Summary:Tony and Pepper relax outside while Steve pots some plants. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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Tony Stark lazes on one of the lounges on the terrace, and though he's in grey athletic shorts and a white t-shirt his arc reactor glows through, he does not seem inclined to physical activity. He's wearing sunglasses, and he's basking in the sun. It's good for him. Maybe it's all those nights in the lab, but he's looking a little pale at the moment. On the table near at hand, there's a whiskey sour, but he hasn't yet taken a drink.
Around the corner of the deck, from alongside the mansion, comes a broad-shouldered blond in a black tanktop and khaki shorts, his knees to feet bare and shoeless. He's contentedly appreciating the springy greenery of the grass beneath his soles as he walks. In both arms each, an empty terra cotta pot that likely weighs at least forty pounds sans contents. He's got his own little project near to the corner of the back terrace. A collection of bags of potting soil, trowel, and two small burlap sacks containing two plants can be seen there. One plant appears to be a small tree, perhaps a maple? The other must be some species of rose given its stunted clip and thorny stems sporting deeply verdant leaves. There aren't any rosebuds just yet, so no clue to be had as to the eventual color of their blooming.
Tony must have settled in while Steve was putzing around in the shed tucked to the side of the mansion, for the blond glances over and smiles to himself. "Can't believe you made it outside of the lab. Somebody minding things for you or is the idea of someone fumbling around in there enough to make your blood pressure jump?" he asks in friendly tease even as he sets down one pot and then the other.
A few moments after Steve walks through carrying those terra cotta pots, Pepper emerges from the house wearing another sleeveless summer dress that brushes past her ankles, only briefly revealing that she's wearing sandals. Unlike Tony, though, she picks a shady spot to sit down. Probably because as pale as the inventor might be and naturally light-skinned as Steve is, she is so pale she likely glows in the dark.
Except for the freckles across the bridge of her nose that are normally hidden by makeup and the ones peeking past the shoulders of the dress. She's got her work tablet in hand, like always.
"Oh, hello, Steve. Enjoying the chance to do a little gardening?"
Tony Stark smiles and says, "I can relax because anyone who steps foot in the lab has to sign over their first born as colatteral, and no one wants me influencing the youth of today." He tips down his sunglasses to watch Pepper settle down in the shade. "Do I ever give you vacation time?" he wonders aloud. The he points to Steve and says, "That's not Steve, that's Cap, or 'Rogers' if you're being informal."
Tony's side commentary makes the Captain glance up from his kneeling by the pots. He dimples mildly as he throws in his two cents.
"Good to see you too, Pepper, and yes, I have to get up to snuff with it. Thinking about moving a greenhouse onto the roof of the apartment in Brooklyn. I can't get into having a greenhouse without knowing how to garden first. Grabbed a maple and a rose. Figure if I can keep these things alive, I'll have a fighting chance at it."
He grunts as he lifts the first bag of potting soil and upends it into the terra cotta pot. Of course spillage comes in clumps of warm-smelling dirt, but he fills it easily enough. "Thought you had a lecture to go to at MIT anyways, Tony? Better cancel it if you're not influencing today's youth," he suggest with a coy little grin as he scoops up errant dirt with his bare hands.
MIT? What? Pepper looks from Steve to Tony with her eyebrows raised, then quickly start tapping at her tablet. Did Captain America just rat out Iron Man? Oh, the tabloids would be ecstatic to learn that. Good thing they never will.
"JARVIS, does Tony have a lecture to do at MIT any time soon?"
Tony Stark says, "Hey, watch where you're spilling that, I don't want dirt on the terrace." Because what's the point of relaxing while others are working if you can't nitpick their hard work? He then tells Pepper, "I don't think so."
JARVIS intones, traitor that he is, "Mr. Stark has a speaking engagement at MIT this Friday at six in the evening."
"Except for that one," Tony says. He then tells Steve, "Besides, those are adult young people. I mean kids. No one wants me to influence their kids." He takes a drink of his whiskey sour. "Can't imagine why not."
"Can't imagine," Steve echoes drily to Tony even as he works at removing the excess dirt from around the rootball of the maple sapling. He makes it look terribly easy in his strength, but man — the mess it leaves. More dirt scatters on the terrace. "But you're right, they're pretty much adults. You can't do too much damage there."
He settles the tree in the pot and glances up again as he wipes at his eyebrow. He leaves a streak of dirt through the light sweat on his forehead. "What'd'you think, Miss Potts? Look straight and settled?" Upon confirmation, he'll begin to pack in more dirt around the tree's base.
How did she not already know about this? "All right, JARVIS, thank you. I'll make sure he's not late." Or she'll at least try. She doesn't add any comments to the friendly banter between the two men about Tony influencing young people, she knows that no matter his reputation in the tabloids, he truly wants these kids to do their best.
And then Steve asks if the maple sapling is straight. She looks over, tilts her head to one side, and considers for a serious few seconds. "It's leaning a tiny bit to the right."
