Video Broadcast - OTA (Post Storm)

[doubled_speed]

[Hey guys, look who it is. The bright and cheerful and constantly snarky kid. Who is smiling wide, though it looks a bit strained. Good news, his arm has healed since getting back. Bad news, Tommy looks nervous and maybe a hint of stressed as the video starts. But hey, he's in the greenhouse, which is obvious from the greenery around him. And his communication device is propped up against something, because his hands are in the shot, working at the soil around a lush Cyanana plant, clearly working fertilizer into the soil with care.]

So, like... Just because we've got the ships and stuff doesn't mean it's not important for us to maintain the greenhouse, right? We were gone for a while and not all the places in here did well while we were gone. And then I was walking around and realized that we're sorta scattered, the people working here. So maybe people with the skill should, like, coordinate? Because fresh food on the ships is good too. We can preserve shit and put it on the ships for variation.

I also wanna do, like, hydroponics on some of the ships. So if we gets spaced again for a while, we can have fresh stuff.

Guess...

[He sighs and his hand cards through his hair. Which means some dirt is now there in the perfect white strands.]

Guess I mean I'm willing to help organize. Map out the greenhouse, help us figure out schedules and when to work on different plants and that shit. Or not. Someone else can take that charge. I don't much care. It just needs done. Might also need an engineer to help with the ship part. And maybe people to okay adding it to other ships and to take care of the plants.

Anyway uh...

[Let him be useful. He failed as a hero in the storm. Disappointment and frustration flash across his face in the video and then it's gone.]

Thoughts?

Comments

[doubled_speed]

[Oh. It’s Billy. Who already had to take care of him when he was hurt. The guy CLEARLY won’t wanna waste time on him now.]

Nah man. I expect Ted has need of you somewhere. You don’t have to waste your time on this. I’ll figure it out.

[wearingthestars]

[Oh. Billy's expression deflates a little. He feels like Tommy's been pushing to distance himself from him since Teddy arrived, but he's not sure yet how to show his brother he's still there for him.]

...Well...maybe I could just hang out with you while you work then? If I can't help?

[doubled_speed]

[And here he's figured Billy already left him behind for his boyfriend. Fiance. Whatever.]

I can't stop you. If you really wanna come here and poke around in the dirt, you're welcome to.

[wearingthestars]

Yeah, I...I wanna help.

[And see you. But Billy bites that thought back.]

[doubled_speed]

[Say it. DAMMIT how is he supposed to know this shit if you never say it?]

Yeah, then come over. I'm working with something new today.

[wearingthestars]

[The whole trying to see him should be a least a bit of clue, but their respective anxieties are really backfiring on them.]

Yeah? Like a new plant? Or a new way of doing the plant stuff?

[doubled_speed]

[Dude, he doesn't get CLUES.]

New plant. Fruit tree that is just about ripe. I'm gonna try canning or something.

[wearingthestars]

[And Billy's too anxious to be direct.]

Is that something you learned from the data point, or just...something you know? [He looks impressed.] I don't even know how to approach that. I kind of assumed you needed like a whole factory, but I guess people did that sort of stuff on their own.

[doubled_speed]

I mean, I don't know if I can. Maybe I can just do dried?

[wearingthestars]

Maybe I can conjure a book or something that'll explain it?

[doubled_speed]

Yeah, it's more the supplies that are an issue.

[wearingthestars]

I could make those too. But...we might want to try and ask the Agrii, in case the storms ever come here...wouldn't want it all just to disappear again...

[doubled_speed]

[Yeah. That's... true. The storm. Tommy has a visible wince on his face. WHY did he have to mention that?]

I'll see about thinking about it.

[wearingthestars]

[Right. Shit.]

I didn't- I just...I want to make sure I don't let you down again.

[doubled_speed]

[Letting him down? Interesting. Why would the guy think that?]

Like you've ever let me down.

[He's totally been let down, a lot.]

[wearingthestars]

[Most recently his failure to protect them from the storm, but there's a whole lot of other failures weighing on him.

Enough that Tommy's comment just earns a very pointed, if guilty look.]

You want like an itemized list?

[doubled_speed]

[Dude, he's already got one.]

Nah, waste of time.

[wearingthestars]

[And the video ends, 'cause hey, look who's peering in sheepishly.]

I'm really sorry.

[doubled_speed]

[Oh. There he is. Tommy is stiff for a second before turning around to look at his brother and grin.]

Hey.

[wearingthestars]

[The grin prompts an uncertain sort of reflexive smile in return from Billy, but it drops again after a moment.]

...Hey.

[doubled_speed]

[Well this is awkward. He's so fucking awkward.]

So how's Teddy doing? He a good roommate?

[Tommy had, of course, ditched out once his ankle was better. Taken his stuff and gone while Billy was out. Not that he was really staying anywhere.]

[wearingthestars]

[Super awkward.]

He's...good. Yeah. I-...you didn't have to-

[He flushes, not sure why it all feels so awkward now.]

It feels kind of weird without you, honestly.

[doubled_speed]

Yeah, I'm not living in Bonetown.

[Weird without him? Yeah, Tommy gets it. He LIVED with his brother for a change. Not even in a separate room like with Teddy at the Kaplan's place. They'd had each other in the night and Tommy felt... calm. And slept longer. And with less nightmares. But it's not the same now.]

[wearingthestars]

[Billy makes a face, but his cheeks grow hot.]

We do know how to control ourselves.

[But yeah, it's been weird. Not having him there. That almost easy closeness they were starting to develop...]

Still, I...miss you. Just 'cause Teddy's here doesn't mean we can't still... [He gesture's vaguely.]

[doubled_speed]

[The closeness isn't so easy with Teddy there now. Tommy was... he'd been a stand in for Billy. He was third or fourth fiddle doing his best.]

I don't speak hand gesture, dude.