While his brothers and sisters had their issues with regard to finding mates, Damien didn't have that problem and he was alertly aware of that as he sat with the Arabian Mare Animalian in the kitchen area of the Hanson home. His parents were nearby and were working on preparing dinner and the four engaged in a rather friendly conversation that often related to various issues. Some things were on his and Adi's dates, which hadn't been much considering everything else going on in the world and some of it also related the general situation that the younger Hanson family members faced.
"Well... with all of this... I'd consider myself especially lucky that you were willing to... well... accept me," Damien commented to Adi as he looked down, "I mean... you could call my interest a childish crush and all that..."
"It is ultimately no problem," Adi assured him and lay her hands over his. "It really isn't..."
Adi initially had her doubts about doing anything with the Hanson herd's young stallions, for with the exception of their father, all of them were essentially double dosed children. The Hanson herd's mares, with the exception of the mother were the same. Exhausted from birthing and then running after six children, the mother and father had had the idea to double dose and become Horse Animalians, likely based off of the American Quarter Horse, given that most of Animalia's Horse Animalians were from that particular breed, and regain their strength and energy. From there the children would be single dosed if they wished and could grow up as Horse Animalians as well. However, the children got into the milk first and ended up double dosing themselves by accident. This meant that Damien and his brothers and sisters skipped childhood as the Animalia Virus brought them into their physical prime.
And that was what initially worried Adi a little, particularly when she began to notice that Damien had a bit more interest in her than his brothers and was a bit more hopeful around her. He made for a rather handsome stallion, well muscled with an athletic stature and at the same time he was kind and polite. Some of it was that Adi figured he was trying to make a good impression in case she was more resistant over his chronological age than anything else, and Adi had some initial concerns there. For while the US and most countries ultimately recognized double dosed Animalians as legal adults, that didn't change the chronological age that any individual was and Adi didn't want to do anything that would go against those sorts of codes.
But Damien did keep it up and ultimately demonstrated that he was more than a child who'd had his physical age put on fast forward until he became an adult. He showed various signs of maturity seemed to test well through the programs that he and his siblings went through after their double dosing. That gave Adi some assurance, and at the same time, she also had some recognition that her choices were ultimately rather limited. Most, if not all of the stallions in Animalia either were married or at least had a steady bond mate and most of the Humans that lived in Lyre full time weren't super interested in converting to become Animalians and at present, those outside Animalia were scared of the Covid 19 pandemic. In that, Damien actually began to win Adi's heart by being kind and respectful while at the same time being "himself," which was quite important. Over time, Adi began to let him in and both began finding other things to love about one another.
"I know... but that doesn't mean I don't feel lucky to have been able to win over such a kind and intelligent woman... err... Mare... you know what I mean," Damien sighed, "I'd just wonder now... on what will happen with the others... I mean... they've all grown up too... and well... I want them to be as happy as you made me on our dates..."
Damien and Adi's minds both drifted off a bit into some reminiscing on the dates that they'd had.
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Their dates largely remained innocent, as Damien didn't want to force himself on Adi. He found her beautiful and there were a few things that he would like to do, but he wanted to be a gentleman and make sure that Adi would want it first. This then left Damien careful to not be too direct with some things and keeping the conversation light and of a respectful topic. And with some of the restrictions going around due to the Covid 19 pandemic, Damien did his best to keep to things that would minimize that danger. This often meant either conversing online through Skype or arranging for some kind of outdoor dining. And there were a few good spots in Lyre/Animalia that had some decent views that could give an overview of the two towns.
"So... what do you think of the view?" Damien asked to Adi as they sat on a bench that set up outside at a sort of picnic area that was set up on one of the edges of Animalia.
Adi looked out over the view and could see the array of buildings and designs that made for the unique and intriguing contrasts that made up Animalia and Lyre's outline. There were the various older brick and stone buildings that made up a good portion of Lyre and this contrasted with many of the newer designs that made up Animalia. Some tried to copy cabins while others took on almost futuristic or organic designs in many ways. It made for some interesting contrasts, though things like Lovers Woods, which covered an a fair amount of land area, aside from what had been much of the Brown Family's land, and the large complex that was the Claw Coliseum. They both contrasted in what they were often used for. Adi knew that, and while some things she wouldn't engage in, she'd been through enough to decide not to force anything on anyone. Thus a lot of her focus ended up turning to the more natural lands that could be seen out to the east of Lyre.
