Burden

[in_extremis]

WHO: Tony and OTA??, though a few people are getting mentioned (Kaz, Jon, Cayde, Ronan?, Bucky?, this is already falling apart)
WHERE: Around Temba where all of those people can be found
WHAT: Tony's delivering gifts again
WHEN: A little while after the Eyepocalypse
WARNINGS: There could be talking about the event-related trauma in here, but none of that to begin with.
NOTES: You can interpret this as catching Tony at any of these places to interact with him, or just find the package and text him later, or not respond at all and just know you have this thing in your life now. I'm not your boss, surprise me. You may also intercept a package that isn't for you, unless the rightful owner tags in here first and claims it. Fight.


It wasn't like he was getting much sleep, so Tony had plenty of time to work. He had some apologies to make, first and foremost, and only some of the construction was like rocket science. It was the deliveries that turned out to be challenging. Most of the Iron Man's helmet was finished, too, before he was making his reluctant way through the city, D.A.T.A. bumbling along behind him to cover more ground quickly and let Tony retreat again before he lost his nerve. It wasn't like the blood wasn't already on the ground.

None of the packages were very big, easy for the robot to carry and wrapped neatly in scraps of what felt like toasted paper, which crumbled under too much handling. Small, brass tags fixed them together, bearing the name of their recipient to be found at their doorsteps.

...at the Bloodsport
A soft, squishy package labelled with KAZ. Inside, laid carefully on top of each other and smudged slightly in the ash of the paper, is a pair of black gloves whose texture is closer to vellum than leather. Maybe its this thinness that lets the wearer sense so easily through them, and interact with touchscreen devices. Its not at the sake of durability, though. A knife will leave a mark, but that's not how you're getting through these gloves.

...at the library
A small, cylindrical package labelled JON. To different people, this might look like a high calibre bullet, or a gold tube of lipstick. It's a sleek electric lighter, though. No patterns on the case.

...at the clock tower
This package clatters slightly when it is moved, which might be worrying because it only has the explosive hazard symbol on the label. If it is handled gently, you'll find a pair of generously heavy dice inside. They're slightly oversized, and feel like they might be solid iron all the way through. Every time they are rolled, they always turn up on an ornately stamped pair of feathers in place of snake eyes.

...at the theatre
Another squishy package, though this label just says 'FOR NEXT TIME'. It's another pair of black gloves, though these ones don't cover the tips of the fingers or the thumb at all, and there seems to be a distinct weight to the knuckles. They cover most of the way up the forearm, like they might be part of some kind of...superhero costume...

...at the hotel
About the size of a chocolate bar, and labelled JAMES. That black vellum-looking material has been formed into a small, stiff domino mask. Its eyes are darkened with some kind of glass. Try it on, and it will prompt you to pair with your communication device, and suggests vaguely on this HUD 'TRY ME'.

Comments

The Hotel

[thestaremaster]

Bucky eyed the small package for a while before retrieving it. He'd been watching Stark from afar as he delivered it, and even with his name plainly on the thing he felt uncertain. It took a while before he opened it up, and he eyed the mask curiously once he'd unveiled it.

It reminded him a bit of Sam's eye gear, and he held it to his face, blinking in surprise as the HUD sparked to life.

It was some time later that Bucky approached the forge. He rapped his knuckles against the door before he could change his mind.

[in_extremis]

A knock was new. Anyone else who showed up had a habit of letting themselves in, so as strange as it was to have a visitor, it was stranger yet that this visitor was polite. As much as Tony wanted to ignore it, he was drawn across the room in his curiosity, pliers still in one and and a coil of gold wire wrapped around the other's fingers, forgotten as he toed the door gently open.

"Oh," he said when he was confronted with a familiar, angular face, gaze skirting quickly down the metal arm with a small wince that tugged at his cheek as he confirmed which owner of this face had shown up. Which was a terrible greeting, so he tried to amend, "Hi," not much better, then, "Lose something?"

[thestaremaster]

"You know- his hair's longer," Bucky noted, following Tony's gaze, lip giving a small quirk, unbothered by the need to check. And of course a Stark would gage based off a shiny piece of tech rather than by their more human differences.

"I was uh...in the neighborhood. Thought you might be able to get this back in shape?" he asked, lifting his left arm pointedly. It was still functional, nothing Shuri built was going to be easily damaged, but a few plates had been shifted from place with their fighting, and where metal meet flesh wasn't holding up too great. "I know you've probably been dying to get your hands on it since I got here," he teased with a knowing smirk.

