#voted for toy town to get the ball rolling

[firedragon1321]

What Digimon Adventure Timeline Thing Freaked You Out The Most?

As a kid or an adult, doesn't matter. Feel free to talk about your choice in comments, reblogs, or tags!

Explanations for things that aren't here under the cut. Please read that before complaining or clicking "I'm bald".

Character deaths are excluded because then it would be an arm wrestling match between Angemon and Wizardmon. And those are meant to be sad, not disturbing. Though if a death other than those two is your Freaky Moment, just choose whatever best applies and tell me in comments, reblogs, or tags.

Tri onwards is excluded because the Evil Gennai Lick would sweep.

Seasons after Adventure are excluded because the D-Reaper would sweep.

Dark Ocean is not here because it would sweep. I'm sure you're picking up a pattern here.

The reboot is excluded due to personal lack of familiarity.

The Digimon controlling stuff and the Dark Spores are separated specifically because the latter controlling human children is a different type of unnerving.

[lalainajanes]

For klarosummerbingo, my “mango lassi” square! Did I order Indian food for dinner? Yes, yes I did.

Masks Off

When she notices the goon tailing her – shaved head, seasonally inappropriate leather jacket, neck tattoos – Caroline’s pissed off.

And exhausted.

She’d spent all day cooped up in the boardroom at Forbes Industries, listening to men twice her age complain about dividends and try to suggest that workers didn’t really need a raise subtly.

It had been a tedious and pointless exercise, one she suffers quarterly. Caroline holds 51% of the company’s shares and can easily wrangle another block of shareholders into voting with her. Her parent’s wills, read out fourteen years ago, had bequeathed a stake in FI to several loyal employees. People they’d loved, who’d stepped in to help raise Caroline after they’d passed.

The board knows she has the final say, and it kills them. They think she’s an idiot, that she’d bought her degrees and can’t comprehend the financial statements. They try to ply her with compliments and flattery, attempt unsubtle fibs – Caroline plays dumb and tolerates the bullshit because she knows she can control them. Another board might not be so easy to manipulate.

She’d had a headache by the time the meeting had wrapped, had been so grateful to see Enzo waiting at the curb. She’d practically dived into the backseat of the town car, had rolled the partition down, and enjoyed a satisfying debrief and bitch session on the drive back to her apartment. Enzo had offered to grab her dinner before he went off the clock, but Caroline knew he had a date night planned. She’d shoed him away, told him she’d order in.

Once safely tucked away in her place Caroline had gotten restless.

She’d changed out of her boring suit, pulled out the pins in her hair, and loosely braided it back. After changing into a pale blue cotton dress and pair of oversized sunglasses, then selecting a few Forbes Industries prototypes, Caroline had headed out for sustenance.

She hadn’t bothered to let her security detail know. She’s adept at sneaking away under their noses. The detail is mostly for show, to make sure no one connects Caroline Forbes, wild child heiress, to the vigilante who’s working on tidying up the city streets.

She’ll slip into the leather ensemble she’d commissioned once night falls and load up with weapons. Then she’ll head to the garage where she keeps her armored vehicles and larger toys.

There’s a new villain who’s been popping up more and more frequently on her patrols. She hasn’t caught him doing anything untoward just yet, and he’s yet to make the papers and have a ridiculous name bestowed upon him. She’s scoured papers from England, then the rest of Europe, checking to see if there was a reputation that preceded him. So far, she’s found nothing, but  Caroline knows he must be working on something big.

Why else would he be so determined to attract her attention? He must have some kind of plan cooking up, wants her looking in another direction when he enacts it.

The walk to the restaurant had been uneventful. Caroline had to wait a few minutes for her order to be ready, but passing the time on a bench outside, unnoticed, her people-watching undisturbed, had been a nice change from how she’d spent the rest of the day.

It promised to be a hot evening, even though the sun would be setting shortly. Sweat had begun gathering near her hairline, forcing curls out of her braid. Caroline had added a mango lassi to her order and collected her dinner, inhaled appreciatively at the warm, spicy scent emanating from the paper bag.

She’d begun her walk home, sipping her drink contentedly, weaving through the growing number of pedestrians who were venturing out for the evening.

She’d noted the guy shadowing her about three blocks from her building, had heaved a dramatic sigh that had the guy waiting for the walk light with her edging away.

She’d just wanted to stuff herself with naan, biryani, and saag paneer and become one with her couch for a few hours before she went out to take out her frustrations on some bad guys. Was that too much to ask?

Caroline takes a turn, heading east to where there should be fewer people, reaching into her bag to slide her fingers into the modified brass knuckles (not actually brass but a proprietary FI compound) and grasping the extendable baton.

She takes another turn to check that she’s not paranoid, but the goon mirrors it.

As does another person.

Caroline pretends to adjust the strap of her dress, twisting her head to get a better look at her second pursuer. It’s an impressively muscular woman, her considerable height only enhanced by her spiked hair, dressed in skin-tight shorts and a mesh crop top.

She doesn’t seem to mind that Caroline’s spotted her, wiggling her fingers and offering a challenging smile.

There are two possibilities. Either the people following her are cocky and stupid – really the ideal scenario – or they’re cocky because they’ve got a solid plan and some big guns.

When a hand grabs her upper arm and yanks her into an alley, spilling the mango lassi and staining her dress, Caroline suspects it might be the latter. She’s thrown against a wall, just managing to get her hands up to save her face from being smashed into the brick.

She hears footsteps pounding against concrete, and the two pursuers she’s noticed join the man who’d yanked her into the alley. Regretfully, Caroline drops her takeout and her bag and backs away, hiding her weapons in the folds out of the skirt. She forces a quaver into her voice, “What do you want?”

It’s unlikely that three people who seem to have stepped right out of the goon for hire catalog have just decided to rob her. Caroline doesn’t want to assume there’s a larger plot. She’s hoping this won’t turn into a big thing, and she’s out of luck if people are planning to kidnap Caroline Forbes for ransom.

But it’ll be even messier if a bad guy’s clocked her extracurricular activities.

The spiky-haired woman takes the lead, stalking towards Caroline. She’s got a knife in her hand now, “What do I want? Twenty million dollars, to start with.”

Oh good. It’s just a kidnapping.

Honestly, kind of an insulting one. She won’t even have to liquate any assets to come up with the twenty million. Caroline stops moving, straightens her spine. “Done!” she chirps brightly. “Wire transfer, or cheque? I can do cash too, but that’s like ten briefcases. What are you going to do with them after?”

She’s been hoping to catch her attempted kidnapper off guard, but the woman doesn’t falter. She snorts, “You’re funny. I didn’t expect that.”

“Thanks, I get that a lot. I’m chock full of surprises.”

Spike lunges forward, and Caroline dodges, stepping past her and whipping her arm out, until her weapon lengthens fully. She crouches, extending her leg and spinning while slashing with her baton. Caroline lands a brutal strike on Spike’s kidneys. Spikes grunts, stumbles forward, arm banding over her stomach protectively. Caroline completes her spin and rises, catching Spike with a punch before she pauses, poised on the balls of her feet, back to a wall.

Her would-be kidnappers no longer look as confident. Spikes spits blood, expression enraged. The other two watch Caroline with calculative gazes.

“Girls gotta keep in shape, right? The tabloids are brutal. It turns out the elliptical is super boring, so I had to find something a little more fun.” Caroline leaps forward, tucking into a roll, snagging a brick from the ground and using her momentum to throw it into Leather Jacket’s face.

The brick makes contact with a gross crunch of blood, bone, tissue, and teeth. Leather Jacket howls, his hand coming up to cover his head. She jumps again, thighs locking around his neck, spinning to bring him to the ground. She digs her knee into his spine, gripping his head and slamming it into the ground for good measure until he goes limp underneath her.

Caroline stands, wiping her hand on her already ruined dress. “One down,” she says.

Only to instantly regret the proclamation. Bonnie says she needs to lay off on the monologuing, and maybe she’s got a point.

She senses movement behind her, near the mouth of the alley. Caroline turns warily, head swiveling between her two attackers and the men who are now freaking rappelling from the rooftops. Six of them. In black tactical gear, strapped with weapons and wearing black ski masks.

Well, crap.

If she’d been on patrol, with her protective suit and gadgets, she might have been able to take them. Now, in flats and a sundress, with two flimsy weapons and no backup, she doesn’t like her odds.

Caroline tosses the baton aside, pastes on the smile she uses when she has to ignore paparazzi shouting rude questions about her sex life at her. She lifts her hands slowly, palms open. “So, I’m guessing you don’t only want cash, huh?”

“Funny and smart,” Spikes says spitefully, coming up behind Caroline and yanking her hair. “What a rosy life you must lead.”

She feels a sharp sting in the side of her neck, then a flood of wooziness. Brief pain when she collapses.

She’s vaguely aware of being heaved up and over someone’s shoulder, of being alarmed by how her limbs won’t cooperate when she tries to fight back. She’s tossed in a trunk, encased in blackness.

Caroline fights it, the tiredness, her thoughts growing meandering and disorganized. When the engine rumbles to life underneath her, Caroline loses consciousness.

* * * * *

Caroline realizes she’s tied to a chair as soon as awareness returns.

She can hear voices murmuring, too soft for her to make out any words even when she strains. Caroline’s slumped over, pulling against the ropes. She’s definitely going to have some fun bruises tomorrow. Her head’s resting limply against her chest, and she stays as still as she can, barely opening her eyes while trying to get a good look at her surroundings.

Unfortunately, she seems to be in a pretty generic warehouse—grimy, smelly, cavernous, decorated with random overlapping graffiti.

She spots a tray of shiny, sharp medical instruments to her right.

Which is not ideal.

Caroline tests her bonds slowly, checking for any give or weakness. Any kind of opportunity. One of her captors has eagle eyes and notices her movements. She flinches when his voice booms out, “Sleeping beauty awakes!”

Damn it.

Caroline lifts her head, rolling her neck to work out the cramp that’s developed. “I prefer the modern Disney princesses, thank you.” She’s not the type to wait around for a handsome prince to come to her rescue.

She studies the guy who’d spoken. He’s got steel-grey hair and tanned skin, thick biceps. His face doesn’t show even a hint of emotion, and he doesn’t acknowledge she’d spoken. She’d guess he’s a pro, probably some variety of ex-military, likely expensive. Caroline hears the clomp of heavy boots and twists her head to see some familiar faces joining the party.

Moderately damaged familiar faces, but she’s not sorry about that.

“So about that ransom,” Caroline begins hopefully. “Twenty-five million, was it?”

The guy who’d taken a brick to the face grunts, “Thirty now. For our trouble.”

Caroline can admit that’s fair.

“I get it. Plastic surgery’s not cheap. Not that I’ve had any work done, despite what the tabloids might claim. I’m only twenty-seven. Of course my boobs look fantastic in a bikini.”

No one even cracks a smile.

“Okay, so you’re not interested in jokes. We could discuss the fact that it’s super gross that people follow me around the world and stalk me with long-lens cameras. Am I not entitled to take a vacation?”

No response.

Caroline sighs, shifting in her chair in an attempt to get more comfortable. “Tough crowd.”

Spike drags a second chair over, sitting down and resting a booted foot on her opposite knee. “Thirty million dollars. I have a list of six prisoners that I need to be released from the Super Max. And I want something from the Forbes Industries Vault. The subterranean one that most of your employees don’t know about.”

Caroline tips her head back, considering. Thirty million dollars, no big deal. The prisoners might be hard to arrange, but she’s got connections. She knows exactly who she’d need to bribe. She can always scoop them up later, wrap ‘em in a pretty little bow and leave them on the steps of city hall.

The Vault though? That’s not happening. She’s going to have to figure out how they even know about it, who else might have bought the info, but that’s a problem for later.

“How about fifty million dollars and a couple of extra prisoners? Maybe someone from the asylum?”

Spike leans over, her hand drifting over the tray of instruments. She plucks up one with a serrated edge, twirling it through her fingers. “I know you’re used to snapping your fingers and getting everything your little heart desires, but this isn’t a negotiation.”

She leans forward, resting the blade against the dip between Caroline’s collarbones. She taps it against Caroline’s skin with each carefully enunciated word, “Money. Prisoners. Vault.” She pulls back, gives the instrument another spin. “That’s my only offer. You can say yes, and we’ll give you a phone, so you’re servants can start arranging things. Or, we can do this the hard way.”

She doesn’t insult Caroline’s intelligence by spelling out what the hard way would entail.

Caroline swallows, straightens her spine. “No one gets in my vault.”

Spike sighs in faux disappointment, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. “The hard way it is, then.”

Caroline closes her eyes, holds her breath, waits for the first cut to come.

It doesn’t come from where she’d expected.

Glass shatters from high above, showering down, leaving dozens of tiny nicks across her bare shoulders. She feels a rush of air before a body landing in front of her, knees bent.

A familiar man, one who’s been taking up way too much of Caroline’s free time, smirks at her, “Hello, love.”

Caroline gapes at him, and he pivots, backing up until her bent knees brush the back of his calves. She sees few bright flashes, but his back obscures her view of what’s happening. Whatever he’s doing, it’s painfully loud. Popping sounds interrupt shouts and screams of pain, and heavy thuds ring out. Caroline cringes, tucking her ear against her shoulder in an attempt to muffle the cacophony.

Silence, when it comes, scant moments after the chaos began, is jarring. Caroline leans as far to the side as she can, eyes widening when she spots the pile of bodies. She watches as the man, who she doesn’t know if she can call her rescuer since at this point he might also be planning on ransoming her, yanks a handful of zip cuffs from his pocket.

He moves swiftly and with grace, seemingly very at home his body and aware of its capabilities. Caroline’s eyes narrow, mind whirling as he secures her attackers, and she tries to assimilate this new information. He pulls off his leather gloves when he’s done, returning to her side. His expression grows regretful, and his fingertips brush her shoulders, skimming over the cuts and scrapes there. “Sorry about these. The skylight was the best entry point. Make sure you clean them up, hmm?”

He steps passed her, and Caroline feels him make quick work of her handcuffs. She hears the snick of a knife unsheathing and stiffens, but he only uses it on the ropes that bind her legs and torso. Caroline shakes them off, stands hesitantly.

“Okay,” she says, crossing her arms and turning until they’re once more face to face, separated by the metal chair. “What exactly is happening here? Who are you?”

“I’m afraid I’m not yet ready for you to know my identity. In due time, I promise.”

Caroline sucks in a sharp breath, her teeth grinding together. “Um, how about no?”

He blinks, and Caroline steps a little closer. They’ve always met in the dark, and he’d purposely stuck to the shadows as he’d teased and tossed questions at her. She’s never been this close to him. His eyes are blue, his lashes annoyingly long in a way men never appropriately appreciate. He wears a black mask, covering from the top of his forehead to his upper lip. His hair is slicked back, but she thinks it might be on the lighter side, given the shade of his stubble.

He clears his throat and shifts his weight, but he doesn’t step back or shy away. “I… I beg your pardon?”

“I have had a garbage day. It was long, it was boring, I had to argue over things I know I’m right about, with people who think I’m a bimbo and spend way too much time trying to look down my tops. My dinner got tossed aside when goons r us scooped me up. I love this dress, and it’s ruined. I’m bleeding. I don’t know where my shoes are. I’m hungry, I’m tired, and I want to go home!” she’s shouting when she’s done ranting, out of breath.

“Right.” Her rescuer, she’s decided on the term now, shoves the chair aside. He steps forward until his feet bracket hers, wraps his arm around her waist. Caroline grips his biceps, too shocked to admonish this rude invasion of her space. “Hold on. Step up onto my feet.”

She throws her hands up in frustration, “Hello? Did anything I just said sink in?”

His lips, which she’s now noticing are very nice, full and soft looking, compress. She’s pretty sure he’s trying to swallow a laugh. “I heard every word. I’m trying to assist in getting you home. In service of that, if you could please step up onto my feet and hold on.”

His right arm rises, and Caroline recognizes the device in his hand. She’s about to ask him if he’s seriously rescuing her with a device he’d stolen from her but thinks better of it.

He’d stolen the grappling hook from a vigilante who rocks a rose pink leather catsuit, not from Caroline Forbes. It would have been a monster slip, a true testament to how rattled she is from the day’s events that she’d almost blurted out her secret identity to a guy with questionable motives and an unknown name.

Instead, she smiles tightly, loops her arms around his neck, and gingerly steps onto his heavy boots. “For future reference,” she says sweetly, “I generally only like following orders in the bedroom.”

The strangled choking noise he makes as they hurtle upward is immensely satisfying.

* * * * *

Two days later, Caroline’s on her couch watching news footage of a gala she’d been supposed to attend. She’d had a great dress, red and scandalous, all ready to go, but trying to cover her scabby shoulders with makeup had made her look like she’d contracted some kind of infectious skin issue.

She’d sent her regrets and a fat check, resigned herself to a solo evening in her comfy sweats. On her TV, a society reporter’s chattering away about the guest she’d just finished talking to, a lech who’s at least smart enough to hire a publicist good enough to hide his dealings with loan sharks. She trails off in the middle of a sentence, fingertips coming up to press at her earpiece.

The reporter looks right at the camera, excitement on her face. “I’ve just been given some breaking news! A surprise guest has arrived, all the way from the UK. Klaus Mikaelson has shied away from public life since his messy exit from his father’s corporation five years ago. He’s built his own tech firm from the ground up. Buzz had been building since they announced their intention to go public. Let’s see if we can get a few words.”

Bored with the fawning, Caroline’s just about to switch channels. She knows all about Klaus’ Mikaelson’s company. Blurbs about it have been showing up in the intelligence reports she has complied since he’d lured a pair of promising engineers from FI’s Paris offices.

She’s planning on investing in his IPO because he might have scummy HR policies, but his business is sound.

There haven’t been many pictures of him available; apparently, he’d hardly been a social butterfly even when he’d been welcome in the family fold. He couldn’t have been more than sixteen or so in the ones Caroline’s seen, in which he’d been gangly and angular and sporting a terrible haircut.

The image changes, swinging to the red carpet before Caroline can grab the remote. She pauses, impressed because Klaus Mikaelson has grown up nicely. She might be distracted by the flawless fit of his tux, which Caroline knows can cover a world of sins, so she leans closer as the camera pans up to his face.

And promptly drops her wine class.

The blue eyes. That smile, the dimple it carves into his stubbled cheek. She’d brushed her lips over that cheek barely more than forty-eight hours ago when she’d thanked him for what he’d done for her.

Klaus Mikaelson had accompanied her home the other night, had neatly deflected her probing questions, his amusement never turning to exasperation at Caroline’s dogged persistence.

She’d seriously considered inviting him into her home. She’d told herself it was only in search of more information, but a tiny part of her, the one that was unfailingly honest and sometimes gets her in trouble, had admitted her rescuer intrigued her, even without a name.

Well. Now she has one. A plan forms rapidly, and Caroline scrambles for her phone, digging it out of her couch cushions. She taps the screen, connecting a call to Bonnie. “Bon? Sorry to bug you when you’re off the clock. But I need you to find someone for me.”

She stands, walking into her bedroom as she explains what she needs.

Bonnie’s a genius, well worth the exorbitant salary Caroline pays her. She gets the address within an hour.

* * * * *

Caroline drops a rope onto the terrace of Klaus’ apartment, slips down with barely a whisper of sound, landing lightly. She hugs the side of the building, inching over to the open French doors. She’s fully suited up, hair tightly controlled, and mask on. She eases her foot over the threshold, eyes darting around.

Ugh, of course, he has excellent taste.

Caroline likes light and airy, fun patterns and textures. But she can appreciate the sumptuousness of Klaus’ living room. It’s done up in burgundies and neutrals, hints of gold. There’s a buttery leather sofa facing a fireplace, thick carpets that muffle the sounds of her boots as she walks further in. She can imagine a pleasant night in front of a crackling fire, curled up on the couch when the weather turns cold.

But she’s getting ahead of herself.

Her nose twitches, picking up the smell of curry, cardamom, and turmeric.

She hears a door click shut, whirls to find Klaus, barefoot and still dressed up from The Gala, though he’s ditched the jacket and tie. He leans against the now-closed doors to the terrace. He smiles at her warmly, “Hello, Caroline.”

Which answers one of her most pressing questions.

Caroline yanks her mask off, tossing it aside. “I realize this is going to give you déjà vu, but what exactly is happening here?”

Klaus pushes off from the door, ambles towards her, studying her reaction carefully. Caroline doesn’t flinch away or retreat. “I have a proposition for you. And I have dinner. Takeaway from that place you visited the other day when your evening plans were… interrupted. I even got the mango lassi.”

Caroline narrows her eyes, “I have weapons, you know. Way more than you’d think, given how tight this outfit is.”

He laughs, a low husky sound that Caroline knows would be easy to get addicted to. “I’m sure you do. I’m not worried about you using them on me. I only want you to hear out my proposal. You can leave anytime you wish.”

She wonders if it’s stupid to believe him, but she does. He’d had the upper hand two days ago, had no trouble dispatching the group that had taken her. If he had nefarious intentions, he could have picked up right where they left off with the torture.

Caroline’s learned to trust her instincts. They’re telling her she’s safe.

She tugs her hair out of its elastic, loosens her collar slightly, pulling the zipper down a few inches. “Mind lending me something to wear? This totally isn’t designed for sitting for long periods.”

Klaus directs her to a guestroom, gathers a few things of his for her to wear. When she gets to the dining room, she finds he’s arranged the food on gleaming platters and lit candles. Her mango lassi, in its plastic cup, looks wildly out of place.

Caroline refuses to find it endearing.

At least until she’s confirmed that her instincts are correct.

[rhetoricalrogue]

Zoe/Mason and #21

Thanks for the ask!  This was in regards to my 2020 Spotify Unwrapped.  #20 was Lord Huron’s Fool for Love.

Well I’m not afraid to fight Let’s step outside and I’ll show you why

Mason frowned when he saw that Zoe’s office was empty.  It was well past her time to be off the clock, and the fact that she hadn’t left was troublesome.

Not that he was waiting for her or anything.  

He didn’t bother flicking on her light, his eyes looking at the oversized desk calendar.  Ah.  He remembered her talking about the self-defense class that she and Tina were hosting, but he hadn’t caught what day she was going to be doing the clinic on.  Grabbing her pen, he crossed the date out, seeing that it was Zoe’s habit to do it for all the other previous days of the month and she had missed doing it with that calendar square.

Not like he was concerned it may throw her off in the morning.  It was just his way of being polite.

The police station had a decently sized gym and Mason leaned against the doorframe to watch the last bits of the class.  He had to admit, he didn’t expect Tina to be so capable in breaking holds or throwing her attacker into the mats.  She had good form and was a decent opponent.  You know, for a human.

