selfhelp | [voice/written/action]

Hey, ah... Vision - I mean, Jonas - of the Young Avengers got sent home. Sorry, if you knew him.

[Why is he always full of bad news? Ugh... let’s try to be less depressing for a while.]

There’s something else I wanted to talk about today: since I got here almost a year ago I’ve noticed how there’s this huge range of cultural norms across the multiverse- which makes sense, different worlds have different standards, I get it. People who are accepted in one world aren’t tolerated in another. Luceti’s kind of an anomaly, where there’s really not much, if any prejudice. I mean, there’s the whole Malnosso versus Us mentality, but that’s because of what they do, not what they are. Basically what I’m saying is that I think that’s great, and I want to do my part to keep encouraging that universal acceptance here for the people who might not be able to get it back where they come from, open up discussions to people who might not be sure about who or what they are, um...

Okay, this is a really roundabout way of saying I want to start an LGBT club. If you don’t know what that means, here’s a breakdown:

[Below is a jotted list-

L = Lesbian = girls attracted to girls
G = Gay = guys attracted to guys
B = Bisexual = guys and girls attracted to BOTH guys and girls
T = Transgender = People who feel like they were born in the body of the wrong gender (or genderfluid)
*Q = Questioning = Anyone not sure about the above or if they apply

And then it returns to voice.]

Those are really oversimplified, and there's still a lot of other words people use to define themselves, but you get the gist of it. I’d really like to meet up with anyone who matches any those descriptions, or feels like they might, or are just curious about it. I’m gonna put up some posters with suggested meeting times and places, but if you have any questions or just want to talk about it, you can use the journal (it’s okay to be anonymous!) or come right to the school. I’ve got a table set up and I’ll be here pretty much all day. I don't know if this is going to go anywhere, but it's worth a shot, right?

One last thing- we’re looking to make this a safe place, so if you plan to come just to make fun of people: we have a Hulk.

[And true to his word, Billy will be at the school, curled up in a chair at a plain table littered with papers. He’s designing posters and doodling various symbols to use for logos. Come bother him if you like?]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Any time, Billy.

It's normal. It's just not commonplace. Way I see it, there's enough crap in the world without making anyone feel bad for trying to be happy.

Good way to look at things. I wish more people were like that. Across the universe, even- not just back home.

It is getting better, though. Even if it takes way too long to get anywhere.

Life's too short.

Anything worth having always takes a long time to achieve. But it'll come.

It's just not easy for those of us with no patience for the bull.

There is that, yeah. That is a very big part of why I didn't get involved in politics.

Y'know, besides no money, no legal identity and a criminal record. Those probably wouldn't help any.

...No, probably not. And here I thought being too young to do much was a deterrent, but at least I'll grow out of that one.

It's one of the things everyone can be sure of.

I mean, normally anyway. Who knows what it's like for some of the people here.

There's always some exceptions- I mean, Vision, the guy who just went home? He was technically a de-aged robot. Kind of.

That's... quite an exception there, Billy.

Trust me, you don't know the half of it.

[He's not even bringing up the fun part about Vision apparently being is robo-reincarnated soul dad. Now that's fun.]

Oh, i'm not sure I even want to know the other half. My life is weird enough already.

You're probably better off for it. Everything about my universe is kind of weird in one way or another.

So similar and yet so different. It's fascinating. And kind of terrifying.

I'm kind of jealous of you guys. So much of the universe that you haven't experienced yet! Everything's so new.

Well, I'm glad you're thrilled about it. We're just muddling through as best we can.

Well, it's a good thing. That's what makes a team bond the most.

Trial by fire. You shatter or you get stronger. Yeah, I've seen it before.

Hey, it's how the Young Avengers got as good as we are.

...Not that we're, you know, great, but we do okay. Better than how we started.

Everyone has to start somewhere. Some people I beat down as raw recruits ended up being the best Agents we have.

In other words, we just need training?

I wish our Avengers thought about it that way.

Hell, i didn't think about it that way when I was learning the bow. Don't worry.

Sorry, sorry. It's just kind of disheartening when your idols don't think you can do it, you know?

I do understand their reasons, though.

I can't really comment for them. We're not them. But maybe it's not so much they don't think you can do it as that they don't think you should have to do it.

I've been in this life since I was fifteen or sixteen. I wouldn't wish my childhood on anyone.

Mm.

[Seriously, how does he argue with that? Thinking back on what he and Teddy have been through since the whole thing started, it's not like he doesn't have his share of regrets, either.]

I'm not really disagreeing - I'm sure they had their reasons and their own problems - but the whole reason we even got together in the first place is to do what the Avengers wouldn't do.

[Namely, help Nate fight Kang the Conqueror.]

Well, if you think you did the right thing, and you can live with your choice, then that's what's gonna stick in the end.

I can guarantee they were probably exactly the same at your age.

[Voice]

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