>>107318754For the sake of the story yes. Each timeline that had their stone borrowed now exists within quantum space.
Tony made a gps allowing them to find points where the stones would be easily accessible.
While those timelines didn't technically exist until we traveled back to them, once created they are now set in stone.
So we are in timeline "red"
we go to timeline "green"
once we borrow the stones and only after we leave is time line "orange" created
If I go back to "green" I cannot affect "orange" as they are now, for the sake of the story, completely separate.
I can always return to green to re-borrow the the stone as much as I want, each time creating a new timeline once I leave.
So for me, the time traveler, with the help of Tony's gps, I can go to any point where I made a change and continue on, like a collection of bookmarks I can CONTINUE from where I LEFT.
>I stepped on this guys shoe here, Let me go back AFTER I did and say sorry>a kid dropped his ice cream here. Let me go back AFTER he dropped it and buy him a new onethe guy and kid will continue on after my visit, no split time will be made FOR THEM as their instance is totally self contained.
As long as you return to these lines after you left it's the same timeline. undershoot by one second and, for the sake of the story, your're now in timeline "yellow" leaving behind timeline "purple". Timeline "orange", the "stoneless" timeline, is still stoneless
>>107318787you are getting into zeno's paradox. Since it isn't handled by the writers I wouldn't try to work it in. While you could say its impossible to get back to timeline orange the rules of the movies have it set up to where once a timeline is established it can be revisited and altered as long as we return AFTER we left. The Ancient one is chilling on the roof waiting for her timestone. Her theoretical future without it is separate from her present without it.