So if you've read my first story, temporarily erase it from your brain 'cause this one is totally different. I guess now that restoration plan #6 is almost done I can start to slowly post the chapters I have already written for this one. NOTE THAT I HAVE HAD THESE ON MY DESK TOP FOREVER ALL I AM DOING IS POSTING IT, I AM NOT NEGLECTING MY OTHER STORY.
I know this concept sounds really strange but I just wanted to incorporate all the the animal friends you make in the game for once. Plus it just seems like a cute idea, Rio's scared of guys, (lol like Henry in RP#6. Fun fact, Henry was inspired off this character not the other way around) and overall, shy when meeting people and Neil is cold and unapproachable. Then through the animals that admire him, she comes to see his other side.
Yeah okay, enough of my talking.
This world is iridescent.
To each new place, there is a new outlook.
To each old place there is always new perspectives,
And with each person there is not one or two, but many, countless sides.
One lives in this world their whole life, but sees not even a trillionth of what there is to see and dies knowing an inadmissible nothing.
-a short poem by Umbreonix justifying this totally random title- I mean, totally deep and well thought-out title. Or maybe this title is way too meaningful for this story in which *spoiler alert* I have already made a poop joke in the first chapter.
o0o0o
Blond hair flew back in brilliant wisps as the farmer sprinted through the mountain path. Her new work boots were still not quite broken in and made a large 'thunk' as each step resounded off the trail's over-trodden dirt. She smiled widely and breathed in the air so different from the city she had lived in only a week earlier. Spring had finally set in and the scent of wildflowers was overwhelming. Warmer weather had caused her to roll up her old overalls and the grass which was wet with dew tingled coldly against her exposed shins.
Ahead she could see a monkey tentatively poking at a newly sprouted mushroom. The fungus was large and a deep purple which did seem oddly tantalizing to a hungry stomach. She slowed her pace to a casual stride and scratched the back of her head shyly, tussling some of her golden locks. "That one is poisonous, Mrs. Clutterbuck." She told the primate.
Startled, the monkey shot up with a shriek and Rio fell backwards in surprise falling unceremoniously on the grass below, soaking the back of her clothes on the morning grass. The monkey caught herself and straightened up, brushing imaginary dirt off of her fur. "Terribly sorry about that. I was just caught a little off guard." She said formally in an indistinguishable accent. Her eyes then glittered with recognition, "Oh it is you Rio, good morning."
Rio smiled weakly, "You were startled? I almost had a heart attack!" The monkey laughed delicately. Rio had really liked the mountain monkeys, of course they were alarmed at first upon learning the newcomer human could talk to animals but were quick to welcome her to the forest with open hairy arms.
Other monkeys slipped through the trees landing beside them. One of them stepped out closer to her and Rio quickly tried to place a name to the face. In a village of four people she sure had a lot of names to remember. "Mr. Dinkleberry." She finally remembered. It helped that monkeys exist in social harems so there only were Clutterbucks and Dinkleberrys.
"Rio my dear girl!" He exclaimed. "You came at the perfect moment. We were just about to have a riveting game of dung war, would you care to join us?"
Rio forced a thin smile, she really wouldn't. "Ah no, that's alright I wouldn't want to intrude."
Mr. Dinkleberry laughed, "Ah yes I've forgotten, you humans don't play with your scat in public."
"We don't play with it at all." She protested with a blush and waved her hands in front of her.
"What a shame." A monkey muttered, "What a step back on the evolutionary ladder." Agreed another.
Mrs. Clutterbuck laughed elegantly bringing a shaggy hand to her lips. "Rio sweety, let loose a little! There is nothing quite as exhilarating as occasionally indulging one's primal desires."
Rio laughed softly and backed away slowly to the river area, "Sorry, I'm just passing through. I actually need to be getting back to my farm.
"Oh alright," said the refined primate.
Mr. Dinkleberry shook his head, "one human girl with all that land, just tell us if you ever need help."
