#huey be like: i cant help but notice that i sTILL HAVE THIS GRAIL

[the-smartest-mallard]

One Last Night || Huriel

SUMMARY: Huey & Ariel take Kimberly for one last prom, and meet a few people along the way NOTES/TWs: TW for death, but it’s not explicit rlly; kinda sad but also super sweet <3

@ariel-the-rebel

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

Ariel was still a passenger in her own body. And it was miserable! She couldn’t believe this was happening. This ghost - Kimberly - had basically tricked her into drinking with her - ghost powers or whatever! All she could do now was watch and rage at the new driver.

Kimberly, for the record, wasn’t loving this either. Ariel lacked not only her long hair and legs from another life - but also her sense of style. She had to really try and pull a suitable look together for prom considering this closet barely had anything.

But, she tried. And she thinks she did okay - especially after raiding another sister or two’s room. Honestly, how big was this Ariel girl’s family?

And when the doorbell rang, she dashed down the stairs to answer it. Taking only a moment just before to adjust anything that might have moved out of place then carefully answered with a big smile. “Huey?”

HUEY:

Huey had rushed across town, the Holy Grail still wrapped in a blanket in his backpack, and he had gotten changed as quickly as he could. He hadn’t thought about prom that much because he hadn’t thought he was going, so all that was left to do was grab a black suit from the back of his wardrobe, tame his hair, and then contemplate what on Earth he was going to do with the Holy Grail.

He couldn’t leave it at home. What if someone had been after them and was watching him right now? Taking it to prom seemed like a horrible idea too, too much scope for someone to pick it up and grab it, but he would definitely feel better if it was within his eyeline at all times.

He was going to have to take it to prom.

He checked his watch; he needed to get going. There was time to pin a swan feather from his collection (of feathers in general, not just swan feathers— that would be weird), and nab another before he left, backpack and Holy Grail in tow.

He pressed the doorbell at Ariel’s and then stepped back, waiting for the door to open. He was not at all expecting the sight he was met with — the dress, the heels, the makeup. He blinked, and then he smiled, “Hey. You look nice. Very nice. Are any of those from Ariel’s wardrobe?” He was just teasing… mostly. “I brought you something, but— well. I don’t want to ruin your outfit.” He produced a black swan feather, twirling it between finger and thumb. “It’s Swan Lake theme, tonight.”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

“Thanks. I did what I could with...this,” Kimberly groaned, gesturing to herself. Well, Ariel. “I had to raid two other sisters’ closets for some of this - the dress though, you’ll be pleased to know, was in her’s. In the way back though like a dirty secret.”

She giggled at herself, stepping out of the house now and closing the door behind her before walking over to Huey. What she was expecting next was flowers. Or a corsage. Instead, a black feather. Which she made a face at first. 

Oh. Yes. The theme. She hadn’t even thought of that.

“I wish you’d told me about the theme before I got ready,” She huffed, taking the feather and after a moment just tucking it into her hair. It’d have to do for now. She then looked him up and down. “You clean up very nice yourself, though.”

HUEY:

“Yeah — Sorry.” Huey cringed a little, but in his own defence, he had forgotten there was a theme at all until he had gotten home and remembered his brothers talking about their outfits and prom and themes, in particular. And he also had a lot on his mind right now — being on-theme for the prom was the least of his worries.

The blush that coloured his cheeks when she looked him up and down was not unexpected, but still a little strange. It felt almost wrong, in a way, because even though the girl in front of him was technically his girlfriend, she also definitely wasn’t. He gave a weak smile, tried for a slightly better one, and then said, “Um, thanks. Might’ve done better with a little more time, but…” he shrugged, and then gestured to the street behind him. “Shall we get going?”

They were going to have to walk, but it wasn’t like it was far. With all the one way roads and tourist traffic it would probably take longer in a car than on foot. “Did anyone see you inside the house?” 

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

“Uh, are we walking? Really?” Kimberly whined, looking between Huey and the road. But the look he gave her said they indeed were, so she huffed and followed him down the steps of the Triton home. Which was not the home she expected Ariel to come from. “Fine. Let’s just go already.”

She lifted up her dress, being careful to not ruin it. She didn’t think it looked expensive or anything, but she did not want to be caught dead in a ruined dress by the time she got to prom. Even if it wasn’t her. And she was dead.

