001 - Speed Is Productive!

[doubled_speed]

WHO: Tommy Shepherd and Anyone
WHERE: Hotel and Greenhouse
WHEN: First Days on Agra 10
WHAT: Settling In and Learning Practical Skills
WARNINGS: N/A yet, will update if change


Finding Pear Dice - Greenhouse Exploration

There is a serious issue here, namely that Tommy hates moving at snail pace. Part of the issue with being a speedster is that the mutation that made him move fast made a lot of the rest of him fast. Which included two things that were already a problem here on Agrii Whateverthefuck: his brain, and his metabolism. There was literally no turning off how fast his brain ran, even when he was choosing to operate in the sorts of time frames that humans do. Sure, he could slow it down some, but in the end how fast it ran meant that walking at normal human paces left his brain bored if there wasn't other stuff to do. Exploration, as it were, wasn't exactly the easiest for Tommy to manage. Which flowed into the second issue, his metabolism.

As much as Tommy wanted to speed around, make a full mental map of this place, figure out how to start improving it, he couldn't. His body needed food to fuel it, and speed was something that had to be sacrificed for the basic rule of survival. Which was literally the opposite of what Tommy had always thought he should do. He had managed to survive everything by running away, running to find answers, or otherwise using his speed as a survival strategy. Which meant not having enough food to maintain speed very long was sort of frustrating.

This was what led to Tommy staying in a relatively small area for his initial explorations. More than that, this is what led Tommy to a glass building, and through the doors. Was it wrong that he smiles the second he opened the doors and realized what was going on? Probably. Maybe not. Food. There is food in here. It isn't cooked, it isn't starch, but it's something.

And more than that? Another glowy orb. As weird as the previous one had been, this one Tommy is prepared for. Or so he thinks. When he touches it there is a moment of immobility as the system uploads to his brain, and a jolt that goes through him when a glitch prevents him from getting everything. But what he gets is enough to leave a grin on Tommy's face as he cracks his knuckles.

"Talk about a worthwhile project."

The only question is where to start. And the answer is easy. Bypass the seeds, ignore the broken irrigation system, and he makes his way up to the over-grown upper level. He moves to twisting, curling, monstrous vine covered in what looks like small cyan bananas. He plucks one down and just devours it in three bites. The peel is nutritious, and good for fiber, his new knowledge tells him. The flesh inside tastes something like a pickle, but one seasoned with lime. Full of good vitamins. Tommy laughs and pulls off his long-sleeved shirt and ties it around him at an angle to make a sling. Like he cares about being shirtless right now. Food is a great first step.

Over the next hours and days he starts doing more than a recurring task of gathering food. For one thing, overgrown plants absolutely have lots of dying and choked material below them. Tommy spends a lot of time squatting under plants, crawling around, and otherwise pushing things aside to start pruning back this dead material. It will be great fertilizer, his new knowledge tells him, even sets himself up a corner where he starts piling material until he can clear an area or tools enough to start a compost pile. When he isn't slowly working his way through one area he's trying to water everything he can. The problem, of course, is the process of watering, how to carry water from the fountain outside and in to the plants. This he solves rather clumsily, with a large, cup-like leaf from some durable sort of plant from a more tropical corner. The thing is more durable than he was expecting, and he doesn't care too much about the repeated treks. He even pours the water into a second leaf he pokes some small holes into near the top to make it more like a watering can.

Sometimes there is an advantage to fast brains: creative solutions to problems. And so it is, somehow, that digital age and tech loving Tommy Shepherd becomes, well, a farmer.




Personal Space - Hotel Exploration

In the early mornings and evenings when light isn't nearly deep enough for him to really want to work by, Tommy gets to the other tasks of living. Which means heading back to the hotel with a small selection of fruits and vegetables from the overgrown green house, together with some of what he can handle that is left over from the Whale Comb those cherries are a serious advantage for someone who has trouble getting drunk. He walks through the halls and up to the third floor where he's set himself up, and if he passes anyone in the hall he offers over a piece of food, usually one of the cyan bananas he's come to enjoy that taste like pickles made with lime in the brine, or a crimson red cucumber that tastes, just faintly, like tomatoes seasoned with oregano. That one, he knows well, is starchy as hell, and that's great for survival.

