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The weather outside is frightful, but hopefully the fire inside is delightful. At least that's what Carol is hoping as she comes over at Tony's invitation. And she decides the Corvette should stay in the garage in this weather, opting to take the most direct route.
Which, in her case, is flying up there. It's not like anyone is going to be out in this weather to notice a flying person… and even if they did, they wouldn't be able to recognize her, that's for sure. Taking a bit of a subtle route, she eventually lands on the patio of the penthouse, not really /cold/ thanks to her powers as she does knock on the glass… though how much of a surprise that is for Tony is up for question…
*
There's a reason why there's a patio to the Penthouse…aside from entertainment purposes. A switch is flicked and the pressure plate in front of the doors is activated for Carol to step inside. There -is- a fire going in the fireplace of the sunken living room, and Tony seems to be expecting her with some charcuterie and mulled cider…non-alcoholic. He may be clueless on occasion, but he's not stupid.
"Looks pretty bad out…glad you made it ok. I wasn't sure if I'd have to suit up and go out to look for you," is offered with a smirk as he hands a mug over. "If you want to change out of those clothes, I certainly wouldn't mind."
*
Carol laughs a bit, "Oh, I bet you wouldn't…" She grins wryly and takes the offered mulled cider, "Oh, this is perfect. Thanks Tony." She shakes her hair a bit, dislodging a bit of ice and snow from the blonde strands, then she hrms, "It was pretty hard flying through that, don't suppose you have a robe while these things dry out?" As much as Tony was probably hoping for something else…
*
Tony pffts, "Do I have a robe…" he gestures to the bedroom. Maybe he figured she'd need one? Maybe he's just that much of a schemer? "Help yourself." There will, no doubt, be a couple of types in there, ranging from silk to plush terrycloth. "Need help getting out of that? Looks pretty tight…" not that he's complaining at all.
*
Carol grins, "I can manage, thank you." She chuckles and sets the cup of cider down, vanishing into the bedroom. Then, after a few minutes, she comes back out, wearing a crimson red plus bathroom cinched around her waist. It looks modest enough, sadly, as she foiled some of Tony's plans… or else she knows that keeping him in suspense is a better play, as she takes her cider cup up again. "Ah, that's much better. While I'm immune to the elements… my clothes? Not so much, much as I wish it otherwise."
*
"Immune to the elements? That's no fun." Tony pouts a little, "So no snuggling by a fireplace after a cold day of skiing or feeling that refreshment of a cool ocean after sitting out on a sunny beach? That sounds miserable!" No one said he had much of a filter. "You could always wear a rain slicker," but that might not be very comfortable.
He invites her to settle in by the fire with the tray of fine meat and cheese set out…it would go better with wine, but he's being good — for now. "I figured it would be more interesting to spend this snowy day together…and I thought that if we got cold, we could always find ways to warm up…but if you don't get cold, well…"
*
Carol laughs a little as she takes a seat, "I didn't say I didn't get cold… it just doesn't bother me as much. Like, I feel the chill of the wind, but I'm not going to get frostbite from it." She sips her cider, then sets the mug down, "And a rain slicker would have way too much drag on it anyway."
Then she snickers as she catches the rest of what Tony says, even as she takes some meat and cheese with a cracker, snarfing it quickly. Giving Tony a wry look, she says, "And I never said I minded curling up in front of a warm fire. Especially since I think your fireplace is about the size of my living room." Her lips quirk a bit, as she jokes.. .but not as much as you might think. SHIELDies are government employees, after all.
*
There's a glance to his fireplace as he considers the size of Carol's Living Room, "Really? What, do you live in a postage stamp? Don't they pay you at SHIELD? You could come work for me, you know…I could use a new Assistant…and I'd give you more than what you make there." He smirks smugly, "And you'd get to see me every day! Now, isn't that grand?"
Because who could turn down such a deal?
*
Apparently one person, as she goes, "Yeah, I think I'll stick with my current gig, otherwise I wouldn't really be in for the fringe benefits." She gives Tony a wry glance, "I live on a government salary in New York Tony, what do you expect? Besides, I'm not the 'assistant' type." Though, the look on Peggy's face might be worth it… nah.
