A Flower In The Rain
7
A/N
I Have a few Stardew Valley Stories I have been meaning to share for a while.
Sorry I have been gone so long. College keeps me busy as does my job on the weekend.
I have about 3 weeks off (with the exception of weekends when I work)
SO here's hoping, along with new stories, that I can finally update some on going ones too~ ;)
Thank you for your patience~
Akarii Rose
Hana knelt down to the wood rotted ground and gently began placing items into the hut in the Community Center. Ever since her visit to the wizard it felt as though her eyes were re-opened. SHe began to see the Junimo much more often. And they always led her here.
"Help~ Help~" They spoke in sprinkled words...she could hear them clearer but some times the words seemed distant. Perhaps she was still getting used to this dormant ability of hers...
Some of the information she had gathered from these spirits is that they enjoyed helping...and asked to be paid with bounty from the land. So she picked a few extra vegetables from the garden and gifted them with it, and they seemed rather pleased with that. It was early morning and the sun was just lighting the sky. She needed to hurry home before Willow woke up. So as not to raise suspicion. as she snuck out quietly, she was soon startled by an unlikely yet familiar visitor.
"Well you're looking awfully suspicious~" as teasing tone startled her as she looked frantically, caught, like a deer in the head lights, by none other than Sebastian.
"Oh...uh...I." she gulped blushing as he snickered.
"Don't worry, I won't snitch~" he teased, "Just invite me next time~" he winked.
"O-Oh it's nothing like that-" she spoke out startled, "The Mayor leaves it open now." she explained.
"Oh...really?" he blinked as he took in a long gaze, absorbing the run down old Community Center, "Huh..." he shrugged and slid his hands into his hoody pocket, "I wonder why...?" as he shifted his gaze back he noticed her small basket full of veggies, flowers and foraged items which peaqued his curiosity as he rose a brow, "So...you...come here in early morning to...eat your breakfast?" he wondered. He was curious, trying to find a logical understanding for the strange new girl. Not that he would say anything more about it. After all he knew that he himself could easily be classified as abnormal as well.
"Actually no, I was leaving gifts-" she began to explain before stopping herself. This caught his attention.
"Leaving Gifts?" Sebastian blinked, "For who? The rats?"
"Uh...Yeah." she said awkwardly...S-Something like that." she chuckled and shook her head, taking advantage of this moment to rearrange her story.
"Actually...I meant to say I was arranging gifts." she explained, "For the Towns people." she smiled as she handed him a Parsnip, "Our crops came in so I figured I would share some." she stated, "However...Willow is a bundle of un needed energy to have around while trying to concentrate so..." she shrugged, "I figured this would be as good a place as any to collect myself...in privacy and undisturbed."
"Huh... You don't say..." he stated as she placed the vegetable in his hand. He stared at it a while, as though trying to collect and gather all the information she had given him...finding it to be a plausible solution, he seemed to buy it and smiled.
"I can get behind that." he chuckled. He was a man of few words, but his body language and tone showed understanding on where she stood, "Whatever way you choose to live is on you."
She shrugged and chuckles softly.
"So what about you then?" she wondered, "Aren't you up rather early?"
"Heh...more like, I'm up still." he shrugged, "Anyway...it's...nice of you to be willing to share some of your produce with the town." he smiled, "I'm certain the Towns people would appreciate it too." he smiled and raised his hand that held the Parsnip she had handed him, "...Thank you." he said softly with a softer smile that caught her off guard, " I really like these." he said to her, "Later." he waved as he graciously accepted his gift and continued traveling down his path. It seemed he was merely just passing by as she wandered out, so it was a matter of timing...Good or bad timing? She couldn't tell. But that smile he gave her...remained fresh in her memory...even when she closed her eyes.
XXXXX
"Hello...earth to Hana?"
Willow's voice startled her back into reality as her eyes snapped open. She was tired after having only gotten a short amount of sleep upon her return home. Enough until Willow woke her to start her day.
