May have gotten carried away...
It happened too fast for Claire – the kiss, the feelings... the pulling away from a really impressive kiss.
The slap.
She never imagined she would slap a guy who maybe she had a bit of feelings for (which should would outright deny if asked). But in a way, she had to. She made that determination – that promise – that she would swear off men since it was too complicated for her and that she almost always got hurt in some way. She even told herself she did not need a man in that manner in her life, and had thought she had proven that to herself by running a semi-successful farm.
Then why did she reciprocated the kiss? She had no answer.
She knew she had left a sting to Gray's face and potentially his heart. It panged her a bit, but her primary focus was herself which in retrospect was selfish. And her selfish ass was telling her she needed space, the farther the better.
She quickly decided to make her way to the plot of land behind her which she had before noticed had a barn. Seeing any farm with any sort of people, to her, seemed a good start to try to breathe and potentially figure out what had happened and how. None of that was on the immediate itinerary.
"Claire, just what are you doing?" Gray called out, confusion very apparent on him. "Woman, talk to me, dammit!" He added for emphases. The two of them were at a fence which protected a patch of the land for fodder and food for the livestock outside.
Claire weaved through the top and bottom rail of the wooden fence. "I don't have to if I don't want to." The blonde declared defiantly. She took a few paces then crossed her arms, facing the blacksmith.
"Claire, please..." The man in front of her rested his arms on the top wooden rail.
"Gray pleading? Did hell freeze over?" A man's voice coming from behind a cow interrupted.
Claire uncrossed her arms, pondering the voice she heard and avoiding Gray's fixation on her. That voice... no that would be impossible.
"Hilarious, Alex." The young blacksmith dryly said finally after he weaved himself through the upper and lower rails of the wooden fence.
"Just asking questions." Alex popped up from behind his cow, now finished with milking. His glance immediately focused on the blonde. A moment of recognition appeared on their faces, with Alex surprised yet extremely delighted and Claire realizing what was coming.
"Cuz!" The messy browned-haired man threw off his gloves to the side then sprinted towards his cousin, giving her the biggest hug he could possibly give. "Just how!?" He continued.
The blonde gasped for air, trying to indicate to her overly excited cousin to release her. He quickly realized that in order for her to answer he would have to release his bear hug. He did then turned his attention to the stoic blacksmith. "Why didn't you tell me that Mineral Town's new farmer was her?"
"You never told me you had a cousin, let alone it being her." Gray somewhat snapped.
"And you never asked." Alex countered.
"'Her' is still here." Claire glared at the two, not entirely thrilled at being spoken about as if she were not there.
"We know." Her cousin playfully head-locked her, messing her blonde long locks, then quickly released her. He grinned.
The blonde glared at her cousin then changed the subject, "I should have known it would be you. I've experienced way too many weird things since I arrived in spring. Though I must admit: I never expected you to decide to move off the mainland to a place like this, never mind taking the occupation of a farmer."
"I never expected it either but when I found out about this place, it was as if it was a calling."
"Like all the other 'callings' you've had in the past?" The blonde-haired farmer crossed her arms, raising her eyebrows in doubt.
"This is different, Claire." The messy brown-haired farmer pointed out. "And I hope I can prove that to you before you go back to Mineral Town."
Claire was somewhat taken back. She had known him to make impulse business decisions years ago. He would start one then when one problem appeared, he abandoned it. Then months later, he would repeat the cycle again. She had often wondered if he would ever get his life together, the way he flippantly threw money and his time. Maybe he has now.
"So, is there something between the two of you I should know?" Alex continued.
The two of them remained silent, with Claire avoiding eye contact with any of the men and Gray glancing at the blonde.
"Alright then. Keep your secrets." The messy haired farmer chuckled to himself then turned his speaking more towards the blacksmith. "Gray, I would suggest you to get ahead start in examining my tools, you know, to get a head start, formulate whatever you got to say – that sort of thing. Kinda want to brag to my cuz about the place first by showing her around."
"Fine. But last time-"
"Yeah, you could say I acquired more tools since..." Alex interrupted, trailing off. A mischievous smile crept on his face.
"Something tells me I have my work cut out for me..." The blacksmith commented as he started to head towards Alex's shed, located beside the barn. Gray purposely brushed past Claire and mumbled somewhat out of Alex's earshot, "I still want to talk about what happened, Claire." He then disappeared around the corner.
Claire gritted her teeth, knowing that eventually she would have to explain herself to the blacksmith. But not now. She thought to herself, focusing more on her cousin.
The browned hair farmer approached her with slight caution. "You two definitely hooked up, didn't you."
The blonde's eyes bulged. "Alex!" She whacked his arm.
"What?" The man in front of her smirked. "Am I that off?"
"You wanted to show me around, right?" She swiftly declared in the attempt to change the subject. A slight blush crept upon her face. She just hoped that her cousin would not notice.
But he did. "I love it when I'm right." Alex nonchalantly said as he now headed towards his largest plot that was sectioned out and dedicated to crops.
