Morgan Stark (iron_maiden_) wrote in angellogs, @ 2019-11-25 23:49:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, bucky barnes, morgan stark, steve royama (captain america), tony stark (iron man) |
Who: Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, Morgan Stark
When: Current
Where: Tony's shop
What: Tony's been having off and on jackhammers on his street, but the work crew is taking a break. Good time for burgers, fries, and some conversation.
Rating/Warnings: Morgan's backstory comes from Avengers : Endgame.
Status: Complete
Tony's shop is right now in "Thanksgiving" mode as well as "Students about to go on holiday clearing out things for the shop" mode. This means he's got a stack of really nice water colors (he kind of wants to buy a few for himself,) some lumpy vases, and a stack of summer deck chairs that he'd gotten a sale on. A senior home liked them, they were in good quality, so they got sold for a cheap price as a set and someone was going to come by with a van to cart them over there.
One nice thing about having a shop to run is that he's got a constant slow stream of things to worry about. For example, this morning, he hung up some LED light strings over the windows, and called the local food bank about some commercial cookware that came in to see if they needed pans. His morning was spent helping load a dining table and chairs onto someone's truck, and after that he got four bags of paperbacks which he'd been airing out in the sunlight and pricing to go on the shelves.
He needs to call up Emmett. He sends an e-mail instead, asking Emmett to talk some time about perhaps coming over for food and maybe some books, since he had a pile of stuff that Emmett might like.
He did call up the flower shop down the road, since he had a pile of Viking Romances (she mentioned her taste for them) and she brought him a bouquet in trade for exploring fjords.
(She didn't buy one because she said he had to read it. It has holographic stars and trails and a very muscular embossed chest on the cover. Tony's honestly curious.)
Still, he flips the sign to lunch, and heads over, shades on in case he does have his head being a pain once he's out in the sun, and goes to pick up their lunch. He's got a pitcher of cool tea ready for ice or just drinking, a couple of bags of chips for the guac, and a bag of assorted salad greens because they were cheap at the coop. It's almost healthy. Well, except for the burgers and fries, but vegetables. He feels like he's doing well.
Morgan’s around not too much later, and honestly, it’s kind of good that she is. She isn’t sure how to describe the mood over at the Vaels this weekend, but once they’d gotten there, she’d kind of wished she’d stuck around back at the Sanctuary instead, and had been about to drop Stephen an email to see if he was still sticking around or not, when the invite came up. So leaving them all to their weird tension for a couple hours feels like a nice plan to her.
“Hey, hey.” She’s waving and heading in, letting her bag slide off her shoulder as she pops it in one of the usual chairs around the place. “So, how’s business going?”
Tony eyes her. "Hug? It's going all right. Those chairs are going out sometime today, and I got a big dining chair set out of here. It sounded like stuff has been stressful."
Morgan grins and steps around for a hug. “Oh nice. And less stressful, more busy. It was weird over at the castle. I was thinking of heading back to the sanctuary early this weekend. I think James was sticking around anyway, and I know Stephen is, but I did head home with Ellie and…” She shrugs. “The Vaels are nice but they have stuff to work out and it’s a little awkward.”
"Is this about - Emmet having something?" Tony frowns. "I mean, I've got a guest room. It's tiny, or you can crash on the couch in the breakroom if you don't want to possibly get woken up by late night stuff."
Tony hugs her and sighs. "There's tea, rabbit food, chips, I've got the takeout stuff. I should text the others and let them know I've got burgers, but I bet they'll be here soon."
“More of a weird thing with Meghan, who I barely know and that’s going on and Iomhar’s tiptoeing around the place now, since his weekend plans got cancelled because of an emergency and it’s weird to be around for it?” She shrugs. “They’ll work it all out but it’s sort of awkward not being involved and watching. I may take you up on that. Let them have a little space, you know?”
