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Post by Andrew Harvey on Mar 23, 2024 7:35:23 GMT -5
Sat. December 2, 2023 | 158 words | Critter | may be open to crashers later, but we'll see how this goes He was confident in his date choices, but even Andrew would admit to himself that he more or less jumped into this particular date. Usually he chatted up the girls that he took out for a longer time, get a vibe check from them, before thinking of asking them out.
However, Willow Foster had been a little difficult to initially get in touch with and, considering how enthusiastic she seemed, Andrew wanted to lock her down in a date (or "hang out," he believe he had called this outing) before her attention flew away. Her voicemail to him had mentioned a few winter activities and he was thankful it was cold enough for his plan. He was certain she had enough energy to keep up with him for the first half of the date, and he was just hoping that he could keep up with her in turn.
But first, Willow needed to show up to their designated meeting spot.
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Post by Critter on May 28, 2024 17:26:06 GMT -5
Tag: Andrew HarveyWords: 216 She was late.
Not too late, thankfully, just a few minutes. It had taken her that long to reach the designated meeting spot -- and she had almost gotten distracted while trying to reach it -- and she jogged the rest of the way as soon as she spotted Andrew waiting on the horizon.
She was bundled in a leopard-print winter jacket, a scarf around her neck that was more fashionable than functional in a matching golden-brown shade as the jacket's spots. A white beret was jammed atop her head, helping to keep her hair tamed, even as she tried to brush a few loose strands away from her face with her matching gloves.
"Hi!" Willow said, her breath coming out as little puffs of mist. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to be a little late. I almost went the wrong way trying to get here. You know those big pine trees on the edge of the lane down that way?" She gestured vaguely in the direction she had just come from. "There were some really long icicles on them, and they way the sun hit them just made little rainbows on the snow on the ground--"
Willow cut herself off with a small laugh. "How are you doing, Andrew? Thank you for inviting me out."
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Post by Andrew Harvey on May 28, 2024 20:23:29 GMT -5
He heard Willow before he saw her, and Andrew turned to her with a ready smile. It froze (weather notwithstanding) when he took a good look at her.
Her bright smile amid her laughter after she rambled for a few moments (about how pretty icicles were, of all things) was the icing on the cake. Andrew honestly didn't know where this girl had come from and how she could seem so happy all the time.
"I'm doing great, now that I finally got a chance to hang out with you," Andrew said after he remembered his voice. "You look wonderful, by the way.
"I'm glad you seem to enjoy the winter scenery," he continued. "I'm hoping that you'll continue to enjoy it."
Andrew pointed out one of the pathways that they were standing at the base of, and he said, "I figured we'll do a short hike, see everything in a beautiful, blanket of white, before reaching the top of one of the many hills around here for some tantalizing conversation."
He readjusted the backpack he had on and held out an arm to Willow. "Shall we?"
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Post by Critter on May 30, 2024 7:13:05 GMT -5
Tag: Andrew HarveyWords: 228 Willow giggled at Andrew's greeting, even if it was a little corny. "Thank you," she said when he complimented how she looked.
He spoke briefly about his plans for the pair of them for the day, and Willow took it in stride when it sounded like the winter scenery would be front and center for their outing.
"That sounds fantastic," Willow said, catching up to his side so the pair could walk together up whatever pathway that Andrew had chosen. "I hadn't really explored around here since coming to Bayville. I'm from New York City and, while Bayville isn't really small, there are much more buildings around New York City, so it's great to hear that there are spots dedicated to nature around here."
Andrew held out an arm to her, and Willow smiled while taking it. "Why, thank you, sir," she said, her tone a cross between sincerity and a teasing lilt.
"Which path are we taking?" she asked. "I usually don't mind a challenge, but considering the potential ice on the paths, and the fact that I've been lounging more in the cold instead of exercising like I should be, I wouldn't mind a path that is simpler."
Really, she didn't want to accidentally sap her energy on whatever hiking path Andrew chose. The simpler, the better, despite the protein shake she had before meeting Andrew.
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Post by Andrew Harvey on May 31, 2024 7:31:45 GMT -5
For now, Andrew enjoyed drinking in the sounds of Willow's laughs and giggles. He wasn't sure if her perpetual cheer would eventually annoy him but, for now, he was more than willing to take all of it in stride as he got to know her better.
