Chapter two: Best Foot Forward
Waking up to the sound of a buzzing alarm at least was familiar, which was a good thing, considering nothing else that was going to happen today, would be. A city boy trying to run a farm not only sounds like a feeble attempt at a snappy story, but just feels out of sorts. Reaching over to hit the snooze bar in case I accidentally fell back to sleep before I got off the bed, the pillow atop my head slid down onto the other two beneath me. "My last glance at familiarity today," I mused.
Turning about, I sat up on the bed, and properly turned off the alarm. Blinking a few times I glanced out the window into the darkness, the sun wasn't even up yet. Grabbing possibly the quickest shower of my life I headed out the door in light blue jeans and a light blue, button down shirt, sky blue bandana atop my head, wrapped around my shoulder blade length brown hair. First thing I did was check the tool shed. Peering around, I saw all the essentials for the time being. Grabbing what I'd need and cramming it into the bag on my back, searching the closest I spotted a pair of Tomato seed bags, and grabbed them too. Next heading to one of the fields I checked the soil pretty quick, and it looked alright from what I'd read. Taking the hoe I fixed up the soil, then planted both seeds, then ran over to fill my water can to give them their first sprinkle.
Looking over to the pasture and the barn I heard my stomach remind me loudly that I had been neglecting it thus far. Looking across the field I spotted some kind of plant, I seemed to recall it being called Mugwart, and that it was edible. So I walked over shrugging, swallowed my pride, and then the picked plant.-
I choked for a moment, I didn't figure it would be the best thing I'd ever had- but wow was I surprised. It had been listed as an edible plant around these areas, but in my own humble opinion that may have been an overstatement. Shaking my head as I walked away, I thought to myself that at least I was fed…
Heading for the stable, ffutS was just starting to stir. She looked right over to me, and I swear she moved her head towards the fodder chute. "Alright, alright, it's coming." I headed over and lightly rubbed the top of her head affectionately as I took out the first bit of fodder and rushed it to the bin. By the time I had stepped away she was already chowing down. I laughed lightheartedly as I went over to the fodder chute and took the next piece to the second bin; apparently Takakura must have figured it would be a subtle hint to make sure ffutS got fed twice.
I went around and hugged ffutS again, then cautiously set up the milking supplies and began my first attempt at milking… I was amazed, three bottles worth of the richest milk I'd seen in my LIFE. Stuff from the market NEVER looked this good. For extra measure I hugged ffutS again ultra affectionately. ffutS gave a happy and contented 'moo' in return.
I remembered Takakura telling me he made frequent trips to the marketplace, and that the forms for selling and buying stuff were all in the storage house. I went out to the shed- pausing again when I noticed another growing chunk of Mugwart growing across from the stables. I shook my head with a sigh- I don't know why, but I went over and picked it, stuffing it into my bag. The went into the shed, I sent the milk into the bin for sales, knowing such wonderful milk had to fetch a fair price, and I had half a mind to drink it myself if I actually liked the stuff, arguing with myself, I took one of the three bottles and kept it for the moment. Looking over the order forms I saw one for ordering animals, looking closing, I decided I shouldn't have an empty coop, but there was only one form? I began to fill the form, ordering a hen, figuring Takakura would leave me a form to order a rooster later.
Whistling a bit of a chipper tune I came out of the storehouse and spotted Sesshie, I bent down to scratch him behind the ears. "Sorry Seshie, gotta go buy some more seeds at Vesta Farms."
Looking up at the sky as I headed out of the farm over to the Vesta Farm, I realized it had to be almost nine. I picked up my pace a bit as I hustled over the bridge. Just before Vesta Farm, I saw an ocean of flowers, now I'm not a huge flower person, but even I was taken aback for a moment. And so I just started picking, such beauty I had to posses, even if it was greedy of me…
EEP! Remembering the seeds I ought to have been getting, I stuffed the flowers in my pack and rushed to the farm. I looked around until I spotted Celia heading into the main house, so I followed her. Knocking on the door I here Celia call me to come in.
"Um, hey there?"
"You're Jack, from yesterday, aren't you?"
"Well, it's what my birth certificate says, but I go by Doom."
"Oh, why is that?"
"It's my pen name, I write. My stories tend to have looming doom and peril, so I go by Doom."
"Oh, well, did you want something?"
I paused with a snicker to consider that question for a moment, "Actually yes," I decided upon at last, "I was hoping to buy some seeds for my fields. I've got some tomatoes I already planted, but I was looking for a bit more."
