voice; (t.altman)

[analienprince]

So I'm new here and I figured this might be the best place to ask around for suggestions. What are some of your favorite distractions here? Places, things to do... I'm open to anything.

[He just kind of needs any sort of distraction really bad at the moment. While there's work to do and getting to know his surroundings... he could use something more involved than any of that, something that ca help him stop thinking for five minutes. Keeping busy seems like the best use of his time than any of the other options... which basically consists of moping by himself somewhere. Not all that productive.]

[FILTERED FROM: @WICCAN]

And just one more thing. Has anyone arrived here later than other people they knew back home? Friends, significant others, family... Not in the 'I came here from the future' sense, but in the 'I arrived late to the city and they seem to have made a new life without me' one. Was it hard to find your place with them again or did you even try? I know it's natural that people would change over time, that maybe they'd have a life that doesn't even include you, but... I have no idea how to deal with it. It feels kind of like a bad dream I'm managing to make worse.

Comments

[analienprince]

[Wow, fml right now. Still, it's not like he's going to be a jerk on a public network or anything.]

The kind of awkward you kind of brought on yourself though, not the kind you accidentally bump into.

[ikols]

We ought to meet up.

[analienprince]

Why is that? I doubt that'll help either of us.

[ikols]

I don't need help, if you hadn't guessed I'm just fine.

[ Because Billy chose him and obviously Loki isn't still an internally panicked mess over the matter, no. He's just fine. ]

I have some thoughts I've been meaning to share with you, whenever it is you arrived here to join us.

[analienprince]

I guessed.

[Because Billy did choose Loki over him, even with the lies and all, and it's not like Teddy honestly expects that to change in the slightest. Billy's made that clear.

He has no doubt seeing Loki is just going to make it hurt that much worse, but he has some things to say too.]

Fine... You want to meet up now? I'm grabbing a milkshake, so it's not like it isn't neutral ground.

[ikols]

Where are you? I'll be there shortly.

[ Speedy like that. ]

[analienprince]

[He sends over the address.]

Sure. I'll be waiting.

[ikols]

[ Loki is different when he strides out of thin air and across the threshold of the milshake bar, no longer a child. Tall, with the bearing of a man, he plays it all down wearing a galaxy hoodie in green (a gift from Angela and consequently one of his favourites) over faded jeans. He pauses when his attention lands on Teddy, then paces over while raking him with his eyes.

He feared the moment Teddy would return and take Billy from him, he crafted his own blithe response and laid down instructions for his heart not to care; but Billy stayed with him, and now Loki has the unhappy duty of being the Bigger Man.

It's worth a shot. ]

Hi, Teddy.

[analienprince]

[He's older than he'd been, sure, but it's still definitely Loki who walks in. It's weird, but everything's been weird here. Teddy straightens up a bit from where he's slouched in a corner booth, nodding his head.]

Hey.

[It's not a warm greeting, but it's not an entirely icy one either. He's had his fill of arguments and fights at the moment, and he's really not interested in public embarrassment either.]

So, sit down. What did you want to say?

[ikols]

[ Sliding into the booth, he raps his nails on the table. Hmm. Where to begin? ]

I never intended to steal Billy away from you. At least, I knew I wouldn't be able to in the long-term. It's obvious he misses you intensely ...

[ Which Loki always suspected would happen but it's different to see in person. ]

I thought he would gently part ways with me when you arrived. That was what I prepared myself for, if we're being totally honest.

[analienprince]

But you did lie and manipulate me in one of the worst ways, whatever the reason.

[Making him doubt his own ability to decide things for himself, in a way he couldn't even disprove if Billy wasn't confident in his own ability to control his magic.

He shrugs his shoulders when Loki continues on, not entirely sure what to say to that. None of that happened and it isn't going to happen, right?]

Look-- whatever. None of that happened and I'm sure you're very happy about it and you can rest easy knowing I intend on staying away from both of you. But just know if I ever catch wind that you're lying or manipulating Billy, or hurting him in anyway, I'll rip you apart without a second thought.

[God or not, Teddy is fairly certain he'll find a way to do just that.]

[ikols]

What? No, back then I definitely wanted to hurt someone. Whoever it took to get what I wanted, really. I'm not talking about that, I mean here, on this moon.

Billy still needs you. [ Ignoring those threats tyvm. Loki sits up and squares his shoulders. ] I can see that whatever we have hasn't dented what you had at all, that's not a lie that flies.

[analienprince]

Yeah, well, you succeeded at that. And for whatever reason, Billy trusts you a lot, so I'm willing to believe you haven't actually done anything. I'm pretty sure I did most of it by needing a break... he seems to think I meant to break up, not clear my head.

