Author: Crofton77

Chapter Fifty-Three: Damon and Pythias.

Written by Crofton77 on . Posted in The Story.

"She's reading AGAIN." Charlie rubbed his temples.

"Your best friend has a hobby. Big deal." Sunny shrugged, sitting at Bills resturant trying in vain to feed Melody without a major mess.

"What's she researching this time?" Tammy asked, sipping her thickshake.

"She's found out that the two ringleaders of the protestors who were slaughtered 93 years ago were none other than James Masters and Frank Begly." Charlie slumped down next to Sammy, who offered him some chips. "So now she's wondering what else our family has been involved in."

"Sounds interesting." Webster said, taking a mouthful of beer. Sunny frowned at him.

"Where's Maddy and Tate?" She asked.

"At home." Webster replied shortly.

"Why aren't they hanging out with us?" Sunny pressed.

"Because they're at home." Webster scowled.

"Shouldn't you be at home with them?" Sunny continued her onslaught.

"I'm a Knight of the Last Order as much as you are. Where's Patrick then if you're being so high-and-mighty?" Webster shot back, annoyed.

"At work, he's been putting in extra hours due to the destruction wrought by the DVM." Sunny replied triumphantly. "We're going out for a family dinner tonight when he gets home."

Webster didn't reply, he just glared at his beer like he wanted to kill it.

"Is there something up with you and Maddy?" Sam asked innocently, earning a thwack over the head from Tammy and a kick in the shins from Sunny.

"It's nothing." Webster got up. "But if you guys don't want me around, I'll piss off."

"Webster, don't be like that!" Tammy tried as Webster stormed off. On his way out, he shoved past Belle, who looked super-hyper-mega affronted.

"What happened?" She sat down next to Sunny, dropping a small mountain range of books on the table.

"We were just wondering why Webster isn't spending much time with Maddy and Tate." Sammy said, rubbing his sore shin and head.

"Oh, that'd be because it's coming up to the anniversary of when his friend Tate offed herself." Belle said with all the sensitivity of a dead cod fish. "Plus Maddy's been a doing a bit of a Mobster Marion and started talking about marriage."

"And you know all of this how?" Charlie looked sceptical.

"Because I talk to people and do my research, dumb-dumb." Belle smirked back.

"I thought Webster adored Maddy?" Tammy asked.

"He does. But he misses Tate too, especially around this time of year." Belle sighed, thinking back to her own part in the whole affair, nearly getting herself killed out of pride.

"What's with the books?" Sunny asked, remembering her own part in what had happened and feeling awkward.

"I've been looking up James Masters and Frank Begly." Belle replied brightly, making Charlie groan.

"You're not going to make me hear this story AGAIN are you?" He whined.

"Stick a cork in that whine, this is our family history we're talking about!" Belle snapped.

"I wanna hear the story!" Sam decided.

"I do too!" Tammy grinned.

"Why don't we all go back to my place? The others can meet us there and we can all hear it!" Sunny beamed, cleaning up Melody.

"Swell." Charlie muttered.

—

"So, we all ready?" Daniel asked the next night.

The group were all sprawled out over Sunnys lounge room, all in their pyjamas, some wrapped in blankets, the lights low.

"This will be interesting." Maddy snuggled into Webster, who smiled weakly.

"Only the first sixty-nine times." Charlie scowled, sitting in the window frame, looking out over the creek.

"Let's get started!" TJ grinned, sharing his popcorn with Petunia.

Belle felt important.

"It was 93 years ago, when the DVG didn't exist and the Mobsters of Misneach were only a very minor player in Pleasantvilles growing underbelly…"

—

Pleasantville had just celebrated her 100th birthday. To celebrate, Crusader Roger of the March Hill Crusaders had decided the time was ripe for a heist. A small convoy of wagons carrying gold from the mines that lay north of the city was heading that way, and the March Hill Crusaders wanted to get in first before the Mobsters of Misneach, the Silent Lake Gang, the Light Reach Gang or the Hidden Fear Crew heard about it.

It was early one Monday morning when the convoy was meant to shuffle through. They were going to stop to refresh their horses and supplies before heading off again. The plan was to steal the booty while the drivers were busy.

Alas, the March Hill Crusaders hadn't planned on the crime-fighting hero duo Damon and Pythias coming to spoil the party.

"Hi Roger! Why are you hanging around those wagons for?" Damon asked as Roger approached the stationery wagons, ready to call his men over.

"YOU!" Crusader Roger growled. He glared at the cowboy in front of him, who wore a black hat, a red scarf over his face, a red flannel shirt, black pants and carried a very strange-looking gun that he dubbed the Lucky Seven Gun.

"Yes, me. Me Damon." The cheeky hero replied. "You wouldn't be after the cargo of these here wagons would you?"

"Never you mind that!" Crusader Roger felt for his own pistol. He wanted to get this over quickly before any of the other crime groups showed up. "You get out of here before I call my men."

"Oh wow, like THEY'LL do anything." Damon rolled his eyes.

"Especially if I have anything to do with it." Said a voice from behind Crusader Roger. Suddenly, he felt his pistol fall to the ground, still in its holster.

"Pythias! So glad you could be bothered to join us!" Damon grinned at his best friend.

Pythias smirked. "Why would I let you have all the fun?" Pythias was dressed almost identical to Damon, only in blue and white instead of red and black. Instead of a gun, he held a long, five-foot blade that was called the Lions Claw Blade.

"I am warning you two. Let me go and get out of here. You wouldn't want to be here when everyone else gets here." Crusader Roger warned.

"Well, you can discount the Light Reach Gang, Gangster Steven is still out with a broken jaw." Pythias pointed out.

"I really should apologise for that." Damon mused.

"Yes, you should." Pythias agreed.

"That still leaves the Mob, the Silent Lakers and the Crew." Crusader Roger grimaced. Why oh WHY did these two INSIST on incessant babbling?

"Well, I dealt with Mobster Michael on the way here, so he won't be showing up." Pythias said. "By the way Damon I wouldn't go near Misneach Manor anytime soon if I were you."

"Why?" Asked Damon.

"I might have insinuated a few things about you and Michaels wife."

"For the love of-! Will you two can it already?!" Crusader Roger roared furiously.

"Are you going to leave these wagons and their cargo alone?" Asked Pythias.

"Nope." Was the snappish reply.

"Then we're not leaving until you've been brought to justice." Damon replied with a nod.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the March Hill Crusaders. Looks like you've got your hands full there Roger."

Damon grabbed his gun. Crewmate Theodore and his men had arrived to claim their share of the booty.

"Damn this! Where are my men?! They should have stopped you!" Crusader Roger roared in fury.

"They're busy dealing with the Silent Lakers. So we thought we'd bypass the crap and get straight to the treasure." Crewmate Theodore casually explained. "Now move."

"Nope." Damon and Pythias replied together.

"Then so be it." Crewmate Theodore growled. "FIRE!"

Crusader Roger fled the scene in a rage while Damon and Pythias hid behind the wagons.

"Get out here you little cowards!" Crewmate Theodore cried.

"Well, this has gone well." Damon sighed as Pythias quickly poked his head out from behind one of the wagons, nearly getting it blown off.

"No big deal, we just wait here until the drivers come back and then we help them escape." Pythias brushed his best friend off.

"Pythias, the Crew are advancing on us, we have NO way of holding them off, the drivers are probably inside scared stiff after hearing the noise and you want to – PYTHIAS!" Damon cried in exasperation. He grabbed the Lucky Seven Gun and fired at the feet of the Crew while Pythias opened the gate of a nearby cattlepen. The beasts, happy to have some room to move, stampeded out towards the Crew.

"Oh I am going to SLAUGHTER him when this is over!" Damon growled to himself, eye twitching. He quickly ran into the saloon where the drivers were hiding.

"Here's our chance to get out of here, let's go!" He beckoned for them to follow him. Keeping an eye out for any criminals, Damon led the drivers back to their belongings and went with them to the city boundaries.

"You're safe now. Whatever you do, don't come back here!" Damon warned as the last wagon made its way over the ridge.

"Trust me, we won't!" The driver of the wagon assured the young cowboy. With a flick of his whip, he set his horse to a trot and it wasn't long before all Damon could see of the convoy was a trail of dust.

