[open] so don't worry about tomorrow

[buildsomething]

who: Tony Stark and Open
what: Amnesia Event; Tony forgets everything since just before his Afghanistan trip.
when: 8/12 - 8/16
where: All around
warnings: none at the moment


i. wandering

Tony was not having the best day. Waking up in strange places with no idea of how he'd gotten there might have been old hat, but opening his eyes to what looked like -- the hell, was that a dorm room? -- was a new one. He'd been in Vegas, he knew that. Was pretty sure there had been some sort of stupid award involved and that Rhodey would be turning up to bitch at him over it any second now.

Except Vegas was a lot of things, but it definitely did not look like this. Stumbling out of the building and into a completely unfamiliar place had not helped. He didn't have to be a genius to tell that he wasn't in Kansas anymore, but it helped. If this was a joke, it seriously wasn't funny, and if this was some sort of weird kidnapping then it was the dumbest one Tony had ever heard of.

He mostly found himself making his way cautiously through the streets, half trying to find anything familiar and half just trying to get his head together. And despite the obvious suspicion and wariness in his expression, his entire posture seemed lighter than usual. He stood straighter, held his head higher, and almost visibly seemed less tired for all that he hadn't actually changed at all.

And every so often, he found himself staring up at the sky with an expression of deep skepticism. "Okay seriously," he muttered, more to himself, "is this some kind of weird VR thing or what?"

ii. drinking

Once it had become clear that this was both not a trick and not somewhere he was going to be leaving any time soon, Tony had done the only natural thing and gone to find a drink. Or two. Or a dozen. If the choice was between the lack-of-privacy suite and the truly pathetic excuse for a workshop he'd stumbled across, Tony would very happily install himself in any of the bars he could find and stay there instead.

It wasn't calming, exactly, but it was at least something he knew how to handle. So he smiled and flirted and bought drinks at random. If he couldn't find a party, he started his own, spilling out across tables and corners. He was loud and obnoxious and if not drunk, then close to it. If you had to be stuck in some random-ass place, might as well make the best of it. Right? Right.

Comments

[ wandering ]

[dothelokimotion]

[ Just from the way Stark stumbled around, it was abundantly clear the man had lost some key memories. Loki keeps a mental tally of the affected individuals for his own safety. Still, it was fascinating, watching these people walk around, a shadow of their former selves. ]

Surely, the great Tony Stark would know if this is real or not.

[buildsomething]

[Tony turns slightly to face the new voice with an arch expression, but it's just the air of a man very used to being addressed by strangers. There's no tension, no suspicion. Not even a glimmer of recognition as he shoots the man a sharp smile.]

That sounds exactly like the kind of thing an NPC would say.

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki blinks as he tries to puzzle out that term with context. Inevitably, he gives up. ]

I have no idea what that is.

[buildsomething]

[There's a moment where Tony waits like he's expecting a punchline. When nothing comes, he rolls his eyes extravagantly, making no attempt to hide it.]

Besides the point. Don't worry about it. Can I help you with something?

[dothelokimotion]

Can you?

[ The tone of amusement is clear. ]

Considering you're stumbling around in the dark, I'd be surprised if you can help yourself.

drinking

[advanced]

[Bucky promised to keep out of Stark's way, and he's been keeping that promise, but that doesn't mean he hasn't been keeping an eye on the man. He's wary of the Avengers at the best of times and that means he wants to know their locations and plans, especially when they're all stuck together in a place like this, so it doesn't actually take long to notice something is off.

He watches for most of the afternoon, becoming more and more convinced that something is very wrong with Stark. Then he watches for another few hours, waiting for someone else to come and deal with it, but nobody really shows up. So eventually, when the other man ends up drinking far too much, he steps in.]

Sorry.

[It's the first word out of his mouth as he materialises next to Stark at the bar and tries to take the glass out of his hand.]

I know I promised to keep away, but this isn't right.

[buildsomething]

[He may have spent most of the afternoon drinking, but Tony isn't actually drunk. Pleasantly buzzed and well on his way to it, yes, but still in control of his various faculties. Which is why when the glass he's holding suddenly vanishes out of his hand, Tony lets it happen mostly out of confusion that someone who isn't Rhodey would even do such a thing.

