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

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

  1. Risukage

    Risukage Giant Laser Beams

    ...So I notice you never set a time limit on that request...
     
    • Gabaw

      Gabaw Spaceman Spiff

      "I coulda been a ghost" lmao!! :rofl: this chapter had lots of great imagery in it. the nightscape of SDV is def a beautiful sight. the ending was pretty tense and you got that across well. too well :p hopefully soon those two numbskulls will work things out. best mom doesn't deserve "this s**t" for sure.
       
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      • MagicallyClueless

        MagicallyClueless Master Astronaut

        pls don't steal my husbo
        you'll forget to feed him!!!

        thank you!! i've been practicing my imagery. admittedly i still have a long way to go, but i'm glad i got the feel of the nighttime across well enough.
        arguments are intense, bruh!!! wait 'til the next chapter. i'm so excited to post it.

        robin needs a hug
         
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        • ApertureGaming011

          ApertureGaming011 Scruffy Nerf-Herder

          Rule number 9000: DON'T MESS WITH ROBIN.

          Side effects include: Avian Flu, Bubonic Plague, Kung Flu, permanent asphyxiation, One Punched, Falcon Punched, Decapitiation, Death, Even more death, Deserving of death, being 'axe-ed' a question, being Robin's training dummy and being bear-hugged by her if mistreated Rbin.
           
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          • MagicallyClueless

            MagicallyClueless Master Astronaut


            "He’s been doing this shit since I was a kid.”

            Such enraged words marked the beginning of the rant that Jade always felt was coming, but was never sure of when. Even calling it a rant wouldn’t give his feelings proper merit; this was something that had built up for years of merely ‘dealing with it’, grumpy conversations only truly taking form over instant messaging or sprinkling into daily dialogue that everyone already grew accustomed to. Sebastian was furious, exhausted, and excessively frustrated with the aftermath of the last summer festival. Moments before that unavoidable argument, he had never felt more engrossed in the world. From the curious floating jellyfish, to being around his beloved friends, to watching Jade’s first experience with the festival, he felt so... happy. How could a couple of ill placed comments destroy his entire evening?

            It could happen with such ease, apparently. He had explained some previous arguments about Demetrius, how he felt mistreated in the household, and how the ‘house rules’ only seemed to apply to him when convenient for Demetrius to exercise his ‘fatherly privilege’. Sebastian seemed to have a lot of backed up hatred for Demetrius, bringing Jade a terrible sadness in her heart. She wanted to fix his troubles, but she only knew how to do one thing.

            Listening. She listened to him the whole way back to her house, giving only understanding nods and short comments to show she was invested in the talk. When they got to the farmland, Sebastian couldn’t take it anymore. This was the first time in weeks she saw him pull out a cigarette. “Sorry, I really need this,” he mumbled to her before holding the cigarette in his mouth and igniting the end with his lighter. He knew Jade didn’t react very well to smoking and he was very well aware of the effect it had on his health, but if anything, it helped relax him. He stood in front of the young farmer’s house and tapped his foot impatiently as he breathed in his cigarette. Jade quickly ran to the house to turn on the porch and house lights.

            Afterwards, she grabbed a flimsy wooden sword and started walking back to him. The sword faced a lot of wear, but was still sturdy. “Hey, um... I can tell you’re just taking a break, so maybe we can do something constructive when you continue the talk.”

            “Really? You’re actually willing to hear me talk more? I feel like I haven’t even covered the tip of the iceberg yet.” He scoffed, angrily gazing out into the black of the night. He decided to focus on the shadows cast by the warm glow of the house lights. He heard Jade’s footsteps towards him and glanced at her with the corner of his eye. “...A wooden sword?”

            “Mmhm. My training dummy is good for stress.”

            “Huh... maybe that’s not a bad idea,” he pondered aloud.

            “Yes, but you can finish that first. I’ll be over here.” Jade trot over to the place of her training dummy, which currently took refuge at an empty space to the left of her home. In a few minutes, Sebastian finished smoking, kindly disposed of the cigarette butt in an outside garbage can and joined her.

            He sighed. “Where do you want me to begin?”

            “You were talking about your career choices.” The young farmer handed him the wooden sword and stood back to see his practice. Sebastian’s hits to the training dummy were tactical at first- striking with precision, skill, swiftness. He was doing what he did best.

            “Things like that make me wonder why Mom even wanted to marry him,” he started with a growl, though he seemed a lot calmer than before. The outbursts and the last smoke seemed to help a little. “I’ve never even seen my grandparents, because that’s how much they didn’t get along. They wanted her to live a traditional life, live as a housewife and wear Sunday dresses. That didn’t fly with her, of course. She was always about being herself,” he continued, striking the training dummy in the chest, “doing what she’s passionate about, proving her worth. Doing a man’s job ten times better than anyone with balls. Carpentry wasn’t in her family, but it was in her blood.”

            Jade sat at the edge of her porch, watching him closely. She gently swung her legs and silently admired his fighting form.

            “Mom was-... is, an inspiration to me. And at least she tried to raise me right, with ideals that I didn’t have to follow anything in a traditional light. Maybe I wouldn’t always succeed, even if I tried hard, but damned if I never tried.” His strikes against the training dummy were becoming a little more fierce, though he still maintained his composure.

            He halted his breath as he swung the sword once more. “Mom always talked about trying your best. So I did. I did all of that. I wanted to impress her... I wanted to impress them.” The training dummy wobbled from the last attack.

            “I aced all of my classes every single year of my school life. I took all kinds of classes, even shit I hated. I fucking enrolled in advanced placement for subjects I didn’t even want to breach. Give me all the history and science in the world, but I took math to get ahead! To get ahead just once, and maybe hear a... hear just one, one fucking word of praise.” He grit his teeth and held the sword tightly. With an angry scream, he jabbed at the dummy’s head. “MATH didn’t fucking WORK!”

            He continued, strikes getting heavier and less thoughtful. “Every little thing had to be commented on!! Why didn’t Sebastian get a perfect score? He got a 97 but Maru would have got 100! He couldn’t be that smart, since his fucking sister was the one who skipped ahead TWO grades!” Another hit. “Who cares if he wrote a ten page essay, Maru’s was twelve pages!!” Another. “What did you do to your clothes? Your hair? Making some kind of statement?” One more. “Only little kids play with fucking toys, Sebastian!” Jade stood up with worry, noticing his rage building even further. “She’s so sociable, meanwhile this sad sack of shit gets panic attacks in a full fucking classroom! What a disgrace!” He swung at the dummy so hard that its head popped right off and rolled onto a patch of dirt. “... Shit... sorry.”

            Jade worriedly smiled. “I actually sliced the head off with my real sword and kinda just... put the head back. I was having a stupid day,” she laughed with softness in her voice. “... How are you feeling?”

            “I’m...” He sighed. “I’m better. Just... angry.”

            “It’s natural to feel angry... it sounds like most people never took the time to acknowledge and understand you.” The young farmer stepped over to the fallen dummy head and stuffed it with some of the hay that fell out. She slowly walked back to the training dummy itself and placed the head back on top, mumbling an ‘I’ll put it back together later’ under her breath.

            “Not that it really matters anymore. I gave up with Demetrius, after constantly disappointing him.” Sebastian twirled the wooden sword in his hands absent-mindedly. “It didn’t end there, but I did give up talking to him. I didn’t bother to tell him why I didn’t go to college, or why I wanted to become a programmer. I’ll only hear words about how I’m throwing away my future, I’m not making enough money, I’ll just waste my funds on games, blah blah...” Sebastian offered the sword back to Jade, which she took before he sat on the grass and collapsed back to stare at the night sky. “He’ll never know how much money I actually have. I’ve been saving it up for so long.”

            Jade lightly tossed the sword aside to sit beside him.“For anything in particular?” she asked, watching him stargaze.

            “For getting away.” He frowned. “Ever since I started freelancing, I started saving up. Just... to move out of Pelican Town. I hate it... Hated it.” A sigh escaped his throat. “Maybe I just... hate living in that basement,” he quietly muttered. “But... I never felt like I belonged here. Zuzu City always had a nicer appeal. A place where no one cares what the hell you’re doing.” He sighed again. “Unfortunately, the apartments are so expensive... and if I go now, I’ll have to land an embarrassing part-time job. Maybe I should start job hunting...”

            The young farmer softly pat him on the head. She wanted to speak, but she didn’t know exactly what to say. This was Sebastian’s time to talk about himself, which was an opportunity he never really seemed to have with anyone else.

            “I... I mean. I have Sam, and Abby sometimes... and you.” He sighed in frustration this time, turning his head to look at Jade. His head flopped to its side, so he tiredly glanced at her leg instead. “... I don’t know what to do with myself.” The raven-haired man mustered enough energy to look her in the eyes. “Jade... Maybe it’s unfair to ask you for advice, but... What should I do?”

            “Hm...” Jade continued to watch him while trying to not upset herself too much with Sebastian’s troubles. She had welled up with emotions; seeing him so upset caused her to feel bias against anyone and everyone who wronged him. On the other hand, however, she tried to keep a calm conscience. She knew that a lot of it was him filtering his frustrations- Demetrius didn’t actually call him a disgrace or scold him for a non-perfect grade, she hoped. He had obviously thought about escaping Pelican Town for a while, though no matter how logically he planned it, it just seemed... off. “Well,” she began with hesitation, trying to word her best. “I think... I think you should be there for your mom.”

            Sebastian peered away from the young farmer, listening. He was in serious thought.

            “It sucks to be stuck there... Especially with a step-dad that doesn’t understand you, and fails at trying to understand, but... your mom never let you down, did she?” Jade asked. Her question was a mix between a rhetorical and a genuine one; she felt like Robin was the only family member Sebastian felt close to, but she didn’t want to completely jump to conclusions.

            “Well... No...” Sebastian murmured.

            “I’ll be honest... Zuzu City is... it’s... If it’s anything like the city I used to live in, it’s full of people. Full of corporate mess, tiny overpriced apartments, high levels of crime, drugs, the works, it’s...” She frowned. “It doesn’t sound like you.”

            Sebastian went quiet again.

            “I had to escape the city. I had to,” Jade started. “I preferred living on the road, homeless, for a year, rather than return to my old apartment. And... And I had a ton of shitty jobs, I wasn’t happy with any of them, and I did freelancing on the side, too...” The young farmer continued to speak, but she wasn’t sure she was doing the right thing. She didn’t really want to talk about herself, though she hoped it would provide some proper insight. “I think that you could live in Zuzu City. I think you’re very capable of landing a good job, getting a nice apartment, but...”

            A moment of silence. She conjured up enough words to continue: “But... You’d be leaving all the people you know. Time by yourself can be nice, but... being completely alone is something else. Walking in a city, surrounded by thousands of people you’ve never seen... it’s the loneliest feeling of all. I was alone for a really long time... And, I struggled with it for a while. Sometimes I still do.” Jade’s arms started shaking and her teeth chattering unintentionally. She hugged herself and tried to regulate her breathing. “Y-you don’t have to be alone, though,” she weakly muttered.

            “Maybe Zuzu City ends up right for you after all, or maybe you find a different town to call home... Life can be so weird like that. I wish I could tell you for sure what to do, but until then...” Her heart was beating like crazy since she was so nervous. In her mind, she prayed she was saying everything right. “Whenever someone upsets you and you can’t stay in the house, you can... you can come over and stay, okay? You don’t even have to say anything. I know it can help to be around someone familiar, and to take a break from certain people. You don’t even have to be in the same room, if you don’t want... I just don’t want you to be alone.” She took a deep breath and shakily exhaled.

            “Just... be there for your mom, and... be here for yourself. At least until you figure everything out,” Jade concluded.

            Sebastian slowly sat up, not bothering to fix the hair that flicked over his face. He next propped himself up on his knees and peered down to the still sitting farmer, then quickly leaned forward and tightly wrapped his arms around her. Jade was slightly pushed back from the force of the embrace, but was more focused on him than herself at the moment. Her face instantly flushed from such an abrasive move, especially from someone who seeked only minor contact, if any at all. The young farmer did recall the sly hug around a week ago, but she felt like it was more about Alex than about her...

            This was different. Jade snapped out of shock and gently returned his embrace. She could feel his chest shifting from a terrified pound to a consistent rhythm the longer they stayed there. She felt a quiet sigh escape his throat once more and saw that he had finally relaxed. He continued to hold her for a minute before eventually letting go. Without saying a word, Sebastian left for the front porch and then entered the house. Jade had to take a minute to stargaze before mustering the courage to enter the house after him. Though it took her a moment, she understood why he hugged her like that. In a situation of constant stress, only wordless actions could properly express gratitude.

