Molly and Hope: It's a plane, it a comet, it's a... Mollybird!

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It's a plane, it a comet, it's a... Mollybird!

With a bit of shiver Hope pulled her coat tighter around her. The winter must  be there with the chilly wind and the gunmetal grey sky. She was just about to hurry into the house to get some hot tea when she spied a bright red something with white pompons attached to it tearing through the trees.

"Hello?" Hope stepped a little closer to the treeline. "Is anyone there?" A thought suddenly occurred to her as she grinned and called out once more. "Molly? Is that you?"

"Nope," a voice replied after a moment from higher up in the tree. "Just us birds. Er...tweet? Tweet tweet?"

Another grin stole over Hope's face as she moved below the tree and looked up. "My my, I did not know that they had birds that large. Or with such interesting coloring."

"I'm a special Mollybird. Tweet. Tweet," Molly said, peeking out from behind some branches. She peered down at Hope.

"Mollybirds eat jellybeans and drink chocolate milk. Do you have one of those?"

"I am afraid not." Searching through her bag for a moment, she found the chocolate bar she had tucked away that morning. "However, I do some chocolate if you would like some?" Luckily it had been some milk chocolate she had grabbed that morning and not the very dark chocolate Hope usually favored. A rustling started up as Molly climbed down the branches, then hooked her legs over one of the sturdier ones and hung down in front of Hope.

"That's probably a bad idea," she said thoughtfully. "But I like it."

"What? You having chocolate?" Hope unwrapped the bar and broke off a small piece, popping it in her mouth. A few moments later, she broke off another piece and held it out to Molly. "Chocolate and bad ideas don't go together in one sentence." 

"Hmm," Molly said, reaching out after a moment to take the chocolate. "This is true." "The teachers said I should lay off the chocolate, though, in class cause it makes me hyper." She made a face. "I broke a desk once cause I got too excited."

Trying to take a nibble of the chocolate while upside down proved interesting as Molly tried a few times to get the chocolate her hand to her mouth but was unsuccessful. By then the blood was rushing to her head as well so she hung there with a perplexed, slightly frustrated frown.

"Perhaps it's time this bird lands on it's feet for a bit?" Hope suggested trying to stifle her giggles, knowing it might come across as laughing at the younger girl. "And he, the school day is almost over. I am sure things will go well. And don't you have Mr. Gibney for last hour? He once told a story about him being unable to sit still during school."

Molly bit her lip sheepishly. "His class was the one I broke the desk in."

She lifted herself back up to be sitting on the branch instead of dangling, though she thought about just falling cause sometimes she bounced and that was kinda fun.

"Did he ever tell you about him being all bouncy? If not, perhaps you should ask him?" Hope suggested with a wink as she handed over another small piece of chocolate.

"Him bouncy?" Molly echoed curiously. "Why does he do that? Is it part of his powers?"

She could picture him using them to bounce around like Kurt, or an acrobat, punching guys in the face.

"I do not think he really bounces around like a bouncy ball, but he did mention he had a hard time sitting still during class." Hope clarified. "Oh," Molly said, a little disappointed because bouncy ball powers sounded fun. She gladly took the chocolate, nibbling on it so she could enjoy it more cause chocolate was awesome.

"What power would you want if you could have it that's like....not yours?"

"Power that is not mine? Hmmm, that is a very good question." Hope leaned against a branch as she considered it. "I think it would be really neat to fly. I can hover when I ghost out, but really flying would be amazing. How about you?"

Molly took another bite of her chocolate, taking the time to think about it. "I like punching things. I...kinda don't want anything else."

"Not even flying?" Hope titled her head curiously and giving in to an impulse, she asked: "What do you like so much about punching things?"

"I'm afraid of heights," Molly admitted with a frown. "Well, really high heights. Even if it won't hurt I still don't like 'em..."

She finished off her chocolate. "I like punching things cause you can save people with it...fight bad guys...get into things that you couldn't...lift things...It's really helpful, y'know?"

"That would be really useful if you are fighting bad guys, yeah." Hope paused suddenly, then stared at Molly. "You are so going to be the X-men when you are old enough, aren't you?" She had to blink at the picture of Molly in black leather.

Molly grinned broadly and proudly. "Yep. I wish they'd let me do it now but I'm not old enough, even if I fought all sorts of bad guys already," she said. She tilted her head at the funny look on her face.

"What?"

"It's a little hard to picture you in black leather, Molly. I would see you much more in something they'd wear in the comics." Hope explained. "With lots of color."

"Oh, I'd make my own costume, of course," Molly said. She tilted her head. "If they let me, though. I used to call them bikers...the black leather is kinda....bikery."

"I am guessing the black is good for stealth or something? Bright colors would be very noticeable when you have to sneak up on someone."

Molly curled her nose, shrugging. "I guess," she admitted. Older her wore black in the scary world; she just preferred brighter colors. They were...funner.

"Already know what you want to call yourself?" Hope shivered a little and rubbed her hands together. "And it amazes me you don't get chilled out here."

"Princess Powerful!" Molly blurted almost immediately. "Though if I get older I guess I could be Queen Powerful but that doesn't rhyme so maybe...Queen Quite Smash Smash?"  She made another face. "I'm working on it."

As far as Hope's observation about it being cold, Molly touched her own shoulders and found them freezing. "Huh, I didn't notice."

"I think Princess Powerful sounds much better. You can still be a princess when you have grown up." Hope finished the last bit of chocolate and saw Molly had also finished. "How about we head inside and find something warm to drink? I am sure there is tea or hot chocolate somewhere."

"But I wanna be a queen. Queens rule," Molly said with a grin. "I dunno, I might change it when I get older." She nodded. "Hot chocolate please! With whipped cream?"

"Haven't had enough chocolate yet?" Hope teased gently with a smile. "I think there should be some in the kitchen and otherwise I know Maddie and I have some in our suite. Even some whipped cream."

"There's never enough chocolate! Come on!" Molly said, reaching for her hand.

"Alright. Alright. I am coming." Hope let herself be pulled along, a rare full grin covering her face. "And I'd say we need to peek in the kitchen anyway. Perhaps there are some pastries around?"

"Pastries? Oooh, like donuts?" Molly said, charging up the embankment toward the mansion. She LOVED donuts!

"If Mr. Wilson has been around, I am sure there will be." Hope paused a moment at that. "Or not?"

"Huh?" Molly said, confused.

"I think you always call him Wade?"

"Wademan," Molly said with a quick nod. "But you said there would not be donuts if he wasn't around? Why not?"

"I think he likes donuts a lot, so he often brings them with him. Otherwise we might be out of them?" Hope explained as she walked along the younger girl. "There might be something else though."

"Oh," Molly said, nodding. He'd been busy a lot lately so she hadn't gotten to see him in awhile. "Maybe if there aren't any there could be cookies? I met Miss Dane made something!"  She always made the good food.

"I am sure there will be." Hope pulled open the front door and let the younger girl step into the warm mansion, before following herself.