Conflicted

Kegs and bee hives were not nearly so difficult to put together as Violet expected. In fact, they were suspiciously easy, but the farmer was not about to complain that she now had the essential tools for her artisanal goods. Krobus had ordered a large quantity of dark draught - beer made from the mutant hops, and wine from the alarmingly red blueberries that translated roughly to "sweet burning wine" from Krobus' native tongue.

After their first meeting, Krobus left behind various ingredients he wished to add to the initial test batches. While it was a tedious process to wait for a paranoid shadow creature to venture out to her farm on random evenings, it appeared that the eccentric darkling had finished brainstorming potential flavor pairings and gave Violet the go-ahead to begin production. The farmer made sure to mark each keg with the appropriate symbols for what combination of ingredients it contained. Violet kept the mutant crop kegs well away from her normal ones, just in case. Once she was finished, she loaded up each of the brewing barrels and sealed them tightly.

The bee houses, which Violet strategically placed near her Fairy Roses and the rare seeds that Talla had sold to her over the course of the previous two seasons, were another section of her ever-expanding garden. The final section was a small assortment of fall crops that Sebastian had watered like he had the first batch of mutant plants. Shane did a fantastic job watering the normal crops, but Violet did not allow him anywhere near the magically irradiated ones. The agrarian hoped to produce more variants of common crops for Krobus so they could continue doing business. If Violet was being honest with herself, it was also for the brownie points with Sebastian's best friend from childhood.

Krobus was an important figure in Sebastian's life and Violet felt slightly indebted to the living shadow for being there for him. The least she could do is make sure the creature had something new to eat every once and a while. She was the local magical farmer, after all. It did not make sense to only cater to the human population when there were so many other inhabitants in the Valley. Violet wondered what the Junimos ate.

That reminded her. Violet needed the help of the little forest spirits today to locate some new sources of hardwood for Robin's special order. She had already broken up all the hardwood on her farmland and the six stumps in the Secret Woods with her upgraded axe, but it did not get Violet all the way to the required eighty pieces. The apple people would know where to look.

Violet began to hum a tune as close to the sound of the Junimos' song as she could muster. It sounded more natural when the forest spirits sang the tune, but the farmer had to consider that might be because their singing was inherently magical in some way. Violet only had mortal vocal chords. Well, semi-mortal? She still was not entirely clear on that, but after the incident with her injured leg glowing and healing on its own, Violet could not offer much of an explanation.

Junimos slowly began popping into sight - a flash of red to the left, a dash of striking yellow to the right. Their little voices greeted her. "Lady! Lady!"

Smiling, the farmer thanked her minions for obeying her summons. "Can you help me find more of these?" Violet asked, holding up a piece of her already obtained hardwood. "I need more of them."

The apples appeared puzzled, but one of the smallest took her hand and began leading her toward the Cindersap Forest. Violet quickly realized that the forest spirits were taking her back toward the Secret Woods and expressed her doubts. "I already chopped those stumps up," she reiterated to the ambulatory apples, but they continued to tug her along anyway.

Upon entering the area more heavily populated by trees, Violet's blue eyes widened with surprise. "They're back!" she exclaimed with astonishment. Despite the hardwood in her back from chopping up with stumps previously, there they were in the exact same places as before. While still in awe over the seemingly impossible occurrence, a slime began to charge at Violet to attack. Without thinking, the pastel-haired woman raised her axe to defend herself, trying to buy some time to get out her sword.

Suddenly, a swarm of the gelatinous creatures were upon her and the Junimos dissipated into nothingness to get out of the way in time. It did not take long to dispatch the nuisances, and the Junimos quickly returned to show her the regenerated stumps and some even brought her a few seeds left behind by the slimes. "Haaaar woooooooo," a green apple told her, dropping a small pile of seeds into her hand and closing her fingers around them.

Glancing at the seeds, they did not look like the usual oak, maple, and pine tree seeds she often found on the farm. Maybe these really did become hardwood trees of some kind? She pocketed the seeds and went to work on the stumps now that the slimes were no longer bothering her. Violet learned something strange and new about her home every day. With so many little oddities that enveloped daily life here in Pelican Town, the farmer relished in the realization that her life would never be dull again.

