House of M - The Beginning

[selfhelp]

Who: Billy Kaplan + Anyone who wants to be involved in the House of M Plot + Related CR + Anyone Really
What: Um. The House of M Plot.
When: October 1st-7th
Where: Literally anywhere in Luceti, yo
Summary: Billy returns from a kidnapping feeling a bit, er, different. A white light envelops the village for just a moment, and when it fades... well. All kinds of things are different, actually.
Rating: Varies, anything above R take it elsewhere!

Still accepting last minute sign-ups, if anyone is interested.


It starts off so innocently, early on the morning of October 1st. A burst of light, a warm rush of energy that consumes everything it touches, and it's gentle enough to feel like stepping out into sunlight from the shade. It's so brief that some people might not even notice it happened. But there are certainly... differences. Some subtle, some not. And those changed won't even understand the problem.

After all, why would perfection be a problem?

The truth is, there are no problems. There can't be. It's perfect, Billy thinks. Believes it. His belief is his reality, and now, it's their reality. It all has to be perfect; they deserve it, all of them, for one reason or another. And he'll do whatever he has to protect that perfection from being tainted, ruined, taken away from them.

Teddy died so this could happen, after all.

So what is your new reality?


((first two threads reserved for the intro thread and billy's status; after that consider this log a free-for-all.))

Comments

[teenwonder]

[The uncertainty doesn't go unnoticed.]

I hope this isn't the part where you tell me Zatanna sent you. She didn't send you, did she?

[curiositykills]

[Zatanna? So she had seen him, too? Good. ...or maybe not good. Was she like him or was she different, too? He'd have to catch up with her later and find out...

Jason doesn't mention any of that, though. He shakes his head, managing a little smirk.]

Come on, I know you know me better than that. [Like he just listens to people, don't be silly.] I just... don't get it, Dick. Isn't this all a little... sudden?

[Where is your suspicion, huh? He's suspicious of everything!]

[teenwonder]

[Jason could have had a change of heart! Those seem to be going around these days.]

Of course it's sudden. [What exactly is the problem about that?] Does that bother you?

[curiositykills]

It's not like you.

[At least, he doesn't think it is. Jason would be so suspicious if something like this happened to him... Or, he would be if this Shift or whatever let him. But even then, maybe that just went to show how different they actually were.

Ugh, this sucks! He wishes Batman was here.]

[teenwonder]

I decided to make a change. What's wrong with that?

[Ick, why would you wish Batman was anywhere?]

[curiositykills]

Uh, besides everything? [He can't help feeling frustrated. He already knows how this stuff works. What's he expecting to happen, anyway? But leaving it alone wouldn't feel right, either...

Perhaps ironically, it's a frustration he's very familiar with. But he can't think about that too much.] Don't you see anything wrong here? I mean, you get the problem, right?

[teenwonder]

You mean the part where I'm most likely not myself right now? Zatanna thinks I'm under a spell.

[He shrugs though, because who even cares?]

[curiositykills]

And you're okay with that?

[...ugh, why is he even asking. Of course he is.]

[teenwonder]

Jason, whatever's going on right now brought my parents back.

I don't care why they're here. I'm going to stay with them.

[curiositykills]

[Okay, so he sees the problem, he just doesn't see what's wrong with it.]

But... you know it won't last, right?

[teenwonder]

[And that's what creates the cognitive disconnect. Dick blinks once, then finds his attention wandering to a different subject entirely.]

You're used to this anyway, right? You're supposed to take over for me eventually. Now's as good of a time as any.

[curiositykills]

You're avoiding the question. [Not that Jason isn't kinda avoiding what Dick just said, either, but you know.] What happens when it's over, Dick?

[teenwonder]

[Again, he looks as if Jason is speaking a foreign language.]

It's not going to be over. If it's a spell then it won't end the way a shift does. I'm going to stay here with my family and you can protect Luceti. It all works out.

[curiositykills]

[...um, no, it doesn't!! Even though Dick sounds as sure as ever, Jason knows he's wrong. Nothing lasts here, that's just not the way it works.

Then again, he can't tell if it's the spell that's making him feel that way, or if... it's the fact that it's his parents. This is a new kind of weird.]

But what if it doesn't work out? I'm not you.

[teenwonder]

You don't have to be me. You've been doing a good enough job at home to get the suit. You've got it in you, Jason.

[curiositykills]

[...as nice as it is to be complimented and all, he really doesn't think he understands! And this is... kind of exasperating. He doesn't really know how he's supposed to deal with something like this.]

That's not it. I guess I just... think it's too good to be true, you know?

[teenwonder]

So it probably is. Does that mean I can't enjoy it while it lasts?

[curiositykills]

[You know, normally, Jason's the kind of kid who's got an answer for everything, the one who always has to have the last word, but that? What's he supposed to say to that? He already knew that it wouldn't last forever—spell or not, it'd break eventually, one way or another. It wasn't exactly hurting anyone, either... It didn't feel right to just leave this, but was it really that wrong?

He frowns, shaking his head.]

I guess you're right. I'm sorry.

[He needed to think, but even then, he's not sure there is a right answer here.]

[teenwonder]

Don't be sorry. I'm just glad you understand.

[And then he smiles, because there's no reason not to smile.]

There are some papers Bruce left when he was here. You should probably check them out, since they're yours now.

[curiositykills]

Whatever you say, Dick. [Jason kind of just sounds exasperated, but he won't argue with him, either. (...and man, does it always feel weird to hear him say that name or what?) He turns, already figuring out what to do next.] You can show me 'em later.

Uh, if you need me, you know where to find me, I guess.