Strawberry Bruises

Do you ever wonder what stars taste like? Lotto Tickets: 31 Affiliated with Town Square.

[failedbaker]

Do You Believe in Magic? // Wizard & Maya

Despite the yellow rays of sun behind her, the room Maya entered was dark. Well, dark compared to the outside. The curtains were drawn and the light intensity inside was softer than she was used to, more like candles than bulbs, though she had no idea where it was coming from. 

It smelled like October. Maya didn't know why, but October just seemed like the right way to describe it: musty, cool, and the aroma of dried spices lingering in the air. It was strange considering they were still in the middle of summer, but that wasn't surprising. The Wizard was a strange guy.

That's what everybody called him. The Wizard. No name. He was sort of like a ghost around town. Nobody ever saw him outside during the day but everyone knew where he lived. Her father insisted that it was nothing more than a hoax--that he deliberately tried to build up a “mysterious” reputation to sell more fortunes. Maybe that was true, but Maya wasn’t so sure. The Wizard didn’t seem too interested in his business, and he tended to only open sporadically and for short periods of time.

Besides, magic had to be real, right? If people believed in gods and goddesses then why was the idea of a wizard so ridiculous? She would find out for herself if he was genuine or not.

Though, now that she was standing in his doorway she felt a bit different. His green and golden eyes seemed to practically glow in the darkness, but that must have just been the sun reflected in them. Finally, Maya gulped and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. She took a seat across from him at the circular table and peered over the clear crystal orb at his face.

“Hello! I heard you were doing fortunes today… can you tell mine?”

She looked down at the orb, catching the blue eyes of her reflection staring back at her. 

[failedbaker]

Like a Moth // Jin & Maya

It wasn't often that Maya found herself at the Clinic. Even as a child she was remarkably resilient to illness and maladies, and she had no food allergies to speak of (thank goodness). Yolanda always joked that it was because she had the blood of the old country in her, but Colleen always figured her daughter had an exceptional immune system due to the fact that Maya was willing to eat candy straight off a bathroom floor as a toddler.  

But that didn't mean that her doctor's visits were nonexistent. Sprained ankles or wrists, infected cuts, and bumps on the head were all road maps that lead to Irene's scoldings. She tried to be good, really, but despite her best efforts it seemed that Maya couldn't outgrow her clumsiness. 

The whiteness of the clinic made it seem even more cold and sterile. Only a scattering of posters added a pop of color here and there, but otherwise, nothing. The stainless steel of the medical equipment shined under the florescent lights. Dr. Jin's black hair was easy to spot, and taking a deep breath, Maya approached him. 

"...Dr. Jin?" she asked quietly, a light tremble in her voice. When he looked up at her she hung her head in shame, clutching her right hand in front of her, wrapped in a white cloth like an infant. 

[failedbaker]

Patchwork Friendship // Luna & Maya

The hot summer sun beat down on Castanet as if it were angry, threatening to blister any exposed skin with burns. A ripe plum could be left on a windowsill and in half an hour you would have a prune. Most everyone had sought refuge in their homes and businesses, save for a few scattered souls who dared try and trek to the beach or lake in hopes of cooling down. Only time will tell if they make it back alive.

Colorful streets that were normally bustling with activity were empty--save for one puff of pink and yellow zig-zagging her way between the shade. Finally, she managed to make it to her destination, unharmed, but not unscathed. Sweat ran from the roots of her hair down her flushed temples, and her cheeks were a bright red. She didn't even wait to catch her breath before stepping into Sonata Tailoring. 

Maya's eyes were bright and desperate. Whatever caused her to come must have been urgent if she was willing to brave the heat outside. Candy-floss pink hair was the first thing she saw.

"L-Luna!" Maya said, but her tone was small. It was as if her voice was encased in a glass box, and she feared that if she spoke too loudly it would shatter and break. Her blue eyes pleaded and gleamed with un-shed tears. 

"I need your help..." 

