9453/Embassy Lament

Embassy Lament
Date of Scene:	04 January 2022
Location:	Guest Room - Themysciran Embassy
Synopsis:	Terry comes to help with the evacuation of the Themysciran Embassy, and the evacuation of Morgan Finn.
Cast of Characters:	Morgan Finn, Terry O'Neil

---

Morgan Finn has posed:
The medical center in the Themysciran Embassy is small but extremely high tech. There are just a few beds each flanked on one side by a monitor that wirelessly tracks a patient's vital signs and various internal goings-on, and on the other side by a crash cart should the worst occur. Only one of the beds is currently occupied. Morgan Finn, a teenager who has become a familiar sight around the embassy lies there in a hospital gown. He's watching the Cowboys take on the Eagles on the TV at the foot of his bed. Had one visited two days ago, they would have found him to be grievously injured from head to toe with wounds that surely would have killed any human. But now, just 48 hours later, one wonders why he's even in a hospital bed at all. He is sitting up with no obvious injuries, looking a bit restless and bored, one foot swishing anxiously back and forth beneath the blankets.

He reaches to his stand and picks up a cup of Pepsi and takes a deep drink. "C'mon, that was offensive pass interference!" he blurts out, more agitated about it than one should be. Perhaps that's a reflection of the fact that he doesn't want to be here at all. Likely he has been ordered to stay in bed.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Alright, everybody," comes a voice from the lower floors. It is clear, and very audible, "Courtyard in two hours for the first group. Fragile equipment first!"

"... dear gods how many vases /are/ there?"

"-cam somebody ask Di who is getting the important stuff out of the Arts Center?"

The voice is getting closer. "... I'm not going to tell Ferdinand he has to leave his knife blocks behind. Have you /seen/ him? His muscles have muscles. If he wanted to bring the refrigerator along, I'd let him. Let's not upset the Kythotaur, okay? Right. By- wait, what?"

A pause, as if he were listening to someone.
"Aaaalright, top floor? On my way."

And then, silence.

At least, that is, until the door to the medical bay opens and a colorful apparition makes its entrance.

The Cheshire cat doesn't look like the Disney incarnation at all- ginger fur with red stripes and an unruly mane of red. His standard hero-type spandex suit is barely visible under an olive-and-black aviator-style jumpsuit which bears a cartoon version of his face across the broad back, over a text in bold, yellow font that reads:

CHESHIRE CAT MOVING CO.
~Service With A Grin~

"Alright!" Vorpal says with a grin, putting his comm away, "So it looks like there's a new face around the Embassy," the teenager leans on the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, "-- and you're injured. Seems standard fare for anyone who hangs out with Di."

Morgan Finn has posed:
When he hears the ruckus going on, Morgan uses the remote to mute the TV. He crinkles up his forehead in confusion as he listens to the sudden chaos. Then when Terry actually enters the room, the kid gets a look of surprise across his features. But hey, this ain't the weirdest thing he's seen since falling into Wonder Woman's orbit. Not even close.

"I'm not injured!" he says quickly, maybe just a bit more harshly than he intended. He's frustrated and he's an adolescent demigod. Mood shifts are his jam. He must realize he is coming across like a dick because he immediately softens his tone and expression. "I mean...I was injured but I'm..." He turns his head and raises his voice like he's suddenly talking to someone in another room. "...BETTER NOW!"

This dude is a good-natured fellow and really doesn't have the ability to stay frustrated for too long. He immediately grins and gestures to Terry with a nod of his head. "So what's your deal?" he asks. "Like a cat dude? S'cool look."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Like a cat dude? That's what I get?" Vorpal pushes off the doorframe, "Respect, my dude, I'm /the/ Cheshire cat as he leaves and breathes."

Advancing towards Morgan's bed, he glances at the television, sees the game, and then returns his attention to the young man, and gives him his grin again, showing that he was only joking in good humor. "So you were injured? Sucks when that happens. You do seem to have recovered... what happened?"

