Current Events > Teen Titans CYOA: Romance Resurrected Part 15

(+) Yeah! (+)

A

"Mm-hmm," you nod, mouth still full of beans.

You aren't sure if she's asking genuinely or suggesting you keep your mouth busy with food, but you'll still do the latter.

You finish the tacos and beans and are almost done with the rice as you glance over at the dessert section. You see the soft serve ice cream machine, but you're not sure what else is available.

"Do you want me to get you something?" you ask both Raven and Arella.

"Yes, thank you," Arella says.

"Sure," Raven says. "Just some ice cream is fine."

"Chocolate or vanilla?" you ask.

"Chocolate," she says.

You have your last scoop of rice and head back to the buffet.

You see the dessert section properly now, and see some pies, pudding cups, eclairs and cream puffs, and chocolate chip cookies. You grab a couple plates and set a few cookies on each, one plate for your and the other for Arella. You then carefully hold those in one hand as you get an ice cream cone for the soft serve machine. You check to see if anyone is watching, and when the coast is clear, you use magic to pull the lever and fill the cone with chocolate soft serve. You're also careful not to pile it too high.

You return to the table, hand Raven her ice cream, and hand a plate to Arella.

"Thank you," she says. "Chocolate chip cookies are always the best cookies."

You nod and eat up while Raven licks ice cream. The chocolate chip cookies are fresh and gooey, and therefore even more delicious.

"Is the ice cream good?" Arella asks Raven.

"Mm-hmm," Raven says. "Cold and sweet, but not too much."

The three of you eat up your dessert and return to the casino level to then take the elevator up to your rooms. You wait in the hall while the ladies go into 2208.

Things are quiet for a moment but you hear luggage moving around.

"See?" Raven says. "This two piece isn't so bad, right?"

"Well, no," Arella says. "It isn't exactly good, either."

"I can show you," Raven says. "Just give me a second to change."

"No, it's alright, Raven," Arella says with a light chuckle. "This is probably just me being a mother. I'm sure it looks fine."

"Alright," Raven says.

More luggage moves around and you hear the footsteps heading for the door. A moment later, Raven and Arella walk out and you three return to the elevator. From there, you find your way through the Luxor to the connection to the parking garage.

"Don't worry, boy, we'll be back soon," you whisper to Shadowfax.

You get in the Challenger and carefully pull out of the spot and then head out onto the street. You use your phone as a GPS to look around town.

"Hmm, let's go here," you say as you head for...

A) Rockin Bettie
B) Express
C) Macy's
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D Kohls

(Totally not biased)
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Never heard of those except for Macy's but I'm with Alakazam on this one.

D for Kohls

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D.

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D

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bump

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(For the record I work at kohls but it's so much better then all those other places)
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I like going to Kohls.

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sry guys, today's been very busy, not sure if I can fit an update in today
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No worries

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the first two suggestions were ones I found just doing a google maps of Vegas, so maybe they're exclusive to the region

D, Kohl's

You go to Blue Diamond Road and pull into the Kohl's parking lot. You find a spot fairly close to the entrance, so that'll help.

The three of you walk inside and quickly look around.

"I think the dresses are near the back," you say as you crane your neck.

The three of you head that way, but Arella seems to get sidetracked by the shoe department.

"Oh~, look at these!" she says. "High heel ankle boots with a zipper! How cute! Oh, and they're on sale!"

"Well, we could get those as part of your wardrobe," Raven says. "They'd be good for semi-formal."

Arella boxes that pair up and carries the box with her as you continue. But then a pair of heels catch her eye.

"These would be good for a formal pair, right?" she asks.

"Yeah, I like the ankle strap," Raven says.

Arella boxes those up and continues.

"Oh, what about this one?" Raven asks. "It's got this nice perforated diamond pattern."

"I'm not sure, Raven, dear," Arella says. "I'm not really into patterns."

"No, I was asking for me," Raven says.

"We can get you shoes, too," you chuckle.

Raven smiles as she brings this box with her.

You three finally make it to the dress section and have plenty to choose in both casual and formal.

"This faux wrap looks nice," Raven says. "Short sleeves, nice floral pattern. Though, maybe not a good match for the boots. The more formal heels can still work, though."

"The same for this shorter wrap dress," you say as you point out the basic black dress with short sleeves.

"Yes, let's get both," Raven suggests.

"Alright, alright," Arella says. "But let me choose these myself."

Arella looks, and does go with your choice. She then hovers around the other dresses, and goes with a different floral faux wrap, a dark blue compared to the white Raven pointed out.

