592/There's always 'one more thing'

There's always 'one more thing'
Date of Scene:	23 May 2017
Location:	Stark Tower, New York City
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Iron Man, Starr, Pepper Potts

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Iron Man has posed:
Wednesday night and things aren't as quiet as they could be. Stark-Fujikawa truly doesn't sleep; it's on a 24 hour cycle, 7 days a week, 12 months a year. Downstairs in the R&D section there are small parties going on, music piped through as yet another product is pushed through and is so very, very close to being officially announced by the owner and CEO of the company, Mr. Anthony Stark.

Truth is, however, that Mr. Anthony Stark has his attentions elsewhere at the moment, and he's taking a rather deliberate trip down the corridor of the administrative floor. "JARVIS, I want a line to the mayor."

"I'm sorry sir, but he does not appear to be answering his phone." The English accented response does indeed sound apologetic, as if...

"Not your fault, buddy," Tony returns, interrupting his AA. "I still have to work out how to get you over there so you can just talk to him yourself."

Starr has posed:
    Walking through the party, Elycia seems to be making sure everyone has wine and is having a good time, but she steps into a side corridor, looking for something...or someone in the side corridor. "Where are the hor'derves?" She says as she gets close to an elevator door.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Upstairs, Pepper is still working. She's ever working, really. No need to have a life of her own when she's dedicated herself body and soul to this company. Still, this time of the night, she's accustomed to being the only one on the administrative floor, staying behind long after most of the secretaries and project managers leave. SHe blinks at the echoing of a familiar voice, pulling herself from her budget reports and coffee.

Her high heels echo a quiet click on the floor as she comes out of her little office and peers down the hall. "...Tony? What are... we trying to get through to the Mayor about? I'm still here. I can... pull some strings. But you invited him tonight, you know? He might actually JUST be downstairs." Pepper offers with a weak sort of smile.

Iron Man has posed:
Elycia's search goes unanswered, at least by Tony, who is mumbling something under his breath now, undoubtedly working out how to transfer the Awareness that is JARVIS over to the City Hall, and whether or not he should even begin to mention it to Legal before the deed is done. Something about 'easier to ask forgiveness than permission', not that he's all about begging forgiveness...

Spinning around at the familiar voice, though, the t-shirt and jeans (and sneakers) dressed billionaire, looks at her for a long moment, his hand gesturing, "Why are you still working? And.. did I? I don't remember." For a long moment, he simply stares at her, trying to jog his memory before, "Was it at the St. Patrick's Day parade? Because I can't remember a damned thing from that night..."

Starr has posed:
    ELycia looks at Pepper and Tony and tilts her head. "I didn't interrupt anything, did I?" She says to them both as she stands there quietly and looking back at the direction she came from. "I could look to see if he's here?" She says softly, but keeps her distance....

Pepper Potts has posed:
The strawberry blonde looks Tony over, her brows furrowing a bit deeper as she sees just how completely out of it the man looks. Or maybe that's her assumption, but there is a genuine trace of concern across her pale face as she walks a bit closer to him, one hand reaching out to rest on his shoulder, "No. Last week, when I sent out invites for this party, you said you needed to talk to the mayor and the best way to get him here would be an invite, so I put him on the list. I can look up if he RSVP'ed... But... Tony? What's wrong? What's on your mi-..." And then they aren't alone. It's almost jarring to realize that this moment, as intimate as Pepper and Tony get, might have been seen by another.

Pepper abruptly pulls back from Tony, her shoudlers straightening and a business like smile crossing her features. "No...it...it's fine, Miss Kreiger, right? Just fine. Can I help you with something?" Pepper asks, ever prim proper.

Iron Man has posed:
Tony looks back at Elycia and considers for a long moment before he shakes his head. "It's okay. And you are..." the answer is soon to come, however, as Pepper recalls for him. "Miss Kreiger?" is repeated. His voice raises a touch as he continues, more talking to 'someone else' rather than her, "I'm sure I'll be told should the Mayor arrive. Right Jarvis?"

"Yes sir.." returns in a decided monotone. (It's the way the Artificial Awareness shows his displeasure.)

Pepper's concern gains that moment of 'human'ness as a response from Tony, but it's fleeting. Business. Yes... it should be. Right? "Okay. Right. The invite. Sure. I'll keep an ear out for him, then." He sounds a touch distracted to be sure, and he's almost ready to end conversation there before, "Nothing. If he doesn't show, I'll just make sure I have a message in for him in the morning." Not that he really waits for morning for what he'd consider 'important' communication. Dropping his hands into pockets, he looks back towards the elevators and he smiles tightly, "We should join the party."

