tushanshu | Video;

[ Finding out that Pepper's stocks in Stark Industries have been transferred to him - and because she'd been running it, he can only assume that it's the lion's share - and that that means she's presumably gone is not the way he wants to start the day. But it is what it is and there's nothing he can do about it.

He's wearing the suit, though the helmet's off, and the expression on his face is as professionally detached as the matter-of-fact tone of his voice when he speaks. ]

It's come to my attention that Pepper Potts may no longer be in residence in the city.

[ That covers that and he's not lingering on it. If he does, he'll wonder what that means, if some piece of her has gone back to the world she remembers or if she's dead and her body is being recycled or whatever it is they do with clones when they're gone. It isn't something he needs to worry about right now. Not in front of an audience. So he moves right along to business. ]

I've been informed that per her request, her interests in Stark Industries have been transferred to me. For those of you don't know, I'm Tony Stark, and if you work for SI, it means you're working for me.

[ May whatever aliens people consider gods help them all. ]

If you do, I want to know who you are and what you do for the company. If you don't, and you want to, talk to me.

And be prepared for change. It's coming.

[ What that change is, he doesn't know yet. But once he finds out what the company's been doing, he'll figure out the right path for it to take under his leadership. And this time, it's going to be a damn sight better than the last time he was at the helm. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Wha- Mako? No, no. We just- it’s just going slow. Because of me.

[And the fight they had, what that fight was about, and how they were still picking back up the pieces and why was she talking to his boss’s boss about all of this??

She smiles at that last part though, it’s echoing Jim’s words and that carried weight.]

You know a lot about this stuff, huh?

I know everything about this stuff. I've been dealing with it since I was, I don't know, eighteen? Seventeen? Something like that.

[ His lifestyle isn't for everyone. It's barely even for him, and hasn't been for the last three years. But he isn't ashamed of it and won't make excuses for it. He just won't talk it up and act like it's the best thing in the world either. ]

And here's the biggest lesson I learned from it all: You do what you want to do. Other people, society, their opinions don't matter. It's your life. Live it how you choose. The people worth being part of it will be there with you and the people who aren't won't be. So don't sweat it so much. And don't let anyone tell you what to do.

I’m seventeen.

[All she can wonder is if this means she’s going to end up being like Tony.

What?]

You mean with the whole…sex thing, not just in general, right? Because I’m the Avatar and I have to consider other people and their concerns. [And living it her way has been hard. since. age. four.]

I don't know what the Avatar is, but yes. Generally speaking, I'm talking about sex. But it applies to the rest of your personal life too. See, that's the difference.

[ This is a subject he can talk about forever. ]

When you're doing your job, yeah, you care what people think of how you do it. You want to get it done. You want it done right. And presumably, you don't want to hurt anyone while you're doing it. But your personal life? What you do when you're not at work? That's up to you. It's not up to the public or anyone else.

[This has pretty much convinced Korra that she just needs to have sex with her boyfriend so she’s not awkward about the sex issue coming up. But there’s a topic she can relate to, so she heads over to it like a lifeboat.]

Work’s kind of an ‘all the time’ thing when it comes to the Avatar stuff. [It takes a minute for her to figure out how to explain it without having to explain everything about her world.]

Imagine that you’re the Iron Man all the time and you never get to leave the suit. It’s just always on and the world needs you, all the time.

[ The way she says it makes the corner of his mouth twitch. It's not really a smile, it never gets fully formed, but there's the ghost of one there even if it isn't the most humorous.

The world doesn't need him all the time. Some days, he would argue that the world doesn't need him at all. This one certainly doesn't. But he is the Iron Man, and just because he can take the armor off doesn't mean he can ever leave the suit. ]

I can imagine that a little better than you might think. Way I found around it is to carve out a little time for you so you don't get lost in it. It'll happen if you're not careful. And I'm thinking the Avatar won't be as effective without you giving it life.

Hey, I’m working on it. [She says with a chuckle. This is unfamiliar territory, not too many people had advice for her from experience, especially on a world-saving level.]

But for right now, I’m just trying to make things work with me and boyfriend. [Because it simple, or it should be simple, compared to all the responsibilities and duties she had.] Which means I need to make sure I don’t have to tell him I just lost his job.

Now you're trying to manipulate me.

[ There's no anger when he says it, no censure or irritation that she's trying to wrangle him into the response of her choosing. It's mildly stated. An observation more than anything else. ]

But all you gotta do is tell the guy to put together his resume.

[All she does is shrug. The truth coincided with what she wants, so she doesn't see any harm in being caught]

Consider it done. Hope you can read Chinese.

[ He grins at that. He can't read it. But he's got an incorporeal friend who can. ]

I think I'll manage.

All right, I'll make sure he hand delivers it.

Just not too early. After lunch. Otherwise he might get my secretary.

Sure, I can just go with him after I get up. Morning's aren't a thing for me.

Sounds like a plan to me.

Video;

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject