A/N: I LIVE. Sorry I've been awful with these updates, but I haven't much inspiration these days, and I'm trying to figure out ways of fixing this. Oh! I realized something. The first two chapters, I had been spelling Gill with only one L. I'm sorry for any inconvenience this has caused, if any, and will from this point on spell it how it's meant to be spelled. Anyways, here's another update of Nothing Is Forever, and I hope you enjoy~
Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon, or any deities mentioned.
The next morning, I awoke to the sound of birds chirping, and a small pecking sound on the wall of the house.
I sat up in the bed, a small pain shuttering through my spine. I groaned lightly, stretching, and hearing a pop! sound. The bed wasn't anything more than blankets and straw, which made it reasonably hard to sleep on. Not that I needed much sleep as is, but seeing the condition it left me in, I'd be resting on the floor from now on.
The floor was probably more comfortable.
Rubbing my head, I stood and looked around the room. Mayor Hamilton had said the previous owner, some woman named Hikari, had left all her belongings here before she left, and I was free to use them as I pleased. Belongings, meaning, a bed, a table and four chairs, a small kitchen with a pot and blender sitting on top of it with an icebox beside that, a dresser, some sort of red and tan box with a hammer on top of it, and a calendar hanging on the wall. On the calendar were dates; festivals and people's birthdays, including her own. I didn't recognize any of the names, except for Gill's, that was marked as Winter 2nd.
Walking over to the dresser, I looked in the small mirror attached to the top of it. My black hair was in tangles, and my dress looked like it'd been to Hell and back. There were small bags creased under my eyes, causing a sign to escape my mouth. I was a mess.
I opened the drawer and reached into it, and pulled out a comb, blue in colour. I placed it to my hair and raked it through the knots, smiling as it pulled them free with little trouble. Once my hair was nice and straight, I placed the comb on top of the vanity, and rummaged through it until a bright blue blouse-looking shirt caught my eye. It was soft, and underneath of it were a neatly folded pair of shorts that looked skin-tight and knee length and a skirt that couldn't have gone longer than my thigh.
Sighing, I pulled my dress over my head and folded it, placing it on the edge of the bed. The shorts went on first, then the skirt, followed by the shirt. They fit nicely, but I felt so… contained. Though, I suppose that would have to be ignored until things started to move around here.
Still barefoot, I turned and walked out the door, breathing in the fresh, spring air. The land around the house was covered in grass, with a large plot of soil for crops, trees littering the side. I stepped towards it, gently kneeling and placing my hand across the top of the dirt, feeling the parched dryness on contact. I cringed. This would be harder than I thought.
Standing, I brushed my hands off on the skirt and sighed, looking around. In all honesty, the farm was pitiful. But, the only thing I could do was try to grow some things, and sell them, to spruce the place up.
Walking out towards the road, I turned and looked at the fork in the road, then at the little sign next to it. To the left would be town, and to the right would be Flute Fields.
Flute Fields. I hadn't been there yet, and it sounded promising to hold a farm of some sorts. Smiling, I took off walking down the left path, a large hill framing the west, the ocean framing the east, separated by a few feet of grass.
Once the road turned and twisted, the sound of running water caught my attention, as well as a large bridge in the distance. I started to jog, reaching the bridge in no sooner than two minutes, crossing it halfway and looking over the side, blinking.
The river ran through a giant gorge, one side blending up to what looked to be a small mountain, the other side branching off to a forest. It was beautiful.
I wonder if Poseidon could hear me if I called to him?
I giggled lightly, leaning over further and staring down into the foaming, green-tinted water and seeing a small school of fish swim by, opening my mouth to speak.
"Hey! Be careful!" That wasn't my voice. Leaning back and standing upright, I blinked, as a strawberry blond-headed boy ran towards me. He stopped just short of a foot, and stared at me, panting slightly, "The hell were you thinking? You could have fallen in!" His voice was low and angry as he panted, large purple orbs staring into my green. I bit my lip nervously,
"I was not going to fall in. I am sorry for scaring you like that." He stood upright, a few inches taller than I, and swept his hand through his feather-like hair that seemed to stick up every which way,
"I wasn't scared; I just didn't want to watch some stranger fall off a damned bridge." He eyed me, pausing when he looked at my feet, "Who are you, anyways? I've never seen you around here."
"My name is Alphaea. I am new to this village." I looked back over the gorge, smiling, "It's beautiful here." He became silent for a few minutes, before I turned and directed my smile at him, "May I know your name?" He blinked for a minute, narrowing his eyes,
"Chase. I'm the local chef." I giggled lightly, holding out my hand,
"A pleasure to meet you, Chef Chase." He scoffed, looking at my hand before turning and continuing across the bridge,
"Yeah, whatever." As he walked, I tilted my head, curious. Had I offended him somehow?