Starr has posed:
    "You're supposed to be at the party, Mister Stark. But I don't think anyone would mind if you arrived with a lovely lady on your arm." ELycia says as she looks to Pepper. "I'll just be right behind you, Mister Stark. And I'll keep to myself if you two want some 'alone time'." She then smiles to Pepper....as she steps into the elevator.....

Pepper Potts has posed:
A *look* is given back in Tony's direction as he comments about 'we' should join the party. Pepper just smirks, wearing one of her normal bespoke suits, this one a pale gray with little white pinstripes running through it. She looks professional, but she doesn't look party worthy. "Tony, I was working. I wasn't planning on going to this one. I'm not dressed and I'm sure there are thirty other more elegant women down there who will look far better on your arm." No. She's not jealous, not at all, of course. She tries to keep any SCRAP of something like that out of her voice, even if it might be behind her eyes. "I'll reach out to the mayor and prepar your communication for the morning. You go have fun."

A slightly warmer smile crosses her taupe colored lips, some of her lip stick from the day still in place. "Miss Kreiger, I really didn't have plans on going. If you could accompany Mr. Stark, I'm sure that you two will both have a wonderful time. You look lovely tonight. Perfectly suitable for Tony's arm." Pepper almost passes Tony off, trusting Elycia enough that she'll keep Tony from getting TOO drunk.

Iron Man has posed:
Elegant? Tony is wearing a t-shirt, a pair of jeans and sneakers. It's only because he's downstairs that he's not wearing his bunny slippers that squeak at the 'nose' at the front of the toes. Brows rise at Elycia's comment regarding 'alone time' for him and Pepper, and his gaze lingers on Elycia before he looks back at Pepper. //Alone time//? "Well, Carreri's catered, and their chicken francaise is amazing. 'Course, it's almost impossible to screw that up, but their vodka penne is tops too. So, take a break and come have a bite with me."

Turning back to Elycia, particularly as Pepper gives her 'blessings', Tony puts a hand up, "C'mon. Now you're sounding like I'm a giant walking hot potato, and if I didn't actually have a proper sized ego, I'd be in danger of being hurt." He manages to give this a slightly amused spin, but.. "So, why don't you ladies just draw straws and I'll stand here." As he says that, Tony leans against the wall, expectantly. "Then you can start your, 'I don't want him, you can have him' spat."

Starr has posed:
    Elycia rolls her eyes a bit at Tony. "Smart alec." She then looks to Pepper. "Well, perhaps instead of 'pawning him off'.....we could always BOTH go with him. One in each arm, as it is. I mean, he's rumored to be some sort of womanizer or something....or was that Bruce Wayne? I always seem to get the multi-billion dollar bachelors mixed up." She then playfully winks at Tony. "And you don't have to stay, Miss Potts. Show up, do a princess wave or two, then head back up to the office."

Pepper Potts has posed:
"I really can't be seen in public like this. I'm...I'm not *Tony Stark*. I can't pull off tee shirt and jeans. But..." Pepper sighs, shaking her head to both of them, "Go in. I'll dash up and change then be right downstairs. If you're both insisting. Just enough for dinner, then I really should get back to working up here. I need to get things closed out before the long weekend. I swear half the company is taking Friday off..." Of course, not Pepper. Never Pepper. But other people do have a life and she acknowledges that. It just means extra late nights for herself.

She gives Elycia a half understanding smile about the rumors. "Yes, well... I prefer not to get mixed up in those rumors..." More than she already is. "You two go. I'll be right along. And it's not that I don't want you, Tony..." Something behind her eyes, something betraying her awfully, for just a heartbeat, "I just don't like... seeing you like this." It's been a conversation they had before, especially when he gets manic like this. It's just not generally one she has in front of people.

Iron Man has posed:
At the 'smart alec' comment, Tony stops and stares at the younger woman before he shakes his head. "If you ladies will excuse me, I'll just get back to work." He seems to have made his decision independant of the pair, and pushes himself off the wall. "Pep, you know where to find me." In the Bunker. "You two go and have a bite to eat, I'll send my apologies to the staff later."

It's when the 'womanizer' comment comes across, Tony chuckles and his voice drops to a 'conspiratorial' whisper, "Don't believe everything you hear. But then again, isn't there a little bit of truth embedded in a lie? Usually. That's what makes a lie believable."

It's his turn, then, to head towards the elevator that'll bring him first upstairs to the Penthouse, and then down the floor. "Make sure you get something to eat, Pep. You too, Miss Kreiger."

