15825/A Failure to Burger

A Failure to Burger
Date of Scene:	22 November 2023
Location:	Dining Hall, Avengers Mansion
Synopsis:	Jess has had a bad day and some burger failure. Steve is there to help out on both accounts.
Cast of Characters:	Spider-Woman (Drew), Captain America

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Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
It's a truism of the sort of work that the Avengers -- and SHIELD -- do, that there's often a lot of a lot of waiting around for intelligence. Such is true with this Facility the German scientist gave Steve information on.

It gives him a lot of time to do other things though.

Jessica has been keeping herself busy. It has involved slow but improving trips outside of the mansion again, mostly hanging out in Central Park or traveling to whatever burger place has struck her fancy. Of course, Steve probably gets reports about her involvement in this or that event, mostly reluctant heroing in a wrong-time, wrong-place type scenario. She's not exactly seeking that sort of thing out right now.

Which probably suggests the fact that Jess is pacing into the mansion, completely drenched and smelling faintly of something moldy? Pond-like? It probably wasn't a choice. Nor is the very damp bag of cheeseburgers she throws onto the dining table before she lets out a sigh that almost sounds like a half-yell of frustration.

Captain America has posed:
The waiting is the hardest part.

Fortunately Steve has a fair bit of experience with that given all he's gone through and while he is as impatient as anyone to follow up on the alarming possibilities raised by their recent dealings with Hydra, he is also well aware that sometimes there is no rushing a thing. And while there are times that it seems like Fury will keep secrets just for the sake of it, the blonde super soldier chooses to believe that he is working on the problem.

Diligently.

So Steve has been keeping busy as well, admittedly focusing more on local problems, keeping busy in and around New York though still dropping in regularly at the Mansion. Sometimes it just helps to be busy.

And yes, he certainly keeps tabs on what Jessica is getting up to, like he does with the rest of the team. Not so much because he has to, but he wants to make sure that he is there if they should need him. Even if it's just to talk. Fortunately that means that he happens to be around when she comes in out of the rainy, windswept city beyond, complete with that soaked and sodden bag that looks on the verge of disintegration, the structural integrity strained to its very limits.

"It's customary to eat cheeseburgers hot and maybe a little greasy. Not soaking wet," he says lightly, though he does manage to keep any hint of a smile from his features. "Bad day?"

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
One thing Steve can be relied on is to have a very honest face, so that when Jessica looks his way, kind of annoyed, she can see he's not smiling. Good choice.

"Tell that to the asshat who decided today was the perfect day to test his freeze ray gun or whatever it was, turning all that rain to ice. There was like a billion car accidents. So I stashed the bag and explained to him I took exception, then he threw me into a pond and froze it. But I got to punch him in the face in the end, so you know, upside." Jess glowers at her bag. "Somewhat of an upside."

In amongst her sodden demeanor are little cuts to her face, hand and arms that, thanks to her fast acting metabolism, are already healing.

With an exhale, Jessica slumps down onto a stool and begins dissecting the already half-dissolved bag. Yeah, it looks... horrible. The burger itself is wet and most of the sauce is now a pool in the bottom of the bag, and when she lifts it it's literally dripping water... but she actually looks like it's been that kind of day that she's just going to eat it anyway.

Captain America has posed:
Hey, sometimes having a reputation can be a beneficial thing.

Like at times such as these. Captain America would surely not poke fun at her in these trying sorts of circumstances afterall. No matter how amusing it might be on the surface. That just wouldn't be like him!

Pausing there by the table and laying one hand atop it, the blonde super soldier gives a slow nods of his head as he listens to her story. It is certainly not unknown for New York. One never knows what sort of trouble you might stumble over afterall. And it is pretty shocking just how regularly that trouble results in a meal being ruined.

"If you didn't have bad luck you wouldn't have any luck at all Jess," Steve says quietly, slowly shaking his head. Had it been Steve he probably would have managed to do battle gripping the bag the entire time and it would have come through without a scratch, the burgers barely even ruffled.

Sometimes it's better to be lucky then good.

"You're not eating that," he adds quietly, now a brief smile slipping over his features as she goes to consume that wet, soggy mess. "I'll order a few more in. It'll be twenty, twenty-five minutes tops. I'll throw in a milkshake too, my treat," he offers wryly.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica is definitely contemplating her life's choices as she looks at the burger with dejected acceptance. "You with your logic, Steve," she gives him a faintly annoyed look, because it /is/ logical. Also he would totally have saved the burgers. And probably not be covered in pond scum either.

