selfhelp | [IC] Appointments Post

[Oof.

Okay, he's good with this. Absently the throat-clearing is noticed, but Billy doesn't pull away, waving his hand at the man over Teddy's shoulder. He's busy making out with his boyfriend right now, excuse you.]

[The kiss lasts for a moment longer before Teddy realizes that yes, he really should be paying attention to the guide; the guy probably thinks they're totally unsuited for the job. He pulls back with a smile on his face, though he can't help running his hand through Billy's hair, lips still brushing gently while he lets out a quiet chuckle, the sides of their noses brushing lightly.

Finally, though, Teddy pulls back completely with a muttered apology, and another one to the guide once he goes to him. There, he looks the picture of professionalism: back straight, looking the man in the eye and nodding, asking all the right questions and saying all the right answers. He figures he doesn't really need a layout; Billy can show him the way. But he could certainly use a run-down and all the other things they need to know.]

[Billy takes a moment to magic his clothes back into civvies; he'd been in costume in case they were suddenly ambushed upon entry or something - considering where they are, it isn't that ridiculous an assumption - but since it seems pretty safe now, he figures, why not be comfortable? And this is much better. By the time he's done with that, Teddy's about finished with his part of the mission briefing, or at least close enough to done that Billy figures it's safe to kidnap him away.

He sidles over and snags Teddy by the hand, cutting in as politely as he can and taking the folder with additional instructions and whatnot from the man, then saluting him and tugging his boyfriend away. He's already gotten the gist of it, so it's time for the tour. Or at least as much of one as they have time for on the way to the cafeteria.]

Sorry about that. I know how this works, and they really never stop once you get them going.

[If Billy's pulling him away, then he can explain the rest of it, and Teddy would rather hear this from his boyfriend than some man he doesn't know. He gives the guide a wave and a helpless smile before he follows along, soon moving up to walk beside him. Man, this is one of those times he wishes he shifted his clothes on, rather than slide on his costume which he's discovered lately is rather limiting.]

Should I be swooning and calling you my hero for pulling me away?

You could, but then I wouldn't be able to explain what we're supposed to be doing. Plus you'd miss the tour.

[He gestures to the row of windows along the corridor they're passing. Look! More of space! So much space! Swooning would be a total drag.]

[SPACE? SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE

Teddy ends up slowing down as he stares out the windows, his pace only half the speed of Billy's, and thus he's probably dragging his boyfriend down. He can't help it though; it's such a gorgeous view, and some deeply buried part of Teddy wants to go out in it, travel far, see the stars, see the worlds.

Thankfully, it's only a very small part of him. The rest is completely tied his real home, and he makes it known by giving Billy's hand a little squeeze and speeding back up once more.]

Go ahead and explain, then. I solemnly swear to pay attention.

You sure? You're really ready to hear it? [And then, without waiting for an answer-] We cook.

[Sorry, were you looking for a serious answer? Give it a minute, Billy had to indulge his sass first.]

Actually, to be more precise, we're basically slop mixers and microwave operators. The food here sucks - that, I remember very clearly - but it's easy to make, so the job's pretty low effort. A couple hours of prep, serving, and clean-up per meal, odd jobs in between. If there's no attacks in the meantime, that means we'll get some serious downtime.

[What does that mean? Tours and moon-hopping, obviously.]

[Teddy raises an eyebrow, looking a little perturbed by Billy's description of the tasks they have to do. It's not really the prep and clean-up and everything, but...]

Isn't there a way to make it taste better? I don't want to serve sucky food...

No idea. I've never actually been in the kitchen side of things, and... well, you're definitely asking the wrong guy on how to make food taste better.

[That earns a quiet snort from Teddy, because yes, he is definitely asking the wrong guy about that. He gives an affectionate grin after that, letting their hands sway lightly between them.]

Right. I'll do the cooking, you do the serving. I'll see if I can make these guys' lives better for at least a few days.

[But omg the thing he's looking the most forward to is SPACE, and that's probably obvious by the way he keeps glancing out the windows.]

We'll have to ask the cook if they have anything that might vaguely resemble spices. Speaking of downtime, though, turns out we came early so don't have to get to the kitchen for another hour and a half. Think you can tear yourself away from the windows long enough for me to show you something?

