"Here it is!"
The side of Jo's mouth couldn't help but quirk up as she stared at the house before her. Although, she wasn't so sure she should be referring to the sight as a "house."
The foundation was nearly the size of a shed with boards missing in the roof and slightly broken windows. Even the fence surrounding the property was busted with boards peeling and knocked out of place.
"It's not much now, but I'm sure you'll make something of it," Presley continued, attempting reassurance.
Jo nodded. Placing her hands on her hips as she continued to scan the exterior.
Her silence was a cause of the thoughts running around her head. Not out of disappointment after seeing the space and having this hope for "more." Rather, her mind was filled with thoughts of her father. So many thoughts. Definitely thoughts she couldn't bring up to Presley - a well near stranger.
"It's perfect," she finally said, her mouth raising into a full smile now. "Although, I'm a little nervous to see the state of the inside."
Considering the flimsy roof and windows, there was bound to be some sort of creatures taking refuge in the (up until recently) vacant home. Jo would definitely have to find a sturdy stick to beat them off with tonight.
"Oh, no no," Presley quickly jumped in. "The mayor had it cleaned out before you got here. Everything should be all clear for you!"
"Ah," Jo said with a nod. "Well thank goodness for that!"
"Right. Well, the house is only the first part of a long list of to-do's," Presley stated. "We have some other matters to handle at the Commerce Guide. Why don't you have a look inside, get settled, and then meet me there? Here's a simple map incase you need help. But I think you'll also find the locals are very friendly and are willing to point you in the right direction if needed."
Jo took the map from Presley before tucking it away in her back pocket. "Sounds great. I'll make sure to come straight away."
"Oh, take your time!" Presley said, waving her off slightly. He then headed up the path back to the main entrance of town, leaving Jo to herself.
"Right," she huffed under her breath as she turned her attention back to her new home. Her eyes scanned the front door once again as if searching for more than faltering boards and weak nails.
"Just tear off the bandaid, Jo," she stated.
Finally, she put her feet in motion, pushing her way through the front gate that squeaked loudly under the pressure of her hand. She then used the rusted key provided by Presley to unlock the door before her and allow herself inside.
It was bright. Brighter than she thought it would be. For some reason, despite Presley's words, Jo had anticipated a creaky old cellar with dark corners and spider webs hanging all around.
And yet, she found only light shining into the home that allowed her to see a clean interior that was empty aside from a single bed.
The light, of course, was a side effect from the busted roof, which she would have to fix as soon as possible - but she still appreciated it nonetheless.
Approaching the bed, Jo placed her single suitcase down on top of it - thankful to see that no dust erupted from the mattress from the impact.
"So… I guess I'm settled then," she said to herself, turning around to study the space.
What more was there to do?
Well, for one, she could get her hair out of her face. Portia sure was warm considering it was only the beginning of spring. She could only imagine the humidity and clamminess of the summer.
Retrieving some bobby-pins from her suitcase, Jo pinned both sides of her hair back in order to cool the skin on her face. She then took off her light jacket that had been ideal to travel in, but too constricting now. She was left in a simple black tank top that allowed her arms and chest to breathe.
"Alright, that's better. Now to the Commerce Guide."
Exiting her new home, Jo fiddled with the key in her hand as she debated locking the door behind her. In her old city, it would be a no brainer. However, Portia was different. It was as if a sense of community was hovering over her in the air. She could practically smell it.
Laughing to herself, Jo ultimately decided to lock the door. There may be a sense of community, but she wasn't technically sure if she was part of that community yet.
"Okay, where is this place…?" Jo asked as she pulled out her map. She could see that Presley had starred where her home resided on the map, but the rest of his labeling was a bit jumbled and overlapping.
Jo's brow furrowed as she tried to make out the words, even bringing the paper uncomfortably close to her face in an attempt to read it.
"Need some help there?"
A sweet voice caused Jo to jump, the map immediately lowering from her face.
