2012-11-24 Feeling Small

Still in a great mood, Eddie wasn't about to let the lack of Thor and Sif at home get him down again. No, he had a cure for boredom and lonliness. He put in a call to some of his friends asking them if they wanted to come hang out and maybe go to a party. Telling them to bring their costumes and that they could change at the apartment before they left if they needed to, he was excited about going. It had been awhile since he'd been to the Rave after all. So right now he's in the living room doing a little last minute clean up in full Axiom costume while waiting for the others to arrive.

The exact response over the phone was "You had me at Party!" That is something Robbie Baldwin is never going to turn down. Even more so since this is the first party since he entered high school that he didn't have to sneak into uninvited. That counts for a lot. He's practically out the door by the time he hangs up the phone, and is there was a way to bounce faster across town, he's going to do his damnedest to find it. Though, he's back in plainclothes by the time he gets to Eddie's door. He's about to pound on the door and shout something...troublemaker-ish, then he remembers who owns the apartment and he stops himself short. Knock knock. Politely, so as not to anger the thunder god.

Billy Kaplan was more than willing to coem to a possible party with his best friend, although the chance of getting caught with his costume when he left was a bit too much so he did the normal thing and left it hidden and will teleport it too him when he wants to change. When he arraives at Eddie's home he is laden with plastic bags and just behind Robbie. "Hey! Robbie, little help? Mom found out where I was going and sent enough leftovers and extras to choke Volstag. I love her, but woman goes way way over the top for Thanksgiving."

The door opens a few moments after Billy arrives, Eddie offering a smile. "Hey guys," he greets, pulling the door open for them to come in. "Thanks for c-c-coming," he pauses when he sees all the bags. "Leftovers?"

The excitement for the evening is clear on Robbie's face as he's called out from behind. He takes some of the bags off of Billy when the other boy asks, and grins. "Mom actually didn't work on Thursday, so...well, we got to have dinner. It was pretty cool, but-oof," he says, as he feels the heft of the bags. "Damn, if this is the leftovers, what did you guys /eat?/" He turns, slowly, as the door opens. "No, we raided an evil soup kitchen," he says. It's not sarcastic, just a joke on Robbie's part. "Good news. You will never have to grocery shop again." Beat. "Ever." Beat, again. "For real."

Billy Kaplan shrugs at Robbie. "Most of the time Mom is home she is in the home office with a patient. She does nto cook much, except for Thanksgiving and then she kinda goes overboard. Probably would not be so bad if Hanukkah was a feast holiday like Christmas is...that or it would be twice as bad." He shrugs and grins at Eddie and nods. "Left overs, newly cooked foods, pies that were not touched and other treats that were forgotten about. Mom enjoyed having you at Thanksgiving, and wanted to appologize about the twins beign pests and wanting to be the center of attention the whole time." He smirks a little at Robbie and shrugs. "Knowing Thor...this is a months worth at most..unless the warriors three show up."

The joke gets a laugh out of Eddie, the booster shaking his head. He glances at the food and then smiles. "Clearly you have n-n-never seen Thor eat," he jokes. "Aww, they weren't that bad, Billy," he says, blushing a little. "We'll probably end up taking a lot of the food to Asgard to share it with the Warriors Three there. I don't think they've ever actually been here..." Eddie trails off. "C'mon, lets get it into the kitchen," he chimes, leading the way.

"You had Thanksgiving together? That sounds so cool," Robbie says, as he helps carry the bags in. He listens to the talk of the Asgardians, both those who live here and their friends. He's in good spirits. "So, Ed-man, you said you met this new hero person? Are they around?" Eddie told him over the phone, but Robbie's been cracking down on schoolwork because his mom threatened him with two words. 'Or Else.' He's never found out what 'Or Else' actually is, but that tone of voice of his mom's is enough to make him neverf want to find out.

Billy nods at Eddie as they get everything to the kitchen. "Betting Volstag gets one of the pumpkin pies all to himself." He nods to Robbie with a shrug. "Mom invited Thor Sif and Eddie because she knows Thor and Sif are...not from around here and probably never had an American Thanksgiving and figured since I hang out here all the time it was a good idea too meet them." He shrugs and blushes a little. How many other super teens end up with parents that are over interested in thier social lives while still not knowing about them being heroes? "Which new hero? Eddie meets a lot of them and Sif and Thor seem to take in people like my Aunt Yetta takes in cats."

