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Today was the day!! 

America was so incredibly excited!! She’d already done a livestream earlier with some of her followers, telling them that she was about to do a multiversal photo shoot extravaganza! It was different from her usual content, where she jumped off of buildings and went to junk yards to see how big a car she could throw. Ordinarily this was the sort of thing Kate would arrange - she was the branding expert for the Young Avengers - but doing this with Danni and Andy? So fun!! She was on her fifth ice coffee and raring to go, having thrown just about every piece of clothing she owned into a set of five suitcases. She had some nice pieces, too - things Kate had purchased for her. 

Eli was excited too - but for a different reason. The photo shoot aspect was a fun idea, he just wasn’t as interested in that sort of thing. No, he was much more keen on spending time with Danni and Andy. He hadn’t known either of them very long, but Andy was now dating one of his best friends, and Danni had quickly wormed his way into Eli’s heart. He’d packed a single suitcase with options matching Danni’s requests, and slung over his shoulder was a garment bag containing his tux.

“Let’s fucking goooooooo!!!” America squealed, dressed in a denim jacket, matching jeans, and a red, white, and blue star hoodie. She punched a hole in the multiverse, and dragged Eli on through to one of her favorite in between points - a universe where unicorns were the dominant ruling species - before punching again, a portal opening to a quiet street in New Orleans - the very street where Andy and Danni lived. 

America and Eli hopped on through, Eli dressed in a black cargo jacket, V neck shirt, and jeans. 

“We’re here!!!!” America shouted, bouncing up and down. Eli had pulled out his phone to text in the group chat that they’d arrived. “¡Apúrate!”

Danni blasted music in his room, the oldie Funk Rave blasting in his room. He didn't know Spanish but he loved the club vibe and that was enough. He picked outfit after outfit and tossed it caringly into the bags the parents had brought to their post-win goodie round up. If he was going to multiversal travel, he wanted as many hands free as possible! Now, he'd only thrown out a winter wonderland photoshoot but they'd had the brilliant idea of a beach shoot too and Danni nearly caught fire he was so excited. On that note, he grabbed sunscreen and threw it into the bag as well. He frowned as he considered his swimsuit options - he had soooo many and he wasn't certain which one would look best, especially in other universes. Danni hopped back and forth with indecision and threw his hands up. 

[color=E948FC]“I guess I just gotta brin’ one of every style.”[/color] Danni sighed. If he was like Uncle Harry, then he could wear them all. He grabbed a speedo and top combo, clown fish themed in color, a pair of gray cherry blossom swim trunks, and a black one piece swimsuit with pink stripes down the side. [color=E948FC] “Ugh, but what if t'ose styles don't vibe wit’ t'e dimension? Uuuugh, I'll just grab a few more styles…”[/color] A few more turned into a lot more and half Danni's closet ended up in the bag before he was finally satisfied. 

[color=E948FC]“Ugh, do you t'ink t'at's enough?”[/color] 

[color=b71d5d]”Is your bag specially expanded so you can fit everything?”[/color] Andy's own bag was a duffel, more than she would have brought if she hadn't had a list from Danni including everything she should pack. In most cases she had outfits that were several of the required ones just shifted around. She did not have enough clothes to have multiples sets of anything.

[color=E948FC]“Hm? Oh, yeah. I mean, it's gotta ‘ave a limit, but its got a ‘ealt'y stretch. It can't fit [i]everyt'in’[/i]; ot’erwise, I'd just bring everyt'in’, ya know?”[/color] Danni hoisted the bag over his shoulder, pressed a kiss to Amélie's head, and scooted her over to Dee's room for playtime with Amour. He shrieked as he heard America shout outside and took the stairs two at a time, slammed the door open, and threw himself at Eli. [color=E948FC]“Omg, I'm so excited!!!! I ‘ave so many ideas and poses and- Eeeeeewk!”[/color] Danni shrieked and giggled. 

[color=E948FC]“Okay, so which one we wanna do first? Winter? Punk/goth? Letterman? I t'ink we should ‘ave t'e beach last so we can ‘angout and swim! I wanna play in t'e water!”[/color]  

Andy laughed and followed Danni. He definitely had enough packed, at least in her mind. She felt like she had packed too much but putting together something “formal” was a bit difficult. 

[color=b71d5d]”Let's do winter, so we have time to warm up and don't do a temperature jump.”[/color]

Eli laughed slightly at Danni’s tackle, gripping him firmly and spinning him around, so that way Danni’s legs dragged in the air. He then set him down gently. “That sounds good to me, I figure this is your show, Danni. I’m here to take direction.”

“Winter…. Hmm… Hmm… Oh! Oh oh oh!! I know EXACTLY the place!!” America squealed, jumping up and down for a moment. “I haven’t been there in ages, but it’s one of those universes where everything is permanently a single season - so it’s always cute and wintery year round, and they build most of their houses and all out of ice. Lots of furs and hot chocolate and igloos - you’ll love it!” she preened. She then leaned back and threw out a punch, shattering a hole in the fabric of space-time in the French Quarter. She then hesitated, glancing over at the house. “It’s just me, Mr. Gray!” she shouted out, just in case the resident sorcerer caught wind of her antics. 

“¡Sigume!”


Danni hooped through the portal, landing in the snowy multiverse. 

Andy, bag slung over her shoulder, gave America a quick kiss on the cheek and jumped through. She was excited about this. Andy could live without the picture taking, but she figured it would still be fun. Hanging out with Danni often was. The world on the other side was beautiful. She gasped, taking it all in. Andy giggled a little. 

