3649/Robot ate my Homework

Robot ate my Homework
Date of Scene:	01 October 2020
Location:	Stark Tower: Workshop
Synopsis:	Tony brings Pepper an idea related to her high school robotics competition venture.
Cast of Characters:	Tony Stark, Pepper Potts

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Tony Stark has posed:
"Pepper," Tony calls, as he comes out of his workshop. He was having a good time today - he's recovered enough to actually have some creative juice to go devote energy into working on a project. And possibly a physical one, he's trotting out of there in a black tank-top (with the glow of arc reactor mild in the center), wiping his hands on his jeans. He leaves wet marks -- meaning, he'd just finished washing his hands, not that they're dirty. He's a little sweaty maybe, from being close to a hot machine (with some marks across his nose where he'd had protective glasses on, now left behind).

"I've got something for you," he calls, expecting her to be somewhere at hand just outside of the workshop.

"Well, technically not for you exactly - your project -, and also not directly from me, but--- well, close, via intern, but-- I supervised," Tony explains. In tow is one of his robots, a small flying one, which buzzes in with a box roughly the size of a shoebox.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper can hear Tony from her vantage point just outside the shop; she's at the kitchen bartop, a green smoothie half finished next to her laptop; it has multiple tabs open, and she's moving from screen to screen to screen. With each swipe, she stares at the screen, wrinkles her nose and makes a soft 'guh' sound with her breath before swiping to the next of her saves. She's dressed casually herself; running pants, a fitted t-shirt, and for the moment, her preferred footwear while in the Penthouse, that is to say, barefoot.

Catching his call, she looks up from her work and takes hold of her green smoothie concoction before sliding off of her hair to greet him as he emerges. She's not far from the workshop when he's down there, but far enough away that it gives Tony that freedom to focus on his task at hand, whatever that may be at any given time.

As he emerges and he comes into view, green eyes are bright, her manner and mien relaxed, easy.. comfortable. "Hmmm?" There's the second in between words as her head cants as she takes note of one of the flying drones just beyond.

"Really?"

The explanation makes it a little clearer, and as Tony moves through it, her smile is easily in place, her head canting as she listens. "Okay. Supervising is good.." she prompts. "You thought of something?" She actually looks.. relieved. "Because I'm going over a lot of potential designs, and..." Does she sound the least bit frustrated?

Absolutely.

Tony Stark has posed:
"I didn't /mean/ to, but then I did," Tony retorts playfully, walking towards her to get close enough to look into her green smoothie cup with a mixed... pity. Yuckkkk. "Does that taste better than it looks or smells?" Tony teases her, but pulls back to the other topic readily enough.

"So I had the idea to send a small kit to each club, and give them the challenge to put it together. You know. Robotic Legos," Tony grins. "Successfully doing it'll require 'em to come up with some type of locomotion for it.... and you could have little races. Instead of the PR nightmare that making battle bots could possibly be. You know. No weapons, Pep," Tony says, extending a hand to try to pat her upper arm once, but his smile is sleekly teasing.

"So that box," Tony continues, proudly, "Contains the winner of what I challenged my interns each to come up with. I chose the best little set, and they'll get a reward I've yet to decide on," Tony smirks. He delegated to make a challenge... with a little challenge.

Pepper Potts has posed:
His approach is greeted with her own crossing in order to give him a quick kiss in greeting before standing beside him as he comments on her smoothie, "It's lemongrass. Very good for the digestion. You should try some one day." Her tones match his playfulness, the smile and brightness to her features is all there. "It's sweetened with honey." So. Grass and honey.

Pepper is more than happy to rise back to the robot topic, slowly sipping at her drink again. She bobs her head quickly, her breath catching before she exhales again, "Oh, yeah. I was just thinking of things that I thought kids would like to do. And, robot destruction would be one of them." She looks to the drone holding the package, adding, "No offense."

The touch on her arm is.. warm, setting off her smile again in his direction, and she takes a step closer to him, rather than moving away to take the box from the drone. Soon enough, though, she sets her drink down, rather than handing it off to the skeptic, and reaches to take the box. "That was a really good idea, by the way. A reward?" They already get free tickets to the Expo. "Front row seats.. to.. somewhere? Send them to a conference they wouldn't have access to?" She's not sure, though that's something for later.

What she has now? That box.

"Oh, this really is perfect."

Tony Stark has posed:
"Well, in addition to being able to put on their resume that they designed something for high school robotics training programs, yes. Fame, and maybe fortune in form of different and better intern duties. It pays to get noticed by Tony Stark," Tony says simply, smirking. He shrugs a little, eyes bright, "Or so I'm told."

Both Pepper's sort of situation, as well as employees!

"Also I would say racing, and failing at racing, also can create a lot of robotic wreckage," Tony asides, wrinkling his nose. The robot with the box chirps in a forlorn way, as if reminded of all of it's cohorts who were lost in the great racing expo of 2018.

"Maybe we can judge them on more than just speed," Tony suggests, leaning in sideways, to one-arm hug her, looking at the side of her hair a little, closer, mostly looking at her reaction to his invention. He's very pleased it's going over so well.

Pepper Potts has posed:
There's that sidelook, the one that holds her tightlipped, amused smile when he's being, well, Tony. Fond, affectionate and certainly amusedly patient. Brows rise a touch theatrically as she repeats, "So you've been told," as she meets his eyes. "Don't forget you got a good deal too," comes back before the conversation returns to the robots.

"Racing," Pepper considers, her head bobbing once more. "That works." Of //course// people go to car races just to see either 1., the fast cars and/or 2., the fast cars crash. Which remind her.. there is a car waiting for pretty much exactly what those robots will be waiting for. A real powersupply.

The drone's moment of recollection for its lost compatriots gains a sympathetic look from Pepper, and as Tony leans in to bring her closer, she's leaning in as well. "Let me think on this, then," and turning her head, she's close enough to press a light kiss to his lips. "If there's going to be speed, we're going to have to have our own entry in this. Beat Mr Stark's entrance and perhaps get a scholarship?" She actually wants to see what he can bring to the field; give him something to play with, which may (and usually does) lead to other ideas.

Tony Stark has posed:
Tony laughs a little, a smirk growing. "Pretty unfair to pit me against some poor unsuspecting kids," he says, smiling still, the smirk lowering in wattage. "Besides, I'm working on my own car, which is nearly ready to /go/, you know," Tony says elusively. Which, since it is TONY, isn't very elusive at all. Of course he was working on it. And it may have been part of where some of the ideas came from! Pepper was an indirect muse.

"Anyway, see what the schools think of part one, before we go even more above and beyond. This is just step one to get their clubs formed. Prizes have to grow in size, don't they?" Tony returns a kiss to her forehead then releases and starts back towards the workshop stairs.

"I'll let you know what else I cook up," he grins over his shoulder.