[Fallen_Snow]

Longshot quickly made up an excuse. "No thanks! I can climb; I love climbin'. I do it all the time at home." He quickly reached for a low branch and threw his feet up onto the trunk, then used the branch to pull himself up. Laying flat on it for a second, he looked down at Minty. "You want a hand, or are you gonna float again?" he asked, throwing a hand down to sway, waiting for her to grab his.

Rena looked around the small clearing. It had gone so fast that she wouldn't have recognized Minty's little escapade back there, but Snowy had informed her to take no chances, as it was a child psychic and a very imaginative nine-year-old superhero. She figured that it'd be a good idea to follow them there. But where could they have gone? She stayed silent, knowing that they'd be antsy to move if they didn't know where she was. She sat down and pulled a BLT wrapped in foil from her bag, and munched quietly on it.

[Freezair]

"I'll hover, thanks," she said. Taking special care to move very slowly, she took her rather sticky hand off her forehead and balanced herself on a pink psychic cloud. Swallowing, she bounced on the ball up into the trees, aiming for a low branch. She wrapped her arm around, pulled herself up, and bounced again up to the next branch. She looked impatiently at Longshot.

"I hope we're hidden up here..." she said worriedly. She still sat on her bright, almost luminescent-pink hover ball, of course. She wanted to have it on hand in case she slipped and fell--she didn't want to hurt herself more. Even if it was making her more visible...

[25]

[Fallen_Snow]

"We won't be if you keep up that cloud-thing." Longshot retorted, staring at it. He was both interested and mad at the cloud. It was making them noticable, but it was so pretty! He wanted to touch it, but he was afraid of what Minty(or the cloud- he didn't know about psychic stuff!) would do if he did. He swallowed, and turned his head away.

Rena was becoming worried- her strategy always worked. Did Longshot realize the trick? She couldn't remember if he had before. She looked around and got up, one long fingernail pressed up to her teeth. "Longshot?" she called out to the quiet forest. She frowned, and then started to tromp in a random direction.

Then a pink flutter caught her eye.

[Freezair]

"S-s-sorry!" Minty stuttered. She had just begun to realize herself that her glowing, psychic energy bubble was a little noticable. But what to do about it? If she fell, she would need it!

She tried to move down to a lower, "safer" branch, the leaves rustling as she moved. They were backlit by the shimmering psychic energy field. She looked nervously out the branches.

She gasped smally. "I think I see her coming!" she hissed.

[26]

[Fallen_Snow]

Rena squinted hard, but she couldn't see the pink. At least, from the angle where she was standing. "Longshot? Minty?" she called, slightly afraid. What if it was some Blossom colored pet that didn't like intruders in it's territory? Then what would she do? She looked about; and found that it was too loud to be any pet's territory. Besides, the park was still partly visible from where she stood. Then what could it be?

Longshot held his breath until his lungs hurt. He exhaled slowly, but it broke into a quiet wheeze as Rena's head turned toward them. "Ohnoohnoohno. Mintywehavetogosomewhereelse." he was hyperventilating as quietly as he could(which wasn't that quiet) and looked to Minty for advice. "It's your turn to be the superhero!" he whisper-yelled.

[Freezair]

"But I already tried to take us someplace else, and I got us hurt!" She took a deep breath. "But... if you want me to... I could take us hovering again, and we could try an Olley-Olley-Oxen-Free. Then Rena wouldn't be able to get us ever! And you saw how fast I could go. But... what if we crash again?"

Almost subconciously, her hand went up to the now-crusty wound on her head. She brushed away a trickle of dried blood. "I'm not gonna do nothin' unless you tell me it's OK, Longshot..."

[27]

[Fallen_Snow]

Longshot's eyes were drawn up to her cut, and just then his palms began to throb in the spots where he'd cut them up. "I don't know about hovering..." he said uneasily. He wasn't sure if he was over the first time. Just then, Rena called their names again. Longshot flinched; her voice was closer. "Alright- let's go!" he said. Pulling an Olley-Olley-Oxen-Free was the best chance they had to win. And Longshot didn't want to stop playing now, Rena would surely take him and Minty home if she saw how cut up they were. He grabbed her hand(the free one) and tried not to look nervous. "I trust ya, buddy." he said to her, smiling and hoping that he didn't get too cut up this time if anything bad happened.

Rena was beginning to get impaitient. Why had she agreed to play this stupid game again? She looked around, her nose wrinkled in irritation. "Minty! Longshot!" she called louder. She pulled out her iTouch and shoved the buds into her ears. Immeadiatley she was submerged in Aerosmith's Dream On. Continuing her search, she strode through a few more bushes. She was pretty sure that Longshot couldn't climb trees...

[Freezair]

((Every tiiiiiime I looook in the mirroooorrr
All the liiiiines on my face gettin' clearerrrr
The past is gooooooone, yeah~

Erm, right. This is RP, not Karaoke Night.  ))

"OK," Minty nodded nervously. "Here--we--GO!"

Minty leaned back deeply into her psychic hover ball and launched them forward, bouncing out of the tree. This time, however, their descent was more controlled. Pushed by a breeze, they drifted groundward, skimming slowly over the tops of bushes toward the bench where they'd first started.

"OLLEY-OLLEY-OXEN-FREE!" Minty cried out over the playground. Several kids turned their heads toward them to look, and at least one pumped his fist to cheer them on. Even if he wasn't playing, he <i>knew</i> how important the Olley-Oxen-Free was.

Minty squeezed Longshot's hand with one and held her psychic energy close with the other. "We're almost there! I hope Rena doesn't catch us..."