"Oh, and this will work for a much more formal choice," Arella says as she chooses the sleeveless evening gown. "Let's move on to very casual now."

You help carry things as the three of you head from the dresses to the jeans.

"Oh, so there is a designated 'mom jeans' section now, hm?" Arella says. "I suppose that's fine. But why are there distressed and already torn ones?"

"It is admittedly an odd trend," you say. "It makes little sense to buy new jeans that don't look new, as if you're trying to show the world you've been active in the jeans even though you aren't."

Arella chooses the couple of pairs that aren't torn up. She also finds a nice pair of black boot cut, which will of course go perfectly with her short boots.

After the jeans comes the tops. Because it's warm, she chooses a couple high neck swing tank tops, one in black and one in white, then a tunic tank top. Arella also chooses T-shirts, with a dark blue elbow sleeve, a V-neck, a crew neck, and even a couple long sleeves, also one in black and one in white.

"Well this is quite a lot, isn't it?" you say as you are holding a big stack of boxes.

"I guess that just leaves swimsuits," Arella says.

"They're by the changing rooms, obviously," Raven says.

A) Go with them
B) Pay for the items while the ladies browse
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B

"Would you like to apply for a Kohls Card, it'll save 35% off today's purchase." (The answer will be he can't as he doesn't have all the needed info. Also dont forget the Kohl's Cash)
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Weird. Uploaded that as a still for some reason.

A.

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A

We need this awkward tension.

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A

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A

"I'll go with you," you say. "Ms. Arella might want to try on the other items she chose."

Raven gives you a pursed look but you don't make eye contact. She and Arella lead the way and you follow, carefully keeping the big boxes balanced.

You arrive at the very back of the Kohl's and set everything down on a bench seat. You do your best not to look too long at any one swimsuit hanging on the racks. Meanwhile, Arella starts looking around with Raven close behind.

"Hmm," Arella says as she looks at the selection. "Well, luckily these are all very tasteful. Even the bikinis give good coverage."

"Hmm," Raven says. "Maybe I should get some new suits so I can stop using repurposed leotards. Plus, it'd be nice to have some color. Like blue and... Well mostly just blue, but maybe something else, too."

Your ears perk up hearing this.

"This looks like a nice one piece," Arella says. "Oh, well, maybe not. It shows quite a lot of back."

"Well that's not so bad," Raven says. "Just as long as it's not below the waist."

"I suppose," Arella says, still sounding a bit reluctant. "Obviously, I'll try it on to see how it fits."

"I'll get one, too," Raven says. "It's been awhile since I've worn black."

You already have a faint image of Raven in a low back one piece floating around in your mind as you hear them continuing to rummage through the selection.

"Okay," Raven says as she and Arella return, "I think we've got some good choices."

"Alright," you say as you pick up the stack of boxes. "Lead the way to the changing rooms."

Raven and Arella do lead the way, and you find another bench to sit on while you wait. Arella starts with the casual clothing, and Raven helps hand her things from the boxes.

Much like a montage but in real time, Arella tries the clothing on and models them for you and Raven. You already knew the "family resemblance" between Raven and her mother, but from the dresses to the t-shirts and denim jeans, it is clear there is physical foreshadowing in Arella's figure.

"These are all very good," Arella says as she looks at herself. "I'll definitely go with these."

Arella goes back into the changing room, and clearly changes out of the jeans and tank top since she's handing them back to Raven over the top of the door. Raven puts those away for her, and again that leaves the swimsuits.

"Remember," Raven whispers to you as she points to herself with a thumb. "Empath."

She then points to her own eyes and then points at you, signaling she's watching you.

"There is a good chance the readings you'll get are because of you," you quickly say back.

She gives an "Oh you" smirk before handing her mother the swimsuits she chose. Raven then takes her own into the other changing room and you wait quietly as you hear them changing.

A minute or so later, both mother and daughter walk out of their respective changing rooms, both wearing the same one-piece swimsuit. Not only are the suits backless to show the shoulder blades, but they both have a tight collared neck similar to Raven's leotards.

"It's been a long time since I've worn something like this in front of others," Arella says as she shyly has her hands over areas. "D-Does it look alright?"

You try not to glance over at Raven as to betray any thoughts or emotions, but your eyes dart all over the place between her and Arella.

"It's okay, Rorek," Raven sighs with a smirk. "You can answer the question."

"Then you look great, Ms. Arella," you say. "That swimsuit looks really good on you. And of course it looks great on you, too, Raven."

