Chapter Text
Sam hopped in through the window of Abigail's room moments after he made sure he was seen by Pierre and Caroline dropping his girlfriend off at the front door. Before he had left his house that day, he made sure to arrange his pillows in such a way that it appeared he was in his own bed fast asleep in case his mother decided to poke her head in.
"Took you long enough," Abigail teased, slipping her hands into the sleeves of Sam's silly powder blue jacket to help remove it from his shoulders. She kissed his lips slowly and deeply now that there were away from prying eyes.
"Well, I've gotta keep up appearances, babe," the blond chuckled as the jacket fell to the floor in a heap. "Your dad has to continue to think that I'm a respectable young man, after all."
Abigail smirked and went to unbutton her boyfriend's shirt. "I guess sleeping over most nights this week would probably put you on his sh*t list," she agreed. His body was damp from dancing all evening and she found that she liked the way the shirt clung to him. "Though he would probably forgive you if you bought enough produce at the shop."
"Hm... Even if I did this?" he asked, scooping Abigail up in his arms, his hips between her thighs, and lowering her onto the bed.
The amethyst-haired woman stared at him wide-eyed for a moment before she tugged at his open shirt with both hands to drag him down to her and claim his lips with her own. She felt the skirt of her dress fall down toward her waist, but Abigail was too turned on by Sam's decisiveness that she did not care about modesty at the moment.
"Dad might be mad for a while if he walked in on this," she admitted, but Abigail found the danger of being caught excited her. Sam pressed himself against Abigail's prone form and smirked mischievously.
"And what about you, Abi?" Sam asked his partner, gently running his fingers from her knee up toward her hip. "What do you want?"
"Stop talking and kiss me," Abigail demanded, her voice breathy and hot on his neck. Sam reached for the light switch and did as he was told.
Sebastian sighed, rolling over once again as he tried to fall asleep. He had been legitimately tired of people when he left the festival, so why did he have this nagging feeling that he missed out? Okay, so maybe he was not tired of spending time with Violet, but at town festivals, inevitably he was drawn into socializing with other people, too.
But what if Violet's dancing with someone else and having an evenbettertime?a voice in his mind queried.Sure, she likes you now, but feelings change. Maybe this whole "I'm not ready yet" is just a way of telling you she's not really all that interested..."Things have been going well," Sebastian argued with himself. "Sure, I make myself look like an idiot around her sometimes, but..." the memory of her laughter echoed as he saw her bright smile light up in his head. "I get the sense she feels the same." Sebastian recalled how Violet's cheeks blushed at the misunderstandings in their casual conversation. How she complimented how he looked. Then Violet's plea from the night before, as she drunkenly cuddled against him on the porch of the farmhouse.Just keep being you...she had said, just before drifting off to sleep.
"No one's ever liked me for being myself before," he told the negative part of his brain. "Not likethat." He paused, pondering a moment. "Besides, I still need to figure out this magic stuff," Sebastian whispered, holding his hand out in front of him for inspection. "I still have no idea what I can do, how it works, or where it came from..." Surely researching his magical potential would keep his focus on other things for a while. There were still plenty of questions left unanswered. Sebastian hated not knowing, but then again, it was a new code to crack. The young man just hoped he could do more than cast a single protection spell and cause a misunderstanding with the local monsters.
Shane collapsed into bed that night, and fell asleep almost immediately. He had a good time at the dance. He had legitimately enjoyed himself and right now he felt better than he had in years. But as soon as he awoke and felt the usual pang of emptiness, everything came crashing down and made his lows seem even darker by comparison to this one bright, shining moment. Of course Shane would never be happy for long. The thirty-year-old sighed deeply. If only things had not gone so well with Emily. Then at least, he could remain comfortably numb to how dull and lifeless most days were for him. But he dared to hope for better and now he had to face the consequences.
It hurt like hell. Shane could not deny that. Why had he done something so stupid? He should have known this would happen, like it always did. Why did he always do this to himself? After an emotional high like last night, this particular low made him want to just curl up and die.
