I'm Just the Mechanic

It's a big multiverse. Anything can happen.Tony Stark: by day, an engineer working for Potts Enterprises, Manhattan; by night, and as needed, mechanic and gadgeteer for the mysterious superhero RescueI also sometimes rp on this blog as MCU Tony - all...

[imjustthemechanic]

“Morgan wants to know why we don’t have very many wedding pictures… she was also upset to find out that I didn’t wear a fancy dress.”

The answer was that they hadn't really wanted a fancy wedding... they hadn't wanted the paparazzi all over the place and tabloids talking about it. It was money that could be spent on making the world a better place, rather than on a big, stressful party.

None of which would sound like good reasons to a six-year-old firmly in her Princess Era. "What did you tell her?"

[imjustthemechanic]

Pepper laughed when she heard his question. She remembered back when they had gotten engaged there had been tabloids speculating when and where their wedding would be, but they hadn’t even discussed wedding plans. However, she thought of something else. “What if… we renew our vows and have a little party? Maybe take a proper honeymoon after?” She asked, looking over at him. “That could be fun.”

"It could," said Tony with a slow nod. "What were you thinking, here at the lake?" That would be the easiest place to keep it private. After realizing they'd missed the original wedding, the tabloids would move in like sharks if they realized there was a renewal going on. "Morgan as flower girl and Gerald as ring bearer... ring alpaca?"

[imjustthemechanic]

“Morgan wants to know why we don’t have very many wedding pictures… she was also upset to find out that I didn’t wear a fancy dress.”

The answer was that they hadn't really wanted a fancy wedding... they hadn't wanted the paparazzi all over the place and tabloids talking about it. It was money that could be spent on making the world a better place, rather than on a big, stressful party.

None of which would sound like good reasons to a six-year-old firmly in her Princess Era. "What did you tell her?"

[notgonnabesubtle]

“I told her that you and I loved each other so much that we just wanted to sign the paperwork and get married,” Pepper told him. Which was mostly the truth. She didn’t really explain that Tony had been stranded in space for three weeks and she didn’t know if they’d ever see each other again, so when he did make it back to Earth, they basically got married as soon as they could.

“I’m not entirely sure why she’s so interested, but I think it’s because one of her classmates got to be part of a wedding.”

[imjustthemechanic]

"Ah, that's it," said Tony with a nod. "Somebody else got to wear a pretty dress and she has princess envy." He chuckled. "Should we get all dressed up and take some pictures just for the heck of it?" The idea of having what would appear to be a wedding picture for an event nobody who saw it would remember attending tickled his sense of humour.

[imjustthemechanic]

“Morgan wants to know why we don’t have very many wedding pictures… she was also upset to find out that I didn’t wear a fancy dress.”

The answer was that they hadn't really wanted a fancy wedding... they hadn't wanted the paparazzi all over the place and tabloids talking about it. It was money that could be spent on making the world a better place, rather than on a big, stressful party.

None of which would sound like good reasons to a six-year-old firmly in her Princess Era. "What did you tell her?"

[imjustthemechanic]

Somewhere in Time

@notgonnabesubtle

There were good reasons why somebody might set out to invent time travel. This... really wasn't one of them. But the portrait in his father's old collection had caught Tony's eye and he hadn't been able to stop thinking about it. A young woman from the year 1814, the daughter of a knight and herself a writer, philanthropist, and champion of women's education... and who had apparently been murdered just weeks after sitting for the painting. She'd accomplished a lot in a very short life and he just couldn't stop thinking about what she might have been able to do with a long one...

... and that was why he was now stepping into a ballroom, wearing very tight pants and a jacket that looked like it had belonged to Napoleon, his eyes out for red hair. All he had to do was keep her inside, away from whoever was going to shoot her as she was walking in the garden with her father later. Then he could flee, and go see how he'd changed the future.

[imjustthemechanic]

Oh, this man was much different than Virginia had anticipated. She thought maybe he was just trying to impress her by offering a donation, but the ideas he was suggesting sounded like a dream. “Mr. Stark, that sounds amazing,” she said. “Just imagining a world where everyone could contribute sounds too good to be true.” Turning so she could bring him towards the ballroom, she wanted to talk with him all night about this. Who had invited him, she didn’t know, but this was the most interesting conversation she’d had in weeks. “Mr. Stark, you have to join my father and I for tea tomorrow. He’d be so interested in hearing about this.”

Oops. "I'm afraid that won't be possible, Miss Potts," said Tony. "I'll be leaving shortly. I was just hoping to meet you and offer some money and perhaps inspiration before I go." They were heading back into the ballroom, at least... he'd kept her away from the assassin in the gardens. But now he'd made an impression. What if she tried to introduce him around?

