Claudia couldn't believe it, this was the famous president Shinra she had heard so much about. So pristine yet in his clear bluish gray eyes and furrowed brow lied a maturity of an old soul. Claudia was trying to avert her gaze but she was mesmerized by his appearance. His smile was wide with a full set of bright pearly white teeth, but then his smile seemed to be a bit off. Before she could avert her gaze he turned to her and locked eyes for a moment. He narrowed his eyes and smirked. Quickly she moved back into the manor slowly beginning to move with her coworkers as they pushed her along.

"What were you doing?" Melanie asked a bit aghast.

"I couldn't look away..." Claudia said truthfully.

"She's entranced by his wealth, but I can't say I blame her. A husband like him would make you a queen"

"Beryl! You didn't marry for money did you?" Melanie asked almost accusingly.

"Of course not, you see the simple lives we have" Beryl dismissed the accusation.

"Back to work girls! This isn't a gossip hall" one of the main manor staff members clapped his hands.

The trio returned to the kitchen to fetch the rest of the food. The cooks had it already sitting waiting on them.

"Hurry or we're going to get complaints about cold food!" the chef exclaimed nervously.

The girls finished their chores, helped clean in the kitchen, and then began collecting the plates and silverware. When Claudia went to collect the plates, she saw the young man who caught her eye and rushed to collect his plate before the other girls could.

"I can take your plate if you're ready sir"

"You can, call me Glenn' he smiled.

"Thanks Glenn"

"...and what may I call you?"

"Just.. Claudia" she said taking his plate and moving on across the table.

"Can I give you my name?" another grunt joked giving her a ribald eye. Claudia ignored him with a smile and just kept going.

After Claudia joined the girls in the kitchen as they began washing the dishes, she couldn't stop thinking about Glenn and when the next chance she would have to speak to him again. Claudia worked quick and efficiently to finish as quickly as possible hoping that she would get one more glance at this handsome young man. Once the kitchen chores were finished an hour later Claudia dashed out ahead of Melanie and Beryl.

"She's in a hurry" Beryl remarked.

"I think I know why..." Melanie chuckled.

When Claudia got out in the courtyard all the shinra guards were already gone. Her heart sank a little as she looked around seeing other staff rearranging the outside furniture back to their original positions.

"Excuse me, have you seen a..." Claudia started to ask then quickly stopped and realized everyone stopped to look at her.

"...um... nevermind" Claudia slowly backed away. The staff member whom she originally was going to ask just looked at her dumbfounded.

Claudia returned home in a dreamy state going only through the motions of her chores at home then hiding in her room. Her mother began to realize her daughter may have been bitten by the love bug. Her father really never paid attention to things like that, so he was dismissive. Before going to her other job at the inn, she put on her most exquisite blue dress her mother had made for her. She waited patiently at the inn counter for shinra guards to check in, but none ever showed up. The next day she quickly returned to the inn to ask her boss about the Shinra guards.

"Where are all the shinra troopers at?"

"That lot? They've already checked out, went on some exercise around mount Nibel, then many of them returned to Midgar" her boss explained.

"That's it?"

"I really don't know much else, they come and go as they please. A lot of what they do they keep secret"

Claudia's stomach felt a pit of disappointment as she sighed and left the inn wandering aimlessly around town saddened by not even getting another opportunity to see this mysterious Glenn again. She walked up near the Shinra manor and as usual, it was quiet and a bit ominous. She saw two shinra guards near the gate, but neither of them fit the profile. There were no more job requests for help on the bulletin in town from Shinra, so she had no way of getting back into the manor legitimately. Melanie and Beryl didn't leave their homes much in this period of time with only the incidental run in over at the general store, so she assumed they were not finding any extra work either.