Because feline curiosity /is/ an unstoppable force, after all, "Just, you know, to swap war stories. I've gotten shot a couple of times!"

Morgan Finn has posed:
At first Morgan looks a little bit vacantly at Terry, and one might quickly get the (correct) impression that he doesn't know what the Cheshire Cat is. Books aren't really his strong suit. "Oh. Cool. Well no disrespect intended."

The fledgeling demigod takes another drink from his Pepsi. "If you're thirsty, the room over there..." He gestures in the direction of one of the doors out of the med bay. "...has a drink machine."

But finally Terry inquires about the injury, a broad smile cross his features. "Okay I get it. Did Diana or Alex send you to break my balls? I understand. I was being stupid. I swear I'll think things through next time."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Vorpal frowns, "... Nnnno, actually, nobody sent me to bust them. I don't know if you've heard, but there's currently an angelic invasion force headed for New York and the city is under an evacuation order. I'm here to help with the evac since I alread-" he pauses mid-stream and looks at Morgan.

"Wait. You really don't kn-- do you know who the Titans are?" the cat says, "You know... Donna? Raven? Beast Boy?" and then, with a slightly plaintive tone, he addds, "... Vorpal?"

Morgan Finn has posed:
Morgan bites his lower lip gingerly and looks apologetically at Terry. This is a new record, offending the hell out of someone in less than sixty seconds. "Hey man, I didn't mean anything by it. I'm sort of new to all of this."

How are you going to unfuck this one, Morgan? Play to your strengths! He gives a warm, friendly smile to Terry and he holds out his hand. "Hi. I'm Morgan Finn. Cool t'meet you, Cheshire!" Oh boy. Well, you don't get a body like that and get the brains too, I suppose.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
The cheshire cat shakes Morgan's hand with a resigned look, "It's Vorpal--- it's not important." he waves it off, the smile returning to his face as if it had never left. If there's any sign that he is upset, it might be betrayed by a flick of the tail here and there, but no more. "Are you also not aware of the extinction-level-event pile of angelic rock that is heading towards the Earth right now? The one that's been in the news?" his eyes flick over to the game, and back, "... granted, if you were that injured, you probably were out of it for a few days."

His athletic frame shifts, and he proceeds to do another sweep of the room with his eyes, checking for any personal belongings or things that might need to be packed. "You've got a room here at the Embassy?"

Morgan Finn has posed:
It's right about now that a concerned look encroaches upon Morgan. He gets up from the bed clad in nothing but a hospital gown. "I mean, no I didn't know about it," he says earnestly, though he does not appear panicked at all. "Like a meteor?" he asks, now giving Vorpal his undivided attention. "Um, yeah I have a room here. I been unconscious. I didn't hear anything about it." Then, just to avoid any confusion, he adds, "I didn't hear about the meteor, not the...not the room."

He goes trotting out of the room not like someone who was at the edge of death a few days ago but like a healthy, athletic teenager. "Imma get dressed!" he calls back. Then he stops and re-enters the room. "Vorpal," he adds warmly, pointing to Terry. Then whoosh, he's gone again.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Maybe I can just go fetch your clo-" Vorpal doesn't get all of the words out, but Morgan is sprinting out of the bed. Having all-too frequent personal experiences with hospital gowns and the fact that they don't close in the back, the Cheshire cat immediately pivots on his heels to face away. "You go get dressed and then we'll help you pack," he says, whipping out his phone out of one jumpsuit pocket to occupy himself.

An email from Lois asking for a status update, and whether or not he thinks he'll be able to cover the event at ground zero, due to how he 'gets all funny' with holy magic.

He gets the satisfaction of typing back to Lois: <<Don't worry. I've got an interview with a vampire.>> And then no more, because he can be a little brat when he wants to. He pockets the phone, knowing that Lois will want to know more, and she will- in due time. For now, he waits for Morgan's return.