[imjustthemechanic]

Somewhere in Time

@notgonnabesubtle

There were good reasons why somebody might set out to invent time travel. This... really wasn't one of them. But the portrait in his father's old collection had caught Tony's eye and he hadn't been able to stop thinking about it. A young woman from the year 1814, the daughter of a knight and herself a writer, philanthropist, and champion of women's education... and who had apparently been murdered just weeks after sitting for the painting. She'd accomplished a lot in a very short life and he just couldn't stop thinking about what she might have been able to do with a long one...

... and that was why he was now stepping into a ballroom, wearing very tight pants and a jacket that looked like it had belonged to Napoleon, his eyes out for red hair. All he had to do was keep her inside, away from whoever was going to shoot her as she was walking in the garden with her father later. Then he could flee, and go see how he'd changed the future.

[imjustthemechanic]

Virginia was intrigued, she had never heard of Stark’s ships before. However, that wasn’t really her expertise, but her father might know more about it. It wasn’t until he mentioned that he wanted to help end wars that she stopped and turned to look at him. She hadn’t met very many people like him before. “That is extremely ambitious, Mr. Stark,” she told him. “And yet, it seems like you could be onto something.” Virginia continued their walk away from the ballroom, down the hall where there was less background noise. It could get her into some trouble, but she wanted to pick his brain some more. “Tell me, what does your better world look like?”

"A better world looks like one in which everybody has the benefits of education and civilization, regardless of their sex or race. The world is full of brilliant people who would have so much to contribute if they were only given the opportunity, rather than being obliged to scrub floors or pick oranges," said Tony. "Menial tasks could be done by automata if we cared to use those for something besides decorating clocks." He'd seen the very early robots that had featured in medieval and renaissance timepieces... if somebody back then had realized they could do more than look pretty, the twenty-first century would have been very different.

[imjustthemechanic]

Somewhere in Time

@notgonnabesubtle

There were good reasons why somebody might set out to invent time travel. This... really wasn't one of them. But the portrait in his father's old collection had caught Tony's eye and he hadn't been able to stop thinking about it. A young woman from the year 1814, the daughter of a knight and herself a writer, philanthropist, and champion of women's education... and who had apparently been murdered just weeks after sitting for the painting. She'd accomplished a lot in a very short life and he just couldn't stop thinking about what she might have been able to do with a long one...

... and that was why he was now stepping into a ballroom, wearing very tight pants and a jacket that looked like it had belonged to Napoleon, his eyes out for red hair. All he had to do was keep her inside, away from whoever was going to shoot her as she was walking in the garden with her father later. Then he could flee, and go see how he'd changed the future.

[imjustthemechanic]

Anthony Stark, of the New York Starks. She had to admit that she’d never heard of this family before. Regardless, she was happy to know that someone else had heard of the work she was trying to achieve. When he asked to hear more about her future plans, Virginia flashed him a smile. “Oh Mr. Stark, you’re flattering me,” she laughed. Though, she could really use his donation to the cause, so maybe she could share a little bit. “Well, opening the schools would be just the start. My hope is for young women to start working like our male counterparts. Why can’t we attend university to become doctors or attorneys? I’ve been extremely lucky for the opportunity of my education and status and my goal is for young women to have the same chance.” There had been some small victories with her plans, but she felt that she could do more. “Aside from donating to the cause, why would someone from New York be interested in my work? What do you do, Mr. Stark?”

She'd had high hopes for the future, that was for sure... Tony wondered how disappointed she'd be to learn that in nearly two hundred years women would still be lagging behind men in so many of those areas? Oh, she was dazzling when she smiled.

"I do a bit of everything," Tony hedged. "My father made his fortune in, uh..." what was high-tech in the 1810's? "Shipbuilding, and I want to put some of that money into making the world a better place. A fortune built on wars can be used to help end them." This would probably be a very strange option in the early 19th century, with people like Napoleon around... but Virginia Potts seemed like somebody who'd agree if anyone would.

[imjustthemechanic]

Somewhere in Time

@notgonnabesubtle

There were good reasons why somebody might set out to invent time travel. This... really wasn't one of them. But the portrait in his father's old collection had caught Tony's eye and he hadn't been able to stop thinking about it. A young woman from the year 1814, the daughter of a knight and herself a writer, philanthropist, and champion of women's education... and who had apparently been murdered just weeks after sitting for the painting. She'd accomplished a lot in a very short life and he just couldn't stop thinking about what she might have been able to do with a long one...

... and that was why he was now stepping into a ballroom, wearing very tight pants and a jacket that looked like it had belonged to Napoleon, his eyes out for red hair. All he had to do was keep her inside, away from whoever was going to shoot her as she was walking in the garden with her father later. Then he could flee, and go see how he'd changed the future.

