Just What I Needed - The Cars

[playingtough]

WHO: Billy Hargrove and YOU
WHERE: Peanut Party
WHAT: A new home?
WHEN: During mandatory ship time
WARNINGS: S3 ST spoilers - in the thread with Sonic



Beach

Billy's found his room, and while he slept in there the first night, it didn't take long for him to... not. Once he found the beach, he made that his place to hang out when he wasn't needed in the cockpit. Which would be soon, just not now. Shame. He wants to test out the engine on this thing. Despite what Keith said that that they didn't have a lot of control over where they went, Billy wanted to push the limits.

For now, he's in the water. Swimming laps in various techniques for it, and diving down to see if there's anything in the water. He's only in his boxers and a shirt, not comfortable enough anymore to be shirtless if anyone comes across the beach and sees him. It's bad enough the wet fabric clings to his scarring like it's taunting him.

So Billy takes in another breath and goes for some more laps, with flips to clumsily kick off the bottom for the next.

FOOD

All that training works up an appetite. So he heads to the diner area, fiddling with buttons. The first bowl gets tossed because that's clearly glitter. He makes a face before getting a container to try out the other buttons. He gets... paste. Okay, upon poking, it's not paste as much as it feels like tofu?

"Son of a bitch. If the aliens think I'm eating tofu, they can go eat a dick," he complains without a thought of who might hear him. The paste looks a little better, and when he taste tests the bit on his finger from poking it, he gives a nod of his head.

"Now that's more like it. Tastes like a spicy chili."

He gets a decent amount of that and another paste (mixed vegetable), before pushing it into the microwave and setting it. That gives Billy time enough to grab a drink - cola. "Get rid of the tofu bullshit, stupid aliens. Bring in beer instead."

OPEN

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[doubled_speed]

Yes, powerful shirt. Superpower of allowing conversation.

"Selkies are these mythical creatures. They're seals, but they're also people. They can shed their seal skins and walk on the land."

There's so much more to it than that but it's not important. But it's still right in his mind. A sleek and dangerous sea creature that is beautiful at the same time. Yep, it works.

"Guess you'll need a board first," he says with a shrug. Though now that the guy is suggesting it... he does consider it. It really isn't a bad place at all.

"You going to save me if I can't manage?"

[playingtough]

Billy knew some myths and stories, but selkies were a new one for him. "Sounds painful and gross. Shedding your seal skin? Ouch. Anyways, yes I’m actually from Cali. San Diego," he repeats the known information as if to hammer it home.

A shrug at the remark about the board. "Maybe I’ll get to replicate it. Or have someone make one for me in exchange for something. Firewood maybe. A few hours without my attitude." Another shrug because Billy knows he doesn’t have a lot to barter with.

Maybe lollipops.

The blond cracks a smile at Tommy. "Want me to save you? I am a lifeguard back home at the pool." Or more realistically, he was. "I could always teach you to swim. I did that, too. Heather and I took turns with the morning swim classes people signed their brats up for."

[doubled_speed]

"Pretty sure it doesn't hurt them. It's magic or something," Tommy says with a shrug. But he's not here to talk about that so deeply. No, there's something else to do. Which has him shucking his shirt.

"I mean, I can swim some, but yeah, we'll do this. I'd rather be better at it."

[playingtough]

"I wouldn’t know. There’s no selkies in my world." He doesn’t know for certain though, and is only going by his anecdotal evidence. And he’s not going to think too much about that as he watches that shirt get pried off.

Billy has to quickly look away, and covers any awkwardness by shuffling further into the water. It ripples and sloshes around his thighs. "Go to where you’re comfortable and we’ll work from there." It’s harder to teach someone that was terrified, so it was just easier to keep Tommy where he wants to be.

"So what can you do already?"

[doubled_speed]

Another person would get a sassy 'my eyes are over here'. For Billy it's just Tommy tugging his pants off too, to leave him only in his boxer briefs. See, this is fine.

"It's more that I'm awkward. I can swim, but my legs are like motors. I could show you?"

[playingtough]

Billy makes every effort and succeeds in not looking at Tommy prong his clothes off until he’s only in his boxers. Just think about what you’re going to teach. Easy enough, right?

Right. Easy. He had ignored guys for the longest time, no need to start looking now.

"So your legs just go too fast? Sounds right about you if that’s a right assumption."