Morgan Finn has posed:
It doesn't take very long for Morgan to return. He's fully dressed in spiffy, brand-new clothes that were part of the kid's major Christmas haul here at the embassy: Columbia hiking boots, blue jeans, a red flannel shirt, a Columbia winter vest. Over one shoulder is a bag stuffed with some essentials. Spare clothes, toiletries, cell phone charger, and a PS5 with some games.

"Okay, I'm ready, Vorpal," Morgans says as he enters. "I'm sorry the world is ending and stuff, but it sure feels good to get the hell out of that hospital bed."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
The Cheshire cat lets out a chuckle as he walks up to Morgan. "The world isn't going to end. The world's almost ended five times since I became a Titan..." he pauses and raises a finger, "Six if you count the time we were in Tartarus trying to keep an army of the dead from bursting into Themyscira and then the world. It's not going to end this time if we have any say in it," he reaches over to ruffle Morgan's hair with one hand, "Think of it as a very urgent vacation from New York. This place is the hot zone so people are evac'cing to try to avoid casualties. There's going to be a lot of angel butt getting kicked."

He leads the young man out into the hallway, "Everybody's gathering in the courtyard, but let's stop by my room first so I can get some of my things, too."

There's another twist- the cat has a room at the Embassy! "Over here. I've just got a few books and mementos," he says as he opens the door, "Everybody's packing their stuff and Donna hasn't called to yell at me yet, so things should be running smoothly."

Morgan Finn has posed:
Morgan wrinkles his nose a little at getting his hair ruffled. It's very undignified for a fifteen-year-old get his hair ruffled. But no girls were around see the Mortal Offense, so he smiles his forgiveness. "Yeah, I imagine you hero types get the see the world almost end alla time. Still, it's new to me." To his credit, he is calm and speaking in a good-natured manner. Clearly the idea of the world ending isn't causing him much distress.

"Yeah sure," he says and follows Terry to his room. "I wonder if Freddy is okay," he murmurs to himself. "I should text him."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry's room looks like it hasn't been used in a while. Nevertheless, it does have a healthy but small collection of books. Most of them having to do with Journalism or History. "Who's Freddy?" he asks casually as they walk in. He points a finger in the air and a burst of magic causes a small suitcase to slide out from under the bed and deposit itself on the mattress, open and eager to receive things. He goes about the room, throwing things into the open suitcase.

"So what's your connection with Diana? I haven't been around nearly as much as I was because... of things. I'm a bit behind on news."

Then, he opens a drawer and begins to take out several small marble statues, which he handles with care. "I got these in Themyscira... I don't want them to break..." he glances around, and starts grabbing some towels to wrap them in, to cushion them.

Morgan Finn has posed:
Tip-tap-tap-tap-tip-tip-tap-tip Morgan sits in a chair as he finishes typing a message on his phone. "Freddy's my friend from Happy Harbor. But I think he'll be alright. He's pretty...strong," the fledgeling demigod answers as he slides his phone away.

His eyes follow Terry's movements, watching him pack up the items that are important to him, the things that go to make up a life. "Well, let's see, almost two years ago now the League of Assassins tried to kidnap me. My father -- who lives in Olympus and apparently minimizes directly affecting the mortal world -- probably tipped Diana off, and she rescued me." He shrugs a shoulder absently. "My mother was killed in the attack and so Diana has been looking after me. At first it was from a distance, but once it started to become apparently that I had, you know, powers she took a more active role."

Another nod in Terry's direction. "What about you? What's your connection?" he asks conversationally, not at all like there is some sort of catastrophic, potentially world-ending event going down.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Everybody at Happy Harbor tends to be," Terry comments, considering several of his own team-mates come from Happy Harbor. He stops what he is doing, though, as Morgan reveals his origin story, and the Cheshire frowns.

"... I'm so sorry about your mom," he says with a quiet voice. Of course, ther would be an Olympian involved who couldn't keep it in his pants. Almost ninety-nine percent of Greek tragedies came about because someone got horny.

