the saddest yard sale advertisement you will ever see [video]

[ka_sera_sera]

[Roland sits amid wood, nails, and wire, scattered in a few small piles across the overgrown back yard. A little ways behind him, eagle-eyed viewers might notice a chicken in the process of laying an egg.]

Fiona Gallagher's... gone home. She, ah-- [He shakes his head, starts over, nodding at the house his camera's not at the right angle to show.] Anything in there's fair game. Odin 107, I mean. I won't be needing any of it. The door'll be open. Probably food and furniture, mostly - anything in the cupboards or refrigerator, anything not nailed down, bar the refrigerator and stove. I think the place came with those. [He shakes his head again, realizing he might be starting to ramble.] Doesn't matter. Corn, beans, squash plants in the back. Take them. Can probably see 'em behind me somewhere.

[Another chicken starts to peck at his sleeve and he lifts his arm, blinking at it.]  Ah. Couple chickens, if you can catch them. Is that all? I think... I could probably use a couple extra hands to get all this wood and a couple of these plants over to Freyr district. And I... to be honest, I could probably use the company.

Bowls. I'll need a few of the bowls to transport these plants in. Other than that... Plates, silverware, clothes, bedding. Doesn't matter. I'll be leaving once it's empty. If I'm not here, don't take any of the magic plants. I'll find you. [The tone of that last is too absent for it to sound like a threat. It sounds, if anything, like an afterthought.]

The door's open. Have I said... [He has, probably. Roland shakes his head again, grimacing at himself, and cuts the feed.]



(ooc: If your character would drop by, this post doubles as a log post. Either prose or this format works, I'm comfortable with either.)

Comments

video;

[gymnast]

[ Allison's frowning a little. She didn't really know Fiona terribly well but: ] She seemed like a good person. It kind of sucks, knowing she's gone. [ Though it's also a good thing, depending on what home had in store for her. ]

video;

[ka_sera_sera]

She- yes. That's a good word for it, I think. [Roland's heard the phrase 'that sucks' by now but never before has he been tempted to use it. He looks down at his hands, focusing on digging out a plant.] She missed her family. We'll be fine.

video;

[gymnast]

Do you know what's going to happen with the school? [ It'd probably be best to offer her condolences since he seems to have been close to Fiona, but since he said they'd be fine, she figures that's the response she'd get anyway. ]

[text]

[proudofwhatiam]

You've my sympathies, Roland; Miss Gallagher was a dear girl, and we're all the worse off for her absence.

video

[ka_sera_sera]

[He frowns at the screen a moment, then looks back down and hefts a bundle of wire and wood into his arms.]

We are. The school especially, I think. But things should continue to run themselves without her for at least a little while.

[proudofwhatiam]

I'm sure the school will muddle through--but it will be rather different without her.

How are you faring, Roland?

Video

[samantha_grey]

[She sighed.]

I don't really need a keepsake, but my life's going to be a little less loud these days. [She sounded a little sad.] She'll probably be happier not having to deal with the insanity of the war at least.

video

[ka_sera_sera]

[He shakes his head, kneeling and starting to dig in the dirt again.]

She won't remember.

[He's not going to try to fool himself about that. She'll remember neither this war nor her place in it, and she won't remember him.]

She won't miss her family anymore. If you change your mind about a keepsake- ah, I almost forgot. If I... go, I want you to have Ananael. I don't care what you do with it. Take the stock and let the rest rot, keep it open and try to find someone to run it, doesn't matter. I just wanted to make sure you knew.

Re: video

[samantha_grey]

[Her lips turned in a distasteful frown. It wasn't something she liked to think about, but he was right. Her efforts to create protections against that had all hit road-blocks. They'd still forget no matter what.]

You had actually said as much before. I'll make sure that the greenhouse is kept up and that the shop sees use. We need distribution points, after all.

And you're right. She's not away from her family anymore. That at least is good.

Text

[yamagishi]

I'm sorry to hear that one of your friends isn't here anymore but...

Is there anything you really don't want to keep that is from her? As a little reminder?

video

[ka_sera_sera]

[He grimaces at the camera, then looks back down at his work, and it's a moment before he starts a slow reply.]

I have all I need. A, ah. A letter. Otherwise, she didn't - doesn't - really keep anything if it's not necessary. Nor will I. Besides, there's plenty here others will get more use out of than I will. All of it still here, if you need anything.

