?" She grins, then takes a swig of the rum. When in Rome.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
The reassurance washes away Janet's troubled expression and she leans against Lois again. "Okay. Drag my ass outta here," relents. "Before I change my mind."

"Cla--" she reaches around her, shifting, and turns her red-rimmed eyes to the ruins of her phone. "Oh. Right. Uh..." She leans her head back against the sofa behind her and takes a deep breath.

"CLAIRE!" she screams, loud enough to make the windows kick some raindrops loose. Fifteen seconds later Janet's assistant clears the steps up from the landing in two strides (in heels and a skirt no less).

"Yes, Miss van Dyne?"

Janet lolls her head back, looking at Claire upside down. "Lois says she's takin' me outta here. Bring me up my SUV-- no, wait, bring up the Rolls, and then have someone follow in the Mercedes," she amends. "We're going to the Spa. I don't want to *see* or *hear* anyone except for my staff, so lock--"

"Lockdown protocol, miss, absolutely. I'll call ahead and handle everything. Does Miss Lane need anything?"

"I'unno, you need anything?" Janet says, rolling her head over to look up at Lois. "Tell 'em to crack a crate of Cristal an' start chillin the glasses?"

Lois Lane has posed:
"I don't need anything in particular, thanks." Lois does seem to approve of the actually getting out, especially because sitting in the penthouse isn't going to help Janet feel any better. "Spa is a good choice, I think it's just what you need." Other than maybe being a bit more sober. She can't help but make a face at the idea that /she's/ being the responsible one. Who knows how long that will last though.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
It was no small amount of work to get Janet out of the penthouse. Lois had to finally tell two of her security guards to just pick Janet up, take her down in the elevator, and toss her in the back of the Rolls. WASP01, resplendent in chrome and Hazard Yellow, tears out of Manhattan and sets best speed for the Muse Hotel.

The place is... deserted. No one's in driveway, the parking lot, the guest parking, and given the security personnel beating the bushes, within 500 yards of the place. Privacy screens are set up and waiting and a wall of Janet's personal staff escorts her and Lois into the depths of the Spa.

It helps that Janet owns 25% of it.

Acquiring Peggy hadn't been proven terribly difficult; a helicopter was dispatched *to* her house, *in* the suburbs, and she was told that she was needed for a 'national emergency'.

And then escorted off the helicopter and into the spa as well.

Diana gets an imperious summons as well, but no helicopter. Janet's justification was something like 'skinny ass Greek bitch, you can *FLY*, just get down here girl!'.

Which leads to Janet, Peggy, Lois, and Diana in the spa, being treated by Janet's personal coterie of attendants with the sort of luxury that only narcissitic billionaires can really appreciate.

Janet's in the mud bath. Mostly because it's immobilizing her and keeping her from hand-talking. Her cosmetologist is waist-deep in the mud as well, because she desperately needs a fresh haircut. For everyone else there are massage tables, individual mud baths, rejuvenation stations, and memory-foam lounge chairs that are like sleepong on a cloud.

And the one straight guy in Janet's entourage-- a chisel-featured surfer jock in his 20s-- is sitting at Peggy's feet, giving them a much-needed message. Because Peggy deserves the eye candy.

"Hey Peggy?" Janet's eyes are lidded by cucumbers, so she's seearching a bit for people by voice. A crazy straw is buried in the world's biggest mimosa. "Answer me this: that one time we were all in, uh, Lithuania, in that farm safehouse. You and Dan said you had to go check the perimeter?"

"You totally screwed in the barn, didn't you," she says, making it more statement than question. "Scout's honor!" she hastily appends as a demand.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Peggy is pregnant. Peggy isn't just pregnant, she's *very* pregnant. She's pregnant enough that the pilot helicopter picking her up gave her a lot of worried side-eye with concern she might end up going into labor IN his 'copter, but that didn't happen and Peggy DID insist on coming, especially considering the rumors she's heard. The baby can wait. Janet's mental health might not.

But it does mean she's very much enjoying the muscled massage of the hulk at her feet, getting through nine months of tension and an extra 20-some pounds of weight that Peggy's form is carrying. She's in an annoyingly cute maternity swim suit with a little too much frill around the empire waist, but it's what fits and it means she's relaxing.

