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[ingeniar]

WELCOME TO THE SALTBURNT NETWORK

USERNAME: STARK

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[rehandle]

[ Ah. It's a question that feels like - something. ]

I don't think a local chump will have anything worth my time.

[ingeniar]

Let's assume he does, hypothetically.

[rehandle]

I don't know.

I'm not taking any clothes off or touching any strangers, but maybe some spellwork.

[ingeniar]

Right.

[rehandle]

Right.

[ Hhhhhhhhh. ]

Problem?

[ingeniar]

[ No. Yes. No. Yes. Maybe. ]

Might take some getting used to.

[rehandle]

[ It's— something to consider. And also the best chance he's had to transition into a slightly different question so far, though it's a conversation he should absolutely be keeping to have in person... ]

And if they're not some local chump?

Or if it isn't work.

[ingeniar]

Like if it's someone other than Shadowheart?

[rehandle]

Yeah.

[ingeniar]

More than just a hookup?

[rehandle]

No. I'd tell you, if there was anything
If I thought it was anything like that, I'd talk to you.

[ingeniar]

[ Tony sits with that for a minute or so, framing an answer in his mind. Taking it down, reframing it, putting it back up. ]

I should probably tell you that I had sex with Wanda.

[rehandle]

[ He's not sure what he's expecting in answer. It isn't that. A brief delay, wondering if the context is anything, wondering how long it'll take him to figure out how he feels about this, but the only way to understand is - ]

When?

[ingeniar]

When I was, you know. Crazy. I don't really remember anything. She had to tell me about it.

[rehandle]

[ Relief. Discomfort. Another little drop in his gut.

Nevermind the who of it, for a moment. In the too much of everything that came after, he'd forgotten there was ever a what. ]

Are you okay?

[ingeniar]

[ Pick a different question, Strange. ]

Sure.

[rehandle]

[ Tony. ]

I don't care that you had sex with Wanda while you were out of your mind, Tony. I care if you're alright.

[ingeniar]

[ Typing some stuff, deleting it. ]

And if I'm not?

[rehandle]

Then I'm coming to find you.

[ingeniar]

Don't. You can't just magic this away, Stephen. I need to feel this.

[rehandle]

[ It stings. Something about the accusation, the imagined intention. Stephen bites down on the urge to argue, just asks, ]

Do you have to feel it on your own?

[ingeniar]

I have to learn how to carry it. That's how it works.

[ Thanks to the Howard Stark school of parenting for that one. ]

[rehandle]

Why

[ingeniar]

Because it does.

[ Because this is a load bearing trauma. Because if one thing goes, the whole thing goes. Because he's been in cascade failure since Titan. Because -- ]

It just does.

[rehandle]

No. Not anymore.

[ Not anymore. He'll give Tony the time it takes him to walk to where he is, but he's not sitting still anymore. ]