voicemail

[oldironsides]

You've reached the voicemail... Forgething... it... yeah... of Anthony Stark, Stark Industries. Leave a message if it beeps?




... how do you tell if it's recorded? Piece of alternate universe crap, you're lucky I don't rewire you into a double-ended vibra--





BEEEEEEEP

Comments

[Voice]

[justice_is_blond]

Probably best not to 'rewire' the Forge. No matter how interesting the result may be.

[His voice sounds amused, this is the first time he's heard that.]

Do you have a birthday? Hang on, stupid question. Do you know when your... Also stupid. What is your birthday?

[Voice]

[oldironsides]

May 29th! Still a little ways off. Why?

[Voice]

[justice_is_blond]

May. That's the... hang on.

[There's a pause and the sound of a couple of pages turning.]

Fifth month. Near the end. And I was just wondering, after Tonks was talking about Snape's.

[barebacking]

Want to sew my lips shut, Tony?

[oldironsides]

Honestly, I'd rather sew your face to a deer carcass and toss your ass in a pit full of starved wolverines.

But you'd probably like that.

[barebacking]

I would.

I would... I'm already becoming excited from the imagery. But that's not helping the situation.

[Sent on the fifth, password-locked, voice]

[justice_is_blond]

I'm sorry.

[Anders' voice is exhausted and pained.]

There was no way to tell you, no way you'd understand as a child. I would give, [there's a pause and his voice is a little choked as he continues,] so much to have another moment with you, adult you, to have a chance to say goodbye.

[For a few moments all that can be heard is the sound of his breathing.]

I've gone into the Mist. It's the only way to keep other people safe. There... There probably isn't a reason to look for me. I'm sorry. And it's too complicated to truly explain right now. I'm having trouble focusing enough for this. But it's... I mentioned it, in passing, before. The thing from home. The thing I didn't expect to come to pass for another decade, at least.

There's a price to becoming a Warden. You live for about 30 years after joining. And then you go out and get yourself killed in a productive way, because otherwise you lose yourself and you hurt those around you.

I... It would kill me to harm you. [He takes a shaky breath.] And so instead I must hurt you, and leave, and die. And I'm sorry. If I've any say in the matter I'll return. But if I don't... If I don't, Tony, know that you have been much of my joy in this world, and that I want you to find someone else, someone better. Someone without half the issues I have.

[Anders' voice gets choked up again.]

Goodbye, Tony. I... [There's another long pause.] Anthony. My knight in shining pyjamas. Fare you well.

[Sent on the fifth, password-locked, voice]

[oldironsides]

[He's listened to it about four times now. Rewind, play, rewind. The notes don't change, is the thing. The strain in his voice is still there, the obvious effort put into each word.

Stark is glad he's just hearing it now as an adult. He never would have understood as a child, and likely would have just gotten confused. Flighty. A lot of good that would have done, not there's anything at present he could do to change what happened. By the time he's heard this, Anders has come back… thankfully, in one piece.

It'd be easy to seek him out in their room. Ask him in person about this 30 year expiry date. Ask him… ask him what, exactly? What would you do, Tony-- go in there, stamp your feet, and demand to know why Anders gets to be one of the scant few who can scare the shit out of you? What happened wasn't normal. It was obviously caused by the Mist… had to be. Had to be, because everything was back to the way it should be.

That still didn't make him feel any better.]

You're back. That's all I care about, alright.

Don't worry about everything else.

[There's the sound of metal clattering, something being put away in the shop. The dull scrape of a chair across a concrete floor. A door opening and being slammed shut. Muttering.]

I'm coming in to see how you're doing, and then heading out to the bar for a little bit. I don't wanna talk about… all that… not tonight. I just need you on your feet again, okay? We will talk about what happened. Probably should anyway. Just not tonight.

[voice]

[justice_is_blond]

[He'd almost forgotten the message he'd left. Anders hadn't been able to think very clearly at all by the time he'd given in and recorded it. His voice is careful when he speaks.]

I understand. I'd like a kiss on the way out, if you've no objection. And I'm working on getting back on my feet. I've no particular love for being useless.

Voice

[justice_is_blond]

Tony. Tony.

[His voice is a little muddled, the words are slightly slurred.]

Did you know a mage is parti-- par-- really good at using a staff? A rod. The shaft of it. Their magic stick. Really good. Exceptio-- exce-- very good. You should know. I should hope you knew. By now. I don't think I fail in that area. Though I do in others. A lot of others. So many others.

Because I don't deserve you. But it would kill me to lose you. I didn't realize that before. And then I was leaving, and all I really wanted was a kiss and I couldn't get one because you were little. Too little. And didn't care back. And then you thought you were dying, and this is a mess. A mess. Because the door is going to take you. And you'll be gone. And I want to not care. I want to enjoy what I have and when I'm with you I can. When... Then. Then. Now. I... I like now. I don't want it to go away.

Voice - this would have to be the 69th comment

[oldironsides]

[Oh no.]



[Oh no.]



... dammit, Anders. You're drunk, aren't you.

Voice - Perfection.

[justice_is_blond]

[There's a pause as he works to figure out the answer to this.]

Yes. Yes. I think... yes.