Once he gets up to the hallway he lives in and puts the rest of the food away, it's about securing the place. Checking over windows that may be present to make sure there are no new cracks or hole. Checking the pile of dried leaves he gathered from the green-house and laid out on the floor to make something like a mattress mostly a barrier from the floor to maintain warmth, and making sure his little degree of personal items are still around.

After that he goes down the hall and starts cleaning up other rooms. More people might come, and you never know what space they'll want for themselves. And he hates doing nothing.

When all of that is done Tommy sleeps. At least, he tries to. His body doesn't like more than four hours of sleep, stupid being fast. Which means often in the darkness of the night and early morning, Tommy moves quietly through the halls, one hand on the nearest wall to keep himself going in a straight and predictable line. Hopefully he doesn't scare anyone or start a fight.



[OOC: Wildcard or other starters available on request. You can message me here, find me on plurk @ churbooseanon or discord at Churby#4290. Happy to take Tommy's TDMs canon unless you wanna choose otherwise except Billy, mostly because we changed up timing, hit me up on that one bro

Will do brackets but prefer prose.]

Comments

[unbearablynaive]

The Vision frowns, but it takes him a moment to gather his thoughts as to why that statement strikes him the wrong way.

Finally, he says, "A person is not a hero because of what they can do, Tommy. A hero is someone who uses what they have to do the right thing. If Steve Rogers were stripped of his abilities, he would still rescue a child from oncoming traffic. That is what makes him Captain America, not how many motorcycles he can benchpress."

(He thinks it's one. He's pretty sure it's one. It might actually be more than that.)

[doubled_speed]

The answer, Vision, at least in Tommy's world is two motorcycles. Mostly because that's how many Tommy can bench press and he's been told by hero nerds like Teddy that he's on par with Steve for physical strength.

"I don't know," Tommy shrugs, and he's about ready to wave Vision's suggestion off. "Could be that what they do matters too. And I'm not saying that normal humans can't too. Kate, she's a badass and she's only human. Hawkeyes are like that. But superheroes are what they can do."

And he needs that super because no one will let him be considered old enough to do anything else.

[unbearablynaive]

Yeah, that's entirely too many motorcycles. Physical strength could definitely come in handy, though.

"Well, I suppose that depends on the difference between a hero and a superhero; it's not quite so clear-cut in my version of Earth. Iron Man is the most famous and--arguably--popular of them all, and his powers are in his technology."

And then he splays his hands to show it's not that important to him. "Even so, you are still the fastest person here."

[doubled_speed]

It's not enough motorcycles and Tommy is ashamed of how small that number is. But Tommy does look testy at the idea of Iron Man being the most popular. Why can't they pick someone really cool, like... Well he doesn't know who their world has.

"Yeah, we've got different classifications back home. You've got your smart tech people, your just REALLY well trained people, your aliens, your mutants, your mutates... We've got tons. I think Spidey's pretty famous back home. But most of the Avengers are."

Still... Vision has a point, and Tommy smirks.

"Nice being the fastest on a planet for once."

[unbearablynaive]

Clearly Wanda is the coolest Avenger, but for some reason everyone's afraid of her. Probably their mammal brains.

He shakes his head ruefully, noting that he'd either be a smart tech people or...not given his own category. "We have only a handful, and almost all linked in one way or another to the Infinity Stones. If there are any full-time residents of Earth that are aliens, they're passing as human." Skrulls, probably. Thanks, declassified SHIELD data!

The Vision grins back and nods his head over to the next planter, which looks full of the massive potato-like tuber plants. "And to keep you fueled you prefer the starchy foods to those with high protein content, yes? We may have just the thing here." Cooking them sounds like someone else's problem, but--Wanda could probably help with that.

[doubled_speed]

"I'd put money on there being Skrulls on Earth somewhere. They get everywhere."

Like legos after a little kid has a bit of a tantrum. Not that Vision necessarily knows about them. He does consider Vision's question thoughtfully, though.

"So, like, I do need a good bit of protein to maintain my muscles. But starches burn quick, they're good for me functioning on a day to day basis. Basically I used to maintain a diet in the five digit calorie range, over multiple meals and snacks a day. Not saying I eat my body weight every day, but sorta close? Think of me like a hummingbird. Except I burn a lot of energy when I sleep."

No hibernation-like sleep for him. Maybe once, but his circumstances killed that. He burns too much in his sleep and is always ravenous in the mornings.

"But I'll eat just about anything."

