Hello everyone, thank you for continuing on with this story. As I mentioned before, I will be updating this story every Thursday. I am currently planning on separating this story into four parts (one for each season) and following Bela's first year on Riverland Farms. Right now I'm still trying to figure out how long each part should be (though I'm planning around eight to ten chapters).
Fair warning, this chapter will be significantly longer than the other two because I'm trying to introduce a very large cast of characters (both from the original game and from some of the mods that I've used to enhance my gameplaying experience).
Enjoy!
Chapter Three: (Overdue) Introductions PT. I
"Wait, so you're telling me that the townspeople have been trying to welcome me all week?" Bela lowered her eyes in shame, her face reddening once again. Yoba, they must think I'm some stuck up city bitch.
"Unfortunately, yes," Victor answered reassuringly. "However, none of us knew that you were...hearing impaired." Victor rubbed the back of his neck, a sheepish look sweeping across his face. Something Mayor Lewis failed to mention. Thanks a lot.
"Oh, Yoba," Bela shook her head. "The whole town must think that I'm so rude." So much for a fresh start. Maybe I should just become a hermit. No socialization. Just me and Mother Nature.
"Don't worry! I'm sure we can clear this all up." Suddenly, Victor's dark eyes brightened. "Would you like to accompany me into town? I know that my mother wanted to invite you over to our residence for dinner. I-if you aren't too busy, that is." He quickly looked away, cheeks flooded with pink.
"Oh, uh," Bela also averted her gaze briefly. "T-that would be lovely." Shit, meeting the mom already.
Victor shot her a sheepish grin. "Splendid! Hopefully, we'll be able to run into a few of the townspeople and try to salvage your reputation."
The pair proceeded to exit the farmhouse.
"I must say, Bela," Victor said, sweeping his gaze across the farm. "You've done a magnificent job so far."
"Thank you," Bela responded shyly. "I admit, I hadn't realized how much this old farm had gone into ruin." She stared out sadly out towards the other islands she hadn't reached yet, remembering when the farm was bustling with activity. And I still have so much work left to do.
Sensing her sadness, Victor tried to lighten the mood. "You used to visit this farm, right?"
"Yeah," Bela gave a sad smile. "When I was a kid, I used to spend the entire summer here, helping Grandfather tend to the chickens and cows, and watering the crops each morning."
"Sounds like you two were close."
"Not really," Bela admitted. "Summertime was the only time I got to see Grandfather. He and my father weren't very close. The last summer I spent here was ten years ago. Before he got sick and..." Her eyes welled up with tears.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Victor apologized, looking over at her worried. "I don't mean to remind you of such sorrowful things."
"It's fine," Bela offered a half-smile. She brought her gaze up to the bright afternoon sky, taking in the sweet scent of grass and the warm spring breeze. "Not all of my memories of him are sad. I know that there were really great times that are just easy to forget now that he's gone."
This time, Victor was the one to offer a half-smile. "I suppose it is easier to remember the bad times. Remembering the good times forces you to remember how much you miss the ones you've lost."
"HELLO, VICTOR!" called out a frantic, yet cheerful voice. "OH MY YOBA, IS THAT THE NEW FARMER? HI!" A bubbly young woman, adorn in bubblegum pink rushed over to meet them on the dirt path across from the defunct bus stop heading towards town.
"Tabitha, this is Bela." Victor smiled, knowing that Tabitha was one of the friendliest people in town to meet. She had a habit of making even the grumpiest people smile. Thank Yoba, we've run into Tabitha. She can quickly turn around this somber conversation.
"Hi, Bela! It's so nice to meet you!" Tabitha giggled, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "My twin brother Theo and I moved here a year ago and run The Stray Café across from the bus stop. Hopefully, you'll be able to meet him soon, though he isn't much of a socializer."
"Hi, Tabitha." Bela smiled unconsciously, the young woman's happy energy was infectious.
"Those are cool headphones!" Tabitha said, taking notice of the devices in Bela's ears. "Listening to any good music?"
Victor quickly glanced over at Bela before responding. "Um, Tabitha. Those aren't headph-"
"These are actually hearing aids." Bela interrupted.
