It's part of New York. I'm guessing you don't have New York in your world. Though you're about as familiar with its outer boroughs as anyone else.
[The next one takes a little longer to respond to, as he stops to absorb the full impact of Jack's comments. It's not like these things haven't occurred to him, but maybe he's thought of them too much since New York. How he's supposed to keep what he loves protected even while he's alive, let alone after he's gone.]
FROM: stark.anthony@cdc.org
Good thing I usually am. And nothing's killed me yet.
[Tony named a missile after a biblical battle, and referred to the story of Jonah and the whale during the battle in New York. He was familiar with the Word of The Lord.
As for the second part, Tony doesn't think of the people that would "remember him fondly" but rather the people that would be glad to see him finally gone. And the people that would be torn apart by it, Pepper and Rhodes. Once that mental image passes through his mind, he makes sure to deflect from it. Try to end this line of conversation early.]
FROM: stark.anthony@cdc.org
I'll be sure to save you a ticket to my funeral. It'll be an event, to say the least. Valet parking and everything.
So I've been hearing. The city I lived in was called Shiloh.
[ He's heard a good part of that whole story from D'artagnan already, and didn't react fantastically to hearing it. Tony... he would actually like to keep himself in relatively good opinion with. So he'll avoid saying much more than that, and hope Tony hasn't actually seen his file yet, and it's as familiar with the story as D'artagnan was. Or doesn't think to just put the name in his email address together. ]
Not civil. At least, not the last one. It was a border dispute.
FROM: benjamin.jonathan@cdc.org
I don't know, Tony, would you like to tell me about it? Get it off your chest? I'm sure there's a couch somewhere you can lay on while I take notes and make thoughtful hums.
FROM: benjamin.jonathan@cdc.org So you were a war profiteer?
[ actually something he has a hell of a lot of issue with. he lost men, friends, for these bullshit conflicts. saw them gunned down. he does really like tony, but he's hoping that's not the case. ]
FROM: benjamin.jonathan@cdc.org
That's all I really ask.
[ he's been rich as hell for way too long. anything he actually wants no one here can give him. so, yeah, booze works. or... ]
FROM: benjamin.jonathan@cdc.org
And sushi. California roll. For a second session, falafel.
[Tony really likes Jack too, but he wouldn't blame him if he has a problem with what he used to do--he still hasn't completely forgiven himself. Nor does he feel like he deserves it--all he could do was make up for the lives he helped destroy.]
FROM: stark.anthony@cdc.org
Liberal media has been saying that for years. I had about a million ways to spin the story. Divert it for the sake of a usable sound byte.
FROM: stark.anthony@cdc.org
But I really believed I was keeping the peace through selling weapons.
FROM: stark.anthony@cdc.org
I had to have my chest blown open to see the truth. But I got there, eventually. And I stopped as soon as I did. I haven't sold a weapon since. I pooled my resources into saving lives. Really saving them.
FROM: stark.anthony@cdc.org
Really, Benji, all of this is stuff that we were going to do, anyway. No pseudo-therapy session required.
I'd met a man who traveled between countries, taking money to incite war, because he believed, out of that chaos, would come something newer, more beautiful.
FROM: benjamin.jonathan@cdc.org
He told me because Cain killed Abel, and humanity was born from the remaining brother, we all have that wickedness inside us.
Beneath the veneer of civility, we're all children of Cain.
FROM: benjamin.jonathan@cdc.org
You aren't him.
FROM: benjamin.jonathan@cdc.org
You kept shooting down the other ideas. I have very few wants.
[He doesn't know what to make of Jack insisting that he wasn't a murderer. Except to make a joke about it, as usual.]
FROM: stark.anthony@cdc.org
That guy was wrong.
FROM: stark.anthony@cdc.org
I mean first of all, all of Cain's descendants died in the flood. Modern mankind descended from Noah and his family. Or Seth. Whichever version of the Bible you're reading from and taking way too literally.
