Signs of Endearment

Sam snatched the master slingshot from his back pocket, deftly loading the weapon with a projectile and took aim at the skeleton's skull. The rock connected with a loud CRACK that echoed throughout the chamber. A sizable chunk fell free from the skeleton's skull and its body turned in a jerky motion as it scanned the room to locate its attacker with its remaining blood-red eye.

Violet, who had been stunned by the initial blow, took the opportunity to reach for her bag and find her sword while the skeleton moved deliberately toward Sam. The soles of its boots made a heavy thump against the frosty stone of the floor and the ancient armor that adorned the creature's shoulders tapped unpleasantly against the bones upon which they rested as the monster walked.

Sam quickly realized that the skeleton was faster than he initially assumed, and scooped a handful of palm-sized rocks out from his bag as ammo to prepare a rapid-fire attack. Abigail charged toward the monster, her sword arching wide until it bit into brittle bone and became lodged in its ribcage. His girlfriend cursed as she tried to pry her weapon out of her opponent, kicking its body with her boots as she strained to wiggle the blade free.

"Abigail, duck!" Sam ordered. In one fluid motion, the amethyst-haired woman dropped to the ground as a rock struck the skeleton's occipital bone. What was left of the skull rolled off the skeleton and tumbled to the ground.

Abigail let out a whoop of excitement as the remainder of the skeleton wandered aimlessly in search of its head. Now that it could no longer attack, the magically animated bones were far less of a threat.

Violet hacked at the creature in retaliation for her injury until it fell and Abigail retrieved her sword from the heap. The farmer winced as she sank down to sit on the cold stone, and lifted her shirt to reveal a rusty-colored bruise forming on her side. "They throw some pretty hefty bones," the pastel-haired woman explained as she held her free hand against her skin.

The pendant around Violet's neck began to glow as her palm inched over the newly-formed bruise.

"Woah!" Sam heard Sebastian's account of what happened the night of his birthday party at the beach, but had never seen Violet's healing abilities first-hand. "That's sweet, V!" The blond was starting to feel slightly left out that all his friends were discovering innate mystical talent, leaving him to be the only normie in the group.

The farmer frowned when she moved her hand to find the bruise still present. "It doesn't hurt as badly anymore, but…" Violet's voice trailed off for a moment. "I guess I can't do anything about the blood that's already been lost."

Abigail squatted down to inspect the blunt-force trauma more closely. Violet cringed as her friend poked at the injury lightly. "As long as you're still in one piece, you'll probably heal up the rest of the way just fine, right?"

Sam offered a hand to Violet to help her up. "Just take it easy," he instructed the farmer. "Now that we know what we're up against, we can come up with a plan of attack." He winked at Abigail. "We'll be your body guards while you search for the good stuff."

Violet nodded and took his hand gratefully. "I already have enough gold to make a bar, so that will finish a quest with the Junimos."

The blonde smiled. "What's the reward for that one?"

The farmer's dark blue eyes narrowed for a moment as she tried to recall. "I think this one is to repair the mine carts, but I'm not really sure where they can take you other than the bus stop and the mines."

"There are some tracks over by Clint's shop," Abigail shared with the others. She tapped her cheek with her index finger as she tried to dredge up any other forgotten details. "And I remember taking a cart to the old quarry when I was young."

Sam grinned excitedly. "Sounds like we'd be unlocking an express route around town!"

Violet nodded pensively. "It would be nice to get to the mines faster and straight to Clint's shop for upgrades and repairs," she mused aloud. She glanced up at Sam and Abigail. "But we still have plenty of time in the day before it's time to meet Sebastian at The Stardrop Saloon tonight."

Sam exchanged a look with his girlfriend. "If it's okay with you," Abigail began, "I think I want to explore a bit more."

The blond contributed with a request of his own. "I know you need materials for the Junimo quests and farming equipment, but do you mind if we get a cut, too?" Sam asked, sparing Abigail the awkwardness. Word around town was that Violet had come into some money since she funded the bus repairs for the whole town and Shane still owed money to repay her.

