Take Your Seats
Star was with her parents and Kwan in their room. All of them were dressed and ready for the play.
All the while, Star was nervously tapping her foot. While dressed in a nice modest lacey red knee length dress, she couldn't help but think of what she told her mother.
She kissed Danny Fenton. On the lips.
"Can't believe I did that… can't believe I did that…" She muttered.
"Did what, Princess?" Her father, who was close to her, questioned her.
Star gasped, her eyes looking away.
"N-nothing, Dad…" She lied.
"It's nothing to worry about." Her mother said, winking at her daughter, causing her even more embarrassment.
"Oh Mom…" Star muttered.
"Well, let's see if the Fentons are all ready." Her father said.
With the Fentons
All of them were dressed and ready for the play. They were downstairs, waiting for Star and her family.
Danny was so preoccupied with learning the history of the Beast that he just now recalled a certain something he didn't tell anyone. Star had kissed him.
How am I supposed to talk about that? Danny thought.
"Here they are." Maddie said, seeing the Armstrong family.
Seeing Star and her parents, Danny felt his heart race. He forced a smile.
"Hey, guys." He said.
"Hi, Danny." Star echoed, her voice quivering.
"Let's get this show on the road." Jack went.
As that happened, Danny and Star briefly shared a glance. One that conveyed a mix of nervousness and something else. Maybe it was curiosity. Or maybe it was something else entirely.
As everyone else was in front of them, Danny inched closer to Star.
"Did you... um... tell anyone about what you did?" Danny asks.
"Just my mom..." Star whispered back. "You?"
"No..." Danny responded.
Though a bit hurt, Star understood his saying nothing.
"Well, let's just focus on the play." Star said.
"Yeah, let's..." Danny went.
Well, you focus on the play, I gotta focus on finding Devereux. He thought.
The vehicle they rented for the occasion arrived, allowing all of them to go.
At the Palais Garnier
A place normally reserved for operas, rented out by a wealthy group's desire for a play for a pretty penny, the Palais was a sight to behold. The intricate chandeliers hung from the ceiling, the red velvet curtains drawn back to reveal the stage, the orchestra pit filled with musicians ready to play their hearts out.
Little did anyone know that one man was not who the invitation said he was. Taking a seat reserved for someone else, Devereux watched the scene unfold, his sharp eyes scanning the crowd for any sign of where he could find the book.
"Now... if I were a book filled with magic... where would I be hidden?" He asks under his breath.
Backstage
As people were getting set up, Chloe was watching the costumes being fitted. As she did, she couldn't help but feel a bit unsure of herself.
"You wish to see that Danny again, yes?" Alain asks, getting her attention from behind.
"Nonsense." Chloe insisted. "I am merely... admiring the costumes."
"Hmm..." Alain hummed. "You know, I could help you. Maybe... you should stop trying to change such an important part of yourself."
"What? Go back to being... unseen?" Chloe asks incredulously. "No. I must be what my mentor expects. If it means changing who I am to get ahead in life, so be it..."
As Chloe tried to look like she knew what she was doing, Alain was unconvinced.
"You know... you once said you weren't interested in me because I wasn't like the boys back home. Danny appeared to be that type, is he not?" Alain asks.
Chloe felt her cheeks turn warm before shaking her head clear.
"Danny is... nice, yes. But... I must adapt." Chloe insists.
"Change is a good thing... but not when it takes away who you really are." Alain states.
"No offense, but I do not recall asking for your opinion." Chloe snapped, not wanting to admit he hit a nerve.
Alain only shrugged as he slinked away, knowing Chloe is clearly regretting her actions yet doesn't have what it takes to take a step back.
The Fentons and the Armstrongs arrived, along with their guests.
Sam and Tucker, all suited up, stood as the former sent a text.
"I'm letting Alain know I'm here." She said.
"Oh, already texting each other?" Tucker joked.
"Don't make me make sure your body never leaves France…" Sam warned him.
As Tucker pulled back, Sam sent the text.
"So, you think he's gonna ask you out on a date after this?" Tucker asks.
Hearing that, Sam turned red in embarrassment, avoiding eye contact with him.
