"How adorable! I think I'm going to get one of these to put in my house!" Claire's pupils dilated as she gazed fondly on the assortment of kokeshi dolls for sale. While some had long hair and others had little round buns and bows, they all had intricate patterns painted on their kimonos. They were all very cute, and the amount of detail on them was incredible. "Wow, such a variety! Did you make these yourself?" she asked the seller.

The artist nodded proudly behind his stand, the waves in his brown ponytail bouncing as he did so. "Of course – I find it satisfying to give them each a unique personality. If there's a certain symbolism you're looking for, I can help you find a doll to match."

"Symbolism?" Claire raised a curious eyebrow as Cliff admired the tiny flowers and fish painted on the dolls.

He nodded, his eyes drawn to the fabric of Claire's outfit. "Yes. Take cherry blossoms for example. They're a reminder that while life can be achingly and overwhelmingly beautiful, it is also very short. Very tragic. That's why it's the best to let go of our inhibitions and simply enjoy life." He looked up at her and a smile curled at the corners of his mouth. "That's a beautiful yukata, by the way. Whoever designed the fabric did a lovely job."

She looked at her sleeve as if she wasn't familiar with the printed cotton she had been clothed in. "Ah, thank you. It really caught my eye in the store."

"You really are pretty, Claire." Cliff had a carefree smile on his face as he looked at her with an approving nod, his hand lightly grazing her arm. He was about to add that she didn't need the yukata to look beautiful, but he found himself too shy to say so with a third party present. She shyly murmured her thanks and as he noted the redness and coy smile on her face, he found a grin on his own. His eyes drifted toward some of the artist's other wares and his face lit up at the sight of one of his favorite creatures. He grinned at the wide array with a happy chuckle.

Claire gazed at the row of clay tanuki figurines Cliff was eagerly looking at. She could see his immediate interest in them and decided to purchase one for him in secret. "Hmmm… which one should I get?" She gave them a once-over. The rustic trinkets each looked a little different and had unique hand-painted faces. Cliff leaned forward to study their features carefully, his own expression like a delighted child's.

He wasted no time choosing his favorite. A pair of deep blue eyes carefully scrutinized the shelf of tanuki and Claire almost had to hold in a chuckle at his intensity. She found herself leaning forward to study their faces as well. The artist had definitely taken a lot of care and pride in his work, and just like the kokeshi, each tanuki seemed to have a personality of their own.

His sudden triumphant voice surprised her. "This'n!" He picked up a chubby tanuki and placed it in the palm of her hand as if it were a trophy. It was round and had closed smiling eyes along with a serene grin. Cliff's own eyes were wide and glowing and his smile had spread across his entire face.

She turned the clay statue in her hands; it was very well-made, and the expression on it seemed to spread happiness. She tilted it upside down to see the inscription of the artist's name – a very stylized Angelo. She further studied the tanuki and snorted, quickly realizing another obvious feature on the figurine. "This one's so happy, and I can see why – he's got the biggest moneybags!"

"Well, that makes him the most prosperous, then," Cliff deadpanned with a slight nod at the well-endowed clay tanuki.

"A good choice. He'll make your home feel more welcoming and bring you good luck." Angelo grinned as Claire handed him her purchase to wrap up, quickly following it up with a kokeshi clad in cherry blossoms. She handed him the coins and he gave her the figurines in exchange. "Thank you and enjoy the rest of the festival."

They thanked him and continued on their way, oblivious to the woman with navy hair that threw away her empty corn cob and stepped up to the stall, curiously watching them as she left. Cliff noticed that Claire had grown very quiet as she packed up her figurines into the small bag at her hip and they continued on in silence for a couple of minutes, quietly taking in the sights and sounds of the festival around them. A young man was selling fresh flowers of every color and size imaginable, but he seemed more interested in perfecting the arrangement he was working on than attempting to drum up any business. A counter lined with stools and a banner reading "Blue Bar" was selling bottled beer and a burly man with a bushy beard directly across from them was running what looked like an identical shop, his sign reading "Brass Bar". He folded his arms across his chest and rolled his eyes at the two gabbing blondes across the way.

"Kathy, get your hide back over here! We're going to beat those backwoods yokels at their own game!" There was such a strong twang in his voice that Claire found herself stifling a smirk.

The two women giggled and the one with a ponytail put her hands on her hips. "Dad, quit bein' silly! We both know if Karen passes through, we'll both be doin' just fine!"

"Sounds like Karen is famous," Cliff murmured.

"I don't know if she'd be too happy about that," Claire admitted with a wry chuckle.

He looked at her inquisitively. "You got something on your mind?"

