oh, this'll end well. | tushanshu

[wrathfulkhan]

They're meeting in an outdoor cafe, and not the Hotel. The Hotel would be nice because of the prohibition on violence, but it's too public in the lobby these days, and going to Gene and Tony's shared room would just be awful on so many levels. So they're at a cafe in the Water Sector. Specifically, Tony and Howard are there. Gene hasn't arrived yet. Just as planned; they need to introduce this gradually, starting with the first meeting on neutral ground.

Depending on how this one goes, the reveal of Gene and Tony's relationship may happen sooner or much, much later.

Comments

[wrathfulkhan]

And this just happened in Gene's brain.

"Uh. Thank you?" he says, extremely nonplussed. "I just wish they were still here. They deserve to see Keeliai without it being under the shadow of Malicant."

[highprofilerichkid]

Tony stares at his dad for a couple seconds, suddenly wondering if he comes from the bizarro version of their universe.

"...Right," he says, when he's (mostly) gotten over his shock. "Yeah. Yes. He, uh, did great." Tony smiles at both of them. This is going much better than he expected.

"And he's sorry about kidnapping you. And... everything else."

Tony fidgets with his teacup and blushes slightly. That was maybe pushing things ahead a little too quickly. He really hopes he didn't ruin it.

[wrathfulkhan]

Gene winces when Tony brings the kidnapping up - he'd wanted to mention it himself, give Howard a little more time to get used to him, before properly broaching the subject. Howard hadn't really responded earlier - maybe that had been a polite dismissal. Maybe not.

"I know it was wrong now. I think I knew it was wrong then, but I didn't care. I was so caught up in what I thought was my destiny that I didn't care who got hurt."

The implication being that now he does.

[clarkesthirdlaw]

"Hm."

Tony's really pushing for them to make up. On the one hand, Howard can see it, since they're the only people Tony has from home and he would ostensibly like to make sure they're not about to kill each other. On the other hand...Tony's really pushing it. He sure would like to know why his son and Gene are suddenly so cozy.

Howard's demeanor has gotten a whole lot colder, and all of that chill is directed at Gene.

[highprofilerichkid]

Oops. Too far. Tony glances nervously between Gene and Howard and slouches in his chair a little, unconsciously retreating (insofar as retreat is possible).

"I think... a lot of people here made mistakes back home," he says, quiet and uncertain, when the silence starts to get awkward. "Maybe some big ones." A lot of the foreigners keep their backstories quiet, but it's pretty obvious that when Eshai's spell summoned 'warriors,' it wasn't too discriminating on which side they'd been fighting for.

"But we've all been mostly working together, trying to help this world. Whatever people did back in their worlds, they get a second chance here. And... the people they hurt in their worlds are never going to get to see that. They won't get to see how people have changed, and the good we've done here. Except— except us. You're here, and I'm here, and Gene's here, so..." So they have a rare opportunity to work through their grievances from home, and maybe begin to set things right. It's not an opportunity many foreigners get.

Tony takes another anxious sip of tea, not making eye contact with his dad. This is really stressful.

[wrathfulkhan]

Gene looks down at his drink, at that. It's better if he just doesn't say anything here. He knows that he's not his own best advocate where Howard is concerned. And he really can't say he's surprised.

[clarkesthirdlaw]

"Okay," Howard says, in a way that makes it sound like 'okay' doesn't necessarily mean all is copacetic.

"Do you think that's why you're here, and I'm here, Tony? For a second chance?" Howard knows he hasn't kept his nose the cleanest in his life. He's made a lot of mistakes, too. He just doesn't like being called on them by some intrauniversal whateverthefuck.

[highprofilerichkid]

Well, shit. That took a quick left turn into 'this is not the conversation I signed up for' territory.

Tony looks startled, and then uncomfortable - or, more uncomfortable. "I... I don't think that was the point of the spell. I just always figured we got pulled in from when we did because blowing up the Makluan FTL drive caused some kind of spatio-temporal event that made it easier for the spell to grab us." No judgement by intrauniversal whateverthefuck necessary.

"But people can get away from their pasts, here," he continues cautiously. "It's a good place to start over." Except for the part about sometimes randomly getting pulled back to your own world. Details, details. "There are a lot of opportunities to help out the kedan and do something good for this world. Anybody can... give themselves a second chance. If they want it."