[imjustthemechanic]

Virginia had mostly been teasing about him arresting her, but there were days when she felt her work would get her into trouble. Then here was this mystery man who was complimenting her work? Something was wrong, but she wasn’t sure what yet. Instead, she smiled at him when he mentioned donating to her cause. “You’re too kind,” she said, taking the arm he offered to head back inside. “I don’t think I caught your name. I would like to be able to thank the man who’s offering an extremely generous donation.” As she walked with him, Virginia offered him more of an explanation of her cause. “I’m certain opening a young women’s school would be beneficial to society,” she said. “It’s just the beginning of what I’m working to accomplish.”

Would it do any damage to tell her his name? It wasn't as if she'd ever see him again... any effort she made to find him couldn't succeed, not when he wouldn't be born for a hundred and fifty years. He might as well. "Anthony Stark," he said, "of the New York Starks. A pleasure to meet you in person, Miss Potts."

Hearing her mention future plans got his attention. That was what he was here for, to make sure those happened. "I'm sure you've got a lot of plans," he said. "I'd love to hear about them."

[imjustthemechanic]

Somewhere in Time

@notgonnabesubtle

There were good reasons why somebody might set out to invent time travel. This... really wasn't one of them. But the portrait in his father's old collection had caught Tony's eye and he hadn't been able to stop thinking about it. A young woman from the year 1814, the daughter of a knight and herself a writer, philanthropist, and champion of women's education... and who had apparently been murdered just weeks after sitting for the painting. She'd accomplished a lot in a very short life and he just couldn't stop thinking about what she might have been able to do with a long one...

... and that was why he was now stepping into a ballroom, wearing very tight pants and a jacket that looked like it had belonged to Napoleon, his eyes out for red hair. All he had to do was keep her inside, away from whoever was going to shoot her as she was walking in the garden with her father later. Then he could flee, and go see how he'd changed the future.

[imjustthemechanic]

Virginia was intrigued with the mystery man in front of her. Not only was he dressed differently from anyone else here, he complimented her work, which wasn’t always something that happened around here. “Indeed I am,” she offered him a smile as she introduced herself. She took a quick scan across the room and spotted her father across the way. Once she had confirmation that he was there, she turned her full attention back to the mystery man in front of her. “I hope you’re not here to arrest me. Most men don’t appreciate my work.” Though, as she stood with the mystery man, she couldn’t help but take note of his curiosity and interest in her. “You’re not from around here, are you? Are you here with someone?”

"To arrest you?" Tony laughed, but then realized she was serious. That hadn't come up in his reading about her. "Of course not." It would be usual for him to have a date, or at least a servant, wouldn't it? Should have done more research on regency etiquette, less on this particular woman's life and family.

"I am alone for now," he said. "I was hoping to meet you in particular. I'd like to make a donation. I understand you're interested in founding a school for young women." He offered his arm to lead her inside, away from any would-be assassins. "A very worthy enterprise. It benefits nobody to keep half of all human beings in ignorance because of an accident of their birth." That was a good sentence. Very historical-sounding.

[imjustthemechanic]

Somewhere in Time

@notgonnabesubtle

There were good reasons why somebody might set out to invent time travel. This... really wasn't one of them. But the portrait in his father's old collection had caught Tony's eye and he hadn't been able to stop thinking about it. A young woman from the year 1814, the daughter of a knight and herself a writer, philanthropist, and champion of women's education... and who had apparently been murdered just weeks after sitting for the painting. She'd accomplished a lot in a very short life and he just couldn't stop thinking about what she might have been able to do with a long one...

... and that was why he was now stepping into a ballroom, wearing very tight pants and a jacket that looked like it had belonged to Napoleon, his eyes out for red hair. All he had to do was keep her inside, away from whoever was going to shoot her as she was walking in the garden with her father later. Then he could flee, and go see how he'd changed the future.

[notgonnabesubtle]

Virginia normally enjoyed a soirée - wearing her nicest dress and having her hair done while she danced and chatted with some of the town’s finest. However, something about tonight’s party felt wrong. As she moved around the room, she felt as though she was being watched. She wasn’t sure why, but she couldn’t quite shake the feeling. As she scanned the room for her father, she accidentally caught the eye of a bachelor that she’d been trying to stay away from.

“Virginia, you look lovely tonight,” he said as Virginia offered him a soft, but somewhat annoyed smile. “Hard to believe you’re not with a suitor yet.”

“I could say the same about you, Mr. Hammer,” she said, still scanning the room for her father. “Have you seen my father?” She asked, but paused when she saw another man across the room, someone unfamiliar to her - which was unusual since she typically crossed paths with everyone in town because of her work. “Excuse me,” she said before making her way towards the mystery man.

[imjustthemechanic]

There she was, wearing a blue satin gown and dripping with pearls and diamonds, her red hair done up in artful curls and artificial flowers. She'd looked pretty in the portrait and she was breathtaking in person... but that wasn't why Tony was here. Was she... was she coming towards him? Yes, she was, and she was giving him an odd look. He probably wasn't blending in as well as he'd hoped, but he was basically wearing an expensive Hallowe'en costume so it wasn't surprising.