Tony Stark gestures to the dirt spill and says, "Are we living like cave men now? Should I put on a sabre-tooth tiger skin and get a club? Because now we're living like cave men." He looks to Pepper in appeal for his complaint. Dirt on the terrace! Then he glances at the sapling. "Is it? I can't tell." As if that keen eye would miss something like that.
"I'll sweep, Tony," the Captain reassures him as he adjusts the angle of the potted tree a little to the left. Pepper had it right; the maple appears to be settled nicely now. Handfuls of dirt are ladled into the pot and Steve carefully presses down on it to at least have it level if not tight to the roots.
"Any news to report on the fake vibranium?" The soldier pauses in his gardening to ask this, looking between Tony and Pepper. "I can report that SHIELD recently came into possession of fabric laced with the stuff. It acted like my own stealth suit. It's with R&D if you want details," he adds specifically to Tony. His wheat-gold brows knit in deep concern. "We gotta nip this before it spreads. It's not so much somebody stealing my gimmick — it's the abuse of it."
"I actually have, Steve. Just earlier today, I received an email from Agent Rivera about it." Pepper again taps at her tablet, pulling up the relevant information. And as she glances at it, it's clear she's not actually read through it yet. "Tony, have you been watching the markets over the past few days? Rivera says there's been some odd occurrences around Hammer Technologies." She stops there for a moment, letting the tablet rest in her lap as she closes her eyes briefly. THAT man again. She is THIS close to finding a telekinetic to make him 'accidentally' trip and fall onto something lethal. Like a wood chipper.
After about three seconds she recovers her composure and looks at the email again, as if it'll spontaneously have more information for her.
Tony Stark frowns at the mention of Hammer. "Hadn't gotten arround to it," he admits. Now, Tony may not be the most responsible businessman in the universe, but he's still good at it, and he still keeps an eye on the markets. This particular negligence is new. He rubs at his chest absently and tells Steve, "My concern is that there's always a catch. This substance, as plentiful as it seems to be? What's the catch? Is it toxic? Will it explode? Call me a pessimist, but there's a downside and it's going to blow up in someone's face. Maybe literally."
Steve looks between the genius-inventor and his red-headed assistant, his own expression gone solemn and concerned given the subtle indent between his brows. "The catch is it's probably unstable. The vibranium exists because it's unlikely to suddenly catch fire or explore. Laboratories come up with some interesting things, but stable results are a rarity." His lips twist in a wry smile, aimed at himself, no doubt.
"Seems like you two are familiar enough with the company. Think you can do some digging?" he asks even as he reaches for the rootball of the rose now, pulling it closer to him. Look, Tony — more dirt falls onto the terrace!
Pepper looks over at Steve at his question, then sits up a little straighter. "Yes, yes we can. JARVIS, get me everything you can about Hammer's involvement in this fake vibranium. Hack his company servers if you need to." Yes, she knows what she's just asked is by no means legal, and she knows that the AI is more than capable of it. Even so, her eyes lift to look at Tony as soon as she gave the AI those commands, though whether it was to belatedly ask permission or seek forgiveness for presuming is anyone's guess.
Tony Stark gives Steve a look that isn't angry, it's just disappointed. The nice terrace, now besmirched with even more dirt. "Don't think the broom is going to get all this," he says. "It's going to have to be sprayed with a hose."
He glances Pepper's way, his brows lifting. "Ms. Potts," he says. "Are you leading my innocent JARVIS down a dark path?" He then adds, "Do what you need to do, JARVIS."
To Steve, Tony says, "Generally speaking, I would be up for some classic espionage wherein my lovely assisstant pries information out of Hammer with her guile, but he's a weasel, and even I wouldn't ask that."
The rose does get potted, but only after a pause from Steve. The soldier gives Tony a look at the presumed use of the hyper-intelligent JARVIS. No one appears to become angry, so apparently, this edict must be acceptable.
"Hope JARVIS doesn't get caught," the Captain murmurs mostly to himself as he works dirt around the base of the small blush. He winces as a thorn scratches him in one place, but it's an occupational hazard when dealing with the species. He accepts this.
"Whatever JARVIS gets, forward it on to me? I can wing it to SHIELD analysts. We'll see what they can come up with as well. For now, I'm keeping half an ear on the NYPD's scanners. Anything that sounds like reverbium is going to gain my attention."
Pepper is openly relieved when Tony gives JARVIS the go ahead on her instructions, and she nods to Steve. "I'll make sure you get copies of anything we find. You'll let us know if you happen across anything as well, right?" The more information they can gather, the clearer picture they can build regarding this fake vibranium stuff. It's like trying to build a jigsaw puzzle, but acquiring the pieces requires a scavenger hunt.
Frustrating.
Tony Stark glances Steve's away, but he must not catch the murmur. No doubt he would be dismayed at the mere mention that JARVIS might possibly get caught. His JARVIS? Perish the thought. He offers Pepper a small smile as he sees her relief. "It's what I would've done," he tells her. He rubs at his chest and winces a little, then drains his whiskey sour. He gets to his feet, glass in hand, and says, "I'm going back to the lab. Ms Potts, if you're free, I'd like to show off to you how smart I am. Rogers, remember the hose." With that, he heads indoors.