"We'll take candy or cookies!" Stu's voice was muffled behind his oni mask from the Fireworks Festival.
"Or pudding, or pies, or cakes, or…" May's words trailed off as she adjusted her headband adorned with cat ears.
"Anything you have to offer is fine," Popuri interrupted, tossing Claire a sympathetic look.
The young woman sheepishly looked through her cupboards. "I honestly forgot all about the Pumpkin Festival. I haven't celebrated it since I was young."
"What did you dress up as?" May asked, twirling her candy basket in her hands.
Claire's memories drifted back toward autumn nights walking with her older sisters through local neighborhoods for candy. She was almost constantly tripping over her hand-me-down princess gown while she carried her pumpkin-shaped bucket. Her feet were tired and she had trouble keeping up with Simone's and Colette's longer strides, but she was out after dark and it was thrilling. Laughter and delighted screams filled the night, the glow of porch lights and jack-o-lanterns guiding their way. The night was theirs, and she relished in it.
A nostalgic smile crept across her lips. "I think I was a princess for about five years. I loved that dress." She let out a soft chuckle, remembering the garish bright pink garment adorned with sequins and glitter. Where it had gone to, she wasn't sure, but it had seen its fair share of Pumpkin Day action.
Her eyes drifted toward the eager children standing in her doorway. She figured they would be lucky if they got more than three or four sweets from the sparsely populated town. This was not the Pumpkin Festival she recalled as a child; they deserved a special treat. Digging into the gift basket that she received for her birthday, she searched for the snack cakes Ann had given her. At the sound of her name, she looked up.
"Claire…" Popuri was frowning. "Please don't give away your birthday presents. Those are for you."
"But…" She was due for another shopping trip, and she didn't have any treats in the house to share with her guests. She lowered her gaze in embarrassment.
Popuri's large garnet eyes were drawn to a bowl of apples resting on the table. "Are those from your tree?"
Claire gave a nod. She could see where Popuri was going with this, and she was grateful that she had helped her find a solution. "You can pick whichever apple you like." She felt a mild wave of guilt as she recalled her childhood days with her sister, groaning at houses that offered apples and raisins as treats. She gave the children a nervous smile, picking up the bowl and offering it to them.
They naturally selected the largest, reddest apples of the bunch, and Claire couldn't help but bite back a smirk.
"Thank you, Big Sis!" Despite the slight disappointment on her face, May gave her a polite smile as she added it to her basket.
"Can we dip them into chocolate or caramel first?" Stu asked, casting the farmer an impish grin.
Claire felt her cheeks heat up as a blush spread across them.
I've become the person that gives out apples for the Pumpkin Festival…
Popuri shot him a stern look. "Plain apple or none at all."
"Aw, I was just playin'," he whined, putting the apple in his bucket. "Thanks, Big Sis."
Claire held out the basket. "You can take one, too… P-Poppy." She stumbled over the nickname, her face turning pinker.
Popuri shook her head. "Ah, I don't need anything; I'm just taking the kids around…"
"You took the candy Carter gave out," May pointed out, her eyes innocently blinking up at her.
It was Popuri's turn to blush. She averted her gaze from their hostess. "Ah… you sure you don't mind?"
Claire shook her head. "Not at all."
The young woman inspected the contents of the bowl before letting out a nervous chuckle, selecting the fruit that was easiest to grab. "Thank you. We'd better keep moving if we want to get around town before lunch. Have a good day, Claire."
"Thanks. You, too." She waved goodbye to them as they left her property, smiling at the way May's makeshift cat tail dragged in the grass behind them. They still had several houses to go before they were finished.
Claire grinned; she had a visit of her own to make…
Claire didn't remember her mouth feeling so dry when she left Mystic Acres. Wiping her sweaty palms on her jeans, she forced a nervous smile on her face as she shifted her pack on her shoulders. Her eyes instinctively traced the grape trellises for a head of chocolate-colored hair, and she couldn't help but wonder if it was a bad omen when she didn't see one. The vineyard seemed emptier somehow, and a feeling of dread settled in the pit of her stomach. Shaking the foolish thoughts from her head, she looked at the faded wooden sign that stood in front of the shop.
Aja Winery
The letters were worn and the paint cracked. A hand-painted cluster of grapes on a curly vine adorned the sign. She gulped as her smile drooped.
Grapes, not sweet potatoes. They work with grapes.
Maybe this is a bad idea…
Her eyes locked onto the doorknob, the brass discolored and tarnished from use over the years.
