Author's Notes: I return! Sweet merciful crap, has it really been that long since I last updated this story? Yes. Yes, it has. I was pretty stuck for a good while, and, well, my job sucking like a sucky job didn't help. Nor did 2020 in general, or depression. But! I'm finally getting that tended to (the depression, not the shitty job or the 2020), and I've been able to give myself a few clearer ideas on where to take this story... especially this particular arc, which was troubling me for a while regarding how I would handle it.
I do feel a bit rusty, even though I've written a few other stories in the interim... well, hey. Happens to us all, eh? Hopefully this rather long chapter is worth the wait for everyone who's been reading along... and, of course, for those of you following, bookmarking, favoriting, kudosing, commenting/reviewing, you're all greatly appreciated. Feel free to leave a review after you're done, if you'd like, and I'll see you in chapter 27. But for now...
Chapter 26: Together
Castanet was starting to find itself brimming with hopeful energy in the transition from April to May, aided by the sounds of birdsong returning to the air once more, and the sights of fish darting about beneath the sunlight scattered atop the waters. As the spring temperatures finally stabilized somewhere in the realm of "pleasantly mild," the remaining piles of snow slowly trickled away in crusty or slushy piles in the shadows of houses, bridges, barns, and overhangs, and a decision was reached in Castanet's Town Hall.
Or, at least, debated.
"Really?"
Catching the disbelief in his son's voice—and the implicit disapproval—Caesar Hamilton frowned slightly, even as he nodded. "You don't think it's a good idea, Gill?"
Gill sighed and shrugged, pausing in the middle of typing up his email to mull it over. He knew his father meant well, after all. "I'm not exactly opposed to the festival aspect of the idea, just... the Firefly Festival? We usually don't hold it until June, and besides that, it's a little... somber for what you're intending, isn't it? And," he began, as his father opened his mouth to object, "I know, I know you said we don't have the means to hold the Flower Festival this year... just..."
"...We do have the means to hold the Firefly Festival," Mayor Hamilton finished, walking around the counter to clap his son on the shoulder and give him a kind, confident smile. "Including the fireflies! Haven't you seen them at night? They're back a bit early, admittedly, but you won't hear me complaining. And it's supposed to be beautiful out that week, which I'm sure we'll all appreciate after... everything. It's far from the strangest thing we've seen here lately. And yes, I know... trust me, I know full well, it's not the happiest festival there is. But it's... familiar, you know? Comforting. The town comes together in support, remembrance..."
"Grief," Gill added wearily, giving his father a pointed look. They knew grief all too well. Quite a few families in Castanet knew grief all too well, with Mira and Julius the most recent ones to feel its wrath following Tom Jensen's death. Luke had almost died after being attacked in the forest. And rumor had it that Kasey's life had very nearly been claimed not too long ago, as well, following some ruckus in the mines in Harmonica Town. Did people really like the reminders all that much? Did his father like the annual reminder that he'd lost someone so dear to him? Gill sure as hell didn't. They already observed the anniversary of her death every year, after all. Would his father ever just... be able to move on? He was clearly lonely without her, and he was a decent man. Couldn't he let himself let another woman into his heart eventually? And into Gill's? He missed having a mom.
"Catharsis," Mayor Hamilton countered, keeping his voice patient, and puling Gill from his solemn cloud of thoughts. "Gill, it's been a hard time for all of us... I think it's okay if we come together as a town to let it out. It's not like we're going to devolve into some sort of sobbing, hollering dogpile!" He chortled and clapped Gill on the back a bit too hard, earning a grunt in response. "Look, it's been a good minute since we really could hold a festival at all, you know? They help keep our community together, and thriving! Between the lack of finances, the lack of material, the lack of... morale... but procuring the materials for this one is a cinch! The prep is minimal! Luke and Owen have already found a surplus of moonstone in the mines since they were able to start back to work, the lanterns will be a breeze... we can't exactly afford the circus right now, or fireworks, and it's a bit early for the Ocean Festival, especially since the waters just returned to normal. We'd need Pascal, Ozzie, and Toby to determine how the fishing will go, but it's sounding promising so far..."
"The waters you plan to pollute with a bunch of moonstone and paper lanterns," Gill pointed out, rolling his eyes and turning back to his email. He would save this one to a draft until things were more certain, but hopefully he could let Mayor Delaney in Olive Town know soon enough that their aid would no longer be needed.
And he knew his father had a perfectly reasonable response to his argument regardless, even despite the added qualifier of nature itself actively punishing them for their transgressions:
"Gill, you know those moonstones wash up in Cambria anyway, and we've been using biodegradable lanterns for the last couple of years! And we don't use wire frames, either. I'm glad Miss Emerson gave us a heads-up on those," he added in a thoughtful murmur, rubbing his chin. Then he smiled at Gill again and gave him a little cuff on the shoulder. "Oh, c'mon, son! We can even make it more symbolic, if that'll help, eh? How's this?" He cleared his throat, and slipped into what Gill liked to call "Stump Speech Mode," adopted several years ago, where his father tried in vain to mimic the speaking mannerisms of John F. Kennedy:
"'Now, my fellow people of Castanet, neighbors, friends... we've been through tough times recently. We've faced unprecedented challenges over the past year and a half. We saw our land, our home, begin to wither and die before us, and wondered what else could possibly lie ahead.' Or is it 'lay ahead'?" he mused, slipping back into his usual voice while Gill waved it off.
"Doesn't matter, I'll attend to it later. Go on."
Grinning, Mayor Hamilton went on per his son's request:
"Alright, then! Ahem... 'But thanks to the efforts of...' Oh, you know what? Should I draw attention to Kasey's hand in all this? I mean, he doesn't seem like the sort who likes to be the center of attention... I don't want to embarrass the boy, after all—ah, anyway! Let's see, ahhh... 'With the vitality beginning to return to our surroundings, this land we call home and love so dearly, the Firefly Festival takes on a new meaning this year. We not only remember the many loved ones we've lost throughout our lives. We not only pay tribute to our ancestors. We remember Castanet. We remember those who founded our wonderful community, cultivated and nurtured it. We honor their spirits, watching over this land, guiding us, and guiding it, back to health and prosperity. We remember our hardships, and we remember our perseverance. In setting these lanterns adrift... tonight, so, too, do we set our pain, our sorrows, and our struggles adrift. And, I hope, we end this night with lighter hearts than we began with, as we mark the beginning of our return to normalcy.' And... fin! So," he added with a proud smile and a tug at the lapels of his powder-blue blazer, "how'd I do?"
Resisting the urge to golf-clap, Gill waggled his hand about. His father wasn't much of a speaker on his own—he was saved by his charm and sincerity, in Gill's opinion—but this was certainly one of his more impressive efforts. He did agree, though, that Kasey—for all the good he'd been doing—probably could do without the spotlight being turned up on him any more than it already was.
"It could use a little sprucing up, if you want to transcribe it and send it to me later... but it's not bad. Maybe drop the JFK impression, though? It sounds weird when you try to do it, and I don't remember you expressing a desire to run for President... though, at least you don't try to mimic that accent of his," Gill mused under his breath.
Chuckling sheepishly, Mayor Hamilton rubbed the back of his neck. His son never minced words if he could help it. He clearly got it from his mother. "So, you caught onto that, eh?"
"Everyone caught on to it three years ago," Gill responded, shaking his head and huffing. "After we told you to knock it off with the Obama impression. You know everyone here listens to you anyway. You can just be yourself, we actually do like you the way you are—oh, stop beaming like that, will you?"
Mayor Hamilton let out a hearty laugh, and shook his head. "Well, it's not every day I hear my own son praise me so openly! Let your old man relish in it a bit, hmm? So... did I get you on-board with the festival, then? I think that speech will lift a few spirits! We can get a general consensus from everyone before making an official announcement on the news, but I think it'll do us all some good! Besides," he added as an afterthought, rubbing his chin, "people take dates to that festival anyway... I think it's always been a bit less somber than you give it credit for, Gill."
Gill had to admit, his father had a good point. "Touché. I mean, I think it's a bit of a gauche practice, personally..."
