9067/Trail of Lights

Trail of Lights
Date of Scene:	13 December 2021
Location:	Midtown
Synopsis:	Tony and Pepper follow a trail discovered by a robot, and mingle with New Yorkers.
Cast of Characters:	Tony Stark, Pepper Potts

---

Tony Stark has posed:
"Nope, not buying it," Tony is saying thoughtfully, in amusement, to the robot drone that is positioned in front of him. It is roomba-sized, with two crab-like gripper limbs on the front of it, and a screen that is expressively showing a bright little smiling face with a bunch of '!!!' marks above it.

"Once more, with feeling," Tony requests. He's got a tablet in his hand, and is skimming through the data on it. He's recently come downstairs, and isn't quite dressed well enough to be going outside - but his attention isn't on /that/, but on the little robot that is lingering near the large main doors to Stark Industries.

Employees are definitely observing their boss from across the room - the whole of the front desk is curious about what's going on over there, particularly as the robot does a pass around the inside of the front doors again, as if it were searching dutifully.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Stark Industries, like the city it calls home, never truly sleeps. Employees come and go, and most can go months without actually //seeing// Tony Stark in person, if not years. Still, he's known, and they take pride in him. The fact that he's currently in the lobby with one of his drones is an added extra, and there are some who simply can't resist the urge to take a picture, NDA signatures and all. (After all, it's an SI robot, commanded by S himself!)

The traffic on the other side of the plate glass windows are no less peopled. It is Midtown Manhattan, and it's easy to pick out the natives versus the tourists. The natives step around the forming groups of tourists; those visiting the City are craning their necks, trying to get the best vantage that has the least amount of blow-back glare from the impeccably cleaned windows.

While Tony may not have his coat on, Pepper does. The PA, turned girlfriend (who balances work like a pro!) is dressed in a semi-casual dress suit, her red hair up and off her shoulders in a pony tail, revealing simple but elegant emerald drop earrings. She has a light colored, camel-haired 3/4 length wool coat on, the buttons not yet fastened as protection from the growing chill that is approaching. It's been dipping into the lower 30s now, with a hint of flurries scattered here and there over the last few nights.

In hand, Tony's jacket; a dark colored, tailored winter jacket that allows for style and warmth. Special order, of course. It's slung over an arm, her hand laying on top of it, her clutch purse under it all.

Pepper stands to the side, eyes moving from Tony to the forming crowd beyond the glass, the curious employees, and back to her boss. "Maybe he can't do it?"

Pepper has anthropomorphized Tony's creations over the years; this really isn't anything new.

Tony Stark has posed:
"More that I think he might be malfunctioning," Tony answers Pepper with a soft chuckle. "Are you sick, M-8? A bit of a bug?" Tony asks, but then considers the readout again.

"To be fair, this scan was a little experimental. I'm game, let's see where it goes...." Tony then pauses, and shoots a look to Pepper. "Small adventure before food," he 'promises,' though she may catch well enough that he's not going to force this if she's not up for this little project. "M-8's caught some magical traces, similar to what one of the magic relics I had scanned in the mansion gives off. Let's see if it leads to something, or if this is a misread.... whatever it was, it /was/ here in my lobby." And Tony's intrigued, if still wary.

Tony starts to head outside, forgetting his coat, of course. That'll need to be something Pepper reminds about - she does, indeed, have a vital job, if a bit unsung.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Eyebrows rise at the explanation and don't fall as the rest is revealed to her. Schooling her expression carefully, Pepper presses her lips together and nods in understanding. "If this takes longer than a few minutes, I'm going to have to call Michel and let him know we're going to be late." Which, in Pepper speak, is 'do what you need to, within reason'.

When Tony starts to make his way towards the doors, following his Artificially Intelligent tech-sniffing drone, Pepper takes a couple of quick steps forward, pulling the coat off of her arm, and calls out, "Wait a second," to his back. The rest of the statement is bitten back; they're in public, and there are certain protocols in place for even her when seen together. Pepper is a very private woman, and over the years, she has NEVER once criticized or chastised Tony in public, and she's not about to start now. So, the coat?

Pepper makes the grand attempt to stop him, and if needed, help shrug himself into the coat, hand dusting the shoulders so he looks as good as possible. With a pleased smile, green eyes to him that meet the expression, "There."

She's ready to follow him out, staying close to keep the masses from him.

In the old days, the sure way to measure fame was to count how many flashbulbs went off in the span of a minute. Today, however, the cellphones all lift, and while some are happy to stand back and record, there are others that are just way too excited to actually get a glimpse of THE Tony Stark. (After all, Stark Industries is a place on the NYC tour map now! Right up there with the Empire State Building.)

'Mr Stark! Mr Stark! Can I get a selfie?' is shouted in a myriad different ways, in a hundred different accents. They're all vying for his attention, 'Iron Man!' and 'You saved my daughter who was working on 5th Ave!'

Tony Stark has posed:
"Hm?" Tony darts his gaze back and aside to Pepper, and immediately nods and adapts to the coat procedure, slipping one hand into the coat backwards with Pepper behind him, swapping hands on the device, then the other into the coat. It feels similar to the same procedure his bots do when they dress him in armor - and carries the strong vibe of relaxed entitlement Tony usually has around him - as thick as his cologne!

"Ready to get my picture taken?" Tony asks of Pepper with a soft laugh and tip of wink at her. He knows full well what he's walking into.

Distracted as he is (his attention is definitely down on the tablet), he still pulls open the door, and then steps back aside to let both the robot /and/ Pepper out first, before following. So Pepper will be in the foreground of a lot of those pictures, as Tony strolls out.

