Hiya everyone! Hope you like the story so far. Feel free to tell me what you think and even something you might like to see. I'm going to bring Raven's brother in a little farther down the road, along with some flash backs to Raven's past. I will be setting up Clint and Emily at some point and I'm leaning toward setting Ryan, Raven's brother, up with Abigail. It's going to be either her or Leah.
Raven groaned as she dragged herself out of bed. She was sore from getting beat up in the mines. Hopefully she wouldn't get interrogated at the weekly workout thing today. Why did she agree to go again? She changed and went out to tend to her crops. Once that was done she stripped and took a hot shower. A new bathroom was also on her list of upgrades, this bathroom was old and in desperate need of an upgrade. Oh what she would do for a nice relaxing bubble bath, oh and a massage. It was then that the water turned cold and she let out a long string curses. A new water heater, put that on the list too.
Shivering she dried off and got dressed in a black lace tub top that just covered her breasts, then a loose red work out tank over that, and black shorts. It's been hot lately, and although usually she was fine in the mines, she was taking a break from them today. She then grabbed her bag, mat, and slipped on some flip flops, then she was off. When she got to the shop Abigail greeted her.
"Wow I don't think I've ever seen you in anything other than pants and boots." Abigail said
"It's hot, I don't like hot." Raven said a little grumpily, she was already sweating
"You prefer the cold?" Abigail asked
"Yeah, I like fall and winter, they're my favorite seasons. Screw summer, the sun, and heat." Raven said
"I thought you were a farmer." Abigail teased as Raven moved toward the work out area
"Yeah I am, doesn't mean I like spring, summer, the heat or the sun." Raven said
"Yeah how are you so pale if you work in the sun all the time?" Abigail asked as Raven laid out her yoga mat
"Lots of sunscreen. I'm Irish, I burn on a cloudy day." Raven said, "And screw swimming during the day, that's the quickest way for me to turn into a bloody tomato."
"So you swim at night?" Abigail asked raising an eye brow as Raven started to stretch
"Early morning, evening, or night, and only if I'm in the mood." Raven said and shrugged
"By the way, what are all those bruises from?" Abigail asked
"Monsters from the mines." Raven said standing up and bending backwards, "I'm taking a break for them today, but I'm making some decent amount of money, so I'll be able to fix up that cabin soon."
"That's good, Robin is good at that kind of stuff." Abigail said as Raven kicked her legs up and balanced on her head and hands
"Good at what?" Robin asked coming over
"Raven might be upgrading that old cabin of hers." Abigail
"Really? That's good, I can help you with that." Robin said
"Oh I know, I have plans for upgrading that bathroom too. I need a bathtub and a decent water heater." Raven as she slowly straitened her arms and bent them again, doing pushups while she was upside down, "Maybe I should dip into my savings, I'm getting really sick of that place and I might not even make a dent now that I think about it."
"You have savings?" Abigail asked
"Yeah, I was taught money management from a very young age. I rarely spent money I made at my jobs when I was a teenager, when I left my parent's house I lived with my two brothers in the rough part of town, I worked two jobs, three if you count the money I made on YouTube, I also didn't have any hospital bills because I had great health insurance and I won that lawsuit, and I have some inheritance money I never touched." Raven said and righted herself, shaking her arms out
"But why didn't you use the money when you got here?" Abigail asked
"Because I wanted to live off the land so to speak. However I see now that I was stupid, and have been just making my own life difficult for no reason. So Robin I'll swing by tomorrow with some plans and the money." Raven said rolling her shoulders
"Sounds like a plan, oh and don't forget the materials." Robin said
"Oh I have that set side already." Raven said and grinned, "I'm going to have a kitchen and real bathroom soon!"
"Glad I could help, so do you already have plans?" Robin asked
"Yeah, I'm not picky when it comes to the kitchen, but I am with my bathroom. I also want to do some cat walks throughout the house, for my cat Pumpkin." Raven said
"I'm happy to do whatever you want Raven. I enjoy trying something new." Robin said
"I'm willing you help you with it, it might make the work go faster." Raven said
"Hey Raven, Robin, Abigail." Emily said when she came over
"Hey Em." Raven said
"Hello Emily." Robin said
"Hey." Abigail said
"So what are you talking about? Raven's crush?" Emily asked making Robin and Abigail look at Emily in interest, and Raven look in horror
"Who does she have a crush on?" Abigail asked
"Emily don't you dare!" Raven said pointing at her and giving her a warning look
"this is an interesting development." Robin said smirking
"I just think they're cute ok? And no I'm not saying who." Raven said crossing her arms
"He's totally her type and I so ship them." Emily said and Raven huffed
"I will throw something at you." Raven said and Emily raised an eyebrow at her
"Like what your mat?" Emily teased
"I have rocks in my bag!" Raven said
"Why do you have rocks in your bag?" Abigail asked looking at the backpack by her mat
"I was in the mines and I have things to donate to the library." Raven said
"Now lets not get distracted, we were talking about Raven's crush." Robin said smiling teasingly at Raven
"You too?" Raven whined, "Why can't you guys leave it alone?"
