Hot Goss

"So, what's the deal with Marnie and Mayor Lewis now, Shane?" Haley asked to initiated the inevitable gossip as she roasted a marshmallow on the roaring fire with a long, spindly stick. "Like, did Marnie finally kick him to the curb or what?" the blonde jumped slightly as she retrieved her now-flaming treat from the flames.

Shane shrugged. "Their last fight sure made it seem that way, but who knows?" The dark-haired touched his hand to his chin. "Either way, I got back at him for it."

"Spill," Abigail demanded immediately, her eyes lighting up with interest. "What'd you do to Lewis?"

The chicken man cackled. "I put his lucky shorts in his soup bowl at the Luau."

A hoot of simultaneous laughter rang out into the night. "Damn, I wish I had thought of something like that," Sam lamented.

"Hey, you added a pound of anchovies into the potluck soup," Sebastian reminded his best friend.

Harvey's face, meanwhile, went blank. "Please tell me it was only in his portion and not the giant cauldron from which the whole town ate…"

"I wouldn't ruin perfectly good food!" Shane claimed in his defense. Violet realized that if Mayor Lewis had been served his shorts at the Luau, there was no need for her to continue looking. Not that she had tried particularly hard.

Shane wedged his perfectly toasted marshmallow between two squares of graham cracker and chocolate, then took a bite. "I cont shee hweye Wewis wonsta kweep eweeting bout hes reelashunship wif Awnt Marnee seecret," he groused as he munched the summertime dessert.

Haley rolled her eyes, "The geezer thinks it'll undermine his authority as Mayor or something stupid like that." She peeled away the burnt layer of sugar to salvage her s'more. "They were gross and doing it in a bush late one night. I accidentally came across them and Lewis made me promise not to tell the town about their 'secret rendezvous.'"

"Ew, I remember you mentioning that!" Alex's face puckered in disgust, opting to sit in the sand and lean against the log behind him.

Abigail's jaw dropped, but her lips curved upward in a scandalized smirk. "You mean like doing it, doing it?" she leaned in closer toward the fire to better see Haley's face.

The curly-haired blonde wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, I thought some poor cat was dying -"

Shane clapped his hands over his ears, eliciting a laugh from the others. "I don't wanna hear any more about my Aunt Marnie's sex life!" he groaned miserably. Haley rolled her eyes but obliged the poultry farmer. It was not like she wanted to recall the incident either.

"Who knew the old people in town got so freaky?" Sam hooted, pulling Abigail into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she wiggled until she found a comfortable position. "It's like there's a whole side to this town we don't know about."

"I'm sure there's a lot we don't know about the town," Penny spoke up, clearly trying to veer the conversation away from indecent topics. "If you dig in the dirt you can find some interesting things," she advised the others. "One time I found a really old piece of pottery. I brought it to Gunther, and he said it was over a thousand years old."

"I hadn't even considered that people settled in the Valley that long ago," Maru chimed in curiously.

Violet seemed doubtful about Gunter's estimate, however. "I don't know," the farmer stated doubtfully. "I've already found few chicken statues on the farm and Gunther told me that the 'ancient people' must have really liked chickens." The pastel-haired woman raised her bare shoulders. "Even though I don't remember my grandparents having chicken statues, I really doubt they were old enough to be from an ancient civilization."

"Who builds a statue for a chicken?" Sebastian questioned doubtfully.

"Hey!" Shane interjected defensively. "Chickens have as much personality as people do!"

Maru interceded. "Well, to build a statue would require extra time and resources to craft it. Unless the people were thriving - which while possible, might have been difficult for a truly ancient populace - carving or casting the likeness of a creature would have to mean it had significant cultural or religious importance."

"So, either the people around here actually worshipped chickens or Gunther is full of shit?" Sebastian inquired, translating Maru's statement.

His sister chuckled but nodded in confirmation. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

"What an odd choice of deity," Elliott mused aloud, though he still whipped out his brainstorming notebook to jot down a few notes. "Chickens are not exactly regal birds. Usually pantheons include scholars, warriors, beauties…" The man paused, his fountain pen frozen mid-sentence. His lustrous hair caught the light, giving it a bright orange shine.

