Bayek works in the shadows (anewcreed) wrote in angellogs, @ 2019-07-23 21:17:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, bayek, steve royama (captain america), tadgh molloy, tony stark (iron man) |
Who: Ezio, Tadgh, Tony, Steve, Bayek
When: Current
Where: A walk down to a little tropical town
What: Tony heads out to do some shopping, and it's basically a pack of dads, discussing war and trauma, and then shopping for cheesy things in a shop.
Rating/Warnings: Tadgh and Tony aren't being too explicit
Status: Complete
The noise level at the beach house has definitely died down. Lunchtime was followed by naptime with the dogs, and that's gotten a good load of people snoozing. Balthier hung up a bunch of towels to dry, swept up some sand, and then took a nap himself on a hammock.
Tony wouldn't mind one, but he's up for heading into town. He's thinking of picking up some of the little coverups that honestly looked like good night shirts or just stuff to wear with the beach, and he checked in with Morgan about something for her.
Steve’s all set to head into town for a little bit too. He’s grabbed a shirt to slip into and is buttoning it over his bathing suit, and combing his hair to make sure it’s not too windblown before smiling at Tony.
Tadgh’s there and ready to head along as well. He’d started peeling from the sun a little while ago, so he’d headed inside and hung out there for a bit, but he’s sort of bored with doing that so a trip into town would do him some good. He’s also noticed that even though Enjolras is from a beach town, and seems accustomed to the sun, that he’s kind of pale and has such light eyes that he wants to pick up a couple things for him too. He’s not sure he’ll USE them but he can try, right? Bahorel and Combeferre had both mentioned that you can sneak things into Enjolras’s path and he’ll end up using them, so it’s worth that try. He’s thinking sunglasses, at least, and some better sunblock, too.
Tony grins at him. "Hey, Tadgh." He's got his shades on and a hat, and he's wearing a pretty light linen shirt that he found. Should help with the sun. "Want in on this trip? There's a place doing sort of - stripey robe kind of things that look pretty nice, and one doing sundressy coverup things. I was thinking that, sunblock, and a bag of interesting looking fresh fruit. Maybe some pre-juiced stuff."
“Tony! Bout ye, mate!” Tadgh gives him a bit of a wave and tugs down the brim of the linen hat he’d brought along. It’s a pale linen shade of mint green, in the style of a driving cap with a fairly wide brim, and one that he could wear other places if he wanted. He’s got a small pin of a rubix cube pinned on it too, and his tshirt’s fairly normal, if a little baggy, and features a bulldog of some kind.
“I’d not mind having a bit of a look around the shop, to be sure. I want to pick up a few things for the lad out there. If there’s one thing I’m learning about that apprentice of mine, it’s that he’s good at ignoring his personal comfort so someone’s got to make sure he’s not blistered from the sun and all the rest. And I wouldn’t mind more sunblock for myself. They’ve got a kind with aloe in, I saw online. I could use it, I think.”
"You look like you're peeling a little. Might want an aspirin or something to not have any swelling." Tony's pulling on his sandals. "Uh - and I'm telling you how to suck eggs. Anyone got paper with them? Or I can punch in a shopping list on the phone. Balthier said they've got these quick drying sort of sarong things that'd make decent ponchos if the rain rolled in early, but he didn't get the price for them." Tony's wearing some greenish cargo things with a lot of pockets that were probably meant for hiking or trips to your farmer's market.
Look, he considered jorts and had his brain kind of complain, and the other option were khaki twill and it didn't sound good.
Why does Steve manage to make this look so effortless? At least they can't really get lost. Town is down the road from them, up a hill, and then curving back toward the bay. Nice set of mountains for landmarks and everything.
“I did grab some of the codeine tablets Shaun says we should carry when we’re in the field.” Tadgh nods. “I think it might’ve gone a little feverish. I knew it was fairly roastin’ but didn’t quite think of it like THIS.” he wrinkles his nose a bit.