[ he's blinking at the message for a second. fuck, that's right, isn't it? give him a second, he has to laugh.... sort of a lot in a little bit of a hysterical way, because he'd been so infuriated by that man. and he was spewing utter bullshit, wasn't he? ]
FROM: benjamin.jonathan@cdc.org
My God, I didn't even realize that at the time. What a psychotic. Not that that hadn't been readily apparent already.
Remember that whole thing we just talked about, a few seconds ago? I can't just give you one of my suits. Those stay with me at all times.
FROM: stark.anthony@cdc.org
That's not just me not trusting you. I don't want to put your life in danger.
[If someone were to go after Jack to steal the Iron Man design. Or if they wanted to target Tony personally. He likes Jack, and he knows Iron Man created as many problems as he solved.]
I'll make a deal with you, Benji: when the time comes that I'll need to lie on a couch and dump my demons on you, I'll come up with something worthy of payment.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
It's part of New York. I'm guessing you don't have New York in your world. Though you're about as familiar with its outer boroughs as anyone else.
[The next one takes a little longer to respond to, as he stops to absorb the full impact of Jack's comments. It's not like these things haven't occurred to him, but maybe he's thought of them too much since New York. How he's supposed to keep what he loves protected even while he's alive, let alone after he's gone.]
FROM: stark.anthony@cdc.org
Good thing I usually am. And nothing's killed me yet.
no subject
No. I don't have most of what a lot of the others from Earth seem to have in common. Have you ever heard of Gilboa or Shiloh?
[ One person had. And he told Jack about a bible story he wasn't a big fan of.
He really does admire the determination Tony has, but sadly, that's likely all he can have. Determination doesn't make one immortal. ]
FROM: benjamin.jonathan@cdc.org
Eventually, some one or some thing will. But that's the same of everything else. You'll likely be remembered fondly, at least.
no subject
In the Old Testament.
[Tony named a missile after a biblical battle, and referred to the story of Jonah and the whale during the battle in New York. He was familiar with the Word of The Lord.
As for the second part, Tony doesn't think of the people that would "remember him fondly" but rather the people that would be glad to see him finally gone. And the people that would be torn apart by it, Pepper and Rhodes. Once that mental image passes through his mind, he makes sure to deflect from it. Try to end this line of conversation early.]
FROM: stark.anthony@cdc.org
I'll be sure to save you a ticket to my funeral. It'll be an event, to say the least. Valet parking and everything.
no subject
So I've been hearing. The city I lived in was called Shiloh.
[ He's heard a good part of that whole story from D'artagnan already, and didn't react fantastically to hearing it. Tony... he would actually like to keep himself in relatively good opinion with. So he'll avoid saying much more than that, and hope Tony hasn't actually seen his file yet, and it's as familiar with the story as D'artagnan was. Or doesn't think to just put the name in his email address together. ]
FROM: benjamin.jonathan@cdc.org
Will there be a laser light show?
no subject
It was also the name of a battle during the Civil War. One of the gruesome ones. I'm guessing there's no connection there. Your accent is nonexistent.
FROM: stark.anthony@cdc.org
And pyrotechnics.
no subject
Depends on which Civil War you mean.
FROM: benjamin.jonathan@cdc.org
Oh. I'm almost excited now.
no subject
The United States one, which is irrelevant if you don't know about the United States. We don't really have time for a history course.
FROM: stark.anthony@cdc.org
That's offensive. We're talking about me being dead here.
no subject
And I'm not incredibly interested in other nations' gorey wars either.
FROM: benjamin.jonathan@cdc.org
You were the one advertising like it's a circus.
no subject
It sounds like you just got out of one of your own.
FROM: stark.anthony@cdc.org
That doesn't mean you should go and tell me you're excited about it. How do you think that makes me feel?
[The last text is just fucking with him, at this point.]
no subject
Not civil. At least, not the last one. It was a border dispute.
