mrtonystark (mrtonystark) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2016-09-14 13:19:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | !complete, raistlin majere, tony stark (iron man) |
Who: Raistlin Majere and Tony Stark
What: Job offer
When: Same day as this text exchange
Where: Stark Industries
Rating/Warnings Low/None
Status: Complete
Raistlin had been working at Stark Industries as a chemist for just shy of a year and in that time he had only seen the eponymous Mr. Stark once. The two of them had happened to cross paths in a break room while fetching coffee. They had exchanged a few words, the key word there being “few”. Raistlin had still been new to the company then and had purposefully made sure to keep the conversation on his end as simple as possible. Raistlin knew all too well how he came off to people, whether he meant to or not, and the last thing he had wanted to do was inadvertently offend the man whose company bore his name.
That had been back when Raistlin had still been aiming to make a name for himself in the inorganic and biochemistry fields. So much had changed since then. Yes, chemistry still held his interests. He’d been interested in science, chemistry in particular, since he’d been in grade school and that was unlikely to change. However, since the Dreams had started, since he had learned of the power he could wield as a mage, his primary focus in life had shifted. Now it was the occult, magic and obscure knowledges and learning as much as he could about everything having to do with magic occupied so much of his mind rather than the science he had spent so much of his life depending on.
He still showed up to the labs at Stark Industries every day, worked on the projects he had been assigned to and turned in his reports usually on time, if not before a deadline. He continued to do good work, however, his down time - what there was of it - was spent studying his spellbook, or working on creating a second spellbook of which combined the spells he learned from Krynn with the spells he had learned during his waking hours, both under Regina as a master and on his own.
This had been what he’d been doing as he’d waited for the mass spectrometer to finish separating the components of a sample that had been given to Raistlin earlier that day to analyze. The mass spec had only just started the process when Raistlin’s phone had dinged in his bag signaling he had a text message.
Now, being a man of few friends, Raistlin rarely received texts. The only person who would bother texting him in the middle of a work day would have been Tas and Raistlin had learned that it was always beneficial to respond to those texts as soon as possible. To do so usually resulted in coming home to some kind of unwanted surprise.
The mage and chemist was shocked to see that it was not his roommate texting him, but Mr. Tony Stark himself. Raistlin had no idea how Stark had gotten his cell phone number, or why he had decided to text him rather than email him. However, the more concerning issue was what Stark wanted to see him about. Raistlin had been convinced Stark didn’t even know who he was, much less that he worked at Stark Industries as a chemist.
Curiosity piqued (and nerves a bit on edge), Raistlin slid away his books in his bag and made his way to meet his boss’s boss’s boss.
Tony Stark had been moving the company in greener directions over the past few years. They were working more on clean energies and more energy efficient products than ever before, and tony was proud of that. But they could do more. Tony's altruistic side didn't always come out (and when it did, it was normally in the form of Iron Man) but it was shining through in this prospective project.
When the chemist approached the lab doors, they opened automatically for him. Tony had told the computer system that controlled practically everything in his lab that the younger man would be coming, and to make him feel at home. Of course, Tony was a busy man, and was standing in front of a wall of glass touch-screens that took up most of the wall. There were blueprints scattered on them, notes in both type set and Tony's scrawled handwriting, and photographs of different bits of machinery.
Tony didn't notice the other man enter the room. He was staring up at the screens with a stylus in his mouth.
Raistlin had not been to this part of the building before. He hadn’t even been sure what was over in this section. He’d heard scuttlebutt and rumor, but hadn’t paid much attention. He was at Stark Industries to work, not gossip.
Once inside, however, Raistlin had wished he’d paid more attention to those rumors. It was like a technological fantasyland in here, all high tech and futuristic. In that Raistlin took a little bit of solace. It must have been the high tech gadgetry, but everything in here looked normal to his new eyes. A little washed out, a little faded, a few cracks here and there, but nothing was rotting or disintegrating with the passage of time.
Raistlin’s attention was drawn towards the wall of touch screens containing blueprints and various notes and scrawlings. Blueprints weren’t really his area of expertise and Raistlin raised a curious brow as he approached. Glamoured eyes moved from the screens down to the man standing in front of them and the mage sighed inwardly. All the technology in the world, and he still saw Stark as a corpse, rotting and putrefied.
He cleared his throat to get Stark’s attention. “You wanted to see me, sir?”
Tony turned around to take a look at the other man, then recognition seemed to dawn on him. He’d been so lost in thought that he hadn’t remembered he’d invited one of his employees up. “Ah, yes!” He said, jovially but not quite excitedly. “I’ve got a new project and I need to collect some people from different departments to make it a reality. Please, have a seat.” There were chairs at one of the long tables, and some rare open space without gears, tools, and other rick rack cluttering it up.
