|
   |
The Gate opens upon the hallway leading to the apartment, its glittering outline proof of reality responding to the whims of the Sorcerer Supreme. Through walks the man himself, scarred hands returning to the pockets of his black Belstaff, and he glances back, making sure that his accompaniment is beyong its oculus, before he gestures. The circle, showcasing the shadow-kissed interior of the Loft, spirals down and into a twinkling nothingness even as he walks on. The interior lighting shines from his dress shoes and catches in the silver of his temples.
"He does have good taste in tea, I'll grant you that. I think you'll like him. He's grown on me," and Strange grins even as he reaches up to knock on the apartment door. Shave-and-a-haircut, two-bits: the signature Dad Knock. The crimson scarf, thrown lazily about his neck, hangs in equally-lazy loops. Its tassels stir in the nonexistent breeze, proving it to be the relic rather than simple accoutrement.
The papers in the hall ruffled as Pietro got a look of the whole place. Casually, trotting to a stop, the platinum haired man strode at Strange's shoulder biting into… let's just not ask where he gets food from. "It takes a bit for making tea not taste like boiled leaf water.
Billy is in the kitchen, gathering stuff out of the kitchen for his grillapalooza he has planned. Since he recognizes the Dad Knock, he just reaches out with his mind and pulls open the door, with his hands full of various sorts of meat products. "Heey, Dad. Unc. You came." Billy beams a dimpled grin, "I am continuing my education on Grilling on the Roof. I have mastered hot dogs— kosher of course except for the bacon wrapped around them. I am moving on to burgers and sausage. Also, fruit salad. Hungry?"
The door opens and — sans Billy on the other side! Strange peeks his head into the apartment even as he steps in and smiles at the sight of the burgeoning chef.
"I'm content with tea, but thank you. I'm sure your uncle would appreciate the entire spread?" He shrugs off his Belstaff and hangs it over his arm. The scarf? It uncurls from about his neck like a serpent-dragon and swirls around him once or twice before unfolding into the Cloak of Levitation. This, in turn, swishes over to Billy and pauses before him, twitching its collars like moth-antennae.
Pietro arched an eyebrow and said "How it is you are my sister's child?" He looked to Strange and asked, "Previous marriage?" In a flash he got a look at Billy from many angles and informed, "I am not eating pork. Fruit and salad sound fantastic. So you are Billy or you are Tommy?" He looked to Strange and back with a wry grin, "Do not worry, I will eat his."
Billy blinks a moment at the Cloak, and grins at it. Normally with his hands full he couldn't reach out and give it a pat on the 'head', but being Kid Telekinesis, he just shifts what he's carrying over to his mind. "Hi, Cloak." he greets with a warm seriousness the puppy-cloak. He blinks over at Strange, squinting, "You're not a vegetarian or something, are you?" He blinks at Pietro in turn, there's vooshing, "The burgers aren't pork. But why no pork? Man I'm Jewish and even I can't hide from the deliciousness of pork. I'm Billy." Pause, "Tommy has your hair. Also habit of zooming around. C'mon, grill's upstairs." So he turns and leads his way to the roof. "As for 'how', well, time travel. Wanda and my magic interacted across time and yanked me back here."
"Yes — as Billy said, sympathetic magics reached across time and space." Strange shrugs, walking along as he talks, to follow Billy up towards the roof itsel. "We're not entirely certain how it happened, but it cannot be undone. Nor would I wish it to be as such. As I mentioned," and he smiles again as he steps out into the open air of the apartment's rooftop; " — he's grown on me. You can't tell we're related?" This he asks of Pietro even as he saunters over towards the edge, to look out into and across the city proper. The Cloak swishes up into view and over to alight upon his shoulders, wrapping about him even as the wind blows lightly.
"Don't worry about me, Billy," he adds, turning to observe the young man. "I ate earlier today. Tea for me. Your mother is more of the vegetarian than myself. I can indulge of very little of this reality's fare. Tea seems to be an exception. That and nutritional shakes." He wrinkles his nose at these. Blech.