I shrugged, continuing across the bridge in the opposing direction, passing what looked to be a large wheel turning the water in the river. Once on land again, there was another fork in the road, each leading to large farm-looking areas. The one on the left had two houses, a small one and a larger one, and had a funny smell emanating off of it. The right smelled sweet, like flowers. I chose that path instead, taking in the scenery.
Once at the house at the end of the road, I blinked and took a few tentative steps towards the door, hoping to the Gods that it was a store.
I walked inside, being met with two very angry pairs of eyes.
"Who the—I'm sorry, we're closed." The woman glared at me from behind the counter, her hands gripping the edge as a man, looking to be maybe fifty, not much older than she, glared from the other side. I smiled sheepishly,
"I-I am terribly sorry to intrude. But, may I please ask you one question?"
"Make it fast, girly. We're in the middle of something." The man stormed off into what looked like a foyer, taking a seat at the table there and drinking something from a cup. The woman sighed exasperatedly,
"What is it you need to know?" I took a few steps forward, the hard wood of the floor feeling cold against my feet,
"Uhm… May I know what it is you sell here?"
"Seeds." The man's harsh voice floated in from the other room, followed by a snort, "Not that it matters. You can't grow anything on this damned island anyways." The woman glared in his general direction,
"Don't blame the soil for your bad farming skills." She rolled her eyes and raised a brow at me, "This is Marimba Farm. My name's Ruth, but as my rude husband said when you walked in, we're closed for the time being." I nodded, bowing,
"A pleasure to meet you, my name is Alphaea. I am the owner of the farm around the mountain." She blinked, slightly stunned,
"Hikari's old place? Hamilton finally sold that old thing?" She paused, "Ah, it's a beautiful farm. Shame she left it." An air of nostalgia blanketed the silence before I folded my hands behind my back and smiled at the woman,
"Um... Do you know when you shall be open once more?" She leaned one elbow on the counter, her short brunette hair falling around her face,
"Maybe next week. The soil's poor here, and we haven't been able to grow much. But... If you want, I could give you a couple of turnip seeds, since you're new and all."
"Oh, are you sure?" She nodded, turning and rummaging on a shelf behind her for a few minutes,
"Might as well. They're just wasting away here. Maybe you'll have more luck than us." She grabbed two bags off the second to the top shelf and turned, handing them to me,
"Here. This should allow you at least two rows of seeds*." I took the bags in my arms, smiling brightly at her,
"Thank you so much, Miss Ruth. I am sure they will grow into beautiful plants." She snorted lightly, propping her head up on her arm once more and leaning on the counter,
"Sure, kid. Just keep telling yourself that." Her husband growled from the other room, a slur in his voice,
"Ey, I got a proposition for ya. If you do happen to grow somethin' out of those stupid seeds, we'll give you another round. Alright?" I nodded,
"Sounds like a deal." Ruth rolled her eyes,
"Craig, you're givin' this poor child hope that ain't gonna be worth a damn." I smiled at her once more before backing out of the house,
"I'm sure I can grow these. Trust me." I bowed once, turning, then exited, making my way back towards the farm, the bags of turnips in my hands. The energy radiating off the seeds were weak, and the soil back at the farm was very, very poor, but with a little watering, I was sure I could help the crops grow in a little under three days.
Once I crossed the bridge again, I broke into a small jog to hurry back home. By the position of the sun, I could tell it was about ten in the morning, and from the humidity, it was bound to rain tonight. Perfect for planting seeds.
Once finally on the farm, I ran over to the plot of soil and fell to my knees, giddy with excitement. I dug my hands into the dirt, pulling up five little holes about a foot away from where the grass began, and opened up one bag of the seeds, sticking three seeds into each hole.* Once all settled, I pushed the dirt back over them, opened up the other bag, and began to work the same pattern into the earth a foot or so away from the first line.
"What on earth happened to your house?" I blinked, looking up at the familiar voice to see a pair of wide, almost horror-stricken blue eyes staring behind me. I stood up, forgetting about the seeds and brushed the dirt off my hands onto my skirt,
"What ever do you mean, Gill?" He blinked once, his hand flitting to his cheek. After a moment or two, he looked to me,
"Were… Were those vines there yesterday?" I looked to the house, smiling, then turned back to him and nodded,
"Yes. Yes they were." He shook his head, composing himself and running a hand through his hair, dodging the cowlick,
"I must be going daft… Anyways, I've been sent here on my father's wishes," He emphasized the word, a sigh barely escaping his lips along with it, "To discuss the farm with you." I bit my lip, twiddling my thumbs together,
"Would you care to come inside? There are some dried tea leaves in the icebox, and I could prepare a cup for you if you wish. Though, I am not sure where the cups are yet, exactly…" He looked thoughtful for a moment before shaking his head,
"No, thank you. It won't take too long, just a few simple things." He looked to the plot of soil before raising a brow, "I see you've found supplement for seeds already. Did you travel to Marimba Farm?" I nodded,
"Yes, the nice woman named Ruth allowed me two bags of turnips to grow. But her husband, I believe his name was Craig, said that the soil was too poor to even attempt…" I smiled at the dirt, nodding my head in determination, "But I know I can grow them." Gill shifted the book and clipboard he was holding to his other arm,
"That's… a pretty bold thing to say. No one's been able to grow anything on this land for years, not even the previous owner. Though, she had better luck than any of them. The whole reason she left was because the soil was too poor. Though…" He thought for a moment, the smallest of smiles crossing his face, "The land did seem a bit… livelier when she was here." He shook his head, clearing his throat and pulling out the clipboard and a pen from his pocket, "Anyways, on to business. Father has recommended you name your farm. It's some kind of a pride thing for him, 'The farm? Ohh, you mean Alpha's! Oh, yes, it's doing wonderfully!'" He rolled his eyes at his impression, "Anyways, what would you have in mind for a name?" I blinked, chewing my lip gently and giggling,
"Well, I have not given it much thought…" I looked around the land for a minute, taking in the beautiful scenery and tranquility of the place. It was so... serene, quiet. It was beauty in all sense of the word.
