Other A Farm in the Forest- Chapter 56 (December 7, 2018)

Discussion in 'Fan Works' started by MagicallyClueless, May 3, 2016.

  1. Villain_In_Glasses

    Villain_In_Glasses Seal Broken

    Amazing! Reading this, I would compare it to a drink of hot chocolate: it's the best, warmest, most comforting feels-good-man drink when out of nowhere - BAM - that solid chunk of undissolved cocoa mix of Shane punches you in the face. He (along with Pam, Seb/Demetrius, and the whole Joja Corp. deal) remind us that the world of Stardew Valley is far from perfect, which only makes it more realistic. The same is true for your story; Jade's life has been pretty good up until this point, and the conflict in here provides a big stop-and-think moment.
    *yawns* I'm still a little drowsy, so if all of this is completely off the mark feel free to disregard it entirely! But thank you very much for this read.;)
     
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    • Minimanta

      Minimanta Spaceman Spiff

      Good good, I absolutely love ShaneX3
       
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      • MagicallyClueless

        MagicallyClueless Master Astronaut

        I absolutely love that comparison. Amazing! xD
        Yeah, Shane is pretty real, and definitely hit a little too close to home for Jade, ahahah.

        I am glad you enjoyed <3
         
        • Risukage

          Risukage Giant Laser Beams

          *Elliott fangirling intensifies.*

          Heh, kidding. :p Good chapter! That is kinda what I expect from Shane, and it felt natural for the character. Going to be fun seeing them butt heads again and how their friendship progresses. Go Jade, be besties with ALL THE PEOPLE. Give them mayo, I don't think there's anyone in game that dislikes it. :rofl:
           
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          • Ghostly Fox

            Ghostly Fox Heliosphere

            I enjoyed he chapter, even Shane being a grump. (I dont think that surprised anyone, by this point.) I was originally going o wait to read an comment because I probably am not supposed to be on electronics right now, but then I decided the consequences would be worth it and they were. Also, the IM Congo made me think that Sebastian has like... an entire folder in his computer dedicated to animal video, divided by adult vs baby, then divided into different animal species. And the folder has a shit ton of protections on it because certain people cannot know (by certain people, I obviously mean his family).

            As for why I might be supposed to be staying away from electronics, well.. I apparently got sunburnt. Not on my shoulders or back or anywhere normal, oh no. My eyes are sunburnt- as in the actual eye, not the eyelid. Was doing errands and was out from something like 900 to 1330. Aaaand I may have forgotten to wear my sunglasses, because they aren't prescription ones, and my indoor/daily glasses are stage 2 tint with transition to dark tint....but it apparently doesn't mean shit when your eyes are photophobic. Let me say that long is seriously painful, and I'm wearing basically night black sunglasses to type what of this I coukd.

            Don't be an idiot like me, peeps. Remember that your eyes need protection from the Sun just like your skin does. Do yourselves a favor and try to keep on sunglasses when possible, or you get stuck having potato slices on your eyes to make them feel like hell fire took up residence in your eyes. Also this was done partly with talk-to-text so sorry if it is even less understandable than my usual babbles

            And now I just had a very interesting question come to mind. Does Jade wear sunscreen when farming? Does she brown, burn, or does she burn then peal to tan? Does she have tan lines? Does her hair get lighter in the summer? Darker in the winter?
             
            • MagicallyClueless

              MagicallyClueless Master Astronaut

              the hilarious part with that is that sebastian actually hates mayo xD


              I HOPE YOU HEAL FAST DDDD : I didn't even know that sort of thing could happen to your eyes. I mean, I know they could get damaged, but. SunbuRN.
              For her sake I'm sure she wears sun screen, but I just don't write about it, lol. She's as white as the sun and people would be thinking they smell bacon when she walks around if she didn't have some sort of skin protection! She definitely has tan lines (DAT OL' FARMER'S TAN) especially as the summer drones on, but i'm unsure her hair changes O:

              p.s. Seb absolutely has a huge backlog of cute animal videos to cheer people up, including himself. especially himself. maybe he is a big softie for little corgis. you do not know.
               
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              • Gabaw

                Gabaw Spaceman Spiff

                @Ghostly Fox damn dude I've heard of that before but it's p. bad. protect your peepers and don't use them to creepers! you know, just in case :p

                @MagicallyClueless also wow holy s**t the hostilities commence in a major way haha. That was some brutal s**t both ways. actually kind of refreshing to see Jade get max russed and unload hell on Shane. that was thoroughly enjoyable :rofl: you're right tho he doesn't really deserve it but ya's get what ya's give!! i hope there were some baby pygmy goats in those videos they're totes adorbs hopping around and butting heads and stuff. anyway almost forgot fabio and leah were in the chapter too lol but I think you wrote them well. the only thing fabio was missing was a killer smile full of pearly whites lmao!
                 
