Charity Ball | @shoottothrillindustries

shoottothrillindustries:

iamthefirechild:

His fumbling explanation did a lot to ease her mind, actually. He was a lot more smooth with the women he was planning to bed and forget. “No, no, you didn’t do anything wrong,” Summer assured Tony. “Only, you know, usually if /you/ bring a woman here, you have something different in mind than looking at the night skyline.” She linked her hands behind her back, looking up at the stars. “I didn’t,” a shrug, “expect that you … would ever … ” She trailed off, somehow unwilling to say it aloud.

Tony sometimes hated his reputation. It kept him from making genuine connections with people. He scraped his thumb under a fingernail, forming somewhat more eloquent statements in his mind before just spewing them out.

“It’s – been a while, actually. Since I’ve brought /anyone/ here, at all. Tower’s empty after hours most days… Not that, you know, that was why I -” He sighed at himself and rose, dusting his pants off. “I mean, I’ve thought of asking you for drinks a couple times, but when you save the world together, well,” that almost sounded like a joke – or at least making light of the truth. He’d thought about it more than a couple times, but it just never seemed like a good idea. Summer was fantastic. Totally fantastic! It’s just – he was wary of relationships in general. No one seemed to see the real him. There was Tony Stark the weapons dealer, Iron Man, Tony Stark the forgetful , drunk, rich, attention-seeking asshole – he just wanted someone he could be Tony around… not that he made that easy on himself. He very rarely stopped acting whatever roll those people put him in long enough for them to notice there was anything underneath the shallow surface. He smiled awkwardly as the sun slipped out of sight.

”- Can I pour you a coffee? JARVIS makes an amazing espresso. Peels paint, that shit does!”

Summer watched him, listening underneath the babble. He tasted of — uncertainty, hope, of secrets and things he didn’t even admit to himself. Layers and layers. How could she have missed this? “No, thank you, Mr Stark,” she began, “I’d rather have kahlua, if you don’t mind.” A particularly fierce gust of wind whipped at her skirts, and she shrieked a little, clutching at them. Giving Tony a gamine smile, Summer added, “Maybe I better go inside.” With the graceful ease of her dancer past, she made her way back inside the penthouse, pausing at the door to settle her skirts. “Why didn’t you?”

gadgeteerphilanthropist:

iamthefirechild:

“Did it just wear off, or did you have to make something happen?” She sounded subdued.

“I turned back on my own, but Deadpool did try to turn me into rabbit soup.”

“It’s Deadpool, of course he did.” Summer sighed. “How long are you going to stand here holding me? Because the whole being petted part of being a kitten was nice.”

Curiosity Kills

philanthropistplayboybillionaire:

iamthefirechild:

philanthropistplayboybillionaire:

iamthefirechild:

“Ah, well, the world knows how you think of yourself, Mr Stark. But I am asking you to stop telling me pretty lies and answer a simple question. Come now, is it so hard?” Why was she even pressing the point like this, she wondered to herself. Because what /her/ ego really needed was to be squashed by Tony Stark, master playboy.

“You know what I could really go for right now? Shawarma. Love the stuff. Ever tried shawarma?” Tony took the woman by the arm and started to lead her down the sidewalk.

“Yes, actually,” Summer replied, startled into answering. “It’s not my favourite, but I like it well enough. My sister took me while we were in DC for — something.” She let him guide her, unresisting, going so far as to properly tuck her hand over his arm rather than being pulled along.

Tony smiled at her, for both the success of his distraction, and her willingness to go along with him. “Fantastic. Then we should go get some now.” He lead her along, listening to her explanation. “What was that ‘something’?” He tilted his head, quirking an eyebrow at her inquisitively.

“Had to do with getting me connected to SHIELD as a search-and-rescue specialist without being a member of SHIELD.” Summer made a face. “Apparently they got tired of all the paperwork involved in bringing me in on a temporary basis. I told them, as long as I’m not a member and get the right to turn down ‘assignments’,” she made finger quotes, “I’m good. Are we going somewhere speci—No, forget that. What /are/ we doing?”

tetoro:

City of Heroes: Last Chance and Final Hours

It has been nearly-to three months since the announce by NCSoft, publisher of the game City of Heroes Freedom, it will shut down servers on the 30th of October. During that period, players from the game have been busy showing their discontent about how indifferent NCSoft has been to the community around the MMORPG. But they also tried anything to continue their adventures in Paragon City.

And today, they had the great idea to send a 31-page long report to Disney and ask them to buy the licence and save the game. They also asked every players and fans to send letters in order to make the demand more important.