She *wasn't* expecting that question, though. She half chokes on her very nice, very freshly squeezed juice (since she can't really indulge in the booze like Janet), clearing her throat and trying to smooth her hair back in a putting herself back together fashion, "A girl does *not* kiss and tell. Especially not while on duty. That barn could have been holding hostiles. There were many knooks and crannies that needed... Investigated. For safety."

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana hadn't heard about the breakup until seconds after she arrived at the spa. She didn't have an entourage, or anyone else with her, just herself. Dressed casually, with her hair tied back, she'd inquired a bit on the way in, where a spa attendee had informed the Princess what had happened. It was there-after that Diana's expression went from confused, or concerned, to one of sympathy and kindness when she'd found Janet, and the others. She'd offered a hug, and then quickly began to sink in to the role of supporting the woman.

In the now, the Princess had just finished a massage, thanking the attendee who performed it, she's tying a plush white robe around her waistline and accepting a drink as she steps over to one of the fine foam lounge seats.

With a exhale, Diana lightly toauches down upon the seat and crosses her legs at the knee, the robe open enough to show off her legs. Her drink is sipped from, and the Princess watches Janet as she calls out blindly, which causes her to grin.

"I am just waiting to be told if I need to go and talk to anyone on your behest, Janet..." The Themysciran says in her thickly accented English. The response that Peggy gives to Janet's question has Diana showing a wide smile upon her red hued lips as she raises her beverage up again for another sip. "A barn is on a checklist, to be checked, is it not?" She quietly adds.

Lois Lane has posed:
"Ah. Nooks and crannies, that's a classic," Lois comments. She's comfortably resting on one of the lounge chairs, reclining a bit with a green-colored mask on her face. "Investigation is /very/ important. Especially the nooks and crannies. Once you've determined there are no hostiles, though, the sky's the limit. Or the bar. Whatever you're into."

She reaches for her own drink, glancing over in Janet's direction, that tiny bit of concern still lurking behind her eyes. It's a fun outing, but she's making sure Janet's not wallowing in the breakup.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Janet breaks out in a peal of drunken giggles. It's a little loud and inebriated, but it's sincere. Like she needs to laugh. "Ohh, my god, I knew it," she says, wiping tears from under her eyes. "You two sneaking around like... kids. AGAIN." She twitches her eyebrow silently up at her stylist, who grabs the straw and pulls it over so Janet can down a few ounces of juice-flavored Cristal.

"Okay, Peggy, you can NOT keep making her laugh," Janet's stylist says with a haughty toss of his head, his accent a nasal Upper-East-Side and extremely premptory. "I am trying to restore order here. I told you not to ditch the pixie cut," he tells Janet with a pointing of his scissors. "And you said 'You-Know-Who likes longer hair', and You-Know-Who is gone, so we're going back to the pixie cut."

"Yes. God. Step two of recovery, get a hot new look," Janet agrees. "And Diana, I'm not saying 'go to Brooklyn' and I'm *definitely* not saying 'break anyone's knees', but You-Know-Who has a gimpy left knee. If it ever comes up. For some reason."

Slurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrp. The straw starts burbling up some air.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Peggy's amused smirk is undeniable as she just gives a slow shake to her head and a quite dignified, long drink of her juice before settling it aside. "I didn't say a damn thing and you have no evidence. Daniel and I did our jobs, is all, as ever. You can't prove otherwise!" Peg gives a little huff, which is then cut slightly short by the smallest groan and wince, one hand going to her side and trying to rub over where a very cramped baby heel has shoved itself into the side of her stomach. So much for comfort. No one is comfortable in her position, mother OR baby.

"As for the hair... you don't *have* to Pixie Cut, but... it does compliment you well. Maybe go for some wild color on your tips? Or a side shave, I hear all the bad ass women who need no man are doing that side shaving thing these days. You have no need to keep it old fashioned for a *man* now. Not that you ever did before." Peggy is doing her best to reassure, to help support through the breaking out of this old relationship, but she's about as old fashioned as the man who did it, so she's stumbling over some proper ideas. She gives both Lois and Diana a quietly worried look, clearly not certain that this trip has done the full trick or not. She's open to other distracting suggestions.