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                • mrobake

                  mrobake Zero Gravity Genie

                  Shane need to take his chill pill. Or maybe eat a few snickers. He is the town's prick when he's hungry.
                   
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                  • MagicallyClueless

                    MagicallyClueless Master Astronaut

                    so my friend was teasing me and told me that sebastian is in every chapter
                    and i said nO, I LEFT HIM OUT OF A FEW CHAPTERS
                    but i got very curious and decided to see how many times his name is mentioned in my fic (including nickname)

                    [​IMG]

                    i am pleased

                    PLOT TWIST: jade falls in love with gus and marries him
                     
                    • Gabaw

                      Gabaw Spaceman Spiff

                      well now @MagicallyClueless what does your friend have to say about your true obsession?? behold, proof in the latest chapter!!

                      [​IMG]

                      all along we thought it was Seb. but another 3-lettered scoundrel has indeed taken your heart! what say ye??
                       
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                      • MagicallyClueless

                        MagicallyClueless Master Astronaut

                        (omfg that made me lauGH SO HARD)

                        it's.... IT'S TRUE!!

                        i'm sorry Sebastian... I've... I've betrayed you!! *dramatically collapses onto chaise lounge*
                         
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                        • MagicallyClueless

                          MagicallyClueless Master Astronaut

                          Time for Chapter 15! I had sooooo much fun writing this one.



                          As the days droned on, Farmer Jade fell into a routine she knew she could handle. Farming was starting to become natural to her and money was slowly stacking up due to her constant fishing and foraging. After such a long time, Jade’s frail legs were finally used to walking, and her back grew accustomed to carrying several goods. She didn’t have to lift very much with her arms, but she did have to often use her tools-- especially for gathering wood, which she used to repair her miraculously damaged fence. Her sword fighting skills were also improving due to constant practice, as was her companionship with her closer friends.

                          She was sure to say hello to everyone she knew and to try to visit her friends at least a couple times as the week progressed; she often caught Sam skateboarding or playing his portable console outside his home and noticed Abigail leaving the grocery store. Alex was often nearby, so she took to visiting him as well-- they often played catch and then had some ice cream, which became fairly regular for the both of them. The young athlete did appreciate Jade stopping by and he loved to have someone to practice with, but after some days, he grew nervous. She wasn’t exactly sure what seemed to bother him, but they got along rather well and didn’t mind seeing each other every day. Jade was especially ecstatic to grow closer to him, and hoped their friendship would form a meaningful bond.

                          The only close friend of Jade’s that she didn’t see much of was Sebastian, but that was because he lived the furthest and hardly came out of his room. Despite his hermiting ways, Jade actually talked to him more than anyone else. Every evening they would chat with each other online, often leading into all-night rants or bouts of banter. There was rainfall on one day of the week and they decided to meet up then, since both of them enjoyed the sound of the rain paired with rumbling ocean waves. Neither of them talked much for the day, but they both enjoyed the choice of not having to speak.

                          For the most part, everything was going smoothly, and rightfully so. Jade grew accustomed to talking to the townspeople more and tried harder to make herself a positive figure in town. The last thing she wanted was for rumors to spread about her, like what happened at the end of Spring- she was a good person, and not everyone had to like her (a few of them surely didn’t,) but she didn’t want to be mistaken for a bad influence towards others.

                          Over half a week passed, and Jade received a letter about the next festival: the Luau. In the letter, Mayor Lewis put an awful lot of emphasis on bringing something delicious, healthy, and high quality, as if past circumstances prevented such. He also addressed Jade specifically in the letter, telling her that he expected ‘high quality crops despite [Jade] being a new farmer’. The letter went on about how he trusted Jade would do well for her first Luau, and that the governor would be impressed. “Uh... Governor?” She muttered to herself, confused. Another authority figure she has to worry about? She sighed, but then looked out to her crops while reading the letter.

                          “Bring something for the potluck, huh?” the young farmer wondered aloud. She did notice her crops were extremely close to bearing ripe fruit, particularly the tomatoes. “Tomatoes go in everything, right?” She smirked to herself.

