![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
[Action / Voice] House of M Follow-Up
[So... he's probably delayed this long enough, even if a part of him would love to delay it indefinitely. Not only is it a month overdue, but now that he's home again and fully recovered from whatever had been affecting his mind, putting it off any further will just make things more difficult. Frightened as he is of the consequences, he won't get anywhere if he keeps hiding. It's time to apologize for the damage his spell caused, and make things right... if he can.
First, Billy seeks out those he knows personally, friends or acquaintances whom he remembers being affected or involved. Whether they're people he hasn't spoken to since the spell was in place, or people who visited him while he was possessed and halfway out of his mind, he'll try to be as thorough as possible. Teddy accompanies him from place to place, bless him, and they can be found walking hand-in-hand through the village and talking quietly, though Billy will be speaking with the people he's looking for on his own. Teddy's there for moral support, nothing more; the rest is his responsibility.
After those visits, presumably the hard part is over, but there's one thing left to do - reach out to those he couldn't find, missed, or simply doesn't know, as well as the general populace who'd probably noticed strange things going on at the time. They deserve to know about... well. To put it bluntly, the menace to society that he can be. Not that he'd give that reason out loud. Certain people would take issue with it.
They'd be wrong, but.
This time, he uses the journal network, his voice tentative, worried, and sick with guilt, and it happens later in the evening:]
...Hey... it's Billy. Um, Kaplan. I'm kind of a witch. You might not know me. Sorry if you do. ...Last month, October 1st, I was sent back from a Malnosso abduction... kind of a mess. I wasn't thinking straight, and... I cast a spell. It... it screwed with a lot of people. Badly. I don't know the full extent of the damage it caused, or how far it went, but- I do know that- people were hurt. And I know I might not be able to make things right again, either.
["Might". His hope for that one is still pretty pathetic; the forgiveness he's already received is something of a miracle to him. The day's meetings are still weighing on him, and there's an ache in his heart that refuses to go away.]
...Still. I- I need to apologize. Whether or not the Malnosso were the cause, it's still my fault. S-so I'm sorry. I'm sorry... I'm so...
[....]
...I'm... not going to use magic anymore. I'm done. I'm no good. At it. I mean. I- sorry. ...This won't happen again. And if you want to yell at me, or get a better explanation of what happened, or... whatever you need, I'll... be here.
Thanks. For hearing me out.
[And... that's that.]
First, Billy seeks out those he knows personally, friends or acquaintances whom he remembers being affected or involved. Whether they're people he hasn't spoken to since the spell was in place, or people who visited him while he was possessed and halfway out of his mind, he'll try to be as thorough as possible. Teddy accompanies him from place to place, bless him, and they can be found walking hand-in-hand through the village and talking quietly, though Billy will be speaking with the people he's looking for on his own. Teddy's there for moral support, nothing more; the rest is his responsibility.
After those visits, presumably the hard part is over, but there's one thing left to do - reach out to those he couldn't find, missed, or simply doesn't know, as well as the general populace who'd probably noticed strange things going on at the time. They deserve to know about... well. To put it bluntly, the menace to society that he can be. Not that he'd give that reason out loud. Certain people would take issue with it.
They'd be wrong, but.
This time, he uses the journal network, his voice tentative, worried, and sick with guilt, and it happens later in the evening:]
...Hey... it's Billy. Um, Kaplan. I'm kind of a witch. You might not know me. Sorry if you do. ...Last month, October 1st, I was sent back from a Malnosso abduction... kind of a mess. I wasn't thinking straight, and... I cast a spell. It... it screwed with a lot of people. Badly. I don't know the full extent of the damage it caused, or how far it went, but- I do know that- people were hurt. And I know I might not be able to make things right again, either.
["Might". His hope for that one is still pretty pathetic; the forgiveness he's already received is something of a miracle to him. The day's meetings are still weighing on him, and there's an ache in his heart that refuses to go away.]
...Still. I- I need to apologize. Whether or not the Malnosso were the cause, it's still my fault. S-so I'm sorry. I'm sorry... I'm so...
[....]
...I'm... not going to use magic anymore. I'm done. I'm no good. At it. I mean. I- sorry. ...This won't happen again. And if you want to yell at me, or get a better explanation of what happened, or... whatever you need, I'll... be here.
