[open] gimme fuel, gimme fire

[buildsomething]

who: Tony Stark and Open
what: Tony and his bots making themselves at home
when: September 4 - 30
where: Tony's workshop, shared housing, and anywhere in between
warnings: None yet


To the surprise of absolutely no one who knew him, once Tony's workshop was even moderately livable he essentially disappeared into it. He could occasionally be found heading back and forth towards where he (technically) slept, but that was mostly to grab something he'd forgotten or on the extremely rare occasions where he decided seeing actual daylight might be a good idea. Or someone else decided it for him, and was quite happy to hold his work hostage until he went along with it.

But being able to actually work, having his own private space to get things done, settled him in a way he couldn't articulate. A slight tension to his shoulders had loosened, something that would have been hard to notice until it was suddenly gone. Tony smiled a little easier, seemed much more pleased with himself with his hands covered in grease and soot.

With Dum-E and JARVIS there, the armor tucked into a corner like a watchful sentinel, it was almost like the best parts of the last few years. Sure the lack of his usual resources made it hard to forget that he wasn't exactly at home, but all said, Tony was about as settled as he was likely to get.

At least while dealing with everything else that got thrown at him, anyway.

Comments

[talentedscavenger]

Rey gives Tony a look of her own, silently asking why he was looking at her in that fashion. What? She couldn’t ask him different questions? Or, was she impeding in his time?

“There are?” Stores that sell types of parts? Interesting...something she would have to visit. Assuming she has money for such things. She was planning on figuring a way off this rock, but if not she’d have to find a job. Well, one step at a time... The whole ‘monster’ thing didn’t concern her as much as finding the right parts.

“I was a scavenger. I’m used to looking for parts. I’m hoping I might find something resembling a ship or parts of one. “ to build something and be able to find a way back home.

[advanced]

He feels the tugging on his arm, always an odd sensation for it not being his actual arm, stop and his head cants ever so slightly to look up at the man next to him. Not with any real recognition, his eyes are still blank and it's like Bucky has checked out and left nobody home.

When his reply comes, it's in Russian. It's not a conscious choice, but sometimes Russian feels more like his mother tongue than English.

"Is the maintenance done?"

[fingergunning]

"Back in a bit, buddy." Yes, Tony, someone was calling you buddy, and it wasn't Rhodey. Don't get all weepy over it.

Jensen headed off to find a store that sold cold drinks, picking up something like a gyro, only with meat from something he wasn't sure about, but he knew from experience tasted damn good. Grabbing two of those and a six-case of pops, he headed back to Tony's workshop, whistling as he came in. "Got some grub. Hope you don't mind orange pop. The cola whatever they have here's a bit too sweet for me."

[buildsomething]

That gets a slightly more knowing expression, even as Tony shakes his head. "Doubtful. If anyone had managed to find a way to make a ship, we probably wouldn't still be stuck here. Besides, we don't even know what universe we're in. All the flying in the world won't help if your home isn't actually there"

Okay, maybe that's a little blunt. But Rey seems to want information more than she wants coddling, and that's something Tony can work with.

"But like I said, I'd look out there. There's a lot of weird stuff and I don't think anyone's really cataloged it all yet."

[buildsomething]

"Just put it over there," Tony said, waving vaguely towards what was probably one of the other worktables. His attention was pretty much entirely on the screens in front of him and the bursts of incredibly rapid typing that would start up and then just as abruptly stop every so often.

Really, the fact that he'd managed to notice he was being addressed at all was probably a good sign that he wasn't too deep into it yet.

[buildsomething]

Oookay, Tony may not speak Russian, but he can recognize enough of it to realize that this is definitely a bad sign. He backs up a little more out of range, careful to keep his hands where Barnes can see them.

"J?"

"He wishes to know if the maintenance is complete."

Ah. "Nyet," Tony says carefully. He knows that one at least, since he's not sure how much English Barnes is actually processing at the moment. He makes no movement back towards the arm, though.

It's not even that he's particularly worried about himself, as dangerous as Barnes might be right now. The armor's still standing by, even as Tony resists the urge to glance over towards it. Tony's not enough of an asshole to just ignore the fact that the guy's been triggered into a flashback.