"Maybe?" She responded. "I mean, he's nice and I like him, but I personally am not sure about this. I mean… he lives here and we live so far that we don't touch the Atlantic." Sam added.
"Come on, Sam, give it a chance. If Danny's willing to meet other people, you should too." Tucker said.
"Thanks for the advice, Mr. Got-Shot-Down-By-279-Girls." Sam responded in a snarky tone before her phone pinged. "He says to meet him around the back, he'll wait for us there."
"Okay, you guys ready?" Danny said as he got closer and whispered to the two. "Remember… you see anyone remotely suspicious, text me."
"Got it." Sam and Tucker said in unison.
As the two headed to meet with Alain, Danny turned his head to see his parents and sisters chatting with the Armstrongs and their guest, Kwan.
"Okay… watch this rendition of a fairy tale I know about, find a sociopath who turns into a werewolf before he finds a book with dark magic to make himself stronger, and…somehow…figure out what to do with him… That sounds…doable…ish." Danny said under his breath.
Inside
The Fentons went to the top floor, a perfect place to survey the place for anything suspicious, as well as the high ground in case they needed to start shooting.
They made their way up the stairs with the others who were on the top floor, the families taking their seats.
Danny was distracted as he kept looking for anything suspicious. He then sat down on his seat, his thoughts preoccupied.
'If the Beast attacks here, I need to be fast so no one gets hurt,' he thought worriedly. He then saw blond hair from his peripheral vision. He turned his head and saw an embarrassed blond girl next to him, who was looking at the side.
To his shock, Danny would find himself sitting next to Star, something they both found incredibly awkward and uncomfortable.
"Uh… hi." Star went.
"Yo." Danny went as he tried to avoid eye contact.
Both he and the blonde avoided eye contact, not knowing whether to stay quiet or say something to break the awkward silence before the latter groaned.
"Okay… let's just try to get through this." Star said.
"Fine." Danny said.
As soon as it's the first intermission, I'm gonna go to the book and make sure no one gets to it. He thought.
Behind the two was Star's mother, noticing them sitting next to each other, mistaking their awkwardness for a romantic atmosphere.
"Wonderful…" Stella whispered, not seeing the awkward tension between the two teenagers.
The lights were starting to dim.
With Sam and Tucker
Sam and Tucker were on the first floor, ready to aid in evacuation if needed. They were sitting at the center, close to each other, ready to spring into action. Suddenly, Sam's cell phone beeped, causing her to look and see that it was Alain, asking whether she wanted to go to the Eiffel Tower or the Guy Savoy.
"So… your new boyfriend knows how to treat a girl." Tucker jokes.
"Shut it." Sam said.
Tucker's smile dropped as he saw the look on her face as she read the text.
"So…You're not going to accept his invitation? How come? Do you not like Alain?" He asks.
"I just met him." Sam stated.
"And Danny just met Chloe, and she clearly likes him more than me." Tucker said.
"I can't argue with that…" Sam couldn't help the sarcastic tone in her voice.
"Hardy har har…" Tucker laughed sarcastically before he spoke again. "Still, you know you should at least try to meet new people."
"Look, Alain's great but… I like how I am and being around people I'm more familiar with." Sam said.
"That's just because you've known us personally for a long time. Outside of Danny, who else would you date? Me?" Tucker asks.
"First… eww." Sam responded. "Second, I'm just not looking for something right now. I'll just tell Alain I want to just be friends, he seems amiable enough to accept that."
"Are you scared to change?" Tucker asks.
"Come again?" Sam asks.
"I mean, look at Danny, he went from the shy guy to dating any girl he meets, and he seems okay about it. Are you scared that you'll like becoming different? Or scared that changing means losing me and Danny?" Tucker asks.
Sam thought about it but slowly denied it.
"Uh… I… I don't…" She shook her head. "Looks… there's nothing wrong with who I am. I'm changing to be more accepting of stuff, like Danny seeing other girls, but I don't want to change who I am to meet someone else's standards."
"Sam…" Tucker said with a deadpan expression.
"Okay… okay… I'm… kind of afraid." Sam admits. "All my life, I've been this ultra-recyclo, no pink Goth girl. What if I find someone who doesn't like me? What if I change because of that? I mean, I almost ruined my friendship with Danny…"
"It's cool, Sam. It's okay to drop the Goth attitude and admit how you feel. If you had done that with Danny a long time ago, things could've been different." Tucker said.
