Davy's Fun World was a large arcade in Demaitre complete with three different miniature golf courses, a pool full of bumper boats, two miniature race car tracks (one for children, and one for licensed drivers to drive miniature NASCARS), a concession shop, bumper cars, a handful of daredevil rides, and a huge building full of arcade game from Pac-Man to Laser Tag Tournaments.

It was loud inside, so Tiffany bought herself a water (which was ridiculously priced) and picked up two more for the two people she was expecting. Colton had called her... Actually, Colton had probably dialed, but most of the conversation had been dominated by the adorable voice of the adorable Celeste, which was set at a hundred miles per hour. Finally she had talked to Colton for a moment, who was amused at Celeste, as usual. She smiled as she spoke to him, winding up the call with an agreement to meet at Davy's Fun World so that Celeste could be photographed playing some of the holes on the miniature golf courses. There were waterfalls and caves and a pirate ship, as well as a dinosaur and a windmill, assorted little buildings. It would be a fun place - maybe if Colton agreed he and the girl could even play a round and just let her be an observer.

She had her camera around her neck, and a smaller bag than she had the day before over one shoulder, to be less conspicuous. She had selected a couple lenses more, so that she did not need to haul all her things through Davy's Fun World.

A group of pierced. chained, and tattooed teenagers in black passed by her and she smiled and nodded, regretting it when she got a leer from one, and a passing wink. At least he did not stop. She flushed. She was twenty-seven, for goodness sake! Not quite old enough to be his mother, perhaps, but still far too old for him. That thought on being his mother set her off on an odd train of thought, too, and she shook her head, deciding she did not particularly care to feel old.

Her eyes scanned the huge series of islands and parking lots, trying to spot the pair. It was a good distance from the apartments, so she had sent a taxi for them. She herself had started out early, deciding that she needed the exercise. Thus the professional looking camera and bag, and the soft, pink sports pants with white stripes down the side. With a white tanktop under a thick white hoodie sporting the words 'Meow' with a stylized pink kitten, she realized she probably looked like a teenager. Exercise was hard on makeup, so she had opted for some strawberry lipgloss instead, which was tucked into her pocket with some spending money, her license, and a lollipop for Celeste. All the little things she had bought for Celeste were back at her apartment, and she would have a taxi take them where they needed to go before going back to her apartment.

She finger-combed her ponytail and adjusted her clothing, bouncing in place a little, anxious to start. She hoped Celeste really was feeling better and was well-rested. It was going to be a little long, and she was hoping she would be able to get a lot done before they called it quits. The park would have to be another time, since it was only half an hour or so before sunset now.

She checked her lenses and mentally reviewed her purchases for the sessions with the little girl. Hopefully she had gotten everything, and her closet would be open for the girl's dress-up. Chuckling, she remembered the invitation to join in the dressing-up at Celeste's home, but somehow doubted that she would fit into the small child's clothing.

Celeste might like to spend the night, and she had intended to ask, but decided it was still too soon to do so, since this was only their second meeting, but someday she wanted to, when they knew her better.

Her white sneakers had sparkly pink emblems in the side, and she had to shake her head ruefully at herself. She could be a posterchild for teen apparel. Her business dress was professional and well-tailored, as was her general casual clothing, but when she exercised, apparently she flashed back ten years, and that was amusing...

Where were they? Slipping up the sleeve of her hoodie, she ran her eyes over the digital display before dropping the sleeve and hugging herself with a shiver and a stamp of the feet. Hopefully they wrapped up warmly. They were native to Demaitre, so surely they knew to do so...

Pausing, she stood on tiptoe, thinking she had caught a glimpse of a little bobbing head holding the hand of someone in the midst of the sudden crowd for the arcade. It was getting louder in there, so she would bypass it and go around with Celeste and Colton to cut directly to the miniature golf courses. A tingle of excitement ran through her, and she grinned. This was going to be fun!

OOC| Man, for as geek-ish as Skikki claims Colton is, he sure does know quite a few women! First there was Hannah, then Elena, and now Tiffany.. Apparently the boy doesn’t attract male friends! |

((I'm going to have to change the time to a half an hour after sunset, because otherwise, Colton is ashes... And that's a little awkward...))

Celeste had woken Colton up at around 2:30 in the afternoon; an equivilant of waking the average mortal up at 2:30 in the morning. She wanted to call Tiffany, as it had been three whole days, and she was all better. Celeste talked too quickly for Colton to be able to absorb everything at that hour, so he did what every normal human would do: he rolled over, covered his ears with his pillow, and went back to sleep.

About an hour later, Celeste had dragged a kitchen chair to the front door, opened it, left the apartment, convinced Michelle to come help her wake her uncle up, and the two devious girls had come up with an ice bucket filled with half-melted ice water. This was hilarious, they thought. They dumped it on him.

Of course, this got him up, cursing like a sailor, in his boxers and nightshirt. While Celeste and Michelle laughed, Colton stood there, dripping wet, trying to determine how one punished a three year old and a four and a half year old for something they couldn't quite comprehend, and no doubt saw on some funny movie of Michelle's. He started by sending Michelle home, which she didn't really mind, and then ordering Celeste to her room. She begged to call Tiffany and go have a dress up party, and Colton used this as his leverage of punishment. She wouldn't be able to see Tiffany for another 5 hours because of what she had done.

This sent Celeste into tears for ten or so minutes, before Colton broke down and called Tiffany, which was the immediate cheer-up for Celeste. While Celeste babbled away, Colton dressed and tried to dry off his bed, but gave up when Celeste told him that 'Tiffy' needed to speak to him. They arranged a meeting place and a time, which Colton negotiated in reference to Celeste's punishment, and then hung up.

For those four hours of idle time between, Colton had to endure a fashion show of every article of Celeste's clothing. She modeled the red dress of hers about 5 times before Colton said that the red dress was his favourite, so she'd have to wear it, and he wasn't watching another minute of it. So they settled on that. After a bath for Celeste, a short story to keep her occupied, and dinner, a taxi came and rang for them. Colton was surprised by this; he'd have to pay Tiffany back for the taxi fare, be it in game tokens, cotton candy, or cash.

They arrived there, and Celeste was in heaven. She wanted to ride the carasoul, and the mini Ferris wheel, and drive a car. The bumper boats, the arcade games, but most importantly, the put-put golf course.

Celeste's little red dress stood out quite easily in the sea of teenagers looking for a Friday night getaway. It was down to her knees, puffed out with a petticoat, and canvas with satin accents, and a huge red bow on the back. She was adorable, indeed. Colton looked more like her older brother, not her uncle, as he wore a jacket over a regular teeshirt, jeans, and his old beat up and worn out Converse sneakers.