"...Unless that's just your excuse for not asking Luna to go with you," Mayor Hamilton went on, almost as though he hadn't heard Gill's response. Which, now, was to choke on flustered protests as his cheeks heated up. "God knows she drops enough hints that she's interested whenever she's over here..."
Well, I suppose Gill didn't get all of his bluntness from Elina.
"You're just... ridiculous," Gill huffed, distracted from his email once again. He buried his face in his palm, closed the browser, and moved to hastily grab up some papers, a manila folder, and a pen. "I'm...! I'm going to... go canvass... everyone about this festival idea of yours now. You nosy old... ass."
Waving off the remark with ease, Hamilton continued laughing to himself as he watched Gill bolt up from his chair—stumbling over the wheels in the process—and stalk out the door, looking agitated.
He had a feeling he'd need to ask the Kozlowskis for their opinions on the festival himself.
Well, I was planning to get a new necktie anyway, he thought as he returned to his office, humming and starting to go over his budget calculations once more. I'll just give Gill a head start to get away from me, first.
"Alright, so you just want to be gentle with them. If their body language is wary or defensive... just move on and try again later. Trust me, they'll peck at you if you piss them off, and you don't want to make them upset," Renee warned. She chuckled as Kasey gulped and nodded in response, turning his eyes to the fluffy Leghorn that was watching him coolly.
"Uhhh... got it. So—so do I just, like, talk to them or anything?" he added, prepping himself to squat down and wiggling his gloved fingers. "Like, to... to soothe them or whatever?"
Renee laughed again, and shook her head. "Well, I mean... you don't need to. Not with Amelia, anyway. She's the most laid-back chicken we've ever raised. I swear she smokes pot when we're not looking. But they can sense if you're nervous, and that's gonna make them nervous, so... if it helps calm you down, then go for it! They're not gonna kill you, at any rate. Hopefully."
"Oh, hopefully," Kasey echoed, rolling his eyes, but nonetheless flashing a rueful grin. "Okay, alright, alright, alright... hey there, uhhh... bird," he said, crouching down to get eye level with Amelia. "How's it going?"
"'Can't complain,'" Renee answered in a mock-Julia Child voice, causing Kasey to let out a snort of laughter.
He reached out slowly for Amelia, halting when she cocked her head and clucked at him, shifting in her nest. With a soft exhale, he took her in a gentle grip, hoisting her up, and squeaking when she flapped her wings and squawked at him.
"I-is she okay?!"
"She's fine," Renee assured him, looking over from her own egg-collecting. "She's just not used to you is all. Just grab the egg and set her back down, and you can put the egg in that crate."
"A-alright, there we go... err, sorry about that," he muttered to Amelia as he set her back down, holding the large, smooth, white egg in his other hand and flashing her a thumbs-up. "We're cool?"
"'Oh, if you insist,'" Renee squawked again, getting another laugh from Kasey.
"Don't make me throw this egg at you!"
"Oh, that won't piss off the chickens at all," Renee countered, tutting and collecting a few more eggs with practiced ease. Almost all of the chickens took the disturbance well, with only a small handful of them offering any signs of protest. Even then, they were all mild. "Usually, we just feed them first and collect the eggs while they're chowing down," she added, watching as Kasey collected from a few more of the hens with what looked to be a slight increase in confidence, "but some of them have been a bit more, ah, mopey than usual, so they're keeping their fat, feathery butts on their eggs a lot more often. And any full-grown hens you bring home might do the same with you, at first, until they trust you. And they will, if you treat them right. You've just gotta remember to feed and water them regularly. Let them out if it's nice, keep 'em in if it isn't. Watch to make sure they're doing alright. Don't talk crap about them behind their backs. That sort of thing."
"Aww, I can't talk shit about them?" Kasey repeated with feigned disappointment, setting the last of the eggs in the shipping crate and giving the hens a wave in thanks. His mind felt a little more at ease with Renee's advice—looking after chickens really didn't sound too bad, and with a little time and effort, he could be looking at a decent source of additional income... and an additional source of food from time to time. And I think I've got enough money to get... at least two, to start out with? Renee had already assured him that he didn't need a rooster unless he wanted to hatch his own chicks, and he wasn't about to dive in that deep right off the bat.
"You can, but they'll do it back to you," Renee quipped, turning to haul the bag of feed from the corner and dragging it over to Kasey. The chickens perked up and began clucking and squawking excitedly. "You should hear the stuff they say about my mom. It's like listening to a roast. Wanna do the honors?" she added, indicating the bag with a flourish. "Just grab a couple handfuls, scatter it, and step back."
"Err... s-sure..." Kasey followed her instructions, hopping back with a little yelp as most of the flock rushed over excitedly and began to eat—including a large rooster he hadn't noticed before. "Whoa! You weren't kidding!"
"Yeah, they're a bunch of chow hounds," Renee said fondly, watching them feast. She couldn't help the small pang in her chest at seeing how much smaller the flock had gotten over the past year, and she wondered how the ones they'd had to sell were doing now. The barn next door was quieter, too, and the pastures weren't as crowded as they'd been in years prior. But we can put a stop to that. We're getting there. At least this time, it's because we had an interested buyer come to us. Not because we have to keep selling them to make ends meet. We can get back to where we were before.
She thought of the bell, lying in wait at Wizard's house, and fought back a wave of guilt. Idly, she wondered if it had anything at all to do with the animals being a little bit more on-edge lately. Even the cows were giving less milk than usual, and the horses had been unusually skittish over the past several days. But I'll find out if it's related. This never should have had to be just his battle.
"Hey! Hey! Bob!" she added, clapping her hands briskly and trying to get the rooster's attention. "Leave some for the others! You big old pig! Ugh, he's ignoring me," she grumbled, no less affectionately, as most of the feeding frenzy quickly dispersed. "Classic Bob."
Kasey laughed as he watched Bob strut around with a series of contented clucks, wattle flapping as his head abruptly turned this way and that. Renee had already walked him through watering them and cleaning up after them earlier, and given him a quick rundown on any possible health issues to watch out for, and the MacArthurs had lent him a few books as well. I think I can do this, he told himself as he and Renee waved goodbye to the chickens. He told Renee as much as they headed outside to wash their hands at the pump outside of the coop, getting a bright smile in return.
"Nice! Alright, then, let's go inside the store and get you set up with some of our girls, huh?" She winked at him and clapped him on the shoulder, drawing an awkward laugh from him.
"Uhhh, w-what kind of business are you guys running again?"
"Legally, we can't say." Renee held the door for Kasey, ushering him into the Horn Ranch storefront. The bell jingled over the sound of The Supremes playing on the radio, prompting Ruth and Hannah to look over at the two and wave at them from the counter.
"Morning, kids!" Ruth chirped, her demeanor brighter and sunnier than Renee had ever seen it. "How are you guys doing?"
"Hey, Mrs. Sellers. Doing pretty good," Renee responded, giving Kasey another pat on the shoulder as they reached the counter. Eyeing the candy dish her parents kept by the till, she swiped a peppermint and a butterscotch and offered one to Kasey, who took the peppermint happily. Renee unwrapped her own candy and popped it into her mouth with a pleased hum. "'Bout to do ourselves a little business, too! Our buddy here's about to pick himself up a pair of chicks!"
Choking on his peppermint and coughing, Kasey felt his face burn, and he shook his head at Renee as the three women chuckled. "Oh, c-come on! R-really?"
"Oh, Kasey, you know you'd have no problem in that department," Ruth teased, wagging a finger at him. "I've seen the way some of those girls in town look at you, especially once your hair got longer. You should really keep it like that, just maybe get the ends trimmed. If your confidence matched your looks, you'd be unstoppable, you know! And the Firefly Festival's coming up in a couple of days, so you may as well shoot your shot!" She threw a meaningful glance Renee's way as she said this, though Renee seemed to miss it.
"Down, Mrs. Robinson," Hanna chided, giving Ruth as stern a glance as she could muster, while Kasey turned redder and hunched his shoulders. "Don't embarrass the poor kid!" She turned her kind smile Kasey's way and shrugged. "Sorry, sug, she can be a bit of a pain in the butt sometimes. So!" she went on, drumming her fingers excitedly on the countertop, and ignoring Ruth's exaggerated huff. "You feel ready to start raising some chickens, then? Sounds like everything went well?"
