16917/Meet the Storms
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Meet the Storms | |
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Date of Scene: | 14 January 2024 |
Location: | Living Quarters - Four Freedoms Plaza |
Synopsis: | Johnny introduces Kenesha to Susan. And boy do they hit it off. |
Cast of Characters: | Johnny Storm, Susan Richards, Kenesha
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- Johnny Storm has posed:
Setting up a time to catch his sister almost requires an app these days. With the circles that the two of them run in, catching up isn't exactly impossible, but it does take planning. Breakfast is one of the best times to do so. One has to be quick to catch Sue before she has a chance to caffinate and get going.
So, he left a note on the coffee pot before he headed to bed:
Sue,
Want you to meet someone!
- Johnny.
--- The Following Morning ---
If he's asking for a meeting, it must be something that's lasted a little longer than a small daliance. Or important. Or he just is trying to be normal again, which is an improvement upon being mopey and hiding in his room.
And he's made effort! He could have just showed up in his pajamas and a robe, with bed head and bunny slippers. Instead, he's in blue jeans, a sweater, and tennis shoes. Nothing too expensive, but it looks nice and comfortable on him.
Having gone downstairs to collect the person he's introducing, there's a chime from the elevator as he returns to the 'family' area of the Plaza. "Suuuuuee~" he calls out, just in case she's already awake. "You arrrround?"
- Susan Richards has posed:
Some people think Sue never sleeps. Those people are wrong, of course. She actually sleeps while jogging. Not really, she sleeps during work teleconferences while letting an advanced virtual avatar handle them and then rewatches them at double speed before the /next/ meeting so no one is the wiser.
But she certainly relies on coffee an awful awful lot. It's probably a family thing. And so the note to her is found in short order, at some point in the middle of the night when Sue's struck by sudden inspiration or woken by an emergency call, or god knows why she's up and wandering by the coffee pot.
But it does mean by the time morning rolls around, she's at least not blindsided by the need to put on her 'game face'... or at least, she feels compelled to make sure she's got her makeup touched up enough to show she's taking this mysterious meeting seriously, dressed casually in slacks and a comfortable sweater against the winter chill, regardless of being indoors in one of the most precisely climate controlled buildings on Earth.
When Johnny calls out, he receives a muffled answer, because Sue /is/ around, but she's also got a toaster waffle halfway in her mouth, eyes widening, hand not clutching a cup of coffee frantically waving when Johnny comes into sight in a very 'Wait, wait, I'm not ready' manner.
Of course, since Johnny can only see it once he's able to see her... it's probably too little warning too late.
It's going to be one of those days. (They are all 'those days'.)
- Kenesha has posed:
Given that this is the first meeting with Johnny's sister, Kenesha is wearing her usual outfit. Which is to say, she looks like a mix between Amelia Earhart and Indiana Jones. No hat though, she learned long ago how impossible it is to actually keep the same hat for more than a few months when one is constantly travelling to strange and inhospitable environments filled with hostile people/creatures.
She meets Johnny downstairs and rides up the elevator, stepping out with him. When he calls out, however, Kenesha's finely tunes senses catch the scent of coffee, the toaster waffle.. and the soft whick of hand moving through air. Tugging on his elbow lightly, she pulls him to a halt and smiles, "Hey, hang back a second. I want you to look over the gift I brought her, let me know if it's appropriate."
Tugging him away from the kitchen, she'll murmur, "Give her a minute. Also, would she like something more fashionable, or something more technological?" Because she hadn't actually planned a gift, but it gives Sue a few minutes to do what she needs to do!
- Johnny Storm has posed:
See, this is why communication is key. If Johnny was smart, he'd /texted ahead/ to let Susan know that he's bringing up someone right now. So she had time to prepare, to put her game face on. To be ready. You know. Be Susan.
Instead, what we get is Sue. The girl that watched over Johnny as they grew up. The one that took him on his first adventures and sparked a life that burned into a career of exploration. The one that...
...is being saved by Kenesha. Yoinked back by the Kheran, he is utterly confused, before he realizes that there's talk about a gift. "Wait, you bought her something?" he asks, "That's totally sweet..." Speaking of sweet. Sniff. Sniff. Johnny lifts his head and sniffs. And while Kenesha may be wearing her nice perfume again -- you cannot convince him he doesn't smell chocolate.
He gives the woman a scandalized look. "Oh my gosh, she's the chocolate chip waffle thief?!" he whispers, eyes wide, betrayl! Scandalized even! He had totally thought it was Ben! He'd even planned to make fake waffles with a different kind of chocolate that makes you go to the bathroom alot as revenge for taking his precious Choco-Waffles.
Fortunately for Susan, he has not implemented this nefarious plan just yet.
And then Kenesha is explaining things as he is tugged away from the kitchen and realization dawns on his face. "Oh. Oooooh." he manages, and then uhms, looking thoughtful. "I mean, are you wanting to make friends with Susan Richards, wife of Reed, or Sue Richards, my older sister?" he points out to her. "Something small and fashionable. She may appreciate knowing there's another girl she can talk to? I don't know how many girl friends she has that can keep up with her hectic lifestyle. I mean, she hasn't gone to party with Janet in months."
- Susan Richards has posed:
Sue, for all her frantic attempts to finish her breakfast in a near panic, is actually a little relieved. Johnny wants her to /meet someone/. Socially! Not the deposed princess of some stellar empire, not Johnny-but-from-another-dimension, not a Future Valeria with dire warnings of a dark fate!
