11982/The Blue Bird of Unhappiness

The Blue Bird of Unhappiness
Date of Scene:	11 July 2022
Location:	Lobby - Titan's Tower
Synopsis:	Kían is missing Terry badly. Madison helps him get out of his funk.
Cast of Characters:	Kian, Madison Evans

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Kian has posed:
    Really, most of the regular props are in place.
    Large tumbler of purple supersaturated sugar water?  Check.
    Generally somewhat hyperactive birdman?  Check.
    Except for now, the tumbler of purple diabetes inducer is on an end table, untouched, and the generally somewhat hyperactive birdman is sprawled Snoopy-style on the back of a couch, staring at the ceiling, wings hanging loosely.
    In fairness, Kían does move—but only a little, to fold his hands across his chest.
    And sigh.
    Not terribly active for a Titan who's usually always in motion, even when he's relaxing.  But let's be fair, what's more relaxing than a nice flight?
    Not draped over the back of a couch, but who has energy for more than that?

Madison Evans has posed:
    The elevator opens to reveal one Madison Evans—the newest of the Titans, with a box held in her hands.  She starts towards the kitchen, a bounce in her step that slows as she spots the bird-man draped over the back of the couch.
    "Kian?" the girl asks—taking a few steps closer.
    "Oh, uhhh, hey, I was going to leave these in the kitchen.  My mom and I made them together.  She just bought this, umm, machine you see—it tempers chocolate, so she wanted to try it out.  See?"  Opening the box is an assortment of chocolates—in geeky shapes.  Vader heads, Han Solo in carbonite, X-Wings… "We used my ice cube trays.  I think they came out all right, for a first try."

Kian has posed:
    "Nnh?  Oh, kié Madison," Kian replies, barely sitting up—although enough to get a view of the chocolates.  Three cheers for the vision of a hawk, he can see them clearly… although he hasn't the faintest idea what they are.  No one's shown him the original Star Wars trilogy yet.
    "They definitely look like chocolate, although I don't know who or what they're supposed to be," he says, grabbing a sip from his sugar water.  "If you don't mind, may I have one later?"
    It's fair to say he doesn't sound like his usual self—either hyperactive or baffled.

Madison Evans has posed:
    "Well—yeah, that's why I brought them over," Madison declares brightly.  "I was gonna leave them in the kitchen for everyone—but you know what big eaters we have around here, so you might wanna grab one first!"  She considers Kian's position on the couch, and then—closing the box, runs a few steps and bounds over him, and the back of the couch, to land on the other side, and take a seat.  Only after she does that, does she offer the box again.
    "These ones are just solid chocolate," she remarks, pointing at the X-Wings.  "These ones," she points at Vader, "have a coffee ganache in them.  And these ones," she points at the Han Solos, "have a mint cream in them."

Kian has posed:
    "Ooo, coffee is not a good idea, I had it once when Ter—"
    He makes a little choking noise and closes his eyes.  "Anything with coffee is not a good idea," he finishes quietly.
    He lies there quietly a moment, staring at the ceiling.  After a moment, he asks, "Is it unfair that I think this is unfair?  Terry being stuck in Wonderland?  Somehow, knowing he's still alive doesn't help.  Even though I can talk to him in dreams.  Why isn't that good enough, knowing he's keeping another whole world alive?  The… the loss in this world doesn't feel like it's worth it."
    Never let it be said that Kían approached a thought and left it unfinished.  Once the wall is broken, everything comes out, like a collapsed dam.
    "Am I selfish for wanting him here with me and Gar?"

Madison Evans has posed:
    "Well, good thing I warned you, then!  But it's only a little bit of coffee.  For the flavor.  But if you're allergic or anything—"  A little bit can be enough.
    Madison watches Kian with concern, and sympathy, reaching out to put a hand on his arm.  Wing.  Whatever.
    "It's not selfish.  I mean—okay, like, it's not the same?  But it's kinda the same?  I moved out here from California a year ago.  And at first—it was real hard, you know?  All my friends, most of my family—they're over there, on the other side of the country, and that almost might as well be Wonderland.  You know?  But I could still like Skype or Zoom with them or whatever but …it's not the same.  I wanted to sit down, and play a board game with Emma, and Aiden, and—"  She lets out a heavy sigh.  "It was tough.  I was pretty depressed for a while.  I felt pretty alone—you know?"
    She reaches into the box, pulling out one of the little Han Solos, to stare at it for a while, then looks back to Kian.  "I talked to Jonathan Sims.  He says—he swears he can see the threads of people's lives.  Where they leave.  When they end.  He says Terry's threads still lead back here.  He says he knows we're going to find another way to fix things—that lets us get Terry back.  So… this is just temporary.  We're gonna fix it because—yeah.  It sucks."  She finishes this statement off by popping the chocolate into her mouth.

