Sorry for the wait, but, y'know... I think you guys won't mind so much this time. LONG CHAPTER IS LONG.

You are cordially invited to a singles' celebration!

Please drop by the Sundae Inn for a couple of drinks on the evening of the 9th. The host, Julius, will be awaiting your presence. Come prepared to discuss such issues as:

- Why you're single: how to understand that love hates you.

- Why no one will ever love you: how to become a self-important narcissist.

- Why love hurts: how to use physical/emotional abuse to get what you want.

Drunken karaoke may ensue. Please be advised to know cheesy, horrible, or the conglomeration of both, songs so your talent (or lack thereof) will be on display for people to see. No needs for an RSVP, since, let's face it, you're single; what else are you going to be doing?

Akari growled and crumpled the invitation in her hands.

This was one of those times where Akari was on the fence about her relationship with the estrogen-charged man. She didn't mind his arrogance, or his insults, but she did hate how he mocked her. Sure, Akari was one to mock back, but Julius was always mischievous rather than blunt like her. Sending invitations were just one of the many ways he always annoyed her.

And she was the only one.

She was always the only one to whom Julius would send these little slips of off-white paper.

It's not like she didn't enjoy the transvestite's attention, but rather, she preferred if he bogged someone else down with his pretentiousness. Or, at the very least, he should invite other people into his web so she wouldn't be the only person to be caught.

The farmer had received the letter in her shoddily-built mailbox that morning; it was sealed with maroon wax that had been pressed down by something which formed an elegant design on the top. Bits of gold leaf seemed to float, magically still, on the letter. When Akari broke the seal and opened the letter she skimmed over the black-inked cursive which looped gracefully upon the page; the farmer had sighed and stuffed the letter in her pocket and went about her menial chores of the day.

But in the evening, Akari sat at her dining table, starring down in her hands at the letter that she had just crumpled up with great fervour. She attempted to throw the balled up paper into a nearby trashcan, but it ended up bouncing off the rim and rolled itself onto the floor in front of her, mocking her. She groaned. Placing her hands heavily on the table in front of her, she attempted to remove herself from the chair – to little success. The day had taken its toll on the young woman and all she wanted to do was lie in bed and sleep.

Knock knock knock.

Akari stared, unimpressed, at the door. Deciding against her best judgement, she remained seated, groaning quietly to herself.

Knock knock knock knock.

She glared at the door this time and lazily moved her body away from the offending sounds. Closing her eyes, she knit her brow and attempted to lull herself into a state of light sleep.

Knock knock knock.

It persisted.

Akari was more than a little peeved; she was trying to wallow in her own self-anguish and some uncouth idiot was attempting to steal her attention away. She wasn't in the mood to listen to anymore knocking, lest she wanted to go into an arbitrary rant to herself about the foul noise. Kicking herself out of her chair, she traipsed to the door and lethargically opened the wooden barrier.

"Why hello there, Aki, fancy meeting you here, huh?"

Blink.

"Well, let's go. We have to drink our sorrow away!"

"The only sorrow I have right now is that I became friends with an idiot like you, Juli."

"I'm flattered!" Julius fluttered about, grabbing Akari by the wrist and pulling her happily down to the bar. The farmer spluttered a vast amount of swear words in his wake.

Several obscenities and giggle fits later, the pair stood at the front of the bar. The night air was chilling their insides; Akari's teeth chattered in the darkness. The lamplight glowed over their heads and cast ghostly shadows onto the floor. Akari assumed that was her soul's way of escaping the hell Julius probably had in store for her. But the young farmer relented, allowing her to get whisked, yet again, away by the man.

Opening the doors, the two were greeted with a rush of hot air. The warmth of the bar invited them in, wrapping itself around them and pulled them closer to its heart until they were sitting at a table, basking in the feel of the place.

Kathy noticed the newcomers and made her way over to the pair, "Howdy. What'll ya have?"

Akari's mind was somewhere else. She was feeling too relieved to be out of the cold to answer and anything that came out of her mouth morphed into a soft sigh. Julius, preoccupied with talking to Kathy about their favourite flavours of drinks, didn't notice a bobby-pin-clad young man make his way over to their table.