"Yeah." Tony smiles at her. "Right. Let me text folks. If you want sparkling water in various flavors, it's in the fridge, and I've got coffee available." He's digging out his phone to do that. "I've been a little headachey, with the construction noise. But - not too bad. Combeferre guessed part of my problem is that I don't notice when I'm low key not comfortable, and that's why I'm so clueless about migraine triggers. Sort of - I keep cashing checks my body can't take and then I wonder why I'm broke."
He frowns. "Wait. I mean - not broke as - badly off. More just - I need to be more aware of when I'm feeling headachey and I'll take my meds before I get really bad?" He smiles lopsidedly. "Sorry."
“No worries.” Morgan says. “More of a cumulative effect, which I get. “ She’s glad that the migraines she gets tend to be more predictable than that. There are a few triggers, but there’s also other stuff involved in those, so that’s not great but she can at least pinpoint them easier. “Sounds nasty either way. I’m guessing you’re working on finding ways to improve that stuff?”
She figures Combeferre would suggest that.
"Well, jackhammers, only had one really fell apart migraine? It's been about five days." Tony sets up the bouquet on the table and hesitates. "Does that look bad? I - the floral shop lady trades flowers for a small fee for me finding romance books of the type she likes. I thought . . . for all of you."
“Oh I like that.” Morgan grins. “They’re pretty. And oh hey, what sort now? She was into historicals, right?”
"Vikings, getting it on, preferably more historically accurate." Tony smiles back at her. "She said I needed to read one of them. It honestly does look interesting, if - uh - light reading."
“Ooh my.” Morgan snorts. “You know, it occurs to me. They never do make any of the couples in those things anything but cis hetero do they? And usually white. I mean, okay, I don’t know that I could handle reading, say, a Civil War one where a slave and the master’s kid were a couple, there’s a LOT of messy stuff there that I don’t think that genre is uh...nuanced enough for, but then again, you never know. SOME stuff you’d think might be addressed. And that’s fantastic and hilarious that people are reccing some. Ellie said her uncles are working on a gay highlanders sort of thing.”
She grins.
"Well, there's a lesbian group of doctors in this one, and the main couple, I think, is either a trio or gay? I just skimmed a few pages." Tony digs it out and offers it to her. "Just - uh - the cover's a cover."
“Oh VERY cool on that front.” Morgan nods approvingly. “Diversity as long as it’s not just forced. I mean, anybody should be able to read about anybody being in love. I THINK I’d know if I liked girls too, by now, but I still want to read about people like the ones I know, anyway, you know?” And she’s eying the cover. “Ooh sparkly. And that’s QUITE a chest.” Idly, she’s tracing the lines of it with a fingertip.
Which is when Steve makes his way in, followed by Bucky.
“Hey we’re…” Then he stops short. “Morgan? Are you molesting that book?”
"I consented that she could check it out?" Tony grins and ducks his head a bit. "There's flowers. If you . . . want some?" He heads to take a seat. "We did a book trade with the lady at the flower shop. And we've got tea. Burgers. Sparkling water in the fridge."
“Oh they’re pretty.” Bucky nods at the flowers, and steps around to the fridge. “Nice. Do you have the pear kind? That one was really good for some reason. It’s weird that the flavors are that distinctive, but…”
They ARE, though.
"I do? It's on the right, behind the apple blossom one." The last time he tried it, it honestly tasted like it was just some apple, but the label was pretty. Tony's moving to sit and starts fishing up the takeout. "Thanks for coming by. I know I didn't do a lot of warning."
“Oh perfect.” Bucky grins and pours half into a glass, then adds a little of the berry one. “Try this. The mix is SO good.”
Steve snorts but leans over to take an offered sip. “Okay, yeah. Bucky does have a point. And hey, we had literally nothing going on. I was doing some sketches from the internet and Bucky was being ‘helpful’ while he watched me. Apparently I’m not good at most animals and need to visit a farm or the zoo or something.”
“Or both.” Bucky says brightly. “We could all go to both. There are working farms that let you visit and pet animals. And zoos are always the best.”
“Is there a zoo nearby?” Morgan grins. “I’d LOVE to go to a zoo.”
