You can't hide from your problems | Calibrations

[wearingthestars]

WHO: Billy Kaplan, OPEN
WHERE: Billy's Calibration Room
WHAT: Calibrations
WHEN: 3 June - 10 June
WARNINGS: Potential Warnings for Violence, Depression, Death and Suicide, but also some happy things



The room you step into isn't all that different from Billy's actually room back home, for those that know it. It looks like the room of a typical nerdy teenager, walls adorned with posters of his favourite heroes, and a desk cluttered with unfinished homework. There's shelves with books, and assorted action figures, as well as a few old games- like operation, which don't seem to have gotten much attention lately, covered in a layer of dust.

Billy lays on his bed with an assortment of comics, reading through them, though when he glances up you might note that his eyes are wrong. All black with fields of stars, like you can see the depths of universe in them.

He curls a finger, and a box beneath the bed scoots further back into the darkness.

Comments

[plate_builder]

It's his first mind room. Reeve had wandered in randomly, confused and dazed. And the room most definitely confused him further. Sure, it might be a room like a nerdy teenager might have, but Reeve's... well, he's never met a nerdy teenager who didn't live on a farm. So this is beyond his understanding. Yes, he notices the boy on the bed, the posters, everything, but to him, it's still only a dream. A strange one, but a dream.

So rather than talk to the boy with the eyes like a dream, and moves to the desk. Yes, he's nosy, and his interests tended toward written word. His fingers move to the homework, wanting to riffle through the pile and see if there was anything he could answer.

[wearingthestars]

The figure on the bed watches, but doesn't say anything, and the moment he touches the pile the world shifts around them. A school hallway, lined with lockers, and what looks to be that same boy, a few years younger maybe, being throw back hard against them, struggling to escape from his tormentors.

"You don't need to watch this," Billy says, trying to distract his attention away from the display. "It's all ready over."

[plate_builder]

"Is there a problem with the watching?" Reeve says, but he turns his head toward the boy with the stars in his eyes.

"Was this something you suffered through?"

[wearingthestars]

"...You can if you want to," he allows, looking a little uncertain, and he nods. "...It was a long time ago. It doesn't matter."

[in_extremis]

This house was familiar to Tony, something about the scent and energy of it, the sound of the street outside and the way the sunlight hit the window; he hadn't been in this room before, but it wasn't hard to place. Of course this was Billy's room, Tony would have imagined it this way himself, but maybe with a few more posters of Thor from that one calendar shoot. Between the ones he saw, though, and the collection of action figures, Tony immediately grinned, swaying toward the shelf with the toys with a curious squint, sure he hadn't seen a few of these before and feeling a scattershot of homesickness burst and melt through the cavity of his chest. This was his city, and those were the people he adored most, but before he snatched up any of them he quickly turned to drop down heavily on the edge of the bed, hand on Billy's back to lean over what he was reading. "Hey, nerd," he greeted. "What's this garbage? I don't see Iron Man anywhere. That shit'll rot your brain."

[wearingthestars]

Billy looked back with an easy smile. "He wasn't in this one," he apologized, and if Tony looks a little closer, what he's reading should contain a few familiar faces. Billy. Teddy. That one might be Kate. All of them older than the kids he'd left behind. And new faces as well.

"Do you want to read it?" Billy offered, closing the book and offering to him with a smile that's made eerie by those eyes.

[in_extremis]

"Hey, look at you," Tony mumbled, not sure if he liked this development-- it could have been a print limited to Billy's dreamscape, but the idea that this comic might be something that exists in the future that Billy and Tommy kept hinting at was not appealing. It must have been something Billy would have wanted, but Tony had read enough of these picture books ostensibly about himself and his friends to know that they really were a bunch of garbage that was sometimes a challenge not to take personally, a very real effect on the public image, and also had to mean the Young Avengers had made a significant cultural impact that got the attention of not only a few comic publishers. That wasn't really a future Tony hoped for them.

