Disclaimer; characters mentioned in this story that do not belong to the author belong to their respective owners. I do not claim any ownership of Harvest Moon or any of their characters, towns, concepts. Just a fan of the game who wanted to make their own interpretation.
Author's note at the end.

X x X

Silence.

There was silence, except for the soft pitter patter of rain that hit the roof of their apartment. The roads were empty, the lights flickered on. Then off, and the soft glow of the moon hung over the little village in Japan. Her villagers slept soundly in their beds, eagerly awaiting tomorrow's grand event. The high school graduation ceremony.
The clock struck midnight with a low, lugubrious gong sound. It rang once.

Twice.
Three times.

Then echoed it's soft song before going silent.
And that's when she slipped out of the window. Claire, her hair tied up in a pony tail with bangs flopping forward onto her face. Claire, her body covered by a pair of running pants and clingy shirt that held in body warmth, she was on the run. Sneaker clad feet hit the wet pavement and made sharp, wet smacks with each step she made. Farther and farther away she ran, and closer and closer she made to her new life. Her stomach flopped nervously, but the backpack that weighed heavily on her reminded her that she was ready for this. She was prepared, took all the precautions, and wasn't going to look back.

The notes that she left for her brothers, her friend, Lumina, and the school, would give sufficient explanation for their why's. Their where's. Their questions.
For Tatsuki, she left her explanation. She told him that she was simply too tortured in their little town, that it held sickening memories, that she couldn't simply be here anymore and didn't want to cause him agony. He had already done so much for her, and she could do this on her own. Claire reassured him in her note that she could take care of herself, and to visit when she found what she was looking for.
For Jyou, she told him that she'd be away for awhile. Jyou would understand, he himself having left periodically growing up for time alone for self discovery. Her note to her middle brother just explained that it was her turn to run away. To find herself in this world. To find her purpose and calling. And the best way to do it was to turn away from her beginnings and write her own.
For Lumina, she apologized. She apologized for leaving her the day before graduation for this crazy dream she had. But it wasn't crazy to her, and she hoped she'd understand. That she'd know what she was looking for, and while she could be angry and hate her, that she would understand one day. And be able to free up some time someday in the future so they can catch up on their crazy adventures. Hers in college, and Claire's in her worldly ventures.
And to the school, well. It was a short note. She spoke lowly of the faculty, the school, and it's students. How the teachers were crack-pots. How the principle and his administers were dirty and bribed to do what all the little rich kids' parents wanted. How she had suffered from their negligence, and that she didn't want her diploma. They could burn it, because that's what she'd do if she attended the event.

She thumbed the matches in her pocket with a smirk at that fleeting thought. What color would it burn? Red like all paper? Or would it crackle green like the sickening feeling that welled up in her gut. The feeling school instilled in her.

She ran.

Claire ran and she ran, fueled on adrenaline. Excitement. The town disappeared into the distance and she was running through country side now. The clouds blanketed the sky and hid the stars, but she knew her way. What direction she was going. Her destination? Who the hell knew! But she knew it would be anywhere but there.
She ran for a solid twenty minutes, before stopping on the side of the road to gasp for air that her lungs so desperately needed. Not especially athletic, that feat alone was enough to wind her more than any physical exercise she had ever done. But she pushed on, forcing herself from the tree she had rested against to continue on but a slower pace. The bark dug into her soft palms, but god it felt so exhilarating.
The rain had let up, so it made it more of an enjoyable venture. Eventually the clouds cleared, and the moon could be seen in all it's luminescent glory. It lit the way, and she took it as an omen of her future.

Bright, sparkling, and just in reach for her to take a hold of.
While she slowed to a stroll, the road began to lift and wrap around mountains. Trees surrounded her vision as she continued her journey. Eventually stopping to look at her map, she scanned over it with observant eyes. It seemed that she had managed to get a fair distance from the village, going on her fourth mile if her calculations were correct. That was enough to make a smile spread across her face, map placed back into her backpack's pocket. No going back now, she was far too deep!

