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

[wearingthestars]

The one from the memory looks up, head tilting with a frown like he can see Jon, but that shouldn't be possible.

"Not really," the non-memory Billy answers, "But I will be."

And a moment later Teddy's stepping through the void, Loki's magic making a path through. He offers a sort of wave to Billy who looks at him with quiet surprise, not moving from his place.

"You know, she's sent tempting visions before. Trying to get me to leave the circle. Tried you too, but couldn't get the details right...How are you here?"

"Loki's magic," Teddy explains, drawing closer and kneeling before Billy so he isn't towering over him, "He got it back when he confessed. He was manipulating us all along it seems."

"...So you think he was lying about us?" Billy asks uncertainly, brows creased like he still can't quite believe it.

"I don't care if he was lying," Teddy says, lowering Billy's hood, "We're not." He takes Billy's hands, and below their feet a star shape spreads out across the void, a window to the universe much like his eyes had been before.

The boys kiss, shattering the void, back in the real world now, that star still spreading, and Mother screams.

"She's not my mom, Billy. I know you wanted to help, but..."

"I know. I'm sorry. I guess...I guess have to do some stuff," Billy resolves.

"Uh-huh."

Below them Loki rolls his eyes. "Oh, ugh. Is love really going to save us all?"

"Of course it is." America says, "Anyone who thinks otherwise gets stomped into paste."

Billy steps back. "Okay, let's see...Hmm." He reaches out for a moment it's as though he's rearranging things, like panels in a comic book being jostled about. Mother fights it, before dissolving away, and the alternate versions of themselves are tossed away and back where they had come from.

And for a moment Jon will see things as Billy had in that state, the whole adventure spread out beneath him, as he wandered about and set things right.

"And...done. So...I'm the Demiurge. This is nice. What can I do? Anything. Yeah, anything. I'm giving birth to the future right now. And the past. And...oh, this is strange. It's like cradling all reality in my arms. They all look so cute from up here. I have all this power...and so the responsibility to use use it. But I also have the responsibility to know how to use the power. And Billy Kaplan? You don't know what the hell you're doing. Yet."

He pauses then and seems to notice Jon again, more sure this time.

"It's you-" he notes, smiling fondly, like this memory somehow remembers Jon.

[beholding_archivist]

No, it shouldn't be possible for this other Billy to see him. And being looked at this directly by a memory catches the Archivist off-guard, almost causing Jon to take a step back.

But he is kept from doing so by the answer coming from the other Billy - And the appearance of the other boy.

What follows yet is surprisingly sweet, considering all the fighting happening before and Jon can't quite help the little smile from making its way onto his face. Love, huh? There is something to be said here about clichés, but Jon doesn't exactly mind it either. It's nice. And maybe he is a bit of a hopeless romantic at heart, but- That's not bad either, right?

Jon can't let himself be carried away by that entirely, however. Not with what happens then. So this is Billy's power. It's equally incredible and intimidating and somehow this Billy seems to at least know what he is supposed to do with it.

And he uses it to safe his friends - Probably not only them.

The Archivist is caught still staring in wonder when the memory addresses him and Jon's focus is suddenly entirely on the boy. This time he does take a sputtering step back. "W-what-?" He quickly looks over to the Billy that is showing him this memory, wordlessly hoping for an explanation for what is happening. "...Billy?"

[wearingthestars]

Billy gives a bewildered shrug, just as unsure as Jon. This isn't part of the memory. Maybe it's just some part of his mind and magic.

The memory Billy laughs kindly. "Don't worry about it. You're part of my future. A good part."

[beholding_archivist]

A good part.

Jon isn’t sure he wants to laugh about that, but ultimately only looks a little flustered between the two Billy’s before settling on the memory and offering a nod. “I- I hope to be.” But he doesn’t think he can truly promise anything. There are still too many doubts he has regarding himself.

He still tries to smile a little and looks back to the Billy he knows from Temba. “Thanks... For showing me this.”