"Oh, I didn't mean to startle you," the voice continued. However, Jo could now see it belonged to a charming girl with braided, blonde hair and bright green eyes.
"No, sorry," Jo said with a shake of her head. She let out a small laugh as she took in the girl's expression. "I just didn't see you…. due to the map that I had… an inch away from my face…."
Now the blonde laughed, the bubbly sound filling Jo with a strange warmness.
"You're funny," the girl stated. "You must be the new builder." She gestured up at the house behind Jo.
"That would be me," Jo confirmed with a shrug.
"Well then, welcome! Glad to have you. I'm Emily. I live just over there with Grandma Sophie and McDonald," the girl said, reaching out a hand.
"Pleasure. I'm Jo."
The two shook hands briefly before turning their attention back to the map.
"So where are you looking to go?" Emily asked.
"Commerce Guild," Jo stated. "Presley labeled it on here… somewhere. His handwriting is a little jumbled. Hard to see."
"Right. Well, you're in luck. Commerce Guild is basically straight ahead," Emily informed her, pointing towards the entrance to town. "That's Peach Plaza right there, but if you keep heading forward - mind the fountain - then Commerce is right there."
"Huh," Jo said, rolling up her map again. "Well, that was simple."
"We're a fairly simple town," Emily said with a proud grin.
"Good," Jo said with a laugh. "I could use some simplicity."
"I'm awfully sorry about your, Pa," Emily blurted out suddenly, embarrassment immediately visible on her features. "Oof, and I'm sorry that was so forward. I just can't imagine…" she trailed off for a moment. Jo could see the slight panic on her face now.
"You're okay. Really. I appreciate it," Jo said. "People tend to tip toe around those conversations, but I don't mind."
Emily smiled once more. "Well, if you're ever up for it, please come over and join Grandma and I for some dinner. Granny makes the best homemade meals."
Jo snuck a glance towards where Emily had pointed before. She could see the fields and pastures residing in the distance. The grass looked perfect to take a nap in -even with the ducks and chicks.
Jo smiled. "I'll be sure to."
"Alright, I won't take up any more of your time. Good luck with Commerce!" Emily said, beginning to walk back towards her house.
"Thank you, Emily. For the help and everything. Nice meeting you!" Jo responded.
She then turned towards the entrance of the town and headed in the direction that Emily had advised.
And the girl was right - it was simple.
"Okay. Everything seems to be in order then. All your information is down. Now all I need is a name," Presley said, looking up at Jo expectantly.
"A name…?" Jo asked, her brows pulling together.
"For the workshop. Your father never picked out a name, as much as we kept pestering him for one, so now would be a good time for you to provide one… if that would be alright."
"Sure…." Jo responded, trailing off.
A name… she had no idea what name to use. The responsibility of naming your father's beloved workshop felt like the biggest decision in the world. Well, that was a bit drastic, but she wasn't exactly buzzing with ideas.
Pa's Workshop? Noooo. That's lame. Come on.
What about just… Jo's? Still no.
The Ultimate Builder of All Thi- … definitely not.
Moments passed as Jo kept her perplexed expression pointed down at the floor. The clocking ticking on the wall was mocking her incessantly.
However, the twisted features on her face suddenly smoothed as she straightened and looked at Presley.
"Menagerie."
"Menagerie?" Presley asked.
"Yes… Menagerie. Old family thing…" Jo offered as a poor explanation.
Presley nodded. "Alright, Menagerie. I like it."
He then took his fountain pen and scribbled the name down in his same untidy handwriting. The name was set in stone.
"Great! The business is all done. I will get working on your certificate and have it printed and ready for you to pick up at the end of the day," Presley informed her. "For now, I would suggest going around town to meet the locals. We're a fairly small bunch, so it won't be too hard."
Before Jo could respond, Presley produced a list in front of her full of names.
"Here you are. Makes things a little easier. The locals and their professions. You'll have a better time finding them that way."
