Chapter 49: Die Young

451 21 20
                                    


Chapter 49: Die Young

Merida and Robin were filthy. Merida and Robin were bruised. Merida and Robin were exhausted.

Merida and Robin were starving.

Robin sat. "I'll have the Cajun meatball appetizer, two orders of curly fries, side of nacho cheese mixed with barbecue sauce, the chili dog special with extra meaty chili, a double decker bacon cheeseburger raw to medium rare, a benya for dessert, and Guinness on the rocks."

Merida sat. "I'll have the Swiss meatball appetizer, two orders of onion rings, side of ketchup mixed with ranch dressing, the chili dog special with extra spicy chili, a double decker bacon cheeseburger well done to charred, a benya for dessert, and Guinness on the rocks."

The guardians blinked. Flynn and Rapunzel double blinked.

Peter shrugged. "I'll have a beer."

Jim frowned at Peter. Glancing at Wendy, he returned to the waitress. "Three cokes for us."

"And milk!" Flynn patted Rapunzel's baby bump. "White for the lady, chocolate for me. High in calcium! Extra frothy!"

Rapunzel giggled. They squished noses. "Oh Eugene!"

Peter rolled his eyes good-naturedly. Merida and Robin looked slightly repulsed. Rapunzel and Flynn glowed. Their unborn child did a little happy dance.

The waitress was unaffected. This was Tiana's Palace – she saw all types. Apathetically she headed for the kitchen station. "Kronk, order on table three. Ya got all that honey?"

Robin clunked his compound bow on the table. Merida propped her quiver in the adjacent chair. Removing their masks (yes, they wore superhero masks), they high fived.

"Shirked death again. Sock it to me!"

Blindly, Merida and Robin ran through their secret handshake. Although the sequence was normally performed in standing, they modified without thinking – right down to the hip bump and butt slap.

Flynn smiled. "It never gets old."

Their drinks arrived. 

"One beer, three cokes, two Guinness, and two milks –" Unenthusiastically the waitress set their drinks. "On the house. Compliments of the head chef."

"Tiana?" Jim verified.

"She says hello."

"Oooo! Tell her thanks!" Rapunzel bounced in her seat. Toasting, she and Flynn drank. "Tell her thanks a bunch!"

The waitress watched Rapunzel and Flynn. "Are they like this all the time?"

They looked. Rapunzel and Flynn were dabbing each other's milk mustaches

"I'm living with them." Peter pretended to shoot himself. "Pretty much."

The waitress spoke behind her pad. "Bless you all for coming out in public."

And it was public. Very public. Tiana's Palace was a dining extravaganza. Imagine the swankiest joint, the brassiest music, and the zestiest food – that was Tiana's Palace. A five star family restaurant by day and electric dance club by night, Tiana's Palace was the 'bee's knees,' the 'kipper's knickers,' the 'cat's whiskers,' the 'snake's hips,' the PLACE TO BE!

Giving Fantasia: The Taking Fantasia SequelWhere stories live. Discover now