Bit of a long one. So heads up.
"I really don't understand how my brother or, hell, anyone never told me about this place." Claire emphasized.
Her companion beside her rubbed his left temple. "Why are you repeating this so many times? Once was enough."
The farmer scowled at the young blacksmith beside her. The two of them had just arrived in Forget-Me-Not Valley by traversing the woods of Mineral Town and over Mother's Hill Summit. There was a path to this valley this whole time, and she never once noticed it or was told about it. And every time she had thought about this while they were making their way to the valley, she had gotten angrier and angrier. She couldn't understand why the blacksmith was not seeing it how she was.
"Claire, try to forget about it at least till the end of the day?" Gray pleaded, not knowing how the scowling farmer would react.
"Fine." She conceded, although deep down she knew he had a point.
Looking around her surroundings – like really looking – she noticed a few things. To their right was a small farm primarily of crops. The quaint looking greenhouses caught her attention, and she wondered what exactly were in them. Different types of crops? Perhaps some hybrids? If so, of what? She wondered whether if they would be willing to part with some knowledge so that she could improve things on her farm. She imagined that whoever ran that place knew what they were doing when it came to crops.
To her left was a quiet looking building, a bungalow to be specific. It gave the allure of a simple yet lonely existence. She had no idea why either till she briefly caught a glimpse of what she concluded was a tombstone nearby the bungalow. Whoever lived there, she sympathized with them.
Already I am feeling very mixed emotions. She thought to herself.
As the two visitors got closer to the bridge ahead of them, Claire glanced to her right again and noticed another path leading towards the distant waterfall. The blacksmith had explained on their journey to the valley, in between the farmer's complaints, that there was a dig site located near the waterfall and that it has been there for a number of years. The farmer wondered to herself what kind of findings one could possibility find then remembered what Sephia had told her. I wonder if they have found anything pertaining to the crash. The farmer thought to herself, but as soon as that thought appeared it disappeared.
"Gray, it is good to see you back in the valley." A tanned middle aged man greeted Gray and Claire as they crossed the bridge. He wore a white tank top with a towel around his neck along with some black work boots and a dark-washed jean. Claire also noticed a faint anchor tattoo on the stranger's left arm which gave her the impression that perhaps he had served in the navy. For some reason, she wondered if this man knew Zack but quickly dismissed that thought for its silliness.
"It's good to be back, sir, even for just a day." The blacksmith responded.
"Gray, you know you can call me Takakura." The black-haired man lightly chuckled.
"Yes, sir."
The stranger turned to Claire. First impression of him to her painted him as someone who seemed friendly, but one could not tell if one just based on looks. "Name's Takakura." He slightly bowed.
"Claire." The farmer responded. "It is a pleasure meeting you, Takakura." She smiled.
"I won't keep you two any longer. I'm sure you two planned a full day." Takakura waved to them as he shuffled over the bridge. "Have fun you two. And Gray since your last visit, Alex acquired more tools. Be prepared." With that, he continued his trek to the crop farm.
"Is that where we are going?" The blonde inquired as they continued their walk. "To Alex's?"
"No. Mornings are not a good time for that." He continued as they arrived in front of a building. "First stop is in here – the Inner Inn. Why do you think I said we were leaving no latter than 4:30 in the morning?" He gave a small smile.
"I just assumed you were crazy." The blacksmith somewhat glared at the farmer. "What? It's a legit assumption." The blonde-haired farmer surveyed her surroundings, wanting to avoid his glare. She quickly noticed the inn had a bit of a balcony. "Hey, look! They have balconies!" She exclaimed in the attempt to change the subject.
The blacksmith rolled his eyes. "Come on."
The immediate object Claire fixated on upon entering was what she called "the check-in stall." It was very simplistic looking with only a bell, a pen, and some ornaments. And wood – there was wood everywhere – from the floors to the walls to the stairs. That was one thing which Claire had noticed since she moved to the island. Everyone loved their wood. Nothing wrong with that... Her thoughts trailed off.
