hugtopia | Video: CW: Language

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Video: CW: Language

[A disheveled middle aged man's face appears on the screen looking incredibly over it. Whatever 'it' is, he's been done with it since Friday and there's no end in sight. There's a large smear of chocolate running from just about his ear on his left side down his neck and along one side of a red hoodie he's wearing.]

Dammit! Damn this place and those creepy bears from god-knows-what! Where the hell am I? Voidtreckers, if you can hear me, my communicator isn't connecting me to the train!

Of all the f-

[Tony's cut off as he spots another bear gang down the street and moves quickly to an alley out of sight.]

What is this place?

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[She passed the test, she was officially his favorite person here. She was admiring his suit! He might even be posing a bit. It was fortunately subtle and not the Heisman trophy or the body builder pose.]

This? This is known as an arc reactor. It's the power source for my suit. You can touch it if you'd like, it won't hurt you.

[ She's captivated for a brief, few more moments of awe before her lips press together (why, yes, her mouth had been agape for those few seconds she had been marveling at the suit), and after another moment, she steps forward, lifting her hand towards him.

Gingerly, she presses a finger to the glowing module at the center of his chest.

She feels a powerful but grounded energy, intelligent in design and its containment, brimming with the potential for so much more despite being held within a disk. There's something artificial about it, a pattern in the data that is light she can read, but what it is, she hasn't the mind to currently think further about. For all at once she feels its force: not a chaotic maelstrom, but instead a centrifuge of power, churning quickly and silently save for an audible hum of electricity, made stable only by the impossible quickness of its spin, like how all the stars remain contained within a thin disk of a galaxy...

Quickly she wretches her hand away, her hand going back to the crystal centered upon her own chest. While breathless, she's stable as she continues to marvel at him.

She has one question. Well, actually, many questions, but first and foremost: ]

...It... cannot be. That power.... It's man-made?

[She was getting close to his favorite person ever with how she was continuing to react.

He frowned concerned though when she yanked her hand away. He reached out quickly to try and help her stabilize, concerned she'd somehow been hurt.]

Are you al- man-made? Yes, me-made- er- I mean, I made it. I based the design off of some alien technology but I created this piece.

[ Not only man-made, but he made it-- what?! It's a good thing that he's reached out to stabilize her, because she nearly stumbles back. Holding onto his hand, she shakes her head-- first in disbelief, then again to clear her mind-- only to snap her head back up to look at him.

And then she grins in delight, even blushing from her excitement. ] T--tony, is it? [ That's what Gladio had called him on the network, so. ] Iron Man. [ She continues, smile bright and brimming. ]

What you made.... [ Uh-oh, here's her other hand, going to make a sandwich out of his, during which she gives his iron-clad gauntlet a squeeze. ] It's one of the most incredible things I've ever seen! When did you-- how did you-- [ Yes, sure, the suit is its own marvel, but this arc reactor is the crown jewel. ] It's-- so powerful, and so stable, I--

[ A short, breathy laugh escapes her. ] Based on alien technology or not, what you have here is... it's like a piece of a star itself, right there on your chest!

[The level of excitement and.. he wasn't sure, reverence almost?, wasn't something he was used to. He was glad she approved and knew it was powerful, but she was almost too amazed (and that had never seemed possible to him before).]

How are you able to sense all of that? Is that related to how you are so warm?

[ Well... at least on this subject of energy-sensing, it's a power most others know she has, what with her making the crystal prototypes to help explore outside the barrier, and posting about it on the network for all to see.

She nods an affirmation for an answer, but her head cants slightly to the side after. ]

Oh... Is it-- you've never met someone who could sense the energy from this reactor before?

[ Surely he has! And if they have, wouldn't they also be impressed? Or were they ignorant, not knowing what it was, or that it was man-made, already adding to its magnificence? ]

[It was flattering, is what Tony should've been thinking. He was used to taking compliments over the superficial or being excessively braggy, but real compliments those were harder. Those were what he was getting from Pyra and it was humbling. It would require some thought.]

I've met a few who can, but they are usually very unique people, like you seem to be. So tell me, Blade, what are you scared of? That I'll judge you? That I'll try to use you? I know you don't know me but those aren't who I am. I'm a protector. I'd like to be on your side and help protect you, if you'll let me.

[ Her lips part as if to give some sort of immediate answer (a denial, perhaps, instinctual and visceral), but then she stops short. Scared— she’s come across as fearful? Of all the things she’s trying to conc—...

Hesitation mars her expression, but then relief replaces it. ]

Iron Man.... [ She raises a hand, a palm upward, a universal sign for pause, or to allow a moment, a respite, and then lowers it. He’s a quick talker. A quick thinker. Witty and observant, too. He wants to try and dodge compliments? Well, unfortunate (fortunately?) this declaration of his has just given her another reason to compliment him. ] Tony.

To say that you would protect, when we’ve only just met...

You really are a hero.

[He breathed a laugh. How did she do it? She lobbed such unfair accusations at him! She almost got him to blush on that one.]

I told you you were cute, what better reason is there than that?

[Don't think he didn't notice what you didn't say there.]

And thank you, Pyra.

[Anyway, moving on..]

May I walk you home? We can't be too careful with these crazy bears running around.

[ And with that, she offers her hand. ] Is this something all superheroes do, walking people home...?

[ He might be the superhero, but she has no such capabilities of saving any world besides the opportunity this one gives: through touch. As much as she shouldn’t be here, she’s grateful for the opportunity to both help... and hold another’s hand at all.

Despite these sentimental thoughts, she keeps her tone light for the sake of conversation. ]

B-but really, I’m amazed by your suit, and that you built it. Is it... how it comes together so quickly— is it autonomous?

And here I thought I was doing something special.

