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Outside the Black Cat, Teddy's in a suit waiting for Billy. He'd never been in the club before but he heard about it. And he had something to prove: he was just as open minded as anyone from the future and was perfectly fine with people of different races, DNA, and/or sexuality. Of course he was since he fell under two of the three (that he knew of) not that Billy knew that. At least he didn't need to buy any clothes since he can just shapeshift what he wants to wear. It lets him use what money he has on the no doubt expensive drinks.
*
Billy has a suit: it's actually fairly well tailored, though its not an import or anything like that. It's a nice, properly, Jewish-made New York Suit, the better to show up at hospital events and charity things his dad drags him to from time to time. Still, he doesn't seem terribly comfortable in it. But, still. After parking his mom's car, he's getting out, tugging the suit this way or that way, and then making his way— look! There's Teddy without a letterman jacket. He blinks a moment, and he grins immediately, lifting a hand to wave in a gesture that is just a little bit awkward and a little bit lame, but coolness is not exactly Billy's style. He makes a mental note to see how Tommy manages to pull it off so well. "Hey, there." He grins more, dimples flashing, "This is a better jacket then the other one."
*
Teddy catches the wave and steps toward Billy, lifting a hand in return. "Hi there. You think so?" He looks down at what he's wearing a moment. "Well, thanks. I don't usually get dressed up but I heard it's kid of expected here." Even the bouncer at the door is wearing a suit. "You look nice."
*
There's a pause: Billy looks nice? He blinks, not sure quite how to process that. His Mom says he looks nice from time to time, but that's really it. But he decides to take it, grin a bit more, and then he nods in the direction of the bouncer, already pulling out his drivers license, as if expecting to get carded. Then again, attractive younger guys? Pfft, the place is gonna get raided anyways eventually, the chickenhawks wouldn't tolerate not letting them in, probably. "I've… never really been to a club before. I mean. I've been into a bar? But not anywhere that had a dress code. I'm probably going to do something super stupid and embarass myself. If you laugh at me I'll … probably laugh too."
*
Teddy reaches for his own ID before they get waved in so he doesn't bother. "I never have been either." he assures Billy. "Especially not one like…" Trailing off, he slows to a halt as they get inside and he can see the interior. "…this." Mind. Blown. It's like a haven for people who aren't straight white guys. Provided they have money because even the bartenders are dressed better than the average person in most other bars. "If you're not comfortable, we can leave." he says after a minute. Then realizing that might imply he's not comfortable, he adds "But if you are, we should get a drink."
*
Once they step inside… Billy is sort of stuck, frozen, as his eyes go sorta wide-eyed and … whoa. His mind is blown. He might have been talking up how cool and progressive the future is, but despite that, he seems totally unprepared for the site of the club, even if its not *only* for the gays, still. His eyes flick around from person to person, couple to couple, and his mind tries to come to grips with it, and he blinks, and gulps, and says, "… drink is an idea." Pause, "I mean a good idea. Uh. I've only ever drank once — ever, so I'm not entirely sure what it is I should you know… drink." He's flushing a little bit for some reason.
*
"Something that tastes good." Teddy suggests. "I don't know, I don't really drink either." He tried once with some of the other jocks. Tried really hard. It just made him piss a lot. "Let's ummm…" He nods toward the bar. "Sit." Making sure Billy's coming with him, he heads over to the bar and takes a seat.
*
Pausing, Billy blinks and then laughs, and follows Teddy along, "The problem is, the lack of experience means I don't especially know what tastes good." He pauses thoughtfully, settling into the bar and staring for a long moment at a pair of guys over there— who are HOLDING HANDS. Softly, "Man, I was told people get killed for stuff like that … around here." But then he blinks and shakes his head, hesitating, and waiting for the bartender to come over, "Hi, so, I'm… not a big drinker. So I'd like something… easy to get into? Can you like… surprise me?" A glance at Teddy, to see if he wants the same.
