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

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.

Maybe we just have to wait for Luceti to do its thing and make you all kids?

[He's... joking. Mostly.]

[That earns a brief moment of abject horror on Clint's part. At least Billy can't see his expression.]

Yeah, I think I'll pass on that one. I'm pretty sure I was an idiot as a kid.

[Or at least helpless which was a million times worse.]

[/lolol]

Isn't it kind of a rule that all kids have to be idiots sometimes?

There is that. I just see now reason to repeat the experience since I'm obviously so much wiser and smarter now.

Oh, obviously.

[He's only thinking back to all the incredibly intelligent things your other-world counterpart has done.

It's probably a short list.]