[unbearablynaive]

"You're not wrong," he mutters. Skrulls could be very tricky, even if he thinks he's never met one himself. He's not sure, though. You can never be sure.

He nods; that makes sense, except for the burning energy quickly when he sleeps. Humans were supposed to be better at hibernating than that - but then, every mutant is different, according to Kitty, and he'd only ever known a few of them. Nothing like the sample size he'd need for any kind of reliable conclusions on how they work.

"The information from the data point is very useful, then. We'll have to find the legumes for protein, but the large tubers should be calorie-dense enough to sustain you if you feel too hungry."

He smiles, once again a bit rueful. "Although I cannot help with the taste of anything, I'm afraid; I don't experience it in the same way you do."

[doubled_speed]

The thing is, he's comparing himself to normal people. Sure, he doesn't burn as much when he's asleep as when he's awake, but it's still a thing. Hell, he even runs hotter than most people. Typically almost an additional five degrees over most people.

"Yeah, beans and noodles are the best thing ever. But mostly noodles with protein enriched tofu. Always worked for me."

Taste... Tommy shrugs. "I don't care about taste. I've never cared about it."

[unbearablynaive]

Better hope nobody thinks he has a fever before he can explain that.

"Tofu might be difficult without soy, but we'll see what we can do. There might be an equivalent we can make, once we have some proper kitchen supplies. Noodles only require a starch and something to pound and slice with." One of the good parts of cultures that take pride in their traditional food-making styles is that few of those techniques use anything with a lot of technology.

"Because it's more important to keep yourself fueled? Or because you had little choice?" The Vision works on one of the plants for a moment. "In the Fleet, we had unlimited food out of protein gel dispensers. Those who complained least were those from backgrounds where they never had enough food."

Tommy's skinny, okay? The Vision is concerned that it's not just because of his metabolism.

[doubled_speed]

Little choice. Tommy looks away nervously. This isn't something he wants to deal with. To explain. But damn if Vision wasn't... a bit more on the nose than he meant. And Tommy isn't all that skinny. His body is at it's peak now. No doubt he'll pick up a bit more muscle definition in the future, to take a bit more after Pietro. But he's picked up a lot of weight since he was last with his birth parents.

"I've been keeping myself fed back at home. I spend a good portion of my money on food. And the Kaplans always stuff me when I visit."

[unbearablynaive]

To be fair, he spends time with people like Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes and Thor, so. A skinny build mostly means he's not massive.

"I'm glad they do. And it will be a task to keep us all fed here, but--"

He spreads open his hands.

"I don't mind helping you find the best foods for your needs. It's a balance to my not needing to eat."

[doubled_speed]

Speedsters don't need to be brick walls. Though he is about as durable as one. And where Steve needs that bulk to lift nearly a ton, Tommy does it like he is. So there's definitely something to be said for the compression of his mutation.

Still, Tommy clearly seems a bit awkward on this topic. Like there's a lot to say, but he's not willing to say it. Which he isn't. He hasn't even talked to his twin about his birth parents and that situation.

"I mean, that seems like a fair trade. And given... given our relationship, it's only right for me to let you help. So yeah, whatever you can do will help. I'm doing my best not to use my speed much at all, to try and burn less."

And it's driving him up the walls.

[unbearablynaive]

If Tommy wants to talk to him about it, he will. If he doesn't, well, the Vision can come to his own conclusions. But if he's spending most of his money on food back home, it means he's not getting enough from the rest of his support system, and that's somewhere he can help here.

"Once we have the food situation settled, which should be soon, I don't see why you couldn't use your speed. It seems like a very useful ability, all told. I would just hate to see you overexert yourself. Is that something I should worry about?"

[doubled_speed]

The rest of what support system? He’s an emancipated adult that skipped out on the support offered by his twin’s parents when he couldn’t handle not being able to help Billy anymore.

Tommy looks around the greenhouse and looks ready to laugh. Settled? He thinks this will be settled soon? Good luck.

“I hope to be able to use it. Right now it’s a bit like I’m on crutches, held back like I am. Have to act like this around most people. I just usually have time to function at my own speed.”

He reads. Tell no one.

“I haven’t been pushed to the point of exhaustion in a while. I’ll be fine.”

[unbearablynaive]

The lack of support system? That's the problem right there. Not that the Vision knows any of it.

He hums thoughtfully. Soon is a relative measure, but he's sure they won't be the only ones that decide to use the agriculture data point. It's better than trying to rely on scavenging for food, at any rate.

