1618/Boxers and Coffee

Boxers and Coffee
Date of Scene:	11 May 2020
Location:	Avengers Mansion - Kitchen
Synopsis:	Thor shares some of his great wisdom with Pepperface.
Cast of Characters:	Pepper Potts, Thor

---

Pepper Potts has posed:
The sun has only risen perhaps a couple of hours ago, and the skies are clear, the air is finally warming after a slightly cooler start to the spring. Birds are chirping in the tr-- okay, it's the City. Pigeons are cooing on the sidewalk, and the streets are still colder than the air above the skyscrapers. But, it's a city morning, and it's a nice one!

Miss Pepper Potts is in the mansion, a designer shopping bag is set to the side with the name 'Janet' in swirled handwriting leaning against one of the chairs in the living room. JARVIS let her in, as she didn't really want to bother anyone in case they're sleeping in; something each and every one of them fully deserves after the past week or so. Post Expo. For Pep, however, this is the first stop of many for the day. She's dressed in her usual business suit; impeccably tailored, sensible heels, a long light spring jacket, clutch, her strawberry blonde hair set back off her face with a pony tail.

"Jarvis?"

"Yes, Miss Potts?" It's a smooth, graceful English accented voice that seems to come from everywhere and nowhere... and Pepper misses it so very much. HOMER can't hold a candle to him yet.

"Let Janet know I left something for her in the living room for me? I know she'll find it, but.."

"Yes, Miss Potts. I'll be sure she knows."

"Thank you." The familiar voice brings a smile to her face, and turning about, the first few steps brings that *click*click*click* of heels on the floor once more.

Thor has posed:
    Meanwhile, in another part of the mansion. "Jarvis!"

"Yes, Master Odinson."

    "How long have I slept?"

Perhaps a hint of hesitation or indignity at being used as a clock might be inferred by the subtle .3 tenths of a second delay in Jarvis' response. But then it comes all the same, "4 hours seventeen minutes, Master Odinson."

    "Bother," Is the succinct reply given as Thor emerges from his room and takes the steps needed to descend that spiral staircase, blearily walking forth and rubbing at his brow as he moves. He smacks his lips sleepily as he walks, passing through the living area even as he walks by the foyer and picks up a t-shirt from the bannister. "Oh, hello." He says as if greeting the thing like an old friend and pulling it on roughly over his broad chest. Stark 2020 is clearly depicted on the front of that bit of clothing, now completing his morning ensemble of red t-shirt and blue boxers. It's further in and... just past Pepper that Thor Odinson walks.
    He takes notice as he moves past, "Oh, hello." He repeats, greeting her in the same way he greeted his clothing. "Coffee?" He offers and then yaaaaaawns.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Motion upstairs, and Pepper pauses momentarily, catching the sound of footfalls. As Thor descends the staircase, it becomes a great deal more evident that it's not Janet, at the very least.

Confirmed when he ... greets his clothing. "Good morning," is given pleasantly enough, a genuine smile gracing her face. "I didn't wake you, did I? I didn't know if .." She twists slightly to offer a quick shrugged gesture at the living room/sitting room, "Just dropping something off."

Though the thought of coffee with Thor? Any normal person would jump at the chance, right? But, most normal people don't see Thor quite the way she is at the moment... very human and, well.. cute in an Asgardian god sort of way. Which is.. odd, and the thought is actually reflected on her face for a moment as she scrunches her nose, her brows, and the decision is made, her smile rising once again. "Sure. I'll.. uh.. let my team know that I'll be late for the CNN business interview. It's not on camera anyway." She takes the steps towards the kitchen, "Want me to make it? I'm actually pretty good at it."