Sighing, Damon made his way back to the scrapyard, where he knew Pythias would be waiting. Sure enough, when he got there Pythias had already shed his disguise and emerged as Frank Begly.

"Before you yell at me, I managed to get all the cattle back into the pen, so no one is losing out." Frank chuckled at the look on his friends face.

"You could have been killed – AGAIN." Damon pulled off his disguise to reveal James Masters.

"I swear Jimmy, I'll never get myself killed. In fact, it'll probably be you who gets me killed!" Frank laughed. "How would that be for irony?"

"Irony and coincidence are not the same thing." James scowled.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot you're all educated now." Frank teased. James couldn't help but grin back.

"You're an idiot." He punched his friends shoulder.
"How are the plans for tomorrow anyway?"

"Ready to go." Frank replied. "Graham and Jack have managed to get about 20 people who are sick of the direction this city is going in. They've all agreed to a sit-down protest outside of City Hall."

"Perfect." James replied. "If we include the 60 people that I managed to muster, that's 80 people who will be protesting with us."

"You really think this is going to work?" Frank asked as the pair headed home.

"I know it will." James smirked.

Trains and Boats and Planes (well boats mostly)

Written by Crofton77 on . Posted in eatsaroundaustralia.

HR and I are going on a four day cruise to somewhere (destination doesn't matter , it's the someone else cooking, cleaning, making the bed etc). We're being joined by a few friends we've travelled with before (DO NOT get me started on the Adelaide trip), an amusing bunch with similar interest; namely the auditing of the bars and restaurants aboard ship and of course the ever important stock rotation policy (which we intend to give a solid helping hand to).

Before one sets sail on a cruise there are a few things that MUST be taken care of first!!!
 At the risk of giving away more info on my whereabouts than I generally care to here are two of my favourite pamper places.

1. Nails: Stunning Edge Studio. Shaylee does the best nails ever! The search for the perfect nail tech has taken several years of hit and miss and finally we found Shaylee. 90 Plus colours and an amazing range of glitters and foils. Manicures, Pedicures and sundry other Beauty treatments this place is clean, professional and the customer service is beyond compare!!!

2. Hair: Engineering Hair and Beauty. It takes forever to find someone who cuts, styles and colours your hair JUST the way you like it. Jodi and her team are totally amazing. They provide a whole range of services from waxing and tinting to facials and massage as well as fabulous hair technicians. I miss Naomi still, but Jodi has stepped up beautifully ( ok she's the boss and taught Naomi everything but it did take a little while for me to be confident with the change (Luvya Jodes!).
From the minute you walk into the salon you feel good with a friendly welcome from ladies who genuinely care and make the whole experience about YOU. You walk in feeling dowdy and miserable and you walk out feeling and looking BEAUTIFUL.

3. THE TAN: On my best day I resemble a great white whale in a swim suit- nasty. So off I go to Engineering Hair and Beauty for a Spray Tan! Casey is the ultimate spray tanner! A beautifully even tan that is not orange or too dark or fake looking and it lasts a week. LOVE it.

Of course there is the waxing etc charmingly referred to as 'Beauty' after all one does NOT got to sea looking Walrussy (no offence to the Walrus) for which one goes to the afformentioned establishment.

Ok, that's the aesthetics taken care of, I better go pack a bag………

Viva Brisvegas (with apologies to Elvis)

Written by Crofton77 on . Posted in eatsaroundaustralia.

Every now and then we're given day leave from The Mausoleum (work), we're allowed to (shock horror) TRAVEL! Decadent huh?
Day trips are the order of the day, after all, the tax payers dollar should not be wasted!
Anywhoo Brisvegas was today's destination and, as Miranda would say, 'Such Fun'!

A quick two hours down the road and we arrived at our destination somewhere near the Roma st station, parked the chariot (work vehicle) and commenced the meet and greet ritual with those we HAVE to see and then sneak off to catch up with colleagues we haven't seen for awhile. Of course LUNCH is a must.

There are so many little eateries we could frequent but we opted for the tried and tested Hog's Breath at The Barracks.
On a whim we sat inside (the boss was seated outside, avoidence mode engaged) a move we came to regret as it was bloody cold in there! I mean seriously one dresses for heat and humidity in Brisbane, it was a cool day and they have the aircon on 'freeze hell over attempt'.
Now we have been to Hoggies many times and we know what we want, mostly anyway, and so it was the lunch special –  Flathead and Curly fries. There's just something about those curly fries……
I love the way they serve this meal, in a little pail lined with paper, a generous serve of tartare sauce and a slice of lemon.
Crispy crumbed fish dipped in tartare is just what's required for a catch up lunch, stuff the cutlery, fingers came first. Washed down with a sober Lemon, Lime and Bitters it fortifies one for the barrage of afternoon meetings and the subsequent trek home.
The usual 30 minute lunch became an hour, we had a lot of catching up to do, and we scurried back to the office with a happy tummy.

The trip home was uneventful and one will be attending The Mausoleum tomorrow for debrief and enhanced workload!!

However, as of Friday 13 Nov I am on 9 days leave!!! Oh HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY.
Look out for my cruise blog when I get back!!!!

Chapter Fifty-Two: The Art Of Self-Love

Written by Crofton77 on . Posted in The Story.

"What is it THIS time?" Chuckles grumbled as he and Giggles made their way to the Pleasantville Entertainment Centre.

"She didn't like the direction the play was taking." Master Revolver told them, looking harrassed.
"She's getting out of control!" Giggles facepalmed. "Just about anything sets her off nowadays!"

"She's not the only one." Sir Lionheart muttered under his breath.

—

"Hey Tuney! Sunny, Lizzy, Tammy and I are going for a walk to the dam with Maddy and Lara, do you want to come with us?" Belle asked a few days earlier, thinking some good quality girl time would help get Petunia out of the funk she was in.
Instead, Petunia looked at her coldly.

"I'm fine, thank you." Was the reply as she sat down at Bills resturant eating chips.

"Tuney, sitting around eating isn't going to help anyone." Belle tried.

Of course, she inadvertantly put her foot in it.

"I'll manage my life as I see fit, and I'll thank you not to judge!" Petunia snapped angrily. "Leave me alone!"

"Petunia!" Belle gasped.

"Leave. Me. Alone!"

—

"Anyway Lady Luck, we were thinking it'd be worth you getting in on our combat training." Sir Lionheart said as the Knights of the Last Order (and Lizzy) assembled for their "training" the next day.

"Why? Isn't my job to make sure you're all healthy?" Lady Luck frowned.

"Well, yes, but-," Sir Lionheart began.

"So why should I bother learning "combat" for?" Lady Luck narrowed her eyes at him.

Sir Lionheart turned to look at Sir Dark, who looked confused.

"We all thought that you'd benefit from knowing how to fight." Sir Dark tried.

"What are you trying to say to me?" Lady Luck stood up.

"Lady Luck, we're just trying to help." Lady Silent pleaded.

"Well I don't need help, thank you." Lady Luck turned on her heel and left.

"Tuney wait!" Sir Dark bolted after her as the others looked at each other, upset and confused.

—

"It must just be that time of month." Master Revolver shrugged, earning him a slap upside the head from Giggles. "I rest my case!"

"Can you NOT antagonise my partner when we're trying to stop Marion from destroying the entire city one temper tantrum at a time?!" Chuckles glared at Master Revolver, who scowled back.

"Where's the rest of your Knight friends? I thought they'd all be here rallied around Lionheart the instant I looked at him." Master Revolver grumbled.

"We've been having some issues. Look, here's Lady Courage, Lady Silent and Sir Hyper now!" Sir Lionheart breathed a sigh of relief as three of his Noble Knights of the Last Order appeared.

"Sir Hedgehog is on his way, but I have no idea about Sir Dark and Lady Luck." Lady Courage informed her leader.

"Fair enough." Sir Lionheart frowned.
"So how many innocent people has she got in there hmm?" Giggles turned to Master Revolver, who flinched.

"You act like this is MY fault!" He winced.

"Well, you're the idiot who brought an emotionally-unstable psychopath with a severe entitlement complex to the theatre." Giggles pointed out.

