Tony actually does something like an apologetic jazzhands when the handshake is terminated on the late side, and there's an awkwardly overlapped half-laugh at joke that is already left to the wayside. The bumpy landing continues, apparently.
"I, uh." Car salesman. Math teacher. Body double. No one, this isn't happening, it's a dream. "I tinker. Robotics, engines, A.I. Took up a contract or two with Stark Industries, actually."
A smile, more at the eyes. "It's a small multiverse after all."
He hates to say he doesn’t know what someone is talking about—in this specific situation, anyway. When they’re talking about something that matters. He needs a few seconds to be able to stomach it. This, on top of being soaked and attacked by griffons.
But then he waves one finger, spooling an invisible line back in.
That wasn't on purpose, somehow. Like maybe the idea of Howard Stark feels as present and live as he does in sepia tinted film reels. That twitch of a smile from before kind of settles, private amusement in spite of himself. In spite of how complicated this is all gonna get because he can't keep his damn! trap! shut! for any real length of time.
"Artificial intelligence," Tony supplies, parting with knowledge easy. "As in, machine intelligence with learning capability, human competencies and computational-- actually, did you ever meet Turing?" A gesture, indicating Howard, lax at the wrist. "He had some neat ideas."
Somewhere in the sky, a griffon screeches.
"We could take this-- I mean, you look like you could use a towel and a drink."
no subject
"I, uh." Car salesman. Math teacher. Body double. No one, this isn't happening, it's a dream. "I tinker. Robotics, engines, A.I. Took up a contract or two with Stark Industries, actually."
A smile, more at the eyes. "It's a small multiverse after all."
no subject
A delay.
He hates to say he doesn’t know what someone is talking about—in this specific situation, anyway. When they’re talking about something that matters. He needs a few seconds to be able to stomach it. This, on top of being soaked and attacked by griffons.
But then he waves one finger, spooling an invisible line back in.
“No. Back up. A.I.?”
no subject
"Artificial intelligence," Tony supplies, parting with knowledge easy. "As in, machine intelligence with learning capability, human competencies and computational-- actually, did you ever meet Turing?" A gesture, indicating Howard, lax at the wrist. "He had some neat ideas."
Somewhere in the sky, a griffon screeches.
"We could take this-- I mean, you look like you could use a towel and a drink."