"I know…" Sam said with a sad inhale and exhale. "I know…"
With Alain
He peeked out the curtains to see Sam and Tucker talking. His face lit up as he saw her. When he first met her, he was fascinated by her appearance and personality. All his life, he only interacted with haughty girls who act like they were old ladies. Meeting Sam was such a fresh experience and made him want to know her more.
"Okay… after zhis… I shall ask her to dinner. If no, I will accept friendship. If yes, I will be a gentleman…" He said to himself.
Chloe, seeing this, raised an eyebrow.
"Perhaps another pretty face from out of the country will show herself after she says no." Chloe couldn't help but taunt him, seeing how smitten he was to the foreign girl.
"Perhaps… but hopefully she will be less willing to listen to that old crow like you do…" Alain taunted back much to Chloe's anger.
With a loud "HMPH", she turned around and left, but not before glancing to the other side of the curtain.
I wonder where he is sitting? She thought.
"Chloe." Dubois called out to her with a strict tone. "Make sure the costumes are ready!"
"Oui." Chloe emotionlessly said with a bow, running off while looking miserable.
As she left, the first act of the play began. An actor who posed as the narrator gave the introduction scene.
"Greetings, everyone. Tonight, you will see the tale of Beauty and the Beast. Not the version that you know, or that television show set in New York, but based heavily on the original story." He said. "Now… let us begin the story…"
He walked off the stage as the curtains opened. There was a man atop a fake carriage, with a bag in the back and a fake horse in the front.
"Time to return to my family…" The actor, dressed like an old man, said out loud.
"This man is a merchant who has just lost his fortune…" The narrator said. "He is on his way home to his family, with 3 sons and 3 daughters. The youngest, however, was a girl he called… Beauty. Unlike her wicked sisters, she was genuinely caring. She would not react poorly to what became of their money, just as she won't when she meets… the Beast."
As this went on, a certain man in purple scoffed.
Zhis is zhe story of some man who did not take advantage and chose to find love? How ridiculous… I became a beast and found I love becoming zhat. Once zhis is done… I'll tear zhe necks of zhese idiots… He thought with a murderous smile on his face.
His eyes darted around until spotting a familiar face on the top floor, in the front row.
He saw Danny Fenton, with Star at his side. He paid no attention to who else was there, only on Danny, who watched with a mild bit of boredom.
Ahh… there he is. I figured this boy being in France means he'd play the stupid role of hero. And who is this one? His lover, perhaps? I should kill her just to teach him a lesson, after I find that book… He thought as teeth bared for a moment.
He will wait for the first intermission before he looks for it.
With Danny
As the first act went on, the families on the top floor had differing reactions; Jack and Danielle fell asleep, Jazz and Maddie were both very engrossed in the performance, Kwan was listening to music with his earphones, Johnathan checked his phone, Stella watched with interest, and the last two were briefly glancing at each other.
This is awkward… They thought in unison.
Danny not only had to deal with the awkward atmosphere with the cheerleader sitting next to him, but he had to deal with the Beast and the book. Meanwhile, Star kept sneaking glances at the boy she brazenly kissed, who kept avoiding to look her way.
After a good few seconds, and making sure no one was listening in, Star tapped Danny's shoulder.
"Fe-Danny?" She whispered.
"Yeah?" Danny whispered back.
Please tell me it'll be quick… as soon as the intermission ends, I'm gonna check on that book. He thought.
"I think we should talk about… the elephant in the room…" She said.
"... huh?" Danny went, not getting what she was talking about.
"The kiss!" She whispered harshly, getting his attention.
"Oh… that…" Danny said.
I was so caught up with Devereux that I totally forgot… Or, it was just so out of nowhere that my mind still can't properly process it? He thought as the memory of her lips on his was now returning to him.
"So…What now?" Star asks.
"What now?" Danny repeated.
"What happens…between us now?" Star said, looking down. "Look, I'm sure you know that things can't go back to normal."
He knew she was right. After that kiss, he knew what Star felt about him. So, even if she goes back to calling him names, he'll know she's one of those tsundere girls from anime, acting to hide how shy she is.