Suddenly, Tabitha's face fell. "I'm so sorry! I hope that I didn't offend you!" The poor woman looked close to tears. Yoba, how can I be so stupid and insensitive?! Theo always tells me to never assume. I'm sure she hates me now.
"It's ok!" Bela quickly reassured the young lady. "It's an honest mistake."
Tabitha visibly relaxed at Bela's words, letting out a sigh of relief. "Good, I'm glad that I didn't ruin our chances of becoming best friends."
"Hold on," Victor laughed. "Who says that I'm not already Bela's best friend?"
Tabitha rolled her eyes playfully. "I guess then we will all just have to be besties."
Bela let out a laugh, with the pair soon joining in. Maybe meeting the townspeople will go more smoothly than I thought. At least I 've managed to make friends with these two.
"So, besties," Tabitha glanced between Victor and Bela. "Where are you guys headed?"
"I was just bringing Bela into town to meet everyone." Victor responded. "My mother invited her over for dinner and I figured that I would take her to the saloon afterwards."
"That's a good idea. Why don't you guys come with me to Pierre's first?"
"Sure," Victor nodded. Then he looked over at Bela sheepishly. "That is, if it's ok with you."
Bela smiled at them. "Yeah, that's fine. You guys know the town better than me."
The trio continued their way into town, heading east towards Pierre's General Store. As they entered the store, Pierre looked up from the catalogue he was reading at the register.
"It's farmer Bela!" Pierre greets excitedly. "Welcome to Pierre's! If you're looking to buy seeds, my shop is the place to go." Finally, a new customer.
Bela offered a small smile. "Thank you, I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Bela's eyes swung around the small shop, taking note of the tall shelves filled with different kinds of seeds. Small containers held fresh produce with labels containing the names of all the local farms.
"I'll also purchase whatever produce you make on your farm for a good price." Pierre's grin became slightly more forced as he continued making his sales pitch. Hopefully, this city kid will be able to produce crops worth selling. Can't be any worse than anything Andy brings.
"Hopefully, I'll have something worthy to sell soon." Bela awkwardly joked. "Yoba, this guy is intense.
To the right of the counter, a door suddenly slammed open. Pierre rolled his eyes as a purple-headed figure stepped out looking annoyed.
"Really, Abigail?" Pierre glared at her.
Abigail shot back a similarly annoyed look. "What? You know the door gets stuck. It's not a big deal."
She dramatically rolled her eyes, walking towards the exit. She shot a quick glance at Victor and nodded, coming to a stop once she laid eyes on the new farmer, eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"Who are you?"
Victor smiled, seemingly unperturbed by the young woman's rudeness. "Abigail, this is Bela, the new farmer."
"Hi," Bela waved awkwardly. Well, she definitely doesn't like me.
"Oh, I heard someone was moving into that old farm," Abigail said, looking Bela up and down without meeting her eyes. "A shame, I liked exploring around there." Without another word, Abigail walked out of the store.
"Ms. Rivers?" called out a small, quiet voice from the right. Bela could barely hear the man even with her hearing aids turned on. She turned to look over and was surprised to see a tall man, with thick glasses and an even thicker moustache. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Harvey Hickey, the local doctor."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Hickey."
"Please, call me Dr. Harvey." He offered an awkward smile. "I work, well and live, in the clinic next door with Paul, the town's optometrist." Suddenly his ears burned red. "A-as roommates of course!"
Bela just smiled politely. And they were roommates.
"Uh," Harvey rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Well, um, please, uh, make sure to, uh, schedule your annual check up at, uh, some point. It was, uh, nice to meet you." He awkwardly made his way up the register, a simple protein bar in hand.
"Well, I've got to pick up some things for the café," Tabitha said with a smile. "I'll see you guys around!"
"You're not coming to the saloon?" Bela furrowed her eyebrows.
"Oh, uh," Tabitha started stammering nervously. "T-that's not, uh, really my scene." I hope Bela doesn't think I'm lame.
"That's fine," Bela replied reassuringly. "Since we're neighbors, I'm sure we'll be seeing each other often. I'll try and visit the café soon."
"Oh, you should! I can't wait to introduce you to my brother!" Tabitha's eyes lit up once again. "Bye. Bela! Bye, Victor!" Tabitha waved goodbye, as she proceeded to gather supplies for the café.