"Aleeex, can we not do this?" The blonde pleaded with her cousin, catching up to him. "I don't want to deal with this right now. In fact, I rather you drone on about what you have done here."
"Wellll,.." He dragged then realized, "Hey, I don't drone on. I know for a full on fact you like listening to my stories, even though you try to hide that fact. You may fool your brother on some things, but you never could fool me on nothing. And never will." He paused for a response but only noticed his cousin giving him a you-done? look. "I will find out what is with the two of you before you two leave to your next destination. Mark my word." He then added.
"Are you going to explain to me why we are in front of some of your crops or what?" Claire somewhat glared at her cousin.
"Alright, cuz. Strap in!"
The blonde farmer rolled her eyes at her cousin's antics.
There was not much to tell Claire to begin with. A farm is a farm. However, Alex always had the knack on elaborating on topics which most would rattle on a few sentences and be done. He explained to her that he had three plots of land dedicated to planting whatever he deemed worthy growing, specifically pointing out that the large one had better quality soil. "I'm sure, cuz, you would be able to tell me why each plot is different, given how much book smarts you have." He nudged his cousin.
He then showed her how he fenced off a play area for his chickens and ducks. He even grabbed a duck to show his cousin since she immediately mentioned to him that she never knew one could purchase ducks. The duck quacked at Claire then demanded to be released. "He says 'hi.'" The messy browned-haired man declared as soon as he released the duck.
Her cousin continued to tell her from his initial struggles to his eventual realization of how amazing farming was. His every cow he purchased as well as chicken and other animals, his every crop he grew whether by plant or tree – the way he talked about how proud he was of his farm warmed the blonde's heart. Perhaps he really had found his calling.
"Oh, shoot. Claire, before I show you the barn and its adjacent buildings – and believe me, one of them I think you will adore and would want one yourself – I gotta take care of these needy cows." He mentioned, pointing to two of his cows who were mooing at him. "These girls are amazing but sometimes..." They mooed louder. "Girls!"
"I get it." The blonder somewhat chuckled.
"I'll meet you inside, but don't hesitate to look around." He headed towards 'his girls' while the blonde headed inside the barn.
The barn was much like her own; but at the same time it seemed much more spacious. Of course, there were troughs for fodder for all the animals her cousin owned as well as a water trough, a must for any farmer's barn whenever the weather outside was awful. To her left towards the far end of the barn there was an opening which she concluded connected to the outside silo. To her right were two doors. The one closer to her she figured was to the red building she saw sticking into the outside field. She figured that was the building her cousin really wanted to show her; so she decided she would check out what the other door to the far right led.
As she opened the door, entering in, she quickly realized it was not only where her cousin's tools were stored in a neat fashion – some on shelves, some on the opposite wall, some leaning against the wall – but also where the one person she wanted to avoid at the moment. Her spirit wanted to leave but everything else of her did not. She did not understand. She nonchalantly walked a few paces towards the nearby shelf, not knowing what exactly she was accomplishing. Was she trying to get the blacksmith's attention? She knew the blacksmith's eyes were on her already, curious in what she would do. That was hard to not notice. But whether she wanted to talk she did not know till she fully regained her senses.
She mentally cursed herself and wondered how – just how she had not immediately closed the door to the shed she was now in, thus avoiding him for a bit more. She finally spoke up, "Yeah, I, um, I should go."
He quickly but tenderly grabbed her by the arm, causing her to stop. She dared not look at him. He gently guided her face, his eyes meeting with her sapphire ones. Claire felt behind her, stepping a little back but not straying from the blacksmith's gaze, till her delicate hands felt the touch of the nearby shelf.
At least she had support in case all muscles and nerves in body decided to cease functioning.
The blacksmith leaned one of his hands on the wall behind the shelf as he grew closer to her. She started to breathe heavier than before, with her neck and back gaining heat. And just as he neared his destination, he stopped within inches, teasing her slightly.
"I... I just... can't." Claire managed to breathed out, although she did not know how with every fibre in her being ready to melt. "I can't experience that hurt again." She further whispered.
"I will never hurt you, Claire." He cooed, matching her volume. Those inches soon became no inches, as he pressed his lips on hers.
She responded in like accordance, each kiss delicately planted as the seconds ticked. The metal-like scent from the blacksmith aroused her feelings even more. She did not understand. She wanted to be cautious yet open. Open to what entirely? She had no answer.
Of course, just as she was trying to figure out where she lined up on her thoughts and the fact she was momentarily enjoying the activity with the blacksmith, a smirky voice disrupted the pair, "When I call it, I call it."
The pair separated promptly, both bashful at the intrusion. Gray pulled down his cap a bit, trying hard to hide his blush, while Claire glanced around the shed, returning her glance at the blacksmith periodically.
However, her surroundings began to change. Soon after, a bright, ubiquitous light flashed. And then?
Nothing. Or so she thought.
