14645/Connections

Connections
Date of Scene:	09 April 2023
Location:	Vasquez Home
Synopsis:	Freddy and Billy, together again.
Cast of Characters:	Billy Batson, Freddy Freeman

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Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson heads up into the Vasquez home and enters Freddy's room after knocking. Freddy might have figured Billy or Shazam was around from the flash and bang. He shuts the door. Then leans against it tiredly and closes his eyes. In a dull voice he asks, "Freddy, am I dumb? I mean I admit Mary has more brains and you're the idea man but... am I dumb?" He opens his eyes to stare at Freddy.

Freddy Freeman has posed:
Lying on his back on his bed wearing old gray gym shorts and a Wonder Woman T-shirt, Freddy is reading something on his battered old phone. On his stomach is a plate of pizza rolls that he has been munching on. It's a foster home. He knows privacy isn't much of a thing here. But that doesn't stop him from breaking Billy's balls.

"Oh, hi, Freddy! I'm glad your here, Freddy, so I can ask you some sage advice. But I definitely would never enter your room without knocking first, Freddy." All of that said without the slightest shred of actual irritation. "And yeah, I wouldn't hire you to help me study for the SATs," he adds in.

Pleased with his tirade, Freddy beams his signature how-cute-am-I-don't-beat-me-up smile at his brother.

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson plops on the edge of the bed next to Freddy. "Thanks for dropping in Billy, sorry I didn't help out with your moving next door," Billy says countering in Freddy's tones pr similar. he snags a pizza roll and says, "Freddy, how did I miss out sister being gay all this time? It is a wonder I can remember to say Shazam. Her girlfriend is awesome by the way."

He gets up, "You want to get some dinner? On me?" He reaches into his jacket pocket and produces a decent sized bunch f bills. "My podcast is doing real good if you want back in... only I'm streaming now. I just interviewed Julie Power, got a bunch of people subscribing from that."

Freddy Freeman has posed:
Suddenly Freddy sits bolt upright in bed, which upends the plate and sends pizza rolls flying everywhere. "Wait, what now?" he exclaims sharply. "Our sist...which sister? Is it Darla? It can't be Darla. Mary is gay? How do you know she's gay? She has a girlfriend? How did you meet her?"

Freddy reaches for his crutch, which is leaning against his desk. Sliding his left arm in, he stands up, accidentally stepping on a pizza roll, which bursts like some gruesome bug all over the floor. "Dang it!" the young man exclaims, bending his knee so he can see the bottom of his foot.

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson says with a little satisfaction, "Ah. I am not the only idiot. Good to know. Listen to me... calm yourself. Yes it's Mary. Darla's not even thinking about that stuff... I think. You can't flip. I know... it's like realizing that the guy who played Schneider on One Day at a Time also voiced the Inspector in those old cartoons But listen... remember how we were kind of screening guys who came around after that Peter guy? Then she stopped bringing guys around and I thought she was just studying a lot of playing an elf bard at some game. Newp. Anyway... her girlfriend Marie-Ange understood my reaction -D'uh I was dumb! Well get that out of your system. Her girlfriend is a doll."

Freddy Freeman has posed:
"Wait...wha..." Freddy sets his foot back on the floor right back in the pizza mess and slips, falling deadass backwards onto...thankfully it's his bed there to catch his fall. With his hair now a completely unruly nest which has flopped down over his forehead and eyes, he stares up at Billy. "Marie-Ange is her girlfriend??" Freddy blurts out like Billy just revealed some secret of the pharaohs. "I just met her last night at Big Belly! She bought me food!" he adds, his voice cracking. And, of course, anyone who buys Freddy food gets an express trip to the top of his Favorite People list.

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson shakes his head. "Probably a coincidence unless she was a green eyed ginger girl from France." He sage nods. "Marie-Ange isn't a terribly rare name after all. Not like... Shazam say. What did this girl look like?"

He looks at Freddy fumbling around and finally says, "Here, let me help." h gets Freddy settled, grabs some fresh socks and gets some tissues t wipe up the dead pizza roll.

"Is this a bad time to tell you I have a girlfriend. I want to introduce her to you and Mary. She knows about me and Sparkle fingers but I'll let you decide how to handle it. I will say, she is completely trustworthy. Her name is Sunny. Spelled like the Sun in the sky."

Freddy Freeman has posed:
Still a little fazed from the sudden news, Freddy sort of sits there while Billy helps him out. Despite the fact that Freddy is a few months older, Billy has always really been the big brother of the group.

Finally: "Yeah, no, that's her. I've seen her in some of Mary's pictures before. That's how I recognized her when I walked into Big Belly."

Once he has finished getting dressed and plucking as many of the pizza rolls as he can find up off the floor, Freddy heads for the door. Thunk-step-thunk-step-thunk-step, his cane not slowing him down one bit. "You gotta girlfriend, bro? Seriously? I wanna meet her!" Freddy punches Billy's arm.

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson pulls his phone out and flips to his favorite picture of Sunny, Halloween Parade, her in a Sailor Moon costume, doing the two finger salute and everything. He has an annoying but understandable grin on his face as he presents the evidence to Freddy. "I am seriously hitting out of my weight class here but... "

Freddy Freeman has posed:
Freddy snatches the phone from his brother so he can get a better look. "Shut! Up!" he blurts out. "No way a girl like this is tryna get with you!" Then he goofily looks at the back of the phone like somehow more of the picture would be there. "Did you take this at ComicCon, pay some professional actress to pose for you?"

Tossing the phone back to his brother, Freddy crutches his way down the stairs with ease. "This ain't gettin' you out of buying dinner!"

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson gives Freddy a nudge, replacing the phone in his pocket. "I am so seeing her! I even met her folks. You can ask Victor and Rosa. They saw her! In her cheerleader uniform! Don't be a grouch... Junior! I have superhero seniority. Where do you want to eat? Schwarma truck?"

Freddy Freeman has posed:
"Back later, mom," Freddy yells as he thunk-walks out the front door. He calls Victor and Rosa as mom and dad. "Me and Billy are gettin' shawarma!"

Freddy generally seethes with life and verve and enthusiasm, and as he plunges out into the chilly Spring nighttime air he has a smile on his face and a sparkle in his eyes and moves at a pace that some fully-abled people have a difficult time keeping up with. He has never, ever behaved in a way that would make anyone feel sorry for him for having a disability.

"So you got it all! A successful podcast. A hot girlfriend who dresses like a frickin cheerleader. A incredibly wise and handsome brother. I mean, gratz!"

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson walks beside Freddy matching his gait with practice. "Which one is the handsome brother? Pedro or Eugene? And she doesn't dress like a cheerleader, she /is/ a cheerleader. It's her scholarship at Empire State U." Slipping in the fact he's dating a college girl? Bragging? Hell yes.

"I can see if she has a friend... if you're nice to me."