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 Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2020 9:25 am
 As the annual holiday of romancing shenanigans neared, Anatolio was struck with this vague, but persistent, feeling of melancholy, which was quite unlike his usual buoyant personality. Since the princesses were still missing, a dark cloud had hung over the whole Queensguard for several months. He almost never saw his father, and he didn't want to be a bother to his mother, who seemed to be happy for the first time in Toli's adult memory.
But back to Venus Day. He'd had half a mind to go to the celebrations abovewater, but there were a couple problems with that. First, he didn't have a date. He knew that wasn't necessarily a barrier, but that's where the second problem came in: Mother was going with Hjortur. Now, Toli had no problems with his mother's new beau; in fact, he quite liked Hjortur's carefree personality and roguish sense of humor. No, it was the fact that his mom was getting more play than he was. Big yikes.
And so he'd stayed behind, but he didn't want to spend Venus Day having a cold one with the boys as usual. Especially not Commander Itsaso--what a giant bore she was. Practically on a whim, he'd invited a girl he'd met like...once...on a date. But once she'd accepted--which he hadn't exactly expected--he'd gotten a little extra.
Toli planned dinner, dessert, and a game at his apartment in the Palace. He'd set a table all fancy-like, including some bioluminescent algae he'd contained in glass spheres to add soft, romantic lighting. He'd made dinner himself--tuna steaks with seasoned red and green kelp. He'd gotten a bottle of wine. The dessert he'd purchased--delicate jelly bubbles flavored with exotic abovewater flavors like lemon and cherry.
He wanted her to feel special, and all this preparation had lifted his mood significantly. He felt like he had a purpose! He only hoped it wasn't too much--he didn't want Lala to get overwhelmed.
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Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2020 6:08 pm
It had been an unexpected request. The waters of the lake flowed with fear and anger. Grief and sometimes hope. The palace was a busy place with search parties always coming and going. "I hope they find the princesses soon," She whispered to herself.
Lala wandered the halls of the palace taking note of the number beside each doorway. The closer she came to the destination, the more nervous she became. "Deep breath, Lala," she whispered again. As the water filtered through her gills, she spotted Anatolio's apartment door. "Calm yourself, Lala" she whispered again.
Lala held her hand in front of the door for a few moments before knocking.
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Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2020 11:15 am
The knock at his door made Toli's heart skip a beat, and his stomach flipped over. He couldn't believe how nervous he was! But this was his first real date in ages and he wanted it to go well. Lala was so beautiful, and he really wanted to get to know her better. Even if they didn't hit it off romantically, he hoped to at least have a friend who wasn't in the guard.
Toli opened the door with a warm smile. "Lala! I'm so happy to see you. Please, come in!" He opened the door wider and moved back to give her space. He couldn't help but marvel, just a little, at the way she moved so gracefully.
"I made dinner," Toli said, closing the door after her once she had entered, "It's ready whenever we decide we're hungry." He looked around his small bachelor's space, trying to see it with a lady's eye. The kitchen, dining area, and living area were all part of one room, and his bedroom was behind a door. He'd tidied up (translation: shoved the mess into his bedroom closet), decorated a little bit, and made sure the surfaces were all clean. His living area consisted of a sofa and a deep chair, the kind you could flop into. There was a shelf with a few scrolls on it, for pleasure reading--not that he'd done that in a while. The dining area was a small round table with a seating pouf on either side. He'd set the table with flat mats, tableware, and cups. The lamps he'd made sat on the dining table and in the living area between sofa and chair, filling the whole room with a cool, soft glow. He hoped she'd be pleased by the effort he'd gone to to make his apartment inviting and romantic.
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Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2020 4:01 pm
"Thank you for inviting me. I don't get out of the palace much these days" Lala said with a nervous smile. Glancing around his living space, she was impressed. He kept a nice, clean home. Something she appreciated.
"Oh, I brought these." She held up a small net bag of oysters. "I don't know if you like them, but I saw them at the bazaar and thought they might be good." Lala stuck her arm out towards Toli and turned her head a little and blushed. She was so nervous! Menelie Sorry for short posts, I am still trying to get into her headspace.
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Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2020 5:44 pm
"None of us do," agreed Toli somewhat darkly. It was like a miasma had settled over the whole lake. But it wouldn't do any of them any good--especially those not actively involved in the search for the Princesses--to let it seep into their bones and souls. That would mean the bad guys had already won, in a sense. "It's good to focus on what's pleasant," he added.
He made a delighted noise at the oysters. "How decadent!" he exclaimed. "I love oysters!" He loved slurping them but obviously he wasn't going to tell her that. "Thanks so much for bringing them," he said, taking the bag from her. "If you're hungry we can eat now. I made tuna steaks and kelp salad." He took the bag to the kitchen and motioned her to the table.
"Can I get you something to drink? I bought this weird sparkling freshwater from the bazaar--I guess the seller buys it from someone up there?" He pointed up to indicate the Isle. "It looked fancy so I thought we could try it out. I've also got wine, and probably some squid ink if it's not too late in the afternoon for it."Antidia No worries! You'll work into it. smile
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