6382/Tony's Birthday party

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Tony's Birthday party
Date of Scene: 30 May 2021
Location: Tony's yacht, The Bouyance, on the River.
Synopsis: Tony's birthday party becomes the setting for Gremlins IV.
Cast of Characters: Pepper Potts, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Amanda Sefton, Janet van Dyne




Pepper Potts has posed:
Memorial Day Weekend. Is there a better time to hold a party in New York City?

Probably not.

This is the time of year that the 'kickoff' to summer happens on the East Coast. The Shore resorts fill with tourists, all the natives of the City are out and about, enjoying the weather, gearing up for cookouts and BBQs wherever they can be found (there are a few in the parks dotted around the island), and boats are out on the water, having been taken out of winter storage.

Out at the pier is one of those boats, or rather, one of those 'yachts', decked out in not only the brilliant running lights of red and green, but white lights festoon the decks, complete with flags and streamers to mark the festive occasion. That of one Tony Stark's birthday. Sure, it's not one of the 'biggies', like last year, but to have it go unremarked would be very, very un-Stark-like.

And as a result, the every faithful Pepper Potts has made sure that it does not go beneath notice with invitations sent. The dress is 'yacht-like, that is 'casual fine'. An LBD wouldn't go amiss, which is what the hostess is wearing, though in green. An off the shoulder 'sleeve' dress that is mid-length with heels does well for her, her red hair down, understated makeup and a pair of emerald drop earrings finish the look. She has in her hand a glass of white wine, looking as if it hasn't yet been touched.

She's speaking to one of the waiters, the man's tray holding some aperitifs, her head ducked slightly as she talks, green eyes looking out and beyond, making sure everything is perfect.

Tony Stark has posed:
While not unusual considering a Stark party, something has changed in the last half hour: a bunch of people that were not expected or accounted for have shown up. No alarm has been raised as of yet - because all twelve of them are very beautiful women of various types and lack of dress. They seem to have just arrived, and joined flawlessly into the general partygoing, as if they were a natural part of things.

Except, of course, that none of them are familiar. But they are such a normal thing, as Tony Stark is so prone to just inviting people on the fly into his events, that nobody has made any real issue about it. Beautiful people tend to get away with things, at any rate, and many of them are in bikinis.

"Did a bird steal your hot dog?" one of the overly sensual girls asks towards Steve Rogers, distractedly getting into his vision and trying to offer him some of the BBQ food.

"If I didn't bring a swimsuit can I just wear this?" Another one is asking of Ms. Potts, with deep concern, of her white outfit. It would be entirely inappropriate and see-through if she did that in the yacht jacuzzi.

Tony himself is currently out of bounds, since he has climbed up to one of the spots with his fireworks launchers for later, but is being stared at by at least three of the female visitors. It's a look akin to wolves staring up at what they hope will be prey in a tree.

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve brings his gaze back down, reorienting it from where he was gazing off idly at the sky, to the young woman speaking to him. "What's that?" he says while his brain plays back what it heard. "Oh, no," he responds to her, chuckling softly. "Just watching a plane and, well, thinking about some old things," he says with a small shake of his head.

He looks from the woman to the plate of BBQ. "Oh, thank you," he says, picking a carrot stick off the plate to be polite. The sound of a couple of the women gazing with longing towards Tony Stark (and his bank account) conversing about him, draws Steve's glance over to them, followed by a slightly embarrassed expression at how frank their conversation is. "If you'll pardon me," Steve tells the woman talking to him, "I need to go and see if my date is here," he finishes, nodding to her and then turning away, eating the carrot as he goes in search of Janet.

Steve's wearing some dark grey slacks and a dark navy shirt. He looks around for signs of Janet as he makes his way over towards Pepper. "You haven't seen a rambunctious fashion designer have you?" he asks.

Amanda Sefton has posed:
Amanda Sefton is not someone usually seen in Tony's company, though they are certainly familiar with each other. That's more thanks to Pepper, though, than anything else. The blonde, garbed for once in a summery dress instead of trousers and a business jacket, leans against the rail, a glass of white in her hand. She's planned enough parties, she knows better than to interrupt her friend while Pepper is dealing with details. She also knows Tony well enough not to bother trying to wish him a Happy Birthday while he's tinkering... or being stalked by a pack of randy she-wolves.