"Look, this bad luck is all Spider-Man's. Ever since that Russian guy impersonated him to take a shot at the Mayor it's just been bad luck after bad luck. Maybe I need to get Wanda do to some anti-bad luck magic or something."

She's gonna do it. Eat the burger. At least until he tells her she's not.

Jess squints at him. It's Steve, there's no trap in the words. "A milkshake too?" Now he's definitely speaking her language. She drops the soggy burger and gives him a brilliant smile. "Deal." And then she grimaces. "Twenty whole minutes? Is this a Steve way of saying I have plenty of time to shower?" she pauses, breathes in, and wrinkles her nose. "I mean, I do smell. I appreciate the subtlety. Chocolate shake?" she asks, hopefully.

Captain America has posed:
If anyone might have worse luck then Jess, it probably would have to be Spider-Man, it's true.

Unsurprisingly, Captain America does usually have to worry too much about negative headlines. The world might have grown more cynical since his time, but it does seem to have something of a soft-spot when it comes to him. Or at least a willingness to cut him a whole lot of slack. So his every little mistake doesn't tend to get blown up into some huge deal in the media.

So while the other figure's misfortune might be rather foreign to him, that doesn't mean he can't sympathize. "I suppose it couldn't hurt..." Steve allows slowly. Then again, it's not as if things don't sometimes go wrong for Wanda too. So maybe it really could hurt.

Her question makes that brief smile appear once more and he tips his head towards her ever so slightly. "I would never suggest such a thing. Especially not when you've had a bad day," he offers up oh so diplomatically. "But I imagine you might feel distinctly better if you had the chance to clean up and change into something dry," he points out oh so reasonably. "And chocolate shakes it is."

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Even Jessica's squinting at Steve at that not-very-reassuring implication of getting Wanda's help. "I swear, it's totally not her fault the whole thing with my memory got messed up. You're right, it can't hurt." Right? Right! Maaaybe she'll put that off a little.

He's too good. Too diplomatic. Absolutely no way Jessica can take that wrongly, even though she's probably trying, because that's just the mood she's in.

"All right, fine." Jess stands, pacing around and leaning to punch him in the shoulder. It's an /affectionate/ punch. Hard but barely a sting for him. "Thanks," she says, before she disappears.

She'll return twenty minutes later, hair still damp, but clean, wearing a t-shirt that just says 'NOPE', her favorite unicorn pants, and fluffy slippers.

Captain America has posed:
Look, the important thing is that she didn't punch him in the face, right? Then he'd know she definitely still had a whole excess of emotion to work on out. Which might still be the case. But at least it isn't directed at him.

"We all have a bad day now and then. It's important to have friends to help lessen the burden," Steve says quietly, brief smile flickering across his expression at the punch before the dark haired Avenger disappears into the living quarters.

And hopefully a change of disposition. There's a good chance. A shower and unicorn pants can fix a whole lot of problems afterall.

In the meantime Steve busies himself, making sure that soggy sack of ruined cheeseburgers are disposed of along with placing an order for replacements.

By the time she emerges, no longer covered in pond scum, Steve is in the front hall, just closing the door behind him. A warm bag is in one hand and a little tray with a pair of tall, frosty chocolate shakes is in the other. "Good timing. Feeling better?"

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Unicorn pants do indeed do a fair bit of heavy lifting in Jessica's world. She practically has lived in them, or variations of them, for the last several months.

The sight of Steve with a bag of burgers and shakes certainly sway things in the right direction. "Steve," Jess says, as she stalks towards him with deliberation, "I'm kinda in love with you right now. You're like, right below JARVIS."

"Thank you, Miss Drew."

"You're the best, JARVIS," Jess replies as she claims one of the shakes out of the tray and immediately sucks on the straw. Rather than, you know... helping him carry it. Or waiting for him to put it down. She makes a delighted sound, sighing. "Yeah. That's what I needed." Only then does she pace along side him, mood visibly improved.

"I'm not that good at being a friend, you know," Jessica confesses. In other news, water is wet. "I do try though. I'd totally do a middle-of-the-night burger run for you." Like that's the most important thing a friend could do.

