Catch-All For August | Open

[highprofilerichkid]

Characters: Tony Stark and OPEN
Date: Throughout August, and possibly the tail-end of July - basically any time since Tony's arrival.
Location: Anywhere! Tony's likely to be spending a lot of time in his new lab at Stark Industries, but he'll want to get out and do a little exploring as well.
Situation: Whatever shenanigans a teenage superhero might get up to after arriving unexpectedly in a new dimension. Possibly accidentally blowing things up.
Warnings/Rating: None yet, will edit as necessary.

If you want to set up something with Tony, hit me up at Plurk cinnamon_anemone or AIM (tawny.sparrow@gmail.com). I'm open to just about anything and I'm eager to get more CR for Tony!


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Tony hasn't been quite his usual outgoing, confident self since arriving in Keeliai. Between his jarring arrival, the lack of the friends and family that he depends on so much, the drama with Gene, and the general unsettling nature of the entire situation, he's been finding it a little hard to settle in. But he's gotten his lab set up - a very important first step - and he's starting to get a handle on things.

The more he sees and learns of Tu Vishan and his fellow conscripts, the more curious he gets. He'll be very interested in any advanced technology any of the foreigners might have brought with them, and he's also intrigued by - though a little wary of - the different kinds of magic that so many people wield. He has a special interest in the mechanics of how the foreigners get here and how they get sent back.

Although he's been dumped into the middle of a war full of the kinds of secrets and subtle politics that normally go over his head, he's definitely caught on that there's something fishy afoot with Evandau. Being naturally inquisitive and, uh... straightforward, it's certainly possible that he'll soon get himself into trouble.

Comments

[looksfine]

[It sounded personal.]

Perhaps the statement was meant to be...ironic?

[Sarcasm, she was learning to detect. Humor was a process, but not unattainable. But irony? Aya wasn't certain she would ever comprehend the purpose of ironic statements. Why would any logical being make one claim when they meant precisely the opposite?]

[highprofilerichkid]

[It's so sweet of you that you're giving him the benefit of the doubt, Aya.]

Yeah, I... don't think so. He was pretty serious about the whole thing. [Apocalypses do tend to be pretty serious business.]

[looksfine]

[Actually, she had specifically been referring to the line about it not being personal. But...that worked, too.]

Clearly, there were factors meant to be taken into account that were not.

You were not given all variables. Nor a choice in the matter.

[highprofilerichkid]

[No, Andros seemed pretty serious about the "nothing personal" thing, too. He was pretty serious in general. Very Lawful Good, his grandson.]

Yeah, my only other choice was to lie down and let him disintegrate me. Not really my style. I can appreciate trying to save the world and stuff, but I'd rather find a way to do it that doesn't involve me getting disintegrated.

[Ha ha, that's funny, because that may be exactly what happened when he blew up the Makluan ship. Ahaha ha.]

[looksfine]

...would it be possible to simply not develop the precise virus that seems to be the cause of your future timeline's suffering?

[Simple. Perhaps too simple to be valid, but still worth suggesting.]

[highprofilerichkid]

Right?! That's what I said. Apparently he didn't think that was sufficient.

[His grandson was kind of a jerk.]

[looksfine]

Then his actions were not entirely logical, from an ambivalent third-party perspective.

[In other words, barring the sudden revelation of new, relevant information that would persuade her otherwise...she's with you on this one, Tony.]

totally ooc meta commentary: honestly this episode was so dumb

[highprofilerichkid]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks he was full of crap. [It's always nice to have his terrible choices actions vindicated by an ambivalent third party.]

And it turns out, it was all his fault anyway. [Tony pauses, looking uncertain.] Sort of. I think? [Time travel is confusing, okay?] I made a virus to take down his super-advanced future armor, but that turned out to be the Vortex virus— even though that doesn't make sense, because in his timeline I didn't create it till decades later, and where did it come from then if I wasn't making it to keep him from trying to kill me? I don't know, but once we destroyed the chip with that virus on it JARVIS said something about the future stabilizing and then they both paradox-poofed away. Uh— both Andros...es. There were two of them for a minute. One came back from thirty seconds in the future to tell us about the virus I made for him being the Vortex virus.

[Is this making sense? No? Well it didn't make sense at the time, either, so now you're in the same boat as Tony is, Aya. Lucky you.]

So. Yeah. Long story short: time travel, bad.

[In retrospect that was probably a way longer and less helpful explanation than Aya needed or wanted.]

[looksfine]

[Hey, it could have been worse.]

