"A walk sounds nice! I guess there's not too much of Vinterguard to see that isn't in the works. Maybe soon we can help build it up! That would be fun!" Mist let herself be led around, her eyes softly scanning her surroundings without much focus. There were a few people here and there, but the closer to the edge of the city they got the sparser they got, until there were only a few farms on the horizon bleeding into the large forests on all sides. She squeezed his hand back with a little giggle. Some time alone would be nice. They could cuddle up to one another under a tree or by a brook and maybe do some more kissing. Or they could talk about themselves. What did Rivers like to do asides from TerraSphere? What were his favorite foods? His favorite color? Where in the world did he live? Did he have any pets? The more she thought, the more she wondered about him, and the harder it was to deny that she didn't know anything about him. Not really. That didn't mean she wasn't happy like this. It was just something to work towards. Getting to know him would be an adventure. A fun, exciting, enchanting adventure. Don't be a fool. "I actually know what animal I'd like to tame. A big cat! I'm something of a cat person. Though I guess I would love any animal. I've never had a pet before. But cats just make me giddier than dogs. Do you know where big cats spawn?"
Rivers and Mist walked to the edge of town together. Mist was right, it might be nice to pitch in around Vintergard. Hell, they could even set up their own place. They could meet up there every day and he could cook for her. And the whole space could just be theirs. They could have a place to read, a place to train, they could even have a place to go to b-. Rivers felt his face get hot. He wondered for a moment how real the characters in Terrasphere were. Oh god, he was spiraling. He shook his head and drove those thoughts out of his mind. At least, he shoved them to the back of his mind. They would never really be gone. "Yeah it might be nice to pitch in. Who knows? There's probably a lot of domestic things we could do around Vintergard. I did take the cooking profession, so I could cook for you if I got in a kitchen." Well, he'd been in a kitchen...but it was to steal tea. Or, it was to steal technically not tea? The outcome of that was fuzzy...as if it hadn't happened yet. So, Mist had never had a pet before? That was really a shame, pets were awesome. "Pets are really great. I lived out in the country growing up so I always had animals around." Then she asked him where big cats spawn. Rivers' eyes widened. "I can only tell you where wolves spawn." And that was of course, where ever Rivers was headed. He swore he had a special condition to make wolves spawn. Fucking wolves. Well, now that they were essentially alone, perhaps they should talk about something. Uh..uh...what did couple talk about? He looked to Mist for support, but she was probably just as lost as he was. "So...what do you wanna talk about? If you want to talk, that is. We could also walk quietly if that's more your speed. Or we could sit under a tree. We could also k-kiss some more if you wanted." Rivers averted his gaze. Would this ever stop being embarrassing?
A glowing smile spread over Mist's face at the thought of Rivers cooking for her. Oh gosh, that would be so precious and sweet. She only really knew how to brew tea--at home they always had food prepared for them by their chef, or they would go out to eat. Trying to cook had never been one of her priorities. The thought of Rivers cooking for her just made her feel all giddy inside. And other domestic things, like housekeeping, or gardening, or just spending moments together...was that moving too fast, thinking about all those little things? Most people would be thinking more about kissing and cuddling and other things. Which wasn't to say she wasn't. Still, it would be nice to "play house" a little. That's just what it is: playing. This is just a game. You don't know him, he doesn't know you. All this is just pretend. Can I have this crisis after the date? Okay? Okay. Mist shrugged her shoulders at Rivers' inability to tell her where big cats spawned. "Eh, it's okay. I can probably ask on a forum or something and get some information. Then when I got it, we can go together and catch me a big cute kitty! Meow! And then it can fight those mean wolves off for us." She took another look around to find they'd wandered to the edge of the forest and one of the large clearings at the edge of Vintergard proper, leading into the Astorean forest. It was quiet save the soft sound of the breeze in the leafs above and grass below, and there was a faint trickling of water far off from the grand river not too far away. They were certainly alone. Alone... Mist looked up at Rivers, eyes large and bright and for a moment timid, before she wordlessly tugged his arm to the nearest tree. She circled them to the far side facing away from the town, pushed him every so lightly against the bark, and then stood on her tip toes until they were eye to eye and nose to nose. Among other things. This time she was the one who almost missed. But she didn't. Sure, her heart started ramming away in her chest like a galloping horse and she felt so much heat in her cheeks that she must have looked like Rivers an apple right now, but he had said when they were alone together they could kiss again. And dammit, she wanted to more than she cared about anything else right now. It was just like last night. Not as cold or wet or blurry, but there was that same lovely softness and feeling like she was floating a foot off the ground. When she drew back her eyes were soft and starry, a goofy little smile on her face. She placed her hands against his chest to keep her balance. "Is...'all of the above' a good option?"
