9844/Bars Don't Even Hop

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Bars Don't Even Hop
Date of Scene: 26 January 2022
Location: Luke's Bar
Synopsis: Sue Richards bar hops to Luke's to make him an offer he shouldn't refuse.
Cast of Characters: Luke Cage, Susan Richards




Luke Cage has posed:
    Luke's Bar is kind of quiet at the moment. Could have something to do with it being Noon-ish but there are a few patrons in here for a little liquid courage to get them through the rest of their work shift. The tv (that Danny just had to make sure people knew he paid for) is somewhat silently playing the midday news to keep whomever's in here up to date on what's going on in the city today.

    Luke's working today (as with most days) and he's behind the bar. He serves up a drink to one of the regulars and tosses the towel on his shoulder before crossing to the center of the bar and just crossing his arms across his chest. He may not look it but he's relaxed at the moment and just, as they say, chillin'. Eyes up on the tv since it's on.

Susan Richards has posed:
    It might only be Noon-ish, but as Janet van Dyne is so fond of reminding Susan, it still counts as after five o'clock if you haven't gone to bed yet. Not that Susan hasn't slept, but it's as good an excuse as any to drop in and have a drink, as well as check up on Luke Cage.

    It's not that the Fantastic Four keep tabs on heroic activities or anything... although they do, no, it's more that Susan's looking to branch out. Offer PR and branding solutions to those who haven't got the resources of the Fantastic Four. Which is what brings her out this fine almost-afternoon.

    She's at least thought ahead to not show up in the Fantasticar in full on iconic jumpsuit or anything, instead settling for a tan overcoat, light blue blouse a few shades lighter than that jumpsuit, and a darker blue skirt with some sensible pumps, hair done up in a wavy fashion to highlight her face, without letting her bangs get in the way. She might look a little out of place, but she certainly doesn't seem intimidated, making her way through the room, up to the bar, and favoring Luke with a friendly smile, eyes darting up to the TV for a moment, with a thoughtful little frown for the news... but no, no, she can worry about that later. Priorities, Susan!

    And so she flashes a bright smile, "Ah! Mr. Cage! Just the man I was looking for. I've got a business offer for you!" She pauses for a moment, "Oh, of the offering you services variety. Not the hiring you for heroics sort." Best to specify, after all.

Luke Cage has posed:
    There's almost a long process in which Luke pays attention to the newest entrant into his establishment. He always keeps one eye on the door (or the windows) when there's a bunch of craziness going on in the city. Or just, y'know, whenever he's in here. It's all about being prepared to stop the madness before it crosses his threshold. It doesn't always work out that way but at least he can try to keep the people inside his place safe.

    Luke's attention finally looks as if it is pulled away from the television in a practiced manner. The yellow shirt he's almost always wearing just wrapped around his musculature. It's almost as if he should be bench pressing the entire bar as opposed to tending it. Still, though, Luke Cage is not one to be rude or anything. Especially when it's a familiar face that he hasn't ever met personally.

    "You can call me Luke." Cage grabs the towel off his shoulder and wipes down the bar in front of where THE Susan Richards has planted herself. He doesn't particularly look like he's going to fan out or anything but there's a nod of familiarity to show that he knows to whom he is speaking. So that's something. "Hope the first part of this offer comes in the form of what you'd like to drink." Hey, the man has to make a living somehow so he's going to peddle these wares. There will be no just coming in to make an offer around here shenanigans! Not on his watch!

    At least it seems like he'll listen. Y'know, in exchange for Sue ordering something. "That way I can make it while you try to sell me somethin'." See? Open! (Kind of.)

Susan Richards has posed:
    Sue's lips spread in a wide, winning smile, nodding her head, "Oh, of course! Luke it is. I suppose you can call me Susan then. Or Sue." Her shoulders lift and fall in a little shrug as she works her overcoat open and perches on one of the stools at the bar.

    Her head tilts thoughtfully and she chews her lower lip. Well! She hadn't actually considered that, "Gin and tonic? No need to get creative this early in the morning, right?"

    She laughs softly and tilts her head, "Hm! Well, I'm not sure if it's really a sales pitch if we aren't charging for it... but sure! Basically, I'm finding myself rather... unoccupied lately. My husband has his science... and a distressingly regular habit of being whisked off to other dimensions, and I've got our business, but..." She heaves out a soft, woe-is-me sigh, "I'm afraid that's all... really very stable now. The company effectively runs itself. And while I could go the path of luxury and leisure, I was thinking I should do something more productive."

    She snaps her fingers and points with a bright grin, "And what better to do than offer the PR services of FantastiCorp to other... concerned citizens of unique ability? Branding, image management... you know, the sort of things a celebrity needs that those of us famous for crime fighting can't really get from the typical sources."

    She shrugs her shoulders lightly and pops her eyebrows up, "So... yes, I'm basically planning to meddle around out of boredom. I know, I know, I'm the _worst_."

Luke Cage has posed:
    "Gin and Tonic for Sue. Comin' up."