[failedbaker]

Blue is the Warmest Color // Candace & Maya

If there was one thing to look forward to during the summer, it was definitely the beaches! Nothing beat a crystal clear ocean gliding across your skin to cool you down after a long day in the sun~ Maya had been looking forward to the open waters for weeks now, so imagine her surprise when she slipped into her bathing suit--only to find that her pink one-piece didn't fit anymore! Where the fabric once clung smoothly to her form, it puckered up to stretch across her tummy. She felt the elastic between her thighs and under her arms sink into her skin, and even the ruffles of her skirt seemed shorter than they were last year.

...Looks like she was looking forward to summer food more than the beaches. Maya pouted and smacked her thigh, watching the white flesh ripple under her hand.

“I gain weight in the summer because I eat too much ice cream, and I gain weight in the winter because it’s too cold to exercise!” she mused. It seemed like there was simply no winning in her situation. Of course, there was always the option of eating less. Her mother did say she had too many sweets, and maybe she could try and be leaner and eat less fatty foods like burgers and pizza… That definitely meant no more milkshakes and popsicles, too.

“HAHAHA!!” Maya burst into laughter at the very thought, doubling over in her room as she fought back tears of mirth. She heard a small ripping sound across her back as her suit finally tore, but by the time she collected herself again and straightened, she didn’t care. Food was part of who she was, she would be miserable if she gave it up. She slipped out of her bathing suit to assess the damage. The fact that it had ripped only confirmed that it needed to go. She would get a new one! Her tips in waitressing would cover that much, right?

With a cheerful grin, she dressed back in her normal dress and headed down to Sonata tailoring, the bell chiming in-sync with her voice as she called inside.

“Hello~ Happy Summer!” she sang as she skipped inside. “Anyone here~?” 

[failedbaker]

Blondes Have More Fun // Kathy & Maya

Maya never got why the bar was so popular with tourists when they passed through. Other than special events and holidays, it was nearly empty except for a few regulars who came down from the mining district and the farms. Of course, there was Chase’s cooking, which in her opinion should attract people from miles around, but ordering real food actually seemed pretty uncommon from what she saw. Maya supposed there were just some people she would never understand.

Fortunately, a grumpy chef and some withered old men weren’t the only people to visit there. It was still day time when she walked through the doors of the Brass Bar, around an hour before opening. Customers weren’t usually allowed in before four, but Maya almost never paid for anything and pleading for free sodas and Chase’s leftovers hardly counted as “ordering”.  Either way, she wasn’t here for any of that.

“Hey Kathy~!” Maya sang as she bounced up over to the counter. Even though they weren’t open yet, the whole place smelled strongly of alcohol. She hated that smell; Maya could feel her nose hairs tingling. Rows of glass bottles were lined up behind the bar maid and they flashed all sorts of different colors under the dim lights. They were pretty, almost as pretty as Kathy herself. Maya smiled.

“I was wondering if I could maybe ask you something.” She hoped onto a stool a swiveled around a bit before resting her cheeks in her palms. “Soooo… you make cocktails, right?” Maya looked away innocently and scanned the foyer. It didn’t look like anyone else was around. “Apple cocktails, grape cocktails, coconut cocktails…” She looked back at Kathy, trying to act as casual as possible. “Have you ever made a yam cocktail before?” 

[failedbaker]

Summer Showers // Angela & Maya

[constantly-castanet-deactivated]

"Aha yeah…" The rancher laughed with unease when the other rancher’s name was mentioned, She did have a point, the two of them worked crazy hard all the time to keep the island on its feet, but after the Spring things weren’t exactly the greatest between the two. Heck, Angela hadn’t seen Kasey for a while now, but that was exactly how she wanted it. 

Not like it mattered anyways. 

"Y’know, you’re pretty pale Maya. Guess that happens when you’re stuck inside all day." The brunette laughed, taking the towel from the waitress’ hands and drying off her own hair. "There are a few days off for me, kinda. Festivals and stuff like that.” Her eyes trailed over to the heavy gray clouds that hung in the sky, letting out their torrential rains on the earth below.

“Unless it’s raining, of course!” Maya laughed, and Angela couldn’t help but return a smile.

"And unless its raining, yeah." She stretched her arms and took on a pondering look. "I guess we’re stuck in here for a while, since it’s coming down pretty hard. Are you hungry? I could make us some food if ya want." Though, Angela didn’t need to be a fortune teller to know what the answer was gonna be.