*
Teddy sees the hand holding too. And there's some over there as well. In fact, there's people being perfectly comfortable with who they are all over the club. "Huh? Oh, yeah. I'll have the same. Something that tastes good. The bartender gives the two kids a dubious look but nods and starts fixing their drinks. "So, is this what you were talking about?" Teddy asks Billy. "I told you there were places. A guy I know talked about it once. I think he's…" You know. "But he's a good guy." he's quick to add, making sure it's clear that being 'you know' is perfectly fine."
*
"Ummm." Billy hesitates, glancing around, peeling his eyes off of HAND HOLDING, flushing even more, "This is… I guess like I was talking about. But that doesn't mean I like… went into places, then. I mean. Its different but— don't they like…" His mind is totally processing poorly. And so he has to laugh. "Sorry, I'm being weird. I mean, I've nothing against… I just have been … like, ever since I got here, people have been telling me— and like, you know, I didn't expect there'd really be any places like this." SOon enough, their drinks arrive— pina coladas, blended, with pinapple on top. Billy blinks. "That's a drink? It looks like… dessert." he lifts it up to take a sip, and coughs after a moment, "Oh right." Sweet, but still strong.
*
Teddy nods. He is being weird. But it's kind of cute so he just lets Billy ramble on. "Well, it's kind of underground if you know what I mean." Lowering his voice, he leans in to say "I hear it's owned by the mob and they pay off cops to leave them alone." Which makes it even more cool slash scary to be here. Lifting his own glass when it arrives, he takes a sip and blinks at the unexpected taste. "This is very good." And he takes a larger swallow of it, much like he would if it were pineapple juice.
*
"The mob?" Billy looks astonished by this, looking around again and shaking his head, "Of all the people who I'd think wouldn't be cool with… stuff… I'd think mobsters would be top of the list. I mean, I picture the mob being all these macho… thugs." He hesitates, "Then again they're organized crime and if this is criminal… business is business." He takes a longer drink of the drink, grinning a bit more, and nodding his appreciation to the bartender, "Thanks." And then he turns to regard Teddy for a moment too long, "Okay, you're not like any jock I've ever met in any time. Even the jocks I knew… then, wouldn't really come into a place like this."
*
Teddy shushes Billy! "Not so loud." He glances around to see if anyone heard them which the bartender almost certainly did since he's keeping an eye on the two kids who stick out like sore thumbs. He can only shrug in reply to the speculation. "I guess. I don't know." Glancing sidelong at Billy, he shrugs again and lowers his voice. "I'm a mutant. I'm supposed to judge other people on what they are?"
*
He is shushed! Billy blinks a moment and nods his head, "Not so loud what? It's… this place can hardly…" But he shrugs a bit, but then he blinks. Mutant? Either that's new information or Billy was too transfixed by Teddy being obnoxiously pretty the last time they talked, because he looks surprised. Lowering his voice he sips his drink again and nods slowly, "What… kind? I mean, I know a few, and its all pretty amazing and… different. But I suppose if you're something that's used to getting persecuted, … yeah. I mean, I'm Jewish." Pause, "I think." He grins and drinks some more, relaxing a bit as he goes along, "Like… I think I am too. At least, the Doctor says my stuff isn' what it appears to be." He makes a wiggling, mystical gesture with a hand.
*
"I know. You told me." Teddy reminds him, still keeping his voice down. "You change things. I change me. I can change my shape, get really strong, fly, that kind of thing." And maybe has some kind of resistance to alcohol since he's absently finished his entire drink already.
*
Blinking a moment, Billy tries to picture that: and he looks Teddy over for a moment and has to grin, "I know I told you but I mean, its not certain, is what I was getting at. But… so you're like. A shapeshifter. Can you like, impersonate people?" He gestures at himself, murmuring, "Like could you look like me if you wanted to?" Beat, "Not that you'd want to, you look WAY better then I do." He sounds a little buzzed, and he laughs softly, "I mean, err, not that I noticed." Ahem.
