"Well, who are you?" I repeated myself, the slightest bit of annoyance lingering on my lips.
Still silence, I wasn't sure but I knew he wasn't starting off with good impressions, not at all.
"Raz." He finally spoke up, though it was soft and he knew I hadn't heard him well. "Razzmatazz. Razzmatazz Blunder. I am sorry." I could hear him clearly then, though a bit stumbling on his words.
"Well, Razzzzz." I emphasized, "How may I help you?" I guess I wasn't very charming when it came to speaking to others this day, I turned myself slowly and started to move myself toward him.
"I mean, I am sorry, I assumed no one would be here, it's jus-" he began to speak up again noticing me coming close, but I cut him off.
"Yes? Well This is my home, I don't think you belong here?" I furrowed my brow and spoke in questions while figuring out why he might have come at this rather particular time.
My boots padded down upon the stairs with a soft thudding. "Just." He began once more where I had cut him off short. "Was coming to check on the ranch, I was employed by Mister Lumière sometime ago and with Quincy's help I have been upholding this place for quite some years." I could hear that he wasn't amused with my sudden drawl of his name, or whether I was questioning his presence here.
"I hadn't realized you were my father's ranch hand, Mister Blunder." It was as if the words just slipped out of my mouth, the facetious nature of them curled in blunt haste.
Why was I being so cold all of a sudden? Was it the fact that he brought up my father, or because I was embarrassed by the slight twinkling in his eyes and how it captivated me for a sheer moment? Either way I couldn't tell and right away I put up that old, familiar wall of mine.
"Listen! I didn't mean to catch you off guard, I just come around in the evening since Quincy checks up on the horses in the morning, how was I supposed to know someone had moved in?!" He was surprised and taken back by my harsh demeanor, who could blame him?
"I didn't mean it like that," I abruptly stated, my cheeks burning with how I had really turned this around on myself and made my first impression not very likable.
He smiled then, his lips curling up into one of the sweetest expressions I hadn't seen before. I needed to make this better, and quick!
"It's fine, I am glad to meet you at least?" His tone had lightened and I found him holding a light bit of laughter under his breath. "I am sure you can make it up to me."
It was as if he knew I was tripping over myself, how very clumsy I was all of a sudden, but my wall continued to get the best of me again it seemed. "I would offer you a cup of chai, I mean onl-" this time I was cut off, and he began to walk past me.
"Sounds like a plan, I hope you know where everything is? Have you looked around the place yet?" He spoke to me while he continued to walk up the steps toward the front door. HEY, what about me? I thought silently, raising my arms up and hiding how wrong I had been.
"Just you wait!" I shouted, "I know where everything is, I lived here, I would hope you remember that!"
I scrambled to walk up the steps of the old porch, following Raz into the house to make him some of my mother's homemade chai. I hadn't had a cup myself since I was younger, she used to make it for me when I was sick, mostly. But it seemed like it would be good to have some to entertain my guest, and find out just how everything was going on here at Elysian Skies.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The tea bubbled and boiled, and then the machine's high pitched whistle alarmed me as to when it was ready. I fixed up two cups, hoping inwardly that Raz would like it a lot, just as I had when I was a kid. I wasn't sure why I wanted him to like it so badly.
We headed for the sun room just as dusk was kissing the horizon. I settled down in a nearby chair while Raz stood above me.
"I guess my father didn't mention me?" I sounded unfazed by this, knowing well of our falling out and didn't expect him to actually mention me to anyone after I stormed out of this house those years ago. I looked up into Raz's kind face, knowing that ever since meeting him only thirty minutes ago that I was smitten, but I guess you could say I was always falling in love at first sight.
"No, I think he did. At least I am hoping you're Moon? I mean I could be wrong, but he spoke of your beauty and of course your attitude." Raz again held back some laughter as he said these things down into my direction before moving over toward the window. His sparkling, sapphire eyes looked out into the evening as it blanketed the valley.
"He what?! I mean, I am sure he was exaggerating, with his old age. But yes, I am Moon, Moon Spark Lumière. I uh," my words were surprisingly amusing, I hid again my embarrassment and realized I hadn't even introduced myself to this man. "I am so sorry I didn't tell you, I guess I am kind of not here, you could say."
His back turned to me I wasn't sure what he could be thinking at all, only assumptions were brought to mind, I quickly looked down into the swirls of froth in my cup.
"It's not a problem at all, Miss Lumière." His voice had a sweetness to it, even if I couldn't see his expressions I was pleasantly comfortable in his presence. "Your father was almost like a second father to me, he really took me in when I needed a job. I am not sure how else to repay him, he's the best Berry I know, come to think of it."
