Safety & Home
(Thursday) April 6, Year 3
She purposely locked the door to make sure they wouldn’t disturb her in her study. The weekend begins tomorrow so the stacks of reports, letters, forms, and other various papers needed to be done. Bailey could swear that she was getting carpal tunnel from the constant pattern of her signature.
“I’m gonna toss you in the mountain lake if you don’t open this door, Goldie,” Kai threatened.
“If you even breathe on my door, I’m gonna beat your ass…”
However, he was unphased by the hybrid’s threat as he knew her enough that she was all bark and not bite. The devilish man was determined to get her out by tonight.
…
Thunder whistled a tune as he carried several crates of Blue Moon Wine. Both Sophia and Gus followed behind, carrying boxes with various decorations and equipment.
“This is quite a lot for a little party,” Gus commented. “Will your sister be okay with this?”
“Did I mention that I also invited my younger brother? She has a twin and he managed to get a break from work. There’ll be a bit more people than I intended, but it’s not like Goldie would mind. Knowing her, she’ll probably stick to only two or four people.”
Storm Greyhowl was one of the middle siblings. He tended to be a bit more distant because of his career but he always tried to keep in touch with his family. Similarly to his twin, he wasn’t much of a celebrator but he was going to be around for a bit of the season, so Thunder figured it would be nice to include him.
Gus opened the door and switched on the light. Once they put down the boxes, Sophia turned around to ask the farmer something.
“I’m curious. How big is your family exactly?” she shyly asked. “You never mention them. We only just heard about your sister a few weeks ago and now you’re inviting your brother.”
Thunder knew Bailey wasn’t big on decorations. However, he still wanted to hang up a few things. Some lights to brighten up the room a little and then some extra plush cushions so sitting around was much more comfortable.
“There’s ‘bout six of us; me, my three younger brothers, and my two younger sisters. I also have a couple of nephews and nieces. Then I recently heard from my youngest brother and his husband that they’re having their own little family.” That’s when he laughed. “I guess it’s a Trecenian thing to have large families. I don’t think anyone else in Pelican Town has this many relatives.”
Gus chuckled. “You’d be right. But you’re this town’s heartiest man. A good man like you must have been raised with a belly as full as his heart! It’s only Thursday so it won't be super busy but I’ll make sure that my customers stay away from your party if you need it.”
The other man seemed taken aback by the bartender’s first comment but he politely nodded. However, Sophia easily spotted that his smile didn’t reach his eyes. It took a bit of waiting until Gus left the room and Sophia approached Thunder once the former was out of earshot.
“H-Hey, is everything okay?” she mumbled. “You were suddenly out of it.”
The question took a bit to answer but the farmer sighed, looking down at the floor with conflicted eyes. He was hesitant to get the words out.
“Sophia, can I confess something? It’s about my past.”
For once, the goofy man was serious. He lifted his gaze to stare at her and she thought about it. Thunder was the town’s loveable giant. Through sheer kindness and stubbornness, he managed to earn the heart of every single person he encountered without ever asking for anything back, and this was possibly the only time he was going to talk about his past.
“Of course,” Sophia finally answered. “I promise to keep it to myself.”
“Thank you.” Thunder paused to collect his thoughts before continuing. “So, you might recall that I also lost my parents, both from separate accidents as a child.”
She nodded. He told her while they were organizing her parents' room. Thunder lost his mother in a forest fire and his father died protecting his family. This happened when he was five, and when he told her, she saw him in a completely different light.
“But I never told you who took me… and my siblings. After the funeral, it was said in my parents’ will that it would be my grandfather who’d take care of us. The problem was it didn’t say which one and we ended up in the Gotoro Empire for a few years.” Thunder paused once again, and Sophia silently waited, letting the man take his time to recall his buried memories. “My mother’s father is named Valerio, and he treated us like we were the bane of his existence. To him, we weren’t people. We were less than that. He assigned us numbers and experimented on us. Val bent us to his will to get the results he wanted. We fought tooth and nail to get our next meal. We were treated less than dirt. However, it’s arguable that both me and Bailey received the worst of it. To him, it was his goal to see how far he could push me and my sister.”
It was horrifying to receive such torment from someone who was supposed to be family. Thunder could feel Sophia staring as he blankly stared ahead, purposely blocking everything else out. She was shaking like a leaf yet didn’t say anything to let him explain.
