halfnhalf | 004 - Action/Voice

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004 - Action/Voice

[Action]

[Although Teddy didn't go on the draft, he knew plenty of friends who did. Once he was certain they were all accounted for, though some had gone through some heavy losses, he felt like he could relax a little. And with relaxation, it dawned on him that he hadn't really practiced his shifting ability in a while. Sure, there was his Hulkling form, but he knew that one. Knew it inside and out. What about others?

This is why he sits by the edge of the fountain, homework and pencil in hand, though he doesn't work so much as watch people over the top of the page. He's inconspicuous about it, as this is a hobby he's developed for some time now.

And when he's sure he's not in anyone's range of vision, he transforms, shifting into the form of the person he's got his eyes on. That's when he stops watching them and looks down at the body he's impersonating, just to study the shape, occasionally glancing up to make sure he has everything right. Even when the person's left, he still stays in that form for a few long moments before he shifts back, writing his answers in his homework once he's satisfied with the shape he's in.

Observe, learn, shift, hold. This is what he's learned over the years, though it's been a while since he's done this for selfless reasons. Just for practice, nothing more.]

[Voice]

[It's sunset and he's still outside, though he appears to be walking back home. There's just one thing on his mind, something that occurred to him while shifting.]

Anyone up for playing b-ball sometime? It's been way too long since I actually got to play against someone. Holograms just don't really cut it, you know?

[He would suggest football, but, well. When you've got the ability to possibly break someone in half with a good tackle, that probably isn't the best sport to go for.]

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[Oh dear, did he push a button he ought not to have? Billy pauses, one brow lifting, then scoots over as well to close the distance between them again.]

I know that. Who do you think I was flirting with?

[So much for that little game. Honestly it hadn't even occurred to him that Teddy would take him that seriously.]

[Teddy's almost tempted to scoot away again, but the way Billy reacts - not with shock or worry, unimpressed more than anything. And what he says, and how he's still close...

Well. Now he feels a tad silly. He stares for a moment, mouth slightly open, before he ducks his head with a light chuckle, his hair and eyes looking more like the good ol' captain now. Now that he's assured, he doesn't mind this little game so much.]

Captain James T. Kirk, leader of the starship USS Enterprise? Also, I've heard better pick-up lines from Spock. That's saying something.

Ouch, that one stings. I can try again, if you like. Let me think for a minute.

[He offers the pastries again while he mulls over his horrible options. Come on, bf, they're tasty. The fact that Teddy had been worried about his flirting is something he ought to deal with for both of their sakes, but it can wait.]

How about... permission to come aboard your starship, captain?

[No one said he couldn't be shameless about it, especially now that Teddy's game for the fun.]

[There's a slight movement of his jaw, barely noticeable, the clenching of his teeth to keep from busting out laughing at the awful pick-up line. What, did Billy look these up on Google when they were still in New York? He had to.

He disguises the look with a raised eyebrow and a hooded, unimpressed gaze, and then he reaches his hand up to ruffle Billy's hair.]

Grow a few more years, kid; you might be on to something. [Finally, he does take the pastry, and he leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees as he takes a bite out of the treat, giving his boyfriend a thoughtful look. Once he finishes chewing, he gives him a grin.]

Now, that doesn't mean you're not welcome on my starship. Maybe I can take you along sometime.

[Billy gives him a slightly deadpan look, resting one hand over his chest.]

Oh, he's done it. I lost my heart to a starship trooper. If only I wasn't so young and impressionable.

Well, at least it wasn't a "storm" [air quotes and all -] trooper. Bad guys from franchises way similar to my own; viscous.

[... ... ... ... and okay, he has to "break character" (because he'd purposely been doing bad anyway) to blink and look up at the sky in thought.]

Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, I wonder if I could... [He trails off, though it's probably obvious: shift into an actual storm trooper, uniform/armor and all.]

[Billy glances over at that, intrigued by the suggestion. A quirk of a smile crosses his lips. If Teddy's breaking character he can stop feigning terrible flirtation, too.]

I don't see why not. You've shifted new clothes around your uniform before, so armor can't be much harder, right?

[And that would look pretty cool, hanging out with a storm trooper. Clearly a photo op.]

[He muses a little longer, bringing up an image of a stormtrooper in his head, thinking of the details and how the armor is shaped to fit the person's body... Then he gives a half grin, still in Kirk's form, and leans over to nudge Billy's shoulder with his own.]

Hey, watch this. [With that, he looks down at his own body as he begins to shift and change, clothes turning into hard white armor. He doesn't shift a helmet for himself, because watching someone's head shift into something that doesn't have human features might be creepy. Like the covers of those Animorphs books.

But when he's finished, he looks a lot like Captain Kirk in a stormtrooper's outfit, and he examines his arms and hands as he speaks up again.]

I went to the dark side. They had cookies.

[Billy watches him shift, quietly delighted; it's still kind of weird to see, the distorted rippling of limbs and features, but in a deeply fascinating way, and the result is too entertaining to let it bother him in the slightest. Kirk in a storm trooper uniform? It's pretty funny.]

Hey, come on, you're a protector of the universal peace, aren't you? You're supposed to say something heroic, like "I'm going under cover to save a princess!"

Or maybe...

[He wraps an arm around Billy's waist and pulls him closer to his side, his back straightened and his chin up as if he was posing heroically despite sitting down, and gives him a smile, his eyes shifting to his normal blue color.]

I'm going under cover to save a prince! And look who I've just rescued.

[Billy leans in a bit, shoulder tucked up against the crook of Teddy's, and lifts a hand to gently flick his boyfriend's nose.]