[talentedscavenger]

Bluntness is something Rey can work with. It's condescending attitudes that are more of a pain in the ass than anything. But, ti was a bit disheartening that no one had found a way to make a ship, not yet anyway. Maybe she could be the first one? Assuming, she could find the right parts, and a decent engine and fuel.... Her mind was running away from her, and she had to bring it back to the present.

"I would assume there would be at least a star map of this universe, or any map at all." Something to work with, something to pin point a direction or anything. Or maybe she was hoping for too much. At least she learned of the Abandoned City and to check things out there.

"Thank you for the advice...and for letting me see your dro--robot." Maybe it was best she take her leave now rather than over stay her welcome.

[fingergunning]

He went over to where he'd been waved, moving to set out the two gyros, popping open one pop for himself, then coming over to set another nearby Tony, but not within knocking over range of his moving arms. He'd been in this headspace before and knew that constant pestering pissed him off more than helped, so he just slid a hand in his pocket, sipped his pop, and watched a maestro work.

[buildsomething]

He wasn't completely sure about that assumption -- his universe sure as hell didn't have one, no telling if this one did. But he'd probably deflated the poor girl's hopes enough for one afternoon, so he could let that lie. She'd find whatever it was she needed or she wouldn't.

"Sure," he said with an easy shrug. "He needs to be socialized every so often. And if you decide you need a hand with things, let me know."

[advanced]

This whole scene felt so weird, disjointed and surreal. It was half an underground facility and half a workshop that was unfamiliar to him, but in both he was on a chair being worked on, and he hated it. Hated the invasive nature of the procedures and not getting a say in what huge chunks of metal were being grafted to his skeleton.

Except he did have a choice this time, didn't he? He'd asked for this to be done, asked for help, from-- Stark?

"Howard?"

No. Wrong Stark. Was it?

[buildsomething]

It makes him freeze for just a second before Tony forces himself back into motion. His body language is almost too casual, but it's better than the alternative.

"No. Tony. You back with me, Bucky?"

The nickname feels odd in his mouth, but somehow it feels like a better idea. Distance is not going to help right now, not when Barnes only seems to have the vaguest idea of who he is.

[advanced]

Tony. That was right, this was Tony Stark, Howard's son. He had come here to get help, not because he's being forced into it, and now he's ruining things all over again. He at least manages to get control of himself enough to know how dangerous he could be right now, walking the razor's edge.

"Yeah." Sort of. "How much is there left to do?"

If there's more than an hour of repairs left, then he might just have to give it up and run, he doesn't know if he could hold on for much longer without doing something that he'd really regret later.

[buildsomething]

"Not too much." There's more he could do, it's a serious mess in there and it's offending Tony's engineering sensibilities, but he can also tell that they're walking a dangerous line here. Most of the immediate damage has been fixed, at least enough for the arm to be useable and for Barnes to probably be able to heal the physical part with nothing jamming into him.

But he still doesn't move for a moment, just watching him. Something almost considering creeps into his expression and his eyes dart rapidly towards the armor, still standing at attention next to them.

"You need something to hold on to?" He says it a little wryly, but the offer is genuine. Not that he actually thinks Barnes wants a hand to hold, but something that might stop him from lashing out might make things easier. Or worse. Hard to tell.

[advanced]

"I just don't want to hurt you."

The admission is quiet and raw in a way he very rarely allows to show through the carefully maintained neutral expression, but he's throwing all of his energy into keeping himself present in this room and he doesn't have any left for pretending that this isn't scaring him deeply. His eyes flick up to look at Stark directly, and for once they're pleading and desperate, a tiny show of just how much he doesn't want more blood on his hands and how much it kills him to have it there already.

"If that means stopping now because you've done enough to make it work, then stop. If it means restraints to get to that point, do it. I don't care."

[buildsomething]

He studies Barnes in silence for a second or so before Tony's eyes dart quickly to the side, towards the armor. And the armor, in turn, shifts forward to drop one hand onto Barnes' uninjured shoulder. Not restraining yet, but something that could be. And can react much quicker than Tony ever could.

He's not going to give empty platitudes about how Barnes won't hurt him. They both know just how easily he could, even without meaning to.

