The soft ring of a bell accompanied their entrance into the sizable shop just off the eastern edge of the town square. It wasn't the electronic chime of a modern store either, but an actual brass bell rigged up just above the doorframe, with a small contraption of string setup to strike it whenever the door was opened.

Annabelle's General Store felt old, even though Alex couldn't begin to place the actual age of the building. Everything about it seemed well kept, a recent blue paint job on its exteriors, its four-pane windows newly washed, but it just held that air about it that no amount of upkeep could disperse.

Inside were shelves upon shelves full to the brim with all manner of food, confectioneries, toiletries and so forth. Most anything he could imagine seeing in a normal grocery store had some representation on the shelves, albeit in a much slimmer overall selection. They had shampoo, but not aisles with a hundred different brands. They had vegetables, but mostly things that looked to be in season.

Like the village itself, it was charming. The normal accouterments of modern life, writ small.

“Afternoon! I'll just be a second!” Came the shout of a female voice from a door on the far end, just off to the left of the front counter. There was a sound of rummaging boxes as a clutter of something falling, followed by a shout of surprise and a muted profanity. “I'll be right there!”

“It's just us mom! Take your time and don't break-” The sound of a jar shattering interrupted Sandy's words. “... anything.”

“A little late. But fortunately one of my minions is now here to help me clean...up. Oh, my. Hello.”

The woman who emerged from the back room was older than Alex had expected, given the age of her children. The amount of grey salting her long blonde ponytail suggested she was somewhere in her late forties, perhaps even her early fifties. She was dressed, as her daughter, in a chaste looking sky blue summer dress that covered her in fabric from neck to ankles, it's hem stained with the slightest hint of red, jam would be his guess.

"You look..." She started to say before he could greet her or introduce himself. For a moment, she struggled for words, looking away from him as if that would help. "I'm sorry, I'm being rude. Marie said you looked like your uncle, but I hadn't really believed how much. You're his spitting image." The woman smiled, extending a dainty, but surprisingly calloused hand. "I'm Annabelle."

“Alexander Adamson.”

"Ah, I suppose technically I'm Annabelle Kensington. But there aren't exactly a lot of Annabelles in Blue Hills." A bit of humor twinkled in her eye. "If you prefer, it can be Belle. I hear you go by Alex anyways?"

“Word travels fast. I haven't even been here a day.” He said, bemused.

"It is a fifteen-minute walk from the farm and then an hour for Marie to visit every door in town. I'm surprised she didn't call a town meeting for it, actually. She's always been a bit of a gossip."

“Gossips do require people willing to listen.” Alex retorted.

That same light played around behind Annabelle's soft brown eyes, and Alex could see her struggling against a smile. “Maybe I was a little curious about you.”

"Better reaction than some I've been getting, I suppose," Alex replied, glancing back at the two young boys they had in tow.

“Oh?” She laughed. “Were you two scared of him?”

“Nuh-uh!” Jarred lied boldly, puffing out his chest. “James was, but I wasn't! Not a little.”

“They both hid behind my skirt.” Sandy chimed in helpfully.

A scrum was in the brewing. Jarred mad at Sandy, James mad at Jarred. Annabelle could see it fomenting, and she quickly raised a hand to silence her children. "Boys, I need to have a bit of a talk with Alex here, you go play outside, alright? Sandy, there is a broken jar in the back... would you?"

"You know, I love how you talk about it like it is some fact of nature," Sandy grumbled, already on her way to the back room muttering complaints as she went. "It isn't 'I broke a jar,' but 'There is a broken jar.' As if there is some mystery to how it got there."

"Without the sass, thank you!"Annabelle replied with too much sweetness. The boys had run off the moment their mother had given them the go-ahead to find some mischief, which left the two adults alone at last. "Sorry if I seemed a bit out of sorts. It is just eerie to look at you."

Alex shook his head. “No, I understand.” He said. “Well, kind of. I haven't actually seen a picture of him or anything. Taking your word for it at the moment.”

“I think Elena took them all out when she was getting the house ready for you.” Anna nodded. “I'll see if she still has any, and if she doesn't, I'm sure I have something in one of my boxes upstairs.”

“I'd appreciate it.”

“It would be my pleasure.” She said softly, her mind no doubt lingering on thoughts of Pip. “I am glad you stopped by, as well. You've saved me a walk.”

“That interested in meeting me? I should be flattered.”

Belle snorted in amusement at Alexander's faux arrogance. "Well you didn't get that from him, Pip was a much more humble sort of man." With that she walked away from him, moving around the counter to lean against it. "Somewhat of a social call, but also a business one as well."