His dark eyes fell on the list of mental health resources Dr. Harvey had given him years back, pinned to his bedroom wall. Shane stopped going to see the doctor after that because the mustached man asked that he "reduce his alcohol consumption." The poultry man knew he had a problem, but what else was he supposed to do now? If he stopped, Shane knew he could no longer drown out the voices that wanted him gone. So either live as an alcoholic or die sober, right? And yet... there was another option Shane had not considered until recently."I worry that this illness in his head is going to take him away from everyone that loves him..."Emily had said."Please promise me if you ever feel like you're losing against this sickness, you call one of us, okay? Anytime day or night, for me especially."
While Shane did not want to bother Emily, he knew that if he did not keep his promise, the barkeep would be disappointed in him. Somehow, that always felt worse than anything else ever did. Tearing it off the pin that attached the crumpled sheet of paper to the wall, the local junior alcoholic rolled over and grabbed his phone.
It was a shame Bex had to leave. As soon as they finished breakfast and Violet finished with her morning chores, the farmer helped her best friend load her bags into the old, rusted pick-up truck. The newest addition to the Valley gave Bex a firm, lingering hug. "I'm going to miss having you around," Violet confessed sadly. "It's been great seeing you again."
Bex smiled and patted her short friend's head, which Violet only tolerated because she was particularly emotional about their parting. "Oh, chica. I'm going to miss you, too," the taller woman replied, squishing Violet's head in a hug. "But I feel a lot better knowing you've muchos nuevos amigos here that will take great care of you." Rebecca pursed her lips in contemplation before finally adding, "Better than el viejo pandilla ever could…"
Violet's face wrinkled as she tried not to cry, "Oh, Bex… You're the best!" she said shakily, embracing Rebecca as tightly as she could, as if that would stop her friend from returning home. The farmer was relieved that Bex liked her new friends and felt validated that her oldest and dearest friend thought this town was a good fit for her.
"I know," Rebecca replied teasingly, releasing herself from Violet's grip before climbing into the cab of the truck. "And don't think this means that anyone else can replace me as your bestie, conejita." Her dark eyes gave Violet a disapproving look to emphasize her point.
"Of course not!" Violet assured her with a smile, reaching out to form the other half of a heart symbol with Bex's outstretched hand.
As the engine purred to life, the cosmetologist sighed. "I guess this means it's time for me to go..." she thought aloud. Turning to Violet one last time, she gave the new farmer a mischievous wink. "Make sure that Sebastián behaves himself!" she cackled as she put the truck into gear and drove off down the empty road.
Violet watched her best friend leaving until the truck disappeared from sight. The farmer felt the pang of loneliness that came from parting with an old friend, but soon that gave way to utter social exhaustion. "I need a break from people…" the pastel-haired woman sighed miserably.
However, Violet still wanted to be a good steward of the forest and neighbor, so she completed the spring crops bundle with the Junimos, which resulted in twenty packets of fertilizer, and dropped off a cauliflower to Jodi. Luckily for the exhausted farmer, Jodi did not have time to chat with Vincent begging for her total and immediate attention.
The rest of the day, Violet returned to the farmhouse and did a few small chores around the property. She crafted more tappers, placed her new scarecrow, Gwendolyn, in a strategic location for the layout she planned to try come Summer, and checked on the pomegranate sapling she had bought from Talla the week before. Violet noticed a few things littered about on the ground around the tiny tree and cleared the area to make sure her favorite fruit tree would have the best start possible. When she was satisfied with her work Violet dedicate the late afternoon and evening to spending time with Bruno. While he was a fiercely independent dog, Violet could tell he appreciated the attention, pets, and scratches behind the ears when they were available to him.
Penny rose at her usual early hour to make breakfast the morning after the Flower Dance, despite the festivities the night before. She and her mother had not spoken at all since the flower dance and Penny was not sure how Pam would react to both her change in hair color and her choice of a dancer partner for the entire evening.
