these are the days when you wish your bed was already made

[kingofatlantis]

WHO: kingofatlantis and iron_liver
WHERE: Stark Headquarters
WHEN: Monday morning
WARNINGS: Extreme levels of pompous??
SUMMARY: Two massive egos try hopelessly to fit into a single room.
FORMAT: WHATEVER

Comments

[liverletdie]

Tony was minding his own business that morning. Well, minding his own business just happened to be the king at his throne, head back on his chair. To the naked, untrained eye, it would be as if he wasn't doing much of... anything, actually. Tony Stark, though, was a busy man. The simultaneous coordination of several ideas, thoughts, and actions continued in his brain, and his splayed fingers on the leather chair were like the connections to each strand of his outside connections. Iron Man above the ocean, observing. He wanted to be ready to take down Namor if absolutely necessary. Then again, Namor had left, hadn't he? He knew exactly where he was, because he'd been tracking him. One portion of his mind was on the StarkTech satellites in the sky, eye focused downwards, zeroing in on whatever caught his attention, everything that caught his attention.

Some portions were focused on StarkTech, a project, the security systems, running a data analysis on the latest tests to see if he can push the repulsor-based power even further. Crash tests, reports, e-mails, calls, a conference.

What? He was a busy man. Despite the splayed in his office chair ignoring the world look.

That didn't mean he was oblivious to Namor, but the man liked to posture. He was okay with that, because egos were funny things, and Tony Stark's ego was manageable (like hell) and he could take the hit to let Namor fly outside his window and threaten to break the window. Besides, a little window-punching was therapeutic now and again.

"Calm down, Namor. I'll open the window if you'll give me a minute, alright?" he speaks, but he doesn't move. Instead, the window just opens. It's not like Namor doesn't know about the extremis virus anyway, he has no reason to hide.

[kingofatlantis]

"Hmph." Namor floats inside, setting down on the floor. He crosses his arms again, sparing the briefest of glances to the man and his fancy office chair, before striding the rest of the way into the room like he owns the place.

He takes a second to dramatically inspect the place, but he's not really seeing it. His head is mostly in political mode, trying to shuffle a thousand different problems into places that will help him consolidate power. The safety of Atlantis leaves a big gaping hole in his agenda, and that makes him uncomfortable.

Which makes him angry.

He turns heel suddenly, slamming his palms down on the front side of Iron Man's desk, as though he thinks the fact that Stark is lounging around means he's not paying enough attention. He probably actually knows better. ... Probably. "We have a problem."

Suddenly now he's all about the 'we.'

[liverletdie]

The room itself is sparse, lots of minimalist and Asian overtones. He'd taken to decorating that way after Rumiko's death, and he found it suited him. The desk is bare, not even a computer in sight. Wow, what a dick.

He lifts an eyebrow to Namor, and finally focuses attention on him. He doesn't drop a thing, just another string to take hold of. There were advantages to the upgrade, although more often than not, they were mired by the sacrifices he'd made to be like this.

"Which problem? We've got people having prophetic visions, and we've got some hothead out in the Atlantic ocean destroying ships," the second, of course, is added with no lack of amusement, because Tony Stark cannot avoid a bit of snark. His lip even curls up enough into a small sardonic quirk.

[kingofatlantis]

Namor waves a dismissive hand. A pointedly dismissive hand. Get out, Stark. "That is not a problem, it's a solution." He straightens again, frowning. He didn't come here to talk about that particular issue; certainly not to let Stark try and talk him out of it. Namor feels that Tony is just lucky he has extremely graciously decided not to deck him right in the smirk.

"The visions, obviously. Whatever the abomination is, it's coming from the ocean." Oh boy, is the next part difficult. He inhales and straightens back up, glancing away to glare at the windows. Somehow, this is their fault. "We can't find it."

Breathe.

Okay. "Orin believes it to be magical in nature."

[liverletdie]

"Magic," he managed to spit out, his lip curling down in a disgusted look. "I should've guessed. Of course it's magic." His distaste aside, he even leaned forward now, hands curling up to rest his chin on, elbows on the desk.

"Neither of you? But it's supposedly coming from the ocean?"

[kingofatlantis]

Namor rolls his eyes, waiting for Tony to finish. In Atlantis, there is no separation of science and magic, so this particular reaction has always seemed ridiculous to him.

His quick bask in his own smug superiority is ruined, though, and Namor's attention jumps back to the man with a sharp glare. "That's what I said. I do hope you aren't going deaf, there is so much wrong with you already."

[liverletdie]

He rolls his eyes, and grimaces. "Sorry that we all can't be direct, Atlantean princes. I haven't found anything in my scans, Namor, and I know that you know that I've been watching the oceans. There's been nothing there, but if you say something is coming from the oceans, you know it better than I do. I respect your knowledge on this matter."

And then he pauses, his fingers coming to his lips, and then to his chin. He holds it there, in thought. A brief moment, but long enough to make connections.

"Perhaps it's time, then."

[kingofatlantis]

"Mm." He pauses, and squints down at Tony, drawing himself to his full hight from across the man's desk. "That irritates me, by the way." Yeah, that will get him to quit watching, Namor. The king crosses his arms, moving on; he can always argue about it later (and boy does he plan to.) "There is no doubt."

Which isn't a good thing, of course, but the concession despite all other evidence to the contrary does mollify him somewhat. If the thing were coming from anywhere else, he wouldn't be bothering with any of this; now is not exactly the time to admit that out loud, though.

Ah, good. Namor allows a smirk to curl his lips; he knew he could count on Stark. "Yes, I would think so."

[liverletdie]

He doesn't reply with the snappy comeback he has prepared for that, because now isn't the time. Now there's some horror coming, and with as many of them here as there are, it seems appropriate. It seems like it's time.

"I'm surprised you came to me about this, Namor. I won't rub it in too much, I promise."

[kingofatlantis]

Namor should have known Stark would find a way to ruin the moment. His lip curls, and he stabs a finger in the man's general direction. "Don't make me regret this, Stark." The implication of and try to drown you again is unspoken but oh, so there.

[liverletdie]

"Oh, don't worry. I have no interest in being knocked back into the ocean. Especially without my suit," and without finishing any of his upgrades to prevent that from happening again.

"I'll make the call."