[doubled_speed]

"That and I have, like, barely any body fat?" he says with a shrug. "It's not like I've got floating help, you know?"

He sighs and moves deeper into the water.

"So I can swim, but it's awkward. And my legs sink a lot when I'm not kicking at hyper speeds."

[playingtough]

"Show me how you swim with your high motor legs first." Since Tommy had offered that after all. It would show Billy what he was working with, and if he could help a... guy with special powers swim better.

He's already going over different ways to make Tommy float in the water at least. Billy's also not sure it's fully possible because of how lean the guy is. Even with air-filled lungs, those legs will still sink. Maybe Billy should get him some floaties to strap onto his ankles.

[doubled_speed]

Well that he can do. Tommy nods and hey, at least he's got a smooth push off and half-dive into the water. It's flawless. Textbook. Clearly practiced. And then his feet come into play and... Listen, it's a mess of a form. His arms are doing some work to keep him up, he's okay at getting his hands up to breathe, but it's insanely clear from the actual spumes of water he's kicking up that his legs are doing stupid amounts of work. He's churning the water, making an impressive wake, and he's swimming a rather quick and fast line, and it's straight. He doesn't turn well either. It's all a thing

[playingtough]

Clearly practiced. Billy watches him and he's impressed by the skill Tommy already has. Maybe because he's just accustomed to working with preteens at this shit. Stupid brats. He wishes he had his lifeguard to whistle so that the guy could make his way back.

Hm. Lots of legwork, which was expected, but he seemed to struggle with the arms and up. And turning was an issue. Billy wonders if Tommy can do a flip.

"Got my work cut out for me here, Shepherd."

[doubled_speed]

A flip? Fat fucking chance. BUt yes, there is work cut out. It takes some doing but he does turn around and swims back without too much time passing. And that of course means getting back to shore, standing up in the water, and walking toward Billy.

"Like I said, I run on it instead."

[playingtough]

You might get there one day. Trust your lifeguard. He got that position for a reason. Once Tommy's back, Billy takes every bit of self-control to look at him and not the water sluicing down Tommy's chest. Nope, his eyes are up there.

Don't be rude, Billy.

"Yeah, and your torso seems to have trouble keeping up with what your legs are doing in the water." He rubs hand against his chin, trying to figure out a good place to start. "Treading water shouldn't be a problem for you, aside from kicking your legs too fast and shooting yourself out of the water like a fucking mobula ray."

This was going to be tricky. Surely if Tommy could kick his legs slower, he'd have done that by now. "So I think I want to try and get you to a point where your whole body is in sync. Not your legs overpowering anything else you're trying to do. And those turns. We'll see if we can get you to do a flip turn instead."

[doubled_speed]

He probably gets plenty of positions for reasons. And merit. For now he looks at Billy, listens, watches him with those intent and unworldly green eyes.

"I'm not always used to using my arms at high speed unless they're doing really tiny work, and this is not tiny work," Tommy says with a shrug. "My hands are basically power drills if you give me a screw driver. And I can tread water basically endlessly if I've eaten within the last six hours. I've got a lot of strength in my legs. They're what I'm good with. What I'm good for. But I've never really breached with it? That I can control better."

Yes, he CAN kick his legs slower, but it's not as effective because his form sucks. Really bad. Diving in? Flawless. Swimming? God help him.

"Flip turn? Like in the olympics? That would be nice."

[playingtough]

Those eyes. Billy's seen a lot of eyes in his years, and green ones weren't uncommon, but Tommy's are different. They're so bright by comparison. And he's clearly got Tommy's attention and it's almost making him forget what he's talking about.

Focus, Hargrove.

"Well swimming mostly has your body working together. So we're gonna have to work on your form so you can do that. You won't learn if you let your legs make up for that shitty form, Shepherd. But that's why you got me now. And yeah. We get you good with swimming I can teach you to flip and stuff. You gonna let me teach you?"

[doubled_speed]

"My legs are the best thing about me," Tommy says with a shrug. "I'm used to doing my best to make sure they carry the weight. But I don't mind getting made up all better by the life guard."

But he's going to enjoy leaning the flip turn. It makes him happy to know he could do this.

"I'd like you to teach me, yeah. Come on man, let's do this."

