halfnhalf | 005 - Action/Voice

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005 - Action/Voice

[Today marked a big day for Teddy Altman: He's eighteen today. If he were back in New York, he could vote in elections, own a credit/debit card of his own, and not have to groan over papers and applications that had a little note for people who were under eighteen. He's pretty much an adult now.

He still kind of feels like a young teenager who has no idea what he's doing, though, so he can't help being a little disappointed when he wakes up and doesn't suddenly feel like a man with a plan who knows everything and can do anything.

After gently being coaxed outside by Billy, Teddy decides to do all the things he usually does, seeing how Luceti is sorely lacking in ways to celebrate a milestone year like this. He wanders and chats up store owners, from the bakery to the weapon shop to Seventh Heaven to even the general store. He gets himself a large meal for lunch, as is customary for a guy like him, and orders his favorite just for today. He visits the library and reads up on whatever new comics they have, and that's where he gets lost in thought enough to open his journal and ask a question that's been on his mind since the day began.]

When someone turns eighteen, do they do anything special? It's a pretty big thing for teenagers in America; you can vote and get drafted and pretty much be considered an adult by the law. But does it mean anything in other worlds? Call me curious.

[He goes to the Battledome after that to simulate a basketball game – just to watch this time, not to participate. The 1992 East Regional Final, Duke verses Kentucky, one of the most suspenseful games in history and something that Teddy had watched on YouTube, but certainly not like this. It's no wonder that he's particularly hyped when he walks out. So much so that he takes to the sky as soon as he's outside, deciding that he'd rather take the joyride home rather than plain old walking. He's still a teenager, and he still feels pretty invincible even without that adult knowledge he was expecting, so why not?

Teddy might not feel any different, but it's still a pretty special day.]

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... Cool.

[Teddy grins at that, leaning back from the embrace enough to pull his plate over to eat side by side with Billy. This is super nice, getting Billy to agree to doing some kind of sport with him without much of a fuss.

But first, important business. Like finishing the slices of his chocolate bar.]

Also, I have a second stomach for things like this. It's a basic fact of Kree-Skrull anatomy.

[Which is bullshit, and Teddy probably couldn't tell anyone what his own anatomy is like to save his life. But at least he can poke fun at what he is sometimes rather than bury it away like he usually does, even if he hurries up and gets to eating to avoid talking further about it.]

[Billy quirks a brow at that, giving Teddy's stomach a light prod with an elbow.]

Are you sure you're not part cow instead?

[Billy figures they don't need to hurry that much - the dome isn't going anywhere - but it's Teddy's call, so he goes back to his own piece. If he lets himself pick away at it, it'll take an hour at minimum, and from the look of things Teddy's racing Tommy's dinner-devouring records to get them over there faster.

...God that's a lot of chocolate, though.]

[Teddy quirks a brow at that. Then, he lets blotches of black coloring appear on his body - the parts visible, at least, just like in the pattern of a cow, and he holds his arms out and waves them in front of him.]

Moooo!

[Oh god. Despite how often it happens, Billy's always surprised when Teddy uses his shapeshifting for weird stuff like this. At first he snorts, hand hastily lifting to cover his mouth so he doesn't end up spitting chocolate chunks across the table, and there's a few escaped sputtering sounds until he finally manages to swallow and let himself laugh.

Ridiculous. His boyfriend is so ridiculous.]

[Teddy laughs too, his quieter, and feels that certain sense of pride in his chest any time he gets Billy to laugh like this. Once he quiets down, he looks down at his hands, spotted as they are, and purses his lips.]

Now that this secret side of me has been discovered, what should my codename be now? Cowling?

That just makes it sound like your superpower is turning into someone's cape. Batman calls you up when there's trouble and suddenly-

[He makes a gesture over his head, as if pulling on a mask, feigning a deeper voice,]

"I knew I could count on you, Cowling."