Thor has posed:
    "What?" He glances at her with bright blue eyes as she inquires if she woke him, "Oh no, certainly not. I couldn't sleep further I'm afraid." He moves on with that same shuffling gait that is universal apparently between Asgardians and Midgardians alike.
    With bare feet making small snaps of bare flesh upon the floor, Thor walks along and pauses as he pulls open a closet just before the way into the kitchen. He delves around and then calls over his shoulder, "Jarvis! Where are my shoes for when I am at ease?"
    The responding AI's voice answers in a tone that might have the slightest hint of exasperation for those that might be oh so familiar with him. "You refer to your flip flops, sir?"
    "Aye, those are the thing."
    "I believe they were taken out with the morning's disposal, Master Odinson."
    "Bother."
    But with that he closes the closet and continues on into the kitchen, trailing a Pepper he says over his shoulder. "A good few days, aye? Tony returned amongst us. Metropolis saved." As he says that last he frowns a little as he perhaps recalls what passed with Loki. But then he almost instantly brightens up.
    "All in all jobs well done." It's then that he sweeps into the kitchen and finds the coffee maker already going, though he does need to get some mugs. But as she offers to make it, "I believe Jarvis was so kind as to make this batch, but the next if you wish?"
    That said he pulls down a pair of teal coffee mugs and holds them up to her, as if asking if they meet her approval.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper does follow, the conversation between Jarvis and Thor obviously amusing her. She shakes her head, an affectionate gesture, offering, "You know if you do that too much, he's probably going to play a prank on you. You may find your shower colder than you like, or your bedroom heat turned up. He has his way of making his displeasure known." Obviously Pepper is beyond calling Jarvis 'it' and is honestly in the 'he' category. "He's shut my lights down when he thought I was working too long. He'd read my biometrics and decided that I needed a break. Sent the elevator to the floor, too. Lit the halls." A soft laugh exits the PA, "Just a friendly warning."

Nodding her approval at the mug, Pepper glides to stand beside the counter, leaning slightly against it. "Metropolis? What happened there?" There's concern there, particularly in that she hadn't yet gotten to the 'watch the news' stage of her day, and apparently Homer hadn't thought to apprise her of it. She'll have to speak to him later.

She does a quick 'once over', pretty much the same way she scans Tony for anything that may not have been there previously before, "Everyone okay?"

Coffee is a side thought now, as she waits on the answers, her curiouslity piqued.

Though, as if to allay any fears, Pepper quickly adds, "Tony seems fine."

Thor has posed:
    The thunderer pauses as he offers her the mug, "What? No, Jarvis would never do such. Those are just... momentary failures in the many machinery... aspects that go into the mansion. Assuredly." For apparently Jarvis has enacted his revenge before. And Thor still does not fully realize it.
    He then walks over to stand beside the coffee maker as it burbles its last, perfectly timed as always by the AI so that the pot is ready. He pulls the pot free of its locked position and pours himself some coffee then offers to do likewise for her.
    "Ah, great shadowy... monster thing. Was going to eat the city. The good people of SHIELD rendered it trapped in some magical mirror of a sort. My brother also was of use." That last bit murmured a little quieter than the rest.
    But then he nods again, "Indeed, of our ilk. Though I fear the cities fared worse."

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper accepts the mug with a nodded thanks, one hand holding the handle, the other underneath, cradling it. She takes it unadulterated when it's coffee; other than that? She'll go full-on frou-frou when she's out.

A knowing smile that could be considered a smirk appears, and she lifts her coffee for that first tentative sip, "He's done it already, then." There's that pause for a second sip, "Do you really believe that Jarvis would allow a failure? That's more of an insult than accusing him of doing something." Psychology of Jarvis 101.

Still!

The smirk drops from her face at the description of what was fought, her brows rising, and her mug is slowly lowered. "Shadowy.. monster thing?" When Thor is called in to help, it's a big deal. And.. "Your brother." Two words in a statement that is actually meant to be a question. "I see.

"Though.." Pepper tries to rally herself, and she straightens, the coffee recalled, and she lifts it once more for another sip. "At least Tony wasn't involved, and now that I know, I can set funds aside from the Foundation to help with any rebuilding projects that the government might not immediately or adequately fund."

