selfhelp | [Action] Fourth Wall

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[Action] Fourth Wall

BILLY KAPLAN will be either a) flying/teleporting around or b) wandering through the chaos just wondering what the hell is going on; he's never seen this in Luceti before, and it's definitely something to look at. He'll be watching for familiar faces, definitely, or just poking at interesting-looking people.

EDWARD ELRIC is, surprise! Back from his kidnapping. Sort of. Temporarily. And he's trying to get himself home, but who knows what he'll run into on the way... eh-heh.

ASCH is in Good Spirits, mostly unruffled because he's been through like five years of this madness and refuses to get his feathers ruffled. But he will anyway, because he's like that. You might catch him outside as well, if he decides he's had enough and tries to drown himself in the lake or something. (This is entirely possible.)

[ooc: please put who you want to ping in the subject line or something, this is a catch-all! And Ed's just back for 4th Wall, his real return will be a few days after this. |Db]

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[You know, when you have a superhero for a son, you come to expect a lot of strange things happening. Like your apartment being blown up by a Skrull and suddenly having two adopted sons.

Being whisked away to a place that's the complete opposite of New York wasn't quite on Rebecca's list of Strange Things to Expect. And so she wanders, occasionally covering her mouth with her fingers at some of the more unusual guests of this village (though, really, if this had been before her life got Stranger, she would've reacted with much more shock), but mostly just wishing she had her notepad. Think of all the things she could learn by just talking to some of these people and analyzing what they say...

And, of course, she's trying to find a way back. But it's a little hard to do so when no one else knows what's going on here.]

[Speaking of sons, her eldest is flying above her, scanning the crowd, when he spots her from above. At first he freezes in place, eyes wide, stunned. No. No way. No way.

And then he drops to the ground, hurrying to catch up with her, already reaching out. It's been so long.]

Mom!

[Rebecca doesn't generally look to the skies, or she'd see her son already. But when she hears his voice, she doesn't mistake it for any other. She could pinpoint it in a large crowd.

And that's something to take pride in, considering this is a large crowd. Her head lifts and her hand drops from her mouth, putting her study of what seems to be a brightly colored, talking pony to heed Billy's call.]

Billy?

[She turns, and - yes, there he is. Honestly, she only saw him a few hours ago, but she still visibly relaxes and smiles as she makes her way towards him. At least she knows where her child is this time.]

Billy!

[It's been like ten months for him, not a few hours, so it might come as some surprise to her when as soon as she's within reach he pulls her into an uncomfortably tight embrace. He has Teddy in Luceti, yes, and he's been a freaking godsend, but that doesn't mean he hasn't missed his family every single day.]

I can't believe you're here...

[Well.

She wasn't quite expecting such an embrace, no. Or even a hug at all, but here she is, pulled in tight enough to hurt.

Goodness, every time this happens, Rebecca has to marvel over how tall Billy's gotten.

The most important thing, however, is the fact that Billy's acting like he hasn't seen her in a long time and, related to that, has been here for a long time. Which doesn't make sense, but she still lifts her hands, one to wrap around his back and the other to card through his hair in a soothing fashion.]

Frankly, I can't believe I'm here either. Or you.

[And while Rebecca would like to step back to look Billy in the eye, it looks like he needs to hold her a little longer. So, she moves one hand to grip his shoulder and keeps the other in his hair.]

Just where is "here"? [Please don't tell her it's a teleportation spell gone wrong.]

[He really doesn't want to let go; a part of him is terrified that this is some stupid dream, or a trick of the Malnosso, or something else out to maliciously break his heart, because that's really been his luck lately. But she feels so real in his arms that eventually it's enough to reassure him into pulling back to get a look at her.

She's okay. Confused, but okay. And he already feels better.]

It's- god, I don't even know how to explain it. It's crazy, it's not even Earth, and we've all got-

[He pauses, noticing something strange- or rather, belatedly recalling what he hadn't noticed while he hugged her. He peers over her shoulder, eyes widening.]

...You don't have wings.

[Not Earth? It's hard to hold back an exclamation at that alone, but she is a psychologist. It's something of a specialty to listen, hear someone out and not interrupt regardless of what they say.