"I'm up for it?" Tony looks curious. "I wonder if we could go somewhere and get some apples from a farm. I mean, maybe not here, but somewhere might be pretty for doing that. Or cider? The non-boozey sort." He's leaning to try the mix. "And wow, okay, that is neat. Reminds me of that Polish cherry stuff that wanted you to mix it with water."
“I’d bet we could find an open one.” Steve looks thoughtful. “And this is America so I’m pretty sure it’s easier to find non boozey cider than the boozey kind. It’d be the opposite if we were in the UK, I think, but..I can ask Siri.”
“Ew, Siri.” Morgan makes a face, then realizes she’s done that out loud and snorts. “Sorry, kneejerk reaction. My dad trained me young.”
"Did he have a Stark thing he preferred?" Tony's opening up the fries and spreading out what they've got on the table. He makes sure he makes himself take some salad stuff. He's trying. Besides, kid's here. Try to look good.
“Yeah, actually.” Morgan’s grabbing food too, and the others are following suit. “It was basically like a mini version of FRIDAY, obviously not so advanced as all of that. More a layman’s sort of thing. And better connected to the tech in your house or car than Siri is.”
"Huh - I could see that. I could probably build that if I had the right tools." Tony's thinking. "I'd kind of want a full AI though, if they had that much connection." He frowns. "That's a me kind of thing to say, isn't it?" He's working on his burger.
"Remind me, about the watercolors," he says once he's a lot less hungry. "We've got some frames, and I'd kind of like to get something on the wall in a few spots. There's some student work that's pretty if you two don't have ideas."
“Ooh definitely.” Steve says, “I’m curious. It’s always interesting to see what people are doing now from when I did classes.”
“You didn’t finish, did you? Bucky asks, studying him. “You know, here and now, you’ve got the stipend from when you got here still, AND you’ve got the job and all, and us if you have things that need done...you should think about getting the full degree, Steve. I know it always bothered me that my Steve at home couldn’t do it. The depression and then obviously the war and all. “
“I mean, I don’t know.” Steve shifts. “You need portfolios and stuff. It’s not as easy as walking up to a school and telling them you want to join.”
“Well, no.” Morgan agrees with that, “You do it online mostly. I’m slowly working on my college applications for next year. And I have no idea what I want to do or why that’s available. What I really want is...kind of on hold for a lot of reasons that have to do with me transferring to this world. The stuff I had lined up at home all went away.”
"But I mean, if the portfolio is - I don't know - some life drawings and some landscapes and a painting, we can get that." Tony looks thoughtful. "I mean, you're competing with a high school kid to get into college if you don't mind starting at the start? Could always apply to somewhere bigger once you've got a start?"
“Art schools are a LITTLE different.” Bucky looks thoughtful. “That’s definitely gonna be based on performance and merit more than what you did in high school or anything, Steve. And honestly, you’re good. You said you did some commercial work before the war, posters and such. Those might even work as pieces. And YOU…” he turns to Morgan, studying her. “You wanted to go to Colorado Springs, yeah? The Avengers aren’t quite military but your dad wasn’t quite a civilian and he died in the service of not just his country. If it’s about the nomination…”
“Uncle Rhodey was helping with most of that.” Morgan nods. “And he knew plenty of congress people who would have been glad to help on other terms too. Basically, with how competitive that IS, it’s better to have as many potential ins as you CAN. AND, well...he DID help save the vice president that time. There’s this rumor that anyone who helped someone in the office you’re in in Washington, no matter what party they were in, that you at least CONSIDER helping those out. The goddaughter of the guy who did that...I had a couple ways. Here...it’s not AS easy.”
“Yeah but I mean…” Steve’s looking thoughtful. “It’s easy enough to prove where you’re from and what you were doing there and all, right? There’s probably a way to make it happen if that’s what you want.” And he laughs. “And it feels WEIRD to be encouraging a kid into the military here and now, when it’s a WHOLE lot more dangerous, but I know what it’s like, to want that.”
"And you are brilliant." Tony shrugged. "I'm not one for the military, but it's your choice. Maybe there's other vets on the system of world travellers like us who could have contacts with actual military types?"