He didn't know if he liked that or not. Tucker probably likes that.
"Well…I don't know. I mean, we've known each other since middle school, and even back, we weren't exactly close," Danny stammered. "And there's Valerie…"
She remembered that her best friend briefly dated Danny, but had to break it off due to her job, so her dating Danny might make it awkward between them.
"Right..." Star said.
"I-I mean, you are a good kisser, to be honest." Danny admitted, making Star go red.
"Y-you're not bad yourself, Danny." Star said. "I can see why Valerie dated you."
"Oh, we didn't kiss." Danny said.
"Really?" Star asked, surprised.
"Nope, just kept it casual." Danny said. "Just holding hands and leaning on shoulders. You know...casual."
"Right…" Star said awkwardly.
As Star looked away with a face as red as a tomato, Danny looked to his feet.
"Why do I wish I was fighting that stupid werewolf right now?" He asks under his breath.
The curtains slowly closed as the audience applauded, waking the father-daughter duo from their sleep.
"Ten-minute intermission, please wait." A female voice said through the speaker.
The lights turned on, giving the audience a chance to stretch their legs and use the washroom.
"Finally…" Danny muttered as he and his family were out stretching their legs.
"Is it over?" Jack asks as he rubs his eyes.
"Please tell me yes and we can hit that rich people buffet while the money Aunt Alicia used for us hasn't been taken by the feds for being from that Razor guy?" Danielle asks.
"Sorry, but no." Maddie went. "Besides… that performance was wonderful…" She enjoyed the original far more than the kid movie version.
"I'll say." Jazz said with a nod, always preferring the old version of fairy tales rather than the kid movie versions.
"And I'll say… I gotta go to take another look at that book to make sure it's where it should be… not in hairy clawed hands." Danny said, wanting a reason to walk away from the awkwardness he was feeling.
"Best hurry, we got 10 minutes before it ends." Jazz said as the others went back to their seats.
With that, Danny walked to the opposite direction, trying to appear casual.
As he did, one figure went up the stairs to that floor, seeing Danny from afar.
"Now where is he going?" He asks under his breath.
Danny made his way to the roof by finding a spot he could morph to check on the book, but someone caught him.
"Danny?" Star, seeing him, caught up with him.
"Wonderful…" Danny muttered as he hid his displeasure with a fake smile. "Yes?"
"Can we… uh… can we talk?" Star asked with some awkwardness in her voice.
Ugh… okay… book later, odd growing attraction I have to her can't wait… He thought.
"Sure…" Danny said.
"Were you going to the bathroom? Because it's that way." Star gestured to the opposite direction he was going.
"Right… let's go." He said as he followed her.
As he did, Star fidget a bit before speaking up.
"So… uh… listen, Danny?" She went nervously.
"Yeah?" Danny asks.
" Look, I...I know that we might not always see eye to eye..but...well...I was wondering...if...maybe...you and I...well...anychanceyouandIcoulddostuffbackhome?" She asked, blurting out the last words too fast.
"... huh?" Danny went.
"Oh… uh… I might have worded that badly…" Star admits before she tries again. "What I mean is...maybe...you and I...could...hang out...in a...place to do something like an activity sometime...maybe...back home?"
"Star… what are you talking about?" Danny asks.
Star groaned and turned away, shaking her head.
"Forget it! Forget it…" She went as she walked away.
Danny raised an eyebrow before deciding to get back to what he was doing.
"I gotta get to that rooftop…" He muttered.
Before he could go, a certain someone blocked his path.
"Danny?" Mrs. Armstrong went.
"Ma'am?" Danny asks as he tries to think up an excuse to leave.
"I'd like a word with you, if you please…" Stella said.
"I… gotta…" Danny went, trying to walk around her.
"To talk to my daughter? I understand… you're conflicted, right?" She asks.
"Huh?" Danny went.
"I can see it…" Stella said with a losing smile.
"See what?" Danny asked with a confused look on his face, wondering what she was talking about.
"You like my daughter… but not that much because of how she used to act, yes?" Stella guessed.
"... yes." Danny said after seconds, figuring he'd play along for now.
