I originally intended for this to be a one-shot, but it ended up being too long so I'm splitting it into a two-shot. Please enjoy~
Throughout the story I want to emphasize Angie's different styles of writing and how it suits her mood. I think that will make it a bit more readable ;;;
Consider this a late holiday present? Happy Holidays all~
Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.
…
Witches were something I never really considered.
I mean, I guess in a town like this one they were entirely possible – we had a Harvest Goddess, why not a witch? Completely believable. We also had a wizard, so why no witch? If we're going to have one, we should have the other. It's only balanced.
Which is why, in all the weirdness that was Waffle Town, I could never fathom why a witch was so hated. Among all the mythical characters that lived here, she seemed like she would be the most normal.
I had never met her of course, but the rumors that pulsed through the town square during the sunny mornings were sufficient enough to get the general public's idea of her – a stuck-up bitch. Maybe this was true, maybe it wasn't, I never took time to fully consider it. If they said that's what she was like, then I guess that's what she was like. It's not like I was ever going to meet her, right?
That's all that ran through my head this morning. Luna had been telling me the gossip while I helped her sew a new outfit for the shop, and it just so happened a witch came up. I wasn't really listening, but I heard Luna say something along the lines of, "But her hair is pretty so I can't hate her too much," and it just haunted me for the rest of the day. What was Luna's definition of pretty hair? Is there another girl in this town with cotton candy pink hair? What if a fight breaks out between her and another weird-haired resident?
It didn't hit me until two hours lately that even Luna had heard of this witch woman.
And everyone here knew of this woman.
I felt kind of left out that I had never met her.
But if she was as bad as they say, was I missing out?
No.
I wasn't.
…
Kathy, Luna and Selena all agree that I have to go out more.
Screw them. I get out enough. It's hard enough to be a farmer and go to the bar and tailor shop every night.
…
Luna said she wouldn't care if I came to the tailor shop less, as long as I was meeting new people.
Candace said she would miss me.
It is obvious which sister I like better now.
…
Selena, who is the only person who can stay sober while working at a bar, told me that she remembered when I was an adorable little girl who came to this town, not a cynical woman with a hunched back.
I scowled.
She glared.
I was too drunk to remember anything after that, but I think I started crying.
Not like I was sad or anything, I just...started crying.
Alcohol burns my eyes, that's why.
…
Oh, who am I kidding?
…
Kathy told me I had to stop this.
Kathy told me she missed the old me.
I told Kathy I missed her too.
…
I heard people talk about the witch today.
I still want to meet her.
…
I didn't go out today.
I couldn't bear to see the look on their faces when they would see me just get drunk and start crying again.
I need to control myself.
Why can't I control myself?
…
I was walking through the forest today.
I like forests. They're nice. They're quiet. There's nothing there but trees and herbs and maybe a couple of animals but no people and no liquor and only silence and I like them.
Except today was different. There was another person.
Whenever I'm scared, I revert back to how I used to be. My defense goes down.
I saw a girl in the forest, and instead of being tough, strong Angela, I was cute, naïve Angie.
I hate this. I hate this. I hate this.
…
The girl didn't really look at me. She kind of glanced my way briefly before bending over and returning to whatever she was doing before.
I kept staring.
She glanced back.
"...Do you want something from me?"
"Uh, no."
"Then why are you just standing there?"
"...I don't really know."
"Do you want to be of use?"
"O-ok."
"Go get me three mushrooms."
I got her three mushrooms.
…
I think I met the witch today.
She was skinny and pretty, like everyone said. She had yellow eyes ('evil eyes' as one had hissed). She had long, silver hair that kind of shimmied when she moved and glittered in the sunlight and was kind of amazing.
I totally met the witch today.
She didn't seem that bad.
…
I was dazed when I went to the Bar.
I was so dazed that I didn't even make a snarky comment when I saw Chase.
I just floated over to the stool I always sat at and smiled at Hayden and Kathy and Selena and Jake and Colleen and just sat there and it was weird but I just sat there.
Kathy grinned.
"There's my girl!"
…
Kathy says I should just get over it.
Selena says I should just get over it.
Luna says I should just get over it.
I say I should just get over it.
Why can't I just get over it?
…
I said I would write it down. Just to get it out.
I'm writing it down. Here. Now.
Nothing is going to stop me.
…
Something stopped me.
I am a such a fucking coward.
…
I've been seeing The Witch every day now.
I've decided to start capitalizing 'The Witch' so it feels more like her name.
I am such a stalker.
…
I'm going to write it down.
I'm going to write it down.
I'm going to write it down.
Tomorrow.
…
The Witch and I talked today:
"Hey, you!" (this is her)
"Uh, yeah?" (me: oh fuck she saw me oh god oh god oh god she must think I'm creepy oh shit shit shit)
"Are you stalking me?" (no translation needed, she's kind of blunt)
"O-of course n-n-" (me: oh god oh god oh god)
"You don't have to lie."
"I prefer a term other than 'stalk.' (me: please don't think I'm creepy please please please)
"Hey, if you're going to stalk me, shouldn't we both benefit?"
"...huh?" (me: did she just say she was ok with my unhealthy obsession with her?)
"Here's the deal: you bring me a food I like every day, and I'll let you stalk me. Sounds fair?"
"O-ok...what foods do you like?" (me: I am so confused right now that I'll just not argue and go along with this.)
"What kind of stalker are you? Shouldn't you know that?"
