meadowlark - ic contact

[voicelog]

Comments

[rehandle]

Stark, from my universe.

1/3

[voicelog]

seriously?

[voicelog]

that's great

[voicelog]

actually that was a lie
it's not great

should i be worried here?

[rehandle]

Worried in what way?

[voicelog]

i think it's pretty self-explanatory, stephen

what can you tell me about him?

[rehandle]

He's Tony Stark.

[ You of all people have to know that what can you tell me about him is not a small question. ]

What do you want to know?

[voicelog]

does he drink?

[ essentially the most important question. ]

[rehandle]

I don't think it's had the same significance in his life as it has in yours.

[ If he drinks, he doesn't drink. ]

[voicelog]

[ sorry if he remains skeptical about this. ]

i just need a yes or no, stephen

[rehandle]

Yes.

[voicelog]

[ fantastic.

he is going to have to sort that one out with the man himself. ]

any notable dissimilarities between us that i should be aware of?

[rehandle]

You'll be the better judge of that.

[ But, in the name of giving something, not that time provides much context when their universes seem to have diverged so elaborately... ]

He's older than you are.

[voicelog]

how much older?

[rehandle]

Over a decade.

[voicelog]

maybe i should meet him

i've always wanted to know what i'd look like in my 50s

[ he is aware that his alternate is most likely not just an older replica of him, but he's gotta humor himself right now. ]

[rehandle]

In that case don't bother. He's not quite there yet.

[voicelog]

late 40s then?

[ he'll take late 40s. ]

are you letting him stay in your old room?

[rehandle]

Yeah.

We have cots out in the function room leftover from the attacks. There were only two new arrivals this time, we'll figure out something more permanent for them when we can.

[voicelog]

[ hm. ]

are you ok?

[rehandle]

[ Mn. ]

I'm fine.

[voicelog]

you know when people usually say they're fine...

[rehandle]

It's complicated. We come from different points on a turbulent timeline.

[voicelog]

[ relatable. ]

seems to be the case for most of us

well, if you ever want to talk, i'm here for you

[rehandle]

[ I'm here for you.

For the barest of moments it doesn't feel uncomfortable to read it. Jarring, yes. But not out of place. Not bad.

Then all the underlining facts roll in and warmth and startled gratitude are swallowed up inside a dread that yawns over and around them like tar. ]

Now's hardly the time for you to be offering me a shoulder to cry on

[ Deflection works. Stephen's not the one with the sudden cross-universal counterpart to contend with. Maybe that should be Tony's focus now, not him. ]