The thought only made her angrier, and she reached out, forcefully looping her arm with his. “Of course not. I’m very sneaky.” She wasn’t, but no one was home, thankfully. It seemed they’d all already gone off to enjoy the festivities. 

HUEY:

Huey simply arched his eyebrows in answer; he could’ve been sarcastic, or he could’ve given her a genuine answer, but he figured that that look was enough. It wasn’t like it was far away, though he did make a mental note to keep an eye on her dress - he didn’t want anything happening to it.

“The queen of sneaky, apparently. I’m impressed you got that dress with no one noticing.” He meant that, too; there were only 4 in his house and he could barely get away with anything. He couldn’t imagine having 8 knocking about the place.

He didn’t mind her arm looped with his. He would’ve offered, if he hadn’t been worried that she would take his head off for it. Kimberly was kinda scary. “So who was your date meant to be? Anyone nice?” He paused, and then cleared his throat. “Or I can stop asking, if you want. We don’t have to talk about it.”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

Kimberly’s - Ariel’s? This was so confusing - lips came together in a thin line at that. Part of her wanted to order him to stop talking. Just take her to prom so she can have a good time.

But another part…

“His name was David,” She started, careful. She wondered what had happened to him. Had he been upset? Angry, even, that she hadn’t shown up to prom? Did he wonder about what happened to her? “He was...very nice. A real gentleman. He went all out asking me to prom.” The thought made her smile.

HUEY:

Huey nodded as he listened, wondering who the mysterious David might have been. Was he still in Swynlake? Did he remember her? He must do. Huey would remember Ariel forever, he thought, if she went missing… yeah, no, he didn’t want to think about that at all actually. 

“He sounds great.” He told her, offering Kimberly a gentle smile. He hadn’t even really asked Ariel to prom; at first he had just sort of assumed they were going, and then they weren’t going at all. The smile on her face was enough to make Huey feel a little pit of guilt deep in his stomach — he really needed to make more of an effort.

“Fair warning, tonight might be… something. I don’t know if it’s always been a thing, but secondary school prom tends to be… dramatic.” 

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

“He was,” Kimberly said, nodding a little. Her eyes slipped closed for just a moment...perhaps caught up in memories of David. Or just her life before...well, this.

Death. A cold reminder slipping up her back and sending chills.

A bit of a buzzkill, aren’t you…

If she could hiss at the voice in her - Ariel’s - head - which was Ariel… Still! She’d do it! Do you know how hard it is to get ready when someone is telling you to stop in your head? Like they were screaming bloody murder? If anything, Ariel should thank her! She looked absolutely cute - and that took some effort.

She snapped out of the small argument she felt coming on with Ariel, then looked to Huey. “Define dramatic? Because I feel like when you say dramatic, you mean more than just crying in the bathroom.”

HUEY:

“Well… a few years ago someone set the gym on fire. I think that’s the worst it’s ever been, to be honest, but still. I wasn’t even there and I have PTSD.”

It was most of the reason why Huey dreaded this time of year, honestly. He loved a party (he really loved planning parties too, but being on committee meant working with one or many Ashleys, and he wasn’t about to volunteer for that), and he would love prom if he could just go and hang out with his friends and dance a little awkwardly and then go home after a night well spent. Unfortunately though… it seemed it was never destined to be just a simple night.

(For the record: the other reason he didn’t get too excited for prom was the theme. Dressing to a theme was hard…)

“Hopefully tonight won’t be too bad, though?” He tried for a smile, but he knew it was a little lacklustre “it’ll be fun. We’ll make the best of it, I promise.”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

Kimberly jerked slightly, turning her whole body to look at him. “I’m sorry - what? What kind of animals is that school raising?” She hissed.

Wait until you meet the Ashleys.

“And what’s an Ashley?” She sneered. “Ariel did not sound happy about them.”

But then she stopped, and listened to Huey. She knows she’s normally bad at that. Her father even told her that a lot. Maybe if she listened more, she wouldn’t be in this situation. Dead and lost to time.

“...I’m sorry. You’re right. Let’s - yeah, let’s try to have a good time.”

HUEY:

Ashleys. Huey immediately grimaced, looking down at his shoes. “An Ashley is one of several Ashleys who are all mean for no reason, each in their own special way. The move in a pack and think they run the place.” He paused, looking at Kimberly and shrugging. “They shouldn’t bother us, though. I get the feeling they’re gonna have more on their plate at prom. They take prom queen very seriously.”