*
"You think so? Cause… I mean, thanks." Teday says, switching trains of thought in mid sentence. "Yeah, I can do that. Animals too. Really, anything I can think of. It's kind of fun honestly."
*
"'Course." Billy nods his head quickly, "All the girls were probably after you in school." He sighs and gives a shrug, and waves at the bartender as he finishes his drink, pointing to another, but sounding curious, "It does sound fn. We should go flying sometime." THis is whispered, of course, "Flying is like my favorite thing in the world. Ever since I fell off the roof and missed the ground, … at night I often sneak out and just… fly. Sometimes I just float up there and watch the city." he sounds… wistful. Happy. His grin is a bit silly.
*
"Sure, I'd like that. I've never done that kind of thing with anyone before. Just by myself." Since Teddy's using a normal volume, he gets a smirk from the bartender when he comes over to fix another round. "Maybe once we leave here."
*
There's a pause: what did he say? Billy works that over in his brain, comes out with the same conclusion that the bartender smirks about, and flushes because he is absolutely certain Teddy didn't mean that. He coughs a bit, grinning and hiding that grin behind his hand, and waves around, "Sure. I mean that would be fun. Can you just… I mean." He pauses, careful to keep his voice low, "Do you turn into a bird or can you like …. add… wings? I mean being an eagle would be cool…" But eagles aren't cute, and Teddy is.
*
"Usually the latter." Teddy answers, lowering his voice again now he sees the bartender is closer. "But… Well, it'll just be easier to show you later. The former feels a little weird. I prefer being a person."
*
"I like you as a person, too." Billy grins, his entire demeanor remarkably more relaxed then when he entered. The alcohol is going to his head: he is an absolute lightweight. "Did I mention you remind me of someone I knew before? You do. Hey, wait." He blinks, sitting up straighter, "If you're a —" quieter, "mutant",… "Well, my brother and I, we sometimes go out together. Looking for trouble. Saving people. Do you want to come? Save the cheerleader, save the world, man."
*
Teddy looks around the club. "Cheerleader? Is someone in trouble?" But there doesn't seem to be any around to he looks puzzled at Billy who's also just sitting there so there must not be. "Well, yeah. We could do that. I already do some of that on my own but it could be fun with others."
*
Billy pauses, blinking: he can't quite even remember what that was supposed to mean, so he waves his hand, "Something from then, I don't remember." He taps his head, "Things aren't always clear." He pauses, then nods, "It could be fun but its also just…better. I mean, I can do some things. Tommy can do some other things. And the more we work together, the more we compliment eachother. I know if Tommy is around, there's some things I just don't have to worry about. He knows if we're together, I can deal with some issues which he can't. Everyone's strengths are made stronger, their weaknesses… less. Hey." He finishes off his second drink, and pulls some money out of his pocket and starts counting it out, "Let's go… do that thing."
*
Now? Teddy shrugs and quickly finishes his drink much as if it were pineapple juice, taking a moment to use the little stirrer to pierce the fruit and eat it. "Sure, we can do that." He digs out his wallet and adds some bills to what Billy's leaving behind.
*
Billy is all about escaping from this crazy place so many he can stop flushing, though the alcohol doesn't help with that at all. Still, he waves briefly to the bartender, and sorta meanders out of the club. "See." he murmurs once they're outside, blinking a moment and pulling his suit jacket a bit tighter, "Teams get things done better then solo-acts. It's all about the synergy. But that also takes familiarity." He hesitates, glances around, and heads for the nearest alley, "I forgot how cold it was out here!" He laughs.
*
Teddy gives a look around at the inside of the club before following Billy out. "Is it?" It's useful being able to shift internally enough to not notice minor fluxuations in temperature. "So umm, don't freak out on me okay? What with all the strangeness and stuff that's been going on, especially the green aliens." Witht hat warning, and a quick look to make sure no one else is in the alley or looking down it, he changes. Gaining both height and width, he bulks up and turns green. Even his hair shifts, turning black from its normal blonde. The suit he was wearing disappeared and became something more functional to fight in.