Sam and Abigail recently discussed the possibility of making enough money to have that kind of financial freedom from their parents and they heard through the grapevine that Mayor Shane might be selling land plots in town.

This was the perfect opportunity to make this into a paid gig, so the skater elaborated. "There really aren't any jobs in town and we don't really want to move out of town like Sebastian," Sam reasoned with a nervous chuckle as he rubbed the back of his neck. "And with the Feast of the Winter Star coming up next season, it would be nice to get some spending -"

Violet's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, gosh, I've been such a jerk!" she cut him off in a sudden panic. "Of course you can!" the farmer assured her friend. She paused, awkwardly wringing her hands in front of her body. "But… um…" Violet averted her gaze sheepishly. "If we find any - do you mind if I just pay you for your share of the gold ores instead? I kind of need them to craft some sprinklers for the farm."

Sam shrugged casually. "Fine by me, I don't really have a use for a solid gold bar anyway. Cash sounds waaay better," he confessed, hoping to ease Violet's conscience a bit.

It seemed to do the trick and Violet beamed at the proposal. "Thanks, guys! You're the best!"

As Sebastian headed out of his last class of the week, he noticed a brightly colored advertisement for a nearby apartment complex: "Quiet living space for studious tenants. One, two, and three bedroom units available!"

Sebastian had only considered one-bedroom apartments, but maybe he should expand his search to include another. Maybe that way, Violet would feel more comfortable if I ask her… The programmer shook his head. No, asking your girlfriend to live with you after only a season of dating is definitely rushing things! Part of Sebastian was glad he lost his nerve when he thought to ask Violet in the first place. Violet might be upset if he proposed to take their relationship to the next level too fast. It would freak her out, knowing how things went with her ex…

In his distraction, Sebastian bumped into someone else's shoulder.

"Literally tired of commuting?" a raspy voice asked with an amused snort.

Sebastian recognized Doctor Edge's teasing tone immediately and did not feel the need to turn to face the professor as he tucked the information flyer into his bag. "Sorta," the programming student supposed. "I'm also just trying to graduate as soon as possible, so taking classes over Winter term will help and moving to ZuZu would make things easier."

"Those are accelerated courses, too. What's the rush, kid?" Edge inquired, taking a few steps toward the motorcycle parking. "I know you're not a traditional student, but you aren't on your last leg like me."

"You're not that old," Sebastian countered. Sure, the guy had grey streaks in his jet-black hair and there were visible wrinkles and other subtle signs of aging, but Edge was in no way elderly. He was solidly into middle age, just like all his friends' parents. Sebastian fell into step beside the educator, noticing they were nearly the same height, though generally Edge's features appeared more angular and his build was slighter.

"Being in school again kinda sucks," Sebastian added, answering the professor's question honestly. "I know it's important and it'll be better for me in the long-run to get my degree, I just," his obsidian eyes darted toward Edge warily, "...hate that I'm the only one of my friends making such a big change." Violet seemed content in her new life as a farmer and Sam did not show any indications of planning ahead for the future unless it related to the band. Abigail was technically taking an online class, but Sebsatian was pretty sure she was only taking general education courses to humor her parents.

The man in the hoodie was not sure why he continued his rant, but the words came pouring out of his mouth anyway. "I know I'd get annoyed that my friends didn't really respect my time when I was working, but I miss hanging out with them as often. Especially now that…"

"You've got a cute girlfriend?" Edge teased, elbowing Sebastian lightly to emphasize his humor.

Sebastian blushed faintly, but the momentum of the conversation pushed past his embarrassment for a moment. "That and I feel like I'm missing out on a lot of things back home." The student drummed his fingers against the strap of his backpack anxiously. "Violet's really cool and I worry she's going to wanna break up eventually if I move to the city," Sebastian shared, kicking a small pebble on the sidewalk as he passed. "We actually saw each other a lot more of each other before we started dating."

Edge shrugged, the supple leather of his worn jacket creasing with the movement. "Either you'll work out, or you won't." He held up a hand to indicate he needed to take a break and immediately the professor broke out into a violent fit of coughing.