He was pleased that she was great with the outing idea that he had in mind, and she didn't hesitate to take his offered arm. She did seem apprehensive about which path they were taking, and Andrew said, "I did figure one of the shorter ones would be appreciated for today. Being cold is one reason, but I wanted to make sure we had enough time to actually talk together instead of both of us trying to catch our breaths on a more difficult hiking trail."
Andrew took the lead, keeping his steps a little slow so they could enjoy the winter scenery and be sure there was no ice beneath their feet to make them slip and fall. The little hill the pair went up allowed them to see towards the beach, the faint scent of seawater mixing with the frost in the air. Andrew briefly wondered how Willow would be during a beach date and he distracted his thoughts by pointing out parts of the path to Willow as they continued to climb.
Eventually, the pair reached a small summit, a little clearing that had a couple of older picnic tables. Andrew bypassed them to lead Willow to a fallen log that had long been repurposed as a bench by many hikers before them. Andrew took off his backpack, taking out a towel for them to sit on over the log, and invited Willow to sit next to him. He had another blanket ready to drape over their laps.
"You mentioned hot chocolate in your original voicemail once... or twice," he said with a chuckle as he took out a pair of thermoses. He handed one to her and added, "I hope you like this hot chocolate."
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Post by Critter on Jun 1, 2024 20:29:32 GMT -5
Tag: Andrew HarveyWords: 230 "Perfect!" Willow approved of Andrew's plan for their little outing, having no problem holding onto his arm as they trekked up the path.
The hiking trail itself wasn't too difficult, just as Andrew promised, and Willow enjoyed the exercise. Actually doing something rather than, say, going to a dinner and a movie was preferable to Willow as an outing. There was nothing wrong with going out to dinner -- anything with food was fantastic in Willow's book -- but exploring a new area was much more exciting.
"This is beautiful..." Willow's breath caught in her throat -- and not just because of their little hike -- as she gazed out from the summit. While the beach was off to one side, with the gray-blue water chilling in the winter air, she could see some of the downtown area beginning to light up with the coming evening time.
"Thank you!" Willow freely took the seat on the towel-covered log next to Andrew and quietly cheered when he handed her a thermos of hot chocolate. Taking a sip, she hummed appreciatively. "This is delicious! I'm glad you got hot chocolate out of my rambling voice mail from back then. Did you make this yourself?"
Her gaze went back towards the horizon. "Think we'll be out here long enough for the moon to rise? What phase is the moon in at this time of the month, anyway?"
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Post by Andrew Harvey on Jun 3, 2024 6:44:01 GMT -5
Andrew was unable to hide his grin when Willow didn't hesitate to take his arm, and he was pleased that she held onto him throughout their little hike.
Per his plan, Willow was enthralled with the view from the summit (although, he was sure she would have appreciated any view -- she seemed the type to appreciate and celebrate anything that may even be remotely pretty) and he wasn't surprised when she was thankful for the hot chocolate as well.
"I did make it myself," he said. With the help of the good ol' Internet and his mother when he almost scorched one of her pots. He took a sip himself and was pleased with the outcome. "I'm only glad the thermos did its job in keeping it warm. Your drink is warm enough, right?"
Then she asked about the moon, of all things. "The Waning Gibbous phase," Andrew said after a quick check on his phone. He put his cell phone away immediately, not wanting to seem rude or distracted, but he did chuckle as he found out the answer for Willow. "Shame it's not a full moon. I'll have to plan the next date better."
He kept his tone casual, testing to see what Willow thought of their little outing so far.
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Post by Critter on Jun 6, 2024 7:22:48 GMT -5
Tag: Andrew HarveyWords: 232 "I'd love to steal the recipe from you," Willow said when Andrew revealed that he indeed had made the hot chocolate himself. "Do you cook or bake a lot? I love baking especially. We should have a cookie swap for the holidays with our friends at some point."
Willow was more than enjoying the atmosphere, the cool weather contrasting with the warmth of the hot chocolate and blanket over their laps, as their talk turned from baking to the moon itself.
