4324/Mouth: Insert Foot Here

Mouth: Insert Foot Here
Date of Scene:	06 December 2020
Location:	Penthouse - Kord Co
Synopsis:	Ted Kord sticks his foot in his mouth, repeatedly, and Alyx Vance gets fired from her Kord Co job before ever starting it!
Cast of Characters:	Ted Kord, Alyx Vance

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Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord is a good employer, ask any of his minions. Little joke there around the office there. Overtime had better have a damned good excuse. Why can't you get the work done during the day? Not so much frugality as keeping people from burning out. Over time on Saturdays was on a project by project basis and again caused scrutiny. Sundays were inviolate, almost. Go home already. Be with your families or start one. By and large the set up worked. Except for emergencies, like Brainiac, Kord Co stood nearly deserted on Sundays except for security of course.

Ted Kord of course is doing a little work on his tablet, on his newest Bug, the Mark 5.0. But he's a dork and does such work to relax. Being a billionaire (again! Whee!) he's doing it lounging by his heated pool while blowers manufacture a summery weather for him. There is one other resident in Kord Co, newly arrived, barely settled: Alyx and he invited her up without a second thought. He has a wide array of swimwear for guests and more Chinese food than even he can eat.

Sketch sketch sketchity sketch!

Alyx Vance has posed:
    Alyx's backpack is given a careful toss onto one of the chairs surrounding the pool. Inside it was, again, all of her Earthly possessions: her one outfit -- a Black Mesa hoodie layered under a jacket with some jeans, her custom .45, the Gravity Gloves, and The Alyx, which has yet to be shown off. Alyx herself, though, had found the swimsuits meant for guests and picked a practical one-piece that was just about her size.

    She takes a few steps, barefoot, from the chair and towards the billionaire near the pool. "You're not, like, a creep or anything, are you?" she asks, both arms crossed across her chest. A simple question, but one that needed to be asked.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord looks up from his tablet, raises an eyebrow, then taps at it furiously for a few strokes. There's a chime and then a call completed.

"Melissa, it's Ted. Ms. Vance wants to know, am I a creep. Anything you want to weigh in with." The tablet is turned around show Melissa's slightly annoyed face as she is preparing a meal. Then she softens a bit.

"He's not a creep. He's a dork!"

"Melissa..."

"Sorry sir. KING of the dorks. Next time wear a bikini and render him mute."

"Okay sweetie, thank you so much. See you tomorrow."

He shrugs and sets the tablet down. "Are you a creep? Fair's fair," he asks with a smirk.

Alyx Vance has posed:
    Ted Kord phoning his assistant to weigh in on whether he was a creep or not was a really, really dorky thing to do, as far as Alyx was concerned. But then, Melissa confirms it. "I thought that was Spider-Man," Alyx replies. King of the dorks. "...Or was that King of the Nerds?" She shrugs her shoulders and peers down at the water. Alyx shifts her weight to dip her toe in the water, pauses a second, and then hops in -- totally uninvited!

    When Alyx Vance surfaces, she leans her head back so that her hair all flows backwards. Alyx wades to the edge of the pool and props herself up with her arms on the surrounding pavement. "...I don't know, maybe?" she answers about herself. Alyx fires off a smirk in Ted's direction. "So, if you're not a creep, why'd you ask me to come up here to your pool?"

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord meets her gaze and says, "I got a pool and just using it myself seems sad and lonely? I usually let the people I put up here use the pool? Also dimensional girl, I want to hear more about where you're from. I cut the interview short due to hunger pains. On your world does an invite mean you have an ulterior motive? Rough place."

Alyx Vance has posed:
    "Fair enough," Alyx agrees. She continues to float on her stomach while clinging to the edge of the pool, giving her feet a gentle kick any time she needs to get closer to the edge to hold this posture. "I guess I have a pool, now..." She shrugs her shoulders and considers that. "Kind of weird."