Diana Prince has posed:
When Lois responds, Diana casts her a big grin too before her attention is drawn away by the masues who attended to her minutes ago. She's delivered a small plate of fruit and the two share a word in French before the Princess graciously accepts and then swings herself around on that lounge seat so that she can lay down on her stomach with the plate in front of her and her drink in her left hand. She glances down at them, grabbing a apple slice that she chews upon for a moment before chasing it with a sip of her drink.

A grin is now shown to Janet. "I will remember this, just in case it ever comes up." She notes without being overly specific. After all, can't say 'his' name in this scenario.

Diana's eyes glance toward Peggy then, before bouncing back down to her selection of fruit. "You are all invited to step away from the city for a bit, and come to Themyscira." The Princess offers in her naturally soothing tone. Her eyes come back up as she pinches a green grape between thumb and forefinger. "Agent Carter." Diana says. "Would you like your baby to be born there? A native Themysciran?" She says with a playful expression as she pops the grape in to her mouth.

Lois Lane has posed:
"Long hair to a pixie cut is very dramatic, a change can be a good thing. Get a haircut, reorganize your wardrobe, go have lunch at somewhere fancy," Lois suggests. "Show the world you do what you want." Her attention goes back Diana, slightly wide-eyed at the suggestion. She certainly wants to go to Themyscira herself, but the offer is hitting on a point she'd been pondering--where could Janet get away that she hadn't already been?

"I think that's a great idea. It would be a nice break, don't you think?"

Janet van Dyne has posed:
"HOLY. SHIT. I love it. Let's do th--" Janet tries to make a gesture with her hands, and fails. Because of the mud. She sighs in defeat. "Fine, god, I get it. I'm a hand-talker," she concedes. "But-- yellow tips. Not blonde. *Yellow*."

"Oh snap, that will look *fierce*," Janet's stylist says. He looks over to Peggy. "By the way, when all of--" he gestures vaguely at the imminent baby-- "this is done, come see me, I am the *only* stylist in New York who can do those victory rolls. That hair, that look-- gay men will be dressing like you for Halloween for years."

Janet starts trying to nod enthusiastic agreement, but her stylist holds her down before any damage to his masterpice can happen. "Lois?" she calls out. "Lois, let's-- okay, Di, we'll go after Peggy pops, you give Lois an exclusive interview, and I'll... I don't know. Improve international relations. Do I even have to be coy about that? Three thousand years, island with only women on it. Even *I'll* learn a thing or two, I'm sure."

Peggy Carter has posed:
The offer to have the baby on Themyscira gets a genuine blink of surprise from Peggy. It's come out of left field, really, and is an offer that is more tempting than she'd care to admit. She looks between Diana and Janet, the thought of going away there likely quite a wise idea for her mourning friend, even if she can't join. "Oh, that... goodness, Princess, that offer is *incredibly* generous, but isn't your native land restricted to women only? Daniel wasn't allowed in the room when our son was born, it wasn't a time where they allowed that sort of thing. He...he should have the chance to be here now. But YOU all should go. Tell me what it's like. Maybe, if all our instincts are correct, we can bring this little lady in a few years. When she's old enough to appreciate it." Peggy keeps rubbing one hand gently across the side of her belly there, both trying to ease sore, distended muscles and calm the stirring child inside.

Then Peg looks back to Janet and her stylist, a softer smile crossing her tired, slightly swollen features, but it's an honest smile. She is happy, even if she's quite worried about her friend. "There is no need to wait for me. You all go, go! Have fun, see something new. Show off your new, fierce hair style." She offers with a wink, "And I'll be along when I have a moment to breathe. I'm not passing up the offer, just... not going to delay you all. It'd be good to get out of the country." A husky, quiet laugh escapes her throat at the hairstylist's offer, "I'm rather used to doing the rolls for myself, but it might be nice to have another set of hands on occasion. I'll keep that in mind."

Diana Prince has posed:
From her lounge chair, Diana raises her feet up behind her to sway them gently back and forth, her robe bunching up around her knees as she does this. She sweeps her eyes over to Lois while she chews on a morsil of fruit from her silver plate, then takes another sip of her fruity, icy, beverage. "Trip or not, I would be more than pleased to offer an interview to Miss Lane." She says toward the other woman with a sincere expression of warmth and happiness. "If she would be so interested in speaking to me, that is, of course." She adds before her eyes go back to Janet, who garners another big grin from the Amazon woman.