As they got into the Astorean forest, Mist began to lead Rivers by the arm. It looked like she was taking charge now. He was cool this. He was so cool with this. She lead him around a tree, and lightly pushed him against the bark. Rivers couldn't tell if this was uncharacteristically forward for Mist or not. Wait, why was he thinking about characterization? A girl was about to kiss him. His kinda girlfriend was about to kiss him...probably. She got on her tippy toes to be at his height. Okay yeah. Definitely a kiss incoming. Rivers closed his eyes and leaned forward until his lips met hers. It was exactly how he remembered it from last night. Her lips were so soft and warm. Her whole body was warm as it pressed against his. Tentatively, he placed his hands on her waist. This was what he saw in all the movies. As Mist pulled away from their kiss, Rivers opened his eyes to meet her gaze, an excited grin on his face. Her eyes were so soft, and she had this adorable grin on her face. Mist placed her hands on his chest and asked him if all of the above was an acceptable answer. Rivers leaned towards her. "All of the above is the best answer. My turn." Rivers kept a firm grip on her hips. Mastery Activated Heroic Might Rivers lifted her off her feet to hold her face level with his. Then he leaned in to give her a kiss in return. Rivers wasn't even worried he'd miss! Kissing did get easier. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, and given how close they were, he could feel Mist's as well. He slid his arms to wrap around her waist instead of just holding her up. God they were just so close and warm and this was too amazing. Rivers didn't want to break away from this kiss, but he knew he had to. They had to breathe after all. As he pulled away, he got a moment where he saw Mist while her eyes were still closed. "Y-you're really beautiful. You know that?" Oh wow. He hadn't even tripped over his words. Good job. Rivers sat her back down on the ground but continued to hold her. He really didn't want to let go, but if she moved to step away from him he'd release her. "So, what do you want to do now? Unless...that didn't quite cross kissing off the list?"
Her cheeks were already flushed red when Rivers suddenly scooped her up by the waist, but apparently she could still turn a few shades brighter. Mist was pink all the way to the tips of her ears and she let out a surprised--but delighted--squeal before her mouth was happily preoccupied. She wrapped her arms tight around Rivers' shoulders for both balance and for the sake of pulling him as close to her as they could be. She couldn't even think with all the fuzzy, warm feelings filling up her brain right now. It was just so nice and so wonderful. When he finally pulled away she let out a little gasp of air she didn't realize she'd been holding in before she slowly opened her eyes. She flashed him a dazed grin. "Nobody's ever called me beautiful before..." She wasn't sure she meant to say that, but it slipped out all the same. Without shame she moved in for another kiss because hell no that didn't cross it off of the list, but as she leaned in she felt the weight of her staff lean in with her. Before she could stop it-- Bonk. Mist winced slightly as she felt and saw the metal star land squarely on the top of Rivers' head, having slipped forward when he'd hiked her up by the waist. She retracted one arm from his shoulders and shoved it backwards into place, but alas, she couldn't help but burst into hysterical giggles at the terrible timing of that. With a little shimmy upwards she kissed her poor maybe boyfriend on the forehead. Maybe next time she should make sure her weapons were stored away before she started getting intimate. "Oopsie., that was my bad. Are you okay, sweetheart?"
Mist was so pink as he raised her up, which made his face heat up in turn. After they kissed, Mist told him that no one had ever called her beautiful before. He couldn't attest for her in real life, but here, in Terrasphere, she looked incredible. At least, Rivers thought she was. Mist leaned in for another kiss, and Rivers closed his eyes in anticipation. He waited until..."Ow," he whined. Had that hurt or had he just expected it to? Rivers wasn't sure. But, he opened his eyes. Had Mist bonked him? No. Her staff must've shifted and hit him on the head. Mist shifted the staff back into the place and kissed him on the forehead. She asked if he was okay...and called him sweetheart. O-oh. Was that a pet name? Did he have a pet name? Were they at pet names now? Wait...did that mean they were dating? Were they dating? Could he just ask that? That was okay for him to ask. This kinda relationship was two sided and he could ask how kinda of a relationship it was. "Yeah I'm okay." He wanted to buy some time. Was it alright for him to inconvenience her with his question? Would she mind if he asked? Was he already supposed to know what they were? Ahhhhhh, this was hard. Rivers took a few measured breaths and got his head ready. Moving his hands up to Mist's shoulders, Rivers looked into her eyes. He was ready! Well, he felt like he was going to vomit. But that was a sure sign that he was ready! "Hey so uh, Mist. I was just thinking, y'know...we've been hanging out a bit. We've even um kissed a couple times. S-so. I guess w-what I mean to ask is..." Oh no! He was rambling. This was bad. The mostly cool confidence from before was just gone. Dammit, why now? "Are you my girlfriend?"