Chase smirked at the farmer who was still revelling in the warmth, so much so that she was oblivious to her surroundings. He grabbed a menu from underneath his arm and swat at the girl in the face. Flustered by the sudden contact she gesticulated wildly before resting her eyes on the chef.

"Sorry. There was something on your face."

"Yeah, it's called a nose."

Kathy had reappeared with drinks for Julius and Akari. The farmer shook her head, trying to remember when Kathy had left. Or, better yet, how had she known what she wanted to drink. Looking up at the face of the man across from her, his eyeliner-enriched eye winked at the young girl as he took a sip.

Her hair was ruffled and laid sprawled out on her head – the aftermath of Chase patting her hair before he turned to leave. Fixing it, briefly, she focused her attention onto her drink.

Akari was bad with alcohol.

Scratch that, Akari was really bad with alcohol.

She could sip it, but she knew that wasn't in the night's plan. This night was a night for drinking and 'forgetting her sorrows,' as Julius had said. The farmer grumbled and lifted the drink to her mouth. The smell made her nose cringe and, as the liquid slid down her throat, she frowned.

A gulp down.

Another gulp down.

She was feeling slightly light-headed.

Smiling, half-heartedly, at the boy in front of her, she finished off her drink. Julius beamed content that Akari was at least going along with his plan. He lifted a hand up, calling Kathy for another round of drinks in order to drag Akari through the harsh waters of intoxication again.

"Juli, I'm fine," the farmer mewed out.

"Didn't I tell you to drink until your troubles are gone? That also means until you can't speak, Aki."

"Why? I don't see the point," Akari drawled out, batting the air weakly. Noticing how pathetic and ungraceful her gesture was, she started laughing. Kathy placed a drink in front of the rancher and bounced away again.

Akari giggled, looking down at her drink, "Why's it pink? Pink's a stupid color for a pink – I mean drink. It's like I'm drinking diluted blood. Am I a vampire?"

"Possibly."

"I don't want to be a vampire."

"Well, too bad. It's either that or a zombie."

"Neither. I am a ghost."

"Touché."

"Touch."

"Touch?"

"Yes."

Julius stared at the young girl, wondering if getting Akari to drink was for the best. He sat, occasionally sipping his cosmopolitan, and stared at the farmer who was attempting to make animals with her hands. The two made incoherent conversation for a while, babbling on about whatever topic the drunken farmer had decided to propose. When her drink was finished she looked glumly down to the table.

Her body was hot – matching the burning sensation on her throat. The air was dry; the regulars at the bar were chatting loudly and the music in the background was buzzing around their heads. Akari started to shift in her chair under the dim yellow lights, garnering a look from the jewellery maker.

"I'm chair dancing. Join me!" Akari laughed, moving her body more erratically.

"I don't think I'm as good as you, dear."

"Pffft," she sniggered out, moving her chair close to Julius and grabbing his hands, "You just need to feel the beat. And the rhythm. And just dance."

Julius fumbled, making faces at the farmer as she returned them and continued joyfully laughing, singing slurred lyrics. Song transitioned into song and the woman hadn't relented. Continuing her chair dancing, the boy took her drink and noticed the contents were empty.

Cocking his head to the side, he wondered how long her excited demeanour would last without any more sustenance. He had never seen the young woman drunk, or buzzed, and would admit that it was a bit disturbing; seeing her so happy and carefree was a definite change from her indifference or her cynicism.

"Aki, darling, perhaps we should head home. You'll be too tired to work if you stay up late."

"No," she drawled out the vowel sound as long as she could in a childish manner, "I'ma gonna get an-ana-ana-o-ah-th-er drink. Hehehe."

The girl hopped out of her chair and clumsily made her way to the bar counter. Propping herself up on a stool, she waved to Hayden for a cocktail and hummed delightedly to herself. The muscular man smiled warmly at the girl, passing her a drink.

Akari started stroking the bar's counter, as her hands made her way to the shaft of her glass. Picking the drink up as delicate as an alcoholic could, spilling some of its contents onto her lap and the wooden shelf her coaster was on, she begun serving it into her mouth.