                          Jade was right. At the beginning of the festival day, all of the tomato seeds she planted finally paid off. Every single vine weighed down with bright, red tomatoes! For the first time in a while, Jade pulled in a gigantic harvest. The thought was extremely exciting to her as well, since the other crops were also close to bearing fruit. She pulled in a large haul of tomatoes and saved the largest, nicest one for the Luau. After her usual rounds, she eagerly set off towards the beach to take part of the festival, tomato in hand.


                          Like the Flower Dance, the entire town gathered in one place. A large stereo system lie on a huge dancing mat and played cheerful music nearby. In the middle of the beach stood a gigantic pot full of ingredients being stewed to perfection. A short but large woman with dark brown hair was stirring. From what Jade could see, she wore a green dress and leather brown shoes. Before approaching, the young farmer decided to examine the rest of the area. Some large totem poles were set up as decoration, tiki lamps that brought more flare to the festival, and some long tables full of snacks and drinks. Below Elliott’s cabin, Linus was making a pork roast over an open fire, its scents lightly wafting throughout the entire shore. She could see Maru staring in drool-filled lust over to the pork roast, other townspeople congregating around and chatting amongst themselves. Under the music, she definitely could listen to the gossip and laughter of all her fellow neighbors. Most of the people seemed to be enjoying themselves. The Luau certainly looked like a festival Jade could get behind.

                          “Jade, you’ve made it! Welcome,” called Lewis from the side. Jade walked over to him and noticed a very large, round, and somewhat intimidating rich man beside him. The man had a purple bowler hat with a duck feather poking out of it, a fancy suit that matched the hat’s color, and shiny black shoes. He didn’t have any hair on his head, but he did have thick eyebrows and a fluffy, graying moustache. The man looked to Jade curiously as her calm walking became somewhat of a nervous shamble. He looked too important.

                          “H-hey, Mayor,” softly stammered Jade, glancing to the man near him. “This f-festival looks pretty, uh.... great.”

                          Lewis kindly smiled and surveyed the festival area once more. “It certainly holds the best feast of the year!” He cleared his throat and stepped aside to show the man even more. “Jade, this is our region’s governor. He comes here once a year to try the stew and to check up on things.”

                          “O-oh! H...hello! There! Sir!” Jade waved, but then felt that was rude and decided to bow instead.

                          The governor chuckled in response to her bustling youth. “I’ve heard a lot of about the new farmer here, though I didn’t expect you to be such a young, lively girl. I expect great produce from you.”

                          Jade hopped up and stood up straight. “Thank you, sir! I-I’m trying my best!”

                          “What’s that in your hands?” the wealthy man asked, gesturing to the tomato. “For the pot?”

                          “Y-yes, I pulled in a big harvest this morning and... O-oh! I should... I should go do that. Now. Bye.” She quickly left for the giant pot, but she could feel Lewis’ glare as she left. Quickly, she went over to the woman at the stew pot and waved in greeting. “H-hi there,” she murmured.

                          “Oh, Jade! Finally we get to meet face-to-face. It’s Marnie,” she calmly but happily replied. Marnie had her hair bunched up in thick braids, which tied together in a green band. Her eyes were soft and brown and her nose round. She had a very similar, motherly smile, but Jade also felt a sense of authority from her. She had no idea why, but at least knowing Marnie calmed her down.

                          The young farmer sighed and relaxed her shoulders. “Glad to see you, Marnie!”

                          “Did you bring something for the pot, dear?”

                          Jade showed her the tomato she picked. “Yes ma’am,” she kindly answered. “Do I just...”

                          “What a lovely pick, Ms. Jade! Just give it to me, I’ll take care of the rest.” Marnie continued to stir the pot until Jade offered her ingredient of choice. “I can’t wait for this to be done!” Marnie beamed, taking out a knife from her apron pocket and throwing tomato slices into the stew.

                          The young farmer nodded and took a deep whiff. It smelled meaty and delicious. “I bet this will be really good eatin’.”

                          “Oh, I’ll go ahead and say this.” Marnie grumbled something unintelligible under her breath. “The governor is hard to impress, and Lewis becomes such a...” She grunted again, stopping to stir for a moment to clench her fists. “Anyways, the stew will be lovely. To know that you so carefully grew something already makes it so much better.”

                          Jade pouted in embarrassment, eyes averting. “Was it that obvious that they’re making me nervous?” she asked.

                          Marnie laughed. “They make us all nervous. Go on and just try to enjoy the festival, dear.”

