Manifest destiny

[lucetimods]

Who: Only the most daring of Lucetians!
What: Exploring the four corners of the earth!
When: October 27th until ????
Where: Literally everywhere!
Summary: Romaeus has granted the villagers the chance to explore the wider world, with the provision that he'd like them to finish his shopping list for him. But maybe you're a free spirit! You can't be tamed! The world is your oyster! (Please finish his shopping list.)
Rating: Varied

Everything you need to know is right here! Get your compasses and trail mix ready!

Comments

[halfnhalf]

[There are other things to do, to think about, to worry about, Teddy knows all that. But finally flying past the barrier, knowing that freedom lies ahead... It makes him forget about all those things for a while. Sure, there's a list of things they need to get, but for Teddy, this is kind of like a vacation on its own.

Granted, he'd rather be somewhere like San Francisco for his first trip with his fiancé, but eh. This works too.

They're already across the ocean and flying over the continent, and while Teddy isn't as much of a nature nerd as Billy, even he can admit that all of this is pretty awesome.]

You know, back home, I thought I'd only ever see stuff like this on those nature shows.

[selfhelp]

[Billy grins at that, pausing as they fly over a particularly beautiful mountain side to snap a photo. He won't be able to string these together into a map or anything, but they'll make for some great reference pictures later.]

Hah! I can see it now. "You're watching Discovery Channel. This episode of Daily Planet features an alien world of untold beauty and horror that no one has even bothered to name despite living on for hundreds and hundreds of years."

PRETEND HE IS BIG AND GREEN

[halfnhalf]

[Teddy grins too, stopping in his own flight for Billy to snap his photos. Truth be told, one of the best things about seeing all of this is his boyfriend's reaction to all of it.]

So who's the narrator of the show? Lois Lane? Clark Kent?

i will do the thing

[selfhelp]

Nah, it's an off-world discount edition. The narrator's Jimmy Olsen.

[Billy doesn't even miss a beat on the quip, taking one last photo of the scenery before wheeling himself around to catch a picture of Teddy smiling at him. Gotcha!]

you are lovely

[halfnhalf]

[Teddy blinks in surprise just after the camera's shutter goes off, and then he lets out a sigh while rolling his eyes. There's still a smile on his face, at least!]

Got me again. [Not that he'd try to stop Billy from taking pictures of him. He turns, taking off again, though he keeps his eyes on the mountain range Billy was just snapping photos of.] Since these aren't named, should we do it for them? Like... that whole range can be, I don't know... Pointy Mountains. [Nailed it.]

/doki doki

[selfhelp]

[Billy gives him a Look for that one. Boyfriend, really?]

Hundreds of miles of gorgeous scenery like this, and the best adjective you can think of is pointy? This is why no one lets you come up with codenames.

[He loves you, Tee, but you are the worst with names.]

[halfnhalf]

Well, they are pointy... And come on, we've got Rocky Mountains back at home...

[He gives an awkward little shrug, because yeah, it was a bit rushed, but that name's perfectly okay! Self-explanatory and everything, like Batman!]

[selfhelp]

The Rocky Mountains wound up with a terrible name, too. Have you seen them? They totally deserve better, and so do these.

[And Batman is still a terrible codename, too.

He stops flying again, turning slowly in the air to get a better overview of the scenery. With one suggestion rejected, he needs a good rebuttal.]

...Did you ever watch The Last Unicorn when you were a kid?

[halfnhalf]

[Teddy stops flying when Billy does, then... pauses at that question, first frowning, then opening his mouth, then closing it to think. Did he watch it? It was so long ago...]

Y... eah, I think I did. But it was a really long time ago, so I don't remember much about it. The unicorn turned into a human, right? And fell in love with a prince?

[selfhelp]

Uh-huh. But I was thinking more that this whole area looks a lot like the unicorn's forest. That forest area there, and the lake, and the way that mountain arches-

[Billy gestures a couple of times, pausing for a moment to really think it over, then nods.]

The Amalthea Mountains.

[halfnhalf]

[..... Huh. That's actually a really good name. But still, Pointy Mountains...!

Teddy crosses his arms and lets out a little snort while glancing off to the side.]

... I guess that's better than mine. [More like way better and he knows it.]

[selfhelp]

[Yesss. Now all they need to do is relocate that unicorn, and-

-and Teddy's pouting a bit. Billy scoots over to him in the air and drapes his arms around Teddy's neck, kissing his cheek.]

Just a little. Why don't you pick a spot on it and call it Pointy Peak? Then it's a team effort.

[halfnhalf]

[Billy gets an eyebrow raise in return, and a dubious look, before he drops the expression with a quiet chuckle. He knows when fair is fair.]