I was taking a sip from the cup, the warm liquid almost to my lips before I nearly spit it out. My father? The best Berry anyone could know?! I called bullshit. I guess you could say it was a touchy subject. "Not likely." I kept my cool and took another sip.
"I am not quite sure what you mean, Miss Lumière, but Cane was my lifesaver!" He spoke calmly even though I am sure he knew how much I was fighting back the snarky remarks I wanted to jeer about my father. So we stayed there in silence a moment, enjoying the chai and perhaps not enjoy each other's company. I always seemed to rip the decency apart in every conversation.
The chair creaked and broke the silence as I stood up and came closer toward him and the long windows of the sun room. "What are you looking at?" I asked, hoping to take this to a different topic.
"My house, it's just over there, after making some wages for Cane I got myself a pretty little piece of land over there, granted I am not sure if it's going to do well this year crop wise." He replied to my inquiry. "I am not sure what happened between you and your father Moon, but I know that Cane has helped me in every way possible to get myself back on my feet." He continued on, telling me of his misfortunes with his parents and what brought him to Appaloosa Plains.
I turned my back on him, and returned with "You don't know my real father, or what he's like. Maybe he just was pitying you, like he does everyone but himself. I doubt you're speaking of the man I knew." I couldn't hold back, I allowed the pain from years before cut at my inner, deepest emotions and gave it to poor Raz.
"You must be out of your mind, he's your father none the less and I would be proud if I were you." He spat out.
I wasn't sure how it happened, but our emotions seemed to get the better of us. My wall building itself up emotional brick by brick while he defended the man I only blamed for my mother's death.
"No, I know what I am talking about and proud is the least of my feelings at this moment, as you can tell!" I shot back toward him, our faces contorting with the feelings we were unleashing.
"You might have run off and became Little Miss Rockstar, but your father, as I can tell only spoiled you and raised you up better than any other parent I know. So I am not sure what makes you think you've had some great injustice from that!" He knew a lot more than I had realized, or at least he didn't have a clue about a majority of my father's life it seemed, especially the last year I had spent here at the ranch with him.
"OH! I see, he must have realllly told you about me, and what happened. Beauty, my ass... I am not sure what you're getting at but since you know so much, maybe you should leave and let me just be the spoiled, little Miss Rockstar alone!" I threw my arms up in the air, and couldn't believe what we were saying to each other, let alone how he was getting underneath my skin so easily.
"Yah, I'll do that." He bluntly said, and began to make his way out of the sun room.
I felt... heartbroken, I am not sure why since I hadn't even known him for but an hour or so. But I felt like I had messed it up big time.
I just sulked, watching him stomp out of the room in a hurry. Why did I have to be so damn thick, why did I bring this back from Bridgeport with me? All these useless feelings, I thought I was going to really make a difference with everything but I was just causing more issues with the people I meet.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I decided to go make sure the horses were well taken care of, I also desperately needed to get out of that room, and the house. It was no wonder everything was so pathetically wretched in my little Berry life. I always looked for new beginnings and yet it was all about running away as usual. I wanted to slap myself out of the messy attitude I had portrayed those hours ago with Raz. I was so smitten and he was so calm even through my little nips and bits of sarcasm. I would hope Ghost would make me feel better.
Of course he greeted me with a snicker, his teeth chattering slightly as his big horsey lips smacked themselves in my direction. It was a sudden moved and I found myself surprised but soon was happy to see him after such a hectic, and random evening.
"Is that how it is? You too?" I asked him, smiling and bringing myself closer to the tall animal, his coat gleaming in the moonlight. I pulled up my arms around his neck, and he didn't seem to mind as he turned his muzzle and gently rubbed my right shoulder blade. His mass almost knocking me over.
It was going to be one of those evenings, the ones from when I was a teenager and I would sneak out of the house when my parents were fighting. Whisper had been my only companion who didn't have something horrible to say about me, or even to me. She was the gentlest creature I knew, but with her gone I knew Ghost was going to help me become a better Berry. I saddled him up and heaved myself up onto his back, adjusting myself and relaxing so that he could feel my weight on him. We rode for hours, and I cleared my head, it was just what I needed. The next day I would mend fences with Raz, something about him made me want him around and I screwed that up, it was time to get my shit together.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Extra screenies from the game I thought were super cute. Mostly of Ghost, silly, adorable pony! Click to view full size!
I wonder what's bothering Moon about her past so much.
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