"Well, I really do wish you'd try and get to know my darling little Star better. I know that sometimes she can be a bit...abrasive...but she really is a sweet girl. Aside from hanging out with those bad influences I am hoping she will soon drop, she is a bright student and gets wonderful grades. She is a very beautiful and graceful dancer and she is a very talented artist, a skilled cheerleader who deserves much better than being just co-captain of the cheer squad and she even dreams of one day being an artist. I think you'd be a much better boyfriend for her than past boyfriends, if only because you'd encourage a positive change in her. After all, I was much like her when I was at that age..." Stella said.
"You were?" Danny asked, hoping to speed this along.
Stella nodded.
"Yes...I was born into a high society family and was given anything money could buy. And...well, I admit that I was...well...to be blunt I was a snob. Mostly because my own mother had...strict views that she was unwilling to let go of." Stella said.
"Huh?" Danny asked, wondering how they were talking about her life story
"My mother was an extremely old fashioned woman and...well...she never approved of what I did unless it fit into what she thinks a woman of high society should be. And she never changed from that...even after I met Johnathan and brought him home, she refused to change that and disapproved of our marriage because my husband isn't a blue blood...He might be a great attorney now but he was born middle class like you and my mother hated him for it..." Stella said, looking upset.
Wow, I haven't even met the old lady and I already don't like her... Danny thought as Stella continued.
"Even after we announced we were getting married, my mother didn't change and continued to be so horrible to my Johnathan. She even went as far as to threaten to buy the building he worked out and make the rent higher. I knew that she would never change and I didn't want my family to be around so much hostility so we left and cut ties. I haven't spoken to her or my father since..." Stella said, looking sad as she confessed this.
"So, you cut ties with them? For real?" Danny asked.
Stella nodded.
"Yes, it was hard and I admit that I haven't always been this lovably charming woman you see before you. For a while, I was a mess, and that is putting it mildly...and it affected my family and my marriage for a while...which is why Star acted out so much and got involved with those delinquent friends of hers to start with. I was a mess for a while...but something made me realize what I was doing was wrong and if I didn't change soon, I'd ruin my family forever..." Stella said.
"What happened?...", Dann asked.
"I won't get into too many details...mostly since you are too young but I met someone who almost talked me into doing something I'd regret for the rest of my life...but I thankfully came to my senses, went back to my family and did everything I could for their forgiveness and to change so I could be the kind of woman my husband deserves and the kind of mother my daughter needs..." Stella confessed.
"For real?" Danny asks, and she nodded
"Anyway... I know you two kissed... and judging by how everyone else acts, they don't know..." Stella accurately guessed. "In any case... I really do think you and my daughter would make a good match if you give her a chance, she just needs someone to help her make a change."
With that, she started to make her leave.
"Mrs. Armstrong?" Danny asks.
"My daughter is in a fragile time of her life right now. She needs someone to be a sincere friend or more to her, someone who won't lead her down a bad path like those horrible friends of hers, and I think deep down she knows it. At least that's how I see it. She needs the kind of boy who gives her a reason to change, like how I needed my Johnathan..." She said before going further down, back to where their seats are
Danny was standing there, stunned in silence as he processed this.
Her mom thinks she should date me? He thought before he heard it.
"The intermission is ending soon. Please return to your seats." He heard a voice go before it repeated in French.
"Crud... I didn't even get to check on the book..." He mutters bitterly as he headed back to his seat.
However, as he did, he walked past a familiar figure with messy red hair.
"Pardon..." The man said.
"My bad..." Danny responded as he quickened his pace.
However, he paused, looking back towards the man in the purple suit he just passed. He stared at it a moment too long, wondering something.
He sounds... oddly familiar... He thought before he had to quicken his pace.
At the same time
On the rooftop, Marie Antoinette was pacing in mid-air back and forth, waiting for word from Danny.
"What's taking so long? The intermission should have happened by now… He has to make a report with me about anything…" She muttered before impatience won out. "I should go and see what is taking so long."
She phased through the roof, unintentionally leaving the book unguarded.
How did I end up like this? Danny thought, exasperated and confused.
He was stuck watching the play, having missed his chance to keep an eye on the book, thanks to Star of all people.