    "Rough place? Yeah, it sucks. I'm from the Black Mesa Research Facility in New Mojexico, Mojo World, Mojoverse, The Wildways," Alyx prattles off, going from most specific to most general to describe where she's from. She pauses a moment and then just flat out says it: "...I'm probably not going to be be your most dedicated employee, Ted. I've come to Earth for my other job..." she admits, making another vague reference to that other job that doesn't pay. Alyx's green eyes rise to watch Ted's reaction to that. Would she be fired?

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord leans over Alyx, elbows on his knees, hands together. He asks seriously, "What kind of job is that? Because your employment terms specify non-competition with me. But then you said you were an actress... Ok, you confused me. I hope this isn't like some of those comic books where they give you no exposition of the story in previous issues." He could be;ieve she was an actress, but then her reaction when he used the term was odd, as were her qualifications.

Alyx Vance has posed:
    Alyx sighs softly. "Well, Black Mesa is a research facility. We're working on zero-point energy, matter transference, anomalous materials," she describes with a wet shrug. "But, that's all just a means to an end."

    "We're really funding an underground revolution against Mojo and his agents," she adds, looking up at Ted as he leans over. "That's how I met Spider-Man. He helped me out against Spiral, though she got away like usual."

    "Yeah, I'm an actress," Alyx replies with a shrug. "You know, on television..." She's saying it all like it's just so matter-of-fact, like it should explain everything.

    "Oh!" she exclaims. "I guess I never said. I escaped -- obviously." That actually makes it less clear.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord processes this. Actress/captive? Underground revolution against some guy named Mojo. Can't be good. Then his eyes open wide.

"I ran into this Spiral, six arms, furry boots, She was trying to make some kind of dimensional breach. She's after you? I can show you where I met her. Anyway whatever she was doing didn't work. This Mojo must be bad if she works with him... cause she was a little... well... yikes." Unconsciously he bends closer to Alyx, like two conspirators. "So you're a revolutionary... what do you want here? To further develop your technology? Buy supplies for your revolution? Would you like me to call some of my friends in the Justice League? Because they take a dim view of tyranny. They could help. Wonder Woman alone..." Yes if you need more than one Amazon you definitely have troubles.

Alyx Vance has posed:
    "After me?" Alyx scoffs. "No way. I'm after /her/. I chased her to Earth, but...well, I think we got some of the calculations wrong." Even though she was hot on Spiral's heels, Alyx had come through the portal many months later. "Spiral will be first against the wall," Alyx declares, looking up at Ted with a subtle frown.

    Alyx's brow rises and then she shrugs her shoulders. "Look, Ted..." she begins, her eyes lowering a bit. "...I obviously didn't come to Earth to jockey some cubicle at Kord Co. I'm here to get Spiral. I don't know why Spider-Man recommended me for this, but..."

    A soft sigh. "I can't get in touch with my people," she offers. "...So, for now, I'm here. And that's fine, since Spiral's here, right? From what I've seen, she's been here on Earth ever since. I don't know why."

    Ted's offer of getting the local authorities involved in this earns a smile. "...I won't say no to some help," Alyx decides. "...But, it's on /my/ terms. Spiral will stand trial for her crimes in the New World. Once...you know, we win." With that, Alyx dunks herself under the water and swims around for a few moments before resurfacing.

    "Besides... My parents are from Earth, anyway. I'd like to check it out, you know?" she adds. And then, with a proud smile, Alyx says the most unusual thing. "They had sex." Her eyebrows rise, as if she expects Ted to be impressed.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord says, "Oh... they... well I hope you don't mind my saying, they did a hell of a job." He blushes a little at that.

"Alyx, not going to lie, helping you develop those technologies would help me out and I could certainly use them to improve this planet. I mean we make money here but you need money for most things anyway. I would definitely help people with new technology they way I do with my own tech. I can try to help you get back home. Spiral was using magic, there are other people who do magic here. May I ask a personal question?"

