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[asmywitness]

[[Tyler screens his calls - anyone who tries to actually call him, he'll text back in reply.]]

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[asmywitness]

People like to be praised, and being told you're a good person is like fucking crack. Especially when you're inherently not one, because you take it to mean they don't see you as the shitbag you feel like. It's hard to portray tone through Isis's projections, but his body language sure suggests he's pissed.

His language makes Teller brush over Mesmer's ears in a pointed gesture as the Hypno snorts, in open derision, at Tyler's language.

Tyler doesn't look back, but he pauses mid-step for a moment. For the record, I don't recall that Solus has ever complimented me when it wasn't part of some higher scheme.

[fingersandteeth]

"Then why is he always talking you up to me—" Steven protests, stopping when Tyler does. He's very conscious that these are the very same stairs he threw Hades down.

"Oh," he says in a hollow voice. "Right. To fuck with my head. Even if he wasn't trying to specifically frighten me, that doesn't mean he wasn't and hasn't been trying to mess with my mind."

[asmywitness]

And so instead of thinking critically about why he might want to sing someome's praises, knowing he takes pleasure in getting a rise out of you, you decided I was the one at fault.

He stops again, both feet flat on the stairs, and audibly sighs, as he tilts his head back a fraction to stare at the ceiling for a few seconds. Before he turns and looks at Steven, and in the dim lights, made to flicker from EVA's surges of excitement, he looked tired and Wizened. One hand stands firm on the railing. I notice when you talk to me less, you know. Was there anything else, at all, that made you think I'm the one that's creating the distance here?

[fingersandteeth]

"I never said that—" Steven protests. But he stops on the stair. "I just—" He lets out a shaky breath. "You didn't like the real me," he says, finally. "The me I am now. You liked the guy you first met better and that's— he's me in a way, but he's the me for public consumption. You— you didn't throw me out of your apartment or anything, but."

He squeezes his eyes shut. "And Charley," he whispers. "Everything's a jumble from that weekend, but I remember saying something envious about my future self and her saying that I didn't need to become him, she liked this me anyway—I was so much more like the Steven she'd thought she lost forever. And that's— I might seem like him, but I'm not him. And Charley— she used to be able to know me and she doesn't now, not like she used to and—"

He draws in another breath, just as shaky. Grips the stair rail for dear life.

"I don't know where I'm going with this."

[asmywitness]

I told you, I am and will get used to it. Because this is who you are, and I still want you in my fucking life. And if I can't, then that's my problem.

He looks away when Steven remembers his future self.

I spoke with him too. I don't remember everything, which is... horrendously disconcerting for me. But I told him that Charley just came back to a world where everything is different and everyone she knew is gone. Your public face is her one constant in a changed world.

He looks back at Steven. You can't expect someone to adapt to drastic change overnight, we aren't designed for it. No one is. You just have to be patient. And have some fucking faith in them.

[fingersandteeth]

Steven opens his eyes again. Given Tyler a tight little nod. "Sorry," he says, softly. "That's-- maybe not always my strong suit. You're right. I just-- I need to give you time. I'm-- glad. That you still want me in your life. You're really important to me, Tyler, just because-- well. Just because you're you. Which... maybe you know. Or otherwise I wouldn't keep trying every time you shut me down for being a complete and utter asshole."

Then he laughs, suddenly. "God, you must have hated him," he says. "For just-- being even more not the guy you met and not knowing you at all. Completely the opposite of me talking to his friend... friends?"

[asmywitness]

Tyler's hackles seem to finally lower a little, when Steven apologises and actually seems to understand why. He just sighs again, almost an amused huff, and lifts his hand off the rail so he can sign.

I like being friends with you, it's just shit like that that makes it difficult.

But he's got the ghost of a smile when he turns around to keep heading down, and Isis seems more relaxed as well when she continues messaging for him.

Your older self wouldn't stop using his game face on me, it was fucking surreal. And he just had this really smarmy vibe. I don't know if he was trying to use his Barrow-tender title as a threat or a point of reference.