The teacher clutched the small book in her hands tightly, drinking in every word with her bright green eyes. Elliott had leant it to her, and it was the first new books she had read in ages. Penny had long since read all the books in the library, no matter how strange the subject, and she had yearned for new material. This was technically a manuscript for Elliott's new book. After their moonlit walk on the beach, Penny offered to edit for Elliott. She remembered how bashful he looked, telling him he was not quite to the point that he would allow anyone else's eyes to critique his work just yet. However, after the dancing ended the night before, Elliott handed her a small bundle with the manuscript and a beautifully etched metal bookmark, adorned with her initials and a poppy-red tassel. "I appreciate your kind offer," Elliott told Penny quietly. "I hope you will accept this small token of my gratitude."
Elliott had such a way with words, both when he spoke and in his written works. Penny's heart could not help but flutter whenever the protagonist encountered her lover. At the same time, however, the brunette wondered if perhaps someday Elliott might be the kind of man with whom she could settled down and raise a family. He had such a kind nature and he was so good to her. Penny paused, blushing as she remembered the soft warmth of his lips upon the back of her hand as he bade her goodnight and thanked her for the lovely time.
"Penny!" Pam's voice called to her, ripping her daughter from her pleasant daydreams. "The bacon's burning." The blonde shook her head disapprovingly as she took her usual seat at the kitchen table.
The young woman panicked slightly as the smoke rose up from the pan and she quickly retrieved the crispy pieces of meat from the sizzling fat. "I'm sorry, mother," Penny apologized. "I didn't mean to burn it."
Pam sniffed as Penny placed the strips on her plate. At least they were not as bad as the smoke had suggested. "Don't let some boy put your head in the clouds," the mother warned. "And what's with that hair? Are you changing everything about yourself for this guy playing broke poet until he decides it's no fun anymore?"
Penny blinked, speechless for a moment. Setting the manuscript down, the brunette looked down at her mother seated at the table, stuffing her face full of eggs and bacon. "This is how my hair would look all the time if I had not dyed it red. Rebecca simply helped me get it back that way. I'm not going to dye it anymore..." The teacher took a deep breath and braced herself for the next part. "And Elliott is not a boy, he is a grown man and he is a talented writer with an upcoming book deal," she informed her mother promptly.
Narrowly avoiding a spill on her track suit, Pam huffed in response. "How embarrassing for a mother to show up to a town festival and not recognize her own daughter," she complained. "It's like you were a complete stranger last night, Penny. What's gotten into you?"
"I... I'm trying to do little things for my own happiness," Penny confessed. "And I find that I enjoy chatting with Elliott about novels, art -"
Her mother interrupted with a heavy sigh. "His kind look down on us, Penny," she told her daughter. "He may look at you with a sparkle in his eyes now, but once some rich girl comes sniffing around, he'll ditch you in a second for her." The blonde shook her head and took a drink of coffee. "It's just how they are, kid. I don't want you getting hurt."
"Elliott would never!" Penny protested. "He is a sweet, sensitive man and I am..." the young woman was not sure what words to use to describe her feelings regarding the handsome author. "Fond of him," she decided.
Pam grumbled. "You're a smart girl, Penny," the woman told her daughter. "But sometimes its the smart ones that get screwed over most by the world. The dumb ones think it could never happen to them, but the clever girls think they can do something to stop it from happening."
"Stop what from happening?" Penny inquired, slightly angry that her mother insulted her so.
"Gettin' knocked up and kicked to the curb," Pam snapped, staring her daughter down with a fierceness in her coffee-brown eyes that Penny had never witnessed. "I saw how happy you looked last night dancing with that long-haired hippy. Don't get swept up in the moment and let him take advantage of you."
Penny could tell this conversation was getting nowhere, but she had to make one last attempt. "Elliott is a gentleman," she reiterated. "And he would never hurt anyone. Besides, he would not even step into the trailer for something to drink," Penny protested. "He said he could never enter the home of a woman without a chaperone."
The blonde cackled under her breath, "Well, at least this one's a prude, then." Pam brought her coffee mug to her lips and upended the contents into her mouth. "Well, that's it for me," she announced. "I've gotta go to my check-up with the doc," she informed the brunette. As Pam exited the trailer, she glanced back at her daughter. "Keep out of trouble."