She gave him an apologetic smile; while he had a happy look on his face, she had become aware of his slightly furrowed eyebrows during her silence. She wondered at what point she had been able to read him so well. She tilted her head curiously. When had they both been able to sense each other's emotions so precisely? "Just thinking – nothing too serious. I've been hanging onto this yukata for a long time, waiting for an excuse to wear it… and this whole time the cherry blossoms on it represented the opposite…" She let out a small chuckle in the realization of this, but she couldn't help but feel a bit regretful. Perhaps there were other parts of her life where she didn't allow herself to enjoy as fully as she could.

Cliff rested a hand on her arm. "Well, we're having fun tonight, right?" When she gave him a nod in reply, she noticed his eyes dart to the ground. "W-we're allowing ourselves to be happy, after all…" His cheeks immediately flooded with color as he gently wrapped his arm around hers.

Claire's mind was brought back to the evening on the beach listening to the waves and basking in his sweet kindness and attention. She recalled seeking his gaze and enjoying that cozy tenderness she felt whenever they spent time together. She could still relive their dancing and holding each other close as they spoke honestly with one another, yet there was a sense of enthrallment to it. They had flirted that night – a lot. She felt his warm arm brush her sleeve and her face burned at observing his blush, remembering once again this evening how attractive he was.

We're doing it again, aren't we?

She felt lightheaded for a moment as her heart pounded in her throat, feeling a strange combination of victory, ecstasy, and a little bit of fear at this realization. "Yes, yes we are." She wasn't sure if she was replying to him, her inner thoughts, or both. Her lips turned up into a smile as their eyes met. They both blinked rapidly and gulped, quickly averting their gazes elsewhere.

"The food here is waaay too good!" Ann appeared beside Claire as if out of nowhere and shoved a hot pastry shaped like a fish in her face. "Red bean filled taiyaki, fresh from the fryer! Soooo yummy! Try some!"

Claire suddenly realized she didn't appreciate the interruption. She had wanted a few more moments alone with Cliff and she slowly found that she was craving his undivided attention. Still, the food's aroma caused her to salivate. She leaned in and took a small bite, relishing in the crispiness of the pastry and the balanced sweetness of the filling. It tasted like childhood; she could practically see and hear the busy city streets as she obediently trotted after her mother, pulling along Byron with one hand, her other full of heavy shopping bags containing Claire's high school uniforms along with play clothes for Byron to wear to preschool. The young Lucas had his face buried in their mother's shoulder as they continued along, whining because he was tired. Byron caught sight of a taiyaki stand and immediately began to beg for the treats. The teenage Claire had felt her stomach rumble and asked for one as well. Their mother turned around with a very exasperated expression, her paper shopping bags slapping her side as she did so. Lucas's whines only grew louder.

"Alright. Taiyaki break!"

The crying son she held fell silent and her children hurried over to the stall, their faces lighting up.

"But I expect high marks this semester!" She playfully wagged a finger as she set down the bags and son to get out her wallet. Claire held in a laugh; this was no different than her usual expectations, and a pastry wasn't going to be the difference between a high grade and a failure. "Byron, you will put all of those toys in your chest when you get home."

A pastry was held out to a wide-eyed, wild-haired four-year-old. "Okay, Mum!" Byron bounced with glee as he was given his treat. She immediately smoothed down his hair and he scowled for a moment before turning back to the taiyaki.

"And you, little mister, will help him." An identical sweet was handed to a rosy-cheeked young Lucas. He simply nodded and took a large bite down the middle of the pastry, causing bean paste to squeeze out the sides.

Claire was relieved at their tasks assigned to them; she could hardly stumble past their toys to make it to her side of the bedroom, and she had slipped on a teddy bear the night before. She was lucky that she had fallen into her bed. The teenager had pulled the curtain dividing the room and kicked the toys that invaded her territory back to the other side of the room with a huff.

Her mother handed her a taiyaki while holding one for herself in her other hand. "Here you are."

"Thank you, Mum." Claire accepted the treat with eager eyes and an even more excited stomach.

She smirked at her daughter as the man running the stand shyly waved goodbye to them. She led her children to a bistro table where they all settled into the sweets happily. "When we get back to the apartment, I have to finish submitting my report-"

"Want me to make Swedish meatballs or pork chops?" Claire already knew the duty being assigned to her. Lucas and Byron were lost in their pastries, but she knew that by dinnertime they would be famished again.

Her mother bit into her taiyaki, dabbing at her mouth. "Either would be fine. There are some fresh greens in the fridge, too, so please make a tossed salad on the side." She finished chewing and let out a sigh, eyeing up her daughter. "Look at you, Claire. Senior year. You're growing into such a beautiful young lady."

