Public Network Video - (Plus Two Private Messages)

[doubled_speed]

Public Video - [Posted During Ship Lock-Up]

[The video comes on and there's Tommy, a touch blurry around the edges. The background changes behind him constantly. One second he's pacing in what was clearly the dorm of the ship he's on. The next second he's in a mess hall, the protein paste machine in the background. Then the hangar. Then the bridge. Back to the mess and dorm and mess. This will be true for the whole video. There is no denying that he's very agitated, like ready to run up the walls. Or through them if he could.]

Dudes, who in the world decided this was the best plan that there was? Like, seriously, this plan? It's bogus. Being locked up on a ship is one thing. I wanna go to space. Space is fucking cool. All the stars and planets and traveling and that shit. But here, on the fucking ground, and there's like no way to go and travel between them and the space is small and itissosmallandthewalls are everywhere andican'tgetthrough

[He's shaking harder now, as he comes to a stop. This is miserable.]

Yo, Agrii or whatever. I don't fucking CARE about making friends. I can do that on my own time. But I want the fuck out. Let me go back to the greenhouse. I swear I just found a door that led to a whole section of a floor that was just fucking MINT. I like mint. Let me at the fucking mint.

justletmeoutofhere!



Private Message to Billy - October 13th

[He's calmed down a bit at this point, and it's important that he does this. That he seems calm for this. Because Billy deserves it.]

Yo, happy birthday, bro. Was gonna make you this whole salad with things from the Garden. But some ASSHOLES in charge here absolutely decided to blow birthday plans. I'm sorry this all sorta got blown up. Who you on wherever you're on with? I'm with Wanda. Which, you know, awkward. You know where V ended up? Whatever, not like it matters. Just be okay, right?



Private to Vision - October 13th

[This one has a more nervous looking Tommy. Like he isn't even sure he should be sending this.]

It's today, right? You sorta said that the math would come out to today, yeah? So you know, I don't hold it against you. Forgetting. And not, you know, doing the whole thing you said you would. But it's fine, right? I get it, that you'd want to. So don't worry about me, okay? Just make sure you wish Billy a happy birthday. This will probably be the first time he has to celebrate it without his family or friends or all that. It would mean a lot, I think, for you to reach out.

Because, you know, it's a good Dad thing to do. And he's used to having a good dad. So, you know Vision, do your best. We're nineteen now, so I guess throw that in too?



[OOC: If anyone of Tommy's cohort wants to run into him while he's recording messages, that's cool too. Just hit me up at churbooseanon and we can set it up.]

Comments

[unbearablynaive]

Lacking control over your subconscious mind, that may prove difficult. Though if she does learn in a dream, it can always be attributed to the dreamscape rather than reality.

But it might be best to talk to Billy and see about approaching it on your own terms, rather than being afraid of an accidental reveal.

[doubled_speed]

sometimes it feels more like his secret to tell than mine, you know?
billy's more like her than i would ever be or could ever be
they have that same sort of weight on their shoulders
and i'm just a memory of someone she lost

hell you only found out because of an accident, though that turned out okay I guess

[unbearablynaive]

You are more than "just" a memory, Tommy. Whether or not you were inspired by someone else, you are your own person. Your heart and mind are your own. Never forget that.

With that in mind, however, you are probably right about Billy. Even if their skillsets are different, there is still a great deal they have in common.

She's always felt so alone.

[doubled_speed]

[And in some ways, she's more like Tommy. Experimented on, trapped, lost. Without a family to love her. Without a world to care about her. There were things about her that were like Tommy. And things about her that were like Billy. Tommy just didn't think he had as much right to call upon her when Billy needed her more.]

she shouldn't have to be alone. ever. you're good for her like that, right? like, better than not-you back home.
i'm just worried that if she learns about us, she's going to be mad
because you two can't, like, have kids. because her powers are different.

[unbearablynaive]

[He hopes Wanda will grow to like Tommy as much as he does, actually. He's a good kid, even without the added complication of sort-of being their kid. But if (when) she does find out, the Vision can only hope she's not hurt by it.]

I certainly try my best. But even without alien overlords, there are times when we are pulled apart by circumstance. I hope it won't be too much for her--but it does help that Sansa and Vash and yourself are there. She's not alone. She can be afraid to make connections with people for fear of someone getting hurt, but she needs friends. Not just me.

Hm. Powers or not, the impossibility of a thing has never truly been an obstacle where Wanda is concerned.

[doubled_speed]

oh yeah wolf lady and mister totally clearly in love with kitty. dude there are a LOT of people here who know you guys.
it's sorta awkward sometimes, because they know you better than i do and it's not like i can ever make that distance up. but don't worry, ain't nothing going to keep me from protecting mom
hate to tell you this, pops, but you aren't exactly genetically viable and she's not exactly a reality warper. so yeah impossibility is a thing.

[unbearablynaive]

That would be them. Vash is very against killing people and enjoys gardening almost as much as I do; Sansa made Wanda's wedding dress. Did she tell you her family name is Stark?

There's no changing the past, but I'd like you to be a part of our future. Does that seem reasonable?

[...]

There is such a thing as adoption, Tommy.

[doubled_speed]

stark? like tony stark? super pass on that mess, thx. though i don't know how she'd be a queen then. then again there are plenty of alternate worlds apparently.

future doesn't tend to be where I look. not that much of a planner. [Which is clearly a lie given how devoted he's been at helping Billy and managing the part of the greenhouse he's taken for himself.]

yeah trust me when i say i don't think that's the same as getting to learn you had biokids that died and then ended up being raised by other people and you don't know if they really could count as yours or not especially with other worlds

[unbearablynaive]

As near as I can tell, it's a complete coincidence. Her family is Eddard and Brandon and Catelyn and Robb and Jon. No Anthony or Howard or Maria to be found. Though it made it amusing when she offered one of the Buckies her family name.

