![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
[Action/Written]
[Billy has never thought of himself as one of those obsessive stalker boyfriends who needs to be attached at the hip to his significant other at all times. Really, he'd always figured they were pretty good about mutual space. A two-month separation with the potential of spending years in this place without seeing Teddy again is, however, apparently the trigger he'd needed to become one, so after one too many looks from Teddy - some patient, others not so much - he'd officially gotten himself banished from the apartment for the afternoon after too much worried lurking. Which is... not the greatest thing ever on a hot day like today, but ten minutes down the road he realizes that, yeah, he'd been a little ridiculous, either blowing off his responsibilities or dragging Teddy along for the ride. He's happy and eager to have Teddy here, but they'd lived separate lives at least half the time back home; no reason for that to not continue here as well.
It's just hard to let go after you've missed someone for that long.
Still, that's how he finds himself out and about for around five hours today, doing the following (in no particular order):
- a late lunch at Seventh Heaven
- searching around the library for comic books
- combat practice in the Battle Dome (with or without his trusty new teacher)
While at the library, a few sketches find their way into his journal, more or less like the following: this, this, and this. Some time afterwards, a scribbled message appears below.]
What are some good ways to deal with bad dreams?
[Once he's finished all his daily stuff, he'll be bringing groceries home around dinner time, in the hopes that he's allowed. Feel free to run into him at any time.]
It's just hard to let go after you've missed someone for that long.
Still, that's how he finds himself out and about for around five hours today, doing the following (in no particular order):
- a late lunch at Seventh Heaven
- searching around the library for comic books
- combat practice in the Battle Dome (with or without his trusty new teacher)
While at the library, a few sketches find their way into his journal, more or less like the following: this, this, and this. Some time afterwards, a scribbled message appears below.]
What are some good ways to deal with bad dreams?
[Once he's finished all his daily stuff, he'll be bringing groceries home around dinner time, in the hopes that he's allowed. Feel free to run into him at any time.]
[Action at the Dome]
[He folds his arms, quietly pleased with Billy's second attempt. The young man really was more skilled than he thought.]
It's about patience and practice. Luck has no place here.
[Action at the Dome]
I can see where the patience comes into play. Hey, is this actually some kind of ancient form of torture? Because my arm's starting to look like it's getting whipped here.
[He lowers the bow, turning his arm to show it: a streaking red mark where the string is hitting his arm when he releases it. He got this a lot in gym class, but Kate never has that problem, so he knows that something's off.]
[Action at the Dome]
Take a break for now--it's not torture, but we need to get you better gear. It's easy for me to forget that humans can be so fragile sometimes.
[Billy was going to need a jacket, gloves, and a draw-ring to protect himself and give him a better grip. They shouldn't be too hard to find.]
[Action at the Dome]
[That's what "get you better gear" translates to him, anyway. And that just sounds like the worst idea ever.]
A full month of gym class didn't cause any miracles to happen, this definitely won't.
[Action at the Dome]
[Action at the Dome]
I hope you're right about this actually helping, then... I thought we'd just be doing hand-to-hand or something.
[Action at the Dome]
[Action at the Dome]
Okay, then... so what's next?
[Because archery is clearly a bust.]
[Action at the Dome]
Viral pauses for a moment in thought, considering the limitations that they both faced. Clearly hand to hand training was off because of his burns...however...]
We're going outside.
[Action at the Dome]
[Please don't say he's going to climb a tree, because he really doesn't want to demonstrate his falling technique.]
[Action at the Dome]
Birds.
[Action at the Dome]
[The most deadpan voice you can possibly imagine. Is bird watching going to be a thing now?]
[Action at the Dome]
That's correct. Birds.
[Action at the Dome]
[Seriously, that is way too vague.]
[Action at the Dome]
[Action at the Dome]
[Probably not the answer Viral was looking for.]
[Action at the Dome]
[Action at the Dome]
[Or he just knows this will end in failure and doesn't want to try at all.]
[Action at the Dome]
Do I need to repeat myself?
[Action at the Dome]
Not generally, but repetition is the best method for teaching.
[He does turn away to head out, though- he can tease but he won't tempt fate. Now how the hell does he catch a bird...]
[Action at the Dome]
It's to help you keep your head incase the unexpected happens in battle. There may come a time when there is a Shift that turns your magic off in the middle of a fight. A person like you won't come out unharmed if he doesn't learn how to be clever.
[He follows, still all brisk and businesslike.]
There are a few conditions to this: you are not allowed to use your magic, and you're not allowed to bring back any residents.
[Don't think that he hadn't seen the giant red bird and the giant blue bird around the enclosure. He's quiet, not stupid.]
[Action at the Dome]
[He pretty much expected the no-magic rule, though. And he still doesn't get how bird-catching is supposed to help him, but then, the archery didn't make sense to him, either. Master Viral works in mysterious ways or something...]
[Action at the Dome]
Even if he makes no sense.]
We have two residents who are birds in town. One is red and looks funny, the other is blue and made of fire. You are not to approach them for this. It misses the point, and the blue could overpower you.
[Action at the Dome]
[Action at the Dome]
[Translation: He might just stealthily tag along.]
[Action at the Dome]