"Because we want to play matchmaker." Abigail said giggling at Raven
"Just wait till I find lovers for you two and then revenge will be mine!" Raven said
"Sure, Raven." Emily said
"You're an odd one Raven." Abigail said
"You're just now learning this?" Raven asked smirking
"Ok everyone's here." Caroline said getting their attention, "oh Abigail will you be joining us?"
"No I was just talking to Raven. I'll see you later." Abigail said and quickly left the room
"Well then, Raven I'm happy that you're going to be joining us." Caroline said smiling at the tiny farmer
"No problem, I work out every day so I might as well do it with people." Raven said shrugging
"Oh Raven how is little Pumpkin?" Marnie asked
"He's doing good, he's my little shadow at home." Raven said and spotted a woman she hadn't met yet, "Oh hey, I don't think we've met."
"Hello I'm Jodi, I'm Sam and Vincent's mother." Josie said waving
"I've met Sam, not Vincent yet. Sam was trying to get me to beat Sebastian at pool, but I couldn't." Raven said chuckling remembering Sam's offer to get her beer to get her to beat Sebastian
"I think Sebastian is the town's best pool player." Emily said
"I wouldn't be surprised, I'm good but I failed to beat the man." Raven said and looked at the clock, "why don't we start? We can talk more after."
"Yes lets get going." Caroline said and everyone got to their spot and started to do their own thing.
Raven started doing complicated yoga moves on her mat. She may have wanted to show off a little. they were all doing their own thing, Emily was dancing, Robin doing a stepper, Jodi was lifting weights and Raven couldn't see what Marnie and Caroline were doing, she knew one of them were was jumping rope. When the rest were done, Raven was upside down again, making her shirt ride up. it didn't take long for the mothers in the room to notice the two scars and bruising on her abdomen.
"Oh Yoba what happened?" Jodi asked
"Huh?" Raven looked at Jodi confused
"Your stomach is covered in bruises." Robin said though she knew where the scars came from
"Oh I've been down in the mines all weekend and those slime buggers are fast." Raven said and shifted her hands, trying to stay balanced, balance was one of her weak points, "it doesn't help that I'm a bit out of practice, but give me a little while and I'll be quick as a whip."
"And the scars?" Caroline asked and Raven bite her lip
"Those are curtesy of the bastards at Joja. I was in the fifteen percent of people their product causes cancer in. I was one of the lucky ones it could be cut out of me." Raven said as she shifted and put all her weight on her left arm. She pointed to the scar right under her right breast, then pointed to the one across on her left side, "This one was for the ones on my liver which they just barely saved the minimum amount I would need to live, and this one was for my left kidney, they saved that."
"We should be fine since they moved in a little under a year ago, after Joja had to take out the chemical." Emily said as Raven put her hand down and righted herself
"Yeah but I wouldn't trust Joja as far as I can throw their building." Raven said pulling her shirt down, she grabbed her bag and pulled out her pocket watch to check the time, "Oh I gotta go, I'll see you ladies around."
"Wait Raven…" Emily said but Raven was out of the room in a flash, "Sorry guys, it's easy to get her to give up information about what happened to her, but it always leads to what other damage Joja caused her."
"She lost her twin brother right?" Robin asked
"Yeah, and apparently if she didn't lose him in that car crash she would have lost him to the cancer." Emily said and sighed, "it doesn't help that she seems to stuff her emotions and hides her pain. It's not healthy."
"Poor girl, it's hard to believe she's experience such pain with how happy she always seems to be." Caroline said, everything she's seen Raven, she had always had a bright smile on her face
"Sometimes the ones that smile the most are the ones most broken inside." Emily said remembering the quote she had seen somewhere, "That's defiantly Raven."
"Who does she have a crush on, maybe he can get her to be truly happy." Robin asked Emily
"Well she didn't want me talking about it because you and Abigail were there and he's connected to both of you." Emily said making Robin grin when it clicked just who the tiny farmer liked, "She said he is her type physicly and possibly personality wise if what she's heard is correct."
"Great, I'll kill two birds with one stone." Robin said and began to plan what she was going to get the two together
"and this information that I gave you doesn't get out. I've seen Raven geared up for the mines. She's scary." Emily said, all the ladies nodded promising not to tell.
