acatalepsy_logs | [OPEN] Well. That Didn't Go Quite As Planned

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[OPEN] Well. That Didn't Go Quite As Planned

Who: EVERYONE
Where: The Temple of Beginnings
When: Immediately After The End.
Rating: PG-13, may vary by thread
What: You fall, you pick yourself back up and you move on. Or at least, you try.

Fished Out Of Water
One minute, you are witnessing the fabric of an entire world implode as it is literally ripped apart by powers unknown. The next, that tell-tale twist somewhere beneath your sternum, before you are bodily YANKED away from Akvos, away from the ocean and the Queen and the King and the Princess.

And land back on (mostly) solid, dry ground.

Welcome back to the Temple of Beginnings. Don't worry, there's no hurry for you to get back up just yet.

Hey, Howya Doin'?
Once you do get back up, now is the time to be taking stock of the situation - yours, your friends, and even those new merfolk neighbours (who may need a hand getting their fins back into the water). There is also the missing members of the Circle to consider: people who disappeared on the journey to Akvos, and those who never made it back..

(There's also that small matter with a certain 'witchess-san' that may be a cause for concern to some more than others.)

Whatever the case, it's a lot to process right now. Take the time you have, because you don't know if it'll be enough for what you need.

[[ OOC: Here's an open post for threads reacting to the end of the Akvos world hop. Feel free to use the above prompts, and/or make your own! ]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ the second tony's hand closes around hank's shoulder, it's like he's back underwater and he gasps for breath, not sure what's causing the sudden upwelling of despair. not like he needs a reason to be a depressed fuck, he does that well enough on his own, but he was so tired a minute ago he really didn't have the capacity for all this self-hatred. clouds start crowding in overhead, just along the beach. the rest of the sky is clear, but they darken and start to knock as the turmoil brews inside him. akvos taught him a lot about how to control his power, but they're still fueled by his emotions. something he obviously will never master completely. the same watery laugh bubbles up his own throat as a light sprinkle comes down around them. ]

Ask me again when I'm not actively making it worse.

[It takes him a minute to follow what the hell the guy means. It even takes him a minute to realize that the sky's not supposed to do that, shit he's far gone. He takes another minute just to stare at it, watching the rain and trying to process it, trying to breathe.]

You- you got your own- your own little- raincloud. Fuck.

[This try at laughing doesn't go any better than Hank's last one, but everything's just coming out whenever it wants right now so that part of it, at least, he doesn't try to stop.]

God, what a- a fucking shitshow.

[Then, once he finally looks away from the sky, he sees the hand on his shoulder. A sharp shock of horror slides through him riding on an oily stain of self disgust and then Hank jerks away, trying to break the connection, falling back on his ass and the fist that was over his mouth spreads itself across his face.]

Fuck. Fuck. That was- me. God damn it. That was- fuck, I'm sorry. Shit.

Woah, woah.

[ tony tries to hold on, but the jerk back knocks his hand loose and he frowns. the rain instantly clears, but he's just more confused now so the clouds stick around, bracketing them overhead, but staying dry. his hands drop to the sand and he sighs. god it's been a long... life, for both of them, he can tell. ]

It's fine, you're fine. Just. Chill, okay?

[ he grimaces before sitting back on his ass, looking up at the sky and trying to clear the rest of the weather. the sky reveals its pretty sunset, pinks and oranges casting an eery light on the beach. he knows from experience hank can't "just chill" and he doesn't really expect it. ]

Even a shitshow's better with an audience, right?

God no.

[Hank stares at the guy like he just- well, everything weird that can happen probably counts as realistic, in a place where people’ve got their own personal weather system following them around - not that he’s looking at the weather right now, not that he can spare the attention to see what it’s doing, but he thinks that’s what it is - so maybe there’s no handy metaphor that really fits. Hank stares at him like he just said some far out shit, is the point, something so obviously wrong that it actually gets all Hank’s attention for half a second.

Breathing’s pretty important, though, and soon that shoves its way back to the number one spot in Hank’s thought processes. His body’s starting, thank fuck, to almost realize that air is what it wants inside him but it’s not there yet, so Hank just focuses on gasping and clearing the last of the imaginary water out of him. This isn’t what he wants to think about, he’s tired of this, he’s tired of this, so he scrubs an unsteady hand across his eyes and tries to focus past the blur to the other guy, who at least sounds steady and sure about his opinion on all this, even if that opinion’s wrong.]

What kinda shitshows have- have you been- runnin lately, audience’s the last- ngh, fuck.

[Local man rapidly losing what dignity he has left by choking on nothing, no problem, nothing to see here.]

I was asking you, I've actually never ran a shitshow before, but I sure have been the star.