“Well the way it works is people get appointments.” Steve says now. “GOVERNMENTAL type people. The president, vice president, congressmen..I THINK there’s something if you’re active service at the time you apply, and there’s chances for children of dead or disabled service members, winners of the medals of honor...it’s a whole THING. And there’s a process. That said…” He grins at Morgan. “I don’t suppose you’d be interested in training, to get started for that test?”
“I’d be game.” Morgan nods. “I run each morning and do some exercises, there’s a lot of room at the Sanctuary. It was a monastery once, so there’s actually some workout space, but it’s hard without people. IF.” she nods at Steve. “You seriously think about if you still want art school. How’s that?”
“I can work with it.” Steve grins a little. “And there’s bound to be someone in congress here who’d go for it,with you. Considering everything. But you’re, what? Middle of Junior year? You’d be able to handle the process.”
“I feel like we should be telling her to forget flying.” Bucky jokes. “Go for West Point instead, but hey. WE just popped in out of nowhere because there was a war on.”
“I have an honorary degree from them.” Steve laughs, shaking his head. “One of those “oh hey you’re alive and saved New York City” things. It was...surreal.”
"I kind of wanted, if anything slowed down, to be a professor. There was a little college that gave me an honorary degree and I'd give them occasional money for stuff." Tony trailed off. "I'd probably get bored, and I know I'd hate academic politics. But - sometimes it sounded nice. Just let the company do it's thing for a bit and sit in an office and just have papers and books to write. I think I just . . . wanted some quiet."
“That could be nice.” Bucky nods. “You didn’t get anything like that, so...it does make a TON of sense.”
"I've got it here? Well - other than the construction stuff. But that's not forever." Tony waves a fry at the window.
“That’s true.” Morgan nods. “It’ll be nice once that’s done, I bet. But this, right now? It’s not so bad, is it?”
"Nope. And I could stay over at Steve's or crash somewhere if it's bad." Tony can hear some clunking outside, but at least it's not the jackhammer. "How was today with you two? Morgan was saying she might stay over." Tony frowns. "Could we ask Ellie if she wants that too? I mean - you know her, is she uncomfortable?"
“Today was good.” Bucky says. “We didn’t get a lot done or anything, but we didn’t have plans to, really. Recovering a little from the halloween party stuff, still.” he says. “Well not physically or anything but Steve’s place is.”
“And we get to do Thanksgiving soon.” Steve says, his voice going dramatic. “Dun Dun Dun.”
“I think she’s okay.” Morgan says. “It might be good to call and see. But I get the impression it’s...they do this, the Vaels. And a lot of it’s stemming from some stuff with Iomhar being around for the weekend and not having any idea how to relate to Meghan now. Which kind of does make sense, to be fair. I mean, she was five when everything happened. But Iomhar and Jacob were supposed to go away on some weekend trip. But they had a date this week interrupted because Emmett got arrested when the cops found him in the street and things too, and Jacob cancelled because of all that, so he’s not sure what he’s doing at home, Iomhar, hasn’t been around a TON from what people were saying so...it’s not like they’ve spent any time with each other.”
Tony nods. "As long as stuff's all right." He looks thoughtful. "I'm not too worried about Thanksgiving? Are you?"
“Nah not really.” Morgan says. “It’ll work out. They’re not American so they don’t have one to freak out at people over. I mean I know people have some invites but it’s not quite the same as impending family drama over your own turkey is it?”
Steve snickers. “I’m admittedly more worried about cooking than anything else. You KNOW I’m going to burn something, right? Just to put it out there now. I’ll hope it’s nothing vital. Like...rolls. Rolls you can burn and it’s not the end of the world. Or that weird cranberry in a jar stuff.”
“...You don’t cook those, Stevie.” Bucky snickers.
“See?”
"I mean, carbon's good for the digestion?" Tony tilts his head. "We'll just be careful and there'll be plenty of food and we've got our friends around. I mean, I'm kind of worried about not doing this right, or suddenly wanting to hide somewhere with a plate of food and watching bad tv, but - that won't be the end of the world. It's me that's being weird, not people fighting."