            You’re welcome, Sebastian.

            --

            Jade supplied her raven-haired companion with extra pillows and blankets for his stay on the couch. She had bid him a goodnight as he settled and then she left to her room to go shower, but later returning to find him still awake. He still hadn’t talked at all, but he didn’t really seem ready to sleep, either. The young farmer decided to break the ice:

            “Still awake? It’s 2 AM. I’m screwed tomorrow,” she pitifully laughed. “But, I’m good. Thank you for taking me home. Take all the rest you need.”

            "Hunh? Yeah. Thanks,” quietly replied Sebastian.

            “... Sorry for prodding some more, but are you feeling better?” she inquired.

            Sebastian actually sprouted a faint smile from the question. “Yeah... I’m fine. I just get into thinking moods sometimes. I know I should sleep, but I don’t really feel tired.”

            The young farmer crossed her arms and hummed in thought. “Well... I got a ton of movies and games at your disposal. I trust you to not make hell of the place while I’m sleeping,” she chuckled. “Oh, I do have some books.... whoops, crap, I never returned this to you,” she pouted, noticing one of his borrowed books on her nearby shelf.

            “I’ll come for it later... Do you have a pen and some paper anywhere?” he asked.

            “Uhhh-” Jade darted her eyes back and forth as she tried to recall where any could be, “Oh!” She squeaked, then taking off into her bedroom. She emerged with a sketchbook and a simple black pen. “I doodle before sleep sometimes,” the young farmer explained with a somewhat embarrassed laugh, opening the sketchbook to a blank page before offering both materials to him.

            He gave her a nod as a thank you and tapped the end of the pen to his chin as he tried to think. In a few seconds, his eyes lit up and he scribbled some writing down on the paper. A few more second passed before he glanced at the still standing Jade. “Hey, which is better: a dragon that is the size of a housecat but can still breathe fire and wreck one’s shit, or a fruit bat that’s the size of a house but it’s harmless?”

            Jade giggled from his question and sat down at the other end of the couch. “Depends... is the bat domestic? Like, can I ride it on a saddle? Does it have a dog’s loyalty?”

            “Huh.” Sebastian wrote some more. “Yeah, bat wins.”

            “What are you doing?” she grinned.

            His smile was more genuine this time. “Writing random concepts helps me sleep. It’s a form of organization for my mind, in a way.” He went quiet again, drumming up another comparison. “I just like figuring stuff out. Kinda like math problems, except fuck math.”

            “As was previously established,” she chuckled again.

            “Yes.” He smiled at her, but then glared at the paper, tongue sticking out the corner of his mouth as he tried to draw something. “Dammit.”

            “Haha, what is it?”

            “I just drew a bat that only a mother could love,” he replied with a dramatic, strained voice. He turned the sketchpad around to show her. Jade stifled her laughter as she stared at the page; the top left corner had a couple of notes in perfect, clear handwriting, while the bottom right corner of the page had a blob that vaguely resembled a bat with fangs. She could still tell it was a bat, and it was so cute in the most elementary way.

            She snorted and clapped her hand over her mouth. “Oh my goodness,” she spoke, slowly removing. “Here, let me help you.” Jade laughed a bit as she slyly took the pen from his hand and doodled onto the paper herself. Once she was finished, she returned the sketchpad and pen to him. Above Sebastian’s drawing was a much more realistic, fluffy bat, complete with a saddle strapped on its back and huge, pointy ears. The bat’s wings had circled over the tiny, blobby bat, a dialogue bubble with the text ‘my son! < 3’ written inside of it. Sebastian sent out a hefty laugh upon witnessing the drawing.

            “I love this,” he chuckled. “Is Bat Mom helping her malformed son somewhere?”

            Jade giggled and settled on the couch some more, hugging her legs while watching him. “She’s taking him to bat school, obviously.”

            “Ah, yes. The most dignified bat school of the region. I should draw him with a... batpack.” Sebastian snickered to himself as he doodled more on the paper.

            Jade’s low laughter turned into a high cackle. “That was bad and you should feel bad!” she snorted.

            “You love it,” he said.

            “I do,” she laughed in return.

            Both of them forgot they were supposed to sleep, and instead passed the sketchpad back and forth to continue the hypothetical giant bat story. They ended up developing a world for the bat family, making ridiculous creatures to befriend the bat family, and so on. They had an endless amount of fun coming up with multiple ideas and concepts, Sebastian offhandedly mentioning that he would love to make games one day. Without skipping a single beat, Jade told him that he should bring their silly ideas to fruit. He seriously considered it, if only for fun.

            Writing and reflecting back and forth of ideas slowed down in time. Sebastian was actually in the middle of a statement when his voice faded. His head went limp on the couch arm and his eyes could no longer stay open. Still in his right hand was the pen, and on his stomach lie the sketchpad. Jade was in a better state of consciousness, but after Sebastian’s long period of silence, she realized it was finally time to settle down. The sketchpad and the pen were placed on a nearby coffee table, then Jade covered up the exhausted programmer with a cozy blanket. After hearing obnoxious meowing from the front door, Jade let Onyx back inside, then finally ventured to her room.

            She collapsed in her bed and stretched her arms and legs with a yawn. The young farmer knew she would hate what the alarm clock would tell her, though she decided to look to the nightstand beside her anyway: 3:25 AM. Wow. Tiredly, Jade disabled her 6 AM alarm and curled up in her covers. Farming could wait until she was well rested.



            This was a really exciting chapter for me to write because of the intense dialogue in the beginning and just the more sprinkles of cute fluff. More exposition and more buildups that will lead to some more resolutions and conclusions. I'm at that point in the story where a lot of building up is beginning to pay off and some of the bigger points in the story will be properly approached. WHOO

            Sebastian's family situation and how the four of them deal with it has always been one of my favorite topics in the game, so I'm really excited to get into the base of it and explore it further. We've only really seen a little bit of Robin's and Maru's thoughts about it, but since the bulk of the conflict is between Sebastian and Demetrius, we'll see how that turns out.
             
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            • ApertureGaming011

              ApertureGaming011 Scruffy Nerf-Herder

              Oh my god, this new chapter is SOOOO good! It makes me feel bad about Sebastian and want to kill Demetrius!
               
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              • Risukage

                Risukage Giant Laser Beams

                A bit of catharsis, eh? Looks like Sebastian has needed that for ages. And now he's got a second home he can go to when he needs to GTFO for a bit. Good for him for being able to open up like that, thanks, Jade!
                 
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                • Gabaw

                  Gabaw Spaceman Spiff

                  That was epic!! Looks like both Seb and Jade got something off their chests. no better way to let it all out than hitting an inanimate object repeatedly. even better when the head plops off tho Jade did most of the work there earlier :p this is what happens when you bottle it all up. Not saying everyone should sit around talking about feelings all day but after so many years of the #struglife it came out in a major way! the only thing i wish personally is that Seb relays some of this to Demetrius' face :rofl: great chap MG!

                  also batpack. lmao.
                   
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                  • Kid Absurdity

                    Kid Absurdity Big Damn Hero

                    With a Clue-by-Four.
                     
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                    • MagicallyClueless

                      MagicallyClueless Master Astronaut


                      While the first day of Fall greeted Jade in the friendliest of manners through a shining autumn sun, Jade could not return that same amount of enthusiasm. Her bed seemed ten times more comfortable than before, even though all she did was stay up some hours later than her regular bedtime- or, well, several hours. She glanced over to her alarm clock that shown it was nearly noon, causing her to roll off her mattress with a grumble.

                      The young farmer, after dressing for a long day of work, waddled out of her room to check if Sebastian was still there. He was, and seemed extremely comfortable in the blanket and pillows. One pillow was under his head, while the other was over his face. Onyx had also made a comfortable napping place on Sebastian’s stomach, curled up into a ball and snoozing with content. Jade giggled at the sight; if she didn’t know better, she wouldn’t have guessed that anyone was on the couch at all.

                      “What’re you laughing at?” came a tired, muffled voice from said couch. A hand emerged from the blanket to pet the purring Onix.

                      “You,” Jade laughed at a more comfortable volume. He was awake after all, it seemed. “Did I wake you?”

                      “Nah, I’ve just been lying here a little bit. Not like I can get up,” the raven-hair mumbled, fully aware of Onyx claiming him as a seat.

                      “Yeah, you’re pretty trapped there.” She chuckled. “Good morning. Well, afternoon, in a few minutes. Are you hungry?” the young farmer kindly inquired, already walking for the kitchen. Sebastian grabbed the pillow off his head and tossed it to the other end of the couch, causing Onyx to jerk awake. Only seeing a pillow, the fluffy black beast quickly relaxed and dozed off once more.

                      Sebastian adjusted himself enough to barely peer into the kitchen. “Whatever you give me is fine... Do you have coffee?”

                      “Nope... I got orange juice,” Jade responded.

                      “Wha- who doesn’t have coffee?” he groaned almost pitifully, knowing there were circles under his eyes.

                      The young farmer searched through her fridge, looking for anything that would be good to make. Eh... nothing really stood out. She needed to go and buy fall seeds from Pierre’s place anyway, so she could probably buy some lunch if the saloon was open. “I have to run to the shop since I’m pretty empty here... I could get some coffee for you, if you’d like. I’m more of a tea person, so I don’t have any coffee in my house.”

                      He sarcastically clicked his tongue. “Typical loser choice of drinks,” he tried to say in a snobby tone, but a yawn had interrupted his flow. “You don’t have to bring me coffee, hun. Thanks, though.”

                      She suddenly paused and stared over to him with disbelief. “Hun?”

                      “What?”

                      “You just called me hun,” Jade stated as a matter of fact, expression showing her amusement in overabundance.

                      “... What?” Sebastian slowly descended back down into the pillow below his head, half-hoping she was kidding. Jade broke out into a cackle, cheeks flushing from such a slip of the tongue. His face reddened as well, partly due to embarrassment and the fact that he was too tired to even moderate his statements. “Shut up!” he weakly yelled, pulling the blanket up over his face.

                      “Would you like me to bring back some spaghetti, Robin? Tell me. How are the kids doing?” Jade teased in between her laughs, walking up to him. She poked his face through the blanket, causing him to unfurl the covers and flail at her.

                      “I hate you,” he snapped in a low grunt after she backed away. His childish response only caused her to laugh again. All the commotion caused Onyx to jolt back awake and escape to some other part of the house. Sebastian grumbled something that Jade couldn’t hear and turned onto his belly. He buried his face in the pillow, then after a few seconds, inquired: “Why are you still here?”

                      “Haha! Oh, sorry. I know you’re a very busy carpenter,” she snorted, extremely entertained. Jade’s laughter finally died down enough to grab her backpack right at the house’s entrance, then grasped for the front door. “I’ll be off getting some food and farm stuff. If Alex comes over and your son misbehaves, his ass is grass!”

                      He wanted to create an irritated and snarky response, but he heard the front door open and close before he could. An hour passed of tidying up the living room, fixing his hair for the day and dreading going back home. He knew he would have to leave Jade’s house at some point and get the interaction with his step-father over with, though he didn’t want to deal with it at all. There wasn’t as much pent up frustration thanks to his massive tirade the previous night, so at least he wouldn’t be unnecessarily caustic... Still, trying to talk it out with Demetrius always ended up the same way.

                      Usually Robin was there to mediate them both, Demetrius spouting honorary step-fatherlike things to say, how he just ‘cared’ about Sebastian and wanted the best for him. Sebastian, knowing he would only cause more trouble, stayed quiet and begrudgingly stated he understood Demetrius’ reasons for whatever situation. Robin didn’t believe her son at all and knew he was frustrated, but the interaction exhausted her more than anyone else. She let them get back to whatever they usually did while she had to go vent about her own troubles- usually by chopping down trees. No one was at each other’s throats, so it was resolved until next time for the most part.

                      Jade returned with quite a few grocery bags; one of them was full of packaged food from the saloon, while the others were full of seed packets, various consumables, and a sack of dry cat food. In one of her hands, she held a hot and lidded cup of coffee. Sebastian was sitting on the couch and watching television when she entered. “Hey, I’m back!” she cheerfully called, which made him to stand and walk over to her in greeting. “Oh, there you are. Here,” she started, giving him the coffee, then heading over to the dining table to put everything else down. “Whew! I should have worn a jacket, it’s already getting so chilly.”

                      Sebastian smiled to her before glancing down at the coffee. “Aw, you didn’t have to.”

                      "Yes I did, Grumpy. I got the coffee black, but I have sugar and whatever else you fancy coffee drinkers need if applicable.” Jade groaned as she took off her backpack, then flopped onto the nearest dining chair. She started rummaging through one of the grocery bags for the meals she bought.

