In the Reins
A harvest moon fanfic.
Note: Kind of a more adult version of harvest moon. Some cracked pairings, adult themes, language, etc. Currently rated T, please let me know if it needs a higher rating.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter One: Popuri
(1)
Jill stood in the surf under a pale white moon, cool and round like a stone. Her shoes were somewhere else, strewn across the dunes, forgotten. She closed her eyes, remembering the conversation that had taken place hours before.
"You'll be there, right?" Popuri pleaded. "I really, really need you! This is the most important day of my whole life!"
She heard her own voice responding mechanically. "Of course I will."
Skye. She was marrying Skye. Jill was the maid of honor at Popuri and Skye's wedding. "It's always going to be like this, isn't it?" Jill whispered to the waves, wishing she could disappear, and be lost forever in them. "Always the bridesmaid…"
She remembered the first time Popuri and Skye had ever met. She had been the one to introduce them. Well, in a way. Skye never met anyone he didn't mean to.
It was late at night in Summer, Jill ran across the field to Takakura's house. She was nearly shaking with excitement, a new extension to the basement allowed her to grow some very non-traditional produce.
'Cannabis," Jill explained to him. "I can get thousands for it. Thousands and thousands. We can save the farm, We'll be rich."
Takakura smiled at her excitement. "I never thought of that before."
"What are you guys talking about?" Popuri called from Takakura's kitchen. Jill had nearly forgotten. Today was Sunday, the day Popuri and Rick came to visit.
"Oh, nothing, really." Takakura spoke for her, silencing Jill with a glance. "I'm going out for a bit." He said. "You girls can stay here, if you'd like."
"What're you up to?" Jill asked, smiling.
"I'm making curry." Popuri grinned widely, showing all her perfect teeth. As if on cue, thick black smoke came billowing out of the oven and the consistent loud chirping of the fire detector sounded throughout Takakura's little house.
"What do I do? What do I do?" Popuri screamed until Jill came back with a fire extinguisher, covering the kitchen with a thin white film.
Now that she was out of danger, Popuri instantly began to cry.
"I thought I smelled curry," Skye appeared at Takakura's window. "But instead I find a weeping maiden!" He turned to Popuri. "Such a beautiful girl shouldn't have any reason to cry." He spoke softly and offered her the handkerchief from his breast pocket.
There was something about the look in their eyes that made Jill want to vomit.
"I probably would have thrown up." Karen admitted when Jill related the story to her later at Mineral Town's Laundromat.
"They're really kind of perfect for each other. They both love that over-the-top sappy stuff." Jill shrugged, sitting on top of the machine.
"Oh, Gosh!" Karen's eyes grew wide in sudden amusement. "Rick is going to be so angry when he finds out!" And they laughed. "Oh, did you bring me a present?"
"Is it laundry day?" Jill smiled, producing a bottle of sake.
They passed the bottle back and forth in the Laundromat, waiting for their clothes to be dry, and laughed some more.
"Rick's concerned about my liver." Karen began suddenly. "And my driving, and my eating habits, and the amount of sleep I get. It's almost suffocating."
"But he loves you." The sake had made Jill tired and she leaned her head against Karen's shoulder.
"I know," She sighed. "But sometimes… I wonder."
Jill didn't know what to say, so she just listened.
The bell at the entrance to the Laundromat chimed.
"Hey Karen, Jill." Kai smiled.
"Hello, Kai." The girls straightened, hoping they didn't appear drunk.
"We should leave," Karen whispered, giggling.
"Kai-" Jill called out as Karen was dragging her out of the Laundromat before she did something embarrassing.
Kai picked his head up instantly. Jill only stared.
"What is it?" He prompted.
"It was good to see you, today." Jill grinned the most absurdly large grin she could manage.
"I'll be around all summer." Kai smiled.
But that was before. That was before the air grew cold and autumn set in.
"Any farther and you'll float away." Takakura appeared on the white shore.
"Tak…" Jill turned around suddenly. "Sorry, I was just… thinking."
"The first shipment of the season was picked up this afternoon. Your dealer was very pleased with the quality."
"That's good. Vesta and Marlin were worried about competition. I think it's safe to say we're in a very different kind of plant market."
Takakura smiled.
"I'll go home later. Don't worry." Jill said, looking up at the moon.
(2)
Corn grew in the fields, but Jill didn't really harvest it anymore. Mayor Thomas had grown suspicious for a while, so Takakura cleverly explained that Jill was shipping through the cannery.
Jill didn't notice the difference in the forget-me-not valley right away, but Ruby certainly noticed that Rock loafed around a lot more often, perpetually smelling like something she couldn't quite place.
Griffin kept his bar open later, to accommodate the people who wandered in, wide-eyed, hungry, and in want of beer.
Rock started knocking on her door once a week, but everyone else in the valley remained oblivious. Soon, he began selling the plant that grew in the basement too, to support his own habit. Ruby didn't know what he did all day, but was pleased he had a job.
