The dense woodland just beyond BC Freedom Academy’s training fields was the perfect place for a secret meeting. Few ventured this far on a weekend, making it an ideal retreat. Sunlight filtered through the canopy, casting dappled shadows across the forest floor as you arrived at a small clearing where Marie was already waiting.

"You’re late, mon chéri," Marie sighed, elegantly seated on a fallen log with a basket beside her. "Do you enjoy making me wait? Or perhaps… you wanted to see if I would leave first?"

"I had to be careful," you muttered, glancing over your shoulder to ensure no one had followed.

"Always so cautious," she mused, brushing an imaginary speck of dust from her dress. "And yet, here we are—hidden away like conspirators, meeting in secret as if we were planning something scandalous."

"Isn’t this already scandalous enough?" you replied, finally taking a seat beside her.

Marie chuckled, reaching into her basket and pulling out a small tin of delicately arranged sweets. "Perhaps~ But I do so love a little bit of mischief. And besides, where’s the fun in always following the rules?"

She plucked a macaron from the tin and held it out to you. "A reward, since you did come after all. Though I should make you work for it after making me wait."