xp_logs | Topaz and Molly || Christmas Shopping (Backdated)

Molly and Topaz brave the mall to go Christmas shopping. Backdated to December 18.

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year was playing for the fifth time since they had entered the mall, and Topaz was now humming along quietly as she wandered up and down the aisles of the store she and Molly had ducked into for shopping. She never knew what to get anyone for Christmas - she mostly just picked up random knick-knacks, examined them, then put them down again.

Molly was on the other side off the aisle eyeing colorful socks with toes, and makeup sets. Occasionally she would glance over at Topaz with a mysterious grin before moving on to the next cool thing, which at this moment was....

"Dude, a sword necklace! A necklace MADE of swords!"

She had missed all this kind of stuff while she was in Asgard. It mostly felt like the Lord of the Rings if they had like..gotten together with Star Trek to make a weird baby.

But she also missed the excitement too. She hadn't really gotten to do much since she'd gotten back except for fight fish people. When she was there she was always doing stuff.

Molly, Tandy, Hope, Amanda, Kurt... Topaz was once again going over in her head who she had to shop for when she heard Molly's excited exclamation. "That sounds uncomfortable," she said dryly as she went to look at the source of Molly's excitement. "One of them turns the wrong way and..."

She mimed a sword cutting into her throat.

Molly laughed. "It's not made of REAL swords," she said, making her way over and holding up her find. The tiny swords clanked together with a sound like jingle bells.

"Besides, not like they could hurt me," she added quietly with a grin and an eyebrow wag.

"If they were real swords that'd be a lawsuit waiting to happen." Topaz laughed at the eyebrow wag, though. She was almost grateful when It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year ended...then groaned when it went to Jingle Bells. Again. "God someone change the CD. You gonna get that?"

Holding the necklace up higher, Molly looked awfully tempted, then finally dropped her arm and sighed, making a face. "I'm supposed to be shopping for people that are not me, though. So I only have money for that stuff. Maybe after Christmas," she said hopefully, putting the necklace back.

She glanced around. "I'm trying to find something like....elegant, for Miss Frost the second and Wanda. What do you think? Like maybe....jewelry? Or a scarf or something?"

Topaz waited until Molly had turned away before quickly grabbing the necklace and tucking it into her basket. It wasn't the most creative present, but she wasn't the most creative person. And she knew Molly would like it.

"I don't really know Wanda that well," Topaz admitted, casting a look around the store. "Usually on the journals she's talking about alcohol. Ms. Frost definitely seems like a jewelry person though."

Molly picked up bottle of lotion. "Yeah....like...diamonds or something. But I can't really afford that. I've been saving up my allowance for like....ever, when I'm not buying electronic parts but everything's so expensive. It'd be so cool if we could trade, y'know? Like here....I have this goat, and I'll trade you for your pretty diamond necklace," she said. She opened the bottle and sniffed it. Her eyes popped out of her head, her nose curling before she quickly closed the bottle and put it back.

"Wanda's cool though. She's helping tutor me in history so I can get my GED. I'm taking the test in January," she said. Because a 19 year old who hadn't graduated high school yet was not good. So yeah, she kinda had an excuse, but still.

Topaz wrinkled her nose - she could smell the lotion even from where she was standing. "My shopping list's gotten a bit shorter since last year," she said, making little effort to hide the bitterness in her tone. Molly was one of the few people she could be honest around and she took advantage of that. She shook it off a few moments later though. "Still, makes it easier to shop."

She picked up a necklace, examining it. Definitely something Hope would like, she decided after a minute, tucking it into the basket. "Yeah? If you need help studyin' I'm around."

Molly grinned. "Sure! That'd be great! I'm hoping to get the scores back really soon so I can apply maybe in the summer or the fall. I'm thinking ESU maybe. They have an awesome engineering program, y'know?" she said, then peered down at a pair of red sunglasses she'd picked up.

"Still can't believe it's only been a year for you guys," she said quietly. For her it'd been three, so it made it a little easier, but not by much.

"Feels like longer sometimes," Topaz muttered. This had, without a doubt, been one of the longest years of her life. And that was saying something.

Again she shook it off, though, grabbing up a little unicorn figurine like she actually thought she had someone to buy for who would like it. "ESU, huh? A lot of people at the mansion have gone there, you'd be in good company."

Molly tilted her head. "Really? Like who?" she said, picking up a Captain America T-shirt.

"I was kinda thinking MIT but if I want to be an X-Person I figured I should stay here."

"Amanda's sister goes there." She put the unicorn back down in favor of finding something a little more reasonable and not ridiculous. "And I think Mr. Gibney did too. I'm sure there are others, it's close enough to be convenient." Which was one of the reasons she hadn't applied to it. She wanted away from the mansion.