Rock knocked on Jill's door that morning, too, shockingly early for him.
"I need another ounce." He spoke softly through the screen door.
"Already?" Jill rubbed at her eyes sleepily, wearing an oversized t-shirt and a pair of old plaid shorts.
"Gustafa started buying from me."
"Oh," Jill said. "Oh."
Rock walked in and sat at her kitchen table, throwing down a wad of crumpled bills.
"Do you mind if I smoke in here?"
"Not really." Jill said, weighing out her crop on the scale at the kitchen counter.
"I like… love your wall. What colour is it?" Rock spoke slowly after looking around for a little bit.
"Cornflower blue."
"But like… corn is yellow, man. It's yellow." Rock couldn't help but sound bothered. "It's just not right."
Jill stifled a laugh."Here." She handed Rock a plastic bag.
"Hey, Jill." He said suddenly. "You're friends with Naimi, right? She like hates me. She hates me, man. It makes me sad."
"Are you going to Popuri's wedding?"
"Yeah, yeah. Wait, when is it?"
(3)
"Why do we have to wear such ugly dresses?" Karen protested to the mirror in her room over her family's grocery store in Mineral Town.
Jill, sitting on Karen's bed, laughed. The dresses were ugly, a bright coral pink with flowers and lace and ribbons attached to excess. "We don't have to wear them tonight." She shrugged. "There's no wedding tonight. Just the bachelorette party."
"You're right. Tonight, we get to have fun." Karen turned around, flinging the dress at Jill in mock disgust. "Oh, Jill, when you get married, please don't make me wear such an ugly dress."
"I don't think I'll ever get married." Jill said, her voice thoughtful edged with sadness. "I mean, I want to, but,"
"Oh, don't cry. Your mascara is going to run." Karen wiped at the tears forming in the corners of Jill's eyes.
"Sorry." Jill forced a smile.
They walked into the only bar in town, pretty girls in black dresses. "Over here!" Muffy waved. Jill stumbled a little on her high heels, but no one seemed to notice. Popuri ran over and hugged them.
"Oh, I knew you would come!" She smiled. Jill noticed her teeth were perfectly white and straight.
"Where's Celia?" Karen asked Muffy.
"She wasn't feeling very well." Muffy explained, taking a sip of a pina colada. "She wasn't up for going out."
"Poor Celia." Popuri said. Her face was flushed and red from drinking.
"I'm a little nervous about tomorrow." Popuri whispered to Jill.
"Everyone gets a little nervous before their wedding day, I think."
"Oh no, not that at all." Popuri laughed. "The wedding night."
Jill found herself nodding, and marched right up to the bar.
"Tequila on the rocks please."
She downed it in one gulp. The liquid burned her throat as it went down, but it soon subsided and she found herself wanting more. When the second and third were gone, she wanted another.
"Are you alright?" Came the gruff voice of the man sitting next to her.
"Hello, Grey." Jill smiled, swaying only a little.
Grey was leaning over the bar counter, holding his bottle of beer protectively. The hat he always wore covered most of his face, and Jill couldn't see his eyes.
"Hello, Jill." He smiled and waved a little. "Be careful with those," He nodded towards her empty glass. "Otherwise I'm going to have to carry you down the aisle tomorrow."
"W-what?" Jill placed her glass down on the counter and hoped for a refill.
"Popuri decided to make me your escort. My name was next to yours at the rehearsal dinner. You weren't there, though. Neither was Karen."
"Yeah, we decided to get drunk last night instead. And then I forgot." Jill picked up her now full glass and sipped it.
Gray's stern expression softened into a laugh.
"What's so funny?" Came another voice. Jill caught the scent of sea salt and pineapple.
"Kai!" She exclaimed a little too loudly.
"Have you been staying out of trouble?" Kai asked, signaling the barkeep for something to drink.
"Sort of." Jill said.
"Not Really." Grey said at the same time with a chuckle.
Jill remembered the first time she had ever met Kai, wandering on the beach in mineral town with Karen, drunk near midnight.
"Rick wants me to marry him." Karen laughed
"Is that so bad?" Jill wondered. "Do you love him?"
"I don't know. He just complains all the time." Karen shrugged.
"Woah!" Jill's foot had suddenly become caught on a rock, and she tumbled into the sand, pulling Karen with her. They were stunned for a minute, and then began to laugh.
"Is someone out there?" A deep voice came from the wooden shack down the beach.
Karen and Jill screamed and held each other tightly.
The man ran out anxiously, clutching a wooden pole, as if there were monsters outside, not two inebriated girls. Rick must have heard Karen's scream, and rushed to the shore where they had fallen.
"Karen! Karen!" He cried out in desperation. "You!" He shrieked at Kai, who he could recognize, even in the dark. "Me! What did I do?"
"You're always up to something!" Rick shoved him. Kai's hands balled into fists, and Karen pushed herself to her feet and then rushed between them.
"Stop it!" She shouted.
