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

[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.]

[selfhelp]

[What, what, why are there surprises, why did he do to deserve- oh, it's ice cream. That's... really, really nice of her, actually. Billy bites his lower lip, tugging the bowl out of the bag, and looks up at her questioningly. Seriously, why? He's been a big lump of useless for a month, upsetting people left and right, and now that he's himself again he gets ice cream? You don't reward behaviour like that.

Yet again, he's pretty much blown away by the kindness of the people he knows.]

[halfnhalf]

[Teddy's eyes widen when he sees what's in his own bag; not just ice cream, but strawberry ice cream, his favorite. It's no secret what his preferred flavor is, but it's still a surprise to see it. Teddy hadn't acted so well either, and he's still a little unsure of what people think of him. And here's his favorite ice cream.

Billy looks more shocked then he does though, so Teddy lets go of his hand to rest his own on Billy's knee instead, then looks up at Mia.]

They're definitely a surprise... ice cream? [Strawberry, chocolate, and...] Wait, did you get vanilla for yourself?

[frost_jewel]

No. Should I have?

[The association escapes her and right now she doesn't care, really. Billy's face is asking her a question.]

If it isn't a flavor you like, I'll go ask for something different. Unless, of course, you don't think you feel well enough for ice cream at all.

[She smiles at him, small and genuine.]

[selfhelp]

[The hand on his leg stirs Billy out of his shock, and he glances down, then at Teddy, then finally at Mia again, settling down a little. She's so calm...

Is he just making a big deal out of nothing, again>]

N-no... this is fine. It's great. I like chocolate. Thanks...

[halfnhalf]

[There was totally a Neapolitan joke in there that Teddy could've made if Mia got vanilla, but alas.

With Billy's attention back on Mia, Teddy squeezes his knee, then lets go, both hands free to open the container now.]

Yeah, thanks. You even got my favorite!

[frost_jewel]

You're both welcome. I was worried I might have to bring it to you in your rooms and it might have melted by then.

[Billy looks unsure and Teddy looks quietly excited. It could be worse.]

Is it all right if I join you, even without ice cream of my own? [With the understanding - or what she hopes is understanding - that if they say no, if they want to be alone, then that is perfectly fine and she will let them enjoy each other.]

[selfhelp]

After you brought it to us? I wouldn't say no.

[Plus... well, it's Mia. She's been a consistently calming presence since he woke up, and this is the first time he's seen her since losing whatever madness he'd been drowning in before. She deserves at least some semblance of normal conversation after all she put up with.]

SORRY SORRY I'M HERE

[halfnhalf]

Yeah, go ahead. Three's company, after all.

[Or was it a crowd? Whatever, it's company now. He's already got a spoonful of ice cream devoured, and he shuts his eyes because it's actually really good. Not the best he's ever had, but still good, for strawberry ice cream. He feels a little guilty, enjoying Malnosso food. But he's in good company.]

Did you explore everything yet? We were just starting out. [Had to work out issues and all.]

[frost_jewel]

Oh, not everything. It's a little too crowded for me, and most of the activities are...more active than I usually like.

[She doesn't sit, exactly; she perches on the end of the bench opposite them.]

[selfhelp]

I can sympathize. I'm not in the mood to suggest much of the crazier stuff yet. Unless, um.

[He glances at Teddy. He's going by the boyfriend's choice this weekend, and in the undeterminable future.]