He would just make sure they steered clear of the Ashleys as best they could tonight; it should be easy enough, cause like he said - the Ashleys generally had more to worry about than the two of them. Although, with Ariel dressed like that…

They were coming up on the school now, and Huey gave her a smile, a proper one. A good time. They could manage that. “Okay — get ready for the most magical night of your life,” he led her inside the building, casting a glance at the decorations. “...or something.”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY

Kimberly nodded, understanding completely. So they were the ones in charge. Looking at Huey, she knew why’d they single him out. He was very nerdy, after all. She wanted to bring up how she had been somewhat like that with her friends. Before the Grail consumed her life. But her words died in her mouth.

Huey was nice. And she didn’t want to make this more awkward. Despite her attitude. 

As they came upon the school, she had a sick sense of deja vu and her stomach turned. It had been so long...and it looked so much the same. Yet so different. But he spoke again, trying to be cheery and they entered the building.

She laughed a little, the decorations coming into view and some poppy song she’d never heard assaulted her eardrums. “Afterlife, maybe,” She joked, then looked around. “Whoa...what do you guys think fashion is nowadays?”

HUEY:

Afterlife, of course. Huey actually laughed, which kind of startled him; it felt almost bad to joke about it. It was a sad, sombre sort of thing. But if she was the one making the jokes, well… maybe he was allowed to laugh?

Huey wasn’t surprised by anything he saw as he looked around the room of assembled teenagers. Every event was like some kind of costume competition, with the objective of being the biggest, most glamorous, most outrageous person in the room, and tonight was absolutely no exception. Still. He dreaded to think what an 80s prom might look like.

“Well… I mean, we used to think that about you guys. No offense. But why was everything neon?” Questionable, and Huey didn’t even know anything about fashion. He took a breath, looking again at Kimberly. “So… what do you want to do first?”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

Kimberly looked to Huey, and smiled a little at the laugh. It really lifted her spirits to hear it. Maybe tonight would be good. Maybe this was the prom she was meant to go to. Sure, she’d love to have gone to her own. Be among her own peers, but…

“Excuse you!” She gasped, swatting at him playfully. “My original dress was AMAZING, I’ll have you know!” She giggled though, still holding onto his arm as he continued to speak. Then hummed as she looked around. “Gosh, there’s so much - Oh! Lets go get a picture taken!” She said this, shoving him towards the little picture area. “So we can never forget and - oof!”

“Uh! Triton, what the hell, you clumsy little - what are you wearing?” Ashlé started as they ran into her, ready to tear them apart before taking a small step back to look at them. “Did one of your sisters pick this out?”

Kimberly’s nose scrunched up. Oh, she knew girls like her. Already five seconds in, and she knew. “Do I know you?” She asked, going to flip her long blonde hair but remembering it wasn’t there. “You and your train are in the way.”

Ashlé’s face soured more. “Mallard, what drugs is your girlfriend on?”

“Why - I’d never!” Kimberly chirped up, looking to Huey now.

HUEY:

A picture sounded good, actually. He didn’t want to mention the fact that it would be he who held onto it, not her, because she seemed to picking up a bit, and he knew better than to ruin that mood. So instead he gave a laugh, tugging her by the arm over to the backdrop they had set up—

Straight into the path of an Ashley.

Or Ashlé, to be specific. Huey sighed, about to just apologise and skirt around her… but apparently, that wasn’t to be.

“Kim— Ariel.” He hissed, giving her a warning look before he looked to Ashlé. It was absolutely not like Huey to talk back to an Ashley, especially not after that run in with Ashley A a while back, but maybe it was the fact that his girlfriend was possessed and he had the Holy Grail in his backpack - he was feeling bold. 

(And maybe, on some level, he was sort of, just a little, trying to impress Kimberly. Maybe. Which was exactly why he said:)

“Well, y’know, it’s hard to recognise you under all that dress, Ashlé. Plus, with the lackeys back there, we thought it might be someone important.” Instant regret. He was dead. Time to leave. “C’mon, Ariel,” He tried to tug her out of the way, back towards the other wall. 

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

Get her, Huey!

Ariel’s cheers ran through the head Kimberly found herself possessing, and she was in agreement. Even impressed, her eyes widening a little in surprise as she looked to Huey. Now she understood why the little spitfire seemed to like him so much. Maybe there was more to him than book smarts.