"Right," Jo replied, her fingers fumbling with the corner of the paper. Despite Presley stating that the group was "small" there were still quite a few names on the list. More than expected.
"It's good to meet the people you will be doing business with. That way you can get commissions and start building right away!"
His enthusiasm was incredible.
Jo nodded. "Thank you...for this," she told him. "I guess I've got a lot of work to do… people to meet."
"Best of luck!" Presley said as Jo stood from the desk.
Jo managed a half hearted smile as she made her way out of the Commerce Guild, giving Antoine a little wave as she went.
"Okay, okay…" she spoke to herself once outside. "Emily - check. Antoine - check. Presley - check," she crossed each name off. "At least that's three."
Looking up from the list, Jo gazed around - trying not to look too desperate. Her eyes fell on what looked like a restaurant across the way where she could see some folks coming and going.
"That looks like a good start. Why not," she said with a nod before heading off in the direction.
"Right. That takes care of those eight. Not that I'll be able to remember all of their names. Especially those brothers… how many did I meet?… Three? Four? Dawa… Samwa.. no - Sanwa. Oh God."
Jo kept her nose in her paper as she continued to walk down the road towards what she believed was Central Plaza. However, she couldn't help but lift her nose elsewhere as she smelled something infinitely better.
Flowers.
Stopping in the middle of the street, Jo looked to her right to find a small booth with beautiful asterias and roses on display. It took everything in her not to skip over like a giddy teenager.
Keeping her composure, she walked over and immediately felt a grin spread over her face as she noticed the houseplants tucked away to the corner of the booth. She was entranced, so much that she hardly noticed the woman sitting beside the greenery.
"See anything you like?" The woman asked.
"Yes," Jo answered immediately. "I love it all."
A tenderness fell over Jo as she inspected the leaves on some of the succulents. They were firm and lively, making her smile burn into her cheeks further.
"Most people dawdle on the roses," the woman spoke. "Not usually the houseplants."
Jo laughed, taking a step back now. "Mmm, I'm a bit obsessed with them. Studied a lot of Horticulture as a hobby." She moved to look at the yellow leaf plant next to the succulent. "I had a large collection of plants where I used to live, but unfortunately they couldn't make the trip."
"Oh!" The woman said suddenly, causing Jo to slide her eyes up to her. "You're the new builder! How rude of me. I'm Alice."
"Jo," she replied, shaking the woman's hand.
"Welcome! We've all been anticipating your arrival. It will be nice having another builder in town who isn't Higgins," Alice said, her voice almost a grumble.
"Higgins?" Jo asked, looking down at the names on her list. Sure enough, there it was - still uncrossed.
"Yeah. He's kind of the big builder in town. Takes himself very seriously. Sorry, I don't mean to come across as rude. He's just… interesting."
"Interesting, huh?" Jo asked. "Well, I guess I'll have to meet him for myself."
Alice let out a gentle laugh. "Good luck. He doesn't take kindly to new builders."
Jo smiled. "Thanks for the warning. Sounds fun."
Alice quirked a brow at Jo's statement, but soon let it fade into a small smile.
"Nice to meet you, Alice. I'll be back for some houseplants. When I'm not a… 'mission,'" Jo finished, raising her paper as proof.
"Look forward to it, Jo. Thank you," Alice replied.
As reluctant as Jo felt to leave her safe space among the plants, she forced herself to move on down the road. She crossed off Alice's name before looking at all of the others she still had to find.
Yeah. Small was an understatement.
"Alright. Alice was right. Higgins is the WORST," Jo said to herself as she reached the top of a large set of stairs. "'Men are the superior builders.' What a jerk."
Jo huffed as she continued to make her way up the side of the hill, passing by a few homes of the locals.
"Why does it have to keep going up? How cruel," Jo whined to herself. It was an unusual behavior for her, but Higgins had put her in a bad mood. Her tongue was nearly bleeding from biting it so hard.
"Hey!"
