god there’s something so emotionally genuine about cap 3/avengers 3 tony in particular that’s just… it’s just these glimpses of casual, unassuming generosity. toward strangers. toward people he’s just met
he shares a patched up memory of the last time he saw his parents with a student audience, as part of a call to “reframe the future.” he acknowledges that the young people in that room are dealing with “some of the greatest challenges mankind’s ever known.” and he isn’t just talk, he’s there to fund all their research. he’s not claiming any credit for himself
the staff forgot to take pepper’s name off the teleprompter. they couldn’t have known how that would knock tony off-balance. he took both arms of the woman who came to apologize to him and told her it was fine
charlie spencer’s mother gives him a perfect opening, a perfect opportunity for some cocky comment: “it was nice what you did for those young people.” tony’s hurt and alone and he wants to leave quietly and he doesn’t want to talk and he’s never seen this woman in his life and he doesn’t take that opening to make the self-aggrandizing comment that the woman might have expected. he says that those young people deserved that money. he acknowledges his guilt to a complete stranger
he apologizes for how his hypervigilance manifested. he doesn’t interrupt ms. spencer a single time while she communicates her grief and blames him for what happened to her son. he doesn’t say a single word in self-defense.
he looks up charlie spencer. he looks at pictures. he memorized his GPA. he publicly acknowledges the way charlie had been more mature than him at his age. “that’s charlie spencer, by the way. he’s a great kid.” and his voice was barely steady.
“we’re taking a break,” tony tells steve, about pepper. “it’s nobody’s fault.”
he’d been developing suit upgrades for a kid he’d seen on youtube. he’d never met this kid. tony stark sits on a computer and he sees random kids in videos and he says: “i want to help them.” he gave peter his full attention and empathy while peter described his motivations as spider-man. not once did he invalidate the kid’s drive.
he goes on morning jogs with pepper. he talks to her about the dreams he’s had, the weird dreams where he had to pee, the good dream where they had a kid. he tells her and he’s so earnest. “it felt so real.” he wants to protect pepper from the monsters in his closet. there are so many monsters living in his closet.
“no more surprises,” he tells her. he’s trying his hardest to just make it work. he automatically reaches for her when he feels threatened.
tony takes bruce in his arms when he almost collapses.
he’s been carrying the phone steve sent him in his pocket wherever he goes. the mere idea of steve still hurts him, but for a moment there, he braced himself to put all his hurt aside to call him, because he recognized that the situation was bigger than that hurt.
there’s some kind of commotion outside. people are screaming. tony’s the first to step outside. the world is falling apart around him and he stops to help one woman up. he worries about evacuating civilians.
bruce can’t hulk out. tony tells wong to watch over him, and steps up himself.
“unlock 17A.” just how many mechanisms has tony created specifically to protect this one kid who’s dying to be like him?
he tell pepper he’s sorry. he still calls her “honey.”
he’s in space, he’s confronting his nightmare scenario, and he doesn’t want to route the ship back home. he can’t bring this fight to earth. he’ll go to an unknown planet to make sure this fight doesn’t happen where there’s people.
it’s all a scenario that has been haunting his nightmares for years. he’s gonna face it in the hopes that others won’t have to.
he tries to ground strange. he has “i know what it’s like when your mind tortures you” written all over him, all over everything he does and says.
the plan is almost working. they almost have that gauntlet. but a grief-stricken peter quill is about to do something very stupid. tony’s helmet disappears: “steady quill. we almost have him!” he knows what’s going on in quill’s head. he never invalidates the emotional turmoil. he’s without his helmet, risking his life to treat quill with as much sympathy as could be afforded in the moment. he never holds their failure against peter.
he tells strange not to do it. he’d rather die.
mantis disappears. drax disappears. tony turns to peter quill, and again: “steady, quill.” he’s watching everyone go and it’s his worst case scenario and he’s trying to stabilize the others.
“you’re all right,” he tells peter. he holds this kid until he goes away. it’s going to be in his head forever. peter and the whole world can come back a thousand times, but peter parker still sobbed into his arms, begging not to go, and he couldn’t do anything.
“and if you die, i feel like that’s on me,” he told peter once. he brought peter into this game. in the spaceship, when peter flippantly and nervously tells tony that technically it’s his fault that he’s in space, something about tony’s expression makes him immediately apologize.
“i’m sorry, i’m sorry,” peter tells tony before he goes. because he knows. he knows it will be hell on tony.