That . . . sounds kind of sad, said out loud.
“That’s kind of depressing.” Bucky notes. “But hey, definitely nobody fighting. That’s reasonable. And I mean, I don’t think you can REALLY do it wrong. That sort of goes against the point.”
“Oh definitely.” Steve nods. “Just thought I’d issue a warning in case, but...I’m not THAT worried about things like that. We’ll make it work. We always do.”
"Do you think you could show up, Morgan? You don't have to, but I'd like having my alt cool daughter pop by." Tony tilts his head at her. "Or are you busy?"
“Not busy at all,” Morgan grins. She hadn’t made any official plans though there are a few friends at school who’d mentioned she could stop by. They don’t know all of the details or anything, since she grabbed a different last name to enroll under, but people know she’s from a different universe and the only one here from her own so they’re looking out for her in a way.
“I’d like that.”
"We should probably do a shopping list, so if there's - uh - stuff that Pepper would do -" Tony trails off. "Just - I know you had stuff with your family. so if you miss stuff, we can try to include it?" And he's basically got nothing to miss, other than a few things, and they're not really holiday food.
“Sure.” Morgan nods. “Comparing notes is a good idea. And I can make at least a couple things so that’ll probably be a help.” She grins at Steve. “I mean, seriously. Canned cranberries? That’s just kind of..I don’t know if that’s a depression era thing or what but at least let me make the real kind too.”
“The little ridges make it easy to slice?” Steve offers. “I don’t have any actual emotional attachment to them, when I think about it. We didn’t even HAVE all the thanksgiving stuff some years. We did meatloaf once, my mom shaped it like a turkey.”
“Okay I know they didn’t know each other but I swear our moms DID.” Bucky supplies, shaking his head in amusement. “Great minds, huh?”
"We can do actual cranberries?" Tony tilts his head. "My mother liked the raw kind, with orange, as I remember."
“I saw white fudge with them raw.” Steve says. “That looked interesting and not that hard to do. Might be fun to try if they have huge sales on the bags of them and we end up with a ton.”
"I think there's some Norse styled stuff too where you basically used them for some tartness in beef stews. Replacing the - lingonberries?" Tony thinks he's got the right kind in mind. "I remember that there was a party and I liked the - it was tofu loaf stuff, mostly binder, but I was a kid and it was something different. It was the first time I had something that wasn't Chinese made out of tofu, and I thought it was a new food thing." That's a - still not great story, but look, most of his Thanksgivings weren't great. "Jarvis, the man, and his wife cooked one year, when both mom and dad had to be out. I remember being delighted that I got to set the table."
“Did you do little place cards?” Steve grins. “I LOVED that kind of thing. Okay, still sort of do. It’s just vitally important to decide who in the group gets a little turkey and who gets a pilgrim hat and…”
“Plymouth rock?” Morgan suggests. “I made one, from a real rock, when I was about four. We wrote Plymouth Rock and 1620 on it and it was always there. I feel like I need to make a new one here and now. “
“Is it really disrespecful to future me,” Bucky wonders. “If I make a hand turkey? It looks like fun and last thanksgiving was...honestly kind of a drag. My unit was together, which was fine, and they got the army’s version of turkey and rehydrated potatoes on the base we got to go to, and somebody got flown in to perform for us, some Julie Andrews type who wasn’t actually Julie Andrews, but...the energy was weird. I feel like doing something really dumb and fun this time.”
"I think I . . . decorated the placemats?" It's a blurry memory for Tony. He hadn't done hand turkeys, because his dad thought that arts and crafts stuff with construction paper was wasteful. Sure, he knew the concept, but he usually got stuck lettering posters and stuff because he was good at doing nice clean letters.
“That’s kind of nice too.” Steve notes. “But I mean there’s ways to really have fun with it too. It’s one of those things that I’m really trying to get across. And part of why I don’t know if art school directly is the way I want to go. I mean. I was also thinking either teaching or art therapy where I’d have an actual qualification instead of showing up to do crafts at the hospital and with foster kids. You know, that idea that it’s okay to explore and get messy.”