He almost didn't notice Billy's eyes, focused on this anxious spiral, but looked his way to try to snap himself back into a grin only to raise an eyebrow instead. "Uh...Damage might already be done," he noted, gesturing vaguely to his face, not sure if this was a trait Billy had noticed for himself yet. "Seems to be a lot of space in there." Tony did take the magazine though, sliding it closer across the bed.

[wearingthestars]

"Mmm?" Billy's head tilted a moment before seeming to understand. "Oh. That? Don't worry. It's future stuff. For me too. Way far away. Not a big deal." As he said it that space stuff seemed to spread, Billy glancing to dark, starry fingertips with a frown before shaking it away, back to his previous appearance.

[out_of_order]

Cal's never seen a room like this, but he can't say that it looks strange. It's a place that's been lived in, that has personality. For a moment he forgets he's intruding as he takes in the posters- not at all like the Imperial propaganda ones he's familiar with, the books, the colorful figures.

He smiles awkwardly when he finally comes around to where Billy is, and then pauses at the sight of the other teenager's eyes. "Billy?"

[wearingthestars]

"Mm?" He smiles easily, and nods, lowering his comic to offer a small wave. "Hey Cal." He seems particularly at ease, not seeming to think the difference in his appearance needs explanation.

"You feeling better?"

[out_of_order]

It's definitely a curiosity, but Billy doesn't seem to act any differently for it. He smiles back faintly, then nods in response to the question.

"Very much so, thanks to you," Cal replies. There might still be a few twinges but on the whole he's felt just fine. "So...this is your room, huh?"

[wearingthestars]

Billy flushes a little, but nods. "Yeah. I haven't been back here for a while, but...this is it." He looks around a bit fondly. He's missed it.

He shifts over to make room for Cal on the bed if he wants to join him.

[seeingscarlet]

Well, Wanda's eyes change colors all the time (and there are places that turn them permanently red), so whatever's happened to Billy's eyes doesn't seem that strange to her. Great power often has physical side effects, right? Especially for people like them who have far more power than most.

Wanda pauses, torn between going for the chair or taking a seat on an unoccupied corner of the bed. "Is that a good one?"

[wearingthestars]

Billy offers her a smile, but hesitates, glancing down at the comic and back at her, looking uncertain. "...I'm not sure if you'd like it?" he admits, though in casting his gaze around the room he's sure there are a few things that might make her...uncomfortable.

He plucks up one of the others from the bed to show her the cover. "...That's her," he explains. It's not the only appearance her alternate self makes in his room, she was one of his favourite Avengers after all. There's poster, and toys...he figures it's better to be upfront about it.

[seeingscarlet]

Wanda feels torn finally getting a glimpse at her other self. She's still jealous of her, how her other self gets to have or keep all of the things she can't, how her powers were natural and not born from HYDRA's experiments. But there's one thing she has.

"Well...I think I must have gotten all of the fashion sense." Because she'd never be caught dead running around in a leotard and tights like that. And pink and red? No thank you. She'd take her corset any day over that outfit.

But she does run a finger fondly over the other Vision on the cover. "You must miss them. I'm sorry."

[wearingthestars]

A memory seems to start to play, but Billy actively seems to suppress it, muting it out. They've promised to keep as much as this from her as possible. The comic may be Scarlet Witch & Vision, but the memory only provides Wanda in this instance. Her and her sons, crying, hugging, really meeting for the first time, and as Tommy starts to share his fears the memory blinks away abruptly, forced to sub out for a different Wanda memory. One that posed no risk.

Billy's younger than he is now, a black eye and a bloody nose, sitting with Wanda outside of Avengers Mansion.

The Billy that isn't part of these memories tries to look as though he has nothing to do with this switch. "...I didn't know them very well," he offers belatedly.

[beholding_archivist]

Now this is a refreshingly normal room. Maybe quite unlike the room Jon himself has had as a teenager, but still normal enough. He casts a brief look around, instantly curious about several things he spots. Especially everything featuring any of these super heroes...