Then again, it didn’t take much when your opponent was a scrawny string bean of a teenager, constantly blowing his hair out of his eyes.  Mason sneered.  If there had been anyone nearby, he would have bet that Douglas had volunteered for the class purely so he could touch Zoe, even if said touching was her slamming her knee into his solar plexus.

He winced.  Mason could tell that Zoe was pulling her punches, but he’d been on the receiving end of that hit - he’d felt generous their last sparring session and slowed down enough for her to connect her punches.  She hit fast and she hit hard, much to his approval - and he knew that even without her full power that Douglas was going to feel that one in the morning.

He waited until the class had been concluded before approaching.

“Thought I’d find you here,” he drawled, watching as Zoe started snapping folding chairs together and handing them over to Douglas, who stacked them up alongside the wall.

She grinned.  “You remembered.”

He scoffed as he moved to help her pick up chairs, quietly smirking when Douglas turned and jogged over to them, body language all but screaming that he didn’t like the fact that Mason had shown up.  “Of course, sweetheart,” he drawled.

She raised an eyebrow. “Uh huh.  You went into my office and saw my calendar, didn’t you?”

Mason decided not to answer that one.  “Nice class you put on, I caught the last fifteen minutes.  Covered a lot of ground, though I highly doubt that anyone’ll have to put that knowledge to use any time soon in this town.”

She shrugged.  “It’s still good information to have on hand.  You never know when some stranger will show up and crowd you in an alley.”

He sidled up to her, hovering close enough to feel the heat of her body radiate towards him.  She’d put on a plain t-shirt and yoga pants for the demonstration and his hands itched to rove over dips and curves he’d all but memorized.  “That an invitation for something, Sweetheart?”

“Yeah, if you want to get your ass kicked.”

Mason’s head whipped over to where Douglas was sullenly grabbing chairs and hauling them over to the wall.  “What was that, kid?”

“Mason -”

He ignored Zoe’s warning and crossed his arms over his chest.  “Couldn’t quite hear you.”

The tips of Douglas’ ears turned pink.  “It’s just that she’s been showing off her moves all night.  She’d eat you alive if you tried anything in an alley with her.”

“That’s…”  Zoe took a breath to try to gather her composure and try not to laugh out loud while shooting Mason a look that said don’t you dare make an innuendo.  “Thank you, Douglas, for the vote of confidence.”

Douglas smiled and gave her such a look of blind devotion that Mason found his hackles rising.  “You’re an excellent teacher, Zo,” he said dreamily.

There was a thread of irritation in Mason’s voice that he couldn’t quite get out.  “She really is, kid.  And since you’ve been tossed around all evening, I bet you picked everything up right quick.”

Douglas squared his shoulders and puffed his narrow chest out.  “I sure did,” he said, looking Mason in the eye.  Mason had to give him credit for not immediately backing down.  Then again, he hadn’t given him a proper intimidating look backed with a burst of pheremones to make the boy unnerved.  “In fact, I could probably teach you a thing or two.”

The harsh bark of laughter couldn’t be stopped, but then again, he also heard the indelicate snort Zoe gave.  “Kiddo, if you really think you could take me on, you’ve got -”

“It’s Officer Friedman,” he said, coming out of his perpetual slouch in order to stand up to his full height.  Granted, he was still several inches shorter than Mason, but the defiant look in his eye earned him the tiniest of nods of respect.  “And yes, I know I can take you on.”

Zoe stood in between them.  “Okay, I don’t think that’s the best of ideas. It’s late, we should all be getting home.”

“No, no, I want to see how this goes.”

Zoe looked over Mason’s shoulder to glare at Tina.  “Really?”  

Tina grinned.  “Honestly, I want to see just how many seconds it takes for Douglas to hit the dirt.”

Zoe reached out and grabbed Mason’s arm.  “Can I speak with you privately?” she asked, not waiting for a response as she started dragging him towards the other side of the gym.  “What is going on?”

He shrugged.  “Kid’s feeling his boundaries and wanting to pick fights.”

She narrowed her eyes.  “And you’re encouraging him.”

“Sometimes people need to know how far to test things and when the things they’re testing start to bite back.”  He tossed a look over to the teenager, who had gone back to helping Tina clean up the remaining chairs.  “Unless you want him to continue mooning over you.”

Zoe stood up straighter.  “You’re jealous.”

“Can’t get jealous of someone who doesn’t have a chance, now can I?”  The statement was said calmly enough, but he tapped out a cigarette and stuck it in his mouth irritably.

She yanked it from his lips and shook her head.  “No smoking in police buildings.”

“Whatcha gonna do with that then?”

“Maybe I’ll give it back to you if you ask me nicely.”  Her smile faltered.  “Look, he’s a kid that’s thirteen years younger than me. Whatever little crush he has on me is just that, a crush.  We all had them at that age and for the most part, we all got over them.  It isn’t going to do anyone any good if the guy that he sees as some weird competition sends him to the hospital.”

Mason rolled his eyes and let out a long-suffering sigh that would have impressed Nate, had he been there. “Fine, I won’t hurt the kid.” He sneered. “Even if it would get him to stop dressing like a knockoff version of me.”

“Face it, you’re just jealous of his fancy new boots.”

He scoffed at her calling him jealous for a second time that evening. “Whatever. I have boots older and better than his.”  His grin widened as he reached out to palm her hip, his arm pulling her closer to him.  “That’s not the only thing that’s older and better either, Sweetheart.”

Zoe leaned in and pressed a kiss to his chin.  “Careful, Sunshine.  He’s going to wind up landing a lucky hit on that enormous ego of yours.”

Mason rolled his eyes and smirked. “I’m letting him get one good hit in, only so he feels like he’s doing okay.”

Zoe reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, her nails scratching against his scalp in a way that had him letting out what could only be described as a satisfied sigh, his hand sliding down to cup her backside and bring her in until she was all but riding his thigh.  “Be careful with my officer, Mason.  I’m going to need him to be well enough to start doing patrols.”

“You two gonna make out in the corner or is Douglas going to have to go in there and break you up?” Tina teased, cupping her hands around her mouth to be heard across the station’s gym floor.

“I didn’t know that was an option,” Mason retorted, giving Zoe a quick kiss and a parting nip to her bottom lip before moving away, his mouth teased up into a knowing grin as he caught the barely inaudible whine she let out at the lack of contact.  “Don’t worry, Sweetheart.  I’ll deal with this and then maybe we can go back to your place for a little wrestling match of our own.”

“Just…” she sighed.  “Dial it down a notch or a million, will you?”

Mason shrugged out of his jacket and handed it to her.  “Yeah, yeah.  I’ll go puny human level, don’t get your panties bunched up.”  Pushing the sleeves of his henley up his forearms, Mason lazily sized Douglas up, watching as he got into a fighting stance.  “Well?  You gonna throw a punch or are we standing here all night?”

Douglas narrowed his eyes and struck out, the blow easily dodged.  “Not a bad start, let’s see if one of these actually connects.”  

“Five bucks says your boy toy knocks him on his ass in less than five minutes,” Tina whispered.

“Not taking that bet.  We both know how this is going to go.”

“Yeah, with you leaving me to tend to Douglas’s bruised ego while you go and get freaky with that tall drink of oh shit, he got a hit!” Tina bounced on the balls of her feet as Mason reached up to dab at his mouth with the back of his hand, the smallest dab of red streaking across his knuckle.

“Not bad at all.  You’ve got some potential.”  Zoe was positive that there was a tiny spark of respect in Mason’s voice before he struck out with a speedy one-two combination, hitting Douglas in the chest and stomach with enough force to knock him to his knees.

“You know,” Douglas wheezed, slowly getting back to his feet.  “You don’t hit that bad either.”

Mason narrowed his eyes.  “You’re a persistent one, I’ll give you that,” he told him, dodging another punch.  Somewhere along the line, a demonstration of what Douglas had learned had boiled down to what looked like a plain fistfight, a haymaker that would have connected on anyone else going wild as Mason zipped out of the way.  He was still using enough speed and force behind his punches that didn’t raise any eyebrows, and Zoe had to roll her eyes at the fact that he even made sure to pant every now and again so it looked as if he was running out of breath.

She knew better.  He was a shitty actor, even if no one else but her could pick up on it.

Their impromptu fight ended abruptly when Mason’s fist connected with Douglas’s jaw, sending him sprawling onto the mats.  “You okay, kid?” Mason asked, flexing his fingers as Tina and Zoe ran towards them.

Douglas sat up with Tina’s help.  “I think you broke my jaw.”

Mason shook his head.  “Nah.  Trust me, you’d know if it was broken.  Put some ice on it when you get home.”  He turned to look at Zoe.  “We done here, Sweetheart?”

“Everything okay, Douglas?” she asked instead, holding out a hand to help him to his feet.

“Yeah, Zoe.  It’s all good.”  She inwardly winced at the sad expression on his face, but also hoped that it would mean the beginning of the end to his fixation with her.

“Come on, Champ,” Tina said, patting him on his back.  “We’ll make a pit stop to the break room for a bag of ice and then I’ll take you out for some ice cream.”

Mason waited until they were alone.  “You’re pissed.”

Zoe turned back to face him.  “What makes you say that?”

“I bruised your officer.”

She shook her head.  “You could have done worse, but you didn’t.”  She pulled out the cigarette from her pant pocket and handed it to him.

“I didn’t even ask nicely.”  Still, Mason shook his head.  “Keep it.”

She watched his eyes darken as she shrugged her arms into his jacket, the garment too big on her.  “Maybe I’m feeling generous,” she said, digging into his jacket pockets until she found his slightly crumpled carton of cigarettes and replaced it inside.  Turning on her heel, she made her way towards the gym’s doors and flicked off the light.  “You coming or am I walking home alone?”

There was a whoosh of air and Zoe let out a grunt as her back gently hit the wall next to the light switch.  “I seem to remember me talking about having our own little wrestling match,” he said, tightening his fingers in her hair, his palm cushioning the back of her head from hitting the wall when he crowded her.

“I don’t remember agreeing,” she purred, sliding her fingers up and under the hem of his shirt, feeling the muscles of his stomach contract at the contact.  “Though maybe if you ask -”

He kissed her then, just like he’d wanted to all damn day, his mouth moving over hers and tongue dipping into her mouth to taste her.  “Please,” he murmured, lips trailing downwards over her throat as he wedged his thigh between her legs.  “Pretty fucking please.”

It took all his willpower not to shove her pants down her hips and have her there against the gym wall as she whimpered a shaky yes when his fangs skated across her skin, but he did muffle a groan into her shoulder as he let her grind against his thigh before grabbing her hips and smothering a pleased cry with his mouth.  “Keep that up, Sweetheart, and we’re not going to make it back to your place any time soon.”

“Promises, promises, Sunshine,” she replied, nipping at his lips until he melted against her, forearm braced against the wall and his other hand wandering to cup her backside and yank her closer to him.  Giving him one last kiss, she ducked under his arm, grabbing her bag and slinging it across her body before heading out of the gym and into the night.

Mason quickly shut the door behind them, letting his long legs catch him up to Zoe, who hadn’t gotten quite to the edge of the parking lot yet.  He shoved the sleeves of his shirt down to his wrists and rubbed his hands down his arms before casually resting an arm over Zoe’s shoulder.

“You want your jacket back?” she asked, wrapping her arm around his waist as they walked.

“Eventually.”  He sighed as the warmth from her body soaked into his side.  “Besides, it’s just going to wind up on your bedroom floor in a few minutes.”  Her scent was also going to linger in the lining for days, making him reluctant to light up a cigarette and have the smoke drown it out.

Not that he’d tell her that or anything.

Zoe grinned at his smile.  “Promises, promises,” she repeated, moving closer to him until she was all but glued to his side.

Mason’s smile widened into a full-blown leer.  “And you should know by now that I’m good with keeping my word.”

“I’m not arguing with you there.”  She stopped them under a streetlight and teasingly nipped at his jawline.  “Just looking forward to when you make good on them.”

Mason quickly looked around the empty streets, ears straining to hear anything over the tempting sound of Zoe’s heart.  Making a calculated move, he reached down and grabbed her, slinging her over his shoulder as he moved away from the light and zipped down the dark parts of the street in a blur until they were close to her apartment.  He would have rushed them into her complex properly, but he knew that there was that nosy neighbor on the second floor who always seemed to be looking out their window when he showed up and he didn’t want to risk anyone witnessing a display of supernatural speed.

“Don’t worry,” he drawled as she unlocked her front door.  “I’ll make damn good on them.”

[phantomphangphucker]

Legless On Maim Chap. 10: Epilogue: Aliens, Ghosts, And Humans! Oh My!

Vee’s a bastard, Danny’s a bastard, Eddie’s a bastard, ClockWork’s a bastard, Lewis’s a bastard; everyone’s a bastard. And multiple minor characters say why the fuck not and join the bastardly fray.

Danny sighs and turns his head back towards the kitchen, “Lewis! Come collect your monsterfucker boy toy!”. Eddie rolls his eyes like he’s heard this a fair few times.

Lewis walks over, “Eddie? Really? I mean one, kid’s not healed. Two-”, grinning, “-thanks for winning me a bet”, and side-eyeing Danny.

Danny points at him, “hey, doesn’t mean-”. Eddie doesn’t even let him finish that, smirking, “oh it does mean”. Danny sighs and hands Lewis what he thinks is a twenty though really? He’s kinda amused. Smirking at Eddie, “congrats, first dude to ever figure things out on their own”.

Sam shakes her head grabs everyone but Lewis and drags them out of the house. Lewis shakes his head, sips at his drink, and heads back over to his friends; Danny could handle Eddie.

Eddie blinks as they stop getting dragged by the goth, “are you serious kid? You look nearly identical with the glowy bullshit edited out”.

Sam smirks, “people are stupid and Danny’s a walking existential crisis”, looking to Tucker and Danny, “so much for Vampire Dad 2 I’m guessing?”.

Danny immediately points at them, “no you go, illegally record it or some shit”.

Tucker rolls his eyes, “you just don’t want us around Mr. Murders And Eats People without checking him out”.

Literally both Eddie and Danny respond with, “hey and I’m taken”.

Tucker blinks, “okay that was fucking weird”, while Danny and Eddie side-eye each other. Sam shakes her head and pulls Tucker off, knowing damn well Danny will just become a ball of overprotective.

Eddie shouts after them, “let it be known! We don’t eat kids!”. Which makes Danny wheeze when some dude at a stoplight shouts back at them, “good! I’m supposed to be getting my mom some blue hydrangeas from the goth! Doubt I can get then from a digested corpse!”.

Eddie mumbles, “everyone in this town is fucking weird”, looking to the side, “shut the fuck up bitch”. Which just makes Danny laugh more. Eddie looks to him, “anyway, you smell fucking weird and those are the most convincing fake leg crap ever”, sighing, “no, we’re not taste-testing”.

Danny snorts and kicks a rock as they start walking randomly, “actually totally do, I’m curious and, I’ve got legs for days”, and slides his hand down his leg with mock sexiness.

“Do you have a death wis-”, before going wide-eyed and suddenly getting bodily flung into Danny, “no! I don’t think he’s serious!”, regardless they end up in a bush with Danny muttering ‘ow’ and missing a bit of shoulder.

Danny stands himself up easily -a bush is by far not the worst thing he’s been bodily shoved into- and rolls his shoulder, Vee’s got some sharp teeth. Damn. Eddie untangles himself and staggers up, making some faces and muttering, “that’s it, no Lindor for you”. Danny lifts an eyebrow when a little black oily snake or something just sprouts out of the guys' shoulder, seemingly sneering all teeth, “HE OFFERED EDDIE”. Eddie grabs the head? and shoves them at his shoulder muttering, “back in, bitch”.

Danny starts wheezing as Eddie looks to him, “also you- oh”, turns back to the bush and promptly throws up. Making Danny fall on his ass laughing, so much for can eat anything! Snapping a probably not flattering pic of the guy bent over a bush, captioning it ‘guess who’s inedible’, and throws it in the Phantom chat.

Eddie hacks a bit, hands on his knees. Wiping his mouth, “ugh”, blinking down at the weird black/green bubbling sludge on the ground, that was slightly dissolving the bush leaves, “what the Hell are you made outta, kid?”.

Danny laughs loudly, “death!”. Laughing more at the little black snakehead popping out of the guys' neck and sticking out their tongue at him; he thinks they look either disgusted or slightly ill.

Eddie rights himself and quirks an eyebrow at Danny’s totally healed shoulder, “fuck you heal fast”.

Danny chuckles some more, standing up off the sidewalk and giving his shoulder a little pat, “Lewis lied, I’m completely healed. Family just don’t know. And to actually answer your question, ectoplasm and human stuff too”, pointing at the bush, “but that was probably the ecto”.

“Well I guess I ain’t eating fucking ghosts anytime soon”.

“JUST SPIT DON’T SWALLOW”. Danny wheezes more at the little head and Eddie looks to them, “the Internet was a mistake”.

“BUT WHERE WOULD YOU WATCH POR-”. Eddie smashes them against his skin, “no! He’s actually a minor. And we’re in public, asshole”. Looking to Danny, “how the fuck were you in Egypt though?”.

Danny shrugs, “eh, I’m tight with the god of time”. Eddie blinks and mutters to the side, “fuck me”. Danny chuckles, “no?”, which Eddie actually laughs at.

Eddie looks around, “alright, since someone made me lose my perfectly fine lunch, there a hotdog stand or some shit?”.

Danny snorts, “no clue if you’re referring to me or Vee”, tilting his head, “huh, that rhymes”, smirking, “cool”, looking back at Eddie, “if it’s food you’re after then the Nasty Burger’s the place”.

Eddie tilts his head and shrugs, “eh you made us eat at a place called fucking Flavours Of Negros ‘cause you thought they served people”. Danny decides against commenting on that one for so many reasons.

Danny walks and points in the direction of the place, “if it’s anything, it used to be the Tasty Burger before someone stole the T”.

Eddie quirks an eyebrow, “that explains nothing”.

Danny shrugs, “there was a public vote and adults hated how all the teens loved the place. One mayor even banned teens from there”.

“Oh the stinking rich one that’s definitely shady as fuck and is kinda like you but for some reason is rocking some vampire bullshit?”.

Danny pauses and blinks at the guy, what the fuck? “How the- okay I get how you figured me out, I literally challenged and baited you. But how the fuck did you put Vlad and Plasmius together?”.

Eddie gives a goofy grin, a very smug one, “I didn’t, but thanks for confirming”.

Danny grumbles, “sneaky bastard”, but is smirking the whole time, “how’d you narrow him down to Plasmius though?”.

Eddie shrugs, hands in his pockets, “ego the size of the moon and rich people are always into weird shit”, pausing and rolling his eyes, “babe, we’re an alien/human cluster fuck. We absolutely are one of them fucking rich people into weird shit”.

“There’s a lot of ways I could take that”, Danny tilts his head, “wait, you’re rich?”. What?

Eddie grins like an idiot, “Life Foundation paid me out big for infecting me with a venereal disease- I mean Symbiote”. Danny just watches as the guys' legs seemingly gain a mind of their own and walks him straight into a pole.

Danny shakes his head at the guy not even seeming phased by that. “Well, I got jack shit for dying”.

Eddie points at him, “so you legit straight-up fucking died? Not just falling in a vat of ghost acid like some fucking spooky Joker bullshit, but less ‘murder a bitch in a burning pile of cash’ more ‘I actually think spandex looks good like a damn fool’”.

“Hey, don’t diss the supersuit! That shit’s my skin man”, shrugging, “at least a layer of it. I fucking died in that shit. On that note, don’t walk into giant vortex tunnel portals to alternate dimensions fuelled by four billion volts of electricity built by explosion prone people who leave switches inside stuff and want to punch holes into the afterlife for funsies, science, and a little bit of mild torturing”.

“Huh. Well fuck your life too then kid. Literally”, rolling his eyes, “not that literally. We don’t kill kids and I don’t think we can make someone double dead”.

Danny sticks up a finger, “actually that happens. And I’m only half-dead, motherfucker. Check yer facts”, smirking, “I’m a real dead-ringer for life, and too bad doc gave away my scraps. ‘Cause if I tossed ‘em in the portal I could really have one foot in my grave”.

“I’m pretty sure he’s not supposed to do that- bitch that is exactly why our ass will never be a doctor”, almost looking genuinely offended, “hey, you leave my intellect out of this, you cunt”.

Danny wheezes a bit, does this guy really just talk like this? “How have you not been forcibly admitted to a mental asylum? And no he ain’t but can’t let torture happy gov dogs have my shit”.

Eddie grins wide at that. “You know so I give precisely zero fucks. And nice, fuck the government. I think we’ll get on fine”.

Danny snorts, “oh I have serious beef with the gov. Fuck them. I absolutely have blown up government bases before”.

Eddie nods approvingly and actually fist bumps Danny, “fucking same, and I have enough dirt on people I could ruin their lives if they came after me”.

Danny grins almost menacingly, “the government section that’s here is a literal government secret and completely ignore any and all laws. Wouldn’t put it past them to experiment on child corpses or assassinate the president if he seemed ghost friendly”, shrugging, “Tuck keeps tabs on them, dudes a damn good hacker”.

Eddie tilts his head and nods, “I could use one of those”.

Danny snapping, “not for murder you don’t”.

“You’re too moral”.

“You’re not moral enough”.

Both of them wind up laughing at that since neither actually sounded serious or genuine.

Eddie shakes his head, “anyway, what’d Dan do with your leggy bits?”, muttering to the side, “Dan doesn’t eat people, Vee, and you’re never going to convince him to try”.

Danny rolls his eyes, “gave it to a ghost, Skulker was probably tickled green to get even part of my pelt”, pointing at Eddie, “he’s a poacher. He would cry tears of joy over successfully skinning me”.  

Eddie stares at him, Vee’s little head popping out and opening their mouth very wide, “WHAT THE FUCK”.

