16858/A cold evening at Astra Lumina

A cold evening at Astra Lumina
Date of Scene:	18 January 2024
Location:	Brooklyn, NY - Botanical Gardens
Synopsis:	A straightforward trip to a garden exhibit turns out to have a small version of Avengers Assemble. Of course. But, a worker from the Botanical Gardens has a story to tell his friends and family!
Cast of Characters:	Pepper Potts, Natasha Romanoff, Tony Stark, Wanda Maximoff, Clint Barton

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Pepper Potts has posed:
New York City between snow storms. The snow on the ground is only just beginning to turn grey but the chill at least is keeping it icy rather than relegating it to slush. The skies are overcast; one couldn't see the stars, even the strongest lights that sometimes find their way through the light pollution. The ever present cold breeze that winds its way down the concrete and steel canyons brings an even deeper chill, pushing through all but the best of padded coats.

It's a little bit warmer in the 39 acre-large Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, even on their 9 different outdoor thematic areas. After dark, the lights are brilliant, blinking in a myriad of display, showing off the colors of the blooms from all around the world. The fragrance of the flowers hang in the air, sweeter than any perfume. The doors are beginning to close to the public, remaining open for the small group that settles in the atrium. There are several VIP tours to the new Astra Lumina display, or rather, 'event', but not to the detriment of the public. (The event is being extended due to overwhelming popularity.) Astra Lumina has been reviewed with glowing reports through all of the newspapers, with some claiming that it was 'Cosmically mesmerizing', 'Multimedia wonderland', and 'A place where sky and nature collide'.

Ms Pepper Potts has been able to gain a handful of tickets for what is billed as 'an enchanted night walk amongst the stars'. Dressed snugly in a long, below the knee-length thick wool coat with a brilliant red scarf around her neck, she is all smiles. This has been in the local news since it appeared, and unlike the various Cirque du Soleils, STARS are the one thing that her particular group of friends can come together for. "There is actually a waiting list for group tickets." Even for VIP tickets! "We were lucky that another group cancelled."

The entryway is a hint of what is to come further within the Gardens. Small dots of light twinkle above, set upon the ceiling, with wisps of brilliance winking in and out, very much like bright fireflies. Just beyond is a smiling young man that looks to be ready to greet the group and simply serve as a guide to the extensive paths rather than an 'interpreter'.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
This isn't the type of thing that Natasha normally does, but she was asked very nicely by Ms. Potts, and it's a chance for her to spend some time with the rest of the team when there's no ongoing mission. She has no knowledge of any coming threats or hostilities, but the team should be capable of handling anything that might be thrown at them that's not catastrophic. She's wearing a dark jacket and parka with a large hood on. Her weapons are of course under her jacket but not particularly noticable.

Oh well, there are worse sorts of touristy things that the group could be pulled into doing, and this one isn't something in the aftermath of a catastrophe where the team is desperate to try and recharge and relax in the short time they have available. So she can appreciate it.

Tony Stark has posed:
    Dragged out of his workshop (Not that he minds too much) to spend some quality time with Pepper, Tony is wearing a coat similar to hers, but without a scarf. Underneath he's got on a suit, and to finish the picture, his glasses tonight have a purple tint to the lenses.

    Looking around the group as the public makes it's way out, he chuckles and states "Well, I guess we're all set if something attacks the garden. If Big Green was here we'd round out the roster nicely."

    Glancing at Pepper he adds, "I'm sure this will just be a pleasant night though." He finishes the sentence to himself "That would be a nice change."

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
A walk among the stars.

That is surely something that perks the Scarlet Witch's attention and so when Pepper had come with the idea for them to visit Wanda had been one of the first to put her chips in about going which is ..., rather unlike her usual self. Being withdrawn from many of the group activities where it comes to fraternizing. So here she is, dressed according to the killer weather they have been having. Warm turtleneck sweater, pants and boots. Atop it all there's a jacket, dark red in color of course because even when off-work one needs to cater to the style that has made them famous. Long hair has been pulled up in a ponytail.

The hint of things to come draws Wanda's gaze to the gardens yet when she speaks up there's a trace of amusement to her tone, "Luck? I don't believe you ever do anything that you can attribute to luck, Pepper." she points out.

