El!
El has been with the site for nearly two years now and has continued to prove her value. Currently, she is heading up our site event, Battle for Liberterram, on top of keeping up with her own personal plots.
CHARACTER
SPOTLIGHT
Peggy Carter!
Lux's posts are all wonderful to read. She has done a wonderful job of grasping the new universe and incorporating Peggy into it.
CHARACTER
SPOTLIGHT
Peter Parker!
It's good to see Spidey back on the site. Watching him deal with the universe shift in his own snarky way has been nothing short of entertaining.
THREAD
SPOTLIGHT
Eight O'Clock on the Dot!
El and Lux are making magic in this thread. Straight up fireworks, and the way they've played with drawing out the reveal is top class.
Everything about this building was... unnerving, to say the least, though Peggy wasn't sure what about it unsettled her so. Maybe it was the walls, which made the place look more like a greenhouse than an office, or the absurd number of television screens that overlaid them, rendering useless perhaps the only advantage glass walls offered--transparency. As she sat in the luxurious foyer, waiting, she couldn't help but wonder if this curious interior--see-through walls that one could not, in fact, see through--reflected the mindset of the company, or its owner. She'd gotten to know the CEO rather well of the course of the last few months, and while she liked him well enough, she knew he wasn't the most straightforward man. But then again, neither was she, so perhaps she had no place to pass judgement on his choice of walls and screens.
She wasn't the only one waiting in the foyer; turning her head, she noticed at least three others sitting in similar black, leather armchairs, all of them holding nearly identical devices and looking as though they were doing very important things on them. 'Smartphones', they were called, aptly named, Peggy reckoned, because they were cleverer than her. Hers sat uselessly in her bag, and she refused to retrieve it; the last time she'd tried 'being important' on it, she'd accidentally texted the press secretary with a rather unprofessional video of dancing animals. No, it was far better to sit here doing nothing than to be on that bloody thing.
She sat up a little straighter, and in attempt to look more dignified, crossed her ankles and rested her hands on her lap. With another glance at her company, she bent forward to pick up a newspaper from the table in front of her. She flipped to the international news section, her brows knitting slightly as she read the latest headlines. It seemed rather impossible and embarrassing, given her profession, but she'd been having difficulty recalling her geography. Ocean, city, even country names all seemed foreign to her, to say nothing of the way the bloody borders were drawn on the map. She was confused enough that she even dreamed about it, a world far different from the one in which she currently lived. The dreams were realistic, and vivid right up until the moment she woke up, fading before she could remember what she'd seen. But the feeling--that she'd lost something critical--always remained.
"Jameson, I need that sustainability contract signed before the fourth quarter meeting--"
"Capitalise the low-hanging fruit to identify the beta-value for our corporate gains--"
"I want answers, Jack, not problems," snapped a scowling businesswoman with a screechy voice that was particularly grating to the ears. "If you can't fix it, then get out and I'll find someone who's actually competent--"
Has the world always been so... narrow? Peggy thought to herself, watching the three others, each engrossed in their own conversations, in their own lives. Frowning slightly, Peggy turned towards the front desk and saw the receptionist, who was typing furiously away at a computer that looked far too thin to be functional.
Peggy stifled a yawn. One could only sit for so long, and she was nearing her limit. She hoped that whoever was coming to meet her, was coming to meet her soon, because if she had to listen to another complaint about 'Jack' any longer, she might just thump that woman in the throat; that would be the answer to Peggy's problem, at the very least.
It was times like these--when it was her opinion that a good wallop could solve any issue--that Peggy wonder if she was well suited to be an ambassador. Ambassadors, after all, were highly discouraged from solving situations by, well, punching their way out of them.
"Jack, Jack, Jack, you're talking but not doing! Did you hear me, Jack, I want answers, you idiot, and you're giving me excuses! No, I don't care how late you have to stay to fix this, just do it!"
Peggy gritted her teeth. Even if they really, truly deserved it.