                          “Thank you, Marnie!” And with that, the young farmer ventured off to see what everyone else was doing.

                          There were quite a few people on the dance floor, but Jade found it adorable. Robin and Demetrius were attempting to dance together, but one of them tripped on the other’s foot and they started to laugh and tease each other. The young farmer thought they were precious, how a couple reaching their middle ages could still find such enjoyment together. Conversely, the two children, Jas and Vincent, were chasing each other. Jas was yelling at Vincent, while Vincent was absentmindedly running around and giggling, treating her yelling like a game. “Vincent, you need to learn how to dance!” she heard the girl yell. Jade passed by them and waved, causing the both of them to freeze. Jas stared right through Jade’s soul, but Vincent’s face lit up and he ran to hug Jade’s leg. The young farmer chuckled and ruffled his hair before he ran off again and continued to tease Jas.

                          Near the corner of the dance floor, Jade saw the blue haired lady that assisted Gus at the saloon. She wore a red and blue dress and was really getting into the music; her entire body was swinging, hair flinging, arms moving and legs kicking. A grin was on her face. Jade smiled as she watched her, but didn’t want to bother her. Jade noticed Evelyn and her husband, George, over near the shore. She happily waved to them but decided to not approach, leaving for the food table.

                          Gus was at the front of the nearest table, drinking some juice as he watched people come to and fro for snacks. Jade softly smiled to him before examining the food on the table. All of it was rather light and food that would go well with the stew; a lot of slices of meat, cheese, crackers, among fruits and other sweet treats. Jade was interested in the cheese and reached to take a plate for herself-- then froze. Her scowl.

                          Shane.

                          He had walked forward to get some more snacks for himself, passing an uninterested glare at Jade. Noticing how hard she was staring at him, he sighed and rolled his eyes.

                          “I still don’t like you, but it was mostly the drinks talking,” he said. He didn’t get why she was still sour, even after so many days passed.

                          “Oh, so you actually remember what happened?” Jade grunted.

                          Shane seemed unaffected; Jade was too tame to really intimidate him, even if she was trying to. “Somewhat.”

                          “Look, I’m trying to have a good day so please don’t try to ruin this for me,” huffed Jade.

                          The scruffy man lifted his hands in surrender, eyes tiredly glancing her visage. “Fair enough with me. Just thought I’d say.”

                          “Okay, then.” Jade obtained the plate of food she wanted to get and simply walked off. She needed to leave before she got too carried away with her thoughts and say something she could have regretted. As she continued to wander, she saw Sebastian leaning against one of the totem poles, just out of sight from most people. The unpleasant encounter with Shane was practically nonexistent at this point, since she was ecstatic to see a closer friend she knew. “Seb!” Jade happily called, trotting over to him.

                          “Oh, hey.” His face left a hint of a smile and he stood up straight to greet the young farmer.

                          “No Sam or Abby?” Jade inquired, glancing around.

                          Sebastian shook his head and put his hands into his hoodie pockets. “Nah, they’re doing their own things. There are too many people here, anyway.”

                          “Ah, I see. I like the Luau so far.” Jade stood in front of him and popped some cheese from her plate into her mouth. Without saying a word, she offered some. He glanced at the food for a bit before deciding to accept and eating some himself. “Though, the governor guy creeps me out a bit.”

                          “He creeps everyone out, but all the business owners try to get on his good side. I don’t see the point, honestly. I mean, you’ve seen this town.” Sebastian glanced out towards the ocean horizon, not in the mood to see what everyone else was doing.

                          Jade nodded in thought. “Pfft, yeah. But, we’re self sustaining enough I think. Mayor keeps crappy tabs on the state of the town, but at least there’s food and internet. Both extremely crucial.”

                          They both hummed and nodded, continuing to eat from the plate that Jade held out. Then out of nowhere, she chuckled. “Why are you wearing long sleeves in this weather, you nerd?” the young farmer muffled. “Aren’t you hot? I thought you hated hot weather.”

                          Sebastian glanced down at his arms, and then shrugged. “I like to suffer,” he jokingly responded, mouth also full of cheese.

                          Jade’s chuckle broke out into a tiny laugh. “You’re so lazy.”

                          In response, he rolled up his sleeves: “Better, mom? I didn’t know I had two of you.”

                          She giggled. “Yes, though you could make it easy and just take your hoodie off. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without it... Sebby.” She made an attempt to mock Robin’s accent, but it came out as an exaggerated, hilarious regional twang. He gave her a certain look when she called him ‘Sebby’, which caused her to explode in giggles.

