Bitter-sweet candy

This is a story about the main characters Erica and Ray. Their design is the one of the two new Animal Parade characters; you guess who the girl is and who the boy is.

It takes place in Castanet (i think it is called) so you who've played the game Harvest moon: Animal Parade will recognize the people and the areas.

They can both see Finn, but Erica's brother is the one that is sought to complete the story some of you may know. This story however will revolve around Erica, her hardships by adapting to a new different community and environment along with the trouble of falling in love with someone on first sight.

- The background story is that their parents died of disease some time ago and that they have lived together for as long as they can remember. Ray is high-spirited and carefree and Erica is a little more hesitant to taking risks. Erica is the older sister I would guess she's around 20 +/- a year and her brother, Ray, is a year younger than her.

I'll tag this story under "Candace:" She's supposed to be the main interest of Erica, so yes this will be what I guess some will call femslash. And if any of you are wondering then yes, Ray will also get some time for his character and his marriage interest, let's just say that I may expect some sister struggles in the tailor family as well.

I am a guy IRL so I can never really relate to if girls should differently when they are in love with each other than if they are in love with us guys, but I figured I would go ahead and try, after all isn't the loooove all that really matters?

I hope you get most of what I write, my English isn't superb, but I would want to write to a bigger audience rather than to write perfectly on Danish only.

I scouted the area, trying to find some kind of familiarity in the new scenery, but fact was that even though I stood beside my new home I was all but comfortable with my surroundings.

Leaving my home city with my brother because a yellow fairy told us to also sounded a little odd when I reviewed the event in my head, but fact was that we had just moved to a very small community without knowing a soul – we were lucky we even met anyone on the way, fortunately that one man we met had been kind enough to bring us here.

"Hey Erica, it seems like the field already has a few crops ready for harvest!" I turned my attention towards Ray and looked at the small patch o land re-worked for our farming business, "Hooray, tulips, potatoes and some turnips – we're already billionaires," I responded sarcastically. Ray always had a way of finding something positive out of every situation – I guess I was born the bigger sceptic.

Fact was though that I had reason for my scientism, none of us was that experienced with farm-work and taking care for livestock. In the city all we had really tried was growing small flowers and a patch of carrots for our pet rabbit – which also was the only creature as such we ever had taken care of. Of course our rabbit later turned out to be brain-damaged due to it was third inbred generation in its family and therefore had to be 'humanely euthanized'. After that experience our parents didn't buy us a new pet again.

So, yeah everything seemed… Bright!

"Whatever, it's still better than nothing negative-o!" Ray had already fetched his watering can and had started watering the few crops that was left for us. "I wonder if anyone lived here recently?" Ray was probably asking himself more than me, but fact was that I also wondered that a little, judging by our new house I would have said no, but the land seemed fertile enough – taken the condition of the land in the area in general into count – and both the coop and the barn didn't seem like they had been empty for long, there were still… Traces… of animals left behind.

I finally came to my senses again and thought it would be better to get the work done instead of standing and wondering while the world went on going.

"Okay, I'll go with Finn to the Harvest Goddess, why don't you try to go and buy us some more seeds?" Ray was the more adventurous and head-on type of the two of us, quite frankly I didn't really mind that too much. I always thought that too much excitement often comes with a prize, a sad notion perhaps, but it helped me keep my sense of reality – a sense my brother seemed to lack. "Sure, remember to be polite, I wouldn't want you to make a bad first impression on a goddess." "Hah, I never leave a bad first impression on anyone!" We shared a laugh before parting ways.

Being on my own was rather comforting in its own way, I was so used to hanging out with my brother all the time that silence almost felt as much as a treat as candy these days. While walking to the west where that Cain-fella had gone off to I took notice of the wild bushes, it would be important to ask the mayor if it was legal to take what you could find in the wilderness, the blueberries and raspberries on these bushes could easily be produced into jams for an extra little profit – every penny would count for a pound in our hungry purse.

As I walked over the bridge my eyes followed the huge waterwheel downwards until something else caught my attention: A man, perhaps the same age as myself? Nevertheless it seemed like he was fishing – and swearing.

"Hello." I greeted him. By the rude response I got I assumed he hadn't noticed I was a stranger – nor a girl. "Not today Chase, I can't seem to land a decent catch these days!"

In my imagination I was choking him, but I tried to keep my self-esteem, even if he wasn't a harvest goddess I didn't have to leave a bad first impression either. "My name is not Chase…"

He realized my voice was that of a stranger and he took the liberty to face me. "Who are you then?" Some manners. "I'm sorry I should introduce myself before demanding names," he corrected himself and continued, "I'm Toby, you don't seem familiar, are you new here?" I managed to make a smile and respond without my clear irritation shining through. "Yeah, I just moved into the farm east of here with my brother Ray, my name is Erica."

