An Early Mardi Gras

[bayoublues]

[That was certainly...an ordeal, alright. These trials just kept getting worse and worse as time went on. Within the span of twenty-four hours, six more people died. Four of them had been friends. And Lekmet, he--he thought--

Never mind that. Everyone else was probably hurting just as bad as he was. Last week, Kim had told Louis that he shouldn't be alone while he was sad--that sympathy probably extended to everyone else. He had to do something to help. The dead deserved a decent send off.

Well, except maybe Negaduck. But that's different.

After the trial, Louis seems to have disappeared back into his room. After a few hours, though, a messy, handwritten note is shoved under everyone's door.]



(EARLY) MARDI GRAS PARTY
-JAZZ
-DRINKS AND FOOD
-FUN AND FRIENDS
[He neglected to put the location down on the invite, but one can follow the sound of Louis's trumpet into the dining room. The place has been draped with colorful, half-finished banners--gold, purple, and green. Further down the table, a few bottles of alcohol and fruit juice have been neatly lined up next to a stack of paper cups. There's also a pasta bar set up, with individual bowls of spaghetti, pasta sauce, and Parmesan cheese. Hardly Mardi Gras food, but it's the only thing Louis knows how to make. At least there's also a plate of beignets.

Standing at the back of the room is Louis, playing trumpet like his life depends on it. His repertoire for tonight? The songs he's heard while watching humans parade through New Orleans on Mardi Gras. Songs about being carefree, about forgetting your worries, about enjoying life while it lasts.

Louis doesn't seem particularly interested in talking right now. He's not going to let people mope tonight. They deserved a good fucking party after everything, dammit, and they were going to get one.]

Comments

[hasit]

It is. Which is why I'm not telling you to knock it off.

[She leans over and nudges Molly in the shoulder.]

You make all the faces you need to, kiddo.

[doopdoll]

...Thanks. That's nice of you to let me. [Though it sours some of the rebellious fun.]

You're not like other grown ups.

[hasit]

[She chuckles, just a quiet little laugh.]

What makes you say that?

[doopdoll]

Most of them are dumb, and just tell lies.

But you seem pretty okay.

[hasit]

I try my best not to tell lies.

[She gives Molly a sly little wink.]

'Pretty okay.' Y'know, I'll take it.

[doopdoll]

It's a pretty big deal. I don't even think the X-Men are okay, and everyone loves them. [except anti-mutant jerks but we don't talk about them.]

[hasit]

The 'X-Men,' huh? What is that, some kind of...guerrilla resistance group?

[doopdoll]

They're a group of mutant superheroes- but most of them are actually huge jerks. They have a room that makes unicorns, though, and that's pretty good.

[hasit]

...Oh. Well, that's certainly something.

[There's so much to dissect in that sentence. Wow.]

Someone told me that you, ah...went after Kit while I was asleep last week.

[doopdoll]

[Uh oh. Now she looks like a guilty kid.]

...Yeah. I really didn't mean to hit him as hard as I did. But I couldn't let him get away with hurting nice ladies! [Even if it meant being banned from Cinderella's Castle for life.]

[hasit]

[Despite herself, Leia chuckles.]

That's alright. I think he more than learned his lesson. And...well, from what I hear, everyone was a little on edge while I was out.

[doopdoll]

Yeah. It wasn't a super great time. I'll try and hit lighter, next time. [because that's the moral of the story, here.]

[hasit]

That's the most I can ask. [She hitches her chin toward the girl.] Where'd you learn to hit like that, anyway?

[doopdoll]

That? I taught myself. As long as you're strong enough, it doesn't matter how you hit.

[hasit]

I know a few people who'd be inclined to disagree. Haven't you ever hurt yourself, hitting the wrong way? Catching your knuckles on something?

[doopdoll]

My body doesn't really let things catch. I'm not exactly human. [please don't be a weird mutant hater]

I got hit with a shovel once and broke the shovel.

[hasit]

Oh. Oh.

[Leia pauses, taking this in for a moment.]

Molly, that's incredible.

[doopdoll]

Yeah, I know, I'm a fre-- [Wait-- that wasn't what she was expecting to hear.]

Do you really think so?!

[hasit]

[That half a word coming out of Molly's mouth makes Leia's heart twinge. No kid should ever expect to hear that, especially not from an adult.]

Of course I do. When I was your age the most I could do was dig my heels in and throw a fit if someone tried to get me to do something I didn't want to do. Let alone throw 'em across the room.

[doopdoll]

I'm really good at throwing 'em across the room! If you ever need someone thrown, just let me know!

[hasit]

...Oh, well. If the need ever arises, I know exactly who to ask.

[Bless her little heart???]