But his next statement is a little more disconcerting. Her surprise over being in a world that isn't Earth is coupled with an arching frown.]

Wings? Billy, what on Earth are you talking about? [She takes his chin in her hand and looks him in the eyes, as if searching for an answer in them. With her attention completely on his face, she hasn't noticed the fact that there are a couple of additions to his shoulders that really shouldn't be there.] Have you been sleeping enough? You know what studies have shown about lack of sleep. It can ruin your concentration and your sense of reason.

[Billy furrows his brows at her, zoning out during the psychology mumbo-jumble to try and give her situation a good pondering first. Everyone has wings when they come here. Everyone. It's kind of a rule. At the very least a standard. Why are these people different? Why is his mom with them? It has to mean something, but he has no idea what.

Instead of answering her question - because a picture really is worth a thousand, and he's certain she'll have a few to say about this - he just lifts his cape aside and turns his body just enough to show off the little blue jay wings he's been sporting since he got here.]

[...Oh. That explains quite a lot.

For a moment, Rebecca is shocked enough to be speechless. Her hand covers her mouth again, and she nearly takes a step back and away. Had it been anyone else, she might have. But this is Billy, her son, with wings on his back, and she's certain he didn't just decide that he wanted them there.

There's a small pause before her free hand runs down one of the wings, then pulls away, only to take his shoulder and turn him to face her, the motion somehow gentle yet firm.]

Explain. [There isn't any bite to the phrase, like there would be if he'd stayed out past his curfew before Teddy came to live with them, just pure concern. Not on Earth, wings on her son's back- it's a bit much.]

[His poor mother. She's taking it better than he expected, which is a pleasant surprise, but then again, his mother is nothing but thick-skinned. She'd dealt with his super-heroing, his boyfriend being an alien, and him having a magical speedy soul-twin all in the same weekend.

Really, he gave her grief sometimes (a lot) but he has one incredible mom. Okay, two now.

He lets his cape fall back into place, pointing in the direction of the plaza area.]

Um- first we should get you out of the snow, this isn't really a great place to talk. And it could take a while.

[Honestly his first impulse is to teleport them to the restaurant or something, but... he's not sure if she'd be okay with that. Maybe they could fly...?]

Yes... Some place quiet would be best.

[And warm, seeing how she's in a plain button-up blouse and a skirt. Rebecca holds her arms and lets out a huff of a sigh, very, very tempted to pinch the bridge of her nose. She only resists because she's cold, and because there are other things on her mind, like this whole wings business.

Lead the way, however you want to lead, Billy.]

[He takes note of her clothes, the way she's hugging herself in the cold, and the windchill he feels on his own exposed skin. Yeah, it's way too cold for this, even if it isn't that much of a walk.

What's the worst she could do, say no?]

...Do you want to- I mean- I could fly us there?

[He's still not sure how really feels about the whole superpowers thing, but... no time like the present?]

Fly? [It sounds like she doesn't quite know what he means, not until a few seconds later, when she remembers that he can fly.

In truth, Rebecca has mixed feelings about her son's powers. On one hand, it's kind of scary. Him being a hero without registering is the reason why he was locked away with no guarantee of a return during that horrible war, why she wonders if she's going to see him again when he's doing his job, and why he'll sometimes be somewhere she never imagined any of them could ever be.

On the other hand, his power is a part of who he is now, and she'd be a terrible mother if she didn't accept some part of him that he can't help. Not only that, but he's using it to be productive, to do some good in the world. That, plus Teddy being around, she's sure, is the reason why he doesn't seem as depressed anymore. And how can she not be happy and proud about something like that?

So, she smiles.]

I would like that. Just don't go too fast. Such erratic movement could lead to an unsettled stomach.

[She's still not really used to the fact that her son can fly, but might as well see how he does it. ~~And see if he does so safely, it'll show her if he truly deserves a car or not later in life~~]

[His eyes widen at first, before he eases into a more astonished smile, pleasantly and somewhat shyly surprised that she'd agreed. Explaining his powers (and the whole Young Avengers thing) had been difficult enough after they'd rescued Teddy from the Super Skrull, nevermind attempting to give the full experience.