"Ohhh, yes, the full moon would be beautiful from here," Willow agreed. She glanced around behind them, trying to spot the few other summits that were higher up courtesy of the more difficult trails. She supposed seeing the full moon in winter from those heights could be a little more dangerous with the ice and darkness, but she would be willing to chance it.
Then Willow's brain caught up and realized that Andrew had called this outing a date.
"Wait, this is a date?" Willow asked, her tone honestly confused. "You said this was just to hang out. Why didn't you tell me it was a date? I would have put more effort into what I'm wearing and would have brought you something like how you brought hot chocolate."
She suddenly huffed and brought her attention back to the horizon. "Well, I'll just have to one-up you on the next date."
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Post by Andrew Harvey on Jun 8, 2024 9:23:34 GMT -5
Andrew made a note to himself to take baking lessons. Or, more likely, find someone in the home economics classes that he could bother for a favor or two.
"Not too much, admittedly," Andrew said, answering Willow's question. "Maybe you can teach me a thing or two some day."
She mentioned a cookie swap with their friends, and Andrew hid his chuckle by taking another sip of his hot chocolate. He couldn't imagine Clarissa baking or hosting something as mundane and relaxing as a cookie swap.
Willow cooed over the idea of the full moon again, and Andrew wondered if his comment about this being a date went over her head. It wouldn't have been the worst thing if it had -- it would just mean that there would be no awkward feelings on the subject on either side.
Then Willow caught up with the conversation, and Andrew was pleasantly surprised that she appeared to merely admonish him about not telling her that it was a date. He laughed and said, "Trust me, you look fantastic. I'm pretty sure I already said you looked wonderful, didn't I? And I invited you out. You weren't supposed to bring me anything."
He found it amusing and flattering that Willow had decided that she'd have to one-up him on the next date, promising that there would be a second outing. With a gleam in his eyes, he said, "I'm looking forward to seeing you try."
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Post by Critter on Jun 10, 2024 17:25:35 GMT -5
Tag: Andrew HarveyWords: 229 "Oh, that'd be fun!" Willow said when Andrew mentioned having her teach him a few things about baking one day. "We'd have to find a good place for it. Maybe a cooking class together somewhere. I don't think the kitchen at my place would be good for it. We'd probably make a mess if you're not too used to baking and I can get enthusiastic about it... What about your kitchen?"
Her ramblings went right past the idea of the manor's kitchen, and Willow hoped that Andrew wouldn't press further on that. Willow was certain that none of the institute teachers would want Willow to have a date in the kitchen. Perhaps one day, if everyone got plenty of notice, but it was still a tricky subject.
That, and it would probably kill the mood if their principal walked in during their date.
It was a bit of a thrill to think of this as a date, if Willow was honest with herself. She vaguely remembered her sisters going on dates when they were high school, but most of those happened in the later years of their high school careers. To have someone interested in her enough already when she was only a freshman was rather nice.
She beamed and thanked Andrew when he complimented her, and she laughed out loud at the gleam in his eyes. "Challenge accepted."
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Post by Andrew Harvey on Jun 16, 2024 16:00:25 GMT -5
Just like that, Andrew was suddenly roped into having a cooking or baking class with the little freshman by his side. She nixed the idea of her own kitchen, and Andrew wouldn't push it. This was their first date, after all, one where the pair had met at the designated spot instead of Andrew offering to pick Willow up. He hadn't wanted to push (or risk meeting her parents right away; he didn't want to deal with that) or pressure her in that way just yet.
"My kitchen probably wouldn't be the best place either," he admitted. "It's modest, but if we're going to be experimenting or trying out new recipes, I'm sure my mother wouldn't appreciate any mess we'll probably make."
Granted, Andrew could probably bribe someone who had a fancy enough kitchen for them to use. Maybe Clarissa...
And it would definitely have to be a fancy kitchen, something really impressive, especially if Willow was going to meet his date challenge.
Andrew laughed and said, "Well, then... Shall we figure out the next time we'll see each other to give you a deadline, or would you like to take your time?"
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Post by Critter on Jun 19, 2024 15:27:25 GMT -5
Tag: Andrew HarveyWords: 225 "I suppose that's understandable," Willow said when Andrew mentioned that his home's kitchen probably wouldn't have been ideal either. "I mean, the hot chocolate is great, but who knows how much of a mess you'd make as an amateur."