Considering that he temporarily lost his powers because he made out with his own doppelganger, though, he's not one to throw stones, broken glass can hurt. "Her sister is my team-mate. You must know Donna? I try to make myself useful and they seem to tolerate me," he smirks, finishing up the wrapping of the statues before a few more mementos are piled in. The suitcase zips itself shut without him having to touch it.

"So- do you have a place to stay at, in Metropolis?"

Morgan Finn has posed:
The teen demigod stands when Terry finishes packing. He gives the Titan a warm, grateful smile when he expresses condolences about his mother. "Well a friend of Donna's is a friend of mine," he intones softly. "And no, I don't have a place. I'm sure Diana will arrange something. Worst case I can stay in the dorms at the Hall of Justice. Slept there a few times before."

Ever the people person, Morgan picks up Terry's suitcase. For a lean, lanky kid he hefts the suitcase easily. "Is Diana still in the embassy?" he asks Terry, eyebrows raised. "Or is she dealing with this angel thing?"

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"She is currently Doing Diana Things, which probably means talking to the Leaguers about how to coordinate things in New York. I'm sure she'll figure something out- in the meantime, you could crash at my apartment. It's on Queensland Park."

He smirks, "You don't need to carry that. I may not be divinely-powered but these muscles aren't for show, you know!" He flexes an arm with a grin, and then frowns as his phone goes off in a series of buzzes.

"One sec," he says, reaching for it and reading through the messages. He sighs and slaps his forehead, shaking his head. "Oh my god my mother is going to give me an ulcer." He slips the phone back into the jumpsuit and looks at the ceiling, counting to ten before letting out a slow, measured breath.

Morgan Finn has posed:
"I don't mind," Morgan says in a friendly, amiable tone in response to carrying the suitcase. "It's the least I can do for you coming to get me." He smirks, brown eyes glittering with amusement. "They all probably forgot I was in there. I woulda been watching football until the world ended."

"Everything okay with your mom?" he asks gently. Mothers are a special subject for the fledgeling demigod, even a little tiny bit sacred.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"If they had forgotten about you, they wouldn't have told me to come get you, dork," the feline smirks and goes to the window to look at the Courtyard. Only a small smattering of people have gathered there yet, the rendez-vous still being an hour and forty minutes away.

"No, everything's not ok. She's refusing to evac and says she's going to bunker up with cousin April and Harley." He exhales and sits on the edge of the bed. He closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose, the muscles on his shoulders tense and bunched up. "I can see I'm going to have an interesting afternoon ahead of me. I trust Harl to keep April safe from criminals, but angels are... another thing altogether. To this day I have yet to win an argument with her."

Morgan Finn has posed:
Morgan stands motionless in the middle of the room, his knapsack over one shoulder, Terry's suitcase in the opposite hand. He listens intently to the feline hero. That's one of his gifts. Connection. Listening. The beautiful mortal burden. "Hey," he says as he sets the bags and sits on the edge of the bed. "It'll be cool. Tell her that you love her and you really want her to come with you. How can she say no to that?" He offers a brief shoulder pat to the cat boy.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry opens one eye and glances at Morgan. "You clearly have not run into the O'Neil clan," he says with a lilt to his voice, "My cousin constantly runs /at/ danger to get her scoop. My mom decided to buck family convention and got disowned to elope with a guy... who just happened to turn out to be the Cheshire cat, but she didn't know that bit." He pauses. "But if she had, I don't think it would've stopped her one bit. We have a contrarian streak a mile wide."

He spreads his hands, "I mean, I went to Catholic school and that didn't stop me from dating guys, so... mom's not going to change her mind. When Agatha O'Neil makes up her mind, the world could end before she bucks an inch."

He rolls his eyes, "So I guess it's going to be our job to make sure it /doesn't/ end."

Morgan Finn has posed:
As Morgan listens to Terry's entire saga unfold, his face plays out the drama with constantly changing expressions. It has been said that one really feels like Morgan is right there with you when you tell him a story. Empathic healers just really seem to know what someone is feeling, good or bad. As Terry gets exhausted by the tale, Morgan gets exhausted by it. As he goes up, Morgan goes up. As he goes down, Morgan goes down. For that moment, there is the opportunity for Terry to feel like he's the most important person in the world.

