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

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

  1. Rod&Root

    Rod&Root Void-Bound Voyager

    Been away from the forum off and on. Windows 10 was forcefully installed on my pc by Microsoft and now I have to have the old OS reinstalled by a friend.

    That and my internet on my phone has been up, though I did manage to read the rest of the fic so far, and you are doing really good with it!

    I wish I had your type of output with these, but I don't work as fast as I used to with writing.

    Keep it up! I can't wait to see what comes up next!
     
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    • MagicallyClueless

      MagicallyClueless Master Astronaut

      Man, sorry that happened to you but welcome back!

      I really appreciate it and I'm glad you're enjoying it <3 hopefully I can keep the chapters coming, haha. I'm having fun though.
       
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      • Rod&Root

        Rod&Root Void-Bound Voyager

        The important thing is to have fun :)
         
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        • xoipa

          xoipa Seal Broken

          Gahhhh I love your writing! I signed up for the forums just so I could say so, too!

          The way you describe everything and the interactions and dialogues between the characters is so greatttt.

          And the fact we share a husbando is perfect because it means you will easily pull on my heartstrings.

          I shall be here to keep up with this story! C:
           
          • MagicallyClueless

            MagicallyClueless Master Astronaut

            Ahhhh thank you so much! <3
            I really, really appreciate it!

            yessssss same husbando

            Please enjoy your stay <3
             
            • MagicallyClueless

              MagicallyClueless Master Astronaut

              TIME FOR THE BIG ONE OH
              CHAPTER TEEENNN

              it's significantly shorter than the last chapter, but some stuff still happens. cute stuff.


              Sunlight shone through two small windows, stirring the young farmer awake. She slowly opened her eyes and emitted a quiet yawn, but couldn’t move all too much. The farmer’s body was still a little achy, but other than that, she had a great rest. She noticed she was entangled in a thin white and blue blanket and had her head against a soft white pillow; everything had a very clean, sterilized feeling to it. She definitely wasn’t at home.

              Jade slowly sat up to get a bearing of her surroundings. The entire room was white, including the door at the very far end of the room, an examination table on the side, and a line of counters on the other side. A clean sink had been installed in the center of the counter tops with cleaning and medical supplies placed around it. A lone green office stool sat in the midst of the room with her raincoat and backpack set on it, but other than that, the room was fairly empty.

              In the distance, she heard two irritable voices.

              “I’m surprised you’re even here today... What do you need?” A feminine voice attempted to be kind, but it came across as tired. She sounded familiar, but Jade couldn’t exactly pinpoint who it was.

              “I don’t need anything, Maru. I’m going to go see Jade,” the other voice replied. That was Sebastian; he must have been talking to his half-sister.

              “No, Jade needs her rest.”

              “Yeah, because you seem to be doing a great job in checking up on her,” Sebastian replied sarcastically. “Where’s the doctor, even?”

              Maru made an irritated sigh. “Why do you always have to make a comment like that? I’m doing my job, and so you know, I did check up on Jade a few moments ago and she’s still out. Harvey will be here in a- Hey! Stop!”

              Jade heard confident footsteps, followed by hurried clacks against the hard floors. “I told you that you can’t visit!” Maru yelled in frustration. The door to her room opened, Sebastian on the other side. He was significantly drier than when they last met, even though he still wore the same hoodie and similarly dark jeans. He seemed apathetic in nature towards Maru’s insistence, but his face brightened when he saw Jade awake.

              “Hey, you’re up,” the raven-haired man said in his calm, cheerful demeanor.

              Maru walked in afterwards, surprised by the farmer’s regained conscience. She was in a traditional nurse uniform, which was a white dress and a hat with a red medical cross printed on it. “Oh, Jade! It’s good to see you, but I’m sorry that we meet again on these terms.” She passed a glare to her older brother, who was ignoring her. “I’ll be right back, I need to go get Harvey.” The young woman left as soon as she appeared.

              “Here I am,” yawned Jade. She still felt rather tired, but happy in not being alone again. “What happened? How long was I out?”

              “You were out all of yesterday and most of today. I saw an empty bottle in your hand... did you drink something?” Apparently, Sebastian didn’t exactly know what happened either.

              A bottle? Jade thought for a while, her face then lightening in realization. “Ah! I had to drink that potion... I didn’t realize it’d knock me out for that long. Dammit, Rasmodius.” She huffed to herself. “Well... hopefully I can talk to the Junimos now.”

              “Oh yeah, about that...” Sebastian scratched his head nervously and avoided eye contact. “Sorry for doubting you. You know those things are in video games and stuff, right? It was a little hard for me to believe at first, but...”

              The farmer blinked in surprise. “Did you see them, then?”

              “Yeah. There were three in front of you when you were passed out, but they moved and just watched me when I tried to check on you.” He huffed. “Honestly, I probably should have just taken you home... You seem fine. They’ll probably charge you at the clinic, though...”

              She smiled. “I’m a little tired, but other than that, I feel great.” The young farmer chuckled. “And it’s okay, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Thanks for taking me to begin with. The fact that you’d worry about me that much is really sweet.”

              Sebastian crossed his arms and could only glance at Jade before continuing to avert his eye contact. He was getting flustered. “It’s not sweet, it’s common sense,” he lowly mumbled.

              The quiet withdrawal caused Jade to laugh. “Well, thank you anyway, Seb. I really appreciate it. Sorry that I interrupted your day with my unconsciousness.”

              The raven-haired man slowly relaxed. “Um... you’re welcome,” he shyly replied. “Don’t worry about it... But don’t be stupid and drink random potions like that! I left you for only ten seconds!”

              “The wizard gave it to me!” She insisted with a grin. “He said I needed to take it for the Junimos. I should have asked him how my body would react to it. But I’m fine, I promise! I barely even remember collapsing. I just remember... Green? And then I woke up here.” Jade began laughing. “I’ve gotten you really worked up, haven’t I?”