Well then, I shall look to the future for both of us.

[Another pause, because, well, okay. Tommy has a point.]

True. That would be very strange even by our standards. I think it makes it even more important if we choose to acknowledge that connection despite its complications, though, don't you think?

[doubled_speed]

wrong twin to ask the thinking problems to, you want billy. i tend to just do what feels good.

[Lies. Lies lies lies. Tommy's just so used to them as an attempt to protect himself.]

i guess i might have been weirder to her if she hadn't shown up when i was mid-freak. and i may have accidentally told her we're related.

[unbearablynaive]

[Mmm-hmm, he totally believes you.]

And for the moment, being stuck on a small spaceship without the person you care most about is the opposite of that. I do understand. At least in the Fleet we could transfer ships or use the shuttles to visit others.

Oh, Tommy. Surely that much alone couldn't have been a surprise to her. You do resemble your uncle very strongly, at least on a superficial level.

[doubled_speed]

woah when you say it like that you make it sound like me and billy are super tight or something. like before i came here billy and i hadn't seen each other in months and all that shit. because of how he shut down.

the ships might not be so bad if i could actually go and move between them. wouldn't even need to transfer or anything. billy is a cuddler and all that and i like my space. but it's just the being locked in here with no warning and there's no where to be fast and i'm just... it's super hard.

i told mom we're 'distant relatives' and i sorta was freaking when i first got here and called you mom and pops to sansa and that's a whole mess but she promised not to tell. and wow if you think i superficially resemble my uncle then your pietro must look different from what i remember, because b and i definitely got the grampsneto jaw line, and i got his hair too. got some of wanda's softer features though. but not her ears. maybe we have your ears? our-your, not you-your.

[unbearablynaive]

Firstly, is it wrong to say he's the most important person to you regardless? And secondly: should I be concerned about him "shutting down"? Is he all right, or at least recovering?

I see. We did eventually acquire a larger ship called the Iskaulit which was useful during deep-space missions for people to stretch their legs in - it was perhaps as large as the building with the swimming pool on top, and had many facilities set up by passengers such as shops, a gym, obstacle course, snow room, and the like. I think it would be good to establish something like that if we have the chance.

You have light hair and you're a speedster with a magical twin. That's more than enough for a superficial resemblance, you know.

[And then he attaches a snapshot of the side of his head.]

Clearly not; I do not have ears.

[doubled_speed]

fine what she imagined your ears would be like. that happy enough? and i'd hardly call my hair merely 'light'. it's completely white. and has been that way since my mutation kicked in.

also i want that larger ship. that sounds better.

as for billy i'm not sure how much i can say about it. he had a pretty serious bought with depression and it was hard on a lot of people. especially him.

[unbearablynaive]

Granted that our Pietro's hair was more silver than white--almost metallic in color. It's still not something you'd expect in someone your age.

Perhaps I shall give myself ears some time, so that you may inspect them.

I'm sorry to hear that - the life we lead is traumatizing even under the best of circumstances, and it's not as though the two of you are without extra pressures due to your unique family situation. Compound that with a high power level and it's not at all hard to understand why depression might strike. And here they've gone and taken him away from his support structure, except for yourself. I hope you'll let me know if there's anything I can do (aside from giving him a birthday present, which I have).

[doubled_speed]

when my body started running faster, burning things faster, it sorta all went white. kinda at once. after my first real burst of speed. which probably isn't natural or stuff.

[That definitely isn't the best way to word things, though. Not here. The 'support structure gone except you'. It makes Tommy feel like he can't support the guy.]

i know i'm terrible to support people because i'm not the greatest person for that shit. but i'm trying the best i know how.

[unbearablynaive]

"Natural" is relative with mutants and other enhanced individuals, is it not?

[Although, oops. He hadn't meant it that way.]

Not at all, Tommy. I meant only that it would be far worse for him if you hadn't been brought here as well. It's wonderful that you two have each other. The rest of us are a step removed at best, even those of us you might have known back home. You're glad to have him here, aren't you? I'm sure he feels the same.

[doubled_speed]

okay that's not wrong. people definitely get weird things happening at weird rates.

b spent a lot of time with the rest of the team recently. so i don't mind being around him right now. and he needs someone to keep him sane. just not sure i'm the best at that.

[It's as close as he'll get to admitting he missed his twin and is glad to have him back. Back to himself too, more or less.]

[unbearablynaive]

Better than his deadbeat robot father, I'm sure.

[doubled_speed]

vision never would have showed up to care. you're already better.

[unbearablynaive]

Then wouldn't you say you're better at helping Billy than anyone else, since the rest of your team isn't here either?

Notwithstanding how the rest of them might be at home, because that's where they are: at home.

[doubled_speed]

frankly he deserved better than this place, and i know they'd come for him if they could. but things will be okay at home and we'll get back there. but first we gotta survive this. and help these people because we're heroes and that's what we do

[unbearablynaive]

That's the spirit.

And planning what to do until we get out is as good a way as any to pass the time. Finishing your painting will be high on my priority list.

[doubled_speed]

yeah but what am i supposed to do when i get out here? don't even know what to do but help billy and handle plants.

[unbearablynaive]

Think of improvements you'd like to see in the ships and work on them? Such as moving some plants to pots and bringing them into the cargo bay, for example.