An arm grazed her side. She looked down to where her body had started to tingle from contact. Looking perplexedly at the spot, she couldn't see anything that would cause her the sensation, so she shifted her attention back to her drink.

"Hey, beautiful," a husky voice bellowed on her opposite side. A faint smell of the earth laced itself with the vodka on the apprentice's breath.

"Hi!" Akari boosted exuberantly, staring face-to-face with the muscular miner of the island, "I'm sorry. I'm far too drunk to argue that I'm actually ugly. Maybe next time?"

"Heh. I hear ya. Should we schedule something, then? We can make time for each other, right?" Owen questioned red-face from the alcohol. Appearing sluggish in comparison to his natural dirty-but-up kept look, he slung a robust arm around Akari's neck.

"Uhm," Akari buzzed out, feeling awkward under the weight that covered her and from the awkward proposal from the man. She was at a loss for words and attempted to struggle a response out, but to no avail.

"Maybe I should take the lead in this, huh?" Owen chuckled lightly, exhaling a whisky-laden breath into the farmer's visage as his lips made their way up to her ear. He was about to whisper something before a sardonic voice spoke up on the opposite side of Akari.

"You should let go of her; she's not about to make good decisions. You shouldn't be hitting on drunken girls, anyway. Do you have any pride in yourself as a man?"

"Huh? What does it matter to you? You ain't her boyfriend," Owen slurred out, his arm still hanging haphazardly over Akari's shoulder, and sneered at the chef in victory. His smile vanished when Chase beamed back a bright and refreshing smile that he often used on customers. The chef's voice took on a saccharine pitch.

"I don't think she approves of drunkards hitting on her with ill intentions. Please sober up and try again."

Owen scoffed, rolling his eyes and childishly argued, "I can hit on her when I wan'."

"When you're in the proper state-of-mind, fine. But not when you're looking at her like that."

"Answer my question."

"What question?" Chase asked, his grin didn't falter as he innocently tilted his head to the side and clasped his hands together behind him. His sunny disposition still held up as Owen's annoyance to the fair-haired man increased.

"Just do it. Where the fuck is your misguided smartass answer for that one?"

"To which one? I don't even remember any twos and threes and halves. Maybe birds and bees."

"Can't answer? Heh, guess I own you," the apprentice laughed bitterly, his arm dropping to the dazed farmer's waist, causing Chase's smile to twitch slightly. Owen noticed the strawberry blond man in front of him falter. Chuckling lightly, Owen waited for the chef's rebuttal.

"Seeing as how you haven't paid for your drinks, I can take your body as collateral. I guess I own you, then, huh?"

"Pfft, wrong 'own.' And Chase, the only thing you own is a lifetime of seeking approval through being an asshole."

"Seeing as how I have fans as dedicated as you, I guess I got said approval in spades."

"I'll go out on a limb," Owen started up, attempting to sober himself as he carefully picked his words and slowly started speaking, "And guess that your asshole personality came about because you're attempting to justify all the women you were in relationships with kicking you out on your ass."

"You mean, kicking my head out of my ass? Yes, that's what I treasure in women. Some people go: I want my significant other to treat me like a fucking ancient relic statue, like gold, you name it. I like women who can challenge me, help me to keep my feet on the ground, and kick my mind wide open."

"Hah! You're just saying stuff. You're grabbin' at straws now."

"In that case, why don't you try and drown me?" Chase questioned, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You're drowning yourself."

"The only thing I'm doing right now is proving that you're the most unbelievable drunken asshat to ever hit this bar. Not that there's any proof needed, but some people might need me to attract attention to this horrible and hilarious fact," at this, the chef's smile faded and a bitter scowl was carved in its place. He walked protectively closer to the tipsy farmer who seemed oblivious to the scene being played out in front of her. Akari giggled and sipped her cocktail, kicking her feet underneath herself like a little kid on a chair that's too high.

"You think you know me?"

"I know that you're a drunken asshat."

Owen growled, his face getting redder from anger, "You know what? I'm an asshat now just to piss you off."

"That is correct – except it's not just now. You are, always were, and always will be the stupidest asshat this bar has had the misfortune of seeing."

"Whatever, Chase, your respect is worth fuck all and shit nothing."