[28]

[Fallen_Snow]

"HOLY-!" Rena jumped back as about four yards or so away Minty and Longshot popped out of a tree(I really should pay more attention to this kid, Rena thought to herself) and shout "OLLEY-OLLEY-OXEN-FREE!" and went speeding for where the game began- the bench. Rena only had half of an idea of what was happening. So, she decided that running after them was her only option- beating them would be fun, too. "I'm gonna catch you!" she called out. Just then the songs changed, and an old one popped on from the first Pokemon Movie. Rena sung along with it- it was very persuading. "C'mon, catch me if cannnn~!"

Longshot smiling as his short but shaggy hair was blasted back with the quick wind that was formed as they went speeding for the bench. He called out to the world with Minty "OLLEY-OLLEY-OXEN-FREE!" and smiled as she said "We're almost there!" This had to be the best day of his life- he hadn't had this much fun since Speck showed up and he got to learn about him.

[Freezair]

((Ooooo-ooo-ooh, come on try to caaatch me
Oooo-ooo-oooh, catch me if you can (can't catch me)
Oooo-ooo-oooh, come on try to catch me...))

"WE'RE GONNA DO IT!" Minty cheered. "WE'RE GONNA DO IT GONNA DO IT GONNA--"

Minty's ball hit the ground and bounced slightly, but the two stayed on top. Minty closed her eyes partially and focused; they swung toward the bench. Minty stuck out one of her clean hands and tagged the bench, shouting for all the playground to hear:

"HOME FREEEEEEE!"

The bubble dissolved harmlessly, and she fell with a gentle wuff on her rump. She was upright, but didn't stay that way for long. She fell face down laughing, torn between trying to hug Longshot and falling apart with her own giggles.

[29]

[Fallen_Snow]

"HOME FREEEE!" Longshot joined in the cry, excited by the rush of just going by the power of psychic energy. "WowMintythatwassocool!" he shouted as he also fell to his bottom -but then getting up- jumping up and down and panting- lucain instinct, of course. "Thatwassoawesomeandandand-" he took a quick breath, then blasted out "COOOOL!" and fell down giggling with Minty. His arms went around his stomach with tight joy, as his diaphram was contracting wildly with the spasms of laughter(my, does that sound painful!). "I love hide and seek." he finally breathed out as he sat up, his giggles subsiding. He got up and stuck a hand out to Minty, ready to help her up. Just then, Rena reached the bench.

She collapsed down, palms hitting her knees and holding her up. "You- two- are- crazy!" she wheezed, smiling. "And- certain- ly- have mo- more energy th- than me." She breathed deep, waiting for their reactions.

[Freezair]

Minty pulled herself up and grinned at Rena. "Your turn! Your turn! You hide now!" Of course, to prevent Rena from noticing her wounds, she put her hand over the dark, dirty line on her forehead, trying to grin benignly. No matter what Longshot said, she was still somewhat frightened. Even if it was for her own good, she couldn't quite get over her apprehension of the doctor's.

[30]

[Fallen_Snow]

Rena eyed Minty suspciously. "What's on your forehead?" she asked, moving slowly. She wanted to push away Minty's hand, as she could see that her hands were randomly spotted with blood. "Did you get cut, Minty?" she asked, her voice rising in pitch. She looked to Longshot. "Did you get scratched up too?" she asked, louder this time.

Longshot froze, a look of horror on his face. It was fine if Minty went to the doctor and had to get stitched up. But him? Wait just one minute! "No." he lied point blank to her, and smiled half-heartedly, hoping she believed him. But he knew that she probably wouldn't. He figured he might as well try.

[Freezair]

Minty swallowed. "Um. Promise not to be angry, Rena..." She knew that when adults gave you That Look, you did what they told you to do. Disobeying That Look was worse than getting in trouble--they didn't get angry, they got disappointed in you after That Look.

She pulled her hand down, revealing the browning dark line across her forehead. "I fell in some bushes..." she admitted. "And it got scratched. My knees'll be OK, but Longshot says my forehead looks bad..."

[31]

[Fallen_Snow]

Rena took in a small, sharp breath. "Oh-kay... bushes, huh? Well, it's not that bad." she said to her, half lying. It didn't look that bad, but when kids heard not that bad, they either think they're in the clear or they're gonna die. And she could say it out loud right now(which she wouldn't or risk losing her paitient in the jungle-gym only a few feet away), Minty would need stitches. She stepped to Minty and gingerly reached out and held her chin up so she could get an idea if it was serious enough to disturb their play. "Hmmm... Longshot, sweetie? You wanna pull out that box of band-aids in my bag, hun?"

Longshot winced as she called him sweetie and hun. Never did she call him those names unless it's something serious.

Uh-oh.

He nodded slowly and went to her bag, which she had dropped in the shock of seeing the extent of Minty's cut. He stuck his hand in and made a determined face, his tongue sticking out of his mouth slightly, rummaging through the bag in search of the light cardboard box. Finally, his ring and pinky finger brushed it. "Got it." he called up to her, standing up straight and handing her the box. "Make sure the ones you use are neon pink- that's her favorite." he said to her, recalling their earlier conversation. "And I want a few too, for my cuts on my hands." he said, stretching his palms out in her face. The small scabs cracked and blood welled up. Rena shook the box and a few band-aids came out. "I don't like orange!" Longshot whined as he got a green, two blue and orange. "Lemme trade it for blue." Rena gave him a disapproving look. "Please?" he added. She let out an exasperated 'ughhhh' and shoved the box into his hands. "And give me the band-aids for Minty, please. I need three."
"Three neon pink, Rena." he corrected.
"Don't push it."