"Are you seeing this?" she asked as she pointed to the people gathering around Pierre's, "Looks like Pierre keeps rather busy doesn't he?" she chuckled, "Come on, lets see if we can get any more flowers to plant for the garden!" Willow giggled.
Hana loved flowers, and many of the Townspeople love her flowers too, so she often shared them. As they made their way into the shop however, things took an odd turn.
"Welcome to Pierre's!" Pierre himself said vibrantly welcoming them with a happy smile, "Is there something I can help two of my best customer's with?" he asked as he approached the two girls who kept to the back.
"Good morning, Pierre!" Willow smiled, "FUll shop today?" she chuckled as Hana fingered through the packets of Tulips and Blue Jas. A sudden chill took hold of her, and she could feel a burning heat circled around the blue of her eyes that glowed as a shady suited gentleman took to the middle of the store, demanding attention onto him on the floor.
"Come and get it, folks~" he beamed as he waved around what looked to be a bundle of tickets, "I have coupons here, for 50% off your purchase at JojaMart!"
"What!? 50%..." Pierre gasped as the man began waving them around.
"Well? Any Takers?"
Naturally there were takers a plenty. After all, who would refuse an opportunity to spend less? The one full shop of Pierre's was then quickly emptied, except for Hana and Willow who stayed behind to cheer him uo.
"Who was that guy, anyway?" Willow wondered, "What a jerk move to go into a place of bussiness just to advertise your own and STEAL shoppers as they shop!"
"That...was Morris." Pierre sighed, "He's the owner of the JojaMart just down the way..." he stated softly as he collected some of the spilled and knocked over merchandise.
"...I don't like that man..." Hana said softly under her breath, "And the Junimo don't either?"
"Huh?" Willow blinked, but before she could question Hana further, the Ginger moved to help Pierre pick up as he smiled sadly in thanks before sighing once again.
"I can't match those prices..." he said softly, "I'd be selling at a loss."
A Shadow lingered behind them, and there stood Morris once again with a smug smile as he shrugged.
"It must be quite hard for you, Pierre." he stated, "For you to lose your loyal customers like that~" he snapped his fingers to add to his exaggeration, an action he found to be humorous, though the three before him didn't agree.
"Come on now...can you blame them, really?" askled Morris, "Clearly, Joja Corporation is the Superior choice!" he shrugged, "Soon...the whole town will realize that." With that forboding message lingering over them, Morris left and Pierre sighed in defeat.
"Don't worry, Pierre." said Hana as she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, "Quality is what's important...and I don't know a man who has better quality than you~" she smiled, one which Pierre returned.
"Well thank you, Ms. Hana." he said softly, "I sure do appreciate that~"
"But of course." Hana nodded, "Even the Forest spirits seem to prefer your produce..." she muttered, "I feel much calmer now with that man gone..."
"Pardon?" Pierre blinked. He couldn't make out the other part of Hana's statement, and his question brought her attention to disregard it quickly.
"Never mind." she shook, "The point is, Quality is what determines value!" she smiled as she placed some extra seed packets. Pierre stared for a while at the pile she threw for him to scan. It was more than she usually bought and it brought a smile to his lips.
"Tell you what..." he said softly as he picked up the vegetable packets, "How about I just charge you for the vegetable seeds today?" he stated, "The flowers are on the house~"
Her blue eyes widened and she felt a heated rose color circle her cheeks.
"Thank you very much~!" she said sweetly, with a vibrant smile that was rare to her, even Willow was taken by surprise.
XXXXX
"Okay! Spill!" said Willow as she helped Hana plant the new produce.
"Spill what?" Hana asked, as she kept her eyes down toward the dirt to handle her flowers with care.
"You've been acting weird today." said Willow, "Weirder than usual..."
"And you're normal?" Hana blinked.
"Hey this is about you, not about me!" Willow argued, "Did something happen?"
"Uhm...No." Hana fibbed, but not enough to raise suspicion as the faded memory of Sebastian's smile in the early morning filled her minds eye, reverting her awkward expression back to a more natural smile of her own.
"...Nothing at all."
To Be Continued