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 Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2024 4:50 pm
Quote: Under the Moonlight (12) : In an ever persistent desire to get people out of the city and into nature, Destiny City is hosting guided tours on the water at the Reservoir. Kayaks can be bought or rented, and a very generous sponsor has even covered the cost of several kayak rentals per day throughout the month. Away from the city lights, you can leave with a tour group at dusk or take a kayak out on your own. As you near the caves at the reservoir, you may even find that with each stroke of the paddle, the waters around the cave glow with bright, bioluminescent lights. If you’re lucky, the trip is peaceful, but you’re not so far out of Destiny City that you’re not at risk for at least some oddities. While you can be happy that there seem to be no mosquitoes biting, sometimes something large might bump under your kayak, or you may hear a strange, clacking wail from deep in the forests around you. Sometimes large trees rustle, and sometimes you see strange eyes just staring at you. No reports have come out about anyone being hurt or attacked, but the forest can be a scary place–especially if you’re not used to it. All kayaks must be returned by midnight or you risk being hunted by some very unhappy park rangers! Tonight was one of the rare nights that Todd could be Todd. Just himself. Ears perked, tail slowly wagging behind him. The lights from the lanterns people continuously released and the bioluminescence stirring in the water wouldn't light up the night enough to identify him, and if anyone did see his silhouette, they'd likely think he was one of those people who wore fake ears for fun. He'd only remove his glamour earring once he rowed himself and Rosie out to the water, though, away from the lights of the kayak rental place. He picked up a star charm that the booth had set out. "Hi," he said softly, feeling a little silly for it when she approached him at the docks. "Rosie. Pretty. Um." He swallowed, blushing deeply. He didn't think he'd ever get over this, even though she'd come back to him after that kiss and told him she wanted to be with him. His gut still filled with butterflies at the sight of her. He was completely and utterly under her spell. "Kayak?" he offered, gesturing to the one he'd rented and trying to convey that he'd help her in.
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Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2024 5:23 pm
Meeting Todd for an official date had Rosie feeling genuinely nervous. It was silly--she was pretty sure she had plenty of experience with this kind of thing, not that she could remember any of it. And she wrote romance novels! For a living! Surely she could transfer some of that into reality!
But the actual reality was: she really, really liked Todd, and really, really wanted this to be a nice time for both of them.
So, as she met Todd by the dock, she took a breath. Met him with a smile.
"Thanks," she said. "You look really good too, Todd."
He did. He was so incredibly handsome.
She'd noticed it before he kissed her--but ever since he ha,d it was a sort of constant awareness when she was around him. How much she wanted to kiss him again. How charming he was, in his awkward way. Being...together wasn't really helping with the butterflies.
Maybe it would cool off someday. Maybe she would be a flustered idiot forever.
"Yes, thank you," Rosie said, and she moved down to the kayak, trying not to feel like a ridiculous moron.
Alas.
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Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2024 12:00 am
He grinned brightly at her, following her into the kayak and rowing them out, far away enough from other people he felt safe removing the glamour earring. Instantly, his perked ears and wagging tail appeared. The tail swished slowly behind him with happiness and anxious anticipation—he wanted the night to go well. And to not screw any of this up. He liked Rosie too much, didn't want to lose her because he did something wrong. "Is Rosie... happy?" he asked awkwardly, blushing profusely and hoping it couldn't quite be seen. A lantern floated their way, not quite reachable, but illuminating their area just a little. Enough to dash his hopes about his blush not being seen, probably.
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Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2024 2:16 am
There was something special, about getting to see Todd as....himself. Out here, on the water, illuminated only by flickering lantern light, Todd didn't have to pretend to be human--pretend to be ordinary. She got to see him in all his glory, with his ears and tail out, looking so...adorable. How lucky was she?
"Yes," she said. "Very, very happy. This is so nice, Todd, thank you for bringing me out here."
The flicker of the lantern that floated past them illuminated Todd's face--and showed that adorable little blush, though if Rosie was honest, there was probably a matching one on her cheeks.
"Really. This is....very special. And I'm glad you wanted to share it with me."
Her cheeks felt hot. She really, really hoped that lantern floated by, because she felt silly--a fully grown adult woman, blushing like a silly schoolgirl over her cute, wolfy boyfriend.
Well. At least most schoolgirls couldn't claim that.
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Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2024 1:04 pm
Todd's tail wagged a little faster, in time with his heart also speeding up. Rosie was so... perfect. He didn't want to mess this up, somehow, but... he also didn't think he could. Whatever happened, this would be a good night, he was sure of it. "Todd wants... to share. Everything. With Rosie," he clarified a couple of times, leaning forward and taking her hands in his. "Todd never think... love possible for him."
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Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2024 2:11 pm
Perhaps, Rosie realized, part of her nerves were that she wanted this to be good for Todd. He was so...good, so sweet and genuine and kid. Too good for someone like her, really, but she didn't feel like she got to decide that for both of them. That wasn't how it worked--not when that would just have hurt him.
"I want to share everything with you, too." She gave him a soft, warm smile, all her adoration and affection in that moment. "I think....I'd done things like his--dating, romance--before, but with all my memories gone...it's like getting to start over. Fresh. And I thought..."
She stopped. It would be wrong to bring up what she'd thought, what she'd felt--about not being good enough for the girl she'd so adored for so long. That was in the past, anyway.
"I thought a lot of things. But being with you makes me so, so happy. And I want to be with you for a long time."
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Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2024 2:19 pm
Todd couldn't stop smiling. It began to hurt, smiling so much, but he couldn't help it. Rosie made him so happy. "Want to be with Rosie for long time, too," he whispered, leaning in even more. He hesitated for a small moment, gathering courage, and kissed her softly, squeezing her hands gently. This moment was perfect. Just a second after he pulled back to just gaze into her eyes a little longer, to drink in the sight of her, to be present in this perfect moment, something large stirred in the water. Bumped the boat. It started Todd into pulling back quickly, on high alert as he peered out over the dark water, trying to find whatever it was. But it had gone as quickly as it came. "...Todd thinks we go home now," he said quietly, brow furrowed. He quickly pinned his glamour earring back in place, mourning the lost moment of enjoying himself as himself, and grasped the oar. "...Stay, tonight? With Todd?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2024 3:50 pm
This. This was the type of feeling Rosie was trying to put to the page when she wrote her novels. The feeling of butterflies in the stomach and in the heart, and the feeling that one could take wing and fly on the lightness of love itself.
All very silly. And very vibrantly violet prose. But the point was--his kiss felt like a romance novel kiss, and it left her heart pounding and her face flushed.
She squeaked when something bumped their kayak, but it was only for a moment, and then she was giggling with relief that it seemed to be a brief distraction and not anything serious.
His offer, though. That made her face heat up, but she looked to him, held his eyes, and nodded.
"Yes. I'd like that very, very much."
And they would see where the night took them.
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