Lia was spurred to awaken by the trails of light that gently danced upon her cheek, sneaking in through the cracks between the blinds of the dingy motel room. She could feel breathing on the back of her ears. No doubt Mia or Tish got cold last night and huddled up behind her during the night – sharing beds was a bit of a necessity in a two bed eight people kind of situation. Sharing heat was even more necessary during the cool nights without the heater in the place working.

Lia rolled onto her back and the mystery big spoon was revealed to be Mia after all. She gently sighed and pushed some of her hair out of her face. The light made the red in her hair look more like an orange than the usual fiery red it typically looked like. She thought about going to sleep but she was prodded awake by the idea of food.

If you don’t make it for them, they might miss breakfast. Up she got.

Lia, upon entering the bathroom caught a glance at the alarm clock – 6:18. She still had time before anyone woke up. She quietly got into the shower and turned on the cold water to about half of its maximum potential. Lia, because of her somewhat limited control over he own temperature could take really cold showers which was helpful for a motel room that had about as much hot water as Nunavut. She quickly stripped and found herself relaxing for a few moments, but she made sure that it would not be too long. She was on a relatively strict timer after all.

When she got out of the shower she wrapped a towel around herself and quickly but quietly went back into the bedroom, grabbing her duffel bag and pulling it back into the bathroom like someone trying to hide a body.

"Alright, we going with T-shirt with sweats, or sweater with jeans today?" Lia said to herself lamenting her lack of clothing. She quickly picked out the optimal pair, the sweater with sweats. When she was dressed and ready to leave she quietly tip-toed around the sleeping friends, noting Glo was still beautiful even mid-sleep. ’How is that fair?’ She wined silently. She nearly stepped on Jay, he somehow ended up on the floor in the doorway - kind of half sprawled out.

When she made it out the front door she paused, a young boy stood there – a trail of smoke rose up from where he was.

"Andy, you been having trouble sleeping?" She said approaching him and gently tilting her head to the side on the shoulder farthest from his cigarette as a sign of affection.

"Tish snores like a hippo, I would've had trouble listening to music let alone sleeping.” Andy responded, some steel in the boy’s voice. She could hear the lack of sleep ringing through it, obviously he’s been thinking too much.

"Here, I’ve got a light." She said quietly noticing immediately when the cigarette became unlit after a noticeably cold gust of morning wind. She pulled the zippo lighter from her bra and lit it expertly. The flame danced in front of her face as she lit the cigarette, now she had to close it.

For a brief moment, it was as if she was tempted to control the flame, to use it… Probably nothing.

"Thanks.” Lia shook her hand gently, as if to shake off any thanks. “Could use some company for the grocery store, wanna come?” She said warmly.

“Well, it's no breakfast at Tiffany's but it's the best offer I've had so far this morning.” Lia smiled and without any more words between the two new parents they walked off to buy their six kids some eggs.

“So, we haven't talked about the Christmas party yet. Not properly talked, I mean." Andy murmured as they passed a haggard looking man in a suit and tie.

“I know... It just doesn't feel like a good idea, y'know?”

"Yeah, I suppose. I know it's difficult to think about but it's better to light a flame thrower than curse the darkness, you know? So I thought I should come clean about something before the others are around and listening; I know about your powers."

Lia heard the words ring out through the morning air and found herself feeling a similar sensation. The feeling of looking down a great height, atop a building or bridge. The feeling that starts in your feet and chases your pulse through the rest of your body. She glanced at Andy, he was diplomatically not looking at her or taking in her reaction, just taking a deep drag and gazing at the early morning sun. After a few moment's respectful silence, he spoke again.

"And that's not all. When we were all leaving, I decided we'd better have some insurance. So I grabbed as many of the files and dossiers that would fit in my bag before we left. I've been looking through them while I'm on my own and I've got evaluations on each of us except Cody, Mia and Malcolm, as well as a bigger one on what they're planning for the future. It's not pretty."

She took a second to think about what he was telling her. “Do you have another cigarette?” She asked quietly, retrieving her lighter from her coat pocket. Andy hastily retrieved the packet from his pocket, slid one out and handed it to her.

“Thanks,” she responded - sounded somewhat absent-minded but she was more focusing on what they're next steps had to be. Surely this meant that they had steps to take. “We'll look at them tonight after I get home from work together, we can make a real plan then. Does that sound alright with you?” She said flicking the lighter open at the side of her body. She brought the cigarette to her lips and in an instant a small trail of flame fled the lighter brushing past the cigarette. She took a long drag.

"Of course, whenever you're ready. And Lia, don't worry about the powers, okay? I'm not going to tell anyone you don't want me to but, for the record, none of them will think of you any differently if they know."

“Thanks Andy... It's just.” Lia paused and pursed her lips momentarily debating whether or not to continue her line of thought. “People like me, my abilities only hurt. They don't help people. I don't think it'll be well received that's all.” Lia said quietly as if she was under the impression someone was listening in, of course she wasn't but when your parents were practically Bond villains it helped if you were careful.

"We'll just see about that. Even if we decide just to ride off into the sunset, I imagine that your powers will help us before this chapter of our lives is over."

“These are going to be a long few months, huh?"

"Only if Malcolm keeps glaring at me every time I smoke and Tish insists on I-Spy every time we drive." said Andy, deflty deflating the tension with a bad joke.

The market was always stressful, but when they went this early it was typically only a single tired teen who was opening, certainly not someone who was on the lookout for the kidnapped kids. Besides, when Lia went out in public she made sure to wear her bigger jacket and keep her head down, not really responding unless necessary. Strategy worked so far, but if it wasn’t the morning – Tish would have to go out.

