Warning for briefly implied emotional child neglect.

I do not own anything recognizable in this story, including Tony Stark and the concept of Daemons. If anyone recognizes the names I'm using in the story and would prefer I didn't use them, please let me know and I'll change it.

Tony had never spared a thought about Amarisa Settling, it was going to happen, it was going to disappoint Dad, assuming he noticed and make Mom frown because she didn't understand her son. It drove Amarisa nuts and sometimes made her sulk for days, but Tony knew what he was. Genius billionaire playboy philanthropist, see? He'd even figured out the speech for when he turned of age. But for now he was eighteen.. and his Daemon was Settling.

Tony looked over at her and saw what looked like a slight deviating from her favorite ferret form. Just different markings. "Well whats what supposed to mean?" He demanded of the Musteline glaring up at him. "It means, you oaf, that your a Polecat. Take what you will from that, but I expect a cake." Amarisa always had bossed him around, called him an idiot because he was only human. Daemons were more simple, they didn't care about what other Daemons and people thought. They didn't have authority figures or any need for anything outside of their little world that consisted of nothing but them and their person.

Only now did Tony realize she was right, because Risa was always right. He was an idiot, everyone was an idiot compared to their Daemon. Especially him. Because his Daemon Settling wasn't about what Dad thought or about confusing Mom even more, or even how the rest of the world would look at him from now in. It was just Amarisa giving him one final smack and telling him 'this is you'. A Polecat, huh? He could work with that. Rhodey would just raise an eyebrow, because Amarisa had known for a long time, she'd just been missing a few details. Jarvis would probably smile knowingly and give him a nod of approval.

But most importantly, Risa would keep calling him a idiot and riding on his shoulder providing a endless narration of exactly what she thought of people's simpering. And in just a few years, his parents would die, and Risa wouldn't grieve even if Tony did, then she'd make that angry clucking noise at Obie's Chameleon when they came to close. She didn't like Obie, Tony should have trusted her on that. Just like he should have trusted her when he got in the 'Funvee' and she muttered about staying with Rhodey. But even the people who knew their Daemon was smarter than them didn't listen, because who listens to the little voice in their head that tells them something is a bad idea?

Eventually he would learn to trust her, when she crooned her approval of making Stark Tower in the Avenger Tower. When she managed to convince him that maybe Steve wasn't so bad. And he didn't even bat an eye when they first saw Bruce, and she said he was a keeper. People are oblivious, emotionally stunted morons. But thats why they have Daemons. Especially silly, clever little Polecats like Tony.

Details can be found on my Deviantart account, my username is Sablehaven.

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