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Noh-Varr was awake kind of late as he discovered the television. Which wasn't discovering that television exists since he had run into it on other Earths but rather what was on television on in this reality. So when Teddy and Billy went off to work and/or college, he just waved them off and stayed asleep on the couch.
|ROLL| Kaleb +rolls 1d20 for: 15
Kaleb unlocked the door and let himself in slapping the key on the counter closing it and shutting it with a click. "Billy," Sayeth the humorless Miller, "We need to talk about your lan-" He stopped. The sound wasn't directional but carried and was. But the words cut off not finding Billy in the reverb back to him. His feet made no noise rounding the partition when he came to stop inside the living room and eyes Noh-Varr on the couch. "Hi. Where's Billy and who are you?" Imperious, and impersonable. Welcome toKaleb Miller. That siad someone he didn't know was in Billy's apartment, presumably with permission as one oft not sneak up on a wizard, buuuuut he was not one for chances.
Noh-Varr cracks open an eye and looks at the guy who walked in without knocking. "The guy you met last night. Were you drunk then or now, Kellan?" Yawning, he tosses the sheet off him and stands up, wearing just a pair of black boxer-briefs. Or that's what they'd be called if 1) the style existed in 1965 and 2) they were made and designed on Earth instead of Hala. Scratching his side, he pads into the kitchen.
Kaleb arched an eyeborw. OH there was opportunity for really screwing with this guy, but… dammit he promised Kellan he'd knock that shit off. He seemed to accept this as an answer either way. "Kaleb." He corrected mellowing slightly on the demands as clearly he was Kellan screened. He turned in place holding one hands in the air snapping his fingers once letting it somehow tone out a momen, head tilted down. Huh. Finally he finished that sentance. "Billy and Teddy are out." Not a question really. Ah well. "Kellan's my twin brother."
Pulling open the fridge, Noh-Varr pulls out a bottle of Coke then shuts the door. "Ah." Walking back into the living room, he studies Kaleb a moment then nods. "A very close resemblance. You sound different now I'm aware of it. I'm Captain Noh-Varr of the 18th Kree Diplomatic Gestalt." He pulls off the bottle cap then takes a swig.
Kaleb paused looking faintly pleased someone picked up on that. "Well then I suppose Kay-leb is likely the better introduction. Kree huh?" Iiiinteresting. "Well well met Noh-varr. Not to be an ass but you're not blue. You conscripted?" He looked at the tv and gestured, "Paladin, huh?" He looked at the show on tv and came in and sat down. He offered, "Been working on the Earth project for them. What's bringing you out here, Noh-Varr?"
"Not all Kree are blue. Only a small minority of pompous bigots overly impressed with their own perceived self importance." Noh-Varr counters. "What Earth project are you helping with?" Sitting back down on the couch, he puts his feet up on the coffee table, crossing them at the ankle. "My ship is disabled and I've been trying to get back to my home reality."
Kaleb actually cracked a faint smile. "Yeaaaaah I got that impression. In short story- something laying low here they don't want here and would like ferreted out. I, and some people I work with are finding a minimally-disruptive way to do this so they can go and leave us alone." His eyes drifted to teh tv watching the cowboy ride across the title screen. "Ship? Flying I'm guessing and not sailing. You know what's wrong with it?" Home reality though made his brow furrow slightly. He'd maybe have to circle back around to that one.
"It's fused into bedrock." Noh-Varr's quite sure what's wrong with it. He gestures with his bottle toward a chair. "You can sit. So you're helping the Kree here? What do they want on this planet? Aside from owning it. You know that's their ultimate goal, right? To increase the size and power of the Kree Empire."
