"I just have a little bit of insomnia, Finn! Really, that's all!"
Well, considering the time was nearly one in the morning, that wasn't exactly far from the truth. For some reason, her internal farmer clock was nice and skewed. There wasn't exactly much to do during the day at the end of the season when it was too late to begin growing any of Fall's crops and her companion was nocturnal anyway.
"Nuh uh! You're going to see him again! I know you are!" Finn began to ball his little fists, a sure sign that he was preparing for a tantrum of epic proportions.
It was like taking care of a child sometimes. A cute little child she wanted to throw at a wall. Sometimes, only sometimes and in the deeper, darker recesses of her mind, she really wanted to punch the Harvest Goddess. Hard.
"Really Finn! Stop being so jealous!" Molly sighed and attempted to restrain herself from wringing the little guy's neck. They were both too stubborn for their own good and there's never anyway to tell how long they could keep it up.
It was almost an unhealthy relationship, really.
"He'll just distract you from helping the Harvest Goddess, Molly!"
"That was a low blow Finn, you know I'm not going to let that happen!" Molly's voice began to grow until it matched Finn's high-pitched wails.
"Yes you are! And then you'll forget about the bells...and then you'll forget about me!"
Were all Harvest Sprites this insecure? Really, her late night plans shouldn't be any sort of problem anyway. Besides, Molly failed to see why Finn was so upset about this!
"Finn! He's a cat!"
"A no good rotten..." Finn slinked a few tiny steps back to his sock drawer and scowled.
"That's enough. You aren't jealous of the cow are you? Or the duck? Because really, I guess I should be wondering about that now too!"
"Noo! But that's not the point! If you're going to see him then...then...I won't be coming with you!"
Of course, that was music to Molly's ears. She usually liked the company, but they really did spend too much time together and grate on each other's nerves. Or maybe it was just her nerves. Oh well.
With a barely concealed grin, Molly made her way towards the door and into the brisk late summer air.
It had become a routine for them. She would bring him slices of fish, leftovers, whatever she could and he would come a little closer and become a little friendlier. Molly wanted to bring him home, no matter what Finn thought; she hated seeing stray animals anywhere in the town.
Her companion was a rich black, mid-size cat. She thought he was male anyway. It was hard to tell and a tiny detail like that didn't really matter much. Molly's goal was to become friendly enough with the cat to bring him home before any of the snow hit.
"...Well, if you're looking after him...I won't worry so much..." Molly paused and expected some stranger to hobble out of the bushes and attack, but was oddly disappointed to find the Wizard standing not even a few feet away. The nerve!
"You do realize that's the most you've spoken to me, ever? Right? And after leaving me with the witch!"
The man smiled slightly. Molly thought she could see some slight wrinkling on his face. Sexy.
"I'm surprised you two don't get along better...You seem to be quite...similar."
Molly frowned. "Pffft. We are not! She's...she's old! ...I think. And smelly! ...Well, okay, maybe she just kinda smells like incense and stuff, but those are smelly!"
Her? And the Witch? Well, okay, maybe there was a little, teensy part of them that was similar. Maybe. If you squinted just the right way and did a quick jig.
The Wizard made a sound that resembled part of a laugh deep in his throat. Molly couldn't quite decide if she should take it as a signal of amusement or just some strange sound effect. After all, she made those quite often.
"It's not...so bad, perhaps."
"What do you mean 'not so bad'? Do you um, have a thing for her or something?"
Molly thought it was a reasonable question. Witches and wizards just sorta clicked right? At least, that's how Harry Potter always made it seem...
The Wizard gave no outward sign of, well, anything Molly could discern.
"We have known each other...for a time." he replied, without even a note of wistfulness.
"Um, I don't know if you really noticed or not, but she doesn't seem to really like you."
The Wizard didn't make any particular attempt to respond to Molly's comment. Instead, he merely reached down and held out his hand to the black cat that was currently seated a minute distance away, obviously expecting Molly to relinquish her usual goodies.
Never wanting to be outdone by some crafty Wizard that was making a move on her cat, Molly also extended her hand. However, she needn't have worried since the cat was smarter than to pay any particular attention to the Wizard, given that he knew whose hands had been handling fishy substances. The Wizard didn't seem particularly fazed to be snubbed by the cat.
