Stark Industries, Wednesday

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

As strange as it was for a respectable lady like Jessica to have a job, she figured that she could still find some way to make herself useful around the shop today. First things first, those lab coats were FILTHY, so she was going to go ahead and wash them. And while she was waiting on that, she knew something that the boys would like during their shifts the rest of the week.

That's right. Cookies. Okay, fine, Stark's didn't have a "baking oven" or whatever, but Jessica was a clever girl scientist, so she put something together with sheet metal and bunsen burners. Wouldn't the boys be so impressed?

It wasn't long at all before any visitor to Stark's would be greeted with fresh-baked cookies and a friendly smile from a girl who just happened to be in black and white. And all that without messing up her new dress! Jessica was pretty sure that made her the best girl scientist ever.

[OOC: I am so, so sorry to womankind everywhere.

Open for gawking and spreading the Happy Daze! Standard work non-availability applies, though. Sad.]

Comments

[notconflicted]

Sia didn't usually have a reason to be here, but when the Perk accidentally gave her the wrong coffee at first so she ended up with two, she figured she might as well stop by and see if Jessica wanted it.

When she walked in and smelled the cookies and saw the black and whiteness, she took a wild guess that this was not what usually happened at this place of business. "...Hello?"

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"Hello, Sia!" Jessica said, cheerfully. "Come in. Have a cookie!"

[And now I run to work!]

[notconflicted]

"Did you get bored?" And decolorize yourself?

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"No, silly," Jessica said with a giggle and likely-not-as-comforting-as-she-intended wave of her hand. "I just wanted to make sure the boys had some treats for the rest of the work week. But I'd hardly be a good hostess if I didn't offer some cookies to my friends when they stop in."

[notconflicted]

"I didn't realize they paid you to be a hostess," Sia said slowly, half wondering if this was some sort of prank. Jessica was always a little off, maybe she'd just gone really off.

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"Of course they do. When I'm the only worker here, it's my duty to make sure that all guests feel welcome and that any problems they have are addressed," Jessica said. "And that's just being a hostess who can maybe fix a few machines on the side."

"Do you have anything that needs to be fixed?"

[notconflicted]

"Your coloring, actually," Sia said.

There were times for tact, and then there were great openings.

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"What, you don't like the new look?" Jessica asked, giving a quick spin to show off the grayscale in 360 degrees. "I woke up like this and I have to say, I'm kind of fond of it."

[notconflicted]

"You're also not exactly acting like yourself, which might have something to do with it," Sia suggested.

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"Of course I'm acting like myself, silly," Jessica scoffed, but in a cheerfully polite way. "If I'm not acting like myself, then who am I acting like?"

[notconflicted]

"I've no idea. And I never thought I'd say this but the fact that you haven't made a single joke is worrying," Sia admitted.

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"If it'll make you feel better, I can crack wise," Jessica said. "Do you know why sharks don't eat clowns?"

[notconflicted]

"...Why?"

Call her wary.

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"They taste funny!" Jessica said. And then she chuckled.

[notconflicted]

Sia stared at her.

Sorry, Jess.

"I'm just going to assume this is one of those things that will be over in a day or two," she said.

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"Oh, they probably don't have sharks and clowns on UFOs. That explains why you didn't get it. You see, sharks are fish, but with sharp teeth," Jessica said. "And clowns are basically communists, so it's funny when sharks chase them. But they tell jokes, so they're 'funny.' That's where the wordplay comes in."

[notconflicted]

"I... understood it," Sia said slowly. "Did you just call clowns communists?"

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"How else do you explain why so many take one car?" Jessica asked.

[notconflicted]

"I would assume it's just a very roomy car."

So confused, Jess. SO CONFUSED.

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"It is not, Sia," Jessica said, shaking her head. "It is not."

"But enough about Stalin's jesters. Seriously, there's nothing wrong here."

[notconflicted]

CLOWNS: RUINED FOREVER.

"I think we'll have to agree to disagree," Sia said, but this would be over soon enough and she'd be able to bring this up later when Jessica was normal. "Coffee?" she asked, holding the spare up.

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I couldn't. I don't want to stunt my growth," Jessica said. "But thank you!"

[notconflicted]

"Right," Sia said. "Well, then I should be going. Good luck with the cookies."

It felt like a thing to say.

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"You sure you don't want one?" Jessica asked. "They taste yummy!"

[notconflicted]

"I'll have one," she said slowly. Because she was a friend. A freaked out friend, but a friend nonetheless.

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

Jessica held up the plate for her to take one. "Be honest about what you think of them. I will not stand for fibbing, even if it's to make me feel good."

[notconflicted]

Dammit, Jessica, she was going to take this back to her room in case it was terrible.

She took one cookie to nibble at it, just in case. "It's very good," she replied, and hoped that the cookies weren't somehow what turned Jessica black and white.

They'd get blamed on Sunday, seriously.

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

She didn't have enough cookies to turn EVERYONE black and white, Sia!

... But she could start on that.

"Aww, thank you! That means a lot," Jessica cheered.