It's a /family/ thing! The simplicity makes her waffle all the sweeter. But it still feels like an eternity before she's washing it down with a sip of coffee, and locking eyes onto Johnny in a serious stare.
Said stare is only slightly undercut by the little grin she managed to flash Kenesha as she was hauling Johnny back.
Sue strides out with /both/ hands cupping her mug, all serenity and calm, composed control. Susan Richards, Matriarch of Corporate America in full effect... except that after a brief hold of that intense stare at Johnny, she splits into a wide grin, one eyebrow arching. "You know, you could have put a little more detail in the note, Johnny. Maybe made it a bit less... vaguely ominous? 'Hey sis, I want you to have lunch with me and I can introduce you to someone' could have worked." She heaves out a mock sigh and her lips quirk in a little grin as she bobs her head to Kenesha, "Nice to meet you anyhow! I'm Susan... which I /really/ hope Johnny told you." Her eyes flick to her younger brother like she's not entirely sure he isn't just winging this entire thing together by the seat of his pants.
- Kenesha has posed:
Kenesha tsks softly at him, "She's both those people, and more. I will never define her by a single relationship, but as the whole individual." Still, he gives good advice and she reaches into that strange satchel that always seems to have JUST what she needs. Retrieving a slender jewelry case in blue velvet.
She brushes a kiss to Johnny's cheek just as Sue steps out, her head turning back towards the woman of the hour, a smile already curving her lips as she steps forward with hand outstreched, "I already knew who you are, but mostly he calls you Sue. Sometimes 'sis'. I'm Kenesha. And it's wonderful to meet you. I hope you won't think this too much, but I have trouble finding meaningful gifts for people that can be bought at Wal-Mart." The box is offered up to her.
If Sue takes it, inside she'll find a gold pave moon door necklace with gemstones ranging blue deep blue to clear white, with a large Australian opal in the middle. "It's a Moon Door Necklace, representative of the Moon Gates in Chinese friendship gardens. I'm hopeful it can be representative of our friendship." She glances back to Johnny with a small smile, "I'm hoping to keep him around for awhile."
- Johnny Storm has posed:
To her credit Susan is half-right? Kenesha is only an off-shoot Kryptonian. But not a princess? At least he doesn't think so. Those are all details he hasn't gotten yet and probably should have prepared for in advance. But no, it is mostly, almost completely a social call. Along the lines of hey, I'm interested in this girl, I want the Sue Seal of Approval.
"My notes are never ominous!" comes the protest from Johnny, a smirk offered to his older sister. "I mean. There was that one time. But that was before I knew she was a Skrull. I swear. I /checked/ first this time!" he promises.
"And I could have totally done that, but I asked H.E.R.B.I.E. what your schedule was and right here and now is about the only time you have more than fifteen minutes available for the next two weeks that crosses over with the time I have available, so you get a coffee pot note." So yes, this is totally on the seat of his pants, but what isn't when it comes to Johnny Storm?
"Well, yeah. I know she's both of those things and all of those things." he points out. "But she wears almost as many hats as you have doctorates." he explains quietly to Kenesha. "And you have to open one door to access all the other doors." See. Words of wisdom! There's a smile as he feels the kiss to his cheek, which soothes him since he was a little miffed that it was thought he'd sell his sister short.
But, with that out of the way and there's introductions, they start with the casual one, but he needs to add a bit more. "Dr. Susan Richards, this is Dr. Kenesha Jones. We met on a accident in a park. Then there were vampires. And she was rescuing people. There was also some pretty bad flirting -- not me for once! And well. We've been on a few dates. And wanted to introduce her. In case I blow things and you lose out on a chance to make a good contact."
"Doctor Jones, this is Doctor Richards. My older sister, the person I trust most in the world, she's a super hero scientist businesswoman mother entrepenuer and... I'm probably forgetting one or two things."
- Susan Richards has posed:
Susan's eyebrows peak as kenesha produces that small jewelry case. Her lips press into a thin, considered line, only to break into a smile as she takes that offered hand with a soft laugh, "Ah, well, that's the curse of fame, I suppose. People recognize you, and then you are constantly haunted by the thought 'Do they know me in the 'Because I'm famous' way, or am I becoming /this/ forgetful?' and it never really leaves you... the worry that you're just forgetting how many people you /know/!"
And she odes take that case and opens it, only to gasp soft but sharp, eyes widening, drifting along the necklace in open, rapt wonder... only to glance up and flash an impish grin, "Oh my, I /do/ hope this is a representation of our friendship as it is simply /stunning/. And..." She glances towards Johnny and snickers softly, "I'm sure we've got a flameproof rope around here somewhere to help you keep him around if he tries to wander off. Maybe Reed can just put a tracking chip on him..." She pauses for a moment and then looks to Johnny again.
"He hasn't yet, has he?" ...It's always safer to ask. Reed's scientific reach is often stunningly broad, and if not possessed of impressive forethought, spreads a wide enough net to /feign/ that it was all part of a careful plan.