It was a living nightmare to have another first day of class again so soon, but this time Sebastian would be in classes meant to actually teach him new methods and materials. It also meant, however, another cast of strangers with whom he would likely be forced to interact.

At least today he was early, even if he had missed the first day of class for these upper-level courses. Catching up with one day was easy enough, once he obtained the syllabi and spoke to each of his new professors. Some of them acted perplexed when Sebastian explained the situation, but the rest rolled their eyes at his advisor's antics and seemed sympathetic toward their newest student.

"It doesn't happen all the time, but more often than it should with that prune," one of the professors huffed in annoyance as he added Sebastian's name to the class roster. The man pushed his wide-rimmed glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "From what I hear, you've been working as a freelancer in the field already," the blond man reported with a smirk. "I'll have to go back and check to make sure none of our recent students have hired you for assignments."

Sebastian felt the pit in his stomach plummet. The last thing he needed was to have some classmates hate him because he incidentally exposed them for cheating. His professor's clay-colored scrutinized him for a moment before he posed a personal question. "Hey, do you have a parent who teaches here?" When Sebastian hesitated, the man added, "You look a lot like a buddy of mine back in the day."

"Jesse Oakes?" the hoodie-clad man countered immediately. Was this his first lead from someone who knew his father?

Professor Fletcher frowned. "Eh, close but no cigar, kid," he sighed, leaning back into his chair. "I guess it's just a coincidence. Jesse was a popular name back when we were young…" he mused aloud. He flicked his wrist toward the empty computers in the classroom. "You may as well claim a seat now to avoid the carnage. There was a bit of a tiff on Tuesday over the back row," the bow-tied professor chuckled. "I'll introduce you and explain what happened to absolve you of the crime of shifting things around. That is, unless you don't want people knowing Badgecock screwed up."

"I don't care." The programmer was indifferent to what people said about his negligent mentor, so long as people left him alone. "... Thanks," Sebastian replied, taking a spot in one of the middle rows to cause less of a commotion, but also to not seem ungrateful to his teacher. He knew they hated it when all their students wanted to be as far away from them as possible. As he took his seat, Sebastian pulled out the copies of the documents Maru made for him. His onyx eyes stared at his father's name: "Jesse Oakes." Sebastian scowled. It was his own fault for getting his hopes up that he would find his father without even trying. Sebastian decided to be more proactive after class today. A drive through the city to his dad's old address would be a good start.

Emily stood at the bar, drying off the pint glasses she had just washed in silent contemplation when someone burst through the door of the saloon. "GUS!" a young woman's voice shouted in alarm as she rushed toward the bar. It was Penny. To say that Emily was surprised that the schoolteacher had stepped foot into The Stardrop Saloon would be an understatement.

The sapphire-haired woman smiled to greet her distraught neighbor. "He's out for most of the day today," the barmaid informed Penny gently, setting the glass down well out of danger of being knocked over. "Is there something I can help you with?"

The brunette's emerald eyes were tinged pink from crying. "I-I'm a t-terrible cook!" Penny wailed miserably. "I just wa-wa-wanted to m-m-make some Tom Kh-Kha soup and it's horrible!"

Emily patted Penny's shoulder. "There, there. It can't be all that bad!" the optimist assured her guest. "I'm sure it just needs a little something."

Penny shook her head furiously and hoisted a small pot of coagulated goo with blackened bits suspended on the surface. "It's inedible…" the woman in yellow sobbed pitifully.

Even Emily had to agree with her on that. "Well, I'm afraid we don't have any Tom Kha made right now," the barkeep reported regretfully. She knew that Pam occasionally brought some of the Thai soup home to Penny. The retired bus driver knew that it was her daughter's favorite, so she bought the biggest container Gus would sell her when it was in stock. "But I can let Gus know about the request when he returns. It's been a while since we put it on the menu."

Stifling her tears, Penny looked up at Emily and grabbed her forearm. "No, I have to learn to make this soup!" the schoolteacher insisted. "Elliott grew poppies from seeds and then hand-pressed the flowers into breathtaking watercolor scenes," the brunette elucidated. "He worked so hard on that gift, I can't just buy him something for his birthday!"