[He's already tugging lightly on Teddy's hand to guide him down one of the inner hallways, away from the view, though if Teddy protests he won't force it. There's plenty of cool stuff to be done in this place, so he doesn't want to rush it if his boyfriend wants to take more time.]

Oh... yeah.

[He's a little reluctant to leave the sight of space, but eh, they have an hour and a half - might as well make the most of it, even if they end up with more free time in the future. So, Teddy follows after his boyfriend, glancing at him curiously.]

So what's this thing you want to show me?

Mm, it's nothing too interesting compared to space, I guess, but...

[Billy delays as if quietly mulling it over, then turns abruptly and opens up a utility door, dragging Teddy inside.]

I figured you'd enjoy the hanger.

[You know, with the giant open view of the moon and the simulator machines and the big flyable spaceships...]

[... Oh my god.

Oh my god.]

Oh my god...

[It's said under his breath as he stares at the sight before him. The view of the moon here is even better than the last, and the machines, and the spaceships; God, Teddy's only ever seen anything like this on the big screen, and here it is, all real, and - and if he's correct, Billy got to go in here and fly one of these things.

Teddy lets go of Billy's hand as he moves forward to one of said spaceships, where he places his hands where they can reach and feels along the exterior of it. This is nothing like the simulations in the battledome; they felt real enough, yes, but knowing that these are real...]

Billy, Billy, oh my god, did you actually fly one of these? [SO JEALOUS RIGHT NOW.]

I flew in one.

[It's a mild correction, but an important one, he figures- he has no idea how to work the controls or anything, and the results of his time in the simulators had been pretty lackluster at best.]

When I went out, Obi-Wan was the pilot - I was basically a glorified forcefield generator. I guess I could technically fly one if it was an emergency, but we're about half as likely to end up as a smear on the moon, so...

Still, you got to fly! With Obi-Wan; Billy, this is just like -

[Wait wait, give him a second as he stretches his legs. Literally, enough to actually get into the cockpit himself and stare at the controls with big smile as he lowers himself into the seat.]

It's just like Star Wars! I feel like I'm about to fly out and help destroy the Death Star right now...

Oh god, thankfully there's no-

[Teddy what

Teddy hold on

Teddy what are you doing-]

Oh my god, are you crazy? If somebody catches you in one of those things without flight training, we are so screwed...!

Come on, it's just for a minute or two! It's not like I want to fly it.

[Except he does, he so does, and he knows that if he could, he'd be out there with this thing doing flips and loops and barrel rolls and laughing all the while. And Billy probably knows it too.]

... So how do you do flight training? [It's a perfectly innocent question.]

[Pfft, liar. He totally knows you're full of shit, Teddy, even before the training question. Billy glances from side to side to check for any nearby staff, then floats up to sit on the edge of the cockpit, legs crossed.]

There's simulators over on the far side- I've tried them a few times, and they'll definitely put the fear of god in you for a while. But they're easy to get started, and they've got tutorials and everything.

[With Billy at his side now, Teddy looks up to give him a smile before he turns back to the controls, hands hovering as if he's unsure where to put them first. Might as well go for what steers the thing; and once they're there, Teddy's smile grows wider, and he looks forward as if he's envisioning taking off right now.]

So - What, just a few simulations and you're licensed to fly?

[Billy's torn between indulgent affection and borderline terror because oh god what if it's on or something stop touching that. Still, Teddy looks like he's having a blast, so he won't say anything. Yet.]

More or less, assuming you don't constantly crash in the sims.

[It sure doesn't look on to him, look the lights aren't even on or blinking or anything, they're fiiiiine

Teddy looks at all the controls while Billy's talking - not to turn it on or anything, really, honestly, he's just. Looking. And a new sort of excitement comes over his smile when Billy's words register.]

Sort of like mastering a video game... [That's basically what a sim is, he's got this. But no, he knows it's way harder than that; doesn't put a damper on his excitement at all, though.]

Ha... no game I'd want to play. [Billy gestures vaguely at the overly-complicated control panel.] You remember the screenshots of all those MMOs with a hundred icons and commands covering half the screen? That's the kind of game the sims are.

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