[Open] These Broken Pieces Of Life

[doubled_speed]

WHO: Tommy Shepherd, Open
WHERE: Young Avengers HQ, The Diner, The Greenhouse, The Beach Cave Hot Springs
WHAT: Returning to Temba, Broken Down Home, Farming, Failing To Hide Emotional Pain.
WHEN: August 1st through 15th
WARNINGS: N/A

I. Another Ruined Home | Young Avengers HQ

Freedom. Sunlight. A sandwich made of greens and beautiful vegetables from the greenhouse. A meal that was doing nothing to make what was before him any better. Home, for the last several years... Broken.

"Fucking hell," he grumbled around his mouthful of baconroom wrap. "Because when it fucking rains..."

It fucking poured. The roof was busted open, the door fallen off, and he could already see through the opening that their shared living room space was fucked. And now Tommy had no choice but to hope that things would be fixable. That he could bring out the things that mattered until such time he could have his home and his life back.

"Fat chance that, with my luck."

II. Moving In Day | The Diner

It's only temporary, Tommy tells himself as he pushes into the Diner and puts the heavy box in his arms on the table. He's so tired after all of the work of cleaning the HQ out. Fuck, he just hadn't wanted to deal with that today.

"Tea," he decides, moving to the counter to fish out the kettle so he could fill it with water. Once he's got the thing full and his hand near it to start heating it, he looks to the door in the corner that he never really used. One of the two sets of stairs that led up into the apartment that was once Eli's. A space that hadn't been used in years.

"Home sweet home I guess. But damn, how am I supposed to get a new bed up the stairs? They're narrow!"

III. Whistle While You Work | The Greenhouse

Stressed? Frustrated by the turn of events? Need to feel accomplished in life? Have you ever considered Farming(tm)?!

Tommy groans at the voice running stupid infomercials in his head as he enters the greenhouse, grabs a basket with pruning sheers and gloves from the door, and looks around. The green, the smell of plants, the familiarity of this place... It's strangely soothing to Tommy. Like coming home. Perhaps it was, given no one had put as many years of care and attention into this place as he had.

And this? This was the place he remembers. Tommy immediately moves to the first area where he should have been harvesting already and sets into it. And he pauses only when he hears motion.

"Someone there?" he calls out, looking around. Strange. Not many people came here like he did.

IV. The Calm Is A Lie | Beach Caves Hot Spring

He didn't come here often. There was always the risk he'd turn the wrong way and end up in the crystal rich parts of the minds. Super charging his powers right now was not something Tommy was particularly keen on. It would only make all of this decidedly worse.

Caution was the watch word as he moved through the caves, hand on a wall, until he could hear the water and feel the heat. The springs. A place to soak sore muscles, and he'd been sore as hell since they'd headed underground. No amount of sauna could have helped with it. Now Tommy didn't hesitate for even a second to strip out of his clothes and slip into the almost too hot water.

"Fuck," he mumbled once he was settled into it. It felt so good. So freeing. So nice.

"Fuck," he repeated as he felt a sting in his eyes. It's just from the heat of the water. It's from how hot it is, turning his skin a little pinker. That's it. He's not crying. He's not crying.

Comments

[doubled_speed]

It really was. But hey, worked for him. And Tommy even respected him enough not to call him bobble head.

"Yeah, seems like it will. Wonder how this thing ended up with levels like this. We mostly just found them, intact as they are. Granted I don't come here much."

[spinsandneedles]

Oh my god. It's accurate, though.

"This is my first time on this side. Donnie showed me the part with the magic rocks and stuff after he hit me with a lobster-- not a good time reference, huh. It was just before volcanogeddon, but I hadn't gotten a chance to check the hot spring at the time."

[doubled_speed]

"I can't go over to the other side," he says with a shiver. "Coming down here is a risk in case I get lost. The crystals overcharge me."

Last time he'd been in the other parts he'd been glowing for hours and so pleased by that he was light writing on the sea itself. Not the best look.

[spinsandneedles]

"Getting juiced up by by magic emeralds is something I'm kinda used to, so bein' over there with the crystals wasn't anything I couldn't handle. Difference is back home I have complete control over that power, I can even carry the emeralds around with me and only... I guess absorb that power when I want to. Here I didn't have that level of control, it was like standing in a microwave or something."

If he'd stood in there longer it could have been a problem? He might test it on his own later just to satisfy his own curiosity. Yes, it's a bad idea. No, he isn't as concerned as he should be.

[doubled_speed]

Getting what now? Tommy stares at him, and then starts laughing. Fuck Sonic's damn interesting, and he appreciates that.

"I mean, you don't explode, so not quite a microwave I suppose. Still, it's pretty cool that you can charge up like that. I can't. It's just a mess for me to even consider. It's like itching out of my skin."

And he worries if he doesn't run it off, there will be explosions. "So I mostly stuck to the showers when we had the ships."

