( ic ) inbox for ataraxion

[petitehands]

THIS IS PEPPER POTTS, leave me a message. ( 008 » 005 ) call | text | action mcu ; iron man/the avengers

Comments

( T E X T | encrypted 100% | a day after tony's drunk post that pepper doesn't know about )

[starked]

If you called someone's boyfriend a drunk and commented on how they're smoking as a coping mechanism and maybe turned into your father circa the times of "Tony, you're the worst" when talking to them, do you apologize or-?

( T E X T | encrypted 100% | one name, four letters, in emphatic italics )

[petitehands]

[ ... ]

Is this one of those times you think you can get away without giving me any context as to how this came about? Because that would actually help me give you an answer, you know.

( T E X T | encrypted 100% | also known as things tony is actually hearing rn )

[starked]

Yes, actually. The context isn't important. Technically. Because either way, pretty sure Jenna is pissed at me which sucks. A little. A lot. Either way. Maybe want to rectify it!

[ and then like a minute later. fine pepper. f i n e. ]

Drunk Howard might be better context.

( T E X T | encrypted 100% )

[petitehands]

Context usually isn't important in whimsical or amusing situations, but I have a feeling this doesn't fall under either category.

[ faceinhandsplurkemote.jpg ]

In this case, yes, you should apologise, because if by drunk Howard you mean drunk you in the aforementioned sense of turning into your father, then calling Jenna's boyfriend a drunk is a bit pot calling the kettle black.

text; locked

[soothing]

How do you feel about starting a project of our own? Something that's not science related.

Also, I'm not sure if Tony has told you or not, or if you saw the feed that we accidentally had running, but Bruce and I are engaged.

text; locked

[petitehands]

I feel very interested. What exactly do you have in mind?

Tony might have wrangled me into making sure I saw the feed. I meant to say congratulations, but I didn't want to be too obvious about having watched it all unfold, so - congratulations! It's absolutely wonderful.

text; locked

[soothing]

I went to that sort of... space training thing that was being advertised on the network. One of the things they talked about was nutrition, and how since we're in space we don't get everything naturally. Someone earlier in my stay here had mentioned trying communal meals to raise morale, and I was thinking maybe we could combine the two somehow -- or at least cook a lot and leave leftovers around for people.

I think I'm beginning to expect that from Tony. Thank you, though. It's something I wasn't sure would ever happen after the past few years.

text; locked

[petitehands]

That actually sounds like a great plan. I'd like to be able to do something for people here - I sometimes feel like there's not much for someone like me to offer - and that certainly sounds like one way to do it. I would love to help, absolutely.

Even if you're on a spaceship, you should always take opportunities if you're given them, and I'm happy that you have, I really am.

( T E X T | encrypted 100% | because let's get all the heart stomping out of the way )

[starked]

Where are you?

[ Pepper, help me I think I died and went to some weird alternate universe where my father is jealous of me and I take five days to even tell you this and process it, help. IDK MAYBE I HAD A MINI HEART ATTACK AT THE TIME I DON'T KNOW HELP ME PEPPER ]

( T E X T | encrypted 100% | as if we'll ever be truly done with the heart stomping )

[petitehands]

Kitchen, discovering that coffee in space hasn't undergone any extraordinary changes besides becoming frustratingly dull tasting.

[ Someone is just a little oblivious to the fact that something is going on and that there is significance behind this message. ]

( T E X T | encrypted 100% | true the day we stop is the day something is very wrong )

[starked]

Remind me to, I don't even know, do something really nice for Ianto so he makes you better coffee constantly. I'm actually in your room right now and may need to talk to you a bit. And by a bit I mean, pathetically, I'm imitating a puppy waiting for you.

[ It occurs to Tony right after he sends that message that it probably makes very little sense if she has no idea what he did so he sends this about a minute after. ]

I ran into my dad in the lab.

( T E X T | encrypted 100% | A C T I O N )

[petitehands]

Two minutes.

[ It actually ends up before more like thirty seconds, actually, because Pepper abandons the unfortunate coffee with a smart and collected turn on her heel before proceeding to return to her room at a fairly urgent pace. She knows it matters whenever Tony utters the word "dad". Upon entering her room, though, she can't help thinking that he really does, in this moment, remind her of a puppy. ]

What happened?

[ It's rather a direct response, but there's no beating about the bush with these things. ]

( A C T I O N | SHUT UP I'M USING THIS ICON FIGHT ME )

[starked]

[ So, right, he's freezing and it's a thing, but of course they're kind of wrapped around each other with about three different blankets around them. It's kind of the best they can do and a part of Tony wishes they had one of the Stark cloaks, but Alayne and the other girl are freezing as well and it's shitty to take their source of warmth just to keep Tony and Pepper warm. Bruce and Betty are somewhere nearby, he thinks, he can't be sure because at the moment he's too focused on the feel of Pepper against his side, with her head on his shoulder and his arm vaguely pulling her as close as he can get her.

She's asleep and Tony, as always, isn't. It's a problem he has sometimes, nightmares that come and go and act like one thing or another when he's not paying attention. He's scrolling the network, and aimlessly trying to get into everything he can before he gets the ping from Spock. Ward gave him and a few others permission to go to the bridge right now.

