revivalproject

Entry tags:

Burden

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'.

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There was no way they were coming in for a controlled landing with their combined weight, and Tony's laugh cut off abruptly with a yelp as they came crashing and bounced off of the end of the line. He tried to stick his feet out to stop himself from throwing his full, charging weight into Cayde's back, only to flip himself over to go rolling across the floor and slide to a stop at a pair of what felt like very judgmental feet. He gave a cough, one eye still winced shut at the scrapes he picked up on his tumble across the floor, but there was still an unmistakable playful glimmer in his eye as he casually greeted, "Evening." Waving the one hand that wasn't still clawed up against what felt like rug burn, he explained, "We're improving on the design. This is a good angle for you, has anyone ever told you that?"

If they were expected then they were clearly not invaders, but guests!

Cayde had quickly worked out how their speed was not ideal for entry but at this point they were committed and the rebar he clung to lacked brakes. With Sundance bringing up not one but two warm bodies coming up on radar as they made their approach, the Exo could only hope that they didn't come right up to the landing zone.

While Tony went tumbling over him Cayde barely managed to throw his hands in front of him to avoid flat-out faceplanting as he hit the ground, skidding to a stop against Tony. He popped his head up with a slight wince, yet still managing a grin as he looked past his partner in crime towards the feet- oh, two pairs of feet!

"So you know, if you'd just installed a mattresss right about by the window then this could've all been avoided."

It was here the clone was glad he missed them by a few seconds. The resulting collision would have been more of a pain to deal with.

Echo tried not to smirk at Tony's attempt at explaining their landing, his nose wrinkling slightly as he looked at the man play it off like nothing was wrong. He then extended a hand to help him up if he decided he needed it.

"Must've slipped my mind," he replied in regards to Cayde's overlapping suggestion, glancing over his shoulder at Jon once he caught up. "You know this guy, right?" He meant Tony, but you know. It was a very downplayed joke.

By the time echo has begun to help Tony back to his feet, Jon has joined this little not necessarily voluntary gathering. Just in time to cast especially Tony a questioning look.

His answer, however, is directed at Echo, along with a small shrug. "Sometimes I wonder if I do."

He then directs his attention to both Tony and Cayde, inclining his head slightly. "You could have simply used the stairs, you know that."

While Tony impulsively took the help up, gladly pressing Cayde back down to balance as he did so, he clearly didn't need all of the extra assistance as Jon's voice had him springing up easily where it looked like he had been struggling. "What a pleasant surprise," he enthused, holding out a hand that he didn't entirely expect Jon to take then, not sure how much trouble he was in for this compromising position but willing to try kissing Jon's knuckles to climb out of it. "You didn't tell me you were having a party," he accused Echo. These two, together? A riot in the making.

Cayde graciously took the opportunity to study Echo's floor more closely as he was so rudely pushed down as leverage. "You didn't even install carpeting since the last time I was here!" he complained into the cold, worn paneling. Still, he was pushing himself up and dusting himself off, doing a few neck rolls and back stretches once he was on his feet.

"Stairs are overrated," he informed Jon. "Also, Agrii ones are killer. You gotta like, lift your knees to your chin to climb 'em- but more importantly!" With that he poked his head around Tony like that annoying third wheel he loved to be. "You were having a party and weren't going to invite us?!?"

"Outposts don't have carpeting," Echo said after Tony was up on his feet, bending to help the Cayde up but shrugging it off when he did it himself. Instead, he now had to deal with the follow-up questions his new 'guests' threw his way.

"It's not-- " Interrupted by the Exo's similar accusation, Echo sighed through his nose. "--It's not a party. If I was having one, there would be invitations. This is a visit." He shared another look with Jon, mildly exasperated by the chaotic duo. "Jon is free to visit. Obviously you two are doing the same but much more unannounced," he added pointedly, motioning everyone back down the stairs. "And I'd like to think of the stairs as built-in training courses. At least they're available."

"Outposts can have carpeting. Though I would refuse to put any in as well if it encourages a repetition of- Whatever this even is." Jon remarks with a gesture to where Tony and Cayde have been on the floor just a moment ago.

His stern expression shifts to a more concerned one, however, even as he turns to head back down as Echo has so wordlessly suggested. "You weren't hurt, were you?" And that's primarily directed at Tony, given that Cayde has Sundance to take care of any potential wounds.