Captain America has posed:
Hey, sometimes routines can be helpful, even necessary. Steve's a soldier. He definitely gets that. And while his experiences adapting from missing out on decades of his life isn't quite the same as what she's gone through, at least it gives him some small frame of reference to what she might be feeling at times like this.

"I have a sneaking suspicion that you're less in love with me, then the gifts that I come bearing," the blonde super soldier counters wryly, hefting up the bag with those savory scents leaking from it along with that try of smooth shakes -- one of which is promptly stolen -- or at least confiscated -- before they can even make it back to the dinning area.

But hey, if anyone deserves to be cut a little slack -- and a whole lot of shake -- it's probably her.

"But you're not wrong about JARVIS," Steve agrees with a smile.

Pushing into the dinning area, he seeks out a convenient table, beginning to lay out that cheeseburger feast, several of those wrapped burgers pushed across the table towards Jessica before he sinks into his seat and claims his own snack. "I appreciate that," he allows gravely, though again a hint of a smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. "Chances are I'll take you up on that one day too."

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
The twitch of Jessica's lips says it all. Still, her, "I mean, a little bit of column A, a little bit of column B?" seems genuine enough. "Like, you get some spillover from the food, a hundred percent. But also, you're you, so like, it's kind of impossible for people not to love you." Just kind of matter of fact. Some people generate that kind of reaction in others. Jess, not so much. At least not unless her pheromones are kicking in.

With an actual laugh, Jessica says, "If only he could make proper cheeseburgers and milkshakes, JARVIS would be like the perfect boyfriend."

"Thank you, Miss Drew."

"You're so close, JARVIS! Maybe next update."

Already having swallowed a good third of the shake, Jessica drops into a chair opposite Steve and makes a happy noise when he pushes the wrapped burgers towards her. "Thanks, Steve. Seriously." All her gaze is for the burger though, abandoning the shake to unwrap it and take that first bite. She makes an inarticulate sound, nodding her approval as she hastily swallows. "A plus comfort food." Then his latter words get a look, and a knowing grin. "I know all the late night burger joints in a ten block radius. I got you covered, Steve."

Jessica takes another bite, her shoulders easting as she chews. "Any word yet about the thing?" she waves her hand vaguely. She's sort of non specific though he can infer from context she's talking about the Facility.

Captain America has posed:
Hey, given some of the relationships that various members of the team have found themselves in, getting involved with an artificial intelligence probably isn't really all that radical of an idea.

Though it sounds like JARVIS is going to have to learn to make a good cheeseburger first. Something for Tony to work on. Everyone has to have a hobby of some sort, right?

Unwrapping his own burger, he dips his head once more. "Well I don't quite know about that but I appreciate the sentiment if nothing else," he counters with a quiet laugh, taking a bite from that burger, silent for a moment. No talking with one's mouth full. Mama Rogers made sure to ingrain manners in her son, that much is for certain. Which perhaps makes him a little bit of a throwback in this day and age.

He's learned to live with it.

"What are friends for?" he asks at the thanks, giving a quick shake of his head. "We've all had crappy days Jess. You needed a bit of a pick-me-up and it was easily enough done. It's not always the big, grand gestures that count. Sometimes it's the little things that make a difference," he says quietly before smiling once more. "Besides, I think I needed a little grease too. It's not like we don't earn it, sooner or later." Usually sooner.

The blonde super soldier does indeed realize just what she's talking about and he gives a small shake of his head. "Nothing yet. Even limiting like he did, I imagine it's not small thing for SHIELD to sweep that much area and zero in on things. I've made it clear to Fury how important it is to us. I don't think he'll play games on this one," he says confidently.

Whether that confidence is deserved or not remains to be seen.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"I wish you could see yourself the way other people do. It's kind of wild. Though maybe it's better you don't. I was spying on this guy for... totally, unrelated reasons, and he was flipping through insta just like, liking anything with pictures of you on it. And it wasn't a sexual thing. I checked." Wait, what? Yeah. She went there with some random, out of pure curiosity. Jess has a weird idea of manners, in stark contrast to Steve's. No wonder, though. Social etiquette wasn't high on Hydra's list of mandatory training.

As she's chewing, Jessica's brow furrows, as a kind of realization seems to hit her. "You know, you're right. It can be little things that matter." She's smiling, and then there's a laugh. "Pretty sure my therapist said something like that once, too." Sometimes, that kind of awareness is absorbed much easier from a friend, though. And then she grins at the idea of grease. "True. And I'm pretty sure you can't put on fat any more than I can. So it's like, the perfect solution."