Claire walked.
She walked and she walked, regardless of how achy her feet were getting. Regardless of how sleepy she was because the earlier hours were spent wide awake in anticipation. The sun rose over the horizon, that she had been walking for almost five hours now. It passed quickly, but also dragged. Too exhausted to pull the map from her bag, she decided to stop on one of the clearings on the side of the road to take a moment. It oversaw a small forest area, elevated enough so she could see where the road continued. It was a pleasant view, the sunrise making her smile.
"Guess that's my first sunrise in my new life… I should commemorate this!" Claire chimed, reaching into her backpack to pull a small camera she had brought with her. Just in case she needed to record all of her awesome new life experiences, of coarse! With an outstretched hand, she pointed the camera at her. Flashing a big, genuine grin and a peace sign, she snapped the picture.

The rocks under her crumbled.

With a scream, she slid down the side of the cliff, bouncing and slamming against the branches of trees below that ultimately knocked her unconscious as she fell with a heavy thump! to the ground below.

Drip.

Drip drip..

Blue eyes opened to the bleary pictures above her. It was so… So bright. Whiteness. Blurs of words and hums of images. Someone turn off the lights, cause they were burning her sensitive eyes.. How long had she been out? And what had happened? She remembered taking a picture of herself when she sat on the side of the road, the peace sign being the last thing she remembered before…

Before?
There was a dull aching in the back of her head, but that wasn't what caught her attention. It was the sight of blood, when she was finally able to focus in front of her, that had seeped from her bandaged arm. Okay, what had happened?! She began to struggle, finding that she was laying on her back in a.. Hospital bed? Where was there a hospital anywhere around where she was?! She was out in the middle of no where, only forest around her! For miles! The realization hit her.

She had fell.
She fell down the side of the cliff when the rocks had collapsed from under her. She had fallen twenty something feet to the ground and.. And her arm? It was wrapped, expertly she might add, and was hanging on a sling that rested comfortably on her chest. From what she saw, that was the only thing that seemed to have taken any actual damage, but the more she thought about it, the more she remembered hitting the ground with her arm outstretched to try and stop herself. Not her smartest action to date, obviously. Claire breathed a sigh of relief, considering herself lucky for getting out of that plummet with such minimal damage to her being.
Other than her arm, she seemed to only have small pains that would prick in her back, her head, and her legs. Bruised, most likely. She'd love to look, but well, Claire, you're practically crippled to this bed seeing as your kinda hazy with some sort of pain medication! No wonder, it probably hurt a hell of a lot more than it did if she was in her right mind.

About to call out for someone, she saw a woman pass the screen divider of the makeshift room she was in.
"U-Um! Excuse me!" She called, leaning forward to try and get the woman's attention. The lady's stride stopped immediately and she back peddled.
"Oh! You're awake! Oh the doctor will be absolutely thrilled! Oh you poor thing, one moment, let me go get him for you!"
And off she went. Not really what Claire wanted, but she supposed this doctor could give her the answers she needed.
It was silent again, the soft hum of medical machines in the background with the soft beep… beep… of the heart monitor that was hooked up to her finger. Did they think she was going to die from that fall? Perhaps, depending on if the boulders had fallen on top of her. Maybe that's what happened to her arm, a rock fell on i-
"Ah, you're awake. That's good to see." A man's voice called from the side of the room, and it brought her attention to him quickly. Smooth. Calming. Her nerves seemed to settle immediately when he entered. The woman from before stood next to him with a smile, brows knit in concern.
They both were clearly the doctor and nurse of the establishment, he in a dress shirt and slacks with a coat over his shoulders. It was ironed to perfection and nearly as white as the room was. She, in a blue dress with a pressed white apron wrapped around her waist. The aura they brought into the room was calculating. Not cold, but it made her nervous. Like they were observing her. Claire was never the best around doctors.

