2013-01-23 Mark IV Ood, Pepper with a Gen XIII

Wednesday evening. Not exactly the busiest day of the week, and maybe that was intentional. The newest in the current line of StarkPhones is due to be released at midnight, and to make an event of it, a launch party has been arranged in Times Square. One of the giant building-sized advertisement screens has even been appropriated for the event, and is showing images of the new StarkPhone being launched.

There's an ulterior motive here. Pepper knew better than to throw some huge, ostentatious party for Tony, so instead as a compromise, she's arranged for him to be at this product launch. Well, if by arranged one means all but physically dragged him by one ear.

There things you want to do, and then there are obligations. This? Strides the line between both. Tony didn't want to have some snooty upscale, high end red carpet party for the launch of his new phone line, but on the other hand, he did like being among the masses who adored him. This satisfies both needs. So on a bitterly cold Wednesday night, 10 PM, when people have usually left Times Square nearly barren the scene looks like a scaled down version of New Years Eve. There are lines of people braving the elements to get the phone, at every Cellular company in the Square. Tony didn't make a deal with just one or two of the providers; he made a deal with all of them. What they didn't know is that in exactly two years time, his own provider will open up shop and will be able to easily transition every StarkPhone on every network onto the StarkCom network. He predicts owning the Cell market in less than five years. But now? The more closer to his chest plan is coming to fruition. Knowing that it would be extremely cold, and there would be lots of loyal Stark customers and admirers out, Tony has arranged for a small army of vendors to be here offering free large cups of coffee and hot chocolate. Likewise, every independent food truck in the Tri-State area is here, offering free hot food to anyone who wants it. Say what you will, but Tony takes care of people.

A new life, that is what she'd been told to work on, so she can find the Hope that drives her, the things worth living for. Caitlin figures since her last phone was fried... no, literally, cooked by lighning while it was still in her pocket, with said lightning being the kind summoned by Thor, so you know the phone is not just dead, it has been given a funeral pyre and had its essence collected by Valkyries and taken to the Halls of Valhalla where it will fight every day with other heroicly used phones and then play words with friends or Avengers Initiative apps until Ragnarok comes. Getting a new phone would be awesome, but getting the latest StarkPhone would just be epic, plus who can pass up a chance to speak to actually have a chance to mingle with Tony Stark, especially when for once you can mingle with him and not look like a fashion reject...

Caitlin has a large duffle bag slung over one shoulder, but easily sees over most of the crowd as she gently pushes past a few of the lines to get to the barrista with hot chocolate, before placing herself in line for the Waffle Wagon, smiling since she has a single digit number for her provider, and actually had the sense to get the Act of Superheroics Insurance option on her last phone with the upgraded insurance... yup... she not only is guaranteed a StarkPhone form her provider, doesn't have to wait in line for anything but free food and drinks anymore, but also only has to pay for the cost of renewing the insurance policy, a meager $25 drop, to get the top of the line model... that is like Epic Cubed.

As the line for the Waffle Wagon moves forward, Caitlin sips her hot chocolate and tries to see if she can spot where the man of the night is... after all, if she doesn't have to brave the lines for the phone anymore... why not try to meet and talk to Tony Stark... if he is half as cool as Thor, and no more then half as scary as Nick Fury, he should be pretty approachable... right?

Pepper Potts was actually a bit surprised by the appearance of the drink vendors and food trucks, but she really shouldn't have been. It's the kind of thoughtlessly generous gesture so typically Tony that people likely won't even attribute it to him. She turns to talk to yet another interviewer, this one a young geeky type, probably from some electronics magazine or other. When the interviewer finally moves away agian, she turns back to check on Tony. Has he managed to wander away again, or is he still safely within eyeshot?

Tony Stark is within eyeshot, but is actually window shopping. He turns and makes his way back towards Pepper, "Two hours til launch and this place is already a madhosue." he comments, casually. Every once in a while, someone recognizes him and prompts him for an autograph. He motions for them to hand what they want signed to Pepper, and he takes out a sharpie and does so. He doesn't like to be handed things, it's just a thing. He asks Pepper in a muted tone, "So what are the projections looking like for the first seventy two hours?"

The line for the Waffle Wagon is somewhat insane, but if you ever had their chicken and waffle fryders, or their cheeseburger fryders, not to mention their nutella and banana sweet waffle sandwiches, you'd know why they're in such high demand. It is nearly a half hour before Caitlin gets to the front of the line, and by then she is starving. She ponders being good, and just ordering one thing, but seeing as she needs a job if she expects to be able to indulge in such yummies any other time soon, and the bill is being footed by someone who won't really notice her going a bit wild with $30 of deliciousness, she goes all out. Two orders of cheeseburger fryders, two orders of the chicken and waffle fryders, and a single nutella and banana sweet waffle sandwich.