Emily finally understood why Penny was so distraught. This was a matter of the heart. Quickly taking into account the ingredients stored in the back, the spiritualist took the brunette's hands in her own. "Penny, I will personally teach you how to make Tom Kha soup. I will guide you every step of the way, but you have to be the one to put it all into action." Her ruby red lips pulled back into a friendly grin. "How does that sound?"

Penny instantly burst into tears of relief and joy as she threw her arms around the part-timer. "Oh, thank you, Emily!" the schoolteacher hiccupped. "You are such a kind person."

Donning an apron over her red dress, Emily beamed. "It's my best friend Sandy's secret recipe, so it's a good way to commune with her spirit even when I can't go out to the desert to visit her." The brown-eyed woman waved Penny into the back so they could get started.

"I'm so sorry for your loss," Penny reacted, misunderstanding Emily's statement.

Emily realized immediately. "Oh, Sandy's still alive and well at the Oasis in Calico Desert. I just don't get to see her often ever since the bus service shut down…" The barmaid was sure that Penny also wished the bus routes were operational - Pam had lost a good job when Mayor Lewis cut the funding due to budgetary constraints.

"That's such a shame…" Penny agreed with a sad nod of her head.

While Emily was not normally one to shamelessly plug for herself, she was not afraid to boost someone else. "Well, getting the bus back up and running is something Shane wants to do as mayor. That's one of the reasons he's running!"

Penny's eyes went wide with hope. "You mean…?"

Emily bobbed her head in confirmation. "Of course, town improvements are a top priority and a regular bus service would mean Pam could drive again." She pulled out the necessary cutting board, knives, and ingredients for the soup and laid them out on the kitchen counter. "Now, let's start by chopping these mushrooms!"

Maru stepped out into the pastel-colored waiting room of the clinic to collect her patient for today's annual physical. She spied the local bar owner reading the flu vaccine poster on the wall closest to her. "I guess it's that time of year already, isn't it?" the mustached man cried in disbelief, tapping on the poster with the knuckle of his index finger. "The year is already half-way gone!"

The nurse smirked at Gus. "Time does fly, doesn't it?" Maru agreed, gesturing for the portly man to make his way back to the exam room. The local chef knew his way and found the room without issue. He had a bit of trouble hopping up onto the table, but Maru slid the small stool over with a small nudge of her foot. Gus expressed his thanks and stepped up to take a seat.

Adjusting the stethoscope to her ears, Maru asked Gus to breathe in deeply and slowly for her. She listened to his heartbeat and the sound of his breathing quietly for a moment, then she took his wrist and began to chat once again. "So how's business at The Stardrop Saloon going, Gus?"

"It would be going better if customers all paid their tabs," Gus muttered in a low voice. Seeing Maru's concerned face made him quickly change the subject, however. "How is running the clinic all by yourself?"

Maru sighed. "I'll admit there are some things about running the clinic I didn't consider when I agreed to take over for Doctor Harvey," the nurse conceded reluctantly. "Yes, the work can be done, but I have significantly less time to do everything else I would normally."

"You're not still working for Demetrius, too, are you Maru?" Gus responded in tenuous awe. "That's working a part-time job on top of a full-time one."

The medical professional nodded in agreement. "I prefer to be busy, but I find that the travel time between here and home does significantly decrease my time for other projects."

Gus pondered for a moment while Maru prepared the syringe for the tavern owner's flu shot. The young woman turned back to face her patient. "You're also due for the shingles vaccine," she informed Gus. "Is that something you want to do today?"

Nodding, the barkeep agreed and Maru opened the cabinet above the sink to retrieve the necessary vial. "You know, Maru," Gus began. "I'm sure Doctor Harvey wouldn't mind you using his apartment while you run the clinic in his absence. It would certainly help you get more rest on days when you don't help your dad."

Maru considered Gus' words for a moment. She had not considered asking Doctor Harvey for use of his living space, but he did reiterate multiple times before his departure that she could use whatever of his she needed while he was away. That would include his living space above the clinic, wouldn't it? She would have to bring things from home if she wanted to work on certain projects while living in town, rather than at home on Mountain Road, but that could be arranged. Her chestnut eyes sparkled behind her bright-red glasses. "That's a brilliant idea, Gus!"