Alyx Vance has posed:
    "Ted!" Alyx exclaims. Her eyes shift from Kord, her hard exterior being penetrated by the comment and her cheeks fill with a sudden bit of color and warmth. Alyx sinks her body so that the waterline crosses at her neck, leaving her blushing face to pop out of the water.

    "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic," Alyx replies, shrugging her shoulders a little at Ted's assessment of Spiral and her magical abilities. Her eyes remain fixated pointedly AWAY from Ted, still flush from his comment.

    "Y-Yeah," she agrees to the personal question.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord blushes now. His hands shot to his mouth a little too late. Always too late.

"Uhm, well uh before I stuck my foot in my mouth I was going to ask if you'd like me to take you around and show you the sights of New York at least. When you need a break from revolutionizing... but I guess I messed that up." He gets up moves a little ways down and dives into the water, surfacing at the deep end of the pool, rather sulky.

Alyx Vance has posed:
    Oohooooo. Alyx's eyes shift to the side, her mouth forming an 'oh' shape as she practically makes the sound. "You want to take me around the city and show me the sights?" she repeats with a questioning tone. "I mean, if Spider-Man had been asking...That'd be one thing...But my older, creepy boss?" Her words come free with a teasing sort of tone, riffing on the creepy/dorky disagreement from earlier. Alyx watches Ted dive into the other end of the pool.

    "Is this one of those things where if I say 'no' then I'm fired?" she asks, her brows rising as she teases.

Ted Kord has posed:
Alyx gets a splash or water in her face by way of answer. "Yes. You are fired right now. Consider yourself my guest, with all reasonable use of my lab. You're running a revolution. Since you aren't an employee, I don't have to worry about getting in trouble when I duck you... wait, you want to hook up with Spidey? I'm not going to interfere in that. Seriously. We old creeps have a code we live by."

Another splash.

Alyx Vance has posed:
    A hand is brought up in a futile attempt to block the splash. "No!" Alyx protests, shaking her head at the comment about Spidey. "I was joking! A joke." Still, Alyx looks away as she says it, not wanting her face visible for this part of the conversation.

    And then, suddenly, Alyx Vance is no longer employed at Kord Co. That was quick. "Okay," she says as she processes her change of status. "...I can deal with that. A lab might be enough. I've got some ideas to get these gloves to pull at energy sources and weaponize them." She shrugs her shoulders and then takes a breath.

    "So, where will you take me?" she wonders, peering across the pool at Kord. "These sights, you mentioned."

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord stands with his mouth open. "Really?" He ignores the perfect target he's making...

Alyx Vance has posed:
    Alyx gives the man a suspicious look, as if silently wondering if there was a reason for her to be more cautious with how she divides her time. "...Yeah," she replies casually, shrugging her shoulders. "Might be fun."

Ted Kord has posed:
Brain rebooting.

He really expected a resounding "No!" and a splash of water n the face.

"Uh, okay. I can take you to the Amazon Embassy to meet Wonder Woman, she's pretty high up in the League. She'd know what to do and we can see the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center... check out Fifth Avenue, maybe a museum... you need winter clothes. It gets cold. Definitely not swimsuit weather outside. Uhm, Alyx... I just got out of a bad break up. So I'm not into a dating or a relationship right now. I just figured I'd be nice and show you around after hearing your story... I mean you're certainly date-able, you're very nice in a badass way. But I'm not there right now. So I'm sort of an anti-creep... I just have a big mouth. Honest. Also you're a little young for me truth be known, no offense."

Alyx Vance has posed:
    Alyx nods her head with the various suggestions, as if any of them might mean something to her. But then, Ted keeps talking. A frown suddenly forms. "Woah, woah, woah!" she exclaims as the misunderstanding forms around them. "Woah!" Alyx puts both of her hands up and out of the water as Ted goes on and on about dating and relationships and all of that. Anything she could do to get him to STOP.