"It does not matter what I name it, correct?" Gill nodded, tapping the pen against the edge of the book,
"No, you can name it whatever you want. Though, be careful, once it has a name, you can't change it." I nodded, looking around again. The lake, the mountain, the faint sound of flowing water in the distance; it all sounded like nature's lullaby.
"Harmonia." I smiled brightly, the name rolling off my tongue like a song, "It shall be named Harmonia Farm."
"Harmonia…." He paused, thinking for a moment before writing it down, "Isn't that the Latin word for 'harmony'?" I nodded, smiling,
"Yes. It seemed the most fitting." He shrugged, tucking the clipboard back under his arm,
"It's not my place to say if it does or doesn't seem fit." He ran a hand through his hand again, "Now, the next order of business concerns the villagers. This isn't really… mandatory, but it doesn't hurt. It would be in your best interest to meet all the people who live here on Castanet. You know…" He rolled his eyes, seemingly annoyed by the concept, "Make friends." I nodded,
"That would be quite fun. To live here, and have many friends." I smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, "Thank you, Gill. For stopping by." He nodded, adverting his eyes,
"You're welcome. Now, I apologize for it being so sudden, but I must be getting back to the Town Hall, to do the paperwork my father refuses to touch." He sighed, giving the smallest of grimaces, "Pleased to see you again, Alpha." I nodded, bowing,
"And you, Gill." As he turned to walk away, I leant down and continued to work on the row of seeds, tucking them gently into the dirt as if they were children, into bed. Once both rows were neat and secure, I looked around and eyed the large well full of water, then back to the soil. It would help them grow faster if I watered them…
Pulling my hair over my shoulders and out of the way, I cupped my hands into the ice-cold water and moved towards the seeds, letting the handful crash against the first little mound, the soil drinking it right up. I repeated this twenty more times, two handfuls for each place where the seedlings rested. I looked across the field and folded my hands together, closing my eyes, and allowed the energy to seep from my skin to the soil, giving it enough aura to cradle the seeds safely, to allow for good rooting. Once finished, I smiled, and picked up the turnip bags, tying them with the cord that rested around them. I walked towards the house, the sun at its highest point. Must be noon.
Once inside, I walked towards the box with the red lid and opened it, peering inside quizzically. I had looked in it the day before, and it was filled with a few tools; a sickle, a hammer, a fishing rod. There were a few tools I didn't recognize, so I didn't pay them much mind. I placed the turnip bags safely on the top of the tools and shut the box, smiling happily.
The job was done for the day.
I flopped onto the bed, then winced as the hard wood beneath the straw jabbed my skin. Rolling over, I hit the floor with a resonating thud, and then lay my head on my arms. It wasn't the most comfortable position, but it was better than the bed.
I closed my eyes and smiled gently; feeling my mind cloud over, sleep edging at my mind. A nap felt good about now.
One only knew what the next day would hold for me.
*This has to do with how I, personally, play the game. See, me and my slight OCDness have this little rule, that no matter how many seeds I plant, they have to be in equal rows, all an odd number. I place them in rows of five vertically, then rows of usually seven or eight horizontally, depending if I keep the Cherry trees. But, this is just going with the game, so pay it no mind.
*Now, THIS has to do with the classic Harvest Moon move of allowing one bag of seeds per tilled spot. I tried to make this as realistic as possible, seeing how in reality, there's usually hundreds of seeds in a bag, but I limited it to about twenty per. So, she's only using a little of the seeds. And, like I said above, it's five tilled spots vertically, two horizontally. For now.
A/A/N: Aaaand there we have it! Chapter three~ Now, I apologize for how… filler it seems, and the crappy amount of things happening, but all will happen in good time. Next chapter will be out soon, hopefully, I'm working to update at least once a month. I gave a ton more words than usual as penance for my mini-hiatus. I hope you all enjoyed it!