Claire could only pray that she would look like her mother someday. With long, golden locks that were almost always pulled into a graceful knot at her neck and a pair of bright and clear sapphire eyes, her mother had delicate features that could only be described as gorgeous. Smart, successful, and beautiful – Claire wished that she would inherit some of her greatness. Because of her demanding job, these times together were a bit rare and she savored them whenever they happened.

She was startled by her mother's giggle. "But it would appear that I'm not the only one who has noticed. That boy at the taiyaki stand looked pretty interested in you."

Claire's eyebrows shot up beneath her bangs as her eyes moved to the food stand. He looked to be in his early twenties – referring to someone at that age as a boy felt odd to Claire, as she didn't see herself as a child and he was even older than she. He caught sight of her and gave her a hint of a smile and a slight nod. Her stomach did a funny little flip and she stared back at the surface of the table in embarrassment.

"Ah, my little Claire, my youngest daughter, you are growing up so fast… too fast…" She let out a rare soft chuckle.

She came back to reality as she saw Ann holding the taiyaki with a grin on her face. "Well?" She rocked back and forth on her geta, the wooden footwear clicking on the cobblestones loudly.

A smile spread across Claire's lips. "Very good!" She had half a mind to purchase one herself to continue the memory.

"I might buy a few more later. Howard promised to save some for me. Cliff, try some!" Ann almost slapped him with the pastry in her excitement.

"Alright, alright, just get it out of my face," he chuckled. It wasn't as if he hadn't eaten one at a festival before. However, he hadn't gotten the chance to try one that had just touched Claire's mouth a moment ago… He blushed and hesitated before he took a bite. "Very tasty." He gave her an innocent smile and nod.

Ann noticed that he had purposely taken a bite from the same spot as Claire. She laughed; Cliff acted rather childish in some ways when it came to crushes. "Taiyaki is my favorite festival food."

"I thought it was fried octopus balls," Claire mused aloud.

Cliff shook his head. Ann had been talking about the food nonstop that day. "They're all her favorite."

"You know me so well!" Ann laughed, taking another large bite from her pastry. "So, what have you guys been up to?" she asked, her mouth full.

Claire was reminded that she felt a strange hint of sadness that she wasn't alone with Cliff anymore. While the memories associated with the taiyaki had been nice, she felt a little unsatisfied at how their interaction had been so suddenly interrupted. "We've just been looking around the stalls a bit. Losing games, buying souvenirs…"

Flirting, a voice inside her head added.

"Taking in the sights and having tons of fun," Cliff added as his eyes drifted across the square. "I take it you've been eating this whole time?"

Ann grinned at him in response. "I don't even have to answer that question, do I?" She popped the remainder of the sweet in her mouth and swallowed. She caught sight of Karen and Rick and waved them over.

"So, what's the plan?" Karen asked, taking a sip of lemonade. Rick had a matching drink and was looking at the various stalls that lay before them.

"I'd like to see how Carter is doing. I helped him prepare for his stall a few weeks ago." She was surprised when Cliff had spoken up and looked over toward Carter's table. The priest was sitting under a tent with a wooden box, a pleasant and serene smile across his face as he watched the festival goers walk by.

Karen wasn't expecting to hear Cliff make a suggestion for the group, but she wasn't about to complain about it. The young man had come a long way from the stammering and unsure person he was when she dragged him and Claire around Mineral Town for a tour. She had almost said aloud that he seemed to have grown a bit taller lately, but she became aware that it was because he no longer slouched and he had improved his posture. Tonight he stood tall, his eyes were glittering, and his face had a healthy glow; she saw why Claire got flustered when asked if she found him attractive. Karen had never seen him look so comfortable in his own skin and she felt happy for him.

"Sounds good. Let's go." She realized that others were looking for her approval and she never noticed how they had a tendency to see her as the leader of the group. It didn't necessarily make her uncomfortable, but she was glad that other people were expressing what they wanted to do that evening.

"Hello and good evening!" Carter waved to the group of friends from his tent. There had been a lull in business and he was looking forward to a bit of company. "Did you come over to draw sacred lots?"

They gathered around his table, eyeing up the wooden boxes sitting beside each other. "How much?" Ann asked.

"Whatever you wish to donate. The proceeds go towards my groceries," Carter explained with a good-natured laugh, but Claire wondered if he was hiding the fact that he actually desperately needed some money for food. She made a mental note to drop off some of her blemished produce with him. Although she had gotten rid of a lot of excess in selling it to Won, she had a feeling that she would still be drowning in tomatoes by the beginning of fall. After all, there were only so many tomatoes that she and Cliff could eat.