                      “Hah, I’m almost flattered. Almost.” He watched her and sipped the coffee given to him.

                      The next portion of the day was spent eating their first meal of the day, chatting, making light of the first day of Fall. Jade mused on about how the Stardrop Saloon was open for lunchtime, the prices of seeds, and anything else that was on her mind. Sebastian mostly listened, partly because he was eating and partly because he just didn’t know what to say. Going back home weighed heavily on his mind and hearing Jade’s relaxing voice delayed the inevitable.

                      Jade started on her farming duties no later than 2 PM. Around her stalks of corn, she carefully tilled the soil and planted some more corn, a row of cranberries, and a patch of pumpkins. She saved a lot of her money from past harvests, so she was able to splurge and get some of the far more expensive crops. Sebastian watched her fulfill her farming duties as he finished drinking his coffee. The breeze felt very pleasant and he had never seen an actual farmer at work before. The process, although monotonous, was really interesting and calming to him. She would occasionally yell to the porch to talk to him, which he answered with equal snark.

                      Eventually, Sebastian knew he could no longer stay even if he wanted to. A statement from the previous night had lingered in his mind: Be there for your mom, be here for yourself. It was time for him to talk to Demetrius, and not for self-closure... the very least he could do was fulfill Robin’s request. “Guess it’s time for me to head off,” he stated as he approached the still working Jade. “Thanks for letting me hang out.”

                      Jade dropped her gardening hoe with an exhausted sigh to better focus on him. “Aw, no problem. You’re always welcome here, you know... and don’t be afraid to message me, okay?” She worriedly smiled to him and took his hand to hold. The raven-hair didn’t verbally respond, though he gave a nod of acknowledgement and a stare that showed his thankfulness as well as reluctance.

                      "Uh..." He started after their some brief silence. He stared at her, appearing as if he actually did have something to say. However, a moment passed and he couldn't bring himself to speak. "... Bye," he muttered, then slowly let her hand go and finally left the premises. Jade watched him with concern, focusing back on her work after he passed the farm gates. She hoped the confrontation would go well, but a sinking feeling told her that it was more complicated than she knew.

                      The rest of the day was her own, as was her farm. All of her crops were successfully planted in their plots, watered to perfection, and she went to her large rabbit coop to give even more attention. Jade spent some time with her rabbits, idly reading a farming manual after she had properly greeted them and brought them more hay. She had made a comfortable seat on a generous pile of straw when she noticed something slightly different about her rabbits.

                      Butterscotch and Plague were not only larger, but... fluffier. Jade cast her reading aside and picked docile Butterscotch up to properly examine her. Butterscotch was officially an adult, and from the length and looseness of her fur, she was properly able to give wool. After some wrestling with the smaller, faster Plague, the same proved to be true. Their fur coats had grown at a rapid pace, so it was time to do something about it.

                      Jade excitedly grabbed the proper brush to groom them and receive their wool. The fluff came off effortlessly and the rabbits themselves enjoyed the attention. By the time the young farmer had finished, there were two impressive masses of multicolored wool. She collected the newly created goods and opened the bunny-sized gate for the two to run out and feel the fall breeze. Jade didn’t know what to do with the wool exactly, but none of it would be shipped until she had a good idea. To better brainstorm, she returned to her house and properly stored the wool in an empty container.

                      “... I can’t believe I didn’t really think this far ahead,” the farmer admitted to herself with a sigh. “... Wait.”

                      Immediately, she rushed upstairs to her computer desk. Yes! They were there! She swiftly approached the desk and took a small collection of papers with descriptions and illustrations written by the Junimos. She put down the only goal she completed, which said to “Grow the largest crop of all.” A majority of the instructions Jade had trouble understanding, but there was one task that suddenly made sense:

                      “Obtain a gift from an animal friend.” Next to the vague statement was a scribbled yellow blob. Perhaps she was wrong, but after brushing her rabbits, she recognized the blob as a mass of wool. Or at the very least, something related to her animals to begin with.

                      “I’ve found my next goal,” Jade ecstatically told herself.

                      --

                      The Community Center was as barren as it always was, save for the magically refurbished storage room. Jade confidently walked to the main area with her backpack, secretly hiding the terror and doubt she felt towards her offer not being accepted.

                      “Junimos! I’m here!” she boomed, glancing around the dilapidated foyer. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around in a while! Work is slow, but I want to try my best with this.”

                      The young farmer plopped in front of the destroyed fireplace to shuffle out the wool she collected from Butterscotch. The wool was white and tan as she was, but it was yellow enough to count. “I don’t really know where to put this, so...” Jade took the bundle of wool and set it out in front of the fireplace. She instinctively glanced above at the plaque that contained one of six golden stars, the lone star representing her only successful task so far.

                      Slowly, some curious magical Junimos crawled out from several empty spaces; from the tiny hut beside the fireplace to the very floorboards Jade sat on. They all floated, bounced, and tip-toed over to the foreign material placed on their land to examine.

                      “Oh... hey, all of you... is this acceptable? For one of the missions?”

                      None of them paid attention to Jade for the moment, all of them scanning and squeaking to each other about the woolly substance. A soft yellow Junimo, one that appeared to be an expert in the matter, stood the closest to the wool and touched it with a tiny, stringy arm. The young farmer saw its dark eyes sparkle in delight as it squeaked its loud and eager approval. The group of junimos all hopped excitedly, cheering. With that, the yellow Junimo picked up the wool and returned to the hut.

                      “I-is that a yes?” Jade asked aloud, flushing. She somehow felt flattered since she could vaguely read their gestures, but what they were actually saying was completely lost on her.

                      Instead of receiving an answer, all of the Junimos surrounding her disappeared in a poof of sparkling light. Jade stood up, checking her surroundings with confusion. “Um... Hello?” she weakly asked.

                      Just then, the yellow Junimo from before had stepped back out of the hut, this time containing a golden star. It carefully made its way to the fireplace and then hopped up high enough to successfully place the star into another indention on the plaque. There were two out of six stars, causing Jade to practically burst with excitement.

                      “So you did accept! Thank you!” Jade beamed, kneeling down to the little yellow Junimo. It hopped with equal enthusiasm and squeaked, then bouncing its way to the hallway at the left of the building. The young farmer was led to another room on her left in the middle of the hallway. To her right was the clean storage room, and to her left was... “Wow.”

                      A colorful plush purple carpet covered the floor of the room, shelves up full of children’s books and toys. Art easels stood at the far end of the room, positioned so the sunlight would hit them through the windows just right. Colorful cabinets contained bountiful arts and crafts supplies, cubbies full of reference books, empty journals, and even more toys. Comfortable furniture had been positioned beside shelves and crafting stations for several art purposes. This was not only a child’s dreamland, but an artist’s. The supplies Jade saw were extremely high quality, and such a nice set-up created an itch that she needed to scratch.

                      “You’ve outdone yourselves,” Jade gasped. “Butterscotch’s little bundle of wool pushed you to do all this?” She was completely mesmerized, only snapping out of it from hearing the excited squeaks from her magical softball-sized friends. “Thank you all. I hope to complete the next tasks in hopes that this complete Community Center will do.... something.” She proudly puffed her chest, examining the room once more. “You know, I’m already getting some great ideas!”

                      The Junimos around her feet were ecstatic to hear such dialogue. Jade took some more minutes examining the contents of the room before peacefully making her leave. The eager and colorful creatures followed her around and bounced happily until she left the building. “Bye, little friends!”

                      --

                      The young farmer was too exhausted from all the farming work she did, plus the amount of walking it took to travel to the Community Center and back, after already going to town once before in the same day. Needless to say, Jade didn’t have the energy to fish, mine, or forage. Home called her name, and so too did her fridge of newly bought snacks.

                      Though there was still enough time in the day, Jade decided to put her bunnies back in the barn early. They got enough food to eat outdoors and she didn’t plan on exiting the house once she entered. Jade actually planned for an evening of vegging out, but something was on her front porch.

                      It was a rather large and wooden contraption. It looked familiar, but Jade couldn’t put her finger on why. A piece of paper with crayon scribblings was attached to the machine:

                      “We are the Junimos.

                      Thank you for helping us.

                      Please take this wool spinner.”


                      “Aww,” the young farmer mused with delight. “A wool spinner? I could do so much with this! Man, I owe the little guys so much.” Jade examined the machine and pondered where to put it, but nothing really came to mind. Instead, she picked it up and moved it to the far side of the porch, keeping it in a convenient spot but also out of the way. With a giggle, she returned inside, spirits high from such a productive and successful day. “I should tell Seb about this.”

                      The novice bunny rancher showered the day’s wear away, dressed in pajamas and took a tiny army of snacks upstairs to occupy her as she played games and relaxed. Her very first action involved sitting in her computer chair and bringing up her instant messenger to tell of the good news.

                      “Oh...”

                      Jade sighed. Sebastian wasn’t online, and even so, she didn’t think it was a good time to mess with him.

                      “I hope he’s okay.”



                      It took a while for me to get this chapter (and the next one) to a point that I liked, but I think I did pretty well now. This is a more relaxed chapter to get away from some of the more intense stuff, more progression with Jade's farm and slowly trucking along to get things done.

                      We'll be returning to some previously established issues in a few days before finally getting to a chapter that I've been waiting to do for a long time.

                      Huehueheuheuehehue
                       
                        Iranna, Gabaw, Rauchschwalbe and 4 others like this.
                      • Risukage

                        Risukage Giant Laser Beams

                        Yay! She has a spinning wheel, now she can make warm, fluffy bunny wool thread, and can use it to make a fluffy warm garment for her adorable man. Forget mermaid pendants, the hot new engagement item this winter is RABBIT HOODIES. :D
                         
                        • Kid Absurdity

                          Kid Absurdity Big Damn Hero

                          The chapter was endearing for the banter, and I also like the way it tied in farm development and the Junimo storyline. It foreshadowed the argument that's going to take place 'offscreen' in such a way that it drums up anticipation about what the result is and how it affects most of the main character roster.
                           
                          • MagicallyClueless

                            MagicallyClueless Master Astronaut

                            i love chapters that involve embarrassing your friends


                            Sebastian hadn’t shown his face to anyone for the past few days: not his half-sister or step-father, hardly his mother, he didn't feel like dealing with Sam or Abigail and Jade was definitely not a possibility. Due to shrinking confidence, he would only surface out of his room for eating and hygiene, then disappear back down to his cold and dark basement. For once, there was no abrupt knocking at his door, no eager mother telling him to come get dinner or the same peppy voice telling him that a friend had arrived. For these few days, Sebastian only had two modes: work and sleep. Since he was so stressed, he did the latter far more than the former.

                            He didn’t want to be home, really. Speaking about his dissatisfaction out loud really had him realize how badly he wanted to get away, and the feeling only increased after having the “final” talk with Demetrius. Eugh, that talk. It went as well as he thought it would, which is to say, it was an absolute disaster. Maybe it would have gone better if he had kept his mouth shut like all the other feud settlements, but Sebastian told them everything that time. He reached his breaking point and his family had to face the consequences. Sebastian spared no details about how fed up he was with Demetrius’s parenting, his anger with the rules, what he refused to follow, et cetera.

                            The last situation that incited such an argument really put Sebastian over the edge as well. The Dance of the Moonlight Jellies was supposed to be even more special than it already was. For weeks, he had been building up courage to make his “move”. A real move on a real person he cared about, something he’s thought of for ages but could never find the right time, or even the right state of mind, to verbally confess. The calming ambiance of the dancing jellyfish and getting to spend that time with Jade had him realize that the time was ever approaching. His hopes were immediately dashed by that argument, which ruined the ambiance, ruined the plans, ruined everything despite having the perfect night just moments before. His gigantic fest of rambling didn’t necessarily help, either... at least it was good to get it all off his chest.

                            The time to confess came and left, and Sebastian didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to speak to Jade when he was still in a funk, but he knew it was unfair on her as well... unlike most people, however, Jade did seem to understand that sometimes he just needed space. She hadn’t messaged him or pestered him at all for the past few days, which was a good sign. Admittedly, he hoped she would say something to give him a proper excuse to leave the house, but he was already growing exhausted of the brick-padded basement walls. While sprawled on the bed in his room, dressed to leave the house, he glanced at texts from Sam.

                            A sigh escaped his already irritated throat. Sam was well aware that Sebastian needed space, but Sam also didn’t care and still attempted to talk. His blond companion wasn’t being too annoying and just messaged about any casual subject, purposely skating around the family argument. Sebastian knew that Sam was goating him into discussing his problems, so he might as well have taken the bait.