Mist tilted her head forward slightly, eyes wide and attentive as Rivers appeared to be debating his next words. What was on his mind? He looked okay, at least, for somebody who took a metal star to the head. Maybe she should offer to heal him using magic and not just a kiss. She blinked as he placed his hands on her shoulders and began to speak in a jumble of different sentences. Even with a translation she was sure it was a mouthful. Then, finally, he managed to spit it out. Mist drew in a breath. Oh. Oh no. Now it was her turn for her tongue to swell up in her throat. Did...did he just ask...if they were together? He did! He did. Oh no. Mist's face flushed as red as it could possibly be. What did she say? He's asking me, and I think we're together! Maybe? We have to be! We've been kissing and holding hands and embracing, that's what couples do! But what if he's not looking for that? I'm the one who said I wanted a boyfriend, he never said he was looking for commitment. But I want to be a couple! Even if it's just a fantasy--because it's a fantasy--I want to be with Rivers. I want to be with him. I want to be with somebody. She looked down, confusion threatening to fill her eyes with tears, and in a tiny voice she finally spoke: "Do...do you want me to be...your girlfriend? I...I w-want...to be..."
Mist was taking a while to respond. Oh god. Ohgodohgodohgodohgodohgod. Had he messed up. He'd messed up! Damn it. Why had he asked?! It was obvious they were probably together; they'd held hands and kissed. Damn it Rivers why had you opened your big fat mouth? Now she would leave. She'd leave and he'd be alone again. Would he even be able to come back to Terrasphere? He wasn't talking to Aristides Futaba right now, and didn't now how to reconnect to him. He hadn't heard from Raid in several days. Was he even still playing Terrasphere? Rivers hadn't seen him since the world boss. Had something happened to him? Rivers blinked a few times to clear his head. He couldn't worry about that now; he was right in the middle of something with Mist. Finally she spoke. Timidly, she replied that she wanted to be his girlfriend if he wanted her. Rivers blinked, not knowing what to say. His hands still on her shoulders, Rivers pulled her closer to his chest. "Of course I want you to be. I want you to be my girlfriend!" He grinned a large and silly grin; Rivers was just so happy. He had a girlfriend! A real girlfriend! This...this was the best. Finally! Someone to spend my time with and...Wait, what do girlfriends and boyfriends do? Just hang out? Oh god, he needed to do some reading. He needed to prepare. Again, Rivers wrapped his arms around her waist. This time, instead of lifting her up, he planted a kiss on her forehead. He wanted to squeal. But that wasn't manly, or heroic. That was so unmanly and unheroic. So, he just held his idiotic smile for the time being. "What do you wanna do now? Heh, g-girlfriend." You could cook an egg on the man's face it was so hot. But Rivers didn't care for a moment.
Mist drew in a sharp breath as Rivers pulled her in tight to his chest, her spiraling train of thought instantly derailed by the feeling of his arms wrapped around her and holding her close. He was so warm and his arms were so strong wrapped around her. And...he wanted her to be his girlfriend! Her heart felt like it was going to burst through her throat with how much it was pounding away. Without more than a soft sound between a mewl and a sigh she slid her arms around his chest and closed her eyes, his lips pressing against her forehead bringing a smile brighter than any she'd worn before to her lips, and her cheeks and ears were still red as could be. This was so perfect. He was so perfect. "Oh Rivers...I...I can't tell you how happy I am...I don't...heheh...I don't know what words to use..." She opened her eyes slowly--they were wet with tears but shining brightly in the sunlight filtering through the leafs above--to meet his own, her hold on him not loosening at all. What to do next? She had no idea. She was content just standing here holding him. Ah, but they had been making plans to do other things, hadn't they? Mist giggled softly and slid one of her arms back so she could dab at her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. "I think a walk in the woods would be wonderful right now. Anything I try to fight, I think I'd miss...since my vision is so blurry. I might get hurt. Wouldn't want that on our first d-date...~"
Rivers could feel Mist's heart beat. Or was it his? With them this close and their hearts both pounding, it was hard to tell which was which. But, that just meant they were both excited. And what was the harm in that? Looking down to see her face, Rivers was delighted to spy her broad grin. There was no surer indication that Mist was having a good time. Which was good; Rivers was just winging it at this point. Sure, he'd given a lot of thought to how he wanted his next interaction with Mist to go ever since their first wonderful night together. But, all that planning went out the window when they met up again. It was...a weird kind of stress punctuated by intense bouts of happiness. Was this relationships? Was this how all relationships went? When she spoke, Rivers could feel her excitement. And it coursed through him, doubling his excitement as well. Which, in turn, doubled his nervousness. "M-me too." His tongue felt like it was made out of concrete. Come on Rivers! Hadn't you just kissed her like seconds ago? You should be able to talk to her. But, looking into her eyes still made him feel embarrassed. Maybe that was good. Mist dabbed her eyes and told him that she'd prefer a walk. That...that sounded fantastic actually. Given, sitting her and continuing to kiss also sounded good. But, if his lady wanted to go on a walk then they'd walk. That's just how it'd be. Rivers released one of his hands but kept one around her. Couples walked like this right? In this awkward, slightly uncomfortable half hug? With his hand around her waist, Rivers started to lead the pair away from the tree and into the forest. "A walk with you sounds wonderful. And don't worry, if anything jumps out I'll protect you...or you can bonk it." Rivers and Mist walked into the forest and talked to each other about whatever came to mind. ~Fin~