The mustached man chuckled under his breath. "Happy to help, Miss." Gus rolled up the sleeve of his mustard yellow shirt to expose his arm for the needles. "I hear you and Alex have become friends these last few seasons," he casually articulated. "You two are quite the unexpected pair."

While deciding on which vein to use, Maru smirked. "We are two very different people, and I was flabbergasted when he approached me back in the Spring. But Alex clearly wants to learn and it's fun to see his progress after implementing my training regimen."

Gus bobbed his head thoughtfully and only winced slightly as Maru poke his arm with the first needle. "What do you think of Alex?" he queried the medic.

Maru administered the second shot and stuck a cotton ball to each puncture site before verbalizing her appraisal. "I think he underestimates himself a lot because he doesn't grasp concepts from books very well," the nurse stated introspectively. "But there are lots of different methods to learning that typical schooling does not utilize, much to the detriment of students everywhere." Maru added band aids to keep the cotton in place on Gus' arm. "Alex is very mindful of his body and how the things he does affects his well-being. And he's caught on so fast to all the things I've been teaching him - both about kinesiology and anatomy as well as astronomy. Alex is definitely more of a hands-on learner."

The mustached man smiled. "You seem to have an excellent grasp on some things, Maru," Gus informed the young woman as he rolled his sleeve back to his wrist. "But I'm afraid someone else might have to teach you to notice some other rather important things going on with him."

Tilting her head, the auburn-haired woman regarded her patient. "What do you mean, Gus?" she inquired the barkeep. He only grinned knowingly in a way that irked the nurse slightly.

"There's more to life than intellect," Gus rejoined, dodging a direct answer as he headed out the door of the exam room. From the hallway, he called back to her. "Just make sure you're not neglecting your heart!"

Maru heaved a sigh as she leaned against the exam table. Did Gus think she looked sick? Baffled, she pressed the stethoscope to her own heart. Everything sounds perfectly healthy, the woman thought to herself. The nurse speculated that Gus meant for Maru to address her interpersonal relationships. I have friends and my relationships with my family members have not suffered lately. In fact, things were better than ever with Sebastian. To what could Gus be referring so cryptically?

After the Junimos helped Violet discover that the stumps in the Secret Woods were basically a daily supply of hardwood and thus guaranteed her a convenient source to finish Robin's quest on time, there was work to be done. The farmer wanted to do something for the Junimos and what better way than to fish for the tiger trout they requested?

So, the pastel-haired woman sat on the stone bridge between the museum and the mayoral mansion, casting her line out for the elusive hybrid. Violet had been fishing for about an hour and although she had yet to catch the tiger trout, she stumbled upon a run of salmon swimming upstream. The farmer's cobalt orbs lit up jubilantly at the prospect of fresh salmon dishes, which of course also meant fresh sushi.

Violet flicked her wrist, sending her lure and bait back out into the river. It was not long before she felt a tug on the line, but this time, it felt much heavier than normal. The young woman leaned back, trying to resist the strong pull toward the water. "What the hell?" she reacted in disbelief, fighting the creature caught on her hook as she reeled in the line. Clamping her jaw, Violet dismounted from the edge of the bridge and stood upright to better brace herself. It was a battle of strength and wills now - and Violet was determined to be the victor.

When she finally succeeded, Violet hoisted a suspiciously bloated salmon to eye level. The fish struggled, flailing at the end of the line. It had trouble moving, that much was clear from its restricted range of movement. "What in the world did you eat?" Violet speculated with a nervous chuckle. She decided it was best for both the salmon and to satisfy her morbid curiosity to take the animal out of its misery immediately. After a quick chop with her axe to behead the scaled creature, Violet carefully slid her fillet knife into its belly to inspect the contents of its stomach.

Once the cut was about half-way across the body, the entrails fell out in a gross cascade of fluids and organs. Violet would have puked if she were not distracted by the enormous egg with olive-green spots speckling the surface. The farmer's jaw dropped as she carefully picked up the intact egg and washed it off in the river before lifting it above her head to inspect every inch of it.

Tapping the shell with her finger, Violet could tell the inside was not hollow. Whatever this thing was, it could still potentially hatch. Her mind raced with possibilities ranging from tame and normal, like some sort of large sea bird, to the absurd such as a sea monster or a t-rex. Violet tucked the egg safely into her bag to keep it warm. She wanted so badly to return home and put it under one of her plant grow lamps since she did not have a proper incubator, but Violet knew she had to remain on the task at hand and obtain a tiger trout. While they would continue to be available until the end of winter, Violet had other plans for her free time as the temperatures dropped.