Kaleb nodded slowly with a half grin, "Eeeeh I'm seeing an alien. I got the lo-down on the general Kree adgenda. Honestly I dunno why the Kree want it. It's covered in humans ruining it with poor life choices." He sighed taking the moment to lower his blood pressure slightly. "So you said your reality. This like a parallel timestream thing or a completely different iteration and you come from somewhere else's 'now'?" He paused and furrowed his brow a bit trying to make sure his math added. yup. Okay this was happening. Alrighty then. He paused adding quietly, "I've been to, I think, the projected probable future of this-Earth like thirty years from now twice. I'm working on wraping my brain around this."
"Somewhere else's now?" Noh-Varr repeats, head cocking slightly to the side as he looks at Kaleb, trying to figure out what that means. "There are billions are realities." he says, deciding to explain instead of taking a guess as to which of the two options presented was correct. "They're separate from each other. Ones to close to each other are very similar. As you get further and further away on the spiral, they becomes more and more different. Don't confuse them with dimensions which are part of a reality. My reality is probably close to this one but this Earth seems to have advanced at a slower pace than the other Earth I've been to."
Kaleb considered taht and asked curiously, "Like chaos theory? Randomness chosen from a set specifid 'reality' but probablity of similarities based on factors in a certain quadrant a but like, hmmmmm,, 'reality's' version of descendancy from a genetic family tree? Still an infinite number of seeming options at random but in truth part of a mapable existance?"
One of Noh-Varr's brows rises. "You're a scientist? No, it's nothing like chaos theory. Side by side realities might be mistaken for each other but there is something that happened that was different enough to split them off from each other. It's also possible for whatever the event was, what happened after eventually becamse similar to what happened in the other reality. As you get further away, the differences become more significant. Go far enough and you'll find nothing recognizable to anything you know. But the closer ones are similar enough it makes it hard to find your own if you should get lost."
Kaleb sat quiet and pressed his lips together. He wasn't one to 'share' or justify himself but admitted to the ambassador in shorts, "Mathematician and architect actually. But really, sounds like you're describing my brother and I." That…amused him. "So your shipp is stuck in bedrock. Slagged , or damaged? I might know someone familir withthe technology enough to potentially assist you in beginning to recoup your losses." He paused and took a deep breath offering a bit less formally, "I was stranded away from home once. It was terrible."
"Damaged." Whether it's repairable or not, Noh-Varr's not certain. He just nods, acknowledging Kaleb's implied sympathy. "So, are you attracted to your own gender as well? Billy and Teddy seem to have collected a large number of pretty boys who are into other boys. I thought at first it was normal for this world till they said otherwise and explained how primitive it is."
Kaleb answered Noh-Varr evenly and without hesitation, "I'm attracted to brilliance. Usually no one at all because, as you said this world is compiled of inferior human lifeforms that think themselves superior when they live in constant fear of hte self and their own shadow. That said, I am seeing someone. yes they are male. No I don't generally share this woth others for political reasons, but it is what it is and… I think he might be able to assist you. At the very least I expect he'll be quite interested in helping you, and no he's not human." As if the concept of doing so would be enduring mild disgust.
Billy is not home.
A hole in reality rips open and deposits a Billy in his apartment, carrying with him a plastic bag full of food. He blinks the moment he sees Kaleb, nodding his head towards him for a moment, and voila, Billy is home again. "Soo, Kaleb, you have met our uh, visitor." he comments, then heads for the kitchen table to lay out containers, "I got breakfast. Eggs, bacon, sausage gravy over biscuits, fruit salad."
Noh-Varr is sitting on the couch in what appear to be the Kree equivalent fo black boxer briefs, if they existed yet on Earth. His feet are up on the coffee table, crossed at the ankles as he talks to Kaleb. "I thought you had school." he comments to Billy. "Or went off to… whatever you work at." There's the briefest of pauses there. "You have other aliens on this world?" he asks Kaleb. "What race?" Because certainly, no blue Kree would ever be in a relationship with a human. Or anyone else that's not a blue Kree.