She grabbed a carton of eggs from the display and opened it, feeling around – some seemed to be rotting so she close the carton and placed the eggs in a less accessible spot, picking up another. This process lasted about five minutes until she found a carton that would satisfy her needs. She didn’t have too much money – so Orange Juice was out of the question, especially since she’d have to save nearly her entire second pay check in order to afford the motel room each day. She put the carton of eggs in a small basket walking to the teller.

No problems there today. She and Andy walked back, discussing things but not to enough depth to make any progress on their predicament. It was clear they both shared an opinion on what their situation was. Wait for their parents’ retaliation. Lia had started this war when she took off with all of their kids. Now she was ready for hell to be brought down upon her, but they were a family now and anyone who went after her kids would get burned, severely.

Andy decided he’d wait on the patio for a little longer while Lia cooked dinner. She spent a few minutes cleaning a frying pan before turning the stove on and beginning to crack the eggs. She figured scrambled would be the best option without any bread, and thusly that was what she prepared.

Before long the eggs were ready, and so too was the day. She prepared the scrambled eggs next to some plates so that everyone could help themselves as they exited the room. She kept the stove on a very low heat – just to keep the eggs warmer as they awaited the hungry mouths of the kids.

Lia herself took a seat on the living room coach, she still had about an hour or two before work started so she was able to relax for a little while. As a part of her daily relax-plan she immediately began to plan how she would defend the other kids if her parents came. Her parents didn’t have any abilities with control over her own, though her father would be near impossible for any of them to defeat in single combat. She would need to make sure Glo had her back if they showed up.

Lia let a sigh escape her lips as she collapsed backwards onto the couch.

“What have I done.” Her New York accented voice said disdainfully.

"What you thought was best." Came Andy's voice from the kitchen, just loud enough to carry over the sounds of the others stirring from their slumber but not so loud they'd hear him.

Lia looked towards Andy and mouthed the words 'thank you'. She was glad she had him on her side.

---

Gloria was dreaming.

Well, actually, she was remember. Gloria didn't dream, hadn't been able to since she was a young girl, and thus her tired nights were instead filled with scenes she had already experienced. Most were mundane little thoughts, images of a lonesome breakfast or an endless math class, but others-- they strung up Glo's insecurities like Christmas lights and blared them for all of her mind to bask in. Lunches spent alone in the bathroom during her finale year at school, suspicious mail, labeled with an insignia Glo couldn't decipher. The fight she had with her parents moments before she escaped through the third story window of their apartment complex.

This dream wasn't as bad as the others. It was a distant memory this time, long before the runaway occurred. She was about ten years old, when she was still merrily placed in some concrete jungle elementary school. Her knees were bloodied -- Glo remembered that this was when she got into a fight with some ribbon-tied brat who called her ugly -- and her eyes were fresh with tears and satisfaction because even if she got scolded the other party was still worse off. Gloria stared into the bathroom mirror, endlessly fascinated by her young appearance. Her round face was grubby and dark-skinned (that's right that's right it was summer, the sun was out, the tan was on) and her eyes were huge and still innocent. The mirror-Gloria and memory-Gloria glared at each other for endless, silent moments. Staring. Staring. And then a shape appeared behind her, sudden and unfamiliar. Glo turned easily and stared at the shadow.

Another mirror-Gloria stared back. Her expression twisted into something dubious, because there never was another mirror on the other side of the wall. Mirrors were not meant to face each other, she remembered her father once telling her, because there is an awful sort of magic that gets caught between them. Gloria glanced between the two mirrors, blinking as she realized that she felt nothing out of the ordinary. They were just mirrors, holding her reflection a thousand times over, shuddering only slightly as the school air conditioning coughed against them. Mirrors. The dream went on as Gloria glanced back and forth, appreciating the odd illusion held within the frosted glass. She barely even realized when more mirrors started appearing around her, forming a circle of glittering reflections that turned around and around as Gloria kept seeking out her own eyes. The bathroom was gone.

Gloria broke away from her trance suddenly as darkness engulfed the rest of the room, and she stared up to find a spot of light trickling down onto her shoulders. Dust caught and vanished in the ray, and the mirrors vibrated with sudden life as light bounced against their reflective surfaces and pressed further against Gloria's body. She was no longer ten, but fully grown, given new life by the dream's sudden surrealism, and with growing panic Glo tried to find a way out of the circle of mirrors. No... Not mirrors, there wasn't a collection of them, there was only one now. A literal circular mirror, as high as a wall, trapped her within the dark place. The light was fading out above her, and her reflections had ceased movement as she approached the closest wall and rose a hand. Cool glass met clammy palms, and Glo breathed out a noiseless scream as the rays above faded and she pushed against the frail reflection looking down at her, noiselessly. She pressed and pressed and pressed forward as the darkness swallowed her whole and then--

The mirror broke.

Gloria awoke with a gasp, sitting up suddenly as the shattering noise played on and on in her ears in the form of white noise. She shook with an odd sense of euphoria, clutching at her arms and squeezing the skin there to ensure that she was indeed awake and this was not another memory-dream-whatever. And then it came, the sense of forgetfulness that often chased after her REM cycle, and Gloria breathed out a thankful sigh. Around her, sleepiness stayed. Her companions still breathed quietly, clinging to sheets and pillows and beds as the morning threatened to push them awake as well. Glo leaned back a bit to summon a harsh crack from her lower spine, relishing in the sound and feeling. Sleeping on the floor wasn't new to her; she remembered going a year or two without a bed long before this whole fiasco took place, and if anything this motel carpet was a lot more comfortable than her parents' hardwood bedroom.

