ic contact

[youretheworst]

(Gwen is a millennial, you better text her cause she sure ain't checking her pocket watch voice-mail)

Comments

[notthekingpin]

It's a shame we aren't working together, it would go much more smoothly.

[but you can't always get what you want i guess!!! sigh!!!]

I'm fine -- why?

[youretheworst]

Seriously? Not even a... quip about a team-up? Isn't that like your dream cliché or something?

[ Murderdock would never miss a chance to be weirdly meta...... ]

You sound like.... 80% more serious than usual. And usually when you sound serious it's super scary. Not this.

[ She wouldn't normally admit it, but maybe that'll get him to say something asshole-ish? ]

[notthekingpin]

I'm sorry that I've scared you. That wasn't my intent.

[sTOP

i mean. it totally was his intent but. you know.]

1/2

[youretheworst]

[ WHAT

WHAT THE FUCK

THE FUCK IS THIS??

THE FUCK IS YOU, MATT MURDOCK?? ]

[youretheworst]

...Say what now?

[ Did Matt Murderdock just fucking apologize to her, and it sounded honest? ]

[notthekingpin]

Look, I'd...

[his voice wavers, a little bit. guilt is a heavy thing. a horrible thing. it's powerful and strong and ever present. and god, but he has so much to atone for.]

I'd like to make it up to you. I only have a few of your power ups - but I'd like to give them back.

[youretheworst]

Okay, okay, slow your roll for like one second, Murderdock.

[ If that is your real nickname. ]

Who are you, and what have you done with the real Matt Murdock? Because I may only know the jerkface act that he keeps up like, 24/7 but I don't think I've even heard you even apologize for telling a bad joke, never mind talking about "making it up to me" or whatever this is.

Is this a trick? Or like some kind of weird ninja test? Because I know you're old but getting punk'd is so ten years ago!

[notthekingpin]

It's not a test.

[he takes a deep breath, trying to center himself against the wave of words that he just got from her. he has to try and be calm and reassuring. that'll definitely help.]

I've just been thinking, about a lot of things. About the way I've acted in the past.

[youretheworst]

[ This is so weird. This is the weirdest conversation she's ever had with him, and she's literally had a conversation where she called bullshit on his tragic backstory for him being a ginger ninja. Christ.

Gwen's not even remotely convinced this isn't some weird kind of trick. But somehow she figured he'd sound less genuine than this? He'd soak it up, wouldn't he? ]

And you're... just now realizing that you're a jerk? Is that what you're saying?

[ This is surreal, I tell u what. ]

[notthekingpin]

...Yes, essentially.

[i mean, it's not like it makes it any easier to be told it like that. but she's right - he has been a jerk. to her, especially. and that's, honestly, just like the tip of the iceburg]

[youretheworst]

[ She's not totally convinced and it shows, but she'll go along with it. For now. This is still very, very strange. ]

Did you... grow a conscience?

[notthekingpin]

Is that possible?

[he's not sure he knows how to explain it either. maybe he does - but that seems existentially problematic. it's not that he wants to lie to her about the whole mirror thing, it's more that...he doesn't want it to be true. that this is only part of what Dil contacted them about. that he's not real, otherwise.

maybe it's not a lie. or if it is, maybe a lie to prove you exist, to prove you're real, is worth something. besides, in that case, you're lying to yourself more than you're lying to anyone else.]

I don't know how to explain it.

[youretheworst]

I mean, maybe it's the city doing something weird. Like the jukeboxes...?

[ Growing a conscience seems a little more hardcore than playing music that speaks to their souls and tragic backstories. But then that's assuming what he's saying is true, which is a little hard to believe, even for how honest Matt sounds right now. ]

So let me get this straight. You had a weird change of heart, and now you wanna give me more power ups because... you're sorry? That's it?

[notthekingpin]

Hm. Maybe. This city seems capable of quite a lot.

[that's more or less the truth, anyway. the city doing magic. a good, blanket answer.]