Eyebrows jolt up for Johnny and she laughs, "Oh, I might wear a lot of hats, but let's not pretend they're /nearly/ so impressive as multiple doctorates! I don't even have one. I've got an /honorary/ doctorate but that's just in... something. Honestly it just hangs behind my desk. Oh! I also know how to nod /very/ convincingly during Reed's explanations." She's very deadpan, but there's a glint in her eyes that she's selling herself short. "I... vampires? Well, I suppose that's a more remarkable meet-cute than running into one another at a charity gala or the like..." She flashes another smile to Kenesha and hisses out a stage whisper, "Oh! A /few/ dates already? And she's still around? You had /better/ not blow things, Johnny. She seems like a /delightful/ woman and if I glower at you disapprovingly for messing things up it's going to cause lines. Which means more glowering. Which means more line. So... don't /mess it up/ little brother!"
- Kenesha has posed:
Reaching back, Kenesha will give a small tug on Johnny's hand, lacing her fingers through his with a small sidelong smile sent his way. "He's underselling himself. He was very open in his appreciation, and his flirting was top-tier. We've had some very amazing dates, and the only one he missed was for the best reason.. he was helping to evacuate a native population from a small Southern Pacific island during a volcanic eruption. And he made it up when he got back." She turns the smile towards Sue, "I've truly had no complaints. Also, I'm pretty sure at this point I could find him if he tried to run." She flits a wink at Johnny.
When Sue opens the box, her smile brightens, "Oh good, you like it! I wanted to make sure it was something that was appropriate, but also suited to you. You'll wear that *very* well, and it will look fabulous with your coloring." It has a little of the Fantastic Four in the color of the gems, but its vastly more suited to Susan with the gold setting and the blue/white gemstones. Touching on all her 'hats'! Turning a faintly amused look to Johnny, she adds, "I'm fairly sure he's tracker free." She's certainly in a position to notice!
Looking back to Susan, Kenesha chuckles, "To be entirely fair, I have a very large advantage. In the interest of transparency," haha, see what she did there? "I should tell you that I'm not human. I'm not Skrull, either, I have no shapeshifting abilities. I'm Kheran, and while I'm *technically* nobility due to my parentage, it's never something I've really acknowledged. I prefer to be known by my own accomplishments, rather than who birthed me."
Kenesha glances to Johnny and smiles warmly, "Mostly though, I'm just enjoying exploring this relationship with Johnny." She looks back to Sue with a grin, "And getting to meet his family. And before it comes out, yes, my people are extremely technologically advanced, but no, I'm not going to make you sit through long-winded explanations of the science behind a thing."
- Johnny Storm has posed:
"...if Reed has done that, I will have /words/ with your husband, Sue. And not like circumlocution, either!" Johnny protests, throwing out one of the big words that Reed is so fond of using. "And I'm sure there's better uses for fireproof rope than tying a tether on me." A mock sulk as he goes for the coffee pot to hunt down some of that sweet bean juice for himself. "Have you had breakfast yet, Kenesha? I know you don't need to eat much..." he offers as an attempted segue into the fact that she is not from Earth. And she took the ball and ran with it, which is nice.
"Well, yes, I already blew it once by standing her up for one charity event. The one the Wayne kid hosted a few days back." And then Kenesha is filling in the blanks and there's a sharp nod. "It was a volcanic eruption due to some kaiju that showed up last week. /That/ is something Reed should be looking into. Not the legal complications from some stupid parody play that Ben got involved in because he's big lovable lug that doesn't look before he leaps."
Johnny... is being somewhat responsible. But he gets like this around Sue. That sibling synergy that she has rubbed off on him by giving him responsibilities now and again. Even if he inevitably blows it.
"Though I'm sure Reed has enough samples from me where if he needed to find me, he could, which is kind of scary." He admits, coffee in one hand, Kenesha's hand in his other as he sips from his mug. "Oh thank god." he murmurs. "I don't know if I could deal with my own female version of Reed." comes the teasing comment. "Even if Sue would probably find it poetic justice that I found someone like that."
- Susan Richards has posed:
Susan gives a genuine little laugh at the wordplay, even as she sighs out and bobs her head, "Yes, he does tend to deflect and undersell himself. And it's just... honestly? I think our constant teasing of him is just /us/ playing into it for his benefit."
And then Sue's being floored, because Johnny's (girl)friend is in fact a noble! An alien noble! She flashes a crooked grin and heaves out a sigh, "Oh! Well, I won't hold your nobility against you. I always make sure to take all individual nobles and royalty on their own merits and not let any experiences I've had with any unnamed Atlantean nobles to color my perceptions... but it's /good/ to know if you need to you can hunt dow- ...find Johnny. If he gets lost."
She shakes her head at Johnny, "I am not sure there /is/ a better use for fireproof rope. I mean, it's quite the niche product, isn't it? Like... you have a fireproof rope and... what? You use it to pull something on fire? Closer to yourself? That's..." She presses her lips into a thin line, "Less than wise."
She smiles once more though, genuine and warm and heaves out a sigh, "Oh yes, I'm sure he also has... some device that does something with 'universal resonance' or... energy waves or something. Which you'd think would mean he wouldn't get trapped in the Negative Zone and take so long to get back but... he hasn't set off any planetary alarms in at least a year. Progress, Johnny. It's progress."
She rolls her eyes and heaves out a breath, "Johnny, I would not wish poetic justice upon you! If I wanted to torture you for poetic justice I'd just suggest you ask Janet out for coffee."
