Falls End was a quaint little town a few miles away from where she was working in the Henbane. It is just about what you would imagine a small town to be shown as on some teen drama or horror show. There was the typical wooden rustic yet strangely inviting bar named the spread eagle. The church with the white picket fence. A small mechanic garage and a few other essentials buildings for all your daily needs. All quaint and having that small town charm. the people are friendly and cheery. Always willing to lend a hand.
When Liz had first suggested a picnic date (Not a Date... Maybe... it wasn't very clear) she did so without having anything she needed for this to work. Hence why she's now browsing one of the many food stores picking small random snacks for the two of them to share.
Another thing Liz should have thought about before committing to this idea was what does Rachel actually eat. What does she like. What doesn't she like. Is she allergic to anything. When planning an outing like this it's best to end up killing your friend... Date...
Drinks were slightly easier. She got a bottle of water. A bottle of lemonade. And some ice tea. All safe options. And what they don't drink today Liz can store back at her place. Saves her having to go out again. Without having a car it's a long trek here and back. Even longer coming back with shopping. she only ever really doesn't it when she needs to buying as much as she can fit into her backpack and starting the long trek back. Not the most efficient way to shop but it's working for her. For now at least. She only really comes here for her main shop. There's a small market near where she lives where she can buy quick snacks when she needs them.
Buying everything she needs Liz starts the trek back to her trailer. Thankfully she has already scooped out a place for where they will be having this picnic. So, she wasn't totally unprepared. After a quick shower, Liz places the drinks into a small portable cooler and the food in a picnic basket.
By lunch, Liz was waiting at the bottom of the Jessop farm waiting for Rachel to appear. Liz decided on wearing a black tank top, a pair of ripped light blue denim jean shorts and a pair of white trainers. On her head is a white cowboy hat with a pair of sunglasses. The hat was both logical and fun. The logical part was her dark hair becomes scorching to touch in the heat so the hat will make it a little more bearable. The fun part is the fact it's a cowboy hat. Who isn't going to wear one in a town like this.
After about ten of waiting and a small breakdown that Rachel wasn't actually coming. Liz spotted her walking down the path wearing a free flowing white dress. Liz is taken back slightly at first as Rachel has an angelic appearance about her. Her hair glittering in the sunlight giving off a halo like shine This is the closest Liz has ever had to having a religious experience.
"Ready." Rachel asks stopping in front of Liz dazzling her with that smile of hers as she plays with the edge of her dress.
Liz goes to answer but ends up choking on her own breath. Not trusting her own voice after that embarrassing reaction, she nods pushing off the fence she was leaning on picking up the gear. In her haste to not see Rachels reaction to her mortifying display, she misses Rachel's smile soften in amusement and her own nervousness.
Regaining her ability to talk and act like a normal human being Liz started asking Rachel some more questions about her life. She learns the Rachel can't fish for two reasons. One she is apparently Truly awful at it. Which is hard for Liz to believe. How can someone be bad at fishing. Don't you just cast the line into the water and wait for a fish to tug on your line then reel it in. Two she hates the idea of hurting the fish so flat out refuses to be a part of any fishing or hunting actives.
The hunting idea Liz is still unsure about for herself. The idea of hunting sounds fun. But does she really have it in herself to kill some poor defenceless creature for sport. Something for her to think about before she leaves Hope county. This is probably going to be the only time she can hunt. Unless you count shooting rats back in the city. Not that she's done that either. The idea of a gun near her Aiden and her dad sends shivers down her spine.
Walking down near the river Liz starts setting up the picnic. She chose a spot close to the water yet also hidden away from the main road and walkway giving them some privacy. As she setting everything up, she glances towards Rachel who seems to be frolicking in the wildflowers. She lets out small shrieks of giggles doing so. For the first time she's the two girls have met Liz can safely say this has been the most relaxed and carefree Rachel has seemed. A part of her wonders if Rachel is part nymph. She seems more at home here. More true to herself.
Unpacking the food and drinks Liz settles down on the picnic blanket laying on her back staring up towards the cloudless blue sky. The only sounds around her are Rachels childlike laughter, the rushing of the nearby lake and the sounds of the forest. It's quiet yet so alive at the same time. Such a vast difference from the sound of the city.
The blanket shifts as Rachel throws herself down next to her giggling to herself. The sound of her laughter is contagious and soon Liz finds herself giggling along as well. "Thank you for doing this." Rachel says in-between laughs. "I needed to get away for a while."