It's the only idea to go on right now. I have to pay my mortgage.
Holding her breath, she took a step forward, grasping the handle and pulling the door open, wondering when it felt so heavy. A tinkling of a small bell announced her entrance to the shop.
Manna was perched on a stool behind a counter, idly shuffling through her tarot deck. Upon hearing the bell, she placed the cards on the table's surface and flashed Claire a grin.
"Hello, Claire. It's so nice to see you. We've been seeing more of you lately, but I'm not about to complain about it. Did you come to see Cliff? He's working in the wine cellar right now. After all those grapes were harvested, there was a lot of processing to do. It's been keeping both him and Duke fairly busy."
Claire frowned. Perhaps they were too busy to take on a new project on top of their fall harvest…
"Or maybe you came to buy some wine? We don't have the largest selection at the moment, but after what they're working on now matures, we will be able to expand our stock significantly. I can offer some recommendations if you're not sure what you want."
Claire's eyes had drifted toward the upturned card sitting on the counter. She studied the curious image of a woman attempting to pry open a lion's jaws – or was she trying to hold them shut? Realizing at once that Manna had finished speaking, she wrung her hands and gulped, swiftly removing her eyes from the card.
"I uh… I wanted to ask you and Duke something…"
Manna gave a perky nod. "Well, feel free to ask away. I really like that you've been coming by more often, and I'd like to get to know more about you."
She really is too kind…
Nevertheless, the farmer felt herself relax a bit at the warm atmosphere. Claire gave her a nervous smile before reaching into her pack. "I've been growing a lot of sweet potatoes this season…" She held a particularly large sweet potato in her hands, grateful she had filled her pack with the most beautiful ones she had to offer.
The widening of Manna's eyes signaled that her choice to bring the best was a good one. "Sweet potatoes, huh? You should roast them. When Duke and I were young, we'd have bonfires in the fall and roast them over the flame."
"That does sound good. I bake some every day." Claire handed the specimen to Manna, who turned it over in her hands approvingly.
Manna smirked; their employee had been bringing sweet potatoes nearly every day in his lunch. Looking back at the crop in her hands, she noted the quality and size. "It seems you have a nice batch this year. Cliff always mentions how hard you work, and it certainly looks like it is paying off. This is nicer than the stuff we used to get shipped in. Sometimes I wonder if the Valley hogs all of Pete's best stuff and sends us the leftovers."
Claire felt a mild sting at the rival farmer's name. Nonetheless, she brushed it off and focused on the way Manna's dark eyes were glued to the sweet potato. "There are a lot of things you can do with them." Claire said brightly as she closed her bag. "Pies, sautéed, baked or roasted, casseroles, stews, wines…"
A flicker of understanding shone in Manna's eyes as she set down the sweet potato and laughed heartily. "Oh, Claire, sweetie, you're trying too hard. We're very straight-forward people. What is your proposition?"
Claire blushed; perhaps she wasn't as subtle as she thought she was trying to be… "I have a lot of sweet potatoes…"
Too many… The market's flooded…
Claire quickly shook the thought from her head. She didn't want to gain their business by garnering pity.
"Duke has mentioned in the past that you are looking to expand your wine selection… I was wondering if you would be interested in making sweet potato wine. I'm willing to sell to you directly, and I can offer you a lower price than if you were to go through the Supermarket."
Remembering that Duke notoriously put things on a tab at Jeff and Sasha's store, she held her breath.
A smile crept across Manna's lips as she looked down at the countertop, her eyes catching the upturned tarot card and focusing on the lion's bared teeth.
With all of the things I've heard, Claire has been through a lot…
She recalled sitting with Cliff in this room the week before, poring over their old recipe book. He had been drawn to the more unique recipes, and Manna had no doubt in her mind whose idea it was behind Claire's business proposition. It was a rather bold move for a new employee, but perhaps expanding outside of their norm was worth looking into… Maybe a young and enterprising newcomer was exactly what Aja Winery needed. Cliff was often stepping up and asking intelligent questions while working and even improving a few of their methods. Manna realized with surprise that Cliff would actually make a really good leader despite his soft voice and humble mannerisms.
"These sweet potatoes have been a source of stress for you lately, no?"
Claire's jaw dropped open in shock and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She hadn't expected Zack to openly share her financial troubles with the rest of the town. Did Cliff mention something to them? "How did you know?" she asked cautiously.
Manna's eyes were once again focused upon the image woman and the lion. "It's a pretty logical conclusion to make. Everyone around here knows that eggplants and sweet potatoes are the big crops in the Valley this time of year…"
Claire frowned. Everyone except me.
