The lies, the filth! I just want to be clean!

[unbearablynaive]

WHO: The Vision
WHERE: The central fountain, followed by the lake to the south
WHAT: A gift or two for the Revivalists
WHEN: Afternoon through evening
WARNINGS: Probably none


The Soapmonger
Little surprise to anyone that had known his gardening hobby back in the Fleet, the Vision had gravitated quickly to the greenhouse and its related agriculture data point. The building is too big to explore in a single day, even a long Agri 10 day, but after some targeted searching he'd found a couple of important things. First, and most importantly, a good supply of the edible vegetables and fruits that will help sustain their small community.

Second, and probably more importantly, a supply of soap.

There are two kinds: a saponin plant discovered by Sansa that one can simply rip up and rub over one's body like soap, and a few bars of a trial soap made from one of the better-scented oils they've been able to press from some of the plants. It's made the old-fashioned way, mixed with ash and then pressed into bars with makeshift tools and the Vision's strength due to his ability to change density. To be most effective it should really cure for a few weeks at least, but for now? It's soap in familiar bars, and it should work passably well. He's even stamped it with a symbol - a little windrose.

"One bar each to start with, if you please. It will take some time to make more."

He hopes people like it.



The Shallow Lake
What's soap without somewhere to bathe? This watery area of the city was clearly not always like this - it's broad and shallow, and it looks like there are roads and parts of structures underneath. Is it coming from a buried spring? A busted water pipe? The Vision is curious and wants to investigate, but first they need to determine if the water is safe to go into.

It doesn't bother his skin, but given that he's an android, that's not saying much. Come along and help him investigate, or just splash around and test out that soap! There are probably parts where it's even pleasantly warmed by the sun. And he alternates between wading through and gliding above the water, looking for its source.



Alone Together
Slowly but surely, Wanda and the Vision have been making the abandoned shop area into a place they can feel comfortable staying, even if it will never be a home like that have back on Naviadna. But the liberal application of freshly-picked flowers, simple room dividers made of light wood and vines and broad jungle leaves, a fireplace for cooking set up in one corner, and a real wooden bedframe stuffed with the most comfortable leaves and scavenged blankets they can find. Things are beginning to shape up.

Later today he'll present his soap to the rest of the community, but the first dibs go to his wife. He's got two bars of the soap and a flowery-scented oil, and their biggest bucket heating water over the fire to get it warm.

"Now, I think we ought to be able to give your hair a proper wash."

Comments

[wearingthestars]

Over the days of Billy's continued illness, he and Tommy have managed to come to a sort of middle ground in terms of his wandering during daylight hours. So long as he doesn't stray too far his brother doesn't hunt him down again, and being allowed to wander a little keeps him less likely to do so when it's dark and Tommy wants him to stay put.

The smile is returned easily, and the fever at least means he feels little pressure in this meeting, forgetting for the moment whatever nerves would usually plague him. "I didn't know you could even do that, that's cool," he congratulates.

Billy actually doesn't look too bad, now that talk of soap and shampoo has come up. Some unconscious level of magic at work, the same sort that kept his parents from discovering how Kesler was beating him up. Billy doesn't really look like he's stranded on a foreign planet. Or even all that sick.

[unbearablynaive]

At least he's well enough to wander off. Wanda had been bedridden for part of it, and that had been worrying. But she's much better now - the alien illness hasn't lasted too long. Hopefully Billy will recover similarly quickly.

"It is merely the application of techniques humans have developed over many centuries. The data point helped us understand which properties belong to which plants, and from there it was fairly simple." The only difficult part had been deciding which of the alkaline plants for the ash was best to use. "It's a start, anyway; the sooner we can restore power and water, the better off we'll all be. I don't suppose you've met any plumbers yet?"

Which is mostly a joke, because the most common occupation here is definitely superhero.

[wearingthestars]

Billy laughs easily at the joke, though there's a bit of a pleasantly surprised head tilt. He hadn't expected that kind of humor from Vision.

"If only I'd gone to trade school," he returns with a small smirk, shaking his head. No plumbers that he knows of. "Magic doesn't seem to useful when it doesn't work half the time."

[unbearablynaive]

The sad thing is it's only half a joke. They really could use a plumber - but they'll no doubt make do with what they have. Katara's waterbending might come in very handy.

"Hmm. Is it interference from the planet's atmosphere, do you think? Wanda had mentioned something similar, but it may have simply been that we've been living on a planet that enhanced all abilities for some time."

He wonders if Billy would like it on Naviadna. Probably - it had made Wanda more comfortable with her own powers, and it was just such a pleasant place. And he's hopeful enough that they'll be able to deal with this current situation that he can entertain the idea of having their new friends visit once in a while. Wouldn't that be something?

[wearingthestars]

"Something like that? I don't- it's kind of like something I've felt before. When my magic was tied up in this other spell, so when I tried anything too big I just...didn't have enough left?" Billy's not sure how to explain the feeling properly.

"I should be able to do more. Maybe not get us home from here, but...more than this." There's a guilty look on his face, like he's let them down in his inability to be of more use.

[unbearablynaive]

He nods, clearly thinking about it and taking it seriously as a problem. "So rather than feeling that it is suppressed, it would be like--oh, pouring a jug of milk when and only getting a cup out of it, when you expected a gallon?"

[wearingthestars]

That's a better analogy than Billy's been able to muster, and he nods enthusiastically. "Yes- exactly." Only he's pointedly left out the part where he'll probably pass out if his magic dips below a certain point. Kind of like a malfunctioning battery.

"I can feel it, but I can't...use it. Does that make sense?"

[unbearablynaive]

Yeah, that might be good to know. Oops.

"It does. And it is actually a good thing, I think. Barriers can be overcome, with the right tools and determination."

[wearingthestars]

It's true. Like what he'd done with Loki back home. If something is limiting his powers, and Billy is the source of his powers, then becoming stronger should allow him to do more, right?

He smiles and gives a determined nod.

"So it's not affecting you at all then?"

[unbearablynaive]

"Not that I've noticed, no. But in some ways I've never been at my full capacity since I arrived in the Drift Fleet years ago."

At home he'd had an Infinity Stone. And what he has now? It works well enough, powers him, lets him use all his abilities but restricts them in certain circumstances, like being able to phase though the hull of a Fleet ship. But it's not an Infinity Stone.

[wearingthestars]

That makes Billy a little anxious, clearly, and he looks to Vision without thinking to hide that worry. "...Do you think we'll be here for that long?" He's grateful for the people he has here, but years away from home...from Teddy? He's not sure he's prepared for that.

[unbearablynaive]

He notices the concern and clasps his hands together. "It's difficult to say for certain, but--given past experiences, it's unlikely. Most Fleet passengers were there for only a few months at most, and we found that no time at all had passed in our homes when we returned."

And then he lets out a breath. "On the other hand, Vash was there nearly four years, and the Agrii are not the Atroma. It is not a bad idea to plan for the long term, but--it is difficult to be away from people you care about." He pauses, thinking about Kitty, who's already been and gone, and Wrath, who he'll probably never see again. He has Wanda here, and he's beyond grateful for that, but--

"You'll see them again," he says quietly. "You, of all people here, could find a way."