For days on end, Stephen and Miranda met day and night. They went to different places around the city and explored the many unique aspects of how modern city life worked. One of the experiences she dealt with was her first time going into a train station.
"You see, you buy a ticket right here, and then you hand it to this wonderful gentleman right here."
Stephen inserted the coins into the ticket machine before it spewed out two train tickets. He then walked over to one of the train conductors, who punched both of their tickets. Miranda's eyes glistened with awe. "W-Whoa! That machine just spat out a ticket!" Stephen smiled and handed her one ticket. "Yeah, the technology in Argon City is amazing compared to other places."
When they both got on the train, many eyes turned to Miranda. Everyone was uncomfortable. "Is that a catgirl?" One asked, pointing at Miranda. The mood was already awkward, so the abrupt question made it worse. Miranda's ears twitched before slumping, experiencing the deep discrimination as per usual.
Stephen turned his head to the person. It was a human man in a dignified outfit. Clean, slick-backed hair and a sharp gaze. "Do you understand how bad it is to bring a demi-human slave into public transport, especially a catgirl?! The moment Catlas finds out about this, they'll declare war on Argon City!"
Stephen tried to make light of his conversation to shut it down. Scoffing, he says, "We've walked around in public for a few days already; nobody has said anything so far!"
The man immediately shot him down with the brutal, bitter truth. "That's because we do not wish to be killed! Even Harlibue Kingston is not enough to hold a pause against all of Catlas!"
Miranda looked up to Stephen, her discomfort still visible. "Stephen? What is Catlas?"
"Catlas is the empire of the Cat Girl Legion. It's a place where they adore cute catgirls like you." Stephen answered, booping her on the nose.
Miranda's face reddened at his words, making her avoid eye contact with him. "I-I see..."
The man raised his voice, causing the entire cabin's attention to turn to them. "Stop acting romantic! Her entire existence here is unwanted, and she should be cast out of here before we're all killed!"
Soon, the train conductor announced their arrival at the next stop. Even if it wasn't their intended location, Stephen still dragged Miranda out of there in urgency. "We're gone from that guy now. Sorry you had to experience that, Miranda."
"It's fine, I'm used to it..." Miranda says.
Seeing where they were, Stephen's face lit up with excitement. "Oh, wait, even if we missed our stop, this is still a good place!" What the station led out to was a massive forest that surrounded Argon City. The sign on top of the station says the name—Wildwinds Forest. Stephen held her hand and dragged her past the station exit. What stood before them was a vast forest in the autumn season. Yellow leaves flowed in the sky as the gale washed over the colorful forest. Miranda's eyes suddenly glistened with the light of awe that engulfed them earlier. "The forest is said to be blessed by fairies. That's why constant winds are blowing." Stephen mentioned, taking in the beautiful scenery.
"That's also why the forest is called WildwindsForest!" His smile was bright, almost as if it was trying to complement the autumn leaves under the evening sun. Miranda took a step forward until Stephen walked ahead. "You're probably wanting to take a hike here, right? This is my favorite hiking trail to get my mind off things."
Their footsteps crunched leaves with every step they took on the hiking trail. A gentle breeze brushed his hair before Stephen spoke. "What do you think about Argon City so far? Was it fun experiencing things you never tried so far?"
Miranda couldn't help but smile at his question. She lived a pretty secluded life in Argon City, rarely going out in public during the day. And usually when she did, that's because she needed to use the bathroom. Because of Stephen, she got to experience the city life she always dreamed of, even if she dealt with the usual discrimination. She got to enter the places she always wanted to explore, she got to try out the many restaurants she eyed on cold winter nights, and she got to finally relax in the park with someone she could trust.
"I... thought it was fun. I could never explore these places so freely until now. It truly feels like my shackles were removed from me. Even if you did silly things like getting lost a couple of times or slipping on a wet floor in the museum, that just made it all the more enjoyable. That's because I got to spend it with someone who cares about me. So thank you, Stephen!" And she did it again. That pure smile, the one that made his heart skip a beat. The smile that made him realize that Mrs. Offner's words about love at first sight truly exist in this struggling world.
His lips quivered before he gave her his response. "Y-You're welcome, Miranda. I'm truly happy you are experiencing these things." He gave her his own heartfelt smile, the greatest response he could give to hers.
They continued their hike with more reverence for each other. And this time, they walked side-by-side. "We're almost to the end, Miranda. From now on, the trail is going up from here." The trail formed to go up and spiral into a big path. And on that big path, Miranda sees a small lily stick out of the ground. "A lily!" Miranda squealed with excitement. Rushing over to the lily, she crouched down, admiring it in all its glory.
"A lily? Do you like that flower?"
