Author's note: The MC is female. I just felt like it. I wish there was a female version of HoLV, and that desire led to this fic. Enjoy~
Charles sat stiff in his chair, staring down at the plate in front of him in revulsion. A moment ago, it had looked delicious. It was a berry pie baked by the farmer who had been thwarting his plans since Funland started its work in Leaf Valley a year ago. He had been rude to her throughout the time they knew each other but she still insisted on trying to befriend him, worming her way into his life at the most inopportune moments.
He would be walking his route through the town, minding his own business, and he would suddenly have some needless gift shoved right in his face. Literally, at times. He had tried to avoid the farmer in the beginning, eventually resulting in a collision between the two of them when she tried to run after him. He ended up having a loaf of bread squashed into his favorite suit. The bread was covered into some sort of sticky icing which embedded itself into the cloth fibers. It was such a pain when he tried to clean it later that day. That suit was probably worth more than half of the village, and yet the only thing that girl could say was a weak "Sorry"! It irritated him every time he recalled that memory. After that incident, he gave up on trying to avoid her and accepted her gifts, no matter how strange they were at times.
Ordinarily, he avoided mixing pleasure with business. When he worked, his was on a deadline and the clock was working against him, so his disliked taking time out of his day to handle his personal relationships. But, once again, the farmer had insisted on being nice to him, and despite his best efforts to reject her and push her away, she somehow endeared herself to him, and now he couldn't imagine saying no to her request.
She dragged him back to her farm enthusiastically, chattering on about the possibility that one girl may have a crush on a certain man in the town. He didn't recognize their names; he tried to distance himself from the citizens of Leaf Valley. There was no reason to get to know them. It was his job to render generations of memories into rubble in the matter of days, to be snapped under the force of bulldozers and carried away in dump trucks. Any sort of personal connection to anyone would make that task more difficult than it needed to be.
They came up to her house, which in Spring's gentle light, looked rather comfortable. It was a modest home, but it was different to him. He grew up surrounded by steel and sheetrock, bare white walls and gray-black streets that spread out for miles. Here in Leaf Valley, the homes were of wood and the roads, while equally curving and never-ending, were uneven and unpaved. In the city, everything felt invincible, as though the skyscrapers would rise up for the rest of human history, as though he himself would last forever. That feeling left him when he came to this unremarkable village, so unknown that one couldn't even find it on a map. When he was here, he felt the mortality of everything; of the leaves on trees, of fish that were pulled out of the lake, of the buildings, and of the people themselves. They would be gone soon, replaced by the next big thing: Funland Amusement Park. Their entire lives would be uprooted all for the sake of others' entertainment. And of course, he would get his promotion and would return to his immortal city of steel, glass, and plastic, his own life better than ever before.
"Well? What are you waiting for? Eat it!"
Her voice pulled himself out of his disgust. He wanted to eat the pie, really. It looked delicious, smelled divine, and made his stomach rumble quietly. He always loved sweets. But, there was one problem.
"Didn't you just say that the berries came from outside?" He looked up at her from his seat at her table. She stood across from him with her back turned, leaning up against the table, looking over her shoulder.
"Yeah, of course they did. All fruits and vegetables do. Did you think they made them in a factory or something?"
He was actually hoping they came from a jar or a can. In the city, a person could easily buy produce that was out of season whenever they desired, and they wouldn't have to risk getting sick. Everything was treated with chemicals and tested for harmful bacteria and viruses. The thought of eating something untreated just made him squirm on the inside. He hardly liked to touch plants from outside let alone consume them. He preferred that his food come pre-packaged. It was what he was bought up on, and at least he would know that it'd be safe.
"Well, did you grow them yourself, at least?"
"No, I found them by a tree in the Village Plaza. They're wild, and the wild ones are the best!"
And that just made everything worse. The pie was now the least appetizing desert he had ever seen, and he usually ate something sweet every single day. But, the farm girl was looking at him expectantly, sincere anticipation spread across her face. He didn't want to tell her that he didn't want to eat it, but he needed to figure out a way. He wasn't a liar, but this was a desperate situation.
"Look, I just ate my lunch, I don't think I could eat all of this."
"Then just take a few bites! I can eat the rest if you don't. It's good. I promisssse…" She smiled happily, oblivious to his own starvation. He actually hadn't eaten since the night before, as he somehow forgot to eat breakfast due to his own preoccupation with his work.
"Really, I'm beyond full. I don't think I could even take a bite."
And, it was then that his stomach decided to let out an enormous rumble that could likely be heard from all the way across the room. Had his gut not been light from having nothing in it, it would have dropped to the floor from his embarrassed.
"Full, huh?" Her smile fell, and now she just looked a bit concerned, and above all, hurt. "What is it? Do you not trust me? What, do you think I'm trying to poison you? Is that it?"
"No-!"
"Yes, that's it. I know it is. You guys may resort to potentially hurting other people, but that's just not something I'd ever do." She gets up and goes to the door and opens it, holding it. "Why don't you go? I'm sure you're busy and all, wandering the town and whatnot."
"Look, I didn't-"
"Go."
