Do you get people talking about Dreams much in this car? Who: Billy and Emma, with Elaine, Alex Rogan, and Ben, as well Where: Billy's house, a cab, and then Emma's house What: After Billy wakes up from his first Dream, things are meh, but some friends help out. When: Recently Warnings/Rating: PG-13 for possible triggers in mentions of violence, trauma, and NPC deaths! Status complete
After getting advice, and the invitation, Billy left Alex to work (“See, I told you someone could help”) and settled in his bed, and sent Elaine a message he was ready.
Okay. He texted. Okay, well, it's right behind the eyes and like a spike back to the back of my head. He lay in bed and waited for her response.
All right. I'm going to perform the same kind of energy work I would do if you were here in person. Elaine responded. Just let me know if the pain begins to increase or decrease, or if it changes position.
Billy lay back as he readied himself for her. He relaxed, curious how it would feel.
Elaine set her tablet aside, setting back on the couch in her studio and turning inward in a meditative posture. She breathed deeply, focusing on sending positive energy to the young man across town, with the intention of releasing the pressure on the nerves that were causing him pain. It wasn’t thaumaturgy, exactly, since she wasn’t using any symbolic objects to link to him. It was more like empathy, really.
Billy shifted, then groaned. The warmth seemed to come from nowhere, seeping into him and all through him, filling his muscles and his bones even. It increased to just this side of bad, and then seemed to just snap. And then all the tension and all of the pain flowed away, and he lay there, drenched in sweat., unsure how long had gone by, and completely amazed.
Trembling fingers found his phone and he replied to Elaine, eyes wide. That was... that was amazing! There was a slow building and then like a snap and then... the pain feels gone entirely!
Wonderful! Elaine smiled as she sent her reply. Let me know how you feel later in the day. Hopefully it'll stick with you, but feedback is always appreciated.
Will do! Thank you! He felt alive and excited. Got to go, but see you later! Once Elaine’s magic had worked and he felt incredibly better, he rested for a moment, before heading back down.
Billy waved goodbye to Alex Rogan as he headed out. “Got to go talk to a friend and help them set up. You still have the key, right?”
“Yeah. No problem,. I'll Lock up when I go.” Alex had come by to help him with building a new computer system and some electrical problems had come up, so Alex was here on day two of the work. Billy knew he could trust him from some work the man had done for his family, so he nodded and headed out.
“Thanks, again, Mister Rogan!”
Billy had called the taxi and then headed outside, moving carefully so as to not jostle his leg. He felt a million times better physically. Whatever it was Elaine Mallory did, it worked. But mentally he was still confused. And so he waited for the taxi.
Ben was near Billy’s location when the call came in, so he was the one who was dispatched to pick up the young man. He pulled up at the curb just a short while later, and popped the passenger door. “Where to, sir?”
Billy smiled as he saw Ben. “Hey! A ride to Emma Summers’s house, please!” He rattled off the address of the place as he slid in. “How’s the day treating you?”
“Sure thing!” Ben knew where that was without even being told--he ferried the young Nathan Summers to and from often enough he had the route memorized. “I can’t complain,” he said in answer to Billy’s question. Then again, Ben rarely complained. It just wasn’t his nature.
Billy sat back then and smiled. “Good to hear.” He paused, then eyed the other man. “Do you get people talking about Dreams much in this car?”
Ben chuckled under his breath. “I’m the unofficial chauffeur of the Summers family,” he said, only half in jest, “Not to mention my sister’s Dreams. So I’ve seen the effects with my own two eyes.”
Billy nodded. “I started Dreaming today. It feels like someone dropped ten more years of life into my memories. I don’t really know how to deal with it.”
“I’m sorry,” Ben said, “It seems to hit a lot of people pretty hard.” For some, it seemed to get easier; for some it only got worse before it got better. But Billy didn’t need to hear that. “Hopefully you’ll have a chance to acclimate before the next phase.”
Billy hoped so. He was a little worried and a little... " I'm a little hopeful it will go well. "
“The Summerses are good people,” Ben said, “They’ve dealt with this stuff a lot. If anyone can help you sort yourself out--or point you to someone who can--it’ll be them.” When in doubt, they had the entire Valarnet to poll for advice.
“True. Thanks.” He settled back, the whole day seeming surreal as they drove along, not minding Dreams and superheroes and advice from superheroic teachers... what a life!
Ben turned his attention back to the road, and soon, Billy was safely delivered to the Summers' residence. "Give my regards to the gang," he said, "and good luck with the dreaming."
