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After the four had returned from the science and technology conference, life had quieted somewhat. They'd unpacked, gotten resettled into their home, but some of them are still recovering from their time away. Seo steps out of Reed's room, nearly silently, despite Reed having gotten up some time ago. She peeks around the main living space and then starts the coffee pot in the kitchen. A glance is given around the kitchen, and she jumps when she sees a pigeon on the top of the fridge.
Did she leave the window open again?
*
Down the stairs from the lab comes the sound of hefty steps, the sound of which could only be made by one member of the Four, Benjamin Grimm. Appearing at the bottom, he immediately turns toward the kitchen, having had the same thought as Sue. Coffee could be good, right about now. Something to give him a bit of energy.
"Sue." He gives her a little nod. "Good sleep?" He asks casually, before noticing where she's staring. He sighs. "Three ways to Sunday, what'd I tell you about hanging out inside, Annabelle? Inside is for people, not for pigeons." He rolls his eyes. "I'm sorry, Sue. Annabelle has some real authority issues."
*
Seo continues to stare at the pigeon when Ben talks to her. Annabelle. Meet the /other// layoff the house: Sue Storm. Her eyebrows tick up higher on her forehead. "It's… fine," she says slowly as she slides closer to the fridge. She isn't a fan of the pigeons, no question, the birds are not her favourite things.
"Manage to train them to do… anything?" she manages a tight-lipped smile. She slides back towards the coffee maker while her eyes remain on the pigeon. She either won't or can't look away from the pigeon.
*
Annabelle lets out a few cooing sounds as Sue approaches. Ben chuckles. "I think think she likes you, Sue." He winks at her, approaching the fridge as well. "Well, I've trained them enough to return to the cages on the roof…which is something." He tells her as he reaches out his hand to the pigeon, which, tentatively, hops onto it. "And to trust me, to some extent." He explains. "I considered making them messenger pigeons. Thought that could be fun!"
*
As the pigeon hops, Sue continues to stare at the bird, not entirely convinced that the bird is or could be trusted. Her body stiffens and she goes back to the coffee — eyes fixed on the bird the whole time. "And it's good that you have gone out of your way to make sure they can get back into their cages. How do you coax them?"
*
"Oh, usually with little treats. It's really not as difficult as it seems." Ben explains, walking slowly over to a window. Opening it, he puts his hand with Annabelle through it, waits for the pigeon to fly off, and then immediately closes it. "That one's a tricky pigeon, though. Always wants to be inside." He shakes his head, though there's a look of amusement in his eyes.
*
Relief washes over Sue as the bird is out the window, and she goes about putting together the fixings for the coffee. "Did you like the conference?" she asks quietly and issues him a small smile. "See any good presentations? I liked a lot of what was there." With one exception, "Victor was around too, of course." She frowns slightly.
*
Puttering back toward the kitchen, Ben nods. "The conference was fine. It was good." He smiles softly. Or as softly as a face made of rock is capable of appearing. "I saw a few interesting presentations. I saw a few that involved evolving disciplines within engineering and their corresponding interests within the technological sphere." There's a roll of the eyes at the mention of Victor. "I'd have been surprised if Victor wasn't there, to be honest. Victor and Reed have been butting heads for as long as I can remember."
*
"Oh believe me, I'm aware," Seo answers wryly. "He… " her cheeks flush lightly, "well. He's Victor." Her lips tighten into a grimace. "But it's fine. It's good to be home, even if…" Her chin lifts and her head lulls to the side, "He's moving into the embassy. Apparently."
*
"Who's moving into the embassy? Victor?" Ben frowns. "Does Reed know? Because Reed's not going to like to know that Victor's moving closer." Scratching his head, he sighs. "I feel like I should give Victor a little visit, just to figure out what he's up to."
*
"Yeah, it's Victor," Seo replies as her eyebrows draw together. "At the poster session — " a public session designed for people to mingle and get to know each other. " — he kind of cornered me," she can't help but cringe a little. "I didn't exactly," or didn't at all, "tell Reed yet. But I will. Soon. Probably."
*
"Reed would probably want to know." Ben says with a shake of his head. "Though I won't say anything. It's yours to tell, not mine!" Taking a deep breath in and letting it out slowly, he frowns. "I can't help feel that Victor's up to something. But what, I don't know. Then again, he was always sorta up to something. Even when he, Reed, and I were all at school together."
*
"I'll tell him," Seo agrees. "Unless you feel like it — " because Sue isn't in the mood to discuss Victor with anyone, let alone explain Victor's plans. "No. I will do it. I will. Just need to psyche myself up." She sighs softly. "And he's probably up to something, I think. He makes me uncomfortable."
*
Watching as Sue attempts to mentally prepare herself to talk to Reed, Ben gently places one of his big, rock hands on her shoulder. "Would you like me to be with you when you tell him?" His words sincere. He can tell that this is difficult for her. "I'm going to talk to Victor. I'm going to find him and talk to him. And the next time he approaches you and makes you uncomfortable, you have my permission to turn invisible and to blast him with those blasty powers of yours." Despite the playful wink he gives her at those words, his tone is completely serious.
*
"It was a conference to keep peace between East and West in order to achieve some measure of technological and scientific advancement," Sue offers quietly. "I was trying to create a sense of peace and maintain that despite… he's just.. " Seo's eyes roll emphatically.
Her hands tuck into her pyjama pockets, "But I can talk to Reed on my own. Honestly. I. I am capable of that. I just don't want to think about Victor moving so close by. He's… well, Victor." She shrugs.
*
"There's creating and keeping a sense of peace. And then there's Victor. Nobody, at least nobody here, is going to blame you'd have made him the exception to the rule." Despite his words, Ben probably would have attempted to maintain a sense of decorum had he spoken with Victor as well. At least as far as the conference was concerned.
"I'm here for you whatever you need. I know you know that. Just remember, you don't need to take the weight of the world on your shoulders. Let some of the rest of us shoulder that burden every now and then, okay?" Ben seems genuinely concerned. He'd had to see her completely burn out.
*
"And the worst about Victor? Well, he's different with me than all of you," Sue's eyes narrow slightly. "He's just different. I think he thinks he's charming." Her eyes flit upwards to the ceiling, "He's not. And i should know a thing or two about charming." She smirks. The coffee finally finishes brewing, and she retrieves a mug and a large bowl from the cupboard. The bowl is filled first followed by the mug, and in short order — with only two of them in possession of liquid gold, the pot is empty.
*
"Ha! Victor…charming? What does he think he is, a prince?" Ben accepts the bowl of coffee with a murmured 'thanks' as he takes a slow sip. "I bet he's jealous that someone as intelligent as yourself would choose to work with Reed instead of him. He probably thought he could use his charm to persuade you to abandon your work with Reed."
*
Seo hums. "I think… he's jealous of my…" her lips twist to the side as she ponders an appropriate word, "commitment to this team in general and to Reed in particular." Her eyebrows lift. "I suspect," despite not having been in any kind of official relationship with Mister Fantastic long-term, "it has more to do with long-term commitment than work. Maybe."
*
"Could be, I suppose." Ben nods in agreement. "Whatever the reason, if he's taken a particular interest in you, we should keep our eyes out." He clears his throat. "Normally, I'd say it's a good thing. After all, you're one of the brightest, smartest people I know." He was sure to say people and not just women. Not just because she's a woman, but because he knows it's true. Of men and women, she's one of the best around that he can think of. "Any interest from Victor von Doom should be taken not with a grain of salt, but a quarry of worry."