FROM: benjamin.jonathan@cdc.org
I don't know, Tony, would you like to tell me about it? Get it off your chest? I'm sure there's a couch somewhere you can lay on while I take notes and make thoughtful hums.
no subject
Your file just mentioned the one.
FROM: stark.anthony@cdc.org
What are your going rates in this world?
no subject
My file isn't a world history article. Gilboa's built on top of battlefields.
FROM: benjamin.jonathan@cdc.org
Sharing next time you find yourself with alcohol here.
no subject
Four years ago, that would've been my bread and butter.
[Before he stopped reaping the benefits of murder.]
FROM: stark.anthony@cdc.org
Obviously. You shared with me, so naturally I'm going to return the favor at some point.
no subject
So you were a war profiteer?
[ actually something he has a hell of a lot of issue with. he lost men, friends, for these bullshit conflicts. saw them gunned down. he does really like tony, but he's hoping that's not the case. ]
FROM: benjamin.jonathan@cdc.org
That's all I really ask.
[ he's been rich as hell for way too long. anything he actually wants no one here can give him. so, yeah, booze works. or... ]
FROM: benjamin.jonathan@cdc.org
And sushi. California roll. For a second session, falafel.
no subject
FROM: stark.anthony@cdc.org
Liberal media has been saying that for years. I had about a million ways to spin the story. Divert it for the sake of a usable sound byte.
FROM: stark.anthony@cdc.org
But I really believed I was keeping the peace through selling weapons.
FROM: stark.anthony@cdc.org
I had to have my chest blown open to see the truth. But I got there, eventually. And I stopped as soon as I did. I haven't sold a weapon since. I pooled my resources into saving lives. Really saving them.
FROM: stark.anthony@cdc.org
Really, Benji, all of this is stuff that we were going to do, anyway. No pseudo-therapy session required.
no subject
Simply making weapons isn't war profiteering. It isn't the most innocent of businesses, but it isn't murder either.
FROM: benjamin.jonathan@cdc.org
Fine. Make me a suit.
no subject
You and I might have to disagree on that one. But whatever. Whoever controls the past controls the future and all that.
FROM: stark.anthony@cdc.org
Not wasting any time with the tech requests, are you?
no subject
I'd met a man who traveled between countries, taking money to incite war, because he believed, out of that chaos, would come something newer, more beautiful.
FROM: benjamin.jonathan@cdc.org
He told me because Cain killed Abel, and humanity was born from the remaining brother, we all have that wickedness inside us.
Beneath the veneer of civility, we're all children of Cain.
FROM: benjamin.jonathan@cdc.org
You aren't him.
FROM: benjamin.jonathan@cdc.org
You kept shooting down the other ideas. I have very few wants.
no subject
FROM: stark.anthony@cdc.org
That guy was wrong.
FROM: stark.anthony@cdc.org
I mean first of all, all of Cain's descendants died in the flood. Modern mankind descended from Noah and his family. Or Seth. Whichever version of the Bible you're reading from and taking way too literally.
FROM: stark.anthony@cdc.org
Why do you want one?
no subject
FROM: benjamin.jonathan@cdc.org
My God, I didn't even realize that at the time. What a psychotic. Not that that hadn't been readily apparent already.
FROM: benjamin.jonathan@cdc.org
I don't know, it seems handy?
no subject
Remember that whole thing we just talked about, a few seconds ago? I can't just give you one of my suits. Those stay with me at all times.
FROM: stark.anthony@cdc.org
That's not just me not trusting you. I don't want to put your life in danger.
[If someone were to go after Jack to steal the Iron Man design. Or if they wanted to target Tony personally. He likes Jack, and he knows Iron Man created as many problems as he solved.]
no subject
I don't really have much else to ask for you aren't already planning on giving me.
FROM: benjamin.jonathan@cdc.org
I suppose credits would work, but that's mostly boring.
no subject
I'll make a deal with you, Benji: when the time comes that I'll need to lie on a couch and dump my demons on you, I'll come up with something worthy of payment.
How's that sound?
no subject
Fantastic. It's a deal.