He scanned my appearance with his eyes before responding. "Cool, though the elements seem to have died out in the area I am glad that we are still able to attract new settlers. Well good luck, but you must excuse me I have to get home." He waved to me while he walked over the bridge from where I had arrived.

After watching a episode of a family fighting I was greeted by what seemed to be their youngest member. "Hi, I'm Taylor! Who are you!" The excited greeting no doubt covered over the fact that he was hurt by the discussion he had just had with his parents but I decided not to remark upon it. Meddling in strangers affairs was probably not the safest of first moves I could do.

"Uh, I'm Erica nice to meet you…" "Cool, I'm off to find new seed for my family to grow, see ya around Erica!" The little bolt of energy headed off and disappeared into the horizon in a few moments. I turned to the building his parents had gone into and went inside to see what I could get here.

"I like strawberries!" Like anyone could hear me, nevertheless I just felt like saying it out loud. Being apart from my brother were stranger than what I had thought it would be like at first.

In our home city we never complained when we were apart, but I guess with all this being a whole new place for us I may have over estimated my own feelings towards independence.

"So do Bo!" The voice, coming from my brother apparently appearing behind me, almost scared me enough to spill all the seeds I had just purchased. "R-Ray!" I couldn't really scold him for anything, it was me being unaware after all. "And who is 'Bo' by the way!"

Ray smiled like he had just won a jackpot, he might as well, or rather getting to scare me was probably more worth to him than any amount of cold cash that could be handed to him.

"Bo is a carpenters apprentice I met on the mountain! He's repairing a broken bridge, so I can't see the Harvest Goddess!" His voice sounding so enthusiastic seemed odd even for his carefree character.

"And that makes you happy because…?" Ray took a moment to think why he indeed was so cheerful about the situation but quickly found the explanation hidden in the back of his memory. "He wants strawberries and milk so he can get his stamina back!" "And we are supposed to pay for that!" After a moments silence he took a heavy breath like he was going to break some terrible news to me. "Yes!" "What! And you agreed!" "Why not?" "Because we don't have any money!"

After arguing a little back and forth we (meaning him and Finn out-manoeuvred me) agreed that it was best to get it over with and we also purchased some fresh Strawberries from the farm.

"Cain's ranch should be down this way, I think we drove past it on our way to our house earlier." Ray pointed towards the road heading right from Marimba farm heading north. On the way to the ranch we noticed the entrance to the forest, it was named "Fugue." You would think it meant something, but it was prolly just a name.

Finally arriving at Horn Farm we looked around the area, some horses were running around on the field behind their barn. A girl with brown hair was standing by the windmill. "Hey!" Ray went ahead and greeted her, he was always quick on words and didn't consider that he would scare the (censured word) out off her. "Hya!" She yelped a scream and turned around and faced Ray and I.

"H-hello…" "Hi there! I'm Ray and this is my sister Erica!" The girl took her time to search both of our appearances with her eyes. "I'm… Renee, pleased to meet you." She seemed to regain herself and she brought up a smile. "You're pretty cute!" Ray had a way of letting everyone know what he thought of them the minute he met them – for better or for worse. "You think…? Uhm… Thank you." She blushed a little but kept smiling, so she was obviously not opposed by his blunt remark.

"Yeah, well excuse me if I interrupt a flirt, but we really need to buy some milk, do you know if we can do that here." I always had to cut to the slack in order to get anything done. "Oh, yes you can, my mom tends the shop inside our home, my dad Cain is inside the barn right now…" Ray looked up at the windmill. "There's something strange about that windmill…" "What?" I turned my attention towards the windmill, we were all now staring at it. "Actually it's the wind that's acting peculiar…" Renee tucked a piece of her dress between her hands and faced us once more. "No way?" "Yes, for some reason the wind hasn't been very strong in quite a while now, I'm afraid that this will cut a lot in the income for a lot of people. The farmers from Marimba grind their sugar and the like here, and the minders grind the salt rocks they find when they work." A brief moment of silence fell upon the small party, Ray was quick to change that. "We'll handle it!" "You will? "We will!" Both I and Renee stared at my brother, then at each other. "Thanks so much, if you could do anything to help it would mean a lot to many people!" The girl waved and turned around to go into the chicken coop. "See you some other day!"