[It's a damn good thing Teddy didn't have any food in his mouth, because now it's his turn to laugh just as hard as Billy did, a hand covering his mouth as if to try to hold it back some. Billy might not be able to shapeshift, but the things he says sometimes... God, it's so good to have a significant other who can keep up with geeky talk like this, enough to get them both laughing.]

[It feels good to laugh, but more than that, it feels good to make Teddy laugh. Billy smiles quietly to himself, letting his foot nudge against Teddy as he goes back to eating his chocolate. The sooner they finish, the sooner they can go have more fun, after all.

Or. Well. The sooner he can make Teddy laugh more with his meager sports skills.]

[Teddy holds up a finger as if to say that he has something to say, but finds it hard to do so around his laughter. Once it dies down to chuckling, he takes in a breath and lets it out with a whoosh.]

I would so try doing that if I knew I could do it. But I can't flatten myself like that just yet. [He is keeping up with his shapeshifting training, though, so maybe he'll get to be Cowling someday. At least for a brief moment.

And now, to chow down on the rest of his chocolate.]

I think that's probably for the best. I'd rather not have a pancake for a boyfriend. Besides, I already have a cape that I love. Choosing between two would be kind of traumatic.

Oh. I see how it is. I'll go be someone else's Cowling, then. I'm sure there's some hero around here who needs one.

...I'm sorry, did you just threaten to leave a reality bender who's related to like three different super-villains? What a dangerous life you lead.

Hey, I said I'd be someone else's Cowling. Not boyfriend. There's a difference.

Oh, I see, so you think it's okay to ride around on someone else while still dating me? Teddy. I thought I knew you...

Better than living with the competition. I know you love that cape more than you love me, Billy...!

...Well. Maybe not more, but... it's a different kind of love!

Mmhmm. [SUSPICIOUS GAZE.]

...I love you? A lot?

[How can you be suspicious of that, come on.]

[Gaze. GAZE.

... Until he breaks it to duck his head and laugh quietly, anyway.]

I think I'm better off being your boyfriend than your cape. Certainly a lot more benefits. [He gives him a nudge with his shoulder; definitely more benefits.]

[Pfft. Well, one of them was bound to crack eventually. Billy's lips quirk into a smile and he relaxes, snagging the last bite of his chocolate and standing up.]

Definitely better benefits. Mutually. Speaking of which, are you about ready? I need to work off all this junk food.

Oh, yeah -

[NOMF. There went the half of a slice he had left, stuffed easily into his mouth.

Though he may need to take a minute or two to chew it all up, because that was a pretty big slice. Sorry if that was unattractive, bf, but at least Teddy's standing up now...!]

[Wow, Teddy, it's a good thing he loves you. Billy keeps smiling anyway, though, and distracts himself by packing the remains of the "cake" back into the box, tucking it under his arm. He gives a wave to the server at the counter before snagging Teddy's hand and pulling him towards the door. Let's go-o-o~]

So I guess we should make that again sometime.

Mmhmm.

[Teddy nods to emphasize that he does agree, he very much agrees. But he can't exactly voice that fact yet, what with his mouth still full of chocolate, peanuts, caramel and nougat. He follows along, though he seems to be pulling ahead a little; this is exciting, man!]

[His boyfriend, ladies and gentlemen.

Eventually they make their way down to the dome, which may or may not have involved a teleport or just a nice walk through the woods, and with all of Teddy's chewing he probably had to put up with a whole lot of babble from his boyfriend. Thankfully they're both used to that.

Once they arrive, though, Billy nudges Teddy over to the console.]

Go program in your basketball thing, I'm gonna run up and put the chocolate upstairs so nobody swipes it. Be right back.

All right.

[Teddy starts typing as Billy heads up the stairs, using some of the programming that Fayt taught him, and - he pauses at one point, then presses more buttons as a smirk starts to come up.

He told Billy about his dream team that isn't quite a dream yet. Maybe he should let him meet the team and their... charming qualities.]

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