lucetilogs | Event Log - Malnosso World

[Billy jerks upright at the touch, eyes wide, zeroing in on Teddy before the panic sets in twice over.]

Teddy- Teddy, oh my god, don't- don't touch me, I did it again, I'm sorry, I-

[He scrambles back a foot or two, nearly falling over. He'll hurt Teddy again, he'll just keep repeating the same stupid mistakes, he's such a fuck-up, he can't-]

No, no, you're fine, you're fine, you -

[Please don't run away, please, don't - Teddy reaches out to hold both of his shoulders, trying to ignore the tremors in his arms. Who all's looking at him now? What's Billy seeing? God, he can't fix any of this, and he'd been trying so hard - ]

Billy, listen - you saved me. It's okay, it's okay...

[Billy goes still at that, freezing in place, hesitantly looking up at Teddy- really looking this time, taking in his expression, his appearance. He looks different. More... himself. And scared, and worried, and...

...what...?]

Saved... you? But- but I- Teddy, I used magic, I cast a spell, I didn't even- I promised, I said I'd stop, and I still...

[He's not mad?]

You did use magic... But those droids were all over me, remember? [And one even got him, if the ache in his jaw is saying anything.] If you didn't do that...

[It takes a moment for that to sink in, but when it does, Billy exhales quietly, relief saturating his voice, and he reaches up with both hands to touch Teddy's face, brushing fingers over his skin, lingering around the bruise, studying his features. Watching for signs of shifting, for a lie to reassure him, for... anything that would mean the words aren't true.

He can't find any. Not one.]

...It's... okay? It was a good thing...?

[Is his magic even allowed to be good anymore?]

Yeah... It was. You did a good thing.

[It was the first time Billy used his magic to help protect others, not pick out what would make them happy and try to recreate it. He used it like a hero... and that's always a good thing.

Because of that, Teddy shifts his hands closer to his neck and strokes his thumbs against his jawline, even though his motions are still shaky. Everything feels so wrong, every part of his body, everything feels so frozen. He's surprised he can even move like this.]

It's okay.

[It's okay.

It's a lifeline tossed into his own little sea of guilt, and he holds on to it, finally managing to breathe easy again. He leans in, pressing his forehead against Teddy's, eyes closing. It's okay... it's okay... so they're okay.]

Where... where are we...?

[Teddy shuts his eyes too, and - it's a little easier, not looking at people. They could easily be looking at him, after all.]

... I don't know. It sounds like everyone's here... [Judging by all the voices, which is doing wonders for Teddy's nerves.]

Billy, I can't - my power - it's all gone, I can't - I can't feel anything. I'm not healing, I'm weak, I can't shift...

[...ah. So that's why he looks so... normal? Because he can't...?

Billy's not sure how to feel about that. But he's distracted from it once he looks inwardly and notices much the same thing.]

...I can't... feel my magic, either...

[Rather than sounding bothered by it the way Teddy is, though, he seems more relieved than anything else. More... free.]

[It's not quite bothered, more like disturbed. Teddy was born with all these powers. They're as natural to him as the skin he was born with. It feels like his skin has been shed completely, like all of his limbs have been cut off, and he has no idea how to deal with this. There isn't a life or death situation to focus on, like in Vaskoth, and there are so many more people here than there.

Teddy takes in a shuddering breath and leans his head back, daring a glance to Billy's eyes - still... still a few blue dots, he should've known not to get his hopes up. Rather than dwell on it and let it get him down even further, Teddy hovers a hand over Billy's chest, as if that's where his power comes from - before it gets to be too much, and Teddy has to pull his hands back to rub and scratch at his arms again, not even noticing the pink lines that follow.]

This - This place must have some kind of power dampener. Like... [Like Vaskoth, though Teddy hates remembering it.]

Edited 2013-11-01 06:35 (UTC)

[Billy can't help but think about that, too, and it's not a pleasant memory. It seemed so much worse back then for him, though... the threat of zombie attacks and sudden death, and no powers to protect themselves from it. And yet Teddy is... hmm. The way he's reacting doesn't feel right to Billy, and it has him worried. Like something's got him spooked and he doesn't know how to handle it.

There's a change.

He squashes that voice, brows furrowing, and reaches out again to grab hold of Teddy's hands, pulling them away from his arms.]

Teddy... Teddy, stop, okay? You'll hurt yourself...

[Teddy's hands are shaking again, and he wants so desperately to pull his hands back and scratch again; anything is better than this frozen, stretched feeling, even pain. Maybe he can even scrub that feeling out.]

It's - Billy, it feels like - like my skin's made out of stone, I can't - I can't move or do anything...

[Billy wishes he could understand the issue; he's never had this problem, never felt out of sorts in his own skin. Even when he'd been given Teddy's shape and powers for a week, he'd still felt very much like himself. All of this must be so strange for him.

What a pair they make- Teddy, lost in his own body, and Billy, lost in his own mind...

We... have to be strong for each other, then.

It can't be that hard...]

You can move. You came and found me, didn't you? We just... need to keep moving. Find some answers... find a place to hide out for a while, get used to this.

[It's weird, but as long as they're together, they can manage it, right...?]

Yeah... Yeah.