              “Yes!” He loudly huffed. “But, it’s good that nothing is wrong. You should visit my mom later, because she was worried about you, too.”

              “Aww, I will. Maybe not today, but can you pass the news on for me?” Jade asked, smiling.

              Sebastian nodded. “Sure.”

              Their attention went back to the door when it opened once more. A very tall and distinguished man walked inside with a clipboard in hand. His focus was on the clipboard until he saw that Jade was sitting up in the corner of his eye. The man’s eyes brightened upon seeing Jade’s recovery and smiled. He looked familiar, for some reason.

              “Maru told me you’re awake! That’s wonderful, we were expecting you to be out for another day.”

              “My cue to leave, I guess,” Sebastian mumbled. “Bye, Jade.” He waved to her and went out of the room, leaving her with who was presumably the clinic’s doctor.

              “Bye,” Jade replied with a wave back. Her attention went back to the man who had just walked in. “Hi there,” she said to him calmly. “You’re the doctor, right?”

              He chuckled. “Yes, I am. I’m Harvey, it’s nice to officially meet you.”

              In Jade’s eyes, Harvey was extremely tall and broad. He had an organized mess of brown hair, a simple mustache, and black rimmed glasses that aided his dark brown eyes. He didn’t really wear any kind of uniform like Maru did; he wore a buttoned white shirt, a brownish-red tie, a deep green coat, dark brown slacks, and shoes that matched the color of his coat. Colorful, to say the least. He quickly wrote something on his clipboard and then set it down on the nearby counter.

              “So, how are you feeling?” he kindly asked, picking up a stethoscope nearby. “No pains, headaches nonexistent, breathing normal?”

              Jade nodded and stretched her arms in a yawn. “A little tired, but I’m good. Thank you for taking care of me, you and Maru.”

              Harvey smiled and went over to her to check her pulse. “We are just doing our jobs, but it really is a relief to see you up and running. I couldn’t figure out what caused you to pass out so suddenly... there was nothing in your system.”

              “I drank something and it knocked me out.”

              “I’m aware, but... that must have been a very strange drink. Please be careful.” Harvey sighed in relief upon hearing Jade’s normal pulse. “You’re very healthy, otherwise. Don’t worry about paying, by the way. I didn’t have to do very much except for a simple checkup and give you a place to rest. You’re new here, and I doubt you have much, uh...” He backed away and fidgeted somewhat, but Jade laughed.

              “No, you can say it. I’m poor as hell,” she continued to chuckle. “I promise I’ll come back and we can do a proper checkup, yeah? And I’ll pay then.”

              “Great!” Harvey clapped his hands together once in excitement. “Don’t forget that you can always buy tonics at the front counter, too. Try your best to stay healthy! A farmer requires a lot of energy in the day,” he explained.

              “Don’t I know it,” Jade chuckled. “Thank you. So, will I be okay to go?”

              “Yep, your stuff is right here, I’m just getting the normal paperwork done. I look forward to your next checkup.”

              “Awesome!” Jade was relieved to know nothing was wrong with her, other than the obvious. Harvey put his stethoscope down and began scribbling on the clipboard again before walking out of the room. The young farmer shifted out of her bed and put her shoes back on... Eugh. She was still in her clothes from yesterday, so she already felt grimy and unclean. She put her backpack on and held her raincoat, then venturing to the rest of the clinic. The whole front of the building was compact, so the exit was very easy to see. She walked down the hallway of the clinic and saw Maru at the front counter. The young woman smiled upon seeing Jade, but it was obvious that something was bothering her.

              “Hi, Maru. I wanted to say thanks for taking care of me! I’m going to head back home now. I’m so desperate for a shower.” Jade readjusted her backpack and stood in front of the counter to directly face Maru.

              The nurse seemed to liven up a bit; she was happy for the gratitude. “I’m just glad you’re doing well,” she said in return. “You deserve a shower, girl. Go take it.”

              “I will!” Jade beamed, but Maru’s previous expression was still on her mind. “Hey... Sorry to ask, but... are you doing alright?” Her worry began to show.

              Maru felt slightly surprised at the question, but it caused her to smile in relief. “It’s nothing new, really...” She sighed. “Sebastian just never listens to me. It’s irritating, and he’s never made the effort to be a good brother. Even when I’m at work, just...” She grunted in irritation, but tried to keep herself calm for Jade. “I’ll be fine, sorry. Don’t worry about me.”

              The young farmer frowned upon hearing the story. “I could talk to him if you want. I like to think I get along pretty well with him.”

              “Haha, I noticed, especially since he even bothered to show up. I doubt he’d listen if you even mention my name, so I wouldn’t make the effort. You should be careful though, because rumors spread pretty easily in this town.” Maru put her elbows on the counter and stared to Jade with a motherly look on her face.

              “Eh, I’ll be alright. More rumors wouldn’t hurt me, honestly. Thanks for your worry, though! I just wish I could help. You’re really nice, you know? I feel like it could be a misunderstanding, like most things are.”

              “You’re really sweet, Jade. But... No, it’s probably not. Sebastian has always been like that towards me. Not listening to me or just outright ignoring me.” Maru appeared to be very discouraged... it brought an emptiness to Jade’s heart; she wished she could do something. “I think I’m hoping for a sibling relationship that won’t happen.”

              Jade frowned. “Hey, I’ll tell you something too,” she started. “I had an older brother, and he was a pretty crappy older brother.” Jade paused in an attempt to organize her thoughts, but Maru was paying attention to her with a look of wonder and concern. “My brother wasn’t anything like Sebastian. We didn’t really have a relationship. Not one I wanted, anyway. I couldn’t say I loved him.”

              Maru gasped. “Wow... it’s... that bad?”

              Jade avoided the question; she wanted to focus on just Maru. “I think Seb is a good person, but he is just really bad at getting it across to people. Maybe he just needs a reality check and to try to see the good in you, too.” The young farmer made a saddened smile. “You love him, so that’s a good start. And you two talked to each other today, and you must see each other often. I think that’s good. You have a relationship. Just try to build on that.”