Eddie nods too. He lets Billy handle explaining things as they put away all the food. "He'll take them all if we don't watch out," Eddie remarks with a chuckle. When Robbie asks about the new hero, Eddie nods enthusiastically. "Beast Boy! From the Doom Patrol. He's awesome and he w-w-wants to team up with us!" he says. "Oh um...he's not here right now. He went to go do some stuff but he'll b-b-be back later. He could probably end up joining us at the party too," he adds. "Since he's staying over," he adds. "Which reminds me, Thor and Sif want to meet you too," he turns a smile to Robbie.

"And I take it your mom doesn't know how far out of town Thor and Sif are?" Robbie actually winces. "I...either would have run screaming or cut off a hand in order to be a fly on the wall for that conversation. He doesn't know his way around the apartment too much, but he's all too happy to keep an eye on the food, just in case it runs away or something. Until he hears the story. "Wait, the Doom Patrol? I thought they were...like, an urban legend or something." Robbie's arms cross. "Team up, huh? Does...that...make us a thing?"

Billy gives Robbie his best innocent grins and rubs the back of his neck. "I told her that they were Scandinavian and independently wealthy. It's not even a lie really, jsut...not quite the whole truth." He shrugs a little and grins. "doom Patrol is totaly not an urban legend. Not as public as the Justice League but if you look you can find pictures of them and stuff about things they were involved in...although a lot of it tends to the yellow journalism or weekly world News stuff. And this totaly makes us kind of almost a thing. Just mssing a name, and leadership, and offically calling ourselves a team..."

Eddie nods quickly. "And we're going t-t-to ask some more people if they want to team up too like Hawkeye and Speedy. And that guy from the part that looked like Billy," he says. Clearly that's got him in a good mood. Once all the food is put away, Eddie turns to his friends. "Alright, I should t-t-tell you about the party we're going to."

"I'll have to check it out," Robbie says, but his mood becomes incandescent as some things are sort-of confirmed. "So Speedball and his Amazing Friends is not an option, right? But...agh. We're a thing. Like, a group, and that's so awesome, and hey, what about that one girl with the blue hair from the park?" The one that said Robbie was awesome. Some things stick in his head. Still, his ferret-like attention is taken by the party. "Wait, tell us? Oh crap, are we the hired help? I didn't even bring my tux..."

Billy grins and bounces a little. "Yeah, totallyt he guy that looked like me...if we can hunt him down and see if he is into the whole hero thing and not a Evil twin negative universe type." Yes, its a joke, but there is a little bitty hint of worry in Billy cause his luck, that kinda thing will happen to him eventually. "Or the guy that was a tree." He adds when talking about people to add to the group list. "You did say to bring our Hero clothes right? I let them whre I normally do and came prepaired to zap into them but if we need other clothes I can whip some up..."

"Noriko?" Eddie looks up thoughtfully. "Sure, we c-can ask her too," he says with a grin. "I have her phone number..." he trails off idly, glancing towards his room. He's got to check up on her too. "Tree person too," he adds. He chuckles a little at Robbie before shaking his head. "We're not the help. We're going to the Event Horizon. It's um...this really big party for people from all over the universe but you have to have a costume to get in. So you g-g-guys will want to suit up. When we get there this big scary guy will shake your hands and give you a stamp," he holds up his right hand and his Handstamp lights up, the glowing symbol visible for a moment. "It'll let you understand everyone there."

"Yeah, and if he is an evil twin," Robbie says. "At least we can keep an eye on him. I swear, I almost swallowed my tongue when I saw him the first time because holy the crap." But, he quiets down as Eddie explains the rules. His jaw drops open. "Woah." He finds himself at a loss for words for a few moments. "All...over the universe?" He doesn't ask, or even consider Eddie to be lying; he's known the guy long enough to know better." He balls his fist and slams it down on the table. With the impact, his powers activate, and he's in the familiar blue-and-orange outfit. "That sounds like the coolest thing ever. In the history of cool. In the history of /ever!/"

Billy laughs and shakes his head. "You almost swallowed your tongue? How do you think I felt? Whats worse, a couple of months ago I kinda bleached myself with magic trying to get some clothes cleaned in a hurry, looked just like that." He blinks as he listens to eddie and then grins wide. He steps back into the middle of the room and starts to move his hands in vaugly mystic patterns while his eyes start to glow. Part of him really wants to yell something like 'I have the Power' or do a cool anime power up transformation speach but he jsut cant think of any. "Iannabeincostume, Iwannabeincostume, Iwannabeincostume!" With a flash of light and muted crack of thnder he transforms into Wiccan. "Dude this si going t be..." Cool? Awsome? Frieghtening? Strange? All of the above? Anyway, as long as it does not go like the one party he has been too since he started Highschool.

