video;

[ifhebeworthy]

[The screen of their communicators flickers to life with a fluorescent glow. Initially, there's only a hint of someone there-- thick red fabric, chain mail, a hammer.]

I had prayed to come to good tidings. Greet friends, and assuage fears. To bolster thy strength with mine own.

Instead, I come here haunted by past misgivings I thought requited, by a name all too familiar to me. If you know him as well, I would like to speak to him.

[It doesn't sound like a request. The image swings up high to a broad faced man with long blonde hair. A winged helmet. His eyebrows are drawn down across a brow rigid as though it were carved from stone.]

To my friend.

Comments

[liverletdie]

[ There's a pause, and he rubbed at his temple. ]

It's...

It's like a floppy disk, only it holds more data.

[ He's starting to feel like this other version of him, having to dumb everything down. ]

[ifhebeworthy]

[His eyes are narrowed, if only because he's trying to grasp this and because he desperately wants to believe him.]

So, you were trapped within this... flappy drive... [He's trying, Tony.] and this impostor was who exactly?

[liverletdie]

[ A pause, then. ] A...version of me.

One who decided to take matters into his own hands, and... and do what he thought was necessary.

In ways I don't agree with, I might add.

As if that wasn't clear.

[ifhebeworthy]

[Okay, he's not angry, but he's serious, his voice level.]

A version of you implies it is well within you to do it. With similar reasoning not unfamiliar to your character. That makes it anything but clear, Anthony.

[There's a long pause.]

How do you fare?

[liverletdie]

Fair. [ A pause. ]

I -- I've been without human contact since April, only to come back, have to essentially hack my own body to stop myself -- after my evil future self essentially sent half of our population into chaos, and he didn't even do me the courtesy of leaving any data about how this happened; but left me everything he did do here, and what it was like to fall off the wagon again.

I'm great, Thor. How do you like Heropa so far? [ The sarcasm is overwhelming. ]

[ifhebeworthy]

Somewhat cloudy.

[Never say he can't be a bit cheeky himself.]

Would you care for the company of a friend?

[One who decidedly isn't going to smash your face in with an enchanted hammer?]

[liverletdie]

[ Considering...

Charles has quit, Peter hasn't said a word to him... ]

I'm sure you're busy, it's not necessary.

[ Of course he'd say no. ]

[ifhebeworthy]

I said nothing of necessity, only that I extend my hand.

[A beat.]

I can leave the hammer here, if it makes you more comfortable.

[liverletdie]

[ A sigh. ]

You can bring the hammer.

[ And then a pause. ] You're not hungry, are you?

[ifhebeworthy]

[There's a pause and then a tiny shrug as he plays down his hunger.]

I could eat.

[liverletdie]

So you're starving.

Alright, come over. We'll get take out and you can tell everyone that I'm definitely at least feeling bad about the whole thing.

[ really, in Tony Stark terms, that's like repentant. ]

action;

[ifhebeworthy]

[It doesn't take him long to get there, because why would it? A god who can travel as fast as the elemental force he controls. And though he doesn't mean to make noise, it's hard not to. A crack of thunder heralds his arrival, his footsteps a heavy rumble on the ground, and his knock on the door, though with great restraint, causes Tony's door to shudder.]

action;

[liverletdie]

[ Jesus, Thor.

It's like having a Thunderstorm in his penthouse.

After a long moment, probably longer than normal, the door finally opens. Everything's well lit, there's the hum of a coffee pot, the place looks immaculate -- but sterile. Like every shred of personality was ripped from the walls, and he hasn't had the heart to put it all back into place.

He grins, although it's forced. ]

I thought you were going to break the door. Come on in.

[ifhebeworthy]

[Thor is concerned, a gentle wrinkle between his eyes as he ducks under the threshold and into Tony's apartment. He politely hangs Mjölnir onto a coat rack next to the door and places a large hand on Tony's shoulder.]

Tis good to see you, old friend, were that circumstances could be different.

[liverletdie]

[ He doesn't flinch, but his mouth turns tight. Human contact is...unusual, after so long. he certainly hasn't had much.

Most people who know him have been... distant. Understandably. ]

Yeah, well, this is the only way I see people from home, these days. I've been here for seven years.

[ifhebeworthy]

Seven years? [He sounds surprised.]

You have been trapped here all this time? Is there no way to free ourselves of this bondage?

[liverletdie]

Not...through your own efforts.

[ A grimace. ]

And believe me, I've tried. Blew myself up once trying.

[ifhebeworthy]

Perhaps then you and I together may accomplish more... and if not that, then at least a friend to help you to believe that you can.

[liverletdie]

Hah!

[ He shook his head, but the smile was almost more of a 'how cute', than anything else. ]

What I built worked -- but it wasn't allowed to work. The porter won't let it. I gave up on that one a long time ago. I'll get home, eventually.

[ifhebeworthy]

Perhaps then you need only be more persuasive, then...

[He seems to be taking all of this mostly in stride. After all, Thor has kind of made it a business out of fighting gods, hasn't he?]

Until then, we wait for this coward to reveal themselves and do what good we can for these people while we find ourselves cast ashore here.

[liverletdie]

That was kind of the plan.

[ A twist of his lips. ]

I don't know if working with me on that is going to do you any good, Pal. Don't know if you noticed, but I'm more like social poison right now.

[ifhebeworthy]

Aye, well... what is the saying you mortals use? "Been there, done that?"

[Why, he was even around when you got wasted and attacked... what was it again, a senator? Thor is very ride or die.]

I care not. If they feel compelled for retribution, let them come through me. I will stand with you.

[liverletdie]

[ A twitch of his lips, then. ]

Well, I appreciate it. Especially right about now.

[ Especially when his closest friends are pulling away from him, and understandably so. After all, he'd just tried to change people -- and he hadn't even completely reverted it back. He'd let people stay the way they were, if they wanted to. ]

I'm going to hold you to that, too, now that you've said it.

Sorry for the late tag!

[ifhebeworthy]

[He gives him a tired smile, eyes half-lidded.]

Perhaps try not to give me reason to consider otherwise, hm?

You know, Anthony... it was men's heart that made me love them, not the iron that shielded it. Just remember that, old friend.

[You know, he's watched you throw yourself deeper and deeper into your own brilliance for years, Tony. There was a simpler time when he couldn't have possibly imagined something like this happening.]

homophobicseal.jpeg was worth it tbh

[liverletdie]

I think I can do my best to keep from doing that.

[ A pause, and then: ]

Now, what did you want for dinner, huh? I think I promised you something to eat.

[ Because he really had been falling in. Nobody could question that. He had been falling -- he was going to continue to fall -- this change hadn't happened in a vacuum, after all. ]