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tamingthemuse2013-04-20 10:49 am
tekia.livejournal.com) wrote in tamingthemuse2013-04-20 10:49 am
Entry tags:
Prompt# 352 – Shameless - Room for Improvement/ extra - Tekia – Exalted/the Avengers
Title: Room for Improvement (extra)
Fandom: the Avengers/ Exalted
Prompt: shameless
Warnings: none
Rating: PG
Summary: After coming home Exalted, Tony has plans and ideas all but pouring out of his ears. Back in Creation, there was magic everywhere, and a little hard work wasn’t going to stop him from finding those wells of magic in his own world.
Bruce’s finger hovered over a spot where the line of Tony’s life thinned dangerously before it thickened once more. He licked his lips, opened his mouth, hesitated, and finally looked to Iron Dust for guidance.
“I don’t think I know what this means.”
“What do you think it means?”
Bruce licked his lips again and shot Tony a quick glance before focusing resolutely on the paper before him.
“I think-um, he died here? But that’s not right, because he’s still alive.” His eyes shot to Iron Dust for explanation.
Iron Dust slowly tore his eyes from the chart and met Bruce’s with a steady stare. “You’re not wrong. But the true reason his path thins there, is because his life was eclipsed by another’s.”
Bruce went back to the chart, looking for what he missed. “But there’s no other star near! Who could-? Didn’t you say that nothing could overpower an exalt’s starlight? Who-?”
Tony couldn’t hold back the smile that curved his lips when he saw Iron Dust’s small, indulgent smile. It was almost reflexive, and in another time, Tony would have worried about the power Iron Dust’s emotions had over him, but as it was, Tony was grateful for Iron Dust for simply being there for him.
There was so much more that he needed to learn from him. And if that knowledge came with the risk of betrayal and suffering on his part, he was glad to have it. Something to show he was worthy of his gifts. He bit his lips and glanced over his shoulder.
White Song usually showed up when his thoughts turned sour to smack him upside the head.
“Only by another exalt’s can one exalt’s star be blinded.”
Bruce’s eyes went wide as he stared at Iron Dust. “This was before you met him, though,” he ventured.
Iron Dust dipped his head in a nod. Bruce’s eyes turned to Tony.
“You knew an exalt before your trip through the trap.”
Tony shrugged. “I didn’t know it at the time, but yeah.”
Bruce studied his face for a long moment before he nodded and turned back to the chart. Tony breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn’t going to be questioned about Yinsen just yet. He could talk about The Guardian easily, but when it came to Yinsen… Iron Dust and White Song and whispered words to Pepper were the only ones he had spoken of about his time in the cave beyond the basic details.
“Why can’t I see that other exalt?”
“The same reason you can’t see mine. It is beyond your ken.”
Bruce stared at Iron Dust over the rim of his glasses before turning that star onto Tony. Every the shameless exhibitionist, Tony puckered up and blew him a kiss. “These celestial types love me.”
Bruce rolled his eyes and went back to the paper, pointing to where Tony’s line thickened once more. “This is where he escaped and returned to health.” His finger slowly drifted over the line as it wavered, but he made no comment before he found the point at which the line suddenly disappeared altogether. “And this is where he exalted. And that’s all I can see.”
Iron Dust nodded and reached for the chart. “Yes, now let me show you what I see.”
Tony felt the blood drain from his face and the bottom of his stomach drop out. He had to remind himself that he had asked for this. He had asked for answer about his past, and to get those answers, he was going to have to let Iron Dust find all his secrets. He took a deep bracing breath and nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt Bruce’s hand settle on his shoulder.
He turned to catch him staring at him, concern lighting up his eyes. “Do you want me to leave?”
Tony quickly covered Bruce’s hand with his own, ignoring how his heart was suddenly pounding in his ears and his breath was coming far too quickly for the reduced capacity of his chest. “No, stay. It’s only fair, isn’t it? Your past and secrets are all laid out for us to read, why shouldn’t you have the same advantage?”
“Tony,” he started, his voicing full of both reprimand and affection. Tony waved him off.