Pietro looked confused and looked from Strange to billy and said, "Yes. Am mostly vegitarian." At being asked if he an't tell they're related there was a deadpan expression and then, a wry grin, "No no, I can tell, what I was not figuring out is how." To Billy he sighed shaking his head, "This one is too easy to fool, lemme tell you. So you are sister-child from future then. Interesting that she would keep you there. How were things there?" He looked between Billy and Strange and back frowning a bit. "Must be very hard for future you to be losing son, or maybe you know is in past in which case is maybe losing twice… this is not okay."
"She didn't keep us." Billy's tone goes a little grim, "We don't know why but they split us up and we were adopted by separate parents." This is an old topic, but one that will likely never quite lose a little bit of its sting. "I didn't know either of them in the future, though my memory of it is… fractured. I didn't know Tommy was my twin brother, either. We looked freakishly alike, but I thought my parents— the Kaplans— were my parents, and his parents, were his parents. I had it easier then Tommy did; my parents were nice. His… were… abusive." There's a fire in his eyes at this. Still, he settles all the food stuffs on the table and then goes over to a pot of water he put out with a selection of teas, holds his hand over the pot, "Boil, boil, boil." And suddenly the pot is steaming hot. He nods Strange to the tea-cup and tea-supplies he set out.
A solemnity settles over the Sorcerer as heavily as the Cloak itself. He paces over to the table set and eyes the steam rising from the spout. A little quirk of a smile, a spike of pride at ability shown, and he flicks through the satchets of tea with two fingers almost as index cards.
"We haven't reached this point, where whatever catastrophic event comes to fruition that makes us decide upon it." A sigh. "I doubt that we will, however, considering that Billy and Tommy are here with us now. I suspect that particular timeline has collapsed for them, in their absence." He picks out an herbal blend full of cinnamon and dark spices and sets it to step within one of the cups after pouring the water overtop. "Ergo, in theory, I do not suffer the grief that it would cause me." His smile is still a wane thing and his eyes linger on Billy long enough in parental worry.
Pietro sat and slouched into the seat he was in. Truth was he probably adjusted for fit a few times but hey, he could look comfy anywhere. What Billy's story got him to do was to shut up for more than a minute-fourty. It might be a new record. Oddly, perhaps, for a man that spent his free time harassing people and stacking hats on others and being selfishly indulgent Pietro seemed to hone in on how that might affect Steven and his sister. He said nothing of himself at all on this. Pale eyes watched Billy, head tilting. The story… thought he expression was faint, had an effect on him and this? This was upsetting.
"Billy, we, know… what it is to be taken away from family, even if not… family born to but is still real family. This for you, am sorry. For TOmmy? They should maybe hope I am never meeting them." Sorry Strange, he might break his own rule on that one. "When we were very little, your mother and I, we moved… very much. Many family. Many home. She ever tell you?"
"Yeah." Billy nods in agreement with Strange, "I think that timeline's wave function has collapsed. That doesn't mean its impossible that Wanda might give birth in this timeline, I don't know. Can there be two Billy's in one reality? Sounds dangerous and paradoxical." He nods to Pietro with a grim expression, "If I ever see Frank again I'm turning him into a newt. It was bad enough backw hen I thought he was my best friend's father, but my twin brother? Oooh, newt." He shakes his head to Pietro then, "She doesn't talk to me a lot about her youth, just that like… family's important to her."
"Family is incredibly important to Wanda," Strange says softly as he tests at the tea with a careful sip. Still very hot, but steeped to his satisfaction. "It is not my story to share, but yes, as Pietro said. I was told that you and Wanda traveled very far for being so young." This is half-directed at the silver-haired speedster. He sits in one of the chairs at the table and the Cloak slinks up across his lap, all the better to defend him against the subtle chill in the air. His is the air of the listener, perhaps due to catch some new bit of knowledge — because after all…all knowledge is worth having.
