18129/Soulfriend Reunion

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Soulfriend Reunion
Date of Scene: 31 May 2024
Location: Breakstone Lake
Synopsis: Doug and Warlock are reunited at last.
Cast of Characters: Warlock, Douglas Ramsey




Warlock has posed:
Warlock had not been back at Xavier's for very long. Half a day at most, wandering the grounds and greeting people cheerfully as he came across them, but spending a lot of time in the bright sunshine as he took in the changes and differences that time had brought to a place he had such fond memories of. He hadn't known how to contact Doug directly, not after so long - but the GuiltShameGrief Cycle that had dominated the first year or two of his time away in Earth measurements had faded into a dull background radiation.

Then he had realized that soulfriend was still ALIVE. That had helped tremendously in making that cycle fade even more, overwritten with a louder cycle of JoyReliefFondness that drove them back to Earth. Back to Westchester, back to XavierFriends with one thing on his mind.

Query: Location DouglasAaronRamseyCypher designation SelfSoulfriend?

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
What are you running from, Doug? An existential fear you haven't been able to name, but you know what it is.

When he looks at old pictures of himself - bright-eyed, innocent; in his scout uniform, or in his old training uniform - then it catches him.

The existential fear that that boy never made it out of Genosha alive, and he's some... homonculus in the shape of a dead child.

On days like that, he has to do what he's doing now - sit out in front of the lake with his bare feet in the water, listening to the birds and the trees and to his own memories, until it recedes again. It's funny, all the meditation in the world doesn't work, unless he does it here.

The techno-organic matter of his right arm breaks out into spikes. "Huh." Doug looks at the spikes crawling across the back of his hand. "That's never happened before."

Warlock has posed:
Warlock knows that back. The hair is a little different, but the posture, the invisible weight on his soulfriend's shoulders are the same. AliveAliveAliveAlive, Self's mind chants as he catches sight of Doug. AliveHereAliveSoulfriendAlive! The Joy threatens to overwhelm him, and he turns into a fist-sized butterfly. Taking to the skies, he swoops in dizzying circles that reflect his joy and excitement, barreling straight for Doug.

He lands on soulfriend's knee, gold gleaming against black in the sunlight, round eyes comically attached to the small body. His wings flutter in delight, then confusion as he recognizes familiar gold and black disappearing up Doug's arm. There's a buzz of anticipation around him, unable to be contained entirely within the small form.

"ALIVE!"

In the moment, it's the only thing he can think of to say.

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
It is - a surprise. The techno-organic matter of Doug's right arm reacts more and more intensely the closer Warlock gets, almost as if it's responding - reaching for -

He looks up, at the butterfly, and the existential demon catches up with him all at once. It's an intensely wakeful feeling, like plunging into an icy-cold lake and having your senses shocked.

He wants to cry, but the tears are frozen in him. He stares at the butterfly, and then, with a great exhale, he simply says, "Where the hell have you *been*, buddy? You kept me waiting." But, Doug is smiling.

Warlock has posed:
Can technarchs cry?

Warlock is going through a fast cycle of LoveReliefJoy but there is a crushing mix of GriefMourningWHY tangled into it. He shifts into - not human form, but Self on two legs, tackling Doug in a very enthusiastic hug that lasts several long moments. Soulfriend is alive and HERE and. It is too much. Never enough.

"Dead. Self was.. dead. Self was alive, but soulfriend was... was gone, and Self could feel soulfriend so keenly." Warlock is curled into a hunched ball, hands curved over his face. "Self thought... thought the hunger was too much, that Self killed soulfriend to survive," he says into his hands. "Self could not - did not - want to bear these places of joy and memories without soulfriend, so Self took to the skies to show both the universe until the ShameGuiltGrief cycle was not so loud. And then... Self could feel soulfriend again, and Self had to know if those feelings were real."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug finds himself embracing the alien, and clinging to him.

"...Oh. I'm me - I think. For a very long time I've wondered if I'm the real me, or... if I was a piece of you, in the *shape* of Doug Ramsey - of me - if I had died but..." He exhales. "But it doesn't matter. I'm alive. *We* are alive."

