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002 - [Action/Voice]
[Late in the morning, only just after he had his morning coffee and just fixed toast for breakfast, Teddy had been surprised to find himself being shoved out of the apartment by his own boyfriend. Soon, he found himself blinking at the front door, a piece of cinnamoned toast still in his hand as the post-it note with his name beside Billy's door sign fluttered mournfully to the ground.
He got out a pitiful whine and forlornly posted the note back up before he ushered himself outside, finishing his toast in the meantime.
During the day, Teddy can be found at multiple places. The first is the Battledome, where he fiddles with the settings, some as harmless as a movie theater and some as dangerous as a warzone, but he doesn't fully go through with them. He's merely going through the options for later use. He may mutter to himself about how this must be what the Danger Room is like, and he may even be up for a light spar or something different if someone found him.
The second is Seventh Heaven, where he eats a light lunch of a small burger with fries, and he's a little proud of how he didn't compare it to New York's food outloud. It doen't mean he doesn't think it, though, and he spends more time subtly people watching and listening to conversations than really focusing on food and what the homelife was like. When he's done, he doodles a few musical notes on a napkin, again to possibly be used at a later date, before he stuffs that in his pocket.
The final place is on the roof of the school. He's not doing much of anything up there, just sitting with his legs pulled up and looking out over the village.
Teddy still can't help marveling over how different this place is from what he's used to. There aren't any sounds of car alarms or horns, no distant conversations or laughter, no police sirens or a far off explosion from an invading force (though, Teddy thinks to himself, he ought to be more thankful for the lack of the latter). Occasionally at night, he still wakes up and thinks that it's too quiet, too dark. And he really hopes he's not the only one who thinks that way.
With that thought in mind, Teddy reaches behind him to take the journal, left open in case Billy decides to let him back into the apartment, and decides to address the masses.]
Does anyone else feel seriously out of place here, or am I just being weird? And I don't mean the whole, "being held captive and having to suffer through lame shifts", but just the setting in general. Anyone else out there come from a home that's completely different from a village straight out of Golden Sun?
[He decides then that he'll chat with people for a while, then venture off the roof and see if Billy will allow him back inside. Not that Teddy knows what he did to deserve being kicked outside, but maybe he can beg for forgiveness enough to be let back in.]
He got out a pitiful whine and forlornly posted the note back up before he ushered himself outside, finishing his toast in the meantime.
During the day, Teddy can be found at multiple places. The first is the Battledome, where he fiddles with the settings, some as harmless as a movie theater and some as dangerous as a warzone, but he doesn't fully go through with them. He's merely going through the options for later use. He may mutter to himself about how this must be what the Danger Room is like, and he may even be up for a light spar or something different if someone found him.
The second is Seventh Heaven, where he eats a light lunch of a small burger with fries, and he's a little proud of how he didn't compare it to New York's food outloud. It doen't mean he doesn't think it, though, and he spends more time subtly people watching and listening to conversations than really focusing on food and what the homelife was like. When he's done, he doodles a few musical notes on a napkin, again to possibly be used at a later date, before he stuffs that in his pocket.
The final place is on the roof of the school. He's not doing much of anything up there, just sitting with his legs pulled up and looking out over the village.
Teddy still can't help marveling over how different this place is from what he's used to. There aren't any sounds of car alarms or horns, no distant conversations or laughter, no police sirens or a far off explosion from an invading force (though, Teddy thinks to himself, he ought to be more thankful for the lack of the latter). Occasionally at night, he still wakes up and thinks that it's too quiet, too dark. And he really hopes he's not the only one who thinks that way.
With that thought in mind, Teddy reaches behind him to take the journal, left open in case Billy decides to let him back into the apartment, and decides to address the masses.]
Does anyone else feel seriously out of place here, or am I just being weird? And I don't mean the whole, "being held captive and having to suffer through lame shifts", but just the setting in general. Anyone else out there come from a home that's completely different from a village straight out of Golden Sun?
[He decides then that he'll chat with people for a while, then venture off the roof and see if Billy will allow him back inside. Not that Teddy knows what he did to deserve being kicked outside, but maybe he can beg for forgiveness enough to be let back in.]