She looked up to Stephen with a smile. "My mom gave it to me one time, and it was the prettiest flower I have ever seen." She didn't pick it, but gave it a gentle brush. "One day, I wish to see a lot of lilies in one place! Like a big, big valley of them! That's my dream."
Stephen gave her a small chuckle, petting her head. "Well, one day I could set that up for you, Miranda. That'll take a while to plant all those lilies, though."
"Then I'll wait. I'll wait for you to make that valley so we can sit in it together." She says, with her fingers now lingering on his hand, petting her head.
Their journey ensued up the trail, till eventually, they made it. And then Miranda took hold of what she was hiking through this entire time. This whole time, Miranda hiked up an entire mountain without realizing it. The top of the mountain had a large patch of grass and a giant neon blue tree in the middle of it. The tree made leaves of the same color rain down on the grass and dissolve on contact. And to the side of the mountain was a legendary sight that people would kill for. It was a beautiful view of Argon City with a sunset seen behind it.
Miranda was at a loss for words. This sight was too much for her to process. It was something more than beautiful; it was mystical, to say the least. Stephen pointed at the neon blue tree in the middle of the patch of grass. "That is a legendary tree of Rysen, called the Ovanee Tree. This tree was formed of pure Rysen and structured here for thousands of years. The reason why it's not dead yet is because of the fairy blessing that gives all plants here life."
Miranda's steps forward were in silence, but as they got by the Ovanee Tree, she plopped down and admired the view. "I-" she held her words, giving off a tense build-up. And then let loose a small chuckle. "I'm sorry, I just can't say anything about a sight this amazing." Stephen stepped beside her before plopping down next to her. "I had the same reaction when I first saw this place." For a brief moment, their eyes met, but then they averted their eyes once again. "Ah-" They both tried to say something, but quickly cut each other off in their frantic spewing. A deep feeling resonated within both of them in this moment, and their attempts to express it kept colliding.
"Miranda, I-"
"W-What?" she asked, abruptly cutting him off.
"I think it's been really fun together so far. And I can't help but admit, seeing you happy just makes my entire world spin." He gave her a warm smile. "So-"
She then cut him off again, this time her face in a red panic. "I feel the same, too!" she blurts out. "I-I get really happy when you're around, and when you smile, it makes me feel... fuzzy."
The awkwardness was intense, but in a good way for both of them. They were too nervous to fully express their feelings to each other. And this nervousness built up until they finally snapped.
"I-I think I like you, Miranda!"
"I have feelings for you, Stephen!"
In that moment, they both confessed with their faces burning a deep blush. Their eyes widened in shock, realizing they both had the same idea. Seconds passed, and Stephen finally started to laugh. And soon after, Miranda started laughing too. They both laughed for a little while, falling onto their backs and rolling on the floor playfully.
"I can't believe we just confessed at the same time like that! That's the most ridiculous love confession I have ever seen!" Stephen cried, his laughter finally subsiding.
"But I am also happy you feel the same, Stephen... It's been a feeling in my heart for a while, so I'm super duper happy you feel the same way."
Stephen planted his hand on hers, leaning into her. "I am also happy, Miranda." He leaned in for a kiss on the lips that he felt could last forever. That moment was etched into their minds, a memory that they both thought would kindle a lifetime of love together.
"You know, you could always move in with me now. I know at first you didn't want to, but my place has good air conditioning and a cozy bed. And then we could get a nice, peaceful job together, like at Mrs. Offner's cafe! You'd also love my younger brother Ryan; he's such a softie!"
He rambled on and on about plans for their future. She could tell of his excitement, and she was also equally excited. "I can't wait to explore more things with you, Stephen. I want to try going to an aquarium next. I heard I could see a lot of sea creatures there!" Stephen gave a cheerful thumbs-up. "Leave it to me!"
That night, he dropped her back to her little alleyway home. "I'll come pick you up tomorrow, okay? Pack up all your bags and belongings, and I'll help you carry them to my place."
Miranda nodded, her heart beating to a new, enticing life that she always dreamed of, right in front of her eyes. A life where she could simply live with somebody she could love in peace. "Okay! See you tomorrow, Stephen!"
Stephen petted her once more before leaning in to give her another kiss. "Yup, tomorrow morning! See you!"
Stephen soon departed, and she watched him take every step until he was too far away to see. As she gleefully turned to start packing her stuff, she saw a menacing man in the alleyway. Dressed in a fancy jacket and expensive boots, he stepped forward with a black mask. "I found you, little cat lady!"
His voice was familiar, and it brought the same fear to her as it did the moment she heard it in the Sinforth cafe.
Her voice trembled at his sight, her fight-or-flight senses activating immediately. "Y-You're t-that n-nobleman... f-from the cafe. Eugene Equestor..."