But yes. As a gesture of goodwill.

[youretheworst]

This is super sketchy, you know that? Just because we work together and you... have this weird thing about being my friend doesn't mean I trust you.

[ Much less when you're being this strange, tbh. But that goes without saying. ]

[notthekingpin]

I understand. I couldn't expect you to trust me, not after everything that's happened. I can't expect you to be my friend, either, and that's alright.

[ooooh wait for it we're going to get to everyone's favorite bingo space: matt murdock doesn't deserve to have friends]

[youretheworst]

[ Ah yes, the patented Matt Murdock self-loathing, a power to rival the sun with its sheer volume and mass. ]

Ugh, just. Stop. Shut up if you're gonna keep talking like that. I think I liked it better when you at least pretended to be nice. That was normal.

[ She takes a deep breath. ]

If you're really offering though... I'm not gonna turn down free power ups. You wanna meet in the park or something? And I swear if this turns out to be some kind of trap, I'm gonna... web you to a lamp post or something.

[ I mean, her webs dissolve fairly quickly so it wouldn't be that cruel a punishment. She wouldn't actually punch him when he's her only source of powers. ]

[notthekingpin]

[ oh...she told him to shut up. that's ok, he probably deserved it

lmao i hate
stop

jesus

anyway ]

Yes, let's meet in the park. It'll be better for the mission, too, if you don't have to worry as much about using up the ones you've got.

[youretheworst]

[ Jesus christ, Matthew Michael Murdock, get a hold of yourself. ]

Fair enough. [ Gwen sighs. She starts packing up her things while she talks. ] Though I doubt I'll run into anything that needs super strength... But maybe I've been lucky, I haven't seen any of those monsters I keep hearing about.

[ This is probably a trap!! But on the off chance that it isn't, well. She's gotta. ]

[notthekingpin]

[ this is what happens when he has zero chill gwen
this is what you wanted ]

Better safe than sorry. I'll meet up with you soon.

> action

[youretheworst]

[ yeah, that's just the right amount of foreboding and creepy that lets her know this is still Matt, deep down... but the fact that he didn't crack an awful joke or make a single blind pun during their entire conversation is Troubling.

But not troubling enough for Gwen to turn back now. She makes her way to the park in her regular sweats. She's not going to advertise that Spider-Woman is here and working with Matt Murdock, duh. ]

Okay, Gwen. It's probably, definitely a trap but... you can do this.

[ Her spider-sense still works sometimes, right? It would definitely let her know if Murdock was about to turn a corner and run at her with a ninja star, right? ]

[notthekingpin]

[hey gurl hey

no who are we kidding she gets the same mirror matt that she got on the phone - for now at least. hopefully her luck doesn't run dry before he gives her the goods. but he doesn't smile at her, or crack a joke or anything. he's just very serious. and very tired looking, too.]

It's not a trap.

[duh he can hear you]

[youretheworst]

[ The lack of his ever-present smirk sets off alarm bells in Gwen's mind. This is so wrong. She stares at Murdock in shock, not quite over the weird emotional 180 that he displayed both over the watch and now in person.

What. The. Hell. ]

Wow. You really must be sick, Murdock. Where's the sarcasm or the gloat about how I should know better than to show up?

[notthekingpin]

Gwen...

[he turns his head away from her, letting the word trail off and disappear while he puts together his thoughts. it's hard, to make a good case for this when at every step she seems more troubled, when this is better. this has to be better than the way he'd been doing things. than being all of your own worst enemies rolled up into one.

he can't fix it all. he knows that. but gwen...he can fix things with gwen, and that has to be something. that has to be a step in the right direction.]

I already told you, there's no other agenda here.

[youretheworst]

Riiight.So you seriously have a conscience now?

[ Gwen still eyes him warily, though she steps closer anyway. If this is some weird temporary insanity, she'll be glad to take the power ups and run. ]

You feel bad for all the stuff you've done? Something tells me that's one heck of a list.