ic contact post

[therealgenius]

You've reached the voicemail feature for Justin Hammer. I apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused by being unable to answer your call, but I will get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you, and have a good day.

Comments

[manofiron]

What? No. Mentally. Intellectually. You know.

Is there? Is it freaky? Am I freak?

[therealgenius]

I'm choosing to not read between the lines here.

No, you're not a freak, because it has some pretty well thought-out, valid ideas behind it all. That, and you used to be a CEO yourself, you kept talking about my office, wasn't sure if it was a Thing or just an idea...

[manofiron]

What's between the lines? Am I being offensive? Did I insult you somehow?

I'm sorry.

[therealgenius]

It's just like, idk, do I HAVE to have the suit to remind you of that? Like do you not think that when I'm not in my suits? So then I'm like thinking well do I have to wear suits all the time now or is this me reading things into it that aren't there and then I think that

yes I'm just reading into things that aren't there

I learned it in prison.

[manofiron]

No, that's not what I meant. I don't--You don't need to wear suits for me to know that. You just have to exist. I know--I don't need the reminder.

That was a stupid thing for me to say. I shouldn't have said it. I'm sorry. I don't want you to think that I doubt you. Ever. Just. Never mind. I won't mention it again.

[therealgenius]

(ʘ∇ʘ)ク 彡 ┻━┻

apparently that's an owl. I can see it if I squint?

Don't apologize, dude, it's just, you know. They beat into your head that everything has a deeper meaning and this picture you thought was butterflies is actually an old women being disemboweled, and you're by yourself for, like, the entire day every day, and you kind of start thinking there are things where there aren't and everything everyone says has a double meaning, or they're hiding something or faking something and you get back out and, yeah, okay, I used to "see" things where other people didn't because of math and science, that sort of thing, but it's gotten kind of...it's still wearing off, let's put it that way.

[manofiron]

It's not a double meaning. And I'm not really hiding anything. I mean, it's not...

Justin.

Look, what I'm hiding from you is the kind of mushy shit you don't want to deal with. I haven't forgotten that you said that, and I don't want to go off on some kind of stupid ramble that's going to piss you off.

I've been alone for over 40 years. I'm not anymore. Because of you. I can connect with you in a way I can't with anyone else. I don't need a reminder of that and it was a dumb fucking thing to say.

[therealgenius]

Yeah, okay. Let's tackle this point by point, shall we?

Do you remember when we talked about things that "weren't allowed" and I said Stacey and you said I could put my elbows and feet on the table and what happened after that?

[manofiron]

I don't talk about Stacey or hack her shit anymore?

[therealgenius]

Yes, I know.

But you said there wasn't anything that was "not allowed"—this sort of thing? This isn't going to piss me off. It's really not. It's just not really my thing. Well, it's not usually. I try not to because, you know.

Gold-diggers and shit.

[manofiron]

Okay, maybe "not allowed" is too strong of a term. But the point is, it's not your thing and I'm not going to force it on you. That's rude and so totally not my intention.

I word things badly. Even when I type. That's all.

[therealgenius]

Have a listen

Do you get what I'm saying or should I type it out myself?

[manofiron]

I'm thinking what you're saying is that I can say whatever I want to you. Is that about the size of it?

[therealgenius]

That's it exactly, yes.

[manofiron]

Sometimes my big mouth costs me more than I can afford to lose. I don't want that to be the case here.

[therealgenius]

Unless your big mouth looks like this? I can handle it.

Really. Special snowflake tears are not me.

[manofiron]

Okay, for the record? I'm not Dan Aykroyd.

Or a Conehead.

[therealgenius]

I had no idea.

Really?

[manofiron]

Really. I'm not actually either of them. I know that's probably pretty shocking, but deep breaths. It'll be okay.

[therealgenius]

It's too late. I'm a broken man. Thank you for that.

[manofiron]

You want me to call Thor and see if he knows the Coneheads?

[therealgenius]

No, I want you to stop going off on rabbit trails and tell me what's up.

[manofiron]

Technically, saying it like that makes it sound like something bad happened. Nothing bad happened.

[therealgenius]

Nothing at all has happened so far, Tony, aside from you saying there were things you wanted to tell me but felt you couldn't and Coneheads and that is not an invitation to talk about "mine tart of Pop" and so forth.

[manofiron]

I'm looking forward to Belize. I want to meet your parents. I don't want to say or do anything that would fuck this up or drive you away.