Before she was able to continue her examination of the room which she assumed was the lobby, a short roundular woman approached them. This black-haired woman wore a bright outfit with a floral apron, clashing with the what appeared to be patterned pinstripe skirt. A yellow top brought out the yellow in her floral apron topped with a simple beaded necklace, neutral in colour. Claire gathered from what she saw that this woman came from Asian decent. Briefly glancing at her surroundings, noting some Oriental decorations, confirmed this. "Gray! On time like always."
The blonde-haired farmer raised her eyebrows.
"I am Ruby." The woman smiled. "Now you kids run along into the kitchen over there to your right."
Naturally, the whole interaction confused Claire to the point where she forgot to introduce herself.
"Okay. Bit confused with a touch of freaked out." The farmer managed to say as the two of them sat down in front a table that had two interesting identical dishes. "And what is this?"
"The reason why we came so early. Ruby makes the best omelet rice, and any time I visit the valley, I make sure I stop by for some."
"Yes, Yes, and like always I expect you to eat as much as you can!" Ruby exclaimed joining the two in the kitchen. "You too, sweetie." The woman turned her remarks to Claire.
"I've never actually had this dish before." The blonde meekly responded. As she glanced around the kitchen, not knowing what to still think of everything. It was a basic kitchen – sink, stove, oven, and of course a fridge – but it gave her a market feeling. Perhaps it was how the long wooden table and chairs were arranged, with some barrels resting in a nearby corner. But it was an interesting layout to her. Did all visitors at the this inn eat in this place when they were staying for a night or two? If so, it was an interesting concept.
"Try a bite." The young blacksmith encouraged her.
As the farmer tried some off her plate staring at it before she took said bite, the woman added, "And don't worry if you don't like it. I can certainly make something more to your tastes."
"She will." Gray said matter-of-factly.
"But she doesn't." Claire said, putting her fork down. "Sorry, Ruby..."
"Don't worry about it, sweetie. Not everybody has this boy's taste." Ruby took Claire's plate. "I assume, Gray, you want hers?"
"Yes, ma'am." Gray eagerly replied then received Claire's share.
"Now what would you like instead, Claire?" The farmer was a bit taken back that this woman knew her name but figured that Gray must have told her it over the phone or something before they had arrived. It would explain why the food and Ruby's greeting were what they were. "I can whip up some pancakes, if you like, sweetie." The black-haired woman added.
"Pancakes would be great. But instead of syrup could I have peanut butter on the side?"
"Absolutely!" Ruby exclaimed as she shuffled her feet towards the stove.
"Peanut butter? You do have strange tastes." The young blacksmith managed to say after he nearly downed his first omelet rice.
"I like what I like, and I'm very secure in that." The farmer responded matter-of-factly.
After the two of them had their fill for breakfast, Ruby began to try to convince the duo to eat more to get as much energy as possible for the day. She started her convincing with Gray to which Claire saw the opportunity to slip out.
But as she did, looking back to make sure Ruby wasn't watching her leave, she bumped into a figure in the lobby. She apologized to the figure, now seeing what this figured looked like. She watched as he straightened his white vest then his medallion around his neck. "Apologizes are not necessary. It isn't often that one bumps into a pretty face." The blond-haired man nonchalantly said as he straightened his light blue long-sleeved blouse.
Claire blinked, not knowing how to respond. From this man's style which included white pants to his very blond hair – she was confused and distracted from the sight. The outfit and this strange man's overall style reminded her of Kat cause she knew her friend would cry from first laughter then sheer horror. That hair of his has gotta be bleached; that can't be his natural hair, save for the 90s look. But who was this very rambunctious looking man?
The man in front of her studied her more closely. She stuck her hands in her overall pockets. "Name's Rock." He continued. "But you can call me whatever you like." He flickered a smile.
Before the farmer could feel even more uncomfortable, she heard a familiar woman's voice, "How 'bout lazy ass?" Claire failed in trying to stifle her chuckles and noticed that her companion who came out with Ruby was doing the same.
"Mom..." Rock complained. "Why...?"
