"Owennnn! Time to wake up!"
Owen slowly blinks his eyes open to see Chloe standing next this bed, a wide grin across her glowing face. He rolls over to his back and rubs his eyes.
"Ughhhh… What time is it?" he groans.
Chloe replies, perky as ever, "It's time for you to get up!"
Owen grins slightly. He sits up and swings his feet over the side of the bed before running his hand through his messy red hair. Stretching, he speaks again.
"Why exactly do I need to get up?"
"It's the Moon Festival, silly!" Chloe exclaims. "I need ya to go with me to get some 'gredients for my picnic for it."
Oh yeah. Owen nearly forgot. It's the Moon Festival. Every year Chloe makes a delicious picnic and she and Owen go together to look at the moon. It's one of their favorite festivals.
"Ok," Owen replies. "Give me twenty minutes, and we'll head to Flute Fields."
Chloe grins before skipping out of the room singing, "It's the Moon Festival! It's the Moon Festival!"
Owen smiles as he gets dressed. He combs his puffed hair before checking the chain around his neck. The glinting, fiery gem still hangs on it as it has for the past few weeks. He sighs as he tucks it back into his shirt. So much to hide. So much to hide.
He emerges from the bedroom to find Chloe already standing next to the door. She lights up when he appears.
"C'mon!" she grins, grabbing his hand and pulling him out the door.
"Alright alright! Slow down!" he laughs. He watches Chloe as they walk, hand in hand, down the mountain to Flute Fields.
She's so carefree, he thinks to himself. And happy. I wish I could be like her. She'll be such a wonderful woman when she grows up. Goddess, I don't even want to think about that! She's already 8. I wish she would stop growing up. Wouldn't that be a miracle.
"Whatcha thinkin about Owen?" Chloe asks, noticing Owen's musing silence.
"Oh," Owen says, jerked from his thoughts. "I was just thinking about the picnic you are going to make for tonight. What exactly are you making, Chef Choe?"
She smiles. "Well, it was going to be surprise, but I guess I can tell you."
And thus, Owen's trip to Flute Fields is filled with pudding, egg salad sandwiches, and apple soda. All the, way, he smiles just to hear his little cousin talk.
On their way back, their hands laden with paper bags, they are having a very enjoyable conversation about if the egg or the chicken came first, when they pass by Molly's house. Owen spots Molly watering her crops, and feels an urge to go see her.
"Hey Chloe, how about we go see what Molly is up to?" Owen suggests.
Chloe looks over at Molly. "Ok!"
As they walk over, Molly lifts her head and smiles before waving. She dusts her hands off on her pants and meets them halfway. She greets them.
"Hey Owen! Hey Chloe! What brings you to my neck of the woods?"
Chloe replies immediately, "We were buyin' stuff for our Moon Festival picnic."
Molly smiles. (Owen can't help but wonder what it is about Chloe that makes people smile) "That sounds like fun. What are you planning on making?"
"Egg salad sandwiches, pudding, and apple soda." Chloe replies, proudly. She pauses for a moment before saying, "You should come with us Molly!"
Owen nearly chokes on his own spit. What the hell is wrong with me?! It's just Molly!
Molly grins. "You okay, Red?"
Owen smiles forcefully, "Just peachy." He coughs a bit before turning to the ecstatic child "Chloe, Molly probably already has plans."
Molly laughs. "I don't, actually. I can go with you guys. In fact I'd love to!" She finishes looking at Chloe.
Owen can't help but ask, "What about Gill?"
"He hopped on a boat this morning. He said something about a business trip." She replied, a note of bitterness tainting her smile.
"You don't know where he's going?"
Molly shrugs. "He'll be back in a couple of days he said, so it can't be that far. Probably to negotiate trade with the mainland."
Chloe had stopped listening at 'I'd love to' from excitement, and interjected:
"Okay! We'll pick you up at 8, 'kay?"
"Perfect! I'll be ready!" Molly replies. She looks back at Owen. "I guess I'll see you guys later then."
"Yup," Owen says smiling. "See ya."
"Bye Molly!" Chloe yells.
And with that, they head up the mountain.
"Owennnnnn! Let's gooooooooo!"
"I'm coming, Chloe! Just one minute!"
Owen looks into the mirror, and a harried looking redhead with mussed hair and wide eyes stares back. He looks into the sink and washes his face again. Again. Again. One more time. (Ayyyy Macarena).
I should not be this worried. Why am I so worried? It's the Moon Festival for King's sake!
