OtC 66.5: Comic Prompt
OOC: Inspired by this. Soooo much backdating.
It doesn't matter how well you play with others. When you're the fabled Smartest Kid in the Room and you're never really compelled to hide it, sometimes you're going to have to play by yourself.
At seven years old, Tony is already well aware of this. It's why, though there's tons of snow on the ground and kids everywhere are gathering with their friends to play, he's called no one. He could, he knows he could. But he won't. Not with the plan he has. The plan that was so good, it required careful calculations and a well detailed blueprint.
A snow fort.
Walking out of his house, bundled up so his mother would leave him alone and with his blueprint in hand, Tony looked to the surrounding snow at large. Once he'd chosen the best possible spot -- not in the middle of the yard, but off to the left -- he unrolled his blueprint. Looked at it. Looked at the snow. Nodded. And began construction.
Construction turned out to take a bit longer than he'd calculated. New ideas that further complicated things didn't help, but couldn't be ignored. He only took a break three times. Once, for hot chocolate. Then to have lunch. Then, because his mother told him if he didn't come in and change those soaked clothes on his own, she'd drag him in by his feet and make him do it anyway.
A persuasive argument.
Between those little setbacks, one or two failures that'd called for recalculation of snow vs. ice vs. space for him, it was at least an hour and a half before sunset by the time he was through.
Tony climbed out of the hole he'd carved for himself as an escape hatch, and moved back far enough to consider his work. The walls were tall and strong, the curved half roof for extra protection seemed to be at last holding. Whether or not that'd last, he wasn't sure. It'd already fallen twice.
The escape hatch was solid, and he was going to pretend that brief panic attack when it'd fallen on him the first time -- he'd been utterly convinced he was going to die there out in that yard in a frozen white lump until he'd managed to dig himself out -- had never happened.
Smug satisfaction was absolute. He'd done it. The gleaming white mass he'd created shined in the sun, a testament to his brilliance.
Tony scrambled to get back through the hole, and stood inside his snow fort, barely ducking out of the way of putting his head through his own roof. "Yes!" He raised his fists in triumph, and just barely missed putting one of those through the roof too. "I win!"
He turned suddenly towards his house, cupping his hands around his mouth so he could yell louder. "MOM!" He called, waving for her attention via the view she had through the kitchen window. "Mom! Get the camera! I want this day remembered! Get the camera before the invaders come and wreck it!"
His mother didn't seem to notice, passing by the window and out of the kitchen. Tony sighed loudly, dropping to his knees inside the fort and peeking over the edge of the north wall. "Stupid invaders are gonna come and wreck everything, and no one's going to remember the great thing I did." He muttered.
Well, when he went inside, he'd have his mother get the camera. And then he'd have his proof of greatness.
Until then, well.
"Come one, come all." Tony muttered, eyes narrowing as he peeked out, then stood a bit taller. "Attack at your own peril." And a bit taller. He turned towards the house next door, raising a fist. "Even you, Eddie!" He yelled to their yard, where Eddie and his friends were having a snowball fight.
The laughter and various sounds of children playing, which Tony'd been so effortlessly ignoring before, finally sank in when there was no response. Aside from that, there was only silence. And him.
Just him.
Tony gradually sank down to the floor of his fort, and looked around at his masterpiece. His face fell. "Well, I did really good." He muttered petulantly. Just because there didn't appear to be anyone around to give his triumph the good long look it deserved, didn't make it any less great.
Did it?
No, of course it didn't.
... Did it?
"No." Tony sat up straighter. "No, 'cause if any invaders come, I got 'em." He went back up on his knees again. "None of you can take me! I'm Tony Stark, Master of the Universe! And you can all just--"
PIFF!
It stung a bit, but the sheer shock of taking a snowball to the head overshadowed anything else. Wiping it off quickly, Tony sputtered out his indignation and turned to face his attacker. "That's not fair!"
"It's not?" When his vision cleared, Tony could see his father's undeniably entertained look. Howard stood there patiently, brushing snow off his leather gloves. He was still dressed in his suit from work under his coat, so he'd just gotten home. "It seemed pretty fair to me. Your mother told me you could use an invader."
Tony blinked. Then grinned. "You sure you don't have work to do?"
Howard shook his head, smirking. "I think I can spare some time to conquer a fort."
"Yeah right!" Tony reached down and snatched up snow, packing a snowball together and chucking it at him. "You'll never take me down!"
Ducking to the right, Howard loosened his tie, laughing. "We'll see about that!"
By sundown, Maria wouldn't be yelling the feet threat to one little boy. She'd be yelling at two.