              The nurse shrunk back and rubbed her neck. “That’s... good advice. Thank you, Jade. I’m sorry to bring up such a topic if it’s sore for you...”

              “Oh, not at all. I think you’re really nice, and I really like your family. I hope things will get better with all of you.” Jade’s smile was more genuine and cheerful this time. “I want to visit your mom tomorrow, so be sure to say hi to me if you’re there!”

              Maru nodded happily. “I might be working tomorrow, but maybe I’ll see you after shift? I actually wasn’t supposed to work today, but it’s so rare we have patients... so, maybe I’ll get the day off tomorrow. We’ll see.” She waved Jade off in a polite manner. “I’ll see you!”

              “Yeah, bye!” Jade finally left the humble clinic and came outside into the beautiful town square. The day was gorgeous and a lot of people were outside... Vincent and Jas chased each other to the east bridge, a blue-haired lady was walking towards the saloon, Willy was toting his fishing equipment somewhere... Wait, these were people. Oh, no. She quietly maneuvered her way around the square, to try to not get anyone to notice her. She was a mess, and three people already saw her that way in the clinic! Three was enough!

              Luckily, the young farmer was able to get back to her home undetected. The cold front that came with the storm had vanished, so it was smoldering hot outside as was expected. She hoped that her crops were fine being dry all day long, and that the work wouldn’t be all too tedious. Despite the heat, the plants were sprouting very happily and were growing well. From recent events, seeing such a cute little sight was truly wonderful for her sore eyes.

              Before going inside, Jade took her watering can and fed the eagerly sprouting crops. She eyed the wood that was left near the house as a gift from Robin. Maybe it was about time to build a scarecrow, as well as something else more exciting. Jade sprouted in eagerness much like her crops as ideas began popping up in her head. She saw Onyx on the porch swing and tried to pet him lovingly, but he seemed somewhat offended at her smell and turned his head away. The action caused Jade to laugh and become somewhat depressed due to her cat’s rejection, but she would live. Finally, shower time.

              For the rest of the evening, Jade spent her remaining energy on building a scarecrow and a training dummy. She wasn’t the best at crafting third dimensional things herself, but the scarecrow was at least sturdy enough and believable to any crows passing overhead. She dug the end of her scarecrow into the ground while she then perfected her training dummy. It was placed right beside her house for easy access later; training was something Jade felt she needed to do, and it was also something she was excited to do.

              Her day concluded peacefully, letting the cat back inside and eating some leftover dinner. Her mood was a roller-coaster for most of the day, since she was happy naturally, but random thoughts would intrude her mind and break the peace. For this day, it was the conversation with Maru. The young nurse’s relationship with her half-brother only made Jade think about the brother she didn’t have, or rather, refused to have. Seeing families all throughout the town was rather touching and endearing, but she only reminded herself of her loneliness even more so. In hopes of calming herself down, Jade crawled upstairs to go play games. However, she paused when she noticed her computer monitor was turned on.

              The computer had been on for a while, since Sebastian was the last one to mess with it. She nearly forgot that she asked for internet connection, but the idea was relieving to have again. “I haven’t been on in over a year,” she pouted to herself out loud. It was nighttime and she knew she needed to sleep, but she decided to walk over and sit in her computer chair. The young farmer took a deep breath and made an internal promise of self-control. “Okay, just a little browse.”

              Jade noticed a sticky note attached to the bottom of the computer monitor. Upon picking it up, it had the name of a messaging program and three usernames for Sebastian, Abigail, and Sam. “Aw, what a nice gesture.” Jade made a genuine smile again, briefly forgetting about her previous worries. The last fraction of her night was occupied by downloading the program and getting a username of her own.

              The young farmer didn’t have any family in Pelican Town, but at least her interactions were transforming into relationships. Jade was not as alone as she initially thought.



              The chapter mostly deals with YAY ANOTHER NEW INTRODUCTION! SLOW DEVELOPMENT! And Maru gets some official screentime! I'm over halfway there in introducing everyone, but I'm unsure there will be many major roles. Regardless, I'll try to do something good with them. Even though it'd be fun, Jade isn't going to be everyone's best friend, haha. She's somewhat of a recluse and she probably wouldn't have anyone to go to if she didn't punch Alex in the face and impressed Sam & co. So, thanks Alex!!! Love u! I'd love to do more with Alex too, but we'll see. I had a lot of initial plans for this story that have kinda changed over time, so we'll see who gets a bigger role really.

              I've been quietly keeping up with the days, but I haven't exactly written them. Let me know if you want any indication at the top of the chapter: Chapter 10 takes place on a Wednesday, in the first week of Summer. I wanted to do another saloon chapter but that's when I realized that it'd throw the time way off, lol. So, another saloon chapter is coming soon but not yet. More Abigail development is imminent too.

              Briefly touched on more of Jade's past, since she could relate to Maru pretty well. I like the dynamic, so we might be seeing Maru more, too. WHOOOO KNOWWWSSSSS

              Done rambling now. Thanks for reading, as always! Hope you guys enjoy <3
               
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              • Gabaw

                Gabaw Spaceman Spiff

                I feel for Maru. Just a tad tho lol. You are one of the few who made her an interesting character so kudos on that. I actually wanna see where that whole thing goes, how it gets resolved if ever, etc. I also like the idea of Jade being selective with who her friends are. it makes sense and makes her character more lifelike. Plus who's gonna be friends with Pierre? or clint? f**k that :rofl: One question tho. What's her username??
                 
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                • MagicallyClueless

                  MagicallyClueless Master Astronaut


                  Yeah I personally didn't click with Maru very much in-game, but I always liked her personality and thought her hobby for gadgets was pretty cool. Her family situation is fairly interesting too, so I wanna dig into that some, especially considering how I've dealt with Sebastian and Robin so much in the story so far. It's about time the other two get some time too.