Molly still allowed herself to feel triumphant in her small victory and fished out some leftovers she had prepared in her pack.
"Mm, fish, I guess that's something we have in common, huh?" Molly grinned.
The Wizard flinched.
Molly felt a little bit insulted. "You do know I was talking to him, right? I didn't bring any funky mushrooms or sparkly butter for you!"
In his usual fashion, the Wizard turned and left without a word.
Molly snorted and scratched the cat affectionately.
"I don't know what they do with those mushrooms...Well, I guess the witch uses them for pranks, that much is obvious. But he hardly looks like he plays pranks or does anything all that magical! Maybe," Molly leaned down to whisper the cat, "He uses them for...other purposes! Dastardly! Preposterous! The great Castanet Wizard using purple sparkly mushrooms for recreational purposes!"
Molly made sure to add extra emphasis and hand gestures. Cats were smart after all. They could pick up on these things!
The cat briefly stared up at her quizzically before hoisting a leg in order to groom himself.
"...That would explain the bags under his eyes and why he needs to sneak out in the cover of night! Do you think he ever gets the munchies?"
"Buuut Finn! I already have one wish...Really! How many more do we need to finish this thing?
Finn flailed his arms about haphazardly. "Molly! That's not funny! We need, um, a lot more! One isn't very much at all..."
Farming, making friends...Traveling around on the back of a cow to visit said friends... It was sometimes just too much for Molly. It took her ages. And by ages what she really meant was days of plying the witch with Fugue mushrooms (and her darkest girly secrets) in order to make her fork over her one measly wish.
It wasn't even something good and selfless like world peace. It was a potion that would let her extort pretty much anything from anyone. All in all, it suited her, but Molly was vastly unsatisfied.
Meandering back from an unsuccessful jaunt to the church was hardly putting her in a good mood either.
"Hmph. I don't understand why the Harvest Goddess is so picky! She should take what she can get! Can't people wish for these things at the church themselves? I mean, I never see anyone in there, I don't think I should be the one playing messenger 'cause they can't be bothered to walk all the way--"
"Waaah! Molly! W-What are you saying? W-We...need to because...um, because... We just need toooo!" Finn wailed, for the umpteenth time that day.
Sometimes Molly wished other people could see Finn. And hear him. Because boy oh boy, some days he was less cute than others...
In a half-hearted attempt to distract herself from the racket Finn was making, her gaze wandered from house to house. The Wizard's observatory, the mayor's clean-cut and no-nonsense abode, The Inn where Maya was doing her usual circles around the doorstep...
And then it struck her.
It had been almost an entire day since Molly had any tea! And the weather was slightly nippy, and Finn was easily distracted indoors and Maya always made interesting conversation, and...
Molly needed to justify it no further! Ocarina Inn would be her next destination! Molly set off at a run for the entire one hundred meters it took to land at the Inn's doorstep.
Finn once again wailed at the injustice of being so rudely forgotten.
"Look at him Molly, he's so perfect..."
Maya gazed intensely across the table and Molly hoped that she was looking somewhere over her shoulder, otherwise things could get a little awkward...
Oh. Upon closer inspection, the kitchen was Maya's current object of affection.
"The guy, or the food? 'Cause I think the food looks way better. No hair clips and no sandals in Fall..."
Maya sighed. "...I wouldn't mind a piece of that pie..."
"I, um, don't think that's the right way around, Maya."
"But it looks so good!"
Molly actually made the effort to turn and look over her shoulder. Chase was indeed making a cherry pie. Oopsy. Time to change the subject!
"So," Molly began, "If you could wish for anything... What would it be?"
"I dunno Molly, that stuff is top secret!" Maya grinned.
Somewhere, the Harvest Goddess was laughing at Molly. She could feel it. This purple bell stuff was just too much work!
Then again, she certainly wouldn't want to share her deepest wishes with just anybody. Molly thought she understood. Kinda. Maybe. A little bit.
"So what you're saying is...You'll tell me if we become better friends!"
Maya pressed a finger to her lip in concentration.
"Nope! But I might think about it if you bring me more cake..."