The Housewarming Project [Open]

[morphitudinous]

If anyone has been watching the hallways leading to Special Weapons in the past few hours, they'd likely notice Billy bustling back and forth from all over the ship. Whenever he has a break, he departs the lab and searches. Each time, a dirty and discarded something comes back with him to rest just outside the entrance to Special Weapons.

When this happens enough times, both human and materials disappear inside Special Weapons. Soon a clanging sound rings through the hall, its rhythm steady. After several spurts of welding, pounding, and cooling, a roughly round dish-shaped basket about five feet in diameter comes to rest on a cleared lab table. It's a netted frame instead of a purely solid bowl. Materials are to be used in very small amounts, and many pieces of this frame even come from his own car.

It occurs to him then that soft materials to fill the frame with will likely be more difficult to find than the frame. He reaches for his omnicomm and sends a request for assistance. He's very willing to perform favors. This is something he wants to build, and he wants to build it now. Especially in light of last night's healing after the memory restoration, he feels the intense desire to return the favors that have been given to him so freely by a friend.

This---giving a lone wanderer a safe place to sleep at night for once in his life---is just the first gift. And so Billy builds his strange device, hoping to prevent a certain brother from discovering his surprise. That will take concentration, which is unfortunately something he is often deprived of at work.

Comments

[bluebrassmonkey.livejournal.com]

There have been many in Renne's past that had accused him of worrying too much.

Most often, to those that said this, Renne had simply shaken his head at them and kept on as times called for it. True, Renne had learned with Humans to be careful with whom he worries over but all those lessons seem to slowly unravel. After all, he hadn't gone far from within earshot of Billy Cranston since the return of his memory.
And he still cringes, recalling the Human's turmoil at it.

I am familiar with such shadows. I know those roads. He never admits it out loud but Renne fears many of those long, dark roads having gone down them himself. And yet he's in some odd way, grateful he could learn the lessons that being the last of a race can only teach.
Thus, his careful but persistent crawl toward the strange poundings, scufflings an dother such noises that echo in his ears.

"Eeeee?"

[morphitudinous]

Somehow, Billy had known that his luck would run out. He freezes, then quickly throws a tarp over his project and addresses the voice.

"Renne! Uh...hey."

The human starts to sweat. He's never been good at lying, he can't lie to his bond-brother, and he doesn't want to ruin the surprise just yet. What to do? Perhaps abandon the project and return later when Renne is sufficiently distracted? No, that won't work.

"Is something wrong?"

[bluebrassmonkey.livejournal.com]

"Eee. Hell-loww. Bee is goo-d?"

He's not one to slip into anyone's head without permission and the fact that he can't see probably helps. Alas, he too is an absolutely terrible liar and the fact that he's blushing and kind of scuffling a paw makes something evident.

"Rrrr-enne hearrr saown-d. Rrrr-enne wohrr-ee, fohrrr Bee."

[morphitudinous]

"I'm okay," Billy assures honestly. And he is. He'll be better once his surprise is safe.

When Renne continues with the explanation, understanding clicks. "You don't have to worry," he promises, leaning down to scratch at an ear. "I'm not hurting myself. I'm working on an important project that I need to finish today."

[bluebrassmonkey.livejournal.com]

"Eee, if Bee be goo-d. Noh wahn-t Bee hurr-ted." Purr. Geez, Billy, you know exactly where to skritch that gets him nuzzling at you.

And then those ears perk up in curiosity. Thankfully, he's not one to "double check" or the like unless it's life or death. Which thankfully, this is not life or death.

"Oooh. Wha-t it be?"

[morphitudinous]

That nuzzle always brings a smile to his face. He furrows his brow, trying to work out a response that will satisfy Renne for a little while.

"You'll know very soon, but I can't tell you right now. It's a surprise for you."

[bluebrassmonkey.livejournal.com]

Blink.

Yes, Billy, for a good minute, the beastie blinks in utter surprise. In that minute, his ears flick straight up and his face blushes a shade of blue that may very well be considered bloody unnatural. Unnaturally bright, at any rate.

"Bee...Bu -- Bee noh go-t to. Bee..."

Oh, dear. Stuttering little thing now.

[morphitudinous]

The sight is almost irresistibly endearing. He ruffles Renne's hair with a hand, smiling all the while.

"I want to, all right? It's to remind us that neither of us is alone anymore. But that's the only other hint I'm giving you. If you want to know, you'll have to wait until I finish."

[bluebrassmonkey.livejournal.com]

It's probably predictable that the ruffling gets a nuzzle in return. Okay. A nuzzle and yes, a lick. Before he can stop himself though, the beastie replies with the first thing that comes into his head.

"Eee. Bee, is too goo-d fohrrr Rrrr-enne."

[morphitudinous]

"I think that sentence got reversed somewhere," he laughs around the lick. "Renne's too good to Billy."

[bluebrassmonkey.livejournal.com]

"Eee." Squeakchirp.

Oh yes, now he's past the realms of what is considered natural by most others. Literally glowing like a living blue night-light, the blushing beastie playfully (albeit gently) noses the Human's midsection.