“While I was a weapon of war, my sister was the perfect killer by the time she turned nine, capable of slaughtering nearly thousands. I was there to witness each and every… fight. While eating was my reward to fight, my sister was trained nearly to death. To her, bloodshed was her savior to survive another day. It was a miracle when he was arrested. It's been a decade and despite its cruelty, it’s much easier to cope with the memories these days. I’ve recently stopped taking my medication and I haven’t needed therapy for nearly two years. I was only eleven at the time but I can remember every single court trial that happened without an episode, but to summarize our escape, my siblings and I were reclaimed by our father’s bloodline once Val was arrested. I’m sure you’ve heard of King Atticus, one of Trecen’s monarchs.”
Sophia’s eyes widened when she finally clicked together the pieces. The reason why he didn’t talk about his life before Stardew Valley, why he didn’t talk about his family or the Trecen kingdom. His childhood was cruel but it was a true test of fate for him and his siblings to hold on until they were brought back to Trecen, which brought him to now, running a farm alongside his wife.
“Greyhowl… Thunder Greyhowl! You’re… a prince,” she gasped. “And that makes-”
“Bailey a royal. My family is royalty. I am aware of that. Soph, please don’t treat me any different,” Thunder practically pleaded. “I don’t want this getting out to anyone else in town.”
“Don’t worry. I promise to not tell a soul. But… I see why you don’t talk about… ‘it’ now. It must’ve been horrifying to lose and… live in such a way.”
He held his peace, choosing to nod so that his voice wouldn’t waver.
The two shared a mutual smile, silently agreeing that this secret would stay between them. Thunder briefly bowed his head, thanking her for letting him vent. Sophia was hesitant to go right back to preparation, however, Thunder was able to encourage her with promises of good food and a bouquet of Fairy Rose grown from Catty’s greenhouse.
…
“Bailey, what are these plans for?”
“These are the blueprints for some sprinklers,” she casually explained. “I needed a place to craft them without my brother’s interference and review the plans. Kai said that these work but I wanna run them over with you and Demetrius. Maybe Maru if she’s still here.”
Robin’s eyes drifted over to the upstanding man, who flashed a charming grin.
“Kairius Nightcloud, miss!” he introduced. “I’m Bailey’s official best friend. Brother from another mother or sister from another mister even!”
His eccentric speech made Robin chuckle. “Wow! Aren’t you full of color! I’m Robin, the local carpenter. Are you also staying on the farm?”
“You’d be correct! I recently came into the Ferngill for business, but when I heard that Goldie was here, I knew that I had to come to Pelican to keep her company.”
The smaller woman scoffed. “More like make sure that I didn’t get any rest! You’re so annoying… Anyways, Robin, the layout?”
It was more to take care of her and he’s been an excellent guy at that with all his ploys to get her to exercise. She nodded and looked over the paper, scanning it with rigor and muttering under her breath. That’s when she noticed something.
“The radius for the sprinklers is quite large. What kind are you planning on using?”
“Iridium.”
The answer took Robin off-guard. She stared at them with surprised eyes.
“Wait, really? How did Thunder and Catty get them? They must’ve spent a fortune to get them.”
“You think so?” Bailey casually pulled out a bright pink sprinkler from her backpack. She placed it on the counter gingerly and then inspected it. “I mean, I crafted this prototype. Iridium isn’t that hard to come by in Trecen. But from what I’ve heard, the material is hard to come by in this area and it’s highly desired. I didn’t think that the rumors were true. Iridium ore is a very useful metal but it isn’t as lucrative in Trecen since it’s actually quite common. Think of it like iron.”
It shouldn’t work since she made it as a prototype. Plus, engineering wasn’t her line of work. However, Kai was kind enough to offer his service if she left her room and she wanted him to adjust her tinkering.
“Well, these prints are impressive. If you really are using iridium sprinklers, this layout should work just fine. As for the sprinklers themselves, I can’t say for sure if they’d work, since you and your friend made it, and Maru is working at the clinic. Have you tried asking the other farmers in the valley? I heard that Sophia sells sprinklers.”
Bailey merely stared at her replica before nodding, politely thanking the carpenter and picking up her walking stick with a straight face then limping away. Kai moved back to open the door for his friend but Robin stopped them right before they left.
“Oh! You can always ask someone up at Ridgeside Village!”
“Ridgeside Village?”
Robin nodded and explained that there was a cable car by the bus loop that’d take people to the west where Ridgeside Village was.
“Your brother doesn’t visit them often but he does send Catty there for errands occasionally.”
Bailey thought about it before nodding, thanking Robin one last time then finally leaving. Kai closed the door behind them and looked down, even leaning forward so that she could comfortably look up.
“Let’s head over to the mountain. I saw that the minecarts can take us to the bus loop faster.”
Faster was an understatement. The trip was almost instant. To Bailey’s stomach, it felt like she was warped over a large distance. He carried her up the mountain so she could avoid the stairs and then they shared the cart. He climbed out first, unphased by the cart’s travel speed, while the smaller woman was clearly nauseous.
