Fun and Games

[Beau LaRoux]

Beau grunted as he flung the ball at the stacks of bottles, watching as it hit them. The top bottle wobbled, jerked, and then tumbled off... but just that one. Beau sighed, rubbing at the back of his neck and listening as the guy let out a little whistle and told him "tough break, kid." Beau mumbled and waved a hand, offering a smile despite his inner turmoil.

Technically he'd been aiming to enjoy himself a little at the whole Summer Festival thing, play a few carnival games and all that. This actually meant spending some time away from Liz, which was probably something of a shock to most of the people who'd met them post-prom, as they'd practically been attached at the lip. As was to be expected, Beau's mind had been half on his girlfriend the whole time.

Only half though. A good portion of his mind was also focused on winning one of these games. He sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking around. Actually, he had a pretty good idea of how to win one, but he wasn't sure if it really counted as cheating or not. all he needed to do was find someone with a power that would help him beat one of these games. Maybe he wouldn't even use it at all, just enough to edge out whatever the carnies had done to make sure that people didn't win often enough.

Which was why Beau had started nudging toward people, trying to be nonchalant while all the while hoping that he could pick up somebody's powers. He hadn't gotten anything yet, and right now, he was just hoping that he didn't accidentally pick up someone's "I turn into a big giant lizard" powers.

Experiencing that once had been enough, thank you.

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

Walking around the fairgrounds, Erika had quickly gotten fed up with random conversations and eating cotton candy, so instead, the brunette found herself just walking aimlessly around. She was supposed to enjoy her last weeks as a free teenager, right? Well, maybe she was supposed to, but it was easier said than done. Even so, the brunette hadn't lost all hope just yet. People watching seemed to cheer her up, if even just a little.

She had quickly found her way to all the stands with various games. Watching people try and fail seemed to cheer her up, which was actually sort of ironic, but she wasn't going to delve too much into it. At least now now. Not here.

It was then she had found Beau trying to do the same thing as everyone else, and not exactly succeeding at it. She hadn't seen the power mimic for quite some time; Nor had she seen Liz, and according to what she had both seen and heard about prom, that probably wasn't too weird, all things considered. Walking over, the brunette offered the blonde a pat on the shoulder and a chuckle, "Aw, don't beat yourself up, kid," she grinned, "I'm sure you'll get them next time." Erika cast a glance towards the stalls and shook her head, "If it's any consolation, you can totally use my ability to win a prize for Liz," she mused, a mischievous smirk forming on her lips. "I think congratulations are in order?"

Really though, Erika had waited for the two of them to get together for quite some time now and it figured they needed something major like prom to actually get their asses moving. Ah well, she was happy for them. Truly happy. They made an adorable couple, and they actually made Erika believe the world wasn't all full of shit. If anyone deserved happiness it was Beau and Liz.

[Beau LaRoux]

"Hey! Of all the people to run into!" said Beau, genuinely pleasantly surprised to be looking at Erika Bellefonte. They hadn't seen much of each other lately, even missed each other at prom. Since then, well, Beau hadn't seen much of anybody who wasn't a cute blonde. Which was why he had totally started grinning, first sheepishly as Erika called him out on exactly what he'd been trying to do, then actually as she got to the congratulations part.

"Yeah, guess we finally managed to get things all..." he gestured, words obviously failing him. "Anyway, I figure I got till she figures out that it's all a mistake, so, y'know, coupla months, year at most. But hey," he grinned, nodding. "Reckon you're owed some congratulations too. Got yourself a beau of your own, only less Southern," he winked, "an' didn't I hear somethin' 'bout you gettin' a new position or somethin'? I think Liz...uh, mighta mentioned it?'

Question because, well, Beau got a little bashful whenever the name came up, mostly because her name made him think of what they'd done, or been doing, together lately, and, well, he was surprised he remembered anything. Speaking of remembering: it occurred to Beau that Erika had offered the use of her powers in fixing one of these games. If there was any power that would've been useful, it was Erika's telekinetic abilities.

"Beats turnin' into a giant lizard," mumbled Beau, looking around for a moment. Now, which game would work best with his skills and Erika's power...

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

She grinned as Beau didn't quite seem to know how to word all of it. It was cute though, and they were both, him and Liz, lucky people and she couldn't be happier for them. "Don't say that," Erika said, shaking her head, "She's crazy about you, and you know that." From the way the two of them had been staring at one another and pining for each other, it went without saying; Erika was certain the two of them would end up being one in a million. They'd get married and have loads of cute Biz babies. "A beau of my own, huh," she laughed, "Yeah, I guess you could put it like that. Of course, only less charming." Well, at least someone that didn't bash her head in for not picking Felix. That was a nice change of pace.

