7663/Setting a Torch to the Mansion

Setting a Torch to the Mansion
Date of Scene:	28 May 2019
Location:	Den and Study - Avengers Mansion
Synopsis:	Johnny Storm shows up at Avenger's Mansion and drops a challenge on Janet van Dyne's lap.
Cast of Characters:	Human Torch, Wasp (van Dyne), War Machine

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Human Torch has posed:
In the world of Johnny Storm, one of the worst things that can ever happen to you is boredom. And, with Reed being invested in the laboratory again and Susan and Ben off doing whatever it was they were off doing - and no charity events, no races, and no new video games coming out and no attacks from Doctor Doom, Johnny Storm was quickly getting bored.

So, he'd gotten the notion after posting some selfies on his media site after reading one subscriber's comments of how Johnny would be the 'hottest' Avenger if he were on them to - well, go see what the Avengers were up to, at any case.

While most people might get stopped at the front doors, Johnny's popularity, as well as his bravado and connections work to get him in. That's why those who are present here, suddenly comes the loud call of, "Heeeeey! Anybody home!? The hottest guest you'll ever entertain is here!"

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"Who let you in here?" The voice is a little querulous and challenging, but playful. Janet van Dyne is standing at the stairs that lead down into the foyer, a hand resting on the bannister. She flickers out of view, wings buzz, and then she *pops* back to full size a few feet from Johnny. Black leggings, off-the-shoulder yellow tunic that would look oversize if it weren't deliberately cut to be baggy and clingy. A shiny black belt around her waist binds the fabric and stylish stiletto pumps bump her from 'chilling at home' to 'fashion icon'. "It's Storm, right? Johnny Storm?" Janet eyes Johnny up and down, then smiles and offers a delicate handshake. "Janet van Dyne," she tells him, by way of introduction. "Welcome to Avenger's mansion. I take it it's not an emergency visit?"

War Machine has posed:
     "I'd give him a seven." Comes a voice from another of the stairwells as a figure walks out from one of the many side rooms towards the source of all the noise. He's dressed in his usual fair, Colonel James Rhodes.

     He's got a NASA thermos in one hand and child in the other with dark hair that's been well combed down behind her ears. She's getting a bit old to be held off the ground like that but hey family is family and she's clearly tired enough to be sleeping. Lila Rhodes, his niece .

     For one reason or another Rhodes has gone back to that old sure fire standing of a full well trimmed beard to go with his almost marine corp hair-cut. He looks over with a bit of a smirk before taking a deep sip of coffee.

     He toasts the thermos over in that direction having only been at the mansion today for a short while to do some checkins before heading right back to that big busy life.

Human Torch has posed:
"What?! Seven!?" Johnny looks genuinely insulted, "That's low, man. Really, really low." There's a huff from him, andhe brushes his perfect blonde hair back as if to call attention to it, but then he's grinning wide again as his eyes shift from James over to Janet.

Johnny straightens his zip-up hoodie, which is currently unzipped and showing off Johnny's own merchandise clothing line beneath in the form of a t-shirt. Jeans, and tennis shoes complete the outfit. "The question is, why didn't anyone invite me sooner? I'm disappointed in all of you. But, no. No emergency."

Johnny makes a face, "Reed's tinkering in his lab, so it'll probably be another few days before anyone sees him. Thought I'd drop by, see what you were up to. Anything exciting?" He clearly hopes so.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"Hey, if we start poaching talent, we're gonna get a bad name in the community," Janet tells Johnny with a wry tone. She moves to Rhodey and beams up at him, favoring the aviator with a hug to his arm. Lila gets a gentle rake of short-trimmed nails to her back and a motherly sort of kiss on her forehead. But Janet doesn't wake the sleeping child.

"Anyway, is this your first time in the mansion?" she inquires of the slender pyrokinetic. "I was gone until last January, little personal business," she says, waving it away.

War Machine has posed:
     "Hey man, plenty of women would settle for a seven" Said with a bit of a chuckle as he takes another sip from his coffee thermos. It's clear even at a glance that Rhodes is in high spirits. He's got himself something of a calm look about him as he just lightly rocks that little girl in his arm.

     "Still a nice place though to be sure." To carry on from what Janet had already said after the comment about being gone for a while. "I should know since I was one of the few people who got to see this place before it was avengers central."