Once the blinding light dissipated, she noticed her surroundings had changed. "Wait... am I... am I in a tree trunk?" She declared, not realizing that she had spoken out loud. Looking around, she noticed mushrooms of various sizes clinging onto some bark. A table and stool also made out of mushrooms stood out particularly for the farmer, but that was not the only thing.
"I told you guys this was not a good idea." A short yellow clothed creature exclaimed – a creature similar to the ones she met back at Mineral Town except it was bit chubbier and reminded her of a smaller version of Santa Claus yet wearing yellow. It was all too confusing for her.
"Flak, don't start again. We've been over this." A similar but skinnier creature exasperated. It too wore a similar outfit except in red.
"Wh-There are more of you?" Claire finally addressed the creatures.
"Yes and no." The third creature in blue answered, not knowing the farmer meant her question as a rhetorical one. "We're different. Names Nic by the way."
"Nak." The red one automatically responded.
The yellow one also followed. "Flak."
"Claire..." The farmer trailed off in her introduction. "Just... you see, I have many questions – and I do mean many – with this one being the most important one of them all. What the hell is going on here? I'm all for encountering strange new things whether scary or exciting, but even I start to wonder just... what the hell!?"
"We don't have time to explain everything since you are waking up." Nak decided to speak up on behalf of the other two. "In short, we did not know who you were – what kind of heart, what kind of person you are."
"Recent events you experienced are not real." Flak added.
"What do you mean by that?" The blonde immediately asked, taken aback at the statement.
Flak continued, "They were based in reality though if that helps."
"But now we know. So we can be friends!" Nic exclaimed. "And we hope you gained some clarity."
"Guys, being vague is not-" As soon as she uttered, another glaring light flashed before her.
Just what is happening? Her thoughts floated.
A cool touch of the air startled the farmer, bringing her back to what she hoped was reality. She felt the solid yet bouncy surface she was lying on. She slightly opened her eyes and glanced to her left, noticing a familiar cap-wearing figure who was leaning forward in his chair staring at the wooden floor. She suddenly realized where she was.
She jolted up, half scaring the man beside her. "Claire!" He exclaimed. "Thank the stars you are alright."
The blonde stared around her, noting a beige curtain connected from one end of the room to another. On the other side of where she rested was another bed. She then fixated her stare to the concerned blacksmith. "Why am I in a clinic-like place?"
"You passed out. The Doc says it most likely due to overexertion."
Claire gulped, not knowing that it was loud enough for Gray to hear. A doctor? "Dr. Hardy, Claire." He nudged her, chuckling a bit. "He's the local doctor in the valley. I should grab him now."
"Wait!" She grabbed his arm, eyes pleading him to stay. He remained in his chair. "What exactly happened before we came here?"
"You rattled about weird things concerning Romana, which I find ridiculous." The blonde rolled her eyes. "But as soon as I said that, I realized you were way too quiet. I quickly turned around and lone and behold you were passed out on the ground."
"That's it?"
"That's it. Carried you into the Doc's place. Now, you are awake."
Claire leaned against the wall at the head of the bed, still trying regain a sense of reality. Dr. Hardy, parting the curtains, walked towards the pair as if he had been summoned. The blonde turned her attention of the man, staring at his left eye. The eye itself reminded her of the eye of an actual T-800. She further observed a scar on the same side running from this man's forehead diagonally to his jaw. It was as if that was the crack which would allow him to rip the skin apart in order to reveal his true form. She quickly shook that imagery out of her head, determined to be present.
But who was she kidding. His look, minus the beach-casual doctor-look Dr. Hardy seemed to be going for, really reminded her of Terminator; and if she were honest with herself, it freaked her out.
"I see our patient is awake." He began. He had a slight accent which further reminded her of one. "Now I know I may look scary, but rest assured, I know what I am doing." He further continued, iterating what he usually had to say to new patients.
"I mean, if you say so." Claire mumbled, inching her way towards the general direction of Gray.
"Now, if you don't mind, I would like to check your pupils."
The farmer permitted him to do so, still wary of the doctor. He then rattled on some things which Claire only half listened. The words Recent events you experienced are not real. primarily rang through her head. Everything she had experienced after mentioning her theory on Romana was not real. And she had no idea how to process that feeling. It wasn't as if there was a handbook to anything remotely to this. They were based in reality. Those particular words puzzled her most. Who's reality? To what extent? Then a hypothesis struck her.
She had no idea what Hardy or even Gray had been saying exactly nor did she pay much attention as she jumped off the bed. Determined, she sprinted to the one place to which would confirm or deny her hypothesis: Alex's.
Arriving nearly out of breath, she searched the farm. She figured he would be where all the cows – the same cows she had seen before – were grazing. Seeing no traces of him, she stopped to ponder what her next move would be. She lightly stroked one of the nearby cows. The cow mooed in appreciation.
"I'm coming, girls. No need to have a-" The messy brown-haired man stopped as soon as he saw Claire.
She whirled around to see him, thus confirming her hypothesis. The Alex Takakura had mentioned to both her and the blacksmith when they arrived in the valley was indeed her cousin after all. Based on reality.