[failedbaker]

“Yeah, it’s really lame!” Maya complained as she threw her head back onto the couch cushion. “Even in the summer I have to stay inside and work. You’re so lucky! At least you get to be out in the sunshine.” She let out a wistful sigh.

“It must be so fun to be surrounded by crops and cute animals all day. Plus, you get to run around the whole town! I’m practically chained to the inn like a slave when I need to waitress. And it’s not easy, either! I need to balance trays, and remember orders, and the hardest thing is seeing all these yummy dishes and not getting to eat them!” She pouted like a child, crossing her arms and sinking further down the couch.

“I don’t hate it, though. I get to meet a lot of people, and they all have interesting stories to tell. Sometimes, at least~” Maya let out a laugh and smiled and Angela, who had stood up and offered her some food. Now, Maya had no shame in scarfing down any and all food at the inn, and even in public, but here she was Angela’s guest and she would at least try to be polite. (The Goddess herself wouldn’t want to know what Jake would do to her if he found out she was rude.) And being polite meant not asking for food.

“Well,” she began, fluttering her eyelashes. “If you have something warm and chocolaty, and would conveniently fit into a mug, and has the option of adding marshmallows to it, I would love to have some!” She smiled innocently. “But I mean, I could go for anything you have to offer.”

[jungle-waltzer]

Flying Fish || Maya and Shea

[jungle-waltzer]

What was another person doing on the island? When did they even get on the island? Shea hadn’t heard any boats earlier in the day, though he might have just been out of hearing range. But that didn’t make sense to him either, the loud gurgling sound they make was hard to miss when the drown out the natural noises of his home. Sometimes the boats were quieter than usual though, so maybe that was it…?

The yell from the person the fish hit brought Shea out of his thoughts. Okay, he was supposed to apologize, right? Right. It’s not like he meant to hit the stranger, it was an accident and accidents get apologies.

Turning around, he slowly trudged out of the knee deep water, headed towards land. It wouldn’t make much sense to yell over to the person. Besides, walking over to them first would give him a chance to see if they were hostile before he got too close. Plus this person was closer to the food he just caught, he didn’t want to give them the chance to run off with it while he was still bogged down by the water!

"You are okay?" He asked cautiously as he reached the edge of the wet sand. His feet continued to shuffle him forward, though his body tensed in case there was a need for quick action. "No mean to throw fish at. It accident." He tried to explain, brow furrowing apologetically. Shea hoped he was apologizing right, it wasn’t a task he had much experience with.

"Ah… can keep fish if want? I catch new fish if want as sorry gift?" This was something people did right? Some of the people he saw on the main island had given someone else an item after saying the "sorry". Even if he was offering though, Shea really hoped the lady wouldn’t want his fish. It was hard work to catch food when his stomach was demanding to be filled.

[failedbaker]

The man was not what she expected. He was tall, muscular, and he spoke funny… like a little kid, almost, except kids tended to talk in circles and this man seemed to get right to the point.

...And his point almost as sharp as his spear, which she noticed right at the water's edge from her new position.

She eyed the weapon nervously before looking back to his face. At least his his expression was kind enough, and he wasn't holding it. Maybe he was just foreign? Maya had certainly not seen anyone dressed like him back on the mainland. Well, the important thing was that he seemed harmless enough. He wasn't angry and he didn't seem like someone who normally flung fish at people to get them to go away. 

“Yeah, I’m alright~” she finally chirped back, smiling. Maya wasn’t going to stay on the ground and brood all day! What was the point of coming to see new places if you couldn’t make new friends?! And this stranger was prime for the picking! He was already offering her a gift! In one move she hopped up to her feet and held the fish out in her hands to examine it. The poor creature had passed out by now.

“Oh, thank you so much~ Fish is my absolute favorite! ❤” Of course, being Maya’s "favorite" wasn’t a task too difficult to achieve. If something fit in her mouth she would find some reason to merit eating it over and over again. The fish’s scales were a murky greenish color, but when they caught the light they gleamed a beautiful silver. A signature pink stripe ran from its cheeks to its tail, and depending on the angle, the scales reflected colors from pink to green. It was probably what the fish earned its name from.