"By the way, did you two resolve your quarrel on the battlefield?" the poet queried Alex and Haley, his honey-hued eyes dancing between the two around the glow of their beach campfire. The silky-haired man leaned forward with keen interest when he noticed the duo shifted in their seats uncomfortably. "Even a mere onlooker like myself could notice the friction between you," he pointed out, gesturing toward the normally inseparable pair.

"It did get kind of intense," Leah admitted nervously, sipping her strawberry wine straight from the bottle. She wiped her lips on her forearm. "I was more than happy to play for a while, but it seemed… different for the both of you."

While the rest of the young people murmured in agreement, Alex and Haley avoided looking at each other. The jock scratched the back of his head uncomfortably. "I… dunno," he turned his head to look at his best friend. "I hope I've given Haley enough space to consider where our friendship goes from here." He frowned. "I still want to be friends..."

"Was the fight that bad?" Emily wanted to know. It would be devastating for an old friendship to fall apart so suddenly. Alex and her sister should at least try to talk it out first.

The blonde tilted her head to the side, her curls cascading down her shoulder. Haley heaved a sigh and rolled her eyes. "I suppose that temporary tattoo from the volleyball was worth some amount of forgiveness," she smirked, bringing her fingers to touch her lips coyly. "We're cool again, Alex," she informed her best friend, blowing him a little kiss. After pulling her towel snugly around her body to keep warm, Haley extended her pinky to Alex to make a promise, "I'll, like, communicate better in the future, too."

"And I'll… try not to be so caught up in my own head all the time," the aspiring pro athlete vowed in return. He hooked his little finger with hers and they sealed the promise with a tap on their thumbs.

"Yay!" Emily cheered happily, placing her hand over Alex and Haley's. The sapphire-haired woman was relieved that her sister's only friendship remained intact. Haley's sunshiny aura had been so dull lately. "It's terrible when friends fight. I'm glad you two made up!"

But Abigail already had enough of the love fest. "Alright, so which of you pervs is it?" she demanded to know, taking a swig of her drink.

"Who are you calling pervs?" Sebastian snapped defensively at the sudden cryptic accusation, doodling in the sand at his feet with a stick.

The amethyst-haired woman grinned and leaned closer to the fire so everyone could hear. "I overheard my parents talking about stocking more bouquets in the shop's inventory," she revealed, pointing around the circle. "My dad's such a penny pincher that only does that when he knows someone seriously has the hots for another person in town." Her cerulean eyes scanned the crowd gathered around the flames in the fire pit. "So, who is it?"

The town's only officially dating couple detected a range of reactions from annoyed huffs to reddening faces of the single villagers, prompting Sam and Abigail to exchange mischievous glances. "Alright, ladies and germs," the guest of honor for the birthday party announced. "I say we play a little game of truth or dare."

"Aren't we a bit old for that?" Harvey countered, removing his thick-rimmed glasses to remove a smudge from the lens with a clean cloth. "Especially the immature dares…"

Haley scoffed. "Fine, we can play 'Never Have I Ever,'" she offered as a compromise.

Sam seemed to latch on to the idea. "That's a fun way to get to know each other," the man agreed with an excited grin.

Penny blushed. "A-As long as I don't have to do anything embarrassing or vulgar," she consented squeakily.

"I have to confess I have never heard of this game," Elliott declared curiously. "How does one play?"

"It's simple," Sam began, holding up a fist. "We go around the circle and each person comes up with a statement about something they have never done." He placed his free hand on his bare chest. "So, for example, I could say 'never have I ever lived in NuNu City,' and those who have lived in NuNu City have to put up a finger." Sam, for demonstration purposes, lifted his pointer finger. "Once all your fingers are up, you're knocked out of the game and don't get to ask any more questions, but you can still state your answers if you want."

Abigail made her thoughts known. "With a group this big, we have to do two hands, I think," she suggested.

"What's your rule about targeted questions?" Leah requested to know.

The blond chortled. "Bring 'em on!"

"Targeted questions?" Maru repeated for clarification.

"Using a statement to purposefully give people points," Haley explained. "Like 'never have I ever used hair gel' would give Alex a point because I know he uses it daily."

