STORY OF A GIRL
~Chapter 9~
Nayru: Recent reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. Story Of a Girl is back!
Xiao: She's alive, kicking, and writing romance/drama Harvest Moon fics.
Ran-Ran: That's not a good thing, if you're wondering.
Xiao: Do we stop her?
Ran-Ran: That would be rude. We help her like good muses.
Nayru: You people have made the big decision on the fork this river flows, and we all know the winner. Of course, our lovely main character does not. Here it goes with chapter nine!
Disclaimer: As much as I would like it, this video game still isn't mine.
The Big Proposal! No Need for Revenge!
"Young Cliff, you've fought for her, you fought for her regardless of how well you knew her then, and I know you'd do it again, and even die for her. Kai could never compare with you after this, not in a million years." Cliff nodded firmly, knowing it was true. Saibara grinned. "Good boy. You know what you have to do."
"But it's only been two seasons. Do you think it's been long enough?" Cliff protested again, still unsure.
"Of course it's been long enough. And before you ask, she is old enough. Girls marry younger and faster in this civilization; you should know that by now. I know that you yourself are more than twice your own mother's age... or you would be if she still was alive." Cliff swallowed hard and nervously. "Man to man, Cliff, this is man to man. She's ready if you're ready. Make your move before someone else gets to her. Think of it as chess. you have her in check. Now," Saibara chuckled to himself. "You have to put her in mate." (1) Cliff turned his head confusedly, having no idea what Saibara was talking about.
"If you're sure this is right."
"Right as rain. Here comes the bride. I'll leave you alone." Saibara walked away.
"WAIT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO- " Cliff shouted after him.
"Hi Cliffy." Rae smiled sweetly, interrupting Cliff's cry for help.
"- say. Hi Rae." Cliff smiled just as kindly.
"What do you have in your hand?" She asked innocently, almost naively.
"Uh, uhm, erm..." Cliff looked to the shed where Saibara stood. Saibara gestured for him to... Cliff had no idea what he was gesturing for. Disaster strikes.
"Cliff, are you okay?" Rae asked, raising a worried eyebrow.
"F-f-f-f-fine! Quite fine! Uh, I don't know how to say this, so I'll say it the only way I know how." Cliff took a nervous breath and grabbed Rae's hands in his. "Marry me, please marry me!" He removed one of his hands from the love clasp to take the ring from his pocket, remove it from the box, and held it out to her. "If you don't accept my love and this ring, I'll just break!" He gasped nearly breathlessly, as Rae blinked a few times.
"Marry you...?" She whispered. Cliff began shaking. He let go of her hands in fear.
"You don't have to accept."
"But I do." Rae gently plucked the ring from his hand, and put it on her finger. Cliff looked up, wiping a few tears from his cheek. She hugged him around the neck, and whispered, "Kiss me, you fool." Lovingly, he pressed his lips to hers, embracing her wildly, kissing for the fourth time. Instead of a gentle peck on the cheek like the first time, or a gentle touch of the lips like the second, or a playful affectionate joke, it was whole hearted, unhesitant, and pure.
"So the deed's been done. I no longer need to worry for her." Kai whispered, seeing the whole scene from on top of the barn. Gray nodded.
"Father informed me he would make Cliff propose earlier today. He asked me if I could end my feelings for her, and I simply said it would be easy. It was easy, and it will be easy for you too."
"Me? Love Rae? Are you kidding?" He laughed. "We're friends, only friends! I mean, I love her as a friend. I'd even be the best man, in case something comes between Cliff and the wedding. I'll ask him if I can. Knowing Rae, I know that Karen's going to be the maid of honor, giving me the opportunity to dance with her as standard wedding protocol! It's perfect!" Kai's eyes shone at the thought of the beautiful woman he loved.
"That reminds me. I made something for you." Gray handed Kai a gold engagement ring. "I knew you loved her so, so as a friend..."
"Thank you... so much, so very much!" He hugged Gray around the arms. "Thank you, and good night!" Kai dashed off, partially stumbling and shivering.
~The next morning~
"Mm, Cliff..." Rae mumbled from under the sheets.
"Hmm, lovely?" Cliff answered, sitting up carefully, slowly nudging his fiancé off his chest.
"What time is it?"
"... Shit, it's almost ten."
"HOW COULD ANYONE LET ME SLEEP THIS LONG?!" Kai looked at the small house, rubbing his ears.
"Wow, she yells loud."
Rae had hopped out of bed. "I need to work!" She shoved her shoes on. "The cow, the horse, the vegetables!"
