revivalproject | I didn't mean for it to happen

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I didn't mean for it to happen

WHO: Billy, Tommy, Bucky/The Soldier, OTA
WHERE: Temba, YA House
WHAT: The aftermath
WHEN: Early June
WARNINGS: TBD

The Return & What Follows (for Tommy)

Billy screamed, and the world dissolved. The Shadow had shielded him from the worst of it, assaulted by those memories in a non stop barrage for however long they were in there, but now he remembered it all. He dimly registered he was back in his calibration room, hoping he'd managed to release the others before he collapsed heavily onto the floor. He shouldn't have been able to perform that level of magic here. And whatever had allowed it abruptly cut it off with his return, utterly drained from the experience.

He was unconscious, in and out of nightmares for days before he finally jolted awake in a cold sweat, practically tumbling from the bed in his race to the bathroom to retch.

What had he done?

Avoidance [OTA]

Even after he awoke, Billy didn't want to leave the house. He was ashamed and scared, and used the excuse of resting for far longer than was true.

A few faces managed to hunt him down there, and it wasn't like Billy could turn them away, eventually relenting and breaking down a few of those barriers.

After that it was a little easier to venture out. It took a few smaller outing before he was able to get as far as the Hospital, but there at least he could focus on work.

(For Bucky/The Soldier)

Billy knew he probably wanted to stay hidden away as much as he did right now, but after what they'd been through together in the other world, he trusted the man to help him with this. Tommy and the others would refuse, but he was confident Bucky would understand. And he needed to apologize.

His magic was still weak, but it led him to the general location where he was meant to be. Billy couldn't quite meet his eye when he found him, swallowing thickly and looking uncomfortable.

"...Hey. Could we talk?"

Apology- Network- Text

I can't begin to make up for what I put you all through this last month. I had no right, and I'm so sorry you all got caught up in this mess.

I know that doesn't begin to make it right.

They did something to me. Like Calibrations...but worse. I don't know how. And I'm not trying to make excuses for what I did but- I'm scared they'll do it again. To any of us. I thought people should know.

Threaded | Flat

When they'd settled back into everything, Tommy had acted immediately. He still hurt, he was still shaken, and he was very upset that his memories of what had happened were intact. But there was something more important to do. He looked around, and when he didn't see his brother, he bolted off at full speed to find his twin.

He found Billy unconscious in the calibrations room, and he scooped his brother up delicately. Given the situation he walked out at human speeds, moving through people and refusing to regard any of them. Any that might come close were pushed past with a tiny burst of speed.

It took a while, but he brought Billy back to their home and laid him in their bed, and waited. Sometimes he left to get them food or do work, but he was never gone longer than twenty minutes. Well, except for a long conversation with Kyle rather early on.

But when Billy awoke, Tommy was there, watching silently until he heard his brother being sick. Tommy followed slowly, moving to kneel next to his brother and rub his back.

Billy hadn't been one that Cayde had set out to immediately track down. After all that, he doubted the kid would want to see anyone. But he wasn't about to let that space stretch for too long. Even that could be dangerous grounds.

The Hunter maaaay have caught the kid on his earlier forays back into the world, but he let him be. Didn't want to spook him. At least, not intentionally. Unfortunately Cayde had a habit of flashy if not just abrupt entrances.

So hopefully he didn't scare Billy too bad when he suddenly appeared upside-down in a window of the hospital one day, peeking in, the rest of his ragged cape hanging down past him.

[Wherever he is, it's somewhere dark, or at least dim, because there are only a few faint shapes and shadows in the background. Drake looks worse than he feels because of the stark light of the communicator washing out his face and making the shadows under his eyes stand out. His expression is...controlled. And his voice is quiet and even.]

Was that you, then? Or someone using you?

Of course Tommy had acted faster than any of the rest of them could think, and was carrying Billy through the crowd like a saint before Tony had fully managed to catch his breath, feeling like he had been slowly choked for weeks then unprepared for the sudden release. He was still holding his heaving chest, no metal chestplate between his heart and his hand, as he watched the twins go down the hall toward the sunlight. Tommy's reaction would have been far more erratic if Billy was dead, right?

He certainly wouldn't be guarding the house several hours later when Tony turned up with his best effort; a strange, little instrument like a ukulele or lute, with a brassy twang that resonated in its tin body. Billy wasn't exactly a natural with the guitar, but he had looked at it like it was a magic wholly inaccessible to him, which Tony hadn't thought was possible. Maybe something that felt so outside of himself would help.