    Luke's movements behind the bar are as practiced as his heroics or something like that. Because he's moving without barely paying attention to what he's doing. He's been making drinks for years so something as simple as a G and T is about as easy as turning on the faucet and filling a glass with water to Cage. Which is why he has plenty of time to just pay attention to Sue's words and explanation of what she's come down here for.

    An eyebrow is raised as the 'woe-is-me' speech seems to fall on the ears of a man that doesn't have the luxury of having those kind of problems. It's one of those eyebrow raisings that says: 'Seriously? SERIOUSLY?' but he doesn't say anything. Instead, he just kind of sets the glass on the bar in front of Sue and sarcasms, "Sounds rough. Maybe this one should be on the house."

    One eyeroll later, Luke is folding his arms over his chest again (it's his natural resting state) and actually giving Sue his attention as she drops her spiel. "PR? For who, me?" Luke shakes his head almost immediately at that thought. "Ain't really lookin' to be famous. That's how you end up with an alien invasion in your front yard every Tuesday." Frown.

Susan Richards has posed:
    Sue removes her overcoat, neatly folding it on the stool beside hers, just getting a little more comfortable as she watches Luke's progress on mixology with approval... and it's not like she doesn't know what good bartending is. You don't hang out with Janet van Dyne without learning what makes a good drink.

    Sue bites her lower lip, trying to hide the grin the remark about the drink being on the house brings out. She snorts softly and points a finger to the sky, as she lifts her drink with her right hand and sips, eyebrows perking a little, and a low noise of approval escaping, "Well, that's true. But consider that we've got _angels_ invading and no one I'm familiar with has been involved with that... well, with causing it. I'm sure I know some of the people who are involved _now_." She sighs and shakes her head, "I don't think keeping a low profile will keep you out of PR trouble all the time... for one thing, being low profile just means if you ever _do_ have trouble you're going to need help unexpectedly, no?" She frowns thoughtfully and shakes her head slowly, "I mean, really, how are we supposed to deal with _that_?"

    And then Sue's taking another drink, less sip, closer to gulp.

Luke Cage has posed:
    Luke Cage has this look of listening and consideration on his face. It's kind of hidden behind the look of stoic stubbornness that makes him immediately not want to accept help of any kind from anyone that he doesn't deem as a necessary helper. It's a hard and fine line to walk but he's trying to walk it. In his mind, not literally. At this exact moment, Luke Cage is just standing behind the bar looking as stoic as ever. Arms still folded because that's what muscley types are prone to do when they stand.

    "Usually, if folks desperate enough to come to me, they ain't really in the kind of mess that's gonna' need more of a statement than this." Cage holds up one of his big fists. That's usually the statement that he's making. "If I were interested, ain't sayin' I am, how would this work?" Might as well find out the details, right?

    On the Angels topic, of course, Cage has a bit of a response as well, "Yeah, well, 'long as they stay outta' Harlem." He's not that cynical but at least he can make it sound like he is.

Susan Richards has posed:
    Sue grins crookedly and shrugs, "Oh, the details of how it will work are a little... vague? It's more a... concept than _set process_ so far." Because yes, Sue leaps into things half-planned as much as her husband, she just usually uses fewer lasers.

    She frowns thoughtfully and hums out, "I was mostly thinking it'll work somewhat like an attorney on retainer. If you have a sudden issue that comes up, you call us and we get to work on it. We'll probably branch out into more general branding as things go on, but... there's some sticky consideration about outright vigilantism and making a profit off of it... hm. Batman might know about that, presuming he runs that burger restaurant or something..."

    Oh yes, Sue's not really got a _plan_ so much as a goal, but hey, you can't refine it into a plan without field testing! ...At least it's going to be free?

Luke Cage has posed:
    "No branding. Like I said, low profile." Luke Cage shrugs but still seems to be thinking about this. It might not be such a bad idea to have a rich white woman he can call in case there's some weird trouble going on. Some trouble that he can't punch. Still, though, there's one thing that seems to be bugging him. The one sticking point in all of this madness.

    "Aight. Now let's get to the catch." Cage peers across the bar from behind it as if he's trying to see what kind of trickery or shenanigans are about to be dropped into his lap. "No offense but ain't no rich superhero comin' down here to Harlem to offer me professional grade PR representation at the low, low, price of Free without a catch in mind. That ain't how the world works."

    Cage just recrosses his arms over his chest and waits. That other shoe's going to drop any moment now.

Susan Richards has posed:
    Sue laughs softly and nods her head with a grin, "Well, consider it... crisis management? You run into something unusual that you need a second set of eyes on. Or an invisible force field or two. I'm mighty flexible." She perks her eyebrows up and tilts her head thoughtfully at that mention of a catch.

    "Well, you might have to talk to Johnny now and then. I don't know if it counts as a catch, but a surprising number of people seem to think it's not the _best_ thing in the world."