Jo heard a voice call out, causing her to turn around. She was met with a pretty blonde running over, a sign reading "Collapsed Wasteland" residing behind her.
"You're the new builder, yeah?" The girl said as she neared Jo. Without warning, she reached out her hand to show some worn in gloves. "Sam."
The girl's actions and words came fast as if she meant complete business. However, Jo could still tell she meant well under the somewhat "hard" exterior.
"Jo," she said, taking the girl's hand.
"Awesome. Nice to meet ya. When did you get into town?" Sam asked.
"About two hours ago," Jo informed her.
"Ah, let me guess. Presley's got you on the "Meet and Greet" homework?"
Jo held up the paper in her hand and nodded. "List and all."
Sam chuckled. "He means well. And at least you can cross my name off the list now."
The blonde stepped to Jo's side, looking down at the list.
"Oh, good. They changed my name from Samantha to Sam finally. Apparently they got my warnings," she stated.
"Mmm," Jo replied. "Unfortunately, I'm stuck with Josephine. Wanna throw some of those warnings in for me?"
"Gladly. I love messing with Presley."
Jo laughed at this as she turned her attention back to Sam. The girl was definitely a nice breath of fresh air after the beast that was Higgins.
"You've made a decent dent," Sam stated. "Let me help introduce you to the rest. Especially since you haven't met the other members of my team."
"Your team?" Jo asked as she began to follow Sam further up the hill.
"Yeah. Civil Corps. I'm not the Captain - don't get it twisted. But we're a tight knit crew. It's just me, Rem, and Arlo."
Jo looked down at the list and quickly located both names Sam mentioned. That took care of two more, at least.
"Arlo is our Captain. But he doesn't like it when I call him that. Too formal - he says. So we stick with Arlo. Remington is awesome. Strong, confident - but also the best to hit the Round Table with," Sam continued on.
"I was there earlier. Really only met the Lulu brothers, though," Jo chimed in.
"Ah, the Hulu brothers. They're an interesting bunch. But yeah. Rem wouldn't be there at this time. We've got rounds and commissions to take care of during the day. Usually more of a nightly thing," Sam continued.
Reaching the top of the hill, Jo tried to keep her breathing steady. The uphill walk definitely proved how out of shape she was - but not for Sam.
"Alright, infirmary first," Sam stated.
Infirmary? Jo didn't think she seemed that winded. Did she look worse than she felt?
"Oh, uh," Jo began, but Sam jumped in.
"Dr. Xu and Phyllis work there. Phyllis is a good friend of mine since we work across the way from each other. You've got to meet her."
Oh. Not about my appearance then.
Walking through the doors, Jo was met with exactly Sam what had promised. It was a small hospital with only two other people occupying it - a man with dark hair, glasses, a white coat and the other… a gorgeous blonde woman making the most of her nurses outfit.
Wow.
"Phyllis, Xu. Meet Jo. The new builder," Sam announced.
"Pleasure," Xu said as he looked up from his work. However, the minute his eyes met Jo's, he quickly stood. His motions then seemed frantic and slightly clipped as he closed the distance between them to shake her hand.
"Very, very nice to meet you," he spoke.
"Nice to meet you too…" Jo replied, aware that she had zero control over the movement of her hand.
The moment Xu dropped it, Jo and Sam shared a neutral look. However, Jo could clearly see the smile Sam was trying to push away.
"Jo, it is a pleasure," another voice filled the room.
Jo looked away from Sam and saw the beautiful blonde walking towards her.
"So glad to have another face in our town. As Sam said, I'm Phyllis," she continued.
"Glad to be here," Jo said. Although, she could feel Xu's eyes burning into the side of her face that made her somewhat question that statement.
"You're in good hands with this one," Phyllis said, gesturing to Sam. "Even though she's a troublemaker."
"Proud of it too!" Sam declared with a big smile.
"I know it," Phyllis replied. "Still on for the round table later? You, Rem, me, and…." an elegant smile broke across her face.