“This is a rainbow trout, isn’t it?” Maya asked grinning back at the man. “This tastes really fantastic grilled!” She tilted her head to the side and laughed. “Raw fish are kinda icky! Let’s make a fire!” She didn’t even ask if he wanted to join her. No time for that! Thinking about grilled fish reminded her that she was starving! It had to be at least a whole hour since she ate last.

[blue-ranch]

Sweet Relief | Blue & Maya

[blue-ranch]

Maybe he had assumed too much by hoping the girl would leave him alone. Her whiny snap that accompanied the cliche finger point of blame that was so often conjured up in arguments had him sorting out his words to prepare a back fire. Was this chick for real? She’s going to yell at him for something that wasn’t even his faul—-

Her sudden change of tone softened the clamp on Blue’s jaw, and hearing her admit that he was right satisfied him more than he should be proud of. Her words were true, though he still thought she was acting childish over a simple snow cone. He knew he shouldn’t be mean… Was he being mean? He hadn’t meant to. Things just sort of fall out of his mouth that way. 

" If it’s really nothing, trust me, the person will realize quicker than you think.”

A smug smirk pulled at the edge of his mouth, “S’that mean you realize that you were actin’ like a brat?” He let out a ghost of a laugh, “Sorry.” He had to force the word out, almost. “I didn’t really mean to be snappy. I guess we both have more on our minds than the other knows… And I’m sorry about making you drop your stupid snow cone, too.”

Blue broke the short moment of eye contact that he could manage, and changed his focus to the sandy waterfalls running between his fingers. “I’m pretty invisible to most people.” He had been overlooked and ignored a lot of his life, being physically invisible to people didn’t seem so far fetched sometimes.

[failedbaker]

Well if there was one thing this guy was it wasn't creative. If she's been called a brat once she's been called it a million times, usually accompanied by "childish", "spoiled", "crybaby", and "airhead". But to be frank it never quite bothered her so much. She's been called a lot of good things, too, and those were the important ones to remember. She never got an apology so quickly, however, so she'd give him that.

Maya's eyes softened with guilt as she watched him. Her running into him... it wasn't like that! She ran into a lot of people! Her mother always said her carelessness was bound to get either herself or someone else hurt, but she never imagined it would be someone's feelings, which was the absolute worst. 

For a moment she was at a loss of what to say, a situation practically unheard of, but after a few seconds of silence her blue eyes lit up and she crouched down next to him to be at eye level.

“Well, being invisible is a lot better than having people notice you and think you’re a brat, right?” Maya echoed his previous comment playfully, grinning as she tried to catch his gaze again. She poked him lightly on the shoulder to get his attention.

“My name is Maya, by the way. I’m visiting from Castanet. Do you want to come get another snow cone with me?” 

[failedbaker]

What songs do you sing in the shower?

♪ On top of spaghetti, All covered with cheese,I lost my poor meatball, When somebody sneezed~ ♪

♪ It rolled off the table,And on to the floor,And then my poor meatball,Rolled out of the door~ ♪

♪ It rolled in the garden,And under a bush,And then my poor meatball,Was nothing but mush~ ♪

♪ The mush was as tastyAs tasty could be,And then the next summer, It grew into a tree~ ♪

♪ The tree was all covered,All covered with moss,And on it grew meatballs,And tomato sauce~ ♪

♪ So if you eat spaghetti,All covered with cheese,Hold on to your meatball,Whenever you sneeze~ ❤

[failedbaker]

Describe your perfect date.

Oh, that’s tough! Lemme think… Well, eight is a good number, I think, because it’s symmetrical no matter how you cut it… and it’s nice and loopy and fun to write! But it’s boring all on it’s own… It needs a friends! Maybe a one? Eighteen is definitely a good number! As for for month… I like fall months~❤ I think November has the prettiest spelling! 

So I guess November 18 wold be my perfect date!  ❤

[failedbaker]

Out of everyone you've met so far, who was the most attractive?

