Owner	Pose
Pepper Potts	Night time in New York City, on the uppermost floors of Stark Tower, that is, the Penthouse suite. With its open architecture, a grand view of the city can be gained at any vantage point. And in this Penthouse, a fire is burning in the central fireplace, the couches and chairs that circle it mostly free. Mostly. Pepper is still in work attire; her A-line skirt, though her suit jacket is hung on the back of the chair, revealing a lightweight, almost sheer blouse with a camisole base beneath, showcasing tone arms. She is in stocking feet, that is, barefooted, with a leg pulled up and underneath of her. Strawberry blonde hair is down with part of it tucked behind an ear. In hand, a stylus-type of pencil for her tablet, and that sits upon her lap. The laptop lies open before her, and she's obviously reading whatever it is on screen and transferring it over to her personal work tablet. The coffee beside her is tepid to cold, untouched. Within the cabinets in the kitchenette, there seems to be fewer coffee mugs, and even worse, the stemware collection also seems to be dwindling. Working after hours to make up for the time spent jogging in the park.
Tony Stark	The elevator chimes quietly, opening to let Tony step out. He's in casual clothes, a Superman t-shirt, gray sweatpants and sneakers. One hand is encased in one of his armor's gauntlets and vambrace, which has a holo of the full suit floating above it. He wanders distractedly towards the kitchen, then notices Pepper working and changes his trajectory.     "Hi Pep, what are you so absorbed in? What did I tell you about what a CEO should be doing just the other day? And that's even more true after work hours." He leans down to kiss her on top of her head. "Is it something that's actually important or just normal paperwork your assistant could handle?"
Pepper Potts	The sound of the familiar chime, heralding Tony's entrance brings a smile to Pepper's face, and she doesn't even have to look up. It's strange; she could sense him before using the 'normal channels', but now? There's an energy around him. Literally, an energy. The change of direction has her looking up, however, and leans into the kiss at the top of her head. "Hey, you," is given fondly, the tone affectionately familiar. "How are you enjoying retirement?" The smile turns into a light smirk and she adds, "Very much the same as before retirement. Right." She's teasing, of course. "I.." Pepper takes a breath before letting it out, "am doing some research on communications. I ran into Mr. Bandoni during my jog in the park. He expressed concern that while everyone is up in the air, doing their thing, the first responders don't know where to go that would be the most needed and advantageous. No communications, or at best, haphazard. So, I have some of our researchers looking into it. The FCC licensures and such." She pauses before, "Because he's right. There are only a few of us that care about the aftereffects." And this, apparently, is going to be one of Pepper's 'cause celebre', as it were. Her mark. Tony's was green energy, Pepper's may very well be communications. "Besides," Pepper chuckles and gestures towards the fireplace, "It's still too cold to lay out on the yacht. "What are you doing?"
Tony Stark	Tony looks a touch quizzical and says, "I thought those guys all had radios? I seem to remember seeing either walkie-talkies or those handheld mics cops keep velcroed to their uniforms. Is something interfering with their normal comms or something?"     He pulls a chair over so he can sit near her without bouncing her screens around, the holo forgotten for the moment. "If they need a better system, I'm fairly sure we can put something together using the StarkNet satellites. We've got tons of bandwidth still available up there. HOMER, what's our current coverage area for StarkNet?     "Ninety three percent, sir. The main coverage holes are at the poles. I believe you dismissed the boards request to expand there because 'penguins don't need wifi.'"     Tony grins and nods, saying "Yeah, I remember that. I might have been a little hung over during that particular meeting." He turns his attention back to Pepper, "But yeah, I can knock something out in no time. That kind of thing is pretty easy."
Pepper Potts	"Yes, but they're not keyed into our coms. Even marginally. For example," Pepper sets her tablet down as Tony sits, and she pulls on a leg to pull it up a little further under her, "If, say, someone gets knocked into a building and there's structural damage to the building, they can get people there immediately instead of wondering where all the damage is and waiting for people to call it in. Or, if there is something," she pauses, takes a breath and continues, "like the UN, they'd know where the safest place to enter in. Someone could guard it for them. Coordination." Pepper sits back, and tucks another errant piece of hair behind an ear, "Like, Clint could help with crowd control, if they knew where the safe zones were." This, this is exactly why, no one of a thousand reasons why she adores Tony as she does. Bring a problem, there's a solution, or if it's not a full one, there will be one shortly. One researched, tested and ready to deploy solution. "That's what I think too. Something here, and then something marketable." Because damned if she's not going to make her money back on it, plus. They're in the business to make money, as well as make the world a better and safer place. The news about the penguins? That gains a barked laugh, the expression bringing a glow to her features, "You really said that, didn't you."
