selfhelp | [IC] Appointments Post

[Ooooooooh yes, Billy hit quite a big weakness there.

Teddy tips his head back, takes in a deep breath, and lets it out in a quiet groan, meanwhile letting one hand move to grip into Billy's hair. Once that tongue reaches the end, he lowers his head to give a half grin and a breath of a laugh. Cheater. Cheeeeater.]

I'm not... the only one trying to speed things up, huh...?

[You love it when he cheats, Teddy Altman, don't even lie. Billy offers him up a lazy, half-lidded grin, his fingers stroking idly over his boyfriend's thighs.]

What makes you think I'm not going to take my sweet time with this?

[He smirks slightly, then exhales gently, warm air washing over the tip. Teddy's opened the door for teasing, and Billy Kaplan is something of a master.]

Anything?

[She's forgotten that they're outside her house now. Korra is absorbed in this conversation completely.]

[Something about the way she says that makes him backpedal a little, smiling cautiously. He knows how weird Avatar can get, okay.]

Well- you know, within reason. I can't change the whole world or anything, and I can't do anything about the barrier, either.

[Robin has been stalking a certain Billy Kaplan lately. To be fair, he generally stalks everyone all the time, but Billy's earned special attention after their impromptu meeting during the last experiment. Billy knows things. And they're the kinds of things people have absolutely no business knowing. A talk is perhaps in order.

It's easiest to rig common areas, and so if Billy's not paying close attention to his steps this morning, he'll find himself quite literally ensnared in an automated lasso, which will snatch his ankle and drag him bodily through the most convenient kitchen window.

Hope you don't mind hanging upside-down with five stories beneath you, Billy. Because this is how Robin's going to conduct this interview as he hangs from a neighboring rope, perfectly at home.]

We need to talk.

[He'd just gone out to make French toast, okay. He'd even planned to make extra for Teddy. Before he could even crack the first egg, he suddenly finds himself falling flat on his face and dragged across the floor, letting loose what he will later tell himself was totally a manly yell. Even if it wasn't.

Out the window he goes, and he's about four words into a teleportation-escape spell when Robin speaks up, and Billy can do nothing but stare, eyes wide, at his neighbour.

Wow. He's been captured by Robin.

....

This is so cool.]

...You know, you could have just asked.

[It's good that Billy didn't get any farther into that spell. Robin was prepared to shove something into his mouth, which would have been entirely counterproductive to his goals.]

Could have. Didn't. Now I need you to explain some things. You can start with what you meant when you said you've always wanted to meet me. [WHO SENT YOU, KAPLAN?? DO YOU WORK FOR SLADE?]

[Billy stares blankly at him for a long moment, slowly swinging from his rope from one side to the next. Teddy's a heavy sleeper, he probably missed that scream of his, but one more would probably wake him up. Or he could zap Robin and teleport off. Or just not answer.

....

Or he could stay and see where this goes. It's not like Robin will kill him.]

Don't you ever feel the urge to meet mysterious ninja neighbours? [He offers up an awkward upside-down smile, looking from Robin to the rope and then back again.] Man, you're quite the acrobat.

[~~TROLOLOLOL~~]

[It's not like Robin won't want to kill him.]

This isn't the time for games. [He loosens the slack on Billy's rope, leaving him to freefall another story before the bungee cord catches him again. Robin's not sorry if this means Billy faceplants into the building a few times. He'll just dive down a minute later, this time brandishing a 1980s-style tape recorder. Provided Billy hasn't done anything irrational and flamboyant, he'll be serenaded by a playback of a certain "which Robin do you think it is?" conversation between two certain boys who should really learn to keep certain mouths shut when certain ninja neighbors are spying on them.]

[The sudden freefall drop earns another startled yelp out of Billy, and the sudden jerk leaves him blearily squinting at the wall as his nose bumps against the glass of the kitchen below his. He's in the middle of trying to decide whether or not to ruin Robin's illusion of control by mentioning that he can fly, too, when he hears the playback.

....

He's been spying on them? Wow, Robin. Wow. Good thing he soundproofed the bedroom. He wiggles until the rope gets him spinning so he can lift a brow at the offending ninja.]

My guess would be Dick. You look like a Dick to me.

[d o u b l e e n t e n d r e]

[Funny. And extremely original. Robin's certainly never heard that one before.]

Who sent you? [IT'S SLADE RIGHT? It's totally Slade.]

Pretty sure it was the Malnosso. [He wiggles his leg a bit to see if he can get free, then starts trying to pull himself upwards to untie it instead. This is harder than it looks like it ought to be.] If you want to string someone up, you should really start with them.

