| SHIELD 'Event' Horizon | |||||
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| What: The Stark Tower Holiday Ball's preparations are well on their way to getting hammered out despite the mysterious absence of Stark Industries' CEO. But even if Tony is missing, Pepper and Peggy aim to see that no one else manages to wriggle out of attending. | |||||
Well, there's a lot going on. Preparation for the big Stark Tower Winter Ball/Christmas party. Which means a ton of security. Normally Clint would be overseeing things, but that would mean having to do actual work, and he's got an intern for that now. So, guess who's down stairs, almost about to tear her hair out?! Tynan! She's trying to keep everything organized, as well as letting the decorators do their stuff. She bites her lip as 10 texts come up on her datapad.
The woman tries to respond as she dances around several other people setting up a table. "....I think I was safer in Germany during those GSG9 drills...", she states. The woman mutters as she crashes into an ice Iron man and Cap statue, causing the guys to drop it, and it shatters. There's this huge yelling match, over which carrier can yell at Tynan more at the moment....
Peggy wasn't actually coming for planning and prep, but to track down Pepper for a few questions she had about Tony. In fact, she'd put the fact that a *ball* was happening completely out of her mind since she planned on working through it. However, the moment she hears the yelling match, especially as it's one of the men yelling down at *Tynan*, the brunette's path dramatically alters. She's now marching over to the trio, her high heels clipping hard against marble floor. She stares at the man and, without even letting him finish, she cuts in fiercely, "Unless this woman is your direct report, you have NO right to be speaking to her that way, and if she is, well that just makes you a shite boss. Considering I know to whom she reports, and it is not you, I suggest you apologize right this moment. A bloody accident is no reason for such raised voices and god knows there's enough money around here to buy a replacement for that thing a hundred times over. So shut it, apologize, and walk away now." There is the fierce protectiveness of a lioness in her eyes.
If Steve has a personality flaw...okay, admit it, he has several, but one of them is "overly helpful." Somebody has managed to talk him into using his slightly greater height to pin up a decoration. Until he hears the yelling match. He makes sure it's secure and starts to turn around. Oh, wait. Peggy's on it - and she's far more scary than he is.
"GENTLEMEN." Pepper's voice cuts through the yelling match. She doesn't have to say any more though, as Peggy takes over for her. She steps up next to Tynan, her own tablet and bluetooth earpiece going full bore. She waits until the men are moving away and others are arriving to clean up all the ice, then sighs and turns to Tynan. "I thought I said I wanted this to be a SIMPLE party. Who ordered that monstrosity?" She's not angry at Tynan, she's angry at whichever decorator thought they needed a frigging ICE SCULPTURE.
Tynan shrugs her shoulders, and starts going down the list. "Most of theses are decorators from last year's party. At least I was able to keep them from adding pryo to the band. Who ordered Pryos for a chrismas band?", she asks. The woman takes a deep breath, and nods to Peggy in thanks, as well to Pepper. She winces a bit as she taps her bluetooth, and shakes her head. "....Ummm, is there a reason why there's a Fireworks display being ordered, or is that something I can tell them no on?", she asks.
Steve Rogers shakes his head as he comes over. "Between you and me, I'm glad they dropped that thing." A pause. "Tony ordered it, didn't he." Because it really has Tony's stamp on it...
The man looks like he's ready to just *crawl* away, but Peggy and Pepper's stares are soul freezing. 'S-sorry, Miss...' He stammers out, then turns around to quickly help the crew with the cleaning. Peggy gives a brief nod of approval, then looks back to Tynan with a slightly narrowed gaze of concern. Fortunately, the young lady looked rather unflappable. "Upstart wankers." Peggy mutters beneath her breath, replacing a smile to her red velvet colored lips. "...fireworks? Ice sculptures? This... I don't even have words." Ridiculous comes to mind, but she's trying to be polite. As Steve brings up Tony, she frowns. "...Where *is* this Tony? I've yet to meet him..."
Pepper Potts stops and looks at Steve, and a flicker of something -- possibly pain? -- shows on her face before her expression goes back to flat and businesslike. "No. He didn't. And neither did I." She then turns and takes a step away from the others and addresses the entire lobby without bothering with amplification for her voice.
"May I have all of your attention, please. There seems to be some severe miscommunication going on right now, and I need to correct it at once. Everyone who is here setting up displays, arranging decorations, taking orders from someone else. You have a two-hour paid break starting right now. Please, enjoy yourselves and come back ready to kick some more tail. All professional designers and planners, please meet me here immediately. Deliveries, please speak with Dmitri or Becca at the front desk. Thank you all."
