PAST GHOSTS
Joce: Well… I got this idea randomly while playing "Save the Homeland"… So I don't know if there really is a harbor… Well, there should be and atleast a small town around it, otherwise, how the heck would Jack have gotten there in the first place?
Mixen: Actually… That's a good question.
Joce: Yeah.
Mixen: Jocey doesn't own Harvest Moon or any of the characters.
Joce: Some characters might be OOC, and there's also violence, rape, angst, etc cetera… ((After a moment, cocks her head to the side.)) Or maybe Flowerbud City is near that "Harbor"… Hum… We'll see.
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Jack was positive it was going to be a good day. He continued his walk down the long road down the overly large hill towards the harbor and the little town near said harbor; both were outside the mountain enclosed town he lived in. He sauntered ever so slowly, enjoying his walk and humming, arms behind his head and bobbing his head side to side.
He was asked the week before by Louis to go down to the harbor to get a shipment. He, of course, said ok, as long as someone was there to take care of his plants and animals while he was away. Kurt and Joe said they could take turns watching his farm while he was away for a couple of days, as long as he promised to come back and not get injured.
Not too long after, he ran into Parsley who asked if he was doing anything next week. So he told him of his plans to go down to the harbor to get the shipment and stay a night or two at the little Motel there. It really was a tiring walk to and from the harbor, he knew from first hand experience when he first arrived. Parsley asked him if he wanted to go plant hunting with him when he got back and Jack had said ok.
Katie had dragged him from Parsley and into the Café and scolded him for being too nice again.
Where she had come from, he did not know.
During her lecture, he somehow managed to escape thanks to Wallace. Seriously, she should be like his older sister, not like his younger sister. As soon as he escaped through the Café doors, he ran smack dab into Ronald who only let out a good natured laugh and offered him a helping hand which he kindly took and was practically thrown to his feet.
He had briefly wondered if Ronald knew his own strength…
"Kid, watch where you're going would you?" a gruff voice interrupted his thoughts and he jumped startled.
"A-ah, I'm sorry." Jack answered, sheepishly.
"Whatever."
Jack rubbed the back of his head and walked around the big man who puffed out some smoke and took another drag, holding it in for a total of 5 seconds and letting it out again. Jack was unaware of the man watching after him for a moment and disappeared around the corner of the fishermen's market.
"Freakin' kid didn't even recognize me. Tch'."
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Jack heaved the box up against his chest, panting a bit and shaking his soaked head, trying to get his bangs out of his eyes. There had been a change of plans, there was a storm coming tomorrow, so decided to just walk home after all. He had to be at the Homelands tonight… he just had to. He had to make sure his animals had extra food to last them through the storm…
So… cold…
He let out another heave and starting walking again, determined to get there before the storm arrived, unaware of another presence following him.
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"L-Louis, here's… your s-shipment…" Jack stuttered. His teeth clattered as he spoke and he was visibly shaking, completely drenched in rain water. Louis looked up, startled.
"Jack! You're soaked! Are you okay?" Louis asked, bewilderment evident in his voice and face. He hurried over to Jack and took off his own white coat, placing it over Jack's shoulders and rubbing said shorter man's shoulders.
Jack nodded, his teeth clattering together, chills running up and down his spine. He turned around, handing Louis the box that had his (Jack's) jacket over it. Louis stared at it for a moment before taking it, placing it on the ground and picking Jack's jacket up, wringing it out.
"I h-had to keep the b-box from… getting wet… so I used my jacket to keep it fr-from getting soaked." Jack murmured, rubbing his arms and shivering.
"Jack… You're going to get sick." Louis murmured; he frowned, and placed Jack's jacket over his (Louis') white lab coat which was over Jack's shoulders, trying his best to warm the farmer.
"H-Hehe… Sorry… I g-gotta get home. S-see you later, L-Louis." Jack said, looking sheepish.
"You be careful out there… I don't know what the Homelands will do if you get sick. You're usually up and about, ya' know. Wouldn't be good if the energetic one was sick." Louis said, staring at the other brunette.
"Y-yes sir… I'll go home and warm up. I stopped b-by my farm on the way here and gave the animals extra food." Jack said, grinning from ear to ear. His stuttering and shivering had subsided slightly, Louis had noted, gladly.
"Take a nice warm bath and get plenty of sleep…" Louis murmured, containing his urge to hug the shorter brunette…
Jack looked like a small, wet, kicked puppy on a sugar rush.
It was just too cute…
"Okay. L-Later, Louis." Jack said, nodding and walking towards the door.
"Jack."
"Yeah?" Jack had turned around, only to be hugged by a warmer body, making the farmer blink and his cheeks flush, looking clearly puzzled. Louis pulled back, smiling slightly.
"Thanks – now go take care of yourself!" Louis scolded, smirking slightly.
"Alright, alright! Later, Louis." Jack responded, snickering slightly; he headed out the door, chuckling.
He began his run home; it wasn't that long, but it was raining pretty hard out; he couldn't really swing his arms that well since he was busy rubbing his arms and trying to keep the warmth in.
He was still so unaware of the presence that continued to follow him…
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Jack slumped down in the middle of his bedroom, rubbing at his shoulders. He had never found out why Joe and Kurt had built him a few extra things for free even though he knows that they were not on the list… Jack turned his head to look around his room – he had a closet, a basin to wash his clothes, a little desk, another room besides the one to his kitchen (where the tub and toilet were through), and a bigger bed; through the other room, where his TV had been moved along with his small table, a small, three-person couch which looked like it was handmade, and a chimney; they had made a dining room table with four chairs and placed it in the kitchen on the other side of the counter. He had the vaguest feeling that Katie and Gina had helped the brothers make the couch, and Louis probably specially ordered the cloth and cushioning.
He had tried to ask them why they had built him so many things and why he didn't have to pay for it, they'd replied with, "You help us out a lot, and thanks to you, we get to continue living in the Homelands. Besides, a new look for your home wouldn't do you bad, now would it?"
He'd felt special then, and thanked them kindly before they went off to adding onto everyone's houses – it had taken them a few weeks, but they had ended up giving everyone's homes more space and more things for either leisure or work.
Jack thought that they had enjoyed building all of it for the town…
After all, they had happy looks on their faces the entire time they were building.
Now he had to go through the living room to get to his bedroom… the dog house had been moved over a bit and his bedroom had been shrunk a bit. Now the side of his house touched the chicken coop…
Oh well… he was grateful for the room.
Now for a bath…
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Jack plopped down on the couch, finishing his task of brushing his hair, nothing on but a towel around his waist. Now, most people would think he was insane for wearing nothing but a towel when it was freezing outside, but of course, that's why he had started a fire in the chimney before he had taken a bath. He placed the brush down on the old table they had ended up keeping. He threw his arms in the air, stretching and cracking his neck by moving his head side to side before letting his arms flop back onto the couch.
Or he would have, if it weren't for the hands that had grabbed his wrists.
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Joce: Mwahaha. ((Coughs.)) Ok, I'll type up the next part soon. I hope, and if anyone wants to see a simple design of the layout of the modified house, just send me an e-mail and I'll sketch it out real quick, over view of course, and I'll send it to ya' a.s.a.p.
Mixen: Jocey likes to torture her fave characters.
Joce: Shut up, you. ((Scowls.))