"There's at least 100 people in there, I managed to escape with a few others." Master Revolver sighed, defeated. "You're not going to be able to stop her though, she's completely off her rocker at the moment."

"Alright, I'm going in there to stop her!" Chuckles announced. Giggles facepalmed again.

"She's armed to the teeth, probably with explosives and Emerald warriors, not to mention CHUCKLES I SWEAR I AM GOING TO HURT YOU IF YOU KEEP RUNNING OFF MID-SENTENCE ON ME!" Giggles roared with fury as she rushed in after her best friend.

The pair burst into the lobby, weapons drawn, ready to subdue the irate Mobster. It was too quiet though.

"This is up there with one of your very WORST ideas." Giggles grumbled as Chuckles headed towards the main theatre. Sure enough, ambush. I think we all saw it coming a mile off.

"I suggest the pair of you just STOP right there. I don't know what prompted you to come rushing in here, but I can tell you right now you're outnumbered, outgunned and outdone." Mobster Marion stepped towards them, flanked by Emerald Mobsters.

"Who takes minions to a play?" Chuckles questioned, eyeing the Emerald Mobsters.

"Yeah, one would think you'd want a little privacy on your date." Giggles pointed out.

"What, and you two don't take those Knights with you everywhere you go?" Mobster Marion scowled.

"We don't go on dates." Chuckles and Giggles replied simultaniously.

"Riiiiight."

"We don't!" Giggles frowned.

"We've never been on one single date together, ever!" Chuckles protested.

"Suuuuure."

"It's true!" Giggles yelped. "Besides, Chuckles was more interested in Lady Courage than me."

"I forgot about that, how does it feel to know your partner liked a secondary character over you?" Mobster Marion grinned triumphantly.

"Better than getting stuck with that loser Revolver. When are you two getting married anyway?" Chuckles stepped in to defend Giggles.

The mention of marriage seemed to set off a firecracker in the head of Mobster Marion, who immediately flew into a rage and started swinging her sword at Chuckles.

"Oh dear." Giggles scratched her head as Mobster Marion screamed like a furious banshee.

"'Oh dear' is right, she's been itching for a ring for a while." One of the Emerald Mobsters said, looking bemused at the scene in front of him.

"You should see some of the hints she's been putting out. It's getting quite sad really." Another Emerald Mobster piped up.

"Wow. Just wow." Giggles said, her voice laced with pity as Mobster Marion made life hell for Chuckles.

"GIGGLES WILL YOU HELP ME HERE?!" Chuckles roared, barely holding his own against the onslaught.

"I'm not a swordmaster though." Giggles pointed out.

"SHOOT HER!"

"And lower myself to the standard of that moron she's dating?"

Outside, the Noble Knights of the Last Order were milling around when Lady Luck and Sir Dark finally showed up.

"You two okay?" Sir Lionheart asked kindly.

"Fine." Lady Luck bit.

"Chuckles and Giggles rushed in there. So far nothing." Lady Silent looked at the doors of the theatre. Just then, an Emerald Mobster walked out, sighing.

"Get in there. It's getting ugly." He said to the Knights, before turning to Master Revolver. "I'm not working for that psycho bitch any longer, I quit."

He stripped off his Emerald Suit, leaving him in only his boxers, before stalking off with as much dignity as his fashion would allow him.

Master Revolver looked at the Emerald Suit at his feet.

"Well." He frowned.

"Come on guys, let's go." Sir Lionheart motioned for his Noble Knights to follow him into the theatre.

They found Giggles checking her fingernails as Chuckles desperately tried to protect himself from Mobster Marion.

"Wow." Sir Hedgehog gaped at the scene in front of him.

"Yeah. All over an engagement ring that Revolver is too thick to give her." Giggles checked the Desert Eagle. "Dad really needs to polish this."

"I actually think it's smart of Revolvers part." Sir Hyper said.

Mobster Marion stopped attacking Chuckles, eye twitching. Suddenly she rushed at Sir Hyper, who yelped and ran screaming from the psycho Mobster.

"Just…I got nothing." Lady Courage threw up her hands.

"I think I can understand." Lady Luck sighed. "You just want someone to recognise that you need love, don't you Marion?"

The Mobster stopped chasing Sir Hyper and glared at Lady Luck.

"Everyone always has a go at me about my weight. The man of your dreams doesn't get the hint that you want to be with him forever. It sucks being female, doesn't it?" Lady Luck approached Mobster Marion, whose bottom lip was starting to tremble.

"I know." Mobster Marion dropped her sword.

"I still got nothing." Lady Courage groaned as the two women in front of her started hugging and crying together.

"At least nothing's going to get blown up." Sir Lionheart pointed out.

—

"I'm going to go and do my rounds." Petunia sighed as the nurses at work started talking about diet plans and dress sizes. Another day, another round of hearing about weight and body shapes and ugh!

"Oh, Petunia? Can you cover my rounds again please?" One of the other nurses asked. "I'll take yours if you like."

"Sure." Petunia sighed. She headed out to the ward, ready to clean up messes and fix up bandages.

"HEY! It's Nurse Petunia!" She heard a young voice cry, followed by several cheers. She grinned. Her wards for the afternoon were the children who were currently in hospital – and THEY certainly didn't care about how fat she was!

Talk about it: 25 Toorak Road

Written by Crofton77 on . Posted in eatsaroundaustralia.

So, HR and I went to 25 Toorak Road last night for dinner.
Now let me remind you again that we are not connoisseurs we just know what we like and sometimes we make mistakes ( yes Theo I did get the cutlery wrong) and pair the wrong foods with the wrong wines etc. 
We were welcomed by Theo and seated at our table.
The understated, elegant, decor has a lovely little quirk in that three chairs at the table are wooden dining chairs and the fourth is upholstered.
I opted for a glass of champagne (Laurent Perrier Brut  L-P (Tours-sur-Marne France)) and HR ordered French Beer while we studied the Menu.
I knew I was going to have the Escargot (I had them last time I dined here) but there was the siren call of the Scallops. What was I to do? Theo and I decided I would have two entrees no main and we'd work out dessert later.
HR went with the daily special, entrée of Beef Carpaccio and a main course of Chicken Breast Fillet (another daily special).

Surrounded by the buzz of other diners enjoying their evening we eagerly awaited our entrees.
The Escargot and Beef Carpaccio arrived and we took a moment to savour the aromas and presentation. (You can see pictures of the delicious food at the web page 25 Toorak Road)
The Escargot are lightly sautéed in garlic, white wine and tarragon,topped with light fluffy puff pastry and are served in two small ramekins. This is such a lovely combination of flavours and textures and I even got HR to sample a snail!!! He was pleasantly surprised though not a convert. Of course I sopped up as much sauce as I could with the puff pastry (I am all class!)

HR enjoyed his Beef and the little taste I had was quite nice but I think the Escargot was the right option.
HR stayed with the French beer and I decided a little sparkling water was my preferred tipple for the main course.

After a suitable break, out came HR's chicken and my Scallops (entrée size). The Scallops are seared and served with cauliflower puree and truffle pangrattato and tasted divine and I supplemented them with the steamed green vegetables (lightly steamed with an agreeable crispness) HR had ordered to go with his chicken. I snared a bite of his chicken and it was delicious; moist and tender perfectly cooked served on a bed of potato and beetroot. There was not even a pattern left on the plate when we were done!!!

HR and I settled back with fresh drinks and chatted amiably about this and that before asking the lovely Kate to help us with our dessert selection (we settled on sharing a Soufflé to be followed by a cheese plate). I am not a red wine drinker at all but I thought why not ask for suggestions to go with the cheese. Kate was very knowledgeable and listened to my criteria before suggesting two Pinot's and actually bringing them out for me to sample! Having made my choice ( a light French Pinot I cannot recall the name of, yes I will write it down next time) We chatted the time away until the Soufflé arrived.

There are no words to describe the experience that was the Soufflé … every time I try to type a description I get lost in the memory of the whole experience. Light, fluffy, lemony deliciousness that wafted across the taste buds in an orgy of flavour so perfectly awesome I almost didn't get to the Lemon Curd ice cream it was served with. I'm pretty sure HR enjoyed the Soufflé too, I forgot to ask 🙂

At some stage I returned from the euphoric state the Soufflé had placed me in and we asked Kate for the Cheese.
HR likes his cheese. There was Camembert, Blue Vein and a Cheddar served with quince paste, flat bread and fruit toast. I love a good Blue Vein and this one was particularly nice, even old grumble bum HR thought it was ok and he generally loathes Blue Vein.