"Well," Liz turns onto her side so she's facing Rachel, "If you ever feel the need to get away, I'm more than willing to disappear with you for a few hours... Unless I'm working that is." She felt the need to add that last little bit on. She really doesn't want to lose this job. It's her only means of securing sanctuary for herself and for Aiden.
"I understand... And thank you." Rachel sits up Liz following into the same position.
"I wasn't sure what you liked so I got a bit of everything." Liz admits as Rachel overlooks the assortment of food.
"Don't worry I'll eat anything." Rachel replies picking at the various amounts of food. The two girls fall into an easy conversation as they ate lunch. "Ok three truths and a lie." Rachel suggests after a while.
Liz drops back into lying down quietly laughing to herself. Looking at Rachels raised eyebrow she answers the unasked question. "I'm awful at lying." She really is. Once she tried to lie her way out of having to go to soccer training. Her lie was I got stuff to do. Nobody bought it and she ended up having to run five extra laps of the pitch.
"Come on it will be fun." Rachel begs hopping onto her knees and leaning over Liz pouting.
Letting out a deep sigh Liz agrees to play earning a joyous cheer from Rachel. Going first Liz tries to think of two truthful facts about herself and one that would seem like a believable lie. "If I could have any job in the world, I would be a marine biologist, my favourite holiday is Christmas and my favourite number is twenty one." She tries to keep her voice the same throughout her Answers trying not to give anything away.
Rachel watches her closely thinking over her response and comparing it to what she already knows about her. "You wanting to be a marine biologist is true." Liz stoic outlook breaks into a smile as she nods at how certain Rachel is of that.
"How you figure out that." She asks wondering if she did anything to give herself away.
Rachel just shrugs. "It's the only answer where you're really gave away something about yourself. Your fav number and holiday aren't as personal. It was always going between which one of them was a lie." Liz will give it to Rachel she is far more insightful than she first thought. Now can she figure out which was the truth and which was the lie. Rachel mulls it over before coming to her decision. "The lie is about Christmas being your favourite holiday."
"Shit." Liz mutters to her herself before looking back up at Rachel. "How did you know."
"Your favourite season is fall." She answers with a smug smirk.
"Really from that one fact I let slip a few days ago you could figure out Halloween is my favourite Holiday." Liz asks in disbelief for two reasons. The first being obvious the second being the fact that Rachel actually remembered that random fact. The idea of Rachel remembering every fact she lets loose makes her feel warm inside. "You sure you didn't just guess and get Lucky."
Rachel pauses before a more prominent smirk appears on her face, she leans closer to Liz. "I wouldn't say I got lucky... Not yet at least." Liz gulps at the innuendo as Rachels pulls back looking far too pleased with herself. "Ok my turn. I've always wanted a pet cat I find Devil's breath the most interesting plant and... I'm ambidextrous."
Ok so going off body language Liz has nothing to go off. Searching through her head for an idea on what Devils breath is she vaguely thinks it was a plant that caused you to hallucinate or something like that. It might have been used on criminal minds once or a show like that. She also said she finds it the most interesting not that it's her favourite. This one could go either way.
For her being an ambidextrous she has nothing to go off on that. It's rare but possible. Hell, she can't even tell what her dominant hand is so that also could be both. Logically only around one percent of the world are ambidextrous with ten percent be left-handed. So, the odds aren't in her favour. But that would just make it the clearest lie. The chance that it's so rare. Could she be bluffing or double bluffing.
Her being a cat person is also believable. But it's so different to her other two questions that makes Liz think that it's the one she might be lying on. Rachel seems more like a person who likes to be outdoors playing in the fields and flowers. A dog would be better for that then a cat.
In other words, she has absolutely no idea what the lie is out of Rachels' answers. Taking a wild guess she answers. "The lie is being a cat person."
Rachels laughs loudly shaking her head. Damn it should have gone for the ambidextrous. "No sorry. The lie was Devil breath being the plant I find most interesting." That stumps Liz the most. She would have assumed due to her love for chemistry and white plants that Devils breath would be the most fascinating to her.
"Then what plant is that you're most interested in." Liz asks strangely wanting to know.