The ring singes a little
"Sorry…" he mutters absentmindedly, and the ring's heat begins to fade. He runs his fingers through his hair in a futile attempt to flatten it before rechecking his teeth in the mirror.
Who woulda thought Gods would be so sensitive? He wonders.
"Alright," he says to the mirror. "I'm ready."
The mirror shows the flannel-shirt-leather-jacket-jeans clad figure as he nervously flattens his hair again. Why am I so concerned, damn it?!
"Owennnnn! It's been FIVE minutes!"
"Okay Chloe," he says, "I'm coming!" He sighs. This'll have to do.
With that, he snaps off the light and clunks his way downstairs to meet an annoyed little Chloe at the door, foot tapping furiously. The food rests in a backpack slung next to the door.
"We're going to be late, Owen!" she says, as angrily as she possibly can. Owen can't help but smile at his defiant little cousin. Her personality wayyy outweighs her stature, and for him, it's incredibly endearing.
"Alright alright," he concedes, acting guilty. "I'm sorry, Chloe. But better late than never, right?"
Chloe considers this for a second as she pulls on the backpack. "I guess, but let's try to be LESS late!" She snatches his hand and yanks him out the door and into the cool night.
Owen laughs as the crisp air brushes his face, his hand warm in her little gloved one as he is hurried down the mountain. His heart races faster the closer they get to the bottom. He assumes it's because of the breakneck speed at which Chloe is basically running, but it feels different. Less painful, and more like a static.
He ponders this for a moment. No, that isn't the right word…
He looks up to see Molly's house less than 100 feet away, with Molly herself standing out on her front porch, waiting for her escorts.
"Molly! Hey Molly!" Chloe calls. "Over here!"
In his mind, time slows down for a moment, only a moment, as Molly turns around and grins at them. A small blip in his timeframe, and he quickly shakes it off in confusion. What the actual fuck? He wonders. What was THAT all about?!
Molly smiles as they approach. "Hey Chloe! Hey Red! Glad you could finally make it." Her outfit consists of a brown tunic with jeans, and a white muffler round her neck. The ensemble, though simple, has a very flattering effect. Or at least Owen thinks so.
Honestly though, she looks great in anything.
Chloe straightens up and says "Well, we woulda got here sooner, but Mr. Slowpoke took FOREVER to get ready!"
Owen grins, "Hey, what can I say? I gotta be ready for the paparazzi."
Molly laughs. "Well you won't have to worry: blacksmiths aren't in."
"Wait what?" Owen replies, feigning sadness as his hand goes to his heart.
"You heard me, Red," Molly smiles as she leans closer to his ear. "It's all about the lumberjacks!"
"NOOOOO not the lumberjacks! We better warn Luke!"
The three laugh heartily before continuing on to the festival, chatting merrily along the way.
The festival is in full swing by the time they arrive. Blankets sheet the grass, which are in turn covered by adults chatting and laughing. Children run about playing with sparklers and starting pick-up games of tag and hide and seek. A potluck scent of food permeates the air, as each family has brought their own food for their picnic. It smells of warmth, grass, and autumnal leaves.
The trio find a comfortable spot of grass and begin their meal, highly complemented by both Owen and Molly, leaving Chloe blushing with delight. After they finish, Chloe is swept up by a her friends and they run off to play their hearts out, leaving Molly and Owen to clean up.
Owen smiles after his younger cousin, watching her play and have fun and be carefree. It just makes him happy.
"You must really love Chloe," Molly states. Owen turns to look at her, only to see she's watching Chloe too. "I mean I completely understand why."
He redirects his gaze back to Chloe as Molly continues. "She's sweet, independent, and absolutely adorable."
"Yeah," he laughs. "She really is. She's more like a sister than anything. She's annoying sometimes, but I love her to death. And she's just so carefree." He sighs. "It reminds me of when I was younger."
He looks over at Molly to find her watching him intently, a small grin turning the corners of her lips. "Do you have any siblings?" he asks.
"Oh!" she says, almost startled. Her eyes turn towards the sky, her smile falters, but remains in place. "Yeah, I do. An older brother, Zacharias."
"Cool. What's he like?"
"Well," she begins, "he was sweet. Generous. Always put others before himself. Well, at least ME anyway." She looks down and begins to play with a hole in the blanket. The moonlight, though bright, does nothing to help him discern her emotion, but Owen can sense her sadness.
"Wha… Where is he now?" he cautiously asks.
"He's dead."
She answers quickly, harshly. As if she were cutting the question with her own words, cutting it off like a drop-gate. Owen feels this change in the air, and hates himself for not thinking before speaking.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Molly. I had no idea," he splutters out, thoroughly embarrassed by his own ignorance. She was obviously upset! Why did I have to go and make it worse?!