She sipped her hot chocolate innocently, savoring the sweet taste. Of course, Willow herself wasn't the neatest baker, but she had a rhythm whenever she was in the kitchen, cleaning up as she went, but it was fun to harmlessly tease Andrew.
Andrew asked about a deadline for Willow to meet the challenge of planning a fun date, and she pondered on her response for a moment. "Let me take my time," she said slowly. "It's nothing against you, of course, but I do not want to be pressured like that. Deadlines really only work on me if they involve homework, to be honest."
Vaguely, Willow wondered how much Andrew liked animals. That would be up her alley just as much as baking would be, if not more. Dancing would also be a decent idea...
Willow gazed out at the horizon, enjoying the cool air and hot chocolate. "Thank you again for tonight," she said softly. "Do you come around this part often? You seemed to know the paths pretty well."
With a light chuckle, she asked, "Or do you take all your first dates here?"
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Post by Andrew Harvey on Jun 20, 2024 7:22:28 GMT -5
369 words | Critter | Your next post can be the last? Thanks for the thread! "Wow," Andrew deadpanned when Willow said that he'd probably make a mess as an amateur baker, a smile tugging at his lips. Andrew himself paused then shrugged. "You're probably not wrong, but you don't have to be quite that honest."
Willow actually took a moment to think of her response when Andrew had teased her about a potential deadline for their next outing, and she mentioned that she did not want said deadline. Andrew took her response in stride, saying, "Don't worry about it. No pressure at all. Hanging out with each other is supposed to be fun."
He wouldn't look any deeper into her response. Willow was casual enough that Andrew wasn't worried that she would be pushing back the idea of actually going on another date with him.
Then her voice turned soft and she thanked him again for their little evening. Andrew smiled and said, "It's my pleasure. Thank you for gracing me with your company.
"I do use these paths once in a while," Andrew answered. "One of my best friends does a lot of hiking, so I tag along with her. Pretty sure I slow her down, but she hasn't complained yet."
Willow asked about his other first dates, and Andrew put a hand over his heart. "You wound me! How could you think of me asking others out when we're together?" He did pause his theatrics to honestly say, "Admittedly, depending on the potential date, I have taken another girl or two up here. Most of my dates enjoy the usual dinner-and-movie combo, though, so finding someone who likes something a little different is really nice."
Andrew would have been fine staying out much longer but he was conscious that he probably shouldn't keep Willow out long enough to get too cold. The hot chocolate staved off most of the chill, but this first date was just a test to see how compatible Willow and he were, and he was looking forward to seeing her again.
"You done with your drink?" he eventually asked, figuring they should start packing up. "I should let you get back home at a decent hour. Don't want to get your parents mad at me before I even meet them."
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Post by Critter on Jun 23, 2024 20:27:38 GMT -5
Tag: Andrew Harvey too see Words: 286 Notes: All set! Thanks! Willow giggled when Andrew admonished her for being so honest, figuring that the pair were just teasing each other. He also took the fact that she wanted to take her time planning their next date in stride, and she was thankful that he wasn't the type to push for an immediate answer.
He was also honest about his previous dates, which Willow appreciated. Of course, she couldn't have expected him not to have gone on dates before, not with being a junior, and she was certain that this one particular outing didn't make Andrew and her official. She may not be the last first-date he brought up on the hiking path, and Willow would be okay with that. It felt a little funny, if she was honest with herself, but she wouldn't fault him for it if he was still testing the waters with other girls.
Vaguely, Willow wondered if the best friend he spoke about was also someone he was testing the waters with. Didn't friends make for some of the best romantic relationships? That was someone one of her sisters used to say.
...Then again, the other enjoyed keeping her options open, so Willow supposed it was all personal preference.
Andrew asked if Willow was done with her drink, and she tilted the thermos up to her lips to drink the remaining delicious hot chocolate. She dabbed at her lips, hoping that she didn't have cocoa stains on them, and beamed up at Andrew. "All set! Thank you again. This was a lot of fun!"
She helped him pack everything up, opting to not comment directly on his words about her parents, and enjoyed the hike back down to the main path with him.
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