Eddie doesn't comment on what he did. It was just tripping and falling face first into the grass after all. Standard Eddie reaction. He watches his friends suit up, quietly wishing he could do something like that. "It was r-r-really weird when I first went there. But there were good people and I met one c-cool guy..." Eddie trails off and blushes. Yeah, no need to mention that he got to see the hot college-looking guy in nothing but boxers. Shaking it off, Eddie walks to the middle of the room as well. "Just stay close to me," he says, lifting his hand. The booster takes a breath and touches the back of his hand. The mark lights up and a bright light washes over the three of them....

And then the light clears, welcome to Event Horizon. It's a tropical theme today but clearly not Earth judging by the pink sands and unnatural plantlife. Just like Eddie said, the massive blue bouncer approaches and has a quick exchange with Axiom before offering a firm handshake to both Speedball and Wiccan. If they take his hand, they'll get a sudden jolt before a symbol just like on the back of Eddie's hand appears on theirs for a few moments and then fades away. That complete, the bouncer wanders off and Eddie turns to his friends with a grin. "Awesome, r-r-right?"

Just before Eddie's entrance pass is activated, Robbie gives the blushing boy a sidelong grin. He's happy for the guy, but then the flash of light envelops them all, whisking them away to elsewhere in the universe. When he's able to see again, Speedball is exposed to extreme sensory overload. Flashing lights, loud music, and tons of people...who don't know him and therefore don't dislike him. He shakes the bouncer's hand, jumping a little at the jolt. When Eddie addresses him, Robbie's just staring at the entire thing. The only sound he's able to make is a strangled noise.

Wiccan nods at Eddie and eyes him slightly as he blushes. Oh yes, that is a story he is going to have too pry out of Eddie later what ever it that made him blush. When they appear in the Rave he goes goggle eyed and is staring at everything around him. "Ok, way cool and yet...just a little like Bubba Kaplan's assisted living home when they do a Luau night." He shakes his head and blinks as he looks up, and up at blue guy. "Oh...wow. They skipped having a bouncer and hired a Splatter didn't they." He takes the offered hand with a small gulp. When he feels the jolt he jumps and his eyes glow faintly. Sudden pain, even if it is nothing really, given to someone with barely controled pwoers not always good idea. He fights back as much as he can but ends up answering the jolt to his hand from the symbol thingy being added to his hand with one of his own which is thankfully little more than static shock as opposed to a full lightning bolt.

Thankfully for them all, the bouncer is a tough guy. Eddie had seen him in action before and he knew not to mess with him. As the bouncer goes, the three teen heroes might just hear him muttering something about Terrans being a pain in his neck. Of course they'll also suddenly be able to understand all the previously alien music and speech happening around them. That sidelong grin from Robbie had just made Eddie blush worse. He didn't think getting a quick peek at an accidental flashing eas much to be proud of but he didn't comment. The strangled noise just makes Eddie grin though. "It's wild," he says, swaying slightly with the music. "You g-guys want anything to drink?"

"I think so," Robbie finally says. It's finally hitting him. "I have no idea where we are. No one else I know has any idea where we are. And this place is just...a rave. That just blips around the universe to party all the time?" He sidles over to the nearest wall to prop himself up. "It's so big..." He shakes his head, and while his goggles stay in place, the mask he usually wears in the social sense falls. "This is unreal."

Wiccan makes an epp sound and rushes a babbled appology to the large scary blue man that even with the translators going probably is almost uninteligable. He turns to join his friend s lookign really sheepish and blushing just slightly. "This place is...not sure there are any words for it."

The big blue guy waves off Wiccan's uninteligable apology, still muttering about annoying Earthlings. Eddie looks concerned at Robbie's reaction, moving a little closer. He glances at Wiccan to make sure he's not having the same reaction. "Are you okay, man?"