Spider Metabolism has some benefits.

There's a muffled noise as Jessica finishes off the first burger, scrunching up the paper. "I don't think he will, either. Just in case though I've put out some feelers." What that means exactly, Jessica doesn't clarify. It might be one of those 'ignorance is bliss' kind of things. "I'm worried he's going to try and cut us out because... you know. In case we run into, well, /us/."

Captain America has posed:
To be sure, of the many, many things that Steve Rogers had to get used to when he awoke in this century, the Internet had to be one of the big ones. As Jess starts into her story, one brow arches ever so slightly though her hasty addition that there was nothing sexual about her targets interest draws a small shake of his head. "Fair, I suppose. I mean I guess I was intended to be a symbol. Well, forced into it at least when it became clear I would be the only one like me. It's just... strange to think any of that could endure, even in this day and age," he conceeds.

That she would take his particular insight to heart here and now really isn't that surprising to Steve. Something it is not who says it. Sometimes it is where. Sometimes it is when. People sometimes need to be in the right frame of mind to let something take root. Why should those of them with super powers be any different in that regard. "Maybe I should buy a couch and open an office," Steve says lightly before chuckling and taking another bite of his burger. "I think it's safe to say we'll both work it off pretty easily. And if not, well, I can always run us through the training course a couple of times," he points out.

That Jess has a fall back position, just in case Nick Fury and SHIELD doesn't come through is actually reassuring to Steve and while the smile might fade from his features, he gives a slow nod to her admission. "It doesn't hurt to be prepared," he admits. "Truthfully, if they can't find something soon I'm half tempted to grab a Quinjet and do some recon of our own. Even if it is a needle in a haystack. Sometimes it's just easier to act. Feels better at least," he admits. "I'd like to think Fury knows us both better then that, but the concern could be justified," he admits.

It wouldn't be the first time SHIELD had played games afterall.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"People need symbols. Ones like you. Especially in this day and age. Just like... take my advice and don't ever go on social media?" There's a lilt like a question, and Jessica even looks at Steve for a definitive answer, forgoing -- at least for a moment -- her second cheeseburger to make sure. She actually seems super serious about this one. "Trust me on this."

"Oh, yeah. You could totally be a therapist," Jessica enthuses. "You've got the face for it. Like, half the strength of a therapist is that they believe in you no matter what bullshit is in their head. Or my head. Or whatever. It takes talent. I think you've got what it takes, kid." She starts unfolding the second burger. This time, it's less about satisfying a need than savoring it, so she's taking her time. The burger's halfway to her mouth when he teasingly threatens to run them through the course a couple of times. She eyes him. He totally would, too. "Ugh. I promise to eat a salad tomorrow instead." The lesser of two evils, apparently. She's definitely not as strict about her exercise routine as Steve is. In fact, her routine is probably more a venting for her current emotional state than any commitment to healthiness.

Jess takes a slow bite and chew of the second burger, giving another approving noise at the back of her throat. When Steve suggests he's tempted just to take a Quinjet and go himself, she grins. "Oh, I'd so be there. I know the feeling. I hate waiting. It's the worst. A bored Jessica is like, worst case scenario. So you know, if it gets to that point and you want a partner in crime?"

She's putting her hand up. Literally in this case.

Captain America has posed:
There are a lot of advantages that come along with super powers, right? The strength, the speed, the endurance to be sure. in Jessica's case she gets those venom bolts too that have to be considered pretty handy. But maybe the best power of all is the ability to pretty much eat whatever you want with the knowledge that an enhanced metabolism will probably take care of the rest. It hardly seems fair. But then, to whom much is given, much is expected too, so there is that.

"Do you think I would be so cruel and hold you to any promise that involves eating a salad?" Steve counters archly before giving a quiet chuckle. "I'm sure you'll be fine," he points out confidently before a glint comes to light in his eye. "Besides, you know and I both know that I'll be putting us through that training course one way or another," he points out with a slow smile. "Everyone needs a thing Jess. That's mine. All the training and preparedness."

He's probably starting to trail JARVIS by a whole heck of a lot with that attitude.