Between Jon's judgment and refusal to acknowledge Tony reaching for him, Tony had to suck his teeth and awkwardly retract both hands back into his pockets, clearly in trouble. "Of course not, I'm fine," he insisted to Jon's question, but lingered so he wasn't the first one going after him to follow down the stairs from the landing point. "Cayde had to show me how the line worked so I can make a better deployment system. And it's lucky you're here, Echo, because I hear you've been telling people that food falls from the sky."

"Can't hurt to be a little more welcoming," the Exo muttered as he looked around and then poked his head back out the hole in the wall to try figuring out where the rebar handle had gone. He shrugged, turning to head down after the others as they took to the stairs.

"Don't usually carry passengers so I didn't take into account the speed," he added onto Tony's explanation. At the reminder of the actual reason for their invasion, he flashed a grin at Echo.

Edited 2021-11-13 22:58 (UTC)

Echo frowned. "It was initially Cayde's idea to put it up," he added, looking over his shoulder at the Exo. "So if we're gonna add a mattress to soften those landings, you're helping me with the installation." The grin was given a slight scrunch of his nose, trying not to laugh as he muttered, "Wouldn't be right to turn you two out now, anyway..."

The space they all entered into was clean. And still mostly sparse in terms of furniture. There were crates, a few ottomans, a full recliner, and a few chairs to serve them well.

So it was Tony's turn for another Look as he sat down on one of the ottomans. "Sounds like the rumor didn't spread very far if you're the only one who knows about it."

While Jon doesn't hesitate to reoccupy his place from before the interruption, he still keeps his attention on Tony, watching closely for any sign of a limb or other injury.

"I hope neither of you is planning to actually use that thing regularly." Please don't make Jon come by and cut down that rope.

The threat was clear in Jon's voice and Tony flashed another grimace Cayde's direction as they filtered through the room. It was Cayde's toy, and Tony knew from experience that his trying to defend it would get it taken away. The scrutiny was also hard to miss, which really put a damper on Tony's hope that a few more people in the room would keep Echo effectively distracted for Tony to satisfy his curiosity. He moved to defensively push his glasses back up his nose, only to find they had been lost somewhere in his fall and awkwardly tried to transition the gesture into a scrub through his hair. That was about when he saw the scrape on the side of his hand, which had to be milder than those he could feel on his knee and elbow but was still lurid enough that he quickly dropped his arm and tugged the sleeves of his sweater down against his palms.

Meanwhile, his voice was still casually lilting as he said to Echo, "No one else wanted to risk confronting you about it. You're getting a reputation as the town lunatic, and I graciously volunteered to be pelted with 'sky' tomatoes in your fury, because we're all very concerned about you. What else do you think comes from the sky? Don't worry, there are no wrong answers, this is a safe space."

The Exo made a beeline for the recliner, making himself right at home with such ease that it was probably clear he dropped in fairly often. He pointed at Echo with a snap of his fingers. "Right you are. Looks like another trip to the furniture store is in order." His attention then flitted from the ARC Trooper to Jon and then Tony and back to look at the Archivist.

"That would defeat the purpose of it being installed," he pointed out to Jon. Because of course he'd been putting it to use, otherwise he would have never run around with a rope between the two towers like some maniac. Clearly if it ended up getting cut down he'd have to find something more sturdy. Like a cable. Hm. Maybe not a bad investment.

Folding his arms behind his head, Cayde grinned as Tony carried on with Echo in that typical Tony fashion. Yes Echo, explain the falling ramen from the sky.

While Echo didn't mind having the company, he was easily reminded how a small blessing swiftly became a curse. He couldn't quite pinpoint the slight gleam in Tony's eyes, offsetting the rest of his devil-may-care demeanor -- not dangerous, but something to be aware of.

"Safe space, huh," he repeated, somewhat dubious as he let his gaze flicker between Cayde and Jon for a moment. Not like he really told anyone else. Not like he really had to, but if it shut Tony up for a bit... "It was only the one time. I was on patrol and suddenly, out of nowhere-- " He paused for effect, lifting both hands and dropping them just as quickly, palms coming into contact with his knees, "--two crates fell from the sky, both of them heavy enough to cause serious injury. There wasn't any prior warning, and nothing was above me when they appeared."

