[Video | January 1st, Afternoon]

[z_jay]

Good afternoon, Luceti. Eugene, here, and I hope you're all keeping warm out there. I know many of you are probably still recovering from the solstice celebration earlier this month, or festivities that might preoccupy you during the end of a year and the beginning of the next, but I am in need of a favor from a few of you.

[His smile is hopeful, a little nervous, but not tremendously so. That nervousness does prompt him to lick his lips to wet them, giving a semi-glance offscreen for a moment before continuing.]

I, uh, will need whoever's helping Tasha out with her café to contact me as soon as possible. Nothing's gone wrong, but I think it's a good idea I get to know you all better. I don't think I've met you all just yet. But we can work on fixing that.

Anyway, business is open as usual, if you need a warm drink to keep you from freezing. Drop by, I'd love to have the company! As always, listeners...

[Now his smile is genuine, feeling a little bit of embarrassment since technically the audience was watchers instead of listeners, but old habits die hard.]

Don't do anything crazy, out there. Just kidding-- stay safe.

Comments

[selfhelp]

I wasn't. But... there was, um. A version of her in my world, too. So she was someone I looked up to, as well as a friend.

[That's probably why it was kind of a long time coming- that friendship. He'd been doubly-intimidated by her for so long.]

[z_jay]

[Suddenly the extent of losing Tasha was a little more evident now. It wasn't simply a clear, clean cut off. It wasn't pity that he felt for Billy, but a genuine sympathy]

Hey, if you need a few days off to come to grips with this, I am perfectly fine with that. Believe me, it's... hard, to work in a place where the memories of a close friend are once they're gone. Although I didn't know you knew her back home. Is she the same?

[selfhelp]

Hah... that's not fair to you guys, is it? I'll... get over it. If the last couple of months have taught me anything, it's that avoiding what upsets me just makes me feel worse in the long run.

[He's just. Gonna avoid the implications of what that epiphany means in regards to his magic, because nope, nope, nope.]

And I wouldn't call her the same- no one is, not really. But until I got here, I'd never actually met her. But a big name like the Black Widow gets around, you know?

[z_jay]

Let's be honest, the whole situation isn't fair. And given how popular she is, I doubt anyone would complain about our service if we are a little understaffed.

[There's more Eugene wants to say, but he isn't sure that it's his place to give advice. But he understood the hard and fast need to get over things, and everyone responded differently to that rhetoric. Still, losing a friend suddenly? Never fun.]

I didn't know much about her home, all I knew was she is a very talented, very skilled lady.

[selfhelp]

Trust me when I say that's the understatement of the century.

[Admittedly he hadn't seen her in action in her universe, but he'd seen enough here to get a good idea.]

[z_jay]

I'll take your word for it.

[Clearing his throat, he glanced off for a moment, thoughtful]

Do you want to do something in her honor? Something themed, or... I dunno, to give us all a little closure?

[selfhelp]

...All I can really think of is something gun-related, and I seriously suck at using those.

[Well, okay, his experience is absurdly minimal. But his training session with a bow and arrow didn't give him much hope for his long-range weaponry skills.]

[z_jay]

The first step to becoming good at something is to suck at it first.

[Billy hadn't seen Jack with a gun, or trying to shoot. Eugene, on the other hand, wouldn't mind something gun-themed, gung-ho gun-lover that he was and all]

[selfhelp]

...I feel like I've heard that before, recently...

[Well, it's not like it'll hurt anyone. Hopefully.]

Alright, I'll bite. Shoot off some rounds at the battle dome, maybe? Maybe she'd like that.

[z_jay]

I have it on pretty good authority that Tasha will very much approve of this.

[Encouraging a young man to shoot a high projectile weapon-- it was odd what Tasha might find a suitable tribute to her. But she had been an odd woman, odd in all the best of ways.]

We'll do it in a few days' time. Give people a chance to make sure they can make it. Sound good?

[selfhelp]

Sounds good. Just say the word and I'll be there.

[Or he'll try, anyway. He does occasionally have a life.]

[z_jay]

You've got it. Till then, Billy.