                          “And you most likely never will see me without it,” Sebastian deadpanned in response. “My hoodie is like, welded to my skin. Forever.”

                          “So you shower with a hoodie on?” she snorted.

                          “Maybe,” Sebastian answered with a smile.

                          They both stared at each other with amusement, then finished the plate of food together. “Okay weirdo, well I’m going to go say hi to everyone else. Want me to get you anything?”

                          “I’m good. Thanks for coming by.” Sebastian yawned and folded his arms behind his head, leaning back to the totem pole. “See you later, Jade.”

                          “Bye!” Jade waved to him and tossed the empty plate into a trashcan on the other side of the totem pole. She was in much higher spirits and ready to speak to others, though there were so many areas that she didn’t know where to go. She looked for Abigail for a while, but couldn’t see her on the beach. She did catch Alex and Haley talking to each other near the side of Elliott’s cabin, deciding to approach despite Haley’s vendetta against her. Alex seemed happy to welcome Jade and crossed his arms confidently as she approached.

                          “Farm girl! This your first Luau?” he curiously asked.

                          “Yup. I lived in the city, we didn’t have stuff like this. It’s nice!” Jade beamed in response. “And hi, Haley,” Jade waved in an attempt to be kind. Surprisingly, Haley made a slight wave in response. Perhaps festivals put her in a better mood, or she was finally getting used to the farmer’s presence. “I’m a little surprised you guys aren’t dancing, since you really like the Flower Dance.”

                          “Eh, time and place,” Alex replied. “Plus, I’ve been staring at that pot of stew for the past forever. I’m so hungry,” he groaned.

                          “You ate before we got here,” Haley nagged. “Are you really that hungry?”

                          “Healthy guys gotta eat!” he defended.

                          Jade chuckled. “I bet you have a stomach made of iron. Well, I’ll leave you guys to yourselves. Nice seeing you!” The young farmer waved to both of them as she continued heading to the far end of the shore. There was a tiny wood bridge spanning across a river gap that led into the ocean. The other side of the bridge was fairly empty, save for some rocky pools and some bunches of coral, but Sam and Penny stood just before the bridge, watching the river. He didn’t appear as tall as he usually did- his shoulders must have been hunched and knees bent. He seemed... irritated, which was rather unlike Sam. Penny appeared concerned, but she would try to say something to him to lighten the mood. Eventually, Penny drooped her shoulders as well, discouraged, then softly pat Sam’s back in reassurance. She eventually turned and began to walk back towards the main section of the festival, approaching Jade in the process.

                          “Penny! Hello,” Jade politely began, causing the young tutor to stop in front of her.

                          “H... Hello, Jade,” Penny shyly answered, giving a brief bow of her head. “How is the festival for you?” She meekly asked.

                          The farmer smiled, though it was more due to general worry. Penny seemed to be more nervous than she was, so she wanted to be a more positive figure for her. “The festival’s very nice so far... how are you? And Sam.”

                          “Oh...” Penny sighed, brushing back her cherry-red bangs. “I’m fine, actually... Though I am a little worried about Sam.” She frowned and glanced over to the blond man from a distance. “The Luau is among one of his... lesser favorite festivals, but his mother makes him go.”

                          “Why does it bother him so much?”

                          “I don’t think he is a big fan of the mayor, really... And everyone knows that the mayor is a little more, um, harsh? During the Luau. So, a lot of us are put on edge. And you know how Sam is, his, uh...”

                          Jade chuckled a bit. “You mean with how stubborn he is?” she mentioned.

                          “Yes! Yes, exactly.” Penny’s expression brightened from her gestures being understood. “One year he actually brought a disgusting fish for the pot and snuck it in before the mayor found out... He was punished for it, but it was probably his favorite Luau.”

                          “Oh boy,” the farmer sighed under her breath. “Maybe I shouldn’t say hi, then. Could you tell him for me?” she asked, though entertained by Sam’s shenanigans.

                          Penny nodded and softly smiled, lacing her hands together with her fingers. “Of course,” she softly replied. Jade loved how frail Penny’s voice was, especially since she hung around such a loud guy all the time. “He is not in the mood to talk to everyone, so that could be for the better. I’m sure he will love hearing from you, though.”

                          The young farmer felt relieved. “Thank you, Pen. You goin’ to get some food? Honestly, when is the stew gonna be done?”

                          “Attention!” shouted Lewis. “The stew is ready! Everyone gather around!”