Surely there were other things to focus on during the clone's brief Chicken Licken experience. Like one chair that had a brightly colored pillow settled into the curve of the backing. Or the curtains that were installed on one side of the room, one of which had simple patterns of sea creatures swimming in an ocean of pastel blue-green. There might even be a chair or two partially hidden by them, a large blanket draped over and anchored into place with a random brick.

While Echo shares his tale of the Mystery Ramen, Jon's attention remains on Tony and he moves over after Tony has decided to try hiding his minor injury. It's not a directly scolding look he directs at Tony while Echo illustrates the arrival of the crates but rather a look of concern paired with a single raised brow. He makes eye contact for a moment, then nods down towards Tony's covered hand, not necessarily trying to coax it into showing itself but more signalling that he knows.

The next nonverbal clue is a tiny nod towards Echo's bathroom. Come on, Tony. At least clean these wounds rather than risk an infection out of stubbornness. He also makes a mental note to disassemble This contraption Cayde has set up before someone gets seriously harmed. Obviously no one else is taking this serious, which only makes sense from Cayde's perspective as he's the only one that can't take actual harm. This in turn makes it very inconsiderate on the Exo's part to not be more mindful of the safety and health of his friends, resulting in a displeased scowl the moment Jon turns back towards where the current conversation has been so successfully diverted to.

"Have you considered the possibility of the Agrii being involved?" He asks flatly, making his disagreement with the derailment notable at least. He then turns his attention to Cayde, sharply crossing his arms. "I want that thing taken down before anyone gets seriously hurt."

That was so obviously the wrong thing for Cayde to say that he'd hardly gotten half way through before Tony was trying to signal him with very meaningful eye contact, a tiny shake of his head and flat hand drawn sharply across near his hip, ixnay. Did nobody in this room know how to craft a convincing lie? He was still trying to communicate with Cayde when Jon made his sudden appearance at Tony's side, surprising him into a guilty smile, "Hm?," that he was likewise startled out of by Echo's illustrative slap.

He reached to touch his knuckles to Jon's side to hold there in assurance that he had heard everything Jon was saying and he was definitely going to do that, any minute now, just a second, and spoke at the same time, "Do you think the Agrii are throwing food at you?" Tony's tone was more accusatory, but now that they had both said it, it did kind of sound like something the Agrii might do. "Did you piss them off...?" he started to ask, which was about when a more immediate pissed off party took precedence and Tony went, "Okay!," both hands on Jon to bundle him back toward the bathroom just like he had wanted. Maybe there was something interesting in here to find, anyway.

Too late, cap'n, can't abort- although Cayde's flustered shrug in Tony's direction turned into a startled jump of his shoulders as the Exo was taken aback by Jon's sudden demand and tone. That had stung. He forced a laugh before averting his eyes as he rolled over sullenly in the recliner with a muttered, "Fine."

Yeah, that rope was staying up there.

The clone's brow furrowed. "I had a feeling they had a hand in it," he said, addressing Jon's question. Tony's prodding allowed him to lean back a few in inches just so he could frown at him. "If I did, they need to tell me directly. Communication should be clear at all times."

He then glanced at Cayde when Jon became stern again, brow lifting slightly because he had a feeling nothing would happen.

The bathroom...was a normal space. Mostly. With a sink and a toilet, of course, but no tub or shower. And it had a short cabinet that held basic toiletries and necessities. And a teal step stool on the side.

The mirror had a happy face drawn on it, and there was a flower in a cup on the sink. Another cup had toothbrushes -- one white, one red and black, and a very yellow one.

Jon catches Cayde's tone even as Tony pushes him towards the bathroom. He hasn't necessarily meant to come along, trusting Tony to be able to wash the scrapes he has gotten. But he also won't refuse to offer assistance if it's needed or desired.

Still, before he actually breaks line of sight with Cayde, Jon casts the Exo a look, eyes flashing in what might be considered a warning, sending a tiny crackle of green static through the room.

The bathroom itself is considered only briefly, Jon rather being focused on the sink and, of course, Tony. Jon will still wait for the man to start at least washing his hands, grumbling. "Right. I will take it down myself."