- Kenesha has posed:
Giving a small squeeze to Johnny's hand, Kenesha smiles at him, "If I find any manner of tracking device on or in you, I'll make sure to get rid of it. Seeking out an energy signature or power signature, that's one thing. Implanting devices without consent.. too much." She turns the smile back to Sue and nods, "I try not to let him get too down on himself. A little teasing or self-deprecating humor is one thing, but he's far better than he thinks of himself, and I refuse to let him pretend otherwise."
Shaking her head at Johnny, she offers, "I'm good for food, but if you have some water or orange juice, I'll take that." She might not necessarily need it, but eating or drinking when others do tends to put those people more at ease than someone who just... sits there and watches them eat and drink. Grinning at Sue, she nods, "Oh yes. I usually have very little trouble finding someone once I know what to look for." A glance to Johnny, "Which reminds me. I'm sure that Reed has some way to seek out the cosmic energies you all give off, but either of you want something similar.. I can give your phones an upgrade."
To Sue, she adds, "Namor's a pompous ass, and entirely too full of himself. 'Oh look at me, the world is 71% water'. He's an arrogant child playing with magics and technologies vastly older than he will ever be, and far more intricate and complex than he will ever understand." SHaking her head, she lets out a breath, "Lets just say that I'm.. less than impressed with him. He represents everything *wrong* with nobility."
She glances towards Johnny and grins, "Oh, so you don't want an in-depth explanation of the science behind how I can make you effectively immortal? Pity, I was so looking forward to watching your eyes glaze over before you fell asleep." Kenesha glances back to Susan with a smile, "He's mentioned that Reed is working on a way to help you all return to a more.. youthful vitality. I've offered to help, if you all are interested. But, no pressure either way."
- Johnny Storm has posed:
Johnny laughs, soft and warm. "We're a family, Sue, it's what we do." he starts to say, amusement in his tone as he grins. "We all kind of play off each other. It's great." Another sip of his coffee.
"I mean, it's not like I want to give Kenesha /reason/ to hunt me down! Despite how flighty I can be sometimes, and I mean, in the right hands, I'm sure someone could find good uses for fireproof rope." He'll just leave that there.
But then, there's a moment. Right when Susan mentions the Negative Zone. Johnny /completely/ zones out. He knows Susan means well, but for the briefest of moments, he's back in the midsts of those monsters as they rip him to shreds, not enough flames, too many of them. His arms fold around himself, a little hug to himself - and to convince himself he's not getting disembowled again, just to join back in again with the mention of Janet. "Oh no, she'd want to start trying to tell me stories of the times you two had together and I don't have that much brain bleach." he offers plainly. "Plus, I don't think coffee is something you ask Janet out for."
And then there's... "Oh right, orange juice! Got it." There's a swift smile as he moves to head towards the fridge to see if there's any in there. Pretty sure there is, because all the talk of nobility is way above his pay grade. And it's a good distraction.
- Susan Richards has posed:
Sue's eyes narrow at Johnny's reaction, and for a brief moment there's a tug of teeth on her lower lip, which is probably the equivalent of ringing literal alarm bells about her brother's state for most people. But Sue's patient and subtle, and she'll deal with that lingering trauma in time carefully. After all, it took them time to work out their individual reactions to that first experiment gone awry, and arguably /most/ of the Four got off lightly with that particular mishap.
And there's a chance to joke about Janet which must be leapt upon immediately, "Oh, I'm not so sure about that. You just need to be broad in your definition of coffee to include 'any substance capable of boosting energy' and or 'Coffee Liqueur' and then Janet's particular tendencies work perfectly fine for coffee! You just need to remember bail money."
She flashes a grin to Kenesha, "I mean, he /is/ a rather complete example of history repeating itself. You stop wondering how figures of history keep making the same mistake when /one/ king keeps repeating the same 'Oh, Susan, visit my wonderful underwater kingdom and abandon your life on the Surface World!' schtick." She shakes her head and sighs, eyes rolling, "I swear, it's enough to make me think as Earth reaches out further into the galaxy I should make sure I only deal with negotiations involving civilizations with democratic or corporate focused forms of government." She heaves out a sigh and smiles lopsidedly. "Oh, don't let him tell you he doesn't /understand/ any of the scientific concepts you try to explain to him." She throws a glance back towards the fridge as Johnny rummages for orange juice and speaks louder to make /sure/ he can hear, "My brother is his own worst critic! ...Okay, /second/ worst critic. But I think Ben would lighten up if he didn't tease him so often!"
- Kenesha has posed:
Kenesha watches after Johnny for a moment, brows tugging together in concern. Leaning in, she looks at Susan and murmurs, "He told me about his time.. away.. I'll do what I can to help him. I've known many to suffer PTSD from the traumas of war and capture. He's strong-willed, and he has an excellent support system in the Fantastic Four.. he has a really good chance of healing from it." She offers a fleeting smile before straightening to glance back to Johnny again.
"You've not given me any reason so far, unless you undergo a radical personality transplant in the next few months, I don't think you will! And if you do, I'm going looking for the person mind-controlling you to beat them until they relent, and learn to never do it again." She chuckles at Sue's suggestion for how to ask Janet out to coffee and suggests, "She sounds like she would be happier in Nicaragua or Brazil."