But his eyes are quick to spot Billy and Jon's face lights up at the sight, easily stepping closer with a little wave of his hand "Hey, Billy. So this is- Yours. I suppose." Maybe a little awkward, but what else do you say when you show up in another person's mind.

[wearingthestars]

Oh. Billy starts to smile in return, but there's a certain tenseness that follows, and a guilty expression.

A voice echoes through the room-

'The man is bad, Billy. Stay the hell away from him.'

And a little after a reply-

'O-okay. I'll...I'll stay away from him. I promise.'

"...Hey Jon," Billy greets uncertainly.

[beholding_archivist]

The voice causes Jon to freeze in place, blinking a few times and looking around. He hasn't accidentally touched anything, has he?

No. And yet... That voice... Tommy?

His attention snaps back to Billy and the man's attention is now one of puzzlement - But maybe also guilt.

"I... ah- y-yes. Tommy... Spoke to you. I take it..."

[wearingthestars]

Billy nods, looking almost sorry, clearly conflicted.

"...I don't everything that happened, but...yeah. I promised him I'd stay away from you...as much as I can."

Because...well, he's got to take his brother's side.

"Outside here at least," he offers a small smile, it's not like Jon can help being here any more than Billy can kick him out...and he's still glad to see him, however awkward this is to confront.

[loyalspirit]

Awkwardly Wen Ning stood in the door way to the room. He surveyed the room with interest, finding it so different from his own world. There were all sort of various stuff he was unfamiliar with that was scattered all around the room. He at least recognized the person in the room...but even he felt different.

With caution, he stepped in the room and gently placed a hand on one of the many posters, finding the artwork on them intriguing.

[brooklyn_boy]

Steve walks into the room and is, apparently, back on Earth. Or at least someplace that is very similar to Earth. He glances around and sees Billy almost instantly which immediately puts him at ease. Someone he knows is always an easier time than a stranger. Steve walks closer, ready to greet him, but stops short when he sees those eyes.

Okay. Maybe he doesn't know him all that well, here.

"Hey, Billy," he tries cautiously. He doesn't move closer and instead goes over toward one of the shelves to admire the things on it. Action figures. God, Steve hopes he doesn't find himself there. "Taking it easy?"

[wearingthestars]

Billy returns an easy smile. Apart from the eyes he seems very much his usual self. "Hey Cap," he greets, cheeks a little pink.

There's most definitely a plethora of Captain America stuff, though the costume probably looks a little closer to what Steve was used to wearing during his USO tours then what he wore as an actual Avenger. There's other familiar faces, Thor, Iron Man, and so many more, all different enough from the versions Steve would have known, but recognizable.

"I think I'm dreaming?" he supplies, a little less sure.

[brooklyn_boy]

Steve smiles over at Billy and turns back to the figures. Ah. There he is. Of course. He can never really get used to seeing himself in miniature, but at least this one dressed up so colorfully feels less like 'him' and more like a character.

"Yeah. I mean, in a way you are? And so am I..."

The room and the toys and Billy all just put Steve at ease. It's easier now to forget that this is Calibrations, which would be a good thing, normally. Unfortunately, Steve forgets enough that he picks the figurine of himself up and turns it over in his had.

He should know better than to touch things.

[wearingthestars]

The room fades away, leaving them outside a large mansion, one that seems to have gone through some explosive damage some time in the recent past. There's a giant girl stretched out on the ground, and a small crowd gathered around her, including a younger looking Billy in his original costume. His world's Cap kneels by the girl's face, features twisted with concern.

"What happened?" he demands.

"You-- you're Captain America--" one of the gathered teenagers gasps.

"What happened to Cassie?" he repeats.

"She got upset," she supplies finally, "She started growing, and then she kind of...passed out."

"What upset her?" Iron Man asks, and Teddy (who looks a little more Hulk like than Cap may have seen him, and a lot less blonde) answers sheepishly, "Um...we did. She wanted us to let her into the mansion so she could get her dad's Ant Man costume--"

The Billy that isn't part of this memory looks a little embarrassed. "...This is the first time I met you," he explains.

(ooc: This part of the comics if you want visuals.)