Danny smirks, he effectively freaked an alien; talk about life, or death, goals, “I have issues. Many of them. And they like to shoot at me”, glancing around at the finally clear street before full force grabbing Vee’s face, “I’ve held off but, oh my Ancients alien sofuckingcoolohmyancientsfuckingfuckyoufeelsofuckingcoolwhatsyourchemicalcompositionlike?canyoueatEddie’seyesandleakdownhischeakslikeblackmurderspacetears’causeIhadareallycooldreamaboutthatdoyouhaveanyspacerocks?ohmyAncientshowfarawayisyourspacerock?isitevenrock?orgas?floatylava!oh!oh!isitallblacklikeyou?orisblackrarecolouringforsymbiotes?redwouldberealcoolbutkindalikebloodwhichweirdrightgreenwouldbefunnycauseI’mallgreenydoyourcoloursevenmeananything?you’relikealittlevoidahungryvoidandohmyAncientsyoureyesaresocoolhowdotheywork?whatcoloursdoyousee?whatsyourfavourite?canyouseethroughEddie’seyeslikenormalhumaneyesoraretheyallenhanced?doesourplanetlookprettytoyou?andohyourteethwhataretheyyoudon‘thaveanybonewhataretheyconnectedto?wheredotheygocanyoumakeEddieallteethy?seemlikeyou’dbiteyourtongueallthetimewhichouchyourtonguelookssomuchmoredetailedhowmuchcanyoutaste?What’syourfavouritenotpeoplefoodLewissaidyou‘resuperoldsoyou’veprobablytastedsomuchshitfromallovertheuniversewhichjustlikeholyshitAncientsendmeZonecomethandgrantmesweetreliefwherehaveyoubeen?whatplanets?whataretheylike?madeoutof?thesmells!whataboutthesmells!?!yousmelllikebutterandcandiedeelandcigarettesmokewhichmustbeEddie’sfaulttellhimhe’sbadyoumustbesoconnectedthenthoughwhat’shisbodylikeversesotherspecies?whatotherspecieshaveyoubeenwith?what’stheirmusculaturlike?howdotheybreathandseeandhearandeverythinghowfarhaveyougone?whataboutallthestars?howdifferentaretheysetupelsewherearetherestarswecan‘tseehere?haveyoubeenonastar!oh!canyoueatastar?haveyou?waitwaitIforgotwhatdoyoutastelike?youbitmesotittatit’sfair”.

Eddie watches in slightly stunned disbelief as Vee desperately tries to get out of this kid’s grip but the kid's nails -claws actually?- are somehow clinging really well and he just leaves the ground and gets dragged with. Knocking everyone over again and licking? Vee. Then prodding their teeth, but that gives Vee the chance to get comfortably back inside him; feeling obviously super confused and startled.

Eddie has to practically kick the kid off him when he literally sticks his hand through Eddie’s collarbone where Vee disappeared through. “Ohthat’ssocooltheyslipthroughyourpoursandskinsuremyectoplasmdoesthattoobutit’snotanalienohmyAncients”.

Eddie stands, basically holding the kid at arm's length in the air, “Christ on a shit stick kid chill, holy shit”, muttering, “now I get why Dan said you like space with a little smirk”. It felt like the kid was literally vibrating under his skin and fuck, it just hit him how fucked up this is. He’s holding the hero of Amity Park up in the air by the waist. This kid’s got an entire year on his ass and doesn’t, like, y’ know, murder people. And the kid just went all fucking uncle tickles on Vee. “Everything you just said was unintelligible garbage”.

The kid stares at him with eyes almost painfully bright green, “you think your freaky long adult arms are gonna do shit?”, and proceeds to just make a whole ass nother half body out of his fucking shoulders. Eddie scrunches up his entire face, “I’ve never been on this end of the body horror, oh god”, as the kid's new pair of hands grab for his face.

Vee takes over going big ass Venom, because this is some bullshit, and holds Danny away with their claws by the kid’s shirt, like he’s an over-aggressive kitten. Danny just puts his hands to his face, the extra body sorta dissolving into green misty stuff, eyes sparkling, “so cool”. Which both Eddie and Vee think is a bullshit reaction.

“Howdoesthatwork?whatdoesthatfeellike?you’reinafuckingaliendudeohmyAncients”, grabs Venom’s wrist and makes some kind of weird staticky squealing noise, “ohitfeelsthesamebutmorestructuredandtheveiningislittledifferentandohyoumotherfuckeryouareablackandwhitelittlebitch”. Danny makes a few faces and talks like a normal breathing-required person, “you stole my colours bitch”.

Vee doesn’t say shit, just retreats into Eddie’s body and drops Danny; who doesn’t seem to give a damn about landing on his ass, standing back upright in seconds.

Eddie makes a bunch of faces at him, settling on just looking tired as fuck, “kid, what the fuck?”. Rubbing his face and grumbling, “I’m too sober for this shit”.

Danny chuckles, dimming his eyes some, “sorry not sorry, I like space. And Vee is an alien from space”, shrugging exaggeratedly, “sure I’ve been to space but totally not the fucking same”.

Eddie raises an eyebrow, “you’ve been to space?”.

“I can fly and don’t need to breathe, of course I’ve gone to space”, shrugging again, “sure so has my girlfriend but she has a hoverboard. And bitch yes I’m dating a ghost hunter who used to want to murder me real good. Occasionally still makes light stabs at my half-life”, smirking, “we both enjoy the little love taps”.

Eddie blinks and mutters, “well damn Dan, kid’s a mini-me... minus the murder, and probable alcoholism, and job, and probably the piss shit and vinegar childhood; heck he’s still a child-”.

Danny cuts in, “you really do just mutter to yourself in general huh? Not just to Vee”.

“You're weirder than Dan. He’s just chill chill ‘bout me having an alien up my ass, you’re enthusiastically chill. He just goes ‘huh, guess this is happening. Hi new friend, please don’t eat me’ and you’re over here like ‘let me touch theeeeeeeeem!’. Almost enough to make me regret coming mildly”.

Danny blinks, oh Hell no, “no, no taking the alien away from me. Also, Lewis is way weirder than me”.

Vee pops back out, Danny not even bothering to hide his grin, and looks at Eddie’s face, “ARE ALL HUMAN CHILDREN LIKE THIS?”.

“Hey, I’m almost seventeen I’ll have you know. That’s almost adult”.

Eddie looks at him and laughs a little, “no kid, no it’s not. I’d say twenty-four is the cutoff. And you feel like a kid too, and I don’t mean that in the human way”, scrunching his eyebrows, “and the fuck did Dan do? For you to think he’s weird. And why the fuck do you use his last name? You don’t scream pompous formal snob”.

Danny blinks, “oh! You can sense peoples ages? Or childness”, tilting his head, “sure adult ghosts can do that so you’re not special, but whatever”.

Eddie grumbles, “fuck you too buddy”. While Danny continues, “what hasn’t he done? Guy hid me in a thermos while having happy personal time with the bone saw when the government-sponsored anti-ghost militia came to abducted and probably torture me, and he hardly gave a shit. Guy doesn’t even react to ghostly supernovas. Super great dude though”.

Eddie grins, his opinion of this kid going up a few levels, “oh I know, he’s great”.

Danny nods immediately, “just the best. Totally stan”.

The conversation then becomes a solid ten minutes of just ‘Dan Lewis is just a really great dude’ and ‘I know right?’.

Danny chuckles, “and pompous snob is more my evil villain uncle’s thing. Lewis is a Lewis because Dan is an evil version of me that, like, low-key annihilated humanity once”, tilting his head, “who I’m oddly less traumatised by now. Eh, I blame Lewis”.

Eddie blinks, and Eddie thought his life was utterly fucked, “I usually blame him whenever anything goes right in my brain square”. Vee looks to him and practically screams, “STILL NOT A SQUARE EDDIE!”. Eddie aggressively shoving them back in when someone inside the building yells, “Jesus fuck!”, and sticks their head over their balcony, “oh, it’s the fucking Fenton boy. That explains it”, and disappears back into the building.

Eddie looks back to Danny, “I’m guessing you get away with a fucking lot”.

Danny shrugs, “me and my friends are the town weirdos. My parents, the town crazies”.

“Wow, you were screwed the day you were born”, shrugging as they continue walking in genuine yet again, “granted my dad liked to hit me with a shovel so fucking same”.

“Eh, mine used to be really into trying to dissect me. Liked shooting at me, but my dad’s a terrible shot. Though the little couple day torture session in the dungeon was not my idea of a good time”.

Eddie blinks, “I’m literal nightmare fuel and I’m telling you your life is a fucking nightmare. What the fuck”. Vee sticks their head out from Eddie’s jacket, “WOULD YOU LIKE THEM EATEN? WE ARE ALREADY GOING TO EAT EDDIE’S IF THEY EVER SHOW THEIR COWARD FACES”.

Danny immediately snaps, “no. Try that and I’ll impale you with a flaming shank”, and points a pointy chunk of ice that he got from somewhere at them. “My parents are great. Little bigoted, but we’re working on that. Oh and on that, they don’t know about your whole ‘alien up the ass’ situation. So maybe don’t go all chest-burster on them. Also don’t know I’m Phantom, neither does the girlfriend”. 

Eddie shakes his head, “so you’ve been doing hero shit without any parents or any other fucking thing?”. Eddie thinks that’s some major bullshit.

Danny shrugs, “eh, I got some adult ghost friends and clockpops, even of I seldom see any of them”. Danny chooses to ignore Eddie aggressively whispering ‘Vee’ and ‘no’ repeatedly to the side. “Vladdie tries to be a father figure but he’s a fucking fruitloop and probably spends, like, half his time finding new fun ways to taser me or maybe he’ll try the whole ‘I’ll murder your friends and family’ schtick again”.

Vee forms half a head on Eddie’s head and basically shrieks, “THAT’S IT! WE’RE ADOPTING BABY GHOST HYBRID PREDATOR!”, and whacks Danny on the head with a tendril.

“What?!? No! ‘Ready got parents, human and ghost!”.

Eddie smirks and rolls his eyes, “too fucking bad. Not literally. They’re just saying you’re a small blob to be protected. Which like, the fuck kid, you're on par or worse than my fucked up life”.

Danny rolls his eyes, though ‘protected by an alien’ sounds fucking awesome. “I could beat the shit out of you”.

“Is that a challenge? That feels like a challenge. And Vee does get bored of smashing around squishy humans sometimes”.

Danny grumbles, “you are way too fucking cool with murder”, and shakes his head with a smirk, “Lewis told me your weaknesses. My strongest ability just so happens to be a supersonic wail. I could level a city, you ain’t winning shit. Also a pyrokinetic, so double fucked”, Danny finger guns at him and shots little blue flames out; Vee, in typical fashion, hisses.

Eddie groans and dramatically sags, though not putting any real effort into it. Trying to play off the discomfort Vee sends his way over fire being so close. “I’ll admit, the Internet is all over the fucking place on what you can do. Some seemed like some crackfic bullshit. Same goes with the theories about you. Found one group that think you’re literally bloody fucking Satan coming to deceive the youth and bring about the end of times or some bullshit. Even a shoot off that you’re determining the merit of our souls and indoctrinating humanity into peace with the dead”, waving his hand around, “and some other crap about you being death itself”, pointing at him, “the stories told around you are just as fucked and wild as us”.

Danny blinks and squints at the guy, “okay, now I’m curious because that’s disturbingly close to the truth”.

“What”.

Danny quirks an eyebrow and smirks, “what? Did Lewis not mention that? The whole prince and eventual king of the dead thing? My defeat of the previous king was kinda a big deal, especially since it got the town abducted into an alternate dimension for a bit and attacked by a skeleton army”, smirking more and shrugging, “and co-existence is defiantly a goal of mine. And kingy is considered the will of the Zone so that is pretty much being death itself. And soul judging comes with the job”, tilting his head, “more of a passive thing though”.

Eddie blinks, “yup. In over our head. My soul is probably pretty fucked”.

Danny rolls his eyes, “no clue man, I ain’t king yet and hopefully won’t be for a few hundred years”.

Eddie raises his eyebrows, “so you’re vaguely immortal? We really are too similar”.

“Oh?”, Danny’s face lights up, “oh! oh! Does Vee’s weird healing of you stop the effects of ageing? Any cells or shit that gets damaged or worn they can just rebuild, reform, or replicate?”.

Eddie gives an almost impressed nod, “yeah, how the fuck did you guess that?”.

“Dude, alien’s meat puppet? Before dying fucked my vitals and physiology I was on my way to being an astronaut. My entire family are scientists, I have my own scientific patents, and my sister’s a certified genius pioneering a new field of psychology. Ancients, Lewis is bartering to get me into med school because he wants me to work with him. And my archenemy is a hardcore mad scientist. If I was dumb and not creative, I’d be deader. Dead with a side of dead sauce”.

Eddie shrugs, “I’d say I’m a dumbass so that’s different, but while I’m a dumbass, I’m a smart dumbass”.

“Fucking same. Investigative reporter probably requires a good head and creativity”.

Eddie chuckles, “yeah, I would have died long before Vee dropped on my ass. The whole situation that led to Vee was me biting a fish bigger than I could chew”, Danny then watched him go all Sauron demon voice and have suddenly very sharp plentiful teeth, “NOW WE ARE THE BIG FISH”, and grinning all teeth,

Danny eyes the teeth and grins, “so cool”, shaking his head, “not the biggest though and no snatching my guppies”, and grins, all fangs.  

Still using Eddie’s mouth, “LOOK EDDIE! IMPRESSIVE TEETH TOO! TOLD YOU, PREDATOR!”. Eddie seemingly takes back his mouth, teeth staying though, “I think I noticed, babe”, pointing at Danny, “big ass fangs you got, pretty sharp yourself”, and he has no clue why the kid is looking at him with awe and wonder; probably the alien/space thing again, which is probably going to be a running theme with this kid. Poor Vee.

Eddie gets his real answer when Danny mutters, or attempts to mutter anyway, “hoz? Wiz youvz so goovz at talkin’z? Iz canz barey fuckin’z zveekz”.

Eddie blinks, sputters, and promptly starts laughing. That explained that! The kid hadn't learned how to speak while being sixty-percent teeth yet! Hahahahhahaha. Bending over, hands on his knees and wheezing. Granted, his first time rockin’ shark teeth had been god awful and Vee had judged him so hard. Speaking of Vee, they pop out of Eddie’s jacket yet again and squint at Danny, “BABY. HASN’T EVEN LEARNED TO SPEAK PROPERLY YET”.

“Fuzz youv. Dizt”.

Eddie bursts out laughing more and has to sit down on the sidewalk, “hahahahahahahahahahhahahahaha”.

“Shovz tit. Thvez nez!”, and promptly stabs his lip, which Eddie laughs so hard at that he tears up, Danny just scowls, “adulvez fanz, chilz faze; dozen worz”.

Eddie lays on the grass, “hahaha I have no idea what you said kid! Hahaha! You’re really good at the whole unintelligible garbage schtick, aren’t you. Haha”.

Danny flips the guy off, switching to ghost speak which was perfectly easy to do with his fangs, since it was all scratchy echoing warble static. Made by vibrating ectoplasm, different teeth (since each tooth had different density or number of pores or solidity), clicking his jaw, and only a small amount of actually moving his mouth, “t̵he̶͞y͏̕’̵͜r̵ȩ̴͟ ̕n̡o͢t ͜m̵̷ad̡e̷̴͢ ̵̸fo҉̶r̶͏̨ ̵E̡̛ņ̛g̸͢l͠͞įs̸͠h̸̶͟, a̸s̛͡s̷̕h͟o̸͞l̢e̕.̶ ͏̷T̵͟h̴͏e͢y’̕re͜ no̧ţ͟͜ ҉̧͜e̛v̴͟en҉ ̨̛̕ma̸̕d̶̡e̡ f͢ơ͟r̷̡ ̢f͟͢͞l̡͘e͝s̶h ͠͠a͜͡n̡̛ḑ͘ ̨͞b͏͟o҉n̢̛͘e͠,͠ ̨͘e̶͡c̛͏t̛͠o̕’̕͏s̶ al͝wa͟y̨s͢ a̸̧ ̵l̸̨i̵͝t̢͢tl҉ę̵ mor̨͝e̢ ̵̕f͜o̵͡͡r͏g͢i̷̶͞v͏i̸̴n̸g̵̢.̧͡ D҉̕ic̴k̨͢͠”, then deciding to be a real asshole and put some serious power behind it after checking no one was around,

“y̰̠ͬ̄ͭͣ̈́̚ȍ̜̹̚ú̡̖̺̘͓́̔ ͍̖͈̫̗̺̫͆ͧ͒w̛͒̀̿ī͇͊͝l̹͖̝̖̻̹̳͛̅̍̾̓͒l̯̗̻̲ͣ̄ͭ̚̕ ̧̝̻͕̈̽d̵̹ͮ͊̃̏͒i̦͎̝͔̻̭ͤͫ̎̓͂ͮ̐͡ͅe̹̝̲̠̞ ̢̬̘̈̑͐͐ͮ̄o̩͇̰̻̎ͬͨͬ̂ͮ̽ṅ͔̘͙̮͍̋͊͋e̗̳͉̽͆̚ ̙͎͍͙̠̫͘ͅḋ̗̩̱ͪͧ́ͅä̡̺̰̩̺̺͖y͉͔̞̺̦̩̣͋̇͋͆ͤ̅ ͙̭̠̩̬ͪ̄͐̉ͬ͐ḁ͆̅n̫̤̤͈̭͌̽̋̅ͨ͛̚d̦̘̬̻̹ͭ ̧͓ͤͫ̋͂̐I̴͉͍̟̪͈͗ͭ̍̎͒̋͂ ͕̘̳͇̝̤̅ͭ͋͛̃w̸̱͙͖͇̫͕̯ͫ́͌ͯ͆̊̑i̛̒̒̆̓͊̚l̼͉̩͍ͦͪͨl̲̗͍͙̲͚̖̈̍̐̈̚ ̳͍̒̆b͓̹̅ĕ̮̖̣ͨ ̪̹͉̘̉̅ͨt̛͉̲͍̖̬̩͙͐h͈̹̥̥͓͗ͣe̬r̛͖̘̺̱̥͍̆ͮͪͮ̑ͦͬe̎̆̍”.

Eddie blinks from the ground, promptly sitting the fuck up as a shiver ripples down his spine and through Vee; who instinctively hides back in Eddie, which honestly weirds Eddie out a bit. The kid smirks down at him, meaning scaring was literally the goal here. Blinking at him, “the fuck. Alright your voice is officially more frightening than Vee’s. The fuck. That sets off every bloody alarm bell, damn. I’m supposed to be the one that scares the piss outta people”, pushing himself up and staggering only a little, “well, Vee technically. Guess we’re both scary little monsters”, smirking down at the kid, “emphasis on little in your case”.

Danny pointedly retracts his fangs before speaking, “fuck you, I’m gonna be, like, seven feet tall one day”. Eddie just rolls his eyes at that, not even considering the fact that Danny is absolutely correct.

Vee pops their little head back out and immediately moves to hiss, all teeth, in Danny’s face; who hisses right back. Eddie thinks it’s like some weird asserting dominance thing. Which seems exactly like what Vee would do, gotta try to save face after going all hiding whack-a-mole. Though with the temperature dropping and what’s up with the colour palette of this town?

Symbiote and halfa stop and grin toothy at each other.

“IMPRESSIVE”.

“So cool”.

Eddie shakes his head and points at the sign in the distance, “would you look at that, I think I see your favourite poorly named restaurant in the difference”, this kid is going to inflate Vee’s ego at this point.

Vee looks back to Eddie, “YOU’RE THE ONE UP YOUR OWN ASS ENOUGH TO THINK YOU CAN APPEAR ON TV WITH KETCHUP STAINS”.

Eddie rolls his eyes, “says the alien up my ass“.

“I’LL MAKE THAT LITERAL, BITCH”.

Danny’s cheeks go noticeably red, puts up his hands startlingly fast, turns on his heels, and half shouts, “nope! Hello Nasty Burger!”, and starts walking.

Eddie chuckles and shakes his head, least the snarl-fest is over. Though feeling like they just exited a surreal pocket dimension after a bit because suddenly there are people around again, it’s warmish, the colours are normal, and leaves are falling slowly. “Your town is some weird bullshit”.

Danny laughs and grins at the guy meanly, “it’s a ghosts lair, what do you expect?”.

“The whole town? Talk about overkill”.

Danny mutters, “fuck you. Ghosts are dramatic”, as he pushes open the doors.

Eddie gives the most sarcastic, “You don’t say”, he can muster. “Sure makes driving interesting”, tilting his head and chuckling a little, “okay, yes, and fun”.

Danny snickers, flicks his hip hard enough to make a metallic ping, “guess I’m not the only one that has a hard drive”.

Eddie doesn’t get a chance to respond to that as some kid shouts, “holy Zone it’s Eddie Brock!”.

Danny tries not to laugh as Dash of all people runs over, “dude the complication videos of you bashing people’s faces in and shit are fucking legendary”.

Eddie blinks, “I like that’s what I’m known for”. And some ginger kid mutters, “I prefer his exposé”, gets up and points at Danny, whisper sneering, “I hope he exposes your ass, Phantom”, and stalks out of the restaurant.

This gets Dash to actually notice Danny’s existence, “Fentit! The Zone’s a weak loser like you doing with someone famous?”, looking Fenton up and down before smirking, “you look not dead, soooooo”, and moves to snatch that weird basketball kid’s half-empty drink off the table. He doesn’t get a chance as Valerie -who’s honestly scary as fuck- shouts, “if you even think about it I will make you eat that cup and clean the floor yourself!”. Dash puts the cup down when the manager also shouts, “and I’ll let her!”.

Danny snickers meanly and points at a clearly confused Eddie, “Oh didn’t you know? We’re friends”.

Dash snaps, “bullshit”, and shoulders his way past Danny.

Danny shouts after him, “oh I dead ass am!”. While Valerie walks over, in uniform, and hugs Danny, “Zone I’m glad to see you up and about”, grabbing his shoulders and looking him up and down, “your parents scare me”.

Eddie does know how to take a queue, ten bucks says that’s the girlfriend, and just goes up to order. On that note, the fuck is a triple death meaty mighty? I mean, he’s totally ordering that, whatever it is. “-and I’ll have whatever qualifies as strong coffee”. He’s pretty sure Danny and the girl are making out, low key but still.

The cashier glances at Danny and back to the -holy fuck this dude’s famous- Eddie Brock, “you know the Fenton kid so I’m just gonna give you what he orders. One Deathspresso”.

Eddie smirks and laughs.

‘AS BAD AS YOU, EDDIE’

Eddie’s gonna take that compliment.

‘NOT A COMPLIMENT, IDIOT’

Eddie ignores that. Watching the kid just get his ‘usual’ whatever the fuck that is. 

Eddie raises an eyebrow at the girl when she joins them at a table. Not even having to ask as she goes from zero to murder a bitch in a split second, smacking a hand on the table and pointing the other at his face, “eat anyone and I’ll blow your ass up with a missile launcher. Even try to eat Danny and you’ll find me standing over you with a cattle prod”.

“Been there, done that”, and gives an award-winning sultry smirk.

Danny chuckles, “this a bad time to mention they already tried a sample?”. Eddie nearly chokes on his coffee due to one, fuck this is impressively strong. And two, the girl actually pulls out a weirdly shaped cattle prod. Danny snatches the weapon away, “we’re cool Val. ‘Parently I’m inedible”.

