Locals
The shallows glittered like diamonds, reflecting the light of the sun high overhead. Harvey was blinded momentarily and closed his eyes to help them better adjust. The doctor spent most of his time recuperating below decks since his allergic reaction and after spending so long in low light conditions, daylight was dazzling.
Burly men shouted all around him, tossing heavy ropes and adjusting sails as the enormous ship pulled into port. He slowly inched toward the quarter deck so that his back was against the wall and he was out of the way of the crew working to moor the vessel. Harvey could feel the palpitations of his heart and his anxiety rose like the swell of the tide behind them. This was it. He was finally in Gotoro.
Beyond the sandy shores, the broad fronds of the palm trees reached up toward the clear blue sky. The climate here was warmer than in Pelican Town. Gotoro was much closer to the equator and did not experience seasonal cycles as drastically as back home, so it felt like mid-summer. Harvey regretfully realized his wardrobe might need some adjustments if it did not start to cool down anytime soon.
When it appeared that the crew finished tying the ship to the dock, Harvey ventured back down into the sleeping quarters to retrieve his things. Most of the crew had cleared out by now, helping to unload cargo or busy themselves with other similarly important tasks. The doctor shouldered his bag and returned to the main deck. There, Talla stood waiting for him, with an albatross perched upon her forearm.
That must be Diode… Harvey thought as he observed the syren smooth her fingers over the bird's sleek, snowy-white back. Reaching his beak back, he quickly preened a few of his dark wing feathers before bobbing his head toward both the merchant and then to Harvey. The doctor waved farewell as Diode took flight and called out one last time before riding the wind further south.
Harvey watched him go for a while until he felt another set of eyes upon him. The physician turned to discover Talla's ocean-deep eyes observing him closely. "Are you ready for the next leg of our journey, Doctor?" she queried.
The mustached man frowned slightly. He just hoped they would stay on dry land for a while. "How much further till the front?"
Talla shrugged, heading toward the dock-side of the ship. "It depends on the progress of the soldiers, I suppose…" She pointed inland, well beyond the shore. "According to the last reports I received, they are a few days' travel to the south." She began to descend the plank that connected the ship to the dock and Harvey trotted quickly to catch up to her.
"So you're going to travel with me the whole way?" Harvey inquired. While Talla had not specified whether or not she would continue her usual trading route during this time, the bespectacled man had not dared to ask.
Her gaze flickered toward him. "I cannot afford to lose such a valuable asset if I can help it, Doctor," the trader explained flatly. "It would be bad for business."
An asset, Harvey repeated to himself. He could not decide if it was a good thing or not. Talla was a merchant. Did she view him more as a contracted employee or as an equal? The medic quickly realized that was a silly question. First and foremost, she was a demigoddess. Could Talla see any human as an equal, especially when she disdained her own father so much? How many human lives had she witnessed come and go? And which of those had she snuffed out herself?
Talla noticed his silence. "Does something trouble you, Doctor?" the teal-haired woman questioned as they walked along the dock toward dry land. Harvey noticed the sailors made a path for her as if it were second-nature. The syren was so used to it, she did not bat an eye.
Harvey did not want to admit his private ruminations, so he reached for another topic. "I wondered what your customers might think of your absence this week," the medic replied. "You're usually so dedicated to your business."
Grinning, Talla assured Harvey that she had made arrangements. "The goods are still being transported at my discretion. I simply have associates conducting the sales in each region for the time being." They finally reached solid ground and Harvey noticed a shift in his companion's expression. He wondered if the demigoddess experienced discomfort in this disguised form, especially on land. Syrens were sea monsters and the lack of sea water would likely pose a problem.
But Harvey did not want to draw attention to the fact, even if his assumption was correct. "So who did you send to Pelican Town?" Harvey probed with a quizzical look. It could not have been Diode. The albatross would have had to fly back the way they came.
"I did not send anyone," the syren smirked. "I simply asked the locals to assist me." Talla let out a low chuckle. "They agreed, with the condition that they would also be permitted to use my usual location to sell their own wares if they so choose."
