[Commentlog/Closed] - backdated to morning of handcuffs

[mister_10_below]

[Bobby'd gone out for a jog that morning - joking with Raven earlier about her running aside, he really does need to keep up some aspects of his training. He likes jogging around the lake, anyway, especially because it means there was an ample supply of water nearby for him to work with when he feels like taking breaks

Comments

[stillseecracks]

[Xanth, meanwhile, is just out enjoying the lake breeze. If he could ice the water the way Bobby did, he might have, but he could only let his legs dangle in the water.

As he walks along the sandy edge, barefoot and hair tied up, he spots Bobby. He raises an arm above his head to wave.]

H-Hey, Bo--

[Before he can finish, cuffs appear on the one hand, and a key suddenly pops into his other.]

Buh?

[He stares and then looks up to the figure of Bobby, still some distance away. Does he spy cuffs on Bobby, too...?

He starts jogging Bobby's way.]

Um! H-Hey!

[stillseecracks]

[Suddenly Xanth laughs - and then he looks sheepish.]

U-Um, s-- sorry, yeah. We-- w-we-- that sounds good.

[He nods in one direction, then takes a step down the shoreline.]

[mister_10_below]

[Bobby grins brightly at that.]

Nah, man, don't apologize for laughing. I like it when you laugh.

[It should happen more often, really. Bobby nods back, and takes a step with Xanth.]

[stillseecracks]

[YAY THYE'RE WALKING. Let's see if they can keep that up. Grinning now, Xanth keeps going until they find a good, solid rock. It doesn't take long; the shoreline isn't devoid of stones, after all.

He picks up a rock, weighs it in his hand, and then nods. This will do!]

D-Do you-- do you see anything w-we could, m-maybe... break it a--against?

[mister_10_below]

[Walking is an awesome achievement! So is finding a nice rock, so they're two steps closer to their goal.

Bobby bites the corner of his lower lip as he considers that, scanning the shoreline.]

Another rock? Or I could make an ice block?

[stillseecracks]

O--Oh, yeah, that-- that would w-work!

[Xanth nods to the ground at their feet.]

I-- Ice-- i-ice away.

[mister_10_below]

[Bobby gives a thumbs up - with his free hand, fortunately. He points the same hand at the ground, sending out a steady stream of ice to form a nice, solid block in front of them.]

That should hold up against the rock.

[stillseecracks]

[Xanth feels a pang of envy (that is a pretty neat power, right there) but it passes. Instead, he crouches down and hefts the rock, waiting for Bobby to shift into position.]

I-I-- I think this'll-- do it? I-I mean, I, I-I don't see why it-- w-wouldn't.

[And yet, a doubt niggles.]

[mister_10_below]

[Bobby crouches down as well, moving his arm so the chain rests across the ice block.]

Fingers crossed.

[He's really hope this works, because after this, he's pretty much got nothing else.]

[stillseecracks]

Y-Yeah...

[Xanth lifts the rock, then smashes the chain.

And yet, nothing happens. The chain isn't even scratched, let alone shattered.

Xanth slouches.]

O-Oh, no.

[mister_10_below]

...well, crap.

[He'd be more articulate than that, but that pretty much sums up his feelings on the matter.]

I'm starting to think everything that happens here is just someone's idea of a practical joke.

[stillseecracks]

Yeah, s--seriously.

[Xanth sighs, long and drawn-out.]

W-Well, what-- w-what now? Do we j-just... live w-with it? I, I-I guess?

[mister_10_below]

Maybe it'll only be temporary?

[Because Bobby totally adores his bro, but he'd really rather not be handcuffed to him forever.]

Maybe we should check the journals, see if this has happened to anyone else.

[stillseecracks]

Oh!

O-Okay, y-- yeah--

[Xanth fishes his journal out of a large pocket on his pant leg, then flips it open and leafs through it one-handed. Since he's reading and not listening, it takes a little longer to process, but eventually he looks up.]

It-- yeah. W-We're not... the o-only ones. I-It, it looks like... e-everybody, a--actually.

[He offers the journal to Bobby so he can see for himself.]

[mister_10_below]

[Bobby takes it, skimming it over, then hands it back.]

Okay, so, that definitely means it's probably temporary, right? I mean, if it's everyone, it's probably like some of the other things that've happened here, and those never lasted that long.

[stillseecracks]

[Definitely probably temporary.]

Y-- Yeah. Yeah. O-Okay.

[Xanth takes the journal back, sticks it in his pocket, and rakes a hand through his hair.]

The, the question is...

H-How long w-will it l--last?