20 TPN STORIES IN 20 DAYS CHALLENGE

Day 2 - A Day Together at the Aquarium

They arrived early in the morning, they had been planning this for weeks and it is fair to say that this event was eagerly awaited by both of them, especially Anna. She had taken the initiative to ask to her very own Ray, they had been in the human world for some time now and they often took the opportunity to go on family outings, but this was one of the few times they were alone. Anna was nervous but also very happy to be able to enjoy a privileged moment with Ray. They were the first to arrive so they were able to enjoy the unobstructed view. The temperature was mild for a month of February, which made it all the more pleasant for both of them.

They had started with the shellfish tanks, Ray was already fascinated by the spectacle that was offered to him, he had studied all the marine specimens for a long time in order to escape, at the beginning Anna had not understood this attraction for the studies nevertheless she respected him enormously for that, but everything took its meaning the day she learned the truth about Grace Field, and when she learned what Ray planned to do to himself, she instinctively made the decision to cut off her braids to save him... It was inconceivable to Anna that Ray would sacrifice himself to save her and her family, death would have been a better option than abandoning him to the fate he had reserved for himself.

When he found out about her sacrifice, he felt terrible about it and swore that he would always stay close to her because he owed her more than just bunch of hair, it was literally his life that Anna had just saved, she had contributed as much as Emma or Norman had, also along with Thoma and Lannion who had helped him that night, it was truly that day that his decision to protect everyone came, and he promised himself that he would no longer underestimate any of his family members because he knows that everyone will be able to step in for him if need be.

Ray began to describe each animal with its characteristics and their Latin name, he found himself very uninteresting and thought he was disturbing Anna with his culture but it was the complete opposite, Anna was deeply invested in his explanations and listened to every single piece of information with special attention, seeing him so passionate made her happy and made her angelic face glow, and Ray had also noticed it which made him even more happy. As they progressed, Anna asked for more and more details about herself and Ray had to improvise a little lesson on each animal, they had a really good time surprising themselves regularly to take each other by the hands or by the shoulders, it was more and more instinctive on their part, and to be frank, it didn't bother them to say the least.

The morning had gone by at lightning speed and they had found a place to have lunch, and they noticed they took the same menu, it was this kind of coincidence that made them smile, like the time Ray realized that they had the same routine in the morning: Wake up / greet their family / Make a report / Have breakfast.

The meal was jovial, they talked at length about their whole adventure and their new life, all interspersed with little jokes like Ray putting food on Anna's nose to surprise her, which made her laugh and made her want to retaliate twice as hard. The whole aquarium could hear them having fun like children but they didn't care, it was their moment and they wanted to make the most of it. Ray had expressed his gratitude to Anna and everyone else for opening his eyes, he had experienced a lot of great things with them and despite all the bad times, no one abandoned anyone again and everyone had come through it unscathed. Anna was surprised by this last tirade, she wasn't used to seeing such a smiling and open Ray, he who is usually so selective with his words and master of his emotions..."This is a side of Ray that we don't see often."She said to herself, but she also said to herself that it was like a privilege to see that, which made her blush slightly... Ray had noticed it and smiled nicely at her.

The afternoon was a great walk in an underwater tunnel in the giant tanks of the aquarium, there was something for all tastes: Manta ray, tropical fish, sea turtles, sharks... It was like a walk in the sea bed... Ray was like a child, he travelled from left to right with stars in his eyes, and Anna followed him by taking him by the hand and running with him to discover all the wonders of this place which they both described as "magic", there were no more cultural explanations about each mammal, Ray was enjoying the moment as he had never done before. All this energy and complicity between them had lasted until the closing but as Anna was heading towards the exit gates, Ray held her by the arm.

An: What are you doing? It's going to close.

Ra: Not for us, I have a surprise for you.

He had regained his seriousness and calm... Anna didn't know what to expect, he had caught her off guard and she became impatient and nervous again, Ray wanted exactly that feeling in order to make the surprise even more beautiful, and the least we can say is that the surprise was up to the task, Ray had asked to privatize the dolphin pool for a few tens of minutes so they can go swim with them... Anna felt like she was dreaming, the emotion was intense and she threw herself in the Ray's arms to thank him before going to change and enjoy this really unique moment. They had spent almost 45 minutes playing with the dolphins, it was a moment full of emotions and in the end, everyone was happy of this experience, Anna remained clutching Ray's arm until the bus arrived and during the trip she fell asleep on her shoulder and Ray was also falling asleep with fatigue... They were still emerging when everyone welcomed them in the common room to have a meal all together, It was a most convivial and affectionate moment that ended with a kiss from Anna on Ray's cheek to thank him for coming, followed by a second one with more conviction to thank him for the surprise at the end. They greeted each other before going back to their respective rooms.