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tamingthemuseTitle: Room for Improvement (extra)
Fandom: the Avengers/ Exalted
Prompt: Father
Warnings: none
Rating: PG-13
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.
The others refused to let them go alone.
Rhodey, unfortunately, had a several meetings to attend and only went so far as the air strip with them. After several long, lingering, thoughtful looks at Tony, Rhodey finally clapped a hand on his shoulder and nodded. “Be careful. It’s a dragon.”
Tony grinned. “I know. I’ve met gods and elementals and other exalts, but never a dragon. Do you want a souvenir? I don’t know if we’ll find a little shop, but I’m sure I can pick you up a shell or something.”
Rhodey shook his head again. “We’ll talk more after you get back.”
Tony nodded and switched the suitcase armor to his opposite hand so he could hold out his right to shake Rhodey’s. “We shouldn’t be gone long. A few days at the most.”
Rhodey’s eyes moved on to where Iron Dust and White Song were talking quietly to each other. “How much do you trust them?”
Tony turned his head to follow Rhodey’s gaze and he felt his lips curve up. “With my life, my soul, and my future.” He offered Rhodey a small shrug when he turned back. “We went through a lot together, the three of us. It was like being reborn and reaching out for guidance, and they were there. He could be my new father, and she my mother, they were so powerful a presence in my rebirth as an exalt.”
“You’re going to have to tell me what that really means, when you get back.”
Tony let his small smile turn into a wicked grin. “It really means that what technology I invent will never be used against me again. It means that what I create up here”- a tap to his head- “will be mine alone and nobody can ever take it from me.”
Rhodey stared at him a few moments before nodding. “We will talk.” Tony hated it when he did that. He always felt that Rhodey could see into the heart of him, and sometimes, when Tony himself couldn’t quite describe what was going on in his head, it felt like Rhodey just knew. He always knew.
It was one of the many reasons why Tony loved him.
With one last glance at Iron Dust and White Song, Rhodey walked away and back to the waiting car. Tony watched him walk away before turning his own stare toward the duo still talking. He strolled over to them and rested his chin on White Song’s shoulder.
“How would you pay it,” White Song was saying, her hands on her hips. She had adapted very well to the clothing of the modern world and wore blue jean capris that rested low on her hips and a thin cotton top that fitted her like a glove. She wore sandals on her feet and, Tony noticed with a smile, her toe nails were painted with a glittering blue paint. She still wore her hair in a wild mess of curls, but had allowed for a headband to hold it away from her face. “Gods demand sacrifice and tribute,” she finished, tilting her head just enough that her cheek touched Tony’s.
Tony turned his eyes to Iron Dust, silently waiting for his answer. Iron Dust stood with his hands at his sides, staring down at his feet, shoulders curved down, lips a tight line.
He had also acquired modern clothing, and it made him look even younger than before. He wore his hair pulled back in a tight braided tail that hung over his shoulder like a rope. He wore half a suit that Tony suspected Pepper had acquired for him from Tony’s own tailor. The vest and jacket had disappeared at some point, leaving behind the loosened tie and rolled up sleeves.
“You have no excess of Essence in which to pay tribute, so tell me your plans, lover,” White Song demanded when Iron Dust remained silent.
He shook his head. “I don’t know yet.” He opened his mouth to say more, but she cut him off, slicing her hand through the air.
“You’re going to endanger yourself for this. I know you. You’re going to try to bargain with a god, and you’re going to get yourself into a mess. I don’t like it.”
“What’s his plan?” Tony finally asked.
She turned to him and nearly growled. Tony took a step back, out of biting range.
“He wants to go back to Heaven. If the dragon is able, he thinks that it can take him to a gate, if any gates still stand.”
Tony stared at her a moment, processing, before looking back at Iron Dust. “Why?”
“Yu Shan is where exalts were created. It is where the gods who created us reside. If I can get back there, then I can find out the reasons for our continued existence in a world forsaken by gods and exalts alike.” He looked up from the cement under their feet for the first time during their exchange. “I can find out what happened, and if we can salvage anything of our old world.”