Tynan's Bluetooth goes silent. She takes a deep breath before she falls over. She's never seen...such chaos over a party. "...How does she do it...", Tynan asks as she wipes her forehead. The woman looks at Pepper a long moment. "As if that's not bad enough, I got some reports for you, Miss Potts. Some repeated accounting errors." she tells. Tynan has been working hard at her job at Security, and some details that have been sneaking though seem to have stopped recently.
"Dad...How do you put up with this, every year? I can't even breathe without being in somebody's way..."
As Pepper smoothly steps in to take control of the situation, Peggy is content to step back and watch. This was, after all, the woman's domain. But her eyes narrow a bit as she catches sight of that pain in Pepper's eyes at the insistence that Tony did not order the sculpture. It's enough that her curiosity deepens, frown drawing across her red lips now. She glances between Pepper, Steve and Tynan then, considering sheer amount of stress that is on all of their features. "...Have *any* of you eaten? I am willing to put money on the fact you haven't. Pepper, you should take your own bloody advice and everyone sit for a bit. We can order up food."
Steve Rogers frowns. He seeks Pepper's gaze for a moment, a silent gesture that the two need to talk. No, he did not miss that. Tony's...well. Tony's in trouble and, as usual, he won't accept any help from any of them.
Pepper Potts offers Peggy an all-too-brief smile while sticking her hand out to help Tynan back to her feet. "You're right. Order whatever you'd like with JARVIS. I'll just be a few minutes." And then she's stepping over to have some clearly very serious words with the planners and designers. It takes her several minutes, there are a lot of crestfallen faces, but then all of the planners leave and Pepper is approaching them again.
Tynan nods her head a little bit. "Food? Whats food?", she asks. The woman takes a moment to pull out a Cration, a brick of nasty tasting protein. She starts to take a bite out of it, before she looks at Peggy and Cap....Yeah...she puts it back..."Ummm, Jimmy Johns?", she asks.
Peggy Carter hasn't a clue what Jimmy John's is, her brows lofting. But she nods towards Tynan, "Get plenty, so there will be left overs. Something with protein and vegetables? And an appetizer for everyone to share. Hell, at least when the SSR made me order lunch, I knew they were all *eating*. You're all *worse*." The chiding is gentle, care behind her accented tone, but still worried. She waits until Pepper comes back from the little pow-wow with the designers, a single, dark brow lofting, "Can we convince you to sit down now, Miss Potts, or must we stage a protest?"
"Jimmy John's is a sandwich shop, Peggy," Steve supplies, so she knows. "I'm perfectly fine with that," he adds to Tynan. "You know my usual at this point.
Pepper Potts looks from Peggy to Tynan to Steve. "Jimmy Johns? I've heard of them, but never had their food." Kind of below her usual price bracket. "And yes, I'm ready to sit down. I just fired all but two of those planners." She leads them to the couches that are always in the lobby, the sudden lack of people and activity making the place seem cavernous and near-silent.
Tynan nods her head, and starts ordering Jimmy Johns. "Yes, Stark tower, Tyler Morgan. Security Intern.", she tells. The woman breathes out as she crashes on the couch. The woman smiles lightly as she looks at her datapad. She blinks as stuff starts to disappear quickly. "So...ummm, whats going on?", she asks.
Peggy Carter relaxes, just a little, as Pepper does agree to come over and sit. Then Tynan's handled the food and, for just a few moments, everything is done. It seems strange, after all the chaos of the last 30 minutes, for the place to be so quiet and still. Her dark eyes flicker between the three, a bit too much energy still in her frame for her to sit down herself. Tynan's question draws her gaze and a nod of agreement, "Miss Morrigan is right. There is something wrong with Anthony Stark, isn't there? Is he missing?" Whether Ty's question was actually about Tony or not, that is where Peggy's line of thoughts is going right now.
Steve Rogers moves to sit down. Then Peggy asks the question he'd been planning on waiting until he could get poor Pepper alone. He's a bit tense. "He's not missing. Is he." His tone's flat. He just put everything together into a number four he's not at all keen on. Missing would be much, much easier to fix.
Pepper Potts sits as well, looking oddly deflated for a second. Then she's looking at Peggy and Steve. "No. He's not missing. He knows exactly where he is." And she leaves it at that, glancing over at Tynan while she orders the food, knowing that JARVIS will likely cut in to make sure something Pepper likes is included in the order.