                            He finally left his gloomy basement to see any human face that didn’t belong to his family. He did catch a glimpse of Demetrius and Maru in the lab, then Robin at the front desk, but he didn’t really say anything. Robin watched him leave with concern, spouting a “be safe, Sebby!” as he left the front door. Sebastian decided to take his motorcycle from the garage to drive into town instead, which usually resulted in a longer route.

                            One of two ways to get to town without facing cliffs or approaching stairs was to take the path behind the carpenter shop and to pass a giant, abandoned farmland. Robin took the route several times, Jade even taking the same road when she had spent the night some weeks ago. Sebastian liked the fact that it was abandoned, since it allowed so many trees to grow in what used to be fertile soil for farming produce. As the fall season progressed, leaves of maple trees darkened into various red and fuchsia hues. Oak trees transitioned into bright and fiery yellows and oranges, while the evergreen trees barely softened in color. The farmland was gorgeous, especially as the sky started to turn orange- the evening was one of Sebastian’s favorite times of day, if it had to be sunny. Scents of pine and overgrown flora led into the actual Cindersap Forest, vegetation crowning its land and surrounding its sparkling rivers and lake. Passing Marnie’s ranch and Leah’s cabin then led into town, which coincidentally went right to Sam’s house.

                            Sebastian parked his motorcycle in front of the bright blue house in question and then approached the front door. It didn’t really matter that his ride was in the road, since there were very few people in town with vehicles and calling the path a ‘road’ was generous to begin with. He gave the door a couple of knocks, but after no response, just entered instead. If Jodi didn’t answer, it meant that she was off running errands. Vincent was either playing with Jas and Penny or was accompanying his mother, and Sam...

                            Sam was there for sure. Right after entering the home, Sebastian heard the excited strumming of an amplified guitar. The blond just got off of work and celebrated in the loudest way possible. Sebastian passed through a nearly barren living room, which had only a few sofas, a coffee table, a desk and a rug, then ventured close to the source of the blaring instrument.

                            He went over to the right side of the house and approached the upper-most door in the hallway, carelessly knocking with the knowledge that Sam wouldn’t hear him anyway. He jiggled the door handle, soon followed by the abrupt halt of guitar strumming and the eager stomps of his tall friend.

                            Sam opened the door and there he was. “Hey Mama! I thought you were off to do other stuff today,” he cheerfully started and stepped aside to let Sebastian in his domain.

                            “Don’t pretend like you didn’t invite me.” Sebastian sighed and accepted the offer. Sam’s room was surely the largest room in the house, complete with plush green carpet, the essential furniture, and a drum set and musical keyboard of all things. To the northern side of the wall, there was a dresser, bookshelf, and trash can full of junk food wrappers. The far right side held Sam’s bed, which had a blue guitar hooked to an amp resting on it. Lower to the right was his desk and computer, while the bottom left corner of the room had exposed wood flooring with the drum set and keyboard. Posters of his favorite bands and hobbies adorned the textured brown walls and windows proudly brought in the slowly fading light from the front of the home itself. While the best friends (mostly) had the same kinds of furniture, Sam’s room was much more cheerful and inviting.

                            Sebastian took a quick glance around before taking Sam’s computer chair and positioning it at the more open end of the room. He instantly collapsed onto the seat and let out another sigh, as relieved as he was burdened with seeing his intriguing friend. Sam stretched with a yawn and reclined on his bed, adjacent from Sebastian’s location. “I know you’re not here for band practice,” Sam snorted.

                            “Just ask and get it over with,” the raven-haired man groaned. “I know you’ve been dying to question me.”

                            The blond laughed, expecting such a blunt answer. “Well, from how you’re talking... seems like it didn’t go very well.”

                            “It didn’t. I called Demetrius out, and it just made the whole family a bunch of nervous wrecks.”

                            “Is that why you’re on edge?” he inquired once more.

                            Sebastian took a moment to answer since he wasn’t actually sure of how to respond. Eventually, he frowned. “It’ll be fine... Demetrius and I being at each other’s throats is nothing new. Just my snapping back is.”

                            “Okay, so family troubles will die down in time?”

                            “Yeah, it always does. I don’t think Demetrius will mess with me for a while.”

                            “That’s good. Baby steps.” Sam grabbed his guitar, unhooked it from its amp, and started playing in an absent-minded manner. “Why’d you snap back this time?”

                            Sebastian sighed. “I’ve been dealing with this shit for years.”

                            “What’s different?” Sam sounded almost disinterested, asking questions as if he already knew the answer to them.

                            “I’m tired of it, that’s what’s different.”

                            “You’ve always been tired of it.”

                            The raven-hair crossed his arms. “I guess, but...” He grumbled. “I can only take so much. I’m not some powerful wizard in real life.”

                            Sam smirked. “Then, what broke you?”

                            Sebastian didn’t answer. He went quiet and stared at the carpet in contemplation.

                            “Hm.” The best friend ceased his guitar playing for a moment. “Well, I’ll say what I’ve gathered from these past few days, and you say something if I’m wrong.” He glanced to Sebastian, accepting his silence as approval. “So... Dance of the Moonlight Jellies, it’s beautiful, yadda yadda, spending some time together...” He paused again, reading his friend’s body language. “I’m guessing three things that may have happened, and I have a feeling of which one it is.” The blond emitted a sigh this time, though more airy and dramatic. “One: You told Jade how you felt and she rejected you, ruining your night. Yoba know that’s a total lie. Two: You told Jade how you felt, and your step-dad saw y’all being romantic, OR...”

                            Sam stared at Sebastian with a serious expression. The raven-hair could feel his glare, which was rather intimidating since it was so rare. They already knew what the next statement would be.

                            “Three: You didn’t tell her how you felt even though you said you would, and Demetrius still found some way to fuck up your night. The little gust of wind to ruin your house of cards... or however it goes.”

                            Sebastian grumbled something under his breath, but gained enough composure to return Sam’s watchful eye.

                            “Is that it?” Sam asked once more, waiting for a response.

                            “I was going to,” Sebastian answered, discouraged. “I was planning to walk her home, family came by to talk, then Demetrius pulled a fit about me going to her house. I was just so mad and I needed to get a lot off of my chest... I didn’t even think about it until after it was over.” The raven-hair hung his head and sighed once more. “By the time that happened, it would have been so awkward... it was late at night at her house and everything... I actually fell asleep while talking to her.”

                            Sam actually laughed, the serious demeanor completely diminishing. “You fell asleep while talking to her? Holy shit, you must have been exhausted, knowing you.”

                            Sebastian flushed and averted his glance. “Shut up, Sam,” he commanded in a slowly weakening voice. “Confessing is a lot harder than it sounds. You don’t have to worry about stuff like that.”

                            The blond thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement. “Well, yeah. You know I’m not good at this sort of thing. I don’t get fever dreams or imagine people naked unless they look hilarious. Even then, it’s like...” His statement was interrupted by his own laughter.

                            Sebastian’s face reddened at a much faster rate. “I haven’t done any of those, you ass!”

                            “Yet.” Sam broke out into a cackle. “I kid, I kid. Hell if I know, really. My point is, I’ve been dealing with your gooey lovebird shit for like over half of the summer and I don’t want to go through more gooey lovebird shit for the fall. I wish I could help more, but the only thing I can really say is to just go for it, man.” His eager voice finally calmed to a more gentle and friendly tone. “Don’t let your step-dad get in the way of your happiness, you know? Maybe he ruined one night, but you got like... a million more. Totes.” He playfully plucked at the strings of his guitar again. “You think too much and talk yourself down too much. Jade is probably waiting for you to ask her out.”

                            “How do you know?” was all Sebastian asked.

                            “... How do I know what?”

                            The flustered one of the room continued to look away, rubbing his arms. “That she, you know... is waiting?”

                            Sam loudly hit his guitar and stared at the raven-hair with the most offended expression. “Did you seriously just ask me that?”

                            “It’s a valid question!” the friend desperately stressed.

                            “You fuckin’ donut! A blind tourist would see it. You two are painfully obvious about everything, forever. When you told me how you felt, I was like, oh thank Yoba, finally.

                            Sebastian defensively stood up, arms still crossed. “What?! How?”

                            “Oh, Yoba. Where do I even begin.” Sam chuckled and set his guitar aside, then laced his hands together. “Okay. Well, pre-Jade, you never smiled like an idiot. Now it’s like, every time we’re at the saloon, you’re smiling at her, watching her at the arcade machines and you often forget what you’re talking about. I remember a few weeks ago you lost your first pool game because you were distracted. And you were playing against me!”

                            “That’s nothing!”

                            “AND game night is getting so intimate, it’s actually ridiculous. You’re an offensive wizard giving Jade all the potions and buffs? Really? One time she rolled the game dice and you congratulated her for no reason.” Sam briefly paused. “And then she said thank you and got all giddy, not even noticing that she did absolutely nothing. Because you congratulated her.”

                            “She’s still learning how to pla-

                            “Not to mention, both of you do this thing. You do this staring thing, where when the conversation ends, you just stare at each other. And you do it in public a lot? Even Abby was like, holy shit dude.”

                            “...”

                            “Oh yeah, and to top it all off, that Alex guy even approached me to ask questions. He talked about how Jade was acting all strange and cooking food she doesn’t eat, then getting all flustered if he asked about you. He also said that you flirted with her in front of him. This is the same guy who was convinced that you and I were extremely gay for each other for like two years-

                            Okay, you made your point! Damn!” Sebastian grunted, face as red as a tomato. He meekly sat back down in the chair and planted his face in his hands, overwhelmed with flustered thoughts and embarrassment.

                            Sam chuckled. “Good, so none of that BS you were spouting earlier. She really likes you, dude. And you feel the same about her. Just get it over with. No time better than the present.”

                            “It has to be a better time than the present, though. The last festival was so perfect, until...” He sighed, which caused Sam to roll his eyes.

                            “There you go, doubting yourself again. You know, for the last season I’ve been hearing about how Jade is perfect this and perfect that. You need to realize that she sees that about you, too,” Sam retorted. “So stop makin’ excuses!”

                            The raven-hair was quiet for a little while longer, though he did seem to be in serious thought. Eventually, he gave up. “Alright...”

                            “So, what are you going to do?”

                            “I’ll... I’ll confess, the next chance I...” Sebastian stopped in the middle of his statement, exhaling an exhausted breath. He started walking towards one of the room’s windows. “Yoba, it’s hot in here... I’ll do it the next time I see her, alright?” He pulled one of the windows open and took in a deep breath of fresh air, eyes closed. Once he opened his eyes, he immediately became overwhelmed again and dropped to the floor, hiding under the window. “Shit,” he breathed in terror.

                            Sam wanted to point out how the house’s temperature was actually comfortably chilly, but Sebastian’s reaction to the window interested him more. He ventured over and looked out the window, a devious smirk forming into a carnivorous grin. “Hey! Papa J!”

                            “Don’t you fucking dare,” Sebastian hissed in a whisper.

                            Jade was examining Sebastian’s motorcycle with curiosity and concern painted across her visage. With the direction she faced, it seemed like she was heading back home when the ride caught her attention. Her backpack had been bulked out due to a ton of content, though it appeared to be light with how it sat on her back. In her arms, she held a container with cloth, thread, and an assortment of sewing supplies. Her attention instantly focused on Sam when he called for her, causing her to hurriedly trot to the other side of the window. “Sam! Hi!” she beamed. “How are you? Uh... Is Seb here?” she then asked, gesturing to the motorcycle. Instinctively, she peeked inside the room to confirm her suspicions, but didn’t see anyone.

                            “I’m doing pretty good,” Sam chuckled, extremely entertained. “Sorry, though. Angst Machine isn’t here. He’s just a dum dum and left his motorcycle during his last visit.”

                            “Oh, I see...” Jade frowned in disappointment. “But... I’m glad he’s been going out. I’ve been so worried, you know? I haven’t heard from him at all for the past few days. I’m beginning to think he’s avoiding me...” She sadly looked down at her container of crafting supplies. “But... I know that’s silly, right?”

                            “Very silly. He just gets like this sometimes, even though he needs to stop being a pus- AAGH!” Sam had been punched in the knee, causing him to wince. “...Cramps! Damn cramps!”

                            “Oh, no! Are you okay?” the young farmer inquired.

                            Sam regained his composure and nodded. “Yeah, sorry, muscle pains, y’know. So. What’s all that stuff for?” He pointed at the supplies she held.

                            Jade decided to ignore her worries for a moment. “My rabbits can produce wool now and I got a wool spinner, so I can start making money off of them! I’m thinking that I’ll sell some of the cloth by itself, while I try to make some trinkets with the rest. It’ll be the first time I actually do something like this, but I could sell stuff on the internet, you know?” Her smile widened. “I got a lot of these supplies from the Community Center! A couple of the rooms are completely refurbished now and they are amazing. You and Seb should absolutely come check it out with me sometime. I think I’m the only one that goes there.”