Sebastian stood beside the educator awkwardly, trying to offer help but unsure of how to do so. Edge waived off Sebastian's uneasiness as he quickly recovered and resumed walking. "Just a tickle in the back of my throat," the teacher clarified. "I know it sounds blasé, but if two people want to make it work, they usually do. The issue is when one or both parties decide the relationship isn't worth it anymore."

"I don't…" Sebastian hesitated to discuss his feelings with the man beside him. They were still practically strangers, even if they did keep bumping into one another. But it felt good to talk it out, even if only to use someone else as a soundboard to hash things out aloud. Other than Sam, Sebastian never had another guy to talk to about his troubles, let alone someone older and at least theoretically wiser.

So, to beat out his anxieties, Sebastian divulged his confession. "I don't think I could go back to that life…"

"Hey, acknowledgement is the first step!" Edge tapped Sebastian on the shoulder with a firm hand and the man's slate orbs focused on Sebastian. For some reason, the programmer felt scrutinized under such an inexplicably intense gaze. "So, are you going to tell her or are you gonna stand around here talking to me?"

Alex stomped into the clinic just as Maru was about to flip the business sign to "closed," throwing his letter jacket over the back of one of the waiting room chairs. "Just because I'm not 'magical' doesn't mean that weird purple guy has any right to tell me what I can and can't do!"

Maru's chestnut eyes blinked curiously behind her ruby-rimmed glasses. "I take it you tried talking to Rasmodius about something?" she stated observantly.

Agitation rolled off Alex in waves. "I spent all day yesterday trying to get him to talk to me," the athlete explicated as he did his best to tone down his anger. Maru got the impression that the encounter did not go well already. "But the old guy said he wouldn't even hear me out until I had something to pay him."

Maru locked the clinic door so that no customers would interrupt while Alex vented his frustrations. Alex took the cue and pulled up a chair sitting in it backward and hugging the blue upholstered cross rail to his chest as he continued his rant. "And not regular money, like any normal person would ask for!" the jock murmured, his eyes rolling in their sockets. "No, this guy wants 'essence,' whatever the heck that is!"

The local nurse supposed it was cute that Alex legitimately tried not to curse, even when his grandparents were not around. She took a seat opposite her agitated friend and encouraged him to finish his story.

"So I spent most of my day hiking around town, trying to figure out what he meant by 'essence,'" Alex groaned in annoyance. He threw up his arms in surrender. "I have no idea! Granny thought I meant 'extract' and kept trying to give me a bottle of vanilla she uses in her cookies." His tanned forehead rested on the top rail of the chair and he heaved a heavy sigh. "I give up, Maru. I'm never gonna find out if I could have gone pro already."

Now this was a bit of information with which Maru could work. "What do you mean?" she probed intently, leaning forward to indicate her full attention.

Alex's face scrunched inward. "I… tried out to go pro in high school and I didn't make it. But it was right after my record-breaking senior year and the scouts were totally gonna bend over backward to get me on their team, but I just couldn't get my throw right at the recruitment event."

Maru knew better than to ask Alex about his nerves that day. Instead, she decided to inquire how this all related to Rasmodius. "What does magic have to do with all this?"

The athlete scowled, but answered. "I felt so off that day, it made me wonder if someone - or something - made me mess up," Alex confessed, his grip tightening around the roots of his hair. "I just wanted to know for sure, so I thought that wizard guy would know. But he doesn't seem interested in helping anyone. Not without something in it for him."

Maru was surprised that Alex had even considered foul play. He was usually so sure of himself and his abilities. But, she supposed not making it pro immediately after the height of his high school career likely shook the jock in some way. While Maru did not deem it probably that someone interfered with Alex's try-outs, it was important to him. So, she spoke up. "He probably means one of those things that the creatures in the mines sometimes drop."

Alex's eyes flickered in her direction. "The mines?"

The young woman smirked knowingly. "I'll explain on the way," she promised with a playful laugh. "But why don't we stop at my house on the way to grab some of my gadgets to help us out?" Maru offered, quickly throwing a few items into her pack before literally dragging him out of his sulky slouch.

"You're going to help me get the essence?"