Tynan lets JARVIS finish the order including the workers. She takes a deep breath after a few seconds. "Well...", she says. The woman shakes her head a moment. Tynan sits there now, listening to the group. Something that she's been working on a moment. Going quiet, and watching everything...
The frown on Peggy's lips only deepens, somewhat realizing she's probably stepped in it as she sees that look on Pepper's features. Her own worry is clear, but she doesn't quite know Pepper well enough to push it. She just just exhales a slow breath, arms crossing over her chest as she paces a few square feet of the lobby. Finally, she murmurs softly, "If...if there is anyway we can help, Pepper, just say? Please? If Tony is anywhere near as stubborn as his father, I know he'd not ask for it. It doesn't mean he doesn't need it...Or, that you don't need it either..."
Very softly, "I doubt he's even told her what's really wrong. Blast the man." Then Steve stands and stalks over to the window, staring out at the street. He knows he can't help Tony, not this time, but that doesn't mean...it doesn't mean he doesn't want to. If his theory on what's going on is right, that is.
Quite the contrary. Pepper knows exactly what's wrong. And if anything, that's WORSE. And on top of that, he went haring off to someplace she'll only find out if she threatens every last processor in JARVIS's array to get him to tell her. "All he would tell me is to hold down the fort here like I've always done. It's all I //can// do." She's speaking softly, likely enough so that only Tynan or Peggy will hear her... well, if super soldier hearing isn't taken into account.
Tynan bites her lower lip, and hits a small bird marker that's on the collar of her jacket..."So...JARVIS knows where Tony is, right? And JARVIS is an AI right? A computer AI?", she asks. "He might not want help, but we're going to give it to him.", she tells. "He being stupid, not trusting his family to help him.", she says. The woman looks down. "Though I'm an outsider in this. Its just Avengers business.", she says. Cap likely knows what that bird emblem is...
Over his shoulder. "JARVIS is sentient. We are *not* hacking JARVIS." Yup, super soldier hearing alright. "I...think I know what's wrong, and I don't know if there's anything *we* can do. I know somebody who might be able to, though, if I can track him down."
At those whispered words from Pepper, something in Peggy's chest just breaks. She steps closer to the woman, reaching a single hand out to rest against the base of her spine (if Pepper even permits touch, that is). It's a silent, supportive bit of warmth from a woman who knows how it is to not break down in front of people when you want to the most. Tynan's words draw her eyes, and she gives a quiet nod in agreement, "If JARVIS knows... well, and if it's sentient, he can decide if it is worth telling us or not. Right? We might not need to hack him. If this Jarvis is anything like the Edwin I knew, he'll do what is *best* for Tony. Sometimes, that isn't what Tony wants. But...Steve, do you know what is wrong? What is the actual issue?"
"Thank you, Captain," JARVIS says despite having started to maintain the habit of keeping quiet in Peggy's presence.
Pepper doesn't protest the physical contact from Peggy, but she still manages to not waver on what Tony's asked her to do. So instead, she looks at her tablet and taps into it to pull up an image of the lobby, where she starts trying to figure out some decorative theme that can be put together easily and without excessive pomp and circumstance.
Tynan makes a small face. Then she pauses. "Who the hell is that?", she asks. The woman starts looking around, glaring about. She's...actually never heard JARVIS. "Whomever is in the building right now, Show yourself!", she says. The woman is pacing back and forth a bit...Looking for whoever thank Cap....
Steve Rogers takes just two steps back, then. "I don't know. I only have speculation and guesswork, but I know this...if it was something we could punch or beat up, he'd have called us." Shellhead. What Alexandrine told him. He thought this was something Tony could handle, something he *could* beat. He's respected his friend's wishes...not to voice a guess that would be far more embarrassing than anything else if he's wrong. Now? That look in Pepper's eyes. "That was Jarvis, Tynan. And I'll be...I'll be right back. In time for sandwiches, I promise." Then he ducks out of the room.
As Pepper falls quiet, Peggy's fingertips just gently rub between her shoulders. It's clear the older woman aches to help more. Steve explains, sort of, to Tynan about JARVIS, but it's Peggy who chimes in a bit quieter, "JARVIS...it stands for Just A Rather Very Intelligent System, I've been told. He is an AI in the computer systems here, based on Stark's butler, Edwin Jarvis...Did I get that accurate, Mr. JARVIS? And...you can speak around me. I notice you are quiet when I'm here. I'm a big girl. I can handle it." She calls into the open air of the room. Then, as Steve is going, she states firmly towards his retreating back, "Steve Rogers. Not all problems can be solved with a punch or being beat up. It doesn't mean they can't be *solved*," says the analyst, code breaker, and a woman who generally relies on a punch as a last solution.