"Rae, come look out the window... Kai's already working, it looks like he's fed the cow and started weeding, and watered the vegetables. Besides. don't you need clothes to do any work?" Cliff sighed calmly, as Rae looked down slowly. "It's nothing I haven't seen, but get dressed, make yourself half presentable, even in your current state, and I'll get some breakfast on the table. Then you can finish your chores, and I'll get to work on some home improvements. We're going to need a slightly bigger house, more than a single person home, and maybe a bigger bed." Rae had already started to dress. "At least one of can keep our calm." He laughed. Rae giggled with him, as she started to brush her hair.
"Oh, and by the way. last night was wonderful." Cliff put a plate of rice cakes and cottage cheese on the table.
"It was good for me too, love." He nuzzled her cheek as she sat down across the table from him. They began to eat, and Kai came in.
"Good morning, lovebirds! Congratulations for letting your cries of passion reach my house." He laughed. "I can't say that I myself didn't sleep well. Last night, I slept next to one of the most beautiful women in town, Karen and I are engaged!"
"Nice score, Kai." Cliff smiled.
"Perfect!" Rae's eyes shimmered. "A double wedding! It'll be beautiful!"
Cliff gave Kai a plate of food, and the trio sat down to discuss the wedding. They hadn't read the morning paper yet. They hadn't seen the headline, "Dangerous Deranged Rose Village Murderer Escapes Jail!". They didn't know how much danger they were in.
"So, Rae." Silas murmured, looking at the engagement announcements. "You didn't wait for me. You chose him over me." He threw the paper aside. "I can't take you now, but you won't have the one you want. You'll be miserable, if I have my way. You'll be miserable with a man you don't love. I'm going to ruin your life." He laughed menacingly to himself. "And I know just how."
TO BE CONTINUED
Nayru: What is Silas planning!?
Xiao: Will these engagements make it to the wedding?
Nayru: And what exactly were Rae and Cliff doing?
Ran-Ran: Find out next chapter, hopefully coming soon, of...
Cliff: Story of my Fiancé?
Nayru: Close enough, Story of a Girl!
The Final Votes:
Cliff: 10
Kai: 3
1: For those of you that don't play chess: The purpose of chess is to be able to kill the king. When you can kill the king, but there is some way your opponent can move out of it, it's called "check". When the king can't move out of the way, it's checkmate, or simply mate. Saibara makes a play on words, as mate also is the word for a spouse. I ruined the joke...
Nayru: Recent reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. Story Of a Girl is back!
Xiao: She's alive, kicking, and writing romance/drama Harvest Moon fics.
Ran-Ran: That's not a good thing, if you're wondering.
Xiao: Do we stop her?
Ran-Ran: That would be rude. We help her like good muses.
Nayru: You people have made the big decision on the fork this river flows, and we all know the winner. Of course, our lovely main character does not. Here it goes with chapter nine!
Disclaimer: As much as I would like it, this video game still isn't mine.
The Big Proposal! No Need for Revenge!
"Young Cliff, you've fought for her, you fought for her regardless of how well you knew her then, and I know you'd do it again, and even die for her. Kai could never compare with you after this, not in a million years." Cliff nodded firmly, knowing it was true. Saibara grinned. "Good boy. You know what you have to do."
"But it's only been two seasons. Do you think it's been long enough?" Cliff protested again, still unsure.
"Of course it's been long enough. And before you ask, she is old enough. Girls marry younger and faster in this civilization; you should know that by now. I know that you yourself are more than twice your own mother's age... or you would be if she still was alive." Cliff swallowed hard and nervously. "Man to man, Cliff, this is man to man. She's ready if you're ready. Make your move before someone else gets to her. Think of it as chess. you have her in check. Now," Saibara chuckled to himself. "You have to put her in mate." (1) Cliff turned his head confusedly, having no idea what Saibara was talking about.
"If you're sure this is right."
"Right as rain. Here comes the bride. I'll leave you alone." Saibara walked away.
"WAIT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO- " Cliff shouted after him.
"Hi Cliffy." Rae smiled sweetly, interrupting Cliff's cry for help.
"- say. Hi Rae." Cliff smiled just as kindly.
"What do you have in your hand?" She asked innocently, almost naively.
"Uh, uhm, erm..." Cliff looked to the shed where Saibara stood. Saibara gestured for him to... Cliff had no idea what he was gesturing for. Disaster strikes.
"Cliff, are you okay?" Rae asked, raising a worried eyebrow.
"F-f-f-f-fine! Quite fine! Uh, I don't know how to say this, so I'll say it the only way I know how." Cliff took a nervous breath and grabbed Rae's hands in his. "Marry me, please marry me!" He removed one of his hands from the love clasp to take the ring from his pocket, remove it from the box, and held it out to her. "If you don't accept my love and this ring, I'll just break!" He gasped nearly breathlessly, as Rae blinked a few times.