Sebastian pulled up to his father's address and slowly came to parallel park in its looming shadow. Kicking one leg over his motorcycle, the young man removed his helmet and shook out his hair before attaching it to the strap on his vehicle. In a strange way, it made him appreciate Pelican Town more than Sebastian thought possible. The structure was a grey, drab monolith, with the exception of the splotches of color from the decorated balconies of several residents. One in particular was a miniature jungle, with vines engulfing the safety bars. The greenery reminded him of Violet.

The realization that he would have someone to talk to if things went sour gave him courage. Sebastian's black leather boots plodded heavily on the concrete as he approached the entrance to the apartment complex. He exhaled deeply to calm his nerves as he reached his hand to open the door. The door did not budge. Sebastian tried again, this time more forcefully, but the result was the same. His obsidian eyes scanned the area and he found a small keypad next to the entrance. He groaned. Of course, lots of apartments have security of some sort nowadays, he supposed in exasperation. Just walking into the building and knocking on the door would be too easy.

Sebastian loitered around the entrance, pretending to be waiting for someone. It took about ten minutes, but a woman came by hauling two arms' worth of groceries and struggled to get the door open. "Do you mind, young man?" the lady solicited Sebastian.

Normally, the programmer would have been a bit reluctant. But he needed to get into this building and helping this woman offered an easy solution. "Ugh, sure…" Much to the stranger's amazement, he took a few of the grocery bags to carry.

The grey-haired woman giggled like a schoolgirl. "I only meant for you to open the door for me, but I won't decline help going up all these stairs," she said teasingly as she swung the door open and motioned him into the building.

Sebastian paused awkwardly in the hallway, unsure of where to go. Now that he was carrying the bags, he supposed he was stuck getting them to the right apartment. The tiny woman headed toward the stairs. "This way!" she declared, her voice more energetic than before.

His hopes that the woman was joking about the stairs quickly dissipated the more flights they climbed. The hoodie-clad man panted, trailing a few steps behind the woman whose bags he carried. "Are we… there yet?" Sebastian inquired against his better judgement.

Cackling, the woman nodded. "Just a few more flights of stairs, young man!" the green-eyed woman assured her helper. It was another six flights. Sebastian counted every painstaking step and his irritation grew exponentially when they stepped out of the stairwell to find someone exiting the elevator.

The infuriating old woman led him down the corridor and stopped about half-way down the hall. "Here we are!" she announced in a disgustingly happy tone. Sebastian was about to drop the bag and head back downstairs when she opened the door and offered him something to drink for his troubles.

While he was angry, his body begged for hydration. "Fine…" he grumbled, bringing the bags full of groceries inside. What harm could a little lady possibly do to him anyway? Sebastian dropped the bags on the kitchen table as she instructed and he took a seat that faced the large windows of her apartment. As he suspected, they were most of the way up the building and the view of the city was not half bad. Sebastian wondered if that was why his parents chose this place to start their lives together.

Scanning the room, the programmer saw lots of old photographs along the walls. Most of them were of the woman in whose apartment he now sat, but in the earlier photos Sebastian noticed a younger crowd. Presumably her friends. "The name is Darla," the mischievous woman introduced herself, stretching out her hand to shake his. "And who do I have to thank for helping me with these bags?"

"... Sebastian," he replied reluctantly. The woman beamed, however.

"Oh, a good, strong, old-fashioned name!" Darla proclaimed with delight. She winked at him and offered him the promised glass of ice water. "Your parents have good taste."

Sebastian did not agree with Darla's opinion, but he did not come here to pick a fight with a stranger. The woman smiled and sat in the seat across from him. "Were you waiting for someone? I hope I didn't steal you away too long," she expressed apologetically. "I'm afraid I get a little lonely sometimes, but you are free to go whenever you need to, dear."

The raven-haired man frowned slightly, his fingers tugging at his bangs absent-mindedly. "Actually, I came here looking for someone."

Darla scowled. "Sebastian, I'm afraid if you are Francine's stalker ex-boyfriend, I'm going to have to call the police!"

