[ There's a moment of silence when the message starts— a slight disconnect for him, hearing her voice and not exactly expecting a voicemail. Just long enough for the other party to wonder if he was regretting the call. But then: ]
Hey, Elena. It's Alaric. I don't know exactly how excited Damon was about the whole me being here thing, but. Well. I'm here. [ Wow, duh. He's great at this. ] Anyway, I just wanted to see how you were doing. I'm crashing at Damon's for now, or just call me back here.
[She sure didn't know he was here already, or she would have been over there in a hot minute. She hears Ric's voice and almost doesn't want to believe it, because not only does he sound alive and well, but he also sounds like himself.
And that's more than she could have asked for.
The logistics of him being here and how this place works takes a back seat to the fact that he's around at all. That's so much more important in the moment than the details of what that meant about what his life would be like. At least he had one again.
It doesn't take her long to call back.]
...Ric?
[Maybe the Twelve were playing a trick on her.]
I'm fine. [She's clearly awesome at this too.] You said you're at Damon's?
[Any confirmation and she's probably going to be heading out her door in the next moment.]
[ He's taking a moment to take in her voice when he answers, trying to read the tone for any change or emotion— everyone's acting so surprised he's already wary that something's happened. ]
Hey. Yeah, I am; glad to hear you're doing well. Is it okay that I'm here?
[ Code phrase: has Damon been an insufferable dumbass and fucked up? ]</small
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audio ( backdated to the 19th-ish? )
Hey, Elena. It's Alaric. I don't know exactly how excited Damon was about the whole me being here thing, but. Well. I'm here. [ Wow, duh. He's great at this. ] Anyway, I just wanted to see how you were doing. I'm crashing at Damon's for now, or just call me back here.
no subject
And that's more than she could have asked for.
The logistics of him being here and how this place works takes a back seat to the fact that he's around at all. That's so much more important in the moment than the details of what that meant about what his life would be like. At least he had one again.
It doesn't take her long to call back.]
...Ric?
[Maybe the Twelve were playing a trick on her.]
I'm fine. [She's clearly awesome at this too.] You said you're at Damon's?
[Any confirmation and she's probably going to be heading out her door in the next moment.]
forgive me my lateness sob
Hey. Yeah, I am; glad to hear you're doing well. Is it okay that I'm here?
[ Code phrase: has Damon been an insufferable dumbass and fucked up? ]</small
i was a mess til recently. its aaaaaall good <3
Beyond the fact that this place is crazy and I'm sorry you have to deal with it? Yeah, it's definitely okay you're here.
[A beat.]
Don't move. I'm coming over.