Maru beamed, locking up the clinic behind them and dropping the keys into the outermost pocket of her bag. "I've been meaning to go to the mines and grab a few materials," she clarified. "I usually opt for a more stealthy approach to avoid unfriendly encounters, but I think with you around, we'll manage just fine." Alex's face tinged slightly pink. He doesn't know how to take a compliment, Maru assumed, finding the jock's proud mannerisms adorable in their own way.

Alex had no room to object as Maru flashed him a friendly grin. "Mom's making salmon tonight, so I'm sure you'll love it!" She knew the seasonal fish was his favorite.

Still, Alex seemed flustered, the hue coloring his cheekbones became more pronounced. "Oh, uh… okay. Sounds good." They walked hand-in-hand up the stairs toward the area around the Community Center until her companion regained his composure from the simple compliment on his physical capabilities.

"... Does your dad still not like me?"

After parting ways with Abigail and Sam to head back home from the mines, Violet returned home to throw enough ores into her furnace to form a gold bar so she could stop by the Community Center to complete the boiler room requests. The apple sprites were ecstatic to see their "Lady" and performed an adorable dance to demonstrate their joy when Violet surrendered the emerald, diamond, and gold bar. A bright gold star was added to the mural over the hearth and the farmer had a swarm of forest spirits tripping over themselves to follow in her wake as she tried to exit the building.

"I can't stay too long today, everyone," Violet verbalized, sympathetic to their desire to chat. "I'm already running late!"

But the Junimos would not listen and instead used their numbers to overcome Violet, knocking her to the ground and inspecting the bruises on her side. Somehow, they had known she was injured, Violet realized. A few of the larger apples shook their spindly twig hands at her and sounded as if they were scolding Violet for her recklessness.

"I'll be more careful next time!" the farmer promised, trying to brush the alarmed creatures off her person. "That skeleton just caught me by surprise, and I'm fine now." The largest Junimo, whom Violet dubbed "Chisato" after the person who discovered the world's biggest apple, prodded the farmer's side as if to prove a point.

The young woman cringed in reaction. "Well, of course it hurts when you poke at it!" Violet grit her teeth to endure the pain. She tried to be as polite and understanding of their apprehension as possible, but this was getting to be too much. The divine descendant made a desperate attempt to wriggle free. "Now. Get. Off. Me." With one final push, Violet tacked on a saccharine, "Please!" as she found herself rolling away from the bumbling bushel and fled out the front door with a marginally maniacal cackle.

As the sounds of The Stardrop Saloon pouted out a slightly opened window, a sudden dread struck the farmer. Even though she had stuck to her promise and not gone alone when exploring the depths of the mines, Violet still had a splotchy bruise and some pain to go along with it. Oh no! Sebastian's gonna kill me for getting hurt after I promised I'd be more careful! And then he's gonna kill Sam and Abigail for leaving me unguarded… The agrarian complained internally as she descended the stairs toward Town Square. Biting her thumbnail, Violet wondered if she would be able to hide the injury until it healed.

The Stardrop Saloon was humming with conversation - as usual for a Friday night. Violet quickly made her way toward the table which Leah and Elliott occupied. They had already ordered their food and had begun to eat.

"Sowy, Viwet!" Leah apologized through a mouthful of seasonal salad. "Ai wuz stawvin."

Elliott, less inclined to attempt speech when his mouth was otherwise occupied, swallowed in anticipation of filling in the missing details. "Leah is fretting about her Art Show this coming weekend," he said, dipping his spoon into a large bowl of lobster bisque. "Violet, would you please aid me in comforting Leah? She has been visually accosted by the vulgarity of modern men."

Violet took the seat across from Leah. "What happened?!"

Leah's head sunk into the table as if her shallow yellow salad dish could shield her. "I made the mistake of putting a picture of myself and my personal contact information on the flyers for the art show that I posted in ZuZu City," the woman moaned regretfully. "And I've been getting a shit ton of dick pics and suggestive emails all week."

The farmer felt second-hand disgust on her friend's behalf. "Oh, Leah, that's awful!" Violet sympathized with the artist.