Kasey nodded, though he still felt a bit jittery about the whole ordeal. Well, of course. It's something else new that I'm starting out on... "Y-yeah, well... I... guess I'm still a little antsy about it. B-but Renee was a big help," he added quickly, hoping he wasn't changing Hanna's mind about selling to him, "and those books you guys lent me are really useful, too!"
"Oh, that's normal," Ruth chimed in, tutting sympathetically as she grabbed a strawberry candy from the dish and unwrapped it. "Of course you're nervous, sweetie! You've just gotta stick with it and do your best, and don't worry if it takes a while to start seeing a return on the investment. It's the same idea as it is with growing your crops" she reminded Kasey, wagging the candy at him like she'd done with her finger moments before. "But you'll do fine, don't worry! If you need any help, you've got some of the best in the business just down the road from you, after all."
"And you keep those books as long as you need to, sug, we're in no rush to get them back," Hanna added, pulling out her inventory ledger from under the counter to note the sale as Kasey thanked her. "Alright, so we've got... two hens. Renee, you can help him pick out which two he'll be taking home, right?"
Renee saluted her mother with a bright grin. "Roger that! Think I got a couple in mind that'd be perfect, actually. Just started laying a couple days ago. They're pretty docile," she reassured Kasey.
Hanna gave a smart nod and pored over her notes in the ledger. "Wonderful! Okay, and... a bag of feed... you'll want a quarter pound a day per hen, so... we've got a fifteen-pound bag, that should last you a couple of weeks with just a pair to get you started... you can always go for a bigger bag once you're settled in, if you ever decide to take in a few more hens..." As she spoke, Hanna punched in the total on the register. "Okay, there we go!"
Kasey noticed the total coming up a little lower than he'd anticipated it being, but one look at Hanna and Renee told him they were well aware. He just hoped it was a one-off thing. With a sheepish "thanks," he counted out his money and slipped his change into his wallet, while Hanna bustled out from behind the counter to grab the bag of feed and Renee headed out to the coop to collect the hens. Seeing Hanna wobble slightly as she stood up with the bag in her arms, Kasey and Ruth quickly went to help her catch her balance.
Hanna chuckled, shifting the bag a bit. "Whew! Thanks. It's not that heavy, really. Just very, very bulky... we've got a wheelbarrow outside you can take to get this to your farm. I don't want you hurting yourself trying to carry this thing all the way over there."
"And Renee will be taking the chickens over there with you," Ruth said, a sly hum punctuating her sentence as they followed Hanna outside to grab the wheelbarrow. The air was pleasantly brisk with a tinge of salt, and pale gray clouds were spreading over the sky, slowly darkening with the promise of a gentle rain. "I'm sure that'll be nice, won't it?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at him, as if making absolutely sure there was no way he could miss her point.
Hanna sighed and rolled her eyes as she set the feed bag into the wheelbarrow, while Kasey once again went beet-red and tugged at the collar of his sweatshirt. He let out a faltering laugh. "Umm, w-well... wh-what are you—?"
"Come on, now, Ruth," Hanna griped, swatting her friend on the arm. "You know that's my daughter you're trying to pimp out, right?"
Ruth shooed Hanna away and tittered. In no time at all, the residents of Castanet had unanimously agreed to holding the Firefly Festival, and word had promptly zipped around town to tinge the warming spring air with a buzz of anticipation. Some of the townsfolk were riding the high more giddily than others. "Oh, but he's blushing! That's so cute! You like her, don't you? She hasn't said anything about taking anyone to the festival, so—well, you remember what I said earlier!"
Hanna threw her hands up and groaned. "Ruth! Good Lord, you don't listen, do you?"
"What's she doing this time?" Renee piped up from behind, coming up to them with a wooden carrier clutched to her chest. Inside, two hens fluttered and clucked in agitation. Eyes darting from Ruth's knowing smile to Kasey's blazing face, Renee sighed. "Oh my god, what did you do to him now?"
"Oh, nothing, nothing." Ruth's smile grew wider, and she hummed as she finally unwrapped her strawberry candy and popped it into her mouth. "Don't worry about it, sweetie." She winked as she chewed, and gave them a wave that failed to be nonchalantly dismissive. "You two go on ahead on your way, now. I'm sure those chickens won't want to be kept waiting too long."
"Yeah, it's best you two get really far away from Ruth for now," Hanna agreed, shooing them off as pleasantly as she could. "Don't let my headache become your headache. Run, kids. Try to beat the rain home, okay, Renee? And bye, babies," she added, looking to the chickens briefly to blow them a kiss. "You behave for your new papa, okay?"
"L-let's go," Kasey mumbled, waving an awkward goodbye to them and hefting the wheelbarrow with a grunt as he began to push it. His steps were hurried yet clumsy, and he stumbled a few times as he stole a few furtive glances over his shoulder, as though worried that Ruth would begin following them to see what would happen. She and Hanna remained behind, however: Ruth, watching and waving innocently; and Hanna, swatting her hand down and dragging her into the store. Feeling his ears still burning, Kasey let out his breath loudly. "God..."
Mimicking Kasey's over-the-shoulder glances a few times, Renee finally looked back to him with her brows knit in confusion as she shifted the carrier a little bit. "Ooookay, so... do I want to know?"
"Ehh..." Kasey cleared his throat, wondering how to phrase it. It still struck him as odd that a festival for paying respects to the deceased was supposed to be considered romantic. "Sh-she, umm... y'know. Might've... g-gotten the wrong idea... about some... s-some stuff. Like the... the festival."
"The wrong idea? About—" Renee stopped in her tracks, eyes widening a bit. "...Oh. She meant—" Moving to hold the crate under one arm, she gestured to Kasey, then herself, and sighed when he nodded. Her cheeks dusted pink. "Ah. I sort of had a feeling... hoo, boy."
"You said it... err, n-no offense," Kasey added on quickly, though Renee was quick to shake her head as they started moving again.
"None taken! I mean, you're definitely a great guy, but... it's like... I mean, we haven't known each other that long, I know, but I feel like you're more of a brother to me or something," Renee admitted, feeling relieved when he cracked a small smile. Ruth wasn't the only one in town who had gotten that idea about the two of them, though she noted with silent gratitude that the conversation was turning out to be nowhere near as awkward and unpleasant as she'd worried it could have. "And... I... may have someone in mind anyway. Nobody I've said anything to yet, mind you," she added with a little, self-deprecating shrug. "Just... someone."
Kasey's smile grew, and he let out a little laugh. "Someone, huh?"
"Someone," Renee repeated firmly, though her expression was as sunny as ever. "Someone I may ask your opinion about."
"Oh, yeah?" Kasey felt himself relax just a bit, eyebrows raised, though he still felt himself go a little tense with caution at the possibility of where the conversation might go. They crossed over the bridge leading to the Clarinet District, listening to the river gurgle by underneath. The smell of salt and rain in the air grew stronger, but they walked slowly, enjoying each others' company. "S-so, am I getting a name for someone?"
Squinting one eye, Renee twisted up her mouth in mock-thought. "Weeeeell... I could tell you his name. But I'll admit, Ruth got me a little curious... I tell you his name, you tell me if you have anyone in mind! Deal?"
She supposed she should've expected Kasey to go red again, to hunch his shoulders, and maybe even to let out the little squeak that he made upon hearing her proposal. Still, Renee couldn't help but feel a little excited at his reaction. "Oh my god, you do! Aww, Kasey! Have you asked her out yet? Who is it, anyway? Is it Maya—no, wait... probably not her. She's a cool girl, but she's a little too young for you. Ooh, maybe it's Candace? She's such a sweetie, you two would be so adorable together—"
"Okay!" Alarm jumping into his voice, Kasey held up a hand to stop Renee before she went any further in mortifying him. Seeing the surprise on her face, he shook his head. "S-sorry, i-it... it's just..." He sighed, not able to get the words out just yet.
"No, no, it's my bad," Renee said, holding up her own hands now to mollify him. "I kinda got overexcited there... I shouldn't have, after seeing how embarrassed you were earlier when Ruth did it..."