Sam rolled her eyes. "Arlo. Yes, yes. We're on."
Was there something going on there?
"Oh, good. Something to look forward to after work," Phyllis said. Her voice and eyes practically dancing.
Definitely something going on there.
"Hey. It's not so bad here, is it?" Xu jumped in, looking from Phyllis and back to Jo - though she had no idea why.
"Oh, doctor, you know what I mean. Anyways, see you after, Sam. Great meeting you again, Jo."
"You too, Phyllis," Jo said, taking a step towards the door. She didn't dare glance back, still feeling Xu's stare.
"God, someone needs to put that Doc on a leash," Sam blurted out as soon as the doors closed behind them. "Practically drooled all over you."
"Glad I'm not the only one who caught that," Jo said as she crossed off more names.
"Might want to stay away from that one. Great doctor, but a weird guy," Sam continued.
"That is noted," Jo said. However, she kept it as more of a mental note.
"Right… onward!" Sam said.
She led the way towards another building that was across from the infirmary. Jo assumed it was Sam's own office considering her words before.
"You know," Jo began. "This town is much bigger than Presley and Gale let on. I've met… basically thirty people and there's still more?"
"You only feel that way because you've had to walk the entire town searching for them," Sam retorted.
"Okay, fair. But they made it sound like there would be like fifteen people. That's small. "
Sam laughed at this. "That's also boring. Imagine living in a town with only fifteen people. Tear your hair out."
As their conversation continued, Sam opened the doors to a building clearly labeled "Civil Corps." At least if Jo couldn't read Presley's handwriting on her map, she could always rely on the clear labels of each building.
"Home sweet home. Well, sorta," Sam stated, gesturing to the room around them.
Jo took a look around the large room, admiring the different pieces of decor scatter throughout. She also quickly took note of the jail cell to her right, indifferent to see that it was empty. Part of her wanted to see what a criminal would look like in this town.
"You live here?" Jo asked, turning her head away from the cell.
"Nah, I live elsewhere. The boys live here though. Rem's room is upstairs and Arlo's is right there."
Jo looked in the direction that Sam had pointed.
"Arlo's room is right across from the jail cell?" She mused.
Sam shrugged. "He likes to keep a close eye on everything."
"Evidentially," Jo stated under her breath.
"Where are they anyway? Rem? Arlo?" Sam called out.
The girls waited in silence for a moment before a door opened upstairs.
"Sam? That you?" A husky voice replied.
"Sure is. How goes it, Rem?" Sam said, smirking as the man made his way down the stairs.
"Goes well," he replied with a nod as he reached the bottom. "Arlo's not here. Had to go take a look at something with Gale by Amber Island."
"Ah figures," Sam replied.
"And who's this?" Remington asked, nodding towards Jo.
"This would be the new builder. Rem - Jo. Jo - Rem."
"Nice to meet you, Remington," Jo said, smiling as she shook his hand.
"Same to you. Good thing Sam showed you where our headquarters is located. Never hesitate to give us a shout when there's trouble."
"Will do. You two seem like a force to be reckoned with," Jo said.
"I'd like to think so. With Arlo included - we definitely are," Rem confirmed.
Sam suddenly flopped down on one of the couches, propping her feet up on the coffee table.
"I could use a break," she sighed. "Rounds were exhausting this morning. Plus playing tour guide."
"Think we're done for the day, anyway," Rem said as he sat on one of the other couches. "Come take a load off, Jo. You've probably done a lot of walking today too."
"Definitely," Jo said, taking a seat. She pushed her list away from her, not wanting to deal with it anymore. "I can't believe you guys walk up this steep hill everyday. Sam saw me. I could barely go up once."
"Aw, you took it like a champ. It gets easier, anyway," Sam chimed in.
"What she's failing to mention is we also ride our horses a lot of the time," Rem said, pushing Sam's knee slightly. She reacted by kicking a playful leg back at him.
