one. ✩ (video)

[gammas]

[ the video turns on and it's late evening in Central Park. there's a strange, huge green woman dressed in this spandex number with her wild hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. she has ridiculous amount of Valentine Day's heart boxes stacked next to her. you know, these things and is currently munching on a chocolate, grinning. ]

Okay, so we all have your opinions on the big V-Day. You either love it or you hate it or you just don't care and are tired of those couples canoodling.

But, let's face it. The best thing about Valentine's Day is when it's over and you get to spoil yourself like no lover could. One word: Clearance.

[ she waves her little heart box around as a demonstration and grins, popping another chocolate in her mouth. ]

No man could ever make me feel as good as a chocolate lemon souffle.

[ click ]

Comments

[gammas]

Nah. I don't hear about Reed or Hank having as many AI problems as you do. We are not counting Ultron, by the way.

Or even Amadeus. Kid's pretty smart too. So it's got to be something else.

[liverletdie]

I was about to say--

[ A laugh. ]

Maybe there's something in my compound.

[gammas]

Sticking with my machine man theory.

I'm just saying, none of us have as many robot issues as you do. Crazy self-evolving robots.

[liverletdie]

Well, I guess they call it bleeding edge technology for a reason, don't they? Some missteps along the way are to be expected when you're constantly pushing the envelope.

[gammas]

Blah, blah, blah.

[ she does the talking hand gesture and then grins, teasingly. ]

Alright, smart guy. Enough of that. Show me around the new place.

[liverletdie]

[ UGH HOW RUDE, JEN!! ]

It would be my pleasure. Now, or later?

[gammas]

I've got time now.

[liverletdie]

And would you imagine that? My schedule's just cleared up. Where you at, beautiful? You want a ride?

[gammas]

I'm down in Central Park. And you know I won't pass up a good-looking ride. As much as I love the Reed-mobiles and all.

Action?

[liverletdie]

The Reed-mobiles, huh? Well, I have my own opinions on his construction, but it's hardly polite to knock him down.

Let's just say mine is better. See you in a bit, beautiful.

[ About fifteen minutes later, her comm's gonna get a ping with a place to meet him, and he's driving a red little number of this, waiting at the curb, sunglasses on. ]

action!!

[gammas]

[ when she gets the ping, she eventually arrives at the designated spot. however, there's a little girl with her and she's talking with the kid before handing off her last boxes of chocolates, waving at the girl as she runs to her mother further away, who's also waving back.

jen turns and whistles when she sees the card, moving to open the car door ]

You weren't kidding when you said yours was better.

action!!

[liverletdie]

What, you don't trust me?

[ He indicates the inside, which is, well, to put it mildly: plush. The seat even moves back automatically to compensate for Jen's height. ]

Come on, I like Reed plenty, but he has absolutely no sense of style.

[gammas]

[ she slides into the seat, noting that the car doesn't creak as she gets in. (dang tony!!) she settles back, letting out another bemused whistle. ]

You're telling me. I had to work on his team for who-knows-how-long. I don't know what he'd do if Susie wasn't around.

[liverletdie]

He tends to work himself to death, honestly.

[ And Tony'd know. It was still pretty fresh in his mind the time Sue left, back during the fiasco with the SHRA. He waved a hand. ]

Anyway, shall we? [ He pulled out, heading in the direction of the new and improved Avengers headquarters. ]

[gammas]

[ jen settles back, watching the buildings as they drive past them. a few moments in silence and: ]

You still don't really know what's going back at home, do you?

[liverletdie]

[ His hand grips a touch tighter on the steering wheel. It's a point of contention, for him. He doesn't like being out of the loop on the future. ]

No, I don't. Care to share?

[gammas]

[ she tilts her head to the side, resting her temple against the window ]

Uh... I wasn't around for a lot of it, but you hit me up for something against the X-Men. The Phoenix Force...

[liverletdie]

[ Jen was the first person who had said a word to him about his future since he'd died. He relaxed in the car, shifting only slightly. ]

The Phoenix Force? Really?

That can't be good.

[gammas]

Yeah, like...

[ she gestures, trying to think of how to word it ]

From what I heard, Cap and Cyclops had a tiff on what to do with it. And by tiff I mean, we were doing a whole Civil War thing again. [ :T ] You sent me off to do some groundwork with Moon Knight and Falcon over at that X-School while you and the Avengers were, I guess, fighting some mutants on Phoenix Force-yness.

[ a beat. she's not really happy with how things on her end went but lmfao ooc writing so ]

It was crazy.

[liverletdie]

[ He snorted. It was soft, with an edge of bitterness. Why he wasn't so involved in the discussion, he didn't know. He wanted to know, ached to know, something itching at the back of his head. He knew there was a secret there. Something nobody was telling him.

He desperately wanted to know. But Jen wasn't the person to ask. All of the Avengers had been unusually reticent on the fact. He wanted to let it lie, but it continued to tumble like the pieces of a lock, trying to figure out the combination to the vault. ]

It sounds like it. What did Cyclops want to do?