He let out a sigh and looked back down at the plate. She wouldn't poison him. He knew that, as she was one of the nicest people he had ever met. Even from far away, the slice radiated heat, cooked fresh and set out just for him. Now he just felt bad, and he could feel the farmer's glare on him as he sat there. Finally, he picked up the fork and took a bite.
It surpassed all of his expectations, flavor bursting in his mouth the second it met his tongue. He thought he could recognize each flavor of berry she used; blueberries, very berries, and something he couldn't quite place. He didn't mind. The crust melted from his own body heat and added a new flavor enjoy, and before he knew it, he had eaten nearly half the slice.
He felt a hand on his shoulder, which made him jump in his seat. "Good, huh?"
"Y-yes. It's wonderful. I didn't know you could bake so well… I should recommend you to Alice to become the Funland baker. This pie would be a real hit."
"That's not needed. Funland won't exist, so you won't need a baker."
He felt a smirk appear on his face, and quickly realized that he also had some pie filling smeared on his chin. He inwardly cursed. He hated looking like a slob, especially in front of other people. He wasn't the most organized person at work, but he liked to appear as though he were. He wiped it away, and heard the farmer laugh.
"What? What's so funny?"
"You had that on your face for a long time."
He gave her an irritated look, then went back to the pie. She gave it to her, so he might as well finish it. After all, wasting it would be downright tragic!
After he was done, she took his dish without a word and put it in the sink. He secretly wanted more but didn't ask. He had to watch his weight as he liked to indulge in wonderful food far too often. And unfortunately, the best tasting food was often the most fattening. He also didn't want to look like glutton.
As she washed the plate, she asked, "So, why didn't you want to eat it, anyway?"
This time, he decided to not try to lie. He was never very good at it and after getting caught once, he didn't want to risk it again so soon.
"I don't like wild plants. Or berries. Or nuts. The thought of eating them makes me feel sick, because I think they could get me sick because they haven't been treated with anything."
She looks at him in disbelief, halting her progress with the plate. That expression then turns to amusement, and after she finishes with the plate, she dries her hands and faces him. "Most of them are safe, you know. Unless they're rotten, and if you're stupid enough to eat a rotten berry or plant, then you had it coming to you! Honestly, I think all that treatment is making people more sick, but I don't feel like talking about that…" She walks to him and sits down in a chair at the table. "Did I change your mind?"
"About what? If this is about the land-"
"No! The pie. Did you like it, even if it had wild berries in it?"
He blinked, then smiled a bit. She did change his mind. It was actually one of the most delicious dishes he had ever tasted that used berries. And it was home-made, which was even more impressive.
"Yes. I suppose you did."
"Good!"
She then gets up and reopens the door.
"Now, get out before Alice finds you here! You'd be dead if that happened." She said it with a smile, and they both knew she was right. Alice had the maturity of a little girl and wouldn't tolerate him visiting the farmer to enjoy some of her baking, no matter how good it was. He got up and walked out. She was about to shut the door when he quickly reached out and put his hand in between it. He regretted doing this, as pain shot up his arm and made him wince, but he had to say one last thing.
"Hey… Thanks. It was really delicious, that pie. I'd… like to have another sometime, if you don't mind."
She looked at him in shock, hand dropping from the door. That was the last thing she expected to hear him say. She thought of what to say, but he beat her to it.
"No… That wouldn't be appropriate. Forget I said that. Just… have a nice day. Don't work too hard." And he left, the farmer staring after him the entire time. She didn't say anything, as she knew he was right. She just didn't want him to be right.
Along the way back to his office, he saw very berries by a tree. They had fallen from the branches above and looked edible. He stopped and picked one up, only to jump back a second later. The entire bottom was rotten, with a few bugs crawling out from underneath it. He took out a pocket hand-sanitizer bottle and cleansed his hands. It figures that he'd find the rotten one. Disgusted, he went on his way. He thought about asking the farmer about how to find the ripe ones, but decided against it. He had a job to do. He couldn't take time out of his day to gather wild fruit, nor could he keep talking to her. She was getting in his way and it was his task to eliminate her as a threat. There was a certain robot waiting in his workroom at the office, made specifically for that very task, and he had to get back to working on it.
He was modern and they were stuck in the past. The world was moving on without them, and he had to push them aside so everyone else could benefit. Thousands of people would have fun in their park. Thousands of people who would create even more memories that they would take with them to the end of their lives. Sure, the townspeople would have to suffer. But so many other people would be happy. Leaf Valley was not immortal, nor were the towers of metal. But at this point, Leaf Valley's days were numbered as it no longer provided enough use to the world to justify its existence. Funland would be an excellent diversion from the mundane lives most people led. And unlike Leaf Valley, the park would be on a map and would become a place people would look forward to visiting.
When he got back to what was supposed to be a temporary home, he went straight to his work room. He didn't feel like seeing Renton and couldn't bare dealing with Alice's nagging in his current state. The room was a mess, papers strewn across the floor carelessly. He felt he never had the time to put them away properly, even though he could work it in into his schedule if it became necessary. It wasn't a major concern of his, as he knew where to find everything.
He reached down and picked up plans for his newest machine. It was his job to pave the way for something new. Even if it meant tearing apart other's lives in the process of creating something everlasting.