"Would you say you need to do so at least a little every day to keep yourself functioning properly? Wanda finds sometimes that if she doesn't use her powers after a time they build up and cause her distress, so we try to allow her to use it in many small ways, or occasionally visit a deserted area and practice on a larger scale."

[doubled_speed]

Way to ask hard questions, Vision. Tommy crosses his arms over his chest and frowns severely at his almost-father.

“I’m not like Billy and Mom,” he admits, and isn’t it strange how readily he calls her that and yet he hasn’t referred to Vision as anything other than his name. Yet. Not that he’s called Wanda that to her face. “They’re energy and magic in a different way. They channel it from elsewhere. It pulls through them. Or does back home. Granted Billy went a LONG time without using it after an incident at home. But me?”

How can he explain this in a way another person can understand? And then he’s got it. Because maybe Vision is the only one in a long time who can.

“Your brain is sorta like a computer, right? You think many times faster than a human, right? Or you can choose to. Me? I am always running that fast mentally, except when I force myself to run and think slower. Which requires using up so much focus. Like I’m a computer that is using up all its RAM to deliberately run a game at five frames a second. Eventually that deliberate ratcheting down wears on the system something fierce. Speed isn’t just my name as a hero. It’s what I am. Captain Rogers can live without bending a metal table in half. Thor can live without carousing. Hawkeye can live without shooting things. I can’t live full time at a snail’s pace. Hell, I only sleep four hours out of every twenty.”

[unbearablynaive]

Yes, well, from everything he's heard the Wanda in Tommy's world has at least accepted them as her children, so of course he thinks of her as a Mom. The real question would be if he starts calling the Wanda that's here 'Mom' to her face without doing the same for the Vision.

That might hurt a bit.

But he nods along to what Tommy's saying, looking thoughtful. "So you sleep at an accelerated rate as well, and that's why you burn more energy than one might think," he muses. But for the more important question, he looks directly at Tommy, eyes sharply focused. "I do, yes; I have an algorithm for communicating at a human pace, and my musculature allows for only that. But data processing and, no borrow a phrase, texting, I can do at a rate that most humans perceive as instantaneous."

Once again he frowns at the lack of useable technology around. "And then you're probably limited by the input rate of the device you're using. Well, the moment we have some sort of digital access, I'll help make sure you can use it at a speed you're comfortable with, and then we can discuss Shakespeare inbetween eyeblinks."

[doubled_speed]

Listen, Tommy's trying to work out what term he could use for Vision that doesn't make things more awkward. Because 'father' is too impersonal, and 'Vizh' was what he called the Vision on their team who was young and a close friend of his. And 'Vision' was the guy that was his soul-father but not actually a good parent. 'Dad' or 'Pops' might work best, but... are they even close enough for Tommy to do that?

Has it been earned?

But his attention is more on the whole response his almost-dad has put together, frowning. Was it that he slept at an accelerated rate, or just that he didn't require nearly as much sleep because of the increased efficiency of his body?

"I'm not really sure if it's that? I mean, my body is super efficient. I don't need as much... well... It," he trails off, very awkward. And in the end, he's looking pretty much anywhere but at Vision when he finishes. "I rarely ever have to, you know, get wastes out of my body? I think I just work way better than humans do. So I burn more, but I use up way more of the resources my body takes in. And all that."

But then there's the other thing. Tommy pushes the shame aside and his eyes snap to Vision's. It's been a long time since he could talk to someone at his own rates. Possibly Vision can't keep up with all of the speed, but he could talk a bit faster. That won't drain his energy as much, and he could have someone understand. Sure they might have to record, slow down, and process, but Vision could do that easily. Can he help the brief look of hope? One that grows into a full on grin when Vision suggests there might be a way to upgrade a device to keep up with Tommy? He texts as fast as any system will let him input. And doing something deeper than that?

"Okay, it's official. You're definitely the cool parent right now."

[unbearablynaive]

He is so impressed that you don't end up with kidney stones, dude. Then again, who knows what kind of gut flora Tommy might have? Or how much of it is affected by the mutant gene, or latent magic from his soul-mom, or what. Too many questions, and not the right resources to answer them even if Tommy liked being experimented on. His curiosity will just have to wait.

Because that is a much more astonishing response, and he blinks twice before grinning slowly.