Jill smiled. It was good that Rick wasn't there tonight, Kai and Karen were dancing as Gustafa played an unusually mellow tune.
"I can't believe that out of all of us, Popuri is getting married first." Muffy confided to Jill as she came over to the bar for another pina colada. "I mean, I love her and all, but she can be so childish…"
Popuri was childish. Karen drank. Muffy was pretty, and Celia was sweet. Naimi wandered, and Mary studied, Flora knew karate, Ann liked to cook, Elli was a little clumsy, and Lumina played piano.
"What about me?" Jill wondered out loud.
"Did you say something?" Muffy asked.
"No." Jill shook her head vigorously. "Cheers!" She said suddenly.
"Cheers!" Muffy, instantly distracted smiled and they polished off their drinks. "Oh, Cliff – you look so sad, let me buy you a drink!" She wandered down the bar, grinning widely. Cliff nearly jumped up in surprise.
Jill turned around, ho ping Gray was still there, but he had left, too.
"Doug," Jill called out. "Can you please give me the rest of the bottle?"
(4)
"Jill! Jill! You have to wake up!" Karen was shaking her. She wasn't sure how, but somehow she was on Karen's parent's couch.
"Are we late? Did we miss the wedding?" Jill asked, sitting up and rubbing her eyes, smearing the makeup from the night before that she hadn't bothered to take off because she had been too drunk.
"No, Jill I-" Karen began, then stopped. "Jill… I slept with Kai last night."
"Did you not want to?" Jill asked.
"No… It was pretty mutual. I – I left before he woke up." Karen wouldn't look at her. "But Rick is going to be furious."
"But you weren't involved with Rick at all." Jill didn't know why she was pushing Karen towards Kai, maybe because she didn't like Rick very much at all.
"You're right but, he's going to be furious all the same." Karen forced a smile. "We should get going, or we will miss the wedding."
(5)
Even in that ugly coral pink dress, Karen looked pretty. Kai escorted her down the aisle to the altar where the Skye was waiting for Popuri, being given away by her brother.
Behind where Jill and Gray were standing, Rick turned red with anger.
"How's your head?" Gray asked, a smile of amusement on his lips.
"It only hurts a little." Jill protested. Gray offered his arm, and she took it, wobbling only a little on the 3-inch heels Popuri insisted she wear.
Rick was still fuming when he gave his sister away. Jill knew she should have been paying attention to other things, her friend, Popuri, who was getting married, or her other friend, Karen, who was, for the very first time in her life, in love, or the other villagers who were in attendance, but she couldn't stop staring at Rick who was the most amusing shade of crimson. He looked like those tomatoes she used to sell, before she moved on to a more profitable plant market.
"Hey, Jill." Rock sauntered over to her during the reception at the inn and spoke in a low voice. "Do you have any hash?"
"I can't believe you!" Rick was suddenly shouting. Rock no longer cared about the hash and Jill no longer cared about selling it. "What have you done!?"
"Back off, Rick." Kai said threateningly, stepping in front of Karen as if to protect her.
"Rick, what's going on?" Popuri rushed over.
"Tell her, Karen! Tell her what you've done!" Rick demanded.
"Stop, please – don't do this now." Karen pleaded. "I was never yours."
"She spent last night with Kai." Rick told his sister, loudly. Jill wanted to hit him, but then decided not to. She wanted to see if Rick and Kai were going to start fighting.
Muffy walked over with two umbrella drinks and placed one in Jill's hand. Not taking her eyes of the scene, she began sipping it.
"W-what? Kai – how could you!" Popuri looked like she was about to cry.
"You made your choice, Popuri. You're already married. Let me make my own decisions, now."
"You're a cad!" Rick pointed at Kai, then turned to Karen. "And you're a slut!"
The crowd gasped. Karen's face hardened. She marched right up to Rick and slapped him. "You asshole." She sneered, and in a very dignified manner, gathered up her ugly pink dress and walked out.
"Should we go after her?" Jill asked Muffy.
"Maybe later. I don't think she wants to see anyone right now."
"Jill. I still need some hash over here." Rock whispered, just loud enough for Muffy to catch it.
"You've got hash?"
Jill looked around and nodded meekly.
"Let's go find Karen and get out of here. This place sucks right now." Muffy grabbed Jill by the arm and left with Rock behind them.
(6)
They ended up out in a cornfield somewhere- Karen found the place.
"I can't believe that actually just happened." Karen admitted, passing around a rolled-up joint and a bottle of liquor, taken from her family's store.
"Rick was kind of being a douchebag." Rock agreed.
"How do you make love stay?" Jill asked aloud, coughing a little on Rock's smoke.
"W-what?" Muffy turned to her suddenly.
"Rick loved Karen, but doesn't anymore, Popuri loved Kai, but married Skye instead. It just seems like such a fickle thing. How do you make love stay? How to you make it a little less fickle?"
Jill suddenly felt uncomfortable because everyone was staring at her. "Take it." Karen said, handing her the liquor bottle. "Take it. You need it more than I do."
