4401/Visiting Rhodey and Company...
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| Visiting Rhodey and Company... | |
|---|---|
| Date of Scene: | 06 May 2018 |
| Location: | Unknown |
| Synopsis: | Summary needed |
| Cast of Characters: | War Machine, Pepper Potts
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- War Machine has posed:
For a man of Rhodey's income tracking down the mans personal address reveals a bit of a surprise. It seems he's moved up in the world since the old days of his studio apartment on the edge of town. The building is smack dab perfect in the center of downtown not more then a minutes walk from anything one could hope to find, prime real estate. It's a high end place the kind of high rent place you didn't move into in order to live in more you moved in to proclaim you could afford to live there.
It's a wonder how the man's able to even afford it in the slightest considering how much he actually makes as a test pilot for Stark, and an agent of SHIELD. The doorman is dressed in his best uniform a warm and inviting man who pushes open the room into the main lobby of the building.
There's a fountain in the dead center of the room ornate and styled after the roaring 20's when this place was originally built as a luxury building complex for the rich and powerful. Something about it screams old money even with the sheer wall of renovations over the years to keep it on the bleeding edge of stylistic designs.
The parking lot was filled with expensive cars and of course had a full on valet service if one was willing to pay the fee. The patrons of this building still visibly of the high end of society, but not quite the top, more that level where they wish to appear wealthy by spending as much as they can.
- Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper has been working insane hours -- when is she not -- but she got the download of information about what happened to James, and his family, from Tony. She's been worried ever since. So, she got as much insider information on what the girl's size was and used the internet to figure out if she could track down any of the girl's interests. If not, she's just figured out what kids her age LIKE these days from various searches and has bags of those.
Bags of the coolest clothing. Monster High dolls (every one of them), a new Kindle with several of the most popular YA books already downloaded, a gift card to H&M, and some not too unhealthy snacks. She's basically brought everything she thinks a smart pre-teen girl could one. She did email James ahead, so he wasn't totally shocked by her coming over, but not TOO far in advance so he couldn'tback out of it. Her own car matches all the ones in the lot and loads up all her arms with the various gifts before managing over to the elevator and buzzing in with the single finger she has free.
- War Machine has posed:
The surprising thing pepper will find when stepping into the elevator is that there's actually a bellhop. Not exactly what one would ever expect in a modern building but it does certainly add to the charm of the place. The man asks her what floor she's going to then just cranks the lever into place for the floor selection. Of course in truth it's for show and the elevator is all electronic but when you're paying someone minimum wage to effectively be a prop? Why not right?
The ride is somewhat uneventful up to the top floor. The penthouse suite of the entire building. Something most people would kill for in a place like this. According to the registry there's only 3 homes on this floor. As the doors open the white carpeting and hallway of this floor becomes visible. The brilliant view of the hall looks out over the city.
At the far end of the hall rests a lone door with gold lettering on it. Rhodey's apartment waits on the other side.
- Pepper Potts has posed:
"... Tony... If you had something to do with this, well... I'm glad you're taking care of old friends. If not... the military pays a hell of a lot better than it used to..." Pepper mutters to herself, before giving that Bellhop a wide smile and a little tilt of her head. The bellhop being present actually helps decently well with the bags! She then gives a little wave with her two free fingers and is walking out the door to the far end of the hall. It's easier to knock with the toe of her shoe than anything: "Rhodey...It's Pepper? I said I'd be coming by..."
- War Machine has posed:
The door opens to Rhodeys apartment and the man is holding a 6 yearold girl up against one shoulder bounding her slightly in place as he swings it open and takes the liberty of snagging a few of those bags from poor Peppers hands. "Come on in Pep, welcome to my castle."
As he walks into the building proper it becomes clear for as large as this place is as elegant as it seems there's clearly been no real work done to this place since the 40's. The whole apartment looks like it was stagnant.
There's buckets spread all across the house catching water from leaking pipes in the apartment the ceiling pulled open to reveal the offending pipes. Most the furniture is mismatched, clear replacements bought from The Salvation Army and thrown in not based off what would fit well with the decor but with what could be found on the cheep. The whole place has this mix of dilapidated and high end 40's charm that clashes. A massive spiral staircase leads up to the third and fourth floor.
Some clear bits of modern appliances stand out from the original decor. A cheap looking microwave shoved onto the counter next to a bucket collecting water, a computer propped up on an antique mahogany writing desk. The once brilliant panoramic view of the entire city instead has no view at all except a new office building built back in the 90's. The entire view has been blocked over by one allowing residents to see the working joes going about their day to day.
Rhodey sets the little girl down and she walks back over to one corner of the room silently to return to her drawing. An entire corner of the apartment has been covered in her drawings turn into a little studio for her. There's a lot of highly detailed schematics of what look to be iron man armor as guessed by a little girl who knows almost nothing about actual engineering.
- Pepper Potts has posed:
The moment Pepper sees the apartment, something tightens in her chest. But, she puts on that smooth Pepper smile, her chin lifted and eyes warmed. She doesn't dare let him see the pity she feels, or the plotting behind her eyes now of far better furniture, new floors, anything else she could do to help. Instead, she smiles to the little girl, "Hullo, I'm Pepper..." And gives a little wave as the girl shyly goes over to her corner of the room.
