Ah, I'm so relieved to hear that; now I can ramble with a clear conscience.
Re: brain damage: That I even started wondering about it is because of my love for twisted fics. So my brain went "disjointed and incredibly cool writing style + somewhat socially off!Tony + something lurking between the lines = brain problems?" which, again, isn't meant to be an insult. Just my secret fondness for insanity fics. ::coughs:: Now that you mention it, that might be one of the reasons Tony took Extremis, yes. That brings up an interesting question: Tony is borderline suicidal, but the one thing he values about himself is his intelligence, but which is more important? Although I can understand in a way why Tony risked his life taking Extremis; if I knew my mental capacity was decreasing, I'd panic too. (Not saying that I'd make his "get smart again or die" choice, but still.)
Re: social issues: Since you've already mentioned it; hell yes, Tony has Asperger's Syndrome (low-level autism, as you mentioned) -- at least, movieverse Tony has (I haven't read enough of the comics yet to make a clear statement). As someone who shares the diagnosis, I recognized the traits immediately. Crazy smart at one special subject, like technology? Check. Ability to work intensely and for long periods of time with on that special subject? Check. Whole world circles around that special subject? Check. Can't read emotional or social cues for crap? Check. Utterly perplexed when presented with a situation -- especially a social one -- he's never experienced before? Check. Tendency to favour "cold" logic? Check. Has only a handful of close friends? Check. Control freak issues? Check. I suppose one could argue that Tony is too socially smooth (under certain circumstances) to have AS, but I disagree. Remember that Tony is a genius; all Aspies with a normal intelligence level learns over time how to act in social situations, often via trial and error -- and Tony's way above "normal". The social game and manipulation is probably just like math to him; learn the basic principles, study hard and score full points on the test. A plus B equals C, simple as that. As for eye contact; it varies between individuals. Personally, I always keep eye contact, but that's because I'm raised that way and I also want to check for cues on my conversation partner's face. Watching his/her face can be very distracting, though, so in intense emotional situations it's sometimes easier to not look them in the eye. It depends.
Being socially inept can easily be percieved as ~*~brooding~*~ and ~*~enigmatic loner~*~. So yeah, it's definitivly not an obstacle for coolness. :D
no subject
Re: brain damage:
That I even started wondering about it is because of my love for twisted fics. So my brain went "disjointed and incredibly cool writing style + somewhat socially off!Tony + something lurking between the lines = brain problems?" which, again, isn't meant to be an insult. Just my secret fondness for insanity fics. ::coughs::
Now that you mention it, that might be one of the reasons Tony took Extremis, yes. That brings up an interesting question: Tony is borderline suicidal, but the one thing he values about himself is his intelligence, but which is more important? Although I can understand in a way why Tony risked his life taking Extremis; if I knew my mental capacity was decreasing, I'd panic too. (Not saying that I'd make his "get smart again or die" choice, but still.)
Re: social issues:
Since you've already mentioned it; hell yes, Tony has Asperger's Syndrome (low-level autism, as you mentioned) -- at least, movieverse Tony has (I haven't read enough of the comics yet to make a clear statement). As someone who shares the diagnosis, I recognized the traits immediately. Crazy smart at one special subject, like technology? Check. Ability to work intensely and for long periods of time with on that special subject? Check. Whole world circles around that special subject? Check. Can't read emotional or social cues for crap? Check. Utterly perplexed when presented with a situation -- especially a social one -- he's never experienced before? Check. Tendency to favour "cold" logic? Check. Has only a handful of close friends? Check. Control freak issues? Check.
I suppose one could argue that Tony is too socially smooth (under certain circumstances) to have AS, but I disagree. Remember that Tony is a genius; all Aspies with a normal intelligence level learns over time how to act in social situations, often via trial and error -- and Tony's way above "normal". The social game and manipulation is probably just like math to him; learn the basic principles, study hard and score full points on the test. A plus B equals C, simple as that.
As for eye contact; it varies between individuals. Personally, I always keep eye contact, but that's because I'm raised that way and I also want to check for cues on my conversation partner's face. Watching his/her face can be very distracting, though, so in intense emotional situations it's sometimes easier to not look them in the eye. It depends.
Being socially inept can easily be percieved as ~*~brooding~*~ and ~*~enigmatic loner~*~. So yeah, it's definitivly not an obstacle for coolness. :D