No, for once, she has no responsibilities and can just sit back and watch the fireworks. Both literal and metaphorical.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
There's a dress code for yacht parties (well, the upper-class ones). The color codes are white, gold and navy; the attire should be stylish but relaxed makes a statement; and it needs to smack more of tasteful understatement than the gowns and cocktail dresses appropriate for evening soirees.

After five PM, these rules of course all change. It's a challenge to keep up with all these unwritten customs of upper-class New England society.

Janet's in navy trousers and a double-breasted sleeveless shirt in the same pristine shade of snow-driven white. It almost looks like a nod to a sailor's jacket, with crisp pleats and starched creases. Gold buttons replace humble brass, matching her earrings and bracelets, and she's opted for low wedge sandals for a little better balance on the piers. A patriotic kerchief is tied under her chin with the knot and spray artfully arranged to the side, a nod to the occassion without being a garish power accessory.

True to form, though, her voice marks her location when the crowd circling her might hide her from view. "No, this weekend's murder for me," Janet is telling a socialite around her age. "Memorial Day weekends are always busy. There's this, a charity luncheon, a gala at the Met..."

"Opera, or Museum?" one of them asks.

Janet scrunches up her nose, thinking. "Either," she concludes, and her bare shoulders rise and fall in a shrug. A careful application of skin conditioner and sunscreen is ensuring the sun does little else but bring out the subtle caramel color of her summer skintones. "And then of course, Steve's got obligations all over the city for the Veterans groups. I offered him the helicopter last year to try and save him some time, and he just booked three more events the same day." She sighs with a wry, fond smile, shaking her head once. "But that's sort of part of the package deal," she adds, and gestures vaguely with her (empty) martini glass, unaware of Steve's imminent approach!

Pepper Potts has posed:
There are some yachts that indeed do have 'rigging', and this one is large enough to have those 'out of the way places' where Tony's gone to, and one of those eyes towards making sure the party is a success is leveled on him, and making sure nothing happens. Pepper turns around to the sound of an unfamiliar voice, and her brow creases, her nose wrinkles briefly with a first unspoken, 'I'm sorry?', followed by a perfectly audible, "Who are you, again?" Her head is tilted, and there's an even, polite if not professional undertone to her words. "No, not tonight."

There's a pause before Pepper turns around, scanning the area for Happy, ready to have the 'not supposed to be here' beauty escorted off deck. And then.. there are the she-wolves. The bikini beauties looking up, cooing and ah-ing, lying in wait for Tony to descend from his height.

Amongst friends, they'd know Pepper's //look//. It's one of professional resolve, coupled with that ghost of a //smile// that lurks beneath.

Turning back around on her heel, there is still that undertone, "This is a private party. You look like you're for general use, so I'll ask you to leave." Beat. "Once.

"Steve," Pepper is able to turn easily, her expression still on that stony, 'this may not end well' look, even if she's in a position of 'power'. "No.. but I think she's.. yes, over there," and the way is pointed towards the designer in question.

Tony Stark has posed:
"I'm fine," Tony says, surprised and amused as one of his little robots flies in as he starts to climb down. As if it'd aid him. It lingers close anyway, with fire extinguisher still aimed at Tony - as if somehow he'd combust while climbing down from the fireworks array. "Keep watch on /that/, not me," Tony admonishes it. He comes down cleanly - with a bit of showmanship as he lands on deck - to then get mobbed pretty quickly. All of the attention gets absorbed immediately by the Stark attention-sponge: he allows himself to be given a drink and compliments. Clearly appropriate for his birthday: he doesn't question much of any of it, though he does start to wade through them towards his friends.

One of the women decides to do a grabby-hand at his butt, though, and that draws a snap of attention from Stark and a smirked laugh. "/That/ is off limits to you, babe." There's chiding amusement in it, but specific message as well. Grabbing is rude.