"It is.., good to see you all here."

Clint Barton has posed:
Well...it's been a long minute since Clint actually went to an /event/ that didn't involve an arrow in the throat at the end of it. Honestly? Clint's never been the type to attend these things anyway. But, he's here.

He follows closely behind Wanda when she arrives, a little wave from the archer as he has gloves, a good black coat, and a black and purple scarf wrapped around his neck. He's dressed for the cold and the cold this year? It hasn't really been pleasant. "Good to see you guys. Hopefully you haven't had too much fun without us?"Clint smirks a little bit, his eyes shifting naturally to look at his long-time best friend (who's not lucky), Natasha Romanoff. "Hey Nat. Keeping healthy?"

He fingerguns at Tony. "Staaaark. Sup man? Still waiting on that arrow suit, by the way. Or like...a really cool tech bow." The glint in his eyes suggests he's joking.

Pepper Potts has posed:

Pepper looks around at the gathering of her friends, ignoring the subtle and not so subtle stares of those departing, the twisting around and 'Look, the Avengers! That's Iron Man, and.. and.. Hawkeye!' There are a couple more tourguides that shuffle sideways to exchange whispers with the lucky one that won the draw.

"Trade you my day off."
"Not on your life."
"Tell me you're getting autographs."
"No, let them enjoy themselves." And that is //why// this particular young man is best suited!

Reaching to slip an arm into Tony's, it's an easy headcount, and raising her head in the direction of the tour start, Pepper offers a quick headbob. "I'm really glad you could make it, Wanda," is given warmly. "This is supposed to be beautiful. Like, walking through the stars, minus the lack of air and gravity." The last bit is delivered with a touch of humor. "And this really was lucky. The other date I had was in a couple of days. So, that would have interfered with..." and suddenly Pepper stops and waves a hand, "No work. No." Her green eyes turn towards Clint, brows rising as if to underscore that for him. "Later," she teases. Of course, it's more a reminder to herself, obviously. Or perhaps not so?

With the official headnod returned by the guide, the door opens to the rest of the gardens. Just beyond, a complete and impressive display of colors burst as they twinkle in the 'sky' just above their heads. With simply a glance, the well-known constellations are in their full glory. The North Star, the dippers, and Orion's Belt. The path that is taken is dimly lit in order to keep eyes to the skies, thus the 'need' for a guide. Just at the edge of hearing, there is music. It's a soft swell, coordinated with the stars as they gently move. The song of the universe.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
As the group walks, Natasha Romanova goes to pause. She hears something.. Static? Interference? Like a radio signal that's a bit distorted. She goes to give a quick signal to Clint. She's not expecting him to pick up on it - so it's more of a quick alert for him. A smooth hand signal is given, and while Natasha does not go into 'alert' status.. She does go to quickly and covertly start sweeping along for anything else in the area or anything that's monitoring them.

Sure, it just might be a minor glitch in the system, someone listening to music, a maintenance technician making a report or so or some interference.. But the old woman is eternally paranoid. The signals are no signs of immintent threat to the others that might pick up on them.. But they're a signal that she has observed something. And then she goes to identify it as music after just a short moment of listening.

Not part of the tour, no signs of any other individuals int he area.. Then again no sign of Music Meister..

Tony Stark has posed:
    As one arm has been claimed by Pepper, Tony just nods to Clint, saying "Well, you've already got the carousel of arrowheads in your quiver, what more could you ask? And talk to SHIELD, they keep reminding me not to hand armor out like candy, the spoilsports."

    As they make their way into the start of the event, he gets a slightly puzzled look, tilting his head slightly to one side as if trying to listen to something that he can't quite make out. After a few moments he shrugs and continues walking along the path to take in the show.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda glances over her shoulder at Clint when the archer comes guns blazing, some unusual warmth in her gaze before she smiles at the talk between him and Tony. Better that than pay too much attention to the looks being given their way by /so many people/. She will never get used to that. At least her plastic figure isn't one of the most populars so she can sometimes have a few moments of privacy.

Certainly not with Tony around though.

The call from within becomes more alluring now that there's music. It tugs at her, a song of the universe and so Wanda finds herself humming along with it, eyes closed as she follows them in. Does she notice the interference? If she does she doesn't seem to be paying much mind to it just yet, focus on the lyrics heard.

