[Backdated] Storm: Our Lives On Display

[doubled_speed]

WHO: Tommy Shepherd, Open
WHERE: Temba
WHAT: Two Stormy Memories
WHEN: During Storm Week
WARNINGS: CW: Child Abuse in starter 2

I. A Memory of Delight

Storms. Tommy hates the storms. In fact, if he could just have 100% less storms, he'd be very happy. The happiest a man can be. With the storms he's just... He's lesser. It's always upset him. Always hurt him. Always left him frayed around the edges. But hey, this time they were supposed to be spotty? So he tries to go about his life.

Problem is, this one hits when he's alone, and man if Tommy wasn't on his way back from the new Avengers manor or whatever Tony was calling it. Turned out he didn't like being in his room there, still a work in progress, when the storms and world felt so draining. So walking back was a thing.

And of course, that's when a storm rolled in over him. The second the rain started he felt his powers go and Tommy just cursed. Because, well, what the fuck was going on here? Why did the rain hate him in particular? Cursing one more time, this time in Polish just for good measure, he finds a bit of stone overhang and sits his ass down. If he doesn't move, logically he shouldn't have troubles, right?

Except there's something different today. Of course there is. The rain is getting thick enough that it's hard to see beyond his hand and for some reason... it almost looks like he's in his room above the diner, which makes no sense at all.

II. A Memory of Pain | CW: Child Abuse will be depicted in threads from this starter

That was an experience that was shaking, and for a while, Tommy just stays back in his room at the diner, cuddled up by the fire even though it made him too hot because it just reminded him of what was happening in the moment. It was safer. It was better.

It wasn't enough because anxiety was prone to driving Tommy out of comfortable situations. Which was why he was outside again, heading for the greenhouse. His other safe place. The one that made him feel like he was useful and had a place where he fit in. Even if he had no powers, he could help the plants, right?

What a mistake that was, going outside. Because while it was clear when he stepped out, by the time he made it across the square and was nearing the greenhouse, the rain started. And this time, well, the change comes quickly.

Too quickly.

Comes in the form of his feet stepping not on the road but on familiar worn down wood. He knows the creak his foot produces almost instantly. And there's the sound of a truck door closing.

Sure it's Tommy there, but it also isn't Tommy there, because to another person's eyes it's Tommy but younger. Tommy but with hair as dark as his brother's, not a hint of white in it. A younger, childhood Tommy who is flinching at the sound of booted footsteps nearing in the rain...

Comments

II

[faceguy]

Going out in the storm isn't smart, perhaps, but sometimes we do what we have to. Which is what has Leo out in the storm now, trying to move quickly before any memories catch him off guard.

It's unfortunate, then, when that's exactly what happens... though he knows right away this isn't one of his memories. Not enough concrete, for starters.

He doesn't recognize the kid right away; he doesn't know Billy other than seeing him around, and without the white hair Leo doesn't make the connection to Tommy. But he recognizes when someone is scared, and even though he knows that what's happening isn't real, and he likely can't change it, he comes closer rather than running.

"Hey, don't stay out in the rain! Let's go-"

The footsteps are getting closer, and that's probably not a good sign.

[doubled_speed]

Out in the rain? But they aren't out in the rain. They're on a porch. A porch in the suburbs somewhere. It's a bit run down, and there's the boy grabbing up his worn out Captain America bookbag and putting it over his shoulder. He's struggling to push a chair on the porch under a spot where the porch roof is already leaking down in drips, because of course the memory is in the rain. Why wouldn't it be?

Everything seems perfect. The man mounts the steps, stops by the door, just as the child turns to look at him. Their eyes meet. The man looks like the boy, but also he doesn't really. Similar but different enough that maybe someone could ask just how related they are. There's echoes, maybe around the brow, or the hair, but not much more than that. Especially given the man's gray eyes are dark and hard and angry, and the boy's bright green eyes fall to his shoes because he can't meet the gaze.

"Inside. Now," the man grits out, and there is the promise of anger in that voice. Anger that is barely restrained. His fist is clenched at his side.

The boy, Tommy, lets his hand close tighter around the strap of his backpack, and he steps forward, toward the door.


[OOC: welcome to the sad thread. Leo's got one chance to really interrupt the flow of the memory, and he'd have to take it now. Any attempt to attack the memory of Tommy's dad or to drag the kid away could break the flow, and cut the memory off. I leave that choice to you.]

[faceguy]

Leo doesn't know this man, but he clearly has power over this kid, given that the kid obeys even though it seems like a bad idea. Leo can't help but tense, watching this play out.

His own father wasn't always the best - he was emotionally distant often, and stayed lost in a past that didn't exist anymore. Sometimes he whacked them with his tail, when they were goofing around or not paying attention. But he'd been trying, more and more lately; had been there for them when it mattered, had started to let go of the past and live in the now, had accepted the circumstances of his mutation because it brought them all together. And even before then, Leo's never been scared of his dad. He doesn't know what that's like.

