Meet us amid the trees

Marcel and Anna have been questing together since they met in the 8th grade at Lakenheath Middle School. Though they belonged to rival factions - each grade was split into two "houses," perhaps because it was England - they had similar taste in friends and even shared a class. They practiced domesticity together in home economics and feasted together most days in the banquet hall. Soon, they found themselves journeying onward with their friends to study in a nearby kingdom (another Air Force base), at Lakenheath High School. During the year and a half they trained and adventured together there, they became much closer. Marcel even began joining Anna for her weekly rock climbing practice outside of school, both of them becoming moderately competent indoor mountaineers under the tutelage of the spry Sage Wes. But alas, our heroes were separated, as they knew they inevitably must be, for fate never kept them in one place for too long. Marcel left for a semi-nomadic lifestyle between the lands of Florida and Guam and 6 months later, Anna moved to the kingdom of Nebraska. Though they were many miles away from one another, they kept in touch via witchcraft (instant messaging). As time went on and they progressed in their studies, their paths occasionally crossed again. Eventually, they even began planning journeys that were primarily to see each other, despite their meager holdings as novice adventurers. They agreed that their friendship was strong enough to weather the sands of time and would remain so, without ever blossoming into something other than friendship. To celebrate this, they created a small design and hired an artisan to make it a permanent adornment on each one's skin, as they had done with other questing companions before. Just as our intrepid protagonists were finishing their studies, Marcel in the land of Florida and Anna on the Island of Rhode, the realm was rocked by cataclysm: a new plague. Like many of their comrades, they had expected to leave academia into a world of possibilities, but this pandemic had other ideas. They were both able to secure apprenticeships, but they spent much of their time isolated from the outside to avoid contagion, with only a small group of colleagues and companions for support. They had much more time to communicate via the arcane (cell phone networks) and they grew closer as the kingdoms of the world slowly turned the tide against the disease. When at last the dust began to settle, they were very close indeed. The pair continued to visit one another, Anna even summoning Marcel for aid in one of her most grueling trials (moving). They explored many scenic terrains and wonderous collections of exotic creatures. They had deep talks and met each other's friends and animals. They cheered each other on through the many perils and complexities of their rapidly unfurling adult lives. In early November of the year 2023, Anna was visiting Marcel and reflecting on what a wonderful (and attractive) person her friend had grown into when it dawned on her: perhaps the matching tattoos were ill-conceived. Marcel agreed that it would be worth seeing if their partnership could be improved by adding courtship to the mix, and they embarked upon this endeavor while still residing over 700 miles apart. It didn't take long for them to declare the venture a success. As soon as Marcel had gained mastery over Environmental Science, he was ready to bid the land of Florida farewell and join Anna in Ohio. The two of them, alongside Anna's sister, Sophie, found a domicile they could make their own, big enough to hold their 4 cats, 1 dog, and many worldly possessions. Though they have endured many misfortunes and ordeals since then, they have survived them as a team. In August of 2025, Anna took Marcel to the Smoky Mountains and proposed by a stream deep in the woods. In September, Marcel orchestrated an elegant garden proposal with the help of Anna's family. They both said yes.