"Well, we have some more tomato seeds, and Watermelon also grows this time of year."
"Cool, I'll buy a couple of both then."
"It's 30G for the tomato, 60G for Watermelon."
"Kay, here's 180G."
"Thank you."
"Thank you."
I waved pleasantly as I exited the Vesta place, and my eyes stumbled upon another patch of Mugwart, "Jeaz this stuff is everywhere?"
So I yanked it as I rushed back home, planted the Watermelons and Tomatoes, and poked in on ffutS. She seemed to have finished off her fodder, I went over to her and patted her head softly, and decided since she'd finished the food she probably had some more milk in her already. I got down and filled two more bottles, not quite as rich as the three from this morning, but quality anyway. I hugged ffutS again to hear her moo pleasantly.
I was about to go put the two bottles in the storehouse with the first three, but I noticed Sesshie along the way, and picked her up as I walked over to her new doghouse.
"Wow, he works fast?"
I knelt down and set Sesshie by her new doghouse and spotted her bowl. I smiled as I looked over at Sesshie, "Here boy, try summa this."
Pulling out one of milks I just got, I poured it into Sesshie's bowl, and he began to lap it down gleefully. I chuckled as I got to my feet and looked out towards the Vesta Farm. "Hmm, it's not that late?"
I ran back over the bridge and passed the Vesta Farm, and down the way to the dig site ran by Carter. I poked my head down into the dug out pit, and noticed both he and Flora were in there. Announcing my presence with a jolly greeting, I came down and walked over to the professor.
"Hey, you're that new fella' aren't ya'?"
"Yep, call me Doom," I shook his hand.
"So, did you come down here to help us excavate?"
"Sure did!"
"Well, here," he handed me some tools and motioned to the exposed ground, "Have at 'er."
I looked over at Flora and decided I shouldn't make crude jokes at this stage. Turning to the matter at ground, I started digging into the earth. It was actually kind of rewarding. I found quite a few things, and after who knows how many hours, Carter announced it was late and time to pack up for the day.
"Well, lemme take a look at what you've got."
Carter started peering about at my finds. He pointed out the nifty ancient bones I found, a couple statues, and some old money, but he was most curious about the old artwork I found- in fact, the meanie wouldn't let me keep it, and didn't even give me something else for it… huff
Oh well, I consoled myself with the fact that he let me keep everything else, including the statues, which were probably worth something good- I paused suddenly, catching a chance glance at Nami in the fading sunlight. My eyes opened widely and I probably gawked for a whole minute before I ran after her.
"Hey, Nami!"
She turned to face me without any real expression in her face, "Yeah, what do you want?"
"Well, for starters I was hoping for a little warmer greeting than aggressively indifferent, passively indifferent would have been a nice improvement," I stuck my hand out to shake hers, she just looked at it for a moment before grudging shaking it.
"What is it with people, everyone seems to thing spring is the cat's meow or some such, kinda makes me sick."
"Sick for what? Spring is the time of romance, the time of mourning for a hopeless romantic like myself- oh hey, check this out," I pulled out one of the bones I found at the dig site, "I found this at Carter's site, isn't it sweet?"
"Actually… It kind of is… Would you be willing to part with it?"
"To a flaming angel like yourself, I think I could be convince," I set the bone in her hands as she gave a confused look.
"A what," she said after a moment.
"I think you're cute, I'd like to get to know you, find out if the mind matches the body."
"Pardon!" This time she was on the edge of offended from the sounds of it.
"Okay, this is going the wrong way already. Here, I'm Jack, but I go by Doom. I'd like to get to know you, because I think you're worth the time and effort of trying."
That seemed to calm her down a little bit. She turned and started to walk away, without even a goodbye. I frowned a bit and headed back to the farm, re-watered all the plants, and prepared to turn in early…
/Hey Diary,
Cygnis Farm seems to be off to a decent start, if I do say so myself, ffutS is kind and loving, the crops are planted- 4 tomatoes and 2 watermelon, I've ordered a Hen, and am selling some milk.
I still insist that Celia is a nice girl, and probably the proper girl for a guy in my position to look into, but Nami is so my type it burns… I talked to her not long ago, even gave her some bones I found up at Carter's dig site. She just seems cold, but so was I a long time back, just have to slowly work on warming her up, I'm sure she's not as anti-social as she thinks she is, I wasn't…
OH! And I'm DEAD certain Carter and Flora are into something- 5'oclock quitting time? Something's gotta happen in the remaining time, the earliest any sane man goes to bed in my knowledge is six?
Laterz.