1997/Catching a Wild Tony

Catching a Wild Tony
Date of Scene:	07 June 2020
Location:	Stark Tower: Penthouse
Synopsis:	Pepper coaxes Tony out of his lab.
Cast of Characters:	Tony Stark, Pepper Potts

---

Tony Stark has posed:
Tony Stark has been entirely out of reach, buried in his workshop, and it's been days. That a project devoured Tony's attention is nothing new; he'll come up with something and power away at it full throttle.

However, attempts to enter the lab are... currently blocked, entry disabled.

"Apologies, Ms. Potts," The AI gently responds. "Entry is locked exclusively to Mr. Stark at this time. Would you like to leave a message? I can also let him know you would like to enter, should it be urgent."

Pepper Potts has posed:
After the birthday party, and after everything was said and done, life is getting back to something more akin to normal. During the day, Miss Potts is working, setting those things aside that Tony needs to see and/or sign. The pile is growing, which begins to give her an idea that it's been... a little while since Tony's emerged from his self-imposed exile that is his workshop.

One day, fine.. and the gentle rebuff is taken in stride, though that doesn't mean she doesn't try her keycode anyway. Two.. and days. What had been 'fine' is no longer, as far as Pepper is concerned, and taking a deep breath, wanders down those side stairs once more towards the lab, her expression set to determined.

"Homer, open the door please." Pepper gives the command as calmly as she can; she can feel the response almost before it comes. She knows that it'll be refused, yet again. "Homer, when was the last time Tony ate? Unlock the door, please."

There's a moment where she stands there, feeling a little foolish, perhaps, and finds herself looking up once again as if talking to the ceiling, the walls. "Tell Mr. Stark I'm out here and I'm not leaving."

Tony Stark has posed:
"I am not currently authorized to give you that information," the AI says regretfully about relating Tony's current eating habits. "I---"

But the AI gets cut off, as Tony's voice comes in clear and pleasant over the same voice system. "What do you think about Chinese, Pepper?" Tony breaks in, upbeat. "Order whatever you like," he adds, with a note of distraction in his tone, as if he were multitasking. Of course he is.

Inside the lab, Tony rubs the side of his wrist across his nose and eyebrow, then belatedly inspects his arm for grease. Looks relatively clear; he probably didn't get it on his face, he figures. He did, a little bit. He has a video feed of the hallway that Pepper stands in, though she can't see him for now, and he's still knee-deep (literally) in his project.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper is dressed in what is left of business attire for the day, though with a couple of nods to the fact that she's off the clock, as it were. She no longer wears the jacket that goes with her light cream colored suit, allowing for the short sleeved, airy button down shirt to be seen. It's tucked into the midi-skirt, and the ensemble is finished with a pair of practical pumps. Her hair is no longer in that bun, but rather a ponytail, just to keep the red off her face. She's at the bottom step, leaning on the bannister, her arms crossed in front of her.

"Not author-- Homer, it's me!"

Pepper might sound a little put out, and the response might have been a little.. frustrated sounding, but before she prepares to unlease her wrath upon the Ai that is only doing as told, Tony's voice comes out over the coms.

"Tony?" There's a moment's pause before her eyes narrow and she continues, "What are you-"

*sigh*

"Chinese. Then are you going to come out of your cave?" Or let her in?

Pepper does have several local restaurants on speed-dial, and there's that familiar voice, albeit muffled, placing the order through.

Tony Stark has posed:
"Probably a better idea that I do, rather than you trying to mash it through the current airlock," Tony replies, playfully. He must be having a good time with his project, there aren't any shreds of frustration or grumpiness to the tone. It's a good time to request his attention, compared to other instances, for sure.

"Which is, for reference, for your safety. This way, only one of us is under threat of losing an eyebrow."

Tony pauses, to scold one of the robots near him, hopping over a tangle of various power cables to return to his other console, leaning over it to set up a few more commands. "Let me know when it's here, I'll unearth a minute or two from this mess," Tony adds to Pepper, before focusing more back on his project.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper can hear the lilt in Tony's tones in response, and she can't help but smile. One of the few places that makes him truly happy. Which is all the more- "What?" Green eyes look at the door, the 'airlock' as if that alone can force it open, "Tony, what are you doing in there?" Breathe! "And don't you think it might be a little smarter giving access in case... you lost an eyebrow, and who knows what else?"

Explosions. Pepper is imagining explosions.

Still, Pepper sighs and leans on the wall now, a step closer. "Please at least open the door?"

Tony Stark has posed:
"I have both eyebrows, Pep," Tony laughs. But he does pause to check that in a reflective surface. "One... two... yep, confirmed eyebrow sightings." Tony's silent for a few moments, talking to himself a little under his breath, while adding in the components he wanted to add on the console.

"We've got full fire extinguishers locked and loaded in here, I'll be fine. But no, for your safety, we're sticking with no. ...Did you order the shrimp with honey-glazed walnuts that I like?" Tony calls, distractedly.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper leans on the wall, her expression.. flickering between relieved that he's got his lab and.. not so much in that he's doing something that could very well //catch fire//. "Tony," Pepper begins again, "If you have the fire supression, then I should be fine...

"Fine," comes as something little more than a breath.

"Yes," Pepper begins again. "And I got the vegetable lo mein, the spicy chicken with nuts.. and I really don't like talking through this wall."

Tony Stark has posed:
"Yes, it's rather unfair of me that I can in fact see you on my monitors but you are not graced with the thrill of my handsome visage," Tony replies, smooth as ever. Or, well, smooth as he was before stress compacted him into a frustrated diamond starting back in March....