“Do you need a breather?”
“Yes, you stupid head.”
Unpredictable and uncontrollable fast travel was one of her greatest weaknesses, right behind silver of course. It always made the hybrid literally sick to her stomach. After a few minutes, she was able to stand and they began walking over to the next minecart to Ridgeside.
“No.”
“It’s the fastest way up the mountain though,” he argued.
She glared at him. “If I have to ride another one of those things, I’m gonna throw up…”
“Okay, okay. Sheesh…”
They ended up taking the cable cars, sitting in silence for a bit as it went up. When they did get off, Bailey was pleasantly surprised by the breeze from how high up they were, relaxing almost immediately and clearing up her nausea. This felt much more familiar. Having grown up around mountains and the coast, the hybrid felt calm when it was windy. She was starting to see why her brother moved here. The town’s terrain reminded her of Trecen’s diverse landscape.
The duo walked around for a bit, searching for one of the villagers to possibly find a farm that was willing to test their new sprinkler.
“Hey there! You’re a new face.”
Bailey raised her head to see what looked to be a grey-haired lady in a brown jacket. She had pens in her pocket and her hair was tied back. Bailey would’ve stayed silent if it weren’t for Kai’s encouraging light push for her to speak up.
“Ah. Y-Yeah. I moved here from Trecen,” she explained. “And he’s from Zuzu City as a visitor.”
The lady seemed to look closer before her smile brightened.
“Wait a minute. Now I see it! You’re from Bumble Field. You must be Thunder’s sister. I heard about you from my brother when Catty was asking around for certain crops. You’ve got his hair.” She stuck out her hand as she introduced herself. “Call me Lenny. I do the paperwork for Ridgeside and its neighbors.”
Bailey accepted it politely. “Ah. Chief administrator,” she addressed, which earned a grin from Lenny. “You might already know but I’m Bailey. This is Kai, the world’s biggest nuisance… and my current helper.”
“Hah! You humor me, Goldie. Anyways, we’re here because we started to plan a sprinkler system at Bumble Field. However, since we’re making these ourselves, we need a farm to test run our prototype because we haven’t installed a pipe system yet.”
“You came to the right place then. Allow me to introduce you to someone here.” Lenny was kind enough to give a quick tour of the village’s farms.
…
“I think these look good, but what do you think about these leeks, Mr. Cornell?”
Luciel approached the farmer with a quick pace, handing him various leeks to judge like an eager apprentice hoping to please. Andy inspected each of them with seriousness before nodding approvingly.
“Not bad. There’s no bruises or dirt. You harvested them good too,” he commented. “You wanna sell ’em yourself or want me to give you the profits?”
“I don’t require money. I like the experience.”
Andy chuckled and rolled his eyes. “That’s kind of ya but it ain’t fair to reward hard work with nothing. Especially with your ma’s bad leg. You’re a good kid but you gotta provide for her if you’re working.”
Lucy thought for a good minute before shrugging. “My mom doesn’t mind it actually. We’re really well off financially. But… can I be honest about something?”
Andy raised his head but didn’t face the young teen. However, he grunted, signaling Lucy to continue.
“I don’t really want to move back to Trecen.” They clenched their hand into a fist before sighing, looking down to avoid possible eye contact. “I was born in the Gotoro Empire to my father and his clan. I never met my mom. I… dislike them greatly. So when I found out about my sister in Trecen, it wasn’t bad to suddenly get adopted. In fact, it was relieving to find out that her family was so welcoming. However, I still felt like an outcast in the kingdom. Sure, I have a family that was more than accommodating to me yet I continue to feel discomfort when interacting with locals.
“But here, I’ve managed to step out into something new. Something that I wanted to do. I only just learned about this type of life and I think it’s something that I want for my future. Bailey always travels because of politics. My sister isn’t sure what she wants but her future is bright. For heaven’s sake, even Esteban is thinking about something athletic. It may be selfish of me, but I want to convince my family to stay here. I want to learn how to grow my own things, to create life and food for others. Even foraging like you! It’s… different…
“My father… didn’t value life. He saw everything below him and would crush whatever was in his way. Bailey taught me that every single living thing has a purpose. If I’m going to live in this world for the rest of my life, I swear that I’ll give back to it.”
Andy had never heard Lucy talk so much, however, he respected what they stressed. He turned to the teen to say something.
“Did you want me to tell you my two cents, listen, or interfere with your ma’s plans?” he asked first.
They thought for a bit before deciding. “Tell me what you think.”