Kaleb got up and wandered to the phone and picked it up to dial. He didn't have to look up to hear the shift in everything. "Hey Billy. Yes I did. I'm glad to see you keep acquiring exemplary people. I can actually have a conversation with this one." Into the phone he carried out a conversation that didn't leave more than a foot from him. All Kaleb's conversations stayed private. It was habit and it was a good habit. Rejoining he offered, "Well you can ask him yourself when he gets here. That's not on me to say. But, we do. Kree, Asgardians, Kyrptonians, ummmm there's of course teh Mutant population and Mole People but we're both indigenous to Earth. It's not owned by Human's alone. Oh there are the Elves of Alfheim and some Satyrs too. No idea where they're from or on about. Ah, and the spirit population. I keep no tabs on them. But that's all I recall for transient diaspora."
Maximus got /directions/…but…though it should take him 15 minutes, it takes 30 to get here. This is what happens when he gets directions. He read far too much into them. Eventually thoguh, he knocks and then immediately tries the door.
"My shift is later." explains Billy to Noh-Varr, then heading over to check the door, only to find that Maximus opened it on his own. This causes Billy to blink, but he shrugs, and heads back over towards breakfast, where he grabs some plates and starts filling one of his. He flashes a dimpled grin over to Kaleb, "There's the Skrull, but we can't know if they're here or not, what with the shapeshifting."
Noh-Varr mostly looks blank when Kaleb starts naming aliens. They're either native to Earth as in the case of the Asgardians or they're minor players in galactic politics in this sector. "They are annoying that way. On the other hand, they make fantastic lovers." When yet another person shows up, he looks over and gives the new arrival a quick once over.
Kaleb turned to Billy with a grin and a finger. That grin had too many teeth in it, "We may actually! That's been my project he last two months since Jean voluntold me that I'm going to help her find them when she told the Kree overlord guy that the Mutants would fix the Skrull 'hiccup'. So… we may have a lead on that." His eyebrow arched to Noh-Varr who apparently 'associated' with them before. Huh. Hey he wouldn't tell him he was wrong. Maybe shit was different where he was. Pushing heels to floor he stood and actually got the door. Everyone can calm down or have aheart attack here that he got up at all. He walked mostly over to Max and made the introductions. "You remember Billy, Strange's son. This… is Noh-Varr, Kree diplomatic delegate. Noh-Varr, Max-mas."
"Skrull? Should I have brought my gun…or my brother?" Maximus offers totally casually, unaware that someone in the room is dating one. He seems to know who Billy is, and he smiles overbroadly, winding his way towards the cadence of Kaleb's voice. That's when he spots Noh-varr and he narrows his eyes thoughtfully, turning the glinting steel orbs to Kaleb for confirmation. "Kreeeee diplomatic delegate? Is that sooooo?" His face contorted into something that's supposed to show interest, but it comes off as being interested at whatever sort of goo holds Noh-Varr's brain together and how would that goo look in a special jar… "Maximus…Maximus /Boltagon/, actually." He offers his hand in a totally friendly, not-imagining-anything-terrible way.
With introductions having been made, Billy settles into a sitting place to dig into his breakfast. He looks over to Kaleb with some surprise, "I don't know who Jean is, or what the skrull hiccup is— I feel like I'm out of touch here somehow." His expression turns rueful, before he glances back to Maximus, "There's no need to worry about them here. I'd turn them into a skunk." Pause, "Hey, if I transform a shapeshifter into something, can they just shapeshift back?" he asks rhetorically.
"Not if they don't remember what they are." Maximus grins as he replies.
Noh-Varr stands up, not at all posing in just his Kree made black boxer briefs. Really. "Captain Noh-Varr of the 18th Kree Diplomatic Gestalt." He clasps the hand, not registering anything at all on hearing Max's last name. He's equally blank at the mention of Jean or anyone else for that matter. "I don't think I've ever seen a Skrull hiccup. Is that important in some way?"