Kasey scratched the side of his nose, shoulders hunching up further as he turned his gaze to the ground and uttered a nervous giggle. "I-it's okay, no biggie. I-I just... I... I-I actually... did ask s-someone... already." Okay, just say it, then. If she asks, just say it.
Eyes softening, Renee rubbed his arm with her free hand, shushing the hens as they squawked in the carrier. Was he embarrassed because he'd been turned down? If so, it was their loss, as far as she was concerned. Hopefully, he'd at least trust her to lend a sympathetic ear if she needed to. "Alright, so... how'd that go for you, then?"
Letting out a deep breath, Kasey cracked a small smile again. "W-well... i-it..." He gulped, and tried again: "H-he said... yes. S-so... yeah."
"Oh! Well, look at you, then! That's gre—"
And the gears in Renee's head halted for the tiniest moment as she processed what he'd just said.
"Ohhhhhh..."
Clearing his throat, Kasey let out another nervous, high-pitched chuckle. "Y-yeah. I'm... well, I-I... kind of... I kind of h-have a... a b-boyfriend now..."
Okay, well, that definitely explains some things. Renee gave Kasey a little bump with her hip as they headed up the path to Dobro Ridge, causing him to look her way. Despite her surprise, she felt it was best to not make a huge deal over it, other than being happy for him. "Well, hey! He's a pretty lucky guy, then. That's really great to hear. How long have you guys been seeing each other?"
Relief flooded Kasey's veins at the response, though his heart was still beating fast. His heart warmed in gratitude. "J-just.. a few weeks now."
"Is he local, or someone from back in Twin Bluffs? I mean, you don't have to tell me who exactly he is, if he's from here," Renee added quickly, looking over at him. His face was still a little flushed, but his demeanor was suddenly a lot happier and more relaxed. She wracked her brain, trying to figure out who it could be. A few somewhat-plausible names came to mind, from both in and out of town, before Kasey's voice pulled her attention back to him:
"It's.. umm... i-it's... T-Toby."
Renee rubbed her chin, picturing it, and nodding in approval. "Toby, huh? Wow..." Though she hadn't really seen Toby express much romantic interest in anyone in all the time she'd known him—other than Phoebe, for about five minutes when they were a pair of horny teenagers—the idea of him going out with Kasey was surprisingly easy for her to grasp. "...Okay, so that actually makes... pretty much perfect sense. I can definitely see it... I may also be a little relieved, though," Renee went on, before she could really stop herself. At Kasey's quizzical glance, she grinned wryly at him. "...Do you really wanna know, though? Like, are you sure you wanna know who I thought you might be dating?"
"..I-I just... I just came out to you," Kasey pointed out, sharing her grin, though his was definitely wider. Even if it hadn't quite gotten a lot easier yet, he noted how much less terrifying it was compared to when Anissa first found out. "Don't I kind of get to know now or something? ...Wait, though..." His smile faded. "Why would I not want to know?"
Silence passed while they made their way past Kasey's increasingly-larger field of crops and came to a stop before the coop. The silence was short, but no less awkward, as they held eye contact.
"Still wanna know?" Renee offered, heading into the coop with the carrier and setting it down on top of the shipping crate. She waited for Kasey to close the coop door and flip the lights on before opening the carrier and gently scooping the hens out.
Kasey sighed and rolled his eyes, dropping the wheelbarrow handles and hauling the feed bag out with a soft grunt. "Well, now I feel like I can't not know..."
"Okay, fair point... anyway! Yeah, so..." Renee took a deep breath, wondering how exactly to put it. "Okay, seeing how you guys are sometimes... I may have thought that, I dunno... maybe it was Chase?"
"Chase?!" Kasey repeated incredulously, his voice cracking. He fumbled with the feed bag, almost dropping it on his feet, and the hens flapped and squawked loudly at the disturbance. Setting the bag down and shushing them gently, he threw Renee another disbelieving look, which quickly shifted to a smile. "Wait—Chase?"
"Yes, Kasey, Chase," Renee echoed with only a little exasperation, watching the hens calm down and wander around their new home. "As in the guy from House."
Kasey laughed and set the carrier on the ground, sitting on top of the shipping bin. He found himself with the sudden urge to tease her. Well, she did tell me that I'm like a brother to her, he reasoned. "I... I used to actually have a crush on that guy... so, Chase, huh? Anissa's neighbor, that Chase? Works at the bar? First name 'Eric?'"
It was Renee's turn to blush, though she kept her composure more easily than Kasey did. "I think we've established who it is, yeah? Is it that surprising? I mean... I know he's kind of... prickly sometimes. But honestly, being friends with you and Toby sorta... seems to be bringing out a side of him that I kind of like. He lets his guard down more these days. I don't know why he tries to downplay it, but... he's a much more decent and sweet person than he likes to act like he is." She sat down next to an amused Kasey on top of the bin, rubbing the back of her neck and staring at the ground with a silly grin on her face. "And, well, he's a funny guy, it doesn't hurt that he knows how to cook really well, and... you gotta admit, he's pretty nice to look at, right?"
As much as Kasey hated to admit it, Renee did have a point. Chase, for all his surliness and cockiness, was pretty easy on the eyes. "Okay, fine, he's... he's cute," Kasey confessed, going pink again. He jabbed a finger at Renee. "And that doesn't leave this coop."
"I'll take it to my grave," Renee promised flatly, swatting his finger down. She sighed and kicked her sneakers against the bin, stretching out her fingers when one of the hens passed by. It ignored her and clucked onwards, feathers barely brushing against Renee's skin. "Oh, nice, they've forgotten me already. So..." She looked back up at Kasey, who had a satisfied little smirk on his lips all of a sudden. "You think I should go for it, then?"
He coughed and cleared his throat. His facial expression remained unchanged, though he couldn't help but feel a little guilty for it. "I mean... why not?"
Renee narrowed her eyes. He knew something. She had a sneaking suspicion as to what, but she wanted to hear it from him. It shouldn't be too difficult. "So why are you smirking like that?"
"I-I'm not smirking... heheh. Hey!"
Renee kicked his ankle gently, though she was smiling now, too. It was easy enough to suss out anyway, and a nice confidence booster at that. "Yeah, yeah... well alright, then. Guess I've gotta make a little stop on the way home, huh?"
"Well, if it doesn't start to rai—"
Kasey cut himself off as nature swooped in with perfect timing, the soft patter rolling cozily across the roof and drawing a long groan from Renee.
"Uuuugh, and I forgot my stupid raincoat," she groused, thumping the back of her head lightly on the wall of the coop. "I knew I was forgetting something when we left earlier. Crap."
"Come on. You know I'll let you borrow mine, right?" Kasey told her, giving her a comforting pat on the back, and getting a grateful grin in return. "I won't let you melt."
Renee stuck her tongue out at this remark and swatted his hand off of her. "Don't push it, Kase. Alright, looks like that visit to Chase is just gonna have to be a call. Let me just say goodbye to the girls first..." As Renee slid off the shipping bin and knelt down to stroke the hens, who had wandered over to them during their conversation, she looked back up at Kasey. "By the way, you thought of names for these two yet? Usually when folks buy from us, they might rename the animals, especially the younger ones like these two. My mom named 'em Edith and Louise, I guess from some old shows she really likes, but they're yours now, so..."
"Huh..." Kasey fingered his chin thoughtfully, making a mental note to shave, and cocked his head as he knelt down to take a closer look at the hens. Feeling a bit put on the spot, he looked to Renee with a sheepish grin. "I, uhh... I-I've never been good at... y'know, naming pets."
Renee leveled an incredulous stare at him. "Come on... guy names his farm 'Dobro Ridge,' but he can't name chickens? How can you not be good at naming animals?"
"Do you really wanna know?" Kasey offered, watching the hens wander over to check out their nests. At Renee's curious nod, he started snickering. "I... uhh... okay. So, when I was, like, ten... I used to have a pet bullfrog..."
Renee nodded again, slower this time. "...Uh-huh..."
Kasey started to laugh a little harder, more amused than embarrassed by the memory. "...I n-named him... I named him 'Fluffy.'"
With a loud guffaw, Renee gave him a shove that landed him on his butt. "Get outta here! What the—?!"
