Don't hate me for this.
The morning started out as it had the last couple days, in complete disappointment. Like a child on Christmas morning Rio had scrambled to the window and threw open the curtains. Mockingly dazzling sunlight trickled in. It appeared that, once again, no miracle rain had fallen overnight dampening the dry earth. She abruptly shut them and prepared herself for another long grueling day.
If possible, it was hotter outside than it had been the day before. Heat radiated off the rock exposed from the animal's most trod-on areas and when she opened the wide barn doors, the animals looked at her as if she was nuts. Again, they would not be going outside.
She provided her wilting plants with as much water as she could afford and with a heavy heart, poked up at the underbelly of a leaf, finding it lacking the turgidity to keep it from sagging like a piece of cloth on either side of where she propped it up.
She stood back up and tore off the scarf around her neck in frustration. Nothing was going right at the moment, this was not how her first year into the working world should be going.
Rio Gold's crops did not wilt. Rio Gold worked harder than anyone and for the first time in her life, the work was showing no pay-off.
She couldn't bear to look another second at the gardens behind her that against all rationality, she couldn't help but look at as her own failure. Instead she shoved her watering can back in her backpack, chucked it into the entrance of the front door and marched to Clement's where, as with every other lunch break, a red head and blacksmith were surely waiting.
She slogged in and sat at the table in the corner, no longer bothering to make excuses for her increasingly tardy arrivals. They already knew why by now. She ordered her lunch, the cheapest option on the menu and Iroha glanced at her in worry. "You've been ordering the Tomato Risotto a lot recently."
"I have to be economical." The farmer replied simply, "Believe me, I'm sick of it but if I can't get a good harvest this season, I need to save every penny I can get."
"It's also the least healthy option on the menu." Iroha pointed out, "and with all this extra work you're doing to maintain your crops and make money you need all the stamina you can get. You've been losing a lot of weight recently, you look tired."
"You know I can always treat you Rio, my salon is doing fabulously, it's the least I can do." Allen said haughtily.
The food arrived at the perfect time, in time for Rio to gaze upon the plate she had been eating all summer and she almost took him up on his offer. Just the sight of the dish was starting to make her gag a little. Instead she shook her head, "No, I couldn't ask you to do that." She had always been and will always be one hundred percent self-reliant. She never made trouble for others.
"What have you been eating for dinner?" Asked the blacksmith.
Mint and Mushrooms.
"Edible things." Rio replied stiffly.
Iroha and Allen exchanged a look, but didn't comment further when the front door chimed and Rod came bounding in, zoning in on the three immediately like a dog spotting his friends at the park. He sped over, "Hey guys! How are you doing?"
Neil dragged himself in and over a second later, like the tired owner or worn-out parent of an overactive child.
He nodded at them all begrudgingly.
"It's still too hot!" Allen complained dramatically throwing back his head in response to his best friend's previous question.
The two took a seat as Iroha just shook her head slightly. Ordinarily she might have quipped to the stylist with a complete and utter lack of sympathy that at least he worked in air conditioning. However, with Rod around, her dry retorts were rendered mute.
"At least you get to work inside, the rest of us are suffering." Rod said seemingly echoing Iroha's sentiments. She hid her smile.
Rio frowned. She didn't like this submissive version of her friend who couldn't say the things she wanted- but even more so, she was never going to get noticed by Rod at this rate.
"Neil and I are out in those stalls all day!" He said, draping an arm around the blond beside him. Neil cringed and quickly shrugged the limb off as if it were poisonous.
Rod pretended to be offended, "Why won't you ever let me bromance on you? It's just my way of showing my love, yet you always push me away."
Neil sighed and muttered down at the table, "I'm not into the touchy touchy stuff."
They were interrupted again as Felicity came again to take the newcomer's orders. Allen beckoned the waitress over and whispered to her conspiratorially. She grinned at him while he winked before nodding once and prancing back off to the kitchen. Rio didn't have much time to consider that strange exchange since, as soon as she left, Allen picked the line of conversation back up.
"I may not be out in the heat, but do you have any idea what this hot, dryness is doing to people's hair? Goddess you're all hideous! I have to soil my eyes looking at you!" Allen exclaimed.
Rio unconsciously ran her fingers through her hair. It felt rough and frizzy… he wasn't wrong she guessed.
The two friends continued to prod at each other with cutting but friendly comments and the food and drink for the two animal workers soon arrived.
A huge hunk of chocolate cake was also plunked in front of the farmer. She gulped.
"I uh… I didn't order this." She struggled to admit, unable to pry her eyes from the delicious and moist slice in front of her.
"A lovely gentleman, bought it for you." Felicity winked.
Rio turned to Allen in dismay, "I told you I couldn't possibly-"
"When was the last time you had anything sweet?" He asked slyly, "That intense sweet tooth of yours… it must be practically driving you insane with desire."
She gulped a second time.
"Just look at it isn't it a fine specimen? I particularly like the way Clement drenches in in caramel drizzle." He looked to Iroha.
"I am not particularly for or against cakes but I do have to admit it looks enticing." Iroha played along, "It looks like the kind the tingles in your mouth with sugary goodness. A sweet symphony of flavour."