Claudia made her way back to town when she saw a young couple up ahead walking her way. It was her neighbor Thea and her boyfriend Brian. Claudia had only talked to her here and there because she was always busy with chores and constantly being chased by village boys wanting to date her which her father had constantly chased off. Of all the choices she could have had, she chose Brian who was not a bad catch, but rather simple in his ambitions and loved nature. Brian was carrying a wooden basket while Thea had a backpack full of miscellaneous items.

"Claudia!" Thea ran up to her.

"Going on a picnic?" Claudia ascertained.

"Sure am. Brian and I are going to a spot where there's a good view. Wanna join us?"

"I thought there were reports of monsters beyond the spread?"

"Don't worry I'm well armed" Brian spoke up showing his rifle he had strapped to his back and a machete in a scabbard hanging from his belt.

"I guess it's alright, as long as I'm not intruding on anything, I don't have to be at the inn later this evening" Claudia couldn't think of an excuse to say no other than she wasn't really dressed the best for a hike up to the scenic spot where Thea was talking about.

"Come on... I made more than enough food for four people" Thea smiled. Claudia had her boots on at least despite wearing a long blue dress, she only had a sack with her apron and a brush. They began the long hike as the path was rocky and steep at times, but the sky was clear and the sun shone down brightly.

"How was work this morning?" Brian asked always curious about Shinra and the mansion since he had never gotten too close to it.

"Ominous and creepy... but interesting" Claudia quickly came back out of a sigh.

"Hmph... who knows what goes on in that creepy mansion, my old man tells me horror stories about that place of experiments and cults possibly" Brian went on.

"Well there are a lot of rooms and I have heard rumors but I can't confirm them either way. They are very strict in where we go in the mansion"

"I see..." Brian said a bit disappointed hoping to learn something new.

The trio climbed up the path toward the nice scenic spot. The local flora and fauna were frolicking around as usual with the wafting scent of flowers in the air. The warm summer breeze felt very inviting contrasting the sharp and jagged peaks of Mount Nibel. Off the beaten path about fifty yards was the spot where they could overlook the town below. Thea spread out a beige blanket and her backpack while Brian began taking out an assortment of snacks and bottles. The trio finally sat down and began to relax and share sandwiches, pastries, and fruits.

"Take one" Thea said handing Claudia a blue apple.

"What is this?!" Claudia exclaimed a bit surprised.

"Yea, I was a bit shocked when I first saw one too" Brian laughed.

"Are they any good?"

"I love them... but sadly they are a bit expensive as they are imported from Banora" Thea explained.

"Banora? Never heard of that place..." Claudia shrugged taking a bite and suddenly pleasantly surprised by the sweet juicy taste and the bright white inside of the apple.

"You like it" Brian smiled.

"I think this is the best apple I have ever tasted! Where did you get it? The General Store?"

"No, a wandering merchant with a young boy in tow sold them at the open market last weekend" Brian continued.

"Really? I forgot all about the open market, I've just been so busy with work as of late" Claudia sighed.

"Yea my mother wanted to buy some but they were six gil a piece!" Brian gritted his teeth a little adjusting his cowboy hat.

"My dad bought twenty of them, and of course the shinra chef came escorted with some guards and bought the rest of them" Thea added.

"Must be nice to be shinra with endless money" Claudia sighed again gazing over the town.

"I know right?" Thea said munching on her apple.

"What's really funny is that in Banora, the young boy said they call them "Dumbapples" Brian laughed.

"Why?" Claudia mumbled trying to pay attention but just completely focused on enjoying every bite of her apple.

"They grow randomly without any rhyme or reason according to that young boy whom seemed to be quite knowledgeable about a lot of things" Brian mused for a moment.

The three enjoyed a their meal and more small talk when suddenly their little picnic was disturbed with the sound of growling and the snapping of twigs moving of rocks. A young man came running down the path up ahead wearing a green cape, backpack, black trousers, and a shinra guard uniform shirt. To Claudia's surprise, it was Glenn, but to her horror, she realized he was being pursued by a pack of Nibel wolves.