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

[definingfuture]

Well, that's convenient. So what are you fighting now? Just curious.

[thewaywardson]

At the moment, I am doing battle with the inanimate hairless mouse. I believe I'm winning.

[ Using the console is difficult and he still doesn't understand why something that very obviously isn't a mouse is called such. But he is making it work, so that must constitute success. ]

[definingfuture]

Just be careful it doesn't try to make a break for it and hide behind the desk. They've been known to do that.

And not to stereotype, but if you're an angel shouldn't you have wings?

[thewaywardson]

I have wings.

[ He says it automatically, already looking down at the mouse, uncertain and doubtful. ]

How would it do that? It isn't alive.

[definingfuture]

Uh-huh.

[He'll let that one pass.]

It's magic. Isn't that how things like that usually work?

[thewaywardson]

I was under the impression that most humans were unaware of magic's existence.

[definingfuture]

Maybe. Where I'm from, it's not that surprising. We also have gods that live on Earth.

[thewaywardson]

That is much the same as the Earth I know. They adopt human forms and live among them.

[definingfuture]

Do they go to Starbucks?

[thewaywardson]

Possibly. I don't ask them what they do.

[definingfuture]

That was a joke.

And if you're really an angel, can't you just ask God to stop the evil here so we can go home? You know, perform a miracle?

[thewaywardson]

It isn't that easy. God is...

[ Gone. But how does he tell someone that? ]

We are on our own.

[definingfuture]

[Whoa, wait.]

Are you trying to say that we've be abandoned? Because it sounds like you're saying we've been abandoned.

[thewaywardson]

[ This is awkward. He wishes, not for the first time, that one of the Winchesters were here to explain it. They're so much better at this than he is. ]

I haven't spoken to anyone who knows exactly what happened. There are theories. But... He is gone.

[definingfuture]

So what does that make you? An angel without a God... Are you on leave? Just helping us poor mortals who can't figure out how not to kill flowers or get our lizard-swans to get along because one of them is a hellbeast and we've never done this before?

That sounds like a boring job.

[thewaywardson]

I'm here because I was summoned by the kedan to fight a war. Aide from that, I don't know. I guess I just keep busy.

[ He's been asking himself this question, minus the part about the flowers and the lizard-swans, since he learned of God's disappearance. He has no more answer for this man than he does himself. ]

[definingfuture]

Well, you'll love the opposition. He's a real winner. Boogey Man threats and all.

[That's what angels fight, right? Cliche evils? And, yes, that is ironic coming from a superhero but he's not sorry.

Okay, kind of sorry.]

So do you have a name, or do I call you Angel, the Animal Whisperer?

[thewaywardson]

My name is Castiel.

[ He can do without the Animal Whisperer nickname, though that's hardly the worse thing he's been called. ]

What is your name?

[definingfuture]

[He introduced himself by offering to talk to swizards. He's the Animal Whisperer.]

Tony. My name's Tony.

[He's imitating Castiel's mannerism a little, but that's mostly an attempt to feel him out.]

[thewaywardson]

[ The name itself isn't unusual, but that he's named an animal after himself strikes Castiel as a little strange. Curious, and genuinely interested to learn more about human proclivities, he asks; ]

Is it customary to name one's animals after oneself?

[definingfuture]

What? I didn't- [Oh. Haha, oops.]

The swizard's name is Logan. I was joking before.

[thewaywardson]

I see.

[ No he doesn't, but he's come to accept the fact that he doesn't typically understand human jokes. ]

Where is Logan? I will go speak to him now.

[definingfuture]

Uh. Metal Sector. There's a stable... [Is he serious?]

He's really just an animal, you know. They don't- I'm pretty sure they don't have much to talk about.

[thewaywardson]

[ The look Castiel gives him is similar to that of a teacher dealing with a particularly dull child. ]

We would say the same of humans. Would we be accurate?

[definingfuture]

[Oops.]

Okay, I deserved that. But, for the record, some people probably would be worse to talk to than pets, so there you go. Not entirely wrong?