Yeah, the piece only really, really clicked in my head when I figured out that I had to lead off with Rhodey realizing that his BFF is cloning a deceased girlfriend. About a quarter of it was written, and then, I think it was that comment from gabby_silang about how Rhodey probably knows even though he doesn't want to admit it? And I started thinking about what Rhodey would do if he did find out. And how he would react. And the first half of the fic clicked into place. I made a half-hearted attempt to turn it into Agent Coulson, but Rhodey is really the guy for it.
In my head, he pretty much moves heaven and earth and is prepared to drive off with clone-Pepper that day in the car if she wants to leave. But the girl doesn't want to go (BECAUSE TONY IS HER WHOLE WORLD AND SHE CAN'T CONCEIVE OF THE WORLD OUTSIDE OF HIM and Rhodey is too much of a gentleman to lock the doors and floor it out of there).
And SHIELD is totally not interested in doing it and they'll step on anybody who interferes with their Iron Man. And Tony won't take his calls. And won't let him onto the property. And Rhodey just can't be friends with somebody like that, and it hurts like the dickens that Tony could do it, so he just drops it.
... my God, this comment is almost as long as the fic. But yeah, my idea was that Tony is totally isolated. Distanced Rhodey. No Pepper. In the movie, when Tony gets emotionally freaked out, he just shuts down. See: the cave until Yinsen yells at him. See: when Rhodey REEEE-JECTS him. See: when Obediah leaves him to bleed out on the red carpet.
The pressure of being Iron Man, which I gotta imagine is just physically punishing and emotionally draining, especially when the concept of collateral damage starts sinking in. And Pepper isn't even collateral damage. She's just damage from the process of living, like losing his parents was damage, and it even happens the same way. The hurt is all over, and booze and one-night ladies and being the coolest sonuvabitch on the block just doesn't cover it anymore. Rhodey is off doing his own thing, which he does so well and without any real help from Tony, and Tony just doesn't have anybody anymore.
SO HE DECIDES TO START CLONING PEPPER.
That's logical in the same way that building a GIANT FUCKING METAL ROBOT TO ESCAPE A CAVE, as you pointed out, is logical. XD
All of which is to say that I can't believe you've been so amazingly generous and awesome and supportive and omg. Before leaving for work, I read your FB as, you know. Support or something, because I'm just that much of a geek.
MY BACKSTAGE WANKING, LET ME SHOW YOU IT.
In my head, he pretty much moves heaven and earth and is prepared to drive off with clone-Pepper that day in the car if she wants to leave. But the girl doesn't want to go (BECAUSE TONY IS HER WHOLE WORLD AND SHE CAN'T CONCEIVE OF THE WORLD OUTSIDE OF HIM and Rhodey is too much of a gentleman to lock the doors and floor it out of there).
And SHIELD is totally not interested in doing it and they'll step on anybody who interferes with their Iron Man. And Tony won't take his calls. And won't let him onto the property. And Rhodey just can't be friends with somebody like that, and it hurts like the dickens that Tony could do it, so he just drops it.
... my God, this comment is almost as long as the fic. But yeah, my idea was that Tony is totally isolated. Distanced Rhodey. No Pepper. In the movie, when Tony gets emotionally freaked out, he just shuts down. See: the cave until Yinsen yells at him. See: when Rhodey REEEE-JECTS him. See: when Obediah leaves him to bleed out on the red carpet.
The pressure of being Iron Man, which I gotta imagine is just physically punishing and emotionally draining, especially when the concept of collateral damage starts sinking in. And Pepper isn't even collateral damage. She's just damage from the process of living, like losing his parents was damage, and it even happens the same way. The hurt is all over, and booze and one-night ladies and being the coolest sonuvabitch on the block just doesn't cover it anymore. Rhodey is off doing his own thing, which he does so well and without any real help from Tony, and Tony just doesn't have anybody anymore.
SO HE DECIDES TO START CLONING PEPPER.
That's logical in the same way that building a GIANT FUCKING METAL ROBOT TO ESCAPE A CAVE, as you pointed out, is logical. XD
All of which is to say that I can't believe you've been so amazingly generous and awesome and supportive and omg. Before leaving for work, I read your FB as, you know. Support or something, because I'm just that much of a geek.