"How are you feeling, dear? You took quite a tumble!" The woman gushed, stepping forward as she began to test her vitals and checking her head. She hadn't even noticed the wrapping around her forehead, and winced when she was touched there. The brunette recoiled with an apologetic look, giving a small bow. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause any pain! I am Etsuko, but I prefer Ellie, and this is Doctor Tsuneo. Some residents of the village had found you after the landslide under some rocks and brought you here. You were pretty banged up! But you got the easy of it, your bag unfortunately was destroyed in the slide… We were able to recover your camera, but the rest of your supplies had been crushed. Were you hiking? That's a really dangerous area to wander! Do be m—"
"Ellie, I'm sure our guest has some questions for us, so lets not suffocate her with our own questions and see if we can answer hers." The doctor's voice rang over the woman's, instantaneously silencing her. It made her sigh, finding some relief from the onslaught of questions the nurse had suddenly began rambling. But it wasn't malicious, almost mothering in a way. It made her feel.. Loved, almost.
Almost.

The doctor, eyes and hair of ebony, gave the smallest smile as he took a seat on her bed. He was far enough from her legs that it didn't displace her weight and make her wince. It was a welcoming feeling, and she felt rather content just looking at him.
Now she understood why all those books described doctor/patient relationships. This guy was really sweet. This Doctor Tsuneo… He knew nothing of her, she didn't live in this village they watched over, but they looked to her like one of their own.
Something unfamiliar, and almost.. Nerve wracking. What did they want?
"Now, I hate to ask you more questions, but what's your name? We want to be able to make a record for you in the hospital archives, so that way we know who to contac—"
"NO!"
Her voice was shrill, panicked at the notion of trying to contact anyone from home. Looking from Ellie, then to Tsuneo, she began to sweat. The two looked back with startled looks, almost shocked that she had a voice.
Relax, Claire..
"I uh.. I'm sorry. I mean, I don't have anyone to contact. I don't… I don't have any family." Sorry Tatsuki, Jyou. No offense.
"Oh.. Well, I'm sorry to hear that." Tsuneo continued, his brows furrowing with a small look of doubt. But who was he to question the young woman's outburst? Maybe it was a touchy subject, and seeing as she seemed to have been backpacking down the road, perhaps she was a hitch hiker. He didn't have any information, and got the feeling that even if she was hiding something, that she wouldn't be giving anything up if he pressed her further. So he dropped it with the same small smile.
"But your name?"

The blonde opened her mouth, but paused for a moment before clearing her throat. Her name? Now was her chance. "I am uh.. Ho—Yamamoto. Yamamoto Claire. I was just traveling down the road and stopped to take a break when the cliff decided to give out. I-I uh.. I'm turning nineteen in August, I'm five foot six, and usually go between one hundred and fifty and one hundred and fifty-five pounds. My previous doctors always said I could afford to lose a little weight, but I could never shed the pounds. My blood pressure has always been fine, my cholesterol was fine.. U-Uhm.." She rambled on about her health, or what she could remember of it when she actually paid attention to the doctors.

The dark eyes of the doctor lit up with a small chuckle, his hand lifting to silence her words. Claire quieted immediately, looking to him with a flustered look, before looking down with a sigh. It was one of her less.. Admirable traits, that she was self conscious, unsure and preferred not to speak to those of the opposite gender. They never spoke to her, and she never spoke to them. It was a perfect truce.
"Yamamoto Claire.. Yamamoto-san. It's a pleasure to meet you. We're going to make you a new file for our town's hospital, and seeing as you did fracture your wrist, you will need to stay in town until it heals. I do hope that won't any cause any problems with your schedule? Traveling would only aggravate it."
She shook her head.