Both of them avoided talking and even eye contact with each other. They tried to focus on the play itself and not each other, even though anyone could tell what they must be thinking now due to their expressions.
When I imagined sitting next to a beautiful girl who also happens to be a cheerleader… there was no werewolf on the loose! Danny thought.
I can't believe I let Mom talk me into this. And I can't believe I kinda don't want to leave either... Star thought, avoiding eye contact.
As of right now, Beauty had come to find her father, who was imprisoned by the Beast for attempting to steal his rose. Now, she was taking her father's place as the Beast's prisoner, albeit treated nicely by comparison.
"I shall show you to your new home." The Beast said, the actor was wearing make-up in order to resemble a lion.
"If you insist…" Beauty responded.
"Just know that, as long as you live here, you will not be a prisoner nor a slave. You will be my guest, and are free to use any room in the castle." The Beast said, trying to be nice.
"Do you wish to change my mind about you?" Beauty asks.
"Believe me, I was a gracious host until your father tried to steal from me. I've had much time to reconsider how I treat guests… Change is a constant, after all…" The Beast said.
"A few deviations from the original story, but not a bad reimagining, all things considered." Star said under her breath.
"You know about the original?" Danny asks.
"I do." Star responded.
"And what exactly happened in the original?" Danny asked, briefly forgetting his situation.
"Well, the play is mostly accurate so far but in the original fairy tale, Beauty was the daughter of a king and fairy and ended up taking the place of the merchant's daughter when someone tried to kill her to marry her dad the king..." Star said.
"For real? That's messed up..." Danny said.
"I'll say. Another difference is that unlike the cartoon movie we all watched as kids, the beast doesn't go from a jerk to a nice guy thanks to Beauty's love. He was nice from the start who eventually won her over through his kindness...just that kept asking her to marry him, but she got used to it..." Star explained.
Danny nodded along, surprised to hear all this.
If only Devereux was like this guy… He thought.
Behind the Scenes
As the performers went on, Chloe watched them as she took some water and sipped.
She sighed a breath of relief before she heard footsteps approach her.
"Chloe?" It was Dubois.
"Y-Yes?" Chloe asks nervously.
"You have done an exceptionally… adequate job." Dubois said, looking at her with a false smile.
"Merci." Chloe responded, hiding her disappointment at Dubois not giving her the praise she hoped.
"The suits you've done under my supervision have sufficed. Our next show is going to require you to step up." Dubois said, causing Chloe's eyebrows to almost leave her head.
"Next show?" She asks.
"You didn't really think it was just one show, do you?" Dubois asked rhetorically with a haughty tone. "You are going to be aiding me in multiple projects for the next 3 months."
"But… but Madam?" Chloe went. "I promised my family I'd be home once this was done."
"You should have consulted with me, for I had multiple changes to our schedule. It's not my fault you were not paying any attention or took future projects into consideration." Dubois said unsympathetically as she looked at her nails. "Now… I need you to get some papers I have in my office. Go get them."
Chloe's eyes darted away as she felt like she wanted to argue but couldn't . She ultimately gave in and nodded.
"Oui." Chloe said as she went to retrieve those documents.
Alain, watching this, shook his head as he felt sorry for her.
"I'm taking my break now." He said as his co-worker then nodded, allowing him to follow Chloe.
With Danny
"Huh...less boring than I thought it would be..." Danny admitted as they saw the scene of the Beast allowing Beauty to go home.
"Not as accurate to the original as I'd figured, like how it was 12 kids and not 6, but it's pretty good..." Star commented, whispering as to not disturb the other people watching the play.
As they kept whispering to each other, Star's mother saw this and smiled in approval.
"They're getting along… I knew it." She whispered to her husband.
"Are you trying to be a grandmother so soon?" Johnathan questioned her.
As that went on, Danny noticed something.
"What's happening?" He asks as he sees more people appear on the stage.
"There's the scene where she gets home." Star said as her eyes went to the stage. "Here's the part."
She pointed to see the performers do said scene.
"You dare to show off the wonderful gifts this Beast showers you with?!" One sister questioned in an over the top manner.
"Sisters? I only came to be a part of your weddings. I do not wish to earn you anger." Beauty said.
"Don't lie to us! You wish to wed the Beast to live a life of luxury! A life we deserve more!" The other sister went, equally as over the top jealous as the last.