“Real mature, Mallard. Going after a girls’ looks,” Ashlé twisted, taking a step closer, lackeys moving with her. In her heels, she came eye to eye with him, unlike most girls. Her hand reached out to grip the back of his tux, keeping him in place. “Just because I’m graduating doesn’t mean you’ll escape my wrath.” Her nails dug into him. “Don’t think you’re safe.”

“Oh, come off it!” Kimberly erupted, causing a couple heads to turn and glance curiously their way. She stepped forward and yanked the clawed hand off her date. “I don’t have time for bitches ruining my night! I’ve waited too long for whoever you think you are to come and ruin it!”

“Triton, don’t forget who you’re talking to!”

“I don’t even know who I’m talking to!”

HUEY:

Huey had explained to enough people by now that it was not just fight or flight, but fight or flight or freeze, a hidden third option chosen by most rodents. Right now he felt like just that, a mouse caught in the paws of a sadistic cat. So that was just what did — he froze, but he couldn’t help but look right back at her, meeting her gaze so maybe it looked at least kind of like he wasn’t sure he was about to die?

When Kimberly swooped in to save the day, he was more than a little relieved. He looked over at her, not at all surprised that she was something of a spitfire. She would have to be, looking for the Grail on her own, holding onto it like she had…

“I think we would all be having a better night if we were on opposite sides of the room.” He concluded, stepping back to make sure he was out of Ashlé’s grasp and reaching for Ariel at the same time, taking her hand before it could be used to slap Ashlé. “I’m sure if you start walking your minions will follow.” He added, looking between the two who were still just holding onto her dress. Did they know how to do anything else?

“C’mon,” he urged Kimberly, tugging on her hand. “Photo time.”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

Kimberly was very much thinking of Ashlé. And Ariel’s screams of anarchy inside her skull were definitely all the encouragement she needed.

But then Huey grabbed her hand, and she remembered where they were. Who she was with. And who she was. This was all beneath her. Even though she wanted to tear out every feather in this girl’s dress, she let Huey hold her back before silently nodding in agreement with him and turning away.

All Ashlé got out before they walked off was a huff and a, “Typical.”

“And there are more of them?” Kimberly harshly whispered to him as they made their way to the photo area.

HUEY:

“Unfortunately.” He muttered, shooting a look at Ashlé out of the corner of his eye. No doubt she would regroup with the rest of her coven, though whether Huey and (not) Ariel were big enough news to be passed on to the rest of the group was debatable. “I’m pretty sure they multiply every other day.” 

Enough of that, though. Hopefully they wouldn’t have any more run-ins with Ashleys for the rest of the night.

He led her over to the backdrop — he didn’t know who had painted it, but it was actually kind of good, with the lake in the background and the scenery and stuff. Not a half bad job. The last group was just vacating the photo area when they got there, so before anyone else could swoop in, Huey pulled Kimberly forward. “Okay — this is your perfect prom, you get to pick the pose. Whatever you want.”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

Uh, Kimberly wanted to tear out those dumb feathers from that stupid dress. But Huey guiding her away was able to calm her down enough for her attention to switch to something more improtant. Pictures!

“Oh! We have to go classic, of course!” She said, now grabbing him and yanking him in place. “You know, you behind me. Hands around my waist, my hands on your’s. You know!” As she spoke, she tried to pull him into the position, no matter how awkward his long limbs moved in comparison to her.

She wondered for a moment how someone so small as Ariel kissed him. Which got an angry rant from Ariel herself - which went ignored. She’d gotten quite good at ignoring her.

“Okay, ready? Okay! Smile!”

HUEY:

“Right, right,” Huey nodded, his mind casting back to all those vintage photos of people at their proms. Did people even still do that? He wasn’t surprised to find that he didn’t care. It’d be a nice photo, something that would be funny in hindsight, and if it made Kimberly happy, he wasn’t going to complain. He just let her drag him into the right position, trying not to accidentally elbow her in the ribs or step on her toes or something as he wrapped his arms around her middle.

For a moment, he thought about how it was still so strange, looking at his girlfriend and seeing someone else. Because sure, her eyes were a different colour now, and she was wearing clothes that Ariel was probably really mad about, deep down in there, but it was more than just that. She seemed totally different, her expressions, her mannerisms — he didn’t know how no one else had noticed it.