Darcy Lewis Let me know if anything needs changing. <3
IS TO START OVER
Last Edit: Mar 26, 2017 19:34:32 GMT by Peggy Carter
Darcy’s job wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t usually this difficult. Ever since she’d stepped through the doors, she’d been trying to put out metaphorical fires. She’d actually even put out one literal fire while snagging coffee in the breakroom. When she found the schmuck who’d left their bagel in the toaster unattended, she was going to give them hell. She’d promptly had one of her aides schedule a workplace safety class the following morning for the entire floor, but after two cups of java had cancelled said class and simply used the technology at her disposal to track the idiot down.
Not only did he not get his bagel, he also didn’t get out of the four hour safety video.
Sitting at her desk with cup number three of the sweet, caffeinated nectar of the gods, Darcy sighed. She hadn’t even had time to eat her own breakfast yet, she noticed, spying the croissant sandwich sitting on one corner of her desk. One hand reached out towards the sandwich, but the buzz of her desk phone gave her pause. Letting out a quiet fake sob, she shoved the breakfast food off the side of the desk, into the trash, and picked up the phone. Clearly, food was not in her stars today.
“What up, Melissa?” she asked, her eyes skimming to the monitor of her computer. “Wait, what?” Had she just said what she thought she said? “Dammit, Wesley!” she hissed, scrunching her face in a look of disappointment as she leaned so that the gal seated just outside her office could see. “Alright, alright… I’ll take care of it. Thanks, chica.”
She really needed some new employees. Who called out sick two hours into their shift? On a day they were scheduled to help take care of a freaking Ambassador, no less. Oh, right. Wesley did. What a jerk. Standing up, Darcy cracked her neck and rolled her shoulders before brushing down the front of her outfit. She didn’t often deal with outside official types - she just organized the people who did - but she wanted to make sure she looked presentable before stepping out of her office.
Once satisfied, she headed out. Her rolled eyes earned a chuckle from Melissa - probably her favorite employee because the girl was competent and she showed up basically every day. By the time she stepped out of the elevator into the lobby, she had a pleasant smile plastered onto her face. Picking Ambassador Carter out from the crowd wasn’t terribly difficult. She was Old English - clearly, she was the one sitting politely, rather than gabbing loudly on her phone.
“Ambassador?” she asked, pausing beside the woman’s chair. “I’m really sorry this took so -- excuse me.” Scowling at the woman almost screaming at the person on the other end, Darcy took a few steps towards her, letting her shadow fall over the woman. “Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to keep it down. You’re scaring the children.” Pointing with one hand towards a group of small children on a field trip to the facility, she turned her pointed glare back to the woman after making certain the security posted around the lobby saw exactly whom she was talking to. “If you need to continue the phone call, please take it outside.”
Sweeping her gaze around the area so that the other men on calls understood that this warning went for them as well, she returned to Ambassador Carter. “Sorry about that. Now, where was I? Oh, right -- I’m sorry for the wait. The aide assigned to take care of you didn’t make it in.” He’d be lucky if he was still employed tomorrow. “I don’t know if Mr. Stark is quite ready - they had a board meeting this morning and those things are notorious for going longer than their allotted time. If you’ll come with me, I can get you settled in one of our private,” She emphasized the word as her eyes shifted towards the others in the lobby on their phones before dancing back to the Ambassador, “lounges with some coffee or food if you’d like. Our treat,” she added with a wink.
The shrieking supervisor was starting to remind Peggy of a small dog, those loud, antsy breeds that barked rambunctiously at anything that moved but hadn't a leg to stand on when it came to defending its wretched self. Peggy herself had little patience with incompetent people, but she would never spew mindless insults at her subordinates. Whether or not Jack was as useless as his supervisor clearly believed, insulting him over the phone was hardly an effective strategy. If she'd just fire the bloke, it would put everyone out of their misery.
Then, amidst the steady stream of people who sifted in and out of the elevators, Peggy noticed one woman making her way towards the waiting area. She kept her gaze on her in polite inquiry, and was a bit relieved when she realised the woman had come to receive her; she took it as a hopeful sign that she wouldn't have to sit here for much longer.
The woman was in the middle of apologising when something else caught her attention--and Peggy didn't need to be told what, or who it was. She watched with thinly veiled amusement as the woman marched over to the shrieking supervisor and gave her a piece of her mind. She was not impolite, but there was a tone to her voice that extinguished any potential for argument.