Nodding towards Sue, Kenesha can't help but chuckle, "Thankfully, he'll only be around for another century or so. Hopefully he won't breed in that time and we can deal with a better monarch. Or that Curry fellow will kick his ass and take over. That would be acceptable, too. I'd help with that one." There's a faint wince at the mention of further reaches of space and other species, "Which brings me back to my own people. There's a small number of my people that are okay. Most of those have been on Earth for.. a very very long time. Occasionally one will come here to get away from the rest. Kherans are colonizers, aggressive and elitest and they have a superiority complex that rivals Doom. I can tell you the area of space they occupy.. but I strongly suggest never going there without a damn good reason. The last tiem we went, some of us were welcomed as heroes, some were treated with scorn and derision, as second-class citizens. Even then, the warm welcome we got was false. The Coda, they tried to kill my mother to make a martyr of her and shift the balance in power on the homeworld. It's a terrible, duplicitous place full of terrible, deadly people."
The commentary about Johnny being his won worst critic has her smiling nce more as she calls out, "Oh, I know he's much smarter than he lets on, and I never let him get away with acting the 'himbo' unless we're just being silly." Chuckling, she adds, "And I expect Ben secretly enjoys the back and forth between them."
- Johnny Storm has posed:
When Kenesha brings up the whole youthful thing, Johnny snorts a laugh as he is fetching the orange juice. "You totally missed it, sis. The best insult Doom could come up with was calling us old. And that he somehow has the fountain of youth. And you know, suggesting we're stealing people from his country or something. It was /lame/. Next thing you know, he'll be standing in his castle and yelling at us about being on his lawn while shaking a stick. And Zora is being his good little lapdog, status quo there, even if your husband suggested there was sexual tension between us. Pfft. That's what spurred meeting Kenesha. I'm dooooing so much better."
Orange juice acquired, he closes the fridge to head over and grab a glass to pour for Kenesha. "Do you take it on the rocks or straight up?" he asks Kenesha curiously. And then he's pulled back into the conversation. "Namor totally belives it's better down where it's wetter because he's his own wet blanket. 'Be my Queen, Susan. I won't flood the world if you kiss me, Susan. It's only diplomatic relations when I make out with an anthrimorphic crustesean, Susan.'" It's all complete with a faux commanding voice that is mixed with a little squeak in it.
And then there's the whole who's the worst critic of himself? "Me, I'm perfectly /amazing/ and /not the one/, this time, that has us in trouble with a lawsuit! And I am not about to start by ending up on Page Six because of whatever may happen on a night out with Janet van Dyne." Johnny points out swiftly. "By the way, when's the last time he ran a poker game? Can I steal it? I might even run it at the Hellfire Club. Just to class up the game."
But no, Susan has to go telling Kenesha that Johnny has more than two braincells rattling around in that blonde head of his. "Nope, I'm just a silver fox of arm candy." he comments, "Totally don't know the difference between unexceptional and unexceptionable." Fist to forehead, he sticks his tongue out the side of his mouth before returning to normal and he brings the glass back to Kenesha to return to the conversation.
Tucking his hands into his pockets as he catches himself up on the conversation. "Yeah, but some of our best adventures have been in space." he comments, a shrug of his shoulders. And then there's a small bump on his shoulder to Kenesha's. "So, if you're here to conqueur and colonize and all that, you totally are going about it wrong." There's a wink at her, before he takes the rest of it again, and his eyes glaze over a little. This is more Sue's wheelhouse. He's the pretty one.
- Susan Richards has posed:
Susan laughs softly and shakes her head, "Honestly, every day I wake up to hear that Namor and that Curry guy aren't at each other's throat is somewhat remarkable." And then she winces and shakes her head wildly, "Oh, no, you have /definitely/ warned me off from exploring those portions of the galaxy in one instant. A region of space full of Victors? Noooo thank you."
She sighs and shakes her head at Johnny, "Well, what else can he possibly try to brag about? Running a coffee shop is not /nearly/ so impressive as he seems to think it is. For awhile I really did think maybe he was becoming less..." Her hand waves in vague, encompassing motions, "Victor. But no, he always winds up pontificating about how great Latveria is and how infallible his leadership is, and yet does he /help/ anyone? Of course not." And then Susan's /trying/ not to break into full fledged laughter at his impression of Namor... and she mostly succeeds! There's only a few strangled little squeaks and chirps.
She snorts and rolls her eyes with a little sigh, "I don't think she's here to conquer the world, Johnny. I mean, there are /far/ better suitors to improve public opinion of her imminent takeover of the world than your dusty old bones. People aren't as impressed by dinosaurs as they used to be." Does Sue let the fact she's the older sibling stop her from calling her brother ancient? Of course not. She nods her head however, "But yes, some of our best adventures /have/ been in space. And the solar system's not nearly so scary as it once was. Why, GIRL has even done some interstellar exploration! In fact, I /was/ supposed to be planning this entire little trip around the sector with artists aboard their ship... aaaaaand I forgot all about it. Well, I'm sure I can still get it scheduled somehow."
- Kenesha has posed:
Kenesha grins towards Johnny, "I would hope that I can measure up against a minion, that would be about as low as one coud hope to reach, I would think." Aspiring to be someone's lackey all their life? No thank you, not Kenesha! Johnny's question has her smiling, "I think it's cold enough outside, I can stand to have the juice without ice." Looking back to Sue, she grins, "Good. My people, the eldest among them, are technically Kryptonian colonizers that found Khera and decided to make it their own, after subjugating the native species, the Titanothropes. Once they found out they could be bred with, well.. that lead to the first 'true' Kherans.. like my mother. On the plus side, the genders are largely considered equal, there's no shame for being a woman on Khera. On the downside, the women are every bit as blood-thirsty and manipulative as the men." She shakes her head, then shrugs, "After that one trip to Khera, we hurried back here and set about making sure that if any other Kherans showed up, we would be ready for them."