Alex lowered. "I work hard for this look, you know."

"Yeah, yeah," Abigail said impatiently. "Let's get this started already!"

Violet fidgeted, nervously waiting for the first question from Maru, who volunteered to start.

The scientist took a gulp of her drink and smiled, before starting off with a deadly question. "Never have I ever received a grade less than an "A." The entire crowd complained simultaneously and each person held up a finger, while Sebastian and Abigail chose their middle finger in particular to protest the question.

Penny hid her laughter behind her hand, relaxing now that she knew that the game might not be as terrible as she thought. The shy woman chose her own statement. "Never have I ever lived outside of Pelican Town."

That question got everybody but Abigail. "Good one!" Sam praised the teacher, who seemed a bit less nervous now that her turn was out of the way for this round.

Elliott came next. "Never have I ever dyed my hair," he asserted proudly. Violet raised one finger, as did the obvious candidates - Abigail, Emily, and Penny with her more recent color change thanks to Bex. But the farmer was surprised by Alex and Shane.

Shane observed the others' expressions and shed some light on the subject. "I dyed my hair green and blue for a Tunnlers' game once," he specified, lifting his shoulders nonchalantly.

"And I… lost a bet to the captain of the rival team," Alex griped, crossing his arms over his chest.

Haley's blue eyes widened. "So that's why your hair was pink for a week sophomore year!" she laughed behind her hand. The blue-clad woman shook her head. "I'm glad it didn't last long. It was not a good look for you."

Leah verbalized her choice next. "Never have I ever had a boyfriend," she stated smugly, fully taking advantage of her lesbianism.

Much to the farmer's shock, only she, Abigail, and Emily added to their score. "Really?" she wondered aloud in disbelief.

Alex tried to call Haley out on a lie. "What about Chad Lendowski?" he asked his friend accusingly.

The blonde sneered. "Just because I made out with him under the bleachers a few times to try to make you jealous does not mean he was my boyfriend." Haley's blue eyes settled on her sister. "But when did you have a boyfriend, Emily?"

The sapphire-haired woman beamed. "Martin was a fellow art student," Emily reminisced fondly. "He was a nice guy, and we had a lot of fun, but he realized a few months into our relationship that he was more attracted to men." The woman rested her head on her open palms, "We kept in touch for a while afterward, though. He and his partner adopted a little boy a few years back, so I'm glad it all worked out."

"That's sweet," Penny articulated softly, smiling slightly. Violet wondered if Penny wanted kids someday. She seemed to like them, volunteering her time to teach Jas and Vincent.

Haley then turned to the farmer and Violet froze like a deer in headlights, since Abigail's answer needed no explanation. "And what's your deal, farm girl?"

Violet cleared her throat. "I uh… had a boyfriend who lived with me for a while, but it turned out he was just using me for free room and board while hooking up with other girls behind my back. So… it didn't really end amicably like things did for Emily." Violet had already mentioned her ex to some people, but most of them did not know all the details. Really, Sebastian knew the most about the situation, but Violet wondered if living with a boyfriend in the past changed anyone else's opinion of her.

"The man sounds like an absolute scoundrel," Elliott announced with a disapproving tone. Several others nodded in agreement. Violet sighed in relief when she recognized no one was attacking her character about it, unlike back home.

"Thanks, guys…" the farmer whispered with a small smile, before pondering a question of her own. Violet's cobalt eyes scanned her opponents and noticed that Maru was the only one with a single finger raised. She decided to initiate the targeted questions. "Never have I ever needed glasses!" Violet laughed.

Maru and Harvey both added a point to their score, to no one's surprise. Now it was Sebastian's turn. All eyes were upon him - which Violet recognized was the worst for his social anxiety. She moved her head slightly to get his attention and flashed him a friendly smile.

Sebastian relaxed slightly, or perhaps that was Violet's hopeful imagination, but he did go ahead and made a statement. "Never have I ever broken a bone."

Sam, Shane, and Maru all lifted an additional finger and briefly gave more details.

"Fell off my skateboard at the park, broke my wrist," Sam said, waving the wrist that mended years ago.

Shane fixed his gaze downward, kneading the grains of sand between his toes. "Gridball injury."

