14314/A New Fantastic Adventure

A New Fantastic Adventure
Date of Scene:	03 March 2023
Location:	Reed and Sue's Suite - Four Freedom Plaza
Synopsis:	Sue and Reed devise a scheme to get some quality time with the Fantastic Four Family.
Cast of Characters:	Susan Richards, Reed Richards

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Susan Richards has posed:
    It's another normal morning for Susan Richards. Which is to say she's trying to split her attention between the unending wave of emails, news stories, budget requests, and the general minutiae of running the Fantastic Four's various businesses and subsidiary ventures that disperse her husband's technological advancements across the planet. And yet the rest of her attention is on something that she could surely have a technological solution for. But no, Susan stands in the kitchen of her and her husband's quarters, a blue silk robe tied around her waist, a bowl of three eggs being whipped by a fork as she murmurs out low vocal commands to keep dealing with the incoming emails, like it's reflex by this point, as she adds some salt and pepper to the eggs, placing a frying pan on the stovetop... which she _has_ allowed Valeria to tinker with. She didn't really listen to their daughter's explanation, but a stovetop that doesn't take time to preheat pans is so helpful. Butter is melted, eggs are added and Sue speaks up, "Reed! Breakfast is five minutes away! I don't care if you're about to crack the quantum barrier or... whatever barrier, but you can spend a few minutes ensuring you don't starve! If you die, Victor won't have anyone to rail against, and just think of how sad he'll be!"

Reed Richards has posed:
Unfortunately, despite Susan's cries that breakfast was ready, Reed was in the midst of his own mixing operation, and it was a delicate stage at that. It had come to him, as many ideas do, in the shower the other day, that it might be possible to add a similar chemical structure to teflon in between the unstable molecules that made up their suits. If he could manage it and not lose any of the flexibility, it would give a small but potentially significant edge to both Susan and Johnny if they were potentially caught in a situation where friction was a factor. For Johnny, it could increase the rate of speed of his flight. For Susan, if she were to have to tangle physically with anyone, it would made her harder to subdue. Nothing was going to make Ben faster or harder to tackle than he already was. He carefully stirs the vial in his hand, needing to give it about another eight minutes and twenty three seconds of mixing to fully evaluate whether or not it could stick to the unstable molecules, or slide off itself. So breakfast in five represents a challenge.

Or would, if Reed was not ALSO Mister Fantastic!

"I think a sad Victor would mean greater Doom for the world," murmurs Reed, his head popping up just beside Sue's. Stretched out the length from his workstation down to the kitchen, he leans over and plants a gentle kiss on her cheek as his body remains hard at work on the molecules upstairs.

"It smells wonderful!" he says, stretching out just a bit to stick his nose over the eggs. "And actually, I'm working on a present for you, so...it's definitely worth my time."

Susan Richards has posed:
Susan laughs softly, it's really more of a distant murmur that might birth a laugh given more effort, but then, she's treating the forming omelette with all the care and focus Reed spends on his experiments. Which might just be the secret that has so many perplexed and confused about why the couple are so fond of one another, when they have so little time to _be_ a couple. It's an inherent understanding of one another. The meeting of two people with their own focuses, goals, and personalities, but who are better together. And know it.

"Oh, I'm not sure about that. A sadder Victor might revert to his more... overtly bitter and megalomaniacal ways. There's a Latverian coffee shop in town. I don't think a sadder Victor would allow such. Or the coffee would be laced with nanomachines to infect America's elites with undetectable spyware."

As she scrambles the egg just so, going for a classic french omelette with no colour, she sighs out. "You've checked the coffee there, yes? For nanomachines?"

She turns her head to return that kiss with one of her own and laughs softly. "Oh! A gift for me, hm? Goodness, is my birthday that soon? Eventually the media are going to run out of artful ways to phrase 'oldest heroine'... or oldest looking." She sighs and shakes her head, "Amazons, goddesses, aliens... I swear to god, some of them look younger than I did when we started all this. Oh! And the vampires."