"I think you would fit in just fine there, Janet..." She assures her friend. "As would this new haircut of yours." She states for the stylist working so hard.

Toward Peggy, Diana shows her a wide smile then, before shaking her head. "For the past many years, my sisters and I have been pushing the Queen to open up the borders more to ... new visitors. Although she is more welcoming of those of the female persuasion... there have been a number of male visitors in recent times as well." She informs, drawing in a breath as she pushes around another piece of fruit upon the small platter.

"There are ... measures that have to be taken, but your male counterpart would be welcomed with you. We would not dream of taking the chance for a father to be there to witness their child's birth away from them... /But/ I am only offering, I imagine you have quite a lot already arranged for the big day."

Her eyes drift back toward Janet. She raises a grape and uses it to point at the woman. "You, on the other hand... I shall have Lois order your people to take you there." She jests with a little laugh escaping between those dark red lips.

Lois Lane has posed:
Lois grins at the suggestion. "I'll certainly make sure Janet gets dragged there. It was difficult enough to get her /here/, though. But if there's anything I know Janet would love... it's traveling to exotic places. Nothing better when you have a new look, right?" She seems pleased at both the suggestion /and/ the interview. "Terry, one of my interns, was convinced he had an opening for me to interview the Queen as well. It's been a while since I've had something quite so exclusive in the first place."

She pauses for a long moment. "Do you think I could try a sword while we're there? I've kind of always wanted to try." She turns and points at Janet quickly. "No weapons for you unless you do it sober. I don't make the rules, that's just how it is."

Janet van Dyne has posed:
".../Right/, the... apprentice. Protege. Protentice," Janet tells Lois. "I think I saw him running away from me once. We need to work on that, hon, I need my bestie's junior ace reporter to like, charge into danger, not scream and run away," she says, with a tone that would be severe if she wasn't so *absolutely lit* on whatever they keep putting in her drink.

A fresh mimosa's put in place almost immediately and her crazy straw starts filling with happy juice. Her amusement has her voice high and shrill, almost manic. "Diana, I also need to know if Themyscira has coke, has a policy re: coke, and if you care how many of your sisters I do coke with/off of," Janet declares. With her bundled up in a mud wrap, face mask, and cucumber blindfold, Janet is remarkably less ... terrifying. Like a tiger at the zoo. "Peggy, the-- listen. Peggy. Okay? The day. /The day/ that kid can drink formula, I am taking you to Barcelona and just-- I don't even care, you can *bring* Dan if you have to, I am going to get you..." she breaks off. "I'm... it'll be fun, just... you two, and I'll..." Janet's lower lip trembles and two tears roll out from under the green vegetable slices, leaving mud-colored streaks down her cheeks despite herself.

Peggy Carter has posed:
The information that Daniel would be welcome gets a longer, far more interested look from Peggy. She's silent, not really wanting to pull the talk to her, but it's clear she's quite interested. As the other women talk, she shifts just enough in her chair to pull her phone out so she can type a few quick things into it. Clearly, her husband is *right* next to the phone, because the response she gets is near as fast as she was typing. "Huh." Peggy murmurs under her breath. Dark eyes turn up to look at the women around her again, barely able to restrain her smile.

"If... the offer is genuine, and it would not cause too much discord, I... I think we might love that very much, Diana. In truth, we haven't ...planned much, I think it might be really lovely to do that..."

Then Janet is getting her full attention, mentioning about the day that formula works. Peggy's brows both arch, fully intrigued by what the other woman is planning on saying. Especially as her voice gets a bit more shakey. Then Peggy realizes the damn has finally broken. She blinks, eyes going wider, and she abruptly yanks her feet back from the man working on them, "Sorry, sorry..." She's not the fastest in getting up out of her chair, but she does manage, scrambling over in Janet's direction, "My dear, Janet...love, it's fine... It's alright. I mean, it's shite and it hurts but... it'll be alright. We're all here. Come on. Let's go on a trip together, and proper one..." She looks up to the other pair, seeking backup.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana is stretching over to the table beside her lounge chair to set her glass and plate down upon it when she hears Terry's name spoken. She looks over to Lois then as she returns to laying on her stomach, now lacing her fingers together and placing them up against her chin as she rests forward upon her elbows. "Terry O'Neil?" She inquires. "He is a wild young man. A very good person, with a heart of pure gold. If you do decide to come, Miss Lane, you can interview anyone there who is willing. The Queen, the Senators, the members of our military, and beyond. You would, and will, be treated like royalty." She says with an affectionate fondness for her homeland.

