21 [action, Malnosso Land]

[frost_jewel]

[On day one, Mia fights just as hard as any other resident of house sixteen, sure in her heart that they are all being taken for some kind of punishment, for retribution. She doesn't know where that idea comes from, but it lives a life of luxury in the dark corners of her mind. Injured and disoriented upon arrival to the moon, she helps Katara for a while before doing what she can to find and assist her housemates, and her friends. This is the moon. There was a draft here, one she remembers very well and would prefer not to mentally revisit if she can help it. Other people surely feel the same, and maybe she can help them instead.

On day two her only venture out of her villa in the daylight hours is to the pool. The absence of her power is absolutely flooring and awful. That night, though, a friend or two lures her to the casino and its allure of all manner of games of chance. Not a hearty gambler, but familiar with the idea, she'll win a respectable pile of tokens by the end of the evening, and offer to give some to almost anyone who looks like they need them.

Days three and four see her exploring the parks; though her stops in Bubble Land and Junior Land are brief, it gets her out of the villa and away from any tension building around Loki's presence combined with the visible presence of his and Rogue's relationship; on the afternoon of the third day she seeks out Billy and Teddy specifically, to bring them something. And check up on them. Leaving Luceti didn't mean leaving their problems behind. The fourth day takes her to Thrill Land first, for a very significant amount of time. Though she departs that morning by herself, anyone else visiting that park should be able to spot her blue hair waiting in a line somewhere. A timid line, for a thrill ride park. Get her to something bigger and better.

After an encounter with Halloween Land's zombies, though, she keeps closer to "home" for the remainder of their moon vacation - home, and back to the casino. There are all these rumors, and she's off to investigate first; later, on one of the latter two days, she enters the back room to test her luck with something valuable.]

Comments

day three of course

[halfnhalf]

[Teddy isn't exactly thrilled about being in a park full of people who could look at him and see him either, hence his own green hoodie that's pulled over his head. But half the reason he wanted to be out here was to get Billy outside now that he's back to normal again, because he'd been inside for far too long now.

The fact that he's letting Billy touch him so much, and returning them, says a lot, even if he doesn't look as happy and confident as he did before all of this started. Still, it's a good baby step. Right now, with Billy against him like this, Teddy tilts his shoulder back to let his boyfriend have more access to his side, the gesture feeling so natural to him.]

- both say Halloween Land is out, but Cartoon Land sounds pretty fun...

[frost_jewel]

[Well! She thought they would be a lot harder to find. They don't look like they're up for much activity, but activity is not what she wants from them.]

Teddy! Billy! [She doesn't shout too loudly but she does pick up the pace in their direction. If not for the hoods hiding them both, she wouldn't have called their names.]

I'm so glad I found you.

[selfhelp]

[Oh god, he did not mean to jump as much as he did upon hearing his name being called. It takes Billy a moment to settle again- he's been so horribly paranoid since leaving the hotel, so being recognized has him thoroughly startled.

At least it's Mia, and not... nngh. Someone else.]

M-Mia...

[halfnhalf]

[Teddy doesn't startle as much as Billy when his name was called, though he still tenses just slightly and wraps an arm around Billy's shoulders, keeping him against his side and letting him relax there. He doesn't have as much to be afraid of, even if his own issues left him not even wanting to look at anyone else.

Luckily, Mia probably won't judge him for the way he looks, which is... the same as his usual self, or the fact that he seems to have the jitters, what with him scratching at the back of his neck as he looks at her. Damn this stretched feeling.]

Oh, hey, Mia... Were you looking for us?

[frost_jewel]

Yes I was. [Seeing their reactions slows her down, but does not dim her smile.] I'm sorry for startling you. How are you both?

[She looks at Billy, then.] You look much better.

[The two of them are quite physically close, and she doesn't know what to make of it. Listening to them separately, and hearing how dependent each was on the other's opinion of him, she hopes they've worked it out, out loud.]

[selfhelp]

[Billy ducks his head a bit at that. He knows all too well how different he must be now that the whole mess is... if not over, then at least coming to an end. He's just not sure what to say about it, now.]

Y... yeah. Thanks...

[For a lot of things, really. The word doesn't even come close to repaying the support she gave to the both of them while he was... sick.]