It's light, playful, Sue's not actually concerned about her looks. Well, that's not true. But she's not concerned her current physical fitness routine is letting her down. She's had enough feedback to know it's not.

"You know, we should go on a family trip. Despite the space port opening, I think... people in general still see space as being a vast distance away. It hasn't had the unifying impact I so dreamt it would when it was announced. Maybe if we... do some sort of... travel vlog? It will connect with people. And besides, what are the chances we run into trouble? Again?"

She doesn't specify if she actually wants the odds. She's just sure Reed knows them.

Reed Richards has posed:
"Oh, I am sure if he were sad, he would take it out on someone else." Reed tilts his head a bit, easily done when it's on a neck that might be thirty feet long. "Perhaps he would give Tony Stark a run for his money. Or Ted Kord." Sue can't see it, because his shoulders are in another room, but he shrugs, continuing to mix that cocktail of molecules.

"You know that it's that beautiful brain and strong heart that I'm in love with, Sue. To devil with them and their criticisms about physical appearances. If anything, we as a Foursome have shown how much we can transcend physical form." He delivers a kiss to her lips, proof positive that shape is only defined by your own perception of it.

"And yes, I think a trip would be a fun idea. Should we take the kids, maybe allow each of them to bring a plus one so they aren't bored?" The molecule mix is almost done, as is breakfast! "Where would we go, I wonder, that could captivate their attention as well as an audience here? I am not as current on social media as they are."

Susan Richards has posed:
Susan has to stifle a soft laugh, "Oh my. Yes. I think it's best we keep his focus on you. I'd hate to subject Doctors Pym or... does Tony Stark have a doctorate? Well, I'd hate for them to deal with a fleet of Doombots hovering outside playing pre-recorded proclamations. Perhaps Doctor Banner. I imagine he would be quite angry. That might settle Victor down after one or two encounters." She sighs out and shakes her head slowly. She can't see the shrug, but somehow she knows.

Omelette is slowly folded out onto a plate, a few cracks of black pepper, a little sprinkling of chives, she holds it up, "Well, if we ever go out of business, I can do an online cooking show, hm? ...Oh my. Perhaps an online cooking series with various costumed individuals. A sort of interview and 'Cook with a hero' thing where they cook one of their favorite meals."

She might not pile up experiments and scientific theories like her husband. But PR and business opportunities? They're peas in a pod. She grins lopsidedly, "And of course, dear. But I /do/ enjoy keeping my figure. For one thing, making Janet relearn my measurements for when she wants to make something for me for some event? Oh, I couldn't do that to her. Not that we've had a chance to connect lately." She shrugs and sighs, "Though I did run into Namor yesterday. He's well. Very... still the same Namor. Same-or."

She snorts softly at her own wordplay, not enough to rise to a laugh, but it's followed by her gracefully cutting a forkful of omelette free and lifting it to her husband's mouth. "Oh, I was definitely thinking the entire family, perhaps let Ben and Johnny bring plus ones as well. Goodness knows you've got enough ships to choose from we can find something comfortably accommodating for however the group winds up being. And I suppose it depends on if we want to try and grab attention with raw science, or mass market appeal. Raw science? Something with gravitation anomalies and... whatever anomaly causes bright, flashing lights probably. But is also of genuine scientific interest. Mass market appeal? Some sort of... planet full of dragons? Crystal trees. Perhaps a waterfall if Johnny invites a model along. Instagram would crash. Or we throw caution to the wind and let the kids pick."

Reed Richards has posed:
"Part of me would be amused to see Doom and Stark blast each other in their metal faces for a few minutes like a couple of kindergarteners." Reed chuckles. "Until the collateral damage started flowing in."

His head pulls back a bit in order to allow Sue to finish off her preparations. He knows well enough not to get in the way of her work. Not if he wants to also enjoy the fruits of those labors.

"I rather enjoy you keeping your figure as well, but know that you don't need to." Although he does allow his head to slowly rotate around her form, as if surveying the entirety of her form and documenting it for later replication. It stops, of course, as she mentions Namor. "Yes, well. Not surprising that he is the same. He has always been somewhat intractable."