It took her a few moments to stand up and stretch, because for some reason she felt the need to bask in the little stream of morning sunlight that slipped through the curtains. It gave off a golden hue as it dappled across the dingy floor, showing off the collection of dust and mold that floated in the air. Bodies shifted in and out of the scene and Gloria smiled, reaching out for her bag and pulling her Polaroid free from its clutches. She shifted to and fro across the room, looking for the perfect angle, and with one finger pressed over the flash she took a picture.



Gloria flapped the image, airing it out, then set back to admire it with a dubious eye. Good enough for today. She settled down a moment longer to slip the picture into a free sleeve in her photography journal, and then rose up to crawl towards the free bathroom. Her shower was fast and painless, freezing for sure, but painless. She washed quickly as not to hold up any other stirring teammates, and barely dried herself before slipping on an outfit she had dawned two days prior. Jeans clung uncomfortably to still-damp thighs, and her shirt grew darker and clung to her body awkwardly.

She avoided the mirror, for obvious reasons.

Back out in the bedroom, she stepped carefully around the others and smiled inwardly, viewing sleeping faces with a gentle eye. Most were still waking, slowly, shifting in their sleep or near-lack-of-sleep, and as Glo took note of each familiar face she realized two were missing. Lia and Andy. Her heartbeat increased for a moment, quick and relentless as her mind drifted to the worst scenarios possible, and then she relaxed against the motel wall and breathed out, sighing away her worries. They were probably just... Outside. Maybe making breakfast. Nothing bad, nothing bad.

nothing yet

She stepped out of the room and drifted towards their second most used room, the kitchen. Already the smell of a gas fire and eggs attracted her stomach, and Glo quickened her pace and turned to find the others settled on the couch and in the kitchen with plates of scrambled eggs. A small smile pressed against her lips. "Morning, fellas. Hope you don't mind if I help myself..." She drifted passed them to shovel some eggs onto a plate, taking a tentative bite just to quell the rumbling in her stomach. Bland and spongy, but that was fine. It was better then nothing. She turned back to the other two and tilted her head, asking in a sweet but still-groggy voice, "Sleep well?"

The break of dawn brought Malcolm’s eyes open with a snap as the voices of the Tome flooded his brain-space all at once. At first, he scanned the dark room with his eyes, and tried his hardest to emulate sleep, or as close to it as he could get when everything in his head just wouldn’t. Keep. Quiet.

When did I fall asleep? He thought, glancing at the cheap desk and stool he was crumbled next to with exhausted blue eyes. He remembered scanning his tome until pretty late the night before… he must’ve just run out of energy and fallen out of his chair. The night was the only time he had to process without distraction. Otherwise…

The whispers of words still echoed within his head. Their language abstruse and aggressive. It was like those moments before memorization, when you had the ghost of ideas starting to form within your brain and you can catch the gist of it without knowing the full details. That was the language of the tome. Which apparently he’d used as a pillow after his fall. For a while, he lay still. Only when he heard more active movement did he hazard to move his head.

Groggily, he lifted himself off the floor using the stool as leverage. His dark hoodie was still draped over his spindly figure as his hand snatched the Tome from the floor. He did a quick cursory glance of the pages.

Same information as always, same as the words in his head, but there were still many secrets that he had yet to understand. And many that he wishes he didn’t. The clearest the voices had ever been being still on the day they got up and ran – the same day that he discovered his family’s awful secret. He shook his head. The quick image of the pile of corpses was muted by the ancient language. Regardless of its understanding, the book had become something of a security blanket. Both something he needed to protect from serious harm and something that helped comfort him, despite the serious codependency that had developed from that moment.

He still felt really awful for freaking out the last time someone tried pulling the tome away from him.

The commotion from the kitchen grew in intensity as he heard a familiar southern twang add to the cacophonous sound. He steeled himself with a deep breath before he stumbled towards the kitchen, feeling as tired and off-kilter as he looked.

“M-mornin’,” Malcolm stammered, rubbing his eyes with the back of his scarred hands as he glanced around the gathering. He carefully scuttled towards the food and piled a meager amount onto his plate as he leaned against the back corner of the tiny kitchenette. Sure, Lia would probably lecture him on not eating enough, but how could he eat his fill before someone else had taken some?
He found himself nodding with Mia’s inquiry, “Yeah, what are we planning on today?”

“I mean if it’s figured out yet. I-I’m sure that you guys will figure it out if you haven’t...”

His eyes locked with Andy’s for less than a second. Malcolm was aware that he was probably the smartest of the group, which just made him feel like a bigger idiot for rambling like he did. He put the plate on a counter nearby to take a bite and thus retreat into his own corner.

Lia almost began to nod off as she heard someone enter the room, it was Glo. She immediately began to fix herself up, adjusting her hair slightly. She and Glo had a good relationship, in fact they were able to confide in each other relatively well. However, after finding out that Andy was aware of her abilities she felt like she wanted to recede a bit more than anything. There was something about knowing someone else knew you were a mutant that was quite the depressant. She also hadn’t smoked for some time now, it must’ve been a year and a half at least. Damn it girl. Glo snapped her it out of it though.

“Oh totally, have as much as you want, just make sure there’s enough for the others.”

