IC CONTACT | Mask or Menace

[animated]

"Hey, you've reached Charlie Maxwell. Leave me a message. Or just text me. I might get back to you faster that way."

Comments

[blahnik]

[ with new nightmares to go with the ones she already had so, ] Tired sounds about right.

I wanted to thank you for sticking around. Not a lot of people would stay that close to a T. rex. [ magic or no magic. ]

[animated]

Don't mention it. I'm just glad you're okay.

Still, not really the best way to find out about just how connected you and Ripley are, huh?

[blahnik]

[ can facial expressions translate to tone? because if so hers certainly is. ]

I can think of few worse surprises. [ as in only two: another dinosaur and a first date.

claire sighs. ] I still couldn't tell you what happened.

[animated]

It's a blur for a lot of people, I'm sure.

How's Ripley, by the way?

[blahnik]

Small. I took her to the vet for some cuts she got from — something.

Turns out, she's going to outlive us all. [ a huff. ] How's that for irony?

[animated]

Careful who you say that to. There are a lot of people around here who are older than they look.

[blahnik]

As long as you're not referring to Peter…

[animated]

What? No, I was referring to myself.

[ a beat, then- ] Why bring up Peter?

[blahnik]

[ because claire would be the living embodiment of stare into the camera like she's on the office if "star-lord" turns out to be sixty.

and she will explain that eventually but first — ] How old are you?

[animated]

Celebrated my eighty-first birthday a couple of months ago.

And I notice you didn't answer my question.

[blahnik]

I talked to him earlier.

[ 81. huh. ] Um, happy birthday, then. Should we get you a walker? Doris Day album…?

[animated]

Just weird that he would be the first one to come to mind. Is it because he's a space man?

[ Ah, and now with the age jokes. Of course. ] Honey, don't tease. You only wish you'll look as good as me when you're eighty.

[blahnik]

No argument there.

Actually, it's that and sometimes he seems to have come straight out of the seventies. [ hahaha. ] After meeting one woman from 1947, it seemed probable.

[animated]

Yeah, well... being a space man, he's kind of lacking in modern pop culture knowledge.

[blahnik]

[ stop. wait a minute. ]

-- Are you saying he is actually from space?

[animated]

That is what I'm saying, yes. If you want the full story, though, you'll have to get it from him. It's not really mine to tell.

[blahnik]

I understand. That's… Huh.

I wish I could say that's the strangest thing I've heard. But I still think I'm living with the top contender.

[ and it turns out the eighty-year-old wizard sits higher on that list too. ]

[animated]

[ Charlie just chuckles ] Remind me to introduce you to my boyfriend one of these days.

[blahnik]

Is that an invitation?

[animated]

I guess it could be. You’re welcome to come by if you wanted. Fair warning though, we have a lot of animals. And by that I mean two teenage boys, but we also have a few cats and a couple of dogs.

[blahnik]

I'll leave Ripley at home.

[animated]

Probably a good idea. Koro and Krem are probably smart enough to keep their distance, but I have my doubts about the rest.

[blahnik]

I have two nephews. I know how that goes.

[ GENTLY EXASPERATED. ]

[animated]

Koro and Krem are actually a dog and a cat. The teenagers would be all up in Ripley's face, I'm sure.

Can your nephews get out of hand sometimes?

[blahnik]

[ a sigh. ] Just a little. They're good kids.

Well, Zack's not much of a kid anymore, but tell that to my sister.