Harvey could not help but wonder what she meant by "locals."
Shane was busy today, so Violet was responsible for watering her own crops. A debate between the two mayoral candidates was to be held that afternoon and the whole town was invited. Well, at least, that's what the flyer that came with the announcement for Shane's candidacy claimed. Violet wondered if anyone had informed Mayor Lewis about the debate before making the announcement, or if this was one of Haley's strategies as his campaign manager. She supposed she would find out later.
So, after harvesting the first bok choy of the season, Violet headed toward the Cindersap Forest to find Talla. At first, the farmer doubted the demigoddess would be present, since Harvey had left for Gotoro with her, but Violet spied the brightly painted cart well before she entered the clearing. The pastel-haired woman stepped up to the small window and turned her gaze upward, expecting to see the syren merchant. Instead, a pair of black, beady eyes locked with hers.
"Ah!" Violet jumped away from the cart at the sight of the rodent. The mouse stared at her expectantly and stood perfectly still, giving the blue-eyed woman a chance to further inspect the occupant of the merchant's cart. It was a grey mouse, with a little white tuft of fur on its chest and matching paws. The creature was larger than an ordinary mouse, but not as large as a rat. Between its large, rounded ears, it wore a tiny green cap with a gold button at its center.
"Me sell hats!" the mouse declared to the human through a pair of bucked teeth. When Violet did not respond right away, he continued. "Buy hat, give coines!" the small mammal demanded, outstretching his paw toward her.
Violet craned her neck to look past the mouse inside the wagon. There was more than just hats inside. Why did this talking mouse have Talla's cart? "Where is Talla?" she wanted to know.
An adorable huff escaped from the rodent's pink nose as he twitched his long whiskers in annoyance. " Me sell fish cart things. Me sell hats."
It had not occurred to her that Talla might stay with Harvey while he traveled, but the syren was also a dedicated businesswoman. She would not disappoint her patrons by not showing up to her usual stops. Or, in this case, sending a representative. "So you're… filling in while she's away?" Violet inquired to clarify she understood correctly.
The mouse bobbed his head and darted into the cart. Violet could hear squeaks as he rummaged through the inventory. Now that the farmer was less startled, the mouse was actually quite cute. In a flash of fur, the hat mouse was suddenly atop of Violet's head, planting a pink bow in her hair off to one side. He hopped back onto the cart counter and propped a small mirror against the window. "Good hats!" he shouted. "Make pretty!" Once again, the mouse held out his paw impatiently.
He was a bit pushy in his methods, but perhaps that worked being so small and unthreatening. Violet laughed. "I would also like to see Talla's inventory," the agrarian insisted gently, leaning forward to scratch the mouse under his chin.
Despite himself, the mouse's eyes squinted as he enjoyed the sensation of a good scratch. But he quickly patted his face with his paws to snap out of it. The mouse nodded bashfully and returned with Talla's list of the goods. As Violet's dark blue eyes scanned the list, her jaw dropped. "No way!" she exclaimed, making the rodent jump slightly.
It was a rabbit's foot! An expensive one, but Robin had requested she keep an eye out for it. Though the carpenter was ambiguous about when she would need it and for what purpose, so Violet could always just keep it on her person for a little extra luck. The agriculturalist had not always been the superstitious type, but with so many magical elements to the Valley, it was hard not to think that the appendage might be useful.
Violet pointed to the rabbit's foot on the page and showed it the mouse. "No hat?" The rodent looked disappointed, but quickly returned with the desired item for his client. The cuteness factor was definitely in his favor. The woman heaved a sigh and retrieved payment for both items. As the rodent studied the pile of gold on the windowsill of the cart, his whiskers twitched upward in satisfaction when he realized his customer was purchasing the bow he put in her hair as well. Violet beamed at him, basking in the tiny creature's elation. "You drive a hard bargain, little guy," she giggled.
Elliott sat at his writing desk, staring blankly at the wilting red rose on the far corner of the smooth wooden surface. He thought he imagined the quiet knock at the door as an excuse to rise from his seat, but when the long-locked man opened it, there stood Penny.