The girl grumbles, “fine, but I'm watching you”, and sounds aggressively serious about that. Eddie watches as Danny straight up chugs half his Deathspresso; fuck this kid’s worse than him. Which is definitely not a compliment.

Valerie turns to Danny, “so obviously you’re running your cyber stuff well, but the spooky stuff? Did you, maybe, get a spooky visitor drop in?”.

“If by ‘drop-in’ you mean fell through the ceiling laughing and mildly scaring the piss outta me, then being tail bros? Then yeah”, shaking his head and taking a few bites, “seriously, what the fuck, Val?”. Obviously he has to cover his Phantom ass.

Eddie just sips his coffee, pretending this conversation makes any sense.

Danny points to the manager who’s giving Valerie some serious side-eye, “you might want to get back to work, but first”, Danny leans over with mock sexiness, “I’m glad we started dating during this time of year”.

Valerie asks cautiously, “why”.

Danny grins, “‘cause we’re autumn mated”, and points a thumb outside at the orange trees and leaves on the ground.

Valerie sighs, “fuck you”, and shoves him through the window -which had been broken not too long ago- and into a bush. Getting up and brushing herself off before giving Eddie another threatening finger point and walking off.

Eddie tosses out the trash and walks out to watch the kid pull himself out of the bush, “I’m really fucking confused that you let people push around. Pretty sure you woulda let that jock kid dump stuff on you”. Vee sneaks their head out, “EAT THEM”.

Danny brushes off his pants, “not gonna happen”, straightening up, “if Dash spends his time beating me around then he doesn’t have time to beat up the ones that can’t handle falling twenty-something feet from a flag pole or being force-fed rotten food”.

Eddie groans, “oh god, you’ve got a fucking hero complex”, as they start heading back to the kids -really fucking weird- house.

“Lewis says you do your thing for hero-y reasons. Dishing out justice, without the mercy”, squinting at the guy, “or do you just do it for the meal”.

Eddie can practically smell the judgmental disapproval coming off the kid, “kid, no offence Vee, do you really think I’d be munching on people without my little alien hitchhiker?”, shrugging and sticking his hands in his pockets, “sure we only hunt people down when we need the meal, but I’m a thorough motherfucker; they’re always bad guys. Both guys that I would have come after anyways, minus the gratuitous murder. And guys that I couldn’t go after before on account of them probably fucking murdering me”. Danny looks like he’s actively determining his worth and truthfulness.

Danny nods after a bit, “alright, you seem believable enough. You’re the moral compass of Venom, at least it seems you actually are moral”.

“I don’t know ‘bout moral kid. The filth of the world is our prey and happily so”.

“Woah, chill your tits there Jeffery Dahlmer”, anything else Danny was going to say getting cut off by a shiver travelling through his body and a little plume of icy mist, “hold that thought, Hannibal, I’ve got a job to do”, and slips off into an alleyway.

Eddie grumbles, “like I haven’t heard that one before”, and chooses to lean against a building and finish his drink.

Not two seconds later does Eddie hear that echoey voice shout, “well looks like I’ve gone from one foodie to another! Surely you’ll find me a more flavourful delicacy! But no! You aren’t allowed to divide my existence away into servings! Though I’m certain I’m a perfect recipe for heroic tendencies!”.

Eddie watches as the black and white kid, who looks waaaaaaay less blurry in person, seemingly gets blasted out of the alley by meat? Like a legit literal floating river of meat. Eddie thinks this is already some major bullshit.

Danny dodges a meat axe, having a hard time not laughing his ass off at catching Eddie’s major ‘what the fuck’ face. The Lunchlady predictably pausing after Danny blasts apart the meatsuit -he’s gonna have to figure out where all this meat came from in the first place- with a couple well-aimed blasts. She looks him up and down, and shakes her head with a scowl, “YOU'RE STILL TOO SKINNY! Cookie?”.

Danny sighs, putting his chin in one palm, “no”.

“THEN YOU WILL FRY!”, and slams him into the ground with an oversized frying pan.

Danny just shoots a beam at her from the small crater he’s in, “the only thing I need to sweeten myself up is coffee!”.

The Lunchlady stops again and deadpans, “that’s bitter dearie”.

“Do I look like I care what my taste buds think!?! I’m Death flavoured anyway!”, floating back up, “and I think these battle flavours need the added spice of my fist!”, and promptly socks her across the jaw. Talking a bit quietly at her, “you and Boxy aren’t having issues are you?”.

She waves him off, “oh hardly”, and throws him into a building via a meat fist.

Eddie eyeballs a bit of steak that smacked into the ground with an oddly satisfying thwap. Muttering as Vee uses his leg/foot to poke it, “babe, that’s gross. Don’t eat that”. He might not have standards, but he has standards. Though if the steak wasn’t cooked Vee would probably eat it anyway.

‘YES’

The Lunchlady flies in after Danny and presents a little serving tray, taking off the lid. Danny takes the little paper while giving her some serious confused cautious eyebrows. Laughing when he sees it’s actually a bloody baby shower invite! The Lunchlady nods curtly, “I’m well aware you rather your humans not know, dearie”.

Danny nods, “truth”, and floats up, smirking, “should I bring a boxed lunch”.

She shakes her head, “I'm not going to question how you knew her name”. Danny just snickers meanly before, “surprise thermos!”, and sucks her into his thermos.

Eddie grunts, “so you seriously use a thermos? And your enemies invite you to parties? Honestly?”. Bullshit. That is bullshit.

Danny turns and looks at Eddie who’s sticking his head in through a hole, “you know, most people run away”.

“What is ghost lady gonna do? Kill me?”.

Danny blinks and wheezes, changing back human and wiggling his tail about, “we’re weirdly similar”, shaking his head, “and she would have tried once. Ghosts know better than to genuinely try to kill my humans though”, floating over to snatch up the discarded CyberSteps and reattach them, “also, I’m more like frenemies with most of my enemies”.

“You’re stupid”. Detachable robo legs were a new one but Dan had not failed to mentioned getting stab and hack happy with the kids lower half or that the kid's parents were trying, and apparently succeeding, at playing pin the legs on the teenager.  

Danny points at the guy, “hey, all ghosts fight each other. It’s a little something called socialising; not that you know much about that”.

“Cut deep why don’t you. You little fucker”.

“I’m only five-four!”.

“Exactly”.

“Jerk”.

“Dick”.

Vee takes over Eddie’s mouth, “BITCHES”, apparently feeling left out.

Danny tilts his head, hearing a very particular engine, and grabs Eddie’s jacket to physically yank him to the side; just as the mini GAV -which is honestly just a reinforced minivan instead of a suped-up mini-tank monster truck hybrid thing- barrels through the wall, his dad clearly being the driver. Eddie yelping, “god fuck! Holy shit!”.

Maddie sticks her head out of the door, bazooka in hand. Lowering the weapon and clearly raising her eyebrows as she spots Danny, lifting her goggles, “oh! Sweetie!”, looking down and likely checking her scanner, “darn, missed It... them, missed them”.

Danny mutters, “they’re trying at least”, before waving at her, “hey mom, don’t worry, I’m fine”.

Eddie grumbles as he stands up, “don’t mind me, I'm good too”, only to slip on a chunk of debris and land right back on his ass.

‘MAKING US LOOK BAD, EDDIE’

Eddie grumbling, “she’s in head to toe spandex, I don’t think she cares”. Danny rolls his eyes, “it’s useful spandex”, he’s over being embarrassed by his parents ‘fashion’.

Eddie just snickers at the kid as his mom walks up and starts checking him over, “you alright? The ghost didn’t hurt you or anything? Or were they one you’re... friendly with?”.  

Danny bats away her hand, “mooooom, cut it out. I told you I’m fine”, Ancients he hated being babied, especially in front of others. Having to make a point to keep the snarl out of his voice, can’t help the teeth-baring though, “seriously”, huffing though glad when she gets the message and cuts it the Zone out, “and it was just the Lunchlady”, shrugging, “‘parently BoxedLunch was born”. She just blinks at him.

Eddie turns to the side and laughs, “well those are... names”, and laughs a little more. Danny points aggressively at him.

Maddie smiles a little stiffly, “ghosts names usually have a meaning of some kind”, gesturing to the mini-GAV, “how about I- or Jack I guess, drive everyone back to the house?”. Jack, as if summoned, sticks his head out and waves.

Eddie shrugs, following the adult and teen into the... ‘vehicle’ thing. While Danny nods, “yup, BoxedLunch will be able to telekinetically control boxed and canned food products”.

Eddie shakes his head, “that’s stupid”.

Danny rolls his eyes, “could be Obsession based too. Usually a mix”.

Jack nods and guns it, speaking while Eddie shrieks and chants ‘no’, “Phantom seems to be the exception. But! We’re pretty sure he’s a different kind of ghost! A needed one! A spirit!”, looking to Danny, “like ClockWork!”.

Eddie just side-eyes Danny while clinging to the door handle.

“I do believe I mentioned we are called NeverBorns”. Startling nearly everyone. Eddie muttering, “oh fuck me- no not you”.

Danny tilts his head up a little, child ClockWork appearing with their arms crossed on his head. Danny chuckling slightly awkwardly, “hey Clocky, uh, whatcha doing?”. Is ClockWork showing up randomly around his parents going to be a routine?

Maddie gives a stiff nod of greeting, “hello... ClockWork”. Jack waving erratically and giving a far more genuine, “hello! Again!”.

Eddie catches on damn quick, based on the stiffness the lady seems ridiculously similar to homophobes trying to tolerate or not be an utter ass around an out and proud queer. So she was what? a speciesist? Genuinely it seems. Well that’s fucking stupid and bullshit. The guy seemed more like the ignorant type that’s actually totally cool once they know better and actually believe it. And these guys were supposed to be the creme de la creme of ghost research? Wow, fuck that bullshit. “I’m not even gonna bother pretending to understand what the fuck is going on with the baby ghost, but aren’t you guys like the fucking ghost scientists of the world? I’m detecting some speciesism crap here. Studying the whatever the fuck that you’re bigoted against is stupid and is exactly how you do bad science”.

Danny holds up a finger, “uh, actually the government’s pretty well the same and did try to nuke the Ghost Zone; which would have pretty much destroyed the universe”.

Eddie points are him, clutching the door harder when the vehicle takes a hard turn, “that’s exactly what I mean. Studying while high on the bigotry train equals making stupid decisions”, gesturing wildly, “like blowing up an entire dimension. That’s stupid. I’d metaphorically punch someone in front of the camera for that. If I were a ghost I’d probably terrorise people trying to blow my home up or shoot me for the crime of existing too”.

Maddie opens and closes her mouth a few times, “well we didn’t believe them capable of emotions-”.

Eddie quirks an eyebrow, trying to not look pathetic while clinging to the door, “oh? Just like women aren’t capable of being rational, right?”.

Maddie makes a series of faces, “that’s not the same”.

“Isn’t it?”.

“Ghosts are a different species”.

“And? Women are a different sex”.

“They’re dead”.

“So?”.

“The have an absence of life, so logically it made sense they’d lack things of the living”.

“Women lack balls, which those old assholes clearly thought had something to do with being fucking rational. And do I even need to start on the whole genitalia related hysteria theory bullshit?”. Danny chokes a little and covers his eyes at that. Eddie smirks, “I know jack shit about ghosts, but I can taste bullshit when I smell it”.

ClockWork sticks up a small finger, “that is not how that phrase goes”.

Eddie only glances at them, “do I care? No”.

Jack parks and stands, “to be fair, every time anyone had encountered ghosts they had been violent”.

Eddie practically peels himself off the door, “I don’t know about you, but I’ve never ran into a friendly shark”, adding like he’s almost being forced at gunpoint to, “sharks are cool as shit though”.  

Danny gets up too, ClockWork not moving from their spot on his head. Danny’s almost impressed they’ve stayed in child form for so long, means there’s probably a reason though. “Sharks are pretty cool. Awesome teeth”, and gives a meaningful smile; he’d throw in his fangs if his folks weren’t around.

Eddie gives a small smirk back, a bit of sharp teeth visible. Then turning back to the parents, “science and biased opinions don’t mix, like milk and lemon juice. Nothing is fact until proven otherwise and if someone says it’s fact, prove them wrong; your bloody well self included. Screw your heads on straight”.

Danny looks to him while his parents gape a little, “I think I get why you get punched and abducted so much. You’re, like, super confrontational”.

Eddie points at him while walking up to the door, “and you’re not?”. Which Danny will admit is a bit fair. Eddie continues, “though yes, I do tend to egg people into throwing down. There is little better than punching pompous money-grubbing jackass that fuck over the lower classes in the face”. Danny can’t ever disagree with that either. ‘Cause well... ‘cause Vlad. Though he absolutely hears Eddie mutter to the side, “okay fine, yes that’s better. Only reason I like it now is your oily ass-oh yeah you and me both-fuck off”.

Maddie bites her lip a little but nods, while Jack goes over and gives ClockWork a pretty awkward handshake; considering how small their hands were at the moment.  

Lewis opens the door just as Eddie had muttered, “fuck off”. “Lovely to see you two too”.

“Jesus fuck, God sorry Dan. Not you, you already know that though”, looking to the side again, “shut the fuck up, you cunt”. Lewis just chuckles and moves to let everyone in.

Lewis points to ClockWork, “why’s the ghost godparent slash Guardian here?”.

Eddie turns to Danny, eyeballs the tiny ghost, “who the fuck makes a child someone’s godparent?”. ClockWork immediately changes to their adult form, moving to float next to Danny. Eddie blinks, “or not a child”, then looking offended, “oh yeah mock me why don’t you”, probably being mentally laughed at.

Maddie looks to the ghost, “Dan is right though, is there a reason or do you just... hang out”.

Eddie looks to her, “let me guess, ghosts ‘don’t hang out’”. Lewis gives him a fond smile that absolutely conveys that this is pretty typical Eddie.

Maddie actually does look slightly embarrassed, which might have something to do with Eddie’s tone, “we didn’t use to think they did”. Which both Eddie and Danny huff at.

ClockWork sticks up a finger, “we do simply spend time in each others company here and there. I’ve gotten him quite good at chess and better read”. Eddie coughs, muttering, “he plays chess???”. ClockWork keeps going, “though I do have my reasons for my appearance now”.

Danny sighs, moving to sit in the kitchen, “let me guess, either has to do with Eddie showing up or-”, popping his ankles up on a chair and crossing them, “-the leggies”.

Eddie shuffles off to the living room, pulling out a shitty-looking beat-up journal; when the ghost points at the kid’s metal legs. Now that he’s confirmed a few hunches he might as well work on recent stuff he can actually get paid for.

Danny sighs, “the timer I’m guessing? Some ability or purpose you left out because it wasn’t the right time?”. Danny totally one-hundred percent saw this coming. ClockWork usually had, like, a bajillion reasons for things.

Jack laughs when ClockWork smirks and nods, “you sure know them well! Danny-boy!”. Maddie smiles genuinely at that.

ClockWork taps at the timer with their staff, “as was said, such things can alter time around the wearer. And I must say, the Observants are quite displeased over your now patchy and difficult to interpret future”, both ghost and halfa share a malicious-looking grin over that. Before ClockWork continues, “but much more importantly, you could certainly go on a nice little jog through time. A quaint little stroll down the time streams road. Hop from spot to spot on the timeline”.

Danny blinks and chuckles, putting his chin in his elbow and resting on the table, “so a free built-in pass through time? You out here making me a little optional time hopper huh?”.

Maddie leans forward, “are you saying you gave Danny time powers through his legs?”, how is she even supposed to react to that? Sure he technically had ‘powers’ already, the floating and the cold of his Core; a healing factor arguably too. Probably more, that he might or might not know about.

ClockWork pats Danny’s head, “in a way. Far less timely than me, and I will see anything he gets up to or tries. Quite suiting for a timely apprenticeship”.

Danny blinks, “if I start accidentally falling through time, I’m blaming you”. ClockWork knows how he is with new powers. Though fine, being the ‘child of time’ probably means he should have some kinda timely stuff. Jack can’t help but laugh at that, he could see just how much trouble Danny could get up to with that! Good thing this ClockWork fellow seemed responsible, which super strange to truly see from a spook! Maddie can’t help but see this as like them liking his tail, wanting him to be more like them; which she’s trying not to view negatively. Parents usually wanted their kid to be similar to them.

Lewis leans forward, “interesting choice of words, ‘apprentice’ implies job”.

Danny tilts his head, right they had told him they had a job for him. Sighing with a smile, “you’re really just making me crank my internal clock rapidly towards death”.

ClockWork gives him another little pat, looking to the parents, “traditionally child ghosts always take something like an apprenticeship under their guardian; through the passing on of power. My binds simply don’t allow for it”, smirking, “at least not through traditional means”. Danny grumbles incoherently at that. ClockWork looking to him and changing to their elderly form, “now the title proper would be ‘prince of time’ of course, being that I am the lord”.

Lewis shakes his head, Danny seriously couldn’t get away from the prince title now could he? Ghost Prince, Time Prince. Though he’s pretty sure the second is not even kinda a ruling title.

Jack blinks then looks a little excited, curiously excited, “‘prince’? Like royalty?!?”. Danny thumps his head on the table and leaves it there. ClockWork changing to a child and wrapping their tail around his neck, giving him a kinda weird neck/shoulder massage thing, “cloooooockyyyyyy”. Though relaxing and melting a little.

Lewis can’t help chuckling at that, giving him a very mocking, “awwww”, and getting a very mumbly, “fak yo”, in return.

Maddie shaking her head and a little surprised to find herself fighting back a smile, “I’m more interested in the binds thing. Your power level means you really should be a six, but you’re not”. ClockWork fiddles with Danny’s hair, leaving him to answer. Danny turns his head to the side, “they make sure the universe goes along the best and longest path. And that is all they are to do. Rules they physically have to follow. Restricts how much they can interfere”, sighing and shifting against the table a little, “can only do all this stuff with me ‘cause Guardian. Only Guardian ‘cause of circumstances and whatnot”. ClockWork nods with a hum, letting a content pleased smile be very obvious.

Jack and Maddie grin at that, both pretty damn certain now that this ghost genuinely liked and cared; no villainous motives. And if they were really thinking on that right now they'd probably cringe, obviously they’ve been wrong and probably about a lot. And Danny knew that. He was involved with ghosts, liked some, and very close with at least one. They had screwed up really, because they had hurt him in a way. He’d always been constant and firm in his opinions. His friends the same but seemingly more disappointed in them about it; probably out of protectiveness. Vlad said it like it was obvious fact but didn’t give a damn if they agreed or not. Dan was gentle and arguably objective, though he had probably talked with Danny at length. And this Eddie had pretty much come up and smacked them.

Lewis decides this probably qualifies as a ‘family moment’ so makes possibly awkward attempts to leave them alone, getting himself coffee and leaning against the entryway between the kitchen and living room. Smirking a bit to himself at spotting Eddie, who’s scribbling down his chicken scratch while rubbing little circles on noodle Vee’s head; Vee looks quite content with the situation.

Meanwhile, Maddie eyes the bit of the clock timer peaking out off Danny’s pants. Obviously the ‘prince of time’ thing wasn’t an actual royal title but more ‘family of someone important’, which was still strange. ClockWork calling it ‘apprentice’ definitely confirmed they were teaching him things beyond just chess; a bit mind-blowing ghosts played boardgames. She wonders though...

ClockWork speaks up, Danny looking a little zoned out all the while, “I prefer to allow him to teach himself. A guiding hand, rather than an authoritative voice. The latter weathers with time and often leads astray; the lessons less true and less useful. Request before you demand. Advise before you tell. And listen before you think”.

Jack grumbles, “I don’t think I quite get that”.

“To demand is to control their actions. To tell is to control their beliefs. To think without listening first is to control their voice. You have done plenty of this in the past. Demand fear and hatred of ghosts, scorn those that refuse to listen. Tell tales of your decided truth as if fact, and speaking louder if someone stuck their fingers in their ears. Thought of only others' nativity and how to reinforce yourselves when others spoke their grievances. Now you’ve tried the other path. And though it can be filled with hurt and discomfort, you’re already richer for it you'll find”, smirking faintly, “and yes, Daniel does do jobs for me; though not officially or with any real request from me. I merely pushed for timelines that aligned best and things worked themselves out as they so often do. Now I can request of him in genuine, and him of me”.

The two blinks at them, a little overwhelmed. Both pretty sure Danny might be the only one who doesn’t find them overwhelming. And Danny was probably the only one whose opinion ClockWork actually even cared about. Maddie leans back a little, “so you’re kind of like the... god who can’t truly interfere and simply must let people live their lives? Let fate play out?”.

“And, to use the phrases of mortals, I lose no sleep over that”, shifting to an adult and easily moving Danny to be practically curled up in their lap/against their chest, “I care not whether you live nor die. Whether you know happiness or suffer greatly. Beyond the effect of that upon Daniel and upon the continued existence of the time stream”.

Maddie could choose to take time that incredibly negatively, she could almost call this emotionless; but really? It was more someone whose priorities were far beyond individual beings. And besides, this meant that ClockWork would do what was best for Danny; everything and everyone else be damned. If anything, she could technically trust them with him more than anyone else. Maybe it was the bond Danny explained, or maybe it was simply them as a Being.

Jack’s more focused on how Danny absently grabbed ClockWork’s cloak and sorta snuggled up to it, very adorable and Danny would probably be so embarrassed if he wasn’t practically dead to the world. Danny seldom seemed really relaxed, so it was really nice to see! Then watching the ghosts blue hand pull out a necklace from under Danny’s collar, the one Danny always seemed to wear but never over clothing. Jack honestly has no clue what that necklace looks like and according to the paramedics it literally vanished as soon as they got his shirt off. Seeing the little silver CW charm dangling off the thin chain, he knew that thing had to be ghostly! Neither parent even has to ask.

“I gifted him this after becoming his Guardian proper. And now-”, taping the chain and suddenly a little gear charm appears on it, “-I find this to be another moment to commemorate”, letting go and the necklace simply phases through the shirt. Looking to the parents, “he prefers to keep it over his Core, which is typical for children. Symbolically saying that to truly hurt them you’d have to go through their Guardian first”, ClockWork puts in some emphasis to make the message very clear. The parents give a little nod and are actually genuinely happy to hear that.

Then they hear what they’re pretty sure is a string of swears and thud; turning their heads and seeing Dan choke on his drink a little. Danny -and ClockWork but that’s besides the point- is the only one to actually hear Eddie’s grumble about being bit. Which Danny smirks over and promptly bites ClockWork. Jack laughs while ClockWork chuckles, ahhh the joys of having a trickster who’s still growing into his fangs under their cloak. Danny does crawl off them right after though, moving to make his own coffee and obviously trying to play things off. Which gets Maddie to giggle.