*
Billy just blinks a moment, squinting as he tilts his head to the side, "What's with the green?" he asks, not especially freaking out. So there's been green aliens, but this guy is a mutant— and this can't be the weirdest thing he's seen. He can't help but stare a bit as the already jocky guy suddenly becomes quite a bit more muscular, "Do you get… stronger if you make more muscles? Or is it all just… how you LOOK not how you really ARE?" he asks curiousely. For his part, he doesn't even really try— he just starts floating up a foot or so.
*
"Want me to pick up a bus and demonstrate?" Teddy asks with a quick grin. And then with a shrug of his shoulders, a pair of large, green bat wings grow from his back. "Green makes it harder to tell it's me. Plus since I get larger and stronger, I thought of the Hulk and figured why not. I call myself Hulkling too when I do this. Not very original." he admits.
*
"I'm Aether. For awhile there I thought I was like Zeus's great-grandson or something, so picked a nice sky-god sounding codesign." Billy still hasn't figured out that Wiccan thing, though Tommy's mentioned it: and he has no idea what the word even means. Still, there's a flash of a grin and he's adding, "You can pick up a bus?" He sounds suitably impressed, and glances around, and is *shooting* up rapidly into the sky.
*
Billy's flying up into the sky without warning catches Teddy off guard but after a moment, he leaps upward to get some height and then his wings take him up higher. There's nothing magical about his flying; he has to actual use his wings in order to fly and hover.
*
Billy doesn't head very far, and soon enough is hovering, seemingly effortlessly, though he does wrap his arms around his chest a bit: it's colder up here! He eyes Teddy for a long moment and grins, "That's… cool." he says, flushed— because of the cold, honest. "Don't you get tired?" He shivers a moment, lifting a finger up, "Hey, stay here. Right here. Don't move." And then his eyes unfocus a moment, and… there's this shimmering, and he vanishes. A minute passes, two, five, and then he's back. If Teddy is still around, he's got himself multiple layers of not-freezing-his-ass-off going on now, with a sheepish grin.
*
"No." Teddy would have to fly for a lot longer than this to get tired. When Billy disappears, he goes into a circling pattern. It's good it's not more than a few minutes as he's getting impatient but then Billy is suddenly back. In heavier clothing. "Oh. Why didn't you just make yourself not cold? Or change your clothes into something warmer?" Isn't that what reality warpers do?
*
"I told you, I don't know how that works. I don't even know for sure I can do that. That's just what the Doctor says. Me?" Billy shrugs, rising higher with a quick grin, "I can fly and throw lightning and command the wind. That's all. If I can 'warp reality', I don't know how and I don't even know where to begin to figure it out. But the Doctor says my stuff isn't magic like I thought it was, but me making things happen because I want them to. But… knowing that doesn't actually tell me how to do it for something else." He hesitates, "Besides, if I made myself not cold, I might accidentally make winter end, which might be bad."
*
Open mouth. Close mouth. "Umm, yeah. That would be bad." Teddy agrees. "But we don't have to stay up here, you know. We could go get a burger or something. Some place you're warm."
*
He can't help but grin more, even as he rubs at his nose, and glances around, a little tipsy still, which has him sort of start circling around Teddy, rubbing at his red nose, "I like flying." He pauses, "WAit, aren't YOU cold? Of course with all that muscle it might take awhile for it to soak in, but still." He hesitates, "A burger does sound good." Another pause, "Okay so that bar was… weird. I don't mean weird bad, but weird. I never went into a place like that even then."