Pepper Potts has posed:
If the guide hears it, he certainly doesn't let on, as given by his posture, manner and mien. He's simply making sure the path is clear for the group, and checking on the operating of the universe brought down to earth.

The noise isn't any louder as the group progresses down the pathway. There's no ticking; and it certainly doesn't seem to interfere with the workings of the display. It's just that.. *crackle* that normal people wouldn't necessarily pick up on that now runs in the background. At least there's no nasty yelp review complaining about the entire experience being ruined?

The 'stars' begin to dip down as they pass a certain point on the pathway, and all around them gets darker for it. Suns from hundreds and thousands of lightyears away are just within reach, and Pepper does; she reaches out with her free hand and pokes a light, and a smile on her face grows as she looks in that wonderment. The moment she does, there is a gentle tenor note that sounds a little louder from the glorious music that rolls softly in the background. It really does give the impression of walking through space, one amongst the stars.

Now, depending upon how WELL people know their starfields, not everything is //perfect//. Some anomalies exist, the universe simply copied as is as opposed to being drawn by numerous PhDs. Some of the Avengers may recognize spaceships resting just outside of orbit, the Asteroid...

Just beyond reach (and seemingly always beyond reach) are the shooting stars. Comets with their bright tails flash their lights, briefly lighting the group's faces before flickering out once more. (Or is that a spaceship that is exploding in the atmosphere?)

"This is breath taking. The reviews don't give it near the credit." Even all those glowing reports! Pepper glances at 'the boys', her expression warm but holding that gentle but specific silent warning.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova is extremely fluent over in the stars of Earth. She can broadly tell where she is on the planet by observing them for a time. Calculate her general location so long as they are viewable no matter where she is. So she can tell as the exhibit goes to sweep along and show things off planet, she can tell that things aren't quite the same way. But..

They're seeing the stars from off-planet. The point of view is not of their star system. They don't know where it is out and among the cosmos. Natasha goes to look through them. Scanning them for any sort of familiar perspective. Is that star brighter? Dimmer? Is there something that's a hook for a familiar thing that might be hundreds, if not thousands of light years away? She looks through the wonderfully displayed cosmos over analytically. She has not been to that many stars.

SHe's quite content with limiting herself to one planet and the general solar system that it's located in. But she can appreciate the spectacle. But she is well past the point of life where she could be in wonder at the majesty of them. Long past the point of Sputnik, of Yuri Gagarin.. The thrills that as a child she never imagined have long since passed.

Now she can appreciate them. But there is not the wonder in her that might have been decades, more than a few lifetimes ago. And for that.. For that, she is sad.

Tony Stark has posed:
    Tony is an expert in many things, but he's never made any great effort at astronomy. If he wants to know where he is, he'll just check his GPS. The display is certainly impressive, beautiful even. Then he spots one of the spaceships and his brow furrows a bit. It's not normally something that would be included in this sort of thing.

    Under his breath, he says "HOMER, copy and analyze the display we're getting here. Identify the source if you can." The AI uses the display in Tony's glasses to start recording and going over the displayed universe.

    In a quiet aside to Pepper he says "I'm glad you got me out here, this is really something." Being Tony however, he can't leave well enough alone and goes on. "It's some pretty impressive tech. Bet I could set this kind of thing up in the Tower."

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Green eyes re-open as they make their way further in. As they get that show of light and sound, as if the melody is drawing their steps along. And yet something tugs at Wanda's mind. Is it the sight of the asteroid? Bringing memories and other worries to her? Or the hanging sadness from one of their own? A glance is given at Natasha, watching the other woman for a few pensive moments before she speaks up in agreement with Pepper,

"It was a good idea." Steps bringing her closer to that asteroid, so bright among the rest. At least in her perspective. She reaches with tentative fingers, curious how *it* will sound in the melody, brushing over before letting go. A strum of power echoes, the witch listening to it blend back into the generic melody before returning to the group, faint smile to lips.

"We should do more stargazing at the Avenger's Tower." she says at the group before her gaze sweeps over Clint.

Clint Barton has posed:
Clint gives that smile to Wanda, noticing how she regards him with that warmth.