"You told this sweet girl she could call you anything, right? Why not lazy ass, huh? It is the most accurate phrase since you do nothing around the inn. All you do is sleep, eat, and do no work. I'm shocked that you are even up at this hour of the morning. Do you actually wanna help your mother with some chores? Cause I have plenty for you to do."
"Ma..."
"Seriously, Rock. What is your father and I suppose to do with you?-"
Gray sneaked around the ranting Asian woman and tapped Claire on the shoulder. She looked at him in relief if she were honest with herself; and before she knew it he had taken her hand leading her out of the inn, leaving the lecture that neither of them desired to hear more.
The two of them snickered as soon as they were a good distance from the inn. "That was unexpected." The blacksmith chuckled.
"Yeah..." The farmer trailed off. She quickly realized that the two of them were still holding hands. "Um, Gray?"
"Right." Gray quickly retracted his grip from her hand then pulled his hat down a bit.
"Yeah." The blonde tucked some of her hair behind her ear with the hand that was now free, a small blush creeping on her.
The two of them continued walking. They walked by the Blue Bar and three houses which Gray explained to Claire housed two different families and the valley's medical doctor. He also mentioned that if they had time he would introduce them to her, assuming these people were free.
They continued their trek uphill on some paved ground, leading up to a huge mansion. The farmer wondered to herself who would build such a marvellous architecture out in a place like this. It was as if someone had carved out a nook out of this hill big enough for a mansion to be built. From the open metal gate to the fountain in the middle of what Claire assumed to be the courtyard or some sort front yard, she noted as much details as she could. To the right of the mansion, she noticed a shed and wondered what it really was, considering there wasn't much floral plants around the place.
"Gray?" She finally spoke up. The two of them were in front of the door with Gray ready to knock. "Why are we here?"
"I always visit Romana when I come to the valley." He answered his inquisitive companion as he knocked on the door.
"Romana?" Her face scrunched up as she tried figuring out why the name was familiar to her.
"She's an elderly lady though don't tell her that." The young blacksmith smiled. "She has some pretty interesting stories that she sometimes tells. Some I do wonder if they are true." Gray paused then quickly continued. "That and Gramps made her a unique cane, and anytime he makes something, he likes to make sure all is well. It sort of annoys Romana which is why over time, I've had to come up with other reasons."
"Like coming to hear one of her stories?" Claire raised her eyebrow.
"Something like that. That and she really is an interesting lady."
Before Claire could ask more, the door opened. Standing in front of the duo was a tall elderly man wearing a green checkered vest. He was a polished gentleman, the farmer had concluded from the way his outfit was pressed to precision. There were no creases found on his grey trousers nor his white collared shirt. His bowtie was perfectly done, and his brouge's were polished to perfection. Even his grey hair was perfectly in place.
"Gray!" The elderly man greeted. "And you brought company. Humbled to meet you. I am Sebastian. Please both of you come in."
Claire looked around in awe of everything she was seeing. She had some sort of an inkling what mansions looked like, given how much TV she really watched. However, seeing one in real life? It couldn't compare. She noted the humongous ceilings in which a intricately detailed chandelier hanged and wondered what exactly it took to hang such a delicate piece of lighting. She glanced at the stairs. They had a rug on them which was much like how a red carpet would look like except it was more of fuchsia colour. That particular detail puzzled the farmer since the rug was on carpet.
Pushing that thought away, her attention veered off to the right and noticed a grand piano. She wondered to herself who in this place played. Was it Romana? Was it Sebastian? Or was there someone else? She darted her stare towards her left in which she saw a sitting area for which she figured one could sit, relax, talk or listen to whoever played the piano.
"Right this way." The farmer snapped back to reality at the gentleman's voice. Sebastian led the two towards the undercarriage of the stairs. "You're a bit earlier than normal, Mr. Gray. But I'm sure Miss Romana will be delighted to see you. She always is." Sebastian knocked on the door to which a feminine voice encouraged the party to enter.
