"Nope, I'm telling you dude. She did nothing."

Risa was sitting on a stool in the kitchen at the Inn, talking to Nami. Nami was someone Risa could get along with, even if she did snap a lot at people she never complained about stupid shit. She had found out about the robbery last night when she overheard Lumina telling Rock about it, she started to tell Risa but before she could get pretty far Risa said, 'Yeah I know, I was there.'

"You're telling me she just let him go after he stole her things?" Nami turned and wiped her hands on a hanging cloth. She was cooking dinner for the guests at the Inn tonight. She wasn't a gourmet cook, but she could manage some soup. "We should definitely try and catch the little bastard. He sounds like a creep anyways."

Risa shrugged, "I think pick-up lines are funny. I like people who use them."

Nami looked surprised. "Are you telling me you like the guy?"

Risa laughed, "Like him? I met him once. I couldn't give less shits than I do now, Nami. He was just entertaining. I didn't know people actually could be serious when they said those things."

"Apparently Lumina thought he was serious," Nami grumbled, then her expression brightened, "You should've seen Rock's face. He was panicking big-time. Everyone knows he likes her and now she's gone and developed some stupid crush over a criminal."

"I think it's funny." Risa chuckled.

"You think everything's funny." Nami accused. Risa shrugged.

"Everything is funny."

Nami rolled her eyes. "Are you eating here?"

It was already late, the Inn served dinner at 8 o'clock at night. In fact, most people in the village ate late.

"Nah." Risa said, "Not to insult your cooking or anything." She laughed, "Hey. How about you pack me a bowl, yeah? I'll pay you for that. I feel like eating outside today."

Nami smacked her arm with the cloth she had swung over her shoulder and Risa laughed again "I don't know. You did just insult my cooking."

"Oh quiet, you bastard. Pack me a bowl."

Nami chuckled but turned to grab a plastic box of tupperware and filling it up with cold soup. It was summertime, you couldn't eat warm soup. She snapped the lid on and grabbed a few slices of bread, handing it all to Risa. "150g would be nice."

Risa reached into her pocket and counted the coins, plopping them into Nami's outstretched hand. She grabbed the soup and bread and pulled it towards her.

"Dude, Nami." Risa said while Nami pocketed the money. "I love food."

"The sentiment is shared." Nami responded, sitting down on the opposite side of the island as Risa.

"I mean, there are pies, and fruit, and bread, I love bread. And fruit. And pasta, and fish, not so much chicken but beef is good."

"Risa, is there a point to this?"

"No." Risa responded lightly. "I'm just telling you."

The kitchen door creaked to alert them that someone else had entered the kitchen. "Nami, have you finished cooking yet? It's time to bring out the food." Ruby called, walking closer and closer to them.

"Oh, hello Risa." Ruby said, smiling. "Will you be eating with us today?"

"Nah," Risa responded, holding up the bread and soup, "Nami packed me some. I already paid her and everything." She hopped off the stool. "Well, I'll see you guys tomorrow then." She started walking out the door.

Nami waved and turned to pick up the big pot of soup.

"Goodbye dear!" Ruby called as she reached to carry the loaf of bread.

Risa walked outside. The summers here were so hot, even at night. But the heat gave the illusion of it being earlier somehow, even though it was dark. The moon was out though, so it wasn't an overwhelming dark. There were lots of stars in the sky.

She started walking up towards the goddess pond. Risa didn't know if there was really a goddess living in there as per legend but she hoped there was. It would make it so much more interesting. It took her maybe thirty minutes to walk to the goddess pond. She liked looking at things. When she got there, she sat directly in front of the pond and took the lid off the tupperware, digging a piece of bread into the soup to use as sort of a makeshift eating utensil. Plus bread is always good.

She heard a rustling in the bushes and turned to look, squinting her eyes as someone came out from behind them. Oh. It was the guy, the uh... Skye. That was it. She turned back to her soup.

He seemed to notice her though as he walked closer. "My, my, I told you we would meet again, beautiful. It was in the stars."

Risa looked at him. "Where?"

He blinked, "Excuse me?"

"Where in the stars?" She clarified, pointing up at the sky, "Here?" She moved her hand to the left, "Or there?" She moved it again to a new location, "Or maybe there." She looked at him, "Where does it say we'd meet again."

"I-"

Risa closed her eyes and flashed him a smile. He fell silent. "Sit." She said, holding out a piece of bread in his direction. "You want soup? It's good."

Skye sat down, eyeing the piece of bread. He wasn't sure if he should or not. He ended up shaking his head no and Risa shrugged. "Your loss."

"You know," Skye began, "I never got your name."

"It's Risa." She said between bites.

"Ah, a beautiful name for a beautiful maiden."

Risa swallowed and laughed, "You're funny."

Skye smirked, "I'm glad I can draw such magical laughter from a lady."

Risa chuckled, shaking her head.

A few minutes passed in silence but Risa didn't mind, it wasn't really awkward for her. Skye watched her as she ate.

"Lumina loves you." Risa said suddenly. She stopped eating and put the bread down, turning to face Skye with an amused smile. "She talks about you all the time now."

"Yes, well. I am rather charming. Sometimes I steal maiden's hearts by accident."

Risa blinked once and then exploded loudly with laughter, doubling over as it climbed and echoed in the night.

"I fucking- you're great, you know that? You're absolutely great." Risa tried to get out between laughs.

Skye smiled. "I think so too."

This started a fresh wave of laughter from Risa.

"In all seriousness." Skye began after Risa's laughter subsided to just her smiling. "It is not good for her to fall in love with a thief like me."

"Yeah, she wonders why you steal." Risa commented off handedly as she looked up at the stars.

"You don't?" Skye asked, watching her face.

She turned her head to look at him and give a short laugh, "I don't care."

Her eyes refocused on his hair. It was very pretty in the moonlight. The moons light was silver, whitish. It matched his hair and made it glow brightly. Almost as if it were melting.

"Huh." She said, "I like your hair. It's nice."

"A shall treasure a compliment from you forever." Skye declared.

"Dude it wasn't a compliment to you it was a compliment to your hair. And it wasn't even a compliment it was a fact. It's nice hair."

"Not everyone has always thought so."

"Fuck them."

Skye jerked, surprised. Not at her language, but at what she said. He blinked, looking at her again. "May I have some soup?"

She pushed the container and the bread towards him. He picked it up and began eating. "This is delicious. Did you make it?"

Risa laughed again, still looking at the sky with her arms behind her on the ground. "No, Nami did. Cost me 150g. I'll ask her to make more if you want. Better yet, I'll get the recipe for you so you can make it."

Skye was shocked at her casualness. She was talking as if seeing him was a normal occurrence and would happen again. Like seeing the other villagers.

"That would be nice." Was all he said. And it would be. He finished off the last of the soup and bread and handed her the tub, standing up. "Well, I think it's time for me to take my leave. Goodnight, fair maiden."

Risa rose her eyebrows and gave him another amused smile. "'Night."

Skye walked off into the woods and Risa stared at the sky for a little bit longer. After a while she got up herself and started walking back towards her farm. She reached her house and went inside, tossing the container on the counter and flopping onto the bed.

Man, she thought. That was good soup.