She watched as Glo helped herself to some eggs and before she was able to take a seat Jay came out as well. She let a frustrated noise rear its head as she pushed her hair out of her face and fixed her sweater that had scrunched up revealing her midsection. She leaned backwards once more when Jay told everyone that he had slept poorly. She had a feeling that wouldn’t stop anytime soon. That many people wouldn’t be sleeping well at all for any amount of time, Lia had no idea how long things would stay like this.

“I didn’t sleep to well either, I think I fell asleep around three.” The girl said clearly exhausted. She had been driving for nearly a week before that and ever since the first night working rather long shifts cleaning. She hadn’t taken a second to slow down, truth be told she was hardly aware of the date anymore – only requiring the day of the week. Almost as soon as she had finished her sentence Mia too came from the bedroom and joined everyone. She could only assume that Mia had woken up because of her own absence, she was kind of a big part of that room’s heat as it was – but no one had to know that except supposedly for Andy.

“Hey girl, hey.” Lia said to Mia as she entered the room in a comically exhausted voice. “We got a tiny bit left, and I’ve got work not sure about you all.” Lia said contemplating the group mostly being awake as a potential sign of an oncoming apocalypse. Probably not, but… It’s certainly no coincidence. She caught herself looking out the window over and over, she reminded herself once more that doing that in front of the other kids would only work to worry them. Even if it did give Lia peace of mind for a couple milliseconds.

Lia frowned when Mia asked her second question. “In a room.” She said in a defeated voice. She didn’t like that she was keeping everyone locked up all day and night, but it was somewhat necessary. Like a spark, an idea flashed in the darkness of her brain.

“But,” Lia began sitting up and repositioning herself. I’ve got a surprise for tonight I think, I’ll pick you all up at Seven at night and we should be good to go!” Lia said excitedly, both making a plan and answering Malcolm's question at one time. Once she had a plan, she had a difficult time not following through with it. She would have time to purchase everything after work and as long as she was careful she shouldn’t be followed or anything like that. Until then though she would be able to relax for another hour or so. She nodded to herself, deciding upon her plan and leaning backwards once more, staring at the ceiling fan positioned above the center of the room.

“When I’m gone Andy’s in charge and Glo is the back up.” Lia said out loud, they were the two who were the oldest and most responsible so it wasn’t exactly a difficult choice. “And please for god’s sake don’t bug Malcolm or we’ll all have to feel bad about it for the next month.” Lia joked quietly. She contemplated turning on the television but she decided to pass on it. She was, however glad that they had moved the furniture around in order for the living room and the kitchen to act as a single unit for all intents and purposes. The kitchen containing a coach and a television made it nice for relaxing in and easy access to food was always a bonus.

As the group filed into the room one by one with their breakfasts, Andy munched through his own scrambled eggs. Generally, he preferred his eggs with salmon or bacon in them, just to give a little variety to food. Still, he was hardly going to complain that Lia had made breakfast for the group, not when he could sit down, shut up and get breakfast without doing any work. He chuckled at Jay's use of the phrase "what's shaking", sighed affectionately as he heard the snap of Glo's camera and gave Mia a smile as she sarcastically questioned what the plans for the day were.

"You're just a ray of sunshine in the morning, aren't you? And for the love of all that's holy, you aren't mixing chocolate and ketchup are you" Andy said, carefully noting Malcolm's slight reactions to the use of 'holy' and 'sunshine' in close proximity. Lia's apparent plans for the evening intrigued him though, she hadn't mentioned anything about them when he'd been out to the shops with her. What sort of surprise could Lia have for them that wouldn't endanger them, reveal them but still be exciting? Despite liking the idea suspense, Andy was the sort of person that tried to figure what his Christmas and Birthday presents were before opening them (Not that his his parents had ever believed in either tradition, he'd mostly gotten them from friends and teachers that felt sorry for him). His mind moved through possibilities quickly, alternatively listing available attractions and guessing Lia's own thoughts. He worried that it would be something that might expose their presence here to anyone from their parent's agents to the general public.

With an effort, he shut down that particular avenue of thought. Andy could probably work it out but that would hardly be putting much faith in the group's leader. Trust Lia to think up something fun and safe. he thought. And whatever you do, make sure to act surprised. Instead, he wondered if there were any boardgames in the motel they hadn't played yet. Tish's victory at Risk had owed less to strategy or luck than a dogged determination to win that let her play longer than anyone else, while Cody still reigned as the king of Trivial Pursuit. Cludo would be pretty boring for him, just like playing poker, but it would be better than everyone sitting and staring at the TV listlessly for hours.

Andy realised he didn't have to think about this on his own, thankfully, and turned to his appointed deputy. "Got any bright ideas for what we should do today?"

---

If there was one thing Tish really cherished in this world, it was a good night’s sleep. No, really, she was practically professional at it. Her dreams were always vivid and exciting, and she always woke up feeling refreshed and ready for the day. There was that, and the fact that she slept like a boulder - heavy and immovable. The snoring that accompanied such blissful sleep was no problem for her.

Tish didn’t wake when the living, breathing space heater that was Ophelia left the bed, nor when Mia followed soon after. Instead, the seductive sleep demon that resided in her mind urged Tish to reach ultimate nirvana. She stretched out starfish-style, so that a limb extended to each corner of the bed, and buried her face under a pillow where it was safe from the evil light of day. Without so much as a hiccup, her meandering subconscious painted another dreamscape to explore.