Finally Morgan stands. "That sounds really dope," he says, holding out his fist for a bump. "Let's go save the fucking world."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
The Cheshire cat smirks, and gives Morgan a fistbump. "But first," he says, standing up from the bed, "We need to make sure you're settled in. And, demi-god or not, you're not jumping into the fray until you've spoken to Di. Considering you were badly injured a few days ago, you might not be ready to fight angels." He sighs, "I know I'm not."

He waves a hand, and it is as if someone had punched a hole through reality: a perfectly circular opening appears in midair, through which a moderately-sized living room with a spatious couch can be seen. Vorpal gestures, and leads Morgan through the opening in reality.

"Kitchen," he points, "Living room. There's an extra room," he points to a door down the hallway, "which is a spare room, you can sleep there. There's a bed, but it hasn't been used in forever, so make sure you dust. My room is down the hall. Then there's the bathroom," he points, "Only one. I take my showers in the morning, any other time is fair game."

The portal closes behind them noiselessly as they enter Terry's apartment. "Any questions?"

Morgan Finn has posed:
The teen's face lights up at the portal. "Oh this is rad as fuck!" he says, leaping fearlessly through the opening. (Yes, there's probably a risque metaphor in there somewhere, but that's beyond the scope of this scene.) "How far did we just travel? Are we in Metropolis? Can you open portals to anywhere? What if you tried to open a portal to the bottom of the ocean? Would the seawater all rush out?"

He takes the quick tour of Terry's apartment. "You want me to dust?" He seems confused by that. It's possible he has never dusted before. He stops dead and turns around. "You take showers?" he asks, surprised. "What about the...you know...about the...fur?" He contemplates that for a moment. "I mean, I guess it makes sense. How else would you get clean? You can't just lick yourself all over like a real cat."

I mean, I guess it's possible that Morgan could get his foot farther into his mouth, but it wouldn't be easy.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"How far? Just New York to Metropolis. I can go as far as the edges of the solar system without working up a sweat... I did go clear across the galaxy once, but that left me tuckered out for a couple of days. You just went through the Rabbit Hole. Because that's how you travel in Wonderland."

The Cheshire glances down at his body, and then back up at Morgan. "I guess I /could/ lick myself all over if I wanted to, but why would I? That's how you get hairballs, and those primitive cats without opposable thumbs have to deal with that because they can't work showerheads. I Wonderland, however, we have opposable thumbs /and/ plumbing." He grins.

"I don't take showers in the fur /here/, the hair clogs up the drain. The showers at the tower are modified so they can take that kind of stuff. No, here I take my showers in the skin," he says, in what has to be a thoroughly puzzling statement.

Morgan Finn has posed:
The demigod walks into the guest room and plops his bag down on the bed. He slips out of his winter vest and plops it on the bed too. Then he emerges from the room. "Wait...in the fur? In the skin?" Morgan asks curiously. "Are you a shapeshifter? Like do you go back and forth between being a cat dude and a regular dude?"

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Something like that," Vorpal answers, "More accurate to say that I have a mixed soul and two bodies. I don't shift my body so much as... trade it. Here."

He lifts his arm and turns his rainbow bracelet inside-out to show a hidden mirror. Looking into his own eyes through the mirror, the Cheshire cat intones:

"We're All Mad Here!"

There is an eruption of light, and his body becomes nothing more than a purple-white glowing silhouette, emitting a multicolor spectrum of light. When the lightshow has vanished, a young man in his late teens stands there. He is as as equally muscular as he was when he was the Cheshire catt, but now instead of fur he has pale, freckled skin, wavy ginger hair and bright green eyes. There is no sign of the superhero suit nor the jumpsuit. Instead, he's dressed in a long-sleeved shirt, blue jeans and sneakers, and a messenger bag slung across his broad shoulders.