The signal from Natasha stops him from saying anything more, his hand gesturing something in sign language for her that roughly translates to 'Get ready'. He heard that static sound, he heard what it might mean. It might be some kind of interference. But he's not sure. Hmmm....

Though he's snapped back to the present with a little smile for Stark. "You know Fury, he doesn't let me do anything." Lies and slander, typically Fury is /covering/ for Clint while he's doing his mischief. Though, he seems to look towards Pepper, lifting his hands. "Alright, alright, no work." He chuckles.

He does give a brief little wave towards the people who notice them, but instead, he seems to start to follow along with the group. The stars begin to dip down, a little laugh. "That's cool...." He smirks ever so slightly, looking at the flickering lights....or are those exploding ships?

Unknown.

Still, that sound was strange.He turns to look at Tony for a moment. "Good call." He smirks, turning his eyes towards Wanda. "Not a bad day away from the Tower and Mansion, huh?" He's trying to be friendly, keep the mood light.

But something's very wrong.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"Copying now," comes the response in Tony's always present com. "Analyzing." HOMER doesn't give a time when he'll be done with it; he has to attach all the lights, line them up with the known star systems, and extrapolate out. "There are anamolous positionings that no longer line up. The time span appears to be 2 Earth months." There is a pause before, "Generating a report for viewing at the Tower."

Like a little girl walking in falling snow, Pepper's got that almost dreamy look, taking in the views. While not oblivious to the others, each enjoy in their own way, right? Pepper fully expects that Tony's mind will never truly //turn off// to take it all in. It's yet another reason, another part of him that she adores. Squeezing his arm gently, she glances quickly over to his face before looking back out. "That would be amazing," is agreed to both Tony's suggestion and Wanda's.

The sound that Wanda gains from touching the brighter 'star' brings her attention around. It's not discordant, no.. but it does fall back into the soft melody that forms around her, around the group.

From one area to another; from constellations to galaxies, and the music swells and changes ever so slightly. It sounds older, ancient even, and still, it holds that background interference, the crackle that almost seems to be the cosmos itself talking to the group.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
That's rather unusual now. She's not sure what it is, if something's wrong.. "This is too real." Is th eobservation that Natasha makes. It's definitel far higher quality than could be on Earth, and she's not aware of any atriums that use off-planet tech in their displays. Natasha's hand goes to slowly rotate over to be ready to fast draw her pistol. They're being watched is the only conclusion she can come to. But that's how she always thinks, always acts..

Her hand loops around and rests on her holster, even as she goes to survey things along and try to get any semblance of an idea as to what is up. She goes to look towards where the projectors are. There will have to be numerous ones of them. All of them likely displaying small lights to create a holographic tapestry.. Presuming that they haven't been teleported off planet without knowing.

Tony Stark has posed:
    Perhaps there was a time that hearing something out of place wouldn't make Tony's mind jump straight to 'trouble', but if so that time is long gone. He gently disengages his arm from Pepper's and flicks his eyes to the control on the HUD in his glasses that activates night vision so he can look ahead on the path and try to see what the metallic sound he heard is being caused by.

    He's not quite in emergency mode yet, but it's close. Sometimes being a known superhero can really ruin a nice evening. Or maybe it's still a nice evening and this is just a small part of the display breaking down.

    But with his luck, he's going to need his armor in a moment.

Clint Barton has posed:
"Anything from your handy dandy device, Stark?"

Clint asks him plainly, his hands sliding into his coat pockets as he looks around. Though for a moment, he looks up. There's a light that isn't working quite like it's supposed to. His eyes narrow for that moment, naturally far-sighted. "That...doesn't look quite right." He steps forward a little bit, his hand seemingly reaching for something underneath his coat.

But strangely enough, he doesn't shoot it.

It's something small. It's metallic and orb-like in the distance.

"That's....not normal. Something from the actual stars itself? Stark, get your armor ready. Nat? Get those stingers."

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper isn't completely oblivious, mind. She can tell when others around her are starting to get, well, not antsy, but guarded? Why? It is dark, but for the lights that surround them in their display, and she's searching each of their faces; moreso when Tony disengages his arm from hers. Her expression turns puzzled, brows creasing as she tries to work it out. How is there danger //here//?