He shifts enough to give the drink stealer an affronted look, but that's all it is. There's nothing in him that says he is looking at anything but a stranger.]

You did, huh? [Once it's clear that he probably isn't getting his drink back, Tony props his elbow on the table next to him and rests his head on his upturned fists to give the newcomer a long, languid, once over.] And why's that?

[advanced]

[Well... that's definitely not right, and his instinct to get away is suddenly buzzing loudly at the base of his skull. Amnesia, people playing with the minds of others again, that's not good.

He almost bolts there and then, just to flee for the edge of the city to minimise the risk of getting himself caught in whatever madness this is, but obligation to Stark keeps him rooted. This presents a whole new set of issues, especially if Howard ever told his son about the Bucky he knew and if Stark starts to recognise him from there.]

Forget it.

[It seems he already has.]

Doesn't matter right now, just matters that you come with me.

[buildsomething]

You know, this might be the weirdest come-on I've ever gotten. [It's said slow and lazily and Tony's clearly not making any attempt to move. If anything, he's just watching the man with slightly sharpened interest.]

Not that I'm not interested, handsome, but maybe try more offer than demand?

drinking

[livingsymbol]

[ With all the confusion, Steve is feeling lost. He is out and about, looking for the direction he's lost, and he can't exactly miss the noise when he pokes into a bar to see if something strikes him as familiar. He doesn't find that, but he does notice the loud and rather messy man calling attention to one table. Steve walks over, putting a hand on Tony's shoulder to steady him as he gestures with a drink that Steve is honestly surprised hasn't spilled. ]

Tony? Are you all right?

[buildsomething]

[A hand lands on his shoulder, and rather than tensing under it Tony just turns towards the owner with a vague, slightly unfocused smile. It sharpens a little as he gets a good look at the man next to him, and Tony's smile widens.]

Sure, gorgeous. How're you? Come to party?

[livingsymbol]

You're drunk.

[ Steve sounds even more concerned by the realization and he doesn't remove his hand. Even against the smile that is almost unpleasantly bright, like Tony thinks he can scare him off by being aggressively cheerful, Steve stands his ground. ]

Did something happen? Are you sure you're all right?

[ He looks around the bar. Surely one of the other people from Tony's world are around to keep an eye on things. Maybe it really is a party and this Tony just happens to be more... flexible than his own about certain moral decisions. Steve doesn't like that thought, but he bites it back for the moment. ]

Right now I'm actually worried about you.

[buildsomething]

Excellently spotted. I am indeed drunk. [Or mostly there, anyway. He's been working on it for a while.

But since this is a conversation that doesn't appear to be going away, Tony spins on his stool to face the man properly, leaning his elbows back against the bartop.]

And what exactly are you worried about? This, [he gestures around them with one hand] is small change. Or are you just upset you weren't invited?

[He leans back a little farther to give the guy a long, thorough once-over, then smiles again.]

You can definitely drink with me any time.

i.

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco might not be Tony's best friend or anything, but he is, himself, a fairly friendly guy, and they had gotten on well, the first time they met. Cisco has messaged him a few times, since then - nothing very personal, just a heads up now and then, when he had an extra part he thought Tony might want, and once when he'd had a very specific engineering question that he wanted a second opinion on. Laying that groundwork, for a friendship that hasn't quite come around, yet.

So when Cisco is on his way in to his lab and he spots Tony (and gets a good enough look at him to be sure it's not one of his doppelgangers), he jogs to catch up to him. ]

Hey there, man of iron, how's it hanging?

[buildsomething]

[It takes Tony a moment to realize that he's the one being addressed, considering it sounds nothing like a name. He does at least slow to a stop, then turn to face the speaker.]

I beg your pardon?

[franciscoramon]

It's Cisco!

[ He beams at Tony, waits for the smile and the just kidding. A second passes, and then a handful more. Nothing. It's definitely Tony, and definitely the version of him that Cisco had encountered before. But there's no recognition in his face. Which... okay, that's a little insulting, that he doesn't recognize him, but Cisco forges on: ]

You know, from Carnivale? Your obnoxious new engineer bud with all the questions about the suit?