Topaz made a face, looking back at Molly. "You still wanna do that, huh?"

Molly held up her fists. "Dude, I'm a fighter. I kick people's asses! And I can't really do that if I got a job at like...Bed, Bath, and Beyond. And SHIELD's kinda not friendly to people who go supah strong lifty punchy punchy. Besides, the X-People help people. And I like that," she said, shrugging as she tossed the Captain america t-shirt into her cart.

"Who's Amanda's sister?"

"Fair enough." It was what Molly wanted, and Topaz wasn't going to put it down. Even if the idea of possibly losing another friend to that team made her feel a little sick.

"Meggan Szardos. Kind of short - not that I can talk - blonde, short hair...?"

Molly blinked. "Oh yeah! She was my roommate the first time. I thought she had another sister though...." she said, then made another face.

"I need coffee. I didn't sleep very well cause I was up working on my motorcycle again until...." she squinted.

"I can't remember but the sun was kinda starting to rise? I'm trying to get this problem figured out in the thermocouple...It keeps thinking the booster is overheating and shutting it off."

"Welcome to the insomniacs club," Topaz said dryly, picking up a hair piece and turning it over. It looked like the kind of thing Tandy would like. "We meet once a month at three a.m. and you get a t-shirt."

Molly perked up for a moment, then squinted and laughed. "Aw man 3 am meetings would be kinda fun. Like we could play cards and stuff!" she said, then glanced around at the rest of the store

"I dunno what to get Clint. I'm not old enough to buy something alcoholic or probably even weapons. Maybe a giftcard for Chinese food?"

"We usually watch movies but we can incorporate games. We're flexible." She thought Topaz was kidding, that was funny part.

"If you did want to go with alcohol, I can help with that," she offered. The fake ID didn't get as much use as it had before she'd left, but it still existed.

Molly shook her head, waving her hand away. "Nah. I kinda wanna get him something cool he can keep, y'know?" she said. Her eyes widened

"Ooh, what about a fancy bracer....y'know, an arm guard? For his arrows? It's not TECHNICALLY a weapon."

She tilted her head, then grinned. "Dude, you serious about the 3 am meetings?"

"That might be good. He seems like a person who goes through accessories a lot."

A small smirk pulled at Topaz's lips. "Well I don't know if they're really meetings. It's mostly me and Tandy sitting in the rec room or one of our suites and watching movies because we can't sleep."

Molly nodded thoughtfully. "If y'can't sleep why not do fun things? I usually kinda just read boring books until I fall asleep if I can't," she said, shrugging, then smirked.

"And I bet Clint does go through a lot of stuff."

"Well if you ever want company." Topaz shrugged, picking up another trinket. "Even if Tandy's not up I usually am." The insomnia had gotten...better. Mostly. She was back to her normal up too late not enough sleep schedule instead of just not sleeping at all. That was something.

"Yeah, maybe. I don't know him that well to be honest."

Tapping her chin, Molly eyed the back of the store....or rather, tried to by standing up on her tiptoes to peer over the aisle so it was more of a symbolic gesture.

"I know he likes booze and science and shark week. That's totally enough to go on. Mostly," she said with a giggle.

"And that'd be awesome to hang out. Sometimes...." Her grin disappeared to one of contemplation.

"I wake up and think I'm back in Asgard and I can't find my sword and that kinda freaks me out."

If Topaz had been anyone else she would've offered a hug, or some kind of comfort - any comfort. But that wasn't what she was good at. She never had been. "Well if you need company and we're not in the rec room, you can check my suite. Won't say no to three a.m. company." It was...amazingly lonely, living alone. Apparently she'd gotten used to having a roommate.

Molly smiled. "Totally," she said, then added casually with a shrug and a glance over her shoulder.

"Tandy's my roommate anyway so...backatcha if ya wanted t'come by our suite too for like...y'know...cookies. Which I may or may not have a stash hidden under my bed at all times. But don't tell Ty. He can like...fit ten in his mouth at a time."

Topaz blinked at that. "What, seriously? What did they teach you in Asgard?"

Tilting her head, Molly looked confused. "Huh? What do you mean? About like...food or in general or...?" she said.

"Food. How do you eat ten cookies at once?" Topaz faintly registered that It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year was starting again, and rolled her eyes. "Jesus, change the CD already. Come on, let's finish up before the music drives us mad."

"How do you NOT eat ten cookies at once? That is the question...." Molly said sagely. "Because cookies are delicious. That's how."

She grinned at Topaz, not much minding the music herself, but went along with the other girl, quietly humming the tune under her breath.