Oh, yes, Peggy liked her.
With the shrieking supervisor momentarily silenced into submission, the woman returned her attention to Peggy, her sternness melting once more into apology. She proposed to take Peggy to a private lounge, and while Peggy was normally, opposed to receiving special treatment (she'd always been a strong proponent of equality), she could tell by the way the woman's gaze shifted that the offer was not solely made for her benefit. As she suspected, distinct frowns appeared on the faces of the other visitors. The woman winked surreptitiously at her, and Peggy kept her expression expressively unexpressive.
"Thank you," she replied primly. "I do appreciate your generous hospitality. Courtesy, especially the common sort, is so rare these days, and particularly nonexistent here." And with saccharine smile aimed at her temporary companions, Peggy rose from her seat to follow the woman.
"Forgive me, but I don't believe we've met," said Peggy, after a brief moment. "Please, call me 'Peggy', and you are...?"
Darcy was considerably younger than the woman to whom she was speaking, but that didn't seem to phase her in the slightest. Sure, she'd originally earned a job here at Stark Industries thanks to good old fashioned nepotism -- but she'd not only kept her job, but been promoted thanks to her work ethic. It was that same attention to detail and willingness to do just about anything to get the job done that had made her a damn fine intern to someone in a field she knew next to nothing about.
Never mind that she'd been the only one who applied for the position.
Once the reason for her potentially bloody ears had been silenced, Darcy returned her attention to the reason she was down on the main floor of the tower. For half a moment, she wondered if the woman was going to decline the offer of being ushered upstairs. She could feel the wrathful gazes of the other business tycoons seated around them, but if she gave a damn, she certainly didn't show it.
She opened her mouth, about to let something a little less formal slip out, but stopped herself before it became an issue. Instead, she chuckled and nodded. "I think common sense is even more rare these days. Seems to be a... what's the word... misnomer." Was that the right word? God, she hoped that was the right word. The last thing she wanted to do was seem like an idiot in front of an Ambassador.
Offering a smile to the woman, Darcy shook her head in slight answer to her comment. "No, I don't think we have," she chuckled, holding out her hand should the Ambassador wish to shake it. "My name is Darcy Lewis, Chief of Staff. I really am sorry you had to sit down here - you haven't been waiting long, have you?" she inquired, pulling her hand back after the proper amount of time.
With a quick nudge of her head towards the elevators, she made her way towards the gleaming double doors, catching the eyes of a man in a suit nearby. Once he was within earshot, she stepped closer and began to speak, purposefully keeping her back to the lobby chairs. "If Gabby McGabberson starts making a scene again, kindly escort her elsewhere. She's already been warned once, and I highly doubt Mr. Stark would like to hear the kind of venom she's spitting here in his lobby, eh?"
"Yes, Ms. Lewis."
"Thanks, Dave. Say hey to Lori for me." Chuckling as the elevator dinged its arrival, she motioned for Peggy to enter - guests first. A quick punch of the correct floor and a swipe of her ID badge got the elevator moving and Darcy seemed to finally relax for a moment. "So what kind of things do you like to drink, Ambassador Peggy? I think we've got just about anything you can imagine."
Considerably younger? It was a good thing Peggy wasn't a telepath, otherwise she might have felt vaguely offended by the other woman's thoughts. In any case, Peggy shook the hand the woman had extended her and smiled, rising to her feet. "Pleasure, Darcy," she said.
When Darcy asked how long she'd been waiting in the lobby, Peggy glanced at her wristwatch. "Around twenty minutes." Her tone was matter-of-fact. She'd arrived five minutes early, which meant her meeting was fifteen minutes overdue. It was exasperating when people couldn't keep to their schedules, but this was hardly Darcy's fault. No, if Peggy was going to be snitty about being kept waiting, she would direct it at the man responsible. And probably have him buy her drink, to make up for it.