Ty juts steps to the side, and takes a moment to just listen to her radio, giving Peggy some Pepper time.
Pepper Potts actually struggles to not sigh at Tynan flipping out over JARVIS' voice.
"That is correct, Agent Carter." The AI is apparently clear to talk openly around Peggy now.
Bucky Barnes walks in with a paper bag under one arm, pausing in suprise when he sees the tense group in the front lobby. He raises an eyebrow, glancing to Steve since Pepper and Peggy seem distraught..though Steve seems on his way out.
The three women are standing near the couches in the main lobby of Stark Tower, where it looks like someone took a giant bomb filled with Christmas decorations and set it off. Without a lick of care for taste or class. And more telling, there isn't a single person around actually doing anything with said decorations.
Seeing Bucky come in the door, there is just a touch of relief to Peggy's features. There is something quite strong in her eyes, fierce, meant to command in a way, and then she's nodding towards Steve's retreating back. She'll do it a second and third time, until Bucky gets the hint that she wants him to follow Steve. Meanwhile, she doesn't leave Pepper's side. She actually folds down into the couch to sit next to the woman, despite her own restlessness. She mouths a quiet 'I'm sorry...' to Tynan, now realizing she's rather stuck her nose in it, when this was supposed to be about party planning. She keeps one hand against Pepper's shoulders. "Pepper... do you honestly think that Tony can handle this, or is he just being stubborn because he's a Stark? Be truthful with yourself... For his sake, if not your own."
Bucky Barnes doesn't need much extra urging once he hears a bit of the conversation. He's not sure if he's being sent because Steve's leaving or because Pepper isn't, but either way, he gives a short nod and heads after Steve without a word.
In the gent's room, Steve lets the door close behind him, then goes to the furthest sink and turns on the water. He splashes the cold water on his face. He was just far enough inside not to really register Bucky's entrance.
Tynan walks over to Bucky, and grabs for the food. Her food! Don't touch. The woman shakes her head a bit. It's rather awkward for her. She's still the kid in the group. She takes a deep breath as she checks a few things on her datapad.
"I don't even know if I can answer that at this point, Peggy. All I can even contemplate right now is just keeping this place going. If I can't do that anymore..." Pepper lets her words trail off, still idly fiddling with the image on her tablet.
Under her fingers, the still image of the lobby is starting to vaguely resemble one of the smaller boroughs of New York in wintertime, with the decorations along the roadway that evoke the sensation of a bygone era. The image isn't in color, but a texture laid along the walls in the image lend a feel like the roadway is lined by brownstone style buildings on both sides.
The brunette considers Pepper quietly and the lovely image on the screen below her. Peggy exhales a quiet breath, mentally setting down the torch, since Bucky's at least following up with Steve. "Alright. Then we keep this place going, for him." There is something behind Peggy's voice that would hint at her not having let this go, even if she's dropped it for now, but it's not certain if anyone currently in the room would know her enough to tell. "You both were decorating and I stuck my nose it in. Tynan. Pepper. I'm sorry... tell me how I can... Help. Might not be here for the night of, but... I can at least put a few things together before then."
When Tynan hustles up to Bucky and descends on his paper bag, she finds it empty of food. There's nothing but a notebook, some brown boxes, and a couple tennis balls inside. Bucky gives Tynan an odd look before heading in after Steve. Weird day! And there's Steve milling around in front of the sink with a freshly rinsed face. "Hey." Bucky speaks up, letting Steve know he's there. He walks over, setting the bag down on the counter. "What's going on?"
"I'm...going...to..." Steve tails off. There's nothing here he can punch. Well, except a completely innocent Winter Soldier. And he's mostly angry with himself. And JARVIS. And the situation. "You...don't know Tony." It's not a question. It's a question. it both is and isn't at the same time.
Tynan gives Becky an evil look. Bastage! Where's the food! Then the delivery guy shows up with the food. "Its no problem, Peggy. I was just going insane from all the people.", she says. The woman shakes her head few times as she takes a deep breath. "Hey, if you guys want, I can go. There's something that I got to do."
Bucky Barnes's brow furrows, and he shakes his head slightly. "..No." he answers. "I looked him up, and I've talked with some of his robots. Like the robots that aren't based on him, but what I seen of him I wasn't impressed by." he's still frowning as he looks over Steve's taunt posture. "..Why? What happened with him?"