Neither of the next two days were particularly eventful, since Violet already informed the usual pool table crew that she needed to take a break this week. Sebastian actually sent her a separate text thanking her for being the one to cancel because he had wanted to do the same, but did not want to be the one to rain on Sam and Abigail's parade. Sam also thanked Violet, but for entirely different reasons. Now that the group had scrapped their usual plans, he could take Abigail to Zuzu City for a date. So, even though Violet started out feeling a bit guilty, it all worked out in the end and the only human interaction the farmer had that day was strictly business. The local scientist apparently wanted to make use of the empty cave on her farm and gave her the choice between trying to attract fruit bats or using it to grow a variety of mushrooms. Although Violet adored fruit bats, she did not want to attract all the other things that came with their guano - especially the co*ckroaches. So, instead Violet permitted Maru's father to cultivate mushrooms in the cave.
Since Violet's solitude had already been disrupted first thing that morning, the farmer made a quick trip to Clint's to upgrade her hoe for the upcoming Summer. Judging by the state of her garden and her expanded budget due to the profits from her crops this season, the young woman thought it best to get that taken care of now before the turn of the season. The blacksmith seemed dissatisfied that Violet only came for an upgrade and not for additional business needs, but the pastel-haired woman was not about to buy things she would easily find in the mines the next time she went exploring.
Clint told Violet her new hoe would be ready on Sunday and that she should return then. So, the farmer went back into the heart of town to sell her parsnips, kale, cauliflower, and potatoes to Pierre. After Violet was satisfied that Pierre had not added any false advertising claiming to have been the producer of her crops, she left the store to head to the beach for some foraging. There were a few clams and pieces of coral, one of which the farmer decided she would drop off to Emily for her birthday the next day since it had a particular interesting shape. Finally, as a last chore and for something to do with her time on her no-people days, Violet swung by Willy's shop to buy a fiberglass rod. Fishing without bait was a terrible bore, after all. The fish did not generally bite when there was nothing to tempt them and it only made the time drag on when the fish were so few and far between.
Before the farmer headed home, Violet thought it best to just check Talla's inventory, but even the mysterious traveler did not have anything that interested her that day. The young woman apologized for her rudeness and quickly made her escape back home. So Violet spent the rest of her Friday in the quiet of her farmhouse, reading, writing a letter to her father to assure him she was doing well, and generally tidying up after having company for several days straight. It was strange, but despite her social exhaustion, Violet could not help shake the feeling that something was missing. Occasionally, her mind would drift back to the flower dance and how Sebastian's hand felt in hers. How his dark eyes seemed to look right through her to the soft, vulnerable core of her existence. The way his downy hair felt when she plucked the frightened frog from his head. Violet shook her head.No, stop that.
On Saturday, it rained, so Violet slept in and listened to the rain beat on her roof in a lazy daze until finally her hunger forced her out of bed. Bruno, whose muddy paws made tracks around the house, hopped up and licked his human's face when she entered the kitchen. "Alright, boy!" she laughed, trying to keep his giant paws at bay so her clothes would not be caked in the fresh mud. Once she fed Bruno his breakfast, he went right back outside to frolic in the wet outdoors. Violet, on the other hand, had several goals today, none of which involved human contact.
Today, her mission was all about fish for the bundles the Junimos requested. Her targets were the following: a largemouth bass from the mountain lake, both a catfish and a shad from the town's rivers, and an eel from fishing in the ocean. Violet decided to start at the mountain and work her way down, since the eels would not be active until the late afternoon at earliest. So Violet headed north of her farm and took the trail that took her directly east to the mountain. While the farmer did not have an umbrella with her, she did not mind getting a bit wet from the rain. The farmer did not see Linus out, otherwise she would have stopped by to at least greet the wild man, but Violet heard a strange, haunting sound drift across the mountainside. It was a flute, the young woman realized. Someone was playing nearby.
Violet followed the music toward the lake and there she should Abigail standing under a large pine tree, fireflies dancing around the soft glow of her lantern. When the flutist noticed Violet, she paused. "Violet! Why are you out here in the rain?" she asked, surprised that anyone else was out and about.