Tony gave a wave of his hand and the wall went blank. The Stark Industries Logo appeared after a moment, spread between several of the screens. Then Tony moved over to the bar and poured himself a glass of scotch. He held the bottle up, as if silently asking the other man if he wanted some.
Raistlin smiled faintly when his eyes landed on the table. It seemed as though he and Tony Stark had a bit more in common than the mage had originally thought. It wasn’t necessarily gears and tools, but Raistlin’s own room was usually cluttered with various odds and ends, usually books and notes. Until recently his bed was used as just another storage space.
He took a seat at a clear spot at the table. Drinking in the middle of the day with the boss? That was a treat Raistlin wasn’t about to pass up. Any scotch Tony Stark had would be worth drinking, bsides. Raistlin would have been a fool to pass up such an opportunity. He nodded his head, indicating that yes he would like a drink, thank you very much.
Those moments of distraction taken care of, Raistlin was curious about this project that required not only a personal meeting with the head of Stark, but the collaboration of a few different departments. It must have been a big and/or important project. “What kind of project, may I ask?”
Tony poured a second glass of the stuff, then stoppered the bottle and brought the drinks over to where the younger man was sitting. He set the glass in front of the other man on the desk. “So, how long have you been working at Stark Tower?” Tony asked. He probably could have looked it up in Raistlin’s records, but it was easier to ask now the guy was sitting in his lab.
The plan was to make a little small talk, then get into the business.
Raistlin was not a man for small talk. He considered it to be a frivolous attempt to avoid awkward silences rather than enjoying the silence for what it was. Not that he would ever tell that to Tony Stark, one of the finest minds of his generation. Raistlin had some common sense in that head of his.
The truth of the matter was that Raistlin wasn’t very good at small talk. It required a certain amount of friendliness and ease that Raistlin just did not naturally posses. So while he went along with what The Boss wanted, his answer wasn’t exactly ice breaking material, “I’ll have been here a year in November, sir.”
“Congratulations on your anniversary,” Tony said. That was good. A year was admirable. Tony could see now that he’d chosen the right man in that department. “I’m hoping you can help me with a project I’m working on. Picking the best from several departments, yadda yadda, putting together a special task force. What do you know about desalination?”
Raistlin raised a brow. That was an interesting question and not really his area of expertise. He still had a rudimentary understanding of what it was and how it worked. “It’s the process of extracting minerals from water,” he answered. “Most commonly used to make sea water suitable for human consumption. There are several different kinds of techniques depending on what exactly it is you are trying to accomplish. Is this for potable water or for agricultural purposes?”
“Potable.” Tony replied, glad that he was talking to someone who had at least a basic knowledge of the subject. “My idea is to combine some of the green, sustainable energy that Stark Enterprises has been designing with a desalination plant. Both energy and clean water in one. I think it can be both revolutionary and highly profitable for the company. Not to mention, provide the world with a much needed service.” The world needed both of those things. Especially some of the less affluent countries. “Would you be interested in applying your expertise to the team I’m building?”
Raistlin had to admit that was an interesting idea. There were plenty parts of the world that were in dire need of clean drinking water. Being able to supply those parts of the world with same would have changed - even saved - the lives of countless individuals. He tilted his head his head slightly in thought. He was trying very hard to not become the type of man he was in his Dreams. He remained loyal to the friends he had made since coming to Orange County, not something his Dream counterpart seemed able - or willing - to do as the Dreams had continued. The opportunity to do some real good in the world...Raistlin found the idea to be intriguing.
“The process of desalination requires a lot of energy,” he said carefully. “Which is one of the reasons it isn’t used in parts of the world that need it most. However…” he paused thoughtfully for a moment, “if it used an energy source that was easily renewable - solar power for example - it’s possible the energy costs could be reduced, which would make the project more feasible…”
“You let me worry about the energy,” Tony said, breaking into a grin at the other man’s response. That was a yes if he ever heard one. The group that he was putting together for this project was pretty impressive, if he didn’t say so himself. “And you worry about the chemistry. How will we get potable, clean, drinking water out of the oceans if energy was no question? That’s the challenge I’m setting to you. I’ll handle the energy part on the back end.”
Raistlin hadn’t outright agreed to the project, but it had been as a good as a yes. Raistlin would have been a fool to tell Tony Stark “no” and far be it for him to rain on any kind of philanthropic crusade Stark wanted to embark on.
Raistlin sat back in his chair, his arms lightly folded over his thin chest as he thought. It was an intriguing challenge being brought to him and one that perked his somewhat dormant interest in chemistry once again. Desalination wasn’t a new process, but there were several different processes depending on what you wanted. This would require a bit of research on Raistlin’s end. Hell, he had the time.
He nodded his head at his boss. “I accept the challenge, sir,” he said.