The flash went off on the camera, momentarily blinding him, and Huey used the time spent blinking stars out of his eyes to stow that thought away. A few more hours and Kimberly could be at peace, and Ariel would be back. In the meantime, they just had to try and navigate prom.

“Let’s go look at it,” he urged her, pulling her towards the photographer as he showed off the photo he’d taken. “Well?” He looked at Kimberly. “Do I make a good enough model or do you want a redo?”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

Kimberly couldn't help but giggle at Huey’s reaction. “Good job,” She said, before letting him pull her away and over to the camera to take a look. And she had been right. “We look great!”

Well, him and Ariel. But still her, but - it wasn’t. It was weird to imagine if he or her would keep that photo after she had...whatever. Another thing that was weird to think about. This whole thing was. Ner in her wildest dreams would she think she’d be here. Even in Swynlake.

“You did really good. Come on! Lets hit the floor!” She said, bouncing a little with excitement as she pulled him off in another direction. “I don’t know this song, but I get the vibe it’s going for.”

HUEY:

He wasn’t sure why he was so uplifted by her approval, but he was. When he’d first picked her up from Ariel’s house, he’d wondered if the entire night would be him making the wrong move and her taking a swipe at him for it, which he could’ve put up with, but… well, neither of them would’ve enjoyed the night, would they? This was much better. Apparently all it took was some boppy pop music and a half-decent photo backdrop for them to warm up a bit.

Huey laughed as he was pulled towards the dance floor. Dancing was not in any way his strength, but he had the spirit. “It’s a good song.” He agreed, trying his best to move to the rhythm and not take someone’s eye out.

Before they had been there too long, though, someone bumped into him, and then stumbled past, just managing to stand on the back of Kimberly’s dress.

“Woah!” JJ cried, looking at the pair. “Sorry!”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

Kimberly yelped in surprise, causing a couple heads to turn, and she whipped around to face the culprit. Of course, she had no idea who this was. But she was already fired up from their earlier interaction and wouldn’t think twice about tearing into this new victim.

“Watch where you’re going next time!” She huffed, looking down to her dress with pity. Then back up at the teen again. Then back at Huey, as if catching herself just in time to ask if she was going too far.

And by his expression - and Ariel’s continued raging inside - she realized she had.

So, she pursed her lips, tensed up, then sighed and looked back to him. “I mean - sorry. It’s my sister’s...You know? Don’t want it ruined.”

You are terrible at this.

HUEY:

Huey could only blink, surprised, as apparently could Jack Jack, who looked at the would-be Ariel with wide eyes and increasingly red cheeks. Huey didn’t really know the youngest Parr that well, but that was probably a good thing — it probably meant he kept out of trouble, unlike his siblings.

Luckily for them, though, JJ wasn’t wasn’t totally unused to girls shouting at him — the perks of having a sister. If it could be called a perk. He recovered quickly, with a small shake of his head that tousled his curls and brought a small, kinda nervous smile back to his face.

“Right, yeah - lemme make it up to you! Uh…. there’s pizza?” JJ offered. “I will definitely fight the hordes of hungry teenagers to get you a slice. A good slice.”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

At that, Kimberly seemed to perk up. It had been so long since she’d had - well, any type of food. And just at the mention of it, Ariel’s tiny body seemed to growl in hunger as well. Perfect timing.

“Actually, that’d be perfect,” She said, smiling sweetly and grabbing his arm. “If you need a weapon, you can take this purse with you as well. I chose it because it seems good to smack people around with.”

Old habits did die hard, she supposed. Plus, she was gettign tired of carrying. Win - win for everyone.

HUEY:

The offer seemed to have gone down well, which was enough to make JJ stop sweating, but not enough for him to feel fully at ease. His impression of Ariel had always been that she was kinda chill, not… whatever was going on here. But hey, he didn’t know her, maybe she contained multitudes. He wasn’t gonna judge. He just took her purse, tucked it under her arm, gave a mock salute, and was on his way.

Huey, however, was absolutely judging, and he glanced around to make sure that most heads had turned back to whatever it was they were doing before her little outburst. He couldn’t blame Kimberly for reacting — that wasn’t her dress, and it was a nice dress, so someone stepping on it was definitely cause for concern — but still. Ariel wouldn’t have reacted like that. Ashlé suspecting was one thing (she had probably already forgotten about them both by now, seeing as to her they were ants, and she was a sadistic kid with a magnifying glass), but others might not. They needed to keep on the down low as much as possible.