"Good, now we're going to finish our examination, and then will release you to look about the town you stumbled upon." He paused, laughing at his own unbeknownst joke. "There's an Inn a block down, they prepared a room for you to stay in while you heal. They advised me to tell you that your charges will be put on a bill you can pay later when you are able. Now, let's get to checking that bump on your head.."
It was another hour or so that she sat in the examining room, both Tsuneo and Ellie looking her up and down thoroughly. Poking and prodding, asking what hurt and what didn't. At one point, Tsuneo left the room so that Ellie could conduct the, ahem, more intrusive examinations. Though she at first was apprehensive, Ellie assured her that it was just so they had a background on her heath, seeing as they wouldn't be able to get any of her records from town. With a smile, she gave her hand a small squeeze before asking her to simply relax.
"It'll be over quick, and I promise, my hands are warm!"
Claire laid quietly, letting Ellie go through the motions before the brunette spoke up again, "The Doctor seemed quite worried over you. We don't get patients frequently, our town only has about fifty people in it. So when we have a newcomer literally fall into our lap, we take it quite seriously!" She giggled. "It was so silly, he stood outside the room and simply watched you! Oh but don't take it the wrong way! The tumble was just very frightening, and if Saibara and Grey had said were true, it was a near twenty foot fall! We were both very worried!" It made the blonde blush ever so slightly, the aspect of having the dark and well… Okay, it'd be foolish of her not to admit that he wasn't even slightly handsome. Tsuneo had that look that would make any girl melt, dark but warm eyes with a face that had, no doubt, been angular at one point in his young but softened from years of treating sickened patients? Friendly, and maybe ever so slightly awkward? Not to mention he was intelligent. Doctor? Goodness!

The names Ellie said before, foreign to her, made Claire's brows lift curiously. But the brunette was quick to answer the unsaid questions. "They are the blacksmiths of our little town, Saibara being the master and Gray is his grandson and apprentice, who live a couple blocks down. When we discharge you, we'll give you a map. I'm sure they'd appreciate a visit from you! The looks on their faces were just ghastly!"
Ellie was truly a sweet soul, and Claire could appreciate it. Was this what having a mother was like? Her Mama loved her, yes, but.. Shiori wasn't around enough to truly put love and care into her children's cuts and bruises. No Mama kisses, no reassurances that it would be okay, no quiet hushes to ease their tears.
It was Tatsuki, Jyou, and herself against the world. When one of them fell, the other two were quick to jump and try to play doctor or nurse the best they could. But for children with limited knowledge of injuries, at times it wouldn't be enough. Jyou broke a finger once.. She and Hika were so panicked when it bruised and swelled. She began to cry that it'd have to be cut off while Hika was trying to numb it with an pack of frozen peas. But the middle child just sat there, watching the two with a calm, slightly bewildered expression. What a trio they were.. Jyou's finger ended up healing crooked, and he always liked to teasingly blame them for his 'fucked up finger'.
When the examination was finished, the nurse left the room with a brief smile before fetching the doctor to finish with their examination.

"Well Yamamoto-san, other than your damaged wrist, you seem to be in perfect condition. Mind you, the fall did bruise some limbs and probably left a little bit of swelling in some areas, so do take caution when doing a lot of physical movement. We will prescribe you with some medication for the pain, and would recommend you take it easy for the following days. Bed rest, with the occasional walk, but nothing too over the top." Doctor Tsuneo finished his schpeal, clipboard in hand as he gave a brief nod before bidding her a good day and left the room. Ellie assisted Claire up as to get her footing, and boy was he right. She instantly felt the pangs of pain shoot up her limbs. It nearly made her whimper, but she bit her tongue and gave a tight smile to the fretful nurse when she released her.
Discharged, and a new town map in hand, the blonde stood outside the hospital.
Banged up, arm in a sling and striding with a limp, she observed her surroundings. It was a wonder how this little town was hidden within the woods less than fifty miles from her village. But then again, none of them really explored. If she was correct, the slightly salty scent that invaded her senses, it was her best guess that this little town was on the edge of the ocean… They never had the time to take a trip to the coast. Maybe she got much farther than she had originally anticipated. With a shrug, she opened the map and began to look over the area curiously.
New places, new people.
Maybe this was the new beginning she was looking for?

