They felt more than silly in that moment, blushing deeply and wishing they hadn’t come to the food section now. The butterfly’s eyes grew wide as they saw her shift, just enough to feel real for a moment. “Do you ever wish you were something you weren’t?” they asked suddenly, their voice soft as they spoke to the other, “That’s sort of why I chose this costume idea. I wanted to be strong, powerful, and brave. I suppose those are all just words until I find a way to be them.” They cleared their throat and took a slow breath to ease the anxiety they felt. “Okay, let’s get away from here and do something fun,” they decided, trying their best to sound strong and lose their moment of weakness. They were still blushing, could feel the warmth still present on their cheeks, but they still reached out for the cheerleader and smiled at her. “I heard the Escape Room was fun.”
“I think it’s strong and brave to stand up for yourself and to tell me exactly how you’re feeling,” Zom said, and she cupped a hand against the butterfly’s cheek and leaned in to press a soft kiss to the other cheek. She pulled back after that, but dropped her hand down to hold onto butterfly’s. “And moving forward is a great way to be strong and brave, too,” she added, starting to guide them out of the room. “I haven’t tried the Escape Room yet, either, but I’d love to try it!”