9167/Career advice

Career advice
Date of Scene:	12 September 2019
Location:	Library, Avengers Mansion
Synopsis:	Janet van Dyne gives Nadia Pym some advice about her career and her wardrobe.
Cast of Characters:	Wasp (Pym), Wasp (van Dyne)

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Wasp (Pym) has posed:
A visit to the Avengers Mansion isn't something most people undertake lightly. Indeed for Nadia Pym it means a tedious level of scrutiny generally only reserved for people formerly associated with nefarious groups like the Red Room. But she could hardly invite a famous superhero and CEO to hang out in her tiny Government provided apartment now could she?

After a series of scans for concealed weapons that seem like they'll go on forever (at least to the mind of a fifteen year old!) the teenage super-scientist, wearing a simple yellow summer dress and sneakers, is finally escorted through into the library. Frantically trying to wipe off a bunch of mathematical equations doodled all the way up her left arm from hand to elbow.

Whatever she was expecting from the Avengers personal book collection it probably wasn't this. Her eyes flicking from side to side trying to take everything in at once.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
The mansion has support staff, however minimal; one walks Nadia to the library and stands patiently by the door, hands folded in front of his beltline. Impassive, square-jawed, with short cropped hair, he looks like military or police. The cut of his suit does little to conceal a high-tech sidearm on his belt.

The look the library supervisor gives Nadia is even more unwelcoming. The collection around her is stocked with dissertations, scientific papers, and antique books, and it's not even the 'high value' part of the Avenger's reference section.

"Nadia? You in her-- oh, there you are!" Janet leans in the doorway to check before entering, and a smile blossoms across deeply encarmine-painted lips at the sight of the junior scientist before she heads in to greet Nadia. Her high-waisted skirt is worn from midriff down to her knees, the same shade of red as her cosmetics and patent-leather stilettos. Offsetting all the scarlet is an ivory-colored blouse, sleeveless, the mateiral gathered into a knotted twist over her decolletage. Gold sparkles at her ears and wrist, and a little ring-shaped pendant hangs at the hollow of her throat.

"Sorry I've been so busy lately. Rodney, I've got it from here, why don't you go get a drink or something?" Janet bids the guard.

He leaves, dismissed, and Janet moves to link arms with Nadia and walk her over to a sofa. "C'mon, grab a seat. I'd offer you a drink but the librarian has a 'shoot on sight' policy for food in here."

Wasp (Pym) has posed:
"Oh it's okay. I've been very busy myself," Nadia assures, following along slightly in Janet's wake without taking her eyes away from the collection of scientific papers. "Trying to find a good location to set up a lab once I've got my income situation resolved.... You would not believe how many disused buildings in New York are being used for criminal activity. People seem to try shoot at me with an alarming frequency." She sighs. "Besides it would have been hard to miss all the trouble you've been having lately. I don't want to pry into it or anything but... if you ever need someone to go undercover just say the word. I'm sure corporate espionage can't be too difficult."

She perches on the sofa with the care of someone fully aware the thing they're sitting on probably costs more than their apartment does. "I confiscated a weird sound device from some Russian mercenaries who.. And you /really/ won't believe how bad they were when I tell you. But they tried catch me with a net gun." She giggles. "I mean really a /net/? No energy or forcefields. It wasn't even an insect net." She rests her slightly inkstained arm on her lap to keep it well away from the furniture. "Oh and I think some ninja were stalking me for a while. That was weird..."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
Janet laughs at Nadia's story, shaking her head. "Wow. A net gun? That's some Looney Tunes baloney, right there," she concludes. A hand waves through the air. "Be careful, okay?" she bids the girl with a concerned note in her voice. "Clumsy or not, all it takes is one joker getting a lucky shot off or luring you into a trap. Just don't take any wooden nickels for the forseeable future."

She finds a seat herself on a chair, managing to rest on it for about two seconds before changing her mind and curling a leg under her so she can sit on her calf muscle. Her shoe hangs off the edge of the cushion so it doesn't scuff the leather seat. "And... as for ninjas, I can't help you with that," Janet admits. "Talk to Natasha, she's the sneaky one. I don't even know any ninjas. Ninja? What's the plural there?"

Wasp (Pym) has posed:
"Weirdly I met the actual Joker one time. He tried offer me a ride," Nadia admits ruefully. "I didn't take him up on the offer though it was... kind of creepy. He did seem to be an accomplished chemist though." She blinks a few times. "Wooden nickels? I didn't know they made wooden coins. To be honest I don't really bother with cash payments if I can avoid it... Oh and they also had some sound based lure for going after people with size change powers but I took it apart afterwards and basically it just makes a shrill noise. Like a very expensive alarm clock."