“Oh?”

"I'm the purchaser for most of what you'll grow or produce on the farm. And I'm sort of a one-stop shop for supplied as well." She explained. "Good to build a relationship from the start."

“Like you did with my uncle when he arrived.”

Annabelle studied him for a moment, weighing her words before speaking. “My daughter has been telling stories.”

“To some extent. More like filling me in on stories that you've been telling, from the sounds of things.”

“I do not know what to do with that girl of mine.” Annabelle sighed. “I specifically asked her not to talk to you. But ever since this...” The shopkeep gestured to the side of her head, where the shaved spots of Sandy's scalp would be. “I haven't been able to get her to listen to a damn thing I've been telling her.”

“Teenagers.” Alex shrugged.

"With a bad influence." Annabelle looked as though she was about to start a full-on rant, only to realize the company she was keeping. "A conversation for another time. I'm guessing from your expression that you have questions?"

"To put it mildly," Alex said as he removed the satchel from his shoulder, set it on the counter and reached inside to produce his ax. "For starters, how is this possible."

"Always the first question from the men in your family," Annabelle smirked. When Alex threatened to press further, she cut him off. "To answer your question, however, I don't know."

“What do you mean, you don't know?”

“I mean your uncle asked me the same question ten different ways and I never had an answer that satisfied him. It is an inventory bag, that is how they work.” The woman shrugged. “The only thing I could ever add for him on that count was how to use it, but you seem to have figured it out all on your own.”

“But how do you use something like this without knowing how it works?” Alex insisted.

She raised an eyebrow. "How do you breath? Or walk? My son learned how to use his bag when he was three from watching his sister with her purse." Belle shrugged. "You figured out how to use it in an afternoon, didn't you?

It was a good point. “Who makes them, then?”

“Anyone with a sewing needle and some fabric?” Annabelle replied. There was a certain edge to her tone, not angry, but bored. She'd had this conversation before.

Alex stared at her incredulously. He could tell she was trying to be patient with him, and he couldn't decide if he appreciated it, or if it infuriated him. “What about these?” He asked, producing the thick tome and flipping to the page that detailed him and his stats. “Does everyone have one of these?”

"Yes. Though they vary from person to person. However, I can't see yours." She produced a book from beneath the table. It was a thick, ring-bound volume with a glossy cover that reminded him of a number of the textbooks he'd used during his paralegal training. "And you can't see mine."

She was either correct, or she was messing with him. He flipped page after page of the book in front of him and found nothing. Not a picture, not a single character or line of text in the hundreds of pages between the front and back covers.

“And that doesn't seem odd to you?” He asked at last.

“What seems odd to me, is how your uncle claimed that people live without them. How would you know any of your proficiencies?”

"I..." He started, only to stop briefly to rub his eyes as he collected his thoughts. "Surely my uncle wasn't the only one to talk to you about this."

She stared at him quizzically. “Alex, we get a few tourists in the summer, and the occasional visitor besides. Not one of them has ever had the same sort of questions as you or your uncle.”

“What about people who move to Blue Hills permanently?” Alex asked.

“Hmm?”

"You said that visitors and tourists don't have the same sort of questions." He clarified. "What about people who move here long term, like my uncle and me?"

“Alex, you and your uncle are the only two people to move to Blue Hills since well before I was born."

"That long huh?"

Though it wasn't his intent, Belle took the words... poorly. Her face scrunched up in annoyance, and for just a moment it looked like she was going to lean across the counter and smack some sense directly into the side of his face. “Alexander, can I give you a bit of advice? Besides advice on what not to say to a woman?”

“I'm all ears.” He replied warily.

“When your uncle first arrived here, with the same sort of questions as you have, people thought he was a bit...” She searched briefly for a word, then uttered a weak laugh of defeat as she continued. “Nuts.”

“I'm not-”

She raised a hand to forestall him. "Because of that, it took a long time for people to really open up and trust him, which did his search more harm than good. But in the end, I did trust him when he said things here are different. So I believe you when you say the same.”

"But others might still think I'm 'nuts.' And that won't help me." Alex said, catching on to her meaning.

“Exactly.” Belle nodded. “I'm not saying that you shouldn't look into it. Your uncle kept trying until the day he passed, and I think he'd be glad to know you're doing the same. Just... know your audience, and consider your reputation. In a town like this, your reputation is almost everything.”

Alex briefly considered her words, then nodded. “Good advice.”

“Thank you.” She replied. “Mine usually is.”

“Speaking of humility.” Alex grinned.

“I'm established, I'm allowed to be arrogant.” Annabelle shot back, though there was no mistaking the sly grin tugging at the edges of her lips. “With that all out of the way, let's talk business.”

