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[Surprise, it's Tony! He's in his apartment, having hooked up devices of some kind to the network. Also he's wearing sunglasses. Yes, inside. Maybe that's to hide the lines under his eyes and overall weary, strained look, because after months of insomnia he's fraying at the edges.

Maybe it's just because he's Tony. The world may never know.]

Okay, so, granted, our benevolent huggytime captors are apparently goddamn psychopaths, since shadow demons and evil snowmen count as "no big deal" for the science department. Yeah. You got a lot of 'splainin' to do, Lucies. But come on, seriously, who really thought this was a good idea?

[he jerks his thumb behind him at two industrial robot arms in the background with chassis labeled U and DUM-E. The one labeled U spins its claw in apparent confusion, while DUM-E just makes a quizzical mechanized hum. Tony makes a disgusted face that is far too exaggerated to be sincere.]

Two most useless robots, ladies and gentlemen. Anybody want 'em? They're good for, ah... well, nothing. I dunno. Dummy's pretty good with a fire extinguisher. Aren't you, Dummy? [he glances back at the bot, which tilts its claw, then wiggles its arm up and down enthusiastically in its approximation of a nod. Tony turns back to the camera and shakes his head sadly.]

God, it's like having a kid that never grows out of the idiot phase.

[U, meanwhile, has rolled slowly out of view of the camera. Shortly after, there's a loud crash from elsewhere in the apartment. Tony jerks in surprise and bolts out of his chair.] You! I swear, I'm going to sell you to the highest bidder, give you to that magic dragon kid, let him use you as a cape rack, wand holder, whatever the hell magic people use.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Is that a backronym, too? JARVIS?

[Also, it's kind of a relief to know the stuffy British assistant is... alive and well as a stereotype? Maybe?]

What does that stand for? "Just A Really Vintage Information... Snarker?"

[Hey, he made the HAL crack.]

"Join A Real, Very Important Service?" Instead of spending your time making up acronyms?

...You built Robots as a child, who are able to respond to verbal commands, and make basic decisions.

[Okay, Naoto is definitely intrigued. What year was this guy born in?]

That would mean unless you've been completely ignoring these skills, you've progressed in creating robotics that are leaps and bounds above these two, is that correct?

Edited 2014-01-20 00:10 (UTC)

Oh, you made them? What're they for?

Not even close.

Actually, sir, you're half right. Just A Rather Very Intelligent System. Fortunately, Mr. Stark puts more energy into programming than he does naming.

[Tony just looks disgruntled and slightly betrayed.]

[judging you so hard]

Really? We've had the internet for--what?--a week? And already we're quoting memes. Okay.

[Tony screws up his face like he's considering] Eh, more or less.

Got into the weapons scene for a while, had a quick overseas vacation slash intervention slash detox, and now I make suits of armor. Sometimes I even save the day. It's a gig. You know.

[mimicking Steve's tone] Maybe that's Dummy's way of showing that he's an idiot.

Uh, let's see. Soldering, assembling, sweeping? They're kinda... multipurpose. And yet, simultaneously, no purpose.

[Oh god. No. This isn't what he wanted at all.

ABORT MISSION. ABORT ABORT.]

Do you know how hard it is to get rid of robots that essentially have no skills and the personality of a particularly slow five-year-old? I'm stuck with them.

[Weapons and Suits of Armor? Naoto was reminded of Sentai shows and Kamen Raider from her world, but this gentleman was almost painfully American; so that was unlikely.

If he was that deeply involved, he must have made a fortune as a weapons manufacturer, but changed his mind and moved onto more defensive oriented inventions. And if she hadn't already noticed the nature of the people coming to this world...]

...So what you're saying is, you're a genius with technology, most likely extremely wealthy and now work as a Super Hero due to your life altering experience. Is that what you're getting at?

[If they're going with memes, can he add Yolo?]

I haven't been using it. Learned how to keep myself occupied.

[How rude.] Sure, Stark. For a robot you call an idiot, you sure kept him around for a long time.

Well, it wasn't hard. There aren't many good words that start with J, and even less that come after "just," start with A, and make sense.

...but seriously, what is it with robotics guys and acronyms?

I cannot claim to have experience in such an area, no. [Mister she will call your bluff... No she won't. Not yet, anyway. At the moment she's too busy with the most "I don't actually believe that but I'll humor you anyway" look Starfire is capable of.]

Surely after so long there is some sentimental attachment, if you have not yet re-purposed or reprogrammed them.

[But she will have some mercy and offer a subject shift, small though it is.]

I too have received my charge from home. [HAVE THE FACE OF A GIANT MUTANT MOTH LARVAE SHOVED INTO THE CAMERA TONY.] Is he not adorable?

Edited (WOW I DONT EVEN KNOW) 2014-01-21 06:54 (UTC)

Huh. Okay, so you've got me curious now: why the emotions?

[She figured someone who could program that well would be pretty popular, actually. So loneliness seems out of the question.]

The technology of your world must be more advanced than in my own- at least in robotics. Where I come from engineers are only beginning to figure out how to program emotional signals into robots.

Those robots- did you build them yourself?

[This is more rude.] Maybe I just keep getting stuck with stupid. [meaningful look right at you, Steve]

Wasn't there a saying, "Birds of a feather flock together?" [HE SEES THAT LOOK. and okay maybe he's calling himself stupid as well but Steve doesn't care that much right now.]

[yolo is basically the summary of Tony's entire life, so yes]

Hard to tweet from a terminal. I get it.

[Painfully American is one of the best descriptions of Tony ever.]

Spark Notes version, but yeah. That's the basic summary.

There's a reason. But it's pretty technical, you wouldn't understand. MIT stuff. Took about, uh. At least... ten classes on it.

[what]

Look... kiddo. I'm touched, really. But you need better friends.

Technology's not more advanced, persay. Not in general.

Just me.

Was that a slam on yourself just now?

Personally? I think it's karma. The price of genius, to be forever followed by idiots. [he says this like it is something deeply profound and poetically tragic]

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