[Tony could have been the one infected by some sort of evil virus and utilized time travel in an attempt to go back to the beginning of time itself and reset the universe so that no organic life would ever grow...]

[...you know, theoretically speaking. >.>]

Yes, I am beginning to comprehend this.

[highprofilerichkid]

[TIME TRAVEL. NOT EVEN ONCE.]

Yeah. Anyway, [wait, where had he been going with all this?] I don't think JARVIS was evil, exactly, but I didn't meet him under the best circumstances. [The circumstances being Tony possibly causing the future apocalypse. It wasn't really his fault, but still, Tony's getting a little uncomfortable with this topic.]

But if you two were friends... I'm sorry he's gone. It must get kind of lonely around here, the way people just disappear like that.

[Though there are some people Tony wouldn't miss if they got pulled back into their own universe. Like Gene. Tony wouldn't be upset if Gene disappeared. Nope. Definitely not. Not at all. Good riddance, right?]

[looksfine]

I have grown used to the isolation that comes with this assignment. It is fine.

[Her response, however, seemed to come out almost...too calm. Too calculated. Like it was something she was expected to say, rather than an accurate portrayal of her current feelings on the subject.]

[highprofilerichkid]

[Tony's not the most, shall we say, socially proficient, but he's a bit more sensitive to that particular tone of voice. He happens to be especially well acquainted with it.]

Just because you're used to it doesn't mean it doesn't suck, [Tony points out.] I got used to having a big hunk of metal stuck in my chest, but I was pretty glad to get rid of it when I got the chance.

[looksfine]

My physical form is comprised of approximately 45.7 percent metallic component.

[highprofilerichkid]

[Tony laughs a little.] Okay, but I'm not supposed to have metal in my chest. The point is, it wasn't a whole lot of fun. Neither is losing your friends.

[looksfine]

[She had no empirical fact to counter with this time, and could only nod sadly.]

No. It is not what I have come to understand as 'fun'.

Neither the friends I had come to know here, nor the ones I had unintentionally left behind upon my initial arrival.

[highprofilerichkid]

Well, they did promise us that we'd get to go home, one way or another. So I guess we'll all get to see those friends again. Assuming our hosts hold up their end of the bargain. [...which remains to be seen.]

And, you may not have gotten brought here with any of your friends, but on the bright side, at least you didn't carpool with any of your enemies, either. [He smiles. There's a trace of bitterness in it.]

[looksfine]

["Enemies". Aya had a few of those. Both personal vendettas and...otherwise.]

That would be considered a very bright side, yes. For myself as well as the safety of those currently residing in this city.

[highprofilerichkid]

Yeah. Especially since the selection process isn't as selective as I was expecting it to be.

[looksfine]

[Were she a different person, she might have considered taking offense to that statement. Even jokingly.]

Unless I am interpreting the subtle changes to your tone...you are speaking from personal experience?

[highprofilerichkid]

Let's just say there's someone here who wouldn't have been my top pick for an anti-apocalypse team.

[He seems to be oblivious to how his statement could have been misinterpreted. In fact, his gaze has shifted away from Aya and drifted off into the middle distance, and his face has tightened into a brooding frown. Aya doesn't need to take offense: he's clearly thinking about someone who isn't currently present.]

[looksfine]

[No offense was taken.]

May I ask who this someone is?

[highprofilerichkid]

[Tony glances back at her, then looks down, rubbing his neck.] It doesn't matter, [he mutters, suddenly sounding self-conscious.]

[looksfine]

My apologies, but it very well may.

Besides the fact that it is relevant to my interests, should this person prove to be a danger to those I have sworn to help protect... [The first part of her tone had been all Business, though here, it switched to something softer. More familiar.] ...I believe, in circumstance such as these, it is not uncommon for one to express their private concern.

[highprofilerichkid]

[Tony slouches down in his seat, obviously deeply regretting bringing it up.] I shouldn't have said anything. He's... It's complicated.

[A month ago, he would have had no problem trash-talking Gene to anyone who would listen. Now... things are different. Gene seems to have changed, in the extra year that he's been here. And maybe they're not actually archenemies anymore. Or, not actively archenemy-ing, at least. Tony actually feels bad, going behind his back and turning people who've never even met him against him.

See, this is what he gets for being so whiny. He's met Aya all of twice, and here he is, already spilling all the beans about his screw-ups and misfortunes and ex-boyfriend.]

[looksfine]

[Her eyes lowered.]

I have...upset you? [Again, difficult for her to tell, which is why it came out more of a question than statement.] That was not my intention.