Reed's mouth opens and he chews it down before sending it on the long journey down to the rest of him. "Something like a deep space luxury yacht. I could see that. I have a few that can do it with minor modifications, and we can take it for a bit of an extended journey. Two week or so?" Reed ponders for a moment, chewing on the eggs, his thought, and the mixed molecules back at his desk. "What about we head to Jupiter and split our time between Io and Europa? We can do a study in contrasts, Fire and Ice, and with Jupiter itself in the background of the shots?" He grins. "As the kids today say, it would be the hotness." Do they still say that?

"Be right back," he says, his head snaking back along as he contracts his neck. Time to check on the molecules!

Susan Richards has posed:
Susan nods solemnly, "I would also like to see them work out some of that excess testosterone by breaking a moon. Not _the_ Moon. But are you telling me anyone would notice some new dents in one of Saturn's?" her voice is dry, teasing, her lips quirking to try and fight a smile.

She sighs and tosses her head, letting that blonde hair flip, "Well, changing my figure would also benefit Ms. Vision's art education I imagine. A wider range of figures to attempt to learn the subtleties of. I imagine with her mostly knowing costumed individuals, things are somewhat... similarly themed. Unless of course Jennifer has been posing for her. I imagine she can draw a still scene of a fraction of a second. Someone who grows taller _and_ more defined when they use their powers could be a unique artistic opportunity. But I think I'm too used to my schedule to give up on the gym trips. And I get to leave my phone in my locker. It's freeing. Hopefully no one realizes if they were to attempt to heist the office that I'm out of reach when I'm on the rowing machine."

Sue's almost tempted to ask her husband if he's mapping her body for a Life Model Decoy, but she doesn't... besides, if he is, the army of Suebots that descend upon Manhattan will answer the question for her. One of _them_ can wear that costume Janet teases her about. That 4 cutout was distressingly chilly in all but August anyhow.

One eyebrow perks as she eyes Reed and his use of modern phrase. That must be Valeria's influence. Maybe Franklin's. Well, either way it's heartening. It brings a genuine and full smile to Sue's face. Until her husband is snapping back to his lab... and that smile is interrupted.

Some think it would be interrupted by a weary expression of Reed disappearing into science again. But no. It disappears because Sue is now free to relish the results of her recent focus on french cuisine, taking and savouring a few bites of rich omelette before she settles the plate down for a moment, reaching up above the countertop to fetch a wine glass, and turning about, invisible force swinging the fridge door open and floating a bottle of mid-range white zinfandel to her hand, enough left for a glass.

Breakfast _is_ the most important meal of the day. And she's already pondering who she can reach out to to discuss public outreach for the trip. Perhaps a scheduled call between Reed and the classes at Happy Harbor. An interview with Ms. Lane ahead of the trip.

Even the family vacation is a business of sorts.

Reed Richards has posed:
"I think Johnny could do some damage on Europa, for sure, but I'd like to watch Ben chase him around Io." Reed allows a grin to creep over his face. "If we brought Jen, she might give them /both/ a run for their money, though. We should include her." None could underestimate the value that Jennifer Walters had served to the Richard family, standing in while Sue and Reed took a break for various family events.

That brings some thought to Reed for a moment. "If you really want her to have some divergent figures..." He wrinkles his brow for a moment, and then spreads his ears out so that each of them resembles a full body. "I can certainly help with that." The two bodies flex and then he draws his ears back in. Now he is just showing off.

If Reed were to construct a duplicate of Sue, it would of course only be for her own protection. No decoy, no matter how advanced, could simular the heart and vivaciousness of his wife. Not in any meaningful way. But that is something he ponders on the trip back upstairs.

Once Reed has laid eyes upon the experiment, which sadly results in failure, a separated pool of unstable molecules and slippery molecules, he sets the glass down and starts making his way down the stairs to join Sue in full body presence. "So, no present just yet, Sue, so I am afraid I will need to keep working on it." His long strides catch him up to her and he delivers another kiss to his cheek as he looks to the place. "I am sure that you can find the perfect way to market this trip effectively."