"I tried to jump off a ledge that was higher than I expected as a child," Maru chuckled. "Sebastian might have been more traumatized by it than I was!" Her brother scowled at the memory of his panic but did not comment. The young woman recalled the incident fondly. "Having a cast and experiencing the process first-hand is actually what inspired me to pursue nursing."

Harvey craned his neck to better see Maru, who sat beside him. "I didn't know that," he replied. Maru nodded and communicated that it was not the only factor, but certainly a catalyst for her choice of career path.

Now it was Sam's turn and his toothy grin made Violet realize that things were about to get livelier. "Never have I ever caught my parents having sex."

"Fuck you, Sam!" Abigail snapped, adding a point to her score. "That was forever ago!" Quietly, Leah and Haley also raised a finger, but not Emily. Penny covered her face in mortification at the question.

"Yeah, that turned me off to hetero sex instantly," Leah proclaimed with a shudder and a swig of her wine. Her grey eyes landed on Haley. "And what's with you discovering couples having sex all the time? Are you a secret voyeur? "

Haley scowled, though her face tinged pink with embarrassment. "It's literally only been those two times!" she argued defensively. "It's not like I go around seeking them out!"

Elliott, however, placed his pen to paper. "And how would you describe the reactions of the couples you've interrupted?" he inquired seriously. "Were they startled? Did they stop their amorous behavior? Do tell!"

"Elli, WHY?" Leah groaned miserably, swatting at the man seated beside her.

The author blinked innocently. "Well, there is always the fear and excitement of potentially being caught in the act," he explained, "but I have never written a scene in which the couple were truly caught in a compromising position and I wondered how one might reasonably react."

"I'm not talking about it, ask your bestie later," Haley replied flatly, dismissing the only man whose hair care routine likely rivaled hers.

Abigail seemed determined to get Sam back for targeting her. "Never have I ever stolen anything!" she shouted, despite her face being inches from her boyfriend's.

Sam cackled and air high-fived Shane from across the campfire. "Joja colas and frozen pizzas for the win!"

Maru also acknowledged her theft of intellectual property. "I have used sites that provide scientific journal articles for free," she disclosed guiltily.

"In that case, online pirating counts, too," Sebastian grumbled, raising a finger. A collective groan was added by most of the party when they realized they had done the same, all except for Elliott, Emily, Harvey, and Penny. Abigail cursed that her own question accidentally brought her closer to defeat.

Haley's lips pulled back toward her ears as she spoke. "Never have I ever worn boxers." All the men added a point and so did Abigail. While Violet did not need confirmation, this was further evidence that Abigail and Sam were physically intimate with one another.

"They're comfortable!" Abigail announced with a smile. Sam kissed his girlfriend's pale neck and squeezed her slightly.

"You rocked them, babe," he concurred, keeping Abigail close to his body while she was seated in his lap.

Penny avoided looking at the display of affection entirely, while others stole glances and smiled to themselves, as if hoping they might have a romance like that someday. Emily disrupted the awkward silence since it was now her turn.

"Never have I ever bought an article of clothing, wore it once with the tags still on, and then returned it," she giggled, knowing fully well that her sister had done just that. Haley growled in frustration but accepted the point.

Harvey and Penny both meekly acknowledged their transgressions as well. "I was still in residency and had a lot of student debt. I needed something for an interview…" the mustached man clarified.

"M-mom made me a few times as a child," Penny elaborated. "I-it wasn't my fault!"

Emily shook her head, "No one is accusing you of anything," she assured the anxious brunette. "I was only teasing Haley because she can never decide if she wants to keep an outfit unless someone compliments it."

"I'm not that shallow!" Haley protested indignantly. She turned up her nose. "Sometimes you have to see how it looks while you're out and about before making a final decision. I just happened to get a lot of compliments on my style."

Shane shifted on the log upon which he sat for a moment as he thought of a good statement for the group. "Never have I ever…" his mouth twitched before he finally settled on "been camping."

Emily, Leah, Maru, Sam, and Sebastian all took a point. "That's a terrible shame," Emily addressed Shane. "Camping is a wonderful way to reconnect with nature," she said wistfully. The woman lightly touched Shane's shoulder. "I'll gladly take you sometime if you want to experience what you've been missing!"