This wasn’t Andy’s first time traveling to another universe. Technically it was her third. That she was aware of. The second had been during the Contest. Thank goodness America had brought them back before the pain of the broken leg made her pass out. 

[color=b71d5d]”This place is gorgeous!”[/color] 

Danni leapt through the portal without a second thought, hitting the ground on the other side and staring around with wide, sparkling eyes as he took everything in. [color=E948FC]“T'is is so ‘eckin’ cool! It's so pretty and t'e ice is beautiful! I ‘ave soooo many ideas!!! I gotta go t'rough your stuff and see if we got t'e right colors but even if we don't I can probs make it work. We def got t'e potential and Andy's electricity will make some super cool shots possible t'at we couldn't-”[/color] Danni shivered violently. 

[color=E948FC]“It's so coooooold. I didn't t'ink ‘bout t'aaaat!”[/color] Danni whined as he wrapped his arms around himself. [color=E948FC] “Eliiiiii, ‘ow am- Oh wait, I got fire!”[/color] Danni snapped his fingers, trying to conjure a few orbs of warmth, but he missed and a spark instead bounced off his shivering fingertips and onto the icy road they stood on before vanishing. [color=E948FC] “Okay, nope, gotcha. Do you think they'll get grumpy if I get changed ‘ere? I gotta snow outfit but its in my bag.”[/color] 

The universe was as beautiful as it was cold. An aurora borealis lit up the sky, dancing greens and blues and purples dotted with tiny pinpricks of starlight. The buildings and dwellings were carefully constructed of pink and blue ice, with ornate carvings of runes adorning them. What lighting the borealis could not provide was given by eternal flames, softly glowing from braziers that had been affixed near every home and gathering site. The snow was crisp as it crunched underneath their feet, with well-worn paths showing where others had come before, compacted ice peaking out beneath the footprints. 

“Clothes are free in most universes, so if we don’t have what we need, we can get it!” America affirmed. She giggled slightly as Andy gave her a kiss on the side of the cheek, and nuzzled her nose against her girlfriend’s. “After the photos, we need to have a snowman building competition!! Did you know it’s an Olympic Sport in like [i]every[/i] world except for ours? Ours is so lame sometimes! Ugh! So we definitely need to do it!!”

Eli’s teeth were chattering, and he stared at Danni blankly for a moment. He was about to remind him that [i]he[/i] was the pyro here, the one who had bragged about how warm he ran, when Danni figured it out for himself. “Any c-chance you wanna try to flame on again?” he asked, rubbing his hands on his arms for added warmth. 

“Oh! Yeah! That should be totally fine. Your world has a lot of hang ups about nudity, tbh. So go for it!”

Andy trusted America would know. She had only seen two universes, well more than that but two she had spent time in. Both had been fairly similar so she wasn't sure how true what America said. But at least if they did get arrested for public nudity it would be as a group. She was not getting naked right now though. She added layers quickly.

[color=b71d5d]”This place is way colder than any other place I've been before.”[/color] Andy shivered. Even a winter in Colorado and two in upstate New York didn't match this chill. 

[color=b71d5d]”You know Danni I mostly own black clothes so I don't know if I even have the colors you might want.”[/color] Her teeth shattered a bit as she dug out a thick winter coat. And she was thankful for it.

Danni felt the chill getting into his bones and one, two, three more snaps all failed miserably. He could feel his face heat up with embarrassment as the embers just wouldn't take. It was an easy trick, a few bits of fire just to keep the worst of the cold at bay, and he couldn't even manage that. His whole thing was fire. He normally couldn't get the fire to relax and it typically rolled with his mood but now that American, Andy, and Eli needed it? He couldn't pull it out of his pocket. 

[color=E948FC]“Um, uh, I g-guess I ca-can't?”[/color] Danni muttered, eyes on the ground as he mimicked Eli. He'd probably start crying if he wasn't afraid it would freeze on his face. Or worse, freeze his eyes shut! [color=E948FC]“May-maybe it's just a li-little too cold. Lemme get changed and t'en I'll t-t-try again.”[/color] And it was. The appeal of this place was quickly disappearing as he shook, no fire and not dressed properly, and he quickly dug into his bag, pulling out this and that. He passed them to Andy to hold. 

[color=E948FC] “Don't worry! I got t'at covered! You're pretty consistent wit’ your fits so I figured! I brought some stuff ta give ya a little pop when we need t'em but you make all t'at stuff look good so you won't need much.”[/color] Danni said as he stripped off his shirt and tossed it back into the bag. He shivered and grabbed the orange, long sleeve turtle neck he'd brought and wiggled into it, quickly stripping his pants and pulling on the light fleece pants he'd brought. Finally, he shrugged on his [url=https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/019b7b87-eaab-770b-94e3-03da5f9ac265.webp]Winter Coat[/url] and wrapped the equally colorful scarf around his neck. All comfy for the weather, Danni tried for another spark and watched as the cold snatched it from his fingers. He blinked and stared at his hand for a long, cold moment. 

Andy laughed. Danni had her number alright. She had pulled out a simple black puffy jacket, now she pulled this assault of colors on too. The double jacket felt like she was a puff ball but hey she was warmer this way. She also had an assortment of gloves and pulled out a pair too. These didn't have metal in them like her fighting pair. She used to wear them all the time but didn't anymore.