Kian has posed:
    "It's a little more than that.  With Terry not here, I can't visit my world anymore.  So not only am I cut off from one of my family-by-choice, but all of my family-by-blood.  Again.  I can talk to them, but that's not the same."
    Kían sighs heavily.  "And at the same time, I feel awful for wanting him here so much because if he left Wonderland, Wonderland would die, and he might too if it weren't there and I'm so confused!"
    He reaches his hand over.  "Let me have… no.  Not yet."  His hand withdraws.  "I need to be in a better frame of mind for chocolate."
    *huff*
    "How do we know what Jonathan says is correct?  No one can know the future, and while I want to believe him, I don't dare in case he's wrong."

Madison Evans has posed:
    "Well… like I said, my family's out in California too, everyone but my mom, and I could only talk to them so—I know it's not the same," Madison says sympathetically.  "It's hard, and it sucks, and sometimes you're just… sad.  Or mad.  Or—anyways.  I remember how I felt."  She lets out a heavy sigh.  "But—it got better, you know?  The more friends I made."
    She looks determined as she adds, "We know he isn't wrong because the Titans don't give up.  Right?  The Titans don't give up on one of their own.  He's there, and we need to get him back here so—so that's where we need to put our energy.  Taking care of each other, and finding the answer.  The right answer.  A better answer that saves Wonderland, and brings Terry home.  We can do it!"

Kian has posed:
    Kían kind-of smirks.  "He really needs to quit getting lost in other realities.  This is, what, the third time?  Fourth?  And one of those times I was with him.  If—WHEN he gets back, we have to not let him go wandeirng the worlds again."
    A pause, and another near smirk.
    "Except to visit my homeworld.  He knows his way back here from there."
    He shakes his head, and finally sits up, on the back of the couch, his wings hanging over the back.  "And on top of that I feel bad for wanting him back despite the danger to Wonderland.  I appreciate your positive thoughts, Madison, but I have to face the possibility that despite everything, maybe we can't get him back.  How many miracle rescues can one person have?"

Madison Evans has posed:
    "Well, I'm not going to give up," Madison says firmly.  "That's how I know we're gonna get him back.  Maybe we just need to take turns with the crown?  Maybe we can find someone else in Wonderland to wear the crown?  Maybe there's someone else in our reality who could wear it.  Maybe—I don't know, someone who's sick, you know?  And Wonderland could keep them alive?  Or maybe there's a way to sustain Wonderland without a dreamer.  We got so many options.  One of 'em'll work.  I know it.  'Cuz—'cuz I want Terry back too, you know?  Maybe not as much as you, but I do.
    "And besides," she adds quietly, "his mom seemed nice.  She's gotta be sooooo worried, too."

Kian has posed:
    Kían's eyes go wide.  "Oh, Lady Goddess Kiáre… has anyone told Agatha Téri'chal what happened yet?  No, they can't have, she would be here demanding to know what we were going to do to fix it."  He swallows hard.  That's an assignment that's got to be his and Gar's… and he's not looking forward to it.
    "I would have stayed with him.  To keep him company, to help shoulder the load.  Gar would have stayed too.  I suppose whoever knocked us out thought they were doing us a favor by bringing us back.  Well… maybe."
    He looks up with a slightly distant expression, as if in thought.  "Sharing the load is the only solution I've thought of, but it doesn't seem a permanent solution.  There has to be a better way, eventually."
    After a pause, he adds, "I hope."

Madison Evans has posed:
    "You don't think anyone has?" Madison asks in surprise.  "I—someone must have?  Right?  I—I mean, I could go talk to her.  She couldn't get too mad at me."  But then—would she get mad at the other Titans for hiding, and sending her?
    "Well, we need your help to make the plan!" Madison insists.  "We stand the best chance all working together—now don't we?"  She reaches out to squeeze Kian's arm as she adds, "Like I said—maybe we can find someone else who'd be willing to do it, in Wonderland or in our reality.  I just—I don't know if there's a way to save Wonderland where there isn't a dreamer.  How would we even figure that out?"

Kian has posed:
    "I don't know.  If no one has told her, I will, or I and Gar will.  It really is our responsibility," Kían says, deflating a little.
    And then he sits up a little straighter.  "Of course.  I will do everything I can to help bring him back.  I just dare not allow myself to believe that we will succeed, only that we can."  The birdman is good at keeping his mind in check when touched, but a little of his sadness and sense of loss can't help but leak across the contact.  "And I can stay in contact with him when I dream, in case he has any ideas too."
    Finally, he manages a small smile.  "I suppose, as many times as we've done the impossible here… I just have to wonder how many more times we can."