Peggy followed Darcy towards the elevators, and paused when the latter addressed a man standing close by. The woman seemed to be on friendly terms with the employees, but it didn't hinder her ability to do her job effectively. When the elevator doors opened, Peggy stepped inside, and waited for Darcy to activate the correct floor. There was a beep, followed by a slight lurch, and away they went. The elevator at the Walter Stark Tower had a similar security system, Peggy noticed, which made sense given that the two buildings were sisters. But the elevator at the WS Tower, like the rest of the building, was more traditional in appearance, perhaps owing to its longer history. This elevator was made of glass, as though to match the more modern design of SI Tower, but Peggy hardly saw the point of it; with glass walls, all she could see was the steel interior of the shaft itself.
"Well, the things I really like, I doubt are work-appropriate," Peggy replied with a wink. "But tea would be an excellent substitute, any type will do. Have you worked here long? You see rather familiar--" Peggy was distracted when the steel elevator shaft suddenly turned into blue sky, presenting its passengers with a spectacular view of the city. They must have already risen at least twenty stories, and Peggy pressed her fingers against the glass walls, gazing outside in silent marvel.
"A view worth a million bucks," she murmured to herself, before she glanced back at Darcy. "You must tire of seeing this everyday," she remarked, smiling wryly. She was still enjoying the sight when the long, needle-like pinnacle of the Empire State Building caught her eye. "Oh, they've finished the repairs already, have they? That was quick work." She pointed at the building, not realising that the incident to which she was subconsciously remembering had taken place over sixty years ago, when an airplane had flown straight into the skyscraper.
“Likewise.” Darcy couldn’t help but smile at the other woman. It was a nervous habit, something she’d realized early on in her career at Stark Industries. She wasn’t nearly as qualified as the people in her position at other companies, but maybe she could be the nicest. One of these days, she’d finish enough night and online courses to feel more secure in her job -- and then it was no holds fucking barred.
Groaning under her breath, she shook her head. “I can assure you this won’t happen again, Ambassador,” she promised, already trying to decide just how much effort she was going to put into her signature on the notice of termination for Wesley.
She could just scribble it to show just how insignificant he was - not even worth the time it took for a neat and orderly signature. Or she could make an actual effort, and make him feel like the peon he truly was… Not that she imagined any of her emotions would actually come across through the loops and curls of her cursive, of course… But damn, it’d be nice if they did.
“I’ll make sure we get you some tea when we get there… and make sure there’s something a little less work-appropriate for when you’re done with Mr. Stark,” she grinned, her eyes alight with amusement. Darcy typically hated talking to the public, but Ambassador Carter seemed like a pretty cool lady so far. Were all Old English people this cool? Maybe it was the accent. “A few years. I snuck my resume in when my best friend, Jane, became one of the heads of R&D. To this day, I’m still not sure whether they hired me because they thought I was competent or because Jane told them I took down Thor with a taser one time.”
Chuckling, she turned back to Ambassador Carter so that the woman could see she was making a joke - well, kind of - but the woman’s attention had turned to the view now shining in from outside. “Multiply that by about six hundred, and you’ll be a little closer to the actual figure,” she mused, jutting one hip out so that she could lean it against the rail and take her own look outside.
The first dozen or two floors in the elevators always felt like a weirdly square metal tube, and yet most days, Darcy never even turned to experience the view. Her first few weeks here, she’d stared out over the metropolis on every elevator ride, but it had become so much a part of her daily routine, she barely noticed it anymore. Seeing the look of awe in someone’s eyes as they experienced it for the first time, however, caused Darcy’s lips to twitch up in a soft smile. “I forget about it sometimes, but I never get tired of it…”
Ambassador Carter’s next comment dragged Darcy’s gaze away from the city at large, and she followed the other woman’s eyes towards the Empire State Building, which seemed to hold her focus. “Repairs?” she asked, racking her brain for anything she’d seen or heard from the news about the skyscraper. “Were they upgrading something?” Curiosity burning, she pulled the phone from her pocket and brought the device to life. Her fingers moved deftly over the touch screen keys, swiping around the keyboard until her query was fully input. “I don’t.. see.. anything…” she murmured, eyes glued to her smartphone as she skimmed for any kind of lead on the repairs Ambassador Carter thought the skyscraper had required.