She was more than willing to give him a helping hand tonight. Reaching into her small pouch, Claire dropped some coins into the donation box. Carter gave her a friendly nod in gratitude and he handed her the box of numbers. He paused and looked up at Cliff in shock when he reached for his wallet to add to the donations as well.

Carter nearly thrust the box into Claire's hands as he looked at her friend. "Cliff-!" He knew better than anyone that the young man had very little money. It was a source of worry for him; he had countless private discussions with the priest over fears of not being able to afford his rent and being forced to live elsewhere. Such fears were often quelled with the mentions of hunting season, although Carter had to admit Cliff didn't always look convinced that would be enough.

"He made a tidy profit for himself today at Won's," Karen explained with a laugh. She turned toward a nodding Claire who was eagerly shaking the box in her hands. The bamboo sticks inside rattled loudly and she gently tilted the opening of the box in the palm of her hand to retrieve one of the numbered dowels.

"Still…" Carter frowned. "Perhaps you should spend your money on something tonight that will make you happy." His gaze moved to the friends surrounding Cliff. While the gesture was nice, he was sure there were things he would rather spend his money on. It wasn't as if Cliff often had an excess of money, and he wasn't one to spend more than was absolutely necessary; a lunch at the inn together had taught him that.

The young man shook his head as he dropped the coins in the box and put away his wallet. "You've done so much for me, Carter. I want to give back to you…" He dropped some coins into the box with a warm smile.

Carter fell silent when he saw the look on his friend's face. They really had been through a lot together. Despite his lamentations in the confessional and emotional declarations that he saw himself as a monster, Carter truly felt that Cliff was a good person who was too hard on himself. He realized with a lightened heart that their times in the small room in the back of the church were more recently used for seeking advice and sharing stories rather than listening to Cliff continually berate himself for something that had happened several years ago. The shift was gradual, but consistent.

Claire handed him the box of sticks and he gave it a shake. She watched him fondly and gave him a friendly giggle as she twirled her own piece of bamboo in her fingers, giddy with what her fortune would read. Upon seeing Cliff's charity, the rest of his friends looked guiltily at each other and did the same, reaching into their own purses and wallets. Soon enough, the box of sticks was passed around and returned to the table, a group of friends eagerly waiting to hear their fortunes.

Carter looked pleasantly surprised. It was true that he gathered most of his donations for the church during this festival and New Year's, but he hadn't been expecting such a large group to make an offering all at once. Maybe he'd splurge on that jar of currant preserves he had been drooling over at Jeff's shop and make sure that the entire jar wasn't used on the children's snacks. "Well, thank you all for your generosity! Go ahead, pick your fortune! And, since you're all here, I can tell a ghost story."

"How scary can a ghost story be that's told by a priest?" Karen giggled, giving Ann a nudge. Ann scoffed, but Claire noticed the way her eyes had widened slightly at the word ghost. Claire began to remember her own experiences of reading her younger brothers, but she was distracted by a familiar smell that caused her other senses to go numb. It had caused her knees to go weak on more occasions than she cared to admit; today her mind went blank as she stared ahead, her eyes unable to focus.

It was the scent of oil and smoldering metal.

"Horrifying." Mary's quiet but dramatic voice from behind Claire startled her as she peeked over her shoulder. "After all, someone who has studied the human psyche and spirit for so long must know of the dark things that dwell within a man's tortured soul…"

Carter chuckled softly and Claire couldn't tell if it was all in good fun or menacing. The slight upturn of his lips didn't help matters. She heard Cliff let out a mild sigh beside him as he rolled his eyes at Mary, silently pleading her not to feed the priest's ego. Claire was well aware of how strange his tales could sometimes be, and she recalled several times where she had to head back to the farm to work after praying, a disappointed Carter telling her he would keep the story short although they both knew that was a lie.

"I take it you want to hear a story then?" Gray's deep voice made Claire's stomach jump. She had almost forgotten about the fragrance that signaled his arrival. She refused to turn around to look at him in fear of creating an awkward moment, but she was still able to tell it was likely Gray had come straight from the forge to the festival, and she noticed he smelled of gunpowder and sulfur as well. It was likely he had helped transport the fireworks to the beach.

Mary shook her head at him as if his question was silly. She stepped forward through the line of friends to add her own coins to the collection box. "Of course; that's why I suggested we come over here," she explained, picking up the box of sticks and giving it a light shake.

"Huh… I thought it was to hide from Gramps," he replied, glancing nervously over his shoulder.

"I offered you a few outfits to choose from," Cliff reminded him as he watched Mary collect a stick from the container and carefully take a spot on the other side of a bewildered Claire. "You should've worn that spare yukata I laid out for you."

