selfhelp | [Voice/Action]

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[Okay, so. Post-draft, he's given himself a few days of seclusion and bed-rest (apparently being infected with a zombie virus is exhausting), and even Billy can freely admit to himself that he's been pretty depressed lately, a fact for which he feels no shame considering that depression was well and truly earned. One can only spend so much time fretting, moping, and dwelling on one's own misery for so long, however, and today? He's decided that enough is enough. Billy will be going out today, limping around the village and visiting the people who were on the draft whose fate he's still uncertain of. The ones he can't find or has no reason to actually visit, he'll check with a light location spell, and he'll spend a few hours at Seventh Heaven people-watching out the window while he doodles in a book that Teddy had given him containing a series of patterns (much like this) that resemble inkblogs, and bit by bit Billy's turning them into something like this instead. It's been a tiring week, though, so you could always catch him napping on the table, instead.

At some point he'll attempt to find Peter, and when both a location spell and a teleport fails, he tries to teleport to the apartment he'd been staying at instead, finding it almost completely emptied. All he manages to dig up is a small cartridge that, after a moment of scrutiny, he identifies as a web fluid cartridge. His fanboyish glee at the discovery is tempered by the fact that the empty apartment means one more piece of bad news.

After his visits and window-watching is done, he'll return home to make the announcement, along with one more message-]

Hey out there... just wanted to let his friends know that Peter Parker went home. So... sorry. Yeah.

[Locked to Loki]

...We still on for tomorrow, or do you want to take a break? Because... you know. [Draft. Awfulness all around. He wouldn't blame Loki if he wanted to take a week off.

Later on in the evening he'll be over at Ben's barbeque, if anyone wants to bother him while he's there.]

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[Rogue shook her head.]

I wouldn't have made it on my own.

[Not anywhere near in time.]

It was a team effort.

[She does not accept your thanks. What happened was yours by right, now deal with it. 8|]

And I'm going to thank everyone who helped, when I can. But you're the first.

[He gives her a steady look, scrutinizing her expression.]

You know you saved me, right?

[Eyebrows up.]

Pretty sure you've got the wrong gal. Leastways goin' by the journal, it's this guy who looks kinda like a fish.

He helped make the cure, yeah. I owe him one, too.

[He has a lot of people to thank- he's well aware of that fact.]

But you came to get me, even knowing I'd changed. I could've died if it wasn't for you- and worse, I could've killed Teddy. It's because of you that we both made it back safe.

[Rogue shook her head again.]

I told you - that's what we do.

[X-Men come for their own.

She's just sorry that it hadn't been fast enough.]

...Yeah, about that. I hope you're aware of how much I completely spazzed when you said that. I'm pretty sure Teddy thought I was getting zombified right then and there.

[He pauses, and then adds, somewhat cautiously-]

Seriously, though?

[Her eyebrows went up.]

Seriously what?

[Because she wasn't going to just go talking out of her bum here and there were two things she could think Billy might be referring to.]

You know... [He fidgets, shuffling from one foot to the other again, then finally just blurts it out-] "One of our own"?

[Oh.]

Yeah.

[She gives him a smile that, if she were anyone else, would be accompanied by a hand on his shoulder.

...heck, she does it anyway, if briefly, so it's more of a pat than a hold.]

It's a standin' offer for mutants, ya know. Kinda drafted you, unless ya want out.

[If the touch on his shoulder surprises him, he doesn't let it show; instead, a big smile finally crosses his lips, probably answer enough to the very idea of wanting out.]

Isn't the whole point of a draft that you can't get out of it?

[Rogue propped one hand on her hip and sighed at him in mostly mock exasperation.]

You're gonna argue semantics with me while I'm givin' you a chance ta get out of trainin' sessions with Wolverine?

I like semantics. Semantics are important. And Wolverine is terrifying.

[He shrugs his shoulders, leaning on the counter.]

Seriously though, I'm... honoured, really. I can't deny that the thought's crossed my mind a few times, even back home. The X-Men always seemed like such a tight-knit team... I really admired that.

[She smiles a little, some of that rare softness showing.]

We are. Bein' an X-Man, it's like bein' a family. When the whole world's against you... [She shrugged a little.] ya take what you can get.

[That was, as near as she could pick out from what she'd heard, the main difference between the X-Men, The Fantastic Four, and the Avengers. Everyone still hated and feared mutants. While the other superhero teams were admired.]

Well, I'll take it. Even if it comes hand in hand with training with Wolverine. I won't die horribly, will I?

[Teddy would probably take offense to that. But hey, at least he's had some training already- not like he'll be starting from scratch.

And don't think he didn't see that little softness there, Rogue. HE IS PLEASED.]

If ya do die, it's 'cause it's for your own good. [A short pause.] You can bring Teddy if ya want. [A quick grin.] Heh, an' Tommy. Maybe I'll get a bunch of red bows an' stick 'em on your head. Logan's been goin' stir crazy.

[And one hand came up and rubbed over her heart.]

...Red... bows?

[Should he not ask? That sounds like one of those "I don't want to know" things.

Red bows.

...Oh, right.]

Are we Christmas presents now?

[And what's up with the chest-rubbing? Should he be concerned?]

For me, maybe. Ya don't wanna know what it's like bein' the only one he's gotta train. [She assessed Billy quickly and then lowered her voice a little to show that she was being serious.] It'd probably do ya good. Though I won't lie - it'll be terrifyin'. But he knows how ta program stuff to challenge your powers.

[After all, they'd all had to run reality-warped sims once Wanda had kicked their collective ass.]

[He considers that for a moment, giving it the sort of consideration that a tone that serious deserves. He's been challenged a few times since he arrived here - drafts, missions, various battles - but not nearly as much as he had back home. Truth be told, he's probably been slacking off.]

However it goes, I'm sure I'll learn a lot... I'm looking forward to it.

[A genuine smile.]

Good. I'll let him know you're interested.

[And then she crossed her arms under her chest.]

Maybe you can put your new magic lessons ta good use.

[Eyebrows up.]

[Aaaand that launches him right into panic mode, though he does try to hide it. Loki told her? He wasn't supposed to tell anyone!]

Wh- magic lessons? Who said anything about that?

[...oh good Lord, child. Rogue frowned at that. She does not like being lied to. So she enunciated very carefully so that Billy could get a good look at the hole he was in.]

The guy who came around after we rescued ya, claimin' to me an' Teddy that he had a promise ta keep.

[He has a feeling he's been pretty much one-hundred-percent caught, but he can't help resisting a little longer anyway.]

...I asked him to kill me if I changed. I didn't want to risk hurting or killing anyone else... I couldn't stand it if that happened.

[Not that it had really helped with Teddy, but at least no one had died by his hand.]

Uh-huh.

[Rogue is a dangerous person. She was born that way, honed into a weapon, trained to fight. She has a short temper and can hold a cold grudge. She's dangerous when she's yelling, running headlong into a fight. But she is most dangerous in those moments when she goes completely still. It's hard to see, hard to watch for, but if you know her well, the tells are there in the tilt of her head, the hardness of her eyes, the way that she stands. And that stillness is what passed over her face now. She made up her mind. Shook it off.

Her voice was quiet.]

I think you an' I need ta have a little talk about that. I'll go lock up, if you wanna have a seat.

[...Well. Settles that, doesn't it. He opens his mouth to fight it, reconsiders, shuts his mouth again, then shuffles over to sit down in the nearest chair with a quiet huff.

It was bound to come out eventually, he just- ugh. Ugh. He'd been hoping it would be different than this.]

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