                          Both the girls giggled at the amazing timing. “I suppose the stew is done now,” Penny cheerfully muttered. Together, they approached the gigantic pot and examined the presumably finished stew. She wandered back over to stand beside Sebastian at the back of the crowd, passing him a silent greeting. Abigail appeared from behind and hugged Jade out of nowhere, causing her to briefly squeal.

                          “H-hey!” She whined, but then noticed who it was. Abigail chuckled at Jade’s reaction and put an arm around her shoulders. “Abby, I was wondering where you went.”

                          “I was on the docks!” Abigail beamed. “Now we gotta listen to Lewis’ big lecture about the state of the town before we can eat. Ugh.”

                          As if on cue, Lewis ushered silence within the crowd and started speaking about the coming year, and what he has planned. Nearly everyone seemed to lose interest, but they were hushed for his sake. The governor appeared to be pleased by the speech, though Jade thought it sounded more like a re-election campaign. A little ridiculously timed, if anything.

                          “You don’t understand how tempted I was to throw something disgusting in the potluck,” muttered Sebastian. Since they were in the back of the gathering, they were able to get away with whispering to each other. “Have you read the letters Lewis sends? His face looks more punchable every passing year because of it.”

                          “Jadey should take care of that,” snorted Abigail.

                          The young farmer rolled her eyes, but grinned. “Come on, now... But yeah, his letter was, uh. Intimidating.”

                          Both Sebastian and Abigail glanced at the farmer, suddenly curious. “What did he write to you?” the former inquired.

                          “He was just saying how he expected a lot of great things from me since I’m the new farmer in town. Junk like that. Impress the governor. Put 3 tons of crushing anxiety on my shoulders. No big deal.”

                          “Daaamn,” huffed Abigail. “It’s kind of expected, though. You see that romance novel looking guy over there? Elliott?”

                          Jade covered her mouth to suppress laughter. She didn’t think of describing him that way, but it made perfect sense. “Yeah,” she answered.

                          “Well, Elliott was the last one to move here before you did, and Yoba, did Lewis goat him hard into getting a supreme ingredient for the potluck. I think the most insane part is that he actually got the ingredient Lewis asked for.”

                          “What was it?” Jade wondered aloud.

                          Abigail looked off, trying to think for a moment. Sebastian nudged Jade to get her attention, then he answered: “I think it was a Super Cucumber.” Jade wasn’t sure if that was amazing, but Abigail’s face lit up.

                          “Yeah! That’s what it was. Those things are really difficult to catch, but that was arguably the best tasting stew we’ve ever had.” Abigail groaned silently to herself, putting her free hand on her stomach. Everyone was starving, for sure. Not even the cheese Jade ate was lasting very well.

                          The young farmer nodded in understanding. “That’s pretty cool of Elliott,” she hummed. “I just brought a huge tomato from my harvest. I’m really proud of my work though, so hopefully I won’t get flack for it.”

                          “Who doesn’t like tomatoes? You’ll be fine,” Sebastian concluded for them. Jade sighed in relief and nodded again, happy to get the support. Jade suddenly snapped to attention when she heard Lewis call her name:

                          “And we welcome our promising new farmer, Jade, who has undoubtedly brought a fresh ingredient that is sure to make the stew perfect for us all!” Lewis yelled, gesturing right to Jade in the crowd. She instantly froze in horror, both Abigail and Sebastian glancing at her in shock. The rest of the town turned to glance at her but quickly went back to focus on Lewis. In all honesty, they all just wanted to eat.

                          “Oh no. He’s putting the blame on you this year,” Abigail whispered.

                          “Whew... Let’s hope this stew is good, or Lewis will have your ass,” Sebastian muttered.

                          “What the hell did I do??” squeaked Jade, whose voice was only audible to the two people near her. Both of them pat her shoulders in a sad manner.

                          Lewis grinned nicely through that finely groomed moustache of his, but Jade could feel the condescending stabs of his glare. She really wanted this to be over with. “Without further ado: Governor, would you have the honors of the first taste test?” Lewis asked, elegantly offering a spoon to the large purple-suited man. The governor accepted the offer and stomped towards the pot, everyone watching in anticipation.

                          He plucked the end of the spoon into the stew, stirred a small area and then scooped out a hearty, red-orangey soup riddled with healthy ingredients. The entire town salivated as the governor took his taste and plopped the spoon carefully into his mouth. “Hmmm...”