“AWOOO!” Tish’s own imitation of a wolf howl launched her alert and upright in the bed. Such behavior would seem odd, but the other runaways knew that she was a shifter. What point was there in hiding it now? Shifting was a useful ability, and one of which Tish was never ashamed.

Blinking sleepily, Tish rubbed her eyes in an attempt to shield them from the light. Her normally straight, flat bangs were mussed into what looked like an inky-black firework on her forehead. An assortment of breakfast smells assaulted her nose, causing her stomach to rumble. The petite 17-year-old had grown even more wafer-thin in the days since the Christmas party. It was uncertain whether stress or lack of proper nutrition was to blame.

Although wolf had had himself a mighty meal in dreamland, Tish herself was quite hungry. She decided on remaining in her pajamas a little longer, but definitely had to brush her teeth before facing the others. After doing so, Tish marched into the living area in her black cami and red boxer-like pajama shorts.

Apparently, one of the breakfast scents was eggs. Tish had never really liked them, especially after seeing the horrors of mass chicken farming in that biology class video a few years ago. She wasn’t an obnoxious vegetarian though, she just silently chose to not eat certain things, hence her current waif-like state. Tish rummaged through the cupboard and found her stash of gooey peanut butter and almond granola bars. Said stash was running low, Tish might go out in disguise and find some work today. She still had a fair amount of money that she snatched before going on the run thanks to the steady part time barista job she had for the past two years. Even still, it wasn’t a bad idea to think ahead and increase the group’s funds for groceries and motel ‘rent’.

One thing that this adventure was forcing everyone to learn was a little virtue known as adaptability. Some people had it in spades, others had a lot of learning to do. For a creature of habit like Malcolm, for example, the amount of new things being thrown at him all at once was similar to the force of an avalanche. His father had a mighty influence on his town, down to the point where most children felt the force of their parents’ religious fanaticism, so it really shouldn’t have been that surprising that Malcolm almost dropped his plate at Cody or Jay’s F-bomb, or shot side-eyes at Andy for his use of “holy” in a sentence outside of a respectful sense… if that actually mattered anymore.

It was rather amazing that he hadn’t completely lost it at this point, but Malcolm hated confrontation more than he feared breaking down. Perhaps it was only divine intervention that kept him going at this point. Well, seeing as he now consistently had the voice of a deity twirling words into his knowledge, it seemed more probable than ever.

All in all, the amount of life that was censored for Malcolm had a rather curious effect: he took other people’s superhuman abilities in stride. Tish’s shapeshifting was a comfort when Malcolm was being fed magical words of power, and Cody’s condition, while sad to consider, was not something that dissuaded Malcolm from being around them. The swear word thing… he would get over slowly, he hoped.

He finished eating and placed the plate next to the sink, where either he or someone else would probably clean things a little later. It was once source of distraction in this small space, but he knew how to take advantage of limited freedom. For once there was an explanation for why he wasn’t allowed to leave, and that was plenty to relax him. With the Tome held firmly in his hands he squeezed out of the way as Tish’s small form came through, dodged out of the way of Amelia and squeezed into the corner of the small living space, taking a spot on the floor that kept Lia in his sight-line, and the kitchen not too far out of sight. The tome opened on his lap as he rubbed at his tired eyes once more, and the gentle sunlight of early morning wafted through a window in the building.

It brought a soft smile to his face. Regardless of what sunlight meant now, it didn’t stop him from appreciating the gentle light of day that at least reminded him that there was still much to come.

”I’m sorry I don’t fit in well…” He muttered, half to Lia, but more like she was an excuse for his statement than the receiver of his comment, “but I’ll try to do better. Everyone has so many different experiences… but they’re all nice people.”

He held open the Tome. The words on the pages seemed indecipherable and unique in its characters, but Malcolm was starting to be able to pick words off the page. He knew that the magic was accessible. Lunara herself had told him.

“Gosh darn it, I will get better at this.” He clenched his teeth.

---

As Gloria chewed down her tasteless eggs her lips tilted up, the shadow of a cheery smile. Even if they were runaways, fugitives, homeless, they could still have moments like this. Playful little scenes, to be stored away and forgotten later on during their next move, but her camera wouldn't easily forget. She could snap a sudden candid photo, most of her friends none the wiser, but she had left her polaroid with her bag and she still had her hands full with a paper plate and a subconscious instinct to move whenever someone came too close to her. Glo would just have to remember this moment herself, it seemed. Another mouthful of eggs went down without any issues and she pressed her back against the closest wall, staying prim and proper and absolutely silent until Lia turned her eyes upwards to her. Glo smiled cheekily as she was appointed team deputy for the day and, while balancing her plate on one hand, she gave a half-hearted salute.

"You can trust in me, Lia~." She purred. Another spooning of eggs and suddenly her plate was a lot less heavy and a lot more empty and Glo turned away from the happiness that collected on the couch to dispose of her empty plate and wash her hands. The water then pelted her skin after a second of odd, clogging noises was freezing cold and clear, so clear. Glo stared at the stream of water, running over he flesh, turning her otherwise brown skin an odd, pale blue. Distractions had been coming in numerous ways recently. Gloria had once found herself just staring down a stray cat, watching it move in and out of jagged shadows to stay cool. She only looked away when someone had called her name, and only then did she realize the stark shadows the cat was seeking had all formed into one single darkness. Dusk to night. Distraction to distraction.

