Garry is going to be doing most of the talking for this story, I've realized. Makes sense, since Ib barely talks at all. Nothing too exciting in this chapter, it's mostly establishing here, a necessary evil. Still,I hope you enjoy this chapter and look forward to the next.

"Do you have a phone? Our room doesn't have one and we need to make a call." Garry asked Colleen when they finally went back downstairs.

"Oh, I'm afraid that the only phone we have is the one behind the counter, we rarely need to make phone calls around here, so I'm afraid it won't be very private." Colleen answered apologetically.

"That'll do fine, Ma'am," Garry was quick to reassure her. She led him to the phone and Jake moved out of the way. Garry quickly dialed the number, Ib at his side watching as she clutched the side of his coat, a habit she'd developed. The phone barely rang once before it was picked up.

"Hello?" A woman's anxious voice answered.

"It's me. I'm calling to say we got here without any problems." Garry said.

"Oh thank goodness! We knew there wasn't supposed to be any bad weather or anything but we were worried!" Ib's mother gave a sigh of relief. "Sweetie, it's Garry! He says they got there safely!" she called away from the phone before she began to talk to Garry again. "So do you think it'll help?"

"Yeah, it's a nice place. Calm, quiet... we should be fine here."

"I'm glad to hear it," she responded before there was a sound of movement and Ib's father came on the line.

"I want to talk to Ib!" he demanded a bit breathlessly. Garry handed the phone to Ib without questioning him.

"Your father," he said simply. She nodded and placed the phone to her ear... Then proceeded to say nothing. It was a mark of how well her parents knew her that her father guessed this meant she was on the phone.

"Ib, you there? Are you alright? Do you feel okay?"

"Yes, father."

"Garry's keeping you safe?"

"Yes, father."

"That's good. You haven't forgotten your manners have you?"

"No, mother."

"Good. Is there anything you think you're going to need right now?"

"No, mother."

"You know we're only a phone call away if you need something."

"Yes, mother."

"We only want what's best for you, Ib."

"Yes, father."

"We love you, Ib."

"I love you, too." Rather than say goodbye, Ib left it at that and handed the phone back to Garry who looked slightly amused.

"Me, again," Garry said as he brought the phone to his ear. "This number is to the Inn, so if you need to get in touch with us in a hurry, it should do. I'm going to buy a phone later so that we won't have to talk in the lobby all the time."

"Understandable," her father said. "Have there been any... incidents since you left?"

"Ib had a bit of an... issue, but it passed and she's doing better." Garry said, lowering his voice to avoid the curious ears of the inn's inhabitants.

"Alright. Just... take care of her, for us, please." Her mother sounded desperate and sad, and Garry wished he could make it better.

"Of course," was all he said. They gave their goodbyes after that, Garry even coaxing one out of Ib. When they were done, they asked if they could have their dinner then, and were quickly seated near the wall and given menus.

"Hello! I'm Maya. Can I get you anything to drink?" the waitress-the girl with pigtails- asked cheerfully. Garry smiled at her.

"Just water, if you please." He said while Ib nodded in agreement. She smiled and bustled off. Garry turned towards Ib who was silent as she looked at the menu.

"So what do you think you're going to get?" he asked her. She shrugged then turned her crimson eyes to him. She was so tired, he thought, and it showed. People were often so caught up in the unusual color of her eyes they missed the bags that were being developed from fitful sleep. He was better at hiding it- he needed less sleep, and he wasn't as prone to night terrors or nightmares, though they still plagued him. "Well how about this?" he asked, distracting himself from his thoughts. She looked at the thing he pointed at (which honestly, he had barely looked at beyond seeing it was an item on the menu) and shook her head. Then she pointed towards something else. "Pancakes for dinner, Ib?" Garry teased her, but she only looked up at him determinedly and he laughed. "Alright, alright. But make sure to have a side of fruit, okay?" she nodded and he ran a hand over her hair, an affectionate gesture he'd picked up from their time together.

Maya came by again, dropping off their water glasses and taking their orders. Garry wasn't entirely sure of what he ordered, he'd just pointed to something else on the menu there was a picture of that looked vaguely appetizing. He and Ib sat in silence, something they were used to, content to observe the place instead. They listened to the sounds of their food being cooked and watched the people around them.

People came and went but the two were so quiet in their corner that they actually weren't noticed by the first three people. The first, a girl in very pretty but very strange clothes and bright red hair. Garry guessed she was Selena when he saw her going upstairs. The second had been a girl with bright blond hair tied back in a ponytail, who moved over to speak to Colleen and Jake about something. The third was the mayor himself, who didn't seem to realize they were downstairs.

The fourth person to enter was the first to notice them. She had short brown hair and matching brown eyes and looked a little tired. There was some dirt on her clothes, but she looked well put together despite it. She was looking around, probably for a place to sit down when she spotted Ib and Garry.

"Hello, there!" she said with a smile, bounding up to the table they were at. "I've never seen you before, are you new to the island?"

Garry gave her a tentative smile. "Yes, we are. Just got here today. May I ask for a name?"

"Ah, how rude of me!" impossibly, her smile seemed to go up a few wattages in brightness. "I'm Akari. I'm a farmer, and I live nearby. My husband works at the town hall, but I made him take off today. He has a cold- probably from working too hard, the workaholic." She shook her head fondly. "We've a daughter as well. I'll have to introduce you- and my, I am being rude today! I haven't even given you a chance to introduce yourselves!"

"Ah, I'm Garry and this is Ib." he gestured towards Ib who actually let out a muttered "Pleased to meet you."

"I'm quite pleased to meet you as well! Will you be staying on the island for long?"

"We don't know, we're staying for the foreseeable future at least."

"Well, I certainly will bring my family around to meet you. I hope you like it here!" Akari smiled and waved before she went over to talk to Hamilton, who greeted her with great cheer.

"Well she was an interesting one," Garry muttered to Ib, who nodded. Both felt wary, reminded of the way Mary had been- so happy, so talkative, so friendly. They couldn't act like everyone was like Mary, but still...

Their food arrived shortly after, and the two decided to eat and then retire for the night as the place was quickly filling up with guests of the bar. Ib and Garry went up to their rooms, Ib ignoring most others, clutching to Garry's side and Garry giving polite nods to the people there. They arrived at their room mentally exhausted, and changed into night clothes. Garry was not surprised when Ib crawled into his bed rather than her own, and simply allowed the comfort of life so nearby. It would help keep the nightmares at bay, he hoped.

"Good night, Ib," he whispered, holding her close as she curled into his side.

"Good night, Garry," she whispered back, barely able to keep her eyes open as she said it. Garry turned the lights out, praying this would be enough.