                          He stood there for a moment. Lewis seemed terrified.

                          “It’s not bad,” the governor began, “But it’s not really amazing, either. Pretty average.”

                          Lewis hurriedly rushed up to the pot and took a spoon to taste test as well. He sighed in disappointment. “He’s right... a very, very average soup. Oh, well... Everyone! Come get your servings,” the mayor shouted to them all. One by one, the townspeople came forward and filled their bowls with stew from the pot.

                          “Jadey, don’t take it too hard. We’re here for you!” Abigail assured in an attempt to have Jade feel better. The farmer was horrified, because she caught a glance of Lewis’ merciless glare just before taste testing the stew himself.

                          “He’s gonna have my ass,” Jade heavily breathed. “Ohh, no. Everyone’s going to hate me.”

                          “Nah,” Sebastian started with disagreement. “Just Lewis, and no one really cares if Lewis hates you... He’ll be back to normal by the next festival, anyway. This wasn’t as bad as Sam’s.”

                          “Oh man, Sam’s was horrible,” Abigail laughed.

                          The farmer sighed. “I suppose so...” She grumbled as it was their turn to get their servings from the stew. After being offered bowls, the three of them scooped up stew to eat for themselves.

                          “Honestly, I don’t care if this tastes like a muddy slime. I’m hungry as hell,” mumbled Abigail, already taking a spoon to start eating. As she did, she hummed in approval. “This is pretty good, though. I like it.”

                          Sebastian tried his food next, and nodded in agreement. Jade sighed, staring at her bowl, then hesitantly trying herself. Hey, it wasn’t bad. She could probably eat a ton of this for leftovers. All of the town began eating the stew, and while no one necessarily loved it, it was still very filling. When most people were done with their first serving, Mayor Lewis surveyed the beach to find Jade. Once his eyes locked onto her, there was no more hope for the young farmer.

                          Jade froze like a deer in the headlights as Lewis began stomping towards her. “Oh no, oh no,” Jade fearfully whispered to herself. “I’m done for.”

                          But just as everything seemed to spell doom and gloom for the young farmer, an angel appeared: Penny hurriedly ran in front of Lewis, causing him to bump into her on accident. “A-ah, sorry, Mayor Lewis! We really need your help though, like, really need your help! I think I saw someone in the water!”

                          “What?” Lewis worriedly asked. Penny took him by the arm and began guiding him off to the other side of the beach, hurriedly explaining what she saw in the ocean.

                          Sam suddenly appeared and lifted Jade up from behind. She was going to shout at him, but Abigail quickly covered her mouth. “Shhh,” the other three members of the squad said at once.

                          “Operation F.Y.L. is a go,” Sam muttered, carrying Jade behind the many decorations of the Luau while all of the townspeople were distracted. He saw Penny wave at him from a distance, causing him to wink and offer a thumbs up in return. Lewis looked back to Penny, which made her snap back to attention and continue to explain what she saw. Meanwhile, Sam, Sebastian, and Abigail all sneaked back towards Pelican Town while the blond held Jade in his arms. Together, they escaped the festival.

                          They approached the graveyard when Sam finally decided to set down Jade. The four of them all stared to each other mindlessly, but then broke out into heavy laughter. “I can’t believe we did that!” Sam cackled.

                          “Sweet Yoba, the look on your face,” Sebastian teased Jade, tearing up from laughter.

                          “You know what? I’m glad we’re outta there,” Abigail grinned. “It wouldn’t have been as fun if we watched Jade get ripped apart.”

                          Jade chuckled, but then looked at all of them endearingly. “You got me out of there, thank you. Especially you, Sam. What does Operation F.Y.L. mean, though?”

                          “Operation Fuck You, Lewis,” Sam narrowed his eyes. “He gets a 20 foot pole jammed up his ass when it comes to the Luau, because of some guy that only really cares to visit us once a year for food. It’s all pointless political garbage,” he growled.

                          Jade laughed from the abbreviation. “I like it!”

                          “Yeah!” Sam beamed. “Remind me to kiss the hell outta Penny for this. She’s the best, and was the one who suggested it in the first place.”

                          “But Sam, aren’t you married to someone already?” Abigail obnoxiously chuckled and winked at Jade. “To Seba-

                          “I will throw you into that pot of stew if you finish that sentence, so help me,” Sebastian threatened, glaring at Abigail. That only made her and Jade laugh even harder. They all took the time to calm down, but were very satisfied with their endeavors.