"Just enjoying the weather," the farmer replied casually. "I plan to do some fishing, too."
Abigail smiled, "Yeah... I guess you would be one to appreciate the somber ambiance," she thought out loud. Her cerulean eyes fixed on Violet. "... I came here to spend some time alone," she confessed. "But I don't mind your company!"
"I won't bother you long," the farmer assured the flutist. "I'm still trying to get some time to myself, too. It's been a busy season."
The amethyst-haired woman nodded in understanding. "Yeah, a lot has happened this Spring." Abigail paused, scrutinizing Violet for a moment before she invited the farmer to join her. "You're getting soaked..." she observed disapprovingly, "come stand under the tree."
For a while, the two stood in stillness, watching the raindrops fall to the earth. "It's impossible to describe this feeling..." Abigail told Violet. "Watching the curtains of rain whisper above a silent lake."
"It's something I was never be able to enjoy back in the city," the farmer agreed solemnly. "My old life feels so far away, even if it's only been a season since I came to Pelican Town."
"Huh..." the taller woman scoffed. "It does seem a lot longer than that, doesn't it?" Abigail shrugged, and turned her head to face Violet. "I guess that means you're officially a townie. Congrats!" she informed the farmer teasingly.
Violet returned with a smirk, "I like the sound of that. You all have made me feel so... welcome." There was a moment of quiet before she added, "It's weird."
Abigail wondered what the farmer meant. "What's so weird about it?"
The pastel-haired woman leaned against the pine tree and sighed. "I just never felt that way in NuNu..." she explained. "Everyone had their own thing going and if you happened to be swept up in the same orbit - great. But I always felt so lonely, even when I excelled in my job, or when I got invited out to get drinks with my co-workers. We all knew each other on the surface, but nothing deeper than that." Violet chuckled to herself. "My roots in the city were as shallow as a spring onion's - and just as easy to pull up. But now..." she glanced at Abigail. "I think I've found the right place this time."
A faint grin fell across Abigail's face. "I'm glad you like it here with all of us," the grocer's daughter stated. "I feel like I would have been stuck if someone new hadn't come in to shake things up. I'm glad that we're friends, Violet."
The farmer heard a light rustling in the pine needles above her and looked up to see several Junimos waving down at her. Before she could say anything, an object fell from the branches and without thinking, Violet caught it, several of the strings ringing out as the instrument settled in her grasp. "Hey! A mini-harp!" Abigail exclaimed, picking up her flute again. "You're full of surprises, Violet. I'm impressed."
Truth be told, Violet had no idea how to plat the mini harp, but she plucked each string to test out the sound and kept it simply once she figured out which ones went well with Abigail's wind instrument. Once the song was finished, Violet thanked her friend and excused herself to go fishing for her specific targets in the local waters.
It took the rest of the day and into the night, but Violet got what she wanted from each body of water and delivered the requested fish to the spirits of the forest. On Violet's way home from the beach, she tied the weathered piece of coral she found beach combing yesterday to the handle of the front door of Emily's house with a little note. The pastel-haired woman felt a little badly that Emily would likely not get this until after midnight - when her birthday was technically over, but Violet told herself it was the thought that counted.
Sunday was also relatively uneventful simply due to the lack of new crops in the garden. There was no point in planting new seeds on the last day of the season after all. So after collecting her last harvest of parsnips, Violet read a pile of manga under the shade of her favorite pine grove until the latter part of the day. It was one of her favorite series and as a gentle filtered through the trees, the farmer thought that it would be a great day to just go for a stroll. Violet's deep blue eyes glanced at the pile next to her. "I wonder if Sebastian would want to read these?" she thought out loud. The woman felt like she owed him a new fandom after ruining Cave Saga X for him. Taking the first five in the series, the farmer tied them together with twine to make transport easier and stuck them in her backpack.