The reminder that Tommy was there, alone with Billy in what felt like a sickhouse, brought Tony back again a considerably longer time after the first delay. He had evidently been working on something much more complicated than a tonally balanced musical instrument when he returned. It still wasn't to invite himself in, very aware that his skills were not in the kind of problem solving that would help this house, but that hadn't stopped him from attempting to cook. Ostensibly, so Tommy wouldn't be obligated to do this job he had given himself, so he could focus on the bigger one, but the casserole dish could not immediately be described as 'inviting'. Perhaps 'questionably edible'. Definitely scorched.

It took a little while for Cobb to figure out where Billy was hiding. He was still rebuilding houses and helping out where he was needed but in the back of his mind this was something he just kept thinking about. A few subtle questions and he got an answer one day. Some folks saw Billy around the hospital.

He brought a bottle of spotchka and two cups with him. He hadn't been to the hospital yet. Kind of avoided it honestly. Had some bad memories about 'medical treatments'. This was important though so he sucked it up.

"Hey," he said when he found Billy in one of the fixed up rooms. "You look like a man who could use a break."

He held up the bottle. "You wanna drink?"

It's okay. It wasn't your fault, and it's okay.

Do you need anything?

[Din's had time to cool out, to think clearer after everything that happened. He still doesn't feel like being seen by many, after being 'seen' by so many. But he also doesn't feel like this should be done over text. He'd rather hear it.]

I don't think it was your fault. But I still want to hear your side of it, kid. [Basically: what hell happened?] If you're up for it.

I'm not mad. If someone hurt you, I'm worried about them hurting you or someone else more, too.

Can I come by? Do you like cats? I made friends with a tooka kitten on Coruscant. They're a little bigger than Earth domestic cats, but the same basic idea. I can ask Dabble if she wants to come and meet someone new. She doesn't really like being HELD but she likes to cuddle up next to people.

[ Jon remains bad at texting, but he’s also still worried enough about Billy. ]

Billy... How are you doing?

[ Priorities. ]

I... I don’t blame you. I should have figured this out. What happened. So I could have... Helped you. But instead...

[ He trails off. This isn’t about him. ]

Do you need anything? Do you want to talk, maybe? I mean-

I’m glad we’re all back here again.

The Soldier wasn't what one would call social at the best of times. After having the world around them rewritten — having his very memories overwritten — he definitely didn't much desire to be around anyone at all. He definitely possessed the skills to keep it that way too. Maybe his most recently chosen hideaway wasn't the most comfortable but that hardly mattered; it was secure and defensible. He didn't need more than that.

Except when he did and it brought him out to forage around the ruined parts of the city. At least the weather was decent enough this time.

And he should have expected that Billy would seek him out he supposed, in time if not right away. Something twisted up in his head about it but this wasn't a conversation to avoid by walking away. As it was Billy looked miserable; making him feel worse seemed unnecessarily cruel.

Even so, he definitely didn't have the social skills of his time in that world, and the pause was a little too long. Finally he jerked his head in the general direction of a half collapsed building, an invitation to follow. It wasn't much different from other half collapsed buildings, but the interior at least offered some privacy and a place to sit.

If Billy would follow, of course. That remained to be seen.

I wish I could say its all right.

But I know it wasn't your fault.

Kid. Don't torture yourself over this.

You didn't do it on purpose. I know you wouldn't have done any of it if you'd known. This isn't on you.

Clarice knew Billy worked at the hospital, and she gave him a few days after she saw his blanket apology on the network before going to seek him out. She held a small metal box in her hands - she'd brought back spices from Coruscant in it, but the jars were now on a shelf, and the box was no longer needed. It was, however, the perfect size for another purpose.

"Hey, Billy," she said with a soft smile and a wave of greeting. "Came to see if you could help me turn this into a medkit for the diner. You know, burn ointment, bandaids, that sort of thing. In case of emergencies."

Billy, I am aware I am new in this place and a stranger to you beyond what you taught me of this device. However, I offer myself as someone to listen to. I believe I was not nearly as hurt or upset by that place as others may have been, already displaced as I was.

And perhaps you might wish to speak to someone of your magic, for that was quite the spell. I offer myself on that as well.

Threaded | Flat

no subject

unavoidable

[Network Video]

this might be for both Tommy and Billy, or just leave it

Avoidance