5Ah, the ending. So sad, yet so rewarding. Thanks for getting my butt whipped into gear, guys :D I might never have finished without you.
…Which shows how little encouragement I really need to get stuff done, further proving that I have no right to be lazy, BUT OH WELL, HERE WE GO AGAIN!
"Found her," I call out hesitantly.
"Awesome," Lainey huffs, running over. "That took…way too much energy."
"I mean…I think it's her." I screw up my nose in confusion. "Right?"
"You two are late!" an angry little six-year-old shouts at us. Her face is all puffed out in agitation and her blonde hair is up in ribbons. "I been waitin' here for ten minutes! What took you so long?"
"It's a carnival," I try to make her see reason. "There are kind of a lot of people here. And we've never had someone as young-"
"I want to go on the Ferris Wheel," she interrupts me, clenching the pink fabric of her dress. "Hurry up!"
"Feisty little babe," Lainey laughs. "Alright, you do the honors."
"I don't even understand…" I mumble in annoyance, fishing around for the last rose in my bag. I touch its stem and a jolt goes through me, like someone's poked me with with an electric shock. "What the?"
It shines like sunlight when I pull it out.
I hear Lainey gasp behind me.
The moment is broken by the girl jumping up and snatching it from my grasp. It explodes like a supernova of glitter over her, encasing her in a radiant shell of splendor. She sticks her tongue out at us and runs off, not three seconds later tumbling into a stray child. He suffers her shouts of annoyance while being blanketed in gold, then hands off what's left of his cotton candy to appease her. I find it cute when she stops shouting and is perplexed by the kindness he shows her in holding her hand and helping her to her feet, escorting her like a gentleman to the Ferris Wheel.
Lainey and I leave when the parents of said lovebirds start shouting in a flurry of fear. As we drop down at our next location, Cupid's mansion, we can't stop from laughing our heads off. The one time we ever see a gold rose, and we can't even enjoy it before a willful hellcat nabs the moment from us.
"Well, at least we know it's real," I make the best of the situation.
"I guess it's so rare that Cupid never bothered to list it," Lainey conjectures.
"That's what I figured," I agree. "So, good work. Get any chocolate hearts yet?"
"Still hoping," she beams. "You lucky dog, you."
I grin, feeling a small amount of warmth flood to my cheeks. It's only been a week, but Anri and I are doing swell. I'd feel more reassured if the wrappers had a color that applied to the roses, but that would've been too easy for Cupid. He's always gotta keep you on your toes.
Which is why he's still having fun with me. I got a job to cover up most of my missing hours so Mom worries less, but Cupid hasn't given me any indication of when I'm supposed to stop being a Love Carrier-if ever. He's mentioned that most of them are teens and only a few get to be Lainey's age, but she's still hanging around. So that part I don't know. But everything else I've got down pat.
I know how to sync up my Navi's.
I know what the colors mean.
And I know that if you're on my side of the hemisphere, I have just the flower waiting for you.
As always, I'm so grateful to those of you who read. Until the next story~
PetalsFromTheForest