"Yeah. He's a womanizer, a drunk, arrogant..." Steve lists Tony's flaws with honesty. "He's also a stubborn bastard. And my friend. And..." Steve finally stops splashing water, turns towards Bucky. "And I can't say. That's the problem. I have guesswork, I have speculation, and *it's not something I can fight for him.*" And this is Steve. He always wants to fight other people's demons...not for them so much as WITH them. "It's tearing Pepper apart and I can't say what might not even be true and if I did..." Wow. A long and not particularly coherent speech from Steve.
Pepper Potts shakes her head slightly. "It's all right, Peggy. This was bound to happen sooner or later." She'd just been hoping for later. "There. What do you think?" She tilts the tablet for Peggy to see more easily.
As Tynan offers to go, Peggy shakes her head, motioning the girl over, "Come on, no, sit with us. You've got to be better at this party planning thing than I am and Pepper can't do this alone, as much as she damned well might wish to do so." A wry smile pulls at her red lips as she says that. Peggy really did look a bit awkward, staring down at the pretty scene. "It...it's gorgeous. I don't know how you do it. I think the last party I was at was when one of the Howling Commandos was honorably discharged and... well, I can't say I really remember the latter half of that night. But the only decorations were the tassles on the dancers' brassiers."
"Yeah..I've seen how she gets when the guy comes up." Bucky agrees of Pepper. It hasn't improved his opinion of the enigmatic younger Stark. "But you're not making much sense, Steve. Sounds like something's gone really off the rails with this guy, but you dunno exactly what." He leans against the counter, crossing his arms. "Like you said though, I don't know him. So why don't you tell me what your guesswork's shaping up to, and if you're way off base, at least you're not spouting it to anyone who'll lose any sleep over it, huh?"
This IS the one place JARVIS won't, out of politeness, eavesdrop. "I think it's too late on lost sleep. Tony's always been a bit ragged. He spends weeks in his lab and forgets to eat for days. Brilliant guy, but not always..." He tails off. "Anyway, a few months ago he copied his own memory engrams and put them in the suit then quit the Avengers. That's when I started to think something was wrong. I haven't seen him since."
Tynan blinks a few times. She looks at Peggy. "But ummm, the Howling Commandos is...No, I shouldn't talk about that. Thats for Steve to tell.", she says. The woman shakes her head. She's heard rumors about the SHIELD Commandos. "Anyways, I'm not in the club, Peggy. You're going to be in that club.", she tells. The woman just shakes her head.
"Tynan, sit." There's no venom behind Pepper's words, but there is the expectation of being obeyed. She then offers her tablet with the image still on it to Tynan. "I know you have the brain for this. Look at what's here. Can we make this happen with the materials already on hand?" She's already looking and sounding more like herself before the ice sculpture went crashing to the floor.
Bucky Barnes says, "Yeah.. that 'hollow man' I met. It was fixing to set off explosives in the middle of a hellicarrier hallway 'cause someone got within fifty feet of Pepper or something. So you're saying this Tony isn't just a shut in, he's gone totally AWOL since he brought this thing online? I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess even if he wasn't the most reliable that's getting pretty erratic even for him?"
Peggy Carter doesn't even seem to understand 'The Club' as Tynan mentions it. "You're a part of SHIELD, Tynan. You are absolutely in any bloody club that matters." There is not a single touch of waver to Peggy's voice as she says that. She believes it to the very soles of her shoes. She then sits back, going a bit quiet so Pepper and Tynan can start going over the decorations. Such things actually make Peggy just a bit awkward, just not a skill she ever developed. She was never a home maker or hostess.
"Honestly, I thought he was going through a bout of depression or shell shock and Pepper would pull him out of it eventually, but it's gone on for a long time. Then a couple of weeks ago, I bumped into a young woman coming out of Stark Tower. Thought she was an intern. Turns out *she* saw him, and he looked like hell, and..." Steve lets out a breath. "He didn't hit on her. That was when I twigged that something's *very* wrong."
Tynan squeaks, and goes into immendent sit down mode! She takes a deep breath for a moment. She looks around for a long moment. "We'll have to pull a Tony to get it done. A couple of all nighters, and a lock down for a bit.", she tells. The woman looks at Peggy a moment. "Peggy, I've said it before. I'm a soldier. Not an Avenger. I set the field up for them. When things are serious, I pull out, they take over, and save the world.", she tells. "You'll be in that club soon.", she tells. Tynan then goes back to the datapad. "I'll have to pull a couple of teams from the research group to do a Holodi...Oh, what if we can make it snow, without snow in the building? Hologram display doing snow inside the building?"