     Lila is fast asleep but she still curls up a bit tighter at the presence of someone else. She's got that almost cheribic quality about her but doesn't really make much in the way of noise.

Human Torch has posed:
"It's pretty sweet," agrees Johnny to James, shoving both his hands into his pockets so he -doesn't- tickle Lila under the chin, or pinch her nose, or anything else that might wake her up. "Buuuut Baxter building is pretty sweet too. Bet you got all kinds of crazy fun stuff in here, though, don't you?"

His bright blue eyes look first from James, then over to Janet. A sheepish grin follows, and shrugs haphazardly. "Someone has to keep Sue and Ben in line. Be in the public eye, make sure we're represented. I usually got my hands full, you know? But, figured it was about time I acted as uh - liason," Yeah, that's it Johnny, "And checked stuff out over here. Be diplomatic." Susan would be proud. He's pretty sure.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"We do okay," Janet says, wryly. She glances at Rhodey at an opportune moment-- her expression seems to say 'is this guy for real?' But she smiles politely at Johnny all the same.

"It was nice of Tony to lend it out to us. Keeps the Avengers more or less in the heart of it, you know? Like a fire station." She absently nibbles on a gold loop hung from a necklace chain, eyes going distant.

Realizing she's woolgathering, Janet glances up and then beams at the two gentlemen. "Anyway, how about we sit down all civilized and have a cuppa tea?" she invites, and beckons them to the kitchen.

She leans over to Lila and whispers: "Never settle for anything less than a nine, honey."

War Machine has posed:
     Rhodes gives a bit of a shrug back as he's had to deal with this sort more then a few times. Still his calm manor just holds on through as he says. "Every team needs some level of PR otherwise who's going out there to stop groups like the bugle or that Steel guy from running you through the mud."

     Then he just follows right along taking another sip from his thermos. The secondary dining area is large enough to be some houses, but it's certainly being well used. Rhodes just makes his way through it and to the oversized guest kitchen which again could be a house of its own practically. He just takes the first available spot and sets down his NASA thermos lightly on the surface.

     Lila half nods her head. Maybe it's just a moment of moving in her sleep or maybe she hears it but either way she just keeps holding onto that spot tightly while getting in her fourty winks. The girl's clearly no older then maybe 7 or 8, but the way she's sleeping? Might as well be a toddler.

Human Torch has posed:
"Yeah. I like that," he snappoints at Janet, as she compares the Avengers Mansion to a firestation. As he's offered a cup of tea, the young man grins, and nods his head in the affirmative. "Sounds good," he agrees easily enough, and he moves to follow Janet to the kitchen.

"So, it's pretty quiet around here too, huh?" An exhale follows, "I mean, that's not a bad thing. It's a good thing. Usually." He looks thoughtful for a moment, "Hey. You know what'd be really cool? If we had a race." And before either Janet or James can interrupt him, he continues, "For charity, I mean. The Avengers can pick someone to race a car against me, and maybe some others, maybe just us." He hasn't worked it all out in his head yet. "We sell tickets, all proceeds go to charity. Plus, it'd be fun as heck. Think about it."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"Quiet's a relative term," Janet says. She glances at Rhodey-- oh right, he's holding the kid. Janet steps off to the kitchen and starts fetching down a few mugs and a kettle full of hot water. Along with some instant tea she trots them over to the table and sets things out for people. Condiments are nearby as well, and Janet pours water into cups, then drops in the instant-bags of hot tea so they can steep.

"Like, a car race? With the Fantastic Four?" Janet glances at Rhodey, then looks at Johnny and grins. "That doesn't seem fair. To you. We've got Cap and Tony. Tony can make a car go up walls and Steve can drive anything with wheels. I'd hate for us to show you up," she says, baiting Johnny with a deliberate amusement.

War Machine has posed:
     "It'd honestly be a bit like challanging me to a jet race." Spoken as he nods to Janet a grateful look in his eyes for her understanding. It's clear he didn't exactly intend to have a little girl clawing around his neck but it's not exactly easy to get an anklebiter to let go once they settle into place.

     "Also: I wouldn't really say it's quite all the time, just has bouts of noise with little cool downs between." His now empty NASA thermos sat a little bit away from him as he keeps up that ever so slight rocking motion with his full hand. "Should see what this place looks like during the big party."