But then…
“Decent ponchos hmm? I could use something like that. And I’ve got a little notebook here.” It’s the sort of notebook that police might carry, actually Tadgh’s seen cops writing in them a few times before. Well, Officer Pat uses some sort of electronic thing that records his notes with a stylus but before technology came in, anyway.
Steve’s heading back around from where he’d gone to grab his wallet, and then, on second thought, a backpack and a couple bottles of water for all of them. “Who else was going to come? Ezio thought he’d be interested and was asking Bayek, since he’s not really getting anywhere with cheering up Sherr’s apprentice. Wade seems to be doing a good job with that, though.” He adds, shrugging a bit. “Good for Wade, that way.”
“Don’t leave yet!” there’s Ezio, calling out from a nearby bathroom, while some water runs. “I’ve just got some sand to get out. Bayek is changing.” he adds, and a few moments after THAT, Bayek’s emerging from a room down the hall, holding a damp towel with his suit rolled up in it. He’s wearing a tunic similar to Tony’s, though his is a bright shade of gold with some white stitching, and loose linen trousers.
“If you do not mind having me.” Bayek says, smiling. “I don’t believe we’ve said more than a greeting to each other, but it’s good to see you again, Tony. We met at Ezio’s birthday.”
"I like those pants," Tony offers. "They look really comfortable. When I went shopping, it'd been during a heat wave, and the options weren't great." He's smiling. "I don't mind? It's . . . Bayek, right? I'm still trying to get all the names straight."
Should he admit - "We might end up just taking a break. I'm not too tired, but Tadgh got a little sun toasted, and I'm feeling like - I should be smart and grab my headache stuff. I think I got out of the sun in time." At least his bag is still hanging up in the entry hall from when he came in.
“It is.” Bayek smiles. “I can give you the website. They’re quite comfortable. Yours don’t look bad either, but I can see where they may not be the easiest for this heat.” He nods at Tony there. “That’s a good idea then. The sun can be brutal for headaches and all sorts of things. Not something to mess around with.”
And he studies Tony. “But...a headache? You’ve been drinking enough?”
"I've been trying to?" Tony downs a pill and finishes off his drink before waving a hand. "There's something. If it gets bad, we can teleport back here. Sometimes I get migraines which are - uh - technical term for a bad kind of headache."
Bayek nods, “It’s good you’ve got a way to help them. I am told they can be devastating. Aya, my wi...ex wife, had bad headaches sometimes, but I know that being in the heat made them worse. We would try to stick to the baths if she felt one coming.”
"Huh. There's options now? I mean for things you can take to help with them." Tony refills his bottle and hangs it from his belt, so - yeah. Water, him. Money - he's not forgetting anything is he? "Ready to head out? Tadgh's got the shopping list."
“Set.” Ezio’s appearing and grabbing a leather satchel to sling on his shoulder. He’s wearing cream colored pants that reach his ankle, a grey tshirt fitted tighter than anything STEVE wears, even accidentally, and soft loafers with no socks. He’s also slipping on a hat for the sun. “Do we have a plan in mnd?”
Tony feels like he's the gawky baby of the group. Well. He'll be the safest idiot kid in the world, won't he, with this crowd? Super soldier, three assassins - "Sunscreen, fruit, some rain gear, maybe some beach wear stuff. Juice. There's supposedly a place that'll give you jugs of juice for a good price. Good for breakfast."
And frankly, they've all been going through the lemonade like they're sailors trying to stop scurvy.
“That sounds good.” Ezio nods at all of them in turn, quite happily. “You’ve sold me on the adventure.”
Steve laughs, falling into step with Tony. “Adventure, hmm? I do like those. I think this may be a little more tame than THAT, but I’m up for the chance. Are we after anything special for Morgan?”
"I think she wanted to look for herself, but she asked for a water bottle and some hair clips?" Tony looks sheepish. "I may've sat there with her and Google to try to make sure I'm getting the kind she likes the best."
“That’s sweet of you.” Tadgh says, smiling a little. “Down to double checking things and all. Seems like the two of you are really taking a weird situation and making it work.”