This kid is scared. This guy is giving the kid a reason to be scared.

And Leo knows nothing that's happening is real, but doing nothing right now feels wrong.

"Hey, no," he says, grabbing for the kid's shoulder. "You don't have to go with him."

Maybe in the past he did, but he doesn't have to now.

[doubled_speed]

Nothing that is happening is real. Not right now at least. In the past it was. In the past this was one of the worst days in Tommy's life. Now, as Leo's hand connects with his shoulder, Tommy's pulled from the memory. Which has got to be weird for them both. Because Leo's hand finds a shoulder far higher up than it should have been, and when he lays it there it isn't a boy with dark hair, but a man with snow white hair and shock in his eyes.

There's a moment when he's looking over his shoulder at Leo, not comprehending. And then it all falls apart. The father has walked inside but that's washed away as the porch roof over them seems to collapse under the weight of the rain of the storm. The memory washed away in the rain. Leaving Tommy there, shaking.

"Shit," he gasps out as the rain falls around them. Then he covers his face with his hands. "Shit!"

[faceguy]

The memory stopped, which is good. The emotions have not stopped, and oh boy Leo isn’t the best at this. This is where he would tag out for Raph or Mikey, but they aren’t here and Pizza Supreme in the Sky knows he can’t tag out for Donnie.

Very awkward arm pat. There, there…

“Hey, dude, it’s… it’s over. And if that guy ever shows up, everyone here can beat him up for you.”

He’s pretty sure most people here would be willing to do that.

[doubled_speed]

Of course it's over. And Tommy's hands fall from his face he throws his head back, and bellows back at the storm.

"Fuck you Atroma, and fuck you Frank."

Because sometimes you have to get the feelings out of you. He's still shaking when he stops, and panting too. But it's in anger and not fear.

"Thanks, Leo. But don't worry. After that day, he was scared of me. Never wanted to get close. If he showed up, he'd avoid me. Like he's been doing for years back home."

[faceguy]

Whoa, okay. Leo pulls his hand back when the yelling starts. At least he can better deal with anger than fear.

“Scared of you…?”

Well, that’s good, right? That fixes the problem. Still…

“That kinda stuff, though… It shouldn’t happen.” He rubs the back of his neck. “Kids shouldn’t be scared like that.”

Maybe he got lucky with his dad after all.

[doubled_speed]

"It shouldn't," Tommy agrees. "And they shouldn't. And if it was in my power, they never would be. But..."

But it wasn't in his power. He hadn't even been able to handle his own father.

"Thank you. I didn't want to relive that memory again."

[faceguy]

"Ye-yeah, sure."

He's actually pretty glad he didn't have to see it, too, though maybe that's a little selfish.

He glances around at the rain, still coming down around them.

"Are the storms usually like this?"

[doubled_speed]

"Like this specifically? With your memories playing out? Nope. This is a new one. If you have any powers, I really suggest you be inside at midnight with your ears covered, though. Sometimes the moon has a face and it screams and shit gets weird. I intend to stuff my ears with wax. None of us need an accidental explosion from me."

Tommy least of all.

[faceguy]

Leo just stares at Tommy for several seconds.

"...Okay, now you're just messing with me."

The moon getting a face and screaming? What is Tommy even talking about?

[doubled_speed]

"Am I?" Tommy asks. Because he's not. In the slightest. He'd almost fucked a lot of shit up. "Just listen and stay inside with your ears covered at night if you've got any cool skills or something."

[faceguy]

This is a very weird thing that no one has told him about. How can his portals even go haywire?

...Actually, dropping him out in the ocean, or somewhere up in the thin parts of the atmosphere, would be pretty bad. Not to mention if something got caught into the middle of his portal when it closed...

But he also has another worry here.

"What about special abilities people have that they don't know they have?"

Because Donnie's abilities going haywire could be a real issue...

I.

[playingtough]

Billy is running. He's slammed his way out of the diner, heart racing in his chest faster than his feet are going. The rain pours down around him, instantly resoaking him. It doesn't matter. None of that matters. How could he be stupid?! He knows what these storms do to Tommy.

"TOMMY!?!" he shouts, looking around as he runs.

If Billy had a hard time against his own memories, that means Tommy probably was too. And he couldn't outrun them, not with the storm.

God it's hard to see out here. He keeps running around, ignoring the storm trying to bring up his own memories as he just keeps going. He has to find him. Get him somewhere dry and safe where they could ride the storm out together. He shouts the speedster's name again before making out the shape of someone huddled under some stone overhang. Boots hit the ground in a hard run and he nearly trips as it turns from storm to...

Tommy's room?

"Tommy——" Billy's voice is ragged and he's heaving for breath but he he's here.

[doubled_speed]

The storm wasn't something Tommy wanted to be out in. Storms always upset him. More than upset him. Broke him mentally. Nothing he could do about that actually. It was just how things worked here.