“Well, I think you should tell her what you want. You seem to know what you want and your mama seems like the type to listen to you. You’re lucky to have a family like that. I’ve actually got something I’ve been holding on for quite a while now, not knowing what to do with it. I believe Yoba is telling me that it involves you. Let’s put the forage in my bin and then I’ll show you inside my cabin.”
The pair did as Andy suggested. Luciel has been in the cabin before, offering to do a grocery run at Joja under Fairhaven’s name. Saying that the inside was messy would be an understatement. Crushed cans and plastic litter cluttered many corners. There seemed to be a permanent mud trail on the cabin floor upon walking in. He took the kid to his bookshelf, which seemed to be the only thing in the home that was organized despite the heavy coat of dust.
When the farmer pulled out a book, Lucy immediately sneezed from the dirt.
“Ah. Sorry, kid.” He turned to blow the dust away from them before turning back around to show Lucy the album. “There used to be a couple of other farms near that tower in the west. The good folks there were forced to move out during the recession. They were good friends. I still keep in touch with Jerry and Elizabeth. Anyways,” Andy paused to flip through, showing various photos of Aurora Vineyard and Stardust Farm, “I heard from Lewis that the two lots are up for sale, but no buyers offered. Seems like no one wants them either so the cost of them went down to almost nothing.
“If you’re willing to put in the work, I reckon we can rebuild one of them to become liveable. It’d cost a bit but your help with foraging has been big. Not to mention your uncle’s farm has also been getting word outside the valley.”
Lucy admired the photo of the two farms when they were in their heyday. Stardust Farm displayed a mirage of colors, decorated with various flowers and bee hives. Different types of honey matched with different types of flowers. The photo almost seemed alive because of how much flora there was. Yellow was especially a primary color from the bees and honey that was being jarred. It was hard to tell if the photo was dusty or if the syrup really was as sweet as Andy described.
Aurora Vineyard was something else, looking as if harvest season soon with full grapes and green vines that scaled trellises. Lucy had encountered it prior to meeting the forager. Rather than splintered planks and boarded-up windows, the house seemed welcoming with Jerry and Elizabeth merrily hoisting up their newest bottles of wine along for the camera. Despite their sad event during the recession, the couple were happy in the present.
“Do you really think I might be able to convince her to stay here, Mr. Cornell?” Lucy asked as they put the photo back in the album. “She travels a lot for work. I don’t recall a time when we stayed in one place for more than a month. Even my sister has grown accustomed to it.”
“I can’t promise you that, but if she ain’t willing to listen, that’s saying somethin’. You won’t know till ya ask, kid. If you discover later that this ain’t your line of work, no harm done. ’Sides, you’re still young.” From the corner of his eye, the farmer watched Lucy as they looked around curiously. “Don’t poke your nose too much around. I haven’t had much time to properly clean for people… not like I plan on having many guests.”
He put the album back on the shelf before walking past, avoiding eye contact and ignoring Luciel turning towards him.
…
Any minute, Penny and Sam would show up. Catty was preparing the house. With her husband at the bar doing preparations and Kai taking care of Bailey until the surprise, Catty was left with caring for the house and farm. Four kids shouldn’t be too much trouble for the sweetheart duo. Esteban planned on celebrating his mentor and it would be better to bring Phoenix to avoid explaining to them how to put out a purple fire. They decided to stay in Bailey’s cabin until it was safe to sneak out.
Lyra was bonding with her younger cousins in the living since Lucy was out in the forest. The latter of the two seemed oddly distant for Catty’s taste, however, her in-law reassured her that it was normal.
A knock at the door interrupted her train of thought.
“It’s open,” Lyra called out.
Catty dried her hands as the door opened, revealing Penny, Sam, and Vincent. Ramón eagerly got up to greet them, which Vincent mimicked, and the two boys excitedly ran to play around the living room. However, RJ continued to stay quiet and went back to looking over the book that Lyra was reading out loud.
“Hi, Catty,” Penny greeted. “We decided to visit early since Sam didn’t have any work.”
“I hope you don’t mind me bringing Vince. I thought it’d be nice to give my dad a break by offering to bring him while babysitting.”
They walked in and sat at the table, the blonde curiously looked around at all the decor since he had never actually been inside the house. Catty put away a few more things in the kitchen as she answered.
“Not at all. Ramón could use the playtime. Who knows how much energy he has these days.”
From the corner of her eye, Penny noticed the young girl with white hair on the couch.
“Is that one of Bailey’s children?” she whispered. “She looks nothing like her.”
Lyra couldn’t help but roll her eyes and hold in a scoff. Her heightened hearing allowed her to hear everything, but she couldn’t exactly say that she heard Penny from so far away.