"Well, I mean, apparently I married my on and off again girlfriend and managed a kid, so I guess that me had stuff together. And then died, because I more or less got poisoned to death after poking at a magical artifact. For good reasons, but -" Tony sighs. "I'm trying to be there for her. As long as she wants me." He hesitates. "Uh - speaking on the wanting stuff. Ezio said it was good, talking with you, Tadgh? He could see it being good for me. Us. People in general."
“That does sound like a thing you should do.” Tadgh nods. “I think if someone popped up and said he was Katie’s and my son...or she and a daughter, but I’ve got the feeling we’d have a boy as the first, no idea WHY, I’d want to try doing the same. And if that was a universe I’d died in, even more so. Did he? Good. Ezio’s usually good at that sort of a thing.”
"Well, I mean - you sounded like you meant more - we both know how to make weapons, and did it. Mostly because it was what I did, in my case. The hostage thing was only once." Tony shrugs. "But Ezio was saying that talking about the - I don't know how to put it. I pay therapists to talk to me about how my brain runs from things. War talk for the non soldier? I don't know."
They're heading out onto the - well - it's more two tracks through some patchy grass and sand than a road with some curving trees and some bridges over little wetter areas.
Tadgh nods at that. “It makes sense, the war talk part of things. I think that applies. And sometimes, more than a therapist, it is better if it’s someone who’s been through similar I think.” He tugs the brim of his hat down a little.
“How’ve you been, recently?”
"I've been . . . ." Tony takes a deep breath. "I feel like I've been kind of running up hill and sort of worried what'll happen when I flag or get to the top? But - beyond that, better than I was at home. I'm sleeping all right. Eating all right. Dating a guy I like. Set up doctors stuff for the migraines and a therapist. Haven't looked into getting my chest looked at, but it's probably okay. So - I guess all right. You?"
“Not so bad.” Tadgh muses. “I mean, they gave me an apprentice, so that’s something that shows I must be looking stable. But beyond that…” He looks thoughtful. “I was able to make myself avoid going into something, yearly, event, that I knew was going to make me angry, set off old wars. I’m glad of that.”
"I'm still sober?" Tony tries a lopsided smile. He's honestly not noticing that he's still walking with the others now. Something about making himself try to talk makes things fade out. "And that sounds pretty good to me. Recognizing stuff that's a thing and what you want to be doing is good. I have issues with that. I can sort of put a finger on something being hard for me, but not - the perfect world how would it go sort of thing. Not how it could be easier."
“Sober helps.” Tadgh grins. “Sober really helps. I think...I never quite couldn’t give up drink the way some did, but I noticed when I did drink often I was angrier and more likely to be stupid about most things. It was probably a...what they’d call a trigger for acting badly. I hate calling it that, triggers seem to better go with illnesses, like someone who has combat nerves that get thrown off in situations, or how Desmond will start bleeding...uh thinking he’s his relatives who’s heads he was in, if he’s around things familiar to them, or Emmett’s seizures, but I’d guess it’s a similar enough idea.”
"You should've seen me when I met Dr. Strange. Stephen." Tony grimaces. "So he's got a hand tremble thing? He shows up, and is all 'you should join the chronic conditions therapy group.' And it was like struggling with a foriegn language to think that - uh - I might have stuff like that. And - I don't know. I kind of got out of the noodle war on the beach because I know water splashing can be a thing. And it - felt like a big thing to do, and was just casual."
Some of that was Steve and Balthier helping out, but still. It was - nice.
Tadgh nods at that. “Might not be a bad idea to do if it bothers you but accepting that sort of thing...I’d guess it can be hard. My things don’t SEEM to have hit me like that, trauma wise, but then, I’m told it CAN crop up sometimes after years. Being able to speak up about a thing you didn’t like, that would hurt you though? It’s big.”
“It’s definitely a big thing.” Steve says, nodding at Tony. “One of my things I haven’t said, since it hasn’t come up, is being in the cold. Makes me nervous so I usually have to have a blanket around. It felt stupid til I admitted it to myself.”