Susan Richards has posed:
Sue laguhs softly and perks her eyebrows up at the mention of Jen, "Oh! We should! She deserves a vacation too, and yeah, if Ben and Johnny get too rambunctious she can step in if we're distracted." And then she's reduced to helpless laughter as Reed reminds her he's capable of being quite the diverse figure.

Once Reed's back in, Sue's left half the omelette... minus one bite, for her husband, gesturing to it as she sips at her wine, leaning back against the countertop with a crooked smile. "Well, you know, experiments and cooking at the same. You just have to try again. I'm sure you'll figure it out. You always do. Always."

She lifts her right foot, knee bending as she grabs his shoulders when her husband is within reach, and gives him another kiss, warm and loving and radiating playful sympathy for his experiment's failure as she murmurs out, "Besides, look at it this way. If it had worked, you wouldn't have a puzzle to figure out in /why/ it failed. And then you'd need to come up with an entirely new experiment. And even if the marketing's not perfect, I will /gladly/ take an only mostly-successfully marketed trip to space as a family outing. For one thing, if I make us a picnic lunch, there won't be seagulls trying to steal it like at the beach. It's the small blessings, dear husband."

Reed Richards has posed:
"She definitely deserves a break. It'd be great to see her again." Reed moves over to grab the plate, and nods slowly. "I might get it, sure. It's a nice to have, though," he says, sending a hand in search of a fork for himself. "I'll keep working on it when I have time, and who knows, maybe it will come to pass." he chuckles. "Or I'll wake up in the middle of the night and have it solved for me." The number of times that Sue has woken up along because Reed has thought of something while they were sleeping...

But as always, Sue has the right of it, and puts everything in the right proper context. He leans in and returns her kiss, and wraps his free arm around and around and around and around her. "And the right person to make you appreciate just how big those small blessings can be."

Susan Richards has posed:
Susan sighs and lets that embrace linger, leaning in, and murmuring a wordless noise of agreement. She might not be so flexible as her husband, but if she could melt into a puddle herself she might. But instead it's a warm, serene smile and her wine is drained slightly further as she murmurs dryly. "Perhaps we can schedule it around Easter. I'm not sure the Hellfire Club _does_ an Easter gala, but... if it does, I can only imagine the experience. I have no idea how to theme it." She clicks her tongue softly, thoughtfully.

"Perhaps Valeria has some ideas. She definitely had a fun time at last year's Mardi Gras party."

Reed Richards has posed:
There is a soft smile in return, as Reed regards Sue. He, himself, does not drink, of course, but not so much about his power as he simply does not like to dull his mind in any way. "I would imagine there would be some sort of challenge about which comes first, the chick or the egg." Reed rolls his eyes at that, thinking to himself. Then he tilts his head.

"Wait, what was Valeria doing at a party at the Hellfire Club?" Another pause. "What were /you/ doing at one of their parties?"

Susan Richards has posed:
Sue's eyebrows perk high, "Honey, we've had that membership for years. From... back before Valeria was born! When we first became famous. We used to go out with Janet! Goodness. I suppose it's been awhile. I've kept the membership active since then. And they're..." Her lips press into a thin line, "Well, the inner workings of the club are complex. But they weave into leaders of industry and nations. I thought with the space port and Earth needing a unified front, it would be best to keep them close. For the greater good."

She smiles warmly once more, "Don't worry, I'm sure I can handle their influence.... on the political end. Why was Valeria at the party? Because she's in her twenties now, and she is, it may surprise you my darling husband, getting out of her lab and finding herself." That warm smile slips to a wry grin, "And why was I there? Well, sometimes I like to dress up and get out. And sometimes I get an alert that our daughter used our membership to get a ticket, and I feel the need to make sure she doesn't find herself _too much_."