Now? Now he gets the chance to fly with her, something he's only really done with Teddy so far. A chance to show off what he can do and- maybe she'll like it. It's not as if she's never praised him - the psychological studies had ever been on his side in that regard, and at the core Rebecca Kaplan really was a fantastic mother whether she was annoying about it or not - but this is his talent. Something naturally his, the way academic success never could be.

And it's exciting to share.]

It'll be the smoothest ride you've ever had, I promise.

[He offers his hand out to her, blue energy flaring between the fingers of the other, making him hover gently above the ground.]

[Rebecca, at first, hesitates and watches the glow between his fingers; she'd heard of his powers and seen pictures and clips from the news, but had never actually seen it herself. And now she gets to experience it firsthand. Traveling by plane has you buckled in on a large, mostly safe enclosure that's guaranteed to be smooth. She isn't sure what it'll be like to fly with just one other person guiding the way.

But she trusts and loves her son unconditionally, so her hesitation, a natural response to someone who isn't used to magic beyond whimsical stories that her sons would read and dream up, is soon brushed aside, and she reaches out to take his hand.]

A promise I'll hold you to, young man.

[She gets something of a cheeky half-smile at that, as he lets the power of his magic spread to surround her as well, effortlessly pulling her up into the air with him. After that it's just a matter of floating gently in the direction of the plaza, pulling her along with him.]

See? It's easy. Just don't let go, okay?

[Not that he'd ever, ever drop her, but he'd rather not risk losing her.]

[She lets out a rather embarrassing squeak once she's lifted in the air with seemingly no effort at all, and her free hand moves up to cover her mouth, the other holding her son's hand tightly. It's not quite that she's afraid of falling, or that she fears heights more than the average civilian, but with no concept of something catching her if she falls over than Billy's hand? It's a bit much to swallow, even with them floating gently like this.

But she does not ask to be let down, or protests in any other way. She does, however, decide to hold his hand with both of her own, and her eyes are trained to the ground rather than what's ahead of them.]

Y-Yes, because I surely would let go if you didn't warn me. [Well. Perhaps that's where Billy got his sharp sarcastic tongue from.]

[He snorts quietly at that, tugging her up a little closer to him, just in case. He's not taking any chances with his mother in the sky with him; it's been a long time since he's had to fly anyone, since Teddy can fly on his own now.]

Careful, Mom. Suicidal inclinations are big warning signs of a less-than-ideal home life.

[See, he even listens to what you say sometimes. Token snark returned, though, he gives her hand a light squeeze.]

Look forward, not down. The sky's nice this time of day.

Well, it's good to know I'm being listened to.

[The sentence is a little more forceful than intended, if only because oh god, still staring at the ground, yep this is still the most unstable and probably dangerous thing she's ever agreed to.

But when he tells her to look forward, it's... admittedly a lot harder than she thought, because there's a comfort in not seeing the ground rushing up at them. She has a strong will, though, so she shuts her eyes, tilts her head up, and then looks.

And... wow. He's right. without all the buildings and trees in the way, it's... rather nice, this view. Certainly not something she'd ever see in New York, not unless she looked up a nature documentary on Youtube.]

Oh, Billy...

[And slowly, very cautiously, she lets one of her hands loosen from its death grip and lets her arm spread to the side. She's still tense, but at least she's not just clinging to her boy anymore.]

Is this what it's always like for you? [It's half out of genuine curiosity, and half to poke at his talent, as a mother/psychologist ought to.]

[He looks back at her as she speaks the second time, pausing and slowing down mid-flight to watch her surprise. There's really nothing quite like a first time in the sky; he remembers his own, and then, later, Teddy's. And he's sure they've all shared this look: wonder, surprise, the beginnings of delight overcoming fear. Humans weren't really meant to fly, so it's that much more magical when they do.

So he grins, because this isn't something he ever thought he'd share with his family.]

Every time.

[Which is a lie, of course- sometimes they're fighting super villains or running for their lives, and there's no time to stare out at the horizon and wonder at how cool or beautiful or amazing it all is. But it's never boring, never mundane. Flight is still his favourite part of having magic.]

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[Action] Fourth Wall

WHO ELSE

/muffled screaming

/pulls into arms there there

abuhbuhbuh all the feels

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