Celeste spotted Tiffany like a rat could spot cheese. "TIFFY!" She was estatic. "Tiffy! Tiffy! Look at my dress! It is the red one that I told you about because I got it with my mom! Lookat me!" She spun around a couple times, demonstrating the twirling qualities of it. Colton smiled somewhat, and waved slightly to Tiffany.

"Sorry we're late... That cab you got us too a wrong turn." Colton held out 20 dollars. "We could have walked here just fine, you know." He offered her a grin.


((I know! What is that!? He's supposed to be geeky, not a chick magnet! And, probably why he doesn't attract guys is because he doesn't want another guy relationship, because the one with Jake was just too perfect... So. Yea. XD))

((Whoops, thanks. ^^))

Tiffany waved aside the money to bend to her knees and catch Celeste in a bear hug.

"S'only because I asked that you came, Colton." She smiled and looked back to the girl, "Wow, a beautiful dress. Reminds me of Little Red Riding Hood."

She wrinkled her nose and made a light growling sound, stretching her fingers like claws. Laughing lightly, she stood up, slinging her camera and bag back to her side, having put them behind her back to avoid banging them into the girl.

"Well, I am sorry about the taxi. I would have driven, but I got here in time to take a few snapshots of the night life here, so to speak - mostly teenagers all in black with bored expressions. I needed the exercise, anyway."
Arching her brows for a moment, she grinned girlishly at Celeste, gesturing to the far side of the building and darting towards it. She dropped her hand and took Celeste's gently, not wanting to lose her in the crowd. Turning he head, her eyes scanned the group for Colton to make sure that he was keeping up. He looked a little tired, but otherwise he might have blended in with the youthful patrons seething in each of the buildings and pavilions like dark blood. The way they poured money into Davy's Fun World made it not so far from the truth that they were the lifeblood of the game world.

Moving towards a line, she managed to get within a few people and soon she and Celeste were in front of the putt-putt hut's window, ordering up three clubs and selecting the balls they wanted from a woman who was wearing all orangey colours, with cheetah ears perched in her bleached-blonde hair. Tiffany was only disgusted at the way the chomped her gum for a moment, wondering if she had ever been like that, before she looked to Celeste and wondered if the girl could see up the the tubs of balls.

"What colour do you want, Celeste?"

Colton sighed. "But that wasn't necessary, Tiffany... Honestly, I can afford to pay you back for the cab fare. I'm not a starving college student anymore." He grinned widely, but knew she wasn't going to take the money. He'd have to be sneaky and get it back to her one way or another.

Celeste hugged her back. She liked this Tiffy girl. Celeste remembered vaugly that her mother had taken her to a fun park before, and the memory was a good one. Uncle Colton would never have taken her to the fun park, had Tiffany not requested this. She had already tried making him take her. Celeste giggled at her Big Bad Wolf imitation, and burst into talking. "My daddy read me that! And my mommy!" She had so many memories of her parents, and they were all good. She didn't know what 'death was'. She couldn't comprehend the wrong in her father being a drug dealer. She didn't have to deal with those life burdens.

Colton nodded. "Yea, I used to come here when I was younger... Only amusement park in the area, hence being the hangout for all the 'cool people'." He laughed some at the idea of him being a 'cool person', but shook it off. "You'll get this twenty bucks back before the night is through, though. I promise." He offered a playful grin, and then followed her and Celeste to the putt-putt window.

"I want a pink one! Please!" She had been getting better with her manners, but sometimes she forgot. However, she wouldn't forget with Tiffy. Tiffy was nice. Colton grabbed a red one for himself, and handed a bright pink one down to Celeste, who quickly ran off in search of the first hole. "Celeste! Hold on!" She stopped somewhere in the crowd, and came back into sight for a few seconds, looking impatient. Colton, however, wanted to wait for Tiffany.

"I know you can afford it, but it isn't necessary. You are here on a business arrangement."

It was obvious by her smile that it was far more than business, a pleasure, of course, but the business deal would give her a reason not to take his money. he was sneaky at evading.

"Haha. We shall see..."

It was good to see the girl happy, and she seemed excited about the course. Tiffany almost regretting buying herself a putter and ball - she wanted to photograph... Eh, she could do that along the way, or after even. She was fairly sure Celeste would suggest that both she and Colton play.

Selecting an orange ball to keep to the warm color choices, she tagged after the little girl and her uncle. She smiled to Colton through the crowd, weaving after him and towards Celeste.

Chuckling, Tiffany looked at the differeny courses.

"Which one should we take first, Celeste?"

Colton pocketed the money with a devious frown, his eyes giving away the fact that he'd get her the money if it was the last thing he did. Besides, she was already paying for everything.

"We shall." A slight grin, before turning to Celeste and following her to the courses.

Celeste pointed to the first one in her sight, proclaiming that this was the one. "I wanna go first!" She was quick to run over, and Colton followed after her at a slower pace. "Alright, Celeste... Put your ball..." But Celeste already had, and she grabbed the club somewhere in the middle of the handle and swung with all her might. The ball hit the bricks lining the green hard, and ricocheted off past where they were standing.

Celeste giggled. "Ooops!" She only laughed harder at this, and Colton rolled his eyes, and handed her his ball. "Be more gentle now, alright?" She didn't seem to hear him, and she whacked the second ball only a smidgen less hard than the first. It bounced around on the green before coming to a stop 8 feet from the hole. Celeste ran after it, and stood by it. "Tiffy's turn!" She giggled. "Uncle Cotton can't go because he doesn't have a ball!"

Colton shook his head, and went off to find the ball Celeste had lost, returning half a minute later with her little pink ball, and switching it with his own. "Now... Be more careful..." He stood back to let 'Tiffy' take her swing.

Tiffany shook her head and made a mock exasperated, eye-rolling expression before following after the bouncing child and her uncle. She side-stepped as Celeste's ball whizzed past where she and Colton stood. Looking to him, she quirked a brow with a slow grin.

"This game may be more dangerous than I thought... Perhaps a bit more exercise for you than I had thought. Wonder if I should check up on my life insurance with that girl at the green." Chuckling, she watched him lope off after the ball. She had considered leaving her bag at the desk, but did not trust the gum-chewing, air-headed sales clerk, so kept it with her. Holding up her camera, already fitted with the lens she wanted to start with, she spoke to the girl.

"Okay, one quick picture first. Smile pretty, Celeste! One, two, three - !"

SNAP.

Grinning, Tiffany set the camera on her bag and bent to set her ball on the little mat. Eying the hole, she tapped her ball, but it was a little too soft. It angled off the wall, and was headed straight for the hole, but rolled up short two feet from it. She groaned lightly. Alright, so she could improve her miniature golf game...

She stepped aside so that Colton could try his luck, making a face at Celeste and asking her to twirl in her dress for her as she lifted her camera again.