And his memories... Fuck if he didn't want to avoid those with everything he can manage. Which isn't going well. He's trying to hide from the rain, and then he's just... in his room. Back in his room. He didn't... How did he get here? He's so confused.

"Billy?" he asks, his voice soft and shaken as the room starts to shift. Until it's night. Until Tommy's standing there, reaching out to try and find Billy and catch his hand.

[playingtough]

Billy can sort of relate, but he knows it's worse for Tommy. That he loses his powers in storms like this but also memories? Shit. He hears his boyfriend's shaken voice, so soft, and guns towards it. The path is through the speedster's familiar room and he spots the outreached hand.

He can only hope it's the real Tommy and not a memory of him. Or maybe they were really in his diner room and not out in the rain. "Tommy?! I'm here. I'm right here--" And he grabs onto that hand, tugging Tommy to him.

[doubled_speed]

Yeah, he is right there. Their hands are together and Tommy is smiling softly at them as a light comes on in the room. It sets a mood. Triggers a memory.

"Couch?" he asks, even as the couch grows more clear in the memoryscape.

[playingtough]

Billy doesn't even realize that it's actually a memory. Maybe the storm had been the memory and he's still in the diner with Gladio downstairs. He pulls Tommy to him like that'll protect the guy from the powers-dampening rain.

"Yeah, couch. I'm okay, Daisy Dukes. You can't go fast though, right?"

[doubled_speed]

There's a brief moment of confusion on Tommy's face. A crinkling of his brow, like the words sound wrong to him. Like he can't make sense of them. Like they don't fit the situation.

Because he's being hugged. What was up with that?

He pulls back enough to break the hug so he can walk Billy toward the couch. On the way he puts a mug of tea, when did he even get that, on the coffee table. Then he looks at Billy and down at their still joined hands.

"I need to get the pillows and blanket, man."

Because he's stuck playing this out at the moment. The memory he can't get out of. Not that he wants to. Not yet. Maybe later when the pre-confession panic sets in. For now he's just playing as the storm demands.

[playingtough]

Hes being walked to the couch. It doesn’t make any sense. But it feels right. They’re supposed to be going to the couch. When did he get a mug of hot chocolate? His feet feel bare and ache strangely, like he’s been running barefoot.

He had, but that was a month or so ago. Right?

"Tommy," he chokes out, tightening his hand on his partner‘s. "Storm— Nightmare woke me up out of the medicine Tae gave me to help me sleep."

Shit, shit, shit.

[doubled_speed]

Again Tommy looks confused. There were things left out. But Billy's trying, and that makes it settle more over Tommy.

"You're always welcome here," he says, slipping his hand from Billy's so he can go to the bed and get what he said he would.

"I'd offer you pajamas, but you're still dressed for bed. Mind if I make sure your feet are okay?" he says as he comes back over and lays things out.

[playingtough]

Things left out, others added in. Was it left out or added in that Billy doesn't sit on the couch? The hand leaving Billy's has his feeling cold and empty and he doesn't like it one bit. Why was Tommy acting like this in the storm? Was there some kind of new thing going on with the memory share bullshit?

Billy's on the couch, ontop of the items Tommy just laid out.

"They’re fine," he starts with, natural because it's the same thing he said that night. "I didn't forget my boots this time. Downstairs." Why downstairs? They need to be there and not here. This here has already happened, but what's happening now means they need to be safe.

"Why are you doing this?" as his own voice echoes with the memory around them. It means something different now compared to then.

[doubled_speed]

Boots? This time? Tommy looks confused. He shakes his head because that doesn't fit. This isn't fitting together. Why is he being like this? Tommy's hand comes up to his head briefly, like trying to drive away a headache. But then the line happens, so he latches back onto it.

But Billy has thankfully settled onto the couch, and of course he's kneeling in place because they are fine, but he's still going to check over Billy's feet because he needs to.

“Because I fucking care about you, idiot."

[playingtough]

God, Billy doesn't want to ruin this. This reliving of a memory where he finally had enough bravery to face his feelings and admit it to Tommy. But they don't have to keep reliving in that, right?

His feet lose their bareness in favor of the boots Billy just said he was wearing. "I know you care," he grits out, trying to push against his and Tommy's memory swirling with each other. "You care. You like me, fuck—— I like—— get in the couch," which is a weird sentence when he leaves off the first part about the rats.

"Not an idiot because I know you like me. Sit up here, get in my lap, something!"

[doubled_speed]

Like him? Billy... Oh god, he's been hiding it. And Tommy doesn't know what to do with this. The memory isn't working well. It's getting torn apart.

And the indecision, the confusion, the uncertainty? It breaks the memory. The couch disappears under Billy, and of course Tommy isn't fast enough right now to catch him.

"Billy," he gasps, looking around. Why is he soaked? What's going on?