But her finding him saved him having to find her. Tony greeted her with a bow that he doubted was anything like so polished as he'd seen people around him doing.

"Good evening," he said. He'd decided not to bother attempting an accent. He wasn't any good at it, and he wasn't going to be here long enough for it to matter. "Miss Virginia Potts, isn't it? I've read about your work."

[imjustthemechanic]

Somewhere in Time

@notgonnabesubtle

There were good reasons why somebody might set out to invent time travel. This... really wasn't one of them. But the portrait in his father's old collection had caught Tony's eye and he hadn't been able to stop thinking about it. A young woman from the year 1814, the daughter of a knight and herself a writer, philanthropist, and champion of women's education... and who had apparently been murdered just weeks after sitting for the painting. She'd accomplished a lot in a very short life and he just couldn't stop thinking about what she might have been able to do with a long one...

... and that was why he was now stepping into a ballroom, wearing very tight pants and a jacket that looked like it had belonged to Napoleon, his eyes out for red hair. All he had to do was keep her inside, away from whoever was going to shoot her as she was walking in the garden with her father later. Then he could flee, and go see how he'd changed the future.

[imjustthemechanic]

Anybody else getting like a weird influx of insult bots?

[notgonnabesubtle]

"I need coffee... none of these emails are making sense."

[imjustthemechanic]

“That is absolutely adorable,” Pepper couldn’t help out smile as she scrolled through the pictures of Morgan. When she saw the ones of her holding up the “awards”, she chuckled. “Oh my goodness, she’s definitely a Stark. That’s too funny.” Sitting up, she kissed Tony’s cheek. “Do you think she saw the pictures of the two of us all dressed up?”

"I don't know... she isn't out of bed y..." Tony stopped as he heard the sound of little footsteps on the stairs. "Oh, well, speak of the devil. Good morning, Morguna."

"I'm not a devil, I'm a princess," Morgan declared.

[notgonnabesubtle]

"I need coffee... none of these emails are making sense."

[imjustthemechanic]

“My assistant told me that some producer was supposed to email me, or something,” Pepper sighed. Tossing her phone to the side of the sofa, she leaned her head against his shoulder. Smiling when he mentioned Morgan, she shook her head. “No, I don’t think I’ve seen pictures yet. I bet they looked adorable.”

"Here." Tony pulled out his phone. Morgan and the babysitter had put a red pashmina down on the floor, and there were pictures of Morgan posing in her favourite dresses. In one she was holding up a doll the way actors and actresses held their awards for pictures.

[notgonnabesubtle]

"I need coffee... none of these emails are making sense."

[imjustthemechanic]

"It's the morning after the Oscars," said Tony with a yawn. "Why are you even reading your emails?" Still in a t-shirt and sweatpants he'd slept in, he plopped himself down on the sofa next to her. "Even Morgan's still asleep, and the only party she went to was the one she and the babysitter threw... did they show you her 'red carpet' pictures?"

[notgonnabesubtle]

“Tonight is a sit in front of the fireplace with hot chocolate kind of night.”

[imjustthemechanic]

Tony looked out the window at the snow blowing by. "Sojnds like a plan," he agreed.

"Can we put on a movie?" asked Morgan.

[notgonnabesubtle]

“Of course we can,” Pepper smiled at her daughter. “What movie do you want to watch?”

[imjustthemechanic]

Morgan thought carefully about what would be the right movie for this evening. "How about Rudolph?"

[notgonnabesubtle]

"That sounds like the perfect movie," Pepper had been thinking the same thing. "I'll get the hot chocolate started... Morgan, do you want whipped cream and marshmallows?"

[imjustthemechanic]

"Yes, please!" Said Morgan.

"I'll get the fire going," said Tony. He opened the fireplace door, but then heard s whining sound, and looked up to see Comet pawing at the patio doors. "Oh no... don't tell me you need to go out."

[notgonnabesubtle]

“Tonight is a sit in front of the fireplace with hot chocolate kind of night.”

[imjustthemechanic]

Tony looked out the window at the snow blowing by. "Sojnds like a plan," he agreed.

"Can we put on a movie?" asked Morgan.

[notgonnabesubtle]

“Of course we can,” Pepper smiled at her daughter. “What movie do you want to watch?”

[imjustthemechanic]

Morgan thought carefully about what would be the right movie for this evening. "How about Rudolph?"

[notgonnabesubtle]

“Tonight is a sit in front of the fireplace with hot chocolate kind of night.”

[imjustthemechanic]

Tony looked out the window at the snow blowing by. "Sojnds like a plan," he agreed.

"Can we put on a movie?" asked Morgan.