Fandom: the Avengers/ Exalted
Prompt: Father
Warnings: none
Rating: PG-13
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.
The others refused to let them go alone.
Rhodey, unfortunately, had a several meetings to attend and only went so far as the air strip with them. After several long, lingering, thoughtful looks at Tony, Rhodey finally clapped a hand on his shoulder and nodded. “Be careful. It’s a dragon.”
Tony grinned. “I know. I’ve met gods and elementals and other exalts, but never a dragon. Do you want a souvenir? I don’t know if we’ll find a little shop, but I’m sure I can pick you up a shell or something.”
Rhodey shook his head again. “We’ll talk more after you get back.”
Tony nodded and switched the suitcase armor to his opposite hand so he could hold out his right to shake Rhodey’s. “We shouldn’t be gone long. A few days at the most.”
Rhodey’s eyes moved on to where Iron Dust and White Song were talking quietly to each other. “How much do you trust them?”
Tony turned his head to follow Rhodey’s gaze and he felt his lips curve up. “With my life, my soul, and my future.” He offered Rhodey a small shrug when he turned back. “We went through a lot together, the three of us. It was like being reborn and reaching out for guidance, and they were there. He could be my new father, and she my mother, they were so powerful a presence in my rebirth as an exalt.”
“You’re going to have to tell me what that really means, when you get back.”
Tony let his small smile turn into a wicked grin. “It really means that what technology I invent will never be used against me again. It means that what I create up here”- a tap to his head- “will be mine alone and nobody can ever take it from me.”
Rhodey stared at him a few moments before nodding. “We will talk.” Tony hated it when he did that. He always felt that Rhodey could see into the heart of him, and sometimes, when Tony himself couldn’t quite describe what was going on in his head, it felt like Rhodey just knew. He always knew.
It was one of the many reasons why Tony loved him.
With one last glance at Iron Dust and White Song, Rhodey walked away and back to the waiting car. Tony watched him walk away before turning his own stare toward the duo still talking. He strolled over to them and rested his chin on White Song’s shoulder.
“How would you pay it,” White Song was saying, her hands on her hips. She had adapted very well to the clothing of the modern world and wore blue jean capris that rested low on her hips and a thin cotton top that fitted her like a glove. She wore sandals on her feet and, Tony noticed with a smile, her toe nails were painted with a glittering blue paint. She still wore her hair in a wild mess of curls, but had allowed for a headband to hold it away from her face. “Gods demand sacrifice and tribute,” she finished, tilting her head just enough that her cheek touched Tony’s.
Tony turned his eyes to Iron Dust, silently waiting for his answer. Iron Dust stood with his hands at his sides, staring down at his feet, shoulders curved down, lips a tight line.
He had also acquired modern clothing, and it made him look even younger than before. He wore his hair pulled back in a tight braided tail that hung over his shoulder like a rope. He wore half a suit that Tony suspected Pepper had acquired for him from Tony’s own tailor. The vest and jacket had disappeared at some point, leaving behind the loosened tie and rolled up sleeves.
“You have no excess of Essence in which to pay tribute, so tell me your plans, lover,” White Song demanded when Iron Dust remained silent.
He shook his head. “I don’t know yet.” He opened his mouth to say more, but she cut him off, slicing her hand through the air.
“You’re going to endanger yourself for this. I know you. You’re going to try to bargain with a god, and you’re going to get yourself into a mess. I don’t like it.”
“What’s his plan?” Tony finally asked.
She turned to him and nearly growled. Tony took a step back, out of biting range.
“He wants to go back to Heaven. If the dragon is able, he thinks that it can take him to a gate, if any gates still stand.”
Tony stared at her a moment, processing, before looking back at Iron Dust. “Why?”
“Yu Shan is where exalts were created. It is where the gods who created us reside. If I can get back there, then I can find out the reasons for our continued existence in a world forsaken by gods and exalts alike.” He looked up from the cement under their feet for the first time during their exchange. “I can find out what happened, and if we can salvage anything of our old world.”