[color=b71d5d]”Thank you, Danni”[/color]

America bit her lip, worried for a moment. “It’s not too cold, right?” She’d started going through her suitcases, pulling out different puffy coats, before selecting one that was a soft grey, with small blue stars itched into the patterns. She put it on and immediately felt better, pairing it with an adorable pair of fuzzy earmuffs, and fur lined snow boots. “If it’s too cold, I can take us somewhere else - it won’t be as pretty for the photos but it’ll be pretty good! Or maybe - or maybe we just try to do this one pretty fast, before we go to the beach to warm up?” she offered. 

Eli was shaking like a leaf, as he dug through his bag for his heaviest winter coat - he was holding the bag with his suit in his other hand, not wanting to let it drag on the ground and get wet. “Th-th-th-this is f-f-f-f-fine.” He didn’t care if his look was particularly fashionable, as he shoved a fur lined aviator hat onto his head, struggled into a pair of snow pants and a black ski jacket, swapped his shoes out for snow boots, and then put on gloves to keep his fingers from getting frostbite. His shield he strapped to his back - he didn’t want to feel how cold the metal had become in these conditions. 

[color=E948FC]“No, no, no. We're gettin’ pictures ‘ere even if it kills us!”[/color] Danni declared, rubbing his hands together to build up a little heat. He focused on the building warmth and pulled his hands apart, a handful of embers flaring outwards and growing into softball sized flames that swirled around in a lazy circle. [color=E948FC]“T'ere we go! Now, before I go boltin’ off… Anyone t'ink t'at t'e city's melt if we explore a bit before photos?”[/color]

Andy shrugged. [color=b71d5d]”I doubt it. My understanding of how Igloos work says probably not.”[/color] Andy had never built a proper igloo, but the basic understanding of the science behind them was something she had learned. She definitely wanted to explore. It would be insane to not explore a whole other universe when given the opportunity. 

“M-m-maybe we can exp-plore a cup of hot ch-chocolate,” Eli whimpered, as he stood as close to the flames as he could without setting himself on fire.

“Yeah!! Let’s go!!!” America did a small flip in the air, before reaching down and taking Eli’s and Andy’s hand - and without a moment’s notice, she launched them into the air, flying them towards the town. “Last one there’s a rotten egg, Danni!!!” 

[color=E948FC]“‘ey! T'at's cheatin’!”[/color] Danni shouted, a blast of fire under his feet and he was roaring off towards the town. It was a pretty sight, firelight softened as it bounced between the serene buildings, but Danni agreed with Eli , They needed a hot chocolate infusion stat! He laughed with the rush that the cloud air whipping around him brought, the familiar swopping feeling in his stomach making him giddy, and he caught up to America with ease. [color=E948FC]“I see why ya needed t'e ‘ead start.[/color] Danni shouted over the wind and then blasted off again, doing a barrel roll into a back flip, before hitting the ground with practiced ease. He stuck his tongue out at America and whipped out his phone, taking a quick victory selfie. His cheeks were all flushed with the cold and the wind and the excitement and Danni nodded his approval. Cute AF. 

[color=E948FC]“Okay okay, okay. T'is ‘as a little ice sign wit’ a cup on it so I figured t'is is a good place for drunk?”[/color] Danni pointed above, a round shaped cup with rolling steam carved above the door in the middle of the runes. [color=E948FC]“T'at or its poison if we're goin’ by cartoon logic and I really wanna believe its somet'in’ yummy.”[/color]

Andy typically kept both feet on the ground. This was terrifying and exhilarating. She screamed, but the scream of someone on a roller coaster. Hopefully it didn't disturb the locals. 

When they landed she placed her hands on her knees to catch her breath for a moment before kissing America lightly. [color=b71d5d]”A warning next time please.”[/color] Andy didn't consider herself an adrenaline junky, but maybe she'd have to give it a bit of a go after this. 

[color=b71d5d]”Hopefully they have a warmer climate somewhere on this planet so they have coffee and chocolate beans. Maybe they have a good mocha.”[/color]

America wasn’t one for a light kiss. She let go of Eli’s hand, and wrapped her arms securely around Andy, before dipping her into a more passionate embrace. When she pulled away, she held her gaze for a moment, before giggling like mad. “Wanna go again, Danni? This time without me hauling dead weight?”

“Hey!” Eli protested. 

America winked at her girlfriend. “His shield weighs like a million gazillion pounds, it’s soooo annoying. I don’t get how people are throwing them around like frisbees, gotta hurt your wrist or something you know?”

Eli wasn’t going to engage with his argument - not again. He’d made that mistake before. And ordinarily he would have been a little more cautious about entering a place they had no idea about, but he was pretty sure what hair remained on his head was about to fall off, along with his ears, lips, and nose from the bitter chill. So he took the lead, heading into the establishment, and pausing for one second to look back at Danni. “That was cool as shit, man,” he added with a grin. “Maybe next time you carry me instead of ‘Merica - felt like my arm was going to be pulled out of its socket.”

Danni rolled his eyes at Andy and America's display and followed Eli in, offering a sympathetic noise. [color=E948FC]“Aw, poor Eli. Want me ta kiss it better?”[/color] Danni offered making obnoxious kissing noises to mock the pair behind them. 

“Yes, that might help,” Eli said with a slight eye roll - even as he clinged a little closer to Danni.

Danni laughed and obliged, pressing a kiss to Eli's shoulder. [color=E948FC]“But, uh, we can def try. Again, please note t'e exceptional noodle-ness of my arms so if I drop you, I'm blamin’ your shield.”[/color] Danni laughed, winding their arms together and rushing to get out of the cold. 

