Toya repeated today what she had done the day before. Once she had delivered the remaining items of the shipment to Zack she walked back towards Forget-Me-Not Valley. As she reached the Valley the sun began to set. The air became much cooler and instead of keeping her jacket on she took it off and let the chill beat her arms as she ran towards the beach. The salty air hit her as soon as her foot came into contact with the sand. She breathed in deeply and span around a few times with her arms extended outwards. Toya loved it.

She ran further down the beach towards the water flicking off her shoes in the process. Toya had never felt so free. The possibility of someone watching her or following her never entered her mind even as people from the Valley came and went. Not one cared for her strange behaviour or why she was there. They all seemed pleased that she was there and enjoying herself. Toya sighed as she dipped her feet into the cold water and then waded up until her knees.

She wondered what Zack and Won would be doing and then pushed them from her mind. She began to think of this other thief when she heard a small cough behind her. A tall man stood there with longer than average silver hair and stunning silver/gray eyes. She couldn't believe it. She hadn't had to do any looking or searching he had found her.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself..." he muttered as a smirk appeared on his face. Toya laughed.

"Of course I am," she laughed loudly. "A thief always enjoys themselves.." she said much quiter giving him an odd sideways glance before she began to laugh at his reaction. He merely raised an eyebrow at her wondering what on earth the crazy girl standing in front of him was on about. He then realised what she was referring to and gave a little chuckle.

"You're a thief too, huh?" he asked. Toya nodded. "Come with me tonight?" Toya shook her head.

"I have to get home soon before I get locked out," she explained. "Some other time.."

"What's your name?" he asked realising he had forgotten to ask. She told him her name and explained he knew his while she put her shoes back on. Skye shrugged no longer amused by her behaviour. It was dark now and Toya began to head back. As the night air became even chillier she put her jacket back on and began to run back to Mineral Town. Not long after she had left Skye he had dissapeared presumably off to steal from someone's house.

Toya reached the beach and tried the door. She panicked when she found it locked. A pin was stuck in the door but whatever had been attatched to it had blown away. "Oh crumbs," she muttered. She paced the beach a little when she heard a small laugh behind her. She spun around but no one was there. She ran back to the door and shook it violently. "Zack," she yelled and he threw the door open while she was still holding on to the handle.

"The note explained the key was on the wood over there," he yawned. Toya pointed to the pin in the door lacking a note and he mouthed an 'Oh' before letting her in. Not another word was spoken. She changed quickly and jumped into her bed. She had finally met another thief out in the countryside. She wasn't alone. She felt even happier than she had earlier when she had met the thief. She drifted off to sleep slowly that night with the days events running through her head.

Wednesday, Spring 3, Year One

Stella awoke with a sigh the next morning. She stretched out her muscles before lazily getting out of bed. Then she proceeded to head downstairs and get some breakfast.

"mornin' Stella. Sleep well?" Doug asked kindly. Stella nodded and grabbed a piece of toast, which she ate quickly before turning back to Doug.

"Do you think...is there anywhere that I can get a job?" she asked softly.

"Yeah, we need another server. I just hired one but I'm sure he could use some help. You wanna start today, he can probably train you," Doug said. He smiled at Stella as she nodded, she was sure that this server couldn't be that bad.

After getting her job, Stella looked at her watch. She could probably stop at the beach and check out the merchant that lived there.

Last edited by Christina on Tue Dec 30, 2008 7:41 pm; edited 3 times in total (Reason for editing : Fixing my post :D)

The Beach

Once at the beach, Stella walked nervously up to the house where the merchant lived. She lifted her hand to knock when a voice startled her.

"Nobody's there. Zach is out on errands and the merchant is flirting with Karen. There's a new girl who moved in there, but she isn't there, either," Ethan's voice remarked casually.

Stella whipped around, ferocity glimmering in her eyes.

"What. Is. Your. Problem!?" she exclaimed. "Do you have a God Complex that makes you think everyone likes you, or are you really just that dumb? I don't want to talk to you, and while stalking me may seem funny to you, it won't be funny when I beat the *** out of you!" Stella said angrily. She took a step towards Ethan, expecting him to take a step back, but instead he smiled cockily.

"You? You are tiny. You are the size of my baby sister. You have tiny, ineffectual fists. I doubt you could be the *** out of me, and even so, I could take it. Besides, anyone who cares as much as you do obviously likes me," Ethan said smartly and sat down on the pier.

"OK, really? You think I like you? You are a cocky, ignorant, self-centered jerk who thinks everyone owes something to you. I am a smart, pretty person who normally doesn't dislike someone so quickly, but you are easy to dislike. I can't bring myself to hate you but I really just wish you would leave me alone," Stella commented rudely.

Ethan gestured to pier, beckoning her to sit. She sat about a foot away from him, rolled up the legs of her jeans, took off her socks and shoes and waded her feet into the cool water.

"I'm sorry we got off to a bad start. I realize I can be a little, rude, but I mean well. Besides, I'm the type of guy you have to know to love," Ethan said politely, adding a touch of sarcasm to the last line.

Stella sighed, "I have to go," she said quickly and abruptly left. She couldn't help but look back and see Ethan sadly looking at his own reflection in the water.

Toya woke up the following morning to the smell of eggs and bacon. "Good morning Zack," she yanwed as she sat at the makeshift table. "I'm going to be gone all night tonight so don't leave the key out for me." Zack nodded and handed out breakfast.