"I do not love him, but he is a dear friend I shall not let you hurt." Beauty went, the actress downplaying her feelings so that the other actresses stood out more.
"I'm guessing she's not in love with him, or at least realizing she's in love with him, right?" Danny asks.
"Exactly." Star said.
"Why doesn't the spell break if she already has feelings for him? And why do her sisters go this far if they already have suitors?" Danny asks.
"Because she has to admit she loves him. And because they are jealous...and they were spoiled by their father without him realizing and the so-called friends they had to fit in with were not the best influences… Some people… don't always change for the better… I guess…" Star responds, looking away with a pensive look in her eyes.
Hearing that, Danny raised a brow. He could see that she had her mind on something and that Star seemed troubled by it. He could guess what it was. With a sigh, he decided to speak up.
"Listen… Star?" His eyes darted downward to his right. "I-" He gasped loudly, getting her and her parents' attention.
"What?" Star asks.
"Oh… uh… nothing." Danny went with a nervous smile. "Just… astounded by their performance."
They seemed to buy it as Stella smiled warmly.
"I know… right? Gayle made sure the costumes were wonderful too…" She said.
"Gayle?" Danny asks.
"Gayle Dubois. She's the costume designer, and she says she made sure that these designs were perfect." Stella answered.
"Dubois?" Danny asks, realizing this was the woman that Chloe was working under before recalling something else. "Whoops… dropped something, excuse me…" He then dropped his ticket stub and pretended to look for it before making sure no one else saw who he was talking to. "What are you doing here?!" He whispered harshly.
"Me?" Marie, whose head phased through the floor, asks in response. "You're the one who's taking their sweet time!" She whispered back.
"I got busy…" He responded.
Marie's eyes darted to Star, who was watching the play.
"Yes, I can see that…" Marie responded with a flat voice.
"Not li- never mind. I'll be there during the second intermission. Just go keep an eye on the book…" Danny whispered back.
"Fine, fine…" Marie said as she vanished.
Danny sat back up, relieved no one saw that.
On the rooftop, a figure was walking away from a certain spot where claws had just excavated part of the rooftop, which was now a mess.
This man grinned to himself as he held what he was looking for in his hand. He used his animalistic sense of smell to pick up where someone had just been recently and followed it to this specific location.
"Finally… now… to leave and use zhis book. Surely, I've learned enough magic from watching zhem to know what I'm doing." He said to himself as he made his way to the edge of the building. "Now… I'll just hop across and-"
However, to his surprise and displeasure, the book somehow was pushed out of hand, causing it to fall on the floor.
He gasped in shock at this as he looked down. The book had somehow left his grip and flew back by a few feet. He went back to pick it up, only to hear it.
"What happened here?!" A woman's voice shrieked.
Turning around, he saw Marie hovering, seeing the damage done to the roof, but not the cause of it yet as her back was turned.
"Zhat is my cue…" He said under his breath as he used inhuman speed to get to the back door before she knew it.
Marie turned around too late, seeing only the back of the figure as they entered, the darkness concealing what little she did see.
"This is not good! Not at all!" She said, panicking as she started to hover in a circle. "I have to find that person and stop him!"
She flew into the hall, going down the stairs and hoping to find this person, only for his inhuman speed to get away so quickly.
With Danny
With the scene finished, the curtain closed.
"Our second intermission is beginning. Please return in 10 minutes." A voice from a speaker was heard.
"Finally…" Danny muttered. "Now for that book, maybe look for Henri, and find Devereux…"
Special Thanks to Flower Princess11 and TheWhiteTitan.
RonaldM40196867: Dunno. Poor thinking. No. Dunno. He's a ghost. Sure.
Luiz4200: Sure.
Daniel6: Yes.
Invaer Johnny: He does.
Leonardo: The Brotherhood is dead.
Guest: 1. Yes. 2. Possibly. 3. We saw that in the show. 4. Less reliance on television. 5. She will join. 6. Maybe? 7. Maybe the latter? 8. Yes. 9. Magnetism. 10. Not sure. 11. Dunno. 12. Maybe.
Luffy is King: Yup.
Matt: Sorry, already got the rest planned.