How Green Becomes Wood

"Exactly!" Claire laughed, taking it from him and turning it over, "At least it has scent notes! I don't know what quince is, or what amber is actually meant to smell like, but peonies, prosecco, and ameretto I know. What about, oh! Perfect!" She picked up a three wick candle decorated with a blue spooky carnival scene and, after looking at the scent notes said, "Carnival Fog. The scent notes say: spooky autumn air, woody incense and midnight fog. Woody incense I get, but what is midnight fog meant to smell like? And what makes the autumn air spooky!? They're my favourite."
 
Alec grinned as he delicately took the candle and looked at the scene. "My Ba would absolutely eat this up! He loves stuff like this. I'm going to have to remember this for a gift sometime." He sniffed it and then handed it back to Claire. "Midnight fog and spooky autumn air smell pretty good! Whatever it is."
 
Alec smiled at the light brush. "That's right! You wouldn't know this about him. Mr. Dark - vampire gentleman - adores all things carnival. Especially if it's a dark and spooky carnival. Apparently, that was a childhood plan between him and his brother. They were going to run a dark carnival. Instead, one turned into a history teacher, and the other is the world's handyman. He still collects some things carnival and dreams."
 
"That he is!" Alec said proudly. Maybe he could invite her over to see the carnival in the shed? That would be so much fun! But maybe after checking with Dark and not during a first date.

Alec found a small bottle of hand sanitizer he really liked with a citrus scent to it and decided to get that. He could keep it in a pocket or a bag with ease.
 
Claire decided against getting anything and instead continued having a fun, light conversation with Alec as they made their way to the Build-a-Bear, "Boba, Bath & Body Works, and Build-a-Bear. I think we've got a type, Alec."
 
"I agree!" Alec said, slipping the hand sanitizer into a safe pocket. He offered her a hand without really thinking about it. "It makes me wonder what might be next! Bungee jumping? I don't know I'm into that. Brewing... coffee or other alchemy? Baseball? Bathhouses? Does America even do bathhouses like Asian cultures?"
 
Sliding her hand easily into his, Claire said, "We could leave reviews at all three places at the Better Business Bureau? Or we could get balloons! Or visit baboons?" She chose not to mention his suggestion of bathhouses implied a level of nudity, trusting he probably hadn't thought about that since he really didn't seem the type.
 
Alec felt her small, delicate hand slide into his, and a shiver of delight went down his spine. "Better Business Bureau is brilliant!" he told her with a grin. "Balloons and baboons at the zoo, which unfortunately does not start with a B, but we could get burgers or bagels at a bakery while out. Perhaps a balloon ride over a beach? Although the beach is quite a distance away from here. Maybe books and board games instead."
 
"Oh!" She said excitedly, squeezing his hand and turning to face him. With joy in her face she said, "You know what we should do? The stuffed animals we choose as Build-a-Bear should both start with B, and then we should give them B names!"
 
Alec's face lit up to match hers. She was pretty when she was standing, looking at nothing, a completely neutral expression on her face, but now? With her eyes alight, a smile on her face, and her body language positively bubbly? She was the most simultaneously beautiful and adorable thing on the face of the planet. She could have literally asked him to go jump off a cliff with her, and he would have agreed. As it was, she had a lovely idea that sounded like something he would come up with, and he loved it! "That a fantastic idea! No, wait, a beautiful idea!" he agreed enthusiastically. "We absolutely should do that!"
 
Claire stared up at him, trying to think up another word beginning with B she could respond with, but ultimately just said, slightly stuttering, "B...outstanding!" before shaking her head, aware of how silly that was.
 
Alec laughed and squeezed her hand gently. "B-amazing! Wow, Xander would be groaning his head off and pretending to try to pull off his ears if he could hear us." He smirked gleefully at Claire. "I'm glad he's not here." He led the way to the Build-A-Bear, hesitating a little when they got inside. He had never actually been inside a Build-A-Bear before, and he wasn't sure how to proceed.
 
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