Video;

[manofiron]

[ The video begins with a dark-haired man centered in the middle of the frame. He’s got dark eyes, a precisely cut goatee, and hair that’s a little too styled to be naturally that neat. There isn’t a lot to see beyond his chin, he’s sitting too close to the camera, but what can be seen looks vaguely like a shirt of shiny red metal.

His brow knits almost immediately after the feed starts recording, his expression edging toward disbelief as his lips twist into a mild frown. ]

Look. I get it. In a time of crisis, rationing’s necessary to keep resources moving in the right direction. Perfectly understandable. You guys needed to save your turtle. What responsible citizen wouldn’t do their part for that noble cause?

[ There’s a slight hint f sarcasm creeping into his voice, as though he’s heard the whole turtle spiel already and not only hasn’t been impressed, but also doesn’t really buy it either. Not even after having spent half a day scouring the network for information about what’s really going on here before making this video. ]

But really? Twenty bucks?

[ The low, indistinct murmur of another voice can be heard, though what it’s saying and who it belongs to is anyone’s guess. Whatever it says, it’s enough to make the man roll his eyes. ]

Juulan. Whatever. Doesn’t matter. The point — [ Whether he’s talking to the camera or the unidentified voice is unclear. ] — is that it isn’t enough for a day, let alone the entire bogus adventure.

[ It isn’t so much the way he looks at the camera – his eyes have never left it – but the change of his tone, less querulous and more curious, that indicates that he’s talking to whoever’s on the other end of the console. ]

So really. Turtle propaganda aside. What’s a guy gotta do to get some decent money around here? Sell his organs? Hit the street corners? Scrub barnacles off the bottom of the turtle? What?

Comments

[backwordscompatible]

Pleading the fifth on that one.

[To be fair, Tony, when you're fifteen years old, anybody over the age of 25 can be classified 'old']

I work in a Magic Shop. A bit cliche, but it works for me.

[manofiron]

Cliche? Why's that cliche? It sounds pretty cool.

[ Better to just focus on the magic than dwell on her obviously opinion of his lame, geriatric self. ]

Unless it's the crappy magic. Rabbits in hats, multicolored scarves. That's so pre-alien invasion.

[backwordscompatible]

[Talk about your sense of deja-vu. Only, the last time this conversation happened, he complained when she pulled out a stuffed white tiger instead of a rabbit. Picky.]

I'm going to just sit here and pretend you didn't insult my dad, for the record.

[Who was a world-famous stage magician on top of his "day job" with the Justice League.]

You don't think a magic user working in a magic shop isn't a bit on the predicable side? Personally, I prefer to keep people guessing...but I had to go where I wasn't going to get fired for being a local, so... [/shrug]

[manofiron]

[ Is she pissed? Maybe she's pissed. He can't tell. He insults his own father so many times, he doesn't really see the problem. But maybe if he pretends it isn't a problem, it won't be. ]

You work where you can do the most with your skill set, right? I'm an engineer. I work in a workshop where I can build the things I create. Wouldn't make much sense for me to work in a bakery. Unless I was engineering some kind of bread... thing.

[ The culinary arts are more mystical mumbo-jumbo than actual magic is. ]

Why'd you get fired?

[backwordscompatible]

[Not pissed. Not really. She had a much higher tolerance than that, considering the regular company she kept. Her father just so happened to be a very sensitive issue for her...considering he was about to sacrifice his soul for hers back home.]

Let's just say not all the kedan are as friendly and open as the welcoming committee.

[manofiron]

That was friendly?

[ They hadn't been cruel to him, or harsh, but Tony doesn't consider the kedan who met him in the wherever the hell he woke up friendly. ]

What are the rest of them like? Pitchforks and torches?

[backwordscompatible]

[Sarcasm, Tony. Learn it. Live it. Like you don't already.]

Not anymore.

I suppose it could've been worse, though. They could've tried to burn me at the stake. Not something I'm in a hurry to ever get the chance to experience.