I turn to walk away.
"I like cheesecake. I really want cheesecake! And good cheesecake, too!"
…
Here I am with Chase, learning how to cook cheesecake.
What is this what is this what is this oh I don't even.
I'm stuck in a tiny kitchen with Chase learning how to bake a cake for a woman (witch?) who agreed to let me stalk her and how would I explain this to anybody without seeming insane.
…
I'm writing it now. All of it. And I'm going to write like I know how to write. I won't turn back. I won't slip into stupid trances. I'm going to write like I used to, before cheesecakes and sarcastic comments and especially before beautiful silver-haired witches.
This is a fucking essay bitches.
…
I'm actually very good at cooking.
Just thought I'd get that out there before I started.
…
There will be no names, because I'm not a stupid bitch and I won't go down that low.
Let's start with A. A's nice. She's sweet. She's a naive little girl come to Waffle Town to be a Farmer.
Enter S, K and L. These are A's friends. Best friends. They love her and protect her from everything. They tell who's an asshole and who's a big asshole and who is actually worth thirty seconds of her time.
And they said he was safe. Safe enough. There wasn't enough info on him, but he was good. Cute. Cool. Nice. Everything A wanted in a man. This guy – let's call him B.
…
I can't write anymore. I can't. I can't. It just hurts too much.
I want to go back to my world of cheesecakes and sarcasm and witches while it's still here, perfect and the best escape.
…
I went into her house I went into her house I went into her house
…
What happened:
"Here you go."
Exchange cheesecake. She holds the cheesecake. Looks at it. Takes a bite. Smiles. Frowns.
"I wanted strawberry ice cream today."
"Huh?"
"I wanted cheesecake yesterday. But now I want strawberry ice cream."
"O-ok..."
"Oh, just come inside and let me eat this at a table. You ain't half bad at cooking, you know. If only I had some ice cream..."
And then she took me inside and apparently she lives in the forest but her house is nice and it was nice and she sat there and ate the cheesecake and smiled at me once and it killed me.
…
Chase is wondering why I'm back.
I won't say anything.
He's upset and snarky.
I'm too happy to have him take me down.
…
A loved B. She loved him a lot. Throughout the days they created many memories of lovely moments.
Life was good.
And I could go into detail of every second, but it doesn't matter now. But there is one time, one memory that really breaks A.
It was the day he told her that they were like a fairytale.
And, together – the dainty princess A and the charming prince B – they could achieve a happy ending.
Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you.
…
I heard more whispers in town today.
"That whore!"
"I can't believe it!"
"I said we should have never let a witch into this town! She's only causing trouble."
I ran away, the ice cream under my arm.
…
I went to her house anyway, with the ice cream. All I needed to know if there was someone – or, uh, something – at her house. If there was, I bolt. If there isn't, all of those whispers weren't true and never were.
She answers.
She sees the ice creams.
She makes a variety of expressions, but settles with scowling.
I go in.
…
She notices I'm upset as she scarfs down her ice cream – after telling me she wanted pumpkin pie, which I have determined is her code for 'I'm grateful but I won't say it so I'll act like I'm only eating this out of pity.'
Her golden eyes glance up at me and stop. "What did you hear this time?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I know what they say about me."
"Who's 'they'?"
"You're a terrible liar."
"I-I..."
"You know what pisses me off?" She slams her spoon down. "None of them – not one! - have ever bothered to ask my name. Never! If I'm a witch, then I will be called 'The Witch' and that will forever be the only thing that ever identifies me in this town. All I am is the stupid, greedy, slutty witch. They don't even know my name, and yet they think they can pass judgment on me?"
Silence.
"So...what is your name?"
Her face looks like it is in pain but then it softens up and she turns to me with the slightest hint of a smile on her perpetually scowling face and says, "Vivi. My name is Vivi."
"Vivi is a pretty name."
And it looks like, for a split second, she's going to say thank you, but then she returns to scowling and tells me she wants pumpkin pie before pushing me out of her house.
I was ecstatic all day.
…
Vivi is a pretty name.
I like it.
It's got a nice ring to it.
I think it really suits her.
I wished I could be called Angie again.
Angie and Vivi rhyme.
Sort of.
…
I was at the bar like I was every night and Selena took her spot next to me and smiled.
"You've been looking good these days, Angie."
I grinned through all my whiskey and cocktails and vodka. I grinned and I grinned and I looked like an idiot but I kept grinning.
I miss being called Angie.
I miss it.
I miss her.
…
B broke A's heart in the most gut-wrenching, horrible way.
It wasn't just cheating – A could forgive that. It wasn't just lying – A was a liar herself. It wasn't just drugs or alcohol. It was more. It was different. It wasn't me or him or her or them or they, it was everyone and everything and all of it.
And I'm not strong enough. I never will be.
Angie wasn't. Angela isn't.
I'm not.
…
Vivi became my life.
I saw her every day, no matter what. She never ever wanted what I offered her, always complaining. Yet, at the same time, she was always happy to see me.
She's nonchalant. Paints her nails while I clean her house. Watches TV while I bake her cakes. Takes naps when I'm finally ready to tell her I'm leaving.
She's everything I'm not and everything I want to be and when I'm with her, I'm happy. I'm more happy than anyone in the world and I can finally forget.
I can be Angie. She was the one who made me Angie again.
In the weirdest, most twisted way, she is my best friend.
…..........