It was your basic bedroom – bed, dresser, and even a rocking chair – except if one had money to spare. The bed was an ornately detailed canopy bed which went double for the dresser, although Claire concluded that was more due to the ornaments on said dresser. There was a fireplace which had a picture of a young woman who Claire figured was a young Romana. There were pictures and other decorations too which the farmer glanced at briefly. The only thing that was simple was the rocking chair the elderly lady was relaxing on. "My dear, Gray. Testing the waters on how early you can get here? Though it is more than what I can say about some people I knew years and years ago. Nearly always late this one impossible man was!"
Then it hit Claire, but before she could ponder on her revelation, Romana quickly continued as she now directed her talking to the blonde farmer, "My dear, please do tell me your name."
"Claire, ma'am." The farmer responded.
"Wonderful name. But please call me Romana. I rather insist."
Claire meekly smiled.
The conversation veered off to more Romana talking and the duo listening. This allowed the farmer to ponder the thought that had popped into her head earlier. Romana. She knew where she heard that name from, and even though it was from one of her shows she dearly loved, she couldn't help but make some comparisons. She knew that reality and fiction are separate entities, minus a few things she had discovered since coming to the island. Yet she couldn't help herself. The name wasn't exactly a common one. She fiddled with the key she usually wore around her neck.
The blonde searched with her eyes the dresser she had noticed earlier and noticed a small Chinese puzzle black box. Girl, fiction, reality, separate entities. Her thoughts repeated. Again, she couldn't help herself. She suspected the elderly woman wouldn't mind her picking up the puzzle box to examine it. The blonde ignored the fact that the young blacksmith was slightly watching her from the corner of his eyes and picked up the box. She fiddled around with it, opening it with ease. No way. This is very similar.
"Gray, you got a very clever friend there." This brought the blonde back to reality.
"S-Sorry, Romana." The farmer timidly said as she put the box back on the dresser. Gray raised his eyebrows.
"Oh, don't be, dear. Not many people can solve that puzzle box. And quickly too. In fact, when I encountered the box for the first time, I was told to put it down immediately. Of course, I didn't. And proceeded to open it with no difficulty." The elderly woman got up and grabbed something off her fireplace.
Claire blinked, not knowing how to process the information she had heard. What Romana said was very similar to one of the stories to one of the TV shows Claire was a fan. But that can't be, can it? "Gray, I have a musical box that needs fixing. Normally I would but my hands are not what they used to be." Romana handed the delicate box to the blacksmith, distracting the farmer from her revelation. "Maybe you could get Claire here to see if she could fix it. I suspect it would be fairly easy for her."
Wanting to further prove herself to this elderly woman, she grabbed the musical box from the young blacksmith who gave her a bit of a glare in return. She ignored his glare and examined it. It was a basic music box, one which needed not any screwdrivers to open it. The farmer opened it, noticing a loose gear. She made sure the loose gear was secured then closed the box.
The whole exchange between the young blacksmith and the farmer figuring out what was wrong amused Romana.
"Show off..." Gray mumbled.
"No, dear, just resourceful." Romana corrected.
"I don't mean to downplay it but it was due to the fact that only a gear was loose. Out of the three of us here, my hands not only function well but also I have smaller hands. Anyone with bigger hands would have had to use some tools." Romana grinned at the farmer's response.
"Alright you two. I need to get ready to head out. But please do me a favour before you leave for your next destination. Visit Lumina and give the musical box to her. She was concerned that she would miss you come by, Gray, which is why she wanted me to hand it off to you for fixing. Of course, I never imagined you would be bringing company."
"Will do, m-Romana." Gray corrected himself. The elderly woman chuckled.
As Claire and Gray were leaving, Claire had to ask one question, "I have to ask before we leave – did you ever meet a very strange man with a strange sense of fashion? Like he would wear a very long, broad strip of wool – not one colour but many – just cause?" I have to know.
"My dear, Claire, I've met with many strange men in my life." The white-haired woman laughed. "So that doesn't really narrow it down."