"And no, I don't really do the whole social media thing," he admits. "I've gotten used to texts. I don't compose letters with them any more. I can kinda use the Avenger's internal chat program. But that's about the limit," he admits. So no, there will be no Tik Tok videos coming from the offical Steve Rogers account any time soon. Which might be both a relief and a disappointment, depending on where one sits.

"And I was pretty sure you were going to sympathize with that sentiment. I'm usually good at patience but this one hits home. Pretty hard," the blonde super soldier admits. "Trust me, I wouldn't think about doing it without you. We both have too big a stake in this. Besides, we work pretty well together," he points out. "And I'm not sure that anyone else understands Hydra quite like we do," he adds quietly.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
That is clearly /not/ the answer Jessica was expecting. "Um. No?" but there's a lilt in it that is undeniable surprise and relief when she realizes he won't enforce her having to eat healthy. Of course, that's offset by Steve being Steve and needing to be -- rightly so -- prepared for battle via training. "Ugh. All right. Look, just nothing before sunrise? In fact, let's just say nothing before noon, frankly." She's going to push her luck as far as it can go. It's not that she's lazy. She just does better in the later hours of the day. Nothing to do with spider metabolism. Just a Jess-ism.

"Good," Jessica actually sounds relieved that he's not doing social media. "Wait, you're on the internal chat? Ohmygod. All right. I'm sorry. I'm going to send you things. And you can totally ignore them. But they're funny! Or cute. Man, who doesn't love seeing a husky puppy dangling his paws off a chair? Like... no one. Only the most evil of people."

Hopefully Steve figures out how to put that thing on mute. Jess has some weird hours.

As she works her way through her burger, she's nodding, content with Steve's reassurances. In fact, there's even a little blink of surprise and a tiny little smile from Jess that suggests, yeah. She responds well to praise. "We both do like to punch things," she says nonchalantly. "But you're right. Probably noone else does, except Bucky."

Captain America has posed:
See? It's not always the staid, predictable Captain America on display. Occasionally he can surprise. Even if it is just a willingness not to try and force people to eat their veggies. Oh, he might gently encourage now and then, but apparently he can be reasonable about some things.

"We'll see," he offers non-committally about the time, a hint of a smile curving the line of his mouth. But apparently not all things. But then he does seem very much an early to bed, early to rise type of guy. At least when he is not out, meeting his duty despite the hour at least. Of course he can probably get by on a minimum of sleep considering the super soldier formula coursing through his veins.

Maybe that's why he is so infuriatingly chipper first thing in the morning. Maybe it's a good thing that they keep different hours.

Has he made a horrible mistake, conceeding that he is on the internal Avengers chat? Time will tell. Certainly he looks a little taken aback at the sheer wall of enthusiasm projected his way. And the promise of so many incoming memes. So many. "I, ummm, am looking forward to the puppies," he agrees, with just enough hesitation he's not sure just what he is about to subject himself too.

"Point," he admits when she brings up Bucky. "He seems a little busy these days, but maybe we'll get the chance to drag him along too. He would definitely understand the stakes," Steve admits of his oldest friend. "But in the meantime, you keep your ear to the ground to see if you come up with anything and I'll make sure we have a Quinjet ready to go. Just in case Fury disappoints."

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Yes, super chipper first thing in the morning before she's woken up would probably not be welcomed by Jessica. Fortunately she rarely ventures out of her room before noon unless there's an emergency. Training, for the record, doesn't count as an emergency. But let's face it, to avoid a disappointed look from Steve she'd probably drag herself out early.

"Yup! The puppies! And the kittens of course, but mostly puppies, with their too giant paws all cute." If it could be said Jess has a weakness -- other than, you know, cheeseburgers. And milkshakes. And post-operation whiskey. And sleeping in. And.. -- well, she has a new one, basically. Puppies.

"I think it's good that he's busy. It means he's out enjoying life and not moping around like some people." Example case: one Jessica Drew. She's smiling, though. "Roger that, Cap." She just kind of likes saying that, crumpling up the wrapping from the second burger. She sighs with satisfaction as she washes it all down with a shake. "I think I'm going to go have a post food coma nap. You really are the best, you know?" She fixes Steve with a grin, leans over the table and offers him a fistbump. Then she picks up the remnants of the meal, folding all the wrappers into a ball and carrying all the trash over to dispose of it. Her steps are light as she departs.

Not even five minutes later, Steve will get a PING! on the chat. The first of many.

It has begun.