17409/Socializing at the Mansion - Bug Edition

Socializing at the Mansion - Bug Edition
Date of Scene:	12 March 2024
Location:	Avengers Mansion - Recreation Room
Synopsis:	The
Cast of Characters:	Natasha Romanoff, Scott Lang, Pepper Potts

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Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Many of the Avengers took time for themselves. For team meeting activities, socializing, fundraisers, other events.. Not Natasha. Even here in the recreation room she is reviewing data. Voluminous amounts related to so many different things that there is no pattern to be seen to them. So many things going along the SHIELD and Avengers info-nets that she seemed to be scanning purely for the sake of busywork, sipping at coffee and eating ration bars.

Scott Lang has posed:
Scott will show up in the Recretional Room. And he'll just peek over Natasha's shoulder for a moment then move to get himself a drink. "Why don't you ever take a day off?" Scott asks witha curious tone to his voice. It's an honest question. One that means no malice, it's just something he notices. Natasha just always seems to be in a work mode. Like she cannot turn it off or maybe is afraid to. So, he asks the obivous question.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would turn her head over to Scott while going to review data, taking a moment then while she would shut down the various padds and things she had been using to review things, putting htem to lockdown and encrypted mode simply by default. "I try to avoid it." A simple enough response over to it. "And I do not need it. Taking time off would be an inefficient use of availability."

Scott Lang has posed:
"But you run a few risks you know. The whole 'all work, no play.'" Scott says with a concerned look. "I worry you might one day regret not taking a little tim eoff. A little. I know you could say attachments are bad, or something that could be used against you. I know all of those things, but they do expand the horizons. Make you more than just analystics and reactions," he looks at Natasha. The concern shows more in the eyes than anything else. It's something easy to see. His gaze will rest upon the redheaded Avenger.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would shrug, "I have not had issues with this for my life. It is not necessary." Old dog, new tricks. Natasha was rather close to the centenial of her life. Unlike Steve and Bucky, she had lived it rather htan being on ice. No sense changing course. ANd her mind was just.. Wired differently. Likely due to the variant of the Super Soldier Serum in her veins.

Pepper Potts has posed:
*click*click*click*

It's the sound of high heels on a marble floor that is the hallway from the front door towards the kitchen. Bags are in hand, and behind her, her ever present chauffeur and 'bodyguard' follows with a few more bags. It's to refill the stocks from winter, now that the seasons are beginning to change.

Pepper manages to make it, though she does poke her head in to wave quickly, and offer up, "I'm dropping off a few things from Tony. He figured that you could use the break from.. well, break."

New gaming consoles!

Scott Lang has posed:
"It kind of makes me feel sad for you. Maybe sorry for you. You spend all this time defending people and you don't know how to be one," Scott pities Natasha. Seeing her in a different light for a moment. Like Steve is the balanced soldier. Bucky is a little more business. Natasha is nothing, but business. It's intimidating until you realize the cost. Well, in Scott's world view.

"Thanks Pepper! How is the Boss Man?" Scott does work for Stark Industries. Technically. It may be a friend helping another friend stay out of trouble. "How are you?" he asks. Scott is a talkative Avenger. This may be why Steve invites Scott out more often than some people realize.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would turn over to Pepper, "Greetings, Ms. Potts. I hope that all finds you well and that your business is running smoothly." Always a reasonably safe thing to ask when it came to the CEO. And hopefully wihtout any sort of problems coming from the Mansion's AI.. Or with any upgrades that Tony might have done while he had been awake for a few days straight as might occasionally happen.

"There is no need to be, but thank you for the thoughts. It is simply how I am."

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper pauses when she hears Scott's words, and presses her lips into a thin smile. There is warmth in the expression, however, and she shakes her head. "Don't let her fool you. Do you ever see her with her sister, or her partner? There is more to her than meets the eye."

A wink is given towards Natasha; she's known the Avenger for a few years, and at times, caught her at (perhaps) unawares?

"And I'm fine. Getting ready for the publishing of the first quarter. The stockholders have been notified last month, and sometimes? No news is good news." It's doubtful too many people watch the business channels and newspapers like she does, and she's managed to keep SI out of the //bad// news cycles. Finally.

"We have some mobile gaming headsets. The kids seem to like them, so..."

Scott Lang has posed:
Scott does feel a little bad, but he knows the phrase, "old dogs and new tricks." A nod comes from Scott, "I guess I'll keep a prayer out for you." Although he doesn't pray much when not around Cassie. So, that may be harder to do than he lets on.

However, Pepper brings a little hope with her words. He smirks a little bit, but says nothing on it. The view may be turning, a little.