“Yup. That’s her daughter, Lyra. Her other three are out doing their own things but Lucy will be back for dinner. Don’t worry, you’ll only be watching four; the twins, Lyra, and Luciel. Goldie’s eldest and youngest are gonna be at the saloon with her.”
The redhead seemed to frown at that. She didn’t seem to like that idea.
“Is it really a good idea to have them around the bar?”
She wanted to argue how Bailey wasn’t like that. Terrible first impressions made a lasting impact though and Penny’s ignorant soft nature was slowly getting on Lyra’s nerves.
As if she could sense her worries, Lyra answered for her aunt. “Mom avoids alcohol at parties. Plus, Kai is there to watch her.”
Penny let out a breath of relief. “Oh, that’s relieving. You seem to care about each other greatly.”
“Being raised by someone seems to have that effect,” she taunted.
Bailey was her mother. She was not gonna let someone as sheepish as a volunteer teacher think ill of her mother. Her mother was an adult and was allowed to do as she wanted.
“Pardon?” Penny was disheartened by the remark.
Catty rolled her eyes and threw a nearby cleaning rag. “Don’t tease her like that, Lyra. Or you’ll be out training with your brother on that mountain.” She scoffed and took her own seat at the table. “Relax, Penny. She’s only teasing you. She has a tendency to do that. She’s only standing up for her mother is all. You see, nearly all of Bailey’s kids are adopted so while they don’t look like her, they’re still hers. The only one that’s her own would be her youngest.”
Sam nodded as he grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl. “I haven’t actually met her. Your in-law, I mean.”
“Oh. She’s very sweet! She isn’t the most social but Maru told me that she’s somehow making Haley friendlier than usual.”
“Wait, is that why Haley has been going to the forest more?” Sam asked. “Whenever I go to work, Haley has been leaving her house at the same time. Oddly enough, she also greets me. I thought it was her getting new clothes or shoes but she doesn’t get as many packages as usual. At least that’s what my mom told me.”
Catty seemed to process what they were saying before grinning to herself. “Ah! So that’s what this is about. I think I understand why now.”
“Understand what?” the blonde questioned.
Penny was also in the dark as Catty seemed to understand something that they didn’t. However, the pair chose not to persist on the topic as Catty got right to business and explained to them the schedule as well as the agenda at the saloon for the night.
…
To say that Bailey was distant was an understatement. Lenny offered to take her to Nightingale Orchard to test the sprinkler and luckily, the owners were more than generous to let them test it. However, Bailey refused to make small talk unless it was on topic. Malaya went outside with her while her husband stayed to watch the store.
“Now, don’t trust me. It might not work. I’ll have to go back to the drawing board,” she mentioned as she hooked it up to the sprinkler. “I’ve been tinkering a lot with agriculture lately since I’ve been staying at my brother’s farm. Once I finish his sprinkler system, would you like one for this small lot?”
“Oh! That’s nice of you. But the one who tends to these crops is our daughter so you’d need to ask her. I must admit, tinkering is an interesting hobby,” Malaya commented. “You said that you were staying at your brother’s farm. May I ask who that might be?”
Kai helped her stand back up, giving her space to hobble over to the faucet to start the hose.
“That’d be Thunder Greyhowl from the Bumble Field Farm. He was kind enough to let me stay there as the war dwindles down,” she answered. “I was assigned the Trecen Ambassador as soon as it started. We’re about to start negotiating a treaty with all three countries actually.”
“Goodness! I’m surprised you’ve accomplished such a thing! Thank you for your service.”
“Oh. I’m no soldier, miss. But I appreciate it nonetheless. Back to the task at hand, Kai, would you like to do the honors?”
Something flickered in her friend’s eye as he grinned, eagerly turning on the faucet to test out the sprinkler. It took a bit to start, however, the sprinkler sputtered out the water, though weakly as it only managed to spray a handful of crops.
“Well, at least it does its job,” Kai reassured. “Maybe if we changed the materials. We only used copper and iron for it after all. Maybe get Esteban to find more resources in the mines.” He turned off the sprinkler and retrieved the prototype, looking it over as he came back. “I can try loosening the center bolt and then tightening the ends to increase the pressure.”
“Okay. I’ll see if I can convince Esteban to go down the mines with me tomorrow,” she mumbled to herself before turning to Malaya. “Thank you for letting me test this here. I’d better head back to-”
“Nope. Bailey, I swear to god. If you decide to hermit yourself some more today, I’m gonna break your door.”
While Bailey seemed unfazed by the threat, Lenny and Malaya were astonished, staring with wide eyes at the two.
“Fine. I guess we can grab a bite before I head back to Pelican Town.”