Neil looked a little green.
"Stop it guys." Rod whined with puppy dog eyes, clearly not understanding the objective, "You're talking weird and making me really want cake."
"Then eat cake." Allen snapped sidelong to him, "Hate to break it to you princess but you've already lost you dainty girlish figure." With that he returned his focus to Rio
She shuddered once before bowing her head in defeat. "I concede." She said shamefully, "Thanks a lot Allen…"
She took a bite and teared up on the spot, the cake all it was built up to be and more.
She had lost herself until an amused voice said, "I guess it's to your liking?"
Rio glanced up at Allen tearfully nodding her head.
She excused herself to pull herself back together with a short visit to the washroom but as she stood there was another chime as the door again opened.
Allen paused for a heartbeat before, like lightning, in an instant too fast for anyone to process, grabbed Rio by her wrist and pulled.
A lot happened to the farmer in that instant. She remembered a hand closing around her wrist, the feeling of air as she was whizzed around, then the lips of a man with distinctively red hair were on hers moving quickly and urgently with a suspicious amount of skill. All jaws in the restaurant dropped.
In stories, they say that a kiss is something magical. Strong enough to break spells and lift curses, Tender or compassionate enough to make one's mind melt until they lose track of their senses. It was then that Rio realized with some disappointment, that is all a lie. WhatWhatWhatWhat? Repeated through her head as she tried to understand what exactly led up to her standing right there with her lips locked with the town stylist.
She stepped back in alarm but he covered her hesitance up, stepping forward in time with her and dipping her from her waist, one hand coming up to cradle and hold her head in place so she could not escape. The other trailed down her back which arched in objection to shy from the daring hand. Though it could have just as easily been interpreted as a positive response. She gasped and he took this opportunity to deepen the kiss further. At this point, not even Rio could resist for long, the stylist tended to have that effect.
Camellia quickly covered her daughter's eyes.
Finally he parted from her, still holding her to him seductively and licked his upper lip before glancing over as if noticing someone for the first time. A woman no one had ever seen before had watched this all transpire furiously. The farmer was all but unconscious in his arms. "Giselle." He commented pulling the limp Rio even closer, "What a surprise meeting you here."
The woman named Giselle swished her long shining magazine-like locks, "Allen, darling. You aren't an easy one to find."
He shrugged with a slight smile, closing his eyes sympathetically, "It's a shame though- as you can see I've already found my flame." Rio snapped out of her trance and blushed. "My nymph." He grinned staring deeply into his 'lover's' eyes.
"Her?" The woman scoffed, "Like I'll believe that. Isn't she a little green for a man of your expertise? You barely kissed her and she's scared stiff." The onlookers paled at the thought of Allen's 'casual kiss'.
"Believe what you want." He said putting a hand to his hip, releasing his support on the blonde.
"Even if you are together, I doubt it'll be long, you've never held onto a woman longer than a week. I can wait." She mirrored his pose.
Rio stumbled around aimlessly and he pulled her back over, "I'm not so sure about that this time," He looked at the farmer through half lidded eyes, "I think I've finally found my Cinderella, hmm princess?"
Rio nodded robotically, despite her best intentions her efforts were clearly not enough and the woman laughed again, "Allen let the poor kid go, she looks about ready to implode!"
He finally gave in and let the farmer go, she swayed back and forth and then stumbled wispily to the nearest seat a little too pale and ghost like. Most of the table was still held in a state of suspended animation after the initial shock.
Neil stirred a spoon calmly in his coffee, he would almost pull off acting natural if he wasn't known for drinking his coffee black- he had nothing to stir. Feeling she needed to say something she found her voice hiding at the back of her throat and whispered, "I didn't… I didn't even know the human tongue could do that." There was a quick scrape as the spoon scratched the bottom of the cup. The only response anyone gave to that statement.
In the meantime, Allen and Giselle completed their little stare-off. "Well, I do love a good hunt." She finally said, batting her long lashes once dangerously, "I wasn't expecting to have to put up such a chase- it's not like you to play hard to get, but I'm excited, even if you're you, I'm me and NO ONE can resist me long."
With that she left, swaying her hips under her fitted skirt as she walked out the door.
The table was completely silent. Allen tilted her head cockily, "Those city women never could keep their hands off me." He smirked, coming to stand behind the dealer and Rio, a hand on either of their chairs. To be honest, he was quite enjoying being a spectacle.
Rio just tried to shake it all off, too out of it to notice the dynamics of the table. She lifted her fork with a shaking hand and tried to take another bite off her cake but Allen wasn't going to let this opportunity to tease her with his sick sense of humour go waste. He quickly redirected her fork-full into his own mouth. She blinked in surprise and he smiled, "Sorry but I got a taste of it a little earlier and simply had to try more." He purred.
The dishes and cutlery clanked and the table shook violently as Neil suddenly rose bringing Allen down to eye level by snatching at his collar, "F*** off." He growled darkly with enough barely contained fury to break the author's no swearing rule.
"Neil." Rio said in shock, "It's ok, I'm ok with it you don't have to get mad."