More stunned than anything Sebastian stared at his host wide-eyed as she tried to tower over him with her short stature. "Uh… no," he finally assured the woman. Darla relaxed and settled back down into her chair with a glass of lemonade. "I'm actually looking for my dad."

This got Darla excited and she seemed to completely forget that she had tried to be intimidating just a moment ago. "Oh, I've lived in this building for thirty years!" she informed her guest. "What's his name?"

Sebastian leaned forward, his elbows resting on an assortment of perfectly crocheted doilies. "Jesse Oakes. Do you know him?"

Darla's face fell and Sebastian felt his heart do the same. What was wrong? Did something happen? "Oh, Jesse and Robin were a sweet, young couple," the old woman recalled fondly. She stood and grabbed a photograph from the wall and brought it to show her guest. "This was taken when this building first opened," Darla described, handing it to Sebastian. "I was the 'mother' of our little family, even then," she chuckled, holding her drink in both hands now. She exhaled in a wistful sort of way. "It really was a shame when they divorced. It was an ugly affair," Darla recalled with a frown that accentuated the wrinkles on her face.

Sebastian's ink-black eyes examined the photo. The woman in the center appeared to be a much younger Darla, though she was easily identifiable as the oldest resident in the picture. But despite the grainy quality of old film cameras, Sebastian found his mother right away. Her bright red locks and pale skin made her stick out compared to the others. So the man next to her must be… He glanced up to find Darla fixated on him. "That's Jesse," she confirmed grimly.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Sebastian demanded testily, as if she pitied him for some reason. However, Sebastian was afraid of what he would learn as soon as he heard his own question ringing in his ears.

Darla sat back down at the table. "Are you Robin's boy or someone else's?" she inquired to clarify before giving her response.

"That's my mom here in this picture…"

The old lady bobbed her head, connecting a few of the condensed water droplets on her glass with a knobby finger, as she deliberated what to say. "Well, that is a shame, then…" Darla closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm sure if Jesse had forgiven Robin for what happened, you might have had your father in your life."

Sebastian froze. This was the first time he ever heard someone allude to the fact that his mother might be to blame for the divorce. Sure, Robin acknowledged they were both at fault in their own way, but that did not mean she took full responsibility for it all. Sebastian must have worn his tangled-up emotions on his sleeve, because Darla tsked and shook her head. "You don't know why they divorced, do you, young man?"

"No," he admitted honestly.

Darla cleared her throat and took a last swig of her lemonade before she spoke. "Well, Sebastian. I'll be honest that I'm not sure it's my place to say. But, seeing as you're here, you're looking for answers that no one else is willing to give you right now." She drummed her fingers on the worn tabletop. "Only your mother knows the truth of the matter, I suppose," she began, making sure to make that point before she continued. "Rumor had it that Robin cheated on Jesse and he could not forgive her for it." Her steely orbs regarded him sadly. "Though seeing you as you are now, young man, I don't think Jesse could have denied his parentage. Unless he had a twin stashed away in a closet somewhere," she added with a half-hearted laugh.

Sebastian could not wrap his head around this new information. "What…?" was all he could muster. He felt Darla's hand upon his shoulder. The touch helped bring him back to focus. "Wh-where is he? Where is my father now?" the hoodie-clad man asked her. "Where is Jesse Oakes now?"

The woman regarded his pleas sympathetically. "I'm afraid he moved out of here shortly after the divorce was finalized. The next door neighbor said it was because he didn't want Robin to continue harassing him to get back together and if he moved out, she wouldn't know where to look for him." She took the frame back from Sebastian and replaced it on its designated hook. Darla looked at Sebastian like he was the most pitiful thing in the world and he hated it. He turned away from her, avoiding her gaze.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be more help, dear," Darla apologized and in typical fashion for an elderly woman, she offered him a cookie to help lift his spirits. Sebastian declined, excused himself, and made a quick retreat for the door.

"Thanks for telling me about my parents." Sebastian wanted to impart some form of gratitude, even if the news was not at all what he expected. As he opened the door to leave, he added, "You're the first real lead I've had this whole time." The young man closed the door behind him, leaving the old woman to wander toward the window to watch him exit the building and wander out onto the street below.