The mountain trail was peaceful, with the wind caressing the wildflowers, and the birds sang their merry tunes overhead. Whereas when Violet first arrived in the Valley, the upward slope would have made her a bit breathless, she now found that the walk simply made her feel energized. As she approached the house, Violet noticed immediately that the garage door was open. Someone lay prone underneath a motorcycle, presumably performing routine maintenance or making a necessary repair. As she got closer, the young woman realized that it was Sebastian under there, his tools clanging about as he pushed the mechanic's creeper out from underneath the vehicle. The man's face was smudged with oil, but that did not stop detract from his features. "Oh, hello Violet," Sebastian greeted her.
Violet circled the bike from a cautious distance, not wanting to disturb Sebastian's work. "Is this motorcycle yours?" the farmer asked curiously. "I've never seen it out before."
"What," he inquired in disbelief, "you haven't seen my motorcycle before?" After a moment of pause, he added, "Hmmm... I guess I haven't shown it to you." The dark-haired man reached into a tool box and once he had what he wanted, Sebastian lie back down on the creeper and kicked his heel to push himself back under the motorcycle. He continued tinkering, but addressed Violet in conversation, half his body hidden by the body of the vehicle.
"Sometimes, after sundown, I make the long ride out of Stardew Valley..." he began, his arm repeating a motion as if he were either tightening or loosening a bolt. His voice took on an especially pleasant tone. "There's nothing like it," he told Violet, "blazing along the empty stretch of road toward the faint city glow..." The young woman closed her eyes and imagined the scene herself. Sebastian continued. "Once I've save up enough money, I'm going to head out on my own..." At this, Violet's heart sank slightly, but she did not say so. "... to the city and beyond. Just me and my bike." Sebastian sounded so happy at the idea, Violet felt she had no right to rain on his parade. What had she really expected anyway? Sebastian may not even be interested in her that way.
The sound of rushing fluids could be heard and Sebastian slid back out. "There we go, oil's changed," he informed his guest with a smile. Violet had never felt so happy and sad in the same moment. Sebastian clearly still wanted to get out of this town and Violet became more positive by the day that she wished to remain here. Perhaps she had hoped for too much. Maybe... the flower dance had not meant as much to Sebastian as it had to her. Violet had almost danced with Harvey, even after asking Sebastian to dance. What must he thought of her, seeing that in combination with her drunken behavior the night before?
"Hey..." Sebastian's voice rang out, clearing her mind and bringing her back to focus like a meditation bell, "maybe I'll take you for a ride someday." Violet's heart skipped a beat and she hoped in a way she should not dare. Maybe...
Her dark blue eyes caught his gaze, "I've never been on a motorcycle before. They kind of scare me..." she admitted sheepishly. "Mainly because of the potential for injury, but... if it's with you, I think I would have a lot of fun."
Sebastian chuckled, "I'm a responsibly driver," he assured her. "Hell, I just changed the oil. How many irresponsible motorcyclists do that?" He turned the key in the ignition, pulled the clutch, and flipped the switch to start the small vehicle and it purred to life. He smiled with satisfaction. "What a beautiful sound," he sighed.
Violet giggled, though Sebastian was not sure why. "What's so funny?"
The woman pointed to the back end of the motorcycle. "Your tail lights are out," she told Sebastian. Her laughter only grew as she elaborated. "Bex told me that she nearly ran into some cabrón with missing tail lights on the way into Pelican Town." Her eyes gleaned as the biker's face paled. "It wasyou, wasn't it?"
His obsidian eyes widened in realization - presumably remembering the incident from his perspective in a new light - before he avoided Violet's gaze completely. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about," he insisted, denying the accusation. "It's just a coincidence..."
Violet's laughter only intensified as she bumped Sebastian's arm playfully. "You're such a bad liar, it's kind of adorable..."
Sebastian's cheeks turned red, but he knew there was no point in trying to talk his way out of it now. "I'll replace them," he grumbled, disappearing into the garage to search for spare bulbs. A few minutes later, the biker emerged from the garage with two, shiny new bulbs. Unscrewing the burnt out ones, Sebastian deftly stuck their replacements into the sockets and twisted them in. Sebastian started up his motorcycle again, this time the tail lights illuminated properly. "Better?"