"You see, that seems totally reasonable. To the point that I wouldn't mind running the house warmer in winter, not that we're really in a cold winter area." Tony reaches to touch his hand. "And the side of me that really likes giving stuff would love kind of - dorky stuff, you know? Slippers and cozy stuff to wear around the house."
He should share something. Tony's voice sounds weird to his ears. "I'm not big on medical stuff. Uh - I was mostly awake. For the heart surgery. So that's - I get weird when it comes up. I hate admitting it. Feels like I'm sort of - not over things I want to be over?"
“That’s entirely valid.” Steve nods. “I uh, hate needles, you know? After the procedure, when Erskine was killed and everything else...they decided that I was best suited as a test subject, before they put me in the field to fight. They wanted to see what I could endure now and it involved a lot of injections of a lot of things. And a lot of other uh...tests. I mean, I always recovered, they knew they couldn’t harm me, long term. It...sort of sucked.”
"That sounds horrible. And that's still not cool. The tests that can't be long term still aren't stuff that should've been going on." Tony grimaces. "I got so sick of people always wanting to look at my chest and get x-rays and talk to me all seriously about things. Sort of a - I'm here for a prescription, not a referendum on my heart."
“It was the 40’s.” Steve says. “Today, they would definitely say it wasn’t okay, but a LOT of comparatively messed up things have happened for years. It’s one of those things where, well. I DID get an apology, official, from the US army, after I woke up and when I was bringing it up as part of...It came out because we have these two kids we learned about who we’re trying to help. Twins. They’re about...maybe nineteen or twenty now. They’ve been spending their lives experimented on and turned into someone’s science project. And they’re bad news for the Avengers but they haven’t known anything else.”
He winces, knowing Wanda’s tried manipulating Tony’s mind a few times when the Avengers came to try and get them out before there was help and it was perceived as a threat they couldn’t explain.
“Anyway, we learned about Pietro and Wanda and I brought it up to quite a few people, once the world knew about what had happened to these Sokovian orphans, that I’d been through similar and that it was never okay, and what it felt like and… They issued an apology. It’s annoying that it was just me, but I’ve been doing other stuff since then, for people who’ve had it happen. It’s one of my side projects after dropping by to see about sick kids at the local hospitals and things. Yours shouldn’t have happened to you either, same vein.”
"Well, I mean, I was a rich guy with kind of - I didn't get a lot people saying I signed up for things." Admittedly, Rhodey probably would've set people on fire if they dared to say Tony asked to be a hostage. Tony sighs. "Poor kids. Sokovia had war, at least in my dimension. That helps people fall through the cracks. My thing was more - I mean, you grab a doctor and start talking about open heart surgery in a non-medically sterile environment, and I can see why the doctor would want to find out how much of a train wreck it was?"
But it doesn't change that Tony hated feeling like a cool story to tell your medical intern.
“It’s definitely messed up.” Steve says, “Everything about this. That just sounds…”
“Really messy.” Tadgh winces. “Glad you’re both out of those places if that helps you any.”
"Thing is, when I got home, it uh - turned out my dad's best friend paid for me to die over there. And wasn't thrilled I survived and got home. And that - that's the thing that I could feel emotions about a lot more easily." Tony waves a hand. "All the years of stuff where Obie who's totally your friend who wasn't always great. Turns out he was running weapons on the black market, and especially wanted me gone when I came back from being a hostage with cool tech and a lot of talk about getting out of the weapon business."
Tony trails off. "You know, that's kind of - I hate saying it, but it's nice ending up here. He had a bunch of e-mails on timers for like - reminding me to finish some projects. And inviting me to go out partying. After he died. JARVIS filtered them for me, once I realized what was going on, but it was still - horrifying." He's not sure how to put it. Just the cheery friendly e-mails from a dead guy, and also not really friendly at all.
Bayek winces at that from in the back. “Have you talked much to Shay, Arno’s husband, or to Jacob? I know you’ve spent some time with Emmett but...they’ve been through situations where...people close to them, in that sort of a role...did much of the same sort of thing.”
He’s experienced similar but...in other ways.