Lenny gladly took that as an invitation to walk them over to Ridgeside’s outdoor restaurant. Immediately, Bailey took a seat and lightly massaged her knee, sighing in relief for another break.
“Any cravings this late afternoon?” Kai asked.
“Not really. As long as it’s cold,” Bailey mumbled.
“Thank you, Kai, but I’m not too hungry,” Lenny added.
When he left to go order, Lenny quirked a brow over to Bailey.
“Your friend is a bit of tall glass.”
This only earned a glare from the short foreigner. “Don’t talk about him like that. At least not in front of me. Kai and I don’t have that sort of relationship. We’re too platonic to see each other romantically.” She sighed and then shrugged. “So it didn’t work… Maybe I should figure out how to take one apart and study it…”
“Hey. You aren’t gonna get anywhere when you’re thinking by yourself like that.” That’s when Lenny saw someone from another table, changing the subject quickly. “You should try meeting new people in Ridgeside. Your brother and in-law don’t visit often but it would really liven up the village to see you and Kai.”
She felt an odd pressure to agree and Bailey couldn’t bring herself to decline. When the hybrid attempted to address what was happening, her mind spiraled. She felt like she was forced to comply but Lenny was clearly letting her refute if she so wanted, which is what she wanted. Rather than saying what she wanted, the hybrid choked and mumbled something that Lenny couldn’t understand and proceeded with her asking Bailey to speak up.
She wanted to say something but the words made her choke. Pressure was building up. Should she say yes? Does she decline? Why on earth was she overthinking this? Bailey had the ability to lead and represent a royal family but couldn’t say no to an invitation to meet locals? It would dirty her title. Goodness, she was taking too long to answer. Words became cluttered as they created a clog in her head, delaying her response.
“I got the perfect thing for you, Goldie! Dig in.” With impeccable timing, Kairius reappeared with her food. “Hey, Ms. Lenny. I actually need to talk to her about something privately with Bailey so I’m afraid I need you to leave us for a while.”
“Oh. That’s perfectly alright. I guess I gotta get going to work on those papers too. That way I’d get Friday off. Have a great rest of your day and I hope to see you around!”
The moment she left, Kai made sure to sit close to Bailey, taking Lenny’s spot so that his friend couldn’t see too many people. He picked up on her distress almost too quickly and his signature grin was gone.
“Hey. It’s gonna be alright. I’m here,” he whispered with tenderness. “I’ll be here until you’re better. Just grab my hand once you’ve calmed down. Do you need music or something to tune in?”
Bailey nodded. She wasn’t sure what exactly happened. She was just fine and now she couldn’t help but feel like something was grasping at her ribcage from within. Kai was quick to look around for any noises.
“The man cooking is named Pika. He’s using some exotic spices for his dish. I asked him and it’s a recipe from the Ember Islands. He likes to hum to get in the mood of grilling.” He continued to describe various other things, watching Bailey to see when her stress decreased. “There’s another family behind us. They’re talking about a convenience store that they run. They seem close. Reminds me of you and your siblings.”
Kai kept his hand on the table, palm up so that Bailey could see the light undertone. His voice remained steady and calm as it coaxed her back into a calmer state. Taking in a deep breath, she held it for a few seconds, closing her eyes while doing so before running her fingers over his palm, silently signaling to him that she was better to eat, so he nudged the bowl closer to her.
“I don’t know what happened,” she mumbled. “I was fine but then… I don’t know. I just choked on my words.”
“Bailey, you’re not at work anymore. You’re allowed to say no when you don’t want to meet people.”
She sighed before scooping a spoonful of shaved ice and fruit and eating. Kai did his best to read her. Would it be best to call off the surprise?
“I know but something that… buffered in my brain. I really do want to meet others,” she admitted. “I… think it’s because I felt like she was luring me into another formal meeting. In the back of my mind, I know what’s really happening but I couldn’t help the absolute… fear. Another meeting, like the… the accident. Or maybe it’s because she was comparing me to my brother. I don’t know what it was now. It just suddenly happened.”
“Can… Can I tell you something?” Kai asked. “It’s about your birthday.”
Right, it was her birthday. She was officially twenty-seven. She prefers skipping out on them these days but there were still a few things that she looked forward to. Bailey nodded for him to continue.
“I thought I should warn you in case you really don’t wanna socialize, but you’re having a surprise birthday party at the saloon. Thunder and Catty really wanted you to meet a few more of their friends but if you really need to relax and have alone time, tell me now so I can tell them.”
She thought about it and then shook her head. “It isn’t people. It’s just… being an official. Maybe it is stress but I can handle it. Thank you for warning me, but I’m sure I can handle one more party.”