Well... there's pecan pie that my grandmother made. It's cooling on the window sill, but it's for a customer! Sigh, promised to another! I guess I just always want what I can't have. ❤

[failedbaker]

Do you like big butts and cannot lie?

All butts are good butts! You gotta shake shake shake what your mamma gave you! ❤

[failedbaker]

Ever kissed someone before? What was it like?

I've kissed lots of people before~ It's a wonderful feeling because it means that we care about each other. ❤ A kiss or a hug always makes me feel better when I'm sad or in a bad mood! 

[blue-ranch]

Sweet Relief | Blue & Maya

[blue-ranch]

Blue managed to mask the hard eye roll by closing his eyes in disbelief. “Sad?” There was a hint of a cynical smile to match the way he scoffed the word at the girl.  The crease in his cheek disappeared with the trace of a smile he had as he shook his head. She must’ve had quite the cushy life if losing a snow cone was sad. Blue was honestly a little jealous. 

"Inconvenient, maybe. But sad? No way. Ya ever heard the expression, ‘don’t cry over spilled milk?" He cast his eyes down at the short girl, noticing that she was definitely younger than him… but she couldn’t possibly be so immature.

"Well, don’t cry over spilled slushy." He turned his back to her, his sympathy quickly running out, and made the short trip out of the sea foam. He pulled his flannel back over the silky under-armor type shirt he always wore, pulling on his hat to protect his translucent eyes from the bright sun. His feet were all sandy, though, so he couldn’t pull on his boots to escape the girl entirely. But maybe he had offended her enough that she would leave him alone.

[failedbaker]

What a jerk. 

A rare scowl appeared on Maya's face as she watched him turn his back on her. Who does he think he is, going around talking to people like he knew what was what! Since when was he the boss of anyone?! 

"List here--!" She stabbed a finger in the man's direction, about to say his name, but stopped short when she realized she didn't even know what it was. Her finger drooped and the outstretched hand came back in to smack herself in the forehead. How did this happen? Here she was, in a foreign town, arguing with a stranger who was most likely a local.

Over a snow cone. 

She was the jerk. 

Maya's gaze trailed after him. Thankfully, he hadn't decided to leave the beach yet so she didn't need to run after him. (And she would have, if she had to.) 

"I'm sorry," Maya said, a bit softer. "For real this time. I shouldn't have yelled at you. I'm not actually mad, there were just some other things bothering me." She bit her lower lip. "You're right, it's silly to cry over a snow cone. What I meant was that you shouldn't dismiss other people's feelings so quickly! Something insignificant like a snow cone can mean a lot to someone else. So just--" She tried to figure out a way to explain it, but this kind of thing never came easy to her. She knew she was right, though!  

"I'm sure you have stuff that you're sensitive about that wouldn't make sense to strangers. My point is not to assume things and don't be mean. If it's really nothing, trust me, the person will realize quicker than you think." A slight blush tinted her cheeks, rightfully embarrassed, but she needed to get this point across. 

[blue-ranch]

Sweet Relief | Blue & Maya

[blue-ranch]

The sunlight flickering across the waves reflected across the farmer’s face like freckles of golden light. Like angel kisses, as his mom used to call them when he was young. Huh. Why would I remember something like that now? He wondered to the waves, hoping the ocean might give him an answer from it’s deep waters. The particularly large wave directed the sunlight in such a way that it was cast upon Blue’s icey eyes, blinding him temporarily.

Rubbing his rough fingertips over his eyes to disperse the floating imprint of the sun, he wasn’t aware of the approaching girl. She bumped into him off guard, almost sending him right into the salty sand. Something very cold landed right onto his bare foot, which he recoiled from, still surprised by the sudden company. He had just started to digest what happened and began to collect his words to kindly tell the woman to watch where she’s going when she let out a shriek that rattled his ears.

His eyebrows knit together incredulously as she spoke, the woman acted as if she were twelve years old! Still, the tears bubbling behind her eyes filled Blue with guilt. Not for the snowcone, that was her own fault, but for almost yelling at her. He finally managed to pulled his dry lips apart,

"Geez, you can get another one." His sentences were short and precise, "It’s not the end of the world."