Thanks. For hearing me out.
[And... that's that.]
no subject
[Her voice is sharp and loud as she barges into the apartment, not at all hesitant in using the spare key meant for emergencies. She rests on hand against her hip as the other holds the journal open, thumb bookmarking Billy's entry. She has barely been home for fifteen minutes before coming across his universal apology. Hell, she hasn't even changed out of her unitard yet.
But this? God, it sounds as bad as everything she said after Cassie died. As anything any of them said. She's seen him spend the better part of two years moping. She doesn't know if she can do that again.
Without waiting for a response, she continues, slamming the door behind her as she makes her way further into the apartment]
God, that sounded as bad as anything Clint might say. You don't get to do this. Punish yourself for something that was as much of an instinctive reaction as lashing out in anger is to someone else.
no subject
At the very least, she manages to startle him out of his misery, albeit temporarily. He has no idea what he did wrong, here.]
Kate! Uh- ...what? That's not what I...
[It's so much more complicated than that...!]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
no subject
no subject
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
no subject
She is also not in the Item Shop. Neither is she at Loki's, or in the Battle Dome, or in the library. She's in the stables, hair pulled up into a messy ponytail as she sets about doing some of the care for the wear and tear of the place. The door is open, and anyone could just come on inside...]
no subject
It would've been easier to just cast a locating spell to find the people he needed to speak with, but... well, isn't that what caused all this in the first place? The way his magic made everything easier?
Ha. Life itself would be easier if he'd never had this power.
When he sees that it's her in the stables, mercifully alone, he braces himself for the worst and shuffles in, not bothering to be subtle about it. He doesn't want to do this, but he needs to, and his wants have caused enough trouble already, anyway.]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
[action] wow so he also wants to call Billy a moron for the journal message...
[action] omg loki do you have a problem with sincere apologies...!!!
Honestly, it's really tempting to just... leave. Turn tail and run away, leave Loki alone. He's pretty sure Loki will want nothing to do with him or his apologies.
He owes it to Loki to try, though. He values their friendship, or... the friendship they had before he ruined things. He owes it to Loki to try.
So, hesitantly, he eventually builds up the courage to knock on the door. All he can do is try.]
Re: [action] omg loki do you have a problem with sincere apologies...!!!
[action]
[action]
[action]
[action]
[action]
Re: [action]
[action]
[action]
[action]
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
[Voice]
But right now, something tells him that it might be exactly what Billy needs to hear. If nothing else, he can at least offer some sympathy from the position of someone who has been there.]
Would you mind if I came over?
[Voice]
I don't mind... but I don't think I'll be very good company today.
[Voice]
[Voice]
[Voice]
[Voice]
[Voice]
[Voice]
[Action]
[Action]
[Action]
[Action]
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
voice
Are you sure you don't want to use magic? Because I've seen just how much magic can help people. [He's been trying to learn magic himself. Although, Billy's apology got him to reconsider learning Filial magic. Can it really be that harmful?]
Does using magic now make you feel uncomfortable?
voice
[He's seen it, too. Used by people much better than he is.]
But it's dangerous in the wrong hands.
voice
voice
voice
voice
voice;
voice;
voice;
voice;
voice;
voice;
voice;
But now...this, it brings back Steve's guilt for trying hard enough. For not at least going to check and see if Billy was okay. It's a mistake he wants to correct. Now.]
Would you mind having some company now?
[He's not going to mention anything Billy just said. Not yet. There are some things better left in person to discuss.]
voice;
[Whether he does or not, you just don't say no to Captain America.]
voice -> action
action
action
action
action
action
action
action
action
action
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
[voice]
[They did not talk in person, and she believes more than enough people have taken him to task about what they think of his decision.]
Did it help you?
[voice]
That wasn't... the point.
[No, it didn't.]
[voice]
[voice]
[voice]
[voice]
[voice]
[voice]
[voice]
[voice]
[voice]
[voice]
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
[voice]
Hey, Billy. I- yeah, the thing didn't hit me, so it's not my place to forgive. But . . . well, I've seen friendly fire, I guess. And it's absolutely awful, you're right. But it's human too. Pretty common, even.