“Clever segue.” He snorted.

“I certainly thought so.” She laughed. “Marie tells me you'll be staying to work the farm for the time being?”

Alex eyed her steadily. “Marie tells me there is only one train a month, so it isn't like I have a choice.”

"You say potato-" Belle started, only to trail off as Alex's expression made it clear he didn't see the same sort of humor in the quote as she did. "Well, regardless, you'll need farming supplies if you are to flourish."

“Which you will helpfully provide.”

“Capitalism, ho!” She laughed.

"Mhmm," Alex said skeptically. "So what exactly can I purchase from you?"

“Oh, the better question my boy, is what can't you?" Annabelle took on a devious grin, reaching out to touch the book he had left on the table. Her hand lingered awkwardly for a moment, her eyes hooded in focus before she nodded as if pleased with herself. "There should be a page in the back with the current inventory of the shop."

Alex raised his eyebrows in disbelief, but sure enough, towards the last few pages of his book was a new addition. The top corner of the page included a pixellated image of Annabelle and her shop, while the rest of it and several following pages consisted of long lists of possible purchases, along with Zeni values. Seeds, fertilizers, books, furniture. Nearly anything Alex might expect to find on the shelves was on that exhaustive list. It was even tailored to his needs, with farm-related needs sorted to the top of the list.

"If you need anything, in particular, you can order it from the shop directly. On the other hand, if it isn't a rush, you can make a note in your financial ledger, and Marie will make sure that I know and have it delivered, usually before sunrise."

“Speedy delivery. Puts Amazon prime to shame.” Alex nodded absently, still consumed in the book.

“Well, I do try.” She smiled before leaning in conspiratorially. “Between you and me, I make the kids do the morning deliveries.”

Alex laughed despite himself. "I think you and my mom would get along swimmingly."

“Well, if she is anything like your uncle.” Marie retorted. Yet as soon as the words left her mouth her expression curdled. “I'm sorry you never got to know him, actually. I think you two would have been thick as thieves.”

“I'd be a lot more broken up if he'd ever bothered to acknowledge he existed before somehow roping me into... this.” Alex shrugged. “Do you know how he died?”

“I do, yes.”

Alexander tilted his head, expectantly.

“Marie has asked me not to talk about it until she's had a moment to discuss it with you.”

“You know, I've had it right up to about here with surprises today.” Alex shot back, eyes narrowed.

Annabelle nodded understandingly. “I thought you might. She hadn't planned on telling you for a few days, but I encouraged her to come by your farm this evening. You deserve to know.”

He drew a breath, as if about to argue further, then let it go in a huff. “I suppose I should say thank you.” Despite that, the words were nowhere near the tip of his tongue. Instead, he changed the subject, turning his eyes back to the book. “There are a lot of things missing from this list that I noticed earlier in the book. Seeds, mostly.”

“Out of season.” She said. “No sense ordering summer crops in the spring.”

“That makes sense.” Alex nodded.

"Is there anything you'd like today? While you are here anyway?"

His expression shifted as he pondered, some of the irritation fading away as the more rational part of his brain took over. “I'm thinking of getting a little bit of everything to start with.” The words seemed to strike Annabelle, the woman leaning a step back from the counter with her hand halfway covering her mouth. “Something I said?”

“No, nothing. Just... “ She waved the concern away. “A little bit of everything. We can do that. Say two of each?”

"Yeah, that would work," Alex replied, still confused.

"That'd be Cabbage, Yellow Turnips, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Eggplants, Strawberries, Green Peas, and Parsnips. Sound right.”

"Looks right. Yeah." Unlike the potatoes that Marie had given him, each purchase, in this case, was for an individual bag of seeds, giving him a total of sixteen new plots that he'd need to plant and water.

"In total it would run you," The word lingered as Annabelle stepped off to one side, tapping numbers into a calculator. "Eight hundred and twenty-five Zeni. Is that alright?"

“Should be.” Even having run the same total in his head, Alex winced at hearing it out loud. The majority of the starting funds Marie had given him, gone in less than a day. Part of him wondered if he should have just focused on the lower cost seeds like Turnips or Cabbage that cost 20-30 zeni rather than the mixture that averaged out over fifty. But he had to spend zeni if he hoped to make zeni, after all.

"It is a good decision," Annabelle said softly as if reading his thoughts.

“You think so.”

There was a pause, Annabelle musing over something before, at last, bobbing her head. "It worked for your uncle." She laughed then, turning away in the direction of the back room. "Give me a few minutes, and I'll have your seeds."