Careful, captain, your baby blues are showing. And aren't we forgetting who the real prince in this relationship is?

[Oh, right - back to Kirk's color, then. Teddy makes a little face thanks to the nose flick, and he moves his arm from Billy's waist to around his shoulders instead. And though he'd like to lean in and touch foreheads with him, he's... not quite sure if he's all that comfortable doing so while shifted into someone else.]

No, I'm just a captain right now. Unless... Plot twist. You saved the prince. [Kind of fits, too.]

[Billy's okay with the closeness since he knows it's Teddy, but he's not about to cozy up too much either- due to both the altered appearance and how he knows they would look to anyone who might wander by and see them like this. He doesn't want rumours floating around that he's cheating on Teddy with anyone, even handsome space captains.]

Possible! Very possible. I wonder what I could save the prince from... starvation? Boredom? Homework?

Homework.

[He takes his homework he'd set aside with his free hand and holds it up, letting Billy see the paper. Teddy's worked out some problems, but a few in the middle and the end are giving him trouble.]

Math homework. If you save the prince from this, he'll reward you handsomely.

[Billy takes the sheet with an upturned brow, scanning over the questions until he spots the problematic ones. Well. That just won't do at all. He can't have his boyfriend falling behind.]

You're in luck, then. I'm practically a math super hero.

[...Which is totally not true, but it is one of his best subjects. Something about the logic of it appealing to him, as if he wasn't enough of a nerd already.]

Does this mean I can join the engineering crew?

[He probably would've figured it out before the day was over, but better to get it done and out of the way quickly with someone else's help than spend forever agonizing over it. Once Billy takes the paper, Teddy pulls his arm away to rest both hands against the stone he's sitting on, then takes the pencil at his side and holds it up for his boyfriend.]

I'll even spare you the red shirt.

Oh thank god. I don't think I can pull off a dramatic faked death scene to save my life. ...Which actually sounds kind of ironic, put that way.

[Billy accepts the pencil, twisting it between his fingers for a moment before jotting a note or two below one of the unfinished questions, simplifying it.]

Does this make it easier?

[Teddy takes both the page and the pencil back to look down at what Billy did for him. And with that bit of simplifying... Wow, it's a lot easier when it's done that way. His lips move as he works out equations in his head, then writes down the answer, before moving on to the next. There's a small pause, then he slowly simplifies like Billy showed him, and - wow. It really does work out that way.]

Yeah. Yeah, it really does.

[He looks at Billy again, then sets the paper and pencil aside while he shifts the stormtrooper outfit to something more casual, what Teddy would wear.]

Now, I think I told you the prince would reward you. [And with that, he shifts again, this time changing from Kirk to himself.] Thank you for rescuing me, Billy Kaplan.

Edited 2013-04-12 02:10 (UTC)

Just call me the Math Magician.

[Billy grins, although it's somewhat half-hearted; it's a bit tough to be all smiles when he's still feeling powerless and kind of pathetic. Last time he was out of magic it only lasted a week, and while Teddy's presence has helped keep his spirits up, the shapeshifting is also a reminder of the power he doesn't have right now.]

My costume would be pretty lame if I switched to that super-persona, though, I bet. All numbers and TeX symbols.

[Teddy can tell, and truth be told, he's a little worried, too. It's been a long time since his magic was taken away, after all. Teddy loves him with or without it - it's not the magic he fell in love with, after all. But seeing Billy half-hearted like this... It breaks his heart a little.

He doesn't point it out, though; Billy's doing his best and teasing despite it. That's good enough for Teddy. Instead, he moves closer and wraps an arm around Billy's waist, and finally gives in to the urge to do more than that by resting his other hand against the crook of Billy's neck.]

Math Magician or Wiccan or whatever, you're still my hero.

[Billy hums his approval, cuddling closer and sliding his hands up Teddy's chest to wind around his neck, pressing their foreheads together. Teddy's been so patient with him, and comforting as well, so he really is trying to stay positive. And honestly, for the most part he's fine. It's not like anything else is wrong with him, he just misses his magic.]

Any time you need me to heroically save you from Count Calculus or something, just call on me. ...And I'm glad you waited till you were normal again before doing this. Good looking as he is, I don't think I could make out with Captain Kirk.

[Hint hint, that's what he's aiming for sooner or later.]

I don't think I want any rumors going around about you making out with Captain Kirk, either.

[He smiles, the expression fondly amused, and he gives Billy's nose a little nuzzle with his own before he presses their foreheads together again.]

And besides... I still haven't really rewarded you yet.

[He doesn't give much more warning than that. It looks like Teddy's going for "sooner", because he raises his hand to press it against Billy's cheek, then leans in to kiss his lips. It's slow and gentle, a prelude to what he has planned next.]

[Billy would respond to that - something cheeky like being the talk of the town, maybe - but suddenly his mouth is otherwise occupied, and he finds that he doesn't mind at all. He leans into the kiss, opening up to it with quiet enthusiasm, feeling a slight tingle spreading between them, starting at his fingertips and working its way up to his lips, so potent it's almost electric.]

[No.

Wait.

....Zzzzzzzzap.

Very electric, actually.]

[Teddy was just about to deepen it further when -

Zzzzzzzzzap.

It turns out to be really be electric, enough for Teddy to feel like he's being pushed back by the static between their lips. He widens his eyes and blinks a few times, just to get a feel on what just happened, and then he stares at Billy while rubbing his fingers across his lips, which are still tingling quite a lot.

... That electricity actually felt really familiar. That realization, plus the way Billy looks and what just happened, makes him smile, then let out a chuckle.]

Billy...

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