With that thought in her mind, Claire began her slow but steady journey through this new town. The map she had acquired from the hospital had 'Mineral Town' written across the top, of which she assumed was the name of this little town. It was strange, it didn't ring any bells, and she wondered if perhaps her fall had led her to another part of the mountain towns that they didn't have mapped on their own city maps. Her own village.. Well town, of Hiroshi, was a southern suburbia. There was the city that laid nestled out in the ocean on the mainland that was always talked about. Where all their imports, supplies, and well.. Everything came from. Her mother used to work in the city, always needing to take a ferry to and fro so it always took her a little longer to get home as she was abiding by the ferry schedules. Claire recalled some nights when her Mama would call to inform them she wouldn't be home as the ferry was closed for the night. Those nights felt colder than usual, and full of worry. Worry if she would come home.. But sure enough in the morning, she would be home and collapsed next to her in bed. Having taken the earliest ferry, it made the youngest smile as she snuggled into her mother's body. The warmth was reassuring..

Claire gave a small sigh as she wandered, the road was made of uneven stones that had aged and worn from years of wear and tear. Not to mention the rains and winters that must have passed through, it made her walking a little uneven and made her wince every so often. Some stones a little sharper than others that would dig into her tootsies. There was a fence that lined the streets, also aged, but not as so. They must have rebuilt it time and time again, having rotten from the exposure to the elements. Trees hung over her head with their cooling shade that dripped over her as she strode away from the hospital. Little green leaves tumbled and flipped through the breeze in an easy dance.
Just south of the hospital was the town square, the large hanging banner that was posted and hung on either side of the entry way bid visitors welcome. That too also appeared exceedingly aged, and gave the impression that this village hadn't had visitors in years. It almost made her feel small, the villager's eyes seemingly all on her. Head turning sharply to find where the sensation originated, her gaze fell on a small group of women that were gathered in the square in a little huddle. Quieted whispers, the occasional loud cackle of laughter.. They stopped when they noticed she looked back, all eyes on her that seemed to pick her apart piece by piece then resume their conversation with the occasional gaze turning back to her. Then giggles would follow. It made her uneasy, like she was back in that god forsaken school where girls would laugh openly when she walked by. Insults flew. Venom in their words, she quickly stepped out of the square to continue her own self directed tour. A little hurriedly, as to get away from… Them.

Note to self, stay away from the square when alone… Lest the hens of the village strike at her with their sharp taloned words.
At the turn even farther south from the square, she passed by a field with livestock in it. Cows, horses, they all were out to pasture and grazing quite happily. Claire couldn't help but smile, the easiness of this lifestyle was something to be envied.. With her good hand resting on the fence, she admired the creatures for a moment before continuing her journey. The next thing that caught her eye, a farm very much like the previous, but this one having chickens strewn about their field. The blonde winced, never being very fond of birds. Something about their claws and beaks made her a uneasy. She didn't stop long at this one, but would have left immediately if not stopped by a rather strange character who had hastily emerged from the ranch house to greet her.
"Hello! Hi! You must be the newcomer! I'm Popuri, and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance!" Okay, Claire wasn't sure where to start with this girl. First of all, pink hair. Pink? And from the looks of it, it oddly looked natural. That or this girl was on top of her dye job like no other. But with being so far out into the woodsy country side, there probably wasn't a whole lot to do. But when she looked at the girl directly… Red eyes pierced her, though with a sweet gaze, they were.. So exceedingly intimidating. Not to mention the way she dressed? A ruffled blouse, sure, was cute and matched her outright personality, but the corset that cinched her waist.. The red dress like skirt that that flowed from the bottom of the corset, it gave her a rather.. Edgy look, but not without a soft girly vibe that came from the dress. And well, the hair…