Pietro sat quietly and poked at teh salad thoughtfully taking his time eating it. Both eyebrows went up pointing the fork at it in approval, "You figure out salad is not dead lettuice. Clearly we are related." munch munch munch… "Not to Wanda. To us. To say we travel far is perhaps very big understatement. Always running. Always afraid. THings always getting left behind withthe people that hide us, and the people that try to steal us back. It is very… very unpleasant story but, what there is to know without boring you with detail is when you are always running all you is ahving is family. And family is one thing they are never allowed to take from us." His jaw tightened not actually used to discussing these things but he did. Arching an eyebrow he looked from strange to his nephew, "All our life everyone always looking to turn us into weapon. A few… nearly succeeded. This? This is not likely to ever stop, but the family, it grows, and whatever is happening in scary bad future? They do not get to take you from us. And when you find this man to make newt I will bring jar, put him in it, and be shaking it very hard."
Just in case: "I'm almost certainly kidding on the newt thing, because I think it would be a pretty serious moral problem to use my will to fundamentally transform someone against their own. I don't know what the Laws of Magic are, I'm just figuring them out on my own, but that's number three or four, I think." Billy grins then, "I don't mind some lettuce, like in a waldorf salad, but just lettuce, blah. I don't especially like eating weeds." He looks between the two of them then, at talk of this travelling and hiding, and his expression is grim. "Is someone still hunting you two?" Because he might reconsider the Law of Newts. he shakes his head though, "BUt no worries about going back, I'm not trying anymore. I have a family here and especially Teddy, and he's .. 'home'."
The Sorcerer shifts his attention to Pietro and considers this newt-shaking business before he simply sighs. That could be construed as agreement in-and-of itself, in the simple lack of disagreement present.
"I'm glad to hear that you're comfortable in this time, Billy. I'm uncertain as to what could be done if you ever did want to return, but…I would do what I could." By the gravitas in his expression, it would hurt like hell to do it too.
"And it doesn't need saying, but I'll say it anyways: anyone who attempts to cause any of our family discomfort, in any form, risks my attentions." He looks between the two men. "This protection includes both of you."
Pietro smiled in good nature to Billy, "Aaah is okay Billy. They don' have to be newt for me to stuff them into jar and shake them." He… really didn't seem to have compuncions on that. His expression set though he looked up to Strange and sat silent watching him for a minute. Instead of making some smart ass comment or attempt to slide making some new dimunitive of his name Pietro jsut nodded once. Some things he didn't have asense of humor on. Looking back to Billy he asked, "Is someone hunting us?" How did he explain this to his nephew that was… oddly too close to himself in age? Honestly. "Yes. Always. But," He paused looking around and refilling his- when did he finish his salad? Gah. Pinky fingernail picking at his teeth he finished his sentance, "I promise you, will not go easy for them."
"Hey, if you need to hide out ever, you can come here. There's some first rate wards here.." Billy nods a thanks to Strange, for the protection itself and his understanding of what would be done to threats, "…and between me and my boyfriend Teddy— he's a super-strong super-durable shapeshifter— there's actually not a lot that can threaten us here. Its got nothing on the protections at Dad's sanctum, but you can touch whatever you want in here without worrying about it. The walls are all reinforced, soundproofed, the structural integrity of the whole building has been augmented. I've been subtly reinforcing it ever since we moved in." He looks back to Stephen again, and offers a small, dimpiled smile. "I don't know that comfortable is the right word— the period is still terrible— but I fit now. I have friends, family, a job I like, promises I've made that I wouldn't willingly relinquish. I have _duty_ here. Duty's a stronger chain then any kind of metal might bind."
"I second Pietro, in terms of how difficult their hunt will become." And sipping again at his tea, that's all that the Sorcerer appears to have to say on the matter. The Cloak flitters its collars and he glances over at one collar in mild interest. It flitters again and he shrugs before turning his attention back to the two gentlemen at hand.
"I have a riddle for you though, Billy. Is it duty than binds you here…or is it love? Is love a duty? Or does it become dutiful once it's realized? Is love ever a duty?" The smile he gives his son is only mildly smug, more gently teasing in the end.
Pietro could only be serious for so long. Deadpan he looked to Strange, "I'm going to need you to say 'duty' about three more times to break world record for one discussion." NOW he looked smug. Stupid humor…was not beyond him. "Billy you are seeing other man then?" He thought about that with a side tilt of his head and a thoughtful 'huh'. "Is dangerous. I approve of this. As for offer? Eeeh I may have to take you up on this from time to time. Besides, You I like. So long as you are not putting bacon in my salad."