The inside of the shop was cozy, a little short but wide and roomy. Lanterns hung from the edges of the room that cast flickering light across the tables. Made of the same purplish blue material, they were covered in a fine red tablecloth and a few people were scattered around. Behind the counter, an older woman with grey frizzled hair and thick heavy glasses pattered between long metal tubes. What seemed to be a menu was carved up behind her and she served drinks from the tubes in cute wooden cups. The scent of chocolate and pomegranate filled the air and periodically, a vent opened in the room and warm air hissed out. The woman looked up as the door opened, a whisper of a bell echoing around the room, and smiled at their appearance. 

“Oh deary me, another set of lost ones, eh? Well, you all settle right over there and I'll be right over.  Anyone hurt this time or just the usual bumps and bruises?” She pointed to a table in the corner and grabbed cups. She scooped out a strange little paste into them with a flat spatula and then shoved them into the tubes, pulling a nearby lever that caused the tubes toto hiss and shriek. 

Andy blushed, enjoying the deep kiss from America. She returned it with enthusiasm. And giggled as she was set back on her feet upright. 

Entering the shop made her almost freeze in place. It seemed almost like a magical alchemist shop instead of a coffee shop. She was only slightly aware of the dangers a magical shop could offer. She hadn't been one for fantasy stories. But she was nervous about the place. Like she had been of Agatha. At least this time she didn't have her mother in town. She looked to America hoping her previous travels to this place would guide them. 

America didn’t recognize this person at all. She’d been to this universe before, and loved this location, but it had been ages. “Nah, no one’s hurt!” She kicked up into the air, flying over the table before sliding into the chair. “Wait, actually, no one is hurt, right?” she glanced around at her traveling companions. She was more durable than the rest of them, and it occurred to her she might have been talking out of her ass. 

Eli scanned the room for a moment, taking his surroundings in. He was surprised by how different the people here looked - like they too were made of ice or crystal. But at the same time - it was just a really aesthetic coffee shop. Nothing to worry too much about. He offered Andy and Danni a compassionate smile - traveling to other universes was hard at first, before pulling out a chair for both of them at the table. “‘Merica, do you have money to pay for this?” he asked. 

America shrugged her shoulders. “Food’s free in most universes.”

[color=E948FC]“Nah, we're all good! We popped in on over real easy.”[/color] Danni replied before seeing Eli pulled chairs out for them and he felt his face flushed a little before skipping over a settling in. [color=E948FC]“T'anks, Eli. So what we drinkin’? What's all t'is writin’ mean? Or like, what language is it? Do you know? Waaait, pictures! Ah, t'e camera!”[/color] Danni pulled out his camera bag from the bag of holding, popping it open and starting to assemble it. 

The lady pulled the cups out soon enough, steam hissing out of the pipes as she placed them on a tray, and bustled out from behind the counter. She plopped one in front of each of them and laughed at the sight of Danni's camera stuff strewn around. “You Vagrants and your toys. I swear, always something new. If you all need help finding your aurora foils, let me know and I'll see if Gokthil is hanging around. You just relax and drink for now and you'll be back in the sky in no time.” Danni snatched up the cup and sniffed at it, nose wiggling as he took a careful sip. He beamed and sipped a little more. 

[color=E948FC]“It's so good! It's like chocolate and pomegranate and passion fruit, but like dark, dark chocolate!”[/color] Danni took a heavy sip, the liquid staining his top lip. 

Andy sat down next to America. The idea that food in most places was free was astonishing and she hoped it was true here. She wished it was true in her home universe too. That at least made her feel like this was likely a place of safety. 

[color=b71d5d]”Aurora foils?”[/color] Andy asked, eyebrows raised. The comment about being back up in the sky made her think it was some sort of conveyance method. She hoped it was and that they could get their hands on at least one to try out if she was right. Andy sipped the drink and was impressed. She did hope it contained some caffeine too. But for now she wrapped her hands around the cup. 

America let out an excited scream. “AURORA FOILS!!!” She then paused, seeing the looks some of the other patrons shot at her. “... aurora foils…” she whispered, her cup immediately forgotten in front of her. “Okay, so there’s this movie that Billy showed me, because he was low key thirsting over some guy in it - wait, actually, no, sorry, that’s not this movie. It’s the other one. But he probably liked the guys in it too. So. Have you seen [i]Treasure Planet[/i]? Aurora foils are kinda like that - you skateboard in the fucking sky, basically! The light becomes your pipe, basically. I have some videos of me doing it on my Snikt, it’s what I usually come here to do.”

Eli took a long sip of his drink - it was nice, nicer than most beverages he was served on their adventures. They didn’t always include a pitstop in a cafe, so he savored the moment, letting the liquid warm him up from the inside out. He let out a soft exhale, a bit of fog coming from his breath - it wasn’t as cold as it was outside in here, but it was still freezing. “Do you know who Gokthil is?” he asked. 

America shook her head. “Nah. But that’s not an issue, the lady said she’d help. And think of how sick this would be for the photoshoot! Hmm. We might want to find someone to take the pictures for us…”

Andy’s jaw dropped. [color=b71d5d]”You’ve seen [i]Treasure Planet,[/i] that was one of my comfort movies when I was little. I loved it. Oh we have to get our hands on a few of those. I need to try.”[/color] Andy had never gone skateboarding before, but she was confident in her balance and general proprioception. 

“Are you not some of the vagabonds from across the Lip?” The lady asked, growing more confused as their conversation continued. 