Colton laughed, and nodded. "I swear, I didn't think she'd be a liability!" He chuckled as he left for her ball.

Celeste grinned widely for the first shot, looking quite dorky, yet absolutely adorable. She had quite a bit of her mother in her, wanting to be flashy and well dressed all the time, and not afraid of people one bit. Colton worried that, perhaps, she'd be too much like her mother. He loved Codi, yes, with all his heart, but his sister had not been the brightest bulb on the tree. She had gotten involved in the wrong crowds, gotten compulsive over her body image, become something akin to a slut, just trying to prove to everyone that she could be a beautiful person, and in all the wrong was.

Colton hoped that he could help Celeste by-pass that.

Colton eyed Tiffany's shot, and placed his ball down on the mat. He, unlike the other two, did not take aim for the wall, but rather, straight for Celeste's ball. The game was called Sabotage, and he and Jake had loved playing it when they were starting college. "Watch out, Celeste..." Colton tapped his ball, and, with years of practice and way too much free time spent playing such, his ball hit Celeste's ball away from the hole.

"That's not fair! Imma get you back, Uncle Cotton! You just wait! Imma get you!" Celeste looked quite menacing with her little frown and pointed finger, and Colton could only laugh. He turned to Tiffany with a smile. "You're next!"

Celeste took a minute to twirl for Tiffany, club in hand, swinging it around with her.

"Hey, can you do that? Is that allowed?"

Tiffany protested along with Celeste's threats, arching a brow suspiciously at the unexpected putt. Judging by the cheeky look on 'Uncle Cotton's' face, it was. Hearing her ball threatened brought out the competitve nature in her and she smiled smugly and cocked a brow.

"Oh, really? Better leave my ball alone, or else Celeste and I might have to gang up and have our revenge."

She stood around, waiting for Celeste to make her move... Or was she supposed to go? No, Celeste went first so it was her turn. Wasn't it? Unless the bump had offset something. Snapping a couple pictures of Celeste, she stayed carefully out of range of the winging putter.

She grinned as well, having snapped a couple of Colton and Celeste as the girl was threatening him. Perhaps not a good picture for the article, but it would be a nice thing to frame. Maybe she would make them a scrapbook or collage or something... If she thought she was artsy enough.

At the moment, however, she was simply watching the two interact. They were close, and it was obvious that they loved each other. Every time Colton looked to Celeste there was an adoration there, but it was tempered with something... perhaps memories of his sister...

Clearing her throat, she fiddled with her camera for a minute before bouncing on the balls of her feet and cheering the little girl on.

"You can still get it in! C'mon!"

With a little turn of the head, she stuck her tongue out at Colton.

Celeste rallied with Tiffany immediately. Girls unite, again, and Colton was without some male counterpart to rally against them with. Celeste ran over and hugged Tiffany's leg, giggling and grinning up at her uncle. "We gonna get you back for that, Uncle Cotton! We gonna get you to never score!" She, aparently, thought this was a brilliant plan that he had no knowledge of, so she tugged urgently on Tiffany's pants for the woman to lean down. She had a secret!

"We're... Um... Gonna not let him go get his ball in the hole because he is... um..." She giggled. and ran away, trying to act unsucpicious as her uncle watched them with a quirked eyebrow, looking curious to what was said, even though it had been perfectly audiable to him.

Celeste took up her club again, and tried to hit the ball more gently. Too gently, and it rolled about four inches closer. "No! I wanna redo!" She ran after the ball and tapped it again, which rolled past the hole. She looked ready to chase it again, before deciding that that distance was acceptable, and out of Uncle Colton's range.

Colton smiled sweetly as she stuck her tongue out at him. "You're turn, darling. Then, payback for that little face you gave me." He laughed while Celeste moved to tempt him to threaten her the same way, making elephant ears on herself and sticking her tongue out. "Oh, Celeste, you need more punishment?" She giggled and shook her head, running to hide behind Tiffany.

Tiffany smiled at Celeste as she hid behind her and gave her a little wink before bending to stoop down by her ball. She had listened to Celeste attentively, nodding now and again, but grinned at Colton the whole time.

With a Southern drawl thrown into her accent, she looked smugly at him. "Oh, realleh, huh-ney?"

With a little swaggery movement, she did something rather odd. Lying on her tummy, she flipped her putter and lined it up with her ball, only she had moved so that she was lying facing his ball. Holding the stem of the putter like a billiard stick, she moved it, eyed it, and pushed it hard, sending her ball whirling. In a flash, his ball thunked against the wall, as did hers, but while his remained far afield, hers rolled back to rest half a foot from the hole. Ah, well. It had been a while since she had played pool, so her aim was a bit off.

Chuckling, she got up and dusted herself off. If he could introduce other forms of playing, then it was fair game that she did, too. Hm... competitive much? Either way, she reached smoothly down to Celeste with what was supposed to be a straight face, and waited for a high-five.

Celeste giggled at her accent, and tried to mimick it. "Yeah, hoon-ee!" She laughed at herself, her devious grin aimed at Colton. Just let him think he'd win this game.

Colton liked this. This, he decided, was the most fun he'd had in a good year or so, and the entire night would be stress free. He could feel it in air. He could see it in Celeste's carefree laughs and Tiffany's playful mood. And he liked not being stressed.

Of course, he didn't like it as much when she pulled out her own bag of tricks. He watched his ball scatter around the green, but, of course, hadn't he and Jake done this so many times before that he should have expected a retaliation?

"Oh, now that was cold..." Colton looked mock hurt for a moment, before grinning and taking his place behind his ball, now out of the way of the green. He couldn't get Celeste's ball from here, and hitting Tiffany's ball could cause it to roll into the hole, so... What did he do?

Colton took careful aim of the hole, and shot for it. The ball rolled too quickly towards the cup, and looped around the rim, landing it inches in front of the hole and in direct line of Tiffany's ball.

Celeste hadn't been paying attention to her uncle shoot, but rather kicked the ball into the cup. "I WIN!" She giggled and danced around the green, then ran to Tiffany. "Did you see me! I beat him!" Colton passed her a smile, and rolled his eyes.

Tiffany had always stood out in her hometown because she lacked the drawl that most of her family had. On one side there were doctors, professors, and other Old Southern types, while on the other there were the backwoods good ol' boys with banjos and tabacco. It had been an interesting mix, yet she retained only a light accent on words like 'spoon' and 'too'.

Celeste tickled her fancy, and she waited as Colton lined up his shot, trying not to be smug about his being cornered and all... Until he hit, and then she made an indignant gasping sound, pointing at it and shaking her head, but not saying anything, half-grinning in spite of her attempt to scold. She was laughing, and Celeste's big 'win' brought a nod from the woman.