Leah nodded in agreement. "I've gone on lots of camping trips and I always find something interesting."

Haley disagreed. "There's no running water or electricity and you sleep in a bag," she countered in disgust.

"Hey, it can still be fun, though," Sam chimed in. "Dad used to take me every summer before Vincent was born," he shared with the present company fondly. "We would fish and cook all sorts of food on the fire. We had a great time!"

Maru gave the account on behalf of both herself and her brother. "We went camping one summer to collect samples for dad's work," she informed everyone. The auburn-haired woman giggled. "Sebastian really hated it and mom was really put out that she wasn't allowed to chop down any hardwood for carpentry projects, but I enjoyed myself!"

"Never have I ever made a promise I didn't keep!" Alex proclaimed with a satisfied smirk.

"I call bullshit," Shane declared confidently. "There's no way. Kids make nonsense promises all the time."

Alex rolled his Kelley green eyes. "Fine, then how about 'in my adult life?'" he compromised, narrowing the criteria.

While there was a bit of a debate about what constituted a "promise" to count, Harvey paled noticeably. "Is everything okay, Harvey?" Leah queried out of concern. The man looked ill.

"I promised someone I would make them well again," the bespectacled doctor confessed, his voice shaking as he balled his fists at his sides. "She died not long after," Harvey revealed in a tone as quiet as the fire burning at the core of their circle. "I -" his voice caught in his throat. "I lied to her and she died because I couldn't fix things for her."

Before anyone could react, he excused himself with a quick "I'm afraid it's past my bedtime. Happy birthday, Sam," and hurried off toward town. The group watched him go in silence, unsure of how to process the information.

"I suppose that's normal for doctors, but I still feel badly for him," Leah stated sadly, finishing off her bottle of wine.

Those still gathered around the campfire exchanged awkward looks, unsure of how to lighten the mood after such a downer. Maru rose to her feet. "I'm going to go make sure he's okay," the young woman announced, making her good-byes. "I had a lot of fun, thank you all."

Part of Violet wanted to leave as well, but at the same time she did not want to end the night on a low note. Looking around, she become aware that Sebastian had disappeared from the ring around the campfire. The farmer turned her body and saw a glimpse of someone heading toward the pier. That must be him. Violet felt the urge to follow him, but her social graces would not allow her to just up and leave a party. She would have to wait for the right moment to sneak away.

Abigail hopped off Sam's lap and tried to salvage the party atmosphere. "Well, I think that's the end of our game, but that doesn't mean we can't hang out."

Everybody nodded in agreement. "I'm gonna go grab some more wood to revive this fire a bit," Alex notified them, heading toward the tree line to look for deadwood.

"Is there any other news that ought to be disclosed?" Elliott wanted to know. He seemed desperate for some sort of inspiration.

Penny was not normally one to gossip, but she was honestly curious herself. "I happen to overhear Mayor Lewis complain to Gunther earlier today that someone intended on running against him for Mayor this year," the shy woman enlightened the party. "Though he didn't know who it was."

Sam looked ecstatic. "Dude! I am all for a new mayor," the blond said in support of the mystery candidate. "Lewis doesn't listen to any new ideas for town improvements!" the skater complained.

Alex then came back with an armful of driftwood and stacked a few pieces on the dying embers. "Well, it's not me. I don't have time for anything like that," he conveyed, stoking the fire back to life.

Leah turned to Violet expectantly and the farmer immediately waved her hands in front of her to deny the assumption. "I'm still getting used to everything in town. I'd be crazy to add more things to me daily to-do lists."

Shane exhaled heavily and the people all turned to face him. "It's me," he revealed reluctantly. "I submitted an application of intent, but I haven't made an official announcement yet."

Emily's warm brown eyes flared with enthusiasm. "Oh, that's wonderful!" She wrapped him in a side-hug. "You would make a great mayor, Shane!"

Alex chuckled. "Well, you suck at playing defense so I'm sure you would be good at something," the spiky-haired jock jabbed his new gridball practice partner.

