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

[selfhelp]

[He does, and he doesn't. When he thinks about that life, the times of his childhood, there's two faces he sees with himself, constantly at conflict. Two very different people with very different lives. A mutant witch, and a regular human psychologist. Wanda and Rebecca. Fantasy versus reality.

He misses his mother. He loves the one that's sitting beside him now. Reality is getting so, so confusing...

Feeling the weariness hit him again like a fist to the gut, he shifts hesitantly until his head bumps against her shoulder, and he leaves it there, one small indulgence after a difficult week. This is okay, isn't it...?]

I remember... you'd always listen to everything, like such simple things were so important to you.

["Oh, Billy, sweetheart. Listen. Everything that you say, everything you learn- it matters to me more than anything. You should never feel afraid to talk to me, all right?"]

[which_witch]

[She moves, wrapping an arm around him, almost like a hug, but no squeezing involved. Just a steady presence, a weight that says 'I am here, and I love you, my child.']

That's because they were. And they still are. You are my child, and anything that happens to you-- anything you deem worth noticing here in the real world, or dream up in your head-- it's important to you, and therefor it's important to me. I... can't explain in words how much I love you. And I know that you're almost grown now. Practically a man. But it makes no difference. I love you just as much today as I did the day you were born. [She pauses trying to figure out how to boil down her meaning into something easily said.]

... I want to be there for you, always. For the good and the bad, though Lord helping, there will always be more of the former.

[selfhelp]

[....

God, but he wants to tell her. He wants to tell someone, anyone about what's going on. He's buried himself so far into his own world that the idea of trying to crawl back out, though... it's exhausting. Terrifying. And he can't do it while he's carrying the weight of everyone he's affected at the same time.

More than that, she deserves this chance to be happy. If his spell is what's keeping people happy, giving them the life they really want, his exhaustion is a small price to pay for it. And keeping the truth from being discovered is his responsibility, too.

He has to do this. For everyone. He has to...]

I know. I... I know. And I'm grateful. It's more than I deserve, really.

[which_witch]

You deserve the world, William. There is nothing this life can create that is too good for you.

[She kisses the side of his forehead, actually hugging him, for a moment.]

[selfhelp]

[He doesn't resist the hug, but he doesn't respond, either. She has no idea... no idea whatsoever what he does or doesn't deserve.

Stop it. Stop it. This isn't her perfect world. You have to be happy for her.]

[which_witch]

[It's not so much that he's unhappy that's upsetting. After all, without bad to contrast the good, how can one truly acknowledge or appreciate goodness? She would rather nothing bad happen to him ever, but she also understands that that's not realistic.

No. What's upsetting is that he's not telling her about it. Maybe it's true; maybe he doesn't have any idea why he's so sleepless. But... she feels like there's more to it than that.

She moves her other arm across her body so that she can hug him with both arms now, humming lightly a lullaby she hasn't sung in years. True, Thomas was usually the restless child. But it's a song both of her children should be familiar with.]

[selfhelp]

[It takes him a long moment to stir up the memory - false, new, it's difficult to define - so as he waits for it to surface, he winds his free arm around her in return, letting himself be pulled into the embrace. It's so good to be held again, comforted, loved. He's had Teddy, but... it hasn't been the same. Not since he-

....

It's different, when it's a mother's love. And he's craved this terribly since he arrived in this place. After a while, the memory finally reaches him, and he quietly joins her in humming the tune. He'd love to just let it lull him to sleep, but since that would just end badly... well, comfort is enough for him. And he's plenty grateful for that. He even starts to smile a little, eyes closing. She's so warm, and soft... it makes him think of home.]

[which_witch]

[Wanda would like it if he would let the song and her presence lead him to sleep. You're safe, child. Your mother is here, and she won't let anything happen to you. Sleep. Rest. You are loved.

She combs his hair absentmindedly with one hand, always gentle. As the end of the song is reached she falls silent for a few moments, rather hoping that he's fallen asleep. The way his breath comes makes her think he probably hasn't. At least, though, he seems... calmer.]

[selfhelp]

[He tries to fake it, if only to give her some semblance of comfort, but he knows better than to let his eyes remain closed for long, lest he drift off for real. He can't allow that; it would ruin everything. After a while, he finally stirs, sighing softly against her.]

That was nice... I haven't heard that in a long time.

[which_witch]

You haven't had trouble sleeping in a long time. ... I used to sing that to you and Thomas. [She muses gently and quietly, having no desire to break the peaceful mood.] Thomas was usually the restless one. ... But you would pretend to be wide awake, just to stay up with him. You didn't want to miss a minute of the waking world if you didn't have to.

[selfhelp]

[He listens quietly, taking it all in, letting the memories of this new childhood override his old one, for a while, anyway. It sounded... really nice, actually. He and Wanda and Tommy, a family. He'd never had a brother to play with when he was really little- even back home, his younger siblings didn't mesh well with his age. They'd been too far apart in age for it to work.

Growing up with Tommy, playing with him... he loved those memories, even if they were false. And he loved that Wanda was finally theirs more than anything.]

I'm still like that sometimes, huh... just can't sleep while there's things to do.

[which_witch]

I'll tell you now what I told you then. ... The world will still be here when you wake up. Rest now, and come at it again with fresh eyes in the morning. [She smiles to herself.] ... Though I suppose promising you sugar for breakfast has less bargaining weight now, than it did when you were little.

[selfhelp]

Mm... well, you could try anyway. Sugar never hurts as incentive.

[which_witch]

[She kisses the side of his head again.] You can have any food you want for breakfast-- even those sugar covered marshmallow things-- if you'll just go to sleep. Just a little power nap.

[selfhelp]

...You drive a hard bargain.

[He could just... go to his room. Lay down. Not sleep, obviously, that would negate all his efforts, but... it can't hurt to indulge her.]

[which_witch]

I have to. I'm your mother. [She smiles, thinking she's convinced him, as she gets up.] It's my mission in life to keep you happy and healthy and, if I can manage it-- not completely zonked from lack of sleep.

[selfhelp]

Not completely. Okay.

[He smiles despite himself, standing up with her after a moment. It takes some effort, getting to his feet, but it isn't that far to his bedroom, and he can sit down again there, when he isn't being scrutinized.]

Okay... okay, you win. I'll sleep for a while.