Eddie stumbles in, grunts at Danny, “you like murder coffee, pour me some”, looking to the ghost, “fuck, you’re still here? Don’t you have things to do? Decrepit houses to haunt? Or children’s closets to hide ominously in?”.

ClockWork smirks, “I’m hardly the type. You should watch your local news, I believe”. Eddie rolls his eyes and shuffles back to the living room; reclaiming the couch. Danny sighs and looks to the ceiling, something going wrong in someone’s home when they leave was exactly his luck. Turning around and sipping his coffee while leaning against the counter; everyone (minus ClockWork)feeling just slightly awkward now.

So Jack jumps up, looking to Maddie, “after today I say we need to get right on rebuilding the GAV!”. Maddie looks from Jack to ClockWork to Danny, before smiling; it would probably mean a lot to Danny to just trust ClockWork alone-ish with him. Turning to Jack, “sounds like a plan, hon”.

Danny grins like an idiot to himself after they head down the lab stairs, they had changed so much! Looking to ClockWork, who grins, “one more thing, Daniel. Here”, and hands over folded fabric.

Danny looks at it, only having to fold out the hood to know it’s a freaking cloak or maybe mini cloak, “oh Ancients, ClockWork. Thanks”. ClockWork just laughs a little before throwing the cloak around his shoulders and disappearing. Leaving Danny grumbling fondly, “can’t even say goodbye”. Then looking to Lewis’s stupid smirk, “shut up”. Lewis chuckles and moves to sit in the living room. Danny electing to follow.

Danny leans over the back of the couch, looking at the absolute mess that is Eddie’s writing, “whatcha doin’?”.

“Adult stuff you’d never understand”.

“Fuck you”.

Eddie chuckles, “filling in details on the little interview I had with Cletus Kasady”.

Danny blinks, “ain’t that guy a serial killer?”, he’s not sure he even wants to know now.

Eddie quirks an eyebrow but doesn’t look away from his notebook, “surprised you know that, dudes whacky”.

Danny rolls his eyes, “nice, another frootloop”, leaning over even more purely to be obnoxious, “I should show you how to write with a proper quill, could make this look even more illegible. And writing with a fucking quill in public is a total power move”.

Eddie mutters, “that’s actually a decent argument”. While Danny squints at the words, sounding mildly unsure and tilting his head; attempting to read it, “‘there’s gonna be carnage’?”, snorting and moving to actually flop on the couch, “well someone took lessons from us spookies on being ominous”.

Eddie snorts and rolls his eyes, “more like typical bad guy trying to be intimidating”, smirking, “doesn’t really work on an actual predator though”.

Danny snickers, “tell me about it”.

Lewis sips his drink, watching the slight sharp toothy grins. Maybe those two were going to be like oil and fire, which might not be a good thing. Eyeing the short cloak that was honestly closer to a shawl, whatever, it was probably out of his hands now. Least the kid had some omnipresent god looking out for him. Positives Lewis, positives. Vee’s noodle head being suspiciously quiet is more than a little ominous though.

End.

[purrincess-chat]

Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s Spite Playlist: Original CH16

It’s here early!! A couple things: I asked a while ago rabbit or dog, and most of you voted rabbit, so this is the chapter where you reap what you have sewn. I will say, however, that I changed the rabbit quite a bit because I wasn’t a big fan of what canon did, and this fic is explicitly about giving canon the finger, so it’s only fitting. Anyway, hope you all enjoy!

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Chapter 16

Marinette and Adrien stared at his phone, jaws hanging agape as silence stretched on until Chloe sighed, and Marinette blinked out of her trance.

“I’m sorry. We’re going to what now?” She said, cocking her head to the side.

“Ugh, just get over here,” Chloe groaned before hanging up.

Marinette and Adrien exchanged bewildered looks, and at her cocked brow, he shrugged as if to say, ‘I have no idea what just happened either.’ Marinette nodded before they gathered their things and piled back into Adrien’s town car to head to the hotel. On the drive over, Adrien laced his fingers through hers once more, and she smiled up at him as this thumb traced the back of her palm, a fluttery feeling spreading through her chest.

She’d waited for this moment for so long, and now they were finally together. Adrien had fallen in love with her after all, and to her surprise, she was relatively calm about it. She wasn’t planning their wedding or naming their future pets, but she felt an overwhelming warmth in her chest that spread to her cheeks. Perhaps it was because she and Adrien knew each other better now, and she’d grown to be more comfortable around him. He was a true friend, and someone she could lean on through all of this mess, a stable rock in the middle of a storm, providing her with support whenever she needed it, and that was worth the world to her.

When they arrived at the hotel, Adrien, sensing her nerves, never let go the whole way up to Chloe’s suite. Chloe was staring out at her balcony when they arrived, a pensive frown wrinkling her forehead, and she turned to them, pursing her lips to mask her expression as they approached. They eyed each other in tense silence until Marinette spoke up.

“So,” she started, cocking a brow, “what?”

Chloe rolled her eyes and rubbed her temple with a sigh.

“Look, don’t go getting any ideas that I’m doing this for you. This isn’t about you; it’s about revenge,” Chloe said awkwardly. “Lila seems to feel the most threatened by you, so I think it will have more of an impact if your name is associated with all of this charity work you want to do, and the only way to make anyone else care enough to report about it is to make you someone worth talking about.”

“What makes you think Lila is threatened by me?” Marinette said, rubbing her arm. “All she ever does is toy with me.”

“And why do you think that is?” Chloe rolled her eyes when Marinette still seemed lost. “When someone like her feels threatened, they lash out and try to bring you down.”

“Is that why you were always so mean to me?” Marinette’s eyes narrowed, a smirk curling on her lips, and Chloe scoffed.

“Don’t lump me in with her! I’m mean to people for the sheer entertainment of watching them suffer. Totally different,” Chloe waved it away.

“Okay, so how exactly do you plan on making Marinette famous?” Adrien asked, eyebrows furrowing.

“Easily,” Chloe said with a shrug. “The dumb brat has already started making a name for herself, and more and more important people are starting to notice her talent, if you want to call it that.”

“I will ignore the insult in favor of the compliment,” Marinette crossed her arms over her chest and cocked a hip.

“Look, even my mom has complimented your work, so I think we should – as disgusting as this is – ask my mom to help you launch your fashion career.” Chloe cringed as she said it.

Marinette stared at her for a long moment before shifting her weight.

“You’re being serious right now?” Marinette’s eyebrows raised.

“I know. Even I’m shocked.” Chloe wrinkled her nose.

“You want to help me start my fashion career? Now?”

“It’s the only way to take down that brat for good,” Chloe said, placing her hands on her hips.

“This is uncharacteristically nice of you, Chloe,” Adrien said with a smile that brought a flush to her cheeks. “I’m proud of you.”

“I still hate you, and don’t ever expect me to be caught dead wearing your trash, but my mom wanted to train you, so I think it’s our best shot.” Chloe turned away stubbornly.

“So, what? We’re just going to walk up to your mom and ask her to work with me?” Marinette scoffed.

“Pretty much,” Chloe said, marching past her.

“Wait, we’re going right now?” Marinette flinched, turning over her shoulder.

“We want to take her down this century, Dupain-Cheng,” Chloe said pointedly, crossing the hall to her mother’s suite.

“But…wait, Chloe-” she rushed after her as she barged into the room across the hall.

Audrey was in the midst of a hot stone massage, and Marinette curled her shoulders.

“Should we disturb her-”

“Mommy,” Chloe said, and Audrey gave some groan of acknowledgement. “You remember my dreadful former classmate, the one who designed the feather hat for Adrien?”

“Vaguely,” Audrey said.

“Well, Clara Nightingale walked the red carpet in one of her designs, and I think you should back her brand,” Chloe suggested.

“I thought you hated this girl-”

“You and me both,” Marinette grumbled.

“-now it sounds like you’re being nice,” Audrey choked on the word.

“There’s a nasty girl at school that I want to get rid of, and I need to make Dupain-Cheng famous to do it,” Chloe explained, and Audrey moaned as the masseuse worked a knot in her shoulders.

“Get me a portfolio by the end of the month, then we’ll talk,” she said, and Chloe clapped her hands together.

“Thank you, Mommy,” she cooed.

“Wait, I’m sorry, by the end of the month?” Marinette tilted her head to the side.

“Fashion moves quickly, dear, so if you want to be relevant, you’ll get me your portfolio with a pitch before the end of the month,” Audrey said more sternly, and Marinette blanched.

“She’ll have it ready,” Adrien promised, and Marinette shot him a look.

“I’m not so sure she can-”

“Enjoy your massage,” Chloe grabbed Marinette’s arm and dragged her from the room.

“Chloe, I don’t know if I can-”

"Oh, shut it," Chloe clamped her hand in a mouth-shutting motion. "You are annoyingly persistent when you want to be. I've seen you accomplish way more in less time, so don't you even say you can't do it because if anyone has got what it takes, it's you, and if you tell anyone I said that, I will destroy everything you love."

“The end of the month? That only gives me a week to come up with an entire line,” Marinette said pointedly. “Not to mention it has to impress your mom – the queen of fashion!”

“And?” Chloe quirked a brow, and Marinette gave her a bewildered look.

“Chloe’s right, Marinette, you can do this,” Adrien took her hands and gave them a reassuring squeeze.

“But what if I can’t?” Marinette lowered her gaze.

“Then your fashion career is dead, and I’ll just get rid of Lila my way,” Chloe shrugged before sauntering back into her suite. “Toodles!”

Marinette leaned her face into Adrien’s shoulder with a moan, and he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

“I know this is a lot of pressure, but you are the most amazing girl I know. You’re an incredible designer, and I know you’re going to knock it out,” he said, pulling back to press his forehead to hers, those green eyes baring into hers with a confidence she wished she felt. She took a deep, centering breath and nodded.

“Okay,” she said, pressing her lips into a firm line. “Let’s do it.”

***

Lila glared down at her phone screen, her laptop playing Clara’s acceptance speech in the background which only made her blood boil hotter. Marinette pulled a couple fast ones on her, but it was the last time she’d get the best of her. She stared down at Adrien’s post again with a scowl.

“So proud of @marinette-dc! I’m so lucky to have fallen for someone as amazing as you.”

Adrien would regret crossing her like this. They both would.

***

The next day at school, Marinette was quite the hot topic after her big debut. Everyone was buzzing about Clara’s dress, and she received compliments left and right, though she found it hard to enjoy her moment with Audrey’s deadline looming over her.

She’d spent all night brainstorming ideas, but so far she had nothing. Nada. Zilch. No ideas. No inspiration. Nothing, and she was a sweaty ball of nerves. Numerous times she’d tried to give herself pep talks. She saved the city on a daily basis, fought ten-ton monsters and tricky magicians. How hard could it be to design a few dresses and coats?

Infinitely hard, as it turned out. In fact, part of her wished it was as easy as fighting an akuma. That there was some clever shortcut to her end goal, but there were no such things in this case. Just her own imagination and the wall between it and her sketchpad.

“Why so glum?” Macy asked as Marinette shoved books into her locker. “Shouldn’t you be excited about your dress? Everyone loves it.”

“I am, but I just…Another amazing opportunity has fallen in my lap, and I don’t think I can do it, and I’m stressing out over it,” she explained with a sigh.

“Yeah, you are breaking out a little,” Lisette pointed out, and Marinette covered her chin with a groan.

“You’re amazing, Marinette, and you always find a solution,” Macy said, but when Marinette seemed less than convinced, she pursed her lips. “Tell you what, Lisette can help you cover your zit, and we’ll help you get your mojo back, okay?”

“Okay,” Marinette said as Macy took her hand and led her to the bathroom where Lisette somehow managed to completely erase any signs of her stress. Honestly, she was a wizard with a tube of concealer.

“There they are with the lady of the hour,” Eliott said when they met up for lunch.

Macy linked her arm through Martin’s and planted a kiss on his cheek. When Marinette eyed them, Martin’s cheeks flushed, and Macy perked up.

“Oh yeah, we never got a chance to tell you with everything that happened yesterday,” she gasped. “After the akuma, we were all looking for you, and Martin and I bumped into each other.”

- - -

“Macy!” Martin’s eyebrows raised before a flush came over his cheeks. “Are you okay? The akuma didn’t hurt you, did it?”

Macy eyed him for a long moment before grabbing his collar and yanking him down to meet her lips.

- - -

“And now we’re together,” Macy said with a cheery grin.

“Aww, good for you two,” Marinette giggled, and Eliott shot her a knowing smirk.

“I seem to recall another telling post about you and a certain model.” He waggled his eyebrows, and Marinette bit her lip.

“He gave me this necklace.” She pulled it from under her collar with a soft smile.

“How romantic!” Lisette said.

“How sparkly,” Macy added with a longing look until Eliott nudged her with his elbow.

“We should all double date this weekend,” Eliott suggested, and Macy shot up.

“We can go golfing! My parents are part-owners at one of the courses so that my dad can play whenever he wants,” she said, bouncing excitedly.

“I’ve never played golf.” Marinette curled her shoulders. “Besides, I have a lot to do.”

“Oh, come on, Marinette. We can teach you,” Martin said, and they all gave her pleading looks.

“I-” Marinette hesitated. “We’ll see.”

“What’s so urgent that you can’t come out, Marinette?” Lisette asked as they took their seats.

“Does it have to do with that girl?” Eliott lowered his voice.

“Kind of…” Marinette took a deep breath before explaining the entire situation – the plan, her deadline, all of it.

“Whoa, you’re really gonna pitch to Audrey Bourgeois?” Macy whispered, eyes wide.

“I’m gonna try,” Marinette pushed her peas around with a spoon. “I’m kinda running on empty right now.”

“If you need any help let us know, okay?” Macy reached out to place a hand over hers.

“Yeah, we know tons about fashion and starting charities,” Eliott echoed. “We’ve got your back.”

“Thanks, guys.”

***

“How could he do this to me!” Lila sobbed loudly in the locker room. “I thought we were going to be together then he left me for her!”

Several of the girls surrounded her, offering tissues and patting her sympathetically. It was almost too easy to get them all eating out of the palm of her hand. She’d like to see Adrien squirm his way out of this one.

“It’s really unlike Adrien to do something like this,” Rose said, pursing her lips.

“Yeah, there must be some explanation,” Mylene echoed.

“It’s not his fault,” Lila sniffled. “Marinette has never liked me. She even had her friends make up all those stories to make me look bad, and now she’s stolen Adrien right out from under me! I just don’t understand what I did to make her hate me.”

“Well, she was always kinda possessive of Adrien,” Alix said, rubbing the back of her neck as the locker room doors opened.

“Well, well, well, the two-timer himself. What do you have to say for yourself?” Alya folded her arms over her chest, and the girls rallied around Lila who shot Adrien a devious smirk.

“It’s fine, girls,” she said with a whimper. “I just don’t understand, Adrien. Yesterday we kissed at the museum, and then you said online that you’re with Marinette…I just want the truth.”

“You want the truth?” Adrien cocked a brow. “Fine. We didn’t kiss at the museum - you latched onto me without my permission. I never told you that I liked you, in fact, we barely ever see each other. I don’t know what you thought we were, but I’m in love with Marinette, not you. Sorry.”

Lila’s face hardened, but Adrien held her gaze steady.

“Was that enough truth for you?” He asked as the bell rang, and the girls all glanced at Lila.

“Well, I certainly hope you two are happy,” she said, but Adrien wasn’t fazed.

“We are. Thank you. I hope one day you find happiness too. Real happiness.”

At that they all dispersed, and Adrien held Lila’s glare as everyone made their way out the door. She stopped beside him, turning to whisper in his ear.

“You’ve just made a big mistake,” she murmured.

“No.” Adrien shook his head. “You did when you chose to lie to everyone, and I’m not sorry for what you’ve got coming.”

Lila grunted before stalking off to class, and Adrien let out a breath. His heart was pounding, but he felt exhilarated. Was this what it felt like to stand his ground? It was terrifying, yet immensely satisfying, and he knew now that their plan would work. Lila’s glory days were numbered, and they were going to set everyone free.

Most of their other classmates were supportive and even congratulated him, although Alya refused to look at him, and he was actually on top of his game for the next several days. Even Kagami couldn’t keep up during fencing, and part of him wondered why he hadn’t done this ages ago.

“Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng,” he greeted that Saturday when he finally convinced Nathalie to clear his schedule so he could help Marinette with her designs. “How is Marinette?”

“She hasn’t come out of her room all day,” Sabine winced, and Adrien sighed.

“I’ll go up and see her,” he offered.

“Here, she hasn’t had breakfast,” Tom said, tossing some croissants onto a plate.

“Thanks, Mr. Dupain,” Adrien nodded, accepting the plate and pacing out the back door and up the stairs.

When he made it to Marinette’s room, he found her face down in her sketchbook with a defeated slump to her shoulders. Crumpled paper littered the desk and floor, several patterns and magazines covering nearly every surface, though he did take pride in seeing the photo of the two of them as her desktop background.

“How goes designing?” He dared to ask, and she slowly turned her head, revealing puffy, blood-shot eyes and mascara-streaked cheeks.

“Great, except I have no talent and my life is over,” she said before burying her face again.

Adrien let out a breathy laugh, setting the plate and cup of coffee he’d picked up from the café next door amidst the mess and taking a seat beside her.

“C’mon, you and I both know that’s not true,” he said, rubbing her back. “You’re just in a rut right now, but you’ll get out of it.”

Marinette sat up with a sniffle and wiped at her cheek, noticing the things he’d brought up.

“Is that coffee?” She quirked a brow, reaching for it and immediately taking a sip with a satisfied moan.

“Of course because I’m the best boyfriend in the world,” he beamed, and a small smile broke over her lips. “Sorry I couldn’t visit sooner.”

“It’s okay. I know you’re busy. Besides, I’ve been so focused on designing the past few days I don’t think I would have had the brain capacity to do anything else,” she said, taking a croissant as Adrien nudged them toward her. “I feel like such a failure.”

“Your deadline is still a few days away. Don’t give up yet,” Adrien encouraged.

“It’s three days away, and I have nothing,” she leaned against her fist with a moan. “This is my big chance, and I’m gonna blow it!”

Adrien pursed his lips in contemplation before standing up and patting her shoulder.

“I think what you need is a little fresh air, so let’s go out for a while. Everyone is going to play golf, so maybe some exercise will get some blood pumping to your head,” he said, taking her hands and pulling her to her feet. “Get cleaned up.”

“Adrien, I dunno-”

“No excuses, come on.” He gave her a look, and when she threw her head back in exasperation, he switched gears. “You and I haven’t been out on a date yet because of everything, and I really want to spend time with you. Please?”

Marinette held his pleading gaze for a moment before letting out a relenting sigh, and a grin stretched across Adrien’s lips.

“You’re going to get me into all kinds of trouble with that face of yours,” she teased as he pulled her in.

“After golf we’ll go to your secret garden, just you and me and see if we can’t find you a muse,” he said softly, touching his nose to hers. “But you’ve been at this for days. You need a break.”

“I guess,” she mumbled, and Adrien pinched her side teasingly before leaning in closer.

Her eyelids hooded as he tilted his head, lips brushing tauntingly just before the door slammed downstairs, and Macy’s voice called out. Adrien sighed, holding her face in his hands longingly before planting a soft kiss on her nose and pulling away as footsteps pounded up the stairs.

“Marinette- oh!” Macy surveyed her disheveled appearance with a wince. “It’s worse than I thought, but have no fear. We’ve come to help.”

Lisette poked her head through the door before climbing up with a big makeup bag as Macy shooed Adrien out of the room.

“You can wait down in the living room with the other boyfriends while we work,” she said, sweetly, and Adrien shot Marinette a longing look before disappearing down the stairs.

Macy and Lisette cleaned her up in no time, and she started to feel a little better now that her hair was brushed. Lisette covered her dark circles and blemishes, and Macy presented her with a custom golf outfit. After everything she’d been through lately, it was nice to have friends looking out for her.

“As your best friends, we order you to take a break from designing and come have fun with us,” Macy declared, and Marinette shot a glance at her pile of ideas. “They’ll be there when you get back.”

“Okay,” Marinette caved, and Macy clapped excitedly.

The boys were playing Ultimate Mecha Strike when they came down, and Adrien locked eyes with Marinette instantly, a smile curling on his lips. Marinette felt her cheeks warm, and she averted her gaze as they stood up to join them.

“She lives,” Eliott remarked with a teasing grin, holding out his arms, and Marinette bit back a smirk.

“If by lives you mean she’s riddled with anxiety then yes,” she said, and Eliott ruffled her hair, though Macy quickly slapped his hand away, scolding him for ruining her work.

“You look cute in that outfit,” Adrien complimented as they headed downstairs, and Marinette tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear with a giggle.

“Would you kids like some treats for the road?” Tom offered a box of macarons with a grin, and Eliott and Martin perked up.

“No thank you. I’m on a diet,” Macy declined when they were passed to her. “Are we ready to go?”

“Yeah,” Eliott said, eyeing her as Lisette picked two more cookies from the box before they crowded outside to the limo.

“Have fun!” Sabine called.

Marinette winced a little against the sunlight, having been cooped up in her room since she got home from school yesterday, and she was soon directed into the back of a silver limo. Adrien sat beside her, slipping his fingers into hers the moment they settled and lifting her hand to kiss the back of her palm. Biting back a smile, she leaned her head against his shoulder as he trailed his thumb over her knuckles, lost in her own bliss for the duration of the ride.

Although her mind occasionally wandered back to her deadline, she forced herself to take deep breaths when her nerves crept back in, and each time she squeezed Adrien’s hand a little tighter, he pressed gentle kisses to her hair, her temple, her hand, always patient, always supportive. Part of her still couldn’t believe they were together, and her heart skipped each time she imagined what it would be like to finally kiss him for real. She supposed she’d know soon enough.

The golf course was huge, and all of the staff knew Macy by name when they pulled up. Marinette felt a little awkward as they offered her water and fruit left and right as they headed up the sidewalk to the waiting golf carts, but her friends barely seemed to bat an eye, including Adrien who graciously accepted a bottle of water.

She tried to comfort herself a little seeing as if Chloe’s plan worked, this would likely be her life soon enough, but part of her felt really bad for the people following after socialites with dark umbrellas to shield them from the sun. In a way, it felt like she was on a different planet.

“How many holes would you like today, mademoiselle?” A man in a suit coat asked as several other men loaded club bags onto their carts.

“We’ve got a greenie with us today,” she said, casting Marinette a smile. “So let’s make it a half-course day.”