[fingersandteeth]

"Of course he wouldn't," Steven says automatically as they continue downward. "You were a stranger. Even if he had some idea of you being my best friend, it's not always so easy with strangers to take off the small-m mask. And, well, you sort of... I mean, you don't always exude the air of being the most welcoming person ever? As far as his title... hell, I don't know. Could have been both. According to his friend that I talked to, he's a real rat bastard."

There's an odd note in his voice. Steven's not entirely used to people who aren't him using fond insults as a form of affection, the way Gil had. (It wasn't exactly a socially acceptable thing, in his experience, at least not in most normal American circles. Gil was also Australian, so maybe...)

"Is that an Australian thing?" he asks suddenly. "Talking shit affectionately? Maybe it was just a thing with him."

[asmywitness]

He opened his conversation with me by telling me you warned him about not pissing me off, he says, with a raised eyebrow glance back at Steven. So, you know. Not exactly setting me up for success there.

Tyler doesn't catch that note in Steven's voice at all; tonal nuance still escapes him, as well as he's otherwise doing with working on listening. And he's not fully paying attention, with his eyes on EVA and one hand on the railing, or he'd put more thought into the 'rat bastard' comment.

Because really, older Steven is.

Oh, yeah, it's a whole thing with measurable scales. 'Rat bastard' is pretty high affection, if they mean it as a compliment.

cw: AUSTRALIAN LANGUAGE

[fingersandteeth]

"I think it was? I mean, he was definitely fond of my future self. They were fucking as a friends with benefits thing, kind of like how you and Lydia started off, and I get the impression they'd been through some shit together. I'd asked him about, you know, what I was like, because even though Jack had said I should avoid learning about that shit, I was curious. I mean, you saw that fucking Autumn's Mantle on him. I've seen heavier, but those were on monarchs and high-rankers... I didn't even have a light Winter's Mantle before I came here--and you'd have thought I'd have had something with how long I spent closeted."

He automatically lowers his voice for the next question, assuming that Isis will be able to relay it even so.

"So. Uh. Where on the scale does 'murderous fucking cunt' fall?"

He says the word like he's not entirely sure he's allowed to say it. And given how easily and fluently he swears around Tyler, that's definitely notable.

[asmywitness]

Mostly he just lets Steven's words wash over him. When his volume lowers there's a pique of curiosity from Isis at the change, which gets his attention again - just in time to hear Steven say that.

And he can't stop an ugly snort at how precious Steven sounds saying it. He pauses to look back at Steven again with a broad grin.

Oh yeah. They're friends. I'd hazard best friends.

[fingersandteeth]

Steven grins back, looking slightly embarrassed. "Yeah. That's the vibe I got off them too. Um. If you ever want to, you know, do the Australian friend thing at me. You're definitely allowed to. It's-- weirdly nice. And, uh, if I'm allowed to do it back--?"

[asmywitness]

Tyler immediately cringes, but it's clearly in humour. I really hope you don't think blowjobs are a national symbol of friendship from Aussies.

Isis only projects the word - not that Tyler knows the correct pronunciation. He turns away again, watching the ground as he hops off the final step.

I get where you're coming from, but I'm not going to call you a cunt just because it makes you feel more like your ideal self. Because that's definitely how you framed that, it wasn't subtle. He looks back and signs at Steven again. I also don't like them as much. I have enough trouble with tone as is without you cursing at me.

[fingersandteeth]

"I wasn't just asking because of that," Steven says, his face heating up. "I mean, okay, it does, but also-- maybe I'd like to be able to get away with doing the same thing? I mean, it's really not an American thing, as you might have guessed, but it's sort of a me thing. I just know better than to say them out loud most of the time, because people would think I meant them in a non-affectionate way. But there's a reason I call my boyfriend an 'egotist' all the time in private."

But then he sighs. "But. Yeah, no, I get why it wouldn't work for you. It's got a lot to do with tone of voice, doesn't it, and I know that doesn't carry over to text and probably not sign either."