The little robot that Tony told to go stick with the fireworks comes over and sprays the grabber abruptly with its hose. She shrieks, predictably. It's a bit over-much, the reaction, but it was probably quite a surprise to her to suddenly be a drowned rat. A lof of the spray also hits those near her, including Tony, who automatically moved in to guard the person from his robot. Automatic heroism.

"Wet bikini contest /later/, M2," Tony jokes at the robot, directing it away sternly, his tone flippant due to the crowd. And not engaging overmuch with the she-wolves for the moment, to their irritation.

Steve is still getting chased, and now has another there. They're trying to keep his attention, and one even tries stumbling to see if he'll help her. It's deliberate.

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve Rogers does his best to not smile as he watches Pepper ably handling the nearest of the party's likely woo girls. When her attention turns to him, he gives her a warm smile and a nod. "Pepper. Looks like the kind of party that Tony will be sure to enjoy," he tells her. "I hope you're going to find some time to relax as well," he offers.

As Pepper directs his attention towards Janet, Steve looks over, a soft smile reaching the blue eyes. Up until the moment another of the women pops up in his line of sight to Janet. "You know, my grandfather told me you were really something. Before you showed back up, I mean," she says coyly. "He was in the war. I probably owe him an apology," she tells Steve, giving his body a lingering look.

"Well," Steve says with a modest amount of discomfort. "It is Memorial Day weekend, probably a good idea to call him. Please pass along my best," he tells her, before glancing back to Pepper. "I'll be over here if you need me," he says, motioning towards the direction where Janet is talking with others, and then heading over that way.

Amanda Sefton has posed:
It's only when one of the Bikini Brigade sashays more closely past her her that Amanda suddenly find her interest piqued. And not necessarily in a friendly way. Magical senses buzz faintly. Pushing off the railing, an easy smile still on her lips, she shadows the woman through the crowd.

As she walks, she sips her wine and whispers a little spell. She can only hope she doesn't cause Pepper to drop her own wine glass as a result. "Gin, darling?" she whispers, her voice vibrating softly from the glass in Pepper's hand. "Did you intend to let magic aboard that's not mine? Because I think the pretty party crashers you're chasing are packed with more than just silicon."

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Expressions brighten in the circle around Janet and people direct their vision behind her shoulder. At another time in her life, insecurity might have set her jaw against someone stealing the spotlight like that; now, she's smiling already, knowing that there are few people who can so effortlessly improve everyone's mood just by walking up to them.

She turns to look over her shoulder at Steve and beams a smile up at the blonde soldier. "Hey handsome," she bids him, and slips an arm around his waist to lean into his frame.

The girl tailing Steve comes up short abruptly and Janet glances once at her, then looks back at Steve and wiggles the empty martini glass at the pursuer. "Vodka martini. Try not to drown it," she says, not bothering to make eye contact.

"If you'll excuse us," Janet tells the group, and lets Steve steer her away from the little knitting circle.

"Pepper!" Janet says, raising her voice and lifting one hand in a wave. "Hey, is there a reason you're not drinking with me yet?" she inquires with her hands spread in mock consternation. Her parallel course with Steve deviates two steps and she turns the gesture into an offer of a hug. "I'm sure if Tony's gonna burn the boat down, he'll do it with or without your supervision, y'know," she chivvies the redhead.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"Who in their right mind would settle for a //plain// party when they could have more fun?" is chirped back from the white-dressed boat-crasher.

"Exactly," Pepper returns with a tight smile, "Nothing more boring than a one-trick pony."

Pepper turns on her heel, and is ready to actually raise her glass to her lips when she catches... words coming from the wine. She blinks, pauses in her step, looks momentary puzzled before she catches the cadence of the words.. how she's addressed. Green eyes lift to her best friend, brows rising in both askance and acknowledgement, complete with a slight shake of her head in response.

Upon being somewhat clued in, Pepper looks for Tony, and finds him amidst the gaggle of girls, all vying for that 'number one girl' slot that he'd had only just over a year ago. She takes a deep breath, settling herself before she smiles at Steve with his observation. Has no one noticed?