And he had been so busy thinking, and worrying, he didn’t notice the other two had started moving through the crowd. “Hey, wait up!”

It was easy enough to follow them. JJ carved a path through the crowd with his free elbow and the purse, the two of which seemed like a pretty solid combination. Huey managed to get past just as people started mingling together again, trailing them all the way to the pizza table. 

“Look out, coming through, hungry lady here, c’mon,” JJ battered his way to the front, earning a few disgruntled mutterings as he went, and gestured to the cardboard pizza boxes littering the table. “M’lady.”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

Kimberly found it hard not to giggle at this newcomier’s antics. Was he a little sloppy and clumsy? Yes, but at least he had good intentions. Unlike the girl. So, she held up the end of her dress and followed along, smiling all the while.

She threw that smile back at Huey before turning back to the pizza.”Thank you, good sir. I think we’re even now,” She said as she carefully grabbed her and Huey a slice on a paper plate. 

“Uh, JJ?” A voice came, and Kimberly turned to see a small Chinese girl looking at them all curiously. Blinking, Su looked between them, but kept looking back at her suspiciously. “Hey...you guys in a rush or something?”

HUEY:

Jack Jack gave a miniature bow, making sure to nab a piece of pizza for himself before the crowds descended on them once again. Honestly, he thought he was gonna have to get himself a one of those purses, cause Ariel was right: it was very good for whacking people with. He’d never have to wait in line for anything ever again with one of those things.

To save from being jostled away from the table, Huey stepped up behind Kimberly, looking over her shoulder. He didn’t know why seeing a slice there for him too made him smile; it was just the polite thing to do. Although, Kimberly had proven if there was one thing she wasn’t, it was polite. So. Huey was gonna choose to take this one as another sign that she was warming up to him. 

He was so distracted by that slice of pizza that he didn’t notice Su until he saw Kimberly’s head move. He only really knew Su as Mei’s sister, ot as her own person, which sure was a little weird, but he assumed, if she was anything like Mei, that she was nice. She certainly seemed it. 

“For pizza,” JJ answered, and Huey reached around Kimberly, grabbing a box with a few slices left inside. He handed it to the younger boy, who held it out to Su. “Payback for standing on Ariel’s dress. I got her, and now you, the best pizza Swynlake Secondary has to offer.”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

Kimberly eyed the young girl back, then looked to Huey and JJ. “Yeah - he’s lucky I’m so merciful tonight,” She joked, laughing and waving off the odd air that came over them. “Anyway - JJ, you and Su can go dance or eat pizza. I think me and Huey are going to have some time alone, you know?” 

She wrapped an arm around Huey’s thin waist, smiling sweetly at the two then up at her not but Ariel’s boyfriend. Still, Su stood there, hesitant for a moment, then looked back to JJ. “Okay...what kind do they have?”

And with that, Kimberly took the distraction to usher Huey away, giggling a little as she did so.

HUEY:

Huey wasn’t sure entirely why, but he blushed at that.

Maybe it was the arm around his waist, which was technically Ariel’s but also very much not Ariel’s right now, or maybe it was the little look Jack Jack gave them, the glance between the two of them and the small nod before he turned around to Su to play waiter (literally, he was doing a little mock bow again). But either way, Huey was glad it was kind of dark in there as he was pushed back towards the crowd, leaving the pizza table behind.

The night after that seemed to go in kind of a blur. People getting thrown into punch bowls, prom king and queen, and the drama that had followed (there was always some kind of drama; prom was just like that), all of which Huey was very glad to not be a part of. When the dancing had resumed after Nemo had… yeah. Huey wasn’t thinking about it. He had just been grateful to get back to what had otherwise been a pretty good night — Kimberly was definitely a better dancer than him, but he didn’t even care.

With the night wearing on, the music was starting to slow down a little. Huey didn’t even know what the song was, to be honest, but he put his hands on Kimberly’s waist and swayed along to it, just a little off beat. 

“Y’know,” He paused, wondering if he should tell this story. It wasn’t like Ariel wasn’t there. But still. It was a nice story. “This is actually how me and Ariel got together. It was a wedding, not a prom. But we were dancing, and then the song went all slow, and it seemed kinda awkward to stop dancing… and then she kissed me.” He paused, and then added, his tone a little softer. “She’s a lot braver than me. Which is good, ‘cause you could’ve been in my body, and I don’t think that’d work for anyone.”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

Despite the circumstances, Kimberly was having a nice time. Especially once she settled into the festivities. She would dare say Ariel was also having a good time, deep down. Literally, wherever she was and how possession worked.

