15450/Fair days

Fair days
Date of Scene:	24 July 2023
Location:	One of the smaller parks in NYC. (Smaller than Central Park, anyway.)
Synopsis:	Janet, Natasha and Pepper surround themselves with Pepper's work family at a Stark Industries picnic in the park.
Cast of Characters:	Pepper Potts, Natasha Romanoff, Janet van Dyne

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Pepper Potts has posed:
Summer in the City. It's only truly getting started; it's been wet and dreary for the most part, and to be able to find a bright day is difficult at best. When blue sky happens, one has to jump on it and damn any other plans that may have been made for the day in order to...

Attend Stark Industries Company Picnic.

See, while //other// corporations need to move slowly and deliberately, Stark Industries is under no constraint (much to the chagrin at times by the Board). In fact, the multinational corporation seems to revel in the fact that retooling, reassignments and direction changes can happen at the drop of a dime and give nine cents in change. It's probably one of the many reasons why it is so successful; it's a reflection of its owner and CEO, Tony Stark.

So, with the blue skies in full review, only dotted with little white fluffy clouds, it is a long-wished for day in the weeks of rain, even if it is a touch on the side of humid. (Woe to those with any curl in their hair!)

The park area is set up for a large celebration. There are small rides, bouncy-houses for children, larger water slides for teens and young adults (and possibly drunk adults, but that's for later!), and food stands of all sorts. Hot dogs, hamburgers, pretzels, gyros, falafels, and yes, even shawarma wraps can be found. Drinks of all caliber (they have an open liquor licence with the City), from coffee and soda to a strictly regulated bar is also available.

And then there are the people. The employees are out in force. The HQ is gently closed with only a skeleton staff (and some drones) remaining within to assure the security of the building. Beyond that? Families, friends (and the occasional homeless guy) are enjoying the (paid) day off, taking the time to play in the sun. There are games running for the entirety of the gathering; potato sack racing, egg and spoon racing.. name it, it's probably happening.

And who managed to get all of this together in the span of a couple of VERY busy hours?

Pepper Potts walks away from one of the concession stands, a juice bar, with a green concoction in hand, decorated with whole, very large blueberries floating atop the mixture. To the side of her, one of her ever present bodyguards is with her whenever she goes out in public, and this is absolutely no different. Red hair is pulled back into a pony-tail, small dangle earrings grace her ears. She's in a cream-colored summery pantsuit with a white camisole with some lace at the decollage. Her makeup is absolutely on the natural-looking side, the light bringing out her freckles on her high cheekbones. A smile sits upon her face; it's a fun day, she's enjoying the time out of the office, and it appears that others are as well. Including those, perhaps, that she's specifically invited for a little R&R.

"This actually turned out better than I expected," is murmured in conspiratorial tones, that smile never dropping for an instant. "The hardest was the water slide."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
She's here over on security. Natasha Romanova is not a 'picnic' person. Stark Industries is the type of place that's going to have trouble whenever they're out in public. With the recent events including the Shi'Ar making formal diplomatic contact, the time traveler froma nother reality that has declared war on them.. A Stark Industries event is a prime possible target. So that means that some level of observation is there in case a strike goes in and it needs delayed until backup can arrive. It's also not quite the highest priority thing so only Natasha seems to be present rather than a full squad or anyone else that's not there just to enjoy the festivities.

Natasha is wearing casual clothes (yes apparently she has them) consisting of a t-shirt and jeans. And no weapons on her (at least visible ones, of course ther'es a large assortment of hidden ones). She goes to head along towards Pepper while giving a wave and heading towards her.

"Greetings Ms. Potts. A lovely turnout here. I think that it's rather nice to have public events going on." Natasha may or may not sincerely feel that - but it comes out with complete sincerity. If she doesn't mean it, she can lie so well that it's nearly impossible to tell after all.

"You look very much like you're enjoying yourself. Or are you so focused on running this that you don't quite have the chance to relax and indulge a bit yourself?" This is more on a teasing level. Natasha is taking an opportunity to gently tweak the woman that's an actual friend to remember to enjoy herself given she's a workaholic on a level that Tony is an engineer.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper is, if nothing else, a work-a-holic. Her work ethic is such that at times it could put Tony's to shame. The biggest difference between the pair is that he can let everything go and just be in the moment, revel in it (and all the adoration) while Pepper has a slightly more difficult time letting go. She's the one that makes it such that Tony CAN do what he wants and needs to do, when it suits him. At times, it's more a burden than a pleasure, but those words would NEVER be uttered where any ears but Tony's can hear them. Ever.