She chews at her lip a moment, then adds "I let SHIELD know about them. Mostly because I wanted to know if it was a Red Room plot or some other group... But they had no clue. And I think both are right. Japanese has no grammatical number. So ninja is the literal translation and ninjas is also right as a Westernised version. I've been trying to improve my grasp of languages when I have spare time. New York has a very good public library."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
Janet a holds a hand up. "Slow down, kid, you're all over the place," she bids Nadia. "First things first-- the Joker's bad news. Avoid him. Period. Gotham's full of nutjobs, Batman least among them. He'll deal with it. And forget the wooden nickle thing, it's not important."

She flicks her bangs with her nails. "As for the rest of it-- definitely keep SHIELD informed," she confirms with a nod. "Ninjas, or Russians, or ... whomever. Three people in the world have access to Pym particles, and I'd like to keep it that way. The last thing we need is some Commie assassin getting his mitts on them and deciding to assassinate the President by climbing in an ear at a press conference."

Wasp (Pym) has posed:
Nadia Pym tries really hard not to roll her eyes. But teenage instincts kick in nonetheless. "I wasn't looking for him. He was just there in the street," she explains. "In the middle of the day. Besides I had no idea who he was at the time." She pouts. "SHIELD weren't super interested. They didn't know the person who tried recruit me but I told them I was concerned this individual was probably making approaches to superpowered teenagers. The lines they tried feeding me were entry level spy stuff. Lines that'd mainly work on runaways, mutants and people vulnerable to cults."

"I thought I was being exceptionally careful by not infiltrating them by myself," she notes and then for a moment she leans back on the sofa until she remembers how expensive it is and jolts back to an upright and slightly uncomfortable looking sitting position. "Even though it seemed like it would be really easy.. Besides if someone was going to get the secret it wouldn't be from me! They'd probably try take over your company or something."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"Uh, no, I've got my own problems to deal with," Janet assures Nadia. "No one's going after Pym particles by taking down JVD. It's not even in the same business network. Wholly different entities," she explains.

"And trust me, Hank's been fending off people trying to get their hands on Pym particles for decades now. Longer than you've been alive. I'm not worried about them trying to..." She wrinkles her nose. "Hold a fashion house hostage. The key to hostage negotiations is holding something the other person values, and Hank always thought clothing design was a waste of time."

A hand waves it off. "Anyway. Yeah, I know you're all trained on counter-intelligence, but don't dismiss them for making a clumsy attempt. These intelligence types, they're sneaky. I'd be suspicious of any new friends-- or new enemies-- who come along. Anyone who you think you've got a handle on."

Wasp (Pym) has posed:
"New friends... Well... that's honestly not really come up," Nadia admits with a sigh. "It's not like I go to school or have a proper job. Most of my money comes from people offering chess lessons in Central Park. It's pretty neat you both put down some money and if the lesson is good and you win they let you keep it. I do find it's a shame they never seem to win though... And a lot of the tutors have started to refuse to play me anymore." She drums her fingers against her knees. "Mostly I just stay at home and do research. There were some historical ideas on how you could turn Jupiter into another sun and I've been dabbling with the numbers to see just how plausable it really is. With enough Pym particles I'm ninety percent sure I could force a micro-singularity that'd have the desired effect. Trouble is it would also impact the circadian rhythms of all life on Earth. So right now it's more of a fun thought experiment than a serious plan."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
Janet touches her forehead, but a smile peeks through the pained expression. "You sound /just/ like Hank," she observes wryly. "I once saw him waste a week trying to work out a way to deploy orbital mirrors to speed up plant production."

"Look, honey, you need a /job/," Janet tells Nadia, and rests a hand on her arm. "You can't just play chess all day. You need something to do, or else you will go crazy. Have you asked your dad if he'll hire you?" she inquires of the girl. "Or-- god, I don't know. Maybe Bruce needs a research assistant, or something. If you just sit around playing chess in the park you're eventually going to go crazy, or go broke, or both."

Wasp (Pym) has posed:
"That's so stupid! You just put the plants in space," Nadia exclaims, leaning forward and slapping her free hand against her forehead with dismay. "And with Pym particles it's not even all that expensive. Just shrink the modules down in bulk and you can save so much reaction mass that space travel becomes almost as cheap as catching a plane." Her head tilts slightly to one side and she hrms. "I've been looking for a job. And I don't /just/ play chess. I also learnt a game called 'Pool'. It's a practical application of basic physics."

"Honestly? I don't think he really wants me around," she muses. "Besides it would be very awkward and I don't want people thinking I'm getting special treatment because of my name. But on the other hand I don't even know my actual birthday, let alone have any formally recognised qualifications, which does make it rather hard to apply for legitimate work."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"You're gonna have to compromise a bit honey," Janet informs Nadia. "You're not gonna start up a business overnight and become financially self-sufficient. Hank's... well, he can be an as-- a jerk, but he's someone you know. If you're not comfortable working with him, then talk to Bruce Banner," she suggests. "I'd say talk to Tony, or maybe Bruce Wayne, but I don't love the idea of you working for Applied Sciences. They'll end up asking you to make miniaturized dinosaurs as a bioweapon or something. Br-- Banner can't pay as well, but it'll still be a work history, and you probably won't be contributing to any superweapon development. He's already built his one," she observes dryly.