Before the man could regain his composure, she approached and inspected him. This made him somewhat uncomfortable. "Um, Claire?"
But before she could fully continue, a voice hollered, "Dunno why but I had a feeling you would be here." The hat-wearing man finally caught up. "Luckily, Doc says you'll be fine as long as you don't over do it."
The farmer ignored her companion, still trying to figure out her surroundings. She poked her cousin on his chest with one of her fingers as if she were making sure if he indeed was real, earning confused looks from both men. She grabbed his face, examining it from side to side. He swatted her hands away from his face. "Cuz, what are you doing?"
She stared at him not knowing exactly how to respond. Her thoughts wondered around from kissing Gray to making out with him, even wondering whether those feelings were based on reality as well. She slightly blushed. The blush quickly disappeared as fast as it appeared when her thoughts then landed squarely on the creatures she had encountered. With determination in finding more answers, she darted away towards another exit to Alex's farm she had seen to the right of his pasture.
The young blacksmith tried running after the blonde but was quickly stopped by Alex. "I wouldn't follow her if I were you."
"She did recently pass out."
"That may be but I know that look she has at the moment. It is a very deep, very intense kind of thought look if that makes sense..." The farmer trailed then quickly continued, "And you don't want to disturb her when she has that look to her face. Trust me, Gray. She will be alright. Just give her some space and time to collect her thoughts."
Gray reluctantly yielded to his friend's advice.
"Come on, bud." The messy haired man continued. "You're gonna want to get a head start on those tools."
The two men proceeded with the routine that was done whenever the blacksmith visited the valley.
Claire continued her trek she had been following, passing the glimpse of the waterfall. She surveyed the beautiful surroundings, observing the vast secluded area filled with greenery from grasses to different coloured trees. It looked to her as if someone had carved this extensive area out of the surrounding hill. She had no idea if that were the case. But she suspected that this area which was sprinkled with rather odd looking large flowers was somehow special. A fairly large pond caught her eyes as well which contained some floating lily pads.
Her surroundings calmed her to an extent, but then her eyes darted to the image of a rather large tree in the distance. Is that where they live? She thought to herself.
She arrived at the tree quickly, examining it more closely. There was a small door at the base of the tree. This must be where they live. She concluded to herself. But how does one get in? The door she saw suited the creatures perfectly but certainly not to any human that wanted to investigate. She observed some nearby mushrooms and two more of those large flowers, but nothing else indicated to her how one may enter. Defeated, she decided to take herself to the pond to further sort through her thoughts.
She had no idea how she would sort everything in her head. Reality had been bent by creatures whom she did not understand. Just how much power did any one creature had? Why were these particular ones different from the ones she had befriended back in Mineral Town? Why for that matter did they put her through something which confused her even more?
No, they did explain that one. Something about not knowing me. But... Gray.
She accepted the fact that there were strange creatures and that she may never know everything about them, but Gray? That was the most confusing out of everything. And even though she wanted to know as much information as possible about said creatures, she kept circling back to the non-events with Gray.
She picked a nearby small flower and started to fiddle with it. What are my feelings on him? Do I have feelings for him? The memory of the warmth of his touch sent shivers down her spine. She thought she knew what her feelings were when she had shared a kiss with the blacksmith the second time in her non-events. But now? She felt uncertain.
Think about this: what if those events that occupied your mind while you were out cold – what if they were more than 'events based on reality' or some sh-
Don't finish that.
Fair. But what if they were meant to teach you? Perhaps that is why they were based on reality?
What, no witty remarks this time around?
Meh.
The blonde thought carefully about the implication. The one thing which changed during those non-events was how she handled the second kiss with Gray. The first time? Well, that ended not too well for the blacksmith. But why the change? Why didn't she slap him the second time?
Then she realized. Maybe holding onto her promise to herself – maybe that was foolish and childish and simply unrealistic. She knew it would not be fair to the first guy showing any kind of interest in her. And just perhaps, deep down, she knew she was ready to take that chance again. Perhaps that was what was meant to be learned.
But that does not explain whether – and if I entertain this – whether that damn blacksmith has the feelings I experienced during those non-events... This hurts my head. Claire thought as she tossed the small flower into the pond. Why is this so complicated...
"Hey, Claire." The voice somewhat startled the blonde. Claire looked up to see the man whom she had been pondering about coming towards her. A slight blush crept onto her face. She cursed underneath her breath hoping it was not noticeable. But what if he had? Her mind started to overthink.
"You doing alright?" He continued as he sat near her.
Say something, girl. "Better than when I was passed out." At least that wasn't a total lie. Noticing what the blacksmith had with him, she changed the subject, "What's with the basket?"
"Oh, this? Your cousin wanted you to have it." He passed it to her. "I already ate back at the farm."
The blonde opened the basket then sighed. "There's way too much food in here. I swear, he will never ever admit it but there are times where he is worse than my brother. I mean, just look Gray."
She held the open basket towards him. He shrugged his shoulders. "Perhaps that is a lot."