We sat back replete….there was not a thing more we needed.

Over a period of two and a half hours we had experienced yet another perfect dining experience.

I congratulate Denis, the owner, on creating the perfect partnership of decor, staff and food!

I thank Theo, Kate (wait staff), Steven (bar), Julian (Sous Chef), Tom (Chef) and Rory (Chef). One day I hope to have David Kapay (Head Chef) cook for me, I'll keep going on the off chance ( I hope all is well with you and yours David :)).

I travel 1,561 kms to eat at 25 Toorak Road and it is worth every minute of travel!!!!!!!

As Molly Meldrum said 'Do yourself a favour..' and get to 25 Toorak Road and enjoy your own fine dining experience.

Just the Basic Facts.

Written by Crofton77 on . Posted in eatsaroundaustralia.

Due to work requirements, HR and I live in different states from each other. One of the perks of this is that we get reunion visits. Most of the time I fly to where he is and we either hang out and explore the eateries there or we hop in The Beast and travel.
Another reason for travel is my Aussie Rules Footy Team THE MIGHTY BRISBANE LIONS.
We chose at least one none Queensland game a year and build a holiday around it.
2013 we went to Launceston to watch the Lions take on the Hawks, we enjoyed sampling the boutique wineries, chocolate, and cheese factories.
2013 I was at Kardinia Park (no matter what they call it it will always be Kardinia to me)  when whatshisface Chapman dived for the free kick and stopped us winning.
2014 we went to Wellington, New Zealand where the Lions hung on by the skin of their teeth to beat the Saints.
Anyway, you get the point, we travel A LOT!

One of my favorite destinations is Melbourne. I am writing this blog from the beautiful Toorak Manor Hotel in Toorak Victoria. We've just spent six hours wandering around St Kilda, South Melbourne, and Queen Victoria Markets.

This evening we will dine at one of the most amazing restaurants I have ever had the pleasure to eat at:  25 Toorak Road  South Yarra.

How did I discover this gourmet gem you might ask. Well let me explain…..
As a Lions supporter I frequent Twitter and Facebook and engage with other Lions Fans. One of these fans happens to be involved with 25 Toorak Road. Earlier this year HR and I decided to go and see what all the fuss was about.
We were delighted with what we found! So much so that we have travelled again to immerse ourselves in the finest dining experience we have encountered for quite some time.

Tonight's dining experience will be the subject of my next blog!!!!

In the beginning

Written by Crofton77 on . Posted in eatsaroundaustralia.

Why am I blogging you might ask and I would answer: because it seemed like a good idea at the time (same reason most of us got married). Another reason to blog is to keep an account of the travels HR Puffnstuf (he who annoys me/husband) and I do over the next few years or so. The final reason I will offer for blogging is because it appears I am a foody and as such it behooves me to give my uneducated yet important opinion to the world on all the different restaurants HR and I dine at in the course of the aforementioned travels.
(Pauses while the comma f*&#kers of the world get over the lack of punctuation etc in the previous paragraph, of course that presupposes someone will actually read this)

Having made the decision to blog I then got the Normal Autistic Girl (Kezzstar) to get me started.

I am sure over the course of my blogging career I will make many mistakes (Kezzstar will make sure I know about them) but it's all about having fun yeah?

A quick list of characters that may feature regularly in my blogs:

HRPuffnstuf – Husband, annoying person extraordinaire, driver.
Kezzstar – eldest daughter, annoying know it all, tech support (reluctant)
The Boy Child –  Son, takes after his father
The Consort –  Son's partner, Mother of my Gorgeous Grandsons, Saint in the making
The Mini Brat – youngest daughter, tells the Tales of Tinder, loves her Mother (when it suits)
Skitteh – the Kitteh
The Beast – vehicle HR drives
Tenny – Kezzstar's car which I drive

And now to post my Very First Blog… Gee I hope someone reads it.

Chapter Fifty-One: Sticks and Stones

Written by Crofton77 on . Posted in The Story.

Petunia was made for nursing. Ever since the days of playing with the boys and Tammy back in school she'd always been the one to bandage them back up again after they'd inevitably managed to injure themselves.

"Karate practise again?" One of the older nurses at the hospital where she worked asked kindly as Petunia folded clean linen.

"Pretty much." Petunia chuckled, looking at a few of her new bruises. Technically, karate HAD been involved, only it'd been more directed at Mobster Marion the day before – a dry-cleaning accident had sparked another outrageous overreaction by Pleasantvilles local prima donna.

—

"Marion, I understand you're upset, but calling in a helicopter strike over a ruined dress?" Lady Courage tried to reason with the irate Mobster Marion who was bright red with fury. Today, she was trying to destroy a dry-cleaning establishment for ruining a dress. Heretics.

"THIS DRESS WAS MY FAVOURITE! IT COST ME A FORTUNE!" Mobster Marion screeched back.

"In man-power to steal it maybe." Giggles had quipped dryly.

"I loved that dress!" Mobster Marion started sobbing as Lady Luck rubbed her back.

"It'll be okay." She soothed the irate villian.

"Really?" Mobster Marion hiccoughed.

"You look like a complete cow in everything you wear so what's the loss of one dress going to hurt?"

—

"You really need to be more careful." One of the other nurses said, waking Petunia from her brief daydream. "Someone your size won't heal quickly."

The words were meant kindly, but Petunia had to resist the urge to flinch. Her weight was still a very sore point with her – she wasn't drastically overweight, but her large frame and extra baggage was noticeable, no matter how healthy and fit she tried to be.

"To be fair, at least you're only practising. Have you SEEN that Knight, Lady Luck?" Another younger nurse piped up.

"Oh. My. God. I never thought the world would ever see a chubby superhero, but there she is!" Another nurse joined in the gossip.

"Not that she actually does much, I daresay that extra weight holds her back!"

"Not someone I'd want protecting me, that's for certain."

"I need to go and make my rounds, I'll be back." Petunia quickly made her way out of the storeroom and headed out to check on her patients. There was nothing wrong with her, and there certainly was nothing wrong with Lady Luck! She knew her limitations, that's why she stuck to healing her fellow Knights if they fell, that's what they loved her for. So what if she didn't go out and fight directly, she still did her fair share and copped a fair amount of abuse for it, her various bruises and scrapes were testament to that!

Still, they didn't know. They were as ignorant as everyone else in the city, Petunia supposed. She wheeled her trolley of supplies to the first door, ready to check on some young men who were in there after a foolish joy-ride in one of their cars.

She pulled out some bandages, and couldn't help overhearing what they said.

"It's the fat one again."

"Blow! Oh well, best be nice to her, probably doesn't get much male attention."

"Her own fault for not losing weight."

Petunia had to count to ten and take a breath. She had a boyfriend! A boyfriend who was a police officer too – TJ had followed in his fathers footsteps and was currently a junior officer for the Pleasantville Police Force.

She sighed. She supposed she should be used to it, stuff like this happened all the time, but it always somehow managed to get under her guard and wound her ever-so-slightly – and all those wounds added up over the journey.

Picking up the bandages, she went in to change dressings and clean up any mishaps. It was her job after all, even if she wasn't appreciated.

—

"Okay, the dry-cleaning I can understand. I can cop the ruined shoes. The botched jewellery I even sympathised with. But because they overcooked your steak slightly?!" Lady Courage looked dumbfounded at Mobster Marion and her band of Emerald Mobsters, who were trying to destroy a high-class resturant that overlooked Lake Pleasant.

"I LIKE MY STEAK RARE!" Mobster Marion snarled. "Today is my BIRTHDAY and these morons RUINED it!"

"Happy Birthday!" Giggles beamed.

"Thank you!" Mobster Marion smiled back.

"How many centuries old are you now?" Giggles followed up.

"Did you REALLY need to poke the bear?" Chuckles facepalmed.

"It was just so tempting!" Giggles argued.

"DESTROY THEM ALL!" Mobster Marion roared in anguished fury.