[ That'll definitely jar his memory. ]

[buildsomething]

[There's still no flicker of recognition, though there is the slightest flicker of interest in his eyes. Tony's always been an engineer, and despite everything he's still going to be drawn to anyone like-minded.]

We didn't meet at a conference, did we? I'm usually drunk at those.

[Zero shame in the admittance. He honestly sounds kind of proud of it.]

But if you want the name of my tailor, I can probably give it.

drinking

[worldsaway]

By now, Thor's anger about being here and being utterly confused has mostly subsided. He's not in a good mood by any means, but he's getting used to the idea that he can't stomp and shout his way out of here.

He has good faith that Heimdall will intervene, anyway. He obviously needs to be patient, and the best way to be patient is to drink his troubles away and bide his time in bars.

He's spend a considerable amount of time here, and Tony's boisterousness has caught his eye once or twice. There's a weird, niggling feeling he gets whenever he lays eyes on the man, but he's getting used to having that for many people here. Eventually, he gives in to the desire to be that drunk and that carefree, so he approaches and sets himself and his drink down next to Tony.

"You seem almost happy to be here."

[buildsomething]

Tony turns his head slightly as someone settles down next to him out of vague curiosity, though he can't help but give a an appreciative smile to what he finds. Whatever this place is, it has no shortage or eye candy. He can get behind that kind of thing.

Of course, then the fact that something was said filters in, and Tony gives a short laugh. "Let me share with you some wisdom, Hang Ten. There's nothing in life that a drink or five can't improve on." He lifts his glass and salutes the guy with it like an illustration. "I don't have to like it, but I can enjoy it."

[worldsaway]

"It will take more than five drinks to make this place tolerable." He says in a sour voice, but he takes Tony's salute as a prompt to down more than half of his pint in one go. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and gives Tony a long, inquiring look.

"Have you just arrived as well?"

[buildsomething]

The drinking gets an impressed look, at least. Though for a guy of that size, it'd be more surprising if he couldn't knock them back. Maybe this will turn out to be an interesting night after all.

"Not according to everyone else," he says with a snort, once he drags his attention back to the conversation at hand. "People keep telling me I've been here for a while, but hell if I can tell. You'd think you'd remember a place like this, right?"

[wingedman]

"I still owe you a drink, don't I?" Sam slid into the booth next to Tony, eyeing the empty glasses strewn across the table dubiously. Hopefully at least some of them belonged to other people, but if not, he could at least try to gently steer Tony away from drinking more.

(Because that kind of thing always went over so well around here. Sam never learned his lesson.)

"I seem to remember promising you one, anyway," he continued. "So what'll it be?"

[buildsomething]

Both of Tony's eyebrows shot upwards as someone just settled right in next to him, but it didn't stop him from giving the guy a long, lingering look. He always did like the bold ones. The view wasn't bad either.

"Did you?" The tone said he didn't much care about the actual answer. "Pretty sure I'd remember you. But if this is just a way of getting a drink out of me in return, then well done."

Tony gives him another look as he drains his current glass, mouth curving into a smirk over the rim. "I'll have whatever you're having."

[wingedman]

Though Tony was the first person Sam had actual contact with, he was well aware of the memory loss going around. So he just sighed to himself and settled in for the long haul, ordering them a pair of shots. "Doesn't take a whole lot to get drinks out of you, Stark. Or in you, for that matter. What's the last thing you remember before you woke up here?"

There was something looser about his body language, something more relaxed, and Sam didn't think it was all because of the alcohol. Although, hell, if he didn't remember Sam, then he'd lost at least a couple years of memories, or selectively forgotten the Avengers. Either way, it was a good reason for him to be less stressed out.

[buildsomething]

That seemed like more than just curiosity or smalltalk, and it earned a longer look as Tony set his emptied glass to the side. There was a familiarity there, in the way the guy seemed to know him beyond tabloid stories and public appearances. If he accepted that he was missing things -- jury was still out on that, it could be some kind of elaborate trick -- it seemed like this was someone he actually knew. Huh.

"Vegas," he said finally, giving a kind of rolling shrug of his shoulders along with the answer. "I got to say, I think I like the accommodations there better."