[color=E948FC]“No, we're from anot'er universe, just doin’ photoshoots and ‘an'in’ out!”[/color] Danni explained excitedly, having returned to setting up the camera. With a soft click, the lenses popped into place and Danni held it up at America and Eli. [color=E948FC]“Say cheese!!!”[/color] 

“Oh dear. I'd better call a medic as well. They're delusional.” The woman sighed and busted away across the room. 

“Cheese!!” America grinned, flashing a peace sign. 

Eli smiled, throwing an arm around America. 

Once the photo was done, the two of them relaxed. “Pffft. If I had a piece of cheese for every time someone called me delusional…” America sighed, before chugging her drink. She half-slammed the mug back down onto the table. “Oh my god that’s fucking good. Some universes have the worst food - there’s a bunch where, like, they don’t season [i]anything[/i]. Total nightmare fuel. But this one has the best bevvies. And we are abso-fucking-lutely going Aurora Foiling!! I’ll warn you though, I look hot as shit when I’m doing tricks on my board.”

“As hot as HotShot here?” Eli joked. 

“Maybe!” 

Andy hummed and looked at America appreciatively. [color=b71d5d]”I definitely think we need to do this sky surfing thing.”[/color] She wiggled her eyebrows to be silly.

[color=b71d5d]”We can possibly ask a local to help with the camera as we do this.”[/color]

Danni took several photos in quick succession, tongue poking out as he reviewed and deleted a few. [color=E948FC]“Aw, you t'ink I'm ‘ot? I knew I liked you!”[/color] Danni blew a kiss at Eli and took a long drink from the drink. [color=E948FC]“Where do we even get t'e equip for it? I'm so fuckin’ ‘yped! And t'e best part is even if we bite it, we can fly and save each ot'er!”[/color] Danni blinked and put a little alarm on his phone, reminding him to send some photos to Ben and call him to tell him about it! 

Eli exchanged a look with Andy with the [i]we can fly and say each other[/i] comment. That required both Danni and America to be focused and attentive enough to notice if he and Andy needed help - required the two individuals who were walking poster children for ADHD to pay attention. He’d heal from a bad fall, though - probably. His super soldier serum wasn’t top of the line, but it got the job done. Andy however didn’t strike him as nearly as durable. 

“You make fire, that’s pretty hot,” Eli replied with a chuckle. “And your name is [i]HotShot[/i]. How’d you come up with that, by the way? Did you pick it or did someone else get it? I’ve been wanting to change mine, but Patriot is unfortunately stuck at this point,” he sighed slightly. 

“I’ll go ask for that Grimly person or whatever their name was, brb!” America leapt up, launching herself in the air again over the table, as she then skipped happily over to the waitress. “Hola!! Can you help us find Gizmo so we can get some foils?”

Andy rolled her eyes, sharing a flat look with Eli. She figured there was a small chance if she fell one of the others would notice in time to catch her. 

When America stood up to go find Gokthil, Andy finished her drink quickly. She wasn't super excited about the cold. But the extreme sport sounded like fun. Maybe this place had some safety measures in place. Or she would just stay as low as possible. 

[color=b71d5d]”You do remember I can't fly. I usually keep my feet firmly on the ground.”[/color] She bumped Danni softly. 

[color=E948FC]“Oh yeah, def! I worked t'rough a few before I settled on t'at. I was gunna be Salamander, Inferno, Pyro Shot, Pyro Boy, Perfect Blaze, but ‘otShot ‘ad t'e right vibe in t'e end. And ‘ey, Patriots paints a good picture of whatcha stand for, but I'm ‘appy ta ‘elp if ya wanna change names! Its your identity, do whatcha want wit’ it!”[/color] Danni reassured Eli eagerly, waving as America rushed away. He laughed at Andy's comment. [color=E948FC] “Yeah, ‘course I know! T'at's what ‘merica and me are for! T'at catch ya if you fall!”[/color] Danni beamed and then snapped a quick photo of her. 

“Pyro Boy? Would you have changed it to Pyro Man?” Patriot asked, a bit curious. He did smile slightly as Danni said his name painted a good picture of what he stood for - and maybe he did. But there were more and more times lately where he felt conflicted about it, where he wondered about staking his entire identity on a nation’s pride. 

“Oh, he'll be here in a moment deary. You just-” The bell rang and a gruff old man stomped in, heavy clothing over a hunched, heavy frame. “There he is! Gothkil, over here!” She waved at him.

“Bah, how you always find these vagrants, I don't know. Why you tolerate them and pamper them, even more confusing.” He muttered as he stomped over, snow tracks left behind. He stared down at America with beady, mistrustful eyes. “So, where's your kit? Can't haul it outta the snow if I don't know where you crashed.”

America paused for a moment. The right thing to do would be to be honest with Gizmo and tell him that they didn’t have foils at all. But that wasn’t how they got free Aurora foils to use. “Uh, we crashed, like, a mile that way!” she pointed in a random direction. Hopefully there were some random foils people had abandoned there. “They’re kinda crashed in deep, is there any way we could, like, get some loaners while you dig them out? We don’t wanna miss the, uh, peak shredding time.” She then flashed double peace signs at him, hoping she seemed hip and cool. 

Andy shifted quickly as she realized Danni was about to snap a photo of her, she went from the pouty face she was making to a smile, holding up her empty cup. There weren’t a ton of photos of her, but now that she had them to look back at, it felt nice to know there would be mementos of her now. Once the camera went down from taking the shot she stuck out her tongue.
 
[color=b71d5d]”You better.”[/color] She looked over to where America was trying to convince the guy to lend them foils for the day. She wondered briefly how someone could bounce between worlds like America did. It was a good thing she was so friendly.  