“Very well.” He nodded. “Best of luck.”

“Thank you, Javier,” Macy giggled, skipping over to her cart.

Marinette glanced around in awe much to Adrien's amusement. He chuckled as her head whipped around on the ride to the first hole, taking in all of the workers diligently tending to the lawn.

"Don't laugh," she scolded, which only made him laugh harder. "Hey! I'm not used to being waited on hand and foot. This is all new to me."

"I'm not making fun of you. It's really cute watching you. Sometimes I get overwhelmed by it all too, so I know what you're feeling," he said. "I'm not anyone special, and I hate taking advantage of others, but this is their job."

"I guess," she said, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I'm just used to doing everything myself."

"It's overwhelming at times especially when they do things like tie your shoes or open your drink," he admitted with a wince, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's okay to tell them no if you want, but sometimes I find doing that makes me feel worse, so I've learned to accept it."

"It's hard to believe people live like this," she remarked, eyeing a group of well-dressed players as they drove passed.

"It's different when it's all you've ever known," Adrien said, lowering his gaze to his lap before smiling back up at her. "Your humility is cute which is why I know you're going to change the world when our plan succeeds."

"You mean if our plan succeeds," she corrected, but he gave her a look as they reached the first course.

"Marinette, you go last so you can watch all of us. We'll teach you everything you need to know," Macy said with a cheery grin, and Marinette listened intently to all of their advice, though when it was her turn, she still had no idea what she was doing.

She stared at the ball as Macy and Eliott called out pointers, but it felt like they were speaking another language. Gentle arms wrapped around her waist, and she felt another body pressing into her.

"I'll help you," Adrien said in her ear, placing his hands over hers. "Spread your feet apart and make sure the club head is straight, like this."

He turned the club slightly and adjusted her hands, being far more intimate than necessary, not that she was complaining. They were on a date after all, albeit a group one.

"Now, lean forward so your arms hang down and center your weight," he ran a hand up her back and gently pushed her forward. "To set up your back swing, be sure to rotate your shoulders and hips and follow through with the club then shift your weight slightly to the left and swing along the same curve."

Adrien placed his hands on her hips and shoulders, guiding her through the motion before moving around to the front, trailing his finger purposefully along her jaw with a smirk. Taking a few steps back, he motioned to the ball, and Marinette blinked a few times to clear the haze. She swallowed hard, her back and sides still tingling from his touch and followed his advice. She startled a little at the sound of soft claps over her shoulder as she watched the ball soar across the green.

"Very nice advice, Adrien," Macy complimented, "but get a room next time, you two."

Adrien and Marinette's cheeks flushed as they turned back to the carts to move to their balls. He extended a hand to her with a smile which she took as they followed behind.

As it turned out, she was pretty lousy at golf, but she didn’t care. They talked and laughed, poking fun at each other and enjoying the day. It was time spent with people she cared about and who in return cared about her, and just for a little while, she let go of her stress, her anxiety, her fear. These were her real friends, and she knew that even if she missed her deadline, they’d always have her back.

“Well, Marinette, I think you can rule out professional golfing as a career option,” Eliott said with a laugh, turning the score card around. “You never scored lower than a double bogey.”

“That’s bad, right?” She tilted her head to the side.

“It’s horrible,” Adrien affirmed, pinching her sides. “You looked so cute though.”

“Looks like we’ll just have to come play more often to catch you up,” Macy said with a smirk. “Now come on. They’re setting up a picnic over at the pavilion for us.”

“Great, I’m starving,” Lisette moaned, and Marinette noticed Eliott eyeing Macy with a frown.

When they made it to the pavilion, Macy broke away from Martin’s arm and gestured to the clubhouse.

“I’m gonna go run and see my dad really quick. The grass on hole 5 is looking a little high, so I’m going to tell him to have the lawn crew take care of it,” she said, taking a few steps back. “Don’t wait for me. Dig in!”

Eliott watched her go with a sigh as they all settled in at the table.

“What’s wrong?” Marinette asked, and he flicked his gaze to her, pursing his lips.

“She’s doing it again.” Eliott shook his head.

“Doing what again?” Adrien’s eyebrows furrowed, and Lisette winced.

“Dieting,” she said, holding up air quotes.

“Macy has always struggled with her appearance,” Eliott started, pinching the bridge of his nose. “She gets an idea in her head that something about her is unattractive, so she tries to fix it. In the past it’s been her hair or her teeth or her complexion, but ever since a guy she liked rejected her for being ‘too fat’ last year she’s become obsessed with her weight.”

“That’s awful!” Marinette said, cupping a hand over her mouth.

“She goes on these ‘diets’ every few months, but in reality she’s just skipping meals,” Eliott continued. “She hides at mealtime or spends most of it talking so you don’t notice how little she’s eating.”

“She just pushed her food around when she had dinner with me this week,” Martin confirmed. “I thought she just didn’t like it, but she just insisted she wasn’t that hungry.”

“I’ve tried to talk to her about it, but she insists she’s fine and that her chef blends shakes for her every morning with all of her necessary vitamins and minerals, but that’s not the point,” Eliott sighed. “I want to help her learn to love herself the way she is.”

“I’m gonna go find her,” Marinette said, standing up.

“Try the bathroom,” Eliott suggested as Marinette rushed off, and Adrien watched her go with a longing smile.

“Looks like both of our dates have run off,” he remarked to Martin.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to throw a wrench in your date,” Eliott said, rubbing the back of his head.

“It’s okay.” Adrien shrugged. “She’ll always jump at the opportunity to help. It’s why I love her so much.”

“Macy?” Marinette called, peeking her head into the bathroom and spotting her friend sitting in the chair across the room. She sniffled and rubbed at her eye as Marinette entered, throwing on a smile.

“Oh, Marinette, I was just-”

“Eliott told us.” Her face fell at that, and she shifted her gaze to her lap.

“I’m just trying to lose 2 kilos,” she insisted, and Marinette sat beside her.

“Macy, you don’t need to lose weight,” she said, placing a hand on Macy’s shoulder, but Macy rolled her eyes.

“Easy for you to say. You’re so small and cute,” she grunted.

“And you’re tall and curvy and beautiful and in really good shape,” Marinette shot back, and Macy pursed her lips.

“I do a lot of cardio.” She shrugged, biting her lip. “I just wish I looked like you. Boys like small and cute.”

“Depends on the boy,” Marinette said, nudging her. “Martin really likes you the way you are.”

“I know, but…”

“But what?”

“I’m afraid that he’s going to find someone thinner and prettier and forget all about me,” she said, covering her face. “Boys don’t like fat girls.”

“That’s not true,” Marinette prompted, but Macy averted her gaze. “Macy-”

A loud boom shook the building, and the girls clung to each other with shrieks. The lights flicked above their head, and Marinette’s jaw clenched.

“That wasn’t a normal blast,” she said. “Someone must have been akumatized.”

“Oh, I should go find Martin,” Macy gasped, jumping up.

“You go on ahead; I’ll go make sure everyone gets to safety,” Marinette said, gesturing in the opposite direction, though as soon as Macy rounded the corner, she stepped back into the bathroom to transform.

Chat Noir was already on the scene when she arrived, and this akuma was a doozy. Apparently, Macy’s father had gotten upset with his opponent for cheating during their game, and now sought revenge with his golf ball grenades.

“Someone has quite the explosive temper,” Chat said as they dodged back.

“We’re gonna need a little luck to beat this one. Lucky Charm!” She eyed the folding fan in her hands contemplatively. “A little luck and an ally. I’ve gotta go to Master Fu!”

“Make it quick or cat sashimi is gonna show up on the next menu.” Her partner cupped his hand to his throat and stuck out his tongue as she shot off.

“Master Fu, I need a Miraculous!” Marinette burst through the door to his apartment.

“Do you have someone in mind?” Master Fu smiled, retrieving the box from the phonograph.

“Um,” she hummed, pursing her lips and surveying her options.

She could pick Martin or Eliott again, but she wasn’t sure she needed the turtle or the fox. There was Chloe, but she was too far away, and her power needed to get close which wasn’t an option. She needed something with range…

“Can I use this one?” She lifted the rabbit’s crescent shaped pin from its compartment.

“If it is the one you need,” he said with a nod.

“Thank you, Master. I’ll bring it back!” She dropped it into her purse and darted off.

When Ladybug made it back, she swung in just in time to catch her kitty as he was launched into the air. He shot her a grateful look as they landed then glanced around.

“Weren’t you supposed to bring back help?” He cocked a brow, and she held out the hair pin with a wince.

“I have a Miraculous now I just need to find a user,” she explained, and Chat brandished his staff.

“You work on that. I’ll deal with him,” he said, spinning his staff to deflect another ball.

“Daddy!”

Ladybug and Chat Noir paused as Macy climbed atop a picnic table and placed her hands on her hips. Martin and Eliott looked on from the entrance to the clubhouse worriedly.

“That’s enough! This is insane,” she called, and her father glanced her way with a scowl.

“No one cheats on my course! This doesn’t concern you, now go inside before you get hurt,” Golfer ordered, but Macy stood her ground.

Chat tackled Golfer while he was distracted, sending several balls flying, and Macy watched as one bounced off a chair, ricocheting toward her. She closed her eyes, but strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her off just in time. When she opened them again, she saw the ground flying past her and glanced up to see Ladybug’s dark hair.

“That was very brave of you, but also incredibly reckless,” Ladybug chided gently when they landed on the roof.

“That’s my dad,” Macy said with pleading eyes. “Please help him.”

Ladybug eyed her for a long moment before a smile curled on her lips. If there was any way to boost Macy’s confidence…

“Tell you what, why don’t you help for real?” She said, retrieving the box and holding it out to her. “Macy Chanteur, this is the Miraculous of the rabbit which grants the power of teleportation. You will use it for the greater good and return it to me at the end of the mission.”

“Wait, is this for real?” Macy gasped, cupping her cheeks. “You want to make me a hero?”

“Why not? You’ve shown that you’re brave,” Ladybug said.

“I don’t know. I don’t think I’m good enough,” Macy lowered her gaze, and Ladybug placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Let me tell you a secret. Anyone can be a hero by choosing to stand up for what’s right, and you’ve done just that,” Ladybug said, placing the box in her hands. “I’m not making you a hero. You already are one. I’m just giving you superpowers.”

Macy turned the box over in her hands before pressing her lips together with a nod. Lifting the lid, she winced against the light, eyebrows raising as her kwami materialized.

“Hello there, new friend,” Fluff giggled, floating around her.

“Whoa, does every Miraculous come with a cute pet?” Macy poked at her giddily.

“I’m not a pet; I’m a kwami. I grant you magical powers. All you have to do is say ‘Fluff, transform me!’”

“Okay. Fluff, transform me!”

Macy glanced down at her costume with wide eyes, a smile stretching across her lips, and Ladybug took her wrist.

“Come on. Let’s go save your dad.”

Chat Noir flew through the air after a blast from a golf ball, landing at their feet as they touched down again. He blinked up at them with a groan.

“Hey, you found someone. Great,” he coughed as Ladybug offered him a hand.

“Ladybug!” Martin and Eliott called.

“It’s not safe here. You two need to leave,” she ordered.

“Not without Macy,” Martin said, and Bunny smiled.

“Macy is safe and sound, and more than anything she wants you two safe as well, kay?” She blew them a kiss before following Chat and Ladybug into the action.

Bunny swung her mallet just in time to deflect a golf bomb before it exploded, and Golfer’s eyes narrowed.

“A bit lowbrow fighting a golfer with croquet, Ladybug. Can’t you afford more than a cheap knock-off sport?” He grunted, and Bunny cocked a hip.

“If I’m more skilled than you are with a mallet then what does that say about your golf game?” She quirked a brow, and Golfer let out a growl before hurdling several more balls in their direction.

“We can’t get close to him,” Chat said as they dodged, and Ladybug pursed her lips.

Landing on a table, she summoned her Lucky Charm, eyebrows furrowing as a tennis racket landed in her hands. She turned it over as Golfer’s mocking laughter echoed across the field.

“You really should learn your sports, Ladybug,” he chortled as she glanced around, singling in on his golf balls, Bunny, Chat Noir, and the racket.

“Maybe it’s you who needs to get a little more creative,” she shot back. “Bunny, Chat Noir, follow my lead!”

Ladybug charged forward again, her partners following suit, and Golfer rolled his eyes before swinging another hoard of balls. Chat and Bunny deflected several, and Ladybug lobbed one back at Golfer with her racket. He watched it bounce toward him with wide eyes before it detonated, sending him flying. Ladybug eyed his club as it twirled into the air.

“You’re up, Bunny!”

“Burrow!” Bunny called, spinning her mallet, and a blue portal opened beneath the club as it fell, transporting it into Chat Noir’s waiting Cataclysm.

“No!” Golfer shouted as it dissolved into dust, revealing a small black butterfly.

“No more evildoing for you, little akuma.”

Bunny paced over to help her father up as he blinked in confusion.

“What happened?” He groaned, rubbing his head.

“You were akumatized because your opponent cheated to win,” she explained. “If you ask me, I would just ban him from the course since you’re a part-owner.”

“That is true,” he said, cupping his chin. “I shouldn’t have gotten so work up when I decide who golfs here.”

“It happens to the best of us,” Ladybug assured him as she and Chat approached.

“Thank you, Ladybug, Chat Noir, and Bunny,” he said before Eliott and Martin ran up with his wife.

“Mr. Chanteur!”

“Eliott! Where is Macy?”

Bunny and Ladybug exchanged grins before the trio bumped fists.

“Pound it!”

***

“Macy!” Eliott and Martin raced up to her as she exited the clubhouse, Lisette, Marinette, and Adrien in tow.

“Are you alright?” Eliott asked.

“Yeah, Ladybug helped me get to safety,” she said, waving it away.

“I’m glad.” Martin pulled her in for a long hug, and she leaned her head against his with a smile.

“Well, the staff is setting up our lunch again,” Eliott said, gesturing over his shoulder.

“Good because I’m really about to starve now,” Lisette moaned, but Macy took a step back.

“I’m gonna go check on my dad. I’ll meet up with you guys,” she said before quickly pacing off, and Eliott sighed.

“She’ll get there,” Lisette said, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him back, though he cast a frown over his shoulder in the direction Macy went.

Eliott wasn’t the only one bothered by Macy’s mealtime avoidance, and several hours later, Marinette sat on the steps of the Trocadero, eyes trained ahead as she picked at the corner of her sketchbook. Even after becoming a hero, Macy still lacked confidence in herself, and Marinette’s mind churned with worry.

Adrien noticed her frown as she approached with ice cream and sat beside her.

“Still blocked?” He asked, offering her a spoonful, and she accepted it with a sigh, flicking her gaze to the pile of crumbled sheets beside her.

“I’m just not getting anything,” she said, leaning against her fist. “I can’t stop thinking about Macy.”

“Did you talk to her?” Adrien asked, popping a small spoon into his mouth.

“Yeah, but it didn’t help,” she sighed, glancing down at her blank page.

Adrien eyed her as she stuffed ice cream into her mouth with a defeated pout before wrapping an arm around her.

“You’ll think of something. I promise,” he said softly, and she took a deep breath before picking up her pencil again.

“I want to design something for Macy. Even if I don’t make the deadline, I could still give it to her as a gift,” she said, tilting her head in thought.

“I think she’d like that, and who knows, maybe it will get your creative juices flowing,” Adrien urged, and she pursed her lips, pencil hovering over the page briefly before she set to work.

Adrien watched as she scribbled away, finishing off the ice cream and watching people pass. After a while, Marinette held up her sketchbook with a smile, and Adrien leaned over to rest his chin on her shoulder.

“That looks great,” he complimented. “Macy will love it.”

Marinette lowered the book to her lap contently, glancing up at the woman walking past with her dog and feeling her heart jolt. In an instant, she pictured a flowing gown to accentuate her hips, and a colorful suit for the man carrying a bag of bread. The world around her blossomed, every shadow, every person, every print, every color filled her mind with ideas.

Up until now, she hadn’t known what she wanted her brand to represent. She had no direction, no inspiration, but in one moment, she realized that she didn’t want her designs to be worn by models but by ordinary people like Macy. Everyone deserved to feel beautiful, and maybe then people would learn to love themselves.

“Marinette?” She blinked, turning to Adrien who cocked a brow.

“I have to go home,” she said, closing her sketchbook and stuffing it into her bag.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” she said, slinging her backpack over her shoulder and leaning to kiss his cheek. “I have a lot of designs to make.”

“You find your muse?” He asked as she stood up.

“I found my muse!” She called over her shoulder as she trotted down the stairs. “See you later! Oh, and thanks for the ice cream!”

Adrien watched her go, leaning back on his hands with a smile. So much for their date, but he had faith that she would come up with something amazing. If he believed in anyone, he believed in her.

***

“Ugh, let me tell you about the horrible shoes my masseuse was wearing the other day. I could barely relax staring down at them,” Audrey rambled at dinner two nights later.

Adrien tuned her out, skewering a piece of broccoli with his fork as she prattled on. Chloe seemed distracted beside him as well, not engrossed in her mother’s tale like she normally would which surprised him. His father had even joined them, so Chloe’s lack of showboating was odd.

“I’m curious to know, Audrey, what were your impressions of the awards show,” Gabriel asked, and Audrey lowered her wine glass with a groan.

“Dreadful! Utterly dreadful. Those designers should be ashamed of themselves,” she said. “Although, that funny little girl who won your contest made a piece for Miss Nightingale that was promising.”

“Yes, I took notice of it too,” Gabriel nodded. “Her style is very unique, but I felt it fit Clara’s personality nicely.”

“I can’t believe you’re letting her date your son,” Audrey said, flicking her gaze over to Adrien who straightened a little. “She’s a bit, how shall we say, financially challenged.”

“She surrounds herself with notable company, and talent like hers won’t stay underground for long. Clara’s gown is proof of that,” Gabriel replied simply, and Audrey pursed her lips.

“Speaking of, she owes me a portfolio,” Audrey tapped her chin. “I do not like to be kept waiting.”

Chloe and Adrien’s shoulders curled, and they exchanged nervous glances.

Jean approached the table, clasping his hands behind his back, and Audrey cocked an impatient brow.

“It would appear that Mme. Bourgeois has a visitor,” he reported, and Audrey’s eyes narrowed.

“Who dares interrupt my dinner?” She scoffed, setting her glass down a little too forcefully.

“A Mlle. Dupain-Cheng.” Adrien and Chloe perked up.

“Ugh, it’s about time. Send her in,” Audrey gave a permitting wave, and Jean retreated to fetch her.

“Is now a bad time?” Marinette winced as she approached.

“Time is money, darling, and you are wasting mine,” Audrey said. “Hurry up.”

“Right.” Marinette set down her easel and fumbled with her sketchpad, prompting an eyeroll from Audrey. “Um, so I’ve been thinking a lot about the message I want to send with my brand, and I’ve decided that I don’t want to be another designer pushing one standard of beauty.”

Audrey yawned, and Marinette shot Adrien a panicked look. He nodded her on, and she took a deep breath.

“I want to redefine what it means to be beautiful to include more types of people. I believe that everyone deserves to feel beautiful no matter what they look like,” she said, and Audrey blinked in boredom. “I want to design things that everyone can wear. Things that will make everyone feel beautiful so they don’t have to try to fit into a single mold.”

“A body-positive line?” Audrey quirked a brow.

“Yes.” Marinette nodded with a gulp.

“Too risky.” Audrey waved it away, picking up her glass. “The industry will eat you alive.”

“It is rather bold,” Gabriel agreed, rubbing his chin, and Marinette’s shoulders stiffened.

“This industry is about taking risks and being bold,” she said, flipping the cover of her sketchbook. “I know that it’s asking a lot, but this is the statement I want to make.”

Audrey glanced out of the corner of her eye before turning to face her, removing her sunglasses slowly. She and Gabriel stood up in unison, moving around the table to get a better look. Beside them, Marinette clasped her hands together tightly, heart beating a thousand times a minute.

Adrien placed a reassuring hand on her back, and Chloe quirked a brow on her other side as Audrey turned the page with a gasp.

“Ohh,” she cooed, examining each design. “Magnificent. Utterly magnificent!”

“Oh, that’s creative,” Gabriel remarked about the next one, and Audrey flicked her gaze back up to Marinette.

“Okay,” she sighed. “Normally, I’d turn down a concept like this, but with designs like these, I can see this going somewhere, so…I will back you.”

“Thank you, Mme. Bourgeois! Thank you! Thank you!” Marinette bowed as Audrey flipped another page.

“What is this black smudge?” She asked, and Marinette curled her shoulders.

“Mascara. It was a rough week,” she explained sheepishly.

“Ah, the creative process.” Gabriel nodded in understanding as Audrey took pictures of each page.

“Jean, send these to our tailors,” Audrey demanded, passing him her phone, “and pick up some water-proof mascara for Miss Dupain-Cheng.”

“Yes, madame,” he said with a bow, and Audrey hugged the sketchpad to her chest.

“I could look at these all night,” she sighed. “I think I’d like to have dessert on the terrace. Sinclair!”

“I look forward to seeing your first line, Marinette,” Gabriel said, casting her a smirk. “Excellent work.”

Marinette’s cheeks flushed as everyone followed after Audrey, but Adrien remained by her side.

“I’m going to walk Marinette out, father,” he said, and Gabriel gave a permissive nod.

As they entered the elevator, Marinette breathed a sigh of relief, relaxing her shoulders, and Adrien hit the button for the lobby. A smile broke over her lips as the doors closed, but before she could open her mouth to speak, Adrien grabbed onto her waist and pulled her lips to his.

His other hand cupped her jaw, lips parting into hers as he pulled her in closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck, stretching on her tip toes as he kissed her dizzy, and when they pulled away, their ragged breaths burned hot on each other’s lips.

“I knew you could do it,” he said breathlessly, a wide smile stretching up to his eyes. “You’re amazing.”

He touched his lips to hers again, holding her tight, and she melted into his embrace with a moan, resting her head on his shoulder when he pulled away.

“I did it,” she said, blinking in disbelief. “I actually did it.”

“With a day to spare no less,” Adrien chuckled. “You really are incredible, Marinette.”

“You were the one who never gave up on me,” she said, biting her lip, and Adrien pressed his forehead to hers.

“You ready to stop Lila?” He asked, and Marinette smirked.

“I’m ready to change the world.”

[your-dietician]

DESTIN EVENTS AND ENTERTAINMENT June 26

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/entertainment/destin-events-and-entertainment-june-26/

DESTIN EVENTS AND ENTERTAINMENT June 26

Please send your events, meetings, etc., to pgriffin@thedestinlog.com at least 2 weeks in advance.