[ he gives hank a little shrug before looking up at the sky again, arms winding around his knees as he waits. is rambling helping? he can ramble for days on end even after... whatever they'd just been through. and even if his voice gets a little hoarse from breathing real air again, he doesn't seem to be bothered by it. ]

Is this your dog? He's the size of Yankee Stadium. Can I pet him or is he one of those helper dogs? Maybe they don't make the vest in his size. [ to sumo, ] No offense, dude, I'm sure you're just big-boned.

[The guy's casual air, the talking about nothing like Hank's not- like this is just another day, and the whole not looking at him thing - it helps. It helps. It's almost like he's not actually choking on nothing like a moron, it's almost like he can keep trying to get himself under control without it being a big fucking deal. Before he tries to talk again he's quiet a few seconds, focusing on that, the one maybe-not-terrible part of all this instead of focusing on anything else.]

That's right, you better- walk that back, I'm gonna, gonna slap the shit out of you if- if you fatshame my fuckin dog. Go ahead though, he doesn't uh, he doesn't bite. Not 'less you got cheese.

Fuck. Am I uh, run-running this shitshow? Is that what's happening here?

[He murmurs that to himself, then takes a couple more breaths.]

Fuck, okay, um. Sorry about- [Hank glances at the guy, briefly, gesturing at his own shoulder.] -when you, uh. Didn't mean to, it's just. Magic bull- bullshit, you know?

[ tony laughs, even as he pets sumo. ]

Your dad runs a mean shitshow, did you know that? Yeah, I'm serious, it's like, the best one I've ever been to and I've been to a lot over the years. Maybe not that many I remember, but.

[ he gives hank an uncharacteristically soft look, fingers still hooked in sumo's warm fur as he nods. ]

Magic is bullshit, I'm glad we agree on something.

[Hank frowns at him for a couple seconds, but- right. This guy’s one of those people who calls their dog their kid. Right.

That mystery solved, Hank sits forward and tries to - what the fuck is it you’re supposed to do? Clear your mind or some shit? But his mind keeps going, settling in on that ‘magic is bullshit’ track and running with it.]

What the fuck were we even- what the hell do I know about magic anyway? I don’t even play D&D, what the fuck was I supposed to do about- god. Why were we even there, what the hell did we miss? Motherfuck. Fuck.

[He chokes off his body’s try at coughing, eyes closed, hitting his fist a couple times against his thigh. That’s not what they’re doing here. They’re just talking - and not talking about that either, not if he doesn’t want this stupid shit to get worse. Okay.]

So.

[He clears his throat, and his voice doesn’t crack this time.]

I don’t know if this is a good show like you think, man. The- the acoustics suck, no snacks, no chairs, gotta sit your ass down in the sand. I’d ask for my, uh, for my money back.

[ all tony can do is shrug, taking his hands off sumo to wrap around his knees instead, looking out over the water. he still feels calm, and isn't that weird as hell? he's never the chill one - except, of course, when he has to be. he can save his breakdown for once hank is back in one piece. something like that. ]

Oh, don't worry, I've already started mentally drafting my letter to management.

[ or in this case: hate mail astoria will never open or read. maybe he's so calm because nothing matters, in the end. they can't make change here, can they? ]

That- that'd be the witch, right?

[Hank scowls, looks down to watch himself running his hand up and down his pants just so he has something to focus on.]

God, I miss my- my captain. Never thought I'd say that shit, he's a pain in my fuckin ass but at least he- if he sent me into something like that, if it went- christ, we'd at least have enough info to know what the fuck happened, if it was something we did- I would have gone into it knowing everything he knew. And she knew, didn't she. And she didn't tell us. If- if she did tell us whatever the fuck happened there was a risk and I didn't even-

[Hank shakes his head, clears his throat.]

She didn't, did she? I was- fuck, I wasn't exactly paying attention before we got zapped into Ariel's Little Hellscape, did you know anything going into that? Anything at all?

Edited (typo) 2019-01-31 14:46 (UTC)

Don't be so sure. My captain is here and man, is he a pain in my ass.

[ okay, he can guess hank probably meant in a military sense, but it's not like his comparison is inaccurate either. there's a reason he's always surrounded himself with g.i.s even if he has no discipline to speak of himself. he's sure hank will be able to guess that without him having to specify, really. ]

Nope. Not even a pamphlet like So you have Gills now... What's with that? She doesn't have favorites, buddy, don't worry. She hates us all equally.

[ tony doesn't believe astoria hates them, but it's easier to accept than her loving them. god, she's one sick witch. he leans on sumo to get himself standing then turns around to offer both his arms down to hank. now that he's ready for the onslaught of emotions he can try to keep them from getting struck by lightning. ]

Come on, this is pathetic. Have some goddamned dignity. [ it's unserious and said with fondness hank hasn't really earned. ]

I don’t think she hates us. I think she’s probably- probably just dumb.