The farmer beamed, "Of course. I want you to stick around, after all." After an awkward moment of silence between them, Violet clarified. "I mean, I don't want you getting hit and killed, obviously. You are fre-"
"You're fine, Violet," Sebastian interrupted with a chuckle. "I get what you meant. You'll end up embarrassing yourself the more you backpedal," he added with a teasing smirk.
"You do the same," the pastel-haired woman shot back with a pout. Violet tried to avoid looking at Sebastian's face for fear that her heart might explode out of her chest with that sexy grin of his.Damn..."Oh, before I forget," Violet thought out loud, shrugging her backpack off her shoulders and unzipping the main pocket. She produced a parcel of books. "I thought you might like this series," Violet shared, at first reaching out to hand him the stack, only to change her mind when she saw the oil on his hands. "Maybe... I should carry them for now," she suggested, hugging the books to her chest protectively.
Sebastian inspected his hand and nodded in agreement, "Yeah, probably. Let me get washed up really quickly." He paused at the front door of the house. "You coming in, or are you just going to stand out here?"
"Oh!" Violet did not realize that Sebastian meant for her to follow, but immediately corrected the mistake. Robin was delighted to see Violet enter the shop after her son. "Hello, Violet!" she welcomed the farmer. "I haven't seen you in a few days." Violet could not tell if that simply an observation or commentary of some sort. The ginger continued, "Thank you for allowing Demetrius to use that empty cave on your farm," she said appreciatively. "I would love to have you over for dinner some time to express our gratitude, Demetrius has been in such a good mood about it the past few days."
Violet sighed, "I'd love to, but it would probably have to wait a while. I need to get everything up and running for Summer," the farmer replied. She could tell from the look in Robin's eyes that the mother was going to suggest she stay tonight, but Violet foiled the idea before the ginger could even ask. "I'm just here to drop these off. I have to stop by Clint's shop before he closes for the day."
"You better hurry, then," Robin told the farmer. "It takes a while to get down there from here."
Sebastian intervened, "Then all the more reason we should stop chatting, right mom?" he asked pointedly.
Robin beamed, "Of course, Sebby. You two have fun now," she added as the two disappeared down into her son's room.
Sebastian disappeared into his bathroom to wash the oil off his hands and face and returned to find Violet admiring his collection of comic books. "You've got some of the classics here," she observed, pulling one of his older volumes gingerly from the shelf.
"I'm glad you can appreciate them," Sebastian shared with her. "I've had to save them from the trash a few times when mom insists on some spring cleaning."
Violet's eyes widened in horror. "No!" she gasped, scandalized by the mere idea.
The programmer pulled a particular volume from the shelf and displayed a red stain on the cover. "Spaghetti sauce," he explained, indicating the blotch that covered the hero's face.
"Oh, that sucks," the farmer acknowledged. "That's a rare one, too."
Sebastian's eyebrows rose in surprise as she recognized its worth. "You really are a nerd," he chuckled to himself.
"Stop sounding so surprised," she laughed, placing the comic back onto the shelf. Violet looked around the room and her eyes lingered on something in particular. "Hey, your curtains are the same color as my hair," Violet observed.
The dark-haired man grimaced sheepishly, "Uh, yeah..." he replied, "Maru said they matched the rug that was already in here. It looked kind of out of place without something else to match, I guess." While it was true Maru had pointed that out, it was not the reason he chose the color. Still, Sebastian was willing to let Violet believe that it was not entirely his doing.
Violet turned her gaze to the rug on the floor and confirmed, "So the carpet does match the drapes," she giggled like a twelve year-old boy. Sebastian blushed slightly at the innuendo, but did his best not to embarrass himself by continuing the train of thought.
"I'm not really great at interior decorating," he admitted, noticing how messy his room was and fighting the urge to clean so Violet would not judge him. "And I'll admit I'm not the tidiest person, either."
"Is that why you still have your ex's toothbrush in the bathroom?" Violet wondered aloud. Abigail had assured her that Sebastian was not with someone and this was the best chance to clear the air.