"Well, bear's been poked. Now what?" Sir Dark sighed as he prepared to see off an Emerald attack.

"At least if she's taking out her angst on us then she's not blowing things up." Lady Luck pointed out.

"Works for me!" Chuckles pulled out his beloved Lions Claw Blade and rushed at Mobster Marion, who had her short-sword out ready for him. The swords clashed and the battle was on!

"I don't understand why you bother with Ruby or Emerald power against me, you know it doesn't work!" Giggles floated above the scene, antagonising the Emerald Mobsters.

"Easy Giggles, don't absorb too much or you'll be ill!" Lady Luck hissed.

"I'll be careful, promise." Giggles saluted her friend.

"Why don't you get in and fight instead of leaving it all to Giggles then? Too fat for your own good?" Mobster Marion overheard the conversation and snapped at Lady Luck.

Something snapped inside Petunias head. After hearing jibes about her weight all day, this last insult from Mobster Marion was too much. She glared at the Mobster, before throwing down her first aid kit and rushing angrily at the woman who insulted her.

"LADY LUCK!" Sir Dark screamed. Lady Luck was no match for Mobster Marion, who quickly knocked her out cold with one hit.

—

"Wha…Where?" Petunia opened her eyes. She went to sit up, but several pairs of hands stopped her.

"You need to lie back and rest young lady. No more karate for you!" She heard the voice of her senior nurse, stern but gentle.

"You copped quite a nasty knock to the head. You'll need to rest for a while." Another nurse said.

Petunia blinked. She was in the hospital, in bed.

How embarrassing.

"Where's Teddy?" Petunia mumbled.

"I'm right here you silly girl." She could hear the exasperation in TJs voice and see the worry in his face as he leaned over to kiss her. "What were you THINKING?"

"I really don't know. I just got so angry…" Petunia sighed. Her head was throbbing and her arm felt heavy. Probably broken.

"We'll leave you two alone." One the two nurses smiled, and the pair left. Petunia looked towards the window, where morning light was streaming in.

"You didn't stand a chance against Marion. She dealt with you in thirty seconds flat." TJ sighed. "Thankfully Chuckles stepped in and stopped her from finishing you off. However he did manage to ruin her new dress, so she'll be after blood next time."

"She's such a cow. A stuck-up, pretentious, spoilt cow." Petunia replied. "She's great entertainment value though."

"You should have seen her face when Lady Courage told her to learn to sew." TJ chuckled. He stroked her face tenderly.  "Is there anything you want to talk about?" He asked quietly.

Petunia put her hand over his, but couldn't meet his eyes. "I'll be okay." She whispered.

TJ looked at her, concerned. Wisely, he decided to say nothing. This was something that Petunia had to work out for herself in her own time, her own way.

Suddenly a small stampede burst into the room, or so it seemed.

"Are you okay Tuney?" Sunny cried.

"You were so awesome going after Marion like that!" Sam grinned.

"It was a foolish thing to do!" Tammy disagreed with her twin.

"I'm just glad you seem to be on the mend." Daniel patted Petunias shoulder.

"Is it REALLY necessary for all us Knights to hang out and do EVERYTHING together?" Webster raised an eyebrow, having been dragged along by his fellow Knights.

"YES." Was the resounding reply.

Some things you just don't screw with.

Chapter Fifty: Chuckles and Giggles, Victims of Love!

Written by Crofton77 on . Posted in The Story.

"How
the time has flown." Belle sat back in the tree, looking up at
the sky.
"It
certainly has." Charlie replied, half-asleep.
"Remember
the time Masked Revolver took over the school?"
"How
could I forget. Remember the first time we pantsied Master Revolver
as Chuckles and Giggles?"
"Will
never forget that. Let's not forget when we met the Knights of the
Last Order, or Sunny for that matter. Didn't she turn out to be a
great friend after all?"
"She
sure did, in more ways than one."
"I
really don't need to know the fine details!"
"Still,
it wasn't long after that…I still wish he'd just stayed put instead
of getting himself killed."
"It
wasn't your fault your grand-father got killed Charlie. Just like it
wasn't my fault that Johannas got my Aunt Jessie."
"That
flood was something, wasn't it? You'd think after something like that
the people of this city would learn."
"They
almost did, until Tate got involved over her stupid infatuation with
Webster. That University was the best thing that happened to
Pleasantville in a long time and now it's gone with no plans to build
another one."