                  And yay more lifelike! I'm glad. She's the type to be nice to everybody but I imagine she has made a few enemies already, kinda unintentionally. I'll touch on those later I'm sure.

                  As for usernames, I probably will not include them because I am bad at names and I have no clue what anyone would do with theirs (BUT i did notice a fellow fanfic has done a similar idea and gave usernames with the messaging! that's awesome! those computers need to be USED, man)

                  I'll just do it in a format similar to this but WITH MORE PERSONALITY:

                  JADE: totes ready for the moon jellies man
                  ABIGAIL: bruh that's rad
                  SAM: catch a wave bro
                  JADE: ok mom

                  It looks nice and the conversation will be clear. The instant messaging program may not go by usernames and just goes by the name you put in. So that's your serious answer.
                  The answer you were probably actually wanting: it's totally something like BunnyApocalypse or something like that​
                   
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                  • Rod&Root

                    Rod&Root Void-Bound Voyager

                    Nice to see another chapter!

                    I swear I'm working on mine! I'm just stuck D:

                    I've noticed Pierre seems to be the go-to town jerkass in folks' stories. Admittedly in the game I haven't worked on improving the relationship with him, so what others might know, I don't.

                    I'm guessing eventually Jade's past is going to come knocking somehow?
                     
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                    • Iranna

                      Iranna Void-Bound Voyager

                      I love how you write the husbando, we all know he is so fluffly inside! To me, Robin's house is full of loneliness, I mean, sure they are a family, but it is like it was an invisible wall between all of them, we all know that Robin loves Seb and Demetrius loves Maru, but apart from that they all seeem... Lonely. I'im eager to see what you do with them. Keep the good work! :nod:
                       
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                      • MagicallyClueless

                        MagicallyClueless Master Astronaut


                        I actually got Pierre to 10 hearts recently and I hate him a lot less because he doesn't talk about the store as much. xD But he does have a lot of flaws, like a lot of characters do. I might explore that in-story!
                         
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                        • MagicallyClueless

                          MagicallyClueless Master Astronaut


                          Yeessss!
                          I get that vibe too from the family, too. I'm definitely going to explore those issues more and I am excited to get into it. I'm hoping it'll be explored in-game too eventually. ;_;

                          Thanks!
                           
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                          • MagicallyClueless

                            MagicallyClueless Master Astronaut

                            Because of all my arting lately, I haven't had very much time to write. I apologize again for not really having a schedule yet OTL there is only so much time in the day, and a lot of it has been invested into artwork. I've also given myself some time to relax since it's easy for me to get burnt out with all the stuff I've been doing.

                            But I completely and fully intend to complete this story, so don't worry about that!
                            It might be a few more days before a chapter is submitted, because I need to stock up on some more and to make sure the story is going where I want it to. I also might read through the current chapters and tweak some things, and make sure everything is accurate and going smoothly. There are already a few things I need to tweak (some details about Abigail and maybe some detail changes in the chapters) but it's nothing so big that you really need to re-read anything. It's more so making the small details come together and having them link well with future chapters. I write in a build-ups upon build-ups way, so some little details and gestures matter a lot in the long run. I never write anything without a reason, so for example if a character is upset and we don't get to see why, we will see later.

                            Anyways I'm rambling. Just thought I'd give a little update! Thanks for the support, guys.
                             
                            • MagicallyClueless

                              MagicallyClueless Master Astronaut

                              GUEEEESSSS WHAAAAAAAATT!!!!!!
                              BIG CHAPTA! BIG CHAPTAAAAA



                              Beep! Beep! Beep!

                              That familiar alarm clock again. Jade made quick work of smashing the snooze alarm and sliding out of bed. She was hoping her muscles would finally adjust to the work, but admittedly, she hadn’t been healthy in a long time. A shower, breakfast, and a half-confident peptalk to herself was all she needed to get the day started. With the sun out and no clouds in sight, a bright outlook was needed for a productive day.

                              Before leaving her house, she heard beeping sounds that weren’t from her alarm clock. “Upstairs?” Jade pondered aloud, walking up and back towards her gaming room. The soft beeping sounds were coming from Jade’s computer, which she was too tired to really turn off the previous night. She ventured over to the monitor, which had the instant messaging program pulled up.

                              “Oh, they all accepted my friend requests,” Jade happily chimed. Sebastian was offline and Sam was idle, but Abigail’s username was flickering an alert. A chat window was on the middle of the screen and contained the following:


                              ABIGAIL: Hey you finally have internet!!! Nice!

                              ABIGAIL: Oh right, youre probably asleep now lol. I went on a forest adventure last night so its like 5 AM

                              ABIGAIL: Anyway we have hardly chilled together! Come say hi and hang out at the store okay?



                              Abigail wanted to hang out already? Jade didn’t feel like meeting too many people today, but Abigail had a good point about them hardly hanging out together. Their meetings were a coincidence for a majority of the time, so she really should give the effort of being a friend. Jade sighed as she tried to think of what she could do for the day, but then her face brightened. An idea!


                              JADE: actually i kinda suck at swords and nearly got my ass beat (will speak of details later). i have some stuff to do today but since you’re the one who gave me the sword, maybe we could practice and talk and stuff?


                              The young farmer was just going to leave it there, but a reply appeared on the screen almost instantly. She was surprised that Abigail was up, after being awake so late... Or maybe she didn’t sleep at all?


                              ABIGAIL: Thats perfect!! But we cant meet at the store then, just come by the graveyard in the evening. Ass beating must be told in full detail

                              JADE: ahhh thank you! i have to go see robin today so i’ll be there after that. also go to sleep it’s 7 in the morning.


                              ABIGAIL: Sleep is for the weak

                              ABIGAIL: Okay but yeah really I should get some sleep now, see you soon!