"Thank you," Arella says. "Now, let me make sure my others are the right fit."

Arella goes back in the dressing room but Raven walks right up to you.

"'Great'?" she whispers. "You said she looks 'great'?"

"Doesn't she, though?" you ask in confusion.

"Well, yes," Raven says, "but you didn't need to say it with that big smile on your face."

"I had a smile on my face?"

"Yes," Raven grumbles. "Stop ogling my mom when you should be ogling me!"

You try to start a sentence many times, and blink a lot in an effort to comprehend that. Before you can sort anything out, Arella walks back out in a two piece.

"Well, I thought this would cover more, but maybe sizes aren't what I remember them," she says.

Needless to say, the normally conservative top looks to be at its limits of containment. And the bottoms aren't that far behind. Oh, poor choice of words...

A) Compliment her in a way Raven won't be upset
B) Bring up dinner plans
C) Stay quiet
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B
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no no no we need to bathe in this awkwardness

C

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Cartridge88 posted...

A) Compliment her in a way Raven won't be upset

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A)

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A

"It's alright, Ms. Arella," you say. "Um, we can just get a different size, can't we?"

"Yes," Raven says. "Mother, you can change back and I'll take the swimsuit back. Oh, I guess I should change back, too. Hold on."

They both go into their changing rooms and Raven rather quickly returns in her jeans and shirt. Arella hands the swimsuit over and Raven hurries back to the racks. As you wait, Arella peeks up over the top of the changing room door.

"Is Raven upset for some reason?" Arella asks.

"Um, maybe...?" you say nervously. "To be fair, when I first met Raven, she had her guard up and was... A bit grumpy."

"Yes, but she'd been in a good mood until we started changing clothes. Is she feeling self-conscious?"

"Well, uh," you say even more nervously. "It's... It's probably not for me to say, really. Whatever Raven is feeling, those are her emotions."

"Hmm... Yes, that's true."

"Alright," Raven says as she returns, "I found the same swimsuit a size up."

"Thank you," Arella says as Raven hands it to her over the top of the door. "Oh yes, this is much better."

Arella walks out again and this version of the swimsuit fits properly.

"Yes, much better," Raven says. "Okay, let me try my last one on and then we can wrap this up."

Raven goes back into her changing room and then comes out in a bright blue bikini with gold rings holding the bottoms together.

"Where did you find that one?" Arella asks.

"It was there," Raven shrugs with a little blush. "Just behind some other ones."

"It looks amazing," you say.

"Thank you," Raven smiles. "So, I'm good with what I have."

"And I am, too," Arella says.

"Then let's head to checkout," you say.

Raven and Arella change back, everything is gathered up and you carry the boxes of casual clothing and shoes while Raven and Arella hold onto the dresses and swimsuits. There's a checkout counter nearby, you set the boxes down and the cashier scans everything in.

$525.54

Well, you were going to use your credit card either way, so you use that to cover everything. Things are bagged and you help carry those as you make your way back to the entrance.

As you make your way back to the car, the schedule for the evening is decided.

A) Dinner, show, pool
B) Show, dinner, pool
C) Show, pool, dinner
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B.

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A
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C. Never eat before swimming!

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Life bump
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RANDOMIZE!

C

As you get in the car, you check for where Cirque du Soleil is.

"Okay, they'll be at the Mandalay Bay Events Center tonight. But we'll have to hurry to get tickets."

"We can stop by the place on the way back to the hotel, can't we?" Raven asks.

"Yes, I think so," you say.

You pull out of the Kohl's parking lot, find your way to Mandalay Bay and see it isn't all that far from your hotel at all. You find a spot to park in an already packed parking lot and go to the ticket booth. You see on the board the show is at 6 PM, just a couple hours from now.

"Are there still tickets available for tonight's show?" you ask.

"Yes," the person in the booth says. "But we only have seats available in sections 205, 207, and 211."

They show you where that is on a chart. The 200's aren't the furthest away but are in the upper bleachers. The three sections mentioned are the northside of the building, the far side given this ticketbooth is by the main entrance, on the southside of the building.

"Now, we do have more seats available for closer sections in tomorrow night's performance," they say. "We'd have much more seating in the 100's here."

"What do you say, Raven?" you ask.

"Well, I was hoping to see the show tonight," Raven says. "That was what we planned for."

"Then three tickets for tonight," you tell the ticket booth attendee.

They ring you up for three tickets, $120 total, which you also pay with your card. You see you're in section 205.

"Thank you," you say.

"You're welcome," the attendee says.