[He could easily have flown her home instead, but he could benefit from a walk and he didn't want to rush through his conversation with her. If he spotted anymore bears though, he was changing his mind.

There was one superhero who would've walked her home without a thought. A friendly, neighborhood superhero whom he wondered if he'd ever see again. He pushed that emotion away so he could focus on something easier to explain, the mechanics of his suit.]

Mostly, yes, but we're also connected. All life forms have a certain level of electricity within them, as I'm sure you can sense. There's specific frequencies that distinguish one person's energy from another's. I used to use a headpiece that would read my brainwaves so I could command my suit at will, but that became burdensome and not exactly stylish to walk around with a piece of machinery on your brow. I was able to sync my brainwaves and the AI in my suit. There's a multitude of security protocol as well, but all I have to do is think and the AI will do whatever I'm asking it to do.

[He was quiet a moment then he looked down at her.]

Tell me why you don't talk about yourself.

[ It takes a moment for she's facing forward, eyes set ahead but not quite looking at anything as she turns over his explanation in her mind.

Then she looks up at him in turn, first in awe because of his explanation, only to that to be followed by a grimace. She sighs through her nose-- not out of frustration, but of some awkwardness. ]

Ah, well, there's noting too interesting to say. And between the two of us, you do know that I'm not the one who's wearing suit whose AI is synced perfectly to his mind....

[ Can she really be blamed for wanting to talk about him instead? ]

[Tony looked down at her, unsure what it was she was hiding.]

What does your crystal do? The one on your chest. You've put your hand to it a few times so it has to be a source of power. Let's try that. Can you tell me yes or no if I'm correct on that assumption?

[ Her expression falls at that.

Their hands remains joined, but here she stops and raises her free one to place it softly upon his forearm, turning slightly towards him. ] Anything about technology, anything about this world, or about what I know of it, I can answer. But... [ A moment passes in silence, and then she raises her gaze to meet his. For once, her smile remains dropped. ]

Tony... please.

[ There's something both earnest and... pleading in her weakened tone, mixed with guilt and an unsaid apology.

She knows. She knows she doesn't speak of herself a lot. She knows she asks more of others. Of what he asks of her, it's as if there's something terrifying preventing her from saying anything more, a hold that's not so easily undone in one conversation.

And so, she's asking for mercy. ]

[Tony stops when she does and it just sucks. Her plea tugs on his heart strings and he couldn't push any harder than he has already. At least not without a really good reason to be that cold, which he doesn't have.

He thinks for a moment and tries to come up with a compromise.]

Tell me one fact. One thing about you. Anything you'd like. Surely you can tell me something. Can't you?

[She looked like his daughter, of course he wasn't going to be able to keep pushing on this if she still refused, but he'd like her to. Okay, he doesn't even make her answer that before relenting even further.]

Think about it. Okay?

[ Moments ago he had warned her not to hug random strangers on the street, yet now he seems sincere in wanting her to open up. She's caught between been seen as naive and closed-off-- both things she accepts, because she cannot bring herself to speak of herself so readily, even if progress has been made.

...Still, he seems earnest, and both his expression and tone are meaningful. He's learned that she can sense energy. She's learned that she's called a Blade, both things that she hopes he won't repeat to others anyway.

"Think about it. Okay?"

Her hand leaves his forearm, but the other stays with her palm kept in his. Unfortunately, this is the most she can give at the moment. Visible relief appears in her eyes when he stops insisting, and she appears grateful for his patience. ] Saying something like that... Thank you. You really are a hero. [ --Not in the traditional fighting sense, but that he is encouraging at all. ]

And you're helping this world already, you know. [ She gives his hand a small squeeze. ]

[Again, her compliment cuts through any armor he had and goes straight to his heart. He could be getting completely manipulated, but he had a weakness and she'd found it.]

No, it's how you deserve to be treated by a friend.

[He said, though he wasn't all that sure why he kept deflecting. And for the record, he definitely could be a hero in the fighting sense!]

I'm glad. But.. how about you tell me if you have roommates? I'll let the armor be just between us for now, sound good?

[Okay so maybe he was sort of 'forcing' the one fact thing, but he was also just curious who they might meet as they walked up to her house.]

[ Roommates— an easier topic, and her answer comes readily as they walk. ]

Mm. [ A nod to the armor part, and she moves on. ]

Since you know Gladio— [ Because that’s made apparent on the network. ] —you might know them, too. Noct, Ignis, and Prompto.

[ She glances sidelong at him, observing his expression for any indication of familiarity on his part. ]

[Tony almost stumbles hearing who she was living with. He could play it off as the armor disappeared, but they both knew the misstep had happened before.]

Of course you are.

[He laughed, unsure what to do now. The house is just up ahead, so he could see the rest of the path to the door. He stopped and turned to look at her.]

That makes things complicated, but it was a pleasure to meet you, Pyra. I hope I get to see you again soon.

[ She notices the misstep, her brow raising in question-- but not speaking it, because it seems that he's suddenly eager to leave. It isn't so difficult to connect that with the house coming into view. Who among Ignis, Prompto, or Noct does he also know personally, she wonders, and what makes him stop and stutter in his warlk before seeing them?

"Complicated," he said. Personal, she interprets, and so she won't push.

But she does leave him with this, a reassuring smile: ] Well... Then, Tony.

[ Stopping along with him, she turns, keeping her hand in his and lifting it between them. ] If there's ever a way to make it less complicated... I'll be here.

[He was grateful that she had mercy too. She could've called him out but she didn't. If she was with who he now suspected she was, Noct had better treat her right.]

Thank you. Have a good night.

[He gently let go of her hand and waved, waiting to make sure she was safe. He was glad for the time it took to walk home after that.]

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Video: CW: Language

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