[in_extremis]

That wasn't much of an argument, making Tony pout after processing what Bucky was trying to tell him and mutter, "You can cut hair." It wasn't like he was keeping up with the grooming habits of everyone in town. That would be weird and creepy. All of the pictures he had of them were for other reasons entirely.

Any hint of that pouting was gone the moment Bucky just came out and offered a fantasy opportunity. At first, Tony's eyes brightened with enthusiasm, only for him to shrink back just as malleably with an anxious glance over his shoulder and looking like he might just close the door in Bucky's face. As far as Tony would describe it, he had gotten his hands on that arm well beyond what either of them deserved, and with an uncharacteristic hesitance he found his voice, "I've been known to overindulge. If you're sure you want to be an enabler." He tilted his head with the question, are you sure?, searching Bucky's face for some awareness that Tony shouldn't be trusted.

[thestaremaster]

You could, but Soldat seemed pretty attached, a state Bucky could remember well enough. Their little play at being twins in teasing had gone all right, so many Stark was smart to have a more precise method.

"M'pretty good enabler," he offered with a shrug and a half smile, "And it's not exactly like I can shop around for my choice of mechanics here," he teased.

[in_extremis]

"That's not true, but very kind of you to acknowledge," Tony allowed, setting his shoulders more confidently with Bucky's teasing reassurance. There were plenty of mechanics, in Tony's experience, but there was only one choice. Sorry, Cal. He finally stepped back from the door, sweeping one arm in distinctly mocking grandness to welcome Bucky into the heat of the forge then leading him through toward the fire, not waiting for him to acclimate to the hanging armor or array of glinting tools.

[thestaremaster]

Bucky followed after, trying to take the space in as he passed through. It said a lot about Stark, that he'd made this space his home. Given enough time there were stories to read in the way he'd filled out the space like a packrat, but for now Bucky filed away only the basics.

"...You doing all right? After...everything?" he asked, finally broaching the subject he was sure they'd both rather avoid.

[in_extremis]

Waiting for it to come up and fill this space between them was already awkward, so Tony's first reaction was to grimace at Bucky's tone before he had to finish the question, eyeing him as though to ask if he was sure he wanted to do that. They could just ignore it, it was fine, nothing bad ever came of that. Once it was out, though, Tony was very prepared with a quick, "Of course," waving his hands to dismiss the entire idea, then following the motion to drop what he was carrying unceremoniously onto the workbench. He was going to need his hands free once he gestured for Bucky to take what must have been the only available seat, directly on the scorched anvil by the forge. It did have the best light. "All in one piece. Can't be said for everyone," he continued, then quickly lost his confidence, locking his jaw again and glancing aside as he worked up any way to return the question without looking pathetically guilty. "You look good. You hide all of your crazy well?" was definitely not the correct answer.

[thestaremaster]

He gave the metal a brief frown, and swept over it with his flesh hand before taking a seat. It was hard, making his stiff posture that much more noticeable, along with the way it softened some at Tony's comment.

"Do I?" he asked, flashing him a doubtful smile. Well he had some practice. "It's cause I know just how crazy I am. I don't waste my time trying to pretend I'm not."

[in_extremis]

"Please," Tony insisted lightly, eyes closed and hands flapping, because he heard the accusation in that statement. "It doesn't take that much time. Once you get the routine down." For now, he only snatched up a towel to wipe his hands then throw over his shoulder as he approached Bucky by the fire, and gestured for him to prepare for Tony's investigation, some apologetic tension still clipping Tony's movements. He kept his voice a distracting, lilting purr as he continued, "Maybe that's why you're so hot. All of that crazy on the surface, it's part of the package, keeps things exciting."

[thestaremaster]

Bucky chuckled, shrugging off his jacket and assuming a familiar posture, ready for inspection.

"You might be a worse flirt than your father, I'm shocked," he teased lightly.

[in_extremis]

Tony was tense enough without talking about his dad and he gave Bucky an incredulous stare for even saying that. On the one hand, god, hopefully that was true, but the idea that this was a comparable trait at all was horrific and Tony cleared his throat with a small shake of his head, very intently focusing his studious work starting at Bucky's shoulder to check for imperfections. "I'm not flirting," he insisted, "just...observing." That wasn't an easy one to walk back.