"Oh uh.. yeah, I'm Y—Yamamoto Claire. It's nice to meet you," Claire answered back, feeling almost out of place with how down trot her answer was, soreness only permitting a weak bow. Not that she had anything to feel down about, just that she had a fracture wrist, had no idea where she was, and was now being greeted by a cotton candy girl. Yeah, absolutely nothing to feel down about at all. But something was oddly.. Pleasant about the girl. Popuri, as she addressed herself, didn't have a malicious look to her at all, unlike those women she saw before in the town square. She looked actually quite friendly.
"I heard all about your tumble down the cliff, that must have been terrifying! I'm really glad you're doing better though! You were the talk of the town! You're looking around, right?" The pink haired girl laughed, having taken notice to the map in the other girl's hand. "How about I offer you a once in a lifetime chance that I, an actual resident of the village, show you around? I promise not to bite. I'm not into that kind of stuff." Popuri laughed, giving her a wink before shimmying herself over the fence before Claire had a chance to answer. But she wasn't about to say no, the offer of actually being shown around by someone who lived there was much more enticing than walking around aimlessly by herself. Plus, the conversation would be nice. "Sure, I'd like that. I've seen the town square and the uh…" Her words trailed off, nearly mentioning the women she had a short run in with.

"Oh, you're talking about the group of women who probably looked at you like laughing hyenas, right?" Red eyes rolled. "Don't worry, and don't take any of it personally. They're just like that, gossip queens the lot of them. Mana, Sasha and Anna are their names, but it doesn't matter anyways." Popuri gave Claire a gentle pat on the arm, an action the blonde would usually recoil from, it gave her reassurance that she wasn't just the odd one out. She had just gotten out of that situation, let's not start it all over again! Please!

"Now hey, enough of that stuff, let's actually show you the stuff this town has to offer!"
And with that, they were off. Popuri showed her around town, leading her from the farm she emerged from along the road that lead them to Blacksmith. Popuri explained that a man named Saibara, and his grandson Gray resided inside. She said something about how they both were the ones that found her when they were looking for stone material to work with by Mother's Hill Summit. She advised to go back later, because obviously this tour she was giving now was far more important. Better to know her way around then just keep going in circles! From the Blacksmith, they went north where Popuri showed Claire where most of the town residents dwelled. The houses were small, having an almost cottage feel to them that felt almost storybook vibe to them. They were small, but charming.
The general store was next, where she was told that the daughter of the owner, Karen, was inside and could sometimes be rather.. Rough around the edges. But Popuri assured her that she was nice once you got to know her. Claire wasn't sure she wanted to get to know her, having known those type of people all too well in her past life. The window that showed into the shop, villagers were busy buying up their items for sale. Busy establishment, she guessed.
There was a small pathway that lead to the street just down the block that dropped them right next to the Inn. Claire said what Tsuneo had spoken of earlier, that she would be residing there until she was healed and able to leave. Popuri clapped her hands excitedly and took hers as she lead her inside the rustic domain.
The Inn wasn't lit overly well, but she should have figured as much seeing as the downstairs appeared to be a bar in the evenings. Everything inside was made of a soft oak wood. Lemon wood polish and the tangy scent of booze met her senses, and boy was it an odd combination. The Inn owner, Doug, stood behind the counter with a glass in his hand like an almost comical bar keeper. Rubbing a soft cloth against the cub to wipe away the moisture from it's trip through the soapy water filled sink. He was a broad shouldered man, red hair and a thick mustache on his squared face. But when his eyes lifted to meet theirs, his features softened into a welcoming grin and wave with the cloth still in hand.

