#and some believe spidey doesn't have a no kill rule at all. and i think that also plays in his favor

[daisybell-on-a-carousel]

Batman wishes he could Spider-Man

[freezegirl]

five times happy:     ( five times the sender made the receiver happy. ) / zoe

5x // @goldshadows' zoe nunez

01: it's colder in the maxville ice arena than zoe thought it would be. even if she's all layered up. even if she's on her third cup of hot cocoa. kie is the last person to do her routine and zoe had promised to be there. so that keeps her going. the promise she'd made.

"and closing off nationals, it's khione goossens, skating to 'toy box' by disco diva mylene cruz!"

kie's dark hair is fashioned into a tight, high ponytail. and the dress she wears evokes a sensual kind of snow queen and it has more sheer panels than the regular outfits kie has worn on the ice so far.

it's out there. one might even argue that it's skirting the line. but it fits the theme of the night: self exploration and self expression through art. that, and kie has told zoe about the katarina rule so many times that zoe could write an essay on it or recite it in her sleep.

not too clothed; not too bare. no point deductions. not for this. so long as everyone keeps everything tasteful and modest.

their eyes meet for but a moment. but one moment is enough for zoe to see how happy kie is to see her. then, khione smirks, self assured, and the final routine of the evening begins.

hide your toys under the bed time for this doll to get fed turn the lights down, come in now let the games begin

fire boy is gonna lose his shit, zoe thinks to herself with a grin, as she readies herself to start filming.

02: "you owe me hot cocoa after this," zoe says, "or at least glühwein. or honey mead." kie laughs in response: "christmas was three weeks ago, but sure, i'll run a lap around the venue after we're done here, see if i can get some for you. red or white?"

they're almost done with the ice sculpture festival and kie's still having the time of her life, prancing around the place and commenting on every single sculpture before taking a bajillion selfies. zoe? not so much. sure, the sculptures are absolutely gorgeous, but she could've done with less freezing temperatures.

"no but really though," kie says after she's taken a selfie next to an icy flamenco dancer. "i'm glad you're here, zo. i'm glad you said yes to this. thank you. it means the world to me."

03: "thanks for partnering up with me," kie whispers, "i hate this class. i hate everything about this." zoe just looks at her, doesn't say anything. doesn't have to. because the look on her face is enough: no shit sherlock. everyone who's anyone knows that khione goossens hates medulla's telepathy lessons with a burning passion of a thousand fiery suns, which is highly ironic, considering she's not a pyrokinetic. "but i don't hate you," kie finishes her little rant with a small, yet sincere, smile.

04: "okay, let's go: you, me, fuck, marry, kill: avengers edition. i'll go first: captain america, thor and---"

"---not bruce banner, he's already married to faith lehane, or, rather, banner. faith banner. can you believe i actually met her the other night and i didn't recognize her until way after the fact?! like, wow, that's almost as bad a faux pas as not talking to that one girl at avengercon who was wearing the most gorgeous ororo munroe cosplay i've ever seen in my entire life."

"you're a nerd," zoe says and her voice is filled with affection.

"i know," kie smiles but the smile on her face fades when zoe concludes the little list: "iron man."

"ugh, couldn't have given me miss widow, could you?" kie pouts. "or kate bishop? or ant-man's daughter? or spidey? or the runaways? or cloak and dagger?!"

"maybe in the next round," zoe concedes and runs her hand through kie's hair as her eyes flutter shut and she contemplates her choices.

"before i begin," kie says, "i would like to go on record and state that i am very aware that all of them are older than me and that all of this is conjecture and that in real life, none of this would work. and also, none of them are warren. so they automatically lose."

"kie!" zoe groans. "just tell me already!"

"i---i would sleep with thor because i genuinely feel as though he would treat me right, and also, can you imagine the philosophical discussions we could have? because if you go back far enough, everything connects! like there's this irish water goddess named danu and there is also an indian primordial water goddess named danu. so i would like to talk about where, if and how norse myths could allign with indian lore."

zoe coughs and tells her she can say 'fuck'. kie flushes and tells zoe that she knows that: "right, yes, okay. so, i would sleep with thor. i would marry cap because i think he's a good man and would be a good husband - this goes for mister rogers and mister wilson as well. which leaves iron man. i would kill him. with kindness. 'cause i feel like that man could use a bit of that after all he's been through."

05: "zo, seriously. you are an omega level mutant." just like kie herself. just like all of their friends. "there is no one i would want by my side more than you while we're tracking down michael baxter, okay? i am so happy you're here. and believe in you. i believe in you."