Gothkil sighed. “This is how you idiots die. Just keep your feet on the damned ground.” He grumbled, stopping back across the room. “The few who crashed didn't make it. Was going to ask you to take ‘em back anyways. Peak shredding season, unbelievable.” He pulled open the door and waved for America to follow. 

“You sure you don't want a medic deary? Your… colorful friend seems a little lost.” The woman offered again. 

Danni hummed thoughtfully. [color=E948FC] “Eh, probably? But t'e word man makes me feel wierd, ya know? Like, people put a lotta weight and expections behind it and it kinda makes my skin crawl so tbh, probably wouldn't ‘ave gone wit’ boy either.”[/color] Danni shrugged. [Color=E948FC] “Gender is dumb. I just wanna look cute, kick butt, and ‘an’ out wit’ all t'e people I love.”[/color]

Eli looked at Danni thoughtfully for a moment. He realized how often he used [i]man[/i] and a bit of guilt hit him. He’d make an effort going forward not to use that with Danni - or [i]bro[/i] either. Maybe [i]fam[/i] could work? “Are there pronouns you want me to use for you, babe?” He wasn’t sure how that felt either. Some of his friends used [i]babe[/i] for each other. “Any terms of endearment you like?” 

“Guys, c‘mon!!! Gilear is gonna help us out!!” America shouted, waving her arms wildly to get everyone’s attention. “We’re gonna miss peak shredding season!!!”

Andy laughed, stood up, and placed her empty cup on the table. She turned to the woman and smiled. [color=b71d5d]”Thank you for your hospitality. The drink was delicious.”[/color] She bounced over to America, wrapping her arm around her. 

[color=b71d5d]”I’ve never done skating or anything like this, you’re going to have to help me learn.”[/color] She whispered.  

America paused for a moment, before nodding. “I’ve got you, babes, no need to stress,” she reassured Andy, before pressing a kiss to the side of her face. “Just follow my lead,” she added with a flirtatious wink. 

Danni rested his head on Eli's shoulder, looking up at him with warm adoration. [color=E948FC] “Eh, I don't t'ink ‘bout it t'at ‘ard. If you come wit’ good vibes, I'm ‘appy, ya know? I'm real easy ta please, don't go stressin’ you're pretty face. You'll get wrinkles.”[/color] Danni giggled and bopped Eli on the nose, a quick hug turning into a yank as Danni hopped to his feet and quickly slammed all his things back into his bag, threw back the last of his drink like a shot, choked as he realized it was half a cup, and leaned on Eli as he wheezed. [color=E948FC] “Omg, my life flashed before my eyes.”[/color] Danni wheezed out. 

Eli shook his head fondly. “Uh huh. Next thing I know you’re going to get me onto a skin care routine, aren’t you?” he complained. “I think wrinkles look kinda hot, though, not gonna lie. Proof that I was around for a minute, y’know? So many people don’t get to go old so… I’m excited that I get to. Or I hope that I get to.”

Gathkil watched the disaster train that the strangers were, huffed in irritation, and stomped out of the building. In the middle of the road, a six legged beast with snow white fur and four pairs of horns along the center of its skull stood attached to a heavy stone cart. Two metal poles sat in the back. “Here they are. You'll hafta see if they still open up or if the last impact broke em. Up on Shira's Spire's the best launch point for ‘em. I'll go scrounge out your foils in the meantime. Just don't leave them behind.” He gestured at a tall spire just behind the opposite end of town, hoisted the poles out, and tossed them both at America. 

The poles offered a variety of runes carved into them, with the one nearest the top clearly able to depress. 

“Thanks, Gilligan!!” America preened, as she caught the poles. “I hope it doesn’t take too long for you to find our stuff!!” She then handed a pole to her companions, and studied it for a moment. She didn’t really remember how this worked. But there was a button and she knew that buttons were meant to be pressed… so she pressed it. 

Andy had given a concerned look to Danni when he drank way too much of his drink at one time. She was a little worried he had half drowned himself. But he was breathing and talking. He couldn’t be that hurt then. 

There were two poles. That meant they’d have to share or take turns. That was alright as far as Andy was concerned. If they shared she could be on one of the foils with America and wouldn’t be worried about falling. If they took turns then that meant the two who could fly unassisted would [i]hopefully[/i] be paying attention when the pair of them who couldn’t fell. 

She watched as America took one of the poles and waited to see how these things operated. She did not realize that America did not remember how to operate the foil. Andy had faith that someone as well traveled through the multiverse as America was, would [i]know[/i] these sort of things. 

Long spindles popped out from the sides of the rods and then an ethereal rainbow energy filled the space between them to create a semisolid board. Two smaller spikes popped out of the bottom of one side like foils and the whole thing hummed softly. One rune glowed a pale red, indicating it wasn't close enough to an aurora to operate. 

[color=E948FC] “We def ‘ave v. diff takes on t'at but don't worry. I'll keep ya nice and smoot’ so at least ya age like wine and not cheese! ‘cause you're not bouncin’ on me anytime soon!”[/color] Danni reassured Eli as they walked outside. He lit up at the pretty board, passing his hand through the lights and giggling at the tickling sensation. [color=E948FC] “I love t'is. I've ‘ad t'is for less t'an a day but if anyt'in’ ‘appened ta t'is, I would cry. T'is t'in’ tickles!”[/color] Danni tilted his head very confused. 

[color=E948FC]“But, ‘ow do you fly wit’ t'is? You can't even stand on it.”[/color]

[color=b71d5d]“Might be one of those things where you have to leap off a cliff for it to activate fully?”[/color] Andy dearly hoped not. If it was, she was [i]not[/i] participating. 