"Well," Victor said, a hint of nervousness creeping into his usually calm voice. "Now it's time to meet my mother."
Bela and Victor exited the store, making their way east to the Jenkins' Residence, which happened to be located directly next to Pierre's General Store.
"I told you this would be a short walk." Victor smiled as they approached the giant, two-story manor which was painted a beautiful shade of robin's egg blue. Bela's eyes widened at the vastness of the manor, whose front entrance was guarded by a set of beautiful bronze gates.
Victor pushed the gate open and gestured for Bela to head inside. She followed the ornate crystal path until she reached a set of giant oak doors.
"Allow me." Victor again held open the door for Bela, who stood in the entryway desperately trying to take in all the grandeur. Directly across from her was a beautiful wooden staircase, hinting that more beauty was yet to be seen. To her left was the living room, adorned in rich red and gold curtains and rugs. To her right, a kitchen with a large mahogany table sat with matching chairs.
"Wow, it's so beautiful in here." Bela's eyes glowed with wonder.
"Why, thank you." called out a sultry, yet sophisticated voice. An elegantly dressed woman appeared to cascade down the stairs effortlessly. "You must be Ms. Bela Rivers." The woman extended a hand in greeting, which Bela immediately took.
"Yes, it is nice to meet you, Mrs. Jenkins." Bela smiled nervously. I can't believe this is Victor's mother.
"Please, call me Olivia." She gave a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Is this really the same girl who ignored Caroline and Jodi? She seems polite enough.
"Well, Olivia," Bela said awkwardly. "Thank you for inviting me over. I appreciate your hospitality."
"Don't worry, Bela." Victor chimed in. "My mother loves any opportunity to entertain guests."
"Well, I wouldn't want this manor to go to waste!" Olivia gives a dry laugh. "Let's head over to the kitchen." She quickly turned on her heels and elegantly strutted away. Victor offered a small smile to Bela before following his mother.
As the pair took their seats, Olivia brought a large platter with a covering on top of it.
"What fine dish have you prepared this time, Mother?"
"Well, since, I heard that our guest used to live in Zuzu City," Olivia smiled coyly as she lifted the top. " I decided to prepare pan-seared butterfish over a plate of assorted vegetables from the garden."
Both Bela and Victor stared at the platter in absolute wonder. The butterfish was a brilliant shade of gold, contrasting the rich greens of the cabbage and lettuce underneath.
"This looks amazing!" Bela exclaimed, remembering the holidays when her mother would prepare this. Her heart tinged with sadness, as her eyes began burning with unshed tears. I need to think about something else.
"Is something troubling you dear?" Olivia asked inquisitively, eyes narrowing as she glanced over the newcomer. She noticed a faint glint emitting from Bela's ear, eyes widening in realization. She's deaf! That's why no one's been able to get in contact with her. Can't wait to clear that up with the ladies.
"Oh, i-it's nothing." Bela offered a flicker of a smile before lowering her gaze.
Olivia shot her son a look, to which Victor responded by shrugging.
"Perhaps," Victor looked between his mother and Bela. "I should pour us each a glass of wine."
Olivia nodded, stealing another glance at Bela. "Why don't you grab some pomegranate wine from the cellar? I'm sure the tartness will compliment the sweetness of the butterfish wonderfully." The young woman also nodded in agreement. Oh, Victor, please don't leave me alone with your mom. There's just something scary about her.
Victor glanced over at Bela once more. "Of course. I'll be just a moment." He gracefully walked away from the table, disappearing down the stairs of the cellar.
"So, Bela," Olivia clasped her hands together. "What brings you to Pelican Town?"
"Well," Bela nervously met the older woman's gaze. "I decided that I wanted a fresh start." Bela purposely kept her answer vague. She wasn't sure if she was ready to talk about her parents just yet.
"A fresh start?" Olivia's gaze hardened. There must be something this girl is running from. Why else would she need a fresh start so young?
"Yes," Bela responded, meeting her gaze. "I found that life in Zuzu City just wasn't for me anymore."
Olivia's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "But, what about your career? If I'm not mistaken, I heard that you had a very promising job at Joja in their corporate office."
"I did." Bela responded. "However, I've found the work to be...unfulfilling."