Rio nodded and thanked the monkeys but knew that she would never be asking for their help. Monkeys on the farm would cause more harm than good. She had learned early in life that just because she could understand what they were saying, animal and human mentality was radically different.
She rushed through the river area with great haste. As much as she loved and appreciated her special gift, listening to the frog's calls during mating season was enough to make her sick. Still, she waved at the ducks in the river absentmindedly.
The farm was not as inspiring as the rest of the village. Actually it was in complete shambles. She sighed. It was only a week ago when her parents woke her up and told her about a farm in her family's name that needed tending to.
Rio had not been thriving in the city. Actually she had gone to an all-girls boarding school for most of her life and simply wasn't used to being exposed to the public. Men her age and below were particularly new to her, and terrifying. Although she was certain she was perfectly fine, her parents in the last year dragged her to several different therapists who identified her as androphobic, afraid of men.
Oddly enough, older men like Dunhill weren't too bad, but that's because she'd had male teachers his age. Regardless, her parents could tell she was miserable in the city. Everything smelled like gasoline and metal and the scraggly animals wandering the streets had foul tongues and did not make good companions.
The farm sounded like a dream come true. Sounded. Imagine her horror when she first set foot on the wasteland. So many trees grew in, it was practically a forest itself. The only structures still standing were the old house and barn. The fields were overtaken by wild grass and weeds.
Rio looked at her farm now, it was getting better. Half the trees were cleared with an exception to the ones holding bird's nests. She had promised the mother birds that she would wait until winter and for their eggs to hatch and mature. That left the fields. Sweat rolled down her back despite the cold breeze as she tore at the deep rooted plants.
She stopped when an unfamiliar voice spook up. "Oh my, this place is quite a mess, I am udderly disappointed but I suppose it will have to do." Rio turned around and was surprised to see a cow strolling into the farm, looking around with some distaste. She put down her hoe and rose slowly, tilting her head slightly in silent question. There was a cow on her land, it should not have looked strange to see a cow on a farm but it seemed impossible. She did not own a cow and there weren't any nearby farms other than hers. She walked over to the cow carefully as not to alarm her.
"Are you lost?" She asked in her soft voice and stroked the cow's face.
The cow lifted her head, "Goodness, it does feel nice to be stroked there human." Rio laughed. Her mood immediately changed when she suddenly saw the man standing on the other side of the cow. She squeaked and on instinct cowered a little behind her new friend.
The man took little notice at her strange reaction. "Are you Rio?" He asked coldly.
Rio rose back up and forced herself to look in his eyes, his red, red eyes. Her heart accelerated and her fingers wiggled as her palms got clammy. She nodded, terrified. Daring to inspect closer she noticed he wasn't awful tall and yet it seemed as if he was towering over her, he had an unapproachable aura to him, like a lion eyeing her down. She accidentally let out a whimper. "I'm Neil the animal dealer, Dunhill told me to bring you this cow."
"Oh really?" Asked the girl in surprise.
"Is, uh, something wrong?" He asked with forced obligation.
The girl shook her head and her bangs flew back in forth in response. "Alright." He said returning to his cold demeanor. "He also told me to show you the basics. Let me just get the fodder from the cart."
As he temporarily stepped away Rio relaxed into the cow. The cow giggled and watched the animal dealer. "Oh Neil, you're so shy around people it's adorable." She turned to Rio, "I don't understand you girl, if I were you I'd be all over him. Caring boys like Neil don't just fall out of the sky."
Rio looked at the cow as if she had a couple screws loose. Caring? There were likely a great number of adjectives to describe the guy she just met but caring would not have been one of the first on her list. Maybe as an antonym.
The cow continued, on a completely opposite tangent to Rio's thoughts, "I don't like seeing him alone. Such a kind boy yet, he has yet to find that special someone who can see it. I wonder why?"
"He's terrifying!" Rio objected.
The cow looked at Rio and chewed her out regretful that she knew the human could not understand her. "Now you listen here." She said angrily, "You don't even know Neil, he is the kindest and most gentle handler I have ever had the privilege to work with! He just doesn't know how to interact with people. Actually you know what, you don't even deserve him!"