Kaleb pinched the bridge of his nose. "Billy, I'm buying you a news paper subscription. Or I'm just buiying you a newspaper. The whole title and youcan hanve people report just for you. It'd be neat." Because you can buy the news. You can buy anything really in teh right circles, right? "First yes there are Skrull here. Not many but some guy named Ronin the ENforcer showed up at the UN and it was televised telling the people of Earth they were here and to fix it." Turning to Max he smiled and found so much amusement in this, "Noh-Varr is from a different… reality not dimension is that correct?" He was learning fast on the fly. WHy not. "So he's not got ties to either Ronin or that super tall lady." Looking back to Billy, "Short answer, yes unless… that."
Maximus wets his lips and nods to Noh-Varr, then Kaleb, when its explained. "Differing reality. That is intriguing. How did you get to this one? How do you travel between realities? Can you explore who is in charge of certain things in certain realities?" He asks with an innocent tilt of his head. Meanwhile, he slides his hand behind Kaleb's back and runs his fingers down it.
"Oh, I knew about that, I just didn't know why you'd call it a hiccup. I must be in a literal mindset." Billy chuckles and shakes his head slightly, looking to Noh-Varr at Maximus' questions, for he finds them good questions.
Noh-Varr looks from one to the other. "I'm feeling under dressed." he says, moving over to where his uniform is. "And while I have an amazing body, I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable. At least, not till I know you better." Joke? Or honesty? "My ship is able to travel between realities. I don't know what you mean by 'explore who is in charge'."
Kaleb paused and fell silent. Maybe it was Max, or the exchange of pertinent information. What he did offer was to NohVarr's comment of feeling underdressed, "I have that effect on all people. Don't worry." Arrogant, perhaps, but generally also true. THe man took almsot 2 hours every morning jsut before leaving his room. "Honestly, I don't know it makes a difference to any of us either way." Max was going somewhere withthe questions though and he stood up and just let the moment go.
Maximus eyes Noh-Varr in his skivvies and…though the man is attractive, he just seems to have a different bar of judgement where that is concerned. "I just assumed that the Kree dressed like that where you are from. You do not appear to be /blue/, either. What I meant by…in charge, was, if I could find a reality in which my people have taken over the world already, I could just go there."
"Wait." Billy lifts a hand and gives Maximus a sidelong look, "I am concerned about your use of the word already." He is so concerned he stops eating, even, "If your people are looking to take over the world this is maybe not the apartment to mention it in, because Hi? I'd have to stop you. If I didn't, my Dad would, I'm pretty sure. We Mages of the Grand Order of Wizards are not okay with world domination attempts. Its right up there on the list of things we stop under 'invasion of eldritch or abyssal horrors'." He sidelooks to Noh-Varr, too, "Need me to make you an Earth-appropriate outfit to hold you over until the whole money thing?"
"I was asleep when Kaleb walked in." Noh-Varr answers, grabbing his uniform and stepping into it. Max gets a brief stare before he shakes his head. "Blue Kree are a very small minority who try to make up for it by convincing themselves they're more important than the rest of us. And no, you can't. There are billions of realities. I've been through millions of them. There's no easy way to home in on one over the other. Who are your people?" Glancing at Billy, he grins. "What, my uniform won't blend in? Sure, go ahead. Something that fits well, is fashionable, and shows off my body."
Kalebwas so used to Max 'taking over the world' that he skipped right over it though he DID finally circle back around giving Max his own sidelong glance for the bigger issue than'already', "Wait you'd leave me?" You know the important things! Earth, schmerth. "Billy, Please, have you seen VIetnam right now? The world can't manage to tie its own shoelaces. Out of human hands we might all survive, but really, a council would be better. Still that's not the point here. The other issue is we need to talk to you about the security on your building. I threw demands at the maintenance staff and they let me right in. This is unacceptable if my people can just get walked in on. I was worried for you for a whole moment before I realized you'd just turn them into sheep. Still, any asshole can just walk into this building as I have proven." At least he was one with his being a jerk.