"Janet," and the word comes out a touch airily, a hug received, a hug given. "The last thing I need is-"

The *whooost* of fire suppression from the little robot gains Pepper's attention immediately, her gaze searching for cause.. and she exhales in a sigh before looking back to her friends. "We cast off in about 10 for the trip around the island."

Tony Stark has posed:
The little robot has insisted on behaving oddly -- it has now sprayed TONY down directly, causing him to lose grip on his drink. "Alright: I know I'm hot, but.... nope," Tony sighs finally, firm, and pulls a handheld device out, to glide his fingers across it, and address the robot that is clearly misbehaving and ruining the birthday.

On the deck, though, the drink (which originally came from brunette #3) has spilled and scorched a weird patch on the wood. If anyone happens to be paying attention. Tony's stepping towards his robot, though, which pulls him away from the gaggle of party gals, while fiddling with looking into the robot's misbehaviors...

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve Rogers greets Janet with that warm smile, his own arm going back around her if with just a bit of self-consciousness as if aware of the public display of affection, even though a modest one. "You look fantastic," he tells her, eyes focused squarely on Janet before the other women that she's talking to are given his attention for polite greetings all around.

He breathes a soft sigh of relief as the woman following him seems to have given way after seeing he's with Janet. He gladly accompanies her back over to Pepper. The sound of the fire extinguisher squirting out the wet foam draws a wry chuckle. "It's already turning into a Tony birthday party, isn't it?" he says, looking around, and having missed if there is anything going on besides normal partying. For that matter he looks like he's probably thinking he should probably be at some Veterans Hall or maybe a support meeting for soldiers returning from deployment. Well, his friends need his time too.

Amanda Sefton has posed:
Amanda catches Pepper's expression. The one she gives back is a small shrug, but a telling one. She knows what she felt. She reaches out to tap the bikini clad woman she's following on the shoulder. "Sorry," she says, her smile drifting a trifle sharp. "But I'm sure we've met somewhere before." She lets a pulse of magic ripple off her finger tips -- it's a counter illusion. She is, after all, a remarkably good illusionist. "Truth or Dare party, maybe?"

The illusion around the sexy nymph shatters. In its place is a squat, Gizmo-gone-bad critter that lets out a god awful squawk. It launches itself at Amanda, who twists to avoid it. Thus, it careens, instead, into a food cart. Which means it now has amunition.

Hors d'oeuvres go flying -- at Amanda, at anyone standing near her, and anyone who tries the grab the little thing.

"Goblins," the gypsy groans, throwing up a small shield before she's pelted with pate. "Why is it always goblins?"

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Janet can't see much of the melee as the goblin creates a wall of chaos; there's just a lot of noise, shouting, and flying food from where she's standing.

Prudently, she puts Steve between herself and the upset. His outfit would be a lot easier to get stains out of.

"/Now/ it's a Tony party," Janet tells Pepper with a dry tone of voice. She peers around Steve to try and get a glimpse of the actual fracas, and frowns at Amanda Sefton. Fingers tug at the back of Steve's shirt to get his attention. "Do we know her?" she inquires of him. "I can't place a name to the face."

Pepper Potts has posed:
Another *wssssht* of fire suppressant goes off, and Pepper's eyes widen slightly at the little robot. She, too, is about to chastize the little bit of Stark tech before Amanda's counter-illusion goes off.

Pepper squeaks, and after a moment of watching a little 'pig in a blanket' go flying by her shoulder, she ducks and runs to find.. something, anything that would be good in the hand. "That's Amanda, my best friend," is given in terms of introduction as she scurries by to grab.. ah! Silver serving tray!

Not as good as Steve's shield, or any of Tony's tech, but one uses what one gots.. and she's got this!

"What is.." this? going on? YES. All the above!

Tony Stark has posed:
"I'd apologize to you, M2... but really this is just my superior programming at work recognizing a threat, so. Good job, Stark," Tony comments aloud to himself in his usual amused, shameless banter-- that comes with a put-upon sigh, as he puts his attention more fully onto the women in bikinis, who are giving a very innocent look, as if they were entirely not to be blamed for some strange goblin wayyyy over /there/.