Carrying her meal with her, she finally gets good look at Tony, and decides that life is too short, so she heads over to meet him while the queue of people has thinned for a moment. As she nears, she thinks back to what she said the last time she encountered him, and remembers how he sort of ignored her as if she wasn't there... no easy task for most people. The nervousness and fangirl in her makes her somewhat at a loss for words, and she realizes as she gets close... she has nothing she can actually get signed to hand to Pepper, unless she intends to crush poor Ms. Potts with the heavy duffle over her shoulder. She begins to wish she'd bought the Iron Man shirt she'd seen in the store, but it was five sizes too small, while the shirt she is wearing wasn't even store bought. Gulping, Caitlin finally sighs, and asks anyway, "Mr. Stark... I know it is a bit unconventional, but could you sign my shirt? I know it isn't one of yours, but it is technically your initial..."

Pepper Potts is perfectly okay with taking things for Tony to sign then returning them to their owners with a smile. "I thought you'd want to see the madhouse," she replies before adding more quietly, "If we don't see sales of at least five million by Friday, it won't bode well. But projections predicted we'd reach that easily, and without any inventory shortages." When she has a moment between autograph-seekers, she pulls her own phone to check for messages, not even fully aware that her phone is already the model being launched, if not an additional generation ahead.

When a REALLY tall woman steps over to request her shirt be signed, Pepper can't help but blink in momentary surprise, though she still somehow manages to have the presence of mind to reach into her everpresent shoulder bag and produce a red sharpie for Tony.

Tony Stark hmms and scrunches his eyebrows momentarily as he speaks, "Five million by Friday? I want to have five million sold by the time I have breakfast tomorrow." he says, matter of factly. It's just then that he's asked to autograph someone else's iconic shirt. He smiles good naturedly and takes the red sharpie from Pepper, one of the two or three people on the planet he'll accept things from, and signs the shirt. "This is very true," he says, "..and I don't think Superman will mind very either, either." he finishes and hands the sharpie back to Pepper, before looking up into the girls face and instantly smiles, "Versace." he says, "Didn't think I'd see you out here." he offers.

A blush crosses Caitlin's face... Tony Stark remembered her... okay, it was for being magically transformed from wearing jeans and a jersey into wearing a skimpy red Versace dress that she could never have afforded, but he still remembered her. She nods, "I... I had my old phone slagged by a lightning bolt three days ago and needed a new one." stating the facts like it is common to have a phone be half melted in the back pocket of your jeans, especially while you were wearing them. Then she notices Pepper, and recognition of someone else famous comes across her face. She pauses only a moment to say, "Thank you very much for the autograph Mister Stark." before reaching into her jacket and pulling out a magazine that was rolled up in there. As she opens it, a somewhat dog-eared section practically forces the magazine to it, the article on the Top 20 most influencial women today, and there at #5 is Virginia Potts, 'The Beauty and Brains behind the Billionaire', beating out Karen Starr 'Eye-Catching Ecologically Educated Executive' by once spot. Caitlin gulps and then asks, "Miss Potts, if it wouldn't be too much of an inconvenience, could I get your autograph too?" holding the magazine out, already opened to the three page portion on Pepper, "I am really impressed with all that you do ma'am, and hope I can be fraction as accomplished, when I'm..." her cheeks flushing as she stops herself from saying the horrible line about age, even though she literally means it, since she knows she and Pepper are around half a decade apart in age.

Pepper Potts glances from Tony to the tall lady and back at the mention of Versace, wondering what the designer's name signifies to them. But then Caitlin mentions her phone getting ruined by lightning and she quickly thinks back. No thunderstorms on that day, so that means... oh. Probably Thor. Considering she's seen what he can do to a pond of poor, innocent fish, she can imagine what would happen to electronics around the Asgardian.

Of course, that's about when the magazine is brandished and SHE is asked for an autograph. Her eyes widen a bit and Pepper looks probably about as surprised as Tony has ever seen. So much so that she completely missed the almost-comment about her age. "...Really?"

Tony Stark hmms, "Let me guess about the Thunder that fried your phone - About this high?" he holds his hand a few inches above his head, "Blonde hair like a Breck girl, and can't stop talking like Keanu Reeves doing Othello?" as a smile takes over his face. A real, genuine, Tony Stark smile - if it could power something, it might keep Times Square lit for a few days. "Please, just call me Tony.." and then focus gets shifted to Pepper. Her reaction is pricess, enough that Tony genuinely laughs for he first time in months. "Yes, it is true that I would be utterly lost without Pepper here." and in this case, he reaches into his own jacket and pulls out a black sharpie of his own, offering it to his erstwhile assistant, "I think she'd love to," he says, looking over, "wouldn't you, Pepper? Can't disappoint your fan."