"Marry you...?" She whispered. Cliff began shaking. He let go of her hands in fear.
"You don't have to accept."
"But I do." Rae gently plucked the ring from his hand, and put it on her finger. Cliff looked up, wiping a few tears from his cheek. She hugged him around the neck, and whispered, "Kiss me, you fool." Lovingly, he pressed his lips to hers, embracing her wildly, kissing for the fourth time. Instead of a gentle peck on the cheek like the first time, or a gentle touch of the lips like the second, or a playful affectionate joke, it was whole hearted, unhesitant, and pure.
"So the deed's been done. I no longer need to worry for her." Kai whispered, seeing the whole scene from on top of the barn. Gray nodded.
"Father informed me he would make Cliff propose earlier today. He asked me if I could end my feelings for her, and I simply said it would be easy. It was easy, and it will be easy for you too."
"Me? Love Rae? Are you kidding?" He laughed. "We're friends, only friends! I mean, I love her as a friend. I'd even be the best man, in case something comes between Cliff and the wedding. I'll ask him if I can. Knowing Rae, I know that Karen's going to be the maid of honor, giving me the opportunity to dance with her as standard wedding protocol! It's perfect!" Kai's eyes shone at the thought of the beautiful woman he loved.
"That reminds me. I made something for you." Gray handed Kai a gold engagement ring. "I knew you loved her so, so as a friend..."
"Thank you... so much, so very much!" He hugged Gray around the arms. "Thank you, and good night!" Kai dashed off, partially stumbling and shivering.
~The next morning~
"Mm, Cliff..." Rae mumbled from under the sheets.
"Hmm, lovely?" Cliff answered, sitting up carefully, slowly nudging his fiancé off his chest.
"What time is it?"
"... Shit, it's almost ten."
"HOW COULD ANYONE LET ME SLEEP THIS LONG?!" Kai looked at the small house, rubbing his ears.
"Wow, she yells loud."
Rae had hopped out of bed. "I need to work!" She shoved her shoes on. "The cow, the horse, the vegetables!"
"Rae, come look out the window... Kai's already working, it looks like he's fed the cow and started weeding, and watered the vegetables. Besides. don't you need clothes to do any work?" Cliff sighed calmly, as Rae looked down slowly. "It's nothing I haven't seen, but get dressed, make yourself half presentable, even in your current state, and I'll get some breakfast on the table. Then you can finish your chores, and I'll get to work on some home improvements. We're going to need a slightly bigger house, more than a single person home, and maybe a bigger bed." Rae had already started to dress. "At least one of can keep our calm." He laughed. Rae giggled with him, as she started to brush her hair.
"Oh, and by the way. last night was wonderful." Cliff put a plate of rice cakes and cottage cheese on the table.
"It was good for me too, love." He nuzzled her cheek as she sat down across the table from him. They began to eat, and Kai came in.
"Good morning, lovebirds! Congratulations for letting your cries of passion reach my house." He laughed. "I can't say that I myself didn't sleep well. Last night, I slept next to one of the most beautiful women in town, Karen and I are engaged!"
"Nice score, Kai." Cliff smiled.
"Perfect!" Rae's eyes shimmered. "A double wedding! It'll be beautiful!"
Cliff gave Kai a plate of food, and the trio sat down to discuss the wedding. They hadn't read the morning paper yet. They hadn't seen the headline, "Dangerous Deranged Rose Village Murderer Escapes Jail!". They didn't know how much danger they were in.
"So, Rae." Silas murmured, looking at the engagement announcements. "You didn't wait for me. You chose him over me." He threw the paper aside. "I can't take you now, but you won't have the one you want. You'll be miserable, if I have my way. You'll be miserable with a man you don't love. I'm going to ruin your life." He laughed menacingly to himself. "And I know just how."
TO BE CONTINUED
Nayru: What is Silas planning!?
Xiao: Will these engagements make it to the wedding?
Nayru: And what exactly were Rae and Cliff doing?
Ran-Ran: Find out next chapter, hopefully coming soon, of...
Cliff: Story of my Fiancé?
Nayru: Close enough, Story of a Girl!
The Final Votes:
Cliff: 10
Kai: 3
1: For those of you that don't play chess: The purpose of chess is to be able to kill the king. When you can kill the king, but there is some way your opponent can move out of it, it's called "check". When the king can't move out of the way, it's checkmate, or simply mate. Saibara makes a play on words, as mate also is the word for a spouse. I ruined the joke...