Author's Notes: UPDATED 5-25-11. Alright guys, I know you haven't heard from either myself or this story for quite a long time. After picking up the game series Sunshine Islands for the DS, I'm really intent on finishing this. I've already got a few chapters in the works, so, hopefully, the progression of this story will finally come to a close, eventually. I've re-edited a few things in each chapter, nothing too significant, but I do hope you enjoy!
Also, this could be based on the HM64 version, I suppose, but the character's names and particular canon pairings will follow the plot for Friends of Mineral Town.
Disclaimer: I don't own or take credit for any of the following mentioned characters or settings.
&&chapter's title belongs to Far-Less.
001: A Toast To Bad Taste
Upon his arrival to the Inn, Gray shifted his hat slightly, feeling disgusted as the cooling sensation of sweat was smeared across the nape of his neck by the cap's harsh fabric. He skimmed the empty bar area, surprised to find a chocolate cake resting on the counter. However, he lacked an acquired sweet tooth and disregarded the baked good, making a quick beeline to the nearby set of stairs.
He practically flung his body up the flight of stairs, his arms aching from the several hours of wielding metal for that new farmer. What was his name again? John? Jake? Whichever. It didn't really matter. As long as he didn't come back with another tool to be upgraded then everything, including Gray's throbbing, overworked arms, would be perfectly content.
Just as he reached the top of the staircase, he heard Doug's echoing voice travel directly towards him. "Gray or Cliff –– whoever just walked up the stairs –– tell Ann I need her down here pronto!"
Gray rolled his eyes in return, assuming with his lack of response Doug would quickly figure out which boy he had just spoke (rather, yelled) to. Nevertheless, he did respect the older man –– far more than his steel grandfather –– and limped his way over to the guest room Ann spent a majority of her time in. He figured she was cleaning now, aware of the shuffling noises coming from within the room's walls, and, without warning, opened the door.
"Ann –– oh," he fell silent, stunned when he had found another girl moving about in the guest room instead of the redhead herself. In Ann's usual instead place stood a familiar pink-haired girl, the Chicken Princess who just recently had her fairytale torn apart: Popuri.
She smiled generously although her eyes held no familiarity for him. "Gray, hi!" she spoke cheerfully. "Good to see you."
"Oh... I... uh..." he fumbled clumsily for words, already aware of the blush spreading itself quite brightly across his face. "Popuri..." there were a few more series of dots indicating his silence until he managed a small and feeble, "hi."
A smile lit her face again and she giggled to herself at his suspense. "You're probably wondering why I'm here."
"You're uh," Goddess, yes! He found his voice again. "Sleeping over with Ann or something?"
Her smile dimmed at his inaccurate answer. "Not really," she corrected. "Mama hasn't been well lately, and I guess I've just been a complete nuisance to Rick. So he's sent me here until, I suppose, she's better."
"I... I'm sorry," Gray mumbled, casting his gaze elsewhere. He was never particularily good with words, nor did he excel with confronting emotions, and the goddess know he's never been remotely comfortable with the ladies. The most progress he made with associating with a girl was with Mary, and even then he occasionally blunders over his words. He supposed he could count Ann too, but she was almost like a little sister to him, with her fiery temper and sharp words, she almost reminded him of his grandfather.
"No, it's okay," Popuri assured him pleasantly, suddenly snapping him out of his unrelated thoughts. "She's been sick for as long as I can remember. But she's always been in pretty good condition regardless of her illness. I think Rick tends to forget that though, which is probably why he becomes absolutely hysterical when she doesn't feel alright."
"Oh," was all the young blacksmith could offer. Truthfully, Gray had never been close to Popuri, along with the rest of the town. He just kept mostly to himself and remained to himself mostly. Whenever he was forced to do otherwise, however, he didn't exactly confine himself in any of the girls, especially Popuri. In fact, he found the bubbly girl his exact antonym.
"Did you need Ann?" Popuri's voice broke his thoughts and his blue eyes zipped from the floor and back onto her. He nodded wordlessly in return. "Ann's in your room, I think."