She sighs, half in relief, half in surrender. "It's fine, really. I've come to terms with it." She flops down on the blanket and heaves a deep sigh. "Enough with the heavy talk!" she smiles. "It's a beautiful night!"
Owen grins. "It really is, huh? The moon is so bright, it might as well be the sun." No exaggeration. The entirety of Flute Fields bathing in the white light of the moon is breathtaking. Something to be experienced. He thinks to himself.
"In the city, we never had such a clear view." Owen turns to Molly as she speaks, watching the auburn-haired girl search the sky. "The light pollution always ruined star gazing, and we could only see a small, sad excuse of a moon."
"That sounds so… sad." He lays down onto his back next to her, watching the stars twinkle and fireflies blip.
"It really was. Which is one reason why I'm glad I moved here," she chuckles.
Turning over, Owen sees the pale girl still basking at the sky, only this time he notices that the way the moonlight hits her hair almost gives her a halo. He's not sure why he notices this; he just does. And feels and undesirable urge to blurt:
"What are the other reasons you're glad you moved here?"
Molly is obviously stunned by the question. Her eyes widen, but they never leave the sky. A crimson blush creeps up Owen's neck, confusing him, but he also desperately hopes she won't see it. Her shock turns to a smile in a matter of milliseconds.
"Let me see… Why am I glad I moved here…" she ponders. "Well, definitely the food."
Owen laughs, releasing the tidal wave of nerves into the outward happy expression. "That's COMPLETELY understandable. Those city folk can't make it like we do."
Molly chuckles. "What else? Oh, meeting everyone. Anissa, Renee, Chloe, you…"
Owen felt a warmth spread through him. The simple thought of knowing that he made her happy to be around is a nice sentiment, and really makes him realize how good of friends they are. But something is off. Something that bothers him.
"You didn't mention Gill," he states. "How's that going?"
Molly props herself up on an elbow, and kind of looks in Owen's general direction. "It's been fine, you know. Just… being Gill…" she sighs. "Who am I kidding? He's been really off these past few weeks."
"Off…?" Owen can't even imagine a day when Gill was NORMAL, but now he's acting off?
"Yeah. He is more distant, more matter-of-fact and rule-oriented. He's a bigger ass than I remember him being. He actually used to…care. But now he's off on business trips and busy and I'm happy for him but…" she trails off. "I miss the little things, you know? Like him not being gone all the time."
The godling sighs. She still loves him.
"But hey," she turns to him smiling, "you're still here to keep me company, right?"
Owen began to feel this desire to let her know. To let her know he is a god. To tell her the truth, because with all of these ifs in her life, she deserves to know.
She deserves to know.
He clears his throat.
"Molly. I-"
"A shooting star!" she blurts, jumping up into a sitting position, pointing at the sky. Owen looks up just in time to see a fading tail of the star, and Molly again exclaims:
"Quick Owen, make a wish!"
He wishes the first thing that came to mind, something very personal. He looks at Molly, her eyes sparkling with joy. Her happy, blissful ignorance, even just for a moment.
She doesn't need this burden.
The rest of the evening, Owen and Molly converse about the origin of shooting stars, compare stories, and debate the beginning of the universe, neither taking a side, but more bouncing off of each other. 1 am arrives, and Owen enters the blacksmith shop carrying a sleeping Chloe. He lays her onto her bed and kisses her forehead, watching her frame rise and fall with each breath. He undresses and lays down in bed for a while, thinking about Molly. About her dead brother. About Gill. He feels warm and fuzzy, from the simple good time with his close friend. Something he missed since she started dating the prick.
It doesn't take long before he drifts off to sleep.
Owen wakes up to a thunderous banging on his door.
Who the hell would be up this early on a Sunday…? He wonders.
He drags himself to the door as the barrage of bangs continues. He slings the door open to find Molly standing there, fist raised, ready to knock again. Her breathing is heavy and her eyes are wide. Terrified almost.
"Molly," Owen says worriedly. "Molly, what's wrong?"
"The-The bell," she whispers. "The Earth Bell-"
"The Earth Bell what?"
"It's been stolen!"
Soooooooo long time no see. :3 Sorry guys, I haven't played this game in SO LONG so I kinda lost interest for almost 2 years (right?), but I'm going to try (emphasis on TRY) to finish this. I'm barely halfway there, but hopefully, we can finish this up since so many people have begun following it again recently. No promises, but I will try! I've missed you, lovelies!- Beetle