*
Tony gives a shrug, "Your loss…" but he really didn't expect another answer. Might have been easier than dealing with interviews though. Ugh, those stink. "Well, if you fly to work, you could probably live -outside- the city where it's not so expensive. If you don't mind Beatniks, I hear the Village is nice. And if you like Russian restaurants, I hear Brooklyn's where it's at."
*
Carol smirks, "Well, if you were just looking for an assistant, I think there's more conventional ways to get one." She gives Tony a wry expression, "I never said I flew to work. I flew /here/ because I'm not driving my 'Vette in this crud, and I tend to keep my powers low key anyway." Unless she's in costume, but she hasn't mentioned /that/ yet. Though Tony's bright enough he probably could have figured out that she's Warbird if he put his mind to it.
*
"Sure, but I don't want a conventional assistant," Tony points out. But he won't press her to take the position. He wouldn't want to work there, but he's quite familiar with SHIELD, thanks to his father. "Why would you drive anywhere in New York anyhow? Especially to where SHIELD Headquarters is? I mean, it's not the safest part of town…" which is probably why they're there. "Although that restaurant…one of the best in the city."
*
She arches a brow back at Tony, "Well, I don't always drive. Depends on my mood more than anything else… and if it's actually an oddball hour where I can just enjoy some relatively empty streets." She grins, "Besides, you don't like just being friends with benefits? We have to make things all formal now?" She then snaps up another loaded cracker, giving Tony a curious look.
*
No matter how old he gets, how dressed up he gets, or how drunk he gets, there is always an almost child-like energy around Tony Stark. It can, and has been, called 'immaturity', but it's the energy of someone who sees the world differently. Maybe it's always new. Maybe there is always some interesting potential that has never been noticed. In addition to this energy, it also gives him a distracted air; languid, dark eyes are always noticing something. His face seems to be made for wry expressions, his mouth made to twist in wry smirks or wide grins. There's a charm and charisma about him that draws the attention of others.
Tony Stark tends to have only two modes of dress: Appropriate and Inappropriate. It's really anyone's guess as to what he might wear to any given event or situation. In some circles, bets are placed. He's even been known to place a few himself.
*
"Wait, what?" Formal? "Hey now, I do -not-…with my assistants…ok, maybe on occasion, but it's mutual!" Tony sputters and then gets up to get more cider. There's the temptation to spike his…and it takes him a moment to actively decide against it. He's trying to be good. For now. "I am more than happy with what we have right now…if you are." Because are they having that talk already?
*
Carol grins, "Hey, if I wasn't happy with it, I could have been washing my hair you know." She chuckles a bit, "Relax Tony, I'm not trying to rope you into anything." She gives Tony a bit of a curious look, "But yeah, I'm happy with what we've got right now." Her lips quirk a bit, as she seems to have a pretty good poker face.
*
Tony watches Carol for a moment before he lifts his mug to her's to 'clink' in a sort of toast, "Here's to 'Friends with Benefits' then. Can I top you off?" As long as they're both happy, well, that bodes well! "Of course, Aunt Peggy's going to gloat."
*
Carol grins, and takes the clink, "Certainly." She grimaces, "Oh, don't /remind/ me. I've already been dodging her as it is with requests on how it's going." Well, that might explain one reason she's reluctant to try to take any next steps… but hey, why complicate things more?
*
Tony takes the mug and goes to refill it with more of the cider. He brings it back and settles back down in front of the fire. "Just tell her…that you hate my guts. That out to stop the questions." And maybe give them a little privacy from his prying 'aunt'. "Feeling…ah…drier?"
*
Carol smirks and leans against Tony a bit once he settles in, "Very much so. But there's one problem… I can't lie to Pegs." She grins, "Don't get me wrong, I'm a great liar when I have to be. Just not with her. She sees right through me." She then glances up towards Tony, "I did some field work, so you had to get that talent pretty fast."
*
Tony shifts so that the leaning becomes sort of mutual…that and maybe he can toy with the tie to her robe. "Then tell her the truth. That we have fun with each other and you've spent the night on more than one occasion. That might also shut her up to the questioning. And, it's not a lie."
*
Carol chuckles, "That's probably what I'm going to end up saying. Just to see the look on her face." She grins, not minding the toying it seems, "There's just something nice about no pressure. Even if you do have some sort of reactor in your chest." Which, well, she's not one to judge, considering she's now half-alien technically.