Gray nodded before coolly reeling himself around, intending to exit the room when the same door had burst open to reveal Ann instead. "Popuri, dinner's ready!" She called until her eyes had fallen on Gray. "Oh, Gray! I wasn't expecting you––"
"Your dad wanted you," he informed curtly, cutting her sharply off, before he tapped the bill of his hat downward and swiftly maneuvered himself around the redhead, descending further down the hall.
When the door had shut behind him, Ann quickly recovered. "Oh, well, anyways, yeah, Popuri, dinner's ready. Cliff and Gray –– if he feels like it, of course –– will join us in a little bit."
"Sounds great," Popuri smiled and followed her friend down the flight of stairs and downward to the awaiting dining area.
Meanwhile Gray had managed to pull himself into the room he shared with Cliff, finding his roommate readying himself for dinner. Cliff glanced at him upon his arrival before quickly returning his attention back onto his wrinkled shirt.
"Popuri's staying here," Cliff informed the blacksmith when he felt Gray pass him and head toward the room's bureau.
"I found out," the blacksmith replied curtly.
Cliff peered at him curiously before cocking an eyebrow. "Do you know why?" he questioned quietly.
"She said something about her mother being ill," Gray answered as he fumbled through the bureau's drawers in attempts of finding a decent shirt to change into. Unfortunately, all he found was Cliff's sleeveless unconventional shirts.
"I see." the wanderer replied evenly.
"Yeah," Gray muttered before giving up on his shirt hunt, deciding to remain in his soiled one instead.
The brunet glanced over his shoulder, nodding to his roommate before heading out of the room and traisped down the empty hall; towards the welcoming bar downstairs without another word.
Gray blinked, skeptical about Cliff's reticent behavior he still hadn't gotten quite acquainted with. Eventually, he rolled his eyes before shaking his head, becoming unfazed, and quickly headed into the bathroom to wash himself up before he decided to join the three for dinner.
Dinner was quiet; tension wedged between the seated forms and hadn't faltered when Gray flopped his way down the stairs and toward the occupied table. Ann glanced upwards, blinking quickly before continuing to chat quietly with Popuri while Cliff proceeded to take another sip of his green tea. Gray took the nearest empty seat, sliding himself onto it and hastily thanked Doug for the provided food.
The sandy-haired blacksmith scanned the seated forms across him before immersing himself in the presented meal, deciding that it wasn't his place to break the silence that had previously settled upon them. Not that he was one to. He enjoyed it, honestly.
"It's going to be great the next few weeks Popuri," Ann beamed. "You can help me cook and everything."
"I don't think she came here to help you with your job," Gray murmured lowly to himself, although, it apparently wasn't low enough because the redhead's ears flared immediately upon his comment.
She shot him a glare, her cheeks flushing in the process. "I wasn't implying that she should either, Gray!"
"Relax, I was kidding," the blacksmith quickly dismissed.
Popuri smiled pleasantly at the two, breaking their fight before it could progress further. "I'd love to help you cook, Ann. Hopefully, I won't be too bad. I don't really know any dish that doesn't consist of eggs, but I'll try my best."
"Well don't worry about that," Ann assured. "Gray can taste test all your dishes." It was Gray's turn to give the redhead a glare before she added, "it can't be as bad as Karen's cooking anyways."
Gray rolled his eyes when the two girls giggled uncontrollably to themselves at the mention of Karen's horrid cooking. Honestly, did everyone laugh at someone else's expense? Even if Karen's food deemed itself nearly fatal, there wasn't a reason to laugh about it. Avoid it, yes. Definitely yes. But laugh? No.
He glanced at Popuri whom was still giggling with Ann, her eyes closed while her hand covering her mouth suppressed her laughter. For what was happening to her family, the girl appeared to have been taking it in stride. He frowned suddenly, his last thought contradicting what he had abruptly noticed. Although she was laughing wildly, Popuri's body remained stiffened; her hands clenched tightly together, and she hadn't eaten anything she was given, her glass of water remaining untouched.
Maybe there was more to the Chicken Princess than what the fairytale initially wrote.
A/N: Hope you've enjoyed this chapter!