"Tadaaa. Terry O'Neil, at your service," he says, lowering his hand, "Now you know my secret identity. You must protect it with your life, or die in dishonor."

He says this with a serious demeanor, but then it breaks into an impish smile. "Just kidding. My identity's pretty much public, everybody knows."

Morgan Finn has posed:
While the transformation is going on, Morgan is utterly transfixed. He stares with wide eyes and a wide smile at one of the coolest things he's seen in a long time. He does a lap around Terry. "Badass," he intones quietly. He reaches out a fingertip and pokes Terry in the shoulder as though to confirm what his eyes are telling him.

"How did all of this happen?" the fledgeling demigod asks. "How did you end up like this? With the mixed soul and two bodies deal?"

Terry O'Neil has posed:
There is, indeed, no fur. Morgan's finger is met by flesh. "Nineteen years and nine months ago, my mom eloped with a guy. That guy turned out to be The Cheshire Cat in human guise. Now I'm the Cheshire cat. Apparently my dad vanished out of existence the moment I was born because there's only ever one Cheshire Cat in the universe. Apparently."

The redhead crosses his arms and shrugs, "I didn't know about it. /She/ didn't know about it. Until my powers manifested in March, two years ago. In the process of that I ended up getting involved with the re-founding of the Titans..." he hehs and raises an eyebrow, "So it seems that you and I got thrown into the frying pan because of our respective dads."

Morgan Finn has posed:
"Pshh, yeah I know the feeling," the teen says. "My dad left me all kinds of baggage to deal with. Imma kick his ass if I meet ever meet him." His tone indicates he's being 85% playful and 15% serious. "My cousin told me that there is a chance I could actually meet my father. Like in Olympus. /THAT/ would be bomb."

Morgan runs his hand back through his hair and murmurs, "I'm prolly gonna make myself look like an idiot here, but who is The Cheshire Cat?"

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry walks over to the bed, and then sits next to Morgan, doing his best to look wounded. It's clear that he's only putting on a charade, however. "There are two answers to that question. One of them is wrong. The wrong answer is: The Cheshire cat is a character in a children's book written by a man calling himself Lewis Carroll about the adventures of a little girl called Alice, who went into a magical but nonsensical place by falling through a rabbit hole. The Cheshire cat was a character in that world, called Wonderland."

he shifts his weight and leans in to Morgan, as if to whisper conspiratorially:

"The /right/ answer is that the Cheshire Cat was a very powerful being of pure chaos magic in a world called Wonderland, which was a place where reality was constantly in flux. And that little girl, Alice Liddle, really /did/ fall in there and had many adventures, which she then relayed to her adult friend Charles Dodgson, who thought it all sounded absolutely demented and therefore /perfect/ literature for children, and decided to write it all down under the pseudonym of Lewis Carroll."

He leans back and falls on his back on the bed, hands behind his head, and one leg crossed over his knee. "So I'm basically something most people thought wasn't. Not unlike how people thought about the Amazons and the Greek Gods until Diana came here and gave people a very harsh wake-up," he grins.

Morgan Finn has posed:
The physical closeness and sitting on a bed with someone who identified as gay does not appear to bother Morgan in the slightest. He laughs when Terry does the conspiratorial whisper. Again, empathic healer. He digs right into the spirit of the story.

When Terry flops back, Morgan lies on his side, propping up his head with one hand. He talks like he's talking with his age-old best friend. "Okay, so you are like some sort of powerful chaos god. And the book Alice in Wonderland was written about a real dimension that someone from our world fell into?" He narrows his gaze, considering Terry carefully. "How long ago was that? You said there can only ever be one Cheshire Cat. Was it you in the book? Your father? His father?" He seems really excited to hear this tale.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"My /dad/ was the powerful chaos god. He didn't have a human side, you see," Terry says, eyes fixed on the ceiling as he looks inwards. "But he was more powerful in Wonderland. Here, there's a balance, or an attempted balance, between Order and Chaos. He wasn't /as/ strong here..." he closes his eyes and does some math.

