Stranger in a Strange Land

[in_extremis]

WHO: Tony, Steve and Bucky? And everyone else!
WHERE: Some network nonsense, and skulking around the resort
WHAT: Tony's playing catch up, and doesn't have a good lead yet. This is also Tony's TDM thread, relocated to make more sense on Risa, so if you want to properly canon that meeting, here we are!
WHEN: Risa: After Hours
WARNINGS: Nothing scandalous yet!


The Resort
The amount of information that Tony had now was not helpful, and neither the tablet he had been carefully tucked into his new bed with nor the computers spread throughout the resort were properly calibrated to help Tony map this ever sprawling conundrum. He had no way to connect the mysterious '31' to apocalyptic storms on a planet he had never heard of to all of the information telling him he was currently in an episode of Star Trek. What he did have was: an already rockstar-trashed room, a new wardrobe, and a creeping sensation of truly disgusting self-pity eating away in the pit of his stomach that he was going to have to overcome very rapidly before it grew any more powerful. To do that, he needed answers. He needed Cap. No, he could do this.

If he was going to solve the problem, he had to be in control of how at the very least. So far, the market had offered Tony plenty of fun and fashion, but not anything particularly useful, and it was about time he experienced a childhood fantasy: the replicators. One of the staff members had helpfully directed him in a way that felt so reminiscent of suggesting the ice machine back on familiar ground, that when Tony was actually standing in front of the thing, his first impulse was 'computer: ice'. And the replicator just made it, just like that; and not even just ice, this thing was advanced enough to interpret this failure of a human communication, vague and directionless, and delivered the beautiful, mouthwateringly glistening ice chips in a delicate glass, a useful container for his bumbling desires. Tony could smell how crunchy they were. He stared at this gift for too long in wonder, before remembering that he was still in public and gave a glance up and down the hall, regrouping, trying to focus. It was late so the halls felt deserted, but anyone could be coming back from the clubs at any hour in this place. Current problem: Kidnapping situation. Problem for another time: solving world hunger. He collected his glass of ice, then tried again, asking for a set of precision tools and a soldering iron. Then, after holding all of this cradled in a hammock of his shirt pulled away from his stomach, asked for superglue (this did not work, Tony had to get more specific and got what he hoped he was looking for with 'Cyanoacrylate?'), then, duh, bandages. He should have brought a bag. "Oh. Computer, one more thing, sweetheart. Do you have a bag?" A Ferengi rounded the corner, looking festive in a Margaritaville shirt (would he get the reference?) but staring very seriously at Tony, clearly suspicious and unwilling to share this space with him at this hour. Tony wasn't eager to find out if the species was really as they were portrayed, and instead gave a courteous nod of acknowledgement as he slung his cleverly resort-branded cloth bag of goods over his shoulder and slid away, glass in hand, to find another station to test the limits of. It couldn't hurt to test out his new tools on one, just a little bit. He could solve two problems at once.

It was late, and the breeze flowed easily through the open-air halls of the resort, keeping the still-warm, tropical air from feeling oppressively hot and carrying the sweet smell of alien, fruiting flowers with it. It was the perfect time to case the joint.

[Video]
[A video message posted to the network of a man frowning down into the camera, chin propped up in one hand and looking equal parts bored and skeptical, but occasionally glancing up, just past the camera, possibly betraying his alert tension.
Tony is in his room, sitting with his back against the bed where he has clearly thoroughly tossed the blankets, a single pillow left in the middle of the mattress among the mess. He knows from Billy that this is the best way to get in touch with anyone who might be able to relate to his situation. It doesn't make him feel any less vulnerable.]

I'm used to having some, you know, guidelines-- hard to read the room here, hard to read the audience. Um-- Tony. [He quickly touches his chest, that's me, before holding his chin again.] Looking for: just some fun, nothing serious. Likes: long walks on the beach, particle physics, black coffee. Dislikes: The smell of bookstores. I know, you'll try to convince me, and it will be a very good date, because I've never had a bad one, but I still won't like the smell. What else goes on these things...? [He's looking past the camera again, like he's waiting for the response to come from out there. If this doesn't produce solid results, Tony's ready to take this thing apart and make it more useful to him.]

Comments

Resort Living

[doubled_speed]

Best part of this particular part of their kidnapping? Replicator food. In this case Tommy found himself walking past someone vaguely familiar and stopping at a replicator and standing in front of the device.

"Beef pot roast with potatoes, carrots and onions. For three. With bread and gravy on the side."

And sure enough there was a tray with the food after a second. which he lifted and balanced on one hand before heading back toward his room. At a MOSTLY human pace. Except... there was the familiar man again. Strange. He paused just behind the guy to tap him on the shoulder.