...and then immediately adjusts into a warm smile for the people outside, lifting hand in a wave that turns into a peace sign for some cameras. "Hey, hi there." Handshakes and selfies -- with tablet-checks in-between. "Looks like... to the left," Tony asides to Pepper. That's where the trail goes.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper has dressed Tony for interviews, for meetings, for parties; she's used to making sure his jackets are straight, his ties are properly tied and balanced, and that everything is clean and pressed. In her newer role of 'girlfriend', this simply carries over. One day, perhaps, she'll see if he can do things for himself, by himself, but for now?

She's happy enough to do it.

"Going for the semi-casual look today with a hint of computer geek for that sector of the public? Smart." Her tones are a dry wit, spoken softly such that it's only for the two of them. "It looks like I'll have to call.." is mused.

As the door is opened, and Pepper walks out first with her Bee in hand, she's calling the venue, her free hand up and gently 'blocking' those that might try and come up too close. Still, there's no stopping Tony; the videos all will capture some of the 'Stark Essence', but some will certainly catch Pepper on film as well, even if she does try to stay out of the limelight as much as possible. Handshakes bring the groups in closer, hands outstretched for the 'high five' slap as a famous athlete might do. Tony really does live in two worlds- the rarified life of a multi-millionaire and as a 'man of the people', as much as a hero of NY could be.

Pepper catches what Tony is saying, and turns her head, phone still glued to her ear as she tries to reach the restaurant's maitre'd.

With Pepper in the lead, there are a couple of 'boos' heard, simply perhaps news has travelled to the ends that this must be the redhead that has taken Tony Stark 'off the menu'? She takes it in stride, however; it's something she's expected and completely lives with. Really, who wouldn't expect Tony with some fashion diva, or a music super star?

"How far is it?"

Tony Stark has posed:
"Distance? Mmm, to be determined," Tony answers. "We've got a trail. But I think I can assign a few other drones to sweep down over it from above. I /am/ starving, and this doesn't seem like something that needs my attention. After all, what's the point of making robots if they can't pick up some slack and do the work?" Tony chuckles.

Tony pauses near her elbow - on the far side of her from the crowd for the moment - he's good at adjusting how much attention he has at a given time, while he keys into the tablet. A few people in front of him watch him with a patient eagerness, hopeful to attract his attention before he goes anywhere. "Just putting in some commands to route the proper ones here...."

And done. Marked by Tony flipping the handheld into the inside of a jacket pocket and reopening his expression and smile to the fans that waited patiently. Selfie? Sure. He leans in, and earns dual kissy-face near his cheek, though not touching, from the two blondes. Tony doesn't really react to it much, not any more than any other photo, and his attention sticks to Pepper. "Think we can still make our timetable?"

Pepper Potts has posed:
The last thing Pepper really wants to do is to walk blocks in the heels she's wearing. One, two blocks, fine.. which is the distance of the restaurant. But to go on a wild goosechase in her 'not for work' pumps is something completely different. Even better would be if they had the car, but it isn't too bad out, even if she's pulling her jacket closed and buttoning it as proof against the cold. And it's Christmas, with all the lights and decorations that it brings. Hard to be a scrooge in the City during the holiday!

"Yes, please." It's a simple request, but it belies the fact that she knows and understands what it all entails. What if they find the source? What if they need him? Tony's curiosity is such that she'll be sure he at least gets past the appetizers before she lets him go.

Glancing beside her, Pepper steals that moment and smiles, her expression softening briefly, that bit of 'wall' coming down to show her absolute affection for the man before she's finally connected on the phone.

"Yes, Michel, this is Ms Potts. Mr Stark and I are going to be a few minute-- yes, we're walking." She laughs at whatever comes from the other side of her conversation, and she's nodding, "Perfect."

Once her own connection is done, Pepper speaks again, her words soft and only for them, "Michel will be sure he has our appetizers at the table for when we arrive." Nothing like living the charmed life!

The selfies, of course, are a must. The fans have waited patiently enough, and as Tony leans in (for him, it's like wading in!), the cameras all come up. Some are on the phone, others are videoing it, and all are, 'Thank you, Tony! We love you!'

Those who visited SI specifically even have a sign that is waved, 'Terre Haute Loves Iron Man!' is written in bubble letters.

"I think so. I bought us a few minutes."

Pepper watches Tony with the fans, her smile pasted on her lips, as is customary in public settings. Things are different now, though, Moreso than even a week ago, and she walks slowly with the crowd and Tony as they make their way a little further uptown. Her hands are down, both holding on to the clutch now, but there's a different air about her, too. It's.. acceptance, even if she doesn't like it. Things like this could get him hurt. Still?

His attention is on her as if everything going on around him is normal (which it is, for him), and it's like any other day.

Tony Stark has posed:
This is Tony's life, and he lacks awareness of living any other way! It doesn't mean he wouldn't like something else - but this is all he knows: this pulse of extrovert when in public. And he does feed on it, it seems, when he's out and about: yet he also feeds off of his private work-time, something perhaps just Pepper really sees.

"To the food, then! ...While the drones check this out. No promises on if dessert involves robots and magical breadcrumbs. That is /also/ T.B.D."

Tony grins at her though, cheerfully greeting others that talk to him as if they were friends of his. "Sure. Hi there! Yep, nice to see you too." He's always very pleasant and charming in these situations - but also has a commanding enough presence to keep them moving towards the restaurant. When Tony's driving, things move!

"Look at those lights. Inspiring," Tony comments as they walk, pointing out a frosted building. "I bet I could do better, if the upper tower had the new floodlamps, maybe with the spectrum emission changed---" because competition...