"Perhaps? There's no perhaps. If I eat all of this, I'm gonna have to get my stomach pumped or something..."
She gestured at Gray for him to take some if he desired. He shook his head.
"Well, he's gonna have some leftovers then." She took a sandwich and apple, closing the basket afterwards.
The two of them sat in silence for awhile before. The farmer was glad, in a way, but her thoughts started to wonder. She periodically glanced at Gray when she knew he was not looking towards her way. She bit lightly her bottom lip, thinking about the man in front of her of what could have happened if those non-events did happen. As soon as she did, she cursed underneath her breath. Yeah, I'm going to have to talk to Kat tonight or something. I gotta sort through it. I can't be doing this to myself. She thought to herself. But not right this minute. She tried pushing those thoughts out of her head, temporarily.
Gray spoke up after awhile. "So a cousin."
"Yeah. And?" She started on her apple.
"And you have a brother. Both on this island." He continued. "Don't you find that a bit-"
"Strange?" She interrupted.
"Yeah." He said, uneasily.
"I guess. Wait, I'm the one who is suppose to point these things out." She paused. "I think I'm rubbing off on you, Gray." The blonde declared proudly.
"Debatable. But I do think one doesn't encounter this often."
"I can agree." She bit her apple again. "But just the latter part."
She finished up her apple and decided to place the remains near a neighbouring large flower, digging a little hole. After covering the hole up, she brushed her hands on her overalls then grabbed the basket. "If anything, I have one more thing on my list to reflect on and possibly overthink on." She cursed under her breath for mentioning the latter as she stood up.
Gray also stood up but then gently grabbed the basket from Claire to which she did not protest. He said nothing to blonde's statement which somewhat surprised her. The two of them left the area, heading towards Alex's farm.
Just as the two were within eyesight of the farm, Claire abruptly stopped the two of them. "Gray, look." The blonde pointed at her cousin and a woman who wore a green blouse tucked into a dark skirt with a green checkered apron on top of the outfit.
"And there's something wrong with two people having a conversation cause...?"
"Look at their body language." Gray sighed as he moved to somehow see better. The blonde pulled him. "Don't let them see you!"
"Wha-Claire I don't know what you want me to see." The blacksmith complained, adjusting his grip on the basket.
Claire blew her bangs from her forehead. "I don't know how much you know about my cousin, but I always have known him to be I guess you can say on the charismatic side. He knows how to talk. And he knows how to keep your interest."
"Okay...?"
"Gray, he's the opposite of that right now talking to that woman."
"With Celia?" Gray pondered then continued, "That would explain some things."
The blonde peaked around the corner to get another look. "I'm gonna guess that maybe there is something there and that it isn't one-sided."
"You're probably right." The blonde looked back at him, somewhat puzzled. "What? It makes a bit of sense. Celia lately has been asking me questions about Alex every time I check on Vesta with her tools."
"Then it is settled. We're going to interrupt the two." The blonde started the trek.
"Interrupt?" Gray inquired, confused.
"Don't think, just come."
The young blacksmith rolled his eyes and followed his crazy companion.
As the pair approached Alex and his guest and within earshot, Claire heard her cousin laughing nervously. Yeah, definitely on his end. The blonde thought, concluding that her cousin must have been laughing at a joke Celia must have said. She also concluded that it had to be something which probably was not that funny.
"Heeey!" Claire chimed. Both her cousin and his guest turned their attentions to the pair.
"Cuz! I'm glad you are doing a lot better. Oh, this is Celia here." Alex said, introducing his guest.
"Claire. And by the way, I love your outfit, especially your yellowish bandana. It is so chic!"
"Thank you."
Claire continued, "I hope you don't find this way too forward, considering, but..." The blonde paused for the dramatic effect. "I just gotta. Do you like my cousin?" Claire blurted.
The blonde's cousin took deep breaths, eyes bulging out. The blacksmith raised his eyebrows.
"Cause I'm pretty positive my cousin likes you. No, I'm sure. Definitely." The blonde added quickly.
"Ah, well..." The brown haired woman bashfully started, a bit taken back at the question. She played with a section of her long brown hair before continuing, "He is great company." She tried looking at the man in question but had a hard time in doing so.
"I'll take it." Claire accepted, glancing at her freaked out cousin. The blonde was in no way an expert in people, however, she had a gut feeling and was willing to roll the die on it.
"I-I probably should be going. Vesta probably needs some help around." Celia took some steps but then stopped. She turned around and approached Alex. She kissed him on the cheek in such a way where it lingered but for not too long. "See you around, Alex." With that, she started to exit the farm.
Claire was loving every minute of what was unfolding. When she knew Celia was out of earshot, she finally addressed her cousin, "I mean, I don't mean to push but..." The blonde gestured in Celia's direction. "Go, man. Ball is in your court."
Her cousin looked at her, still in a state of shock, but then quickly realized what she was saying. He dashed towards Celia, knowing exactly what he wanted to do. He lightly took her arm, stopping her, then gave her a kiss, the proper way. They soon parted, with her leaving the farm while he returned back to Claire and Gray.