"Yes, I saw what you did Celeste. I am afraid you are going to be the better player on this team." She was, of course, referring to the fact that there were two women, and therefore Colton must surely lose. And lose he would.

"Cold? Honey, we are just getting started, right Celeste?" Another chuckle as she watched the girl prance about, proud of her 'win'. She supposed she and Colton still had turns to fill until they got their balls in, so she determined to be 'second'.

Tiffany's favorite shots were off the wall, and she pooched her lower lip in a feigned pout for a moment when his ball cut her off like a little red police officer.

Lining up, she seemed to point her putter away from the hole, but she angled up and caused it to ricochete (I can't spell that to save my life :~P) off the wall at the spot she had focused on, and clunked neatly into the hole, never having touched Colton's ball.

Her voice was a hint smug as she knelt and pulled her ball up out of the little cup, along with Celeste's, handing the round, pock-marked ball to the child.

"Oh... Looks like we both beat him, Celeste. You were first, though. Do you think we can do this, oh, say... seventeen more times?" Colton wanted to play outside of house rules, then fine. She and Celeste could be creative... Even if the little girl's methods were a bit more obvious and questionably fair.

((Awww - Celeste is sooo cute! *cuddles girly*))

Celeste was estatic to be called 'the better' of the team. That was the way to butter her up; tell her everything that gave her confidence and her self esteeme a boost. She liked Tiffany almost as much as she liked Lady, but Lady was still her favourite, because she looked like her mom, only prettier. "We're going to beat Meanie Head!" She giggled and sneered playfully at Colton, who sneered back.

"That's not fair! It's two against one!" Colton put a mock whine in his voice, and one that Celeste probably considered real, though to Tiffany, it would be apparent that he didn't mind the team up. In fact, he'd probably end up losing to Celeste on purpose, just so she'd have something new to gloat about for the next few weeks. But Tiffany? No, she was compitition. With her pool skills versus his mini golf skills, they'd be quite a match.

Colton rolled his eyes. "Oh, one hole, big deal..." He grinned somewhat, and bopped his ball into the hole, letting it make a nice clunking sound. "We'll see how high and might you two are when there are actual obstacles to overcome, eh, sweethearts?" He winked playfully at Tiffany, and then smiled down to Celeste.

Celeste taunted him on the way to the next hole. "Girls are better than boys! Michelle told me boys have cooties, and girls don't!" She giggled, and hid behind Tiffany, chanting, "Girls are made from sugar, spice, and everything nice. Boys are made from slugs and snails and puppy dog's tails!" The few other people around smiled at the obnoxious cuteness the girl held.

"Me first, me first!" She broke away from Tiffany to set up for her next shot. On this course, there was a hill surrounding the hole, making it difficult to get the ball to it. Celeste hit her ball gently, as instructed to do previously, and the ball rolled up the mound slightly, then back down. She frowned at this, but didn't rush to move the ball closer to the hole, like she wanted to.


((Good! That's incentive for Tiffany to invite herself over, and not make it stalkerish. XD))

Oi, the hills. Tiffany gave a little groan. The obstacles were not such a big deal - she was actually quite adept at finding ways to deflect the ball from wall to wall to avoid them. The hills, however, and the sandtraps were her greatest downfall. The ball rolled back, and you had to hit with precise force or there was no saving yourself. You could not salvage a shot either, as you might if it were only a bit off. You had to begin again from another side of the hill. Oi.

Tiffany and tilted her nose up with playful snootiness as Colton had whined about the scoring and given him the 'mmhm, mmmmhm, sure' treatment. She hugged Celeste lightly to her side for a minute, smiling at her chanting and looking to Colton with a raised brow.

Yeh... Girls are better...

She snickered mentally.

"Hear that? Michelle said you have cooties. So its you and your cooties against us. That sounds fair." She grinned at the ridiculous logic.

Her eyes followed the little girl as she struggled with getting her ball up the mound. Tiffany did not laugh at the expression on the child's face, as she wanted to, knowing that she would not fair much better in all likelihood.

Stepping forward, she smiled to the girl and set her ball down, mouth set a little as she nibbled the inside of her lower lip and tried to decide how hard to hit it. The mound was circular, so there was no way to alter the angle by bouncing off the walls. Gr.

Tapping it hard enough to go over the hill, she was dismayed to see it rol up, up, and over the other side, a good three inches away from the elusive hole. With a cheerful mutter, she moved to stand by Celeste.

"Eh, bet Uncle Cotton will miss it, too. What do you think?"

By now the outing was entertaining, and she had forgotten for the moment that she was here to photograph, not socialize...

Colton smiled smugly as the ball failed to roll into the hole. "Seems like me and my cooties are going to win now, Ms. Greenbean." If she was going to call him Uncle Cotton, he was going to have to start patronizing her too. Besides. Guys were better.

Celeste clung to Tiffany's leg as Colton went to make his shot. Of course, she didn't stay there, and went to attack Colton as he took his 'putter stance'. "COOTIES, COOTIES, COOTIES!" She danced around him, chanting in a sing song tone with a mocking face. Colton sighed, and crossed his arms in front of him. "Celeste..."

Celeste didn't relent, though, and went to sit on the hole, giggling childishly. "You can't get it in!" She looked like the Queen, sitting on her throne, holding her club as if it was a regal staff. Colton shot a glance at Tiffany. "Your partner is cheating beyond the rules of cheating." The glance basically said, 'She's your problem; you deal with her.'

Celeste grinned for a while, until she realized Colton was never going to shoot if she didn't get off the hole. After she left, he wasted no time in setting up for a haphazard shot at the hole. He hit it, and the ball rolled up the hill, and Celeste chased it, trying to pick it up and move it away.

Instead, she kicked the ball straight into the hole. She, unaware of what that implied, reached down and picked it up, shouting triumphantly as she threw the ball a few feet away. Colton grinned. "Celeste, that's not fair! You shouldn't have switched teams with Tiffany and given me a hole in one without telling her!"

Celeste didn't understand at first. She stood there, looking preplexed, before it dawned on her. "NO! No you didn't cause you cheated and I didn't switch sides and..." She looked at Tiffany apologetically, almost worried. "I didn't mean to let him get it in! I didn't mean to, honest!" She went to cling to Tiffany's leg while Colton grinned.

It was very hard not to be visibly amused at the antics of the small girl. Celeste was going all out to make sure that he did not get that ball into the hole. She had given Colton a 'oooh, you...' face when she had been so cheekily referred to as 'Ms. Greenbean'. She should never, ever, ever, have imparted that little tidbit to him. Rolling her eyes, she turned her attention to the girl.

When Celeste finally got of her royal carriage and Colton shot, she tilted her head, wondering what on earth the child was doing. Catching Colton's look, she found she really was not sure what to say, and so did nothing more than photograph the girl sitting on the hole, then chasing the ball. Setting the camera back around her neck, she laughed softly at Celeste's panic.