Starr has posed:
    "I didn't believe it. Just teasing Miss Potts." Elycia says before looking to Pepper. "Strangely, parties aren't really my thing, except when I'm at the center of them. They're sort of an 'All in or out' sort of thing." She says with a laugh. "I know I helped Allison Blaire out with a concernt a couple of weeks ago with my band, but when my time was done....I stepped out of the spotlight and watched...like any other fan."

She then sighs softly. "So.....if you want to get a bite, Miss Potts, I'm game."

Pepper Potts has posed:
The look on Tony's face, that little fit he gives, even if he might be justified, makes Pepper sigh deeply. "I...will find you in a bit, Tony." She murmurs, voice gentle, a touch apologetic, but mainly just tired and worried. She doesn't fight him in going, one hand pushing back through her hair instead, trying to straighten herself up to maybe go see people.

Elycia gets a half game smile, Pepper trying to be her normal self even as she sees the one man she cares about more than anything spiraling. She just sighs, "...I...really am not hungry, but I'll accompany you back down, if you wish. Parties aren't really my thing either. And there is a lot of work..." She looks back to her office, but doesn't quite return to it either. "How are you settling in at the internship? Are you finding everything alright?"

Starr has posed:
    "I'm settling in pretty good, Miss Potts. Thank you for this opportunity." Elycia then sighs a bit as she looks to Peppers office. "Maybe if we both tackle it, things would go a little faster? I don't really want to head back to the party." She then breathes a breath out of her nose. "You do know some of the circuits in the building were near or at capacity right, Miss Potts? Some of them were even over taxed....."

Pepper Potts has posed:
That commentary makes Pepper frown a bit more, "You should go down, really. One of us needs to be there. I'll make it me if I must but... we can't have a party and NO staff show up other than the waiters." Pepper sighs, beginning to lead the way to the elevator. Then there is talk about the circuits and her head tilts slightly, "Tony... should know about that. He's wired most of this building. If there are things over capacity, that... might be sabotague, really. How did you know? Much less...did you fix it?" She stops the elevator, this far more important than a party.

Starr has posed:
    "if....I tell and show you....promise not to tell anyone else....and more importantly...fire me." ELycia says as she walks her way down the corridor to a wall.......touches it, and brings her hand back. "The wall seems to become transparent.......and a circuit breaker is shown. "This is one of the ones that I fixed....I'm pretty sure. One of the fuses seemed to spark intermittently.........."

Pepper Potts has posed:
An arch comes to Pepper's brow as Elycia comments about not telling anyone else or firing her. "...I won't fire you unless you directly damage company property..." But Pepper absolutely doesn't give a promise of not telling. There are more important people in her life. Well, one more important person. Tony knows all. But she follows along the younger woman and blinks as she sees the wall going transparent. That certainly takes her aback a little, but she makes no comment. She just watches. "...and was it simply poor wiring that overloaded it or... something else? And how do you... Do that? Are you a mutant?" It's respectfully asked, not disgusted. Just the best conclusiont hat Pepper can draw.

Starr has posed:
    "No, I'm not a mutant, Miss Potts. And I don't think Mister Stark is capable of 'bad wiring'. It might've been a flaw in the wiring, or, as you said, sabotage, but I don't think Mister Stark would mess up his own building, then hand control of it to you." ELycia then closes her hand which makes the panel opaque again. "No, Miss Potts, I'm....pretty much a study in contrasts. I study music and electrical engineering in college, but I didn't lie when I said, when I'm not working, I'm studying." She then takes a deep breath. "I'm a Mage, Miss Potts. Something I wouldn't have believe I could do until a.....few weeks ago."

Pepper Potts has posed:
"A...Mage." Pepper repeats, brows slightly arched, the skepticism clear behind her voice. SHe looks from Elycia, back to the wall, back to the woman, her business brain trying to process or accept that magic can exist. Mutants? Sure. Radiation powered super heroes? Yeah. But magic? She still seems a little uncertain, but doesn't call the woman out. "...well, clearly you have some... strange... Interesting talent. As long as you are using it to the benefit of the company, there is no reason to fire you. How far does it... go? With your permission, I'd like a full run down of what you can do and...if you are willing to lend us such help, it would come with an equable raise, of course."

Iron Man has posed:
"I would correct you, Miss Kreiger," comes that impeccably English accented voice, "There is no flaw in the wiring. It is simply that more power is drawn from certain sectors at different moments in different times of the day. Think of it like a body when the blood cycles. Upon the beat of a heart, the vessels fill and presure rises, and when it passes, the circuits go down to their relaxed mode. It is a quite simplistic explanation of what occurs but nonetheless essentially accurate."