The three of you return to the car, drive across the way and back to the Luxor. You park next to Shadowfax again, then make your way back to your rooms.

"The show is at six, so we should try and get back to Mandalay Bay by 5:30," you say. "Between parking and our seats, we'll need that time."

"Okay, so that gives us until about 5, 5:15 to leave here?" Raven says.

"Yes," you say. "We can rest and refresh ourselves."

A) Dress casually
B) Dress semi-formal
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B

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Cartridge88 posted...

B) Dress semi-formal

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B
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A

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B

"Then we can dress semi-formal. This is Cirque du Soleil, after all."

"That's true," Raven says. "This is way more than just Carrot Top."

"What?"

"I dunno, I just saw a sign about him here at the Luxor," she says. "I guess he has a residency."

"Oh, well that's nice," you say. "Alright, so I guess I'll see you ladies in a little while."

"See you soon."

You go into your room while Raven and Arella go into theirs. You brush your teeth, take a quick shower, and then use some time to consider your outfit. In the end, you settle on the most crisp pair of black jeans, a white undershirt and a black button up with silver tie.

You rest until about 4:45 before you change clothes and go to the hallway. You go to 2208 and knock on the door.

"Ladies," you say. "Are you almost ready?"

"Almost!" Raven says. "Just give us a few more minutes."

You double check the time on your phone, and see it's still only 4:55. You wait, and wait, and finally, at 5:05, Raven and Arella exit their room. Raven is wearing her t-shirt dress with the high heel sandals you got her, Arella is wearing the new ankle strap heels and the little black dress you picked out.

"It's been awhile since you were in this one," you say as you twirl Raven around.

"Yeah, our time visiting your family, I think," Raven says.

"It still looks spectacular," you say. "And you look lovely, too, Ms. Arella."

"Thank you," Arella says.

You lead the way to the elevator and double check your tickets.

"Well, we'll at least be in the front row of section 205," you say. "Seats A2 through 4."

You return to the parking garage, get back in the Challenger and drive back to Mandalay Bay. You find a spot in the middle of the lot, as there are plenty of people who got here even earlier for the show. You make the walk to the entrance, showing your tickets to this new attendee. They let you in and you make your way through the long hall.

As you go, you see plenty of people dressed on the same level as you three have, but you also see plenty being a bit too casual. Some of those casual goers look at you like you're being high and mighty, but you ignore them as people being lazy yet self-important.

"Finally," you say as you three arrive at the doorway for Section 205.

You three walk into the arena, find your seats right up front, and decide on seating order. Arella sits as A4 so that she's closer to the very center of the row, and then...

A) You in the middle of them
B) Raven in the middle
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A.

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B
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A

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bump, another busy day
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A

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A

You in the middle with A3, and Raven in seat A2 to be the outside by the entrance.

"Alright, how about I get us some concessions?" you ask the ladies.

"Yeah, that sounds good," Raven says.

"Just some popcorn and drinks, though, yes?" Arella asks. "We don't want to spoil our dinner."

"Oh, mom," Raven chuckles. "We'll be fine."

"Well I'm still a mother," Arella says back as she smiles.

"Popcorn and drinks it is," you say.

You hurry back to the hallway and see there is a concession stand not too far away. You hurry over but still have to wait in line for quite a few minutes before getting to the counter. Quite the selection but you already have your order in mind.

"I'll have a large regular popcorn, normal amount of butter, and..."

A) Three small Colas
B) Three medium Colas
B) Three large Colas
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Cartridge88 posted...

B) Three medium Colas

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Malcrasternus posted...

Cartridge88 posted...

B) Three medium Colas

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B) Three medium Colas

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The first B please

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dang it, didn't even realize I did two B's (again, tho it's been awhile)

B, Three Medium Colas

"Three medium Colas."

The people behind the counter work together to put that together. One takes three cups and fills them with ice and plenty of soda before putting lids on and straws in before putting them in a cup tray. The other scoops popcorn into a bucket, leaving it at the amount of butter already in the mix, and then sets the bucket next to the drinks.

$22.50

You pay with cash and get 50 cents in return. You put the money and receipt in a pocket and carefully carry drinks and popcorn with one hand each. You make it back to the section and hand the drinks to Raven before you sit down. Raven passes a drink to you that you pass to Arella, then Raven passes you another drink for yourself.

You only munch and sip for a few minutes before the show begins. The beginning is simple enough, with light choreography, but all still very colorful. Things pick up a bit and there are spotlights pointing out a few main characters of sorts.