[Another shuddering breath, and Teddy grits his teeth and presses his tongue to the roof of his mouth. Even that feels wrong, his mouth and his teeth and tongue and gums and even his insides. Things that he was once able to shift, move, he can't anymore. He can't move.

But he did find Billy, that's... that's true. And as long as Billy's here, he's okay. He has someone to focus on, distract himself from the itching and the weakness and the too frozen nerves in his body.]

Let's find a place. We just need to... [Stand up and move. Easier said than done, it feels like.]

[It's... strange, being the one with enough confidence to move. Or not confidence, no... determination? Either way, Billy knows that if one of them doesn't move, they could be there for a long time. Which... would be problematic, with the both of them taking such issue with being around people right now.

Okay. So. ...Getting up.

Keeping his hands around Teddy's, he braces himself against the wall, using its support to slide upwards from his knees. He pulls Teddy up with himself as best as he can, squeezing gently on his fingers. It's okay. We're okay.]

If... we keep moving, people might not notice us, right...?

Right...

[That fuels Teddy more, and he starts to stand up on his own two legs, as weak and stiff as they felt. Once he's standing up straight, he keeps his head low, gaze on their hands rather than on Billy's face and, for once, he's unable to hide his troubled expression.

What's he seeing? Someone who flips out when his powers are switched off? Someone with an ugly bruise on his face? Someone who's too broad too short too weak too everything?

He's terrified to see what he sees.]

Is this some kind of carnival? [He tilts his head to glance to the side, catching sight of the rides in the distance, the smells, the people - shit, he has to look down again.] Or a park?

I... don't know.

[He wishes he did- he wishes he had answers, reassurances to give to Teddy. He wishes he could just turn his powers back on and make everything the way it should be again.

But... even if his magic was back - and if he hadn't promised, and if he wasn't still sick with guilt from his accidental spell - he wouldn't... really want that.

It's the first time in weeks that he's felt like he can trust the emotions he sees on Teddy's face. He doesn't want to lose that again.]

What... a weird place to...

[And that's when he trails off, looking up, up for the first time, and seeing... endless black.

That's definitely not what the sky is supposed to look like.]

[The way Billy trails off makes Teddy hesitate, unsure if he even wants to see what he's looking at. He glances up anyway, sees that Billy's looking up, and that makes him raise his own head.]

What? What's...

[He trails off too when he looks up, and he ends up gaping a little as he stares at the sky. It's like absolute darkness, and yet everything on the ground is as clear as daylight. That's... definitely not how it's supposed to work, and definitely not what the sky is supposed to look like.

It looks familiar, too. Like...

Wait.]

Are we in space?

It... looks like space. ...Luceti space, I mean...

[It's a very different experience from the time they'd shared on the MSF space ship, that's for sure; much less of a serious atmosphere for everyone around them, for one. It was almost festive, which was all the more evident because of the fact that they weren't really feeling it. Still, while he can't see the planet looming mysteriously in the distance, looking into an endless sea of black isn't that different, whether it's from the surface of the moon or a ship.

....]

Maybe... we should ask someone.

... Yeah.

[Teddy's not quite paying attention to what Billy's saying, seeing how he's still staring up at the dark. It's not like the space ship, but in a way, it's still the same, still the endlessness of it. There are no stars, not even a planet like last time, but something about it still attracts Teddy like a moth to a flame.

Thus, while he'd rather look stoic and quiet like the fake him did, he looks awed.]

Wonder where we are... [The moon again, maybe a different spot on it? Or another planet?]

[Either option would be cool. And while Billy's still eager to find out what's going on and then get the hell out of dodge, maybe find a nice corner inside to hide in for a while, he can't help but notice Teddy's expression.

After everything, and the sight of space still makes him look like that.

It can't hurt to indulge for a while.]

...Dunno. But it's... pretty cool, huh...?

Really cool. We could -

[Teddy lights up for a moment, because they could go see where they are, maybe go searching until they find the surface of wherever they are, let Teddy geek out and figure it out himself, maybe...

... Orrrrr maybe they should get the more important things done first. He lowers his head again, the smile fading, but a flush in his cheeks and a sheepish look follows right after.]

Find... someone who knows what's going on?

[Billy's sad to see the awe and pleasure fade away, but the sheepish blush is pretty great to see, too. He watches it for a long moment, then reluctantly glances away to get a look around.]

...Information booth? [He points. That's probably a good place to start.]

[Teddy looks where Billy's pointing, and - seeing all those people around it, all of them just as eager to know what's going on, Teddy starts to tense again, and he just knows he's going to start trembling in a second. Goddammit, why are there so many people here who can see just how pathetic he - ]

Oh... right, that. [He feels like shifting, he wants to shift, wants to so badly, but nothing moves, he can't hide away his nerves or his expression or anything.] Well...

[But he's no coward. So he takes in a breath, then starts to head to the booth, still holding Billy's hand tight in his own.]

[Billy gives Teddy's hand a little squeeze, trying not to let his nerves show as well, though he knows he's not doing much better. At least they're in this together, and hopefully they'll keep each other from bolting.]

Maybe we can just, um... take a brochure...?

[They can be brave! Just. Not too brave. Yet.]

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