Trimming Characters: Cassie, Noriko and Tony Setting: Rockefeller Center, NYC Content: A little bit of a scuffle. Summary: Some people just don't like Christmas and have to ruin it for everybody else.
"Looks good," Tony had assured Noriko once she had been outfitted with her new equipment and he stood back to admire his work. It wasn't a complete lie; the rig could have been a lot more complex. In fact, it was entirely obscurable in winter, if she was feeling self-conscious about it. If she hadn't warmed up to it by the time the snow had melted they'd revisit the project. "Want to take her for a dry run?"
'Twas the season, after all, and now that he had another runaway installed in his workshop for the time being Tony's Christmas list was a little bit longer. Not that gift buying was one of his many diverse, enviable talents; that was Pepper's area of expertise, as notable by his late start with dubious intent. But if he had the girls with him then there was no way he could fuck it up, right? Right. Pepper could thank him later. Maybe he could even get one for her, with Cassie's help. A whole bunch of birds with one credit card or whatever. To light a fire under Cassie's combative ass, he claimed 'business trip' in an appropriately sober tone when he called her down to the car, only to smile impishly when she arrived and grandly wave her in to join Noriko on the heated leather.
This close to Christmas, the malls had to have emptied out, right? Nobody else was as slow to act on this presents thing, they loved Christmas, lived for it, they were Christmas-ed out the day after Thanksgiving. Surely, if Tony was to find a crowd, he'd have to go somewhere else. They headed for Rockefeller Square and the glittering, glowing, ten story electrical hazard amid the swarms of revelers and carolers. Perfect field test. Happy dropped them right out front, where they could witness the full glory of the shimmering Christmas tree, necks craned like so many milling around the base of it and blinking as the ornaments winked sunlight and camera flashes back at them. Tony had to drop his head, sniffing in the cold, hands stuffed in his pockets already, and took in the whole scene. There was an ice rink so close they could hear the giggles and the cutting slice of blades on ice from there, but Tony could only see the bodies drifting with unnatural ease weaving through the crowd. He narrowed his eyes for a moment, remembering the last time he had been on the ice, just about a year ago to the day, and sniffed again, thinking it about time to make better memories for a better year. "You girls skate?" he asked.