If she didn’t love Max quite as much as she did, Emily would not have taken him up on his suggestion of winter camping. Winter camping! As if camping by itself was not miserable enough. She could see leaving the house in the winter-time being pleasant if there was a log cabin with a roaring fire at the destination, but willingly being outside like this was madness.
But she adored Max, and their schedules were busy, so she was willing to do practically anything to make time for them. Even this. Admittedly, it was also a relief to be off duty during the full moon. Something about this time of the month tended to make people a bit crazy, lycanthropy or no. It just seemed to be a human thing--Emily had only noticed it when she overheard one of the court reporters theorizing that they were about to get a slew of restraining orders through the system and when pressed on why, answered that the full moon was coming up.
Coincidence? Perhaps, but she wasn't quite willing to break the streak of 'almost normal' they'd had over the holidays. 'Almost normal' only because the strange and unusual were part of her life now; Juniper had eaten her weight in food over Christmas, which had been absurd to witness, and Emily had nearly blown up her kitchen sink pouring potions down the drain. However, they'd miraculously managed to sidestep the creepy doll fiasco down at the mall. Emily had even considered buying some for nieces, but when stories started coming through the grapevine about it's strange properties, she'd been relieved she was too busy with work and other functions.
Breaking up a few twigs, she threw them into the fire and was rewarded with a warm flare. She sighed, enjoying the heat on her face, but it faded all too quickly. Leaning forward on the log, she threw on a few more, watching the fire crackle merrily, and wondered how she would get through an entire night in the winter cold. Max did this for fun? The summer she could understand, but in winter? What was there to do but suffer?
Actually, in fairness- she supposed he had no choice, when it came to the full moon, but sometimes he was up here and there was nothing lunar going on at all.
The sound of footsteps pulled Emily from her rambling thoughts, and she straightened up, head turning just as Max leaned in and kissed the top of her head. The affectionate greeting pulled her thoughtful frown into a half smile, and she returned her gaze to the fire as he put an arm around her. She leaned back into him and then a bunch of fish flew past and she looked at their shiny limp bodies in mild surprise. “Oh, fish,” she said with an air of realization. It had taken her a moment to identify the bundle. Tipping her head back to smile up at Max, she went on, joking, “Not alright- I'm delirious with cold.”
But she adored Max, and their schedules were busy, so she was willing to do practically anything to make time for them. Even this. Admittedly, it was also a relief to be off duty during the full moon. Something about this time of the month tended to make people a bit crazy, lycanthropy or no. It just seemed to be a human thing--Emily had only noticed it when she overheard one of the court reporters theorizing that they were about to get a slew of restraining orders through the system and when pressed on why, answered that the full moon was coming up.
Coincidence? Perhaps, but she wasn't quite willing to break the streak of 'almost normal' they'd had over the holidays. 'Almost normal' only because the strange and unusual were part of her life now; Juniper had eaten her weight in food over Christmas, which had been absurd to witness, and Emily had nearly blown up her kitchen sink pouring potions down the drain. However, they'd miraculously managed to sidestep the creepy doll fiasco down at the mall. Emily had even considered buying some for nieces, but when stories started coming through the grapevine about it's strange properties, she'd been relieved she was too busy with work and other functions.
Breaking up a few twigs, she threw them into the fire and was rewarded with a warm flare. She sighed, enjoying the heat on her face, but it faded all too quickly. Leaning forward on the log, she threw on a few more, watching the fire crackle merrily, and wondered how she would get through an entire night in the winter cold. Max did this for fun? The summer she could understand, but in winter? What was there to do but suffer?
Actually, in fairness- she supposed he had no choice, when it came to the full moon, but sometimes he was up here and there was nothing lunar going on at all.
The sound of footsteps pulled Emily from her rambling thoughts, and she straightened up, head turning just as Max leaned in and kissed the top of her head. The affectionate greeting pulled her thoughtful frown into a half smile, and she returned her gaze to the fire as he put an arm around her. She leaned back into him and then a bunch of fish flew past and she looked at their shiny limp bodies in mild surprise. “Oh, fish,” she said with an air of realization. It had taken her a moment to identify the bundle. Tipping her head back to smile up at Max, she went on, joking, “Not alright- I'm delirious with cold.”