Thankful the age comment is missed, Caitlin nods enthusiasticly, "Wonder Woman may be ranked number one, but she is also the representative of Themyscira, a Superhuman, nearly a deity, and has had decades to earn her spot. You are one of the two in the top 5 who doesn't qualify for Senior Citizen discounts at Luby's, you're one of four in the top ten who will still not qualify in two decades, and you're one of two in the top 20 who is neither in politics nor owner of your own company. That is just awesome." she waits anticipatorially, barely even realizing Tony told her she could use is first name to address him... Yup, to her, Pepper is the hero here... and if you think about it, isn't handling Tony Stark's life far trickier then outwitting Blizzard, Whirlwind, Killer Shrike, Mauler, Firebrand, or The Brothers Grimm?

Pepper Potts blinks rapidly for a second after the taller woman explains why she's asking for an autograph, then snaps out her surprise and takes the offered black sharpie and signs her name on Caitlin's shirt at her collarbone. "There you go." The sharpie disappears into her bag, and then she a bit belatedly registers Tony's description of Thor and can't stop herself from laughing a bit. "I'm sorry, we didn't get your name." Is it possible that she and Tony might actually be thinking along the same lines now? There's really no way to know, but for Pepper's part, she's contemplating snaking one of the new phones and giving it to Fangirl here, if for no other reason than she had her previous phone melted by Thor like a poor, unsuspecting fish in a pond.

Tony Stark can't help but be charmed and amused at the same time, and it's a position Tony doesn't wind up in often. He's practically beaming as Pepper signs the shirt as well, then pauses, "Pepper, why don't you get that sharpie back out and sign the article. I think it'd make a great collector's item." he says helpfully. He looks to Caitlin and says apologetically, "You'll have to forive her, this is the first time this has happened. Well, as far as I know anyway." he nods to Pepper, "We sure didn't get your name, and I'll feel awful about that given we spoke a little at the Embassy benefit just a few days ago." he stops just short of apologizing for his behavior there, being all brooding and aloof, but he doesn't, instead he asks "Which model StarkPhone were you planning on getting?" he asks.

Okay, so the magazine would have been cooler to get autographed with Pepper's name, but now this shirt just became a sort of 'Signature' shirt... yes, the S has a new meaning again. Caitlin makes a note to herself to find the person who was selling this unique version of the shirt, so she'll have one to wear again, cause this one has to be preserved as is now. She blushes as her name is requested, tucking the magazine under her left arm for a moment and offering her right hand to Pepper, "Oh, I'm so sorry. Caitlin Fairchild, though Thor seems to prefer calling me Fair Child, which I'm still trying to figure out if it is just him commenting on my looks and youth compared to his age, or if he can't remember my first name and just likes using my last name that way so he doesn't have to admit he can't remember." she blushes at the inquiry about the model she is getting. With it being on the insurance, even though she is getting a new Mark IV, she can't get all the bells and whistles of a Jarvis Assted 1TB model ... or even a 750mb. She turns her eyes down in a bit of shame, cause she feels embarrassed to admit she's just getting the basic, "One with 500mb storage. I was smart, when I got my previous phone, to get the acts of superhumans insurance option, so I only have to pay for the insurance policy renewal to get a new Phone and the SPBasic is the only StarkPhone that I qualify for. I wouldn't even be getting a Mark IV, except they were out of the Mark III and since they wouldn't get anymore in before the Mark IV release, the store manager conceded that it would cost more to get a single new Mark III shipped from a warehouse in Coastal City then the difference in cost to give me a Mark IV instead."

Pepper Potts shakes Caitlin's hand. "Good to meet you, Caitlin. And from what I've encountered, that's just the way Thor is about names." She ohs and nods as Tony points out that she should sign the magazine article as well, and she digs in her bag, this time brandishing a ballpoint pen (a nice one) instead of one of the sharpie markers. When the taller woman explains about her phone replacement, Pepper looks up at Tony, already one the same mental track as him and suspecting that Caitlin will be leaving here tonight with the top line model. "You know, it sounds like maybe I should talk to R&D tomorrow about making the phones resistant to electrical shock."

Tony Stark smiles and nods to Caitlin, "Pleasure to meet you, Caitlin..and yeah, that sounds about like Thor's rustic speech patterns. It took me forever to stop calling me Man of Iron or Tony, son of Howard." he chuckles at the memories of that, looking over at Pepper when she suggests her call to R&D. "I know exactly what they'll say. They're going to tell you that they *are* shock resistance, but that there's a huge leap from being resistant to shock and being resistant to God of Thunder." he rubs his chin, thoughtfully. He reaches again into the pocket of his coat and pulls out something. When Pepper's done signing the magazine article he takes the pen from her and jots something down. "Take this," he says, holding the card out, "and give it to your provider's store manager." - The card is Tony's personal business card. On the front is the universal dry information. On the back are instructions to give this young lady the 1TB model, plus all the accessories to go with it, plus a top of the line case. There's a phone number there as well. "If they give you any static, have them call that number and I'll set them straight."