[halfnhalf]

Mm. [Teddy looks down at Billy, then to Mia, a little smile on his face as he nods.] We're doing better, too.

[And he means it. Billy's back to normal, the bad air between them has been blown out... Now they're just mending the pieces, both knowing it'll take a while. But at least they heave each other.]

[frost_jewel]

Just don't let Kurt try to convince you to ride things with him.

[Small smiles, almost-smiles, they're all more than good enough to meet her approval. Mia glances around, then reaches for Teddy's arm to turn the BillyTeddy hoodie creature, until they face the other way.]

Do you see that table over there? [It even has a tacky neon-striped umbrella.]

[selfhelp]

[Billy gets the feeling that Kurt won't be trying to convince him to do anything, after their meeting in the clinic. But that's better left unsaid.

Instead he lets Mia turn them around, albeit awkwardly, and squints at the table she's pointing out.]

What is it?

[halfnhalf]

... That's got to be the ugliest umbrella I've ever seen in my life.

[Mr. Helpful, here.]

[frost_jewel]

Oh. I didn't think about that, but it's probably true. [It is a very unfortunate umbrella. Not to mention the lack of anything like typical sunlight made it seem kind of silly.] Would you both mind if I asked you to sit there?

[selfhelp]

...I don't mind, but...

[Billy trails off, glancing at Teddy. It is ugly, and... maybe he doesn't want to. Maybe he wanted to do something else, or explore the rest of the park, or...]

[halfnhalf]

I don't mind either. [Teddy slips his arm from Billy's shoulders so that he can hold his hand instead, then makes his way to the tacky umbrella table.] But what are you going to make us do there, Mia?

[frost_jewel]

I'm not going to make you do anything. Though I will request that you stay for a few minutes, until I get back.

[Teddy has probably seen her look this mischievous before, but chances are Billy has not. It doesn't come up much in training.]

[selfhelp]

[...Um.

Okay? Billy lifts a brow at her, then at Teddy, but he'll go along with whatever they want.]

[halfnhalf]

[Teddy lifts his brow and narrows his eyes at her; oh yes, he's seen that look before. Usually as she's talking and she's just about to steal some of his fries.]

... Okay then. [He sits, still holding Billy by the hand, and gives him a little smile before he looks up at Mia.] Well, you know where to find us. We're the ones with the tackiest umbrella.

[frost_jewel]

Good. I won't take too long.

[And off she goes. Around a corner, too, lest they watch her and discover the truth of her plans.]

[selfhelp]

[Billy goes ahead and sits beside Teddy, their hands resting on the bench between them, and exhales to blow his bangs out of his eyes, glancing sidelong at his boyfriend.]

Did she look kind of devious back there?

[halfnhalf]

She did. [There's no "kind of" about it, either. He leans his arm against the table and glances at his boyfriend as well, eyebrow raised.] Wonder what she's got planned. Maybe she wants to give us the umbrella.

[selfhelp]

[Um.

Well that's a hideous thing to imagine.]

We... could put it in Tommy's side of the apartment?

[halfnhalf]

[Teddy looks up at the umbrella, eyes narrowed, trying to imagine it on Tommy's side.]

... Scary as it is to imagine, I think he'd like it.

[frost_jewel]

[The relative merits of the umbrella. Excellent conversation topic. Hopefully it keeps them distracted as Mia returns, from behind at first; she moves into their field of view when she remembers how badly she already startled them once today. Her hands are behind her back.]

Good, you're still here.

[selfhelp]

Either that or we're life-sized holograms.

[It's said quietly, in a hesitant tone, rather than his usual sardonic one; he's still sort of getting into the groove of actually letting himself say what comes to mind, so his sass isn't up to par with his old self.]

[halfnhalf]

[Teddy still laughs quietly at that - hesitant or no, Billy's sass is always one of the things that can make him laugh.]

So. Whatcha got there? [He glances to Mia's forearms pointedly, the only part beyond her hands visible to them.]

[frost_jewel]

Surprises, of course.

[In front of each of them goes a small brown-paper bag. Each bag has inside of it paper bowls of ice cream with the flimsy plastic lids - strawberry for Teddy and chocolate for Billy. And spoons.]