Destin City Hall 

All city meetings are being held at the City Hall Annex, 4100 Indian Bayou Trail, until further notice. All meetings are subject to change or cancellation. To virtually view the meeting, https://www.cityofdestin.com/. To view/stream is www.youtube.com/CityofDestin. 

Family Fun Day 

The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart will host a Family Fun Day in Santa Rosa Beach from 9-11 a.m. June 26. The location will be the new Ascension Sacred Heart building at 179 Mack Bayou Loop. The event is free of charge and celebrates the expansion of pediatric services to the Emerald Coast. Outdoors, masks are encouraged, but not required. Inside the building, masks are required.  

Rock the Docks 

Rock along the docks at HarborWalk Village and under the stars for a free live concert from 7-9 p.m. June 26 with Frank Fletcher. 

• July 3: 18 Miles Band 

• July 10: Flash Flood 

• July17: way Ja Vu 

• July 24: The Hoodoos 

• July 31: Scenic Heights 

• Aug. 7: FIinga Faya 

• Aug. 14: TBA 

Sunday Cinema 

Grab a lawn chair or blanket for the free movie “Moana,” a featured film on the big screen at 8 p.m. June 27 on the Events Plaza Lawn at Baytowne Wharf. 

• July 11: Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation 

• July 18: Pete’s Dragon 

• July 25: Sing  

Rosemary Beach Summer Concerts 

Bring your chairs and blankets and enjoy the night on St. Augustine Green in Rosemary Beach with music of Totally Awesome 80’s from 6:30-8:30 p.m. June 28.  

• July 5:  Ocean’s Nine (boat Pop) 

• July 12: Kool Kats (50’s & 60’s) 

• July 19: British Invasion (Beatles and Stones) 

• July 26: Flying High (Bryds to the Eagles) 

• Aug. 2: Fais Do-Do (Cajun & Zydeco) 

• Aug. 9: Totally Awesome 80’s!  

ACT Workshops 

Workshops to assist students in Okaloosa, Escambia and Santa Rosa County high schools who will be taking the  July 17 ACT tests will be held in Gulf Breeze. The workshop will be from 9 a.m. to noon July 12, 13, 14 and 15. Registrations must be postmarked by June 28. All materials, snacks and drinks are furnished. Students will need to bring calculators. If you have any questions, email Amhart1966@aol.com or call  615-585-2401.  

Wednesday Night Concert Series 

Enjoy free live entertainment with Dion Jones & The Neon Tears from 7-9 p.m. June 30 on the Events Plaza stage at The Village of Baytowne Wharf. 

July 7: Boukou Groove 

July 14: Forrest Williams Band 

July 21: Six Piece Suits 

July 28: Rust & Gold 

Summer Storytime on the Lawn   

Cuddlers and Toddlers Storytime is continuing through the summer at 10 a.m. every Thursday and run approximately 20 minutes. Come enjoy Tails & Tales themed stories while waiting for the weekly Summer Reading events to begin at 10:30 a.m. Get more information  at cityofdestin.com/655/Summer-Reading. If you have any questions, call 837-8572 or email library@cityofdestin.com. 

Summer at HarborWalk Village 

• Monday: Dance to your own beat with a silent disco experience in front of the main stage from 7-10 p.m. Sanitized headphones provided. 

• Tuesday: Carnival comes to HarborWalk Village with live music on the main stage at 6:30 p.m. and the Fat Tuesday Parade at 8:30 p.m. Catch beads as the floats roll through the Village. Want to celebrate on a float with you and your krewe or promote your business? Email events@harborwalkvillage.com or call 850-424-0600. 

• Thursday: All American Thursday is from 6:30 – 9 p.m. Celebrate the USA with a one-of-a-kind vintage airshow, hero salute, live entertainment, fireworks and a fire spinning show with Hero Salute and Vintage Air Show 6:30 p m. and fireworks at 9 p.m.  

Rosemary Beach Moonlight & Movies 

Bring blankets and lawn chairs for a movie night under the stars in Rosemary Beach July 1 with “The Secret Life of Pets 2” on the Western Green. Balloon art starts at 6 p.m. and  movie at 8:15 p.m. Enjoy popcorn and hot dogs on the beach from DogManDu.  

• July 8: Toy Story 4 

• July 15 Moana 

• July 22: Sonic the Hedgehog 

• Aug. 5: Tom and Jerry 

• Aug. 12: Trolls World Tour  

Let Freedom Ring 

HarborWalk Village’s 4th of July celebration, Let Freedom Ring, begins at 7 p.m. July 2 with The Two Hoo Doos. The Miles Band performs July 3 at 7 p.m. and The Manly Hero July 4 at 7 p.m. Fireworks and fire spinning by Autumn Lyfe begin at 9 p.m. Sunday. On-site parking $10.  

Movies & S’mores Series 

The free Movies & S’mores series will be at 5 p.m. July 3 in Camp Helen State Park Recreation Hall with food and fun. Seating will be provided. Programs begin at 6:30 p.m. with an interpretive table of activities, a merchandise table, prepackaged smores around the bonfire and a souvenir cup. Movie, “The Lion King (2019),”  begins. at sunset. Donations are accepted and will go directly to the Friends of Camp Helen State Park to be used to benefit the parks resource management, projects and interpretative programs.  

• July 22: Onward with a special treasure hunt/guided tour throughout the park 

Smoke on the Coast 

Destin Commons will host 15 local non-profit organizations at the 10th annual Smoke on the Coast BBQ & Fireworks Festival from 5-10 p. m. July 3. Each non-profit organization teams up with a restaurant or BBQ aficionado. Cast your vote for $1 for your favorite BBQ team, support their mission, and enjoy a day of family fun. 

Seaside 4th of July 

Seaside is hosting a day of patriotic activities from 9 a.m to 9 p.m. in Central Square, with storefronts decorated in red, white, and blue. While there will not be a parade along 30A, Seaside will feature second-line-style patriotic music performances around town throughout the day, with a special performance by the Rep Theatre.  All of this will culminate into what will be the largest fireworks show not only in Seaside but along the entire Gulf Coast.  

Red, White & Baytowne 

The Red, White, and Baytowne celebration takes place from 7-9:15 p.m. July 4 with music from Donovan Keith on the Events Plaza Stage at Baytowne Wharf. A fireworks display will light up the night sky at 9:15 p.m. The Village will also host kids activities including kids crafts, face painting, and balloon sculpting.  

Foster Gallery 

The public is invited to a reception celebrating both the Summer Rotation and upcoming Juried Special Exhibition artists at Foster Gallery from 5-7 p.m. July 14. Enjoy tasty sips and snacks while perusing all the works on display and available for purchase.  

Summer Pop 

The Emerald Coast Theatre Company presents Jordan and Michelle’s “Back to Broadway” show, a fun-filled, high-energy tribute to the Broadway music of today and yesterday. July 17 at ECTC’s performance space, 560 Grand Boulevard, upstairs, in the Grand Boulevard Town Center in Miramar Beach. Tickets are $30/person at www.emeraldcoasttheatre.org. 

• July 24 – Frank & Friends with Peter Lake. Enjoy tunes from Frank Sinatra, Giacomo Puccini, Andrew Lloyd Webber and many more favorites.  

Mattie Kelly Arts Center 

Jesus Christ Superstar is the 2021 Summer Musical at 7:30 p.m. July 21-24 and 2 p.m. July 25 on Mainstage. at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center Amphitheater in Niceville. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20. Call the Box Office for tickets at 729-6000 or visit https://mattiekellyartscenter.org/.  

Billy Gray Testimony 

Billy Gray, who ministers to people around the world and is former pastor at The Gathering, will give his testimony at First Baptist Church, 201 Beach Dr. in Destin, on July 27 at 10:30 a.m. All are welcome. 

Hydroflight Monday 

Enjoy shows from fly-board extraordinaire Ben Merrell over the lagoon at The Village of Baytowne Wharf at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Mondays through Aug. 2. 

Boomin’ Tuesday 

Turn your eyes on the sky at Baytowne Wharf and watch as the sky lights up with a fireworks show over the Lagoon at 9:15 p.m. Tuesdays through Aug. 3. Also, a DJ Dance Party with DJ Mike Whitty begins at 7 p.m. in the Events Plaza. 

Magical Thursday 

Magic, music, and mayhem with Baytowne Wharf’s featured pirate Captain Davy takes you on an adventure with two magic shows at 7 and 8 p.m. Thursdays through Aug. 5. 

Destin Woman’s Club 

The Annual Fashion Show held by the Destin Woman’s Club has been cancelled this year due to the Covid virus. The Fashion Show for 2021 has been scheduled for Nov. 5.  As their major fundraiser, net proceeds go toward the Club’s Family Assistance Fund designed to help local families and a local charity. 

RECURRING EVENTS 

Destin Community Center 

All activities are at the Destin Community Center, unless noted. Call 654-5184 or email recreation@cityofdestin.comfor information and to register. Persons with disabilities who require assistance are asked to notify the center 48 hours in advance. 

Pickleball: Sessions are Mondays from 12:30-3:30 p.m. Wednesdays from 1-2 p.m. and Fridays from 10:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Fee is $3/session. Racquets and balls are available, just bring your gym shoes. 

Table Tennis: Play from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Paddles and balls provided. Fee is $2/resident and $3/non-resident. 

Senior Programs 

All activities are at the Destin Community Center, unless noted. Call 654-5184 or email recreation@cityofdestin.com for information and to register. Persons with disabilities who require assistance are asked to notify the center 48 hours in advance.  

— Destin Senior Membership: Join the Destin Seniors to enjoy multiple festivities including the senior lunch bunch, potluck, casino trips, cruises, bingo, chair exercise, knitting, scrabble, and Mexican dominoes. Members must be a Destin resident. 

— Senior Book Club: The Destin Senior Members meet at 10 a.m. the 2nd Wednesday of the month at the Destin Library, 150 Sibert Ave. 

— Senior Drop-In Hours: The Destin Senior Center at Buck Destin Park, 724 Legion Drive, offers senior drop-in hours from 9 a.m. to noon every Tuesday and Thursday for Seniors (50 years and older) to meet and enjoy each other’s company, participate in games such as Mexican Train Dominoes, Scrabble, cards, etc. 

— Senior Walking Club: The Destin Senior Members walk around the Destin Community Center’s gymnasium from 8-9 a.m. Monday-Friday. All of the miles that you walk will be added to the “team map” as we travel from one region to the next. The team’s miles are reported on the 4th Friday of each month at the Destin Senior Membership’s Potluck. 

— Destin Senior Chair Exercise 50+ years: Monday and Wednesday mornings from 10-10:45 a.m. at Buck Destin Park consists of performing light exercises to help improve balance, flexibility, strength, and circulation. Free/residents. 

Book Club 

The Destin Library’s Novel Idea Book Club is open to adults and meets every fourth Thursday of the month at 11:30 a.m. via Microsoft Teams. Club members can submit book recommendations – primarily fiction with the occasional non-fiction title – and the club will vote on which ones to read. Membership is open to everyone; however, you will need an Okaloosa County Public Library card to check-out materials. Members will need an email address and internet access to join the discussion. 

City of Destin Annual Passes 

Full-time residents (within the incorporated city limits) are encouraged to submit their request for a 2021 Annual Pass at https://www.cityofdestin.com/342/Annual-Passes. For those who do not have internet access, beach parking passes are only available at City Hall. Henderson Beach State Park and Joe’s Bayou Boat Ramp passes are available at both City Hall and the Destin Community Center. For questions, call 837-4242. 

Adopt-A-Street 

The City of Destin’s Adopt-A-Street Program allows local families, businesses and community groups to perform a valuable community service by adopting sections of a street to keep clear of litter and debris. Groups who participate in this program will have their name listed on the City’s website and signage installed on their adopted street. For more information, call 837-6869 or email adoptastreet@cityofdestin.com. 

Grand Boulevard Farmers Market 

Grand Boulevard Farmers Market takes place every Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Grand Park in the heart of Grand Boulevard in South Walton. Bring your shopping bag and load up on local produce, eggs, jams and pies. Homemade soap, good olive oil, and pickled things are all there for the taking.  

Rosemary Beach Farmers Market 

Come browse the 30A Farmers Market in Rosemary Beach on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The local farmers market takes place on Sundays year round, and Thursdays throughout the summer months, in North Barrett Square along Scenic 30A. 

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[justsoyoudonthaveto]

Would you believe that a) it’s Halloween and I’m writing about a Christmas movie; b) we’re just 2 months away from this entire shitty year and c) this is my 100th blog post?!?!?  I can’t believe it and I’m living that right now! 

I’m sure you’ve all noticed that I’ve taken a huge break from doing these this year. And with this year, I’m sure you all understand. For a long time I didn’t want to watch sunny shows where the hero just wants to be happy and explore his need to be a mime in Paris while simultaneously running away from his family’s law practice, where the heroine just needs him to buckle down and be serious. Running away from a well-paying job? Are you freaking insane? And love might be all you need, but it sure is helpful if you don’t have to worry about medical bills. This year has been exhausting, and I just couldn’t. As much as these movies are comfort food, I needed something different, which explains why I watched Great British Baking Show twice, learned how to make a killer lemon drizzle and amazing bread, and stress-read Twitter about the state of the country. All of which means that this weekend, which saw me take time off to self-care and watch BBC’s North and South for the first time and immediately plan for a re-watch, has me back to Christmas Movies, with this gem of a movie that should have everything. So let’s get going for One Royal Holiday.

I will start by saying I love Laura Osnes. I voted for her when she was on the Grease reality show, and saw her in Bandstand 3 times. I am less of a fan of Aaron Tveit, more so because of the horrendous man perm he had to sport during Les Miserables. However, it’s not nearly as bad as the man bun I just saw on the latest concert version of my favorite musical, so I guess I should move on from the perms. Except how the hell did those perms mean an Academy Award for best hair and makeup? WTF? Anyway.

Aaron plays His Royal Highness Prince James of Galwick. Is that near Lichtenstein, or Cornwall, like that one where the heroine was from New Jersey? His mom is played by the amazing Victoria Clark and she better sing, damn it. And in the very first scene, where Queen Gabriella and Prince James are in some kind of hospital benefit thanking them for the care they gave their late husband and father, Queen Gabriella is wearing a tiara. I’m sure we’ve learned something from the countless viewings of Downton Abbey (as well as anything the Queen does) and one does not wear a tiara to a benefit during the freaking day. British accents are on point though. Good for them.

Laura Osnes is a nurse named Anna, who is heading home for Christmas, and her home is some tiny New England town where her dad owns an inn. Looks like her mom is dead. Present wrapping montage, and we’re not even 10 minutes in. And Anna is off home where there’s a wicked nor’easter heading her way (she’s in Boston).

James has to make a Christmas Eve speech, which apparently the entire monarchy of Galwick is depending on. But not before he and his mom stop at Donny’s Donuts for tea. Anna’s there for coffee and is freaking out over a “Christmas Cruller” which is basically an eclair. But horrors, the storm has grounded the royal plane, and the hotel in Boston is full up, and James and Anna have had a meet cute over the eclair, and we’ve found out that Galwick is in Northern Europe. Anna is offering her dad’s inn, and now her own car when the royal car driver says he’s not going to drive to Connecticut. Queen Gabriella is already in love with Anna, and her free eclairs, and they are all carpooling to Connecticut on roads that are remarkably traffic free. Oh, and BTW, James has not told her he’s a prince, and she’s just said her town has a Christmas Eve Pajama Ball and Oh My GOD I think I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole of Christmas Movie Cliches and I love every minute. BTW, James is a huge pill.

Royal retainer has just let the cat out of the bag to Anna’s dad and now Anna knows that they’re royalty. But because James is such a cool guy, he’s going to carry up their bags up the stairs but because he’s also royal, he doesn’t know that suitcases have handles. Anna’s BFF from high school is now the Sassy Mayor. And James has just asked for the “pillow menu” where the guests get to choose which kind of pillow to sleep on. Sassy Mayor is all about getting the royals on social media for the town, but then she gets an eyeful of Christopher, the royal retainer, and Sassy Mayor is all heart-eye emojis. And here is the first commercial break.

What is this vest and why is it weird?

Sing-a-long at the Inn, and the carolers are dressed like Dickens characters – because carolers are only allowed to dressed like Dickens characters. Gabriella and Anna are bonding over the buffet, while James is on the phone with the Prime Minister of Galwick who is clearly not a monarchist. But Gabriella loves the food at the Inn, and methinks Queenie is going to play matchmaker between Innkeeper Dad and the Cook. James missed dinner and is eating his feelings through a 5 lb container of popcorn, but Anna is nice and brings him a plate of lobster mac and cheese.

As expected, there’s been a huge snowstorm, which is not in evidence with the b-roll of shots of the house. They are snowbound and Anna wants to know what royalty does all day. James says it’s not like a Jane Austen novel where they drink tea and read poetry. No, not at all. Sometimes they have elaborate picnics. And that is a line from this beautiful movie. Another b-roll shot of the Inn, which shows the road completely plowed. But the airport is still closed, so now they can attend the Kentsbury Christmas Parade. James can’t measure up to his dead father with his make-or-break Christmas Eve Speech. FYI, James started dragging the sled of donated toys, and next shot, Anna is dragging it. So much for the chivalry of princes.

FYI – in 2 days, we won’t see any political ads on TV for almost 12 months. Huzzah!

Everyone in the little town seems to think that Anna is dating James because they are walking down the street together. James stepped in a slush puddle and now they both have to take a carriage ride back to the inn. Just go with it. Heart to heart about James’ speech worries. Anna says he should be himself. Oh, how great that advice is.

Husband just asked how great this movie is. I said the words Christmas Eve Pajama Ball. He is seriously thrilled.

The room where the Ball is going to be held had a roof malfunction, and now where are they going to have it? James suggests the Inn, so of course they’re going to do it – and before we can say Hot Chocolate – they are going to decorate the Inn’s family tree! Singing! Tree Trimming! Lights! Husband just is annoyed that all the lights in the big tangle of string lights work, because that is not reality.

DANG IT – they are going to split the ball into Pajama for Kids and Formal Ball for Adults. This is not what I signed up for.

Anna and James meet in the kitchen in their plaid jammies, and Anna name checked Captain Von Trapp, so cool, except for the fact that Christopher Plummer NEVER showed up in a bathrobe. Anna has also introduced James to the magic of a Lazyboy recliner couch. And James is now giving Anna advice about how great a formal ball would be and it’s not a slap in the face of the memory of Anna’s dead mom. Anna is also wearing way too much makeup for late night cocoa rendezvous.

Plot question – why is James a Prince, and not King? Shouldn’t he have been coronated by now?

Anna brought James up to the attic to look for ball decorations, and he seems to have a flair for decorating. They head in to town for more garland, and James borrowed skinny jeans and boots from Christopher, and that’s not weird at all. And Anna has major good ideas for James’ speech, so good for her. Shopping Montage! Decorating Montage! So Many Lights! So Many Trees! Romantic moments by a ladder! Dancing! They are going to Dance to The Christmas Waltz. WHAT IS THIS SONG? Dance Lessons Await! (FYI, I do this with younger son in our kitchen, and it is a delight of my life). Oh, man, dad just messed up that romantic dance.

Dad is Fairy Godfather here and found dresses for Anna to wear that were her mom’s. But first, Gingerbread House Building! James is good at it and he made a castle. And Gabriella just made them a Galwickian Yule Cake (which is an eclair). Christmas Eve is in 3 days, and now there’s black ice on the roads and it’s just too dangerous to go to the airport.

Sassy Friend tells her that she can work it out with Christopher, so Anna can work it out with James, but Anna is being realistic because he’s a prince and she’s a nurse, and if he’s half as eligible as Prince Harry, then she is in the right, and Sassy Mayor is living in La La Land. But whatever, Anna deserves to find Love.

Town Candlelight Sing A Long. Lots of longing looks over the candles, but Anna can’t express her love for James because they have to sing Joy to the World (without the religious 3rd verse). But they are now back in the ballroom for Anna to tell him how she feels, but she is blocked by his phone and the fact that it’s the palace, telling him that he was photographed with Anna in the town square and it’s an international scandal of Christmas Carol proportions. And because Anna is selfless, she says thanks to James and tells him he should care for his people and go be a prince. And because he’s emotionally repressed, he says ok and he heads out.

Sassy Mayor gets to go to Galwick for New Year’s because Christopher is NOT emotionally repressed. Gabriella left a gown for the cook to wear to the ball, and James has arrived home to the literally smallest castle ever. It’s smaller than Disneyland.

SAD TIMES! James and Anna both. 14 minutes left. Anna doesn’t know what to wear, but Dianne the cook looks great in the Queen’s dress. And James has figured out that Anna helped out his dad at the hospital when he was ill. Oh my goodness all the coincidences! Anna’s dress has pockets, y’all. James’ Christmas speech is on the internet, and his military uniform clearly doesn’t fit. And HUZZAH James shows up at the ball and his tuxedo suit does fit. And more about James’ dad, yada yada yada. And they kiss and head into the ballroom where they get to finish their Christmas Waltz. All Laura Osnes’ Cinderella dance experience is clearly paying off here. But we’re not done yet – everyone is in their pajamas at the fireplace for the final scene – and again Cinderella vibes, because James brought her Christmas Royal Bedroom Slippers. But he didn’t bring enough for everyone! The End.

This movie had everything and it was delightful, even if Victoria Clark didn’t sing. Sorry for the blurry pictures – WordPress changed their way of doing things while I was baking and I am still trying to figure it out. Glad to get back into this even if we’re still technically in Halloween territory. Aren’t you glad I watched, just so you don’t have to?

#100 – One Royal Holiday Would you believe that a) it's Halloween and I'm writing about a Christmas movie; b) we're just 2 months away from this entire shitty year and c) this is my 100th blog post?!?!? 

[hueman-blog]

Answering Personal Questions

I made a user I follow, @razzledazzlefoshazzle , answer all of these on his blog. I’m feeling guilty so I’m gonna do it too. I know none of you asked but HERE GOES MY PERSONAL INFO!!!