And Huey wasn’t a bad partner for the evening either. He was kind. And went out of the way to make sure she was okay. And comfortable. She appreciated that.

With her arms looped around his shoulders, swaying comfortably with the music, she smiled up at him at that. “That sounds about how I’d see it going,” She chuckled, patting at his chest. “Oh really? I was about your height, you know? But I would have definitely made you wear heels to this, whether you liked it or not.”

Another little laugh, shaking her head. This was - nice. On the verge of perfect. But the faces were all wrong. But she could pretend...if not just for a moment…

“This has been really nice...actually.”

HUEY:

Kimberly really hadn't been bad company either. He might’ve had a better time with Ariel, cause there wouldn’t have been that weird awkward period right at the start there, but it had been good. Nice. And he could do it all again with Ariel next year, if they wanted to. 

“Ah, and you would’ve ruined my cool guy reputation.” His nose scrunched as his laughed, ‘cause the idea of him really was laughable. He could barely walk in a straight line as it was, he couldn’t imagine trying to walk in heels. Though that would have been her problem, not his.

He was glad that she was having a nice time, though. That she’d enjoyed it. Being trusted with someone’s prom, when they were… she only had the one night, is what he was saying, and he had worried about it being his responsibility. It was nice that he could give her that.

“I’ll try not to be offended by the actually.” He teased, before glancing around the room. “We could call it a night, if you want? Before anymore calamities.”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

“Pfft - whatever,” Kimberly chuckled.

At his suggestion, she looked around. After the crowing ceremony drama, about half of the attendees seemed to clear out, so there was so much more room for them on the dance floor. But, if that was only a taste of what Swynlake’s modern secondary could offer her for drama, getting out sounded like a good option while she still could. They’d managed to stay out of trouble so far, may as well not push it

“Yeah...it’s probably best that we go now before a second wave of drama comes,” She hums, pulling away for a moment then grabbing his hand and leading him out the gym doors and into the hall of lockers. “What now, lover boy?”

Though, she knew. It was time for her to go. Even though a part of her didn’t want to go. Was still in denial that she had long since passed. And this wasn’t her body.

“One more walk though, for old time sake?”

HUEY:

He didn’t really want to say it, but he saw the recognition flash in her eyes. He didn’t know how any of this worked, but… he knew it was time for her to go. Into the light, to the other side, whatever it actually was. Her soul had been tied to the Grail, and now to Ariel, when she had drank from it. Maybe if anyone else had found it, Kimberly really would have achieved eternal life. Or at least, she would’ve passed on to the next person, and the next person after that, hopping bodies for eternity.

But they’d given her what she wanted. One last night, one last prom. That would be enough for her to move on, wouldn’t it?

“Sure.” He nodded, giving her hand a squeeze. “I know a spot.”

Town was almost eerily quiet, what with most people either being at the secondary school or the adult prom, but it was nice. It made Huey feel a little better about hauling the Grail around with him; it was just the two of them. 

Well. The three of them.

It was equally quiet by the lake. It might’ve been creepy on any other night, the full moon reflecting on the deep, dark water, but it felt sort of on theme for prom, actually. 

“Well… was prom everything you expected it to be?”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:  

The lake was still as beautiful as she remembered. Almost like it hadn’t changed since her time alive and young and free. The full moon looming over them - it was perfect. It made tears sting at her eyes. Her town....she loved it.

In life, she wasn’t too big on Magicks. She’d thought them dangerous. Scary. David had taught her differently. And because of him, she wanted to do better. Which is how she got mixed up with the Grail - and here she was now.

“It...it was something else,” She admitted, but smiled sadly at him. “I had a great time, Huey.” Taking a breath though, putting back on a firm face, she nodded and wiped at her eyes. “Listen to me - you need to get that Grail somewhere safe. It can’t - this can’t happen to anyone again, alright?”

HUEY:

Huey nodded earnestly, knowing that they were going to do their best. Turning it in to Town Hall would be so simple, but what then? What if someone got their hands on it, someone who decided to use it for evil? He knew they were in danger by holding on to it, but he also knew that it was better that they did, that it was safe with them, for now. It needed to be taken back to the forest, to be buried deep down somewhere, somewhere where no one would ever find it again.