Billy pauses, considering Strange's words for a very long moment. He doesn't take such questions lightly. "All duty is rooted in love. It might not be personal love, it can be an abstract sort of love or love of an idea, but without love, duty is a censure, something imposed on you instead of something you choose to bear." He looks over and nods to Pietro, "Yeah, that's one of the things that's dumb about 1965. Where I come from, its not dangerous. He's Teddy. He lives here with me. There's also, well. A secret base, worst case scenario, we can fallback from here to there and I guarantee no one will find that." He then grins, "I'll keep all the bacon for myself."
Strange rolls eyes towards Pietro and the corners of his eyes crinkle as he squints.
"«Duty, duties, dutiful — there, I even gave you conjugations of the word.» This flies back at the silver-haired speedster in Tibetan. "I expect the paper proclaiming the record to be framed when it arrives at the Sanctum," he adds in English, smirking. The curl of lips softens when his gaze lands on Billy again and he nods. "Well-riddled, Billy. More bacon for you."
|ROLL| Pietro +rolls 1d20 for: 17
Pietro arched an eyebrow listneing to Strange. He just stared and then snickered and quirked a half grin to Strange, "I think is joke better in English, but This? This is why I like you Strange. You are funny man. Someday we find people looking for us. Turn into pretzel? Hysterical." He made a mental note: Make official looking document. Add to Sanctum. Strange may be sorry he jut levied that challenge upon his former and not yet brother-in-law as timelines permit. "See Billy, you are clearly related to me. Is good plan"
"Does that mean I got it right?" Billy can sometimes be flat out silly, but he tries to be thoughtful and introspective when things are important. Though he can't help but look a little annoyed at the Tibetan: Billy will never find that something he just tolerates. So, he mutters, "Ale glider viln redn un di tsung aleyn shtelt men aroys." Take some Yiddish, you people. He nods over to Pietro, and grins, dimples showing, "Oh, I think about security a lot. I'm not hunted but like… my _other_ family. The Kaplan's. They got moved back in time with me but they don't know, and while I'd fight anyone who tried to use either of you against me, if someone grabbed one of my little brothers? I'd melt the north pole to get him back, damn the consequences." He's grave at that. He is in serious fear of his mundane family being used as leverage against him.
Strange grins slyly at Pietro.
"He never said it was a good plan," he murmurs after swallowing his mouthful of tea. Mmm, that cinnamon. Nothing like cinnamon and cloves, with the lightest hint of citrus. "Yes, Billy, you get it right." He rolls his shoulders and stretches in the chair, specifically his lower back, enough that his chin tucks briefly. A sigh as the tight muscles loosen up and then he settles in again. "If you're concerned about your little brothers and…parents, do you wish me to set up wards about their place? I have no issue in doing so." His keen steel-blues watch Billy closely.
Pietro was going to be amused for a while. All that took was making the Sorcerer Supreme make dumb dad jokes. Yeah, that'd keep him for a while. "Oooh ward the place. Or put staue of me out oin front of house. Bam. No more problems. Work better than statue upside down of St. Joseph when you want to sell house."
"I'm no good at wards." admits Billy first, thoughtful, "Can wards defend against anything that's not magical? I know I'm the wizard in my team, but our foes aren't necessarily anything to do with magic… Uh, like." Billy is thoughtful, though, "And I don't want to try to explain our relationship to them. They won't understand. Please don't be mad, its not that I'm ashamed or trying to keep you a secret, Dad. Its that their world is— its just small. And they live in it and are happy in it and I don't want them to have to think of a bigger world where things like Mojo exist. They *deserve* for their world to stay small. I don't like lying to them but telling them the truth would hurt them more." He looks to Pietro, peers, "You remind me of Tommy." He snickers.
"The only limitation to my casting that I've found, in my case, is my own imagination…and sense of morality," Strange replies, laughing nearly to himself at his own addendum — an important one, nonetheless. Still, he sobers, recognizing the sensitive territory they traipse on here in conversation. "As I mentioned before, I have no issue placing down the wardings. I can ensure that they are precisely attuned to…whatever aspects are needed. They can defend against non-magical intrusions, but that can be…either more or less complicated, given the need at hand." He pauses, tilting his head to one side as he considers Billy.
