entry_info={ .01 span:ARRIVAL, engage:VIDEO }, username=stark.naked

[amelioraate]

[ The look on Tony's face as the feed clicks on is clearly unamused. Possibly even Unamused, capital and all. Why is he so irritated you might ask? Well, don't you worry about that, he is bound to let you know. As soon as he finishes sipping on his coffee in a more than obnoxious way. If you look close enough, and know Tony, you will be able to see a darkness beneath his eyes, the kind that comes with too much coffee and too many ideas and not enough hours in the day, so clearly he has to sacrifice some of the night for the Greater Good or some shit.

Whatever. That is why there is coffee.

Once the coffee has been consumed, Tony gets up from where he is sitting, and it becomes very obvious that he is in the kitchen on the floor, a kitchen you have all seen thanks to a Viking, but there is no sign of him now. However, there are signs of someone making a rather large breakfast here (if only you could smell it, seriously, Tony would kill to eat some of it okay) and not sharing.

This? This is why Tony is unamused.]

Really, you come in here, use the space and leave the dishes, while also not sharing?

[ Steve is gonna be annoyed. Not that he isn't usually in that state. The images shifts as Tony puts the phone down, and there is the sound of more coffee making its way into his cup while you get a lovely view of the ceiling. Look, no scorch marks. Yet.]

That's just rude, even for gods of chaos and mischief. And here I was going to make you a fancy partial AI for your phone. Ha.

[ Look, he doesn't know if it was Loki, but he assumes it is. Because if it was Steve or Bucky they would have shared, and he is pretty sure that Stephen only eats things that are still moving, and Billy-- well maybe him too. But for now, his ire is on Loki.]

Also, working on some ideas for the defence perimeter, some new weapons and targeting systems, if there is anyone that has any ideas, let me know. I mean, I've probably already thought of it, but still might be nice to bounce ideas around.

Comments

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[livingsymbol]

[Tony is probably pushing Steve. Maybe unconsciously or maybe just because he feels compelled to, but in the same way, Steve is anticipating that and subconsciously or instinctively stepping back. They've played the game too often. It's part of the routine, and Steve decides not to get into it while they are still feeling each other out. He cleans the dishes instead, focusing on the work rather than Tony himself. If they keep dancing around each other like this than nobody has to move first.]

He'll come around. He's being difficult because that's what he's used to. He's not used to being in a building with us.

[Going up against the wall of heroes and other roommates, Steve doesn't think anyone will put up with Loki's shenanigans forever.]

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[amelioraate]

[ Tony lets out a breath he wasn't entirely aware he was holding, letting Steve just slide up next to him and begin working. The way things have been so often. The two of them work well, and they both now it, even if they often disagree on how to work. Tony can't help the way he relaxes just a little, grabbing some cutlery and a cloth to wipe them clean, standing with a faint smile on his face as he tries to imagine just how this is all going to pan out for the poor godling.]

Mmm, I don't see him having to clean dishes on Asgard, honestly. Though I don't know why he doesn't just... magic them clean. I feel like it's a test.

[ A way to see what he was dealing with.]

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You think he's testing us?

[Which is how Steve interprets Tony's words. He also doesn't know why Loki would go through the trouble of cooking when he could probably summon whatever food he wanted through magic--but he doesn't understand magic.]

If it's a test, then he's not very creative. It looks more like like a kid trying to avoid doing his chores.

[The rhythm of cleaning is safe for both of them. It reduces the awkward tension, because if they are both cleaning, then they aren't directly interacting. It's easier this way. Steve scrubs off one of the dishes that Loki left, holding it up to inspect it. That is more for Tony's amusement than anything else.]

Maybe we should ground him.

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[amelioraate]

Would make sense wouldn't it? Like some kind of rebellious kid that is trying to figure out where they belong in the family. He's gotta be feeling off kilter, I mean, he is on a floor filled not only with people who know each other really well but also are, in general, not fond of who he was. Or will be. I still don't really get that one.

[ There is a shrug as Tony wipes down a few more utensils, seriously what the hell did Loki even use them all for? Fuck. The movement from Steve beside him catches his attention and he slides him a sidelong glance and snorts. Yeah, maybe they should try to resolve awkward tension through cleaning.

You know, so long as Steve doesn't get to the point where he wants to smash plates on Tony's head.]

Yeah, because grounding him will totally work. Think about how you would have responded to being grounded at his age, it-- wait, how old is he? Like, still couple thousand or like... twenty? I can't tell. Fucking gods.

[ And yet, he is laughing a bit as he thinks about it.]

action;

[livingsymbol]

[Tony talks about Loki in a strangely understanding way. He's sympathetic under the teasing, and Steve isn't sure if he can agree that Loki is just acting out because they have bad history. He still thinks Loki is trouble, and he can't shake the instinct to blame the god for more than just the messy kitchen.

But he holds his tongue and continues to move around Tony, cleaning plates and then setting them back on the counter after they've been rinsed.]

All right. So we keep cleaning his dishes and reminding him to pick up after himself. You think he'll listen if I say it enough times?

[Having Tony laugh actually helps relieve some of that awkward tension between them. Steve can tell Tony is watching him, ready for some sort of action, but Steve pretends not to notice.]

He's stuck with us. He'll have to learn at some point.

action;

[amelioraate]

[ Loki might drive Tony absolutely batshit insane most of the time but-- there was something underneath it all, the fragments of his story that Tony has heard, that has made him oddly sympathetic to the god. No one should really have to deal with the shit he has dealt with. There is something about acting out for attention, or acting out because people believe you to be a thing despite you trying otherwise that just-- well, Tony tries not to dwell on it too often.

There is another snort from Tony at that, like telling Loki over and over again might work.]

Mmm, dunno. Maybe if you try reverse psychology? Wait, no, then he would really make a mess. Shit, I don't know. Why the hell doesn't he just magic shit clean anyway?

[ Really, if you are going to have magic, the first thought you have is of cleaning right.]

I don't know if that is optimism or naivety right there, Rogers. [ Probably the latter. ]

action;

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[Tony has apparently thought a lot about Loki's situation. More than Steve has at least, and Steve both respects him for that and worries, because Tony tends to overthink. He's the level of smart that also seems to get him into trouble, but Steve thinks that if anyone can figure out the god, it should be Tony.

He rolls his eyes a bit nonetheless when Tony calls him naive.]

Setting better expectations isn't naive, Tony. It's how we get change to begin with. I'm not saying it'll be easy, but it's better for all of us to start now.

[He reaches around Tony with another plate.]

And it could help him, too.