"Would it help to be able to see what I'm doing?" Tony asks suddenly, then blinks once like he's surprised himself with it. His mouth has gotten out ahead of his brain again, but it's honestly not a bad idea. "Or, I don't know, cartoons or something."

[advanced]

Stark is going up in his estimation every time he doesn't waste precious time in denying that Bucky could be a threat, every time he just deals with it. It makes it easier to stay, even if the feel of a metal hand on his shoulder sends his heartrate speeding up again.

"Yeah."

He sounds surprised, eyebrows raising.

"You can do that? Show me what you're doing as you're doing it?"

[buildsomething]

"Sure," Tony says after just the briefest moment of hesitation, followed by, "J?"

A glowing square flickers into view, set right at Barnes' eye line and showing what must be the view from over Tony's shoulder. The metal arm still laid open, but most of the obvious damage has been straightened. As if to prove the point, Tony waggles his fingers and glances back to watch them move the same way in the display.

"Does that work?"

[advanced]

"That's amazing."

Just for the briefest time, Bucky isn't a terrified man undergoing a painful procedure, he'a a guy witnessing technology that he's never seen before. He shifts just slightly so that he can make sure he sees the same thing on the screen, before he settles back again.

"I guess you really are a genius."

[buildsomething]

"You guess?" There's definite amusement in the echo, for all that Tony's still giving him a kind of laser focus.

Once it seems like Barnes is settling down, he slowly leans in towards the arm again, though he's careful not to block the view of the camera. His movements are deft but careful, and it does seem like he's finishing up with the repairs.

"You know," he says after a few minutes of quiet work, "if you wanted, I could probably make a few improvements here. Not now, obviously. But...whenever."

[advanced]

"No."

The reply is immediate and vehement. For all that the display is helping him keep a focus on the here and now, that doesn't translate into being comfortable enough to let just anything happen to his arm.

"I don't want improvements, I just want it to work."

[buildsomething]

"Fair enough," he says with a shrug that somehow manages not to disrupt his movements. "Offer's open." It still bothers him, the knowledge that he could do better, but he's not going to push it. They're still teetering on the edge of something unfortunate as it is.

He goes back to babbling as he works, occasionally pointing something out to the presumably-watching Barnes but more often than not just letting his train of thought run to whatever strange places it feels like. Weird tangents about an equation he's been running, random asides about projects he's considering, absently noting a twist of wire in the arm that kind of looks like the weird sculpture he'd seen once at a gallery Pepper had dragged him to.

It doesn't feel like too much longer before he's finally closing up the last panels and leaning back, but it's not like Tony's great at judging that kind of thing when he's into his work. "How's that feel?" He asks as he leans back to stretch out his shoulders.

[advanced]

The babbling is good and that, combined with the screen that lets him see what Stark's deft fingers are actually doing inside his arm, keep him from losing control again. His eyes are still a little absent around the edges when it's all done, but he's speaking in English and he knows where he is.

He waits until Stark is sat back properly before he stands up and rotates the arm, ignoring the pain from the bone that still needs to knit itself back together properly, flexing the panels and his fingers to the quiet clicking of machinery working perfectly. It's great, just as good as any of the official technicians had ever done, but he doesn't think Stark would appreciate that comparison.

So instead he just nods, the tiniest ghost of a smile at his lips. "Thank you." It's not an answer to the question, but it's more important than one in his eyes. He doesn't bother to say anything else, this could get awkward fast, he just heads for the door abruptly.

[buildsomething]

He twitches a little at the sudden movement, but Tony just watches him go with a hint of something sardonic in his expression and doesn't try to stop him. Even the armor seems to power back down where it's standing. Just as well, if Tony's already got his tools out, he can at least do some work on it, too.

"You know where to find me if you need another tune-up," is all he says with a quick glance at Barnes' retreating back, and dismisses the screen still hanging in the air with a wave of his hand. And then just turns away to let Barnes go hole up wherever he currently is.

Instead, he snaps once in Dum-E's direction to try to get the bot's attention. "Hey. Come here and make yourself useful. Yes, you, don't give me that look. Time to earn your pay."