    She laughs softly and grins a little brighter, "And, I mean, there _is_ the classic catch of the dreaded 'heroic teamup' if something major happens in the city again... but then, we should all really be working together for those anyway. We just tend to do it slapdash and half-cocked." Her shoulders rise and fall and she snorts softly, "Besides, like I said, this is all... experimental. Trust me, getting involved in a Fantastic Four experiment? That's all the catch there needs to be. This one just involves markedly fewer dimensional portals and odd devices.... well, so far."

Luke Cage has posed:
    Cage just continues to stare. It's like he's trying to read between the lines being said aloud. It's not that he doesn't trust one of the most famous superheroes in the freaking world... it's just that he doesn't trust one of the most famous superheroes in the freaking world. It's a complicated process that goes on in this stoic man's mind. But what happens next is nothing short of a miracle. A miracle!

    Luke Cage's phone clatters on top of the bar in front of Sue. Probably for her to put her contact info in. "Okay." This is something that probably will come back to bite him in the butt but he won't really feel it too much anyway so. "Trial run." Cage holds a finger up to show just how important of a condition this being a trial run is.

    "Cuz if I end up trapped in another dimension, I'm gonna' be pissed."

Susan Richards has posed:
    Sue does not break into a victory dance as that phone clatters down. Oh no, she is very smooth and calm in entering her contact info... and it is _hers_, no FantastiCorp switchboard or anything, just a direct line to the Invisible Woman.

    It's once she's entered that in that she snorts out and shakes her head quickly, "Oh no, no, no being trapped in other dimensions. That's all Reed's science and adventuring stuff that causes _that_... the last time I don't think he even trapped anyone else with him. Just disappeared for six weeks like it was the most normal thing in the world."

    Not that Sue sounds a little icy about that or anything, of course. Certainly it's not part of why the rest of that gin and tonic gets drained before she's reaching into her purse to pull out the cash for the drink and a sizable but not ridiculous tip.

    She smiles brightly and shrugs lightly, "But if you need any non-PR help, give me a call. I'm usually available, and it's always great to have an excuse to reschedule a meeting and get into some trouble."

Luke Cage has posed:
    Cage grabs his phone and tucks it into his pocket again. As if he hadn't just gotten the Invisible Woman's direct contact info. This is a very strange day but he's not going to look a potential gift horse in the mouth. Isn't that the saying? Never know when he could use a hand. Plus, come on, it's the Invisible Woman. That's gotta' be extra bonus points right there.

    Cage reaches for the money on the bar and raises an eyebrow at it. "Thank you." The most genuine response he's given this entire conversation comes from the money counting that he does silently. He moves immediately over to the register to put the money away, though, the sizable tip gets shoved into a Kendrick's College Fund jar next to the register.

    "Same deal. Y'know, if those Angels or whatever gets a little too crazy." Cage shrugs as he reaches for the glass to take it to the sink for washing. "Figure this can go both ways, right?"

Susan Richards has posed:
    Sue's hands come up in a placating little gesture, "Ohhhh no no no. I'm not getting anywhere _near_ this angel mess. I'm planning to try and rope Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne and the other wealthy sorts into some sort of support and outreach for the evacuees, but I am _not_ fighting the heavenly host." ...Because it brings up far too many theological questions. Are angels just the same as asgardians? Powerful beings that aren't specifically divine in the biblical sense? What if they _are_? Besides, she's done her share of sinning, so no no, let the mystical sorts untangle this mess.

    Still she flashes a grin and nods, "But yes, I'll keep in mind that I can call you up if I need a hand now and then. I'm sure well be bumping into each other often enough, that's just sort of how the city is, _and_ how the whole costumed life is, right?"

    She gathers her coat up and sighs, "But I suppose I should head back home... make sure the building hasn't been sucked into another dimension. ...It hasn't happened while I was out yet, but one of these days I'm sure..."

Luke Cage has posed:
    Cage ends up looking down at himself. Yellow shirt. Jeans. Boots. He looks back up with a half-smirk on his face. "Costumed Life. Right."

    With a shake of his head, Luke Cage grabs the towel he keeps on his shoulder during times he's working and cleans off his hands. Before just stepping up to his side of the bar and extending a hand towards Susan. He might as well be as polite as he possibly can. So she knows all of his sarcasm and stubbornness is just part of himself and not a reflection onto her rich person vibes at all.

    "Appreciate you coming down. Really." More honesty from the big man. "It'll be nice getting to know you, Susan 'Sue' Richards."

Susan Richards has posed:
    Sue accepts that hand and laughs out softly, "Okay, okay, costumed life is... a broad term. Colourful adventurism? See? We've already got something to work on branding for!"

    She narrows her eyes in mirth, playfulness... if nothing else, it seems she's still got a zest and zeal for life. Apparently no amount of killer robots, alien invasion, and family drama can dampen it. And no one's invented an optimism dampener like they keep making power dampeners, so she's not going to stop any time soon.

    Instead she offers a genuine smile and even a little wink, "I look forward to working with you, Luke 'Luke' Cage."

    And then she's off to reassure the public, or cause chaos, or find Janet and get into trouble or something. Susan Richards does in fact have a very busy life.