[thestaremaster]

"Observing, sure," Bucky echoed with a half smile. He turned his jaw a little and smirked, seeming to allow for it regardless. It faded quickly though, and he wet his lips, turning to glance up at Stark.

"...Is this place going to be like a lot?" he asked, finally properly acknowledging the hell they'd lived through this past month.

[in_extremis]

Tony sucked his teeth, tipping his head side to side as he considered the best way to answer while he kept his focus resolutely on the easy, practical problem before them. The arm could be fixed with tools that Tony already had. "No," he went with first, only to immediately reconsider and admit, "Maybe." That particular nightmare had been new, but Tony couldn't say it didn't fit a pattern.

"They like to get in our heads. See what we do under pressure," he muttered as he massaged both thumbs around a disjointed plate. "This whole thing is just a long game of that, waiting for us to break down. But sometimes they do put their finger on the scale."

[thestaremaster]

"Sounds familiar," he grumbled. No matter where he went he couldn't escape people messing with head. Soon enough there wouldn't be anything left to mess with.

"...They could've set me up to kill everyone in this place, but they gave us incentive to keep each other alive." It was a sort of twisted Bucky wasn't sure how to interpret exactly, "...You know- in case you were getting a big head or anything," he added, a bit of playful bite to take some of the sting out of this more serious conversation.

[in_extremis]

If Tony heard the teasing, he didn't look like it, eyeing Bucky curiously more like he really had threatened Tony. Instead of addressing it, though, he instructed abruptly, "Hold this," hooking what looked like a pipe wrench under the loose plate to yank it up and pressing the handle expectantly against Bucky's shoulder to keep in place for his own surgery. It was as Tony walked away to collect some finer tools that he said, "The other one, the Soldier, he talks like that, too." He had to roll his eyes as he returned, sure he didn't really have to clarify, "The killing everyone part." The actual question that Tony had about that likeness was in his inquisitively raised brows, and they were gone as he returned to his work just as suddenly as he broke away by sitting astride the anvil next to Bucky to lean in close to the cavity he held exposed.

"What's the incentive?" was what he asked out loud. "You need me for the upkeep? In that case, we'll do this in instalments. I can only work for so long, union rules."

[thestaremaster]

Bucky held the wrench, gritting his teeth faintly as Tony pride up the plate.

"Of course he does," he breathed easily, though the idea made him a little uncomfortable. How similar they were still when he thought he'd moved further away from that part of himself.

"Well, I mean now I could kill you like that," he tried to dismiss with a smirk, "But then..." He frowned. It was like he needed the fear. The pain. It was an uncomfortable feeling. Oddly unfamiliar, despite all the fear, and pain he'd caused throughout his many years. The Winter Soldier was efficient, he didn't relish his actions or extract any personal pleasure from what he did.

[in_extremis]

Apparently, they were committed to talking about it as long as Tony was being too subtle in steering them away, and he pressed his lips together to huff out a sigh that could have been a laugh for Bucky's teasing this time. At least he could keep his nose practically against Bucky's arm to peer into the cavity he kept exposed for Tony to work, sending shivers and jolts through the systems as they struggled to recalibrate around the intrusion of Tony's instruments. "Relax, sweetheart..." he murmured, directly to the arm, Bucky's participation here was incidental, before he responded to Bucky's prompting.

"I don't know if I could have stopped," he admitted, "without being stopped. Or--what I think I was capable of doing, it might have been more merciful to just be a murderer instead." He was quiet for a moment in which he might have been intently focused on his work before he continued, "So, I don't know, maybe you have a lot more self-restraint than you're giving yourself credit for. You and him."

[thestaremaster]

Bucky snorted automatically, but his features softened a little, thinking back over everything and he gave a faint tilt of his head.

Maybe.

"...I see why Steve liked you," he offered finally, lips curling into a half smile.

[in_extremis]

Not the direction Tony expected Bucky to go. A shining compliment if there ever was one, though, and Tony was sure he wasn't the only one who couldn't help the tug of a giddy grin at a sign of Cap's approval, but he quashed it as quickly as he could manage to try a casual shrug and tip of his head. "We have our moments," he said. The next time Bucky spoke to Steve, it was just as likely that Tony was a grave disappointment. Tony's work froze perceptibly then, though he didn't quite look up at first, staring into Bucky's arm like it was the one that had said something troubling before he asked, "What do you mean, 'liked'?"