(and he’s so much like him. it’s his last words and he’s going to use them to say how sorry he is.)
tony’s heart is just hanging there on his sleeve, like, if anyone can’t see it at this point then just… i don’t know. i guess that’s what makes his story feel so real. the discrepancies between how he’s widely perceived vs how he actually is are just so real. and i don’t know if that’s something that can be explained by the masks he wears anymore. at this point is more about whether or not people can accept change when they see it, whether people can admit that growth is possible, whether people are willing to empathize. because really. all the masks and armors tony wore in infinity war were there to protect other people. it was all so he could look at someone else and say, “steady” and “you’re all right” when nothing was. when he wasn’t.
When my friends are getting ready for a couple days off from work, our “weekend” regardless of the actual day of the week, they’ll happily proclaim that they are going to “get fucked up!!!!” And yeah, at first they’ll be a little looser (dancing when they otherwise wouldn’t due to being self-conscious or talking to that hot person they otherwise wouldn’t have) but because they’re goal was to “get fucked up” they keep drinking. My friends aren’t the type who drink to the point of vomitting and stuff, nor do they get to the point that I have to corral them into the car. But the next day they’ll definitely be hungover (headaches and can’t move and whatever). Some complain about how they feel the day after, some don’t. Either way I end up listening/watching like ‘Why?’ And then day 2 of our “weekend” usually leaves me doing stuff my myself because I know they’re out of commission.
I do know some people who drink to the point of being sick and will still want to go out drinking again in the future. I just saw that post where a guy was so drunk he didn’t know where his girlfriend was and she was right next to him. A lot of the comments were like “lol aw he misses her” and I get it, if he’s looking for her even when he’s not in his right mind he must really love her. But that shit’s terrifying. A substance affecting you to the point that you don’t know where the *person you came with* is even though they’re literally less than a foot away??
I don’t get the appeal. I also don’t get why it’s assumed most folks do/want to drink. Like, there is always someone who says “Sheena we’re gonna get you drunk one day.” Nah boo I’m good. And the last time someone invited me to a (supposedly) classy thing there was a question about what wine I wanted. Okay soda isn’t classy (according to them) but tea, lemonade, or even plain old water exist. “What are you drinking?” would have been better than assuming wine. But it’s assumed its what grown folks want.
I adore tony being one of peter’s emergency contacts at school but what I love even better is the school staffs reaction to may putting him as one
I mean they would just be like “i’m sorry you wanna put who as what now?!?!”
Tony’s sitting in his lab working on fixing DUM-E’s claw, because somehow, the bot managed to break off one of it’s digits while Tony wasn’t looking. He didn’t even asked FRIDAY how it happened, just told her that if DUM-E tried to do whatever it was again, to let him know.
There’s a sudden vibrating next to him, and he spares a glance to see that it’s his phone with a new text message. He sets down his current tool and checks his phone to see if it’s Peter or Pepper, because if not then it can wait.
It’s not either of them.
But this person certainly can NOT wait.
He quickly opens the text.
Aunt Hottie: Hey, can you do me a favor?
Me: Of course, is everything okay?
Aunt Hottie: Yes, everything’s fine.
Aunt Hottie: Do you remember how we agreed to have you down as Peter’s second emergency contact at the school?
Me: Yes
Aunt Hottie: Well, there’s a problem.
Me: Whose ass do I need to kick
Aunt Hottie: Tony.
Me: Sorry, what’s the problem
Aunt Hottie: The school doesn’t believe that Peter actually knows you, they even gave Peter detention because they thought he was trying to “take his internship lie too far”. I didn’t even know that nobody believed him.
Aunt Hottie: And when I went down there to try and straighten it out, they didn’t believe me either, and told me to stop encouraging Peter.
Tony felt white hot anger flash through his veins. Not only were these people punishing Peter for telling the truth, but they were straight up insulting the kid’s aunt.
Oh hell no.
Me:So what you’re saying is everything is not okay and that I do need to kick some ass
Aunt Hottie: I’m asking you to please go to the school tomorrow and correct the problem. It’s the beginning of the school year and Peter is already in trouble. I would go with you but I have to be at work at 6 am.
Me: No problem, I’ll see to it that everything gets sorted out.
Aunt Hottie: Thank you, Tony.
Me: No problemo
—-
The next day Tony walked into the office of Midtown Tech as 11:30 am sharp. He didn’t call ahead for a meeting. He wanted to catch everyone off guard. Off their game.