He paused but soon enveloped his cousin in a massive bear hug. "Claire I want to hate you, but you know I can't." He declared, lifting her feet of the ground.
Claire at this point was having troubles breathing normally let alone being able to move. She noticed that her companion Gray was having a hard time trying to stifle his chuckles at the sight. "Alex." The blonde manged to breath.
Her cousin released her and quickly added to the conversation, "Well, I feel like a new man! Let's see, oh yes, Claire, I want to show you the most amazing kind of equipment a farmer could possibly have!"
"Um, Alex?" The blacksmith spoke up. "What about this?" He held up the basket he had been holding onto.
"Right. I'll take that and I'll meet you two in the milking room." The messy-haired farmer received the basket then ran towards his house while Gray and Claire headed towards the building in question.
"I mean, what is he so worked up about?" The blonde pondered as the two of them entered the red building adjacent to the barn. She surveyed the room. It had machinery and an area for fodder which was surrounded somewhat with brick wall. Simple yet futuristic.
"Don't ask me. He's your cousin." Gray responded as he started to examine some of the parts to the machinery.
"And you know him more as a farmer than I do." Claire retorted.
Before Gray could respond, the door they had came through flung open revealing the man in question. "Well, what do you think?"
"Other than the fact that the Mayor Thomas would have an issue with something like this if I were to get one which don't get me started on that, I don't know what else to say."
"The Great Britannica does not know what to say? Come now. I don't buy that." The blonde farmer cringed when she heard that name. She clamped her fists in an attempt to not over react. She had been given that name at one family reunion by a family member which she was not too sure if it had started with her cousin Alex or brother Andrew. She never found out, but she knew she hated it.
"Britannica?" Gray now joined the conversation, stopping his examination. "Isn't that an encyclopedia?" He glanced at Claire.
"Sure." Alex spoke up before Claire could. "But it is also a nickname of hers."
Oh, now I'm going to kill him... "It really isn't." The blonde gritted her teeth.
"My cousin is not going to be modest here. I don't know if you know this, Gray, but Claire here has an extraordinary amount of knowledge. At family reunions, she always either be reading the latest scientific magazine or paper or whatever she read or she would be scribbling down some things in a notebook. Sometimes, she would even run experiments. Of what, no one knew."
Claire rubbed her face. "Why me..." She mumbled to herself.
"Aw, come on, cuz!" Her cousin gave her a small side hug. "Take another look around."
"I don't have to..." Claire trailed off.
"Because...?" Alex perked up.
The blonde took a deep breath. "Because I already have made my observations, and the fact of the matter is it is an extraordinary piece of work. Oh yes, automatic milking which assures the cow, almost mimicking what a person would do by hand? That in itself is remarkable. But this?" She walked towards the end where she concluded the milk gets dispensed. "This is unlike anything. I mean, I don't see any compartment where one can put a milk container. So how, you may ask, does it come out with metal container and all? The particulars in the air. It must suck it out and rearrange the atoms. It is the only thing which makes sense and at the same time doesn't. Whoever designed this I need to meet one day."
"And. There. It. Is." Alex declared, gesturing towards his cousin. Before he allowed anyone else to comment, he quickly resumed, "Oh, there is one piece of equipment, cuz, you are gonna die for." The messy brown-haired man grabbed his cousin's hand, much to her reluctance, and dragged her to the destination.
"Aaand, bingo." Alex said as they entered his shed. He released his cousin's hand.
Claire bit the insides of her cheek. She knew what was presented in front of her but was, again, reluctant in nerding out. By herself? Sure. In relation to any television show she adored watching? Absolutely. However, technology? She never was comfortable in flying that flag to everyone.
Her cousin opened the machine, revealing the inside. "Behold."
The blonde quickly scanned the insides, lightly dancing her fingers on each compartment. "I think I need one of these..." She mumbled, barely audible to the two men near her.
"I thought you would love it." Alex chuckled. "It is a life saver when it comes to seeds. I don't need to buy them anymore. If I really wanted to, I could even sell seeds."
"I bet. Why didn't you lead with this one?" Claire mentioned.
"Probably cause he loves that milk room." The blacksmith who had been quiet finally chimed into the conversation.
"It's just so cool that I have an option to not milk by hand. Shoot me."
Claire closed the seed machine. "We have one more place to go, right Gray?" She changed the subject, wanting to move on from the situation. She knew that if she were to stay any longer that she would reveal more of the side of herself which she rarely showed others. And Claire desired not to put that on the list of things to sort through.
"Well, yeah." The blacksmith answered a bit puzzled.
"Alright." She proceeded to exit the shed, with the two men following her. "Cuz, I appreciate the hospitality, generosity, and even the showing off," she chuckled at the last bit, "but I think it is time to leave."
"Okay." He gave her another bear hug, a lighter version of his first one. "You take care of yourself and don't hesitate to visit often." He released her.
