A Proper Family Reunion

[wrathfulkhan]

Characters: Team Spicy Iron Dragon and their fourth wall guests
Date: April 15-30
Location: Keeliai, and House Spicy Iron Dragon
Situation: Dads. Dads everywhere. Also shitty stepdads. Gene losing his goddamned mind.
Warnings/Rating: "Father-in-law" tension, mentions of child abuse, very likely violence, complete and utter mental breakdowns, potential self-injurious behavior, gaslighting, and Actual Well-Adjusted Families. Gross.

The booms of the college's salt explosion echo through Keeliai, and with each boom more and more people appear.

The first is benevolent, and he's been here before.

The second is benevolent, and he has no clue where he is.

The third is malevolent...and he will take this city by storm, one way or another.

Comments

HOWARD

[highprofilerichkid]

Tony has been upset for days about the salt. He's retreated to 'sulk' mode, which means he spends most of the day at the College doing repairs or engrossed in work, and then spends most of the night cooped up in his lab at home. He has not been good company, but at least he's been productive.

When he'd tried to scarf down something resembling a meal today in between projects, some of his coworkers had gently suggested that he take a real break and maybe go out to get some lunch - he'd taken that to mean that his bad mood was bringing everyone else down and they wanted him to go blow off some steam before trying to get any more work done. He can't say he blames them. So he trudges home, even though he doesn't really want to, and pulls some leftovers out of the fridge.

He's sullenly picking at the last of his food when he hears a knock on the door. Tony sighs.

"Yeah, what—" he begins, opening to door. And then he immediately forgets both his bad mood and the rest of his sentence.

"Dad!" His face splits into a giddy grin, and he flings his arms around his father. "You're back!"

[clarkesthirdlaw]

Howard gives a start when Tony says he's back - that means he's been gone as he'd been starting to suspect - but he hugs his son back just as fiercely. Every time they get torn apart, they never know if they'll see each other again.

"How long have I been gone?" he asks, eschewing the obvious questions; those he can figure out on his own.

[highprofilerichkid]

"You've - you've been gone a year. Right. It wouldn't have seemed like any time to you. But it's been a year. Almost exactly." Tony laughs. "I'm so glad you're back."

It sucks that he's been gone, but it's great to have him here again - even if it is, as Tony's starting to suspect, only temporary.

[clarkesthirdlaw]

Howard looks startled. "A year? Tony..." He looks at his son apologetically. "I didn't mean to leave."

Being separated is hard for them. For a long time, they were all each other had.

"I'm glad to be back, too. Even though I didn't think I was gone."

[highprofilerichkid]

"I know. It's like I told you," Tony says ruefully. "That's just how this place works. So you don't remember going home at all - you just zapped out and zapped straight back in?"

[clarkesthirdlaw]

Howard nods. "It was like I fell asleep and woke up again, outside of the Hotel. I was walking back when I saw the house, and it was completed."

[highprofilerichkid]

"Huh." So Howard hasn't seen any of their future - he won't be able to tell Tony if the memory trick Gene tried worked. Tony can't help but be disappointed. But his dad doesn't need to know about that. Not yet, anyway.

"Yeah, we finished the house. And guess who else is living here." Tony grins again. Howard doesn't approve of Gene, but Tony's sure he'll approve of his other roommate.