OOM: getting Away from it All and Into a Whole New World...

[withamagicword]

In a quiet room, in a house of Paris, a closet door opens.

Out step two people, a tall woman and a tallish young man. Billy grins at Melpomene and nods.

"Welcome to Paris."

The hall was well-furnished with rich accouterments. And it was large. When you had a friend like Bruce Banner, who loaned you a house, it was generally a very good house.

Billy grins as he looks around.

"Looks just like he described it."

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[withamagicword]

he would appreciate that, if he knew.

"I am... not so well. I think it is time for me to get moving... like, within the day. My nightmares are getting worse and... they are starting to intrude on the daylight hours. I need to go find some answers."

He shivers as he wraps his arms around himself.

"I never told you much about what happened, because I wasn't sure you wanted to know, but if you do, I will tell you."

[tragic_mask]

It's hard not to intrude, but Mel's had plenty of practice.

"I am always willing to listen."

[withamagicword]

He settles down and begins to talk. He tells her of meeting and falling in love with Stephanie and then backtracks to tell her how he gained his powers and abilities. He explains about the Six who contribute their powers to him and then, he goes on with the story. he tells her about how things went with Stephanie, at first very well, then his perspective on the end, with Steph deciding she liked someone else and just breaking it off with him suddenly, no warning. He tells her frankly of how he felt afterwards, the feeling of loss and despair that filled him and of how his return to Milliways went from bad to worse with meeting the new guy Steph was interested in and finding him to be everything Billy despised in a person.

He tells her then of his conversations with Steph as well and how they eventually filled him with anger, and a beginning hate. He tells her of how he had begin to deal with that and get past it until he met some mysterious woman who manipulated him and who unleashed those feelings back to a full flame. He explains then about his powers and how he was still growing into them, and how the power, itself, was corrupted by the newly awoke hatred and rage.

He explains how Rachel told him of he power, over the course of several days, gained a dark sentience, filled with hate, and possessed him, controlling him completely.

He tells her about the attack as others have told him and explains his lack of memory as anything more than hazy images. He tells her about what he now knows happened and about his horror when he was told, having woken up in the cells after Rachel freed him from the horrible possession.

He tells her then of how his spirit has flagged and gotten weaker and how he has faced that he needs somehow to purge this darkness from himself, or lose everything he believes in. He tells her all he can and when he is done, his voice is hoarse with emotion and talking and tears crawl down his cheeks. But he is also standing and determined.

"I have to find a way to stand on my feet again, to find myself... if I dont... everything I believe will have been for nothing."

[tragic_mask]

Her eyes search his. Somehow, it is different having him speak the words. She is used to seeing dark waves crash from the mind out into the open air. The hurt, the sorrow, the betrayal. There were good things, but so many worse ones.

So she knew some of these things, had the sense of all the tears and pain he'd had, but it was still painful to watch the tears on his young face as he told her everything he'd been through. It seemed to be too much-- and so she said.

"This is too much for you. You need to... take a load off." She smiles briefly, not particularly joyfully, thinking of Sisyphus-- of Prometheus.

[withamagicword]

He shivers and nods a little.

"I have to find a way to deal with this. Whether it is taking a load off or going forward, or chosing another path, I dont know, but I do know where I am headed next and I need to go there soon..."

He smiles faintly, scrubing his cheeks.

[tragic_mask]

"Then obviously you must go."

Melpomene gestures vaguely-- whether it's to the house itself, or to Paris, or to the universe at large, is unclear. But it seems she's on his side.

(It's good when a goddess is on your side, for the record. Really.)

[withamagicword]

He smiles in relief and then, without warning, he hugs her. It only last a moment, and then he is back, standing against the wall.

"Thank you. For coming here and being around and for being a friend... it means a lot. I hope everything goes okay with the Masquerade."

He smiles a little again, biting his lips.

[tragic_mask]

Melpomene's eyebrow raises, instinctively-- it's not something she could have stopped. She drops her arms, and lowers her brow.

"I am glad I was able to come. To be a part of this."

She gives him a pat on the shoulder, awkwardly. Physical contact is not a Mel specialty.

"I will see you around, then." She picks up her coat without waiting, not wanting to get more touchy-feely than she already has, slings on her shoulder bag, and goes to the closet.

There's a glow of light, then she's gone, with five pieces of luggage, a trenchcoat, and a Dior dress in her arms.