And yet somehow you're the more suspicious person right now. [He's going to watch Billy squirm without intervention just yet. There'll be time for that if it looks like he's getting anyplace.]

I'd suggest you start answering qustions. You don't want to get to the bottom of this drop.

[Okay, he's reached borderline dizzy territory. He manages to grab the rope but he can't get his fingers to cooperate with the undying part, so he just. Dangles awkwardly.]

...Yeah, about that? I can actually fly, so I'm good.

[Try to threaten him again, this is fun.]

[His eyebrows raise. Always with the metas.] Really?

Let's see.

[And then Billy is released entirely.]

[Oh, there are safeguards, of course. The rope is only long enough to allow him to fall most of the way down. If "flight" turns out to be a bluff, the cord should catch him a few inches off the ground with nothing but a really bruised, sore ankle to show for it. And if he really does fly, then it'll give Robin time to assess his performance.]

...Yeah, I guss that makes sense.

[SIGH.] "Anything" sounded like a really good deal.

["Let's see"? He can't possibly meanHOLY CRAP FREEFALL.

Billy only has about three seconds to consider the fact that Robin just dropped him to what could potentially be his death before his survival instinct kicks in. Thankfully flight is one of the spells he can pull off without chanting - he'd certainly practiced enough for it back when they'd first started training - so he indulges in the fall just long enough to wishful-think his way into believing it'll cause Robin some panic, and then, with a burst of blue energy, slows his fall to a complete stop, hovering there for a moment before he rights himself and floats back up to Robin. He should probably be angry about that, but his expression is more surprised than anything else. It seems to be a mood he's perpetually stuck in with this situation.]

You dropped me! I can't believe you actually dropped me! [A beat, and then-] You're not mad, are you?

[Don't smile, don't smile, don't smile, he can still batarang your face-]

[There's no panic. In fact, if flight really isn't an issue for this guy, then he gets zero points for showboating about it. He didn't even fall gracefully.]

If you can fly, dropping you made no difference. [He'll even cut the remaining bit of cord that was only symbolically holding Billy captive at this point.]

I'm still waiting for you to start answering my questions. [He'd birdarang your face, Billy. Robin doesn't bat-anything.]

[Billy snorts quietly, letting his magic do the work of keeping himself aloft and bending down in mid-air to give untying the rope an attempt. Good god, but it's tight. Stupid ninja boyscout knot skills.]

I'm still waiting for you to ask like a normal person instead of treating me like a criminal.

[Billy could just magic it off or something. No big deal.]

Fine. [Teeth gritted, he will indulge this game for the moment. Mostly because right now he's not sure if he should be expecting fireballs next.]

Would you please do me the favor of explaining. [You dirty filthy criminal scum.]

[Finally. Billy is sorely tempted to rub it in, but he knows that'll probably just result in another, better trap on a later date or something, and the last thing he needs is the trauma of Robin actually figuring out how to effectively trap him. Which he would, because he's Robin.

Not that it would help much with the talking part, but. Anyway. After a moment's consideration, he points upwards.]

Okay, I'm going back to the kitchen to make breakfast for my boyfriend. You can hang around out here if you want, but if you come along, I'll tell you whatever you want to know.

[Within reason, anyway. He doesn't wait for an answer, though, merely flies upwards to climb back through the 5th floor window. Come along, Boy Wonder.]

[Who says there won't be a more elaborate trap forthcoming? The longer he keeps Billy talking, the more information he'll have to file away for later.

For now, he'll follow, shimmying up the side of the building at the rate most people walk on flat land. Climbing's not hard.

That doesn't mean he likes this arrangement. The scowling is still happening. But you can make your toast, Kaplan. For now.]

[But he's been so nice about this whole situation, so why would you want to trap him again? 8D

Inside the kitchen, Billy's gone back to gathering his ingredients, and he's not surprised that Robin doesn't take long to catch up.]

...So, do you read comic books?

[... Comic books. Of course it's those damn books.]

So you're a fan.

[Robin is not amused.]

Well, you can control the elements, can't you? That's way more than most people.

[IC] Appointments Post

[action; august 6th]

[action; august 6th] it seems appropriate that "backseat" is playing right now

[Action: Aug. 15]

[Action: Aug. 15]

/TAGS THIS APPOINTMENT POST LIKE A BOSS. [Action sometime in mid-August I'm bad with dates]]

OH LAWD HERE WE GO

:D

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[Action: Aug. 15]

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