"No worries - it is only one hole, and we still have sixteen left to beat him on. And we already have one." Winking, she stroked her hair once, and gave a mock reprimand to Colton.

"Preying on the sweet innocence of small females, hm? What is this world coming to? Can you not play like a gentleman... and lose..." Her lips quirked a little in spite of themselves, and she sighed, shaking her head.

"Perhaps, Celeste, we had best stick to the general rules - no chases or touching the other balls when they are shooting. I suppose we cannot say no messing with them at all, but perhaps not while the other person is shooting, hm? And no roadblocks."

She grinned and gestured to the hole which Celeste had capped recently.

"I do believe it is your turn, Miss Celeste. Uncle Cotton may not be competition, but those cooties seem to have an edge..."

Celeste grinned with this lack of reprimanding on Tiffany's part. She stuck her tongue out and Colton. "Yea, a whole 16 more!" She held up seven fingers to show him. He just grinned.

Colton took a metaphorical step back from thew scene before him, letting Celeste become more distant. If she wasn't his neice, how would he see her? More important to him was not how he'd see her, but how everyone who met her saw her. Her overabundance of energy, her outgoing attitude, and her smile... Would they be putting on a false, friendly act, or were they genuinely in love with the little bubblely sprite before them?

Somehow, he knew the answer, and that was enough to keep him smiling for the rest of the night. Be it something akin to fatherly pride, or what have you, his neice made his night.

"No, she deserves everything she gets... I just pray on the older ones who encourage the younger ones to torment me." Colton passed a mischeivious grin to Tiffany. "And, I warn you, Greenbean. When it comes to putt-putt golf, I don't lose. Perhaps you should learn how to lose like a lady..." Oooh, the battle of the sexes was on.

Celeste nodded, looking a tad resigned for a moment (Obviously over the fact that she could no longer torment her uncle) and stepped up to her ball. Within seconds, she didn't look so sad, and hit towards the hole. The ball rolled up, then down the other side. She crossed her arms, and chased after it, and began carefully hit-guiding it to the hole. It plopped in, and she grinned. "I win!"

But she didn't stick around long. No, she was bored with this hole. The next looked so much more interesting, and she toddled off to explore it.

Colton watched her, but stood around next to Tiffany. "My cooties had nothing to do with it." He grinned, and waited for her to pick up her ball and move on.

Apparently Celeste's mathematics were like her politics - still undeveloped. The growth obvious in her attempts, however, were adorable, and Tiffany had a hard time tearing herself out of the scene from time to time to snap shots of teenagers putting about, clearly more wrapped up in each other than the game.

"You don't lose? I think you should try it. I myself ever acquired a taste for it, but perhaps you might, hm? After all, ladies never lose, right Celeste?" She feigned to be indignant. "Besides, are you implying that I would direct this darling little angel to do something like torment her Uncle?"

A flutter of the lashes.

Tiffany's chuckle at Celeste became a soft, good-humored snicker at Colton as she collected her ball and strolled towards the third hole.

"Sure, dear, sure." A snooty look preceded a wink. She was going to beat him, no doubt, but she would let his ego rest intact for the time being...

((Ack! I apologize for this wave of unmotivation and lack of time!))

Colton looked aghast, and shook his head. "Me? Lose? How could you even suggest it? I put losing right up there with brussel sprouts! It's just something I'll never acquire a taste for." He grinned. "And, as for you having a bad influence on my niece, I find you guilty as charged." He tried batting his eyelashes back at her, and ended up looking pretty stupid, so he stopped, and moved on after Celeste to the next hole.

Celeste had already teed off by the time the other two had arrived, and was pointing to her ball with an enthusiastic grin. "Lookat how far I got, Tiffy! Lookat! Lookat!" As if Tiffany might have been blind, she ran over to point it out more obviously. "It's all the way over here!" She danced around by it, excited.

Colton grinned, and placed his ball down on the field. "It's not going to be there for long!" Colton teed his ball towards Celeste's, and hit it. But now it seemed more obvious than before; Colton wasn't playing to knock her ball out of the way. He was knocking it closer to the hole. All she could see, however, was that he was knocing it away.

You could see now that his objective wasn't to win, but to let Celeste win, in a roundabout way that made it look like he had nothing to do with it.

((Hehe, no worries. ^_^))

Tiffany was fully prepared to mock right back... until he batted his lashes. She was surprised, and had not seen it coming. For a moment she merely blinked at him, then glanced at Celeste and went off into a fit of laughter. She fanned at her face with one hand, blinking back a few tears.

"You would make a lovely... lovely Southern belle, Mr. Colton."

She giggled a bit more while she brushed the teasr from the corners of her eyes and studied the ball Celeste was dancing around. Perhaps she was just more easily amused at that late hour - but Colton's attempt at lash-batting was very amusing to her.

Suspiciously, Tiffany shot her eyes askance at Colton.

"Those Cooties seem to like Celeste."

She lined up her shot carefully, and through a series of deflections off the wall, got it into the hole in only one shot. She squealed and hopped up and down a few times.

"Yes! Look, Celeste! I got it in!"

Colton laughed along, and nodded. "Wha thank you, M'am!" In his best Southern drawl, which sounded like Canadian trying to immitate Southern--it really didn't work. But he tried. Two points for trying.

Colton watched her line up and shoot, and only nodded. Sure, get it in in one shot. Fine by him. He stuck by the mindset that, had he not helped Celeste, he could have made a hole in one himself. But he'd nod and smile all the same.

Celeste danced for joy with Tiffy. "If Cotton wasn't picking on me, I'd have a hole in one too!" What she hadn't taken into account that having a hole in one would have meant that her ball would not have been on the field for him to hit. But, to each their own, you could say.

"Imma hit mine in!" And, cheater method and all, Celeste got her ball in on the next "shot", which was actually a string of them lined up together, before she raced to the nearest next course, skipping a few others. She had deemed them too easy, and moved to the ones with obstacles.

Celeste putted her ball quickly, missing the "hole" by a narrow margin. What she didn't realize was that the hole was actually a tube connecting to a lower green. "C'mon Tiffy! We're gonna beat him!" She grinned like mad, and danced about her ball some more.

Tiffany wanted to get some shots of Celeste playing games in the arcade, but she wanted to be sure that Colton did not mind, since there were rougher crowds there at this time of night. Calling to the girl, she tried to lure her into trying skill over... cheating.

"Hey, Celeste: if you can get a hole in one then I will get you any kind of ice cream you want and five dollars for any arcade game or activity in the whoooole arcade."

Slanting her eyes to Colton, she wondered if he would intervene, but them she looked back to the child and decided that if she did not see him make a face, et cetera, then it was alright with him to the best of her knowledge... Not conniving at all.