When Janet brings up 'coke', at first Diana thinks of the drink, but then... of course... realizes what she means. She holds her playful expression for the woman with the fresh drink. "Janet...." She starts to say in her naturally husky-hued tone, her head shaking. "You do not need such a thing on Themyscira..." She assures the modern gay icon. "Themyscira has such things, that far... far... out-perform something so mundane as that substance. The kind of treats, which you cannot even... begin... to imagine." She tries to play it up by putting the emotion of how grand it is, what her island has to offer.

Peggy's response has Diana looking away before Janet starst to tear-up. "Oh, yes, the offer is entirely genuine. You can travel to the island aboard my jet, when you and yours are prepared... We shall setup a Villa for you in the city, and--" Of course, she trails her words off when Peggy moves to assist Janet.

Diana also moves to stand then and step toward the newly single woman. She crouches as well, her hands upon her knees. "This is a new chapter in your life, Janet. It will be wonderful, I promise you." She says in that soft, hopefully comforting, way.

Lois Lane has posed:
"I could use a trip somewhere and being able to interview anyone /and/ get treated like royalty? I'm absolutely ready to do that." Lois nods in Diana's direction. "Terry O'Neil. He does have a heart of gold. He's also prone to getting into a lot of trouble, so I don't at least need to teach him that. I will say he is both good at finding leads and bringing me coffee. I swear the coffee in the break room at The Planet is going to come alive one day and try to take over Metropolis."

She catches Peggy's gaze for help, then looks over to Janet. "They're absolutely right. You're just starting a new chapter, and you get to choose to do what you want with it. You are one of the strongest people I know, Janet, and I mean that. You're going to kick ass. And if you don't, I'm going to show up and /tell/ you that you need to kick ass."

Janet van Dyne has posed:
The socialite rolls over and puts her forehead on the cool concrete until gentle fingers give her a lap to cry into. It takes a while for Janet to cry it all out. Her staff very politely finds a convenient wall to examine. They're paid to not observe the socialite at her lowest moments.

She called in Lois, Peggy, and Diana for that-- because the vain, flightly, ill-tempered, narcissistic, possibly-sociopathic fashionista-- doesn't need employees.

She needs friends.

She sobs broken, bitter tears until there's nothing left in the tank, and her usually lively green eyes are focused infinitely past a wall, dull and listless.

It takes her a long time to find any words. "Hank an' me, it was... eighteen months. I thought I was done forever. Then... -he- showed up, with.. all of his.. and... four /years/. And it's just done. I fucked this up -so bad-," she cries. "Someone-- I need my phone. Someone give me my phone, I'm gonna call him and tell him, I'm-- I can /fix/ this, I'm sure I can," she says, babbling almost frantically.

Peggy Carter has posed:
With some help, likely from Diana, Peggy manages down to the floor next to Janet. All thought of a vacation is mostly gone as they focus on the crying woman at hand. Peggy lets her fingertips gently comb through Janet's hair as the woman cries in someone else's lap and likely leans against the third. Peggy's fingertips are an ever gentle, reassuring presence, a constant reminder that Janet isn't alone.

"Janet. It's... it's done. Are you really wanting to crawl back there? I've never known you to crawl back to anyone or anything. You don't need ANY man, you don't. Even *him*, and goodness knows, I...Understand. I do. But I *promise* you, there is life after Steve Rogers." Peggy states quite firmly, living proof of that very fact. Especially in her current state.

"We'll all go to Themyscira and you'll get distance and clarity after all of this... Listen to Diana, listen to *Lois*. This is a new chapter. You have the smartest women in the world in this room. We *can't* be wrong..."