The farmer nodded, meekly smiling, then caught up to Gray who was at the stairs she had seen earlier. Sebastian even joined the two. The three of them headed up the stairs which first went straight then separated into two other staircases, veering in opposite directions. The blonde clutched the music box as she thought about the flamboyant woman she had just met. Her conclusions about the woman seemed impossible, but the evidence was there. But if the evidence was there, why was she having troubles putting it to words, even in her mind?
"What exactly is going on in your head, Claire?" The blacksmith spoke, bringing her back to reality. She noticed that Sebastian was not there with them and concluded he had gone into the room to which her and Gray were waiting outside of.
"This is one thing that I know you will find me insane for even thinking."
"You're assuming that I already don't find you... a bit different." Gray said, trying to choose his words wisely. He wanted to avoid the word 'insane' for the moment.
The farmer rolled her eyes. She didn't want to deal with Gray's skepticism, even though the irony of not telling him what it was didn't escape her. She glanced around her surroundings. In front of the staircase, she marvelled at the massive windows which allowed vast lighting into the hallway or upper lobby – she didn't' know how to label it. There were three panels of glass with the middle one being of a stained glass design. The sunsets and sunrises must be beautiful up here. She thought to herself. She also noted a table in front of the stained glassed window with a vase of flowers dwelling on top.
She didn't get a good look but she suspected that there were two other doors which her party had passed as they arrived on the second floor of this mansion. To where they led to – she had no idea. Maybe another time.
Sebastian opened the door. "Miss Lumina may see you now." He stepped aside, allowing the young blacksmith and farmer to enter then he himself closed the door and left.
"Gray!" A girl wearing a silky light blue robe and a sleep mask to match on her head came running and immediately hugged the young blacksmith. The uncomfortableness was very real, even though this dirty blonde-haired girl did this every time she saw him.
She released her grip and did the exact same thing to Claire, which took the farmer back. "Gray's friend, Claire!"
"Um, hi." The farmer manage to say once the girl pulled away.
"You get used to it." Gray spoke up to Claire, even though he knew he hadn't.
"Oh, you guys act as if you don't get hugged often." The girl immediately then hugged both of them together. "Claire," Lumina continued once she released the two from her grip. "I notice you have my musical box. Gray, does this mean it is fixed? Already!?"
"Courtesy of Claire here." The young blacksmith responded, not wanting the overly excited girl in front of him to hug him again. He allowed the farmer to get this win.
Claire handed the box to Lumina. "It was a simple fix." The farmer timidly remarked. If she were going to get another hug, like she suspected, she was going to prepare.
"Oh, thank you, thank you!" The girl exclaimed, hugging again the farmer. It was a quicker hug than before, but at least the farmer wasn't caught off guard.
Lumina took her musical box and placed it on the table located at the far side of the room where some windows also resided. The room the three of them were in had a fairly good size to it. A bookshelf and another door was to the right of the entrance while to the left was an old non-functioning fireplace where a porcelain doll dressed in a frilly dress resided and another door leading to another room. In the middle of the room was a white clothed tabled with a tea set on it.
"Now," Lumina continued. "Claire, I know we just met, but I have to know where you got that lovely silver brooch you are wearing. It is beautiful!" The girl tucked some of her short dirty-blonde hair back in place since her sleep mask was slowly moving her hair in her face.
The farmer glanced at the young blacksmith who was giving her the 'no' look. She knew Gray's design and craftsmanship was a sight to behold. She had told him this the night they watched the summer fireworks on the roof of her barn. But not wanting Gray to chew her out – and she knew he would have even though to her the thought was completely ridiculous – she finally sheepishly responded, "I didn't realize I still had it on."
"May I take a look at it? Up close?" Lumina asked like a child asking nicely for seconds of ice cream.
"Yeah." The farmer took it off and handed it over to the delighted girl. She shot a side smile to Gray who still was watching and waiting what the farmer would do. "It was given to me a bit ago." The blonde managed to say, carefully selecting those words. She didn't want to lie, so decided to tell some of the truth. She just would conveniently leave out Gray's name so that there was at least some peace.
