Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
Cryptids United in Delightful Dating and Love Encouragement (CUDDLE) Forum
SuperShySasquatch: Have any of you ever pursued or dated a human before?
LoungeSingerLizardMan: Oooh! Do I have some stories I could tell. Suffice to say, none of those relationships ever worked out for me. I think sometimes we are just an exotic novelty that humans want to have fun with but not ever get serious about.
YetiOrNotHereICome: Way to be a downer right out the gate, man.
LoungeSingerLizardMan: Hey, I just tell it like it is. I have the scars on my heart to prove the truth of it.
MerMagicMan: I had a whirlwind romance with a sea captain many years ago. We cared deeply for each other, but our differences forced us apart in the end. I don’t regret it and still think of him fondly, but I’ve steered clear of human lovers ever since.
IPutTheBrahInChupacabra: There are definitely a lot of challenges in being with a human lover.
I think the best thing is to maintain open and direct communication from the start.
If there’s someone you’re interested in, be upfront about it.
See if they’re willing to explore a relationship with you.
Even if they do, there’s no guarantee that it will work out in the long term, but such is the case with any relationship.
NessieNeedsLoveToo: I guess I’m an eternal optimist. I’ve had human lovers and we always had a fun time together.
None of them were ever super serious relationships though.
I suppose a lot depends on what you’re looking for.
Are you okay with something casual? Or are you only interested in commitment and monogamy?
SuperShySasquatch: I’m only interested in something serious with this person. I guess I’m going to have to be brave and go for it. Carpe diem and all that jazz. *Gulp
Hal
“He sure blew out of here in a hurry,” Baxter says when we hear the front door shut behind Skylar.
That makes me frown. “I hope we didn’t say something to offend him.”
Astraea studies me with a mysterious glint in her eyes and then smiles brightly.
“Don’t worry. It isn’t anything you need to be bothered by.
” She gets up and rinses her coffee cup in the sink.
“I really need to be going as well. So much to do, so little time.” She arches an eyebrow at Baxter. “Shall we go check on you-know-what?”
Baxter’s mouth sets in a firm line, and he gives a tight nod. “Let’s go.”
In a flash, they’re both gone too. I’m left alone and all kinds of confused.
“Not the time, Hal,” I tell myself. “You need to get this kitchen cleaned up and get on with your day as well.”
Once I have everything spick-and-span, I put on my errands apron and get ready to go into town. The Harvest Festival is nearly upon us, and everyone in Mystic Hollow is getting geared up for it.
As I turn down Main Street, I see the large banner announcing the festival anchored to light posts on opposite sides of the street and hanging high above the ground.
The shopfront windows of local businesses are decked out for fall and have posters promoting the festival and its events plastered where folks can easily see them.
The Harvest Festival in Mystic Hollow always happens in late October and runs for three days.
It’s the biggest fall event in town, and one that we all look forward to.
Anticipatory energy fills the air, and even though I’m extra busy as one of the organizing committee members, I’m just as giddy as everyone else for the festival to start.
It’s a special time of year when the whole town comes together to celebrate the season as well as the amazing community we’ve all built here in Mystic Hollow.
Even our more reclusive residents tend to make a public appearance for Harvest Festival.
My chest swells with pride just thinking about how so many friends work with me to make this event special and meaningful every year.
It’s late September now and prominent signs of autumn are all around.
The air has turned brisk and cool, and the leaves are starting to turn a colorful array of golds and reds.
Already, I’m eagerly awaiting cozy fall nights curled up at home with a blanket, a cup of hot chocolate, and the latest romance novel to catch my fancy.
Maybe you could ditch the book and cuddle with Skylar under a blanket…
I push that overly optimistic notion aside.
While I won’t deny my attraction to Skylar, I haven’t gotten any signals that it’s more than one-sided.
But I’m used to that by now. Long before my silly little fanboy crush on Ryder, I’d met a few different individuals I’d been interested in, but nothing ever came from those brief flirtations.
Either they weren’t interested from the start, or they lost interest when I was open with them about being asexual.
Turns out most folks consider sex essential in their romantic relationships, and I wasn’t going to be able to give them what they needed.
