Think Before You Speak, Read Before You Think

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

The magic of the library was maddening. Not in the sense that it interfered with any of Tony Stark's plans or was all that meddlesome in its navigation (he was meticulous about putting everything back where he found it and kept the lid of his thermos wrung tight) but that he didn't get it. He was fine to not question it, at first, but he was rapidly becoming a frequent flier and questions upon questions accumulated like loose change.

Was there a magic source operating the spells like a generator? Was it a hodgepodge of magic users contributing their talents? If you cast a spell, did it just run on inertia or call upon whatever mysterious eldritch forces to power itself?

All rather useless, idle questions that only served to distract Tony from whatever practical endeavor he set out to accomplish but his inner child demanded satisfaction as it so often did. He stared into the hollow sockets of whatever poor mystery creature was mounted in one of the display cases as he pondered all this. As he did, he had to ask another question--was having it there really necessary? It brought forth images of Thor popping his eye out for shits and giggles and Tony cringed and turned away. He came here to peruse the music collection, wherever that was.

"Scusami," Tony raised a finger of one of the passing staff, "which way to the...cassettes? Vinyls? Music. Whatever's stocked."

Comments

[st_opsummoningme]

Illyana regarded Tony Stark and the nightlight pacemaker showing through his shirt with as much enthusiasm as she would a widely famous actor, rock star, or other Earthly celebrity. Which was to say that there was a certain recognition in her cool blue eyes as she stopped and turned to look at him, but she did not seem particularly impressed. He had come in to rent out camping equipment and read from time to time, and she had mused if all of this wasn't painfully dull and analog to him. But her musings had not taken her so far as to ask.

"Our selection is extremely limited by contemporary standards," she forewarned, eyeing his finger as if deciding whether or not to remove it before turning to escort him in the direction of the shelving for the meager music section. "Many residents with digital collections have not found a convenient way to contribute to the library, and most of the Otherworlds have not provided compatible media."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

F.R.I.D.A.Y. brought up the individual profile for the young woman on the other side of Tony's lenses when she scanned her features.

'Illyana Rasputin. 23. Librarian. Magic user. Probable mutant. High probability of inflicting a baleful polymorph scenario.'

He didn't exactly need his AI's reminders. The vibe she gave off could have frozen fire.

"Figured. I'm a Gen X'er anyway, most of the music I like is 80's-90's era." Tony stretched his arms out, eyes drawn to more of the display cases they passed. "I like the, uh, aesthetic, by the way." 'Kind of like the Boston Athenæum if it got a gothic facelift.'

[st_opsummoningme]

"You're in luck insofar as the largest part of the music collection is comprised of cassette tapes and compact discs from that era." She didn't bother to glance where he looked while they moved through the cases, knowing well which items were interred and where.

She did, however, turn to consider his face and judge his words at the last. "Some residents find this environment unsettling."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony blinked, keeping his face impassive. "Can't imagine why." He replied, tapping his metal coffee container against his outer thigh.

"Can I ask the story behind this guy?" He gestured at the nearest skull. "Excavation? Battle trophy? Former resident that got too many complaints?"

[st_opsummoningme]

Illyana didn't believe that so-called genius Tony Stark was as unimaginative as that. But she returned her attention to the skull in the display case, silent for a moment.

It obviously wasn't a human skull. It was too small, too tapered, roughly the size of a rabbit's and with empty sockets that would have held large eyes. The teeth were the most unusual - abnormally large and wickedly sharp in comparison to the jaws, like curved daggers jutting from its face at irregular angles. The teeth were some shades whiter than the base of the skull itself, as if they were a later addition, though the skull showed no signs of having been modified by mundane tools.

"A reminder. That nothing should be held too precious, and that destruction is far easier than creation."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

'Alright. Deep...?'

Illyana's answer revealed nothing, but it was vaguely threatening. Maybe that was the point. It would fit the macabre, mysterious ambiance of the whole scene, Tony supposed.

"You know, that reminds me of a song. Several, in fact." Tony knit his arms and squinted at each artifact as he passed, committing them to his AI's memory banks. Why not? They were off-putting and unnecessarily gruesome but they were novel and begged further inspection. "You the one responsible for all the enchantment?" He gestured vaguely at their surroundings.

[st_opsummoningme]

If he had spoken his impressions aloud, to suggest that there had been a threat implicit in her words, she would have scoffed and rolled her eyes. Of course, the infamous egomaniac would think the reminder she had described was somehow intended for him.

"Yes. But I didn't do it alone. A number of adepts past and present have made the library into what it is today." She stopped to look at him. "Which songs?"

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"You ever heard of Steve Miller Band? 'Abra-Abracadabra...'" Tony sang softly, making an arc around a mounted skeleton, keeping a close eye on it all the way. "...'I wanna reach out and grab ya.'"