The impression of Namor gets a muffled snicker from Kenesha and she shakes her head, "It's terrible that that's so good." She glances between brother and sister as they talk about Doom and she can't help but smile, "Now, I hate to be the voice of dissent... I really, really do, because that man's ego can barely be contained in the atmosphere... BUT. I do have to admit, his people are very healthy, happy, well educated, and well cared for. Not, mind, that I think his tactics in getting there were acceptable.. but he does genuinely care about his peoples' well-being. There are worse traits in a country's leadership. That said, it's small comfort against the laundry list of faults and foibles the man has." And that is the last she'll ever compliment Victor von Doom. If only because she JUST got done talking about how terrible her own people are.
When Johnny returns with the juice, she takes the glass in echange for a quick kiss and smile, "Thanks." Taking a swallow, she rolls her eyes at Johnny's self-deprecation, elbowing him lightly in the ribs, "Now, now, *young one*. You don't get to call yourself old. Or stupid. Don't make me embarrass you in front of your sister when I've just met her." There's a wink to suggest the embarrassment would be of the PDA sort. Looking back to Sue, she chuckles, "To put a finer point on it.. I'm just over 18,000 years old. And biologically immortal. Barring some extreme violence, I'll keep on ticking until the end of time." As far as her plans to 'conquer the world', she gives a small snort and shakes her head, "Oh no. Nobody is foisting THAT title on me. I decline, I refuse, I abdicate. I begin and end my leadership skills with forums and expeditions. Occasionally a team if nobody else steps up. That's it. I have zero interest in having all my time sucked away dealing with the complaints of various countries because someone else is kicking the back of their seat or 'not touching them'." Kenesha glances up at Johnny, "If you're looking to be Consort of the World, you best find yourself another girl, Johnny Storm." To Susan, she smiles, "I should show you my ship sometime. It's just a scouting ship, so not nearly as impressive as the battle cruisers, but it has interstellar travel, AND an interesting way to deal with long-term space travel."
- Johnny Storm has posed:
"It's not even good coffee. I'm gonna open a Fantasticoffee franchise next door and we'll see who's Victorious! Mua. Ha. Ha." Johnny offers druly, and shakes his head. "Oh no, Doom offered to /help/ us, because you know, gotta show that he can game Reed. And you know Reed, so, watch yourself the next couple on months, no telling what he's gonna come up with!" A smirk at that.
"Well, duh. I'm easy mode. She's already conquered me~" comes the light quip. "And I'm no dinosaur, I'm a silver fox." A wink at his sister. "And I at least remember things well~" Because she just totally admitted she dropped the ball and he pounced right on it. "And it's good that you're shaping those young, impressionable minds, Sue! They'll all have their own little Namors soon enough!" Or something. That one kind of went off the rails.
But, we're still on the topic on Latveria and as he returns his girlfriend's kiss, he considers and mulls over her words. "Oh no, I'd make a terrible consort." he points out, before he considers. And he chews on the inside of his cheek. "I heard a saying once... something about, I'd rather live free and be unsure of where I am, than to live in a well-cared for, well-curated prison where my life is dictated to me from the day I'm born. Or something like that."
After a shake of his head. "What I mean is... we at least get to decide what we are and what we do. I doubt Latveria gets such liberties, especially if they disagree with the status quo." His hand slips down, capturing Kenesha's again for finger tangling.
"Yeah, and she's already suggesting that if things work out she's wanting to keep me around for a while." A small smirk. "I'm taking the over or under of five hundred years before she's tired of me." he teases lightly. And that's probably even too much. And then they are back into the whole science thing and he just doesn't quite zone out, but it's totally his weak spot.
- Susan Richards has posed:
Susan nods to Kenesha and sighs out, "Well, you know, there's always pros and cons to every society... admittedly 'gender equality, but also warmongering conquerors' is... not the /best/ balance I suppose." She clicks her tongue and shakes her head slowly, "I swear, somewhere out there is a society that's got it all figured out. And they probably immediately figured out how to /hide entirely/ and just keep to themselves."
She glances sidelong to Johnny and murmurs out, "You know, you're right. His impersonation /is/ shockingly good. Do you think he's been practicing? Johnny, have you been practicing your Namor?"
And then when threats of embarrassment are made, Susan grins all the wider, "Oh no! Embarrass away! I'm sure Johnny's /used/ to being embarrassed around me by now." She flashes a grin and bobs her head to Kenesha, "Oh! Absolutely. The last time I went out in space it was a little shakedown cruise of a refurbished shuttle we had in storage. It... /almost/ didn't break down. Fortunately there's enough space traffic nowadays I didn't have to wait more than a day for a ride back to Earth. Though it's a little alarming that Star Lord's musical tastes trend older than /mine/."