However, when Beau mentioned her new position, Erika frowned a little and shrugged, "Yeaaah, the family curse has stricken again," she said with a sigh, "Now I can order you guys around and tell you to stop smooching it up in the hallways though," Erika arched her eyebrow, but couldn't quite keep the grin off of her face.

Putting her hand on Beau's shoulder, Erika tapped it and pointed towards one of the stands where someone sat on a stool and if you hit the target, they got dropped under water, "How about that one? Maybe we're lucky and we get to dunk someone we don't like." Then again, there wasn't a whole lot of people Erika didn't like. Besides maybe Ellen, but that was more complicated like that. Like an off and on hate-love friendship. "Oooor," she turned around and started checking out the various stands, "That one!" she pointed towards some arrow tossing stand with really cute prizes, "I bet Liz would love that huge... whatever it is-plushie."

[Beau LaRoux]

Beau chuckled and waved off the comments about how crazy Liz was for him. The hours they'd spent wrapped up in one another more or less told him everything he needed to know about that, not to mention the whole prom thing and everything else. As far as Erika went, yeah, Beau had been a little disappointed to find that she hadn't picked Felix. He knew the other guy and was friends and all, but he hadn't talked to Felix, hadn't seen the fallout, and if anyone understood that the heart could be difficult, it was country singer Beauregard LaRoux.

'sides, it wasn't any of his business.

"Gotcha, keep the smoochin' to the room then," drawled Beau. He chuckled, fighting the urge to sigh. He wasn't entirely certain where Liz was going to go once they'd graduated; it hadn't exactly come up yet. Beau knew he'd just go right back here, start college at the Academy. He felt connected now, plus he still could use some more training with his ability. After all, he still got gobsmacked with other people's powers from time to time, and he couldn't very well afford for that sort of thing to happen outside the Academy grounds.

A touch and a tingle reminded Beau of more current plans. He nodded, looking around. Oh, he could definitely dunk someone. He'd heard that they were taking various volunteers for that, including teachers. But he did need to win something and--- "What is that thing?" he asked, squinting at the arrow tossing stand. "Is that big yellow thing shaped like a---that can't be good for children," which just proved that Beau hadn't seen the Despicable Me movies. And no, Mel, it's not a giant penis, don't even go there.

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

"Something like that," she chuckled. It was actually kind of funny, how it seemed that everyone but Liz and Beau had noticed their affection for one another; But it was also sweet. They made the perfect couple, and they were also one of those couples that made Erika believe that everything could work itself out in the end, and that there was something such as soulmates. Then again, Liz and Beau were one of those couples that seemed entirely made for one another, and it would have been a crime had they not ended up together.

If they hadn't, Erika would have grown too impatient and ended up making them see each other's feelings. Or something like that.

Blinking out of her trance, Erika turned to where Beau was looking. "Uhm," she said, a sheepish smile forming on the brunette's lips, and before allowing the boy much room to react, Erika wrapped her arm around his wrist and attempted to tug him towards it, "Come on," she cooed, "Liz would absolutely adore one of those prizes!" Then again, Liz would probably adore any kind of gift or prize; It was actually rather amusing, how easy it was to amuse the blonde girl. It was also kind of nice too; She never really took anything for granted.

[Beau LaRoux]

Beau smiled, his eyes twinkling. He couldn't help but love all the little teases that came now that he and Liz were, well, he and Liz. That it came from someone like Erika, a friend of them both, well, it made him feel even better. Plus, there was the fact that it was more or less normal, and they all definitely could use a little more normal in their lives these days.

Erika seemed to fade out for a moment while Beau located the yellow penises. She seemed to love them though, and soon Beau found himself dragged along (a not unfamiliar experience for the young man). The touch meant that he got Erika's power in full too, and he was pretty sure he'd appreciate that extra little boost. It seemed like the booth in question involved tossing darts at balloons, a skill that Beau had, admittedly, practiced a time or two in various bars.

Soon the two of them stood near the booth. The lady running it grinned, turning to Beau and almost immediately asking if he wanted to win something for his pretty girlfriend. Beau grinned at that. "Sure do, this this ain't her," he said, jerking his head toward Erika. "Though she's definitely pretty enough," Beau gave Erika a little wink before digging out his wallet. A few crinkled bills changed hands, Beau scooping them up.