Setting her ball down, she tapped it, and it hit where she wanted, but nicked a piece of turf, and sent it spinning past the hole, almost to the other end of the green. Sucking the insides of her cheeks in, she blew out a breath and glanced sheepishly at Colton.

"Looks like the Cooties got me, Celeste."

((OOC: This is the third frickin' time I am posting for you... It better actually display this time! I am so so so sorry about the wait... I swear to god, I thought the post was displayed for you a week ago!))

Celeste's eyes widened to the size of dinner platters at the mention of ice cream and arcade games. But mostly the ice cream. She cheater-hit her ball into the 'hole' on the field and dropped her putter right where she stood and ran for Tiffany. You could hardly motivate her with anything but the promise of ice cream. "HOLE IN ONE, HOLE IN ONE!" she chanted, tugging on Tiffany. The game was officially over, and Celeste's ball had rolled down onto the lower green, completely forgotten about.

Colton sighed some. "I guess this means we tie." He grinned, and went over to pick up Celeste's club as she tugged on Tiffany's hand. "I know where! I saw a man with ice cream when we gots here! I know where, follow me! Tiffy! Tiiiiiiffy, follow me!" She whined slightly, but mostly she was just excited over the possibility of getting ice cream. You'd think Colton didn't feed her or something.

When Colton returned with Celeste's club and Tiffany's ball, he laughed at Celeste's expression. She looked like she was in physical pain over the wait. "All right, Celeste, we're going..." It just proved that one could not hold a child's attention span to mini golf when ice cream was promised.

So Celeste ran off in front of Colton and Tiffany, destined to find the nearest ice cream stand in the park.

It was getting late, and she would be tired soon anyway. Best if they dropped the game and picked it up again some other time.

Tiffany's mouth opened as the girl cheated more blatently, looking over to Colton with a slightly disbelieving grin, but that was before she was tugged on.

"But...but... Oooh, Alright. I do suppose that was a hole in one."

She rolled her eyes at Colton and began to follow the prancing child who seemed about to explode.

"Yes, you are probably right. But I would... we would sooo have beaten you - and your little Cooties, too." As an aside she added, "I suppose now I know that ice cream does not a suitable bribe make."

She was dragging her feet until Celeste darted ahead. Tiffany had grown up in a rough group, so she had not as much fear as would have been healthy, but she still thought small children needed watching after. She darted forward, snaking through the crowds that the smaller child could fit through better, and kept the little blonde head in sight.

"Hey, Celeste! Wait up! Show me where it is!"

((Awww *hug*. I'm sorry - and no worries on my part. Sorry these last couple have been so short. -_-''))

Colton grinned. "You forgot that she's three, huh... All three year olds are genetically engineered to love ice cream." He kept grinning at this; one day, they'd have to do a study. Why did kids have an inborn addiction to ice cream?

Colton smiled slyly at her winning remark. "Never underestimate the power of a man and his cooties... Never. This is the only warning we'll give. Next time, it's no mercy." Colton stole her club from her, and twirled it around. His trophy, so to speak. He kept grinning that sly grin of his, a crooked grin, one corner of his mouth much higher than the other, and walking along side Celeste and Tiffany. And, Celeste ran off. Perfect.

"Celeste, slow down, please!" But she was long gone. Tiffany took after her, and Colton frowned somewhat. He could catch them, easy, but he had clubs in his hand. Instead of racing after them, he jogged over to the ticket booth and handed back the clubs. Now, to find them again.

Celeste waited for Tiffany, but didn't seem to notice that Colton was missing. That was like her, though. Colton wasn't buying her ice cream. Tiffy was. Who else mattered? She ran towards a booth and pointed to a very cliche looking ice cream cone symbol on the front of the cart. "Ice cream," she declared. Yes, Celeste. Ice cream. Now, where's Colton?

Colton was not in sight.

Tiffany was glad that Celeste waited, and looked over her shoulder a few times for Colton, but was sure he would find them. After all, he had but to find ice cream to find the child. And, she thought wryly, if he needed directions he and his putter-snatching cooties could ask for them.

Sidling up to the booth, Tiffany scanned the lists.

"What kind do you want, Celeste? And what kind do you think your Uncle Colton would like?"

The selection of cones got her moment for a moment, but she did not really like cones, so obviously their fascination was short-lived.


"Oh, and how many scoops should I get you both?"

((Yes, I know... Forgive? ^^))

Celeste didn't really know what type of ice cream she'd like... In fact, she rarely had ice cream, and probably had only tried Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry. "Um... What kind are you getting, Tiffy?" She looked to Tiffany for the answers. Tiffany had all the answers.

Colton found the ice cream stand right as she asked the second question and shook his head. "None for me, and you're not paying. My turn to pay for something," he said wryly, and pushed in front of her to pay for whatever. "You're all alone against me and my cooties in the paying department." He grinned back at her and then down to Celeste.

Celeste wasn't paying attention. She was deciding whether or not she wanted one scoop or two. Two, of course. "I want two! And a cone! And Tiffy ice cream!"

((Heh, no problem. ^^ *Luffs*))

"Hmmm... I think I am going to get vanilla... Oh look! You can get it dipped into chocolate that hardens and makes a shell! I think I want to try that."

She bent her knees, going into a semi-crouch so that Celeste and she could converse and she could still communicate with the cashier. Colton's arrival and his comment made her give a rueful shake of the head. She was about to protest, but she was afraid Celeste might climb over the counter and forcibly extract ice cream from the clerk if she did not get some soon. Her lips twitched until she could not help but laugh at the hyper child.

"Hehe, alright, alright. I want one scoop with the hard chocolate, in a bowl please."

Looking slightly down and bending back again towards Celeste's height she checked her order.

"Two scoops vanilla with chocolate around it?"

It seemed she was going to have to do some serious cootie eradicating one of these days. "Tiffy ice cream"... For some reason, the smallest attention from a child could make one feel so important. Slowly she was beginning to fall under Celeste's charming litle personality.

Colton nodded, and was about to order for Celeste when she changed her mind. "I want what Tiffy's getting! I want a bowl! And hard chocolate!" Colton grinned, and nodded. "What she said." The ice cream vender also could not help but smile at Celeste. She certainly had a way of getting all the attention she'd ever need from anyone.

Celeste certainly was serious date competition, that's for sure.

Colton handed Celeste's ice cream to her, and then Tiffany's to her with a crooked grin. Celeste was quiet, munching her ice cream happily, and jabbing up a second spoonful, trying to break through the hardened shell.

"You hear that?" Colton was grinning. "It's the sound of silence." Celeste didn't catch his joke, but it was obviously pointed at her, and how much she seemed to be able to talk. In fact, Colton was quite sure that, if people didn't need to sleep or eat, she'd never shut up.