"No reason why you can't go into a kind of art therapy focussed degree?" Tony tilts his head. "It'd make it faster too, for finding contacts to get you into the stuff you want, I bet."
“True.” Steve nods. “I was able to get through with enough stuff that I’ll be taking over for art after the Christmas break at Clint’s school this year. The original teacher had to go out sick, thought she’d be back after a surgery, but then found out she was pregnant and it was probably going to be high risk if she didn’t take precautions. And since some of the kids need to be lifted and transferred around for various activities, I’m coming in for about a month before she’s off for the rest of the duration, to learn the ropes. But that’s more a substitute long term thing. About all you have to do for those is prove you’re not an idiot and don’t have a criminal record. I want to do it for real, in some way or other.”
“Sounds good.” Bucky looks thoughtful. “I’m proud of you Stevie.”
"It's got to be - I mean, I'm still reeling a bit from having a cool daughter, cool as she is, who's old enough to have plans and all that. You've got to be feeling it too, Bucky, right?" Tony could imagine.
Morgan laughs at that. “I’ll admit it’s been weird, good weird, having an alt cool dad around, you know? Considering I mostly remember mine, and through, well. He knew what he’d been doing as Ironman enough that he left SOME tapes for me. That and...he’d mostly given it up before I was born, but the whole heart thing? He knew that his might have weird complications after all the work done on it, so he also left some for that reason. You know, the kind of stuff therapists suggest you do when you get diagnosed with something terminal. For You On Your First Day Of High School, When Your Mom Starts Dating...not that she ever DID that, but there’s a labeled tape about that. Anyway, it’s been good, having a flesh and blood Tony. Admittedly his tapes are more...he did this holographic thing, makes it feel like he’s actually sitting in the room. Sometimes when I was really young, I’d turn it on and pretend, right after he died, but it wasn’t...you can’t hug those and it’s all scripted.” She smiles.
“I’m glad there’s a you here, Tony. I feel like my dad would have approved that you’re here for me.”
Tony grins. "I'll try and live up to it."
“Hey, you’re already pretty good at that.”
Bucky grins, watching the two of them. “Aww. It’s like we all got a whole family showing up here. It’s kind of nice huh? Different universes where you wouldn’t think some of this would even remotely work, but…”
“Maybe we could try to add a couple?” Steve suggests. “I know a couple people I might want to invite for pie for thanksgiving. Not the whole meal if people aren’t cool with it, but there’s Wyatt, the guy who the last Steve was close to. He’s sort of alone and really nice.”
"I'm up for it. Could do sort of - coffee and pie and sandwiches?" Tony's digging out his tablet to take notes.
“Hey, yeah.” Bucky nods. “He was...I think him, me and you guys...we have a LOT in common on some stuff. I saw a little of that game he’s from. It was fun but I mean...things he’d get too.” He shakes his head a little. “Not that I’m thinking we’re gonna be talking depressing stuff at thanksgiving but...it’d be nice in future.”
"Hey, if it helps getting a little maudlin after a nice meal, we can make sure there's ice cream in the freezer." Tony shrugs. "I'd say invite him soon? Make sure he knows he's welcome?"
“I’ll do that.” Steve says. “I’ve got a thing at the VA this week and he’s sponsoring it, so we can talk about it then. Sweet guy. I think you’ll all like him. A little uh..he’s not an innocent by any means but he’s about as polite as if he were.”
"I can watch my swearing," Tony offers. "I can try, at least." It helps that he keeps hearing his second grade teacher exploding about saying THAT word near Sergeant BUCKY BARNES, but it's slowly getting better. Steve, he's pretty relaxed with.
Bucky smirks. “I’m pretty sure Steve and me are gonna be the REAL problems but hey. How bad ARE we talking? Is he seriously still…” He looks at them. “There’s a point he mentions Gosh Darned Nazis in the game. Is that exaggerated or…”
“Not at all.” Steve grins. “He’s not offended by it. He just doesn’t say it.”