Glo shook herself out of the trance as soon as she heard Andy's voice ring out behind her, and with a flick of the wrist she turned the chilly water off and turned. Water flicked from her fingertips, dusting the walls and floor, and her smile grew further as she said, "A walk outside would be nice, but playing board games for seven hour straight seems a bit more likely." Her accent came out fresh as day this time. Rs rolled and tongues clicked, the English language sounding heavy and a bit foreign coming from Glo's mouth. She blushed slightly, a single, still chilled hand raising to press away the heat, and then her head turned to stare out at Cody and Jay, eyebrows furrowed with stifled laughter. It really was a shame to keep everyone holed up in here but whatelse could they do? Go out on the town all together and get caught?

No thank you, fate.

"We'll find something to do today, eventually-- something that both exciting and safe." Glo was craving something more mundane for herself, to be honest. A job or five to keep them all well fed and under a roof, but the others deserved more than board games and TV for the rest of the day. She gave a small smile and pressed her back against the wall again, hands lifting idly to pull her wild hair into a messy bun. "If anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear 'em."

Lia reached outwards with her arms, yawning deeply before sinking just a little deeper into the couch. It was time for work. She pushed herself up and off the couch walking over to Andy and messing up his hair a little. "I know not everyone is gonna stay here all day every day, but make sure they stay safe okay?”. Lia, for a brief moment, let a little bit of fear and doubt claw a gash through her consciousness.

It wouldn’t last, she would not allow it.

She ran back into the bedroom and grabbed her duffel, pulling out a white beanie and a large denim jacket she hastily threw over and behind her head, quickly putting them on. She left the bedroom when she was still halfway through putting the sweater on, attempting to look as prepared as she would for a job she hated. In all seriousness, she was rather lucky to find a job in the first place that she could remain anonymous at. She also had a lot to do today, and she was lucky that if she worked fast she could leave early. All things considered Lia was an incredibly lucky girl for the time being, but she still hated going to work. She made her rounds stopping by each and every person saying a little goodbye before she arrived at Tish.

"You’re heading out too right?" She said expectantly gazing at the girl’s black hair. She caught a passing glance at a different tattoo each day with Tish – she swore that she was changing them up on her, but that would involve Tish giving a damn about something. That wasn’t really her style. It wasn’t like Tish wasn’t a darling to be around when she wanted to be, but Lia was pretty confident it would be a cold day in hell before Tish actually listened to someone above herself, especially Lia. For now Lia was just grateful she hadn’t decided to leave. In all honesty, it was nice having her around, it brought a feeling of weightlessness to the group.

"Okay guys, please, please, please be safe today." Lia said forcing herself out the door before someone else did it for her. As she took her fledgling steps out the door the paranoia of ‘the hate you’ flooded back into her mind. It happened every time she asked them to be safe, and to calm down, to clean up. For god sakes Ophelia they just ran away from their parents you don’t have to replace them yet.

"I think you’re going to like my surprise Tish." Lia said forcing thoughts from her mind to be drowned out by the words she spoke. "It’s got some pizazz.” She said with the fakest smile this side of the golden gate bridge. But it did have some pizazz, it wasn’t the ideas fault that she was having a rough go of it. The idea was great. The idea was great. It was just that Ophe-. Lia wasn’t a mother, she definitely wasn’t enough for what these kids needed. She wasn’t even sure she had enough for what she needed. But if she could spread herself just thin enough to make them forget for even a single night, then it was worth everything.

Happy birthday Lia. She said with a rightful amount of disdain as she prepared herself for the menial task of cleaning rooms in front of her.

---

Tish watched as the members of the squad milled about and prepared for the day. Lia was the busiest one, flying across the room to get this and that before she had to head out on her shift to clean rooms. The shifter nibbled a corner of her granola bar off, savoring each bite as she stared out the window. The sun looked bright and warm in the sky, despite it being January. The Californian climate was much different from New York, it already felt like early spring here, while they had left a city blanketed in snow just a few days ago.

”You’re heading out too, right?” Ophelia addressed her, breaking Tish out of her gazing stare. The ginger girl seemed to be unknowingly focused on her hair, causing Tish to smooth out her bangs self-consciously. Shit, she must have looked like a real goof, she didn’t even think to look in the mirror before joining the group out here.

”Uhh, yeah. I was going to head out out and see if I can find some work and maybe get to enjoying this weather.” Tish scanned the small crowd and half-frowned ”I mean, at least one of us had to… sorry guys, shifter privilege?” she said with an awkward laugh/sigh. She felt bad, honestly, she wished they could leave the stuffy motel room too! If she could shift them all, she would, but that isn't how it worked.

Lia addressed everyone else then, telling them to stay safe. Tish gave the obligatory eye roll, followed by, ”They're going to be fine, Mama Bear.” She finished the rest of her breakfast snack and tossed the wrapper in the trash.

“I think you’re going to like my surprise Tish.” Lia said, catching her before she headed into the bedroom to change into her new self for the day. Tish raised a shapely brow at the redhead, obviously intrigued. When she remarked that it had ’pizazz’ with a cheesy smile, Tish chuckled.

”Knowing you, that means we’re probably playing bingo like old folks or something.” she jibed playfully, but she really was looking forward to whatever break from the usual they would have tonight. Tish wondered what the special occasion might be.

When Lia left, Tish took over the bathroom to change her clothes and perfect her appearance for the day. Today, she would be a 14-year old boy and she would go from house to house offering to mow people's lawns for cash. It wouldn't rake in much, but it was something ordinary, cute even, and it would leave her relatively unnoticed. Just a neighborhood kid looking to make a buck off the elderly, and maybe snag a homemade cookie or two in the process.