"I—I don't know why!" Kasey tried to stifle his giggles, and shoved Renee back. "My—my parents, though... my dad was like—" He cleared his throat and tried to adopt his father's even, gentle tone: "'Son... i-it's... it's a frog!'" The impression broke as he trailed off into more giggles, and Renee shook her head mirthfully.
"Ca-can I even trust you to name these two now?" she gasped, wiping at her eyes. "Oh my god. Frickin' Fluffy the Bullfrog. Kasey... your poor dad... that poor frog!"
Kasey threw his hands up defensively. "I liked the name! I was ten!"
"Old enough to know that frogs aren't—oh my god," Renee repeated, though she still looked extremely amused by it all. "Okay, let's... let's just stay away from adjectives, then. Just... do what we normal people do and name them after characters from stuff you like or something! This is your chance to redeem yourself. C'mon."
Screwing up his mouth, Kasey wracked his brain while he watched the hens settle into their nests. "Things I like... things I like... they're both girls... okay, so..." He snapped his fingers as it came to him, and pointed to each hen in turn: "Carrie, aaaand... Christine!"
Renee nodded approvingly, looking over at them. "Carrie and Christine, huh? Nice! Those are actually really... cute..." Her smile faded as it dawned on her, and she sighed and shook her head. Nonetheless, the corner of her mouth gave a slight twitch. "Kasey. Really?"
Kasey chuckled, giving her a little shrug. "What? Not a fan of Stephen King?"
Renee waggled her hand a bit. "He's okay, but... Christine is a car!"
"Okay, but you know it's still an actual name, right?" he countered, getting to his feet and offering his hand to Renee. "It existed before cars did. Besides, I think they like my names. Look at them."
They looked over at the hens, who had made themselves comfortable in their nests and appeared to be napping.
"Well, I'm convinced," Renee said dryly, turning around to grab the carrier and set it in the wheelbarrow. "Alright, Kase, I'll leave you with your creepy horror chickens. I'm guessing the next one's gonna be named 'Wendy,' or 'Beverly,' or 'Dolores Claiborne' or something."
"Ooh, I like 'Wendy.' But I was actually thinking of 'Rachel,' you know, from Pet Sematary?"
"Stoooop!" Renee groaned, holding up a hand. "Jeez, that movie gave me the creeps! Eugh. But, fine, go on and name them whatever. But if I see you with a bucket of pig's blood, we're taking Carrie back!"
"Damn... nah, I'll be nice to them," Kasey promised with a laugh, heading to the door to open it. "Just let me grab my jacket for you real quick, okay? You can just return it whenever. Be right back! And don't forget to call Chase when you get home!"
"What are you, my pimp?" Renee shot back, though she couldn't help but grin and cross her fingers. Her smile hitched a bit as she thought back to the bell once more, and the strange behavior of the animals back home. Carrie and Christine seemed mostly unfazed by all the stress permeating Castanet, which would help Kasey out as he got used to raising them, but something had upset the others shortly after she'd found the bell several nights ago.
And Dad hasn't been sleeping too great lately...maybe it's connected? But... should I ask him? she mused. Or maybe... could I ask Chase...? Maybe I can let him in on this. She gave a start as she caught sight of Kasey returning with the raincoat, as promised, and let her smile pop back onto her face.
A few minutes later, after promising to be careful and reminding Kasey to give the hens some water, Renee was splashing off down the path back to Flute Fields, with Kasey's jacket reaching just above her knees on her smaller frame. He chuckled at the sight, before a new thought struck him and caused him to grimace. She's running back home from my place... wearing my jacket... oh, god. Burying his red face in his hand as he realized how this might look to Ruth, or to Renee's parents, he sighed and shook his head. He could still remember the teasing he got from his sisters when he came home one day wearing one of Danny's shirts inside-out. Whatever... it's not like we can't clear it up if we have to. And he knew he wouldn't have to worry about Chase or Toby getting the wrong idea.
Rolling his eyes at his foolishness, he exhaled again, turning around to make sure Carrie and Christine were comfortable, before heading back to the house to get them some water.
The evening of the Firefly Festival brought cool air and a light breeze to Castanet, though the thick, smokey-blue clouds drifting over the ocean were promising more spring rainstorms to come later that night. Still, rays of deep-gold sunlight managed to slip through and illuminate the crowd gathered around the banks of the Glissando River, neighbors making chit-chat and helping each other get things set up. Frogs, crickets, and birds provided a backdrop to the chatter. Lights were strung up from the top of the water mill to the roof of Julius Pasternak's house a short distance away, with red-and-orange paper lanterns covering bulbs at set intervals and swaying gently, and the Kerns had set up a stand to help people properly form their lotus-style lanterns to float down the river. A short distance away from them, the Sellerses had a stand set up to sell beverages.
Kasey was a little taken aback by the crowd, wondering how many of the residents had attended; it looked like a large chunk of them had come, the most he'd ever seen in one place since he'd moved to Castanet. He waved and nodded to a few familiar faces, scanning the crowd. Almost every face there was familiar, though he found himself staring in astonished curiosity at one man around his age: slender, short, and pale, with shaggy, colorfully-streaked lilac hair pulled into a low ponytail. He was dressed in a crisp white button-down t-shirt and black slacks that flared out at the bottom, with a splash of red from the sash tied at his waist. He was engaged in conversation with Dale and a lively-looking Mira, speaking animatedly and causing the sun to glint off of the many rings and bangles he wore as he gesticulated.
Okay, that's got to be that Julius guy Chase told me about, Kasey reasoned, cocking his head to the side. Several questions rose in his mind, but he swept them aside and looked away, feeling rude for staring. How in the hell did I miss that guy these past few months? He smiled as he spotted Toby, Ozzie, Paolo, and Chase hanging out by the bottom of the mill, and started to make his way over to them. However, yet another sight caught his attention from the corner of his eye, and he stopped, mulling over his options.
Well... I do need to talk to him eventually, Kasey decided. Seeing Toby, Chase, and Paolo wave him over, he waved back, gesturing for them to wait a moment before pointing and calling "I just need to do something real quick!"
At their nods, he turned and headed over to where Luke, Owen, and Bo were; Luke was helping Bo form his lantern, while Owen stared down at the water with an unreadable look on his face and his arms folded over his chest.
"Okay, so—sheesh, this is hard. Did they change the lanterns this year or something?" Luke grumbled, letting out an exasperated groan as one of the petals drooped again. He ran his free hand through his messy, skunk-striped hair in frustration. "C'mon! Really?!"
Bo chuckled, taking the lantern from him and inspecting it with a shrug, while Luke hung his head in defeat. "They don't need to look perfect, Luke. I'm sure they won't mind if—oh, hey, Kasey!"
"Hey, guys," Kasey greeted, nodding to each of them and bumping his fist against Bo's. Luke responded with a cheery "Wassup, my man?!" and a clap on the shoulder, though Owen didn't seem to have noticed. He still stood, watching the river flow by, brows furrowed and mouth set tightly. Feeling a little concerned, Kasey stepped into his peripheral vision and waved again. "Err—h-hey, Owen. ...Umm... Owen?"
"Huh?!" Owen jolted back to the present, looking around in confusion, before settling down when he spotted Kasey. He gave an apologetic smile and nod. "Hey, dude. Sorry, I didn't see ya there. Was kinda on another planet for a sec, my bad. How's it goin'?"
Kasey waved it off, and bumped Owen's outstretched fist with his own. "It's—it's cool, don't worry. It's going alright. You guys doing okay?"
"Pretty good lately," Luke answered, beaming. "Well, I mean... aside from today an' all. Which, duh, I guess. It can get pretty tough for folks. Heh, but we've been pretty busy in the mines ever since you got things back up and runnin' again for us, so we got that goin' on!"
As Kasey let out an embarrassed laugh, Owen cuffed him on the shoulder, staggering him a bit. "Yeah, Luke's right. My grandpa's got the blacksmith back up and running now, and Mira and Julius reopened their shop, too. They mostly fill mail orders, since they make jewelry and accessories and stuff, but Grandpa and I have been able to finally get some peoples' stuff spruced up." He gave Kasey a wink and a nod, pointing at him: "You should think about bringing your tools by sometime to get upgraded, too. Those things are kinda beat-up, yeah?"