"Sure." The blonde sighed as she headed towards the nearest exit of Alex's farm.
"Gray, take care of my cousin, okay?" Alex turned his attention to the blacksmith out of earshot of Claire. "Now it has been many years since we have seen each other in person, so I don't know if she kicked it – but sometimes she can get very laser-focused on something to the point where somebody has to snap her back. It makes her very deep thought look normal. I know there is Andrew but... Just watch out for her, okay?"
Gray tipped his hat in acknowledgement then quickly ran to catch up to the blonde.
When he caught up, he corralled the blonde away from the direction of the other farm by lightly tugging at her arm. "Come."
"But I thought we were going to which I assume is Vesta's." Claire gave him mystified look.
"Just come."
She obeyed and followed him to a small somewhat enclosed area where a weird looking house resided. Her stare first fixated on some equipment to the right of the enclosed area then immediately looked up to the top of the house. She saw visible electricity dancing between two large metal rods. "Gray?" Claire spoke up, more confusion building. Gray knocked on the door.
The two of them then heard a large crashing noise from the inside. "Yes! Come in!" The voice inside yelled with clear undertones of frustration. The blacksmith entered with the farmer following close behind.
"Oh it's you." The crazy-haired man spat out as he cleaned the broken test tubes. "What do you want? Has your grandfather finally come to his senses?"
Claire half paid attention to the exchange between Gray and this man who wore a worn out lab coat. She looked around the room, noticing books thrown everywhere from their shelves to the floor. And I thought I was messy. She thought to herself. The blonde noted a work station and a couch nearby. But throughout the mess she observed, one thing stuck out the most: a blackboard. It was as if it was calling her.
She approached the blackboard, studying what was written.
"And just what are you doing, lady?" The crazy-haired man crossed his arms, tapping his foot impatiently.
"Darryl, that lady has a name." Gray responded.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't care. What is she doing?" Darryl demanded. He turned his attention back to the farmer, noticing she was erasing some of the writing on his blackboard. "Ack, what are you doing!? That took months to figure out!"
"And what you concluded is wrong." Claire calmly stated, ignoring the outburst. She then picked up some chalk and began to write. The mad man hesitated to say anymore, watching carefully what she wrote. When she finished, she placed the chalk back it its place and admired the blackboard. "See, you were on the right track." Claire broke the silence. "It's just your bounds on your integrals. They were wrong. Juggling some things around and-"
"And you get a result that I did not think possible! In fact, better than what I had imagined!" The man interrupted, staring at the blackboard with his bloodshot eyes. He quickly pulled off his glasses, wiped them on his lab coat, and placed them back on the bridge of his nose. He turned to Claire. "You're that farmer in Mineral Town, right?"
"Well, yeah..."
"Why on earth would be one with a brain like yours? Would you consider in becoming my assistant?"
"Assistant?"
"Partners – whatever, point is you have an intelligence that will most definitely be beneficial to my research. We could literally change the world."
"I'm flattered, Darryl? really but there is just something about farming that prevents me from ever walking away from it."
"Hmm." The black-haired man grunted. "If you ever change your mind, you are welcomed back anytime. Now please, both of you go. This revelation has given me much to do." He shooed the blacksmith and farmer out.
"Interesting man." Claire spoke up as the two of them walked. "Still don't understand why you insisted we go."
"And I don't understand why you shy away from some part of who you are."
The blonde was taken aback. "W-What exactly do you mean by that?"
"I have to spell it out to you? You're probably the smartest woman I have ever met. I will even go as far as saying you are probably the smartest person on this island. Yet you refuse to be comfortable with the fact that you are that smart, as if you have to keep it a secret. The irony? You have no issues in rattling off something pertaining to a television show you watch."
The two of them crossed the bridge from before.
"You're one to talk." Claire retorted somewhat awkwardly. The blacksmith talking to her the way he did threw her off.
"That is different." Gray countered, realizing the implication of the blonde's statement.
"It really isn't. You get uncomfortable about it just as much if not more than I do with mine."
"And the difference is you won't get criticized for it like my grandfather would with me. I would think that that was just proven to you." Gray somewhat snapped.
Claire scrunched her face in a 'whatever' look.
The two of them had now arrived at Vesta's farm. Before Gray could knock on the door, a tall, big woman came around the nearby greenhouse. "Gray! Always good to see you!" She wore a full apron pictured with various vegetables as well as plain jeans and a yellow shirt. She wiped her hands on her apron then tucked some of her messy dirty blonde hair to the side which had been in her face. "Now I assume you want to go over some of my tools."
"That's usually the drill." The blacksmith said.
"And I'll go find Celia." Claire awkwardly added.
Vesta somewhat chuckled. "She's around here somewhere, hon. Name's Vesta by the way."
"Claire."
As Claire turned around, she tripped over her own feet nearly falling. It was fortunate for her that a man prevented her from smacking the ground. "Are you okay, miss?" The jet black haired man inquired, allowing Claire to regain her stance.