"At least my old landline doesn't get texts, let alone photos," Leah exhaled heavily. "I would have had to change my number…"

Violet waived to get Emily's attention behind the bar and mouthed a silent request to bring a bottle of wine to the table for Leah. The red-clad barmaid winked to signal her understanding. The farmer turned back to her disheartened companion.

"Men are pigs," Violet asserted as she slapped the flat surface in front of her, furious at the faceless fuckboys. Briefly, her attention turned to the man sitting with them. "Sorry, not sorry, Elliott."

The silky-haired man shook his head, wiping his face with a napkin and placing it back onto his lap. "None taken in this case." Elliott frowned sternly. "Rest assured I wholeheartedly agree that these men are uncivilized sexual deviants who prey upon the gentler sex."

Some of Elliott's ideas were a bit archaic, but now was not the time to address them. The wavy-haired woman refocused on Leah, who still wilted sadly in her seat. "I'm sorry you've gone through that," Violet stated earnestly. "But don't let them discourage you, the Art Show hasn't even happened yet!" Emily arrived with the wine and poured a glass, which Violet slid across the table to Leah. "And odds are these assholes aren't going to drive all the way to Pelican Town to sexually harass you in-person."

Leah hoisted herself up enough to collect the wine glass and bring it to her lips. "You're right…" the ginger admitted. "I made myself an easy target with those flyers. I should make a business email address instead of using my personal account from now on, too." She downed the contents of the glass quickly. "I guess as long as tomorrow isn't a flop, it'll all be worth it."

Violet beamed at her friend and Elliott did the same, placing his fingertips lightly on Leah's shoulder. "It will be alright, Leah," the poet promised his fellow artist. "While I do not condone their vulgar behavior, do not let such actions tether your ambition to the ground."

"That's the spirit!"

Since the major crisis was addressed, Violet grabbed a quick bite to eat from Gus's evening menu before joining Sebastian, Sam, and Abigail in a game of pool. There was the usual bickering about teams, but a coin toss determined that the pairs would be significant others rather than men versus women.

With Sam and Abigail in such high spirits from the money made from today's exploration of the underground castle, they seemed more flirtatious with each other than usual. The fighter duo had given Sebastian a quick summary of the events of the day - wisely leaving out the detail that Violet was injured as she had hoped. The problem was that with Sam and Abigail being so distracted by one another, it emboldened Sebastian as well.

The hoodie-clad man pulled Violet down to sit in his lap as Abigail went to make her shot for a striped ball. The farmer clenched her jaw to make sure she did not cry out from the pain of her bruised rib cage. Sebastian eyed his girlfriend with concern. "Is everything alright?"

Violet flushed, embarrassed that the only lie she could think of quickly regarded her time of the month. "I'm just," she leaned in closer to whisper so their opponents would not hear. "I'm just on my period and well... cramps."

Sebastian appeared equally embarrassed and gently slid Violet off his lap. "Wait here," the dark-haired man instructed as he quickly ran over to the bar side of the saloon.

A moment later he returned with a mug of hot chocolate on a small tray. "Will this help?"

Violet felt so guilty for lying to Sebastian, but she was equally touched by his thoughtfulness. "Chocolate always helps," the farmer guaranteed with a saccharine smile as she accepted the warm drink gratefully.

"You're up, Seb!" Sam called out to his best friend. Sebastian leaned over and kissed Violet on the forehead. "I'll be more careful," he promised. Her partner promptly picked up his cue stick and scanned the green velvet table for a suitable target.

Sebastian's so sweet, Violet reflected, the warm feeling in her chest permeating her body just as the hot chocolate heated the mug in her hands. The blue-eyed woman sipped the steaming liquid tentatively. It was only a little white lie, but the dishonesty of Violet's excuse made the drink taste vaguely bitter. It's better this way, the farmer decided. Sebastian would be gentler with her and it would give Violet time to recover in the meantime. It was a foolproof plan. What could possibly go wrong?