[He says it while the other guy stands, watching him, and then snorts. The fond tone turns what might have ticked Hank off into something that warms him instead, a little, warms up his voice too, and a corner of his lips curls up.]

Few years too late for that.

[Hank glances from the guy’s face to the hands held out toward him, his half-smile fading.]

Maybe I didn’t explain earlier, I wasn’t, uh, wasn’t making a lot of sense. But um, touching me, probably not, uh, great for you, today. Or, you know.

[He shrugs, pulling a face. Or, you know, ever. It’s probably smarter to just say it, make sure the guy knows.]

Unfortunately, I think you're right.

[ he laughs, short but empathetic. he gets it because he's the same way, but he lifts his eyebrows, still holding out his hands towards hank. ]

I know, I figured it out. Go on, you can't hurt me.

[The look Hank gives him is half careful smile, half doubtful grimace, and his hands rise, they hesitate - and then Hank grips his hands, pulling himself up. The waters of Hank's mind are still nasty, polluted with horror and with a still, trapped sensation, pulled down with something heavy and tired and that shaky feeling isn't really gone yet - but the tsunami's settled down, the waves of bullshit swirling around inside Hank's head aren't as wild as they were. Still, he watches the guy's face close as he stands up and by the time he lets go something tight and twitching and ashamed is starting to settle in.

Hank clears his throat, letting go and looking away.]

Sorry, uh, I don't know what that even-

[Nope, that sentence is a no-go. It's so obviously not true that Hank abandons it and tries to make it into something else.]

I don't know what the fuck happened back in that- that city, but I know the last thing you need after that is uh, dealing with my stupid shit. You didn't have to do that.

[He looks mostly regretful, a little appreciative, and rubs his hands over his hips just to have something to do with them.]

[ the clouds gather harmlessly above their heads, hank's emotions darkening his doorstep again, but this time he's able to hold it at bay. it's interesting, the way their abilities interact. tony wants to find a way to use that on the next world, but he lets go by patting the man's shoulder with a tight smile once he's on his feet. ]

Never know when you might need a favor returned, right?

[ or at least, that's how his life used to operate. now he has a bit more experience doing something for nothing, but hank doesn't seem like the type who would appreciate being "saved." tony can work with that. ]

Besides, didn't have anything better to do. Literally.

[ he really wants to be writing that hate mail, but what good will it do him? none. this was more productive by a longshot. ]

Yeah.

[Hank says it darkly, the last thing he'd seen back in Akvos running through his head - the people he'd been going toward, been trying to save from - from something, just before- well, before this. Home sweet home. This time the memory settles in his head, sticks around now that all the shit inside him's cleared out enough to make room for it.]

Yeah. I guess we're, uh... I guess she decided we're done with that place, huh? With Akvos. I guess that's just fucking it.

[He presses his fingers into his eyes, breathes, swallows. It's settling in differently, whatever it was that happened, now that he can actually breathe while he tries to process it.]

Jesus. What the fuck.

[He shakes his head, blinking his eyes clear, and moves his hand to rub over his forehead.]

Is there any chance you're not gonna wait on calling up that favor? Cause I uh, I really don't know if it's a good idea to have time to think just yet, you know? I could really use something stupid to do.

Fuck.

Yep. Seems like it.

[ he looks around absently a minute, like he expects to be back in that hell-dream-scape-thing. but nothing happens. ]

It's almost like randomly kidnapping people and throwing them at your problems isn't always fruitful. Or something.

[ oh but hank is now speaking tony's language 200%. he whirls his head back around and nods, like mmmyep, this is his bread and butter, actually. ]

If you're really asking me to put you to work, that's kind of my thing. [ before waiting for an answer, he starts walking up the beach towards the temple. tinkering is the best medicine, hank. you've made him very happy. ]

What?

[Before waiting for an explanation, Hnak starts walking after him. Having something to keep him from going back to his room for a little while’s worth not having a single clue what the hell he just signed himself up for.]

Just what kind of operation do you run back home, then? Putting people to work on uh, what exactly? Come on, Sumo.

[He looks behind him, patting his thigh. Sumo must be feeling generous today because he comes without a hassle, although it’s the most recent source of petting - aka Tony - that he walks up to instead of Hank.]

[ tony starts when sumo's big head nudges into his palm, but then he's smiling softly and scratching the dog behind the ears. ]

There's no accounting for taste, is there, dude? [ he addresses the dog with a slanted smile before turning his attention back to hank, belatedly processing his inquiry. ] At home? I told you, I run— ran a multibillion-dollar tech company. Now my girlfriend runs it and I... focus on world peace.