Maximus grins slowly, "No, of course not. I would take you with me. Its just curiosity, anyway. Who knows what else would be wrong with the world. That world might have forgotten to invent small pancakes, or…eveyrthing uses steam for power, and everyone wears variations of brown and black and has gears in their hats." Max gestures through the air. He looks at Billy and arches his brows. "I wouldn't pay attention to me. I have Kaleb…so, its fine. I just like to talk about it…and make general plans, in case its ever needed. You have to admit though, as /guardian of the planet/, Stephen seems to lay down on the job a lot."
"Noh's got earth clothes." It is not, perhaps, Billy's most insightful of spells. "Noh'sgotearthclothesnoh'sgotearthclothes." He flicks a hand, and suddenly next to Noh appear a whole set of earth clothes. Meaning, jeans and a plain green tank top and shoes and socks. "No, your uniform won't blend in. Those will." Mostly. He didn't exactly conjure something that doesn't show off Noh's assets, but that's probably subconscious. He looks over to Kaleb and blinks, "Wait, someone just let you in? Okay, I will indeed see to that, though I'm not so worried about mundane security. This place is warded up tighter then uhh, something really tight, against the mystical and demonic and such. Especially of the spineless Mojo-shaped variety, since that jerk haunted my TV once. But there's only so much security I can do, the maintenance guy has to have a key— its in the lease, we can't change the locks without giving them a lock." That said: "Tyranny of the powered over the masses isn't okay, Kaleb. Even if the masses are not doing an especially good job. I happen to believe in Democracy and the American Dream more or less, hope and change, you know." He gives an arch look at Maximus, hrmphing, "He does not. His purview is not /guardian of the planet/, but /mystical guardian of this reality/. Not everything is his job to solve." Hmmmph!
Noh-Varr watches Billy do his thing with interest. "You realize you're using words to focus your mind as you manipulate the energy of the universe and shape it how you want. You just converted energy into matter and gave it the shape you wanted." A nice scientific explanation for Billy's version of 'magic'. "No wonder different races are interested in your world if it produces abilities like that on a regular basis. I might recommend exploring in this direction when I return home."
Kaleb held up both hands and said with a brazen matter-of-factness, "I might be an imperious little shit but I like knowing your things are secured, Bill. I told you I have your back here." Kaleb was rude and stubborn and certainly opinionated but he was loyal to the safety of his teem and their interests. At least he was consistant for that. "Billy I didn't say Tyranny. I sad a counsulate of the non-human races on this planet and… maybe a human or two. That Canadian ain't so bad." He looked to Max and offered objectivly, "On that front he's laying low because he's actually doing his job I think. Okay. Noh'Varr, Billy can inform you of how o reach our place. If you need anyhting consider me your acilitator. You need something from New York Kellan and I are good for this. Max," He looked to the Imperious Inhuman(tm) and chuckled agreeing, "When my people are actually liberated from their persecution from human society /then/ we cna go find a moon or something and start a haven colony or something. First thing is first. Yooooou are taking me out to breakfast."
"If you call me Bill I'm going to turn you into a very fiesty cat, Kaleb. Ugh. Its worse then William." Billy looks at Noh-Varr for a long moment, digesting his interpretation, and he shrugs one shoulder, "I suppose its as likely an explanation as any other; I hold the image of the universe as I want it in my mind and concentrate until the reality and that image match. Which could just be another way of saying what you said." He flashes a dimpled grin, but more seriously he looks at Kaleb, "Tyranny doesn't require a single dictator. Remember I'm a human, Kale? Not a mutant. I like voting for the President. Well, theoretically, I will." He looks back to Noh-Varr, "My ability is not common; in fact it seems to be incredibly rare. Though there's more and more mutants all the time with various amazings. But, yeah. I can tell you how to get to the K-Twins and Vic's place."
|ROLL| Kaleb +rolls 1d20 for: 18
"Maybe not yours specifically but there do seem to be a lot of you with abilities." Noh-Varr points out. "Or you just collect them around you like you do with those who are attracted to the same gender." Gathering up the clothes Billy made, he heads toward the bedroom. "I'll go try these on."