[playingtough]

Stop. Stop that, stop saying flirty things like that, it's not fair. He keeps from looking at Tommy, but his mind helpfully supplies other images. Of Harrington of all people, and those legs he had seen while they were playing basketball.

Absolutely not. Don't think about him. Steve has Eddie and clearly does not like Billy like that at all.

"Alright, lifeguard on duty then. I'll have to find a whistle somewhere so I can use it when you fuck up."

He moves a little into the deeper water, letting it come up to his chest and the shirt sticks against his skin. "Get over here, let's get started then, Tommy."

[doubled_speed]

Dude, he isn't even being flirty yet. He didn't even say 'I put myself in your hands' or 'is this a hands on experience' or literally just anything about hands okay? So this isn't flirting.

"What, you don't know how to whistle? Just put your lips together and blow and all that."

He does move after the guy though.

"Alright, let's do this shit then."

[playingtough]

Not yet. It's not clear if Billy would be able to handle it when Tommy decides to try it out.

"Oh I know how to whistle. It's just more fun to have the lifeguard whistle." He pokes his tongue out before he concentrates on teaching. He lowers himself and works Tommy through some new positions to see how the guy fared.

It's not a skill that's going to happen overnight, but he can give the guy something new to practice. He'd have something new to do during those nights when sleep was rough to get.

[doubled_speed]

It won't happen overnight, true. But Tommy is a stubborn asshole, so he's going to manage this if he puts his mind to it, now that he knows what to do. For now he just rests in the water, ducking his head to rinse it in the water so he can smooth it back.

"Thanks," he says as he comes back up. "I should let you do something fun instead of tolerating my ass."

[playingtough]

Tommy's not the only stubborn asshole, because Billy is now his instructor. Which means one way or another, Tommy was going to learn to swim.

For now, he keeps close and gives pointers, with his hands under the water and far enough under his student to not interfere with the movements. When they get to a good stopping point, Billy straightens back up. "What else is there to do in this dolled up shithole? This might be the only fun I get."

[doubled_speed]

"I mean, we can set these ships up pretty. Take over a workspace and make a game room or some shit," he says with a shrug. "Or some other space for us."

OR for people they like. But maybe it's weird to say us? So of course he shakes his head and quickly backtracks.

"I mean, you know, not us, us. It's no pressure. I meant, like, fun spaces. For young people."

[playingtough]

"A game room? Like board games n' shit? You're gonna want Munson for that." But the idea of a sort of recreation room had merit for certain. Books, games, maybe other things. What did they have during Calibrations? Notebooks and pencils for drawing or something.

He briefly thinks of the drawings he did in Calibrations, of the monster in the mall. But then his brain catches up with the 'us' part and he looks at Tommy with an blatant questioning look.

"So us like general. Not specific for you and me." He tugs at the fabric of his shirt to get some air flow against his torso before letting it fall back down and stick to his skin. "If we can get things, we could make one of the rooms as a rec room or something."

[doubled_speed]

"I meant more like darts and pool and that shit," Tommy says. "I don't do board games. Not enough happening at enough time. It doesn't work for me."

And video games were acceptable sometimes but not all the time. And they didn't have any here anyway.

He's contemplating it when Billy says the other thing. Us in general. Huh. He laughs as he thinks about it before going to grab his shirt.

"I mean, I literally can't cut my brother out of it. He can teleport after all."

[playingtough]

"Means you gotta slow down," comes the joke with a grin as he starts out of the water. Droplets fall from him like a quick rain, with the rest dribbling down his skin and wicking into his shirt.

"Darts would be cool. Other games like that," which he couldn’t think of at this exact moment. Social games hadn’t been his forte. Keg stands and racing were his forte. Basketball. Did the gym here have a short court? That’d be nice, he’ll have to check.

Billy look to Tommy after shaking more water from his curls. "Is your brother even on this ship? Though I guess if he can teleport it doesn’t matter. Just blinks and he’s here."

[doubled_speed]

"Not that simple for me to do, Curls. Like asking you not to seek out the first body of water you can find," he says dismissively. It's too encoded into him for Tommy to just abandon what he is.

As for the brother thing, that's easily solved. Tommy whips out his phone, looks over the crew list, and nods.

"Seems like it. More than a few people I know are here actually. With there only being two it's more people. Shit, I hope that doesn't mean small as bunks this time."

OF course he hasn't been to his room yet.