Madison Evans has posed:
    "As many times as we need to!" Madison insists.  "Look, I mean—Jonathan Sims got eaten by the Jabberwock, and was in there for like… thirty minutes or something.  And we got him back and he wasn't dead.  That's super impossible.  So like—finding someone to take Terry's place?  Or finding another way to save Wonderland?  That should be easy by comparison.  Not even that unlikely—you know?"  She smiles as she fights back against the sadness she feels.  But then—Madison is usually the type to smile, even when she's sad.

Kian has posed:
    Kían finds it hard to resist that kind of optimism, even if he doesn't feel it himself yet.  Maybe it's because he wanted to feel some optimism, even if he didn't believe it himself.
    "You're right.  We'll keep trying as long as it takes.  I just… I… is it okay if I want it to take not very long?  I miss my tenár and want him back."

Madison Evans has posed:
    "'Course it's okay!" Madison says firmly.  "We all want Terry back as soon as we can."  She smiles encouragingly—but there is just a little sadness to it.
    "Look.  Just—you know, when you talk to Terry's mom?  Make sure you tell her we're not giving up.  That we're like gonna do everything we can to bring him back soon.  We don't want to scare her too much—you know how moms are about their kids."

Kian has posed:
    "I know how my mothers are still worried about me, even though they know this world needs me more than ours does.  And I don't think Agatha Téri'chal would let us give up, even if we thought it was impossible.  If we ran out of ideas, she would keep coming up with them for us to try.  And I would, just on the slightest chance we can get him back."
    Something in the little birdman's demeanor relaxes.  His wings hang more naturally, rather than drooping, and he sits up straighter.  "Thank you, Mádi tavár'h.  I've spent too much time lost in my own thoughts."

Madison Evans has posed:
    "It's easy to do," Madison admits.  "I've done it too.  I almost locked myself in my apartment for a bit—after we moved.  But mom made me go out.  Visit the school, get in summer programs, go to the game store… you know.  Start making friends.  It helps, you know?  Not just… being left alone with your thoughts, and fears, and everything."
    She reaches out to pat Kian on the arm as she says firmly, "Just remember you're not the only one who wants him back—and we're all pretty gosh darned stubborn.  You know?
    "Now try a chocolate," she insists, pushing the box towards him.

Kian has posed:
    Kían does finally take a chocolate, but he doesn't eat it yet.  "I'll save this for when I'm ready to sleep.  Chocolate is… very intense to me.  We don't have it on our worlds, except for the little bit I was able to send thanks to Terry's Rabbit Holes."  He's able to mention Terry without a hitch in his voice—a definite step in the right direction.
    "When we get him back, after he rests, I think we all need to take a vacation on my world where insane things don't happen, how does that sound?"

Madison Evans has posed:
    Madison's expression brightens considerably at this idea.  "Oh I would love to go visit another world!" she declares excitedly.  "What's it like?  Everyone flies?  Is there a way I can try flying?  What kind of food do you eat?  Will you take me to your favorite restaurant?  Do you guys have oceans and mountains and volcanoes just like Earth does?  Is the sky blue?  How many moons are there?  What are the other animals like?  Do you guys have board games?  Ooo!  Should I bring some of my board games?!"
    Yup.  That's our Madison.

Kian has posed:
    Kían can't help but laugh.  "If I told you, you wouldn't be surprised by any of it, would you?"
    He hops off the back of the couch… and sweeps Madison into a hug, wrapping his wrings around her.  Yes, there's still a sense of sadness and loss, but there's a layer of optimism that wasn't there before.
    "I should eat this chocolate and sleep.  Maybe I will see Terry in my dreams and see if he has any ideas too.  Thank you, tavár'h."

Madison Evans has posed:
    "That's what I'm here for!" Madison says brightly.  "I mean, like, that—and to fight crime and protect people. You know?"  She returns the hug readily, and pats Kian on the shoulder as she adds, "You're not alone, okay?  Don't forget that.  And I can always bring more chocolate!  Or just company.  Me and you and Irie and Clank!—you'll love it!"
    She lets Kian end the hug, and then climbs to her feet, so she can deliver the rest of the chocolate to the kitchen counter, pulling out a notepad so she can scratch out a quick note to the other Titans.
    'Me and my mom made chocolates!  Enjoy!  Maddie.'