"S-tuck wi-th!"

[morphitudinous]

This, he thinks, would be a strange sight for the other engineers walk in on. Billy being nosed in the bellybutton by a glowing Renne.

"You're stuck with me too," he points out innocently. "But I'll have to unstick you for a short while if I'm going to finish your surprise!"

[bluebrassmonkey.livejournal.com]

Strange? Possibly but one needn't forget the arsenal of cute he's entirely not afraid to use. Squeaking and giving one last nosing, the oddity then backs up.

"Eee. Bee do eat? If noh, Rrrr-enne go coo-k fohrr Bee naow."

[morphitudinous]

"Come to think of it, I am fairly hungry," he realizes, setting a hand over his abdomen when Renne backs away.

"If you want to cook---I definitely don't want to pressure you, since I can always obtain 'slop', but you're welcome to. I'll try to finish your surprise as soon as I can."

[bluebrassmonkey.livejournal.com]

"Eee! Rrr-enne go do coo-k fohrrr Bee! Wha-t Bee wahn-t?" Squeak.

Any chance to cook, he'll take it. Spoiling Billy? That just gets him worked up even more into that place of "happy cloud nine". The revelation of this surprise thing though, leaves him ablush...probably for a couple of hours.

[morphitudinous]

"As long as it's filling, I'll happily eat it. If you can make vegetables, that would be wonderful. Some meat and grains would be good too---but even a cheeseburger is fine. It's the chef's choice."

He smiles, quite happy to eat anything that Renne is willing to prepare.

[bluebrassmonkey.livejournal.com]

"Eee, Rrrr-enne ma-ke fohrrr Bee, feas-t!" Chitter!

Careful, Billy. He really will feed you. Giving a last gentle nosing nudge, the beastie squeaks and scampers off to do just that. It should however be noted that he plans this time, on a three-course lunch.

[bonnypiperlad]

Billy's concentration may be taking another hit soon. Jamie sticks his head into Special Weapons, looking around to see if he can spot his friend.

"Billy? Are ye in here?"

[morphitudinous]

Ah, there's Jamie.

"Affirmative," he calls as he slowly pulls up from his work. That frame's just about finished. "Hey, did I interrupt anything important?"

[bonnypiperlad]

There's a shake of his head. "No, I actually was just going over some notes when I saw your message."

He glances around the room, trying to see if there were any signs of the party the present is for. He's pretty sure it's for Renne, and doesn't actually see the wee blue beastie anywhere, but better to check first.

"Is it safe to come in?"

[morphitudinous]

Jamie's looking around the room with interest, as if trying to find something. Oh! He's asking if the coast is clear.

"Yeah. I just convinced him that I'm hungry, and he's run off to prepare lunch. That should keep him busy for a while." Smiling slightly at that, he waves Jamie inside. "So how are you?"

[bonnypiperlad]

He's relived to hear that, and comes into the room, a folded blanket in his arms. On top of it is a small pile of cloth that looks like it's been crudely ripped into strips for some reason.

"Aye, that should." He smiles a bit as well, thinking about that. "Although I think ye may have set yourself up for another feast, if this is about Renne."

There's a curious glance given to the frame, and then he nods a little to himself. He thought so. "And I'm fine. How are ye doing?"

[morphitudinous]

Looking curiously at the pile in Jamie's arms, Billy nods and then glances back at the frame.

"I thought about the consequences to my waistline, but it was the quickest way to distract Renne. He's been at my heels since last night, when..."

He pauses, processing the pang of pain that flares up. "...well, that ties into how I'm doing. I had my memory restored, and the emotions that surfaced were unexpectedly strong. Renne was there with me the entire time, reminding me that I'm not dealing with this alone anymore. I want to make that promise to him too." Another pause while he ponders what to say next.

"I told you before that Renne doesn't have a permanent sleeping place, right? He's never really had one, so I'm offering him a home base. That's why I'm doing this."

[bonnypiperlad]

He was in the process of wandering over to take a closer look at the frame, but Billy's words stop him head, and he turns, giving him a slightly wide eyed look.

"Ye...had them restored?" Out of all the people he had expected to do so, clearly Billy wasn't on his list. "Why?"

Jamie grimaces right after the question comes out of his mouth. He hadn't intended on that sounding quite that rude. "Och, I'm sorry. I'm sure ye had your reasons for it. Here."

He thrusts the blanket at Billy. On closer inspection, the torn up cloth looks to be the remnants of a shirt - there's still a button attached to one of the strips.

[morphitudinous]

Billy hardly notices the potential rudeness of Jamie's question, and he proceeds to answer it a few moments later.

"It took some time to convince myself to do it, but I had two main reasons. First, I thought the best knowledge of the Ohm's capabilities on the ground would come from firsthand experience. Second, as the only person from my world awake here, it's my responsibility to carry the knowledge of what happened. If any of my friends ever awaken, I'll be able to explain it to them and they won't have to undergo the procedure."

Taking a deep breath, he pulls himself back under control and looks at the offering. "Your shirt? Jamie---I had other offers, I didn't need you to destroy this. I'll have to find a new one for you when I get the chance."