"I'm not mad. I'm in agreement with you. The less that the Mundane know of us, the less concerns both parties tend to have. Foolish people cause enough issues with Ouija boards as is. If magic were shown to exist in truth, to be something tangible beyond stage illusions and paltry card tricks…" He sighs and reaches back to rub at one temple with two fingers, expression gone withdrawn. "…I would rather not deal with a second Inquisition. Humans do fear what they can't explain. Don't get me wrong, a single human being can be convinced that there's nothing to worry about — a group of them? They…panic, like…cattle."
A glance over at Pietro and his open mouth clicks shut. "Ah, I see he's gone now. Probably to frame the award and deliver it to me." The Sorcerer snorts and shakes his head. "But yes, your uncle, Pietro. If anyone is an opposing force to your mother's personality, it's him."
"Yeah, an Inqusition would be bad." Billy agrees with that wholeheartedly, "And I'm not afraid of them turning against me, or anything like that. I'm afraid of them living in fear knowing what it is I face— without being able to understand it. I mean, I know you and Mom have to be worried about the Planners, about me facing an enemy head on without you guys there, but you still *know enough* to know things like… hey, with Teddy around, he could beat someone up with a trane without breaking a sweat, he's so strong. And he's my protector on missions. You know the context, more or less, of what I can do, what Teddy can, so while yes, you're worried, its a reasonable worry. They'd just be terrified." He looks off as Pietro zooms away, but he doesn't seem phased by it in the least. Tommy's his twin, after all. Speedsters speeding is second nature to his world. "He reminds me of Tommy."
"As well Pietro should. I suspect, at times, that certain genetic aspects of both of us — which include that of Wanda's brother, of course — were passed on to you both. Mind, I believe you take after me." And doesn't he looks proud of it, his chin lifting the slightest and his smile gone paternally-smug.
"Still…I do understand. About the worry. Your mother and I, we…we don't necessarily fret. Wondering, however? Yes. We wonder after your safety. I wouldn't consider telling your parents precisely what I was doing — and I doubt they'd see me doing laying down the wards regardless. I have access to many an illusory spell that would boggle even the Masters of Kamar-Taj. Your secrecy, in turn, is my own."
Billy smiles, dimples there, in light of paternal-smugness. "What I do seems to be slightly more like what she does, I don't think I'll ever understand magic in such a way I could do the simpliest of spells you did. But." Billy pauses, and sounds… humble. Thoughtful. "I think what I can do isn't some genetic accident. I believe I can change the world, shape it to my will, because I'm supposed to do so to protect it. I don't know when, I don't know how, but I … I don't have a mantle like you do, this mission placed on my shoulders, but I have a responsibility. This might be hubris and pride but I think I exist, as a being capable of …whatever it is my limits are… for a reason. I just have to stop, first, and recognize that being able to do something doesn't make it right to do; and that everything I do should be done in a moral context that isn't about me." He ducks his head, a little embarassed, by this exchange. "If we could lay down wards at their house in a way that wouldn't clue them in…yes. I'd appreciate it, Dad. I'd worry less about them."
If, or when, Billy looks up again, he's going to see that pride reflected in the Sorcerer's face once more.
"Of course, Billy. I'll be absolutely certain that they're unaware of the wards when they're being set as well as afterwards. If you'd like, you're welcome to attend upon the process. You can be easily included in the illusory spell." He finishes off his tea and sets the cup aside on the table. "And yes, you're approaching it correctly, in my estimation. A broader spectrum, thinking beyond your immediate actions in terms of others being affected — it's critical to avoiding mistakes."
"I'd rather not lie to them in their house, so if I'm there with you, you be illusioned as, I don't know. An electrician. I'll be there just being me. I can get a feel for things. If we can make it against magic and against aggression, that'd be best, but whatever the limits are… well, you know wards better then me." Billy rises, rolls his shoulders, and runs a hand through his hair, "Power either is bound by responsibility, or its bound by selfishness; I'm committed to the former. With the exception that its useful to practice so trivial uses of power that aren't against anyone are okay because …practice. Also I like paella from spain."