Kaleb couldn't argue with that, "Okay tyranny is humans making rules for everyone else. It's what we currently have. What I'm saying is a Earth council and we can elect our leaders sort of like we have people in teh Senate representing their state. Instead of states? Our species. There's no equality of voice for we as the minority. I know this because I have to go to state dinners and listen to this shit as world leaders discuss what to do with other races not knowing they're in mixed compant. fun times lemme tell you. Vote for your human leader. We'll vote for a mutant one. The others can vote for their voice idylically. You want to talk issues though we'll do lunch and talk about this bullshit Mutant Registration Act thing congressis talking about. But I'm not going on a list. I've seen what happens to people on lists. Not okay for anyone and it always ends badly. But," He took a deep breath and found some… peace. Maybe Max, maybe that they were on the same page… sort of. "I can go on abotu the inadequacies of citizen care for forever. Now is not the time. Noh'varr, you need anything we would be pleased to serve as ambassador during your stay."
"Hey, I'm Jewish, remember? You don't need to tell me about lists." Billy shakes his head slowly, "I don't really accept that 'mutants' are a separate species, and if they are, then Homo Magicus maybe should be its own. But, why should there be equality of voice? Mutants _are_ in the minority. Why should the millions of mutants have an equal voice to the billions of humans? Do you think one human leader can adequately represent 'human interests' anymore then one mutant leader could? The answer isn't segregation and drawing lines between us, but integration. That's not an easy road, but seeing us as 'separate races' is what directly leads to the problem. We're all people, and the government should be of and for the people. Not for only its 'race'. Not to mention I bet the blacks will take issue with this plan of lumping them under a white man as 'human leader'."
Kaleb narrowed his eyes and said setting his teeth, "First off I never said any white guy should be in charge of shit. Two, we are not Human. We are Mutants. We are genetically different. For the sake of our friendship… never… call me or my people human to my face again. And yes maybe Homomageus should distinctly BE its own thing. There are different concerns, different needs and different threats. But don't tell me the minority shouldn't have a voice. If you're Jewish you know how fucking dangerous that is to cave to the masses that tell you you're just an expierement and if not? Look that one up. It's not okay. Right now my people are sitting in labs getting dissected because we have no rights." Kaleb laughes to keep from just losing his shit and takin out the glass but he stayed calm. "Billy, to answer your question, I agree with you. Pick MORE than one then. Not all humans have the same needs. But the subjugation of non-humans needs to fucking stop because everyone remotly making progress to be heard is silenced…" Which to the sonic might be the worst thing ever. His fingers came together and he took a deep breath offering, "Look, I just wnat freedom and safety for my people. We don't have that. We're not even alone in needing that. I don't even want to take over anything I don't want to be expieremented on again. Not me, not for others like me. Is it too much to fucking ask?"
"Did I say, 'the minority' shouldn't have a voice, Kaleb?" Billy arches a brow, standing and crossing his arms across his chest, "Did I say that, _at_all_? I know there are huge abuses being heaped on mutants, and that has to stop, but the way to stop it isn't to permanently enshrine yourself as 'other' and 'apart'. The Nazi's convinced the germans that Jews were non-human, less-then-human, and therefore it became okay for the german people to just accept atrocities. No. Its not too much to ask; when did I say you should accept the status-quo, Kaleb? You're putting words into my mouth over and over again."
Kaleb sighed and said, "But we are genetically different is the difference. Mutant isn't a belief system. We actually have different DNA. And … okay. SO long as we agree on the minority thing cool. But seriously, Call me Human and we're having bigger issues. We are genetically different and the issue I'm taking here is that's eing ignored. I'm not even saying we're superior…necessarily. But from a genetic standpoint it's not the same, and I don't appreciate being erased and swept under the rug by someone trying to explain to me what's been proven otherwise. That's my identiry, my DNA, my people, MY heritage. I eman really from this standpoint I think you're the only full Human on the team, buuuut, we like you either way. Just… please for hte love of peace never call me Human again. I'm a Mutant. just because I have to lie about that to get by doesn't mean I'm not proud of who I am or what my people are going through and not getting the help for. You want o help me DO something about that? Shit, Billy I'd welcome the help, honestly."
