[Action / Voice]

[selfhelp]

[Today something strange is going on in the plaza; Billy and Tommy are there and hanging out, chatting awkwardly and messing with their powers. "Billy" is tossing bursts of blue light into the air like fireworks, and "Tommy" is flashing between one side of the plaza and the other, skidding a bit over the pavement like he's out of practice. They don't seem to be there for any particular reason, but if people happen to question it, they're more than happy to strike up a casual conversation. Just don't expect a straight answer...

At some point they split off to visit their usual haunts (the battle dome, the coffee shop, the school, some of the other stores, and in Billy's case, the sky) but they never seem to be very far from one another, for some reason.

Eventually they'll be back at home, and that's when the journal comes out:]

Hey, people, got a question for you. My little bro is really fixated on getting a piercing. It's probably the boyfriend's fault. Anyone know how to do that in a way that won't make him lose an ear? Like, not involving ice and a needle?

Oh my God. Tommy, shut up... okay, well, kind of what he said. Minus the gore.

You're getting holes poked into you, dude, that's gore by definition.

Not if it's done professionally.

Yeah, I'm sure you'll find a real pro on Paper Facebook.

Don't you have somewhere to be? [ With the most put upon, quietly frustrated sigh. ]

With my speed? I'm already there. At the same time. [With a smug tone equal to that frustration.]

Thanks for making this a total wash. Sorry for wasting your time, everyone. If you know the answer just contact me privately.

Hey, are you getting a Prince Albert while you're at it?

OH MY GOD. [Maybe a little over dramatic. The journal is slammed shut.]


(( this is a JOINT POST between Billy selfhelp and Tommy dickmoves. At Tommy's request they have SWAPPED APPEARANCES, so Billy is pretending to be Tommy and Tommy is pretending to be Billy. As such, their powers are being faked - Tommy via enchantment and Billy via disguised teleports - and their personalities might not be up to par with what their CR is used to. They're identical twins aside from hair and eye colour (which is easy to fake) so it's a pretty good swap. The game is to see how many people can be pranked! So, you know, have fun with it. Journals used will be selfmoves and dickhelp.

Please specify in the subject line who you're tagging! If not, you might get a random or both of them. w/e. Three-ways are not discouraged but they are slow, so bear that in mind...! ))

Comments

[selfmoves]

How did he know? You couldn't fly. You had sketchy control of your powers when you got here. What lesson were you supposed to learn?

[maximoff_girl]

It-- wasn't a lesson, it was a mission. [Ducking the question. Also: Something about what he just said seems... off to her. Not wrong, but, just... not quite right. What does Tommy know about her power control? Have he and Billy been talking?] It wasn't any higher than where he threw the S-men and the rest of the Brotherhood from. We were all fine.

[selfmoves]

Yeah, you're fine now. I'm glad. But how did he know?

[Why does he always get surrounded by people who dodge questions, it is the most frustrating thing ever.]

[maximoff_girl]

[She never went to public school or any school for that matter, this is the closest she gets to playing dodge ball, which is a formative part of every child's development process.

Also: Dodging Questions and Lying are the family's two biggest pastimes. DON'T FEAR FAMILY TRADITION. EMBRACE IT.]

Because... he knew what was at the bottom of the cliff, and... how high it was. Us going over the cliff was part of the plan. It wasn't-- made up on the fly or... whatever.

[selfmoves]

So he told you this plan of his beforehand? You knew you were safe when he threw you off the cliff? You weren't scared?

[Bad feeling intensifies.]

[maximoff_girl]

No... but he told Pietro. I was-- Going through a phase at the time. ... [This conversation is getting dangerously uncomfortable for her.]

How... did we get on this? I thought we were talking about earrings.

[selfmoves]

[It's not like he's doing this to feel all nice and cozy, either. But uncomfortable things are necessary.]

Earrings. That Magneto could "accidentally" rip out of someone's ear.

[maximoff_girl]

Ah. ... Yes. Well. ... Accidents happen. [Even to demi-god-ish perfect people like her father. Or... something. ]

[selfmoves]

[This is actually painful to listen to.]

Sure they do. But of course he apologizes for it, right? When all those accidents happen?

[maximoff_girl]

[Not... in so many words, no. As in, he never actually SAYS those words, but it was implied!]

He... promises to make it up to us, yes.