America clicked her tongue for a moment, trying to remember. There was something about the red rune. Something important. Something… “OH!” America screamed. “We need to be close to an aurora, come on!!” she then took the board with one hand, and Andy with the other, and kicked off into the sky. “Last one to the aurora is a rotten egg!!!!!”

Eli was too mesmerized by the board to be annoyed by America’s antics. He’d never quite seen anything like it, either. And as Danni mentioned that it tickled, he started passing his own hand through it, twitching slightly at the strange sensation. “Well… We racing up after them, HotShot?” he asked, mentally preparing himself for Danni to try to fly both of them on up there - although… “[i]Can[/i] you lift me?” he asked, a little concerned. America had super strength. Danni did not. 

Andy gave a little yelp of surprise, and then latched onto America. She had no desire to be dropped. This wasn’t as bad as leaping off a cliff she supposed, but only marginally so. Andy did not close her eyes though. She let the rush of adrenaline wash over her. It was exciting. It was thrilling. 

Danni sized Eli up and down, hands on his hip as he considered it. [color=E948FC] “Yeah, you are a big boi. I don't… Yeah know what, t'e ‘eck wit’ it!”[/color] Danni couched down, gesturing for him to get on Danni's back. Danni let out a little grunt of exertion and he felt his knees protest. Danni's lack of super strength was never more apparent than now. [color=E948FC] “Okay! Everyone on t'e Danni train! Next stop, t'e moutnain!’[/color] Danni 
Felt fire catch but he barely moved so he took a deep breath, careful to avoid burning Eli, and pushed. Danni gingerly took to the sky, getting a little faster bit by bit until finally, he dropped and let Eli down. His knees trembled a little. 

[color=E948FC]“See? No-not a problem!”[/color] Danni held up a victory sign, panting hard. The runes on the foil had fully lit up, the rainbow colored energy solidifying. The board tugged towards the aurora in America's hand.

Eli clapped Danni on the back, shaking his head. “This is why you gotta start lifting, fam - I get it, you wanna zip around and everything, but flyers get asked to carry people all the time. Do you drink protein shakes? Lemme get you some recommendations, we can add a little meat to your HotShot,” he offered. 

“ISN’T THIS THE COOLEST SHIT YOU’VE EVER DONE???” America screeched, deploying the board this time as she and Andy reached the aurora. “I HOPE YOU LIKE GOING UPSIDE DOWN, WE’RE GONNA FUCKING SHRED!”

Danni's nose wrinkled at the mention of protein shakes. [color=E948FC]“T'ey're grooooooss. I don't like t'em. T'ey're all powdery and iffy, ya know?”[/color] Danni sighed, hoisting the other rod and clicking the same button. It popped out and formed. Danni offered it to Eli. [color=E948FC] “Go first! I gotta get t'e equip set up for photos!”[/color] 

Andy was white knuckle holding onto America. She screamed, but it was the scream of someone enjoying a roller coaster. 

[color=b71d5d]”LET’S DO IT!”[/COLOR] she yelled back. Andy spared a little attention to the aurora, it was a beautiful display of light. If Danni was going to be taking pictures of them zooming around like this, those would be fantastic pictures.

Eli hesitated for a moment. He never loved leaving someone behind to set up for photos. It felt mean and inconsiderate - he’d been asked to do it a few times, and there were moments where he’d looked at all his friends having fun without him, and a bit of jealousy would strike. But they only had one foil between the two of them. “You sure?” he asked. “I don’t mind waiting - we can go together.” If he insisted, though, he’d go on ahead. 

“LOOK AT THOSE LOWERS, SO FUCKING SLOOOOW!!!” America taunted, riding out the waves of the aurora lights, shredding back and forth like it was a half pipe. “ELI, DANNI, GET YOUR ASSES UP HERE! ¡¡¡¡Apúrate!!!!/ BEFORE WE RUN OUT OF LIGHT!!!! CAN WE RUN OUT OF LIGHT?? FUCK! WE SHOULD HAVE AAAAASKED!”

Danni whooped along with America, his things forgotten for a moment, and bopped Eli on the nose. [color=E948FC]“Go ahead! ‘ave fun! I can catch up wit’ you whenever I want. I'm not real strong, but I'm quick in t'e air! Just don't be surprised when I pop on wit'cha!”[/color] Danni reassured him. There was definitely a time Danni would have freaked out about being left behind but… This semester settled something about him with his friends. He didn't always feel like if he wasn't the focus, he'd be left behind. They'd gone through death, villains, the contest, and relationship troubles (yes, his siblings giving up his precious time to their partners counted thank you!) and Danni felt a little more settled in his skin. Danni blew a kiss at Eli and shooed him up into the air, the tripod coming out and the camera following, Danni snapping a few shots as he had the opportunity. 

Andy was laughing. [color=b71d5d]”OH MY GOD! I thought you had been here before!”[/color] Andy’s eyes were dry, but somehow tears were coming out the sides, she squeezed them tight. But the sensation of flying around without seeing was worse. 

“I HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE!”

If asked later Andy couldn’t have said exactly what happened, but she lost her grip. It was in the middle of a flip or a swoop. And she fell. Tumbled right off the small platform. Her scream followed her all the way to the ground. 

The fall [i]should[/i] have hurt, should have killed her even if she landed wrong. But it didn’t. She blinked. 

[color=b71d5d]”I’m fine!”[/color] She yelled and waved. 