[He pauses, just a moment, put so soundly back into the world he'd left behind it's a little disorienting. But this had happened all the time, back at the beginning. Sometimes he wonders how many of the early deaths were really zoms, and how many were living men against one another.
He huffs a little noise that might have been a laugh, if there was so much as a smile in it.]
. . . now I feel like a right tit making you fetch us dinner.
[voice]
And he's not exactly human anyway, is he?
Complexities upon complexities. That's his life, so it's just following a trend again.]
Don't feel bad. You didn't make me do anything... I could've said no.
[voice]
[voice]
[voice]
[voice]
[voice]
[voice]
[voice]
[voice]
[action]
So when Billy comes looking, Pepper is in the art gallery where she spends most of her days. She's clearly glad to see him as well; it's been quite some time, and she offers a friendly smile when he comes in.]
Hey, Billy. How are you doing today? [Maybe less than well. It looks like he has something on his mind.]
[action]
And here she is, smiling like she's glad to see him. He wonders how long that'll last.]
Hey. I'm...
[...there really aren't the words to describe how he's doing today, so after a moment of strained consideration, he just gives up on trying.]
...Mm. What about you? It's... been a while.
Re: [action]
[action]
Re: [action]
[action]
Re: [action]
[action]
Re: [action]
[action]
Re: [action]
[action]
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
[voice]
[voice]
[He knows what she means. But like with Kate, he's pretty sure he won't like what she has to say.]
Re: [voice]
[voice]
Re: [voice]
[voice]
Re: [voice]
[voice]
Re: [voice]
[voice]
Re: [voice]
[voice]
...
...
[Action]
[Action]
He pauses in the doorway, unsure of how to approach. Maybe... he should come back later. This place is awfully public...]
[Action]
[Action]
[Action]
[Action]
[Action]
[Action]
[Action]
[Action]
[Action]
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
[video]
Good. If you hurt people with your magic, it's better off not being used.
[video]
Yeah. That's... that's why. I've already stopped, and...
[video]
[video]
[video]
[video]
[video]
[video]
[video]
[video]
[video]
[action]
Because he knew he had Leah and Thor around him and he had been quite happy. Not that Loki dares to believe in a perfect life, things are never perfect. There was always a catch and if he would wish things to be perfect he had to work for it. But those days, he did.
Until that one day where they were gone and he was without them again. And he was so very sure that they were here, with him. Because Leah left a mean punch in the gut and he was quite sure he had been sitting on Thor's back when he flew above the village. And now his apartment was awfully empty again and Loki feels awfully empty as well.
He knows he will feel better eventually, get over it and move on. Time heals all wounds.
But then there is a knock on the door and Loki knows he has to get on his feet and pretend he is okay. Only not. And a full smile is difficult when he opens the door.]
Ah hello, hello. I have not prepared shaken milk...or tidied my quarters.
[action]
Ugh, whatever. Either way, the knock was one of the last in a long list of uncomfortable beginnings, and the younger Loki's forced pleasantries made him feel even worse.]
It's... okay. I don't need anything like that. I just... can we talk...?
[action]
[action]
[action]
[action]
[action]
[action]
[action]
[action]
[action]
...
...
...
...
[Voice]
Well. For now, really, she had other concerns.]
Billy, can you drop by the flower shop to see me tomorrow afternoon? Hopefully the weather will have cleared up by then. [And it would be a day off from school from her, so less stressful on all fronts with her current fear.]
[Voice]
[He's... not sure how he'll feel tomorrow, or what this particular meeting will bring, but it can't possibly be worse than everything he'd experienced today, so agreeing is easy enough. If worst came to worst, he could technically just cancel. ...Reschedule. That's a better way to put it.
He won't run away.]
What time?
[Voice]
[Voice]
[Voice]
[Action] the next day...?
[action] and the next day...!
[action]
[action]
[action]
[action]
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
no subject
It was a good thing.
Strangely, her hair is still long, left over from whatever strange shift assisted Kitty and hers costuming efforts. It's actually longer than it was in Billy's Perfect World, though the overall effect is basically the same. She plans on cutting it, she just... hasn't gotten around to it, yet.