"You wanna try too?" he asked, looking to Erika. "Reckon I got enough to pay for you to have a shot. Pay you back a little," he added a little knowing smile there, one that had the woman looking slightly bemused. They were hardly the first mutants she'd dealt with, after all.

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

Rolling her eyes at Beau's wink, Erika couldn't keep the bemused smirk off of her parted lips. She was used to it though; After knowing Beau for as long as she had, it was hard not to. But what she noticed the most though, was the way Beau looked and how his voice sounded when he spoke of Liz. It made Erika happy and it made her think even more that the two of them really did fit well together. They complimented one another so nicely it was almost like watching one of those sweet, old black and white movies happen right before her eyes.

Shaking her head no, Erika tapped her fingers against the counter, "I'll pass this time around," she said and offered Beau a smile, "This isn't exactly my kind of thing and I think I'll save my tries for when Trevor comes around and starts dragging me around from stand to stand," she laughed and again, rolled her eyes a little. Well, at least the younger boy knew how to pull her out from her shell, which was sorely needed these times around.

Instead, Erika turned her full attention to Beau and what he was about to do. She preferred watching, really. It offered up a lot better entertainment than her doing something herself. She wasn't quite sure why she preferred since Erika was a huge gaming fan, and had the worst attitude towards winning when it came to them. But these kinds of things? She'd never really found them fun to do. Ah well, it didn't matter.

"Make your girlfriend proud now, loverboy."

[Beau LaRoux]

"Shoulda figured he would. He'd better be treatin' you nice, else I'm gonna have to have a talk with him,' said Beau, pointing a finger at Erika, his brows raised and a tone of mock threat in his voice. The chuckle that followed took most of the sting out of the words, and soon enough he was turning to hand over the money. Money turned into darts, which Beau took with an easy familiarity. He hadn't exactly mastered them or anything, but you couldn't be in as many bars as the Southerner had without playing enough to get halfway decent. Certainly good enough to pop balloons.

"Plannin' on it," said Beau, almost swaggering with confidence. He rolled his fingers over the darts, taking a deep breath. The breath wasn't just for the darts though: he needed to focus on Erika's power to get it right. He'd used it since they'd met all that time ago, and it happened to be one that fell right into his wheelhouse. Beau swore he could almost feel the darts with his mind, getting everything ready.

He took another breath, opened his eyes, aimed, and let one fly. It popped a balloon. The Southerner grinned and his eyes went to Erika, a quick wink coming. Then his attention refocused on the game in front of him. Pop, Pop, Pop, as skill and a borrowed power made things go almost too smoothly. The carny didn't seem to mind though: they'd grown used to dealing with mutants, and it wasn't like Bellefonte didn't pay well.

"So," said Beau as he finished, having nailed every throw, "I'm still thinkin' the yellow penis lookin' fellows. You thinkin' the same?" he looked over at Erika, figuring he might as well ask a friend's opinion while one was standing right next to him.

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

"Oh, you've got nothing to worry about there," she promised. Despite Beau's obvious joking around, the gesture was greatly appreciated. It was kind of nice, knowing that she had friends backing her up and being there for her if she needed it. Not that she was worried or really though she ever had anything to worry about, because she knew for a fact that Trevor was one of the good guys and that she could trust him. She watched Beau receive the darts with a soft smile cradled on her lips. "I think you'd like him. We should do another double-date sometimes." The memories of their last double-date had the brunette's smile fading ever so slightly. Eh, it couldn't be helped though.

Nodding, Erika stepped closer, but stayed far away enough to not be of any distraction. She wasn't entirely sure how Beau's power worked, apart from the obvious anyways, but she didn't exactly want to risk him losing his shot - and Liz's prize.

However, Beau seemed to handle the task - and her ability with ease which made Erika's smile grow wider. "Good job," she said and nodded, as if approving. "Liz is going to be so happy," she chuckled. Not that she thought the girl wasn't already, because Beau happened to be a fantastic guy and Erika couldn't picture anyone treating her better than what Beau would; He was one of the better guys out there. Someone who treated ladies with respect and on top of that, he happened to be a true gentleman. A very fine specimen, indeed. And clearly, he was not the only lucky part of their duo. That much was painfully obvious.

She was truly happy for them.

Lifting her gaze to the yellow... whatever it was and grimaced, "I don't know.." she said and shook her head, "It's kind of..." What was the word she was looking for? Tactless? "What about that cute, cuddly looking panda?" she said and pointed to another prize.

[Beau LaRoux]

Nice to know that Erika had managed to find a good guy, though Beau supposed he wasn't all that surprised. He'd seen past most of those rumors and such, having spent a good deal of time with the girl and all. Erika didn't quite do as badly as everyone seemed to think she did. "Another one, eh?" said Beau, chuckling, not helping but sounding a little abashed as he did so.