Sebastian fidgeted nervously as he walked Violet home from the saloon, wondering how to best invite her out for an entire day tomorrow. If she was already feeling under the weather, maybe he should just reschedule? Sebastian really wanted his girlfriend to approve of his new place and as she demonstrated the previous night, her insight was invaluable. Violet once rented in a city before and he lacked that kind of experience.

Then of course Sebastian had also promised to take her out this weekend. Originally, he wanted to take her out to his favorite scenic spot between Pelican Town and ZuZu City, but now the motorcyclist was second-guessing on whether this would be a good time or not. "...'Bastian?"

Sebastian jumped to a halt, realizing that Violet had stepped in front of him and had her face inches away from his. "You stopped walking suddenly…" she testified, tilting her head. "Is everything okay?"

The programmer sighed, sweeping his bangs away from his face. "I just… I wasn't sure if the date I had planned for tomorrow was gonna work out anymore."

Violet tugged at the front pocket of his hoodie, "Why's that?"

Uh, how do I explain this without sounding like an asshole? Sebastian groaned silently. "You're on…" No, don't mention that. "You said -" the young man quickly abandoned that approach as well. Finally, he slapped his own forehead out of frustration. "Cramps!" he shouted much louder than he intended.

Violet's mouth literally rested in an "o" as the meaning of his outburst registered in her brain. She blushed, though Sebastian sort of hoped it was because of his awkwardness and not because of her body's betrayal. Her sapphire eyes shifted away from him momentarily. "I think…" Violet started to play with a lock of her wavy hair, "it'll still be okay."

His girlfriend lifted her head to gaze up at him. "So when should I meet you tomorrow, mystery date boyfriend?"

Sebastian chuckled nervously. "Um, actually. I was hoping to borrow you the whole day," he confessed sheepishly. "If you already had plans to crash Abigail's magic lesson tomorrow, I understand…" the black-haired man began. "But I thought it would be cool if you tagged along for some of the apartment tours, then we could get some food and explore the city."

He was losing his nerve the more his mouth moved. "The actual date should be at night for maximum effect." His obsidian eyes darted toward hers, seeking her approval. "If that's cool?"

"I'd love to!" Violet practically glowed - though maybe it was the glow ring she wore - and Sebastian felt her arms around him. He instinctually returned the hug, alleviating all the pent-up pressure in his body from the stress of his overthinking. "Besides, Abigail's magic lesson isn't until Sunday."

"Great, I'll pick you up first thing in the morning."

Violet winked flirtatiously. "Or you should stay and cuddle all night."

Sebastian scoffed at her boldness. "Nah, I've gotta find some of my old gear and make some adjustments on the bike suspension since I'll be riding with a passenger tomorrow. I made the mistake of not prepping the last time you rode with me and I wanna make sure we're good to go," the motorcyclist defended the choice firmly. He wanted to keep Violet safe. Sebastian took the opportunity to pester her a bit. "Besides, I'm sure Bruno missed you last night."

The farmer pouted. "He goes and stays with Shane when I'm not around." Sebastian heard Violet mutter "traitor" under her breath. The farm dog did not go out of his way to be affectionate unless it was time for bed or to eat.

"It sounds like Shane might know how little you've been sleeping in your own bed lately…" he teased.

Violet's face went crimson. "Oh shit, I didn't even think of that!" she squealed in horror. Her expression instantly flipped to irritation. "And I still sleep in my own bed most nights, thank you very much!"

Sebastian cackled, dodging a playfully aggressive swat from Violet. She was so damn cute when she got worked up and it was a lot of fun to mess with her. "C'mon, I'll take you to the door like a gentleman tonight."

"Oh, thanks," Violet responded sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

Strategically, Sebastian waited until they were at the front door to make his finishing blow. He kissed her good-night just a bit rougher than usual, then pulled away. "Get some rest. I plan on taking you for the ride of your life tomorrow."

He smirked, vanishing from the warm glow of the porch light and into the cloak of night. Violet became an expressive tomato with a rich range of emotions twitching across her features, rendering her temporarily incapable of speech like a bugged-out code. Without waiting for her to reply, Sebastian discovered not too proud to hasten his retreat with a minor spell to guarantee style points.