"You just have a way with the girls don't you?" "So what, just because I got the looks!" (Insert sunglasses smiley)

"And this milk should do?" I looked at the can while walking back to Cain's barn. "Why not, he just wanted milk and strawberries for lunch; he never said anything about the quality!"

As we entered the barn I could see that Cain was brushing a couple of calves. "Well, if it isn't the siblings fantastic!" Cain raised one of his huge hands in a very manly greeting; he slapped Ray on the back and messed up my hair in a fatherly fashion before continuing. "It's wonderful to get new life to this place; it's a long time since we last had any newcomers in the area! Say would you like a calf for free?"

"FOR REAL!" Ray immediately decided on behalf of us both that; yes we did… "Sure, my prized cow, Moo-Bella, just had triplets, and I don't have space for more than two of them!" "Awesome, thank you so much man!" "Ray!" I interrupted immediately, it was time for my doubtful speech, god, it seemed like I had to be the hesitant one all the time…

"None of us has any experience of taking care of any animal besides that retarded rabbit our father shot because it bit a finger off of him!" While Cain stood in the background gaping wide because of the grim revelation, Ray just scratched his neck and cocked his head a little to the side. "Yeah well, we'll learn! Right Cain!" "Uh, I guess… Take this brush and this 'caretaking for beginners' manual with you… I'm gonna come and check on her once in a while though…" "Yeah, let's get it home sis!"

We agreed that the calf should be named Dina, and by agreeing I mean Ray decided it and ignored my protests to the point where I gave it up. After escorting it home to our own shack of a barn we decided to go check out the town and meet the people we probably would see much more to in the near future. Huh, the first impression you get from this place is quite dull. Maybe it's because I compare it too much to the city we used to live in. The houses are pretty bland, but in changing colours though. "Isn't it pretty?" Ray smiled and ran towards the tailoring shop. "Yeah I guess it is." Ray being a couple of meters ahead already, I doubt he noticed my response. "We can shop for clothes her, awesome!" "Yeah actually I think we only managed to pack two sets of clothing each…"

Ray went ahead and opened the door, being the gentleman he was he held it for me – not. I swear when you walk behind that man you have to watch out or you'll get hurt! The tailoring shop at least seemed nice, the selection wasn't bad, but most of the stuff they had seemed to be on display only.

"Oh hello, the mayor spoke of you two, you are the siblings that moved into old stark's farm right?" We looked at each other for a brief moment before looking at the elderly woman who spoke to us behind the counter. Where we came from it was usually young girls, around our own age, that stood behind the counters and blew bubble gum without noticing the customers. "Who are you?" I stuffed my fist into my brother's mouth and took over for him. "I don't know who Stark is, but yes we just moved into the farm west of here. My name is Erica and this good-for-nothing-but-trouble brother of mine is named Ray." The old lady smiled and made her way around the counter and approached us. "My you are a handsome young man, and you are very pretty Erica." "Uh, thanks…" A stranger complimenting us was quite unusual too, man people seemed friendly here. "Wait here; I'll go fetch you a welcoming present each in the back."

Ray was jumping a little in excitement, "man people just hand us free stuff, this is so awesome!" While doing so the door bell clang and a blue haired girl stepped into the shop. "Grandma I'm back from-" The instant she turned around and caught sight of us she stopped talking and looked at us for a moment before diverting her eyes to the floor. "Hey another cute girl, man this city must have a bunch of you! My name is Ray and this is Erica, what's yours?" The girl looked a little up, it was clear she was uncomfortable by the quick remark my brother gave her before introducing us. "I… I'm Candace…." There were something endearing about her that I couldn't describe, her eyes flashed of honesty but she seemed so protective.

Something came over me. Almost like I couldn't control myself, yet I didn't want to stop even though I probably should. I approached her – and it was clear it made her nervous. I didn't react to her response. Instead I just closed up on her and cupped her cheeks with both hands before going in for a deep kiss.

She stiffened and her eyes widened to an extent that could be described as pre-bursting, but she didn't resist, she just stood there like she submitted herself to my perverted action. When I needed to breathe again I let go, a deep sigh emitted from her and I looked into her eyes. For once it was my brother who was left speechless, but it was hard to enjoy in this moment. Without thinking I darted out of the shop and ran home. I had not just kissed a person randomly, I had just kissed another girl randomly. What was going on?

Please do review this story; I actually had fun writing this beginning.

I have tried writing this in another way than what i did in my Dragon Age Fics, i hope it turned out good enough.

I hope to continue the story, but I won't promise anything. Your reviews will help my ongoing motivation.

Love to ya'll!