Gray dismissed this with a grunt, too distracted by the thought of donning traditional festival clothing to add his own donation. "I wear what I want."

Mary's eyes lit up. She walked over to Cliff, and Claire noticed for a fraction of a second she had the urge to wrap her arm around his and possessively pull him close to herself, away from Mary before remembering the obvious fact that she was not a threat. "What did it look like?" She smiled thoughtfully at the young man as she looked at his clothing.

Cliff shifted his stance a bit, slightly uncomfortable for a brief moment before he relaxed. There was something about Mary's dark eyes that emanated a sense of calmness despite the fact that she was staring at him. "Black and white pinstripe. I told him that it he was welcome to wear it…" At her warm smile, he found one appearing on his own face.

"That sounds really nice… By the way, you look great tonight, Cliff." Mary admired the soft fabric of his outfit and how the shade of blue brought out the color in his eyes. Claire noticed that Gray had stepped beside them out of the corner of her eye. His face had turned pink as he tugged on the bill of his hat.

"Thank you. So do you," Cliff replied politely with a nod. It had been a while since he had received so many compliments regarding his appearance and he felt a little embarrassed, feeling a mild wave of homesickness as he recalled his neighbors praising his festive yukata. His shyness only increased when he saw that everyone in the group was watching him and he quickly looked down at the cobblestones, feeling unnaturally warm despite the cool summer night air.

No one was surprised when Saibara clattered his way to the group; Gray looked very out of place with his choice of clothing and he didn't make much of an attempt to hide it.

"Gray!"

His grandson rolled his eyes; he knew what was to come. After all, his relative only called him by name when he was in trouble. "Hey, Gramps…"

"Why are you still dressed in your work clothes? You look utterly ridiculous! Go home and change, boy! I won't have your representing our forge dressed improperly!"

The color drained from the young man's face; while he had a feeling that Saibara didn't approve of his wardrobe, he hadn't expected the scolding to happen in front of all of his friends. He had anticipated on some sort of hand motions or not-so-subtle hints that he planned on ignoring anyway. Gray's instinct was to rebel. After all, he liked his friends to think that he was in control of his own life. Being an apprentice who wasn't allowed to make anything very useful had been hard enough.

"I'm here for pleasure, not work!" Gray lashed out. "Besides, who cares what I'm wearing?"

Saibara knew that listing himself as an answer would only frustrate Gray further. "I'm sure the young lady does," he pointed out, a hint of a smirk hidden by his snowy white beard. He folded his arms across his chest, confident that he had swayed him with this statement.

Mary reddened immediately. Her own methods had been a bit more subtle and she didn't want to be brought into this. While she would have liked to see Gray dressed in a handsome outfit, she had a feeling that his usual coveralls and baseball cap were a security blanket of sorts. She hadn't planned on pushing him too far to change his clothes.

"Go home and put on something proper!" the old man repeated.

Gray sneered and jammed his hands in his pockets. He had toyed with the idea after seeing Mary's reaction to Cliff's yukata, but Saibara's methods left him chafed. He looked to his friend with a deep sigh. "Fine. Where can I find it?" He said the final word as if it was bitter in his mouth.

"I left it on my bed," Cliff offered quietly, feeling a slight twinge of guilt at his earlier nagging.

Gray caught the uncomfortable look on his girlfriend's face. "I'll be right back…"

"It'll only take a couple of minutes," Ann chimed in, a cautious smile on her face. "If I've gotta dress up, so do you!" She threw in a playful giggle in an attempt to cheer him up.

"If you come back wearing that hat, I will throw it in the furnace." Saibara's eyes flashed and no one doubted his claim.

Gray let out an exasperated moan and gave Mary a soft pat on the shoulder before quickly heading back to the inn, muttering obscenities under his breath.

"Good evening." Saibara nodded at the group politely and continued on his way.

Author's Note: So, what's the cameo count at now? Pah, I lost count a while ago!

I hope you're enjoying the bits of Claire's family that I've been bringing up since the beginning of the festival. I felt like it was a good time to stick in some more of her back story without being intrusive.

Sometimes writing about Ann stuffing her face with food makes me hungry. So, what is your favorite carnival food? I'm quite partial to cotton candy and elephant ears myself.

Every time I add Carter in my story, I realize how much I miss him. Quite honestly, he's one of my favorite characters in the game. Look forward to some shenanigans with our favorite pastor in the next chapter!

Thank you once again to all of my readers, reviewers, followers, favoriters (yeah, that's not a word), and all-around supporters. I love hearing what you think and I hope you enjoyed!