Disclaimer: I do not own HM or their characters.
Note: Short chapter, I wanted to explore the characters a bit. I promise that the next one will continue with the storyline. Really... it will...
For the record I really do like Kathy. Around customers she's the sweetest soul I have ever met. She always has a smile and a kind word for everyone in town (except Maya, who still has yet to notice this). However the more time I spent with her the more I discovered the person behind the smile. The one who could curse like a sailor, when she was in a good mood, and grind your face in the cow-patties, when she wasn't. We make an odd pair, the raging demon and I, but it's comfortable. I catch glimpses of her true self and she of mine. That's what friendship is supposed to be like, right? I could deal without the bruises though, even if they are justified. I'm rooting for Owen. He's probably the only person on the island that could survive a life with her... and they both like horses. Enough said.
Chase? He's a snarky bastard who I put up with on occasion. There's a caring heart somewhere underneath the sarcasm, but I still have yet to see it directed towards me. He's similar to myself in a way, which is probably how I know that, if asked, he would confirm our friendship. It's a mutual understanding. Neither of us like our hearts out in the open, for we feel vulnerable that way, weak. With him 'I hate you, go jump off a cliff' is translated to 'I really respect and cherish you, I hope to see you tomorrow". I also cherish the fact that being friends with him equals free food (at least when he's experimenting with new recipes). Too bad he has questionable taste in women.
This list wouldn't be complete without mentioning the harvest sprites. I'm convinced that they're simply figments of my own repressed imagination and proof that I really need to pay a few extra visits to Dr. Jin. For weeks after one of these 'episodes' I find myself humming sing-songy tunes about red wool yarn and purpley blue wood fish. Clearly not normal behavior. I do what they ask though, you know, just in case. Uh, I mean praise the harvest goddess, amen.
That's about it for the people that don't see the fake smile I wear on a regular basis. Sure they like me just fine, but I think it's more that they like what they see, not who I am. The more time that goes by the more I adorn the face they expect to see. It's easy this way. They see a relatively boring, hard-working girl with a smile on her face and they like her. In return I like them for respecting the fact that I do not want to have a conversation that goes any deeper than 'spring is great; there's a typhoon coming tomorrow; the best fishing spots are on...' et cetera, et cetera.
And then there's Luke...
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yeah... that pretty much sums up what comes to mind when thinking about him.
**Thanks for putting up with this chapter! ^_^)b