Lumina examined the brooch then approached closer to Claire, holding the brooch to Claire's eye level. "Oh wow. The sapphire is the exact colour of your eyes." The girl marvelled. She handed the masterpiece to Claire who placed it into her front pockets of her overalls.
Claire glanced over at the blacksmith again but only noticed he had pulled his cap down a bit more to cover his face.
"Claire, seriously, it is amazing!" The girl exclaimed. She continued, "Oh! I have the perfect necklace that would go with it!" Lumina strided back to the table her musical box was now residing and opened a jewelry box nearby. She grabbed the simple necklace and gave it to Claire. "Put it on – and the brooch too! Show us what they look like together!"
The farmer reluctantly did as she further felt rather uncomfortable. It wasn't as if she never was the centre of trying on jewelry. She had many times done that with Kat back in the city. She just wasn't used to having an audience, that being Gray. She imagined that this whole situation unfolding was rather uncomfortable for him too. At least that comforted her.
When she finished fastening both pieces, Lumina squealed in delight. She grabbed a small mirror on the table nearby and showed the farmer. "See, I knew those two would compliment each other!" The necklace looked quite similar to the brooch which surprised the farmer. Hanging on the silver chain was a shape similar to the brooch (that being a rough circle) except there was no sapphire on it. It also had the similar texture of a smooth roughness, much like the brooch.
"You know, as much as this is riveting, Claire and I do have to leave. I still have to talk to Alex and Vesta." Gray said matter-of-factly, surprising even himself.
"Oh, of course, of course!" Lumina piped up. "I'm just incredibly grateful and glad you guys dropped by! Please visit again, sometime, especially you, Claire. I think there are some interesting conversations to be had! Oh, and do keep the necklace as my thanks for fixing my musical box."
The farmer meekly smiled, nodding in appreciation. Although Lumina seemed young, impressionable, and immature, she did have a big heart. Claire was slightly reminded of a younger Kat through Lumina's actions, and that brought a small smile to her. Both Claire and Gray exited Lumina's room, heading down the stairs.
As Claire and Gray left the mansion, a voice stopped the farmer for a moment. "Oh, Claire, dear. Glad I caught you on the way out." Gray was already a bit outside and did not notice Claire still remaining in the mansion.
Claire fixated her glance at the elderly woman who was exiting her room. "I may remember a strange man who wore a very long, broad strip of wool with stripes of colour." Before Claire could fully grasp what this woman was telling her, she, first, saw the woman wink at her which sent her mouth gaping open; and, second, a light tug brought her (finally) outside.
"And Gray, dear, remind your Grandfather that if he's concerned with what he made, that he should visit himself." That was all the two heard of Romana before the doors closed.
"What is going on in that head of yours, woman?" The young blacksmith asked again as the two were walking down the paved hill. "Since visiting Romana, you've been acting as if you were somewhere else."
"That's one way you can put it. Or, or, the revelation that I'm pretty sure Romana back there is not from around here, and Gray, I don't mean she came from the city or some other cliche. I'm..." The farmer took a deep breath. "I'm pretty sure she's from another planet. Which that in itself is not exactly-"
"Come on, blondie. Even for you, that is ridiculous." The man beside her scoffed.
"Is it though? Is it really?" She stopped in her tracks, scrunching her face.
The blacksmith also stopped in his tracks, now crossing his arms. "Kinda is."
"Not when the evidence kinda point to it." She slapped the back of her right palm on her left hand. "I don't go around saying these things for kicks." She then glared at him.
Gray gave her a not-so-sure look.
"Whatever, Gray. It simply isn't worth arguing with you on this. You just don't get it." The farmer started walking towards the direction of the Inner Inn.