[If she was interested in any of that she'd have mentioned it, and Roland's expression turns a little apologetic as he says it. Still, though he's been trying to spread word to the natives on his trips over to his shop, no harm in trying to get a few travelers over to take a few things, too.]

video

[yamagishi]

[She shook her head. While she does feel a little guilty that she did speak up about a sensitive topic, she wanted to be sure.]

No, it's okay. There isn't anything I need but I wanted to know if you were okay with giving so many things away. I apologize if I was being rude but I wanted to be sure.

[But she will admit. This does remind her of the fact that any one of her friends from home can go back home at any time. Which is to say that there wouldn't be much for them]

[text]

[quantumtangled]

My sympathies.

[If he's even capable of sympathy. He's late to even answer.]

Has anyone come by to help yet?

video

[ka_sera_sera]

[Roland gives a brief shake of his head.]

There's not much that needs to be done. Whatever's not gone by the end of the day is getting left here. The only things that need to be moved are the plants for the store, and the different parts of the greenhouse.

...It'd be good to see you again, if you've a mind to come.

[text]

[quantumtangled]

[Mostly, he's thrown himself into proper work, building simple lasers, of all things, and repairing other stuff. He doesn't like to take breaks, unless food is involved.]

I have some time, and I am able to help.

action; shrugs into infinity and beyond...

[feathery]

[Turns out Roland isn't alone. One of his chickens has taken up the sworn duty of hassling a bird kid standing a ways back. (Guess who else got a letter.) (Yeah, that's right, this kid right here.) It might even be the chicken that was laying an egg, only now the egg is laid, the bird kid is perplexed, and it wants to peck his shoelaces.]

Hey, back off.

[He tries to nudge it away, but the goddamn chicken isn't having it. So Davesprite irritably squats down and gives it a deadpan stare from behind his shades. It clucks a couple times and pecks at his shoes some more, before he finally picks it up and carries it over to Roland. He holds it out to him, bobbing the bird up and down a couple times out of pure, deadpan amusement. It's head stays fixed in place, eyes beady and staring between both of them.]

Your chicken is a menace to society. [Sorry, Roland. He'll try to be more serious shortly.]

action

[ka_sera_sera]

[At about the time Davesprite arrives, Roland's decided he's only got a couple more trips to Freyr before he finishes, so there's little else to do but sit and wait for sundown, when he'll leave. He's slinging his purse to the ground and following it down as Dave approaches the yard, and divides his time between digging through the purse for rolling papers and idly watching Dave. When the bird's held in front of him Roland looks at it a moment, then up to Dave.]

Society will have to adjust. Looks like that one likes you, though.

[Come on, you know you want to keep it.]

action

[feathery]

[Oh god, he already has rapping flowers and a cat fan club.]

Are you trying to suggest I should keep your chicken.

[He tilts the bird upward and they both stare at each other a moment.]

video

[modernmarvel]

[Tony might be more of an acquaintance to the strange cowboy, but he knew when a buddy needed a distraction. And he wasn't the only one losing friends.]

Hey. So don't think I'm offering because I like you or anything, but if you need an extra pair of hands to move some of that stuff...

Well, you could pay me in a beer or two. And I'll buy you a couple. Looks like you need one. Or half a dozen.

video

[ka_sera_sera]

[He's already shaking his head when he starts the recording.]

The last thing I need is to get drunk again. Or hungover.

[Fiona'd made him some sort of hangover cure last time. She'd laughed at him, of course, but she'd been very kind. The thought isn't particularly relevant, but it passes through his mind anyway.]

But I could use one or two. [One corner of his mouth drifts up a little.] Wouldn't be the first drink I've had with someone who doesn't like me.

[He half-turns, looking the yard over, and waves a hand at it.]

Even if you'd rather not... all this, I wouldn't mind buying you a few. Just name the time and place.

video

[modernmarvel]

Hey, I'll "all that" if you need the help. Believe me, I know what it's like to have to empty out someone's room. If I could have gotten someone else to do it for me, I would have jumped at the opportunity.

[For a heartless capitalist, Tony certainly does do a lot of good things. He just doesn't like anyone to mention them. It's embarrassing and messes with his bad boy image.]

So, I'll help you move some stuff, we'll get one or two drinks, and call it anything but a bro date.

[emulation]

She's gone? Man, that sucks so hard.

[ka_sera_sera]

Yes. It does. Did- do you know her well?

[Video]

[comeonthensexy]

[ Oh ... Eight will be devastated. ]

I've got a couple of extra hands, if you'd like them.

video

[ka_sera_sera]

If you can figure out what I need to be doing with any of this your hands would be welcome.