“When I was...after my little flock had formed, one of my oldest friends went wild with wanting the power to harm our enemies and did some dangerous things that put us in harm’s way. It was a different sort of betrayal but one that involved being hurt in similar ways.”
“Actually…” Ezio’s there too. “Arno’s had similar things too. Shaun was telling me that story of what his mentor did to him. It’s another story where someone turned on someone and...a sad case. Arno’s mentor who trained him, not the MENTOR, as in the position we have for our leaders, killed the assassin mentor at the time and was working against the group to discredit someone Arno loved. And tried to kill him in the end. It’s all very…” he shakes his head. “Tony, you’ll find similar people to talk with, if you wanted to, about that sort of a betrayal, I fear. Seeing things set up and knowing what you know now, though...it’s scary.”
"I mean - I should've realized something was up with Obie." Tony trails off. "But - I can bring it up? I'm just - it's like the chronic thing. PTSD and my chest is a mess, and I'm still going 'well, Steve's got it more'." He rolls his eyes. "My brain's a thing. Is that an avocado tree?" They're getting up near town, and passing out of the shade.
The nearest shop has a tour bus (not a huge one, but it's not a huge store.) It's packed with - well - trash and trinkets. Shotglasses, chunky carved bits of coconut jewelry, weird stuffed animals (for the people who need a leashed dolphin?), a bank of five churning juice machines of some sort that honestly look like they're an explosion hazard, floral necklaces made out of plastic, and so on.
There's a tourist in an amazing print shirt holding up a "Neptune and chariot" made entirely out of various shells, complete with little whelk shells for Neptune's stache. Down the way is a massive bunch of cassette tapes, jam jars, and a stand selling anything you want, as long as it's deep fried and involving fish (with another one next door for "ital" food.) Both smell amazing. The sundress and coverup shop has a group of women chatting with sewing machines set up in the shade.
"Balthier didn't mention cassette tapes," Tony murmurs. And his fingers itch. Is there something cool in that mess? Can he digitize some?
“Oh this is COOL.” Steve laughs and goes to look at the Hawaiin print shirts. “Tony, look! They’re fantastic, aren’t they? This reminds me of how cool we all thought Hawaii was for a while. I think everybody secretly wanted to get stationed there and not in Europe even.”
Ezio finds himself humming with the music as he stops to stare at a mesh cage filled with brightly decorated shells that appear to be moving, with some climbing the mesh. Hermit crabs, and there’s one that has a white and red and grey design suspiciously close to his own robes when he was younger. He’s not humming very well, but Pencil Thin Mustache is a song he LIKES.
"They are." Tony heads over to look. "Want to look over them while I look for hair clips for Morgan?" He's got a suspicious feeling that someone's getting a hermit crab. Well, that's not too bad, right? Morgan's old enough.
“Sure.” Steve grins. “Any colors we’re looking for in particular or am I aiming for just LOUD?”
Tadgh’s wandering over to the crabs and Ezio. “TELL me they did the others who’ve got games out.” he begs, then pauses, noting one shell in a basket of them that’s particularly red and yellow and he SMIRKS, scooping it up before Tony can see it. Then he goes looking for the obviously required blue and white one to match. Someone will end up taking care of them, even if that someone becomes him. Actually, on that note, maybe Enjolras would like a crab. He seems more fond of rodents, but perhaps…
Bayek’s heading around to look at the shirts and sarong type things for now. There seem to be quite a few options in baatiked things, and he’s pleased to see they aren’t all dresses or shirts that are obviously cut and designed for women. Granted, he does see a purple and black dress that reminds him of Evie who was working today…
"Let's say something that feels nice for me. Ideally two colors, but if you find something perfect and loud, I'm game." Tony pats Steve's shoulder and heads on over to the hair things. Water bottle isn't too bad to get. Hair things - hair things will be interesting. "Don't let me forget the sunscreen and the coverup things I wanted to show you."
Look, he saw some long kind of robe things that look perfect over swim shorts or nothing at all, and they felt lovely. Nice nubbly linen like feeling.
