Royal Member of BonBon
Joined: 31 Oct 2009
Posts: 2178
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(I promised myself I would write someone related to Valentine's day, so here it is. I did this to get it out of my system and hopefully work on my writing skills. Please let me know anything that's good or needs to be worked on.)
A Second Chance for Valentine’s
Nestled within a mountain range there was a small bustling town. A light snow was falling, blanketing the cobblestone streets and rooftops of the homes. Here, the townsfolk were polite friendly in more ways than one. This town was called Bon Bon.
Bon Bon was known as a rather… open community, to put it mildly. Visitors and citizens alike indulged themselves in the pleasurable activities the town had to offer, be it spending time with one of the town’s many ladies or gentlemen of the night or to play games of chance at the esteemed Delight Palace. Today, however, marked a wondrous occasion for the town. For today was February 14th, Valentine’s Day.
Valentine’s Day was celebrated exceptionally well in the town. It was a time in which loved ones shared tokens of their sentiment and adoration towards one another. Yes, everyone in town was busy preparing themselves for the most brilliant day of the year.
“Valentine’s Day… What a pile of crock!”
Well… almost everyone.
Heading up the cobblestone streets, a giraffe was seen with his head bent down and his face twisted in a horrendous scowl. The brow of his top hat kept others from seeing his eyes, a cane clenched in his hands as he walked. His black coat was fastened tightly around his person, black dress shoes stomping through the snow. Now who is this fellow, you may ask? Well, good sirs and madams…. This specimen of unpleasantness is a bloke by the name of Frederick Rogers.
Frederick was an investor and loan officer who would condemn the town’s “loose morals”, as he had been known to say. He had never indulged in the town’s simple pleasures, instead keeping to himself. The townsfolk had a few choice words to describe him, the kindest of which were “stick in the mud” and “prude”.
If there was one thing, however, that infuriated Frederick more than anything else, it was Valentine’s Day. Every year around the holiday and the days before it, he would be in an especially foul-tempered mood. He tended to brush his way past townsfolk, grumbling to himself. To him, the holiday was merely a waste of time and money on mere trinkets that would be gone in a short time. Of course, what especially made his stomach turn was when some of the couples would get rather frisky, expressing their love in a more physical manner.
No one knew why he acted the way he did. Some townsfolk felt that he had his heart broken at an early age and that it had left him cold and callous. Others believed that he was brought up in an especially strict household and was adhering to the principles and beliefs his parents taught him. Whatever the reason, the townsfolk knew he was not one to share a glass of ale with.
Fredrick trudged through the snow towards his workplace, stopping only to take one last look upon the town square. The sight of many a happy couple as well as the decorations adorning the streetlights and fountain made his stomach churn, threatening to make him lose its contents. With another irritated grumble, he entered his abode and slammed the door shut, shaking some snow off of the window sills.
The giraffe hung his coat and hat upon a nearby stand, letting his long brown hair flow behind him as he stomped his shoes to remove the snow they collected. With his gloved hands, Frederick built a small fire in his coal stove and walked over to his desk, an open ledger lying atop of it. The ledger was filled with the names of those who owed payment for their loans and those who had invested in his little business. With a sigh, he took his seat and began to write in the tome.
As he proceeded to write, his thoughts turned to what he had seen outside. He detested the arrival of St. Valentine’s and how cheerful everyone else was at that time. The problem only continued to get worse with each passing year, causing the man’s brow to become more furrowed. The giraffe found himself having a difficult time focusing on his work, his hand fiercely clenching his quill causing it to shake and scatter ink drops on his pages.
“Those wretches,” he muttered callously. “They only celebrate that day just to get a chance to bask in debauchery! If it wasn’t for those blasted trinkets and sinful courtesans, people wouldn’t find a reason to celebrate that day!”
Unable to keep his anger in check, Fredrick threw his quill down and pinched the bridge of his nose. Memories of his past flashed before his eyes…
In his mind, he sees a beautiful young mink sitting at a park fountain in the summer. She is busy reading a small book and eating an apple. Her hand reaches over towards a handkerchief when it slips out of her grasp and falls to the ground. A young giraffe gentleman is seen picking up the garment and handing it over to her. As the two grasp the small cloth, they look into each others’ eyes and give each other a small smile.
