001- I WANT to know what's going on?

[wearingthestars]

Who: Billy Kaplan and OPEN
What: Exploring the power plant, the hotel, and being sick
When: First few days on Agra 10
Where: The power plant, and the hotel
Warnings: N/A will edit as needed.



The Power Plant

Because of course Billy Kaplan would immediately head away from safety and towards possible danger. Not that the weird squirrel like things are proving too much of a hazard, but he is getting pretty far from town. The path isn't too difficult to manage, but he does have the advantage of floating lazily over any fallen debris or dangers.

His feet return to the ground as he finds the power plant, head tilting curiously as he sets out to explore. There's a bunch of tools, and some strange crystal things, none of which seem of much use until he find the data point. He hesitates a moment before giving into the urge to touch it, shivering at the strange sensation and the sudden knowledge that follows.


The Hotel

Despite how run down everything is, Billy feels wrong about approaching the stores as a means of shelter. Of course, the hotel practically screams 'you-might-get-murdered-here' but beggars can't be chooser, and he's reasons maybe they'll actually be some kind of bed. His magic isn't working so great, the less he has the conjure up the better.

He tries to get handle on the layout, exploring a few floors before finding a room that seems to be more or less empty. Of people or animals that is. What it is full of is debris. Trash, broken furniture, some stuff he doesn't want to examine too closely.

While he's still got a bit of light to work with he tries to clear the worst of it out.


The Contagion

It's slow to hit him, but Billy eventually has to admit he isn't feeling great, and it's not just his powers being weaker than usual. He's hot, and sore, and increasingly paranoid, which makes it rather difficult to get him to listen to reason and stay put.

He keeps leaving his room, too sick to make it anywhere in particular but sure he needs to get out of there, suspicious of anyone who tries to approach him.

[OOC: Fine with brackets or prose, as well as present or past tense, reply how you prefer and I will match. If you want to plot stuff out first feel free to pm me here, or hit me up on plurk @
silversomber ]

Comments

[wearingthestars]

Not telling Wanda is a fear Billy can understand. After everything that happened with their own reunion, and everything that followed...

"Nice is good." Not the most eloquent thing he's ever said, but it's got the right sentiment at least. "Worth a shot."

[doubled_speed]

More like what he'd heard from Vision had implied that maybe Wanda wasn't ready for the weight they would add in her life. Because, well... Uncle Pete is dead. And that hurts.

"He wants family," Tommy explains with a sigh. "And we sorta figure into that."

[wearingthestars]

That's a much more selfless reason. Tommy doesn't get nearly enough credit for how much he cares.

Billy hums softly. "Family could be good in a place like this."

[doubled_speed]

Now wasn't that the truth? Thing was, Tommy didn't want to care, or seem to care. Because if he did, he could get hurt. Tommy had emotions. A ton of them. Hell, he had that uncanny ability that most abused kids developed for reading other people's emotional states, even before they got it themselves sometimes.

That didn't mean he wanted to face any of it. Or admit to it. Vulnerability led to pain. That much he knew far too well.

"Yeah. I mean, in a way they sorta are. In an alternate universe. Though we never did do that DNA test to see if somehow we magically were related to our birth parents and to Wanda at the same time."

[wearingthestars]

"Do we really need a test for that?" DNA aside, they clearly take after Wanda, and while Billy hasn't seen the Shepherd's he knows how closely he resembles his own parents. Their existence is way too complicated to be explained by something like a blood test.

"Magic plays by its own rules."

[doubled_speed]

Tommy doesn't really look like his own parents at all. But he shakes is head. But yes, he knows the situation doesn't change if he is related to Wanda by blood. It's more... He doesn't want to be related to the Shepherds.

"Yeah, and yet it lets you get sick."

[wearingthestars]

"The world is doomed if I'm supposed to be some magical big deal, huh?" he muses, giving a self depreciating sort of laugh, fingers giving a weak glow that has no effect on his current state.

[doubled_speed]

Well, the magical big deal means that Billy probably won't die, right? It makes him stomach nervous to think he might lose Billy. So he just relies on that whole 'magic big deal' thing to make sure that Billy stays safe.

