i oc'd this a bit, because i actually chose a name instead of defaulting it. the name is pronounced 'kar-iss'. it is a welsh name that means 'to love'. i am a sucker for beautiful names that just sort of roll off the tongue, and honestly? none of the default names that have ever been offered with the game series felt right to me. :shrug:
this entire thing will be synced with my play through. i have three more 'chapters' written, but will upload those probably once a week. it will allow me to get others done at a decent-ish pace without feeling rushed. i know everyone has different play styles, and has different thoughts/intentions/feelings behind the way they play their game. this...well, i guess is a 'documented' version of mine.
please feel free to comment (preferably nicely, even if you dislike it), because being informed can help me to try to make it a better story.

i own nothing more than my ideas and a deep, profound love for the path marvelous has found itself on. story of seasons for life, yo~

edit: upon the advice of my beloved miss kitty, i have...tweaked it, i suppose you could say. put more...definition, i guess? i think i managed to fix what she was talking about...i hope. either way, here is the 'revamped' version.

Carys collapsed on the bed, exhausted. She had been in Oak Tree Town for a week, and while the tasks that Eda had trained her in and the long walks to get...well, anywhere, had increased her strength and stamina, she was not prepared for the repair job her new house needed. Especially tackling that project on her own. As she laid there with muscles she had never realized existed before aching, she let out a contented sigh.

This was what she had wanted; to live a life she knew would be more fulfilling than anything the city held for her. If that fulfilling life meant being exhausted after a hard day's work, all the better. It at least meant she was doing something. Building, tending the fields, and caring for animals like Hanako...her heart ached in happiness.

She was headed in to town to the trade depot when she spotted a tall, thin man in a long green coat with a yellow cravat. He was standing in the clearing not far from the lane she and Eda lived on. Carys remembered seeing him in town a few times, but was never sure if he was a fellow citizen or a visiting tourist. She had a feeling it was the former, so she decided to introduce herself.
She stepped forward, and as she did so he spotted her.
"Hmm? Well…you are a new face. …oh, you must be the farmer in training who moved here just recently!"
She nodded her head.
"I am Klaus. I work as a perfumer. It is very nice to meet you."
He was rather brusque, though friendly enough. Carys could only assume he was taking in the beautiful earthy scent of the woods as in inspiration for his work. Hmm...a perfumer.

Carys knew she and Hanako stood no chance of winning the Moo-Moo Festival. It never hurt to try, though, and Goddess knew it would be a wonderful bonding experience for them both no matter the outcome.
As she stood to the side, smiling and applauding Elise with everyone else, she glanced around the crowd of people gathered there. Eda and Otmar beamed at her, proud of her despite her loss. Raeger and Mistel, though on opposite sides of the depot, shared similar looks of mild disinterest. Meanwhile, Margot held a firm grip on Lutz's coat sleeve to keep him from wandering off to pet the cows. His face bore a strained expression and his clenching hands showed his displeasure. Carys giggled when she heard him grunt in frustration, and pressed her fingertips against her lips as if that would deter the sound from escaping.
To the back right of her Klaus saw her eyes squint in barely contained laughter as her thin fingers struggled to hold it in. Her silent mirth was contagious, and he felt the corners of his mouth twitch into a grin, a chuckle escaping him. Iris' eyebrow quirked in intrigue as she hooked her arm through his and elbowed him. When he turned to look at her, a playful smirk greeted him.
"Pray tell, Iris; why do you look so full of yourself right now, hmm?"
"Oh, nothing..."

Diving in the river had paid off countless times, as she had amassed a small pile of iron and an even larger one of valuable gems. Her first decision was to upgrade her home. Once that was completed, she had promptly built a kitchen. With eight fields that needed to be tended, she knew it would be a solid investment. A seed maker shed would be a wonderful addition to her farm, and improve her crops, but not having the energy to tend any resulting produce would be a bad idea. Besides, it would be built too late in the season to make a substantial difference for her spring crops anyway.

Carys sat at her dining table and lazily stirred the soup in the dish before her, a look of contentment on her features. Ever since moving to Oak Tree Town her life suddenly felt as if it had meaning. She supposed her gratitude to the land and the people was being reciprocated through the good fortune that frequently befell her. Elise's backhanded generosity that resulted in a fine horse. The little feeling that told her "This will be where you find something of value" as she dove in the water. The missing little pieces in her life were suddenly clicking into place.

Carys was settled in the clearing watching the rabbit when Klaus walked by. She waved hello, and smiled up at him as he neared. Holding up a finger to signify that he should wait a moment, she fished in her bag before she withdrew a glass container of pale orange liquid. She rose and handed it to him. Klaus looked puzzled for a moment as he opened the lid and lifted the bottle to his nose hesitantly. His eyes widened as he recognized the scent of carrot juice.
"Wait...is this a birthday present? How very considerate of you."
All she did was nod her head, the smile still on her face. She gestured towards the path, implying that she had to leave. She waved goodbye and headed off down the road towards town. Klaus watched her as she left, the bottle still raised near his lips. As the light glinted off the long wheat tresses that flew out behind her as she skipped off, he felt his mouth go dry. He brought the bottle to his lips and chugged.

With Hanako cared for and her peach tree fertilized and watered, Carys collected refilled her watering can and set out on her way to the root field. As she neared it, she paused to breathe in the sweet fragrance of the warming wind, a tantalizing reminder that summer was merely days away.

Carys appeared stunned when her name was called. Her crops had matured the morning of the festival, and her diligent care had paid off in the form of a large tuber that netted her the win. The set of cooking recipes she was handed would have to wait on the bookshelf until she could grow the ingredients they required, but the bronze rating was the real testament to her hard work.
Out in the crowd her friends laughed and cheered. When she dazedly stumbled down from the stage Lillie and Angela ushered her into a tight group, whispering to her about how they always knew she could do it and asking her her secrets.
Klaus and Iris stood off to the side of them, amused expressions on their faces. "Oh to be young again, mm Klaus?" she murmured. His gaze flickered between his companion and the grinning, blushing Carys. "Oh, to be young again indeed..." was his barely heard reply.

She had stockpiled flowers for days in an effort to make sure she had one for each resident of Oak Tree Town. She was completely prepared for this. Her chores completed, the first flower delivered was to her beloved Eda who insisted it was too fine a gift to be given to her but gladly accepted it nonetheless. It had taken a few hours, but everyone had received a flower save for Gunther who was out of town, and the perfumer. He had been nowhere to be seen. Carys sighed, and then yawned. It was the middle of the day and the burgeoning heat of the soon to be summer was already taking its toll. She headed home, the feeling of defeat nagging at her.
As she neared the lane her farm was off of, she glimpsed the tell-tale green coat. Energy temporarily regained, she stepped forward into the clearing, a flower hastily plucked from her bag. She stood there shuffling her feet, smoothing the rumpled leaves and fussing over a bent petal.
Klaus noticed her there, and paused to take in the golden haired girl, her eyes downcast as she focused on her task. The corner of her lower lip was caught between her teeth in concentration. He gave an amused snort as he moved forward to greet her, which seemed to catch her attention. She gave an embarrassed giggle, and held a slightly marred blue magic flower out to him, a chagrined look on her face.
He was struck by what a charming sight it was, and once again felt his mouth go dry. He reached out to gently take the flower, and as he did so their fingertips brushed together. A bit of loose fingernail scratched his skin, drawing a thin line of blood. She let out a quiet "Oh!" of surprise, and apologized for her clumsiness. After he insisted he was fine and would tend to it once he was home, she walked away. Klaus stood there, flower held absently in his hand. As he watched her leave, his heart fluttered.