He managed to win, and soon he was nodding, agreeing with Erika: Liz was going to be thrilled. Then again, it was Liz: she'd have been thrilled if he'd won one of the itty bitty little toys and brought it to her. Probably give it some kind of name... unless it was hideous, then they'd just have fun setting it on fire. So win/win, really.

"Well, it's kinda cute, don'tcha thing?" asked beau, still looking at the thing, which he supposed looked kind of like someone had slapped a pair of goggles on a yellow pill and given it overalls or something. He tilted his head one way, then the other, trying to recall where he'd seen it before. He couldn't quite shake the feeling that he had; he just couldn't put his finger on it...

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

Rolling her eyes, she swatted her hand at the southerner, "Oh stop it," she grinned. They were both aware just how badly their last double-date had ended, and it wasn't exactly something Erika wished to think about again. It was all in the past and all of that, despite the wounds still being fresh.

Maybe it had something to do with her incapability to deal with anything that was even remotely close to being personal or emotional. No, she would rather avoid it altogether, which was what made her relationship with Trevor so simple. She didn't have to deal with it. Ever.

"Well..." she began and squinted her eyes, "It kind of looks like... Well..." she attempted again and followed Beau's example, tilting her head both ways as she tried finding a word to describe the giant.... Thing. "It's..." Nope, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find the correct words to explain whatever it was she was looking at. Sure, it could possibly be cute if you liked that sort of thing, but... "The real question is rather, would Liz like it? Because I can't exactly say that despite both of being girls, I share her taste in everything, and I'm not sure how I'd feel if I had to wake up to that every morning."

[Beau LaRoux]

Wasn't the first time that Beau had heard those words in that exact tone. It brought another grin to his face, one that showed teeth. He might've continued, but the carny had coughed subtly into a hand, reminding them that they were supposed to be picking out a prize and all. Fortunately, Erika hadn't forgotten and was still studying the thing that had caught Beau's attention.

"Well, she does have kinda that quirky sense of humor an' all," replied Beau, still staring. He couldn't help but wonder if he shouldn't opt for something... safer. Like the panda? Nah, he figured that Liz would want something out there, something weird. Plus, what Erika said about waking up to it just made him grin.

"I'm thinkin' that she'd love wakin' up to it," he replied, nodding. He pointed at it, and the relieved carnie took it. "You sure you don't want me to help you all with gettin' a prize or somethin'?" he asked, turning to look at Erika. "Feel like I owe you one, what with you bein' my lucky charm an' all."

Naturally Beau had to end that with a wink.

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

"In the end, it's your prize to give away," she pointed out and gave Beau's shoulder a pat before smiling. "If you think she'll like it, you should go for it," she added. Shaking her head then at his offer, Erika simply shrugged, "It's quite alright." She wasn't too fond of these things anyways. She never really had been; It was just the same thing over and over again and after a while, it kind of got repetitive and boring. 

She wasn't going to point that out though, as she didn't want to be a party pooper.

Folding her arms in front of her, Erika pursed her lips, "So, how are you and Liz doing anyways?" She was curious and with Liz having as many friends as she did and being as busy as she was, the two of them didn't get to spend nearly as much time together as Erika would have liked. But alas, they both lived completely different lives, so it was only a natural progression. 

At least they still managed to hang out every now and then and that was more than enough.

[Beau LaRoux]

"Still, a lady gives you advice, you're obligated to at least listen," replied Beau. "Somethin' my dad always said. 'course, my ma would always add 'an' jus' do what you were gonna do anyway' to the end of it." He chuckled and took the oversized plush doll in hand. Erika didn't want one, which suited Beau just fine. He wasn't sure he could carry two of these, and he'd certainly feel obligated if Erika actually wanted one. Wasn't the sort of thing you let a lady do.

Nor did you ignore a lady's questions. "Doin' better'n ever," replied Beau airily. He adjusted his grip on the prize, sort of slinging it over his shoulder. "It's like everyone probly figured: we pretty much fit together too well. Got a lot to look forward to, what with enterin' college together an' all," plus a few other things such as performances and such, stuff that Erika probably already knew or guessed.

Beau adjusted yet again, tempted to use Erika's borrowed power to hold the thing in place. He looked about for a bit before giving it a slight mental shove, getting it oriented. "Don't suppose you'll at least let me get ya a drink or some cotton candy or somethin'? Jus' don't feel right accompanyin' a lady an' all without offerin' at the least."