"Yeah,
well, I wasn't too fond of that University at the time. It took my
best friend away."
"You
were too busy with Sunny at the time!"
"It
didn't end well either way. We had a huge fight after you left for
Brisvegas and I went to Awesomica not long afterward."
"That
was fun, living in Brisvegas. I ended up in Awesomica for a bit
though when I went with Dad on a world trip."
"You
never told me that!"
"It
never came up. I was glad to get back to Pleasantville though, even
if it wasn't so pleasant at the time."
"We
put Daryl back in his place. It's just a shame that Mr. Jones got
into power."
"I
tried to stop him and his ilk, but the people of this city wouldn't
back me up."
"I
still have nightmares about that mattress."
"At
least Izzy and Lizzy weren't Knights then. I don't think you could
have coped knowing your baby sisters were being hunted as well."
"Did
you know that Lizzy is going out with Sam now?"
"I
know! Isn't it great? Better than that Hugo creep that Izzy hangs out
with. How OLD is he?"
"Early
twenties I think."
"He's
still gross."
"HEY!
BEAUTY! CHARLIE!" They heard Peter calling for them.
"Yeah
Dad?" Belle poked her head out of the tree.
"Dinner's
ready! Then afterward we're going to Ozzys school play!" Peter
replied.
"I
love having a little brother and a little sister. I wasn't sure about
Mum at first, but I'm glad my Dad married her." Belle slipped
effortlessly out of the tree.
"Especially
considering your past." Charlie landed with a thud next to her.
"Yeah.
You know, now that Dad's married, I don't mind being an unwanted
bastard anywhere near as much as I used to." Belle headed
inside.
"You're
definitely not unwanted Beauty." Peter caught his oldest
daughter up in a strong hug. The bond between father and daughter had
never wavered, and was stronger than ever. For the start that Belle
had, Peter was bloody proud of her.
–
20
year old Peter Masters ran as fast as he could home. Not because he
had to be there any earlier, but because running helped him forget.
His
mother was dead. She'd died two weeks prior from cancer. It had been
a huge blow to hear her diagnosis a year ago, especially when his
girlfriend of three years had dumped him the day before.
He
wanted to forget that he'd lost his mother. He wanted to forget the
woman who'd left him. He wanted to forget that his best friend wasn't
talking to him, and hadn't spoken to him in years. He wanted to
forget that his father was disappointed in him for breezing through
his Law degree instead of putting in an effort. He wanted to forget
that his sister hadn't been heard from since Mother died.
His
long hair was coming loose from its ponytail. He pulled it loose and
shook it out as he made his way up the stairs to his apartment. It
was a cold, wet day and the stairs were slippery. But that isn't why
he slid over.
The
baby crying on his doorstep was the reason he slid over and landed on
his backside. A crying baby with a hacking cough.
He
didn't stop to think. He grabbed the bundle and hurried inside to try
and help the poor creature. Not that he had any idea about babies.
"Are
you okay little fella?" He asked as he lifted the baby from it's
basket. It looked up at him, and started screaming again.
"Yeah,
I'd scream if I saw me too." Peter sympathized. He found a small
collection of bottles in the bag attached to the basket – several had
milk in them. He threw one into the microwave while trying to soothe
the disquieted child.
"It's
okay, I'll look after you until we find your Mummy and Daddy."
He cooed. The baby settled, and looked up at him with such trusting
eyes that he almost teared up. Those eyes were his eyes. His deep,
brown eyes. There was no doubt that this child was his.
"So
I guess I'm your Daddy. Hi!" Peter said softly as the baby
reached up to touch his face. The microwave signaled that it was
finished, and Peter tested the bottle before giving it to the tiny
child. Another sign that it was his child – Peter Masters had always
been short – even shorter than his best friend Thomas Begly.
As
he fed the baby, his eyes fell upon a piece of paper that had fallen
from the basket. Guessing that it would lead to the identity of the
childs mother, he picked it up and read it. What he read angered him,
and destroyed what little love he had left for his ex-girlfriend. The
baby was a little girl, with no name, and apparently was too much of
a burden to be kept by her mother, who had dumped her onto Peter.
"Well,
we'll get along all right little one." Peter told the baby, who
coughed in response. "We'll need to get you to the doctor first
though, that cough doesn't sound good at all.
He
finished feeding his daughter, before grabbing the phone and calling
his father.
"Hey
Dad, my lovely ex has dumped my daughter on my doorstep and I think
she needs a doctor, do you know any child-friendly doctors in the
area?" Peter said the moment his father picked up.
"WHAT?"
Joe Masters yelped. "Say that again?"
Peter
then explained the situation a bit clearer. His father exhaled
sharply.
"I'm
coming over in the car to pick you up. The kid sounds very ill and
needs to get to the doctor quickly." Joe decided.
"Thanks
Dad." Peter replied, hanging up. The baby looked up at him
quizzically. "That was your Pa. He's going to come and take us
to the doctors. Then we'll get your cough sorted out."
He
looked into those brown eyes again. He traced her features with his
eyes, marveling in how much she looked just like him.
"You're
beautiful. So very, very beautiful. My darling little Belle." He
whispered, kissing her on the forehead.
–
Meanwhile,
back in Pleasantville, 20 year old Thomas Begly was having trouble of
his own.
"You're
FIRING me?" Thomas cried.
"We
simply have too many staff, and seeing as you're one of our newbies,
you're first cab off the rank. We're really very sorry." 25 year
old Arnold Jones didn't sound sorry in the slightest. "Unfortunately
these cost-cutting measures are necessary."
"Really."
Thomas narrowed his eyes at his now former employer. "You do
realize I have a child to try and support?"
"I
have two." Mr. Jones replied.
Thomas
glowered at Mr. Jones, who smirked back. He got up and walked away
from his former boss, seething. Thomas had been a metalworker for as
long as he'd been able to, and this was how he was repaid?
The
worst of it was, Arnold Jones owned a fair few of the businesses
around the city. Getting another job was going to be impossible. At
least he had the house that his father had let him have after he'd
moved to the retirement village. Tim Begly was good for that kind of
thing.
He
didn't want to move out of Pleasantville, but it looked like he'd
have no choice. He got into his car (a brand new Elantra, that'd have
to go) and headed back home to break the news to Betty, who
thankfully still had a job.
"You
got fired too?!" Betty cried when Thomas told her the news.
"This
is insane. I can't believe he's fired both of us. What's he playing
at?" Thomas sank down into the couch, defeated.
"Maybe
he wants the house. His simpering little wife was over here earlier
asking about it." Betty sat down, holding onto the sleeping
Charlie.
"Well
he can't have it. The Beglys have lived here since the dawn of
Pleasantville, and they'll be here when she burns, which will be
sooner rather than later at this rate." Thomas said bitterly.
Just
then, the phone rang. Thomas got up gingerly and answered it.
"Begly
residence." He said wearily into the phone, not looking forward
to any further bad news.
"Hey
Tom? It's Billy. How have you been?" The voice of Bill Masters
greeted him.
"Billy?
Billy Masters? Mate, it's been too long!" Thomas cheered up,
smiling at Betty. "We're having a few issues up here at the
moment, how are things down there in Brisvegas?"
"I
really don't know if they're good or bad. You know Mum died a few
weeks ago." Bill started.
"I
was sorry to hear that mate, she was like a second mother to me."
Thomas felt a pang of loss.
"But
that's not all, Pete has a daughter." Bill continued.
On
one hand, Thomas was thrilled for his former best friend. On the
other, he was still very bitter about the falling out that had
occurred.
"A
daughter you say?" Thomas ventured cautiously.
"Jill
dropped her on his doorstep and skipped town. He's fallen in love
with the poor thing already, calls her Beauty and named her Belle."
Bill said.
"And
he's sure she's his?" Thomas worried slightly.
"We
did a DNA test. Even if we didn't, she looks like his little clone
anyway. Definitely his progeny." Bill chuckled. "But she's
dying."
"Dying?!"
Thomas cried. "How old is she?!"
"Six
months old. She already had pneumonia when she was dumped. It's
gotten worse." Bill said sadly. "Tom, I know you and Pete
had a huge fight, but he really, really needs you."
"Of
course he does! I'll be there as soon as I can!" Thomas slammed
down the phone and turned to Betty. "Pete's got a daughter, she
was dropped on his front doorstep with pneumonia and it looks like
she might not live to see her first birthday!"
"NO!"
Betty shot up, waking Charlie who began to bellow. "You have to
go to him Thomas, I don't care what happened in school."
"There
was no question of it." Thomas kissed his wife, before heading
upstairs to pack his bags. Pretty soon, he was on the road south to
Brisvegas, praying with all his might that little Belle Masters would
be okay.
–
Peter
Masters sat next to the humid-crib that currently housed his infant
daughter. He'd only known her for a few weeks yet he loved her with
all of his heart. He hadn't needed the DNA test to know that they
were family. He didn't want to lose her, not so soon after meeting
her, and not so soon after losing his beloved mother.
"You
okay Pete?" Bill came over and sat next to him. In any other
situation, the pair would have looked comical, both of them nearly
identical with their long blonde hair, one large like their father
and the other small like their mother. It was hard to believe that
Peter was four years older.
"She
has to live. She has to. I know she has to because if she does she's
going to have a brilliant future ahead of her. Look at her Billy,
she's going to change the world one day." Peter replied, looking
sadly at Belle, who was still shuddering with every difficult breath.
"I
hope you're right." Bill sighed. "Look at how tiny she is.
She looks so much like you."
"Hopefully
she'll be a bit taller though." Peter chuckled bitterly, still a
bit sensitive about his height.
"She
looks just like you did when you were that age son, right down to the
coughing and spluttering." Joe said from near a window. "You
were as sick as a dog for your first few years too."
"Stunted
your growth perhaps?" Bill teased lightly. He felt bad when his
older brother didn't retaliate in typical Masters fashion.
"Mr.
Masters? There's someone here to see you." A nurse popped her
head into the room, startling all present.
"Thanks,
you two keep an eye on her for me." Peter warned his father and
brother. He headed out of the room and down the hall, where an old
friend was waiting for him.
"Tom?"
Peter did a double-take when he saw his former best friend standing
before him.
"Hey
Pete. Bill told me what happened." Thomas looked sheepish. "I
had to come and see you."
Peter
couldn't believe it. He grabbed Thomas into a fierce hug, and then
and there the friendship was restored permanently.
"You
don't look so well old friend, are things okay at home?" Peter
noticed the worry lines around Thomas's eyes.
"Not
really, but I think your worry is a bit more pressing." Thomas
tried to shrug it off.
"I
need a break from my worry anyway mate, sit down, we'll talk."
Peter motioned towards some nearby seats.
So
Thomas proceeded to tell Peter what had happened with Mr. Jones.
"I
know he has one son, Daryl, who's a bit older than my Charlie, but I
didn't know he had another child too." Thomas finished his
story. "I don't know why he'd be after my place though."
"Dad
was saying how he'd been inquiring about our place too, the greedy
mongrel." Peter grimaced. "We might not be living there
anymore, but that's Masters land and it always will be."
"I
think he's sick of the renters to be honest." Thomas replied.
"Well,
we'll figure out a way to get him back, you'll see." Peter
stretched his tired muscles.
"We
could always ruin his business." Thomas chuckled.
"Yeah,
but he's the only metalworker in town and has a monopoly on the
place. Even if he was slandered pillar to post, people will still go
to him." Peter quickly tried to put a damper on that plan.
Thomas
began to smirk.
"No.
NO. You don't get to do that when we've just become friends again and
my daughter is dying!" Peter yelped.
"Actually
Petey, the doctor just came past. It looks like Belle will be okay!"
Bill came rushing out to tell the pair the news. He saw the look on
Peters face and blinked. "Did you just get Claused again?"
Peters
eye twitched.
–
"So
you're going to go into business AGAINST Jones?" Peter cried a
few days later. Belle was back at home, and Thomas was ready to head
back to Pleasantville.
"Yup.
I've found a creditor here in Brisvegas, so there's no way he can
sabotage me." Thomas grinned.
Peter
chuckled. "So you're heading back home tonight to get started
huh?"
"Yeah,
I've just got to fix up a few more things this morning and then I'll
head back after dinner." Thomas finished packing his bag. "Betty
and Charlie will be missing me."
"Maybe
one day we'll come back to Pleasantville, and Belle can meet
Charlie." Peter mused.
"And
continue on the family traditions." Thomas smiled. He looked out
of the window. "I wonder what would have happened if Jack was
still around. He and Bill reminded me a lot of you and I."
"They
probably would have had a huge fight too. We're Masters and Beglys,
we need to have one good fight in our lifetimes otherwise it'd get
too soft and sappy." Peter joked.
"Anyway,
I'm going to the bank, I'll be back for dinner!" Thomas
high-fived Peter and headed out of the apartment. Peter watched the
door close behind him and thought.
"Hey
Beauty, do you wanna go and help your Uncle Thomas?" He said
slowly.
Baby
Belle gurgled.
"That's
what I thought. Good girl!"
And
when Thomas returned to the apartment to get his bags and be off, he
found a large dual-cab ute waiting for him. Not wanting to leave his
friend without a mode of transport, he decided to leave the Elantra
behind.
–
Which
was the same Elantra that Charlie, Lizzy, Sam and Belle piled into to
go and see Ozzys school play.
"Even
though this place is a horrid crime-haven, I'm glad my father brought
me back here." Belle drove the car towards the school.
"I'm
glad too." Charlie grinned at his best friend.
"Me
three." Lizzy piped up. She'd been getting along famously with
Belle since she'd tossed in the Lady Starlight mantle.
"I
think we're all glad that things turned out the way they did."
Sam took Lizzys hand, and the pair smiled at each other. Charlie gave
Belle a knowing glance and she giggled as they reached the school,
Peters car not far behind.
"I
remember when the old private school was around, where you guys used
to go to." Peter ruffled Belles hair as they sat down towards
the front of the stage.
"The
one where we got taken hostage?" Charlie sat down next to Belle.
"That
was one of the scariest days of my life." Thomas shuddered. "I
thought you and Belle were goners."
"I
was so scared that the DVG were going to come after Daryl and I,
because of who our Dad is." Sunny sat on the other side of
Charlie next to Patrick, who was holding Melody.
Belle
looked up at Charlie, who smiled down at her. That had been the day
that changed everything for them. It had been the day that Belle had
first gotten a hold of the Lucky Seven Gun, and that Charlie had
decided to become the unnamed hero who would eventually become
Chuckles.
The
play started. It was the story of the founding of Pleasantville, how
Simon Masters and Louis Begly dammed up Pleasant Lake, creating a big
enough hole in the ground to fit a safe, little city. Unfortunately
it had all gone wrong when the Mobster Kings and the Red Valley Gang
(the precursors of the more modern Death Valley Gang and the Mobsters
of Misneach, who had now fused) moved in and turned what was supposed
to be a haven into a hell-hole.
At
intermission, Belle stepped outside into the cool air. So much had
changed, yet so much was still the same.
"Thinking
again?" Charlie came out and joined her. She leaned on him and
he put an arm around her.
"I've
been alive 22 years. So much as happened." Belle looked up at
the stars. "I just wonder about the next 22 years."
"So
much can happen. You might even be a mother by that stage."
Charlie pointed out. "I could even be a father."
"We'll
just have to see what happens, won't we?" Belle hugged her best
friend tightly, and he squeezed her just as hard. For a few minutes,
they were both silent, simply enjoying each others company. Finally,
they both pulled away and looked at each other.
"IT'S
THE DVM! RUN FOR IT!" They heard someone screaming inside.
"The
stuff is in the car." Belle rolled her eyes.
"Best
get to it then." Charlie sighed.

