OURPOWERS ( VIDEO ) PUBLIC

[wordiness]

Display Name: Billy Kaplan-Altman
Profile Photo: Here
Notes: Threadjack to your heart's content.

[ the video opens to billy perched on his bed in what is decidedly not the hotel. he's dressed, unsurprisingly, in black, though when he reaches up to push a few curls back from his face, his nails are red. (gotta rep he and his mom's color.) ]

Hi. Soo.. I was thinking. [ a beat. ] Oh. Wait, uh, I'm Billy, by the way, for those of you that don't know me. I'm a witch, which-- [ heh. ] --is sort of what this is about? .. Right. [ wow, embarrassing. this is why he doesn't do public speaking. ]

Anyway, I was thinking about magic-- [ jazz hands. ] --and people that do magic here. Specifically those of us that, uh, came out of one of the Confluences? Though I guess if there are natives here that want to get in on this, that's probably fine, I don't know. Loki mentioned-- [ another beat. ] My Loki-- [ no. ] Young Avengers Loki? [ ugh. ] .. Whatever, a Loki mentioned magic club, and I don't know how serious he was.. [ leaning back and peering off-camera like he's expecting loki to pop up in the doorway (entirely possible). ] .. but I think it's a good idea?

[ he glances back at the camera again. ] Personally-speaking, it's nice to have other people to bounce ideas off of, test spells with, learn from.. that kind of thing. And who knows, maybe we could figure this Confluence thing out and get the hell out of here, though I'm not holding my breath yet.

[ a pause, and he rolls his eyes at himself, blowing a breath out. ] Which is all to say that if you have magic, are magic, come from a magic world and have a pretty strong understanding of it, or you're just really interested in magic and want to learn or.. whatever.. let's get brunch? What do you guys think?

[ he hesitates, then starts to sign off, then pauses. ] Also, I guess at some point in the future, possibly not even all that distant future, I probably have to create at least one new reality, maybe more? So if you have experience with that kind of thing, I'd really like to talk to you.

[ you're fucking welcome, little loki. ]

Comments

[wordiness]

[ he pauses with the carrot between his teeth, discomfort crossing his expression. maybe even a little panic. ]

I.. don't know how I feel about creating a whole person just to-- I mean, I'm not God, you know?

[ it feels like one thing to copy-paste and just let it go, or create a brand new dimension and let evolution play out however it will, but like.. making whole-ass people with certain roles or traits in mind? that's terrifying, and feels like (at best) it could be a really slippery slope. there's a reason billy gives his powers rules. ]

But surely in a copy of our reality, there's someone out there like that already. Probably more than just one, given the odds. Maybe I could just.. nudge them into finding one another..?

[ikols]

[ A wet hand leaves the sink to ruffle up the back of Billy's hair, getting his curls damp. ]

I didn't mean you should create a person for him. My point is, there is little point in deciding on a destination when he knows not what he wants to get out of it. He is desperate for a location in which to live out his life, I understand, yet he has all the patience of ... well, me.

[ If Billy hasn't absconded to escape the hair-attack, Loki will lean down to peck him on the cheek. ]

Don't absorb too many of his worries in a hurry. He has many of them.

[wordiness]

Don't do that to me. [ he makes a face at loki, both for the damp curls and the panic, and jabs him in the side with his finger. the kiss is accepted as apology, though, and he finally bites the carrot. ]

It's hard not to, [ he admits a few moments later. ] I mean, none of us know how long we'll be here, or how we'll get back. What if he just disappears tomorrow? It all feels so tenuous.

[ikols]

If we disappear back home then that is that, what good is rushing the things we crave?

[ Wet hand on a hip, he turns to face Billy as he leans on the sink, the significant eyebrow raise melting into something more generalised as he shrugs. ]

I think we ought to find a reality that already exists wherein he can dwell, he doesn't need a whole universe creating for him.