                              JADE: haha, good morning then. see you as well!



                              Abigail quickly signed off, leading Jade to close the chat window. She decided to stay online, but cut the monitor off to prevent any further temptation in exploring the internet. With a deep breath, Jade left the room and descended back down the stairs. She was in higher spirits then since she had something to look forward to.

                              Jade’s crops were growing steadily outside, but none of them were mature enough to bear fruits and vegetables. Even so, the young farmer spoke to her plants with words of encouragement as she watered them for the day. Afterwards, she quickly scanned the whole farm for any straggling slimes, and then finally left to begin her day.

                              “First the Junimos, then Robin, and finally, training with Abigail. Yoba, do I need to train,” Jade mumbled to herself, followed by a whine. She wasn’t sure how long the Junimos would take, or if Robin would send her on another chore, but at least she had her day planned out. “I should probably forage again, and try out fishing. But I don’t want to tire myself if I’m going to train with Abigail... Agh.” There was too much to do and hardly any time to get everything carried out! At least no one was rushing her, she felt.

                              Pelican Town was more lively on this day, and Jade was actually dressed and prepared to witness its environment. She passed by a dark-haired fellow in a Joja Mart uniform, but he acknowledged her with nothing more than a glare. Apparently he wasn’t in the mood for greetings, so Jade decided to spare the introductions and continue on her way.

                              Vincent and Jas were walking towards the east part of town together, presumably to meet up with Penny, while Lewis was walking to the buildings of various businesses for town affairs. A red-haired woman with braids and a green and brown outfit was walking towards Pierre’s shop. Jade felt like she has seen her before, but couldn’t exactly recall from where. Jade continued on, not wanting to stop and chat with anyone. She needed to figure out what the Junimos wanted of her.

                              The Community Center appeared livelier in the sunshine, but it was still as decrepit and covered in plant growth as before. Jade approached the large double doors at the front of the building and turned the handle-- it was unlocked now, thankfully. She entered the Community Center’s foyer, and everything was just the same as before. Wait, there was one thing different. A golden slab glistened in front of the fireplace at the very end of the entrance hall. Jade walked closer to get a better look and noticed scraps of paper with strange writing at its center. Though the text seemed to be an unknown gibberish, the young farmer could somehow read them.

                              “We are the Junimos.

                              We will help bring peace to the forest and fix this place if you help, too.

                              Prove to each of us that this is your home.”

                              “Okay...” Jade murmured to herself and moved the top scrap of paper to continue reading. There were rough crayon drawings alongside descriptions. The young farmer found the drawings to be adorable, as if a child made them.

                              The first drawing was an orange pumpkin with a green stem. “Grow the largest crop of all.”

                              The second drawing appeared to be some sort of purple bar. “Unite yourself with the stars.”

                              Below the purple bar was a scribbled yellow blob. Hay or wheat, perhaps? “Obtain a gift from an animal friend.”

                              That was the end of the page, but there were two more to go. Jade went to the third page and continued to read, as there was more information to absorb.

                              On the top of the paper, there was a drawing of a green fish. “Gain the respect of the lake god.”

                              Jade couldn’t tell what the fifth drawing was. It looked like an indistinguishable cyan blob. “Speak to the people of the past.”

                              “These are getting so vague,” Jade sighed. She glanced to her surroundings, but she seemed to be alone for the moment. She decided to read the last description on the page, beside a scribbling of a seashell.

                              “Become part of the community.”

                              “Well, okay. These are my instructions, I guess. Why do they have to be so ambiguous? I don’t know how to do most of these.” Jade folded the tiny collection of papers and stored them in her trusty backpack. “Are you in here, Junimos?”

                              The young farmer waited for a moment for a response, though there was nothing but the empty wind blowing in through cracked windows. She took that as a sign to accept her instructions and leave the dilapidated building. “Well, that didn’t take very long,” Jade remarked to herself, impressed. All she had to do was to go check up on Robin, and she would probably have time to kill until the meeting with Abigail. To fulfill the next portion of her errands, the young farmer ascended the trail that led to the carpentry shop in the mountains.

                              Summer colors certainly shown well in the mountainous area. Dozens of multicolored butterflies fluttered about, tree leaves glistened with bright and vivid greens, and eager vines trailed up the house’s outer walls. A flock of birds zoomed overhead, twittering in a language still unknown to Jade. Before getting entirely lost in the environment, the young farmer arrived at the shop’s front door and slowly twisted its doorknob.

                              “Come in, come in!” Robin beamed before Jade even had a chance to open the door. She must have been at her front desk. As she opened the door, Robin didn’t have to look twice to know who it was. “... Jade? Oh, Jade, hon!” The carpenter rushed out from behind her desk and swiftly embraced the young and frazzled farmer. “I was worried sick about you! I heard you had passed out!”

                              Jade chuckled, though her voice was muffled from being pressed against Robin’s shoulder. “I’m fine, Robin. I didn’t mean to scare anybody!”

                              Robin let go of the young farmer to stare her right in the eyes. Jade felt a little intimidated, as if she was a child getting in trouble with her mother. Robin’s gaze softened and she gently sighed. “I’m glad you’re okay. No one ever goes to the Community Center anymore... you’re lucky you had Sebby with you.”

                              “Yeah, I realized,” Jade said with agreement. “But, I’m fine!”

                              The carpenter huffed. “What were you doing out there anyway? Was it some kind of prank? Were you two alone?” Robin immediately gasped. She didn’t realize they were alone before. “Wait, you were by yourselves! Why were you out walking by yourselves?!”

                              “I had business to take care of in the place, that’s all! I met Seb at the piers and asked him to help me find it.”

                              Robin mumbled something under her breath. Jade couldn’t hear the gist of it, but she did hear the word ‘boring’. The unamused look on her face caused the farmer to laugh again. The cheerful response caused Robin to smile in return, and then she relaxed completely. “Sorry, I admit I get pretty excited... We just never get people here in Pelican Town, and you’re so young and energetic and I really want you to get along well with everybody. It’s like an early Feast of the Winter Star present to know you get along so well with my children.”