All right, deal. Pointy Peak will be the best peak. [He says as he holds Billy's arms and leans into the embrace, though it might look a bit awkward, what with him being so large in this form. Not like anyone's around to see, though.] We should carve its names into the rock somewhere. Maybe our names, too.

[selfhelp]

[Like Billy's ever cared about appearances, anyway. Big Teddy is just as good for hugs as regular Teddy, and no one can convince him otherwise.

His brows quirk at the suggestion, glancing down at the scene below. Carved forever into the rock, huh? That's much more permanent than a tree...]

Sounds fun... though maybe a little time-consuming. I could zap it?

[He suggests it somewhat cautiously - since he's still wary of using his magic for selfish requests - but they don't have that much time to goof off. They're supposed to be on a mission here.

...Time taken for sight-seeing aside.]

[halfnhalf]

You could totally zap it.

[And, taking note of the tone in Billy's voice, Teddy turns his head to give his boyfriend a kiss on the cheek.]

If other people find it, they'll know the mountains have an awesome name. And who named them. [So it's not totally selfish. At least the mountains won't really be nameless anymore.] We can get a move on after this.

[selfhelp]

[There goes that power anxiety again. Dammit. Billy offers up a relieved and somewhat sheepish smile at the kiss, reaching down to give Teddy's hand a gentle squeeze. Message received, and he's grateful.]

Alright, we'll do it then. For... future generations. Where should it go?

[He looks down again, scanning the terrain. They need a perfect spot...]

[halfnhalf]

["Future generations" just makes Teddy think of kids they might have. Thankfully, his darker skin hides the little blush that appears on his cheeks because of it, and instead of letting Billy in on his thoughts, he looks down to search the terrain with him.]

It's got to be the spot. Not too obvious, but not too out of the way...

[selfhelp]

Yeah, it should be visible, but not obnoxiously so.

[Hmm. Hmmmm. After a long moment he gestures to a peak close to the top, where a cliff overhangs a somewhat flat section of stone.]

What about there? It'd probably show for miles but the overhang might protect it from degrading over time.

[halfnhalf]

[Hmmmm. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.]

Before we commit, let's just make sure. Stay here, okay?

[With that, Teddy flies forward to where Billy's pointing. It takes him a moment, but soon enough, he's at the spot Billy indicated. He looks to the left, to the right, then stretches his arms to see just how large the letters should be. If it's going to be permanent, then it has to look perfect.]

Is this still good?

[selfhelp]

[Billy tilts his head to one side, then the other, lifting his hands to create a photo box with his fingers. Looks pretty good, actually.]

Yeah, I think it'll do! Maybe move a little to the left, though?

[halfnhalf]

[With another little shift and a tilt, Teddy moves to the left, hoping that it's the same left Billy's talking about here.]

Here?

all I can say is boo, internet, boo (I'm cheating)

[selfhelp]

[After another moment's scrutiny, Billy nods, pleased with the results.]

Perfect! Okay, let's give this a shot...!

[He outstretches his hands and focuses inwardly, imagining the cliff wall as he wants it to be- smooth, protected, with gleaming intended letters spread across the surface. His hands glow, then his eyes, then the cliff itself.]

"I want to name the mountain."

[He doesn't chant this time, as it's part of his training not to do that so much anymore. And sure enough, as his magic spreads across the stone, letters begin to appear.]

rude internet 8(((

[halfnhalf]

[Once Billy says the words, Teddy slowly relaxes his shift until his arms are normal again, all while turning to watch the magic happen. He puts his hands on his hips and gives a big smile, awed and proud of it all, as always. His boyfriend had come a long way compared to the beginning of the year, when he was still too scared of himself to even really try to train.

As the words start to finish, Teddy pushes himself backwards with his wings to join his lover's side.]

Look who's being perfect now.

[selfhelp]

[Billy exhales deeply as the spell finishes, slowly letting go of the magic and dropping his arms back to his sides. Not too long ago he'd have been reluctant to admit it, but after weeks of hardly any powers at all, it feels really good to be using his magic again. Like seeing a friend after a lengthy absence- it's not like he thought about it all the time, but that fondness is back now that he has access to it again. It feels... right. Exciting.

He has mixed feelings about that, still, but he's come far enough to let himself smile anyway, pleased with the result. Teddy's comment doesn't hurt either.]

Perfect might be a stretch, but I will agree that it looks pretty good.

[halfnhalf]

It looks really good. [Teddy leans in a little, as if to get a better reading of the words.]

"Amalthea Mountains"
"Founders: Billy Kaplan and Teddy Altman".

[He grins after that, that proud grin still on his face.] We actually gave something a name... Now we just need to find Pointy Peak.