bakerstreet | (no subject)

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Answering Machine meme

☎ Post a comment with your character. This comment functions as their answering machine or voice mail. Include an IC message if you want.

☎ Other characters will reply to these comments to leave your character messages.

☎ Be creative, have characters leave messages when they're drunk/high/bored/being chased by a rabid T-rex, whatever.

☎ Your character can then call these people back and demand an explanation!

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[ God bless clean clothes and God bless his red and gold delivery service. Rolling up his sleeves, Bruce shakes his head. ]

It's not that. It's more ... I don't want to open up that kind of an appetite and be hungry all the way home. I can wait.

[ He does crack the water though, taking a long draw before offering it over. ]

[ Tony waves it away. He's only been flying. Bruce has been stuck in the desert for how long. He needs it more than Tony does. ]

I'm fine. Drink up.

[ Glancing away, he checks for the telltale sign of dust rising in the wake of a traveling car. So far, no dice. ]

We'll get food at the airport. Or on the plane if the airport's shit. Anything you want.

Thanks, again.

[ Doesn't need telling twice to finish that water off. The granola bar is slid in a back-pocket as he watches Tony, the novelty of having someone around after a handful of self-induced months of exclusion is still hard to shake off. As a result, though, he finds himself picking up on small gestures and filing them away for later. It's nice to know he remembers Tony clearly. ]

... Well, this is. Surreal.

[ Hanging out in the desert. Woo. ]

[ He gives an easy, casual shrug like it's no big thing. It's not really that big of a thing for him anyway. He's rich. He's got a lot of free time on his hands. And he has a supersonic flying machine. It's all in a day's work, really. ]

What, chilling in the desert with a guy you sometimes work with? Here. Come on. Walk with me a little. The car will be here soon.

Sort of. [ Chilling with anyone after a Hulk Out, really. ] I didn't even want to come to Mexico, originally.

[ Falling into step at Tony's side. ]

No?

[ He glances over, eyebrows rising over the top of his sunglasses. ]

Where were you trying to go?

Colombia. It would have been a direct route, if I hadn't got distracted and ran so far off course.

[ Carding aside his hair to get the dirt out as they walk. ]

What's in Colombia?

[ Tony doesn't visit South America much, but at the moment, he's trying to remember if he's heard anything that would make it a noteworthy place to visit. ]

Peace and quiet. A dichotomy to what happened in Manhattan with the Chitauri, mostly. Somewhere to meditate and get us back into a set rhythm.

What's wrong with Colorado? They're all about self-help and meditation and getting in touch with your inner you out there. Why do you need to leave the country?

I like Colombia.

[ It's very green, good for hiding at length. ]

It doesn't matter now, you're actually pretty good for keeping the Other Guy in check. All of you were. I've never ... known him to feel half the things he did during that attack.

I think he enjoys punching Thor, too. The memory's fuzzy.

Maybe that's because you stopped being afraid of him and accepted him.

[ He tries to sound nonchalant about it and fails miserably. ]

Everyone did there at the end. He was part of a team, people were depending on him, he was being depended on. That kind of thing, it can change a guy.

Can't say I blame him about Thor. I liked punching him too.

[ His indulgent smile over a mass fondness for decking the God of L'Oreal subsides. ]

No, it's not acceptance. Tolerance, but not trust. This isn't something I want to live with forever.

He's not a bad guy, Bruce. He saved my life. He saved the lives of hundreds of people. Thousands, probably. He's worth trusting. At least a little.

And that's great, but I had plans before all of this happened. I'd like to get back to them.

What plans? Why can't you go back to them now?

I just can't. Not like this.

[ Hands wringing in front, he offers a terse smile. Tries to deflect. ]

You can keep improving the suit, right? It doesn't detract from who you are because you want to expand upon it, you've got that open horizon. [ Shaking his head again. ] It's deeper down the rabbit-hole for me, no going back. If I depend on the Hulk and trust him too much, I could lose myself.

Isn't that what other people are for? To keep you from losing yourself?

[ He's bad at this. He knows he's bad at this. But that doesn't prevent him from trying anyway. ]

I could get lost too, Bruce. You start improving one thing, where do you stop? When do you say enough's enough? That it's good enough? I don't know. I never do. But the people around me, they remind me. They bring me back if I get too invested in circuits and code.

Same probably goes for you, too.

You stop before you hurt yourself irreparably, common sense alone dictates that much. I didn't have any when I ... But, you do. And you have us, you're right.

Even if I'm a thousand miles away, it doesn't mean I don't want to be right there alongside you. It never will.

Do I? [ He taps a finger against his chest, right over the arc reactor. ] I don't think I do.

But that's not the point. When you're a thousand miles away, you're alone. You're isolated. And that's not good for anyone. Not for you and not for us, either.

I don't mean to isolate you by going away.

[ Bruce can deal with being alone, it's second nature and easily something he prefers 99% of the time. ]

And you have more common sense than you let on.

[ He's sure no one means to isolate him. After all, he's Tony Stark. He's surrounded by adoring fans 24/7. Except that isn't remotely true. It hasn't been since Afghanistan.

Shrugging, he looks away again to scan the horizon, and this time he sees the plum of dust that means that their ride is on its way. ]

Car's here. [ He points toward it. ] Ready to get back to civilization?

[ That suddenly blank slate of conversation doesn't go amiss, though he nods agreeably when the subject changes. ]

Yeah. I am.

[ He'll even lead the way. ]

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