                              Jade pat both of Robin’s shoulders to assure her that she understood. “If it helps, I haven’t talked to anyone around my age in a long time. This is refreshing for me, too!”

                              The redhead seemed heartbroken to hear Jade’s response. “You haven’t?”

                              “No, I was on my own for a very long time before I moved here.”

                              “Wha... Jade!! You hurt me so! Please come by whenever you feel lonely. There’s hardly anyone up here in the mountains anyway.” Robin took the young farmer’s hands and held them. She became concerned with the cool temperature of Jade’s hands and pat them in a sad manner.

                              Jade was entertained and warmed by Robin’s efforts to be a supportive and loving figure. She could see the hopeful sparkle in Robin’s eyes and her eagerness to help. “I will, Robin. It means a lot to know there are people looking out for me here,” the young farmer added. She hugged the carpenter back and then they both smiled at each other. Jade thought it would have been strange to say, but Robin reminded her a lot of her own mother. Caring, excited, and exceedingly nosy... Admittedly, the same could have been said about her father. However pushy the behaviors were, Jade really did feel welcomed by Robin’s motherly presence.

                              “Hm, you look tense, hon. I’m not keeping you here, am I?” the carpenter inquired with worry.

                              The young farmer shook her head. “No, you’re not keeping me. I do have to meet up with someone today, though... I’ve been thinking of fishing. Is that lake pretty good?”

                              Robin grinned. “Oh yeah, sometimes we-

                              Baff! A brief explosion was heard down the hallway to Jade’s right. “Dad!” She heard Maru shout.

                              Robin’s expression snapped from amusement to unbridled rage. “What’s going on in there?!”

                              “Everything’s fine, honey!” yelled the carpenter’s husband, followed by nervous laughter.

                              “I’m going to kill them,” she whispered to Jade in frustration, and then began stomping off towards the laboratory they were supposedly working in. “Like hell everything’s fine! You said this was a tame experiment!”

                              “It was!” Demetrius stressed.

                              Jade stood there awkwardly for a moment. Maybe it was time to go. “I’m heading off now, bye you guys!” she shouted.

                              “Bye, hon!” Robin’s voice was very sweet, but then snapped back to her low, angry tone when discussing with Demetrius.

                              “Hi Jade and bye Jade, sorry!” Maru yelled back. The young farmer chuckled and decided to exit the carpenter’s shop. A fire alarm began beeping from within the home, and she heard more muffled yelling. They were... busy, it seemed.



                              The young farmer only caught sight of the lake once before, but it was truly beautiful when she got to see it again. She walked up to the lake’s bay and sat down in the grass. Birds were chirping, mosquitoes were buzzing, leaves were rustling. More importantly, the water was clear and extremely deep towards the center. Jade could see huge sunken logs and different kinds of fish swimming from within the lake; it was brimming with life, and was the perfect place to fish. Jade released the backpack straps from around her shoulders and brought out the pieces of her recently acquired fishing pole. The sounds of nature accompanied her as she pieced her fishing pole together and set up the fishing line. She didn’t know very much about fishing, but she was open to learning the hard way.

                              Three hours passed and Jade only had tons of seaweed and algae to her name. There were a couple of times she got an actual fish, but either she pulled too hard and set the fish free unintentionally, or she felt the fish was far too powerful for her. “I suck at this!” she yelled out in frustration. The young farmer saw something in the corner of her eye and peered to the left. A familiar man was partly concealed by a nearby tree, but he was staring to Jade curiously, and she was staring back to him.

                              “Oh... Hi, did I, um... Did I bother you?” Jade asked nervously. She remembered him; he was the person she gave salmonberries to, and trespassed on his property on accident. “You’re... Linus, right? Sorry.... I am trying to remember names.”

                              He seemed a little surprised that she noticed him, but neither of them felt threatened with each other. Linus slowly walked out from behind the tree and cautiously approached. “Yes,” he confirmed. The wild man stopped some yards away from Jade, but they were in closer proximity. He glanced at the pitiful collection of greens beside the young farmer, then to the shabby fishing pole that she had claimed as her own. “You have been fishing for a while,” he quietly stated.

                              “Yeah, and I suck at it hardcore. I’m horrible at this, I know. You’re probably a professional, since you live out here.” Jade sighed and flopped backwards, lightly tossing her fishing pole to the side. Linus silently stepped closer and picked up the fishing pole.

                              “Your casting is off,” Linus began, sitting beside her.

                              Jade rose back up to look at him. “How?”

                              “I’ll show you. Watch.” He cast out the fishing line effortlessly. Jade took mental note of his methods and then stared out to the lake in awe. “Then you should pay careful attention to how the fish moves, when you get a bite.”

                              Jade sighed. “That’s pretty good advice. I feel a little dumb now,” she chuckled.

                              “Fishing is always rough at first, but when you learn how fish move and your own fishing equipment, it gets a lot easier.” Linus patiently waited as the line was in the water. Both of them could see the bright bobber floating on the surface, only moving in the slight waves.

                              “So, I’m guessing you fish often?” the young farmer asked with assumption.

                              Linus nodded. “It is a good source of food out here. I make my own bait, as well.”

                              “That’s admirable. I probably would be dead by now if I was left to my own devices, haha. But... I did live on the road for a while.” She laughed to herself. “Sleeping in a moving truck is... interesting, to say the least.”

                              The wild man merely glanced to her in response, but nothing else really came to mind. He slowly lowered his guard, though; she didn’t seem to be hostile and she seemed to understand him, at least somewhat. Out of nowhere, the bobber sunk underwater and Linus began to pull the fishing pole.

                              The young farmer watched in awe and attempted to pay attention to how he reeled the fish in.

                              “This is a carp,” he began without even seeing the fish yet.