The poultry farmer continued. "I figured if I'm going to make some personal changes, I may as well try to improve the place I live, too." He twiddled his thumbs between his knees nervously. "I know it's a slim chance, but any chance at something better than Joja - no offense, Sam - is worthwhile to me."

"I think it's more than a slim chance," Leah countered the mayoral candidate. "From what I hear, a lot of people aren't exactly happy with how Lewis runs things, but he's been mayor so long that no one bothers opposing him."

"You already have my vote," Emily pledged with a smile. Violet noticed Shane blush slightly. Or maybe it was just the firelight?

Shane frowned at the ground. "I still need a campaign manager, if I'm going to make things official," he told everybody.

Haley exhaled audibly. "Well, if anyone should do it, it should be me." She extended her hand to Shane. "So, what do you say?"

The husky man narrowed his eyes, confused why Haley would offer her services so readily. "It's not that I think it's a bad idea," Shane began. "But why do you want to help me?"

In response, the blonde scoffed. "It's less of a want and more of a need. Yours, to be exact." Haley gestured to her sister. "I'm sure Emily would love to do it - and she's probably your first choice since you're friends," the woman in the blue bikini explained. "But Emily works every day and doesn't have nearly as much free time or experience with image-building like I do."

"You also take great portraits," Leah added her support for Haley's proposition.

The blonde glanced at the artist and grinned at Leah in thanks, then turned back to Shane. "So, what do you say?"

Shane was taken aback. "Ugh, sure…" he took her hand to shake. "Thanks, Haley."

Emily beamed. "Oh, you're so generous, Haley. Thank you!" The sapphire-haired woman scoop both Haley and Shane into a hug, with her at the center.

"Quit crushing me or I'll change my mind!" Haley insisted, running her fingers through her hair once her older sister released her.

Leah was about to ask Abigail to pass her another marshmallow when the artist realized that most of the others had gone missing. "Hey, where did everybody go?" the ginger questioned aloud.

Alex filled in the details. "Sam and Abigail snuck off that way," he pointed toward the upper portion of the beach. "Penny excused herself, but you all were too absorbed in Shane's news to hear her," he continued. "And Elliott went with her to walk her home."

Haley scanned the other side of the circle, which was also mostly vacant. "What about Violet and Sebastian?"

"I think Sebastian's been gone a while," Emily noted. "I imagine Violet followed him."

Haley whined in annoyance. "Those two just need to suck face already," she complained. "Did you see the way Sebastian was ogling Violet in her bikini top during our volleyball game today?" She shook her head, her blonde curls bobbing along with the movement.

Alex snickered. "He was kind of distracted, wasn't he?"

Sebastian sat at the edge of the western pier, staring out toward the dark waters of the nearly moonless night. He heard footsteps approach behind him and wondered if it was Maru coming to tell him she was heading home. But as he turned, the black-clad man instead found the pastel-haired farmer.

"Oh, hey, Violet," he greeted her. He tapped the wooden boards of the dock beside him. "Care to stare out into the dark abyss with me?"

"Recharging your social battery?" Violet inquired, taking a seat beside him and dangling her bare feet off of the pier.

"Yeah," Sebastian admitted. "Parties are just lots of commotion, too much social interaction…" he remarked. "More stress than fun, if you ask me." As he sighed, his tapered bangs twitched from his exhaled breath. "But it's Sam's birthday and I wanted to be there for my best friend."

Violet smiled at him. "You're a great friend, Sebastian," she assured him. For some reason, the farmer's smile made his heart race. He was finished with the nicotine patches, so the ex-smoker could not pin it on those anymore. Then again, she was not wearing a shirt, but that orange swimsuit. Volleyball was already a pain in the ass, but he could not keep focused on the game to save his life.

Her floral-colored hair fell just past her shoulders now, brushing against her skin when she moved her head. Why did that distract him so much? Was it because her shoulders were bare, and the bikini top showed off her toned muscles? Sebastian knew that Violet got a lot of exercise on the farm, but she always wore more clothing when he saw her. Well, except that first night, but that was an accident.

"Is everything okay?" Violet's voice gently pulled Sebastian away from his thoughts.

The dark-eyed man cleared his throat, "Sorry, just zoned out for a bit there," he apologized.