She shakes her head and rolls her eyes at Johnny with a lopsided grin, "Ah, but you see, if you /were/ born in Latveria you wouldn't /know/ that having your entire life path planned out by your monarch or one of his robots from birth to death was anything other than normal! And I doubt Victor will ever try to get at /me/ as part of his spats with Reed. Helping with Valeria's delivery was probably the most creative he could have gotten about using me to needle him. And if he tried something more direct and nefarious, well... I'll just stop being /nice/ for a few moments and then let him reconsider his course of action."
- Kenesha has posed:
"I'm a terrible arbiter of coffee, I so rarely have it," Kensha admits, lifting a small shrug and offering a wry smile. "I'm immune to all toxins, poisons, or really anything that would alter my body or brain chemistry. Which means no alcohol, no stimulants, nada. Also means pain medications are pretty pointless too. So, you know, good thing I have decent regenerative abilities." Because seriously, having to wait months to heal from a gunshot wound without pain meds would be insanity-inducing.
To Susan, Kenesha offers a quiet, "Or they've already been overrun and subjugated by a more aggressive species." She clears her throat, "Sorry, when I started finding out more about my people's history it just.." She shakes her head, "You can see the correlations to the Kryptonian Hegemony they originated from, and it's kinda terrifying." Then she's huffing out a small laugh and turning a sidelong glance to Johnny, "I mean, I can't blame him for practicing. The end result was laughter, so.. I'd say successful."
Letting her fingers twine with Johnny's, she smiles at him, "There's ups and downs to both sides." Because the last thing she wants to do is *defend* Latveria. Instead, she tugs him in for a bit more thorough of a kiss to hit that internal reset button for him. Pulling back, she smiles at Sue, "I can guarantee that my ship is better that a 'refurbished shuttle'. And the way it navigates might be interesting as well. It's done through singing." Chuckling, she points out, "To be fair, he got the tastes from his mother, who would have been older than you, so..."
Smiling up at Johnny again, Kenesha chuckles, "Only if YOU want to have an extended lifespan. Far be it from me to force extra years on anyone." THen she's back to Sue, "Which brings me back around. If you *are* truly trying to beat the clock, as it were, I can definitely help. But it might necessitate a trip to Khera to get a piece of technology. My ship has many things, but the bio-builder tech is reserved for larger ships and the homeworld."
- Johnny Storm has posed:
"I have not been practicing my Namor, it has always been this good!" Johnny protests with a smirk as he glances at his cup of coffee. Cold. A brief glance and his hand cups around it and a flame sparks to life as it wraps around the cup for a few seconds before dissipating and he sips. Much better.
"Oh I'm sure Reed loved that you were look for Space-AAA and all that. Who's Star Lord?" he asks in a bit of confusion. Yep, no clue there. "What? I'm totally embarassment proof. You can't embarass someone that has no shame in his game." he offers playfully, though he considers Susan's words. "If I can be frank, I think Doom is just hot for Reed and jsut refuses to admit to it. Like, totally trying to convince himself that he's better than Reed in that whole 'notice me, senpai' way."
"And that's fair... on the whole everything chosen and you never know. I keep imagining that Doom has this will of opprotunities in his throne room. A new baby is born and brought before him and he's all... let's spin the wheel and see what life you end up with! Oh... you're a coal miner. But you will be very productive, DOOM will make sure of this!" And he was about to say more but... there's more PDA to be had.
Returning Kenesha's kiss, his eyes crinkle, showing off those first fine lines of his crow's feet - the crux that even the youngest Fantastic Four showing signs of wear and tear. And the best part is that she's successful in resetting him.
"She might be a keeper, sis." Johnny offers with a small smirk. Because well, they are still having that conversation that's well above his head, but they keep pulling him back along with it. Susan was always good about it. But he's appreciative that Kenesha is doing the same.
"I... don't think we've ever been to Khera?" he asks. "I mean, when you flashed that device in the park, some of it looked like Kryptonian tech, from what little examples I've seen, but like... not the same. So, yeah, the cousins or same primordial line, what have you." he offers thoughtfully. "I didn't say I was complaining about more time with you!" he points out quickly enough. But at least he's sorta back on task again.
- Susan Richards has posed:
Sue perks her eyebrows up and murmurs dryly, "Oh, I've got /no/ taste for coffee as a pleasurable beverage, it's really strictly fuel. Well, that and brewing it is a comfortable little morning ritual as long as it's an old percolator, those little disposable pod machines are a bit /too/ convenient to be a ritual... they do have these amazing little hot chocolate pods though." She perks her eyebrows and hums softly, "I suppose that's a downside to regeneration one doesn't consider when they don't have that particular talent. I don't think I could handle all those charity events if the cocktails didn't actually /hit/ me..." She feigns a shudder and sighs out.
And then she's smiling brightly for the couple and bobbing her head, "Well, I have to admit, this has been far less worrying than Johnny's vague note made me think it would be! Always full of surprises my brother is."
She perks an eyebrow and hums out, "Well, I imagine we could swing by Khera if we /do/ want to negotiate for technology... I mean, not to keep me young and spritely, that's /terribly/ selfish, but a 'bio-builder' certainly sounds like the sort of technological advancement we should be securing for the good of..." She trails off and gestures grandly, "I mean, everyone, right?"
Bright blue eyes flick to Johnny and she grins downright impishly, "And yes, it /would/ mean Johnny and you having more time together without the threat of... all the chaos that seems to happen around the city. And what do you mean 'might be', Johnny? If you don't upgrade that view to 'definitely is' I'm going to badger you incessantly until you realize it. I mean, it's only been /one/ little meeting here and I can tell she is a wonderful woman and /great/ influence on you!"