"So, the book came out... one hundred and fifty years ago. More or less. But Wonderland is much older than that. That's only when your world discovered it. My father was there from the very beginning of Wonderland... he liked to think he was the first creature to exist there, but he was an unreliable narrator. Time is very ... elastic over there, but from what I can remember of the very scattered memorries I inherited from my father, it's easily five hundred years old, at last." He opens his eyes and turns his head to look at Morgan, his lips curling into a half smile, "Nowhere near as impressive as how long Olympus has been around. Actually, it's kind of funny..." he glances back a the ceiling, looking inwardly again, "How it sort of turns out."

Morgan Finn has posed:
Well, Morgan is hooked now. He kicks off his boots and sits up on the bed cross-legged, attention completely affixed on Terry. "So you can be really strong there, /or/ really strong here, but not both?" the teen says, leaning his elbows on his knees.

"Wait, how /what/ turns out?" he blurts. "You can't leave me hanging with that." The kid watches the raconteur raptly.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Well... I'm /not/ really strong here. Outside of my ability to open Rabbit Holes anywhere, I'm the weakest of the powered Titans," he says, his smile turning a little downwards. "You see, on top of the balance of chaos and order in this world... I also happen to be half-human. So I inherited my father's powers, but because I have a mortal side, they're nowhere near what they should be."

He glances at Morgan and chuckles, "Oh. You're just going to laugh at me, I can't tell you!"

Morgan Finn has posed:
Morgan beams. "If I laugh that means you're telling a cool story!" He leans closer. He's always relied on his natural charm to get his way and he's doing so right now. "C'mon, you gotta tell me."

He reaches out experimentally to poke Terry in the stomach to see if he's ticklish. He is not above some good old-fashioned tickle torment to get his way. It's all in good fun, of course. These demigods live closer to the wellsprings of life than regular humans do, and play and jest are part and parcel of that.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
And Morgan finds out what April found out right from the get-go: that he is inordinately, horribly ticklish. Something that she used to her advantage when they were growing up and Terry got to be too much of a pest.

There is flailing of limbs, reddening of skin and a cascade of laughter. "Uncle! Uncle! I give! I'll talk! I-AAAH! I'll talk! MERCY!"

Morgan Finn has posed:
The fledgeling demigod lets the tickling go on juuuuuust a moment longer than necessary just because it's nice to see someone laugh. But he's all about the mercy. In fact, some have told him recently he's too much about the mercy. So he pulls back his hands. He's still sitting cross-legged on the bed. He puts his hands in his lap but not before aiming his fingers at Terry one last time and wiggling them with one final 'distance tickle'.

"Okay, spill it, mister." He watches Terry with a smile and glittering, lively eyes.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry catches his breath for a few seconds after that laugh, his stomach muscles taut to keep any more tickling at bay, just in case. When he finally has enough breath to speak, he says:

"Well... when Diana first appeared... before I got my powers, I would often fantasize about being blessed by the gods and becoming..." he covers his eyes, "Wonder boy. Oh god I can't believe I'm even confessing this."

Morgan Finn has posed:
Morgan tips his head a little to the side, still smiling warmly. "I don't get it," he says, sounding genuinely confused. "Why is that embarrassing? Who wouldn't want to be Wonder Boy? I mean, Diana is one of the most incredible heroes on the planet, and one of the nicest souls I've ever met. I would think it would be a honor to be Wonder Boy."

He gives Terry a play punch to the shoulder. "Is that really what you were so embarrassed about? Cuz I think it's cool as fuck."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry rubs his shoulder and smirks, "Because. Even when I /did/ eventually get powers, they're the wrong kind of powers. Like I said, I'm the weakest among the powered Titans, nowhere /near/ that tier."

His phone buzzes and he lances at it. Then he suddenly sits up, and then springs up to his feet, readjusting his messenger bag. "I gotta go," he says by way of explanation, "... turns out Ferdinand does want to bring his refrigerator. I'll let you get settled while I go help with the Embassy, and then see if I can talk some sense into my cousin and my mom."