[manofiron]

Please don't tell me that's something that people have threatened to do to you before.

[ The sad thing is, it's not something that he can actually put past people. Some of them are nuts. Some of them respond violently to anything different from what they know. He's had firsthand experience with this. ]

Is it?

[backwordscompatible]

Not to my face, no.

[manofiron]

Good. That sort of superstitious nonsense has no place in the civilized world.

[backwordscompatible]

I'm glad we agree.

Besides, half the population here can do magic, too. It would be a bit hypocritical of them to judge me for basically blending in with the locals.

[Completely forgetting the part where she uses said magic to do a little nightly vigilante justice. She wasn't the only one, after all.]

[manofiron]

We're talking actual magic here, right? Teleportation. Mind control. Portals to other dimensions. That sort of thing?

[ He's had some weird experiences with magic. ]

[backwordscompatible]

All of the above.

But you'll be happy to know that most of us here are on our best behavior. We've had enough issues with people abusing their powers already.

[Not that she's naming names--COUGHSADIEANDKORRACOUGH--or anything.]

[manofiron]

Best behavior? Is that fun? I'm not sure that's any fun. The last time someone told me to be on my best behavior I was so bored I fell asleep.

But seriously. Magic users. I've only known a crazy one. What do the rest of you do for fun?

[backwordscompatible]

[You know what, Tony? She's changed her mind. She likes you after all.]

Oh, you know, the usual. Hang out with friends. Go to the park. Bit of crime fighting on the side. Nothing big.

[manofiron]

I do that too. Well, substitute go the bar for go to the park. I don't really go to parks all that much. But I do do a little world saving on the side. You know. Nothing big. Apocalypse prevention. That kind of thing.

We should hang out some time. Can you fly? With your magic, I mean. Because I can fly. We could go flying maybe. That's always fun.

[backwordscompatible]

You too, huh?

[Though no bars for her. Pepper would disapprove, for one.]

Yeah, I can fly. Looking for a race?

[manofiron]

I've been known to enjoy a race now and again.

[ He grins. Now and again really translates into all the time. ]

Any time you'd be up for it, I would be too.

[backwordscompatible]

[She gets the message.]

Anytime, anywhere.

I'm ready whenever you are.

[manofiron]

Give me ten minutes? That sound good?

[ He's not even kidding. Maybe he should be, but he's not. ]

[backwordscompatible]

I'll be on the roof of 3A in the Wood Sector.

You know where that is?

[Because, clearly, there's absolutely no way a plan like this could ever go wrong.]

[manofiron]

No, but I bet I can find it.

Look for the guy in red and gold armor. That'll be me. See you in ten.

[ Standing up, he gives her a wink and cuts the feed. He might fly past it once or twice on the way there, but between him and JARVIS, he'll get there in the ten minutes. Just as promised. ]

[backwordscompatible]

[Red and Gold--?]

[The first time he flew by, she realized what he meant. Huh. Kind of looked like a blinged out Red Tornado. Only with slightly better people skills.]

[She'll just wait until he realizes where she is. Sitting on one of the roof ledges patiently, legs lightly swinging back and forth.]

[manofiron]

[ He does fly past once, and it isn't until he's about a block and a half beyond her that JARVIS points out that he overshot his destination. Turning around, he's still in the middle of an argument with JARVIS over his poorly timed demonstration of his sense of humor when he drops down out of the sky and hovers beside her. Flipping up the faceplate, he gives her a smile. ]

Tony Stark. In the metal. I'm kind of cheating, I know. But this — [ He taps a finger against his chest. ] — is the only way I can fly.

[backwordscompatible]

[She rises to her feet to greet him, tilting her head upward with a smile. Way up; he had at least half a foot on her, easily. Even for fifteen, she was still relatively small.]

I'll file a formal complaint later. Right now...

['Etativel pu' The words seemed to echo around them, a boost of power lifting the petite girl into the air, until she was eye-level with the Iron Man.]

I think you have a race to lose.