Wasp (Pym) has posed:
"Given my history with the Red Room I don't think any company doing work that'd require a military background check could hire me," Nadia points out with a shrug. "I'm not trying to be picky it's just.. There's a reason I live by myself. And I don't blame him for not being comfortable around me, but it's not exactly enjoyable for me either. So for now at least I'm going to keep my distance. DNA doesn't automatically create a family connection after all. Perhaps some day when I'm older and respected in my field. Well, maybe then we might be able to talk."

She frowns at the idea of a miniaturized dinosuar. "Isn't that the plot from an old movie? The dinosaur thing. Seems like a lot of work when you could just infect rats with a targeted plague!" Her foot taps a few times and then with a giggle she sticks her tongue out "Not everyone can just ring up a billionaire or an Avenger and ask for a job you know! But.. I guess I could just try turn up at Doctor Banners lab once I figure out where it is.. Perhaps you could put in a good word for me?"

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
Janet's eyes widen and she waves off everything Nadia said. "And the-- no, no to all of that. No dinosaurs, no turning up at Bruce's lap. I'll call him and set up a meeting here," she informs Nadia. "If he'll go for it. Look, Bruce is a sweet guy, but don't, uh... he doesn't like surprises. Surprise parties, surprise guests, surprise anything. I'll let him know you're looking for work and we'll see what he is game for."

Her smile returns, lopsided. "And don't sell yourself short, honey. Not everyone can shrink to insect-scale, either. You may not know your dad well, but you're still a Pym. And you're on your way to being a hero. Maybe an Avenger someday yourself. But meanwhile--" She taps the tip of Nadia's nose. "You need an apartment, and a job, and a supervisor. Maybe Bruce can help with all three. At the very least, I'm hoping you two won't encourage each other /too/ much," she says ruefully.

Wasp (Pym) has posed:
"I can shrink subatomic-scale if I want," Nadia points out, her tone shifting into mock lecture mode she adds "It's actually a little too easy considering how dangerous it is. And don't worry I already know I shouldn't do it. It's extremely dangerous and I could get lost in another dimension." She lets out a long sigh that's bordering on a groan. "And I have an apartment it's just one of the ones the Government assigns to defectors. People who translate for the military, stuff like that. It's not exactly /fancy/ but it's better than a Siberian bunker. Even if all the clothing they provided was picked out by middle aged FBI agents."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"Yes, I know, you're very impressive," Janet assures Nadia in response to her bragging. "Honey, no one's gonna twist your arm here. It sounds like you need something to do with your time, and frankly you need a little adult supervision," she suggests. "Bruce might be just the guy. If he can't, I'm sure I can find someone who'd be willing to help you figure things out. In a couple years, once you've got your feet under you and that SHIELD monkey off your back, who knows? You might be ready to start a business up yourself. Become your own boss. When that happens, I'll be there to help," she says, and rises with a smile.

Wasp (Pym) has posed:
"Oh I wasn't trying to... how do people say it... fish for compliments?" Nadia blurts out quickly. "And I'm grateful for the help! I'm not... going to do something foolish like try get myself a job to prove a point and wind up working with an evil group making evil robots or bioweapons." She shakes her head in an emphatic no. "If you're willing to help me out that would be /wonderful/." She hops to her own feet, then turns and awkwardly pats at the sofa cushions until it looks roughly the same as it originally did. "And you don't have to worry about my giving Doctor Banner any superweapon ideas. I've got no intentions of making anything that might blow up or otherwise ruin a planet. At least not one that people are living on anyway."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"When you're ready," Janet assures Nadia, and links elbows with her. "The world needs more women running businesses, and more women in STEM, so that's a solid win-win for feminism in my book. Just-- y'know. Don't blow anything up in the meanwhile," she says. "And yes, I know I said that already, but you don't get married to a Pym and not learn a thing or two about the need for repetition," Janet admonishes Nadia.

"C'mon, I'll walk you back to the car," she offers. They make a few more paces and she cranes her neck to look Nadia up and down. "Meanwhile, if nothing else, go to the showroom on 5th," she instructs the woman. "I can't make you stop doing mad science, but I'll be damned if I'm gonna let you run around looking like you shop at The Gap."

Wasp (Pym) has posed:
Nadia Pym nods. "I'm not sure business is the right world for me," she muses. "I've been thinking I'd be more suited to helping people in a practical sense. And as you pointed out last time we spoke a business has to make money. But that's something I'll have to think about in more detail." She starts to follow Janet back out of the mansion. "Showroom on 5th. Got it. Not that I actually paid for the clothing, the Government gave me a bunch they got from charity shops... I don't even think I know what a 'The Gap' is. Presumably from context a clothing shop..."