[action]
The next topic, however, makes that smile falter, and he looks down to poke at his fries. When he speaks again, he doesn't sound accusing or disappointed. More like resigned. It's only natural that Billy told them what all happened, after all.]
Mm... what all did he tell you?
Re: [action]
[Pepper sees the change, and she lets out a slow breath.]
About your parents--that they were essentially tragic lovers. And now you have two races thinking you're going to somehow save them all.
[action]
Yeah. Pretty crazy, huh? Hard to believe it all happened in a span of two days. It felt like forever.
Re: [action]
[Days that were full of enough insanity to feel like weeks had gone by when they were finally over.]
At least you and Billy are both alright. That's what really matters.
[And she means it. Teddy is Teddy. Being a human or an alien prince/savior doesn't change that.]
[action]
... Yeah. That's what matters. [His smile regains its strength, and his hands relax.] You have no idea what Billy's support meant to me during all that. Everything was just... insane. And he's helped me through it all.
Re: [action]
Well. I'd like to think I have some perspective on the opposite end. [Being the one who supports, who helps keep all the pieces of a person from falling apart and shattering.] And if I'm right, Billy's probably glad he could help you. Knowing he could do that for you means the world to him.
[action]
[His shoulders grow a little broader as he looks out the window, then decrease to their original size while he pulls the reigns on his sudden anger. It's all right now. Billy's arm is still tender but - it could've been worse. It's all right now.]
Re: [action]
Because of the people who attacked him. Not you. And I think he might get upset if you try and convince him otherwise.
[At least Pepper would, if Tony did.]
[action]
Did Billy tell you... how I'm the heir to the Skrull Empire? My mom - my real mom, she was the empress of their world. And now both races think I'm some kind of messiah because of that.
I keep pushing that responsibility away, because I just... I can't go with them. I'm not who they want me to be. But if I could've just talked to them more and acted like the so-called savior I'm supposed to be, maybe they would've left him alone.
Re: [action]
Or maybe they would've tried harder to get him. You don't know for sure either way, and you also can't change what did happen. I know you want to think you can, but the best you can do is to try and prevent it from happening next time. Learn what you can, and be glad that you and Billy are okay, but don't let the guilt eat you up like this.
It wasn't your fault. And like you said--you aren't who they want you to be. They're the ones that need to see that.
[action]
[And, upon realizing that she probably doesn't know who that is:]
Or... like Jesus finally came back as a teenager and doesn't want to bring salvation. And they keep wanting me to be like - like what was foretold, but that'd mean leaving my family, my world, and being some kind of prince to a race I have no clue about except what I read in comic books. I don't know a thing about royalty or anything like that. Besides... I'm pretty sure I'd just get killed out there anyway.
[Ugh, he's rambling. Teddy usually doesn't show his soul like this that much; always makes him feel vulnerable. So, he rubs the back of his neck briefly, trying to pull everything back in.]
But yeah... you're right. I can't be prepared for the future if I keep beating myself up about the past. It wasn't either of our faults, I know that. I just wish I could've done something more.
[Really, he wishes they'd just leave him alone, no matter how much he wants to reach out and help them. They killed his mother, they nearly killed his beloved. What more can they do?]
Re: [action]
That's a lot for someone to be expected to live up to. I'm sorry that's all being put on you.
[Pepper grins faintly when Teddy makes his wish.]
From how you looked when I saw you in the hospital, I think you did plenty. You and Billy are both going to be okay. That's the best outcome you could hope for in a terrible situation.
[action]
[And they've been in plenty of terrible situations. Both of them disappearing from existence, the Skrulls first invading and Teddy having to witness his mother dying, the civil war, the Cube, the prison... Yet they still come out of it okay. Relatively okay, at least.
It really is the best he could hope for.]
Terrible situations are kind of the norm when it comes to being a super hero, aren't they? I guess that's all any of us can hope for.
... Tony's really lucky he's got you, you know.
Re: [action]
Pepper's hoped for it all more times than she cares to count. Particularly the last.
Teddy's compliment takes her by surprise, and it shows on her face before she smiles.] That's very sweet of you to say. Thank you.
[action]