Human Torch has posed:
"Nah. NOt with the Fantastic Four. Reed wouldn't be interested, he's got his lab, and his other projects to do. And Ben? Do you even know how much he weighs?" Johnny grins at this, though - it's certainly nothing he hasn't teased Ben about before. Best friends can do that. "And Sue probably wouldn't be interested. You'd be racing against me."

Johnny chuckles, "No special modifications, either. We're talking real race cars. No wall climbing, no fancy turbo jets. Nothing that they don't use in legit racing circuits. You can build your own, or bring your own."

Johnny's blue eyes twinkle. He is known, afterall, as a decent race car driver himself, and it wouldn't be the first (or last) charity race he runs. But it gives him something to focus on.

As do James' words. "Yeah. Got an invite to that. You can bet I'll be there. Wouldn't be a real party without Johnny Storm," he espouses with a charming sort of smile.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
Janet's lips curl into a smile. "Fair enough, compliant with whatever... is that Nascar? Or Indy 500... whatever the rules are, we'll work in them." She rolls her eyes. "Knowing Tony, he probably *owns* one."

"So let's talk stakes then," she says, drawing a fingernail around the rim of her coffee mug with a hollow scraping noise. "I'm thinking losing team makes a public statement for the winner's charity. We're doing #sentinelsnomore," she tells Johnny. Well, 'we'-- Janet's bullying people into helping. "And fundraising for the ACLU for the lawsuit against the Feds. How much money do you wanna lay down, or should we keep this, y'know. Polite?" She picks up her tea and sips, flickering a grin at Rhodey. Janet's faith in her boys and their competitive streak is pretty unshakeable.

Human Torch has posed:
"Well, we can probably manage like, most of the ticket sales, and can probably work to get even the venue donated as long as we pick a day that there's no other scheduled races. I know people on a couple circuits," Johnny says earnestly, "And can work out a few deals. And then as far as my own purse? I could lay down," he considers, "A hundred thou." It's his own money, afterall. Not the Fantastic Four's.

"I'd be playing for the Inner City Youth Foundation, and Nurturing Community Thorugh Urban Gardens. It's a pretty cool project that Reed's helped with before. Takes unused and forgotten lots, and turns them into urban gardens for people that otherwise would have a harder time getting fresh veggies and fruits. They work it, they get to pick it."

Two very different takes on charities, but both completely valid and needed. "It'll take a bit to set up, and everything. Get the promotional out for it, and sell tickets. Gives us each enough time to prep a car, and a crew if we need it."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"I think we can scrape a hundred grand out of the sofa cusions," Janet says without blinking an eye. "I'll talk to Tony about it. See who wants to weigh in, maybe add some matching bets. We can turn this into a real win-win for everyone," she tells Johnny.

"Okay. Let's get some contracts drawn up, I'll get my legal beagles on it-- that includes Jen Walters, I know y'all are tight with her but me and her?" Janet holds up two interlaced fingers. "We're like /this/."

"I'll get back to you with what the Avengers say, but I'll personally stake a hundred grand on Steve winning even if no one else is interested."

She looks over at Rhodey. "How about you, superstar? Wanna make a quick buck?"

Human Torch has posed:
"Jen is pretty fantastic," agrees Johnny, warmly. "Anything she draws up for this, I'll sign," he agrees, readily. Inherent trust in She-Hulk, for clear and obvious reasons.

He stands up, and offers his hand to Janet to shake, grinning. "Who knows. This goes well, maybe I can bring you in to consult for next years line of my brand of clothing." He pulls open his hoodie to show off his t-shirt.

"I'll call. Or, see you at the party, Janet. This should be fun," Johnny grins wide, that charming, white-toothed grin of his. "Thanks for letting me hang out for a bit."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
Janet smiles and accepts Johnny's handshake, returning it with an elegantly cultured grip of her fingers. Blue bood, this one, all the way. "And my consulting fees are $50,000 an hour, plus expenses," Janet tells Johnny. She grins, suddenly, an impish expression. "But tell you what, you come talk to me about licensing your apparel and we'll work something out. JVD is doing a whole run of 'Haute Avengers' this year, its' all going to look very dapper. You'd be a good contribution," she prompts.

"But either way, yes, we'll be in touch, and I will definitely see you at Tony's party!" she agrees, and with a polite gesture moves to escort Johnny out like a welcome guest."