Thor has posed:
    Pepper's words get through to him as Thor blinks a little blankly, eyes distancing. Then his lips twist into a wry smile, apparently taking no umbrage at the idea that Jarvis might be tormenting him so. "That dastard."
    But he grins and shakes his head, taking another sip of coffee. He nods then as she seeks elaboration on the Metropolis situation and he murmurs, "Apparently an elder entity had been imprisoned and escaped. There was some assembling of the broken pieces of the mirror, and they needed time to reassemble it. So I did what I could to provide them that time."
    His head bobs once or twice, apparently finding no problem to discussing such with Pepper nor finding her presence in the mansion as anything out of the ordinary or untoward. He just leans there against the counter, sipping his coffee and lounging there in his boxers and t-shirt, looking thoughtful.
    "And yourself, Lady Potts? What has passed for you these few days last shared?"

Pepper Potts has posed:
There.. there is that realization, and Pepper offers that rare broad smile, the kind that truly reaches her green eyes. "Just thought you might like to know. I haven't told anyone else, so.. it's between you and me." Of course Tony is undoubtedly aware, and now Thor. Though Tony has the ability to override. Thor does not.

The coffee is attended to again, and from the way Thor speaks of his time in Metropolis, it makes her feel just a little more... assured that everything will be okay. Strange how some people just have that affect on her; a very few. "I'm glad you're okay. I wouldn't want to see anything happen to you." It's an honest thought, but hearing it in her own ears, she backpedals a little, and turns to set her coffe mug down behind her, "Not that anything would, I'm sure. But, this place actually needs you." Good cover!

It's nice to be able to talk about near anything here, and have this sort of relationship with those who live here. (Even if she is technically a +1. If Tony ever left, would she still be as welcome? Probably not!)

"Oh.. uh.. it's Pepper. Really. Miss Potts is what they call me at work. Probably because they don't know whether to call my by that or my real name." Pepper waves her hand dismissively at the formality as if to wipe it away in the air. "As for the last few days?" She chuckles softly, and the smile remains, though it's a little tightlipped, "Working, really. Meetings, interviews, keeping people reined in, trying to hire some top people for Tony's birthday at the end of the month. Board meetings, meetings with the SEC to be sure that Stark Industries keeps the market shored up.. because if our stock falls?" She shakes her head, "But.. mostly?" Here, she exhales in a softly chuffed breath, "Making sure Tony's okay."

Thor has posed:
    "Well yes, I am Mighty after all." Thor's answer is a wry thing, murmured over the lip of his mug as he takes another sip, but then nods to her cover as she makes it, clearly accepting it at face value. "Do not worry, there are few things on Midgard that could do me too much ill, and to be fair a good number of them are Avengers so I am moderately safe."
    At that he smiles and blows a small breath across the coffee to cool it, then turns his focus on her as he listens. Which might seem strange, for it is a rare individual that can listen quite as well as Thor when he turns his focus to the task. It's just rare that someone has his entire attention. And for now, she does.
    "Pepper," He smiles as he accepts the use of that name, chuckling a little at it for some reason or another. "Stark's birthday?" His eyebrows rise as if this were news to him, which it was. "Blast it, I'll have to come up with a suitable present idea."
    He looks away and chews upon his lower lip contemplatively and hrmmms softly to himself. But then she offers that wish for Tony's health and he echoes it with an, "Aye, he has dealt with much of late."

Pepper Potts has posed:
"Mighty," Pepper repeats with that smile. There are times when it's easy to forget that the man in front of her is, essentially, a god, and one of those times is now. Other than, well.. the bass voice and the muscles, he could be considered a regular guy?

Nope.

Bobbing her head in that single nod, Pepper greets the name with an encouraging smile. "Perfect. And yes. Tony's birthday is at the end of the month, and with everything going on, I haven't yet made all the phone calls and had all the conferencing that I need to set it up." There is a moment before, "Jarvis, you don't hear any of this."

"Yes, Miss Potts. Recording of conversation in the kitchen is paused."

See? Pepper knows the tricks, and now if Tony wanted to try and find out, he wouldn't be able to bring up the record. Not there!