- Kenesha has posed:
Kenesha tilts her head towards Johnny and murmurs, "Star Lord is a human that was abducted by an alien gang when he was a child, raised by them, became an intergalactic mercenrary turned.. sorta hero? He and his crew are always teetering on the line between selfish and selfless." She flashes a smile up at him, then looks to Susan with a chuckle, "You might also view them a little differently if you realized just what a tiny drop in the ocean of time they are. I don't mind attending charity functions, they at least have a good purpose. Save me from pointless social affairs that are just excuses for the ultra-rich and famous to lord it over just how much 'better' they are than everyone else." She rolls her eyes, then offers a half-smile, "But I also require less food, water, and sleep than the average person, so.. I mostly do it around people because humans tend to get unnerved by someone that never seems to eat when they eat or sleep when they sleep. Gets a little Uncanny Valley for them. So I try to maintain appearances." She sips from her juice.
Chuckling, she leans against Johnny and smiles, "I like your sister. And not just because she'll badger you until you keep me. Though that's definitely a point in her favor." Kenesha grins at Sue, "I think we're going to get along just fine. Though I'll warn you, same as I did Johnny. My people have an extremely low fertility rate. It was the tradeoff for the immortality. To the point that in all our history, no Kheran woman has ever borne more than one child." Because she doesn't know she has a half-brother.. yet. "So you may only get *a* niece or nephew. Or you may get more, so far as I'm aware, none of my people have tried to mate with a Terran." She flicks a glance up at Johnny, "We may yet find out."
The mention of trying to negotiate for tech has her shaking her head, "No, no, no... Khera is my homeworld. Where all my people live. There won't be any negotiating. If we want it, it will have to be a stealth mission to *take* it. And this is NOT tech that should be made publicly available. Yes, you can rebuild entire bodies with it. But that means *everyone*. Your planet already suffers from overcrowding issues. Now imagine everyone having the ability to live forever just by virtue of replacing their body once it got old. And still having the high birthrate. You would quickly end up with worldwide famine, wars over dwindling food and water supplies... or worse... with interstellar travel.. your people would take to the stars and attempt to do what mine have done. The Kryptonians were colonizers because their home world was dying and resources were getting increasingly scarce. You don't want that for yours."
- Johnny Storm has posed:
"I'm just having my morning coffee before I start burning through Red Bull for the rest of the day." Which is partially true. He'll have a couple of Red Bulls, but most of the time, he treats his body like a temple, taking in water and healthy food so that he can stay as healthy as possible.
And there's a beaming smile as Sue realizes he /can/ have good news and he's not always doom and gloom or bail money needed. Usually its the latter of those.
"I dunno... considering what Kenesha... I really should workshop a pet name for you." he teases, before continuing. "Considering what she's said about her people and their history, Bio-Builder may be a more negative connotation of 'preparing Earth for hostile takeover' than anything helpful. Of course, I may have watched way too movies on that."
And /now/ Susan gets a blush out of Johnny. Is he really being that easy to read that he might be a little smitten by the alien blonde next to him. "I mean, give me a couple of more weeks and /maybe/." he offers, a smirk shot at his sister. "She's been diligently wearing down my defenses though."
"Is this double team Johnny time?" he asks, looking between the pair. "I mean, I said I was interested!" he offers with a smirk, his hand leaving Kenesha's to hold her at the waist when she leans into him. "I've done the whole whirlwind romance into a marriage thing. Remember Lyja?" he asks his sister with a raised brow and then Kenesha mentions kids, which they had talked about when setting expectations and just... he's got nothing.
Oh hey, the doom and gloom of what a Bio Builder really is! That is an excellent way to ruin relationship and other related items talk as he gives Kenesha's side a light caress.
- Susan Richards has posed:
Susan's eyebrows raise up and she sighs out softly, "Oh my! Well, another example of technology and advancement we have to keep under lock and key..." She frowns slightly and furrows her brow, "I'm sure we can find room for it in one of the secure labs... or build a new one. Thank god we don't /name/ them like conference rooms." She clears her throat and arches an eyebrow a little more... reservedly at the mention of mating habits and children, glancing back and forth between the couple. "Wellll.... if I wind up with a niece or nephew? Franklin and Val can handle the babysitting. I am /retired/ from child rearing, and will stick strictly to 'cool aunt' status, thank you very much."
She narrows her eyes at Johnny and grins downright impishly, "And no asking HERBIE to help out! The first one's got to be taken care of the traditional way, robots changing diapers is /cheating/." And then Susan's pocket chimes out with a little musical fanfare and she groans, almost flinches really. "Well, that's the siren song of /work meetings/ calling me away."
She reaches out to /tap/ Johnny on the nose, "Why, it /is/ double team Johnny time, little brother! What else could you ever expect from your loving and adoring older sister? It's for your own good!" She snickers and sighs out, "But really, you two have a good day! And try to wrangle me for lunch later this week! This was... far too fun!" Her eyes drift down to her casual, comfortable attire, "Well, I think I've got enough authority to declare today to be casual dress code day at the office, so this should work out fine." And she nearly sprints towards the elevator, calling back, "Keep a close eye on him, Kenesha! Don't let him get into any trouble you can't drag him back out of!"