The Nexus has a sense of karmic irony

[not_really_iron]

When Tony awoke from his stupor, he was still on the beach and still on his blanket with his company from the Sanctuary. However, Ras was no longer a beautiful, curvaceous, red-headed woman. Tony woke up with a man at his side and a sick feeling in his stomach. The other man seemed amused at Tony's dismay as he prepared to leave. Tony's hangover

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[starksitter]

Pepper strutted past, coming into the house and moving immediately towards the home office. She passes the couch and stops on a dime. Her expression changes immediately from productive to annoyed. Great, Tony brought someone home again. She wondered if this one was from...wherever he went.

She took a moment to set the file folders she was carrying on her desk, then made her way over to the fridge. Grabbing a glass of water with ice, she walked to the couch and set it on the coffee table. "Jarvis, it's time to wake up, please."

It's a command she liked to use- usually in the bedroom, but it would work here, too. All the lights came on (tasteful, but definitely bright), the shades drew back, and the window screens began spouting the current conditions outside. Pepper stood with a polite smile, but it changed to vague confusion as soon as she saw the odd blue glow coming from under the woman.

[not_really_iron]

"Nnngh... Another hour, Jarvis... It's too early."

Tony whines and rolls over, pulling the shirt open a bit and exposing the reactor placed in the center of her chest...and a lot of skin. She pulls the jacket up over her face before realizing that she is a)not in bed and b) not quite the man she usually is. Tony sits up fast, clutching the jacket over her chest.

"Oh Jesus... Fuck.. Um.. Pepper.... Hi. You scared the hell out of me and um...You probably have a few questions."

[starksitter]

She's so stunned that she just stands there with her mouth hanging open, for a moment. "Just one big one, really," she says, nodding her head in the manner of someone who really doesn't know what else to do. She really can't wrap her mind around this.

Pepper lets that sit, but eventually she can't help but burst out with, "Jesus, Tony. What the hell happened?" She's not uncertain over who it is. Besides the arc reactor, the way this woman talks- she has no doubts it is, or was, Tony.

[not_really_iron]

"That's...a little hard to explain."

She sits up and runs her fingers through her hair, smoothing it back and still really unfamiliar with the length. It feels so strange. All of it feels so strange.

"That... The place I went to. It's a null space existent between alternate universes. Various sources can inflict what amounts to a curse upon its victim. I imagine this happens because of the constant flux of possible alternate existences that exists in this place. I'm not really sure... What I do know is that I brought a girl home from that place, we spent the night on the beach, and...I woke up like this. I'm told it will pass. Can I get a scotch?"

He checks his email quickly at the terminal he left open by the couch. He sends off a quick reply.
"I'm trying to keep this quiet, of course..."