"Miss Penelope!" he exclaimed in surprise, quickly smoothing his hair and adjusting his garments to appear more polished. "What brings you to my humble abode?"
"I apologize for arriving so early," she verbalized regretfully. "It's just that the debate today has pushed my schedule up a few hours," the delicate brunette enlightened him. "It's been so long since someone has challenged Mayor Lewis that everyone is making a big deal about it."
His guest then produced a large, shiny thermos from the inside of her bag. "I made this Tom Kha soup for you," the refined young woman explained. With a demure, yet brilliant smile, Miss Penelope congratulated him. "Happy birthday, Elliott."
For a moment, Elliott was speechless. He had not expected anyone to present him with a birthday gift. He accepted the insulated metal cylinder as his lips pulled back in a pleasant smile. "Tom Kha it is one of my guilty pleasures!" he proclaimed merrily. "I look forward to indulging myself with your culinary expertise."
Miss Penelope's face flushed slightly. Perhaps it was too much to refer to his favorite soup as a guilty pleasure? But her words corrected his assumption. "I'm really not a very good cook," the lovely lady admitted bashfully, "but I hope you like how it tastes."
"There is no need to be modest!" Elliott insisted, unscrewing the cap of the thermos and drinking in a mouthful to prove his point. The flavor was superb! A smile graced his face to assure Miss Penelope of her culinary prowess. Spiced perfectly, the shrimp succulent and - Wait, what was that… odd texture?
Elliott kept his composure despite the realization that not only had Miss Penelope must have forgotten to sauté the mushrooms before they were added to the soup, but they were completely unwashed. There was the distinct grittiness of dirt and the peculiar sponginess of the fungus that he disliked. Normally, Elliott did not mind common mushrooms so long as they were prepared properly and absorbed the strong flavors in which they were cooked. But he could not stand raw mushrooms - especially with such an earthy flavor. That was more suitable to Leah's palate. His amber eyes glanced down at the thermos as he considered his options. If he could scoop out the offending ingredient, he was confident the soup would be scrumptious.
Miss Penelope's dazzling smile made him all the more grateful for his upbringing and the decision to very discreetly dispose of the mushroom into his handkerchief when she turned her face momentarily. "I'm so glad you like it!" she exclaimed happily, her cheeks rosy from the brisk autumn morning. "Emily showed me how to make it yesterday. Then I went home and cooked a batch myself!" she informed the gentlemen before her, intertwining her fingers in front of her body nervously. Why was a fine lady such as Miss Penelope so anxious in his presence?
"Will you be going to the mayoral debate this afternoon?" Miss Penelope solicited politely, her glittering emerald eyes staring up at him. Elliott found himself entirely disarmed. He had not originally intended to attend to force himself to write since everyone else in town would be occupied, but how could he possibly disappoint a lady?
"I suppose it is a momentous occasion for our little hamlet," Elliott conceded, bringing his hand to his chin. "And perhaps a rousing debate will conjure some inspiration for my next novel…"
The brunette practically shone, her warmth radiating like the summer sun. "I look forward to seeing you there!" she professed, waving her hand to indicate her intended departure. "Happy birthday, Elliott!"
At first, Shane felt ridiculous in a suit. But both Haley and Emily insisted that he dress the part. Haley, for the sake of voters viewing him in a "professional" light, and Emily insisted dressing well would inspire confidence. Glancing in the mirror, he did look the part, but he also hardly recognized his own reflection.
It was not extreme, but Shane needed a belt now to keep his pants from falling down. Beer had a lot of empty calories - or so Haley informed him - so his recent sobriety was part of the reason. I guess that's why they call it a "beer belly," the young mayoral candidate supposed with some amusement as he turned to inspect his profile. Thinking about the changes critically, Shane suspected that being outside more often, learning to make – and having the time to enjoy – home-cooked meals, and his weekly gridball training with Alex had something to do with it.
"See? Even you can look put together in a suit," Haley observed, unofficially announcing her presence. Shane jumped, embarrassed to be caught admiring himself in the mirror, but he decided to pretend that the blonde did not see anything.