I know that's a little Ms. America pageant-y but it's working so like, don't knock it.

I'm not gonna lie to you man, 'billionaire working for world peace' sounds about as real to me as 'knight of the realm who hooks up with elves and mounts dragon butts on his wall in his spare time'. But at least you're not a magic teenager so, I guess you get points for variety.

[He looks down at Sumo, thinks about trying to call Sumo over to him instead, and doesn't. Trying to get comfort from his dog's the first thing he did on getting back here, and look how that turned out. Let Sumo hang out with his new friend for a while.]

So what's that mean here? Your whole thing is, what, putting random assholes to work building holo-screens cheap for the masses, or what?

[Yeah he's willing to do it, whatever it is. But being curious gives him something to think about, and that's the whole priority here.]

Trust me, I know.

[ but he laughs at the joke, mostly because it's not even a joke and just like, the truth. they're probably the oldest guys here and isn't that horrifying in and of itself? ]

First of all, Pepper only uses the most humanitarian practices in our plants overseas. She travels there herself to make sure everything is up to standard. And trust me: Pepper Potts has standards. [ oh... ] If you just, wanna ignore how much of a hot mess I am.

[ professional standards okay!!! he sighs, eventually dropping his hand so sumo can drift back over to hank. ]

Here? Here my name, my empire... it doesn't mean anything. You taught me that.

[ but he's still an engineer, an innovator. he can help - if astoria would stop putting them at a blantant disadvantage from the rip. ]

You don't have to be so dramatic about it. When we met, it wasn't- I wasn't that bad, was I?

[Hank makes a face after he says it. The answer to that, because he knows himself, is pretty fucking obvious and he's not sure he wants to hear it. Not after this guy's been so decent. Now Hank feels like he has to counteract it somehow, having been an asshole all that time ago.]

Anyway, uh, I know one example isn't a lot to go on but if we're talkin hot messes I'm pretty sure you're not the one of us who wins that title.

[Hank gives him a slow, faint smile, expression wry, and sticks his hands in his pockets just for something to do with them.]

[ he gives him a look at first. he's always dramatic and (in his mind) it's for good cause, but in this instance, the question actually gets a bemused headshake. ]

Nah. You thought this was one big drunken hallucination you just had to sleep off. The truth is, I was jealous.

[ of hank's naivete, maybe. or his conviction they'd all wake up from this nightmare. tony knew better, he usually does. that's the curse of genius, though, isn't it? ]

But I was right then, wasn't I? So I'm probably right now about us getting to share that title. Just sayin'.

[Hank makes an indecisive noise, watching the sky for a moment. It's good to be on solid ground again, it's good to be out of that fucking place, and thinking it brings on a rush of that acrid, nasty feeling, and he's not actually sure if he's got room in him to deal with another round of 'you still don't believe any of this is real? wtf is wrong with you?' with someone with all that other shit taking up space inside him. But that's where this conversation's going and steering around that would take effort. So. Fuck it.]

I'm still not so sure you were. Right, I mean.

[He purses his lips, sighing down at the ground.]

So unless whatever you've gonna put me to work on's really good, I might hold off on thinking you're right all the time. Just, you know, for a little while.

Edited (tried to clarify a thing) 2019-02-09 17:48 (UTC)

[ he looks a little bewildered for a moment, but then just snickers as he directs hank towards his room once they get inside. ]

Usually, I'd say you're taking this healthy skepticism thing too far, but... no one likes a yes-man. I think you'll make a fine assistant.

[ he raps on his own door a few times, then a little louder when there's no answer. ]

Caps, we have guests! Don't be naked. Or do. I'm not your mother.

[ he pushes in to a predictably empty space despite his carrying on and sighs at the sight of their beds. one perfectly done up and one still unmade the way he'd left it the day they'd been taken off to akvos. dum-e and you give a more insistent whirring at seeing tony again after so long. a shadow of a smile creeps over his face as he pats each of the robots, one at a time, before making it to his wall that's covered in charcoal writing. there are a bunch of technical things written after a big "NETWORK" that details his and zari's plan to optimize communication, and he picks up the black stub to write a few formulas underneath that and then a few lines of code - before he forgets it. ironic that they were talking about that before comms completely went belly-up, but hopefully with their ingenuity that won't happen again.

there's a line item he crossed out then rewrote and he underlines it now before turning to hank with a glint in his eye. the words read only "WHISKEY STILL" and he hadn't gotten further than that. it wasn't a priority when he thought this wouldn't be such an extended stay, but having a decent drink to come back to after that bullshit? he's sure he's not the only one who would appreciate it. ]

Something tells me you're the man for this job.

Edited 2019-02-10 13:52 (UTC)

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let me know if you wanted hank's power to be in use longer before he pulls back

this is perfect ty!

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