"Those people can take care of that strange thing, come party with US!" one of them attempts with Tony...

*FWOOOSH* Goes the robot again, spraying her in the face. Tony's skillfully moved to fall back towards the other Avengers. "So maybe the guest list could be more strict. I can see your point, Pep," Tony comments, as the girl sprayed screams like a weird gremlin monster... that is also visually a nearly-topless woman sprayed by water. It's a confusing sight.

Steve Rogers has posed:
At first Steve mistakenly thinks that Amanda turned the woman into a goblin. SO thankfully Pepper lets him know the woman's likely trustworthiness about the time he hears Amanda's groan. "I really should have gone to the VA hospital," he murmurs with a sigh that probably only Janet will hear.

A pastry puff with some kind of frosting is caught out of the air before it can hit Janet. "Not part of the guest list then?" he says towards Pepper as he moves forward, braving the incoming catering. Pretty much he just lets it bounce off of him, though a cranberry tart catches him in the face, splattering across an eye and causing him to slow to wipe it so he can see.

Finally though he makes a lunge for the goblin, trying to pull it away from the high-caliber cuisine, and hopefully get it subdued.

Amanda Sefton has posed:
With Captain America lunging for the goblin, Amanda realizes engaging in a food fight with the little critter is going to be less than productive. So, the sorceress wraps a don't-look-here spell around her that makes her seem to disappear. She then starts moving through the crowd -- her progress evident to the observant because of the wake that mysteriously opens up in front of her as people politely just move out of her way.

Then, she's starting to tap other members of the bikini brigade on the shoulder, dispelling the illusions and startling more goblins into their true forms. It probably increases the food fight, but it also makes it a helluva lot clearer what they're fighting.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
When her cover disappears, so does Janet, in a flicker of motion as she shrinks out of sight. Later she'll have to retrieve her outfit from Steve's coat pocket, lest it be discarded as lint at that size.

One of the goblins bounding through the air finds its course suddenly reversed as Janet appears out of thin air in a sleeveless black leotard, wings buzzing. One of those ears and a leg are seized for leverage and she flings the imp off the boat. Before the Wasp can hit the deck she vanishes again, hurling low-intensity bioplasma in front of two of the other imps to keep them from attacking the guests.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Tony navigates seemingly effortlessly as he falls back, avoiding both the spray of the fire supression robots and the caviar that is being hurled in the air like scatter-shot, and Pepper stares at him for a long moment. "You mean, you weren't being-"

She was being strict with the guest list! They'd agreed (mostly) that it'd be a touch more subdued, more intimate of a gathering than a 'bunnies, models and wannabes gathering'.

"Tony! I.."

//sigh//

"Amanda's on the guest list. These bikini.. things, aren't." Pepper's tones drop, her words a little quieter, and a whole lot stonier, "Even if they were real."

So, she's not feeling too badly when she steps forward with a tray, holding it tightly in two hands, moving it around so it protects at least her face, her head, her chest.. even if her legs get splattered with collateral pate. The shrimp tempura on a stick bouches off the silver tray, a corndog, a spanakopita or three.. (after all, who eats those?).. and the dip is threatened!

Tony Stark has posed:
"I didn't let them in specifically," Tony defends. They just showed up, and he didn't think to kick them out.

Probably because that isn't his natural reaction to women in bikinis. Old habits, much like partaking of drinks. At least he didn't actively ingest anything that they helpfully had provided to him!

Several robots have come over, called in as reinforcements by Tony, and are assisting with trying to put up little shields and protect partygoers, allowing the Avengers to dispose of the riffraff gremlins. The other security on the boat has kicked in as well: hired assistance by Stark - but gremlins is a bit out of what they expect to deal with, and at least one is getting chewed on by two of the recently appeared gremlins.

"I am not one of them, I'm just in a bikini!" helps a poor girl that is being grabbed by security, who think they are helping. "That's Lisa, from reception," Tony points out, aiding poor Lisa. Not a gremlin. At least not physically; she did flirt at Steve a tiny bit earlier.