*
Tony's hands still on the rope of the robe as she mentions the reactor in his chest. It's currently covered by his clothes as is his usual. "Don't…tell her about that, please." Because then it'll get to his father and he'll never hear the end of it. "If it wasn't there, I'd be dead." It's sort of as simple as that, even though it's not terribly simple at all.
*
Carol nods, "Hey, that I can keep a secret. Some things don't need to be disclosed, after all." She hrmms, though, and continues, "Is it like some sort of super-pacemaker or something? Because it seems like a little bit of overkill for that."
*
There's a sigh, "Long story short, my heart got kind of nearly destroyed and I wasn't ready to die yet. So…it's sort of…a fake heart? But it also powers the suit, mostly, so it has to kind of be overkill. Otherwise I'm just a man walking around with a fake heart." Which is a medical miracle in and of itself.
*
Carol blinks, "That's… pretty impressive, I have to say." Sure, she knows of Kree technology that can do similar things, but human tech is something else entirely. She hmms, "Though powering the suit through that, makes a lot more sense, considering how much energy it produces." Which she picked up on, naturally, with her powers it's almost instinctive.
*
"It would take a really large, heavy battery that would get drained in a moment or some sort of ridiculously long extension cord otherwise," Tony explains. He shrugs at the mention of it's impression, "Well, it was that or die and I didn't really want to die. The initial version wasn't so great…this is version two." He taps at his chest. "So…now you know. But don't worry, I'm not as delicate as I look."
*
A soft chuckle, "So I've noticed." Carol looks mildly amused at that, "But that is an interesting story. I'm surprised Peggy hasn't ferreted it out of you yet, though don't worry, I'll not say a word."
*
"Because she doesn't know about the thing in my chest," Tony offers easily. "But I think there are more interesting things to discuss. Or…not to discuss." He goes back to fiddling with the tie at her robe, "I suppose I should have gotten a bearskin rug, but I felt sorry for the bear."
*
Carol chuckles, "Eh, I think that might be a bit too cliche, Tony." She grins, "So what do you think we shouldn't discuss, or would you rather hear something about me?" Her eyes dance a bit while Tony keeps fiddling with the tie of her robes.
*
Is that a trick question? This -is- Tony Stark, after all. But she isn't swatting his hands away so he'll actually concede, "I would -love- to hear something about you." He's even trying to be earnest about it.
*
Carol hrms, "If only I knew the schematics for Kree devices… you'd /love/ hearing about that. Sadly, I just know how to use them. One of the side effects of the device they hit me with." She grins, considering the matter, "You would think something called a 'Psyche Magnetron' would affect the mind more, right?"
*
They don't have booze so this may have to serve as talk to 'get in the mood'. It's not completely new, but it's not usual either. "If you have any and you want to bring it by, maybe I can figure those schematics out for you. If you want." Because he wouldn't mind getting his hands on something like that. "Or the soul."
*
Carol gives Tony a sly look, and starts talking with a bit of a stilted accent, "What. Do. You. Mean. Earthling?" She then snickers, her voice slipping back to normal, "Pretty sure I've proven by now that I'm from this planet, no?"
*
Tony gives a snicker at the accent, "I have no doubt that you're from here. But if you talk about that tech and have access to it…I'm just saying." He would be more than happy to try and take it apart to see how it works. "I might even let you help."
*
Carol blinks, "Oh, you 'might even let me,' hmmm?" She gives Tony a suddenly challenging look, "What makes you think you'd have a say in letting me do anything, hmmm?" She grins, lightly poking him in the chest with her finger.
*
Tony glances down as she pokes at his chest, "I mean, technically I could try and lock you out. I'd rather not…but, I mean, if that's what you want…" there's a smirk then. "Are you seeing me because you want to spy on my tech? I hate to tell you, but I don't do weapons anymore." If she wants to play this cat and mouse game, he can play as well. The question is, who's the cat and who's the mouse?
*
Carol chuckles, "Yes, because Peggy would totally place me here just to spy on you." She smirks, then hrms, "Actually, she would consider that, wouldn't she? Damn." Her eyes gleam a bit as she looks at Tony, "I suppose now I'll have to figure out a way to make you forget I ever said it."
*