Brian Walker and his girlfriend Patricia Monet* were hot and heavy for over an hour, hidden in the woods. The were-otter and his were-beaver expressed their love for each other physically with some very intense, good old fashioned, no holds barred sex.
What they really wanted to do was be in the waters of Moon Lake itself, but they couldn't risk being spotted. They were taking enough of a chance displaying their fursonas in public while there was still a Code W Alert** active, although they were not the only people violating that right now.
How long the two lovers would have continued their fun would remain unknown, for suddenly both their respective cellphones chimed receipt of an incoming text.
The otter and the beaver stopped and checked their phones, then each showed the other they got the same message from Tachibana no Akane.
ELDERS' COUNCIL MEETING 10AM TUESDAY MORNING. YOUR PRESENCE NOT REQUIRED BECAUSE ITS THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. BUT PLEASE CALL AFTER SCHOOL LETS OUT FOR DAY IN CASE YOUR SERVICES ARE STILL NEEDED THEN. GOOD LUCK STARTING YOUR SOPHOMORE YEAR.
Brian and Patricia looked at each other, shrugged their furry shoulders, and were about to resume their intimacy when their cellphones chimed receipt of another incoming message.
"A second from Tachibana?" wondered Brian, as they checked their texts.
I KNOW HOW MUCH YOU TWO LOVE EACH OTHER BUT DEFUR, GET DRESSED AND RETURN TO THE PICNIC BEFORE THE SKULK FINDS YOU!
Needless to say it didn't take them long to heed that message, and soon the young lovers were in their human forms, clothed, and back on the fair grounds.
Hand in hand, together they roamed the picnic, stopping for a bite to eat because of all the physical activity they did while deciding what to do next.
Soon Brian got an idea and led Patricia over to one of the gaming booths.
"Step right up young man," called out the barker running the game. "All you have to do is knock down the metal bottles with this softball. The more you knock down, the more tickets you win. The more tickets you have, the bigger your prize can be," the man added, while pointing to the display of possible rewards behind him.
"Oh Brian. I would love that pink teddy bear," cooed Patricia, eyeing the stuffed animal hanging on the wall behind the barker.
Brian simply nodded as he paid for his first handful of softballs, but he was actually looking at a different prize he wanted to win.
Throw after throw was made by Brian, each ball hitting their targets.
As he collected his tickets and kept going, the barker was starting to get a little concerned. In the past, most players, no matter how good they were, quit somewhere between earning 10 to 20 tickets. The stuffed teddy bear the lady expressed an interest in only cost 30 tickets. Yet his new player was already at 45 tickets and still going strong!
Now, most players would have at least taken a break at this point and come back later to continue, if they returned at all.
But not Brian. He had only spent about $15 dollars, which was quite a lot for him, but still kept playing.
On one hand, Brian's prowess at the booth was starting to attract attention, which was always good for business. Yet at some point the barker started worrying about possibly running out of prizes. He was regretting the fact his boss told everyone they had to run the games today on the up and up since they were in Moon Lake among fellow weres.
"Say kid, are you a ringer?" the man wanted to know.
"What's that?" Brian asked in return, while knocking down more bottles with another softball.
"A professional. Like a major league baseball player," the barker explained.
"No. Just determined," replied Brian, as he continued to earn tickets.
"Then what is it you're after?" the man wanted to know.
After sending Patricia off for some sodas, Brian and the barker talked. Once he understood Brian's quest, the man quickly negotiated a deal with Brian for both the teddy bear AND the prize Brian wanted.
When Patricia returned with the drinks, Brian was no longer playing. He proudly handed her the pink teddy bear and they walked off together, with the prize he was after in his back pocket.
As he looked for a private place to sit and talk to Patricia, Brian was glad that the barker was willing to cut a deal. Despite having a part time job with the Elders' Council, the young Walker boy didn't earn much money, and was using most of it to either help out his mother combat expenses because of the huge debt his estranged father left them when he skipped out on the family when Brian was a young tyke, or covering his own expenses like school clothes and supplies.
Brian would have ran out of money long before he earned enough tickets to win both the teddy bear AND what he really wanted.
Finally sitting down under a shade tree, Brian turned to his girlfriend and said, "Patricia?"
She turned, gave him a passionate kiss on the lips, and then said, "Thanks for the teddy bear. Too bad they didn't have a stuffed otter, but then again, you're one of a kind."
Brian blushed at that comment and had to pause before continuing. "There's something else I want to give you."
"Oh?" asked Patricia, puzzled as to what it could be.
"I've been thinking about you and us for quite a while now," he began, trying to find the words.
Patricia remained silent and stared at him while hugging her new teddy bear.
"The were-mers have this practice of giving the one they love a single pearl necklace in lieu of an engagement ring."
Patricia's eyes started to widen in shock as Brian added, "Unfortunately, as much as I long to ask you that question, I promised my mother I wouldn't even contemplate that until after I graduate high school."
"I understand dear," began Patricia, moving a bit closer to him on the grass. "You and your mom have had it rough enough over the years without another mouth to feed," she said, referring to herself. "I shudder to think how my life would be right now if my father hadn't of taken that good job with Knight Industries and my family had stayed in Canada."
"I know," Brian replied, thinking about all the times he and Patricia just talked about things past, present, and future. "But I want you to know how much I love you. With all my heart and soul. There is no one else in my life except you, and there never will be."
"Except maybe your mother," pointed out Patricia.
"The love I have for her is totally different from the love I have for you," he observed, while Brian reached around to pull something out of his back pocket. "I do love you Patricia Monet, and when I can ask that question, I want to spend the rest of my life with you," he declared, which made Patricia start to cry. "But until then..."
And then Brian showed her what else he won from the game booth.
It was a small, ruby (glass) heart on a gold chain. Patricia would never know that it would have cost her boyfriend 100 tickets by itself, although it wasn't worth more than about $20.
"B-Brian..." began Patricia, through tears of joy.
"Someday darling, I will be proud to ask you to be Mrs. Patricia Walker. But until I can..."
Patricia just simply nodded as she turned to let Brian place the chain around her neck.
She felt a warm engulf her as the ruby heart caressed the bare skin under her chin.
Neither teenager realized that they had just moved one step closer to having a were-wedding, but both were elated and flushed with new romantic feelings toward each other.
Together, Brian Walker and Patricia Monet sat under that tree and talked about their future together until it was time for them to leave the picnic, part company, and get ready for their Sophomore year of high school to begin Tuesday morning.
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*Who finally received a last name!
**Normally the Labor Day Picnic would be one of the few times fursonas could be displayed in broad daylight and in public, but not with Freddie "the Shark" Parker and his men in town, hence the Code W.—tmw.