"Maybe," Robbie says. "Just feeling a little small at the moment." He's dead serious, which is rare for Speedball. "I...hell, it's nothing I can really explain, and I'll write it down later or something after we get home." He allows himself a small smile. "After all, we're supposed to be having fun, right?" He moves away from the wall, slowly. "What do they have t'drink here?"

Wiccan nods and sighs. "Yes, but so hate my powers right now, especiallyt he whole electric thing. I felt the sting of the hand stamp thing happening adn boom they decided to react and...well its a good thing I actaully felt it comming and could try and pullit back...cause yoru right the bouncer is scary and I think a full lightnign bolt would only make him angery..." He shakes his head and gives Speedball a grin and a pat on the back. "I know the feeling, had it first time I was in Asgard. That sudden thought of OMG I am not the center of the Universe and wow there is no way I could get home on my own if things go wring. Right?"

Eddie winces. "Yeah...he's um...r-really strong. He's a good guy though," Eddie remarks about the bouncer. Turning attention back to Speedball, he manages a smile while still looking concerned. "I won't leave you g-guys. And if you want to go home on your own, all you have to do is touch the handstamp and think about home. You'll end up right back in the living room," he explains. "And um...they have pretty much everything. Drinks from all over the universe."

There's a quick nod from Speedball as the handstamp is indicated. "Yeah, it's not...like worrying about getting lost and not getting home. Just..." He looks in, towards the dance floor, with a mix of want and apprehension. "How do you think about Trig homework and what to get for dinner and the smaller stuff when you see something like this?" This is more of Robbie's core; out of his depth behind the joviality and ego. "Water? I...shouldn't really have anything else right now."

Wiccan nods at Eddie. "Water for me too, its better for you anyway when your going to hit the dance floor right?" Too speedball he nods again. "I get that, like whats so important about doing an English paper when there are Gods walking th streets, Demons stalking the night, aliens in the sky and everything you know on Earth is just so small compared to what is out there. There are three choices. You can ignore all the small stuff on Earth and get lost in this. You can put blinders on and willfully forget how grand the universe is and focus on small stuff. Or, you can look at things in a new way. all this, everything going on out in the universe that makes normal life seem so small and insignifigant reenforces the fact that what we have on Earth is in its own way rare and precious. all we have is special cause it does not exist anywhere else in all the 9 realms, or the 3 galaxies, or anywhere else." Wiccan coughs and gives a shy smile as he ralizes just how corny and smaltzy what he said sounds.

Axiom just frowns a little. He isn't sure why he adapted to it all as quickly as he did. When Wiccan speaks up, Eddie just smiles. When the mage finishes, Eddie gives him a quick side hug. "Wiccan is just awesome like that," he says. "I'll be right b-b-back," he says, scurrying off to vanish into the crowd as he heads for the bar.

This is answered with a slow nod as Speedball digests all of this. "I...see your point. Hell, until I ran into Eddie that one day, I never had anyone to talk to about any of this. Wouldn't have met people, or seen any of this if not for him." He watches Eddie go. "'Tween you and me, Billy...are you and him a thing?"

Wiccan waits till Eddie is well away before adding. "It also really helps to have someone not involved and really smart and wise to talk with now and then. He might not be the kind of person you want t talk with about it but I have the name and number for a Rabbi I go to when it all kinda crashes on me. Don't tell him I said so, eddie's my best friend and all, but not the easiest to talk to abotu the bad moments since he worries so much and has such a huge firm faith in the whole hero thing." Wiccan sighs and nods at Spedball, then does a double take to stare at him when he asks. he sputters a moment and then..ends up laughing. "I..dude. No, no, defently not. He's like a brother more than anything else. Besides, we may both like dudes but not quite my type. I...um...actually more for the jock type. Guys with big shoulders, great muscles," Mumbling he finishes with, "Mabye really nice blond hair..."

"I haven't really talked to Eddie either, about things. I mean, from what little I've been able to pick up, before moving into Thor's place life had handed him a really raw deal. And, like, anything I'd worry about would just seem like I was...ah, hell, this deep stuff is something I was never good at." He smiles, just a little as Billy talks, then his expression falls. "S'a shame," he says. "He deserves to be happy. I...I'm not like you two, and I almost feel bad, but..." He shrugs. He is who he is. "Though, sounds like you have someone else in mind..."

