[Action / Voice] House of M Follow-Up

[selfhelp]

[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.]

Comments

Re: [ action ]

[handing]

[She stands there for as long as he needs her to, letting Tony calm himself down. Her fingers move in absent patterns, smoothing over the back of his neck, through his hair, every touch a silent echo of her words.

She's right there for him to cling to--although even that isn't as reliable as she wishes it could be.

Still, he doesn't speak of his absolute trust aloud, leaving Pepper unaware of how close they were to that dangerous line of truth. Instead she simply holds him, and listens to Tony breathe.]

[ action ]

[alloys]

[ Realistically, it probably only took a handful of minutes for his heart to stop racing and his breathing to slow, but it felt like ages longer than that considering the thoughts the pooled through Tony's head. His relationship with Billy had had its ups and downs, as Tony himself had gone from someone that Billy didn't trust at all to someone he was willing to work through Tony's deepest, darkest fears with. Drafts and shifts and portals and alternative lives. They'd been through so much together - and for what now? Now it was Tony who didn't feel like he could trust the other at all.

It would be ironic if thinking about it didn't make him sick.

He takes a step back to meet Pepper's eyes. ]

Better take the rest of the day off, don't you think?

Re: [ action ]

[handing]

[Her arms loosen when he starts to pull away, recognizing that sign that Tony's collected himself to feel ready to do so. Of course it isn't so simple as that one moment, those sharp breaths that eventually slow into something calmer, more normal. Still, it's better than he's done in the past, and some small part of Pepper is glad for how Tony manages to subdue the outward signs of his emotions.

The problem lies in the thoughts she knows are still echoing in his head, just as they ring through hers.]

Already on it. Your schedule's been cleared for the day. [Yes, it's been ages since Pepper's managed Tony's time in a professional capacity. But it's a safe joke under the circumstances. Also still true; she knew when she left the gallery early that she wouldn't be heading back.]

[ action ]

[alloys]

[ His mouth quirks into something almost resembling a smile - almost, and then it's gone just a moment later. ]

I can always count on you, Mrs. Potts-Stark.

[ And as long as he had that - well. They already decided they would make it through this, didn't they? He had to remember that more than ever now.

We're gonna be okay.

Eventually. Someday. ]