                            “That old haunted place? Pfft, it’s getting refurbished? When did Robin find the time? I thought she’d be too busy dealing with her trash son- DAMMIT!” The blond recoiled again, claiming another case of cramps.

                            Jade giggled since he was acting strange. “I found the time, actually! I’ve been helping the Junimos- You know what, long story. Anyways, I should go back home... I’m sure you’ll see Seb again since his ride is here... can you tell him hi for me, if it doesn’t bother him?”

                            Sam slyly smirked. “Sure thing, sexy papa. Why would it bother him, though?”

                            “Well... I just don’t want to annoy him, that’s all. Has he told you about what happened? I’m just...” The young farmer lost her cheerful ambiance to reveal her true worrisome nature. She had been stressing about Sebastian ever since he left.

                            “Yeah, he did.”

                            “Oh... I won’t ask about how the talk went. I’d feel too bad.” She sighed, cheeks lightly flushed.

                            “It’s okay; I’m sure he’ll tell you later.”

                            “Maybe... Hm, you know, I should give him something to cheer him up. I know family issues are harsh... Can you help me? What is something simple I could make?” Jade asked, this time with a much more upbeat tune.

                            Sam grinned. “Make a seashell necklace!”

                            “Really? I’d have to take a trip to the beach, but... if you think he’d like it!”

                            Sam audibly gasped and Sebastian covered his own mouth with his hand, face a solid red once more. He glared up at Sam and shoved him at the shin. Sam cackled again and reached out to Jade desperately, “I’m kidding! I’m kidding! Holy Yoba, that was a joke! Ahahaha!”

                            “What’s funny about it?” Jade asked, glaring at him with confusion.

                            “Haha, shit, I keep forgetting you’re from the other side of the region. The mermaid pendant, seashell necklace or whatever, is for proposing.”

                            Jade belatedly gasped and flushed up as well. “Sam!! Don’t joke like that! Proposing was with coral jewelry where I lived!” She huffed and hugged the box of supplies to herself. “...Asshole!”

                            Sam laughed and reached to pat her on the shoulder. “Sorry, ehehe! But seriously, whatever you make would be good. I have a VERY,” Sam paused to lightly kick his hidden friend, “strong feeling that he’ll be seeing you soon. He’s a lot better.”

                            “Whew, that’s good to know. Thanks for the info, Sam... But I really should go now, or else I’ll be asking you a million questions. Nice room, by the way!” The young farmer held the crafting supplies with one arm to wave at Sam as she walked off.

                            “Bye~!” Sam frantically waved her off, then shutting the window. He broke out into another wicked cackle when he saw the extremely devastated look on Sebastian’s consistently flushed face.

                            “You’re such a prick!” softly yelled Sebastian, refusing to get off the floor.

                            “Hey, I lied to your oblivious future girlfriend for you. Now, grow a pair and go get her.”

                            The raven-hair hugged his knees. “That wasn’t fair! I meant I would try tomorrow... It’s too late to do that now!”

                            “Excuses, excuses,” laughed the blond some more. “You heard her, though. She’s worried sick about you. How dare you break her heart like that?” he dramatically asked, grasping his own chest.

                            “Shut up!” Sebastian groaned.

                            Sam walked away and relaxed by his bed once more. “I’ve never seen your face so red for so long. It’s amazing and hilarious!” He whimsically sighed and grabbed his guitar again, happily strumming. “I think I’ve messed with you enough. You know what to do.”

                            After a few moments, Sebastian stood and glared over to Sam as he tried to calm himself down. A few moments passed before the raven-haired man could effectively speak: “Okay. I’m heading off.” Sebastian went to the room’s exit, then glanced back at his best friend once more. “... I’ll do it tomorrow...”

                            “I have faith in you, bud!”

                            He weakly sighed. “Too much faith, but thanks,” he muttered before finally leaving.

                            Sebastian cautiously wandered out of Sam’s house, then quickly mounted his motorcycle before anyone came out of the blue. He drove off, though he went through town. He exit to the left of town, coming across a bus station and a real road that stretched across both directions, the one leading to the left going into a tunnel. He took the route to the right and drove as the night arrived and the moon took its place high in the sky.

                            A long time passed, but he eventually reached his destination. He dismounted his ride and stood on rocky ground, the edge of a cliff suspended just before him. The darkening purple night sky was bustling with gorgeous, shining stars, and there was a sparkling city just in the horizon. He took a seat at the edge of the cliff and watched the horizon, allowing a sigh to escape his throat for one final time that night. Without even thinking, he took out his pack of cigarettes to have a smoke. As he prepared to take a cigarette, he stared at the pack for a while, and then stashed them back in his pocket. He brought his focus back to the view, trying not to think about his habits.

                            Sam was being rough on Sebastian with the whole confession deal, though it helped him in this one case. He really was thinking too hard about this and chose to be blind about a lot of signs Jade may have given. Family issues, relationship struggles, it was all clashing together in a convoluted mess.

                            He remembered another thing Sam said: baby steps. Family issues could be completely solved later. The rant he had those days ago really did help. The relationship struggles, however...

                            Sebastian could solve that in the near future, but not at this very moment. Instead, he chose to clear his mind and watch the horizon.

                            Jade would like this view, he thought to himself.



                            GABAW IF YOU READ THIS FIRST I WILL HAVE UR HEAD

                            I'm sure you guys can tell that one point of conflict will be tied up in a neat(?) little knot very, very soon. I've had several different ideas of how to approach this topic but it was really hard to truly get it off the ground, so hopefully this chapter makes sense and flows well enough. Next two chapters will most likely deal with this plot string since it's definitely something I've been building up for a while. Like a mini-finale without actually being a finale. Some stuff is off-screen maybe, but I think the bigger, more influential moments have been covered to help drive the "main" couple of the story.

                            When all is said and done, there will be a greater focus on some other plot strings. That's not to say that this particular part is "finished", though. Ah, you'll see what I mean at least. It'll be good.
                             
                              Last edited: Aug 25, 2016
                              Iranna, Gabaw, Kid Absurdity and 4 others like this.
                            • Risukage

                              Risukage Giant Laser Beams

                              I am personally getting a kick out of the fact that two people writing two completely different stories featured Sam assisting their bestie with a serious issue in the same week. This only means one thing: Sam is so awesome that he transcends the boundaries of the SDV universe.

                              SAM IS LIFE, SAM IS LOVE. HUGS FOR THE SUNSHINE BOY! :)

                              Also, about damn time, Sebastian! *Cheers him on.*
                               
                              • Gabaw

                                Gabaw Spaceman Spiff

                                This latest chap was one of my faves. They way you wrote Sam here and also the brotalk in general is spot on and cool. This one's to Sam for being a Good Dude™ o~ :rofl: As for Seb, well, i understand his struggles. If there isn't a lot of stress and worry in regards to a new potential relationship then is the feeling really there? Sometimes, sure, but not always. This is one of those not always moments. Funny tho how peeps outside the relationship see it so clearly :p well mostly they do but it seems so obvious and yet the people involved don't have a clue haha. You're leaving us hanging tho! Can't wait for the next one.
                                 
                                • ApertureGaming011

                                  ApertureGaming011 Scruffy Nerf-Herder

                                  Ha, you made a cliffhanger with sebastian hanging around on a cliff! Can't wait for the confession, though
                                   
                                    Gabaw likes this.
                                  • MagicallyClueless

                                    MagicallyClueless Master Astronaut


                                    Some days passed with no Sebastian. Really, some days passed with no one at all. Sam and Maru took Penny out for her birthday on the 2nd of Fall, Abigail had been bogged with extra work for her father’s store due to the changing seasons, and Alex had appeared far less due to gridball season and personal schedule adjustments. To make herself useful, the young farmer honed her fishing and mining skills some more; it helped to get her mind off of the unintentional loneliness. Jade might have been worrying too much, but she would have at least expected to hear back from Sebastian by then.

                                    Ever since they established their friendship, they talked practically every day. If they weren’t talking online, chances were that they were meeting up in person- and if that wasn’t the case, one of them would have let the other known when they were busy. Jade didn’t even realize that they had established a routine with each other, though she didn’t have to really consider it before this day. Due to the situation with his step-father combined with Jade’s lack of contact, her nerves were high and her concern was even higher.

                                    Luckily, she came across Sam the previous day and was relieved to learn that Sebastian was doing relatively well- of course she was still completely bummed about hearing no word from him, but his well being mattered more than her regular conversation fix. Her personal duties kept her busy, anyways. After various web searches and examining the contraption herself, she learned how to use the Junimos’ wool spinner to make usable material from her hard working rabbits. The first bundle of cloth she sent in didn’t really pay all that well, so she decided to keep the crops as steady income while the cloth would have other uses.

                                    The completely refurbished room from the Community Center brought Jade a fantastic idea that would combine both her artistic skills and absolute need for money: handmade products! Maybe woolly socks, gloves, really cute sweaters... the fall season really brought out warm, cozy ideas. Her mind also ventured to keychains, charms, small plushes... all of them were wonderful to think about, though Jade would have to revive painful college memories and suffer a lot of trial-and-error to make something that people would actually buy.

                                    Jade’s had elevated hopes, however. She wasn’t in the same position as she was in the city. Back then, art was her only choice aside from being a Joja worker, which eventually led to her severe money troubles. Her current situation at least allowed her to make art at a more leisurely pace while still making comfortable amounts of money from the farm. Nothing prevented her from buying more crops or keeping more farm animals, after all. Stardew Valley had a much slower pace to begin with; Jade felt like she could breathe and take time to learn about her environment. No being thrown into any unknown situation, and if she was, she had a better chance of adjusting accordingly.

                                    Usually.

                                    In the middle of the afternoon, after Jade had settled for a well accomplished day, there was a knock at her door. “Coming in just a sec!” the young farmer cheerfully called as she made her way to the door. Opening it, she saw it was none other than Abigail. “Abby! Hey,” she greeted with a smile.

                                    “Yo,” replied Abigail, donned in her usual adventuring attire. “Are you busy? I feel like we haven’t chilled alone in forever. I’d love some quality time.”

                                    “Nope! Come on in,” Jade eagerly replied, stepping aside to allow entry for her guest. “It’s true that we haven’t spent time outside of regular squad days, other than festivals. I was just winding down, myself. It’s been a weird week.”

                                    The young adventurer scoffed in agreement. “Tell me about it.” She followed Jade to the living room couch so that they could both sit. “So, how are you doing?” she asked, care beaming in her voice.

                                    The tone of the question surprised Jade, though she was more than happy to answer. “I’m surviving. My bunnies are doing great and my cat is obnoxious and adorable as always, so that helps a lot.”

                                    “That’s good,” the purple-haired girl hummed. “I just know you have your ups and downs. I heard rumors about what happened at the festival. Dang, girl. You do not have good luck with festivals,” she chuckled.

                                    Jade returned the laugh in a lighthearted manner. “I really don’t. But, I am fine. Thank you for checking up on me, Ab. It means a lot.”

                                    “No problem! As for me, I’m doing well. Work is a pain, but a family business is a family business, y’know. College classes are... Bleh, well, anyway. I haven’t been chatting with too many people so I kinda just need a little break. You feel?”

                                    “Uh huh, I definitely feel.” Jade watched Abigail’s movement for a little while. She noticed that her friend didn’t really look around the house or stray from her seat, almost as if she was too tense to do anything. “... Is that the only reason you’re here?”

                                    Abigail let out a sigh, knowing full well she was caught red handed. “I heard, uh, more rumors than that,” she quietly stated.

                                    Jade suddenly went into defensive mode. “Like what?” the young farmer asked, narrowing her eyes.

                                    “A lot of stuff passes through the shop, you know? My mom has her gossipy friends, my dad chats with the customers... I overhear some of it, but a lot of it can be bogus! That’s just how this town is. Don’t get mad at me...”

                                    “Abby... what is it?”

                                    The young adventurer looked her fluffy-haired friend in the eye with concern. “Well, I don’t think it’s any question that you and Seb are close, but some people have been spreading some really nasty rumors. I think that might have had a hand in that whole... outburst thing after everyone left the festival.”

                                    Jade’s face suddenly paled. “Why can’t people mind their own damn business? Ugh... What are they saying this time?” Her voice was suddenly deeper, more stern.

                                    “I don’t know who started it or spread it around, but some people noticed how you go to Seb’s house every weekend and you and Sam walk back very late at night. Then they also see you hanging out with Alex all the time and his almost daily trips to your house before most people are even awake.” Abigail sighed. She was disappointed that the town took such note of Jade’s routines and have them be used this way.

