sixthiterationlogs | wasn't it going to be fun and wasn't it going to be new?

WHO: James Rhodes
WHERE: Fountain & Wandering Aimlessly in the Village
WHEN: Late November
OPEN TO: OTA
WARNINGS: N/A, but will update as needed.

The Fountain

They were all still in Wakanda.

It was frankly damned amazing that the Wakandan royal family hadn't immediately evicted them, but Rhodey thought that they were all too shell-shocked to object, and he and what was left of the rest sure as hell were too shell-shocked to go anywhere. They'd won, you see, they'd won the damn battle against a battalion of vicious aliens, and then it didn't matter at all. Thanos arrived, he'd killed the Vision (and Rhodey's immediate, immediate thought was he didn't know how he was going to tell Tony that, because of course they were going to find Tony, Tony definitely had not finally gotten his dumb ass killed) and then...

Well, Rhodey had been hoping he'd never have to explain the next part, because he was pretty sure it wouldn't make a lick of sense.

So, they were all still in Wakanda. He remembers getting up - it was early, before dawn - and he remembers going for a walk, and none of that computes with the here and now, which is being submerged in water when he definitely was nowhere near the river. But his lungs are burning, so now is maybe not the time to have deep thoughts about how he got here. Rhodey kicks instead, kicking hard until he drags himself to the surface.

He looks around, and he's definitely not in Kansas anymore. He doesn't even have a little dog named Toto to make that reference complete. More pertinently, Rhodey thinks as he swipes his hand over his head and pulls himself out of the fountain entirely, there's no way in hell this is Wakanda.

"If this is some hoodoo to pick a new Mr. Wakanda, I conscientiously object," he mutters.

Village Walkabout

A bit later, people might see a man in hunter green scrubs with a slight but distinct limp walking around the village. He might have a look about him like he's casing the joint; in reality, Rhodey's definitely looking for food, but also he's looking...he's looking to see if there's anyone he knows, or at least anyone who can explain to him what the hell ass is going on, and also, where's the exit.

On the latter points, he's almost definitely doomed to be disappointed.

Less so on the former points, but he's going to be super disappointed that there's no diner in sight, anywhere to be found. Doesn't every small village need one? Don't they all have his daily required black coffee and way more bacon than a man who has to pass military physicals should be eating?

You only wish, Rhodey.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

He's learned patience over the years. Not just with Tony, either; the military life had demanded it. There's a lot of hurry up and wait in the Air Force. But he can't deny it's been an important skillset with Tony.

"I think playing nice is fine. Good enough, to a degree," he says after a moment. "It goes both ways. Steve's got work to do, too, and...hell, Tony. I didn't see you when you got back from trying to help him, but you told me what happened. You know I get it."

It had been essential for both halves of the split Avengers to have some line of communication, and clearly it wasn't going to be through Tony, and Vision had - apparently - been going through his own teen romance. So it'd been Rhodey, and the other side of the equation had been Tash. Steve he hadn't seen until the world turned upside down again, and by then they were a little busy. He and Steve have never had this little conversation, and honestly, Rhodey's not sure they will.

His lips curl a bit. "Do you need permission not to be BFFs with Steve Rogers?" He asks. "I can do that. Makes me feel like I missed a career as a school counselor, but shit, I've done weirder things."

"I don't know that he thinks he does. I don't know that he's going to try- I mean. You know how it is." If someone's in good and deep with Tony? There's not a lot he won't do for them. There's near nothing he wouldn't give. Carving out pieces of himself for people that are close to him is part of the deal, he never thinks twice about it. You're out? That's not unusual, he's picky with where he spends his affection, his effort. But if someone's been in and walks away, setting fire to the bridge behind them?

Generally they stay on their Starkless island and Tony (once recovered) doesn't give two shits, doesn't spare a thought (he does but not in public), doesn't offer a hand again. And they certainly (with the rare Ty shaped exception) Don't try to crawl back across the gulf.

This mess is unprecedented. No one's left that he'd honestly miss before- and no one's left that wanted to come back that had him maybe thinking about letting it happen. "I need you to tell Bruce that until Steve makes a move? This is as good as it's getting."

Because he's said it and it might not have sunk in. Hope springs eternal.

"Alright." It's an easy thing to promise, even if it's not so much that way in practice. He has met Bruce Banner, after all, and if a more single-minded man exists...well, his name's probably Tony Stark.

He's probably not going to put it the same way Tony does, but the facts are - if Steve and Tony are going to mend bridges, it's not going to work if Tony does his part because someone else really, really wanted him too. That's the kind of superficial heal that's just going to break all over again.

He takes the tea and sips. "Not bad, hot shot," he says. "Looks like you retained something domestic after all."

"All those years of Jarvis driving home how important it is to 'make a proper cuppa'. He'd be proud." He thinks. He hopes. There's a lot he's not sure about when it boils down to it but- this much he can get right. A cup of coffee, a cup of tea. Keeping someone warm and dry, making sure Rhodey doesn't freeze his damn ass off.

"Some of it sticks. I guess." He hadn't always learned the right lessons. Not for lack of trying.

The thing is is that Tony's always had the drive to take care of people. Early on in their relationship, he didn't think he knew how, but he always had a few good ideas. Rhodey figures most of them came from Edwin and Ana Jarvis.

"Certainly does," Rhodey says with a flicker of a smile.

wasn't it going to be fun and wasn't it going to be new?

The Fountain

Village Walkabout

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