“I want you to stay,” he said, his voice finally firm. It was enough to convince Bruce to settle back in his seat. With one finally nod to Bruce, Tony turned back to Iron Dust. “So, tell us what you see when you look at me.”
Fandom: the Avengers/ Exalted
Prompt: shameless
Warnings: none
Rating: PG
Summary: After coming home Exalted, Tony has plans and ideas all but pouring out of his ears. Back in Creation, there was magic everywhere, and a little hard work wasn’t going to stop him from finding those wells of magic in his own world.
Bruce’s finger hovered over a spot where the line of Tony’s life thinned dangerously before it thickened once more. He licked his lips, opened his mouth, hesitated, and finally looked to Iron Dust for guidance.
“I don’t think I know what this means.”
“What do you think it means?”
Bruce licked his lips again and shot Tony a quick glance before focusing resolutely on the paper before him.
“I think-um, he died here? But that’s not right, because he’s still alive.” His eyes shot to Iron Dust for explanation.
Iron Dust slowly tore his eyes from the chart and met Bruce’s with a steady stare. “You’re not wrong. But the true reason his path thins there, is because his life was eclipsed by another’s.”
Bruce went back to the chart, looking for what he missed. “But there’s no other star near! Who could-? Didn’t you say that nothing could overpower an exalt’s starlight? Who-?”
Tony couldn’t hold back the smile that curved his lips when he saw Iron Dust’s small, indulgent smile. It was almost reflexive, and in another time, Tony would have worried about the power Iron Dust’s emotions had over him, but as it was, Tony was grateful for Iron Dust for simply being there for him.
There was so much more that he needed to learn from him. And if that knowledge came with the risk of betrayal and suffering on his part, he was glad to have it. Something to show he was worthy of his gifts. He bit his lips and glanced over his shoulder.
White Song usually showed up when his thoughts turned sour to smack him upside the head.
“Only by another exalt’s can one exalt’s star be blinded.”
Bruce’s eyes went wide as he stared at Iron Dust. “This was before you met him, though,” he ventured.
Iron Dust dipped his head in a nod. Bruce’s eyes turned to Tony.
“You knew an exalt before your trip through the trap.”
Tony shrugged. “I didn’t know it at the time, but yeah.”
Bruce studied his face for a long moment before he nodded and turned back to the chart. Tony breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn’t going to be questioned about Yinsen just yet. He could talk about The Guardian easily, but when it came to Yinsen… Iron Dust and White Song and whispered words to Pepper were the only ones he had spoken of about his time in the cave beyond the basic details.
“Why can’t I see that other exalt?”
“The same reason you can’t see mine. It is beyond your ken.”
Bruce stared at Iron Dust over the rim of his glasses before turning that star onto Tony. Every the shameless exhibitionist, Tony puckered up and blew him a kiss. “These celestial types love me.”
Bruce rolled his eyes and went back to the paper, pointing to where Tony’s line thickened once more. “This is where he escaped and returned to health.” His finger slowly drifted over the line as it wavered, but he made no comment before he found the point at which the line suddenly disappeared altogether. “And this is where he exalted. And that’s all I can see.”
Iron Dust nodded and reached for the chart. “Yes, now let me show you what I see.”
Tony felt the blood drain from his face and the bottom of his stomach drop out. He had to remind himself that he had asked for this. He had asked for answer about his past, and to get those answers, he was going to have to let Iron Dust find all his secrets. He took a deep bracing breath and nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt Bruce’s hand settle on his shoulder.
He turned to catch him staring at him, concern lighting up his eyes. “Do you want me to leave?”
Tony quickly covered Bruce’s hand with his own, ignoring how his heart was suddenly pounding in his ears and his breath was coming far too quickly for the reduced capacity of his chest. “No, stay. It’s only fair, isn’t it? Your past and secrets are all laid out for us to read, why shouldn’t you have the same advantage?”
“Tony,” he started, his voicing full of both reprimand and affection. Tony waved him off.
“I want you to stay,” he said, his voice finally firm. It was enough to convince Bruce to settle back in his seat. With one finally nod to Bruce, Tony turned back to Iron Dust. “So, tell us what you see when you look at me.”