Come Sail Away IC Inbox

[crushed_pearls]

Erin's voice mail message is in a weary voice: "Erin Peters. If you called in the middle of the night and I didn't answer, I'm dying. If I pick up and someone on your end isn't dying, they will be shortly. Text otherwise."

Comments

[blacksludgeaffair]

The breast pocket of the jacket morphs into a toothy mouth as she approaches.

"Grrrreetingss..." It's a voice like creaking rotted wood.

[crushed_pearls]

Erin ceases entering the bar entirely at that with the universal look of How Do I React To This.

She finds her footing quickly enough though: "Y'all are gonna kill it at the next formal. Nice t'meet'cha Symbiote, 'm Erin as mentioned."

She grabs a seat at the bar, hoping Phil will just, y'know, pour her a drink rather than making her ask.

[goodweather]

Which he will. They’ve gotten drinks together enough times that he knows her usual.

And as he does, he hands off his memories and impressions of Erin to it: her company, her counsel, her comedy, her comfort, the esteem he holds her in and the advice from her that’s been given a place on the mantle. Visions of her becoming thirty feel tall and building a snow maze in December, and of being Smurfette on Halloween, and a forklift in April. The cheese fort and cheese traps. He gives away none of her secrets. Powerful, and troubled, and a partner in the long walk through the long winter.

Lacking in a psychic connection to Erin, however, Phil has to engage in actual conversation.

“Yeah, it does that. I’ve already explained a bunch of stuff over text, but if you have other questions, or just want to talk to it yourself…”

[blacksludgeaffair]

Warm memories. Powerful and troubled. Familiar things.

"Niceee to meet you... Yyyou are... a friend..."

[crushed_pearls]

"I try," Erin agrees, raising her glass. She's smiling in spite of herself; on the one hand, experience with Hedge creatures should mean she gets the willies here, and on the other hand she can't imagine a mental parasite that could beat Phil. What are you going to do, pillage his endless memories for something to use against him? Fuck that. Anything that can crawl into Phil's head and manage to crawl back out instead of being trapped in Groundhog Day forever deserves to pilot him around.

She sips her drink and makes a pleased noise. "Thanks for having Phil's back, Symbiote. Genuinely."

Beat.

"...It would be really funny if I just said that and one of y'all had to clarify that you're attached via spinal column."

[goodweather]

He pauses just long enough for it to be funny.

"It can be, but it's pretty flexible. I think if it were entirely housed in my spine it'd have a lot more complaining to do." He pats it, which mostly looks like him patting his own shoulder. "When we're not suited up it just sits around as clothes like this. Fits great, by the way."

[blacksludgeaffair]

"Phiiil needed to fight... That is its purpose..."

In other words, no need to thank it. Phil feels a quiet, understated pride from it, that blossoms into a buzz when he praises the fit of the coat.

"It is glad it fits... Its hosts have never... had wings before..."

[crushed_pearls]

"'m a fighter myself, but there's lots of interesting hobbies to explore on this ship." Erin sips her drink, and continues, all mischief. "Already imagining the power move of y'all showing up to tennis doubles."

[goodweather]

“Didn’t you sludge over that skeleton horse? I don’t think you needed to worry about wings, buddy.”

He takes a sip of his own drink, then slips off of his seat and steps back. “Mm, oh yeah, speaking of power moves—Erin? Meet Venom.”

With a series of dull and wet sounds like sinew knitting together, Phil gets taller, bigger, sharper; teeth and tongues flex from their collar and from beneath their jaw, little dull talons now something befitting of raptorial ancestors. Their wings look like blades that would hum in the air as it sliced through. The warm orange light of their mantle flickers oddly like something out of Silent Hill.

”Hi,” comes their voice, which would be boldened and white text on black if this were a comic book.

[crushed_pearls]

"If I were bi I'd be down so bad."

Best.

"DAMNIT I SAID THAT OUT LOUD!"

[goodweather]

“We know.”