He actually expected Stephen to toss the pillow back at him again, so when it starts floating around, he makes a quick, halfhearted motion to cover his face (with a bit of a smile), his arms lowering soon after the pillow goes past him and onto the sofa (his eyes following its movements). It takes another second or two for him to decide to walk after it, plopping down on the couch himself.
“…” Time to rub his jaw again, letting Stephen’s words sink in before he makes any sort of comment; this whole thing with Whitney, admittedly, kind of set him off his balance. He’s not exactly sure how to react, and - if he’s being real honest, well… “… Will she be okay under their custody?” Voice a bit more quiet than it was the last time he spoke, his hand hovering over the right side his mouth as if that would hide the words, make them less than what they are.
He’s visibly… somewhat tense still, despite his comfort around Stephen, his mind still seemingly elsewhere - going over far too many things at the moment to give him a chance to relax - though his stare is locked on Stephen’s. “Maybe we could both use a little more Victor von Doom in our lives, then. He could teach you about the perfect balance between magic and science - and vice versa for me.”
A moment of silence passes, before he quickly shakes his head and adds:
“– Forget I just said that. We definitely do not need more Doom in our lives. Or in anyone else’s.”
he wasn’t sure if tony wanted that answer or not, because of the woman that whitney was. she’d make her stay tough —- until she broke out, if she did manage such a feat after being possessed. she’d likely be unconscious for a few days as her soul repaired itself, but.. after possession, nobody is ever the same person they were, previous. running a hand over his lower half of his face stephen wrinkled his nose, thinking.
what did she want with a wand of watoomb? there were six, and they were all but one protected in the sanctum sanctorum —- why was someone making fakes, why did whitney of all people want a wand of such power?
objects of near-omnipotent power, each wand is controlled by mere thoughts of its user, primarily for enhancing, multiplying, gathering, focusing, and redirecting mystical energies. they can be used to block mystical attacks, and use the energy absorbed to either heal the wielder, unleash a damaging blast, or erect a defensive barrier. they can also be used to control the elements, open portals to other dimensions, and allow the wielder to scry any person, place, or thing they are familiar with.
that in itself, was a dangerous thought. the comment of von doom brought a sour look upon his face, the sorcerer openly recoiling in disgust.
“ —- the sixth wand of watoomb. ” his voice was hard, eyes narrowing, “ i need to find it —- bring it back here, it’s.. far too dangerous, for any man to understand. one could think of a spell, an action; the wand will make it happen. it needs to be in the sanctum. ” with this he scowled, standing up abruptly to pace —- showing how stressed he was, over the disappearance of the object.