lorentzian | 01 ✴ written / action

My name is Jane Foster. And if I'm remembering everything correctly, which I can hardly believe, then I've been here before. That being the case, there are a few people I need to talk to. You'll know who you are.

For those who don't know me, you might remember a spectacularly failed attempt at escaping the enclosure some time ago. (Sorry for the vague time frame. I haven't figured out yet how long I've been gone.) For anyone who arrived after that time, I'm an astrophysicist who specializes in wormholes. Well, it's more complex than that, I also study quantum energy fluctuations and related terrestrial phenomena pretty much all over the world - Earth, I mean. Earth. Earth in 2013, for anyone curious. Sorry, this is getting off topic.

In a nice turn of events, I didn't wake up outside, so no search and rescue needed this time.

I guess, um.

Hi, everyone. Old and new. It's - weird to be back.

[ Once she's done writing that plain, unembellished message, Jane shuts her journal and sighs, staring at the blank wall opposite her. Thank the powers at be for small blessings, like waking up warm and comfortable for once instead of half-frozen on a forest floor.

Since the apartment in which she awoke is one of the unclaimed ones, there's nothing really here for her to make use of - or, alternatively, disturb. So a short while later she is slipping out the door, walking on tip-toe down the halls and stairways, though she'll pause at the entrance of the building. She doesn't relish the idea of going out in the cold barefoot and in only a sundress. So she'll skulk about there, deliberating while checking her journal periodically for responses. Anyone who doesn't immediately strike her as Overtly And Comically Evil will probably get a hello. ]

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Wait - it gets better. I went to a Halloween party as the Dread Pirate Roberts, too.

[ Not that the costume was of his own choosing, but he could have done much worse, all things considered. ]

You?

[ The sheer incredulity in her voice as she peels off into loud laughter should probably be insulting. ]

[ WOW RUDE. ]

What's so hard to believe about that? You forget who you're talking to, Jane Foster.

It's because I know exactly who I'm talking to that I'm-- okay, I have to know. Did you wield a sword? Were you terrible at it? [ This? This is the biggest of shit-eating grins. ]

A plastic one. And I wielded it perfectly, thank you very much.

[ Oh, he can hear that grin, and he does not appreciate it. ]

Maybe I ought to just leave you by your lonesome. Clearly you don't have your head on straight quite yet.

My head is on perfectly perpendicular to my shoulders, Mr. Stark. Stop making excuses.

[ Laughing? Her? No. Noooooooo. Never. ]

And to think, I had almost convinced myself I missed you.

[ And because he's Tony Stark and likes to have the final word, he snaps his journal shut after that little admission. Sorry, Jane, but you're going to have to wait until he arrives to respond to that one.

Serves her right. He was a damn good Dread Pirate Roberts. ]

[ Well. That kinda shuts her up, so he'll close the journal on silence. After that she just waits in the entranceway of the building, hugging herself and waiting maybe too-eagerly for her best friend to show up.

And you know what? The second he does? Be prepared to not get a word in edgewise, Tony, because the very first thing Jane's going to do is pull you into a hug. ]

[ Contrary to his usual habits, Tony arrives only a few minutes later. Yeah, okay, he hurried to get there. Might have even jogged a bit. Turns out her sass didn't make him stop missing her after all. He doesn't look much different than when she left, except for the silver band on his left hand. How on earth did that get there? He's also got a plastic sack in hand. She requested shoes, right?

He opens the door of the Ground building, spotting her instantly - but any quips or snarky comments die on his tongue. It's her. It's really her - she's back, and she remembers.

He receives that hug only too eagerly, winding his arms around her shoulders. ]

Hey.

Hey.

[ Her voice shakes a little with emotion. It takes her a long moment to let him go, and she only does so slowly, looking him up and down. ]

Good to see you, Tony.

Yeah, same to you. [ He quirks a familiar smile at her, holding out the sack when she pulls away. ]

As requested. Don't say I never did anything for you.

[ She takes the sack with raised eyebrows, then peers inside.

... without lifting her head: ]

No. Absolutely not.

[ His eyebrows fly up. ]

Excuse me. I believe you said you wanted shoes. So I got you some, out of the goodness of my heart. Don't let that go to waste. This is a legendary moment.

[ Jane takes one of the slippers out of the bag.

And smacks him in the arm with it. ]

You are so not as hilarious as you think you are.

[ Still. She lifts a foot, hopping around awkwardly until she can pull the slipper on. With a huge sigh, and a very big show of using him as a way to balance herself, she leans against him and pulls on the other slipper, too. Then she stands tall, with her chin held high, and stares at him. ]

... okay, they are pretty warm.

I beg to differ.

[ He's hilarious, just admit it.

A grin spreads over his face as he helps her balance to tug on the slippers. ]

See? I've got your back, Jane.

I swear to god, Tony, if I somehow find pictures of this later? I will. I don't even know. I'll sic Pepper on you. [ Still. She's grinning, despite herself. ]

You say that like you aren't going to wear them forever. [ She will. Why wouldn't she? They were given so generously.

He goes on, with a telling lilt in his voice: ] Besides, sending the missus after me? Is that really all you've got? I mean, sure, effective, but I expect something more creative out of you.

I-- missus?

[ With zero to-do she GRABS his hand, gaping open-mouthed at the silver band on his finger. She. Hadn't noticed. She gapes up at him, then at the ring, then up at him again. Then she smacks him on the arm. ]

You got-- married?! Without me?! [ Her laugh is horrified and delighted all at once as she rocks back on her heels, letting go of him to lift her hands over her mouth. ] Oh, my god. I-- Congrats? [ She laughs again. ] You're a very lucky man, getting someone as incredible as Pepper.

[ She's trying not to acknowledge the pang of sadness deep down, the one that says, and you weren't there to see it. ]

Yeah. Imagine that. [ He can't hide the genuineness in his voice beneath his brass. ] It's a crying shame, really - I could have put you in a suit, too. I needed more groomsmen.

[ He recognizes that pang as well, because damn, it would have been great to have her there. It would have been great to have a lot of people there that weren't. But it was one of the few things this place hadn't taken from him, and in light of having his best friend back, the regrets weren't mounting too harshly. ]

At the risk of sounding incredibly cheesy and uncharacteristically sentimental, I could show you the pictures later.

[ That really makes her laugh. ] I would -- look pretty killer in a suit. You know. Probably.

[ She smiles wide as the sky and bobs her head. ]

You know? I'd like that. Come on. [ Obnoxiously she links an arm through his. ] If I have to wear these slippers, then you're going to be seen with me, and we're going shopping. Right now.

[ He lifts an eyebrow, but starts towards the door. ]

What, already tired of the New Feather welcome garb? That's a surprise.

[ Rolls her eyes at him. ]

I mean, as much as I love parading around in a sun dress in the middle of the winter? Yeah. I'd like to change.

01 ✴ written / action

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[ action ] oh my god, bayley, no, those slippers.

[ action ] she better treasure them.

[ action ] she will mount them on her wall.

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