Kai let out a sigh of relief before relaxing. “If you say so, Goldie.”
She quickly finished up her meal before moving on to a different subject. They got back to their usual routine of stupid jokes and empty insults. It looked like two friends hanging out. It suddenly changed when two other people approached them just before they were leaving.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen either of you before. What’re your names?” asked the girl with a ribbon in her hair. She seemed bright and polite, so Bailey tried to mimic her attitude by flashing a grin. She looked young, probably the same age as Abigail.
Kai had a flicker of worry in his eyes but he stayed silent.
“I only came here last month. I moved into Bumble Field since my brother owns it. Name’s Bailey, but this is my best bud, Kai. He’s here as a tourist.”
“Nice to meet ya! This is Sean, my best friend. I’m Blair, your future wife!”
Bailey choked on whatever spit was in her mouth and buffered trying to process what she said, face flushing.
“I’m kidding! God! That’s gotta be the best reaction I’ve ever seen. Just thought we would quickly introduce ourselves before we head out! Awesome meeting you.”
As soon as they left, Bailey sighed and tried to rub the back of her neck out of embarrassment, hoping to release the sudden tension.
Kai chuckled at her rare flustered state but then softened his smile. “Still holding up?”
“Y-Yeah. Just didn’t expect her to say that,” she mumbled.
“I’m glad that made your day but don’t force yourself. I saw how you tried matching her energy. You need to be genuine with other people. You’re not working as an official.”
She merely nodded, apologizing before cleaning up her spot.
…
If Haley had to be honest, she felt awkward trying to pull a date with someone who just showed up within the season. Not to mention, this was another girl, though one that she was down bad for.
When Thunder and Catty told her that she was allowed to show up to Bailey’s birthday, she wasn’t expecting the foreigner to be amazing with other people. In fact, she was expecting Bailey to awkwardly interact with her brother’s friends. From across the room, she watched with awe as Bailey managed to charm her brother’s friends with a gleam in her eyes and that oddly fangy smile that Haley absolutely adored. She was almost a completely different person from the down-to-earth dork she was used to. The night went on and only a handful of guests stayed. Even though she was quite far, she was starting to see how strained the small woman was trying to juggle the social circles. Bailey’s family stayed for a bit longer to let the birthday twins finish up their pool game.
As she sat at the bar, the dark redheaded man from yesterday plopped next to her. Haley didn’t even bother to hide her side-eye.
“Aren’t you a beauty?” he purred with a cheshire grin, making Haley scoff. “Blonde, lake-blue eyes, you are exactly the type that Goldie would go for.”
The photographer swung her head and stared at him with a wide expression, not at all expecting that last comment.
“What?”
He chuckled as she took the bait. “Bailey, one of the guests of honor. She’s with her brothers and kid for a bit in the back room. I think someone else was there. Leah, I believe. Anyway, the name’s Kai. Kairius Nightcloud, Goldie’s best friend.”
“Oh.” She really felt silly. “Uhm. Haley Sanderson.”
It felt like his piercing eyes were holding her in place, judging her. While she normally couldn’t care less, Haley felt as if she was on a trial since this was possibly Bailey’s closest friend. However, his relaxed posture told her that she was perfectly in control of the situation.
“Oho, now I know you! You are all she’s been talking about last night.”
Kai knew that he got her hooked now as she turned her body to give him her full attention. The devilish man completely explained everything. From Bailey’s puppy crush to her exact type, Haley grew more comfortable with him by the second as she learned that he wasn’t the least bit interested in Bailey romantically. He was very warm and outgoing, making Haley wonder if the two somehow mirrored each other at times, however, he gladly explained all of her favorite interests and even little things Haley already knew or didn’t know about.
“One thing you gotta be aware of though. You seem like a pretty nice gal, though, a bit misunderstood judging by the mean girl vibes. Now, Goldie can take a hit, she’s the toughest person I have ever met. But the moment she gets the slightest scratch on her heart,” his pupils suddenly contracted and his grin fell into a scowl that made her spine shudder, “I’ll make sure that you experience the wrath of her entire family.”
“I would never even think of hurting her.” Her answer was instant and Kai closed his mouth. “She’s too… sweet. I can’t believe that someone would hurt her.”
He seemed to assess her with a glare. Then Kai grinned.
“You’re cool. Ok, you’re off the hook for now. I trust you a little. Sorry. She’s been hurt before, you see. I’d hate for her to get too invested in something only to get heartbroken again.”
The blonde recalls her mentioning that though the talk was only brief, so Haley came to the conclusion that it wasn’t pretty.
