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[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.]
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[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.
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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...]
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[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...!!!
Re: [action] omg loki do you have a problem with sincere apologies...!!!
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[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?
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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?
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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.]
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[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?
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[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.
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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.]
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Good. If you hurt people with your magic, it's better off not being used.
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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.
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[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.]
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[Action] the next day...?
[action] and the next day...!
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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.]
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[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!
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[Action; cafe]
Rough day?
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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.
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It won't work. Giving up magic I mean. Innate magic is part of you. Giving it up isn't that easy.
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[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.]
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[ 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
[ action ] what a relief
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[ action ] .....I hate you
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