Reed Richards has posed:
"Well, yes, of course, I remember that," replies Reed, although with the sort of knee jerk reaction that indicates that in fact he might not, very well, have any recollection of it at all. "We're a member of lots of organizations, pretty much anyone with an open hand at the time we joined up with for various reasons. But to go there to attend a /party/?" Reed seems flabberghasted. "Do you know what kinds of things /happen/ at those parties?"

There is a bit of a frown that Sue can clearly associate with Reed doing math. It is probably all too easy to think of Valeria as...far younger than she truly is. But he nods along with that. "That's good. Keep an eye on her, and make sure she isn't doing anything provocative, or that you wouldn't do." Reed nods knowingly.

Susan Richards has posed:
Susan sighs, something near a single, soft laugh as she leans in and bestows another kiss, "Oh, honey, I don't remember those parties either. Not directly. I remember that one outfit... the one with the 4 cutout?" She sighs and groans softly, "That might be because Janet reminds me of it every time we have drinks."

she sighs again and giggles softly, her head nodding slowly. "Oh, I'm sure she'll not do anything truly outlandish. Her main friend group are all geniuses of stunning levels. They might build a doomsday device, but who amongst my scientifically inclined family /hasn't/ considered the details of such a thing as an intellectual exercise? I'm sure she won't build one." She clicks her tongue and murmurs, "I'll ensure she doesn't do anything I wouldn't do _now_. Not doing anything I wouldn't do at her age? I'm not letting her get up to what we did."

Reed Richards has posed:
This seems to satisfy Reed. "I'm glad that they were not memorable at all." Because certainly there is no other reason that she might not remember a party. "It was not one of your better ideas, I have to say, Sue, although I understand the point that you were trying to make at the time, there were better ways to make it I should think."

Reed's eyes flicker as he goes through the implications of what she is saying. What Valeria is capable of, and her friends. And what their drives might be. But then Sue brings it all home, and he has to laugh. "But without what we got up to at at her age, there wouldn't be a her." Somehow, that wrapping hand found its way around to give Sue's rear a gentle pinch.

Susan Richards has posed:
Susan lets out a low little pained noise, "Yes, well, back then I didn't have a fashion designer friend to remind me that sometimes wanting to show some cleavage _and_ show off your brand doesn't mean doing one via the other. A pair of '4' ear rings would be better." Not that Sue doesn't have several pairs now, of different logos from over the years. She sighs out and laughs softly, "I assure you, I consider my moves much more carefully now, darling."

And t hen she squeaks softly at that pinch, rising up on her tip-toes, arms lifting, looping around her husband's shoulders in a full on, squeezing hug, nearly lifting herself up, "You cad! Mhf." Her tone so fails to carry and actual incrimination in that exclamation as she darts in for a kiss and murmurs dryly, "This is true. But I don't think our daughter's a risk for finding a potential husband and getting pregnant. And she assures me she's not going to launch any ambitious experiments without coming to you for advice. So I think, perhaps, we can let her spread her wings. If she starts building a suit of armor and speaking in the third person? Then I'll be concerned."

Reed Richards has posed:
"I mean, there is nothing that says that you cannot still make use of that from time to time, Sue," replies Reed, allowing a slow smile to cross over his lips. "Just for a more private audience." He leans forward and brushes his lips against hers.

Her kiss is returned and Reed smiles for a long moment. "Well, yes. Our daughter may have a bit of a wild side, but she has that reasonable Richards underpinning. I am sure she will continue to be responsible." He laughs deeply at that suggestion. "Valeria von Doom does actually have a clever ring to it, actually."

Susan Richards has posed:
Sue laughs and murmurs dryly, "Oh, I have much better options for that sort of use when I want to secure your full attention, darling. Besides, I think Janet has it as a monument to what her friends think fashion is before they listen to her." She sighs mournfully, only for it to morph into a low, throaty purr as she melts into that kiss.

She rolls her eyes and snorts softly, "Yes, it's not the reasonable Richards side of her that will be making me worry. ...I suppose it's not even Victor's influence on her. But she seems more balanced than I was once upon a time, so I'm sure she'll be fine. I'm honestly not sure she's looking to date anyone. I think she might be a bit of a late bloomer and just beginning to blossom."