[wordiness]

Do you think he could be happy here? [ this place seems exciting enough to keep a loki busy, at least.

expression troubled, he leans back across the island to pick up his phone again, thumbing through some of the replies with a sigh. ] It would apparently make some people much less nervous that way. [ he gets it, he does, but it would maybe also be nice for people to ask before they start panicking. (maybe it's a good thing he doesn't live on earth anymore at home.)

he tosses the phone back down, turning and pulling himself up to sit on the island. ] I guess I should have done more clarifying. I've been really spoiled the last few years being around the people I've spent time with.

[ikols]

This is a fun world, if I had limited experience too I could be happy here for a while. He will break out of whatever place you put him, keep that in mind.

[ Time to add pepper and salt and some other spices ... He puts a spice jar between Billy's thighs and says "Hold, please," as he stirs and takes a quick taste from his spoon. ]

What are people saying on your post?

[wordiness]

Oh, you know, that I'm going to break reality and ruin their lives. Standard fare. [ he pushes the spice jar to rest between his knees instead, expression weary. ] I know it sounds dramatic, but sometimes I really do think a lot of problems would've been solved if Wolverine just killed me back when he was considering it. No Billy, no Demiurge, no potential for me to become some awful god-shaped thing in the future. But then America and her family wouldn't exist, and I can't--

[ it's an ugly, morbid game he's played with himself on more than one occasion, when he feels especially freakish, and it's unfair to lay it on loki, so he waves it away a moment later. ]

Whatever, I'm just frustrated and I shouldn't be. It's my fault for talking about it where it might scare someone. And I shouldn't react, they have every right to be worried.

[ikols]

[ Setting a lid on the stewpot, he wipes his hands clean and moves to stand in front of Billy with his hands resting on the edge of the counter either side of those dangling legs. ]

It would not have been better. Also, who the fuck does Logan think he is? I will throw him in a black hole if he tries to hurt you, him or anyone else.

[ One hand rises to cup Billy's cheek, thumb brushing over the warmth there. For all his lowkey threats, Loki remains calm as he looks into brown eyes. ]

What you can do is beyond the scope of their imagining so they resort to fear, it isn't personal. They don't know you, Billy. If they did, they wouldn't be making such fools of themselves.

[wordiness]

He had a point at the time, [ he says, a little meek in the face of loki taking his complaints seriously. ] I'd just put a bunch of people in a coma and the Avengers didn't know what I might be able to do. I didn't know. I-- I still don't know.

[ he takes a shuddering breath, but tilts his face into loki's palm. ] And it's not-- You know, they're just being sensible. A lot of people have done a lot of awful things with similar abilities.

[ he reaches out, fingers curling in loki's shirt as if he needs the contact. ] You wouldn't let me hurt people, right? If something like that happened?

[ikols]

Billy.

[ His thumb runs back and forth over a rosy cheek, fingers curling under a jaw to coax Billy to look at him. ]

I won't let you hurt people ... and I won't let them hurt you.

[wordiness]

Thank you. [ he manages a shaky, embarrassed smile, not able to hold loki's gaze for long. ] Well.. anyway, I guess this is why I don't really use social media much. [ he has a way of making things worse.

he hesitates, then leans in to press a kiss to loki's cheek, and when he leans back, he holds the jar up toward him. ]

I think I'm gonna' go lay down for a while, I'm kind of tired. Sorry for the drama.

[ikols]

[ Bawww, the softest cheek kiss. He nods understandingly, taking the jar. ]

Go rest. When you wake up, [ he gives Billy a sharp slap on the thigh!! ] hearty Asgardian stew awaits.

[wordiness]

Hearty kosher Asgardian stew, apparently. [ he curls his arms over his shoulders in a brief, hard hug, then slides down from the countertop again. ] Thanks, Loki, you're my favorite.

[ aside from teddy, anyway, which goes without saying. ]

[ikols]

The kosherest!

[ As Billy walks off with a nod and a smile from Loki, he turns back to his ipad and stewpot, waiting until he hears a door close to sigh. A hand plants on a hip, tea-towel tossed over a shoulder as he fiddles aimlessly with the heat settings. ]

... I know.