The voice in the machine, as it were, does get Tony's attention, and it's not from his office that he emerges, nor is it from Pepper's.. but it's one a little further down, and it's with only the shortest of glances that he locates the ladies. "I could have sworn.. what?"

"Sir, Miss Kreiger was explaining how it is that she can-"

"Okay, okay.. not tonight, Jarvis. I'm done.. just stick a fork in me." Tony still seems quite distracted, unfocused in the 'here and now'. It's no disease, certainly; Pepper would recognize it as 'having way too much to think about'... and the cure is leaving him to his own devices for a minimum of 48 hours.... mostly.

Starr has posed:
    Elycia takes a deep breath. "I don't know, Miss Potts. That's why I'm studying. For control. I'm sure Mister Stark didn't create things without some sort of safety protocol in mind. That'd be like playing in the control room of a nuclear reactor. I try to keep it minor, just in case it decides to flare up power, nothing catastrophic will happen. So far, I've been able to create weapons, keep grenades from exploding, bind people, and create little bolt of energy to hit people. All relatively minor effects......"

She then looks up and.....hears Jarvis. "Well, Uhm.....you....I don't exactly have access to you, so I didn't really know what was going on." She then looks to Miss Potts. "If you can give me a rather secure place where few things can go wrong, if any, if it gets a little out of control, i'd be most grateful, Miss Potts." Then she spots Tony and.....shuts up immediately about it.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper blinks slightly as the girl immediately shuts her mouth as Tony comes down the hall. She looks between the pair, trying to decide exactly how this should go down, but the look on Tony's face is what decides it all. She doesn't need to pile more stress on him, not right now. "We... will speak more about this tomorrow morning, Miss Kreiger. I think I can provide you such a space as long as I get reports about the... findings from your investigation. Yes?" Pepper waits for a confirmation, giving one nod.

Then she's looking back towards Tony and she takes a fewm ore steps in his direction. Her fingertips reach out to rest against his back for a few moments, the hooded, worried look in her eyes just deepening. "Tony, the party will handle itself. Do you want to head upstairs? get you settled in the bunker, I'll bring you some food..."

Starr has posed:
    "It'll be more than one session, Miss Potts, but I'll definitely try." ELycia says to Pepper before she goes to help Tony. "Sounds like you need to veg out, Mister Stark..."

Iron Man has posed:
It's human nature, really, to look up when talking to 'air'. It takes a whole lot of practice //not// to look up, but rather, continue speaking into the 'air' as if speaking to another person because Jarvis really is 'everywhere'. It's easy enough, then, to discern when Elycia is speaking to the Awareness, and Jarvis actually makes a sound very much like amusement. "No, Miss, you don't. And adjusting the circuits in the building won't interfere with my operation." Some information. "But I would have this bit of information to you to serve as one of the many reasons why you should not interfere with the power operations of this building. All the tolerances were built to specification, and Mr. Stark and I have everything balanced. If there was any hint of sabotage, I would have informed him immediately." Whether Elycia understands it or not, Jarvis really is 'all encompassing'. He is everywhere; he runs the Tower systems. Everyone in the building can actually speak to him and have him process requests. Head of security? Jarvis, in all practicality.

"Okay, buddy. Stop bragging," Tony murmurs. "It's not becoming." So says the multi-billionaire? It's actually when Pepper speaks to him that he drops his head forward, listening intently before he looks back to the pair. "That sounds about right, Pep. Send my apologies along; I'll make sure we have another party at announcement and open it up. It'll be a hell of a gathering. We'll dance the night through."

Wait.. wait.. and Tony glances at Elycia, his brows creasing, "'Veg out'?" He shakes his head and smiles tightly, "Sorry... not in my vocabulary. Others can 'veg out'. But that's not what goes on here, miss. We're an operation that runs 24 hours, 7 days a week just to keep up... no. The global market keeps up with us. And we intend upon keeping it that way. That does not come with 'vegging out'." Once he's said his piece, however, Tony is ready to head up the Penthouse, and into the Bunker for work. So much to do..

Pepper Potts has posed:
A gentle, almost apologetic smile crosses Pepper's lips as Tony explains that he doesn't veg out. She half sighs to Elycia. "I'm...going to make certain he's eaten in the last 36 hours. But... it was lovely to speak. I'll let you know about a space tomorrow, Miss Kreiger." With that, Pepper double times to catch up to Tony as he heads for the Penthouse. No party for them tonight.

Starr has posed:
Elycia Kreiger smiles and nods to Miss Potts. She then looks up and shrugs. "I'll keep my hands to myself then.....whoever you are." She then makes her way for the door...... "WEll...whoever that was...doesn't like me. At least I'll get to test out what I've got...."