Tony couldn't help but grin at that. Knowing in front of him was a capable, adaptable pilot was one thing. The man being style-consciencous was a whole new level of compatability.
"You demonstrate the abilitly to use this armor properly, you'll get your aesthetic pick," he promised. On one level it was another test, to see if the man had any sense of visual style. But from what Tony had heard and knew of the man, he had all the faith of this strange world that he wouldn't be turned off by the choises Wash made to color or design. Wash might not be a technological genius, but he had a natural aptitude that nobody could deny, and which attracted a tech-minded indivudal like Tony Stark.
When Wash noticed the ARC reactor in the breast plate Tony straightened up. The core was worthy of taking a moment.
"This is what powers the entire suit. It's the source of the strength, dexterity, and survival of your armor," he said. His own implated ARC reactor was barely visibly through the thin cloth of his shirt, but it was the only thing in the world Tony always took seriously. "If something breaks this you won't get the chance to return fire or adapt. It would probably take out a good chunk of the City, and you wouldn't be recordable in any way. It's not fragile, or delicate, but it's not the thing to thrust out if you want to save your own skin."
He took a few steps back, picking up the helmet and staring at it for a moment. His reactor connected him to the armor as well as protecting his heart from immenent failure. He wondered if a pilot without the life or death dependency could comprehend how important it was. "Treat it like it's your actual heart and you'll be fine," he finally said, a mite sharper than he might have wanted to come off in most situations. If the armor was going to be his backup, and if Wash was going to be the bearer of the armor for now, the importance couldn't be stressed enough.
He turned back to Wash, disconecting the helmet and putting the back of it against the back of Wash's skull. "It had the umph to power a small city, and it's what charges your weapons and flight ability. It's not something I build when I'm drunk, usually."