Tony's got a texture thing. Maybe it's the scars leaving his skin a bit crabby? He's grabbing a pack of the sarong poncho things (they're basically a tablecloth in waterproof fabric,) one in gaudy prints and one in "guy" colors, and some hair combs along with the clips. Maybe Morgan might share them with Ellie? And besides, one was a set.
And if he gets a little pendent thing so his keys could match, it's because he's sentimental. Water bottle and - he's circling around. "Any luck with the shirts? I've got the stuff I wanted to show you." The nightshirt / robe things came in various light colors, and a stripe, so he grabbed a white and a textured weave (yes, a blue ish one) to show Steve. "Curious if you liked these."
Steve’s found a few soft brightly colored ones that look like they’d be nice to show Tony, so he nods. “Let’s see your stuff too…” he leans over to get a look at those. “Oh they’re NICE. They look like they’d be good for sleeping.”
"I was thinking they might be nice for that. And - I like that red one, there." He's tapping one with sort of stylized turtles and dots. "The blue one with the car print is also cute. Shall we get rung up and go over and get some fruit?"
“That sounds like a good idea.” Steve nods. “The weave on that is NICE. “ He’s also added a few little things they might want to have around, like tiny zippered bags to put around their necks for money instead of lugging a wallet around and getting things soaked.
“I hope the pineapples are fresh.”
Tadgh’s grabbing some sunglasses now, opting for a red pair for Enjolras, since he does seem to like the color, even if he mostly dresses in dark shades. It’s a weird affectation so he’s glad to pull him out a little.
"I . . . think I need to google hermit crabs," Tony says quietly. "Just - I think Ezio's getting some." There's a couple of interesting juice options and some actually pretty nice looking melons. Tony's tempted. Let the others look around a bit though?
The stall owner's waving him over to point out that she's got some bread in, fresh from the oven. Apparently Balthier was checking what the options were. "Since there's a crowd of you - do you think you'd want avocados? The tree's going crazy."
"I'd happily pay you for - oh - maybe as much as we could fit -" Tony was not expecting to get a wave of her hand and a bag shoved at him. Well.
“Oh those are gorgeous.” Steve smiles. “We can definitely do some neat things with them. I’ve found recipes where you use them for fats in other things too, which might be fun. Surprise people.”
Tony dutifully heads over to pick avocados. It looks like they might be getting some passion fruit for a song as well, but - that's at least not as bad as free avocados if they put the work in. "What sort of recipes? Brownies? I've heard of soup recipes."
“Brownies, smoothies, I had a fantastic green smoothie on the lunch break at work the other day.” Steve looks thoughtful. “There was spinach and apples involved too, and I think pineapple and some of the protein powders. Mrs. Yang said it was some sort of chinese medicine thing that was added and she’d made too much so brought extra over.”
"I'm going to have to meet her, I think." Tony tilts his head. "If you want?"
“Oh definitely.” Steve nods. “Come by any time you want to. I’ll get you a schedule of when we’re less busy if you want.”
Ezio’s wandering back over now with several wire cages and some bags of other things and Tadgh’s got a few as well, Bayek’s glancing at the hot food options and choosing a few things, with interest but then he’s shouldering his bags and slipping back around as well. Overall, it seems like they’ve all gotten a pretty good haul.
Tony manages to bargain that he'll pay full price for some already peeled coconut and water, to make up for the avocados, and isn't sure how he ended up with some extra plums, but - still, he's getting out of there feeling like he didn't pay too little. The bag of local coffee was also full price, which probably was partially why she was fond of them. "Hey. Ready to head back? We got a deal on avocados."
“That sounds good to me.” Ezio smiles. “Everything’s in order here, I believe.” And in some disorder, but ssh. Overall, they managed to find crab shells, most of them with crabs already in them, for the assassins with mainline games who have robes, AND a spartan inspired helmet painted one, so it’s a pretty good selection. There’s even a few with the templar cross and the standard assassin insignia. Things are going to get interesting, it seems.
"I'm going to have to google to see what they need, but I bet we can make something comfortable for them." Tony's starting for the road, shaking out his hat as he puts it back on. "This was fun. I really enjoyed this."