“First, you take your shirt off, I believe,” Summer commented, brushing a fingertip over the edge of the medallion he held. “I know you can buy new ones, but all the same.” Pushing herself upright, she plucked it from his hand. “As for how it works … you wear it.”
At the first instruction, he cast a glance out the nearest window, one eyebrow raised. “I have to go topless in this weather?” he asked wryly. Or he would have to creatively mangle a couple shirts and figure out how to thread his wings through them. Preferably without destroying anything.
“Well, at least don’t have on a shirt you like right now?” she offered. “It’s up to you, I suppose, if you want to ruin others. Or we could spend the wing time somewhere warmer … is Venice warmer than New York in the winter? I think I was promised Venice some time ago.” Summer spread the chain over her hands, ready to drop it over his head.
Tony reached up, catching her hands before she could drop the chain. “First of all, we can’t just hare off to Venice. I’ve tried that; I got told that work comes first. And I wasn’t even in charge at the time. Secondly, does the twelve days start as soon as I put it on or what? Can I retract the wings, or are they just gonna come sprouting out?” That seemed like something important to know, considering the (admittedly cluttered) coffee table was behind him.
Summer pouted at him. “It’s Christmas, we can’t just /go/? Oh, well,” she surrendered, “maybe another time.” She squeezed his hands, sat back and folded her legs lotus style. “It’s controlled by wearing it. When you wear it, you have wings. The first time you put it on, the magic is activated, and it runs out in twelve days, whether or not you wear it between,” she explained. “I suppose you could wait to use it.” She glanced away, smiling a little. “I only thought you would want to right away.”