Martin Baum (magic_hands) wrote in marvel_nextgen,
@ 2013-01-10 17:51:00

Entry tags:

"Don't be afraid" (Backdated to after EotW)

The End of the World, dramatic sounding and all but it hadn't been quite what he expected. Especially teaming up with new people and meeting more heroes. It hadn't been the experience he expected, and he secretly wondered if Dr. Strange ever felt somewhat frustrated and down about these teamups the way he was feeling now. Perhaps he'd ask him when he got a chance.

Right now he was wandering the HQ looking for Manny. Given that the world almost ended and all, most people seemed to want to go visit their families, to appreciate that they were still there. Martin wondered when Manny had lost gone to visit his and went to go find his teammate to offer to teleport him there. Because that was the nice thing to do for...friends. Right?

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	soft_inside 2013-01-10 08:44 pm UTC (link)
	Manny had actually been thinking of visiting his folks and was perparing a small, for him anyway, suitcase. "Oi, hey Hermanito." (Reply to this)(Thread)

	magic_hands 2013-01-10 09:35 pm UTC (link)
	Martin brightens up at seeing Manny and tips his hat to him. "Hello Hermano!" Might as well try his very limited Spanish, effort mattered after all. "Oh! Good, you're packing." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	soft_inside 2013-01-10 09:53 pm UTC (link)
	Manny raised an eyebrow. "It is?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	magic_hands 2013-01-10 09:56 pm UTC (link)
	Martin just smiled like this was the most obvious thing. "Of course. I came to see if you needed a teleport to go visit your family since everyone seems to be doing that. And you're packing, so it work out." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	soft_inside 2013-01-10 09:59 pm UTC (link)
	"Oh..you don't have to do that, Martin. I was just going to charter a flight," Manny said, trying to sound casual. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

magic_hands
2013-01-10 10:03 pm UTC (link)

He shakes his head seriously. "Oh no, I couldn't let you do that Manny. I mean, flights take so long and you have to go through security and the seats must be small and all. I can teleport you and it'll be way faster and you can spend more time with your family that way. Don't worry, it's really easy to do you know." He'd been on planes a few times as a kid, before all this magic stuff, and he recalled people complaining about that stuff. He figured Manny would be uncomfortable with staring passengers and tiny seats. Besides, why fly when you had a teleporter on your team? It was perfect!

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	soft_inside 2013-01-10 10:12 pm UTC (link)
	"..it's not THAT bad," Manny replied weakly. "I mean the sky's pretty..and then there's the in-flight movie..." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	magic_hands 2013-01-10 10:16 pm UTC (link)
	"Oh. Well in that case I guess I can teleport us most of the way there and fly us the rest of the way. The view is nice, you're right. But isn't it better to watch the movie here or at home? I hear the airplane movies aren't all that good." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	soft_inside 2013-01-10 11:04 pm UTC (link)
	That was certainly true. "Really, Martin, you don't have to do anything for me. Why don't you spend some time with Marlow?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

magic_hands
2013-01-10 11:21 pm UTC (link)

"I know, but teleporting only takes me a moment and flying takes you hours. I'm visiting Marlow this week, I promised. But it doesn't mean I can't teleport you..." Martin's looking a little confused. He couldn't see any logical reason why Manny seemed to be turning down the teleport. It was free, fast, easy, and no hassle really. How...odd.

"Is everything okay Manny?"

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	soft_inside 2013-01-10 11:45 pm UTC (link)
	Oh boy..he didn't want to lie..but he didn't want to hurt Martin's feelings... "Well," he rubbed the back of his head nervously. "it's just..how do I put this?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	magic_hands 2013-01-10 11:48 pm UTC (link)
	"...Did I do something wrong?" If he had, he can't recall what it is. It's not like he was asking anything in return, and teleporting wasn't hard for him, so if Manny was refusing it must be because of the person doing the teleporting. At least that's what he'd assume. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	soft_inside 2013-01-11 10:02 am UTC (link)
	"No, no, no," Manny assured emphatically. "It's not you at all. "It's just with the things that went down recently, it's really hammered it in..it's magic. Magic..scares me." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

magic_hands
2013-01-11 02:44 pm UTC (link)

Martin's face falls and he blinks and looks to the side, trying, really, to process this.