Once they had all finished Toya washed up and then went to pack a bag of things. She made sure there was plenty of room within the bag even with everything packed. Toya put her hair up and washed her face before she headed towards the door. Just as she was about to open the door there was a slight knock on the door. Toya opened the door and looked warily at the girl in front of her. "Can I help you?"

[Short Post D:]

Stella awoke the next morning and thought about what happened the day before. She couldn't help but wish that Ethan wouldn't have said anything at all, she didn't want to get to know him. However, she was still curious as to who he really was. She even missed work because of him; she told Doug she had a stomach-ache just to get out of working with him.

Maybe I'll go see if Won's there today, she thought to herself.

The Beach

Thankfully, Ethan wasn't at the beach when she arrived. She quickly walked up to the beachside house and knocked. When the door was opened, a small girl, slightly older than Stella stared at her.

"Can I help you?" the girl asked.

"Yes, I was wondering if Won the merchant was here, I was hoping to see what he has in stock," Stella asked cautiously. She noticed that both of them shared the same look of curiousity and caution. Stella admired someone who was as careful as she.

Toya raised an eyebrow. She eyed the girl in the doorway for a moment or two before turning on her heel to face Won. "There's someone here to see your stock Won," she said quite bluntly uncomfortable with the newcomer at the place whilst she was there. Won nodded before scurring behind his box. Toya invited the woman inside. Toya, after closing the door behind the woman, leant against the wall listening to the conversation and watching the girl with curiosity. The woman seemed almost as cautious as Toya and it intrigued her. Having lived with only thieves before moving to Mineral Town she became to think that it was only natural of thieves to be so cautious.

"Welcome," Won said cheerily. "I'm Won. That is Zack and Toya." Won gave a quick wave of his hand towards Zack and Toya before bringing the focus of the conversation back over to him, her and his stock.

Toya annoyingly uncomfortable with the woman moved towards the door. "If you need me I'll be in Forget-Me-Not Valley apart from when I'm doing the shipping," Toya told Zack as she shut the door quite violently behind her.

Stella admired the simplistic interior of the cabin, before stepping towards Won.

"Hi, I'm Stella. I was looking for some vegetable seeds, do you have any?" She asked.

Won grinned greedily, "Why yes, I have cabbage seeds. 500g."

Stella sighed, knowing that she probably wouldn't get a better price anywhere. She bought one packet, and thanked Won before leaving. She needed to get back to train the new waiter anyway.

Inn

Stella rushed into the inn, pulling her sleek, blonde hair into a ponytail before heading towards the kitchen. Once inside, her jaw dropped to the floor, her heart ceased to beat, and everything pleasant and good about her life was swept from her mind.

Ethan was standing next to Doug, discussing amicably the rules of the Inn.

"YOu...you're the new server?" she choked out.

Ethan turned around, smiled, and nodded, "Yep!" He exclaimed gleefully.

Stella took a deep breath. She could do this, she had to. So she put aside her contempt for Ethan and turned to Doug.

"What do you need me to show him?" She asked.

Doug explained that Ethan needed to learn customer rules, and the best way to do so was showing. So while Stella waited on each table, Ethan followed her like a lost dog, checking her out as she walked.

When their shifts were finally over, Stella was more than ready to head to bed, but Ethan wouldn't give up.

"Go out with me," Ethan said.

"What?!"

"C'mon, I like you, you will like me, so go out with me and you can start to like me," Ethan said, his eyes shining.

"No! Even if I did like you, we work together, and I have a rule, I don't date co-workers," she said curtly.

Ethan frowned, "C'mon, just drinks. I promise I won't hit on you, it can be like a friendly date," he tried convincingly.

"I don't drink."

"No wonder you're so tense. Dinner?"

"I don't eat, either."

"I highly doubt that."

"Fine. Seven O'Clock, tomorrow at Blue Bar."

"Thought you didn't drink?"

"Who said I was going to drink?"

Ethan laughed and nodded, "Seven it is." He left quickly, a little more spring in his step than he had before. Stella was very curious about this, she didn't understand how he could actually like her, especially when she had been so mean to him.

Toya didn't rush her way to Forget-Me-Not Valley that morning - she simply strolled along at a leisurely pace knowing that Skye wouldn't appear until nightfall. As she walked, she tried conving herself that Zack and Won would never find out about her being a thief. As she walked into the Valley she began panicking - she couldn't steal with Skye that night. She was convinced they would find out if she did. Sge was so caught up in her thoughts that when she glanced around and saw someone walking a few steps behind her that she screamed. "I didn't mean to! I wasn't going to honest!" she yelled before running away to a quiet spot. The man that had been walking behind her, but not following her, stared after her completely and utterly confused and a little shocked.

The sun was setting before anyone found Toya sitting hidden between the trees around the Goddess Pond hugging her knees and breathing heavuly while she thought to herself. She heard him approach but she didn't realise who was there because she didn't bother taking her eyes of the pond. "I didn't do it!" she shrieked getting to her feet. "Who told you!?"

"Toya, no one told me anything. You didn't do what?" he said casually trying not to get worked up over the screaming woman in his face. Toya took a good look at him standing there before looking back at the pond.

"Nothing, it doesn't matter," she lied. Skye didn't want to argue with her over it and so he simply dismissed it.

"Are you coming tonight?" he asked. Toya nodded hesitantly and Skye led the way. It took a few moments, but eventualy Toya followed him - she had managed to convince her they would never find out.