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana does indeed help Peggy down to help see to Janet. She then reaches over to gather up the fashionista's phone before it can be grabbed by the inebriated woman, and mistakes be made. The Princess runs a thumb over the glossy black screen of the phone before she just chucks it.

Plop. The phone lands in one of the mud bath pools, and just vanishes, leaving behind a vague outline of the side-profile of the device.

"It slipped." Diana says in a flat tone of voice, before she places a hand over one of Janet's. She shows a quick smile then. "Your responsibility now, is to focus on new directions now. It is scary to do so, believe me. But it will yield... very exciting... results. Of that... I sincerely promise you." The dark haired woman says as she leans over to put a light kiss to the top of Janet's head. "And I love this haircut." She adds as she leans back again with a little grin, and a glance toward Peggy, and Lois.

Lois Lane has posed:
"Janet, you're way better than that. Regardless of how much it hurts right now, you aren't someone to crawl, not for /anyone/," Lois states firmly. "Look at the lot of us, we're all here for you. We're ready to zip off for a trip somewhere just to help you start your new chapter of your life. It's going to be amazing and you're going to love it, even if you can't see past the... mud right now." She grins at Janet as she scoots to the end of the lounge chair. "I'm excited for you. Honestly. The world's your oyster."

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Janet tries to be miserable. She really does. Because being miserable feels *good*. Justly punitive. Because she is a vain, mean, frequently abusive and often neglectful friend.

She started a fire in Pepper Pott's office to make her go out clubbing, for ****'s sake.

The sea of reassurances pushes all that back. And she cries more, but the tears are less grief and more... acceptance. And when those are all gone too, she sits back on her knees, naked and covered in mud from the neck down, and wipes her tears away (with a towel).

"You three are..." she struggles for words. "Way more than I deserve," Janet declares. "I've..." she sniffles. "I don't know why you're all here," she admits, finally. "I don't deserve friends like you. But... I'm glad you're here. I'm glad I don't have to go through this alone." Her lips tremble a little but she puts a smile on her face, and-- mud be damned-- hauls everyone in for a long hug.

"Peggy, I am sorry in advance for how high I'll be when you go into labor," Janet says, voice muffled.

Peggy Carter has posed:
'Thank you.' Peggy mouths to Lois and Diana over the crying Janet's head, but only when she gets the sense those tears are just starting to subside. She truly is grateful she wasn't alone in this, and that the woman seems to be very slowly crawling out the other side of it.

"It is a new chapter. And we WANT to be here. And you're not friends with someone because you *deserve* it.. we're friends because we are friends." The labor comment gets a good little chuckle from Peggy and she leans over to kiss Janet's forehead, "I don't know if I'll hold you to that, I suspect you might want to remember it... But as long as whomever is catching the baby has their head on straight, this is going to be a proper vacation," says the woman who will be screaming in pain for a good portion of it.

"Now, however, if we *actually* want to make it in time, I should call Daniel and start to get things packed. Thank you again, Diana... and Janet, this is far better than crawling back there... Especially for the Janet we all know and love." She leans over to kiss Janet's forehead once more, and then very carefully pulls herself up into standing before slipping into her flip flops and she starts shuffling out the door. She's got a lot of things to arrange before having this rather over due baby in a very distant country. Hopefully they make it in time!

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana would help Peggy back to her feet, and watch her for a moment before returning to Janet, now with her drink for the woman. She offers it back to her. "The downside of alcohol is that it can make all emotions stronger, even the negative ones." She quietly says. "But, it can also there-by make you say some things that need to be said, more easily." The Princess notes with a soft smile for Janet once more.

Her eyes look up to the departing Peggy, then toward Lois. "If you can join for a trip, that would be wonderful too. But I know your job is as hectic as they come, so just let me know how things play out with a text, or what have you." She tells the journalist, showing her a soft smile as well before her eyes return to Janet.

"We should get you cleaned up, and maybe hit the sauna?" She inquires with a few more petting motions with her left hand across the new hair-doo.

Lois Lane has posed:
"Believe me, if I mention going to Themyscira and potentially doing interviews, work will shove me out the door. That is, if Janet doesn't come kidnap me otherwise. She's done it before and she'll do it again." Lois nods towards Diana. "Plus being here for Janet is kinda my thing. I've got to have /something/ other than work after all."