They both grinned. No matter what happened in the next 22 years, 50 years,
100 years, there was no doubt that it would find Belle Louise Masters
and Charlie Thurlow Begly as best friends, and Chuckles and Giggles
as the heroes of the city of Pleasantville.

Chapter Forty-Nine: Acceptance

Written by Crofton77 on . Posted in The Story.

Bill
Masters wiped down the restaurant bench, watching his niece play with
Lizzy Begly. Technically Lizzy SHOULD have been washing dishes, but
who was Bill to deny the baby Madeliene her favourite babysitter?

The
pair were happily reading a book together, while Bill prepared for a
huge event being held at his restaurant – some 90th
birthday party for one of Pleasantvilles big families. He was hoping
it would go off without a hitch, business had been waning since the
appearance of the Emerald Mobsters, who made life a bit more
difficult for the citizens of the besieged city. Going out was more a
mission than anything, and most people played it safe in their homes.

The
television droned on quietly in the background as Lizzy read aloud to
Madeliene, who was fully focused on the story before her. Bill was
about to start getting the cutlery out and onto the tables, when a
news alert came on.

“The
Death Valley Mobsters are attacking Pleasantville Central Apartments,
from what we know they're after one of the residents about a owed
debt!” The reporter yelped. “HERE'S CHUCKLES AND GIGGLES!”

“Oh
Belle!” Bill groaned. “Don't you go getting yourself OR Charlie
hurt!”

Lizzy
watched the television as Chuckles got thrown by one of the Emerald
Mobsters into Sir Dark and Sir Lionheart, knocking the latter two
down while winding the former. She desperately wanted to help, but
her mind was still scattered. Thankfully her sister and Hugo were
away that week, making her feel a little less pressured.

“I
wish I could help.” Lizzy sighed.

“Best
not to.” Bill advised, tweaking something within the young Begly.
“You wouldn't be much help when they're already outnumbered by
Emerald Mobsters, especially with Marion and Revolver keeping tabs on
things. Those two will make life so much more difficult…Liz?”
Bill looked around. Lizzy had disappeared. “She's gone. Huh. ARGH
MY EYE!” He suddenly grabbed at his eye, which was now violently
and uncontrollably twitching.

–

"We're
completely outnumbered and there's only so much Emerald power I can
absorb before I get sick!" Giggles groaned to Lady Luck.

"We
have to do something, those residents can't save themselves!"
Lady Luck looked out of the window at the Emerald Mobsters who were
trying to break in.

"Where
are those Outer Knights of the Last Order, they'd have this sorted
out quick-smart!" One of the older residents poked his head out
of his apartment.

"Thanks."
Giggles replied dryly.

"Hey
guys, we managed to secure all of the doors." Sir Dark came
running up the stairs with Sir Hedgehog close behind him.

"That
Lady Silent sure is good with technology." Sir Hedgehog said
appreciatively. "She managed to get into the security system and
locked the place down tight."

"She's
good like that. Where's everyone else?" Lady Luck asked.

"Sir
Lionheart is downstairs with Chuckles at the front door and Sir Hyper
is with Lady Courage at the loading bay." Sir Dark replied.
"Although we probably have a little bit of time until they break
through."

"If
they don't think of cutting the power first." Giggles looked out
of the window, narrowly avoiding a bullet from Master Revolver.

"Wouldn't
work, the building is designed to become a fortress when the power is
gone. Funnily enough, it was designed by the firm that Mr. Jones
owns." Sir Hedgehog grinned.

"Poetic."
Lady Luck replied.

Suddenly
out went the power.

"I
thought you said that cutting the power to this place would turn this
place into a fortress!" Giggles yelped.

"Well…a
very airtight fortress…" Sir Hedgehog replied sheepishly.
"They might not be able to get in, but we can't get out either.
We're trapped."

"Are
you telling me," Lady Luck glared at him. "That they could
now blow up this building and we'd have no way to escape?!"

"Looks
like it. I think we fell right into a trap." Sir Dark tried to
calm his girlfriend down.

Meanwhile,
outside, celebrations were starting.

"We
did it!" Master Revolver grinned at Mobster Marion. "We
finally trapped the Knights of the Last Order and those bothersome
pests Chuckles and Giggles!"

"FINALLY!"
Mobster Marion smirked up at the building. "And once they're
dead we can finally have the Lions Claw Blade and the Lucky Seven Gun
back!"