Violet tilted her head and angled her body toward him. "What about?"

Sebastian froze, realizing he needed to think of something fast. What else had he thought about lately other than Violet's body? Oh, right! "I uh… was wondering why my mom hasn't told me about what happened with her and dad." He directed his gaze toward the ocean so that he would not ogle Violet's cleavage. "My biological dad, not Demetrius," Sebastian clarified. "Penny's question about living outside of Pelican Town got me thinking about some early memories of just mom and me when I was young."

"I bet you were adorable!" Violet giggled, and Sebastian felt the heat rise in his face signaling his bashfulness.

"Eh, I grew out of it," he replied dismissively. "But you haven't."

Violet was caught off-guard by the comment and for a second he saw her expression contort from surprised, flattered, then offended. "Are you saying I look like a little kid?" she growled, crossing her arms over her chest.

Sebastian could not help but laugh. "Nah, just that I'm sure you were as cute as a kid as you are now."

The farmer's face went crimson this time. "Oh…" She hid her face behind her hands. "I need to stop jumping to conclusions, I'm sorry!" she squeaked.

Gently prying her fingers apart to see Violet's face, Sebastian kept laughing at her behavior. "Well, I am a jerk sometimes," he conceded, lowering her hands down to rest on her lap so he could look at her. "But I don't lie to you…"

Sebastian could feel the goosebumps on Violet's thigh and pulled back slightly. She was cold. The dark-haired man pulled off his t-shirt and handed it to the woman next to him. "Here, put this on."

Violet did not speak but accepted the shirt and pulled it over her head, threading her arms through the sleeves. "Aren't you going to get cold?"

His obsidian eyes gaze at Violet. She looked cute wearing a slightly oversized shirt. It hugged her curves more where the fabric hung more loosely. "I don't really get cold," he informed her.

"Then why did you keep your shirt on all day?"

Sebastian shrugged. "I'm not really comfortable blinding everyone with how pale I am," he said jokingly. "I already have a reputation as the local vampire."

Violet looked out at the open water beyond. "... You have a nice body, from what I've seen," the farmer shared with him. "I don't think there's anything to be ashamed about."

Sebastian was catatonic for a moment, unable to respond to the farmer's compliment. She likes my body. Had Violet been eyeing him all day the way he had her? Should he make a move? Should he wait for Violet to initiate? What made a moment feel right like Violet said she wanted the other night? Before Sebastian could form a coherent response, the farmer stood up. "It's getting late. I should get home…" she reported. Did she sound disappointed, or was he just being paranoid?

"I-I can walk you home!" Sebastian offered, springing to his feet to follow her down the pier toward the shore.

Violet declined the proposal. "You should walk Maru back, she's your sister, after all."

Okay, so his brotherly duties probably called for that, Sebastian had to admit to himself. But he was worried he let a perfectly good moment slip through his clumsy fingers. "Why don't I -"

Sebastian's rushed reply was interrupted by a scream as a board on the pier snapped and Violet's leg fell through the dock. Purely by reflex, he was able to catch Violet from falling with a hard thud, but the farmer gasped in pain. The man helped her sit down and gently maneuvered her leg through the new hole of splintered wood. Blood flowed freely from a long gash in her leg and Violet hugged her leg to her chest and hissed through her teeth, trying to bear the pain.

"D-do you want me to get help or would you rather me try to move you?" Sebastian asked in a panic, only to realize after posing the question that Violet may be unable to speak from the shock. But before he could ask her to nod or shake her head to make her choice, an odd green glow sprouted from Violet's palms applying pressure to her wound.

Soon, the deep cut itself began to shimmer light and slowly shrank down toward its center. Sebastian blinked, allowing his eyes to readjust as the dazzling beam disappeared as suddenly as it appeared. Violet's leg was fine. If not for the blood still dripping down her leg, Sebastian would have thought he had gone crazy for a moment.

"Violet… what just happened?" Sebastian could not quite relax with the adrenaline still pumping through his body.

The farmer gazed up at him, her eyes wide with shock as her fingers tracing the now-healed skin that had been stripped from her leg only moments ago. "I-I'm not sure…"