    "Jeez, is this how it is here?" she almost shouts. "I say that I'll go and now you're making sure I'm not planning our wedding? You're like fifty years old!" A look of near disgust forms.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord raises his eyebrows. "UHm... I'm 35. Thirty five is coming for you too and sooner than you think. No no wedding. I just wanted to make sure... I don't want you to think I'm creeping on... I'm going to stop talking now. You do need winter clothes though. Done." He pretends t zipper his mouth shut and waits quietly, hands clasped before him.

Alyx Vance has posed:
    Alyx lets out a lungful of frustrated air. In fact, she turns away and begins to hoist herself up and out of the pool. Dripping, Alyx crosses her arms across her chest, each hand grabbing the opposite elbow. One hand drops and moves to pull the wet material from her bathing suit out from the middle of her bottom, lets it go with an elastic smack, and then goes back to its position crossed over her chest. She begins a careful, but quick walk to where she stowed her backpack. Her feet were bare, her body wet, and she didn't want to slip!

    "I'll bring the swimsuit back once I'm out of it!" she calls over her shoulder as she bends down to pick up her backpack. "Ridiculous..." she mutters under her breath as she does.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord jumps out of the pool. "I'm not trying to insult you... take a towel and robe at least. I'm not trying to be insulting... I just fall into it naturally." He runs after her and throws a towel around her shoulders. He holds the robe out.

"Please stop! I do want to help you, really. Can we just arrange a signal or something, like you punch me when I'm talking too much? Here, take the robe. It's a really nice robe..."

Alyx Vance has posed:
    With a swift swipe, Alyx grabs the robe in a tight fist. "Absolutely ridiculous," she accuses, looking up at Ted as she does. Alyx wraps herself in the robe, closing the material tightly around her form as she looks up at the billionaire, none too pleased!

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord pulls his hand back like he touched something hot. Then he gets a resolute look about him. He does that.

"I don't know what I said to upset you, other than perhaps too much information about myself. I was just trying to be clear my intentions are platonic for several reasons, all on my side, NOT yours. Let me make that clear. I did not say anything against you, if you will recall. Until we began this tirade we were having a nice time and... I think we'd enjoy each other's company for a tour of the city. I think you a very engaging person. I want to help you. I think I could show you a few things you can use."

With that he goes back to his lounge chair and plops back in it, water scattering from his every action.

Alyx Vance has posed:
    Alyx stares up at Ted Kord, squinting her eyes as she delivers her evaluation. "I think there's a pretty decent chance that you deliberately manufactured this misunderstanding," she accuses, pointing a finger at him. "I agree to let you take me through the city and then you act like I'm signing my name as 'Alyx Kord' or something!" She even rolls her almond-shaped eyes to reinforce the point. "So, you're either... A jerk.... Stupid...Or....Or..." She searches for the word and finds it. "...Oh..." Alyx's enthusiasm for her arguement wanes. "...You're a dork."

    With a heavy sigh, Alyx pulls at the robe and uses it to dry her body. "You don't know how to talk to women, do you?" she wonders, a slight smile forming, more good-natured now that she figures she's cracked the case.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord listens to her as he sits and looks up at her finally exclaiming with relief, "F*** yes! I'm a dork! ... why would I deliberately shoot myself in the foot like that... and go walking on salt? I'm a dork! Longest relation I had was with a woman who punched me every time I started to say something stupid. Didn't Melissa say I was a dork? Anyway... I think you're great. Let's go see the tree and Wonder Woman and build s***!"

Alyx Vance has posed:
    Alyx continues to dry herself off using the robe, not bothering with a towel. "You are..." she begins, now moving the robe up to dry off her hair. "...Literally, the worst." With her hair reasonably dry, Alyx lowers the robe down so that she can wear it like...well, a robe! She bends down and grabs the strap of her backpack. "I'm going to kill Peter for ever introducing us," she adds, a smirk forming as she stands upright.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord smirks a bit. "Nah there's a couple worse. Guy, Booster... well I think that covers them actually... "