“We will.” He assured her, taking her hand and squeezing it gently. “Ariel and I, we’ll make sure that it gets into the right hands. We won’t let it go until we’re positive. And we’ll make sure, wherever it goes, it’s far away from anyone else.”

Huey could only imagine how the Grail could be used to hurt someone. To ensnare them like Kimberly had been, or to threaten, or… well, he could imagine a lot of things, and none of them pleasant. “I promise. We’ll take care of it.”

ARIEL/KIMBERLY:

Huey took her hand, and Kimberly felt a sudden calm come over her with the squeeze of her hand. She took a breath, sharp and deep then looked him in the eye and smiled. “I trust that you will. Good luck,” She said, her voice shaking a little. “And thank you.”

And with that, Ariel’s bright blues came back. A silence overtaken her and she blinked once. Twice. Then looked to Huey. “She’s...gone.” Her hand, now once fully her own again, squeezed his tightly and smiled just the slightest. “She’s okay though…”

HUEY:

Huey was sad to see Kimberly go, but he had to admit — he was glad to see Ariel return, brown melting away into blue again. He didn’t know what to say, at first. He didn’t know if she was upset at having someone else control her body, or angry, maybe. She really did have the right to be either of those, given the circumstances. All Huey did was wait for her to say something, smiling back at her when she smiled at him, even if it was barely there.

“And you?” He asked, browns furrowing a little. He was glad to know Kimberly was okay, wherever she was now, but Ariel had been a passenger for a while now. Who knew what that could do to a person? Would it have any side effects? “How do you feel?”

ARIEL:

Ariel laughed awkwardly at that. Honestly, she didn’t know. It was weird now having control. Suddenly the weight of life crashing down on her. Was it...weird to feel a little sad she was back in control? All the responsibilities of her life coming back to her?

Probably. And she really didn’t want to voice it. If anything, she was tired. 

So she nodded, leaning forward until she was fully leaning against him, head resting on his shoulder and wrapping her arm that wasn’t holding his hand around him. “Yeah...I’m fine just...super tired. It’s been a long night.” She turned her head up to look at him though. “I missed you though…”

HUEY:

Huey wasn’t surprised that she was tired. He could imagine that being possessed was pretty stressful, even if the ghost you were possessed by was just a girl from the 80s who wanted to go to prom.

He leaned his head against Ariel’s, face smushed into her hair, and wrapped his free arm around her in turn. He didn’t know if Ariel was telling the truth about Kimberly being at peace, and he still had the Holy Grail in his backpack, and yet this moment was the most calm he’d felt all night. The quiet and the chill to the night air… it was calming. Comforting. And Ariel was back — that was a lot of it, too.

He straightened up when she tilted her head, dipping his chin so he could look at her. “I missed you too.” He told her, and he meant it, too. He wished they could’ve had prom, but there was always next year, he supposed. “I’m really glad you’re back.”

ARIEL:

Ariel smiled up at him. Why were her eyes all wet? Uh, she felt so dumb and sappy but also didn’t care. She slowly reached up, pulling her hand from his and set it on his cheek before leaning up just a little more to press a kiss to his lips.

“Sorry I...pulled an Ariel,” She tried to joke. “I don’t know what happened there…”

Aside from the odd pull of the Grail. She wondered if that’s what happened to Kimberly. She figured though she’d never know that. And with luck, they never would. Because while she wanted to just live in this soft, rose tinted moment against Huey, the weight of what just happened clung to her tired body as well.

“But we have to get rid of that thing...get it somewhere safe,” She said. “No one should have to go through what Kimberly did again…”

HUEY:

The kiss was soft, and sweet, and enough to distract him from the many, many reasons he had to worry right now. He kind of just wanted to stay like that, in the cloud of her perfume, with the warmth of her body against his, not worrying.

But she was right. They needed to do something.

“You’re right.” He agreed, pulling back just a little, enough to meet her eyes properly. “I’ll keep hold of it, tonight.” He assured her. It was still in his backpack, as it had been all night, and it would stay there. He’d take it home, and hide the bag somewhere safe for the time being. At least they were out in the farmlands, where it was quiet, where he or his Uncle or on of his brothers would notice the footfall of strangers. 

“And I’ll think about who we can give it to. I’ll do some research.” That wouldn’t be difficult; he loved doing research. “There has to be someone who can take it back out to the forest and hide it.”