Sebastian was confused. "Ex?" he responded, clearly not understanding her meaning. "I've never had a girlfriend," he informed Violet. "Especially not one serious enough to leave her stuff at my place." He tilted his head, his tapered bangs drifting further to one side. "You thought I had a girlfriend because of the old toothbrush in the bathroom that I use to clean my keyboard?" Part of his was elated that Violet was so interested in his dating history. It meant she thought about it - and maybe even considered how she might fit into it. But it was also kind of adorable how she ran with the idea of a mysterious ex-girlfriend off of just one item in his bathroom.
The farmer pouted, "In my defense, who keeps their old toothbrushes next to the one they use anyway?"
"Where else am I going to keep it?" Sebastian shot back with a chuckle. "Next to my computer would look even weirder."
"Fair enough," Violet relented as she handed off the bundle of manga to her friend. "You don't get to keep them," she told Sebastian. "This is my favorite series, so don't let them get beat up or thrown away," the woman insisted gravely. Finally, she added a warning, "And perma-death is real in this setting, unlike a lot of fantasy. It delves into a lot of deep sh*t, but it's so worth it."
"I'll be sure not to get too attached to anyone," he scoffed, looping his fingers through the cord to accept the package.
Violet shook her head, her wavy hair swaying side to side. "Oh, that will be impossible, but best of luck," she replied with a smug grin. "I have to pick up my hoe from Clint, but let me know when you want the next set to read," the farmer explained, dismissing herself as she climbed up the stairs toward the carpentry shop.
Sebastian watched her go and waited until the sound of her footsteps receded into silence. His obsidian eyes darted down to the knot that bound the books together. "Your favorite series, huh?" he thought aloud as he untied the knot. Sebastian had to wonder what kind of comic Violet deemed worthy of the title of "favorite." The programmer had to admit he was surprised that Violet trusted him with these, but at the same time, he was excited. They would have something new to talk about - something she was passionate about. Sebastian adored the way her eyes lit up when she got invested into a topic of conversation. Reading this would only give him more of that spark. Reclining on his bed, the young man cracked open the first volume to the first page, feeling the well-loved spine against his fingertips.
Violet made it just in time to claim her upgraded hoe. The farmer rushed home to finish the last of her spring cleaning and get everything prepared for the new season come morning. Bruno seemed happy to see his human and did his best to assist with the preparations in his own way - that is, to accidentally make Violet's job harder every step of the way. Luckily, it was endearing and making sure her watering can was full, the land was clear of tall grasses and debris, and planning the layout of her plots did not take as much time as she anticipated. So not to waste the drive to be productive, Violet used that energy on the inside of the house.
While the last traces of Bex and her other visitors were already cleaned, the farmer wanted to swap the warmer spring sheets and comforter on the bed for lighter warm weather versions. Violet knew there were in a closet around here somewhere. After struggling to retrieve boxes from the higher shelves, the short woman finally resorted to using a kitchen chair to elevate herself to a more desirable height for the task at hand. In the closet that was original to the oldest version of the house, Violet found a peculiar latch on the ceiling. It appeared to be a small trapdoor to the attic, but the farmer could have sworn there was another, larger door in the opposite closet. So what could this possibly be?
Curiosity getting the better of her, Violet applied pressure to the latch and after a few moments, the rusted metal gave way and clicked open. The farmer nearly fell from the chair when a soft parcel fell from the trapdoor into her face. She coughed as the dust exploded out from the mysterious package, bound together with an old silk ribbon. It was heavier than Violet would have thought something of this size would have weighed, but after closer examination the young woman realized that it was a large piece of fabric folded in upon itself.
Stepping down from the wooden chair, Violet undid the bow and began to unfurl the large swath of material. It was similar one of her grandmother's quilts, but on a much grander scale and as she stood back and took in the scene as a whole, she felt a chill run down her spine. "What the f*ck..." she whispered quietly to herself, her deep blue eyes not leaving the tapestry. Her hands pawed at her pocket and she pulled out her phone.
*EMERGENCY MEETING RE: SHADOW: I found something in the ceiling and you guys are going to want to see this.*