This, however, seems to suit the PA and erstwhile girlfriend of the billionaire 'playboy'. The attempt had been made to make it as folksy and homey as possible, as closely resembling something of a town fair, and for the most part, it's succeeded. Other than the fact that most town, county and state fairs don't have such things like alien attacks or even potential assassinations or kidnapping to concern themselves with. Sad reality, and the darker side of working for SI.

It doesn't seem to faze Pepper at the moment, even if the woman absolutely has it in the back of that head of hers. Instead, the smile brightens even more, bringing that lightness to her features, a genuine warmth that reaches green eyes as she lifts the drink quickly to her lips to sip. Down again, and she takes a couple of steps forward to greet her friend. "Nat," and the sound of the name sounds as if she absolutely means 'Natalie' and not 'Natasha'. "Tell me you're at least going to take on one of the potato sack races. I'd love to see the look on the face of Dr Phillips when he's elbowed out of the way." There's something of a pleasure there to the point where there's a soft snicker from the bodyguard that is just beyond, followed by a throat clearing, and he's back to neutral.

A laugh underscores Pepper's tones and she offers with humor, "This is relaxing." Uh huh.. playing the hostess to a couple thousand people in the absence in the immediate vicinity of Tony? (He's somewhere -over there-, undoubtely entertaining someone.. usually himself..)

"I'm glad you could make it."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Tony can live in the moment, and work off pure inspiration sometimes. Get caught up in a project or work and tune out everything else that's not related over to it at all. But he can also take some time to chill or decompress (in his various ways) and have fun. Pepper often seems to outsiders to not be able to do something without an extreme degree of preparation, planning, and almost no spontaneity (at least to reputation, accurate or not). And she enables Tony very much. She helps run the company, he drives the company. They balance one another very much. But she also often tends to have to run damage control.

"Remember to relax a bit and enjoy yourself. This is the type of thing that you could delegate. I'm sure that you have a large number of event services people on staff or contractors. I'm going to guess without looking at the balance sheet that you likely did every single arrangement here yourself when it came to hiring, coordinating, and logistics." She would give a very, very light tease with her assumptions.

"I think that you're allowed also to enjoy the event a bit yourself. I know it's your responsibility and presents a side to the company, and it's all about the optics.. But you can still take just a little time here to sample it for yourself. You can justify it as the type of thing where one needs a ground eye view to get a perspective. You can't get eerything when you go off presentations and reports. So just go out, have some candy, try some of the food, and see what your impression is as an attendee for a chnage of pace." Again she teases.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper's smile doesn't dip for a second, the warmth still easily present. It's true; she's one of those that should be seen as opposed to //have// to be seen. She's the constant, and when she's got a hold, there is at least the feeling of 'everything is okay'.

"I am, I promise," is returned in good humor. "I even got a smoothie." The green drink covered with blueberries is lifted in gesture. "Not even a prop, really." She is all about the optics too. No fool, she. Even in what is a casual setting- it's still public.

"I am NOT going to be the one to take out Dr Phillips. I may have to find a different ringer, then." Theatric disappointment tinges her tones, obviously playful. "And you're right. I do have the staff. Some are new graduates, so they'll find their way, I'm sure."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would glance at Pepper and look very, very amused - whether she actually is or not, she has a nearly flawless presentation over of it. And she wouldn't stand out given ehr attire if one didn't already know her extensively. She's just a redhead that Pepper seems to know talking to her about things if anyone's just passing on by.

"I see. So are you going to have anything beyond a smoothie?" Natasha goes to tease. "And imagine how it would look to the public if they see the CEO over on one of the rides screaming as she has fun, or has an ice cream that's splattering all over her while she's on a roller coaster. You'd seem almost normal and approachable." Not that Pepper necessarily wants to have that! But it's something for Natasha to get to talk to someone -else- over.

"Yes, and sometimes the best way to see how people do is send them right into the breach. Give them an objective, give them the reasonable resources, and see if they succeed or fail at it. They have to make it up as they go along and know that it's thier jobs and reputation on the line." Natasha would grin.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
A black Escalade pulls up ahead of a Bijan-yellow Rolls Royce with a black hood and matching accents. Several men immediately exit, wearing dark suits and sunglasses and looking every inch like professional soldiers clothed in designer JVD. Janet's erstwhile assistant Arthur hops out of the front of the Rolls and runs back to get the door for his boss. She partially emerges, sheltered in the triangle of the door and her assistant while she fiddles with her outfit. Once a large sunhat is in place, Janet gives him a nudge and steps out into the park proper. The security team is shooed away and Janet starts walking towards Pepper and Natasha.