"Think they were old man Beasley's, weren't they?" Luke chimed in. "Dude kept on top of that shit, but those things are ancient by now!"
"Err, k-kinda, yeah," Kasey agreed, rubbing the back of his neck. Owen's sales pitch sounded appealing, but he knew he couldn't afford it just yet. On the plus side, it sounded like the conversation would soon be headed in the direction he was hoping for. "Ahhh, maybe—maybe when I've saved up a little more money?"
"I'll put in a word with Grandpa," Owen offered, making Kasey's eyes widen a bit as he knew what was coming next. "See if we can't work out a discount for you or something."
Can they afford all these discounts they keep giving me?! Kasey wondered with a moment of panic, though he bit back his protests and simply nodded. "Th-thanks, that's... that's really cool of you."
Owen let out a deep laugh, shrugging his shoulders. "Dude, don't sweat it! We're the ones who should be thanking you, you know? Plus, it's not gonna put us out on the streets if we do it just this once. So make sure you pick wisely, eh?"
"Yeah... I'm hoping we can get back out to the forest eventually and start our work again," Bo sighed, casting a forlorn look in the direction of the Fugue Forest. Kasey, Luke, and Owen followed his gaze, and the air grew solemn once more.
"Dude, that—that's gonna... that's gonna be a while," Luke muttered, eyes narrowing. Kasey couldn't help but notice that Luke's whole body had tensed up, and he seemed to be breathing a little faster than normal. "So don't get your hopes up, 'kay?"
"I know, Luke," Bo said patiently, catching Owen's eye. The two exchanged grimaces, and Bo rubbed Luke on the back with his free hand. "It'll work out somehow, though."
"Yeah... I guess..."
Sensing the opportunity opening right up, Kasey cleared his throat and tapped Bo on the shoulder. "Hey, umm, Bo? Sorry, but—but could I, uhh... could I talk to Luke and Owen for a sec? Like, in private?"
His request drew three curious stares, but Bo—looking to Owen, and then Luke, and finding answers from neither of them—nodded slowly. "Alright, sure. Hey, guys, I'll be with the others over there, okay? Don't be late!"
"Gotcha," Luke called, as Bo went off to join Dale, Mira, and Julius, carrying his lantern with him. Luke waved to the group briefly, before turning back to Kasey and Owen. "Alrighty, then, it's just us men here! Uhh, is this convo about to get a little not-work-safe or somethin'?" he added with a laugh.
"N-no!" Kasey shook his head rapidly, waving his hands and going pink. "Geez... no, it-it's not that!"
"He's kidding, Kase," Owen informed him, snickering. "Okay, so... what'd you need to talk to us about, though?"
Taking a deep breath, Kasey jumped right into it, hoping it would land properly: "Okay. The—the forest... is... is what I need to talk about. Well—I mean, not this second, we can—we can get together later to talk about it, but... but I need to know, you know, what happened to Luke in there."
The air grew thick with tension following his words, and the silence seemed to loom high over them even amid the din of everyone else talking all around. Kasey couldn't help but notice, as they stood there, how the setting sun was throwing Luke's scars into deep and troubling relief, almost as if warning him of the dangers of what he was looking into.
"...Shit," Luke breathed shakily after a moment, swallowing hard and looking down at the ground. His hands were crammed into his jeans pockets, and Owen stepped next to him to give his back a gentle rub. "Y-you do, huh? Then that... it's gotta be one of those bells in there, then, huh?"
Kasey nodded without a word, giving Luke an apologetic grimace that went unseen. "Sorry... but... yeah. Wizard told me a couple weeks ago... I—I'm not happy about it, either, believe me."
Luke shook his head. "Nah, it's... it's... well, I ain't gonna say 'It's cool' like I'm jumpin' at the chance or anything, but... if you gotta know... y-you're not gonna just, like, try and barge in there like I did, though, are you?!" he added, looking up at Kasey with panic in his eyes. "Because—"
"N-no! No, of—of course not," Kasey reassured him, holding up his hands. The outburst was a little surprising, though he reasoned it really shouldn't have been. "No, I'm—I'm gonna speak with Wizard and see... you know, what our options are. But... I just... we need to know what we're up against, Luke. And—and we're... we need as much info as you can give us... okay?"
"It might help you if you talk about it, too, Luke," Owen prodded gently, wrapping an arm around his friend's shoulders and jostling him lightly. "And, hey, man. If you need me there for moral support or something, just say the word."
Luke sighed and nodded. "O-okay, yeah... thanks, dude. Okay, Kase." He nodded again, this time with a little more confidence, as he held out his hand for Kasey to shake. "You free tomorrow afternoon? We got Thursdays off, so... so, yeah, we can do this over lunch or somethin'."
"Sounds good," Kasey agreed, shaking his hand. "Thank you, guys... alright. I gotta get over to, umm..." He craned his neck, looking back at Toby, Ozzie, and Paolo—Chase was over with Renee and her family now, ducking his head and rubbing the back of his neck with a nervous laugh as Cain said something to him. Biting back a grin, Kasey looked back at Luke and Owen, who were waiting for him to go on. "Ah! S-sorry, yeah... but.. I... gotta... I gotta go..."
"O...kay... then," Owen drawled out, chuckling. "We'll see you tomorrow, Kase. Take care."
"Later, man," Luke added as Kasey bid them goodbye and jogged over to the fishery crew, exchanging greetings with them.
"Sorry, that took me a little longer than I meant it to," he told them, though Ozzie shook his head as he knelt down to help Paolo fix his lantern.
"Aw, it ain't nothin', kiddo! Glad you could join us. Here you go, son," he added, patting Paolo on the shoulder. "That look good to you?"
Paolo tilted his head as he inspected the lantern with a comically serious expression, before nodding happily. "Yup! This's our family lantern," he told Kasey, holding it up. "See? We try to do one per family now instead of one per person, so there's less of 'em going out. This's ours and Chase's! If he gets back here in time, anyway," he added, rolling his eyes as he looked over in Chase's direction.
Kasey knelt down to get a better look at the lantern. The paper was stiff, but otherwise light, making a nice and simple flower shape. In the center sat a hunk of smooth, shiny moonstone, its otherworldly shimmer sleek and fluid. "Wow," he breathed, gently taking the lantern from Paolo and peering inside. True to its name, the stone was round and silvery, though far smoother than the actual moon. "This is... really beautiful."
"Isn't it?" Toby agreed, kneeling down next to Kasey and taking a look as well. "Julius told us gray moonstone like this is meant to help guide spirits home safely... I guess they must travel a lot, since we help them home every year. I wonder where they go the rest of the time, and when they're supposed to be visiting?"
"Be nice if we could see them," Paolo huffed, taking the lantern as Kasey offered it back to him. "I wanna meet Uncle Hiro and Aunt Sonia! I bet they'd like me. Aunt Sonia was really pretty. And I always wondered if Mom sounded like Dad..."
Toby smiled warmly at his cousin and ruffled his hair. "Oh, no. Your dad's the outlier here. He's from Texas, like Mr. Sellers. Your mom sounded normal, like the rest of us."
"You sayin' I sound weird?" Ozzie asked with feigned indignation, laughing when Toby only offered a shrug in reply. "Frickin' northerners. You know your mama had the same accent I did, right? But Toby's right about your mama," he added to Paolo, nodding smartly. "She actually had a real pretty voice, I think. Sounded like that Julie Andrews when she sang."
Paolo pondered this for a moment. "Well... that's cool, then. I wish I remembered it..." His face fell slightly, though he shrugged it off almost immediately as he looked back up to Kasey. "She caught cansis, though, when I was really little, so... she died from it."
"Cancer," Ozzie corrected, though his voice had gone softer. He smiled ruefully at Kasey. "Breast cancer. Wasn't long after Lolo was born that she was diagnosed... progressed pretty fast, too."
Kasey felt his throat tighten a bit. "I'm—I'm sorry. That must've been hard... especially after, umm..." He trailed off, realizing he'd been about to bring up Toby's parents' deaths, as well. He felt Toby squeeze his hand. "Oh, man... s-sorry..."
"It's okay, Kasey."