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve manages to get hold of the food-flinging gremlin, and lacking something else to do with it, he tosses it off the ship. It flies a good distance before splashing into the water dozens of yards away from the yacht.

He spins then, watching Janet deal with a few of the creatures. Two more come after him, one wielding a knife grabbed from the buffet table, another cackling maniacally as it grabs plates and starts throwing them at Steve like frisbees as Cap backs up towards the yacht's railing. Or maybe tiny ceramic shields.

He grabs one plate out of the air and swings it to block the knife, knocking it out of the gremlin's hand. A backswing with the plate sends the gremlin flying over the rail as well. He dodges another thrown plate, then catches a third, whipping it back at the gremlin and hitting it in the head, braining it.

Two more women in bikinis step up towards him. "Pepper, Tony... how do I tell if they are-" he starts to say, before the two women squeal, "We're not those little monsters!"

Steve looks hesitant, but relaxes his guard just slightly. At which the two 'women' rush at him, hitting him at the same time.

All three flip over the railing. Splash!

Amanda Sefton has posed:
Before long, Amanda has managed to reveal all the gremlin women. She then starts working on portalling any one of them she can reach right out of this world and into a nifty little hellscape she became acquainted with thanks to her mother. By the time the last few are being dispatched, she's managed to circle back around to both Pepper and Tony. "Well," she says dryly, her London tone crisp and filled with dry humour. "Can't say you throw dull parties, eh?"

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Janet appears out of nowhere, grabbing a emergency float from a discreet bulkhead. The rope is loosened with a quick yank of the pullcord and she hurls the floater out at Steve bobbing in the water.

"I'm not getting my hair wet, climb up here!" she yells down at Steve. The socialite stands on the railing quite easily, one hand overhead to grip a rail for balance. She turns to look at the trio still aboard and the mess of food on the deck.

"I've been to some wacky birthday parties, Tony, but putting, uh, goblins in bikinis-- that's a new one," she says with a dry and urbane amusement.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Lisa from rec-

Pepper nods at the security guard, thus assuring the poor girl's spot on the boat for the cruise around the island, which-- is now apparently curtailed as there is a man overboard!

Her shield drops as the others dispatch the gremlins, and the PA that doubles for Tony's girlfriend looks.. harried. A touch frazzled as she looks around for anything else that might attack, try to seduce like some succubus, incubus, whatEVER..

"I know you didn't let them in. You were up--" and Pepper points to the upper levels, the higher reaches of the yacht to put together.. something.

"That really isn't our fault, Janet.. you know that.. I mean, where would.."

Never mind.

She looks back to Tony, a check this time to be sure he's okay, that he wasn't hurt or anything..

She sounds a touch tired, more than a little put out that it feels like the night was ruined by the little gremlin things, and Pepper looks.. disappointed. "I just wanted something nice, something quiet. Intimate. Just.." and her hand gestures as she talks as that disappointment tinges her tones. "Just once."

Tony Stark has posed:
"You have /other/ vices. Avengers-smavengers: you ARE just people, ha! We're /not/ done here," announces one of the women from the back of the yacht, near tha jacuzzi. "'Happy birthday' - one more day closer to death," snarks the villain darkly. She's quickly thrown up a little portal, and steps back through it, as her form changes into that of an eerie, oversized gremlin-like creature. It then disappears, leaving the minions to fend for themselves with the irritated Avengers.

"I mean, she's not wrong about being people. I enjoy my vices. A few of us do," Tony observes, with a relaxed sigh and grin. Still, he's moved to direct his robots and staff to continue to safeguard the guests, and calm things back down.

"Never dull, no. Though I was expecting to impress you via intense, eyebrow-removing fireworks. Not too late for it, though." Tony's playful, but calculating. The attack on his birthday was not unnoticed!

Tony then gives Pepper a more gentle look, and hugs her sideways. "I know you did, but you have to admit... this party was still very ... me." Hardly dull, rarely quiet!