"Can't
we just blow the building up already?" Ruby Daryl groaned from
behind them. "This waiting is BORING!"

"These
things take time you little brat, do you want to blow us up too?"
Mobster Marion chided. "Besides, we blew up the transformer
between this grid and the main power plant, there's no way those
brats can escape and there's nothing anyone can do to save them!"

A
few metres away, hidden behind another
building, Lady Starlight heard every word of the plan. Her heart
sank. She was going to lose her brother and the woman who was like a
sister to her, before she'd had the chance to make things right with
them. She was going to lose her beloved Sir Hyper, who inspired her
and looked out for her.

She
felt something vibrating in her pocket. It was her phone, and more
specifically, a phone call from Bill.

"ARE
YOU INSANE?" He hissed over the line. "Get your scrawny
little behind back to the restaurant NOW!"

"My
brother is going to die. I have to save him!" Lady Starlight
replied quietly. "If I could just restore the power to the place
then everything would be fine!"

"Impossible,
the transformers have been completely destroyed." Bill told her
sternly. "Although, there IS the secret passageway to the dam
but that's been abandoned for-,"

CLICK.
Lady Starlight knew what she had to do. It was time to activate the
Improbability Clause and get her brother out of that building!

She
poked her head out. The first order of business was to get past the
Death Valley Mob and that moron Ruby Daryl. Then she had to
communicate that fact to her brother.

Communication
was easy, she could just send a text message. She quickly relayed her
plan via a couple of hurried text messages. Now to deal with the DVM,
and hopefully give her friends time to get out of the building.

"Be
careful with those explosives you fools, they're volatile and could
kill us all if you drop them!" Ruby Daryl snapped at a nearby
Emerald Mobster, who glared at him.

"We're
Emerald Warriors, our suits protect us!" The
Emerald
Mobster replied sneeringly.

Lady
Starlight smirked, and threw one of her Throwing Stars at the Emerald
Mobsters arm. She scored a direct hit, and the Emerald Mobster
quickly dropped his load, causing a huge explosion in the middle of
the empty road.

"WHAT
DID I JUST SAY?!" Ruby Daryl roared angrily, his Ruby Shield
protecting him.

"What
the hell happened here?!" Master Revolver ran over.

"Something
hit my arm and I dropped the explosives." The Emerald Warrior
pulled the Throwing Star out of his arm, dripping blood.

"DON'T
pull it out you idiot, you're just going to damage yourself more!"
Ruby Daryl groaned.

"That's
a Throwing Star! The Outer Knights of the Last Order have arrived!"
Master Revolver yelled. "Lady Starlight threw that no doubt
about it!"

"Well
where is she then?!" Ruby Daryl quickly got his guard up. "She's
the most dangerous of the three."

"Damn
straight I am." Lady Starlight muttered to herself, throwing
another star at another Emerald Mobster who was carrying explosives.

"IF
YOU DON'T MIND!" Mobster Marion yelled after the following
explosion. "WHAT are you idiots doing?!"

"Lady
Starlight is around somewhere trying to blow us up!" One of the
Emerald Mobsters complained bitterly.

"She
has to be close by. I'll go look for her while you lot clean up – and
TRY not to waste any more of those explosives, we need them for
getting rid of Chuckles and Giggles!" Mobster Marion snapped,
getting out her small katana. She began to make her way to where the
two Throwing Stars had come from. Lady Starlight saw her and quickly
made a dash for it over a nearby fence and around the back of another
building, where she could still keep an eye on proceedings and make
sure her brother didn't die that day.

Seeing
another Emerald Mobster head towards the building with more
explosives, Lady Starlight launched another Throwing Star, causing
yet another explosion.

"This
game is getting tiresome Knight! I WILL find you and when I do,
you're going to PAY." Mobster Marion fumed, running back to the
site of the explosion.

'This
is easy! I can keep this up all day until they run out of
explosives!' Lady Starlight grinned to herself as she set up
explosion after explosion.

"I
bet you're feeling pretty proud of yourself right now aren't you?"

Never
mind – she'd just been discovered by Ruby Daryl!

"I've
beaten you before Ruby, and I'll happily beat you again!" Lady
Starlight cried, pulling out some more Throwing Stars.

"True,
you HAVE beaten me, but can you beat me AND the Emerald Warriors
without your little friends?" Ruby Daryl clicked his fingers,
summoning the ten Emerald Mobsters to deal with the Outer Knight of
the Last Order!

"I'm
sure I can make your life hell until Chuckles and Giggles get here
with the rest of the Knights!" Lady Starlight smirked, trying to
appear braver than she felt.

"Chuckles
and Giggles aren't going anywhere brat, and now, neither are you!"
Ruby Daryl readied a Ruby Shard to incapacitate Lady Starlight with,
with the Emerald Mobsters following suit with various Emerald
weapons.

"Not
good!" Lady Starlight backed off slightly. Ruby Daryl grinned
and threw the Ruby Shard, which never made it to its intended target.

"HOW?!"
He roared in fury. Lady Starlight almost cried with happiness.

"GIGGLES!
You're safe!" She yelled.

"Thanks
to you Lady Starlight, you've done great!" Chuckles also
appeared, holding the Lions Claw Blade ready for action.

"What
the hell?" Master Revolver saw what had happened.

"No
point blowing that place up now, there's no one in it!" Giggles
laughed at the look of fury on her hated enemies faces.

Mobster
Marion grimaced. She glared at Master Revolver and Ruby Daryl, as if
this was somehow their fault.

"We're
leaving. You win this time, Chuckles and Giggles!" She ordered
her forces back.

"I'm
glad you see it our way!" Chuckles waved pleasantly as the Death
Valley Mobsters left. "And now we're going to head home too."

"Yeah,
home sounds good around about now. Although I don't think your Uncle
is going to be very happy with me." Lady Starlight made her way
to the tip with her two companions.

"Why?"
Asked Giggles.

"Hey
Bill…why is your eye twitching?" Peter Masters walked into the
restaurant to pick up his daughter. "And where's Lizzy?"

"The
stupid freaking CLAUSE!" Bill roared.

–

"So
that's why I've decided that I'm going to focus more on my studies
and leave the superhero stuff to Belle and Charlie." Lizzy
explained to her sister and Hugo that night.

"You've
always been on my side when it comes to that stupid Code and that
ridiculous Clause, when did you start talking nonsense?!" Izzy
cried in hurt and anger.

"When
I found out it wasn't so much nonsense as it was common sense and
team work." Lizzy shrugged.

"Whatever.
Looks like we'll have to give up the hero caper too if you're not
going to join us." Izzy sighed in resignation.

"It's
a shame, we were having such fun." Hugo agreed with Izzy.

"Yes,
well, it's not about fun, it's about doing the right thing and making
sure that Pleasantville has a future." Lizzy told them.

They
were sitting in the living room a few days after the dramatic rescue,
and Lizzy had finally worked up the courage to tell her sister the
truth. It had been hard, and Izzy wasn't thrilled about it, but what
was done was done, and it couldn't be changed.

"I
don't know why you had to go and change your tune though. I guess
that baby has had more influence on you than I thought." Izzy
slumped back into the lounge.

"Amongst
other things." Lizzy shrugged. Just then, there was a knock at
the door.

"I'll
get it!" Thomas walked from the kitchen to the front door. "Hi
Sam, how can I help you?" Thomas opened the door to Sam, who was
looking particularly handsome that day.

"Good
afternoon Mr. Begly, I was wondering if the lovely Miss Lizzy would
like to come out for a walk to the dam?" Sam poked his head in
the door, looking for Lizzy, who had gone bright pink.

"I
reckon 'Miss Lizzy' would love to go for a walk." Charlie poked
his head out of the kitchen to needle his sister, who poked her
tongue out at him.

"I'd
love to go for a walk." She got up and smiled at Sam, who
grinned back.

"Have
fun on your walk Miss Lizzy." Izzy teased.

"Don't
be home too late Miss Lizzy." Betty called from the kitchen.

"Don't
forget your hat Miss Lizzy." Thomas grinned, handing his
daughter her hat.

Lizzy
couldn't help but chuckle, and yes, she did enjoy her walk with Sam
very much indeed!

© 2021 Kezzstar24