[asmywitness]

It's also something of a... He hesitates for a moment, before he spells out, cultural clash? It's not a thing you really ask for, it's just a thing that happens when an Australian adopts you. Like name signs.

He makes a face, but only a minor one. You know I'm not a standard Aussie by any means, and I'm going to be even less of one if I'm the only one around, because we know we're weird and I have to explain enough about my life as is. It's not a go at you.

[fingersandteeth]

"Right," Steven says, still a touch awkward. "No, no, I get it. I didn't mean to make it a big thing or anything. I just. I don't know. I thought it was nice when he did it, that's all. Even if it was about my future self and not this me. It was— just nice to know that some people do that. I guess. Fuck, I'm saying this all wrong."

After a moment he adds, "And it doesn't mean I liked my future self's best friend more than I like you. Because I don't. He was a cool guy, but you're my person and he wasn't yet." He frowns. "That sounded weirdly possessive, didn't it."

[asmywitness]

Tyler huffs and grins lightly. It did. But it was a better flavour of it than usual.

Teller moves past him, Mesmer sitting on his shoulders now, and opens the door. So which way is your office? Tyler adds, walking into the main building.

[fingersandteeth]

"Down the hall a bit, there's a big glass window for the whole newsroom and mine's one of the ones on the other side of the big main room," Steven says. "And, uh, technically it's not my office, it's one that I share. Most of us do unless we've got a lot of seniority, which I don't yet. But it's only with one person? There's a a cubical wall down the middle. I've got the side by the window. It stopped fucking with my officemate's equipment after the first day, so it knows the difference between us."

[asmywitness]

There's a large arc of electricity overhead as EVA goes from a light bulb to the mainlines again, and Tyler trots after the sparking wires towards Steven's desk with Teller and Mesmer in tow.

He seriously hopes EVA doesn't make anything explode, he thinks probably a little bit too late as the lightning arcs across the floor and up to Steven's computer.

[fingersandteeth]

Steven winces.

A moment later, the computer screen lights up to show... well, the image of a Rotom trying to shove another Rotom off the screen.

GET OUT GET OUT THIS IS MY JOB GET YOUR OWN

... said Rotom, however, looks a bit smaller than the one it's trying to shove away.

[asmywitness]

The pixel-art Rotoms on the screen are very cute actually. Even if the faintly larger one is slamming into the other from multiple directions in its efforts to force it out the front of the screen.

NOT ANY MORE MOTHER FUCK YOU NEED TO LEAVE

[fingersandteeth]

NO THE BOSS GAVE ME THIS JOB HE TRUSTED ME YOU AREN'T TAKING IT

The smaller one is doing its best to keep inside and even push back, even as the larger Rotom is slowly but surely getting its way.

[asmywitness]

I'M NOT TAKING IT YOU'RE BEING FIRED NOW BEAT IT

There's an absolutely cacophenous burst of static from the speakers - that even makes Tyler flinch in surprise - and the screen cracks with the force of what was apparently an Uproar, and the smaller Rotom gets fired out of the cracked screen in a burst of static as it reforms itself in the real world.

Another arc of blue electricity follows it, but before EVA can fully reform and go off again there's a flash of a Pokeball sucking it up as it exits the computer, and bounces back into Tyler's hand. He looks more than a bit shocked by the whole exchange.

[fingersandteeth]

"Fuck," Steven says under his breath. "I really hope that doesn't come from my wages."

The other Rotom is quivering with rage and is probably thisclose to diving back into the computer screen.

"I think you should probably have Teller do his thing now."

[asmywitness]

Isis isn't actually listening to Steven; she got more than a little stunned by the audio hell and is shaking herself out to try and unfluff herself.

Teller is a smart boy, though, and he doesn't need any prompting from Tyler. He gives Mesmer's foot a squeeze, encouraging him to pay attention, and lifts his pendulum towards the Rotom, swinging it with a very deliberate focus.

When Tyler notices that, he glances away, quick and deliberate, and turns bodily to look at Steven as he signs, to try not to catch the coin in his field of vision. Sorry. I'll cover you if that gets deducted from your next cheque.