                              “How do you know?” Jade inquired.

                              Linus successfully reeled the fish in, being a nice sized carp. It looked to be a light tan color, scales lowly glistening in the fading sunlight. “Carp are one of the weaker fish of the lake. Do you want this?” he asked, gesturing to the fish.

                              Jade smiled, but shook her head. “How about you keep it? You taught me so much already... and I realized that I didn’t bring any sort of ice chest.” She pouted. “But, I paid close attention and I think I’ll be able to fish! I’ll practice here. Thank you so much.”

                              Linus unhooked the fish and placed the fishing pole beside Jade once more. He calmly smiled, bowed his head, and then quietly walked away. Jade bowed her head back as he left, though she knew he couldn’t see her.

                              She sighed to herself. “Maybe it’s time to go see Abigail now. Sun’s setting.”



                              The young farmer was relieved that she left before the sunset, because she had some trouble finding the graveyard. It was located near the river that crossed the bridge to the beach, and it was close to the houses that she often had to pass to get to the town square. Despite how often she traversed those paths, she never found herself having to go through the graveyard.

                              When she arrived, she could certainly tell this was there Abigail wanted to go. There weren’t many gravestones about, and they were rather old, but they were definitely graves. Jade walked to the center of the graveyard and surveyed her surroundings. There was one grave to her left and three ahead of her. If there were more graves, they were either unmarked or faded away. It didn’t seem like many of the graves were being cared for. The area was also rather compact, as well. Bushes surrounded the area and there were haphazardly placed fence posts, but there were so few people in town that perhaps a large, cared for graveyard wasn’t necessarily needed.

                              Luckily, Jade did not have to wait very long for Abigail to show up. She confidently strode towards the unexpecting farmer and yelled a very polite “Hey!”

                              “Ahh!” Jade turned around to see Abigail with a shiny, proud sword in one hand, and a softly flickering lantern in the other hand. “O-oh! Hey!”

                              Abigail laughed. “Hi, Jadey. How are you doing?” she asked, walking up to the center grave and placing the lantern down.

                              “Oh, I’m doing fine. It’s been an interesting day, but it’s been very good. What about you?” Jade cheerfully responded, removing her backpack and taking out her sword. “Also, are we gonna train with swords or can we like... do sticks or whatever?”

                              “Nope, let’s just fight like this. It’s good to get a feel of your sword first. Don’t worry, I’ll be easy on you.” Abigail grinned proudly and went up to Jade, patting her on the shoulder. “I’m really happy you wanted to do this. Now, tell me how you got your ass beat!”

                              The young farmer chuckled as Abigail helped Jade with her stance. “Okay, well...”

                              And so, Jade recapped her entire experience of the abandoned neighborhood to Abigail; including the barrage of slimes, encountering Rasmodius the Wizard, and the gigantic monstrous skeleton buried by cave rubble. While she was explaining, Abigail helped the young farmer with her posing, how she swung her sword, and how to successfully block attacks. Soon, they were sparring comfortably and obtaining a fair rhythm. Jade was learning how to use her sword well, and it felt natural for her; however, she still had a lot of improvement to do, and she couldn’t help but treat sword fighting more like fist fighting. She was also paranoid about hurting Abigail, so she wasn’t nearly as rough with her blade as she could have been. The adventurer didn’t mind as much and figured she would gain more confidence with her sword fighting soon enough.

                              “Whoa. That is... wicked intense. You have to take me by your house sometime! We should explore the whole place!” Abigail excitedly beamed. “I want to see that monster of a skeleton for myself!”

                              “Yeah!” Jade panted, tired from sword fighting. She finally threw her sword aside and collapsed onto the grassy ground. Abigail laughed and sat beside her. The day had vanished at this point; the lantern was their other source of light, other than the rising moon in the sky. “That’ll be fun. This was fun too, but now I’m exhausted. And fighting is hard… You’re too good at this.” She sighed happily. “Thanks, Abigail.”

                              Abigail laughed from Jade’s blunt yet innocent statement. “You’ll get better... And call me Abby! Don’t be so formal about it.”

                              “Oh... Abby.” Jade chuckled. “Sorry.”

                              “It’s fine! Really though, I had fun too. I haven’t really been out exploring with anyone in a while.” She huffed in thought. “I used to bug Seb about it, but he’s always ‘busy’ with his work. And Sam actually does have a part-time job, he’s hardly ever up late.”

                              Jade sighed, trying to organize her thoughts. “Well, everyone has pretty busy lives one way or another. I’ll be really busy some days, too. I have a lot to do. But, I care about you guys. So... if you want to hang out, please let me know! I won’t know, otherwise.” The young farmer peered towards Abigail, who was plucking individual blades of grass.

                              “I’ll keep that in mind,” hummed Abigail quietly. “Oh, tomorrow is saloon night. Are you coming?” she asked with curiosity.

                              “Ooh, sure. It’s been a week already?”

                              “Haha, yeah... Um... I do have a favor to ask, though.”

                              “Yeah?” Jade sat back up and focused on Abigail.

                              Abigail sighed, trying to think, but then grinning to cover up her obvious worry. “Well, can we play some arcade games tomorrow? Journey of the Prairie King or something.” She seemed nervous.

                              “Of course!” Jade beamed. “... I was a little worried about you, when you left early last time. I hope I wasn’t ignoring you.”

                              “Oh, no, no!” Abigail chuckled nervously. “It’s not your fault. Or anyone’s fault, really. Seb is pretty competitive anyway, you seemed to be having fun with the pool matches. I had fun watching you.” The adventurer tried her best to lift the blame off of anyone and continued: “I was just a little bored, and pretty tired.”

                              The young farmer nodded in understanding. “Still, I’m sorry. I want to get to know all of you. So, we’ll play some games tomorrow! Seb can continue to wreck Sam in pool,” she giggled. “But... I’d like at least one match, after gaming. It’s personal now, Abby. I gotta ground the bastard. You understand me, right?” Jade clenched her fist tightly and shook it towards the air, causing Abigail to giggle once more.