Fearing what a person might do with magic, or what their magic on its own might do, that he could understand. But magic as a whole being scary? It just...he couldn't wrap his head around it. His non-magic life had had no exposure to magic in the least, so he didn't have that perspective, to see what magic looked like to the people without it. And ever since magic had become a part of his life, he'd been mostly surrounded by other people who could do it. While he understood and could see how they could fear magic in specific instances, not as a whole, but based on its potential and what certain people might do with that, none of them were scared of magic in its entirety. Because that just wouldn't have made sense. It'd only been in the past year that he'd been around non-magic people while having it. He still wasn't used to how they viewed what he could do.

All sorts of questions pop up in Martin's mind, but he can only make himself ask one for now. Manny would have been able to answer 'which magic scares you?', he wouldn't know specific types. But Martin has to ask something.

"...All magic?"

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soft_inside
2013-01-11 07:18 pm UTC (link)

"No," that much he was sure of. "I mean I'm not afraid of you. I'm worried for you sometimes, like what happened with your hat. I can't explain that or do anything about it," Manny explained. "I'm completely out of my depth. I mean maybe you can light a candle from several feet away, sure it seems a little odd to me but it's not that big a deal. Teleporting..I mean suddenly you're one place..then another..I can't explain it. I mean..what happens when we're not in a physical place? Dios..I really wish I knew how to explain this right..."

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magic_hands
2013-01-11 08:54 pm UTC (link)

Martin is quiet for a long moment as he stares blankly at a spot in the room and tries to process it all. He's trying, really trying, not to be hurt by it and just reason things through.

"But..." He says slowly, trying to reason it out in his head. "If you're worried what magic can do then...it's not magic you should be scared of. It's the person...behind the magic." His gaze raises to meet Manny's in a look that's both eerie and vaguely fearful itself. "You should be scared...of me then."

He knows fear isn't rational, but he's trying to reason through this anyway because Manny had tried to give him an explanation and because...he really didn't want the other guy to fear him at all. Even if he did scare himself sometimes. But the difference was that he knew what could happen with his magic, what it could do. Manny didn't. He'd only gotten to see a small part of it during the hat incident, but that had only been a time freeze. There were worse things.

"And...for teleporting. Shouldn't...shouldn't you not like teleporting from...anyone? Even that Champions lady. Hers isn't magic, but it is teleporting." He didn't think it wise to tell Manny what the in between place for his teleports was.

The whole time he speaks slowly and sounds either unsure or cautious, sometimes it's hard to tell which one. But for most of it the worried, slightly pained expression stays.

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	soft_inside 2013-01-11 09:07 pm UTC (link)
	Oh boy, he was so bad at this. "I..the heck with it." He carefully, so as not to startle the younger man, gives Martin a hug. "I'm not afraid of you, hermanito." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

magic_hands
2013-01-12 01:32 am UTC (link)

It was a good thing that he'd stuffed his hands in his pockets self-consciously when talking otherwise the hug would have startled him more. At first he seizes up and stands stiffly, scared about his hands doing something to Manny, now especially since he knew the guy was scared of magic. But after a moment he relaxes enough to, well not quite hug back because of hands, but to lean his forehead against Manny to show he wasn't seizing up because he didn't appreciate the hug.

"I don't want you to be scared of magic or teleporting. And I don't want you to be afraid of me Manny," he mumbles quietly while leaning against him. "I don't want anyone to be afraid of me." Sometimes it felt you just couldn't win. The public would fear him for being a mutant if he was ever out about it. And the hero set would fear or hate him for magic it seemed. It didn't help that he knew their fear of him, not magic as a whole but him, was not completely unfounded.

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	soft_inside 2013-01-12 01:38 am UTC (link)
	"I promise, I'm not afraid of you. As for the first thing..give me time." Manny sighs. "You can't control how other people think of you. You can only do your best and be happy with yourself." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

magic_hands
2013-01-12 01:47 am UTC (link)

Martin keeps looking down and nods. "Okay, but I...okay." Manny could get time, he'd try his best to give it to him and remember. Magic was such a part of him and his life that sometimes it was hard to remember that it wasn't so normal for others. "I'll try, most of the time I am just..." There were some days and times he really wasn't. "...Are you happy with yourself Manny?" The question isn't accusing, it's asked in innocent wide-eyed and worried curiosity and with no harm meant.

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soft_inside
2013-01-12 01:56 am UTC (link)

"I'm not going to lie, are there times I wish I was normal? Yeah. However, then I look back on what this body has given me. I mean me, a kid from San Antonio, got to travel the world, perform in front of hundreds of people, meet celebrities from all over the world, and somehow ended up here on the Thunderbolts," he said with a smile. "So being this way can be inconvenient sometimes, but it's given me a lot more. Si, Martin. I'm happy."