America dove down after her, all too used to her squishy friends insisting that they were fine when they were anything but. The foil lost the ability to glide as she got too far from the aurora, but that was fine, as she flew down under her own power. “Holy shit, you actually [i]are[/i] fine? I thought you were lying to save face, and we were about to have a teary moment where I have to rush you to a hospital or something - def not one back home, fuck paying for healthcare, there’s one universe I almost exclusively go to for injuries but… yay! You’re okay!” America beamed, before offering Andy a hand up. 

Andy took America’s hand and used it to help pull herself up to her feet. [color=b71d5d]”Thanks.”[/color] She dusted herself off and checked for any pain or injuries. There was nothing. Wild. 

Eli blinked for a moment, the spike of adrenaline causing his heart to pound as Andy fell - and then got right back up, as if nothing had happened. Cool, cool, cool. He hadn’t known she was durable. But that made sense. She’d gone toe to toe with America in the contest, durability was an asset there. He just hadn’t known she had that power. He took a breath, before smiling at the others, and launched himself and his foil up off into the sky, a scream of bewilderment and joy escaping him as he defied gravity. 

“It’s meeeeeeeeeeee!” he sang to himself. 

When it happened, Danni had just finished setting up the tripod with the little remote clicker in his pocket. He'd been half a second away from heading up himself when he jumped out of his skin and watched as Andy plummeted to the ground, America in hot pursuit. He caught fire, one foot already in the air, when Andy popped out of the snow, totally fine so instead he turned his camera at them and snapped a handful of shots he'd send them later. Danni laughed as Eli took to the sky and a few snap shots later, followed suit. 

Danni loved flying, feeling free and uncovered by whatever happened beneath them. The rush of air in his face, battling the crosswinds that kicked up and sent him spiraling sometimes, the brief drop in his stomach as he hit the peak before a dive - as energetic as his everyday life was, mastering this aspect of his power gave him access to an entirely new world and he genuinely feel alive in the sky. He laughed and flew loose swirls around Eli in all directions, sometimes turning off his flames just to experience the free fall and hit it again barely twenty feet off the ground. Danni followed the skaters through the sky, clicking shots periodically as they passed the camera.

Andy had gotten back on the device and back into the air. She still felt the thrill, but she was digesting what had happened. That fall, it was too far. She didn’t know exactly how far she had fallen, but looking down, even at the lowest point of their flight, she knew it was too far. She let it go, for now, and focused on having fun with America and Danni and Eli. She enjoyed not being afraid. Enjoyed the moment. 

The four spent another hour in this universe, delighting in the lights and skating along the aurora. They came back windbitten and a little dizzy from the altitude, but the flush on their cheeks matched the laughter and the easy way they leaned against each other breathlessly. However, Danni had his eye on the prize. He’d planned four more outfit changes, four more universes, before they found their way home: Championship jackets, Goth & Punk, Formal, and Beach Day! He’d demanded beach day last of all so that they could relax, have fun, and warm up before heading back to their universe. 

Championship jackets came next, a universe experiencing an autumn like season with leaves made of synthetic light and beings who shimmered a little more than the four were used to. Danni walked them through pose after pose: Back to back, jacket swaps between Andy and America and Eli and Danni, Andy and Danni balancing on America and Eli’s shoulders, and several more before they were off to the next. 

Formal and Goth & Punk settled into the same universe, a night time world where the moon glowed on its own accord and no stars broke the dreary darkness. It was a dangerous and feral place, but what civilization flourished found itself sheltered in a glass like material that they built their cities from and their fauna glowed in the perpetual gloom. Danni dressed the four in their nicest formal wear - America in a formal jumpsuit that left her shoulders bare and swept down into a long, flowing piece, Andy in a shorter dress, leaving her collarbone and shoulders revealed, Eli in a well pressed suit, and Danni in a split fabric suit with shoulder pads - and had them pose and preen for his camera: Young Avengers dancing with each other, Excelsior dancing with each other, a swap, America dipping Andy, and Danni and Eli pressing kisses to America and Andy's hands. Danni swapped the theme after and America hunted down a club they could sneak into, the flickering, ethereal lights set against the night sky a striking contrast. Danni’d done up America and Eli’s make up - heavy blacks, purples, and blues to match with their outfits of torn black jeans, a sleeveless mesh studded shirt for Eli and a black tank top with metal studs following the neckline, and a pair of studded fingerless gloves for Eli and Andy’s jacket held artfully over one shoulder by America. Meanwhile, Danni shoved himself and Andy into artful black outfits, more formal than their punk counterparts, with understated oxblood makeup. Their photos reflected the difference: America and Eli depicting violent, feral bodyguards to a haughtier, more reserved Excelsior. 

And finally, Danni’s favorite set - the beach! Although discovered and fleeing the dimension as quickly as possible, they found themselves on a faint purple beach with greener water than back home. America and Danni took no time at all swapping into swimsuits, the pair looping Andy into begging, pleading, screaming for Eli to dress in the matching speedo America had slipped into his bag. The first photo was the four of them - Eli and Danni in matching orange and white speedos, America in a bikini with a mesh cover up, and Andy in boardshorts and a bikini top - before the next series was an impromptu volleyball game where flying had to be banned after the first round that Danni and America were on the same team, Eli popping out of the water, America cannonballing from sixty feet in the air, Andy splashing someone off screen, and the four of them playing chicken with Andy on America’s shoulders and Danni on Eli’s. 

When the four finally made it back home, the sun was nearly beneath the horizon in New Orleans and Danni and Andy collapsed into their respective beds, exhausted.