selfhelp | [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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yes, of course it's okay. Magic may play a large role in your life, but... you still have a life without it. You still are a person without it.

...Okay. Good.

[He pauses, and then shuffles awkwardly. The question was a bit dumb, but he can't deny how relieving it is to hear that as the answer.]

Thanks...

You're welcome, Billy. [She smiles, and cants her head.] Also, if you ever find yourself in need of something to do or just want somewhere neutral to hang out at, you're welcome to spend some time here if you wish. [Whether or not plants or moving boxes around are his thing, of course, is up to him. But at least the offer is in the air.]

Hah... noted.

[They are and they aren't, really- he likes nature, but greenhouses are kind of borderline natural, so his feelings on the matter are mixed. But-]

I guess while I'm here I could shop around. Is there such a thing as apology flowers?

For apologies, you might want to try hyacinth, or even roses... granted there isn't much of variety around this season.

I guess if the person getting the flowers doesn't know what they mean, it doesn't really matter.

[Teddy's not really a flower guy. But it seems like the thing to do.]

What would you recommend? Not for apology, but just... you know. A nice flower.

Well, I think even if they didn't know the meaning, it would be pretty clear with your intentions. Let's see... tulips are always nice, or orchids, or lilies, depending on the season. [Though her personal preferences are geared toward the more rare and even unusual plants and blooms.]

...Uh...

[Well, he's kind of useless here, isn't he. Whatever, it's just for decoration, anyway.]

Lilies, I guess?

[If anyone calls it dumb he can just play it off as a Harry Potter reference.]

Then let's go take a look in the greenhouse. There should be at least some calla lilies there...

I don't think I've ever heard of calla lilies before.

Really? I wonder if you might have seen them before, even if you aren't familiar with the name... I've noticed that most plants have different names between worlds - although that's to be expected.

Well, we've got lilies. My mom brought them home sometimes, actually- she liked them. Just don't know if that species existed back where I'm from.

Maybe we'll find some that look familiar to you, then.

Lead on, then.

[He's never actually been here before.]

[She nods, before crossing the shop to push open the greenhouse door, waiting for him to follow her inside. Of course, it's a lot warmer in the greenhouse than in the shop proper, but he'll be treated to a view of different plants which seem to be surviving the cooler weather just fine.

She'll lead him toward the lilies, but if he wants to peep around at any plants that might seem unusual, she won't stop him, either.]

[Action / Voice] House of M Follow-Up

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