Taking a sip of her drink Rachel replies, "I think Venus flytrap is the most intriguing plant." Now that she mentions it the carnivorous plant is strange. You can feed these plants flies. Like real-life living creatures. It's a freak of nature. A mixture between two different forms of life. Animal and plant. Just think about what would happen if there were more of these hybrids. Would one eat fish. Birds. Cows. People. it has the potential to be even more dangerous then any other type of animal. eating flies is only the first step. she wouldn't be surprised I a hundred years time they have been bred to eat other things. Maybe plastic giving the way the world is going.
Do you have to supply the flies. or just leave a window open and hope for the best.
"I didn't really take you as a cat person." That's a lie Liz can see her as someone who would love a cat. She just thought she would have loved a dog more.
"Not many do. I've always preferred that cat aspect to the dog. But I think that's something we both have in common." Rachel seems a tad bit nervous over admitting this.
Liz gets the distinct feeling that they aren't on about cats right about now. "You might be right about that as well." if what she thinks Rachel is talking about is happening then she is right. If they are on about cats and Rachel just worded it weirdly then not as much. She would prefer a dog. A German Shepard to be more specific. Or a whippet slash greyhound. Just about any rescue in truth.
Whichever version of the question was asked Rachel seems relieved about the answer. Again, hinting towards the former then the latter. Well, one can only hope right.
The rest of the afternoon consisted of them playing more rounds of twenty questions where Liz is quick to realise that Rachel is far too good at the game for her to win so instead decided to play tag. It's was childish but incredibly fun as the two chased each other. Liz, of course, was far superior in the game being faster and fitter than Rachel who collapse in surrender in the long grass panting heavily.
Joining her again on the ground no words were spoken as they laid there basking in the sunlight and each other presence. It was a soothing experience. The light breath washed over gentle flowing through the grass adding to the peaceful atmosphere. "I Never said this earlier but you look beautiful by the way." Liz breaks the tranquil atmosphere. She had wanted to tell her that when she first saw her but forgot to breathe and making it a mess of it.
Rachel who was already red in the face from all the running reddens even more at this at this ringing her hands around each other. "Thank you." She says shyly. "You yourself looked very... attractive." She stutters slightly. Offering her a quicks bashful thanks the two descends back into silence savouring the last few moments of their time together.
Far sooner then either of them would have liked they start to pack up and begin the trek back to the Jessop household with the sun slowly starting it's descent. As a... Friendly outing this was pretty fun. She just hopes that Rachel had as much fun as she had.
Trudging up the drive they stop just before the gate to the property. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Liz awkwardly says separating her hair at the back of her head. She can already feel the clumps of knots forming which are going to be hell to deal with later tonight. People with short hair don't understand the pure hatred of clumps like this. They can take ages to untangle and to do so are usually painfully. She swears she gets more of a workout dealing with these clumps with her brush then she does at the gym.
"I guess you will." Rachel replies rubbing her right hand up and down her left arm. The air is cooler now with the sunlight disappearing. "But this was fun... We should do it again sometime."
Grinning like an idiot Liz nods her head. "Yeah, we should definitely do something like this again. My next day off is on Saturday. If you're free then."
"I'm free on Saturday."
"Great. It's a date." Liz freezes in horror at calling it a date. She is still very confused on what they are. Are they friends. Are they something more. Rachel has flirted with her today. She is very sure of that. But she still can't be sure. Women are difficult to read when it comes to romantic interests. Liz wants to be a date but is fine if Rachel just wants to be friends.
Her immediate panic disappears instantly. Saying it's a date doesn't mean it's a date. It's just a phase everyone says. Yes, it was a Freudian slip but Rachel would never know. Thank God for that.
"So, this was a date." Rachel meekly mutter looking towards the ground her foot playing with the thin blades of grass. The corner of her lips tilts up. "I wasn't entirely sure. I hoped it was."
Hearing that Rachel hoped this was a date stops any words that Liz was about to spill trying to assure the younger girl that she hadn't tripped her into a date. She also hoped that it was a date. "If you want it to be a date that is entirely possible," Liz states a tiny smirk fighting onto her face.
Rachel looks up her eyes shining in hope and delight. "I wanted it to be a date."
"So did I." Liz beams at her thrilled that any misunderstanding has been taken care of without a huge fuss. "See Ya tomorrow, Rachel." Liz performs an overly dramatic bow. Because why not. She surging in confidence at the moment.
"Goodnight Elizabeth." Rachel darts forward pecking her cheek before disappearing with haste up the pathway leaving behind a dazed but happy Liz behind. A good night indeed.