She has had some time to adjust to the idea of really actually for real-reals having actual children in some other time or place. And that they're here. She's almost wrapped her head around it, actually. But her questions are bubbling, and whenever she and Billy next meet, he's liable to find himself on the receiving end of more than a few of them.]
no subject
Still, this is probably among the very few relationships that didn't suffer from his spell. That might... actually be better because of it. That's rare. And he wants to hold on to that.
He's still hesitant to knock on her door, though he eventually does. Even without actively using magic, he can still sense it unconsciously, the hairs on the back of his neck tingling from the feel of her hexes, and that scares him. He's not sure how much magic he can handle being around while still keeping up his resolve.]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
[Action] Please pretend this was on time
Rather than sit around, she decides to go and pay him a visit.
Knock, knock.]
Billy? Are you in there?
[Action] s'all good!
Hey, Bulla... it's been a while, huh.
[Action]
[Action]
: [Action]
[Action]
[Action]
[Action]
[Action]
[Action]
[Action]
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
[Action; cafe]
Rough day?
[Action; cafe]
O-oh my god... ah... hi. Sorry, I was... I was going to...
[...Right, she'd asked him a question.]
...Yeah, ah. I'm just kind of tired...
Re: [Action; cafe]
[Action; cafe]
Re: [Action; cafe]
[Action; cafe]
Re: [Action; cafe]
[Action; cafe]
Re: [Action; cafe]
[Action; cafe]
Re: [Action; cafe]
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
[voice]
You sh-shouldn't give up magic though, just because of what the Malnosso made you do. You could l-learn to control it better.
[voice]
It’s not the magic that needs control, it’s… me. Trust me, this is what’s best for everyone.
[voice]
[voice]
[Voice] Locked 75%
It won't work. Giving up magic I mean. Innate magic is part of you. Giving it up isn't that easy.
[Voice] Locked 75%
I don't expect it to be easy. But I still have to try.
[Voice] Locked 75%
[Voice] Locked 75%
[Voice] Locked 75%
[Voice] Locked 75%
Re: [Voice] Locked 75%
[Voice] Locked 75%
[Voice] Locked 75%
[Voice] Locked 75%
[Voice] Locked 75%
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
[action]
He almost goes home right then. But seeing Billy talk, and seeing the replies, the fact that several people had decided to go visit him... Teddy would rather not barge in on a conversation between the two of them.
So he stays. The sun's setting, and Optimus is wearing down, but he stays outside anyway.
It's night time by the time Teddy and OP get home. Teddy knocks first, then unlocks the door and steps inside, allowing Optimus to sidestep around him and go straight to Billy. Teddy, meanwhile, leans back against the door frame, arms crossed and an eyebrow raised, though the small, half smile lets him know that he's not really mad.]
Hey... You couldn't have waited for me? [He raises is journal, open on Billy's post.]
[action]
He's actually asleep, but his rest is interrupted by a cold, wet nose burying itself in the crook of his neck, followed by eager and sloppy licks across his face. He jerks awake and sits halfway up, one hand wiping at his face while the other holds Optimus back from climbing right up on the couch with him for more doggy kisses. Teddy's voice catches his attention, but he's still in the process of waking up so the words are lost on him. Thankfully, the open journal clues him in on what he'd said.]
....oh... sorry, um. I just... I thought I'd wait, but then I couldn't stop thinking about it, so I...
[It's kind of dumb, his thought process, now that he's said it aloud. He slumps down a bit, unsure. Teddy's smiling, but... well, he smiles most of the time anyway, so it isn't always a good way to tell.]
Are you mad?
[action]
[action]
[action]
[action]
[action]
[action]
[action]
[action]
[action]
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
[ action ] could i be any later to this post
If they needed him, they'd come to him. ]
[ action ] it's okay I still love you
It won't stop him from seeking Tony out, Pepper close by as she'd requested, and rapping his knuckles on the doorframe to catch Tony's attention. First Thursday meeting in a month, ha, and it's for this...
He is officially the worst therapist.]
Tony...?
[ action ] what a relief
[ action ]
Re: [ action ]
[ action ]
[ action ]
[ action ]
[ action ]
[ action ] .....I hate you
[ action ] lies, you love me.
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...