Focused on trying to distract Jon from directing all of his ire at Cayde, because it had been entirely Tony's fault that the zipline had been nearly as much fun, Tony largely missed that threat glared at the Exo and busily did not acknowledge Jon's grumbling about the matter to redirect instead in a whisper, "Does Echo have a secret family?" Jon might be a good source if he was spending time here, after all. The thing that looked like a fort in the other room could be explained, Tony's space looked remarkably like a pillow fort sometimes, that could have been the nature of finding comfort in the ruined city. The step stool and multiple toothbrushes were more telling. Having one toothbrush felt like a luxury some days.

Because they were not having this very secret discussion, Tony did dutifully flick the water on, only to shout over it back to the others, "Maybe that's their way of communicating directly. Work backwards, maybe we can figure out what you did. You haven't exactly been behaving yourself. I know it wasn't Cayde inviting people to pizza, he would have asked me directly, he has more respect for me than that."

That had the Exo jerk his head up before he shoved himself upright, swinging his feet around the recliner to sit. "--Did you just glowy eyeball me?!" It hurt enough that Jon was getting all uppity about a zipline Cayde had been using for over a month, but he hardly saw any reason for the Archivist to be going that far. If it was only because this particular time had involved Tony then he wasn't quite sure how to take that. Still, the fleeting reminder of the things they'd all gone through not too long ago made him clamp his mouth shut rather than venture aloud about it.

He sighed and leaned against the couch again, propping his head against his hand as he glanced from the direction of the bathroom to Echo. Right, put some distance on the subject, if that was at all possible. It wasn't too hard to laugh at the idea of communication issues with the Agrii that Cayde didn't need to force it. "Yeah, what all were you doing when it decided to rain ramen crates down on you?" he helped prompt before adding Tony-wards, "-speaking of which, dad, you think you can hook me up with a mini oven for the bar? I have a crapload of leftover pizza in the cold box for some reason and as quick as it would be to solar heat 'em for people I'd hate to waste a good charge on my knives."

Green static was very hard to ignore. Echo straightened up, obviously aware of the shift now that the hair on the back of his neck stood on end, mostly surprised because he wasn't even sure what to make of it. Cayde's reaction received another look, one that would have had more questions attached to it if it wasn't for an interrupting Tony.

"This is ridiculous-- I've been going about my business just as anyone else around here has. Which was nothing out of the ordinary and certainly nothing that needed to be addressed with crates full of ramen. I think we all know the Agrii have translation problems when it comes to suggestions," he answered firmly, holding the Exo's glance before looking back toward the bathroom.

Oh yeah, it was another stern Look. Just for Tony.

"Are you implying that I was engaging in activities that I would normally not participate in?" His question had some overlap with Cayde's request, both of them clashing with their respective vibes.

"Omega stays with Echo every once in a while." Jon offers the answer to Tony's curiosity, though his answer and lingering scowl is staying with Tony and observing his scratch-washing. Though he isn't willing to let himself get distracted into any such trivial matters. And that's what the toothbrushes are.

As is all this talk about randomly appearing ramen crates. So rather than reacting to that any further, Jon turns his head towards the open bathroom door to inform Cayde: "I did!" And he will leave it at that for Cayde to come to his own conclusion.

The scratch-washing wasn't particularly competent or focused, each of them in the bathroom valuing the diverging conversation wildly differently and the water mostly left on so Tony could continue in a hiss just to Jon, "You've got to go easier on him." Not Echo, they were clearly all here to shamelessly wear Echo out, though Tony did consider the toothbrushes, the fort, and the print on the mirror with a new, charmed fondness with this revelation. Of course Omega was staying here.

"Of course not, I'm implying that your normal activities are disruptive enough that the Agrii think you need to be punished--what have you been suggesting?" Tony corrected Echo first. "You've got a very devious streak, someone must have noticed it was getting out of hand, we're trying to work together here." In the lull that felt a lot like a pause for audience laughter, Tony continued seamlessly back into his whisper, "I think he's kind of messed up about Ikora, and Sundance isn't coming out, and maybe that's nothing but, you know--" Abruptly, back to shouting, "What do you mean, mini oven? Like a toaster oven? Please, I design luxuries, you should expect only the best from your father." Sotto voce: "Besides, you can't keep glaring at everybody like that, it's obscene, actually, let's lock this door right now and work it out..."

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