"Hey, you look familiar. Did we meet in the club last night?"

[in_extremis]

Tony had heard worse pickup lines, but the delivery was a notable standout; he hadn't ever heard a better line from a young ghost that smelled like onions and gravy. He hadn't missed the streak of white hair rush by him before, but had only glanced over his shoulder at the apparition, not curious enough to add exorcism to his full schedule right now. This was a mistake. The thought hadn't even been properly filed away before the haunting returned, and while Tony wouldn't admit to being spooked at all, he did freeze, then give a very cautious twist to get a sidelong look at the flirty ghoul. It was just dark out, and the surroundings were unfamiliar; that didn't make ghosts real. Not like zombies, or werewolves.

The revelation of who had actually approached him was only made less weird by Billy preparing Tony for the possibility. Without that, Tony might have stuck into the ghost theory, and his general concept of the afterlife would have to come into question. Even under the unusual circumstances, though, without the costumes or full daylight, that had to be Speed. Tony might not have been as easy to place, he didn't often allow himself to be publicly seen in sweatpants, but Tommy shared a face. Twice as much of him. "Mr. Shepherd," Tony greeted, turning to properly face him, squaring his shoulders to make sure no one could mistake him for being afraid of ghosts, first of all, and to get a better read on Speed's stature. They even grew to the same height, these kids. "Have you been propositioning older men in nightclubs? Shocking behaviour. You're supposed to act like you don't know them if you see them again."

[doubled_speed]

Yeah, creepy fucking soul-twin mojo, giving them the same face and same height and more or less the same build, except Tommy was more muscled than Billy was because, well, muscles were needed to be a speedster. Tommy, though, would rather avoid the 'kids of one of your former friends whose souls were sent back into the past to be other kids' conversations. Thanks.

Especially since he KNOWS that face, once it's turned fully to him. Knows the voice better. And tries not to cringe to see him. Fuck. He just flirted with Tony Fucking Stark.

"Dude, who I do and don't proposition in nightclubs sure ain't your business, Stark. Not even if I choose to pick them up later. Let me guess, kidnapped, B totally ruined my surprise appearance, AGAIN. Guy won't let me have any fucking dramatic moments."

video

[beholding_archivist]

There is nothing wrong with bookstores, Mr. Tony. There are far worse scents out there.

[ Well, trust in the Archivist to come to the defense of his theoretically favorite storage format of knowledge.

Jon himself is seated at a table, phone propped up as he addresses the network while at the same time busy with a set of... Cassette tapes? Right. That's tapes. Good old tapes. He's also holding a pencil. So he's either labeling or manually rewinding them. Though in all likelihood it's the first, so Tony won't have to witness a grown adult spinning tapes on a pencil like an eight-year-old.

He taps the pencil against the table once while shifting his eyes over to the camera, frowning slightly. ]

I'm Jonathan Sims. Nice to meet you, I suppose.

[ He doesn't sound entirely convinced about that, but... You know. It's only polite. ]

If you're looking for fun, I suggest to find it while we are kept here. It's doubtful you will find any once the Agrii send us back to Agra 10.

[in_extremis]

[Someone Tony doesn't recognize! Billy had said there were people from all kinds of places, but they didn't linger very long on those details. This guy looks pretty normal, though, so it's possible they just never crossed paths at home. He doesn't seem thrilled to be having this conversation, so it would track that Tony had already done something to piss him off.]

Or, here's a concept, we don't go there. From what I've heard, it sucks. Almost as much as bookstores. [He's smiling, welcoming whatever passion Jonathan might have for defending the books. By the looks of it, he has some old school tastes.]

[beholding_archivist]

They don't-

[ Jon cuts himself odd and casts a sharp look of disapproval at Tony instead, sort of regretting that all he can do is glare at a camera. Tony might be surprised to learn that they are literally the same age. Jon, not so much. ]

Your lack of appreciation for printed knowledge aside, it's doubtful that we get any word in the matter. We had none when they sent us here.

Resort

[deal_me_in]

Replicators were even better than having an all expense paid vacation. Once Cayde had come across the thing he'd spent the better part of... Well, go figure he'd lost track of the time. Usually Sundance was there to remind him of that sort of thing. It was something he knew he'd never get used to, not having her around.

But of course in the meantime that meant easily getting lost in distractions, and the Exo had been huddled by this replicator like an addict at a lucky slot machine.