*
Teddy shakes his head. "It's something I do automatically. I change things so that I don't get cold. Maybe like polar bears or something." He glides over to Billy then hovers in front of him, wings beating and creating a downdraft. "Yeah, it was. Not in a bad way. But everyone there seemed to be having a good time and kind of relaxed." Pause. "If you wanted to go back, I wouldn't mind. Not often though, it's really expensive."
*
"Pina colada's are good." agrees Billy, even though Teddy didn't really say anything about that specifically, "I'll have to go to the library and find a recipe, next time we can make them without having to pay a small fortune. But,… its not so bad. Until I finish college— which I have to decide on like yesterday— I have a pretty solid allowance." He hesitates, then adds, "We could always go to… another sorta bar too, if you wanted? Not that anything is wrong with this one, but we don't have to—"
*
"Oh, sure." Teddy's quick to say. "Another sorta bar is fine. One less likely to be raided by the police. I was nervous the whole time." Solely because of the cops of course. "So, you want to go to a diner? Get a burger? And fries. I could go for some pie too. Pretty sure there's one not too far from here, uptown a little."
*
"What? No you weren't." Glancing around, Billy flys off towards where he thinks a diner is, "Besides, I'm not afraid of police. Worst case scenario you shapeshift into a kitten, hop in my lap, and I teleport us away." But he's nodding quickly, "Oh, pie. See, now that's an important question. You can tell a lot about a man by the type of pie he likes. What's your favorite pie, then, good sir?"
*
"Apple. Warm with vanilla ice cream. Or cherry if I'm not in the mood for that." Teddy answers. Cheater; he gave two pies. "And yeah, I was. I mean, the cops might not treat those people very well and I'd probably feel like I needed to stop them from beating them. I'd hate having to hurt police but…"
*
Grinning more, Billy practically beams, "You nailed the right answer with the first shot. Best if it has some cinnamon and nutmeg in it, like my mom makes, but really, almost any warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream has Billy in Billy heaven." Then he blinks a moment, nodding, "Not hurting cops is important. If it comes to that" he reaches a hand up, and suddenly bands of pure force wrap around Teddy's larger body. It can even hold him up here in the air, "I'll immobalize them until you get everyone out." Of course, he doesn't imagine its possible for Teddy, even muscular Teddy, to overpower his great and strong TK. (But Teddy can, of course) He's got a slightly playful grin on his features.
*
Teddy blinks as he suddenly stops flying and he looks over at Billy then down at the hands of force. Suddenly he grins. "You want to play? I won't hurt you, will I?" Cause that would be bad too. He starts pushing his arms out against the hands holding him, slowly as he watches Billy to see if there's any feedback there before he really exerts himself.
*
Billy looks smug: big green guy that he is, there's no way he is strong enough to really throw a car around, and that's about how much power he can put into this sort of thing. He doesn't seem to get any sort of feedback from Teddy flexing out, he just narrows his eyes slightly, grins more, and keeps his hand held out, "Don't forget to flap if you get free, or I'll have to catch you and be your hero for the day."
*
Teddy did say he could pick up a bus. He didn't say that was without even straining. "I'll remember." he assures Billy. Course, leverage does apply and he doesn't have a lot of room to get into a good position. Still, he did choose the name Hulkling for a reason. Taking a breath, he presses his elbows firmly against the force hands and then starts steadily pushing them outward till Billy's 'hands' disappear or shatter or whatever they do. And he does remember to resume beating his wings.
*
The force just dissolves— and Billy leaps back a couple feet, expression looking shocked, his eyebrows arched. Not that he's really afraid of Teddy, but on pure instinct electricity dances along his body for a moment, over his chest, shoulders, down his arm and to coalesce in his hands— but the instinct lasts only a moment and the electricty vanishes, "Shitmonkey just how strong ARE you?" he breathes with some wildness to his eyes. Be green, yeah, whatever. Shapeshift, pff. Be stronger then Superman? Whoa!