                          “What now?” Sam asked, looking around. “We got some daylight to burn, the whole town is ours.”

                          Jade giggled. “Why don’t we just go to my house? Movies and video games,” she offered. “And lots of snacks. You deserve it.”

                          “Don’t you have a cat?” Sebastian asked.

                          “Yes! And a cat! So now you have to come,” Jade grinned.

                          The three of them seemed pleased with the suggestion, and nodded to her. Sam raised his arms in victory. “To Jade’s house!” he hollered with utmost enthusiasm. The young farmer cheered with her trio of friends and started off towards the forest. Together, the four of them traveled back to Jade’s abode and stayed there until the day grew old and Lewis was no longer a threat.

                          While the Luau didn’t turn out the way Jade initially expected, she was extremely pleased with its outcome. Nothing could have been better than goofing off with her best, arguably troublemaking, friends.




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                          This chapter and the next chapter have a lot of amusing and hilarious things. I'm just. So excited.

                          We're nearing the middle of summer! Who knows what else the season will hold~

                          Ah yes, and PENNY MAKES A RETURN. I've done some research on Penny and she's honestly a joy to write. I love her, she's a precious cinnamon roll. I know there's a couple of Penny lovers that read this so I really hope you enjoy her time to shine. She'll definitely appear more, especially when I get to more Maru stuff.

                          One reason I wrote this chapter the way I did is because I am 100% positive that Lewis is a HUGE pain when it comes to the Luau. I also really hate how most of the crops you grow are pretty much worthless for the Luau, save for like, a Melon. I even looked this up to confirm it AND IT'S RIDICULOUS. OPERATION F.Y.L. IS NEEDED

                          aNYWAYS thanks for reading and hope you enjoy <3 <3
                           
                          • Gabaw

                            Gabaw Spaceman Spiff

                            okay now it's my turn to rip due to uncontrollable laughter and implosion of the ribs :rofl: and those doodles tho I've never see Penny both so innocent and so badass at the same time. and yes, I think @mrobake will agree with me here, you did us proud writing Penny so well. even beyond that however is how much of a perfect asshole you made Lewis lmao! It's so spot on to his behavior during the luau and the resentment from the townsfolk is downright palpable. ending with Operation F.Y.L. tho, and the accompanying drawing, it's literally gold, pure gold holy s**t :confirm: I mean seriously. In my head I was like, okay does this actually mean- omfg it does yes x1000. I don't know how much more to praise without coming off as a complete cheeselord, which is fine because cheese is tasty as hell, but let's see what else... I guess +1 for "unintelligible". what can I say vocab is a good thing :p
                             
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                            • Minimanta

                              Minimanta Spaceman Spiff

                              I shouldn't have read that chapter before breakfast, I'm absolutely starving now xD Still one more hour until breakfast tho *sigh*

                              Great chapter though! I love how Penny saved Jade in the end xD
                               
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                              • Risukage

                                Risukage Giant Laser Beams

                                I love everything about this chapter, especially Operation F.Y.L. :p

                                My Lewis is a bit more sympathetic (given the nature of my story), but yours? LOL. MOAR PENNY!
                                 
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                                • mrobake

                                  mrobake Zero Gravity Genie

                                  MagicallyClueless and Gabaw like this.
                                • Iranna

                                  Iranna Void-Bound Voyager

                                  Penny! I approve how you wrote the best waifu ever. And this chapter, it was so amazing with the Luau and Hitlewis (you made me imagine Lewis going to the farmer's house on midnight when she is sleeping just to induce her to show at the Luau with the best she had, all dressed like a nazi soldier).


                                  Now I want Jade to see Sebastian without his hoodie. In his undies, while changing. Fanservice power!
                                   
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                                  • Rauchschwalbe

                                    Rauchschwalbe Cosmic Narwhal

                                    This was a really funny chapter! I had so much fun reading it and enjoyed it as always.
                                    I hope we will get to read something about the game night?
                                    I`d love to read about it.
                                     
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                                    • MagicallyClueless

                                      MagicallyClueless Master Astronaut

                                      *wiggles eyebrows at fanservice* don't give me ideas now! ;D
                                      lewis is totally a nazi about the luau tho

                                      Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it! <3
                                      Yesss, game nights great nights! I probably won't do every one but it's a great place to develop the squad.
                                       
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                                      • ApertureGaming011

                                        ApertureGaming011 Scruffy Nerf-Herder

                                        Teach me your ways of creating such flawless fanfiction, O goddess of Chuclefish
                                         

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