                                    “What the... why does that matter, though? Is someone stalking me?” She asked, nearly plagued with terror.

                                    “No, I don’t think people are stalking. Just people passing by and then information gets collected. It happens, especially the longer you live here. But they start wondering, especially since you hang out with all these boys and you don’t really, how do I say it... talk to anybody about it? You kinda keep to yourself outside of your friends.” Abigail rolled her eyes, though it was more towards the situation rather than at Jade. “People are asshats and they love to make stuff up no matter what, though. Basically, people are joking that you’re having affairs with the boys you do know.”

                                    “That’s such bullshit!” yelled Jade. “Alex is my friend, he’s like a brother to me! The only other person his age that he’s close to is Haley, but even then she gets caught up in other stuff... Sam is our friend, you know that! And Seb...” She grit her teeth angrily, face heating up in rage. “I would never do that to him!”

                                    Abigail frowned, putting a hand on Jade’s shoulder. “I know you wouldn’t, and everyone who knows you is aware that you wouldn’t.” She softly smirked. “You’re just a bundle of joy, y’know? People are drawn to you. Plus, Yoba knows you’re hella more innocent than me,” she snorted in an attempt to lighten the mood. It didn’t work. “Only an idiot would believe the rumors, but I think the possibility might have messed Seb’s step-dad up some.”

                                    “Then I’ll go talk to him myself!” Jade growled, fists balled up in ferocity.

                                    “It’s okay. Robin’s really awesome, she’s been doing a bang-up job of dispersing the rumors. She knows you, and of course she knows Seb. I really don’t know what asshat would make up crappy rumors about you, but I do know that something unpleasant floated around about Seb last year and it caused a gigantic fight between him and his step-dad. I’m not surprised if the same happened at the festival, with him taking you home late and all.”

                                    Jade had been engulfed with anger. “I’ll go beat the shit out of whoever started it!” she hissed.

                                    “Whoa, whoa,” Abigail started, standing up to block Jade’s path. She held Jade’s hands and gradually lowered them in an attempt to calm her down. The young farmer was still furious, but she allowed Abigail to comfort her, at least. “Look, I hate talking about stuff like this. Most people like drama and gossip, but I just kinda want to have my place, you know? Plus, I’m not done with my explanation. Let’s take a sec to breathe, okay?”

                                    It took a few moments, but Jade eventually calmed down. “Okay... Continue.”

                                    The young adventurer slowly sat back down and got her fluffy-haired friend to do the same. Their hands were still locked with each other since the gesture helped calm Jade somewhat. Abigail took a deep breath and resumed her talk: “There was some airy gossip about all three of the boys, but I think the ones with you and Seb stuck and accumulated the most. Some people were speculating a ton of late night affairs, going into off-limits areas of the town, stuff like that.”

                                    “That totally stretches every bit of the truth! And even if we did, why the hell would it matter?”

                                    “Well, see, that’s the thing. Even if the truth is blaring at everyone, they want something more interesting. Seb’s step-dad kinda looks for excuses to accuse him of anything, and I think the rumors may have got to him before Robin could... So he has that outburst at Seb when he saw anything vaguely resembling a rumor.” Abigail eventually let go of Jade to cross her arms in thought. “My parents can be strict like that too. Getting mad about shit even if you’re old enough for all of that, and it’s none of their business...” She sighed. “Can I be honest with you about something?”

                                    “What?”

                                    “I’m telling you this for personal reasons, too...” Abigail muttered and averted her eyes from her friend. “I already told you before about how I had kind of a crush on Sebastian. Awkward, it came and went, it’s not really a big deal, but...” she impatiently sighed. “Okay, let’s be real. You like Seb, too. He’s the one you’ve been so distracted with for ages,” she blatantly stated. “I just... don’t really want the same to happen with you, I guess? People made rumors about me and him, too, since we had similar interests and appearance, I guess.”

                                    Jade smiled a little. “No, you’re way cuter.”

                                    “Aw, you’re so adorable when you lie like that, Jadey,” chuckled the purple-haired girl. “I think I was a little too... forceful with my crush, maybe? I made it painfully obvious without saying it, and then that plus the rumors made it really awkward with us. I still feel pretty awkward around him sometimes,” she admitted with a puzzled look on her face. “I tried to not bother you about your crush much, but I can tell... Except, I think you might actually be okay. It seems like Seb likes you too, and I don’t think he’s been exposed to the rumors outside of his step-dad.”

                                    The young farmer had relaxed her shoulders for the first time in their conversation. Her cheeks lightly flushed and peered away. “Maybe... Where are you going with this?”

                                    Abigail grinned. “Well, first, I wanted to talk to clear some air. I hate hearing lies about you, and it helps to get to talk to the real you.” She pat Jade’s cheek, causing her to playfully flail back. “Second, it was to get complete validation that you, in fact, are head over heels for the emo.”

                                    “Don’t call him that!” instantly snapped Jade.

                                    “Case and point,” snorted the adventurer. “Third, I want to help you. You two are so damn cute and it’s a crime that you’re not together. Him and I just ended up in this weird limbo of friendship and friendzone because of how I never confessed, then my feelings faded like that. But you fell harder than I ever did!”

                                    “Oh hush,” quietly muttered the farmer.

                                    Abigail proudly laughed, then grabbed Jade’s hands once more. “So, we’re going to do it, Jade. I want to help you confess!”

                                    Abigail seemed much more cheerful after her intentions were uncovered. Jade liked the change and it made her feel excited as well, though the thought of confessing terrified her. A million things could go wrong, and they were doing so well before. An odd stage between friendship and a dating relationship, maybe, but they were happy. What if her feelings ruined it all?

                                    “Oh no, missy. I see that look on your face,” Abigail grumbled, pointing out the horror mixed with doubt on Jade’s visage. “Girl, you can’t doubt yourself! Where’s the confident Jadey I got to learn all about?”

                                    “Confident Jadey has never confessed!!” she suddenly blurted, face officially solid red. “I... Oh Yoba, this is real, isn’t it? Yoba... I never had time for boys before! School, jobs, family troubles!! I had to live with my brother, for Yoba’s sake! I’ve never been even close to this situation!! Now I live on a slow-ass farm with a living breathing non-related male in close proximity!”

                                    Though she thought it was a little mean, Abigail really did enjoy Jade’s reactions to the thought of confessing. “Haha, wait. You didn’t even date in high school?”

                                    “I had too many things on my plate to date anyone, especially during high school!” the farmer whined. “Oh, wait... I think I did have a boyfriend in high school? For like, two weeks maybe? What was his name? I... that doesn’t count. I didn’t care as much as I do, now! Teen angst has been replaced with adult anxiety,” breathed Jade in terror. Her speaking was rapid and hurried as if she had never thought about confessing before this moment. Abigail pat her shoulders and lightly brought her into a warm, friendly hug.

                                    “Let’s take a step back, haha! You’re fine, really. That’s why newly found expert Abby is here,” she proudly reassured. “Confessing may be difficult, but it’s totally essential. There’s no ‘maybe’s, just a yes or a no. If it’s a no, then you’ll have a definite answer and you’ll be able to move on much easier. If it’s a yes, well... you’ll get to go to the next level!” The young adventurer released her trembling friend again. “This is adorable, honestly. I feel like I’m back in high school.”

                                    “So do I,” Jade whimpered. “Maybe it’s good that he hasn’t been talking to me, since I’ve been feeling so weird with all these emotions... Whew, I have to figure all of this out.”

                                    “Love is complete torture, my friend! But that’s why we... hey, what’s what beeping?” Abigail grew distracted from a faint beeping noise in another part of the house.

                                    “Huh?” Jade went quiet to listen. “Oh, that sounds like my computer,” she then stated, standing back up. “Saved by the bell,” she murmured to herself, quickly heading towards the stairs. Abigail happily followed behind, then realizing they were going to the game room.

                                    Jade walked over to the computer on the other side of the room while Abigail decided to examine the shelf full of games. She chuckled to herself, completely unsurprised that some of Sebastian’s games were on the shelf. After a brief moment, Abigail peered back over to Jade. “So, who is it?” she asked, noticing how quiet Jade was. The young farmer was sitting in her desk chair and typing away at the computer.

                                    “Huh? Oh, it’s...” Jade huffed. “I... I don’t want to confess yet! It’s so cheap to do it over a messenger!”

                                    Abigail dramatically gasped. “It’s Seb?” She asked with a chuckle, walking over to her.

                                    “Sh-shut up, Abby!” Jade squeaked, though she did nothing to stop Abigail from reading over her shoulder.


                                    SEBASTIAN: Hey.

                                    SEBASTIAN: Sorry for being away for a while, I’ve been busy with a lot

                                    SEBASTIAN: I know these messages are a little earlier than our usual, but considering the absence I assumed this would be fine

                                    SEBASTIAN: Let me know when you’re on, I’d like to talk to you about something



                                    “Oooh, he’d like to talk to you about something, Jadey~” Abigail teased. “This is perfect!”

                                    “Shh!”


                                    JADE: hey!!

                                    JADE: i’m here now, sorry! it’s ok, i know a lot of stuff happened recently

                                    JADE: don’t worry though, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to


                                    SEBASTIAN: There you are

                                    SEBASTIAN: Eh, I’ll go over the talk details later. It went about as well as you’d expect though


                                    JADE: is everything okay at least? ):


                                    SEBASTIAN: For the most part, yeah.

                                    SEBASTIAN: What about you?



                                    Abigail audibly groaned at the boring conversation. “Jade, ask him about the thing he wants to talk about. This could be your chance to confess too, if he’s inviting you anywhere.”

                                    Jade blushed and glared at her impatient companion. “I’ll get there when I get there!”


                                    JADE: yeah, i’m doing fine

                                    JADE: especially knowing that things are going well for you!

                                    JADE: i’ve been doing a lot of farm stuff. i’ll chat your head off about it later tho


                                    SEBASTIAN: Sounds good with me

                                    SEBASTIAN: I’ve been catching up with work mostly


                                    JADE: the world needs your skills!

                                    JADE: but oh hey, what did you want to talk about?


                                    SEBASTIAN: Oh yeah.

                                    SEBASTIAN: Uh

                                    SEBASTIAN: I think we should hang out.


                                    JADE: O: and do what

                                    SEBASTIAN: The usual. Causing panic throughout the valley, terrorizing small villages, setting lewis’s toupees on fire, etc

                                    JADE: sounds perf

                                    SEBASTIAN: I actually have a place in mind that I’d like you to see.

                                    JADE: is it a surprise?

                                    SEBASTIAN: Maybe a little one. It’s outside, so don’t get too excited

                                    JADE: 2 late!

                                    JADE: my excitement knows no bounds



                                    Abigail huffed. “You should tell him that you want to talk to him, too.”

                                    Jade didn’t sass back that time, realizing the purple-haired friend had a point. With an extremely deep breath, Jade made more replies:


                                    JADE: i need to tell you something when we next see each other too

                                    SEBASTIAN: What is it?

                                    JADE: things


                                    SEBASTIAN: We’ll have a lot of stuff to talk about, then. I’d like to say something later too

                                    SEBASTIAN: Is tonight okay? Too soon?


                                    JADE: no that’s perfect

                                    SEBASTIAN: It’s motorcycle distance so I’ll pick you up

                                    JADE: my body is redy



                                    “Why do I type like this?” Jade whined, dropping her head onto her desk with a thunk. “I thought it would be funny, but now it’s going to have weird sexual connotations!”

                                    Abigail cackled. “It’s weird if you make it weird, Jadey. Plus, your feelings don’t suddenly invalidate your friendship. He knows you pretty well, and that way of typing definitely isn’t new for you.”


                                    SEBASTIAN: it better be


                                    “Holy shit!” Jade cried out, flushing and covering her face with her hands. “Abby, slap me. No, punch me. I need to regain some sense. Something’s still messed up in my head,” she stated with a muffled voice.

                                    “You’re still making it weird!” laughed Abigail. “Give me the keyboard, ya pansy.” She scoot Jade aside to share the desk chair with her and moved the computer’s keyboard closer to herself. From then on, she began to answer Sebastian.


                                    JADE: lmao

                                    JADE: okay, what time?


                                    SEBASTIAN: Uh... 9, maybe? Is that too late?

                                    JADE: for nerds like u maybe

                                    SEBASTIAN: Is that a challenge

                                    JADE: whatever u say pretty boy



                                    “I do not type like that!” Jade huffed aloud.

                                    “Ha! Yes you do,” snorted Abigail. She continued to type.