*
Teddy shrugs at the question. "I told you I can pick up a bus." He's just never had a place to test his limits. "And honestly, it's not that hard so I'm not sure. But I have to be changed like this first. I'm not too much stronger than most people in my normal body. I takes actual muscle and stuff."
*
"I thought you were exaggerating." Turning, Billy makes to fly down towards the diner again, laughing softyl as he does, "Huh, interesting. So you can generate muscle on demand, and by generating muscle, you're stronger. That's like… cheating." Leading to another alley, he plops down on the ground and rubs at his reddish nose, "Come on, there's pie to be had."
*
Teddy watches Billy fly down toward the ground then folds his wings and follows him down, spreading them to catch air and slow himself fast with a crack of air. Once he's on the ground, he shapeshifts back into his normal body though without the suit and in his usual Letterman jacket instead. "I'm not sure you're someone who should complain about cheating." he grins.
*
"I still have to like, exercise and eat healthy." complains Billy with a shrug, "You know, twinkies and red bull and turning pages while I read books." He eyes Teddy in the letterman jacket again, and decides not to pester him about it this time. "That, too, is not fair. If I want to change I have to go all the way home. And then I have to do the laundry, because reasons. Wait." He pauses, and trips, and reaches out to grasp the wall, "If you can shapeshift and you can change your clothes that means your clothes aren't clothes they're PART of you that means you're NAKED!" This is blurted out
*
Teddy looks at Billy then bursts out laughing. "I suppose it does, in a way. But can you be naked if no one can see anything? And it beats having to buy clothes all the time because they get torn to shreds. So I just toss whatever I 'wore' into the laundry each day for when my mom does it."
*
"Dude if there's nothing between your junk and the air but you you might as well be walking around holding your hands over it!" exclaims Billy, and he can't help it, he snickers wickedly, "Not that you'd likely get very many complaints over that." He can't help but reach over and slug Teddy in the arm. Not, like, very effectively, mind you. Its not that Billy is weak or anything, he's just slender. But, he heads to the door, tugs it open and offers a slight bow to Teddy, "Naked people first." Grin.
*
"You're naked under your clothes too." Teddy points out then walks into the diner, lightly punching BIlly's arm in passing. After a quick look around, he heads toward the back for an empty booth that doesn't have anyone too close. As he sits, he points to a desert display on the counter. "Pie."
*
"Yeah but between my junk and the air is boxer briefs, and slacks. Not me." But, Billy is distracted, and stops by the desert display and flashes dimples for the waitress, "Two slices of apple pie, with vanilla ice cream, please. And a couple cups of coffee." Cuz his voice is still a little slurred. But, then he's heading to the booth, and slipping in to settle.
*
"Warm pie." Teddy adds and starts turning the wheel on the jukebox to see what the selection is. "I'll tell you something else that's cheating. And that kind of sucks. Drinking doesn't do anything to me. Those tasted really good but that's it."
*
"That…" declares Billy with a bright, dimpled grin, full of teasing, "I might interpret as a challenge. Then again until like a week ago I've never drank anything in my life. Not even a sip of beer. I don't even know why I let Tommy talk me into it. I manage to get to teh ripe ancient age of 18 without succumbing no matter how many of those parties I got invited to in high school" Precisely zero. "and how many times I got invited out by the cool kids to smoke weed and drink in the football afterparties—" Not once. "All the while keeping my purity, and look, one little episode of having my whole life crushed and reset and I become a drunkard." He sighs mock-wistfully.
*
"You look pretty good for having been crushed." Teddy notes then hastens to add "Not that whatever happened to you wasn't major." Whatever it was. If it was. "I don't think two drinks makes you a drunk though. You should have drunk at the parties though. They're so boring." He did get invited to some of them.