Tony Stark	"Ah, so it's not something about their department comms, but rather having them be able to get info from the various big hero groups. Makes sense, there does tend to be collateral damage when we're fighting some of the more destructive bad guys. We'd need to get as many of the other groups on board, since it's hardly worth doing if it only lets the Avengers talk to them. It's also got to be separate from our team comms, of course."     He nods, "Yeah, should be easily doable. I'd say start by contacting the Titans and the Justice League and see if they're on board since they're what I'd call mainstream teams. If the League is on board, that also gives us an in with Batman and his coterie of sleep deprived sidekicks. Because if we just approached him directly without the League on board, I'm fairly sure he'd pass on it."
Tony Stark	He nods, "Yeah, I did. I told you I hate board meetings, they are just capital B Boring. Then add a pounding headache and you'd just say the first thing that comes to mind too."
Pepper Potts	"Exactly. It's more coordination with the big hero groups." Pepper repeats, now that they're both on the same page. "What I'd like to do is to start small, with a focus group in a focus city. Of course, this is also going to have to pass City Hall, with all the hoops and red tape there." Wouldn't be the first time either of them were in meetings with the Mayor, the Town Council and all the Borough Presidents. This, she knows how to navigate, and do it with style. "So, for that, it'd be the Avengers, the Titans.." and she lets her words drop in order for Tony to fill in the rest. There, she doesn't have the contacts. Her concern has always been, other than Stark Industries, the Avengers. "Right, and the Justice League." Pepper is obviously not afraid of work, not afraid of ground work. She's got several irons in the fire, and she hasn't forgotten about Justin Hammer and his contract attempts for the fission-proof walls. Heh. "So, if it's doable, I'll leave that to you, and start the paperwork for City Hall and contact the other teams." Uncurling her legs, her tablet is set on the table before her, and she speaks into the air, "HOMER, block schedule 3 hours tomorrow afternoon for correspondence with Gracie Mansion please." "Yes, Ms Potts." Once that's done, Pepper rises to cross the distance to the chair. Even with the holograms up, she doesn't care, and she makes to sit on Tony's lap. "I hate them too. They usually give me that pounding headache after, but I tend not to have them before." Hmmm. "There are lots of things I'd love to say, but.. I can't. Couldn't then, and absolutely can't now." Sadly.
Tony Stark	Tony smiles and slips his arms around her as she sits down on his lap, tapping two controls on the gauntlet. The holo switches off, and then the gauntlet seems to go liquid and vanish into his watch. "Trust me, I doubt you have anything to say about them that I haven't muttered under my breath at one point or another. Corporate board members seem to be some combo of rat and barnacle... you don't want them around, but once they get their butts in that seat, you can't pry them loose."     He leans his head against her arm and says "This is nice, I could stay here for a while. You, my dear, are fairly comfy." After a moment he asks, "You ready for food? If I know you, you probably worked through your lunch. You need to remember to take care of yourself." Seriously? He's lecturing Pepper about missed meals?
Pepper Potts	"Now you're free to say whatever it is you want. Print it in the paper, let loose at a press conference." Oh no.. she hasn't yet done one of those! Pepper is so used to making sure Tony looked good for his that she's beginning to forget the little things. The beginning of the end? Will she forget her social security number next?! "I'll just have to make sure the PR department is fully staffed." Resting her cheek on his shoulder, she's curled in. Pepper's not large; she's sinewy. "I could stay here for a long time, but," lifting her head from its resting spot, her brows rise in question. "You're the one that wandered up from the workshop. Have you eaten at all?" She's laughing now, and shakes her head, "I'll make us a salad." That would be not answering the question because it probably was 'yes, worked through lunch'.
Tony Stark	"Just because I was in the workshop doesn't mean I didn't have lunch. I mean, I didn't, but sometimes I remember. Probably forty percent of the time. Ok, maybe thirty five. At least thirty, no question. Salad sounds just fine to me."     Once she rises from his lap to head for the kitchen, he gets up and follows her, grabbing a couple plates and utensils which he sets the table with. "Lights fifty percent, quiet dinner music." When she brings the salad over, he pulls out her chair for her, then seats himself as they start dinner.