"It doesn't sound as cool when you add in that fact," Sam told him.
"I don't know about that," Jo shrugged. "Horseback is pretty awesome."
"I agree. Can't outrun us that way either," Rem added.
Sam rolled her eyes at this as she began to take off her gloves. She looked as though she was about to say something more when the front doors were thrown open.
"Ah, there you two are!" A strong voice called into the room.
The three sitting on the couch jumped, but only Remington and Sam were quick to their feet. However, Jo hadn't managed the same reaction. Instead, she sat staring at them as she tried to catch her breath.
"You're in here having a chin wag while I've been out there being swarmed by Snail Urchins? How lovely," the voice continued.
Jo finally brought herself to turn towards the voice, stifling a smile at the thick accent and funny phrasing.
A chin wag?
Her eyes immediately met a tall man standing in the entry way. His red hair was tossed in every direction. His jacket was a yellow and white that looked smooth to the touch despite the scuffs here and there. He sported the same type of gear that Sam and Rem did - with their boots, gloves, and easy access packs or belts. A bandana was tired neatly around his neck, which seemed like one his own special touches. It was unique as the other two members did not wear anything similar. There were words written across it, but Jo couldn't make them out from where she was.
What she could make out was the deep blue color of his eyes - and how they were currently pointed entirely at her.
Warmth grew over her skin like wild fire and she prayed it didn't show the flames upon her cheeks.
This had to be Arlo.
After a moment of eye contact, Jo made herself pull her eyes away and look back towards the other Civil Corps. Once again, she needed to steady her breathing - but not for the same reason she had before.
"Sorry, Arlo," Rem was the first to speak. "We didn't know there was a need for backup."
"Yeah. Plus, I was busy giving our new friend here a tour," Sam said, smiling proudly.
"Right," Arlo said.
Jo couldn't help but look up once more when she heard his voice. Meeting his gaze once again.
Why was he still looking at her? Intimidation?
Rem and Sam both began to speak, but it all became a jumble as they approached Arlo.
A prickle began to run over Jo's skin as she was aware she was now sitting there alone. As a result, she quickly gathered her list and made her way towards the entry as well.
"Thank you for the help, Sam," she said over the noise, causing Rem and Sam to quiet down.
"Oh, Jo, you're leaving? Bummer. We should hang out. I'll drop by to see when you're free," Sam said.
The idea made Jo smile as she was happy to make the new connection.
"Great. Nice meeting you again, Rem. Hope to see you soon," Jo offered.
"You too," Rem replied, flashing a smile.
Jo's eyes then slipped over to Arlo, her lips parted as she saw him already looking at her.
"Good day, Captain," she said with a nod.
Oh, crap. Sam said he doesn't like being called Captain. Yikes.
Jo waited for him to correct her or even shoot a look of annoyance, but - to her surprise - he chose neither option. Instead, his hand was extended to her in a smooth movement.
Jo looked down at it before taking it, her breath hitching at the feeling of only his fingers touching against her skin.
She then looked back up to meet his eyes - which she could now confirm were as clear as ocean waters.
"Welcome to Portia," Arlo spoke.
Hands lingered for a moment before Jo was the one to finally pull hers away. She cleared her throat as she gave one final goodbye to the others. Thankful that the two were chattering amongst themselves and hadn't noticed what had just occurred.
Not that anything had occurred… unless it had. Had it? It wasn't really as "slow motion" and "movie moment-esque" as one might say or think. But the feeling of Arlo's fingers touching to her wrist as they shook hands. That was… interesting.
Jo made it out of the doors, swallowing hard as she thanked the fresh air now surrounding her. Even the warm weather outside felt cooler than the room she had just left.
Taking a deep breath, Jo shook her head and then rolled out her shoulders as she retrieved her list.
She needed to move on. To meet the rest of the town.
That's what she told herself anyway as she involuntarily circled Arlo's name instead of crossing it out.