[failedbaker]

The man’s voice seemed to bring her back to reality. Well, the reality in which mourning a snow cone either meant that you were four years old, or you had a couple of screws loose in your head. Maya blinked back her tears, not about to cry in front of stranger, but his words seemed to ring with the same tone she heard a million times before. She could see it all over his face. He probably thought she was too sensitive, or weak, or some kind of crybaby. Maya was usually rather polite to strangers, but she would not stand him being so snappy at her!

“But it’s sad!” she insisted. It was always the same phrase, too. ‘It’s not the end of the world, Maya!’ She crumpled the paper cone into a ball in her hand and pouted at that man. He had red hair with light blue eyes. His pale skin freckled in the sun, which by the by, looked far too pale for the summer. He either stayed inside all day or dressed like it was winter year around. Either way was pretty weird. There wasn’t anything else really remarkable about him, except for maybe his hat, which looked mighty easy to swipe off his head if he continued being a butt. She crossed her arms, feeling bold.

“I’m allowed to be upset when sad things happen! Does there always need to be some kind of catastrophe?!”

[blue-ranch]

Sweet Relief | Blue & Maya

Yesterday’s scorching weather refused to let up, but luckily for Blue he found some free time off of work to cool off today. Laying in bed with three fans going was just as unbearable as working in the heat, though, so he had forced himself out of bed. Fiery bed-head hair concealed under his standard cap,  he set out to find something to do. He couldn’t stand lazing about, it made him restless. 

The sun beat down on his worn hat as he trailed along the path, heading south. Heat penetrated even the wooded canopy to the south of the river, and the mosquitoes brought no relief in the shade. A frustrated groan escaped his throat as he swatted a pest away, stepping out into the fields that made up the southern farm of the village. A salty breeze caressed his sun burnt cheeks, tempting him closer to the sandy banks.

Maybe a dip in the ocean would be just the thing he needed. He began to unlace his heavy boots and pulled off his red flannel, leaving on his undershirt. The feel of sand between his toes was awesome. Why hadn’t he been to the beach yet this summer? 

He felt like Huck Finn as he rolled up his blue jeans, revealing pale shins. He couldn’t care less about it though, the only thing he was concerned about was the way the shallow waves felt against his skin, and the gleam of the sun off the water’s surface.

[failedbaker]

Flowerbud village was... well, disappointing seemed like a harsh word. But for a village named Flowerbud there was a shockingly few amount of flowers actually around. Sure, there were some in windows and in the little beds that lined the square, but if your whole town was named after flowers, Maya would expect there to be a lot more! She practically begged her father to take her with him when he said he had business here, and now look at her. No flowers, no buds, and no idea what she was going to do for the rest of the day. 

At least she had a beach.

And more importantly, a snow cone. 

She bit into the shaved ice with her front teeth without so much as a flinch, sucking out the sweetness and letting the compact ice melt in her mouth to keep her cool. Syrup was smeared on her face and colored her lips and tongue an unnatural candy-red. Her pink dress fluttered in the sea breeze as she made her way down the shoreline; it was pretty, she'd give it that. The ocean seemed so inviting with it's misty waves, and the sky so hard and blue it looked like it could be shattered with a stray baseball flying through the air. 

Maya stared out passed the sand and the white sails of a nearby boat. The horizon looked so clear, so near. It was easy to imagine why some men thought it was the edge of the world out there. 

Perhaps Maya should have been doing less imagining, however, and more paying attention to where she was going. She let out a small yelp of surprise when she bumped into something solid. A person, she vaguely realized as she stumbled back a few steps. Though the sand was uneven she did manage to catch herself before she fell.  

Her snow cone wasn't so lucky.

The rest of her scoop tipped off her paper cone with a sloshy plop. Maya watched with horror as a wave road in and carried off her treat with the same expression a wife might wear as she watched her sailor husband get lost to sea. 

"No!" Maya cried out, but it was far too late. It was nowhere to be seen. She looked down into the cone, her voice coming out in a whimper. "The best part was getting to drink the melted ice with the extra syrup..." She then looked up at the stranger, her lower lip quivering. "And now it's gone forever." 

