05 ☣ TEXT & VOICE;

[angermanaging]

Looking to gather some info. Please respond with succinct list of what you would consider unalterable laws of reality in your home dimension, e.g. gravity, conservation of mass, particular laws of magic.

Will attempt to compile results into meaningful commonalities across dimensions. Maybe there's a universal law somewhere.

Would prefer text response if possible. Thanks.

B. Banner

[The message is then repeated in audio, if preceded by Bruce clearing his throat, for those that can't read English.]


[Voice | 60% encrypted to castmates & established CR.]

Finally got fed up with everyone talking over my head and made a trade to see my future.

[A beat.

In utter, dry exasperation,] You're all nuts. What kind of teamwork was that?

[ooc: Bruce is now post-Avengers! If you're not sure if you're established CR, ping me and I'll let you know if they're included, but feel free to play fast and loose.]

Comments

[manofiron]

I'm sorry, what? My bias toward what?

[ His tone is still light, but there's a note of seriousness there that says he's not joking anymore. ]

I prefer the term green giant. The other one has connotations I don't agree with.

[angermanaging]

You're the one who said it, [he points out, immediately trying to steer things away from that note of seriousness.]

Anyway, Betty's is... is red. Not green. Apparently it was a different kind of radiation.

[Just don't ask him how that makes sense.]

[manofiron]

Yeah, I did. And I made a mistake. One I'm sorry for making.

[ It's rare enough that he apologizes for something he's done. Apologizing and admitting that he's wrong happens even less frequently, but this is an important enough point that he doesn't mind doing it. He is, however, willing to relent afterward and go back to a lighter subject. ]

So Bettys are out. Big red hot giants are out. Anyone else you'd like to take off the table here? Tell me now, because after this, everyone else is fair game.

[angermanaging]

[It's on the tip of his tongue to argue. It wasn't a mistake. That's genuinely how Bruce feels, that he can't gainsay the epithet given its undeniable accuracy. He realizes, however, that that would open an entire can of worms that he doesn't want to go into. Tony's never going to budge on this, and whatever slight concession Bruce has made that the Hulk isn't entirely uncontrollably destructive isn't enough to change his mind on whether or not he's a monster.

Getting a sentient pronoun doesn't mean Bruce thinks he should be catered to under some delusion that he deserves the same level of consideration as a person. And if the thing being catered to here is Bruce's feelings, well, that's even more pointless.

So he keeps his mouth firmly shut for a full second, again grateful that this is audio only.] Don't worry about it.

That should do it, [he declares, taking the question seriously.] Otherwise, feel free to keep me uninformed about your sex life.

[manofiron]

I don't know whether to be offended that you don't want to hear about my life or thank you for assuming that I have one.

[ Probably a little of both. It's nice to think that people think he's still capable of having normal human interactions. It's also annoying to be reminded that he doesn't have anyone to talk to about the sort of things that he would talk to someone about. If he wasn't who he is and actually opened up to someone other than JARVIS. ]

Who did you make this trade with? To see the future?

[angermanaging]

Don't you have one? [He's nonplussed for a moment, and then realizes he definitely doesn't want to get into whatever Tony is or isn't doing with Pepper.] Wait. Never mind. You can tell me if you really need to... lacking details.

[Bruce wouldn't mind being vented at from time to time, he's just leery of it including far more physical details than he wants to hear.

That seems like an abrupt subject change, but he goes with it.] The Emperor. She was pretty agreeable about finding something I'd be willing to trade.

[manofiron]

I'd need something for there to be details. Lucky for you, you're in the clear.

[ It's as audible a shrug as the human vocal register can manage. The man who has nothing and nothing is getting used to the idea, as difficult as it is to swallow. ]

How many hoops you gotta jump through to get an audience with her?

[angermanaging]

Oh. Well... good. [There's really nothing else he can say to that. Nothing that won't encourage more sharing, anyway.]

None, but she only takes requests for it every couple months. You thinking of doing it?

[manofiron]

That's what all the cool kids are doing, right? I don't like missing the bandwagons.

[angermanaging]

You'd be the farthest one ahead, then. As far as I know.

Let me know what you decide. [Keep in touch, effectively.]

[manofiron]

Yeah. I will.