The scene shifts, changing to a high class restaurant at night. The mink and giraffe are seated across each other, taking. She titters at his words, smiling softly at him as he regales her with tales. She reaches over to him and gently grasps his hand as he looks at her and smiles…
Another memory appears, this time at the park in winter. The giraffe is standing next to the mink as the two of them gaze at the winter scenery before them. The young man then looks down at her, a warm smile on his face as she looks at him with an amused grin. A few words are exchanged between them before he leans down and kisses her softly on the lips.
Then, the surroundings change to a busy city street. The giraffe is seen walking along the streets, a smile on his face. In his hands he holds a small jewelry box with a bright red bow wrapped around it. He turns right at the next street, heading towards a familiar fountain. As he gets closer, his pace suddenly slows to a stop. The jewelry box slips from his hands and falls to the ground, the diamond ring popping out and clattering on the cobblestone street. He sees the mink passionately kissing another. Without saying anything, the giraffe turns away. The ring gets washed down into a sewer drain as he leaves, his face hidden in shadow to hide his grief…
His revere was broken by the sounds of knocking at his front door. Grumbling to himself, Frederick got onto his feet and opened the door, expecting either someone asking for gold or the postman. To his surprise, there was no one at the door. He stepped outside to check around and felt his foot bump against something. The puzzled giraffe glanced downwards and saw a brown package lying on his doormat. A plain white envelope was atop of the package with Frederick’s name written on it.
Frederick glanced around, trying to find any sign of someone being at his door, but to no avail. He grasped the envelope and opened it, taking out the letter inside it. After unfolding the piece of parchment, he noticed there was only one sentence written:
Please be sure open it away from prying eyes...
“Odd… There’s no name on this. Who would send me such a thing to me,” Frederick thought.
Carefully, he grasped the package and brought it inside his home, making sure the door was locked. With a skeptical look, he tore off the wrapping paper, exposing the plain brown box underneath. He was beginning to feel slightly nervous as he opened the box and carefully dumped its contents onto the table.
A clattering sound filled the air as a small pocket watch landed on the table. Next to it another white envelope with a pink bow tied on it. Frederick grasped the watch, inspecting it with a careful eye as he turned it in his hands. He noted the intricate design and how the gold metal shone in the firelight. The chain was draped over his hands as he held it up to his ears, hearing the clicking and ticking of its mechanical gears.
Puzzled, he carefully set the watch down on the table and grasped the envelope at last; Frederick undid the knot to the bow and placed the ribbon to the side. The giraffe held the envelope up to his eyes, noting how a rather pleasant scent wafted across his nose, reminding him of the flowers at the local florist. Frederick opened the envelope and removed the letter at last, unfolding it and laying it flat across the table. His eyes moved in rapid pace as he read the letter’s contents...
Dear Frederick,
You may not know me at all, but I know about you. I’ve worked in the same place that you do and I’ve been watching you for some time.
The reason that I am writing this letter to you is that to be honest… I think I fancy you. Despite what other think, I feel that you look rather charming with your ponytail and outfit. I’ve heard from the others in town and at work about how you do not enjoy this holiday very much. I do not pretend to know what happened to you to make you feel this way, but I am truly sorry for it…
And so, I figured that I would give these to you to show you my affection and give you something happy to remember for this day. If you’d like to meet me, I’ll be waiting for you at the town square tonight at seven.
Here’s hoping that you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day…
Your Secret Admirer
Frederick’s mind reeled from what he had just read, making him collapse in a nearby chair. His eyes scanned the letter again as he thought, “Someone… likes me? That’s absurd! This has to be a cruel joke of some kind!”
He then glanced towards the watch lying on the table. “But… That watch looks like it cost quite a lot. Why would someone give me such a thing if they wanted to…?”
Frederick felt himself being torn between his mind and his heart. He gazed upon the letter and watch once more, contemplating on what to do. With a sigh, he got onto his feet and picked up the gift and letter. With the two items in hand, he put on his coat and stowed them in its pocket.
“I don’t know if this is some kind of trick or not. But if this letter is true, then maybe…”
With a small sigh, he opened the door and walked out into the snow covered streets, his heart uncertain yet hopeful for a second chance... |
_________________ My Fursona
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