"It makes sense when you say it, since you have none of my respect."

Owen scoffed, releasing himself from the rancher's waist, and posturing himself into a fighting stance, hands clenched in front of him. Chase remained calm and stared at the man for a while until the cook craned his head to a certain figure that was bobbing about the room.

"Oi, Kath', your boyfriend is drunk and attempting to pick-up this scrawny young boy," the patissier lamely stated, grabbing the farmer's arms and flapping them about, causing her to giggle at the sudden movement. The barmaid sighed heavily, trotting over to the muscular man and taking him by the ear to a table where she vehemently ranted at him.

Akari's smile brightened as she looked up at Chase who was still holding onto her arms as if they were loose threads. The scene has diluted but the young woman's drunken stupor raged on. Chase looked around for the multicoloured boy that the girl detached from her side; he noticed the bright boy sipping a cocktail, gleefully, watching the pair in bemused mirth. He popped up from his seat and made his way over to the two, hair and ruffles bending in his sway.

"My, my. Seems like underneath that brusque attitude you're actually a knight in slightly tarnished armour. Maybe you should polish your garb some more. Akari looks like she enjoys you like that," the jeweller pointed down to the farmer who was now clinging onto Chase's waist and nuzzled into his side. The chef's arms were crossed over his chest as he wore annoyed frown.

"She's drunk. She enjoys everything right now. Just look," he strained, looking down at the young girl attached to him, "Akari, you wanna go fight some lions?"

The farmer's face, red from the pressure and friction of rubbing it on Chase's side, shot up to lock her with the patissier's eyes. Grinning as if she had just received praise from the Buddha, she nodded enthusiastically and attempted to splutter out a positive response.

"See?"

Julius just chuckled and elegantly held a hand to his face in thought – or what Chase assumed, was mischief. The fashionably-inclined young man purred, "You're right. I guess she's a bit too drunk. Can you take her home, please? Don't worry, I'll chat with Hayden about your leaving early. He'll understand."

Chase quirked a brow, quizzically, before sighing, and haplessly agreed to take the young girl home. After watching Julius strut off to talk to Hayden, the strawberry blonde targeted his arms on the girl's wrist, attempting to pry off her death grip on his torso.

"The hell? You know, if farmer doesn't work out, you could always have a job as being the Jaws of Life. Damn, you're strong."

Akari giggled underneath him, loosening her grip in order to throw her arms straight up in the air. She looked at Chase, swaying her hands in order to garner his attention to them, and yelped lightly. The cook, amused and slightly perplexed by her actions, hesitated, and cautiously brought his arms up to his, clapping their palms together. The farmer grabbed his hands as they dropped their limbs to their sides.

"Okay, Akari. Time to get up. Off the stool, now," Chase instructed as if he were talking to a child. Akari followed his words and hopped off, stumbling a bit before Chase gripped her waist tightly. Her shirt had ridden up throughout the night, causing a sliver of flesh to peek through. The pale skin clashed harshly with the tan she had developed on her face, neck and arms from hours of labouring in the sun. The chef moved his hand around her body for better stability in holding the clumsy girl up; his finger slipped, unknowingly, into the sliver.

Baby steps, at first.

Short, small, baby steps were taken until they were out of the door and trotting the beaten path back to the farmer's house. Akari had fumbled numerous times throughout their walk, giggling to herself as Chase just prayed to every religious figurehead that she wasn't going to puke on him.

When they had finally reached her cottage, he stood her up beside him, pressing her body against his in case she fell. His hand caressed the doorknob as he gently opened the wooden board that separated them from the inside. An arm still placed protectively on her waist pushed the young girl inside. He struggled in getting the girl to move at the bar, but she when was finally in her own house and was released from his grip she bolted to the bathroom.

Chase fell back into a chair and waited for the young woman to come out. After a quick flush was heard, then the running of water, the farmer came out looking much more relieved than before.

"I peed up a storm."

"Classy."

More giggles erupted from the girl's mouth as the chef stood up, walking over to her. He spun her around, facing into the bathroom, and started to direct her into her previous location. His hands grasped her upper arms until they were both fully in the bathroom and staring into the mirror.