*
Eyeing Teddy a long moment, Billy snorts and shakes his head, "You did not sense my finely crafted sarcasm. I was the kid who did not get invited to anything. I was out" He pauses, but fortunately, that doesn't mean anything now, so he coughs a moment, " of…" And he can't think of quite any way to finish that sentence properly, "Anyways, I told you, me and school didn't get along. I was low man on the totem pole. Except that one time I got tied up TO the pole, but it was a flag pole, not so much a totem pole, but anyways, at the time, this shorter guy was also tied so he was, technically, the low man."
*
"Oh." Teddy eyes Billy a moment then nods. "Well, you didn't miss much. They were very boring. Just lots of drinking, talking about girls, and doing stupid things." He seems content to let Billy do most of the talking and drinks from the glass of water the waitress set down while their order is being prepared.
*
Giving a bit of a shrug, Billy crosses his hands over the table and lays chin down against his hands, peering up at Teddy a bit, seeming awkward suddenly. He isn't content to be doing most of the talking. So he figits. "I dunno, seems like I missed a lot." He shrugs one shoulder, then adds, "So, what *isn't* boring?" he wonders.
*
"Science fiction movies." Teddy can answer that one without thinking. "Other movies too. And I do like sports. I'm good at them. Even without cheating. And umm… Well, doing what we do. That's not boring at all." He stops talking and thanks the waitress when their pie and coffee arrives. Once she's out of earshot again, he lowers his voice to say "I just did some the other day over at that top secret SHIELD base on Governor's Island. I was flying by when I heard a bunch of explosions so I went down to help."
*
There's a faint shimmer around the edges of Billy, as if for a brief moment the line between him and everything else was just a little bit… jagged. It's nothing: it's a flare of a power he can't control, a flare of power he uses instinctually at this point. But for a moment, there's the potential for change. "Isn't that really dangerous? For someone like us to get around or near or involved any of those letter-soup agencies? The government's never really been our friend. Even then. Especially now with… you know." Aliens that are green. Green mutants should be careful. But he doesn't say any of that, he just gestures, reaching over to tap Teddy's arm lightly, trying to drawattention to his now-tanned and not green skin, but hoping to make it clear. But then there's pie, so he grabs a fork, and forks some right into his mouth.
*
Teddy digs into the pie cause the trick is to eat it before the ice cream melts. Not completely, of course. You need some melted ice cream toward the end to mix up with the apple filling. "I didn't think about it. I was there, I heard explosions, I couldn't just do nothing. They didn't try to keep me there or anything. I just went back there too, to make sure I wasn't exposed to any gamma rays. They had a leak so I wanted to make sure I was okay. The guy I talked too seemed cool. Young negro scientist."
*
"Wait, how are they telling if you were exposed to gamma rays?" Billy blinks slowly, "It's not like that is easily detectable." He pauses, then adds, "Wait, did you say a young black scientist? The government lets african americans be scientists back here? Whoa. I suppose that says… something. I'm not entirely sure what, but something."
*
"Well, I was thinking they'd use one of those things that click but he said that wouldn't work well." Teddy explains and nods at Billy's surprise. "Instead, he took some blood to look at. I looked too since I'd never seen blood under a microscope. It was interesting and very different than his. I guess because I'm a mutant and was… you know, at the time. Anyway, he's goign to check me again in a week or so and compare the two slides to see if there's any damage."
*
Freezing, Billy looks startled at Teddy. "You… gave a blood sample to the government." he breathes slowly, shaking his head. The horror on his expression is stark. You gave a blood sample to a government agency I have no idea what their … Teddy, man. Teddy, dude. The *things* they can do with blood!" He shivers, having forgotten his pie a moment. Of course, some of the things he's sure they can do with blood they can't, but that requires having a clear memory. "You're… really trusting. Of these government strangers. I'm not sure what I'd do if the government wanted to get some samples off of me, but it might involve a lot of lightning."
*
Teddy shakes his head. "He said he couldn't do anything with it. I was going to destroy it after he got done looking and he was fine with that. But when it turned out to be different, I decided I'd leave it. He wanted a scientist friend to look at it too and he promised there was no way to track me with it. I asked." He shrugs. "He could have been lying but I don't think so."