Pepper then passes off the rest of her bags, filled with so many different bits of pink, purple, blue and tan clothing... then she leans up to pull James into a slightly too tight, too long lingering hug. "James...I'm...sorry I didn't come before. Tony really just filled me in and I had some...shopping to do."
- War Machine has posed:
Rhodes is quiet for a moment and at first he seems like he's going to fight it, but then there's a low sigh that escapes his lips. He brings Pepper in close for that hug not fighting it anymore just letting out a low somewhat frustrated sigh. "Yeah, it's... not been easy." Admitted through his teeth as he finally pulls back from the hug. "On either of us." Slight motion towards Lila as the little girl doesn't even say a word. "Lila hasn't said a single thing since..." He trails off a bit.
"No time to be moping about that, gotta life to try and live." He starts moving about to set up the presents for Lila for when she's ready to play with them.
From the looks it seems like there's been more then a few toys brought over for Lila to play with but from the looks most are still in the box. She seems more inclined to draw schematics on how the toys work then to actually play with them. She's actually a really good technical artist for a 6 year-old. Even if she doesn't actually know how things work there's a lot of interesting guesses outlayed like the kind of thing you'd expect to find in an engineers document.
What few toys she has been 'playing' with she's taken apart bit by bit less breaking from the stress of playing more delicately disassembling one part after the next trying to put together how they work in her mind. She's not what one would consider a normal 6 year old.
"Sorry about the state of the place." Rhodey says as he starts pulling out some pots and pans already apparently in the middle of cooking something. Was Rhodey a cook? Well I mean it never really came up, but you live on your own long enough. "Lease is an as is situation, should have seen her when I first moved in." He motions over his shoulder with a spatula. "Whole window was boarded up, and someone stole most the furniture."
Near another corner of the room is Rhodes' 'work station' he's got autocad layouts all over the place pictures of suits and the kind of layout someone might expect out of Tony's lab more so then anywhere Rhodes would live. There's the parts from what looks like 6 different suits scattered about in various states of repair and a lone mostly functional suit half standing on a small work platform. It's clear he's been trying to get it back functioning, but from the looks? Someone tore the thing to hell and back, and it won't be working again any time soon.
- Pepper Potts has posed:
The hug is tight and lingering. It's not just the hug of an old acquaintance, but one of a deep, old friend. Someone who cares about him incredibly and didn't realize just how bad things had been. Her fingertips bury into his back as she holds on for dear life for just a few moments before gently pulling away and giving him a slightly damp eyed smile as her fingeritps rub across his arms. "She... she looks like a very smart girl. I brought her some Monster High things but... maybe some of the architecture and engineering toys I've seen about. They have some really good sets out there, building, and eletric schematics, the like. I'll see what I can find and send them over..." Pepper murmurs gently, after looking over the girl's play area.
"...And... this... this place could be really nice. We just need to get you a few other things. Let... let TOny and I send over some stuff. Please? I know you're helping him out with the suits as is. I won't tell him what's going on if you don't want but... God, James, you don't know how much you do for him, Let us help a bit in turn?" Pepper asks, her heartache clear behind her voice.
- War Machine has posed:
"I can't expect anyone to understand what I'm going through if I don't say something." Rhodes offers calmly as he fiddles around with the pot in front of him cooking up actually a fairly decent smelling, at least, middle eastern style stir fry. "Not like I can expect either of you to hop into my head and read what I'm thinking" It's a strange combination but if he can pull it off? "Been tough even before what happened, been tough for a while but I didn't want to say anything and ruin the friendship." Well then again he is working off a recipe from the internet so it can't turn out too badly right? "Lila, why don't you go play in your room for a minute?"
Lila looks up from her art and comes back to a stand. She still doesn't react much just walking back into her own room. The door closes behind her allowing her to be at the very least out of earshot for what Rhodes is about to say.
"Pepper, there's not been a single day that's gone by since that bastard Triage murdered Jeanette I haven't wanted to just throw on a suit and cut my way through every single ganger out in that city till the message gets sent home." It's a bit of a cold but definitive statement of fact as he preps up some potatoes. "Thought what I wanted was to just take that punks head and shove it in a vice over what he did, thought I could take the world on by myself." He looks up towards the picture of a family reunion years back, when Rhodes was first signing on with the marines. "Even before that I thought I'd be able to take on the world if I could just get outta Tony's shadow." He sighs.
"That's the kind of attitude that got Jeanette killed." As he chops up some vegetables. "Kind of attitude that almost got me killed." Chopping fast yet delicately. "Kind of attitude on any other day I'd slap the hell out of Tony for having." He chuckles. "Too damn much of a hypocrite to be a hero." A smile creeping across his face.
"Tony's not wrong, I don't deserve a suit, won't ever be half the hero he is." Speeding up the chopping process slightly as he dumps some vegies and spice into the makeshift wok. "but I'd like to think I'm making progress, and I'd like to think I've made enough mistakes at this point to know I can't do it on my own."