"Everyone's genetically different. Teddy half-alien! I have a full alien sleeping on my couch. If your genes are how you define yourself, fine, for _you_ and _you_ alone I will respect that. I will, for everyone else, consider their actions what make them people— and to me humanity defines what it is to be humans, not genetics. I don't care what color you are, how many arms, or legs, or from what planet you're from. Everyone who is a rational person with a sense of justice is a person to me, is human to me." Billy sighs, expression pained, "Heck, Kaleb. If you ever hear of another experimental facility, all you have to do is show up and I will tear it to pieces and salt the earth where it stood. Do you think that because I'm not a mutant that the reality of those things don't *enrage* me? You've never seen a furious mage before."
"Do you think I haven't thought of closing my eyes…" Billy does close his eyes, and lifts a hand out, "And saying 'mutants are equal' over and over again? Mutants are equal—" There's a faint shimmer in the air around his hand.
|ROLL| Kaleb +rolls 1d20 for: 4
Kaleb held up a finger patiently, "Humanity is an act of grace, not a genetic classification, you speak of human as an act but that's not the same as…. You want to use the Jewish allegory, it's the religion vs. the people. Not all Jewish people are Jewish by heritage if htey are converts. Not all people who are Human exhibityt he trait'humanity' which honestly I repfer 'common decency' cause it's less alienating for hterest of us to be fair. Secondly we're all Earthlings, not all Human. Third, Mutants are not human, we have a different DNA structure and markers entirely, some similar, but dude not the same thing. and lastly I'm in the process of checking out like 8 more facilities. GOvernments are doing this shit and some in teh US." He sighed and squint his eyes shut. "I found out we built two of them. I'm…working on the blueprint acquisition." Taking a deep breath his eye twitched and his head hung. His jaw set and there was a look… not Kaleb the IMperious but a 7 year old kid who was scared somewhere still in the adult's skin that came out in expression looking back to Billy. "Why… haven't you if you can?" His eyes watered a bit and almost by a force of will he fought genuine emotion like a trained assassin and worked to rally himself. "You ever wake up in a lab…with… tubes coming out of you unable to move and being told you are property? It's terrifying."
Kaleb looked to Billy, expression neutral but the fear that he lived with and buried daily seemed to have welled up enough in the emppassioned discussion as the two young men struggled with finding an elegant solution for the world that didn't exist. The stoic teen's face grew damp as tears started to crawl down his still expression and he promised, "I'm not going back, Billy. No one… is going back to that…" Echo's jaw trembled while he fought for the quiet composure he had. It was not enough.
Billy lowers his hand and opens his eyes, addressing first: "Why haven't I changed the universe to become what I think it should be?" He sighs, looking troubled, "Two reasons, primarily. For one, I don't know what the consequences would be. Not really. I can't contain the whole scope of what the change would cause in my mind clearly: I can't be sure what the universe idealized according to Billy's will would look like. Secondly, I don't have the hubris to take it upon myself to bend the whole of the cosmos to my vision. I'm not god." Then he looks back to Kaleb, blinking and shaking his head, even stepping over and reaching out to lay a hand on Kaleb's shoulder, "Kaleb's center. Kaleb's center. Kaleb's center. Kalebscenterkalebscenter." There's no obvious change, but Billy drops his hand a moment later, "There. I'll always be able to find you. I've tethered a mystical seeker-spell to you. If you're missing, it won't even be a question of going to find you. I'll just bring you back here where its tied. You're never going back, Kaleb."