You double check your ticket to see the show name is "Wizard of the Dream Citadel." The main characters don't appear to be the wizard, but are perhaps on a journey to meet him. Something about it seems derivative of the Wizard of Oz, but there aren't scarecrowds, tin men or cowardly lions.

There's some drama building as there seems to be monsters lurking in the citadel. We see the wizard now, with a lot of fanfare and excitement, and the monsters cower. But it seems the monsters are plotting. Their dance choreography and lights spell out things like "MORE FEAR," "MORE PAIN" and "TAKE OVER." The wizard may be strong, but there do seem to be a lot of monsters.

As the play goes on, the monsters try to scare away our main characters and others to try and empty the city around the citadel. It doesn't work on all of them, as one main character charges! This encourages the second, but the third hangs back sheepishly.

Your popcorn is running low as things get deeper in this second act. You find yourself reaching a little deeper in this big bucket.

"Rorek, pass me the bucket," Raven says.

You do while keeping your eyes on the play. But then a hand reaches down and grazes your leg, and you jump just a little. The hand also retracts quickly and you look to Arella, who is clearly just as startled as you are.

"What happened?" Raven asks as she holds the bucket back out to you.

"N-Nothing," you say quickly before taking the bucket back.

You hold the bucket out for Arella but sheepishly says, "No, thank you."

The third act is very powerful, with a lot of seemingly chaotic sequences with the lights to add to the battle of our heroes and the wizard against the monsters. The very courageous hero is hurt, and that spurs the sheepish hero to find their own courage and lead a charge of the people! The monsters are run off, the city and citadel still stand, and there is rejoicing. There's great flourish and energy for the ending, and everyone in the audience, including yourself, give a round of applause.

"That was a pretty good show," Raven says. "We didn't even have programs, but I think I got what was going on."

"Yes, they communicated it very well," you say.

"So, I suppose it's time for that dip in the pool, right?" Raven says.

"Um, I'm not so sure," Arella says, nervously wringing the hand that brushed against you.

"What?" Raven says. "But we got you those swimsuits."

"It's alright, Ms. Arella," you say. "You don't need to be nervous about what happened."

"Well..." Arella says.

"Wait, what?" Raven asks.

You realize how you put that and think really hard.

A) Say you're referring to the dressing room incident
B) Tell her about the popcorn incident
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Cartridge88 posted...

A) Say you're referring to the dressing room incident

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A
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A) Say you're referring to the dressing room incident

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A

"I just mean, about the dressing room," you say. "The tighter swimsuit and all."

"Oh, right," Raven says. "Well, yeah, mom, you don't need to worry about that. We've got you a proper fit, it'll be fine."

"Yes, that's true," Arella says, still nervous.

The three of you make your way back to the parking lot and to the Challenger. Raven still has her drink but she's careful with it as you drive.

You make good time out of just the parking lot, given all the people leaving at the same time as you. Then it's just the quick drive back to the Luxor and its parking garage. If anything, the walk from the garage to the elevator takes longer, because it feels very crowded on the casino floor.

"See you in a moment," you say before going into your room.

[cut to Raven]

Raven and Arella change out of their dresses and heels while choosing swimsuits. Arella is still noticeably nervous for some reason as she looks between her one piece and two piece.

"Mom, are you okay?" Raven asks.

"Huh? Oh, yes, I'm fine, Raven," Arella says. "I just... Perhaps I joined your road trip a little early. Maybe we should've waited until you two were in Oregon, or just out of Nevada."

"What? No, it's great that you're here."

"But me being here, the mother of the young couple in love, that's the most awkward kind of third wheel imagineable."

"No, it's fine," Raven says, starting to feel a little shy herself. "It's not like Rorek and I haven't... had our alone time."

Arella's look of surprise startles Raven a little and she hurries to explain.

"We haven't done that," she defends. "But, I mean... We've gotten... intimate."

"How far is 'intimate'?"

"I can't tell you that!" Raven blushes. "You're my mom."

"You're right," Arella says with a nervous laugh. "I shouldn't want to know, anyway, you're my daughter."

Mother and daugther blush the same, take deep breaths the same, and have the same nervous laughter.

"Okay then," Arella says. "Um, I don't think we should be wearing our one pieces. That might seem rather odd."

"It would be rather odd," Raven says.

"Then do you want to wear your new one piece or your new two piece?"

A) One piece
B) Two piece
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Cartridge88 posted...

B) Two piece

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B
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B

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Guys guys guys You have the wrong idea. I say we bump up the awkwardness levels with A. Keep it going I want to see how this plays out.

A. Final answer.

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