"Y-Yeah. Thanks." Claire looked at the man in front of her. His look, especially with the sideburns, reminded her of Elvis. In a way, even his clothing of a white button down shirt with jeans reminded the farmer of the famous singer. She swallowed not sure what else to say.
"I guess it was a good thing Marlin was there." Vesta chuckled. She went into one of the nearby wooden houses. Gray followed, keeping an eye on the pair as much as possible.
"So you're Marlin." Claire broke the small silence. The man nodded. "I'm Claire."
"You're the farmer from Mineral Town."
"The one and only." The blonde awkwardly chuckled. "Sort of."
Marlin gave a small smile. "Well, it is a good thing that farm there is being taken care of."
"Yeah, definitely." Claire wished on everything that somebody would interrupt the current awkward conversation.
"Claire?" A woman's voice entered the conversation much to the blonde's relief. "Hi!"
"Celia! I was actually going to look for you." Claire switched her attention to the brunette.
Marlin raised his eyebrows which Celia noticed then explained to him that she had met the blonde at Alex's. She even mentioned that the two farmers were cousins. "I see." Marlin responded, sticking his hands into his pockets, then added, "I'm going to go for a small walk. Claire, it was a pleasure meeting you, and I hope you visit again. Just be careful where you are walking." With a small grin, he left the premises.
"Why is he so damn attractive?" The blonde blurted out. She slapped her hand onto her mouth, realizing she spoke out loud. "I did not mean to say that outside of my head..."
"I don't see it." Celia responded, giving a half smile. "He is a sweetheart though, once you get to know him."
"Definitely not like my cousin then, eh." Claire nudged the brunette.
Celia blushed at the thought of Alex. "Alex is very special. Though before today I wasn't sure whether he did like me or even would. I'm not exactly..."
"Girl, don't finish that thought, whatever it is. I may have just met you and not know everything but own you uniqueness – own you. I mean, that is why my cousin is crazy about you."
Celia smiled. "Thanks Claire."
"Absolutely not a problem." The blonde beamed.
The two women took a stroll around Vesta's farm. Celia explained to the farmer what different crops Vesta grew per season and what amount of each. The brunette also mentioned the greenhouses, indicating that they came in handy during the winters for earning income and extra income during the rest of the year. Claire listened intently, concluding that she still had a lot of work still to do on her farm.
The time passed quickly as night drew. Not wanting them to leave on an empty stomach, Vesta insisted that Claire and Gray stay for dinner. Vesta even tried to convince them to stay for the night given how dark it had gotten after eating. Both Claire and Gray assured her they were fine, indicating that both had to rise early the next day. They thanked her for the hospitality and left.
The walk home was quite quiet for awhile. Initially, neither desired to talk given how they had argued before Vesta's. Gray took it upon himself to break the silence. "Sorry for earlier if I sounded harsh."
The blonde remained silent a bit more before replying, "No, Gray, I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't thrown in whatever is between you and your grandfather. I mean, I know you meant well, in your kind of way..." She further collected her thoughts then continued. "In case you haven't already discovered, I can be difficult, stubborn even. It just – what you said was true. I-Not many people know that side of me. My friends in the city know a little but not the full extent of it. The only people that I have flaunted it are my cousins and my brother."
More silence fell between the two. Feeling she had to say more, Claire continued, "See, reading and teaching myself anything that I could possibly learn was one way for me to escape the realities that were my parents. I don't really want to get into that long story, but I'm sure you must have heard something from my brother at some point. Watching television too helped and in fact inspired me to understand concepts most couldn't."
The two of them crossed the bridge leading to Claire's farm. "Point is fiction I have no problem in letting everyone know I can get obsessed with. The other not so much..." The blonde trailed. "It's way too close to my heart, if that makes sense."
"Makes sense." Gray responded as the two stopped in front of Claire's house. "Though that nickname of yours-"
"Is something I never want to hear again, especially in earshot of anyone in Mineral Town." Claire firmly finished the blacksmith's sentence.
"Fair enough. I guess I will remain one of the lucky ones to know it." Gray teased.
Claire chuckled somewhat. She paused before saying more. "I enjoyed today, Gray. It was interesting."
"Yeah, me too. Definitely not my norm when I visit." He grinned. "I'll be seeing you around, Claire. Try to pace yourself in future, okay?" He then proceeded to leave.
The blonde paused, thinking about the events which happened to her – the adventure, the drama, and Gray's willingness to help her and to listen to her. "Gray?" She shouted, darting towards him.
He turned and immediately received an embrace from the farmer, which nearly knocked his hat off. He awkwardly floated his arms, not knowing how to respond or where to put them.
"Thanks, Gray." The blonde then released him from her hug. "See ya."
She darted back to her house while Gray smiled the whole time walking to the Inn.
That moment when you did not want to cut certain scenes, making sure Forget-Me-Not Valley received some love but then when writing the previous chapter, you think of something brilliant that simply had to be included.
Anyways, thanks for reading. Appreciate ya'll! I'll get the next one up as soon as I can. :D