"-pork broth, wheat noodles- thin ones, uh...oh! And a soft-boiled egg. And probably an unhealthy dose of MSG. Or does that need to be translated... Uchk, I'll never take a bowl of ramen for granted again," he muttered. He wasn't expecting much- surely a replicated thing couldn't beat the real deal, but he hadn't yet thought to try food until now.

Glancing over at the man with the loaded bag, he seemed to smile somehow, gesturing towards the replicator. "Have you tried making food with this thing before? I'm not sure how specific I needa b- oh wait, there it is."

The Hunter was certainly the sort to stand out, what with glowing blue optics and amber backlighting his throat whenever he opened his mouth. Yet while he possessed metal features he was dressed...well, not like a local, but he wore clothing like an organic being would, outfitted for travel, for adventure if not something more, given the worn edges of his greaves, the tattered ends of the hooded cloak. At his right hip he wore a holster with a large gun tucked into it, and at his right, looking slightly newer than everything else, a sheathed, long knife nearly as long as his forearm, byproduct of his replication experiments, no doubt.

[in_extremis]

The clothing had the first effect, standing out as inconsistent with the local style, like a cowboy had just wandered into Miami Beach. In Tony's personal experience, that meant this person hadn't had their chance to acclimate yet, and might have still been in their own Shopping-In-A-Bathrobe stage of discovery. Tony almost backed away, sure he was in no position to be the guide here, but found himself rooted to the spot. Without the outfit, Tony might have guessed this...construct was hotel property, an advanced robot designed for building maintenance. And it was armed. That hit him with a kind of shock; even in his brief time here, the weaponry had been conspicuously absent. Every other visit he had paid to an alien planet, it seemed like even the children carried explosively deadly weapons. Was that armor?

The weapons did not deter Tony. He immediately approached at the question, as though it was an invitation, trying to construct what might have been the shape hidden under the clothes. It moved very organically, the fit of the fabric suggesting the body wasn't all hard angles like the helmet, but smoother edged like a natural musculature. Maybe it was just a helmet? "Avoid brand names, doesn't like that," was his advice on the replicator, but he had come up so close and stared so hard at Cayde that his mind was clearly not on the problem of food. Why didn't Tony get his armor?

[deal_me_in]

...that wasn't a helmet.

As Tony moved closer he'd be able to see it, the intricate shifting of the metal plates that made up the various planes of the Exo's face, lifting in the arch of a brow, metal lids shuttering slightly over his optics before widening again as he took in the offered advice, nodding.

"No brand names. Huh." His mouth moved, jaw seeming the stiffest part of his facial construction but still managing to suggest thoughtful frowns and smirks and smiles with just the slightest parting, further enhanced by expressive eyes. "Well, not like I can r'member any outside of weapon companies anyway."

He looked from the man to the replicator again, pulling off a double snap-point with his gloved hands directed at the machine. "Ooh! Pork! Thin-sliced, marinated in soysauce and slow-cooked until tender to top it off. Go!" He wiggled his fingers as though casting a spell, watching expectantly as the machine set to work. And then he noticed that the guy was still staring at him, so he glanced back with another quirk of his brow. He was totally giving the man a weird look.

"Eeeuuuhr.... Should I have ordered two?"

[ video ] »

[geomagnetically]

[ A green haired mutant appears on camera, her chin resting on her palm. ]

Well, well, look who joined the ranks of us here. You trying to make a tinder profile or...?

[ A tone that's lightly amused with a half smile. ]

[in_extremis]

[He spreads his free hand, welcoming her scrutiny. From Billy's explanation, its hard to know when Polaris is from, but she looks reassuringly healthy and stable enough.]
It's all about location. When you've got a princess near you, it's worth trying. I must have done pretty well, but if you have any tips, I'm a great student.

[geomagnetically]

[ fake it 'til you make it. ]

I put 'magnetic personality' in mine because that's Original Content right there. [ Sarcasm. So much sarcasm. ] Are you sure you need that kind of material right now?

LET'S MAKE THIS CANON!

[brooklyn_boy]

[ Steve has to stare at the message for a long time before even hearing a word. It's been so long. So goddamn long. The last time he's seen this man, they battling each other for all they were worth. He had stabbed his shield into Tony's chest and left both behind him. Steve wasn't sure if that was what this Tony would remember but it was definitely what he remembers. After all this time, he hadn't thought he'd ever see the man again and had been forced to swallow the bittersweet pill that had been. But now he was here.

Steve's hand shakes as he presses the button to respond.]

Tony? Tony...hey. It's...it's Steve. Steve Rogers. Not sure if you know me? Or if I am the meyou know. But... Jesus, Tony.

It's good to see you.