He looks up, and says, "...And that's the only thing that matters. Even if I was just in the shape of the kid that came before... I outgrew that shape, just like he would've. So the difference is moot. Right?"

Then he gives Warlock a look. "I'm not going to *scold* you, buddy. You were sad. That's all."

Warlock has posed:
Warlock clings back, but is... cautious. Careful enough to be certain they are not doing any merging, aside from the sticky clinging where his arm is touching Doug's new arm. "Self thinks soulfriend is carrying small part of Self everywhere, but does not understand how." He blinks rapidly. "Self is sorry for not checking first. So many things were dead. Self could not handle how destruction felt, so Self let shamecycle rule and fled away to the stars. Self is very glad we are both alive, soulfriend."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug finally blinks back tears. He looks up, and after a moment, he asserts his arm's separation from Warlock. "Sorry. I haven't mastered it yet." He says, before he flexes his fingers. "Replacement arm." He looks down, and kicks his feet in the water, briefly. "...Me too, buddy. Me too." He laughs, briefly, as if a burden's been lifted off him. Then he murmurs, "The others will be happy to see you, you know. Sam, Beto, Illyana - they all missed you too." He begins to get to his feet. "The explanations aren't *needed*, 'Lock. I understand how you felt. I felt the same way. *Have* felt the same way."

Warlock has posed:
"Soulfriend has not needed to master it, Self thinks." Warlock's voice is a little bit teasing. "We will learn. Together." Warlock shifts to the other side of Doug in a rainbow of colors, reforming and leaning against the other man, arms touching without the stickiness of the other side.

"Self missed otherfriends, but not as much as soulfriend. Self looked just like soulfriend after waking, and would not make them mourn again or try to fake being soulfriend. It was kinder to let them miss bothfriends than to be confused and sad again at the loss." Kinder to Self as well, to not face the devastation and grief in their eyes, or any platitudes absolving him of the guilt he'd felt.

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug stands on the dock, bare feet dripping. "You know, I'd say that makes no sense, but plenty of humans think the exact same way? They shut themselves off, because they don't want their grief to be a burden to others... but y'know? Sharing that burden can make it easier for everybody to carry." He shakes his head, and says, "...Nevermind. I'm not sad now. Well, buddy - the world is our oyster. So what do we do now?" He looks up at the mansion. "...I don't live at the house anymore. None of us do, really. It's more like we visit. A day or two here or there."

Warlock has posed:
Warlock's head briefly forms into a wide, beaming sunflower before he's flowing back to his base state and into the human form he'd adopted. In some respects, it even still looked like him, parts fitting just a little bit off, jaw just slightly too angled. "Self needs to find housing, maybe get documents to be person?" The query is uncertain. "Is probably easiest to stay here, unless soulfriend would like Self to share living space. Self is full of excitement nerves to see these changes in otherfriends after so long."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug laughs, and then says, "Of course you can. I move around a lot right now, but you can go wherever I go." He pats Warlock on the shoulder, and then murmurs "I can make up any paperwork you need. But you can also go wherever you want, do whatever you want. You know that, right?" He clears his throat. "But... it'll be good to have you with me again, 'Lock. I've missed the Team Supreme. They are... themselves. But also not. But they'll all be happy to see you. I think Illyana married Doctor Strange? I don't see her around much."

Warlock has posed:
"Going with soulfriend sounds like best idea," Warlock agrees. "For now, until Self and soulfriend need space from each other. Self believes that will be awhile." Warlock was very curious to see all of the changes he'd missed. "Will make effort to see all of Teamfriends soon. Query: Changes are many. Will soulfriend explain?"

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
"I'll do my best." Doug says, before he gives a little smile. "My taste in music remains great, Debbie Harry is still awesome, Star Trek is back on the air..." He gestures, expounding on various things as he leads Warlock toward the house. "Oh, and you'll hear a lot about 'AI' but... it's really not. It's really complicated, but also kind of dumb."