Tony and Warlock, backdated 12/5/2014

[om_warlock]

Tony and Warlock meet and chat about various topics - tech, Steve, and the odds of Xavier mind-controlling students.



It was more than a little weird to be back at the school for any real length of time, even if Tony hadn't been gone that long in the scheme of things. He hadn't ever really been a student there in the most traditional sense either, but seeing kids go vanishing into classrooms sent an odd twinge through him whenever he caught it. His being there made Steve happy and therefore Tony was fine with it, but still. Odd.

Though by far the most unsettling thing was that the workshop wasn't really his anymore. He'd been sharing with Kitty, yeah, but it had still been his space. Now it definitely wasn't, and Tony had rather quickly found somewhere else to be before he gave in to the urge to start messing with things.

Which might have been why he'd ended up on the floor of some random empty sitting room, what looked like the pieces of a tablet arranged around him in ways that clearly made sense to himself.

A new presence announced itself at the doorway in a metallic, slightly reverberating voice. "Greetings. Polite query: is unknown designate a new student? Is assistance required in navigating the grounds?"

Tony, a tiny screwdriver still hanging out of the corner of his mouth, found himself blinking up at the odd greeting -- and then just staring for a moment before he almost visibly shook himself. "Uh, no," he said, reaching up to take the screwdriver away seemingly without thinking about it. "Former student, actually."

If some mad scientist riffing on Pinocchio had decided to build a literal golden boy, the end result might have looked much like the mutant standing in front of Tony: a perfect imitation of a teenager in gold and black circuitry regarding Tony, head cocked to one side in evident curiosity.

"Apologies. Self-designate Douglas Warlock. Polite query: designation and current activity?"

...right. Kitty had mentioned the whole techno-organic AI thing, but Tony hadn't expected the combination to be quite so...striking. Or stilted, but that might have just been because he was way too used to talking to JARVIS.

"Tony Stark," he said, absently wiping off a hand to hold it out. "And mostly I'm working on an interface that doesn't require fingers."

Warlock shook his hand carefully, extending his arm across the few feet between them. "Self is pleased. Query: would it cause discomfort if self observed designate Tony Stark's progress?"

"Feel free," Tony said with a shrug, an gestured to the seat scattered around the room, though he couldn't help watching Warlock with an almost curious expression. "Here's a query for you-- do you talk like that because it's a stylistic choice or a programming limitation?"

Warlock considered the question, retracting his arm back to human norm. "Undetermined. But self finds accuracy comforting."

Undetermined meant Tony was going to go with programming issue, but it seemed kind of impolite to say so. "Fair enough. Have a seat. You a tech guy?"

"Negative. Self does not have sufficient experience." Warlock entered the room and came to settle beside Tony, scanning the components of his project with evident curiosity. "But self allows for the possibility given time for experience and engaged interest."

"I meant more in the interest sense," Tony said, flicking him a look as he settled. "You're practically part engineering yourself and you don't have much experience?"

"The presumption is flawed." The statement was matter-of-fact, with no sign that Warlock's feelings might have been stung. "The process by which a sentient is created does not by default grant knowledge of that process. Self attained sapience relatively recently, and it has been reinforced that self has vast knowledge gaps that will be corrected with study and experience."

"Huh," Tony said, sounding thoughtful. He was really going to stop basing his preconceptions on JARVIS. Which logically he should have known, but technically Warlock was a lot more human than his AI was ever going to be. Strange thought.

Which, speaking of. "I've got an AI," he said, not quite an apology, "and one of the first things he wanted was to know about his own code." Though granted, Tony had programmed him that way.

"Undesirable." Warlock's unease caused his visible "skin" to shiver and shift like a layer of black and gold ants crawling atop another, seeking escape but held within the boundaries of the boy-shape. "Also of significant concern: to attain deeper knowledge of self's creation would require contact with self-template's progenitor. Self deems this action perilous to self's continued existence."

One of Tony's eyebrows lifted, but all he said was a mild, "understood." That, at least, was definitely something he didn't need explained to him.