*
Billy shakes his head slowly, borderline mortified, "You can't believe the government. Even if he doesn't mean ill personally, he's just… a guy. What about his boss, his boss, and his boss later? You have no idea what they can do with it, what they can use it for. Especially now that its out of your view, your control. Between when you gave it and now, who nkows what happens? Even if he promised, he's in the government. He has to follow orders. What if someone decides the blood is interesting and enough to do something? You think he'll refuse to turn it over because he promised you he couldn't do anything with it? People in charge hurt people who are different."
*
"I didn't believe the government. I believed him." Teddy points out, looking at Billy curiously. "Why are you so anti government? They're the ones working to end segregation. It was the southern states that are fighting it. Anyway, they're with NATO and not the government."
*
Totally not thinking straight, Billy blurts out, "I'm a gay Jewish mutant, I'm not anti government as much as I'm anti trusting myself to anyone who doesn't have something to lose, and to say I'm deeply suspicious of ALL government is saying something. Yeah, sure, some parts of the government want to end segregation, but look at the FBI and what J. Edgar Hoover does with them. You can't believe him if he's subject to them, because it isn't his choice." He shakes his head, "You seen any serious government response to them burning down Sacramento's mutant town? And NATO is still the government. In fact, possibly worse, its the military."
*
Teddy's brow furrows as Billy rants on. Gay, Jewish mu… Wait. Didn't he say that gay meant…? "You're one of them?" he asks, immediately fastening on the important part. "From the club, I mean." Everything else said is pretty much ignore if he even heard it once he realized what Billy just admitted.
*
"What? No, what are you talking about." Billy waves away such nonsense, waving, and look, filling his face momentarily with some pie. Nomnom, can't talk. Talks anyways: "The point is that while individually members of the government might be perfectly nice, honest guys, institutionally that's a different question. And when there's enough middle-men between the agent and the person giving the orders, all manner of things can happen."
*
"You just said you were." Teddy points out. "Earlier, you said it meant…" Glancing around the diner, he lowers his voice. "Well, you know what you said it meant. And you just said you were." Nope, still not focusing on anything else. "Which is okay. Really."
*
"I said I was a Jewish mutant and so obviously I have a couple persecution issues." mutters Billy, flushing and shaking his head, waving a hand again, trying to wave away all this talk, "Are you paying attention? This is important! They might not be able to do a lot with blood yet but you can bet they'll keep that sample forever."
*
"You said you were a gay, Jewish mutant." Teddy correct quietly, leaning forward to look at Billy. "I heard you. And it's okay if you're into other guys. Cause…" Dropping his gaze to the table, he sits back and kind of shrugs. "Well…" There's a quick look around to make sure no one's close and his voice drops even further till Billy might need to strain to hear it. "Me too."
*
This is not happening. Billy is going to get killed, look, didn't they warn him about this? It's a disaster! Doom! The Doom of Valyria started exactly this way, he's pretty sure, even if no one has heard of that yet. In a quick panic, Billy focuses, and just sorta *blinks* out of existance, teleporting away. He's gone for two long seconds before he *blinks* right back in place, looking bewildered, "…what?"
*
"What?" Teddy repeats, blinking in turn as suddenly Billy was there then wasn't then was. "Where'd you go?" Shaking his head, now it's his turn to cut off a piece of pie with his fork and then eat it. See? Can't say anything. Mouth is full.
*
Billy has absolutely no idea how to process this, so he sorta just… shuffles some pie, himself. He mostly looks AT the pie, too. "Home." he mumbles.
*
Yes, the plates are fascinating. Teddy's carefully inspecting his own as he eats his pie. In fact, it only takes three large bites to do so and he tilts the dish before lisfting it and drinking down the melted ice cream/apple filling mixture.
*
With them having run out of words to say, they finish up their pie, munch, and sorta awkwardly make their way out.