"If nothing else, I look the part," the dark-haired man responded half-sarcastically. While sometimes he still felt like an overgrown kid trying to play "adult," Shane knew he was still the same person on the inside. Only now he finally knew it was okay to accept help from the people around him. It was weird how much changed in his life the moment he stopped trying to shoulder everything himself. Shane was almost glad that about the night on the cliffs - it was a wake-up call he desperately needed. Still, he never wanted to put himself - or anyone else he loved - through that kind of trauma ever again. At least Jas was spared the worst of it. Shane was most grateful for that.
Haley's heels tapped the hardwood floor as she turned toward the door. "C'mon, loser," she urged him to follow her. "It's time."
Mayor Lewis was still in awe regarding the audacity of these youngsters for not only challenging his authority as mayor, but also failing to formally seek his approval for a debate. But no - these disrespectful children simply handed out a flyer to the entire town and knew that he could not refuse. His grey mustache twitched in irritation. If Shane were not Marnie's nephew, he would have marched to his competitor's house and demanded an explanation. But the mayor suspected this was another jab at him because of his perfectly reasonable request to keep his personal life a secret from the rest of the town.
Either way, it did not matter now. It seemed Marnie decided to break things off for a while - once again without speaking to him on the matter. The rancher still came to The Stardrop Saloon most evenings, but instead of conversing with him, Marnie chose to sit at the bar and talk to Pam and Gus. Lewis had not expected Marnie to stay so irrationally angry with him for such an extended period of time. But now Shane - the town's junior drunk, second only to Pam - was running for mayor of Pelican Town. Surely this must be Marnie's doing. She was trying to pry him away from his important work of maintaining order in their community. But her plan would not succeed. Lewis was confident that he would be able to convince the local residents that the young man was not suited for the role.
So, when the scheduled time for the debate drew near, Lewis pulled on his lucky shorts and the rest of his best clothes. He had ironed and pressed his attire to look as clean and respectable as possible. Donning his cap, Lewis vowed he would remind the townspeople that he had served this community for more than twenty years and some upstart was not about to topple him so easily.
Mayor Lewis stepped out of his grand mansion and into Town Square, where a small platform with two podiums now stood before several rows of chairs for the crowd to sit. Shane was already talking to the younger townsfolk who had gathered. Even if Shane had the vote of his friends, the real adults in town had the majority, Lewis reminded himself. He must not be alarmed by such trivial things.
Much to the man's surprise, even Marlon was in attendance. Lewis' dark eyes narrowed as he realized the rugged man was chatting with Marnie and the rancher was laughing at something he said. He would not lose to Marlon - or Shane - Lewis avowed silently. With his winning smile, Lewis stepped up onto the platform and claimed the podium closest to him. "Shall we begin?" he announced in the most commanding voice he could muster.
A murmur of agreement rippled through the group as everyone started to take their seats. It was then that Lewis noticed that Shane was dressed differently today, the young man was in a well-tailored suit. Suddenly Lewis felt underdressed by comparison. The mayor cursed under his breath, but did not run off to change. That would make him look weak. No, no. Now more than ever, Lewis decided to demonstrate that he was not swayed by minor things like fashion.
Haley, Shane's "campaign manager" stepped in front of the platform, facing the congregation. She, too, was dressed in a powder-blue silk blouse and tan skirt. It does not suit her, Lewis thought. A girl like her doesn't belong in politics. An insecure politician would throw a fit that a member of his opponent's team was hosting the debate, but Lewis was above such things. This would all be over quickly.
The blonde spoke up. "Welcome to the first mayoral debate this town has seen in twenty years!" she announced, projecting her voice loud and clear. "We will allow both Mayor Lewis and Shane to give a brief opening statement before we move on to questions from the villagers."
Good thing I prepared a little something, Mayor Lewis praised himself with a self-satisfied smirk. Not that he really needed much to demonstrate his ability. The town itself was a prime example of his fine work over the past two decades. Lewis smiled proudly behind his mustache as Haley indicated he could begin. "Pelican Town is a tidy, peaceful little coastal town that receives tourists a few times a year to provide entertainment, but otherwise stands as a sanctuary for quiet, small-town life," he began.