"She woulda liked you a lot, Mia," Ozzie mused, a wistful smile on his lips now. "Hell of a woman. Really funny, always loved makin' folks laugh. And Toby's folks, too. Hiro was a real nice man, a great dad. You kinda remind me of him, actually, he was kinda shy, too... and... and Sonia..." His face darkened and his eyes shone as he spoke his sister's name. He let out a shuddering breath. "Still... still burns me up, what happened to 'em."
Toby squeezed his uncle's shoulder, and drew in a deep breath. He'd never liked talking about it to anyone outside of his uncle before—even Chase didn't know—but, he reasoned, maybe it would help him. Maybe he needed to be a little more open about it with the people he loved. And the subject had just been broached, anyway. "Yeah, it... it was... I was five," he told Kasey. Looking down at Paolo, he added: "And I don't know if you ever heard... okay, no. Umm... so... it was their anniversary, and... they... they were going out, you know, dinner and a movie and stuff. And I was at home with the babysitters, and I was... I was taking a nap when they left, so I... I didn't..."
He shook his head and huffed, feeling his eyes burn a bit, as his voice grew tighter: "Someone... robbed the place they were getting dinner at. And, well, he had a gun, and... you know, they gave him... they gave him their money and jewelry and stuff, but... I don't know, I guess he didn't want witnesses, or—or he was just... just a really horrible person in general, but... but even though they did what he said, he still... he shot everyone there. And—at least the owner survived, so she was able to help catch him when she woke up... but—"
"No, you can't be serious... no..."
Molly's despairing wail jolted Toby and Kevin to attention, with Toby streaking a line of green across the page of the coloring book in his surprise. Kevin sprang to his feet and barreled down the hall to the front door to check on his girlfriend, while Toby set his crayon down and crept cautiously after him. He peeked around the corner, seeing Molly crying hysterically in a devastated Kevin's arms.
"We're so sorry," the detective said, eyes downcast. "We're doing everything we can to catch him. The owner's in surgery right now..."
"How... how are we gonna tell him?" Kevin whispered, starting to hyperventilate. "They—they have a son, he's only five, he..."
Toby stepped forward hesitantly, feeling like he wanted to throw up. His stomach twisted and turned, and he knew something really bad had happened. The way everyone suddenly looked his way, the looks on their faces... he stopped cold, only barely managing to get their names out: "...K-Kevin...? ...Molly?"
Molly knelt down, wiping her eyes and trying to calm herself. "Toby, I... we... we have some really bad news for you, sweetheart... oh, god, I can't do this, I—y-you're sure it was them? You're sure it was them?!"
"...I'm sorry, Miss Elwin... but their IDs were on them at the scene."
He'd never forget the way Molly's face crumpled before she pulled him into a tight, shaky hug.
Blinking, Toby wondered for a moment why he'd stopped speaking, before he realized that Kasey and Ozzie were hugging him now, in the present. He even felt Paolo hugging his legs. The second surprise came when he realized his cheeks were damp, and he was sniffling. He sighed and buried his face into Ozzie's shoulder without another word, shaking as he started to let out too many years of pent-up grief.
"I know, kiddo," Ozzie whispered, ruffling Toby's hair. He kissed his nephew on the top of the head, feeling like he was once again comforting the despondent five-year-old he and Mia had taken in so long ago. "I know."
Toby found his voice after a moment: "I—I just... h-he didn't even... l-let me... say g-goodbye..."
"I'm sorry," Kasey added quietly, his own voice thick as he heard Toby let out a muffled hiccup. He thought back to when Toby had gone into a trance at Wizard's house, and started to get emotional. He couldn't help but wonder if some of the memories had come back then, too. Opening his stinging eyes, he gave a slight start, seeing a shaken-looking Chase and Renee standing a short distance away with a couple of cardboard carriers filled with drinks. "H-hey, guys," he called, giving them a strained little half-smile.
"Hey," Chase muttered, setting his carrier on the ground next to Renee's as they walked over. He placed a hand on Toby's shoulder, his usual cool expression softened by concern. "Hey, Tobes..."
"Hey, Chase," Toby mumbled into his uncle's shoulder. He pulled away, wiping at his eyes and smiling apologetically as he calmed down. "Eugh... sorry. What a mess... I-I think this festival kinda gets to me sometimes." Uttering a watery laugh, he sniffed a bit harder. "I don't usually let myself get like this..."
"Don't sweat it," Renee told him, her voice quiet and kind. "You're allowed to, you know. And... we... umm... we overheard, well, about what happened to your parents..."
"We didn't mean to or anything," Chase added, a guilty expression on his face as he looked at the ground and played with the sleeves of his windbreaker. "Just... man. That's... that's so fucked up. I'm sorry, dude."
"It's fine," Toby mumbled, embarrassed that he'd let his emotions overwhelm him so much, but feeling oddly lighter for it. Maybe Renee was right. He'd cried back when he was five, but for eighteen years afterward, he'd held it in plenty of other times when he'd wanted to just let it out. He looked around for something to blow his nose on, before grabbing a napkin from the drink carrier and using it. A few of the other townsfolk looked at them, concerned at the completely new sight of easygoing, happy-go-lucky Toby Nishimura breaking down in public. He had a feeling some of them would be pestering him about it later. He waved to his neighbors sheepishly, stuffing the crumpled up napkin into his jacket pocket and bowing his head to his friends. "Thanks, guys... I'm fine now, though... really."
"Well, hey. Don't feel bad when you're not fine, though, okay?" Renee told him, pulling him into a one-armed hug. "Seriously."
"So... what happened to the guy that shot them?"
Paolo's voice, innocently curious, cut into the conversation uncomfortably. Ozzie, picking up some drinks from the carrier and passing them around, took this one:
"Life in prison. He did a lot of stuff to a lot of other people, too... so... he ain't ever gettin' out."
"Well... that's good, then." Paolo nodded smartly at Toby, as if to say, See?, before taking his lemonade and taking a deep swig.
"You said it, squirt," Chase muttered, grabbing a cup of ice water and holding it out to Kasey. "You want? It was all lemonade and sweet tea and shit like that, and Toby told me you don't like sugary stuff, so..."
Kasey accepted the drink with a pleased hum. "Oh, sure, thanks. So," he went on, seeing an opportunity to lighten the mood a bit, and looking between Chase and Renee. "Are you two here... together, or...?"
"No, because apparently everyone thinks I'm gay for every guy I'm friends with," Chase answered flatly, making Renee snort as she sipped her tea. Ozzie, Kasey, and Toby shook with laughter at the bluntness of his answer, welcoming the sudden shift in the mood. Chase managed to keep his face stony as he took another gulp of lemonade, glaring daggers at them. "Oh, yeah, ha ha. Yuk it up. And maybe consider eating at home for a little while. You people almost caused me to not go out with Renee."
"How'd we cause that?" Ozzie wanted to know, still laughing.
Renee giggled and nudged him. "Oh, hey, lighten up, Chase. Clearly, I think you're at least bi, or I wouldn't have bothered asking you out."
"Oh, that makes it so much better," Chase mumbled, though his expression brightened a little bit. Paolo looked between the two of them in utter confusion, watching Renee and Chase give each other playful shoves. "See, Renee, that boyish charm of yours is apparently what I like about you."
"Oh, shut up." Renee blew a playful raspberry at him. "How's that for 'boyish charm'?"
Chase said nothing, instead doing a chef's-kiss motion, and getting a swat on the arm for his troubles. Looking around, he saw Mayor Hamilton was preparing his speech, and the MacArthurs were waving to them. Cain raised the lantern and motioned to it. The sun had gone down completely now, blanketed beneath the heavy rainclouds, and the lights from the hanging lanterns and the moonstones were illuminating everyone at the riverside. Among the grass and the trees, fireflies could be seen flickering lazily. "Oh, look at that. Your folks saw you abusing me and now they're gonna ground you from seeing me. Right as the festival's starting, too."
"Yeah, they're gonna send me out with that lantern, I bet," Renee sighed. "Well, it was nice while it lasted. At least I'll enjoy hanging out with the fireflies." She took another sip of her tea and swished it around in the cup to mix the sugar a little better. "Alright, you little smart-mouth, I'll catch you after the send-off, okay?"
