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[cleanedslate]

[ not too much later in the day, on a less populated section of the beach, Tony and Bruce are on a mission.

the mission is science, of course. and their weapons, at the moment, are a large expanse of beach that is currently serving as a makeshift whiteboard.

scrawled across it are a series of equations, all of them deceptively brief (read: condensed), but also filled with cryptic symbols that won't be familiar to anyone who hasn't gotten deep into physics. a healthy heaping of biochemistry will also help you to parse their work, which at the moment seems to be very focused on energy conversion and heat especially.

come stare! or step all over their hard work! you jerk :(

feel free to tag either of them but expect some thread jacking! after all, they are both standing right there ♥ ]

Comments

[sublimating]

[a chuckle, looking down at the sand again]

[cleanedslate]

[ obviously not. his voice starts out casual ] I can definitely see where there might be some interest in a serum that could let people donate their kidneys -- bone marrow -- hearts -- and then grow those organs right back. [ it was a randomly-chosen example, but the significance catches in his throat a little anyway. dammit, he didn't want to bring that up. focus ]

[ he lifts his eyes to Bruce's, because ] But that's later. A lot later. If ever.

[ eyes on the sand again ] I don't make weapons anymore. I can put that in writing, if you need it.

[waytobreakithero]

[ Their banter reminds her of her companions', which might soften her smirk's edge just a little. ]

In a nutshell. We don't have magic like this back home. [ Points to the markings in the sand. ] Or that, really.

[cleanedslate]

[ ...twitch. ]

Strictly speaking? Not magic. [ he points at the device, but tries to change the subject! ]

This is a mute button. You press it to stop people from talking without actually hanging up on them. [ he says, and then realizes you probably don't know what hang up means, and he sighs. ]

This is going to be a long conversation, isn't it.

[sublimating]

Try talking like an instruction manual instead of like a... Tony. [helpful suggestions from the peanut gallery]

[sublimating]

[a small smile] Yeah, well. You don't have to be making weapons to make one. [he spreads his hands a little] ...I was just working on increased resistance to radiation. [and, well, radiation poisoning isn't one of his problems!]

Seems like treatments that are... literally derived from a supersoldier formula are going to end up pretty weaponizable.

[taking a few drifting steps to nowhere in particular]

The world doesn't have a lot of Tony Starks in it. But if you give them the building blocks -- you've seen what can be done with them.

[cleanedslate]

[ ouch. yeah, he does. still: ]

So, fruit from the poisonous tree? Solve this problem and then burn the rest of it to the ground?

[ he's still looking at the sand. the math always looks so innocent. ]

[waytobreakithero]

[ Appreciates the peanut gallery! And she is sympathetic to Tony's plight, but not enough to stop asking. ]

"Strictly speaking", we don't even have "buttons" which get "pressed", though I do understand that meaning. [ Sunny smile! ]

Let's start simply, then. If I fall off a cliff, survive, but have a broken leg, how do I call for help without shouting myself hoarse?

[neverforgets]

[ Snorts. You have Komui in your time, too? Mostly to himself: ] Guess some things don't change.

So is this chemistry? [ Since virus = medicine = chemistry... right? ] Are you doctors?

[maidenlysense]

[Petunia jerks up, managing NOT to blur any precious lines of science on the sand, still looking a little confused (because that's science??) and guilty for thinking that these two adults were drawing pictures in sand like little kids...]

I'm sorry, I don't know what any of this means, so I wanted to get a closer look... [tony what are blue light specials??]

tony why so mean

[cleanedslate]

[ all the science ]

Well, if you start right now, you could get a mail-order physics degree in about six years... [ he looks up at her, eyes running thoughtfully over her face, then amends ] Make that eight.

[cleanedslate]

Yes. [ to both! hey it's true. he doesn't stop working ]

[cleanedslate]

Levers and pulleys? What about the wheel, are you that far along?

[ but he's slightly distracted by giving Bruce an amused look, so it takes him a beat before he says ] You'd wanna turn it on. They broadcast to everyone by default.

And don't yell. The volume's fine.

[sublimating]

It's-- [spoken a little quickly, to sort of talk over that last part, thanks Tony] It's a little complicated. Biochemistry and the modification of cellular processes. I wouldn't expect anyone without a graduate degree in science to even begin to know what this is. [a sheepish smile. did that work?]

[sublimating]

[this is actually extremely reasonable for tony, so he keeps his attention on the equations for the moment]

[waytobreakithero]

[ Gasps! ] Maker! I think I've heard of this wheel of which you speak. I think I need to sit down...

[sublimating]

Not -- medical doctors. But we both have doctorates in scientific fields. [he nods at the sand] This is technically biochemistry. It's a division of chemistry that focuses on chemical reactions inside living things. [he's helpful because he's well aware of the fact that 90% of people in his own world wouldn't know what biochemistry actually entails]

[sublimating]

It's safe that way. Believe me, safe is... good.

[cleanedslate]

The really important thing is that, wherever you're from, they have invented sarcasm.

[ he points out the button on the top of it ] This is the on button, by the way.

Any other questions?

[sublimating]

[mildly] It will tend to broadcast an image of you as well as your words, by default.

[cleanedslate]

You hate what happened to you that much.

[ it would be a stupid question, so it's not one. he lifts his head to look over Bruce's expression. ]

Let me know if any of this isn't ok. Both or either is wonderful

[promisebreaker]

[Peter tries to keep busy during their stay on the island, but he's gotten to the point where he's inventing things to keep him busy. After he does a check of their shelter, he heads down the beach, an excited, little-boy smile spreading over his face when he sees Tony and Bruce on the beach. That smile stays on his face, but his expression becomes one of curiosity when he sees that they're obviously doing something. The smile drops and his brow furrows as he walks barefoot along the top of the equations they've made. By the time he looks up to them, his expression is serious. His eyebrows go up a bit, still curious, but the sober sort instead of the excited sort.]

You're trying to divert heat--biochemical heat to--to somewhere else. Or...just getting it to make something besides heat. Right?

[Oh! OH! He's seen this before. Now that expression goes to excitement and he starts tripping over his words.] You're...I mean this--you could--potentially, I mean--you could--if it worked. If you could make it work in a human body. [Right. Deep breath. Collect your thoughts, Peter. Slow that brain down so that you can say words.]

You're regrowing limbs. Potentially. I mean. Regrowing, not just limbs. Everything. I mean you could. With this--this formula. If you could get it work. Why?

<3 looks fine to me~ also duh you get both

[cleanedslate]

[ oh, hey there Peter. he purses his lips a little, glances at Bruce, and then straightens up, turning to face Peter ]

Well, technically that part does work. [ his eyes darting quickly over Peter's face, trying to watch him think. do you see the problem, Peter? ]

EXCELLENT

[promisebreaker]

[ give him a moment. he scratches at his jaw and cheek as he paces up and down the line of equations, careful not to step to close and mar them. he's got some stubble on his face now and it itches. his eyes light up when he does, indeed, see the problem, or at least he thinks he does. ]

Except there's no limbs missing, nothing to heal, nothing to grow so the energy usually spent on doing those things has no where to go, nothing to do. You've got to divert that somewhere else, somewhere that isn't harmful.

[sublimating]

[it's the first time anyone has really taken that tactic with him. Tony's the only one who ever seems to think that the Hulk is something he should more than just tolerate, but celebrate]

I'm not -- a guy who was unhappy with my life. I'm not a guy who wanted to change anything, or do anything. [a little bit helplessly, although mostly under control. he smiles to himself, faint, and rubs his hands together. keep it self-recriminating. getting angry about it is... a bad move, of course] I only ever wanted to be normal.