[failedbaker]

Two Wrongs Do Make a Wright // Claire & Maya

[newoldconfelicitous-blog]

First day of the Fireworks Festival and Claire was already off an about in another town completely. Goddess, if she was such a wanderlust, why did she decide to settle down in such a small humble town smack-dab in the middle of nowhere anyway? Wait. She had dashed into that mess headfirst without thinking, and before she knew it, she was stuck with her choice. Haha, at least she didn’t regret it in the long run, huh? Yeah, it was a pretty sweet miracle that things ended up the way they did.

Hmmm, hmmm. Castanet was adorned in ribbons and dashed with a festive aura that seemed to rub off on her. The last time she had visited, she and Ange had quite the reunion, to word it lightly. But this time around, Claire was here to have a little fun, meet some new people and let loose for once.

So where to start? The banners and signs signified that the fireworks definitely weren’t going to start any time soon. Pivoting on her toes, she took the entire area in with one sweeping glance and just randomly picked a direction to head in. Well okay, her nose picked her direction for her, hahaha. 

Something smelled awfully great, as a sweet, seafood smell wafted out of a small stall by the beach. With a click of her boots, she was in there in a flash. Her signature smile was out and ready to knock some new people out, while she kept her fiery spirit tucked back in her pocket for a bit. Honestly, she was a tad too excited for all this. As she ducked to look under the booth awning, Claire’s voice chimed in. 

"Hi there! Are you guys open for business ye—"

Claire’s eyes widened as she witness something that would probably be ingrained in her mind forever. There was a girl dressed in pink talking to her fish balls. Beautiful. Simply beautiful. Well, uh… to each their own? Claire cleared her throat and slowly took a few steps back in retreat. Maybe she should leave the fish ball girl to her own devices.

What a wonderful start to her day. Just wonderful.

[failedbaker]

She had already taken a bite out of her food when a voice sounded. Maya’s eyes snapped up, cheeks still stuffed with octopus, and found herself looking at a woman. Her long blonde hair fell passed her shoulders and was light with sun-kissed highlights. Her eyes were blue, a brighter shade than her overalls. She looked like a farmer, maybe, or at least someone who did some kind of labor. The worn shoes and dirt stains didn’t really strike her as a fashion statement. Maybe she was here visiting Ange or Kass, or maybe she was cousins with Anissa, or maybe she was just a tourist. It didn’t matter.

What mattered was she was right about to back out of the booth.

“Hey--!” A few crumbs fell out of Maya’s mouth as she suddenly called out to her. Darn it. Her mother always scolded her about this kind of stuff. Maya quickly chewed and swallowed, then tried again. Her words came out even louder once the takoyaki balls weren’t obstructing her voice.

“Hey!! Come back here! We’re open, we’re open!” Maya laughed playfully as she stretched her arms out and waved the woman back.

“What’s that look for? Don’t worry, the only thing creepy in this booth is the octopus—and they’re already dead!” Maya grinned as if that totally wasn’t a serial-killer thing to say. She placed her hands on her waist and beamed proudly, the still-warm takoyaki on the counter in front of her. They were a golden-brown, not yet glazed. Maya was to put them on little sticks and prop them up over a grill to keep them from cooling, then brush the glaze over them.  She still thought they looked plenty appetizing, though. Surely this stranger couldn’t possibly resist!

“You’re a visitor, aren’t you? Oh, then you have to try my grandmother’s takoyaki balls! She makes them special for the fireworks festival! You’ll seriously miss out if you come all the way to Castanet and not try her cooking!” Maya already made up her mind, not caring what the woman had to say about it. She stacked three balls onto a stick then brushed them with the glaze, using the same artistic flare as a painter putting the finishing strokes on their masterpiece. Maya held the snack over the counter, grinning.

“C’mon! First batch is free~ I guarantee you’ll have more tonight with the fireworks after just one taste!” There was nothing better than seeing the look on someone’s face when they try something new and delicious. Maya was practically vibrating with anticipation as she waited for the lady to take it.

What a wonderful start to her day! Just wonderful!