"So, a good second quarter? Maybe third quarter if you keep the buzz going for Christmas?" he cringes a little at the thought of that Holiday price tag.

"How have you been aside portfolios and things like that," Scott asks for a moment. It's him trying to secure, or re-establish, bonds being a ltitle aloof up until a little bit back.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would look over at Pepper with a 'where's the fun in that' expression over while the implication of Tony having been kept out of trouble comes up when it's unsaid. If one weren't picking up the rather subtle changes in her body language and her tracking of Pepper's general implications to get the light humor flickering over her.

"Will they be cooperative this quarter and satisfied? Or have you managed to convince them that for all of Mister Stark's eccentricities, while he's in their employment they have some level of control and veto over his actions?" As opposed to him being upset, swearing revenge, and going on his own mad inventing spree which would be eternally associated over with them?

Pepper Potts has posed:
"So far, all the signs are pointing to a good second quarter," Pepper smiles. She's actually at ease now in the Mansion. Before, it just felt funny... the Avengers, and this being Tony's home when he was a child. Now, it's //almost// a second, or rather, a third home. Maybe a fifth? "But you didn't hear that from me." Insider trading and all!

"And Tony is fine," the bags that she had in hand are set down to the side of an armchair; out of the way but still present. "And he is still completely in control of Stark Industries. So..." there's a pause before, "Anything can happen."

Scott Lang has posed:
Scott catches some of those body language from Natasha, but has no idea what it means. If anythign he thinks Pepper is comforting rather than the humor angle. He just smiles watching the pair talk for a moment.

"Hear what?" Scott says sounding a little too innocent for that one. Not his first time looking the other way on these things. And he may be one to watch during activities where bluffing is involved.

"Anything?" he asks with a ltitle bit of fear in his voice. He's unsure what to expect on that one.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would glance at Pepper, "You know that according to tradition.." Pepper had nearly jinxed herself when it came to Tony's behavior, if only saving herself at the last minute by 'anything canhappen' to avoid baiting the worst of the curse that always brought on.

"You've spent time with MIster Stark, Scott. You know what can happen when he lets his inspiration get away from him but has enough skill to make it work." When in defiance of all the laws of physics and sanity to do so.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper grins at Scott and nods 'knowingly' before she laughs outright and shakes her head. "Tony is only predictable in that he is completely unpredictable." She nods at the bag with the gaming headsets. Her tones turn a touch theatric as she leans against one of the overstuffed armchairs. "Use at your own peril."

There is most decidedly affection there, however. "When he's inspired, I don't see him for days. Weeks, sometimes. The workshop could be all software designated one day, and the next, rebuilt for hardware." Pepper shakes her head, offers a hint of a shrug and chuffs a humored breath. "He is all of that."

Scott Lang has posed:
"I hope that means he'll make something sane-ish," he says honestly, openly. A little afraid of what an unhinged Tony Stark can make.

"So, he's like Socrates. He's smart because he admits he knows nothing," he looks at Pepper thinking on it for a bit. "So, when he goes quiet we shouldn't worry about his safety right away. Worry about what comes out of the lab," so to speak. Scott knows some of this, but to hear it from Pepper kind of cements his theory.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanova would nod over at Pepper, "Yes, quite a few that are blessed creatively are such. Artists, engineers, scientists.." A touch of genius often came with a bit of madness to it when one pushed at boundaries, when one pushed over at imaginations, and when one gave in to the anarchy of inspiration and charged through damning the possible consequences (or not considering them).
    "You could workwith him sometime Lang, as an assistant perhaps. I'm sure that he would be far easier to get along with than Pym." Not that Lang was likely the type for labwork. But it was the best way to see what teammates could do.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"I could try and set it up?" Pepper considers, brows rising in Scott's direction. "He really isn't around too much. We.. have a concern going on, and it's actually taking some of his time." 'Concern'. "It's fine, though." She pauses before nodding her head, as if convincing herself, "It's fine."

Exhaling in a breath to release some of the stress the thought just conjured, Pepper straightens up. "I should really be going, though. Last minutes, and such. There's always a question because people don't read."

Scott Lang has posed:
"I do work for Stark (see sheet resources). I design things, but I haven't seen the big guy in ages." Scott is being honest on that front. It feels weird to be teammates withs someone, and work for them, yet not see the person.

And Scott's personal concern joins the chorus of existing concern. His pale green eyes flick to Pepper, "Let me know if you need help. I'm in the design wing," he says knowing that the part time position allows him some freedoms, but he does show up to work.

"And as for Pym. I haven't seen him either, Natasha. It's making me a little concerned. I mean two innovators gone? Makes you think," he says knowing that sounds more ominous than intended.