meadowlark - ic contact

[voicelog]

Comments

[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. ]

[voicelog]

[ nice try, but tony stark is well-versed in deflection. ]

i think i can handle the news of my alternate arriving here while simultaneously lending you my shoulder to cry on. i'm nothing if not great at multitasking.

[ but all jokes aside— ]

besides, between the both of us, i think he impacts you a smidgen more than he does me

[rehandle]

[ Mmmmmmnnnnn ]

He's a surprise, that's all

[voicelog]

a good surprise or a bad surprise?

[ he's just going to keep pushing this. ]

[rehandle]

Tony, I'm working.

[ Not now, please and thank you. ]

[voicelog]

fine

we can talk about it more when you get home

[rehandle]

I'll see you later.