"It's a matter of access, that's all. If you could put up with a slower response time from me for a bit, we could test out your speech and see at what point I become incapable of processing it. It's true that my organic components are only capable of moving at a certain speed, but my synthetic components have a much higher rate of efficiency."

So, yeah. He could at least try to keep up.

[doubled_speed]

Oh, it's not the magic of the soul-mom. Because he knows Pietro was like this too, before losing his powers. Tommy's just better than human.

Really, though, is the response all the astonishing? Is it all that weird that Tommy looks about ready to bounce on the balls of his feet. There was just an implication that, if they ever find the tech for it, Vision is getting him a gift to more than make up for years of lack of Christmases. Or whatever other holiday. Birthdays? Whatever. The chance to communicate at speeds he actually thinks at? It's impossible. If nothing else because sound waves can only travel so fast. He can move his mouth as fast as he wants, but over a certain speed the words won't get anywhere any faster.

"Dude, you're trying. Which a lot of people don't bother with. Hell, even our teammate Vizh didn't think up half this stuff."

Mostly because he was working so hard and being human. And maybe he took his 30th century tech for granted.

[unbearablynaive]

See, his Pietro had been different. Slower. But without a real point of comparison - he'd also been newish to his powers, and the Vision had known him for less than a day - it's hard to tell what's unique to Tommy and what is a quality of Maximoff speedsters in general. (Also, from what little he's learned so far, he suspects the laws of physics function slightly differently in Tommy's home universe.)

One of the real turning points in his own life was when the Vision realized that his desire to be human was only a mask for a desire to be accepted. Maybe his other self had never learned that.

Maybe he'd forgotten it.

"Ah, well, the entire point of this survival exercise is to find unusual solutions for existing problems, is it not? Having different survival needs just means the solutions for you are going to necessarily be somewhat different than the solutions for Captain Rogers or Wanda or myself. Your comfort is just as important as anyone else's."

[doubled_speed]

Dude, Tommy couldn't even begin to talk about physics back home. Don't even bother asking.

Truth was, the Vision that Tommy knew, the one that wanted to be human? It wasn't his Dad. It was another Vision, of different tech and only fragments of his brain and the brainwaves of a teenaged boy from the future. Life is complicated, back in 616.

"People don't tend to care about my comfort. Which is fair, because they don't need to. I take care of myself. But I'm used to it in a world where I can do day jobs and temp work and buy take-out. This place definitely changes a lot of things I guess."

[unbearablynaive]

Most people can't talk physics. It gets depressing after a while.

Hey, life is complicated in MCU-verse, too. Just ask how many times Tony Stark is in the Vision's family tree.

"Until someone opens a take-out restaurant, yes. In fact, if you turn out to be halfway decent at making noodles, that someone could be you." You know, if they develop currency. He's still on the fence about whether or not that will happen.

But he takes a moment to respond to the other, more important, point.

"Did I tell you I was a starship captain, back in our Fleet? It was my responsibility to make sure all my crew were comfortable, whether that meant dietary restrictions or mediating with another passenger or, in one case, helping to build a surgical suite to fix her back injury." He looks over at Tommy again, almost bashfully. "You are a Maximoff, Tommy. That makes you my 'crew' here."

...Yeah, his ship had called him space dad.

[doubled_speed]

Well, teach him physics then. Not like Tommy isn't smart. After all, he is the son of a super computer. It was just that learning was hard between the ADD and then the boredom issues that came with high school when he still didn't have his powers under control.

He managed to finish his GED, covering two years of high school, in three weeks. He can manage it, if he's got a reason.

But the thing is, Tommy looks away from his 'father' in shame.

"I'm not a Maximoff. I'm not even a Kaplan. I'm a Shepherd. There's sorta a difference. I was a Maximoff once, but that was literally another life."

[unbearablynaive]

Honestly, if Tommy sleeps as little as all that? He probably will. Gotta do something while everyone else is asleep. Especially if they can figure out texting. He has a lot of time between when Wanda falls asleep and the little bit of rest he requires.

"We are in another life here, Tommy. I know your brother's here as well and I've no doubt he has his own opinions, but the only one here who is going to decide who you are is you."

He thinks Tommy might not buy it, not yet. But sometimes it's important to get the ideas out there, even if they're not ready to be accepted yet. "Of course, I don't have a surname to offer you, as I am only a Maximoff by marriage and association. But then, I've also no reason to think being a Shepard is any different from a Kaplan."