"Dude, if I was sick I probably wouldn't be able to run fast either."

[wearingthestars]

He gives a fond sort of half smile. "Thanks. Just...if I get worse...I don't want you getting sick too. Maybe I should sleep somewhere else until we know for sure you won't catch it."

[doubled_speed]

Not a god-damn chance. Not a Demiurge dammed chance.

"Talk like that, and I'm making not-Dad take care of you."

[wearingthestars]

Billy's nose wrinkles. "...'Not-Dad' is weird. Vision, or Dad. Pick a lane." He stops pressing though, which should make Tommy happy, though he does frown in consideration. "Can he get sick?"

[doubled_speed]

Listen, the lanes are complicated, aren't they? And he doesn't feel comfortable with calling Vision 'Dad' yet. But 'Vision' was what they called THEIR Vision. Back home there were other words he used.

"I'm fast enough to have all the lanes."

It's a stupid argument. He doesn't care. "I don't know what to call him, B. This whole thing is a complex mess."

[wearingthestars]

"Vizh?" Billy offers, giving an uncertain shrug. It's definitely a mess. He understands the uncertainty. He's more or less gone back to calling Wanda -'Wanda'. It seemed too weird for both of them after the initial reunion.

"Just don't call him Not-Dad to his face."

[doubled_speed]

Except Vizh was what he had called their Vision. So it's difficult. Wanda isn't so bad. He doesn't hesitate most of time time with her.

"I'm not going to. I think at faster speeds than most computers. I won't make the mistake."

[wearingthestars]

"You guys might have that in common." Which might be nice. Apart from Pietro there aren't too many people they know who can understand what it's like to be Tommy.

He closes his eyes for a moment. This is helping quiet that paranoia at least.

[doubled_speed]

Strange how Tommy hadn't even begun to consider it. Maybe he would try upping his speed around Vision, just a little, once they had more food. For now, he's suffering by staying almost constantly at normal human speeds.

"Yeah, like you guys have flying, a taste in capes, and the whole being a lot more than you look like on the surface thing."

Tommy will insist he's shallow. And they both know the lie that is.

[wearingthestars]

"You're more than you look," Billy argues with a tired edge to his voice. "And you could pull of a cape if you wanted to, just pair it with a helmet and you're Granddad."

[doubled_speed]

Really? REALLY!? Tommy looks so offended. So BEYOND offended. How rude.

"Dude, I'm a speedster. When I'm focusing, it's already hard for telepaths to touch my brain. Also, a cape would get tangled. And my costume is better."

[wearingthestars]

"Just...visually," Billy defends, he knows Tommy doesn't need a helmet. Or any of that. He just thought using Magneto as an example was the only possible way to get him to think they weren't all that bad. "I thought you liked his look."

[doubled_speed]

Dude, who said he LIKED Grampneto's looks? Noh, it was more that he liked Gramp's outlook.

"Nah, man. I'm sleek and toned and my body is awesome. And seriously, I can't afford to lose the aerodynamics, given the human body is already terrible for running."

[wearingthestars]

"Don't forget modest," Billy teases, lip quirking. He shifts uncomfortably and tries to to settle, sighing. "...I can't stay here."

[doubled_speed]

Can't stay here? Why? This place is safe as hell. Tommy's been making sure of that. But he worries anyway, fussing by reaching out and placing a hand on Billy's shoulder.

"You think I'd ever let someone in here to hurt you? Kate would kill me. TEDDY would annihilate me!"

[wearingthestars]

"No." He knows he wouldn't, but it doesn't stop that itch, that nagging feeling that's something wrong. "I know- I-...I can't...help it. You're not safe either. We shouldn't be here."

[doubled_speed]

Okay, for right now, Tommy can play along. But only for now. He stands and scoops his brother up into his arms. Like hell he's leaving Billy alone.

"Where to then, future Space-Queen?"

Maybe teasing will help?

[wearingthestars]

Billy starts a little, clinging to him in surprise, much more jumpy than usual, though the teasing earns a quick response. "Future Space-Prince-Consort, thank you," he corrects, before looking uncertain again.

"...I dunno. Somewhere without people?"