"Well," he added in a not particularly subtle subject change, and gestured to the tablet pieces scattered around him, "if there's anything you want to know, I'm probably your guy."

"Gratitude." Warlock's skin stilled and he began examining the components laid out around Tony. His movement couldn't be called graceful, but it was liquid in a way perhaps to be expected of someone largely approximating a human range of motion. "Query: the desired method of interface is to be voice control?"

"Nope," Tony said as he watched the other boy almost absently. "Touch control, just not necessarily using fingers. I've already got a holographic interface, it just needs to be refined. Or whatever the opposite of refined is. Able to read larger gestures on a smaller scale."

Warlock's focus was anything but absent, his concentration on Tony's adjustments intent as if he were watching a drama unfold. "Query: is there some quality of these surroundings conductive to study?"

"Mostly that it's out of anyone else's way," Tony said with a faintly amused snort. "I didn't want to start colonizing lab space and I'm pretty sure my boyfriend might object to me spreading parts across his bed."

"Query: is designate Tony Stark unwelcome in the workspaces?" Now there was definitely something like concern in that synthesizer voice.

Tony twisted to give him a look that was slightly bemused, probably because it seemed like an honest question. "No? Well, not as far as I know. I'm just only here for a day or so, so it seems like a waste to make myself too comfortable."

Warlock's rapt attention had most definitely shifted from Tony's project to Tony himself. "Polite query: Why?"

"Why what?" Tony eyed him right back "Why not make myself comfortable? Because it would probably take me more time to get set up properly than I'm even here for. And I can work like this just fine," he added, gesturing around them, "so."

"So," Warlock echoed with a nod. He watched Tony in silence for a few minutes longer, curiosity seemingly sated for the moment. Then, "Polite query: who is designate Tony Stark's boyfriend?"

"Steve," Tony said without a pause, before it occurred to him to add, "Rogers. Giant blond, you've probably seen him around."

"Affirmative. Selfpeer Steve appears to fit the perimeters of 'kind' and 'honorable'. The attraction seems well advised."

"I'll tell him you said so," Tony promised with great solemnity. And he would too, if only to see how red Steve would turn. "So what do you think of the place so far?"

"Chaotic." The answer was swift and certain. "Less stable than designate Charles Xavier appears to think, but also more effective than it should be. Self is investigating the possibility of psionic influence."

Tony blinked once before a slow smile stretched its way across his mouth. "You think Xavier's mind-whammying everyone?"

"Self has not yet eliminated it as a possibility," Warlock affirmed. "Though it seems increasingly unlikely the more self observes. Perhaps only certain students have his attention?"

"Well okay," Tony said slowly, because sure it technically wasn't impossible, "but why would he bother? What's he getting out of it?"

"Fewer instances of property damage. Fewer potentially fatal or damaging powers interactions. More malleable students. More quality REM sleep."

One side of Tony's mouth curved up almost reflexively. "And people call me cynical. There's an easy way to tell, though. There are other telepaths here. one of them's a good friend of mine. I think she'd know if we were being brainwashed."

Warlock regarded Tony with some surprise. "Self was attempting logic. Perhaps designate Tony Stark is correct; self should seek the advice of an expert."

"It's not bad logic," Tony said with a slight shrug, "there are just more variables to be considered before you can come to a conclusion."

"Self agrees on both counts." Warlock shifted his weight, but seemed satisfied with the idea that there were other avenues to pursue. "Polite query: does designate Tony Stark think think that self is likely to prove self's hypothesis?"

"No," Tony said without hesitating, "but on the off chance you are right, I'm probably caught up in it anyway. On the other hand, if you want more data points, we could always ask JARVIS."

Warlock considered this for a split second, then nodded eagerly. "Self would like that."

Comments

[om_omega]

Quentin: Roomie! We seriously need to discuss your telepathic influence theory!

[om_rook]

A certain raven is very pleased with the idea of a tablet interface that doesn't require skin contact. I tried to assert that this is not the point of the log, and the point seems to be almost unbearable awesomeness, but he's found a shiny object now. So.