200: My crush’s name is: Averi 
199: I was born in: Place? Lancaster, PA, USA. Year? 1999 
198: I am really: Bored and unmotivated 
197: My cellphone company is: Apple 
196: My eye color is: Brown 
195: My shoe size is: 8-9 Women’s US 
194: My ring size is: Idk, something little 
193: My height is: 5'4" I’m little 
192: I am allergic to: Stupid people 
191: My 1st car was: Never had one 
190: My 1st job was: Cashier at California Tortilla (a fast food Mexican franchise around D.C.) 
189: Last book you read: Cradle and All 188: My bed is: My safest place, my true home, and also too empty 
187: My pet: Doesn’t do much 
186: My best friend: Is my girlfriend 
185: My favorite shampoo is: Shamu 
184: Xbox or ps3: Deck of cards 
183: Piggy banks are: Cute decoration, inefficient coin collector 
182: In my pockets: I’m in pajamas 
181: On my calendar: Work, as that’s the only thing in my life scheduled. Also a haircut within a few days 
180: Marriage is: Great for legal benefits, stupid for expensive ceremonies 
179: Spongebob can: Please end soon it turned idiotic long ago 
178: My mom: Is abusive (sorry to bring the mood down) 
177: The last three songs I bought were? Who buys songs anymore?? 
176: Last YouTube video watched: History of the World 
175: How many cousins do you have? On my dad’s side, 8. On my mom’s side, no idea 
174: Do you have any siblings? An older brother 
173: Are your parents divorced? Nope 
172: Are you taller than your mom? Probably not 
171: Do you play an instrument? Nope 
170: What did you do yesterday? Absolutely nothing just like every day

[ I Believe In ] 
169: Love at first sight: Nope 
168: Luck: Yes 
167: Fate: Nope 
166: Yourself: Not really 
165: Aliens: Yeah there’s gotta be some life out there 
164: Heaven: No 
163: Hell: No 
162: God: The Flying Spaghetti Monster? Hell yes. Be boiled for your sins 
161: Horoscopes: Nope and frankly if you do I find you uneducated 
160: Soul mates: No 
159: Ghosts: Nah 
158: Gay Marriage: Believing??? In love,??? And commitment??????? Between two people???????? Obviously! 
157: War: Never 
156: Orbs: I believe in Orbeez 
155: Magic: No it’s just science we can’t explain, or illusions we can’t see the entirety of

[ This or That ] 
154: Hugs or Kisses: Kisses 
153: Drunk or High: Music 
152: Phone or Online: Online on my phone 
151: Red heads or Black haired: Black haired 
150: Blondes or Brunettes: Brunettes 
149: Hot or cold: Hot 
148: Summer or winter: Summer 
147: Autumn or Spring: Autumn 
146: Chocolate or vanilla: Chocolate 
145: Night or Day: Night 
144: Oranges or Apples: Apples 
143: Curly or Straight hair: Straight 
142: McDonalds or Burger King: McDonalds 
141: White Chocolate or Milk Chocolate: Milk Chocolate 
140: Mac or PC: Mac!! 
139: Flip flops or high heels: Flip Flops 
138: Ugly and rich OR sweet and poor: ugly and sweet are opposites now?? I guess sweet and poor 
137: Coke or Pepsi: Fruit Punch 
136: Hillary or Obama: Obama 
135: Burried or cremated: Cremated 
134: Singing or Dancing: Singing 
133: Coach or Chanel: Money to spend on actual useful things 
132: Kat McPhee or Taylor Hicks: Who??? 
131: Small town or Big city: Big City 
130: Wal-Mart or Target: Target 
129: Ben Stiller or Adam Sandler: Both suck, but I’d choose Stiller 
128: Manicure or Pedicure: Manicure. My feet are too ticklish 
127: East Coast or West Coast: West Coast USA 
126: Your Birthday or Christmas: Christmas, I don’t like being the center of attention 
125: Chocolate or Flowers: Chocolate 
124: Disney or Six Flags: Disney 
123: Yankees or Red Sox: What is a sport? How do??

[ Here’s What I Think About ] 
122: War: What is it good for? Absolutely nothing 
121: George Bush: “Mr. President, what are your thoughts on Katrina?” “We’re gonna find her. And we’re gonna bring her to justice.“ 
120: Gay Marriage: Its a marriage between two people in love. Celebrate, but don’t go broke in one day 
119: The presidential election: Media and rich people control it basically, and I’d rather it be an actual democratic popular vote. Trump is a clown and should have never won 
118: Abortion: Its a woman’s right to choose. Personally I think the world is overpopulated anyway and more people should adopt rather than try to conceive 
117: MySpace: Never had one 
116: Reality TV: Scripted, not reality 
115: Parents: Good or bad, they influence your whole life because they were there at the start. Mine went bad and ruined me 
114: Back stabbers: Oh I love them- what?? They suck. No one should be betrayed like that 
113: Ebay: Never used it but it got the ball rolling for Amazon 
112: Facebook: I only use it to message/call my friends, and to see unlimited amounts of dogs 
111: Work: It’s a necessary evil 
110: My Neighbors: Quiet, the only one I met was a total bitch though 
109: Gas Prices: I don’t drive 
108: Designer Clothes: C'mon people there are way better uses for your money 
107: College: Shouldn’t be expected of teenagers 
106: Sports: Boring, overhyped, the players overpaid 
105: My family: Worthless, judgmental pricks 
104: The future: Uncertain

[ Last time I ] 
103: Hugged someone: Sunday (3 days ago), when my friend picked me up from work 
102: Last time you ate: Italian ice about 1.5 hours ago (8:15pm) 
101: Saw someone I haven’t seen in awhile: A month ago 
100: Cried in front of someone: A month ago maybe?? 
99: Went to a movie theater: Many many months ago 
98: Took a vacation: A year ago 
97: Swam in a pool: Two years ago? 
96: Changed a diaper: Never 
95: Got my nails done: My 16th birthday I think (almost two years ago) 
94: Went to a wedding: Eight years ago? 
93: Broke a bone: Never 
92: Got a peircing: I was 14 and got my ears pierced (almost 4 years ago) 
91: Broke the law: Never 
90: Texted: A minute ago

[ MISC ] 
89: Who makes you laugh the most: My friend Brad. He’s so inappropriate but his jokes I cannot stop laughing at 
88: Something I will really miss when I leave home is: Not paying bills other than Internet 
87: The last movie I saw: Coraline 
86: The thing that I’m looking forward to the most: Moving to California 
85: The thing im not looking forward to: Paying for rent in California 
84: People call me: To friends: Lys. To family: Alyssa. To my girlfriend: Lyssy. To everyone else: annoying 
83: The most difficult thing to do is: Get up out of bed every day 
82: I have gotten a speeding ticket: Nope I do not drive 
81: My zodiac sign is: Cancer 
80: The first person i talked to today was: My friend Jessica 
79: First time you had a crush: Preschool, this boy in my class Marshall 
78: The one person who i can’t hide things from: Myself 
77: Last time someone said something you were thinking: Yesterday, idk? 
76: Right now I am talking to: My phone in the way of typing 
75: What are you going to do when you grow up: Survive hopefully. I also wanna be a flight attendant 
74: I have/will get a job: Have a job as assistant manager of an arcade 
73: Tomorrow: I’m going food shopping and seeing my annoying cousin Barbara (she has two boyfriends and they both treat her like shit. It’s not poly it’s just cheating) 
72: Today: I actually made a meal that was nice 
71: Next Summer: I’ll be living in California 
70: Next Weekend: I have to face my parents for the first time since February. I hate it 
69: I have these pets: A ball of moss named Mo 
68: The worst sound in the world: My girlfriend crying 
67: The person that makes me cry the most is: My father 
66: People that make you happy: My girlfriend Averi 
65: Last time I cried: A few weeks ago?? 
64: My friends are: Averi, Raven, Jessica 
63: My computer is: My phone 
62: My School: Is nonexistent 
61: My Car: Is also nonexistent 
60: I lose all respect for people who: Hate on others for no reason 
59: The movie I cried at was: Toy Story 3 
58: Your hair color is: Black 
57: TV shows you watch: None 
56: Favorite web site: Tumblr usually 
55: Your dream vacation: California 
54: The worst pain I was ever in was: Once I got constipated a few months ago for 48 hours. I screamed 
53: How do you like your steak cooked: Medium 
52: My room is: Either super messy or super clean. Right now messy 
51: My favorite celebrity is: Jacksepticeye 
50: Where would you like to be: In my girlfriend’s arms on a beach 
49: Do you want children: Right now I don’t think I ever would but if I ever did I’d adopt 
48: Ever been in love: Yes I am now 
47: Who’s your best friend: My girl 
46: More guy friends or girl friends: Girl friends 
45: One thing that makes you feel great is: Sleeping 
44: One person that you wish you could see right now: AVERI 
43: Do you have a 5 year plan: Stalin did 
42: Have you made a list of things to do before you die: Nope 
41: Have you pre-named your children: I did with my ex. Never again 
40: Last person I got mad at: My grandmother 
39: I would like to move to: California 
38: I wish I was a professional: Sleeper [ My Favorites ] 
37: Candy: Swedish Fish or Nerds 
36: Vehicle: Volkswagen Beetle 
35: President: Biden 
34: State visited: California 
33: Cellphone provider: Cricket 
32: Athlete: Me, running from my responsibilities 
31: Actor: Eddie Redmayne 
30: Actress: Anna Kendrick 
29: Singer: Laura Jane Grace 
28: Band: Against Me! 
27: Clothing store: Thrift shops 
26: Grocery store: Safeway 
25: TV show: Adventure Time 
24: Movie: Wall-E 
23: Website: Pornhu- I mean Tumblr 
22: Animal: Red Panda 
21: Theme park: Disney World 
20: Holiday: Christmas 
19: Sport to watch: Extreme Chess Mega X 
18: Sport to play: How Late Can I Get Up Before Concerning My Family 
17: Magazine: :enizagaM 
16: Book: The Underneath 
15: Day of the week: Saturday 
14: Beach: Any beach 
13: Concert attended: Fall Out Boy x Paramore 
12: Thing to cook: Pasta with alfredo sauce 
11: Food: Bacon egg & cheese on a bagel 
10: Restaurant: TGI Fridays 
9: Radio station: Night Vale Community Radio 
8: Yankee candle scent: Ass 
7: Perfume: Averi’s 
6: Flower: Averi 
5: Color: Orange - the color of Averi’s voice 
4: Talk show host: John Oliver 
3: Comedian: Bo Burnham 
2: Dog breed: Corgi 
1: Did you answer all these truthfully? Hell yeah I wouldn’t lie to you

[your-dietician]

DESTIN EVENTS AND ENTERTAINMENT June 23

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/entertainment/destin-events-and-entertainment-june-23/

DESTIN EVENTS AND ENTERTAINMENT June 23

Please send your events, meetings, etc., to pgriffin@thedestinlog.com at least 2 weeks in advance. 

Destin City Hall 

All city meetings are being held at the City Hall Annex, 4100 Indian Bayou Trail, until further notice. All meetings are subject to change or cancellation. To virtually view the meeting, https://www.cityofdestin.com/. To view/stream is www.youtube.com/CityofDestin. 

• Local Planning Agency, 5:30 p.m. June 24 

Wednesday Night Concert Series 

Enjoy free live entertainment with Luke Langford from 7-9 p.m. June 23 on the Events Plaza stage at The Village of Baytowne Wharf. 

June 30: Dion Jones & The Neon Tears 

July 7: Boukou Groove 

July 14: Forrest Williams Band 

July 21: Six Piece Suits 

July 28: Rust & Gold 

Summer Storytime on the Lawn   

Cuddlers and Toddlers Storytime is continuing through the summer at 10 a.m. every Thursday and run approximately 20 minutes. Come enjoy Tails & Tales themed stories while waiting for the weekly Summer Reading events to begin at 10:30 a.m. Get more information  at cityofdestin.com/655/Summer-Reading. If you have any questions, call 837-8572 or email library@cityofdestin.com. 

Concerts in the Village 

The Air National Guard Band of the South performs at 7 p.m. June 24 at Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation’s Dugas Stage. Admission is $15/adults, $10/active-duty military, and children (12 and under) and MKAF members are free. Purchase tickets online at Eventbrite. Gates open at 6 p.m. 

Summer at HarborWalk Village 

• Monday: Dance to your own beat with a silent disco experience in front of the main stage from 7-10 p.m. Sanitized headphones provided. 

• Tuesday: Carnival comes to HarborWalk Village with live music on the main stage at 6:30 p.m. and the Fat Tuesday Parade at 8:30 p.m. Catch beads as the floats roll through the Village. Want to celebrate on a float with you and your krewe or promote your business? Email events@harborwalkvillage.com or call 850-424-0600. 

• Thursday: All American Thursday is from 6:30 – 9 p.m. Celebrate the USA with a one-of-a-kind vintage airshow, hero salute, live entertainment, fireworks and a fire spinning show with Hero Salute and Vintage Air Show 6:30 p m. and fireworks at 9 p.m.  

Rosemary Beach Moonlight & Movies 

Bring blankets and lawn chairs for a movie night under the stars in Rosemary Beach June 24 with “Onward” on the Western Green. Balloon art starts at 6 p.m. and  movie at 8:15 p.m. Enjoy popcorn and hot dogs on the beach from DogManDu.  

• July 1: The Secret Life of Pets 2 

• July 8: Toy Story 4 

• July 15 Moana 

• July 22: Sonic the Hedgehog 

• Aug. 5: Tom and Jerry 

• Aug. 12: Trolls World Tour  

Movies & S’mores Series 

The free Movies & S’mores series will be at 5 p.m. June 24 in Camp Helen State Park Recreation Hall with food and fun. Seating will be provided. Programs begin at 6:30 p.m. with an interpretive table of activities, a merchandise table, prepackaged smores around the bonfire and a souvenir cup. Movie, “Moana,”  begins. at sunset. Donations are accepted and will go directly to the Friends of Camp Helen State Park to be used to benefit the parks resource management, projects and interpretative programs. 

• July 3: The Lion King (2019) 

• July 22: Onward with a special treasure hunt/guided tour throughout the par 

Baytowne LIVE Music 

The Village of Baytowne Wharf presents Baytowne LIVE on Adventure Lane from 7-9:30 p.m. Schedule includes Steve Hall June 29 and Ken & Andi Johnson June 25.  

Family Fun Day 

The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart will host a Family Fun Day in Santa Rosa Beach from 9-11 a.m. June 26. The location will be the new Ascension Sacred Heart building at 179 Mack Bayou Loop. The event is free of charge and celebrates the expansion of pediatric services to the Emerald Coast. Outdoors, masks are encouraged, but not required. Inside the building, masks are required.  

Rock the Docks 

Rock along the docks at HarborWalk Village and under the stars for a free live concert from 7-9 p.m. June 26 with Frank Fletcher. 

• July 3: 18 Miles Band 

• July 10: Flash Flood 

• July17: way Ja Vu 

• July 24: The Hoodoos 

• July 31: Scenic Heights 

• Aug. 7: FIinga Faya 

• Aug. 14: TBA 

Sunday Cinema 

Grab a lawn chair or blanket for the free movie “Moana,” a featured film on the big screen at 8 p.m. June 27 on the Events Plaza Lawn at Baytowne Wharf. 

• July 11: Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation 

• July 18: Pete’s Dragon 

• July 25: Sing  

Rosemary Beach Summer Concerts 

Bring your chairs and blankets and enjoy the night on St. Augustine Green in Rosemary Beach with music of Totally Awesome 80’s from 6:30-8:30 p.m. June 28.  

• July 5:  Ocean’s Nine (boat Pop) 

• July 12: Kool Kats (50’s & 60’s) 

• July 19: British Invasion (Beatles and Stones) 

• July 26: Flying High (Bryds to the Eagles) 

• Aug. 2: Fais Do-Do (Cajun & Zydeco) 

• Aug. 9: Totally Awesome 80’s!  

ACT Workshops 

Workshops to assist students in Okaloosa, Escambia and Santa Rosa County high schools who will be taking the  July 17 ACT tests will be held in Gulf Breeze. The workshop will be from 9 a.m. to noon July 12, 13, 14 and 15. Registrations must be postmarked by June 28. All materials, snacks and drinks are furnished. Students will need to bring calculators. If you have any questions, email Amhart1966@aol.com or call  615-585-2401.  

Let Freedom Ring 

HarborWalk Village’s 4th of July celebration, Let Freedom Ring, begins at 7 p.m. July 2 with The Two Hoo Doos. The Miles Band performs July 3 at 7 p.m. and The Manly Hero July 4 at 7 p.m. Fireworks and fire spinning by Autumn Lyfe begin at 9 p.m. Sunday. On-site parking $10.  

Smoke on the Coast 

Destin Commons will host 15 local non-profit organizations at the 10th annual Smoke on the Coast BBQ & Fireworks Festival from 5-10 p. m. July 3. Each non-profit organization teams up with a restaurant or BBQ aficionado. Cast your vote for $1 for your favorite BBQ team, support their mission, and enjoy a day of family fun. 

Seaside 4th of July 

Seaside is hosting a day of patriotic activities from 9 a.m to 9 p.m. in Central Square, with storefronts decorated in red, white, and blue. While there will not be a parade along 30A, Seaside will feature second-line-style patriotic music performances around town throughout the day, with a special performance by the Rep Theatre.  All of this will culminate into what will be the largest fireworks show not only in Seaside but along the entire Gulf Coast.  

Red, White & Baytowne 

The Red, White, and Baytowne celebration takes place from 7-9:15 p.m. July 4 with music from Donovan Keith on the Events Plaza Stage at Baytowne Wharf. A fireworks display will light up the night sky at 9:15 p.m. The Village will also host kids activities including kids crafts, face painting, and balloon sculpting.  

Summer Pop 

The Emerald Coast Theatre Company presents Jordan and Michelle’s “Back to Broadway” show, a fun-filled, high-energy tribute to the Broadway music of today and yesterday. July 17 at ECTC’s performance space, 560 Grand Boulevard, upstairs, in the Grand Boulevard Town Center in Miramar Beach. Tickets are $30/person at www.emeraldcoasttheatre.org. 

• July 24 – Frank & Friends with Peter Lake. Enjoy tunes from Frank Sinatra, Giacomo Puccini, Andrew Lloyd Webber and many more favorites.  

Mattie Kelly Arts Center 

Jesus Christ Superstar is the 2021 Summer Musical at 7:30 p.m. July 21-24 and 2 p.m. July 25 on Mainstage. at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center Amphitheater in Niceville. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20. Call the Box Office for tickets at 729-6000 or visit https://mattiekellyartscenter.org/.  

Hydroflight Monday 

Enjoy shows from fly-board extraordinaire Ben Merrell over the lagoon at The Village of Baytowne Wharf at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Mondays through Aug. 2. 

Boomin’ Tuesday 

Turn your eyes on the sky at Baytowne Wharf and watch as the sky lights up with a fireworks show over the Lagoon at 9:15 p.m. Tuesdays through Aug. 3. Also, a DJ Dance Party with DJ Mike Whitty begins at 7 p.m. in the Events Plaza. 

Magical Thursday 

Magic, music, and mayhem with Baytowne Wharf’s featured pirate Captain Davy takes you on an adventure with two magic shows at 7 and 8 p.m. Thursdays May 20-Aug. 5. 

Destin Woman’s Club 

The Annual Fashion Show held by the Destin Woman’s Club has been cancelled this year due to the Covid virus. The Fashion Show for 2021 has been scheduled for Nov. 5.  As their major fundraiser, net proceeds go toward the Club’s Family Assistance Fund designed to help local families and a local charity. 

RECURRING EVENTS 

Destin Community Center 

All activities are at the Destin Community Center, unless noted. Call 654-5184 or email recreation@cityofdestin.comfor information and to register. Persons with disabilities who require assistance are asked to notify the center 48 hours in advance. 

Pickleball: Sessions are Mondays from 12:30-3:30 p.m. Wednesdays from 1-2 p.m. and Fridays from 10:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Fee is $3/session. Racquets and balls are available, just bring your gym shoes. 

Table Tennis: Play from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Paddles and balls provided. Fee is $2/resident and $3/non-resident. 

Senior Programs 

All activities are at the Destin Community Center, unless noted. Call 654-5184 or email recreation@cityofdestin.com for information and to register. Persons with disabilities who require assistance are asked to notify the center 48 hours in advance.  

— Destin Senior Membership: Join the Destin Seniors to enjoy multiple festivities including the senior lunch bunch, potluck, casino trips, cruises, bingo, chair exercise, knitting, scrabble, and Mexican dominoes. Members must be a Destin resident. 

— Senior Book Club: The Destin Senior Members meet at 10 a.m. the 2nd Wednesday of the month at the Destin Library, 150 Sibert Ave. 

— Senior Drop-In Hours: The Destin Senior Center at Buck Destin Park, 724 Legion Drive, offers senior drop-in hours from 9 a.m. to noon every Tuesday and Thursday for Seniors (50 years and older) to meet and enjoy each other’s company, participate in games such as Mexican Train Dominoes, Scrabble, cards, etc. 

— Senior Walking Club: The Destin Senior Members walk around the Destin Community Center’s gymnasium from 8-9 a.m. Monday-Friday. All of the miles that you walk will be added to the “team map” as we travel from one region to the next. The team’s miles are reported on the 4th Friday of each month at the Destin Senior Membership’s Potluck. 

— Destin Senior Chair Exercise 50+ years: Monday and Wednesday mornings from 10-10:45 a.m. at Buck Destin Park consists of performing light exercises to help improve balance, flexibility, strength, and circulation. Free/residents. 

Book Club 

The Destin Library’s Novel Idea Book Club is open to adults and meets every fourth Thursday of the month at 11:30 a.m. via Microsoft Teams. Club members can submit book recommendations – primarily fiction with the occasional non-fiction title – and the club will vote on which ones to read. Membership is open to everyone; however, you will need an Okaloosa County Public Library card to check-out materials. Members will need an email address and internet access to join the discussion. 

City of Destin Annual Passes 

Full-time residents (within the incorporated city limits) are encouraged to submit their request for a 2021 Annual Pass at https://www.cityofdestin.com/342/Annual-Passes. For those who do not have internet access, beach parking passes are only available at City Hall. Henderson Beach State Park and Joe’s Bayou Boat Ramp passes are available at both City Hall and the Destin Community Center. For questions, call 837-4242. 

Adopt-A-Street 

The City of Destin’s Adopt-A-Street Program allows local families, businesses and community groups to perform a valuable community service by adopting sections of a street to keep clear of litter and debris. Groups who participate in this program will have their name listed on the City’s website and signage installed on their adopted street. For more information, call 837-6869 or email adoptastreet@cityofdestin.com. 

Grand Boulevard Farmers Market 

Grand Boulevard Farmers Market takes place every Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Grand Park in the heart of Grand Boulevard in South Walton. Bring your shopping bag and load up on local produce, eggs, jams and pies. Homemade soap, good olive oil, and pickled things are all there for the taking.  

Rosemary Beach Farmers Market 

Come browse the 30A Farmers Market in Rosemary Beach on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The local farmers market takes place on Sundays year round, and Thursdays throughout the summer months, in North Barrett Square along Scenic 30A. 

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