A part of him thinks that he needs to stay with Pepper. A part of him remembers trying to call her and her not answering and what if he dies again and she— no he can't think that way. He rattles off some reply about telling Pepper and the team before he turns off his communicator and just stares at Pepper for a good moment before kissing the top of her head and taking a moment to just inhale the scent of her hair before he moves to shake her awake, saying possibly the lamest thing on the planet in a whisper as he does: ]

Pepper. Show a little pep right now.

( A C T I O N | HAVE I TOLD YOU LATELY YOU'RE THE WORST )

[petitehands]

[ While the situation is not really ideal, Pepper supposes it could be worse. She isn't exactly the camping sort, but given that there was never going to be much choice in the matter, she has adjusted fairly well, albeit she just misses being warm and not bathed in an unsettling shade of red light all the time. Having Tony here with her, however, is a pretty nice bonus. It's nice to have him around in a time of minor crisis, as opposed to watching him run around and engage in crazy activities. Of course, Pepper had and indeed still has no idea that this is about to come to an end, but it was pretty lovely while it lasted.

As Tony tries to rouse her she resists, only very vaguely aware of the kiss, entirely more aware of the daftness of what he just uttered. Instead of opening her eyes she scrunches them shut just that little bit tighter, burrowing against him for a moment, the arm draped around his waist trying to hold him that little bit closer, her voice a sleepy mumble that isn't entirely pleased to have been roused and reminded of how utterly cold it is right now. ]

Tell me I was dreaming and you didn't just actually say that.

( voice | stark encryption 100% | dated monday at butt o'clock )

[starked]

[ after a helping of her blood from jenna and a trip down the rest of the way to the medbay, tony actually thinks that he should get pepper down here. part of him, a large part of him wonders how mad she's going to be and how she's going to feel when she sees that for once his stupidity actually ended in something he can't fix. ( he can, he just needs to build another eye, he thinks. but later, after he's recovered a bit. )

but another part of him just wants to see his fucking girlfriend, the one constant thing in his life. he just wants pepper to be near him and god he can't break any of this to her over the goddamn comm and it's with that thought. that thought that just keeps fluttering in his head that he sends a quick message sounding slightly drugged. ]

Hi. Pepper. I know, you're probably mad at me. God, I'm actually mad at myself at this point. Can you— I'll explain this if you just get down to medbay. For once this is one of those times when I need to tell you stuff in person. And am trying to do just that! I'm not dead, by the way. In case that wasn't obvious.

Just get down here.

( voice | stark encryption 100% )

[petitehands]

[ There is no accurate way to describe the way that Pepper snatches her comm up; she does it so violently and suddenly that she practically drops it in the same moment, smashing the buttons to respond. There's a pause before she starts, in which she finds herself swallowing both an obscene amount of anger and relief, not sure which to express first.

Her voice is so taut that it could put elastic to shame. ]

You have no idea how mad I am.

[ That's it. Sharp, fast. And then, ]

I've also never been happier to hear your voice, [ and in turn, hers falters, briefly, before it's back to angry ] but I'm still so mad that if you'd died, I swear I'd have found a way to revive you just so I could kill you again myself. [ Swallow. Breathe. Move. ] Five minutes.

( voice | stark encryption 100% )

[starked]

[ He expected this, it'd be a lie if he said he wasn't, but he doesn't really care. Because it's Pepper's voice, she didn't get lost looking for him and she was still here and he's so thankful for it. ]

I— I don't blame you, you're well within your rights and I am drugged up and getting fluids put back in my body. I really just want to see you. Even if all you do is yell at me.

[ There's the smallest of pauses before he exhales quietly and can't help but smile a little. ] And shockingly, that is actually something I wanted to hear. It's you through and through. I would have let you kill me over and over, promise.

I'll time you.

( text | encrypted 100% )

[starked]

Honest question,, me running something that's not my company, since we both know I gave that to you and you are flawless at it. Me running say a department, bad idea, yes/no?

[ help pepper i think i just took over engineering. ]

( text | encrypted 100% )

[petitehands]

[ ... ]

Is this one of those times where you ask me for my opinion on something after you've already done it/agreed to it/exploded it? I don't trust the flattery.

( text | encrypted 100% | ...maria you're my favorite the end )

[starked]

[ is very very right. ]

Okay, one, nothing down here has exploded yet. Two, maybe. Kirk will probably let me back out if I implied that I was going crazy or something. Or that I just didn't want it.

text » private » backdated to a day or two after the jump (finally)

[widowing]

sorry to hear you got pulled back into this, too.

text » private » omg carlee forgive me i lost the notif for this and forgot ONLY FIVE MONTHS LATE.

[petitehands]

Likewise. You win some, you lose some. I'm just going to count on hoping this won't continue being one of those times when we lose.

text » stark encryption » at some point DON'T QUESTION IT MARIA

[starked]

since when am i the guy you want to go to for marriage advice?

[ robb is weird news at eleven. ]

text » stark encryption » I WOULD NEVER

[petitehands]

Since absolutely never. No offence. Why...?

text » stark encryption » YOU MIGHT

[starked]

Robb. He's courting (???) Lucrezia Borgia. Pope's daughter. Whatever super Catholic.

He might have asked me how someone proposes to a Catholic girl? Like I've frequently done this.

Or have a sister. I— you should have seen my face. Actually wait no, where are you? I could reenact it.