"I figured I'd save the best places for last! The Inn, aka my place, is right up this way and, I don't know about you, but afterwards I'll be ready for a drink at our very own town-famous bar, which by the way has the…"

Rock babbled on a bit, a little ways ahead of Jack, whose attention had drifted to observing his tour guide's unusual bouncy gait. He couldn't help but crack a smile; it was just so goofy, going along almost too well with his peace medallion and lax attitude. Rock was like a character straight out of a book.

"Aaaannndddd hard left rudder!"

Jack snapped back to reality to find Rock swinging open two large oak doors, a rich scent of spices suddenly present. His mouth watered instantaneously; he had forgotten he had only eaten an apple and a strawberry all day. Rock moseyed on ahead, calling up the stairs to his parents to come down and meet their new neighbor.

Jack couldn't wait to see what kind of people Rock had for parents. Surely they were flower children themselves, blonde wild hair, blue eyes lost in philosophical thought…

Two middle aged Japanese people appeared on the staircase before him, one man and one woman. Both plump and dressed in kitchen wear, they exuded pure cheer and friendliness without having to say a word. Jack was confused for a moment until Rock ran up between the two and wrapped his arms around their shoulders.

"Mom, Dad, this is Jack! He's taking over the farm just up the hill!"

Both parents bowed slightly, causing Jack to respond with a small and awkward bow in return. "It's wonderful to meet you Jack! I'm Tim, the owner of the Inner Inn, and this is my wife, Ruby. Any friend of Rock's is a friend of ours! We were just getting ready to make some lunch, would you boys care to join us?"

Before Jack could politely accept, his stomach made an unearthly sound loud enough for everyone to hear. Ruby smiled wide and hurried into the room to their right, the sound of clanking pots and pans following soon after. Jack clutched his stomach and gave an embarrassing chuckle. "Thank you so much, I'm sorry about that. I haven't eaten much in the past two days and I think it's finally catching up to me…"

Tim shook his head and chuckled. "No need to apologize. We'll make sure you leave full and satisfied, don't you worry. For now, let me regale you with some of the adventures I had when I was a traveler while we wait for lunch. A fresh set of ears are a rare find around here, so I hope you don't mind." Jack gave an encouraging smile and Tim went off like a rocket, his eyes lighting up as he recounted his exciting past, one crazy story after the next.

To Jack's surprise, Rock listened intently beside him, even piping up at his favorite parts to add his own commentary. Before long, the three had made their way into the kitchen as Ruby set a delicious curry dish before them. Jack couldn't believe the welcome he had received from the town; he couldn't ask for better company.

Rock practically pushed him out the door after lunch, excited to wrap up the tour at his favorite drink spot: Blue Bar.

"They've got this drink, man. The name makes you think 'Eh, probably shouldn't get this, sounds like something you might put in a car', but once you try it you're like, hooked!"

Jack wasn't normally a guy who needed a drink at the end of the day, but in this case he wouldn't refuse. He had been riding this happy high all day, might as well go out with a bang. Rather, a buzz.

Rock threw open the door in one sweeping zealous motion, stepping into the doorway and thrusting his arms dramatically outward. "This, my friend, is Blue Bar. Griffin owns and runs the place and lives in the back. Cool, right? I wish I had a set up like this."

Rock plopped himself into one of the worn bar stools, spinning slowly in thought at his last remark. The entire place looked worn in, made completely out of sturdy oak. Unique liquors lined the shelves behind the bar, their labels unreadable in the dim lighting. Jack could make out faint music playing, reminiscent of a western saloon.

"Oh forgot to mention, his daughter works here. We're practically dating.", Rock quietly proclaimed, clearing his throat and puffing out his chest. "Don't bring it up, though. She's got some kind of memory thing. Forgets every time. Also, get's mad about it. Just don't say anything."

Jack opened his mouth to respond when a man with an impressive brown pompadour appeared before them. He peered down at Jack out of the slits of his eyelids and grunted a hello, his painter's brush moustache bobbing as he spoke. "What can I get you?" His voice was just as gruff as his moustache.

Rock looked around eagerly, "Is my lovely lady around today?"

Griffin scrunched his face in discomfort. "Rock…", he started in a slow and steady tone, "she's not your lady. She's not you're anything. I don't know if you're just bein' dumb or if you actually believe you're datin' my daughter, but you've gotta let it go, son. It's…strange." Rock slumped a little in his seat. "Well…maybe some day?"

Griffin somberly shook his head and sighed. Rock recovered quickly, flashing his pearly whites. "Well, can't blame a guy for trying! Right, Jack? Two Stone Oil's, if you please! Oh, wow, I can't believe I almost forgot! Griffin, this is Jack. He's running the old farm on the hill now. This is the last stop on his incredible town tour, courtesy of yours truly!"

Griffin gave Jack a quick once over while mixing their drinks.

"Looks like you could manage the work load. You'll tone up more once you start farmin'." And with that, he set down their drinks, grumbled a "be right back", and walked to the back room. Jack couldn't help but feel the complete 180-degree atmosphere change from the Inner Inn to the bar.

Rock gave him a friendly slap on the back. "No worries, man. Griffin's a good dude, he's just a grumbler. Too bad I couldn't introduce you to-"

The bar door creaked open once more, the sun creating a silhouette effect on the figure in the doorway. Rock clapped his hands together, completely forgetting his conversation and directing his attention towards the third party.

"Well, look who decided to stop by!"