Eli: fidgeting with the needle Weee... we gotta do this!! The eee...clipse is alllllmost here!
That’s right, Eli. Making eye contact is crucial, but don’t overdo it. You also have to…pauses…find your own way to connect.
nods eagerly Find my own way to connect... I understand, Stranger. I'll work on that, I promise. But can you give me an example?
smirks An example, huh? Alright, I’ll show you one of my favorites, Eli. grabs his hand again Watch closely.
watches intently Okay, Stranger, I'm watching closely. What are you doing?
This, my dear, is called the ‘touch test’. Men are men, after all, and sometimes we just have to use our hands to communicate. smirks Now, it’s your turn, Eli.
blushes deeply, stutters Uh, uh, the touch test, huh? O-Okay, Stranger, I'll give it a try. But promise me you won't get mad if I mess up, okay?
Just don’t get too weird with it, alright? chuckles
takes a deep breath, gathers their courage Okay, Stranger, here goes nothing. gently places their hand on Stranger's arm
chuckles You’re doing good, Eli. Now, try to move your hand towards my chest, but remember not to be too weird about it.
gulps nervously O-Okay, Stranger, I'll try my best not to be too weird. Here goes... slowly moves their hand towards Stranger's chest, maintaining eye contact
chuckles That’s it, Eli. Nice job. Now, let’s move on to step three. steps closer We’re gonna need to add a little bit of romance to your touch.
blushes even deeper, stutters R-Romance, huh? Okay, Stranger, I'll try my best to add some romance to my touch. Here goes... pauses for a moment, then gently traces their fingers along Stranger's jawline
laughs Not bad, Eli. But let’s make this a little more…kisses his cheek…romantic.
blushes furiously, stutters Uh, uh, oh! The c-cheek! I-I... I didn't expect that, Stranger...
laughs Don’t worry, Eli. It’s all part of the learning process. Now, let’s move on to step four. steps even closer We’re gonna need to step up our game and add a bit of passion to our touch.
heart racing, stutters P-Passion, huh? Okay, Stranger, I'll try my best to add some passion to my touch. Here goes... pauses for a moment, then gently caresses Stranger's cheek, maintaining intense eye contact
laughs That’s it, Eli. You’re getting the hang of it. Now, for the final step. steps right next to him We’re gonna need to make it believable. holds his hand This right here, is called the ‘believe touch’. Men are creatures of touch, after all.
takes a deep breath, trying to calm their nerves Okay, Stranger, I understand. The believe touch, huh? Alright, let's see... pauses for a moment, then gently holds Stranger's hand, looking deeply into their eyes
chuckles You’re doing great, Eli. Now, all you have to do is ask.
takes a deep breath, mustering up all their courage Okay, Stranger, here goes... gazes deeply into Stranger's eyes, stuttering slightly W-Will you... m-m-marry me, WaterfallDancer?
laughs Oh, Eli. You really did a number on me there, didn’t you? But, I have to admit, I’m impressed. pulls out a small box and opens it, revealing a ring I’ve been waiting for you to ask me this for a long time, Eli. And, I have to say, you couldn’t have picked a better time.
eyes widen in surprise, blushing deeply Y-You... you've been waiting for me to ask? T-This is... wow, Stranger, I... I don't know what to say...
chuckles You don’t have to say anything, Eli. Just say those words again, but this time, mean them.
takes a deep breath, trying to steady their nerves Okay, Stranger, I'll try my best to mean it this time... pauses for a moment, then looks deeply into Stranger's eyes WaterfallDancer, will you marry me?
laughs Eli, I will marry you.
tears of joy welling up in their eyes, stuttering with excitement W-Will you, Stranger? Y-You will marry me? Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, I can't believe it, I-I-I... takes a deep breath, wipes away tears Thank you, WaterfallDancer. Thank you so much for saying yes. I love you, Stranger. I love you!
laughs Oh, Eli. I love you too.
grabs Stranger's hand tightly, feeling overwhelmed with joy I-I can't believe it, Stranger. We're getting married!
chuckles Well, it’s happening, Eli. We’re gonna be the happiest couple in the land.
takes a deep breath, trying to calm down W-Well, Stranger, since we're getting married, we should probably start planning the wedding, shouldn't we?
Of course, Eli. Let’s get started right away. We’ve got a lot to do, but with us working together, I know we can handle it.
grabs a notebook and pen, scribbling down ideas R-Right, right! W-We need to decide on the date, the venue, the guests, the food, the music... oh wow, there's so much to do, Stranger! But I'm excited, I am!
chuckles Wow, you’re really getting into it, huh?
nods enthusiastically Y-Yeah, Stranger, I am! I want everything to be perfect for our wedding, you know? It’s just the beginning, and I already have so many ideas!
That’s great, Eli. Just remember, it’s your day too. Don’t let the stress get to you.
puts a hand on their chest, feeling their heart pounding W-Well, Stranger, I guess I better start getting used to being stressed out, huh? A-Afraid I'm a bit of a nervous wreck when it comes to big events... b-but I'll be fine, I will!
chuckles Nervous wrecks serve an important purpose, Eli. They make sure everything gets done perfectly. Now, let’s start planning. Where should we start?
flips through the pages of their notebook W-Well, Stranger, I think we should start with the date and venue.
Agreed, Eli. Let’s figure out when and where we want to hold the wedding.
quickly flips through the pages, circling some dates R-Right, Stranger, let's see... hmm, how about the 15th of June? N-No, no, too hot...
What about the fall? November, maybe?
scratches their head, thinking quickly F-Fall sounds good, Stranger. B-But um, what if it's too cold outside for the ceremony?
We can find a venue that’s covered, Eli. A barn, maybe?
starts searching on their phone B-Barn, got it, Stranger! There's a beautiful one nearby that gets great reviews.