Celeste huddled close to Tiffany. Of course she should feel special, but Celeste only truly like Tiffany because she was a girl. Celeste couldn't live with her mother anymore (She couldn't understand death) and it was difficult to not have that female figure around. So, unconsciously, every woman she met was just as eligible to be her mother of the night. And that made little Celeste infinitely happy.

Almost as happy as she was eating ice cream.

Tiffany took her's, brushing his hand and taking her sweet time about it. Alright, so she had not flirted in a while. Why not?

She flushed slightly and slipped her spoon beneath the shell, scooping up some vanilla ice cream and savouring the icy dessert as they walked towards the door, the roar of talk and yelling over the sploinks and gurgles and whistles and bleeps of video games and other arcade entertainment making it nearly impossible to talk in a normal voice.

Slipping outside, there was a quieter area with patio furniture, the noise outside muted. There were a few tables occupied - one held three depressed, underweight females who apparently took their pleasure in staring at everything through heavily kohled eyes with a sneer or a blank look. The other held two people nearly in one chair, for the girl was so draped over the guy next to her that itw as doubtful they could have been extricated.

Tiffany smirked a little and guided the girl munching beside her to one of the benches surrounding the small table. Slipping in beside her, Tiffany let her eyes wander over the dim parking lot, points of light breaking it where the humming electriclight shown down in bright circles through decorative trees and foliage.

"Silence..." She glanced to the little blonde head. "If only it were so easy to have such a simple thought life now as it was at Celeste's age. She can enjoy things without interference..."

She grinned over to the child.

"Is it good?" She slipped another bite into her mouth, fanning her face and wrinkling her nose a little at the cold in her teeth. "Ah. got a cold part. Haha."

Shaking her head a bit from the momentary chill, she smiled back to Colton.

"I want some more pictures... After I finish eating this and making myself even fatter, that is." She chuckled, not seeming offput by the comment as she indulged.

"Want a bite?" She held the cup out towards him.

So she hadn't been flirting for a few minutes. It was still painfully obvious to everyone that she was flirting now, and just as obvious that he was flirting back. In fact, just about every organism in a 10-meter radius could feel the sparks, save little Celeste. And, Colton couldn't help but enjoy it.

The dark and depressed girls threw a glance at Colton, as well as Tiffany, when they entered the patio area. One of them waved slightly. Amanda's little sister, if he could recall correctly. Of course, Amanda had been Codi's friend, so Colton didn't really know the entire family. That meant he didn't actually have to say 'hi' and be pleasant with all the other girls there. He could just sit down at the little table with Celeste and Tiffany and enjoy the silence. And the flirting.

"We should talk... We're probably the only two adults here, playing mini-golf, at this hour." He laughed slightly. He always wished he'd grow up really fast, and after he turned twenty, he yearned for childhood again. And now he had the chance to never die, and he hated it. You just couldn't please Colton.

Celeste had been sitting there quietly, until Tiffany directly addressed her. She glanced up, looking somewhat confused at first, then nodded quickly and furiously before returning to her ice cream. Colton grinned again. "See? Silence."

"Brain freeze!" Said Celeste suddenly, pointing to Tiffany and giggling. "Brain freeze! Brain freeze! Brain freeze!" But the outburst disappeared just as quickly as it had started, and Celeste went back to munching her ice cream.

"Well, when she finished her ice cream, I'm sure she'll remember that you promised games. She's three. Three year olds don't forget when you promise them treats and games." Funny how that worked. You could remind them 8000 times to clean their room, and they'd forget, but the second you promised them treats, they'd never live it down. Colton smiled slightly, watching Celeste gobble down what was left of the chocolate shell.

Colton rolled his eyes at Tiffany's fat comment. Just rolled his eyes, because, honestly, he knew better than to say anything. Girls were tricky. He knew. He had had a sister like that.

When Tiffany offered him some ice cream, Colton grinned. "Thanks, but I'm all right without it." He really couldn't even be tempted by the ice cream. Colton was a sweets fanatic, and ice cream was his favourite sweet. Just sitting there and knowing that he couldn't have it was bad enough. Being offered some and having to turn it down was heartbreaking. So, he just sat quietly, watching the girls eat their ice cream with a slight look of remorse on his face.

Ah. Silence.

Tiffany chuckled at Celeste's outburst. At least, as soon as the numbing cold in her head receded.

"Yeeesss," She drawled the word, "I think I am actually okay with that. Besides - I am no adult. They are old and stiff - not me!"

Sticking her spoon in her mouth, she took away her hand and waved at him with the plastic handle protruding from her mouth like a long white tongue. Giggling almost, she took it out and began to spoon up her ice cream. Save for a little neater input, it might have been funny how similar the two females sitting with Colton probably looked, but that was broken as, after a few minutes of intent eating, Tiffany finished and set it aside, looking to Colton and toying with her spoon, rolling it in her fingers.

"No one is alright without ice cream. Little girls should have an ice cream every week." She grinned, but said no more.

Games... Yes... She thought she should probably go make change, but she was reluctant to leave the two alone. So she did not. Propping an elbow on the table, she spoke, messing with the spoon.

"You know... this arcade comes complete with lazer tag and bumper cars..."

The words were downplayed, but spoken loudly enough to be heard over the munchings of a three-year-old. With a little flourish, the spoon found a resting place on a pale nose, beneath two laughing eyes and above a mouth trying hard not to burst into laughter, a dimple at the corners of her mouth.

Colton laughed slightly, then, with mock horror, shook his head. "Not where she can hear you!" Celeste looked up, grinning wildly. "I HEARD HER! She said to give me ice cream all the weeks!" Colton then put on his, 'Aw shucks, you caught me face' and sighed in an over exaggerated fashion. "Well, darn... I guess I lose." And with that, a very pleased, and very messy Celeste, set her nearly empty cup down on the table, just like Tiffany.

It was amusing to see where the girl pulled her influences from. She grabbed her spoon, licked it clean, and tried to put it on the tip of her nose. She, however, seemed to need a few more years of practice, as it kept falling off. But she was persistent, picking up the spoon and trying again and again. For a minute in time, the arcade just didn't seem interesting. All the entertainment was right there, in a little, white, plastic spoon.

Colton could take Tiffany's hint, without having it spelled out for him. "I think she might be too young for laser tag... She sleeps with a night light." Celeste looked up, startled. "DO NOT! Imma big gurl!" Colton smiled some, and continued. "I vote for bumper cars!" Celeste seemed to have a memory like a sieve, and quickly joined in for the bumper cars, grabbing her spoon and hopping off her chair, dancing around, much to the annoyance of the teenagers next to them, whose kiss was rudely interrupted by the giddy laughter of a three year old.