"I have served this community for many years and with that experience comes wisdom. I hope that everyone gathered here today does not vote for change simply for change's sake. Experience," he glanced over toward Shane, who had no history of working for the public, to emphasize his point, "is worth its weight in gold."
Quiet commentary was exchanged between those seated beside one another in the gathering before Haley turned to his rival. It was Shane's turn. The boy's face reddened as he cleared his throat. "I… uh…" he stumbled to begin and Lewis tried to contain his pleased smile concealed by his mustache. Shane locked eyes with someone in the audience, took a deep breath, and smiled.
"I know I'm not a wealthy guy in terms of experience," Shane confessed in a voice that gradually reached the appropriate volume to reach the back of the assembly. He chuckled before adding a joke, "or actual gold for that matter." Some villagers in the crowd laughed along with Shane. "And I admit I don't always like how 'peaceful' everything is around here since I grew up in the city."
What is he doing? Mayor Lewis deliberated internally. He can't just disparage the town he wants to lead! Then again, was it really so awful if his challenger buried his own grave?
Shane frowned. "But the people here are some of the most obnoxiously nice I've ever met," he asserted firmly. "Even…" he trailed off, his voice solemn for a moment, "when I didn't feel like I deserved that kindness, you all were here for me - in your own way." The dark-haired man gripped the side of his podium and looked out toward his neighbors. "I want to do something meaningful with my life that gives back to the people who have always given me second, third, or fourth chances..." He shrugged awkwardly. "That's why I'm running for mayor."
Lewis could acknowledge Shane's tact in pulling at the heartstrings of the townsfolk. After all, Shane did not have much else going for him, other than being a young, new face for the town. Haley then asked the audience if anyone had any questions for the candidates.
Sam jumped up and Lewis felt an instinctual urge to jump out of the way, but he restrained himself. "I've got one for the Mayor!"
The suspender-wearing senior citizen acknowledged the skate-boarding menace as politely as possible. "Yes, Samson?" he inquired, knowing fully well that the young man hated his proper name.
Sam did not flinch, however. "Since we never have room in the budget for the skate park I've been proposing for the last several years, I was wondering if you could break it down for us how our taxes are spent…"
Lewis sniffed indignantly. "As I have stated before, young man," the patriarch of the town answered, attempting to veil his contempt, "the budget from our taxes go toward town festivals and improvements. Not something frivolous that only one of our villagers would use."
The blond smirked in a way that made Lewis uneasy. "That will be all, sir."
Next, stood Abigail, who shouted at the candidates. "What will be your top priorities as mayor?"
Lewis did not wait for anyone to signal him to go first. "I think it goes without saying that my top priorities are to organize the town events, support local businesses, and keep Pelican Town a beautiful place to live." He grinned so that the tip of his mustache tilted upward. "Since no one has run against me in so long, I would say that's an indication that I've done a good job doing just that."
"And you, Shane?" Haley turned toward his competitor.
The man in the blue suit bowed his head respectfully to acknowledge his understanding. "I want to put forth additional efforts to fix things around town that have fallen out of repair. The old dock, which we've seen is literally falling apart in some places and has yet to be addressed…" Lewis froze. Oh, right. There was that hole in the dock that he had lined off with rope. Everyone must have noticed during the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies. "The bridge to the quarry is completely obliterated," Shane continued. "But, most importantly," the young man itemized, "I want to get our bus service up and running again." Before Lewis could form a rebuttal, Pam stood up.
"You're trying to get me my job back, kid?" the woman with caked on layers of eyeshadow demanded to know.
Shane nodded, "If you want it," he confirmed. He did some strategic back-pedaling, nevertheless. "I'll have to see what the state of things are should I take office, but I think a lack of public transportation in and out of town and an absence of paid employment is slowly killing Pelican Town."
"I allowed Joja to come in and conduct business!" Lewis argued back. "They've provided jobs!"