First, Tish looked at herself in the mirror. She closed her eyes and focused on the image in her head, just like her father told her to. ”Clay. Imagine that your body is clay, and you are a potter. You can create anything out of yourself, all you have to do is see it in here.” he had said, punctuating the last sentence by poking a finger to her temple. It was a better time then, when she was 5 years old, still innocent in her ignorance.

Regardless who he turned out to be, her father's lesson held true and when Tish opened her eyes a new face stared back at her. His hair was the color of wet sand and a speckling of freckles dusted his cheeks. Tish even gave his skin a rose hue to really sell the point that he spent a lot of time in the sun. Her height and weight hadn’t changed all that much, she was only a few inches shorter, but her biceps and shoulders were a bit more broad and defined now. She threw on a cotton t-shirt and basketball shorts that she had picked up at a thrift shop, before walking back out into the hotel room.

“Who do I look like today, Glo?” Tish asked and did a full turn for the photographer. ”Joey? Hector? Keith?” she tossed out the first few names that came to mind. Once she’d been given her pseudonym, Tish headed out to work the day away, keeping in mind that she should get home in time to shower before whatever Lia’s ‘surprise’ was.

"If anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear 'em."

Oh, goody! Another day, another ten hours of mentally begging for the sweet relief of death to end the merciless torture of being put in a room with no video-games, no internet, no good books I haven't read a thousand times and nothing to do... Andy rubbed some of the tiredness out of his eyes and sat up a little straighter. Surely he could think of some sort of activity that would keep the others from going stir crazy? There were so many games that could be played with pen and paper, so many things they could try if they put in some thought. Though any tactical game was hardly going to be much fun for Andy and any reaction based game would likely make a lot of noise. It would take a bit of effort to think of a solution but he could do it.

Ugh, effort...

Okay, fine, maybe not. Need something to do though, at least until someone inevitably sneaks out. As one of the two 'responsible adults', Andy had resolved not to leave the room until someone else did. That way he wouldn't be setting a bad example but going after them to bring them back, preferably after they'd stretched their legs by walking around the place a few times. He glanced across the room, wondering who was most likely to crack and go out.

Jay is obviously the number one suspect, he's not exactly subtle about wanting to stretch his unreasonably long limbs. And who can blame him? Malcolm would rather read his book than disobey orders and go out of bounds. Cody is pretty much the same though I guess he'd go along with a group, probably with an adorably nervous expression. Mia might go but only if no one provides her with sufficient entertainment in here. And Glo... A quick look a her face told him that she was already determined to make this fun for everyone. Which was, you know, good.

"I'm not sure, I'll probably just go along with whatever everyone else wants to do and nap later in the day. Didn't sleep much last night." At the last comment he glared at the now closed doors through which Tish and Lia had just exited.

Mia raised one eyebrow at Glo's comment - safe but exciting? "It's either one or the other, Ria girl."

That was Mia's opinion anyhow - how could you entertain yourself without feeling just a small sense of danger? She wasn't just thinking about the usual daredevil stuff that she loved either; sure, tomb-stoning and walking around dark alleys and parks in the small hours of the morning always gave her a real sense of bad-assery or something, but with Mia's hyper-active imagination, she could get just as much of a thrill with books, movies, games. Before they left, she'd been halfway through her... like, billionth playthrough of Dragon Age 2, and she was still hella pissed that she wouldn't be able to finish it. Sure, she knew the ending, but it still gave her that little spike of adrenaline and worry and everything when it came to pass. It was the same with every other thing she geeked about.

That's what made her feel afraid now. They didn't know what the ending of their story was going to be - would they all die? Get re-captured and brain-washed? What were the chances of them beating their - apparently - evil parents and becoming the heroes of the day?

Realising with a start that she was beginning to scowl at her empty plate, Mia snapped out of her thoughts. She couldn't think about this now... not around the others, anyhow. She had an image to keep up - a girl's gotta be strong, y'know? Who else would cheer up the group with some light-hearted banter and pointless awesome arguments debates?

She was certain not everyone in the group was comfortable with her... more than persistent opinions, especially the guys who she hadn't really talked to all that much before their daring escape. In fact, it was only really Andy that she'd known beforehand. For some reason, her parents had encouraged for her to avoid all of the other kids - and she wasn't all that concerned, at the time. She had plenty of friends anyways, and besides... some of the parents seriously freaked her out. Andy's parents seemed okay, if a little intimidating. He definitely didn't take after them... but in another way, was like a carbon copy. It was weird... either way, Andy had always been fun to hang around with. He enjoyed a lot of the nerdy shit that she did (Bringing forth a lot of arguments in regards to characters and whatnot - she was sure the others were sick to death hearing about Star Wars) and he was kinda like a big brother. And also the token gay best friend that every girl in every american teen movie seemed to have, only less camp, and more drunk.

She liked it when he was drunk. It's how she learnt his full name.

As for the others, some were chiller with her than others. Mia was pretty sure that Malcolm was scared of her, but poor old Mal seemed to be scared of everything that moved and didn't, apart from that weird book of his. She didn't think Cody appreciated her spontaneity - boy looked into things too much.
Jay - well, apart from a _potential pop-tart theft, he was awesome. Always up for a discussion about the government or something. The working pair of the group, Tish and Lia, were also pretty cool. Mia didn't think she'd have lasted long without Lia leading them, and Tish also helped when it came to blowing off steam. Mia couldn't always be the annoyingly charming kid in the car, after all.
And then there was Gloria; girl was a feisty nerd, just like herself. Well, when it came to sci-fi, anyhow. She was sorely lacking in fantasy, and Mia was determined to change that. For everyone in the crew, so Malcolm was not safe from her scary amount of knowledge in the books of Tolkien either, or the sassy comments that would surely follow when he stammered out a question.