[in_extremis]

[That definitely looked like Steve; Tony is far too familiar with that frown to mistake him for anyone else. Tony straightens, sitting up on his heels like that would help him concentrate better on the image, trying to push aside the nagging feeling that something about this face isn't quite right. Cap is here, everything is going to be fine.] Jee-zuzz, yeah, you really look like you mean that, Capitán. Maybe try the line read again, but with a little less abject devastation at the sight of my face. Go ahead, hit me.

[brooklyn_boy]

[Steve can't help it: he bursts out laughing at such a completely and utterly Tony response to what he'd said. If there were any doubt that this was someone else, it was gone, now. And thankfully, this Tony seemed to know him. This was off to a great start. ]

Hey, you can't blame me. From where I'm sittin', we haven't seen each other for years.

[He leans in with a face that's all Captain America Sincerity.]

How are you doing?

The Resort

[happybeeps]

This place had technology far closer to the sort Poe was used to, and with two droids to look after now, he was taking the opportunity to scavenge while he could. BB-8 and the still unnamed droid stood guard while Poe tried first to dismantle one of the replicators, but his screwdriver had an easier time prying off one of the wall plates at the base of it, leaving him crouched on the floor and pulling free whatever he could manage without shocking himself or plunging this whole place into darkness.

He looked a little odd, not quite blending in with the native Risans, though he had draped a sari sort of garment over himself to try and be less recognizable to his hunter, and the droids too were in less than ideal disguise. BB-8 had been rubbed down with dirt to help hide the distinct orange paint job, and the newer droid was decorated with greenery, which wasn't quite so helpful here in the hallway.

BB-8 gave a warning whistle, rolling as though to block Poe from sight at the stranger's approach, rolled at him to imply he should move along.

Re: The Resort

[in_extremis]

A dirty robot might as well threaten to bounce Tony out of this place, this night had already been weird enough. Nothing else about this environment suggested they should have been on alert for scavengers; the Risans had made it very clear that this was a leave-your-door-unlocked kind of environment, and nothing in the Federation logs said anything about this sector being prone to piracy. Tony was by no means an expert, it had to be said, but he was pretty sure this guy was an anomaly-- if anything, he wasn't from here. Tony was used to that, he had no room to judge there, but not from here like, he might have swashbuckled up on his own intergalactic schooner. After all, no one else Tony had encountered who seemed to know what was going on with him had indicated the need for bad pageantry.

The robot had made its intentions clear enough, so Tony kept up his pace until he had passed it, then carefully slowed to spin around and get a better look at what this ragtag crew was up to. Making a mess, it mostly looked like. Tony doubled back, braving the rolling muscle and blindly searching through the bag hanging from his elbow for the precision tools. He didn't offer them, but folded an arm across his chest and brandished them there in the fan of his free hand. "If you're trying to break something, you're going to hurt yourself much faster that way." Clearly, this guy hadn't figured out the replicator he was sitting on front of yet to make his own life easier. Tony wasn't about to tell him and give up the easiest bargaining chip to gain access to whatever kind of ship this guy might have had.

Video

[plate_builder]

[Well, Tony probably isn't the only one amused by his little show there. Reeve, at the very least, has an amused smile as his own video response starts.]

Those individuals who put cream into coffee really don't understand the importance of as much caffeine in your system as fast as possible, do they? Cream is just a way of saying that you don't like the taste of coffee. That being said, a single drop of almond extract to add some fragrance helps after a long night.

As for beaches, well the sand I can do without.

Books are nice enough, but I've no time for the stores and I prefer the smell of crisper drafting paper to, well, old books. The smell is actually the process of the books breaking down.

[in_extremis]

I've known guys who'll do like, half milk, half coffee, and turn around and tell me they can't start their day without it. Hey, Jack, that's just milk, you're, like, 45 years old, you've got to wean at some point. [Tony is trying to be intensely judgemental, but he can't help brightening at someone finally wanting to play along with him. He would have had way too many nudes in his inbox at this point if he had done something like that at home, it was starting to effect his self-esteem.]

Getting some drinks!

[brooklyn_boy]

[ Steve messaged Bucky to let him know about the cabana and then headed right over. Being on vacation means he finally has some new clothes and the ability to shave and shower. He feels like a million bucks as he orders something he can't identify from the bartender and waits for Tony.

Once he sees him, Steve beams. ]

Tony. God...Sight for sore eyes....

[in_extremis]

[This is less of a luxury for Tony, who would be thoroughly enjoying his vacation into this technological space utopia that he had been trying to emulate since his dad limited acceptable TV time to TOS and the Discovery Channel, if it wasn't without consent or his skincare regimen. He did stop at the replicator as he passed to try to at least convince it to make him some cologne, but there was a hard limit to replicated complexity. The suit Billy had made him would have to make the best impression possible.