"Part-time, for two people," Shane countered with a grimace. "Though none of us are working there now. Sam only gets summer hours and I've been forced out on 'indefinite leave.'"
"Many villagers are self-employed as well, so those who want a job, have one," the mayor replied, straightening his stance. "We here in Pelican Town are fine craftsmen and women as well as agricultural providers for the Valley."
Once again, Shane had a retort. "Which doesn't mean a damn thing if no one can afford to hire anyone but themselves. They rely on unpaid labor from friends or family members." He leaned forward on his podium. "Luckily, farmer Violet has recently hired me, but otherwise I would not be able to afford my own personal expenses, let alone to support anyone else."
Lewis felt the sweat forming on his body. "We have that new Special Orders board that Robin and I posted near the manor," he offered, hoping to appease the crowd enough that they would let this point of Shane's slide. He loosened the gold tie from his neck slightly.
"Sure," his political opposition admitted, "and that's great for the short-term, but once again there's no long-term stability." Shane's face reddened slightly, Mayor Lewis noticed. "What are the younger adults going to do if they want to settle down and build their own house to raise a family?"
The younger man gazed directly at Lewis and the middle-age man felt a shift in the atmosphere. "Nothing new has been built in at least thirty years - I checked the town records." Shane frowned and gestured all around him at the building surrounding the center of their village. "Sure, things in sight of Town Square get great attention and upkeep, but what about the community center, for example?" He raised his hands to rest on the surface of the podium. "If we don't expand enough for individuals who want to live here in their own homes, they'll move away and not come back. Then we won't have a town anymore."
Lewis sighed in relief as Gus stood from his chair and raised his voice to speak. "Mayor Lewis, you mentioned earlier that tax dollars go toward 'town festivals and improvements,'" the tavern owner articulated. "But after speaking with the fellow tax-payers about what they pay and comparing those numbers to the expenses for the food and festival equipment, there should be enough for at least one small repair project per year. After twenty years with so little change in town, where is that improvement portion of the budget being spent?"
The beads of perspiration were now visible on Lewis' brow. No, they can't find out… he panicked. I have to think of something!
"You're not using our taxes for personal expenses, are you Lewis?" Robin accused the mayor. The carpenter already witnessed one instance of his being blackmailed. The grey-haired man should have known that woman would use this as an opportunity to air out his dirty laundry. Was this whole "debate" a set up?
"Is that how you paid for that gaudy statue of yourself, young man?" Evelyn scolded the mustached man on the platform above the cluster of locals. No, not Evelyn. Not the geriatric cookie-baking gardener!
"Wait, he has a gold statue of himself?" Pierre repeated with a mixture of awe and disapproval. It seemed even the other generations were beginning to turn on him as well.
Lewis had to push back somehow. "That is my personal property and no one has any right to snoop in my yard!"
"Isn't the Mayoral Manor technically public property since it's the home of an elected official?" Sam queried for all those gathered around. A general murmur of consensus rose from the villagers. "I mean, your bedroom is one thing, man. But I think a yard is fair game. It's not like there's a lot of privacy in this town."
"I paid for it with my own personal funds!"
Shane finally went for the kill. "Can you prove that, Mayor Lewis?"
Lewis was cornered, like a rat in a trap. The bureaucrat felt a toxic build-up of anger and anxiety rising within him. "I don't have to prove anything to you!" he roared, balling his fists, and slamming them on his podium. Lewis pointed an accusing finger toward Shane, followed by Haley and Sam. "This was a set-up to smear my good name from the beginning! How dare you brats question my twenty years of public service to this town!"
As Mayor Lewis scanned the crowd, he saw his neighbors staring at him with wide eyes. Even Caroline and Jodi, the most mild-mannered of the villagers, looked appalled as they shielded the children from hearing Lewis' outburst.
Oh, no… he reflected with despair. Even without entirely exposing his carefully-guarded secrets, enough dust had been kicked up to arouse his neighbors' suspicions. Was it better to be thought of as a fraud… or tell the truth? But in that moment, all Mayor Lewis wanted to do was escape their judging eyes. He fled.