"I want to get him a car. And not just any car... something that can run on his energy but make him competitive on the circuit. He loves his fast cars, and to have something like that? A one of a kind? But, to do that, it has to be engineered first. So.. I guess the blueprints will have to do for it." She... hopes, anyway. "I'll get a copy and have it framed."

Tony's health.. well, Pepper twists around to retake her coffee, and finds it sufficiently cooled to take another sip. Nodding over it, she turns green eyes towards her kitchen companion again and smiles ruefully. "His health. I still worry about him, and I wish I could help him. I mean," the hand that cradles the bottom of the mug is pulled from its spot to gesture lightly, "I can, but I really can't." Beat. "I know that makes absolutely no sense, and I think at this point," twisting around, she sets the coffee behind her again, "I should probably go before too much longer. I forgot that I have to get the cleanup crews out in order to make sure the Stark Expo is fully put to bed."

Thor has posed:
    "Every year for a festivity, seems so often does it not?" Though for an individual that is over a thousand years old perhaps the idea of annual celebration might be a touch much. But he did enjoy his own several weeks ago to be fair. So he ponders thoughtfully, distracted now...
    But when Pepper mentions a vehicle his eyebrows rise as he nods a few times. "Oh that does sound like it would fit, Stark. Entirely. Why can you not get this engineered?" The God of Thunder asks innocently, likely utterly unaware of how such things happen. "There are some dwarfs that owe me a myriad of favors, I could ask of them to forge this vehicle for you."
    Since that is how cars get made. Dwarfs.
    It's then that it seems Pepper gets lost in her own thoughts even as she speaks of them and it draws Thor's focus back to her. His head tilts to the side, pony tail shifting with that small movement as he nods along with her thought process. "Why can you not help him?"
    He asks obliviously, then dismisses her expression of needing to go with the wave of one hand and a single word. "Bah." Then he adds, "That can wait."

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper smiles, "Every year. There are some big ones. Like when we turn 21, or 30, or 50. Those we make an even bigger party for. It's like.. a rite of passage." Pepper should know. She hit that '30' mark just last year! But it went quietly, almost unremarked. She did get herself a nice dress, though."

She pauses her departure on request; after all, who can say 'no' to Thor? Not even she can. Well, she probably could, but this.. this is nice. And there are so few moments of 'nice' that she'll take it!

"Dwarfs." It's both a statement and a question all rolled in to one. "Really?" She pauses a heartbeat before adding, "Of course, really. Why wouldn't there be?" Every once in awhile, she does get that 'out of left field' thing, firmly reminding her that all is //not// normal, or rather, this is the normal and 'out there' just.. has no real clue. "I.. I might actually have to think on that." There comes a breathed laugh, and it does reach those green eyes again, softening her face. "Is there a way I could meet them? I mean, if it's possible, and things seem right for that sort of thing?" It's a shot!

At that last question, though, Pepper takes the couple of steps, though not without taking her coffee, to the table and pulls out a chair to sit. Settling into it, she cradles that coffee again, and crosses her legs at the ankles, and looks up at the tall Asgardian god. "I honestly don't know. I mean, he reached out to me to send me that message to help save him. He knew I would be there, that I'm always there. Even when he's not. And.. I'm not really sure how I feel about that anymore." She shakes her head and brings a hand up in a gestured wave, "Don't get me wrong. I would move heaven and earth to save him if he were in trouble. I'd bring everything I could to bear, I really don't care. But.. everything else?" Again, Pepper shakes her head as if to get rid of the webs in her head, and takes a deep, steadying breath. "It's dumb. It's juvenile.. and I have a job to do, which is to be sure Stark Industries is still standing at the end of the day."