Muse: Tony Stark
Fandom: Iron Man
Word Count: 985
It doesn't matter how well you play with others. When you're the fabled Smartest Kid in the Room and you're never really compelled to hide it, sometimes you're going to have to play by yourself.
At seven years old, Tony is already well aware of this. It's why, though there's tons of snow on the ground and kids everywhere are gathering with their friends to play, he's called no one. He could, he knows he could. But he won't. Not with the plan he has. The plan that was so good, it required careful calculations and a well detailed blueprint.
A snow fort.
Walking out of his house, bundled up so his mother would leave him alone and with his blueprint in hand, Tony looked to the surrounding snow at large. Once he'd chosen the best possible spot -- not in the middle of the yard, but off to the left -- he unrolled his blueprint. Looked at it. Looked at the snow. Nodded. And began construction.
Construction turned out to take a bit longer than he'd calculated. New ideas that further complicated things didn't help, but couldn't be ignored. He only took a break three times. Once, for hot chocolate. Then to have lunch. Then, because his mother told him if he didn't come in and change those soaked clothes on his own, she'd drag him in by his feet and make him do it anyway.
A persuasive argument.
Between those little setbacks, one or two failures that'd called for recalculation of snow vs. ice vs. space for him, it was at least an hour and a half before sunset by the time he was through.
Tony climbed out of the hole he'd carved for himself as an escape hatch, and moved back far enough to consider his work. The walls were tall and strong, the curved half roof for extra protection seemed to be at last holding. Whether or not that'd last, he wasn't sure. It'd already fallen twice.
The escape hatch was solid, and he was going to pretend that brief panic attack when it'd fallen on him the first time -- he'd been utterly convinced he was going to die there out in that yard in a frozen white lump until he'd managed to dig himself out -- had never happened.
Smug satisfaction was absolute. He'd done it. The gleaming white mass he'd created shined in the sun, a testament to his brilliance.
Tony scrambled to get back through the hole, and stood inside his snow fort, barely ducking out of the way of putting his head through his own roof. "Yes!" He raised his fists in triumph, and just barely missed putting one of those through the roof too. "I win!"
He turned suddenly towards his house, cupping his hands around his mouth so he could yell louder. "MOM!" He called, waving for her attention via the view she had through the kitchen window. "Mom! Get the camera! I want this day remembered! Get the camera before the invaders come and wreck it!"
His mother didn't seem to notice, passing by the window and out of the kitchen. Tony sighed loudly, dropping to his knees inside the fort and peeking over the edge of the north wall. "Stupid invaders are gonna come and wreck everything, and no one's going to remember the great thing I did." He muttered.
Well, when he went inside, he'd have his mother get the camera. And then he'd have his proof of greatness.
Until then, well.
"Come one, come all." Tony muttered, eyes narrowing as he peeked out, then stood a bit taller. "Attack at your own peril." And a bit taller. He turned towards the house next door, raising a fist. "Even you, Eddie!" He yelled to their yard, where Eddie and his friends were having a snowball fight.
The laughter and various sounds of children playing, which Tony'd been so effortlessly ignoring before, finally sank in when there was no response. Aside from that, there was only silence. And him.
Just him.
Tony gradually sank down to the floor of his fort, and looked around at his masterpiece. His face fell. "Well, I did really good." He muttered petulantly. Just because there didn't appear to be anyone around to give his triumph the good long look it deserved, didn't make it any less great.
Did it?
No, of course it didn't.
... Did it?
"No." Tony sat up straighter. "No, 'cause if any invaders come, I got 'em." He went back up on his knees again. "None of you can take me! I'm Tony Stark, Master of the Universe! And you can all just--"
PIFF!
It stung a bit, but the sheer shock of taking a snowball to the head overshadowed anything else. Wiping it off quickly, Tony sputtered out his indignation and turned to face his attacker. "That's not fair!"
"It's not?" When his vision cleared, Tony could see his father's undeniably entertained look. Howard stood there patiently, brushing snow off his leather gloves. He was still dressed in his suit from work under his coat, so he'd just gotten home. "It seemed pretty fair to me. Your mother told me you could use an invader."
Tony blinked. Then grinned. "You sure you don't have work to do?"
Howard shook his head, smirking. "I think I can spare some time to conquer a fort."
"Yeah right!" Tony reached down and snatched up snow, packing a snowball together and chucking it at him. "You'll never take me down!"
Ducking to the right, Howard loosened his tie, laughing. "We'll see about that!"
By sundown, Maria wouldn't be yelling the feet threat to one little boy. She'd be yelling at two.
Muse: Tony Stark
Fandom: Iron Man
Word Count: 985