                                    The farmer stared at the computer screen in horror, completely defenseless. “I only called him a pretty boy online once!”

                                    “I’m just saying what you’re thinking, Jadey~”


                                    JADE: hehe i’ll see you tonight then!

                                    JADE: i gotta go finish up my daily stuff now, tho.

                                    JADE: bye < 3



                                    “No!! Don’t type a heart!”

                                    “It’s not the end of the world, Jade. You gotta give heavy hints. You’re confessing to him, anyway,” Abigail boredly replied. “I’m helping you!”

                                    Jade stared at Abigail with a childlike sense of wonder as well as betrayal. “Wh... Can I really do this, though? Truly?”

                                    “Yes, I believe you can. You just gotta stop worrying so much. I know you have it in you,” Abigail beamed. “I wouldn’t be pushing you if I didn’t have total faith in you.”

                                    After a minute of quiet from Jade, she nodded. “You’re not wrong, I guess... it’s just...” She sighed. “Yeah, I do need to step it up.”

                                    “Thatta girl!” Abigail heartily pat her on the back. “And look, dream boy answered back.”


                                    SEBASTIAN: Yeah < 3

                                    SEBASTIAN: Bye



                                    “Heart icons bring more heart icons, Jadey. It’s beginning, and it’s beautiful. My children are growing up,” Abigail started with another chuckle. She expected some sort of banter in return, but instead, Jade was just staring at the computer screen. “... Oh boy. Jadey?”

                                    “Holy Yoba, Abby, he typed one back... Am I looking too far into this? Should I be concerned?”

                                    Abigail shook her head. “Honestly, I think you need to look into it more. Both of you are so...” She made some hand gestures to Jade that suggested flimsiness. “... You need that push. But hopefully both of you will get more comfortable after all is said and done.”

                                    “Holy shit...” The young farmer fell speechless for once. She didn’t say anything else.

                                    Abigail chuckled. “I’m... gonna let that sink in for you. I’ll hang out with you today until you have to leave, okay? Maybe we can get you in some cute clothes!” She watched her friend for a moment, then smiled somewhat worriedly. “... For now, I’m going to give you a little time. I’ll be downstairs!” The adventurer gave a farewell wave as she got up and let Jade take the whole seat.

                                    Jade took another moment to re-read the text on her computer’s monitor. She calmed down and noticed that his typing was a little different, save for the occasional banter that the two were so used to exchanging. Reading it made her happy, however. She slowly started to come to terms with her own romantic feelings, rather than keeping them under the shroud of denial and lack of bravery. Maybe she could make more daring strides in their romantic relationship, rather than taking innocent advantage of their sweet moments alone. Even though she never outright told Abigail about her feelings for Sebastian previously, she felt relieved at her friend’s knowing.

                                    Instead of worrying herself about Sebastian some more, the young farmer spent a nice evening with Abigail. Together, they went out exploring, though they came back empty-handed. Still, they enjoyed themselves and then returned to have dinner. Afterwards, Abigail completely raided Jade’s closet to put together a nice and warm outfit for a presumably romantic autumn night. Some black leggings, a full and somewhat short pink skirt, and a dark long-sleeved shirt had been picked. The skirt was the same one she wore at her first saloon night with the squad, which was probably why Abigail picked it out to begin with. Jade got dressed, then equipping her favorite red shoes and her comfortable red jacket.

                                    “Do you want me to do your hair? I’d love to do your hair,” Abigail excitedly stated, playfully batting around some of Jade’s waves.

                                    “This isn’t a date, you know,” muttered Jade in return. “My hair is fine the way it is... I don’t want to get all dolled up, that just makes me seem so suspicious.”

                                    Abigail rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, smiling. “Fine, you don’t have to get completely ready, then. I just want everything to be nice! Admittedly, I like having a gal pal like this.”

                                    Jade giggled and nodded, noticing such a pattern. “Maybe later you’ll get the opportunity to help me out some more.”

                                    “Yeah!”

                                    --

                                    The designated time eventually approached, Abigail leaving just before the time struck 9 PM. Jade walked out to her porch when she heard a vehicle outside, then she caught sight of the motorcycle’s headlights piercing through the already dark night. The ride stopped near the front of the house, the driver then waving over to Jade.

                                    She eagerly waved in return and trot over to him without even a second thought. “Seb!!” the young farmer yelled happily, finally able to see him after quite a few days.

                                    Sebastian was more visible now that they were close to each other. “Hey,” he replied with an equally cheery look on his face. Jade lightly hugged him on the side, but then backed up when she noticed she was too excited.

                                    “Hi! ... Sorry,” she laughed, blushing with embarrassment.

                                    “Sorry about what?” he asked, confused. “You ready to go?”

                                    “About... nevermind.” Jade took a second to collect herself in order to continue her brave streak. Between the two, brash moves came much easier to her. Despite her eager disposition, however, she was still nervous. “Yeah, let’s go. How far is it?” She carefully sat behind him on the motorcycle, sure to sit on her skirt in a way that wouldn’t be too obnoxious in the wind.

                                    Sebastian hummed in thought for a moment. “It’s a bit of a long drive, but we’ll be back before your absurdly early bedtime,” he snorted.

                                    “It’s not that early!”

                                    “Uh huh,” he returned with a smile. “... Well... you gonna hold on?”

                                    “Hold on? To what?” Jade wondered, getting flustered.

                                    All Sebastian had to do was to rev up his motorcycle, causing Jade to tightly wrap her arms around his torso. He cackled at the sudden reaction, then glanced back at her with a grin. “That never gets old.”

                                    “You’re horrible!” she huffed, staring away from him with false anger.

                                    “I know,” he cheerfully replied. He had briefly examined her as she was looking away... her outfit was cute, and she was close enough that he caught a hint of berry-scented shampoo. The reality of where he was taking her and why was slowly setting in for him, as well. Now he couldn’t back out, and he had the responsibility of safely driving her to their destination. “... Alright, you good?” asked the raven-haired man with partial worry.

                                    “I’m going to dropkick you in the face,” she softly mumbled, burying her head into the back of his hoodie.

                                    He merely chuckled again in response. “So, you’re good,” he concluded.

                                    And then they were off.



                                    I haven't had a chapter that split up the days in a while, but I think this is a good case.

                                    We move back to Jade's perspective to see what she thinks and more directly learn about how she's been handling her feelings- mostly through pretending it's not there due to her fear of getting rejected. Close relationships are terrifying for her for a lot of reasons, and we'll learn some more of those reasons and also see if Jade overcomes her insecurities to properly respond to Sebastian.

                                    All in due time!!

                                    For now, enjoy Abigail trying to be The Best Mom Friend

                                    I didn't write or imply this, but I kinda like to think that Sam was the one to type "you better be" and monitoring Seb's conversation for the lols
                                     
                                    • Risukage

                                      Risukage Giant Laser Beams

                                      Yeah, I can TOTALLY see him sitting behind Sebastian and providing snarky commentary the entire time before stealing the keyboard to type that, whereupon Sebastian slaps him away and gives him a dirty look, and Sam giggles uncontrollably for the next five minutes. I've seen like three other artists play with this idea as well; Abby and Sam conspiring together to talk to the farmer and find out if they're single 'cause Sebastian was wondering. :D Best wingmates ever!
                                       
                                      • Gabaw

                                        Gabaw Spaceman Spiff

                                        Looks like all 3 of us figured Sam would have a hand in this :rofl: (even if he may or may not have) A lot of setup in this chapter and it's bringing up the hype for the next one p. hard. Will Jade be able to say what she needs to say? I'm thinking she might not have to... Exciting stuff!
                                         
                                        • MagicallyClueless

                                          MagicallyClueless Master Astronaut


                                          Jade didn’t necessarily care where she and Sebastian were going since she was sure it would be wonderful. Getting to spend quality time with her raven-haired companion was exactly what she needed after several days of lying in a pool of stress and talking to no one. Even though she didn’t have the full details of the talk he had with his step-father, he seemed to be functioning well enough. More than well, actually. As she held onto Sebastian’s torso in the motorcycle ride, he just felt... different. The young farmer, though she tried to do so in her head, couldn’t truly describe the feeling in words. He didn’t necessarily seem confident or all too relaxed, but he wasn’t uncomfortable or nervous, either. Sebastian was focused, but he didn’t appear cold in manner. Whatever it was, Jade felt safe and calm with him.

                                          She hadn’t seen an actual concrete road in a while, only making the journey all the more mysterious and exciting for her. Sebastian drove them down a winding road surrounded by thick forests, then transitioning into a mixture of mountains and huge plains of farmland overrun by tall grass and thin, spindly hardwoods. Though they couldn’t see the moon in its entirety, the light brought everything a muted blue hue and shined between the openings of faraway trees. A clear sky full of twinkling stars loomed above them, all shining in an array of vibrant colors. Ahead of them was a dark horizon, only highlighted bits at a time by the motorcycle’s headlights.

                                          One particular field came into view that provided the perfect shot of the full moon. Jade’s eyes sparkled as she beheld the celestial body... she didn’t know how it was possible, but the moon appeared much larger than she would have initially guessed. Its moonlight appeared much brighter and brought great contrast to the environment- soft white and blue light clashed against the pitch black shadows of the night.

                                          The wind also felt great. The breeze brought a very welcome chill; not only did both Jade and Sebastian enjoy the colder weather, but it gave them more of an excuse to huddle closer. Jade shielded her eyes from the rush of wind ahead by leaning down and resting her head against Sebastian’s back. He felt so warm and had a scent that she never had too many chances to really take in. Usually, he would smell like smoke, but such a stench was completely absent during the ride; instead, he had a familiar and welcoming scent that completely relaxed her. The natural smell mixed with the sweet aroma of grass and flora they passed on the way to their destination, especially when the trees increased in scarcity and only open plains and hills were before them.

                                          Half an hour must have passed from Pelican Town to wherever they were going, though it all went by so fast for the young farmer. She was too taken in by her surroundings to truly care about the time spent. The duo turned off the main road, venturing back onto smaller country-like paths. Open plains transformed back into a forest and rough dirt paths soon became solid rock. Eventually, they slowed to a stop. Sebastian parked the motorcycle and turned off its engine near the edge of a cliff, then gave a deep breath to collect himself once more. “Here we are,” he said, staring out into the horizon.

                                          “Oh, wow!” Jade gasped aloud, taking no hesitation to remove herself from the motorcycle. She trotted up to the very edge of the cliff and fixed her wind-blown hair as she gazed upon the view.

                                          The full moon was still suspended high up in the sky, accompanied by billions of eagerly glowing stars. The cliff Jade and Sebastian stood on was towering above an entire forest, several roads and scattered bodies of water, all of them leading to the silhouetted horizon. A huge city could be seen far away, buildings beside buildings and towers stretching far above ground level. Hundreds upon hundreds of lights glistened from the city itself, bringing such an otherworldly life to the otherwise still and serene skyline.

                                          “That’s Zuzu City,” Sebastian mentioned, walking up to join her. “It’s definitely the closest urban place to Pelican Town, but considering how far it is, that’s not saying much,” he explained with a smirk.

                                          “Zuzu City, huh? It’s gorgeous from this distance,” the young farmer started again, eyes sparkling. “Is this the place you mentioned at the last festival?"

                                          The question came as a surprise to Sebastian. “Huh?”

                                          Jade smiled. “When we were looking at the jellyfish, you said the lights reminded you of your favorite place.”

                                          “Hah... you remember that? Well... yeah... I like to go here to think, and I, uh... wanted to show you.” He suddenly tensed and paid attention to how the young farmer carried herself. “D... Don’t cry, okay?”

                                          She chuckled. “No worries, I got that out of my system at the last festival.”

                                          “Good.” Sebastian crossed his arms and brought his sight to the horizon once more. He went quiet, but for some reason, it felt a little unnatural for Jade. She glanced over to him to notice that he was getting increasingly nervous, though the same could have been said about her. Reality soon set in that they were both alone, on a cliff, full moon above, gorgeous view... Conditions were perfect. He finally spoke after that unsure moment of silence: “I used to be so drawn to the city, especially with how beautiful it looks here. But... the more I think about it, the less I want to go. I don’t know what my future will be, but... Stardew Valley isn’t all that bad for what it is.”

                                          “Yeah... it’s nice to see things from a distance like this, even if the actual place may not be amazing. I can see why this is your favorite spot... it’s so quiet, the noises from the city are so far away. It’s easy to get mesmerized.”

                                          The raven-hair nodded. “Those are a few of the reasons I love it, too.” He fidgeted a bit. “I... don’t really take anyone out here. No Sam, or Abby, or any other mystery person. This was always my place.”