                              “Yes, you should absolutely do that and I’ll be so happy when you do.” Abigail’s grin was genuine this time. “I look forward to gaming with you, then. I was really excited to learn that the new girl we have in town is into all the same stuff as me! Admittedly, I can get kinda left out in saloon night. Sam and Seb have their little...” Abigail twirled her fingers, unsure of how to express her phrase. “... Bromance.”

                              Jade cackled at the word ‘bromance’. “Holy Yoba, that’s great!” she continued to laugh, beginning tearing up. “I totally see it. They do have a bromance, don’t they? Seb talks about him so much. He’s always mentioned Sam to some degree when we’re together.”

                              Abigail couldn’t help but laugh in response. “Yeah! You should see them some saloon nights. They argue like a married couple, but you know they secretly love it.”

                              “Ohhh man, that’s so great,” wheezed Jade, finally calming down her laughter. “Who is the husband?”

                              Both of them were quiet for a few seconds, and then simultaneously spoke: “Sam.” They both cackled again.

                              Abigail sighed whimsically, wiping a tear from one of her eyes as well. “This is so nice. I really look forward to seeing you tomorrow.”

                              “Yeah! Let’s make them jealous. What’s the girl version of bromance?”

                              “Still bromance, just better,” Abigail answered. They chuckled again. “We’ll be the best bros.”

                              “I’m sure we will!” the young farmer excitedly concluded. “But, now I’m super exhausted. I should go back home. See you tomorrow?” She staggered up and grabbed her backpack to re-equip it. Abigail stood up after her and grabbed her lantern and sword.

                              “Yep, see you tomorrow!” Abigail beamed.

                              “Oh, don’t be afraid to message me, by the way. I might not respond instantly, but I’ll always check!”

                              “That’s great to know. Now shoo! You need to prepare. We’re gonna get to the final boss of Prairie King.” Abigail smirked and gestured Jade to leave.

                              “Okay, okay~ Bye, Abby!” Jade waved and began to walk off.

                              “Bye!”

                              Jade was glad she decided to go out. A conversation with a new friend was the perfect way to end such a surprisingly hectic day.




                              IT IS DOONNNEEEE!!
                              I've been doing an insane amount of planning and story building, as well as discussing with a few friends on how to go about it and helping me with the routes I should take. I also have a new proof-reader, yay! Love u fam!!!

                              I want to try to do a big visual recap at the end of each chapter to help people stay on track, since Stardew Valley is such a big game, and this story will similarly be just as big. It'll be cute and not really required, but I'm gonna play around with ideas.

                              Anyways, a lot of stuff got started in this chapter. Please enjoy!
                               
                                Last edited: Jun 11, 2016
                              • CjBeats

                                CjBeats Weight of the Sky

                                <333 amazing chapter. All the Abby yessssss
                                 
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                                • Tsukuru

                                  Tsukuru Pangalactic Porcupine

                                  You're gonna have to really carry that Abby ass at the arcade... Anyway! Big, fun, natural chapter this time around! I'm glad to know there's still planning and stuff going on :)
                                   
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                                  • MagicallyClueless

                                    MagicallyClueless Master Astronaut

                                    shhhhh let her be confident
                                    shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

                                    hahaha, thank you! YESSSS many things to come!
                                     
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                                    • Risukage

                                      Risukage Giant Laser Beams

                                      I went and shotgunned your entire fic because I have beer and some spare time.

                                      ...

                                      You can draw AND write. Maybe I should just give up, I'm totally outclassed on this forum. :p

                                      Also, I am kinda embarrassed, it feels like I totally cribbed some of your work even though I just read it, 'cause how is it that BOTH of us end up taking a swing at Alex when they first meet? Oy! :D

                                      Also, I love your Sebastian, and I'm glad I don't have to rewrite mine to make sure I'm not aping someone else's style and character. Whew!
                                       
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                                      • MagicallyClueless

                                        MagicallyClueless Master Astronaut

                                        Hahaha! I really need to read yours, since I hear a lot of good things about it. I think I read the first few chapters and I glanced at one of them (it had instant messaging and I was just like, *SWEATS NERVOUSLY* I hope they didn't think I was gonna steal this DDD': ) but it seems like we have a lot of similar ideas, bahahah!

                                        DID YOUR CHARACTER REALLY PUNCH ALEX? THAT'S SO GREAT. Poor Alex. xD I can't wait to read that for yours, then.

                                        But nooooo you aren't outclassed! Write forever! From what I've read so far, I've really really enjoyed it.

                                        And thanks! Sebastian is one of my favorites to write... for..... subtle or un-subtle reasons. But there are a lot of tiny hints in the game that I want to explore a lot more. And lots of headcanons.

                                        edit: oops fixed a typo
                                         
                                          Last edited: Jun 11, 2016
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                                        • Risukage

                                          Risukage Giant Laser Beams

                                          *Laughs with enthusiasm.* Wait, you've actually heard about it from others? *Faints.* It looks like we're both embracing technology, though I'm going more real-world and you're taking the magic route. Well! It is decided, we shall be literary rivals, and thus I shall read your work with every update! (Also, Alex and Lys have their throwdown in chapter 10, so you'll have to read a bit to get there. :p) Heh, I don't feel as bad, then, so you shouldn't, either. If I see something from my story pop up in yours I'll be flattered; if my stuff is good enough to be used again elsewhere I have accomplished something as a writer!

                                          And you know what? I was gonna hold onto it for Monday's update as a buffer, but I'm gonna go ahead and send the next chapter tonight. This was actually a "bonus" chapter that kinda happened when I was hammering out the framework for something, and I just ran with it. You all get a bonus Saturday update. Because I've had two beers and I also have a warm and fuzzy. *BEER-FLAVORED KISSES.*
                                           
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