on the right side of the white noise [closed]

[mostqualified]

Date & Time: backdated to the night/morning of 05/13-14 idek it's in the past
Location: unit 610
Characters: tony [fe_male] & pepper [mostqualified]
Summary: after this ; pepper comes home a mess
Warnings: mentions of blood and other things yep



[ She's positively numb with disbelief. Or fear. In fact, her mind has yet to catch up to what it is she's actually feeling, so there's not much going on beyond automatic movement and trying to make sense of what's happened. The conversation is a blur. Past Jules saying that she isn't human and needs-- Monster. Her friend, this woman she's learned to trust is a monster. No, that's not quite right. Is it? Pepper's mind blanks halfway through the thought, and when she stumbles, she's not outside like she'd been a few moments before.

The familiar hallways of the apartment complex greet her, vivid contrast to the dark. A step, a blink, and the shock still hasn't worn off, entering 610 without realizing the mess she's leaving behind as she does. A streak of red from her hands stains the door, and Pepper's grateful that no one's in the living area, that the lights are sort of dim. She wouldn't know what to tell Max if she'd seen her because she doesn't even know what to tell Tony. If she should say something. She should, she knows, but the words are stuck despite them having finally left her shortly before. Her fingers touch her throat in memory, eyes wide as she moves through the apartment without noticing much at all.

She can't decide if she should shower first or lie down. Shower, bed, take off her clothes. Not necessarily in that order.

They're covered with splatters of blood anyway, her dress and jacket, and she slips out of her shoes as she continues on a path toward the bathroom. Perhaps the bedroom. Pepper shakes, can't control the shiver working through her limbs as she eventually makes it to one of the doors - she's not sure which - and simply stands there facing it with her back turned the other way. She can't catch her breath, and when she tries, she almost cries instead. ]

Comments

[fe_male]

[ It's a weird hour of the night/morning, which effectively guarantees that Tony is still awake. He had been working in his workshop most of the day doing this and that - mostly just passing time, since he seemed to have hit a mental block on several of his projects at once, which meant the problem was him, which was frustrating on a whole new level and just made him want to solve the issues faster, which didn't work because of the wall - it was a mess.

So he dropped everything - some of it literally, but just what was in his hands - shoved his hands into his pockets and decided to walk back to the apartment. Not so much for the people, although if Pepper were there, that would help. Pepper made everything better. Max had already informed him she might not be around for a few days off and on, so he honestly wasn't sure where she'd be.

But when he reaches the apartment, he finds what is definitely blood on the door. He rushes in, worried now, and quickly finds Pepper even in the dim light, and she looks like she's shaking, lightly. She looks like she has blood on her in strange places, and for a moment it's like the arc reactor isn't a pacemaker at all but a vise around his heart. He can't tell if she's hurt or crying or anything, and he's not sure how to approach her because his legs have suddenly forgotten that they're not actually rooted to the floor.

So he calls to her, unsure and uncertain and a little tight. ] Pepper?