"hey Emily think you could stear Raven toward Shane? Her way of coping might not be the best, but she seems to be handling it better than him. I really worry about him." Marnie said
"Sure, they both visit the saloon often enough." Emily said
"it seems the new farmer is going to become a real part of the community." Jodie said
"She's got the heart for it, she's already wormed her way into Abby's life." Emily said
"Yeah, she became friends with Abby very quickly." Caroline said
"I can't wait to see how she effects the community." Jodie said
"Neither can i." Emily said, the rest of them agreeing.
Back with Raven:
Once she was outside the shop, Raven closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Take deep breaths, don't break down, keep the mask intact. This is what she chanted in her mind as she tried to push back memories and negative feelings. When she felt better she started to walk toward the fountain. It seemed like a good place to meditate and center herself. When she got close she spotted Lewis standing in front of the abandoned building. Well might as well see what was up with the building finally.
"Oh hi there Raven." Lewis said turning to look at Raven as she walked up
"Hey there Lewis." Raven said walking up next to him and looked at the old abandoned building he had been looking at just before
"What an eyesore." Lewis sighed
"It doesn't look that bad…" Raven said unsurely
"This is the Pelican Town Community center… or what's left of it anyway." Lewis said and sighed again, "It used to be the pride and joy of the town, it was always bustling with activity. It's shameful."
"What happened to it?" Raven asked
"it got old, and these days, the young folk would rather sit in front of the TV than engage with the community." Lewis said
"Ok you have me there. A lot of us do like to sit in front of the tv or computer that to actually engage with people. It's easier to those of us with social anxiety or social awkwardness to hide behind those." Raven said
"Joja Corporation has been hounding me to sell them the land so they can turn it into a warehouse. Pelican Town could use the money, but there's something stopping me from selling it. I guess old timers like me get attached to relics of the past." Lewis said his mention of Joja Corp infuriating Raven, "If anyone else buys a joja Co. membership, I'm just gonna go ahead and sell it."
"Oh screw that! Don't give those bastards more of a foothold in this place than it already does." Raven said making Lewis look at her shocked, "This is a beautiful place with great people, Joja is a cancer that kills places like this. I would much rather save this place by myself than let Joja have it."
"You are an interesting person Raven, passionate too." Lewis said
"Yeah well I hate Joja with a burning passion so it's to be expected." Raven said smirking "why don't you show me the inside, maybe this place is salvageable."
"It's not, but I'll show you anyway." Lewis said and opened the door. They went inside and saw a little house by the fireplace. "Hmm? What's this?"
"Looks like a little playhouse." Raven said
"I guess Vincent and Jas must have been playing in here." Lewis muttered and looked around, "this place is even more dilapidated than I remember."
"It's not that bad…" Raven said and nearly jumped out of her skin when a little gumdrop looking thing popped up behind Lewis right by the fireplace. "What the hell?!"
"What?" Lewis looked behind him, but the gumdrop disappeared when he did. "What's the matter? Are you ill?"
"No I saw a thingy!" Raven said looking around for it
"I wouldn't be surprised if this place was full of rats." Lewis said chuckling as the gumdrop appeared again
"It's back!" Raven exclaimed pointing behind Lewis, who looked only for it to disappear again
"You're worrying me Raven." Lewis said
"I swear something was there, it just disappears whenever you look." Raven said sounding crazy to ever herself but she knew something was there
"Look, I think I'm going to head home. I need some lunch." Lewis said and started to walk away, but he turned back toward her after, "Hey. I'll keep this place unlocked from now on. Maybe you can help catch that rat if you have some extra time."
Raven watched as Lewis left and instantly went to looking for the gumdrop. She searched all the rooms, only finding them in absolutely horrible shape. Her cabin wasn't even this bad and it hadn't been live in for a long time. In the last room she found a glowing yellow scroll. It wasn't in any language she had ever seen before so she left it alone. No sense in messing with things she didn't know anything about. Actually searching the building for the gumdrop probably wasn't the best idea either.
With that she left the building and heading for home. She had to make some arrangements for the work to be done on her house. Pumpkin greeted her like normal and followed her inside. Raven went right to work only stopping to pet Pumpkin and to a five minute play session with him. She had quite a few nerdy cat things she wanted to get sent over. Her cats in the past had loved them so Pumpkin should like them. She shook her head she was getting off track. She started to shop online for kitchen and bathroom things, making sure to print out the things she likes so she could give them to Robin so she could work them into the plans. Of course she didn't buy anything just yet. When she was satisfied with it all she put it in a folder and put the folder in her bag. She would head over to Robin's first thing after her usual routine. After grabbing something to eat and filling Peanut's food bowl with dry cat food, she stripped and went to bed. Time had flown by while she was working so it was late but not too late.
