Break from being Bound: Nico diAngelo

[basic_powers]

The door opens from the closet, into the living room of a rather modest corner apartment. A worn and well-used couch has been made up into a makeshift bed with pillows. The coffee table has a few comicbooks scattered over it's surface, along with the small TV and two video game systems. Two bikes lean against the wall and one can just see the island counter for the kitchen through the corner of their eye.

"Mi casa, it isn't much, but you can hang out for a few days." 'Beauford' says, edging around his temporary tenant. "Bathroom is right down here, and my room is right across from it."

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[basic_powers]

And suffice to say, the conversation is mostly about the food, since right after those appetizers, comes the pizza, with shrimp and mussels and lots of good cheese.

So the hour passes, and since the pizza is a large one, Beauford asks for a to-go box. Tonight's leftovers are going to be tomorrow's breakfast.

"Now for the main event...it's another couple of blocks, but the blacklight mini golf awaits."

[the_ghostking]

Mmmmm. Leftovers.

Nico has pretty good experience with leftovers; it happens to be a staple of his earlier childhood. (Well, the bits of it that he remembers.)

By now Nico has cheered up considerably, partially reverting back to his regular old ten-year-old self. Maybe all he needed was a break away from the dark problems and family issues he'd been dealing with at home.

Maybe Milliways was exactly what he needed.

In any case, he wipes his mouth and nods.

"Awesome."

[basic_powers]

Milliways has this way of bringing someone exactly what they needed, in a form that they wouldn't want right away, doesn't it?

Sure enough it is a bit of another walk down several blocks before they get to the neon-lit arcade, which has much more than just the underground pirate mini golf. The first floor is a room comfortably packed with arcade games ranging from your standard fighter, to a few fantasy games based off of trivia questions, and a few foreign games scattered in between.

And suffice to say, the underground minigolf is hilarious. Praises to the guys who rigged the pirate statues up with the cheesiest dialogue this side of Disney.

And there's just enough time to finish their game and a few others before catching the last bus back to a stop just a few blocks from Beauford's apartment. It's actually really quiet in the neighborhood now, after dark like this.

[the_ghostking]

He has to admit, he isn't sure he is going to enjoy it at first, but with all the gimmicks and the sheer entertainment value, he can't help himself. By the second game, he is having fun.

And it feels really good.

And after all of that minigolfing and arcade gaming, and - dare we say it - more smiles (and even, if one paid close attention, laughter), Nico can say that today was probably the best day he's ever had since he and Bianca first left the Hotel Casino, a little more than a year ago.

"- I would have had that last ball if it wasn't for the alligator," he remarks casually.

[basic_powers]

"I know. I only got lucky during that hole, remember the one with the skeleton legs? Whoever designed that was a ceritified mad genius." Beauford replies, chuckling.

"Sorry you're going to be stuck in the apartment tomorrow, but I really couldn't get out of work." He's probably apologizing for like the fifth time tonight. It's another walk up the stairs to the apartment, and everything is as they left it. "Wough. 11:30 pm... You wanna shower before bed, or when you wake up?"

[the_ghostking]

If his yawn is anything to go by, it's probably going to work better if he has a shower in the morning.

And he says as much.

"It's okay," he responds in regards to Beauford's work woes - for, yes. The bazillionth time. "I don't care - it's cool enough getting to come here at all."

A pause.

Then, sincere and grateful with everything an eleven year old can muster: "Thanks for inviting me."

[basic_powers]

"It's been my pleasure." And ofcourse, in a very surprising gesture for Nico, Beauford's just going to reach over and ruffle the boy's hair. "I'll shower before bed then, water heater is a little fussy."

Right before he ducks in though, he's going to hand three things to Nico, a green toothbrush, a little tube of toothpaste, and a small plastic cup. "You can brush your teeth in the kitchen sink, okay?"

After all, gotta keep neat and healthy...and he really doubts Nico has a travelling toothbrush of his own handy.

[the_ghostking]

Yeah. He didn't exactly come equipped with a night-bag or anything.

(Even in his own rented room at the bar, his belongings are pretty minimal.)

"Okay."

There's another light smile, even as he tries to flatten his hair a bit with the free hand not holding his dental hygienic products.

Surprising, definitely.

But all of this feels so blissfully normal. And it's great.

[basic_powers]

Secure in the knowledge that at least the boy's got his basic hygiene down, Beauford shuts the tiny bathroom door to shower.

The couch itself is fairly comfortable, and everythings just sorta quiet, in that way cities get late at night. Every noise and motor of a car climbing up the hill is just a faint murmur...

No bets on who's going to be fast asleep there when Beauford emerges from the shower in his PJ's. Or who's getting the blanket tucked in under their chin before all the lights go out.

Good night Demigod. Good Night Secret Vigilante.