[selfmoves]

That's not actually an apology, Wanda.

[Like. At all. It's better than nothing, but it's still not the same thing.]

[maximoff_girl]

He's very busy. He doesn't have time to-- hold our hands every step of the way. He's busy. Creating a world for us to live in where we don't have to fight. Or... look over our shoulder constantly. That's not easy.

[selfmoves]

He doesn't have time to say "I'm sorry" when he hurts people or throws them off cliffs? Really?

[What a magical tangled web of Perfect Dad you have weaved in your head, Mom.]

[maximoff_girl]

[To be fair, it was woven for her. She's just decorated it since then. Put little twinkle lights up. A throw rug. Made it nice.]

He's trying to create a new society. ... That's not like-- programming the microwave. Or whatever. He really is busy. Plus. ... I usually only see him during missions. There's not a lot of time for-- chatting then.

[selfmoves]

[Sounds cozy. And horrifying. He really does not like this.]

Is that why he has time to tell Pietro about his plans, but not you? For the sake of his 'new society'?

[maximoff_girl]

Pietro... understands things quicker than I do. I'm... not very smart. Pietro gets the point, and then he can explain it to me, at length. ... It's like a system. It works.

[selfmoves]

[And that? That, he has heard before. And it's upsetting because he understands. How it feels, and... how wrong it is.]

Who says you're not smart?

[maximoff_girl]

Oh-- no one says it. That would be rude. And most people are too afraid to be rude to me. They don't have to say it, though. I know. [She shrugs. This isn't a fishing expedition, she's not looking for affirmation or complements. This is just a fact of life, to her.]

[selfmoves]

[In a lot of ways, that's worse. Worse than anyone saying it to her face. It can show in other ways, more subtle ways that dig their awful little fingers of doubt in and make you question yourself constantly. With this, in the eyes of the world the blame is all on her.

It isn't right.]

I don't think it's that you're not smart, Wanda. I think it's that people look down on you.

[maximoff_girl]

[There is a slight pause, as she opens her mouth to respond, then shuts it, uncertain of what he's actually saying.]

... What?

[selfmoves]

You said that Pietro gets the plan first and then explains it to you in detail. That means you've got questions about the plan, doesn't it? You want to know more. The quick and dirty isn't enough for you. Learning things at your own pace has nothing to do with how smart you are, it's just that you want more information. Curiosity, a thirst for knowledge- there's nothing wrong with that.

If Magneto doesn't have the patience to make sure everyone involved knows and understands his plan properly before the mission starts, then that's his failing as a leader.

[maximoff_girl]

Oh, no, that's not-- I mean. There's not always time for questions. There's a sentinel being dropped on you, or some gang of gun-toting humans out for blood. My "Why's" don't-- help. I mean. I never change the plan. And there's... never not been a reason for everything. It's not Father's fault if I don't understand everything.

[selfmoves]

[The way she justifies everything is so... hrngh. It's disquieting, but it also means he doesn't have much of a leg to stand on when it comes to arguing the point. Not unless he's willing to reveal more of what he knows about Magneto and their relationship.

He's... not sure he's there, yet. But it might be good to ask around a bit, more privately.]

Doesn't it bother you, though? That he treats you like that? Even if you understand his reasons, he's still your father.

[maximoff_girl]

[It does bother her, actually. More than she would ever like to admit. She pauses, uncomfortable, trying to find the correct words to respond with, but not disparage her father.]

I... do wish that things could be-- like the they were, sometimes. Before he started working all the time on the crusade for mutant rights. ... or even before that. When-- mother and Anya were still alive.

[She would not, normally even mention her mother. And 'Anya' is a name she hasn't dared to speak for years at a time. It sounds weird in her mouth. But Tommy is family. It's ok to talk about family things with family.]

... But! [She tries to follow up quickly, trying to override the surge of emotion in her chest.] It's-- selfish to want to keep him all to myself. He is trying to help the world. What's-- one girl's selfish wants compared to all of mutant-kind's suffering?

[selfmoves]

It's not selfish. And I think a good person - a good father - should be able to do both.

[He pauses there, though, looking thoughtful. It's so unusual for Wanda to be so forthcoming with this stuff... and that's a name he hasn't heard before. He knows next to nothing about the rest of his mother's family.]

Who's... Anya?