3377/Warnings are Disabled

Warnings are Disabled
Date of Scene:	15 September 2020
Location:	Stark Tower: Penthouse
Synopsis:	Pepper checks in on Tony, to be sure he hasn't exploded.
Cast of Characters:	Tony Stark, Pepper Potts

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Tony Stark has posed:
Tony hasn't been available all day.

Between different projects in the lab, or the garage - he's just been busy, and a little ... distant, due to it. He's evaded and rescheduled some things. Normally, this is a direct indication that something is up - probably emotional, and he's dealing with it (or not dealing with it) in his own way. Tony doesn't open up at other people, this is perhaps just his usual 'mode', from years of this sort of privacy about things that matter.

There are no alarms that go off about Tony's 'percentage' into the red danger level, but when Pepper checks it out of curiosity -- it is a horrifying 128%!

Where is Tony? The penthouse. Why didn't HOMER tell Pepper? "The monitoring system has been found to be inaccurate in certain situations, and warnings are currently disabled."

Pepper Potts has posed:
It's not that she's spying on him, but she's concerned. She's allowed to be, considering the plans that are being formulated for the trip to Wakanda under the radar. And when Pepper is concerned?

There's that moment when she simply sits at her desk and stares in disbelief before she rises to her feet to take the short walk to the Penthouse. By the time she gets there, she's burned off some of the frustation, and those emotions have set solidly into the 'scared to death' now that the 100% limit's been surpassed. "Tony?" In the elevator, she's calling, looking up at the ceiling as if that'll push the communication any quicker. "Tony, why did you disable the biometrics?"

There's a pause before she realizes there's an assumption being made, and even as the door *dings* open on the top floor, she's asking, "HOMER, where is Mr Stark, please?"

Tony Stark has posed:
"Mr. Stark is in the jacuzzi," HOMER responds, narrowing Pepper's search to that particular location. "'All non urgent messages' are being rejected at this time; would you like to raise the urgency of your request?" HOMER asks. Sometimes the AI is absolutely frustrating, of course -- when it is very literal in it's following of Tony's orders. In this case? Tony told it to hold /everything/ that wasn't urgent, no doubt...

To let him relax in the Jacuzzi. Pepper will need to cross the Penthouse and vent her emotions in person, it seems: or indeed escalate the importance through the AI that is not, at this time, working with her. It's following Tony's strict requirements!

Tony is there. With an empty glass, and a white washcloth over his eyes, reclining in a picture of relaxation and serenity. Which, of course, she can interrupt, as she was not barred from the penthouse.

Pepper Potts has posed:
There's a hint of a sigh to hear where he is, and shaking her head, Pepper answers quickly, "No. That's okay." He's doing what he should be doing, after all. Relaxing! And with the news that he's doing just that, there is a touch of relief, but that is tinged with that other bit- the 128%.

Pepper's been spending a great deal more time in the Penthouse, and as access hasn't been barred (and why should it?), she's crossing the threshold. Heels are pulled off on the landing, and the wide expanse of distance is crossed. As she crosses, she pulls off her suit jacket, laying it on the back of the couch before she emerges onto the balcony.

"Tony?" She calls a little louder in her approach, reaching out to take the glass from his hand before it's dropped from a too relaxed hand. "Tony?"

Tony Stark has posed:
"Hi," Tony says, with a tone of 'I wasn't asleep, really' in it as he pulls his other hand up to draw the washcloth off and let it drop into the water, looking at her with a disconnected sleepyhead stare at first.

"Just was shutting my eyes for a moment," he says, starting to sit up further. And then picking up on her tension, following her movement: and possession of his drink. She magicked that glass away!

"What's exploding?" Tony inquires, without any surprise. Something seems like it always is exploding.

Pepper Potts has posed:
The glass has magically appeared on the edge of the jacuzzi, out of the way of a careless move with such artistry, it almost looks like it had been there all along! Standing near it, of course, is the magician herself, and she's looking at him, searching for any hint of what might be causing that sort of level, and not really finding it. He looks.. rested. Napping!

"HOMER said your levels were over 125%," she begins, but her words drop, allowing the still sleepy Tony to fill in the rest. "Tell me something isn't malfunctioning or that HOMER could be wrong."

Sorry, HOMER.

Reaching out to take the cloth and hang it on the side, she steps closer to lay her hand on his head at his temple, her fingers lightly touching. "It has to be wrong."

Tony Stark has posed:
"Well, that's better than it was; it hit four hundred percent when I first got in here," Tony laughs, with some curiosity and an edge of flattered charm when she moves to touch his face. He's extremely warm -- because he's currently in a very warm location. "Seems the monitoring system freaks out in a few situations like this one. Believe me - if that were anywhere near accurate, I'd have exploded in a way that would put my other fireworks to shame," Tony teases her, lifting one hand to fold his wet fingers briefly over her wrist. "It was low teens when I got here. It's probably closer to that. Yes, I'm currently /off monitor/ but come on now. Live dangerously for a relaxing soak? It's me, after all," Tony reminds her.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"Four hundr-"

In the next moment, Pepper sighs softly but most decidedly audibly, but with the action her shoulders take the rise and then the fall of relief. She shakes her head, and a quiet, airy laugh even exits as she looks as if she's about to swear affectionately, but swear all the same. "I would //not// want to see you live dangerously for a dip in the jacuzzi," and her hand remains in place, gently caressing his hair, her thumb near his temple. Leaning over, she takes a moment to whisper in his ear, her hair brushing against his cheek before she moves just an inch or two away again. Her 'departure' isn't done without a light kiss on his cheek, however, and once done, she's got more of a smile and less of a concerned frown.

"Okay, off monitor." Pepper can absolutely agree to that, but she follows it up with, "But not all the time."

Tony Stark has posed:
Tony watches her, still reclined, as she draws her fingers against his forehead, his hair. There's a quiet darkened focus to his look at her. He'd originally gone to get some quiet personal time, but she's making a good case for letting her inside that wall.

"/Well/," Tony begins. "What do you say I get out of here, and we have a deeper chat about dangerous situations," Tony suggests. He smiles at her as she kisses his face, pats his hands on the edge of the Jacuzzi twice, and then begins to get up. He grabs his towel - not that there's any nudity here anyway, though it's out of being cold and dripping, not out of some sense of modesty. The arc reactor is obnoxiously bright.

"And no, not all the time -- but I don't need to be checking it every two minutes either to be sure my heart's still beating." He pauses. "That's your job," he teases.

Pepper Potts has posed:
The two don't spend every waking moment together; Tony has work, Pepper has work, and both of them have Stark Industries to wrangle, in their own fashion. They are still both workaholics, doing what they do best. But, as those walls come down, more is revealed to Pepper, and the more she sees the more she falls, if it was possible.

She watches him with bright green eyes, taking him in as he first reacts, and smiles a little wider as she takes a step back for him to get out of the water and wrap up in a towel. It's a fond-- no, adoring look, and once he's on the other side, nods once. "I can make a list of unapproved, dangerous situations," is murmured, followed by, "And I am completely open to discussing other, approved dangerous situations."

Pepper has been checking on the man's heartbeat for some time; at least since he'd taken off as Iron Man, and she's not about to stop anytime soon. "I'll accept his help, though.." Reaching out for Tony's hands, fingers to entwine with his, Pepper is ready to lead him back into the Penthouse. "But not this time."