                                          Jade’s face flushed with his explanation. “Um... So why invite me?” she asked. Her heart started to pound, but she wasn’t sure why. All he did was just state something about the location...

                                          “Well,” he breathed, planning his next statement carefully, “After all the stuff that’s happened, I just... I thought you’d like it.” His face was the next to heat up, though he tried to draw away attention from it by adjusting his stance.

                                          “I love it,” she corrected. “You can’t ever get tired of nature... or, cities? With nature? Ah, who knows.”

                                          Sebastian glanced back over to her with a smile. “Hehe, yeah...” He eventually sighed and turned his attention completely to her. “... Um... So, as I mentioned before, I’d like to just... talk, if that’s okay with you.”

                                          “Of course it is.”

                                          “Alright... Uh...” He unfurled his arms to be able to scratch his head. “Well... I have to be honest. I mean, I did think you’d like being here, but... I wanted to take you here because...” He took a deep breath. “Well, you’re... different. To me.”

                                          Jade didn’t verbally reply, but she did turn her head and shift her focus to him.

                                          “I’ve always had issues hanging around people... I’ve never had a lot of friends, and I was always more content being completely alone than to really go out. Large groups make me anxious, anyway.” Sebastian sighed, peering away from the young farmer. “I get anxious even in smaller groups, to tell you the truth. Talking to people can just... take a lot of energy out of me, you know?”

                                          Even though he wasn’t looking, Jade still nodded. She stared at him with concern, wondering what he would say next.

                                          “But... I don’t feel that way around you. It’s so strange to me,” he explained, a flustered smile on his face. Sebastian gained enough courage to return her gaze. “I get excited to talk to you... I like being with you, listening to whatever’s on your mind, your crazy jokes and banter, it’s...” He tiredly laughed to himself. “Wow, I’m still doing a pretty shitty job at this. There’s a lot I want to say to you, but it’s... it’s hard to tell you exactly. I lose focus way too easily and get distracted, and I have...” He sighed, no longer smiling. “I have... It’s troubling.”

                                          Jade tried to emulate a calm smile, though she could hardly compose herself, much like him. “It’s okay... You can take your time. I’m still listening,” she gently replied.

                                          “That’s... that’s exactly what I’m talking about,” the raven-hair pointed out. He thread his fingers back through his hair and let out another heated sigh. “This is torture, you know? You... You’re all I think about. It drives me up the wall.” Sebastian broke his stare again, though he didn’t turn his head. “Fuck, this is difficult... Jade, I...” He huffed. “You... You know what I’m saying, don’t you?”

                                          “Seb...” Jade stepped closer to him and took both of his hands to hold.

                                          Surprisingly, he couldn’t have been more flustered than he already was. He was still trying to conjure up the proper words to say. “H-hey, remember the talk just a few days ago? When I was at your house... You said that I didn’t have to be alone.”

                                          “Y-yeah...”

                                          “Well, I... I don’t want to be alone. Not anymore.” One final gaze to Jade. “S-so...”

                                          His statement, though slow to start, was interrupted by a soft kiss from the listener. She knew his difficulty with expressing how he felt, since she felt the exact same way. With no words to properly convey her emotions, Jade had leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Sebastian completely froze and stared at her in shock when she leaned away once more.

                                          Jade sheepishly smiled, heavily blushing from the gesture. “I was... I was really lonely before you, too,” she began, voice shaking from her nervousness. “It’s hard for me to really properly say, as well, but...” She nodded and let go of his hands to hug her chest. “I feel the same way about you. Everything you said... I love being with you, the time we spend together, I...” She nervously laughed. “Wow, you’re right. This is really difficult... For a long time, I was in some sort of denial because I wasn’t sure what we actually were, or what would really happen...” The young farmer took a deep breath to try to compose herself, but she already felt like she was on the verge of passing out. “I can’t ignore it anymore. I don’t want to.”

                                          Sebastian stood there seconds after she finished her reply, but each passing second felt like an eternity. Jade was scared she might have confessed wrong, or said too many brash things... maybe the kiss was too much. Paranoia was already getting the better of her, but then she was tightly embraced by her partner in question. Immediately following his embrace was a serious, passionate kiss. Jade tensed at first from surprise, but slowly relaxed and allowed herself to be taken by the swell of emotion. She returned the hold as they kissed, and didn’t let go even after their lips parted.

                                          Both of them stared into each other’s eyes, fear and paranoia completely vanishing. Their anxiousness was still at an all time high, but they still grinned to each other in excitement. Their chests were pressed against each other in that they could feel their rapidly beating hearts, their faces still close enough to feel the heat radiating from their flushed skin. Jade leaned herself up high enough to bump their foreheads together, causing Sebastian to happily lean back to her.

                                          Neither of them really spoke much after that, but they didn’t necessarily have to. Warm kisses were confessions of love, their tight holds promises of loyalty, and their gazes indications of trust. They collapsed at the edge of the cliff together and watched the proudly twinkling stars. Sebastian didn’t want to leave, and Jade didn’t want to let go.

                                          So they didn’t.



                                          Beep! Beep! Beep!

                                          Jade woke up with a groan and lazily stretched out her arm to slap the snooze alarm. She grumbled something about the alarm under her breath and then exhaled a loud yawn, stretching her arms and legs before going limp on her bed. She slowly opened her eyes and smacked her lips. She felt fantastic for some reason, like she could take the whole world by storm, but she couldn’t think of why. A good dream, perhaps?

                                          ... Wait. No. A dream?

                                          Jade suddenly jolted out of her bed. She then realized she was still in the clothes she wore the previous night, sans her hairbow, necklace, and shoes. The young farmer quickly glared all around her room, then paced into the living room to see if there were any other changes. She stood there for a solid moment, completely dumbfounded. She didn’t remember going home...

                                          The young farmer huffed and walked over to one of the windows at the front of her house. She stared out the porch, confused, until she saw someone approaching the door. She quickly opened the door, but then froze when she realized it was Sebastian. A rush of feeling suddenly overwhelmed her as the previous night became much clearer. It definitely wasn’t a dream.

                                          “Hey, you’re awake,” he beamed as he walked up to the porch. He wore one of his usual outfits, hoodie and all, but Jade’s attention instantly went to what was in his arms. He held a large bouquet of red and lavender roses, all lovingly bound together in an ivory colored wrapper. “... Wait, did you just wake up?”

                                          Jade flushed in embarrassment, knowing her hair was a mess and she was still in old clothes. “Aw, dammit... how did you know?” she yawned.

                                          Sebastian chuckled and kissed her on the cheek when he stopped right in front of her. “Lucky guess. I won’t bother you for long, but these are for you.” He offered the bouquet to her, seeming somewhat tense though he eminated an air of confidence. “I would ask you to go out with me, but... we... we kinda went through all that already, ahaha.”

                                          The young farmer stared at the bouquet, still trying to come to terms with the fact that Sebastian was here to begin with. It must’ve been so early, so she wasn’t used to him being around, but even so, she was beaming with joy. The meaning of a bouquet, especially one with roses like this, had a universal meaning across the region... This was a true confession of love and a request to bring their relationship to the next level. “Wow...” she breathed, grinning from ear to ear. “You... you’re offering this to me? Really?”

                                          Before he had a chance to really respond, she took the bouquet and held it to herself in order to gaze lovingly at them. They were vibrant, full, and gave off an incredibly lovely scent. “Th... Thank you, Seb! I-I accept!” She stammered, holding the bouquet tighter as she started to tear up.

                                          “Aw, come on... You said you wouldn't cry.” He flushed and frowned at her crying, leaning in to hug her. His response caused her to cough out a laugh, then hugged him back tightly while moving the bouquet out of harm’s way.

                                          “It’s a happy cry,” she whimpered, burying her face into his chest.

                                          Sebastian softly laughed at her pitiful reply and pet her head. “I know,” he gently replied, faithfully standing there until she released her hold. “Be careful... there was an embarrassing amount of people at the shop that saw me buy the bouquet... We’ll have to avoid some of the pushier people.” He rolled his eyes. “Especially my mother.”

                                          Jade slowly nodded and wiped her eyes, still smiling. “It’ll be worth it... Wait, um... How did I wake up here? Some of last night was a little fuzzy.”

                                          “You don’t remember? You fell asleep while we were stargazing, so I just took you home,” he snorted. “I thought you were awake on the ride back, so you must’ve been very tired. It’s two in the afternoon, by the way.”

                                          “Holy shit!” Jade suddenly yelled, her demeanor completely changing from small and humble to large and increasingly exaggerated. “I woke up at freakin’ TWO? I haven’t done anything yet!” She whined, glancing over to her rabbit coop and then all of her unwatered fall crops. “Aw, man!!”

                                          “We were up pretty late... You don’t have to go to the saloon tonight if you’re too busy,” Sebastian replied with a yawn.

                                          “AND tonight is saloon night?!”

                                          Sebastian chuckled. “It’s alright. To be honest with you, all of this really tired me out, so I might not go, anyway.” He stopped himself and frowned in embarrassment. “I mean... I just got a lot off my chest, really. It’s not that I want to take a break from people, or anything.”

                                          “I understand, trust me. Holding stuff in can be really tiring,” Jade answered, smiling. “... Yeah, you know what? Screw it. Sam and Abby can play pool amongst each other. I’m gonna take me a damn nap.” She nodded with fierce certainty, holding the bouquet to herself once more.

                                          “You deserve it for putting up with all my shit lately... thank you, really. I’m not only saying that because you’re my... you know.”

                                          “Say it, I wanna hear it!” She grinned, playfully nudging him.

                                          “Aw, fine...” Sebastian huffed, trying to keep his cool. “You’re my girlfriend,” he bashfully responded.

                                          The raven-haired man could see Jade’s brighten up and sparkle with the mention. “Don’t mention it, and I’m not only saying that because you’re my boyfriend,” she grinned, showing her rosy cheeks. Sebastian playfully nudged her away from him for her statement, still as flustered as ever. His reaction made her giggle and hug him again. “It’ll take us a little while to get used to that,” she laughed.

                                          “We’re not going to be one of those really gross couples with all the PDA, are we?” Sebastian asked lightheartedly.

                                          Jade couldn’t help but laugh again at the inquiry. “Only in front of Sam.”

                                          He gave a thoughtful nod and scratched his chin. “Hm, yes, I could agree to those conditions.” He chuckled and took a step back to see all of Jade. “Well... You seem to have a full day ahead of you, so... I’ll see you later?”

                                          “Y-yeah! Thank you so much for coming by, this was an amazing start of my day.”

                                          “Mine too,” he grinned.

                                          “Awww... Well, get lost, nerd!” Jade said with a smooch and then a playful shove. He laughed and started walking off, waving to her.

                                          “Message me later, loser!”

                                          Jade watched her new partner leave her farmland, giving him a little wave when he glanced back to see if she was still there. She finally retired into her home, then squealed to herself excitedly when she was officially alone. Her focus drifted back to the bouquet of roses. “I better get a vase for this.”



                                          *PDA means public displays of affection, in case you did not know

                                          HA HA IT ONLY TOOK 31 CHAPTERS HAHAHAHAHHhhh

                                          Well, this fic is very slow buildup for a reason. I was really excited to write this and did a lot to try to make it perfect and still pay an homage to the in-game 10 heart event. Of course, a lot of the dialogue is different, but I like to think it's due to the farmer not being a silent protagonist. He knows Jade and can bring up past conversations with her, as opposed to him just liking the farmer due to 2x sashimi a week. Sebastian has always been a favorite of mine (this fic makes it extremely obvious, but still) so giving him a non-stereotypical and varied character is important in my fic. Hopefully he still stayed well-enough in character for this.

                                          There is another difference with the game other than what I just pointed out, and that is... bouquets! If there's any criticism I have with the game, it's that you start dating the character, and then they confess their feelings for you? That just seems backwards. The 10 heart event, at least Sebastian's, seemed very fitting for a confession/dating proposition, which is why I did it this way. I also liked the idea of the NPC in question giving a bouquet, rather than having the farmer do it every time.

                                          The main thing I meant in my post-writing for the last chapter is, of course, Jade and Sebastian dating does not mark the end of the story and it definitely doesn't mean that they will be perfect forever after that. They aren't perfect people, so they'll continue to experience development and growth as the story goes on. There are several other plot points that I can address much better now that a relationship has been established, and this marks more development to come for other characters as well. That doesn't mean that Sebastian and Jade will have less on-screen time spent, but it does mean that no one has to wonder about their status anymore. There's still a story to tell and I'm excited to dig into the rest of it!

                                          Thanks for reading as always and I hope this was worth the wait!
                                           
                                            Last edited: Sep 1, 2016
                                            Iranna, CjBeats, Risukage and 4 others like this.

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