2152/Who takes the STAIRS

Who takes the STAIRS
Date of Scene:	18 June 2020
Location:	Stark Tower: Pepper's Office
Synopsis:	Tony and Pepper discuss hiring policy.
Cast of Characters:	Tony Stark, Pepper Potts

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Tony Stark has posed:
"Hey, Pep, quick question," Tony's voice breaks in suddenly into Pepper's office. It was pretty much just off the threshold of the interview she'd just had, but quick enough to aggressively speak up before another interviewee is brought in. The next person is indeed in the little waiting area outside the offices, her worried hands wringing each other.

Tony's showing up on one of the wall-screens; he's clearly in his own office, leaned way back in the chair: a comfortable sprawl. He's dressed in full business attire: that may mean he's actually going to more meetings today. It's like a unicorn just wandered through Pepper's office! Tony went to his 9am, and now might be doing more?!

"I won't tie you up long. I mean. Unless it's by request, and you need a breather -- then I can stall a little," Tony teases.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper is behind her desk, narrowed green eyes focused on her monitor screen. On her desk, piles of papers are neatly stacked, though one has been pulled out and sits in front of her. Reaching out, she lightly touches her screen, cants her head with those eyes still looking as if she's studying something, touches it again and looks at the paper.

The lighting of her wall screen sets Pepper in motion; he can probably hear her instructions to her assistant, "I'll call you when I'm ready."

"Yes, Miss Potts."

Now with that out of the way, Pepper's brows rise and she actually has a soft laugh captured in her throat. One that sounds honestly pleased, which settles into a smile. "Wow," she softly drawls, "I'm impressed."

It's a touch short lived, even if there is humor behind her next utterance, "Uh huh..

"Let me guess," and those greens are glittering, "You are looking at the same feed I am. Did Homer tell you, or are you just eavesdropping?" Another soft chuckle exits, and Pepper continues, "Should I be flattered, or are you bored waiting for your next meeting?"

Tony Stark has posed:
"Can it be a bit from column A, B, and C?" Tony questions helpfully. He's playing with one of his desk toys - meaning, a little squeezie-ball of neon yellow color, squishing it between the fingers of his left hand. A clear signal that the last item, the boredom, was an element for sure.

"HOMER told me; speeder on deck, clearly. I didn't look at his stuff, though." That's not Tony's job! His job includes being able to just easily and quickly get the short version with Pepper's intuitive thoughts attached. "HOMER's rolling through the scans to make sure we didn't have a speed-thief; so far doesn't seem like it. What's your take? Was he open about it?"

Pepper Potts has posed:
Boredom is certainly an option that Pepper is well aware of. It's the genius in him. Wheels are always turning, which is why she really doesn't look surprised by the call. Nor is she surprised by the line of questions.

"Was he upfront?" Pepper scrunches her face and shakes her head ever so slightly. "Tells, yes. Hints? Maybe? I'd have to think about it. But this?" She gestures towards the camera, "I had Homer slow it down, and there doesn't seem to be any theft, but certainly a breach in security. It's flagged now." Was the moment the anomoly hit.

"He's a kid. Even if he didn't have all that going on, he seems, well, young. I'm not sure he'd know what to steal, honestly."

Tony Stark has posed:
Tony leans his head back agains the upper cushion of his expensive, technological chair perfectly attuned to his weird sitting behaviors, and tosses the squishy-ball up, to catch it again with opposite hand. "Okay. I can pass his name through to the JLA contact I've got and see what they know; they have at least one speeder like that one," Tony says, talking to the ceiling thoughtfully. "I don't like random powered folks using their powers suddenly in my tower," Tony smirks.

Probably doesn't need to be said. "No unauthorized power use near the inventions that might go 'splodey with exposure to weird dimensional ripping forces," Tony grins. "Not that you're anything other than safe. Safer here than most anywhere on the planet. You're with me."

Just a statement, not so much arrogance.

"Anyway, gonna say no to powered kids that don't lead with that, as a general policy at this point, I think. Honesty with us needs to be right up front. Makes the other team-building trust exercises fall a little flat if we don't have it at the get-go." Tony smiles. "You agree, Pep?"

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper sits back in her light leather chair, not so attuned to her, but that's okay! It's comfortable anyway. That smile has turned into something more of a professional conversation-face, and one that is in total agreement with her boss. If she wasn't, there'd be words.

"You would think, with you being... you, that they would lead with something like that," she muses. "But, maybe I'm spoiled with Pietro?" who really, really doesn't hide the fact that he runs. Fast.

"I'm safe," she repeats now, with a touch of a smirk playing in her tones. Still, the way he says that brings her down a little, and those green eyes narrow again, "Is there something you're not telling me?"

Still, she's not going to linger on that, and finishes, that wry tone sounding again under her words, "It might help with the 'falling and catching' one, though. He'd get there in time."

Tony Stark has posed:
"Good point with Pietro -- not in the spoiling, but in that I think they have a hard time going normal-people speed. Gotta be a bit of a rough life, everything seeming to move slowly around you," Tony says, with a thoughtful reflection he's not always prone to. Most assume Tony's entirely arrogant and unable to be empathetic, but Pepper's seen it in moments like this that reveal the opposite is true. It's a part of his genius intuitive side, just generally buried, because inspection of feelings is hard. FEELINGS ARE HARD.

"/Ha/. So long as he didn't make it to the ground before anybody could catch /him/; I don't need to be liable for that injury," Tony retorts in amusement with a wink, slowing in his catching and tossing of the ball to flash a grin to Pepper.

"Eh, I got a weird feeling from it," Tony shrugs, squish-squishing the ball, and then orienting to a message HOMER put on the screen. "Bleh, my ten-thirty's here," Tony observes, starting to sit up, flexing hand over the keypad. "Oh, it's Johnny from Alt-Flux LTD. We may run over." Tony likes the CEO of that company, and has perked up. It will probably be a meeting of amused bragging, but some deals should be struck - Tony's best at this type of meeting.

Pepper Potts has posed:
He didn't answer her question, and she turns her head so those green eyes offer a side-view. "Tony.." comes softly. Still, it's not a battle for the moment. Just that warning shot fired over the bow, and a hint that it will be revisited later, and not soon forgotten. She worries about him.

But this is the Tony that she knows so well, and the one that she works for. The other? Well.. she'd never say she didn't enjoy the show once in awhile, when it was necessary to put someone in their place.

"I do too. Something just wasn't sitting quite right." It's easy to admit that, to agree. "I'd say your suggestion to feel it out with friends is a good one. I can make some calls too, and see if there's anything out there." Above and beyond the normal HR background check.

The idea of one of Tony's meetings running over brings a laugh from his PA. "I'll push your others back, or cancel them if your meeting runs too long." She knows how to apologize and reschedule, and with Stark Industries, it's always from a position of power. "I'll have the kitchen send up a tray."