Bucky Barnes raises his eyebrows at this definitive evidence, but Steve's expression shows no trace of humor he can catch. Apparently Tony Stark really is that reliable of a lech. "And how long ago was that? He didn't leave any word where he was going?" Bucky glances up. "Not even with his talking house?" JARVIS certainly seems eternally on top of Pepper's busy schedule.
Pepper Potts looks at Tynan for a moment, then asks the tablet, "JARVIS, can you pull a Hogwarts Great Hall in here?" She's not worried about getting the place decorated in time. There's a veritable army of decorators that will be returning shortly, and if need be, she knows at least one telekinetic and a handful of people who can fly.
"Attempting, Miss Potts." The AI goes silent for a moment, then the holographic emitters all alone the ceiling start making the space above their heads seem like there's no ceiling, and they're looking at the early afternoon sky above Manhattan. Almost lazily, a pinprick-sized commercial jet is moving across the sky, leaving its white contrail in its wake.
That frown of both worry and determination lingers on Peggy's lips. Her dark eyes study Tynan a bit closer, shaking her head gently, "When you want to be an Avenger, I am certain you will be. Your training is complete. It's you who decides to be a soldier and set up crew, not an Avenger. We make what we are in the field and in our lives, no one else. Learn your worth, Tynan. I think it's greater than you realize." The older woman counsel softly, but her voice has that firm determination behind it which speaks of someone not brooking any arguments on her statements. Then they are looking to the ceiling and Peggy's eyes just shoot wide at whatever Pepper has done. "...Crikey.. that's... impressive." And overwhelming.
"JARVIS knows where he is. JARVIS is also absolutely loyal to him." Steve lets out a breath. "Tony's sick. Very sick. He's been scrambling for a cure, and he hasn't found one, and he's running out of time. And he would never think of asking us for help with this because...because it's not something we can help him beat up." He looks up, at his own face in the mirror. "He's dying, and there's *nothing* I can do to help." That's Steve's theory, laid out there to somebody who doesn't know Tony. Who doesn't even like him.
Tynan whistles a little bit. "While impressive, I think if we can make it look like real snow, I think the effect would be great for the Christmas Ball. Especially if we make it like real snow. All different.", she tells Pepper. The woman sighs a little bit. She pops her neck a little bit. "And I think...its definitely going to be a dress and suit affair.", she tells.
The holographic image disappears again. "I will begin to record snowfall in preparation, Miss Tynan. While rendering it directly is possible, it would be far less processor intensive if I have visual data to work from." In other words, the sky they were just looking at was probably a few seconds shy of real time. Then another though occurs to Pepper. "Would you also be able to emulate the brownstone facades, JARVIS? That would spare us a LOT of work." Both on the setup AND the cleanup.
"Hey." Bucky stands straight again, stepping behind Steve to put a hand on his shoulder. "If there is anything anyone can do, they can't do it if he's hiding. And if he really is dying.. the way I see it he shouldn't do it alone. Yeah? Either way, I don't think it's out of line to wanna track him down. So right now this isn't a medical question. It's an intelligence gathering opp. Let's get to it, and take the rest as it comes."
Steve Rogers nods. "Pepper may know what's going on, but she won't tell us. JARVIS can't...he's sentient, but he's still an AI programmed by the Starks. Both of them are going to resist helping us." He splashes a bit more water. "Let's go out there before they worry...or eat all of the sandwiches."
Peggy Carter has gone dead quiet again, watching that technology change the very room around them. Peggy's still adjusting to certain things and this would be one of those things, but she's taking it in stride. "I'll help however I can, all I want ask is that someone get photos of you all gussied up. I'll be manning the phones that night."
Tynan looks at Peggy. "Nope. You're not getting out of this. Phones were already taken care of.", she tells. "I made arrangements for that, and I'm sure that Miss Potts has a lovely tailor ready to assist you in your dress.", she tells. THe woman grins evilly. "I'll be safe from all this, as I'll be manning the security suite."
Bucky Barnes nods, frowning. "You saying JARVIS actually can't?" he asks. "Or is just gonna fight it tooth and nail? Even if he won't give direct answers though, doesn't mean we might not be able to get something. Was planning to chat with him anyhow today, he and the others've been helping with my arm."