"Alright, we're going to do a sobriety test now: how many times do you have to attempt to put toothpaste on your brush before you need me to do it for you? There's a prize and a punishment to this test."

Akari glanced up at the man at the word 'punishment.' She reached for her toothbrush; her hand was shaking with nerves, thinking of what type of punishment the chef would have in store for her if she didn't win. Grabbing the toothpaste in her other hand, she took a final look at the reflection of the patissier before starting; "I'm ready."

First attempt.

Akari dropped the toothbrush; the toothbrush was wet. Akari dried the brush on her clothes and continued.

Second attempt.

Akari dropped the toothbrush; the toothbrush was still too wet. Akari dried the brush with some toilet paper and continued.

Third attempt.

The toothpaste fell on the counter; Akari squeezed the tube too hard. Akari decided to use less strength and continued.

Fourth attempt.

The toothpaste fell on the counter; Akari's hands were shaking too much. Akari decided to put the brush on the counter and continued.

Fifth attempt.

Akari finally managed to put the toothpaste on the brush. Thoroughly impressed with herself she brightly looked at Chase for approval. He nodded and explained that she gets the prize, and not the punishment. Akari exhaled, relieved that life was gracious, and asked what the prize was.

"You get to brush your teeth. Isn't that great? Gee whiz, wish I got a prize like that!"

Akari got an excitement high from Chase's faux praising of the joys of brushing one's teeth. Again, looking determined, she stared down at the brush and gave the young man a thumbs' up.

"Alright, I'll be out there," he said, pointing into the main part of the house, "Come out when you're done. Shout if you need me."

The chef walked out, closing the door behind him, and collapsed on the chair he was situated on earlier. He threw his head back, shutting his eyes and attempted to relax. Crossing his arms over his chest, he waited patiently for the door to open. He tapped his feet on the ground, frowning at how long it was taking the farmer to do such a miniscule task.

Chase started to take in his surroundings. The house had been upgraded since the last time he had seen it, and it was far roomier than before. She had replaced her old straw bed with a brand new double bed that barely looked used. He was used to seeing Akari's covers look slightly trampled, but the linens on them now were lush and streamline, as if she had just made her bed. He felt it strange, knowing how far Akari has changed her home and even how much she has changed the island.

He heard stories from the villagers that, before Akari's arrival, seemed too surreal to be true. The island was, apparently, a mess. Then Akari came along and suddenly everything seemed so much better; rainbows started sprouting everywhere, flowers bloomed brighter, the sky was more crisp and clear – he remembered the first time someone told him that; he asked if she had brought any unicorns with her, too.

But he couldn't deny her effect on people. Even with her indifference she became a valued part of the community. She touched people's soul. Not with her words, but with her driven spirit. She was unique. She worked for her goals. She was honest with herself and with everyone. She wouldn't accept other people's charity, but understood the strength that came in depending on others. There was a charisma about the girl that just drew people in.

And he wasn't sure if that charisma was dangerous. But he decided that, even without knowing if she'd hurt him or not, he wanted to trust her. He wanted to trust her because she opened up a new world for him – a world that not only seemed more forgiving, but also more caring.

The bathroom door creaked open; he was snapped out of his reverie.

Akari hopped over to Chase, still drunk. The smell of booze disappeared and was replaced with the overpowering scent of mint. The chef gave the girl a look-over and noticed the globs of toothpaste that littered her shirt. He sighed, figuring she must've tried repeatedly to brush her teeth, but failed multiple times in the process. Akari looked at him for instructions on what to do next. He sighed, passively and stood up.

"Just change into your night clothes and go to bed."

"I don't need pajamas."

"Yes, you do," he responded, lamely. Feeling like he was talking to a child who was about to throw a tantrum, he gave in and took the farmer by the hand. He walked her to the bed and started to speak, "If you really want to get toothpaste all over your nice, new covers, be my guest."

"I will!"

"Fine."

Akari smirked at him; an idea formed in her intoxicated mind. Throwing her arms around the boy, she pressed her body up against his, and swung him around. Chase, thrown off by the farmer's sudden movements, fell onto the bed with the chipper rancher on top of him. She squirmed above his body, pushing herself up until she was looking directly into his eyes. Her legs were place spread eagle over his hips and her hands laid flat on his chest. The chef's cheeks began to heat up as a rosy tint riddled his face. He quickly threw a hand up to shield his embarrassment, but after feeling that the action was useless he reluctantly took it down.