As for the rest? "Words are important; your words are important to you. I'll respect them— for you. But you don't get to speak for other mutants. If they will accept me welcoming them as brother humans, they have that right. You can hold yourself apart, and that's your right, I'll respect it."
Kaleb stood very still and was shaking, too proud to fall apart, and too emotional to bury all of those feelings, "Just… let them decide. We have enough people talking for us without us being able to talk." He took a shaky breath and squint concerned at Bily as he started chanting. he wouldn't do.. thing sto him right? uhhhh right?! The explaination though bought up both of Kaleb's hands to cover his face. He couldn't do it and had no real mastery of expressing much other than indifference, surprise, disgust, wonder, or anger. This is not the Kaleb that is supposed to be presented to the world. "Billy… that's… a fair answer. But I do need help." A lot of help and where to begin, but likely starting withthe mutants though it was quiet and the ability to argue, agree, or even debate theory was done in him for now.
"And help you shall have. I know Teddy will help, too." Billy nods his head slowly, "I'm working on a recall device, though I don't know if they'll work, but if so that'll be option 2 for if someone comes for you. It might— if I can figure it out— teleport you back to Narnia."
Kaleb sat quietly and took a deep breath but he nodded. rallying was what he did. He didn't afford himself weakness but even he had an ounce of tangible humanity . Wiping his face with his hands he added thoughtfully. "Test on Kellan." Come again."With his permission of course but he makes reflections of himself. Seems the trust test of that as well as Teddy to hit something that… well can shapeshift. Someone." Teddy was a person, Kaleb.
"Someone." Billy says _firmly_, but that's hos boyfriend there. "I'm not so concerned with its safety, just its effectiveness. I'm patterning it after my teleporting which has a built in safety-shifting mechanism, but sure, once we're testing it on someone not-me, I can ask Kellan. Though does he hurt if his copies are hurt? I thought he did, which makes testing on him not useful."
Kaleb nodded slowly, "I … think of people as nouns. Someone. And.. yes if his copy is hurt it'll hurt Kellan. Growing up he had a bad accident and broke his arm. THey all got broken. It was freaky and it was not okay. Far as we can tell if one dies… Well, you get to see me take back everything I said, lose my damn mind and go full despot. But ya know, nothing's happening to Kellan so we're okay." Eh, he was honest about his limitations. "Then likely Jay. He has the best ability to heal, but again, you combust my best friend, we'll all be pretty inconsolab- RABBITS. If they die, we have dinner. We practice on rabbits. I mean we shouldn't have to do science right away on our team and we can't eat Jay. He's not a chicken nugget."
"Really, we're looking at this all way too dark." Billy laughs and shakes his head, rubbing at his face, "I'll practice on forks. If a fork survives a person will survive; I'm actually _good_ at teleportation. I've mastered standing spells with triggers, its just the mobile origin point of the effect that is questionable. But sure, we'll try it on a rabbit after forks prove safe. Then I'll try it myself." He glances at his watch, "But now I do actually have to get to uh, work."
Kaleb grinned a faint bit, "You gonna be 15 seconds late if you don't leave now?" Oh yeah, pick on the teleporter. He paused and looked up with a small nod. "Billy… thanks. and if we can not tell anyone about the…" You know him having real people emotions!? "That'd be great. I'm… gonna go grab breakfast with Max and today… will be a good day." Until Kaleb finds out another one of his heroes just got assassinated. Fuckin people…
"Hey, you have no idea how hard-ass my boss can be. Besides they don't appreciate me teleporting into the …office." Billy laughs softly, and handwaves lightly the whole telling people. Emotions? What emotions? "I will be out late tonight on an…expedition." God, Billy is a bad liar. His spycraft for Lying is like maybe D-, "But see you later, man."
Kaleb says, "Yeah if you need back up or someone to run comms look me up. I'll prolly be at Max's but what's distance to you. Have…fun? doing the…labour thing."
Kaleb goes home.