Olivia's eyes widened and she leaned back in surprise, a hand raised up against her chest. "Unfulfilling? By Yoba, I spent thirty years working my way to become an accounting manager and accumulating all of this." She gestured with her hand carelessly.
"Mother," Victor chided, walking up the stairs from the cellar with a dark red bottle. "Not everyone wants to be a corporate monkey."
"Didn't this corporate monkey earn enough to give you a full-ride to one of the finest universities in the entirety of the Ferngill Republic?" Olivia shot back, her tone icy.
"Yes, Mother," Victor's tone softened considerably, as he began pouring the wine, "But, money shouldn't be the only thing you work for." Why can't she understand that money isn't everything?
"Oh, really?" Olivia retorted, condescendingly taking a sip. "But was it not money that afforded you this life of privilege?"
The room suddenly went silent. Well, this has gotten awkward, Bela thought to herself, her fork lazily moving some of the greens in front of her.
Victor's jaw clenched, struggling to maintain his composure. Why can't my mother just realize that I'm not trying to be ungrateful. I just want to be happy.
"I recently lost my parents," Bela said quietly, interrupting the momentary silence. "A-and I didn't know what to do with myself. One day, I just found this envelope from my grandfather that said that one day I'd be in need of change and that I had this farm for when I needed it."
Victor gently placed a hand on her shoulder, as she fought to keep tears from streaming down her face. "I'm sorry for your loss, Bela."
"I'm sorry." Olivia said, glassy-eyed as well. She quickly grabbed a napkin, dabbing her eyes delicately. "Part of the reason why Victor and I moved to Pelican Town was due to my husband's...passing." Yoba, I should've been more sympathetic instead of interrogating this poor girl. I should've recognized that she was also going through loss.
Victor exchanged a somber look with his mother before looking back over at Bela. He reached over and grabbed his glass, raising it up in a toast. "To new beginnings."
Bela and Olivia followed in suit, each taking a long gulp of wine to help assuage some of the emotional pain caused by their respective grief.
"Well, that could have gone more smoothly," Victor shook his head as he and Bela left the manor for the saloon.
"It certainly was an interesting dinner," Bela responded gently. The rest of the dinner had been eaten in an awkward silence. "Your mom is a really good cook." And an even better interrogator. Maybe she volunteered part-time at the Zuzu City PD?
"Yeah, well she's usually an even better host." His eyes looked apologetic as they met Bela's. "I'm really sorry for the way dinner turned out. My mother can be...a lot."
Bela gave him a smile, playfully pushing his arm, "Don't even worry about it. I'm already making memories in this town."
Victor pushed open the thick oak door of The Stardrop Saloon, a barrage of sounds and smells overwhelming the new farmer. Bela was hit with the warm, bitter scent of beer as a jaunty folk tune played in the background, accompanied by the sounds of glasses clinking and laughter.
"Why if it isn't the new farmer, Ms. Bela Rivers," a kind voice greeted. "Welcome to The Stardrop Saloon! What can I get for ya?"
"Hello, Gus," Victor smiled, taking a seat at the bar and gesturing for Bela to join him. "Why don't we just take two glasses of wine to start?" The mustached man glanced over at Bela.
"Uh, yes," Bela smiled. "Thank you."
Victor leaned closer and whispered in her ear, his breath warm and gentle, "I hope you don't mind me ordering for you. I figured you'd want to still be coherent while meeting some more of the townspeople." He let out a small chuckle as he pulled away.
"What," Bela teased, as her cheeks turned pink. "You think I can't handle more than a couple glasses of wine?"
Before he could respond, a perky blue-haired woman arrived back with the two glasses of wine in hand. "Here you go!" She gently placed them before the pair. As Victor reached for his wallet, Emily gently shook her head, "This one's on the house."
She turned to face Bela, her blue eyes glowing with kindness. "Hello, Bela, I'm Emily!" Ooh, she has a nice aura. I'm sure we'll be good friends.
Bela smiled. "Nice to meet you."
"Well, if it isn't the new farmer," came a sultry voice from the right of the bar. A beautiful woman slid onto the barstool next to Bela, while Emily placed a glass of wine in front of her.
"Yeah, I'm Bela," Bela responded, still taking in the woman's striking appearance. Her face was like a porcelain doll's, smooth and pale with only a single mole marking her otherwise unblemished skin. Something about her seems familiar, but I can't put my finger on it.