And it is, Tony realizes, a first impression, in a way. He knows that is Steve before he sees him; he has an unavoidable presence that changes the energy of a room, like the pressure change at the lift of a storm. But when Tony spots him at the bar, its evident immediately in a way that was much harder to tell over video that this isn't the Steve he's shared a history with. They're almost the same height, even without the Iron Man, Tony notices first, making him calculate the proportions that should have been so familiar. All just slightly off, narrower shoulders, slimmer waist; this was the aerodynamic sports model to Steve's souped up muscle car. It's just enough of a change to make Tony hesitate, holding his breath as he hangs back, not enough of a change to give him the confidence to offer a handshake. That seemed unreasonably impersonal.

Steve's smile is the variable that ends Tony's cautious loop, immediately drawing him in with his own bright grin. Of course he knew that face too well to keep him from throwing an easy arm around Steve's neck to draw him in and swing him back toward the bar.]

Good evening, beloved. What are we drinking? [He takes Steve's hand to sniff at what he was carrying, as though he didn't know full well what he was going to say as the bartender came close.] Water, twist of lemon. Where's your boy?

the resort

[theladyofwinterfell]

Sansa has been in space long enough to not balk at machines that provide her with food at the touch of a button or the sound of her voice but it's still strange, to say the least. She enjoys ordering things from actual creatures more than the machines, though, and she has a very tall glass of some sort of fruity thing she's been told has no wine or mead at all in it. She'd been very, very specific about that considering how her mother and Old Nan had insisted too much of those things were bad for a child and oh, does she have a child on the way.

The child seems almost here as it is and it's made her normal graceful steps clumsy. She steps up a little too close to the man who is currently questioning the machine for various things. Ice is obvious - the others aren't.

"I don't even think I can pronounce the thing you just asked for. Cy-ah-no-hmm?"

[in_extremis]

It was a future utopia and, obviously, the amount of casual intimacy in this place had a distinctly recreational purpose, but it was somehow reassuring to see this majestic figure come waddling down the hall. Someone's labour had to be bearing fruit around here, and Tony might have been talking to a replicator on a planet from a television show, but this hint of life made it seem so much more normal and grounded. He hadn't fully detached from reality yet.

She looked like she could make better use of this ice than Tony intended to, so he was taking her elbow to offer it into her free hand even while she spoke. "Acrylate," he finished for her. "It likes to form bonds. Works way faster than band-aids, if you're in a pinch. Which one of you is up so late?" If it was the pregnancy that had led this lady to wander restlessly when everyone else was sleeping or partying until they couldn't stand anymore, then Tony was happy to keep her company in the meantime. He had more than enough experience playing that part.

[plate_builder]

Reeve hadn't known how to take the very forward and well groomed in the area of facial hair man he had spoken to over the communication device the Agrii had given them. It was clear the man was mischievous, but he was also clearly smart enough to have good ideas. Ones that Reeve was more than willing to discuss.

Well, better not to worry about it. He sighs briefly and then leans back to enjoy more of his coffee, putting his pencil aside next to his current sketches of improved servos designs. Making a new companion was not going to be fast, and part of him wondered why he even bothered with the working at it from the robotics angles. And the answer, of course, was to allow the thing better movement and strength, but he really could just go with a stuffed animal, especially the one next to him now, that looked a good deal like a black and white stuffed cat toy meant for a child.

He'll wait, he decides, no more than an hour before going around to see if he couldn't get some initial parts and structures replicated.

[in_extremis]

It didn't take Tony long to throw a jacket on over his undershirt and sunglasses over his sleepless eyes, and that's as far as his patience lasted before bolting out the door, pushing his hair back as he went. This guy just happened to be doodling a, what, Tin Man? Not worth waiting to find out. Tony had been out in public here in more shameless outfits. Even if Tony had known he was under a time limit, it wouldn't have been a problem.

The cafe was easy enough to find, this whole place was so open and if Tony hesitated too long, approximately six women in swimsuits would gladly gently nudge him in the correct direction. The hostess was just as accommodating, and agreed to bring along another of whatever that gentleman over there was having for him, and something more locally sourced for Tony, thanks, before Tony caught his breath and tried to gather what he could from this scene. The little toy was yet another surprise. Reeve was not proving easy to anticipate.

As he swept over, Tony plucked up the cat first to look it in the eye, then drop down into its seat, lounging easily back with the animal sitting on his crossed legs. He gave Reeve only this moment to prepare for the exam, which Tony started by tipping his glasses down his nose to give him the easy opener, "Come here often?"