"There you two are," she greets them with a beaming smile. Whereas Pepper went with the classic 'old money' summer look, and Natasha's in casual street clothes, Janet's look is a classically retro sundress in beige with subtle red pinstriping. It's right out of the 50s, with subtle flaring in the shoulders and a pencil skirt that stops just below her knees. Wedge heels, white gloves, and she's even wearing sleekly modern horn-rimmed sunglasses.

"I could /not/ get my hair to cooperate," she states, as if explaining her lateness. Quick hugs are exchanged and she looks around the concession stands. "Who do I have to screw to get a drink around here?"

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper lifts the green, lemon grass smoothie to her lips, the smile remaining behind the glass as the next sip is taken. "I have a reputation to uphold," is returned with that touch of humor behind them. In all reality, however, the business world is STILL very hard for a woman; particularly at the stratospheric levels where she lives. One slip, one mistake, and it's all chalked up to 'being a woman'. Even her relationship with Tony had to be very carefully orchestrated when announced, just in case.

It's all about the optics.

The glass is lowered, and it's cradled in two hands as she looks beyond to the children running after a ball, dogs in hot pursuit. The smile turns into a smirk as she looks back at her friend, her words taking a theatrically accusing tone, "You enjoyed that. But, really.. I do get to have fun." When the public isn't watching. "We do get away to my parents' house, go skiing." There's a pause before she waves a hand in general to the gathering, "This is for them."

A moment of consideration passes behind her eyes, and she nods her agreement with the thought. "It's true. It's the way I learned." Getting tossed into the deep end and seeing if one can sink or swim seems to be the time honoured tradition! "They know their scope." Or should.

The arrival of the small caravan gains Pepper's attention. Brows rise but the expression is quickly replaced with pleasure, her normally reserved manner when something or someone new comes into play fading to that genuine warmth. She's very familiar with the manner of arrival; Tony and Pepper do it too when arriving somewhere and there is that balance of flair and casual all rolled into one. Her friend makes it all seem so natural, as if travel like that is done all the time- and, to be fair, at their level, it truly is.

Pepper turns to greet her friend, a brush of a kiss on each side of Janet's cheek before straightening once more. There's an amused tone underlying her words, "Nat was giving me a gentle speech on how to determine when it's okay to have fun. Something, I'm sure, she's heard more than once." Pepper takes the moment to glance at Natasha, putting some of it right back on the Russian's lap. Turn-about is fair play, and if a friend can't do it? Who can?

"I.." The last bit from Janet gains a laugh from the redhead, "I'm sure that won't be necessary. Smoothies are over there," even as she gestures, her cup has that cold meets warmth condensation on the outside, "Coffee, tea, and come on. Let's walk over. They only asked we keep the alcohol in a confined area." Which, with them, could easily be loosely defined, given who they are.

Again? All about the optics.

"Your hair looks lovely, Janet. You are looking wonderful. Rested. Did you go away? You have more color?"

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would glance over at Janet and give a wiggle of her fingers, "Hello Janet. Glad you're here and you have your priorities straight." That's again a light tease. For those whom are -really- good at telling Natasha's tells, it's a genuine one of affection. If they're not good enough to pick up her tells, then she's a very flawless liar and it would appear completely sincere. So likely close enough for either way.

"and you have it hard, Pepper. Yes, we know if you lower your guard for just an instant that you're going to get called on anything that has optics that aren't completely flawless and for clear benefit. But you will eventually break down someday." Natasha spekas from a diffetnt sort of experience and perspectivce. And she's lasted this long with her own particularly warped world view. But she does (perhaps) have a point.

As Pepper yields the point over Natasha smiles, "Yes, so you delegate." As it goes back to the interns. "You're just doing your proper job as an executrix." Wait, that wasn't -quite- the appropraite term. "And I have fun. I enjoy my job." Now -that- is impossible to tell whether it's a lie or otherwise.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Janet gives Pepper a warm squeeze. Hug hug, kiss kiss, and she beams happily at both of her friends. Natasha is spared an attack of similar physical affection for the moment, though Janet executes her Executive Friendship Privilege and gives Nats' fingers a quick squeeze of familiarity.

"It's good to see you two, and I am /dying/ for someone to explain why this sounds like some boring-ass presentation at a motivational leadership convention," she informs them both. "Though I agree Pepper needs to get out more, if that's on the table," she guesses. "I can only start so many fires in her office before they'll start digging into what happened at boarding school."

A drink pops into Janet's hand and her assistant flashes a pleasant smile at the two other women before disappearing into the background a few steps away, even despite the pale blue suit and $2,000 lavender tie he's wearing. He's just got a knack for being unremarkable.

"Ah, there we go. Arthur, you're fired, you take all the fun out of getting a drink," she announces, not looking back over at him. Instead she drops her glasses and gives Pepper a florid wink.