Reed Richards has posed:
"Really? I would not think it that hard to secure my attention, but now you have my curious..." Reed flashes a bit of a grin. "But of course, your innovations would serve as good landmarks. You are never afraid to be bold with your choices."

Reed considers those statements about Valeria, and nods. "I suppose perhaps I should find a way to spend a bit more time with her. I know that I have a way of getting distracted by my work, but you seem to know her so much more than I do. I should correct that." He slowly unravels his arms from their spiral around Sue. "I need to do a better job of that in general, I know."

Susan Richards has posed:
Susan laughs softly and murmurs out, "Well, despite tabloid rumors to the contrary, I don't need to try to get your attention. But sometimes I remember just how much disposable income we have, and decide to treat myself. But I can't bring myself to take fashions from Janet without paying. And yes, I suppose I find nowadays I even find myself tempted to be bold to remind myself I can be."

She clicks her tongue and sighs out, "Yes, I know I don't want to smother the children... not even figuratively. But I find I know a lot more about Val's day to day thank Franklin's. We should use this trip to reconnect. Find out what they're up to, how they're doing. Make sure they're not... learning black magic and summoning demons or somesuch."

Reed Richards has posed:
"What is the purpose of having disposable income if not to allow you to dispose of it whenever you wish?" Reed leans in to kiss Sue's cheek again. "Especially if it helps your friend out. I just heard that she was having some troubles with Steve. I hope it is nothing serious. They were awfully cute together." He slips his arm around and around and around her. "Maybe we can invite them both over for dinner. It might do them some good."

Reed considers her words, tapping his chin. "Perhaps we should just grab them where they are and whisk them away, put on a dampening field, and not give them an excuse to say no?" He smiles at that idea. "Just like the old days. It's a Richards family tradition; a trip to space, and we can all come back better for it."

Susan Richards has posed:
Susan laughs softly, helplessly, sighing out as she nods her head, teeth worrying her lower lip, "I've heard that too. I haven't seen her in forever it feels like. Maybe I can check in on her. I feel like... maybe Steve's got some... problems with how... enthusiastically Janet indulges some of her desires. There are times I don't think she knows moderation can apply to recreation."

She snorts softly and hums, "Perhaps you can install some sort of teleportation gate in the dining room doorway? We schedule them for a family dinner, everyone arrives and sits down to eat and no one realizes we are now on a ship? It /is/ for their own good."

Reed Richards has posed:
"How does she indulge them?" asks Reed, his brows furrowing in confusion. "I thought she was your standard high class fashionista former super hero?" He tilts his head. "Is SHE going to parties at the Hellfire Club too?"

For a moment, Reed thinks on that, and then he snaps his fingers. "Of course! That's perfect! And then after dessert we can open the window and TADA everyone look out at the rings of Saturn!"

Susan Richards has posed:
Susan snorts softly, "Oh my god, no. I mean, yes, sometimes she goes there but... she's..." She frowns thoughtfully, how to put it delicately, "She's got rather... impressive tolerance for chemical stimulants." Yes. That sounds... vague enough.

And then Sue's grinning, reaching out and her tablet lifts up to hover to her hand, "Alright! You handle the preparations for the... trap. I'll ensure we've got appropriate stocks for family meals for... hmm... two weeks? Plus survival rations. Just in case. I love you, dear. This is going to be a delight."

Reed Richards has posed:
Reed's face pulls so far back his neck stretches out almost two feed. "Janet's on drugs?!?!" His head rolls backwards until his eyes are skyward, and then the neck pulls back until his face is oriented towards hers again. "Yeah, I don't think Steve is going to like that very much at all."

Already, though, Reed is shifting gears and thinking about how to transport the team. And prevent some of the more mobile members from then escaping. "I think I actually have what I need to do it..." He murmurs to himself. Then he leans over and kisses Sue gently. "I love you, too. This is going to be the best. The kids will be so thrilled."

And so Reed stretches off to figure out how to trap his family.

Leaving most of his omelette still on the plate.