eight. audio & spam. funnyman, gotta try to be something wonderful.

[indispensible]

James Stark is in a coma.

[She sounds completely unmoved by this. Entirely. (She shouldn't have used his first name. He'd be upset.)]

[She almost hangs up, then:]

Does anyone want to spar?

warden filter

. . . What do you do? When this happens. How do you . . .

[Not go crazy. Not feel guilty.]

What do you do?

open spam } CES

[For anyone who wants to spar, Vin will be in the CES, having Clifford throw large objects into the air for her to fling coins at and shatter out of recognition. The air is full of falling ash, mist curling under her feet, but the trees and the land are green. She doesn't know what to make of it, and therefore doesn't think about it.]

Comments

[filter]

[myironeyes]

Keep going.

[Yeeeeeah Ryan has been in a coma for a while, and yes it is fucking with him.]

Focus on others.

[filter 5eva]

[indispensible]

Who are you focusing on?

[She calls bullshit, are you brooding, don't be brooding.]

[filter 5eva]

[myironeyes]

Ned. Iris. Zane.

All the hungry idiots.

[Of course he's brooding. But it's low-level brooding. On the Marsh scale, anyway.]

[indispensible]

[The Marsh scale goes down to Marianas Trench brooding. This is pretty good for him.]

There are a lot of hungry idiots here. At least you won't run out of things to do.

private

[myironeyes]

Indeed.

And Mike.

[Hey, that's a thing.]

How do you feel about dogs? Real ones.

[He sure is lineface futurebuddies with your last one.]

private

[indispensible]

I've never had a real dog. But I like them even when they don't talk.

[Which Clifford doesn't. It just makes him more adorable.]

private

[myironeyes]

You should play with Mike sometimes. He's friendly.

[Marsh Does Not Like Dogs. But he's trying, okay.]

private

[indispensible]

I like friendly dogs.

[Marsh what are you even getting at.]

When I'm done sparring [with the entire Barge] I could come [take him off your hands] take him for a walk. If you wanted.

private

[myironeyes]

[Look he just doesn't this dog to grow up unloved, it's probably not any better for dogs than it is for humans. Iris is helping, but she's been out of commission lately.]

That would be. Kind.

Thank you.

private

[indispensible]

It isn't kind. [It's just . . . a thing. But she won't argue it anymore.]

Will you meet me in the CES? In - two hours, I think.

private

[myironeyes]

We will be there.

[Marsh, and Aster, and Mike.]

private ➥ spam

[indispensible]

All right.

[She is waiting, Clifford at her side, taking a rest from aggressively attacking sticks to sit at the golem-dog's side and pat his neck. She wonders if the false dog takes real pleasure in this and decides that he does, because he wags his tail, and why else would he do that if he wasn't happy?]

[When Marsh approaches, Clifford perks up, scenting Mike and probably Aster, too. He turns to watch them come, and Vin, cross-legged on the ground, does the same.]

spam

[myironeyes]

[Aster circles Vin's head once, apparently too wary to land, and satisfied with whatever she finds, settles back on Marsh's shoulder. Mike bounds over, eager to lick them both.]