tushanshu | 05 § video;

[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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Whether we want to or not, we leave pieces of ourselves behind wherever we go. Some of them are as tangible as these blooms of yours, others as intangible as our friendships. But properly cultivated, all will endure.

[the words of comfort spill out of his mouth easily, naturally; he barely has to think about them. it's countless generations of repetition, he supposes. he's always been a source of solace to people who didn't really understand what true loss was.] Perhaps I was... Not as close to the rest of our old team as you may have been. But knowing them as well as I do, I believe that if something as simple as a flower from their world could bring you comfort in their absence, they would be all the happier for it.

[It is comforting. He may or may not actually believe what Qilby says (after all, Tony is cynical when it comes to enduring friendships), but it feels better to hear it at least. It's what he wants to believe, and that goes a long way.]

Properly cultivated is the problem. I'm pretty sure I'd kill a pet rock. I don't know why he... I guess he just assumed everyone has a green thumb.

05 § video;

video.

video.