video ; [ironman]

[hyperverbose]

[ enjoying your vacation yet, audentes?  

it's shortly after they spend a day warming up and 'hatching' the squidges, but before they've embarked on their journey across the frozen tundra that they receive the following video transmission.  despite his frequent bitching about it to everyone who would listen already, tony's wearing the ALASTAIR uniform for warmth - but they would get a view of his back as he turns away, where he's stitched IRON MAN across the back like it's a sports jersey.  he's tinkering with... something that's set up on a nearby rock, but his body blocks it entirely from view ]

I haven't met all of you yet, which is a real shame for you, because you're gonna wish you'd had someone to steal this idea from earlier.  

Tony Stark, Earth's Avengers, saved the world a few times, might have heard of us.  [ the cavalier delivery manages to mask pretty well any of his current reservations about the word 'hero', or about the Avengers in general, or about being good for his planet and not a potential menace to it, but those who know him are probably aware that it's the usual tony facade kicking into gear ]    Anyway, there's someone else I want you to meet.

C'mon, don't be shy.  The camera's your friend.  Know it, love it.  [ he's coaxing the thing on the rock, and as he steps closer to the camera, where he shifts the bracelet he's set there a hair to the left and steps aside.

this gives them a perfect view of a miniature suit of armor that is currently wobbing on top of the rock.  it's red and gold, and since the head is so large it probably looks a lot like this stuffed toy.  it is perfectly squidge-sized, but the little guy is obviously baffled by this development and trying to shake out of the thing to zero avail ]

Amazing what you can requisition if you ask nicely.  I'll have to take ol' Lloyd for a space brew some day.   Hear that, Lloyd?  You and me.

This is Sparky, by the way.  He's still getting used to the -- [ he gestures at himself as if to indicate the armor, as the squidge rolls over onto its side ]   Totally safe from the elements in there.  Keeps him toasty, monitors vitals, I'm even working on a food dispensing unit... And the material?  Titanium alloy, great for--  [ with a loud squeak, sparky tries valiantly to get up and winds up falling straight backwards off the rock with a resounding clang, causing tony's head to swing that way. ]   -- falls.

Uh, one sec.   

[ he holds up a finger and steps away from the bracelet, accidentally shoving it slightly askew so that they can't see anymore as he does so ]

Comments

video;

[wardance]

[ he has no idea what it is but it's cool looking. ]

So, could you also punt it while it's in there? [ important questions I guess?? It can handle falls so?? ]

[hyperverbose]

[ that draws his attention back and his face looms back into his view ] ... Can doesn't mean 'should', buddy.

video. UN: LATRODECTUS

[expatriates]

[ Natasha has her jacket zipped up to cover her nose and mouth like a good Russian ice queen, but her eyes do enough work to show the thick judgment she's laying over this post. ]

What are you doing?

[hyperverbose]

[ he switches over to nat, now carrying the squirming little iron squidge in his free arm ] Child... care?

text | un: archer

[anti_altruisms]

[ Wow, who let this guy be a parent? So much judging here. ]

You put it in a can.

[hyperverbose]

It's a suit, actually.

text; un. hawkeye

[strictdiscipline]

[Arrogance and absolutely shitty parenting skills aside—]

How long did that take you to make?

[hyperverbose]

[ welp. when the name pops up, he has zero reason not to assume that it's clint, which is a ... surprise. while he can't say he would have expected barton to come track him down - not with the terms they're on currently - he figured nat would have heard, and why wouldn't she say anything?

well. ok, he can probably guess.

it's a good sign that he's reaching out though, isn't it? maybe??

... he still expects it to dissolve into insults tbh. ]

Couple days. When did they drag you in?

VIDEO - un: p. parker

[webdesigned]

( for his part, peter has his own sweatshirt under an ALASTAIR issue uniform top, and very clearly in the video feed it can be seen that his squidge is tucked securely in all the layers with him. it might be sleeping. shh.

peter, for his own part, is Super Impressed by the squidge suit. these people are all haters. )

Dude. That's amazing. How did you manage to put that together in a few hours?

[hyperverbose]

Didn't. Dimensions were in the dossier, so I put in for the materials asap, drew up some plans... had a couple days to assemble it and left some room for adjustments when the alien stork swooped in.