"Yes ma'am, very good," he responds, clearly taking it in stride.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper looks at Natasha, a single brow rising, the warm smile never fading. "One day, but not today. I may even consider retiring one day, and maybe, just maybe, I may tell some of my colleagues where to put it." Did she just say that out loud? Probably. But it is almost a given that she'd done a quick, cursory glance around to make sure there were no prying ears. Even she can't afford to do that. Not yet, anyway.

There are a lot of considerations she has to deal with in her position, and every move is made slowly and deliberately- her personally, anyway.

Pepper laughs at Janet's summation of their conversation thus far, and the brightness of the expression remains. "Because we're actually having a grown-up conversation, that's why." She, too, teases her friend before gesturing to a path to look over the goings on and activities of the day. "And there's only one person, other than myself, that knows what happened at boarding school. And she's not telling." It's probably her friend Amanda, who now subleases Pepper's former apartment at The Dakota. "She's sworn to secrecy." Not even her parents, and Pepper likes it that way!

"Now, I think that's a great deal more fun. Having someone hand it to you at a whim?" Notice she doesn't have her own PA to do such things. (Maybe she should hire one?) "Though," and her voice lowers, "It was awfully convenient for him to give you a drink after you asking who you had to screw to get one..."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would cross her arms then and reply to Janet, "Because Ms. Potts seems to not grasp the point that if she ever is not paying full and strict attention, then she risks one day falling apart much like Elon Musk and Steve Jobs." She would quip over at the two. "If even Janet is agreeing with me, then I hope you concede the point." Another tease. "And Janet is able to fully loperate with her vices to help see her through things. You could take lessons from her." And Janet had taken her vices into an entirely separate business. But it was none of Natasha's to care about. Though she had at least kept tabs.

"So is he one that you're going to be rehiring later and forget you fired or is he not that memorable over on the stand of one night employees?" Playing up to her role here. If the man was used to it, then he was definitely a keeper.

"I think that Ms. Potts can't even begin to imagine what relaxing is like, even out of the public eye." A tone of playful challenge.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
"See Natasha, this is how I know you've never been in charge of a corporate structure," Janet informs the spymistress. "Do you have *any* idea what a nightmare it is to hook up with someone on payroll? Sure, 2005, you could get away with it if you were a fat white guy," she allows, "but these days you might as well just go crucify yourself on Twitter's front lawn. Never," she says, and punctuates it with poking Nats' tricep with her drink in hand, "dip your doughnut in the company coffee."

"And anyway, you're barking up the wrong tree with Pepps," Janet points out, and nudges the other redhead with a gentle hipcheck. "I've been trying to get her to go wild for years and the best she manages is a night at home with a cup of cocoa and her phone set to ring anytime Tony stubs his toe. You do know he's your /boyfriend/ now, right?" she tells Pepper with an arch tone and a lofted brow. "If anything, he should be on speed dial to come rub your feet between the hours of Whenever and Now. It's not like he *needs* to actually work."

Pepper Potts has posed:
Is that a little bit of color that rises to Pepper's cheeks when Janet informs Natasha of the one basic corporate 'no no'? Perhaps. Or it could be that her fair cheeks are getting a little bit of sun with the day's rays. Either way, she lifts her drink to her lips once again and takes a swallow, taking hold of a blueberry and smooshing it in her mouth.

"See? I can relax." It's a victory, even if it doesn't seem as if it is. "Besides, hot cocoa is my vice of choice. I won't even mention the occasional marshmallow." She's in the gym for DAYS after that. Or, she is more excited to get to Wednesday yoga class on time. It's such a lovely day, and the tableau is almost perfect in the laughing, playing and over-indulging of food and drink of the Stark Industries 'extended family' that there is just a certain comfortable, almost relaxed state that flows off of Pepper. Now that the initial set up and beginning of the event is done. Her staff can take it from here- but that doesn't mean she'll be running around, frolicking.

"I know he is. And he does give the best back rubs." Those hands. That is also probably an admission that there is a great deal of stress that causes those tight muscles! "And we've actually discussed that. I think this last birthday has put him in a slightly philosophic mood." Tony? Philosophic? Really?

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff would shrug, "Well, I just tend to have anyone that might be a possible threat removed. It keeps the underlings in line knowing that if they don't toe the line then they'll be next. That seems conventional enough anyways in the establishment." She would quip over while glancing back at Janet, smirking at hte poke from Janet. "Just go out with her, preusme that Janet can handle any fallout.. And note that Pym Particles are /extremely/ useful for making bodies disappear."

She would chuckle over wtih laughter over at Pepper. "Very well. We all have our own virtues and vices." Some of them more vices than others. Natasha is a woman of few virtues. It's what her job and lifestyle entails. And what she has focused upon.