“Thanks! Will do! Have a great day!” Billy hopped out and headed for the house, halting to take a long breath, then knocking, smiling as he did so.
Emma was at the door when he knocked, and smiled when she opened it. “Hello, Billy. It’s nice to see you again.” Unlike when she was a teacher, Emma was relatively dressed down in just a button up shirt, slacks, and her bare feet. The smell of burned pie filled the house, and all the windows were open to air the place out. “You’re in luck, I just got back from the store.”
“It’s good to see you.” Billy raised a hand to smile and wave, feeling better than he had earlier. He slowly walked toward her. “Oh? I’m sorry it took so long to get here. Delays popped up.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Emma said with a smile. “I have pie, if you’d like some before I put you to work. Not the one you’re smelling now, an edible one.”
Billy raised an eyebrow, then grinned and nodded. “If you don’t mind, that’d be awesome. And some water, please.”
“Sure.” Emma led the way back to the kitchen, where a cherry pie waited for them. “Whipped cream?” She got the can out of the fridge for herself.
Billy’s eyes were wide and he nodded, his stomach grumbling. “Uhm, yes ma’am. Please?” He eyed the pie with definite approval.
Emma smiled kindly at him, and cut him a slice, which she topped liberally with whipped cream.
And he started in on it with a gusto, hungry and worried and just feeling a little needy, frankly. If he had known a way to talk to his parents about this, he would,. but he was fairly sure he had found one of those areas he couldn’t tell them.
“Thanks!”
Emma squeezed his shoulder and began to eat her own pie. “You’re welcome.” She ate with decorum, but she smiled, clearly happy to have company. “When you’re ready tell me about your dream a little more, and how it makes you feel.”
“Sure!” He finished his in like two more bites, then settled back, breathing before he sighed.
“I dreamed I was the kid of these two archaeologists, right? And they were on one trip when they were killed, and I was left an orphan. I was taken in by my great uncle, but he kicked me out onto the street, and I ended up homeless and selling papers for money. Sometime after that started, I was approached by a stranger who felt... well... I couldn’t see his face, but he looked and felt like dad.” He shook his head. “So dream me was dumb and followed him into the subway and onto a train that took him into a strange new place, a cave where giant statues of the Seven Deadly Sins stood and a crazy old guy sat on a throne, at the end.”
He sat back, blowing out a breath. “He told dream me that I was chosen by him to be a champion by six Powers and I would be invested with power from the Powers. So, then he told me he had to go, and to say his name. And I did and there was lightning, and I was changed into an adult, with all this power in me, and he told me to say his name again and there was lightning again and I was changed back, and then a giant rock dropped to the throne and killed him.”
He sighed. “So, ah... I became a superhero... I think.”
Emma blinked as the absorbed all that information. “That’s quite a dream. What do you think about it?”
“I don’t know what to think!” He almost yelled it, but calmed and winced. “Sorry. It kind of freaks me out. On the one hand, cool, superhero, and stuff. On the other, freaky old man, freaky statues, freaky idea of giving a ten year old superpowers and a older body...” He shook his head, disturbed.
“It’s all pretty freaky, and you have every right to be upset.” Emma’s voice was soothing. “Does it work? Do you have that power?”
Billy nodded. “Thanks.” When she asked that, he shook his head. “Not even a bit.” He spoke the magic word. “Shazam,” And nothing happened. He sighed. “I guess I am not as worthy in this world. Or something.”
“These powers take some time to kick in. I dreamed a lot about my telepathy before I had even a little bit of it.” And now she almost had her full power.
Billy raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t know that. “Yeah? Okay. I don’t know if I even want the power, really. I’m not sure how to feel about the dream me or the dream situation.” He chuckled. “I liked it a bit more when I wasn’t dreaming.”
He smiled. “Now that I am, I want to make the best of it.”
“I understand that.” Emma said, patting his hand. “Powers are nice, but a pain in the butt in the long run. I’d give them up to have a happy, normal life with my husband and adopted son.” She smiled sadly. “But since nobody’s giving me the option, I try to make the best of it, and recommend you do the same, when they come. As for the dreams themselves, they will likely be more disruptive than the powers.”
“Yeah, so I hear.” Billy sighed. “All I can do is try to have fun? Try to enjoy them, and ignore them, as much as possible.”
He was hoping his dreams would be short and not sucky.
“That’s the deal.” Emma said with a nod. “But you don’t have to deal with them alone.” She smiled softly, and cut him another piece of pie.
Billy smiled at her and took it, eating it. “Thanks, Miss Summers. That helps a lot.” He thought so, anyway.