Finally, you can watch the clock ticking as the end for City of Heroes servers approach, using this website.


Source: Save City of Heroes

gadgeteerphilanthropist:

iamthefirechild:

gadgeteerphilanthropist:

iamthefirechild:

gadgeteerphilanthropist:

iamthefirechild:

Summer’s feet hit the floor with a thump, Tony’s hands around her waist. “Ohgod.”

Tony stared at her, seeming only mildly perplexed.  But really, this wasn’t the strangest magic he’d seen at this point.  “You know,” he mused, “this was not what I was expecting this evening.”

Her eyes were a little wild. “Me, either. I — think I need to sit down now. Thank you?”

He went ahead and scooped her up, bridal style.  “Better?”

She put both arms around his neck, hiding her face in his shoulder. “That was … very, very strange.”

“I was a rabbit, once,” he volunteered, though it was unclear if he was attempting to commiserate or if it had just occurred to him, or both.

“Did it just wear off, or did you have to make something happen?” She sounded subdued.

City of Heroes

So I’ve figured out why I woke up this morning feeling like hell. I kind of hate when my under-self doesn’t talk to the aware part of me about what is going on.

See, I play this MMORPG called City of Heroes. I can still say that in present tense right now, but two days from now — I won’t.

I don’t — I’m not sure I can put words around why this is so upsetting for me. The game is eight-and-a-half years old. We had eight years in May. And my relationship, the guy I’m marrying, he introduced me to the game, by loading up the character creator and putting his laptop in my lap. It’s an important part of our lives together, this game. Not MMOs in general, /this/ one.

I lost touch with my best friends after college, and I found one of them again because of City. She plays. I didn’t even know, until after I subscribed, and then I found her in the chatroom. I think I still have a text file recording our reaction. She’s one of my bridesmaids.

There are so many other people that I’ve met, who’ve been — and always will be — an enormous part of my life, because of this game. I’d need extra hands and feet to count them all. They — literally — saved my life. At the panels we have at Dragon*con, I’m known. I’m the Girl Who Needs No Mic.

It /hurts/, knowing that all that is being taken away from me. Not the memories, of course, but there won’t be any new ones. We, as a community, have done so much over the last three months, trying to change this, and two days from now our efforts … won’t mean anything. I’m holding back tears. You really don’t realise how deeply something has entwined itself into your heart until you have to face its absence.

We made — make — that game live. City is the base inspiration for my character here; Summer originated there. Me, if I were truly a superheroine, instead of just merely a human trying-to-be-heroine.

I just … needed to write all this out. To shape it in words and remind myself it’s okay to be upset about this. I don’t think I’ll really be here Friday night, because I’m going to be in Paragon City until they turn off the servers.

gadgeteerphilanthropist:

iamthefirechild:

gadgeteerphilanthropist:

iamthefirechild:

Summer’s feet hit the floor with a thump, Tony’s hands around her waist. “Ohgod.”

Tony stared at her, seeming only mildly perplexed.  But really, this wasn’t the strangest magic he’d seen at this point.  “You know,” he mused, “this was not what I was expecting this evening.”

Her eyes were a little wild. “Me, either. I — think I need to sit down now. Thank you?”

He went ahead and scooped her up, bridal style.  “Better?”

She put both arms around his neck, hiding her face in his shoulder. “That was … very, very strange.”

gadgeteerphilanthropist:

iamthefirechild:

Summer’s feet hit the floor with a thump, Tony’s hands around her waist. “Ohgod.”

Tony stared at her, seeming only mildly perplexed.  But really, this wasn’t the strangest magic he’d seen at this point.  “You know,” he mused, “this was not what I was expecting this evening.”

Her eyes were a little wild. “Me, either. I — think I need to sit down now. Thank you?”

gadgeteerphilanthropist:

iamthefirechild:

gadgeteerphilanthropist:

iamthefirechild:

gadgeteerphilanthropist:

iamthefirechild:

*tries to pat his mouth with a wee paw*

*wrinkles his nose and leans back a bit*  Wonderful.  Kitty feet.

*stops purring and reaches out more urgently, apparently trying to climb onto his face*

What.  *brings her closer again, so they’re nose to nose*  You are a strange little cat.

*purrs again, very loudly, and bumps her nose to his several times*

*carelessly kisses the tip of the cat’s nose*  There, is that what you’re after?

Summer’s feet hit the floor with a thump, Tony’s hands around her waist. “Ohgod.”