[But that doesn't mean Teddy is ready to forgive and forget things that just happened a matter of days ago for him, not six months... He'll need time for that. A lot. He can give Loki the benefit of the doubt for things that had happened here though.]

... What exactly do you want me to do, Loki? [Teddy lets himself slouch a bit, frowning across the table.] I can't be his friend right now. Besides, every time we talk, things get worse.

[ikols]

[ OKAY PLANS, so. ]

That's because Billy has the emotional control of an otter overdosing in a lake of Mountain Dew. [ He loves him and so will not lie about that. ] I know he's being needy and pushy, just as I know he means no ill by it. The problem is, he's only doing it because (annoyingly, for me) he still adores you.

If he kisses you or anything of the sort happens, understand that I am chill with that. I won't break up with him over it, nor will I rage and cry upon your doorstep if it happens again, and again ...

[ He sighs. ]

There is no firm line in the sand here, only a line of sticks already trampled through by expectations.

[analienprince]

Uh-huh. I didn't think he meant ill by it... [Just that right now? He can't handle it, and Billy can't seem to handle that very well.

Teddy is about to open his mouth, but whatever he's about to say dies on his tongue pretty fast when Loki continues on. For a moment, he just stares as if Loki has suddenly grown two heads..

Actually, that might have been easier to digest.]

What the hell are you talking about, Loki? He's not trying to kiss me, trust me. [He asked when he first saw Billy and he said very firmly no.]

I don't even know what to say...

[How many times can someone say something that sends him so far off kilter, he has no way of knowing if he'll ever find level ground again?]

[ikols]

l'm just saying, [ as he spreads his hands like a therapist, ] tensions are high, you may both be experiencing an emotional fallout that you otherwise can't express except when together ...

Accidents happen. I'm a forgiving guy these days and won't harbour any hard feelings against you.

[analienprince]

Kissing Billy would never be an accident, just so you know.

[He narrows his eyes slightly. This is by far the weirdest conversation he's ever had.]

You know there are still hard feelings between us though, right? I doubt Billy wants to deal with that.

[ikols]

Between me and you or you and him?

[ Too many feelings at all, in his opinion. ]

[analienprince]

Between you and me, Loki. On my end, at least.

[He shrugs.]

I wouldn't throw whatever hard feelings Billy and I might have at you, that's for us to work on. But-- I just learned not even that long ago that you lied to me, that you helped bring over a parasite that wore my dead mom's face.

[ikols]

Ah, yes ... I know, I didn't expect your forgiveness to ever come around on that or anything else. This is all wildly fresh for you ... [ Cocking his head with actual thoughtfulness. ] Can I ... do something to help you? Settle in, I mean?

[analienprince]

You know, you could say sorry and mean it. I'm an easy guy. [It's not like he'll hold on to grudges -- he didn't even hold one on the Skrull responsible for his mom's death.

He's a little surprised by the offer but shakes his head after a moment.] I don't think so... I mean, I'm settling in okay, I think. I guess if there are any sights that I need to see.

[ikols]

I do regret those years.

[ Which is as much of an apology as he can eke out. Black nails rap the table as he glances away to the Quarantine through the window. ]

It's strange to think of a wider berth of people from home coming here. I thought I'd escaped you all, but I suppose I'm just too trendy for the masses to leave alone.

[analienprince]

See? Now your face is already a little less punchable.

[Well, Teddy supposes that's something at least. If he regrets it, at least maybe he won't try it again.]

Or we're all just a group of people who have a tendency to feel really displaced sometimes.

[He gives a wry smile.]

Look-- I'm not sure how any of this is going to work, or what Billy is going to do or how he's going to act about all of this. But whatever happens, I just want to try to make him happy, you know? And you were-- part of the team too. It's not like I want to make you miserable either.

[ikols]

[ The look that slides sideways is unreadable, a level playing field under eyes filled with too many thoughts. ]

I've been with Billy for six months, this is the longest romantic relationship I've ever wanted to keep. Keep here, on this moon, because I can never return to our universe and it has nothing to do with being displaced, I simply can't. Do you understand the way this is going to "work" for me? I've been endeavouring to make him happy permanently, and he hasn't been averse to the notion.

[analienprince]

He told me.

[And honestly, Teddy still has issues with it, but that's something for them to all talk about and figure out later when things are less like an open wound.]

Do you understand that Billy is all I have left? I don't have my mom, I don't have family. Billy is everything for me, and has been for two years. There's no one I could love more or want to spend the rest of my life with. I'm not giving that up.