The woman extended her hand, a mischievous glint in her dark eyes. "Pleasure to meet you. I'm Shiko."
Bela's eyes widened in partial recognition. "Shiko? Shiko Takahashi?"
Shiko smiled back dryly. "Ah, so you have heard of me. Makes sense since I heard you're from the city."
"What's a model doing here?" Bela's jaw dropped.
"Former model," Shiko flipped her dark locks over her shoulder carelessly. "I decided to retire and live the simple life." She smiled at Bela, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "Kind of like you, huh?"
Bela returned the smile. "Something like that."
Victor raised his glass, taking a careful sip before looking over at Bela. "Well, it's always a pleasure seeing you, Shiko. If you don't mind, I'd like to introduce Bela to some of my friends."
The pair got up from their stools, heading over to what appeared to be a game room. Two old school arcade games greeted them at the entrance, where the angsty, purple haired teen was violently shaking the joysticks and shooting out creative combos of curse words.
"Obviously, you've already met Abigail."
The girl shot a dirty look at Bela. "Victor, you done showing the new girl around? I need your help. I can't get past this damn level."
Victor rolled his eyes. "I was just bringing BELA over to meet everyone." Why does Abigail ALWAYS have to be so fucking rude?
Bela gave an awkward smile as Abigail turned her attention back to the game in front of her. What is this girl's problem with me?
"Bela?" Suddenly, a messy-haired blonde was standing right in front of her, his eyes gleaming with recognition. "Yo, Sebby, it's really her!" His arms quickly enveloped Bela into a tight hug, lifting her off the ground. It took everything in her to not spill any wine as the young man gently rocked her.
When he finally put her down, Bela was overcome with memories of her young self playing at the beach with a pair of blonde and black-haired boys. "Sam?"
His green eyes glowed with happiness. "Wow, I can't believe it's been, what, like ten years?" He looked over to the pool table where the raven-haired fellow was still poised with a billiards stick. "Fuck the game, Seb, come over here, it's our Bela!"
Sebastian flinched when Sam said "our Bela". Abigail's head whipped over, shooting a venomous glare at Bela. "What do you mean, 'our Bela'? I thought she just got here."
Sam shook his head. "Don't you remember? Bela used to visit every summer when we were kids." Suddenly, Sam burst out into laughter.
Abigail's eyes narrowed defensively, "What's so funny?"
"Of course you don't remember," Sam managed to choke out. "You were too busy being besties with Haley."
Even Sebastian let out a small laugh as Abigail's pale face turned beet red. "Whatever, that was a long time ago."
"Well," Victor smiled, breaking the awkward tension that was beginning to form. "I hadn't realized that you already knew each other."
"Oh, yeah," Sam smirked mischievously. "Bela and Seb knew each other REALLY well."
Both Bela and Sebastian flushed red, ears burning hot. Abigail looked over in curiosity, annoyance written all over her face. What the fuck does that mean?
Victor raised an eyebrow quizzically, glancing between the two. "Really?"
"Sam," Sebastian rolled his eyes, the red refusing to leave his face. "Why do you have to be such an ass?" I bet she doesn't even remember.
Bela looked over at Victor sheepishly. "It was just a middle school fling. We were kids." I doubt Seb even remembers.
Victor burst out into laughter, while Bela and Sebastian bore similar mortified expressions. Sam joined Victor in laughter, with Abigail continuing to shoot death glares at Bela.
"So," Bela said in an attempt to break the awkwardness. "How've you been, Seb?" Yoba, I don't know what to say to him.
Sebastian avoided Bela's gaze, preferring to maintain eye contact with the wooden floors. "Oh, you know, nothing's new." Dammit Sam! Why'd you have to bring THAT up?
"Seems like there's been quite a few changes since I've been here."
"Yeah," Sebastian nodded, stealing a glance at her. "But, most things are still the same." Like how much I've missed you.
And that's the end of chapter three! I hope that you all enjoyed seeing some of your favorite characters from the original game. I also hope that you are enjoying some of the other characters I've included, such as those from the Expanded mod.
I am also contemplating adding supplemental (most likely) one-shots of some of the characters to pair along with this story.
Please feel free to comment which characters you would like me to focus on!