Speaking of sass, it was about time Mia chimed into the conversation before someone thought something was wrong with her.
"Last thing I need is someone gettin' all concerned about me. I need to swing by a chemist or somethin' later..." She thought - and this thought was a somewhat sobering one, despite the perky comment filled with sarcasm that was stated out loud.

"Hey, I have an idea! How 'bout we all stare at the walls until we want to blow our fuckin' brains out? It's worked well enough for us so far." She suggested with a grin, looking between Gloria and Andy. "'Course, the lack of guns may make that one a bit hard, but there's always a pool outside if one of us does feel suicidal. Drownin' is a peaceful way to go, or so I've heard."

Along with the less than endearing words she uttered, Mia was thinking some things through. On their way towards the motel, she'd noticed a few pharmacies on the high street. Maybe one of them would stock insulin? She didn't even know if it was an over-the-counter thing or not, but it was worth a try. So was stealing some, but the others didn't really need to know about her plans for today. She usually popped out for a bit - either to go to the store for pop-tarts or other junk food ("BECAUSE SOME SHITLORD KEEPS EATING MY STOCK"), or to go climb trees and do some childish, imaginative shit. Because how could life be bad when a girl was pretending she was hunting Orcs or something in the woods?

---

"Looks more like a Kevin to me, Tish!"

The other girl was gone before Glo could get a reaction, and her meager smile shifted and fell as words met the back of her head. Gloria fought an exasperated sigh as the plans of playing it safe and staying in seemed to fall through. Of course she should have expected this. Teenagers were teenagers no matter the circumstances, and keeping them all in would result in a hideous case of cabin fever, spread around six bodies. She shifted through the crowd carefully, reaching for her bag again to rip her photo album from the darkness. She couldn't think, so she needed something to curb her attention, keep her thinking. Her mind rolled thoughtlessly, flipping through various plots and plans as she leafed through the glossy pages of her album. Memories from the past few weeks smiled up at her, and the warmth of positive energy warmed her fingertips and her attention returned to the others. Plots, plans, plots, plans.

Gloria knew it was dangerous to step out in a large group, but it would probably be even more thoughtless to let them rot away behind a motel door. She closed the photo album and her eyes, sighing. These weren't little kids she was dealing with, her mind whispered, everyone was old enough to care for themselves. They needed freedom; fresh air and leg room. They needed to not be in fear of being found, because that worrying thought could be responsible for killing all of them if they dwelled on it for too long.

Her head was swimming and she felt a pang of guilt and pity for poor Jay, who probably had to sit and bath in her whirring brain waves. Gloria stood again and turned to the others, hands pressing hard into her hips, so much so that she felt bruises spring from her own finger tips. The regular, slight flash of magic she felt flipped once, twice over her, and then she smiled. Her legs felt gelled already from under use, and as Jay's sudden interest in heading out to a mall or a store came into light she pointed dramatically his way and nodded. "Jay-Jay's got a good idea, and even though I said we should do something 'safe' earlier..." Her hips swiveled, and her head fell back to stare at Andy with dubious, curious eyes, "It's probably best to not keep everyone locked up in here."

The motel room seemed to groan around her words after that. Her eyes turned to the bathroom for a moment before turning to Mia, gaze hard and furious. She continued on idly, "Cabin fever is real, as evident by lovely Miss Mia over here, and some fresh air never hurt anyone." She pressed back against a wall, hands crossing over her chest casually. She let her eyes settle on Cody, and then Malcolm, taking into account each teen's way of handling life and stressful situations, remembering each bad thing that could happen if all of them stepped out into the world, and then she purred, "Of course, if some people want to stay in they're free too-- but going for a walk or some shit wouldn't be too bad." As long as we stay inconspicuous. Glo lifted a finger to point at Andy, much like a college professor who was calling on a or, unsuspecting student to answer a question, and shot him a surprisingly nervous grin. Her face was hot as she realized she had rambled on too easily.

"You got final call, though, chico. What say you?"

Andy gave a shrug, calculated to be as non-committal as possible. In truth he was itching to go outside and had been anticipating Glo objecting with the expected "it's too dangerous" and "someone will see us" responses. It wasn't often that people surprised Andy (when they did, he often perceived as a failing on his part) but this one was a very positive one. Sneaking out was one thing, especially as he'd probably get a talking to from both Lia and Glo in the evening for it, but going out with group permission? That was perfect.

"Hey, if everyone is in and you're okay with it, I'm in. I guess it means Jay can't slip off on his own as easily." As he spoke, Andy's eyes finally opened properly and his manner rapidly became less dozy. "And we can do whatever it is that Mia wants to do, she keeps glancing at the window and biting her lip." Important to remind them I'm on the ball even when I'm not, you know, on the ball.

Invigorated by the chance of seeing the sun properly, Andy leapt up and tumbled over to the cupboard. If they were going out, it was an excuse to wear something different. When you mostly live in one room and don't go out often, it's hard to find excuses to put on different a different outfit. He selected a colourful coat and a black shirt, narrowly deciding against a pair of sunglasses. They'd certainly help conceal his face but they'd also make him stick out in a crowd in January.

Spinning around to face the group with an upbeat grin, he said "Let's get going then!"