Audio

[icy]

Hey, heads up. It's Jack, if you can't ... tell. You probably can. So, uh, there's this guy from the Viking-age or whatever it was called and he's got this weird wood-and-metal contraption under his knee where his leg was like, blown off or eaten by a dragon or something. Looks like it's gotta hurt after a while and he's only fifteen, so. Whatever, mechanics. It just looks like a gangly set-up to me.

I said you could help him out with something less backward, maybe. So, yeah. His name is Hiccup. Call me back? Thanks, Tony.

Audio

[oldironsides]

I wanna ask what the hell a dragon was doing in the Viking age, but... yeah. I probably don't really need an answer to that.

Anyway, we can definitely check it out. Send him over to my place some time, and I'll see what he's got right now. Least I can do is a simple redesign and make it more comfortable... more durable.

[and, just to be sure]

You did call him "Hiccup", right.

Audio

[icy]

Awesome. Said he was a blacksmith, he's hardly like what you'd imagine a Viking to be. Sassy as hell, too. And, yeah, I did.

[ Pausing. After what Hiccup told Jack about how he got that name ... ]

Don't rip into him for it, okay?

Voice

[veryspecialagent_dinozzo]

Hey there. This is NCIS Special Agent Tony DiNozzo--I'm currently part of the police force here. I'm kind of in the market for more bullets, if that's possible, but since I hear they're in short supply, Walsh suggested some form of sword. I understand you make these kinds of things? Anyway, if you're interested in doing business, drop me a line back, we can talk model and prices.

Voice

[oldironsides]

I can, I do, yep.

Y'know, if swords aren't your thing, I do custom jobs. We could hash out what your strengths are, what's easily wielded... all that crap... build you something really suited to you. I'm working on a collapsible baton, actually. There's a fine blade to it. Kinda cool.

Annnnd my prices are pretty reasonable. Especially if you're with the police.

Voice

[veryspecialagent_dinozzo]

My strengths, honestly?--using a gun, chasing down criminals, solving crimes. Occasionally tackling somebody. Typical--normal world--police stuff. I'm not really a techno-magicky kind of guy; more of a Bruce Willis or Tom Cruise action-hero type than a knight or something.

And a baton, huh? When I think batons, I kind of think 'costume policeman.' The kind that does bachelorette parties. Not that I'm complaining, mind you--I could do that on the side. That could be kind of cool. Just so it works. I haven't had to fight anything yet here, so ...I don't know. What's your best-seller?

[Voice]

[justice_is_blond]

[Handwavily, Anders has been poking daily, and will continue to do so. He sighs.]

Me again. ...right. Simply... checking.

[There's a bit of a pause.]

I... When... if...

[Anders breaks off and ends the connection.]

[Voice] May 2nd, whee

[justice_is_blond]

Mordred left today. [He sighs. His voice is echoing a little; he's in the observatory.] If this is the message that gets sent back, I don't know what...

[He ends mid-sentence and sends.]

[Voice]

[justice_is_blond]

[It starts with silence, as 'many' of them have.]

I turn this on knowing what I'm going to say. And then the words stop.

[There's the sound of breathing, the clink of something ceramic as he moves his mug, and the shuffling of papers. Muffled crowd noises can also be heard.]

I don't know what I'm doing with your bar. I'm trying to keep it working. The bartenders know more than me, actually. I think they're humoring me at this point when I help. Or attempt to help. I just want it to still be running if... This still works. That has to mean something. It must. It's...

[An exhale; the strain that had been growing in his voice is muted when he speaks again.]

I found the napkin. I didn't realize you'd written down either. It's just a drink, they're both just drinks, but they're not. And I don't know how to end these. I've no idea. I can't say... I can't.

[There's another quiet stretch. Anders' voice is a little rough for the last sentence.]

Until tomorrow, then.

[voice]

[ttlynotabloodmage]

Um...

[Jowan thought it best to contact Tony since he and Anders seem close and everything but suddenly he's feeling uncertain about it all.]

Are you and Anders close? How well do you know him?

voice

[oldironsides]

Close? Not at the moment. He was sitting right here, but I think he's gone to make a sandwich.

[It's Jowan. That much, he knows. What's with the weird questions, though?]

Orrrrrr did you mean something else. I mean, I know him as much as he knows me...

[Which doesn't tell him much, really.]

[audio]

[icy]

Hey. So you're alive again, I hear. I have a Viking and a dragon as housemates now, if you ever kick the bucket again God knows I'll wind up with some kind of lava monster, just stick around this time. That's why I missed you on the network, by the way, Anders said you were on it. There's fish all over my freaking house and I'm not even apologizing for not knowing you were around again, I've got ninety-nine problems and carp is just one.

Welcome back, your house is now frosted for the day. [ From one lil' shit to the Stark kind, because he didn't miss Tony at all. Take a look out your window if you can! ] Enjoy that.

[audio]

[oldironsides]

Fish... ? Why are there fish--

[ ... ]

-- no, explain the Viking and the dragon first. Fish second.

Then tell me why you're welcoming me back by turning my place into an Anatolian ice palace. Not that I don't appreciate the sentiment, but... well, no, it's exactly that.