"Gotcha." Chase then gave a little jolt of surprise when Renee stood up on her tiptoes and planted a quick kiss on his cheek before jogging off to go join her parents. He tried, with some success, to keep the dopey smile off of his lips. "...Cool. It's actually happening, then." He failed in keeping his cheeks from heating up, but he didn't care, laying his hand over the spot. "...Anyone says a word about this and I'm chopping them up and baking them into a pie," he warned Kasey and Toby, listening to them chuckle as the Mayor began to speak.
"...Then, without further ado," Mayor Hamilton finished a short time later, as the polite applause died down, "let us set our lanterns adrift into the sea."
All along the riverbank and the shoreline, families and residents set their lanterns on the water, watching them go out to sea on the gentle waves. Balls of light began to shrink, and sink beneath the darkening water, while fireflies floated about and enjoyed the festivities in their own way, perhaps dancing with the departing spirits.
As Kasey looked around, he couldn't help but be stricken by how much loss the people of Castanet had clearly endured. He didn't know everyone's story, but he felt his heart ache at the weight of it all, those missing pieces of family he'd never really stopped to think about before. He knew quite a few of those pieces, at least, had died. His eyes wandered a bit—seeing the Kozlowskis and the Hamiltons huddled in a group, and seeing a concerned-looking Anissa and Jin speaking with Toby and Ozzie—before they settled on Mira and Julius, standing at the shore with their arms around each others' shoulders. He watched as several people approached them—Hanna, Ruth, Colleen, and Barbara were quick to pull the two into a large, crushing group hug, and Kasey felt himself smile at Mira's surprised and grateful laugh while she hugged them back. Julius managed to wriggle free and straighten his clothes and hair out, though he watched the others with amused approval, scolding them lightly. "Do take care not to crush her, won't you?"
As the festival wound down and everyone began to clean up after themselves before the rain started falling again, Kasey saw Mira and Julius break off from their conversation with Gill and Luna to walk towards him, waving to catch his attention. He shoved his cup into his jacket pocket and waved back with a friendly smile. This, he realized, was also his first good look at Mira since first seeing her in the church a while back. Her hair looked shiny and healthy now, and her face radiated a kind and gentle aura.
"You're Kasey, right?" she asked, adjusting her flower patterned shawl and throwing one end over her shoulder as she reached out with her other hand to shake his. At his nod, Mira smiled and tilted her head. "Oh, I thought so! We haven't really seen each other since you moved here... well," she added with a self-conscious little laugh, "I've admittedly been something of a hermit, so... oh! Excuse me, I'm being rude—I'm Mira, Mira Jensen. And this is my nephew, Julius," she continued, turning to gesture to him.
"Charmed," Julius said with a pleasant smile, as he too shook Kasey's hand with a far stronger grip than his high-maintenance appearance would have suggested. "Though I let my friends call me 'Juli,' if you'd prefer that. Well, I've told Aunt Mira, we did meet before; when the boys dragged you out of the mine that one time."
Kasey's brow furrowed in confusion, before the memory struck him. He uttered an embarrassed chuckle and covered his face with his hand. "Oh! R-right, yeah... I... I kinda remember. I was pretty... out of it."
"Boy, were you ever," Julius agreed, snickering. "But, no matter! Look, the thing is, we wanted to come over to introduce ourselves... and re-introduce, as it were... and thank you. After all, if you hadn't taken care of things in the mines, we'd still be out of business up there!"
"It really helped pull me out of a pretty bad place," Mira chimed in, one hand over her heart now. "I mean, of course, so did Julius, and my friends, but... being able to actually get back to work has been a huge, huge help for me. And we might not have seen a drop of rain for a while longer, either." Her statement was punctuated by a distant rumble of thunder. Uphill, they heard Anissa yelp, and Mira giggled. "Speak of the devil. We'd better get home soon... but, Kasey, it truly was lovely to meet you, and thank you again for what you've been doing to help us out. We're really indebted to you."
Kasey rubbed his neck sheepishly. "I-it's... I mean, it-it's not—"
"Good lord," Julius interrupted with a dramatic wave of his hand. "Were you about to do that 'annoyingly modest' thing? Gill was right about that, it seems. Well, no matter. It was a pleasure, Kasey. And... hmm." He cocked his head and put his bejeweled hands on his hips, glossed lips pursed. "...Well, I'm not sure you're the jewelry-wearing type, so I don't know how much good our services will be for you... but if you ever want to give it a try, you know where we are, right? Maybe we could do your ears or something."
"Err... th-thanks, sure," Kasey mumbled, hunching his shoulders. He couldn't help but notice now, glittering in the light from the lanterns, the various hoops and studs in each of Julius's ears—two in each lobe, and several up higher on the outer shell that looked like they must've hurt. Kasey couldn't see himself doing that much. Maybe my earlobes... maybe. "It was nice meeting you guys, though."
"You too," Mira said once more, giving him a little bow. "And you don't even have to drop by just for shop—feel free to come by for tea sometime, if you'd like, alright?"
"I do brew one hell of a cup," Julius mused proudly. "Well, ciao, Kasey. We'll see you around. You keep up the good work so we can keep up the good work, hmm?"
"Ahh, s-sure thing!" Kasey laughed to himself as he watched Julius and Mira head off to go join their friends. His heart warmed and swelled. Sure, Julius was a pretty strong presence to take in—he reminded Kasey immediately of a peacock, or a rather flamboyant anime character, which Kasey would never have expected to see in a tiny rural community like Castanet—but he and Mira both seemed as friendly and good-natured as anyone else around. And... I'm... I guess I'm really helping people, he thought. He remembered Luke and Owen talking about how they were back to mining. Renee and Hanna seemed thrilled that he was finally ready to start buying livestock from them. Toby, Ozzie, and Pascal were already starting to become busier as they were able to get back to fishing again.
His heart wrenched at the thought of what might lay ahead for him in the Fugue Forest, but he knew he'd have to take it on eventually. He'd get, hopefully, as many answers as he needed from Luke tomorrow.
As the thunder rumbled again and a light breeze blew past, Kasey went to join his friends as well. Chase and Renee were already headed to their own homes to beat the incoming downpour, and Kasey realized that there wouldn't really be time for anything else now.
"Get home safe, okay?" he murmured as Toby pulled him into a tight hug. Kasey felt a bit of nervousness as Toby whispered "You, too" and kissed him on the cheek, but then relaxed—it was dark and people were hurrying home, and more and more people were starting to find out about them anyway. It's fine... just try to embrace it. He kissed Toby back, and—before he realized it—heard the next words spill out far more easily than he'd thought they would: "Love you."
Toby gave a little start in his arms at this and felt his heart pick up speed, but he squeezed Kasey a little tighter in response, his body tingling and his reply almost too quiet to hear: "Love you too, Kasey."
Kasey exhaled happily, before pulling away and turning to find Ozzie waiting to hug him goodbye as well.
"See ya later, Kase," Ozzie told him, thumping him on the back. "Congrats on attending your first festival in Castanet!"
"Thanks. I had a great time. Later, dude," he added, squatting down to bump Paolo's fist. Kasey could still feel the dumb grin on his face from the moment he and Toby had shared, but figured Paolo wouldn't pay much mind to it. "You be careful going home, alright?"
"You too!" Paolo responded, pointing at him. "Don't get hurt going home, because if you do and Toby cries again... I'm gonna... headbutt you in the frickin' balls! Bam!"
"Yikes!" Toby waved his hands at his cousin, while Ozzie let loose a loud, surprised laugh at his son's words. Kasey snorted and shook his head, causing Toby to shoot him an exasperated look. "Oh, don't encourage him. Paolo, that's something guys just don't do to each other. I'm pretty sure it's literally in the Constitution. Come on, let's get you home before you try to demonstrate... later, Kasey!" Despite admonishing Paolo only moments before, Toby was beaming as he left.
Kasey kept chuckling as he watched them depart, hanging back for a few moments to listen to the frogs and crickets a little longer and get lost in his own exhilaration for a couple more minutes. Hearing Cain call out to him that he'd better get moving before he got drenched, he finally decided to get on his way home, exhausted by how eventful the night had been.