Reports & Repertoire

Part 16 Rudeness & Revenge

After a date night that carried on long after the movie was over, Candy wakes up to to the snoring of Eddie in her ear. As usual, he's wrapped around her, his head by hers, nuzzled into her neck with her arms loosely around the big baby's body. He was blissfully unaware of the vibrating phone on the edge of the bed, but Candy was not.

"Nngh." she grunts, moving and slapping her hand on the bed to get the phone. Venom emerges slowly, like cold molasses as he taps the phone for snooze. "'fanks." she mumbles, as Eddie stirs, his arms moving in to hold her tighter to him, his face rubbed into the pillow before mushing his lips against her face.

"Not yet." he grumbles, his plea making a sleepy smile spread across Candy's face.

"I've got the thing this mornin' babe." she replies before her voice cracks and she clears her throat.

"No thing." is his brilliant retort.

"She's filming at the shelter today Eddie." Venom informs him, his voice the same as always.

"And you have a meeting don't you?" she says in a scolding tone, not making any attempt to move yet, her fingers combing through his warm and soft messy hair.

"Shit." he groans out, planting his face into the pillow.

"I'll take that as a yes." she chuckles, kissing his temple. Neither make any attempt to actually leave the soft, warm confines of the comforter they were nestled under together. After a night out, followed by a rather rambunctious night in they were both longing to keep up the idea that they could stay snuggled up forever. But alas, it was a weekday and they both had to get back to their less inviting responsibilities.

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Candy stands in her three-piece skirt suit on the portable platform in front of the shelter. The press was there, along with a lot of the usual faces of employees and volunteers to celebrate the donation of the network and the full day of talking heads and interviews they'd be shooting. As the character head of the show, it having her name on it after all, she was doing the Press Release and the talking. After the formalities and cover story shots have been done, the questions begin. At first, it's all business as usual, who's idea, who donated the money, why this shelter? But as the head of a gossip mag popped up amidst the more formally sanctioned journalists Candy hides her frown.

"Is it true that you and the former host of this show, Eddie Brock are dating?" she asks without missing a beat and no shame in her face.

"Those questions aren't really appropriate for this event. This is about the people, the shelter, not my personal life."

"You two have been spotted around the city together. With the photos of you two canoodling out, do you still have no comment?" she presses.

Candy sighs, looking over to the producer who shrugs and motions her forward.

"For the sake of transparency, we are dating. But to bring the attention back to shelter, perhaps you'd prefer to know that we have both volunteered here before?" she offers, trying to reign in the follow-up questions. There's a general disinterest as notes are scribbled onto notepads. "Because we have." she offers with a tone of disappointment at the lack of interest.

"How long have you been dating?" another person chirps up.

Candy breathes through her nose and remains composed, but her eyes give away her annoyance otherwise. "I don't want to talk about the specifics of my personal life." she barely gets out before another voice chimes in.

"Were you dating before you took over the show? Is it a conflict of interests to have someone Eddie Brock was dating take over his show?" a man asks, looking to start trouble already.