Suddenly there's some sounds of doors moving (presumably the airlock for whatever danger Tony is actively working on), and the door in front of her opens. Tony blinks at her owlishly, dark brows lifted, as if he didn't expect her to be /right there/. "Oh hey," Tony says, at ease. He's got a shadow of various grime on him (though not his hands, he clearly had gloves on, but the marks of clean wrists), a sheen to his scruffy hair that isn't styling product. He's dressed comfortably for manual work, the t-shirt fitting snug to his upper torso; it's thin enough to make the arc reactor pattern of blue stand out glowing a soft pulse in a ring through it. "You had me at 'spicy chicken.'"

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper isn't about to give way this time, and her lean looks all the world like she's setting up as sentinel until her boss appeared from the workshop where, admittedly, a good portion of the magic of Stark Industries happens. As his voice comes over the coms again, she can't help but smirk lightly as the charm that has launched a thousand ladies comes playfully forward. "Uh huh.. okay. Let's see this handsome visage then."

While she can't hear the movement, thank you airlock, the moment the door swings open, Pepper shifts backwards a little. There's that playful smirk dancing on her face, her nose scrunched a little, coupled with her brows that rise. "Right. Handsome visage." Beat. "You have some grease.." Lifting a hand to point at a spot on the side of his face, she instead goes to wipe the smudge with a well-manicured fingertip.

"You... you are a mess," Pepper softly announces, though there's just something sitting in the undertones. She's relieved, she's happy... content. "Good thing I could lure you away with chicken."

Tony Stark has posed:
Tony flares his eyes more, brows still lifted, with one of his looks that does, in fact, get him in trouble with a thousand launched ladies. Intelligent dark eyes carry a lot of fiery charm; he's feeling good. It comes through.

"A 'flaming hot' mess, yes, so I have been told." Tony allows her to touch his cheek, though he glances at her finger as it nears him. "It's my style choice. Inventor chic. Not many can pull it off. Fewer try. --- You know, Pep, I don't think grease'll mesh with that shirt; careful where you put your hands," Tony teases her. He clears his throat, looking past her.

"I was told there would be chicken. Should I try back later?" Tony asks in mock deadpan, eyes flitting back to lock onto hers.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"Let's try and avoid the 'flaming hot' part, please?" Pepper takes the briefest of opportunities to try and look past him into the room, in case the door slides closed behind him before working on that little smudge. "It'll give me a reason to go shopping. Besides," The finger gently wipes at the mark for a heartbeat before she appears satisfied. Of course, the rest of him is a mess, but a lot of that is lost as she can feel his eyes on her, and when her green eyes meets his own dark ones, her finger pauses before she pulls it back and away slowly.

Pepper takes a breath, having forgotten that it's sitting there, unused in her throat, and first nods before, "Chicken. I'm hoping we can actually sit and eat. After that, I'd really like to give you your birthday present." Here, again, her gaze does return to his, and there's that light smile. "And you better tell me you like it, even if you hate it."

Tony Stark has posed:
"Entirely unavoidable, Pep," Tony says, with his oft earnest, rueful deadpan. "It's an intrinsic part of the entire Stark experience. Can't be without it." Tony purses his lips a small amount, jaw flexing in a manner that betrays his tongue moving along the inside of his lower teeth on one side. The spark is there; intellect and slight exhaustion, but not to dim his light any.

"Sitting, huh. I like it when you keep that bar nice and low. Though there probably shouldn't be a /literal/ bar tonight, I'm doing advanced, dizzying calculations that most mortals would pale at the thought of. Though it's tempting," Tony chatters.

Tony is mock offended when informed he has to possibly lie about a gift. "I already like it, come on now. I haven't hated any gift you've given me, have I? That's more the other way. No strawberries."

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper actually barks a soft laugh at that, and shakes a slightly tilted head. The smile's reached her eyes, and it softens her face. "I see. I'll try and remember that."

Pepper is on the bottom step of the spiral staircase that leads up into the Penthouse, her hand lightly atop the bannister. The comfortable smile hasn't faded, and there's a slight scrunch to her cheeks and nose, "I like little victories. Get the small ones and I feel like I've accomplished something." Thus, sitting. "And you can't tell me that getting you to sit down at a table is easy when work grabs you." And doesn't let go. She's more than happy, however, not to open the bar; even happier when he suggests that they don't.

"'Most mortals'?" Pausing on the steps as she rises, Pepper does cast her attention back down. "What are you working on? I mean, I know whatever it is is important. But a hint?"

Once the question is asked, the next steps are taken, one at a time (in pumps!). The merest mention of strawberries has Pepper stopping on the stairs again, and her expression is one of .. surprise, "You remember that?" Then maybe he won't give her strawberry anything for her birthday. "Okay.. there's hope." Now she's teasing again, but! There's hope.

"Food's almost here."

Tony Stark has posed:
"Flaming hot mess does retain memory," Tony says, at ease, his voice proximity making it clear that he is, in fact, following her up the steps. He doesn't quite bump into her when she suddenly stops on the stairs. "...Sometimes." The man doesn't remember things that aren't importnat to him to need to remember. Strawberries, it seems, has gotten a rank maybe just above knowing his own social security number.

"Honestly I just remembered it was //something// with strawberries, so, fifty-fifty, but I'm glad I'm right. It's nice to always be right, let me tell you." Tony moves a hand to attempt to cup her elbow and help guide her up towards the penthouse.

"A hint? Oh, sure. It's not a secret project. Enhancing my holodeck, is all," Tony grins. "You'll see. But food first; get me talking on that and I might forget to eat. ...Can't have that."

No, they can't.