05 § video;

[definingfuture]

[Tony starts out sitting in front of the console. He's a little slow to start up what he wants to say-there's an awkward pause beforehand like he's just sizing them up through the video itself.]

So, I've been busy lately. And I've gotten a little distracted by other things, but-

[Something catches in his throat and cuts him off. Tony clears his throat and tries to look casual and calm. He's distracted and maybe in need of some sleep, with his attention wandering from the feed, but he's not going to drop the flippant tone. Especially not now.]

But apparently there have been some strange disappearances lately, and those people might actually still be around.

[He seems to want to say more, but his heart isn't in it. Maybe he should be offering to try to help those semi-disappeared people. Probably. Unfortunately he can't make himself do that.]

That's not what I want to talk about. I need... [Don't finish that, Stark.]

I need someone who knows how to take care of flowers. Horticulture isn't my thing and I have some and I have to make sure they, they don't die, so if you have any advice, I could use it. That or animal counselors. I'm sure those exist out there somewhere.

[ooc: cw for mentions of child deaths and violent arguing.]

Comments

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[werethatgood]

I can try to help with the flowers...? I think. And what kind of animals?

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[definingfuture]

Cassie.

[Oops. He should have remembered not to make his response so public. Well, too late now.]

If you can, that would be great. I don't want to kill them. [He probably meant that as a joke, but it comes out kind of flat.]

Uh. They're... kind of lizard-bird things. I got some new ones and they aren't getting along.

[thewaywardson]

I can speak to your animals.

[ Is that awkward? That might be awkward. Castiel tries to make it less so. ]

I am fluent in all languages.

[ That probably doesn't help. ]

[definingfuture]

[Wow. That... would probably be weirder if he didn't know telepaths and people who could control animals. But it's still weird.]

You think you can stop Logan from trying to tear apart his neighbors? Because if this keeps up he's going to get evicted.

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[beganwithamask]

...You doin' okay, pal? [He's here for you bro. :c]

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[definingfuture]

Me? Why wouldn't I be okay? I'm great. [HE'S FINE, BUCKY. HE IS TOTALLY FINE.]

[fuckcable]

Flowers and pets.

[Mentally facepalming SO HARD AT YOU.]

Great. You're on top of things. I feel safer already.

[definingfuture]

[Oh. Well this is just great. Maybe he should have tried to be more on top of things-

No. You know what? Fuck it.]

Did you want a babysitter? Because I thought that it was every man for himself.

[dustonmyfeet]

[Toph can kind of hear some off-ness in his tone, but he's not addressing it, so for the moment she's leaving it alone.]

I'm not really good with flowers, but if you need earth turned over for them or whatever, I can do that.

[definingfuture]

[Thankfully most people seem to sidestep talking about issues. That's something he does appreciate.]

I think that part I can figure out. It's the rest that I need to work on. I've never really had to take care of them before.

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[animosus]

[Hal has a moment where he thinks 'Dinah was good with flowers' before he remembers that she's not here any more. He's not addressing the possibility that people might still be around. A Green Lantern's ring had always been able to tell if they were still here or not and it's currently telling him he's the last Lantern left.]

They're just flowers. Water them every now and then and you're good.

[There's a brief pause where he considers if this is something he should say to someone he's only spoken to a couple of times. It's a very brief pause and he'll say it anyway.]

But you look like crap. [It's more from his mannerisms which were very different from what he was first exposed to Tony that leads Hal to this conclusion.]

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[definingfuture]

I think they're more complicated than that. And I probably won't remember to water them.

[At least he's honest. The follow up makes Tony scowl, though.]

Do I? I've looked worse, I'm pretty sure. This is nothing.

[The exaggerated way he says that makes it seem like it should be a joke, except Tony isn't smiling.]

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[browbeater]

We're figuring it out, those of us who disappeared.

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[definingfuture]

Oh.

That's. That's good. You okay?

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[traitre]

[oh, he knows what this is about. qilby even had it in him to feel a little disappointed to see their mutual friends go-- and it's a very good approximation of mournfulness that's on his face when he offers his somber reply.] All things you know will die, in time, Mr. Stark. That being said, that doesn't mean they disappear completely.

I can't help your flowers live forever, but I can show you how to make more by taking cuttings. In that way, you'll always have something growing.

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[definingfuture]

[Tony assumes that Qilby feels the same way about their losses. Maybe not as strongly, but they were part of a team. He takes the response at face value. It sounds legitimate enough.]

Do you think he'd want that? Generations from his home growing up in this place?

[Does that make him like the ones who brought them there? He would be keeping the flowers going just to satisfy his own peace of mind. Part of him thinks that is wrong.]

[ofmyth]

If your flowers have any need of rain, you have but to ask.




[Or. You know. If there's other stuff. Thor isn't usually the kind of guy to do this, but they're all a long way from home right now, and supporting each other is the only way they'll get through this.]

[definingfuture]

{Ah, this looks bad. Tony has to take a minute before responding because he needs to pull himself together again. He doesn't want to look this bad in front of Thor.]

Yeah. Uh, thanks. I appreciate that.

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[hulkintraining]

[With all the timeline and alternate universe weirdness going on around here, it would be a bad idea to respond to Tony like he already knows him. Which...he might. But there's no telling if this is the Tony from his universe or not. And if he is, he could be from the years pre-Young Avengers.

Just response naturally Teddy. Subtle is better.]

I think the best advice I can give is make sure you water them. Or have someone else water them. I'm not exactly an expert but I'm pretty sure water is the most important thing. Also...something about lots of sunshine.

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[definingfuture]

Yeah, I think I've heard something about that. Never was too good at plant care, though.

[Tony waits as if he's expecting more from Teddy, but he's not really thrown when it doesn't happen.]

I'd rather have computers.

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[escarabajo]

[Jaime waves with a sad smile; a very familiar swizard is lounging around in the background of the feed with a crown of flowers on her head.]

Need some help...?

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[definingfuture]

[Tony recognizes the crowned swizard and balks, but forces a smile through that.]

Oh. So you're taking care of her now? That's good.

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[wintershepherd]

Tony?

[ There's a wealth of worry and unease and offer of help packed into one word. ]

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[definingfuture]

Hey. You're not invisible.

[That's good right? Yes. That is good.]

[andaway]

...Mr Stark? Are you alright?

[Clark knows his name from his interactions with the other version of Tony, but the way things had gone between him and that other Tony had made him wary of this Stark so he hadn't actually tried to make contact.

Still the man kind of honestly looked like crap right now, and Clark could do many things but ignoring those going through a bad time wasn't one of them.]

I- I can't help much with the animals unless it's a dog [Is it bad he misses Krypto? The dog gave him nothing but trouble back at home but his presence was... calming, in a way.] but I'm the son of a farmer. Plants and horticulture in general are kind of my thing.

[definingfuture]

Me? I'm fine.

[He says that as confidently as he can, but at the moment that isn't much. He just wants to seclude himself. If he does that, though, Asbel's flowers will die. And then he'll just feel worse.]

It's definitely not a dog. They're more like horses. Or donkeys. Carnivorous donkeys from the Cretaceous Period. I'm not really a pet person, but someone just gave me a herd.

[He scratches the back of his head awkwardly.] And flowers. I don't suppose you have any off-world plant expertise?

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[barebacking]

Flowers, Tony?

I never knew that you were the type.

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[definingfuture]

I like flowers. They make good gifts.

[He hesitates there. Being addressed that easily probably means a mix-up.]

You might have the wrong guy.