Thor has posed:
    "Come, walk with me," He says that in the tone of a man who is rarely disobeyed, all of the regalness there in that rich voice of his as he pushes off of the counter and moves toward the door in the back of the kitchen. He sips his coffee again and looks askance over his shoulder to her.
    "But aye, the dwarven smiths of Nidavellir, fine craftsmen all." He bobs his head and reaches the door, then pushes it open with one hand, holding it open for her to precede him and letting in the cool Spring air of the morning, aided by the lovely garden in the back and not quite carrying as much of the city with it compared to other places.
    "I could ask Heimdall to bring us there and we could share words with the brothers Heali and Feali."
    But then she begins to speak on the matters of helping Tony and she can see he is... perhaps not entirely following along but he nods as he gives it his thoughts, trying to puzzle it out. "Obviously, Tony values you and holds you close to his heart. It was you he reached out to in his time of need. I know he is..."
    A pause as he takes a deep breath. "Tony is a man who in some ways is his own worst enemy. I can see it when the things within him roil and he addresses them by affecting the without."
    He takes a deep breath then, standing out there in the yard. Technically in his underwear. Another sip of early morning coffee as he then says, "I doubt there will ever be a time in his life, good Pepper, when he would turn away your helping hand."

Pepper Potts has posed:
When Thor asks to take a walk, who is Pepper to say 'no'? Even if the god of Thunder is barefoot and in t-shirt and large boxers? This is one haven from the paparazzi.

Pepper rises from her seat and crosses the room in order to pass through the opened door and into the back yard. The clear, sunny day is shaping up, and the promised warmth is so nice; it's a mood refresher.

"Not yet. I want to see the blueprints to see if it's appropriate? Talk with the engineers and then I'll have a better answer. His birthday is at the end of the month, so I have a little time, anyway. 15 days." 15 days for a miracle.

Walking slowly on first the paving stones, she slips off her shoes to walk in the well-manicured grass. (Easy enough when not wearing stockings!)

"You know how he can get," and that is said with no little affection. "Or.. maybe not." Still, a shrug graces her shoulders and she turns to look at Thor, green eyes meeting blue. "I thought I made my peace when he announced to the world of his candidacy, and the fact that he got married. He'd never said a word to me.. and there I was, covering for him, helping him. Then, I found out the truth." She's not giving voice to the truths she'd discovered, however. "I had to dig for it. At least he felt bad for lying to me."

Thor has posed:
    There's a scrape of metal as Thor draaags a picnic chair out from under the table and turns it around to take a seat there upon it, letting his mug of coffee clink upon the glassy surface. He smiles across the way to her as he says. "You think too much about this, Pepper."
    Thor says, oh voice of reason and wisdom that he is.
    "There are people we love, and will ever love, no matter how the world changes. How they change. Or even what ills pass. For we are burdened with the gift of our shared past. And it is no failing in us that these thoughts and emotions linger. And I like to think that in others they are never left entirely forlorn on their part either."
    The way the Asgardian speaks, it is clear he has spent some time turning these thoughts over in his mind over long hours of contemplation. He uncurls a hand to her. "If you are unsettled it is only because of the care and love you hold. Do not admonish yourself for such. Celebrate yourself for such. Now come."
    Thor thumps the seat next to him as he reclines in the chair and takes up his coffee mug. "Sit with me, and enjoy the morning for the next hour. Perhaps two. Then off with you." His lip twists.

Pepper Potts has posed:
When did the God of Thunder become so philosophic?

Or, more rightly, when has Thor ever been able to give voice to this?

Pepper watches his face, and has that scrunched smile that reaches liquid green eyes, and occasionally gives a breathed exhale or a nod to show that she hears, and more importantly, understands. She exhales, the feeling of heaviness shuffled off those shoulders, if only for a little bit, and for this particular reason. Business is nothing in comparison to all this.. her feelings on the matter of her personal life.

"Right," and her tones sound a wry bemusement. "Let me call, let them know that I will be late for.." and she chuckles, "...pretty much everything." And she doesn't care. Instead, she's going to give herself these moments with a friend as a present to herself.

"So," Pepper's voice sounds a little stronger, even if she has to clear her throat for it to sound true, "tell me about the battles." It's a topic she thinks he'd enjoy.. the regalling of stories with a mug of freshly brewed coffee.