[ he glances at the screen and does a double-take at the name, but he ... assumes that must be a coincidence. parker's not that uncommon, and there are a lot of P name out there. ] No big deal. [ totally a big deal. ]

video, un: shirogane

[regiment]

(okay, so that may be the cutest thing he's ever seen. the plain stare doesn't exactly give him away, shiro just looks mildly intrigued while his own squidge lies wedged under the arm of his thick winter coat like a kind of weird football...)

Didn't think there was much I hadn't seen yet, but there it is.

(watches it fall over.)

...

Do you think they're smart enough to operate that kind of technology?

[hyperverbose]

[ /setting it back on the rock ] There's not much for it to operate. They don't like flying, so it's repulsor-free, and I wasn't about to put weapons on it. Just keeps the little guy safe and comfy. [ behind him, its tiny metal hands reach up to try to push the helmet up to no avail, but the visor does open enough to show two blinking, bewildered eyes ]

AUDIO. UN: LOKI

[selfimage]

[ not the voice you're probably expecting, Tony. there's a hint of an accent, smooth and casual. ]

Really? The name escapes me. [ says the smile in his tone, but he moves flawlessly to the other subject at hand. ] Though it seems you've created parenting armor.

[ then, to himself. ] A little tacky ...

[hyperverbose]

[ he scoops up the bracelet to double-check the name, nat's warning and subsequent explanation of his 'alternate universe' story replaying through his mind. she hadn't made up her own way or another on the subject, and while he knew staying his distance was likely the smart play, it was also a) not his style, and b) apparently not on the table since loki had reached out first, which was fine with tony, because he wanted to get his own read on the subject.

he keeps his tone casual as he responds, irritatingly so, he's sure. ] You'll excuse me if I don't take advice on what constitutes 'tacky' from the guy who wears three foot horns as a fashion accessory.

audio. un: schbrodingers cat

[12inches]

Well hell, that didn't take you long, did it?

[ Look at how polished it looks... But speaking as someone who's... met... someone who grew up in a suit of armor, uh. ]

Wait, "food dispenser"? What, are you just gonna set it and forget it in that thing?

[hyperverbose]

Two, three days, give or take, since they filled the requisition order. Started drawing up blueprints when we got the dossier. [ as always, doesn't anyone else do the homework ]

And no, I'm not planning on forgetting it, but it sure covers my ass in case something else comes up. Nothing wrong with automation. Wave of the future.

text; un: okami

[whatshimadayou]

I have never heard of you.

Your intentions appear to be good, but I do not suggest this course of action.

[hyperverbose]

I don't recall writing into an advice column on the subject, but your unsolicited warning is noted.

[Video | un: tsukuyo]

[sekimorinashi]

[ What the even. ]

I'm no expert in ... squidge-ese, but it doesn't seem like a big fan.

Or is it just difficult to move in that thing?

[hyperverbose]

There's an adjustment period. I made a lot of the same sounds, actually. It'll pass.

video; user name: shepherd

[historiology]

The Avengers? [They saved the world. A group of them? Like a group of Shepherds? That sounds pretty amazing, actually. But of course more important is what follows.]

A...some kind of suit? Are you sure that's a good idea? [He won't get hurt somehow being in this thing? Sorey's never seen anything like it before. But he reasons the idea is something akin to armor, right? To protect the baby?]

I'm not sure if it likes it? Or maybe it just needs time to get used to it?

[Is this normal for babies? Should he ask Alisha about baby armor? Sorey has no clue.]

[hyperverbose]

Yeah, why, you heard of us? [ someone has to have ]

And he's fine. Happy as a clam. He's just still developing those motor skills, aren't you, Junior?

video | un: man of still

[figureitout]

You do realize it's not, you know, actually a camera?

[ Why yes, this is what he chooses to comment on -- mainly because the "holy shit this is really actually TONY STARK OF THE AVENGERS be cool stiles" factor hasn't. stopped being a factor.

(Apparently, "be cool" translates to... "point out a semantic error"?? Sure.) ]

[hyperverbose]

He's an infant. I'm simplifying for his sake.

video | un: navigator

[weatherscience]

Ehh, you really made something like that in this short a time?

[ ... huh, that is actually rather impressive. ] But that titanium alloy -- how heavy is it? If it's too much, it might affect Sparky's muscle growth.

[hyperverbose]

[ what, like it's hard? ] Would've been nice to have a couple more days to toy with some of the specs a bit, but I was a little crunched.

He'll be fine. Have you taken a close look at these little guys? Whatever they're composed of, muscles don't seem to figure into it.