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magic_hands
2013-01-12 02:16 am UTC (link)

Martin listens and looks up at Manny, hanging on to every word. On the surface their situations didn't seem similar at all. The armadillo man and the magic boy. But both had things that made everyday things inconvenient, hand issues especially tended to do that, but had given them a lot else. His mutation, not really magic he'd say, had lost him...pretty much everything. But magic had given him most of it back and more, he could never hate magic for that and given the choice of not being a mutant anymore...he wouldn't take it. He was what he was, and even if it scared him sometimes, the alternative was no improvement and he'd lose everything again. No, magic would always stay in his life if he had a say.

"That's good Manny," he said, giving the older guy a small smile. "I...understand. I'm glad you're on the team Manny. And umm...when you're more comfortable with teleporting, not magic necessarily but just teleporting...can I be the one to teleport you?"

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	soft_inside 2013-01-12 02:19 am UTC (link)
	Manny smiled back. "Me too." He nods once, giving Martin a light, friendly pat on the back. "You'll be the first person I call," he promised. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	magic_hands 2013-01-12 02:22 am UTC (link)
	Martin nearly beams in response and doesn't even jump at the pat. "Great!" All of a sudden the smile disappears and is replaced by a serious, earnest look. "But that means if we go for lunch and milkshakes...we'll need to walk all the way there." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	soft_inside 2013-01-12 02:25 am UTC (link)
	Manny just looked at him ith a raised eyebrow. "Okay, I know it wasn't what you were getting at, but that just sounded lazy." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	magic_hands 2013-01-12 02:38 am UTC (link)
	Martin blinks. "But I don't know how to get there walking! And...there are crowds and stuff." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	soft_inside 2013-01-12 02:45 am UTC (link)
	"Okay, Martin, you're going to start taking walks with me," Manny asserted. "You're going to learn the lay of the land, I'll watch out for you in the meantime, but I want you to get used to being out among people. I mean, eesh hermanito, how do you expect to find a girl someday if you don't go out into the world?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

magic_hands
2013-01-12 02:56 am UTC (link)

Martin pouted slightly but mumbled an agreement. "Okay..." He couldn't even really argue it because Dr. Strange had said he needed to slowly get used to being around more people, especially on the street.

At the second part Martin just blinks, as if surprised Manny didn't know something. "Oh! No, no. I won't, ever date I mean. I don't think I can. I mean, it's dangerous."

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	soft_inside 2013-01-12 03:00 am UTC (link)
	"Good." Manny stares blankly for a moment before laughing for a good bit. "Okay, some..some guys will probably agree with you," he says between laughs," but most don't feel that way for too long." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	magic_hands 2013-01-12 03:08 am UTC (link)
	Martin just blinks in confusion, he didn't get it. "They do? Why? But...they're normal. And...if I can't touch anyone and might accidentally do something magic to them, I don't see how I can date anyone. It's alright though." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

soft_inside
2013-01-12 03:13 am UTC (link)

Oooh.

"Well dating's hard no matter who you are, Martin. I won't deny you have things other guys don't have to consider but..well look at me. Ever think someone like me would be dating someone like Bea?" He didn't bring up his relationship much, not because he didn't want to brag proudly, but because he respected Bea's sense of discretion. "If I can find somebody, you can too."

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magic_hands
2013-01-12 03:23 am UTC (link)

"Well of course you can find someone Manny, you're real nice," he says matter-of-factly as if this was the most obvious thing. "I guess...but I don't know how it'd work. If you can't touch people I mean. And I'll live quite a bit longer than most people," he shrugs. He'd accepted that he wasn't likely to ever date anyone and be mostly separated from people, but that was how the dice rolled.

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	soft_inside 2013-01-12 03:28 am UTC (link)
	"Gracias." Manny thinks for a moment. "Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, let's focus on getting you outdoors." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	magic_hands 2013-01-12 03:30 am UTC (link)
	"I do go outdoors! Just...usually for milkshakes or lunch and flying. Not walking. Where would we walk to anyway?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	soft_inside 2013-01-12 06:27 pm UTC (link)
	"Well I don't know offhand, but it's good for your health." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

magic_hands
2013-01-13 05:59 am UTC (link)

Martin thought to point out that he'd heard that cod fish oil was good for you but he didn't see anyone drinking it. But then again, he wasn't sure he'd heard that right, it did sound awfully odd. Maybe he should ask Dr. Strange.

"Okay I guess. But what about the people? Won't they stare a lot and what if they try to do something?" Granted, his solution to the staring issue wasn't so great either. He did after all just teleport somewhere, guaranteeing staring, but at least for a shorter period of time.

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