"We could all share a car, too. Kids need to ride with an adult, and, since you've proclaimed you're no adult, I guess that means we all must ride together." Colton grinned almost as deviously as Celeste as she danced her way back to hold onto Tiffy's hand.

Taking he little hand plucking at her own, Tiffany rose and collected their trash, dumping it in a bin as they passed by. She had to grin at Celeste's grinning tugging, and the little blonde curls bouncing about her head were enough to make anyone melt.

If governments sent little girls like her into the front lines, wars would be over in heartbeats instead of years of battle.

They moved back into the crush of the arcade, making way for another exit, but the night life in the building was increasing, and it was harder to make a path. The neon lights for the lazer tag arena, which was set up like a blacklight series of tunnels and buildings, complete with four team forts was calling to her. She had not played for so long... The lights flared over the entrance, and she grinned roguishly. She would have to lure someone back with her sometime to play...

Finally they moved along, Tiffany carefully drawing Celeste nearer to her side as they passed a rather tall, big man in leather that was way tighter than she really cared to acknowledge. Funny how the arcade could be such a combination of people. Celeste, however, probably would not have the aprehensions that Tiffany did. As they passed by, he turned a stoic face and caught sight of the girl, a slow, big smile painting his face as he waved a little to the child.

Gulping in a breath of cleaner, cooler air outside, Tiffany blew it out softly, looking about and turning back to grin at Colton as they made their way to the terminal, of sorts, and Tiffany made sure to be ahead of Colton, purchasing tickets for them all, which came in the form of game cards that could be hung around the neck by a compimentary cord. She slipped Celeste's onto the little neck, and put on her own, turning to Colton and holding up for him to bend his neck and put on.

"And as for riding together: I don't know if we would all fit. Besides..." She slanted her eyes to the side. "I think Celeste and I are ready for round two against you and the Cooties."

Celeste clung onto Tiffany happily. It was funny, really. Everyone they passed probably assumed that they made a very good family. Celeste and Colton looked similar enough that it was obvious that they were related. No one assumed that he was just her uncle, and, with the way that she was clinging onto Tiffany, no one would assume that Tiffany was just some photographer. Of course, Celeste didn't know what kind of picture she was painting for the rest of the world. She had no idea how pleasant a picture she could paint.

Colton smiled some as they passed the laser tag line. He and his cooties would win so easily in laser tag. In fact, he had an unfair advantage, what with his brilliant night time vision and his ability to blend into the shadows of the night. No one would be able to see him, and he'd be able to see everyone else. Oh, they just would have to play laser tag one day.

Colton could catch the vibes Tiffany gave off as they passed Mister Scaryman, and he stiffened a bit as well. But, again, Colton had the unfair advantage here, and he peered directly into the man's thoughts to make sure they weren't resting on Celeste. Colton almost laughed, however, as the man wasn't interested in the little girl at all. No, he had his sights on someone a little older, a little taller, and a little better endowed. Of course, Celeste made Tiffany an impossible target to try and charm away, so the man waved down to the little girl and left.

Colton bowed his head down to allow her to slip the pass over his neck. "You are not allowed to buy anything else. What does film cost these days? Yea, no more." Colton grinned, showing he was just teasing her, though he would have preferred paying. There were two Holsteins and one Tiffany. It just didn't seem fair that she continued buying.

Celeste echoed Tiffy's challenge, declaring that cooties were good for nothing, and that girls ruled. "Me and my cooties should not be underestimated when it comes to... Bumper cars!" It was really laughable. Bumper cars... There just was no winner. But Celeste wanted to make a competition out of it, so Colton was game. For losing, that was. If it was just against Tiffany, he'd probably get seriously competitive back, but Celeste was a different story. He had to deal with her for the rest of her life, and if he were the one to kill her self-esteem at the age of three, he'd really have a hell of a child rearing experience.

Tiffany was oblivious to any looks or assumptions, though she probably would not really have cared if she had. There was little, she had realized early on, that came from allowing yourself to be blindsided by common opinion. Whether in censure or in praise, or any other sort of feeling that the gamut of public affection or public hate could bring, it was best to do the best that one could, and to live your life the best way you could... A bit philosophical, and slightly off the point, but so it was...

"Well, film... Depends on the kind. But I am the photographer, and you are my models, so you have to let me worry about that."

She smiled to both and winked at Colton. Flushing slightly even as she did it, at her own daring.

She turned her back on him, however, for the little darling at her side, grinning. She bounced up to the station where the passengers slid their cards and walked through the little turnstile. She helped Celeste get through the contraption, and chuckled when she nearly got stuck herself. As she past through the bars rolled around and one pushed her a bit, bopping her in the rear and she gave a little surprised squeak.

Giggling, she bent to the three year old child's level and looked about.

"Quick - before Uncle Cotton comes: Which car do we want?"

"All developing costs the same, doesn't it?" He hadn't the slightest idea. So far as Colton knew, developing meant you brought your photos to the drugstore's One Hour Photo, and they developed them for you. Sure, he wasn't stupid. He had heard of a dark room and all, but the idea of doing all that yourself was... Well, let's just say Colton couldn't fathom doing anything yourself if it was more expensive and more time consuming than the service they were already offering. He'd back his logic up with, 'Well, the developers need to eat too.'

And, of course, he's too perplexed over developing to catch the flirting behind the wink. Probably missed the whole thing, while thinking in his own private world.

Colton darted after them as they ran off for a bumper car. He had to wait in a short line (Why anyone was up at this hour was beyond him) and handed the man his card. He pushed through the turnstile with ease, and looked about for a good, empty car.

Celeste, of course, pointed straight at a faded red car. The muted colour added a more pink tone to it, and since that was Celeste's favourite colour, it made perfect sense. "That one! That one!" She didn't wait for Tiffany to say 'Yes' or 'No.' She just ran for it in a wobbly, three year old fashion.

Colton had hopped into some old yellow thing. He just hoped it ran better than it looked. He figured these were the same cars he had when he and Codi came here, all those years ago. Seemed fitting that he’d take Celeste here.

"Well... It does sometimes. I do a lot of my own. Besides, this type would cost more than say, dropping a disposable camera off at a drugstore overnight. And I develop by hand - not with a machine."

Hehe. Colton, Colton, Colton. Perhaps he had not noticed, but Tiffany had had little time to think about it before darting away with Celeste. They were in the pink car in no time, and Tiffany reached over the little girl to double check her belt, ensuring that she was not going to fly out or (more pertinently) try to stand up while the thing was moving.

Wrinkling her nose and trying to make a mean, tough face, she pointed at Colton, making a sort of 'grrr' sound, and grinning to Celeste.

"Let's see how much we can annoy Uncle Cotton, hm? Do you think hitting him behind or from the side or from the front would be best?"