selfhelp | [Action / Voice] evening + morning

[...This doesn't look like Prison #42. At least, not as he recalls it. Billy pushes himself upright in the grass, squinting in the early evening light, and absently lifts a shaking hand to his ears. There's no device there, nothing to prevent him from casting any spells... a fact he proves to himself with a wave of his hand, conjouring up a shirt to go with the unfamiliar white pants he finds himself in. What's all this about, exactly? Some new trick that Stark and Richards came up with to keep their prisoners placated? Or has he - against all odds - been freed and dumped somewhere in the wild?

What've you gotten yourself into now, Kaplan?

Cautiously he lets his magic take him up to the tree line, resting on a high branch to get a better look around. Up ahead, not far in the distance, he can see a village, but it's so small and old-fashioned that he doesn't recognize it at all. Wherever he is, it's pretty remote.

Well, whatever. What does location matter to a witch who can teleport? His priority is finding Cap and the rest of the Young Avengers. Teddy's probably flipping out right about now. Dropping back into a crouch, he sits himself down on the branch, cross-legged, and lifts his hands again, letting the glow return to them, and begins chanting under his breath-]

"IwanttobeinNewYorkIwanttobeinNewYork..."

[Yeah, he's pretty noticeable like that. Especially since he'll be there until he's discovered, pointedly not teleporting to New York. Awkward.]

[In the morning, however, things are a bit different- he's settled (sort of), he's rested (a bit), he's informed (just enough). And he's sorted out how to use the journal. Thus, around mid-afternoon, he sends out a message:]

Okay, this is weird, but... let's give it a try. Hey, uh, whoever's listening out there. I've heard there are people from all over the galaxy, and lots from Earth, especially. That's where I'm from, too. I was wondering, though- are there people living here who'd be considered "super heroes"? Here or on your own world, I mean. I'm actually-

[Actually... he really shouldn't just announce it. What if someone from the Initiative is here and remembers him when they get back to Earth? Even a slim chance isn't worth the risk.]

...I'm actually a huge fan of the superheroes from Earth! You know, heroes like Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-man... I've been a fan since I was a kid. Though I guess it's not unusual for someone from New York. There's a ton of superheroes living in the city these days.

Sorry for rambling so much. To be honest, I'm just nervous... I've never been to another world before.

[....]

Teddy? You here?

[ooc: first dibs to action (chronologically) goes to Buffy, otherwise he is free to be met wherever/whenever. Also if you could have a look at his permissions post I would be much obliged!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Isn't that just... willpower? It's not that uncommon. I mean, if you keep trying at something and never give up, you can make it happen. That's not any kind of power, it's just stubbornness.

Is it? My fiercest opponent, a man called Simon, was able to defeat my king with nothing more than a tiny drill and his will when he was barely more than a child. His people, in seven years, have risen from underground caverns to a thriving city of the likes I never have before seen.

...I don't know what it is that drives them, only what I see. Even if what I see makes no sense.

Edited 2012-05-13 02:08 (UTC)

[...Wow. Sounds like one powerful kid. The rest, though... hmm.]

I don't know if it's the same thing, then. But humans creating something big out of nothing isn't that rare! Where I'm from, communities get developed really fast if a group gets together to make it happen. Usually it depends on how much money goes into it though.

If you say so, but this population is made of smaller groups that didn't have a common monetary system, if any at all. It's why their advancement seems unusual to me.

Well, money didn't always exist. It's people who create that kind of thing to make life easier. Ancient civilizations used trading systems, far as I know- you know, trade a chicken for a bag of vegetables or something.

[...Is it offensive to talk about trading animals to an animal-man? This is weird.]

[Not at all. He openly talks about hunting and catching (and releasing) animals over the journals in a couple of days. The fact that they talk will cause a not insignificant problem with him and his conscience.]

...That is true. Perhaps, if your friend were here, they could find a way to fix some of the problems. Especially if it requires no more effort than thinking or speaking, like you said.

...Yeah, maybe. [Except he's already tried. The Scarlet Witch is more powerful than he is, though, so maybe she could.] I don't know, though. I hear that lots of powerful people have already tried.

Do the odds make it any less worthwhile to try?

[He knows the stakes involved in futility, but that never gave him reason to stop.]

...No, they don't. [Huh. This guy's got the right idea, at least- Billy hadn't expected that.] I'm sure they'd keep trying, no matter what.

[So. He should probably keep trying, yep.]

That's it.

[There's a toothy smile--if more residents in this strange place were like this kid, then it wouldn't be so bad. From what he was reading, it was a similar situation to his world's history anyway. Familiar territory.]

...what's your name, kid?

I'm Billy. How about you?

[Anyone else might've been nervous to see that smile, but Billy's faced down smirking super villains and is dating a mini-Hulk. At this point a smile like that seems almost normal.]

[No fear. That was impressive.]

Viral. You're not so bad.

"Not so bad"? Man, you could at least say "it's nice to meet you" or something.

[Gawd, what kind of manners are beastmen raised with. He's smiling now, though- it's nice to gain the approval of someone who by all rights ought to be more intimidating.]

Is that how it goes?

[Rare is the day that he actually meets with a human for a subdued conversation. So rare that he can't remember the last time he's had one that wasn't involved with some kind of battle. His manners are there, but they're rough and militaristic.

In light of recent experiences, everything about Billy isn't so bad in comparison.]

Normally, yeah. How do beastmen say hello, then?

[It better not involve butt-sniffing, that's more surreal than he can handle.]

[It doesn't. They're civilized too--in an odd way.]

We were created to be a military force, Billy. We don't have casual 'hellos' very often.

Sounds way too strict to me. You need to learn how to do casual.

...there are worse things to learn.

Okay, then- first lesson: "hello". It's a standard Earth greeting. I'd give you a few more examples, but apparently this place does the whole Babel fish translation for us, so there's no point in trying.

All right. 'Hello.' What's next? 'How are you?'

Hey, he learns fast! You're already mastering the art of small talk.

Oh, so it's an art form now?

...Well, not technically, no. It's just a phrase.

You humans just get stranger and stranger.

Says the guy with fangs?

[video]

no_compromise - 2012-05-17 04:17 (UTC) - Expand

Re: [video]

selfhelp - 2012-05-17 04:26 (UTC) - Expand

no_compromise - 2012-05-17 04:28 (UTC) - Expand

selfhelp - 2012-05-17 04:57 (UTC) - Expand

no_compromise - 2012-05-17 15:04 (UTC) - Expand

selfhelp - 2012-05-18 00:56 (UTC) - Expand

no_compromise - 2012-05-18 01:06 (UTC) - Expand

selfhelp - 2012-05-19 00:17 (UTC) - Expand

no_compromise - 2012-05-19 01:00 (UTC) - Expand

selfhelp - 2012-05-19 03:46 (UTC) - Expand

no_compromise - 2012-05-19 03:51 (UTC) - Expand

selfhelp - 2012-05-22 04:41 (UTC) - Expand

no_compromise - 2012-05-22 04:45 (UTC) - Expand