"Akari, you drank so much you can't feel your embarrassment right now."

"Chase, I drank so much I can't feel feelings right now."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better about your position on me?"

"This position isn't bad."

"It's provocative."

"Only if you think of it like that."

"Normal people would think of it like that."

"Pro-voc-a-tive, huh? Let's kiss, then."

Chase gulped, fighting back the blush that was threatening to appear. He had been in this situation with women before, but those incidences and those women always meant nothing. He could easily take control and cast them off whenever he felt like it. But he was just beginning to realize how much he respected Akari and how great of an impact on his life she truly has made. The troublesome emotions that Chase had been fighting back for years started creeping their way into his heart. As much as he tried to hide his disenchantment with his emotions, his actual enchantment with Akari had grown exponentially, though he would always deny it.

Taking his silence as a 'yes' she leaned forward.

"Akari... You're close," the chef coughed out, sending a panicked look to the farmer who was slowly closing the gap between the two. Chase was too shocked at the farmers' movements to push her off. He froze on the spot, still looking at Akari's eyes that were half-lidded in a drunken haze.

"Well, duh."

The gap disappeared. The kiss was chaste, sweet and almost wanting. She pressed her lips against his softly, as if gently floating in water, waiting for the wave to hit her and carry her away. But when Chase's lips still held strong in their unmovable position, Akari gave up drifting and plunged head first into the water, regardless of sharks. She became more forceful, daring him to move. Her hands clutched his clothes tightly, as if willing him to fight back.

Chase started to realize what was going on. His head was buzzing with too many thoughts and his emotions were making themselves present. His hands slowly found their way onto Akari, gently caressing up the farmers arms until stopping themselves on her shoulders. Grabbing them, he forced them away from his body, forcing away her lips, with it. His face, and lips, continued to stay statuesque as he bore into her eyes.

She looked at him questioningly, innocently.

"You can't. You don't actually want this. You're drunk and aren't able to make proper choices."

Akari gapped, seemingly about to say something when Chase cut her off before she started, shoving her face into his chest and explaining himself.

"Even if you do want this – even if I want this – I won't feel right winning you because of alcohol. I won't let you do something stupid that you may regret in the future just because another man fed you some drinks. I thought that if anything happened between us it would ruin our friendship. That it would ruin the world you opened up to me. I didn't want to lose that – or you, so I just kept up my attitude, thinking that just seeing you was enough. But I can't act back; I can't kiss back. Not until you clearly understand my feelings. I can't guarantee I'll be this confident with you from now on. But this made me realize all those feelings I've been denying. I'm sorry.

"Sorry for always being a jerk. For never being there when you needed someone. I'm sorry for antagonizing you all the time. I'm sorry for not being romantic. Or charming. I'm sorry that... I guess, someone like me, likes you. But I'll try to improve myself, if you'll let me. I'll win you over with my own merits – just like how you would."

Chase lifted his head from the mattress and stared at the girl on his chest whose breathing became soft and rhythmic. He stroked her hair out of impulse before trying to slip his body out from under her. When he finally squeaked out, he positioned her gently on the bed, gathering the covers from beneath her form and placing them on top of her.

"You're really the only woman that would fall asleep during a semi-confession of a man's yearning for you."

He looked to his chest, flushing all shades of crimson at the toothpaste that was smeared on his front. Knitting his brows upwards, he looked worryingly at the smudges and how he was going to get them out – or explain them if they couldn't come out.

"Good thing I wore an apron."

Remember in the old HM games when you drink alcohol? You just have one and you turn red and pass out? Yeah. I loved that.

In other news: I've been trying to coop myself up indoors because of the heat, lately. Honestly, warning to everyone who hasn't gone outside in these past months: do not go outside. There is a huge fire ball in the sky and it is melting fucking everything.

In other, other news: My university has been offered a challenge: beat the Spanish version of our school in a lipdub video that's better than theirs. I have no clue how this is going to work, but I'm stoked none the less.