The pair heard Bailey laugh and got up. Phoenix was scrambling over his mother’s shoulders, messing up her hair as he reached to try and grab her drink. Leah laughed as she watched the duo, unable to contain the emotion. Haley knew that she took her camera for a reason, and right now was the perfect moment to capture.
She felt it almost immediately when they first met. An indescribable pull that told her that they were somehow connected. Although Haley captured her in many photos, it was only now that she engrained Bailey’s smile to memory like she captured a mental photo. It didn’t take a genius to know that she was over the moon. The small woman heard the click from her camera and turned her head.
Bailey could feel Haley’s longing gaze and she nervously looked away when she made eye contact with worshiping eyes. It felt overwhelming as she felt like it was too above her. It had only been less than a month, three weeks at most, and the hybrid couldn’t deny that she longed for something past friendship. The photographer was the perfect candidate and wasn’t trying to hide that she wanted the same.
However, she couldn’t help but overthink this. With faux humor, she picked up her toddler and told him to go bother Storm so that she could go outside for a breather. Kai was quick and managed to help Bailey get up from her chair, reassuring her that he could watch Phoenix while handing her her walking stick. She slipped by Haley, making brief contact, and then signaled over to the exit.
After several minutes, taking in the chilling night air, Haley came outside, looking around before relaxing once she noticed Bailey standing by the streetlight. It looked as if she was standing under a dim spotlight, telling the blonde to loom closer.
“Hey, you.”
Bailey could fight perhaps a dozen people blindfolded fearlessly. She could possibly soar like a warrior with the many dragons from her grandfather’s kingdom. She would even rather fight Death without fear at all. She didn’t fear heights physically, but she was scared to fall in love. Yet she couldn’t help it when she looked into the photographer’s eyes. Absolutely in love with the hue.
Both their gazes softened. She could drown herself in blue and Haley could spend an eternity counting the stars in Bailey’s eyes underneath the dimlight.
“Hey,” is all she could say back before glancing away, giggling and grinning like a dork. “I’m surprised you even heard that my birthday was today.”
“Rumors spread in a town this small.” She paused and took in a deep breath for courage. “But, it looks like you’re getting along great with everyone.”
They stayed next to each other, merely enjoying the silence. Occasionally lingering their eyes on one another until Haley finally broke the tension.
“Can we talk about what… we are?” she asked, moving closer to lean on the streetlight with Bailey. Their shoulders were touching, and Haley could feel the diplomat’s body warmth.
“Well… what do you want us to be?” Bailey hesitated. With her own sigh, she mustered all the courage to keep talking. “I feel it too, Haley. I catch you staring. You’ve caught me staring too. But I can’t help but feel like we’re moving too fast, or maybe I’m overthinking it, and it’s… hard to love when I’ve gone through so much throughout my life.”
Haley could read her like an open book, and she could see how scared Bailey was, scared of being vulnerable and opening her heart to someone. It was at this moment that she knew that fate wanted her to pay the kindness she received forward. All the times Catty and Thunder were there for her, the little moments that they took to convince her to open up, Bailey was showing that fear of vulnerability, and the glossy look in her eyes was evident. While she tried to keep a brave smile, it began to waver as she tried to continue to maintain eye contact.
The blonde finally relented and opened her arms, inviting her for an embrace if Bailey wanted. The hybrid did her best to lean into her hug despite needing to put her weight on her walking stick. With her left arm, she hugged Haley and immediately felt welcome. Since she was only a few inches shorter, she was able to lean her forehead on Haley’s shoulder. It had been too long since someone gave her a proper hug like this and she clenched her eyes closed, praying that this wasn’t a dream.
Meanwhile, Haley managed to hook one arm under Bailey’s armpit and wrapped the other around the amputee’s left side, letting her lean in so that they still maintained balance. She didn’t pat her back or let her fingertips move on Bailey’s back, recalling how she mentioned her negative opinion of her back being touched. Instead, her porcelain fingers combed the back of her black hair, coaxing Bailey to rely on her and reminding her that this was reality.
“Even when you’re about to cry, you’re somehow breathtaking,” the photographer muttered. “Closer than friends but not quite lovers. I don’t want to stay as friends, but we should at least explore what… this is.”
Silence. But Bailey adjusted herself so she could hear the other girl’s heartbeat, steady thumping before picking up speed. While Haley memorized her eyes and smile, the smaller woman memorized her heartbeat’s rhythm. Merely listening to the blonde’s life course throughout her told Bailey that she was safe in Haley’s arms.
“I’d… I would like that very much, Haley.”
They stayed still, arms wrapped around one another, before they needed to go back inside, both with fond smiles and drifting eyes that would catch each other’s gaze.