She didn't get far before she saw a woman with curly blonde hair, wearing a red dress and a shawl, run pass her. The clicking of the woman's heels stopped when the curly-haired woman reached her destination. Claire whirled around, confirming her suspicion. In front of her, she saw a scene of this gorgeous looking woman all over the young – very uncomfortable – blacksmith, anything from hugging to furiously flirting. The woman's actions were clamouring around Gray. It amused the farmer, seeing the blacksmith extremely uncomfortable; but at the same time, it annoyed her. That annoyance? It also annoyed her because she didn't understand why. And she didn't particularly wanted to explore that path of thought. The back of her neck suddenly started to feel warm.
She desperately hoped that her thoughts weren't apparent in her facial expressions.
She then decided to say at least something. After all, she was the young blacksmith's companion in visiting Forget-Me-Not Valley and standing around was extremely awkward. "Well, you know what they say 'Three's a crowd.' or something to that effect. So yeah." She went back to walking towards the Inner Inn, cursing under her breath on the words she had chosen to speak. She didn't know what she would do, since Gray was a bit preoccupied by this woman, but she knew sticking around was not an option.
She thought about the fact that the events so far in the day was as if she had been a show such as 24 except there was no action or mystery just drama and unusual events. Or perhaps it was more like a soap. The blonde chuckled to herself as she walked.
Gray was getting rather annoyed at that point. Even though this woman would act in such a way which made him extremely uncomfortable, it was something he had expected every time he would visit the valley. In the past, it had been flattering to him. This time, however, he was getting annoyed mainly due to the fact that he just wanted to spend some time showing Claire around. To the outside person, his purpose for doing so would seem a bit selfish; but it was one way to try to figure out this farmer.
"Muffy, you're going to have to let me go."
"What if I don't want to?" She seductively inquired, drawing a circle on his chest with her finger.
"Muffy!" He tried the best he could not sound as if he were snapping at her or growling. A little annoyance in his tone was released, however.
"Alright." She released her grip on him. But before she could comment further, she watched him run towards the farmer in the distance who had nearly arrived in front of the Inner Inn. She sighed.
"Claire," The blacksmith called out, catching up to the farmer. The farmer stopped. "Exactly where were you planning on going?"
"I don't know but I wasn't going to stick around back there. I mean, clearly there's something there that needs to be worked out. I wasn't going to get in the way, but at the same time you did invite me to tag along. I just didn't expect to be a spectator of something which quite frankly was not only awkward but it annoyed me, and I haven't a clue why. I mean, 'why the hell would I care' you may ask and I... just... don't... know..."
Gray gingerly grabbed her right wrist, causing the blonde to diminish her rambling. He lightly pulled her closer to him then like a knight on a humble quest planted his lips on hers, cupping her face with his right. He knew that there would be stares. He was prepared for that. What was surprising to him was his final decision on the farmer who he was currently locking lips with.
Even more of a surprise? The fact that the farmer reciprocated.
However, as soon as Claire felt the light touch of his left hand moving up her right arm, her mind rapidly began to process what was going. She was kissing this young blacksmith; and even though she was feeling surges throughout her body like she had never with any other kisser, one statement she told herself before moving out of the city kept ringing through her mind.
No...
Instincts took over.
Ya'll just have to wait till next chappy ;)
No, but seriously, I wanted to do a super long one as I get back into the grove and a little something for ya'll out there - including some interesting things.
There's a reference that I wanna make sure it is well known. And I don't really do this for any other reference cause if you get, you get; if you don't, you don't But this one I will explain: Romana. Yes, she is a sweet elderly lady in the games but since I (and like I have written Claire) am a massive Doctor Who fan and there is a Romana in that show too, I had to heavily imply the connection. She is a Time Lady who travelled with The Doctor and she is highly highly intelligent. The Chinese puzzle box I ripped from City of Death story with Romana; and what Romana in my story says is basically what Romana in Doctor Who did concerning the puzzle box. And of course, a man wearing a strip of wool? Ahem.
This will be the only reference I'll explain thoroughly cause Romana in Doctor Who deserves all the love she deserves.
Anyways, thanks for reading this chappy! I'm already figuring out what to write for the 2nd half and all I'll say is "Stay tuned!"
Feedback most welcomed!
Sorry, no sorry for that cliffy ;)