Bucky collects his bag and follows Steve out, registering one other relevant part of what Steve said. He brightens visibly. "Sandwiches?" he asks, catching up... just in time to see the room transforming to brownstone facades with the sky visible overhead. He only manages to chomp down on a surprised expletive when he spots Pepper.
"JARVIS can't violate a direct order from Tony. We may be able to trick him." And then...oh. "He can, however, do that." Steve flickers his fingers to the room before looking for the sandwiches he knows are here somewhere.
"Oh no you won't, neither of you is ducking out of this." Pepper looks around at the brownstone facades and smiles genuinely for the first time in ... possibly all day. "That is perfect, JARVIS. Save that for me. Now we just need to decorate to match this." She looks over at the sandwiches. "But first, food before I got all Tina Fey on someone."
Peggy looks a bit non-plussed as she's told she's not ducking out of it, about to protest, before Pepper lays down the law with both of them. She can't exactly attempt to avoid this without setting a bad example for Tynan, so she settles on a quiet, "We...we'll see. I can at least help with whoever needs a dress. And maybe strong arm the boys into a suit." She gives Bucky and Steve a small smile as they come out of the room. There is still a fair amount of heavy worry behind her eyes, but she's hiding it with smiles and light talk of the holidays.
Bucky Barnes nods absently to Steve.. though he's more than a little distracted by the room. "So this is what you call 'holiday decorations' around this place, huh? What's next, flying reindeer and a sleigh...?"
Tynan grins. "JARVIS, can you accommodate Sir Barnes request?", she asks. The woman takes a moment to adjust her seat a little bit. "Do you really think that Clint is going to give me the time to go to such a party, after all the incidents this year?", she asks. She keeps the grin, thinking she's got the perfect duck!
"Tynan, he'll make you walk the lobby on duty while he gets to kick back in his office if he can get away with it. Which I won't let him." Pepper looks at all of the identically wrapped sandwiches, and then sees a very brief pinprick of light hit one in particular. Because JARVIS is awesome that way. She chooses that sandwich before locking the screen on her tablet and using the device as a tray on her lap to start unwrapping her selection. "These sandwiches gigantic. Do you want split one, Peggy?"
"Don't give them ideas." Steve seems fully recovered from whatever was bothering him, moving over to look for his sandwich. Will JARVIS help HIM pick it out or let him search for a bit?
"Oh, I'm not actually hungry. Unlike most people around here, I *eat*." Peggy smirks, giving Pepper a knowing look and nodding to the sandwich. "Come on, eat up, if you can't finish it you have it for some dinner. I swear, Miss Potts, a stiff wind could blow you over." That's the closest to being a Grandma complaining about Pepper being too thin that Peggy will get, but it's pretty damn close. Peg, for her part, has always been hips and tits, way more an hour glass figure than most of the women these days. But it was attractive in her time!
Bucky Barnes shrugs, giving the impression he wouldn't be that broken up if he gave JARVIS or the ladies 'ideas' about their fancy futuristic holo-decor. He matches Steve's path to the sandwiches, eyes alight with interest. "Are these up for grabs?"
"We ordered plenty." Steve snags one of the sandwiches, sniffs at the end. "This will do." Plenty of sandwiches...probably Bucky showed up because he has Sandwich Radar or something. Or maybe Upset Steve Radar.
"Not for Bucky Barnes who teased hungry Irish girls.", Tynan says as she hipbumps him to get her sandwich. "I'm so going to hide behind some hologram that night...", she says.
Bucky Barnes smirks at Ty, realizing now what the interest in what he was carrying was. He jostles her right back, scooping up a sandwich at random, even as he slides the bag to the floor by the table. He busies himself inspecting the sandwich for any sign of what it might contain. "Hey, not my fault you can't tell people you've known for months from the delivery boy when you're hungry, Irish."
Despite Peggy's initial resistance, and the fact that she's still looking rather uncomfortable, she draws in a slow breath and looks between the group there. Everyone was tense. Everyone was sort of sickly worried about one thing or another. If the holidays were here, even with snow pretending to fall around them, it was hard to tell. She then sits up a bit straighter, her voice striking into that slightly stubborn tone again. "Look at us. We're all... miserable, snapping... Worried. As much as I think this is going to be awkward as all get out, we could all probably *use* a damn night to party and a lovely evening enjoying each other and the holiday."
"We could," Steve admits. He opens his sandwich, takes a bite out of it. "We all could. Honestly, we could most of the time." Everything in their world is high stakes, after all. Life and death, and sometimes more than that.