Manna continued. "I also just had a feeling." She gave the tarot card one last smile. Claire gave her a curious look, but Manna had already moved on. "I used to drink sweet potato wine in my younger days. The bar over in Forget-Me-Not Valley used to carry it years ago, and I'd always order it from there when we were passing through. I never really gave much thought to making it myself, as silly as that sounds. I actually have a recipe to make it, and perhaps now is a good time as any to try something new."
Claire felt lightheaded; the conversation was going suspiciously well… "Ah, do you think that Duke would also be interested?"
She was met with a laugh. "Think so? I know so. More wine varieties means more samples to taste, and we've got more manpower now. Perhaps we can give Mineral Town a taste of something new, and we can remind Griffin over at the Blue Bar in the Valley what his father used to serve."
"R-really?"
The door creaked open and Duke walked in, wiping his sweaty forehead with a handkerchief. "Finally got everything situated down there in the wine cellar. Cliff's finishing up; I swear that kid's got more energy than…" His voice trailed off as he noticed their guest. "Hello, Claire. Come to buy some wine, or am I interrupting a lady chat?"
Manna rolled her eyes. "For your information, we were discussing something very exciting. Claire here is offering to sell us sweet potatoes for making wine."
Duke's bushy eyebrows rose with interest. "Sweet potato wine, eh? Reminds me of the good old days when we'd travel through the Valley and stop at the bar on the way back…"
Manna's cheeks flushed with color as she cleared her throat. "Anyway, wh-what do you think?" She uncharacteristically averted her eyes and twirled a strand of dark hair around her finger. "It could be like the old days…"
Claire blinked when Manna's words died off; she had grown used to the sound of her voice rambling, and the silence was jarring.
"I think we've got money in the budget…" Duke's voice was surprisingly gentle and as he looked tenderly at his wife, Claire got the feeling the sentimental value of sweet potato wine was her strongest selling point. "I'm sure Cliff won't mind peeling the potatoes if he knows we're doing business with his friend."
Claire's face felt warm as her eyes drifted toward the floorboards. She wondered how much Cliff's employers knew about their relationship. It wasn't as if it was a secret, but she hadn't really told anyone other than Karen.
Manna let out a sharp laugh, nudging her husband in the arm. "That sounds awfully manipulative. You have to make sure you are pulling your own weight as well! I won't have that boy worked to the bone because you are being lazy!"
Duke shook his head. "I never said anything about not peeling any myself. If we want to get started, all three of us should be working."
His wife's expression brightened. "I can keep a bucket here behind the counter." Manna's voice was musical as she gave him a grin. "I can peel some while I wait for customers."
As the couple cheerfully chatted for a while, Claire felt the tenseness in her chest loosen. The long, cold winter ahead, her looming mortgage and winter taxes… There was a light at the end of the tunnel for her. Her heart swelled with gratitude; she truly owed Cliff some gratitude for his idea. Before she could think too deeply on how to properly thank him, Duke's voice interrupted her.
"So how much wine do you think we can make with what Claire's willing to offer up for sale?"
Relief was clearly written upon the farmer's face. It seemed the upcoming winter wouldn't be so harsh and cold, after all.
Gray rubbed his eyes and blinked. It was still dark out, and the first light of the sun was well below the horizon. Stretching with a deep breath, he was surprised his alarm clock hadn't gone off yet, as he felt strangely alert. Yawning, he turned his head toward the clock and stared blankly at the numbers.
He jumped out of bed with a jolt; the later sunrise was misleading.
"Ah, dammit… Cliff, get up! I forgot to set the alarm!"
There was a rustle and moan from the other side of the room. "Ugh… You're kidding, right…?"
Gray's body felt stiff, but his stress woke him up. If he was late again, he was sure he wouldn't hear the end of it from Saibara. "No time for breakfast downstairs today," he grumbled, stretching his arms over his head. A series of cracks and pops traveled up his spine as he let out a deep sigh. He flipped on the lights and stepped into his pants as he walked to their table and spied one of Cliff's bundles sitting on it. His stomach panged as he looked at the food, realizing he was disappointed he had missed out on his opportunity for a hot breakfast. "I'm starving… Spot me some of this smoked salmon, will ya?" Realizing it would probably be polite to give him something in exchange, he added, "I'll buy you a snack downstairs sometime."
It took a moment for his roommate to respond, but it wasn't because he was unsure about sharing his fish. "S-sure, fine." Cliff's voice was faint. He slowly sat up, but didn't open his eyes or pull down his blankets. His brown hair was a tousled mess.