Maybe I should write a Lonely Hearts ad in the regional Otherkind newspaper? Lonesome, ace sasquatch seeking romantic partner who likes to cuddle, go for long walks, and read books to each other.
Sigh.
Setting aside my romantic woes, I focus on the task at hand and make my way to Town Hall for today’s Harvest Festival planning committee meeting.
My job is logistics—I need to make sure everything goes off without a hitch.
Informally, I’m also kind of the committee cheerleader who gives the rah-rah pep talks to everyone when needed.
Festival planning can be stressful, especially when expectations are so high, but we are thankfully in the homestretch now.
I lumber up the stairs to the second floor of the old brick building and make my way to the conference room at the end of the hall.
“Morning, Hal!” Max MacLeod exclaims cheerily as soon as I enter the room.
One of the few human residents in town, Max came to Mystic Hollow about six months ago to take on a childcare job for two young orclings.
The self-proclaimed manny not only won over the hearts of his young charges but also their guardian, Dr. Targan Wildethorne, a retired orc professor specializing in Otherkind history.
Max just so happens to be Ryder’s “human bestie” and played a huge role in bringing Ryder to Mystic Hollow.
He’s also the brightest and most colorful human I’ve ever met.
Literally. Today he’s dressed in a magenta caftan that nearly matches the same shade of pink as his current hair color and is accented with sequin embellishments.
Cradled in the crook of one arm is his rescue Chihuahua, Princess Peach, looking as regal as her name implies.
She’s sporting a matching pink headband with a bow on top and a rhinestone-encrusted dog collar that sparkles in the light.
“How are you doing, Max?” I ask as I take my seat at the table.
He flails a hand dramatically. “Honey, the stories I could tell you. I’ve been burning the candle at both ends.
Between taking care of the kids, the pets, and Targan on top of all this committee work, I’m positively exhausted.
” He snaps open a rainbow folding fan with his free hand and begins to fan himself dramatically.
“That sounds rough,” I offer solicitously.
Max sets down his fan and rummages around in his oversized purple purse.
“I have just what we need. Aha!”
He places a plastic container on the conference room table and pulls off the lid to reveal his homemade chocolate chip cookies. The smell of butter, sugar, and warm chocolate fills my nose.
Max giggles. “I made these to share with everyone. We need to fuel our brains for committee work, and there’s nothing better for that than a sweet nibble or two!”
I grin. “Your cookies are the best.” I reach into my oversized apron pocket and pull out my own plastic container filled with still warm mini cheese quiches. “I brought an offering for the group as well.”
Max’s eyes sparkle and he swaps me a cookie for a quiche, then we both start snacking happily.
Max is the only person I know in town who loves cooking as much as I do, and we regularly exchange recipes.
We’ve both conceded that he’s the better baker between us, but I’m the better chef, which means we’re always well-stocked with snacks at every meeting we both attend.
We startle when Sylvia suddenly climbs up into a chair across from me.
“We… oomph… really need some furniture in here for those of us who are smaller in stature,” she grumbles, grunting as she finally plops down on the seat.
The size and height of a small child, Sylvia is a gnome who runs the Clothing Emporium in town.
She has a long, white beard braided through with colorful ribbons and her equally white hair is styled in two long plaits.
Her outfit today is a pair of denim overalls over a crocheted orange sweater.
Thankfully, she’s not part of the nudist colony.
I offer her the quiche container.
“Bless you, dear,” she says as she picks one out. “I didn’t have time for breakfast earlier.”
“I do hope we’re not late,” Emrys Bogey calls out, interrupting our conversation as he enters the room with his human lover, Jayden Bell.
A bogeyman from England, Emrys almost always appears shrouded in a dark cloak that doesn’t quite manage to conceal the antler-like horns on his head, even during his hours as the principal at our local elementary school.
With their glowing red eyes, fangs, and the black tattoo-like markings that cover their bodies, bogeymen can be rather intimidating in their appearance.
Emrys is proof, however, that one should never judge a book by its cover.
He’s unfailingly kind and entirely dedicated to the children he watches over.
He and Jayden, a teacher at the school, sit next to each other and hold hands.
“Good morning, Principal Bogey,” I say, offering him the quiche container. “Please, help yourself. I brought plenty.”