Wiccan coughs a little and blushes. "I..um..maybe but its not liek teddy is not liek way out of my leauge." He mumbles at Robbie before clearing his throat again. "I know how you feel about eddie's past too. I have a great family, and worst I have ever had to deal with was a little bit of bullieing in school so not like my problems ever are half as bad as his have been." He shakes his head a little and scans the area to see if Eddie is on the way back yet. "He was actually dating a nice guy for a while there, but not sure what happened to him just kidna disapeared. Shame, that hot well built guy with superpowers was just made for Eddie."

Eddie is indeed on his way back. Carrying three bottles of water each bearing the name of the rave. He's got a girl that seems to be glowing bright blue just about hanging off him too. He's blushing furiously as she chatters and dances against him. As they reach the chill out zone, the alien girl plants a kiss on Eddie's cheek before dancing off back into the crowd. He waves after her and just blushes worse. Stepping over to his friends, Axiom smiles. "S-s-sorry that took so long. I ran into someone I know on the way," he says, holding out water for the others.

"And what's a Teddy?" Robbie grins wickedly at this. He's almost back to normal. "You ask him out yet? Worst he can say is no. And if he tries to bully you, make with the lightning and claim self-defense. Then, like, put it up on Youtube to show 'em why bullying is a bad idea in general." He frowns a little at the story. "Aw, man, that blows. He just up and vanished? Who even does that?" He shakes his head. "But yeah, not half as bad. I've gotten some perspective from being 'round him. It's part of why I haven't been in a rush to meet the Asgardians. See, I don't want him thinking I'm trying to..." He cuts himself off as Eddie returns, and the sight of the girl on his arm makes him crack up. "Well, hey, it happens," he says, taking the water with a thank you.

Wiccan is blushing furiously by the time that Axiom has renturned to them in the chill out zone. "He's a guy I met through Eddie, adn no, but we are taking Eddie to a live showing of Rocky Horror and..." He bites his lip cause while it was flirty and fun the upping the ante to end up with them challanging each other to go in costume he still could not see Teddy being into him even if he really is gay. He eyes Eddie and the glowing girl with a small laugh. "You know, you get more girls haning on you no matter where you go than even the best players I know of."

Axiom perks up slightly when he hears Teddy's name and smiles. "I think he d-does like you, Billy. He said you were cute," Eddie chimes. The mention of the girl and Robbie cracking up get Eddie blushing again. "I j-just met her another time I was here. I helped her get rid of some g-g-guys that were bothering her is all. You guys okay over here while I ws gone?"

"Wiccan's right, dude," Speedball says, clapping Axiom on the shoulder. "Leave some for the rest of us, all right?" In the time that Edcdie's gone and gotten drinks, Billy's now blushing and Robbie seems almost back to normal. "Yeah. I think I'm done freaking out," he says with a dry smile. "No idea where to go first, you know?"

Wiccan blinks at Eddie and perks up a little. "I..you think so?" edit out little girly squeel that Billy wants to make but is totaly too masculine to do...at least in front of other people. Later, yes deffenetly later when he gets home, or is flying home way up in the air. "Yup, toatly Ok, I'm the king of ok. No, thats a rubbish nick name." He says in a faux british accent obviously quating something that is betting entierly to get missed by both his companions tonight.

"Man," Eddie smiles as he blushes. "You c-can have them," he offers to Robbie. He then nods quickly to Billy. "I really do," he says. "We could go to the normal dance floor or the um...foam or water ones. Or just sit down and hang out in a booth." The bubble-fielded hero wipes his mouth, but it's the kind of mouth-wipe that is clearly hiding a chuckle or grin at Billy's flustered words. Still, his attention is easily arrested.

"The...foam dance floor?" Speedball asks? "Okay, we did not come out here for all of us to just...stand in a corner and drink. I gotta go check this out!" With that, he slides past the other boys, water in hand, and heads right for the crowd to see what's out there.

Wiccan nods and hmms. "Not sure about the water one and foam oen sounds a little strange even for me. Could dance the regular one though, or over it if there is enough air space..." Wiccan enjoys dancing, not that he does it much or ever in public, and the few times he has doen it out of the house recently its been a fear of his he would end up over the dance floor like he some times does when at home in his bed room. "Hes right, come on Eddie, lets go dance."