If she wasn't terrified of putting Tony in the emergency room with twenty four broken ribs, Caitlin would hug him right there and then, but instead she just looks like she is about to cry, her broad smile is beaming as she tries to find her breath, mouthing, "Thank you, thank you so much." over and over a few times. She places the card inside a pocket she can zip closed, so it is harder to steal and won't just fall out. She flushes brightly, but then she feels the need to protect Thor a bit, or at least take some of the blame off him.

She clears her throat a bit, so her voice actually comes out again, and not as a tiny squeak, getting out one ast, "Thank you, thank you both so much, I really appreciate this, and thank you for the autographs. It also really wasn't Thor's fault. He just summoned the lightning to hit the crazy guys in ancient grecian looking armor and vikinig helmets who were hunting businessmen they claimed were evil. It was partly my fault for having one of their nets in my hand, filled with some of them I'd netted with their own net, like a lighting rod. Thor couldn't help that the lightning was drawn to the net as well. He's powerful, but electricity is still governed by the laws of physics, and seeking a ground, the net and by proxy, I, was an ideal path." looking sheepish, "Serves me right for holding on to one instead of tossing both nets when I had the chance."

Ahh, there is the shell-shocked 'ohmygod' look. Pepper does have mentally commend Caitlin for NOT hug-tackling Tony, because it looked like she really wanted to for a moment there. Then she blinks at the taller woman's explanation of what happened. And, having seen what Thor's lightning can do to fish, it's a bit of a surprise to hear that Miss Fairchild took a hit and is talking about it like she accidentally static zapped herself.

Tony Stark smiles beatifically when Caitlin starts thanking him, "Don't worry about it, it's the least I can do." and listens to her story about that, and cocks an eyebrow, "Hmm. You took an indirect shot of lightning from close range and you still have those lovely arched eyebrows of yours? What the hell are they feeding you in that embassy?" he asks, plaufully and to set her a bit more at ease.

Blushing more, Caitlin giggles, "Well, it did take a day for my hair to stop sparking and standing up like I was trying to become a video game porcupine or some japanese cartoon third stage super alien martial artist, and I wasn't exactly all with it for most of that day. People actually yelled at me to get a job, and called me a bum while I staggered from a couple miles North of here to Soho. Actually moved out of the Embassy today, going to find work and a live somewhere else." she sighs, "I really wasn't suited to be an Amazon, anyway." either not realizing the irony, or perhaps thinking that it is less ironic them many others would seem to think it is.

Wait. Embassy. Mention of Wonder Woman. Damnit, Pepper, where is your brain this evening? Of COURSE she can just shake off a lightning strike, she's a Themysciran. But then her brain catches up with the entirety of Tony's comment and she turns a brief glare of disapproval at him. "Tony." Yes, she has somehow learned how to make those two little syllables contain an entire lecture's worth of chastisement. She can't help but wonder why Caitlin thinks she's not suited to be an Amazon, but has manners enough to not speak her thoughts aloud.

Tony Stark looks over like there isn't even anything wrong, "What? Don't look at me in that tone of voice." he says, before speaking once more to Caitlin, "Well, I don't know about you thinking you're not suited to be an Amazon, looks like a tailor made suit from here. Then he smiles broadly. That smile he gets when he's just thought of a great idea. "Looking for a job, hmm?" he rubs his chin again, "Tell ya what. Hold onto that card I gave you, and give me a call tomorrow. I might be able to find you somewhere to fit in. Get a copy of your resume together." he says, looking back to Pepper. Though his eyes narrow as he looks past his beleagured assistant to the approaching news crew. He sighs a little adjusts his tie. He already knows what's coming, "Looks like our leisure time is up, Miss Potts. Time to face the media." he looks to Caitlin once last time, "Wish we could stay and talk, but it looks like that's not in the cards." he says apolgetically, as he runs a hand through his hair. Another glance to Pepper, "How's my hair? Is it good? It feels oood."

"Definitely not Ood, but it'll suffice." Did Pepper just make a Doctor Who reference? She quickly stows her pen back in her bag and smiles to Caitlin. "It was wonderful meeting you, and do call tomorrow like Tony said. For now, though, quick, run away before the newspeople try to corner you too." Then she quickly corrects the tie that Tony just skewed, makes sure his suit jacket is as pristine as possible and ... yeah, there's not much that can be done about the hair now. So she turns back to run initial interference with the arriving news crew.