( video )

[warmachine]

[ Rhodes has picked up a cat. One that's hissing at him, granted, but he's holding it up with one hand and scratching its ears with the other, unconcerned. He's also clearly mid-sentence when the device clicks on. ] — went home. And made me CEO, what did he think.

[ A sigh, and he doesn't say anything for a moment; the cat hisses again and swats at him. ] Guess I might as well take you along, get you fed a little.

[ And then he notices that his device is on. Rather than immediately turning it off, though, he turns to it. ] Tony Stark's left the City. Howard, Rogers, do you have a moment?

[ And then it clicks off. ]

Comments

[valentineluke]

Panic is unbecoming in a CEO.

[warmachine]

Who says anything about panicking. [ Frown. He's not panicking. He's pissed off. And worried. No panicking here. ]

[ Video ]

[bettercallit]

You need me to shoot that thing?

[ It's all right, really, he likes animals. Sometimes. ]

[ Video ]

[latenightfondue]

[ Howard actually appears to be taken by surprise with this information, and he ignores the cat because he's a dog person - they make for a better audience. ]

...Tony left?

[ Video ]

[warmachine]

[ If Clint were actually around, Rhodey would be putting his body between the cat and him right now. ] No, I really don't.

[ Video ]

[warmachine]

Yeah. [ Keeping his voice even and his face straight. Mostly. He sort of wants to punch something or get drunk, but that's Tony's coping mechanisms, not his own. So he just takes a deep breath instead. ] Left some instructions for just this case. Some of them for you.

[ Video ]

[bettercallit]

[ Oh, Rhodey, so precious. ] I offered. If it takes a chunk out of your hand when you feed it, don't come crying to me.

[ Video ]

[warmachine]

I think I'll manage. [ He's just been made CEO. ]

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[boutant]

[ Instead of a cat, Ariadne has a bird on her shoulder. ]

He's gone? [ Waffle -- that's the bird -- promptly squawks "FUCK". ]

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[warmachine]

Hey. [ The bird gets what passes for a smile right now. ] Yeah, he's gone.

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[boutant]

[ Waffle squawks again and preens. ] Great. First Dawn, now Tony. Sephiroth's gone, too, so we're down a person in engineering, and Percy's had time off to focus on the joke shop.

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[warmachine]

I'm getting a headache just thinking about it. He made me CEO.

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[boutant]

I can keep Engineering running. [ She always does, that's her job. ] Focus on the rest.

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[warmachine]

You do that, and I'll buy you a drink or something. Won't be that party we talked about, though. [ He really doesn't feel like partying right now. ]

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[boutant]

Just use Tony's stash. He's let me have some before. [ Waffle gets the top of his head stroked with two fingers. ] If you need anything, just let me know.

v i d e o

[diastereomer]

[ Yusuf is... rarely out of the lab, so he'll be one of the many new faces popping out of the woodwork to ask Rhodes questions he probably doesn't have all the answers to at this point in time. ]

So... I suppose you'll be the person I send this form for replacement diethyl ether to?

v i d e o

[warmachine]

[ P a u s e. ] No, I think you should send that to Howard Stark. In an hour or two, once I've had a chance to talk to him. [ Ngh. He's already feeling a headache coming on. ]

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[warmachine]

Done and done. [ A beat, and he musters a somewhat more convincing smile. ] Thanks.

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[boutant]

No problem. [ More pets for the bird. ] I'll be in tomorrow, probably in my office while I try to shuffle things around to work all of this in.

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[warmachine]

I might drop by. Or send you a message. Tony's left quite detailed instructions on some stuff.

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[boutant]

JARVIS knows how to find me.

[ Pause. ]

... Are you okay?

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[warmachine]

I will be. [ Right now, he's just a little overwhelmed and his best friend is gone and, well. He's allowed a moment of just wanting to cuddle this cat, right?

Except the cat is still hissing and angry. ]

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[bettercallit]

So you're Stark's special friend?

[ Video ]

[warmachine]

No. I'm his best friend, though. [ What are you implying, Clint :| ]

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[boutant]

[ Yeah. She gets that.

... Although... ] Try catnip.