Moy Mell 33

"I have to check the park's carousel creatures today." She squinted at her phone, thinking. "Why don't you come, Shota? I'm tired of you sending others out with me for guard duty. You want us to bond, you're going to have to stay by my side during the day."

Aizawa raised an eyebrow. "I thought you wanted space."

"That was then. Now I want you with me." She grimaced, blushing when she saw his grin. "I need stability, weirdo, not that. You've become the constant in my life that keeps me sane."

He blinked. He knew this to be true, but had not known she had such a keen insight into her own psyche. "As you wish."

"You're going to have to watch this movie with me, too, since you keep saying that."

"What?" 

"You'll see." She impetuously flipped his scarves with one finger. "Just try and keep up with me until then."

A fast ride in one of the bullet cars transported them to the boardwalk where most of the traditional rides were. The car stopped by a back entrance, undetected. Elly and her escort slipped in and walked over to the gates of the work fence that had been erected around the area to keep the public safely out. 

The carousels were magnificent; works of ornately carved wooden art and displays of lights to dazzle the eyes. They were mirrored around the tents as well to create an illusion that you were surrounded by even more fantastical beasts and proud stallions than you really were. Although, with three rides and two of them triple decked, here it really was like stepping into a twinkling, musical dream. Especially when she started talking to the carvings.

"You feeling okay, Seymour?" She tapped a well-worn wooden sea dragon's saddle. "You look like you could use a little TLC, buddy."

The creature was heavily varnished and the wood shone in the multicolored lights under the carousel. As Aizawa squinted at it, however, the shine grew more pronounced. It began to look actually wet and he watched in wonder as one eyelid slowly closed in a wink. 

Seymour shook his head, snorting, his mannerisms a curious mix of both horse and monster. "I need more than that, sister," he whuffed. 

"Hmm. I thought so. How about a vacation? You can get cleaned up at the carousel station and choose where you would like."

"Take me off for awhile and I'll think about it." The thick, scaly tail thumped on the ride. "Right now I just want to escape being sat on and kicked all day and night."

Elly nodded and tied a bright ribbon around his neck. "There we go. You're marked for a vacay, buddy. I've got to check the rest of the critters, but I'll come back tomorrow to make sure they pull all you off." She made a note on her phone, typing his name in and snapping a photo.

The two walked in circles for several hours, roaming each of the giant, triple decker carousels to inspect all the creatures. If Elly thought one felt like they needed to talk she animated it and they would stop and discuss important matters, or just have a chat if they had missed her.

It was past lunch when they finished and she grimaced, rubbing a hand over her stomach. "Ugh. Food, now."

Aizawa nodded. 

"All right, what do you want?" She called back over her shoulder as she grinned, holding on to the fenced-in area of the boardwalk. Workers were busy removing and replacing the carousel animals behind them so they could reopen the rides. People milled around behind the gates, some waving when they saw her and others whipping out their phones to take photos or record video.

He kept an eye on the crowd, rubbing his neck as he thought. She was including him again, so it would be discourteous to not answer. He couldn't think of anything he cared to eat, though, and finally said so. "You know I'm not someone that often sits down to eat," he half-apologized. "Why don't you show me one of your favorite places?"

"Okay." She flipped her tail to one side and led him down the back ways, all employee avenues, to a small waterfront cafe. 

He glanced sideways at her, uncertain if she had taken him to a more quiet area for his comfort. 

Elly sensed what he was thinking and flashed him a rare, fanged smile. "I don't always want to be in the public eye either, you know."