[st_opsummoningme]

She folded her arms loosely and arched an eyebrow to watch his impromptu song and dance with the inanimate object, already enjoying the prospect of relating this to Kitty. "Mn. I prefer 'Black Magic Woman.'"

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

That caught Tony's attention. He cast an appreciative glance upon Illyana and adjusted his walk to match the tempo of the new beat. "'Yes, you got your spell on me, baby. Turning my heart into stone.'"

He cleared his throat quietly and straightened up. "Santana. Not what I came looking for but it's going on the list. I'll, uh, try not to stockpile your selection in my cave like some kind of cassette-hoarding dragon."

[st_opsummoningme]

Her lips quirked, as if indulging in a private amusement. She assumed his flirtation was compulsive rather than genuine interest. She supposed there was something to be said for older men that hadn't lost the impulse... Whether or not that would be a very flattering something remained to be seen.

"We have rules in place to prevent such abuse of our materials, Stark. Rules and spells. I recommend you attempt to break neither." They had come to their humble music section, consisting of several dozen combined cassette tapes, CDs, vinyl records - and a few odds and ends otherwise.

Illyana gestured to a small sign on the top shelf: Ask at the front desk for available media playing devices. "Do you need a cassette player?" She glanced down at his chest. "Or are you plug and play?"

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony followed her glance, quirking his brow in a curious manner when he looked back up. "Potentially." He rapped the periphery of the arc reactor. "Nanotech is a fluid mistress, but the suit is what needs the TLC to begin with. Besides, nothing wrong with a little shot of nostalgia--" He gestured at the old devices, "--to make the medicine go down."

That did beg an amusing image of Iron Man acting the boom box at whatever party the hotel held. The suit already had speaker capabilities but they were purely used for Tony's entertainment on a long flight.

"I'll take the player and however many tapes, magic permitting. Per favore." Tony set off to peruse the offerings, letting F.R.I.D.A.Y. record the titles for future decision making. "Somewhat related, but are festivities--soirées, shindigs--a thing around here? Kitty's mentioned as much, but not the regularity." If there were more appreciators of decent music about, Tony wasn't at all opposed to pulling himself away from his literal mancave for an evening among the throngs.

[st_opsummoningme]

"Individuals may check out up to three musical media items at one time, not counting media players," Illyana recited, waiting for him to select his tapes. "Yes, there are gatherings, including parties and dances. Mills and Forbes typically arrange the larger events to coincide with contemporary American holidays, but others may arrange their own gatherings as they like."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Gotcha. Leave it to me. I've entertained a few in my time."

Understatement.

Tony leafed through the collection--Suicidal Tendencies? They seriously had it? That was all his. His quick fingers set it to the side while his other hand fingered through the rest in an enthusiastic manner.

"Halloween's around the corner. If this was home, all the damn marketing would have long since started getting pushed. Just point me to the candy, I'll put something out for the little ones..." He murmured, rambling to himself. At the discovery of an honest Santana album, Tony held it up with a grin, jostling it lightly with meaningful flick of the wrist towards Illyana before setting it to the side. "May just fashion a Walkman and donate it for the good of that 80's aesthetic at this rate."

[st_opsummoningme]

"Now that you have seen the limitations of music section, I will remind you that we can expand our collection only as residents offer donations of materials," she prompted as if having been waiting for the opportunity. Because she had. "While this may seem moot at present, do consider it as new Otherworld portals open."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Otherworlds. God, that's another thing." Snapping his fingers, Tony set his last pick--a nice Led Zeppelin casette--to the side and spun back around. "Any rhyme or reason to when those things open up? I keep hearing about Europe and the thought of visiting Paris or Amsterdam is driving me up the wall. In a good way."

[st_opsummoningme]

Without having been asked, Illyana collected his chosen materials into her hands and began to move back in the direction of the circulation desk. "There is no discernable pattern to the timing and frequency of the portal appearances. Yet there are some constants. They have all been worlds that sustain intelligent life, for example, and we have had means of common communication in each instance. Once they appear within the threshold of a room, they remain for several weeks on average."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Pushing off his heel to follow, Tony had an extra spring in his step at the thought of music. He had bothered to upload a few favorites to F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s storage, but barely. He had so very, very badly taken streaming for granted.

"отлично. Well. Except for the part they conveniently never lead home. I'm calling some manner of malicious intelligent design, there." He scratched the bridge of his nose where his glasses sat. "So...crazy circumstances, crazy questions. Kitty's said there's a Tony Stark in her little dimensional bubble. Chance there's a Tony Stark floating around in yours?"

[st_opsummoningme]

"Да, есть," Illyana continued onward to the desk.

That was the entirety of her reply.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

'Well, then.' Tony came to a stop opposite her across the check-out desk, his chosen materials in the middle. He gave the surface a pat. "Pleasure doing business."