Allen to his credit didn't really look put off "Scary." He joked, Neil's murderous expression didn't falter. "How long are you going to hold me here? You're not that bad to look at but I'm sorry I don't swing that way."
The animal trader finally let him go with disgust. He tugged at Rio, forcing her up. "Let's go." He said.
She sighed, it seemed no one was going to let her finish her cake. "Go?" She asked.
"To get you a couple tubes of toothpaste and a bar of soap to wash out his filth." He said lowly and pulled her out of the restaurant.
Allen sat back down in self-satisfaction, "I wasn't expecting that response." He announced. Then ribbing Iroha, "I told you I was popular with the ladies."
Silence drew on.
Iroha, shook her head before praying silently in her mother tongue for the Harvest Goddess to forgive her for allowing her eyes to be tainted by this strange brazen culture.
"Neil, stop! Stop!" Rio said as he pulled her along by the wrist.
In annoyance he abruptly let go, parking his hands in his pockets. He sighed.
"Well… crazy that someone stalked Allen this far huh? I always thought he was exaggerating his popularity." She said with a shaky cheeriness.
He gave her an angry look, "You're not at all mad he did that to you?"
She looked down in embarrassment, scratching her nose. "Ah, that… Well, it's all been done with now. Not much I can do about it." She laughed, "Plus for whatever reason, you seem mad enough for me."
He scowled, "I just think he was in the wrong for using you like that. He just grabbed you and then tossed you aside like an item."
"Truthfully…" Rio frowned, "I wish it didn't happen. After going this long without… I can't believe that had to be my first… that."
"Kiss?" He asked with some surprise.
Rio nodded with some shame.
His eye twitched, "Want me to go back and kill him?"
"Nah you don't have to do that."
"True." He agreed. "Can I go back and kill him?"
Rio laughed and his lip twitched upwards.
"My gallant knight." She joked.
"Laugh it up." He sighed. "I'm only doing it 'cause smug pieces of sh-"
She covered his mouth and he bat it away.
"-like him piss me off." He finished.
"Forget the soap for me, you need it more. Who knew you were such a potty-mouth?" Rio continued to laugh and then her expression fell.
"What's wrong?" He asked catching the shift.
"I can't believe you tore me from my cake." She whispered.
"I can't believe you can eat that." He responded.
"I wonder if I go back will it still be there?" She asked wistfully.
"Don't" He said.
"But-"
He rummaged in his coat pocket and pulled out a couple coins. "Buy yourself one another time."
"Not, 'I'll buy you one sometime?" She asked.
"This is the same thing." He said.
"It's really not."
"I don't want to have to see that monstrosity ever again."
"You really don't like cake?" She asked in wonder.
"What would be your first clue?" He asked in sarcastic response.
"You're crazy." She said.
"You're crazy, he responded.
She creased her brow, she was a little new to this, but were they flirting? It seemed a little like they were flirting.
She took a sideways glance at the animal dealer, attempting to read his intentions but his focus was now trained elsewhere.
The woman named Giselle was walking carefully on the dirt walkway a ways away, navigating around the rocky patches that would be difficult with her highheels. She looked nothing short of disgusted by the utter ruralness of her surroundings.
"I kind of forgot about her what with everything else." He commented.
"She looks like she's gonna be... uh-" She had no nice way to put it.
"Troublesome." Neil finished for her bluntly.
Well. Huh. Allen. Don't worry readers, Allen isn't into her that way, he just needed a body and she was there.
I kind of missed reader responses so as promised, they're back! I'm only going as far back as last month but if you left a comment before that, I still want you to know I'm super grateful, at some point or another you all made my day!
CrimsonCrush- We've been PMing a lot so I've probably responded in some way or another already but, just to be official and to not leave out one of my most loyal readers: Thanks! Yeah the hyperventilation thing- it's a horrible idea to breath deeply seeing as hyperventilation is exactly what it's name implies. Though Rio was breathing through her diaphram which should restrict the inhalation, I don't know, I wikihow'd it. LOL.
CheetosPotato- Haha yeah, a bear would not have gone over as cleanly as in the last story. Thank you so much as always for your kind reviews! ~(Imagine a string of heart emoticons here) And yeah, Chelsea's kinda crazy in the most silly, borderline sociopathic way, but who doesn't love the nutties?
Psycho Kay- Believe me I'm glad their relationship is going somewhere too cause I'm DYING to write more fluff in but Neil was so horribly stubborn to be a complete jerk up to this point. Haha Chelsea... The decision to write her that way came last minute but I'm so pleased with her character I feel she's gonna have to appear again. Though of course since not everybody reading has played island of happiness or sunshine islands, I can't go too much into her as that might be a bore for them. A spin off could be fun but I probably won't.
xLadyxChoasx- Well I've seen a lot of you around recently. lol. Thanks for reading my stories! ~~ Wuv you back ;)
Mokki-chan- but then... how did it send 0_o I'm scared. Anyway, all you people changing your names and confusing me! Hope your new job went well and thanks so much for reading and taking the time to review
Guest- Ah Pewdiepie, don't shoot me but I ain't a huge fan of him. Though I don't dislike him either, I just like Cry better. Thanks!