"Generally its a pretty sight... not too terribly different from some places I remember..." Adi began.
"In Syria... they plants like we have here?" Damien asked following Adi's eyes as she looked out to the area to the east of Lyre. It was much flatter than the area to the west of Lyre with much of the colors being a sort of brown and gray in relation to the rocks that were there with only tiny bit of desert plants growing here and there. It heavily differed from some of the forest land that was along Animalia's western boundary as they moved into the mountains along the California border.
"Well not the same plants... and some areas would be greener than here... but their are some parts that are similar with their rocks and outcroppings of desert foliage," Adi spoke, "and the way it glistens in the sun... it will have its own beauty to it."
"Maybe we can go look at it closer some other time," Damien commented, "I'm used to this fairly well... but I wouldn't mind hearing about what you think."
"About you or the terrain?" Adi asked, slightly playful in her tone of voice and moving to see how Damien responded. She knew that Animalians had a higher libido than Humans and she could privately admit that she'd felt some of those urges, but she also knew that some Animalians could be more forward than others. Some of that was fine, but Adi wanted to make sure that Damien would remain respectful for her positions and didn't get into anything "offensive."
"Well... I'd be happy to talk about me..." Damien said weakly, "but I was hoping to learn more about you and what you think... so that I could do things that you would like and would be comfortable with. And to some extent... I wouldn't mind learning more about things you might have interest in..."
The two silently sat for a few moments while taking a bite out of the sandwiches they'd packed before coming out on the date. It wasn't too fancy, just the bread, lettuce, tomato, and Damien's had some onion on it. Before he'd become an Animalian, many of those things were icky and he wouldn't even consider eating them. After becoming a Horse Animalian, however, he actually found that he liked a fair number of them. Though as he looked over to Adi's eyes, the thing that he liked the most was her, and he would do anything he could to show that he could be worthy of her.
"We don't have to share all the same interests," Adi told him after swallowing a bite of her sandwich.
"I know," Damien answered, "as my parents don't share all the same interests either... but they may talk about them and thus they learn about each other's interests and thoughts. I would like to do the same with you..."
Adi looked over to him as he gave a small though for the moment nervous smile.
"That way I can do what I can to make you happy," Damien then finished, which Adi managed to respond to with a smile of her own.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"You've made me happy too," Adi spoke, "showing yourself kind and considerate... and not lead by your... equipment... those are all good things."
"Yes... but I wouldn't want to make the others jealous," Damien answered, "and they deserve to be happy too."
"These things shall pass in their own time," Mrs. Hanson spoke up, "you and the others may have gotten to skip childhood... but these are things that you can't rush."
"And it isn't as though there aren't unavailable mares for your brothers," Mr. Hanson added, "and this pandemic won't last forever. Eventually a vaccine will be found... or the government will remember its job is not to serve itself... but to serve everyone... and things will get better. And that will mean that your brothers and sisters could also court new mates and make their own choices."
Damien looked down for a moment and then looked over to Adi before he spoke, "some times it feels like a rush though... being with Adi... it's made me feel happy and honored that she would consider me worthy of her, and that's great... and well... the others ended up with the same treatment as me. They've all matured deserve to be happy too."
"If that is the issue... it's likely that some people are uneasy with the fact that you and your siblings are double dosed," Adi pointed out, "thus they know you're physically adults and mentally as capable as adults... but they learn your chronological age and begin to worry about other things. That can take time to over come and requires learning about the person as an individual... your parents are both right in that regard."
Damien slowly nodded. There was a part of him that wanted to argue, to say that his brothers and sisters deserved their own mates and their own satisfaction, but he wasn't going to argue with his parents and his own girlfriend. That wouldn't be a winning situation.
"I just hope they find someone that makes them happy..." Damien said after a moment, "like you've made me happy."
"I believe all of us would wish the same," Adi assured him, "and trust me... you've made me happy too."