"Well hello, Popuri! This must be the visitor that the town has been talkin' all about! Well don't just stand there in the doorway, c'mon over!"
The girls wandered over, the pink haired one having taken a seat at the barstool like it was second nature. Claire was hesitant at first, but slowly took her seat and rested her wounded arm on the bar. Doug tsk tsk tsk'd at the sight of it, giving her a sympathetic gaze before turning to fetch them both glasses of water. "That's too bad that happened, but rest assured that this little town will take good care of ya! Your room is up the stairs and to the left at the end of the hall. Tried to keep ya from all those boys at the other end, if ya know what I mean." The ginger gave a wink, before turning and leaving them to drink their water while he tended to things in the kitchen. Popuri sipped her water and spoke quietly to the blonde about the villagers that were currently lounging within the Inn.
"Okay, so now would be a good time to give you the details on everyone…" They turned in their seats, and Popuri began.
"Over there, that's Duke. He and Doug are real good friends. Duke runs the Aja winery just down the road. He's a bit of an alcoholic, likes his own wine a bit too much. He's Mana's husband, and their daughter, Aja, ran off years ago because she didn't like the way her parents ran the winery. Can't say I blame her…" Claire looked to the older man, peppered with grey and white through his black hair as he sipped a glass of wine and leaned back at his leisure.
"Next, not far from Duke, is Doug's daughter, Ann. She's… She's an odd one. I get along with her well, but I know she and Karen can't stand each other. Ann can be a bit of a snot sometimes, y'know?" Popuri checked behind her, making sure the elder red head wasn't around before giving a soft snort of laughter. "But she waitresses here for her dad, so she's sort of an inevitable. She's claimed this guy named Cliff, a newcomer a lot like you, but he's… Quiet. Keeps to himself a lot, and doesn't like to associate with a lot of people. He's been living up in the Inn for a couple months now, and Ann is real enamored with him. Best to keep your eyes off him, cause she'll go completely bonkers on you!" With a nod from the blonde, Popuri continued.

"Upstairs is where Cliff, that guy I mentioned earlier, and a guy named Kai stay. Kai comes through during the summer and runs a snack shack out on the beach. He makes really yummy food, and we kinda dated, but I got really sick of his player kinda ways. We'd walk down the street and I'd catch him looking at other girls! Other women! The nerve!" Her flustered face puffed up, obviously irritated by the memory of it but catching Claire's confused stare, she brushed off the thought with a sigh. "I still get a bit bothered by it, I guess you could say…" She trailed off, smiling sadly.
"I get it though, and that's no way a guy should be treating you!" Claire chimed in, even surprising herself. She had no prior knowledge of relationships, but it didn't mean she didn't know when something obviously wasn't right. "You need someone who will be completely and utterly serious about you, and not have to look to other women when they already have someone real great with them!"
Popuri smiled, rubbing her eyes a little bit as a few stray tears had gathered there. "Thanks Claire.. I appreciate that, really.."
The girls continued to talk and chatter amongst themselves, Popuri mentioning other villagers and funny stories from festivals, where Claire spoke about the things she had seen. Most of which she made up but.. Well, she didn't want to appear like a total liar. The big clock at the top of the stairs chimed, signaling it was five o'clock. Popuri looked up, shocked at the hour and stood immediately.

"I'm sorry to have to run off so quickly, but we have dinner at five thirty sharp at my house, and it's my turn to make dinner tonight! Try to get some rest, Claire, and we'll talk more tomorrow!" The bubbly girl gave the blonde a wink before skittering out of the Inn. And she was left alone to her own thoughts.
Moments passed, and hadn't noticed the barkeep setting a bowl of stew behind her and taking off to tend to his customers. When she turned, the stew had just cooled to a comfortable eating temperature, to which she began to devour. It was a mystery how she hadn't known how hungry she was! After her meal, and a quick thank you to Doug for the meal, she was handed a key to her room and she was off for a long rest..
All these people were so kind and sweet to her, and she was lucky that of all the places she fell into, it was here.

X x X x
Author's Note; changed the eldest brother's name from Hikaru to Tatsuki, just because the ToT protagonist's name was Hikari. That, and I wasn't really feeling Hikaru in the first place, so.. Yeah. The story name will probably change towards the end, I just couldn't stand calling it 'My Own Story', cause how silly does that sound, and then 'Darkness Lies'.. It'll have to stick for now.
Side note; thanks for the heads up on the formatting error, hopefully it's all corrected so people be super confused! Thanks again!