Gray raised a curious eyebrow. Cliff had normally been up much earlier during the main hunting season. Gray shoved the food in his mouth and buttoned up his shirt, running his morning to-do list in his head as he chewed. He swallowed, concerned that he hadn't moved from his spot.
"Come on, don't you have plans with Gotz early this morning?" Gray clapped his hands. "Tea and a hike?"
Cliff made a muffled reply and stumbled out of his bed. He blindly groped his way to his belongings.
Gray buttoned up his coveralls and looked over at his friend. His behavior was making him a little uneasy; it was normally Cliff who was helping Gray hurry along. Being on the other end of the situation, he quickly saw how frustrating it was to try to move someone who didn't want to wake up. "Work got you worn out?" Cliff had explained the recent projects the winery had been taking on. "You can always take a nap when you get back. Even Gramps knows to show up early when he goes to meet with Gotz for tea."
Cliff opened his eyes and blinked, staring out the window as he threw on his tunic. The color immediately drained from his face as he plopped back down on his bed, his eyes widening at the snowflakes falling outside.
"Please don't do this! I can't lose you, too!"
"I'm ashamed to call you my brother."
Gray looked over at his motionless friend. "First snow of the season, eh? And you're going sleeveless…" He rolled his eyes as he hastily combed his hair with his fingers and threw his hat on his head. "Eh, good enough…" He looked over at his roommate, he was still staring outside. Perhaps a bit of mild teasing would snap him out of it. "Hey, are you thinking about your blonde bombshell or what? You're gonna be late!"
"Uh-huh…" Upon a quick glance, there was a lifelessness in Cliff's eyes Gray didn't want to remember.
Gray let out a soft sigh, averting his eyes. Maybe he had seen it wrong. Cliff hadn't mentioned anything about his insomnia since early summer; Gray thought he had overcome it. It had been a few months since he had awoken to the sound of his roommate crying in his sleep. It was a great relief, but the thought of the pattern returning made his blood run cold. "Hey, are you alright?" Gray's voice softened. He nervously refused to meet those deep blue eyes once more out of fear of what he might see.
"Uh-huh…" Cliff's eyes didn't move from the window.
Now that Cliff had a steady job and the affections of the woman he had been swooning over for the past half year or so, there wasn't really anything that should be bothering him. Perhaps Gray was overthinking things. Was it silly to worry if his friend was just groggy?
"Well, you can fake it for a day," he pointed out, throwing on his coat. An uneasy smile crossed his lips as he zipped up the garment, his words gaining their usual tone. "Goddess knows I've done it before…"
He saw that Cliff was sitting like a statue and hadn't heard a word that he had said; he must have still been mostly asleep. Gray's eyes moved to the alarm clock and a wave of impatience overtook him. He didn't have time for this. He wasn't Cliff's parent, and it wasn't his responsibility to make sure he made his appointments on time. Gray pulled on his gloves, shaking his head. He had done everything he could. "Get moving around and you'll feel like yourself in no time. I've got a date tonight… Catch you later." He slammed the door behind him in an effort to startle his friend awake.
Cliff didn't notice – his eyes were emotionlessly glued to the snow outside.
Author's Note: I'm still here! Let's dive in, shall we?
Stu, May, and Popuri all show up separately for the Pumpkin Festival in MFoMT, but I thought it would be cute if they traveled together. Even if it is a small town, it's kind of weird that young children are wandering from house to house on their own. I channeled a bit of my own childhood nostalgia with that section; I had a couple of princess dresses growing up that I wore regularly. One in particular had a bunch of holes along the bottom hem because it kept getting stuck in my bike, haha. It was my favorite because my mom made it for me. :)
You'll notice that Manna's tarot cards have made an appearance. The card featured in this chapter is Strength. It can represent the fortitude to get through a bad situation. Manna correctly understood Claire's direct selling method to mean she was in a tight spot.
I like to imagine that Manna and Duke were real lovey-dovey types before they got into their arguments and drove Aja away. I love how their relationship with each other warms up a bit after they take Cliff in.
I think most game veterans know what is about to happen from the CLIFFhanger I left for you. *Cough* *Cough* I'm sorry for updating so slowly. To be honest, I'm super intimidated by this upcoming story arc and keep psyching myself out of writing it. I just really want to make sure it give y'all feels, finally get out this backstory I've been keeping under wraps for years, and I want to do it justice. Please look forward to it!