Rio frowned at the cow's anger. Doesn't know how to interact with people? She could understand that pretty well. "You're right, I'm sorry. I've only even known him for a couple seconds."
The cow blinked. This was the second time the girl spoke to her in a way that sounded eerily similar to a response to what had just been said. "You don't…" She started suspiciously and shook her head at the ridiculousness of her question, "You don't understand me do you?"
Rio giggled, "Yup, I can, I've always been an odd-ball being able to talk to animals but I hope we can get along."
The cow was shocked and then her eyes narrowed mischievously. "How a-moo-sing, maybe I could groom you to be the perfect mate for our dear Neil after all."
Rio turned a deep red and opened her mouth to protest but stopped as Neil had returned. "Are you sick?" He asked in distaste, noticing her flame-coloured flesh.
"No." She said unable to look at him. "I've just been in the fields a long time."
He looked out into the weedy fields and his unimpressed grunt hurt her. "It was worse before." She mumbled so quietly she doubted he even heard her.
"That's the barn?" He said gesturing to the structure a little ways away Rio nodded and they both walked over, the cow following behind silently. She had never walked with a boy before she suddenly realized and looked even further down at her boots. She then snuck a peek at the man adjacent to her. He held five bags of fodder as if it was nothing. She shivered, men were frightening. They had monstrous strength and she had once heard with disgust from a girl at school that some boys could even burp the ABCs. That was as far as her knowledge on the opposite sex stretched.
She didn't really see Neil doing that though.
"What?" He asked in irritation having noticed her staring.
She jumped back in fear, "I-I just thought th-that maybe all those bags were heavy." She stuttered.
"It's nothing." He scowled, perhaps trying to show kindness in his own way. She certainly did not notice.
"Sorry!" She cried out unsure what else to say.
The cow sighed, "You'll never court her that way Neil." Though unlike with Rio, her complaints fell deaf on him.
"I'm not going to hit you." He finally sighed and Rio looked at him in surprise, "so stop making it look like I'm going to every time I open my mouth."
Rio nodded fervently.
They finally made it into the barn and he gave her a tour. "Those are the feeding troughs." He said, "Put this fodder in there." He opened one of the bags and poured it in to show her. "You only have one cow so these bags should last awhile."
He walked over to the wall attached to the silo and gestured at a small opening. "Keep the rest of the feed in here." He said and put the remaining bags in there. "Brush, talk to, milk and feed your cow every day."
Rio nodded.
"Really." He growled, "if I find out that any of my animals are being mistreated you'll be sorry!"
Rio stepped back a little clutching her red scarf and nodded. The cow giggled, "Oh Neil, always looking out for me. My little hero."
"Do you understand?" He asked.
"I understand." She parroted.
"Good." He said and began to walk out before remembering, "I run a stall in the plaza Mondays-Thursdays. I sell medicine- not that your cow should get sick, feed and animals. You can also come to me to impregnate your animals-" The cow giggled, "-or take them to the animal sanctuary."
"Also you'll be needing to choose a name for your cow." He told her.
"It's Jessebelle thank you very much. Neil named me." Said the cow loftily.
"Jessebelle?" Said Rio and for the first time Neil looked surprised.
"How did you-?" He started but shook his head and turned to leave again, Jessebelle looked at Rio in annoyance, "Rio, what do you say to the nice man who helped you out?" She scolded like a mother.
"T-thank you!" She called out. Neil nodded his acknowledgment and left.
Rio fell to her knees "that was so scary." She said to no one in particular.
"You can't think like that if you're going to be his mate." The cow chided.
"I never decided that!" Rio disputed.
"But I have." Jessebelle said. She no doubt would have grinned evilly if cows could make that expression.
Still working out the kinks in this story for sure, if you have and suggestions for improvement do no hesitate to tell me, I'd be grateful not hurt.
I though it might be fun to do reader review responses here for the next couple chapters at least because I always thought those were cool and I always want to respond to you guys but I feel kind of awkward doing PMs.