And that’s exactly what he did.
Walking in the office, he spots a woman behind a desk slash counter looking thing. She’s probably in her late 30′s to early 40′s and gives off a very soccer mom-ish vibe.
“Excuse me Ms-” Tony looks down to the name tag on her desk, “Rhodes? Hi.” He flashes his fake paparazzi smile at the woman, and when she looks up at him its like her brain short circuits, because she’s silent for a good 7 seconds.
Tony counted.
“Um, h-hi, sir, uh, M-Mr. Stark.” She stands, brushing out her skirt then trying (and failing) to discreetly fix her hair, “H-How may I help you?”
“I would like to speak to the principle. I don’t have an appointment. I hope that’s not a problem.”
“Oh! I’m sure it won’t be a problem at all! Just a moment!” And the woman who Tony has already forgotten the name of scurries to the back of the office and disappears into a hallway.
While he waits, Tony stands there looking around at the bland looking office and shudders.
He would drop dead before having to repeat school.
Then a voice from behind him pulls him out of his thoughts, “Mr. Stark?”
Tony whips around to see Peter standing in the doorway, “Hey kiddo, shouldn’t you be in class?”
“Shouldn’t you be at the compound?”
He waves a hand dismissively, “I should be a lot of places. But you,” He points a finger at the teenager, “Should be in class.”
“Actually I was headed to lunch, but Ned saw you through the office windows while we were walking.” At the mention of his best friend, Peter jerked his head to the side, and Tony then notices the kid’s friend outside the office looking like he was going to explode with excitement.
“Right. Well. I’m just here to sort something out, don’t worry about it ki-”
“Mr. Stark?”
Tony then turns to see what must be the school’s principle, “Yes, hello. Principle Morita is it?”
Tony walks forwards and extends a hand to shake the other man’s when he notices Morita looking behind him. But before he can ask, Morita speaks up, “Was this student bothering you? I apologize. He should be at lunch right now and,” Morita pointedly looks at Peter, making him curl in on himself, “not looking for more trouble.”
Tony has to steel himself to hold back the remark he has for this man.
Instead he just says, “Actually, Peter is the reason I’m here.”
At this, Morita stumbles on his words, and finally utters a, “What?”
“Peter, come here please.” Tony reaches out an arm and Peter did as he was told, and when he got into Tony’s reach, Tony pulled him close with his arm around Peter’s shoulders, “Peter’s aunt notified me yesterday that there is a slight problem with you believing that a) he is my intern and b) I am his second emergency contact. She also told me that such problems led to disciplinary action, which I have to say, I’m not exactly happy about. Considering the shortcomings here are on your side.”
Morita sputtered a moment before, “Oh o-of course Mr. Stark. I apologize for the inconvenience, and for you having to make a trip down here just for this.”
“I don’t mind having to make trips for my kid.” Tony narrowed his eyes at the man in front of him.
He looks between Tony and Peter, “Of course. Well I will see to it that the detentions are resolved and will not go on his personal record, and I will make sure you are entered as his contact.”
Tony nodded, “Great, I’m glad that’s settled.” He turned to Peter, “Alright, drama’s over. Go back to lunch with Ted.”
Peter rolled his eyes, “It’s Ned, dad.”
Tony ruffled Peter’s hair and gave him a gentle push towards the door, “Whatever, I’ll see you this weekend. Nat found a new recipe she wants to try with you.”
“Okay, see ya!”
“Bye, squirt.”
The two parted ways and left through their own doors, leaving a confused and dumbfounded Principle Morita standing in the middle of the office.
What the shit just happened?
——
Aunt Hottie: Thank you
Me: It’s no problem, really. Happy to do it
Aunt Hottie: Could have made a little less of a scene
Me: You know that’s not my style
Aunt Hottie: Right, but how are you gonna get out of this one
Aunt Hottie: attachment:
New York Post
HEADLINE- Tony Stark has a son?
I DON’T MIND HAVING TO MAKE TRIPS FOR MY KID!!!! AAAAAHHH
The largest storm ‘since records began’ is currently building in south east Asia/ the Pacific – its looks like it’ll be skirting the Phillipines and hitting the area around Hong Kong and Macau around Monday the 17th.
This is Typhoon Mangkhut
Those little green lines are islands and countries.
It is LARGER/STRONGER THAN FLORENCE
It’s currently typhoon 10. The highest cataorgoy and equivalent to a category 5 for American hurricanes.
Smile It Won't Suck Forever 