Tynan jostles back. "Not my fault you look like a delivery boy.", she says. The woman makes a face. "So I don't actually own a dress. So looks like I'm going to have to wear my civvies.", she says.
Pepper Potts scoffs faintly, currently eating her sandwich. She looks at Peggy and tilts her head toward Tynan as if to say, 'Can you believe this poor creature?' Then she's gesturing vaguely with one hand toward Tynan and after a moment, JARVIS speaks up. "Scheduling the appointment now, Miss Potts."
"Tynan, you just mentioned you don't own a dress in front of Pepper Potts and Peggy Carter. If you start running now..." He winks at Bucky.
Bucky Barnes, for his part seems if anything more relaxed for Tynan's mouthy banter. He nods to Steve's warning, his own expression turning mock-solemn as he adds to Tynan, "Was nice knowing 'ya."
Even if her dresses tend along the screamingly practical, I-might-need-to-kick-someone's-ass-to-the-curb fashion, Peggy is still a woman that appreciates a good dress. Her eyes go wide and she's shooting an almost idential look to Pepper as Pepper is giving it to her. And then she's smiling. If she hadn't bonded with the woman before that moment, sharing that look alone makes her grin. "Oh... Yes. We will *fix* that. Pepper is probably better for modern styles, but Tynan... Every woman needs to have at least one stunning dress."
Peggy Carter says, "No running. We will lasso you."
Tynan looks at Cap, and then looks at her calendar...JARVIS has just added...a Gun Showing to her appointments..."....Time to run!", she says. "Wait, what if I walk very fast?", she asks.
Pepper Potts then extends her gestures to Peggy and, yes, both men. JARVIS again replies. "Adding to the schedule, Miss Potts. Do you wish Francois or Bernard for Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes?" Another gesture, and the AI responds with, "Very good, Miss Potts. Scheduled." And then three phones ping simultaneously. Each person has just received a reminder, and Pepper is smiling smugly as she swallows that bite of sandwich.
As the gesture is extended to her AND the boys, Peggy parts her lips to protest, but then she just as abruptly shuts them. Smirking and amused, she just sinks back into the couch and chuckles beneath her breath. "...1 point Pepper, 0 points everyone else." She mutters beneath her breath, "Game, set and match. And no, Tynan. No escaping. We all have to bloody well do it so you are included in that."
Apparently... "Now, wait a minute." Steve might be teasing the girls, but appointments for *him*?
Bucky Barnes gives Pepper a startled look, and at the same time as Steve he says, "Hey, hold on a minute now.."
"Ah." Pepper holds up a finger to stop Steve's protest, then repeats the sound of disapproval at Bucky. "No arguing. You WILL keep those appointments, and you WILL be here for this event. Or I will track you down and make you attend both myself. Holding you each by an ear like misbehaving nine-year olds. Am I making myself clear?"
Steve Rogers looks at Bucky. Save me, that look says. He knows full well that Pepper and Peggy together could probably find him if he somehow hid on the moon.
Bucky Barnes exchanges a look with Steve and protests to Pepper, baffled, "We ain't dodging anything, just, how tough can it be to grab a suit?"
"If Tynan has to do it, I'm bloody well going to do it. And if Tynan and I must, you boys aren't getting out of it either. You agree we need a party, well, let's bloody well dress up and make a proper show of it. Pepper's right and we're worth it. Each one of us." Peggy seems to have firmly come down on Pepper's side about this. The two of them together are a rather formidable team.
"Especially a suit that's //correctly// fitted." Pepper levels her finger at Steve and then Bucky again. "No arguments, or I'll send Nat after you both." She finishes half of the sandwich, and looks over as the people hired to work on the decorations start to trickle back in. "Tynan, Go let them know to take down anything that's already up and to start working on this." She deftly wraps up the other half of her sandwich and then with a swiping motion transfers the image from her tablet over to Tynan's. She's going to call the band that was hired and see if they're okay with doing the classic caroler thing instead of a normal band set up.
Bucky Barnes shoots Pepper a harried look that says 'now you're just fighting dirty!'
"...you haven't had to deal with tailors." Or at least, if Bucky has, he doesn't remember it. Well, there was always dress uniform, but that *never* fits right. Because then it would be comfortable.
Tynan pulls out the Widow Book, checking excuses....Then she gets to Chapter Pepper. It only has One sentence. Pepper Wins, Always..."Thanks for the help, Mom...", she mutters. Tynan looks around, and starts to quietly attempt to sneak into the background. Maybe they might forget her if she doesn't say anything while everyone is focused on the boys...