As the group moves forward, perhaps a little slower now, Pepper is confused, brought out of her immersion as she feels the tension. "What?" She doesn't have the benefit of those night vision designer glasses, nor is she really aware that he's turned them on in order to actually //see//.

Yes, they are still in the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, and the group is more than halfway through the tour. The guide is further up, making sure everyone is safe and okay. He is still oblivious to the ramping up of those Avengers present, doing 'their thing'. It's a testament to the designers that they can almost make a spot in New York City seem like outer space. (No wonder the ticket prices are so high, and in such demand!) The projectors are difficult to see in good times, but the seasoned spy can find hints of their existance nestled within the high foliage that hangs from the vaulted ceilings.

*tink*tink*tink*

It's a metallic sound as it hits the ground, small and easy to miss if one wasn't an Avenger and over aware of their surroundings. Even the guide from up ahead heard //that//, and frowns beneath Tony's IR vision. Looking up, he's checking the display, looking for any outages, but not seeing any, he, too, is searching for the source of the little metal object.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha goes ot whip around with her small pistol, going to click the safety off on it. She goes to then flick on a laser sight - not something she normally uses.. But, it serves as a guide for the others if they need it. She goes to flash it up and over at the nearest she can approximate the metallic sound from and locate it.. THen she goes to load in a hollowpoint round to the gun. The laser sight goes to flash up and over as she gestures at the thing..

And moves to 'mark' it if she can for the others. NOrmally she would shoot it.. But, there might be something useful in it or alternatively ti is just part of the display, broken, and they don't want to blow it up. So.. It's marked for Tony to make a call here.

Tony Stark has posed:
    Tony sighs, "One night, I'd like to get through one night without something turning dangerous or threatening. Sorry Pepper, I owe you another normal date night, that's what, about a thousand?"

    He shrugs out of his coat and then taps his watch. Red and gold seem to expand out of the watchband, the armor flowing over his body until, well, he is Iron Man. "I'll get it. HOMER, are you detecting any emissions from our little fallen friend here, or does it look safe to pick up?"

    If it seems safe to do so, he'll recover the object for first a quick look just to see if it's actually just an ordinary bit of the display (unlikely) or something that needs the Tower's systems to analyze and identify.

Clint Barton has posed:
Clint stares ahead for a moment, then watching the ball as it goes 'tink-tink-tink' onto the ground. Clint pulls what looks like a bar-shaped object from underneath his coat, snapping it open to reveal a compound bow. He takes something off of his belt and clicks a button, an arrow suddenly springing to life as he knocks it into the strong of his bow. He approaches forward, helpful as Natasha marks the object in question.

Course he already saw it, but Natasha made it so /everyone/ can see it.

He starts to step forward, pulling on the arrow itself as he draws near. He's waiting for it to explode, or unleash some cosmic horror upon them all or waiting for some kind of portal to open to cue off an alien invasion.

"Hell am I looking at?"

Pepper Potts has posed:
Well, it //seemed// like a good idea! What wasn't to like about the display as advertised? Acres in a botannical garden, the stars come to earth, and...

Pepper exhales, pausing finally in her step as she peers into the dimly lit area. She nods, the words formed in a stage whisper. "I think so, yes. If we're rounding down." Her tones are dry, holding that hint of frustration, but not at him. At the life they've found, perhaps? Or simply because of the situation they're in and how the crew must needs respond in order to keep everyone safe.

As Tony brings his sytems online, HOMER can get a better read on the item. "It appears to be made from metals beyond this solar system," the AI begins. "The item measures 3,025 millirems, rendering it safe to handle. The external temperature is rapidly cooling to ambient room temperature." As to what it is? "More data is required to determine what it contains."

The guide is walking back to the group, though he stops the moment he sees that more than familiar red and gold suit. "Wow..." is softly uttered.

Pepper keeps the young man at bay, instead attempting to distract and bring his attention on yet another important thing. "Could you please just lead us out?" Her tones hold that bounce, the sound she makes when PR is coming up to full swing. "I'm sure it's nothing." Uh huh. With the rapt attention of the small team of Avengers, it's 'nothing'?

"Uh... sure?" Dubious? Absolutely. Will he have a story to tell by tomorrow? Aw, hell yes.