[spinsandneedles]

Getting JUICED UP, Tommy. Sonic has no idea which part of what he said was funny, so now he's just looking at Tommy as though he's grown a second head. For a few seconds at least.

Anyway.

"That sounds really annoying. Like fleas," he says, pausing awkwardly before adding, "I don't have fleas, just... just getting that out there."

[doubled_speed]

"Didn't think you had fleas man. You're pretty clean, and you'd take care of yourself."

And that's really all that is needed. Trust is like that.

[spinsandneedles]

"Okay, good. They'd probably die in here anyway."

Probably. Fleas are surprisingly hearty. Aaanyway, enough about gross bugs.

"So, what brings you all the way out here by yourself? Just all people'd out?"

[doubled_speed]

There were plenty of other gross bugs around. Worry about those more.

"Needed to get clean. Had to make a new place up for living today and it was dusty as fuck. My hair was GRAY dude."

[spinsandneedles]

As long as they're bigger than a flea, they're easier to kill.

"Ew, fair enough. Maybe I should find a place to like, actually live at some point."

Why yes, he has been staying here this whole time without a home. Pshhh.

[doubled_speed]

"You're not living anywhere?" Tommy asks, sounding a bit shocked and quite distressed. "That's not chill man."

[spinsandneedles]

"Well, it's not very chill here since I can't really go anywhere. Back home it was great! I didn't have anything to tie me down anywhere, I could go wherever I wanted whenever I wanted for however long I wanted. I just camped out or crashed with friends for a while if I needed a break."

He sounds maybe a little less... energetic? Yeah, less energetic than he usually does. Maybe dwelling on what he can't do anymore is bumming him out? Maybe he's just super relaxed because hot spring. Hard to say.

"But yeah, hasn't really been working as well for me here."

[doubled_speed]

"You could always try that here too I guess," Tommy points out. But no one could save him if he got hurt. And maybe the aliens would bring him back. Does anyone even know how far they can go?

"I know what you mean. I miss it too. I'd say you get used to it over the years, but I don't want you to."

[spinsandneedles]

"If it wasn't for the storms I probably would. I don't wanna be too far away if something goes wrong."

Not that he's that afraid of what might happen, because he's a little blue madman, but he doesn't want to make anyone worry too much. There's enough going on around here without Sonic contributing to people's blood pressure spiking.

"Right now I'm just glad to not be stuck underground anymore. Ignoring the fact that I willingly came into this cave, but you know what I mean."

[doubled_speed]

And there is that. The problem that the two of them could easily run into. Gong too far and thus getting themselves into trouble no one could haul them out of.

"Yeah, I went underground too much lately. I'm not going to do it again any time soon if I can avoid it."

[spinsandneedles]

"You n'me both. As much as I like exploring, I think I'll avoid too many cramped, enclosed spaces for a while if I can help it."

Not that the warrens were too tightly packed, but for a creature that values his freedom as much as Sonic does, he may as well have been stuffed in a shoe box.

"I still kinda wanna go check out the volcano for myself. Not that I'd know what to look for on any sort of scientific level, but I figure it couldn't hurt to get some photos or rocks for the nerds to study or something at least."

[doubled_speed]

"You really should," Tommy encourages with a nod. "It's not so far away that you'd be at great risk, probably. But you gotta make sure everything's cooled down and there are no bad gasses."

HOw would they tell the latter part? Who knew.

[spinsandneedles]

Easy! Go breath there, and if he dies, that air's bad!

...Maybe he should see if Donnie can rig him up a filtered mask of some sort before charging off into the danger zone.

"It's gotta be cooled off by now, right? It's been a while since it went off."

He knows nothing about volcanos can you tell.

[doubled_speed]

See, that's NOT helpful, Sonic. Then you'd be dad. And Tommy would be sad about that.

"I really don't know man. It could be done on the surface but still hot under?"

[spinsandneedles]

Sonic would be sad about being dad too, oh no! D:

"Maybe. I don't know how volcanoes work. I'm not plannin' on jumping in, though, I'll probably be fine."

it's okay man you'd be a decent dad in an emergency

[doubled_speed]

"I mean, virgin sacrifices do help on these sorts of things."

And that's amusing to suggest.

Only during emergencies, he'd be terrible any other time

[spinsandneedles]

"Hm... Maybe the virgin sacrifice thing would have been more useful to try before it erupted."

Tommy plz. Are you implying that someone as cool as Sonic is a virgin???

I mean it's true he absolutely is.

[doubled_speed]

"Fair enough," He laughs.

Yes. He's absolutely implying that. Sonic, you're a KID.

[spinsandneedles]

Wow!!!!

I mean yeah that's also true.

"Heh, ah well. Either way, I'm not gonna charge off right now to check it out."

[doubled_speed]

"Good choices. Because then you've have to abandon this great soak."

And muscles demanded they soak.